Ch 49 A Curious Hobby

(Graphic Torture ⚠️)

I took the elevator down from the top floor and used my vision of the castle's awareness to see what was going on throughout my new home.

The Young Guards were outside In the courtyard training with about thirty village boys, I only had eight armed and semi trained men so having more would be nice....I could feed a few armies with the supplies already present in this castle's larders so feeding and training the orphans and 'extra' children in the village would be an easy task.

I next looked to the maids who were gossiping while washing clothes along with a rag tag group of village girls who had been orphaned or their parents didn't want them anymore.

All these new faces had placed a drop of their blood onto the magical contract which I left with Jormun so I wouldn't have to worry about them being spies.

I overheard two little girls who seemed to be sisters whispering to each other.

"Big sis.... is it true that da' new Lord is an evil wizard who eats naughty children?" the girl who was about seven asked her older sister as she scrubbed some pots In the area outside of the kitchens.

"Mabey....but we get good food and a warm place to sleep from now on so don't behave badly and the giant Lord won't eat us." her older sister spoke with a smile while rinsing off some plates.

"Okay big Sis I'll behave.." the little girl said and went back to scrubbing the cauldron.

...

Then I looked at the Castellans office and found that Jormun wasn't there so I searched through the castle and spotted him in the rookery while explaining to his son how to feed and care for the Ravens....I would probably not kill the Grey Rat, I'll just enslave him and force him to care for the Ravens after a bit of torture.... speaking of torture, I next moved my attention to the dungeons where Karl was watching over the Maester.

Karl was sitting on a bucket just outside of the reach of the nearly naked Maester.....he was eating a hearty serving of eggs, fresh bread, fruits, soft cheese, and crispy thick sausages, he had a wineskin on the ground next to him as he looked at the disheveled Maester with a smile as the man begged for food and water....or to be let free that he'd do anything.

Karl just kept eating and when he grew tired of the maesters begging he grabbed a thin rod of hazel and smacked the Maester on his fingers and his back as red marks were left in his skin.

"I always knew you grey rats were suspicious....when Master Cathicus gets here we'll see why..."

I then brought my consciousness back and stepped out of the elevator and into the large hallway.

I walked down the hallway as all the servant girls in their new maid outfits bowed as I passed.

I made my way to the Dungeons by walking down a spiral staircase made of rough black stone...I came to the Dungeon door and opened it.....the huge steel door heaved open and I stepped inside.

"My lord....he has not been fed or watered and is ready for your guidance." Karl spoke

"Rise Karl, tie him to the Interrogation chair." I told Karl and he immediately unchained the Scrawny Maester and dragged him into a steel chair with thick leather straps for the ankles, hands, thighs, upper arms, and head.

He hit the Maester twice before he stopped resisting as much then strapped the screaming man in and tightened all the bindings.

"he is secure my Lord.....this chair is the finest work of art I have ever seen....I could do so many things never before thought of my Lord.. hehehe." Karl laughed maniacally....he seemed to love torture but he wasn't necessarily an evil man...it was just a curious hobby of his.

I sat down on a nearby chair and withdrew a bottle of fine Chianti and a crystal glass.

"Karl....are you married?" I asked my torturer as I poured myself a glass.

"N...No...My Lord...the village girls always thought I was too ugly....so I spent my time in the dungeons involved in my work." He spoke a bit sadly....he was no longer an ugly man by any means but old habits die hard.

"I heard the Brown haired maid with short hair and big tits talking about you.....she said you are quite handsome after I healed you..." I told Karl and he instantly blushed but didn't respond.

"I order you that after we are done with our little....interrogation of this Maester you will wash up, wear new clothes from your wardrobe and ask her on a date....you both will have my permission for the day off tomorrow, and if you manage to entertain me with a good show I'll give you double pay." I told the embarrassed man and he seemed at a loss.

"It is an order Karl...." I spoke coldly.

"Y...Ye....Yes My Lord I will I swear it." he nodded nervously and fumbled with his leather roll of torture tools.

"Now, gag him and strap his head tightly.....use the powdered root in that cabinet over there to stop his bleeding as you peel his face off."

As soon as I said this the Maester began to scream and fight against his bindings but it was of no use, Karl shoved the leather gag into his mouth and tightened the straps so his head would become nearly immobile.

Then he walked towards his tools and retrieved a wickedly sharp finger sized curved blade....its wooden handle was stained with years worth of dried blood but its blade was shimmering and sharp.

Karl neared the crying Maester with his blade raised and began a cut at the man's forehead and he dragged the sharp blade across the maesters forehead like a hot knife through butter.

He grabbed some small pliers and pulled at the skin while slicing the skin off of his flesh as blood spattered everywhere.

after Karl got down to his eyebrows he reached over to the table and sprinkled some of the powdered root onto the man's scalped forehead and the bleeding immediately stopped but the screaming only intensified.....seems the clotting powder is an irritant....

Karl smiled at the wonderful effects of the powder then he moved the flap of skin up as he traced around the man's eye sockets so he could peel the skin off without having to near his blade to the eyes.

after the eye and face skin were separated Karl grabbed the flap of forehead skin and pulled as he slid the sharp knife between flesh and skin while the muffled screams of The Maester only intensified.

Before long after Karl had removed the skin down to the bridge of the man's nose the maester fainted from the pain as Karl sprinkled more clotting powder on the bleeding areas.

"Take the yellow phials and make him drink it....that will keep him from fainting and will stop his heart from malfunctioning from the pain....he will now be able to endure anything you put him through." I told Karl and a wicked grin spread across his face.

He rushed to the Glass cabinet and found the chest full of yellow phials...he grabbed one and ran back to the Maester.

He removed his gag and set it aside as he poured the thin liquid down his throat, after half a minute the screams of the Maester were once again echoing off of the walls like music in my ears as I sipped on my delicious glass of red wine.

. . . . .. . . . . .. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The skinning continued as I periodically cast Minor healing spells to keep the Maester from dying but I enjoyed myself for an hour and a half as Karl showed me his skills.

Eventually I got him to stop and I healed the Maester.....his skin was still off and spread out on the floor but now he looked like a deer after its pelt was peeled off.

I clasped an enslavement Collar on the Skinless monster and gave Karl orders to leave him in the rookery.

Karl tossed a cloak on the Skinless man and led him up the stairs.

I soon left after absorbing all the blood that the Maester spilled during our fun time together and headed towards my main office, The Jormuns' office was just next to mine so doing my Duties as a Lord would be easier.

I entered the beautifully ornate room and looked at everything in appreciation.....it was just my taste and I had to thank the goddess for that.

I sat at my desk and soon my Castellan and his son walked in with a small stack of papers.

"My lord these are all the important things that need attention, with the vast amounts of coin that I found in my office we should be able to get all of these things done....it isn't even a tenth of the total budget you gave me but I honestly can't think of anything else to spend time and money on for now.

I then looked through the papers as I spoke to Jormun and asked for all the details of when and how everything would be managed.... then one we were done with that I moved on to worker salary which would increase by half across the board.

Jormun would get four times his salary and Karl would get double, I even told him to pay the new orphans we took in with a small stipend of a few pennies each until they became trained and full fledged workers.

Then I wrote an edict to be proclaimed throughout my lands by riders.

'For every adult person in a dwelling there must be one spear or axe no matter if male or female every adult in Cathicus Lands will be armed and ready to defend themselves....Any person who commits or is suspected of commiting a crime will be brought to The Black Fortress at Seadragon Tip for judgment....Only those deemed worthy will be allowed to take the black which is up to the discretion of the new Lord....Incest so long as it is willingly is no longer a crime in these lands and any found persecuting it will be summarily hanged.....Rape when caught in the act is a crime punishable by Summary Castration by whoever finds the Rapist..... Taxes are now to be reduced to a tenth of income and any village Chief or tax collector found not in accordance with this edict will be hanged along with his family..... All Children no matter their gender shall be trained in use of weapons thrice I'm a sennight whenever possible no matter their future trade or profession..... In times of Long Winters or failed harvests a subsidy of grain will be delivered to villages in need and doled out under the purview of the Lords men for free...'

'Orders Form Lord Alucard Von Cathicus,The Bloodborne, Former Prince of Aedirn, Son of Aelith the Sorceress, Master of the Black Dragon Ancalagon, Lord of Seadragon Point and Ruler of The Black Fortress.'

I finished the edict and Jormun ordered his son to copy them twenty times so they could be sent out across my lands.

Then I started conversing with Jormun about the state of my lands and what villages were under my purview as we both drank cold mead and relaxing by the fire.

I owned two dozen villages and two small towns including this one, I could raise fourteen hundred levies for battle if necessary, the tax being cut would incentivise having more children since forty percent of all harvests were being taken from the average villager.

There were Raids from ironborn disguised as 'Pirates' fairly often along the coastal towns fairly frequently so I'd have plenty of fun, and wildings from the frozen shore have been known to wander down and reach my lands when their numbers grow large enough but it hasn't happened since Jormun was young.

Bear Island was only an Hour away so visiting Dacey would be fun and wildling territory was only two hours away so hunting them often would be easy.

Me and Jormun drank for a while as he asked me questions about the capital and the things I've seen, I asked him about his younger years and it turns out he was once a fearsome warrior but hung his axe up long ago to settle down and marry the love of his life after he was wounded.

After his son had finished with the edicts I said my goodbyes and headed back to my women because my cock began to throb as I thought of Rhaella and her Vibrant Purple eyes.

I entered the room and spotted Rhaella brushing her long snow white hair while looking in the mirror and observing her Perfect face....after I turned her she became fae like....a fairy amongst humans....

I walked behind her and gave her a hug as I took a big whiff of her sweet smelling hair.

She leaned back and gave me a kiss.....I'd never get tired of her delicious mouth.

Then I knelt and put a hand over her belly where our Baby was growing....there was now a slight bump on her belly as my first daughter grew inside of her.....

I neared my face to her baby bump and gave it a kiss before snatching my beautiful first wife and carrying her to the bed where I could give her my love....