25

288 AC

"How are they?" My voice didn't quieter, at least not this time, I didn't know what I was feeling right this moment, anger? Fear? Despair? The uncomfortable clenching of my heart that just didn't seem to calm down?

"They are... Alright, my lord, as alright as women could by after such... Treatment... Their bodies just need a few days of rest, but..." Wolkan stopped speaking right there, I didn't turn to look at him, my face looking down at some sketches I had done, it was always like this when I felt the need to just...

Run, I drew, it helped calm my mind, something I desperately needed right now...

"But?" I nudged Wolkam, too tired, mentally tired, for any guessing.

"I-I do not know if moon tea would work, it should, but..." Ah... It was too late?

"Then we will see... And my men?" There Wolkan bent his head down, something I could see in the small mirror I had above my desk.

"The two of three would be alright, even if a little shaken, with time, their injuries could fully heal, but the third, Derrick is his name, wouldn't be capable of ever coming back to fight, at least not as he was used to, the... The skinning was done by an amateur, damaging a lot of muscles in the process." Wolkan explained, and I just nodded, I knew it would be like that from the first look, knowing a bit about skinning made me realize there was too much meat on the skin that was taken off his leg...

It still didn't make better, HE was MY responsibility, JUST like Fiera and Estrid!

THEY WERE MINE!

AND HE! HE TOUCHED THEM!

MY!

"M-MILORD?!" Huh?

"WHAT?!" I turned to Wolkan, who gulped, but still came to me and, in surprising movement, took my hand into his, and just as he lifted my hand, I realized that somehow, I snapped my quill and pierced my skin in the process as blood flowed from my hand...

Huh...

I didn't feel anything...

"Mi-milord, please, b-by more careful, if, if not for yourself, for, for us milord." Wolkan tiredly said, I took his appearance into my sigh, noting the few more signs of clear tiredness...

Ah, he overworked himself, didn't he?

And I gave him another job...

How good lord I'm, aren't I?

Not even being capable of noticing my subordinate's health status, caring just about myself...

I stayed silent as Wolkan patched my hands with his improvised first aid kit, something I made for him on his thirty-eight name-day...

A thing he always, always from that day carried with himself, each day something new or improved could be seen in that small leather bag...

"Just go and take a day of rest, I'm sure nurses now can take your place..." I tiredly said, not willing to get into an argument with a man who was with me from my birth into this world...

Wolkan looked at me, but then he nodded, I could see he wanted to say more but held his tongue as he walked away, leaving me alone...

It...

It was strange to be alone...

For a long time, I got used to the presence of at least one of my maids, now Astrid and Frida are by their mother Estrid, crying and taking care of her and Fiera and other maids...

I could see it in their eyes, nobody who lived there was truly a simpleton, they knew that what happened was because of how close they were to me, now fearing they would be next, just because they are close to me, and a good way to punish me without truly punishing me...

Sometimes, this entire plan of making myself seen as a good boy, and future good lord, felt like a house of cards...

Just one simple action, not even from me, could destroy something I worked on from the very start I learned that I'm Bolton...

"Tell me, what did you think you were doing?" I asked the battered man, I could see someone working on him before me, just like on the rest of them...

"W-w-we- i-its mi-s-sanurasting! W-we- I sorry!" The man practically begged and shouted, his mouth missing a few teeth making him unable to pronounce his words rightly...

"A misunderstanding, huh, a simple mistake, you say? So, a simple rape of MY women, my maids, and torture of MY men is nothing but a simple misunderstanding..." The way the man shivered made me almost shiver, and in a not bad way...

Stop...

I shook my head, the thing that I felt just now...

It wasn't right, this is a job, this must be a DUTY, I cant permit to make this my hobby...

"And what is this horrible smell..." I almost mumbled and looked at the man who flinched, but still, I noticed how most of the battered men who still could move looked at one particular hideous creature...

Wait...

I did see him somewhere, didn't I?

Or rather, I heard rumors about him...

Still, the moment I mentioned it, it was as if a lightbulb emerged on some men's heads, as some of them almost snarled in realization, the more capable ones throwing themselves on the man.

"I-I-its your fault! YOUR YOUR!" I watched how two more movement-capable men beat the foul-smelling man to the ground, making me sigh.

"Make them stop," I ordered, it was clear that most men inside weren't right in mind right now, making any my try to stop them with words worthless, the men behind me nodded, and two opened the gate as three went inside, forcefully taking the prisoners apart...

I watched the struggle end as voices of pain and hatred sounded all around me.

"Now, someone of you will explain to me all meaning of this, or my men will not hold back." I nodded to the three men in the cell who now held a wooden baton, something I had made from wood, it looked and worked like a simple police baton.

"I-It! H-he started it! H-he t-told us to do it!" One prisoner screamed as others joined him, but all quieted down when I nodded at the men, making them make smacking sounds with their batons.

What followed was a discoordination tale of how this creature, or rather a man, named Reek or Heke as he called himself, was first to put idea of enjoying themselves, how they were men, and had right to use them, of course, I didn't believe in any of them, they all had part in this...

No matter what they said, they joined because others were already doing it, no matter their pleas for forgiveness or other words...

I care for not...

They...

Touched my people, MY...

Orders from father or not, I cared not, for now, the father was protected, I was but a child...

But these men...

They had not same protection as Roose...

"Enough, I heard enough..."

I simply said, suddenly too tired to listen to even more ways to escape my judgment...

"My family... Bolton's are known for something... Do you know for what?" I asked, making men pale and suddenly scream for forgiveness, making my men beat them with batons to silence, all the while, I watched, not stopping them...

"Well, what are Bolton's know for, tell me... TELL ME!" I hissed out.

"F-Flaying! Flaying!" Surprisingly it was Reek who shouted it, looking at me exceptionally, as if expecting me to praise him...

"Right... Right... Then know that I will not use Bolton's tradition on you..." Now they looked surprised, maybe thinking that I would forgive them, after all, I was but a child, I should be more forgiving, right?

No...

"No... You raped, you used Holes that arent your's to touch or even dream off... And the punishment needs to be the same..." I whispered each word that flew from my mouth quieter.

I nodded at my men, who walked from the cell after bounding all prisoners to the wall, not making them capable of again hurting each other.

"If holes are what you like, then holes it would by... You will by impaled on the stakes through your anuses, I will make you feel the same feeling you made feel my women, and much, much worse." I ignored the scream of surprise and other batches of pleas for forgiveness...

There were actually even a few who cursed me, called me little shit, something that almost made me smile...

"Tell the wood crafters to prepare stakes, make it so that the points are blunt as much possible and unable to pierce skin... I will make them starve on these poles, not having quick death because of bleeding out..." I knew my men shivered because their footsteps behind me changed in pace...

This would show any other man who would think of following my father's order's rethink if women were worthy of this agonizing pain they would soon witness...

Father may rule now, but future, future belonged to ME.