Edrich of Haluken

Chapter Six

After school was dismissed I walked as far as the palace with my brothers and told them I had official business to conduct. I put my pin on my lapel and walked up to the doors. The guardsmen allowed me through without question. The Regent was waiting for me and directed me to follow him to his private chamber. He held out three medallions for me to inspect. The citizen’s medal of valor was gold and very ornate. It was heavy and I suspected it was actually solid gold. The medal for service to the crown was smaller but very intricate. It didn’t have the heft of real gold but it was gilded. Then he passed me the citizen’s merit medal. Each of the medals hung from a ribbon with the colors of the Danish and Norwegian flags. The inscription indicated that it was for an act of altruistic virtue on behalf of the people of Denmark and Norway. The Latin inscription was simply civis meritori. That medal felt like solid gold as well. It was as big as the valor medal which led me to believe the whole thing was made by a craftsman by hand.

“I also have a pin to present to him. Only another Kings Man can do that, would you do the honors?”

“Could his brothers help me?”

“Absolutely, I wish to do this Saturday in the main square so the whole city can see it, can you endure that?” The Regent asked.

“Yes My Lord, Bolly deserves no less.”

The tailor modified Bolly’s livery to accommodate his arm being in a sling. He simply unstitched the sleeve and folded it upwards and sewed it in place.

Saturday at noon a large portion of the population gathered in the city square to see the event.

We all wore our uniforms and prepared to welcome our youngest brother to the ranks of the King’s men.

We were escorted in by the guardsmen who stood at attention with their lances on either side of us. The Regent didn’t waste any time. He described the events that led us all there. He went into detail about Bolly’s actions in saving Lady Iris and Valla. He expressed undying gratitude to Bolly for his service to the crown and the valor that put him at risk resulting in serious injury. He described the two medals for service to the crown and citizen’s medal of valor and their purpose.

The Regent called out “Bolindor Christiensen please step forward.”

Bolly took a step forward turned to his left and climbed the steps to the Regent.

With great solemnity the Regent bestowed the two medals on Bolly by pinning them to his coat. Then he bent and kissed him on both cheeks and whispered something in his ear.

Next the Regent called for me to step forward. I went up and accepted my medal after the Regent explained that any citizen could be awarded this medal. He went on a bit about the people learning basic lifesaving skills. Finally he pinned the medal to my uniform jacket and I saluted.

The Regent called for Bolly and our brothers to join us and up they came. The Regent presented the pin to me and I passed it to Olaf who pinned it to Bolly’s lapel. Then we all took a step back and saluted. The Guardsmen came to attention again and the trumpets played a fanfare. We turned and walked down the steps and out of the square with twenty guardsmen all King’s men on either side of us. When we were  a distance away from the square, the guardsmen halted and dismissed. They congratulated Bolly on joining their ranks and told him it was an honor to serve with one so brave no matter his age.

Mother and Father caught up to us with Kristen, Edvard and Samilla in tow. We all boarded a carriage and road to the palace. I had seen Valla standing behind her father smiling at us but we never got a chance to speak. The royal carriage had been behind the podium so they were already far ahead of us.

We barely got through the doors when Valla descended on Bolly and hugged him senseless and kissed his cheeks. Then she kissed Olaf, Kiva and Rilla in turn and started to turn and walk away. Then she giggled and flew back at me and kissed my cheeks and snuck one in on my lips. I was sure Lady Iris saw it but she didn’t seem to mind.

There were several dignitaries present from Oslo, Copenhagen and Paris and they each shook Bolly’s hand and then mine.

“If you keep going on like that , you’ll need a sash like Father,” Mother chuckled.

“Not for a long time to come I hope,” I told her.

It was a short reception and I led Ivy around so the ladies could coddle him. He liked being held by women but it got old after a while and he came looking for me or one of my brothers. Valla led him to me and when I hoisted him up, she kissed Ivy’s cheek. Later I sat on the stairs with Valla and she repeated how glad she was that Bolly didn’t get hurt worse in defense of their lives.

“He’s brave little boy. When the time came he showed his mettle,” I told her.

“I was just told that cousin Ingrid has two babies coming, is that true?” Valla asked.

“Yes, the midwife confirmed the fact not long ago,” I told her.

“I wonder if I’ll bear twins for you someday,” Valla mused.

“Your Father is a wonderful man Valla, but you might not have a choice as to who you marry. You are a Regent’s daughter, you have royal blood. I’m just a boy from the clans. I don’t think Fathers heritage will affect that. But I don’t know everything. My new brother or sister will have a greater claim to royal lineage than I ever will. But I am happy to be your friend for as long as we can manage.

“Well I plan on marrying you so you better get ready,” Valla told me forcefully.

“I hope that’s possible someday. But we are still very young as my Father says. You may lose your attraction to me when some other boy comes along. We don’t really even know who we are yet. It’s early to be claiming a husband or wife,” I told her. “But I will carry the hope in my heart.”

“Do you love me?” Valla asked.

“Yes I do, I can’t begin to tell you how much but I do. I will do everything I can to be worthy of your hand. Just know it may not be enough,” I told her.

“Be hopeful Edrich, my father is a good man and he won’t make me marry someone I don’t love. I don’t think there’s a boy alive who could measure up to you,” She said and kissed my cheek.

“I will continue to hope Valla and I do love you, I can think of no other girl who matches you for beauty or kindness,” I said and kissed her back on the lips. A brief kiss but one with meaning. Eventually we were found and drug back to the reception by my brothers and Ivy.

When we arrived home we went upstairs to change. Ivy watched carefully while I put away my medals in my trunk. He looked at other things and asked about them. I showed him my keepsakes of my mother and father and my collection of rocks from the hills near my hut. He thought they were quite beautiful as he held them up to the light.

“Is this gold?” he asked about a white rock with a vein of shiny metal veining through it.

“No Ivy, that’s pyrite, it looks like gold but it doesn’t have the same properties,” I explained.

There was a knock at our door and Father entered.

“I came to tell you all how proud I am that you are mine and give you my love.” He took a seat on the edge of my bed as we swarmed him with hugs. I handed Ivy to him so he could enjoy the affection too.

“Peng was showing me his rocks, they’re very pretty. He says this one is py…pyrite but it looks like gold to me,” Ivy chirped happily.

Father examined the rock and had a strange look on his face. He took out his penknife and a magnifying glass and pried at the quartz with the tip of the blade.

“I can understand you thinking it is pyrite, the country is riddled with it, but this is gold and very high grade in my opinion. It’s quite a find son. Where did it come from?”

“The hills, east of my hut. There was a lot of it in this one place,” I told him.

“Well then, you could be a wealthy man someday if you can find that place again and someone else hasn’t filed a mining claim on the land. The crown would be entitled to a share but if it was worth mining it would prove to be a bounty. Pyrite is often found near gold so I understand your confusion, but pyrite is made of little cubic crystals, not thin shiny sheets such as that which is in this quartz. There may also be copper and other useful metals in the same ground. Perhaps we can do some prospecting this summer and add to your education, it would be a fun trip for us men eh?” I put my collection away and finished changing clothes and we took Ivy with us for a walk in the hills. I knew it meant carrying him part of the way back but I was feeling strong. Valla had said she loved me and I had told her the same. Perhaps if I became wealthy I would be allowed to marry her. We found a boy named Yolland coming down the trail at us and he looked beat up.

“Who did this to you Yolland,” Rilla demanded angrily.

“My own big feet did it, I tripped and tumbled down that gravel cut in the side of the hill,” Yolland replied.

Some of his scratches were still bleeding so I pulled off my satchel and removed my flask to clean him up. I spotted deer tongue growing nearby so I mushed the leaves up with some water in a handkerchief and dabbed at the scratches. Deer tongue leaves are astringent and they do well with bleeding and prevent infection. The plants grew everywhere and some called it lantana. The leaves staunched the bleeding and relieved the sting and Yolland was ready to walk home.

“You must never eat deer’s tongue, it’s poisonous to eat and enough of it can make you very ill or kill you. Always sniff whatever plants you pick for healing,” I admonished.

“Why?” Kiva asked.

“So you can tell if they’ve been peed on I said pointing to Ivy and Bolly watering a patch of pigwort.

“That’s Pigwort they’re peeing on. Old men take it in small amounts to help them empty their bowels. You can take half a leaf in tea and it will cure constipation. Too much and you’ll be housebound for a day or more,” I chuckled.

I decided they had a good idea and peed next to them.

“How do you know about all these plants?” Kiva asked.

“My first mother taught me and I learned more from other forest people. There are plants you shouldn’t let your goats eat because it makes the milk bad. Nannies eat Shoatswort when they want to wean their kids.  You just have to watch them carefully. Herding goats isn’t just lying around all day. You have to keep them from killing themselves. Most of healing is knowledge that people have gained from watching the effects on their animals. A dog will eat grass when his stomach is upset, it makes them vomit up whatever is causing the problem. It is the bounty of the gods, we just have to pay attention. We finished our climb to the top of the hill and ate a bit of cheese and drank water. Our view was quite pleasant as we lolled in the tall grass. Rilla heard a rustling noise and went to investigate. He found an adder coiled up in defense. He was smart enough to keep his distance and reported back to us about the snake.

“They’re venomous but rarely bite humans. Just keep an eye on where you walk,” I told the younger boys.

We made our way back down and reached the edge of the city before Ivy faded. I picked him up and carried him home.  When we arrived home I took him upstairs and put him on his bed. Bolly lay down next to him and took a nap.

I went to see what my brothers were up to and found them surrounding Mother.

“She had received a message from her sister’s doctor. She had passed away the day before but it took an express rider a day to deliver the message.

Mother was very sad and clutched at us for comfort. Kristen and Samilla both comforted her and Father held her hand.

Later Father told us that he would take Mother and Ivy to bury his mother. It was a two day coach ride away and Father would probably stay behind to deal with property matters and details. We would remain behind and do our regular activities. We had never met our aunt but we were sad for Mother.

We said our goodbyes before leaving for school on the Monday and it was a tearful parting. Mother had adjusted but Ivy had not. He clung to me or Rilla most of Sunday afternoon once he knew.

The boys at school gave Bolly a hero’s welcome again and saluted as we all climbed the stairs. Even Brundt was impressed. But his behavior had changed. Most of the other bullies had given it up for fear of being publicly humiliated in the same manner. We played sports every Tuesday and Thursday. Lacrosse and a game of our own invention. It used a leather ball with a pig’s bladder inside, which could only be kicked. We weren’t allowed to use our hands. The ball itself wasn’t perfectly round so it took some skill to get it to the other side’s goal.

It was sort of a melee on the pitch and shins were kicked frequently. Wet grass made the game even more interesting. Slipping and sliding while trying to get a ball to one end of the pitch while half the boys tried to stop you could prove a daunting task. You could kick the ball up in the air, but because of its shape there was no telling where it might go. Brundt excelled at the game and discovered there was another way to gain status that didn’t involve terrorizing smaller boys. The balls improved over time and trajectories became more predictable.

After a week Mother returned while Father sorted out the legal matters for Ivy’s inheritance. It was decided at some point that the large house and land would be held in trust for Ivy. We would visit a few times a year and the landsmen and farmers would continue as before. The house hold staff was reduced but bonuses and excellent recommendations were given to soften the blow. A local barrister was engaged to deal with the financial needs of the house and lands. Paying taxes, paying for repairs and that sort of thing. Keeping an eye on the Farmers and landsmen was probably the biggest job. In the absence of the mistress or master the farmers often cut a fine edge when it came to reporting crops. The same was true with the landsmen when it came to peat and timber. The barrister would spot sharp practice from quite a distance.

We boys adopted Ivy as our brother. He would go to school with us in the next term in late September. By early July mother was visibly with child and had changed her style of frock to accommodate the situation. The dressmaker and his son would come to the house to fit mother and then take the dress away to be sewn. The dressmaker’s son was very sweet and pretty, he was between me and Rilla in age and height and we would spirit him away while the dress maker was busy with the seamstress who actually did the fitting. The dressmaker just inspected her work and asked pointed questions in a polite manner. Iskind was just the dogsbody. He set up the platform, carried the bundles and waited to carry it all back.

He had a wonderful kuck and the five of us had a pretty good time when we could pull him away. Iskind attended the public school and asked about our school quite a bit. He was very bright but probably not suited to our advanced classes. He read but not literature. Scoff sheets and fabric catalogs were his main fare. He could add and subtract but faltered at multiplication. But he could read a tape and tell you by sight how much fabric was on any given bolt. I tended to think that no one was really stupid, they were just smart about something that was important to them. Like the herdsman in the way they counted their goats or sheep to tally. We used the old numbers and counted to twenty and made a mark on a stick or tied a knot in a cord to keep track of how many animals were present. When I told Father of my philosophy he endorsed it.  He told me my attitude was why so many people liked me.

School was dismissed for the year and we were free. We spent our time in the workshop learning basic skills with wood, brass, copper and tin. Iron and steel would need to wait. Father wouldn’t run the forge in the summer.

Sømmerstide arrived and we had a big party at the house with the Regent and family as honored guests. I took Valla up to my room with my brothers and showed her our beds and how we lived when we weren’t in school or doing chores. Kristen had all the younger children in the conservatory where they were free to whoop and carry on as they wished.

The Regent toured our workshop and reviewed our projects. I was in the process of making copper hinges for a trunk I was building. I didn’t tell him it was a birthday present for Valla. He complimented us all on our skill and while we were all away from the noise of the party and alone, he asked about the gold ore I had shown Father.

I explained as much as I knew, but it might take me a few days to find it again. The land changes rapidly in that area. If the stream over flows things look different but I was confident that I could find the scar where I had found my rocks.

“Would you like to see them My Lord?” I asked.

“Alas geology is not my strong suit, I wouldn’t be able to tell them from a river pebble,” The Regent shared.

“I will bring one of the rocks on my next visit to the palace as a present, My Lord.”

“Thank you Peng, but what I want to pursue is the location of your find. If you can show your Father and a surveyor where it is, I will grant you a claim to mine the area and become a wealthy man in your own right,” The Regent offered.

“I thought we’d take a trip down there this summer and see if it could be found and bring back samples for assay,” Father suggested.

We moved on and the Regent spied another project of mine. It was another apothecary I made as a gift for the midwife for all the time she was spending with me. Her supplies were in disarray and I wanted to help her get organized. Something she regularly declared was her goal.

We returned to the party and everyone ate the cured hams and other dishes. Samilla had an option for our Jewish guests. Grilled salmon was perfectly kosher in their eyes.

At the end of the evening we knew we would just have to repeat the same activities at the palace and a few other stately homes.

The Palace had a very elaborate party. All of the court and elite of the city were in attendance. We cheerfully circulated through the crowd to find other children to play with. Valla guided us to the children’s hall . It was about half the size of the ballroom and full of children, games and toys. Watchful servants kept a sharp eye to make sure all the children were playing nicely. The older children were at the far end of the hall. More elaborate games and puzzles were in progress. Valla kept an arm around one of mine and showed me off to other girls our age. Since we were in formal dress it was protocol to wear our medals and pins. I would rather have left them at home but it was not for me to decide.

When the dinner bell was rung we rejoined Mother, Father, the Regent and Lady Iris.

The hams had come all the way from Denmark as a gift from the King and it was delicious. The Regent rose to go back for another slice like any other guest and I followed plate in hand.

The man doing the carving looked out of place and nervous. He wasn’t a Norwegian or Dane. He had dark oily hair and olive skin which shined with sweat. I supposed carving was hard work if you did it correctly. After the Regent was served I stepped forward as he turned his back to the table. The carver leapt across the serving table knife in hand, he was poised to strike the Regent in the back. I smashed my plate in the carver’s face and grabbed for the knife. The blade cut into my palm but I was able to turn his hand and foil his attempt. He stabbed my thigh and I screamed as he reached back to the table for a second carving knife. I pulled the knife from my leg and buried it in his right lung. By then the guardsman had made their way through the crowd and pinned the man to the floor. The Regent grabbed a large white napkin with his crest embroidered on it and clasped it to my leg. The wound to my palm wasn’t deep but I was a bloody mess. The physician and his apprentice rushed forward, secured the bandage and had guardsmen carry me out of the dining room so they could determine how bad I was hurt.

The wound in my leg wasn’t as serious as they feared. It had missed the arteries and only skin and muscle were damaged. The physician had commandeered one of the kitchen tables to treat me and then cut away my trousers revealing my bloody drawers to the horrified kitchen staff. Father and the Regent stood by while the physician sewed the wound in my leg after placing herbs supplied by the midwife  in the blade’s channel. The Regent took my good hand and held it tight while the physician sewed me up. Now I pitied the wounded goats I had sewn up when their injuries had required it.

I managed to keep mostly silent but couldn’t help flinching as the needle pierced the ravaged skin. Soon my leg and hand were bandaged. Guardsmen brought in a litter and bore me through the banquet room to the stairs.

There were guardsmen on the landing and two by the door of the room they were taking me to. I was laid in the bed and asked if I required anything. The midwife’s valerian tea was already having an effect and I declined anything further and soon I was absent. In the night I rose to have a pee.  I tried to stand but it hurt too much. I peed in an empty vase and dumped it out in the chamber pot. I remember nothing more until almost midday. When I woke a woman stood over me watching as I stirred. It was the nurse that had been rude to Ivy and the rest of us.

“Good morning young sir. I would like to apologize for our last encounter. I’m told you understood the reason and I am grateful you did not have me turned out or punished. Can I do anything for you this morning?” Skeela  inquired.

“Show me to the privy if you would please,” I asked.

The best we can do is the chair behind the screen, There is a chair with a receptacle beneath it. I can help you walk to it. It’s only a few paces.

I faltered a bit on the first step but made it to the  commode.

When I was done I closed the top and pulled down my nightshirt.

The Nurse carried out the pot from the commode and returned pushing a cart for the purpose of bathing me. She was very thorough and I couldn’t control my kuck. But she was discrete and washed it like the rest of me and toweled me dry. She then demonstrated her massage skills on me and I slept for another two hours. I snatched one of the damp cloths from her cart while she wasn’t looking. I would need it soon. When she left I took care of my rigid kuck, although my climax was painful in my leg.

The physician arrived after I had a light lunch and examined the wounds. My hand didn’t hurt much but having him prod my leg was painful.

“I understand you walked to the commode without too much difficulty. Please use this stick for anymore visits and we will have you up and walking about this time tomorrow. None of your muscles were severed, the blade slid along between fat and skin. You were very lucky and if I may say so very brave as well. I got up and tried the cane and peed while I was up.

The midwife arrived with a cup of tea and some salve.

I looked at the tea suspiciously.

“It’s only tea dear, go ahead and drink it. You’ve had enough valerian for a few days,” She chuckled.

The tea was hot sweet and delicious.

The healing salve was applied and I was rebandaged.

“Now then, only bed baths for you until I say different the physician instructed. Probably three or four days.

“You will put yourself in the middle of things won’t you Peng,” Mother said trying to sound cheerful.

“I’m feeling quite good Mother, would you like to see me walk?” I said trying to cheer her up.

Valla slipped around her and smothered me with kisses, including several on the lips.

“Let the boy breathe dear,” Lady Iris said cheerfully. “Would you give us some time to speak with Peng dear?”

Valla gave me one more kiss and walked out the door.

“I owe you a debt that I cannot repay Peng, what you did was beyond recompense. I thank you for protecting my husband and risking your own life in the bargain.

“It is true Peng, you saved my life and I can never repay that debt to my satisfaction. Your brothers were all racing to the fray but the guardsmen got there first. One of them knocked me down and lay on me until the all clear was given. For you and you alone I grant the right to bear arms in court. Your dagger may come in handy again. The man was a Serb who was sent by someone who has hard feelings for the King. Envoys have been dispatched to alert him. The man will recover from his wound but it will do him little good. He will stand trial and be hanged. He bore arms against the King and will pay the penalty.

“There was nothing else I could do my lord, I didn’t see any guardsmen around. I was very angry with him and wanted to stop him. I didn’t really think beyond that,” I said.

“You don’t have to justify your actions to anyone. If you were still living in a clan you’d be a warrior of the first order. But there are people who want to see you.

Father opened the door and my brothers trooped in. The Regent picked Ivy up so he could kiss me and be kissed, then he did the same for Bolly. Kiva, Rilla and Olaf came to the other side and we exchanged kisses too. Valla returned and clasped my right hand. They would have a tough time dragging her out of the room so they brought her a chair. Valla pushed the chair over to the head of the bed and relinquished it to Mother. She smiled sweetly and passed my hand to her as well.

“I guess our trip to Haluken will have to wait a bit,” I said to Father.

“Perhaps, but I suspect you’ll heal quickly and we can’t leave before the trial in any case,” Father made clear.

“Oh yes of course,” I replied.

I wasn’t particularly eager to take part in another man’s death, but I had to do what was required of me and I wouldn’t be hanging him myself. He deserved no mercy for his actions.

Over the next three days Valla visited my room quite often. We played cards and she prattled about how handsome our children would be. We talked about serious things as well. The upcoming trial, she had heard about our trip and we discussed that. I convinced her that if successful it would be good for us, Norway and Denmark.

While the nurse was away I dozed off and Valla came to visit. She patiently waited  for me to wake until she noticed the lump in the sheet between my legs. She carefully lifted the sheet and gazed at what she saw. When I woke up she had it in her hand gently squeezing it. She released it and felt my balls then returned to my kuck.

“Valla you must stop this. You’ve had your fun and a good look so turn loose,” I instructed her.

She ignored me until my seed began to squirt into the sheet. She watched with great interest as it dribbled down her fingers. To my amazement she pulled her hand away and tasted my seed.

“Are you happy now? Quick get me a damp cloth so I can clean up this mess,” I ordered.

She complied but took her time. I cleaned what was left on her hand and then saw to myself.

Valla had just put the cloth in the pail of water when the nurse returned.

“It’s time to bathe our hero young miss, please say goodbye for now dear,” Skeela instructed.

“I could stay and help,” Valla purred.

“And your father could flog me and then sack me. I think not, little ladyship,” Skeela chuckled.

Even after Valla’s performance I still got hard when Skeela bathed me.

“You’ve grown a hair Peng, you are truly on your way to manhood.”

I strained to see what she meant and there at the base of my rigid kuck was a long golden hair with a loose curl.

“I’m sorry about the state of my kuck, I’m not used to a woman’s touch down there.”

“Don’t let it worry you, I’ve seen one before. It’s a natural reaction, especially with the young lady winding you up the way she does. You behave yourself and she’ll be a charming wife for you,” Skeela said.

When she was done she took the wash things and lotions away and left me on my own She told me she’d be back in an hour. She paused at the door and returned to hand me a small fresh towel and a small flat jar of lotion.

“I grew up with four brothers, two older and two younger, I know what boys get up to. I would rather you didn’t chafe yourself.” Skeela patted my belly and left.

With the image of Valla licking her fingers I used the lotion to relieve myself. It was almost as good as Rilla’s mouth. He was especially skilled. He had told me I was the best amongst his brothers.

The next morning the physician came and examined me. I was walking normally with the stick and well enough without. He told me I should refrain from strenuous activity.

You may bathe in a tub but keep the water low, no more than six inches. Keep your wounds dry although your hand is healing nicely. Report any itching or pus and I will come have a look. You may leave in the morning. I will notify the Regent and he will arrange transport and an escort. The physician bade me good day and left. Valla must have been waiting for him to leave because she came in right after he left. She carried a small bag and sat next to me. She noticed the jar of lotion at my bedside and frowned. She pulled out a slightly larger jar and placed it next to the other.

Where did that come from,” Valla asked.

“The nurse left it for me because you make me so hard. She came in to bathe me after your little escapade.”

“Well, you’ll like this better,” Valla teased.

“And why is that,” I asked.

“This lotion is edible and tastes minty,” She said as she twisted the lid off. I hadn’t had a chance to put a fresh night shirt on so I was completely nude under the covers.

Valla pulled the sheet back and rubbed the lotion all over my kuck and even my balls.

“Why did you do that,” I asked.

“Silly,” was her only reply and she leaned over and began licking my balls. She moved on to my kuck and drew my skin back where it remained. She tongued the pointy head and then took most of my kuck in her mouth. I could feel her lower lip close to my balls. She grasped my hand and guided it up her sleeve until it was touching the swell of her small breasts. I rubbed her nipple as she sucked away. She wasn’t as good as Rilla but much better than any other boy I had played with. But letting me play with her breast was something I hadn’t counted on. I would love to have a look between her legs but it would have to wait. I was wrenched back to reality by my approaching climax, I warned Valla and she nodded but stayed put. I warned her again as I reached the moment and she stood fast and let me empty myself in her mouth. She continued to suck until I went soft and my skin went back to normal. I pulled my hand out of her dress and asked her to kiss me. I tasted the mint along with my own seed, she had swallowed most of it but held some back to savor.

“I’ll be doing this again,” she predicted.

“What can I do for you,” I asked.

“I was going to say nothing but since you’re in the mood to be generous you could stroke me. She pulled up her light summer dress and bent over the chair with her back to me. I flipped the hem over her hips and saw something amazing. I went around the outside of her sex with one finger and then drug it through the middle front to back and then the other way.

“Stop there, do you feel that bump. Rub it gently with the minty lotion.

I dipped my finger in the lotion and did as she asked and she moaned quietly. I pulled my hand away and sat on the edge of the bed and came in for a closer look and then a taste.

Valla muffled a scream of pleasure as my tongue made contact with her button. The lotion did taste minty and her body warmth made it even better. I lapped away as she writhed against me until she began to tremble and push back against me. I could hear her ragged breathing as she reached her own climax.

Afterward she sat on the chair panting like a dog on a hot day. She smoothed her dress and gazed across at me. She leaned in for a deep kiss and we had just finished when the Regent walked in. Thankfully I had wiped my face. Valla picked up the cards when she heard the door opening and asked if I wanted another hand.

“Ah there you are Valla, your mother is looking for you. Please go and find her.”