Chapter 23: Life and Death

Kaylene and Cynthia had joined me in Magistrate Welkington's dining room. They were enjoying the delights of the man's kitchen and his very talented cook. Cynthia was especially enjoying the fruit tarts and warm cocoa.

I was going through the court records from earlier today. It was obvious that Welkington was corrupt. The problem was that he was totally corrupt. The man never stayed bought. He would find for one person in a matter, then turn around and find against them in another matter. The man was stupid as well. He actually made notes on his docket of who was paying how much to win.

And if someone expected actual justice, like poor Jeanelle Gerwal, they were likely to end up arrested themselves, and struck with fines that would leave the poor victim destitute.

It was beginning to look like I'd be occupied in this township for days, if not more. I sat back with a sigh and stretched and closed my eyes. I was startled when Cynthia climbed up on my lap and patted my face with a sticky hand.

"Wake up, Pappa Alex. You have to sleep in a bed, not in a chair!"

I smiled at her and took her hand. "I'm awake, I was just resting my eyes while I thought." I dipped a napkin in one of the goblets of water on the table and began to wash her hands. Kaylene watched with a bemused look on her face.

"It is beginning to look like we will be staying here for a while, Cynthia." I was speaking to the girl, but Kaylene knew I was warning her, too. "If you ask her nicely, I bet Iris would help you find some boys and girls to play with tomorrow."

Cynthia looked at me, then worriedly at Kaylene. "Can Kaylene come, too?"

"I'm afraid not. She'll have to stay and help me with things that will be very boring. I'm sure you'll have fun with Iris, though. She's a very nice lady, too."

Cynthia didn't look thrilled, but she didn't say anything else about it. Not long after Kaylene took her upstairs and tucked her into bed.

When she came back down, Kaylene sat across from me with a teasing grin. "So, I get to work with you and be bored tomorrow? I'd rather go out and play!"

I chuckled. "Actually, I expect tomorrow to be anything but boring, unless you're a four-year-old. According to Welkington's records, he's been royally cheating the people of this district. We'll be cleaning up the mess he's made, and administering the justice the people deserve. And undoubtedly make several wealthy scions of the community angry."

As I'd expected, she grinned wickedly at those words. Few things pleased her more than punishing the wealthy for cheating the poor.

I nodded. "Yes, I think you are going to thoroughly enjoy the day, tomorrow. But I think some rest would be wise. I expect to have to start fairly early."

I stood and took her hand, then led her upstairs to the former Magistrates bedchamber. Though lavishly furnished, the man had had no refinement, and Kaylene laughingly referred to the room as "the apartment of a whore who would be Empress."

It had been several weeks since our last tryst, and we were both eager. We undressed each other quickly and sprawled on the bed, head to foot. As she lay on top of me and took my cock in her hands, I spread her legs and kissed the insides of her thighs. Then I kissed her sex gently before running my tongue between her labia.

With a sigh of pleasure, Kaylene took my cock between her lips, drawing a groan from me. As her lips slid up and down my stiff cock, her tongue would caress it wetly. My own tongue would wander along her sex, sometimes pressing into her pussy, other times teasing her outer lips, or flicking gently against her clit.

She took her lips from around me and gasped, "Oh goddess, please make love to me!" She scooted around and slid her body down mine until our pelvises touched. She kissed me hungrily as she reached for my cock and rubbed it against her wet opening. I grasped her hips and pulled her down, parting her sex and slowly filling her completely. "Oh yesssss!" she moaned.

When I was completely buried within her, she sat up and rested her palms against my chest and began to raise and lower herself upon me. I reached up and gently cupped her breasts. She smiled down at me and ground herself against me for a moment, then continued to ride my shaft. I took her nipples between my fingers and thumbs and pinched and pulled them to hardness and quickly had Kaylene gasping in response.

When she was nearing her climax, she began to twist on the staff that impaled her, and I pulled her down till her breasts pressed my chest and we could kiss. When I began to nuzzle her throat, she began to moan in delight and ride me faster, forcing me deeper with each thrust.

When my fangs split her skin, she cried out her pleasure. Her vaginal muscles began to clamp convulsively around my shaft, drawing the juices of my loins into her womb even as her blood flowed into my eager mouth. And as she collapsed against me, I slowly lapped her throat with the tip of my tongue, closing the wounds and caressing her lovingly. She fell asleep in my arms.

I left her sleeping form a few hours later, when the Mayor delivered the list of matters for my consideration. I was amused and unsurprised to see the docket the mayor presented was much shorter than the docket of items Welkington had addressed the day before. I began comparing the two. As I'd suspected, most of the missing matters concerned wealthy residents suing poor ones for overdue payments and lapsed contracts. I counted the missing cases. Twenty-two. Filed by eight different individuals. I summoned a squad of my soldiers and a squad of local militia.

I explained to Louis, the leader of my soldiers. "I want a mixed group of soldiers and militia to go to each of these homes. I want these individuals arrested and brought before this court. The names are on these warrants." I handed him a small pile of parchments.

"If the individual is 'unavailable', explain to whoever you speak with that non-appearance will result in seizure of whatever I decide is fair and equitable. And that the named individual has until two hours after midday to appear before me."

Louis nodded and led his troops out into the crisp morning air. I expected him to find most of the suspects in their beds. But I would not be surprised if one or two suspected what was coming and had fled.

As servants prepared the main hall for court, I changed into my robes of State. For some reason, the general public found the pomp of court life reassuring. I was hoping it would help keep everything calm.

I began the morning with several simple matters, public drunkenness, brawling, and two petty thefts. Then more serious matters. Disputes between land owners, thefts of animals and coin. Most matters I decided as Welkington had, though on the minor matters my punishments were much less harsh. The man seemed to have a fondness for the stocks and the whip.

Lunch was finished, and the room was again crowded with onlookers. This was the first case that had not been re-filed by the plaintiff. It involved the alleged non-payment of a note by a farmer to his neighbor. The neighbor was demanding the farmer pay the note in full, or forfeit a parcel of his land. Looking at the note, I found the farmer was actually two days ahead of schedule. I awarded the farmer the release of his note, and twelve acres of land belonging to his neighbor that adjoined his.

The other twenty-one plaintiffs received similar decisions, and a handful received lashes or imprisonment as well. I made it clear such behavior would not be tolerated with in my Duchy.

The final matter on the docket was the fate of Magistrate Welkington himself. To the delight of the onlookers, I declared him a communal slave, available for use by all the citizens of the district.

To ensure that he not escape, I ordered his toes removed, thus making running impossible. And I ordered him branded with the universal symbol of slavery on both cheeks. When he was fully recovered from his punishments, I expected him to find himself working very hard for a great many folk.