Lien the Fifth

II

Annabel's Wedding

There were two people who could speak honestly and openly to Lien without (much) fear. One was his jester, who helped to maintain Lien's healthy disposition and emotional stability (such as it was). He was always free to speak his mind in jest or rhyme. The only other soul with such freedom was the Chancellor Lord Chambly who oversaw the welfare and wealth of the Kingdom. Lien (The Mad) was the third King Venrihet Lord Chambly had served under and he did so with grudging admiration. He had sworn over forty years ago that he had seen the worst humanity had to offer (after all he dealt with diplomats almost daily) yet this particular family continuously present him with new and inventive surprises.

With a delicate shudder for any hopes and plans the future might have harbored, Lord Chambly informed Lien that the time had arrived for him to produce a legitimate male heir. Unfortunately for the young Noblewomen of his kingdom this was not something Lien could do by himself.

When it came to royal heredity only a proper lady of Nobel birth would do. Other than that there were really very few requirements. She need only be a virgin, comely enough to hold Lien's interest, and she must be willing or at least able to endure Lien's particular proclivities, which were by now as varied as they were legendary but they inescapably involved dispensing pain upon the object of his affection.

Oh yes there was one other small detail, the lady must bear Lien a son within a year and a day of the wedding.

Inevitably there were some young ladies of the Nobility whose ambition exceeded their good sense. Annabel was the first of these youthful Noblewomen to win favor with Lien. She was of slight stature, well matched to the king. Her hair was a mass of golden curls, her bottom was ample but not excessive, and her breasts were quite breathtaking. In short she was a perfect matched for all of Lien's needs.

The wedding was tastefully excessive. Hundreds of flower girls carpeted the streets of the Capital with hand crushed gardenia blossoms. The scent became quite overpowering. The Bishop officiated and blessed the joining. Her parents sobbed through the entire ceremony. At the lavish reception Lien, in a pique of generosity, issued a general amnesty for all those Nobles who had fled the country during that dark year of mourning, since none of them were present to hear this generous offer none took him up on the deal. Surely it was the thought that counted.

Lien and Annabel entered into their state of wedded bliss. She learned to endure numerous hours of suspension whilst he played his leather crop or cane or flogger across her lithe young body. He was delighted to learn that she could squeal as loudly and squirm as enthusiastically as any peasant wench. For her part Annabel endured his peculiar foreplay for it inevitably lead to a deposit of the Royal seed placed somewhere upon or within her now royal personage and often enough she was able to coax the Royal scepter into it's proper sheath.

She seemed almost relieved when after just nine weeks of marriage she was able to proudly announce that she was now bearing Lien's child. The Royal physician was summoned. He examined the queen and could not help but notice the ligature marks upon her wrists and ankles as well as those about her neck and the purple rings around the base of each of her breasts. The fifty or so fresh welts and bruises that covered most of her body were also hard to miss. He mentioned to the good King that as a precaution it might be wise to refrain from being " Quite so enthusiastic" with the Queen for the duration of the pregnancy.

Lien had the man eviscerated and a second physician was summoned. When the third doctor in as many days repeated the same advice in terms that were a bit more delicate to Lien's ears the King realized he might need to pay attention to these men of science. Annabel for her part tried to feign disappointment at this turn of events but in truth she was too excited with the prospects of motherhood to really pull that off.

The Queen retired to her bedchamber to await the blessed event. Lien sulked about for a few days genuinely missing his playful exchanges with the lovely Annabel. Eventually he sought solace with the Inquisitors who resided in the depths of the castle dungeon. These three men were highly skilled professionals, the best that money could buy, and they shared a number of professional interests with the young King.

Edward was a true artist with the whip whose work was known and admired throughout the civilized world. Clive worked wonders with the blade, it was said he could completely remove the skin of a living person by simply peeling away from a single incision across the abdomen. His utterly stripped victims would live for days howling and screaming until they eventually died from dehydration. William specialized in all manner of asphyxiation, drowning, hanging, garroting and interestingly burning at the stake. This latter form of asphyxiation lead to a sideline interest in heated irons, boiling oil, and painful burns in general.

They were all willing to offer advice to the King on the newest techniques for intensifying and prolonging painful stimulus. They had each been trained on the continent and were justly proud of their extraordinary ability to obtain voluminous and detailed confessions from the sundry prisoners they entertained within the confines of these dungeon walls.

Lien in exchange for these educational opportunities brought his newfound friends some of his freshly fetched peasant wenches and together the four men explored the limits of stimulation a healthy young female might endure.

While the Queen in her bedchamber never actually heard the screaming she was of course aware that Lien had returned to his former pursuits. She simply counted it among her blessings that he was working through these issues elsewhere and not saving his pent up lusts for her.

And so life in the castle settled into a normal routine. The queen remained behind locked doors, occasionally (two or three times a week) a young woman from the working class was hustled down into the dungeon in the dark of night. Some of them emerged within a few days only a bit the worse for wear but grateful to be alive. These fortunate ones were all marked with the Royal brand and therefore free from fear that they might ever again return to that dark pit. This routine allowed Lien to maintain his composure as he awaited the arrival of his son and heir.

At last the blessed day arrived. But as we all know even the best-laid plans of Kings and Queens may sometimes go awry.

Annabel gave birth to a fine young baby. The newborn was by all accounts a healthy energetic child with a marvelous sense of adventure. It was terribly tragic when at the tender age of but a few moments she slipped away from her loving father's grasp and fell or leapt from the battlement. Details remained a bit sketchy.

She plunged headfirst into the moat. It seems likely that the fall would have killed her and she never had to suffer through the slow and distasteful drowning in the noxious sludge that filled the moat. This cannot be said with complete certainty however for her body was never actually recovered. Annabel was inconsolable for she had never had a chance to name her newborn baby girl.

The Queen sank into what may well be the first recorded case of postpartum depression. Not only had she lost her child but also she now had barely four weeks left to produce a man-child to inherit the throne. The task was of course impossible and the King feared that in her present state the good Queen might do harm to herself before the appointed time.

Fortunately Lien had three good friends who were only too happy to watch over the Queen and keep her healthy and alive until her fateful anniversary. A special rack was constructed in the dungeon. It was rectangular in shape and rotated upon a horizontal pole some three inches in diameter and made of ironwood. The Queen was stripped of any clothing that she might be inclined to use in a suicide attempt and then she was mounted upon the rack. The unique construction of the rack held the now naked Annabel in place transforming her into lovely feminine X once her wrists and ankles were attached to the corners of the frame. Her hips rested uncomfortably against the horizontal axis. The rack was capable of rotating so the good queen could literally be turned head over heels. The outer ends of the wooden axial had two circular wooden templates between the outer frame of the rack and the sturdy beams that anchored the axis. A total of 24 holes were drilled along the circumference of these circles which allowed the rack and its human cargo to be halted at various positions throughout its rotation and secured in place by two simple pegs.

The King became quite giddy when he saw the arrangements prepared for his wife.

Lien decided this was an excellent time to reacquaint the queen with her matrimonial duties. After spinning the rack through a few revolutions her body was turned to a single notch beyond horizontal (hips a little higher and head a fraction lower)and the rack was pegged in place. Edward unlimbered a nine tailed flogger and warmed the Queens Royal buttocks before Lien forced his way into her narrow rear passage. The sobbing Queen received her husbands eager and energetic adore which quickly ended with a grunt and a sigh from Lien.

He ordered his three Inquisitors to come up with some unique way to celebrate the Queen's matrimonial failure and then he left to attend too the affairs of state. He promised Annabel he'd drop in on her in four weeks time and asked with a chuckle if she might be available on that date.

For the next few weeks the queen never left the accommodations of her rack. The three masters of the dungeon feed and watered her as needed at least for the first few weeks. Bodily functions occurred as they will and lackeys cleaned up after her for after all she was still the Queen. Her complaints grew fewer as she glumly concluded they were falling upon deaf ears. When there was but ten days before her appointment with Lien her feeding regime changed drastically.

She was now given only water, clear broth, or clarified wine. When Annabel refused to endure this diet a funnel was forced into her mouth and the nourishment poured directly into her gullet until she needed to either swallow or drown. Twice a day she was upended, with her head dangling near the floor and her bottom pointing straight up. The very same funnel was force past her ass cheeks and into her greased rectum until her clenching muscles made a firm seal.

Slowly buckets of water were poured through the upturned funnel and her belly swelled. She hung there for a time her disheveled and now filthy blond curls brushing along the grimy floor until one of the three (usually Clive for he had a soft spot for Royalty) turned her right side up again and yanked the funnel out of her. Her distended abdomen would spew out the liquid and her emptied belly would eventually regain its proper shape. Then some hapless lackey would have to clean up the mess.

Sometimes out of sheer boredom the three would play spin the Queen giving Annabel's Royal buttocks and thighs a stern paddling that would start her spinning at a good clip. Then they would wager as to which position she would finally stop in, calling out heads or tails up. They also enjoyed discussing various plans for her upcoming tortures and eventual execution, sometimes they solicited ideas from the sulking servants who were forced to clean up after the Queens twice-daily effluence. It was truly amazing to discover how inventive servants could be when fear and disgust motivated them.

The Queen was far past the stage of begging, long ago Annabel had offered them the use of her exposed charms, first in exchange for a quick and painless death, then pleading for just a quick one. Of course that was not an option. Lien would be terribly disappointed if she failed to provide an entertaining show.

In the end the three comrades developed a plan that would allow each of them to showcase his own area of expertise. Edward grumbled a bit because all he was ever allowed was a chance to prepare the victim for the others. While he could easily use his chosen implement as a method of execution the idea of whipping the Queen to death was considered far too mundane for a Royal execution. Besides Clive and William would feel left out.

Lien arrived the day before his wife's appointment to hear what plans his friends had come up with. As they described the details of their plans for the Queen Lien became so excited he needed to make a brief visit to Annabel's rack and relieve himself within her openly displayed charms. He stood between her widespread legs debating which opening to pursue but in the end plunged between her pouting nether lips just for old time's sake.

He was disgusted with the condition into which his beloved Annabel had sunk. As soon as he was finished Lien insisted that she would have to be bathed and properly groomed before he would allow her to be executed. She was a Queen after all and she should try to look like one.

The following morning, after Annabel's bowels had been flushed one final time, she was released from the rack for the first time in four weeks. She was too weak to walk and had to be carried to her bedchamber. While she might have craved some solid form of sustenance her maids had been threatened and sternly warned. She was allowed nothing, not even a drop of water. Her handmaidens bathed and perfumed her body and her hair was scrubbed dried and brushed.

While the Queen was being transformed into some semblance of her former glory her rack and the dungeon cell were undergoing a thorough cleansing as well. Seats and benches were set up for invited guests. She was allowed to make the return to her cell wearing a rich silk dressing gown of royal purple.

She entered the cell with the dignified air of a returning luminary as she paraded past the small assembly of men and took her place before the waiting frame. She shrugged the gown off her shoulders then allowed it to flutter to the floor. Lien inhaled sharply as he watched his lovely Annabel surrender herself to the fate he had ordained. She stepped up onto the frame moving her hands and feet to form a human X waiting to be bound in that now familiar position. Clive gently but firmly attached her ankles to opposite corners at the base of the frame. She shuddered delicately when he pressed her forward bending her at the waist. Her hands were forced lower and she was instructed to grasp the bottom crosspiece of her rack. She was now positioned with her body forming a delectable U sharply bent over the ironwood pole her head looking back from between her wide spread legs at those that had come to watch. Her golden locks dangled lower still nearly sweeping across the floor. Her hands were secured with coarse hemp and the men debated the wisdom of gagging her. In the end Lien decided he wanted to hear her screams.

Edward began the proceedings using a simple quirt. He started on the backs of her knees, which by happy coincidence were exactly parallel with her magnificent breast which peaked out from between her wide spread legs. Her teats were still tender and enlarged from her recent pregnancy. Annabel might have been courageous but Edward was most efficient and had her screaming and pleading long before he finished with her knees and nipples He worked his way methodically upward along her thighs and across the curve of her rump. He needed to move to the other side of the frame in order to continue down her back. In the end Edward probably applied a hundred strokes give or take. He never broke her skin and barely bruised it but her flesh was glowing bright red and her voice was becoming hoarse as he finished up.

Clive stepped forward and rechecked her bonds. Once satisfied he pulled up a stool and sat down before the Queen. With a small but very sharp knife he made a shallow incision midway between the lady's navel and sternum. It wasn't a large incision not even half a finger length nor was it very deep. He used the Queens fallen gown to stanch the flow of blood then brought forth new implements. Two blunt silver probes entered the fresh cut. Annabel began to screech and squirm as he teased apart the muscle tissue that lay beneath the oozing wound. He worked with a delicate but firm touch separating the strands of muscle. Annabel's screams became truly hysterical as his probes dug deeper until at last her voice broke. Long before he had worked his way through the abdominal muscle wall it became necessary to tighten the bounds on her wrist and ankles. Her Golden locks were tied to the base of the rack to keep her from squirming excessively for this was indeed delicate work and Clive needed to be extremely careful.

Once Clive had opened a sufficient tear in the layer of muscle he carefully pierced the inner membrane and clear fluid dripped from the opening. He used a wooden hook a little larger but otherwise not unlike those that the women of the castle might use for tatting. He fished about slowly and gently within her belly with this improvised instrument.

For her part Annabel was doing her best to bellow out her pain but something had snapped inside her throat and her voice truly was broken. All that came out was the sound of a rustling scrape as she panted desperately. If the gods favored her it is quite likely she was mercifully insane by this point.

Slowly Clive drew forth his prize. First a small loop no more than a hands breadth. Still he pulled with steady strength. Annabel looked on without comprehension as a slimy loop of oozing rope dangled before her face. Clive rose from his stool and handed off his victim to the care of William.

William continued to elongate the strand of intestine Clive had liberated. When the loop was long enough to reach the ground he doubled it over twisting it into a single strand, then he pulled out a bit more. When he had a goodly length of a triple thick twisted strand he circled it around the Queens neck and motioned to Lien that all was in readiness.

Lien strode forward to inspect the preparations. Annabel was bent over the axis of the frame, her neck encircled by a looped strand of her own intestines, ready to be strangle at his leisure. He griped the slimy coils in his left hand then ran his right along the exposed loops to gather some of viscose fluid they were coated in. He used this to prepare his love's rectum for the coming invasion.

It was apparent that the angle of approach was all wrong so Clive and William loosened her hair from base of the rack and rotated her feet forward almost a quarter of a turn. Edward quickly pegged the rack in place so the Queen would remain stable in that position.

Lien plunged into her backside while at the same time twisting on the intestinal garrote that closed about her neck. The feeling was truly exquisite. Every time he tightened his grip on the intestines that were strangling her it sent spasms of pain rippling down her bowels and Annabel's stretched rectum contracted around the invading rod of flesh. Within moments Lien was spewing inside her and by rights Annabel should have slipped away at that point or very soon thereafter.

Lien was just too enthralled with these new sensations to let that happen.

He loosened the grip on her entrails and she drew in great gasps of fresh air. He allowed her (and himself) a few minutes to recover and then repeated the performance. A half hour later on the third repetition it had become necessary to truly jerk upon her now bleeding bowels to get a reasonable reaction so Lien finally allow his wife to pass away but the incredible experience had infatuated him.

Annabel was buried with some modicum of dignity in her family's burial plot. No one was sure how she would be officially mourned and there was some understandable anxiety about that. It turned out to be unfounded for Lien simply ignored the fact that his first wife was gone. Certainly no one planed to mention the immense pleasure he had derived from killing her.

The search for a new Queen began the next day.