Ticklish&InLove
TMF Master
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- Mar 4, 2014
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Princess Clíona was thrilled when she saw her page and Tine Dearg returning so much sooner than expected. Flying down the stairs and running to the outside castle walls she jumped up for joy giddily embracing both of them, “How did you do it so fast?”
Her page smiled, “Your majesty’s friend, the fairy queen, Clíona of Carrigcleena, opened a doorway for us.”
Princess Clíona smiled, “I shall have to thank her!”
Tine Dearg reached down and pulled her up to sit in front of him in his saddle, “Oh, I think I know exactly how she’d like to be paid. It is probably the same way I plan to be, princess.”, and began tickling her with one hand as he rode them back to the stables.
Giggling, the princess clung to his arm while trying to bat away his hand.
Together, they went straight to the dungeon and proceeded to unlock the cells and dragons’ iron cuffs, the princess giving each dragon a kiss on the cheek and hug in turn. Eager to fly once more, they ran out into the open air, dancing across the grass, their long hair turning into manes that grew to touch the ground, their scales growing along their bodies, and took off for the skies.
“Oh, go join your brothers!”, the princess urged Tine Dearg. He smiled down at her, “Only if you promise to kiss me upon my return.”
She laughed obligingly and clapped with pleasure as she saw him transform and take to the skies.
Then sitting down on the grass, she leaned back into her hands, talking to the page, “Wouldn’t it be amazing to fly? Could you imagine riding one of them, or being one of them?”
The page smiled, “Perhaps one day you won’t have to imagine. What would happen if you married one of them?”
The princess stopped laughing immediately and stared dumbstruck at the page, “Such a thing to say!”, then got up and walked into the castle to handle the necessary paperwork.
Yet high overhead, the dragons’ keen ears could hear every word. They could also hear the princess’ heart skip a beat then race faster as she went back into the castle. Exchanging looks, they flew to the Dragon King, agreeing to tell him most, but not everything they knew…
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Princess Clíona took advantage of the dragons departure to take up her armor once again, breathing a sigh of relief as she felt it against her skin, then strode out to saddle her horse herself, glad that her page was nowhere to be seen. She needed time to be alone. Space to think. And she knew exactly where she wanted to go to get away.
She had made the Princess Tower, a tower in the country side that sat on a cliff overlooking the ocean, and what was once a gift to her from her father, an official gift to the Golden Knight. Thereafter, in that place, she was free to hunt, practice her warrior arts and do all the things no princess would normally be allowed to do. The locals, happy to have the Golden Knight as a neighbor, frequently offered tribute of food, linens and other goods. Most of which she donated to the poor, keeping only enough to support her time away from the castle. But today there was another who hunted the hunter. The Dragon King glowered down at the figure of the Golden Knight and waited, deciding to attack after the kingdom was asleep…
Princess Clíona heated up some stew, grateful that the court would assume she was with the Dragon King’s court ambassador, and breathed in the smell, reminded of her days traveling the countryside by her father’s side. She’d often made stew from the group’s combined lucky foraging and hunt, and the aroma relaxed every bone in her body. She kept her armor on, eating like the knights of her court did, ready at a moment’s notice for battle.
“Golden Knight. I have a bone to pick with you.”, a deep voice resounded through the walls of her tower. Guessing who it was, she donned on her helmet and walked out towards the voice, shield and sword ready by her side.
“And why do you have an issue with me, Dragon King, when I have not killed any of your flock?”, she replied, the enchantment of the armor turning her voice into a masculine one.
“I demand a duel for honor’s sake.”, the Dragon King answered, his large blue eyes flashing with hunger for vengeance.
“Then let us do it outside the walls of this tower, as it belongs to the princess and you now have a treaty with her.”, the Golden Knight replied.
“Very well.”, the Dragon King, flew beyond the walls and waited.
Princess Clíona climbed onto her horse and together they rode out of the walls, her shield protecting both her horse’s face as well as her own.
The Dragon King raised a brow at this, not used to seeing knights care for their steeds. But still breathed fire at both, causing the earth around them to be scorched, and the flames to scare the horse enough to throw her off.
Gasping, the princess rose up, having held on to both sword and shield, yelled up at him, “Leave him alone! The horse is an innocent! Or have you no honor, sir?”
Laughing, the Dragon King leaned down to look at the little knight, “Of course he is an innocent. But usually your kind does not treat them as such. I will let him live. But not you.”, and again breathed fire down on top of her.
The princess held her shield high, but twirled on her left foot so that with a jump she sliced across one of his legs.
Impressed, the Dragon King smiled, “Aaaaaaah…so you won’t be such a disappointment after all. I so rarely meet a worthy opponent these days.”, and swiped at her with a claw, sending her rolling across the grass.
Realizing that he could have easily killed her in the process and had chosen not to, the princess figured he was toying with her. Annoyed, she looked up at him defiantly, “Enough! You are not a cat. Don’t play with your meal if that is what you want. Be swift or not at all. I deserve the dignity of an honorable death!”
Impressed, the Dragon King nodded, “Very well, so then you will have it!”
Meanwhile, Tine Dearg caught sight of them as he flew overhead, his heart catching in his throat as he saw the princess battling it out with the Dragon King. His first instinct was to fly to her aid, but he felt a hand hold his wing back and Clíona of Carrigcleena speak urgently into his ear, “No. Don’t. This is happening according to plan. He must respect her before he can learn to love her.”
Sighing, Tine Dearg hovered worriedly in the wind, praying to the ancient gods that two beings he loved deeply would not kill each other before finding the chance to fall in love.
Below, the Dragon King found himself having to fight to his fullest in battling the Golden Knight. He now understood why his dragons had all been defeated and why it wasn’t just exaggerations that the Golden Knight and princess had been merciful to his kind. The very thought enraged him so that he fought harder, using tooth and claw, wing and fire to bring down what he perceived to be an ever growing thorn in his side. Yet, as the Golden Knight summersaulted away from an assault of fire, shield held aloft in perfect form, he began to worry if the knight might be a true threat to his kingdom and began to escalate his tactics, leaving less and less time between attacks.
For her part, the princess maintained a frontal attack of her own, lashing out as much as she took, remembering how the knights in her father’s court had schooled her in the belief most battles were lost not because one warrior was better in form than the other, but because one could endure longer than the other.
“I do not want to kill you!”, she shouted hitting his teeth hard with her shield as he came down on her, mouth open wide, and following through with a cut to his lip and claws when he instinctively reached for it. “You have a signed agreement with the princess! I am sworn to her service. To kill you would go against her wishes!”, she continued shouting, as she dodged a large claw reaching to grab her, but missing another that threw her body hard against the wall.
In the skies above, Clíona of Carrigcleena gasped, and placed a hand over her mouth, while tears ran down her face.
Leannán Dóiteáin, who had joined them, growled, “Enough! Let us put a stop to this!!!!”
Several of the other dragons who’d come to see what had attracted the others, growled back in agreement. But Tine Dearg was torn, “But it may be their only chance for love…”, he whispered.
Leannán Dóiteáin glared at him, “You have a twisted sense of logic, Tine Dearg.”, then turning to Clíona of Carrigcleena, he demanded, “Either find some way for him to discover who she is soon, or else I’m putting an end to this game.”
Clíona of Carrigcleena was weeping fully now, “Okay. The next time he hits her, I will make her helmet come off.
“Oh, that is just brilliant.”, Leannán Dóiteáin answered with disgust, “That way if our king doesn’t realize right away she will either be decapitated or burnt to cinders.”
“I love her enough to betray her.”, the fairy queen glared back.
But she wouldn’t have to as down below, the princess had risen again and now rolled towards the Dragon King’s tail.
Anticipating her attempt to cut it off, he raised it to strike out at her and brought it down hard across her body.
Yet, she let go of her shield, tossing it aside, and grabbed onto the tail with her legs and arms, lifting her visor with her free hand and kissed the tip.
Shocked, the Dragon King paused, losing his breath as he felt his body begin to shiver and shrink, “That’s not possible!”, he roared as he felt himself take human form.
The princess, ripped off her helmet, throwing it to the side, and picked up her shield, grinning at him, “It is if I’m a woman.”, then ran at him full tilt.
The Dragon King gasped, but recovered quickly enough to dodge her sword, ripping it out of her hands and grabbing hold of her. She responded by hitting him on the side of his head with her shield.
He turned, wincing, and growled, “Ouch that hurt.”, then wrestled with her for the shield until he felt her body pull with her full might, letting go so that she fell sprawled out on the grass.
She startled him by jumping up again to her feet, forward from her back in an acrobatic move and moving towards him with a jump.
The Dragon King found himself laughing as he twisted his body to grab her arms and sling her with her momentum on the grass again, “I must say, princess, that I’ve never had a woman so desperate to pin me down.”, he teased, obviously enjoying the fight now for an entirely different reason.
Annoyed, the princess stood up again and sneered, “So are you going to fight me or aren’t you.”
Smiling, the Dragon King chuckled, his eyes lit with mischief, “Neither, my princess.”, and turning into his full form, used his tail to grab her around the waist and fly with her back to his castle, chuckling the whole way as she brooded, knowing that to fight and win from the sky would mean a death inducing fall.
The Dragon King passed the others in the sky, tossing them a knowing look, as he chuckled, “You have a lot to explain.”, without pausing.
Once in the castle walls, he picked her up in a claw and carried her deep into his mountain. Reaching the deepest cavern, he turned, breathing fire onto the doorway where something flammable lit up. It roared to life, blocking the way out, like a grand fireplace.
“It will be warm soon.”, he spoke over his shoulder as he set her down and tossed a blanket at her, “You minus well get comfy, as I will have Tine Dearg report to your court that you are on the first of many diplomatic trips to my kingdom that are required as part of our ‘negotiations’.” He said the last word with intentional irony, then added, “That means remove your armor. I will not attempt to kill or harm you while you are in my care, and from this day forward you will be.”
Puzzled, the princess hesitated, but then took it off.
The Dragon King turned and gulped, staring speechless at her.
Feeling more and more self-conscious, the princess looked down and realized that in her haste to escape the castle that night, she had forgotten to wear anything but her undergarments under the armor, and they were hardly covering much to begin with.
The Dragon King blushed crimson, then added hurriedly, “Um… the blanket, princess.”
Clíona reached for it and covered her shoulders, holding it wrapped around her tightly, “Uhh…maybe it would be less awkward if I put my armor back on…”
The Dragon King laughed, “I didn’t say I didn’t like it. I just want to get to know you better first.”, he poked her gently with the tip of his tail, making her swallow back a giggle.
Turning around he gave her a quizzical look, “What was that?”
Blushing, the princess looked around exaggeratedly, hoping to simulate awkward humor, “I’ve been trained for just about any diplomatic situation, my king, but this is not one I’ve ever considered being in. It’s either be mortified or find it amusing.”
The Dragon King chuckled, feeling the tension leave his own shoulders as he nodded in agreement, “Likewise, princess. We dragons are trained on kidnapping princesses, holding them for ransom or for negotiating what we want and for battling the knights who come to rescue them. “, he curled up and looked lazily down at her, poking her with the tip of his tail again for emphasis with each point, “We are not trained for battling knights that are princesses in disguise, we are not trained for kidnapping after a negotiation has been made and we are definitely not trained for female knights who elect to wear next to nothing under their armor.”
Princess Clíona felt her lips wanting to twitch after the first poke, and bit her lip, struggling to keep from smiling with the second poke, but couldn’t hold back her laughter as he gave her the final poke.
“Wait a sec,”, a cunning look spread across the Dragon King’s face, “It wasn’t that funny.”, then a large grin spread across his face, “Are you telling me that the great Golden Knight is ticklish? That the serious minded maiden princess of the land renowned for her self-control is ticklish?”
Princess Clíona was now blushing crimson from head to toe, made even worse from the fact that her legs and bare feet were visible, betraying how flustered she felt. Attempting to deny it, she protested, “Of course not, my king. That would be ridiculous. I am just embarrassed by the situation is all. Please allow me to put my armor back on….”
The Dragon King was obviously ignoring her protests as he used his tail to not just poke, but to blatantly tickle her belly button, wiggling around until she was falling on the ground, squirming with giggles, trying in vain to push his tail away. He leaned down closer and exclaimed like a child opening a birthday present, “How utterly delightful!”, using his tail to pull her closer towards him, cradling her in the palm of a claw while his tail continued to explore her body, tickling and teasing her armpits, and stomach even as his other claw tickled her ribs and feet with gently controlled strokes, his smile growing greater still as he pushed her into even greater hysterics. “Such a delightful sound!”, he crooned, loving how she seemed to be enjoying his attentions despite her pleading.
“Pleeeheeheeheeeheeeheeeeheeeeease!”, she laughed, “Merceeeheeeheeheeheeeheeeee! I’ll do anything! Nooohohohohohohoooo more!”
The Dragon King laughed down at her, “But I don’t want anything in this moment but that glorious sound, princess!”, he couldn’t help but to notice her nipples had grown hard and her body was aroused, clearly betraying the true reason behind her embarrassment.
His eyes twinkled with mischief at the sight as he replied to her continuing cries for mercy, “Oh, I think the negotiations of the last treaty would have gone slightly differently had I been aware of this little weakness, my princess.”
Princess Clíona blushed even deeper at the thought. But frantic for him not to suspect how he was affecting her, and not realizing that he’d already caught on, she offered, “Whahahahahat would you like to renegotiate?”
“Hmmmm…”, he smiled indulgently thinking about how he’d like to spend the rest of her short life entertaining her in all the ways similar to this very moment, “I can think of a few.”
Laughing louder as he placed her on his stomach and now used both claws to torment her little body, the princess gasped, “Naahahahahahahahaaaame it!”
The Dragon King smirked, “Okay then. Send away all your suitors and pledge me a month to be the sole royal suitor to court you. Allow me plenty of time to play with you like this during that time, and promise to tell me only the truth, regardless of what situations might arise, no matter how embarrassed it makes you feel.”, he made as special point to attack her feet even more, upping the ante.
Now a giggling mess with perspiration having turned her thin undergarments almost invisible, the princess felt she scarcely had a leg to stand on to refuse, and besides, she reasoned with herself, he seemed a lot less boring than the others, still she hung back despite feeling the nerves along the soft soles of her feet driven to insanity, “But you must agree to instruct your dragons to not attack my people so long as my kingdom maintains the balance!”, she managed to squeal out before dissolving into another torrent of giggles.
“Done on two conditions, princess,”, the Dragon King added as his smirk grew into a wicked grin, “You will agree to wear a chastity belt of my choosing during that time and to kiss me as needed to make the transformation into my human form.”
Not thinking either condition strange, as once a princess had a serious suitor, she was often expected to wear a chastity belt until the wedding, she agreed.
“Very well, you can begin now.”, the Dragon King embraced her, holding her close to his chest.
Princess Clíona marveled at the beautiful scales in front of her, so pearlescent in the firelight when seen up close, like the inside of an oyster shell, yet still holding a brilliant blue tint throughout. She kissed him daintily on his chest and began to move away. But the Dragon King held onto her tightly while he transformed, his body shimmering once more as he shrunk into the size of a 7 foot human male, his blue hair long enough to reach behind his knees.
Now being able to see him without fear for her life, the princess gasped at his beauty. His eyes caught her looking and his full lips turned up into a smirk as he held her close to him, looking down on her adoringly, “I’m glad you like what you see princess, as you will soon be mine!”, then letting out a playful growl, he rolled with her across the soft bedding, now seemingly massive since he’d shrunk, and began tickling her sides with his fingers, squeezing at the places his size had kept him from minutes before.
Giggling, Princess Clíona could only throw her head back and laugh as his immense size made any maneuvers on her part impossible. He squeezed her knees, making her spread her legs in a torrent of laughing squeals, and using his weight to pin her down, tickled the insides of her thighs, feeling her moisten against him.
She gasped her protest, and he simply chuckled, “Oh don’t worry, princess, I will not be taking advantage of you tonight. In fact, I will not take advantage of you until our wedding night. But,” he lifted her face to his and sent her a look that set her body on fire, finishing in a deep, sultry voice, “I will be doing anything and everything to make you desperate for me to.”, then winking at her from his blue eyes that sizzled with blue flame, began kissing down her body, pausing just above her underwear to look up and wiggle his eyebrows teasingly at her, before continuing down along her legs. He was no longer holding her down, and didn’t need to. Her body had learned it was his, responding to his touch like a flower opening. But he was determined to teach her that no one else would ever compare.
Princess Clíona’s eyes rolled back, not accustomed to these kinds of sensations. Part of her wondered how on earth she had gone from battling for her life with the Dragon King to winding up under his attentions in his castle. But the other part of her was secretly elated she had.
He took special pleasure in tormenting her through the night, filling the cave with the sounds of her gasps of pleasure from a carefully placed caress to frantic laughter and moans betraying her body’s desires even as she struggled to deny it to herself. Once he’d exhausted her thoroughly into sleep, he held her close nuzzling against her neck, breathing in her scent. His, he thought. She was perfect for him. Born to be his alone.
Covering her up so she was safely snuggled in his bed, he walked out in his human form to the mouth of the cave carrying three glasses of honey wine.
Clíona of Carrigcleena sat on a wall as Leannán Dóiteáin and Tine Dearg curled up nearby, each opening an eye towards him as he approached. He looked at the three of them, “You’re trickery is forgiven, my friends, on one condition.”, he extended the tray towards each of them in turn, then smiled confidently, “Tell me everything you know about her and the politics of her court.”
The three spent the morning sharing all they knew while he listened intently….
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Princess Clíona awoke in the giant bed with a start. Recalling the night before, she felt her face grow hot, embarrassed that she had let so much happen. Tiptoeing towards her armor, she put it on, breathing a sigh of relief as it felt like a second skin, then picking up her sword and shield, turned towards the entrance to the cave, realizing the entire castle had been carved out, pillars , mantels and shelves each sculpted from the stone with intricate designs and breathtaking workmanship.
Tiptoeing further down the hallway, she spied the king with the fairy queen and two of her dragon friends. Mortified that they would all know what she had done, she looked around for another way out and following the sunlight, discovered a flight of stairs, obviously made by dragon claws, but sized just right for them in their human form. She noticed that little five inch windows followed the stairs down along the wall, lighting the way down. Finding the bottom, she tried the door, and was relieved to find it unlocked. Closing it behind her, she realized she was at the bottom of his mountain. It would be a month’s journey on foot, and a week’s in a boat.
She spied a nearby fisherman and approached him, “Kind sir, I’d be happy to repay you upon my honor, if you would allow me to borrow a boat.”
The fisherman eyed her cautiously, “That’s the dragon mountain.”, nodding up in the direction of the Dragon King’s lair, “We don’t want any trouble with him. And you are the Golden Knight. Don’t think he’d be happy to have us help you.”, he shook his head, “Sorry. I know you’ve done a lot for the kingdom and all. You’re a real proper hero. But aside from the princess ordering me to, I can’t…”
Frustrated, she cut him off by lifting her helmet, and glowered at him, “Very well then. I, Princess Clíona, ruler of this land, command you to assist me by lending me a boat. I will repay you in kind.”
Shocked, the fisherman nearly fell into the water.
“Yes, I’m one and the same, and I need to get back to my castle to attend to business. I’ve been here on a diplomatic mission, but need to be going now.”
“And so you shall,”, the Dragon King’s voice rang out from behind her. Turning around, she faced his cocky smile as he regarded her in his full courtly attire, looking every inch a king. He winked down at her, extending his hand, “I think that diplomacy dictates I not allow a princess who I’ve just negotiated terms with leave all alone on a weeklong trip when I could easily fly her there in minutes.”
Princess Clíona bristled at the word ‘allow’, but kept her face outwardly calm, “I think, my good king, that your allowing me to make my own choices would foster better relations than any attempt to dictate how I depart your company.”
The fisherman winced and tried to look busy with the fish as the tension rose palpably.
The Dragon King stepped closer to her, and smiled down, loving her stubbornness, but refusing to be bested, “You did agree that starting as of last night I shall be the sole suitor for you hand for the duration of one month. I would not consider it diplomatic to steal one of those weeks from me, my lovely lady.”
Thoroughly chastised, she surrendered to his logic, “When you put it like that, I can offer no argument.”, she gave in, then turning to the fisherman smiled, “Sorry to have put you in such an uncomfortable position.”
The fisherman nearly fainted as he saw the couple smiling at him with amusement, “No problem your majesties. No problem at all.”, and in a flash took off in his boat so fast that he left his nets behind.
Chuckling, the Dragon King shook his head at the sight, then turned, grabbing the princess around her waist, pulling her to him. He kissed her deeply, taking her breath away, forcing her recall the night before to such an extent he sent her body quivering and feeling more helpless than she had ever felt inside her armor.
Stepping back, he smirked and gave her a wink, “Remember that the next time you get it in your head to sneak out behind my back.”, then turning, led her up a flight of stone steps to a ledge where Leannán Dóiteáin and Tine Dearg waited. He helped her up on Tine Dearg’s back and climbed on Leannán Dóiteáin’s, shouting only once at Tine Dearg before taking off, “Protect her with your life. She carries my heart.”
Stunned, Princess Clíona held onto part of Tine Dearg’s mane as he took off. But her embarrassment in front of her friends dissipated as the excitement of the flight thrilled her to the bone.
Below, she saw multiple royal carriages leaving her castle along the road, as if in parade. Then, she stared awestruck as a breathtaking golden carriage, inlaid with rubies, emeralds and diamonds, waited alongside the road, pulled in turn by beautiful golden dragons. Yet, the most stunning part of all was the signal of the blue dragon made from what must have once been a solid giant sapphire. The fairy queen stepped out of the carriage, her arms open in greeting towards the princess, as the dragons landed. She waved and two fae emerged holding garments. The princess realized the situation, giving her dragon friends each a kiss on the cheek, turning away as they walked quickly into the carriage to don on their clothes.
The Fairy Queen pulled her close, whispering, “I told you such a man existed.”
The two dragons came out of the carriage, and holding the doors open, stood on either side, gesturing for the Dragon King, princess and Fairy Queen to enter.
The Dragon King offered Princess Clíona his arm, smiling down at her, “It would not be proper to return you to the castle without a chaperone your father approved of, my ambassador to your court and a courtier of my own.”
The princess could only gaze on in wonder at how the Dragon King had come to be so well versed in the dictates of human courts.
Together, they finished the rest of the way in the carriage, while the princess turned accusingly to the Fairy Queen, “You! You planned all this didn’t you?”
She just smiled, refusing to make eye contact as she looked out the window, “I might have.”
“You weren’t the only one she tricked.”, the Dragon King commented drily, then shooting a flirtatious look from the corner of his eye without turning around from the window added, “and hopefully I’m not the only one finding myself grateful for it.”
Princess Clíona blushed at his words, making the other passengers smile at her as the carriage pulled up to the castle. Sir Henry was waiting at the top of the stairs, a look of cautious curiosity on his face, his white beard trembling. But he was the only courtier to look so concerned. The others filled the front lawn on either side of the carriage, cheering at the sight of such a breathtaking entrance. Then, as the horns sounded, and her guards opened the doors of the carriage, a murmur ran through the crowd as the Dragon King stepped out, towering over everyone else, his long hair worn lose, his clothing of such fine detail they all knew it had not been made by human hands. Turning, he lifted his hand and helped the princess out of the carriage. The crowd fell silent as they realized their princess was the Golden Knight. Sir Henry almost fell over, caught by those beside him. Then a roaring cheer sounded, spreading over the crowd as they celebrated their warrior queen.
The couple walked up the steps, and Sir Henry looked visibly relieved when the fairy queen excited after them, sending him a reassuring wink and even more so when the Dragon King’s ambassador to the court helped her out of the chariot, the two walking confidently up the steps after them, followed by a splendid courtier in green.
The evening went as formally as any event held in the ballroom had before. The princess danced with the members of her court, greeting them with eyes that seemed to hang on their every word, but in truth was far more rapt with the ones who used the excuse as a way to discuss policies and concerns that they felt warranted her attention. She would guide them towards the corner of the room where Sir Henry waited. Appearing to merely pause dancing to include him in conversation, she was really scheduling an appointment for a future discussion or actions that needed to take place.
The Dragon King watched with full attention, as enraptured by how the princess worked her court as by her beauty. But a mischievous smile fell across his face when he witnessed the princess’ eyes light up with real mirth in Tine Dearg’s arms as he lead her across the floor. The Dragon King’s eyes, as sharp as any eagle, could discern the secretive little squeezes that Tine Dearg’s fingers gave her waist and could guess what had the princess look so amused. When the time came for the suitors’ toasts, he noticed a look of relief on her face as Sir Henry announced that for the following month the only suitor would be the Dragon King. The Dragon King smiled at the thought of the amount of patience the princess had had to endure as the mortal suitors had droned on in their attempts to compete. Considering this, he merely raised a glass to the princess and announced, “I am compelled to explain that the princess is a thief. She has not only successfully defeated and captured several of my dragons, and their hearts, but has captured my heart as well.”
The applause filled the room and he moved over to ask the princess to dance. Together they moved formally across the dance floor, her expression the same set delighted one she gave to her courtiers, her eyes lit up and directed squarely on his. The Dragon King chuckled, “Oh don’t you dare give that look to me, my love. I know the difference, remember?”, making her blush and look away. He chuckled, “I think I’ll follow Tine Dearg’s example and add a little fun to our dance. Only, as you well know, I am not nearly as merciful.”, he wiggled his eyebrows at her, making her recall the night spent in his cave. But before she could protest, his fingers were teasing her sides, his claws adding to the torture by trailing across her corset, sending vibrations across its bones that made the skin beneath come alive. He took full advantage of her gasp to tickle her sides even further, making the normally completely in control princess let out a loud ringing series of giggles that caused all the heads in the court to turn. Embarrassed, the princess hid her face against his chest and he took advantage of the situation to pull her closer, whispering, “Don’t look now, but your court seems truly delighted to hear you laugh. Is it truly such a rare sound that they would look so shocked?”
“It is among the court, within the castle walls.”, she muttered, cheeks burning red.
“And out of the walls, like say, on a hunt?”
Startled, she straightened her back, “A lady of the court does not hunt, your majesty.”
He leaned down and whispered in her ear, “Any lady of mine would hunt should she want to.”
Shocked, she looked up into his blue eyes to see them full of affection, smiling back down at her.
Speechless, she curtsied towards him as the song finished, then turned confidently announcing the evening ale and mead were about to be served, raising her own glass to all.
The court drank greedily, and the Dragon King laughed to himself as the princess sat on her father’s throne, pretending to be interested while the courtiers slowly fell asleep. Once they were all snoring away, she slipped out to her room. He almost followed, but Tine Dearg stopped him, nodding towards a side door. Sir Henry, having decided not to drink, slapped the Dragon King on his back, chuckling, “She said she didn’t want to marry any man that she could outdrink. It seems you passed the test.”
The Dragon King shook the man’s hand firmly, looking him in the eye, “The first of many, I hope.”, then followed Tine Dearg to the castle’s side garden. He shot the ambassador an annoyed look, “There had better be a very good reason you took me away from her chamber door tonight.”
Tine Dearg merely raised a finger to his lips, then pointed from where they hid from the moonlight.
A solitary figure, dressed all in dark green, climbed down vines of the five story tower as quickly as a lizard could scale any wall. The Dragon King’s eyes adjusted like an owl’s as he zoomed in on the figure, catching sight of a hint of breast here, a womanly hip there, “You mean to tell me that that my future bride is risking her life in the middle of the night?”, he rose to go to her, when Tine Dearg’s hand pulled him back down and again warned him to be quiet, then nudged his head out of the garden. “But…” the Dragon King began to protest when he saw the figure already running quickly across the top of the walls in the direction of the forest. His heart caught in his throat as he saw her jump from the top wall towards the moat.
Running close behind, but remaining out of sight, he exhaled in relief as he saw her move along the vines growing on the outside wall until she reached the bridge, which while down, would have been blocked by the castle gate. Leaping towards the drawbridge chain nearest her, she wrapped herself around it and slid backwards until she was on the other side. Then keeping to the shadows, she dashed into the forest.
The dragons easily lept over the moat and pursued her, moving out of sight in the trees till Tine Dearg again motioned the Dragon King to be silent and pointed away from where the princess crept. Fighting his instinctive drive to want to keep her in his sight, he followed Tine Dearg until they came across a deer trail which led to a clearing. There, ahead of them, the princess had removed her dark green cap and danced in the undergarments of a knight, the warm cloth tight against her body so that every curve showed. Her breasts, obviously free from the constraint of a corset, bounced as she twirled about, laughing up at the stars, her hair running down and free. She was a vision.
Tine Dearg motioned for the Dragon King to remain hidden, then crept out into the moonlight, waiting patiently for her to notice.
Princess Clíona, came to standstill when she did, gasping with surprise, then laughing and running up to Tine Dearg, “Oh! I’m so glad to see you! Those courtly balls are horrible, aren’t they? Thank goodness for you and your king or else I would have fallen asleep long before everyone else.”
Tine Dearg could feel the eyes of the Dragon King burning into his back, but pretended not to notice as he twirled her about in a circle, making her laugh as she leaned back to look up at the stars. When both of them fell down into the soft grass, dizzy and winded, he spoke, “Thanks for not feeling angry when I invade your secret place. It is a beautiful spot.”
The princess sighed happily, “Sometimes the fae join me in dancing here. So don’t worry, you aren’t the first. I’m sure they once thought of me as invading their space. But as long as those who enter are part of it, there is no interruption to be had.”
He nodded in response to her, then asked, “Do you think you’d mind it if I brought the Dragon King here? He’d appreciate it, you know.”
There was a quiet moment as the princess blushed, “So long as I am not alone with him, I should think it fine.”
“Why don’t you want to be alone with him?”, Tine Dearg asked in a teasing, insinuating tone.
Princess Clíona blushed deeper, “It’s not proper for an unmarried princess.”
Tine Dearg laughed out loud, “And since when do you care about that?”, gesturing to the place around them and then eyeballing her clothes.
She tried to meet his eyes with an appalled expression, but the whole attempt crumbled as she began laughing and sat up to toss a handful of grass at him, “Oh do be quiet!”
Tine Dearg reached out to block the grass aimed at his face, and then retorted, mimicking her voice, “Oh do be honest!” before tickling her side closest to him.
The princess squealed and struggled to get out of his grip, but finally gave in to the squeezes he kept giving, “Ooohohohohhokaahahahahaaay! I admit it!”
Tine Dearg paused, and looked over at her with a raised brow, “You admit what?”
When she covered her face with her hands, he gave her another series of squeezes, “Say it!”
Laughing again, she answered, “I’m afraid I might love him. And I’m afraid of what I’d allow him to do with me were I alone.”
Tine Dearg smirked at her, then pulling her into his lap, replied, “Well considering that he is here to court you for your hand in marriage, I think you just made the perfect argument for exactly why you should be alone with him, here in your favorite place.”, then continuing to tickle her stomach so she remained helplessly encased in his arms, he called out to the Dragon King, “You can come out now, sire! She can’t run away!”
Princess Clíona’s eyes grew wide as she heard him call out, “Why you sneak!”, trying to elbow Tine Dearg in the sides or stomach, “I can’t believe you got me to confess that in front of him!”
Tine Dearg laughed, “You better believe it!”, then holding her closer, rolled with her closer to the woods, tickling her armpits, legs and sides till she was laughing so hard tears began rolling down her face.
“Mind if I join in?”, she heard the Dragon King’s teasing voice nearby and immediately felt his hands moving across her body, teasing her feet, thighs and up under her breasts.
Completely helpless, she could only surrender, even as Tine Dearg kissed her softly on the cheek before leaving her there alone with the Dragon King who kept her laughing and rolling about on the grass. Finally, when she was completely out of breath, he pulled her into his arms and looked up at the stars with her, “So you are afraid of what you might want to do should we be alone together, princess?”, he teased, “You should be. As there isn’t a single playful thing meant for the bedroom that I wouldn’t want to do to you each time I see you, here, or on the dance floor, or in a carriage, or in my cave. I assure you, whatever you deny desire for, I will seek to make impossible for you to deny.”, he rolled over on his side, his head resting on his hand and looked down at her, playfully tickling her stomach and sides, “Think you could live with a lifetime of that? I hope so, because I will kill you, as in make you die of laughter, if you ever sneak out of your tower again like I witnessed tonight.”
The princess struggled to evade his arms, “I’ve been doing that since I was a little girl. There is nothing to worry about.”
The Dragon King growled and transformed only partially so that just his wings grew from his back and remained small enough to fit his human form. He pulled her up into a dance while whooshing her up into the sky, smiling as he saw how it thrilled her, “And what if I agreed to take you where you want to go like this every night instead?”, he leaned his head down while his arms lifted her high so that their brows touched, their faces so close they could feel each other’s breath on their lips.
The princess squealed as he purposely flew her high above the clouds then down fast enough to take her breath away again and again, her heart racing with the thrill dancing in her veins. She looked up at him as he set her down inside her windowsill, offering him a cocky grin, “You drive a hard bargain, my king. I’ll have to seriously consider your offer.”
She moved to close the window, when he reached out and held it open, “Aren’t you forgetting something?”, giving his wings a quick flap.
“Oh! How silly of me.”, she reached up and gave him a chaste peck on the lips, watching in wonder as his wings gradually shrunk to nothing.
The Dragon King smirked from where he remained perched on the window, “I think you had better let me inside princess, as I no longer have my wings and if I climbed down the vines I would be a hypocrite for believing I should be allowed to do something you should not do, now wouldn’t I?”
The princess lips twitched as she looked at him in amusement, “My, but what they say is true. Dragons are quite cunning.”, and stepped back, giving him entrance into her bedchamber, closing the window after him.
She turned to see him standing there, mischief playing about his face, “Oh, you have no idea how cunning I can be, princess. But you soon will.”
In a flash his wings reappeared and he had jumped from the floor, flying across the room, picking her up and pinning her down on the bed, one eyebrow raised, “I do believe it was part of our agreement that you give me leave to play with you during this month of courting in the same manner with which I entertained you our first night together?”
Blushing she protested, “But you can’t be here!”
He offered her a merciless smile, “Well then you had better not make a sound, princess.”, the tips of his wings lightly trailing wiggly lines and circles down her sides while his hands proceeded to undress her down to her undergarments, his tail growing out from behind teasing her toes as he pulled the long underwear up over her head. But instead of pulling it off, he surprised her by tying her arms together in a knot. When her protest turned into the beginning of a squeal, he shushed her before winking wickedly, tickling her armpits in tantalizing circles, “After all, we wouldn’t want anyone to think the princess is the type of woman who entertains suitors in her bedchamber at night would we?”
She could only shoot him an incredulous look as she bit down hard on her bottom lip, struggling to keep from making a sound. Her plight was only made worse as they heard the castle come to life and footsteps moving to and fro outside her door. He saw her panicked expression and chuckled too quietly for anyone but her to hear, moving his knee between her legs so that she couldn’t help but to writhe against him each time his tickling made her wiggle and squirm. He saw the pleasure take its toll on her body despite her attempts to hide it from him thanks to her dilated eyes betraying her body’s response.
When they heard a bunch of maids chatting right outside in the hallway, he shot her a devious smile and ran the tips of his claws tantalizingly across her feet, stopping only briefly to kiss away the tears which poured from her eyes. He trailed his lips from her tear covered cheeks on down to her throat and whispered, his hot breath against her neck even as he continued tormenting her armpits, nipples and stomach, his eyes once more full of mischief as he looked into hers, “Think you could deal with a lifetime of marriage negotiations like this one?”
She could barely trust herself to whisper, afraid that the minute she parted her lips she would lose it, “What is it you want?”
His smile grew, “Only what you have already promised me, princess.”, and pulled a chastity belt from inside his cloak, “Allow me to put it on you.”, he wiggled his brows down at her wickedly.
Desperate to do anything if it meant an end to the potential embarrassment, she nodded emphatically.
“Very well, my lady.”, the Dragon King grinned and pulling her underwear down, placed the chastity belt in its place, immediately pulling her into his arms as he ripped the top the rest of the way off her.
Deliberately caressing her in all the ways he knew a woman’s body responded to, he worked her body up into a frenzy, hushing her with his kisses each time she lost control and tried to cry out. When he had her needing him with every pore of her body, he rose, straddling her, and asked, “Do you want me to satiate your hunger, princess?”.
Having lost all self-control in the moments of heated passion, she nodded frantically without thinking.
He chuckled down at her, “Well you are just going to have to wait now, aren’t you, my love?”, stepping up from the bed, and letting his wings disappear. Then pausing at the door, without looking back added, “I should warn you that the gift I just gave you comes with a few enchantments of its own. How you feel now is how you will feel until midnight.” Then shooting her a playful look over his shoulder, he added, “Oh, and I forgot to mention, Sir Henry arranged for a ride in the countryside for the whole court today. I have agreed to supply the picnic, and it will be on some mountainous terrain, so I hope you are up for a long day of uphill and downhill horseback riding.”
It took every bit of his self-control to not fall apart laughing at her look of devastation when he left her bedchamber.
Later that day, he waited cockily by the stables, waiting for her to come down. He wanted to insure she was securely fastened to her horse so she didn’t fall off due to his purposeful distractions. But while he waited beside her white horse, Sir Henry road up, “Come on now. We don’t want to keep the princess and her knights waiting.”
Startled, the Dragon King asked, “But she is riding with us, isn’t she?”
Sir Henry shook his head, “She has always ridden ahead with the knights just as her father did. She uses another horse for these excursions so this one can rest. They scout the route beforehand, handle any highway men or would-be mischief makers. The princess is especially skilled with the sword, but she and the knights will take advantage of their early arrival to practice the mace and hand to hand skills as they wait for us.”
At once both furious and worried, the Dragon King nodded and walked to find only Leannán Dóiteáin waiting along with the entire court. Embarrassed, he wordlessly mounted his horse and shot Leannán Dóiteáin a questioning look.
Leannán Dóiteáin only shrugged, “They left at the crack of dawn. Shortly after you brought her back to the castle, she climbed back down her tower in her armor and joined her knights. They didn’t act like it was anything unusual. It seems she has quite the fearsome reputation.”, he looked up at the tree branches, obviously trying not to laugh.
“What?!?”, the Dragon King let out an exasperated sigh.
“Oh nothing, sire. Just that I wouldn’t worry about your being accosted by any highway bandits today. She had quite the fearsome battle cry. Killed one poor idiot who attempted to accost her right out of the gate. Nothing to mourn about, I’m told, as he’s killed many any innocent in the land. Shocked Tine Dearg who had to dodge the murderous thief’s head when it went sailing by. The idiot never stood a chance.”
The Dragon King chuckled, “Ah yes. Highway men best beware today.”
(Continued in Chapter 5 at http://www.tickletheater.com/showthread.php?t=80390 )
Her page smiled, “Your majesty’s friend, the fairy queen, Clíona of Carrigcleena, opened a doorway for us.”
Princess Clíona smiled, “I shall have to thank her!”
Tine Dearg reached down and pulled her up to sit in front of him in his saddle, “Oh, I think I know exactly how she’d like to be paid. It is probably the same way I plan to be, princess.”, and began tickling her with one hand as he rode them back to the stables.
Giggling, the princess clung to his arm while trying to bat away his hand.
Together, they went straight to the dungeon and proceeded to unlock the cells and dragons’ iron cuffs, the princess giving each dragon a kiss on the cheek and hug in turn. Eager to fly once more, they ran out into the open air, dancing across the grass, their long hair turning into manes that grew to touch the ground, their scales growing along their bodies, and took off for the skies.
“Oh, go join your brothers!”, the princess urged Tine Dearg. He smiled down at her, “Only if you promise to kiss me upon my return.”
She laughed obligingly and clapped with pleasure as she saw him transform and take to the skies.
Then sitting down on the grass, she leaned back into her hands, talking to the page, “Wouldn’t it be amazing to fly? Could you imagine riding one of them, or being one of them?”
The page smiled, “Perhaps one day you won’t have to imagine. What would happen if you married one of them?”
The princess stopped laughing immediately and stared dumbstruck at the page, “Such a thing to say!”, then got up and walked into the castle to handle the necessary paperwork.
Yet high overhead, the dragons’ keen ears could hear every word. They could also hear the princess’ heart skip a beat then race faster as she went back into the castle. Exchanging looks, they flew to the Dragon King, agreeing to tell him most, but not everything they knew…
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Princess Clíona took advantage of the dragons departure to take up her armor once again, breathing a sigh of relief as she felt it against her skin, then strode out to saddle her horse herself, glad that her page was nowhere to be seen. She needed time to be alone. Space to think. And she knew exactly where she wanted to go to get away.
She had made the Princess Tower, a tower in the country side that sat on a cliff overlooking the ocean, and what was once a gift to her from her father, an official gift to the Golden Knight. Thereafter, in that place, she was free to hunt, practice her warrior arts and do all the things no princess would normally be allowed to do. The locals, happy to have the Golden Knight as a neighbor, frequently offered tribute of food, linens and other goods. Most of which she donated to the poor, keeping only enough to support her time away from the castle. But today there was another who hunted the hunter. The Dragon King glowered down at the figure of the Golden Knight and waited, deciding to attack after the kingdom was asleep…
Princess Clíona heated up some stew, grateful that the court would assume she was with the Dragon King’s court ambassador, and breathed in the smell, reminded of her days traveling the countryside by her father’s side. She’d often made stew from the group’s combined lucky foraging and hunt, and the aroma relaxed every bone in her body. She kept her armor on, eating like the knights of her court did, ready at a moment’s notice for battle.
“Golden Knight. I have a bone to pick with you.”, a deep voice resounded through the walls of her tower. Guessing who it was, she donned on her helmet and walked out towards the voice, shield and sword ready by her side.
“And why do you have an issue with me, Dragon King, when I have not killed any of your flock?”, she replied, the enchantment of the armor turning her voice into a masculine one.
“I demand a duel for honor’s sake.”, the Dragon King answered, his large blue eyes flashing with hunger for vengeance.
“Then let us do it outside the walls of this tower, as it belongs to the princess and you now have a treaty with her.”, the Golden Knight replied.
“Very well.”, the Dragon King, flew beyond the walls and waited.
Princess Clíona climbed onto her horse and together they rode out of the walls, her shield protecting both her horse’s face as well as her own.
The Dragon King raised a brow at this, not used to seeing knights care for their steeds. But still breathed fire at both, causing the earth around them to be scorched, and the flames to scare the horse enough to throw her off.
Gasping, the princess rose up, having held on to both sword and shield, yelled up at him, “Leave him alone! The horse is an innocent! Or have you no honor, sir?”
Laughing, the Dragon King leaned down to look at the little knight, “Of course he is an innocent. But usually your kind does not treat them as such. I will let him live. But not you.”, and again breathed fire down on top of her.
The princess held her shield high, but twirled on her left foot so that with a jump she sliced across one of his legs.
Impressed, the Dragon King smiled, “Aaaaaaah…so you won’t be such a disappointment after all. I so rarely meet a worthy opponent these days.”, and swiped at her with a claw, sending her rolling across the grass.
Realizing that he could have easily killed her in the process and had chosen not to, the princess figured he was toying with her. Annoyed, she looked up at him defiantly, “Enough! You are not a cat. Don’t play with your meal if that is what you want. Be swift or not at all. I deserve the dignity of an honorable death!”
Impressed, the Dragon King nodded, “Very well, so then you will have it!”
Meanwhile, Tine Dearg caught sight of them as he flew overhead, his heart catching in his throat as he saw the princess battling it out with the Dragon King. His first instinct was to fly to her aid, but he felt a hand hold his wing back and Clíona of Carrigcleena speak urgently into his ear, “No. Don’t. This is happening according to plan. He must respect her before he can learn to love her.”
Sighing, Tine Dearg hovered worriedly in the wind, praying to the ancient gods that two beings he loved deeply would not kill each other before finding the chance to fall in love.
Below, the Dragon King found himself having to fight to his fullest in battling the Golden Knight. He now understood why his dragons had all been defeated and why it wasn’t just exaggerations that the Golden Knight and princess had been merciful to his kind. The very thought enraged him so that he fought harder, using tooth and claw, wing and fire to bring down what he perceived to be an ever growing thorn in his side. Yet, as the Golden Knight summersaulted away from an assault of fire, shield held aloft in perfect form, he began to worry if the knight might be a true threat to his kingdom and began to escalate his tactics, leaving less and less time between attacks.
For her part, the princess maintained a frontal attack of her own, lashing out as much as she took, remembering how the knights in her father’s court had schooled her in the belief most battles were lost not because one warrior was better in form than the other, but because one could endure longer than the other.
“I do not want to kill you!”, she shouted hitting his teeth hard with her shield as he came down on her, mouth open wide, and following through with a cut to his lip and claws when he instinctively reached for it. “You have a signed agreement with the princess! I am sworn to her service. To kill you would go against her wishes!”, she continued shouting, as she dodged a large claw reaching to grab her, but missing another that threw her body hard against the wall.
In the skies above, Clíona of Carrigcleena gasped, and placed a hand over her mouth, while tears ran down her face.
Leannán Dóiteáin, who had joined them, growled, “Enough! Let us put a stop to this!!!!”
Several of the other dragons who’d come to see what had attracted the others, growled back in agreement. But Tine Dearg was torn, “But it may be their only chance for love…”, he whispered.
Leannán Dóiteáin glared at him, “You have a twisted sense of logic, Tine Dearg.”, then turning to Clíona of Carrigcleena, he demanded, “Either find some way for him to discover who she is soon, or else I’m putting an end to this game.”
Clíona of Carrigcleena was weeping fully now, “Okay. The next time he hits her, I will make her helmet come off.
“Oh, that is just brilliant.”, Leannán Dóiteáin answered with disgust, “That way if our king doesn’t realize right away she will either be decapitated or burnt to cinders.”
“I love her enough to betray her.”, the fairy queen glared back.
But she wouldn’t have to as down below, the princess had risen again and now rolled towards the Dragon King’s tail.
Anticipating her attempt to cut it off, he raised it to strike out at her and brought it down hard across her body.
Yet, she let go of her shield, tossing it aside, and grabbed onto the tail with her legs and arms, lifting her visor with her free hand and kissed the tip.
Shocked, the Dragon King paused, losing his breath as he felt his body begin to shiver and shrink, “That’s not possible!”, he roared as he felt himself take human form.
The princess, ripped off her helmet, throwing it to the side, and picked up her shield, grinning at him, “It is if I’m a woman.”, then ran at him full tilt.
The Dragon King gasped, but recovered quickly enough to dodge her sword, ripping it out of her hands and grabbing hold of her. She responded by hitting him on the side of his head with her shield.
He turned, wincing, and growled, “Ouch that hurt.”, then wrestled with her for the shield until he felt her body pull with her full might, letting go so that she fell sprawled out on the grass.
She startled him by jumping up again to her feet, forward from her back in an acrobatic move and moving towards him with a jump.
The Dragon King found himself laughing as he twisted his body to grab her arms and sling her with her momentum on the grass again, “I must say, princess, that I’ve never had a woman so desperate to pin me down.”, he teased, obviously enjoying the fight now for an entirely different reason.
Annoyed, the princess stood up again and sneered, “So are you going to fight me or aren’t you.”
Smiling, the Dragon King chuckled, his eyes lit with mischief, “Neither, my princess.”, and turning into his full form, used his tail to grab her around the waist and fly with her back to his castle, chuckling the whole way as she brooded, knowing that to fight and win from the sky would mean a death inducing fall.
The Dragon King passed the others in the sky, tossing them a knowing look, as he chuckled, “You have a lot to explain.”, without pausing.
Once in the castle walls, he picked her up in a claw and carried her deep into his mountain. Reaching the deepest cavern, he turned, breathing fire onto the doorway where something flammable lit up. It roared to life, blocking the way out, like a grand fireplace.
“It will be warm soon.”, he spoke over his shoulder as he set her down and tossed a blanket at her, “You minus well get comfy, as I will have Tine Dearg report to your court that you are on the first of many diplomatic trips to my kingdom that are required as part of our ‘negotiations’.” He said the last word with intentional irony, then added, “That means remove your armor. I will not attempt to kill or harm you while you are in my care, and from this day forward you will be.”
Puzzled, the princess hesitated, but then took it off.
The Dragon King turned and gulped, staring speechless at her.
Feeling more and more self-conscious, the princess looked down and realized that in her haste to escape the castle that night, she had forgotten to wear anything but her undergarments under the armor, and they were hardly covering much to begin with.
The Dragon King blushed crimson, then added hurriedly, “Um… the blanket, princess.”
Clíona reached for it and covered her shoulders, holding it wrapped around her tightly, “Uhh…maybe it would be less awkward if I put my armor back on…”
The Dragon King laughed, “I didn’t say I didn’t like it. I just want to get to know you better first.”, he poked her gently with the tip of his tail, making her swallow back a giggle.
Turning around he gave her a quizzical look, “What was that?”
Blushing, the princess looked around exaggeratedly, hoping to simulate awkward humor, “I’ve been trained for just about any diplomatic situation, my king, but this is not one I’ve ever considered being in. It’s either be mortified or find it amusing.”
The Dragon King chuckled, feeling the tension leave his own shoulders as he nodded in agreement, “Likewise, princess. We dragons are trained on kidnapping princesses, holding them for ransom or for negotiating what we want and for battling the knights who come to rescue them. “, he curled up and looked lazily down at her, poking her with the tip of his tail again for emphasis with each point, “We are not trained for battling knights that are princesses in disguise, we are not trained for kidnapping after a negotiation has been made and we are definitely not trained for female knights who elect to wear next to nothing under their armor.”
Princess Clíona felt her lips wanting to twitch after the first poke, and bit her lip, struggling to keep from smiling with the second poke, but couldn’t hold back her laughter as he gave her the final poke.
“Wait a sec,”, a cunning look spread across the Dragon King’s face, “It wasn’t that funny.”, then a large grin spread across his face, “Are you telling me that the great Golden Knight is ticklish? That the serious minded maiden princess of the land renowned for her self-control is ticklish?”
Princess Clíona was now blushing crimson from head to toe, made even worse from the fact that her legs and bare feet were visible, betraying how flustered she felt. Attempting to deny it, she protested, “Of course not, my king. That would be ridiculous. I am just embarrassed by the situation is all. Please allow me to put my armor back on….”
The Dragon King was obviously ignoring her protests as he used his tail to not just poke, but to blatantly tickle her belly button, wiggling around until she was falling on the ground, squirming with giggles, trying in vain to push his tail away. He leaned down closer and exclaimed like a child opening a birthday present, “How utterly delightful!”, using his tail to pull her closer towards him, cradling her in the palm of a claw while his tail continued to explore her body, tickling and teasing her armpits, and stomach even as his other claw tickled her ribs and feet with gently controlled strokes, his smile growing greater still as he pushed her into even greater hysterics. “Such a delightful sound!”, he crooned, loving how she seemed to be enjoying his attentions despite her pleading.
“Pleeeheeheeheeeheeeheeeeheeeeease!”, she laughed, “Merceeeheeeheeheeheeeheeeee! I’ll do anything! Nooohohohohohohoooo more!”
The Dragon King laughed down at her, “But I don’t want anything in this moment but that glorious sound, princess!”, he couldn’t help but to notice her nipples had grown hard and her body was aroused, clearly betraying the true reason behind her embarrassment.
His eyes twinkled with mischief at the sight as he replied to her continuing cries for mercy, “Oh, I think the negotiations of the last treaty would have gone slightly differently had I been aware of this little weakness, my princess.”
Princess Clíona blushed even deeper at the thought. But frantic for him not to suspect how he was affecting her, and not realizing that he’d already caught on, she offered, “Whahahahahat would you like to renegotiate?”
“Hmmmm…”, he smiled indulgently thinking about how he’d like to spend the rest of her short life entertaining her in all the ways similar to this very moment, “I can think of a few.”
Laughing louder as he placed her on his stomach and now used both claws to torment her little body, the princess gasped, “Naahahahahahahahaaaame it!”
The Dragon King smirked, “Okay then. Send away all your suitors and pledge me a month to be the sole royal suitor to court you. Allow me plenty of time to play with you like this during that time, and promise to tell me only the truth, regardless of what situations might arise, no matter how embarrassed it makes you feel.”, he made as special point to attack her feet even more, upping the ante.
Now a giggling mess with perspiration having turned her thin undergarments almost invisible, the princess felt she scarcely had a leg to stand on to refuse, and besides, she reasoned with herself, he seemed a lot less boring than the others, still she hung back despite feeling the nerves along the soft soles of her feet driven to insanity, “But you must agree to instruct your dragons to not attack my people so long as my kingdom maintains the balance!”, she managed to squeal out before dissolving into another torrent of giggles.
“Done on two conditions, princess,”, the Dragon King added as his smirk grew into a wicked grin, “You will agree to wear a chastity belt of my choosing during that time and to kiss me as needed to make the transformation into my human form.”
Not thinking either condition strange, as once a princess had a serious suitor, she was often expected to wear a chastity belt until the wedding, she agreed.
“Very well, you can begin now.”, the Dragon King embraced her, holding her close to his chest.
Princess Clíona marveled at the beautiful scales in front of her, so pearlescent in the firelight when seen up close, like the inside of an oyster shell, yet still holding a brilliant blue tint throughout. She kissed him daintily on his chest and began to move away. But the Dragon King held onto her tightly while he transformed, his body shimmering once more as he shrunk into the size of a 7 foot human male, his blue hair long enough to reach behind his knees.
Now being able to see him without fear for her life, the princess gasped at his beauty. His eyes caught her looking and his full lips turned up into a smirk as he held her close to him, looking down on her adoringly, “I’m glad you like what you see princess, as you will soon be mine!”, then letting out a playful growl, he rolled with her across the soft bedding, now seemingly massive since he’d shrunk, and began tickling her sides with his fingers, squeezing at the places his size had kept him from minutes before.
Giggling, Princess Clíona could only throw her head back and laugh as his immense size made any maneuvers on her part impossible. He squeezed her knees, making her spread her legs in a torrent of laughing squeals, and using his weight to pin her down, tickled the insides of her thighs, feeling her moisten against him.
She gasped her protest, and he simply chuckled, “Oh don’t worry, princess, I will not be taking advantage of you tonight. In fact, I will not take advantage of you until our wedding night. But,” he lifted her face to his and sent her a look that set her body on fire, finishing in a deep, sultry voice, “I will be doing anything and everything to make you desperate for me to.”, then winking at her from his blue eyes that sizzled with blue flame, began kissing down her body, pausing just above her underwear to look up and wiggle his eyebrows teasingly at her, before continuing down along her legs. He was no longer holding her down, and didn’t need to. Her body had learned it was his, responding to his touch like a flower opening. But he was determined to teach her that no one else would ever compare.
Princess Clíona’s eyes rolled back, not accustomed to these kinds of sensations. Part of her wondered how on earth she had gone from battling for her life with the Dragon King to winding up under his attentions in his castle. But the other part of her was secretly elated she had.
He took special pleasure in tormenting her through the night, filling the cave with the sounds of her gasps of pleasure from a carefully placed caress to frantic laughter and moans betraying her body’s desires even as she struggled to deny it to herself. Once he’d exhausted her thoroughly into sleep, he held her close nuzzling against her neck, breathing in her scent. His, he thought. She was perfect for him. Born to be his alone.
Covering her up so she was safely snuggled in his bed, he walked out in his human form to the mouth of the cave carrying three glasses of honey wine.
Clíona of Carrigcleena sat on a wall as Leannán Dóiteáin and Tine Dearg curled up nearby, each opening an eye towards him as he approached. He looked at the three of them, “You’re trickery is forgiven, my friends, on one condition.”, he extended the tray towards each of them in turn, then smiled confidently, “Tell me everything you know about her and the politics of her court.”
The three spent the morning sharing all they knew while he listened intently….
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Princess Clíona awoke in the giant bed with a start. Recalling the night before, she felt her face grow hot, embarrassed that she had let so much happen. Tiptoeing towards her armor, she put it on, breathing a sigh of relief as it felt like a second skin, then picking up her sword and shield, turned towards the entrance to the cave, realizing the entire castle had been carved out, pillars , mantels and shelves each sculpted from the stone with intricate designs and breathtaking workmanship.
Tiptoeing further down the hallway, she spied the king with the fairy queen and two of her dragon friends. Mortified that they would all know what she had done, she looked around for another way out and following the sunlight, discovered a flight of stairs, obviously made by dragon claws, but sized just right for them in their human form. She noticed that little five inch windows followed the stairs down along the wall, lighting the way down. Finding the bottom, she tried the door, and was relieved to find it unlocked. Closing it behind her, she realized she was at the bottom of his mountain. It would be a month’s journey on foot, and a week’s in a boat.
She spied a nearby fisherman and approached him, “Kind sir, I’d be happy to repay you upon my honor, if you would allow me to borrow a boat.”
The fisherman eyed her cautiously, “That’s the dragon mountain.”, nodding up in the direction of the Dragon King’s lair, “We don’t want any trouble with him. And you are the Golden Knight. Don’t think he’d be happy to have us help you.”, he shook his head, “Sorry. I know you’ve done a lot for the kingdom and all. You’re a real proper hero. But aside from the princess ordering me to, I can’t…”
Frustrated, she cut him off by lifting her helmet, and glowered at him, “Very well then. I, Princess Clíona, ruler of this land, command you to assist me by lending me a boat. I will repay you in kind.”
Shocked, the fisherman nearly fell into the water.
“Yes, I’m one and the same, and I need to get back to my castle to attend to business. I’ve been here on a diplomatic mission, but need to be going now.”
“And so you shall,”, the Dragon King’s voice rang out from behind her. Turning around, she faced his cocky smile as he regarded her in his full courtly attire, looking every inch a king. He winked down at her, extending his hand, “I think that diplomacy dictates I not allow a princess who I’ve just negotiated terms with leave all alone on a weeklong trip when I could easily fly her there in minutes.”
Princess Clíona bristled at the word ‘allow’, but kept her face outwardly calm, “I think, my good king, that your allowing me to make my own choices would foster better relations than any attempt to dictate how I depart your company.”
The fisherman winced and tried to look busy with the fish as the tension rose palpably.
The Dragon King stepped closer to her, and smiled down, loving her stubbornness, but refusing to be bested, “You did agree that starting as of last night I shall be the sole suitor for you hand for the duration of one month. I would not consider it diplomatic to steal one of those weeks from me, my lovely lady.”
Thoroughly chastised, she surrendered to his logic, “When you put it like that, I can offer no argument.”, she gave in, then turning to the fisherman smiled, “Sorry to have put you in such an uncomfortable position.”
The fisherman nearly fainted as he saw the couple smiling at him with amusement, “No problem your majesties. No problem at all.”, and in a flash took off in his boat so fast that he left his nets behind.
Chuckling, the Dragon King shook his head at the sight, then turned, grabbing the princess around her waist, pulling her to him. He kissed her deeply, taking her breath away, forcing her recall the night before to such an extent he sent her body quivering and feeling more helpless than she had ever felt inside her armor.
Stepping back, he smirked and gave her a wink, “Remember that the next time you get it in your head to sneak out behind my back.”, then turning, led her up a flight of stone steps to a ledge where Leannán Dóiteáin and Tine Dearg waited. He helped her up on Tine Dearg’s back and climbed on Leannán Dóiteáin’s, shouting only once at Tine Dearg before taking off, “Protect her with your life. She carries my heart.”
Stunned, Princess Clíona held onto part of Tine Dearg’s mane as he took off. But her embarrassment in front of her friends dissipated as the excitement of the flight thrilled her to the bone.
Below, she saw multiple royal carriages leaving her castle along the road, as if in parade. Then, she stared awestruck as a breathtaking golden carriage, inlaid with rubies, emeralds and diamonds, waited alongside the road, pulled in turn by beautiful golden dragons. Yet, the most stunning part of all was the signal of the blue dragon made from what must have once been a solid giant sapphire. The fairy queen stepped out of the carriage, her arms open in greeting towards the princess, as the dragons landed. She waved and two fae emerged holding garments. The princess realized the situation, giving her dragon friends each a kiss on the cheek, turning away as they walked quickly into the carriage to don on their clothes.
The Fairy Queen pulled her close, whispering, “I told you such a man existed.”
The two dragons came out of the carriage, and holding the doors open, stood on either side, gesturing for the Dragon King, princess and Fairy Queen to enter.
The Dragon King offered Princess Clíona his arm, smiling down at her, “It would not be proper to return you to the castle without a chaperone your father approved of, my ambassador to your court and a courtier of my own.”
The princess could only gaze on in wonder at how the Dragon King had come to be so well versed in the dictates of human courts.
Together, they finished the rest of the way in the carriage, while the princess turned accusingly to the Fairy Queen, “You! You planned all this didn’t you?”
She just smiled, refusing to make eye contact as she looked out the window, “I might have.”
“You weren’t the only one she tricked.”, the Dragon King commented drily, then shooting a flirtatious look from the corner of his eye without turning around from the window added, “and hopefully I’m not the only one finding myself grateful for it.”
Princess Clíona blushed at his words, making the other passengers smile at her as the carriage pulled up to the castle. Sir Henry was waiting at the top of the stairs, a look of cautious curiosity on his face, his white beard trembling. But he was the only courtier to look so concerned. The others filled the front lawn on either side of the carriage, cheering at the sight of such a breathtaking entrance. Then, as the horns sounded, and her guards opened the doors of the carriage, a murmur ran through the crowd as the Dragon King stepped out, towering over everyone else, his long hair worn lose, his clothing of such fine detail they all knew it had not been made by human hands. Turning, he lifted his hand and helped the princess out of the carriage. The crowd fell silent as they realized their princess was the Golden Knight. Sir Henry almost fell over, caught by those beside him. Then a roaring cheer sounded, spreading over the crowd as they celebrated their warrior queen.
The couple walked up the steps, and Sir Henry looked visibly relieved when the fairy queen excited after them, sending him a reassuring wink and even more so when the Dragon King’s ambassador to the court helped her out of the chariot, the two walking confidently up the steps after them, followed by a splendid courtier in green.
The evening went as formally as any event held in the ballroom had before. The princess danced with the members of her court, greeting them with eyes that seemed to hang on their every word, but in truth was far more rapt with the ones who used the excuse as a way to discuss policies and concerns that they felt warranted her attention. She would guide them towards the corner of the room where Sir Henry waited. Appearing to merely pause dancing to include him in conversation, she was really scheduling an appointment for a future discussion or actions that needed to take place.
The Dragon King watched with full attention, as enraptured by how the princess worked her court as by her beauty. But a mischievous smile fell across his face when he witnessed the princess’ eyes light up with real mirth in Tine Dearg’s arms as he lead her across the floor. The Dragon King’s eyes, as sharp as any eagle, could discern the secretive little squeezes that Tine Dearg’s fingers gave her waist and could guess what had the princess look so amused. When the time came for the suitors’ toasts, he noticed a look of relief on her face as Sir Henry announced that for the following month the only suitor would be the Dragon King. The Dragon King smiled at the thought of the amount of patience the princess had had to endure as the mortal suitors had droned on in their attempts to compete. Considering this, he merely raised a glass to the princess and announced, “I am compelled to explain that the princess is a thief. She has not only successfully defeated and captured several of my dragons, and their hearts, but has captured my heart as well.”
The applause filled the room and he moved over to ask the princess to dance. Together they moved formally across the dance floor, her expression the same set delighted one she gave to her courtiers, her eyes lit up and directed squarely on his. The Dragon King chuckled, “Oh don’t you dare give that look to me, my love. I know the difference, remember?”, making her blush and look away. He chuckled, “I think I’ll follow Tine Dearg’s example and add a little fun to our dance. Only, as you well know, I am not nearly as merciful.”, he wiggled his eyebrows at her, making her recall the night spent in his cave. But before she could protest, his fingers were teasing her sides, his claws adding to the torture by trailing across her corset, sending vibrations across its bones that made the skin beneath come alive. He took full advantage of her gasp to tickle her sides even further, making the normally completely in control princess let out a loud ringing series of giggles that caused all the heads in the court to turn. Embarrassed, the princess hid her face against his chest and he took advantage of the situation to pull her closer, whispering, “Don’t look now, but your court seems truly delighted to hear you laugh. Is it truly such a rare sound that they would look so shocked?”
“It is among the court, within the castle walls.”, she muttered, cheeks burning red.
“And out of the walls, like say, on a hunt?”
Startled, she straightened her back, “A lady of the court does not hunt, your majesty.”
He leaned down and whispered in her ear, “Any lady of mine would hunt should she want to.”
Shocked, she looked up into his blue eyes to see them full of affection, smiling back down at her.
Speechless, she curtsied towards him as the song finished, then turned confidently announcing the evening ale and mead were about to be served, raising her own glass to all.
The court drank greedily, and the Dragon King laughed to himself as the princess sat on her father’s throne, pretending to be interested while the courtiers slowly fell asleep. Once they were all snoring away, she slipped out to her room. He almost followed, but Tine Dearg stopped him, nodding towards a side door. Sir Henry, having decided not to drink, slapped the Dragon King on his back, chuckling, “She said she didn’t want to marry any man that she could outdrink. It seems you passed the test.”
The Dragon King shook the man’s hand firmly, looking him in the eye, “The first of many, I hope.”, then followed Tine Dearg to the castle’s side garden. He shot the ambassador an annoyed look, “There had better be a very good reason you took me away from her chamber door tonight.”
Tine Dearg merely raised a finger to his lips, then pointed from where they hid from the moonlight.
A solitary figure, dressed all in dark green, climbed down vines of the five story tower as quickly as a lizard could scale any wall. The Dragon King’s eyes adjusted like an owl’s as he zoomed in on the figure, catching sight of a hint of breast here, a womanly hip there, “You mean to tell me that that my future bride is risking her life in the middle of the night?”, he rose to go to her, when Tine Dearg’s hand pulled him back down and again warned him to be quiet, then nudged his head out of the garden. “But…” the Dragon King began to protest when he saw the figure already running quickly across the top of the walls in the direction of the forest. His heart caught in his throat as he saw her jump from the top wall towards the moat.
Running close behind, but remaining out of sight, he exhaled in relief as he saw her move along the vines growing on the outside wall until she reached the bridge, which while down, would have been blocked by the castle gate. Leaping towards the drawbridge chain nearest her, she wrapped herself around it and slid backwards until she was on the other side. Then keeping to the shadows, she dashed into the forest.
The dragons easily lept over the moat and pursued her, moving out of sight in the trees till Tine Dearg again motioned the Dragon King to be silent and pointed away from where the princess crept. Fighting his instinctive drive to want to keep her in his sight, he followed Tine Dearg until they came across a deer trail which led to a clearing. There, ahead of them, the princess had removed her dark green cap and danced in the undergarments of a knight, the warm cloth tight against her body so that every curve showed. Her breasts, obviously free from the constraint of a corset, bounced as she twirled about, laughing up at the stars, her hair running down and free. She was a vision.
Tine Dearg motioned for the Dragon King to remain hidden, then crept out into the moonlight, waiting patiently for her to notice.
Princess Clíona, came to standstill when she did, gasping with surprise, then laughing and running up to Tine Dearg, “Oh! I’m so glad to see you! Those courtly balls are horrible, aren’t they? Thank goodness for you and your king or else I would have fallen asleep long before everyone else.”
Tine Dearg could feel the eyes of the Dragon King burning into his back, but pretended not to notice as he twirled her about in a circle, making her laugh as she leaned back to look up at the stars. When both of them fell down into the soft grass, dizzy and winded, he spoke, “Thanks for not feeling angry when I invade your secret place. It is a beautiful spot.”
The princess sighed happily, “Sometimes the fae join me in dancing here. So don’t worry, you aren’t the first. I’m sure they once thought of me as invading their space. But as long as those who enter are part of it, there is no interruption to be had.”
He nodded in response to her, then asked, “Do you think you’d mind it if I brought the Dragon King here? He’d appreciate it, you know.”
There was a quiet moment as the princess blushed, “So long as I am not alone with him, I should think it fine.”
“Why don’t you want to be alone with him?”, Tine Dearg asked in a teasing, insinuating tone.
Princess Clíona blushed deeper, “It’s not proper for an unmarried princess.”
Tine Dearg laughed out loud, “And since when do you care about that?”, gesturing to the place around them and then eyeballing her clothes.
She tried to meet his eyes with an appalled expression, but the whole attempt crumbled as she began laughing and sat up to toss a handful of grass at him, “Oh do be quiet!”
Tine Dearg reached out to block the grass aimed at his face, and then retorted, mimicking her voice, “Oh do be honest!” before tickling her side closest to him.
The princess squealed and struggled to get out of his grip, but finally gave in to the squeezes he kept giving, “Ooohohohohhokaahahahahaaay! I admit it!”
Tine Dearg paused, and looked over at her with a raised brow, “You admit what?”
When she covered her face with her hands, he gave her another series of squeezes, “Say it!”
Laughing again, she answered, “I’m afraid I might love him. And I’m afraid of what I’d allow him to do with me were I alone.”
Tine Dearg smirked at her, then pulling her into his lap, replied, “Well considering that he is here to court you for your hand in marriage, I think you just made the perfect argument for exactly why you should be alone with him, here in your favorite place.”, then continuing to tickle her stomach so she remained helplessly encased in his arms, he called out to the Dragon King, “You can come out now, sire! She can’t run away!”
Princess Clíona’s eyes grew wide as she heard him call out, “Why you sneak!”, trying to elbow Tine Dearg in the sides or stomach, “I can’t believe you got me to confess that in front of him!”
Tine Dearg laughed, “You better believe it!”, then holding her closer, rolled with her closer to the woods, tickling her armpits, legs and sides till she was laughing so hard tears began rolling down her face.
“Mind if I join in?”, she heard the Dragon King’s teasing voice nearby and immediately felt his hands moving across her body, teasing her feet, thighs and up under her breasts.
Completely helpless, she could only surrender, even as Tine Dearg kissed her softly on the cheek before leaving her there alone with the Dragon King who kept her laughing and rolling about on the grass. Finally, when she was completely out of breath, he pulled her into his arms and looked up at the stars with her, “So you are afraid of what you might want to do should we be alone together, princess?”, he teased, “You should be. As there isn’t a single playful thing meant for the bedroom that I wouldn’t want to do to you each time I see you, here, or on the dance floor, or in a carriage, or in my cave. I assure you, whatever you deny desire for, I will seek to make impossible for you to deny.”, he rolled over on his side, his head resting on his hand and looked down at her, playfully tickling her stomach and sides, “Think you could live with a lifetime of that? I hope so, because I will kill you, as in make you die of laughter, if you ever sneak out of your tower again like I witnessed tonight.”
The princess struggled to evade his arms, “I’ve been doing that since I was a little girl. There is nothing to worry about.”
The Dragon King growled and transformed only partially so that just his wings grew from his back and remained small enough to fit his human form. He pulled her up into a dance while whooshing her up into the sky, smiling as he saw how it thrilled her, “And what if I agreed to take you where you want to go like this every night instead?”, he leaned his head down while his arms lifted her high so that their brows touched, their faces so close they could feel each other’s breath on their lips.
The princess squealed as he purposely flew her high above the clouds then down fast enough to take her breath away again and again, her heart racing with the thrill dancing in her veins. She looked up at him as he set her down inside her windowsill, offering him a cocky grin, “You drive a hard bargain, my king. I’ll have to seriously consider your offer.”
She moved to close the window, when he reached out and held it open, “Aren’t you forgetting something?”, giving his wings a quick flap.
“Oh! How silly of me.”, she reached up and gave him a chaste peck on the lips, watching in wonder as his wings gradually shrunk to nothing.
The Dragon King smirked from where he remained perched on the window, “I think you had better let me inside princess, as I no longer have my wings and if I climbed down the vines I would be a hypocrite for believing I should be allowed to do something you should not do, now wouldn’t I?”
The princess lips twitched as she looked at him in amusement, “My, but what they say is true. Dragons are quite cunning.”, and stepped back, giving him entrance into her bedchamber, closing the window after him.
She turned to see him standing there, mischief playing about his face, “Oh, you have no idea how cunning I can be, princess. But you soon will.”
In a flash his wings reappeared and he had jumped from the floor, flying across the room, picking her up and pinning her down on the bed, one eyebrow raised, “I do believe it was part of our agreement that you give me leave to play with you during this month of courting in the same manner with which I entertained you our first night together?”
Blushing she protested, “But you can’t be here!”
He offered her a merciless smile, “Well then you had better not make a sound, princess.”, the tips of his wings lightly trailing wiggly lines and circles down her sides while his hands proceeded to undress her down to her undergarments, his tail growing out from behind teasing her toes as he pulled the long underwear up over her head. But instead of pulling it off, he surprised her by tying her arms together in a knot. When her protest turned into the beginning of a squeal, he shushed her before winking wickedly, tickling her armpits in tantalizing circles, “After all, we wouldn’t want anyone to think the princess is the type of woman who entertains suitors in her bedchamber at night would we?”
She could only shoot him an incredulous look as she bit down hard on her bottom lip, struggling to keep from making a sound. Her plight was only made worse as they heard the castle come to life and footsteps moving to and fro outside her door. He saw her panicked expression and chuckled too quietly for anyone but her to hear, moving his knee between her legs so that she couldn’t help but to writhe against him each time his tickling made her wiggle and squirm. He saw the pleasure take its toll on her body despite her attempts to hide it from him thanks to her dilated eyes betraying her body’s response.
When they heard a bunch of maids chatting right outside in the hallway, he shot her a devious smile and ran the tips of his claws tantalizingly across her feet, stopping only briefly to kiss away the tears which poured from her eyes. He trailed his lips from her tear covered cheeks on down to her throat and whispered, his hot breath against her neck even as he continued tormenting her armpits, nipples and stomach, his eyes once more full of mischief as he looked into hers, “Think you could deal with a lifetime of marriage negotiations like this one?”
She could barely trust herself to whisper, afraid that the minute she parted her lips she would lose it, “What is it you want?”
His smile grew, “Only what you have already promised me, princess.”, and pulled a chastity belt from inside his cloak, “Allow me to put it on you.”, he wiggled his brows down at her wickedly.
Desperate to do anything if it meant an end to the potential embarrassment, she nodded emphatically.
“Very well, my lady.”, the Dragon King grinned and pulling her underwear down, placed the chastity belt in its place, immediately pulling her into his arms as he ripped the top the rest of the way off her.
Deliberately caressing her in all the ways he knew a woman’s body responded to, he worked her body up into a frenzy, hushing her with his kisses each time she lost control and tried to cry out. When he had her needing him with every pore of her body, he rose, straddling her, and asked, “Do you want me to satiate your hunger, princess?”.
Having lost all self-control in the moments of heated passion, she nodded frantically without thinking.
He chuckled down at her, “Well you are just going to have to wait now, aren’t you, my love?”, stepping up from the bed, and letting his wings disappear. Then pausing at the door, without looking back added, “I should warn you that the gift I just gave you comes with a few enchantments of its own. How you feel now is how you will feel until midnight.” Then shooting her a playful look over his shoulder, he added, “Oh, and I forgot to mention, Sir Henry arranged for a ride in the countryside for the whole court today. I have agreed to supply the picnic, and it will be on some mountainous terrain, so I hope you are up for a long day of uphill and downhill horseback riding.”
It took every bit of his self-control to not fall apart laughing at her look of devastation when he left her bedchamber.
Later that day, he waited cockily by the stables, waiting for her to come down. He wanted to insure she was securely fastened to her horse so she didn’t fall off due to his purposeful distractions. But while he waited beside her white horse, Sir Henry road up, “Come on now. We don’t want to keep the princess and her knights waiting.”
Startled, the Dragon King asked, “But she is riding with us, isn’t she?”
Sir Henry shook his head, “She has always ridden ahead with the knights just as her father did. She uses another horse for these excursions so this one can rest. They scout the route beforehand, handle any highway men or would-be mischief makers. The princess is especially skilled with the sword, but she and the knights will take advantage of their early arrival to practice the mace and hand to hand skills as they wait for us.”
At once both furious and worried, the Dragon King nodded and walked to find only Leannán Dóiteáin waiting along with the entire court. Embarrassed, he wordlessly mounted his horse and shot Leannán Dóiteáin a questioning look.
Leannán Dóiteáin only shrugged, “They left at the crack of dawn. Shortly after you brought her back to the castle, she climbed back down her tower in her armor and joined her knights. They didn’t act like it was anything unusual. It seems she has quite the fearsome reputation.”, he looked up at the tree branches, obviously trying not to laugh.
“What?!?”, the Dragon King let out an exasperated sigh.
“Oh nothing, sire. Just that I wouldn’t worry about your being accosted by any highway bandits today. She had quite the fearsome battle cry. Killed one poor idiot who attempted to accost her right out of the gate. Nothing to mourn about, I’m told, as he’s killed many any innocent in the land. Shocked Tine Dearg who had to dodge the murderous thief’s head when it went sailing by. The idiot never stood a chance.”
The Dragon King chuckled, “Ah yes. Highway men best beware today.”
(Continued in Chapter 5 at http://www.tickletheater.com/showthread.php?t=80390 )
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