The Sleeping Princess Ch. 04

In the kingdom everything seemed to be going as planned. Farmers moved into the land and began growing crops, merchants set up shops in towns that quickly grew, and landless knights were flocking to offer their services. Everything was going exactly as he'd planned, with one exception: Jamie's new queen.

The morning after their marriage Rosella kept herself confined to her room. Sir Jamie didn't think this was terribly odd, at first, and chose simply to respect her privacy. He made sure meals were taken up to her, and when he went to her room that night he made passionate love to her again.

When she didn't come down the second day he almost got angry. However, he realized women, with their delicate constitutions, might have been more than a little embarrassed by having fucked their king in front of every man in the castle. So again, he respected her privacy, this time sending a merchant with cloth to size her for proper dresses. He remembered that she had worn the same dress twice and figured she must not have anything suitable.

Things followed that pattern for over a week, with Jamie sending up her meals and various merchants to fit her for expensive clothes, jewels, shoes and ask her opinions on various items to decorate the castle. Then he would climb the tower and spend hours adoring her body.

She never complained, indeed, he thought she rather liked his lovemaking. However, he couldn't help but notice that as the day wore on, the clouds around the castle grew darker and more substantial. Jamie knew that he was missing something important in the spell, but he was at a loss as to what. After the second week of waiting for Rosella to descend from her tower, he decided he'd had enough.

"Ella!"

Rosella could hear Jamie as his boots tromped up the stone stairwell. She was nervous. She'd secluded herself in the tower for weeks, yet nothing seemed to change. She had almost given up twice, but resolved to stay in the tower until her husband gave her the respect she deserved.

She felt cheated. Here was a man who could make her feel both intensely loved and shamefully ignored at the same time. He filled his days with his duties, and his nights with her body, but he never seemed to want anything else from her. All the precious trinkets and clothes felt more like payments than gifts. She wondered if he was just waiting for her to breed an heir and then all the attention would stop.

She fervently hoped not. She'd been having strange dreams and her breasts were tender. She had no idea when her menses were due, since the enchanted slumber had obviously ceased all of her natural functions. She had noticed, before the curse, that she always bled during the waxing moon. This week the moon was full, and her courses hadn't come yet.

It seemed impossible that she was pregnant already, but she knew the signs. Her mother had gone through several miscarriages before finally accepting that one daughter would have to be enough. Rosella spent half of her childhood alternately celebrating each subtle sign of pregnancy and mourning the loss of potential brothers or sisters.

When Jamie reached the top of the tower he was ready to break down the door. He was just a little disappointed to find that it was unlocked. Normally he simply walked into the room. He'd begun to consider the frilly, feminine room to be his own. With his hand still on the handle, he had a sudden inspiration, and chose to knock instead.

"Ella! I'm coming in."

Rosella was surprised to hear the knock. She was even more surprised that he seemed to be waiting for her to answer. Before he could grow impatient, she responded. She had to clear her throat twice before her voice came through clearly.

"Come in, my king."

Jamie walked in slowly, fixing his eyes on his wife. As always, her beauty nearly took his breath away. She was his, all his. He had to mentally shake himself to keep from throwing her onto the bed and ravishing her. Perhaps afterwards.

She watched him warily. She recognized that look in his eye. It was the one that usually meant he was about to make love to her. Even though she always enjoyed the things he did to her body, this was not the time. Rosella found herself backing away as Jamie practically stalked her. When the backs of her knees hit the bed she found the courage to speak.

"My lord..."

Jamie cut her off.

"We need to talk, my queen. You have been neglecting your duties."

Rosella bristled.She neglectingher duties?!?! Rosella could feel her face beginning to flush hot with anger. Jamie recognized the rising blush, but he'd only seen it during their lovemaking. He knew he must have hit a nerve to rise such passion in her. When she stepped away from the bed and began to advance towards him he stood his ground until they were nose to nose.

"How dare you! How dare you spend weeks ignoring me, using me for your pleasure, then accuse me of ignoring my duties! You never even allowed me to have duties! Other than fucking you in front of your men to validate your throne!"

Jamie fought the urge to roll his eyes. Now he saw what had gone wrong. The girl was expecting him to play the doting suitor and instead he'd spent his time building the kingdom. He hadn't realized his bride was so naïve.

"Ella, if you had come down I would have explained your duties."

Rosella felt like her head was going to explode. Her cheeks were on fire and she had to struggle to relax her jaw enough to respond.

"Oh, I see... so you would have explained my duties. I rather thought I already knew the duties of a wife and queen; helping the king to rule the kingdom. But you didn't need, or want me for that, did you?"

Jamie resisted the urge to pat her shoulder patronizingly.

"I would have loved your assistance, but you never came down."

"And I was supposed to show my face after the debacle of our wedding night? How are the men supposed to respect me when they've all seen me naked!"

Jamie didn't quite succeed at keeping the smirk off his face. Rather than hitting him, Rosella screamed in frustration. This resulted in an ill suppressed snicker from king Jamie. He was laughing at her.

Rosella felt as though she was possessed, her hand reaching out to grab the first thing within arms length. Her fingers closed over a silver candlestick. Jamie was barely able to register surprise before the candlestick came flying at him, thumping solidly into his chest.

The force of the blow took his breath away and he stepped back. Encouraged by his slight retreat, Rosella grabbed for something else. Jamie held his hands up to ward off the tallow candle that came flying at him, breaking against his forearm. He stood there, deflecting the myriad of objects she pulled from the side table and flung at him. Finally she seemed to be running out of steam and sunk down to the floor, still clutching a hairbrush in her hands.

Jamie rather expected to be angry, but he wasn't. Watching her hurl objects at him like some avenging Fury had a strange effect on him. He wasn't surprised that he felt his cock hardening. He'd always liked strong women, and suspected that the reason he'd left her to her privacy instead of coming for her sooner was that he'd thought her timid and unappealing unless she was naked underneath him.

He was surprised, however, to feel guilt creeping up on him. He hadn't tried to find out anything about her character. The only reason she appeared timid was that he'd put an innocent into situations she couldn't possibly have been prepared for. Watching her crumpled on the floor, chest heaving with expended passion, he knew he'd misjudged her.

Jamie sat on the edge of the bed, running a hand through his shaggy hair, trying vainly for words to fix the situation. Rosella, however, had not finished.

"I spent my childhood dreaming of the prince who would become my king, and how we would rule our people wisely, together. I dreamed of love and mutual respect. Now we're married, and you do not love me, you do not respect me, and you do not want or need my help ruling the kingdom. I suppose you're just waiting for me to produce an heir. Well, in that case, you're in luck, because it seems I'm breeding already."

Jamie stared down into her forlorn eyes with shock.

"You're pregnant?"

"And when your heir is born, what will you do? Will I continue to spend my life in this tower, or will you do away with me so you can marry someone else?"

Jamie let her words sink in. It wasn't too far from the truth, in some respects. The thought had certainly crossed his mind. He certainly wouldn't have killed her, but after the first week of confining herself to the tower, he'd begun to rather enjoy the fact that he could do what he wanted during the day without the nagging demands of a wife all day. However, he hadn't left things as they were, had he?

"I'm here, aren't I?"

Rosella had to admit, she was surprised after all this time that he'd come up. She thought she knew why.

"It's embarrassing, isn't it, to have a wife that no one ever sees? And it's not like anyone would forget me, after the debacle of our wedding night."

Jamie clenched his jaw. It was true. His men had been making comments about him keeping his sexy queen all to himself. After the first week, however, they began to get suspicious. Why would a woman consent to being left alone in a tower all day? Most royal women were so demanding and meddlesome that the household was run ragged. Not that anyone was complaining, but it just seemed unnatural. Unnatural and unjust, if the king was at fault.

Jamie had come up the tower this morning because he was sick and tired of the men whispering that his wife was still under the spell, and that Jamie wasn't the rightful king. He could deal with her throwing tantrums and driving them all crazy, but he couldn't handle this passive aggressive stance that put all the doubt on him.

Jamie stood, staring down at his queen, trying his best to harden his gaze.

"You will not remain in this tower. You will come down for meals and you will sit at my side while I govern Ilstoria."

Rosella fought to hold his gaze. She wanted to look away, but refused to give him the satisfaction.

"Ah, the perfect wife, silent, obedient, chattel."

"And beautiful."

Rosella gulped. That look was in his eyes again. She was on the floor, up against the bed. There was nowhere to retreat to. So the only option she had was to stand and face him head on. It took all of her courage to keep her eyes on his. All of her life she'd been admired and respected because of her rank. She'd never had to prove herself to anyone. Now it was time to prove to herself that she deserved to be queen.

When she stood up to him, refusing to back down, Jamie's eyes filled with lust. He wondered if she'd fight him or if she'd capitulate, as she always had before, screaming his name, her cries echoing in the courtyard for all to hear.

His hands grasped her arms, his thumbs brushing against her nipples through the thin silk of her nightgown. She sucked in her breath and he waited.

Rosella felt the familiar fire shoot from her nipples as they hardened to tight peaks. This was a familiar scene. Every night, when he came for her, she had considered fighting him, forcing him to acknowledge her, forcing him to realize that she had worth beyond the pleasure of her body and her ability to produce an heir. But every time, she gave in to the pleasure he brought her, and convinced herself that she would rather he come to value her on his own. Well, he'd finally come to her, and she was not about to let him conquer her again.

Putting her hands between them, she pushed his hands away from her.

"No."

Jamie's blood began to heat. His lips curled into a smile.

"What did you say, wife?"

He cupped her breasts in his palms, pressing his body against hers, his lips whispering dangerously into her ear. Rosella's voice shook, but remained strong.

"No!"

She shoved her whole body against his, catching him off guard so that he was forced to step back.

"You may not have me. I will not let you use my body for your pleasure."

Jamie chuckled and stepped towards her again. He caught her wrists as she lifted her hands to shove him away again.

"But my sweet Ella, what about your pleasure?"

His voice sounded like a cat's purr, a large, sharp-toothed cat that had caught a mouse. She knew he was toying with her, but she didn't want to play.

"I do not want any pleasure, not from you!"

Jamie twisted her arms behind her back, holding them both firmly with one hand while the other began to fondle her body, eliciting a sharp gasp when his fingers stroked her damp center through the thin material.

"No? Your body seems to disagree. Although, if you find me so repulsive right now, I'm quite certain one of my knights would be more than willing to pleasure you."

Rosella's eyes widened in disbelief. Was he threatening to throw her to one of his men if she disobeyed him? Rosella couldn't believe it, and decided to call his bluff.

"Any man would be preferable toyou."

The challenge to his manhood was too much. The rising desire he felt was enflamed by his anger. He threw her to the bed and quickly disrobed.

Rosella could have used the reprieve to make a break for the door, but she knew running through the castle in her nightdress would do her no good, supposing she even made it to the door. Instead, she steeled herself for the fight of her life. She knew he could easily overpower her, but she wouldn't make it easy on him. More than anything, she was determined not to give him the satisfaction of showing her pleasure.

Rosella was ashamed that the sight of his naked body as he climbed onto the bed sent a thrill through her. She was prepared to fight him, but fighting her own body would be the true trial. She couldn't help it; she flung herself away and tried to flee to the door. She hoped he wouldn't chase her through the castle while naked. The time it would take to put on his trousers would give her a head start.

She didn't make it off the bed. His fingers snaked around her ankle and dragged her towards him, her nightdress bunching about her waist and exposing her buttocks to him. She twisted her body to kick him, but his other hand wrapped around the other ankle and he dragged her closer, still face down on the bed.

Rosella screamed in lust and anger when his fingers spread her ass cheeks and his tongue snaked between her nether lips to flick her throbbing bud. She tried to push herself up, but Jamie held her firmly to the mattress. He resumed his assault, his tongue lapping at her folds, her sweet juices exposing her growing excitement. The young queen could do little more than grip the edge of the mattress and shout her frustration.

"No! Stop at once! Oooh! Let me go! Please!"

Jamie ignored her pleas, thrusting his tongue deeply into her pussy, causing Rosella to scream, bucking against his mouth as he fucked her with his tongue.

"No! I won't, I won't, I won't!"

She tried to resist it, but her body ignored her completely as it exploded with a powerful orgasm. Before she could recover, Jamie flipped her over onto her back. Desperately she flailed at him, striking him with her hands and feet until he roughly thrust himself between her legs. His roar of primal triumph overpowered her screams. Tears of frustration began to leak out the corners of her eyes as she pounded her fists uselessly against his chest.

"Get off of me! I hate you! I hate you!"

King Jamie grabbed her wrists again, pinning her to the bed while his mouth descended on her breasts, sucking her nipple into his mouth. Rosella began to sob between screams as she felt her body begin to peak again. His cock sliding in and out of her body, combined with his mouth on her nipple, was so intense she couldn't fight it. Her hips unwittingly rose to meet his, and the more she kicked and struggled, the harder he pounded her, increasing her pleasure.

Jamie's mouth left her nipple to whisper in her ear.

"You belong to me, Ella. You are my queen. You can fight me all you want, but it will accomplish nothing. Your body recognizes its husband and master."

Rosella could feel herself on the edge of another orgasm. His cock was so long and hard inside of her, pulsing hotly, she knew he must be close too. In a last frantic attempt to wrestle back control, she sank her teeth into his shoulder, feeling the blood gush into her mouth. Jamie released her wrists to wrap his hands in her hair, yanking her head back. His mouth crushed against her lips, his tongue invading her mouth as his hips ground against her. He tasted his blood on her lips, thrilling in his victory as he swallowed her screams of pleasure as she gushed hot juices over his cock while he simultaneously pumped his seed into her.

He collapsed on top of her, her body still trembling, caught in the aftershocks of the orgasm. She was sobbing, near hysterical with the powerful, conflicting emotions that were coursing through her.

Jamie caught his breath and rolled over, taking her with him. He held her tightly to his chest as she wept. His satisfaction from the intensity of the sex was marred by the fact that it hadn't really solved anything. Her tears were a blatant sign that all was not well between them. He hadn't expected his domination of her to fix everything, but he had hoped it would at least bring her to her senses, and realize that she wanted him.

Rosella cried her heart out against his chest, feeling utterly defeated. If he had so little respect for her that he would flat out rape her, then it was pointless. He could never love her.

Just when he thought she was done with her bawling, his young queen began to cry again in earnest. He thought he knew what she wanted. It was what every woman wanted, and the crux of her curse. True love.

Briefly he considered lying. He could just tell her what she wanted to hear. It wasn't like he hadn't done it before, he knew how convincing he could be. As he held his weeping wife in his arms he was sorely tempted to just make it all better, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Instead, he did something he'd never done before. He told her the truth.

"My parents never pretended to love one another. My mother married my father for his money and he married her for her body. I've known many women, all of whom have professed to love me, but never once has a single woman stirred me to want to stay with her for more than a few nights. It wasn't that they lacked beauty. They were all beautiful. It wasn't that they were brainless idiots, although some were. There were even a few who could have made fine wives, but they could never give me what I truly wanted."

Rosella stopped crying to listen to him.

"I want to be respected for who I am. I want men to follow me because I am worth something. You have given me the opportunity to gain what I desire most. For this, you will always have my esteem. When I made my vows to you, I meant them. I will protect, comfort, and honor you for the rest of my days. I will be faithful to you and I will do everything within my power to give you anything you ask. I cannot give you something I don't believe exists, however. I have never seen true love in my life. It is something men tell women to get under their skirts. It's something women tell men to convince them they'll be faithful. And yet, it's always a lie. The men use the women, the women cheat on their men with anyone who says 'I love you.' I won't sit here and lie to you, Ella. I won't tell you I love you when love doesn't even exist."

Rosella lay quietly, listening to her husband's heartbeat. She had to admit to being stunned at his revelation. He didn't believe in love? She knew he was being honest. He wasn't telling her this just to dismiss the issue. She felt her heart constrict. The shattered and broken pieces began to mend as she realized that this man, her husband, hadn't dismissed her out of cruelty. He hadn't raped her to demean her. He just didn't know how to love. He was lost. Rosella determined then and there that if she could, she would help him find his way.