Her Highness, His Hostage

[haremfaery]

((Jiya is tsking at the Baron. Clearly the man is simply used to to getting his own way, either because of his position or his animal magnetism. Jiya may have given in easily, but not so with the princess.))

Hasini struggled against Kormaldi. Her toes brushed the floor as he lifted her in his arms. She opened her mouth to protest. Kormaldi used it to his advantage and thrust his tongue in her mouth. Her heart fluttered in her chest. Jiya had never kissed her like this. Her struggling weakened. She gave in a little but did not actively kiss him back. When he finally set her on her feet, she was panting. She slapped him hard across the face. She did not feel so drunk now.

"How dare you touch me!" Hasini nearly shouted at him. "You abduct me. You expect me to lie for you to keep my father from tearing your barony apart. And now this? You presume much, my lord. And I shall not stand for it. I am not a serving wench that you can molest in a dark alcove."

She turned for the doorway.

 

[IRP2011]

Her struggle caused him to allow her back to the floor, upon which Hasini quickly regained her footing -- and slapped the crap out of him, he would have called it.

"How dare you touch me!" the Princess called out as Kormaldi reached casually to his face, rubbing the sting out of it. "You abduct me. You expect me to lie for you to keep my father from tearing your barony apart. And now this...?"

The Baron watched her closely as she rampaged; her anger, and the adrenaline it was pumping into her system had killed her building intoxication. He smiled a bit, though, as he saw her lean a sway a bit unsteadily to one side as she lectured him, then sway again back the other.

"You presume much, my lord. And I shall not stand for it. I am not a serving wench that you can molest in a dark alcove."

And then she spun, turning and heading for the doorway.

Out of her view, in the dark shadows of the Keep's wall, a Guard stepped out to reveal himself to Kormaldi, giving him a gesture. Kormaldi shook his head, mumbling to himself, "Let her go..."

Hasini disappeared back toward the party as the Baron drew and exhaled a long, deep, disappointed breath, then turned to look out upon the valley below once again. He chuckled. "That went well."

He gazed out upon his territory -- his home -- for several minutes. He would do anything to save this land, these people ... his control over both. He'd decided that a marriage to Princess Hasini was the way he would accomplish his goals, and accomplish them he would. But it wouldn't be done the way he'd just attempted. Time. It'll take more time.

He was disappointed with himself. He'd allowed his confidence -- and his faith in a lot of wine in a little girl -- to get the better of himself. This had been a major set back. It wasn't like he thought she was going to kiss him, fuck him, marry him ... all in one night. But, he had hoped that getting her alone, allowing her to see his manly desire for her, combined with his dreams for the future ... he had hoped that that would be enough to cause her to let down her guard ... toss away some of her traditions long enough to allow her own desire to build within ... heat her up, Kormaldi thought, body and soul.

He spun and headed down the passageway, turning away from the party as he called for the Guard in the shadows to follow. As the man fell in step behind him, he ordered, "Find Jakob. Tell him to allow the Princess and her entourage to feast and celebrate all the wish. Then ... once they begin retiring to their quarters--" He stopped suddenly, turning to face the man with a hard, firm expression. "--Bring me Jiya! If she resists, hog tie her if you have to ... but I want her in my bed chamber tonight ... or someone dies!"

The man's eyes widened, and he quickly acknowledged his Master's orders and spun, hurrying back toward the party.



Kormaldi rode out of the Keep's gate on Victory. The stallion was stunning to see, particularly for the first time; in the daylight, the sun shone down upon its perfect, powerful white form, making it look like a majestic angel, while at night, under the stars and moonlight, he looked like a ghost in the dark. The Baron only used Victory for such things as he was doing now -- going to meet an emissary he wished to impress -- for, unfortunately, the horse was worthless in battle, refusing to follow direction during the heat of the fight.

In the camp, a Sentry called out at the approach of the diplomatic mission approaching them. Kormaldi, flanked by the two body guards he used when Jakob wasn't with him and followed, thirty yards back, by six more Guardsmen, were illuminated by fiery torches as they slowed their horses to a canter, a trot, and finally a slow walk up to the Sentry's post at the extreme edge of the camp.

"Tell your Lieutenant," he announced, "that Baron Kormaldi wishes to speak to him."

The Sentry immediately turned and sprinted past the others gathering near, their weapons at the ready.



The tent was simple, a battle field home; Kormaldi assumed it paled in comparison to the one he'd captured when he took the Princess's wagons days earlier, but it was sufficient for the field. The Lieutenant was quick to arrive, demonstrating his respect for the Nobleman on whose land he was currently upon. Kormaldi had noted the sound of horses hurrying to the camp and wondered whether the Sultan's officer had been out looking for a way into the keep, or whether additional reinforcements had arrived now out of coincidence.

The men greeted each other by tradition, but the Lieutenant wasted no time in demanding, "Take me to the Princess Hasini ... immediately."

"I would if I could, Lieutenant," Kormaldi responded quickly, his story well prepared. "The Sultan's daughter is not here."

The man's eyes widened and his jaw flexed as he ground his teeth together. "Your man ... this Jakob ... said you had the Princess ... that you had--" His tone with the next words was noticeably doubtful. "--rescued her. If so, why is she not here, in your protection, at your side ... as it is your duty to take full responsibility for her safety--"

Kormaldi raised a hand in a stop gesture. "Relax, Lieutenant. The Princess is safe. I do take full responsibility for her. But the simple fact it this: she is not here. I ... and my men, of course ... were aware of an impending raid by forest bandits upon a person of importance. I was not aware of the Princess's presence in my Barony--" He said it with great accusation, despite the fact that, by treaty, the Sultan had no responsibility to inform Kormaldi of the travels of his people through the Barony. "--therefore I was unaware of who the bandits were after."

Kormaldi turned away from the man, walking toward a table upon which was laid out a very basic assortment of dried meats and forest food products -- tiny wild berries, tasteless roots, and edible yet very unsubstantial leaves and flowers. It wasn't a banquet, but it would support the man, who Kormaldi knew had likely come to the Princess's rescue with little planning.

"We were too late to prevent the attack," the Baron continued, telling his well rehearsed tale. "I regret to tell you that most, if not all of the Princess's body guard was killed. But ... we were able to catch the bandits off guard and save the Princess..." He looked to the man and smiled. "Along with all of her servants, and her wagons full of ... well, full."

"So, where are they?" The Lieutenant was becoming impatient.

"On there way ... the long way ... the safe way. They should arrive tomorrow ... possibly the day following." Kormaldi needed more time to convince the Princess to repeat his tale when at last she faced the Sultan's officer. "Our force was a small one ... and the bandits were many. We needed to take a safe route, which we did."

"You are here!"

"I rode ahead," was the extent of Kormaldi's response.

The two men studied one another for a long moment before launching into a long discussion about the Princess's safety, the Sultan's concern, the bandits and whether their location was known, and much more. Eventually, Kormaldi promised the Lieutenant his full cooperation, and even offered to send out a great feast for he and his men. "Would you like women, too."

The Lieutenant's eyes widened at the question. Although Kormaldi saw interest in the man's eyes, his mouth spoke the simple answer, "No."

Kormaldi's lips spread in a smirk as he headed for the tent's exit. He pulled back the flap to leave, looked back to the officer and said, "I'll send them anyway, I think."

Before the man could object -- if he would have objected -- Kormaldi was out of the tent. He mounted Victory, looked back to the Lieutenant, standing in the tent's opening, promised hourly updates of the progress of the Princess's return, made his farewells, and spurred the big horse back into the night.

 

[haremfaery]

((Oh my! A post of epic proportions Sorry for my delay. I am hoping life won't get in the way so much now.))

Hasini went back into the feast hall fuming on the inside. She composed her face for the others. The audacity of the Baron. If he wished to be her suitor, he need only plead his case to her father. She had to admit, he was more a figure of a man than the Prince she was to meet. Was Kormaldi so enamored of her that he could think of no way to have her than by kidnapping?

She wanted to be alone with Jiya. She knew nothing of men. She certainly did not understand the Baron.

She watched the performers for a while then she walked around the tables and spoke to her people, about their treatment. It was true they were kept in the dungeons, but no harm had some to them, and now they had been moved to better, if crowded, rooms in the castle.

Hasini noted that the Baron did not return. Perhaps he was chagrined at his behavior and could not bear to see her.

She walked arm in arm with Jiya following the guards escorting them to her rooms. "I must speak to you when we are in private." She whispered to Jiya.

They came to an intersection. Jakob waited for the princess and Jiya to come abreast. "The Baron requests that Jiya join him now that the feasting is done."

The princess looked affronted. "But I need Jiya."

"The Baron was most insistent." He looked at Jiya to see that she got his meaning."

Jiya patted the princess' arm. "I must go. The others will ready you for bed. We shall speak in the morning."

The princess began to protest, but Jiya soothed her. She saw the ook in Jakob's eyes. That same hard look that Kormaldi had. She wondered if it was a trait of all the men of this land--to be so harsh, so threatening. Perhaps all men were this way. She knew little of the world, but she was learning, and quickly.

Se kissed the princess' cheek and followed Jakob to his master's bedchamber. She wondered what the baron wanted. It was clear from Hasini's attitude that he had failed to charm her.

She walked into the room and looked for Kormaldi.