For a Kingdom Ch. 02

The royal council's chamber was designed to be both lavish and imposing, but as Lanna had grown up in the castle, it didn't have quite the same effect on her as it did on outsiders. The dark, ornately carved table, the commanding high-backed chairs, none of it intimidated her in the slightest. In fact, she was much more troubled by the council's expressions than by anything else in the room.

In a rare occurrence, it seemed the entire council was present. All fifteen members were seated behind a long semicircular table, glowering at the two royal miscreants before them. Lanna and Bennis stood in the middle of the room, the squad of palace guards who had discovered them standing at their backs. They had just delivered the news that Prince Casius was dead and on every council member's face all Lanna could discern were looks of disgust and disapproval. They were expressions that did not bode well for either sibling's future.

The head of the council, Lord Halliwell, stood up and braced his fists on the table in front of him as he glared at Lanna and Bennis. "Someone tell me what the hell happened. Right. Now," he ordered.

The guard captain stepped forward and gestured at Lanna who was clutching her ripped bodice to her chest in an effort to maintain her modesty. "My boys found her lyin' face-down on top of the table m'lord. Her arms were tied behind her back with a belt and she..." His eyes darted towards the princess and quickly away as if embarrassed at what he had to reveal. "Well, I'll just say that she was bloodied with her skirts flipped up and Prince Casius was a-layin' there on the floor where he got knocked in the head with his pants around his ankles." The man shrugged, cleared his throat, and continued. "Prince Bennis was a-hollerin' and carryin' on and throwin' books about the room. The entire library is a mess m'lord. We just went in to clean up the bodies like we's supposed to. Never expected anything like this to happen m'lord, never."

Lanna tried to ignore the captain's casual mention of cleaning up her body. Instead she thought of the funerals that would be held over the next seven days for her brothers and wondering if, in the end, they would be extended an extra two days for her and Bennis.

Lord Halliwell looked around to the other council members as the guard captain finished his short recitation, gauging their reactions. Here was a serious predicament and council head wasn't sure there was anything in Glenador's laws that covered a situation exactly like this one. Where was the section that relayed what to do when the crowned prince rapes the princess and is subsequently killed by his half-witted brother? Really, just what the hell was he supposed to do with that? He needed to buy time until they could sort through the political ramifications of any action they took and he was sure he wouldn't have much of it.

"Take them to the dungeon until we can verify their story," Lord Halliwell ordered. As the guards organized themselves, Halliwell motioned Lord Aerick over. The younger lord had been sitting at the end of the table listening to the guard captain's story, but unlike the rest of the council, his eyes had remained on Lanna, watching as a pink blush stole across her features at the mention of her skirts. It wasn't the first time he had noticed the princess, but before today he had given her little thought.

Lord Halliwell waved him over again, more vigorously this time. Aerick slowly approached and bent down so Halliwell could murmur in his ear, "find out the truth. I don't care how you do it, just get to the bottom of this fiasco and see if we can fix it before it's too late." Aerick cocked his head to the side as he listened and then gave a nod of acquiescence, a small smile on his face.

"Yes sir," he replied. Whenever there was any dirty work to be done, Aerick had always been the man of choice. While his status on the council was relatively recent, his reputation for cleaning up messes was long established. He watched absently as Lanna was escorted away, already wondering how he could use this newest situation to his advantage.

Lanna was grabbed roughly as she and Bennis were led out of the room, guards flanking them on either side. She was marched all the way down to the dungeons with a guard gripping her tightly by each arm. The steps downward seemed never-ending as they moved from daylight into the dimness provided by flickering torches. Bennis followed her like an obedient puppy, two guards behind him, keeping their distance but ready to correct him if he changed directions. They reached a narrow corridor and passed door after door until they came to an abrupt stop. The door in front of them was unlocked with the twist of a key and Lanna was unceremoniously dumped into a cell, landing hard on her hands and knees. She heard the door slam and lock behind her. The door was made of thick planks with a small face grate placed high up in the wood so the guards could peer in on their daily rounds. Lanna could hear Bennis' distressed, wordless, screaming echoing through the hallway and she rushed to the grate to peer out. Standing on tiptoe and peeking through the bottom of the latticed metal window, she could see all four guards carrying him bodily away from her cell and further down into dungeon, Bennis fighting them with all his strength.

"Bennis!" Lanna cried, "Don't hurt him! Don't you bastards dare hurt him!" She knew being carried like that would provoke an extreme outburst in Bennis and she was afraid that the guards would use force to subdue him, prince or no. She stayed by the door until she could no longer hear his voice, straining to hear anything that might tell her what was happening, but there was only silence. Eventually she turned around and peered into her dim surroundings. The room she was in was absolutely bare. Stone walls, a stone floor, and an assortment of manacles hanging down from the walls and ceiling were all she could see. From the size of the room and the lack of bedding she deduced that she must be in some type of temporary holding cell. At least it was dry and, well, relatively clean. She imagined there were rooms down here that were much, much worse.

For a while she examined the walls and doors, her fingers skating over cracks in the stone, checking to see if there was any way out, but there was no miraculous extra key or hidden seam in the wall. Eventually Lanna leaned back against a wall opposite the cell door and slowly slid down until she was sitting on the floor, giving it up as hopeless. She was stuck here until someone decided to let her out. The only thing she could do now was wait. And think.

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Three floors up, and with a marvelous view of the gardens out his window, Lord Aerick was waiting impatiently in his private rooms. Finally there was a knock on the door. "Enter," he called out, and the door swung open to reveal Chancellor Gallemon wearing an incredibly concerned look on his face. He quickly crossed the room and sank to one knee in front of Aerick.

"My Lord," he started, and then wasting no time on further formalities, "what are we going to do? The entire plan is in ruins. Casius was—"

"Oh, pull yourself together man," snapped Aerick, "we aren't ruined quite yet."

"How are we not utterly and completely ruined?" asked Gallemon in a shrill voice, rising to his feet. He extended three fingers and began ticking his points off one by one. "First of all, by the end of the week every single one of King Harmon's children will be dead. Then, we will have no rightful heir to put on the throne. And after that, the country will once again be on the brink of civil war and completely useless for anything. So yes my Lord, I believe we are ruined." The chancellor looked utterly frazzled and like he was about to start pulling out his hair.

"It's true the boy may be doomed to die," agreed Aerick, "he killed the heir apparent and the council may choose to make an example of him in order to prevent future generations from disregarding the council's choice. But that does not necessarily mean we are ruined. Not if I can save the girl."

"Save the girl?" the Chancellor looked surprised, "how are you going to save the girl? She was involved as well. And more importantly, how would that even help us? She may be of the blood, but an unmarried woman can't rule."

"No, but a widowed one can," Lord Aerick reminded him.

Gallemon shook his head, "she's stubborn. We would never be able to lead her like we could Casius."

"Nonsense," scoffed Aerick, "we just need to make her a little more malleable is all. After all, she's just an overindulged princess. It shouldn't be too complicated." Aerick stood up and crossed to where a dainty silver tray was laid out with an assortment of bottles and decanters. He slowly poured himself a glass, clearly appreciating the liquid's rich amber color as it swirled towards the top. "Brandy?" he offered.

"No thank you, my Lord." All manner of complications were popping into his head and Gallemon wasn't convinced it would be as simple as Lord Aerick seemed to think, but he knew further argument was pointless.

"Yes," mused Aerick, "in fact, Casius may have done us a favor in that regard."

Gallemon looked askance, his mind thinking back to the princess's bruises and ripped gown. "A favor," he repeated, "that was a favor? Really, I'm afraid I do not understand you my lord."

"Do not overly concern yourself Chancellor," Aerick waved dismissively, "you should know by now that I always have a plan. And this one... this one should be rather enjoyable." He was staring absently at the far wall, lost in thought with that small smile on his face. "Trust me, it might take a bit longer than what we had originally planned, but it will work. Don't worry about the details right now, just go fetch me my personal guard. It seems a trip to the dungeons is in order."

"As you wish, my Lord," responded Gallemon with a courtly bow. He quickly exited the room and went to locate the appropriate sergeant at arms.

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Lanna was resting with her head tilted back and her eyes closed when she heard a key turn in the lock to her cell. She was still wearing the dress Casius had somewhat indecently ripped at the bodice so she tried to hold the fabric together as she struggled to her feet.

Lord Aerick entered, followed by four guardsmen. "Princess Kyrlanna," he acknowledged with a flourished bow.

"My Lord." Lanna curtsied in response, one hand still awkwardly clutching the fabric to her chest. "What is the news? Has the council reached its decision?" Once again she felt her life hanging in the balance, and was powerless to influence their choice.

"Oh gods no," replied Aerick, "there is much to be done before we even think of making our final decision. You're unique situation, for example, must be taken into careful consideration. If your story is true then we cannot very well hold you accountable for your brother's crimes or punish you as severely. "

"Then you cannot save Bennis?" she asked worriedly. Without Bennis, not only would her entire family be gone, but there would also be no one left to be king. She was extremely concerned on both a personal and a political level. Never had Glenador's traditional system of passing the crown backfired so stupendously before today.

Lanna felt like this was somehow her fault. Her rational mind whispered that she was responsible for no one's actions but her own, but she couldn't shake the feeling that the entire kingdom was crashing down around her ears because she hadn't been able to stop Casius. That she could have stopped this from happening if only things were a little bit different. If only she were stronger, if only she had been more forceful.

If only she had worn a damn corset, she thought.

At least then she wouldn't be standing in front of one of the lords of the King's council with her arms clutched to her chest like some poor shattered female. Before, she and Bennis were just supposed to be killed, but now she was afraid they would be tortured first as punishment. She couldn't appear weak, not now when she was the only person left to save her family from extinction.

"Princess Kyrlanna?" Lord Aerick's voice was calling her back from her private reverie, "may I introduce Mr. Dalius, the apothecary? He is here to examine you, to see whether you sustained any injuries that require attention." A small man standing next to Aerick bowed in her direction. He was dressed smartly, all in black, but without any of the traditional frills or extra adornment found at court. Clearly this was a man with very little tolerance for nonsense.

"Also, we need your dress as evidence of your experience, to help verify that your story is true," Aerick added.

"My dress?" Lanna echoed. She automatically looked down at her patterned blue gown, taking in the slightly shredded bodice and her stained skirts, bloodied from where Casius took her innocence.

"Yes, your dress," repeated Aerick, "please remove it."

"What, now?" Lanna was sure she was hearing him incorrectly. Surely he did not mean for her to strip with six men in the room.

"Yes, now." Aerick was beginning to enjoy himself, seeing her obvious discomfort at the idea of undressing.

She took a deep breath. "Fine my Lord," Lanna replied, "please ask the men to leave and bring me a change of clothes. Then I will be happy to give you this dress."

Aerick gave her a pitying smile. "You don't seem to understand princess, this man needs to examine what happened to you. To all of you," he emphasized. "You cannot very well wear clothes that will cover up what he needs to see."

Lanna did not like the turn their conversation had taken. She clutched her dress tighter to her breasts and shook her head no, instinctively denying the outrageous demands of Lord Aerick.

"If you require help my dear, I'm sure my men would be more than happy to oblige." She glanced behind him to the four men spread out in a ragged line along the wall. While she knew that they were there, she had been surrounded by castle guards her whole life and was accustomed to letting them fade into the background. Now she actually looked at them and blanched. All four appeared strong, well muscled, and very capable. They were completely stoic, but Lanna thought she detected a hint of predatory eagerness in their otherwise neutral gazes. Despite, or maybe because of, their intimidating presence, she just couldn't do it. There was simply no way she could make herself undress in front of so many men.

"I can't my Lord, please, make them wait outside," Lanna pleaded with as much dignity as she could muster. She was disgusted with herself for having to make the request, but as a prisoner all her power and authority were gone, if she had ever had any at all. Princesses did not rank very highly in the royal hierarchy. She was female, destined either to be married outside the country or killed when the crown was passed. Everything was done in order to preserve the succession. Given her lack of training in how to capture a husband, and her parent's benign neglect, she always knew which she was destined for. In fact, the only people who ever respected her authority were the servants. And she always suspected they might just be humoring her. Now a nobleman was ordering her to strip and she had no way to refuse.

Aerick shook his head, denying her request for privacy. "I'm sorry my dear, but I brought them along in case you decided to be non-compliant, which is what seems to be happening."

With that he gestured the guards forward, a command which three of them immediately obeyed. One of the soldiers reached for the remains of her bodice and she slapped his hand away. "Princess, if you continue to be uncooperative I will be forced to have you restrained," Aerick warned her.

As the soldiers encircled her, Aerick's words barely penetrated her consciousness. With the threat of three large bodies surrounding her small form, all she could think of was escape. Given the fact that she was still trapped in a dungeon, fleeing was impossible, but logic had very little influence over her actions right now. When two hands grabbed her arms, she let out a shriek and tried to wrench out of their grip, "Let go, you cretin! You can't do this!" The hands, belonging to the soldier behind her, held her in place while the other two men got to work untying the remaining laces on her bodice and popping the tiny buttons that held the expensive fabric wrapped around her figure. A job made harder by Lanna's continued struggles.

As the dress fell away from her body, Aerick's eyebrows rose, as if he were both surprised and impressed. Casius had outdone himself. When the gown lay in a pool at her feet he gestured for the guards to restrain her. They dragged her over to where a pair of manacles dangled from the ceiling and quickly clasped them around each wrist. When they stepped backwards Aerick had an excellent view of Lanna stretched taut, forced onto her tiptoes, her arms trapped high above her head. Gods, her body was beautiful. He could feel himself growing hard as he looked at her, his eyes caressing every inch of her previously violated body.

"Let me down, I haven't done anything. Aerick, this is highly improper!" Lanna yelled at him as she pulled against the cuffs. Aerick ignored her, gesturing to the apothecary to begin his work. The medicine man was eyeing her with extreme interest and gave a little nod of satisfaction when he was motioned forward.

"Now then," the man stepped close to the struggling form strung up before him. He left her dangling while he circled around her once, then twice, making a quick overall assessment of her injuries. He then got to work, pulling his medicine bag closer. The man was very methodical in his approach, starting at the crown of her head and working his way down. He smoothed her dark hair back from her forehead and discovered a small cut near her hairline where Casius had slammed her head into the table. Lanna flinched away from his touch, turning her head. He pulled a small clean cloth and a brown glass bottle from his bag to clean the wound, soaking the cloth in a dark yellow liquid and applying it gently. He then began working his way downward, softly stroking her body with the cloth when he found an injury worth treating. Though still extremely uncomfortable and scared at what was happening, as he continued Lanna found herself calming slightly under his touch. It was both light and impersonal and if she closed her eyes, she could almost distance herself from what was happening.

The apothecary reached her breasts and found them mottled with an assortment of bite marks and new bruises just beginning to show. Her chest was prominently displayed with her arms captured above her head, and the men in the room were able to see the tapestry of injuries in detail. The apothecary wet his cloth again and applied himself wholly to the task of treating them. The scrap of fabric slowly followed the contour of her breasts, starting at the top and moving around and down to the sensitive undersides. Lanna's nipples tightened as the cool wet cloth slid over them, her breath momentarily catching at the sensations being evoked. This gentle treatment was so unlike what had happened to her earlier that Lanna felt herself relaxing slightly into the man's hands. Aerick, observing the process from a distance so as not to be in the apothecary's way, studied her reactions carefully. The medicine man lingered at her breasts, teasing her by dragging the damp fabric over her chest and then blowing cold air, causing her to whimper. Her nipples became incredibly tight, pointing forward as if begging for more attention and the man was happy to oblige. He fondled her breasts with one hand as the cloth he held in other skimmed further down her body.