King Dom Comes (14 page)

"They are your men, not mine.
They despise me. What shall I ask of them? Whether the people prefer me over
their king?"

"They are looking at you with
softness. Give softness back," Dom said, in hushed tones.

Shannon sighed, nodded and offered a
sweet smile to each of the mounted guardsmen. Several dipped their heads, and
touched their hearts with their right hand. She turned to Dom with pleasure.

"You did well," he
praised. "On to Mistress Aida's manor."

They continued up a steep slope off
the main town road, and into an area wooded with resplendent oaks and
magnificent firs.

Shannon looked around as Dom lifted
her off her horse. He hooked her hand in the crook of his arm and escorted her
up the stone steps of the large, white-washed cottage with elaborate, dark
brown woodwork.

"My boy!" a tall, elegant
woman exclaimed, embracing Dom tightly. She held his face in her hands and
kissed both cheeks. "You look well. I see Mikel forced you from your
self-imposed dungeon time."

"You truly must consider his
proposal, Mistress. The man is deeply in love with you."

"But what of my ladies? Without
their mama, they would be lost." She turned to Shannon. "What a
lovely breath of air this one is. Turn, child, and let me look at you."

Mistress Aida clucked her tongue as
she surveyed Shannon from head to toe.

"She is yours for the
evening," Dom said, sitting on the lounge and crossing his legs.

"For what?" Shannon asked,
pushing the woman's hands from her waist as she measured the span.

"Training, of course,"
Aida smiled. "You need to learn how to please this beautiful man that is
to be your husband, yes?"

Shannon felt the blood rise to her
face. "Is that not my husband's job to teach me on our wedding
night?"

"Aye, but better for you to be
looking forward to practicing your skills, than trying to learn new ones.
Knowing what to expect will eliminate fear, and make it pleasurable for both of
you."

"Dom, this is not comfortable
for me," Shannon said.

"I will give you some
wine." Aida grinned. "After a glass or two, you will be
comfortable."

"No, I do not want her to take
to drink. I will stay and observe."

"No!" Shannon gasped.

Aida laughed at her reaction.
"Silly child! Learning to perform before his eyes is an excellent
idea."

"I will not have it."

"You, my darling, will have
whatever I say you will have," Dom stated. "I will not have a frigid
wife in my bed."

Shannon's eyes narrowed. "Would
you rather have one with a knife under her pillow?"

"Are you threatening me?"
he asked.

"I am telling you that if you
force me to do what I am not willing to do, I will be filled with
resentment."

"There are many things I will
have you do where you will not be willing at first." Dom narrowed his
eyes. "But I will not tolerate being threatened."

"You threaten me
continuously."

"And I will continue to do so.
Mistress Aida? Do you have the bath prepared? I wish to scrub off the dirt of
the road and then sink into a soft bed."

"Yes, darling, the vessel is
hot and filled with your favorite herbs."

"Excellent. Come,
Shannon," Dom ordered, holding his hand out to her. "Let us bathe and
discuss the consequences of threatening your future husband and king."

"I do not wish to bathe with
you nearby," Shannon sulked.

"You will not be nearby. You
will be in with me."

Shannon gasped, shaking her head.
"That is indecent! I cannot!"

"Since when do you comply with
social convention? Come now, or you will be carried."

"I shall not."

"Very well," Dom sighed,
standing slowly. He had reached her in three long strides, heaving her easily
over his left shoulder. Shannon shouted and pounded his back as he carried her
up the stairs and into the bathing area. He smacked her cloth-covered rump
three times before setting her on her feet.

"You—"

"Watch how you address me,
Shannon. To show disrespect to me before the subjects will not fare well for
you."

"They are not your
subjects," Shannon said, pushing away from him.

"I am a ruler worthy of respect
and regard." Dom closed in on her, his eyes darkening. "You will not
embarrass me before another king's people. Understand? And do not even consider
screaming. That behavior is coming to an end."

Shannon clenched her fists, her face
registering tension. She swung her fist, only to have it caught in his hand.

"Must I take a strap to you now
to remind you not to strike me?"

"You are a loathsome cur,
Domitri d'Gavril!"

"I am at that," he
chuckled. "I do think a little reminder of proper behavior is in order
before we proceed with our baths."

"Remove your hands from
me!"

Shannon's command was ignored as Dom
pulled her over to the dressing chair and sat down. He yanked her effortlessly
across his lap and tilted her body forward to force her hands down on the
wooden floor. She kicked and struggled, uttering curses as the skirts of her
travel gown found their way over her head. The sound of tearing as he removed
her braies had her shrieking in anger.

"Calm yourself. I will purchase
you new ones. Now, what is this beautiful, white thing before me?" he
said, cupping her firm bottom in his hand before patting it. "It is much
lovelier when it is colored red, like a rose. I still see remnants of the
plank." He traced the faded bruises along her sit-spots.

"Release me!"

"I will release you when I have
completed my task. Shannon? Did you try to bite me again?" Dom tsked,
raising his hand. "I am sorry, but you just made this much worse on
yourself. It is time to take deliver what I still owe you from the woods."

"No!"

Shannon cursed as the flat of his
hand fell like bolts of lightning across her backend. The smacks came thick and
fast, while her begging became more desperate. His hand alternated between her
right and left mounds, relentlessly slapping her buttocks until her pleas for
mercy could be heard throughout the house. He paused, shifting her on his lap
before looping his right leg across the backs of her knees to hold her in
place.

Wordlessly, he started working on
the lowest part of her flaming bottom and the tops of her thighs, which,
judging by the agonizing sting, were areas he had not previously warmed.
Shannon wept as she lay across his lap, and spewed out promises to control her
temper, mind her mouth, and obey him without question. Still, the spanking
continued; his hand a tireless instrument that delivered the worst pain she
could imagine.

Or so she thought. Dom paused again,
this time unbuckling the wide, leather belt that held his tunic in place. He
placed it on the dressing stand after pulling her to her feet. Remaining
silent, he turned her to face the wall with her hands on her head, giving both
of her buttocks a final series of hard, alternating smacks. Shannon's tears ran
into the fabric of her sleeves.

"You behave as though this
punishment is a surprise to you," Dom stated firmly, tucking the backs of
her skirts into the top hem of her shoulders. He tore away the shredded remains
of her braies and ran his hand across her crimson globes. "This punishment
is far from over. Stay there."

It felt as though an eternity had
passed before he called her over to him. The heavy belt in his hand swung in
menacing arcs as he pointed to the narrow table. "Lean across that and
keep your hands forward. This will be one spanking you will remember for a
lifetime, my girl."

Shannon squeaked as the belt landed
across her tender bottom. Her mind collapsed and her face screwed into a
grimace. The strap landed twice more, leaving streaks of red-hot pain in its
wake. Dom took his time at first, allowing Shannon an opportunity to compose
herself between strokes. After six, however, he took a different approach. It
was time for him to settle the score for her behavior.

The lashes poured down upon her,
overlapping mercilessly over her sensitized flesh. Shannon jumped and twisted,
bringing her hand back to cover her searing posterior. Dom caught it and pinned
it to the small of her back.

 
"No, you are
not going anywhere until I am finished with you," he said, when Shannon
tried desperately to push herself up. "Give me your other hand."
Bawling like a baby, she obeyed. "Normally, this spanking would be over by
now. But not this time. This time you really crossed the line. I will not have
you biting or striking me, nor will I have you verbally defying me before
witnesses."

Shannon sobbed until she felt as though there was no air left
in her lungs. The belt continued to fall across her bottom and the backs of her
thighs, and her kicking, lifting of legs, and begging for forgiveness were
ignored. It was not until she stopped her struggles that the whipping ceased.

"I do not wish to spank you to get you to surrender,
Shannon," Dom said dryly. "Nor do I want to make it so that you
cannot sit for the remainder of our journey, but I promise to do whatever I
must to your backend to teach you about manners and control of your
temper."

"My temper?" Shannon stood up angrily. "It is
you who is taking your temper out on my arse!"

 
"Have I told
you to stand up?" His hand collided soundly with Shannon's rump.
"Have I?"

Shannon's
shoulders caved in as she looked at Dom with defeat.
"No, Sire..."

"I think a taste of the rug beater is in order," he
said, lifting a conveniently placed instrument from a vessel in the corner.
"I expect that, by the time I am finished with you, we will have a better
understanding about public behavior and the expectations placed upon you."

"Dom, no. I promise—I swear—I will not
behave this way again. I beg of you, not that."

"Count six out for me, and make sure you don't miss any.
I expect to hear proper respect in your voice this time."

"Domitri, mercy! I beg you." Shannon managed to
gather enough strength to start crying again.
The rattan rug beater sliced
across the span of her throbbing flesh, and she released a loud cry.

"Shannon?"

"One, Sire..."

The next one felt even worse, as though it had sunk under her
skin and left behind a nest of stinging bees.
"Two, Sire!" she
wept.

"Good girl. Continue."

"Three, Sire! Dom, please…"

"Must I begin again?"

"No! Four, Sire. Argh, five!"

"This
is the last one, Shannon."

The
swooshing sound of the braided beater preceded the final snap as wood met
flesh. Shannon gasped out the number before collapsing upon the flat of the
table.

"Will I have to spank you again, Shannon? Are you
finished with your temper tantrums, defying me in front of others, the verbal
insults and attempts to strike me? Should I plan on administering a reminder
every week to keep you in hand?"

 
"I'll
behave. I promise," she cried.

"We will see. I will ask Mistress Aida whether I may
purchase this delightful rug beater from her," Dom said swishing it
through the air. "I believe it would be a useful implement to teach you
how to behave."

"Yes, Sire."

"Look at me, Shannon!"

She
attempted to stop her breathless weeping enough to be able to lift her eyes to
her future husband and king.

"I don't want to ever spank you like this again. Do you
understand that?"

Shannon
nodded.

"Know this. I will do it again if necessary. And each
time, I will be more severe as well. "

She
did not respond, her tears flowing down her face as she lowered her eyes
.

"Now undress."

Shannon wiped her eyes with the back of her sleeve before
slowly obeying. Her humiliation made her want to hide under the table, but she
dared not risk another spanking for disobedience. She slipped the kirtle over
her head and stood, ashamed, in her chemise, stockings and slippers.

"Remove it all, Shannon," Dom ordered, leaning back
in his chair.

Tears flowed down her cheeks. When did he become so cruel?
She avoided his eyes as, one by one, her garments fell to the floor.

"Lift your hands atop your head and keep them
there," he ordered. "Turn around. Slowly."

Shannon felt her body temperature rise as she displayed
herself before her husband-to-be. A strange tickling grew between her legs as
well. Was she aroused? How could that be?

"Beautiful," Dom praised, walking to stand before
her. "Absolutely beautiful."