Queen's disGrace Bk. 01 Ch. 01

"We Hoehns are made of sterner stuff than to be so easily confused, Your Majesty." Gailen smiled again, sensing he was gaining the upper hand in their conversation. "I'm sure in time you'll come to see the wisdom in our Archbishop administering those lands. Until then, I shall remain here." Gailen's smile widened as once more he glanced over her figure. "At Your Majesty' pleasure, of course."

"We're pleased to have you in our court. LaRend desires nothing but peace with all our neighbors. Our army has fought tirelessly to establish regional stability and stands ready to ensure the current tranquility continues." It's better to have him here where I can keep an eye on him. Marguerite blushed a little at the thought of keeping the attractive Prince under her gaze.

"A commendable position, Your Majesty. The army of Hoehns, having so recently won the campaign to unify our people, also stands ready to ensure the Kingdom they brought about is whole." The amusement dropped from Gailen's face as he leaned towards Marguerite. "I fear that until a Hoehn governs the Freighen Lands, neither peace nor stability can last."

"Then we must agree to disagree unless you intend to take things further?"

"My King, though always ready to fight for his people, is tired of war, Your Majesty. He has not yet given up on a peaceful solution, but his patience is not infinite. If he believes that you aren't prepared to negotiate in good faith he will use other means to see the Hoehns unified under his rule." Gailen leaned forward again, flexing his fist as he rested it on the table between them. "Do you appreciate the severity of that message, Your Majesty?"

Marguerite gazed back frostily; her lips a stiff line across her mouth. "Ambassador, I appreciate your candidness, so let me reply with equal candor. I have struggled for my rights since I was a child. I fought and earned this crown just as much as your brother did. Do not underestimate me or the army I have built. That army conquered the Freighan Lands, and that army can keep them."

"We shall see, Your Majesty, we shall see."

****

Marguerite swept into her private chambers, her mind racing as she considered all the ramifications of her conversation with Prince Gailen. Now I have to prepare for a war with the Hoehns on top of dealing with Buiscard's nobles. The queen pinched the bridge of her nose as her shoulders tensed. I'm going to have to meet with the Archbishop, and who knows what new concessions Richaud will ask from me. Slowly a plan began to form in her mind, easing her concern somewhat. Her problems never loomed as large once she had an idea to address them.

"What are we going to do about the Hoehns? The Prince is going to be a problem, Marguerite." Jacqueline stepped behind the Queen, placing her hands on Marguerite's shoulders. She rolled her fingers into the tight muscles gently and guided her toward the bed.

Marguerite smiled as she looked over her shoulder at her friend, relaxing under the maid's touch. "We'll have to go to the Church, of course, and use Richaud to get the Patriarch's confirmation of our suzerainty over the Freighen Lands. Only the One God knows what his price will be. Meanwhile, Stephan will start preparing our army for war."

A frown crossed Jacqueline's lips. "How can we afford that? Our revenue is barely sufficient to cover expenses. We haven't the coin to recruit and arm the soldiers we'd need to defeat the Hoehns." Jacqueline eased Marguerite into a kneeling position on the bed as she continued to knead her stiff muscles. Her talented fingers pushed down in small circles, dimpling the velvet fabric of the queen's dress.

"We'll have to find a way. Perhaps we can borrow from the DoCasta Bank..."

"I don't know Marguerite; they bank for the Patriarch. Debtors, even royal ones, who fail to make payments have a habit of finding themselves excommunicated. I don't know how the Patriarch can use their services. The stories I've heard about the depravities they get up to..."

"Have you been listening to naughty gossip, Jacqueline? Perhaps you should tell me all about it" Marguerite teased.

Jacqueline's fingers curled into fists, and began rolling her knuckles down Marguerite's back. "You're so tense; it was positively obscene how Prince Gailen looked at you." The lady-in-waiting paused a moment. "Do you need to relax?"

A tiny shudder rippled through her as she heard her friend's coded question. The Queen's nipples began to harden beneath her shift as she gave a slight tremulous nod. A moment later she felt a soft tugging at the strings tying her sleeves to the coat of her dress. The purple strips of cloth were peeled off her arms, leaving them bare and exposed. Once Jacqueline had eased the coat off her body, she crawled forward on the bed.

Jacqueline gently stroked Marguerite's thighs as she brushed up to the waistline of the Queen's skirt. She worked her fingers beneath to untie the fastenings, then pulled the long garment down and set it aside. In seconds, she climbed onto the bed to join Marguerite, pulling her into a spoon. One hand reached beneath her friend to cup her breast, squeezing it while slowly rolling her hard nipple. The other stroked down Marguerite's inner thigh, her nails trailing slowly as she pulled up the linen shift. Marguerite's breath increased as she felt her friend's fingers comb through the patch of pubic hair covering her sex. Her tongue ran over her lips, wetting them as she squirmed in Jacqueline's embrace, pushing her firm rear back into the maid's crotch.

"Are you ready?" When Marguerite nodded her assent, Jacqueline slid her fingers down against the queen's labia, gently stroking them. The lady-in-waiting took a deep breath and began. "You dirty little slut! You loved how Prince Gailen looked at you, didn't you? How he undressed you with his eyes. I bet you wanted to strip for him. Didn't you?" Jacqueline pressed her fingers deeper into Marguerite's mound as she felt the Queen grow slicker.

She languidly ran her fingers up and down the length of Marguerite's slit, gradually spreading her labia wider apart as she brought her fingers into the inner folds. "How can you expect to rule your Kingdom when you want to spread your legs for every foreign Prince who smiles at you?"

Marguerite whimpered at the cruel words, which echoed in her mind and triggered a cascade of memories and feelings. She hated how they aroused her but couldn't help responding to them. She pressed forward against Jacqueline's hand, grinding it against her sex eagerly and humped the long fingers. "Mmm!" Her moans got deeper, louder, and more urgent as she surrendered to the pleasure building inside her.

The feeling of Jacqueline's soft fingers rolling her clit added fuel to the fire, and she eagerly rocked her hips into her servant's hand as Marguerite tried to bring herself to completion. Her fingers twisted around the soft sheets of her bed, as she draped her leg over Jacqueline's, pulling herself tighter into her maid's body while shuddering in delight.

"You dumb, mewling slut. Look at you quivering in heat. Don't you have any self-control? Any self-respect?" Jacqueline squeezed Marguerite's clit, then resumed rolling the bean back and forth, faster as she lightly bumped her hips against the Queen's backside. Her other hand groped Marguerite's breast harder, digging her fingers into the soft flesh. She pinched and pulled it as she leaned into her Mistress, half covering the royal body with her own.

"A-aah, I'm close," Marguerite whined as she breathed raggedly. Despite her words, she didn't really feel close to climax or being satisfied. Though her arousal had grown, she still felt like she was being held back.

Practice had taught Jacqueline what Marguerite needed. She shifted position and moved Marguerite to her hands and knees. Then she lifted the Queen's shift and wiped her hand, slick with the royal juices, over Marguerite's pert backside. "You know what you want, slut. Beg me for it!"

Marguerite flinched at Jacqueline's harsh tone but quickly complied with the command. "Please spank me! I'm a bad girl! A slut! I deserve to be punished!" Excitement shot through her at the lewd and humiliating confession, and her ass wagged back and forth, needy for her servant's touch.

Smack! Jacqueline delivered a sharp crack to the Queen's backside. Smack! Smack! Two more blows followed, leaving Marguerite's ass stinging red. The maid then slid two fingers inside her and thrust them in and out. Once she had developed a rhythm, she returned to spanking Marguerite's ass. Smack! Smack! Smack! "Wicked slut! Cum for me! Cum for me, you dirty whore!" Jacqueline shouted, forgetting herself for the moment as she worked her fingers into the royal cunt while raining abuse onto the Queen's sore ass with her other hand. Smack! Smack! Smack!

The onslaught of blows to her backside and the sensation of two slender fingers rubbing her sensitive inner walls pushed Marguerite over the edge. She locked up and cried out in pleasure as she squeezed Jacqueline's fingers inside herself while gripping the bed tightly. "Ah! Ah! Mmm!" The Queen rode the throes of her orgasm for a moment, then collapsed onto the bed, panting for breath.

After giving her a moment to recover, Jacqueline leaned over and kissed the top of Marguerite's head. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty."

"No, I'm sorry. Sorry for making you do this. Sorry for being a... " Marguerite's voice trailed off as she pulled her shift down over her red bottom. "Invite the Archbishop to attend me for tea after lunch."

"Of course, Your Majesty" Jacqueline straightened her dress and moved towards the door, stopping at the exit. "Please don't apologize, I'm happy to help. It's no burden, truly" Jacqueline added with a smile.

"Thank you, dear" Marguerite pulled herself from the bed and looked in the mirror at her flushed, sweaty reflection. After brushing her damp locks from her face, she turned back to Jacqueline. Despite her climax, she wasn't truly satisfied and wouldn't be until she got these cravings for abuse out of her system. "Jacqueline, arrange for me to visit my room at the Silver Belle tonight. I'm afraid I need a bit more relaxation."

****

"Welcome, Most Reverend," Marguerite said with a smile she hoped masked her jitters. She was still flush from the session with Jacqueline, and despite her best efforts to dampen her arousal and concentrate on the meeting, she still found her mind wandering to the heat building between her legs. I can't believe I'm meeting with the Archbishop while hot as a bitch in heat. May the One God forgive me!

If Archbishop Richaud noticed anything amiss with the Queen, he kept it to himself. "Thank you, Your Majesty. I am always ready to offer counsel and guidance," he said. His slightly high-pitched voice was sharp and clear and projected through chambers even though he hardly raised his voice. "And thank you, child," Richaud smiled at Jacqueline as she poured them tea before stepping back against the wall to wait.

"It is appreciated, now more than ever. I have done my utmost to support the Church, just as it has always supported my divine right to rule." Marguerite studied his stony face fleetingly, finding safety and security in the paternal look. Despite herself, her mind wandered to a vision of the Archbishop looking upon her with shock and disgust upon hearing the confession of her sins. "There is now an issue with the Freighen Lands I awarded to your administration after the conclusion of our campaign there seven years ago."

"Is this problem named King Victor?" Richaud asked as he steepled fingers.

"It is, indeed. The Patriarch has named him King of the Hoehns, and he means to press that claim on the Freighen Lands." Marguerite squirmed uncomfortably in the chair as her dampness spread down her thighs. Rubbing her backside against the wooden seat agitated her ass, still sore from the spanking, and she suppressed a wince of pain while forcing a smile to her guest. I am such a slut; I need to concentrate! Marguerite tried to use the shame she felt to fuel some focus and self-control. "Those lands belong to the Church of course, and it would be a grave sin for a temporal leader to confiscate them."

"It would," Richaud replied absently, lost in thought. He sipped from his cup and reclined in his seat. They both sat silently for several minutes as the Archbishop thoughtfully absorbed the situation. Finally, he placed his teacup back in its saucer and leaned forward again. "The Patriarch would not want to set a precedence of Church lands changing hands after a secular war, but there are ways that King Victor could persuade him. The danger is real, whether through appointing his own Churchmen over the lands or paying the Patriarch directly in recompense."

"That is what I feared." Marguerite frowned and took a sip from her cup. "Surely there is something we can do. We have a strong legal argument on our side and the status quo. The Patriarch would want to avoid a war between two Kingdoms of the faithful. What levers can we use to bring him to our side?"

The Archbishop sighed dramatically and raised his hands. "To persuade the Patriarch, you're going to need to make a display of faith to show that you deserve his support."

Marguerite snorted softly and put down her cup. One hand absently dropped beneath the table to stroke her sore backside. Her cheeks colored as she realized what she was doing and placed both hands back on the oak. "Why do I have a feeling that this expression of faith is going to be costly?"

Richaud smiled sardonically. "Sacrificing our material wealth is always pleasing to the One God. But you have to remember, King Victor will no doubt make a similar display, so commissioning some art or a statue will not suffice. Perhaps you could fund a new religious order? I know a very pious and spiritual Sister that has been speaking of starting a convent. You could make her dream a reality and please the Patriarch, I'm sure."

In the corner of her eye, Marguerite could see Jacqueline stir uneasily. Funding a religious order would not just be a significant cost upfront but a continuing burden as she would be expected to be its patroness. Additionally, she'd have to grant yet more land to the Church to maintain and supply the convent, and the more it grew, the higher those costs would run.

"I do not doubt that your Sister would make a fine Abbess, and many great things would be done through her convent," Marguerite spoke, filling the silence as she got her thoughts in order. "The Patriarch would be most impressed by a new Order. But Most Reverend, I find, in my pride, drawn to accomplishing something more glorious for the One God."

"Oh? What might that be, Your Majesty?" Richaud asked, looking interested but also skeptical.

"After the Regency Council was dissolved, we spoke at my coronation about your seat, the Chapel of the Holy Martyr, and how, while a beautiful church, it was not a proper seat for as important a shepherd as the Archbishop of Parce. In my youthful exuberance, I made a grand promise, but the word of a sovereign must be unquestionable." Marguerite's heart began to beat faster as she committed herself to this course of action. "I propose to build the One God a proper cathedral, so that Parce may have a seat worthy of a grand city."

Jacqueline gasped at the pronouncement, and the Archbishop was shocked. "Your Majesty, such a thing would be incredible. A grand cathedral! The One God and the Patriarch would be well pleased." The elation dropped from his face as he considered her. "Forgive me, but it seems the cost of a cathedral is beyond Your Majesty's current resources. How do you intend to finance such an endeavor?"

That was a sticking point. While a cathedral was more expensive than a convent, there wasn't an expectation that she surrender land for it. The Church was already the biggest landowner in the Kingdom, and she couldn't afford to give away any more profitable farmland to the Faith. "I had considered taking a loan from the DoCasta bank. If the Patriarch trusts them, how can I not?"

The Archbishop giggled uncharacteristically. "Winning the Patriarch's support by borrowing his own money? I suppose the One God would appreciate the irony in that." Richaud smiled and looked at her shrewdly. "The cost of such a momentous undertaking would be spread out through decades, probably beyond either of our own mortal lives."

"That had occurred to me too," Marguerite admitted with a smile.

"There would need to be real, immediate progress. You must convince the DoCastas to commit enough money to purchase the foundation and the requisite property in the city. The Patriarch will want to see a sketch of the cathedral soon. He won't be fooled by empty promises, Your Majesty, nor will I."

"I understand Most Reverend. I am sincere in this and I will find the money to start this project. Parce and LaRend deserve a worthy seat, and the One God needs an appropriate house." Marguerite ignored the pointed look from Jacqueline, who could barely restrain herself. Despite her cynicism regarding the cost of winning the Patriarch's favor, she honestly believed that constructing the cathedral would glorify the One God.

"I believe you, Your Majesty, and will write to the Patriarch of your plans," he hesitated before continuing, "be cautious in your dealings with the DoCastas. They must have some virtue to have the trust of the Patriarch, but the tales one hears... Be certain you honor any deals you make, for they will hold you to them, Queen or not."

Marguerite nodded in acknowledgement. "Thank you for your concern, Most Reverend, I'll be careful. But this is too important to wait and worth the risk. I will see them immediately. Lorenzo DoCasta was in court today, so he should be available." She glanced at Jacqueline. "Lady Jacqueline, see to the arrangements."

****

The banker was younger than she thought by at least several years. Lorenzo was dressed simply, but elegantly. His clothes were well made of fine material but lacked ostentatious patterns or adornments that wouldn't reflect well on a banker. The only jewelry he wore was a simple ring with a serpentine stone set in the middle. His youthful face easily carried a charming smile, but Marguerite couldn't help but think it was a mask for something much harsher beneath.

"Thank you for receiving me, Your Majesty." Lorenzo bowed deeply, almost gratuitously, before standing straight again.

"Welcome, Master DoCasta. Please have a seat." Marguerite gestured to the chair besides hers before sitting down. Fortunately, the pain from her earlier spanking had passed, letting the Queen slip into the seat comfortably.

"Would you care for some wine, Master DoCasta?" Jacqueline asked and filled his cup when the banker assented.

"Thank you, My Lady, you're too kind. To your health, my Queen" Lorenzo smiled again and lifted his cup before taking a drink. "Ah, a vintage from Floreze. You spoil me with this reminder of my home."

"We want you to feel welcome here. I have high hopes that your family's presence will add greatly to the prosperity of LaRend." Marguerite returned his smile with a polite one of her own and sipped her wine.

"That is my family's greatest wish, to spread prosperity across all the countries of faith. At the risk of sounding like a sycophant, I pushed for my family to open a branch here. I look at your people and see great potential waiting to be released. It would honor me to be a catalyst for that growth."

Marguerite found herself believing him. His voice, or maybe it was his tone, inspired confidence. "I do not doubt it. If the Patriarch trusts you with the Holy Tithes, you must have the One God's blessings. I'm sure every project you touch will turn to gold." Marguerite tittered softly and drank again, eyeing the handsome banker. She struggled to suppress the lust that had lingered since her earlier encounter with Jacqueline and focus on the business at hand.