Cinder Girl Ch. 03

The doors opened and a new man came through. She heard him thank Octavius and then he shut the doors. Judging by his clothes, this must be the prince. Anyone other than royalty would not have the money to wear such finery. His shirt and coat were exquisitely tailored, his breeches a plush fabric that looked decadently soft. He was not wearing a crown, probably because he wasn't seeing anyone important - only her, the girl he had bought and paid for. He smiled at her, and Gabriella slid off the bed and into a low curtsy. Servants and slaves who didn't curtsy before the prince could be subject to disciplinary measures, and despite her hatred of him for doing this to her, she didn't want to add any charges of insolence to the ordeal she was already to endure.

"Well, you are a pretty little thing," the prince said. "I see my man chose well." He put his hand under her chin, indicating that she should rise from her curtsy. "You must be the luckiest lady at the auction tonight," he said, smiling with confidence. Of course he was confident, she thought, no woman would ever tell him no!

"Very lucky," she mumbled, her eyes fixed on the floor, lest he see the anger there.

"You may look upon me, you know. You don't have to stare at the floor all night!" The prince laughed. "It will be a very long night for both of us if you're going to spend it like that."

"Of course, your Majesty." Gabriella composed her face into an expression of calm and looked up to meet his eyes. "I'm so honored," she lied, "To have been chosen by your Majesty." She tried to unclench her jaw and not speak the words through gritted teeth.

She supposed he might have been considered handsome by most. He was tall and well-built, his face was pleasing to the eye. To Gabriella though, he was hideous. The prince took a seat in the chair by the bed and began to remove his boots. "You should take your shoes off," he commanded, and Gabriella reached with trembling fingers to undo her laces. The shoes were the only part of her dress that hadn't come from the auction; rather Madame had found an older pair of Stazia's boots that fit and had Gabriella wear those. Her fingers were making a mess of things, the knots only growing worse.

"I... I can't get them off." She winced as she told the prince. Would he be angry?

He laughed and mumbled something about the nerves and weak hands of women, then took her shoe in hand and attempted to pull it over her foot without untying it. His efforts were in vain however, the shoe refused to budge. Looking annoyed, he started to pick at the knots, only to give up after a few moments and bellow toward the door, "Octavius!"

As if he had been waiting right outside, the guard rushed in, his sword at the ready. "You can put that away," said the prince. "I only want your knife. The girl's boot laces need to be cut." Octavius nodded, sheathing his sword. He pulled a small dagger from his waistband and knelt on the ground next to Gabriella.

"Your foot," he said, holding out his hand. Gabriella extended the boot, and with slow care, Octavius cleaved the laces from the boot, his hand carefully cradling her foot so that she wouldn't be accidentally cut. The boot slid right off, and in a minute he had done the other side as well. His eyes met hers for a brief moment after he pulled off the other shoe, and Gabriella saw - something - in his gaze, though she couldn't say what. "Will that be all, your Majesty?" Octavius asked as he rose. The prince made a dismissive gesture and nodded, and the guard left, eying Gabriella again, though she still found his expression unreadable.

"Now." the prince turned to Gabriella. "I trust we'll have no more issues?"

"No, your Majesty," she said meekly.

"Good. Then come here, I'd like to see what the royal crown has paid for." She obeyed, her legs shaking as they carried her to in front of the prince. His eyes took her in, his seated gaze level with her chest. She wished he would hurry up and get it over with. The prince took hold of the hem of her skirt, and rose from his seated position, her skirts being drawn higher as he stood. He pulled the whole thing over her head, and Gabriella had to fight the urge to cover herself. Her breasts jutted up from the corset, displaying nearly all for the prince to see, and the scrap of cloth she'd been given to wear underneath left almost nothing to the imagination. She swallowed. She'd never been naked in front of a man before.

The prince took hold of her shoulders and turned her away from him, his fingers moving swiftly to the laces of the corset. Gabriella felt a mixture of shame and relief as it fell from her frame; her breasts were entirely exposed, but at least she could breathe properly. She drew in a few big breaths, made ragged by the sudden act of the prince reaching around to cup her breasts in his hands.

"Mmm," he said. Gabriella closed her eyes. Please, she thought, let it be over quickly. His fingers tugged at her nipples, and she felt surprised that it wasn't entirely unpleasant. She would never have thought of them as being receptive to pleasure. The prince moved his hands farther down her body, and with a tug, her undergarments, if they even deserved the name, were around her ankles. Her eyes flashed open as the Prince, losing no time, placed his hand between her legs, his fingers probing around. She was reminded of the woman earlier that evening who had done the same. Was the prince doing his own check for her virginity?

He pulled her closer against him, one hand squeezing her breasts while the other quested between her legs. "Doesn't that feel good, sweetheart?" he asked, as he fumbled around. Oh, she thought, he thinks this is giving me pleasure. Remembering the words of the guard, and how it might go badly for her if the prince didn't think he was a master lover able to please all women, she cleared her throat and tried to find the right words.

"Oh. Yes." she lied. "Please, your Majesty, more." She was sure that her tone was not convincing and he would grow angry, but to her surprise he bought it, and only chuckled.

"So greedy already. Oh, we are going to have fun!"

I doubt that, she thought. She could feel his hardness growing and pressing into her back.

"Do you feel that sweetheart? That's the royal cock. You are such a lucky maid tonight."

"Yes, your Majesty," she said, biting her lip to keep from begging him to stop. The strangest thing was happening: his probing around between her legs almost felt good. If he would but move a half inch to the left with his finger, he might actually give her some of the pleasure he thought he was. She restrained herself from angling her body differently to try and brush his fingers. She might have to verbally go along with his game, but she would keep control over her body!

"I can feel how wet you're getting," said the prince, and she realized it was true, her nether regions were quite slick with liquid. "That tells me how badly you want the royal cock." She fought back a shudder of disgust. Somehow her body was responding to his touches, but she still found him repulsive. He pressed his hardness against her further, grinding it into the small of her back. "Tell me how much you want it," he ordered, still grinding.

Gabriella looked up at the ceiling, wishing she were anywhere else right now. "So much, your Majesty," she said, her voice breaking, but he must have interpreted it as excitement. He continued rubbing along her slit and again she thought that if he just moved slightly, if he just touched her a little differently, it would feel good...

No, she wouldn't think about that. She was enduring it, and no more.

The Prince stepped back and began undressing. Despite herself, Gabriella could not help but sneak a glance backward over her shoulder. She'd never seen a naked man before. The prince was a firm, able-bodied specimen of man, and if his personality left much to be desired, his body was everything it should be - well muscled and defined, with just the right amount of hair. She took it all in impassively; she still hated him.

"Do you like what you see?" asked the prince, his hands on his hips as he stood proud, displaying his body for her.

"Oh, yes, your Majesty," she said, trying to sound enthusiastic. "You are very handsome." At least that much was truth, but beauty of physical features and beauty within were entirely different things. Octavius randomly popped into her mind, and she pictured his face and body - plain, on the leaner side rather than the strapping build of the prince, but his eyes were kind, and his actions bespoke of more inner goodness than the prince would ever dream of.

The prince placed his hands on her waist and guided her toward the bed. This is it, she thought. She took a deep breath as he bent her over the bed, holding her buttocks in his hands as he rubbed himself against her. "Are you ready for the royal cock?" he asked. She couldn't bring herself to speak, so she only nodded. Please don't let it hurt too much, she thought. She felt his hardness pressing against her folds, slipping in...

"No!" she cried, unable to keep her objections inside any longer. "Please, no!"

"Shh," said the prince, and shoved inside her.

For a moment there was nothing but blinding, white-hot pain, and tears sprang unbidden to her eyes, rolling out and splashing against the coverlet of the bed. The prince was already pulling back and preparing to ram into her again, and Gabriella lowered her head, biting into the coverlet to muffle her cries. It was too late now, the prince had taken her virginity, and there would be no stopping him now. Her hands balled into fists in the bed-cover, another tear leaking out her eye. He shoved back inside her, then pulled out, then in again.

"Doesn't that feel good now?" asked the prince. Gabriella wanted to scream and shove him off, but she valued her life more than she valued this.

"Y-Yes, your Majesty." She gritted her teeth. "It feels so good." She remembered Octavius' words, and moaned. Although it was more an expression of her pain than her pleasure, prince seemed to interpret it otherwise.

"Yes, you like that royal cock, don't you?" He thrust into her with every word.

"Oh yes," she said. Now that the initial shock was over it wasn't so bad. The pain had mostly subsided, and she realized the fullness inside her felt kind of good. In another circumstance, with another person, this could possibly be pleasurable. She thought of his fingers working into her folds, and was surprised to find herself aroused by the idea - so long as it was another man's fingers, and not the prince's. She threw out another moan for good measure, though as focused on the full feeling inside her, it was almost a genuine moan of pleasure.

"Yes," grunted the prince, and then he shoved her hips farther away. "Ride it," he said. "Ride the royal cock." Confused, Gabriella did nothing. The prince grabbed her hips and jerked her body back and forth so that she slid along his shaft. "Ride me," he said, and the she understood. Slowly and reluctantly she began to move her hips, the prince making grunts and squeezing her buttocks as she did. She found that in this position, she had a little more control, and with a little more control, she was able to maneuver things to make it more pleasurable for her. She didn't want to find pleasure in this, but her body kept shifting till his shaft was hitting all the right spots, and then she felt her pleasure building and building, her breathing coming sharp and fast, all her mind focused on maintaining the rhythm and then -

The prince gasped and gripped her hips, pulling her buttocks tight against him as he grunted and she felt his member twitch inside her. He held her too tight to keep moving, and whatever pleasure she was building towards was lost.

"The royal cock likes you too, sweetheart," said the prince, and she pulled a face at his habit of referring to his member in the third person, glad he could not see her face in this position. He slapped her buttocks and pulled out, leaving a hot trail of liquid down her thigh. "Get yourself cleaned up," he said, and then he was pulling his clothes on and out the door. Gabriella slowly rose off the bed, noting the rosy tint of blood in the fluids on her thigh. She could hear voices coming from the other side of the door.

"I like her," the prince said, "But I wasn't able to make her come. Bring her to the palace, I could use a good challenge! I like a girl who lets me hone my skills. I'll have her again and again until we're both satisfied. Pay whatever her master wishes."

"Yes, your Majesty," said Octavius, and then there were footsteps, presumably the prince making his departure.

Gabriella was frozen with shock and horror. Bad enough that she'd been forced through this, but to endure it again and again? To become a sex slave? She'd rather die. In fact...

She picked up the nearest vase and flung it at the window, shattering the glass. The sound would raise a commotion, so she had little time. Heedless of her nudity, she hefted herself up into the window frame, preparing to jump out. If she was very lucky, she would die on impact. If she was only moderately lucky, she'd break her legs and be sent to work in the poorhouse, mending and sewing. Either way was better than enduring that pig's love-making. She paused for one moment to speak to the sky. "Papa," she whispered, "I'm coming." Her legs leapt, she pushed herself forward, ready for the fall and the merciful death that would follow.

It never came.

Strong hands clutched at her waist, pulling her back from the ledge. "What are you doing, you crazy loon?" bellowed a voice in her ear. Octavius.

"Let me go!" she struggled, her limbs flailing as she fought to get away. "I'd rather die, let me go!" Octavius wrestled her to the floor, pinning her there as she squirmed. After a few minutes, her struggles gave way to exhausted sobbing and she lay still on the floor, only her heaving chest moving. "You should have let me die," she cried into the carpet.

"You're too young to die," said Octavius.

"I'm too young to be resigned to a life of slavery too."

He sighed. "Alright, alright, I'll help you. I don't know why I'm doing this, we'll both probably end up killed, but I'll help you escape?"

"Really?" Gabriella perked up. "Won't you get caught?"

"I would if I was going to hang around afterward, but I'm not. I've had issues with the prince for a long time. I'm coming too."

She was surprised, but only nodded. As long as she could escape, that was all that mattered. With that settled, she became aware of her nakedness. "Um," she said, extending a hand behind her to cover her buttocks, "Would you be so good as to hand me my dress?"

"Can't do that," said Octavius, and her heart thudded. He meant to leave her naked? Was he going to have his way with her too, as payment for the escape? "That's far too obvious," he continued. "They'd spot you as soon as you left the room and bring you back here. Doubtless the prince has already left orders with his other men to bring you to the palace." She breathed a sigh of relief. "Wait here, I'll find something for you to wear."

As if I'm likely to bolt off naked, she thought. If the white dress was an attention-grabber, a naked woman was worse. Octavius left the room, closing the door behind him, and Gabriella rose, covering herself with the coverlet from the bed. It occurred to her that this might be an elaborate ruse on his part, meant to stop her from her suicidal attempts while he fetched help to restrain her and follow the prince's orders. She would have to take that chance though, as the alternative was to kill herself now or resign herself to her fate as the prince's concubine.

Within five minutes Octavius had returned, a nondescript maids' uniform of black with a matching white apron in his hand. "Put this on," he shoved it at her, carefully averting his eyes, and then went out the door again to give her privacy to change. She leapt up from the bed, hurriedly pulling the stiff, starchy fabric over her head. To her dismay, he'd neglected to bring any underthings; but then she supposed he'd had enough trouble getting hold of this outfit. No doubt some poor maid would get an earful tomorrow over losing one of her uniforms. Reluctantly, she pulled the white, filmy scrap of fabric that Madame had given her back over legs. It was still better than nothing. With the apron tied over her, she looked every bit the part of maid.

Gabriella slowly opened the door, making sure Octavius was alone. "Are you ready?" he whispered. She nodded. "Let's go," he said, and took her hand, pulling her forward. "Once we get to the main floor, we'll head right for the front door. Do you remember the way?"

"Yes," she said, grateful that she had been paying attention every step of the way while plotting an escape. Now it was paying off.

"Good. Then you lead me, and I'll play the part of lecherous guard while you act like a flirtatious chambermaid, and no one will put two and two together, they'll just think I'm off to give you a roll in the hay."Gabriella couldn't help but wonder what a 'roll in the hay' would be like with Octavius, instead of the prince.

"Alright," she agreed. They made their way down the steps to the main floor, and she took the lead, hoping her memory was correct. They passed by other groups of people but drew no special attention, save from another group of guards, who made a show of leering and winking at Octavius as they walked by.

"Out for a bit of stroll, Octavius?" asked one, with a smile.

"Just going to have this gel give me a private tour of the grounds," he replied with a wink of his own.

"Cor, she could tour my privates any day!" joked another, and Gabriella felt her face go hot but kept on walking. No attempt was made to stop them, and they reached the main doors and were outside on the grounds in no time at all.

"Now what?" she hissed at him. They had to get away, to put as much distance between them and this house as possible, but in which direction?

"South. I've family down that way." he took her arm and steered her in the correct direction. "Walk normally, act like we're just two young lovers out on a walk," he ordered. Gabriella, nodded, trying to calm her nerves. She linked her arm through his and pasted a smile she hoped was convincing on her face.

"South it is." She had no preference, in any case, other than far and somewhere she could be free from her horrid stepmother.

No one stopped them or even appeared to look twice, though there were a few other people out and about. They maintained their leisurely pace until they reached the edge of the grounds, near the forest, and then Octavius sped up the pace. "We'll have to live rough for a while, are you prepared for that?" Gabriella nodded. Anything was better than what awaited her back there. A few nights on the forest floor were infinitely preferable. "Come on then," he said. "Let's go."

** ***

Two weeks later

** ***

Gabriella had long since bartered away the maids outfit for something much more practical. The peasant's skirt she wore would have offended her step-family on sight, but she adored it. It was the first real piece of clothing she'd had in years that was actually her own. Her top was quite modest as well, but the worn fabric was soft against her skin and not at all ragged. She had yet to manage to procure proper undergarments, though. The slight bit of fabric had been abandoned leagues behind her, and now she was as bare as the day she was born under her skirt. She found it rather freeing, and exciting, although she was always very, very careful whenever she had to step too high or walk up stairs.

Octavius had been wonderful, nothing but patient and kind. He'd gone out of his way to take care of her, always making sure there was something in the way of food and spending his own money to purchase bedrolls for the pair of them. They were nearly to the village where his family lived now, and talk had turned to what might happen when they arrived.