The Imperial Kings Series 2: Captured By The King

HILDRED

I couldn’t wrap my head around it. Despite being nothing more than a common courtesan, and having no right to challenge a king, I found myself unable to accept Lord Bancroft’s declaration. How could he claim me when he didn’t even know me? I was Lord Aboloft’s, born and raised in his kingdom. No man could just waltz in and claim me without Lord Aboloft’s express permission.

“Hildred, what’s on your mind?” Ethel asked, settling down next to me.

I shook my head, trying to clear it of thoughts of Lord Bancroft. “Nothing important,” I lied, forcing a smile.

“Are you thinking about Lord Bancroft?” she asked, her brow furrowed in concern.

“Why would I be thinking about him?” I asked, looking at her for an explanation.

“Hildred, he claimed you. How can you not think about him? If I were in your shoes, he’d be all I could think about.” Her eyes were wide, as if she couldn’t fathom that I wasn’t consumed by thoughts of the man who terrified me.

“Ethel, I need to tell you something, and you can’t tell anyone else. Can you promise me that?” I asked.

She nodded. “Of course, Hildred. You know I’ll keep your secrets. I’d never betray your trust.”

“I know, that’s why I’m telling you.” I took a deep breath. “I know Lord Bancroft claimed me, but I don’t accept it.”

Ethel gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. “Hildred, no! You—you belong to him; he said so himself. You know we can’t defy a king!”

“Ethel, keep your voice down!” I hissed, before sighing deeply. “I know all this. But I don’t care. Lord Bancroft scares me, Ethel, and I refuse to live in fear.”

“But fear is part of our lives. As courtesans, we live in fear because men treat us worse than animals,” she argued, and I hated to admit that she was right.

“But Lord Bancroft is different. He’s not just going to torment me, he’s talking about keeping me, taking me away from here. And I refuse to go with him. No matter what, I won’t let Lord Bancroft take me from Quopia. This kingdom is my home,” I countered.

“You don’t have a choice, Hildred. If a man wants us, we give ourselves to him. We don’t disobey. Why are you forgetting who we are? Why are you thinking like this?” she asked, her words laced with worry and frustration.

“Because I know how dangerous Lord Bancroft is. I can’t live somewhere where I know he can hurt me whenever he wants. I’d rather die than let that man take me!” I said with conviction. I knew I had no right, but I would fight.

“He’s not just a man; he’s a king! Don’t disrespect him!” Ethel scolded. “How would living with Lord Bancroft be any different than how you’re living now?”

I sighed internally, frustrated that I couldn’t make my friend understand the difference. “You don’t get it; it’s completely different.” I knew that once Lord Bancroft had me, he’d do whatever he wanted, regardless of my feelings. Here, at least I had a few hours of respite when the men lost interest in me. But in Sodora, I’d be at Lord Bancroft’s mercy constantly.

Ethel shook her head. “Don’t do this, Hildred. What you’re considering is not wise. And if Lord Bancroft finds out—”

I cut her off. “He won’t find out because no one will tell him.” I glared at her, silently pleading with her to keep my secret.

“Relax, I won’t betray your trust. But what will you do? Lord Bancroft will be here for the next few days, if not weeks,” she asked.

My eyes widened. He would be here for the next few days? Why? And how did I not know about this?

“How do you know?” I asked, suspicion creeping into my voice.

“I overheard the guards talking. King Bancroft will be staying in his wing. Rumor has it that Lord Aboloft has invited two other friends of his as well,” Ethel answered.

This was not good. I had planned to hide in my secret place until Lord Bancroft left. But if he was staying, I couldn’t do that. And he could come here whenever he pleased and do whatever he wanted.

“Ethel, you have to help me. Is there any way to hide from Lord Bancroft?” I asked, scanning the harem, hoping to spot something I hadn’t noticed before that could help me escape.

Ethel looked at me as if she were about to deliver bad news. “I’m sorry, Hildred, but I can’t help you hide. Lord Bancroft has claimed you; if he comes here and finds you gone, he’ll punish all of us until we tell him where you’re hiding. By hiding from him, you’re putting every woman in this chamber in danger.”

I sighed, knowing she was right. A strange mix of helplessness and determination began to bubble up inside me, forcing me to think of a way to escape the ruthless king. Whatever I had to do, I had to do it alone. Ethel was right, the king would torture every woman here if he found me gone, and I couldn’t let that happen. These women had already suffered enough, I couldn’t add to their pain.

But escaping from the brutal king was a necessity. For nine years, Lord Bancroft made me feel like a helpless prey. Every time his green eyes landed on me, I felt trapped, as if there was no escape for me while he was alive. And now that he’d claimed me, I knew I couldn’t run from him. But I had to. For my survival and my sanity, I had to hide from Lord Bancroft.

You’re on your own. You can’t tell anyone you’re planning to run away.

My inner voice was right. I had to do this alone. The survival of every woman in this chamber depended on it. But I couldn’t escape right now. I’d do it when King Bancroft tried to take me away. I prayed that Lord Aboloft wouldn’t give him permission to take me, but I still had to plan my escape.

“You’re right, I can’t ask anyone for help. I’ll do this on my own,” I told Ethel, who was looking at me with terror in her eyes.

“Hildred, why do you want to run away? Lord Bancroft is a good king, there’s no need to run. I know he’ll protect anyone who belongs to him. You don’t have to be afraid of him,” she argued.

It was sad that my friend couldn’t see the danger lurking in those green eyes. Lord Bancroft didn’t look at anyone else the way he looked at me. Those eyes had followed me everywhere for the past nine years, every time he came to visit. And I didn’t want to be under the constant scrutiny of the darkness and danger that surrounded him.

“I can’t explain it, but I have to get out of here. I won’t let Lord Bancroft take me from Quopia,” I declared, a plan already forming in my mind.

“When will you do it?” Ethel asked.

“When he tries to take me away from here,” I answered.

Ethel sighed. “Thank God. That means we still have time. I don’t want to lose you so soon.”

I smiled at my dear friend. “Don’t worry, I won’t leave you. Even if I go into hiding, I’ll do my best to write you a letter.”

“Is that a promise?” she asked, returning my smile.

I nodded. “You know it is.”

“Good, because if you break it, I’ll never forgive you.” We both laughed, and I felt lighter than I had in hours. It had only been a few hours since Lord Bancroft left the harem, but he’d changed my life. I’d never thought a king would claim me, but he had. And now I was planning to escape him.

I just hoped I could pull it off.

***

He came for me in the night, while I was lost in dreams. At first, I couldn’t tell if it was reality or a dream when I felt a hand caressing my breasts. I moaned as pleasure sparked through me, pulling me from my slumber.

When fingers touched my sex, my eyes flew open and I realized it wasn’t a dream. King Bancroft was lying beside me, his fingers moving inside me, igniting unbearable pleasure.

“S-stop,” I hissed, trying to wriggle away from him, but his fingers inside me held me in place.

“Why would I stop?” He inched closer, his firm chest brushing against my side. “You’re mine, remember?” His lips met mine, making me forget momentarily that he was a monster.

“No.” I shook my head. “I’m not.” He was a king, and I knew I shouldn’t be denying him, but I couldn’t help myself. Everyone else was asleep, and he wouldn’t dare harm anyone.

King Bancroft’s fingers curled inside me, causing a moan to escape my lips and my back to arch off the bed. “Being a little rebellious, are we? Are you asking for punishment?”

I shook my head, struggling against the pleasure that was threatening to consume me. If this was how Lord Bancroft planned to control me, then I was in deeper trouble than I thought.

“Le-leave me be.” I wanted to kick myself for commanding a king; he would surely punish me for this.

“You seem to have forgotten your place, my dear. I am thekKing, and you are nothing more than a common whore. You are mine, which means my desires are your first concern. You will not disobey me or refuse to satisfy my needs,” he murmured, his voice soft, his lips grazing my ear.

I turned to glare at him. “I may be a common whore, but I am a person. A king like you might not understand that, but it doesn’t mean I will let you take me from here. I will fight you with everything I have, and once I’m done, I will run. I will never be your woman.”

King Bancroft’s eyes narrowed, and fear clawed at my mind. I knew I’d made a mistake, but I couldn’t keep my feelings hidden. I wasn’t like the other common whores who simply accepted a man’s command without a fight.

I frowned as he chuckled, the sound like warm honey pouring over my soul. “I guess I was wrong about you; a first for me, since I’m never wrong.”

“What are you talking about?” I asked, trying to fight through the wave of pleasure he was causing.

“I’m talking about taming you, my wild cat.” He withdrew his fingers from me, and I nearly growled from the sudden loss of pleasure. “It seems I’ll have to clip some wings. After all, I can’t have you running away now, can I?”

“W-what will you do?” I asked, not liking the sound of this. I shouldn’t have revealed my plans. I should’ve kept quiet and acted like the obedient whore that every man expected me to be.

Lord Bancroft smiled, running his fingers through my hair. “I will do many things, my dear, and each one will ensure your captivity. That’s a promise. And, you should know, my wild cat, that I always keep my promises.”

“You won’t succeed.” I needed to get a grip on my words and emotions because revealing them wouldn’t help me at all.

King Bancroft laughed, slipping a hand under my dress and cupping my breast. “You’re saying this to a king, my dear; do you understand how much power a king has?”

His words stoked my anger. “What do you want from me? You didn’t speak to me for nine years and now you claim me as yours.”

He smiled, leaning in to kiss me deeply. If I were a woman of status, I would’ve slapped him for taking such liberties with my body. “I can claim you whenever and wherever I want. You don’t have the right to question me.”

“I have every right, since I refuse to be yours,” I spat at him. It was a miracle he hadn’t killed me yet.

Lord Bancroft narrowed his eyes and I knew he was livid. “Saying this won’t change the inevitable. You are mine, and by refusing to accept this reality, you’re only making your life harder because I will punish you in the worst ways.”

I should’ve apologized for my behavior. I should’ve kept quiet and accepted whatever he was telling me, but I couldn’t. Why couldn’t I control my thoughts and words around him?

“What will you do? Just because you’re the king doesn’t mean you can do anything. You may own my body but you will never own my heart,” I told him.

“Since I already own this body, I think it’s time I showed you that I own everything else as well.”

I screamed when he bent down and bit my neck. Pain exploded inside me as Lord Bancroft bit me so hard, I was sure he’d broken the skin. I tried to push him away, but he wrapped his arms around me, trapping me in his embrace.

“S-stop!” I cried, but he didn’t let up. Pain pierced my skin as I felt liquid trickling down my neck. Was that blood? Had he made me bleed? “Please stop!” I pleaded.

After enduring a few more minutes of excruciating pain, King Bancroft finally released my neck and pulled me closer. I didn’t realize I was crying until I felt his thumb on my face, wiping away my tears.

“There, there. No need to cry. This is just the beginning of all the things I plan to do to you, which will be much worse,” he said, his voice soft as if speaking to a child.

I shook my head. If he planned to inflict worse pain on me, I couldn’t handle it. “N-no.”

“Yes, my wild cat. You need to be tamed…

“And I won’t stop until I break your fiery spirit.”