Shockingly, Sometimes Breaking the Rules Puts You in Conflict with Your Boss
—
“And then he said that I was only allowed in the school because I was a good cocksucker,” Robby said, flinching as Edwin put the ice pack to his eye. “So I asked if that was true what was he good at, and he hit me in the face!”
“Hm,” Edwin said. “Sounds like a piece of shit.” This kid Jasper had apparently been picking on Robby for a few days now, which Edwin suspected was because he was jealous.
“No, it’s okay.” Robby smiled, taking the ice and holding it there himself now. “I kicked him in the balls and then we got in trouble for fighting, so we’re friends now! Also I have to go in early to polish all the practice weapons, so I’ll probably leave before sunrise, and then I have to stay late because I’m going to give Jasper cocksucking lessons, so I might just sleep there tomorrow.”
“Okay.” Edwin had always known that being in the school would mean he’d see a little less of Robby. Eventually he was going to make friends and not want to come back to the keep—or to Techen’s Stand—every night. “But your cocksucking lessons had better not just be you sucking his cock. That’s going to teach him bad habits.”
“Please,” Robby said, nudging Edwin with his foot. “As if he even wants to cum with the bruise on his balls. It’ll be fine, Edwin. You can’t freak out and turn into my dad every time I get a black eye.”
“I know,” Edwin said, kissing Robby’s head. “But I can turn into your dad when I’m spanking you for fighting with the other students.”
“No,” Robby said, seductively. “What’s for supper?”
“Spring Casserole,” said Edwin.
“I don’t know what that is.”
“Me either.”
“It’s also not spring?”
“Apparently it’s Nigel and Nikolai’s grandmother’s recipe,” Edwin said. Which was what Nigel always said when he was trying something new and didn’t want them to tell him it sucked. “Anyway, it’ll be ready soon, we should go down.”
“Okay,” Robby said, letting Edwin help him stand. “I don’t really want to get up before sunrise.”
“Well, you should have thought of that before you kicked a boy in the balls. That’s not allowed, dummy.”
“I know,” Robby complained. “But he deserved it.”
“Honestly, your parents were right, knight training really is turning you into a delinquent.” Edwin sighed. “Oh well. Make sure you go to bed early tonight.”
“Yeah, I know. I do want to practice cocksucking with you and Erik first, just to make sure my skills are as sharp as my teeth aren’t.”
Edwin slapped Robby’s ass, and not softly. “Obviously. You owe me a whole day of blowjobs before bed, and Erik too. Not to mention all of tomorrow’s blowjobs, unless you want to incur a debt tomorrow that you’ll have to pay back with interest.”
“How am I supposed to do that and get to sleep early?” Robby asked, sighing.
Another slap. “Sounds like your problem. Knights should know how to manage their time well enough to complete all their sacred duties.”
Robby scowled. “They’re also supposed to be good mentors to their students.”
Oops, Edwin had forgotten that Robby learned fast. “I guess so. Okay, I’ll fuck you while you’re giving Erik his blowjobs, not after. And you can start on mine now.”
Robby grinned, winced, and grinned again. “I knew you were my favourite brother for a reason,” he said, touching Edwin’s belt.
Down the hall, feet shuffled and Nikolai cleared his throat. “Sir,” he said to Edwin. “I’m sorry to interrupt.”
“Don’t be,” Edwin said, because Robby had not been interrupted, and was unbuckling his belt with one hand while he kept his ice in place with the other. “What is it?”
“You have a guest, sir,” Nikolai said. Before Edwin could even mentally sigh, he continued. “It’s Knight Commander Richard Stormhowe.”
Edwin straightened, and Robby stopped. They were just near Rudy’s room, where he was pretty sure Rudy still was, probably napping or something. “Thanks, Nikolai,” Edwin said, going over and knocking once on the door. “Rudy?”
There was no answer, so Edwin opened the door, stopped. Rudy was in there, but he wasn’t napping. He was on his bed with Millicent, one hand on her thigh and one around her back, her skirt hiked up to her belly and his pants around his thighs. They’d clearly been kissing, but were now not, instead looking at Edwin. “Uh. Hi, Edwin.”
“Hi,” Edwin said, mostly amused. “Sorry to interrupt, sorry, Millicent. Rudy, I need you to hop through a portal for a few hours. The knight commander just showed up at the door and I think he’s probably looking for you.” He knew from Gavin that the order had started strongarming him about keeping Rudy from his trial. He probably thought he could strongarm Edwin more easily, which to be fair he definitely could.
Rudy went pale, standing up. “Uh, right,” he said, pulling up his pants. “Shit. Sorry. Shit.”
“It’s okay,” Edwin told him, as Millicent stood up too. “Just go to Pelican Bay or Techen’s Stand. I’ll send Robby to come get you…” he paused, considering how much Robby probably didn’t want to walk in on Rudy and his sister having sex. He was already lingering without quite coming in the room. “I’ll come get you when he’s gone.”
“Okay.” Rudy took Millicent’s hand. “Sorry, Milly.”
“It’s okay, Sir Rudy,” Millicent said, kissing his hand. “Maybe I’ll come with you? If we go back to town, my parents won’t be home, because they’re here…” Millicent looked meaningfully at Rudy, who was frowning. “So my house is empty…”
“Right.” The colour came back to Rudy’s face all at once. “Right, that sounds great. See you, Edwin.”
Edwin nodded, getting out of their way. “Have fun,” he told them.
Millicent kissed Edwin’s cheek as they went by, still holding hands. “We will,” she promised. “Sir Rudy has been very chivalrous so far.”
“Yes, so I saw,” Edwin teased, earning himself a harder swat than he’d given Robby.
They headed off to the bedroom where the portal was, and Edwin turned back to the stairs. “Did you know they were…” Robby asked.
“No,” Edwin muttered. “Rudy did mention yesterday that she was really pretty.”
Robby rolled his eyes. “If I fucked everyone I thought was pretty…”
“Which you do,” Edwin interjected.
“Yeah, well, knight training is a bad influence on me.” Robby sighed. “I’m going to take the portal ring off the door behind them and stay up here with my parents. I’ll remind them that they don’t know anyone named Rudy. It’s probably best if I’m not in the way.”
“You’re never in my way,” Edwin assured him. “But yeah, good call. See you later.”
Robby gave Edwin one last slap on the ass as he headed for his parents’ room, ice still on his face. Edwin fixed his belt and headed downstairs with Nikolai. “How many knights are with him?” he asked.
“Six.”
“Yeah, you know what they say; five makes an orgy, and one more is an arresting party,” Edwin muttered, shaking his head. Gavin was going to kill someone for this. Hopefully not the knight commander. Edwin liked him, and not just because he still felt that sword on his shoulder whenever he strapped his armour on.
He was waiting down in the great hall, with place settings for him and his knights—Sir Samuel, Sir Cassidy, Sir Yolanda, Sir Hector, Sir Titus and Sir George, all senior knights who Edwin barely interacted with, great—but all seven of them were standing. Erik was there with them, standing at firm attention. Shit, this was going to suck so hard, it was…
Wait a minute. Fuck that.
Edwin strode over to them and stood straight, saluting. “Sir. Welcome to Stag Keep. Did my servants offer your party refreshments?”
“They did, Sir Edwin.” The knight commander looked serious. “I suspect you know why I’m here.”
“I hate to contradict you, sir, but I’m afraid I don’t.” Edwin stood there like he was receiving petitioners in his own fucking castle, which he was. “But I’m happy to help you with anything you need, of course.”
“Edwin, we’re here to collect Rudy.”
Edwin just stood firm. He could do this. He had to do this. “I see. I’m afraid, as I’ve said before, I don’t know his whereabouts, sir. I wish I did.” He didn’t know that Rudy had gone to Techen’s Stand. He just could guess he had.
“Harbouring a criminal is itself a crime, Sir Edwin,” the knight commander said, shifting his weight. He wasn’t armed, but the other six were. “And lying to a superior officer is a punishable offence.”
“Yes, sir,” said Edwin. And because Robby wasn’t the only one who’d memorized the fucking chivalric code, Edwin added, “so is falsely accusing a fellow knight of a crime. Sir.”
That definitely raised the tension in the room, and Erik looked like he might be ready to draw his sword. The knight commander stared at Edwin. Edwin stared back. “Thanks to your friendship with the prince, you’ve come very far in the world very quickly, Sir Edwin,” the knight commander said, head high. “And fast-moving things tend to stop very abruptly if they’re not careful. They cause collateral damage to the people attached to them.”
“I appreciate the advice, sir, and I’ll try to avoid that,” Edwin said, feeling himself go ice cold. He was suddenly grateful Robby hadn’t come down. He wanted to hold Erik’s hand, but he didn’t. “From what I saw of the Sea King’s cannonballs, they actually caused the most damage to the things they collided with.”
The knight commander stiffened at that. Maybe Edwin shouldn’t have said it, but it was too late now and he’d freak out later. “We will be searching this keep for Rudy.”
“Be my guests, but I have some people from Techen’s Stand staying here. Please try not to startle them.” Edwin glanced to his left. “Nigel, would you take these place settings away? Our friends won’t be staying for dinner.”
As Nigel moved to do that, the knight commander gestured and the six knights headed for the stairs, spreading through the keep. He himself remained standing in the great hall. Edwin left him there, going to sit. He detoured away from his usual seat, taking the big chair at the head of the room and unfolding the napkin there. Erik came with him, sat beside him. “It’s okay,” he muttered quietly.
Edwin nodded, watching the knight commander, stony and unmoving. “I know,” he said. He spread the napkin under the table and finally found Erik’s hand. It was gloved, but Edwin knew he could squeeze as hard as he needed to. “I think this might be how Gavin feels all the time.” Except he probably felt good about it when he did it.
“Maybe,” Erik said, keeping his voice low. “But you didn’t look like Gavin just then, Ed. You looked like you.”
Edwin glanced at him, not sure what to make of that. The big chair was really uncomfortable. He hoped he didn’t have to sit in it too often.
—
How Best to Use a Sword 