by Jane Henry
“Whom do you obey?” I grind, pushing into her so hard the breath is driven out of her and she is gasping. I slap her thigh. “Answer me.”
“M-my lord!” she screams. “You!”
I grind into her, thrusting, her pussy tight around my rigid cock, thrusting so hard I feel my length fully within her, my flank against her warmed, reddened backside. She is arching, writhing, but pushing into me as if begging me silently to take her harder, firmer, with everything that I have.
“You will obey me,” I say. I want her punished and claimed, so that every time she walks, she feels the mark of my hand on her throbbing backside and the aching memory of my cock in her pussy.
“Yesss,” she wails, her hands fisted on the bed so tightly her knuckles are white. “Yesss, my lord.”
I am reaching climax at a rapid pace. I can feel her building beneath me, her pussy ready for me, milking me, but her slender form so fragile I could break her. The beast in me wants to savagely claim what is mine, but I temper my power, sated by each thrust of my cock in her pussy.
“No one touches you,” I growl, with a tug of her gorgeous tresses.
“No one, my lord,” she says, her voice thick with emotion.
“No one fucks you but me,” I insist, with another hard thrust.
“No one, my lord,” she says, a near sob.
“You are mine,” I say with a growl so savage I barely recognize my own voice. I am on the cusp of climaxing. I release her hair and grasp her hips, plunging a final time into her until I come, dizzy with the pleasure of her beneath me, under me, her soft hair and warmed backside, my power over her a pulse of energy between us. I roar as I climax, my body tense and vibrating with the ecstasy, victor in my claiming of the woman beneath me.
To hell with Freanoss and their citizens and their thievery. Carina was made for me, and by the gods, our destinies are written in our hearts, minds, and bodies. She was fated to be with me since her conception, every lesson she’s learned, every step along the way leading her to me.
She is crying quietly as I withdraw myself and fall on the bed next to her, picking her up and laying her across my chest.
“You did not climax, Carina,” I say, panting, needing to know.
She shakes her head. “No, my lord.” Her leg is hitched up on mine. She is so ready, but she will wait, her longing for me emphasizing my ownership of her.
I close my eyes, my breath coming in gasps. “Tonight,” I whisper. “Tonight, I will once again make you bare to me,” I whisper, my finger going to her mound that is now covered in soft little hairs. She squirms, trying to get me to touch her again, but I pull away. She mews softly. “Tonight,” I say sternly. She relaxes onto my chest, her head nodding slowly.
“I didn’t know he was going to kiss me,” she whispers. Her words surprise me. I kiss her forehead and gently brush her hair back.
“It is for that reason I didn’t punish you more severely,” I say. “Your punishment was for disrespect in front of my men.” I pause. “That will not happen again.”
She lifts her head up and looks at me. “I cannot make promises such as that,” she murmurs.
I raise a brow at her. “Then I can make no promises to not blister your backside.”
She squirms. “So I’m to stand by and allow you to kill another man?”
I sober, lifting her chin so that her eyes are on me. “If I say so? Yes.” She blinks, but I continue. “Carina, if I deem it necessary to take such drastic measures, you will not heed my purpose.”
She swallows. “You almost killed the man who hit me,” she whispers. “And you would’ve killed Arman for kissing me.”
I nod. “You do not understand our code, little one,” I say. “Both would have been deserving of such punishment.”
She looks away, troubled by my answer, but I will not retract my statement.
“But Arman is your man,” she says.
“And you,” I say, with a kiss on her head once again, “are my woman.”
She is quiet for a minute.
“Now rest, little one, for a bit. I will meet with my men this evening, and then tonight you and I have further plans.”
“Yes, my lord,” she murmurs, her eyes already closed in a brief rest. I leave her on the bed and summon Idan. It is a mere five minutes later when I am sitting at my table, the tray of food I’ve ordered at the ready, when Idan knocks on the door.
“Come in,” I say. Carina is in bed, covered by a sheet, when Idan enters. For a moment, he looks briefly at her. Her modesty is covered, yet he averts his eyes. He likely knows she’s been punished and submitted to me, and is now choosing to be a gentleman. Carina, to her credit, does not stir.
“Be quick with your briefing,” I tell Idan. “I must feed Carina.”
Idan nods. “Arman has been sent as you bid, to the mines of Kleedan.”
“Very well,” I say.
Idan clears his throat. “My lord, I feel I owe you an apology,” he begins. He pauses when I skewer him with a look and a raised brow.
“Do you?” I ask, feeling my ire rise once again. I wish to be done with this foolery and on to Freanoss, where I must attend to business. What I desire most is waiting for me in my bed, having taken both my seed and punishment in stride. I wish to solve the difficulties before us so that I can return to her.
“Arman was under my watch, and it was on my watch that he took liberties with your woman.”
I nod, and dismiss his guilt with a wave of my hand. “Be that as it may, Idan, Arman alone is responsible for his actions. He was to pretend to be my decoy, and took his liberties too far. I spared him his life but not his dignity, as was my duty to do so. Is there any further news?”
He shakes his head. “No, my lord.”
“Then are we in full preparation to make ready our way to Freanoss?” I ask. I see Carina’s head rise at the name of her planet.
Idan nods. “Yes, my lord,” he says. “It seems the Freanossians are behaving as we predicted.”
“Very well,” I say. “Then we shall proceed as planned. You may go,” I say, dismissing him.
Carina will not be left out of my sight for a minute, until such time that I must go to Freanoss. I wish to take care of her before I go, to leave her pining for me. I know the separation will be difficult for us both.
* * *
“Did you like your dinner, my sweet?” I murmur, wiping a crumb from her lip with the pad of my thumb. She is sitting upon my lap with a blanket strewn about her lovely shoulders, her eyes still bright from having been punished and bedded. She draws her tongue along her lip. My cock stirs within me. I am amazed at how she arouses me even after I’ve taken her twice in one day. She shifts upon my lap, with my cock stirring beneath her bottom.
“My lord,” she murmurs. “It seems I’ve awakened you yet again.”
Smiling, I nuzzle against the soft skin of her neck. “My love,” I respond. “It seems you never let me sleep.”
Darkness has descended upon Avalere. I have one final meeting with my men to be sure everything is assembled and prepared for our departure tomorrow. “I must leave you with fitting memories of our coupling so that you long for my return,” I say teasingly, though I am utterly serious.
Her eyes cloud as she absentmindedly fingers the locked necklace about her neck.
“Take me with you,” she says, taking me completely off guard. I am shocked at her request.
“Nay, little one,” I say with a gentle shake of my head. “I would no sooner take you to Freanoss than I would to battle.” She turns her head away from me. I pause, wondering for a moment, unsure as to her motives behind the question. Does she wish to be near me, or is it something deeper than that?
“Carina, do you wish to accompany me because you miss Freanoss?” Though our journey is hardly one for sport, I do wonder at her audacity.
She looks away, her lower lip a pout, and I tug a strand of her delicate dark hair to bring her eyes back to mine. “Carina?”
/> She casts her eyes down, still twisting the necklace about her neck. She lifts one shoulder in a shrug. “Partly,” she says. “But only because it is familiar. I am not missed by those from Freanoss, therefore I do not miss them.” She is insistent, even stubborn in her response.
I say nothing, merely running my hand through her long hair. “There is nothing that you miss?”
She pauses, swallowing, her eyes going half-lidded as my hand runs through her hair. I pull her against my chest, cradling her, my arms encircling her. It is my hope that our intimacy will make her feel free to speak what is in her heart to me. I have laid her bare, punished her, made love to her, and claimed her as my own. I wish for more than outward obedience and sexual submission. It is my desire that she open her mind and heart to me as well. “Not at all, little one? Tell me,” I urge.
My heart clenches when I realize her cheeks are damp.
I turn her fully so that she is facing me, and see that what I’ve feared is indeed true. There are tears upon her cheeks. She swipes them away, and turns her face away angrily from me, as if to hide what it is that she cannot control.
“My sweet,” I whisper, turning her back to me by tipping her chin, my hand stronger than the pull of her jaw, insistent as I make her meet my eyes. “Do not be ashamed for mourning the loss of your home. Though it is my firm conviction you are far better off here with me, I do not desire to stifle your natural instincts. Do you have family on Freanoss?” I ask. It is the first time I have questioned such a thing. I know vaguely that familial connections are not like ours here on Avalere. The children of Avalere are born to a father and mother, and raised under the watchful eyes of their mother until they come of age. Boys are taught hunting, archery, swordsmanship, and many are trained to be warriors. I have fond memories of playing at my mother’s feet, her voice singing to me as she stirred a pot upon the stove or stoked the fire, my younger sister babbling in her cradle. My chest tightens with the memory. Though I never wish for my Carina to return to the sterile world of Freanoss, perhaps there is something or someone she longs to see.
She shakes her head. “I have no… parents or siblings, or even, as you call them friends, on Freanoss,” she says. “We were discouraged from forming strong connections, and I know now that there was more at play than I was led to believe. I never desired such connections, as it seemed unnatural.” She sighs. “Like everything else, it seems I was manipulated into denying the most basic of human needs. No, Aldric,” she says softly. “There is no one.”
Heat rises in my chest and I clench my fists. Do the imbeciles who dwell on her home planet not know her exquisite beauty? Her intellect, and strength, and charm? How could she not be adored and revered?
Still holding her chin, my voice low but steady, I must question her. “Then what is it that makes you cry, little one?”
She swallows, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “They didn’t come for me,” she whispers. “I forfeited my freedom to come here to aid my people. They lied to me of their purpose and… no one came for me,” she says, anger and sadness welling up in her eyes until her emotions spill down her cheeks, two glistening lines of tears.
I pull her head to my chest, my hand cradling the back of her neck as I whisper fiercely in her ear, “I will always come for you. Do you know that, little one? My Carina? Do you know that you are mine, my very special girl, who was named by me and is now mine above others all the days of my life? Do you know that no matter what happens I will always come for you? My sweet,” I whisper, my own emotions clogging my throat as I hold her in a fierce embrace. “It is the way of the warrior. We are joined together, and as such you pledge your obedience and even now feel the pull within you to be near me, inseparable. As for my part, I pledge my protection and devotion. Carina,” I say, laying a kiss upon her forehead before I continue. “I would lay down my life for you.” I repeat, “I will always come for you.”
She closes her eyes briefly. “Thank you,” she whispers. “And I understand why you wish me to stay here and not accompany you to Freanoss.”
But there is a distance in her eyes, and she does not look at me.
I pull her chin back to mine. “Carina,” I say, warning.
She looks at me with wide eyes. “Yes?”
“You are not going. Do you understand me?”
She frowns. “Yes, I understand you.”
I sigh. Foolish, headstrong woman. “Have the lessons I’ve given you at my hand taught you nothing? Woman, if you try to defy me in this, you will suffer my wrath.” I will tie her up if I must. If she dares to defy me… Still, she says nothing.
“I said I understand you,” she says with a lift of her chin. I narrow my eyes at her. I do not believe her.
“Have you learned to obey me?” I ask her, my voice a mere whisper.
She smiles and squirms upon my lap. “Certainly, my lord,” she says. “Do you think I’d be sitting upon your lap if I hadn’t?”
I chuckle, giving her a teasing swat. She wriggles on my knee, her thighs clenched together and her eyes half-lidded. I grasp her backside and squeeze. She moans.
“After I meet with my men,” I whisper, nuzzling her ear and taking the lobe between my teeth with a gentle nip. She gasps, her hands encircling my neck. I continue. “The evening is ours. I shall summon Lystava to prepare you.” I pull away and meet her eyes. “And watch you.”
She grins, her eyes lighting up with the full smile. “Certainly, my lord,” she says.
I eye her warily before I shake the bell at the table. Lystava comes to the door moments later.
“I must meet with my men,” I explain. “Take Carina to her chambers and prepare her for an evening with me.” I give Lystava a list of what I will need. Carina’s eyes widen but I ignore her as I am intent on giving Lystava my instructions.
Lystava bows deeply as I stand Carina on her feet. “I will have men stationed at every door and window,” I say. Carina frowns at me, but Lystava merely nods. I turn to Carina and give her a teasing swat. “You may pledge devotion to me, my sweet, but I am no fool.”
On that, I take my leave.
Chapter Eighteen
Carina
Lystava comes to me, her dark skin glowing in the light of the flickering candles. Her hair is twisted in an elegant knot at the back of her neck. Though she’s attended me numerous times, we have not spoken much. I have assumed she is merely reserved, or that it is not her place to speak with the king’s woman. But now, she is full of speech, as she lays a silvery blue tunic and silky undergarments on the small table in my dressing room. I have never seen such undergarments before.
She smiles at me when she catches me eying them. “Such things are typically frivolous, if you’re the woman of a warrior who will demand his claim on you whenever he deems it necessary,” she explains. “But there are times when a bit of dressing up is required.” She shrugs. “My lord has plans for you this evening.”
I feel an inexplicable twinge of irritation at her use of the word my, the irrational desire to shake her and explain that no, he is my lord. But the childish impulse passes, as she is my servant and certainly he is her lord. She takes a small glass vial from the shelf near the large claw-footed tub, and pours the silvery grains into the tub as the warm water flows. I inhale deeply. The scent is slightly floral without being overpowering.
“What is that?” I ask.
“A blend of crushed leaves from the mountaintops of Kleedan,” she says. “They are known for their pungent fragrances. These are extracted and made into a bath salt.” She pauses, leaning against the edge of the tub, and gracefully swirls her fingers through the warm water. “Come, my lady,” she says softly, gesturing for me to undress and go into the tub.
I hesitate a moment. Though I trust her and know it is the way of Avalere that ladies-in-waiting attend to their mistresses, I am uncomfortable still with her seeing me naked.
She smiles a small, knowing smile, and averts her eyes. “I’ll give you privacy, l
ovely,” she says.
She is behaving differently tonight. She has always been a bit detached, but now, it is as if there has been a shift. I am not sure why.
I step into the large tub, the warm, fragrant water enveloping me. It is lightly tinged blue-green, and the lovely fragrance invades my senses. I inhale and exhale, my entire body relaxing. I could fall asleep here, like this, in the soothing recesses of this bath. She approaches behind me, gently tilting my head back, and warm water flows over my temples and the top of my head. I feel her pouring something into her hand, then her fingers are lathering my hair. I love the smell, another slightly floral scent.
Lystava attends me by discreetly handing me what I need until I am cleaned sufficiently, and well groomed. Though this is very different from the sterile manner of bathing I have learned on Freanoss, I enjoy it. My legs are clean-shaven, but she has gently discouraged me from shaving anywhere else.
She holds a luxuriously soft ivory-colored robe for me to step into. “Come now,” she says. “The king will arrive soon, and when he does, it is best you are waiting for him.”
She gestures for me to change into the blue tunic she’s laid out for me, and takes her leave. “Here,” she says, gesturing for me to get changed. “Tell me if there’s anything you need from me.”
And she is gone. I stare in wonder at the thin garment, as I step into my undergarments and tunic. My skin is soft to the touch, the fragrance near intoxicating. My hair still damp, I run my fingers through it, but find that it is already almost dry. I wonder if it’s due to the warm air in the bathroom, or some other trick Lystava has managed. I look down at my cleanly shaven legs and wonder at what she said to about shaving only my legs. My cheeks flame with embarrassment. I am not used to having hair on my intimate parts. Why would she not allow me to shave there as well?
