Royal Guest

She sat by the window, feeling the cool breeze on her face as she looked out for any sign of his arrival.

Around her, four hand-picked members of her royal guard - men she trusted with her life - were seated or standing. As a sign of their obedience to their queen, none of them spoke above a whisper. For this long wait alone, she reckoned, their patience would deserve a reward.

Queen Alexis, meanwhile, said nothing. She was content to listen to the sound of wind passing through the trees, the sound of birds singing their songs, or the sound of wild animals trudging through the dead leaves on the forest floor. She had long ago learned that patience was the greatest of virtues, and it had not been an easy lesson.

Her territory had once encompassed wide stretches of land between the northern sea and the Carrokk mountains, but that had changed during the first years of her reign as queen. It had not been an easy coronation; her father, Erik, had died in battle with the kingdom on their western borders. King Clovis was widely known for his ruthlessness and war prowess, and he had not allowed Alexis any chance to grieve before launching an assault upon her people.

It had been a bloody war, and vast stretches of Alexis' realm had been occupied by the invaders despite her most valiant efforts. However Clovis' military victories had not been able to make up for the fact that his army was too small to conquer Alexis' realm completely.

Therefore, peace negotiations had begun. Clovis and Alexis had met under a banner of truce to put an end to a war that neither side could win without losing more than they gained. Alexis had been forced to concede half her territory to the arrogant warlord, and promise a yearly tribute in perpetuity. It had not been easy for her, enduring his threats and taunts over her youth, homely appearance, and her failure as a ruler.

The worst was when Clovis had mockingly suggested that she become his wife and unite their realms. He was only ten years younger than her father, but he was still vigorous and handsome, and this made him all the more arrogant towards her. The insulting part of this agreement was that he was already married, with newborn children of his own. Alexis wasn't just grieving her father; her betrothed had also perished, falling valiantly alongside her father.

"Where will you find better prospects?" Clovis had sneered at her, "An ugly queen with half a realm?" It had taken all of Alexis' will at the time not to lose control of her emotions, for Clovis had been cruel with his mockery. She had never been lithe, as women were expected to be, she was considered far too tall (she was able to look eye-to-eye with Clovis) and she had not inherited her mother's high cheekbones and narrow, angular face which had been so praised by the singers of her father's court.

But Alexis had refused Clovis' offer. To be a second wife to such a man would make her little better than a glorified mistress, even as he would take over her people and rule both their realms. Rejecting this vile man's demeaning offer, even in the face of his triumph over her, was the first act she'd done as queen over which she felt truly proud.

It hadn't been enough to make her feel satisfied over the defeats she'd suffered, of course. It was also hard to put up with the many songs that Clovis had commissioned to ridicule her father, as well as herself. Worst of all, Clovis gloated over her father's death in battle, and when Alexis had begged him to inform her where her father fell so he could be buried, his only response had been to deliver her father's severed head in a basket. All of it had only hardened her resolve to find a way to take vengeance upon Clovis once and for all.

It had taken her a long time, but now was her chance, over 17 years after the humiliating peace treaty had been signed.

Still unmarried at 35, Alexis had no intention of surrendering her power to the kind of men who occasionally tried to woo her at her court. They had assumed she would swoon with gratitude for their attention, and when she refused them, their wounded pride had been such that they departed in rage and slandered her appearance and her disposition.

Such insults no longer mattered to her. Alexis knew she had never been beautiful, but she was not ugly, either. And now that she was a grown woman, what did it matter if she was too plump? All the pretty girls from her youth now looked the same as her, and she was finished with allowing petty men to ridicule her.

The worst of these men was also the man she had most cause to despise. Clovis had been famous for his virility, yet he had only produced one son, whom he'd treasured more than all his six daughters combined, or so the rumours went.

Alexis had become well acquainted with Prince Sigmund over the years, as Clovis had assigned him the task of collecting the yearly tributes when he'd first come of age. From the very beginning, Sigmund had jeered her, openly mocking Alexis and her realm whenever he collected his father's due tribute. Alexis had borne his insults with deference, fearing his father's wrath if she offended him. Thus, she'd watched him grow bolder and more rude.

Since Sigmund and Clovis were so contemptuous of her abilities, Alexis was confident that she could now strike without any fear of suspicion. Even after all these years, Alexis still had supporters in the territory which Clovis had taken from her, and they'd gladly served as spies for her cause. It had been they who had given Alexis the idea for a revenge against Clovis which would shed no blood, yet still make Clovis suffer as he richly deserved.

Disguised as peasants, she and a few handpicked followers had ridden out of her realm and deep into the territory ruled by Clovis. She had no intention of attacking Clovis himself; the man was nearly 60 by now, and he was well protected.

Prince Sigmund, however, was another matter. The 20-year-old man was known to be rash and headstrong, often riding in the forest and living off the land by whatever he could kill, taking refuge in a hunter's cottage alone or with a few companions.

Alexis hoped that the prince was alone this time, even as she sat within the small cottage that her spies had found. They had lit no fire inside, so that Sigmund would not suspect anything amiss. Alexis sat by the one window and looked for his arrival without fear of being seen by him in turn. She had planned this ambush very carefully, waiting on word from her spies when the prince had left his father's court to go on another riding trip.

Finally, she heard the sound of horses' hooves, and through the trees, she saw a flash of movement. The prince was finally arriving to his forest retreat.

Even though she despised him even more than she'd despised his father, Alexis could not deny that Sigmund was the most gorgeous man she'd ever seen. Nearly 19 years of age, he was tall, powerfully built, an embodiment of masculinity. He wore a plain brown tunic and grey breeches, with his only indication of royalty being the purple cape which flapped behind him as he rode his horse.

Silently, Alexis made the signal to her followers that their quarry had arrived. The queen closed the window and retreated to the furthest corner of the cottage, sitting in the darkness as she wrapped her brown cloak around her. As her eyes became accustomed to the darkness, she saw her followers position themselves by the door, waiting for the prince to open it.

Sunlight burst into the room as Sigmund opened the door and stepped inside. Now that he was closer, Alexis saw that his hair was damp from sweat, and his face was freshly shaved, and his arrogant smile was curved upwards in a lazy way.

Before Sigmund could do anything else, however, one of Alexis' guards slammed the door shut behind him. His cry of surprise at suddenly being in darkness was interrupted by a hand covering his mouth as the others grabbed his arms and attempted to bind them.

Even taken by surprise, however, Sigmund was quick to lash out with his limbs as best he could. His deep voice raged under the hand over his mouth, even as the guards struggled to subdue him. Queen Alexis had been strict with her orders; no weapons, no lasting damage, under any circumstances.

Unlike the prince, the queen's eyes were accustomed to the darkness. As she watched Sigmund attempt to wrestle free from his attackers, Alexis repressed the urge to laugh. His shock and outrage was clearly to be seen and heard. Alexis felt a powerful stirring within her body.

One of Sigmund's arms was pulled behind his back, even as he swung the other around in retaliation. He was still on his feet, dealing out powerful kicks that knocked her guards backwards several times. As one of the men stood behind him, the others stepped back and tried a different tactic. Lassoes were thrown through the air and went over Sigmund's head and shoulders. The guards pulled the loops tight, pinning his forearms to his sides, even as one of the guards stuffed a rag into his mouth before binding another one over his lips. Finally, his free arm was grabbed and pulled behind his back. As two guards bound his wrists together, the prince squirmed and tried to scream through his gags.

All while this occurred, Alexis found herself slipping a hand insider her clothing and felt just how wet she was between her legs. Her ample bosom heaved up and down from the effects of rubbing her clitoris and substantial labia. In the darkness, amidst the noises of the scuffle, she was completely ignored and forgotten. It allowed her to gasp and moan with joy as she watched this strong, arrogant young man being restrained and muzzled. Even when she had been a young woman, men like Sigmund had ridiculed her for her looks and her position amongst so many powerful men, Clovis among them. If only he could see his beloved son now!

As she pushed herself to ecstasy, the guards used the lassoes as leashes to pull the prince this way and that, until he became so wrong-footed that he stumbled to his knees, snarling with fury at his attackers. As two guards shackled his legs together with chains, one of the men finally opened the window and doors again.

Light poured into the room, even as the guards used the leashes to pull Sigmund back to his feet; he attempted to wriggle himself free from his bonds, snarling like a beast as his wide eyes glanced from one guard to the other, until he finally noticed Alexis in the corner.

By the time Sigmund noticed the older woman, she had already withdrawn her hand from her clothing and was standing up to approach her captive.

"Remember me, Prince Sigmund?" She said cheerfully, unable to stop herself from giggling at his muffled grunts and attempts to speak. In a moment of inspiration, she ran her hand across the cloth covering his mouth, even as his face wrinkled in disgust at the smell of her hand. Was he a virgin? Or did he simply not know what a woman smelled like between her legs? Then again, she had not bathed since she'd left her territory two days ago.

"Well done, sirs," Alexis said, smiling sweetly at her guards, who seemed thoroughly amused at this situation despite having been kicked and struck by Sigmund during the scuffle. One made sure to spit on the back of Sigmund's neck, prompting a loud "MMMPH" from the furious prince as he needed to be reigned in by the leashes again.

"Go ahead and yell, prince," Alexis taunted, "I'm sure your father will hear you eventually."

"Hrrrr" Sigmund growled, flushing from shame at being outwitted by this woman he despised.

"We have a long way to go," Alexis said to her guards, ignoring the bound and gagged prince in front of her, "We had best leave soon. Nobody can see us or else they will know!"

The guards forced the prince to stumble back out of the cabin, even as he snarled and groaned in protest. Alexis couldn't blame him; he would not be missed for days. Clovis seemed to think these excursions into the forest built character and survival tactics in his son, so he would not notice anything amiss until the captured prince was long gone. And even then, there was no sign of any struggle, no sign of abduction. And who would possibly suspect a queen of a shrunken realm who had dutifully paid her tributes each year and who had never responded to insult?

To avoid suspicion, the Alexis and the guards had ridden west on the most ragged horses in Alexis' stables. They'd also brought a mule with them as the prince's new mount. Alexis gleefully watched as the guards slung the prince over the mule's back as if he was a sack of feed. "LMMPH MMM GMOMMPH" Sigmund raged before he was covered with an old blanket.

Covered by her cloak and a hood, Alexis kept her mare alongside the mule so she could continue to hear the faint noises of her hated rival's son raging through his gags under the heavy blanket. Nobody else would notice anything amiss, even as Alexis couldn't stop giggling to herself.

After a long day's ride, they had reached the land which had once belonged to her realm before King Clovis had taken it. Many were secretly sympathetic to her in this region, but Alexis had no intention of risking discovery from anyone. They neither wanted to risk betrayal, nor invite incursions against innocent people. Instead, they travelled north to the stormy coast and set up camp in a cave on one of the cliffsides. The constant bombardment of crashing waves, coupled with seabirds and mild winds, ensured that nobody would hear them as they lit a fire and began cooking a meal.

Finally, Sigmund was taken off the horse and even released for something to eat. After lying on a mule's back for hours, all the fight had gone out of Sigmund, and he made no move to resist after they'd untied and ungagged him. It was only when he was fed that he regained his indignant outrage, though he was careful not to provoke the guards into using their weapons against him.

"I'll have you all tortured for this! When my father finds out, he'll have you all hanging from the end of a rope!" He snarled, spitting at the guards who merely laughed in response.

Alexis smiled at him, "Such a pity that he won't ever find out."

This stayed Sigmund's outrage as his expression changed into one of confusion and alarm, "You're having me killed??"

Alexis gave a condescending laugh, "Oh, you silly boy, if I wanted you dead, do you think I'd have come along? And why would we carry you all this way if we merely wished you dead?"

"Then what do you want?" Sigmund asked, puzzlement and suspicion on his face. He'd never been treated this way, Alexis thought. How wonderful a feeling that must be, to grow up never fearing ulterior motives of those around you, always so confident that your wealthy and powerful father or an army of soldiers would protect you.

The thought filled Alexis with anger, and she stared at her captive with contempt, "If only your father could see you now. He must have thought you were a most worthy heir when he heard how you mocked me for years. That's all he's ever done, too."

"I'll say whatever I want about a weak old bi-" before he could finish, Sigmund stopped himself as a guard approached with drawn sword.

Alexis waved the man down, however, "No no, sir, I'll have my guest speak his mind. It pleases me to hear it, like the cawing of a crow or the barking of my hounds." It was that same arrogance she'd faced down so many times as a queen. And now it was finally her turn. As she expected, Sigmund flushed with rage at being made to feel so impotent.

"You always were an ugly bitch who didn't know her place!" He snarled.

Only Alexis laughed at these words, "Then we are well suited to each other, Prince Sigmund, for you do not recognize your position either!" At this, Sigmund sulked and did nothing more except spit at Alexis.

The following morning, the guards re-tied him as he'd been before, and slung him over the mule's back again. Alexis took great pleasure in pinching Sigmund's cheeks as he snarled furiously into his gags. The blanket covered him again and they set off for their realm.

The mature queen rode beside the mule as before, and once they'd returned to their territory, she removed the blanked concealing the prince, "I don't expect anyone to question us now. Enjoy your new home!"

The prince didn't bother looking around at the lands of Queen Alexis, merely glaring up at her and making growls and grunts as he tried to talk. He seemed especially perturbed at the mention of this being his new 'home' but he couldn't ask her anything in his current position.

"Perhaps I should explain," Alexis said, and all the triumph she felt in that moment made her tremble with excitement, "Your father once tried to marry me and make me his wife. But not a queen, mark you, just a husk for him to squirt inside when your mother was pregnant."

A glint appeared in Sigmund's eye. Mockery again. He thought that was funny, even now, in his position. The look in his eye destroyed any sympathy she might have felt for this young man, and she sunk the dagger by speaking again.

"I turned him down, of course. I was even younger than you are now, but I was determined to remain a queen for as long as I could manage. But now that I'm a grown woman, I must ensure the future of my people. I need an heir. And I don't intend to marry a man to acquire an heir. A man would want to take my power like your father tried to do. So I thought, perhaps there was a way I could produce a strong and healthy child with someone of royal blood, but still remain queen."

She left it there, unable to stop herself smiling broadly as a look of realization and shock appeared in Sigmund's eyes.

"MMMMPH" He began thrashing with renewed vigour, ranting at his captor, even as she laughed aloud, joined by her guards, who were only too eager to mock their captive.

Finally, after a long day of travelling across backcountry and avoiding the attention of others, they beheld the town of Brokovar, which stood just outside of Alexis' castle. Although the sun had already disappeared behind the horizon, there was light enough from the moon and several torches which still burned. Only a few folk were still awake, and they did not question the sight of their queen and her guards escorting a bound and gagged captive, especially when the guards ordered them to the side as they brought an outlaw to justice. Even when Sigmund attempted to communicate with passersby, they merely ignored him.

After passing over the drawbridge, the queen led them to the stables and dismounted, "Have him brought to my room, good sirs."

Without even looking to see the prince's muffled fury at being manhandled, she went ahead of them up to her chambers, which were in the highest tower of the castle, perfectly secure and safe from prying eyes. For though every part of her wished she could parade her prisoner around in shame, it was essential that his captivity remain a secret for as long as possible. Clovis would rage, he would storm, but he would not suspect Alexis if she continued as she had done for the last eighteen years. People disappeared in the forest all the time, who knew what happened to them? Alexis did not feel sorry at all for Clovis, the same man who had so often encouraged derision at her, and who had only ever sent back her father's head when she'd begged for the simple right to bury him. Such a man did not deserve pity. And who would guess that a mere woman could plan something like this?

It took longer to bring Sigmund to her bed than she expected, but she knew of the imminent arrival long before the door opened. The guards' laughter, the prince's muffled roars, their varied footsteps, they all echoed within the tower before they burst in and presented the captive to his new captor.

Alexis had changed her clothing so she was dressed only in a nightshift which did little to hide her shapely body. She had ever been made to feel ashamed of how her body was not thin or petite. She was too tall, her bosom was too large and an unpleasing shape, her belly curved outward, her rear jiggled when she walked. She'd heard all of that and more from Clovis, his associates, his son, and they had taken pleasure in mocking her. Well, she thought, now it was her turn with this prince.