Bad news arrives

Sister Nightingale was passed out on her cot, the skirts of her robes still tucked into the rope belt of office and the pink folds of her cunt fluttering like petals in a summer's breeze. Beldan smiled in satisfaction, not only had he been able to cum down one of the most talented throats in the Church, but then she had willingly offered herself for his enjoyment, and he had yet to rule on her petition. How many more times would she give herself to him as she attempted to influence his judgment on her request?

He had enjoyed using the power of his position as much as the ring to bend her will to his, perhaps even more. With a slight frown, Beldan considered the implications of Nightingale's growing mastery of the psi-net, he knew that the device made his Voice more sensitive to the emotional states of those she was near. Was she able to read his emotions as well, or did the controller ring offer him immunity from that intrusion?

Irritated with the idea of anyone reading his state of mind, Beldan left her chamber and returned to his offices. Both Anna and Louis were sitting at the desk working through the hundreds of files on this year's initiates. Beldan watched them carefully before he entered searching for any sign of intimacy between them that he could use at a later date. If Anna did come to care for his pathetic clerk, he could pretend to threaten Louis and have the pretty little novice beg him for leniency. It would be even better if he could arrange for Brother Louis to watch as his sweetheart did everything in her power to please him, knowing that it was because of the pair's forbidden relationship that Anna had to appease her tormentor. Beldan spied on the two for several minutes, but other than an occasional half smile, Beldan saw no evidence that either one was even slightly infatuated.

Beldan entered with a suddenness that made the two cringe on their stools and Beldan smiled as he saw the fearful looks on their startled faces.

"Carry on." He directed the pair and then turned his attention to the various assorted reports that filled most of his day. Sister Anna looked particularly relieved that he did not summon her to his side. Just for that reason Beldan briefly considered having her clean the pussy juice from his cock, but after emptying himself twice into Nightingale, he doubted his cock would thicken even a little in her mouth. The High Priest hated the thought of anyone ever thinking about how small and limp his cock was even if they were sucking him at the time.

The rest of Beldan's afternoon passed without incident, he OK'd Louis' schedule of interviews without comment and sent the document to the Mother Superior in the convent. The Mother Superior was another dried up prune of a woman whose wrinkled turkey neck and flat sagging tits were an eyesore at every meeting they shared. (When he had the power he'd appoint only women who didn't make him puke to any positions of power.) Just as he was preparing to call it a day and change before the evening meal, a sharp knock sounded at the heavy doors of his offices.

A servant opened the door and Beldan saw a man dressed in the dark robes of the Templar command structure stride into the room with much more urgency than was typical for the Church offices. Beldan recognized him immediately as Sir Werner, the Warden of the Templar prison and his heart surged with hope that finally the Oracle had agreed to sign the documents granting Beldan temporary emergency power. However, 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 filing the last of the documentation that had accompanied this year's initiate class. Beldan too wanted no eavesdroppers on this conversation. With a wave of his hand he dismissed Brother Louis and Sister Anna.

"Bring a chair for the Lord Warden, then leave us." Louis and Anna fled through different doors for their rooms and the servants who brought in a chair for the Warden soon left as well. 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. A unannounced visit like this most probably meant 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, clearly 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 sundown." 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 offices. 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 some of the infiltrators were posing as new initiates." 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 two initiates who were at least part of the well planned **** Beldan recognized them immediately. Surely there could be only one set of new initiates that matched the Warden's description, both very pretty, one slightly built with a head full of golden blonde curls and the other a more curvaceous brunette with an innocent looking face.

Those were the two whores who tried to seduce him this morning with their tight young bodies and batting eyelashes!

"I'll have their names 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 those two traitorous heretics 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?