Mercy For The Condemned (Houdini x Anjeru)

Thomas nodded in agreement as she spoke. True, she'd proved herself in the tower, but that was just to get them out the door (or the tunnel, to be exact). She knew that he would expect more of her, and the surprising thing would have been if she didn't run, not if she did, given the opportunity. She was no mindless follower, they both knew that. Thomas tried not to ruin their meal with more talk of that topic, however. Eating his bread, he listened as she rationalized the reasons for not wanting to leave him now. She was smart, and she'd given him the answer he was looking for, whether it was true or not. "Have at this, Audrey," he offered, breaking off half of the cake for himself and giving her the remaining wrapped part.

"You've thought all that out well," he commended her. "I agree it would start a war if your husband knew of your family harboring you." He wriggled around a little on the earth, finding a soft spot on the grass which was very comfortable, almost like a nice bed. He looked at his fugitive, quite adorable as she ate and contemplated things. It would have been a horrible shame to have destroyed such a pretty thing in a depraved spectacle, he realized. Glancing at her, then back at the horse, he wondered on her options. Could she ride off herself without a saddle? He wasn't sure. She could run off, that much was certain. "You leave me with quite a dilemma, Audrey. I've realized that it's late afternoon, and this is good a place as any for me to rest. I'm quite tired, in fact. But what reassurance will I have that you won't flee? I loathe to take your trousers again, but I wonder if I have another choice?"

Audrey took the wrapped half of the cake from his hand and, unwrapping it further, she took a bite and savored the flavor of it on her tongue. She half listened to his words, knowing what was to come. And she was right, when a moment later he began to vocally contemplate his dilemma about keeping her from fleeing. She chewed thoughtfully, before laying back on the grass, not more than a few feet from him. Her hair slid out to partially fan the grass as she turned her head to look at him.

"You don't have to do that, I'm not going to run." She reassured, though looking at him, she knew he wasn't likely to believe her. With a sigh, she moved to lay merely a foot from him, close, but not too close. "It is rather chilly and I don't think I could rest without my trousers; I am very exhausted," she admitted. She needed the rest as badly as he did.

"Do you have something to tie with?" the Queen contemplated a moment later. It was the best idea she could come up with that did not involve her loosing parts of her clothing. "You could bind my wrist to your own, if you cannot take my word as the truth," she said softly, offering him her rather reluctant idea. Not wanting to be bound, but she didn't want to be half nude either. That was so much more deprived and degrading, she doubted she could sleep if he took her pants again. In her eyes, there really was no need for it. Green eyes bore into his own as she tentively awaited his answer.

Thomas listened contemplatively as Audrey made her proposal. He laid back and propped himself up on his elbow as her emerald eyes bore into his. He could almost feel her delicate breath on his face, in fact, as she explained herself. "You must be quite a bashful woman if you'd prefer to be tied than stripped down," Thomas observed. "It doesn't feel quite cold to me." Reaching over, he felt around in the grass for her hand, and picked it up, working his way up to her wrist. "These are such delicate wrists to be tied," he went on to observe, holding up one of her thin, white wrists and feeling it up for size. "But that's agreeable to me."

Pulling out one of the extra shreds of shirt that hadn't been used in the chest-binding, he tugged hard at it, testing it for strength. He'd brought it with, imagining it would be useful for something. Wrapping it around Audrey's wrist first, he tied a tight knot. (Which was no problem for Thomas, he'd been in the King's navy, after all.) He knelt over her now, straddling her hips with his knees and enjoying the pretty picture that was Audrey's red hair fanned out over the lush green carpet of grass. Coninuing to look down at her, he fashioned a little noose that would slip over his wrist and be pulled tight. It could be untied, of course, but he was sufficiently confident that Audrey would wake him if she tried that. It would allow for about two feet of pull between their connected wrists once tied. "Why don't you pull it tight for me, my dear?" he requested after loosely slipping it onto his forearm. "Then you and I'll have a nice sleep together," he added with a chuckle. "You can hold me tight and pretend I'm the King if you'd like," he teased. "Here's my crown," he went on with another deep laugh, as he tied a long weed in a knot and placed the circular greenery on top of his head.

She almost let out a sigh of relief when he agreed, surpressing the urge to recoil even from him just touching her thin, womanly wrists. Her eyes flared a bit defiantly as he straddled her hips and she had to fight the urge to strike him again; this wouldn't look good since she had agreed to be at his complete disposal in turn for freedom. She did as he told, pulling the small noose to tighten it with a yank.

Letting her hands drop away from his wrist, she glared at him for his sadistic sense of humor. "Trust me, you wouldn't want me to pretend you are my husband. Not in this moment," she snapped out. "You likely wouldn't be waking up again because I'd find a way to kill you where you lay." Her bitterness showed, though she did her best to hide it behind her pride and honor. Though, she doubted she had much honor left considering the deal she had taken in order to save her own skin.

Audrey didn't say anything else, not for a long moment as she simply avoided looking at him to wander her eyes elsewhere. Eventually they wandered back with a sigh. "I'd like to rest now, please," she said, her exhaustion starting to get the better of her. The Queen was unused to such taxing travel, having been spoiled like all royalty in their choices of transportation.

Thomas liked how his banter made Audrey squirm a little bit, but her threat against the King made him reflect upon his own safety. After all, sleeping with someone equated to trust. He was fairly certain that Audrey carried no weapon. After all, he'd watched her dress. But he had a dagger in his boot; she'd seen it when he spoke of shearing her long red locks. Could she take it from him and dispatch him before he knew of it, if she were so inclined? This plagued his thoughts somewhat as he rolled off her and laid back upon his hands on the pleasingly soft grass. He wondered what types of things the King had done to her (other than trying to have her beheaded) which stirred up such resentment towards him in Audrey's heart.

"I'm sure you'll find I'm a more reasonable man than the King," he said half under his breath as he closed his eyes and enjoyed the wonderful feeling of resting his tired eyelids. "Just give me a chance," he sighed, rolling into a slightly more comfortable position. He would have to leave his well-being sleeping near Audrey in fate's hands, he thought, the last thought before he fell into a deep and restful sleep, separated from the Queen’s petite frame only by a few inches of turf.

Audrey could see that her snip remark bothered him. He probably was worried about his safety, but honestly, she was too tired to care about escaping right now, despite the how horribly he had angered her earlier by leaving her here indecent. She also wasn't so callous to murder a sleeping man who didn't deserve it. As far as she was concerned, he didn't deserve it yet because, despite what he'd done thus far, he had saved her from being beheaded. If they were ever to be caught, they'd both likely lose their heads now.

"Aye," the Queen said with a soft sigh as she curled up on her side, facing towards the man because of the tie around their wrists. Her lashes fluttered shut and softly, she yawned, ruffling her hair slightly as she moved some strands from her face. Her hair had come almost fully untucked and spread across the green grass in contrast, the slightly curled strands providing a soft rest for the side of her face. Both of her hands remained close to her face, pulled tight against her person and her legs were bent at the knees as she got comfortable against their grassy bed.

Before long, the day caught up with her - her impending death, her escape, her restless nap, the tiring horse ride - and soon she was asleep beside him. Breathing in softly and letting it out after a moment, slow and even.

Thomas dozed, now oblivious to the knot on his wrist and the pretty royal who was his sleeping companion. Although it was barely dusk, he slept on as if it were past midnight, catching up on much-needed rest. After hours of sleep, he stirred awake in the middle of the night, startled for a moment to find himself tied, before remembering where he was. Unable to fall back to rest, he gazed on for some time at Audrey's sleeping form bathed in moonlight. Her body heaved up and down lightly as her chest expanded and depressed rhythmically and quietly.

Eventually, he feel back asleep and remained in this state for several more hours, waking again only when the first crack of daylight broke over the horizon. That meant that it was time to get on the move. Sitting upright, he untied the rope around his wrist, knowing that tugging was likely to stir Audrey awake, as her wrist was forced to move in harmony with his own. He didn't mind that, however; although it's was early, they'd slept long enough, and needed to keep on the move to ensure their safety. Looking over at the nearby stream once the rope was untied, he realized he hadn’t bathed for a couple of days now, which he didn't like to make a regular practice of. Something would have to be done about that before they started off.

Audrey slept rather contently throughout the night, considering the predicament she was in, the journey having worn her out a great deal already. Her aching body silently begged for the comfort of her chamber's bed, but the temporary alternative of lush blades of greenery was better than nothing.

Her brows crunched and she moaned, stirring as she felt her wrist being tugged and moved. Once it was free, she stretched her arms above her head with a small noise, lashes fluttering open with a yawn. After a moment, she tiredly pushed herself up from the ground. Turning her shoulders a bit to work out their stiffness. Eyes looked around and noticed the lightening of the sky around them.
"Time to move on?" She asked in a slightly tired tone, no pride, snip, or usual attitude in her words, like the last time she'd awoke around him. It took her a little bit to put her prideful facade up, the one she put up to protect herself; being the Queen and being the King's wife, she had learned to not let herself get emotional involved anymore. It did no good, as far as she could tell. She ruffled her hair and yawned again softly, having trouble for a moment keeping her eyes fully open.

Thomas enjoyed the spectacle of Audrey slowly waking up, while the gleaming rays of dawn splashed through the trees and sprayed a yellow-orange glow across her face. "Well good morning to you as well, Audrey," he answered her cheerily. "I trust you had a relaxing night," he continued, in quite a good mood now that he was well-rested. Glancing around, he started unbuttoning his shirt from the top.

"I shall have to agree that we'll move on before the day breaks in earnest," he finally said in answer to her question. "But first," he explained with a grin, "I seem to have begun to smell rather rank with all the travelling.” Removing the shirt completely, he tossed it to the grass, revealing his big chest. "I can't imagine it would be right to subject you to that. And I don't much prefer it myself. So I'm going to bathe in the stream first thing." Sitting down and beginning to unlace his boots, he looked up at her. "And since you know I don't like to take any chances, I think you'll bathe as well, just to be sure we don't... get separated," he explained with a grin, just imagining her taking off with the horse and his clothes while he bathed in the clear waters. "You may find the water cold at first, but I'm sure you'll end up refreshed," Thomas assured her.

Audrey inwardly sighed at his words and realized that escaping from Thomas was proving to be very difficult indeed. She was going to have to approach it differently; gain his trust so that his 'noose' of protection would loosen and she would be able to slip free. That seemed, at this moment, that it was the only fork in the path she could take, logically. If she continued to be obstinant and stubborn, not to mention a little fiesty, he would most likely never loosen his hold upon her. Though, bathing under his scrutiny was still enough to rile her.

"I will agree to it, so long as I can keep my back to you," she said as she avoided her eyes from watching him disrobe. He certianly had a rather nice physique, but she had to remind herself that he was her captor. They weren't friends, or lover, or travel companions. She was his captive. "And...I would like it if you didn't watch me as I bathe...though I don't see you agreeing to that," she said with a small sigh as she slid the lads shirt off over her head.

She did this only because she knew the bindings still covered her breasts modestly and maybe if she offered him a small peek at her flat and smooth, milky, abdomen that gave way into her perfectly flat stomach and curvy hips, cute dipped in belly button, not to mention her prominant collar bone and milky shoulders, he may agree to her request.

Although Audrey requested that he didn’t watch her bathe, she obviously didn’t expect him to agree, and he wasn’t going to. Not when every moment could be his last, would he refuse to feast his eyes on a sight that only the King himself was entitled to, at least until recently. His resolve was only fortified when she stripped her shirt off, showing her exquisite form, except that which remained hidden by her chest bindings. Every visible inch of her was amazing, from her smooth, white stomach and perfect navel, to her soft, proportionate shoulders. “You’re right in guessing that I won’t agree to it,” he answered her with a laugh.

Standing up once his socks were removed, he was about to peel down his trousers, but decided it would be best if she entered the water first. “I’ll turn my back until you get into the water, at least. Provided you don’t delay, that is,” Thomas offered in compromise. As he turned around, he began peeling off his trousers, his back to Audrey and the cool stream. It felt a little odd to bare himself in front of the queen, or any woman he’d only knows for two days for that matter. But she’d already had an up close view of him in the tower anyway, so no matter, he thought. “Don’t be bashful,” he chided her. “It’s only a bath. And if you’ve never washed in a cool, fresh stream, you haven’t lived, dear,” he told her over his shoulder, ready to hop in once he heard her splash into the banks of the clear stream.

Audrey wasn't surprised when he pointed out she was right, but was relieved when he agreed to at least turn his back until she was in the stream. She wasn't about to let even that little bit of privacy get away from her, so as soon as he turned his back to her, she reached back to unknot the chest bindings. She had a little trouble at first, but managed to get them off without ripping the material. A soft sigh as her breasts spilled free, though she didn't savor it as she slipped off her trousers and socks.

Getting up to her feet, she glanced over her shoulder to make sure he wasn't watching her. When she saw that he wasn't, she made her way down to the water's edge and, knowing it was going to be cold, she got in all at once instead of easing in. Her head broke the surface and she shook her hair, shivering only a slight, but more embarassed that her nipples had pebbled in response to the cold.

She kept her back to Thomas as she was in the water and she began working her fingers through her hair. "I do have to agree that it is a little cold, but it does feel pretty good," she said with a small laugh, the sound almost foriegn to her ears. It had been a long time since she had laughed, even a little.

(You still enjoying this? ^^)

Thomas kept his back turned until he heard water splashing and a little shiver as Audrey entered the cool, flowing water. Turning and following her in, he used a similar tactic, getting the shock over with all at once by sinking right away into the cold water, and letting it meet with all his flesh at once. He stood in chest deep, about two feet from Audrey, and splashed a handful of refreshing water over his face, before ducking his head in all the way for a moment. "You see," he laughed in agreement with Audrey as he ran his fingers through his wet hair, tossing it all over his head and away from his eyes. "You should trust me more, I don't lead you astray, do I?"

Looking down into the water, he saw that it afforded her just a bit of modesty, but not a great deal. It was pure and clear, and he could see the wavy image of Audrey's lush, pale bottom through the water, as well as a cloudy image of her shapely legs, all the way down to her little toes. He let out a little shiver himself, but was completely entranced by the view of Audrey's wet body. In fact, it was likely that sight which was warming him enough that he didn't feel the cold at all from the water he was immersed in. In fact, the cold water would have normally caused his manhood to shrink back a bit, but if anything, he was getting a little aroused at the sight of the bathing Queen.

Approaching her, he brushed a little bit of her soaked red hair off her shoulder, and took a light hold of the shoulder. "Turn around please, Audrey," he requested softly, phrasing his brazen request quite politely.

((I like it very much. xD You? If you want to talk about where it's heading, let me know, or PM me. =3))

Vaguely, she heard him enter the water but mosty kept to herself as she splashed the water over her shoulders and along her prominant collar bone, softly washing away what little dirt there may have been on her smooth and pale skin. Then she moved her fingers back to her hair, slowly working out the tangles, half wishing she had managed to score a brush to take with her.

Audrey didn't hear Thomas approach behind her, nor did she know that he had been actively looking at her heart shaped bottom and long, graceful legs. Or the sexy dip of her back and the small dimples there. The curve of her spine and shoulderblades that were visible since she was busy working on her hair. Softly his hand pushed her hair free of her own hands and laid on her shoulder, his touch causing her to jump slightly.

She turned her head to look at him as he requested that she turn around. Earlier she had stated that she knew that he would not agree to not watching her, but she didn't think she'd be subjected to such a...brazen look over of her body. Her cheeks heated and, really, she knew it was not wise to defy him. It would take little to no effort to push her beneath the surface of the water if he became angered. She was still for a long moment but she ended in obeying his soft request, her arms half folded to cover her breasts for some semblence of modesty as she turned to face him, her cheeks still heated red and eyes staring at him almost defiantly, though a tad embarassed as well(only one man had ever seen her nude, she was not used to such eyes on her person any longer).

(I am! I just like to check in every now and then! =3)

Thomas felt her body start at his unexpected touch. He would have guessed that she wouldn’t have turned and displayed herself willingly at first, but evidently, she was more fearful of him that he’d imagined. The first thing that came to his attention was her deep blush, Audrey’s normally porcelain cheeks a deep cherry. “Well, I suppose this alone makes our whole little escape worth it. At least to me,” he told her with a big grin. Now that he had her the way he wanted, he proceeded to rub the water over his arms and chest, letting out a deep sigh at the feeling of two days of perspiration washed away.

Glancing down at her while he washed, he smiled at her adorable modesty as she covered her breasts the best she could, some soft, milky cleavage spilling out of her folded arms. He imagined that her little nipples were quite hard from the cold water, but he wasn’t treated to that view as of yet. Craning his neck farther down now, he saw the shimmering image of her smooth stomach as before, but now there was something new. He could see a hint of a little trail leading down to her white mound. No more details were evident, yet he knew this was the trail to the most treasured, hidden part of his companion. He hadn’t planned to make a move on her when he’d decided to bathe, but she was simply impossible to resist. Letting his hands sink under the water, they stealthily approached Audrey, until they seized a firm hold on her hips, while he looked her straight in the eye. Leaning his head down nearby her neck, he whispered to the frightened, yet defiant Queen. He was going to give her defiance right back in return.

“You knew when we left that I’d want more from you than simply companionship,” he reminded her in his deep whisper. “So why not just go along with it?” he went on to suggest, leaning in more and kissing her hard on the neck, still grasping her hips tight. He didn’t expect her to go along with what he said, but thought it right to be honest with her about what he intended to take from her.

((Okay! Not a problem, feel free to check any time. I think the story is pretty interesting, and I like the back and forth between the characters. They each have an interesting personality, I think. ^^))

Audrey felt his eyes on her body and very desperately wanted to cover her small body. She silently hoped the water was giving her a slight cover at least, to hide that small thatch of red hair covering the most intimate part of her that laid between where her smooth and milky thighs came together. Her hips bones stuck out, visibly so, but never unappealing, only adding to the curve of what were often refered to by her maids as her 'child bearing' hips. Her arms remained stubborn folded over her breasts, only the upper halves of the pale orbs threatening to spill over.

Audrey gave a small squeak of surprise, as he had seemed busy washing himself, when his hands suddenly had a firm grip on her curvy hips. His mouth was near her neck, she could feel the hot breath of his words against her damp skin. His words struck true, of course, but it hadn't been her intention from the get go to let the man fully claim her body. She had been planning for an escape since they'd left, hoping she could escape any if his lustful intentions in the meantime.

He was kissing her neck now and she shuddered softly - unknowing of exactly why she did, whether it be from the cold bite of the water or perhaps her dislike of having a man's hands and lips on her body once more. She avoided answering his exact statement for now, though she knew he probably had a good idea of her intentions to not give it to him. Stubbornly, she kept her arms over herself as best as she could manage.

"I thought we hadn't the time to waste save for bathing," she said, remembering how he had said that they needed to move on now that the sun was rising over the land. Good chances were that the King had sent his most trusted men to search for his escaped wife.

(I agree and good! =3)

Thomas continued to hold his head sideways and kept his warm mouth fixed on Audrey’s pure, supple neck. Turning his kisses into a few light bites, he took in her objection. Quite a point she made, using his own reasoning against him. “That’s a valid concern,” he acknowledged gravely, pulling away from her a touch and letting her emerald gaze pierce into him. Sliding his hands off her curved hips under the water, he allowed them to wander to a yet more forbidden area, trailing around behind her and grasping firmly onto her fleshy, yet firm bottom beneath the surface. Taking a handful of heavenly flesh into each hand, he began breathing a little deeper, a bit more deliberately, affected by this amazing encounter, even if it wasn’t completely mutually enjoyed.

“But I wonder if every moment from here forward won’t be spent worrying about such things,” he mused. It was true; they’d always be in danger, at least for the foreseeable future. And he wasn’t about to let it prevent him from getting what he desired uncontrollably, now that he’d seen the better part of Audrey's forbidden parts. “So, I’d guess the less you protest against my desires, dear, the sooner we can get on the move again.” Letting one hand release it’s grip on her lovely bottom, he drew it up from the water, and gently pried at Audrey’s arm which fiercely defended the sanctity of her plentiful cleavage. He could see the marks that the tight bindings had left on her pale skin, he could see a bit of the upper parts spilling over, but he wanted more. He wanted to see the Queen’s bounteous endowments in all their dripping glory before he claimed her this morning.

Audrey bit her lip as Thomas disregarded her warning for the moment and instead turned his kisses to soft bites on the pale skin of her neck. When he pulled his head up, she grew frightened because she could see he was becoming affected by her body. His eyes were darkening with his lust and as his hand moved down her body, despite her shudders and slight noises of protest, to cup the globes of her heart shaped bottom, his breath quickened. His point was valid - there really would not be a moment in the foreseeable future where there was no threat to them. This didn't stop her from trying to work out any excuse she could muster to derail him from his current course.

Then those words came; the less you protest against my desires, dear, the sooner we can get on the move again. His hand slid from her bottom, up her body, and begun to gently pry her arm from her breasts. She gasped and adamently shook her head. In her panic to keep him from uncovering her, she grabbed his hand with her own and pushed it away even as it held the other. So even if she managed to keep his hand from her, her breasts were in the open from the action. Round, generous globes of pale skin, tipped with rose bud nipples that were rigid from the cold bite of the water.

It was only a moment later that she realized her mistake and dropped his hand and desperately tried to cover herself again with her free arm. "No, please, we need to go," she said, trying to pull away from him now, shaking her head, wanting nothing more than to get back to her clothes which were just on the shore.

Thomas gasped as she pushed his hand away. It was a small price to pay for the magnificence that was revealed by this maneuver. All at once, it seemed, her ample breasts spilled form from their protective shield, cool stream water still dripping from them. They were two milky, soft, and identical orbs of smooth flesh. And like cherries on a pie, her two nipples were deliciously swollen and hard from the cold. "I think you've made the mistake of showing me a little too much," he taunted, reaching brazenly for a handful of breast, but just missing as she covered back up. "I simply can't turn back now," he admitted. Grasping her hips again, he began to firmly tug her towards the shore, shaking her body as she tried to squirm away initially.

"Tell me, Audrey," he asked. "Did you enjoy... intimacy with the King?" he boldly said in completion of the question. "I understand that some women enjoy it immensely, and others go through the motions simply to please their men." It was certainly an odd question to ask as he wrangled with her in hope of making her lie down with him in bliss in the soft meadow, but he thought the more he kept Audrey talking, the less she would focus on purely trying to resist him.

(A little short, sorry)

I simply can't turn back now, those words caused a weight of dread to drop into the pit of her stomach. He wasn't going to stop, she realized as he began tugging her towards the shore of the flowing river. Her breath quickened, not in pleasure, or excitement, but in fear and repulsion. It wasn't that he wasn't desirable, on the contrary, most women would likely lay with the man willingly. Audrey was...different. Not because of him, per say. She wanted nothing to do with a man's desires, ever again.

His question caused her eyes to flash and she momentarily stopped wrangling with him as a semblence of anger came over her. "No! I did not enjoy laying with my husband! That is why he went to his whores," she snapped. Eyes widening slightly as she saw that they were now at the very edge of the water and would soon be upon the ground, the lush greenery he was now wanting to use as a bed to sate his lust for the beautiful queen. "I despise men! I despise a man's touch!" she almost yelled it as she tried to yank herself from his hold, wanting to get within reach of her clothes which were so very close to being within her reach. She didn't want this; she had planned to escape before it came to this, but she also hadn't expected him to try taking her so soon.

Thomas splashed about in the water with Audrey as she continued to protest. Finally, as they teetered on the bank of the stream, he wrapped his hands around her body and let them both fall onto the green grass, turning himself to hit the ground first and bear the brunt of the blow, the soaked Audrey on top of him. As the water dripped from her hair onto his face and chest, he brushed his hair out of his face so he could see her heavenly form. Once he’d done so, he grasped her waist again, holding her tight so she couldn’t wrangle free. His arms flailed a bit as she yanked and pulled, but they held fast. “Why, Audrey?” he grunted. “Why do you despise a man’s touch if you’ve given none a chance but your husband?”

Relaxing his hold on her just a little bit, he stared into her emerald eyes, as if he dared her to respond to his question. It was as if he dared her to tell him he was a brute, to tell him she could do far better, to give whatever excuse she might come up with. Gripping her lightly, they were doubtless an odd sight, lying there naked, she on top of he, both of them panting a little heavily, a porcelain, delicate frame on top a darker, stronger one. He could easily pin her under his weight and force himself upon her, yet he wanted to engage her a little more before it came to that. “Or do you intend to go without the rest of your days?”he half-sneered, never breaking her gaze.

The Queen was breathing a little fast as she was pinned on top of Thomas' body. Trying her best to wrangle free, even as he continued to taunt her. He was trying to rile her, to make her even more enraged than she already was, and she was doing her best to not let Thomas' words get to her, thought it wasn't working well. Who the hell was he to treat her this way, to talk down to her like such. Emerald eyes glared down at him angrily as she stilled her protests for a moment.

"What does it matter to you what my intentions are? You are no doubt a brute and would take what you want from me regardless of how I feel!" She snapped at him, his half sneered words finally getting to her. Softly, and very ineffectively, her balled up hands struck his chest. "It doesn't matter if I've only been with my husband. It was more than enough to teach me that men are no more than brutes who would only use a woman to fufill their depraved, sexual desires."

Her fists remained on his chest as she huffed angrily, glaring down at him with an intensity that rivaled the flickering flames of a fire. Her hair spread around her shoulders and clung to her damp body, the firey strands dripping onto his much stronger form that was beneath her(in more ways than one). Her cheeks were flushed red, due to her anger and her nudity. She hadn't wanted to him see her, much less touch her. "What do you intend to do now?" she half-sneered, mimicking his tone directed towards her.

Audrey was saying just the right things to dissuade him from what he had in mind. She was no empty-minded girl who knew only to whimper, moan, and beg. Audrey was daring him to force his way on her, because if he did, he'd only prove her right. He'd only prove that he was a simple brute, indeed. That he was capable of nothing but violence. "You're right," he agreed, nodding at her as he looked fiercely into her eyes. "I am going to take what I want," he said, confirming all her accusations. He grunted a little as she tried to strike at him. She was clearly built for beauty, and not for utility. He could barely feel the strikes at all, and much less did they discourage him in any manner whatsoever.

He stilled their bodies for a moment, doing his best to wrangle with her no longer. Instead, he kept his hold firm on Audrey's pale, naked body, and did his best to keep it as still as possible. "I'll tell you what I plan to do now," responded, almost politely. "I'm going to have an excellent time and enjoy every pleasure your magnificent, royal body has to offer. But I'll give you a choice," he added, looking crookedly into her eye and pausing for a moment to allow her time to process this. "You can go along with me," he offered as the first option, panting a little in her face as his breathing slowed. "And I'll be gentle. Even caring." Letting his hands loosen their grip, and slide gently up and down her sides to her hips, he demonstrated what he meant by gentleness. "Or, you can keep resisting, and I won't hold back in the least," he threatened, tightening his grip on her soft flesh.

Closing his eyes as one of her soaked red strands traced across one eye, he blinked and then opened again, Audrey's eyes still piercing almost to his soul. "I'm curious of one thing," he reflected. "Tell me, did the King ever bring you... pleasure... in bed?" he pressed.

Audrey was utterly still now, looking down at the man under her as he gave her two choices; one, to partake willingly in an act that disgusted her, or two, protest still and he would rape her. She was no stranger to the second option. Audrey merely did her civic duty and had sex with the King in hopes of producing an heir to the throne, so she only let him take her every now and then, though she did not enjoy it in the least. However, when and if his whores weren't around, the King took what he wanted from her, forcing himself upon her in various ways. Never had he been gentle with her. So when Thomas' hands softly traced her skin, her resolve to fight him was beginning to melt away. Especially when they tightened a moment later with his threat of choice two. Rape was the last thing she wanted, despite her hatred of men's desires.

Her brows crunched together, almost in confusion, as she half-glared down at him now. "Never has the King given me pleasure. I doubt he's supposed to. It's my duty as the Queen to see to his needs," she said after a moment. Audrey had never felt pleasure from a man's touch, so she assumed that she wasn't meant to. His words confused her. Was there something she was missing? Audrey never liked being out of the loop but she had never heard stories of one's duties in bed were supposed to be pleasurable; it was just that, a duty.

"What does fufilling a man have to do with my pleasure? It's always been painful. It's a duty, no more." She said, her hands still curled up against his chest. She wasn't giving in just yet, her body tense still, but she was curious as to what Thomas was telling her about. No doubt the King's whores enjoyed their time with her husband, but she refused to talk to them face to face. It would be degrading.

Thomas smiled widely at her admittance that she knew nothing of the pleasures a man could provide. In stark contrast to the hushed talk in the palace, Thomas and his (former) companions shared every detail of their conquests when it came to the more delicate sex, comparing notes as it were. Thomas knew well that some women simply weren't prone to enjoy copulation. For them, it was just that, a means of producing offspring. For others, their men either didn't care to, or didn't know how to pleasure their companions. Although many toughs spoke of the weaker gender as only a means to pleasure themselves, Thomas disregarded that completely. To him, there was nothing like looking deep into the eyes of a beautiful woman while she was in the throes of ecstasy. That was beyond priceless. And to enjoy the same moment, however brief, with Audrey would be a hundred times better than forcing himself upon her.

So slowly, he released his grip on the naked Queen. She'd seemingly agreed to go along, so there was no longer need to restrain her. It didn't mean, however, that he stopped touching her. Allowing his fingertips to run around to the back of her neck, he traced them lightly over the goosebumps on her now dry skin. "Are you afraid of learning... new things?" he asked her softly, although his voice was always deep, even when speaking in a quiet manner. Allowing his hand to depart from her neck, it ran down along her back, and traced the curve of her side, trailing along the side of her breast, inwards at her waist, and then back out at her rounded hip. Letting it dip underneath her body, he scratched her taut, tense stomach lightly, almost tickling it. "I'd venture to say it needn't be painful," he whispered, lifting up his head off the grass and kissing her delicate lips softly. "Maybe even better than that," he added with a smile as he pulled away from her delicious mouth.