Lost Princess (21 page)

Gregory raised the crop and stuck her across the backside. Kasta screamed as if her head had been severed. Gregory ignored this and hit her again, striking her in nearly parallel stripes along her back, butt and thighs. Then he shifted position and began to hit her again, at a different angle this time, so that the new welts crossed the old.Kasta was still shrieking, but her tone had changed from rage to fear and pain. Although it had to be difficult holding Kasta up on her toes like he was, Ford never even moved. In her desperation to escape the blows, she was pressed against Ford, her tears wetting his shirt, where her head only came up to mid chest.

I was feeling very odd. I kept swallowing, and was completely unable to take my eyes off the spectacle. Gregory finally finished, and waited a minute for Kasta to quiet. When she didn’t, he spoke in her ear. “You will silence yourself now. On your knees, wench.“Ford let go of her wrists, and Kasta sank to her knees, trying to stifle her cries. She quieted, and Gregory patted her head as if she was a dog. “Now, undress me.”

Kasta raised shaking hands to her task, and apart from having to rise off her knees briefly to reach the top of his shirt, she stayed on her knees the whole time. Her back was to us now, and it was painful looking with welts in an almost perfect diamond pattern. Gregory certainly had done this before, many times. I could almost feel sorry for Kasta. Almost.

As his clothes came off, he looked down at Kasta. “Take me in your mouth.“Kasta sighed and leaned forward to take him into her mouth. She’d apparently done this before, and she quickly had him breathing more quickly. Suddenly he grabbed her hair and pulled her face hard against him, forcing himself deep into her mouth and throat. He pulled back, and she gasped for a breath. Then he shoved himself deep in again. He began to do this faster and faster, and Kasta didn’t look at all in control now as she had at first. She was making little whimpering noises as Gregory stiffened and with a tremendous push, disappeared fully into her mouth, Kasta writhing on her knees in front of him. At last he sighed and pulled away from her, giving her another one of those ‘good dog’ pats on the head.

Kasta looked up at him.

Gregory said, “To bed with you. I’m done with you for now. Tonight you’ve learned that my every order is to be obeyed immediately. You’ve also learned one of the penalties for disappointing me. Tomorrow night you’ll learn more.” A glint entered his eye. “I look forward to it.” So saying, he smiled at the man who’d held her—Ford. Ford simply stood there emotionless.

Max gave my hand a squeeze and tipped his head the way we’d come. I quietly rose and as silently as possible made my way back along the dirty passage. I felt my way along until I came to the steps, then went down. At the bottom I waited for Max. He’d been slowly sliding the screen closed as I’d left.

He appeared mere seconds later, and we were silent as we went into the hall, Max relocking the door. He took my hand, and we retraced our path to the more occupied area of the castle. I kept looking at Max until he stopped me and put his hands on my shoulders firmly. “What is on your mind, wife?”

“They…he…it was so different from how we are. Is that normal?” My eyes were wide and my face flushed. My entire body was shaking. I felt warm and wished we were already back at our room.

“No, Gregory is rather unique, I think. How do you feel about what you—” He stopped as Devlin limped down the hall towards us.

Devlin smiled at us and stopped. He started to speak but then stopped abruptly. He slowly reached forward and pulled a cobweb out of my hair. He looked us up and down, taking in my flushed visage. He opened his mouth and laughed, a surprisingly rich sound. He finally managed to say, “Max, you’ve been in the upper corridors.“I shot a glance at Max to see he was chuckling. Devlin said, “I haven’t been up there since…well, we were teens, I think.”

“I think that was probably the last time I was up there as well.” He looked at me. “As you can imagine, when we were boys we thought we had perhaps found heaven itself.“I smiled to think of Max and Devlin as boys together.

Devlin thought for a moment. “Gregory. Of course.” He gave me a speculative look, and if possible, I blushed even more. Max pulled me to his side, still amused.

Devlin grinned at him. “I won’t keep you,” he said knowingly.

Max inclined his head and we resumed our walk, only a little faster now. I couldn’t look at Max, afraid I’d burst into flame if one more iota of heat managed to find my face.

Max opened the door and pushed me through, barring it behind him. He turned to me but I was looking around the room, wondering…“Fear not, Katrina. We’re quite alone.”

I slowly turned to look at him. Dear God he was handsome. I was shaking again, but strove to keep my voice steady. “Ford is not waiting to subdue me?”

Max walked over slowly, stalking me. “No, and for the record, I would handle such a thing myself.”

“You would?” I said, barely aware of what I was saying.

“Of course,” he said, suddenly pulling me until he lifted me into his arms. “Your need for revenge has been satisfied?”

I nodded. “I almost feel sorry for her—going into the bedroom each night with that man. But…when I watched them…” I swallowed. “It was…exciting.”

Max set me on the bed and followed me down. “Was it?” he murmured, kissing my neck. 

I nodded again, closing my eyes. “Some time I think, maybe, I’d like to play at being
your
slave.”

Max froze, very slowly looking up at me. He swallowed and took the neckline of my shirt and pulled. Buttons flew and his hands flew over me in a kind of fever. I moaned and found my teeth suddenly in his shoulder, biting him hard as he pulled up my skirt, tearing it as well. As he thrust into me savagely, I let my teeth sink in deep. He growled something and pounded into me even harder. I suddenly arched against him strongly, releasing his shoulder to scream his name. He didn’t stop, just continued that relentless pounding. I started to come down but was catapulted back up again, even harder this time. Tears came to my eyes as he finally stiffened over me, giving two more deep thrusts before collapsing over me, his breathing as heavy as mine.

He moved to the side to spare me his weight, and noticed my tears. He immediately rose to one elbow. “Katrina, did I hurt you?”

I shook my head.

“Katrina, tell the truth. Where are you hurt?”

He sounded worried. Worried for me. I began to cry even harder.

“Katrina?” he asked anxiously, sitting up.

“I’m not hurt,” I managed to say.

“Then what?” He pulled me into his lap and wrapped his strong arms around me. “Tell me right now,” he demanded.

I gulped and tried to calm myself. “I’m sorry, Max,” I said.

He shook his head. “Is it so bad? Being here as my wife?” That vulnerable look flashed again, and horrified, I rushed to explain.

“No! Never!” I said, twisting in his arms to look at him, to lock my eyes with his. “The tears—they’re because you’re perfect. You’re everything to me. I never in my life had ever thought I would meet someone like you who is so very amazing that every day I think, ‘it can’t get better. This is the best now.’ And then it does get better.”

Max was silent for several moments, studying my face. He pulled me back into his lap, and I turned to burrow into his chest. After a minute he said, “I knew about Gregory because he was one of the men who was with my second wife. He’d marked her up quite a lot, and she hadn’t been able to hide that from me. I thought to kill him, but he and she both insisted that he hadn’t taken her, just tried to master her. I was so heartsick at what she’d done that I let him live. A part of me was glad he’d given her all those welts. Lord knew she deserved them and much more.”

I swallowed, “Did you kill her?“At Max’s sharp look, I explained. “There are those here who say you did. And once you held a knife in front of me, and I thought you were going to kill me then.”

“I wouldn’t have. I was furious, though. I had hoped you might have some honor, and thought at the time you were acting just like my second wife.” He sighed. “I wanted to see your fear, and although I knew you were afraid, you refused to show it. You earned some respect from me that day.”

“And your wife?” I persisted.

“No, she died bearing the child. I do not say my child because you know I had no real idea if it was mine. Perhaps her spirit was low because of my anger with her. She’d been forced to stay in our room—a virtual prisoner. I didn’t know what else to do with her.” He shook his head. “Yet people say I killed her.” He shrugged. “I must admit I considered it. Often. Yet she was my wife, and I’d sworn an oath to protect her. No matter that she’d broken her oaths, I would not break mine.”

He held me against him silently for another minute. “When I first saw you, I had a wife. A deceitful lying bitch of a wife, but still a wife. Yet at that minute, I knew that you would become mine some day. You were nearly blind with grief from your father’s death, yet you stood in front of me and argued with me to let you return to your father’s house as if you were my equal. And although I was careful not to let you know, I watched you. Callista watched you. I even had some of the servants watching you. Did you know that?”

I again turned so I could see him. “No. I thought you didn’t know I existed.”

“And I don’t doubt you wished it that way. You have not seen me the way I once was. I was never carefree, but I didn’t have the burning anger that my second wife left me with. Do you remember when you turned eighteen? You asked me if I would marry you off, and told me bluntly that you would prefer to remain unwed.”

“I remember,” I said. “I was so foolish.” I suddenly laughed. “And when I ran, I thought,” more laughter, “I thought that we could just hide from you. I didn’t realize who you were then.”

“And who am I, Katrina?”

“You’re the terrifying Regent Maximus, a brilliant strategist and tactician. You are Consort to the lost princess of Queen Ophelia.” I added with a saucy grin.

Max didn’t smile. “I am. I have used you for the power it has gained me.“I blinked at him. I didn’t know what to think. But the truth was, I didn’t mind. “I’m glad I had that to give you,” I said evenly. “You have given me so much, that makes us a little more equal.”

Max shook his head. “You are constantly a surprise to me. I thought you would be like one of my other wives, or one of the other women I’d known. Yet you’re something quite different. You’re passionate and loyal.” He gave me a look that almost seemed pained. “I hadn’t thought to tell you this, but if you hear it from someone else…” He shook his head with a self-conscious laugh. “I don’t like the look on your face when you hear things that hurt you. So, I’ll tell you.” He cleared his throat and his manner became more brisk, more businesslike. “The King has demanded your return. My spies say he is very serious about retrieving you. He wants to make you his heir. Queen Ophelia is most likely too old to have any more children, and King Walter very much wants his crown to go to someone of his blood.”

I felt my face pale.

Max watched me, not without compassion. “The King’s armies are on their way, Katrina. My spies say they will mass at the river that I’ve used as a separation between my land and the land of the King. There is a place where it comes fairly close to us here.  I have talked to Devlin repeatedly, and we have decided I will go to meet them. You, however, will remain here under Devlin’s care.”

“No! Max, I want to come. Please, I don’t want you to leave me behind.”

He gave a small shake of his head and slid his hand through my hair where it lay along my shoulder. “Katrina, you will stay here out of danger.”

I scrambled out of his lap, kneeling in front of him. “If it’s dangerous, don’t go! Please, Max. There has to be some way around this.”

“Wife,” he said with rather gentle reproach. “You yourself have stated who I am. What kind of battle leader would I be if I did not lead?”

“But the King won’t—”

“No, he won’t. He’ll stay safe in his castle and send his armies to kill or die.”  He shrugged. “I rarely liken myself to him, however.”

“Max, this can’t happen. Men can’t die over me. Just send me back to them.”

Max said slowly, “That is what you want? To be Princess Katrina, heir to the throne and my enemy?”

I couldn’t help it; I shook my head. “No, I don’t want that. But I can’t just stand by and watch others die because of me. I can’t.”

“Katrina, I believe that we can hold them out of my lands. If not, Devlin has orders to take you out of the country if that is what you want. Or if you want to be Princess Katrina, then you’ll get your chance at that point.”

I realized he meant if he died fighting to keep me. “Please, please don’t do this. I’m begging you!” I had taken his hands, and my tears were again falling, but not with happiness this time. “Please! I’m not worth your life.”

Max said, “Katrina, I’ve never backed away from a fight in my life. While you are indeed worth fighting for, even if you weren’t I wouldn’t back down. I don’t do that.”

He lifted my chin and kissed me softly. “And if you’re already carrying my son, then maybe even if we don’t carry the day, my son will yet be king.”

“No!” I said again, but Max was getting impatient with my repeated refusals.

“Katrina, enough. I will go and will meet the King’s armies. God willing, we’ll win the battle, and you’ll be safe.”

I swallowed, a wild, desperate plan forming in my mind. “When do you go?”

“The King’s armies are vast and they move with agonizing slowness. I have fewer men, but we move much more quickly. I’m betting we’re better trained as well.” A light was in his eyes at the thought of the battle to come. “I will defend what I’ve built,” he said in a hard voice.

I nodded, hugging him again, my head against his chest. I didn’t want him looking at me too closely. “I know you will,” I said. “I would do the same.”

“We will leave within the week,” he said. His arms held me securely against him, and I reveled in it. “Will I regret that I told you this?” he asked.

Oh, will you ever
, I thought to myself.  Instead of answering, I kissed him, and he kissed me back, turning us so we again rested next to each other on the bed. In sharp contrast to our almost violent coupling earlier, we were achingly gentle with each other, taking our time and making it last. When we were finished, I waited until Max fell asleep. Then I rose and began to get dressed.