The Trikingdom
Chapter 4
Only two weeks after the public execution of Captain Helman, Careena and Kalas began a return journey to Kennai Palace. They would only stay one night before traveling to Daarkscrag to meet with King Drakin. Kalas had intended on staying behind, but Careena had begged him to come. Knowing that his presence was the only thing that kept her from losing complete control had left her little choice. She had not wanted to make a stop at Kennai Palace, but once Kalas had suggested it, she could think of no reason that she could give him for why they shouldn't. After all, what was she supposed to say? That she had traded sex with his father so that they could wed, and that she had been unable to resist him afterwards, and that she was afraid she would be unable to stay away from him now?
The memories of what she had done with King Bromen disgusted her, and distance from the man seemed to break whatever it was that had drawn her back to him night after night. Unfortunately, it drew her to every man she saw now, and the more repellent the man the stronger the attraction. Only staying close to Kalas kept her from faltering and propositioning nearly every man she met.
She may not have been good at using magic, but she was able to recognize that she must be under some kind of spell, and if she was going to Kennai Palace, then she was going to use the time there wisely. While Kalas was visiting with his brother, Careena intended to spend her time with her sister. Seline was a much better mage, though not as good as their brother, and Careena felt confident that she could determine what spell she had fallen under.
***
They arrived at Kennai Palace quietly, and Duke Kalas immediately ran off to find his brother. Careena felt the sudden change wash over her, as if a wall had come down between the part of her that reasoned and her natural, animal instincts. She hurriedly made her way to her sister's rooms, not wanting to run into the king or any other man who may catch her eye.
She had sent a sealed letter to her sister as soon as the stop at the palace had been decided, so when she reached her private quarters she was already alone. Careena ran up to her older sister and hugged her fiercely, and began sobbing.
"What's wrong, Careena? I got your message, but it was very vague," the princess said, as she comforted the young duchess.
Careena managed to pull herself together, and become the calm, in control young woman she usually was, and then told her sister what had been plaguing her. She left out what had transpired between her and King Bromen, and pretended that she was worried about succumbing to the impulses, not that she already had.
The princess studied her, and cast a few spells designed to detect other spells, but could only find the spell that bound her to Kalas. After nearly an hour of frustration the princess suddenly snapped her fingers as a thought struck her. She rummaged through a jewelry box for a few minutes and then pulled out the ugliest medallion the duchess had ever seen.
"Here, put this on," the princess said, handing the gaudy piece of jewelry to her younger sister.
Careena looked at it skeptically, but placed it around her neck. As soon as the medallion's pendant touched her chest she felt the wall around her reason shatter, and she breathed a loud sigh of relief.
"What was it?" Careena asked her sister, puzzled.
"You, little sister, are possessed," Seline answered with a grin at her own ingenuity.
"Possessed?" Careena cried in disbelief.
Seline's grin vanished as she realized the gravity of what she had just said. "It's only in the beginning stages or you wouldn't have been able to come to me for help," the princess said, trying to console her. "Whoever or whatever is trying to possess you can only force you to do things that you want to do anyway, at this point."
"But I don't want to have sex with every man I see!" the duchess protested.
"At some level of your conscious, you do," Seline assured her, "otherwise that medallion wouldn't have worked." Seline could see how distressed Careena still was and took her hands. "Look, you like sex, and you find men attractive. Normally, that wouldn't be a problem. You'd see some man that would get you excited, and then you'd go find Kalas and make love to him. There's nothing wrong with that."
"I guess," Careena reluctantly agreed. "But why did this happen to me? From what I remember, possessions are very rare."
"Yes, they are. Possessions usually come from two sources: demons and dead mages. In both cases it's easier to possess someone that the possessor has common traits with," Seline explained. "In most demon possessions, the person being possessed usually has violent tendencies. Dead mages usually go after someone with strong magic who uses it indiscriminately."
"Neither of which describes me," Careena replied.
"I agree," Seline said, rubbing her chin in thought. "I suspect it is a demon, though, just not the blood thirsty, killing machine type. A succubus makes the most sense."
"A succubus?" Careena questioned. "That doesn't make much sense. Why would a succubus want to possess a human?"
"I don't know, but it fits with what's happening to you. A succubus would best know how to exploit your desire for sex," the princess said with a shrug.
Careena scowled and looked down at the medallion. "What do I do now? I can't wear this ugly thing forever."
"No, you can't," Seline agreed with a laugh, "but I'm not knowledgeable enough about possessions to remove this one. The medallion will block the succubus for now, but you'll have to visit a cleric or Lastel to get rid of it permanently."
"Lastel," Careena sighed. "I would rather keep this in the family."
"He'll know much more than I do," Seline added.
"It just doesn't make any sense," Careena muttered. "Possessing a human gains a succubus nothing. They need to seduce men in their own bodies to drain their life."
Seline shrugged. "Who can fathom the depths of a demon's mind? Besides, it may not be acting of its own accord. A stronger demon may have compelled it. You just never know with demons."
Careena looked down at the ugly medallion again and frowned. "There's no hiding this bulky thing."
"Just make sure you don't take it off, especially if you've worn it for a long time," the princess warned. "The force of the demon taking hold of you again might overwhelm you completely."
The two sisters spent the rest of the afternoon together in the princess's rooms finally emerging when it was time to join everyone for supper. Careena was relieved that the medallion worked. She passed many men in the palace, and while she was able to appreciate those that she found attractive, she never felt compelled to have sex with any of them. The real test came during dinner while in King Bromen's presence. All she felt was disgust when she looked at him, which she tried not to do. She was curiously disappointed that he paid her little attention at all though. He was preoccupied with his latest conquest, a strikingly beautiful common woman, who was only a decade younger than him for a change.
All in all the evening was thankfully uneventful. Kalas did notice her new jewelry and asked her about it with an arched eyebrow while they prepared for bed. She explained that it was a gift from her sister and she felt obligated to wear it. He mumbled something about her sister's tastes and she gave him a look that strongly suggested he drop the matter, which he did.
***
The following morning, they were on the road again heading southeast toward the kingdom of Daarkscrag. The Trikingdom and Daarkscrag were strong allies, so close that outsiders often referred to Daarkscrag as the Fourth Kingdom. She assumed the marriage negotiations would only be a formality and they would have it signed shortly after their arrival.
The trip was uneventful, and on the second day out the dryad forest called simply The Great Forest came into view. It bordered the southern and eastern walls of Daarkscrag and they could see the eastern expanse. The road they were traveling would pass very close to it as they got closer to Daarkscrag. Careena gasped as they got closer to the trees. They were strange and alien looking. Her husband chuckled beside her. He had been to Daarkscrag many times, and had long since gotten used to the sight, but this was the first time they held no fear for him.
Entering The Great Forest meant death to all men, and most women avoided its confines too. The exception was the paladins. Paladins could enter the forest and emerge unharmed, though there was rarely any reason for one of them venture inside. This was the first time Kalas looked upon the forest as a member of the paladins and it was the first time he saw the odd looking with anything but dread.
The trees had round, fat trunks, and never seemed to grow very tall. The tops were crowned with close growing branches that spread from the trunk in a near perfect circle. The leaves were large, and tear-dropped shaped, giving the trees the overall appearance of gigantic mushrooms.
After a few hours, the road came right up to the trees on one side. Their guards all edged their horses and the carriage carrying the Duke and Duchess over to the other side of the road as they warily kept their eyes on the trees. Kalas looked at them in amusement. The dryads were not violent creatures, and would never leave their trees to attack anyone. They were, however, opportunistic and viewed any man straying into their forest as fair game.
A short while later, they arrived at Daarkscrag and were received warmly on the steps of the castle by King Drakin, his wife Queen Ilende, and their son Prince Dumont. Even though Kalas had prepared her for meeting the queen, Careena was still shocked when she met her. The queen appeared quite young for her age, no older than her own son, and she was a full head shorter than Careena.
In contrast the king was as tall as Duke Kalas, but much thinner, with a pock-marked face and hawkish nose. His age was evident by his thinning, gray hair and deep lines on his face. The prince was tall like his father, but lucky for him his face mirrored that of his mother's. Queen Ilende was, of course, part dryad. Careena wasn't quite sure how it had occurred, but the queen's entire family had dryad blood. When she introduced herself to the queen she noted that her eyes belied her age and that she was much wiser than she appeared.
Both King Drakin and Prince Dumont seemed arrogant to her, an opinion that may have been tainted by Kalas's previous descriptions of them. He had related to her a story from his childhood when the prince had tried to belittle him for being the second born son. At that young age the words had stung and had caused him to cry. Duran had come to his defense which had caused Dumont to become even more patronizing. Eventually Duran and Dumont had come to blows while Kalas had tried to stop them from fighting. In the end, Dumont had run crying to his father with a bloody nose.
The queen seemed to be the exact opposite of her husband and son. She was warm and caring, and had an inviting personality. Kalas's dislike for the king and prince was evident as he answered all questions in an abrupt fashion. If either one noticed, they didn't show it, but Careena was sure she saw the queen frown once or twice at the exchanges between the three men.
"Well, Duke Kalas, Duchess Careena, would you like a tour of the castle before we dine this evening?" the king asked, looking down his beak nose at the two of them.
Before they could answer the queen interrupted. "I'm sure Duke Kalas would be dreadfully bored with a tour; he is already familiar with every inch of the castle, dear husband," she said. "Perhaps he'd like to visit the forest instead? I never get the opportunity to show any of our guests my tree. You are welcome to come too, Duchess, if you wish to see something other than this stuffy old castle."
Entering The Great Forest was a little more adventure than Careena was looking for at the moment, but she could tell from Kalas's expression that he would do anything to get away from the king and prince during such an informal outing. "I'll stick to the castle tour, thank you," she said politely to the queen, "but I'm sure my husband would love to visit your tree."
"Yes, of course," Kalas said, a little too eagerly. "I've always had an interest in the dryads."
"Then it's settled," the queen said, enthusiastically taking the young duke's arm and patting his hand in a motherly fashion. "You will be the first outsider to visit my tree." She turned to the duchess and said, "Don't let them bore you to death, my dear. They'll try to impress you with the armory and the library, but all the exciting stuff is locked away below the castle, forgotten under layers of dust."
"Ilende! The young lady has no desire to see such dreadful things," the king protested as his wife and the duke headed in the direction of the castle's gardens.
"You can't deny the past, my love," the queen called back to him.
The king looked irritated at his wife's words and turned to Careena, "Trust me, what lies below this stone floor," he said tapping his foot for emphasis, "is best left to more barbaric times." He offered his arm to the duchess, "Shall we begin?"
She nodded, and took the proffered arm. "Of course, my lord, I'll trust your judgment," she said, but her curiosity was more than a little piqued.
***
Duke Kalas and Queen Ilende made their way through the gardens towards the southern wall of the castle. "Do you know the story of how my family became part dryad?" she asked the duke.
"I'm afraid I've never been made aware of your family's history, my lady," the duke confessed.
"Then I'll tell you all about it while we walk," she said cheerfully as they reached the wall. A lone door had been built into the wall and Kalas could tell it was a recent addition. Two guards stood at either side of the door. They had been lazily leaning against the wall, but as the pair approached they straightened up and stood at attention.
"Only two guards at this entrance?" Kalas questioned. It seemed folly to him to have such light protection at such easy access in and out of the castle grounds.
"Of course," the queen responded. "There is little danger of anyone using this door," she said opening it. "It leads straight into The Great Forest."
As the door opened, Kalas could see that Queen Ilende spoke the truth. The trees were right there, close to the wall. No invading army would be coming through that door. "I had this door put in a few years ago, so it would be easier to come and go as I pleased," she explained.
The two castle guards that had been trailing them waited with their compatriots by the door as the queen led the duke through the opening. The queen closed the door behind them and took the duke's arm again.
"It feels so good to be in the forest, especially on such a nice day," she commented. Kalas hardly paid attention. He was staring at the trees in front of him. He had never been this close, and the reality of the situation was suddenly making him wish he had gone on the castle tour with Careena.
"Come now," Queen Ilende said, sensing his apprehension, "as a paladin you will not be harmed."
Suddenly the duke's skin flared blue, as his power surged to fight off an unseen attack. He looked around furtively to find what was assaulting him.
"They're just testing you," the queen said with a laugh. "A few will try to get through your defenses, especially since you're so handsome," she said as she patted him on the arm.
She led him deeper into the forest and began to tell him the history of her family. "My family's duchy lies to the south of here, at the edge of The Great Forest. Even before we joined blood with the dryad's, our people revered the forest and its denizens. Old men near the end of their days would freely enter the forest and give themselves to the dryads to help the forest grow. Young girls would play at the edges with the knowledge that they were safe from harm within its confines."
"That seems a little reckless," Kalas said. He was still a little nervous at being inside the place.
"Not at all," the queen laughed. "All the creatures in this forest are peaceful; the dryads allow no predators here." She resumed her narrative, "During the Bloody Queen's Rage my homeland was attacked by her army as it sought passage north."
"That was the war that led to the forming of the Trikingdom," Kalas said, "over a thousand years ago. I didn't know your duchy has been around that long."
"Back then, we were an independent kingdom," she responded, "and Daarkscrag was little more than a fort filled with barbarians. Anyway, my ancestor, the king's son, led a sneak attack against the Bloody Queen's forces as they approached the kingdom. They were woefully overmatched, and were driven back to the castle's gates. The defenders inside didn't have enough time to open the gates to let them in, and they were slaughtered just out of reach of safety. All except the king's son, who dazed and injured, managed to make his way into the forest."
"How horrible," Kalas commented. "It must have been disheartening for those inside the castle's walls as well."
"It was," she said, "especially for the king who believed his only son was dead. The stories now say that the king's son, believing his death was imminent, did what most men back then did, and intended to sacrifice himself to the dryads. I'm of the opinion that he was so dazed from a blow to his head that he didn't realize where he was retreating to. He was quickly rendered unconscious by the first alert dryad and she mated with him all night, as dryad's do. By the morning, she had conceived, and as the instinct to mate abated she realized that the man was an injured soldier from the castle." The queen paused as they came across a recently fallen tree. She laid a hand on its trunk and murmured something that Kalas couldn't comprehend.
"It's always sad when one of us dies. Glimna was very old, and lived a long satisfying life," she said her eyes a little watery. "Where was I, oh yes, she recognized the symbol on his cloak. Back then, the land was full of fairy creatures, so the dryads had been warned of the Bloody Queen and her army, but they lacked a sense scale. To them, the forest was the whole world, and a single individual could mean the difference between life and death for all. The dryads feared the Bloody Queen, and rightly so, because she was a woman and a mage, and they would have no power over her. So, instead of leaving the king's son to be had by dryad after dryad until he expired, she stayed with him and nursed him back to health until he was stable enough to be moved. Then she dragged him back to the castle."
"She left the forest?" Kalas asked in disbelief.
"Yes, it was the first time any had left. It was two days after the initial confrontation and the castle had taken heavy damage. Many of the defenders were dead, including the king, however they were still holding out and the Bloody Queen had moved most of her army on to her next objective. She had left a much smaller force to assault the castle but the inhabitants were disheartened and giving up hope of survival."
"Then the dryad showed up with the king's son," Kalas guessed.
"Yes," the queen responded. "Luckily she approached the castle at night, dragging him along the ground. The attackers had stopped for the night, and were waiting for daylight so she was able to walk right up to the gates. The men inside were sure surprised to see what appeared to be a naked young woman dragging their injured prince behind her. They of course were let inside and the dryad given clothes. In their excitement at seeing their prince no one realized what she was. She decided to stay until she could determine that he would be all right, but then the castle was attacked the next morning and she ended up having to stay longer. The prince woke up, and was told the story of how she had brought him to the castle. He was so grateful to her that he asked her to marry him."
"He asked the dryad to marry him? That's unbelievable. Did he know what she was?" Kalas asked.
"Not yet," the queen said. "But it wouldn't have mattered. He was in love. She, of course, didn't understand exactly what it meant to be married, and assumed the prince, now king, only wanted to honor her for saving his life. She agreed, and the defenders, now heartened by the return of the prince, managed to fight off the Bloody Queen's men. She was defeated before she could return, and the people survived," she said with a smile.
"What happened after they were married?" Kalas asked.
"Well, she was already bearing his child, and decided to stay long enough for the new king to see it born and then planned on taking the child back to the grove so it could start its own tree. She didn't tell the king this, of course, but by this time he knew she was a dryad. When the baby was born, they were both surprised to find that it was a boy. The night after the birth she slipped out of the castle and back to the forest, but she left the baby boy behind. The king was devastated that she had left, but he began raising the boy, who seemed perfectly human except maybe a little more attractive than most."
"Did she ever return?" the duke asked. He hadn't realized it, but the queen's story had put him at ease as they walked further and further into the forest.
"She came back less than a year later. She was curious about her son, and truthfully missed the king. He was ecstatic to see her and they made love again. She ended up staying a couple of weeks then went back to the forest for a few weeks, then back to castle. For the rest of the king's life she would stay a few weeks with him and then a few weeks in the forest. They wound up having three children; two sons and one daughter. Their sons were more human with a few dryad features, but their daughter was more dryad with a few human features. And that's the way it's been in my family since."
"So if your son and my sister have a daughter...?" Kalas questioned.
"Then I will bring her here, shortly after she is born to plant the seed that comes with her," the queen responded. "Does that bother you?"
"No," he responded quickly. "I have no prejudice against any of the fairy, it just amazes me."
"Good," she said, "it pleases me to hear that."
The pair continued to walk, arm in arm, for nearly an hour. The rest of their conversation was small talk, catching each other up on their families. The queen was so much friendlier and down to earth than her son and husband, Kalas was once more glad that he had chosen to come with her rather than suffer through the company of her son and husband. He did feel sorry for leaving Careena alone with the insufferable pair though.
They finally arrived at their destination. "This is my tree," she said, releasing his arm and running up to it. She hugged the tree tightly and kissed the trunk. "It was planted next to the trees of the others in my family." She pointed out her mother's and grandmother's tree. Both of them were absent from the forest, visiting the duchy.
"How far have we come?" Kalas asked.
The queen smiled. "We are near the southern edge of The Great Forest," she responded.
"I did not think we had walked so far," Kalas said.
"The Great Forest isn't like a typical forest. We were able to travel in a straight line with few impediments; no hills, no roots to stumble over. How far could you walk on smooth, flat land in two hours?" she asked him.
"Several miles," Kalas responded as he nodded his head in understanding. He hadn't thought about it before, but the queen was right.
"It would take a man on horseback nearly a day to ride around the outside of the forest, to travel the distance we just did in two hours," she said. "Of course, even if a man could travel through the forest he would never be able to get his bearings. Everything looks the same to humans."
Kalas realized that she was right. As he looked around he couldn't even determine which direction they had come from. He could spend days trying to find his way back to Daarkscrag.
The queen slowly released her tree and turned to him with a smile on her face. "And now, Duke Kalas, that you are out here, at my mercy, I have a favor to ask."
"Anything, my Lady," Kalas responded sincerely.
"Show me your cock. I wish to see if it is as large as your father's."
***
Careena watched her husband disappear with the queen a little envious. She wished she was brave enough to enter The Great Forest, but she had heard too many tales about dryads stealing people away. Besides, she didn't want to be rude to the king and risk offending him. One of them should suffer through his tour.
Two hours later she was regretting her decision even more. The king and prince had shown her every picture, every tapestry in the castle and given a long explanation about its history and import to their family. Then they had gone outside to the gardens and she was sure she now new the story of every plant out there. They had also shown her the door that led out to The Great Forest, and she almost begged to be let out so she could try to catch up to her husband and the queen.
Then it was back inside to the library. The prince had left to attend to some other matters so she and the king had toured the library alone. It was not as impressive as the library in DuGuerra, but she had to admit it was very impressive. She just hadn't wanted to sit through an explanation of every important book in their collection.
She had nearly reached the point of screaming, "No more!" when the king suggested they sit on the terrace off the library and have some refreshments. The duchess readily agreed, relieved for the reprieve.
"Maybe we should wait until the queen and my husband return before we continue," Careena suggested as she sipped her glass of wine.
"Oh, they won't return for another few hours yet," the king responded. "From what my wife tells me it's about a two hour walk to her tree from here. I expect them to return just in time to join us for dinner. Besides, the tour is over, unless you want to see that ghastly business my wife was talking about," he said.
"What is it exactly," Careena asked absently. She really didn't want to hear an explanation, but she didn't want to appear impolite.
"My ancestors used to do, ah, experiments in catacombs beneath the castle. It's really quite horrid and I don't wish to offend you," the king told her.
Careena sensed that King Drakin was more concerned with avoiding his own embarrassment over his ancestor's behavior, than with offending her sensibilities. After what he had put her through over the past couple hours, she felt like embarrassing the poor man.
"What kind of experiments?" she asked.
"Mostly magical, on, ah, the fairy," he answered, his face turning a little red.
Despite her good sense telling her that she would be disappointed and bored, the scholar in her was intrigued. "I would like to see what's down there."
"Are you certain? We could stay out here if you wish. Look, down there, we will be able to see when the queen and duke return," he said, pointing down at their view of the garden.
Sitting and waiting with just the king for company didn't sound very appealing to her. "I'm certain," she said. "I've always been interested in magical studies."
The king reluctantly agreed to take her down there after they finished their wine. He led her down through the kitchens and servant quarters to a guarded door. "You may wait here, if you wish. The duchess and I will be perfectly safe," he said to the guard detail that had been trailing behind them all day. The men looked relieved and Careena noticed that none of them followed. "They are very superstitious about the catacombs. There have been silly rumors for centuries that it's haunted by the ghosts of the fairies that died here," the king explained as he grabbed a lit torch from the wall.
Careena nodded in understanding as she followed him down a long flight of stone steps. The steps led to a large empty room that had several doors, made from bars, leading out. "This used to be the guard station. One of my ancestors had all the locks removed from the doors so that no one accidentally locked themselves in. The keys had all been lost ages ago."
King Drakin walked over to one of the doors and pushed it open. The metal door creaked on its hinges but swung easily. She followed him through the dark corridor. In the torchlight, she could see doors on either side further down. The king pushed the first one of these open and gestured for her to enter as he followed behind her.
"This was one of the standard torture rooms. My ancestors believed that they could force the fairy creatures to give up the secrets of their magic, so many were brought to rooms such as this, and forced to endure all manner of unspeakable evil."
Careena looked around the room with disgust. The king's words were accurate. The devices there would only have been used on the most vile of criminals in her own kingdom. She couldn't imagine using them on innocent beings. She was glad to see that they were all covered in heavy layers of dust, and most were disintegrating with age.
"The fairies, of course, never gave up any of their secrets. How could they, it would be like you or I trying to explain how we think or feel. Magic to them was just a part of their life," the king said sadly. He let her look around for a few more moments before leading her out and heading further down the corridor. Some of the other doors were open and Careena saw many more rooms like the one they had left.
The king stopped again at another door and pushed it open. She followed him inside. "This room was used for dissection of both the living and dead. They thought maybe the differences internally of the fairy let them use magic. We now, of course, know that the differences are minimal, and that what gives them their innate command of magic can't be seen by the human eye."
Careena was equally appalled by this room. There was a large slab of stone with metal restraints attached to keep the live subjects from escaping their fate. She was grateful that time had washed away all traces of blood. She could hardly believe the barbarism that had occurred here.
He led her further down the corridor and to another door which he paused outside of. "This is, perhaps, what I am most ashamed of," he said. Careena felt sorry for the man, all traces of arrogance had fled him as soon as they had begun the journey down the flight of stairs.
He pushed open the door slowly and, as if in a trance, walked inside the room. Careena hesitantly followed him, afraid of what horrors she might see inside. She was imagining all manner of torture devices and instruments of murder, and was surprised to find less sinister looking equipment in this room.
"Early in the history of Daarkscrag they attempted to cut down some of the dryad's trees to use in construction. As a test they sent a group of women with axes to cut down a tree. When they began chopping, the dryad came down to try to stop them. The women stopped cutting, and instead captured the dryad and brought her back here. Up until then they had never been able to examine a dryad as they had other fairy creatures, so she was brought here." His hand waved around the room as he spoke.
"They were very curious about the mating habits of the dryads. They knew that they required human males to procreate, but since no one had survived the ordeal, they were unsure of the particulars. I'm afraid to say that she was raped repeatedly in this room. She died after a few days in captivity when her tree died from the damage caused to it, but my ancestors now knew how to capture them. Another was caught, and they made sure that this time the tree was relatively unscathed."
Careena watched King Drakin as he recited the tale and he seemed to be filled with regret over what had happened so long ago. "Did she suffer a similar fate to the first?" Careena asked, dreading the answer.
"She did," the king said solemnly, "but for a much longer time. As you have seen from my wife, the dryads can be strikingly beautiful, and I'm ashamed to admit that several dryads were captured and treated to the 'procreation experiments'. This room is particularly disturbing because it contained a secret passage that led from the royal bedchamber."
"So the king was participating in the atrocities going on in this room," Careena concluded for him.
"Just so," the king acknowledged. "Of course, nothing came of the couplings that occurred between the humans and dryads down here. The dryads can control when they choose to conceive, an idea that was borrowed for the spell that your kingdom uses to bond husband and wife." He paused and looked around the room. "If you look at the restraints here, you will see that everything was built to accommodate the dryads' smaller stature."
Careena walked over to the largest device in the room. It was a large wooden board with metal cuffs bolted near the top. The board was thick, and attached to A-frames on both sides with a long metal rod. She saw what the king meant; the cuffs were far too low for the average size human, male or female.
"If you raise your arm up, you'll see that the restraint is about the height of your forearm, not your wrist," the king said, close behind her.
She hadn't heard him approach and was slightly alarmed by his proximity, but she raised her arm by reflex at his suggestion, even though anyone could obviously see that the cuffs were too low. Suddenly she felt a sudden weight pressing her tightly against the board, and a tight grip held her raised arm.
"What are you doing?!!" Careena yelled at the king as she tried to push away from the board. The king was much stronger than she and her arm was steadily forced toward one of the cuffs. Careena found that the restraints were in perfect working order as one closed around her wrist. The king turned her around so that her back was pressed against the board and then easily secured her second wrist.
"What is this about, my Lord?!" she said in harsh tone. "This is an outrage!"
All hint of remorse and regret were gone from King Drakin's face and had been replaced by the arrogant look she had seen when they first met. Then she noticed another torchlight enter from across the room, opposite where she and the king had come in.
"Is she well secure, Father?" Prince Dumont asked as he hove into view.
"Yes, well and truly secure," the king responded.
"What is going on here? What are you two about?!!" Duchess Careena asked, growing angrier by the second.
"Why, we are preparing for the negotiations, my dear," King Drakin said with a smirk. "Are you ready to begin?"
***
Duke Kalas stood staring at Queen Ilende hardly believing what he had heard. He didn't know what to say, and his confusion was evident on his face. He had known her most of his life, and he had never seen anything in her behavior that would suggest she would ask him this.
"Are you shy, Duke Kalas?" she asked, still smiling. "Or perhaps worried you won't measure up to your father?"
"My Lady, I don't believe it would be proper!" Kalas protested, finally finding his voice.
"You are young, aren't you," the queen laughed. "Young and inexperienced. I do appreciate a younger man, now that my husband is looking so much older." She approached him with that same warm smile, and reached up and seductively stroked his cheek. "You have certainly grown into quite a handsome young man," she remarked. While one hand ran along his jaw line, her other surreptitiously went to the bulge in his pants. "I don't think you have to worry about measuring up," she whispered.
"My Lady, please!" Kalas said, angrily pushing her hands away.
The smile on her face faded. "I see that you don't quite understand. I brought you out here so that we could enjoy each other's company. Now remove your clothes."
Kalas regarded her for a moment and then turned to leave, but stopped when he realized he had no idea which direction to go. He turned back to the queen, "Please take us back to the castle," he pleaded.
The smile returned to her face, but this time there was a hint of something a little sinister about it. "You have to take off your clothes first," she responded. "This will be so much more pleasurable for both of us if you just relax and enjoy it. Don't you find me attractive?"
"Of course, my Lady, but this isn't right," he protested a little more calmly. "I'm married, and I'm a paladin. You're married too."
"Marriage has nothing to do with this," she told him. "I don't want to leave my husband for you, just have a little fun. Don't you realize what your Blessing of Conception is really for?"
"I don't think I can do this," he told her honestly.
"If you don't, I'll make sure my husband won't agree to the marriage arrangement," she responded. "I'm aware of your father's conditions for your marriage to remain intact. You keep mentioning that this isn't right, but would it be right to end your marriage and injure relations between our two kingdoms so that you can retain your sense of propriety?"
Kalas was beginning to get conflicted. He loved his wife, and didn't want to do anything to injure her or their relationship, but he also realized that there were some things that were larger than him. What would it cost him anyway, a little time, and maybe a little dignity?
Queen Ilende sensed that he was wavering. "I promise that it will be enjoyable for both of us," she said. "Please, take off your clothes," she asked.
Kalas reluctantly started unbuttoning his clothing. He kept his eyes on the queen, watching her as she watched him exposing his body to her. He noticed her look of appreciation as he removed his shirt. He felt apprehensive as he stepped out of his pants. The queen was a beautiful woman, and despite his objections to the situation his body was responding in anticipation of having sex with her.
His blood engorged cock bobbed into view as he threw his pants to the ground. The queen squealed in delight and lifted her dress up over her head and tossed it near his clothes as she ran over to him. "I can't believe it, but you actually put your father to shame," she breathed as she grasped his hard shaft. "My husband likes to watch your father slide his large cock into me whenever he comes to visit. He'll get excited when I tell him that yours is even bigger. Now, quickly, lay on your back. We spent too much time arguing and must hurry."
She gently pushed the young duke to the ground and straddled his body. Her hands ran all over his heavily muscled chest. "You remind me of your father when he was much younger," she said as she raised her bottom up and pointed his penis at her wet pussy. "Don't allow yourself to become as fat as him," she said jokingly, before plunging down on his erect cock. "Oooooohhhhh!" she groaned as his large member filled her up.
The duke groaned out loud too. Since his only sexual experiences had been with his wife, he was not sure what to expect, but when the queen began bobbing up and down on his cock he knew he would have an enjoyable time. It felt very similar to when he and his wife made love, and when he closed his eyes he could almost imagine that it was her on top of him, until she squealed in her unfamiliar voice or raked his chest with her long nails.
"Oh gods ...I wish I had more time...more time to enjoy this wonderful cock," the queen moaned. She started rocking back and forth in his lap faster and faster. Her hands were gripping his pecks tightly, her nails biting deep into his skin.
The duke had been lying back passively, but he brought his hands up to grab her waist and began thrusting his pelvis up to meet hers. He started lifting her up and down; she was so small and light it was easy for him to do. They were moving so fast, both their bodies became a blur, and the forest was filled with the sounds of flesh slapping against flesh. Kalas grunted each time their bodies crashed together, and Ilende was letting out one long continuous moan.
"Yes...yes...yessss!" the queen yelled, and then her body spasmed and jerked as she lost control. It was the hardest orgasm she had ever had in her life. Kalas could feel the walls of her cunt squeezing his cock as she came. It was too much for him and with a final grunt he buried his dick inside her as far as it would go and emptied his sperm into her greedy hole.
As she felt his cock pump its life creating fluid inside of her, she got the urge to allow conception to take place. At first she thought it would be futile, given the enchantment placed upon the duke, but suddenly she felt a surge of energy come from the forest itself to bolster the magic within her. Her eyes shot open in surprise as her power overcame his and she felt the initial stage of life begin within her womb.
The duke's arms were suddenly weak and the queen, exhausted from her physical and magical exertion, fell forward onto his chest. After a moment of recovery, she wriggled her way up his body to nuzzle her face against his, causing his cock to finally slip out of her. The heavy member rested against his stomach as it slowly shrank in size.
"That was wonderful," Ilende breathed in his ear, "but we need to clean up now. Come, there's a stream we can wash in." She crawled off his large frame, and led her lover by the hand to the stream. They both got in the cool water and washed away the traces of their coupling. She wrestled with whether or not to tell him what had happened at the end, and decided it would be too much for him to bear.
"I've never been with a man in the forest," she said as they emerged from the water. "It was more exciting than I could have imagined." She looked over the handsome young man's body and saw that his cock was once more standing at attention. "I see you enjoyed it too."
"Yes," was all Kalas could muster, as he looked away sheepishly. Despite his desire to remain faithful to his wife, he knew that if they weren't short on time he would definitely have welcomed another performance.
"Too bad we have to go," the queen said with a little pout, echoing his thoughts. "Perhaps we'll have another opportunity before you leave. If we don't, you must promise to return some time alone. My husband is not a jealous man, and wouldn't mind if you and I slipped away for a night out here."
The idea conflicted within him, but he knew that if the opportunity presented itself he would be unable to resist her offer. The pair redressed quickly, and Ilende led him on the long trek back to the castle. As they walked arm in arm she thought of how wonderful it was going to be raising another child, and of how she was going to trick her husband into believing it was his.
***
Prince Dumont approached Careena and leered into her face. "You see, Duchess, I was a little upset when you broke off our engagement so you could marry that fool Kalas. I had heard tales of your great beauty and was looking forward to the day when I would possess it for myself." As he spoke his eyes roamed all over her body. She lashed out at his face with her elbow but the prince backed away quickly.
"Now, now, Duchess, there's no reason to behave that way," King Drakin said. "King Bromen said you might be a little resistant to our method of negotiating so I came up with this little scheme. I apologize if it's made you a little uncomfortable."
"Uncomfortable?!" Careena spat. "Release me this instant!"
"Given your attitude at the moment, I don't think that would be a good idea. You might try to hurt us, and that would spoil our fun," Drakin replied.
"I can imagine what 'fun' the two of you have in mind, and I can tell you I will not allow that to happen," she said angrily. "Now let me go, and I will forget about this incident, and not mention it to my husband."
Dumont slowly walked around to the backside of the wooden slab. "You will not tell your husband anyway," he said as he pulled on a handle attached to the back. "If you do, we will not agree to the marriage arrangement between me and Princess Larise."
"I won't sign the agreement anyway, now that I know this is how you two behave," she said with fire in her eyes. "I would never allow a friend to be subject to your degenerate carnality." As the prince pulled, the wooden slab she was attached to tilted back and she was suddenly being raised off her feet. For a brief moment all her weight was painfully placed on her wrists, until the board tilted all the way back to a horizontal position.
The king placed props at both ends of the board while his son held it in place. "That's an empty threat, Duchess," the king said. "We know what will happen if you don't make this arrangement happen. King Bromen will dissolve your marriage, and then we will insist that the original marriage arrangement be reinstated. I guarantee that you will end up right back here." To punctuate his point he grabbed one of her ankles and forced her foot, sole down, in what amounted to a leather shoe that was attached to the board. She tried to kick him away with her other foot, but it was quickly grabbed by the prince and restrained in the same manner.
Her feet were spread far apart with her knees bent, but she was still able to keep her thighs closed. Then each man grabbed a knee and pulled them apart before securing them with a leather strap. Had she not still been wearing her clothing she would have been completely exposed to their view. As it was, she felt thoroughly humiliated, and extremely angry. Another strap went across her torso, just under her breasts, holding her entire body down.
"You need to get one thing straight, duchess," the king said, "you are at our mercy. We have you caught, and we will have our fun with or without your cooperation. Release is not what you should be negotiating."
"What should I be negotiating, then!" she screamed. "You two have me 'caught', as you say. The only thing I want is to be let go."
"How about the treatment of Princess Larise, while we're married?" the prince suggested.
"Or more favorable, tariffs on the goods you export to Daarkscrag?" the king said.
"What do you two get out of it?" she asked, icily. "You already said you'll take what you want from me."
"Cooperation," the king said. "You tell us your terms, and if we agree, we get your complete cooperation."
Careena looked from one face to the other and saw that there would be no diverting them from this course of action. She also knew there was no getting out of her bonds. But if she agreed to cooperate, they would release her, and she might have a chance to escape.
"All right," she spat, "since you intend to defile me either way, I will agree. But I want your word that Larise will be treated with dignity and respect, and if I hear one word from her to the contrary I will tell my husband about this, no matter the consequences."
"Easily done," the prince said. "We have enough playthings. Anything else?"
"Yes, Torlil Valley. I want you to sign over Torlil Valley as part of the marriage agreement," she said.
Torlil Valley was an uninhabited region on the border between Daarkscrag and the Trikingdom that contained large iron deposits. The land wasn't fit for anything other than mining the ore, but Daarkscrag had been unable because the only way to cart the ore out would have been to go through Trikingdom land. The Trikingdom knew this and promised that any ore leaving the valley would be heavily taxed, making it unprofitable for Daarkscrag mine. King Drakin had tried several times to get King Bromen to lower the proposed tax but since the Trikingdom coveted the iron he refused.
"Smart girl," the king said with a grin. "Agreed. As it stands it's useless to us anyway. But you must do whatever we say for the next hour, no complaints or the deals off."
"Agreed," she said slowly through clenched teeth.
Both men smiled broadly. "Dumont, you can go first since she was supposed to be your wife," the king told his son.
"Thank you father," the prince said as he began to take off his clothes. "I was hoping to go first. She's already in the position I want to try first."
Careena didn't understand what the prince meant at first until, when he was fully nude, he produced a knife and began cutting away her undergarments.
"Please," she pleaded, "there's no need for that. I already agreed to do everything you asked. Just release me and I'll remove my clothes."
"I know, Duchess, but for now I like you just the way you are," the prince said, "and remember, no complaining."
Careena's mind reeled. If he didn't release her she would have no chance for escape. She was beginning to come to the conclusion that there might not be any way out of this predicament. The prince had his hands all over her thighs while he cut her underclothes and she hated the feel of them on her skin. Once he made the final cut, he pulled the fabric away and then flipped up her dress, exposing her sex to their view.
"Look at that sweet little pussy," the king said to his son as they admired the view. The prince ran his hand lightly along the blond curls at the top, and lower down towards her opening. Careena gasped at the intrusion in her most sensitive area as the prince pushed a finger inside.
"She's dry," the prince commented. "I'll have to get her warmed up."
He climbed onto the board and put his head between her legs. He kissed the soft skin on her thighs on the way up to their apex. King Drakin watched in amusement as the young duchess squirmed and bit her lip to keep from crying out. Her eyes were shut tight as if she were trying to banish the image of them from her memory.
When the prince's lips latched onto her clit, an involuntary gasp escaped her lips before she was able to bite down and stifle it. She hated what these men were doing to her, but she couldn't deny that what the prince was doing was exciting her body. Like her sister said, she enjoyed sex. The medallion she wore couldn't change that fact; it could only give her the control of who she chose as a partner. Unfortunately, these two bastards had taken that choice away from her.
"How does she taste?" the king asked his son.
"Delicious," the prince said in between flicks of his tongue up and down her clit.
Careena's face burned with anger and embarrassment as she heard them talk. She wished they would be quiet so she could imagine it was Kalas's tongue between her legs. Despite her revulsion, her body was responding to the prince's ministrations and it was becoming harder for her to hold back the groans threatening to erupt from her throat. She had already lost control of the lower part of her body and was thrusting her pelvis at his working mouth.
She was quickly building to an orgasm and she couldn't stop it. "Oooooohhhhhh!" she suddenly gasped. Her bottom tensed and her hips rose as she mashed her cunt against Dumont's face. The rest of her body shuddered as her orgasm washed over her. When her hips fell and her bottom once again rested on the wooden slab the prince lifted his head, his face slick with her juices.
"She's certainly easy to warm up," Dumont remarked to his father.
"King Bromen said she would be," Drakin said.
The prince kneeled between her legs, his cock in hand. "Are you ready for me, Duchess?" the prince teased. She didn't answer but gave him a disdainful look. He laughed at her reaction and lined his dick up at her wet opening. He slowly pressed it inside her, his eyes on her face watching her reaction the entire time. She turned her head to the side, unable to meet his gaze.
"Oh gods, Father," the prince moaned, "you're going to enjoy this when it's your turn." She was so wet, Dumont had no trouble burying himself up to the balls on the first thrust. He wasted no time pounding his cock in and out of her slick passage. Despite his bravado, the prince was actually quite inexperienced when it came to sex. Up until recently, he had only been with a few of the castle's servant girls and those had been quick, furtive liaisons.
Then his Father had caught him with one of the servants. She was fairly pretty, and the prince had actually liked her, but the king ruined it for him. Instead of interrupting the young couple, the king had watched them unseen, and then insisted on a fuck from the girl as soon as his son had finished. The prince had been so afraid and the girl so shocked that before either could protest the king had bent her over and entered her from behind. That had begun the prince's education in what the king called "fun sex" as the two passed the girl back and forth for the rest of the afternoon.
After that, the two shared a few other young women before the king came up with this scheme. Dumont was eager to pay the duchess back for slight of breaking off their engagement even though the two had never really met, and he got a perverse thrill from the thought of fucking Kalas's wife. He had always been a little jealous of the duke when they were children, which was why he always delighted in tormenting him.
Careena hated what the prince was doing to her, and hated herself even more for her body's response. She couldn't believe that she was actually wet for the man! But there was nothing she could do; she had no way to escape. It got even worse when she felt hands turning her head. It was the king; he had undressed and his cock was bobbing obscenely in front of her face. "Suck it!" the king hissed. Careena stared at it for a moment and watched a drop of precum seep out of the slit.
Right then and there she made a decision. These men were getting off on the shame and humiliation they were causing her, and there was really no reason for her to feel that way. She had no choice in what was happening so there was nothing shameful about what she was doing. Her body was already telling her how she should react. She didn't need to act like a slut, but she didn't have to act timid or weak either. So she opened her mouth without hesitation, and swallowed the king's cock down to the balls, while she stared him in the eyes defiantly. She noted that his cock was much small than her husband's, and she could tell that the prince's was too, as he clumsily pounded it in and out of her cunt.
"It's a good thing my husband and I haven't had sex for a few days," she said, releasing the king's cock from her mouth for a moment. "I don't think I'd be able to feel either one of your little things inside of me if we had."
She had startled the prince so much when she spoke that his rhythm was completely broken and he had to pause to readjust himself and start again. She resumed felating the king, and she wasn't sure, but it seemed like his cock had lost a little of its stiffness. She began raising her hips to meet Dumont's thrusts, hoping to get him in a better rhythm. If she was going to be subjected to his cock, she was going to get as much enjoyment out of it as she could. Maybe it would get him off faster and her released from the infernal wooden slab.
The duchess's actions were having an effect on the young prince. He had never had a woman respond like that to him before. Suddenly, without warning, he grunted and shot his load inside her. Careena felt a few weak pulses before his cock limply fell out of her.
"Well, at least you made me cum with your mouth," she said to Dumont. "Why don't you move over and let your father have a try?" she suggested mockingly. "Are you going to release me, or do you need to have me restrained to make yourself fell more powerful too?" she asked the king.
King Drakin didn't answer, but he did start undoing the restraints. Dumont produced a key and un-cuffed her wrists. She sat up on the slab and rubbed feeling back into her hands and wrists. She hadn't realized how numb they had become. Her dress was bunched at her waist, exposing her lower half obscenely. She could feel the prince's sperm start to drip out of her cunt.
"Do you want to use your mouth on me too?" she teased King Drakin, spreading her legs. "Maybe you could clean up the mess your son made."
Drakin knew she was just trying to anger him and decided not to play her little game. "Take off your clothes," was all he said in response. He watched as she obeyed, but with a defiant smile on her face.
Careena had given serious thought about trying to bolt, but her legs were cramped from the position she had been in, and she knew there was no way she would make it a few steps before one of the two caught her. She resigned herself to her fate, and decided not to give them any reason to take back any of the concessions they had given her, but she wouldn't play the victim either.
Once she had removed her clothing the king ran an appreciative hand over both of her large breasts. She resisted the urge to shudder, and tried to strike a pose of indifference. His hand went to the medallion that hung around her neck.
"Did your husband give this to you?" he asked.
"No, my sister," she responded. "It stays on," she said sternly before he could say anything else about it.
He didn't say anything more, but grabbed her by the shoulders, spun her around, and forcefully pushed her down so that she was bent over the wooden slab. He spread her plush butt cheeks apart and rammed his stiff prick into her sperm filled cunt, driving the air out of her lungs.
She gasped at the assault, and Drakin chuckled, but she quickly composed herself. As the king began sawing his member in and out, she had to admit that he was much better than his son. His cock was hitting her clit at just the right angle with long, slow strokes and she doubted she would be able to hold back the passion she could feel building in her sex.
"Why don't you have her clean you up," the king grunted to his son. "She really knows how to use her mouth."
Careena was trying to think of a scathing retort, but couldn't before the prince's re-hardening cock was bobbing in front of her face. It was still covered in cum, and the thought made her want to gag, but she took it in one hand and pulled it into her mouth. She had a hard time swallowing the slimy fluid from his penis, but she managed to clean all traces of it.
She concentrated on sucking the prince's spongy member. It distracted her from the pleasurable pounding the king was giving her. Dumont was moaning in front of her while Drakin was gasping behind. She was aware of the king's hands gripping her waist tightly, as he pulled her back onto him at the same time he surged forward. Every time his cock rushed forward, it pushed some of his son's cum out of her hole, and now her thighs and bottom, and his balls and stomach were covered in the slippery fluid, creating a loud slapping sound every time their bodies crashed together. The sound filled her ears, drawing her mind back to the pleasure she was feeling down below.
The orgasm she tried to hold back, exploded out of her suddenly. She lost control of her body, and grabbed hold of the prince's thighs, actually pulling him further into her mouth as waves of pleasure wracked her body. Her thighs and butt tensed, making her pussy that much tighter for the king as he continued to fuck his cock in and out of her hole.
The king watched and felt her orgasm with amusement. "See, isn't it so much better that you cooperated?" the king teased once she had settled down.
"Just shut up and fuck me," the duchess responded, trying to sound defiant. He chuckled and started to thrust his cock harder and faster.
It never ceased to amaze the prince every time he watched his father make a girl cum with his cock. He had never been able to, had never felt what it was like to be inside a woman when she reached that ultimate peak. He envied his father for that ability.
A few moments later, the king was emptying his own load inside the young duchess, adding to his son's. Careena just lay on the slab for a moment, after he finished, feeling the combined cum from father and son oozing out of her. She fought back the feelings of humiliation and forced herself off the slab and looked in the eyes of both men.
"What's next," she asked as if she didn't care.
The prince crawled onto the slab, with his cock pointing straight up in the air and motioned for her to get astride him. Careena understood immediately and climbed aboard, lowering her cum filled cunt onto his stiff prick. In this position she was in control, and she was determined to make the prince cum without reaching orgasm herself. His hands playing with her nipples was a bit of a distraction though, because they were very sensitive from her recent orgasm.
The king watched the duchess bounce up and down on his son's lap for several minutes. Gods, she was beautiful, and he was glad that she had broken the engagement with his son so that he had this opportunity. It was too bad for his son though; any man would give anything to enjoy her for a lifetime. His eyes were drawn to her bottom as it pressed into his son's thighs every time she plunged down. He remembered how it felt pressed against his stomach while he fucked her from behind. The thought made his cock hard again and he ached to put it inside her.
Drakin climbed onto the table behind the duchess and pushed her forward onto his son. "Hold her still for a moment," he told Dumont who complied. The king had done this once with a woman with his good friend, King Bromen, and he thought it fitting to try with the duchess.
Careena wasn't sure what King Drakin was about until she felt the head of his cock pressing against her asshole. She was about to protest, but she remembered their agreement and held her tongue. Much bigger cocks had been in her ass before, so she doubted it would hurt her. In fact, after she thought about it, she was curious to find out what it felt like.
When the king's cock popped into her butt she gasped. There was so much pressure down there she thought the prince's cock would be forced out of her cunt, but both men pressed forward making her feel more full than she ever had been before.
"Go slow, son, and let me do most of the work," the king said to Dumont.
It took a few seconds for the two men to get it right, but eventually they got a good rhythm going. The king slowly sawed his cock in and out of her ass, at the same time lifting her up and down the prince's cock slightly while Dumont pressed up to keep his cock lodged in her cunt.
The feeling was intense for all three of them, and Dumont had already been close to cumming again, but Careena, thrilled from the sensation of having both of them in her at once, was the first to reach that pinnacle. Despite the way she felt about the two men, she couldn't deny the pleasure her body was feeling. It wasn't like her last orgasm; this one was built up slowly and lasted much longer and less intense. Both men felt it though, and it was too much for the prince who flooded her cunt again with sperm as it spasmed around his cock.
King Drakin never missed a beat, and as soon as his son's deflating cock slipped out of her pussy he started fucking her ass in earnest. He was pounding her so hard that her pelvis was slamming into the prince's stomach each time. At this point, the king didn't care; he was close to emptying his balls in her tightly clinging asshole.
With one final thrust, the king roared, and cum pulsed out of his cock into her ass. He shuddered a few more times before collapsing on top of her. Careena was stuck between the two men, feeling very sticky from sweat and cum. Just when she thought she couldn't stand it anymore, Drakin rolled off onto the floor. She quickly got up and retrieved her clothing.
"I think your time is up," she said to both men. "Now lead me out of here so I can get cleaned up before my husband returns."
The manner in which she said left no room for argument, although she herself doubted that an hour had passed. She felt she had given them enough, and both men were so exhausted that neither one protested.
"We will go through the secret passage to the royal chamber. You can get cleaned up there, and then we will pretend we got lost down here and wound up there," King Drakin explained, as he too retrieved his clothing. "No one will know what has happened down here."
Once all three were dressed, they made their way through the passage. Once they reached the royal chamber, she was pleased to find that they had thought enough in advance to have some water and towels ready so she could clean herself. She was a little unnerved that the prince watched her the entire time, and when she was finished he admitted that he was a little jealous of his father for getting to fuck her ass and wanted to know if he could have a quick turn. Had she liked him even a little bit, she probably would have said yes, but at this point she truly despised both men for forcing her, and she declined.
She did her best to stay away from both of them until Kalas returned, and when they saw each other, they both somehow knew what the other had been up to. Neither said a word until they were alone that night in bed. Careena started to cry and apologize first, but Kalas cut her off.
"We were both manipulated today, from the moment we arrived. We are expected to make sacrifices for the good of the people, and what we did today not only preserved our marriage, but helped preserve the peace between the Trikingdom and Daarkscrag," he said as evenly as he could.
"But what if a part of me enjoyed it," she asked, burying her face in his shoulder.
"A part of me enjoyed it too," he admitted. "We are only human after all."
At that moment, Careena wanted to confess everything to him, but she held her tongue. No matter how forgiving he was, she didn't think he would understand about his father. She didn't mention the possession either, because she thought he might believe it was affecting her judgment.
"So if I'm in this situation again, you would not hold it against me?" she asked.
"No, as long as you wouldn't hold it against me either," he told her.
"After what I did today, I could never hold it against you," she responded. "But what if we aren't forced, what if it just makes negotiations easier, or gets improves the result?" she asked out of curiosity.
"I think it is our responsibility to use whatever means we have at our disposal to get the best deal for our people that we can," he responded honestly.
"Do you really believe that?" she asked.
"Yes, I do," he said. "I didn't yesterday, but after what happened today, I do. Why? Is there something else that you've been asked to do?"
"No," she answered quickly. "It's just, under the right circumstances, I could imagine being the one to offer myself in exchange."
That was a little hard for Kalas to hear, but he now truly believed in the words he had spoken before. He never thought he'd hear his wife say that though, but he thought he understood why.
"Because of my beliefs as a paladin, I could never be the one to offer, but I am not going say that you can't. We must both do what we must, for the good of the Trikingdom."
They made love after they talked, and both felt relieved that their love for each other was still strong.