Viktor, as fired up as he was after chewing out Stefania, couldn't bring himself to wake his sleeping wife when he went to see her, wanting to say goodbye before he went after Adalind.
She breathed sweetly through parted lips, her breasts nude and exposed, rising and falling slowly, her own peaceful visage calming him. He had wanted to take her with the same ferocity that boiled his blood, pull her hair while her soft, pretty body absorbed the impact of his lust and his wrath, her curves bouncing obscenely, brainless and pretty noises escaping her throat as if his thrusts forced them out.
He sighed, lowering his head, rubbing his temples with the middle finger and thumb of his long, slender right hand. He chided himself for having such brutal thoughts about his pregnant wife, Klara was no longer just some pretty girl he could use as he pleased and discard when he got tired of her. He'd have to get creative when it came to fulfilling his needs in a way that didn't negatively impact the health of Klara and their unborn child, he had never been in a position where he had to curb his darker desires, they had always been catered to enthusiastically .
He would have to tell her he would, some point soon, be leaving for an extended period of time. It infuriated him seeing as it was so soon after their wedding and his men couldn't even give him a week with his new bride. It made him reconsider whether he should wake her up.
No, she needed to sleep.
Part of him wondered if it would even matter so early on in the pregnancy, she was pregnant, not sick, surely she could handle being woken up by her husband to do the one thing she was actually proficient at.
He banished the thought, his wife needed to sleep and he needed to find who in the Kronenberg household betrayed them.
Danilov was on it, he could wait until morning.
He undressed and joined her in bed, she didn't wake when he did, but she shifted, her hands feeling around, her limbs weighed down by sleep.
Viktor had an idea.
He gently turned her sleeping form so she laid on her side, his cockhead probing at her folds, swollen and wet for a woman who was simply sleeping. He wondered if his little princess was dreaming about getting fucked by him. He would make her dreams more vivid when he slowly slid his cock inside of her, Klara keened quietly, but didn't awaken.
"That's it, don't wake up now, you need your sleep." Viktor whispered as he started to slowly move in her, his arm snaking around her as his hand gently grabbed hold of her breast. "Just keep dreaming, I'll take care of the rest.
He fucked her, knowing he should finish in her quickly and get to work, but he wanted nothing more than to sink into the luxurious warmth of his bed, letting that traitorous hexenbitch and her bastard run as far away from his and his child's throne as possible.
Viktor emptied himself into Klara, drawing her closer, not removing his cock from her perfect cunt. He was glad his wife was a deep sleeper, not only convenient for his needs, but it would be good for the baby.
He couldn't bear to leave her tonight. He would stay, keep her body pressed firm against him, he'd enjoy one of the last nights of good rest he'd have in a while.
In the morning, his decision to stay the night was rewarded with waking up to his wife on top of him and sucking his cock. He let out an amused hum, resting his hands behind his head and simply allowed himself to enjoy this pleasant moment.
"Good morning to you too." Viktor said with a chuckle. His wife said nothing, but her smooth hand trailed up his thigh and fondled his balls as she lazily drew her tongue along the underside of the head.
Klara slowly and teasingly worked her way down his shaft until she had a throat full of his hard, thick cock. She bobbed up and down, increasing her pace, the length from which her head bobbed around his shaft, and the suction of her lips and tongue. Klara drew all kinds of moans and praises from her husband, begging her to keep going, telling her she was his good girl, his sweet little wife, his dirty slut.
She sucked cock like a proper whore, better than some of them, she sucked cock like she actually enjoyed it, like she got off on choking on a thick cock, like she got off on being called all sorts of pet names and degrading slurs and found nothing more delicious than a hot load of cum.
Klara did enjoy it, she enjoyed the praise lauded onto her whenever she sucked cock. She woke up to Viktor's cock stirring inside of her, the cum that leaked out revealing that he fucked her in her sleep, explaining the vividness of her dream last night.
A satisfied moan was drawn from him as he emptied his load into her mouth. She swallowed, moaning around his softening cock, her eyes rolling into the back of her head as her lashes fluttered, affectionately savoring him.
"Come here." Viktor said with open arms. Klara curled up against him, resting her head on his chest. Viktor tilted her head up and kissed her on the lips. "You were certainly eager this morning."
"You were certainly eager last night." Klara smirked before kissing him again.
"I'm afraid I have bad news." Viktor was apprehensive in telling her. "I will likely be gone for a while, could be days or weeks, it's an extremely important and dangerous engagement. I may be leaving within the next few days or as soon as tonight."
"Do you have to go? I mean, you have people who can..." Klara trailed off, rather disappointed that he'd be gone for an extended period of time so soon.
"I'm afraid I must." Viktor told her solemnly.
"I..." Klara's voice was weak, trying to find something appropriate to say. "You're the only person here I've known more than a few days." She said with an uncomfortable laugh, trying to hide that she was about to cry.
She had to think about why the idea of him leaving actually made her so upset. She remembered those days she spent without him between their week long affair and their wedding, how it felt to sleep alone again after getting such good sex coming off of a nine month drought, how scary it was to deal with morning sickness and the idea of going through a pregnancy by herself.
She was forced to face her lack of invincibility, her need to be taken care of, that she couldn't do it all herself.
She knew she should have been relieved that he was leaving after what he did to her, she felt like she surrendered to him too easily and too soon. Why was she giving a man who was practically her captor morning blowjobs and begging him not to go?
It couldn't just be the fact he was the father of her baby, he seemed to feel that connection more strongly than she did. She hadn't fully familiarized herself with the concept of being pregnant with a prince's baby and what that would mean. She yearned for him physically more than any man she had been with.
She realized just how tightly she was gripping him, as if she could stop him from leaving. She broke down crying. Her mental state had been fragile for days and this was just another sharp prod.
"Please, don't go. I don't want to be alone." She whimpered. Her fingers dug into his skin, punishing him for having to leave. If her nails weren't neatly clipped short, he might have bled.
"Oh god, Klara." Viktor was shocked at her tears, tightening his arms around her. He hadn't expected her to be so needy, but he couldn't complain, frankly he loved it, her desire to have him close breathed new life into his ego. Klara was kitten-like, practically clawing at his skin, her big eyes a wellspring of tears. "I don't want to leave either, but I have to." He kissed her on the forehead. Her crying didn't ease. "I think I can afford some time to give you a proper goodbye kiss on your other lips." His hand cupped her cunt, a finger teasing at her wet folds. She mewled loudly, shock giving pause to her tears, making Viktor chuckle. "You sound just like a kitten. Shall I give my kitten a kiss?" Klara nodded urgently. "Lay on your back and spread your legs... Very good." He praised when Klara readily obeyed, anticipation shining from her tear-reddened eyes.
He wrapped his arms around her thighs, giving her puffy pink lips his adulation. His mouth enveloped the flesh from her clit to the confluence of her labia and her wet hole, gently sucking the flesh. A breathy moan fell from Klara's lips, staring down at Viktor as his tongue snaked around her clit. She reached down to comb her fingers through his dark hair, grasping a handful, Viktor found the gesture oddly relaxing, her grip didn't hurt, but it was firm enough to ease some of the tenseness in his scalp.
"Put your tongue in me." Klara instructed, cooing when his satisfied hum reverberated against her sensitive skin before his tongue delved inside her core, her muscles tightening to grip it.
Klara wondered if she tasted any different due to her pregnancy, if she did, he wasn't complaining. The pleasure she received over the last few days eased some of her nausea, her older sister wasn't exaggerating about her not wanting to go through a pregnancy alone.
Klara whimpered when his tongue unexpectedly left her core and lathed upwards to her sensitive clit. Her hand reflexively tightened in his hair as she ground her hips against his mouth, wordlessly begging for more of his tongue and the thrum of the amused and satisfied sounds blooming from deep in his chest.
He brought her to orgasm twice in that morning, a fitting apology for his eventual departure if Klara said so herself, one she'd like to make sure he was sincere about at least once more before he left.
The couple readied themselves for the day after the blissful weight of Klara's afterglow lifted enough that she was motivated to get out of bed. Viktor finally took the time to shave, not shaving off all of his facial hair, but making it look neater and better groomed. He already allowed the time he spent pleasuring his wife to cut into his urgently busy schedule, so the pair immediately separated, Klara going to Ingrid and Viktor going to Danilov.
Klara spent the day learning more about the household from Ingrid. She met several of the kitchen staff in passing as Ingrid went over the basics of how to oversee what was ordered and where from.
The repetition of 'your highness' and 'ma'am' made Klara uncomfortable.
"Please, call me Klara."
"Your highness." Ingrid pursed her lips, trying to find the most respectful way to phrase what she needed to convey. "You are not presenting yourself a more compassionate person for denying your station. If you want the approval of your household staff, empty gestures like this won't do anything to earn their loyalty."
Klara once again was stunned by Ingrid's worldview. It was so different from the values she was raised with. Surely they had to at least roll their eyes at having to use archaic etiquette and titles in the twenty first century.
"I didn't mean to be rude."
"Of course not, ma'am, you're American. Understand that we do things differently here. Everyone you see here is loyal to the family, are among the best in the world if not the best, take pride in what they do, and are compensated handsomely for their service. How many maids can say they make a six figure income working for the billionaires in your home country?"
Klara didn't answer, but she silently conceded and allowed Ingrid to continue her lesson uninterrupted.
Klara, having her social group in Austria come from the university, her ex-boyfriend, and his peers in Die Grünen, thought of Austrians as being more democratic and egalitarian. She wondered how common royalist sentiment was outside of her limited circle.
"Christmas is the most important holiday to the family, and seeing as you're new to the family and crown princess, you will be in charge of organizing the festivities and scrutinized by the rest of the family, even more so because you were born common. Thankfully, Christmas is almost a year off and you will have time to learn how to plan for it." Ingrid lectured as they left the kitchen and entered the dining room.
"You said there are women who want to be in my spot. I can't imagine anything I do will impress them."
"That's not true. Women in the aristocracy are very competitive when it comes to hosting holidays, balls, and other events. If you can prove yourself capable, it will send a message that you are not to be undermined for your lack of pedigree. You have a distinct advantage with your husband's wealth, as long as you are tasteful."
"You mean I can't just put gold leaf on everything and call it good?" Klara said with a laugh, even the ever-stern Ingrid allowed herself to smile a little.
"My son told me about that American fad when he traveled to New York City on business. Rich people in your country are all wealth and no refinement."
"Wealthy people in Europe seem to be more subtle and coded with their flexes of wealth. The first date Viktor took me on was to an opera house and the outfit he sent me was made by a label I had never even heard of."
"Ah yes, Richard Archambault. You'll be meeting him in two days, seeing as you need a wardrobe."
"Really?" Klara's voice perked up, realizing she might have seemed overenthusiastic. "The gown he made me was stunning, so simple but it fit so perfectly... and is definitely part of the reason I'm pregnant."
"He went to university with your husband, the two of them are very good friends."
While the two women spent the day talking about events, fashion, and daily operations, Danilov found the mole feeding the resistance information.
"Sebastian? It's always the quiet ones, isn't it?" Viktor responded to the information.
"Shall I have the Verrat bring him to you, your highness?" Danilov asked. Viktor shook his head.
"No, we need him off his guard. Have one of the maids tell him to come see me at eight o'clock." Viktor ordered, it was seven-forty five.
Viktor waited for Sebastian, it had been a while since he tortured anyone, Eric had taken the mantle of combatting the resistance for years.
He poured a drink for Sebastian and himself, not immediately looking as Sebastian nervously entered the room. There was an ominous red glow, dim chandelier light catching the blood red of the coffered ceiling, casting tenebrous shadows.
"You asked for me?" Sebastian asked, mild mannered yet brave as he walked into the room.
"Yes, sit." Viktor nonchalantly ordered, gesturing to the head of the table, Sebastian apprehensive when he obeyed. "Drink." Viktor ordered, setting down a crystal glass with a clink.
"I'm still working." Sebastian said, as though he hadn't been caught, as if the prince would ever want to drink with him.
"Well, for a few more minutes." Viktor's demeanor darkened. "It's armagnac, it's very good... you're gonna need it." Viktor's speech lazier from the drinking he had done earlier in the evening.
"Have I done something wrong?" Sebastian asked.
"Actually, yes. But it's not too late to make it right." Viktor set down his drink and stood up straighter.
"All you have to do is tell me all the names of your friends in the resistance." Sebastian dreaded hearing the familiar, gravely voice. Sebastian jumped slightly when he saw Danilov approach, not noticing him lurking in the bloody red shadows like a wolf stalking a lamb. He didn't have much time to process it before Danilov held his head back and Prince Viktor forced liquor down his throat, suggesting that he 'drink up' in an insincere friendly tone. Sebastian sputtered, spitting out some of the liquor onto the table.
"He's all yours." Viktor told Danilov, who seized Sebastian and dragged him down to the castle dungeons, Sebastian knew it was best to not fight what was about to happen next.
Viktor sighed, he made all the progress he was going to for the day and he wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of the night with his wife.
She was in the library, relaxing with a cup of herbal tea, amicable and welcomed his affection, the pair cozied up by the fireplace. Viktor was pleased to learn that his wife was fond of Ingrid and learning a lot from her. When Klara asked about Viktor's day, he already had a pre-planned statement, Klara wasn't ready to learn that her husband just sanctioned a man's torture just minutes ago, but he could slip her parts of the truth.
"It turns out that my cousin Eric may have fathered a child shortly before his murder. We are currently trying to get in contact with the mother to welcome them into the family."
"That's so heartbreaking. Poor baby will never know their father." Klara said. "Is the mother safe?"
"There's a very good chance she isn't, which is part of the reason why I will have to leave soon. We are trying to figure out the best way to safely get her here. Unfortunately, she isn't the most stable woman."
"How far along is she?"
"She is around her due date, unfortunately we don't know the gender. But the fact she's so close makes it all the more imperative we get her here safely."
"I think it's sweet that our baby will have a cousin their age on your side of the family, God knows they have plenty on mine." Klara smiled.
"I was very close with Eric as a boy, I was only two years older, I hope our children will be close as well."
"I hope so too."
Klara caught herself, though she said nothing to Viktor. For a moment she had taken him at his word that the mother of Eric's child was unstable, the man who put her under his guardianship no less.
She'd indulge in quiet skepticism, thinking about what he would do to keep the mother of Eric's child under his control.