The Apprentice Ch. 04

"Maybe he already left the palace, so then you can stay some more here with me," Magnus said with a hopeful face. He really wanted to taste her pussy.

"Left the palace? What are you talking about? My father is The King!"

***

Magnus crossed the dancing hall, looking around himself. He couldn't believe it. He had just enjoyed a most amazing blowjob from the princess. The Princess! He was either the luckiest man alive or he was completely screwed. He doubted there was any middle ground there. Out of all the girls and women in the palace he had to run into her... His gaze searched for Fiona, but before he could spot her, a shout startled him.

"That's him there!" a voice said.

"With me!" another one said.

Magnus turned to see a group of guards rushing towards him. He swallowed. They must have seen him with the princess. He fought to remain calm. Either way, he wasn't going to admit what happened. It would create problems for Vivien too. Princess Vivien. Damn...

"What is the meaning of this?" Magnus said, forcing calm into his voice.

The guards surrounded him, their hands on their swords. A tall, serious-looking man in a decorated guard uniform approached.

"Is this him?" he asked the guards.

"Yes, Captain," the three of them replied.

"What do you have to say?" He asked Magnus.

"What do I have to say about what?" Magnus asked, trying to control the tension he felt in his muscles. He didn't like being cornered like this, Royal Palace or not.

"Do you deny entering His Royal Highness' study?"

"His study?" Magnus asked, perplexed.

"Captain! What is going on?!"

They all turned to see The King strolling towards them. The eyes of all the guests in the hall were on them.

"Your Highness!" the Captain said, bowing. "This man has been seen exiting your study..."

"His study?" Magnus thought, genuinely surprised. "The room looked nothing like a study... It looked like an ordinary bedroom..."

"He was seen entering my study? By whom?" The King asked.

"By three of my guards who were positioned at different spots. One of them saw him in the vicinity of your study and the other two claim they saw him come out of your study..."

"Are you certain it was him?" The King asked looking at the guards.

"The suit is unmistakable Your Highness... The color and these gold decorations..." one of them said, with a hint of apprehension.

"Indeed, Your Highness... Maybe... maybe he didn't seem so tall when I saw him, but I can swear it was him and this exact suit..." the other one said.

"Is anything missing from my study?" The King asked.

"Your secretary is going through the documents... here he is!" the Captain said.

A wiry, older man approached and bowed to The King and then whispered something in the royal ear... The King paled.

"Those are some very specific documents...What do you have to say in your defense?" The King finally said turning to Magnus.

"Your Highness... I don't know anything about any documents, nor have I ever been inside your study..."

"Can somebody testify about your whereabouts in the last...?" The King asked turning to the Captain.

"He was seen about 15 minutes ago," The Captain said.

"Well?" The King asked.

"I... I was alone Your Highness.... I admit I was bored with the Ball so I did stroll around... but that is all..." Magnus replied.

"I have a perfect witness, but I can't tell on her.... Damn it, how did I get into this mess..." Magnus thought.

"Captain, search him... delicately..." The King said, noticing the eyes of everyone was on them.

The guards approached Magnus and started examining his suit, putting hands in his pockets and generally searching every part of his body. Magnus felt shame and anger seep into his blood.

"We can't find anything, but we can't be sure... maybe he had an accomplice who took the documents?" The Captain finally said.

"Look, I am telling you I have nothing to do with this. You are treating me like a criminal and a traitor, based on the color of my suit!" Magnus said, his face showing anger now.

"Your Highness! Careful! He is a mage..." a middle-aged man said, rushing towards the King and accompanied by another man and two women. They flanked the King protectively, watching Magnus carefully. Magnus realized his guess from before was spot on. These four were Royal Mages...

Magnus saw The King tense and his own body responded alike... He wiggled his fingers unconsciously as if preparing for a duel. The tension in the air was almost palpable.

"Magnus!" Fiona exclaimed, rushing towards them. Magnus breathed out, forcing calm into his body once again.

"Your Highness... this man is my Apprentice. This must be some misunderstanding..." Fiona said, bowing to The King.

"Lady Fiona... Important documents are missing, and your Apprentice was seen exiting my study by three of my guards... There are no documents on him, but he could have disposed of them..." The King said, eyeing Fiona.

"Your Highness, if I may... Lady Fiona was in my company for the last hour or so... I can vouch that her Apprentice wasn't anywhere near her during all that time," Duchess Girault said. She had approached the group, following Fiona.

"Well, your word is an ironclad alibi... for Lady Fiona, at least," The King said, breathing out and inclining his head to the Duchess.

"But Lady Fiona's Apprentice is still very much of a suspect. The documents that are missing are important and they would only be of use to a specific group of people," The King said, pensively... "Magnus, you are under arrest until this is all cleared up and documents found," The King finally said. "Captain, take him away!"

Magnus tensed up again, his anger showing. They were treating him as if he was a traitor to his country. The four mages tensed up as well.

"Magnus... Please, go with them quietly... I will get to the bottom of this, trust me," Fiona said with a pleading voice. She saw Magnus' eyes meet hers. After a moment, she saw his anger and tension dissipate. He breathed out, giving her a quick smile. Then he turned towards the Captain and nodded.

Fiona watched with despair as the Captain and the guards surrounded Magnus and together with all four mages escorted him out of the hall, guests shuffling out of their way. Instead of music, it was the sound of murmurs and surprised voices that echoed through the dancing hall as the last bit of Magnus' blue suit disappeared through the doorway...

***

"WHOOOSSHH!"

The wind was raising the dust from the ground, carrying it into the faces of Highfort's inhabitants. Ominous clouds raced across the sky, showing yet another sign of an impending storm. People kept looking towards the sky, wondering if the rain might catch them in the open. One more reason for the restlessness of the crowd. Nevertheless, the main city square was packed with people since no one wanted to miss such an event. They kept glancing towards the platform, hoping for the proceedings to begin before the storm decided to unleash all its power...

Finally, a group of men climbed onto the platform, their pace slow and self-conscious. They glanced over the crowd, pausing dramatically. After a long moment, they pushed forward the only one among them who had some kind of a hood over his head. One of the men reached out and removed it ceremoniously, revealing a man with a young and handsome face, his hands tied behind his back. The young man gazed over the crowd, squinting slightly due to the sudden flood of light in his eyes.

"Any last words?" One of the men said. The crowd was now completely quiet and only the wind seemed not to care about those last words. They held their breaths with anticipation, waiting for the inevitable.

"No," the young man said solemnly.

The man nodded and placed a noose around the young man's neck. He inspected the knot briefly. Death by hanging came from a broken neck, not from suffocation, so he wanted to make sure it was all done right. There was no need to torture the young man unnecessarily.

Magnus stepped onto the hatch. In a matter of seconds, the hatch would suddenly open and he would freefall several feet, enough for his body to get sufficient momentum to break his neck. He took one last look over the crowd, showing a small, proud smile. His eyes, his face, never wavered.

TLAK!!

The hatch opened.

Fiona woke up with a start, breathing heavily. Her face was glistening with sweat. She looked around in panic, taking in her surroundings. After several long moments, she felt her body relax slightly.

"It was only a nightmare...thank the gods..." she said, wiping the sweat from her face with the sleeve of her nightgown. She got up from the bed and looked through the window. It was the first light only. She got dressed and splashed cold water on her face. It was time for action. It was up to her to get to the bottom of this. Magnus' freedom, maybe his life even, was hanging on that. She needed to investigate, to ask the right questions, to calmly go through the facts. She had explicitly asked the King to be allowed to talk with the servants and guards in the palace, and he had allowed it. No matter what, she was certain Magnus was innocent. There was no way he had done something like that, no way. Unless, of course, all she had learned about him in the last five years, all she intimately knew about him was just an act. She almost laughed at the absurdity of that thought. No... He was innocent and there was no doubt about it.

***

Fiona descended from the carriage at almost the same spot as last night. The palace looked so different, bathed in morning light... or was it her, maybe? Her state of mind and her emotions were so different last night... Fiona sighed and entered the palace, nodding to the guards. They were clearly informed about her arrival. She took a deep breath. There was so much she had to do, so many people to question. She had to remain calm and methodical and not let her anxiety interfere with her reasoning. First, she wanted to question those three guards in detail. They were key witnesses, and it was based on their testimony that Magnus got arrested in the first place. She had to talk to them, she had to question them and try to figure out if they were just plain telling lies. When she made some inquiries, she found that only one of them was on duty; the other two were probably resting.

"Let's go through all of this again," Fiona said, sighing. "You are certain it was my Apprentice whom you saw exiting King's study?"

"As certain as I can be, Your Ladyship..." the guard replied. "I saw him from the side, but his hair was the same and he had that distinct suit on..."

"But, one of you said that this thief didn't look as tall as Magnus, so how can you be so sure?"

"Eh, I don't know, really... Sure, his height seemed off... But everything else was a match. I don't think I made any mistake," the guard said with conviction.

"Why didn't you stop him right there?" Fiona asked.

"I did... we did... He just rushed around the corner and we went after him, but we couldn't find him anymore... So we just went into the dancing hall to search for him there, and that is where we spotted him..."

"All right then," Fiona said. Two more to go.

Her talk with the other two guards went in a similar way. They were pretty convinced it was Magnus they had seen last night. And she was quite sure they were honest about it. So much for the easy solution... She had to question all the servants from last night, as well. They must have seen something...

"Damn!" Fiona cursed in frustration. After a couple of hours of tedious and thorough questioning of servants, she wasn't getting anywhere... "So you are saying no one else was roaming through the castle...?"

"Yes, Your Ladyship. I wasn't really paying that much attention to it, but he is the only one I saw walking the hallways..." the servant replied.

"And you are absolutely positive you haven't seen anyone else... anyone?" Fiona said with resignation.

"No... well, except Her Highness, the Princess, but that doesn't count surely?"

"Her Highness was roaming the hallways?" Fiona asked.

"Yes... for a while... and then I didn't see her anymore."

"Interesting..." Fiona replied, her face pensive.

"Can I arrange an audience with the Princess? Maybe she has seen something..." Fiona thought.

"Thank you, my good man. That would be all."

"Your Ladyship..." the servant said, inclining his head, and then walked away carrying himself in a well-practiced manner.

It was time to speak with the guards who had been stationed at the palace entrance last night. The comings and goings of the guests and their timings could be of some relevance, after all. She talked with all of them and wrote down their reports... Later, she would need to put all of this together and see if she could solve the puzzle. Also, she needed to reach out and try to get an audience with the Princess...

***

Fiona returned to the mansion, feeling tense and tired. She didn't accomplish as much as she had hoped for, but there were some interesting points. The answer had to be there, she just needed to put it all together... She breathed out heavily, taking a sip of wine. If she was to think hard about all this, she needed some relaxation first. She hoped Betty was available.

Half an hour later, Fiona was lying on the bed, while Betty's small hands were massaging her naked body.

"Ohh, Betty, you are such a gem..." Fiona purred as Betty's hands worked on the tension and knots in her shoulders and neck.

"Thank you, Lady Fiona... I love massaging your body, you are so beautiful..." Betty said, biting her lip.

"Thank you, sweetheart. You will get a chance to be more intimate with my body as soon as we are done with the massage..." Fiona said, making Betty smile.

"I am making some progress... Charlotte managed to reach out to the Duchess, who was kind enough to get me an audience with the Princess... I am really hoping for some new information there..." Fiona thought, reclining on the cushions. She looked down between her legs and saw Betty's smiling face look back at her. Her lips and cheeks were smeared with Fiona's juices. Small wonder, after two amazing orgasms.

"This girl is pure gold... Charlotte should be thanking me day and night for bringing Betty into her employment..." Fiona thought, arching her hips and pressing down on Betty's tongue. Taking the hint, Betty assaulted Fiona's pussy more aggressively and Fiona started climbing towards her third orgasm. She watched with fascination as the girl's amazing tongue kept flicking and working without a moment of respite.

"Ahhh... Where does she find the stamina and strength... she has been servicing me for over an hour... "

"Yess, yess... Lick me, lick me... Bettyyy!" Fiona exclaimed, giving voice to her impending orgasm. Her body shook as she orgasmed wildly, while Betty held on to her hips, trying to maintain contact with the fountain of delicacies that kept gushing its sweet juice. Betty slurped the tangy juices, her tongue working in overdrive.

"Ohhhh, sweetheart... That was amazing..." Fiona moaned, coming down from her orgasm. "Your tongue is worth a kingdom," Fiona said, smiling. She looked at the sweet girl who looked back at her worshipfully, her lips dripping Fiona's love juice.

"What would Magnus do now... He would pleasure the girl no doubt... Well, for him, I will pleasure her, but my way!" Fiona thought, throwing a wicked and lusty look at Betty.

"Take off your clothes, Betty."

The girl nodded happily and started stripping out of her clothes. Soon, her petite and slender body adorned with small but lovely breasts was displayed in all its beauty.

"Remember how Magnus took you to his room the other night?"

"Yes..."

"Well, he left me unsatisfied... All because of you... you bad girl!" Fiona exclaimed, looking Betty in the eyes. Betty felt apprehensive for a moment, but then she relaxed as she noticed the playfulness in Fiona's voice.

"I would say you need to be punished because of that..." Fiona said, making a stern face. "Lie across my lap... now!"

Betty hurried to obey. Arousal and fear warred on her sweet face. She lay across Fiona's lap, her ass sticking out.

"This ass couldn't possibly be any cuter..." Fiona thought as she was coping Betty's buttocks. "I could do some work on the color though."

Fiona caressed the lovely ass and then, suddenly, her hand came down with a loud slap.

"Ah!" Betty yelped, her back arching up. Fiona put her hand on Betty's pussy. It was completely bathed.

Fiona slapped her hand down again, caressing the sweet pussy with the other.

"SLAP!"

"SLAP!"

"SLAP!"

"Bad girl!" Fiona exclaimed, continuing her spanking and working her fingers on Betty's labia and clit. Betty was leaking rivers.

"SLAP!"

"SLAP!"

"Will you obey?!" Fiona asked.

"SLAP!"

"Yes! Yes! I will obey!" Betty almost shouted, her body squirming in pleasure. The slaps were painful, but not too much, yet the spanking was making her mad with arousal.

"SLAP!"

"So you will be a good girl?!" Fiona asked, smirking.

"Yes! I will be good! I will be good!"

"Oh... well. Good girls don't get spanked, I am afraid..." Fiona said, chuckling. She stopped spanking Betty and removed the other hand from Betty's pussy.

"Huh... I am a bad girl, Lady Fiona! I am so bad! I never obey, please spank me, I am so bad..." the girl pleaded.

"Tell me how bad are you?!"

"SLAP!"

"SLAP!"

"Tell me!"

"I am the worst ever! I am a disgrace of a servant! Please spank meeee!" Betty exclaimed, feeling such arousal. Her small body arched in pain after each slap, yet her face was showing immense pleasure.

"SLAP!"

"SLAP!"

"SLAP!"

"SLAP!"

Fiona spanked harder and harder, watching the cute butt visibly redden before her eyes. Her other hand worked without stopping, making Betty trash in orgasm, again and again. The whole ordeal didn't last for more than several minutes, but at the end of it, Betty's butt was completely pink and her body was completely limp in Fiona's lap, clearly exhausted after two shattering orgasms.

"Lady Fiona.... thank you," Betty said, catching her breath. "I think... I think I will be bad tomorrow again!" she said, smiling naughtily.

"And I will be here to spank this cute ass again," Fiona said, taking her face in her hands and giving her a sensual kiss. "You are such a sweet thing," Fiona said, caressing her neck. "Now, off you go. Lady Charlotte might need your services."

***

Magnus rattled the iron bars for the tenth time, finding them just as resilient as the first time he tried moving them. Not that he was trying to escape... He was just feeling restless, sitting in this cell, doing nothing... not BEING able to do anything... He glanced at his arm and sighed.

"I would never think a piece of metal could make me feel so different... It is like the world has lost its colors..." Magnus thought, looking at the blue metal ring locked around his arm.

"Lenerium... I've never even heard of this metal before... Mistress never said a word about its existence... Maybe she resented it too much to even mention it. Either way, I can't cast anything... not even a minuscule spell... and I can't even see the energies from the spells being cast by others... Earlier, I was sure that mage was casting something, but I couldn't see a thing... I feel like my arms and legs have been cut off," Magnus thought, touching the metal ring. The arm ring was held in place by a cleverly designed lock. Without a blacksmith's help, he wouldn't be able to remove it forcefully.