From the Top Shelf - Mind Guest 2

Here's another selection from the science fiction novel by Mind Guest by Sharon Green. If you missed part one, read it here first.

Diana is in disguise as the spoiled brat Princess Bellna, whose personality threatens to take over Diana's mind at times. She is travelling by vair-drawn coach with her four ladies-in-waiting and soldiers riding alongside for protection. She notices the captain watching her through the window of the coach. They are mutually attracted to one another. When they stop at an inn for rest and refreshment, she conceals her interest in him and stays in character as the spoiled princess by stepping on his foot as he helps her out of the coach.

"Oh, how clumsy of me!" I exclaimed immediately, as he closed his eyes and flinched. "I do hope you will forgive me, Captain."


"Certainly, Princess," he got out through his teeth, then looked at me with a lot less friendliness. "Had the misstep not been an accident, it would certainly have been punished. As it was an accident, it will certainly be forgiven."


"How fortunate, then, that it was an accident," I said with a pleasant smile, ignoring the fact that he had told me he suspected it wasn't. "Shall we enter the inn now?"


"As soon as I am able to walk again," he muttered, turning back to the coach to gesture the four girls out. They came out one at a time, making sure to touch the ground nowhere near Fallan's feet...

The urge to cause more mischief strikes our heroine after the meal is over. She somehow manages to switch drinks with Captain Fallan, and he takes a big swig of what he thinks is wine, but is really the non-alcoholic beverage given to the ladies. Diana/Bellna explains:

Andilla isn't bad when it's warm; cold, it tastes like unwashed armpits. Half a dozen men at a nearby table laughed uproariously, obviously seeing what I'd done and eagerly awaiting the trap to close. Fallan wiped his mouth with the back of his hand as his eyes moved to me, and Bellna was suddenly all out of giggles.


"I would know the meaning of this--gift, Princess," he ground out, the expression on his face and the blaze in his eyes enough to replace the recent laughter at the nearby table with immediate silence. "Has it some significance which eludes me?"


"I merely sought to emulate your actions, Captain," I answered in the most innocent tone I could manage, at the same time rising from my chair. "Your anticipation of my wishes was enviable, so much so that I attempted the same for you. Have I failed so dismally, then?"


He stared at me briefly without answering, returned the goblet to the table with a thud, then came closer to take my arm.


"Had you truly sought to anticipate my wishes, you would have bared your bottom, Princess," he growled very low, his hand closing a bit more on my arm. "Another doing such as this, and I will make the effort for you. For that you have my word."

Later in the day, they stop for a comfort break. The Captain insists the ladies exit the coach, but Diana doesn't have to go, I suppose, because she resists, and after a scuffle she kicks him and threatens to tell her father of his abuse. He orders her to be silent.

"I will not be silent!" I huffed, ready to climb back on the high horse he'd shouted me off of, but Fallan wasn't about to give me the chance to remount.

"You will be silent," he growled, looking down at me as he rested his left hand on the sword hilt. "You will also obey me, for I mean to see you to your destination in the most effective manner. We not go [sic] to the tent which has been erected to protect your sensibilities. Should you attempt to disobey me, your sensibilities will be sorely bruised. Leave that coach, you wenches, and follow us quickly."

To further complicate matters, Fallan decides that - in order to confuse the enemy that they know is planning to kidnap the princess - Diana will switch clothes with one of her attendants. She refuses, they struggle, he overpowers her and tells her:

"Though the pink of embarrassment remains in your cheeks, still do you strive to give me blow for blow in defense against attack. Were you a boy and of proper background, I would take you in my company and teach you the weapons of a man. However, as you are not a boy--and therefore in need of learning the benefits of maidenly silence--I fear I must further bruise your sensibilities."

By that he means he will force her to swap clothing by undressing her himself. More struggling, but no spanking, although...

"You may now arise and begin dressing, Missy," Fallan spoke from behind me, a casual pat on my horribly bare bottom coming just before the sound of his rising.

Fallan explains to the princess how she must behave in her new disguise.

"You will be required to serve yourself, and my men and I as well. You are to be a peasant wench, and convincingly, else I shall be forced to punish you soundly. Far better a strapping at my hands, than a sword in the throat from those who seek your life. Your safety will be assured--at whatever cost."

Sounds fair to me.

There is a close call when someone does get close enough to harm her, but the soldiers repel him. Our heroine is far from grateful because she has been roughly handled, and sulks.

"Should the Captain see such an expression upon your face, he will punish you to an even greater extent than he now intends," a whispered voice came, and I looked up to see the brown-haired girl who had told me how unhappy Fallan was with me that morning. "Should you give him the apology he wishes, he will surely be more lenient with you."

The other two (girls] nodded their agreement to the sentiment, all three of them looking extremely uncomfortable, and I didn't have to wonder why. In my place they would have been punished, and undoubtedly knew what it was like.

"There will be neither apology nor punishment," I assured them.

Really?

Punishment is on the minds of all the women in the coach as they journey on. They talk among themselves, and the red-headed girl with whom Diana was forced to exchange clothing said:

"A pity we left the last inn too late to reach the next at a comfortable time. We must now take lodging in a woodsman's house, a location far inferior to an inn, yet the Captain feels it best that we travel as short a distance as possible in the dark."

A woodsman's house obviously has a woodshed. I've told you about that woodshed here. Diana had better prepare herself for a spanking. That seems to be the first order of business as they enter the warm house, and Diana wants to check for a way of escape.

Curious about how many men had been left outside, I turned toward one of the front windows, but Fallan caught my arm before I was able to take the first step, and took me with him over to the woodsman.

"A good evening to you," the man greeted Fallan, raising his goblet to him. "Will you join us in a a cup of my best ale?"

"With pleasure," Fallan answered... "First, however, I must attend to a matter too long unseen to. I have a girl to be punished, and would ask the use of your stables."

"Why, certainly," the woodsman agreed with a chuckle while ... I stared at Fallan in disbelief. "My stable is yours, for however long you require its use."

"My thanks, Woodsman," he said, tightening his grip on my arm. "This matter will not take long, and then we may drink to one another's fortune."

"You may not do this to me!" I hissed at Fallan... "I refuse to accept this! I will not accept it!"

"You will accept all I give and more," Fallan muttered back, not even looking at me. "The time has come for a true understanding between us, one too long in coming."

...Fallan reached the door, pulled it open to reveal a large, dimly lit stable that was closed tight from the inside, and then--

At that very moment they are besieged by the enemy, so no spanking. The stable didn't have quite the panache the woodshed would have anyway.

Never fear. The spanking eventually happens. I'll tell you all about it next time.