“House Darcy betrayed the Kingdom of Xeca! They broke their oaths when they joined with the coalition and raised banners against you, my King. By rising to the call of the other Kings, House Darcy has forfeited it’s right to the land we have granted them. Their estates should be pillaged and their castles torn down.”

A soft murmuring of agreement rose from the small council of Dukes, seated at their seats at the grand table of Xeca. At the head of the table sat King Dresden, the young and newly appointed King who had taken the place of his slain cousin.

“Doing so would be a waste of perfectly good castles and innocent lives.” King Dresden replied. A frown was etched into his brow, as it has been since he was named king. “Many of those who would suffer from a wrathful response are commoners, lowly people who had no say in the decisions of their Lord.”

“You are not wrong, your highness.” Lady Ava spoke. She was the late King’s sister and now advisor to the new King Dresden, her cousin. “But House Darcy has to pay a price for betraying us. My spies come to me with news from the coalition’s kingdoms every week, and I’ve heard a great many things about what the Kings of the Coalition do to those that harbor any sympathies for the loyalist factions.”

“Hear, hear.” Said a Duke with a greying beard. He got to his feet and looked to King Dresden. “If you will not punish the traitor cruelly, then the least you can do is to strip the Darcy boy of his titles, my King.”

“I cannot do that either.” King Dresden said after a pause. He was conflicted, but it was obvious he was trying to be merciful. “The Darcy’s control the most powerful Duchy in the Kingdom of Xeca, and their lineage is as ancient as my own.” He shook his head. “ House Darcy has stood by the crown for a thousand years and fought loyally for us in countless battles. I will not take an action so drastic against my family’s closest allies just because of the mistakes of one man.”

“Really? And what of your allies now? What of the men that died for your family in battle against House Darcy? What do they get?”

King Dresden hesitated. He was in a really tight spot, and the other Lords at the table were visibly upset too. After a short pause, Lady Ava spoke again.

“Do you know what they do to our allies in the Coalition kingdoms, your highness?”

King Dresden sighed. “I’ve heard.”

“They put them to death.” Said Lady Ava, looking to the other Lords present. “The Kings of the Coalition execute them horribly for their treason, always slowly and painfully. Sometimes, they even strip them of their titles before exiling them to starve and suffer from fates worst than a simple execution.”

Voices were beginning to be raised now, as the Dukes cried for justice.

“My brother died in battle against Edward Darcy.” Lady Ava reminded with a stern look at King Dresden. “Our former king was killed by a Darcy. That is the highest form of treason.”

“Enough!” King Dresden’s voice boomed, silencing the Lords at his table. “We are at a council, not a tavern! Your new king has called you here to deliberate, not to argue like drunken old men.” The Kings’s dark eyes sharpened as he looked to his cousin. “I will not have any more outbursts at this table, is that understood?”

Lady Ava frowned but then looked away. She seemed frustrated, but said nothing more.

“You are right to be angry, all of you.” King Dresden studied the Lords seated at his table. “But I did not ask to be your King, nor did I want to shoulder this responsibility. And yet here I am.”

He raised his hands up to his sides.

“You chose me because you believed in me, and now I ask that you believe in me once more. A son should not be responsible for the sins of his father, and House Darcy’s illustrious history should not be forsaken for the crimes of one man alone.”

A little bit of chatter came over the many Lords at the table, but none of them voiced their discontent any longer. For now, it seemed that they were going to trust in their King’s decision. Dresden smiled, and turned to the small figure hidden away at the corner of the table.

“Jude Darcy?”

The young boy’s attention had been fixed on the back and forth debate this entire time, hanging onto every word that left the mouths of the men in the room in nervous anticipation. And even though it was his fate that the Lord’s were deliberating on, for the most part of the council it seemed as if they forgot that the only child of the late Edward Darcy was sitting here right amongst them. Until now at least.

Getting up to his feet tentatively, Jude glanced quickly at the Lords all about him. They were shooting him angry glares, with eyes sharp as daggers. He couldn’t blame them, the armies of House Darcy, led by the cruel and violent Edward Darcy, had fought and spilt the blood of their own country men in battles over the past months. And even though his father fell in battle, they still wanted to see someone pay for his crimes.

Even King Dresden had a serious look on his face. Jude looked to him and swallowed hard as he beckoned for the boy to approach him. Stepping away from his seat, Jude Darcy approached the King carefully. His heart was hammering in his chest louder and louder with each step he took, and when the young Lord Darcy finally stopped in front of the King at the head of the grand table, he thought his heart was going to jump out of his chest.

“Your highness.” Jude Darcy let his gaze drop to the ground as he kneeled before his king.

The King’s gaze was emotionless and unwavering. “Jude Darcy, as the new Lord of House Darcy, will you renew your oath and swear your allegiance to your king once more?”

“I will.”

“Will you swear to come to our aid when called for, and heed the orders of your King?”

“I will.”

A short pause.

“Then you are pardoned, Lord Darcy,” King Dresden said. “For the crimes of that your father committed in the name of your honorable house. Rise.”

Jude Darcy rose to his feet and looked up to King Dresden. His expression had softened now, which helped to make the young Lord feel a little more comfortable. Lady Ava, who was seated next to the King, did not seem very happy, however, and neither did the other Lords. The silence that hung in the air over them was dreadful, and Jude could almost feel the eyes of the other Lords glaring at him.

“Return home to your estate.” The King nodded. “There will be much you have to sort out as the new Lord.”

“But before you leave,” Lady Ava suddenly spoke up, surprising everyone. “When you return home, you will probably find yourself a little bit overwhelmed by your new responsibilities as Lord of House Darcy.” She looked to a guard at the door and nodded. “That’s why I’m sure you wouldn’t mind if I appoint you a guardian to replace your council, would you?”

The guard opened the door and a robed man strode through. He was an old man, bearded and wrinkly, and Jude immediately knew him as a priest.

“Cleric Horan,” Lady Ava introduced. “One of the holiest men in the Kingdom of Xeca.” She turned to Jude and her eyes flashed dangerously. “A young man like yourself surely wouldn’t be able to rule all by himself, so Cleric Horan here will act as your advisor and ensure your duties are completed. You’d like that now, wouldn’t you Lord Darcy?”

Jude Darcy contemplated this for several seconds. Lady Ava was essentially abolishing his own council with one of her own men, obviously so that she could keep the young Darcy in check. But with all eyes on him, and everyone already unhappy that he was not going to be punished, could Jude really refuse Lady Ava’s offer? The answer was clear to him.

“N-No. I wouldn’t mind that at all, Lady Ava.” He bowed his head to the King’s advisor. “Thank you for your generosity today, my lady. I swear to you that from today onward, House Darcy will be your most loyal servant.”

“Of course.” King Dresden nodded. “Now go, return to your Duchy. I’m sure you will find that your lands are not in very good shape; your people have suffered more than any from the battles. Tend to them, help them, Lord Darcy. Do what your father could not.”

And so, with another bow, Jude turned and hurried out of the council chambers followed by Cleric Horan behind him. He could not get away from the antagonistic gazes of the other Lords quickly enough.

••••••••••••••

Cameron was groggily awakened from his slumber as the carriage came to a stop.

“Wake up, little Leo.” Lord Remington said as he shook the boy gently. “We have arrived.”

For weeks now, Cameron had sat inside a carriage as they travelled across Ellyria. By day, Cameron conversed with the different men and soldiers escorting him and Lord Remington to the Kingdom of Xeca, trying to get used to the new persona that he was assuming. But when the sun went down and the night grew dark, Cameron made hot, passionate love to the man that saved his life inside the privacy of their shared carriage, sleeping together every night.

At first, anal sex with Lord Remington had hurt Cameron a lot. Even though he was bigger than the average kid, being from the western Kingdoms, he was still only thirteen and he was smaller than Lord Remington.

After a while though, Cameron got used to it, and his tight little butt hole began to stretch out more easily. Ever since then, their nights had become far more enjoyable for Cameron, and it was no longer just about pleasing Lord Remington. Cameron had come to quite like it too. The feeling of the older man’s fingers caressing his hairless hole, and his hard dick pumping deep inside of him were quite erotic.

“Hmm?” Cameron answered groggily. “We’re here?”

“Yes,” The old Lord said. “And in a few minutes you will have to step out to present yourself to the Lord of House Darcy, so you’ll have to look your best. Come, stand here.”

Cameron got up and straightened out his clothes. They were made of fine cloth and only the finest material, comparable to the clothes he wore as nobility back home. But unlike the bright colors of his House that he used to wear, these clothes were grey and a blood red, the colors of House Darcy.

For several minutes, Lord Remington fussed over Cameron, straightening out his bed hair and rubbing some oil on his face so that he didn’t look like he was just waking up. At the same time, he was telling the boy about how he’s correspond with him via letters whenever riders were headed his way, and would also try to come back and see him whenever he could.

“You don’t have to worry.” The old Lord assured him. “I’ll always be there for you.”

Finally, after Lord Remington decided that Cameron looked fresh enough, the two departed their carriage, stepping out into the bright sunlight of the afternoon sun.

“Oh, and one more thing,” The old Lord suddenly said, whispering to Cameron as they walked across the courtyard. “The old Lord Darcy has passed. The new Lord of this House is a boy, just like you.”

“A boy?” Cameron was surprised to hear that, but had no time to pursue the subject further. Why didn’t Lord Remington mention that before?

“Lord Remington!” An old man, garbed in the robes of a priest was the first to greet them at the courtyard. “I am glad to see that you’ve made it safely.”

“As am I glad to see that you’ve adjusted so well to life in Court here.”

Cameron watched as the two old men hugged. Behind the priest, however, Cameron spotted another boy standing there, dressed also in the colors of House Darcy though his were more ornate and regal than the attire of pages that Cameron wore. Surely, this had to be the boy Lord Darcy that Lord Remington told him about.

“And Lord Darcy,” Lord Remington said as he looked past the old priest and saw the boy behind him. “It is an honor to finally meet the new Lord of the great House Darcy.”

The young Lord bowed his head at the older Lord. “Please, the honor is mine, Lord Remington.” He said timidly. “Your brilliance is revered all throughout Ellyria.”

Cameron studied the other boy as they conversed with one another while he stood back. There was something about his grey eyes that seemed familiar, it was an anxiety and uncertainty that Cameron knew all too well. This young Lord was wound up a little tight, and the worry was evident on his face as Cameron watched him speak with Lord Remington. He was afraid to make a mistake, afraid of what might happen to him if he did so, just as Cameron had been a few weeks ago.

He was also shorter than Cameron’s five foot four, standing probably at about five foot even or maybe a little less than that. Also, in contrast to Cameron’s blonde hair, the boy Lord had brown hair, and while Cameron’s skin was a smooth olive, the boy’s face was pale in the frosty air of the Northern Kingdoms.

“Ah, and this must be the little page boy you were talking about.” The old priest suddenly said, turning his attentions to Cameron. “He surely does seem like a handsome one.”

“Yes, this is Cameron.” Lord Remington introduced. “The son of a poor butcher. His father sold him into servitude to me last year, and since then he had turned into one of my finest attendants. I am very sure you will be just as pleased with his services just as I was, Lord Darcy.”

Snapped out of his thoughts, Cameron smiled at the compliment and quickly recalled all his lessons with Lord Remington on how he should behave as a page boy and bowed his head.

“Your Holiness,” He said to the old priest, then turned slightly to Lord Darcy. “Your excellency, I want to thank you for receiving me here at your home.”

The priest smiled. “Of course, we never can have too many page boys in a castle now, can we?” He put his hand on Cameron’s shoulder. “My name is Horan, and this little Lord over here is Jude Darcy.”

Cameron looked to the young Lord and smiled at him. The other boy managed a smile back.

“That’s Lord Darcy to him, of course.” Lord Remington added with a laugh, and turned to Lord Darcy. “And if I may ask, Lord Darcy, how old were you again?”

“I turned thirteen, a week ago.” Jude Darcy answered.

“That’s interesting,” Lord Remington ruffled Cameron’s short blonde hair. “He’s thirteen too.”

Cleric Horan raised his brows and turned to Cameron. “That’s just perfect! Having a page boy the same age as our Lord opens up many opportunities for companionship.”

“Perhaps,” Lord Remington interrupted. “But for now, let’s brief the little Cameron here about what his duties would be during his stay at the Darcy Estate.”

“He is right,” Cleric Horan agreed. “Lord Remington is a busy man. Come, boys, let’s go. The two of you can get to know each other while we tour the estate.”

••••••••••••••••

Jude Darcy was laying on his bed, reading from a thick book. It was nighttime now, and the young Lord liked to read before he turned in for the night. It was a habit he had developed recently, ever since he became the new Lord of House Darcy and shouldered the responsibility of pulling together a Duchy that was falling apart in the aftermath of a costly rebellion.

The young Lord Darcy found that he learnt quite a lot from these books, which helped him be more informed when making decisions, even if that was not what many people wanted him to do. Jude Darcy knew that the only reason Lady Ava abolished his council and assigned Cleric Horan to become his guardian was so that she could control what House Darcy could and could not do.

Sighing, the young boy put down his book and reflected on that. If he had to be honest, that was a smart choice on Lady Ava’s part. In recent years, House Darcy hasn’t exactly been the staunchest followers of the crown, and when Edward Darcy refused to bow down to the Jade Empress and declared rebellion, not many people were really surprised.

In fact, what it did was it finally gave them all a good excuse to put down House Darcy once and for all. An opportunity that King Dresden took away from the people. No wonder none of the Lords trusted him, a mere boy and the son of the man who killed their old King in battle.

Edward Darcy was a bad man. The other Lords knew that he was violent and unpredictable, but at home it was even worst. His father was a warrior, and prized combat skill above all else. And that was why Jude was and has always been his biggest and greatest shame. Jude had never been athletic growing up. He was thin and frail, and had problems with his health from the very moment he was born. His father often beat him because of this, but he also took his frustrations out on Jude’s poor mother, the Lord’s wife.

He used to physically and verbally abuse her, and often slept around with all the different courtiers in the castle openly and without shame. In fact, word of Edward Darcy’s skill and prowess in bed became so widespread that many females would come to their court and do their best to impress Jude’s father, all so that they might have a chance to sleep with him. In the end, Jude’s mother could take no more, and she left.

But, even with all the terrible things Edward Darcy used to do, Jude had still loved his father very much, and tried his best to make him proud. And when the riders came in the dead of night with news that his father had been slain in battle by King Dresden himself, avenging the previous King, Jude Darcy had spent the entire night crying, unable to sleep even a wink.

Since then, it had been a constant spiral downward, and the only time that Jude felt even slightly hopeful was today when he received the new page boy. Cameron would be the first attendant the young Lord Darcy would have besides Cleric Horan, and they both were the same age as one another. Jude had also never really had friends his age, and so he hoped that the both of them could become good friends.

A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts.

“Excuse me, Lord Darcy?” A sweet voice came as the door opened. It was Mathilda, a young servant girl and one of the new courtiers. “I came to bring you some refreshments, just in case you were feeling thirsty.”

“Mathilda, it’s almost bedtime.” Jude said. This was odd, Mathilda had only been given the duties to attend to his personal chambers this morning, since the old servant lady needed to return home to tend to her dying father. And Jude never once remembered being offered water to drink before bed.

But Mathilda continued to stand at the door and gave him a cute smile. “What, afraid you’ll wet your bed at night? Come on, Lord Darcy, you’re not a child anymore.” A playful look came across her face. “In fact, you’re growing up to be quite the young man, just like your father.

Jude cringed at Mathilda as she began to giggle. He didn’t like to be compared to his father, he just didn’t wanna be the type of man he was.

“Um… Okay then, just set it right there.”

The young servant girl smiled sweetly and stepped into Lord Darcy’s chambers, closing the door behind her. She was dressed in the typical white dress that all servant girls of House Darcy wore, mandated by his father of course. It was a little too revealing for Jude’s taste however, and he usually had to avert his eyes when engaging in conversation with any of the young servant girls to keep from being distracted. This time, though, Jude just could not help but stare at Mathilda.

Mathilda was about nineteen years old, not the youngest girl they had in court, but she was among the youngest. She had dirty blonde hair that wasn’t too long, tied back into a cute pony tail, and her lips were always cherry red when contrasted with the smooth, fair skin of her face.

Today, however, Jude noticed that her white dress show quite a little bit more cleavage than usual. And as Mathilda put the tray of drinks down on a study table in his room, she turned around to face him and caught the young Lord staring right at her chest.

Immediately, Jude turned away and looked back down to the book he was reading, but Mathilda had already seen him. Luckily for him she did not make mention of his staring, which would’ve embarrassed the young Jude Darcy. But she did still giggle a little, which made his face go red.

“You know, I’ve never seen a Lord’s chambers before.” Mathilda was just standing there now, at the foot of his bed. “It’s really nice, much nicer than the quarters we live in.”

Jude merely nodded. What was she still doing here? The young Lord was used to being tended to and having his servants leave right after, and that was something he was really hoping for right now. Not because he was mean or anything, but because the young boy was too embarrassed to make eye contact with that beautiful girl right in front of him.

“Your bed even seems like it’s big enough for more than one person.” Mathilda noted casually, looking expectantly at Jude as she moved up along the side of his bed. “Can I try it?”

“Huh?” Jude might not have been really reading his book right now, but he was still caught by surprise by that request.

“Your bed, silly.” Mathilda giggled. “Can I lay down with you.”

Jude thought about that for less than a moment. The request seemed innocent enough, why not?

“Go ahead.” The little Lord Darcy shrugged, his eyes going back to the pages on his book as if he didn’t care.

In reality though, his heart was pounding, and the boy was getting nervous thinking about just what this could be leading to. Could it be that the servants girls of House Darcy had their eyes on him, now that Jude was the only other male in the court besides page boys and priests? No, that couldn’t be possible. They were attracted to the old Lord Darcy, the tall, muscular, and brave man, not some pale skinned wimpy boy.

“Oh, finally I get to rest a little.” Mathilda moaned in an overtly sexual manner as she laid her body down to rest beside Jude on the bed. She turned to look at him, which Jude saw from the corner of his eyes, and then she snuggled up a little closer to him. “Boy am I exhausted.”

Trying hard and failing to focus on the book, Jude simply lay on the bed silently for several minutes. Mathilda was laying very close to him, and he found that the feeling of another person’s body pressing against him was extremely stimulating, even though she was still clothed.

Finally, after several seconds of almost unbearable silence for Jude, Mathilda turned to him and spoke. “Have you ever kissed a girl?”

Jude looked to her but found himself unable to hold her gaze. Mathilda was beautiful, and she had this innocent and curious expression about her.

“No.”

“Really? Not even just a little peck?”

“Never.”

In court, there was ever only young women and old generals around, so there weren’t any children Jude’s age when he was growing up. Also, Edward Darcy wasn’t exactly the most liked Lord in the Kingdom, and because of that, Jude never did meet the other Dukes’ children or had a chance to befriend a girl around his age.

“Well, do you want to try it then?” Mathilda giggled. “You’ve become quite too old to not have kissed a girl before. Especially since you’re a Lord now, a thousand girls would die to become your wife.” She turned to face him on the bed, pressing her body even closer to his. “You don’t want to tell them that you’ve never kissed a girl before when that happens, do you?”

“I… I guess so.”

Jude was nervous, probably more than he had ever been now, and could feel his heart pounding in his chest and his throat go dry. Lying on the bed, Jude was looking straight down at his toes as he considered how he would approach this, and from the corner of his eye, he could see Mathilda already looking at him expectantly, waiting.

Come on man, just do it!

Closing his eyes, Jude turned and quickly leaned forward into Mathilda’s face, planting a quick peck onto her cherry lips. It was rushed, quick, and awkward, and Jude even bumped his nose into hers. But still, Jude had finally kissed a girl, and the young boy lay back down on his bed, looking down at his toes again in embarrassment.

“Was that it?” Mathilda looked like she was holding back laughter. “Really?”

Jude felt his face flush even more. Right now, all he wanted to do was just turn away, throw his blankets over himself, and go to sleep. He just wanted to escape from this embarrassment. Mathilda, probably sending some of his discomfort, put a hand on his shoulder.

“Hey, don’t take it personally, I was just teasing.” She got up off the bed. “Here, let’s get a little more comfortable, shall we?”

The young boy’s heart actually skipped a beat as Mathilda pulled her tight dress over her head and dropped it to the floor, leaving her standing totally nude.

“Like what you see?”

Instinctively, Jude turned away the moment he caught a glimpse of Mathilda’s nakedness, but the young servant girl merely giggled at his shyness.

“It’s okay, little Lord, there’s no need to be shy.” Mathilda’s soft hands found his chin, turning the boy’s face to her. “Here, look at me.”

Jude’s mouth was hanging wide open as he stared and ogled at the young woman’s beautifully shaped body. Her skin was a radiant olive complexion, common to those from the West, and her smooth toned body was slim and petite. Even her breasts weren’t too big, and yet not too small, and they were what Jude found himself fixated on, staring at those firm mounds protruding from her chest like something from every boy’s wet dream.

“Um… I-Uh…”

“You’re nervous, I get it.” Mathilda said, lying back down on the bed with him. Her voice was both sweet and inviting, and Jude was beginning to find it hard to resist. “But things are different now, you’re not a boy anymore. You’re the Lord of House Darcy.”

Jude finally allowed himself to turn and look at Mathilda. She didn’t have a huge bust or extremely large hips, but there was still something about her naked slim and slenderness that was enticing. Her breasts were medium sized and perky, while her nipples stood extremely erect. Jude looked up at her smiling face, and felt his curiosity and desire taking over his body.

“Go on,” She urged. “You can do as you please with me.”

Before he knew it, Jude had his shirt off too and was all over Mathilda. Climbing on top of her, Jude was kissing and licking and sucking on her cherry red lips, groaning and grunting softly as the older girl kissed back too.

Every time her soft and tender tongue flicked against his lips, the young adolescent shivered in ecstatic pleasure. Obviously, this wasn’t Mathilda’s first time fooling around. But for the barely teenaged Jude, it was his first time experiencing anything like this, and he just couldn’t resist the allure of Mathilda’s body. Her breasts were soft and tender, feeling like nothing he had ever felt before, and every time Jude’s fingers ran over her erect nipples in caressing strokes, Mathilda would shudder gently in erotic pleasure.

Minutes went by, and by now Jude could feel the familiar pressure pressing against his trousers. Ever since he was twelve, he had begun noticing women in a more adult way, and since then he’d been getting spontaneous erections for little to no reason at all throughout the day. However, the young boy had never had one as stiff or throbbing as the one he had now, and he had to pause momentarily to adjust his trousers.

“Something bothering you?” Mathilda giggled. Her hands too had wandered Jude’s bare little body as they kissed one another, sending ripples of pleasure like he had never felt before down his spine, but now her hands began to wander lower than they had ever gone.

“Kind of.” Jude felt himself smile a little, swallowing hard as he did. His throat was dry, it always became dry when he was nervous, but at the same time the little Lord was excited. Mathilda was a beautiful girl, and it was no secret many men wanted her. Jude had seen many of the old Lords and courtiers cast lustful looks her way.

Mathilda’s soft hands reached Jude’s trousers now, which were only barely clinging onto the boy’s slim hips. “We’d better fix that then.”

Her hands grabbed at his bulge, eliciting a soft cry of surprise and pleasure from Jude at the feeling of being groped through his trousers for the first time. The sensations of pleasure was only temporary however, as Mathilda’s hands quickly left his crotch.

“Don’t be so upset,” Mathilda said, reaching up to kiss the young boy in the neck. “It isn’t over yet…”

Groaning and grunting in pleasure as the young servant girl kissed and sucked and licked the soft skin on the young boy’s slender neck, Jude could feel Mathilda’s fingers slide under the waistband of his trousers, stretching the waistband up over his waist with one hand and sliding her other hand in.

“U-Ugh, Mathilda…”

The young adolescent Lord was overwhelmed with carnal pleasure. Mathilda’s hand found his throbbing cock and had taken it into its tender grip, stroking it all the while giggling with lewd intent. This combined with her sucking and kissing Jude’s neck, was too much for him, and in only a few minutes he felt his hips rocking in rhythm as he felt himself come close to climaxing.

“I’m… close…” Jude barely managed to gasp in time. “I’m cumming!”

Surprisingly, Mathilda then stopped kissing the boy’s neck, pulling him up instead so that he straddled her breasts. Pointing his cock to them, Mathilda stroked both harder and faster, letting Jude cum on her breasts when it was finally time. Electric jolts of ecstasy and pleasure filled the boy’s body as clear semen erupted from the tip of his rigid hard cock, spraying all over Mathilda’s tits and naked chest

“Ah!”

Jude gasped and collapsed down onto his bed next to Mathilda, completely spent. His adolescent semen was still thin and clear and had barely dribbled out of his cock when he came, and yet that was probably one of the young boy’s most powerful orgasms. It made him tired.

Laying side by side for several moments together, Jude basked in the warmth of a woman’s embrace for the first time. Mathilda was a beautiful and fully developed woman, and Jude enjoyed even the quiet moments he spent with her in bed, just laying down with her and burying his face into her nude body. Unfortunately, it did not last long.

“What in the heavens is going on here?”

The door swung open and Jude nearly jumped up. There at the door stood Cleric Horan, aghast and face fixed in a holy fury.

“You, servant girl! Get off him this instant!”

Mathilda quickly sprung off the bed while Jude remained rooted to it in shock and surprise. Cleric Horan meanwhile, was at no loss for words and began to lecture Mathilda for several moments, before finally sending her away and storming right up to Jude.

“And you, boy,” His face was scrunched up with seething rage. For a moment, Jude was afraid that Cleric Horan was actually going to hit him, like his dad used to always do. Jude may have been a Lord, yes, but he was a boy Lord, and under Lady Ava’s thumb at this point in time. If Cleric Horan really wanted to, he could actually strike Jude in front of the whole court without a single person speaking up in his defense.

But luckily, no such thing happened. Cleric Horan merely stopped several feet away from Jude, eyes fixed on the nervous young boy who was still naked, and spoke in a low voice. “I’ll deal with you in the morning. Go to bed.”

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