The Imperial Kings Series 2: Captured By The King

HILDRED

King Bancroft was a man of his word, especially when it came to his promise to break me. From the moment he uttered that chilling vow, he’d been relentless in his pursuit to make me yield. Each visit he paid me ended with me pleading for mercy, a stark reminder of my foolish belief that he wasn’t as powerful as he seemed. I’d hoped he’d punish me once and then leave me be. How wrong I was.

“Hildred?” Ethel’s voice broke through my thoughts as she settled on my bed, where I lay, biting back cries of pain.

“Yes, Ethel?” I managed to reply, trying to hide the wince as I turned my head to face her.

“Are you okay? Lord Bancroft was quite harsh last night,” she asked, her hand gently resting on my forehead.

“I’ll be fine soon. Don’t worry about me,” I attempted a reassuring smile, but the pain in my ribs made it difficult.

“How can I not worry, Hildred? Lord Bancroft has been tormenting you since he arrived. It’s been nearly two weeks. Each time he visits, he leaves you in tears and barely conscious,” she responded, her brow furrowed in concern.

“He’s punishing me for defying him. I deserve whatever he’s doing to me. It would be a miracle if he doesn’t kill me.” Each breath I took was a battle, the pain in my chest flaring up and bringing tears to my eyes. Lord Bancroft was making me wish for death.

“No one deserves this, Hildred. If Lord Bancroft claims you as his, he should be taking care of you,” she argued. I was taken aback; this was the same woman who had once told me to accept the men’s treatment because we were nothing more than common whores.

“Lord Bancroft is a powerful and dangerous man. He doesn’t take care of anyone.” I gritted my teeth against another wave of pain.

“But he should. Hildred, you’re in so much pain. Can I get you anything?” Ethel’s eyes were filled with worry.

“Ethel, can you please do something to keep Lord Bancroft away today? I can’t bear any more pain, not after what he did to me yesterday,” I pleaded, closing my eyes as the pain threatened to consume me.

King Bancroft had been particularly brutal during his visit last night. His anger was palpable, perhaps directed at me for daring to challenge his claims. Whatever the reason, it resulted in him treating me less like a human and more like an object.

He began by cornering me in a dark part of the harem, kicking me repeatedly until I begged him to stop. He ceased his kicks, but not his punishment. He struck my face hard enough to send me sprawling onto the stone floor. It was only when he saw blood trickling from my head that he finally showed mercy, leaving me broken and bleeding on the floor.

“I’ll try, Hildred. But I can’t promise anything. You know Lord Bancroft is a king and we’re just common whores. We have no power. But for you, I’ll try,” Ethel promised, offering me a soft smile.

“Thank you, Ethel.” I didn’t have the strength to say more. I just wanted to die.

“Rest now. Your body needs it. If Lord Bancroft comes, I’ll tell him you’re resting.” I nodded, not bothering to open my eyes. I trusted Ethel to do her best to keep Lord Bancroft away. I just hoped that the dangerous king—alongside Lord Aboloft—wouldn’t harm my friend.

I couldn’t understand what Lord Bancroft wanted from me. If he planned to take me back to Sodora, I’d have to escape. I couldn’t spend the rest of my life in tears, enduring the pain Lord Bancroft would inflict.

One thing was certain: I wouldn’t live with Lord Bancroft. He’d have to break me physically to take me to Sodora. If Lord Aboloft didn’t help me, I’d have to take matters into my own hands. I didn’t know much about the outside world, but I knew I’d have to do whatever it took to survive. With Lord Bancroft, death was a certainty.

The outside world will eat you alive. At least with Lord Bancroft, there’s a chance of survival. He might show mercy.

I refused to listen to the voice in my head. Despite everything he’d done, I couldn’t believe I still held out hope that Lord Bancroft would change. He was a monster who had been terrifying me since our first encounter nine years ago. He wouldn’t change. He wouldn’t show mercy. He craved blood and reveled in pain. He was hurting me to feed his own power.

Even with my eyes closed, I could hear the other women in the harem. I envied them. No matter how much the men hurt them, they never had to face the wrath of Lord Bancroft. I wished Lord Bancroft hadn’t noticed me all those years ago. Then I wouldn’t be in so much pain.

What else would he do to me? How much more could I endure? Did he plan to kill me? Or did he just want to break me until I trembled at his mere presence? Whatever Lord Bancroft intended, I was terrified.

I was terrified of the man who made me feel exposed in the worst possible way.

***

I woke to the sensation of a hand caressing my face. My breath hitched when I saw Lord Bancroft lying beside me. He was here. What would he do to me? Would he show mercy if I begged?

“You’re awake,” he said, a smile playing on his lips, making him look like the most beautiful man in the world.

“M-my lord.” Pain made it hard to breathe, but I tried to hide it. I didn’t want him to see me like this—broken and in pain. I wanted to appear strong, but now he would know that he held all the power, and he could break me if he wished.

“Ethel told me you were resting. I didn’t realize I’d hurt you so badly,” he said, leaning in to brush his lips against mine in a gentle kiss.

“I-I’m fine, my lord.” The lie slipped out easily. I wanted to appear strong.

Lord Bancroft shook his head, clearly not believing me. “Don’t lie, my little nymph. I can see your pain.”

I looked away from his intense gaze, afraid that if I kept looking into his eyes, I’d lose myself. And I couldn’t afford to lose the only thing I had left.

“You’re the cause of it, my lord.” I wanted to meet his gaze as I said this, but I was too afraid. He truly had the power to do anything.

“Yes, I know.” He rested his forehead against mine, and I wondered what he was thinking. Did he regret his actions? Would he stop hurting me? “But let’s not forget that your defiance is the reason for your current state. If you’d accepted my claim over you, you wouldn’t be in so much pain.”

Of course, he would blame me. It was my fault for daring to stand up for myself. How could he expect me to give up my humanity for eternal enslavement?

He expects this because he’s a King. You dare defy him and he’ll break your spirit if he hasn’t already.

Lord Bancroft wanted to break me into submission. And no matter how hard I tried to accept his rule, something inside me resisted, even if it meant being punished to death.

“What can I do for you, my lord?” I asked, hoping he would take what he wanted and leave me alone.

“You can submit to my rule, my fiery nymph.” His answer made me curse my broken body. There was no way I could give him what he wanted.

If you don’t give, he’ll take.

“And if I don’t? Will you continue to hurt me?” I already knew the answer, but I had to ask.

“If I must. As my property, you must accept my word as law, little nymph,” he replied.

“It’s not true. No matter how much you hurt me, I won’t let you claim me.” I couldn’t fool myself into accepting his actions as if I were devoid of feelings or thoughts. It was a stark contrast to everything I’d been conditioned to believe as a common prostitute.

“You can’t ignore the truth forever, my wild cat. You’ll have to face it eventually.” His words brought tears of helplessness to my eyes.

“I won’t accept it. I’m a woman, not an animal. You can’t just take me without my consent,” I argued.

“As a king, I have the freedom to do as I wish. You’ll understand why I’m doing this soon, my fiery nymph.” He kissed me again. I wanted to push him away, but the pain in my body held me captive. If I weren’t in such agony, I would’ve fought him off.

A moan of protest escaped my lips as Lord Bancroft’s hand traveled down my body, stopping at the top of my thighs. My heart pounded as he pushed my dress aside, baring me to him. When he touched my sex, I bit my lip to stifle any sound.

“Beautiful. So smooth and soft.”

I gasped as he slid a finger inside me. There was something about his touch that made me feel as if I was being touched for the first time. He made me feel vulnerable—completely at his mercy.

“My l-lord…” I struggled to form words as he moved his finger in and out of me.

“Tell me, my wild cat, how many men have had the pleasure of touching what’s mine?” he asked, his hand cupping my mound.

“I-it’s not yo-yours,” I whispered, trying to ignore the pleasure building within me. The pleasure was a temporary distraction from the pain; in a way, Lord Bancroft was providing the relief I so desperately needed.

“Of course it is. Accept the truth, little nymph, and everything will be easier. Now tell me, how many men?” he repeated his question.

“I—I don’t know,” I lied, unwilling to share the humiliating truth of how many men had forced themselves on me.

“Don’t lie to me, my fiery nymph. I know you remember.”

I moaned as he curled his finger inside me.

“Why do you want to know?” I asked.

“Because I need to kill them all.” He paused, letting his words sink in. “Don’t you see? You were mine the moment I laid eyes on you. No man had the right to touch you, but they did. Tell me who they were so I can end them and finally sleep peacefully.”

“Those men didn’t know you claimed me, so you can’t punish them for something they were unaware of.” Despite everything he’d done to me, I should’ve been terrified of him, and I was, but I couldn’t stop myself from speaking up.

Lord Bancroft looked at me as if seeing me for the first time. “Are you really lying here with me, my finger inside you, defending the men who dared to take what’s mine?”

“Yes. Are you going to punish me for that?” I asked, my heart pounding. How many ways did Lord Bancroft know to inflict punishment? And how many would he use on me?

His grin was a deadly promise, and I knew more pain awaited me. “Yes, I will, my wild cat. But I’m not sure how effective it will be since my punishments haven’t deterred you from defying me.”

“I’m not defying you, my lord. I’m just saying that you can’t own a person, and you certainly can’t control one.” A whirlwind of sensation began to build inside me, and I was afraid of what was coming.

“Oh really? You say I can’t own and control a person? Explain this then, my fiery nymph.” He twisted his finger inside me, and I exploded. Stars danced before my eyes as pleasure consumed me, taking me to new, unfamiliar heights. How was he able to do this? I’d heard tales of women experiencing pleasure during sex, but I’d always thought they were myths because all I’d ever known was pain and humiliation.

When I finally came back down to earth, I found Lord Bancroft watching me, victory shining in his eyes. He withdrew his finger from inside me and kissed me tenderly.

“Now, my wild cat, tell me that wasn’t a form of control. I controlled your body because it’s mine. And soon, I’ll control your heart and mind as well. Your heart is my first target,” he declared.

I wanted to argue, to tell him that what he did wasn’t control, but I couldn’t. Because he was right; he had controlled my body, and I had no doubt he would do the same with my heart if I didn’t stop him.

“I—” I started to speak, but he silenced me with a finger on my lips.

He shook his head. “No, my little nymph. There’s no need for pointless arguments.

“I own you…

“And I will control you.”