From Duchess to Concubine Ch. 03

The next few days were heady for Mona. That she was to be a crowned concubine was a great honor. Technically it would not change her status. Legally she was still chattel. However The public declaration of King Peter's love meant that she would be given greater honor and esteem by Peter's court and the public at large.

Peter scheduled the ceremony for a week in the future. It necessitated the creation of a special dress. The fabric was new to Mona. It came from Herin and looked like spun gold. Upon closer inspection Mona realized that it was not precious metal but a wondrous soft fabric that shimmered beautifully. Mona felt a sadness when she realized that the day of her coronation would be the only day that she would be permitted to wear the dress. After that it would go into a cedar lined chest, only to be looked at and kept as a memento.

The Queen's dressmakers traveled from Herin to Remnia to create the dress. Queen Elise was fairly livid with rage when she discovered her husband's plan. Mona did her best to avoid her but one day she was summoned to the Queen's bedchamber. The Queen was waiting for her. Sitting in an ornate chair, she was clad in a long flowing robe which highlighted her large milky white breasts. Now that the queen was nursing they were larger than ever. Already the Queen had lost most of her baby weight. Mona felt intimidated before her. Although Mona was tall, the Queen was taller. Mona also felt that Queen Elise was more beautiful than herself. Most of all Mona feared Elise's power and the control over King Peter that she wielded.

"You are obviously very proud of yourself you little slut. But have no fear I will have my revenge. I am recovering from giving birth quite well. I have surprised the royal physicians with my recuperative powers. Soon I will be able to lie with my husband and fulfill all of his needs. He may be in love with you now, but once I work my whiles on him he will treat YOU any way that I want. I have so many wonderful ideas. Enjoy your coronation, if I have any say in the matter it will by your personal high water mark. You are dismissed you little whore!"

Her head reeling Mona made her way back to her quarters. She had no doubt that the Queen's threats were genuine. For the present she would put that unpleasantness out of her mind and focus on the ceremony and practicing her role. As she practiced her lines she heard a knock on the door. It was Prince Aaron.

"Fair Mona. I am going riding in three hours. Could I ask the honor of your company?"

"Certainly your excellency but, if I may be forward, do not expect a repeat of our last riding adventure."

Aaron smiled and said,"No Fair concubine, I understand. I would like to discuss with you insights into the feminine mind. I am not as gifted in knowing woman as is my brother. As we ride I would like to discuss things such as how can I tell if a woman is interested in me and not just my wealth and power. I so want to do as my brother has done and marry the right woman."

Mona told the prince that she would be delighted to discuss such topics with him. Mona really had an affection for Aaron. He was genuine and honest like his brother with an innocence and naivety that almost made him more handsome than the King. Mona knew that whoever the woman was who married Aaron she would be very lucky indeed.

After a splendid ride and stimulating conversation, Mona was prepared for dinner. As she sat to the left of King peter she tried to ignore the open hostility that Queen Elise was displaying. King Peter and Prince Aaron, however spoke to Mona as though they were oblivious to it.

That night King Aaron took Mona with astonishing vigor. Mona saw the King's ardor as proof of his devotion. It gave Mona hope that Queen Elise's threats were just empty talk.

The day of the ceremony dawned cold but fair. Mona's ladies in waiting dressed her in the fine dress. It resembled greatly her other concubine dresses save that it had a detachable train and golden gloves as long as her arms. Mona followed a young girl dropping rose petals to the floor before her.

The king and queen were already seated. Prince Aaron had asked for the right to vouch for Mona so he would be following her in.

A Priest from Herin and Remnia preceded her. They read a prayer of blessing and fertility as they walked. Mona's throne was decorated in laurel leaves and holly boughs. At the foot of King Peter's throne she bowed and thanked him in all the flowery language that they day required. Her next step was at the foot of the queen's throne. Elise shot daggers at Mona with her eyes but her face wore a bright smile. She listened patiently as Mona promised to willingly and happily share the King's bed. Mona was also required to state several times that she would always defer to the Queen and would never seek to alienate King Peter's affections. To demonstrate her submission to the King and Queen, Mona next laid prostrate on the floor.

"Who vouches for this fair woman?" Asked King Peter to the room.

Prince Aaron stepped forward and said, "On behalf of the Kingdom of Herin, the people of Remnia and my beloved brother, King Peter, I do!"

King Peter smiled and said, "You may rise Fair Concubine and ascend your throne."

Mona rose from the floor and bowed low, She approached first the Queen's throne and then the King's and kissed the feet of both royals, then standing tall, and erect, she approached her throne. Two of her ladies in waiting came forward and unfastened the train of the gold dress. That task completed Mona took her seat in her throne.

The priest from Remnia came forward with the tiara on a satin pillow. The Herin priest took it and set it on Mona's head while reciting a complicated ritual in the archaic Herin language. Mona cold follow none of it. For all to hear stated the many charms and graces of Mona. The King smiled and nodded as each attribute was stated. The Queen's smile turned into a scowl. At last the priest placed the tiara on Mona's head and the room burst into applause.

For the next several hours Mona received the well wishes of those present. Many of the people had known her as Duchess. It was nice to see that they still supported her. One of her former ladies in waiting came forward on the arm of her new husband, the Herin general who had led her from the castle when it had fallen all those months ago. That stopped Mona short for a few moments. She realized that she would never be just a wife of a husband ever again. It was sadness amongst the joy.

After the ceremony there was a banquet in Mona's honor. King Peter and prince Aaron traded off turns dancing with he. The king also made a point of dancing with Queen Elise the same number of times that he had danced with Mona. While watching the royal couple dance Mona realized that in one way at least she outshone Queen Elise, Mona was a far better dancer.

Mona had the most wonderful time she had had since Remnia had fallen. Late in the evening her ladies in waiting undressed her and carefully stowed away the fine dress. One of her ladies in waiting hung a fertility charm about Mona's neck. "You deserve to be a mother." She said. King Peter arrived shortly after. Mona was still naked but hurriedly her ladies in waiting left the bedchamber. That night King Peter took her like he would have taken a new bride. With gentility and patience. Mona found him positively overwhelming. She was very wet. Unfortunately the King could not spend the night with her. He would be expected to fulfill his marital obligations to his wife this night as well.

The next weeks passed in a pleasant blur. Mona found that she saw less and less of King Peter. Queen Elise found any pretext to make sure that her husband spent time only with her. Queen Elise was also very rude to Mona, usually calling her "whore" under her breath. One afternoon King Peter and Prince Aaron went out riding and to inspect the troops. They would be absent from the castle all day.

Mona was in her bedchamber when she was summoned to the queen's chambers. The queen dismissed everyone from the room.

"Ah the royal whore. I have a surprise for you. Strip! NOW!" Mona knew better than to disobey the Queen. She quickly shed her clothes. To Mona's surprise she noticed that the Queen was also removing her clothes. The naked Queen approached the naked Concubine.

"Look on my body, slut. Do you think the King could really prefer your charms once mine returned to me?"

Mona looked at the naked royal. As usual she felt small in her presence. The Queen's skin was fair in the extreme, her large breasts were lovely her chest tapered to a hourglass figure. At the juncture of her long, limber legs the Queen's lovely, golden thatch stood out temptingly. Mona realized that Queen Elise was very beautiful indeed. She had no problem seeing in her what King Peter must. To be honest, Mona felt inferior in every way to Queen Elise.

The Queen retrieved something from a dresser drawer and said. "I would see what my husband sees in you. I would take you as he takes you. Perhaps that is your hold over my Peter. Do you make little animal noises in bed, are you a great lay?"

Mona noticed that the Queen was holding a double headed phallus. One end was disappearing into the Queen's succulent sex.

"Pull down the covers and climb in bed. Lie on your back and prepare to be penetrated. I will see you as my husband does, above you and inside you."

Mona trembled obviously as she slid into the huge royal bed. The queen wasted little time in approaching the bed. Mona noticed that the Queen was now holding a riding crop.

"If you are not enthusiastic enough I will beat you like the horse you are."

With that the Queen was upon Mona. Mona felt the cool, smooth phallus force its way inside her. Queen Elise began grinding away. Mona was startled by the sensation of the Queen's smooth warm skin pressed upon her own. Despite herself Mona found herself responding to the Queen's ministrations, Mona began breathing heavily. Elise ordered the Mona to suckle her breasts. It took several whacks of the crop before Mona made the move to suckle the Queen. Elise was still nursing and Mona encountered the taste of royal mother's milk.

"Yes, taste me. Like the new Royal prince you have nursed from me. I am a mother of a future king while you can only bear bastards and pretenders to the throne."

The Queen continued to ride Mona and at last, despite her total humiliation, Mona orgasmed.

"Kiss me as you kiss my husband." Said Queen Elise. This was followed by another crash of the riding crop.

Mona did her best to kiss Elise as though she were Peter. She closed her eyes and set her tongue to work. It was quite sometime before Queen Elise pulled away. Suddenly it was over. Mona felt the phallus withdraw from her quim. The Queen embraced Mona and ran her hands all over her body.

"Now I know what I am up against." Said Queen Elise as she stepped out of bed. "I see why Peter likes fucking you. But I have a solution to my Mona problem. It is perfect and the King will see that and obviously will have to agree with me. A few months of you in submissive exile will give me a chance to remind Peter just how wonderful a lover I am."

Mona lay still in the bed. She was full of dread and knew that the Queen's words were not a good omen.

"Get up and get dressed whore. Mention this encounter to King Peter and I will see to it that you lose your pretty little thumbs."

Mona was shaking with fear as she redressed in her white concubine dress. Once she received permission to leave the Queen's chambers Mona made her way back to her bedroom and burst into tears. She was all cried out when King peter came to visit her. The king had come straight from the stables. He was sweaty and dirty but Mona did not mind as she undressed him. Mona sucked his cock for quite some time and then allowed the King to lead her to her bed. Mona savored every moment with Peter. Loving him was now something she feared losing.

Mona thought about her Husband Rikard, still in the tower. Now that she had had these many months to be intimate with King Peter, Mona realized that the King was afar better and more giving lover than her husband had ever been. In reality, King Peter had not asked of Mona anything she was not willing to give. Even those few times that King Peter had penetrated her anally, he was patient and supremely gentle with Mona. Mona discovered that she could enjoy something she feared. She viewed that as a late life lesson.

A few days later King Peter summoned Mona to his private office. The guards and scribes were dismissed and Peter had Mona take a seat.

"Mona I have unpleasant news. It is a situation I can not think of any other solution to. Actually Queen Elise discovered the solution to my problem. She is a brilliant, but if I do say so myself, a rather ruthless politician. The situation is thus. I owe a large personal debt to Lord Gerd Mayone, the Earl of Fretho. Lord Mayone is fabulously wealthy; richer than I as a matter of fact. He provided the funds to raise a portion of the army I needed to invade and conquer this nation of Remnia. He is so shrewd with money that he has already earned back much of the money he loaned me, however, there is still a large

debt he is willing to forgive in trade. If I do not take advantage of this offer I will have to raise taxes in Remnia AND Herin, something I am loathe to do since that will cause dissent in both places. I told my own nation of Herin that my military escapade in Remnia would not raise taxes. Raising taxes here may cause a popular uprising to either restore the Duke, your former husband, to his throne, or conversely. to drive me from the throne in my own country. I can not afford either outcome. This is where you come in, Fair Mona."

Mona looked at king Peter and said, "What do you mean your excellency?"

"Queen Elise has told Lord Mayone of your beauty and intelligence. He will forgive my debt if I send you to him as a slave for four months. You leave in two days!"

Mona appeared thunderstruck. "But your excellency, isn't there some other way?"

"Fair Mona I have thought of every other possible way but have come up empty. If I do not send you to him Lord Mayone will call in my debt and potentially ruin me. I love you Mona but I MUST hold on to my throne. Whether you like it or not this IS a duty that falls under your responsibilities as a royal concubine. When you return I promise to spend a week with you alone and I will shower you with gifts. If you try to decline this assignment I will order you to go anyway Mona."

Mona did not like anything she had heard. "Is Lord Mayone at least handsome and well made?"

"No Mona, he is fat, bald, and nearly fifty. His castle has every luxury however and Fretho is a very pretty province. It takes four days journey to reach Lord Mayone's castle. You will be traveling under guard and with two attendants The attendants will stay with you while you reside with Lord Mayone. The guards will retrieve the three of you when the four months are over. You should use your time to pack and mentally prepare yourself."

Mona stood and approached King Peter. "Your excellency I am not in the least pleased with this development. I sense the idea is mostly Queen Elise's and I know that she despises me. I also know that The only recourse I have is to be your concubine. If I were made a commoner, no man aside from the dregs of society would take me for I am now a "fallen" woman. I can not be YOUR wife but I had hoped that your statements of affection for me were true. Apparently my use as a tool of diplomacy and profit outweighs your professed affection for me. That is disappointing. Can you at least promise me that I will be well treated and respected by Lord Mayone?"

"I will send such a letter Fair Mona, but I can't enforce it from here. I will be honest with you you are at risk. But I believe Mayone to be a good man."

With a heavy heart Mona made her way back to her bedchamber. She sent in a request for some traveling trunks from the castle quartermaster and chose two of her ladies in waiting to accompany her. As Mona made her way through the castle she happened to encounter the queen and her entourage. Mona knelt on the floor until Queen Elise passed. As the queen passed Mona's position she shot Mona a positively evil smile and leer.

Mona realized how truly far she had fallen in the world. She had almost nothing to pack. Aside from her dresses she had only her crescent necklace, her tiara, her earrings, a music box an a portrait of King Peter. Even with her makeup and all of her bathroom utensils there was plenty of room left in the trunk.

Mona was most definitely not in the mood when King Peter called on her. She resented his using here sexually. She thought that he would protect her and it would take quite a while to get over that hurt. She did not cry, that night but she was constantly on the edge of breaking down.

King Peter gave her a quiet ceremonial dinner the next night. It was just the two of them in the great dining hall. King Peter repeatedly said he was sorry and Mona got the sense that the king was being truthful. She truly did want to forgive him, as she genuinely had built up quite the affection for King Peter. King Peter had Mona sit on his lap and he fed her. While they ate, with no fuss at all, King Peter opened his pants, moved aside Mona's brief step ins and took her while she straddled his lap. Mona found it thrilling and realized once again how much she would miss King Peter.

Very early the next morning the small traveling party prepared to depart. To protect her from the prying eyes of citizens and thieves, King Peter presented Mona with a lovely hooded traveling cloak. It hid all of her from the top of her head to her toes. No one would see the scanty garments she was compelled to wear at all times under it. He presented similar, but far less expensive, cloaks to Mona's ladies in waiting. King Peter kissed Mona deeply, helped all three into the carriage and watched as it set off. There was a calvary squad in front, one in the rear and a second coach carrying the courier and some officers ahead of Mona's carriage. King Peter was truly saddened to see the carriages both of which bore his royal seal, disappear into the distance. He had come to truly love Mona and would miss her greatly.

Four days later the entourage pulled up before Lord Mayone's impressive castle. It was late in the day almost twilight. Mona was far less road weary than she had expected for the Herin carriage was by far the most comfortable she had ever ridden in. Along the way the topic of conversation had often turned to men. Mona's attendants were as opposite as possible. The youngest still possessed her maidenhead and was quite naive when it came to the opposite sex. She certainly got an education on the trip, for the elder attendant had had three husbands when young as well as a string of affairs. Even though Mona thought that she knew her well she was sometime taken aback by the older woman's forthrightness.

The royal courier appeared at the door of the women's carriage. The carriage door was opened and Mona noticed that a red carpet was laid down. Some of Lord Mayone's footmen appeared and escorted the women into Lord Mayone's thrown room. Ahead of them was the courier.

Lord Mayone sat, short, squat and hideous on a golden throne. Mona felt ill as she looked at the repulsive ruler. The castle surrounding him however was impressive in every detail. An attendant collected the cloaks the women wore and Lord Mayone took obvious delight in drinking in Mona's beauty. His leer made Mona uncomfortable. After a brief ceremony the courier came forward and read a proclamation.

"Your excellency Lord Gerd Mayone, master of Fretho, I King Peter ruler of Herin and conquerer and lord protector of Remnia offer you this gift for your use for the next four months. The reason for this loan is well known to you but shall remain unnamed in a public proclamation. Fair Mona is my royal concubine. She is as intelligent as she is beautiful and I value her a great deal. I ask that you use this gift with respect, gentleness, affection and kindness. You may under no circumstances permanently mark or scar her. I expect her returned in the condition that she was delivered to you."