Date: Mon, 6 Oct 2003 14:50:04 -0700 (PDT)
From: rimpigfl <rimpigfl@yahoo.com>
Subject: THE YOUNG KNIGHT 8

"In days of old, when knights were bold..." began a rather bawdy chant I
learned as a child. But Knights were nothing to laugh or sneer at! They
were a boyhood fantasy full of horses, battles, swords and courage. I
suppose part of what I love about Marines is what I love about knights. I
must admit that even as a lover of peace, I am strongly attracted to
warriors.

This story is dedicated to the real Nicholas. 

THE YOUNG KNIGHT
by RimPig  (c) 2003

Chapter VIII

The light of dawn was just creeping through the windows of the rooms that
Nicholas and I shared at Baden Castle. I awoke to find my love exactly
where he had fallen in romantic combat the night before - on top of me, my
legs wrapped around his and with the sword of his manhood still buried in
me. Since last night, it had renewed its vigor and I could feel it
throbbing within me in need.  This triggered my own need to feel its master
thrusting deep within me, breeding me as only he knew how! I could hear
Nicholas's gentle breathing and feel the heat of his breath on my neck.  My
hands began to travel down his muscular back until my hands were gently
stroking the rounded softness of his nether region. My mouth locked onto
his shoulder and I was tasting the sweaty saltiness of his skin when I
heard a soft moan in my ear.

Even half asleep, Nicholas's body knew what it wanted and I could feel his
hips begin to make small thrusts in and out of my body. I groaned at the
feeling, wanting him to awaken and breed me again as he had the night
before. This was a day that would see me bound to him forever by virtue of
oath but I wanted this day to begin with being bound to him in the manner
that pleased us both in our hearts. I raised my legs to his waist and
allowed his manhood more freedom of movement and access to my body.

Nicholas finally came awake and began to take notice of his
surroundings. He rose up on his elbows and stared down into my face.

"Did I sleep atop you all night?" he asked, clearly still not completely
cognizant of his surroundings.

"Yes, my love, you did." I smiled.

"I seem to be buried inside you again." he smiled as I felt his manhood
twitch within me.

"I doubt that your sword ever left my sheath at all." I grinned.

"I'm sorry. This could not have been very comfortable for you." he said and
made as if to dismount.

I held him with my arms to keep him where he was.

"On the contrary, my love, it was the most comfortable and comforting sleep
I've had in a long time." I smiled. "But I think you have unfinished
business now."

"Not unfinished for long, my love!" he grinned as his hips began to move
again, impaling me fully on his manhood.

He was right. It did not take long until we were both screaming out in the
throws of our spending.  This time, Nicholas rolled off my body and lay
beside me, pulling me to him so that we were bundled together as our
breathing returned to normal.

"I love you so much, Robby." Nicholas murmured to me.

"And I you. Today we will be bound together forever in the very sight of
the High King. I will swear fealty to you as my liege lord but you and I
both know what that vow will really be. A renewal of those vows we made to
each other at the beginning." I murmured to him.

"I wonder what Alred thinks of our situation?" Nicholas mused.

"I doubt he thinks of it at all, love. Or, if he does, he probably equates
it to his own marriage to Gwendolyn in some way. That would be my guess." I
said.

"I wonder who he sees as the wife?" Nicholas chuckled.

"Oh, I have no doubt who plays that role in his mind!" I said, ruefully.

"I wonder what he would think if he knew how well you breed me at times?"
Nicholas said as he kissed me gently.

"That part he would have great difficulty with. I have noticed in males a
tendency to be unable to look past what to them must be so obviously
painful and not even begin to understand what incredible pleasure is also
created. Mores the pity." I said.

"I'm not so sure I'd like that! I might have had much competition for your
affections!" Nicholas said.

"Any competition would hardly have been given notice. I was yours from the
moment we met." I said, gently kissing him. "Nor, in all these years, has
that changed."

"You have no regrets?" Nicholas asked.

"I had only one and then Brendan came into our lives. There is nothing I
want but to spend my life loving you and your heir." I vowed. "And you? No
regrets?"

"Only that I cannot shout from the battlements how much I love you, how
much you make my life worth living. Only that." he murmured.

For a long time after that, all conversation ceased as we lay in each
other's arms, our mouths locked to each other's in a deep kiss. We perhaps
would have stayed in bed with each other all day but for hearing the
servants delivering food in the outer room. We broke our fast and then
Nicholas ordered the servants to bring hot water for him to bathe me. It
was part of the knighting ritual that I would be bathed as a symbolic act
of washing away my old life as a squire and purifying me for my life as a
knight. Usually servants did this but Nicholas decided to bathe me himself,
wishing no one's hands but his to touch my body.

After bathing, I donned a white robe, again a symbol of purity over which
went a red scapular, the symbol of courage. Finally, I donned a black
cloak, symbolizing the reality that death was ever near, especially for a
knight who might, at any time, be called upon to give his life for his
liege- lord.  Nicholas, for the first time, wore the ducal coronet which he
handed to me to place upon his head.

"There is no other hands but yours that I would rather receive this
coronet." Nicholas said, handing it to me.

And saying so, he knelt at my feet. At first I was aghast that he was doing
so. I was not his king or a bishop - the only two people that a Duke knelt
to. Nicholas looked up and saw my consternation.

"My loyalty to you comes before my God or even my king." Nicholas said
simply.

I lowered the diadem to his head. The gleaming silver and the flashing
stones were the perfect compliment to his long, dark - almost black -
hair. As he stood and I looked at him, it brought tear to my eyes to
finally see him as the regal Duke that I always knew he would be.

"My love," I said, my voice husky with emotion. "You are magnificent."

"No, Robby, I am just so in your eyes." he said, taking me in his
arms. "You have no idea how beautiful you look, finally dressed as a
knight."

He kissed me but quickly let go of me. He went over to the side of the bed
and brought back his sword and scabbard and belted it around my waist.

"There! Now you look as a knight should!" he proclaimed.

"But, Nicholas, this is your sword! I cannot wear it!" I said.

"On the contrary, my love. It is now your sword. I, perforce, must wear the
ducal sword from now on." he smiled. "Which reminds me, I must have it
brought from my father's apartments."

Nicholas went out of the chamber and found one of the servants to bring the
sword to him. We were still standing there talking when a hesitant rap came
at the door the bedchamber. I opened it and there stood a young servant boy
of perhaps fourteen summers, the age I was when I became Nicholas's
squire. The boy was quite comely, with long golden hair and deep blue
eyes. His body was lithe but with broad shoulders and sturdy legs.

"Good lad! I see you've brought the Duke's sword." I said.

"Prithee, yes, m'lord." The boy said, bowing low to me.

"Boy, that is the Duke over there. You don't have to bow to me!" I laughed.

"I'm sorry, m'lord. I was taught to bow to all knights." The boy said, and
I saw fear in his eyes that he had displeased me in some way.

I ruffled the boy's hair and tried to put him at ease.

"What's your name, lad?" Nicholas asked.

"Wolfred, your grace. But all call me Wolf." he said.

"How long have you served here?" Nicholas asked.

"For four summers now, your Grace, ever since I lost my family." Wolf said.

"How did you lose your family?" I asked.

"Twas a fever, m'lord. I was the only one spared. If the Duke had not taken
me into his service, I would have starved." the boy said.

Nicholas and I looked at each other. It was a surprising bit of kindness
coming from his father to spare the boy.

"Who was your father, Wolf?" Nicholas asked.

"Thomas Green, your Grace." the boy answered.

"Ahh! He was one of my father's breeders of hunting dogs." Nicholas said to
me which is why the Duke would look kindly on the man's son.

"So what are your duties here?" Nicholas asked.

"I'm usually in the kitchen, your Grace, but I also help out in the
stables." Wolf replied.

"Do you like horses?" Nicholas asked.

"Oh, yes, your Grace!" the boy enthused.

"Methinks that your duties are about to change, young sir." Nicholas said,
slowly rubbing his chin with his hand, a habit of his I've noticed over the
years when he is envisioning some new enterprise.

"You are not going to dismiss me, are you, your Grace?" the boy gasped and
I could see his chin trembling as if he were about to burst into tears.

"On the contrary, Wolf!" Nicholas grinned at him. "I'm about to give you a
promotion. Have you ever dreamed of becoming a knight?"

The look on Wolf's face was priceless. In a moment he went to almost crying
to his eyes wide in surprise and his mouth dropping open in amazement.

"Of course, your grace! Every boy does!" he exclaimed, but then his face
fell. "But, I have no chance to ever be one."

"Why not?" Nicholas asked.

"Because only the high-born become knights." Wolf replied, his face looking
down at his feet.

"That is not true! Why Robby here becomes a knight this day and he is not
high-born." Nicholas said.

"But he...uhh...he..." Wolf stuttered.

"He what?" Nicholas asked, his eyebrow raised.

"He is beloved of you, your Grace." Wolf said quietly.

"That is very true, Wolf. But that is not the reason that he is being
knighted. I would love him still if he were not a knight. Robby is being
knighted for his courage and his devotion to me and the fact that he has
well served his time as my squire. That is how one becomes a knight."
Nicholas said.

Wolf looked up at him.

"Now, Robby will need a squire. Do you know of anyone who might want to
become his squire, Wolf?" Nicholas asked the boy.

At the same time, Nicholas looked at me for my approval. I nodded
enthusiastically. This beautiful, lonely, family-less boy would perhaps be
a perfect squire for me. Before he had a chance to answer, however, I felt
that it was incumbent upon me to let him know the full extent of his
duties.

"Before you answer, Wolf, let me tell you that one duty my squire would
have is somewhat different than most squires." I said.

"And what would that duty be?" Wolf asked curiously.

"As you know, the Duke and I are fostering his heir - Brendan, the son of
the Duke of Valderon.  A good deal of your time would be spent with him and
he is quite and energetic boy of ten summers? Would that be a difficulty to
you?" I asked.

Wolf looked at me in a curious way.

"I had a younger brother, Willem, who was that age. He and I were very
close." Wolf said quietly.

"Well, then I think that we have found you a squire, Robby! Would you like
that Wolf?" Nicholas asked the boy!

Wolf looked up at Nicholas and then at me, his face with a look of shock on
it.

"Me?! Me, your Grace?!" Wolf asked in disbelief.

"You see any other boy standing here?" Nicholas grinned.

"But, your Grace! I'm not worthy!" Wolf said.

I reached over and put my arms around the boy.

"That's what I thought the day I became Nicholas's squire. That's what
makes a good squire, Wolf! The desire to become worthy! If you already
thought you were worthy, you would probably insufferably obnoxious!" I
laughed. "Now, would you like to meet Brendan? I think he will like you
very much!"

"Oh, yes, m'lord! Very much!" Wolf enthused.

"One thing, Wolf. When were in public, I know that it is customary for you
to call me 'm'lord' but when we are alone, please call me Robby." I said.

"Yes, m'....uhh, Robby." Wolf said.

"And I am Nicholas." my beloved said to the boy.

"But...but...you're the Duke!" Wolf said.

"When we're in public, I'm the Duke. When we are alone, I can well do
without titles." Nicholas said.

"Yes, your...umm...Nicholas." Wolf said, but it was with obvious
difficulty.

"Just like you!" Nicholas laughed, looking at me.

"Well, it is difficult after being raised all your life to use titles." I
defended myself and Wolf.

"I know, my love. It just brought back fond memories." he said and walked
over and kissed me deeply - right in front of Wolf!

When we broke the kiss, I glanced over at Wolf who's eyes were wide in
surprise.

"I'm afraid that you are liable to see quite a lot of that, Wolf. Does that
present a problem to you?" Nicholas asked the boy.

"No...uhh...Nicholas. There is something...umm...exciting about it." Wolf
answered, his face reddening in a blush.

"Nicholas! You're embarrassing the boy!" I chided him.

"That's all right, Wolf. One day, you will have someone to kiss that way."
Nicholas smiled at the boy who smiled back.

"Well! Time to get you introduced to Brendan."

I took him next door to Brendan's room and introduced the two of them to
each other. I laid out Brendan's clothes for the ceremony and told Wolf to
see that he got bathed and dressed and then left the two boys alone before
rejoining Nicholas.

"How did it go?" he asked.

"Remember how we wondered if Brendan was going to be attracted to males or
females?" I asked.

"You don't mean...!" Nicholas exclaimed.

"Brendan took one look at Wolf and this look came over his face that could
be described as nothing else but complete infatuation!" I laughed.

"Just like your face the first time I saw you." Nicholas said, quietly,
gathering me into his arms.  "How did Wolf take it?"

"He seemed to be equally enamored of your little heir. Me thinks, that
Brendan has found his Connor." I said.

"God I hope so! Wouldn't that be wonderful!" Nicholas smiled.

"How did you decide so quickly about Wolf?" I asked.

"I do not know. It was a look about him, his eyes...I can not explain it!
Just something inside of me told me that this was the perfect boy to serve
as your squire! I'd been thinking that you would need one now, but was
going to wait and have you choose your own. I hope you do not mind my doing
it for you?" Nicholas said.

"Not at all! I think you definitely made the right choice." I said, kissing
him deeply.

We hardly had time for any more love or conversation when there was a knock
at the door. Wolf again appeared with Brendan in tow. Brendan ran to me and
threw his arms around me. I squatted down to hug him and he whispered in my
ear.

"Thank you for Wolf." he whispered so low I could barely hear his words.

"You like him, then?" I whispered back.

"Oh, yes! He is very beautiful!" Brendan whispered and then began to giggle
at his own forwardness.

"I can see that. I'm glad you like his looks." I smiled.

"But...it is more than that...I do not know how to explain it." he said,
wistfully.

"I understand. I wouldn't have been able to explain it when I was your age
either. Just enjoy it.  There is no need to explain." I smiled. "However,
you should thank Nicholas for it was he who picked Wolf for us."

Brendan disengaged from my arms and immediately ran into Nicholas's. I
could hear them whispering together in what I surmised was a replay of our
whispered conversation. Nicholas ended by kissing the boy on the forehead
and then turning to Wolf.

"Wolf, would you take Brendan to the Chapel. We'll be along in a few
moments." Nicholas said.

Wolf and Brendan left and Nicholas took me back in his arms.

"Are you ready, love?" he asked.

"I've been ready for a long time." I smiled.

"Yes, I know you have been. Were you not in exile with me in Valderon you
would have been knighted long before this." Nicholas said, apologetically.

"My love, I would rather be in exile with you in Hell than crowned High
King! I have told you before, my home is not a place, but where you are." I
said.

Nicholas then drew me closer in his arms and kissed me deeply. Breaking the
kiss, he looked deeply into my eyes. As always, I was immediately lost in
the dark depths of his.

"This day marks the fulfillment of all my dreams. I am Duke, you are
finally knighted but, most of all, I have you by my side for all our
lives." Nicholas said.

"Funny," I said smiling. " I had all the same dreams!"

"Now, it is time for my little heir to begin his dreams." Nicholas smiled.

"Oh?" I asked.

"You'll never guess what the little scamp has come up with!" Nicholas
grinned.

"What?" I asked.

"He's decided to have Wolf sleep in his room rather than in the squire's
quarters!" Nicholas asked.

"Well, it would seem he is truly your heir!" I laughed.

"What do you wager that Wolf never makes it to a couch and Brendan has him
in bed with him the first night?" Nicholas grinned.

"I will not make any such wager for I would surely lose!" I laughed but
then I got serious. "Do you think Brendan is too young to learn about the
ways of males together?"

"No, I don't think so. And I can tell, Wolf will be gentle with him. After
all, he has already seen some of it with us." Nicholas said.

"Yes, that's true. And I don't believe Wolf would hurt him for the world. I
do wonder, though, how much Wolf knows? After all, he is still young yet."
I said.

"Good. Then they can learn together. Like we did." Nicholas said as he
kissed me once more.

"We should go, my love. The High King is waiting for us." Nicholas smiled.

We went to the chapel in the Castle, the same place that Nicholas's
father's body would lie in state prior to the funeral tomorrow. Somewhere,
within the castle, the body was being prepared and the lying in state would
take place after my knighting.

On hand for the ceremony was some of Nicholas's faithful house retainers
and some of the stable hands which I had become friends with over the years
as I tended to Nicholas's and my horses.  These were the people I wanted to
be there and Nicholas had ordered it so. Brendan and Wolf were there as
well. Alred, the High King was already seated in the sanctuary along with
his King's Champion, Lord Leicster, a tall, quiet knight who was ever by
the King's side. For the first time, I wondered if perhaps the King knew
more of the relationship between myself and Nicholas than I had first
thought. Nicholas and I entered the sanctuary and made obeisance to the
altar. I knelt before it while Nicholas removed the sword he had given me
and placed it upon the altar.

The King, beginning the simple ceremony said to Nicholas:

"Who bring you to enter the Order of Knighthood?"

"My Lord, I bring Robert of Dunning to enter the Order of Knighthood."
Nicholas's voice rang through the chapel, the pride unmistakable.

"Has he proved himself worthy to enter the Order of Knighthood." Alred
asked within the order of the ritual.

"He has proved himself more than worthy, my Lord." Nicholas gave the ritual
reply but the, before Alred could say anything else, Nicholas added. "And
this honor, through no fault of his own, is long overdue him."

Alred looked at Nicholas strangely but then smiled.

"As we are all aware, my Lord Duke." The High King replied.

The High King walked to the center of the sanctuary in front of the
altar. His Champion handed the King his sword and Alred now addressed me.

"What do you seek, Robert of Dunning?" the King asked.

"To enter the Order of Knighthood, your Majesty." I replied.

"And do you swear loyalty to me, your King?" Alred asked.

"By the Blood of the Savior, I so swear my allegiance and loyalty to you."

The King then took his sword and tapped first my right and then my left
shoulders with it.

"Arise, Sir Robert of Baden." the King said.

Both Nicholas and I looked at Alred. This was a shocking announcement! He
should have announced me as Sir Robert of Dunning, my family ancestral
home. Instead, he had announced me as belonging to Baden, Nicholas's
ancestral home! Alred just continued to smile.

"I thought it more appropriate. Do either of you disagree?" Alred smiled.

"No, your Majesty!" Nicholas and I said together as we bowed to the High
King.

"Good! You've learned the first lesson! Never argue with your King!" Alred
laughed.

I went over and knelt before Nicholas. I placed my hands together, almost
in the manner of prayer inside of his hands and then looked up into his
eyes.

"Nicholas, Duke of Baden, I swear fealty to you for as long as I have
breath and life. I am yours, Nicholas. Forever. By the blood of the Savior
I swear that to you." I said.

There were tears running down my cheeks and Nicholas's as he accepted my
oath of fealty. The oath that ever knight gives to his liege-lord. But this
oath, between us, was far different. This oath not only bound our bodies
but our hearts and souls as well.

Following the knighting ceremony, there is usually a large feast in the
Great Hall. However, because of the Duke's death and his lying in state,
this was inappropriate. Instead, a small feast consisting of Nicholas and
myself, Alred and his Champion along with Brendan and Wolf. At first, Wolf
was so overwhelmed at being in such close proximity to the High King that
he could barely eat. Alred understood this and turned to him.

"You are called Wolf, are you not?" he asked.

"Yes, your Majesty!" Wolf answered, his voice shrill and high, a sure sign
of his nervousness.

"Well, you certainly don't eat like one, boy! Don't you want to become a
knight? Do you want to be a squire all your life?" Alred asked.

"Oh, yes, your Majesty! More than anything else in the world!" Wolf
answered.

"Then you need to eat and grow strong, lad! And remember this, my boy. Even
kings put on their breeches on leg at a time." Alred smiled. "We're all
human, lad. No need to get over-awed about any of us."

"Thank you, your Majesty." Wolf smiled and I noticed that he began to eat
more like a lad of fourteen summers!

The funeral the next day was long and tedious. Finally, the priests all had
their last say and committed the Dukes body to the family tombs in the
catacombs beneath the castle. Nicholas was the last to leave the crypt. I
stayed behind, watching him as he stood before his father's
sarcophagus. The stone carvers had done a good job of the Duke's likeness
on the lid. It looked like the Duke asleep, clutching his sword - the sword
now hanging at Nicholas's side. He finally turned and saw me standing
there.

"As long as I live, I will never understand him. Could it really be as
Alred said, that he locked up his emotions after my mother died?" Nicholas
asked.

"Far be it from me to tell what lurked in your father's heart, love. But,
as Alred knew him longer and better than either of us, I would tend to take
his word for it." I answered.

"Then I am sorry, because he must have lived a miserable
existence. Certainly, except when drunk or debauching a servant-girl, I
never saw him take any real pleasure in life." Nicholas said.

"Perhaps that was his pleasure." I said.

"Sad. And so is this place. Let us go back up to our rooms. I wish to rid
myself of the sight and stink of this charnel house!" Nicholas snorted.

We headed back up to our rooms. Alred had gone to his to rest and Brendan
and Wolf were out riding in the meadows somewhere. We all had our way of
re-asserting life after the rituals of death. For Nicholas, it was in
telling the servants that he and I were not to be disturbed for any reason,
save the High King's summons and bolting the inner door to our
bedchamber. I knew well enough what he wanted and stripped naked upon
entering the room. I climbed onto the bed while watching Nicholas disrobe
as well. A thrill still went through me at the sight of his muscular
nakedness - not to mention the strong erect manhood between his legs! That
stalk that pleasured me so greatly when buried deep inside my body!

There was a desperate tenderness about the way Nicholas made love to me
that afternoon.  Something I can hardly describe. There was need - deep
emotional need. But there was something else. Perhaps a sense of his own
mortality - and mine. I do not know. For me, I was moved with a strong
desire to give him whatever comfort he could find in my arms. He made love
slowly to me, breeding me strongly but gently. Then he did it again only to
desire the same from me. I bred him as roughly as he demanded and finally,
he seemed to relax. He fell asleep in my arms, his head resting on my
chest.

That evening, we did attend a feast, one held for the entire castle. It was
a tradition to feast the former Duke upon the evening of his internment. It
was expected that Nicholas should make a speech eulogizing his father
during the feast. I didn't know what he was going to say. I don't think he
did either until he got to his feet after the main courses had been served.

"The Duke is dead, long live the Duke. That is what I've heard from many of
you. Yes, the Duke is dead. My father, the Duke, ruled a long time. He kept
this duchy at peace and gave it prosperity. For that he should be
remembered. The rest of his life should be left to God to judge. I hope
when I am interred beneath the stones of this castle, the same can be said
for me - that I kept this duchy at peace and gave it prosperity. May my
father finally rest in peace." Nicholas said and, with that, sat down.

There were cheers throughout the Great Hall and Alred led them. Then he got
up to speak. He spoke of Nicholas's father as a young boy - as the king had
known him. He spoke of the marriage of Nicholas's parents and the love they
had for each other. He spoke of the Duke's heartbreak at his wife's death
and spoke of the love that the Duke had for his son - the same story that
the King had told Nicholas and me.

Finally, Nicholas and I were able to slip away. On the way to our chamber,
we stopped at Brendan's to check on him for the night. What met our eyes
when we poked our heads into the room made us both smile at each other. As
Nicholas had predicted, there were Wolf and Brendan, sound asleep, curled
up in each other's arms with Brendan's small head resting on Wolf's bare,
muscular chest.

Closing the door, Nicholas said to me, "If they are not lovers now, they
soon will be."

"Yes, love, I'm sure you're right." I smiled.

In our own chambers, I curled up with my head on Nicholas's muscular chest
and slept the same.

The following morning we said good-bye to the High King and his entourage
and then Nicholas and I rode off into the forest, supposedly to do some
hunting. I knew it was because Nicholas wanted to spend time alone with
me. We rode through the forest, speaking of nothing of consequence, just
noting the weather and the plants and animals we chanced upon. After we had
ridden for at least two candle marks, we came to a clearing through which a
stream flowed.  Nicholas and I tethered our horses and lay down on the
streams grassy banks.

"What is troubling you, love?" I finally asked.

"Am I that obvious, Robby?" he smiled.

"Yes, to me you are." I said.

"I guess I'm frightened." he admitted.

"Of what?" I asked, never knowing Nicholas to be frightened of anything.

"I'm afraid that I don't know how to rule. I don't know how to run this
duchy. God knows, my father did little or nothing to teach me! How am I
supposed to govern. How am I supposed to train Brendan as my heir if I
don't know what I'm doing?" he said, finally voicing doubts which I had a
feeling he had held inside for a long time.

"Love, all you can do is your best. You had the example of your father. You
know what things you agreed with and which you didn't. You have to have the
courage to do what you think is best. That's all anyone can do." I said.

"I cannot do it alone. Thank God I have you to help." he said.

"I do not know of what help I can be? I know less about governing than you
do." I said.

"But you have a kind heart, my love. You will keep me from doing things
that might hurt people.  And, never underestimate the comfort that you
provide for me." he smiled and then kissed me.

We slowly undressed each other and made love by the stream. It was during
this love making that we discovered something that we had never done
before. As Nicholas was taking my stalk into his warm, wet mouth, I
suddenly had the desire to taste his. I turned so that I could reach him
and we found ourselves giving each other pleasure at the same time! It was
quite a momentous discovery for us! In fact, we immediately proceeded to do
it over again!

When we finally lay in each other's arms, sated from our exploration,
Nicholas told me of some of his plans for the duchy. He had some very
interesting ideas about making life for all of the people better. He also
had decided to try and build an alliance with Essex to prevent any more
threats of war. He had already decided to ask his uncle Gareth and his
lover Connor to intercede for him with Essex.

This came to pass and Nicholas ruled a peaceful duchy for many years. He
did bring prosperity to the people as well. Throughout the duchy and much
of the kingdoms, Nicholas was hailed as a wise and good ruler. I have been
privileged to spend these years beside him and in his bed. My love for him
has only grown deeper through the years and his devotion to me has never
wavered.  Sometimes, when he is asleep, the lines in his now aging face
relax and, despite the silver threads among the dark flow of his hair, I
can still see the young knight I fell in love with so long ago.

As to Brendan and Wolf? Well, they are both knights now, and they are both
as devoted to each other as Nicholas and I are. But that is a tale for
another telling....

THE END OF THE YOUNG KNIGHT

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RimPig