Princess and warlord

Once Cleo was seated and bound, I had her parents placed in simple x-bondage on the wall. She was crying to see them again in danger.

"It was so nice of Kong Ming to send along a physician, no? He helped your parents' wounds heal a bit, gave them food and wine to fortify themselves, and assured them they would reach their planned destination safely. Which they did. The captain had been told to sail in a circle, and be back in a few days.

I walked over to Jing. "I hope you enjoyed your cruise, O queen? Lots of fresh air and exercise as you sailed in your circle? So glad to have you back again. I think I will have you relax here a bit with a few of my little spiders..."

I took out three beautifully-made copper devices, clamps with something new called "springs" which closed them tightly. I played with Jing's nipples, then put one clamp on each one. She screamed at the sharp teeth and powerful squeeze. A little manipulation, and her clit stood for the third clamp, bringing forth a blood-curdling howl. I patted her cheek... we'd get so much scream time in!

But it was Tama's turn to sweat now. Perhaps a chance to stretch his legs?

At first she had been only crying but hearing her mother scream, Cleo had a matching scream. She struggled against the restraints but they did not give. Closing her eyes, she could not bear to look. The only thing that kept her from trying to drown out the screams was knowing that he would take that as a challenge and her mother would scream more.
"STOP.... just stop.... dont.... let them go....."
For the moment Cleo knew she was safe, or at least as safe as she was going to get. Then again, that could always cahnge in moments if it was Kong's wish.
"He promised that they would be safe to my satisfaction .....LIARS.... " The words came out between cries. There was still an edge of anger to her. Not that she really expected her words to make a difference. "I paid for them to be free not a day trip around the bay....."

Kong Ming walked in with the judge who had heard our oaths.

"Cleo, you accused me of lying. I brought along the judge who took our words, and he will read and recite what we said."

The old judge came close, not looking at Cleo's nudity. "Cleo, I will send your parents away on a ship, so they will be out of my reach and safe to your satisfaction. In exchange, you will show me where the treasury's remains are. I give my word as to the truth of this, and that I will abide with it."

He cleared his throat. "He did exactly as he promised. He sent them out of his reach, and safe to your satisfaction; a fact you stated on the wharf as they sailed away. He never promised that they would not be brought back." The old judge bowed to her, then much lower to me and left.

"That is quite enough of your bandying about the word "liar", girl. Your parents stole this land from the Emperor of China who I serve. I was sent here with the instruction of regaining the land, and killing the leaders in a hideous method to set an example for other would-be invaders. Being a loyal servant, I do as I am told."

She had me angry now. "YOU, my young slut, have gotten off too easily to this point. Your time is quickly coming!"

I turned to The Ox. "Break the man to bits on the rack; rend him slowly and awfully, making it last as long as you can. One turn at a time, minion, one notch. YOU!" Pointing at another minion. "Get the metal-tipped flogger out and rip his skin from his scrawny body. Use salt and vinegar and lemon juice on his wounds. Infest him with maggots and fleas and stinging ants. Burn the hair from his head and armpits and crotch with flaming oil. Crush his balls in vises, use a grater on his penis until you can tease out the piss tube free of the flesh."

"THERE, Cleo! Are you satisfied now? Call me a liar? Your father will die a death of horrible agony, thanks to you! And your mother will be next... and then, after I have raped your every hole and flogged your body, I will give you to the guards... then to the dogs... then to the horses..." I was flaming red in the face, huffing with the shouting efforts. An aide helped him sit, as he would spend every minute of the rest of the tortures, watching the three.

"The judge in this case has committed much worse crimes than any my father has...."
Cleo stared at him, at first in complete shock, then anger and defiance. At the moment there was no way she as going to take the blame for what he was doing. Maybe if she lived long enough her guilt would errode away at her convinction in that, but it would not be today. He had promised torture, pain, and death long before she had hurt his feelings by calling him a liar. The only thing she would accept is she had just shortened it from weeks or months to a matter of days.
"Its been well over twenty years since my father took over, where were you then? Where were you fifteen years ago? Where were you ten years ago? The Emperor can not care that much if he let my family be here this many years. Surely father was not that good at hiding his activities. What example are you setting, conqueor the Emperor's land and you have twenty years before he cares enough to send somebody.... " There was a little more strength in her voice.
It did not seem right that he could twist their words so they better suited his twisted plan. He damn well knoew what she had been asking for during the agreement. She had told him that she was going to give him the treasure in payment of their lives. Maybe she was too young an naive. Maybe she should have kept her mouth shut and let her parents have negoiated this. Then again if her parents had, they would have only choose to save her life, not their own.
"We are all dead anyway.... I have nothing left to give.... its just a matter when you get done toying with us...."
Hearing the first of her father's screams, Cleo turned her head away from him and Kong. Shuddering, she took a deep breath. Closing her eyes tight she tried to block out and ignore them the best she could. It was impossible to completely block out those kind of screams, and she found her body shuddering at everyone.

Listening to her words brought me pause. The Emperor had not sent me sooner as I had been busy conquering other lands, other local warlords. There was some merit there, however. She did make some sense... and I was embarrassed. I had let my ego rule my common sense.

"OX! Stop it all, at once." I took a deep breath, and remembered the religious teachings of my youth. I sat down, crossed my legs, and remembered the venerable teachings of Atisha.
"The greatest achievement is selflessness.
The greatest worth is self-mastery.
The greatest quality is seeking to serve others.
The greatest precept is continual awareness.
The greatest medicine is the emptiness of everything.
The greatest action is not conforming with the worlds ways.
The greatest magic is transmuting the passions.
The greatest generosity is non-attachment.
The greatest goodness is a peaceful mind.
The greatest patience is humility.
The greatest effort is not concerned with results.
The greatest meditation is a mind that lets go.
The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances."

Ox and his minions and my guards all stood there, shocked, as I recited the mantra again and again. This was my destiny.

After fifteen minutes I arose. "Free them. Get the physician to help them up to Cleo's apartment and treat them as needed. No more pain. We will rule together, learn from each other, help our people to heal the rift caused."

I walked to my throne room, feeling light and airy, truly happy for the first time in years. My ministers rushed into the room around the throne.

"I proclaim this from this day forward; there will be no cruelty practiced by our troops, only defense of our people and our lands. Half of the taxes we collect will go to building roads, teaching our people to read, educating physicians and teachers. We will become famous for our knowledge, our goodness."

Cleo had followed me to the throne room, listening and shaking her head in wonder.

Finally, I turned to her. "And, if she will have me, I would marry my conscience, Cleo. What say you?"

The fact that her words had so much of an impact completley shocked her. It did not seem possible. Had she really done it? Had she really saved her parents? It was hard to believe. As much as she wanted to believe this was not another trick she almost did not dare hope. Was she naive enough to simply believe again? If this new approach lasted only a day as the last time, she wanted to make the most of it.
Thinking there was no way for her to shocked anymore, she arrived in the throne room, now his throne room, in time for him to ask her to marry him. Leaning against the wall she could only stare at him. Her mouth hanging open slightly. Cleo was vaguely aware that her mouth hung open.
"I.... I...." Closing her mouth she tried to gather her thoughts.
"...Yes.... If that is your wish...." The words came out of their own accord. Barely aware of the repercussions might be.

We waited to be married for the recovery of her parents; three weeks saw sufficient recovery and we were married. We stayed in the castle for our wedding night, in the "hidden room " on the colorful blankets that had comforted Cleo that awful night.

The first night with Cleo was wonderful. She was attentive and active as a lover, anxiously gave up her virginity as we gently made happy love together. Her body was responsive, she was playful and joyous since the time I proposed. Our lives had changed, and we decided to spend our honeymoon in service to our kingdom. Beginning the next morning, we did a walking tour of some local villages, just talking to many from our kingdom about the things they need.

On return, the efforts to establish schools and train physicians had already started, and larger sums being spent to build roads and provide more patrols of the roads against highwaymen. The most violent among the robbers were executed; the simple thieves were put to work on the roads themselves, to make them wider, flatter, and safer for those who used them.

Tama and Jing had settled into ruling work again, assisting in judging the hardest cases, and directing the work on the schools. We all settled into an extended period of peace for the kingdom, and by the time our oldest children were ten and eleven, the schools were showing good effect. Parents were learning as well. Physicians were finishing their training with work in the villages, and more children were living past childbirth and through sicknesses. Peasants were learning about keeping their cesspools far enough away from their wells, and preventing livestock droppings from getting into drinking water. Roads were done; wide, clear, and safe with regular patrols by well-armed, well-trained troops who lived in the villages they protected.

A cloud was forming in the north-east, however... invaders saw the kingdom becoming rich and strong, and desired it.

Cleo's entire body was shaking, but externally she was calm as ever. These last years had seen her grow into strong lady, preparing to someday take over from her parents. She rarely was involved in court policies, leaving that between her father and husband. Though she had learned how to manage the affairs. Learned much since the first days that Kong had come to the land.
The days that she went to her father were long over. Cleo had patiently waited for the scouts and other men to leave the room before going to see her husband. Pushing the door open, her eyes already going to the desk. "Are the rumors true?"

"Yes. Your mother and father are raising an army, leaving us here to defend the city. The good news is that the roads will carry us quickly to the battles, allowing us to reenforce and resupply them. The bad news is that those same roads will allow them to quickly advance." I sighed... realizing the upcoming days would be hard.

"We have a good treasury; the growth in knowledge and trade has made our kingdom wealthy. There will be plenty to pay a good army. You and I will need to work on the defense of the capitol city." I had already started a few of the guards filling the moat around the building, and removing all the bridges and paths over it but one. Another group was taking oil to the tops of the walls, and had drafted the city to building defenses, making arrows, and building traps. We had learned of "tiger traps" and "pungee sticks" from the heathens far to the south, and many of those were built and installed in the moat and in streams around the city. Children could do those, after the sticks were cut by adults. It was a game.

"This army will be unusual; many of the soldiers and some of the leaders are women. Perhaps you can assist with the psychology of defeating them. We must turn to the teachings of Sun Tsu to assist us in victory. I have sent word to the Emperor's closest kingdoms, and they will send help, but we know not how soon. I am worried, my Queen... we will lose many people."

Sitting down in a near by chair she tried to stay calm and keep her thoughts about her. This was not the time to fall apart. It felt like a bad nightmare. Though she now loved her husband, it had been difficult to get past what he had done. It had taken her a little while to move and stop waiting for something bad to happen. Now she was afraid that the past was once again repeating itself. She could not watch her parents be tortured again, watch her kids be hurt, her husband killed.
"We will do what is needed then.... Is it too late to send the children to saftey?"

"Oh, I did not get that far: the children of all the castle families including ours will be boarding a warship sailing towards my cousin's kingdom to the SouthWest of here. He was the first to volunteer military assistance, and he offered to shelter them. They leave tonight: maybe you could help them pack, and reassure them that they will be safe." My mind was racing with preparations, and this had slipped. I apologized to Cleo for not telling her of this precaution. She kissed me, and rushed out to help them.

The next few weeks rushed past; preparations were complete, our traps were set and baited, and the castle was set for defending. Signals were announced so the people of the town could rush to the safety of the enclosure before they became endangered. The barbarians from the northeast were famous for their 'burned earth' policy, and all natives were horribly tortured and killed.

Our army fought the first battle beyond the fringe of the kingdom and lost, deliberately; we wanted the enemy overconfident and thinking our army would be easy to defeat. Meanwhile they were celebrating late into the night with the wine we had left behind. Sadly, they captured a village intact; all the men were impressed into service, and the homes burned. The women and older girls were used by the troops repeatedly, then bound to simple x-frames in the field before their army. The children were all forced into the largest building, and died when the village was burned.

The x-bound women were carried before the barbarians the next morning, as shields. Many died, some at the hands of their own husbands and fathers who slipped away and mercifully killed them and themselves. The few who survived this died in the battle, as our soldiers overran the barbarians from three sides and inflicted heavy losses while capturing four of their leaders and many barbarian troops. All the leaders were rushed to the castle for interrogation. As I was busy training the troops and directing the relief and support armies' motions, I asked Cleo to handle the questioning.

When Cleo found out she was to be left in charge of interrogations. There was no way she could possibly do such a thing. It was beyond her why her husband would have left her in charge of such a thing. On the way to the dungeons, the soldier who escorted her explained many of the details of what this war cost. Details that she had been mostly spared so far. The second soldier had tried to silent him but she insisted on hearing the stories. They were less than half the way down the stairs when she stopped suddenly. Sending the second soldier she wanted word spread among the rank, search for any one who had family among those first villages.
In the mean time she thought she would try being polite first. Two men, two women. Having the guard bring htem out of the cell, she watched them carefully. Wanting to see their first reactions, see h ow was missed the most, who feared the most. It was evident it was the first time they had seen each other since the capture. It had seemed a good idea to keep them in seperate wings of the dungeon.
Getting a knife from one of the guards she picked the taller of the male captives. Putting the knife of his throat and the guard next to him helped her be driving the man to his knees, holding him firmly in place. Cleo ran the blade careully over his skin. Not enough to make him scream but a low his escaped his lips. Aware of movement behind her, she turned her head slightly to find one of the girls struggling. If looks could kill, the other woman was trying her best to kill Cleo.
"These two have a family resembalance.... Brother sister maybe...." Motioning between the woman and the other man that she had not bloodied yet. "But this one must be the lover."
Looking at the other girl who had not rected, it was apparent the woman was tight lipped. "This one must be odd one out. Too bad for her."
A new soldier appeared in the door way. His eyes on the captives and full of hate.
"You had family that was among the raided." His eyes went ot her for the first time, and one of the guards actaully stepped in front of her. "I am truly sorry for your loss... There is nothing that can be done to bring them back but I offer you this one. I need information from her. She is yours till she wants to talk....Dont worry these three are not vouching for her so I doubt you will be interrupted too soon..."
Unable to watch she offered him a cell down the hall a short ways. He assured her there was not reason to shut the door behind him. It took a lot less time than she had expected for the first screams.
"One down. Three to go"
"I like the fiesty one..." Turning at the voice, she thought she recognized the soldier. She didnt think he had any family. At least that is what she thought. Maybe she was mistaken him for another.
"Do you? She is yours.... Pick an empty cell...."
"This the lover?" Cleo nodded at his question.
"I dont need a cell then.... Their captives were forced to watch the rape and death of loved ones.... " Staring at him. Nodding slowly, Cleo took a deep breath.
"Lover gets to watch someone keep his attention split between her pain and his. .... brother.... he can stay where he is... let him be nice and comfortable...."
It took a couple of hours but the first words of information came out of the girl alone in the cell with the first soldier. Cleo sent the word along to Kong.

I took the supplies and relief to our front lines, where many of the enemy troops had found a high point to defend. Our troops surrounded him carefully, assuring access to water and food was limited to that which they had brought with them. The village which had been near was razed by the invaders, and more of our people were slaughtered.

The invaders were using our own people to shield them once again; women and girls were spread on x-frames once again, braced into the soft earth of the hillside before the enemy positions. This kept most of our bowmen from being able to pick off their troops in camp. They were waiting for something, but what?

Word came to Tama and Jing from Cleo, and they quickly contacted me. When we got together we heard the bad news... this was just a forward segment of their army, sent to 'soften us up' and distract us into believing we had won. The main army was five days behind... and three times larger. Would our help from other kingdoms arrive in time? And which way would they come from?