Day 2

When she woke just before dawn, Sir Bogud had rolled over and she was able to rise, don her shift and slip down to the kitchens for hot water for his bath. She left a fresh towel by his washbasin and returned to her own room to fully dress for the day. Her normal chores for the day had her running about with laundry, cleaning and other household duties. She found herself distant - often waking from a reverie to find overflowing buckets or other careless error as if she had forgotten her tasks while in the middle of them. She could not stop reliving his lips upon her nipples, his fingers inside her slit. She had been relieved that no one else had noticed this odd behavior because twice the memories were so strong that she shuddered and moaned aloud and knew her juices made her thighs damp.

Helena was returning with an armload of herbs from the cellars when she heard someone calling her name. She fought the door latch one handed and shouted, "I'm here if a hand you'll lend."

The cook's assistant leapt to her feet and clacked Helena over the head with a spoon, "Ya wee beast! Yew've made a fright o' the house." The old woman took the dried bundles forcefully, nearly knocking Helena over, "Yew'll feel the whip sure and how yew've done that damned moor." Before Helena could begin to understand the woman, someone again shouted her name from the courtyard. The spoon clacked against her shoulder, "Go on! Git!"

Helena hurried from the kitchen unsure of what awaited her outside. Before she was fully out the door, a hand grabbed her.

"There you are! Come on." Colin fairly dragged her across the packed earth, "His Lordship's in a state!"

Helena got her feet under herself again and yanked the stable lad to a stop. "Colin! What has happened?"

He gasped and swallowed, "No one knows. His Lordship and the moor were in the wardroom. Then they called for Moreland and Gant and all three commanders. And then they began turning the Keep out in search of you."

"Me?" Helena felt a numbness creep through her skin. What could His Lordship want of her when in conference with the Keep's commanders? She realized to her own surprise that she was now out pacing Colin back to the ward room, taking the main stairs two at a time. She stopped before the ornate door, suddenly afraid to knock.

When Colin finally caught up with her, he had no such fear. Without knocking he threw open the door, "I found her Sire, in the kitchens, My Lord." He panted a bit, "Your Grace." He pushed Helena into the room far enough to close the door behind her and made his own exit.

As the thud of the heavy door rang in her ears, Helena became aware of her own heavy breathing. She was nervous; these were the most powerful men in the Keep. They had never called her before them.

They all stood around the grand table. Along with His Lordship and Sir Bogud, stood Sir Moreland the Stable Master a barrel of a man who once physically held the gates shut when marauders cut the pulleys. The Warlord, Sir Gant was closest to her, gaunt and dark in both character and appearance; he cast his long thin gaze over her, and then returned his attention to the map they had been studying. Furthest from her stood the three Commanders of the Guard. Sir Edwin, who had been a watchman for Helena's whole life, Sir Reeves who seemed too young for the post but his quick wit in battle had more than earned his rank, and Sir Macren who had come to the Keep as a guest and stayed on when he wed the cook.

"Is it true, wench?" His Lordship bellowed.

Helena looked from one man to the next, "Is what true, My Lord?"

"Did you disrespect Our Guest?"

She stared open mouthed at Sir Bogud who ignored her. "Disrespect?" She stuttered, "H-how..."

Sir Gant closed the space between them with a single step and slapped her sharply, "You waste our time. Did you disobey Sir Bogud?"

Helena clutched her stinging cheek and looked again at Sir Bogud, "I know not how, Sire." Tears began to well in her eyes.

Sir Gant returned to the map, "Whip her and be done with it."

The others murmured in agreement except Sir Bogud who cleared his throat, "My Lord, rather than whip her, may I show you how the Roman Emperor punishes servants who do not know their place?"

His Lordship chortled, piqued by the idea of a new humiliation, "By all means. 'Twas you she wronged, after all."

Helena watched Sir Bogud in confusion. She was sure she had pleased him. Her pleas for mercy and a second chance went unheeded as he ordered her to kneel before an empty chair. Sir Bogud gestured to His Lordship, "Come my Lord, sit here." He betrayed no emotion as he ordered her to remove His Lordship's codpiece. "Now, girl, taste his seed."

Helena stared at him.

She looked at the other men in the room and realized with a shock that she would surely be performing this service for all of them.

Her heart pounded.

She was stunned - not by the act but by the sudden elation she felt at the prospect. She still did not understand why he was doing this. She looked again at Sir Bogud; how could he have known what she did not know herself?

She bowed her head and swallowed hard. Her mouth watered as the musky, sweaty scent of His Lordship's manhood filled her senses. With trembling fingers, she stroked him. His cock was already hard. She licked the fat red head of it and received a few drops of its cream as a reward. She licked them, savoring the taste. Helena's head was swimming as if she had drunk too much wine. She sucked his cock fully into her mouth and started the ministrations Sir Bogud taught her only the night before. His Lordship came quickly, explosively, filling her mouth with salty cream. She could hardly swallow his seed fast enough and some of split from her lips. She gently licked the cream from His Lordship and replaced his codpiece. The she sat back on her heels, head bowed. She struggled a bit to appear shamed not overjoyed and vibrated with desire as the Warlord replaced His Lordship in the chair. Much like the man himself, Sir Gant's cock resembled his sword - long and thin. Helena gagged when she tried to take the whole thing in her mouth at once. She found that with a little patience she could, stroke by stroke, she could push him further and further. When the head was in her throat, she gagged again but this time her throat tightened around him instead of against him. With a grunt, his seed thundered through her. His cock deflated and he pushed her face away before she could attempt to revive its former glory. She controlled herself and waited for the Stable Master; instead, Sir Edwin sat down.

Helena looked at His Lordship and saw Sir Moreland seated beside him. "Gone on, girl." His Lordship gestured, "We're waiting."

"But my Lord..." she stopped, not trusting herself. She looked away and hoping the passion did not show, "I would not have it said that I failed in your Lordship's service twice."

"You haven't," Sir Moreland assured her, "and it won't. I'm..." he paused, "say I'm too old. Carry on."

"Aye, sire." She could not contain herself any longer and pulled Sir Edwin's cock out with her lips. Far more quickly that she expected, his hips bucked and his seed sprayed her lips and cheeks. It was a surprising pleasure. She revealed in it and did not notice who took the chair next only that a new hard cock waited for her. She relished it, licking and sucking every inch. When she felt the pulse of his cream begin to rise, she deliberately let him slip from her mouth and let his seed wash over her face. He seemed to have more that the others and after second burst, she gave in to the joy of swallowing the rest of his still flowing cream. The next seemed smaller the others so she was able to take the prick into her mouth and lick the balls as well. He held his seed longer, however, and Helena's jaw began to ache with the exercise. At last, she released the spent, limp organ and waited for the last cock to be placed before her.

It was Sir Bogud. Now, after having more knowledge, she knew he was larger than most men were, in both length and thickness. She licked the length of him and thrilled to feel him quiver in response. She took the head between her lips - her jaw still stretched to encompass him. Using her newly practiced skills, she inched her lips forward and found that she could take him farther in that she had the night before. On her third attempt to swallow the length of him, he placed his large hands on the sides of her head and began pumping his hips. Unable to move freely, Helena wrapped her hands around the large cock. He used her mouth roughly but she knew she would not care once she tasted his seed. She wanted to swallow his cream more than anything she had ever desired and would have endured almost anything to have it. With a final thrust and a deep-throated growl, he erupted, filling her mouth with what she so desired. She drank as if her thirst knew no bounds. When she had licked him clean, he released his grip on her head and returned his still massive manhood to his codpiece.

Gently he lifted her up, "Have you learned your lesson?" he asked.

Helena's jaw was sore and she could feel rawness in her throat. Even so, she wanted to do them all again. She was confident she knew now what lesson he taught; her slit was wet and throbbing and she was giddy at the thought of bedding Sir Bogud later. "Aye, my Lord." She answered softly.

"Good." He wiped a bit of seed from her lip and suddenly conscience of her appearance, Helena used the hem of her apron to wipe the remaining seed from her face. "We will be in conference until diner." Sir Bogud told her, "See to my rooms. And have a cask of wine sent up from my men. I wish to gift it to your Lordship."

"My thanks, good sir" His Lordship responded as he stood, "Well, go on girl. We're done."

With such an abrupt dismissal, Helena scampered for the door. Before she could close it all the way, she heard Sir Moreland call to her. She peered back into the room. He smiled at her gently, 'Ye've done well."

She smiled shyly back, embarrassed, "Thank you, Sire."

On the way to the storerooms for fresh linens, Helena stopped in the courtyard to send a messenger to the encamped army. Nearly everyone knew that she had been in the wardroom and for a rare few moments, she had untold authority. Quickly, she arraigned for someone else to fetch a broom, hot water and rags to Sir Bogud's chamber. She sent others out to air the blankets and to bring up rugs for the cold stone floors. Once she was alone, she swept and scrubbed the floors and dusted the whole room. She finished cleaning with enough time to bathe herself and dress properly for dinner.

When she arrived in the Great Hall, some stewards were arranging the tables in a U-shape around the room as if a bard had arrived. Four men and a bald woman stood in the newly open space. The men were opening two casts of wine for Sir Bogud and His Lordship. The men were all brown skinned and broad shouldered. One had a scar that ran the length of his face; another had a roman symbol carved into his arm. They waited like bronze statutory as Sir Bogud tasted and approved the wine. Then they bowed to the two nobles and left the room giving Helena her first full look at the woman. She was not bald has Helena had first thought; instead her hair was braided in a tight thin line that spiraled around her head like a skullcap. Where Sir Bogud was the color of polished wood, the woman was as black as night, her face sculpted out of darkness by some divine artist. She was slender - even muscular - except in her plump breasts and round hips. Large gold hoops hung from her ear lobes and masses of gold chains draped from her neck, waist, wrists and ankles. She wore no clothing.