by M J Marstens
“Through here, my lady,” the servant announces and then walks away.
I nibble my lip nervously.
Wasn’t she going to announce me, or come with me, or something?!
Maybe she’s as embarrassed by this dress as I am and doesn’t want to be associated with me?
The idea makes my lips quirk up, and I straighten my back.
I’m a Royal Ambassador for The Savory Citadel, I remind myself, opening the doors.
The hall is much more brightly lit, and it takes a second for my eyes to adjust.
In the center of the room is a giant fountain spurting chocolate sauce. . .
A chocolate fondue fountain!
I peer around and see a raised dais along the north wall. On it sits a golden throne made of butterscotch and sitting in it is a god. I blink twice to ensure my vision isn’t playing tricks on me. He’s large, even slumped to the side on the throne. His hair is cotton-candy pink and his eyes are silvery-gray. He’s dressed in a simple tunic that matches his eyes and white pants.
On his head is a magnificent crown.
It suits him.
Regal.
Majestic.
Perfect for the king.
I realize this isn’t just any hall; this is the throne room, and I’m all alone with Sugarland’s monarch.
I approach the dais cautiously, watching him eye me. Once close enough, years of palace etiquette demand that I curtsey. Of course, I forget about the damned scrap of a dress and end up flashing his highness my vagina.
I can feel the blush creep into my face and down my chest.
King Kandine now regards me hungrily, and I feel my body temperature rise some more.
“Your servant gave me a most unsuitable dress,” I mumble reproachfully, forgetting to whom I’m speaking.
“She did, indeed,” the king agrees wickedly.
We stare at one another, something transpiring between us, until his gaze snags on the collar at my throat.
Now, something dark and forbidden enters his eyes.
“So, it’s true,” the king murmurs.
Since I’m not sure to what he’s referring to exactly, I stick to formalities.
“Your majesty, I’m Anise Spyse, a Royal Ambassador from The Savory Citadel. My stepbrother and I have traveled far and wide to get to you. We wish to broker a trade agreement with you for King Unami, and. . .”
“And?”
“And we seek your help in removing our collars,” I finally admit.
“I’m most curious to hear how you became imprisoned and fitted with a Cherry Choker, but I confess to being more interested in your name.”
“My name?” I ask in surprise.
“Indeed. It’s most unique. And lovely. Fitting,” he flatters. “Tell me, Anise, what do you know of the northern kingdoms?”
I furrow my brow.
“What northern kingdoms?”
“The empires north of here.”
“Um. . . nothing. Our maps only show us as far north as Sugarland. Because of the lands in between, I don’t think anyone from The Savory Citadel has been beyond Sugarland, and what we do know of your kingdom is very limited.”
King Kandine’s eyebrows raise.
“Is The Savory Citadel cloistered away then?”
“Oh, no, not at all! We have plenty of interaction with the kingdoms south of us.”
“I see. So tell me then how you became a Royal Ambassador,” he commands.
“Well, it’s a bit of a story. My father died when my mother was pregnant with me. When I was four, she remarried to King Unami’s brother, but when I was ten, she and my stepfather both contracted The Curdling Plague and died. Graham, my stepbrother, and I moved into the palace as royal wards. It made sense, since Graham is King Unami’s heir. When I turned eighteen, the king charged us with the task of brokering a deal with your kingdom and made us Royal Ambassadors to the Savory Crown.”
Again, the king’s eyebrows raise.
“King Unami allowed his heir to go on such a dangerous journey?”
I ponder this for a moment before responding.
“Honestly, I think King Unami knew how much Graham despised being his heir. Graham has no desire to talk politics and rule. He’s an adventurer, through and through. I think this task was King Unami’s one concession, his silent compromise and gift to his nephew. I genuinely don’t think King Unami knew of the extent of the perils.”
“He knew,” King Kandine answers coldly.
“No,” I defend. “He knew of the brackishes, but also how best to cross the Briny Divide. He knew of the Sour Swamp and how best to cross it, too, and the Embittered Forest. What he didn’t know about was Mari and her Gingerbread Hell. He couldn’t have planned for something so evil!”
The king shakes his head angrily, then stops.
“Your stepbrother reminds me of Lolland.”
I wince thinking of Lolli.
“Your highness-”
“Come now, my sweet girl, there’s no need to be so formal!” the king admonishes.
“How do you know I’m sweet?’ I tease.
“I have it on the best of authority that you are as sweet as candy,” he responds with a sinful wink that makes me think he’s insinuating something else altogether. “In fact, that’s what I’ll call you. My Candy Girl. And I can be your Candy King. I also don’t mind being called master.”
I gasp at the implication in the word ‘master’, feeling myself blush once more.
“Your highness,” I stress firmly, “I have some terrible news for you.”
Kandi’s grin only grows wider when I openly defy calling him by his pet names, but then he sobers up.
“I know about the prince,” he tells me sadly, and I ache at the great loss I hear in his words.
“I’m so sorry, your majesty.”
“I am, too, my candy girl. I am, too.”
“How did you know?” I ask curiously.
“Toffy told me. He’s gone off to get the others who are on their way.”
Ah.
So that’s where Toffy went off to. I think of his cocoa skin and chocolate eyes and wonder if we’ll ever get our stolen moment back. Probably not. That opportunity is gone, just like the majority of the fabric from my dress.
“While we wait, you can tell me about your Cherry Choker and how Maraschino managed to enslave you,” the king directs.
I loathe to even think of my time in the Embittered Forest, but I know King Kandine must be given the facts if he’s to use his magic to undo Mari’s.
I grimace as I begin my tragic tale.
KANDI
I listen to Anise’s story in horror, even though I already know it, thanks to Grandpa Nutt. A good man who was friends with my father and Sugarland’s best tracker, his magic nearly rivals mine. Chester sent a truffle message after his encounter with Anise.
He told me of her story that he compelled from the girl.
And of her eyes.
I’ve been waiting for days to meet her to see for myself, but nothing could have prepared me for seeing those purple orbs in person.
Truly, she is stunningly beautiful, but her eyes are nearly otherworldly.
And to think I thought Maraschino’s eyes were purple.
More like a ruddy burgundy compared to the vibrant lavender of Anise’s irises.
Those eyes coupled with her name seals the deal.
And her fate.
Whether Anise realizes it or not, she’s the Crown Princess of the Spyse Kingdom and my true betrothed. It was a deal made years ago between my father and King Basil if they both had a son and daughter. Of course, this was before all hell broke loose.
A hell named Maraschino, that is.
I exiled the treacherous woman, but still her evil magic poisons everything in my world.
The question is whether Anise’s collaring is purely coincidental or something more.
I realize my candy girl has stopped speaking and is looking at me expectantly.
“Can you, your highness?”
“Can I what, sweet girl?”
“Can you remove the collar? Plumpy, Pepper, and Chester all said that only someone more powerful than Mari can break her hold over me.”
“It’s true. I am much stronger magically, but to break her dominion over you, you must cede it over to me,” I whisper with more than a hint of lust.
Anise eyes me warily and shifts, parting her dress once more, displaying her succulent pussy to my eyes. She ponders my words, and their intent, not realizing the feast she offers to my hungry gaze.
“I don’t want to cede control over to you. I don’t want anyone to be in control of me! I’m tired of everyone making my decisions. I can make up my own mind, thank you very much,” she says in a huff.
Her words make me chuckle.
There’s a bit of a wildness in her that she hides. . .
“Of course you can. I wasn’t asking to become your keeper; I have no intention of caging you in. In fact, I want to do the complete opposite. I want to free you. To liberate you.”
“And I do this by giving you the control?”
“Sexually. By giving me the control sexually.”
Something seems to click into place and her eyes light up.
“By giving you this control, I’m actually gaining it.”
I tip my head to the side. It is rare to find one so young with such a deep understanding of the dynamics in this type of relationship. As king, I’m naturally dominant, and I look for this aspect in my partners. Maraschino, too, was dominant. Not only could we not compromise in the bedroom, but we couldn’t find peace outside it.
Every discussion became an argument.
Every opinion had to be my opposite.
My need for dominance is really only restricted to the bedroom. Outside of it, I want and need a partner.
Maraschino could never give me that, but when I look at Anise, I see a glimmer of hope. She’s naturally submissive, but already comprehends the intricacies associated in such a bond. She’s strong-willed, kindhearted, and tenacious, according to all the reports.
She’s everything a princess should be and everything Maraschino was not.
“I’m ready to remove this collar, my candy king,” Anise murmurs huskily.
“Kneel before me,” I command.
She hesitates, but gracefully sinks down before me.
“Do you give me control of your body, completely, here and now?”
“Yes,” comes her answer.
“Yes, Master,” I correct.
She looks up and our eyes lock.
“Yes, Master,” she annunciates clearly.
She offers herself up, but I still detect a slight spark of defiance.
Good.
I like a little wickedness in my women.
I circle her slowly, just to unnerve her. I stop with my cock in her face, my giant erection tenting my pants. I lean forward slightly and brush the silk-covered head over her lips. She gasps and I chuckle.
I walk around her again, this time leaning over her shoulder to whisper, “The safe word is saccharine, understand?”
“I-I-I’m not sure,” she pants.
“If at any time I do something you are not comfortable with, say that word and I will stop immediately.”
Anise looks at me in wonder for a moment.
“Because I hold all the control,” she murmurs.
“Yes. You give it to me, but in the end, it’s still yours.”
She smiles brilliantly up to me.
“I’m ready, Master.”
“I say when you’re ready,” I remark in a hard tone. “Eyes down, hands behind your back.”
Instantly, she obeys, and my cock swells even more inside my pants. Anise looks beautiful, kneeling before me, awaiting my command. I step back up to her mouth, releasing myself from the cloth confines of my trousers.
“Suck,” I command.
Anise wraps her mouth over the tip of my dick and sucks gently.
“Harder,” I urge and she complies.
Her tongue rasps over the underside of my dick, and the faint scrape of teeth down the sides makes me groan in pleasure. She works me faster, but struggles to keep her balance, but like a good girl, keeps her hands firmly behind her back. I’m impressed at her tenacity to listen and please.
And fuck does she please me.
Unconsciously, I wrap a hand over the back of her head, spurring her forward. I fuck her mouth hard and fast, shoving my cock deeper, until I feel her gag. I ease up, pausing to assess if she needs to stop, but her eyes beg me to continue. Growling, I resume slamming in and out between her lips.
It’s been so long since I’ve been with anyone.
Anise’s mouth feels incredible.
But her submission feels even better.
“I’m going to come,” I warn.
“Please, Master,” Anise manages to say with her mouth full.
At the last moment, I pull out and use my hand to pump my dick. Anise looks up with the sweetest look in her purple eyes, and fucking stick out her tongue for me to come on. I erupt all over the bubble-gum pink of it and her lips. Rope after rope of thick jizz coating her mouth.
I shake a little, as my orgasm slows, and another small spurt of cum shoots out. Anise licks her lips hungrily, swallowing every drop, and I swear my cock re-hardens instantly. Savagely, I grab her wrist, yanking her up, and march across the room, where one wall is lined with mirrors. I pull her back to my chest, so we’re both looking at out reflections.
“Have you ever seen yourself come?” I query.
Her blush is answer enough.
I chuckle.
“Keep your eyes open, little one. I want you to see yourself when you come undone.”
I smirk wickedly when her eyes widen in disbelief at my words. I wrap my left hand around her waist, anchoring her body to mine, and with my right hand, I slowly begin to explore her body. I pinch her nipples through the fabric of the dress, enjoying how they instantly pebble to attention. I cup the heavy weight of her breast, toying with each side, before I travel my hand leisurely down her stomach.
I softly brush over her curls, over the outside of her thigh, and then simply rest my hand at the juncture between her legs. Anise is panting hard, and her eyes plead with mine to continue. I acquiesce, slipping two fingers in her sopping wet pussy. Her tight cunt grips my digits and I can’t imagine what it’ll feel like once I’ve got my cock in there.
Like Heaven on Earth, I’m sure.
I work my fingers in and out of her slickness, my thumb lazily flicking her clit. She can’t hold still and pushes her hips forward, but I pin her back.
She grinds her perfect ass against my dick in retaliation.
With an evil smile, I withdraw my fingers from her pussy, ignoring the pitiful look that she makes, and I wrap my hand around to cup her ass cheek. I fondle it for a second before gently pressing my thumb into her ass. Her eyes widen in shock and she begins to tremble.
“Saccharine!” she wheezes a little fearfully and instantly, I stop.
Clearly, this is a line that can’t be crossed right now.
I scowl, wondering what the fuck Maraschino did to the sweet woman, but let my anger fall away. I step back from Anise regretfully, but she reaches behind her, grabbing the waistband of my pants to pull me back.
Her eyes are trained on mine in the mirror, when she murmurs, “Please don’t stop. I can’t. . . I don’t. . .”
I replaster myself to her back, slipping a finger up to her lips to silence her. She licks it tentatively and moans out loud.
“How do you taste?” I wonder.
Another blush.
“That fucking delicious, huh? Well, I can’t wait to try you, but after I’ve made you come. I won’t touch your ass again. Tonight. Tonight, I’ll just work your sweet cunt until you can’t come anymore. Open up, my candy girl, I want all your nectar.”
With that, I resume finger-fucking my long-lost pr
incess. I bring her higher and higher, until she can’t take it any longer, and she tumbles over the edge. Anise’s legs give way, and she sags into my body. I hold her up as she rides the wave of her pleasure, her eyes never leaving my face in the mirror. When she finishes coming, I wrap a hand around her Cherry Choker and send a surge of magic to finally remove it.
ANISE
Powerful magic blasts from my damned collar and sends Kandi ricocheting halfway across the room. Everything spins before my eyes for a moment before I regain control. When I can finally see straight again, I rush over to Kandi, who’s lying prone on his side, unconscious.
“Kandi!” I call his name urgently, trying to wake him up.
After a few more attempts, I stand up and rush to the doors, screaming for help. The same servant girl from before rushes in.
“Get a healer! Quickly!” I order the woman.
I lean back over Kandi and push a lock of rosy hair off of his face. He looks so pale and I’m worried. The most powerful and magical man in all the kingdoms can’t remove my collar. In fact, it removed him. I pray not permanently. I lean down and hear the steady beat of his heart and sigh in relief.
Suddenly, the doors slam open and in strides the very group of men I’ve longed to see.
“Chester! Plumpy! Pepper!”
I rush to Plumpy, bawling.
“Please help the king! He tried to remove the collar, and. . .”
Plumpy shares an anxious look with Chester.
“What happened?” Chester asks, as they lead me over to the king.
I explain what happened and their faces tighten.
My stomach flutters in panic, but Plumpy leans down and places a firm kiss on my lips.
“I’ve missed you, sugarplum. You have no idea how relieved I am to see you. Don’t worry. We’ll fix this together.”
His words fill me with warm reassurance.
Chester crowds in next.
“Plumsley is right. We’ll get the king right as rain and one way or another, we’ll find a way to get that damned thing off your throat.”
“Yes, it has to go,” Pepper concurs. “It impedes me from gripping your neck securely while I pin you down and fuck you.”
I cough a bit at his crass words.
“Pepper!” I admonish.
“That’s Mr. Mint to you, sugartits,” he corrects with a roguish wink that makes my heart flip.
