I smiled. "I don't upset the order," I said. "I merely give it a secret dimension that makes it more interesting to me. Do you think our Lord Lexius couldn't defend himself if he chose to? He could summon his army of grooms, but he doesn't."

I climbed off the bed. I took Lexius's hands from behind his neck and twisted his arms back so his wrists were firmly held right at his backside. In sum, I trussed him much as we had been trussed with the bracelets and the phallus. I stood him up and forced him to bend over. He was absolutely pliant in all this, though he was crying. I kissed his cheek, and he softened gratefully, but his c**k didn't soften.

"Now, our Lord needs to be punished," I said to Tristan. "Have you never felt that need? Have a little compassion. He is a mere beginner in this realm. It's hard for him."

The tears streamed down Lexius's face beautifully. The light caught the tears. But another light suffused Tristan's face as he looked up at Lexius. He rose on his knees on the bed and put his hands on the sides of Lexius's face. There was love and understanding in Tristan's expression.

"Look at his body," I said softly. "You've seen stronger slaves, slaves more well muscled, but look at the quality of his skin."

Tristan's eyes moved over him slowly, and Lexius cried softly.

"The ni**les," I said. "They're virginal. Never been whipped, clamped."

Tristan examined them. "Very lovely," he said. He watched Lexius carefully. He played with Lexius's ni**les just a little roughly.

I could feel the tension shoot through Lexius, his arms stiffening in my grasp. I pulled them back harder, forcing his chest out.

"And the cock. It's a good size, a good length, wouldn't you say?"

Tristan inspected it with his fingers as he had the ni**les. He pinched the tip, scratched at it a little with his nails, ran his hand down the length of it.

"I would say he's as fine a quality as we are," I murmured, drawing near to Lexius's ear.

"True," Tristan said very earnestly. "But he's too virginal. When a slave's been used, really well worked, the body is enhanced in some way."

"I know. If we work on him every time there is the opportunity, we can make him perfect. By the time we are sent home, he will be as good a slave as we are."

Tristan smiled. "What a lovely thought. What a lovely secret aspect to things." He kissed Lexius on the cheek. I could see the gratitude in Lexius's manner, and see Tristan drawn to him, see and feel the current that passed between them.

"Yes," I answered. "A lovely secret aspect to things. I have found my lover here, as you did in the village. And my lover is Lexius. And I think I will love him all the more in a little while when he punishes me or trains me as he must, when another day dawns here in which he is again the Master."

Tristan's c**k was hard, his eyes a bit feverish as they moved over Lexius.

"I would like to whip him," he said quietly.

"Of course," I said. "Turn around, Lexius." I let his arms go.

"Bend over and put your hands down between your legs," Tristan said. He got off the bed so that he could stand behind Lexius, turning him to just the right position. "Gather your balls and keep them covered with your hands and brought forward."

Lexius obeyed, bending from the waist. I stood beside him. Tristan adjusted the position of his backside, then spread his legs a little wider. He took the strap from me, and then he swung it hard, whipping Lexius right in the crack of his backside.

Lexius winced. I was a little surprised myself at the deliberation of it. But Tristan was clearly not going to waste this opportunity. He seemed the very opposite of the weak Master he had once had who couldn't work him.

He whipped Lexius again in the same manner, and, moving even farther back, he swung the strap up, smacking the anus and the crack and even the fingers with which Lexius protected his scrotum. Lexius couldn't keep still. But the whipping went on, moving into a nice cadence. And Lexius wept, his rear rising and falling with his struggles, the strap cracking again and again on the tender flesh between his anus and his lifted scrotum.

I went round to the front and lifted Lexius's chin.

"Look into my eyes," I said. The whipping continued in very thorough style. This was better than I had hoped it might be. Lexius was biting his lip, gasping. I felt that stirring of feeling again, that fount of affection and love. I was frightened suddenly.

I went down on my knees and kissed him again, and it was just as powerful as before, the strap sending the shudders through him, his tears spilling onto my face.

"Tristan," I said. Kisses, wet sucking kisses. "Don't you want him? Don't you want to show him how it is done properly, give him a good coring?"

Tristan was more than ready.

"Straighten up. I want you standing to take it," I said.

Lexius obeyed, still holding his scrotum. I was still on my knees looking up at him.

Tristan put his arms around Lexius's chest, and his fingers found the little virginal ni**les.

"Spread your legs," I said to Lexius. I held his hips as Tristan entered him. And I let my lips touch the hungry, obedient cock, the poor, mastered c**k right in front of me.

Then I went down on it to the hairy root, and, just before Tristan came, Lexius came, utterly dissolved in cries and release, so that we both supported him.

When it was finished and every last vibration of it was gone, he moved sluggishly to the bed, not waiting for any command or permission, and he lay there weeping uncontrollably.

I lay down beside him, and Tristan lay an the other side. I was still hard, but I could save it for the morning, save it for the next round of torment. It was nice just to be next to him. and to kiss his neck.

"Don't weep so, Lexius," I said. "You know you needed it, you wanted it."

Tristan reached down between his legs and felt the reddened flesh below the anus.

"It's true, Master," he said softly. "How long have you wanted it?"

Lexius quieted a little. He moved his arm around my chest, drawing me even closer to him. He reached out for Tristan in the same way.

"I'm frightened," he whispered. "Desperately frightened."

"Don't be," I said. "You have us to master you, train you. And we will do it lovingly, at every opportunity."

We both kissed him and caressed him until he was still. He turned over. I wiped his tears.

"There are so many things I am going to do to you," I said. "So many things I mean to teach you."

He nodded, lowering his eyes.