Author's Note: Here it is, the next installation in my story Betrayal! Please enjoy, and if you have the time, review! I am in need of a beta reader for my new story and would appreciate any help anyone can give me, e-mail me at if you're interested!

Chapter 2: The Ceremony

She sat stone-faced in front of her beautiful vanity. It was a family heirloom her mother had given her when she was promised to King Ron. Occasionally she would sit and think of her mother when she was stressed, which happened quite often. Her mother was so strong; she exuded a sort of power that made all the members of the English court intimidated. It was often said that her mother single-handedly convinced King Ron to wed her only daughter, not that Hermione wasn't gorgeous, but there were plenty of beautiful women at court. Hermione couldn't decide whether to thank or kick her mother; it was all so incredibly screwed up. Soon she would be led to the King's chambers where she was supposed to be deflowered, but the thought of having sex for the first time wasn't what made her nervous, no Sir Draco had had the privilege of doing just that nearly eight months ago. What made her full of anticipation was the fact that her lover would have to watch her sleep with the King, knowing that she wished it was him the whole time. Her many hand maidens were fussing about with the simple white dress she was to wear, it had but one clasp to make for easier access for the drunken King. They all thought it was pre-ceremony worries that had the young Queen day-dreaming so much, but her mind was focused on one subject. Gray eyes, they penetrated her soul and she found that she could easily get lost looking into them. So tonight when she was lying underneath the King she would think about all of the times she screamed Draco's name. She would remember how his battle trained hands caressed her skin and made her feel alive for the first time in her life, just like Draco told her to.

The time came to ready herself for the ceremony. She was bathed and pampered with all of the scented oils and lotions a Queen could be pampered with, all the while the hand maidens were telling her how lovely she looked. Hermione couldn't care if she was wearing a brown sack tonight, it meant nothing to her, and she knew that she would be used like this many more times. Her hair was tied back in a loose bun with a few tendrils framing her face. They added some daisy's to her hair and applied some rouge to her cheeks, she was finally ready. The white veil symbolizing her virginity was placed daintily over her head. Hermione couldn't help but give a little smirk at this, if only her husband knew, she was no virgin, she had been ravished many times by one of his most trusted advisors. She was slowly led to the King's chambers and was told to sit at the foot of the bed. The King entered soon after, barely able to stand from all of the wine he had consumed, next to follow were the Knights. She was not permitted to see the faces of the other men; they were hooded in black capes and led behind a screen. Before she realized what was happening the King stood before her, unbuttoning his slacks. He looked at her with such a hunger that Hermione was actually frightened of him. As he pushed her down and began to undo the one clasp of her dress she realized one thing, she would not be able to imagine this was Draco for the simple fact that the King was practically raping his own wife! He was rough and harsh and spent no time pleasing his wife, he thought only of himself. And when the dress was finally off and the King was ready to enter her there were tears in her eyes as she felt his pathetic member jerk roughly in and out of her. That was when Hermione stopped thinking and cried out in anguish.

Draco sat behind the screen dreading the very sight of Hermione on the King's bed. He was okay in the beginning when the King laid her down rather gently, but then the madness began. The King became ruthless and hurtful, he was practically ripping through the petite woman beneath him and Draco wanted to scream. At first Hermione bared it well and held in her protests of pain. Draco was seated near the front and could barely contain himself; he managed to just fidget excessively in his hard backed chair, his knuckles white from gripping the arms so tightly. The other Knights were to absorbed picturing themselves with the Queen to notice that she was crying, but Draco saw the tears in her eyes, he could feel her pain. After the fifth thrust she cried out in agony and gripped the sheets to stop from screaming more. The King mistook her cry of pain for pleasure and began increasing his pace even more. It was torture! He was helpless to stop this man from hurting his precious Hermione and he knew that she would be bleeding for quite some time. It seemed like a century before the King finally cried out in pleasure, the wrong name mind you. "Elizabeth! Oh, God! Yes!" Draco knew the whore well. She was the daughter of a prominent Lord of the Court, there was no doubt in his mind that, if given the chance, she would bed anyone of the Knights, it looked as though she had already visited the King.

As he rolled off of her Hermione couldn't believe what had just happened. She had been on the brink of torture in that man's arms and the only thing he could do after the fact was grin at her with the most disgusting look on his face. Her hand maidens appeared at the door and swiftly dressed her, guiding her back to her chambers, she could hardly walk! 'Never again, I vow I will never again be submitted to that.' The silent promise to herself was the only thing she had left, besides Draco. She wondered how he was doing after the fact. She could hardly bare the thought of him having to go through that. She planned to visit him tomorrow when the Knights were done with training, it was one of the few times they could spend together, and Hermione was beginning to depend on the hour or two a day they got with one another.

As she was readied for bed she watched as her favorite hand maiden, Lilly, gasped in horror at the sight between her thighs. Dried blood and bruises scarred her creamy skin and there were scratches down her sides. "Your majesty, what has he done?" she whispered in shock.

"He's done nothing but his right," she heard herself saying. She blamed herself for this infliction, it was her punishment for being unfaithful, but she couldn't help it, she was in love. She could only hope that if God gave her a child it would look like her, and not resemble the father. This scenario could produce countless problems, the worst ending with her and Draco being put to death. But she didn't want to think about that right now, she had better things to look forward to, like her secret rendezvous with Draco tomorrow afternoon.