Date: Sat, 24 Mar 2018 00:31:44 +0100 (CET)
From: john.matthews@tutanota.com
Subject: Apennine Boys School Part 11

The School Part Eleven

Arkady was having a nap in Sean's office. Sean was quietly working at his
desk, when Arkady snapped awake. This was not unusual, apparently. He
tended to catnap, and then spring immediately into life. Sean barely
noticed.

"They're coming, Sean."

"Wha... What mate? Who's coming?"

"Drake's coming..."

"Yeah, mate. Drake and Bran and Leo will be here in a day or two."

"No, they're coming now. G's a bit sad."

"OK mate," Sean said placatingly.

Sean wasn't expecting us for a few more days.

"Dad?"

"Yes mate?"

Sean put down his pen and looked at his little blond son. Arkady was very
serious. He nearly always called his father Sean, it was customary at The
School to call teachers by their first names. Only when something very,
very important was on his mind, did Arkady call his father 'Dad'.

"You have to give me to Drake, don't you?"

"Yes mate."

"Does that mean you won't love me anymore?"

Sean got up from his desk and came around to his son. He picked him up and
cuddled him.

"I will always, always, always love you, my Little Bear."

Arkady snuggled into his father and replied, "I love you Daddy - but
somehow I love Drake too."

"Yes, I know son. While you are at The School, Drake'll be your father and
I'll be just another teacher. The other boys don't have their fathers
here."

"I'm happy Drake'll be my new father. I really love him, like I love Bran
and you - is that OK?"

"Yes mate it is. The more people you love, the better it is."

"That's good, Daddy. I love lots of people - everybody here at The School,
but 'specially you, Bran, G, Leo and Drake."

"That's good mate."

Sean was very moved by his son. Arkady rarely sat still long enough to chat
with his Dad so this was a rare occasion, and a precious one.

"They'll be here soon, Dad, I better get ready."

"We don't know that, son. What happens if they don't arrive and you're all
ready?"

Arkady just smiled at his Dad, jumped off his lap and raced away. He
stopped and looked at Sean.

"You're giving me to Drake when he arrives, aren't you?"

"Yes, Arkady, I am."

"Well I better get ready then," and shot through before Sean could say
anything else.

Sean shrugged, and hoped that the little tyke wouldn't be disappointed. He
was reasonably sure he would be. After all, he was almost certain that the
four men had formed a School Family and would want to spend as much time
together as possible. He knew Bran and G would want to be together for as
long as possible.

He resumed his place at the desk and reached for the phone. He thought he
would call Roberto and check if they had left the Hotel. Indeed, they might
not even have reached the Hotel from the UK yet. He decided against calling
and thought he would see what happened. He would see if Arkady had the
binding with Drake he thought might develop between them. Usually,
something like this would take a couple of years, but Arkady seemed somehow
bound to Drake now.

"Yes, we'll just see," thought Sean. He resumed his work.

At about the same time, Drake became suddenly aware of Arkady. Bran was
casually dozing on Drake's shoulder with his arm around Drake's chest. Leo
was wrapped in silence in the driver's compartment.

"Arkady," mumbled Bran in his doze.

In the strange way of the Family, Drake became enmeshed in Bran's dream,
though he was fully awake. Drake became aware of an overpowering love for
the little fellow, and suddenly realised he couldn't wait to see him again,
to experience his boundless energy. Drake impulsively kissed Bran, who
hugged him tighter. Leo pulled the car to the side of the forest road.

All three alighted. Bran and Drake looked at Leo quizzically.

"Two things," said Leo. "I need a piss, and I just want to hug you guys."

Each seemed like a good idea. We let our dicks out and relieved our
bladders. We then fell into a big hug.

"I love you," said Leo. "I love you very, very much."

I knew at that time, that G was feeling the same intensity of emotion in
Milan. I was no longer surprised at this strange connection between the
four of us, but I was always thrilled and delighted with it. Suddenly I
felt a fifth presence.

"Arkady," I exhaled. "He knows we're on our way. He's getting dressed
especially. God I love that kid."

"You know he's getting dressed?" quizzed Bran.

"Yes."

Bran and Leo looked at each other. I knew there was something I didn't
understand.

"What?" I had to ask.

"You're about to become a father again," smiled Leo.

"Waddaya mean?"

"You're about to become a father," iterated Bran.

"Sean is going to formally give you his son, Arkady. He will relinquish all
rights to him. Remember, Sean is the principal of The School and no other
kid has his father there. Sean just has to surrender him to The School as a
whole. Arkady has somehow chosen you, and as a representative of The
School, you are it. Normally, Sean as principal accepts the new kids, but
he can't accept his own son."

"What about you, Bran? Sean is your father too."

"Two things. Firstly, Sean wasn't the principal when I started at The
School, and secondly, now I'm a graduate of The School. I've left. I'm
basically just an employee now, as well as being a student - externally at
a university. I am no longer under his jurisdiction as his child. I am, of
course, as an employee. So you see, things are slightly different."

"Is this a formal ceremony, or what?"

"Let's get going, suggested Leo, "I'll open the partition."

"Well, it's a sort of tradition at The School. The Count always had his
kids come to him dressed in white for their first time with him. He would
then give them a silver necklace to show they belonged to the
school. Sometimes, kids who fell in love or lust with each other would swap
necklaces. The tradition continues. A student falls in love with, or simply
admires another student, they will often swap necklaces. It's just a
tradition, and has all sorts of permutations."

"What do you mean has all sorts of permutations?" I asked.

"Well, a lot of the younger ones fall heavily for the older
students. Mostly hero worship, I think. They offer their necklace to the
older student, and the older student has the option to accept it or reject
it. It is, of course, an offer for sex."

"Ahhh," I said.

"Yes, ahhh indeed. Some lads accept the necklace and have quite a torrid
time with the giver. Others accept the necklace, and give the partner the
choice of going to bed or not. Some just simply don't accept the
necklace. However, there are no 'rules' as such, but there is etiquette. If
a necklace is rejected, the offerer must be given a good reason and always
be treated with courtesy and respect. One of my friends from my house never
accepted necklaces, but always went to bed with the offerer. He always gave
them a token of his respect though. Finally, he did accept a necklace and
it was from a little kid in Year 2 who was here on scholarship, as it
were. He doted on and loved that kid, and now just gives him everything the
scholarship doesn't cover. The little fellah is in year 3 this year. He
loves my house brother passionately, and I think will form a School Family
with him, if he hasn't already.

"There are lots of subtleties, and we all get the hang of it without
knowing. It's just one of those traditions.

"Oh, and one other thing," said Bran, "When you are offered a boy's
virginity and you take it, before you get dressed, you must tie a red
cotton thread around his neck. Loosely, of course, but not so much that it
can be taken off. It is worn by the boy proudly, to show he is no longer a
virgin. It will finally wear out and fall off. Most often it is lost, but
sometimes the kid finds it, or it falls off in the bath, and they keep it
forever. Somebody told me that when one of the old boys from the school
died, he still had his thread and insisted he be cremated with it on."

"Tradition, tradition!" sang Leo from the driver's compartment.

"So there you go," said Bran. "Some traditions about The School."

Back at The School, Arkady walked into Sean's office. He was dressed in a
white full length tunic and had a garland of flowers crowning him. He
certainly looked like an angel, a pure little angel. He had a white silk
rope around his waist. He looked a tiny king.

"They'll be here very soon, Daddy," said the little fellow. Somehow Sean
believed him. Arkady ran into Sean's arms.

"I love you, Daddy."

"I love you too, son... my Little Bear.

Arkady kissed his father on the lips. He stuck his tongue out a little and
licked Sean's lips. Sean could feel his libido start working. He responded
with his tongue in Arkady's mouth.

"They're here, daddy. You should meet them. I'll be ready in the atrium."

Somehow mesmerised by Arkady's words and strength of belief, Sean walked to
the front of the castle. As he did so, he saw The School limo glide into
the driveway. Sean now knew, beyond any doubt that Arkady had a strong
psychic connection with Drake, and that Drake would make the perfect father
for Arkady and the other nine Year Ones.

"Aha, Sean's on the ball," said Leo.

"Nope," I said with certainty, "Arkady told him we had arrived."

Sean greeted us warmly. He hugged us and kissed us briefly on the cheek.

"Leave your things, Drake. I need to have a bit of a yarn with you, and if
you guys would take Drake's things and anything else over to the Year One
house, just leave them there, and get back here as soon as possible."

"Yeah, massah!" I heard Bran say under his breath.

I chuckled.

Sean was already walking inside. His steps seemed a little heavier than
usual. His shoulders were down. I looked at the other guys and we all
shrugged in unison. I followed.

I sat down in his office and he poured us both a stiff Scotch.

"Where's Arkady," I asked.

"He's around," replied Sean, almost woodenly. "It's him I want to talk to
you about."

"Mmm," I replied.

"I have to give him to you today."

"Mmm."

"You're not surprised?" asked Sean.

"No, I'm not. Bran, Leo and I had a chat about Arkady and the giving
ceremony today. They also told me about the necklace and the red thread."

"Did Leo initiate that conversation?"

I thought back, and I replied that indeed he had, but that Bran had given
me the explanations.

Sean smiled. I could feel him send out love to Leo, and Leo send it back to
him. It was mixed with love from Bran, G and me as well.

He looked at me quizzically.

"You four are a family. I couldn't be happier. I really couldn't. This is a
beautiful and wonderful day. I hope I can visit you four sometimes."

I now knew this meant make love with the four of us, either separately or
together.

"There is always room for visitors," I said smiling at him.

"Thank you. I appreciate that. The Prof wasn't wrong about you."

He got up from his desk, came around and hugged me. He hugged me tightly
and kissed me.

"That's from me to you. Now this," he hugged me again, in a slightly
different way, "Is for looking after my sons."

He nuzzled into my neck and I felt his body sobbing quietly. It was an
intensely personal moment, and was meant for me alone. I held him in my
arms and soothed him by stroking his head. He lifted his face to me and I
kissed his tears away. As I tasted their saltiness, I knew he had given me
a gift, deep from within his soul, and I would cherish this moment, this
gift, forever.

We smiled at each other and broke the embrace. No words were said, Our eyes
said it all. He had given me his absolute trust. This moment would never be
spoken of outside of him and me.

He walked into a small lavatory, and I heard water running. Face washed, he
was Sean again. A trifle shiny around the eyes, but he was Sean. His
shoulders were straighter and his step was lighter. I was happy to see him
back again. He pointed to the bathroom and I shook my head. He walked
closer to me and with his finger wiped my cheek. He showed me a tear that
had fallen there. I hadn't realised I had teared up as well.

"Thanks," I whispered.

I still had a lump in my throat. I washed up and came back out. We had a
slug of our drinks.

"Where are those other two... they don't have to take all day," he all but
roared. Sean the principal was really back.

I grinned as a knock sounded at his door. He bade entry and Bran and Leo
sloped in.

"What are you two grinning about?"

"We're hungry and thirsty and I can't find any food. I think everyone is on
strike here. In fact, where is everybody?" asked Leo.

It was then I noticed the castle was a bit quiet. There was usually some
background noise.

"We'll eat in 20 minutes," snapped Sean, "Or I ain't the principal of this
School."

He rang down to the kitchen and there was no reply.

"Shit. I'll have to scrounge. But there are going to be ructions, I can
tell you."

"Anyway, I have some business to do first and I want you two to be here
when I do it."

He walked to a side door and went in. A moment later he returned hand in
hand with a very solemn Arkady. We gasped. He looked so beautiful. I loved
him again and I felt his love come back at me as did Sean's.

"Drake Fillan, as you are a bona fide representative of The School, I give
you my son, Arkady..." he looked at his son, "Body and soul, to be his
educator, mentor and father for the duration of his and your lives."

I heard a gasp from Leo and Bran. I ignored it.

Do you accept?"

I knew I had to hold it together and not cry out in joy for myself or in
pain for Sean. He was giving me his son forever.

"I accept..."

Sean started walking towards me with Arkady still holding his hand.

I dropped to one knee and I continued, "And I honour you, my Count, for
offering me the gift of your trust, and your son. I offer to you my total
and sworn loyalty and fealty regardless of consequences for all the days of
my life. Will you accept?"

I could see Sean was stunned. This wasn't the plan.

He looked at Bran and Leo who shook their heads.

"How did you..." He stopped himself.

"I accept."

He then walked slowly towards me, and gently lifted my elbow with his free
hand, bidding me to arise. He then took my hand, disengaged himself from
Arkady and placed the boy's tiny hand in mine. He closed his hand over
ours, kissed his son on the cheek, and let us free. I kissed Arkady on the
cheek and placed a thin silver necklace Sean had previously given to me
around his neck. He jumped into my arms.

"Can we eat now?" he squeaked.

"Just a moment," said Sean. "You said some words to me now... How did you
know whom I was a descendant of, and how did you know the words to use? I
know they haven't told you."

"They came into my mind, and I knew they were right."

"Ahhh," was Sean's only comment. "Let's see if we can't scrounge some
food."

Arkady whispered something to me and I kissed him.

"OK, but hurry, I'm not sure how long I can hold them," I whispered back.

Arkady raced out the door.

"Arkady has a little surprise for us, I think, so if we may, Sean, could we
have another drink. He assures me he will be five minutes."

"Make mine a double," said Leo and Bran together.

Bran came to me and said, "There are only three other people who have sworn
fealty to the Count, and I guess you know who they are. This makes us even
closer as a Family, if that were possible. And further, thank-you for
taking my brother."

I just hugged him and Leo joined in. Sean came closer and Leo brought him
in too.

We broke, just as the door to the office burst open. Arkady raced in and
jumped into my arms. At that moment a set of double doors swung open, and
all the staff were there. People whom I imagined to be the kitchen and
ancillary staff as well. Some were pushing trolleys of food. Others had
bottles of what looked like champagne.

"What's going on here?" roared Sean.

Nobody took any notice.

"One word from me and they do what they want," he remarked to an imaginary
friend nearby.

Somebody, I think a cook, piped up and said, "Every boy has a party before
he comes to The School, and Arkady should have one too."

"But how did you know today was the day?"

"He told us this morning."

"And just because he told you, you believed him?"

"Yes."

I stepped in. "I think I should say that since I have known Arkady, my new
son, he has been an honest and forthright boy... has been and will remain
so."

Sean harrumphed. "Let's eat."

We dived in, but Arkady would not leave my arms.

After a little time I said, "Little Bear you're going to have to get down
or we are going to starve to death."

He looked at me strangely. "Sean used to call me that, Little Bear."

"Would you prefer me not to, then?"

"Noooo... I like it. I'm your Little Bear now."

He snuggled in closer and his coronet of flowers tickled my ears. I tried
to gently lower him onto an armchair, but he stuck like a limpet. I gave
up, and sat down on a comfortable armchair. Arkady seemed as if he was
trying to get so close that he would disappear through my pores. Bran
brought me a plate piled with food and Leo brought over two glasses of
champagne. Arkady took a glass and drank down half in a gulp.

"Boy, I was thirsty." He started again on the glass.

"Eat something first," I told him.

He did and then told me he had to go to the toilet. He climbed off me and
started to wobble a little.

"OOOO," he said, "I feel a bit dizzy - must be the excitement."

"Or the champagne. C'mon mate, let's go to the toilet. I need to go as
well."

He jumped into my arms again. I was certain he had springs on his feet. We
went into the lavatory and I put him down.

"Are you Ok to pee, or do you need some help?"

He looked at me mischievously. "I really need some help."

"OK," I replied. I lifted him up, pulled up the back of his tunic with him
facing me so I couldn't see his lovely little arse, plonked him on the
seat, tastefully arranged the tunic around him and said, "Now pee." I
hadn't seen an inch of his flesh.

He looked at me as if he were plotting his revenge. I was reasonably sure
he was.

I did what I had to do, and Arkady told me he was finished. I lifted him
straight up and of course the folds of his tunic came straight down. Again
I didn't see an inch of his flesh. He took off his crown and put it on my
head and nestled into me again. I was really likeing this contact.

It was getting to be evening, and I was rapidly winding down and Arkady was
gently snoozing on my lap. The party, for such it had become, was in full
swing. Everybody had congratulated Arkady on becoming a scholar at The
School. He had lapped it up, but obviously he was becoming very tired.

Leo came up to me and told me I could go if I wanted to and take Arkady
with me. The bash would go on for a couple of hours yet, easily.

I thought it might be a good idea and walked towards Sean. Gently Leo
steered me away.

"Not tonight, it's not the custom."

I left, thinking that Sean must be feeling a little sad that his son was
now gone to another. I wandered slowly towards the house. I was suddenly
startled by a movement in the sky.

Lights came on and fireworks started.

"Arkady, quick, wake up."

His eyes sprung open. The staff had somehow organised a fireworks display
for him, and at centre stage was his flag, flying proudly in the breeze. He
looked at it and hugged me closer.

"That's my flag, you know Drake."

"I know my Little Bear, I know. Everybody loves you here, don't they."

"Yes, and I love them." It was said simply as a matter of fact. "But I
really, really, really love you, Drake."

For the first time I felt him rub his little cocklet against me and he
started to bone.

He nestled his head on my shoulder and neck, and almost to himself started
tunelessly singing... "I love you Drake, I love you Drake," over and over
again.

We entered the Year One house and climbed the stairs to my apartment.

I flipped the lights on and he wriggled out of my arms. He stood in front
of me and fished something out of the pocket in the tunic.

Solemnly he looked at me and held out his offering.

"I offer you my virginity. Will you do me the honour of accepting this
gift?"

He had given me a red cotton thread.



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