With his growing belly he had discovered a better position; the girl had to kneel straddle-legged over him and move up and down while he lay still, moving only the muscles of his enormous buttocks alternately. He did not explain much of this to his bride. She really was stunning looking and he was well satisfied with this new acquisition to his bed assortment. He had not married her for love, and if she had not pleased him he would have had her once or twice (he liked to take maidenheads) and then probably forgotten her. But she was a good morsel and he was going to use her. He broke her in without further ado. He felt her over with his thick hands, he pulled her on top of him, he spanked her bottom a bit, in short he first took possession of her with his hands. Nelidowa tried to make it easy for herself by kissing him on the cheek (with closed eyes) by snuggling against him (to her own disgust) and by not struggling when she felt his big finger. Then, with a jerk, holding her with his hands at the waistline, he sat her with his powerful arms on top of him.
Nelidowa knew well what it was all about; a married girl friend had told her, and she knew that it would hurt her. But she was not only required to stand for it, she had to put it in herself; she had, with her own weight, to tear that little piece of skin which is precious only to virgins. She did not have the nerve. She stared with fixed eyes at the brute who was lying below her, a few hours ago still an utter stranger and now entitled to defile her. Poor Nelidowa. She took that instrument, so broad but still not so long, in her nimble fingers. She moved it towards the entrance and nervously lowered her bottom. But things needed a more vigorous handling. Alexey was prepared for that. He did not like to induce a woman to do this or that; he did not like to fumble. He had taken more virgins than one since his belly had grown. He had expected even more resistance from his bride and the usual preparations had been made. He struck a little gong on his night table. Three servant girls rushed in. Before Nelidowa knew it, two had gotten hold of her with an expert grip: one hand went underneath each knee, took hold of it and stretched the leg as far from the middle of the body as possible, the other hands grabbed her shoulders. She was lifted up a bit and lowered down carefully. He then commanded: PUSH, and both women, holding the Princess, gave a satisfactory pressure to her shoulders. Nelidowa howled, the Prince moved his bottom, the girls let go of her knees and took hold of her waist and shoulders and moved her up and down. It took about five minutes for the Prince to finish. The Princess received a washing and the Prince was likewise cleaned up. She had to lie down again alongside of her master. “You'll learn,” he said. “And now we'll show you how the next part has to be done.” He bedded her head on his hairy chest, put her hand on his machine and told her to massage it tenderly. As she did so he groaned and snorted, his fat hand on her small bottom. After a while he was ready again. The gong sounded a snappy order, and a serf girl, ready for work, entered the room. She knew what to do. He explained to his new wife that the first one was to be given with full front view; the second one reversed. He said that she was to come three times a week, that she was to learn her technique quickly and that she could now go back to her own bed chamber, because he wanted to sleep. No good-night, no caresses, no good word for her. But also no bad word. He was instituting a routine which was kept from then on. It was strictly kept because he liked her better than his slave girls and she soon learned how to please him. Also it must be remembered that he paid more for her upkeep than for that of his other female retinue.
Nelidowa did not mind the act so much; she simply closed her eyes and managed to get a thrill. What she could not stand was the play of his strong hands over her body before every jump. At this time, he hurt her quite often. He fussed around with her breasts, pinched the nipples and laughed when she tried to avoid him. It always gave her pain and a shock. But she did not complain, and even gave him gentle words and told him how happy she was. It was the price demanded of her and she paid it. The rest of their personal relations were also regulated by rules. They ate apart, except when they had guests. They went to all social affairs together and he liked to show her off. He spoke politely to her, in few words, and never told her about his own affairs. For example, she did not know that he had big estates in the south, until they travelled over them. He confided his affairs only to an old trusted man servant and to very few of his friends. He was a man of few words, used to command, and he exercised his will with great determination. Nelidowa had to find her life with her women friends. She chatted with her bed-maids and amused herself as she could with anything that was proper and becoming for the wife of a great Prince. He never beat her, as many husbands did their wives and he never lost his temper. He had resorted to the lash only a few times in his life, sending the culprit to the stable master for the punishment. However, when he was seriously dissatisfied, he would have the guilty person stand while he smacked the face a few times. He did this to his wife on occasions when her giddiness had aroused the mockery of other society people and he had heard of it. When he heard that she was beating her maids or had them beaten, he discussed it briefly with her. He said that she had the right to do so, but that if one of the servants should become seriously ill, or die on account of the punishment, he would inflict the same torture on her. “They are my property,” he added. “As well as you are.” That closed the incident because he remembered that his mother had whipped her maids also.
He had expected to have a child from the Princess; he wanted an heir to cheat his relatives. She remained barren. He had a few virgins come from one of his estates, made them and held them under strict watch, so that they could not sleep with other men. Out of four girls, two became pregnant. Therefore it was Nelidowa, not he, who was at fault. But he had decided not to take another wife. Not because he could not have gotten rid of Nelidowa or because he loved her, but that it was not so important after all. She was there and she could remain there. After the first year of her marriage, feeling secure now as a Princess and a powerful man's wife, Nelidowa was ripe to take a lover. He must be distinctly different from her husband, a bit exotic, maybe a Frenchman. As it turned out, he was a Pole.
Gustavus Swanderson, he made known, was his name. He came from Warsaw, where his father had a string of disorderly houses. Gustavus, who then bore the name of Boris, managed, during a raid on his father's establishments, to get hold of some gold which the old man kept hidden. With this, he travelled to Sweden, changed his name, bought the patent of an officer and played the nice chap for the ladies. He was decidedly romantic, with a wealth of brown hair, elegant in his movements, enterprising, and not altogether a bad boy. His hobby was drawing and his satirical sketches of society people were quite the thing. He started to learn architecture, first just to play with it, but later became interested and took part in the erection of some military buildings and forts. When Peter the Great was already quite elderly, he came to Russia and offered his services as builder. Peter, though not much impressed with him, sent him to Moscow where a big bridge was under construction and here he began to be a slight success in his line. When he met Nelidowa he was around thirty years of age, ten years her senior. He was different from the other men; his skin was white, he was not hairy, his hands were fine, almost feminine and tender. He kept himself clean and modish and his laughter was of a romantic sadness. Nelidowa selected him for herself at first sight.
The man had very little choice as to whether he wanted her or not. He had to conquer her because she wanted him. Oh, she fixed it in a very romantic way. Poems fluttered through the air; secret words passed, understood only by the conspirators. Nelidowa played her part wonderfully, with tears and resistance and with faked fainting spells.