Taming the Bride (Prince & darkest_fate)

[Dark Prince]

"Ish a most happy day... yer majesty."

Aric Ulffson scowled at the priest, really amazed more than angry at his idiocy in making the comment. The man stunk of wine even though it was only late afternoon. Despite a wide stance, he was also swaying irregularly, threatening to topple over at any moment. Clearly, to say that Aric had neglected the priesthood was an understatement. All the pious ones had fled years earlier when he'd seized the crown, no doubt in terror at the rumors of the new King's depravities and vices. The ones that had remained were either stupid, drunken, or perverse. This high septon, who had been dragged from his bed an hour earlier, was likely an unholy combination of all three failings.

"Fool, just keep this farce of a ceremony short," Aric hissed.

The thought of the upcoming wedding forced a bitter chuckle out of the tall man. Settling down and taking a wife was the latest frustration for him it seemed. He had been a warrior since his youth and after almost fifteen years of non-stop fighting and conquests, his lanky frame was still better suited to combat than court life. Battles were what he lived for, the thrill of death and the sweet exultation of conquering your enemy. And then he'd finally won the prize he'd always dreamed of; overthrowing the former King whose weak leadership had split the Kingdom into civil war. And now, victorious, a crown on his head and a throne under his ass, Aric should be happy. But instead, he had found being a King in peace time quite a disappointment. Boring in fact.

Thank god for whores, hunting and drinking.

Aric's hand went to the pommel of his sword by habit, fingers squeezing that cold steel in impatience as his light blue eyes flicked over the crowd seated in the chapel. He'd played along and dressed himself for the occasion, wearing a fine red surcoat with his rampant eagle and fox arms emblazoned across the front. His beard had been trimmed and even his disheveled, long dark brown hair was brushed, pulled back and neatly tied. A simple gold circlet rested on his head as he detested the gaudy ceremonial crown that state functions usually dictated.

The difference from Aric's normal appearance was striking, at least to the loyal retainers in the audience who knew him all too well. The king usually had a thick beard and hanging locks, which conspired to hide the almost delicate and high boned features of his face. This "low bred" King also eschewed fine clothing and typically wore hunting leathers and carried his trusty battle nicked sword. A visiting dignitary had more than once mistook him for a huntsman roaming the palace, although Aric would sharply correct them. In these gaudy clothes he chafed, not able to shake the thought that many of his retainers would laugh if they saw him primped up like a courtier who didn't know which end of a sword to grab.

Damn it, he was a warrior not a peacock!

Aric had been poised to launch yet another war, his grandest yet, before his plans fell to shit. Over four thousand troops had gathered this Spring in preparation to invade a neighboring, smaller Kingdom. He'd been plotting it since he won his crown. Months, maybe years, of fighting, looting and conquest. And the fucking... enjoying his enemy's women after battle was always the sweetest reward. This Kingdom he coveted would be an easy prize; a soft and peaceful land known for music and wine. They already started to sue for peace before he even fired an arrow! But in a crushing blow, a damned and cruel peace had been brokered by meddling lords from a much larger country that bordered them both.

Aric was to wed the rival King's daughter, his only child. If she produced a male heir, their son would inherit her Kingdom as well as Aric's. His line would unify the two lands and everyone thought he should be pleased at a victory where the only blood spilled would be the maidenhood of a Princess. But he had grown to loathe this paper victory, regretting accepting it even now as he stood at the altar waiting for his bride. All he had wanted was to just campaign again and he truly didn't give a damn about more lands, genuflecting nobles and spoiled Princesses!

"What is taking this stupid brat so long?" he grumbled to himself.

Two dozen heads turned and Aric realized he'd spoken louder than he had intended. His own retainers were grinning, but the bride's retinue looked horrified. A wink towards them did little to mollify their shock and Aric instead ignored them, glancing back to his own people. Apparently two of his most trusted lords had brought whores, cheap ones at that, to the ceremony instead of their wives. That brought a grin to Aric's face. One of the whores, no both of them looked familiar... With a start he realized he'd bedded the pair just last night! They both blew phantom kisses towards him and one bared a breast, pulling down her low cut bodice. He'd have to compliment his men on their clever and cruel reminder of what he was giving up, and make sure the tarts were well spanked for their insolence.

Aric would normally be happy to punish the whores himself, but after today they'd be strictly off limits. This damned marriage was going kill one of the few joys he still had left in life, fucking. The agreement his clerks had negotiated had been comprehensive and he had agreed to a fidelity clause, at least for the first year. By his read, though, if his new wife abandoned the marriage and hadn't produced a male heir, the peace was off as well. No one seemed to care about that loophole as everyone, including his own advisors, thought he'd be insane to not want to take this offering. But, Aric had been secretly dreaming up an alternative plan...

What if his new bride didn't take to his uncouth and vulgar ways? What if, perhaps with a little goading, she abandons the marriage and runs back to her daddy? Aric would get many months of defiling this reputedly beautiful virgin, and get to invade her kingdom and have his fun on the battlefield as well! He'd get to have his cake, and eat it too. A very tempting plan indeed...

Just then, a fanfare of trumpets sounded announcing the imminent arrival of the bride. By reflex, Aric straightened and turned to the chapel doors. Despite his misgivings about this arranged marriage, he was a bit curious about this girl who was lauded to be almost magically pretty. At least he'd get a good fuck or two out of this shit show of an agreement....

 

[darkest_fate]

Every little girl dreamed of her wedding day. Well, perhaps not every one, and the dream often had subtle variations to it. Some girls wished for a handsome prince to come take them away, whisk them off their feet and take their breath away with kisses. Others wanted a bold, brave warrior to fight for them, for their honor and swear to protect them. The more practical wanted a man who would remain faithful only to them, would father their children and provide support for their lifetimes. The more romantic wished for a mate who would compose poetry and songs about them.

Princess Juniper of Ithilia already had songs written about her. The people of Ithilia, long known for their skill in the arts, had been writing about their fair princess since her very birth. She'd been a stunningly beautiful, if difficult baby, drawing the amazement of all who came to visit her. She'd also been a late birth, taking almost ten months before exiting her mother's womb, the sheer size of her nearly taking her mother with her. But said mother was said to be made of surprisingly stern stuff for her lithe, fey appearance. So Juniper had been born into the world, and as per tradition among her family, had been granted a name that harkened back to their supposed fey bloodline. But yes, she had been quite beautiful as a babe, and turned into a lovely little girl. Shimmering ice blonde hair fell in easy waves about a pretty little face, and in that face a pair of big, purple-blue eyes shimmered out. Eyes of that hue happened among the female bloodline of Ithilia, further proof to the longstanding tradition that the family had gained their blessings and piece by marrying a fairy prince or princess and bedding her well.

Then puberty had struck Juniper. The princess had turned from a striking girl to an unearthly beautiful young woman, seemingly overnight. She retained a slim figure, but she added to it an impressive height, especially for a woman. She did not precisely tower over men, especially not knights, but while most of the woman would only come up to the shoulder's of men, Juniper could look some in the eye. This might have been considered a drawback had the gods not graced her with the ethereal beauty of her bloodline. Slim curves proved her womanhood all too well, seemingly etched to perfect among her ivory skin. Her waist flared out into noticeable hips, and her natural grace allowed her to either glide upon them or roll them in a manner that caused the thoughts of man to become decidedly impure. It appeared as a good deal of that height lay in her long, luscious legs, which, like the rest of her, appeared to be a work of art. they joined at those well-formed hips, before sliding up a soft, slim stomach. Juniper's figure meant that she never needed to wear a corset, at least, not for her waist. She did, however, and her breasts thanked her for it. A pair of perfectly rounded breasts sat high upon her, supported and lifted by rich gowns and expensive underthings. They did not bulge lewdly like that of a cheap whore, nor did they hide like a preteen girl. Like so much of the girl, they spoke of her perfection.

A slender neck kept a beautiful face upright. Years of training and being told she was the best, most beautiful girl in the land gave Juniper a natural haughty look, her delicate chin always tilted gently upward. Her lips, while almost always pursed in displeasure, still had a delicate plumpness too them, often compared in the songs to the petals of a flower (though certain songs took liberties comparing other portions of the princess's anatomy to flowers as well). The lavender eyes had a strange almond shape to them, and a strange kind of intelligence shone from them. the princess simultaneously radiated innocence and shrewdness, her upbringing showing from bearing and expression. The ice blonde hair would stretch past her waist, curling upon a pert, rounded bottom almost perfectly shaped like a peach when down.

Said beauty did not wear her hair down today, however. It had instead been woven upward, off her body into an intricate weaving. Various baubles: jewels, feathers and beads, had been threaded throughout her locks, the process taking hours to complete. Indeed, several of the adornments would remain woven in Juniper's hair for days. It was said to be good luck for a bride to wear such charms upon her hair for at least the fortnight after she was to be wed, after all. Her ears remained unadorned, but a heavy choker made of intricate wooden design circled her neck. It lay heavily upon the high necked dress the princess wore. Said dress was white, as was to be expected, and intricately woven with embroidered flowers and other symbols of nature. Long gloves covered slim fingers, extending up the strangely billowy sleeves of her dress. The waist pinched her tightly, emphasizing the hour-glass shape of her feminine frame, and a pair of heels helped keep her legs upright. Only glimpses of them could be seen through the folds of her dress.

The princess looked, in other words, as if she'd strolled out of a fairy tale. That is, until you looked at her face. Distaste wrinkled her fine nose, etching something akin to hatred upon those fine features. She had delayed this as long as she could, insisting upon every ounce of tradition that she could muster. For Juniper knew of Aric, by reputation and by having encountered the uncouth man before. The very thought of him repulsed her, churning her delicate stomach and making her quite queasy. His reputation with women led Juniper to believe he ranked them slightly above servants and likely below hunting dogs. Juniper had always been somewhat practically minded when it came to her marriage. She knew that she was worth a good deal to her father, and she anticipated marrying someone distasteful. She knew of the arrangements royals often made: you married whom you were supposed to, but it mattered not who warmed your bed at night. Her own mother, for example, had been another legendary beauty who had taken the most prosperous nobleman to her bed. Juniper loved her father, as much as you could love someone whose gaze upon you often had a lecherous appearance to it, but she still knew how things had been.

So she'd figured she would be placed at the side of a man she could control, much like her mother did her father. She would use her beauty and wiles and only couple with him when the situation demanded it. Bear him a child or two and live in extreme comfort. Juniper had wanted this, craved, and insisted upon it when they'd proposed this arrangement. She'd gone through all her standards: thrown a fit, stamped her feet, threatened to kill herself, even begun to cry, and no one could cry like a princess with big, purple eyes. Yet not even her father would budge. She would marry this disgusting man, he would take her to his bed, and she would just have to get used to it.

So Juniper intended to infuriate her husband. if he believed her a dead fish in bed, then surely he would grow tired. He would rut upon her perhaps once a week, seed his child, and then move on to his whores. Juniper could be a kept woman for an uncouth barbarian just as easily as a weakling like her father, after all. And she knew her will to be much stronger than any mans, especially one who thought with his prick.

Thus her kingdom would have the peace it so desperately needed, and Juniper would have what she always wanted. she already let her eyes roam carelessly over the various servants, picking which lucky young man would actually bed her regularly. She thought she saw a particularly striking young man among the king's servants, but she knew she had time before she needed to pick. Right now, she needed to put Aric into a position where he wouldn't think of touching her on this night, the night of their wedding. That would set the perfect tone for the rest of their life together.

So the fair princess entered the hall at least an hour later than was necessary. She did not apologize as she strolled, her retinue moving about her. Nor did she deign to look at anyone in the room, least of all her husband. Juniper even waited for the proper music to begin playing before she approached the alter, and when she got there, she certainly didn't spare her husband a second look. She was certain they'd get quite enough of looking at one another soon enough; she didn't need to humor him now. In fact, her painted lips, done in a pale pink with just a hint of the same lavender as her eyes, quirked in a barely suppressed smile. She fully believed that the game had already started, and that she had won the opening move quite deftly.

 

[Dark Prince]

Juniper's entrance was about as extravagant a performance as Aric had witnessed. Granted, as a low-born warrior who had spent most of his life killing people on the battlefield he hadn't attended many noble weddings, but he doubted any bride could match the impact the tall, slim blonde produced on the small audience in the chapel. The trumpeters had volleyed back and forth, teasing her arrival, before launching into a complicated, airy and ethereal march that Aric had never heard. The melody seemed to climb endlessly, multiple horn voices cleverly following each other in canon to make the listener imagine an infinite flight of rising notes. No doubt it was some piece commissioned by Juniper specifically for her wedding day by some famous Ithilian composer.

Then the bride entered the room, her mere appearance causing an audible gasp from the crowd that had already risen to receive her. Aric begrudgingly allowed that she was indeed quite beautiful, he would not dispute that. No man could. And he would not argue that her outfit, hair and makeup were quite stunning. All the myriad elements --the music, her gliding walk, that willowy body, the dazzling ornaments in her golden blonde hair, the shimmering white dress and her haughty distant look-- conspired to make her appear like some fey spirit who was magically floating down the aisle towards Aric. Clearly the girl had tried her best to make this wedding, even forced upon her against her will, a spectacular celebration of her beauty, grace, taste, style and elegance.

Worship me, she seemed to cry, all of you wish you were me.

Aric was lost in the spell for a moment, eyes greedily drinking his fairy bride in and examining the tempting hints of her womanly curves that he could pick out under her white gown. Perhaps fucking his new wife wouldn't be so bad after all, and suddenly giving up whores for at least a year seemed much more doable. He was starting to think he was a shrewd man, like his advisors claimed, to win his rival's kingdom and prize Princess by merely rustling his sword. Yes, Aric, you clever bastard, you can win off the battlefield as well. This royal piece of ass was going to be a fun little fuck toy to explore, and with none of the risk of disease that came with common whores.

Then Aric started to realize she hadn't even glanced at him, or even the crowd. Her eyes were fixed at some imaginary spot in the distance, beyond the altar, chin raised slightly as if she had only disdain for the earthly beings that were soiling her heavenly presence. His smile faded and his eyebrows furrowed as she stepped up to stand before him and the still swaying priest. A realization hit him that made him set his jaw and turned his gaze baleful.

This bitch thought she was better than me... then all of my people!

The one thing Aric was still sensitive about, after all these years, was that he wasn't born into nobility. He'd fudged his genealogy a bit by now, claiming that his grandfather was a hedge knight for some remote Viscount, to show some noble blood, but he knew everyone considered him low born and, well, classless. He embraced it, to some degree, knowing that trying to put on noble airs would make him even more a fool, like a clueless man pretending to know how to fight attempting to impress seasoned knights with his sword work. What he didn't know would be all too easy to spot. Most of his lords and leal servants went out of their way now to tone down their manners and airs, in deference to their "salt of the earth" King, but Aric was quick to pick up any hint where someone thought his poor birth made him somehow deficient. Usually their head ended up on a pike outside his palace gate.

"Ahem.. My beautiful Prinshess... oh what an angel you are! I wish I could kissh you.." slurred the priest, apparently elated to have this vision of perfection so close to him. A trembling hand produced a flask that had been stashed somewhere in his robes and the man tried to take a nip to steel himself.

"The vows," interjected Aric icily, knocking the flask from the priest's hand and sending it clattering onto the stone floor of the altar dias. The clanging metal rang out in the now silent chapel and Aric fumed silently, knowing everyone was looking at him. Damn drunken priests.

"Yesh... yer majesty.. we have our majesty... King Aric Ulffson of...of House...." the priest paused screwing his face up for a second. Technically Aric wasn't in a major noble house which was causing his confusion. "... of House Ulffshon? King of Greater Kaldia and firsht of his line. And then we have the beautiful Prinshess Juniper. Jusht a lovely girl... so pretty... magical... our queen to be... yes, of Ithilien... our King is so lucky my lady."

"Just say the damn vows!" exclaimed Aric in frustration. This whole wedding was derailing in his mind and he wanted to return it to what he had intended, a legal formality for the peace treaty and not some fete for his new wife to impress the crowd.

Say the vows. Eat dinner. Then fuck her senseless.

The priest belched, looked embarrassed, seemed to consider vomiting for a second, and then nodded.

"Prinshess Juniper...do you take thish man..."

Aric exhaled, glancing over at his bride again finally to see how she was handling the less than fairy tale ceremony he had arranged for her.

 

[darkest_fate]

The priest's drunken compliments earned him a slight smile as Juniper wondered if she could have him beaten for this. Drunk? At a royal wedding? Surely they could have at least found a sober official to state the hated words. The princess said nothing, simply turned her head, not an inch of the icy, white-blonde hair shifting from its intricate knot. She was better than him; she wouldn't even bother to talk to him, to notice him unless she absolutely had to. Her lavender eyes locked upon a point over the priest's shoulder; to the distant viewers, it would merely appear as though she faced the man who would officiate her wedding. Only those closest would note the curling lip of disdain and the determination to not look at the drunken wretch.

As far as Juniper was concerned, "King" Aric could count himself right along with the prince. Her lips did twitch as he growled at the priest. Of course, she had wanted to do something similar, this was hardly the way a royal wedding should proceed, but a refined woman of character wouldn't dare descend to growling at someone. Instead she let out a little "hmph" letting her displeasure and distaste at the whole affair be known. Nothing about this operated like it should. This was her wedding; she was a princess; there should be a lot more to this than what there was. Juniper found herself turning slightly, noticing some of her father's men standing nearby. She knew why they were here: to make sure she went through with this farce, or else. Juniper pouted and turned back to the drunken idiot they put in priest's clothes.

The priest slurred his way through the words, Juniper fighting the urge to sigh. Yes, pretty, magical, so forth; she knew all that; people had been writing songs about her since she serenely left her mother's womb. Oh, it had been a difficult delivery, but Juniper fully believed she had been a blessing, and she had been treated as such ever since. Juniper let out another small "hmph" as her husband exclaimed in frustration, resisting the urge to call him out on this. Could he not even control his people? This was just pathetic.

Do you take this man... and Juniper waited till the priest finished belching and wobbling his way through them before: "I do," her voice sounding entirely feminine, almost melodic in just those few words. They were forced though, pried from Juniper by the eyes of officials looking on her. she wanted nothing so much as to turn and insist that this whole thing be redone properly. She clenched her hands and fought to look ahead. Just get this farce over with; let it happen.

 

[Dark Prince]

"I do" Aric barked out, the vow almost a snarl. The sooner this farce ended, the quicker he could get on to the only fun part he could expect from this arrangement.

"Bleshings.. bleshings my children... Yesh, you are now man and wife under sacred vows... before all men thish is true," the priest said, perking up as he realized he'd made it through without any major mishaps. "You may kish your bride!"

A smile came to Aric's face and he turned to face his new wife. Still an odd thing to think of, being married. This was his first good look at her and Juniper's beauty was no trick of makeup, light or distance. Even this close, just a foot away, her features were so delicate, skin so radiant, and hair so light, like flaxen gold, that Aric felt his mind blanking. Her purple eyes, so exotic in shape and color, captured his gaze and held him, though the spell was broken as he found them enigmas, no windows into what seemed to be a guarded soul. Easier to focus on his target, those sweet lips that were much fuller than he'd thought and shaded just lightly pink.

Aric realized that he'd never really kissed a lady properly before. He'd kissed thousands of women, mostly whores, but hundreds of lusty noble ladies, uncounted commoners, war prizes, cheating wives, servant girls and who knows what else. But a proper kiss, a kiss between a husband and wife before an audience of witnesses? He was momentarily taken aback.

Well, there was no sense in trying to fake it now and Aric had long decided that as King, he'd do what he liked regardless of how improper or vulgar others might consider it. Besides, what better way to let his new wife know exactly what he expected of her than to show her in their first kiss?

"Darling, say hello to your Prince Charming," Aric murmured with a saucy wink and reached around to pull her slender frame to his. He liked that she was tall for a woman, coming to his nose, but so slender that he felt like a bear hugging a sapling. Aric's hands moved by reflex to the spots he liked to grab while kissing. One slid immediately down to cup his sexy bride's ass, meaty paw finding one surprisingly firm and luscious cheek easily and squeezing appreciatively. The other slipped up to grab the back of her slender neck and hold her tight. He didn't like his girls slipping away after all!

Aric's face leaned forward, turning slightly as his pressed his lips to hers, relishing the taste of her lipstick and letting her perfume fill his nose. She smelled like flowers and sunshine, happiness and sweets. It was almost too perfect. And then, as he always did, he opened his mouth and slipped his tongue between her lips. It was odd that she didn't already have her mouth open, ready to take it or perhaps tease him with her own tongue? He'd never kissed anyone that had kept their lips closed. Odd. She seemed almost surprised by the invading object as he plunged into her warm and velvety mouth, exploring her intimately in front of the large crowd. Almost synchronized with his tongue, his hands on her body pulled her close, nestling her into his strong frame and forcing her to straddle his thigh as their torsos pressed together.

In short, Aric kissed his new wife at the altar like he did all his women. And that was lustily, hungrily, deeply, possessively and with his entire body.

Just like he might kiss a whore.

 

[darkest_fate]

Ugh, he even snarled his vows. Could this brute be any more disgusting? Juniper vowed then and there that he would most certainly not be doing anything with her until he started behaving like an actual king should behave. She'd been so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she'd nearly missed the priest's sloppy pronouncement of a part she dreaded.

Juniper steeled her expression as best she could as she turned to her... husband. He looked... well, she wanted to think he looked repulsive, but she found she couldn't quite. There was something rugged about him, raw, to be sure, but certainly nothing unappealing. No fat, no yellowed teeth or disfiguring marks. Oh, he certainly looked like a bandit, and he practically slobbered, which would definitely have to be fixed soon, but he didn't look like a disgusting one. Juniper's lavender eyes actually blinked in surprise at that sight, and she'd actually been stunned.

As she should be. She gathered herself for the kiss, having practiced before. True, she'd only kissed, well, a few servants that she'd demanded. She'd gone through a "silly phase" where she'd insisted on practicing kissing with various servants. As her father didn't like males being near here, this meant that Juniper ended up kissing quite a few of her handmaidens. All chaste pecks on the lips, embarrassment all around. Aric hardly looked like a blushing handmaiden though.

He spoke, and Juniper's nose wrinkled in disgust. She soon felt him moving to her, and her eyes widened in shock again, though this certainly wasn't of a good kind. His hand actually fell upon her rear! In public! How dare he? Juniper forced herself to not react, though she remained uncomfortably rigid in his arms. He compared her to a sapling, and the description was quite accurate, as the willowy girl locked up very much like the tree whose name she shared. This did have the much unwanted effect of tightening her pert cheeks for that questing paw though.

Then lips pressed hers, and Juniper nearly vomited. This was not how she wanted her wedding kiss to go. He smelled of alcohol and something sharp, metal? Blood? She didn't know, and she didn't care. She also didn't know what he was doing with his mouth. She fought to keep hers pinched shut, teeth even locking as his tongue actually slithered into her. She felt him pressing against her teeth, the force actually forcing her to open. Hands pulled her close, and she was suddenly made quite aware of the discrepancy in their size. They were of almost equal height, mostly because of Juniper's uncanny tallness, but he had to outweigh her nearly three to one.

This did not stop her from wiggling free of him, and, once her arm was freed enough, it came up. A loud crack could be heard through the chapel, stillness falling. Juniper breathed deep and heavy, her hand throbbing from having connected with his face. She tossed her head, feeling her hair wobble slightly, the white strands almost wanting to fall into her pale face. Said beautiful visage had contorted with fury, the lavender eyes flashing, nostrils even flailing. "You do not kiss your bride like that!" she hissed through clenched teeth. "Especially not your royal bride!"

Clearly the marriage was off to an absolutely brilliant and auspicious start.

 

[Dark Prince]

My, my she was a slippery one! Aric sometimes liked the wrigglers and squirmers. The game of pinning them down and keeping them there could be a lot of fun. Perhaps these noble brides just like playing hard to get, keeping their mouth shut and making you batter through their gates to get the goods. That elusive mouth was quite delicious and he just wanted to get his tongue in there a bit deeper, but her leaning away and twisting against his hands was making it hard. If she could just settle down for a half-sec --

THWACK!

The force of her blow wasn't great, Juniper simply didn't have enough strength to hurt the much bigger warrior, but the unexpected nature of the slap caught him by surprise and caused him to turn his head and end up facing the audience in the chapel. Aric was vaguely aware of her slipping out of his frozen arms and then heard her hissing tirade.

Of course, facing the crowd meant he got a great first hand view of the reactions of the audience to this suddenly entertaining, or horrifying if you were part of Juniper's retinue, show that was being performed for them. Juniper's clump of countrymen had looks of shock on their faces, turning to supportive fury as they saw their prized Princess fight back. The shouts of indignation were already starting. A doddering, very old knight in Juniper's camp took a step forward, hand grasping for a sword that wasn't there given all her men were disarmed, and seemed like he wanted to challenge Aric to a duel.

Fortunately, most of the audience were retainers and lords from Aric's realm. They all had amused, knowing smiles on their faces from seeing his kiss that transformed into looks of shock and, for the ones that knew their King well, eager interest to see what he might do next. One of the whores started clapping enthusiastically, perhaps thinking this wasn't abnormal given the weddings she typically attended, until her friend grabbed her hands to shush her.

Aric straightened with an amused smile on his face, giving the crowd a mock bow as he rubbed his cheek lightly. He turned to his bride, smile still on his face but eyes shooting daggers at her. He caught her slender wrist in his hand and squeezed it tight, bringing it up to his mouth for a mocking, soft kiss on her knuckles.

"You aren't in your daddy's castle anymore, sweet wife," Aric said in a soft and disconcertingly amenable tone. It was pitched low enough that the crowd couldn't hear, a kindness to at least save her some dignity. "You don't know me, so you get that slap for free. Next time... well, let's hope it doesn't happen again. I'm not a man to be trifled with."

"I can kish you... too," murmured the priest, who had shuffled closer, eyes still fixed on Juniper with puppy like infatuation. A sharp glance from Aric was sufficient to send him scuttling away with a squeak of dismay.

There were some groans from Aric's camp as they had hoped for a more severe and public punishment, but both sides managed a polite applause as Aric raised Juniper's wrist high and started walking, half-tugging Juniper at first, down the aisle as man and wife.

"To my feisty new wife!" Aric cried out again and again, a big smile on his face that masked the annoyance building inside. He didn't mind feisty, but he was getting the sense that this haughty Princess was going to test his patience in ways he'd never experienced, and patience was a virtue that the passionate warrior had never been known for. The sooner he put her in her place, the better.

 

[darkest_fate]

Did... did his people actually look amused by all this? What kind of kingdom had Juniper found herself in? Their king bowed at the comment and at least acted like he expected this sort of thing. Perhaps this was some kind of strange tradition: the husband tested his new wife's position, wanting to see just how far he could push her till she, well, snapped back. Just as Juniper began to decide this surely must be it, her new husband brought her hand up to his lips. She looked impressed and pleased to find him kissing her hand instead, though that expression soon melted as he continued.

Not in... "I hope I won't have to," she replied archly, raising her nose again. She too heard the priest, so Aric wasn't the only one to give him a sharp look. Juniper decided that she'd ask her husband at some later date if punishing this priest were possible. She'd like to see him publicly humiliated, perhaps with a flogging, for what he'd done. The idea amused her enough that she had a real smile on her face when Aric turned to face the crowd.

It even held when he called her "feisty" though part of her wanted to smack him again. "Feisty" was a label you thrust upon horses, not upon your wives. Then again, he grinned like an idiot and started leading her down the aisle, so perhaps it held greater meaning among these people. His various retainers certainly leered at her. Juniper caught glimpses of them out of the corners of her eyes before focusing forward. His people... they were her people as well now. Well, if that was certain, then she'd have to improve this court, make it more worthy of a beautiful, perfect queen like herself. First things first, they had a wedding feast to attend. Not that Juniper expected it to be a well done affair, even with several of her own people attending, not to mention various foreign dignitaries (including several who were well aware of King Aric's and Princess Juniper's personalities).

Soon enough, Juniper would follow Aric toward the feasting hall. There she looked around, attempting to get another opinion of her husband's people. They certainly looked... lively, and they'd gathered quite a bit of food. The pleasant aroma of it nearly made Juniper's stomach growl, and she fervently hoped that several of her favorite dishes were on the menu. Of course, if they weren't, she might have to protest to her new husband and send these cooks hopping. It was her wedding feast, after all.

 

[Dark Prince]

Aric had gained this palace when he had taken the throne and, fortunately for Aric, the old King had abundant taste and class from generations of rule. As a result, Aric had left it mostly untouched save for swapping in his red coat of arms for the garish purple that had accented every room before. It was, of course, a terrible defensive fortress and hadn't even seen battle as his predecessor had spent his last days holed up in a mountain stronghold desperately sending pigeons to Ithilien and Umbria, their larger neighbor, begging for aid. Aric would much prefer to live in an ugly, boxy castle with thick walls, no gardens, a large garrison for troops, a good source of water, and the only decorations being defensive traps and barriers. He'd commissioned plans for his dream stronghold and building it someday was one of the few non-sexual or battle related dreams he held.

Somehow, he doubted he'd convince his new wife to leave this absurd, decorative "castle themed" overgrown house that he'd used out of convenience as it was just outside of his capital city. The palace had a low, thin wall made of light blue granite that was too long to be defensible. Within the grounds lay numerous gardens, groves of trees, flowing streams, stables and tilting courses. The buildings, for there were several, all were topped with inconvenient high towers that were primarily decorative and most of the space was designed for holding court, having feasts, balls, and ceremonies, and housing the large numbers of guests those events attracted. Needless to say, Aric had barely used any of it since he had moved in although the rotating set of whores that visited enjoyed the amenities.

The grand feast hall was therefore a bit gaudy for Aric's liking, with high vaulted ceilings and twenty foot long banners that hung down the walls with his arms emblazoned on them. His servants had seemed to relish the idea of having a royal wedding feast, no doubt starved for a classy social function that didn't involve nudity and sex acts from most of the attendees, and Aric was a little taken aback at the spread that they had set out on the long tables that dominated the room. Suckling pigs, roast turkeys, sides of ham, racks of lamb, cheeses, puddings, fruit and cakes overflowed the serving plates and kegs of beer and bottles of wine were stacked by the walls to keep the guests' flagons full. There were even vases of flowers arranged on every table and the massive hanging candelabras were fully lit already. In the corner, a band of minstrels was playing lightly and hinted they had props for further entertainment later. Aric was impressed, but also annoyed that these steps had been taken without consulting him. After all, he didn't want his already stuck up Princess thinking he'd gone to too many lengths to impress her.

"Yes, well, I had them prepare a modest feast," Aric said as he led Juniper to the head of the table. The guests were following them at a slight distance and as he pulled her chair out in a show of gentlemanly class, he leaned over to whisper in her ear what he thought might be a romantic entreaty that could serve to patch over the incident in the chapel. "After we eat, we can resume our kiss in private. Perhaps we can see how much of my cock can fit in that sweet little mouth as well... I bet you'd like to suck on a Royal cock, wouldn't you?"

Aric wasn't consciously trying to offend his new bride, such talk was merely what he was used to as a form of romantic verbal foreplay before sex. In his experience, every women seemed to like to discuss in vulgar details the things he wanted to do to them, and how they would respond in kind. They were going to have sex later, right? Might as well get her warmed up and sometimes a woman would surprise him with a suggested act that even he hadn't tried yet! He was eager to hear how Juniper responded.

 

[darkest_fate]

The display, much like the castle itself, impressed Juniper. However, she could not help but wonder how much of it to lay at the feet of her husband, and how much he had simply lucked into. Wise servants could set up a feast and prepare an impressive affair without even needing to consult their master. Some did argue that hiring such servants and encouraging such behavior showed wisdom in the one who did it, and Juniper supposed she could see the wisdom in that. This didn't mean that she wouldn't be overseeing every celebration from now until she passed onto the next world, that much was certain. Much of what laid out before her didn't please her at all. Beer? At a royal affair? That certainly wouldn't do. Nor would several of the various roasted animals. It encouraged a debauchery that Juniper certainly wouldn't have in any home of which she was a queen. Still, she had to admit that she found herself at least somewhat pleased. Intentional or not, it appeared as though her husband had at least attempted to appease his wife. Certainly this boded well for future handlings; Juniper would just have to insure that such behavior continued.

The princess, now queen, nodded as her husband led her to the table, taking her seat as offered. She had just decided that perhaps she would reward her husband's behavior with kind words, possibly even allow him to touch her, when he leaned over to speak. Resuming the kiss was all well in good, but the next part had Juniper glaring at her husband. "I thought I asked you to stop offending me?" she demanded, her voice tight. "The only thing you'll be receiving from my mouth tonight is harsh words, my husband, she made it sound like an insult, much like when you referred to a steaming pile of shit that disgusted you which, in this particular instance, would be an accurate depiction of Juniper's feelings toward the man.

She adjusted herself in her seat, promptly ignoring the brute who deserved nothing less. She gestured for a servant to pour her something sweet and light to drink, indicating one of the lighter wines. Then she began looking over the various delicacies, wondering which to appease her palate. Her father had always cautioned her against eating too many sweets, but he wasn't here today. In fact, Juniper was her own woman now. So with delight, she began gesturing for fruits and cakes and even some various dessert cheeses to be served to her. Her wedding day, her wedding feast, so she would attend to her own whims and fancies.

 

[Dark Prince]

Aric was genuinely surprised at Juniper's angry response. He'd experienced shyness before, some coy feigned ignorance, perhaps a half-hearted admonishment that he was too vulgar and such talk was making the lady faint, but none of the many girls he'd fucked had ever flat out gotten angry at him for such a relatively tame suggestion.

It took him a second to recover and as he watched Juniper load her plate with sweets, a surge of annoyance filled him. This little brat thinks she's too good for me. That my cock doesn't belong in any hole I want to stick it in her body! He may not have much experience with difficult women, since they'd either been throwing themselves at him or taking his money since he was a boy, but he did know how to handle a misbehaving hunting dog, particularly bitches. The worst thing you can do was spoil a dog, the quicker you brought a bitch to heel the better. Perhaps he should send for the master of hounds for a collar and leash? That was an intriguing thought....

"Perhaps we'll find a tighter hole for my cock then, sweet wife, although I'm beginning to think you already have a pole shoved up there," he whispered back through a fixed smile as he nodded at the arriving guests. "For you do realize, per your father's bill of sale, that you are getting fucked tonight. And the more lip you give me, the harder that fucking will be, even if I have to tie you up to make it happen."

Just then the guest of honor arrived, Count Rickkard, Emissary of Umbria, and his lovely wife, the Contessa Lydia. Rickkard had brokered the peace, and this marriage, using the threat of Umbria defending Ithilien to ultimately sway Aric to sign. Naturally, he had been keen to set up rules to make sure the marriage would succeed and foster a male heir to settle tensions forever. Aric had some disdain for Rickkard, a slight and clever tongued man who hadn't held a sword in years, but enjoyed his busty wife, a dark haired and sensual beauty who loved to bat her eyes at Aric when her husband wasn't looking. Particularly stinging was Rickkard's innuendo after Aric had signed the treaty that his new bride might be a positive influence on Aric's court.

"Congratulations to both of your majesties!" said Rickkard as the pair settled in next to Juniper. "I bet you both can't wait for some private time alone later to get to know each other."

"And Queen Juniper," added Lydia in a softer whisper and with a wink, "You must be excited to consummate the marriage with such a virile King."

 

[darkest_fate]

Juniper froze in her loading, looking over at her husband as he spoke. A tight hole? Her father's bill of sale? "We will share a bed when and where---" she began, her tone as haughty as ever. However, before she could even finish the thought, Rikkard and Lydia appeared. Juniper smiled at the two, an actual, bright smile. Rikkard had long since been a friend of her family, and Juniper had spent quite some time with the man before. She'd been present at their marriage, though she'd been quite a bit younger at the time. Now that she had a more discerning eye, Juniper noticed Lydia's... finer proportions. She also thought she saw the woman's eyes slide over her husband, a look that confused Juniper more than she cared to admit.

She put it all aside and beamed at Rikkard, moving to accept a kiss on the cheek from the man. Her smile took on an edge at their introductions however. Despite a mental reminder that this was simply how everyone talked at weddings, Juniper still felt slightly offended at the fact that everyone seemed suddenly quite interested in what lay between her legs and what would go there. She fully intended to make it quite clear that such matters were wholly in her control. As Lydia whispered, Juniper's smile grew taut, and she whispered, making sure to be loud enough to be heard by her husband:

"I believe the rumors of his virility might be quite exaggerated. He appears to be as ill-bred as we believe. I'm afraid I may be spending my wedding night alone," Oh, she wasn't afraid, she was quite confident. She radiated that confidence in a smile, turning to her food. She didn't quite notice the look shared between the noble couple, nor the quick look of semi-warning that Rikkard gave the king. One thing to punish your wife, another to punish your newlywed near-child bride at her wedding.

Juniper couldn't care less about it all. She sampled a few of the sweets, enjoying the flavors upon her tongue. Yes, this should do quite nicely. Put down her husband, insure that she held sway over the court and all its intricacies, and then enjoy the adornments of royal life. Everything appeared to be going quite to Juniper's plan. She smiled contentedly, not knowing what happened between the noble guests and the king, seemingly not even realizing that she'd baited her bear of a husband perhaps a little too much.

After all, she was royal, achingly beautiful, and therefore, untouchable.

 

[Dark Prince]

Juniper was a seemingly bottomless well of annoyance, the stuck up brat getting bolder by the second even though Aric thought he had been on excellent behavior, at least for him. Rickkard and Lydia had seen him in his natural state and he felt their concerned glances in his direction. Were they worried, perhaps that he'd pull his haughty bride up by her hair and spank her on his lap as his guests were settling in? Now that wasn't a bad idea actually... Perhaps he should bend her over, lift her gown and consummate the marriage now, with all to witness? The thought was intriguing.

"And I fear the rumors of my wife's gentle nature are equally exaggerated," cut in Aric, not bothering to fake a stage whisper like Juniper had. "For certainly no lady of such refined breeding wouldn't want to please her new husband on their wedding night. Unless... perhaps her inexperience is making her nervous? I've been assured she is a virgin and maybe she is worried about her ability to please her man?"

Aric leaned across the table, lowering his voice conspiratorially but loud enough for Juniper to hear.

"Tell me, Lord Rickkard," asked Aric, eyes dancing towards Juniper mischievously, "We are bound under Umbrian marriage laws... is that correct?"

When the Lord nodded warily, Aric continued.

"My clerks researched it extensively for me as I was concerned about the limitations... fortunately as a very civilized country it turns out Umbrian law is very favorable for the husband. Perhaps you can just reaffirm for my wife some of my rights... for instance, could I spank her if she disobeys me?"

"Well.. technically yes. If you don't disfigure or break something, there is precedent for discipline..."

"I see, and of course, I have to right to fuck my wife, correct? At any time?"

"Yes.. conjugal permission is implicit at all times."

"Excellent," replied Aric, beaming and sitting back. He turned to Juniper and gave her a syrupy smile. "Darling, if you insult my virility again I'll spank you and prove my manhood to you and everyone at this feast right here and now."

 

[darkest_fate]

Juniper felt heat rising to her cheeks as her husband continued to insult her. Worse still was the hint of truth in those words: truly, Juniper did worry about being able to please her husband, or at least, to perform well in bed. She didn't choose to dwell on such matters, instead insisting to herself that she frankly didn't care how their coupling went. He'd rut upon her body like some kind of beast, spend himself, and she would simply lay there and tolerate it. What difference did it truly make if she pleased him? Juniper told herself this, told herself and continued eating the sweets, even as she heard Aric and Rickkard discussing.

Umbrian marriage... Juniper paled slightly. Her own marriage laws put them on far more equal footing, and she'd thought that those had been put into place. The lords continued, talking about punishment. Again Juniper felt fire rising to her cheeks and, since she was so very pale, it showed quite vividly along her skin. Spanking? Like some insolent child? Even as a child no one dared touch Juniper in such a fashion. She was a princess, even more, a darling, beautiful, precious princess and no one was certainly going to spank her.

Then they continued, even as Juniper had dropped her sweets and begun glaring at her husband. Conjugal relations at any time? Juniper may not be an expert, but she was fairly certain such... relations couldn't happen without her express permission. Aric looked at her now, his smile meeting her glare. Spank her and prove her? "You won't touch me," she said, each voice dripping venom, her eyes dancing with malice, "you wouldn't even dare. I'm a royal of one of the greatest houses in the world, and you will treat me with respect. I don't care what laws you think you have: you won't be dealing with me. Or do you think that humiliating me in front of our guests is going to go over well? I'm fairly certain that such an act would be considered an act of war," she gave him a tight smile then, "and you wouldn't want that, would you my husband?" And to punctuate her remark, Juniper picked up one of the sweets and popped it in her mouth. She hadn't noticed that she'd picked something with honey on her lips. Soon they glistened for a moment, and Juniper, without thinking, extended her tongue to remove the sweet bits from her lips.

 

[Dark Prince]

Aric was starting to enjoy himself. His pulse was quickening, an excitement filling his body as he felt his anger growing. It wasn't quite the addictive powerful surge of adrenaline he got in battle, when death was on the line, but this little bratty princess wouldn't back down and he felt a similar urge to conquer, crush and destroy rearing up in his head like he might while dueling with some enemy knight. And victory made him feel so virile always, stoking his lust like no aphrodisiac could.

That line between anger and lust was very thin for Aric. Both inflamed the body and drove him to mad acts of passion. Juniper was suddenly striking both emotions perfectly, an intoxicating combination of thorny opponent, stubbornly parrying his blows and refusing to yield, and delicious after battle prize, in which he could slake his overflowing male vigor. And fucking her would conveniently give Aric the victory and the prize both at once. Her petulant, child-like arguments made him chuckle. She truly had no idea how little power she had without her daddy protecting her. And then, watching her eat that sweet cake, honey glistening on those luscious lips as she licked them clean, stoked Aric's ardor to a new level. His mind imagined his seed on her full lips, her eyes blazing with lust not hatred as she greedily swallowed his spunk and begged for me. Oh she would beg someday, that he would make sure.

"Your mistake, dear wife, is you think that I don't want war. In fact, I do. Run along back to Daddy and I'll have burned your palace down by the end of summer, and you'll be my serving girl not wife," he growled back at her.

"Dear Juniper, you must be his wife... your people," Rickkard interjected, looking pained as he realized how the spoiled Princess might blow up his carefully arranged peace.

Aric suddenly stood and held his hands up, the settling crowd of guests pausing their conversation to listen to him with curious expressions on their faces.

"Dear friends and leal retainers, there is a tradition in the Ulffson House," Aric began, watching some of his better friends chuckle at the phrase 'Ulffson House', "Of a new couple battling, if you will, in a playful manner on their wedding day. You saw it at the ceremony. Of course, we have a saying that the person who wins the last round will rule the marriage. Without further ado, I give you the spanking of the bride."

Keeping a fixed, almost cheerful smile on his face, Aric reached down and grasped Juniper by the arm near her shoulder and easily lifted her up. Using both his strong arms to control her, he placed her hands on the table far enough out that her peach bottom was upturned and ready for a spanking.

"I'd advise you to smile and act like you are playing along, lest your humiliation be worse," Aric whispered in her perfect ear as he had moved her into position. A strong hand was on her neck, pinning her in place, while the other moved to rest lecherously on her round bottom. It felt quite ripe through the thin fabric of her dress.

"How many spanks until she asks for me to stop?" Aric asked with a booming laugh before raising his hand back for the first blow. Catcalls and cheers rang out from his people, ten, twenty, someone said fifty even! He knew Juniper would likely by trapped by her pride. If she backed out now, she'd look weak and scared, stopping before he even started what was just a silly tradition, right? And if she couldn't handle his spanks, well, he was sure that this vain and 'perfect' Princess never liked to look bad at anything she did. Perhaps she'd even try to be the best spankee she could be? One thing was for sure, Aric wasn't going to give her playful spanks. If she was going to play along, she'd have to handle some real punishment.

 

[darkest_fate]

He... wanted war? Did Juniper care about that? She considered it while staring at her food, her mind going through possibilities. It didn't dawn on her that her country might lose the war. She was only vaguely aware of the effect it would have on her people, on Aric's. What did she care what happened to the peasantry? They were so far removed from her as to be like tiny little ants. Rickkard practically whimpered in her ear, and she turned to look at him. Her husband, she neither liked nor respected. But Rickkard, Rickkard knew her father, knew her kingdom better than she. He looked almost worried now, and Juniper wondered for a moment what that could be.

When the crowd hushed, the confused queen looked about, blinking her lavender eyes foolishly. Aric appeared to be attempting to smooth things over, to explain away her actions. Even Juniper's own people seemed to be buying the excuse, or at least accepting it. How quaint these traditions were among these strange, foreign peoples. Battling it out on their marriage day? Barbaric, to be sure, but not exactly horrifying.

Princess Juniper (she hadn't exactly been crowned yet, that would be another ceremony altogether). Rose as her husband lifted her. Fear settled into her gut, cold and fierce as she realized his strength. His arms felt like steel bands surrounding her, tighter by far than any corset the princess had worn. Juniper's hands fell on the table, and she trembled, both with rage and fear, before looking back at her husband. She could feel his eyes upon her bottom, and she wished that her dress had more than even the multitude of layers that protected her now.

Play along? She looked about ready to spit. "I'm a princess of a--" she began, only to gasp as she felt a hand upon her neck, another upon her bottom. It was the grasp about her throat that worried Juniper, made her cease. The hand felt calloused, almost cruel. Fingers tightened along her pale neck and the princess realized that one twist would end her life then and there. It would start a war, one that even Aric couldn't win, but Juniper didn't care about war. She cared about what happened to her pretty little neck.

The boom made her eyes go wide, and she shook her head. "No, stop! I am a princess!" she began, stomping her foot, pushing against her husband for a moment. "I insist that you stop this nonsense at once and let me go!' she tried again. Trembling, she looked up at her husband, "Please?" she tried pouting her lip now, almost instantly shifting from tantrum to pout, wielding her two most trusted techniques. "You wouldn't want to damage your beautiful bride, would you? Just let me go. I'll even---we can---I'll undress for you," she practically cooed it and was tempted to roll her bottom. She had to be close to his groin, right? That was how it worked? But she felt eyes upon her. They all couldn't hear, but they could certainly see.

desperate, she looked to her friends, but Rickkard and Lydia looked... they almost looked... pleased. Both looked at the princess with something strange in their eyes. Juniper stopped moving for a moment, utterly stunned. It... they almost looked... like Aric, and... and it seemed like Lydia, like she... like she looked like she...

The lady looked as though she approved.

 

[Dark Prince]

Aric was enjoying the pose as he reared back his hand to strike. His long arm enabled him to grip Juniper's throat securely while his groin was positioned to the side of the girl's tempting ass, offset barely enough to enable full swings of his hand to spank both her slightly jiggling ass cheeks. If he just shifted a couple inches over, the position would become much more lewd, but he was close enough for the audience to get the hint. Aric was showing her who was the ruler, much the way the audience imagined he would later tonight using a different weapon to do the striking.

Aric's frustrated anger, the girl's physical beauty, and the heady feeling of conquest were all conspiring to make the situation strangely arousing. Despite his desire to make this a 'teaching' moment for the spoiled brat, Aric found his cock growing hard in his trousers at the sight of her willowy body squirming before him. It was awfully tempting suddenly to think of lifting the gossamer, white gown and flipping it over her impossibly narrow waist. The thought of seeing in the flesh the tempting twin melons that shuddered before him was suddenly all consuming. Would they be fair and unblemished, like Juniper's face? Would the girl's sex be hairy or trimmed the way Aric preferred? What would the repercussions be if he were to slide his cock into that virgin cunt right now before all his guests? Fuck he wanted to take her so badly now. Could even he get away with it or would the depraved act somehow put him in some even worse category of beast than he suspected many already viewed him? Did he even care anymore what happened?

The damn girl had besotted him!

The squirming intensified and Aric dragged his gaze up from the sweet ass that was tempting him to find Juniper's purple eyes staring at him, wide and frantic now. Her pouting words meant nothing to him, but he felt her bump against him in her struggles, one of those firm, ripe globes brushing the bulge under his surcoat and forcing a small moan from his lips that she alone could hear.

She was softly begging him now, he realized, voice quavering and eyes pleading and tugging at him. It was unsettling how quickly her demeanor had changed and how skilled she seemed to be at asking sweetly. This was a much more attractive side of her and he found himself nodding by reflex to her suggestions. Undress for him? Yes that would be nice... but now? In front of these people? His cock stirred again at the thought. She meant later most likely he presumed, but a willing strip show would be quite nice.

But first....

-THWACK!-

A lesson was still in order as he gave her one hard spank and pulled her up against his body, the bulge in his trousers nestling in the crack of her ass as he ground his hips against her tight rear.

"Since you asked so sweetly and promised me an undressing, I'll give you only one spank before your new subjects. Do your best to not earn any more," Aric whispered in her ear, tongue licking her earlobe lightly at the end. Grabbing her hand, he raised it high again and waved towards the crowd, encouraging them to applaud with a big smile. Even her own retinue, shocked but somewhat fooled into thinking it was some barbaric custom, gave some light claps, many likely enjoying the sight of the haughty princess humbled.

"By tradition, a husband must give his wife at least one spank! But I'm sure my sweet Queen will never need another to remind her who her ruler truly is!" Aric cried out, laughing again like it was all a silly joke as they sat back down.

 

[darkest_fate]

For a moment, Juniper thought her sweet pleading would work. Men, they all pretended to be different, but they all caved alike. Her weak father had given way whenever she pouted her pretty lips and batted her pretty eyes, and it appeared as though her husband would be the same way. Oh, she'd still undress for him; she'd promised that and a princess never---

THWACK!

Juniper jerked as she felt a hand land hard upon her rear. The gauzy layers of dress and the lacy underthing she wore beneath offered little in the way of protection. The blow seemed to reverberate throughout Juniper's entire body, blazing on contact but spreading warmth from there. She could feel that warmth spreading, seeping throughout her, spreading embarrassment as it went. Soon she felt something else pressing against her rear something... thick. It must be his leg, for surely a man's sex could never be so large. It had to fit into Juniper's sex, and she had barely been able to fit a few fingers in the one time she'd actually bothered enough to try. No, his sex had to be long and thin, like a needle except perhaps a little sturdier.

Juniper's husband spoke into her ear, and she listened. One spank, don't earn any more. She felt his tongue go against her ear and she shuddered in disgust, her face contorting once more. A hand gripped hers and they both raised. Juniper pasted the tight-lipped smile again upon her visage, turning it upon those gathered, and from a distance, all would think things aright. Juniper inwardly warred though. Her deal had entailed him not touching her; he had. she felt he should be punished for such an act, especially a public one. Yet at the same time, she couldn't go back on her word...

Ah, she hadn't said she'd fully undress; the words had been appropriately vague. She could simply remove her gown, leaving her with the wedding shift and various underthings. Women didn't wear armor, her teachers had always said, they wore dresses, and the most skilled women learned to use them the same way. He would see her shed her outermost layer and, to punish him for daring to touch her, that would be all. he could imagine what her willowy form looked like beneath the wrapped cloth that would obscure it. Even that had another layer beneath: the corset connected to fine, lacy panties made of the finest material, all hooked together through intricate fastenings. Yes, this would work well.

See who was the true ruler indeed. Juniper tossed her head and plopped down upon her seat. Barely had her bottom touched chair when she winced and rose. She looked for a servant, demanding that a cushion be brought forth. One blow had left her tender... what would more have done? The crowd had taunted fifty, fifty blows like that? Juniper would be a sobbing mass, if she remained alive at all. Surely they had to have been joking. though now she felt more fear sneaking in. No, no, she was a princess of the finest of houses; he would treat her with respect. Indeed, it was far, far more likely that this whole thing was just his way of establishing authority among his men, putting on a show. For surely even a man such as him knew you must treat your wife, especially your royal wife, with the utmost respect and courtesy.

 

[Dark Prince]

Visions of fucking Juniper were filling Aric's head, making it difficult to concentrate on pleasant conversation with Rickkard and Lydia. Just the little brush of her firm ass against his cock had ignited him and his mind was now fantasizing about how she would behave in bed later that night. Would she use that sweet, begging gaze to ask him to fuck her hard? He liked it when girls did that. Perhaps she'd stamp her little foot again and demand that he fuck her like a whore, as hard as he could, egging him on to new levels of brutality. Would her breasts be larger or smaller than they appeared in that gown that seemed to imply but not give Aric any of the more vivid details into her womanly curves that he wished to have?

Sitting this close and studying her was starting to drive him mad with lust. His cock, coaxed to full hardness when he nestled it between her ass checks, throbbed insistently as it pointed straight down his thigh and strained in his trousers. The configuration was getting uncomfortable and Aric reached down, placing his hands under the surcoat that hung to below his crotch, and loosed the drawstrings on the trousers. Juniper seemed to be avoiding looking at him and she was the only other person at the head of the table, so Aric slipped his massive rod out of his trousers and arranged it under his surcoat. He'd never measured himself and always just felt his cock was merely in proportion with his large frame. His many lovers had all stressed that he was, in fact, quick large, uncomfortably so at times and it was always nice when he found a woman that could take his full length in all her holes. They were very rare. The tent his cock formed almost threatened to pop over the edge of the table so he pressed down with his forearm, angling it under the table further.

Yes, that was better. Perhaps now was a good time to introduce his wife to his flesh lance? She'd have to learn to handle this weapon soon in any event.

Aric leaned forward close to Juniper, pretending to listen to some conversation Lydia was making with his wife about the weather in Kaldia versus Ithilien. Reaching up, he tenderly grasped Juniper's slender, porcelain like hand in his own meaty paw and gave his bride a gentle squeeze. An innocent smile was on his face for when she looked at him and he turned his head slightly to whisper in her ear.

"My sweet wife, I do so look forward to seeing your beautiful body later this evening. The thought of you naked is driving me crazy with lust even now. Even though you may be inexperienced in the bedroom, I'll make sure to explore every nook and cranny of your body and bring you to new heights of pleasure," Aric murmured softly, trying to take a softer approach with his love talk this time. He'd heard some boring poetry with this kind of language describing sex before and maybe Juniper would prefer it to his nastier thoughts.

Aric's hand squeezed Juniper's tiny one again and he gently moved them off the table, dragging Juniper's to rest under his on the padded leather armrest of his chair. With her hand so close to his aching rod, it was hard for Aric to stay classy in his language. "My cock is throbbing with anticipation, even now, of burying itself in your sweet loins."

A subtle movement brought his hand off the arm rest and slid it under his surcoat, while his free arm pushed his thick cock down and placed Juniper's wrist on that instead of the arm rest. Aric hoped the contrast from the leather armrest to his thick rod might be not immediately noticeable, if his wife was still ignoring him. The touch of her soft skin on the tender flesh of his manhood was electric and he let out a low, rumbling moan that tried to turn into a chuckle at something Rickkard had said.

"Your hand on my cock feels so good," he whispered to her at last, hoping she'd be excited to finally realize she was feeling his royal cock.

 

[darkest_fate]

A cushion appeared; Juniper sat delicately, though not without sending disgruntled looks at her "husband". She caught an admonishing look from Rickkard again, and settled down as best she could, sighing with frustration. Incredibly dreary conversation followed, with Juniper Juniper dimly listening. Something about weather and other dreary matters that had never really interested the young princess. Still, she feigned interest, even as she continued picking at the food, sampling only the sweetest bits for herself. As she moved a hand, she felt her husband taking it. His touch alone made her stiffen, and Juniper fought the urge to yank it away immediately. Tact, she could practice tact for a change, instead focusing her eyes straight ahead.

He had to speak though. Juniper's nose crinkled in disgust as he continued. Driven with lust, as if she didn't already know that. His thoughts turned the virginal princess's stomach, as well as reminding her of her courtly duties. She tugged at her hand then, figuring to free it. As she did, she felt him pulling it the opposite direction, off the table. Juniper sighed with frustration as she felt her arm resting on the armrest, the leather feeling uncomfortable. His hand felt large on her, like some cruel beast's paw covering her own. The next words had her recoiling in disgust once more, and she nearly rose. Only another quick look from Rickkard stopped her. Juniper flicked her lavender eyes at her husband, and the lord simply replied with a tight smile.

Strange, but Juniper felt like her hand had shifted while she'd stared. That couldn't be though, because it still rested against a hard surface. That surface felt... felt a little more rounded. Rickkard made her husband chuckle, and Juniper thought she felt the armrest... move. that simply didn't make any sense, and it wasn't until Aric whispered into Juniper's ear that she realized the truth of the matter.

The princess froze, her eyes locked ahead, fright and shock freezing her expression. His... member was as large... as an armrest??? Every hole he kept insisting he was going to put it in was tiny, miniscule by comparison. A cock this large would shred Juniper's lithe body. She turned to her husband, about to say something, when Lydia spoke directly to her, asking if something was the matter, she looked faint.

"I'm sure I'm just adjusting to things," said Juniper. "It's all a bit too much for me, really. I don't think I'll ever be ready for it all," she said, tugging at her hand, wanting to get it out from under the table as soon as she could. Lydia had moved on to complimenting Juniper's hair, praising the intricate work and marveling at the amount of time it had to have taken to do it. Juniper was so focused on getting her hand away from Aric's "royal scepter" that she ignored everything else for the time being, earning looks from those close enough to have been in on the conversation. At least one servant had approached, obviously wondering if the new bride had taken ill and if something should be prepared for her.

 

[Dark Prince]

Aric was a amused at the realization that part of Juniper's shock at feeling his cock was due to its enormous size. Clearly his coddled new wife was going to have to learn to be flexible in more ways than one to adjust to being married to him! All her frantic tugging to free her hand from his iron grip was actually feeling surprisingly good on Aric's aroused cock. Instead of letting her go, Aric started to rub her hand up and down his shaft, from tip to base, letting her get a sense of it's full dimensions beyond just girth. Perhaps a truer appreciation of the manhood of her new husband might make her more amenable to trying to please him. After all, many a timid lass had grown consumed by lust when they had finally seen his royal meat in all its glory!

"I think she'll be fine, she just needs to, mhmm, get a grip on her new life her," interjected Aric while stifling a moan. He realized Juniper had stopped speaking to focus on freeing her hand from his cock. Two could play her little innuendo game. "Things may seem hard right now, mhmm yes... the change very large from her old life, but she'll find that a little effort will go a long way to making it feel like normal."

Juniper's increasingly frantic efforts to free the hand Aric was using to rub his cock were making her body spasm and jerk, attracting unwanted attention. He wasn't sure how much longer he could cover for her before someone might investigate. As normal as it might be for Aric to receive a handjob, or a blowjob, during a feast at his court, getting caught forcing his new bride to perform one during his wedding celebration was probably too vulgar for even his low standards. Still, maybe he could persuade her to help him out.

"Shh... just grip it and stroke it for me a couple times. I want you to get used to its size before tonight. I'll leave you be for the rest of the meal if you just calm down and touch it for a bit," he whispered in her ear, voice husky with need. He added at the end, desperate for her discreet cooperation, "Please darling... if you make it go away I may not even want to fuck you later tonight."

 

[darkest_fate]

Juniper quickly learned that she could not out do her husband physically, not that the information shocked her all that much. It did displease her and send a bolt of fear through her, especially as she realized that he obviously knew she wanted nothing to do with what he had placed in her hand, yet he kept going. She caught his little innuendos, likely done to match her own. Juniper wasn't a fool; she knew what he hinted at. He wanted her to play with... it until his release, whatever that was like. Nobody had been all too clear on that matter with her, and the books had been a little fuzzy on the exact details. It sounded like taking a tremendous piss to Juniper, and the last thing she wanted was her hand coated with such filth.

"I'm afraid that we can't let things get out of hand, my new husband," she replied, ready to continue. Soon she heard him whispering more words. Just stroke it for him a few times? She looked at him incredulously. "Do you think I'm--" she began, nearly talking over him. Strange, but she thought she heard... she thought he sounded almost needy, almost desperate. The last bit, stating that he might not even be ready... Juniper seemed to vaguely recall hearing about that. Some wives did things with their mouths and hands so as to keep their husbands satiated without having to deal with... other things. Still, the thought of willingly stroking him, stroking it turned Juniper's stomach. She'd only recently swore not to touch him at all.

However, it occurred to her that if she granted him this small thing, it could pay large dividends to her in the future. Plus, if she learned about what pleased him, she could use that to her advantage, like she had her father. Pouty looks and big eyes worked on daddy, so maybe the husband simply enjoyed a little play time with the log between his legs.

"Don't think I'm doing this because I want to touch you," Juniper hissed, tilting her head. She shifted her grip, moving to settle her hand about it. her fingers couldn't even circle the thing, which made her nervous. It felt absolutely massive, laying there. Juniper tried simply stroking her hand back and forth, taking several deep breaths. Just rub it like its the end of the chair, she told herself. She found her hand tensing for a moment, almost squeezing it, her fine nails threatening to drag along it. As soon as Juniper realized what her errant hand did, she released the cock, instead moving to try and stroke again.

"Juniper, your highness?" said Lydia, again leaning forward.

"Just flushed," said Juniper, speaking quickly, forcing her eyes up away from her husband's cock toward her friend. She used her other hand to wave and shifted again. "And nervous, there's just so much new here," she said, gesturing with her other hand, "so much I haven't experienced yet," there, now he knew, the damn idiot. Maybe he'd be a little more willing. And maybe Juniper should move her hand faster, see if she could get this done in a hurry. Just a little though; she couldn't be caught, especially since she thought Rickkard was giving her an oddly observant look.

 

[Dark Prince]

It was a good thing Lydia was a bit of a talker. Aric could lounge back in his chair, merely nodding and grunting along with her prattling commentary as she updated them on the latest trends in Umbria and some other meaningless drivel. Even Rickkard was looking a little bored, eyes wandering the table and settling on one of the two whores that was sitting a couple places down. She'd had a bit to drink and was struggling to keep her loose bodice pulled up over her overflowing chest, capturing the attention of most of the men nearby like a bird with a broken wing might a group of lounging cats.

To Aric's surprise, his haughty wife's stroking hand was feeling pretty nice. He wasn't sure if he had ever had an extended hand job before. Hands were usually just the warm up before something tighter and at first he had been concerned that his interest would quickly fade, along with his erection. Yet, Aric found there was something oddly exciting about having this exotic, fairy like beauty desultorily pump his cock in a crowded room full of unknowing guests.

Maybe it was the fact that she was clearly not happy touching his cock that somehow made the whole endeavor more satisfying; revenge was sweet and she had been a bitch. Her inexperience was also strangely arousing, although that cut both ways as she at one point decided to try to use her nails on him. A groan of agony that made Lydia look at him quizzically soon corrected that technique. Or perhaps, what he was forcing Juniper to do was just so base and ridiculously inappropriate that even as jaded and debauched a lecher as Aric could still get a kick from it?

Whatever the reason, Aric was feeling a surprising amount of pleasure from Juniper's slow and steady rubbing. Her small hand could barely circle his shaft and she clearly hadn't figured out that the tip of his cock was more sensitive than the base, seemingly content to provide a uniform and consistent stimulation to his entire member. At this rate, however, Aric wasn't sure if he was going to be able to cum before they were expected to stand up and take their departure. She needed some guidance, a little coaching and perhaps some means of increasing her pace without looking like she was churning butter under the table during dinner.

"Are you feeling better, your majesty?" asked Lydia again, maybe noticing that the new bride had an odd, slow twitch of her left arm that was under the table.

"I think she's getting used to things," replied Aric suddenly. "She probably just needed to clear her head.... you know how sensitive it can be to all this activity. All the blood rises to the top when you are under pressure! So much going on for her these last couple days, everything must feel like its racing along faster and faster. Unfortunately, we just don't have time for a break. Do you agree, my wife?"

Aric raised his hand and gave her a tender squeeze on her shoulder. Rickkard was looking at the two of them suspiciously, no doubt wondering where the obvious enmity from minutes earlier had disappeared to and if the spanking had truly served to put the spoiled Princess on notice that she had to listen to her new husband.

"Oh look, the minstrels!" Aric said, nodding towards the far corner and distracting Lydia and Rickkard's gaze. He lifted the bottom of his surcoat, giving Juniper a clear sight line to his massive cock with the bride's tiny hand encircling it. Aric was suddenly keen to give his virginal bride her first view of his cock, or perhaps any cock, and felt a surge of heat just thinking about her potential reaction. Surely she had to be a bit curious after exploring it by hand for so long? Most women seemed to get excited when they saw the royal scepter, and some even swooned! Leaning in, he whispered to her, voice husky with need again, "Yes, focus on the part near the head and pump, like you are polishing a door knob. But mhm.. not too much on the tip. Careful. I'm almost there."

Aric shifted, turning his hips slightly to face Juniper with the thought that she might have easier access with his cock pointed in her direction. He placed a hand on her back and leaned closer, acting like he was paying more attention to Lydia's latest story. Juniper's teasing was working, despite her poor technique. Aric would never have imagined that he'd ever crave release from a hand job, but he found his breathing getting quicker and the familiar signs of building tension in his body as his pleasure started to inexorably build under Juniper's tiny palm.

Idly he wondered if she had any idea what was cumming.

 

[darkest_fate]

This just felt so strange, and Juniper couldn't tell if she did anything right here. Her hand moved up and down the long shaft, her fingers trailing. She tried to keep a fairly constant pressure, having figured out what seemed to work best relatively quickly. She also wanted to go the full length for a very practical reason: soon enough she'd have to take the whole thing inside her. For Juniper doubted that Aric would stop short. Then again, this cock felt almost as long as the armrest it laid upon, so clearly it wouldn't fit completely within Juniper. She figured that she could probably stretch for a few inches of it, and she considered stroking just that, let him know what his limits still would be. Except he would probably just have her touch the other part.

Before Juniper could reply to the question, one that got her attention and had her slowing her stroking for a few moments, Aric responded. Juniper nearly rolled her eyes at his little statement, as he clearly continued speaking in their near code. Rickkard kept looking at them, and Juniper knew him to be a cunning man. Though his eyes seemed to have been wandering to the various ill-dressed servants that appeared to be roaming about them. Juniper nearly jumped as she felt the hand on her shoulder and gave her husband a tight smile. She closed her hand a little tighter on the cock, her nails pressing for a moment. She could touch him, but not the other way around.

Yet he moved anyway, seeming to try and give Juniper a better look at his cock. She didn't care: she didn't want to see the stupid thing. She wagered it looked ugly and misshapen and perhaps a little gross, most likely like some kind of sausage of some sort. Certainly nothing that a princess should be ogling. Instead her attention went to the minstrels, who didn't seem to be coming any closer or anything. They fared decently, though Juniper found their attempts at music to be sadly lacking compared to those that came from her home.

A whisper in Juniper's ear reminded her of what she'd agreed to do. She shot her husband another stern look, one that hinted that he was getting this solely out of the goodness of her heart, not because she wanted to or because she thought he deserved it. She sighed and looked away, but moved her hand up. Her delicate fingers found where the rounded head of his member lay. The fingers played around it, massaging it absently. They rolled the flesh about, pinching it lightly between them, even moving her thumb in little circles. She moved her palm to cover the slit for a moment, feeling the head pressing against her. Ah, a slit, that meant that whenever he released, the piss or seed or what have you would no doubt come from there. It certainly made more sense than anything else. Maybe if she played with it, she could encourage that.

So Juniper moved to drag her nail along the surface of the slit of Aric's member. She slowly dragged it at first before moving to cover the whole head with her hand. She began rotating it in circles, moving her hand as though actually polishing a door-knob of some kind, not that she'd ever done anything of the sort. Hearing the minstrel music, Juniper began matching their pace, even seeming to tap her foot a little. This provided explanation for her movements too, which finally had the two other nobles focusing on other matters. Then Juniper felt safe to begin truly rubbing the cock, working not only the head but the shaft. As soon as its head began spitting whatever, Juniper would be ready for it, her hand cupping to receive whatever he provided. At least she took some solace in knowing that this couldn't last much longer.

 

[Dark Prince]

Aric was ready to pull her hand off and give her another spanking because of how pathetic her hand job had become; the public shaming worked earlier to make her beg sweetly and a second round might be even more effective. Before he could act, his otherwise sexually hostile wife suddenly seemed to take his advice to heart and her slender fingers were inexplicably becoming quite skilled in their massage of his throbbing manhood. Ignoring most of his shaft now, her silky smooth palm had focused on gliding around the top third of his cock and she seemed to discover his sensitive spots as Aric's body betrayed him. A groan slipped out as she circled his head with her thumb, a shudder emerged when she played with the wrinkled sheath that collared his crown, a twitch shot through in his member when her palm and the finger teased his slit, and finally an involuntary, slight thrusting of his hips began as she started to beat his royal meat to the rhythm of the minstrels. An observer might assume the King and Queen were entranced by the music, bodies rocking slightly as they tapped their feet and hands under the table to the country waltz; the King in particular with a rapturous look on his face and emitting sighs of happiness.

"Your majesties, the Chamberlain noticed Her Grace enjoyed the sweets and asked me to serve you the Kaldian fruitcake early," came a voice to Aric's left.

A serving girl was approaching and the King flipped his surcoat back over Juniper's stroking hand with a groan of annoyance. His purple eyed, golden haired bride hadn't given a single glance towards his royal member after he had bared it, instead fixing him with an unmistakeable icy glare that let him know that she was in no way enjoying her current vulgar act despite the skill with which she suddenly was performing it. She'd even scratched his cock with those painted daggers she called fingernails, hinting that he was not to touch her when his hand had rested on her shoulder!

Clearly the little snot still thought she was calling the shots! Aric longed to correct her, but he was so close now, so close to a point where he could think straight again.

"Ahh yess... excellent" Aric murmured as the busty wench approached with a tray. Like all his serving girls, she was in a low cut and loose bodice and was very well endowed. Really all the serving wenches were lower tier whores and while entertaining to look at, the Chamberlain found them to be terrible servants. He'd mostly put them in charge of refiling flagons, clearing dishes, and sitting on the laps of guests that wanted a little after or even during dinner relaxation. Aric found the girl's copious cleavage on display inches from his face as she bent over him to place the dessert between Juniper and himself. It was flesh valley into which his eyes naturally fell, the tugging of Juniper's hand only helping his mind become lost in those sweet mounds that jiggled so provocatively and almost in reach of his tongue. It was hard to think and even respond properly with all the stimulus to his cock and eyes, and he gave her a panting acknowledgment, "Mhmm yes... good... yes... so delicious... perfect... yes right there... put the tray right there I mean!"

"And of course, a bowl of the usual sweet cream and honey to drizzle the loaves of the cake with," the wench said, placing the bowl of milky white substance by Aric. She was receding, finally, with another curtsy and final words, "I hope your Majesties enjoy their dessert!"

"Your servants are so... unusually dressed, is that a Kaldian tradition?" asked Lydia suddenly. Rickkard colored slightly and acted innocent as they both looked at Aric for answer. The clever man had received a prolonged, under the table blowjob from one of those 'unusually' dressed wenches in his first dinner at Aric's court, with Lydia unknowing and sitting across from him. It was the only time he'd seen Rickkard's normally biting wit missing and Aric had greatly enjoyed the peaceful meal, free of politicial maneuverings and subtle warnings, with Rickkard instead smiling like a dimwit and nodding. Very similar, in fact, to how Aric was acting now he realized as he nodded and smiled back at Lydia, mind empty of any reasonable response. He couldn't just say that it was because they were whores and Aric liked looking at tits, could he?

"I believe it is, yes, a peasant dress correct?" added Rickkard helpfully, noticing Aric's sudden silence.

"Yes... mh-hmm.. the peasant's wear.. oh yes... dresses like that in the summer heat, lest they...uhm-mhmm.. explode with heat," Aric said, panting and fighting back moans. Damn he was so hot now! Juniper's relentlessly teasing fingers were working him to a state of near imbecility. Those delicate digits were a non-stop ball of pleasure on his crown, polishing him relentlessly and driving him closer and closer to what would likely be a monumental blast of royal spunk. But where would it all go? Aric wanted none of it on his body or clothing. Usually, with whores, they knew exactly what to do and could magically make his cum go wherever it needed to be, in their mouths, their pussies, asses, their faces, and even sometimes a mysteriously produced handkerchief. Where did a naked whore hide a handkerchief?

As much as he'd like to just blow, spraying his jizz everywhere in the general direction of his snotty new wife, Aric knew it would leave them both in a sticky situation. Juniper was unlikely able to catch or divert it all and there might be a large blast radius, then the inexperienced brat would probably stop stroking him in horror and leave him with an anguished half-orgasm, and finally the majority of his seed would spurt all over Juniper's lovely dress and skin to her vocal dismay. The evening would end on a bad note, even an embarrassing one for Aric. Despite all the depraved acts he'd committed sitting in this very chair, spraying his seed into the air, onto the table and the woman next to him was not a low he'd sunk to... yet.

Aric's fevered mind grasped on the one solution that made sense and he waited until Rickkard, Lydia and Juniper were distracted by the minstrels tumbling nearby. The King grabbed the bowl of honeyed cream and slid it under the table, subsequently grasping Juniper's wrist and pulling her off his tortured and ready to explode cock.

"Enough... enough.. I'll finish it," Aric hissed in Juniper's ear, knowing she would likely be thrilled to be discharged of her duty. Once she had disengaged, all it took was three fast strokes with his own, familiar hand to feel his pleasure finally boil over. A shock of needy relief swept through his body, causing his eyes to glaze and muscles tense, and then his cock pulsed in his pumping fist, shooting load after load of his milky spunk into the bowl of dessert topping. His lusty cries of "Yes! Yes!" mixed perfectly with the table cheering a spectacular tumble by the minstrels. The entire operation had been hidden from Juniper's view, in the unlikely chance she even looked at his crotch, by the table and his surcoat. From there, it was only a matter of slyly slipping the bowl back, while taking deep, ragged breaths to recover from his surprisingly pleasurable and covert orgasm.

"The fruitcake is a delight Juniper, you have to try it!" said Lydia, rousing Aric from his post-orgasmic daze. The dark haired Umbrian woman was pointing at the cake and the bowl of cream. "Just drizzle it with the honey and cream and then eat it. It's delicious! I'll have some too, if I may."

Aric stiffened in surprise, realizing he hadn't quite thought through his otherwise elegant plan. Just when he was about to speak up and ask for another bowl, a glance at Juniper's haughty profile made him change his mind. Perhaps the little brat could use another lesson... yes, this would be good.