Command and Vanquish Ch. 02

Prince Jaimeth's eyes were looking up and down Alenya as his smile looked cruel.

"Yes, you're a very beautiful girl; such a shame you've been kept from all of us. What do you say? It's been a while since I've had you serve at a party; you've had such an easy life. Go ahead, go ask around the room if anyone would like something to drink."

Somewhat relieved to be away from Jem, Alenya began her circuit, nervously approaching the first man. She tired not to look back at Rayth for comfort as she asked shakily, "What may I bring for you Master?"

This first man she came to looked scared; he looked over at Rayth glaring at him. Prince Jaimeth was the highest of all of them, but Lord Rayth was next. The guard knew pissing off Rayth was about as stupid as pissing off Jem. What to do? The guard didn't have to decide, Rayth intervened.

"Come here, Alenya" Rayth snapped, "Serve me first." He was trying to find a way to get her out of the room. An uneasy Alenya nearly ran toward Rayth, desperately longing for the comfort of his protective presence.

"Nnnnoooo...." Jem sang and smiled, "Rayth, if you're not going to play fair, I'll just have to keep Alenya to myself. Come here, Alenya," Jem cooed. Rayth gripped the sides of his chair. He wasn't far from punching Jem. Jem was oblivious.

The Prince reached out as Alenya woodenly approached him and he gripped her ass. He pulled her by the ass onto his lap, and she was forced to straddle him to compensate. She closed her eyes as Jem began roving his hands over her body.

"You know, slave," started Jem, "I give Rayth a lot. He has access to any of my slaves, but do you think the favor is returned? That's not exactly fair, now, is it? He wouldn't be a very good friend if he didn't let me fuck you." He cupped one of her breasts in his hand and pinched her nipple softly, rolling it in his finger tips. With his other hand, he was stroking the soft flesh exposed to him as her dress rode up over her legs. So warm, soft, so close to her most sensitive areas. "And I promise you, you're missing out, slave." He clenched his teeth and hissed, "I'm about to show you what you've been missing," and plunged a finger into her soft pussy.

Rayth couldn't take it, and panicked. He jumped to his knees, "Please Jaimeth, don't do this...let her go, please, I'm begging you."

Jem looked pissed. "You're begging me? Lord Rayth? LORD Rayth is begging? What the fuck happened to you Rayth?" He turned his attention back to Alenya. "Strip, slave, let us see your lovely body." She pulled her dress off, and how straddled Jaimeth nude.

"Come on, Jem, just let her go, please, for me..."

"Shut the fuck up, Rayth! This is a fucking slave we're talking about here! Fuck! You've helped me tie them down and fuck them raw! How many sweet succulent mouths did I order to wrap around your dick? How many times has a girl sucked my cock while you fucked her in the ass? Huh?! Now you're going to flip out about me taking pleasure from one more insignificant slave?!"

Rayth stood up and put his hand on his sword, "You fucking know she's not insignificant to me, you fuck! What the hell are you doing?! You have so many MANY other beautiful women to do whatever you want with, why do you have to mess with the one that means something to me! You're supposed to be my friend!"

"Friends SHARE!" Jem shouted and taunted back, plunging his fingers hard and rapidly into Alenya who was still straddling him. He pulled his fingers out, and showed the juice running down his hand to Rayth. "See that? Your little whore likes it." He forced Alenya to suck his fingers clean, then stuck them back into her, pumping hard and fast. "Oooh, there she goes, she's getting into it." Tears were in Alenya's eyes as she couldn't help but respond. "That's my good girl" he said, fingering her cunt, using his thumb to flick her clit. "mmm, how about you dance like that on my cock?"

Rayth pulled out his blade and Navin's stomach sank. Every other guard in the room reached for their blade, ready to defend Jaimeth. No one like what Jem was doing, but he was still the Prince.

"Knock it the fuck off, Jem, you bastard!" Rayth said.

"Not smart, Rayth, not smart." Jem said, smiling, still finger-fucking Alenya. "Now I'm going to fuck your girl until she can't walk, and then I'm going to throw her to the prisoners downstairs." Jem's mood suddenly shifted, and he was terribly angry with Rayth, "Sit back down and watch me fuck her brains out. Watch her bounce, and listen to her moan," Jem licked the side of Alenya's face, "I bet I can make her cry out in ways you can't."

Rayth clenched his sword and moved towards Jem, "I'll be damned if I sit by and watch you do this!" Navin pulled out his sword and stepped in between Rayth and Jem. Navin put his blade to Rayth's throat.

"Sir." Navin looked into Rayth's eyes, hoping Rayth's anger wasn't going to blind him to what Navin was trying to do. "You know better than to EVER pull a sword out on the Prince. That's illegal, and I cannot stand for it. Guards! Take Lord Rayth's weapon, and bind his hands." Navin turned around and looked at Jaimeth, sad that he could help Rayth, but not Alenya. "Your royal majesty, with your permission, I'd like to place Lord Rayth under arrest and take him to a holding cell."

Jem nodded, and arrogantly said, "I think that's a wonderful idea."

"Very well," said Navin, and turned around and took a hold of one of Rayth's bound arms. "Come on, Sir." Navin said quietly, and left the room with him.

Once they got in the hallway, the guards shut the door, and Navin cut Rayth's arms free. Navin looked sadly at Rayth and said, "I'm sorry, Sir, but I thought it better to get you out of there, so he didn't make you watch."

Rayth lunged for the door to the room again, ready to break Jem apart to protect Alenya, but Navin and the other guards grabbed him once again, restraining him until he settled. When they felt his body go limp in defeat, they leaned him against the wall. Navin had never seen it before, but Rayth's eyes were filled with tears.

Then after a moment, Rayth sat on the floor: "Nav...thanks for getting me out of there before I had to watch him do what he's going to do to her. I'm pissed...but grateful to you." Hanging his head, he finished, "I think I'm going to vomit."

Navin laughed, although he certainly felt sorry for Rayth. "Let me take you back you your room, Sir; that's a good enough 'holding cell' I think. I'll go back then and try to curb things for Alenya. But hang in there. His selfish, arrogant bullshit is going to end...tomorrow. It's bad enough when he's like that to everyone else, but he's lost it when he acts like that to you, and especially her highness the Princess."

Rayth let Navin help him up and asked, "What do you mean 'it's going to end tomorrow?"

"Well, Sir, after talking to the Queen, I have her express permission to..."

*********

The next morning, Jem had a severe hangover, but though slitted eyes, saw Navin standing over his bed. Jem smiled, "Hey man, what are you doing here so bright and early?"

Navin ripped the blankets off of Jem, and despite Jem's weak struggles, pulled him by the legs out of bed and threw him on the floor.

"What the FUCK are you doing Navin?!?!"

Navin put his boot on Jem's back and pressed him to the floor as he tried to stand, knocking the air out of him. "Shut up....Sir."

*********

Early in the morning, Rayth had gone to check on Isabella. As she lay innocently sleeping in bed, she looked aweful: her face and eyes had turned yellow, black, and blue. Rayth almost cried, but held himself together as he climbed into bed with her. He curled up around her, waking her pleasantly. Tears slid out of her face as she woke to look up at him, grateful to him for the comfort he provided. He took a rag from a slave to wash her face. "I'm sorry for what happened, Isabella; I don't know why we didn't do anything to save you from this. Things are going to change, though..."

Alenya stumbled into the doorway, bruised severely and having trouble walking. She had been afraid to go to Rayth's room, and was looking to find comfort from Isabella; Jem was their mutual abuser. When Alenya entered the Princess's room and saw Rayth, she started to cry with happiness.

Rayth felt like shit. He felt as though the two women he failed to protect were in the same room with him, and he felt ashamed to be around them both. He stood from Isabella's bed, and slowly, cautiously, made his way to Alenya; he felt unworthy of her, unable to protect her.

He got on the floor with her, held her, and together they cried. He kept kissing her and saying over and over, "I'm so sorry...I'm so sorry..." It was his fault she was here. He should have sold her, sent her away, protected her from Jem. Instead, he was selfish to keep her to himself. He couldn't bear it.

"Alenya..." he managed. "This isn't going to happen again. I'm sending you to my castle. Take care of Lillian, Sonia, and Benito; they'll be kind to you. You'll have your own separate house on my grounds..."

"Master, please don't send me away from you! Haven't I suffered enough? I can't stand to be away from you, please let me stay..."

"SSshhh" he told her, "I'll either send for you or come and visit you often."

"Please Master, No!"

"Alenya...I have to keep you safe."

*********

Navin took his foot off Jaimeth's back and told him, "Kneel."

Jaimeth was burning with anger, and his headache worsening his temperament, "LIKE HELL I WILL!"

Navin pulled out a whip, smiled, then struck Jaimeth with incredible force. "Don't swear at me, Sir. And do what I tell you."

Jaimeth lie on the floor, gasping. He'd never been struck before. He didn't realize the pain. He looked at a few of the guards standing around him, and said "Why the hell are you just standing there? Arrest Navin!"

Navin hit him again, just as hard. "Sorry Sir, they don't belong to you anymore. They belong to me. You, um, grandmother, the Queen? She's as tired of your shit as the rest of us are. You, Sir, are my slave until you straighten yourself out." For effect, Navin didn't tell him he only had to do it for two weeks.

*********

The Espinan soldier that was in Isabella's room, unguarded for hours, managed to escape. Not knowing how to free his comrades, he set out for Espinan to get more help for the rescue. Upon hearing what had happened, the king of Espinan sent for him.

"You, soldier, were given to my daughter?"

"Yes, your majesty, and I have information we can use as leverage. First, your daughter told me that Prince Jaimeth of Pangain frequently abuses her, which I believe are grounds to void the engagement."

"Wonderful! What a crushing blow to that tart, to have legal recourse to take her from him! What else do you have?"

The Espinan soldier smiled. "The rest of the royal family is at Lord Rayth's castle, only 50 miles in from the border."

The king gripped his chair, then smiled. "That's almost too easy. Prince Jaimeth's brother, Prince Benito, is there?"

"Yes, your majesty."

"Excellent. With the male line gone, the monarchy is as much as over, and their lands easily overrun. Assemble a team; we'll get the boy."

*********

Jaimeth fumbled for the sword he kept by his bed. Navin laughed, "Oh, Sir, you're going to challenge me? This ought to be funny...okay, slave, I'll play along."

"Shut UP! The Queen would never consent to me being your slave!" As Jaimeth stood up to strike viciously at Navin. Navin took the blows easily in stride and smiled.

"Oh but she did...and if you want I'll throw you in a collar and leash to take you over there, and you can ask her yourself."

Jem actually looked a little scared at this. Could Navin be serious?

Navin knocked the sword out of Jem's hands, and put his blade to Jem's throat. "Be a good boy and get on your knees."

Jem simultaneously looked sad and furious as he slowly complied. "Navin..."

Navin kicked him over, then grabbed him by the hair to sit him back up. "Sir...or slave...I didn't tell you that you could use my name."

*********

Three days later, Jaimeth was scrubbing the tiles in the kitchen by hand as Navin sat on a chair, drinking iced lemon water. Rayth made his way in, and Navin smiled. "Sir...anything you'd like my slave to do for you?"

Jem's face burned, and said "Fuck you, Navin"

Navin brought down his whip, "That's one for swearing at me," and hit him again, "That's two for using my name." Navin smiled back up at Rayth. "These are very simple things, really, shame I keep having to correct him."

Rayth looked down at Jem in pain, and Navin yelled, "Keep working!" Jem continued his scrubbing.

"Actually, Navin...this looks like a lot of work. Do you mind if I help my friend get it done?"

Navin grinned, so proud of Rayth; Jem and Rayth, since the military academy where Navin instructed them, were like the sons he didn't have yet.

"Of course, Sir. There are extra cleaning supplies on the shelf."

Rayth took off his shirt, grabbed a scrubber, and got on his hands and knees on the floor beside Jaimeth. Jem's face was still red. "Go away, Rayth."

"No, Jem; I wouldn't let you go through something like this alone." Jaimeth's eyes filled with tears.

After they were done, Jaimeth mumbled, "Thanks Rayth."

*********

In the middle of the night, as Prince Benito slept in his bed, a team of Espinan soldiers snuck in through his window. Binding and gagging the young boy, they carried his small body out and away...

No one even knew he was gone.

*********

The next morning, Navin had Prince Jaimeth cleaning out his horses stalls. Isabella walked in, and Navin smiled; his plan was working brilliantly.

"Madam Princess!" he said. Jem spun around in shock to see her; he hadn't seen her since he hit her. What he saw almost made him sick; her face still hadn't healed entirely. He put his head down and kept working, entirely ashamed to even look at her. His face was bright red.

"Good morning, Navin." The Princess said, cautiously. She was still somewhat hurt, and somewhat afraid of Jem.

"Navin," she began, "I have the rest of the day free; perhaps I could help around here, and we can all call it an early day."

Navin shrugged, "that's your discretion how you use your free time. You know you could go shopping, see a play, read a book..."

"No," she interrupted him, "I'd much rather be here."

"Fine then," he smiled, "there's another pitchfork beside the door."

"Thank you."

"No." Jem said quietly, and sunk to his knees. "Please, Sir, send her away...I don't want her to help."

Isabella froze; did he not want her there because he was ashamed, or was it because he was still angry with her?

Navin swished his whip through his fingers. "I don't care what you want, but out of curiosity, why the hell would you refuse help when it was offered?"

"Because..." Jem's voice started cracking, and his eyes tearing. "Because I don't deserve anything from her. I can't stand the shame of having someone I've treated so badly help me in any way. Navin, whip me 100 times, chain me to a wall and don't feed me...but please don't let her help me. I don't think I can take it."

Navin appeared stoic and said, "keep working." Dejectedly, Jem lifted another pitchfork, and Isabella moved beside him, and touched his arm.

"Jem? I want to. No matter what you do, or what you go through, I still love you and want to be beside you, no matter what."

This was too much, and he flat out cried. "Stop! Iz! I don't deserve you! Look what I did to you! And why? I can't even tell you why I did that! I'm a piece of shit for it!" he fell on his knees and hugged her, "I love you so much Isabella, I don't know what I was thinking, but I love you! You have no reason to ever forgive me!"

Isabella was crying now, and oddly enough, Navin's throat caught. He cleared his throat, and tried to be strong as he said, "That's enough, there is work to be done. Lesson of the day: accept help from those who care about you. You can't do it all on your own, Jem. Now get to work."

Navin thought to himself, "and this will be the last day of work. I've achieved what I set out to do: the Prince found humility."

*********

Jaimeth, Isabella, Navin, and Rayth set out on the patio outside Prince's hall, enjoying Jem's first day "back." They were laughing now about the whole ordeal, although Jem couldn't stop incessantly apologizing to both Rayth and Isabella. Still, Rayth had sent Alenya away to his castle; he wasn't taking any chances.

Isabella snuggled up against Jem. "Thank you for apologizing, Jem. I love you, and it was killing me not talking to you."

"Jem, I think you need a small vacation before we get back to work on the war..."

"Yeah, but speaking of which, Rayth, who's been handling that while I've been," he punched Navin's arm, "a bit 'busy' lately."

"The council's been meeting everyday, moving generals and positions," replied Rayth. "We struck our first set of targets, positive success. They've got nothing on us. It's going well, not to worry. How about we go down to the café again, and for fun we can..."

"SIR!" A messenger said, running up to the group. The messenger was in a sheer state of panic. "Prince Jaimeth, oh my goodness, this is terrible!"

Jem sat up, wide-eyed, "What's wrong?"

"Message from the king of Espinan, your majesty."

"What does it say? Is he surrendering unconditionally?"

"Your majesty, no. Navin, I respectfully ask you restrain the Prince while I tell him this." Shocked, Navin said, "Jaimeth, this sounds bad...please sit Sir, I'll do my best."

Jaimeth's face turned dark with worry, swallowed, and said "What is it?"

The messenger replied, "your majesty. The King of Espinan has taken your brother Benito. He said he will hold him until you send Princess Isabella back to his castle; your engagement is nullified."

All of them were in shock and panic, no one moving until Jaimeth vomited. "Benny..." was all he could say.