The Price of Loyalty
"To ask for the release of a traitor who tried to assassinate the princess... I assume you are prepared to pay the appropriate price, then?"
"...Yes..."
"It won't end with half-hearted play like before. This time, I will thoroughly violate your most secret place... and defile your body with my own hands. You are still fine with that?"
Carmel must have known I was entirely serious. She lowered her head for a moment, then lifted it high and spoke.
"...Do as you wish."
At that moment, I should have felt pure ecstasy. In fact, until just a moment ago, I had felt as if I were floating on a cloud of feathers. At least, until I saw Carmel's tears.
But what I felt now was far from ecstasy. What swirled inside me was a much darker, stickier emotion. Seeing Carmel willing to endure absolute violation just for Rika's sake stirred an inexplicable, festering displeasure within me.
I had felt this exact sensation not long ago—when Carmel had provoked me by threatening to sleep with Pehart. It was the very same feeling.
Just for a barbarian woman like that? She's offering up her body? Carmel is? Carmel, who trampled on others without a second thought and never hesitated to commit any atrocity for her own desires? All for one filthy, foolish, savage woman?
It was unforgivable. I could not tolerate this. I didn't let the full depth of my dark emotions show on my face, but my expression hardened into a cold mask. Carmel seemed to sense my shift, her eyes flickering with sudden anxiety.
No, I need to calm down. Rika was always meant to be Carmel's weakness. Everything was moving exactly according to plan. There was absolutely no reason for me to be irritated. I just had to use Rika to claim Carmel's body, just as I had intended. Guided by my dark desires, that was all that mattered.
I smoothed my expression and looked at Carmel.
"Tonight at midnight, come to my room. Make sure no one sees you."
"I understand... But in return, you must promise me! I will do whatever you want... so promise me you will release Rika when it is over!"
"Of course, Mother."
Even as I gave that smooth reply, a part of my heart remained utterly frozen.
That night, Carmel arrived right on the dot. Together, we made our way down to the Royal Palace Underground.
The dungeons beneath the palace were rarely used these days. Reserved strictly for criminals associated with the royal family, the facility lay dormant during times of peace.
The cell where Rika was currently confined was one of those very dungeons. Her crime was attempting to assassinate the princess—making this the perfect, most fitting place to keep her, even if we had bypassed any official, legal channels.
"Go inside."
I unlocked the heavy iron door and gestured inward. Despite the dim, flickering light, I could clearly see the tremor of fear running through Carmel. Yet, she steeled herself and took a step forward, entering the cell.
Inside, a wooden restraint frame stood waiting, identical to the one Rika had been bound to. I pulled the heavy iron chains myself, securing Carmel's wrists and ankles to the wood. Her elegant queenly gown contrasted sharply with the crude torture frame—a bizarre, mismatched combination that was, in truth, incredibly erotic.
"In... in a place like this... what do you plan to do to me?"
"Are you really in any position to be asking questions, Mother?"
My sharp, icy tone silenced her instantly. She could only stare back at me, her eyes trembling with raw anxiety.
The adjacent cell, separated only by a row of iron bars, was currently shrouded in pitch darkness. I walked over to the wall and flipped the switch for the magical lighting. As the neighboring cell flooded with light, Carmel let out a choked gasp.
"...Rika...!"
Rika hung limply from her restraints. Her Kakas tribal attire had been shredded to pieces, leaving her practically naked. It required very little imagination to guess what had been done to her.
I picked up a wooden bucket and splashed cold water directly over her head.
"Mmph...!"
Though the tight gag in her mouth prevented her from speaking, Rika's eyes still burned with defiance as she glared at me. Then, her gaze shifted to Carmel. The moment her eyes locked onto her master, Rika's pupils dilated in sheer shock.
Perhaps Rika had held onto her pride, enduring the torture by taking solace in the fact that she hadn't uttered a single word. But now, she had to face the bitter realization that all her silent resistance had been entirely in vain.
Of course, my primary goal in bringing Carmel here wasn't to break Rika's spirit. Though, as a consequence, that was highly likely to happen anyway.
I stepped closer to the bound queen. Carmel was wearing a luxurious yet simple indoor gown—essentially a single-piece robe. By simply undoing the row of buttons running from her chest downward, the fabric would fall away. It was a dangerously revealing outfit, and she hadn't even bothered to wear underwear. She must have known exactly what I would do to her tonight.
Without a word, I began to undo the buttons of Carmel's gown, one by one.
"Mmph! Mmmph! Hnngh!"
I could hear Rika thrashing wildly against her chains. Her precious master was about to be stripped naked and violated right before her eyes. I understood her despair, but I really wished she would keep it down.
As the final button slipped free, Carmel's gown parted wide. Her body was a masterpiece, mouthwatering no matter how many times I beheld it. In the dim light of the dungeon, the shadows clung to her skin, accentuating every voluptuous curve. Her heavy breasts stood out prominently, and the dark, shadowed cleft between her thighs practically begged to be explored.
"Let me tell you in advance, Mother. You are going to experience the exact same things Rika endured in this cell. Of course, I cannot allow the noble Queen of Rustier to yield her body to filthy prisoners... so I shall gladly play that part myself."
"Just... get on with it..."
Carmel spoke with a steeled resolve. Seeing Rika alive and physically unharmed seemed to give her the strength to endure this humiliation. Rika, however, was reacting in the exact opposite manner.
"Mmph...! Mmmph!"
Tears welled in Rika's eyes as she thrashed violently against her bindings, though her struggles did nothing to loosen the heavy iron. By now, she had undoubtedly realized the truth: her beloved master had surrendered her own body to save her.
Right before Rika's eyes, I deliberately reached out and squeezed Carmel's breasts.
"Ah... nngh..."
I had held these breasts in my hands once before, but the second time was no less thrilling. If anything, their soft, heavy weight felt like something I could knead for eternity. This was far more sensual than mere nudity. Seeing Carmel bound in chains, her luxurious royal gown draped loosely over her shoulders as she helplessly yielded her breasts to me, finally began to soothe my irritated mood.
"Ah, they still feel as exquisite as ever. Your breasts, Mother..."
"...Shut up... ah...!"
A fitting punishment for her insolence. I pinched her nipple, which had already begun to swell, and pulled it taut. I could feel the bud hardening between my fingertips, a distinct, concentrated softness compared to the rest of her breast. Carmel glared at me, her beautiful features contorted in a mix of pain and pleasure—an exquisite spice to the feast.
"Haa... ah... nngh..."
The sweet whimpers leaking through her tightly pressed lips only added to my delight. My mood had officially recovered. It seemed there was no better cure for my irritation than Carmel's reactions and the plush feel of her flesh. Smiling with satisfaction, I slid my hand down from her chest, tracing a path toward the one place I hadn't touched during our last encounter—the hidden cleft nestled beneath her soft bush.
As my hand slid past her breasts and stomach, heading toward its unmistakable destination, Carmel clearly sensed my intent. Unable to bear the sight, she whipped her head to the side. When my fingertips finally brushed against her wet fold, she squeezed her eyes shut.
"Fufu, how adorable... Oh, Mother..."
I extended my middle finger, tracing it along the length of her slit. The warm, slick moisture coating her flesh sent a jolt of uncontrollable excitement straight to my core. Finally, the moment had come to violate her. To claim Carmel's pussy.
It was a bit earlier than I had originally planned, but this was entirely Carmel's fault. Who told her to provoke me? And of all things, to dare suggest... with someone like Pehart... that she would willingly give her body to a pathetic man like Pehart!
My emotions threatened to spiral out of control once more. The pleasure I felt was suddenly eclipsed by a dark, burning rage. Yes, this was the problem. This filthy, lewd hole... to think she might have let him enter it behind my back...!
"Ah...!"
Driven by my surging fury, I shoved my finger deep into Carmel's pussy. She squeezed her eyes shut even tighter, trying to resist the sudden invasion, her face looking unbearably exquisite in her torment. Yet, I couldn't bring myself to enjoy it. Did she make this face in front of Pehart, too? Did she look this adorable while being impaled by his cock...?!
"Ah! Ah... nngh...!"
Carmel desperately tried to hold back her voice, but whimpers of undeniable pleasure leaked past her lips anyway. Instead of feeling pleased that my touch was eliciting such a reaction, a hot wave of anger surged within me at how easily her body yielded.
"Did you pant like that in the King's bed, too? Did you make that filthy face and let out those lewd sounds while Pehart was inside you, Mother?"
My voice was laced with thorns. Carmel must have felt the raw anger driving the fingers thrusting inside her, though she couldn't possibly guess the reason why. After all, even I struggled to put this possessive, irrational rage into words.
Panting heavily, Carmel managed to squeeze out a response.
"Ah... nngh... I didn't...!"
"What did you say?"
"With your father... ah... I didn't do it...! I tried to seduce him, but... nngh... he fell asleep saying he was too tired... I haven't slept with him once since you left...!"
She hadn't slept with Pehart? It could easily be a lie, of course—a desperate attempt to appease my wrath in the moment. Yet, simply hearing those words made the heavy weight in my chest vanish instantly.
"Is that the truth? I can easily verify it with the maids. If I find out you are lying to me... your punishment will be far worse, Mother."
"It's the truth... ah...!"
She was telling the truth. Carmel was far too intelligent to tell a lie that could be so easily exposed. It was almost laughable how quickly my mood shifted, but the moment I realized she hadn't been touched by another, the woman bound before me suddenly looked incredibly, irresistibly lovely.
I spoke, my voice softening with newfound warmth.
"Open your mouth, Mother."
Carmel obediently parted her lips. I leaned in, capturing her mouth in a deep, possessive kiss as I thrust my tongue deep inside her.