I am nervous. Actually I am nervous, excited, apprehensive and damn near scared to death. Sitting in my father's chair on top of the dais, I can see most of the audience chamber. Since I was little I was always fascinated by this room: the high ceilings, lavish tapestries and the cool marble floor. It was designed to impress, to be the public face of my father's power. It demonstrated to his people that their leader was a man of substance, a man to be obeyed, a man to be feared. Its grandeur was also a reminder to those who visited that they were not just dealing with a man but with the power of his office. His was a voice that commanded armies to move, wealth to be spent, lives to be changed, judged and sometimes extinguished. He was my father. He was the Herceg. He is now dead and I am to take his place. It is the day of my Ascension.

It is an awesome and terrifying thing for one so young: I am but fifteen years old. Even though I had been trained for this every day that I can remember I feel the dreaded weight of that responsibility settling on my shoulders like a dark leaden cloak; sometimes I feel like it crushes the breath from my body.

Luckily I won't be alone. I won't reach my majority for another two years and one month: the day of the eighteenth anniversary of my birth. Until then I will have a counsel of advisers and the Emperor's court has sent an observer. My decisions will be vetted and discussed to no end, I am sure, but this doesn't bother me. In fact it comforts me. The ascension of a Herceg before his time is not without precedent; the procedures have long been codified in both law and custom. The governance of the Hercegent will continue as it had under my father and his father and his father's father. They say history can be a shackle, an impediment to necessary change and a burden to the young and restless. This is true, but it is also the bedrock, the anchor, of a people. The populace may grumble and complain about a hidebound régime that is slow to meet their perceived needs, but they thrive on consistency and stability. Our function is to provide that stability and every step in the process of the Ascension is designed to ensure it.

Indeed, I am not alone and one of the primary providers of that stability was now standing before me. She is my Fej Feleseg, my first wife and the head of all my subsequent wives. I know her and yet I do not know who she is. This sounds more confusing than it really is for, you see, she is one of my father's wives, my birth mother.

As is custom, neither I nor any of my ten brothers and sisters know who their actual birth mother is. Certainly we guess and in some cases we know who it isn't, but there is never an open acknowledgement of which child came from which womb, at least to the child. I'm not sure why this is done but it is the custom and we adhere to it.

Certainly we all think about it. In fact it is a matter of considerable study and supposition for all the siblings as to which wife is actually their birth mother, for me especially since I knew that whoever it was would be sharing my reign and my bed for the remainder of our lives. Given that the dates of our birth are well documented in the heraldry as are the dates of marriage for each of the wives, one can see who might or might not be one's own birth mother.

For instance, Mirana, my father's fifth wife, came to the marriage soon after my birth so she can be eliminated. Bogdana, father's Fej Feleseg, was almost sixty years old at the time of my father's Ascension and had given birth to three of my aunts and one uncle before she was thirty. Since there had been none after them it was unlikely she was my birth mother, at least I hoped not! Momma Bogdana was a feisty old lady and I'm sure was quite the beauty in her day but the thought of having to bed her now did not appeal to me. Most probably it would be either Ilinea, the second wife, Alina the third, or Dacina, the fourth.

Ilinea was the eldest of the three, a stately lady in her late thirties. She had always been kind, although a bit distant to me, but for all that I liked her well enough. Dacina on the other hand was the youngest at thirty-one, the prettiest and without a doubt the most arrogant bitch I have ever had the misfortune of meeting. I hoped like hell it wasn't her!

On the one hand I think I would perversely enjoy shoving my cock down her throat until she choked or mounting the bitch for my own pleasure but the thought of having to deal with that cold-hearted shrew every day made me cringe. With a wife like that you may not live forever; it would just seem like it!

Of the three I hoped it would be Alina. Full-bodied and womanly ripe at thirty-three, she was beautiful in her own way and without a doubt the nicest of all my father's wives. Duty demands what it may and I will do my duty as the fates declare, but I can hope, can't I?

So she stands before me, three steps down from the top of the dais, covered head to foot in a long white robe with its cowl pulled down to hide her face. My Fej Feleseg: my mother and after tonight my first wife. Flanked by the four traditional observers, also cloaked and hidden from view, she stood waiting my acceptance patiently.

"Herceg," spoke one of the cowled figures, "your Fej Feleseg attends you."

At last I get to see who she is, who I would be spending my life with!

"I see you, Fej Feleseg," I said in the traditional greeting. It was both a greeting and the acknowledgement of her position. The Fej Feleseg enjoys no power under law with the exception of reigning supreme in the Herceg's household, but tradition and custom grant them vast influence, especially in the Hercegant. Here now stood one of the powers in the empire. Her hands came up to sweep back the cowl and in seconds I was staring into the smiling face of my mother.

"Hello, Cezar," Alina said with sparkling eyes and a happy smile. "I hope you aren't too disappointed."

"Momma, Alina," I said standing up and holding my arms out to her, it was difficult keeping my smile respectfully subdued. The identity of the observers was supposedly a secret, but was commonly known to be the remainder of the late Herceg's wives. After tonight they would have no official standing in the court except what I would grant them, but common courtesy dictated that I not demonstrate that I indeed had a favorite and that she was the one standing before me. They had known who was to be the next Fej Feleseg from the moment of my birth; I could see no point in rubbing their faces in the fact that I was overjoyed in whom the fates had chosen as opposed to one of them. Gracefully she mounted the dais steeps and flowed into my waiting arm. Our lips met as our arms encircled each other and immediately I felt hers part slightly as her tongue gently touched mine requesting entry. This I did gladly and our tongues dueled together in a lover's dance that made my head swim.

It was one of the most sensual and erotic kisses I have ever had and believe me I am no shy virgin coming to the wedding bed! Sexual experimentation is not only expected but encouraged in the Herceg heir. After all, one of our main functions is to produce an heir to continue the line. I have been sexually active since I was able to maintain an erection and produce seed. The great number of young and willing maids and attendants waiting on me was no accident, after all. It is considered a good omen if the heir can produce children before his Ascension and although they are provided no official standing in the empire, by tradition and custom both the mother and child are well-treated and taken care of.

Of course I was not informed if any of the ladies I bedded became pregnant but I wouldn't be surprised since three or four of my favorites did disappear over the course of the past two years. I was only told they had been reassigned but I intend to follow up after my Ascension and see to their comfort if this did indeed happen.

Of course I will be expected to confine my stud services to only my wives after tonight, at least until after I have produced an heir. But with the average number of wives being five and sometimes six I can't see how that could be considered a sacrifice!

Reluctantly I broke our kiss and brought my lips close to her ear. "I am so glad it is you," I whispered. "I prayed it would be; you have always been my favorite."

"I'm glad," she whispered back. "I have been dreaming of this for what seems like forever." Then she chuckled softly. "I understand you work hard to pleasure your women and I've been looking forward to that even more!"

I blushed and hoped it wasn't too obvious although it hardly mattered anymore. She was my wife and what we spoke of between the two of us were for us alone. The observers were here for the initial ceremony but after this we would be alone as much as we wished. Breaking our embrace, she took a step back, her hand going to the knot under her chin and suddenly the robe was falling to the floor to pool around her feet. She was naked, and so beautiful!

"You understand what must be done?" she asked, although it was more of a statement than a question. I nodded but she continued as if I hadn't been instructed in the ceremony. "You will take me in my mouth so that I may demonstrate my worship of your body. Then you will take me as a woman to show that I am your wife." Finally she looked at me and I could swear her eyes got a little rounder and her breath started coming a little faster. "Lastly you shall take me in my anus to demonstrate to the world that I am your slave and you are my master, that I am totally submissive to your will and your desires."

I was correct, she did seem to be breathing more rapidly and there was a slight flush of color in her cheeks. I didn't fully understand that, I had always heard that anal intercourse was painful or at least uncomfortable for the woman. That's probably why it was part of the ceremony, to show that the woman fully submits to her husband even if the act is degrading and painful. Again I didn't fully understand the point of this part of the ceremony, but it didn't stop me from getting excited.

"Shall we begin?" she asked, cocking her head to one side. I nodded not fully trusting my power of speech at that time. Without saying anything further she reached up and untied the robe I was wearing and pushed it back and off of my shoulders. Seconds later my robe was also heaped on the floor and I was as naked as she. Looking down she saw my erection; I was as hard as I had ever been, and she smiled as she slowly knelt in front of me.

Pausing for a moment she stared at my cock and I heard her whisper quietly as if to herself, "Beautiful! Absolutely beautiful!"

I hardly had time for this to register in my mind before her hands encircled me, grasping my buttocks, her mouth opened and she engulfed my cock.

It was amazing! Now don't get me wrong: I've had plenty of women pleasure me orally and I always enjoyed it but this was different from any of the others, it was incredible! I had been warned not to pleasure myself or allow anyone else to do so for the three days preceding the ceremony and I hadn't. I was as full and ready as I had ever been and I could tell immediately I wouldn't last very long. It didn't seem that she wanted to prolong our first time either since she sucked gently, licked and nibbled at my member with what I could only say was adoration and worship. I groaned as I felt my balls tighten and she moved her head back slightly until just the spongy head was firmly held by her lips.

I grunted as I came, spewing my seed in her mouth and onto her waiting tongue. My legs felt weak but she held me firm until I could stand upright unassisted. I looked down and saw she was looking up at me, my cock still resting in her tightly clenched and smiling lips. If you have never seen a woman smile at you with your cock still in her mouth let me tell you there is nothing better in the whole world. I also smiled and I could tell she could see the love and devotion I had for her. Her smile got even bigger and I swear there was an actual twinkle in her eyes.

When she was sure I could stand on my own she released my cock giving it a light kiss as it plopped out of her mouth. Standing she turned to the observers and even though I couldn't see what she did I knew she opened her mouth to show them my seed covering her tongue. One by one the observers nodded and after the last one had acknowledged her receipt of my gift she closed her mouth and swallowed loudly. Turning back to me she grinned and again my arms were filled with soft, warm and wonderfully naked female flesh. I had become partially flaccid after my orgasm but the feel of her in my arms brought it back to full strength immediately.

"Ah, the boon of youth," she chuckled as we snuggled together pressing as much of our skin together as possible. "Would you like to rest for awhile?" she asked. "Something to drink? We have as much time as you want. The feast will wait for as long as it takes."

"I want you now," I said somewhat breathlessly as she purred happily.

"Good," she answered, "because I want you inside of me as soon as possible." Taking my hand she led me to the platform bed that had been set up behind the dais just for this occasion. It was low and there were four chairs placed around it allowing the observers an unimpeded view of the action. I had been worried that I might feel uncomfortable about having others watch me fuck my mother for the first time but now that the moment was upon us I found I couldn't care less if the whole Hercegent was there, I wanted my cock in her right then!