---

The men-at-arms dragged her through the towering wooden doors, iron fingers bruising her arms as she kicked and cursed through clenched teeth. Chains dangled from her wrists. Her eyes blazed with fury.
Before the raised dais, she was thrown to her knees, the weight of her failure crashing down upon her shoulders.
Around her, the lifeless bodies of her men lay strewn like broken dolls, rusted steel congealing with fresh gore. Blood seeped across the flagstones, streaking toward her in a steady stream like an accusatory tide.
The princess averted her gaze from their vacant stares, her heart sinking deep into her chest. Every breath she drew was heavy with despair. And yet, she lifted her eyes defiantly towards the figure seated upon the throne. Her throne.
Gerard the Conqueror laughed heartily as he leaned on his broadsword, his gauntleted hands resting on the pommel. A satisfied grin parted his lips.
"Well now," he drawled in a thick, velvety voice. His sharp yellow eyes gleamed with amusement as they swept across his captive, tracing the strong lines of her bloodied, scarred face.
“The Princess of Aelinore, fierce as any man–perhaps fiercer.”
The Princess glared, teeth bared between her captors. Clumps of blood-matted hair fell into her eyes as she thrashed, prompting the guards to tighten their grip. “Gods damn you, Gerard!” She spat. “You black-hearted devil! One day, you will fall to my blade!”
Gerard’s laughter echoed through the hall like thunder. He rose to his full height, towering in impressive ebony mail. “You’ve tried before, pretty one.” He scoffed, stepping down from the dais onto the flagstones in slow, deliberate strides. He stood before the woman, staring down with a gloating expression.
“No man could defeat you in battle, and yet here you kneel, broken before me–Gerard: Scourge of Kingdoms. Your people are dead, your castle is mine, and your lands are nothing but ashes.”
The princess’s gaze dropped. His words stung like wasps. Her hands clenched into fists as tears welled in her eyes unbidden, held back by the sheer force of will. Gerard crouched, his grin growing wolfish. “I wonder, what else can I take from you? What would you offer in exchange for your life?”
Her head snapped up–and with a growl, she spat a bloody glob of saliva into his eye. Gerard wiped it away—laughing, then struck the princess with his gauntleted hand. Her head jerked sideways, her cheek flaring with a sharp pain.
“Damn you to hell!” She hissed.
Gerard clicked his tongue, “Such venom in such a pretty mouth. I wonder just how sweet it tastes.” He reached for her, his fingers curling.
In a blur of motion, she drove a spurred heel into one guard’s shin and wrenched from his grip as he howled. Then, she brought her knee violently into the groin of the other, forcing him to let go. The princess whirled towards the door– but Gerard’s hand grasped a fistful of her long hair.
The princess shrieked, clawing at his gauntleted fingers and twisting like a wild animal. His muscular arms wrapped around her, crushing her body against his and turning her around. With a cold hand, he grasped her chin, steel biting into her flesh as he tilted her face upwards. He gazed into her blazing eyes—then shoved his rough lips into hers.
All curses fell silent, all thrashing had ceased. Her head swam, her heartbeat pounding in her ears. In his grasp, her body went slack, Gerard pulling her closer and shoving his lips deeper.
At last, Gerard pulled away, throwing his head back with a long, blissful sigh, “By the gods, woman! Your lips are sweeter than any wine I’ve tasted!”
The princess recoiled and rammed her forehead into his blunt nose.
Gerard reeled back, blood pouring from his nostrils. He raised his gauntleted fist and struck her firm in the jaw.
The princess flew backwards, her head smacking against the cold stone. She lay sprawled on the floor, gazing up at the vaulted ceiling.
Her vision blurred as tears streamed down her dirtied face. Darkness closed in around her, and her breath slowed.
And then—silence.

---

And that is where the story begins---the Princess of Aelinore (YC) is held captive by Prince Gerard (MC) after he and his men conquered the land and took her castle. Gerard intends to marry the princess to cement his status as king--as well as use her to produce an heir.

The wedding is months away. A lot can happen in those months.

Will the princess break free of her captor?

Will she run away from him?

Or...will she fall for him?

I'm looking for something more story-focused. I'm more interested in the relationship aspect than I am the bedroom business. While I know some people enjoy writing smut, I don't particularly. If you need to get your jollies off, there are other ways. So expect Fade to Black when we get to those *ahem* moments. However, everything else is on the table. I'm fine with kissing (as you can tell from the snippet above) and maybe some other things, but I do not--and will not--write sex scenes.

If you're interested, PM me.