Every verified document brings Willa to the prince's lap. Samuel leads her into a locked corridor after each registry check. He spanks her until her bare skin bears the marks of her place in his claim. The strokes increase with every added name on the witness list. The ritual includes words that degrade her status even as they bind her closer.
The succession rests on these papers and her willing surrender. Rivals could expose them at any moment in the court. Samuel's control over her body steadies his claim to the throne. Willa traces her collarbone yet never walks away from the arrangement that secures the throne for them both.
The door locks behind them. He orders her to present herself.
