The Unsuitable Slave. (NC-17) Part 23/34
He woke, with a start, to the loving touch of fingers through his hair and a kiss on his cheek. “Wake up, Jared.”
There was the smell of coffee and the sun was established in the sky. He realized with dismay that he had slept through dawn, disobeyed yet again. He threw the eiderdown off, rolled from the bed onto the floor and adopted a posture of submission before speaking. “I beg your forgiveness Master. I am late for punishment.”
Jensen was fully dressed. He stepped in front of his slave and all that Jared could see of him were his shined black boots. He spoke formally and authoritatively, “Plans have altered. It suited me to let you sleep, there will be no punishment for this lack of punctuality.”
“Thank you, Master.”
“Jared. I want you to go and wait by the desk in my study. I want you to think of the reasons why you asked for my discipline. Take your time. We have no hurry to leave.” There was no softness in the tone, it was assertive and controlled and Jared let the reassurance of it wash over him.
He kneeled by the desk and wrestled with his thoughts. He wasn’t sure which moment, which breech of rules, was the most important to Jensen but if it was important to his Master, he had to get it right.
There was a flash of anger or maybe impatience that Jensen should delay the discipline like this, he couldn’t see why it mattered. He had been insolent and a slave is punished for such contempt.
Jensen sat at his desk for a while, sorting through papers and searching through items. As time passed his activity quietened and he sighed. “Jared, I am not asking for details of why you are to be punished but rather the reason why you acquiesce so easily to the notion of being punished.”
“It is the rules Master. I merely wished to save you the discomfort of commanding it.”
“It is the rules if there is an ordinary Master and slave relationship but I wouldn’t describe anything about our relationship as ordinary these last days. Would you?”
“No, Master.”
“Do you truly believe that I would punish you for lack of co-operation in the circumstances that I found you?”
“I’m not sure, Master.”
“Jared?” Jensen skirted the desk to perch on the edge of the desk. He lifted his slave's face with his fingers and stared into the hazel orbs. “Really? Try again.”
Jared struggled with notion.
“I’m going to find some clothes for you. Find an honest answer before I return.” Jensen removed his hand and his slave dropped his gaze to the floor once more and furrowed his brow as he concentrated on separating the turmoil of his emotions.
***
He raised his eyes, as Jensen returned to a wide bridle-leather strip on a braided handle. “I have decided to discipline you with ten strikes of tawse. It will remain uncomfortable, as we shall be riding all day. Whatever you tell me, the punishment will not alter and I will never divulge details of our conversation to anybody. This is between us. Have you found an answer, Child?”
“I think I have, Master.”
“Go ahead.” Jensen nodded kindly at him.
He spoke quietly, with irregular breath and uncertainty. “I asked to be punished because I feel out of control. I want you to take control for me.”
“Go on.” Jensen stroked Jared's face and then let his fingers stray to his collar and tag, rubbing over the initials on the silver disc.
“I want you to take the responsibility. The things I did, whatever I might do, I want you to take them, the blame and the memories. I want to be in the moment, just your slave, but to do that I have to accept your control, your rules and your weaknesses.”
“Why did your own insolence particularly upset you? Joshua and I were poor in our judgement and it impacted on you. Surely you had a right to say your piece?”
“It was uncontrolled and publicly vented. I risked the future of negotiations that would help your cause and mine. It was your mistake to make, not mine and I should have trusted you.”
“It is difficult to trust a person who has repeatedly let you down Jared.”
“I need this to work between us and I need the closure that discipline brings.”
Jensen kneeled to the level of his slave and looked directly into the nervous, teary eyes. “When I went away you told me that if I returned you would have an answer for me. You said that we would work out how to be together. Do you have an idea of what you need from me?”
“I need you to be my Master. I need you to lead.”
“Is that all you ask of me Jared?”
“If I am your slave then I have to trust you for the rest.”
“I was hoping that you needed my love. It’s what I have to give you.” Jensen looked disappointed but Jared couldn’t bring himself to confirm his own feelings, not yet. Jensen continued, “I can tell you what I need and you can tell me, truthfully, if you think it will work for you. Can you do that?”
“Yes, Jensen.”
“Good Boy.” Jensen stroked the tawse as he spoke. “I want to be your Master, I want to love you and I hope that you might grow to love me. I need what is between us to be special, unsullied by others. I don’t want to take another to my bed or take a partner and I never wish anybody else to lay a finger upon you. Just me and you Jared and if you wish for another then I would ask you to leave my service, I would have you return my collar and leave me.”
Jared nodded affirmation, “Of course, but it is not my business if you choose to take comfort in another. I know that you will want Ethan sometimes and a wife one day.”
“No! Jared. You’re not understanding me. I don’t want any other. Ethan and I are over, forever, and I will certainly never wish for a wife. That you wear my collar gives me responsibility to guide you, to make the best of you. I need you to grow in confidence by my side. I need you to be my equal. I need you to wear my collar as a symbol of trust and commitment, in deference to the way in which we choose to order our relationship but never to indicate that you are less than me. You have become an important part of me Child, do not belittle it. I cannot continue to be your Master if you will not accept a balance between us.” He was bending the tawse in his fingers now. “I will discipline you, not because it is my right or because there are rules to follow but because you crave it. For whatever reason, you seem to need to give control, to feel physical censure for your conscience. I cannot understand how you place such trust in me but I want to be good enough. I will try.”
“I don’t understand how a slave can be an equal, Master.”
“You are no less for wearing my collar and accepting my guidance. Orders and commitment are asked of soldiers and they are not slaves. Perhaps others will not understand, but this is about making things work, just you and I. It is nobody’s business but ours. Can we make some agreement to try to make it work this way?” Jensen’s hands were trembling upon the leather as he looked intently at his slave.
Jared was shocked. It was far removed from any conversation he was expecting to have. The words that tumbled from him had little in common with the gravity of Jensen’s words “I searched your study. I damaged my hand, my hand is your property,” he babbled guiltily.
Jensen reached to take the bandaged hand, carefully in his own. He gave it a kiss. “I already knew. Thank you for your honesty. I told you, your punishment will not change Jared and it won’t. Do you have anything else to say?”
“M’sorry. It was just, it has been bothering me, that I did that.”
“I guessed.”
“Yes. I mean yes, Jensen. I’d like to try things your way.”
“Our way, Jared.”
He nodded enthusiastically at the older man, “Our way, Jensen.”
“Good Boy. Now! Stand and bend with your hands flat on this desk and your spine straight. You will acknowledge the tawse with a kiss at the start and you will thank me for your discipline after ten strokes.” Jensen offered the thin paddle to his slave and Jared placed his lips upon it as required. He braced himself for the inevitable pain. Jensen traced a hand firmly down his spine and caressed the firm globes of his rump, rubbing and warming them “It will hurt but then everything will be over and forgotten and you will learn to take control of your actions. This discipline is earned through insolence, disobedience and for the damage of my property. Do you understand, Jared?”
“Yes, Master.”
He raised his arm high and brought it down on Jared’s ass with a firm whack and shocking pain. Jared’s heart raced and he gasped, his knees sank in an ineffectual response, to avoid the impact but Jensen held him firm. A pink stripe glowed in its wake and Jensen raised his arm once more. A second stripe was added by the first to a soft whimper from Jared. With each strike he let the red-hot pain take moments from him, the search of Jensen’s office, the wanton damage of his hand, the fast spill of Jensen’s secrets, every touch of strange hands and suck of strange skin. Betrayals and anger fell from him. Jensen took care to ensure that none of the strikes overlapped, he smacked the paddle over his flesh in a solid, even rhythm. On the eighth stroke tears fell silently over Jared’s lashes but it felt like forgiveness and he allowed himself to fall into the moment. Jensen caressed the striped warm flesh lightly “Almost over my Child.” He added the last two, no less firmly but a little faster. He dropped the tawse to the floor immediately after the tenth strike and reached to remove his slave’s hands from the desk. He took Jared in his arms and folded him into his embrace.
Jared collapsed, sobbing, into the warm care of his Master and accepted the kisses that were placed over his salty teardrops. “Thank you, Master.” His sobs were heavy and broken- hearted, out of all proportion with the physical glow of pain, but Jensen seemed to understand, he held him close until the heave of his chest lessened and the tears stopped falling. Jared wiped his eyes and sniffed.
“Better?” enquired Jensen and kissed his brow.
Jared sniffed once more and nestled his head against his Master’s shoulder. He felt lighter of spirit. Whatever this new arrangement brought for him, he would cope.“S’much better,” he confirmed.
“Then we should take breakfast and ready for our journey.”
***
The clothes were heavy and hot and they itched. They were not the light britches and shirt that Jared had worn to spar in and he had become unused to such restriction. “Clothes are so uncomfortable,” he complained.
Jensen laughed as his slave pulled at the cloth and scowled. “Not three moons ago you were shocked at the notion of being naked and now you whine because I wish to clothe you. You are so very contrary Child.”
Jared grinned in acknowledgement and his Master adjusted the cloth at his wrists to cover the leather restraint cuff that nestled close over his wrist and then smoothed the lapels of his jacket so his silver collar gleamed in the space between.
“Why are we delayed?” asked Jared curiously.
“There are promises we have made to the States. We will honor them before we leave. Come on, we have to attend in the Main Hall.”
Jared paled and Jensen took his hand and pushed the sleeve up revealing his cuff, “Bad memories? I’m with you now. You’re safe.”
“I should prepare. I’m not right Jensen.”
“You’re perfect. Today, will change everything Jared and you are part of it, you brought much of it. I am so proud of you.” Jensen kissed him, a mere ghost upon his lips. “From now on you are only naked for me and only if you wish to be.”
Jensen pulled him by the hand through the corridors, to stand at his side with no kneeling, no distance or lowered eyes. Jared tried not to shrink under a mass of disapproving stares. His Master squeezed his hand and rubbed his palm in reassurance.
Lord and Lady Collins met them in the ante-room. Chad stood upright at Lady Victoria’s side, dressed and grinning widely at Jared. They were all ready to ride, even Victoria was in sensible britches and plain jacket. Jared took a second glance at Chad, he looked somehow different, aside from being fully clothed he no longer wore a slave collar and was visibly brighter and more bold.
The large room filled with a mass of chattering bodies yet there was an invisible line around their small group which nobody crossed. Jared looked around and back at Jensen, “It looks like the entire Household is here,” he said.
“They are,” replied the older man. “Time to make changes,” he added cryptically.
Ethan entered the room, a shade before Mackenzie and Joshua, with Woolvett’s delegation in tow. He looked about the room, searching for somebody and when his gaze stopped on Jensen his eyes dropped and he appeared to shrink into himself. Mackenzie spoke with him and he shook his head vehemently, refusing a request of some kind. Mackenzie dismissed him with a short, impatient gesture and continued over to Jensen. Her slave followed at the correct distance and dropped to his knee when she stopped by her brother, with crossed arms and an angry glare. “You need to speak with Ethan, Jen. He 's leaving because of you and he is too scared to even say goodbye. He doesn’t deserve it. Not that! Not after all you had together. It's wrong to hurt him like this over a slave. Grow up and apologize!”
“He's an adult Mack. He made the choices and now he takes the consequences.”
“He included my wife and my Boy in his petty jealousies Miss Mackenzie, so if he comes near me, I will break his delicate neck,” menaced Misha, breaking into their conversation.
“Misha!” The Princess was taken aback at the interruption and looked aghast to Chad, dressed and collarless by his side.
“Leave it Mack!” hissed Jensen in warning.
“Fine!” she huffed. “It is time. We have everyone gathered but one. Ethan thought you may know of his whereabouts.”
“Really, who would it be and why should I know?”
“We cannot locate the Physician. His slaves are no help at all.”
Jared noted the stone-cold smile on his Master’s face. “He won’t be attending, Joshua should start.”
“There is a stipulation. There can be no exceptions Jensen. Where can he be found?”
“There is no point in a dead man’s attendance. He really should have taken more care mixing his poisons.” Jensen’s tone was ice and Mack reeled back from her brother, wide eyed and horrified.
“Jen. You can’t have. Joshua will…”
Jared’s hand loosened grip on his Master’s as the words and their meaning sank in. Misha and Victoria looked visibly shaken but Chad smiled, wide and smug. Jensen leaned in to his sister and spoke with quiet purpose, “Accidents happen, dear Sister and there is no evidence to suggest this was anything other.
The Princess pursed her lips in disapproval, shook her head sadly and turned her back on her brother. “We should start.”
Jensen grabbed to retrieve Jared’s hand and gripped it. He leaned in close to his slave’s ear and whispered, “Breathe. Let it go, Jared.” Jared wondered if he would ever really know the man.
***
The gathering was solemn, Lords and Ladies paid respect to Joshua with formal bow and pretty curtsies, Last in line was Jensen with Misha and Victoria. A gasp was heard as they filed past their King with a nod of acknowledgement to Woolvett but no more. There was the tiniest incline of Joshua’s head and he raised his hand to silence the gasps and gossip. “Thank you for coming,” he offered Jensen with grace, and for a brief moment the brothers locked eyes in silent understanding.
Jensen did not move to stand with his brother and sister on the small stage. He rested casually by the wall and pulled Jared into him, circling strong arms around his waist. Jared’s back was flush with him and he could feel the steady rise and fall of his Master's chest and the warm exhalation of breath tickling his neck.
The announcement was unexpected and its reception mixed. Woolvett and his aide stood in witness at the act of good faith that the Kingdom undertook. They asked each slave in turn and in person, to give their own decision without a thought for their Master or Mistress. Ethan took stance with the States’ men in a new role, with responsibility for the safe passage of slaves who took refuge.
Genevieve was asked to make her choice first. She looked to the King with sad reluctance but made the expected sacrifice so that others would follow. “Freedom,” she said clearly and full of regret. “I will go.” Her fingertips brushed against Joshua’s for the last time and she moved to Ethan’s side. Mackenzie’s slave followed her lead with more enthusiasm. Cookie pushed every kitchen slave forward and threatened their heads if they did not take freedom with the Envoy and he had to silence her when several chose to stay. She broke protocol, with glittering eyes to demand that the King release their tenures and remove their collars, so they could remain as servants and Joshua reluctantly agreed.
Jared refused freedom with clear voice and Woolvett lingered to repeat the choice but the turn of his lip as he assessed the Realm’s Prince, in his close embrace with Jensen, indicated that he didn’t expect otherwise.
Chad announced, to the shock of the gathering, that Lord and Lady Collins had already released his tenure but that he remained at their side, as soldier and comrade.
Alona was the last to be asked. She looked to Ethan and he begged her to go with him. She ducked her eyes and shook her head. “No.” she said and Ethan's face crumpled and his shoulders fell.
“What will you do?” he asked and Joshua answered for her. She understands your job better than anybody Ethan, I am hoping she will accept the release of her tenure and a position in the Household administration.” In that moment Jared didn’t think he had ever seen a lonelier person than Ethan. The chocolate eyes clouded as the man nodded, faked a smile and congratulated her. “It’s a good offer Al, really good.”
Jared felt several wet drops against his head and he couldn’t be sure, but it felt like Jensen’s tears. He turned to look up at his Master’s face, Jensen’s eyes were closed. When the lashes re-opened on green-gold orbs, he wore a mask of indifference.
The terms were repeated for all to be clear, an immediate cessation to taking new slaves, legislation to restrict the import of established slaves, a five year plan for the release of all foreign-taken slaves and a ten year plan for the complete abolition of slavery. There was a commitment to return some power of government to the people within five years. In return The Kingdom would be treated by the States as a free democracy and their laws would allow an alliance. Even now their messengers rode hard to deliver the agreement to their parliament and soldiers rallied to march. Jared recognized that it was a drastic and brave change in policy that would force enmity with some of the Kingdom’s former allies but it represented a new hope too. He nestled as close to Jensen as he could achieve as he considered the magnitude of responsibility upon the King Joshua's shoulders. He felt soft lips on the back of his neck as Jensen kissed him, a subtle reassurance from his Master.
***
They didn’t waste any time in starting out on their trek. They had been delayed enough.
His boots felt heavy on his feet as they squelched through soft muddied grass. He breathed in and relished it. He had forgotten the feel of wind upon his face and the sour-earth smell of stabled horses. He touched the ruby handled sword at his side and felt his dagger in its scabbard. The stable lad assisted with bridles and saddles with friendly efficiency and Jared could not help but pull a memory of another stable lad a lifetime ago. He must have stopped in awe as a familiar bay mare clopped into the yard and snickered her recognition. He welcomed her soft nose into his arms and let her blow thick equine breath over his face, “Hey, Girl!”
“I kept her safe for you.” His Master stood close, respecting the moment.
“Thank you.” Jared flung his arms around the older man and squeezed him briefly and the stable lad pretended not to notice. “Thank you, Jensen.”
There were others readying for a journey at the opposite end of the stables. Jared caught a glimpse of Ethan turning to look at Jensen as he saddled a dapple-grey mare. Jared took his Master by his elbow. “Jen, if I ask you to do something will you consider it for me?”
“You know I will.”
“Say goodbye to Ethan. Give him that at least. Let yourself have that.”
“Why do you ask the one thing I can’t do Child? I cannot forgive him.”
“He did what he thought was best for you, Jen. It was wrong and it was warped but his intention was good. You don’t have to forgive him, just acknowledge that he mattered to you once, that you keep the good times with you.”
“I’m not sure I can.”
“He got me through it you know, the first days when you left me. He gave me cover when you left me cold, he bathed my wounds and he rescued me from your cage. He screwed up and hurt me, maybe he’s bitter with me and I acknowledge that but I don’t forget the rest Jensen.”
The green-eyed Prince scrunched his face up and scowled at him, “I hate you,” he stated half-heartedly, “Wait here.”
Jared didn’t intrude on their privacy, he strapped his pack and checked his bridle. He talked to his girl and smoothed her mane.
Jensen returned to him in lighter mood, he gave him a kiss and a playful slap on his rump and Jared jumped and hissed at the discomfort. “I said you’d feel it all day.” his Master laughed.
As Jared stepped into the stirrup and swung to his saddle he asked the question that had been puzzling him deeply “Why did you allow Joshua to make such stringent promises, to put so many changes in place when you know you may not need their aid?”
Jensen looked, surprised, as if the answer were plain and obvious, “Because they are good changes, ones that needed to be made regardless of alliances. Because Joshua may not have had the courage to make them unless he was pushed.”
“Sometimes your deviousness concerns me Jensen.”
“Sometimes it scares me too, Jared.”
They rode out, a party of five, across a drawbridge that crossed a ravine, through makeshift tents and bundles of displaced humanity and then they were alone in an empty landscape with a wide open sky stretching before them. Jensen stayed close to his slave, his horse a mere step away. Jared’s collar and cuffs molded to him in the snug safety of Jensen's ownership and he let himself look at the lay of the land, the curve of the hills and the colors of earth. He saw the subtle sway of the trees and felt the breeze that created it. He heard the crows with their discordant caws and the distant babble of a brook. He saw the landscape , felt it, heard it and tasted it. He did it all with his Master by his side and a collar curved about his neck, and yet he had never felt so free.
Part Twenty Four
Masterpost
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