Keys to the Kingdom Read Online Free
Author: Fiona Wilde
will not be spanked into submission. We will be strong."
She held out her hand. "Promise me that."
"We promise," her siblings said in unison, placing their outstretched hands on top of hers.
Lenora smiled, seeking to convey a sense of certainty to the others. But deep down she felt a grain of unease. The spanking had hurt. It had hurt very much. How much more could she take? And how far were these princes willing to go?
* * *
Kier walked into the quarters he shared with his brothers with a confident stride. Behind him his brothers subconsciously adopted the elders' swagger as they moved one by one into the room to collapse in chairs around the roaring fire.
"See, gentleman?" Kier asked, stretching his long legs out and lacing his hands behind his head. "Nothing to it. One firm spanking and the clawing wildcat is reduced to a complacent little kitten."
Prince Justin, the second born, sighed and shook his head. "I must confess, brother. I expected more defiance all of them. But your betrothed certainly appeared subdued, and the others shaken by what they saw." He laughed. "It would see the king doesn't really know his daughters as well as he thinks he does."
"Indeed," Kier said, rising from his chair and walking to a table. Decanting a large flask, he poured five celebratory drinks. "Of course, as a elderly man, taming all those willful young women must seem like a daunting task. Is it any wonder that he magnified it beyond proportion? Not that it matters. His failure as a father will be our gain. Normally I disdain men too weak to control their own offspring. But I must say in this case...."
He lifted the tray holding the drinks he'd poured and offered them to his brothers, who stood to raise a toast.
"To a new dawn in Ardonia, beginning with marriage to our five beautiful, obedient princesses."
"Here, here!" his brothers said, as the glasses tinkled together.
And then they settled back into their chairs to talk and plan and dream before going to bread and dreaming of their bright futures.
* * *
So the official courtship period began the following morning with the Princes of Randor joining the Princesses of Ardonia for breakfast.
It was a lavish affair, with the shiny oak table covered in silver dishes holding glistening hams, mounds of fluffy eggs, fragrant breads, jams, honey from the royal hives and milk from the royal dairy. Another platter held exotic fruits from faraway lands - pomegranates and bananas and quince.
The princesses lined one side of the table and the princesses the other, each sitting across from the one they were slated to eventually marry.
The five sons of Randor, who'd known nothing but want during their time in exile, sought not to seem too hungry in front of the haughty princesses, who watched from under long lashes as they piled their plates high. When Leo tried to stack a third piece of bread on his already heaping plate, Quentin nudged him and scowled.
Prince Ivan noticed Luna watching, a smirk playing on pretty mouth.
"Does something amuse you?" he asked curtly, his face growing warm under her scrutiny of him.
She smiled prettily. "Everything amuses me, sir. At the moment I'm amused that your brother seems to fear the food may sprout legs and run away before he can eat it all. Look at how he piles his plate like a peasant boy. What's next? Is he planning to fill his pockets as well?"
Leo reddened as the girls all began to twitter with laughter and the four younger princes immediately looked to the elder, who had give them advice on how to deal with defiance, but not scorn.
He could feel Kier's eyes on him, demanding that he take charge and make an example of this impertinent beauty.
"Leave the table, Luna," Ivan said firmly.
She looked at him, her expression one of amused disbelief.
"Leave the table? Leave my table? Why?"
"For you rudeness," Ivan said coolly. "When we are married..."
"But we are not married," she interrupted.
"Not yet," Ivan replied. "But we shall be.
She held out her hand. "Promise me that."
"We promise," her siblings said in unison, placing their outstretched hands on top of hers.
Lenora smiled, seeking to convey a sense of certainty to the others. But deep down she felt a grain of unease. The spanking had hurt. It had hurt very much. How much more could she take? And how far were these princes willing to go?
* * *
Kier walked into the quarters he shared with his brothers with a confident stride. Behind him his brothers subconsciously adopted the elders' swagger as they moved one by one into the room to collapse in chairs around the roaring fire.
"See, gentleman?" Kier asked, stretching his long legs out and lacing his hands behind his head. "Nothing to it. One firm spanking and the clawing wildcat is reduced to a complacent little kitten."
Prince Justin, the second born, sighed and shook his head. "I must confess, brother. I expected more defiance all of them. But your betrothed certainly appeared subdued, and the others shaken by what they saw." He laughed. "It would see the king doesn't really know his daughters as well as he thinks he does."
"Indeed," Kier said, rising from his chair and walking to a table. Decanting a large flask, he poured five celebratory drinks. "Of course, as a elderly man, taming all those willful young women must seem like a daunting task. Is it any wonder that he magnified it beyond proportion? Not that it matters. His failure as a father will be our gain. Normally I disdain men too weak to control their own offspring. But I must say in this case...."
He lifted the tray holding the drinks he'd poured and offered them to his brothers, who stood to raise a toast.
"To a new dawn in Ardonia, beginning with marriage to our five beautiful, obedient princesses."
"Here, here!" his brothers said, as the glasses tinkled together.
And then they settled back into their chairs to talk and plan and dream before going to bread and dreaming of their bright futures.
* * *
So the official courtship period began the following morning with the Princes of Randor joining the Princesses of Ardonia for breakfast.
It was a lavish affair, with the shiny oak table covered in silver dishes holding glistening hams, mounds of fluffy eggs, fragrant breads, jams, honey from the royal hives and milk from the royal dairy. Another platter held exotic fruits from faraway lands - pomegranates and bananas and quince.
The princesses lined one side of the table and the princesses the other, each sitting across from the one they were slated to eventually marry.
The five sons of Randor, who'd known nothing but want during their time in exile, sought not to seem too hungry in front of the haughty princesses, who watched from under long lashes as they piled their plates high. When Leo tried to stack a third piece of bread on his already heaping plate, Quentin nudged him and scowled.
Prince Ivan noticed Luna watching, a smirk playing on pretty mouth.
"Does something amuse you?" he asked curtly, his face growing warm under her scrutiny of him.
She smiled prettily. "Everything amuses me, sir. At the moment I'm amused that your brother seems to fear the food may sprout legs and run away before he can eat it all. Look at how he piles his plate like a peasant boy. What's next? Is he planning to fill his pockets as well?"
Leo reddened as the girls all began to twitter with laughter and the four younger princes immediately looked to the elder, who had give them advice on how to deal with defiance, but not scorn.
He could feel Kier's eyes on him, demanding that he take charge and make an example of this impertinent beauty.
"Leave the table, Luna," Ivan said firmly.
She looked at him, her expression one of amused disbelief.
"Leave the table? Leave my table? Why?"
"For you rudeness," Ivan said coolly. "When we are married..."
"But we are not married," she interrupted.
"Not yet," Ivan replied. "But we shall be.
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