Page 17 of Pawn of the Cruel Princess
“Chamomile and powdered erda root, steeped in a ceramic pot, hot enough to sting the tongue, one spoonful of honey and a sprinkle of black sugar.” The girl recites it quickly, in a gentle, melodic tone.
“Her voice is perfect, too. We’ve worked on that for a long time.” Khal caresses the thrall’s cheek, and she smiles up at him. Am I imagining it, or is there real adoration in her eyes? Or perhaps that is learned as well.
I glance at the Princess. She’s watching the whole demonstration with keen interest, with a sharp focus that terrifies me. My stomach twists and sickens. Is she going to train me to behave like this? My every movement and position, my voice, my mind, all completely controlled and attuned to her will?
“For some, thralls are merely tools for erotic play and release, and perhaps an occasional outlet for cruelty,” Khal continues. “For me, there is more to thralldom than sex. It is about having someone intimately attuned to your every desire, devoted to you and designed for you. And that level of thralldom takes a particularly skilled, intelligent subject. It cannot be forced. They have to desire the yielding of control. They must be willing, even eager, to submit.”
“What about him?” The Princess points at me. “Do you think he can learn all this?”
Khal approaches me. He’s shorter than I am, and I delight in the fact, at first. But a vague discomfort centers in my chest as he stands before me, staring into my eyes. His gaze is intense, penetrating. Authority infuses the very air around him, resonating in my bones. A thought rises in my mind, terrifying and unbidden—this man could break me.
When he reaches for my face, I recoil.
“Be still, Ducayne,” says the Princess.
I suck in a breath and force myself not to move as he takes my face, turns it from side to side, and runs a thumb over my mouth.
Khal nods to the Princess. “A promising start. He listens to you already. He wants to please you.”
“I do not,” I mutter.
“Rebellionanda lie,” says Khal. “Two offenses in just three words. How would you punish him for that, Your Highness?”
“Punish him?”
“You torture and interrogate prisoners. Surely you have some ideas for punishing a disobedient thrall.”
“Maybe.”
“You should prepare a list of rules and consequences, so your thrall knows your expectations and the results if he defies or fails them. Consequences can be as simple as a negative tone of voice, refusing to look at your thrall, or forbidding a food they prefer. Or it could involve physical pain or discomfort, applied through paddles, belts, or tools like these.” He reaches into a pocket of his robes and removes a pair of small clamps.
Immediately Mala sways backward.
“Easy, darling,” Khal croons to her. “You are not in trouble. You see, Princess, Mala here is exquisitely sensitive, so I use very delicate punishments with her. She only wears the nipple clamps when she’s been very naughty, which is rare now. I have many extra pairs. I’ll see that you receive one before you leave.”
“So kind of you,” the Princess says, with a sideways look at me. I grimace, thinking of those clamps on my nipples.
Did the corner of her mouth twitch up?
“Of course a large part of thralldom is sexual satisfaction for the owner,” says Khal. “My pleasure is the priority, but I prefer for my thralls to enjoy themselves too. So I have trained them with specific words, sensations, and smells that can generate arousal or orgasm almost instantly.”
He points to the girl with the harp. “Yenna is being trained to become aroused by harp music—and by certain songs in particular. When I say her trigger word, she will come within seconds. Watch.”
“What the shit,” I whisper, and the Princess shoots me a warning glare.
“Yenna darling,” says Khal, in a clear, smooth tone. “Sweetmelon.”
Instantly the girl arches against the harp frame, gasping, squealing faintly, her limbs trembling as she convulses with a surge of pleasure.
“Thank you, my lord, thank you,” she pants.
“You’ve done well,” says Khal soothingly. “Good girl. Soothe yourself, and keep playing. You see, Your Highness, positive reinforcement is important. It is too often forgotten by thrall owners.”
“The amount of control you have is amazing,” says the Princess.
“Your praise humbles me, Highness.” Khal bows. “But this level of conditioning takes dedication, consistency, and time.”
“I don’t have time.” The Princess’s voice sharpens a little. “As you know, we leave for Summerglee in three days, and then there’s the two-day journey to the coast.”
