punished more for his clumsiness?
"Very well, your Highness," said the Lord, "but I think you realize that firmness in the beginning is a mercy to the slave, especially when the slave is such a proud and spoilt Princess."
Beauty blushed to hear this.
The Prince gave a low, gentle laugh.
"My Beauty is very like an unstamped coin," said the Prince, "and I wish to draw in the full character. I shall take delight in training her. I wonder if you yourself are attentive to her faults as I am."
"Your Highness?" the Lord seemed to stiffen slightly.
"You were not yourself so very strict with her in the Great Hall that you prevented her from feasting her eyes on young Prince Alexi. I rather think she enjoyed his punishment as much as her masters and mistresses."
Beauty flushed hotly. She had never dreamed that the Prince had observed her in this.
"Your Highness, she was only learning what will be expected of her, or so I thought..." the Lord answered very humbly. "It was I who drew her attention to the other slaves so she might profit from their obedient example."
"Ah, well," said the Prince wearily and agreeably, "perhaps I am only to enamored of her. After all, she wasn't sent to me as a Tribute, I won her and claimed her myself, and I am too jealous, it seems. Perhaps I seek for some reason to punish her. You're dismissed. Come for her in the morning, if you will, and we shall see."
The Lord, obviously worried that he had failed, left the room quickly.
Beauty was now alone with the Prince, and the Prince was sitting quietly by the fire looking at her. She was in a great state of agitation; she knew she was blushing as always, and that her breasts were heaving slightly. She rushed forward quite suddenly and pressed her lips to the Prince's boot, and it seemed to move as if it welcomed her kiss, rising slightly as over and over again she kissed it.
She was moaning. O, if only he'd give her permission to speak, and when she thought of her fascination with the punished Prince, she blushed all the more.
But her Prince had risen. He took her wrist and lifted her and drawing her hands behind her back so that he held them firmly, he spanked both her breasts hard until she cried out, feeling the heavy flesh sway and the sting of his hands on her nipples.
"Am I angry with you? Or am I not?" he asked softly.
She groaned, imploring him. And he placed her over his knee as she had seen the young Prince over the Page's knee, and with her bare hand he gave her a smart torrent of blows that had her crying aloud in an instant.
"To whom do you belong?" he demanded in a low, but angry voice.
"To you, my Prince, completely!" she cried out. It was dreadful, and then, suddenly unable to control herself she said, "Please, please, my Prince, not in anger, no..."
But instantly his left hand clamped over her mouth, and she felt another terrible torrent of hot spanks until her flesh was stinging and she couldn't control her crying.
She could feel the Prince's fingers against her lips. But he would hardly be satisfied with this. He had her on her feet now and by her wrists he led her to a corner of the room between the blazing fire and the curtained window. There was a high stool there made of carved wood, and on this he sat while he stood her beside him. She was crying softly, but she dared not beg again, no matter what happened. He was angry, fiercely angry, and though she could endure any pain for his pleasure, this was unbearable for her. She must please him, must make him loving again, and then any pain at all would not be too much.
He turned her and she stood facing him as he sat inspecting her. She dared not look him in the face, and then he drew back his cloak, and laying his hand on the golden buckle of his belt said, "Unfasten this."
At once she went to obey, with her teeth without being told that was how she might do it. She hoped and prayed he would be pleased. She pulled on the leather, her breath soft and fast, and then pulled the strap back so that the belt came loose.
"Now pull it off," said the Prince, "and give it to me."
She obeyed at once,