Chapter 8

I was glad to wake up warm in my own sheets. My buttocks still ached, but not as bad. I crawled out of bed and walked strait into the bathtub, and had a long bath. I then dressed for the day and left my room. I saw no guards watching over me as I walked down the corridors. One female servant came to me, and led me into one of the guestrooms. There was Leline, eyes overjoyed to see me, and yet so worried. We embraced.

"Easy," I said.

Leline looked deep into my eyes. "What did he do to you?"

"He belted me," I said, placing my hand to my buttocks.

Leline placed a bag to the table. "I thought so. I brought something. It's a curing ointment." She poured some of the white oil onto her hand. "Bend over." I pulled down my pants and bent over, as Leline rubbed the oil over my sores. Almost instantly I felt the pain weakening. "He told me he had caught you spying on him," she said.

I told Leline everything that I had heard, and she slowed down. I pulled up my pants as she stared blankly at the ointment. "Somehow... I suspected," she said. "Oh, Mallory! What are we to do?"

"Leave this island," I said. "I'll go with you, and we'll sail away together. We'll take with us what we can."

She placed her arms to mine. "If we must. That would be... wonderful." She cried, and we kissed. I stroked her hair as she stared upon me. "We should try to stop him," she said. "Somehow."

"I've all ready learned my lesson," I said. "I'll have to be more careful."

"At least we know now," she said. "Sorry, I didn't mean --"

"No, it's fine," I said. "We know his plans, but we're helpless to stop him. Unless we take word to the king. Would he speak with us?"

"I'm afraid we can't leave for the time being," said Leline. "Phin has canceled all cruise and transport ships, as of this afternoon, as the war draws nearer than expected."

"Of course," I said. "I'm beginning to think it's impossible to out-think him."

"He does slip up, like anyone," said Leline. "We'll just have to be patient, and wait for the opportune moment."

"And 'the Blood Right'? Is it... ?"

Leline lowered her head. "I'm afraid so. We've been fighting a lot over it. It gives me the accuse I needed to refuse him his marital deed. I'm truly disgusted with him this time. Just when I think he couldn't sink any lower. At least before he kept his discretion secret. Now, he has the right! His men are busy filling out paper work, the age, health, and rated attractiveness of the virgin girls. More attractive means better genes, of course. If the chosen girls lose their virginity before his 'Blood Right', then she is publicly beaten, and the family harshly fined."

"Can't you stop him?"

"I have less control over him now that he's keeping me stranded here!" said Leline. "I can refuse him sex, and that means so much less to him now that he can bed virgin girls."

"He should take jealously in your affects for some else," I said.

"Strangely, he seems less jealous by our relationship than he would normally be," said Leline. "I don't understand it, but he truly does have some important purpose for you. Whether he has accepted you as my lover, as a way of keeping me happy here, or he truly does want you to be his heir, or... I fear what else. You can't trust him a minute. You know that."

"Of course," I said. "I can handle him, trust me."

"I long for you," said Leline. "Each night I dream of you."

"Each night I dream of you," I said, and we took hands.

A guard showed me to a room that was supposed to be my office. Why I needed an office, he did not say. Curious as to what Count Giles was up to now, I entered the small office and looked around. There was a sofa bed in the center of the room, and as I gazed upon it I was sure it was the same exact one I had seen in his art studio. Had he been aware of me all along? A strange shiver rose up my back as I considered that.

A female servant arrived, and left as before me stood Isabelle in a green dress, her chin lower than it had been. Her eyes were sad yet innocently hopeful. "Isabelle," I said. She ran into my arms and cried as I held onto her, kissing her head.

"Do you still love me?" she asked.

"Yes," I said. "I still live you." I felt I should have reminded her of my stronger love for Leline, but under the circumstances I decided it inappropriate. "How are you?"

"Lonely," she said. "Without you... it's all so empty."

"I'm glad to see you," I said. "Glad." I held her long and firm, as I knew she needed that more than anything.

After a time poor Isabelle had left my office, and I sat back in my chair. My penis hardened in my pants for no reason I knew of. Then I realized it had happened as, for an instant, I had thought of Count Giles. "The belt," I moaned. I still had a strange erotic connection to that belt. Why was this? As I pondered the answer I heard a knock at my door.

There stood Count Giles, grinning knowingly.

I buckled in fear and intimidation the moment I saw him, and he smiled with satisfaction. I stood like a proper servant. "Sir?" I became quite conscious of my ass as I looked upon him, perhaps remembering the delicious belting session he had given me.

"You are beginning to learn," he said. "Follow me."

The count turned and left as I followed after him. We walked for a door at the end of the hallway, and entered. A fine dinner was displayed over the table, including roast pork and barbecued sausage. "Dine with me," he said.

I sat on one end of the ten-foot table, and he on the other. I looked at him with confusion. He smiled at me most strangely. "Tell me, young man, what troubles you?"

"No servants? Or guards?" I said.

"None," said the count. "Just, you and I."

"The reason?" I asked.

"No, reason. Only, so that we can get to know one-another. You will be my heir. And when I am gone, you will have the power to change things the way you feel they should be. Now what's wrong with that?"

I reflected upon it. "I can think of nothing."

"Well, there you are!" said the count, chewing a mouthful of ham. "Eat, enjoy!"

We ate for some time in a silence that was strangely comfortable. I drank the finest wine I had ever tasted, and ate slowly to enjoy the finest food I had tasted.

"Why me?" I asked him at last.

The count chewed with thoughtfulness. "Why not you?"

"Why not someone else?"

"Like who?"

I smiled, humored. "I don't know..."

"I like you," he said. "I like you a lot. Good genes. You're smart, cunning, and attractive. You're worthy of nobility. You only need to... broaden your horizons, that's all. I was once like you... innocent... idealistic. I had to learn the hard way what life is really about. The big fish eats the small fish. Idealism is a lie, built by cowards -- men who hate progress. You see, you're either my closest friend or my enemy, depending upon where your mind expands to. I'm hoping we can be friends."

I decided to play along. "Certainly."

"And there are rewards," he said, as he jabbed his fork into a pickled egg. "Power. Money. Resources for your creativity. Women... you do like women, I trust?"

I nodded.

He sighed. "Let's... let's drop the charade, shall we? I know that you're sleeping with Leline. And I know that you know that I know. And I know that she knows this as well. Honestly, young Mallory... I am accepting of this arrangement. And I'll tell you why. You see... my desires stretch increasingly beyond what my dear Leline can please. I know her, by every inch, every... everything. That bores me -- as much as I love her, and I do love her, very much. I need her near me, at my side. I would go mad without her. This might sound strange to you, but... if you can make her happy, and make her want to stay on this island... then... I am at ease."

The count wiped his lips and then continued. "You see... I know that she has been seeking affections elsewhere. And who could I blame her? She is passionate, as I'm sure you know. I was angry, and yet relieved, with your relationship. This way, I know who she is sleeping with. I can know where, and when."

"You can have control," I said.

He grinned to himself, and then continued. "I like keeping her close. With you, I can keep her close to me. And the closer I am to you, the closer I keep her to me. Do you understand?"

"I believe so." It sounded rather perverse to me.

"We can be sort of... like a family. I welcome you in. We draw the lines, we... understand one-another. And we're all happy. We all get what we want. You get her, she gets you, and I get her. Does that make sense?"

"Vaguely," I said.

"It is an arrangement that gives you what you want," said the count. "What you thought was impossible -- a relationship with Leline -- I am now offering. No more secrets, no more hiding. You may be with her openly, as you wish. She will be given a... social quarters. And there, you may enjoy each other's passions without fear, or shame. The area with be guarded to spare any possible... public humiliation, for any of us."

I stared at him, trying to understand the method of his madness. It seemed like he was being completely honest with me, and so I nodded with agreement. "How could I refuse?" I said.

"Exactly!" said the count. "This suits me, and so it is." He drank from his wine, eyes sharp upon me. "Now... I must know every square inch of you -- your past, your desires, your fears -- everything."

I considered this. I did not reply.

Again he wiped his mouth. "Do you understand the situation? You get the girl, and meanwhile you are my pianist and my personal assistant. If anything happens to me, you will be here to look after her."

I gazed at him. Leline was right; he really did love her.

"I understand," I said a moment later.

"And you understand who controls your destiny," he said with narrowing eyes. "And you accept this."

I nodded, but I could see that he caught on a shine of contradiction in my eyes. "I am... realizing," I said with honesty.

"It's a pretty good arrangement, is it not?" said the count. "What have to complain about?"

"Nothing, in and of the fairness of this arrangement," I said. It almost seemed too good to be true.

"Good," said the count, slapping his hands together. He pointed to a bowel of white balls. "Rum Tits, from Salkesia," he said. "Try one." I took one and tasted it. It was delicious. I nodded as I savored it. "Good, huh?" said the count, sitting back in his seat. "This is a good life. And your past, Mallory Shane, as indeed blessed you, would you not say?"

"Yes," I said. "You have given me so much. More than I could imagine of any man. I feel... I owe you more than I can give."

"Oh, you can give it," said the count. "The final element of our deal I shall now lay down. You are to belong to me, as you belong to my dear Leline.

I had reached for another rum tit, but then stopped. "What?" my heart began beating.

The count grinned subtly. "You are to share my bed, as you share hers. I am to know every inch of your body, your desires, your weaknesses, as she does."

I stared at him in disbelief. My penis hardened in my pants as I gazed at him and reflected upon his words. "I... I..." I knew not what to say. "That is... most unnatural."

"Yes, it is," grinned the count. "Most... transforming."

My body and will weakened as my heart beating -- as if it longed for what he spoke of. But fear shot through my mind, fear of losing my manhood, of losing myself down some perverse course. I wanted to stand, but my crotch was pushing out. I took a deep breath, but my heart kept beating. My eyes closed, as if part of my was trying to enchant myself into this. But then I turned and looked upon him.

"I..." I still couldn't speak!

"Why do you tremble so?" said the count. He rose, and walked for me. I lowered my head, as his hands came to my head, and I looked up to him. I stood, my crotch pushing out like his was. His eyes looked deep into mine. I turned for the door but he grabbed me, pulling me back. He pushed me to the wall, his hands upon my shoulders. My head was spinning. "It isn't so bad," he said. "You'll see. I'll be gentle, I promise."

"What would Leline think of me?" I said.

"She's an open-minded girl. Come on."

I broke away from him and walked round the corner, where sat a queen size bed, sheets and fluffed pillows. He came to the corner, and remained there. "This will be our secret get-together. The spot neither of us will outside speak of. Where you earn all that you desire, from me."