"Make you love me."
I started to cry. Again. "Will you do me a favor?"
"I will try."
"Will you lie to me and try to convince me you love me, too?"
And then I fell to my knees in front of her, clasping her and sobbing.
She began caressing my hair while I clutched at her. It felt so good and so soothing. I leaned my head into her touch, knowing this wasn't going to take her long. Then she reached down and lifted my chin to face her. "Meorie, it won't be a lie. You are the bravest woman I have ever known, and you don't deserve any of this. I will do everything I can to ease this for you, and I will love you forever."
I started sobbing again, but she began caressing me with both hands, soothing me.
"I love you," she said to me, petting me, and the pleasure it sent through me was intense. I buried my face in her and let her pet me.
"Don't stop," I said. "Don't stop, just don't stop."
She continued to pet me like that, while I was on my knees, clutching her. Finally though she pulled me to my feet, caressing my face.
"I need you to clean up properly," she said. "That's a proper wash room." She pointed to a doorway. "Remove this horrible clothing and make yourself as beautiful for me as you are able in a short time. I will then make you very, very happy."
I immediately removed the shift. She took it from me. I stood in front of her, naked, and she caressed my face. I then stepped past her into the wash room.
There was water and soap. I stank, both from the harsh lye soap used earlier and my own sweat and fear since. I cleaned as best I could, then dried. I brushed my teeth and spent time on my hair, brushing it out until it shone as much as it was going to. There were cosmetics, and I applied a very light layer around my eyes and to my lips. I examined myself and decided I was as good as I could get in a short time. I turned around and left the room.
Dareena was waiting for me. She had removed her outer clothing and was dressed only in her under clothes. We looked at each other for a moment, then I crossed the room and knelt in front of her. She caressed my cheek.
"Do what you need to do, Dareena," I said. "If you are honest with me, then I forgive you."
She pulled me to my feet. "I do love you, Meorie." Then she pulled me into a kiss, and it was amazing. When her tongue caressed my lips, I parted for her, and she slipped her tongue into my mouth.
It was the most amazing thing I have ever tasted.
I knew most of that was the collar talking, but I didn't care anymore.
Dareena drew me to the bed, laid me down amongst the pillows, and continued to caress me, her hands exploring my body, teasing my breasts and my nipples. Her touch brought an amazing wave of pleasure, and I moaned and squirmed.
I reached for her, but she pulled away and ordered me to lie still and let her do everything.
She spent a very, very long time making love to me, and every moment of it was pure bliss. Then the orgasm came, I was screaming her name, and the waves of pleasure rolled over me and over me.
Finally she pulled away and lied down next to me. "You may move," she said. I looked over at her. At some point she had removed the rest of her clothes.
"I love you," I told her. "I love you."
She smiled, and it felt like an honest smile.
"May I pleasure you?" I asked her. She nodded.
I used my hands and my mouth, and somehow I knew exactly what she wanted, and when she came, my name was on her lips.
The Trial
Dareena made love to me several more times that night. At one point, her mother arrived in the room. As soon as I saw who had arrived, I was on my knees in front of her, and when she stepped forward in front of me, I leaned down and kissed her feet.
Dareena wrapped a robe around herself. Fridara and Dareena spoke for a few minutes, then Fridara left.
Dareena pulled me to my feet and looked into my eyes.
"Meorie, are you still in there?"
"Yes, Dareena," I said. "You are so beautiful."
"What do you think of my mother?"
"She's a royal bitch," I said, giggling.
Dareena smiled. "Good joke. It's still you."
"Yes. For now. Don't stop."
"Honey?"
"Don't stop. Take me away. Please, Dareena, please don't stop. She's not done being cruel." I paused. "Oh my god, she's going to take me away from you."
"No. Not before the end."
"Will you be with me?"
"Yes." She looked so sad. "Honey, the trial starts the day after tomorrow."
"Your mother got what she wanted.
"Yes."
"Are you to be my defense?"
"Yes."
"Honey, don't drag it out. Make it quick. Let it be quick."
"It needs to be an honest trial."
"It isn't going to be."
"I know." We looked at each other. "You will be given a chance to say something before you are sentenced. Mother will want you to remain silent. I will allow you to speak. She will be angry, but I won't stop you."
"Thank you. Then they will kill me, and it will be very, very, terrible."
"No, I will make it humane."
"You won't have the power to, but you will order me before they take me to think about how much I love you, and that is how I will die."
She pulled me to her, and my heart melted even further, as if that were possible.
We made love together over and over that night. The collar made me insatiable, and every time I came, I loved Dareena more and more.
Finally we both were exhausted. We climbed under the covers and slept.
* * *
We spent the entire next day in Dareena's room. We ate and attended to our normal needs in a proper fashion. In between, we made love. Dareena gave me countless orgasms. I gave her as many as she would allow, but the collar made me insatiable, and her capacity was limited. But then the collar insisted I find other ways to pamper her, so I gave her massages and foot rubs and anything else she asked for.
Sometime during the middle of the afternoon, Dareena looked into my eyes and said, "Meorie, are you in there?"
"I love you."
"Meorie."
"Please, I love you. Do you love me?"
"Yes, Meorie. Are you in there?"
"I love you."
"Meorie, what do you think of my mother?"
"She has a beautiful daughter."
"Oh honey," she said.
"Please don't be sad. I love you. Don't stop."
"You are still there?"
"Please don't stop."
Dareena pulled me to the bed and made love to me again, and again. I begged her for more, and she gave me everything I begged for.
At some point, I was lost.
* * *
I was numbly aware of the trial. Dareena had dressed me in a simple shift. I followed her through the palace, admiring her wonderful ass. We returned to the court room by the side door. There were two tables with chairs set up, and she led me to one, then she gave me my directions.
The trial was presided over by Queen Fridara and two other judges. I knelt the moment she entered the room and remained kneeling until Dareena told me I could sit. Then the trial began.
It was conducted in Tendaria and I didn't understand a word. But I wasn't bored, because Dareena gave me paper, a pen, and a pot of ink and told me what she wanted me to write. So all during the trial, I wrote.
Every time Dareena stood up, I looked at her. Sometimes she wanted me to stand with her, so I did. Other times she talked to one of the witnesses, so I went back to what I was writing.
Halfway through the first afternoon, the queen interrupted the proceedings. She exchanged words with Dareena, then she switched to Norinian. "Prisoner, what are you writing?"
I knelt in front of the queen. "Love letters, Your Majesty," I said. "Dareena is so beautiful."
"Read me one of these love letters," she said.
Dareena handed me one
of the papers I'd written on. I looked at it then began reciting, beginning with, "My most amazing, beautiful, magnificent Dareena." I went on from there to describe her eyes and her mouth, and her breasts.
The queen stopped me. "That's enough," she said. "Go back to your seat."
I smiled and returned to my seat then I smiled at Dareena. That wasn't remotely what was on the paper. Dareena had told me she wanted me to write my story, but to tell people they were love letters.
Dareena was so smart.
* * *
The trial lasted many days. Every morning Dareena took me to the court. I wrote while people talked. I knelt when I was told to kneel and stood when I was told to stand. I smiled whenever Dareena looked at me or touched me, but she told me I must act very properly, like a proper princess, so I did, as hard as it was.
There were two days with no trials. Dareena made love to me over and over those days. She was so amazing. I wanted to be with her forever.
I finished writing my story before the trial was over. Dareena looked so sad during the trials but when she looked at me, she smiled, and sometimes she leaned over to me and told me she loved me. But I finished my story, so Dareena told me I could write love letters if I wanted to. But some days, like today, I wrote more of my story.
Finally, the people who hated me so much had no more people to say how much they hated me. The queen asked Dareena a question. She stood up and said something I didn't understand, then she sat back down. Then we were dismissed for the day. It was early, and I didn't understand why we were done so early.
Dareena led me to our room. "The trial is over," she said. "We wait now for the verdict."
I smiled. "Guilty, guilty guilty."
"Oh honey, you're still here."
"Sometimes. You're so pretty." I shook my head. "When do I talk?"
"Not for a few days," she said. "Verdict, then a small trial to decide punishment."
"Death, death, death." I looked at her. "Please hold me."
And she did, and I began to forget again.
We were summoned only a short while later. Dareena hadn't even had time to make love to me. We went back downstairs to the court.
The room was packed as it had been every day. We sat down for only a moment before we stood back up, then I was kneeling as the queen walked in. She sat, and Dareena told me I could sit. Then right away she told me to stand.
The queen spoke very briefly and then the queen and the two judges left. Dareena turned to me. "Guilty on all charges." She was white.
"Don't be sad," I said. "I told you."
"Oh honey." She took me to her room and cried. I tried to comfort her.
"Oh honey, you don't understand."
"Yes, I do. Still here. Sometimes." I held her.
"I love you," she said clutching at me.
"I love you too."
She didn't want to make love to me that night. I begged, but she wouldn't. I cried.
The next day, the people who hated me talked more. And the next, then there were two days with no trials.
Dareena didn't want to make love, but she let me cuddle with her.
"Why don't you love me anymore?" I asked her.
"I do, honey, but it's going to hurt so much."
"I am sorry," I told her. "Please don't be sad. Maybe we can have peace."
Then there was one more day where the people who hated me talked. We ended early. Dareena took me to our room and cried.
Her mother had been so cruel to her.
I held her and told her I was proud of her.
"That's the collar," she said.
"No, honey. It's me. You understand now. You understand. I am so proud of you."
* * *
The next day, Dareena talked. She talked for a long time. I smiled at her the entire time. She was so beautiful and brilliant. I didn't know what she was saying, but her voice was beautiful, and she spoke so passionately.
Finally she finished talking and came back to sit with me. The queen looked at me, and she looked differently than she had. I didn't understand why. Then Dareena stood up and said something else. The queen nodded once, then she stood up and I immediately knelt as she and the judges left.
Dareena took me to our room.
"Honey," she said as soon as the door was closed. "Are you in there?"
"What did you tell them?" I asked.
"I told them all about our trip here. I told them about how you saved my life, and how you made the boat, and how you came here hoping that doing so would give our people rest, and that we could have peace."
I nodded. "Your mother looked at me differently. For the first time since this started, I don't know why."
"Neither do I."
"Did she know I had saved your life and all the rest?"
"Yes."
"What was that at the end?"
"I asked them to hold their sentence until the morning. I asked for one more night with you. She agreed."
"Will I die tomorrow after the sentence?"
"Within the hour."
"So tomorrow I talk. Will you still let me?"
"Yes. We can't make love tonight."
I smiled. "Why not?"
"Because it makes you go away."
My smile grew wider. "I can come back whenever I want." I paused. "Tomorrow, after I talk, can you kiss me and tell me you love me, even if it's a lie."
"It's not a lie."
"Kiss me as passionately as you can, and tell me you love me, and I can go away again. After I talk. If your mother allows it. I will be gone when she kills me. If you can't, I will understand. Now, please, make love to me."
And she did, and for a long while, I was gone.
* * *
As it always does, morning came. Dareena cried, but she was able to compose herself. I told her she was amazing.
"Are you in there, Meorie?"
"Yes, Dareena. Will you let me talk?"
"Do you know what you will say?"
"Yes. Maybe. We'll see."
As she had been, Dareena led me to the court room. We sat, then we knelt, then we sat. I looked at the queen. She was about to sentence me to death. Dareena stood up and spoke for only a moment.
The queen smiled and then said in heavily accented Norinia, "Prisoner, do you have anything to say before we pronounce your sentence?"
I smiled and looked over at Dareena. She nodded. She wasn't stopping me yet. I wondered if that would last.
"Yes, Your Majesty," I said. "I would." I stood up.
The queen's jaw dropped, and she glared at Dareena, but the room was filled, and she couldn't take back her offer to let me speak.
My Piece
I stepped out from behind the table and looked around the room. "Your Majesty," I said. "I must apologize. I speak very little Tendarian, only a few words, very few words. I am unable to speak in Tendarian and must speak in Norinian. My apologies to those who can't understand."
I turned to the queen. "Would you do me the honor of repeating those words to your court?"
Dumbfounded, she nodded. She spoke briefly. I looked over at Dareena, and she nodded. I took it to mean it had been an accurate translation.
"Your Majesty, I do not know if you will wish to translate further or not." I smiled. "My apologies for the difficulty."
She waved my apology away.
I turned to the assembled people and curtsied. It was a right and proper curtsey, and I spoke so the entire room could hear. "I am Her Royal Highness, Princess Meorie of Norinia, sister and heir to the queen, first in line to the throne of Norinia. In Tendaria, I am known as the Butcher of Kilara."
I paused. The queen was silent.
"Four years ago, two great travesties occurred. In Norinia, the village of Leeman was attacked by soldiers of Tendaria. Many villagers were brutally killed. I was leading a troop of soldiers. It was my first command, a small command. I was twenty-three years old. We saw the smoke from the burning village and hurried to investigate, learning of the at
tack, and we set in pursuit of the people responsible."
I turned and the queen was glaring at me, but she wasn't trying to stop me.
"That was the first travesty. The soldiers responsible retreated to Tendaria and cowardly hid amongst the villagers of Kilara." I paused. "These facts are not in dispute. They are not in dispute in Norinia, and they are not in dispute in Tendaria. And that is what led to the second travesty."
I paused. "I led my soldiers to Kilara. I ordered the men responsible to present themselves. They hid in the village and did not come out. Nor did they choose that moment to attempt to escape the village. I then led my men into Kilara, and that was when the second travesty happened."
Every eye was on me, and the room was silent except for very, very quiet voices talking. I thought perhaps it was a translation of what I was saying, and I waited a moment.
"We attempted to apprehend the men involved. We failed. During our attempt some of the villagers were killed. These were people who had done nothing wrong but live too close to a border and be in the route of a cowardly group of men who chose to hide from justice. And that is a tragedy."
I waited for a moment.
"The moment I saw villagers dying, I began yelling at my men to withdraw. Several of my men were from the village that had been attacked. I found out later one man's mother was dead. Another man lost his sister and father."
"We withdrew, but only after far too many villagers were dead. And for that, Tendaria must have justice."
I returned to face the queen. "Tendaria must have justice." I said it loud enough to rattle the rafters. "Your majesty, would you care to translate that?"
She nodded and spoke firmly for just a moment. I waited for the room to settle.
Then I addressed the queen and the judges. "Tendaria must have justice. But instead, Tendaria seeks vengeance, and for that, you should be deeply ashamed." I pointed at the judges. "You should be ashamed! This trial is a mockery of justice, a mockery perpetrated by people who are known throughout the world for their sense of justice and honor, and you should be ashamed."
"That is enough!" the queen said, banging her gavel.
"It is not enough!" I said. "You, Your Majesty, should be most ashamed. I came before you in the name of peace, and how did you treat me? Your men fed me feces and urinated upon me. You kept me in a dungeon cell with the rats and the bugs, and you only let me out when I agreed to grovel to you and wear this collar, when I agreed to become your daughter's slave. Why you wanted that, I don't know. But you should be deeply ashamed. This is not justice, this is not the face of justice. This is vengeance."
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