The Prince Ch. 02

Love can often surprise us. I know that it has surprised me many times. Luckily those surprises in love lead to great things and happiness you would never expect. I would not be writing this story if not for the love I have found. This is just one more way to celebrate it. I hope you enjoy.

*

That night Amber dreamed of him. She dreamed that they were in a room she had never seen before and, somehow, she knew that it was her room. She saw him walk around the room as if it belonged to him, as if it had always belonged to him. He reached into a small chest. She knew that chest, it was the one where she kept all of her most personal possessions; possessions that she had saved from her life before the palace. Nothing in there was very valuable, but each and every item had some important meaning associated with her; each item was a memorial to a piece of her past. She could not see what he grabbed from there, but she knew she must not let him have it. She ran to him only to realize that she could not catch him; she could not touch him.

She awoke to find herself lying in her bed. She was wearing her normal pajamas. She began wondering whether she had dreamed all of the things that had happened to her the previous night. Her body ached and she felt sore in many places that she had never felt sore before. This was more than enough proof that last night had in fact happened, but she had no idea how she had gotten here.

She felt a pang of loneliness when she realized that he was not going to be there. That he must have had her brought there. She suddenly remembered her dream and forced herself out of bed. She opened her chest. She looked inside of it and saw her father's locket remained, as did the silver chain, the letter, and the pendant. She sighed with relief, at least that much had been a dream.

She then demanded her body to stand. She went to the bath to clean her aching body. Hardly anyone was there this morning and she was glad of it. She needed the privacy today. The water felt as though it were wrapping around her and providing comfort she didn't know she needed. She had always liked coming here whenever something was upsetting her. Nothing seemed to soothe her as the soft caresses of the warm water over her skin. The hot spring that provided the water for the bath was one of the reasons the palace had been built here. It was one of the few things that she truly loved about the palace. She knew no amount of time here could cure her of the pain and trepidation she now felt, but it was a welcome relief if only a temporary one.

After finishing her bath she headed back to her dormitory. As Amber walked she realized that she was not going to have a uniform to dress in as hers had been torn to pieces the previous night. She went to her wardrobe to decide what she was going to where and found to her great bewilderment that her uniform was hanging intact. She once again wondered if all the things that had occurred last night had been merely a figment of her imagination. Knowing that it was not possible for her to have cooked up the experience she could only stop and stare.

After she dressed she started heading towards the dining hall. Amber did not notice that everyone passing whispered when they saw her. She was lost in thought. She knew that he must have done this too, but she didn't know how it was possible. She didn't know how she could have slept so soundly after what he had done. She knew it should not have been possible, but then here she was walking without realizing where she was going.

It wasn't until Amber had arrived at the dining hall and saw Marissa sitting at their usual table that she remembered where she was. She went to join her, trying to look as though nothing was wrong. Instead, Amber looked as though she did not think that anything happening to her right now was real.

"What happened to you last night? I didn't see you at dinner and neither did anyone else. I was worried that something had happened to you," Marissa rattled off with obvious anxiety.

Marissa had always been protective of Amber. It had always seemed odd to Amber that she should be so protective when they were both nearly the same age. Marissa was a little shorter than Amber and self described as much more intimidating. Marissa had thought that Amber needed to be protected since the first time she saw the soft lines of her face. She didn't think that anyone with a face that had such a serene look of tenderness should be allowed to be hurt by anyone. Marissa would fight for her shy friend any time she needed her too even if it was unsolicited.

"I'm all right," Amber said with obvious effort.

"You certainly don't look all right. You look as though you've been up all night. What happened?" Marissa asked this question with a hint of iron in her voice. She was not letting this go.

"I, I will tell you later," Amber said as she looked away from her. Marissa could hear obvious pain in her voice, "Please, just let me pretend that things everything is all right for now. I will tell you afterward."

Marissa stared at her friend. She had never seen her quite like this before. Amber had always been sensitive and Marissa had seen her hurt before, but this was different. The pain that Marissa knew that Amber must be feeling was much greater than anything she had ever witnessed before. Marissa understood she could not help Amber right now, but she felt a great hatred growing inside of her. That hatred was directed at whoever had done this to Amber.

"All right," she said sharply, "but don't think that I will forget."

"I wouldn't expect you to," Amber said with a soft smile. A smile that told Marissa how much their friendship meant to her. She then went on to say, "So, catch me up on the latest gossip."

Marissa could not help but to smile as she heard Amber say this. She then launched herself into the conversation telling Amber about all of the various dramas going on in the other girls lives. Marissa knew not to ask any questions about the previous day even though she desperately wanted to know what had happened. She had heard a rumor that she had been in the Prince's quarters all day and into the night and knew that man could unleash all manner of unbearable torments upon anyone he chose. She knew he must have done something.

Marissa kept speaking, but she didn't know what she was saying. She was looking very closely at Amber; she was looking for clues. Marissa had always thought that Amber was far too beautiful to be a common maid and she was reminded of that thought as she stared intently upon her. Amber had nearly completely straight hair that became wavy at a certain point only to become straight again. It was almost as though her brunette locks changed mind part way through there growth only to go back to doing what they had always done. Her face was supremely feminine; she had large eyes, a small nose, and soft lips.

Marissa had never been jealous of Amber. Marissa had often wondered where Amber had come from and what had happened in her life before she had come to the palace. Amber never spoke of it. It was almost as if she had never had a life before she began working here.

They spoke to each other until they had to go and perform their tasks for the day. Marissa wished that they were both going to be working in the same portion of the palace so that she could hear what had happened to Amber. Marissa knew that she would have to wait until after each of their days work had been finished. It was going to be a very long day.

Amber walked toward the board that had their assignments for the day listed on it, hoping in vain that she would no longer be working for the Prince.

"Amber, head to your post at once. The Prince has sent a special request that you be there early and I will not tolerate any one of my girls being lackadaisical when such a rare order is given," said a shrill painful voice. The speaker was none other than her supervisor Mildred.

Mildred was a short stubby woman that had worked at the palace for longer than many of the other staff had been alive. Her hair had long since grayed and her face appeared as though it had never known a smile. Happiness appeared to be the most unnatural trait that could ever be used to describe her.

"Yes, I will head there immediately," replied Amber, but before she left she turned to Marissa and said, "I'll tell you everything tonight."

Marissa grabbed her and gave her a hug before Amber could protest. She whispered, "Just make it through today first."

Amber was then released and had no choice but to begin heading towards the Prince's dwelling. She knew that he would be there. She knew that that should frighten her. She never thought about running away or escaping. All that she thought about was his eyes and the mystery that they held. She could see those golden orbs as if she were boring into her at that very moment. Those eyes were mesmerizing and she felt that it was very important to learn the source of their power. Amber did not know why it seemed important, she only knew that it was something that she had to discover.

As she thought of those eyes, she felt her body getting weaker and something else stirring inside of her. She had not experienced anything quite like it before; the feeling resembled a hunger. The hunger was not ravenous, it was a sensation that urged her lightly, but constantly, to go to him and surrender herself.

Amber wondered what was happening to her; what had he done to her. The closer she came his home the harder it seemed to breathe, the harder it was to think. His home was having the same effect on her body as his touches had. It was as though his home was somehow an extension of his body and that approaching it was more of a surrender to him than when she had been driven to the point of begging to be fucked by him. She continued walking in stubborn obstinance. She knew that running away would be a much larger surrender than acting as though he had not affected her. She would not stop was all she would allow herself to think as she entered the foyer of his home.

* * *

He had been up since dawn. He hardly ever needed sleep, but he had felt particularly restless this day. She had been wandering through his thoughts unannounced and uninvited ever since the previous night. No matter what he began by thinking about his mind would turn to her. No one had ever captured his attention so fully. It was an impertinence that a common maid should have this much of an effect on him, that she should have any affect on him at all. He was going to make her pay for this; he was going to make her pay for taking away his control over the directions of his thoughts.

His own actions the previous day had surprised him. He had never touched any of the servants. He had never needed to. If a servant was inept or incapable, he would simply look at them with scorn and judgement. Often, the servants would not understand the full meaning of his glare until much later. At the time all they would feel was an indescribable terror that would leave them paralyzed until he released them. The few that learned the meaning behind that terror came to realize that they could see their life in his eyes and the judgement placed upon it. The judgement was that of worthlessness. The terror that they felt was caused by the knowledge that their life had no worth and that they had not earned the right to exist.

The Prince did not know what his eyes had told Amber. He did not know what sort of judgement his eyes could place on people, only that they held immense power. No one could stand looking into his eyes without being encased in fear. No one except for her. He had not determined what she had felt that night when she had looked into his eyes. The only thing that he knew for certain was that she did not fear him. This knowledge intrigued him.

He knew that her eyes held something special just as his own did, but he did not know what. He remembered her eyes vividly, though, as they were the same color as her namesake. They were almost the same color as his own eyes. There was something hidden within the depths of them, something sitting just below the surface, and he knew that he would find it out what it was soon.

Comprehending and analyzing had come naturally to him and it had never taken him long to solve any problem. He was able to read anyone that he met almost instantly. At first glance, he would know how they thought and would then be able to manipulate them with ease. She provided the first challenge to his powers of observation, that he had experienced in a long time. He had determined that he was going to establish complete and total dominance over her to prove that he was the master of his domain in all respects.

He was going to transform her into his slave. She was going to be turned into a whore that only wished to please her master. He was not going to take only her body; he was going to claim her soul. He was going to have absolute power over her. He was going to make her crave his body to the point where she would not be able to live without it. She was going to worship him with her body and her mind.

He felt himself growing harder as he thought of this. He couldn't help but to conjure into his mind what he had done to her the night before. He knew what it had felt like to be inside of her and he craved to hear her begging him to fuck her.

Suddenly, the thought struck him of how she had grabbed onto him and had fallen asleep. She had slept so soundly even though he had done so much to her. It seemed to have been one of the most peaceful rests that anyone could experience. He had thought about punishing her then for having fallen asleep and forcing her to walk back naked and still dripping with his cum. Something had stopped him though. He told himself what he really wanted was for her to suffer in silent agony. He told himself that he did not want anyone to know what had happened so that she would be trapped alone with her burden.

So, that night he walked to the palace and found her name. After he determined who she was he spoke to Roland, the only butler he trusted and a man he had appointed to the staff himself, to find out in which dorm she slept as well as to have him replace her uniform without anyone knowing. He then silently went to her dormitory and took her pajamas.

When he returned, she was sleeping still sleeping, but was obviously cold. Unbelievably, it was almost as though she could sense his presence as her body visibly relaxed the nearer he came. He gently clothed her as she slept. Looking at her body it was hard for him not to grab and tease her. It was shocking to him that it should be so difficult to keep himself under control when it had always come so naturally to him.

After he finished clothing her, he wrapped her in a blanket and carried her back to her dormitory. He moved with same silence that an owl has as it flies. He put her in her bed and left her as if she had been there the entire evening. No one heard him and no one saw him. He could act as a specter.

When he had awoken, he sent a special request, with Roland, for Amber to report for duty immediately. He did not want to give her time to think. He did not want her to find solace in another. He wanted her as she was, as she had been last night. He wanted her to feel alone and to know that she would have to face with no protection and no defense. He wanted her to be helpless.

He saw her through the window as she approached. She walked forward with a stubborn determination, her eyes straight ahead. He smiled, he was glad that she was still standing so strong, it would make it that much more meaningful when he broke her. He expected her to hesitate as she came closer and closer to his home, but something was driving her toward him that would not stop. He lost sight of her as she took her last few steps towards the door.

He had made sure that the two of them would be alone today. He had given Roland strict orders to make sure that no one was admitted, as well as to tell everyone that he had gone to the city for the day. He had no intention of giving his new pet any chance of salvation or escape. She was going to be his in whatever way he wanted her. He heard her enter and waited. He was going to require her to go through her work knowing that he could claim her at any time.

* * *

As she entered, she felt as though his hands were running over her body. Every object that she saw around her was a reflection of him. Each object was another piece of him, another extension of his body. She could not look around the room for fear that she would be overwhelmed by the things that she saw. She knew that she had to begin her work. She knew that she could not lose herself, that she had to fight the urge to find him and offer herself to him.

With great effort she regained control of her muscles and commanded them to move her so that she could begin her work. She began by scrubbing the floor. She couldn't help but to wonder if he was watching her as she cleaned. She was aware of her body's movements to an acute degree. She felt as if her ass was exposed every time she had to bend over. She kept imagining that he was touching her every time she brushed up against something, every time her clothes shifted against her.

She kept working just barely on the edge of self-control. Her body was screaming in anticipation of his touch. She knew she shouldn't feel this way about a man who had done what he did. She knew that she should hate him for what he had taken from her, but her body would not listen. She wanted to hate him, to loathe the very thought of his existence. She could not explain the sensations she was experiencing.

She thought that he must have somehow warped her mind. She had never before felt herself aroused in the way that she had been the previous day. She had never felt the warmth spreading between her thighs before then, but she was feeling it again now. The change that he had affected on her body was to such a tremendous degree that it appeared unnatural and impossible, but she could not rid herself of it.

She knew that he was nearby, that he could come to her at any moment. The waiting was driving her to the point of insanity, but she did not stop. She kept at her work and began focusing in on it more and more. She was trying to forget where she was and what was going to happen. She knew that if she could focus hard enough that she could stop herself from feeling the palpable tension around her. She could not lose herself in her work though. Her work was not enough to fill her mind so that it could think of nothing else.

As she continued working, she felt a change. There had been no sound and she had seen nothing that would alert or alarm her, but she knew he was in the room. She knew he was right behind her. She refused to give in to him. She was not going to look where she knew he would be, she was going to keep working. She was not going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her look at him.

He was standing less than ten feet away from her as he watched her work. He had seen her pause in her work as he had entered the room. Her pause had only lasted a moment and he knew that she should not have noticed, but he was certain that she knew he was here. He watched her fighting the urge to look behind her. She was not wavering, but he could see that it was difficult for her to breathe. He could see the slight edge to all of her movements.

She was his prey and she knew it. She knew a great beast, that she could not possibly fight off or escape from, was stalking her. She would not give him the reward of acknowledging what he was and what he had done to her. She was going to rebel against him and all of the things that he had done to her as long as she was able to. If he was going to take her, she was going to make him come and claim her. She was not going to offer herself to him. It was a small rebellion, but it was the only one open to her.