The Warrior and the Petulant Princess (17 page)

“I care for you deeply, and since your father died you have been a son to me. He must be so proud as he looks down from the heavens.”

“I strive to make him so every day,” Larian said softly.

“He was the greatest warrior Zanderone has ever seen. You have inherited his gifts, and now you are marrying a Princess. One day you will rule Verdana at her side, but…”

“But first I must be sure I rule her,” Larian finished.

“Exactly,” the old man said, smiling and nodding his head, “and now I must retire.”

They stood up from the table and Larian walked him to the hallway and hugged him warmly. As he watched the elderly warrior stride away, so tall and proud, he felt his heart swell.

“Thank goodness for you, Uncle,” he murmured. “I almost made a grave error, thank goodness for you.”

CHAPTER NINETEEN

T
he West sun had barely set when Lizbett had fallen asleep, and when the creak of her opening door stirred her to life she saw the darkness of night.

I have slept for so long, I must have been exhausted.

Rolling over she stared across the room, then smiled as she saw the outline of her warrior.

“My love,” he whispered moving across and sitting on the edge of the bed.

“I didn’t mean to sleep so long,” she yawned, “but I was so tired.”

“And still?” he asked.

“A little. How is your uncle?”

“He is the wisest man I know,” Larian replied, “and I love him deeply.”

“Are you here to say goodnight?”

“I am here to check on you, to stroke your body for a short time, to kiss you, to tell you how I love you, and…”

“And?”

“You know the and,” Larian said softly.

“The third part of my punishment,” she sighed. “I thought you had forgotten.”

“I will never forget such a thing,” he said solemnly, “but you are still dressed and you must be without clothing.”

“You mean, completely?”

“I have seen your bottom and I have seen your breasts, why are you shocked?”

“Because you haven’t seen the most private parts of me,” she whispered.

“Of course I have, I saw all as you wriggled when I spanked you.”

“You did?”

“I did, now get up and take everything off.”

“Will you take your clothes off too?”

“Lizbett…”

“Sorry, sorry,” she said quickly, and standing from the bed she began to peel off her dress.

The only light was from the twin moons, and their glow bathed the room in their pink-tinged silver radiance causing her skin to glisten, and as he stood, watching her undress, his member surged to life.

I want to take you right here, I want to thrust deep into your hot, wet, channel, I want to take you and make you mine, completely mine. Uncle was right. My plan to wait was foolish. I will keep you chaste until our wedding night, but that will be soon, very soon.

Her last petticoat fell from her shoulders, and untying the cord around her waist that held up her thin, silky underwear, she let it drop away then turned to face him.

“You are magnificent,” he breathed.

Unbuckling his waist belt that held his small weapons and a bag he laid it on a table, then moving across the room he lifted her into his arms and laid her on the bed.

“Spread your legs, I am going to examine you.”

“Oh, Sir,” she purred, “those words send a shiver right through me.”

Sitting alongside her hips he moved his fingers to open her slit, exposing her tiny nugget and the soft inner flesh. She gasped as he touched where his cock would one day travel, and when his thumb circled her nub she moaned and twisted, overcome with the ripples of sensation tingling through her sex.

“Why does that make me feel so much?” she bleated.

“Because it is the core of your need,” he purred, “now shush, you must stop speaking and just feel.”

“Is this the discipline?”

His hand landed with a sharp slap on her thigh, causing her to squeal in pain and surprise.

“What did I tell you? Be quiet…be quiet and feel.”

“Ow, ow,” she whispered, “ooowwww.”

Larian smoothed his palm across the pink sore spot where his stinging swat had landed.

She has to learn, but it seems every time I give her an order she does the opposite and I have to slap her, or punish her somehow.

The thought gave him pause, and he made a mental note to think upon it later. Returning to his task he held open her delicate folds of flesh with one hand, while he used the fingers of the other to tease and toy.

In his training he had been taught many techniques to bring a woman to the brink of her moment, and playing with Lizbett, making her gasp and moan then bleat with disappointment, was making his cock leak in his trousers; it was supremely difficult to ignore, but he was a warrior, and he had learned to control the needs of his body, even such needs as his craving cock.

Stretching out alongside her he gently licked at a nipple as his finger swirled her nub, then he moved his mouth to her ear.

“Tell me, how does your nugget feel?”

“Please keep rubbing like that,” she begged. “It needs it, I need it, I need to feel that amazing explosion and it’s so close. The tingles have already begun.”

“Ah, have they?” he whispered stilling his hand.

“Oh, Sir, why did you stop?”

“This is the third part of your discipline. I will leave you now, hungry like this.”

“But it needs-”

“It needs to be taught who is in charge, who controls, and that is me, Lizbett, and to make sure you don’t touch it after I leave I am going to tie you.”

Rolling off the bed he moved quickly to the small bag attached to his waist belt and retrieved the soft cord he’d brought for the purpose, but as he turned to walk back he caught a glimpse of her hand quickly retreating from between her legs.

The earlier inkling suddenly flashed through his mind;
it seems every time I give her an order she does the opposite and I have to slap her, or punish her somehow.

His instinct told him to ignore what he’d seen, and keeping his eyes low he pretended to study the rope as he sat on the edge of the bed, then leaned his head down and kissed her.

“Time for the rope,” he murmured.

“Must you tie me?” she whimpered.

He did not answer, and sitting back he took her wrists and expertly laced the cord around them, tying off the two ends at the back of her waist; the bondage was loose enough that it wasn’t uncomfortable, but would prevent her from touching herself.

“I believe that answers your question,” he said firmly.

“What will Adamine think when she comes in to wake me?” she bleated.

“I require little sleep,” he reminded her. “I will wander the grounds all night, travel all day tomorrow, and I will feel no fatigue.”

“That is so amazing,” she remarked.

“it is the simply the way of the Zanderone warrior,” he replied. “Fear not, Lizbett, it will be me who will wake you, and I will hold you warmly against me as the East sun rises.”

“You’re leaving now?”

“I am, but I believe there are still some words you must say.”

“Thank you, Larian, for your discipline. I deserve it, I need it, and I want it.”

“Good girl,” he crooned.

Leaning forward he scooped her into his chest and held her, rocking her gently, then laying her back down he pulled up the coverlets.

“One last thing,” he murmured.

“Yes, Sir?”

“As you sleep think upon this question, and give me the answer when it comes to you, but only when you are sure of it. It doesn’t have to be in the morning, it can be any time, but you must be sure of it.”

“What question?”

“More than anything else, what makes you happy?”

He rose to his feet and stared down at her; the question he had put to her, and the answer he was seeking had come to him directly after talking with his uncle.

“Goodnight, Larian,” she sighed.

“Goodnight, Lizbett,” he replied tenderly, then picking up his waist belt he walked slowly from the room.

As he moved down the hallway to his chamber he sensed he was on the brink of an important discovery. Like a shadowy thought he couldn’t quite grasp it, but he had learned to allow such things to float forward of their own accord; if he chased them they became evasive.

I must sleep a short while and perhaps the message will come. It is so close, I can feel it.

As Larian was thinking about the elusive epiphany, Lizbett was rubbing her thighs together, but she was also pondering his question;

More than anything else, what makes you happy?

But there are so many things. Riding Scarlet, eating tasty food, I’m happy after wine, getting presents, kissing you makes me really happy. You make me really happy. What is it you want me to say? This is a very difficult question.

Her thighs stopped their anxious rubbing, and as the moons continued their passage taking their pink-silver light from her chamber, she closed her eyes and drifted to sleep, a final thought crossing her mind.

Something important happened tonight, I’m just not sure what it is…

CHAPTER TWENTY

L
arian had reached the doorway of his chamber, and though he needed to stroke himself and release the urgency in his trousers he felt a greater need to move out into the night. Making his way through the house he quietly unlocked the front door, slipped outside and stood in the quiet courtyard inhaling the cool night air. His senses were on alert, not because he felt lurking danger, but because, like Zinyana and so many other parts of his nature, it was an inherent trait.

He could cross a forest floor thick with dried leaves and sticks and not make a sound; he could hear a footfall when others could not; his eyes would adjust to changing light in an instant, he could lift boulders, climb the tallest tree, and bring a woman supreme pleasure. He could do all these things, and yet his uncle had needed to speak to him as a young, naive man.

It had humbled him, and standing under the two moons, gazing into the infinite ebony night, he realized he had needed to be humbled as much as Lizbett had needed his spanking hand. His meteoric rise had tilted his ego, an ego he had learned early in his training could be his undoing if not kept in check; were it not for his uncle he could have fallen victim to its clutches.

He needed to be with the horses. There was little that fed his soul like a still stable, whether it be day or night. As he ambled in, the smell of the hay and the soft, powerful, noble energy of the animals washed over him, calming his center and soothing his mind.

Settling on a bale of hay he thought back to the days when he would hold the youthful Lizbett in his arms amongst the billows of loose straw in the King’s stables. Even then he had the ability to whisper and touch, to comprehend her moans and gasps.

You have done her no favors, Handerah, allowing her to grow into womanhood with no discipline, but somehow you have kept her innocent, sheltered from the ways of men. How did you manage that? She has a passionate soul, she aches for all a man can give her, and yet she knows so little, has experienced so little.

The image of her naked beauty bathed in the soft moon-glow sent a fresh wave of need through his loins, and unfastening the flap in the front of his trousers he withdrew his cock and began to rub.

Closing his eyes he saw her sweet rosebuds atop her large, perfect mounds; how delicious it had been to suck them until she was gasping. While the intense sensation might have been momentarily punishing, it would have fueled her sexual awakening and sent nurturing wet heat to the garden between her legs.

His moment was brewing and he rubbed vigorously, flashing back to the moment he had swished the crop upon her bottom after he’d found her fighting with Tholl. He had to smile as he recalled the surprise on her face when he’d arrived on the scene, and how quickly she had hurried away, knowing she would soon meet his chastisement.

Feeling the urgency in his cock and wanting to reach the end he indulged again in the fantasy of plunging into her succulent depths for the first time. He saw himself holding her hips and thrusting forward as she gasped and called his name, and suddenly his manhood jerked, shooting forth his cream. He groaned, fervently rubbing until the spasms began to abate, then dropping his hand away he laid back into the hay to catch his breath.

Nestled in the cloaking gentleness of the barn his heart’s pounding began to settle, but the incident with Tholl floated back into his mind and he was struck by a thought.

Lizbett is not a stupid girl. She would have known Tholl would send for me.

Standing slowly he ambled to a water bucket and washed himself, thinking back over the journey in the carriage and her absurd request that the warriors fight so she wouldn’t have to hide. With the urgency of the moment he done the only thing he could think of to get her into her hiding place, and not considered anything past the point of her atrocious behavior and the discipline he’d have to exact.

“…
she will use her knowledge to get what she wants, but all the while you will be thinking you are in control.”

Like a sharp bolt of lightening the epiphany struck.

“Lizbett! This is exactly what you have been doing!” he exclaimed to the empty barn. “You ache for discipline so much you have maneuvered events to have me deliver it. Our reunion at the bridge, our time in the meadow…that was a moment you had been seeking your entire life and once you tasted my spanking hand you wanted more…you needed more…you knew I would punish any misbehavior.”

His discipline had become her reward.

The sound of a soft nicker called to him, interrupting his outburst, and turning around Larian was surprised to see Thunder’s large black head peering over his door, his huge brown eyes staring straight at him.

The stalls in the stable opened into the barn, but also to large pens at the back so the horses could wander in and out as they pleased. Rarely did he see a horse in its shelter, the natural state of the outdoors was always preferable.