A Fairy Tale for Big Girls – 29. chapter

All three went riding right after breakfast. Lili arrived on horseback last. Even though she was approaching Mark and, more importantly, Philip, she was smiling. Mark made a silent vow to remember that she loved to ride and to make sure she would have enough chances to do so in the future.

“Shall we?” she asked contentedly.

A moment later, she frowned as she noticed the steady thuds and men’s cries coming from somewhere behind them.

“What is that?”

Mark hesitated, then after a moment turned his horse toward the grounds outside the castle.

“Let’s go,” he said without answering.

Philip turned his horse the same way, and so did Lili, but her frown deepened.

“Mark? Who is there?”

He could no longer ignore such a direct question in Philip’s presence, so he muttered vaguely.

“Some soldier.”

Lili nodded and urged her horse forward. Two seconds later, she realized exactly which soldier it was.

She yanked her horse back and spurred it toward the sounds.

A moment later, she saw the familiar man strapped to the whipping frame, his buttocks and back bruised purple and blue, another man standing over him with a rod in his hand.

“Stop!” Lili shouted.

She did not stop her horse. Instead, when the executioner raised his arm again, she rode past him at just the right moment, wrenched the rod from his hands, and only then stopped a short distance away. She turned back, but stayed where she was when she saw Mark riding toward her. She lifted her chin and waited until he stopped his horse right beside her.

“You are not the lady of this court,” he said quietly, so no one else could hear. “It is not your place to give orders.”

“You will not beat people here as you please!” she growled, just as softly.

“You’re forbidden to defend others at your own expense,” he replied calmly, though the threat beneath his voice was unmistakable. “Just because I haven’t bent you over my knee yet doesn’t mean I won’t.”

Blood rushed into Lili’s face.

“So watch what you do,” he continued. “Let’s see if you’ll still be that confident when I give you twenty-five strokes on your bare ass. You really do need it by now.”

He watched the flush spread across her cheeks and knew it was not only shame and anger, but arousal as well. His own words started driving blood into his groin.

“You are speaking to the future wife of King Philip,” Lili snapped. “Remember that.”

She immediately spurred her horse past him toward Philip.

My dear, I’m thinking more about how soon I’ll paint your backside pink, he told himself inwardly, and immediately realized that imagining her soft lips wrapped around his dick had been a mistake. This will be a hard ride, he told himself at last, adjusted his hard dick in the saddle, and caught up with them both at a trot.

They stayed in the saddle most of the day. It suited them all. Lili clearly enjoyed the freedom and the wind in her hair so much that even Philip’s presence did not spoil her smile or her good mood. Mark was stung by the realization that he had not thought of this need of hers for half a year. Or perhaps he had, and simply had refused to risk giving her that chance to escape. He pushed the guilt aside and swore he would give her everything she wanted. So long as, for God’s sake, she stayed with him.

When they returned to the castle, they were all so tired that even Philip readily accepted Lili’s suggestion to skip a shared supper.

Late that night, Mark received replies from both neighboring rulers, promising alliance against Philip and military support. It eased him somewhat, yet he still did not know whether his men had managed to take over protection of Lili’s uncle. And so he went to sleep both nervous and determined.

In the morning, as he rose from the table, Martin was absent. Mark decided it was a good sign and turned to Lili as she entered. She approached him, swept him with her gaze, and he made no attempt to hide his confidence. He watched her narrow her eyes suspiciously, a sharp contrast to her usual stone still composure. Without reacting, he bowed, waited for Philip to do the same, and they all sat.

He calmly began to eat, ignoring Lili’s next assessing glance when she noticed the unusually heavy guard in the hall. He was still aware of a few of Philip’s questions to Lili about wedding gowns and flowers, to which she replied vaguely, uninterested. Mark withdrew into his thoughts. Even if he did not get the information he needed, he would have to act.

“Your Majesty,” Philip’s raised voice reached him, and Mark lifted his gaze to him. In that moment, he also noticed Martin standing behind Lili, though he could not spare him any attention just then.

“Yes?” Mark replied.

“It seems you are not really listening to us,” the repulsive man reproached him.

“I was thinking,” Mark replied, without the slightest effort to sound contrite. Only then did he allow himself to turn his head toward Martin. Martin’s mouth twitched at one corner, and he gave a subtle nod.

Mark felt as if he had heard the stone fall from his heart. He looked to Lili, who was dissecting her meal again, then to Philip, and had to work hard not to flash a victorious grin.

“I was expressing my gratitude for your hospitality,” Philip was saying in that unpleasant voice of his. “We will depart immediately after breakfast.”

Mark squared his shoulders and lifted his chin.

“I was pleased to welcome you to my castle. And of course, when you yourself decide to leave is entirely up to you.” He set down his cutlery, fixed Philip directly in the eyes, and finished in an unwavering tone:

“But whether Elizabeth leaves is for me to decide.”

Lili’s cutlery slipped from her hands and clanged loudly against her plate. Philip’s eyes bulged, he flushed crimson, and gasped for breath.

“What… How dare you?! You have no right!” he shouted.

Mark did not blink. He leaned forward slightly.

“Stop me,” he invited confidently.

“Mark,” Lili choked out.

He did not look at her. He kept his eyes on Philip as the man sprang to his feet and continued shouting.

“You should remember that you are speaking to the man who will soon be the strongest ruler far and wide!”

Now Mark could not resist a mocking curl of the mouth.

“We’re leaving!” Philip barked at Lili, and she rose in fright.

Mark turned his calm, stern gaze on her.

“Sit.”

She froze. She searched his unyielding face and hesitated. He did not lower his eyes even a fraction. He only lifted his chin higher in silent warning. Lili blinked, breathed out nervously, and finally obeyed.

When Philip saw it, he grabbed at her in rage. He missed. In the same instant, guards stood around him with spear points aimed at his throat. Slowly, carefully, he straightened and fixed Mark with a murderous glare. Mark rose as well and asked flatly,

“Do we understand each other?”

“You will regret this, you bastard,” Philip hissed through clenched teeth.

“You will wait in your chamber until we prepare an escort to take you and your men all the way to the border,” Mark replied with measured calm.

Philip snarled, but that was no reason for the guards not to respond to Mark’s gesture. The spears withdrew from his throat, though only far enough to allow the prisoner room to turn and walk away between them.

Lili gathered herself only after a moment.

“I have to go with him!” she cried and leapt from her chair toward those leaving.

Mark moved in a flash, circled the table, and managed to grab her before she could rush past him.

“Calm down, please,” he said, holding her.

“I won’t calm down. Let me go!” she screamed in fury.

“Lili.” He obeyed, released his hold, and stood before her with his arms spread wide. “Please. Otherwise I’ll have to grab you by force, and I shouldn’t.”

“Then you really shouldn’t!” she snapped threateningly, trying to slip past him.

He caught her at once, wrapped an arm around her waist, and pulled her ass back against his groin.

“Please. Give me a little time,” he said, trying to sound soothing.

“Stop!” she fought him with all her strength, both hands trying to overpower his forearm.

“Well, have it your way,” he muttered through his teeth.

He gripped both her wrists behind her back in one hand and pressed them against her body. He turned her slightly toward himself, pushed his other forearm beneath her knees, and lifted her into his arms. She tried to kick, so he tightened his hold on her legs and braced her fully against himself. She kept screaming, but she had no way to resist, so carrying her to the chamber took only moments. Without hesitation, he chose his own former bedchamber.

For a brief instant, he considered demanding her word that she would remain inside, but her fury made the answer clear in advance.

He laid her on her stomach on the bed and held her there while he reached for the chain. The sound of heavy metal drew another scream.

“Don’t you dare!”

He ignored it. He fastened the lock and turned the key in the golden anklet. Then he straightened without a word and left. It did not even surprise him when her shouting was joined by the bang of something hard striking the door.

As he departed, he caught his friend’s displeased look. Martin had seen Mark restrain Lili by force, and it was perfectly clear to him that she was now chained up inside the chamber.

Mark said nothing. Only his face said it all.

Yes, I know this is wrong! I know this is not how a royal heart is won, and that she will never forgive me for this. And what the hell was I supposed to do?!