Command and Vanquish Ch. 02

"Oh, Rayth!" she cried as she gripped him, "Why has Jem turned on me? Could what I had done that night have been so terrible? I'd do anything for him, why..."

"Sshhhhh," Rayth encouraged as he lifted Isabella into his arms. He carried her over to his bed, and laid her on it. Isabella buried her face in his chest, and he held her and stroked her hair as she cried. Alenya looked at the two of them from across the room, and although was worried about the Princess, she was happy her Master was there. Rayth more and more often found himself as the intermediary between Isabella and Jem.

Isabella's sobs turned into sniffles as she tried talking again, but Rayth stopped her. "Iz, don't worry. It's not you, it's everything else that's getting to him. He'll...you'll BOTH be okay." He kissed her on the forehead and hugged her. "But he needs some time right now," he murmured, "just to be safe, steer clear of him for a little bit. No need to expose you to his temper," he chuckled a little, "and boy, does he ever have one. Speaking of which," Rayth stood up, "I have to go...I'm late for an interrogation."

He started out the door, but then stopped and looked back. "Iz, the military council's meeting later today. As a favor, to me...plan on doing something else during that time?"

Isabella nodded, and he left. Alenya rushed over to Rayth's bed to give Isabella a hug of her own.

*********

The Espinan soldier was barely clinging to consciousness as he hung naked from the whipping post. Navin was beginning to wonder if Jem was interrogating the man, or simply beating him to vent personal frustration.

"Prince Jaimeth, if your arm is growing tired, I can take over for a bit."

Jem's arm was very sore, but he wanted to keep going. "Thanks, captain, but this piece of shit hasn't told me what I wanted yet."

CRACK.

The whip fell on the prisoner's back again, once more turning his world red.

CRACK. CRACK. The Espinan soldier blacked out.

"Cut him down!" Jem called. The soldier collapsed on the floor, and Jem shook him until he recovered. "Wakey, wakey, sleeping beauty."

Jem looked at the recovering man. The shape of this man's eyes, the color of his skin, the texture of his hair...all so familiar. They reminded Jem of Isabella. The woman he had grown to love had so many of the same features as the man lying limp in his arms...a man who had sworn to kill him. Jem wondered suddenly forgot Isabella's continued declarations and displays of loyalty, and he began to question: where were Isabella's loyalties really? Who would Isabella care more for upon sight alone: Prince Jaimeth...or this piece of shit assassin who shared her origins?

Rayth entered the room as Jem looked down at the man. Jem instructed his guards, "put him in chains. Take this ugly mutt to Princess Isabella's room. Keep him chained, but tell her it's my gift to her. I got to fuck with an Espinan spy...I'm allowing her the same opportunity."

The guards hauled the man to his feet, then heavily chained him. Once the guards had the prisoner out of the room, Rayth looked at Jem worried. "Jem, I'm not sure what you're trying to achieve with this..."

Jem looked unfamiliar and distant. "She's one of them. I want to see how she treats one of her own kind after he planned to kill me. That'll speak volumes of her mindset."

Rayth looked at Jem, worried about his mindset. "Jem...does she even know he's a potential assassin? Wouldn't she have to know that if you're going to gauge that kind of reaction?"

Jem eyed Rayth suspiciously: "Awful defensive of the Princess, aren't we?"

Rayth's mouth hung open slightly as he thought, "is he serious?" "Jem," he said aloud, "we're on the same side here. I want to crack the Espinan's just as much as you do. But let's be smart about it, shall we?"

"Watch you're fucking tone, Rayth. But yes, we should definitely think hard about things." Then he turned and strode out.

Rayth stood alone in the middle of the room, his feelings somewhat hurt. Navin walked up beside him, and they stood quietly together for a moment.

"Nav...I'm beginning to worry about the mental health of our sovereign heir."

Navin nodded, but didn't say anything. He had an idea...if things got worse.

*********

Isabella was alone in her room, reviewing the military council's latest report when several hard thumps came to the door. Isabella recognized it as a guard's knock, and became somewhat concerned. What would they want?

She waved her slave away from the door; she wanted to answer it herself. Nervously pulling the door open, she was not prepared for the sight in front of her.

A naked man was clinging to consciousness, chained and in the arms of several guards. He was attractive, well kept hair, handsome face, and she could see from his nakedness every rippling muscle on his hard built body.

"Who is this?" she demanded of the guards. One of them smiled, as he was well acquainted and friendly with the Princess. "Prince Jaimeth sent this one as a gift to you. He's not entirely unattractive, and looks well endowed. He could probably entertain you for some time."

Isabella's eyes were wide. "Um...I see. Jem sent him to me?" somewhat happy Jem was showing her any attention.

"Yes Princess. Would you like us to stay to make sure he doesn't harm you, or do you want us to leave him in chains to be alone with you?"

Isabella was nervous, but smiled and tried to look confident. "I think if he's chained well enough, there's no reason for you to stay. Please take him inside."

"Com'on, you fuck!" one of the guards said as they pushed the man into the room. The prisoner appeared to be gaining awareness and strength. The guards placed him on her floor, and one of them said, "Madam Princess, we'll be right outside the door if you need help with him." Another guard looked down at the prisoner and said, "Go ahead...give me a reason to come in here and break your ribs. I'll love doing it."

"Thank you, you're most kind," she responded. "Allow me some time with him now, please." They nodded and pulled the door closed behind them.

Isabella and the prisoner were alone in the room together. "Now what?" she thought. She would try to be hard...it's what Jem would want.

"Slave...what is your name?"

He didn't answer.

She looked over him, "You're Espinan, aren't you? What have you done to land yourself here?"

He didn't answer.

She sighed. Who was she kidding? She wasn't a master interrogator. What would Jem do? She was sure that since Jem sent the prisoner here, he trusted her ability to interrogate. What was it that Jem was doing the other night? "Good guy/ bad guy strategy" she remembered! Yes, that was it! Jem had beat this man unconscious to play "bad guy," and now it was her turn to play "good guy"! She was immensely pleased at how clever she felt! Now she had to gain the prisoner's trust...

"Slave, I don't know why you've been brought to me, but I assure you, you've nothing to fear from me."

The Espinan soldier tensed, "You're the traitor Princess, aren't you?" He looked up at her and gave her a deadly glare. "Perhaps you should fear me."

He was immobile in his chairs, still her breath caught.

*********

Jem grabbed one of his body slaves he found in the hall, twisted her arm, and shoved her into his room. He pushed her in front of him, arm twisted around, all the up the dais to his bed. Not letting her up, he bent her over his bed and spread her feet apart with his own.

"Yeah, that's it, fight me girl," he said with his teeth clenched. "It makes the muscles tighter on my cock when you tense."

Jem would wait for Isabella's response in ecstasy, and at the expense of the girl in front of him.

*********

"Be calm" Isabella thought to herself, "you need to get his trust." She noticed he looked hungry. She opened the door a crack, and said to one of the guards outside, "bring some food; it looks like he needs to regain some strength." One of the guards smiled cruelly, and said, "You like fighters like Jem, do you Princess?" Isabella blushed, "Not quite, but hurry with the food."

Isabella turned her attention back to the man in chains on her floor. She approached him, eyeing the position of his hands, and reached down to stroke his face. He tried to bite her, and she pulled back her hand and laughed.

"Please," she said softly. "I know my fiancé can be cruel." She thought of a quick lie. "He's cruel to me as well. I am like one of his slaves." She put on her best martyr face, and attempted to look as sad and desperate as possible. "In truth, I can't go anywhere, or do anything, without his say. He doesn't let me anywhere near him..." That part was true, she realized. Suddenly, she was caught in her own mind over how much of this was true, and how much was pretense for the benefit of her game. "I've...I've longed for a man's touch."

She ran her eyes over the kneeling form of the man. He was exquisite. Jem sent him here, she told herself, "he wants you to do this" she thought.

"I'm lonely here...you know what my fiancé has done to your back? He's done the same to me," she lied. "Please...I couldn't bear it if another man was cruel to me as well. Please," she ventured, slowly approaching him, "...we could make one another feel good, if only for a moment."

The prisoner appeared to melt, if only slightly, with pity for her. He was beginning to breathe heavily as she approached him. She got on her knees with him on the floor, and softly said, "Please let me touch you," as she reached her hand to his chest.

His skin was hot, and taut over his muscles. She slid her hand down his skin, assisted by his slight perspiration, and moved over his stomach, down...

A knock came to the door, and it cracked open a bit. "The food you asked for, Madam Princess," the guard said.

She smiled, and jumped up to fetch it. The door closed, and once more they were alone.

"I can't unchain you" she said, "since I don't have the key, but please...allow me to feed you? You must be famished."

She picked up a small piece of meat, and cautiously held it to his lips. His eyes glared at hers...neither of them entirely trusted the other. He opened his mouth, and took the meat with his teeth. She smiled, "good, I hope you like it." Then she had a great idea.

"I don't want to get my clothes messy as I feed you..." so she slowly rose, and slipped her dress off over her head. She stood in front of the man, her underclothes the only things hiding her complete nakedness. She could see her firm beautiful skin contouring every curve.

She knelt again, to continue his feeding. With every bite, he couldn't take his eyes off of her. He finished his food, and she picked up a wet cloth to wipe his mouth. She ran her fingers over his soft full lips; this time, he didn't try to bite her, but he pulled her finger into his mouth with his tongue, and began to caress the sensitive tips of her fingers in swirling, gentle strokes.

She saw him harden in front of her, and she was becoming wet herself.

She pulled her fingers out of his mouth, and reached down to grip his cock with both hands. She was surprised at how good it felt, hot and smooth...

Another knock on the door. She rolled her eyes as she went to answer it.

Then she was thrilled to see Lord Rayth. He would help her; he could tell her what Jem wanted from her. She'd do anything to win Jem's love again...

His eyes shown warmth and concern for her. In a low murmur, he said, "Step into the hallway, please, my Princess."

Once the door closed, Isabella couldn't help but touch Rayth. Trying to 'break' the Espinan inside had shaken her, and she needed the feel of masculine protection from a friend.

"Rayth, I'm so glad you're here; who is that in there?"

"That's an Espinan assassin, originally instructed to kill Jem. I'm, frankly, a little surprised Jem sent him over here, but I needed to warn you: don't show any kindness to that man in there. Jem will view it as treachery."

"What do you mean, Rayth? What did Jem expect me to do with that man?"

"I'm not sure what Jem was expecting; I'd rather not see you have to deal with the prisoner."

Isabella looked nervously at the door, thinking about the person inside. "I've already fed him, Rayth; should I not have done that?"

"I'm not sure it will matter. I'll have him taken back to the dungeons, then come to my room and we'll talk." Rayth looked around, "Where the hell are the guards?"

Isabella looked all over, then looked worried, "I don't know...they said they'd wait right outside?"

Rayth closed his eyes as his stomach sank.

*********

"Sir, she had ordered a plate of food which she said was for the prisoner's strength."

The guards that were outside of Isabella's door had been called to Jem's quarters. They now stood at attention in front of their Prince.

"And when you brought it to her, what was she doing?" Jem asked.

The guard who held the plate stood silent. He felt stuck, as if he was betraying the Princess over nothing. He knew she'd done nothing wrong.

Jem's temper was beginning to flare. "You son-of-a-bitch, I asked you a question! Lie to me, go ahead, and watch what I do to you! Tell me: what was she doing when you brought her the plate?"

The guard swallowed. "She was on her knees, touching the prisoner, Sir."

*********

While Jem was busy, Navin crossed Royal Square to the Queen's palace and took a deep breath. "This could go very well, or very badly," he said to himself as he made his way through the hall.

The Queen invited Navin into reception room upon hearing Navin's request to see her.

"Your majesty, this is about Jem. I've sworn myself to your grandson, and I love him like he were my own son..."

"You've been the closest thing he's had to a father, Navin. I trust you to look out for my heir."

"Thank you, your majesty. But Jem has a problem..."

Navin outlined his concerns about Jem's arrogance and increased distrust of even his closest advisors. Navin voiced the implications for Jem along this path...

...then proposed an unorthodox remedy.

The Queen looked grave as she considered what he said. Finally, she said, "Two weeks, starting from the point you think it's necessary to begin. But you only have two weeks."

Navin bowed to her. "Thank you, your majesty. Hopefully it won't even take that long."

The Queen looked out the window and said into the distance, "Oh, Jem."

*********

Prince Jaimeth was throwing another 'party', only this time no one was exactly sure who the victim was for the night. Rayth sat across the room from Jem, knowing in his heart something just wasn't right. Jem was intoxicated already, and the night would go downhill from the start.

Navin sat in the corner, waited, and watched. Even he wasn't sure what was about to happen.

"Gentlemen," the drunken Prince Jaimeth began, "double feature tonight, and I get to be 'good guy' and 'bad guy', all rolled into one. Let's let the first interrogation begin. Guard!" he called, and motioned for the first 'prisoner' to be brought in.

Both Navin and Rayth almost lunged across the room as Princess Isabella was escorted into the room, wearing a thin dress and heavy chains. Two things were on her mind: anger and confusion, and both were directed at Jem. The other men in the room sat wide-eyed, not believing what they were seeing.

Isabella held her head high, but lowered her eyes, as she made her way over to Jem. She burned with humiliation, but as the future Queen to everyone in the room, she attempted to appear as dignified as possible. Once she reached him, she knelt, keeping her back rigidly straight, and bowing her head slightly. "My Prince," she said with a mix of emotion.

Jem forgot the rest of the room existed, and fixed his sights firmly on her. Venom was in his voice as he began:

"My guards inform me you paid particular attention to a special visitor you had today. Tell me: is it true that the first thing you did, before you had another thought, was that you fed him?"

"Yes, Jem, I did, but only because I..."

She never finished her sentence before he back-handed her so hard that she flew to the ground. Blood lined her lips from the instantaneous cut inside her mouth. She lay there, eyes closed, trying to recover as her head throbbed.

"GET UP!" he roared. Rayth, Navin, and the rest of the room panicked and watched in horror as the Princess struggled to pull herself up and get back on her knees. They were all wondering how to intervene without making it worse. He was the Prince: whatever he wanted to do, he was entitled to do, even if it meant harming their beloved Princess.

Isabella pulled herself up, and knelt once again in front of him. She no longer had her eyes lowered, but were looking at him, fightened, hurt, and angry. She waited.

"I'm also told you enjoyed the touch of his flesh? You just couldn't wait to run your fingers over one of your own kind, could you?"

"Jem, I thought that you..."

He back-handed her hard the other way, putting a matching cut on the other side of her mouth. More calmly this time, more deadly, he said, "get up."

Barely able to do it, she pulled herself up to kneel in front of him once more. Blood was coming out of her mouth as her lips trembled and tears welled in her eyes.

"Do you want to wear the same marks on your back that I gave you new friend?"

Her eyes closed in defeated petition, "Jem, please..." He hit her to the ground for a third time, then looked down at her. He wasn't going to whip her. She'd had enough, she was done.

"Guard!" he called. "See that the Princess makes it back safely to her room. Don't help her, don't touch her; she is to make it on her own. She is not to leave her room until I call for her. You're dismissed, Princess."

The two guards that would escort her both felt torn; they both wanted to reach down, pick her up, and cradle her back to her room. But Jem told them they couldn't...so they couldn't.

Pathetically, the Isabella pulled herself up, stood, and although was wobbly, turned and left the room. Navin shot the Prince a glare before he got up and strode out of the room. The Prince was drunk, and didn't want to argue with Navin; he let him go.

*********

Navin went out to the hallway where the two guards stood behind Isabella as she struggled to maintain herself on the way back to her room. Upon hearing footsteps approaching, she spun around to see Navin coming after her, seemingly angry. She started to beg from him, fearing he was going to hurt her,

"Please, Sir, they didn't help me, I'm going back to my room, I'm just fine, I just had a small altercation with Jem, but I'm doing what he asked..."

Navin grabbed her arms and lifted her into his own and said, "That's enough." She was grateful for the support of his body, and let her muscles relax, resting her head on his shoulder as he carried her to her room. Once he got there, he carried her to her bed, and gently placed her on the pillows. He instructed the guards to bring several slaves to attend to her, and give her anything she needed. Then he got on his knees beside her bed, and rested his head on the pillows beside her.

"I'm sorry Princess. I should have done something earlier, but I swear to you, nothing like that will ever, EVER happen to you again."

Navin squeezed her hand and left to go back to the party, needing to know what else Jem was about to do. "I've got two weeks with his ass" Navin said to himself.

*********

By the time Navin stepped back into the party room, Rayth looked liked he was ready to come unglued. "This could be a problem," Navin thought to himself. Although Jem could be an asshole, Navin's first sworn duty was protect Jem's safety. What would make Rayth so upset, more than the others? He looked across the room.

Alenya was standing in front of Jaimeth.