Page 114 of The King's Maiden

Kingston

They’d built the Round Tableau with good intentions.

Originally the first building on the property, its lower level had been living quarters for members of the Camelot Society. Over time, membership grew and the property expanded.

Over time, it became corrupted.

The obvious choices, however, hadn’t been responsible.

The addition of stocks, racks, and St. Andrew’s crosses weren’t its darkest elements. The suspension hooks in the ceilings, and the whips and chains on the walls, weren’t its greatest sins.

When practiced safely, they weren’t dark sins at all.

In my humble opinion, the cameras had crossed the line. Instead of a place for exploring dark fantasies, the Round Tableau dissolved into something sinister.

Because the Maidens weren’t explicitly informed of the recordings.

And the feed transmitted to a server outside Camelot Court.

All for the viewing pleasure of the Camelot Society.

There had been discord following the installation. Knights didn’t agree and refused to participate in The Quest. Now, knowledge of it passed only to the new King. With strict instructions to keep the secret to himself.

Prior Kings of Camelot Court reveled in their private showings. My predecessor nearly soiled himself in his gleeful haste to share it. Not everyone believed it was wrong.

I was not one of those people.

Informing Landon of the cameras’ presence had been a necessity. The first night in the Round Tableau with the Maidens being a requirement, he had to know how to shield her. Barring that, he could limit their time to his room.

But he’d still been against it. Still questioned my intentions once he learned her secret. Confused by my expectations, because I’d known better than to share them.

To say it shocked me when he came to me tonight, with plans to bring Quinn there, would be an understatement.

Until he handed me the file he’d stolen from her doctor’s office. He hadn’t looked inside it, but he told me what she’d hidden from him and why he needed her to share it with him herself.

I hadn’t looked at the file yet, either. The last one on Quinn Everly caused enough trouble. And I expected to learn the truth as their evening played out.

The grainy camera feed didn’t reveal everything, but it showed enough.

Landon’s eyes changed his normally stoic expression. As he led her into the room, he kept them trained on her face. Brimming with repressed need.

I closed mine.

His unwavering voice contained a harder edge, echoing through the room. “What do you say if you want me to stop?”

She responded instantly. “I yield.”

“And if you want me to slow down?”

“Mercy.” Her voice trembled. “I ask for mercy.”

But I sensed the underlying current of excitement in her soft voice.

“Good girl.”

And I reveled in the pride in his.

The satisfaction derived when she obeyed—her control brought the same pleasure to me.

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