Headed by a Snake

Krysaos shut his eyes and took a deep breath, preparing himself for the worst.

The last thing he expected out of Imperia was gratitude.

In preventing the dark elf from eating the wooden floorboards, he held her fast. Which... meant that he was touching a Princess... which was *probably* a no-go in Elven culture.

'No hand-holding before marriage' or something insane like that.

Elves were weird.

"Go ahead," Krysaos groaned. "Say what yer gonna say..."

"Hmph!" Imperia sharply turned her head away from him. "Took you long enough!"

Krysaos looked down at her in... mild surprise. That was ten times... softer of a response than he expected.

Then again... she looked like she'd been roughed up pretty bad.

"The hells you doin' here, anyroad, Princess?" He asked as he carried her to the bed.

Of course-- Imperia didn't say anything. She just clenched her teeth and tried to look more upset.

That was... her pride. And though Krysaos was tempted to pick on her for it, he was pretty sure he knew the answer.

Her whitish-silver hair was a mess, most of her tight braids undone. Her wrists and ankles were bound by thick vines, and there were dark bruises on other parts of her arms-- likely from the same.

She wasn't wearing her coral armor, but instead was wearing just her cloth top, like when they'd first met. Underneath that, though, her flat chest was covered with bandages.

Judging from the dried blood... it looked like she'd suffered a number of deep lacerations on her chest.

The stupidest Princess in all of the Eastern States... had tried to follow him into the forest.

...through the trap path.

⁆ I think... I wanted it to be real. ⁅

"Imperia," Kryasos spoke in a firm voice, "I told you not to follow me... Sea god's socks, there was supposed to be some kind of curse surrounding the Tree God's Forest!"

"I... but-- ARGH! Who said I was following YOU?!" Imperia scowled, "I was-- I was following my sovereign! YOU are just an afterthought, you disgusting hum-- EE!!!"

The elf girl shrieked in surprise as Krysaos dropped his weight, sitting on the edge of the mattress.

"You've always had it out for me, girlie," Krysaos sighed. "You'll listen to Tycon. You'll listen to Mina. I thought it was just because I was human-- but then you played along real nice with that Willow girl."

Imperia still refused to look at him.

"Now is when you untie me, Krysaos," She said in a quiet voice.

"No..." He smirked, "I think now is when you finally listen to what I have to say."

Imperia turned back, putting a little extra venom in her glare, "As if I'd EVER listen to anything out of your filthy mouth!"

Krysaos was... too used to those kinds of cutting remarks.

HoWeVerRrr... she was making a gigantic mistake.

The Dark Elven Princess was the most vulnerable she'd ever been... and Krysaos wasn't the type of guy to let such a perfect opportunity pass by.

"Ehehe..." He chuckled as he flipped Imperia over, "You've had this a lonnng time coming, Princess."

Balancing her stomach on his knee, he shifted her weight so her surprisingly thick butt stuck upwards.

"Krysaos!! What-- what are you-- DON'T YOU DARE!!"

"Try not to enjoy this more than I will," Krysaos grinned.

**PAP**

He landed a swift, open-handed slap on Imperia's fat arse-- hard enough to leave a clear outline in red.

He'd always wondered what color her charcoal skin would turn to... and he was amused to have found the answer.

"K-krysaos!!!!" Imperia shouted, "If you don't release me right now--"

**PAP**

Krysaos brought his hand down, once again. The light guilt was worth the immense satisfaction from having the whiny b*tch on his knee squirming in pain.

"Then you'll what?" He shook his head. "I swear, girlie. It's like you've never been punished for anything in your life."

"You have NO idea what I've been through!!" She countered. "And for-- and... ARGHH!! Just let me GOO!!!"

Krysaos raised his eyebrow. He was about done... but what the Princess was about to say made him curious. And thus, he went on... ignoring Imperia's threats as they increased in dramatics and reduced in meaningful sense.

Until finally... they turned into pathetic mewling.

"Ready to talk to me, now, Princess?" Krysaos teased.

"I'm... I'm sorry..." She cried, "Please..."

Krysaos rubbed her reddened skin to provide a tiny bit of relief, "Please what?"

"Please... be more gentle."

Krysaos felt his heart stop for a brief second, "Whuh?"

...He slowly lifted up his hand, his brain taking several seconds to process the unlikely scenario that was happening.

His fingertips... were wet.

Had Imperia pissed herself?

He rubbed his fingers together.

...No. No, she had not.

He sat the girl upright and coughed into his hand... "Hey, listen. I might've gone too far... You got more than a right to be upset."

Imperia turned her face up, looking more indignant than he'd ever seen, "Krysaos... even if... y-you take my purity..."

Krysaos exhaled out of his nose. Did the Princess equate a spanking with losing her V? That was nonsense--

"Yeah, yeah... I already know what you're gonna say. 'I'll never forgive you!' Right? Ah... haha..." He laughed uneasily, "Seven hells, Imperia, you're as predictable as a two-slug novel."

Anyroad, he wasn't gonna do that. Krysaos might have been a womanizer, but forcing a girl was too much even for him.

Imperia lowered her head, silent tears still flowing... "I don't know what you did... but I'll never forgive you for making me fall in love with you."

"Eh?"

Imperia rested her head against Krysaos chest, soaking her tears into his tattered military coat.

"You didn't have to spank me so hard..."

Krysaos took a deep breath and... against his better judgment... he put a comforting arm around her... "You seemed to enjoy it more than I did."

"...Not the point, you stupid human," She twitched. "Ow..."

"Well," Krysaos shrugged. "What's done is done. What do you want me to-- mmph!!"

Before he realized what was happening, he felt Imperia's soft lips against his.