The Queen

The corset closed around her ribs, and the maids tugged the cords cinching the queen’s waist. The black and crimson satin of the garment acted like a vice. It pushed her breasts up and out, and the queen smiled at her reflection in the mirror. Her thick auburn hair was already carefully and complexly curled and piled atop her, and the queen was pleased with her appearance. Her maids, all but one were always happy to avoid the queen’s wrath, were pleased with her pleasure. One naughty maid had already made a name for herself by actively seeking and enjoying the queen’s punishments.

It was this made who began rouging the queen’s nipples and areolas, her deft fingers rubbing just a little rough as she worked.  The queen knew this brat’s game; the girl was seeking a punishment. The queen would have to find something fitting for the girl.

The other maids attached the stays to her stockings. The tops of these bore the device of the queen’s house, the single crimson heart. Finally one of the maids slipped the ruby choker around her neck.

The maids stepped back, and the queen admired their work. She turned in front of the mirror, loving the way the black panties cupped her ass.  The rubies glittered catching the firelight, and the rouge not only darkened the pale pink of her skin but also left her nipples erect.

With a smile, the queen settled the iron crown on her brow. The crown was dark, almost black against the deep auburn of her hair and the paleness of her skin. She ordered the bratty maid to remain in the chamber and sent the other maids away.

The maid did little to hide her grin, as the queen ordered her to stay behind. When the other maids had left the chamber, the queen turned to the maid and ordered her to strip. Of course, the maid already wore very little, the gossamer tunic favored by her servants that served more to highlight rather than hide the flesh fell quickly to the girl’s feet.

The queen stood before the girl, the heels of her boots letting her tower over the girl. The queen grabbed a handful of the maid’s blonde hair and jerked her head up, kissing her hard. The girl leaned in eagerly.

The queen laughed as she broke the kiss.  “So eager for pleasure, after being such a naughty girl,” the queen purred. “Do you think you deserve such pleasure?”

The maid shook her head quickly, “Oh no, I’ve been such a bad girl.” She said.

The queen ordered the maid to her bed, and the girl lay on her back obediently. But then the queen did something the maid didn’t expect.  She called in her guards. The three men currently on duty were all part of her army. She did not trust the guards of the vanquished queen.  She looked at the three men over and called Aleksey to her.

“This maid wishes to thank you for your protection of her beloved queen,” she said watching the girl on the bed suddenly bite her lip. This wasn’t the game she expected at all, but as the maid’s eyes drifted over the guards, her lips curled back into a smile.

The two guards wasted no time stripping out of their uniforms, the slight bits of clothing falling away quickly. They joined the maid on the bed, one immediately pressing his cock into her eagerly open mouth. The other began hungrily devouring the maid’s pussy.

The queen watched, Aleksey at her side. She watched the maid’s lips close over the shaft of the cock in her mouth, and her cheeks hollowed as she sucked and licked. Lying on her back, left her little movement and allowed the guard to fuck the maid’s mouth. The maid had wrapped her legs around the guard eating her pussy, and her hips thudded against the bed as he licked and sucked at her clit.  The queen suspected the maid would orgasm all too quickly given the man’s attention to his job.

“Enough,” the queen called out and the two guards stopped.  The maid mewed in frustration, having been so close to coming. “On your hands and knees,” the queen ordered her and the maid quickly complied.

The queen removed her panties and sat with her legs spread. She pointed at the guard who had been performing cunnilingus with such gusto, “you, now.” She ordered.

She nodded at Aleksey and the remaining guard. “Fuck her, but do not let her orgasm” the queen ordered as the guard knelt between her legs.

She sighed as his tongue began its exploration of her pussy.  He lapped and sucked at her with as much, if not more fervor than he had the maid. On the bed, the maid moaned as the first guard slid his cock into her pussy. He grabbed the girl’s hips and set a pounding pace, one that had the girl’s breasts swaying.

The queen absently stroked the guard’s head as his tongue flicked over her clit. “If you come,” she told the girl, “before I allow it, I’ll have your pussy caged for a month.”

The maid bit her lip, “Yes, my queen” she gasped out. The queen knew the maid would be fighting not to orgasm. She hadn’t used the cage on the girl, but the former queen had a reputation for using the chastity device on all of her maids. The girl let out a low moan as the guard stopped his pounding, and Aleksey took his place on the behind the girl.

The queen let her head loll back, watching Aleksey.  She loved watching him fuck other women. She tightened her grip on the guard’s hair, grinding her pussy into his face. Aleksey’s cock was thick and she knew exactly what it would feel like entering a pussy. The maid’s mouth fell open as she felt him enter her.

“Oh my gods, yes” she exclaimed. But Aleksey ignored her, his eyes on the queen as he began a slow, almost teasing slide into the maid. The queen watched, her eyes half closed in pleasure.  She pinched and rolled her nipples, and the guard’s tongue probed inside her pussy before the flat length of his tongue returned to her clit. Finally, he sucked gently on the nub of flesh and the queen ordered him not to stop. Aleksey watched the queen and increased his pace. He started a savage pace, his hands wrapped around the maid’s hips, slamming her body back to meet his. The maid, desperately trying to not come, cried out begging to be allowed to take her release. The queen herself was on the edge, her belly tightened and the lips and tongue on her pussy followed her every command – faster, slower, harder, and right there… don’t stop. She came with a shudder and a cry, and the guard following orders did not cease his lapping and sucking even as her hand tangled in his hair threatened to pull out a handful.

Aleksey watching slowed his pace and pulled his cock from the maid.  She cried out in despair, begging again to be allowed to come, begging both the men to fuck her, begging the queen to fuck her.

The queen watched as the Aleksey and the guard once more switched places, the first guard returning to take his place behind the maid. Before he plunged his cock in the maid, he looked to the queen.  She nodded at him, “make it hard” she ordered.

The guard nodded and plunged his cock into the maid. He quickly adopted a hard, fast pace and the maid once again sought to hold back her orgasm, but Aleksey reached under her and found the girl’s clit.

The maid cried out “that’s not fair” as Aleksey began rubbing the girl’s clit.

The queen ordered the guard, still lapping at her pussy, to stop. He remained kneeling between her legs. “You did wonderfully,” she told him.  “Now go, and wait for your turn with the maid.”

The guard rose and moved toward the bed.

The maid wriggled against Aleksey’s fingers, whining and begging. The guard fucking her pressed deeper inside her as he came with a shout of his own. Aleksey’s fingers continued their teasing torment of the maid, even as the guard pulled his softening cock from her.

The guards once again switched places, the guard with the exception cunnilingus skills waiting to slide his throbbing cock into the maid.  He too looked to the queen for permission.  She nodded, “take her any way you like,” she ordered.

The guard slid his fingers into the maids pussy, pumping them deep inside her. She squealed, “please Majesty, let me come. I can’t… I can’t” she growled, her body shaking.

The guard removed his fingers, coated in the girl’s wetness and rubbed his cock, coating it in her juices. He placed the head of his cock against the maid’s asshole, and the girl squealed again. As his cock slowly slipped inside her ass, the maid lost her battle and came. Her body shuddered and she almost screamed.  Aleksey took his fingers away from the maid’s clit, and the guard began to fuck her ass. The maid still in the throws of her orgasm, moaned and encouraged him. Now that she had failed the queen, the maid knew that these guards would be her last fuck for a full month because the queen always kept her word.

“What a bad girl,” the queen chastised as she rose from her seat. She cleaned herself up before slipping on a fresh pair of panties. She straightened her hair and crown. “Aleksey, let the guards working tonight know that she will be available to them all as their service means they must miss the party.”

Aleksey nodded.

The maid, her mouth once again agape in pleasure, looked to the queen. “Thank you, my lady.” She managed to groan.

The queen said nothing.  Her appearance fixed, she recalled the banished maids. The girl on the bed looked up with both shame and depraved delight as the other maids entered the chamber.

They stared at the buggered maidservant, but hurried to finish dressing the queen.  They made quick work of getting the queens gown on and their nimble fingers fastened the endless row of buttons that ran up her back – and the queen was sure their eyes never left the maid on the bed.

Dressed the queen looked to the other maids, “You can use her if you like.”

The maids exchanged a look and the queen wondered if the bratty maid was also a brat to them.

“I’m sure she would love to bring the both of you pleasure,” the queen said.  She strode from the room with Aleksey following three paces behind her. Before they reached the end of the hallway, she heard the other maids ordering the brat to kneel before them.

Aleksey gazed at her, his eye hungry before he left to inform the guards of their reward.

The Queen continued down the halls to her waiting court.

Lady in Waiting

Tonight the Crimson Queen was celebrating and her subjects would celebrate with her. It had been one year since she had defeated the Indigo Queen and taken the kingdom for herself. The Crimson Queen had shocked her new subjects with her wanton ways, her clothing, or lack thereof, had caused quite the controversy in the court. After a year, only a small number of courtiers had adopted the styles of bare breasts and corsetry. And the men of the court had been slow to adopt the tight leather and expanses of are flesh her courtiers preferred.

The Indigo Queen had modeled modesty in her court, clothing covered from neck to fingertips to toes. Some of the Indigo Queen’s subject’s still maintained that dress, leather gloves that stretched past the elbow and gowns that closed stiffly about the neck.  The Crimson Queen would not force them to adopt her dress, even though some of her new subjects claimed that she did. No, in her court, all were free to dress as they pleased.

There was the usual fanfare as she entered the court, the herald announced her arrival and there was a flurry of trumpets.  The courtiers all dropped to their knees and bowed their heads to her, and the room fell silent. Only the click of her heels broke the silence, as she walked to her throne. She noticed that tonight, more of the court wore less. Bare skin and leather seemed to be the dominant choice.

“My subjects,” she said and her voice rang through the hall.  “Tonight we celebrate my defeat of the Indigo Queen.”

The hall erupted into cheers and shouts of “long live the Queen.” Of course, the Crimson Queen knew that their shouts would have been just as loud for her rival, maybe louder.

“Let the revelry begin” she called and seated herself on her throne. The courtiers rose and returned to their sports. A small group of ladies, still wearing the clothing of the Indigo Queen, stood outside of the festivities. While the others ate and drank and danced, they stayed removed. The Queen sent a page to collect the leader of the group, a tall blond woman. It was her hair that made her stand out among the others. They all wore their hair tightly bound or plaited. The blond, wore her hair loose.

The woman followed the page to the Queen’s dais, and, despite the yards and yards of fabric encasing her body, sank gracefully to her knees. “My Queen,” she said with no real deference.

“Lady Emerald,” the Queen said, “Now that the realm is settled, I need to form my court. I wish you to be my first Lady-in-Waiting.” While it may have seemed like a request, both the Queen and lady knew that it was not.

Emerald’s eyes flashed at the Queen, but she kept her expression neutral. “I am honored, Your Majesty, but such an honor” the Queen could almost her choke on the word, “it is more than I deserve.”

The Queen was impressed with Emerald’s boldness in almost declining the order. She smiled at the woman, “It is more than you deserve, but nevertheless, you will be my first.”

Emerald’s cool façade dropped for a second and her eyes dropped at the insult. “As you wish, Majesty.” She lowered her head, only enough to be polite.

The Queen smiled, knowing that she was going to enjoy tormenting Emerald, for now, she sent the woman back to her coterie.

As the celebration was reaching its peak, the Queen found herself bored. She ordered a page to find Lady Emerald and send the woman to her chambers and left the party.

Ensconced in her chambers, she waited for Emerald wondering if the woman would drag her feet in answering the summons. She was impressed with how quickly the woman arrived. Emerald may not relish her new role, but she demonstrated that she would fulfill it to the letter of politeness.

Emerald dropped to her knees, letting her long blond hair fall forward to hide her face. She found herself reaching for the golden masses, but stopped herself.

“Help me undress,” she ordered.

Emerald rose and without a word, stepped behind the Queen. She removed the Queen’s skirt, laying it carefully over a chair back, before starting on the Queen’s corset. As Emerald began loosening the corset lacing, and the Queen could feel the woman’s hands trembling. When her corset was removed, the Queen turned to face her.

The Queen was nearly nude, wearing only her boots, stockings, and crown. It made a stark contrast to Emerald, clad in rich dark velvet from neck to toe. She’d even left her gloves on, the Queen noted. “Do you fear me?” the Queen asked.

This time when Emerald dipped her head, the Queen did touch her. She rested a finger under the woman’s chin and pressed her head up. She expected to see hate or disgust in the woman’s eyes and was stunned when she did not.

She asked again, “Do you fear me?”

Emerald’s pupils dilated and her breathing quickened. “Yes.”

“Why?” the Queen asked, trying to read the woman’s expression. She’d expected the woman to fight her, to throw tantrums – to defy her. She hadn’t expected whatever this was.

Emerald shivered, “I fear what I want from you.”

The Queen cupped Emerald’s face realizing it was the only bare skin the woman showed, “and what do you want from me?”

Emerald let her face relax into the Queen’s touch. “This,” she answered her eyes slowly closing as if to savor the Queen’s touch. She opened her eyes and closed the slight distance between them. For a moment the Queen thought the woman was going to kiss her, but Emerald only pressed closer the velvet of her dress pressing against the Queen’s naked flesh. “I want to feel.” She whispered.

The Queen smiled and sat on her chaise. “Remove your dress.”

Emerald nodded, her face blushing scarlet. With shaking hands, she began unbuttoning her dress, the tiny pearls that reached from just under her chin to the floor slowly parted revealing tantalizing inches of pale flesh.

“Touch yourself,” the Queen said softly.

Emerald paused and raised a gloved hand to her throat. She ran her fingers down her neck and between her breasts, ending at her belly. She repeated the action with her other hand, pushing her dress further open, her hands slipping under the velvet to cup her breasts.

The Queen watched as Emerald clutched and kneaded her own breasts under the fabric of the dress. Emerald shrugged the gown off her shoulders; it pooled and caught around her hips, but it freed her breasts.

The Queen watched as Emerald’s black-gloved hands once again returned to her own breasts. The contrast was striking as Emerald rubbed her pale nipples. She raised her eyes to the Queen and waited.

“Your dress is still on.” The Queen said, hearing the lust in her own voice. She had not expected such a desperately wanton display from Emerald. No, it wasn’t that, it was the vulnerability the woman was putting on a display that had her so aroused.

Emerald shoved at the fabric. The tearing of cloth was the only sound to break the silence. The dress slipped over her hips to pool on the stone floor. She did not wait to be ordered, but let her hands roam over her newly exposed skin. The black gloved hands ran over her hips and belly, before dipping lower to the dark curls between her thighs.

The Queen felt her own breathing quicken, and she nodded at Emerald, not trusting her voice. She heard Emerald’s soft intake of breath as the blonde slipped her fingers between her own thighs.

The soft sounds of Emerald’s breathing filled the room, as she probed and rubbed herself, all the while watching the Queen. “Do you feel, yet?” the Queen asked.

Emerald with half closed eyes bit her lip and nodded.

“Keep going,” the Queen commanded, “I want to watch you orgasm.”

Emerald gasped at the order, but her fingers increased their explorations. She rubbed her clitoris, in almost frantic circles and at the last moment opened her eyes to meet the Queen’s gaze. Emerald released a small moan, barely louder than her breath and let her fingers fall way, her gloves damp and sticky.

“You shall make an exceptional Lady in Waiting.” The Queen said.

A Gift of Time

After her meeting with the Queen, Emerald found herself overwhelmed. She’d been raised in the Indigo Court, and it was a court that prided itself on modesty and chastity. She’d suppressed all of her desires to serve her former Queen and wasn’t sure how to deal with her newly awakened desires.

Yet she couldn’t wait to serve her Queen, and every evening found herself nearly frantic waiting to be alone with the Queen. Each night, she helped the Queen undress and pleasured herself at the Queen’s order. Tonight was special as they both knew the Queen was leaving the court for an extended tour of her new lands, and she could not take Emerald with her.

Emerald began her duties, carefully unlacing the Queen’s corset. As the garment fell away, Emerald ached to stroke the lines cut into her flesh, to sooth them away, but she could not. Rather she finished her duties with shaking hands. The Queen, gloriously naked, sat upon her divan and gave a nod to Emerald to finish.

As had become their custom, Emerald slowly removed her gown. She flicked open each button, from the one just under her chin to the one just above her mons. The dress peeled away from her skin and pooled on the floor. With her gloved fingers, she unlaced her corset, and she ran her leather clad fingers over the marks the corset made. The Queen watched smiling, her eyes dark with lust.

Emerald let her panties fall to the floor but left her stockings in place. She felt the Queen’s gaze more than she would have felt the woman’s touch. And then, without prompting, she began touching herself. Her hands cupped her breasts, kneading her flesh. She watched the Queen and she watched herself in the mirror. The black leather gloves gave the impression that someone else was touching her.

Her fingers rubbed at her nipples, the smooth leather gliding effortlessly over her hardened flesh. She pinched and twisted her flesh until she released a soft moan. She let her hand drifted, abandoning her breasts, stroking the welts left by her corset, until she reached belly and the curled hair of her mons.

She hesitated, waiting for the Queen’s order, wanting to cede control of her desires. If the Queen ordered her to pleasure herself, then she could pretend this wasn’t her desire. Or so she reasoned.

The Queen watched silent and patient, offering no commands while Emerald’s gloved fingers twitched to touch herself. She could feel her wetness and heat and clamped her legs together, wanting release but still being unable to take it. She stood and shook, staring at the Queen, her eyes pleading for the command.

“Please,” she whispered the need raw in her voice.

The Queen nodded. “Pleasure yourself.” She ordered.

Emerald shifted, opening her legs and slipped her fingers between her thighs, her heat bleeding through her gloves. Emerald stroked and teased until she felt her knees grow weak. This time she went further, a single finger seeking entry, filling her. It was far more intimate than her previous explorations. Again she moaned into the silent chamber and bucked her hips watching her lewd display in the mirror. She bit her lip, feeling herself grow more aroused at her own boldness. Her display of wanton enjoyment urging her forward, adding a second finger and rubbing more roughly at her clit. For a moment, she wanted to feel her own flesh without the barrier of leather between her wet heat and her fingers. But the idea of stopping, of not reaching the climax she was on the edge of, prevented her from stopping long enough to remove her gloves.

With a strangled cry, she felt the surge of feeling crest and shuddered as her fingers continued their movements. She met the Queen’s eye, as she pulled her fingers away, letting her hand hang limp and slick with her juices at her side. She panted heavily, watching the Queen as she regained control of herself. When her breathing returned to normal, she brushed her hair back from her face and stood facing the Queen.

“You may put your robe on,” the Queen said. “Then, come and sit with me.”

Emerald perched on the edge of the seat, near enough to feel the warmth from the Queen’s skin, but not touching her.

“How may I serve, your majesty?” She asked, letting her hair fall forward to hide her face and her blush.

The Queen brushed her hair back, tucking the blond locks back. “Your desires are a struggle for you.” It wasn’t a question, and Emerald recognized that. “I have a gift for you while I am away, something that may help you come to understand your desires while I am away.” She set a beautifully wrapped package between them.

Emerald looked surprised and began to demur about accepting it. The Queen silenced her protests with a look.

“Open it.”

Her hands shaking, Emerald opened the package. The mass of leather and chains confused her as she drew it from the box. She shifted it from hand to hand, trying to decipher what she was looking at.

“May I?” the Queen reached for the device. She held it up, but Emerald was still confused. “This is a chastity belt,” the Queen indicated how it could be worn and locked in place. “While I am away, I want you to wear this.  You will not be able to pleasure yourself in the way you do for me, and I want you to have an opportunity to reflect on what you want.”

Emerald felt her mouth grow dry wondering what the device would feel like locked in place. She only pleasured herself for the Queen, but knowing that option would be taken away from her for weeks was something altogether different. But removing the opportunity would force her to reflect on her place in the new court. “Will you put it on me?” She asked her voice low.

The Queen raised an eyebrow, “Now?”

Emerald nodded and rose from the divan, letting the robe she’d pulled on slide to the floor. Once again, she stood nude except for her long gloves before her Queen. The fire warmed her skin while the Queen placed the device on her. She felt the leather between her thighs and then pressing tightly, but not painfully over her sex. Emerald gasped as she heard the click of the lock that held the garment in place.

The Queen directed her to the mirror, and Emerald gazed at herself and the leather that locked her sex away. And she instantly felt her arousal grow, and almost without thought her gloved hands drifted to her sex but found only the hard leather shell. She met the Queen’s eyes in the mirror.

“Do you like it?” The Queen asked.

Emerald nodded, “Oh yes, your majesty.” She breathed her response, her eyes returning to the leather chastity belt. “And only you hold the key?”

The Queen gave a throaty laugh, “Yes, I hold the key.”

Emerald felt her wetness seeping between her thighs and turned to the Queen. “So I will wear this when you leave?”

The Queen shook her head, “No, your obligation to wear it starts now.”

Emerald’s eye grew wide, and the ache in her sex grew. “Now, your highness?”

The Queen gave her a wicked smile, “Yes, I think now is most appropriate. You will use this time to reflect upon your desires.”

Desperate

Emerald was frantic only a day after the queen had left. She’d been locked into the chastity belt, and she was desperate for her queen to release her. She hadn’t expected to find the confinement so challenging. She remained conflicted about her lewd desires, her need to touch her most intimate parts in front of the queen, something she rarely did when alone.

As a lady in waiting, Emerald had no real tasks to occupy her time. Rather she’d spent hours locked in her own quarters teasing and toying her with own nipples, trying to ease the ache between her thighs with this other stimulation. When that failed, she taken to the hidden passages and spied upon those living in the castle.

Tonight, she followed one of the queen’s maids, the one the queen called Brat. The queen had mentioned the girl actively sought out punishments, and Emerald had witnessed the Brat’s punishments on more than one occasion. Emerald knew that the young woman was not supposed to visit the barracks, without the queen’s consent, but Emerald watched as the Brat slipped into the men’s space.

The men cheered the maid’s bold nakedness and she quickly scrambled on hands and knees on one of the beds. Emerald felt her breath catch as she watched one man thrust his phallus into her girl from behind while the brat opened her mouth for another man’s phallus. Taken from both ends, the Brat seemed happy. Her moans and squeals filled the barracks, and Emerald watched in the darkness, her own loins aching with desire, and her fingers scratched helplessly against the chastity belt.

Emerald tore at the buttons on her high necked gown, releasing her breasts from their confinement. Her fingers teased her own nipples, rolling and pinching her flesh. She watched the guards and the brat. The girl changed her position, moving to lie on her back, and watched the guard who stepped between her spread legs take hold of the Brat’s breasts, kneading her flesh roughly.

Emerald found herself mimicking the man’s touch, and bit her lip imagining herself as the Brat. Imagining herself nude before this group of men; imagined their hands on her body, and imaged their phalluses entering her most secret place. She wondered if the queen would enjoy watching her thus. She knew the Queen often entertained the Captain of the Guard Aleksey. The queen had even invited Emerald to join them. But she’d always respected Emerald’s quiet demurred, but she allowed Emerald to stay and watch safely hidden from Aleksey’s view behind a screen.

Now, Emerald found herself watching another woman find her pleasure in not just one man but many. She tugged and pinched at her nipples, pressing her thighs together in vain, as the chastity belt prevented her from finding any release. Emerald had lost count of the number of men the Brat had taken in her mouth or between her hungry thighs.

She moved closer to the wall, her nipples pressed against the cold stone. The girl now rode astride one of the guardsmen. Her breasts bounced as she rode him, and she seemed to enjoy this position as much as she had the others. It was not lost on Emerald that the girl’s own hand often strayed to her pleasure nub, and she’d shuddered and quivered with orgasms more than once. Emerald bit her lip as a second man rubbed his phallus with cream or oil and knelt behind the Brat. She glanced over her shoulder, red-faced and smiling. She stopped her ride, wriggling her hips and settling herself on the cock that impaled her, and leaned forward.

The second guard slowly pressed his cock against her arsehole. Emerald stifled a gasp, watching this new level of depravity. She hadn’t realized that such a thing could be done. She was focused on the scene in front of her and never heard the footsteps in the tunnel.

Her fingers had once again returned to rolling and pinching her nipples, as she watched a second cock disappear into the Brat. She heard the girl’s moan and watched as both guards began their slow movements in and out of the maid. For her part, the maid occasionally glanced back at the man behind her, her eyes glazed with passion. She pinched her nipples harder, feeling her loins aflame. She clawed at the hard leather of the chastity belt and felt her wetness drip down her thighs.

“Lady Emerald” a cool male voice whispered to her.

Emerald gasped and jumped away from the spy hole, realizing that this only revealed her state on undress. Her breasts were bare and her nipples engorged. Her skirts fell in disarray when she’d whipped her hand from under her skirts.

“Captain Aleksey,” she stuttered, her face heated with embarrassment. And somehow, she felt even more aroused at being caught in this state. She didn’t know how long he’d been watching her, but he had to have seen her touching her own nipples, with her hand in her own skirts.

His blue eyes took in every inch of her exposed flesh, pausing noticeably on her bared breasts before he stepped closer to her and glanced through the spyhole for himself. “Ah, the Brat is at it again,” he tsked. “She craves the punishment the Queen will give her.” He turned away from the spyhole, his face inches from Emerald’s. Her nipples almost reached his coat. “The Queen has commanded your presence.”

Emerald blinked and frowned, “She has returned?”

Aleksey nodded, “I’ve been tasked with bringing you to her,” he offered her his arm as if she wasn’t half undressed and in the throes of unfulfilled passion. Emerald responded to his offered arm as she had been trained to. She took it, and let him lead her from the hidden passage. She belatedly realized his hold on her arm meant that she could not rebutton her dress.

When she entered the queen’s chamber, already half naked, she dropped into a deep curtsy. “My queen.” She was afraid to raise her head, to see the queen’s expression. Even if the queen didn’t know what Emerald had been doing, Alesky was sure to tell her. And her face flamed as Alesky reported on the Brat’s behavior and finding Emerald witnessing it.

Emerald watched the queen’s bare feet come into view and felt the queen’s fingers on her chin. She let the Queen force her head up, and met the queen’s gaze. The queen’s wicked smile made her heart beat faster.

“Tell me how you fared with my gift,” the queen ordered, and Emerald let her eyes fall on the small silver key hanging between the queen’s breasts.