A couple of hours later, a rapping upon the oak door of my office interrupted my attention to a book I was reading. I marked my place with a red silk ribbon and placed the book in one of the drawers of my mahogany desk.
“Enter,” I called.
The heavy door swung open. Falco entered my office, followed by a young woman with blonde curly hair, blue eyes, and clad in a faded yellow dress, white stockings, and drab brown slippers. I noticed the lack of underskirts and the large amount of bosom that was exposed. In comparison to her older sister, she was shorter and bore a plumper bosom.
Falco bowed to me, watching the young woman out of the corner of his eye. After he straightened up, he hissed in the peasant girl’s ear. Her eyes widened as she blushed. She then curtsied deeply.
“I wish to be left alone,” I said to Falco.
“Yes, my Lord,” he said, bowing once more to me before exiting my office, softly shutting the door behind him.
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“What am I to do with you?” I said. “You stole. You committed a crime of the realm.” The young girl looked down at the stone floor.
“You will be punished. I can guarantee that,” I continued. “The question is how? You can be put in the stocks, for everyone to see. Perhaps you could serve in the barracks and help the needs of the soldiers. You could be put in the dungeons with the other criminals and enjoy their tender company. Of course, you could always beg for mercy. At the moment, the choice is up to you.”
Tears were now flowing down the young woman’s face, dripping from her dainty chin onto the floor.
“Please, my Lord,” she said, imploring me with her tear-filled eyes, “I beg for your mercy. Please take pity on me and indulge me with your compassion. You are a gracious ruler who understands the heart of your people. Please have mercy on me.”
It felt like a speech to me, as if she had said it before many times.
“I will have mercy on you,” I said. She smiled softly. “But you still need to be punished so you can understand never to steal again.”
The peasant girl gaped at me.
“I will administer the punishment. Place your hand on the desk and bend over.” As she complied with my ruling, I stood up from my chair and walked to a small table at the back of my office. I picked up a thick, ebony paddle and keeping it from the artist’s daughter’s view, I proceeded to a position behind her.
“Eyes forward,” I commanded. I swung the heavy paddle at her buttocks. A loud crack filled the room followed quickly by a yelp from the girl’s red lips. I continued to swing at a steady pace, until the peasant girl’s legs buckled underneath her and she fell to the stone floor, moaning and sobbing in pain.
“Steal again and you will be thrown in the dungeons,” I said sharply, looking down at the cowering peasant. “In a week, you will report to my steward, Sir Rosemantle, for further punishment. If you do not receive your punishment for any reason, your entire family will be brought in. Understand?
The young woman nodded while sobbing.
“Sir Rosemantle!” I yelled. The door opened and Falco presented himself.
“Yes, my Lord?”
“Send this child home. She will be back next week or suffer the consequences.”
“Understood my Lord.”
“Until dinner, I shall be on the balcony overlooking the garden. I do not want to be disturbed.” Falco bowed as I stepped out of the office.
“Guards!” I heard my steward yell behind me. “Take this churl back to her village. Get her out, now!”
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