Chapter 1

The first time I saw Baron Stoneface's castle, I was riding with my twin sister Lucinda in a rather nice carriage provided by the Abbey of Sainte Lorraine.

It stood on the side of a sheer faced mountain almost impregnable in its composition. However, a trail of sorts had been struck from the solid rock and a zig-zag road of broken rock wound its way up to the dark waters of the moat that surround the unyielding rock blocks of the impressive edifice.

The obvious fear that threw the horses into a state of constant nervous stomping must have spread to the driver and the two footmen on the top of the conveyance. My sister, on the other hand, was totally oblivious to the gloomy terrain outside and certainly had no fear in her delicate soul because she was sound asleep on my shoulder.

I bade the driver to hasten up the steep trail with some cheery words of encouragement.

In all honesty, I had no such true sense at all because I was shaking deep inside with revulsion at the thought that my fair and fragile sister Lucinda and I would be spending the entire summer here with my distant relative just because my father felt a certain debt to his cousin the Baron for his assistance in financial affairs.

The horses settled down under the expert hands of the driver and we proceeded without incident to the raised drawbridge constructed of solid oak and guarding the main entrance to the castle courtyard.

The dark and dank waters of the moat swirled as if strange creatures were swimming beneath the surface. I put that off to my over-active imagination and was somewhat surprised later that my suspicions were correct and that a school of electrified eels called the moat their home. A single touch of their exterior would jolt a person of average stature into eternity in a matter of seconds.

In addition to the deadly eels, The Baron later bragged to me at great length about the even deadlier rays that hugged the bottom of the moat with their poisonous barbs that struck deeply into the bloodstream of their victims. All thoughts I entertained about the possibility of escaping from the castle by swimming the moat were immediately banished from my mind.

I saw the hunchbacked form of a grotesque creature carrying a lantern in broad daylight.

It was my assumption at the time that the lantern was for use in some darkened interior space but I certainly didn't think it would be used for the damp tunnel that lead to the main house.

The creature whose name was Wicket told us that his master was indisposed with another guest at the moment but he would lead us to our rooms if we so desired. He was so obsequious and humble that I regretted my initial snap judgement and agreed without reservation.

My sister Lucinda and I followed him through the tunnel into the sub-basement where several odd shaped small vermin of an undetermined category managed to reduce my sister into nervous laughter. I was not amused at the display thinking that the castle was badly managed to allow such vermin to wander aimlessly in the hallways.

Our rooms were quite excellent and I saw that the furnishings were clean and well-tended. My sister took heart and we were informed that the servants would be bringing us a bath forthwith.

The large brass bathtub was filled by a full complement of no less than six servants with nicely heated water from the kitchen. Since there was only one tub, my sister and I put aside silly convention and shared it like we did at home from whenever we could remember.

Now that Lucinda was eighteen, she was a fully ripened woman but I had the fortitude to withstand temptation and merely offered my services in cleansing her back. We always made a ceremony of washing each other's backs and I saw no harm in it despite the closeness of relationship.

I took great care in not accosting her delicate skin with the touch of my aroused member and she diligently avoided looking at my erection with her ladylike genteel nature. We dried each other with no intent to gain pleasure and dressed for dining in the main meeting room. I had fond hopes that the Baron would have some of the female staff on stand-by for tending to his guest's physical needs because I had reached that level of desire that required a willing female between my legs in any position she so desired.

The hunchback led us up a winding stone staircase and we exited into a large room with high iron-barred windows that gave plenty of light.

The Baron was seated on a throne of sorts that was more pretentious than royal.

He had a pair of Nubian females at his sides massaging his arms and shoulders like some athlete in the recovery area. My sister was so amused that she tried to hide her smile but I fear the frozen-faced fellow spied it immediately. I could tell from his look that it would not bode well for my sister if he managed to gain the upper hand on her in private.

"Come closer, my little cherubs. My, my, you do look so much alike I can't tell which is the boy and which is the girl."

It was a strange thing for the older man with no expression to say in front of non-family members but it was his castle and he had the right to say what he wanted.

"Greetings, cousin, we bring salutations from our family and wishes for your good health and prosperity ad infinitum."

It certainly was not my inner attitude but I was cursed with an over-abundance of diplomacy and did not want to cause any grief or hard feelings just as we were about to start our summer.

"Come up and sit beside your cousin, little dumpling. So you are Lucinda. Did you know that was my Mother's name? She was always a wild one and causing all sorts of trouble with the rest of the family. Are you a wild one? Do you need to be tamed properly?"

My poor sister didn't know if she should stamp her foot in vexation or to just smile and act like the Baron was witty beyond belief. Fortunately, she choose the latter and I breathed a little easier because her tantrums were quite a show for the servants.