A Temple Guardsman

Beldan confirmed that Sister Winlay was sleeping beside him on the great bed. Her pretty naked body only partially covered by the sheet and one plump breast with the dark swollen nipple was invitingly exposed. Beldan smiled in satisfaction as he remembered how eagerly Winlay had responded to his seduction, and how she had cried out in pain as his swollen manhood had shattered her hymen. It was only when he heard the second and louder knock at his door that he realized what had interrupted his peaceful repose. He noticed Winlay's eyes fluttering open in confusion as he climbed to his feet with a grunt and pulled on a robe; as soon as he got rid of the piece of shit at the door he'd put the lovely little maid to work reviving his cock with her mouth.

"What?!" He snarled as he flung open the door. If this was the sniveling toad Louis he'd throttle the little idiot!

"Forgive me your Holiness," It was not Brother Louis, but a sergeant of the Temple guard who he recognized but whose name eluded him. The guardsman bowed and spoke quickly in an attempt to appease Beldan. "Sir Warner has arrived from the Templar compound, he insisted that the news could not wait."

"I'll see him in my private office." Beldan dismissed the relieved sergeant with a feral smile. Had the Oracle finally been broken? What else would prompt Sir Warner to cross the city in the middle of the night and awaken him? Beldan belted the velvet robe around his waist and ran his hands through his thinning hair patting the tangled mess back into order. He saw Winlay sit up and ask:

"What is it?" Beldan could hear confusion and doubt in Winlay's voice but he silenced her before the confusion turned to panic, she had pulled up the sheet to her neck and was staring at him wide-eyed. He had neither the time nor the energy to deal with the initiate's hysteria, thank the saints that he had the foresight to have her wear the Voice's golden hairnet; he used his ring to push her into a place of contented serenity even as he spoke.

"Be silent girl!" He snapped "Stay right where you are and play with that fine pussy of yours. When I come back we are going to celebrate!" He saw the spirit and moral fiber in the initiate as she stiffened at his crude words and then immediately pass as the calming influence of the psi-net set in. Just to be sure, the High Priest locked the door behind him to make sure Sister Winlay didn't escape his gasp like that thrice damned Sister Prudence before he hurried to his private office eager to hear Sir Werner's news.

A servant tapped on the door not long after he seated himself and announced Sir Werner into the small office. Sir Werner was dressed in the dark robes of the Templar command structure and he strode into the room with much more urgency than was typical for the Church offices. One look at the Warden's face indicated that the news was not good.

"May I speak to your Holiness about an important private Templar matter?" He asked glancing meaningfully at the servants that attended the room and the pair of underlings who were finishing lighting the oil lamps on the walls. Beldan too wanted no eavesdroppers on this conversation. With a wave of his hand he dismissed everyone.

"Bring a chair for the Lord Warden, then leave us." The plain wooden chair was pushed forward before the underlings fled through different doors for their rooms. Beldan chose not to offer Sir Werner any wine or refreshments; he did not like bad news and saw no reason to reward those who brought it.

"What news from the Templar Sanctuary Sir Werner?" He asked pleasantly although he suspected that he knew what the Warden was going to tell him. Werner was clearly not happy about this unannounced visit, Beldan would bet his best bottle of port that the Oracle had finally died during one of his stressful interrogations.

"Your Grace, it is about one of the heretics we captured several weeks ago." Werner began and Beldan nodded in understanding. "I regret to tell you ... " Werner paused, not looking forward to having to deliver the bad news to Beldan. The High Priest looked sharply at the Warden; actually the accidental **** of the Oracle was not a bad thing - he could now swear under oath that he had no part in it. However Beldan had no intention of letting the warden off the hook. He'd let him grovel for a bit and then have him make up for his gross incompetence by procuring another pretty play-thing from some alleged heretic encampment. Sir Werner was speaking, but Beldan's thoughts were so distracted by plans for punishment and re-education of the teen victim that he almost missed the warden's words entirely.

"... are sure to recapture him before dawn." A cold fear ran through Beldan's spine, and his black eyes locked onto the warden's with a fierceness of a dor-weasel finding its prey.

"Say that again, and don't mumble this time!" He hissed at the terrified man.

"The prison was attacked by assassins, and the heretic ... has been freed." Werner finished with a gulp before continuing. "But they can't have gotten far, we are sure to recapture them by sundown." Beldan great gelatinous body quivered with a combination of rage, fear and disbelief.

"The Oracle!!" His voice was barely audible even in his own private office. He normally would never even mention him by name, but Beldan wanted there to be no misunderstanding "You've let the Oracle escape from the Templar Prison?!" Werner looked down at his muscled fingers, and added in an attempt to share at least some of the blame with the Holy Palace:

"We believe that at least one of the infiltrators was posing as new initiate." Beldan pushed aside the fear and anger and focused on redeeming the situation.

"What is being done to recapture this heretic? Give me a full report; be quick but leave out no details." As the warden spoke part of Beldan's brain listened intently, but part of his mind trembled with the guilt of a teenager who has been caught drinking his mother's best apple brandy. When the Warden described the slightly built blonde initiate who was part of the well planned **** Beldan recognized her immediately. Surely there could be only one initiate that matched the Warden's description - pretty, with a head full of golden blonde curls - that was Sister Winlay's friend. Beldan remembered seeing the pair giggling together and having a flash fantasy of fucking them side by side bent over the railing of the Church alter. Winlay was the heretic's accomplice? Had the curvaceous brunette with such an innocent looking face been sent to keep him distracted, or even **** him in his sleep!?!

"I'll have her name for you in five minutes." Beldan told the startled Warden, "Catch them. Catch them at all costs!" Crews, he could have been their target instead of the Oracle - the thought only added to Beldan's paranoia - "Kill the old man, but I want that traitorous initiate alive! And anyone else involved in this plot." He pushed back his great chair and rang the bell that summoned his servants so hard the cord nearly snapped in his hand.

"Fetch Brother Louis and the Sergeant-Master-at-Arms!" He snapped at the first two faces that appeared.

He looked back at the ashen faced Templar. Beldan knew the man had not betrayed him, but his anger at the situation fanned the flames of his rage. Should he have the fool arrested as a traitor or use the man's fear as a whip to drive the search efforts that would end this nightmare?