The Last Princess of Lorrea Ch. 04

"That sounds like an order - may I remind you that you are in no position to give orders?" he growled playfully, stopping when his face was just a foot from hers.

"I am the princess of Lorrea, I have the royal authority to command just as you do" she snapped haughtily. "And as i've said previously, I don't recognise you as MY prince." she concluded with a withering stare any lesser man would have fled from.

"Say what you wish, but it does not make it reality. You are a prisoner of war, you are at my disposal and subject to my mercy." summed up the prince, leaning in closer, causing her to back into the door, "And I shall do as I wish".

To prove his point, he grasped her left breast through her dress in his large hand, squeezing the tender flesh with more force than was necessary.

Elena winced and gasped at the discomfort. "Let go of me! You're hurting me!" she cried as she tried to pry his fingers from her bosom, but his grip was vice-like.

"Acknowledge my authority and I will let go" hissed the prince.

"Never" she cried, as his grip tightened. Elena felt cornered - literally and figuratively. Her next move surprised even her.

SLAP!

Elena had slapped Henry across the face with as much strength as she could muster. She did not know where the courage came from. Yesterday she had let him touch her, as she stood completely naked before him, because she saw no point in resisting, being mistaken for an average Lorrean and summarily assigned the position of a whore for his men. Yet somehow today she felt different - The prince's knowledge of her heritage forced her to assume a role, the representative of her nation, and in doing such he had sparked a fire within her - pride and purpose that she had not felt in the past two years, her oath to her father echoing in her ears, almost as loudly as the slap echoed in Henry's ears.

Henry removed his hand from her breast immediately. This action however, was not brought on by the pain of the slap, which was nothing more than a slight sting, but of the audacity of the act itself. No one, other than his father many years ago, had ever laid a hand on him.

Henry glared at her, further incensed by the defiant look on her face. He grabbed a handful of her golden hair and yanked her hard, causing her to cry out in pain and stumble to her knees to alleviate the pressure on her scalp.

"You will regret that, my Princess" he said in a voice that caused the hair's on the back of her neck to stand up. He shoved her unceremoniously to the floor a few feet away, leaving his path to the door clear. He rapped smartly on the door three times before ordering "Open", which it did instantly, unlocked by a soldier who stood back to let him through. The Prince stalked through the door, without so much as a backwards glance at the princess who lay crumpled on the cold, stone floor.

*

Elena felt elated and terrified at the same time. She couldn't believe what she had done, striking a royal heir, but was delighted that it had served it's purpose. The Prince's promise of retribution caused her heart to quicken when she thought about it, but on the whole, she counted the interaction as a win. She felt it important to resist the prince on everything, she would not participate in his twisted idea of courtship or whatever he had in mind. She would honour herself and Lorrea, as she had promised.

Elena spent the rest of the day trying to converse with the servants that were waiting on her- they brought her food (and cleared away the tray immediately when she finished, clearly they had been informed of her violent tendencies), tended to the fireplace and emptied her chamberpot. However, they acted as if deaf, clearly under orders not to engage in conversation with her. Elena's spirit was not dampened - she simply resolved to continue chipping away at their indifference until one of them cracked a little.

*

The Prince was livid. He had half a mind to march back up the winding staircase, burst back into the room and show the princess who was REALLY in charge. Yet a small part of him wanted her to want him as much as he wanted her and that same part was the one calming him slowly as he made his way across the entrance hall.

"Henry my boy!" boomed the king from the other side of the hall, his advisors and concubines in tow.

"Father" said the prince with an inclination of his head.

"Tell me, what was it like?" the king asked as he made his way towards his son, his entourage hanging back as per his instruction.

"I'm sorry, father?" asked the prince, feigning confusion.

"You know what I mean, you dog you!" he jested as he waggled his jeweled finger in Henry's face.

"Was she everything you thought she would be?" he asked, laughter in his cold eyes. "Where is she?" he inquired, looking around Henry, searching for a downtrodden looking princess.

"She's, uh, resting" mumbled the prince.

"Hah!" exclaimed the king as he clapped Henry on the back. "She can barely walk eh, son? Like father like son!" he laughed, clapping Henry on the back again, his words causing him to cringe inwardly.

"Father" Henry said, changing the subject- "How goes the Chopparte campaign? I have not heard from Lord Caspian in a while" he said.

"Your cousin? Oh the crazy devil is on the warpath again. Apparently one of his generals was passing information to the Choppartians... as I understand, he beheaded the man and adorned his chariot with the head until the smell of it got to him." The king said absentmindedly, straightening his crimson robes over his large, albeit wide body.

"Charming" commented Henry. Caspian and the Prince had been at odds many times over the last few years, mainly due to Caspian's jealousy of Henry's royal future. His cruel nature was not to Henry's liking and he had turned down many of his cousin's invitations to join him on a hunt, partly because he was worried that he would end the day with an arrow sticking out of him and partly because he just couldn't stand him.

"Last I heard he was heading back here for a few days rest" said the king. A smile lept to his eyes "Oh Henry, imagine the look on his face when he finds out about the Princess, you know how long her searched for her!" he chuckled.

"Hmm, yes. I believe he spent the whole of last winter terrorising the citizens of Lorrea for information about her." he said, "He'll definitely be... be...be surprised" he said, yawning loudly.

"You look tired my son - well, of course, you were up all night I expect" he laughed at his own joke. "Go to the kitchens and have breakfast, I must be off to a council meeting", he nodded at his son as he continued through the door to his left, which was held open by a young boy, dressed in the palace uniform.

Henry walked off to the kitchens, thinking about his plans for the princess and the look on his cousin's face when he realised that he had her. Smiling at the thought of both these prospects, he set about instructing the kitchen staff on his breakfast.

*

Elena was quickly becoming bored. The welcome interruptions of the castle staff were few and far between, leaving her to her own thoughts for many hours. In the last two years she had never felt so out of control and helpless. At least in the forest she could wander for hours, with the warm sun kissing her fair skin - her current quarters didn't even have a window. She guessed the hours of the day according to the rumbling of her stomach.

Elena had searched every inch of the room for a weapon or something that could be fashioned into a weapon, but the only thing that was not too heavy or large for her to wield, were the bedsheets, and they were not much in the way of weapons.

Elena was dozing in one of the chairs in front of the fireplace, the scraping of a key in the lock breaking the spell on her daydreams. She scrambled to her feet, just as prince Henry entered the room.

"I'm glad you have remembered your etiquette - to rise in the presence of royalty." he said, approvingly.

"I'm not standing for your honour "she hissed at him "I was just startled that's all" she said, smoothing her dress and edging slowly away from him. "In Lorrea, a royal is chosen by the people, not as you do, the royals imposing themselves upon the people - therefore you may find my tone lacking the respect you obviously crave for - you have not earned it."

"My, you sure have a mouth on you" he chuckled. "I understand what Prince Argenton meant when he said that you were not fit to be his princess" he grinned, sitting down on the loveseat.

Elena flushed crimson. Prince Argenton was a surprise forced upon her by her well meaning mother, she had invited the prince to stay the week at their castle, needless to say he was gone within two days, his attempts at courting Elena failing miserably.

"Prince Argenton? that swine is not worthy of his title either!" Elena spat, " I told him that the only way he and I would... " she started to say, before she halted mid-sentence. Elena looked away pointedly, crossing her arms over her chest, lapsing into silence.

"The only way you and he would - what?" asked the prince, curiosity in his voice.

Elena ignored the prince's query. She squared her shoulders back, refolding her arms over her chest. "that's none of your business" she said.

Sighing, he stood slowly. As he drew near her, he said: "You are my business - your past, your future, your present - all mine."

Anger flashed across her face. "I do not belong to anyone" she growled.

"The sooner you acknowledge that you are not merely a guest here, the better off you'll be Princess" he said softly, towering over her slight frame.

Elena snorted in derision, Henry's words not worthy of a verbal response in her opinion.

Henry stretched out a hand to push back a lock of golden hair that had fallen into her face, and tuck it behind the princess's ear. Elena quickly grasped Henry's wrist in her hand, a wrist so thick that her fist barely gripped it's circumference.

"I said, don't touch me" Elena growled.

Anticipating her reaction, Henry twisted his muscular wrist, causing her grip to slacken as he clasped her arm in return and twisted it, causing her to cry out in pain and turn her back on him in order to alleviate it. He quickly wrenched her other arm behind her and clasped both of her wrists together in one hand as he pulled on one of her many ties that secured her dress in place. The sash came loose and he wound the silky fabric around her wrists, making sure that they were secure enough that she couldn't wriggle out of it but also that it wouldn't cut off her circulation.

"Untie me at once you brute!" Elena shouted over her shoulder

"Hmm, not yet. You seem to be unable to control yourself in my presence - so I think i'll prefer it this way, at least until you learn some self control or respect - i'll take whichever one come first." he said in a silky voice as he ran his index finger down her shoulder blades, causing her to square her shoulders once again, though on this occasion it was in attempt to avoid his touch and not as an act of royal defiance.

"Your father signed the treaty of Vansarto!" she shot at him as he dragged her backwards by her wrists towards the loveseat. "You are not allowed to cause direct harm to the head of a state in order to force a nation to surrender!" she shouted at him, as she lost her balance and fell against the Prince as he pulled on her wrists again.

"I really think you must have been living up a tree for the past two years Princess... those decrees mean nothing anymore - half those nations don't even exist, so upholding it would be a little problematic at best" he scoffed, wrapping his arm around her waist, pulling her tighter against him.

"Unhand me you... you... you... Kravaolian slug!" she yelled, wriggling in his arms.

Henry let out a bark-like laugh that almost dislodged Elena. "Kravaolian slug?" he laughed, "Is that the best you could think of?" his deep laughter vibrating through his chest, pressed against Elena, sharing his mirth. "I know you to be pure princess, but pure at heart too? Oh this is too much " he gasped, tears of laughter in his eyes.

Elena scowled at him. Oh, if you only knew the darkness of my heart, thought Elena, you would not be laughing so.

"Tell me princess, what else do you think of me?" he purred.

"I try not to" Elena stated flatly, still squirming in his arms.

"Oh really, even if I do this?" he asked, as placed both of his hand on the sides of her face, pulling her against his moistened lips, his tongue pushing past her soft lips, pressing against her own.

Elena was momentarily stunned by his boldness, as a kiss was the last thing she thought he'd do. However, when she felt his large tongue pushing itself past her lips like a snake, she felt instantly nauseated. She tried to pull away but he held her face against his own, Elena strained against her bindings but was unable to lift a finger against him. She thought about one of his earlier comments, about her mouth- 'you sure have a mouth on you.'
Her mouth formed a smile against his lips at the irony that her defense would be of his own making.

Henry relaxed a little as he felt her smile against his lips, after initially fighting against him, she seemed to be warming to his touch. How wrong he was, as a second later he felt a searing pain- he yelped and put a hand to his bottom lip- he was bleeding! He couldn't believe it, she had actually bitten him, like an animal!

That was the second time she'd assaulted him in one day and Henry had had enough.

"You'll pay for that" he growled, as he pushed her face forwards across his lap, lifting her legs onto the opposite side of the loveseat. He wiped his bleeding lip on the back of his hand then placed his palm on the small of her back, pressing her down against his lap. He raised his other hand high and brought it down hard against her bottom - SPANK!

Elena squealed from shock more than pain - "Get off me! By the royal decree of Lorrea I order you to--" but her words were cut off by three successive spanks to her rear, causing her to gasp, rendering her speechless.

"Hurts doesn't it, my Princess?" the prince cooed as her rubbed her bottom in a circular motion. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear what you were saying - care to repeat it?" he goaded her.

Elena may have been humiliated, but she was not down for the count. She looked back over her shoulder at him "I said that I ordered you to cease and ---" but was once again rendered speechless as he administered six successive spanks to her rear.

Henry paused, allowing her to catch her breath. "Tell me princess, have you ever been spanked before?" he asked as he rubbed her bottom again. "Probably not... you Lorreans are a soft people, not to mention prudish" he said. "But that was just a warm up". He reached the hem of her dress and pushed it up her legs, rubbing his rough hand against her leg, then her thigh as he pulled the skirts of her dress higher and higher before lifting them over her waist, exposing her naked pink derriere. "Mmm, a lovely shade of pink to start with" he said, causing Elena to cringe.

Elena was fast losing whatever equal footing she thought she had. As she felt his hand rub it's way up her bare leg she struggled against his lap, feeling his palm increase the pressure against her back. When she felt the cool air of the room against her exposed skin she struggled even harder, sweat beading between her breasts, her face turning crimson. "Don't touch me! Don't you dare" she yelled.

"My dear Princess, by all means struggle! It is a delicious treat for the eyes, also you excite me even more when you rub your hips against my lap... surely you can feel that" he said, emphasizing the hardness within his pants by grinding back against her hip.

Elena gasped as the truth to his words were clearly evident in the form of a firm bulge against her. Elena knew very little about men, but she knew of this reaction from overhearing one of her maids discussing her husband with another maid a few years back. She froze, aware that her motion was indeed causing her tormentor increasing pleasure.

"Oh, don't stop now Princess, that felt so good" he taunted.

"Let me go Henry" she said, careful to remain still against him.

SMACK!

Tears sprung to Elena's eyes, the stinging in her cheek ten times as worse without the protection of clothing.

"Do - not - address - me - by - my - name" he grunted, spanking her with each word, seven hard spanks in all, echoing around the room.

Elena could not hold back the tears, as the pain and humiliation were too great. At least, she thought bitterly, he can not see my tears. Elena focused all her energy on keeping silent, not acknowledging his power over her. Her pride meant everything if she were to continue to fight for Lorrea, she couldn't give in, not even in the face of such torment.

"You shall address me as befitting your stature - and let me emphasize, dear PRINCESS, that you may be a princess and I may be a prince, but we are in no way equals." He stated, as he ran the palm of his hand over her, feeling the heat radiating off her buns. "Do I make myself clear?" he asked.

Elena was still taking deep shuddering breaths to counteract another wave of tears that threatened to burst forth. She lowered her head onto the cushion and remained silent.

Not satisfied, the prince dug his fingers into one of her reddened cheeks, squeezing the tender flesh, causing the princess to gasp in pain. "I didn't hear you. What did you say?" he asked, the softness in his voice contradicting the roughness of his actions.

"Yes! yes... you are very clear" she gasped. "We are not equals" she mirrored, feeling him lesson the pressure on her bottom. She paused before continuing, bracing herself for his reaction to her next words: "from our very first encounter, it is evident that you are inferior to me."

Henry couldn't believe it! Here he was, he had the upper hand, she was a prisoner of war, tied, naked and exposed across his muscular thighs, inside her enemy's castle - and she thought herself superior to him?! His nostrils flaring in anger, he raised his hand again, prepared to imprint her servitude upon her - but stopped mid swing, understanding bypassing thought. What a fool he was! Of course she would resist him like this! Pain was not an effective punishment or medium - for it only bolstered her bravado and strengthened her cause. She was well equipped mentally to deal with pain, she had spent two years fending for herself after fleeing a bloody battle. He needed to use an area in which she was least proficient, where she had no knowledge so as to gain the upper hand. Henry lapsed into silence as his mind explored this revelation.

Meanwhile, Elena waited with baited breath for the stinging revenge that was sure to follow her sizzling answer - yet nothing happened. Elena took stock of her position: She could still feel his hardness pressed against her, his hand on her back but that was all... he just seemed to have frozen. Curiosity burned within her, but she fought the temptation to look over her shoulder and find out what was going on with him. She decided on a different tactic, one she had employed many nights alone in the forest, when faced with an overwhelming situation.

She would imagine that there was no war and she was back home with her family, her mother sitting in a chair, surrounded by her ladies in waiting, doing needlework. Her father would be standing over a miniature model of the city, making notes to his advisors, solving the latest municipal problem - Elena would observe all this from high up in her favourite tree in the grounds, the wind gently kissing her skin as it caused the leaves of the willow to dance around her. She sighed as that same relaxing sensation sunk in.