"Jester, come here. My wife needs something to hang her coat on." Lord Chervil stated.

"Sir, let me take her coat to the front where it can be properly hung," I answered.

"I wouldn't hear of it. She needs its close in case she gets chilly. Now, hold your arm out, unless you'd like to receive lashes," King Belial stated.

I held my arm up while Lord Chervil hung his mate's coat over it. This was just another opportunity to humiliate me. I had grown used to it. It had been three days since Auntie and I rescued Kyra in the forest, and for three days I had found my mind pondering what she was doing, hoping she would still be there when I next went to visit Auntie.

Of course, my arm started to shake after holding it straight out for over fifteen minutes. To combat the burning pain, I concentrated on how Kyra's face looked when she was embarrassed, the way her cheeks would redden and mouth part.

"Jester, did you hear me," King Belial shouted.

"I'm sorry, sir. I did not."

"The Lady Chervil is cold. She needs her coat back."

Doubting she was actually cold since faes were only affected by the most frigid of temperatures, I still handed her overcoat to her mate. Little did he know, his wife had already claimed me as her official bed warmer for tomorrow night while he was away.

"Don't go anywhere, Jester. Stay here in case someone else needs something," the King stated.

They had an overabundance of servants for these tasks, but enjoyed keeping me close by to order around.

"Lord Galium, what news do we have from the North?" King Belial asked.

"Sire, black smoke can be seen issuing from Mount Formido every third full moon. We believe the Molochs are again burning magical ash to mold their cold iron weapons."

"Do you think we should send a scouting party to see what the dreadful creatures are up to? We don't want them to amass large quantities of weapons again."

"Yes, Sire, I believe we should."

Keeping quiet, the King and his Lords would often forget I was there and speak freely regarding the politics of the kingdom. The last Great War was fought against the Molochs and Gwyllions, the latter being completely annihilated from existence, leaving a great vacuum of power the Fairy Kingdom of Nodin was all too eager to fill. After being defeated, the Molochs retreated to their mountain, but everyone knew they would eventually seek revenge on the southern kingdom of Nodin. Although the Molochs were once bright fairy with the traditional silver hair and blue eyes, they now resembled Orcs more than fairy, or so I was told. I had never seen a Moloch with my own eyes, only heard tales from the last Great War.

They lived a peaceful existence on Mount Formido many thousands of years ago, but when an ancient Cambion burial site was discovered inside the mountain, they were opened up to many evil influences, eventually evolving into what they were today—a mere shadow of their former selves.

"Jester, more wine over here," Lady Chervil announced while a servant stood not four steps away from her carrying a bottle of the fermented fruit. I would have to miss the rest of the King's conversation with his advisors.

****

The next day was whipping day. I didn't wake up that morning knowing it was coming, not until one of the Royal Guards summoned me to the courtyard. It was always the same. One guard would come to fetch me, sometimes dragging me from my room, barely dressed, bringing me to the outer court, where the whipping post was located.

What did the spoiled Prince do this time?

"On decree of the King, I order you to take twenty lashes, not one less," the guard announced.

Oh gods, help me!

Ten was bad enough, but twenty would be excruciating and require twenty-four hours of healing time, even with the curative ointment.

Tying me to the post, the punisher delivered the ordered lashes. I lost consciousness for a moment after the eighteenth blow and subsequently lost control of my glamour. Large black wings sprouted from my back, but only deterred where the last two strikes were delivered. Instead of my back, the Punisher struck my ass, flaying the muscles wide open. He was feeling particularly vicious today.

Afterward, they carted me to my quarters, being unable to walk for more than a few feet. The healers would soon come. Tomorrow, I would wash my tattered bed linens again, hoping to get most of the blood out. Tonight, I would concentrate on healing. It would disappoint the Lady Chervil that she could not enjoy my company this evening.

After a soft knock at the door, my healer for the night entered. I was in luck. My favorite healer was on duty. Ceniel was kinder and always placed more ajwain salve on my wounds than the others. He was gentle in his ministrations and we would often talk while he tended to my wounds. He had a mate and a young son that he cared for dearly, regaling me with tales of his wife's excellent cooking skills and his son's natural gift with archery. Tonight, he was quieter than usual, no doubt caused by how ghastly my wounds were on this occasion.

"Ceniel, do you know what the Prince did this time to earn me twenty lashes?" I asked.

Wincing at my question, he answered, "He took the maidenhead of Lord Diantha's daughter. I believe consent was of a dubious nature considering the girl was heavily inebriated on Boysenberry wine."

No wonder. I will kill him one day.

"You got the lashes, and the King had to hand over a large portion of fairy gold and fifteen acres of prime land."

"Maybe if the Prince had to endure his own punishment just once, the King would have fewer problems to worry about," I muttered to myself. "Is the young maiden alright? I have seen her. She appears very young," I asked out loud.

Ceniel paused, then answered, "The female healers are seeing to her, but from what I hear, he was gentle with her body. I cannot speak for her soul."

After treating my wounds, Ceniel gave me a sip of poppy juice to help with the pain and to induce sleep. This forbidden act said much as to how severe my wounds were.

The next evening, being fully healed, I reported to the main ballroom set adjacent to the throne room. Many of the Lords were missing, and the Ladies huddled together bickering over some offense one caused the other.

"Jester, come here," Lady Galium beckoned.

Walking over to the table of Ladies, the Queen sat back in her chair and announced in a loud whisper, "Raven, Lady Chervil had claimed you for last night, but Lady Galium claimed you for tonight. Lady Chervil feels that since your misfortune ruined her turn, she should be able to make it up."

"But, your Majesty, my husband will only be away for tonight. Surely, Lady Chervil could wait another day," Lady Galium pleaded her case.

"What do you think, Raven?" The Queen enjoyed mocking me by giving the illusion of freedom of choice when I had no actual rights at all.

"Whatever you think is best, your Majesty," I answered, knowing nothing I suggested would be heeded.

"Hmmm, I think the best way to settle this matter is for you to entertain them both, at the same time."

What! Isn't it enough that you humiliate me one at a time? Now, I have to play the whore double duty.

The Queen saw the look in my eyes, but knew I wouldn't dare defy her. Bowing my head, I stated, "Yes, your Majesty."

*****

Waking up early the next morning, I disentangled myself from the bodies of the two fae women. Getting dressed in silence, I surveyed the scene before me while slipping my boots on. The women were both strong and lithe, hair silver and glistening in the new sunrise peeping through the window, skin unblemished. They were beautiful, even by fae standards. I should have felt honored that the women wanted me enough to share, willing to debase themselves to have me, but for some reason, my pride fell flat—lifeless. Even now, looking upon their naked beauty, remembering the pleasure they gifted my body last night, I perceived a bitter emptiness, like a morsel of food from the King's table; delectable on my tongue, but caustic to my belly.

The moans of desire they pulled from my throat fell on my own deaf ears. The pleasure was temporal, but a whisper on the wind. I ached to feel complete, a notion foreign to me since old enough for rational thought. A void has always existed in my being, a dark cave empty of fulfillment, but full of malcontent. No amount of physical gratification would fill this hollowness.

Awakening most mornings with a dull pain in my chest, this daybreak was no different. I would endure the rigors of the day, brave whatever hardship the Royals bequeathed me, but tomorrow, tomorrow I was free.

*****

As I walked towards the palace gates, I could already feel my wings itching to break free of the glamour.

"See you tomorrow, Jester. The whipping post will be waiting for you when you get back." Noni, one of the Royal Guards and a royal ass liked to mock me when he was on duty on the mornings I got to leave.

"Shut up, Noni, you ogre's ass." Hernlin stated.
Turning to me, he said, "Have a good day off."

Nodding my head, I took two steps away from the gates and dropped my glamour. Unfurling my wings, I stretched my shoulders and back. Unlike other winged fae, my wings were composed of actual feathers, instead of the transparent gossamer membranes the other fae sometimes used to flit around. I didn't flit. My wingspan was eighteen feet and made of a combination of high speed and high-lift/broad soaring wings. Meaning, they were built for speed and distance. The feathers were a shimmering black, some over three feet long. When glamoured, I didn't feel their weight, like they didn't exist, but when not being magically hidden, the immensity of their size made me thankful for my extra muscle.

With a small bag tied around my waist, I took flight, flapping the powerful appendages to get me off the ground. Putting a little extra effort behind my takeoff, and turning myself just right, I could knock the royal ass off his feet with the back draft.

Higher and higher I climbed. Reaching an altitude that made it more difficult to breathe, I eased off and soared over and under the clouds. From this height, my keen vision reached for hundreds of miles. No smoke billowing from Mount Formido today, but it looked as if the Sprites in the east were busy harvesting their annual crop of elderberries. In the south, past the Etain forest, I saw a city and villages belonging to the humans, small plumes of smokes wafting from their chimneys.

When I flew, every other flying creature in Nodin returned to their nests in fear of the soaring giant. Even though I had hurt none of the many species of raptors, I suppose they still thought of me as an apex predator. The only creature in Nodin not afraid to share the skies with me were the Golden Dragons of Mount Lacerta. Few of those remained due to low birth rates. The shells of their eggs were made of literal gold and their nests ravaged by the orcs during raids.

Closing my eyes, I relaxed and let my wings cut through the air. This was the only time I knew real freedom. Soaring through the skies, I was at liberty to imagine anything I wanted, free to be anyone I wanted.

I could be a warrior, a king, a husband, a father.

The last thought saddened me more than anything. No fairy woman, even the low-born, would ever want me as a mate. My blood was corrupted and would be passed down to our offspring, cursed to a life of miserable castigation.

Tired of thinking of such depressing matters, it being my one day away from those troubles; I headed toward Auntie's cottage and a certain little copper-headed human.

Copyrighted 2/20/2021 by brhr14.
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