It was not uncommon for him to work alongside the hired help. He treated everyone as equals regardless of their standing in the quickly growing township of Völkerschlacht, also known as the battle of nations.
It was not long ago that the strong young men of the village had been called to war for their own freedom and the independence of those that they vowed to serve and protect.
Following a long slow battle, some ground had been gained but only by way of the inevitable loss of many young lives. And in the end, countless lives were given up so that the control they sought over their land could be gained yet again.
Duke Aloysius stood perfectly still as he surveyed the, now silent, bloody red landscape that lay just before him. As a younger man, he recalled standing at the feet of his father and grandfather watching on. They were Dukes as well. It was a title handed down from many generations of resilient leaders in their family.
He was all too familiar with the devastating effects of war and he also had a great appreciation for the vulnerabilities of the aftermath in rebuilding their society. But with all of that being said, it was the only way possible to stake claim on their land and win it back from their enemies.
During this period, it was a time of rebuilding, as over half of the men that battled in the war never made it back home. The females were ‘encouraged’ to become with child in order to ensure the survival of their people. Their thoughts had wandered on to the viability of succession planning.
Even though most minds would have to catch up to that train of thought on down the road a ways. It had not been ordered, as of yet, but many were whispering about it under cover of dark shadows.
And then there was Duchess Adelaide Galena Derica who was quite the opposite of her betrothed. Loosely translated, her name meant ‘high one’.
The name kind of suited her well, as she stood before her full-length mirror being waited on hand and foot. There were three ladies in waiting fussing over every inch of her svelte body. She never left the resting area until perfection envied her style.
And once she had had every wrinkle, every hair, every morsel in place, she said,
“Dearie…. I will take my tea in the sunroom now. Today, I am thinking about green tea, double brewed for depth, and a hint of honey for sweetness.
You know just how I like it dear. You go back there and then bring me some, now. I am so very parched, you see. Quickly…. Quickly …. You go.”
And the ladies in waiting dispersed to fill her every wish, preparing a tray of tasty treats for her to enjoy. Adelaide sat quietly, in the sunroom, at her leisure. She was sipping her hot tea and looking out of the window very contently.
That was actually her favorite moment of her day, watching on as shirtless workers tilled the garden. The sun was high in the sky at that point in the day and the men were working up a good sweat. Their chest glistened as they slung the hoes to break up the unwieldy hard dirt. Nothing would grow if they didn’t.
Adelaide’s heart went pitter-patter as she paid close attention to their rippling muscles as they smashed the hard red clay with their heavy tools. She patted her chest as a tall dark and handsome man went over right in front of the window.
There was one man in particular that she enjoyed watching. She had heard others call him Bo, but more seemed to call him by the formal name of Boy instead.
His butt was strong and round and delectable. He had been working so hard that his sweat formed a pie shape imprint on the back of his trousers. She could just see herself licking the sweat from his back while kneeling on her hands and knees. And she would most certainly do it too. He wouldn’t even have to ask it of her.
Once she had finished watching her favorite show, with the lead being played by the famous Boy Bo. She walked back to the back of the house and on through the old wooden swinging doors. She was initially going to speak with the cook, but when she got there her femininity took over her actions.
Adelaide motioned for Boy to go over and into the mudroom. She nonchalantly grabbed a plant from the kitchen window seal so that it wouldn’t cause question amongst the staff. She pretended to have something to discuss with him and she went the same way with it.
She closed the door behind them and Bo pinned her up against the old crackled paint door as he pressed his sweet lips against hers. His long awkward fingers intertwined amidst hers, high above her head. Her heart was beating rapidly as her back slowly began to arch.
Adelaide’s perky young breasts rested on his virile chest very nicely. They were so captivated with one another that they could not hold in their primal inhibitions, they just let go, together. He picked her up by her waist and carried her over to a twelve-foot long table and sat her on top of it.
He reached down and prepared himself very well. He raised her skirt up to her thighs and slid her bloomers off, letting them fall to the floor.
The mere hint of his touch was enough to drive her crazy. When their bodies collided it seemed so rough and unrestricted. Their bodies ached for each other, when they couldn’t be together.
That kiss had everything that she could’ve ever wanted. It was sexy, sensual, and powerful to say the very least. They had been secretly seeing one another for some time, but they had to be very careful.
If the duke ever caught wind of their activities, he would surely have him beheaded straightaway. Bo’s youthful physique and rippling muscles gave her pleasure that the duke could not or had not.
He slid his manhood inside of her darkness very slowly, very gently, with her in mind every second. He watched her face as her hands clutched the table on either side of her for stability.
Once she was nice and wet and he could slide in and out with great ease, he did so. With each thrust of his hips, he penetrated her deeper and deeper still. Her body was tense until he grabbed ahold of her waist and pulled her in closer to himself.
That was when she loosened up a slight bit more as she kindly spread her juicy legs nice and open for him to have open entrance to her goodness.
He pulled her in even tighter towards him and thrust his hips forward, harder and harder still. The tension was building in his shoulders. It was evident that he was getting close.
She leaned forward and bit his shoulder hard, to distract him for a moment. That usually made it last a little longer for them.
It was not their first time being together, not even by a long shot. They had enjoyed the lust of each other’s company on many prior occasions. And no one knew anything about it.
He plunged himself maybe one, maybe two more times as he reached his greatest orgasmic state that he ever had. Everything about his body turned her on beyond reason. But they could never be together because of the social class differentiation. It just wasn’t allowed. It wasn’t even possible.
She leaned in and whispered in his muted little ear,
“Where have you been?”
He tilted his head towards her shy face and responded,
“Waiting for you to notice me, my lady.”
She couldn’t help but to smile. She had watched him work for so very long. She had fantasized about how it would feel to touch him, to kiss him, to hold him close to her. But she didn’t think that would even be a possibility under the unfortunate circumstance of her marriage.
For what it was worth, she had not chosen her husband for herself. That was something the elders of the growing township got together and discussed, the direction that each couple might take, if they were paired together and vice versa. It was not a willing choice on her part.
Chapter II – A Meal Fit For a Duke & Duchess
The royal family was set to have a dinner party that evening. Adelaide most definitely needed to nail down the details since time was running rather short for her announced engagement. And if she did not, then she would feel unsettled all day long.
Adelaide was patient while her lady in waiting laced up her boots. Once the child finished, Adelaide walked over to a young boy that had only recently been adde
d to the kitchen staff.
He was found wondering the streets, dirty, and malnourished. The royal family showed sympathy on him and he was brought in to the manor and subsequently taught to prepare food for them upon their request.
After a short period of time, he was obviously improving and the other cooks were noticing. And after a few months, he turned out to be one of the best cooks around.
To look at him, one would guess, that he would be around fourteen to sixteen years of age. But that was just a friendly guess based on judging by his height, weight, and build. So she explained,
“Let us start with the menu, my dear boy. I would like the first course to be one single slice of pumpernickel bread toasted to perfection.
And then I would like that piece of bread smeared with a dollop of rollmops. That is the Commissioner’s favorite and he would undoubtedly be in attendance.
He could never seem to get enough of that stinky rolled pickled herring. But, nevertheless, they should have plenty on hand to offer him.
I believe we shall start off with a thick robust cabernet sauvignon for the entire group to drink.
I suppose water should be available to be served as well. How boring.
The second course will, no doubt, be the absolute crowd pleaser. I would like smoked sausage and cabbage, prepared and seasoned to taste.
I would like you personally to prepare this course. Do you understand that young man?”
She actually was not sure that the boy spoke any English at all. He responded back with,
“Sie sehen aus wie Sie könnte eine Mahlzeit oder zwei Damen und Herren überspringen.”
Adelaide chuckled to herself. She did not have a single clue what the boy was trying to say to her. But the language was so easy on her ears that she didn’t really care either way.
However, it would have been in her best interests to have a translator between them because of what was said.
Apparently the translation was,
“You look like you could skip a meal or two madam…..”
But she would never know, because the bilingual help were not nearly dumb enough to call the duchess’s attention to the boys’ childish comments.
In fact, they found the blatant sarcasm to be relentlessly humorous. She could be quite high maintenance and everyone had been on the receiving end of her temper tantrums from time to time. As unfortunate as it was, it was also equally true.
Adelaide continued on,
“I want you to personally smoke the individually casing - wrapped wurst before they are put onto the blazing fire to char.
First, sear each side quite well in order to reach a nice crunchy caramelized outside. And then next, place them on a long pan to slow roast them. That will make the inside of the mixture nice and tender and particularly moist. Perfection. And great to eat for our guests too.
Along the side of the wurst meat, we shall have fresh made kraut. It should consist of very well fermented cabbage that is sharp and incredibly tangy to taste. That is very crucial, that tartness is.
Are you getting all of this young man? Maybe you should be writing it down. This is so very important that you get each and every little tiny piece in place perfectly so.
Can you understand the words that I am saying boy?”
She finished all that she was saying as she shook him aggressively by his shoulders repeatedly. His eyelashes fluttered wildly as a look of confusion appeared across his sweet face.
Adelaide threw her hands in the air and thought, God! Show me something! Show me that you understand the words that I am saying child.
If only she did not care so much. She really could not stomach failure, nor did she ever have the insight to see her active role in its outcome. She had to be right to a fault almost it seemed.
A language barrier seemed to do them in every time. One would think that they would learn some sort of means to make things better. But no, they had learned nothing. In truth, they had never even tried to do things any differently. Being on the bleeding edge of change just really was not her thing. Adelaide preferred tried and true methods that had been tweaked and all the kinks had already been worked out.
Even though there was more than one person on staff that was bilingual, Adelaide kept trying the same things and expecting a different outcome. A bit narcissistic perhaps.
She grabbed a female helper by the arm and pointed in the direction in which she would lead. She had chosen crisp white linens for the table. She requested that the silverware be shined to a sparkle. She directed her to get the brush and bucket and scrub the floors as well.
The guests would be arriving in the finest assembles, dressed to impress, not so far away. She tapped on the window over the garden and motioned for her husband, Aloysius, to come inside to clean and wash up for the evening ahead.
But he was not a man to be trifled with. In return he pointed down to the other end of the garden indicating that he would be finishing the garden before he went inside. And with that she turned to walk away. She knew better than to challenge him, it consistently led to no good.
The anticipation in the air was so thick you could have cut it with a knife. Rumor had it that there would be more than one surprise guest throughout the night, but no one was saying whom.
Adelaide peered down the long dirt driveway, the two-tiered fence had been adorned with fresh flower arrangements and they looked so lovely. And that row of flowers was the first thing that the guests would see as they arrived on the royal land.
The garden looked lovely with so many bright colors of reds, yellows, and blues. The guests would love them without a doubt. Tall arterial pine trees lined the roadway on either side also.
The duchess knew that her guests should be amply impressed. The waiting was killing her though and she couldn’t sit still. Adelaide paced back and forth across the creaky wooden floor boards.
A large fabricated tent was set up over the area. And under it were numerous table and chair sets, which were decorated nicely. It was a beautiful sight to see, the set up in the garden amidst so many lovely plants. The colors were fantastic during that time of year.
The guests finally started to arrive one by one. The duke and duchess would not make their appearance until after most of their guests had arrived.
Chapter III -- Cheers Freunden Und Genießen
Like proper royal family, each couple was introduced before entering the festivities. The lady would make a curtsy by bending at the knee and her right hand holding up the fabric of the dress.
The man traditionally bent at the waist with the right hand reached outward. Then a helper would willingly lead them to their designated table to be seated.
Seating was very important for the duchess. In her mind, every finite point would have to be just right. But even if perfection were not possible, she would still find fault somehow - someway. That was just a part of her narcissistic personality it would seem.
All of the guests arrived and were seated in the order in which they arrived. A lovely flower was placed in each female’s hair as a take home gift for them to enjoy. They looked so incredibly good - looking.
And just as the first round of drinks were served, smiles became more and more prevalent on each guests face. Just then the person temporarily standing at the head of the table began clinking a spoon against a clear crystal glass.
It was in an effort to gain the room’s full-undivided attention. The man cleared his throat before he even tried to go on. He sipped from a glass of cool water to see if that would help some, and it did in fact.
The gentleman announced to the guests surprisingly,
May I have your attention please? I present to you Duke Aloysius Boyce Derica of Völkerschlacht and with him is his blushing bride the lovely Duchess Adelaide Galiena Derica.”
The duke extended his hand for his duchess and she accepted the gift as they entered the room. They, of course, were making their way towards the head of the table. The duchess looked down her nose at
each person, as she walked. She was undoubtedly admiring her very own glamorous dress.
It had been said that Duchess Adelaide Galiena Derica fed from the power that she felt in the room. To put it in simpler terms, she pulled energy and strength from the children that had more than enough to share which was what made her so strong.
As each and every person stared on, the duke did a lovely welcome toast,
“Wir sind so froh, dass Sie alle die Einladung, uns in unserem Hause joing dieses evnening acceppted haben.
Unser Essen an diesem Abend ist speziell für Sie Perpared”
Der erste Kurs ist ein knuspriges Brot mit einem schönen Abstrich auf
Serviert natürlich zwei Wurstkraut
Serviert Dessert natürlich Schnaps und Eis
Cheers Freunden und genießen”
Also known as,
“We are so pleased that you all have accepted the invitation and made your way so far to join in on our special evening.
We are truly blessed for that. Our meal this evening has been especially prepared for you and we sincerely hope that you enjoy it very much.
The first course will be an aged and thick crusty bread toasted with a lovely smear on top. A light and gentle flavor but delightful nonetheless.
Served for course two is both sausage and the best cabbage around. This course should meet and greet you as close to home as one might come.
The two components on this dish, complement each other quite well and we hope that you will enjoy each and every bite our welcome friends.
Served for the dessert course will be an oldie but a goodie. Particularly, the older crowd will most likely appreciate the effort. You see, it is one of the finest liquors of our land.
So I will hold you no further before I announce that the final course is, in fact, a light and fluffy vanilla bean ice cream with a reduced schnapps peppermint glaze over the top.
This, my friends, it should be nothing short of extravagance in your mouth. So take your time and savor every drop, because we only have enough for one scoop each!
The Duke's Dilemma: Regency Romance Menage Short Stories Page 60
