Chapter 20 #5
But if Corrik says I’m getting a spanking, I am.
Aside from being much stronger than I am, I’ve learned to trust him on such things.
I’m like Papa this way; I need spanking to balance the chaos inside me.
Corrik works over my arse good. I delight in knowing it’s a firm arse.
Between the travel to save him and the daily workouts on the field, it’s got the tight bounce it once had, back.
You can only get so much firmness working out in a room.
Even good boy spankings hurt. If not, they’re a snooze for someone like me and pointless.
At the same time (between cries), I’m soothed.
He’s got his thick wooden hairbrush (his favorite) and I’m over his knee, off-balance, my hands pawing at the ground.
Corrik’s sitting in the chair he likes to spank me in.
It has the appearance of something entirely non-threatening but it’s threatening, let me tell you.
If you see a chair with no arms and a soft cushion (for the spanker, heaven forbid their arse experience discomfort) beware. Head for the hills.
When wood smacks flesh, it makes a crisp thuck kind of sound, a bit like if you muffled hands clapping. Corrik has as steady thuck-rhythm going on my arse and it doesn’t take long for me to kick and move and fuss. “Corrik that hurts!”
“I know, my darling. Let go.”
“You let go of that infernal hairbrush and we have a deal.”
I swear he laughs—it’s a quiet laugh, and the brush is loud on my poor arse, but I have excellent hearing—but he spanks harder and shifts enough he has a firmer grip on my thigh.
By the time Corrik’s done, my woes have up and wandered off to wherever spanking takes them and I’m ready for sleep.
He carries me over to the bed and I think I’m going to close my eyes and head into dreamland.
“Oh no you don’t, not yet.” He slips his cock between my reddened cheeks—something he can’t resist.
I collapse on top of him when he’s done with me, feeling a world better than when I came in and for some reason, it pours out of me. “Elves don’t like me Corrik. I’m not sure they’re ever going to like me.”
It was almost better in Aldrien since I didn’t expect them to. I’d hoped here things would be different. “I’m sorry, Tahsen. I can’t promise it will get easier in that regard.”
“Why do they hate us so much? I don’t get it.”
“Prejudice isn’t logical.”
“I doubt it will change when I’m an Elf. I see how the halflings are treated, I don’t see a human turned Elf getting much love.”
He runs fingers through my hair. “No.”
“Do you think something could be worked out so that I might visit with the friends I have made?” He knows I mean Jagar and Aldagir.
He frowns. “We can work out another visit, but it won’t be permitted on a regular basis. They are commoners, there are rules.” Yeah. I’ve never much cared for rules though. “I see your wheels spinning. It’s not my rule, but you need to obey it all the same.”
I often wonder why I was born into so many levels of royalty; I get along far better with ‘common folk’. I change the subject. “What about the witch wyrms? Have any more children been taken?”
I’m not an idiot. I know the “send Tristan to training camp” was largely to keep me from that mystery.
It’s been successful in keeping me busy, but not out of my mind.
We discussed the information Corrik was given by the man in the hall the other day, but it was more hearsay than fact, hence not helpful.
“So far, no more children have been taken, but there has been no word on who has been conjuring the creatures.”
I nod not liking any of it. I feel the draw to be out there, looking. If it is Aldrien, I could find that out.
“No to whatever it is you’re thinking, Tristan.” He knows me too well.
“I won’t,” I say. “I can’t change that I want to, but I won’t.
I worry that no one will care enough, because they’re halfling children.
” Which was the problem in the first place.
They’d been going missing long before anyone did anything about it.
If they’d been Elven children, I know the calvary would have been sent immediately.
“I care, my love.”
“A lot of good that does. You’re banned as much as I am.” The king and queen are still not over his “death.”
He smacks my arse a lot harder than any of the spanks from earlier. “Watch yourself. That’s a mighty attitude, my darling.”
I hide from his darkening eyes by burying my head in his chest. I like him put out with me less and less.
I’m finding my brat energy isn’t as strong with Corrik as it was Bayaden.
I’m still submissive with him, with a shade of brat, but I want to be good for him more than not. “I’m sorry, Cor. I’m just frustrated.”
“Me too. I might not have permission to go yet, but I am on many councils. I will push and I will watch over this problem.”
“Maybe we should wait then, to go. Otherwise, who will oversee this while we’re gone?”
“Ditira. She’s as invested as you are. Alrik respects her more than he does me.”
“Alrik respects you more than you think.” From the way he’s had nothing to do with me, other than to terrorize me in the Hall, I suspect giving me up to Corrik was not something he wanted to do and because of how much he adores his baby brother, he’s stayed away.
Corrik’s eyes begin to close, but I’ve got my second wind and there’s something I need to do. “I’m not ready for bed yet, Cor. I’ll be back in a bit.”
“You were nearly asleep moments ago,” he mumbles. Thankfully my stomach has good timing. I can always rely on it as an excuse; it makes itself known. “Your stomach, I swear. I spend more time feeding it than anything else. Come back soon.”
I kiss his lips, dress, and head out of the room.
Ihave free run of the palace now. I don’t require guards for inside, or across the grounds, but the moment I leave that boundary, it’s a full guard, and that is non-negotiable.
Hence, I don’t leave much. I’ve never liked that requirement—it wasn’t different at home—and sometimes, I think about running off like I used to, but I’ve grown up some and I think about others now.
Especially when I’m starting to see the wisdom in it.
And the punishment I got from the king and queen for taking off.
I’ll never regret it. I got Corrik back, but the look in the eyes of my Elven parents, well, it’s not the first time they’ve ‘lost’ me and they’re getting pretty tired of losing me, even though they were just as happy to have Corrik back. They’ve both come to care for me deeply.
I gather my courage. Talking to Alrik’s never been easy. It has a lot to do with his energy. He’s a Dominant supreme and while I’m still not submissive enough to be with him, my energy does react in kind. It’s hard to be anything but compliant.
But I have to ask him a favor.
I know he likes to hang out in the armory this time of night.
It’s well past my curfew for leaving the palace, even to head over that way, but it’s not enforced by a guard.
I’m expected to keep it. I usually do, and I know I’ll be reprimanded for this, but I also know I won’t catch Alrik at any other time.
Sneaking up on him isn’t an option, so I don’t bother. He knows it’s me without turning around. “Tristan,” his low voice says. “You are not supposed to be out at this time. You might not be mine, but I still have leave to spank you if need be.”
I carry on over to him. He’s polishing his sword like he does most nights.
Alrik is rough around the edges. If Bayden was the sandpaper that made things come out smooth, Alrik is the jagged rock breaking your skin, so you are forced to heal over—you’re stronger, but healing over never leaves a clean canvas behind.
I understand why people fear him, but I tend to think if you get to know someone’s motivations for things, most people can be reasoned with.
I didn’t like him at first either when I was judging him.
But when he got vulnerable with me, I saw that he did have a heart and I can’t forget that.
I watch him for a little while, admiring how meticulous he is.
He doesn’t send me away, so I sit and continue to watch him.
I’m not kneeling, but it feels much the same as kneeling makes me feel.
“Are you going to tell me why you’re here at some point?
It must be something important if you’re risking a spanking from me. ”
“It is.” I take a breath. “I need to make sure you’ll look in on the halflings case while we’re gone.”
He doesn’t speak for some time, continuing to polish, but finally he asks, “What makes you think I’ll be here?”
“Won’t you?”
“No. My place is looking after you.”
“Alrik—”
“—do not take that the wrong way. I have a responsibility to you. Nothing more.”
Horseshit, at least if Corrik’s suspicions about him sweet on me are anything to go by. Gods I hope not. “Corrik and an entire army will look after me. I also imagine Zelphar will be there to my dismay. You will be of more use here, Your Highness.”
When he doesn’t answer, I move to leave because clearly, he’s not going to listen to me, and I really am hungry. I plan my route to account for stopping for a meat pie on the way back. “You’re impossible,” I add.
“Sit there,” he says.
I slump back down in my seat. He doesn’t say anything, and I have to wait. And wait and wait and wait. Until finally, “We are still engaged to be married.”
“What?” Brilliant. Bloody fucking brilliant.
“I did not tell my brother because he will flip out. It’s a legality glitch that will go away when you become Elf, since it’s like being reborn.”
“That doesn’t make any sense. Does that mean the marriage between Corrik and I would have been absolved when I became Elf anyway?”
“No. It doesn’t work like that. If we wanted to, we could still keep the engagement, but the opportunity to absolve prior commitments of a specific nature is on the table. Marriages and engagements being two examples.”
“How could Corrik not know about this?”
“Do you have every in and out of Markaytian law memorized?”
“No.”
“Well, there you go. I didn’t know either until we tried to annul it. Therefore, you are still my responsibility. I am coming and that’s final.”
I would argue some more, but not only will he follow through with turning me over his knee, when Alrik sees you as his responsibility, he’s bound by his code of morals to look after you. He’s one of my new keepers whether I like it or not.
It’s not unwelcome. I don’t know that I understand it myself, but the Gods help me, I like the idea of having Alrik’s protection.
“I will tell Zelphar he needs to leave a special force of guards around the lower edges of town, will that appease?” I nod. He smirks. “It will have the bonus of giving Zelphar more work.”
“More work?”
“I know you’d like to get him back for his treatment of you.”
“You know about that?”
“I told you, you are my responsibility. I have received a report on you each day and checked myself on other days. Corrik will have done the same. You can’t hide things like that from us, but I commend you trying.” He’s so fucking smug.
“Why have neither of you intervened?”
“Because you are not in mortal danger and you can take a beating. Not to mention you would have thrown a fit.”
“I was totally adult about taking a break when Corrik asked me to, just tonight in fact.” I’m indignant. How dare he? “Besides, no one’s ever worried about the fits I throw.”
I get a quarter smile out of him. “So, you admit to throwing fits then?”
Gods do I want to punch him. “Oh, forget it. May I be excused, now, or am I to suffer your company for the rest of the evening?”
“You’re the one interrupting me. You may go after you come here a moment.”
He suddenly seems bigger as I approach, and stronger as his meaty hand makes sharp contact with my arse several times. “Ow!” My arse is still sore from when Corrik spanked it.
“That’ll teach you. Stay where you’re supposed to.”
It hurts, but I know it’s nothing compared to what he could do, he’s gone easy on me. “You never want company, while you do this? I’m good at this kind of stuff.” I used to pass Bayaden’s standards.
“If you want to come down here after curfew, I’m not opposed, but you’ll have a member of the guard bring you down. Understood?”
“Understood, sir.”
“Then you are dismissed.”
I pause a moment. I want to ask him why he was so angry over my commitment to Strobavik. He’s the one who set me up with Strobavik in the first place. He doesn’t make any sense. But my stomach growls, and that’s a good enough excuse for me to chicken out of asking.
I leave and stop at the kitchen for a meat pie. The staff is sparse, which is good since they don’t like seeing me around here much. It makes them nervous even though they needn’t be. I’m on my third one when Corrik appears. “I told you to come back quickly. It’s been over an hour.”
“I’m hungry,” I say between bites. “You want one?”
“No. I want you in bed snuggled against me. Come along.”
He doesn’t wait for me to follow, slinging me over his shoulder and carrying me off to bed.