And he had left behind him many who would concur with this.
  He had not so much pride in himself no as immense satisfaction.  He had gotten to the 
core of the accursed castle.
  There were knocks at the door, cries.
  He didn't bother to answer them.  He laid Beauty down again.
  "I'm your Prince," he said, "and that is how you will address me, and that is why you 
will obey me."
  He parted her legs again.  He saw the blood of her innocence on the cloth and this made 
him laugh softly to himself as again he gently entered her.
  She gave a soft series of moans that were like kisses to his ear.
  "Answer me properly," he whispered.
  "My Prince," she said.
  "Ah," he sighed, "that is lovely."
  
  When he opened the door, the room was almost dark.  He told the servants he would have 
his supper now, and he would receive the King immediately.
  Beauty he ordered to dine with him, and to remain with him, and he told her firmly that 
she was to wear no clothing.
  "It's my wish to have you naked and always ready for me," he said.
  He might have told her she was incomparably lovely, with only her golden hair to clothe 
her, and the blushes on her cheeks to cover her, and her hands trying so vainly to shield 
her sex and her breasts, but he didn't say that aloud.
  Rather he took her little wrists and held them behind her back as the table was brought 
in, and then he ordered her to sit opposite.
  The table was not so wide that he couldn't reach her easily, touch her, caress her 
breasts if he liked.  And reaching out he lifted her chin so that he could inspect her by 
the light of the servants' candles.
  The table was laid with roast pork and fowl, fruit in big glistening silver bowls, and 
immediately the King stood in the door, dressed in his heavy ceremonial robes, a gold 
crown atop his head as he bowed to the Prince and waited for the command to enter.
  "Your Kingdom has been neglected for a hundred years," said the Prince as he lifted his 
wine goblet.  "Your vassals have many of them fled to other lords; good land lies fallow. 
 But you have your wealth, your Court, your soldiers.  So much lies ahead of you."
  "I am in your debt, Prince," the King answered.  "But will you tell me your name, the 
name of your family?"
  "My mother, Queen Eleanor, lives on the other side of the forest," said the Prince.  
"In your time, it was my great-grandfather's kingdom; he was King Heinrick, your powerful 
ally."
  The Prince saw the King's immediate surprise and then his look of confusion.  The 
Prince understood it perfectly.  And when a blush came to the King's face, the Prince 
said:
  "And in those times you served your time in my great-grandfather's castle, did you not, 
and perhaps your queen also?"
  The King pressed his lips together in resignation and slowly nodded.  "You are the son 
of a powerful monarch," he whispered.  And the Price could see that the King would not 
raise his eyes to see his naked daughter, Beauty.
  “I will take Beauty to serve,” said the Prince.  “She is mine now.”  He took out his 
long silver knife and, cutting the hot, succulent pork, he laid several pieces on his own 
plate.  The servants all about him vied with one another to place other dishes near him.
  Beauty sat with her hands over her breasts again; her cheeks were moist with tears, and 
she was trembling slightly.
  “Ass you wish,” said the King.  “I am in your debt.”
  “You have your life and your Kingdom now,” said the Prince.  “And I have your daughter. 
 I will spend the night here.  And tomorrow set out to make her my Princess across the 
mountains.”
  He had placed some fruit on his plate, and other hot morsels of cooked food, and now he 
snapped his fingers gently and in a whisper told Beauty to come around the table to him.
  He could see her shame before the servants.
  But he brushed her hand away from her sex.
  “Never cover yourself like that again,” he said.  He spoke these words almost tenderly, 
as he lifted her hair back from her face.
  “Yes, my Prince,” she whispered.  She had a lovely little voice.  “But it’s so 
difficult.”
  "Of course it is," he smiled.  "But for me you'll do it."
  And now he took her and placed her on his lap, cradling her in his left arm.  "Kiss 
me," he said, and feeling her warm mouth on his again, he felt his desire rising too soon 
for his taste, but he decided he could savor this slight torment.
  "You may go," he said to the King.  "Tell your servants to have my horse ready in the 
morning.  I won't need a horse for Beauty.  My soldiers you've found, no doubt, at your 
gates," and the Prince laughed.  "They were afraid to come in with me.  Tell them to be 
ready at dawn, and then you can say goodbye to your daughter, Beauty."
  The King glanced up very quickly to accept the Prince's commands and with unfailing 
courtesy he backed out of the doorway.
  The Prince turned his full attention to Beauty.
  Lifting a napkin he wiped at her tears.  She kept her hands obediently on her thighs, 
exposing her sex, and he observed that she did not try to hide her stiff little pink 
nipples with her arms and he approved of this.
  "Now don't be frightened," he said to her softly, feeding a little on her trembling 
mouth again, and then slapping her breasts so they shivered lightly.  "I could be old and 
ugly."
  "Ah, but then I could feel sorry for you," she said in a sweet, tremulous voice.
  He laughed.  "I'm going to punish you for that," he said to her tenderly.  "But now and 
then just a little very ladylike impertinence is amusing."
  She blushed darkly, biting her lip.
  "Are you hungry, beautiful one?" he asked.
  He could see she was afraid to answer.
  "When I ask you will say, 'Only if it pleases you, my Prince,' and I shall know the 
answer is yes.  Or, 'Not unless it should please you, my Prince,' and I shall know the 
answer is no.  Do you understand me?"
  "Yes, my Prince," she answered.  "I'm hungry only if it pleases you."
  "Very good, very good," he said to her with genuine feeling.  He lifted a small cluster 
of glistening purple grapes and fed them to her one by one, taking the seeds out of her 
mouth and casting them aside.
  And he watched with obvious pleasure as she drank deeply from the wine cup he held to 
her lips.  Then he wiped her mouth and kissed her.
  Her eyes were glistening.  But she had stopped crying.  He felt the smooth flesh of her 
back, and her breasts again.
  "Superb," he whispered.  "And were you terribly spoilt before and given everything that 
you wished?"
  She was confused, blushing again, and then full of shame she nodded.