As it happened, Lord Marco did not make them wait long at all. In fact, when the Old Mother received his summons, it was barely past the first light. She had just enough time to adjust the porkpie hat on her head, pat Johanna on the hand to reassure him and rush off to the young lord's study where he would render his verdict on whether her charge's petition would go forward.

The Old Mother found Lord Marco looking quite harried. He was normally impeccably groomed, but today his hair fell messily into his eyes. There were dark circles beneath his eyes as if he had not slept, and his clothes were rumpled. He was pacing behind his desk when the old lady arrived.

"There you are," he said.

She bowed respectfully. "Yes, my Lord. How may I serve you?"

The young overlord's eyes flashed angrily. "You can tell me what kind of devilment has caused that creature to so bewitch me!"

The old woman feigned innocence. "Do you mean Johanna, my Lord?"

Lord Marco pounded his fist down onto the desk. "I damn well do and you damn well know it. What have you done to me, old lady? They say you have powers. Well, whatever you've done, you had best undo it."

"My Lord, I do not know what you mean. People gossip. This is true. They find an old woman who lives alone out in the wild country a curious thing indeed. But a man of the world such as yourself should know better than to take such foolishness seriously. Of course, there has been no devilment, no magic, no coercion of any kind. There is simply Johanna's beauty, his charm, his innocence. What could be more natural than to be captivated by that?"

Lord Marco continued to scowl, clearly not mollified. The Old Mother smiled inwardly. In her experience, the harder a man fought the deeper his obsession. It seemed Lord Marco was conquered indeed.

"The matter is still completely in your own hands, my Lord," the Old Mother said. "You could deny having any interest in Johanna and bring him to the ruin you have so often joked of. But you must ask yourself this. How will you feel seeing other men touch him, mount him, take him? Eh? How will your lordship enjoy that?"

Lord Marco's already dour expression grew that much darker. His black eyes flashed, and the muscle twitched angrily in his jaw. A few nights ago, he had almost come to blows with a young fellow who was impertinent enough to try to take Johanna's hand to escort him into dinner. From the furious flush on his neck, it was clear he did not much care for the notion of other men taking their pleasure with Johanna.

"Your charge has successfully completed the first test," Lord Marco finally said, through gritted teeth. "He has earned the right to advance to the next step. I am a fair man. I will not deny him that. Take him to the doctor today for the test of his obedience. But I warn you if he makes so much as a peep of protest, even a tiny whimper of discomfort, then he will be the entertainment tonight in the great hall for as many men as want him. When the test is completed, bring your charge and report back to me."

The Old Mother bowed again. "Yes, my Lord. Your grace is most generous to give my charge this opportunity."

Lord Marco said nothing. He simply dismissed the old woman with an impatient wave of his hand.

The Old Mother left his study and hurried back to Johanna. She hummed a little ditty under her breath as she went. Everything was going perfectly according to plan.

When the old woman got to their chamber, Johanna was already dressed and ready, and waiting anxiously by the door.

"Well, Mistress?" he said, holding his breath.

The Old Mother smiled. "He has consented to let you move on to the next test."

Johanna clasped his hands together. "Oh, Mistress. How shall I bear such happiness?"

"Now, now, child. Let's not get ahead ourselves. The second test is not to be taken lightly. You will need all your courage and self-control."

Johanna nodded, listening carefully.

"You know that this is a test of your obedience, do you not?" the old lady asked.

"Yes, Mistress."

"You must demonstrate that you truly understand and accept that as a wife your body is the property of your husband to do with as he wishes."

Johanna frowned in puzzlement. "How will I do that?"

"By submitting yourself without hesitation or complaint to the doctor. Lord Marco has given him instructions on what he wants done to you. You must permit the doctor free access to your body. You must not protest or cry or even allow an unhappy expression to cross your face. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mistress." Johanna's voice faltered a little. "But what will he do to me?"

"Only Lord Marco and the doctor know that. What you must ask yourself if this: Is there anything you are not willing to endure in order to become Lord Marco's wife?"

Johanna brightened, confident once more. "No, Mistress. There is nothing I would not sacrifice in order to be by Lord Marco's side."

The Old Mother patted Johanna approvingly on the cheek. "That's a good girl. Now let us be off. We must not keep the doctor or Lord Marco waiting."

The Old Mother and Johanna quickly set out and hurried the short way to the doctor's office. As before, they were received by the doctor's nurse and sent to the waiting room. After a few minutes, the doctor came out to greet them.

"Good morning," he said. He shook the old lady's hand. "It's good to see you again." He smiled at Johanna.
Johanna returned the smile bashfully and lowered his eyes demurely.

The doctor clapped his hand together in a business-like fashion. "Shall we begin?"

"Yes, thank you, doctor," the Old Mother said. "If I could have just one last word with my charge, then I'll send him right into you."

Dr. Gray inclined his head. "Of course." He turned to Johanna. "We'll be in the same room as before. You remember the way, don't you?"

Johanna nodded. The doctor smiled.

"Good then," he said. "I'll see you inside."

The Old Mother waited until she heard the door close behind him.

"This is the crucial step, my child," she told Johanna. "Everything is to be won or lost here. You must remember that the doctor works for Lord Marco. You recall how the lord's hirelings tried to make you soil your purity during the parties?"

Johanna nodded and colored with shame at the memory of their impertinent hands groping him.

"We can not be sure that the doctor will not try to trick you into breaking your vow of obedience. So you must stay perfectly silent the entire time. If he asks you a question, simply smile. In fact, keep a happy smile on your face from beginning to end. Imagine yourself in the marriage bed with your handsome young lord. That should give you something to smile about. But whatever you do, don't let it seem you have any doubt or discomfort. Can you do that for me?"

Johanna thought for a moment and then nodded gravely. "Mistress, you have taught me well. I will remember your lessons and bring you honor."

"Very good, my child." The Old Mother kissed him on the cheek. "May good fortune shine on you."

"Thank you, Mistress." Johanna curtsied.

"Off you go now!"

The Old Mother waited until Johanna had disappeared through the door before she scurried off to her hiding place where she could peak into the exam room. As before, the doctor directed Johanna to remove his clothes behind the screen and then take a seat on the table. Johanna did as he was told and kept a bright smile plastered on his face the whole time.

"All right then," the doctor said, once Johanna had gotten settled. "We can begin."

He wheeled a tray over to the cabinet where he kept his medical equipment. He opened drawers and took out various items: several long needles, a small wood block, alcohol, swabs, a small surgical soldering gun. There were a couple of other items that had already been placed on the tray before Johanna arrived. It was difficult for the Old Mother to make them out, although they appeared to be made of gold, and she thought she could see some links of chain.

Johanna was practicing the meditation exercises the Old Mother had taught him, trying not to panic. The doctor wheeled the track back to the table, along with a stool.

He sat down in front of Johanna and said, "Here we go now."

He pulled on a pair of latex gloves and tweaked one of Johanna's nipples until it stood up erectly. Johanna blushed with embarrassment to be handled so intimately, but he did not stop smiling. The doctor sterilized one of the needles with alcohol and dabbed some on Johanna nipple as well. He placed the wooden block on one side of the nipple and pierced the needle through the other side. Johanna, to his credit, was a paragon of self-control, although to have his sensitive nipple lanced like that without anything to numb it must have been excruciating.

The doctor threaded a fairly thick gold ring through the bleeding nipple. The ring had a little charm on it with Lord Marco's coat of arms. The doctor used the surgical soldering iron to seal the metal. The rings would be permanent. Johanna would never be able to take them off.

A chain hung from the first ring and connected to the second. The doctor performed the same procedure on the other nipple. When he was finished, Johanna had rather large gold rings threaded through his nipples with a length of gold chain that hung nearly to his belly button.

"What do you think?" the doctor asked.

Johanna said nothing. He simply brightened his smile in response.

The Old Mother, of course, knew Johanna well enough to interpret the true expression in his eyes. It was pure misery. Aside from the pain, body piercing was just not done in polite circles. It was something left to prostitutes and male pleasure slaves, to enhance their customers' pleasure. This was not just a test. It would be a daily reminder of Johanna's lowly status.

The Old Mother knew that this must hit Johanna especially hard because he tended to be rather vain about his pretty nipples, inordinately proud that they were a rosy pink rather than common brown. Every morning and every night, he took great pains to rub the Old Mother's special cream into them to keep them plump and supple. Now as Johanna looked down at his poor nipples, red and swollen, gaudy with the rings and charms and chain, the Old Mother could just imagine how much he wanted to cry.

But he never so much as flinched. He was careful to keep everything he felt carefully hidden from the doctor behind a false, convincing smile. He did not even fidget, but waited docilely for the next atrocity to be committed against his person.

"Well, well," the doctor said. "You got through that easily enough. We'll need to see to your penis next."

Those words were enough to make any man--no matter how sissified--blanch with terror. But Johanna smiled like sunshine, no doubt concentrating on some treasured vision of his life with Lord Marco.

"I'll need you to assume the same position that you did the other day with your heels up on the table and your bottom as far toward the edge as you can."

Johanna obediently complied. The doctor sterilized another need and pierced Johanna's penis in two places. Through the piercings, the doctor installed a little device with a lock on it. When the lock was properly closed, Johanna would be physically incapable of getting an erection or ejaculating.

The doctor turned the key in the lock and tugged at it to test it. Johanna managed to keep smiling although this must have caused excruciating pain in his newly pierced penis.

"That seems secure enough," the doctor said. He undid the lock, leaving Johanna's penis unrestricted. "We'll leave it up to Lord Marco whether he wants that locked up or not. It's not too uncomfortable, is it?"

Johanna smiled brightly, as if it were of no concern to him that his penis had just been pierced without any anesthetic and he would soon have no control over his sexuality whatsoever.

"Good then," Dr. Gray said. "That just leaves one more thing."

When the doctor turned back to the cabinet, the Old Mother could see Johanna breathe a sigh of relief. It was almost over. But Johanna's relief was short-lived, as the scent of heated metal soon filled the room.

"If you could stand up please," the doctor said.

Johanna hopped down from the table like a good girl, still smiling.

"Now bend over the table if you would."

Johanna did as he was told, resting his upper body on the exam table, his posterior up in the air.

"That's fine," the doctor said.

He picked up what looked like a fireplace poker from where it had been sitting on a heating ring. At the end of the poker was a flat circle that had some kind of design in it. The iron glowed red it was so hot.

The doctor walked back over to Johanna with the poker in his hand. Fortunately for Johanna, he saw what was happening and was able to bite down on his hand just before the doctor pressed the white-hot branding iron against his right butt cheek. A loud sizzling sound and the stench of burning flesh filled the air. The Old Mother had to blink back tears. That's how proud she was. Her little Johanna never made so much as a peep.

The doctor pulled the branding iron away, and the Old Mother could see that Johanna had been permanently marked with Lord Marco's coat of arms, designating him as the young lord's property, the same way livestock would be.

Dr. Gray carried the branding iron over to the sink and immersed it in water to cool it. The Old Mother could see Johanna's back moving up and down as he shakily performed his breathing exercises to compose himself. By the time the doctor turned back to him, Johanna had straightened up. He was smiling serenely, waiting patiently for the doctor's next instructions.

"I trust that wasn't too uncomfortable?" the doctor said.

Johanna managed to keep right on smiling despite the grave affront of having someone refer to being branded as "uncomfortable."

"Well, then," he said. "That looks like we have everything taken care of. You can get dressed now. And you'll need this." He handed Johanna the key to his penis. Johanna blushed with humiliation. "Give that to your chaperone. She'll know what to do with it. And I hope the next time I see you it's in preparation for your wedding day."

He smiled kindly and left Johanna to dress. The Old Mother went back to her chair to wait for Johanna. The doctor wouldn't come out to speak with her this time. He would make his report directly to Lord Marco. From what the Old Mother had seen, she could not doubt it would be positive.

After a few more minutes, Johanna emerged. Gone was the smile he had so resolutely worn all through the test. His face was pale and strained, and he looked as if he might burst into tears at any moment.

"There, there," the Old Mother said.

"It was awful, Mistress," Johanna said, in a faltering voice.

The old lady patted his hand. "You made it through. That's what counts."

Johanna's mouth trembled. "But he pierced my nipples. And my--" Johanna looked down in the direction of his penis. He no longer liked to say the word. "And he--" Johanna's voice hitched with sobs. "He branded me!"

"My poor, poor child!" The Old Mother stroked his hair. "But it would hardly be a test if it were easy, would it?"

Johanna did not answer. He still looked as if he wanted to cry.

"I know what will make you feel better. When we go see Lord Marco, and he says you've passed this test and may go to the final step. Won't that be nice?"

Johanna nodded bravely, a true testament to his devotion to Lord Marco.

"Let us be off then," the old lady said.

They returned to Lord Marco's house, although it took longer than usual. The pain in Johanna's penis and buttock slowed him considerably. He was also distracted by how visible the nipple chain was beneath his tightly fitted bodice, and he kept stopping to try to smooth the fabric of his dress to hide it.

Back home, they went straight to their chamber, so Johanna could change into the proper attire for his inspection by Lord Marco. He removed all his clothing and donned an airy silk dressing gown with a birds of paradise pattern on it. Before he tied the belt, the Old Mother gave him the once over to make sure he was ready to stand before Lord Marco. She was pleased with what she saw. The only imperfections were those caused by the doctor's procedures. His nipples were raw and swollen, the head of his penis red and inflamed, his butt cheek discolored from the branding. Later, the Old Mother would soothe his abused flesh with a healing salve. But Lord Marco would want to see the doctor's handiwork in all its glory.

"All right," the old lady said. "Close your robe. And here. You must wear this."

She had strung the key to Johanna's penis on a pretty pink ribbon. She hung it around his neck.

"Good," she said, surveying Johanna's appearance. "You are ready to face your young sweetheart now."

Johanna followed the Old Mother to Lord Marco's study. They were shown in immediately and found Lord Marco standing by his desk, tapping his watch.

"Where have you been?" he snapped. "The doctor finished submitting his report ten minutes ago."

The Old Mother bowed. "Forgive me, my Lord. An old lady like me does not move as quickly as I once did."

Lord Marco sighed. "Well, you're here now. So let us get down to business. Have your charge remove his robe."

Johanna blushed quite violently. The Old Mother could just imagine how his heart must flutter at the prospect of being naked in front of his sweetheart. But he handled the situation with great poise. He bowed his head in an attitude of genteel submission, opened his robe and let it flutter gracefully to the ground, so that all he wore was the key around his neck. He kept his back straight and his eyes lowered, confident in his loveliness, but without any trace of unseemly pride.

From the great bulge in Lord Marco's trousers, it seemed he was quite pleased with his first glimpse of Johanna's body. He drifted over to him, fingered Johanna's nipple rings, tugged gently at the chain, played with the little lock on his penis, and admired the crest on Johanna's right buttock while he fondled the other cheek. The Old Mother did not protest the forward gesture. Prospective husbands were allowed a certain latitude during inspection.

Johanna couldn't help trembling at Lord Marco's touch, but it was in a responsive, feminine way that Lord Marco seemed to appreciate. The Old Mother was proud to see that Johanna did nothing to disgrace himself. He did not flinch when Lord Marco toyed with his piercings. And there was no embarrassing display of masculinity when the handsome young overlord touched his penis, although the Old Mother suspected this was largely because of all the abuse the organ had just suffered at the doctor's hands.

Lord Marco lifted the key, looked at it and smiled. "I see you have the most important thing of all."

Johanna could not answer. It was such an unladylike subject.

So the Old Mother spoke up for him. "Yes, my Lord. We have it."

"Very well then. Your charge may go. I wish to speak with you privately."

Johanna retrieved his robe from the floor and donned it once more. He curtsied to Lord Marco and left the room.

Lord Marco lit a cigar and took a puff. "Dr. Gray says he passed the test with flying colors. He did not say a word, did not make so much as a sound the whole time he was there. Never once stopped smiling," he said, staring off into space, as if he were talking to himself.

The old woman simply nodded, so she didn't interrupt his train of thought.

"It seems impossible that he should endure so much so cheerfully," Lord Marco mused. "I must admit I find the idea rather stirring. If he were mine, I could--"

The young lord suddenly realized what he was saying and to whom.

"Yes, well," he said. "I find that your charge has passed the second test and furthermore that he pleases me. He may pay me tribute in the great hall before all the ladies and gentlemen assembled there to prove his submissiveness to me. If his tribute is acceptable, we will wed."

The Old Mother got down on one knee to a great chorus of protesting joints. "Your lordship is most beneficent. Please accept the thanks of a humble old lady on behalf of my charge."

"Yes, yes." Lord Marco flicked ashes from his cigar impatiently. "See to your charge. Make certain he is well prepared. I do not take the matter of tribute lightly. So be warned."

"Yes, my Lord. Thank you."

"The Old Mother managed to pick herself up from the floor with the same desperate popping and creaking. She hurried back to their chamber to give Johanna the good news.

She found him sitting listlessly in the window seat, staring outside. She told him Lord Marco's decision, but he was less excited than she might have thought. It had been a hard day, after all. They spent the rest of the afternoon quietly, mending Johanna's dresses and working at their embroidery. When it was time for bed, the Old Mother liberally applied salve to all Johanna's sore places. By the next morning, the redness and swelling would be gone, and the pain would be very much reduced. Johanna put on his nightgown, and the old lady tucked him in.

After the lights were turned out, the old woman could hear Johanna sobbing. The Old Mother lay in her bed, listening, staring at the dark ceiling with a dreamy smile. For a connoisseur of sacrifice like her, this was the sweetest music of all.

The next day, Johanna's preparations for the coming night's entertainment were much the same as they had been for all the other parties. He began early as usual to accomplish all the necessary tasks: bathing, moisturizing, powdering and perfuming his body; washing, drying and styling his hair; giving himself a facial; manicuring and polishing his nails; applying his makeup.

And yet, it was also quite different in some ways. Despite his elaborate hairdo that involved a mound of braids arranged in a rather architectural fashion on top of his hair, he wore only a very simple dressing gown made of plain white muslin. There was no frilly lingerie, no sheer stockings, no dainty slippers. The third test was a display of humility. So tonight, he would walk into the great hall barefoot, as a symbol of his sacrifice of status and possessions, to show that he would come to marriage with nothing to offer but his own body, which he would relinquish completely to his husband. The only adornment he wore was the key to his penis hanging on the ribbon around his neck.

Johanna seemed less excited than he had for previous evenings and more nervous. The Old Mother was not particularly surprised. Seekers always became more thoughtful and grave in the final days before attaining their dream.

When the Old Mother had approved Johanna's appearance, he closed his robe and tied it tightly at the waist. He was practicing his breathing exercises, trying to keep calm. The old lady led the way to the door of the great hall. They stood waiting there for the sound of the trumpets that would announce them.

The cue finally came, and the great doors swung open. Johanna stepped into the room. The old lady hung back. This was Johanna's big moment, and she waited until all eyes were on Johanna before she slipped into the hall unnoticed.

Johanna stood at the end of a long red carpet that led to the front of the room where Lord Marco presided.

The young lord raised his hand in a ceremonial gesture and said, "Let the final test begin."

The Old Mother watched Johanna carefully and could see the almost imperceptible tightening of his jaw. Otherwise, he appeared completely serene as he untied his robe and let it fall to the floor.

The crowd gasped when it saw his naked body and then snickered. Johanna began the long, slow, humiliating walk up the carpet toward Lord Marco, giving all the finely dressed ladies and gentlemen ample time to gawk at what had been done to his body and enjoy a laugh at his expense. On both sides of him, people pointed at his tiny, cosseted penis, his gaudy pierced nipples, the large, garish mark on his backside that declared him Lord Marco's private property. These were the very same people who only a few nights before had fought each other for the honor of fawning over him. But then, this was precisely what everyone enjoyed so much about glamorous submissive male brides: building them up just to tear them back down again.

At last, Johanna reached the end of the red carpet. He stopped in front of Lord Marco and curtsied. Then he leaned his head forward, inviting Lord Marco to take the key from around his neck, symbolically surrendering his manhood to his prospective husband. Lord Marco took the key and turned it in the lock, imprisoning Johanna's penis, assuming ownership of his sexuality. He triumphantly held up the key for everyone to see, and the crowd burst into wildly enthusiastic applause.

Johanna kept his eyes dutifully lowered, but the Old Mother could see that he was very pale. After all, it was one thing to dream of belonging to someone else, and quite another to turn over complete control of your penis to another man in front of five hundred morbidly curious onlookers.

"Well then, my fair Johanna," Lord Marco said, in a bold, public voice. "Is there something you wish to ask me?"

Johanna curtsied, looking rather self-conscious about his nakedness. "Yes, my Lord." He fell to his knees in a gesture of supplication. "May I please be granted the very great honor of being allowed to pay you tribute?"

Lord Marco stroked the great bulge that had already formed in his trousers. "As it happens, I find myself very much in need of tribute," he quipped.

The assembly laughed.

Johanna turned red with shame to be the butt of such jokes, but he said very softly, "Thank you, my Lord."

Lord Marco undid his trousers and took out his cock. Everyone in the room gasped, and even the Old Mother was rather startled. She was quite certain she had never seen such a tree trunk on a man in her entire life.

"There you are, little girl," Lord Marco said, presenting his enormous cock to Johanna. "Prove to me your devotion."

Johanna took Lord Marco's cock into his mouth. He practically had to dislocate his jaw to accommodate it, but fortunately, he was used to this. The Old Mother had made him practice fellatio on abnormally large cucumbers and squash as part of his training routine. He had grown quite adept at it.

The great hall went entirely silent as Johanna used his lips and tongue and even the gentle application of teeth to titillate Lord Marco. The only sounds were the sucking and slurping noises he made as he gave his sweetheart head. The assembly watched with utter fascination. The lords stroked themselves through their pants. The ladies fanned themselves, and some even resorted to smelling salts. The site of lovely Johanna going down on the handsome young lord was so arousing it left them lightheaded.

As Johanna lavished pleasure on Lord Marco's penis and balls, the Old Mother watched the young overlord's face carefully. She saw the exact moment his decision was formed. Even at this late point in the process, there was still the inclination in Lord Marco to toy with Johanna's affections. The old lady suspected his plan had been to accept tribute, declare it unacceptable, and make a great spectacle of dishonoring Johanna, before passing him around to every man in the hall.

But when Johanna deep throated him so easily and sucked him with more skill than even the most seasoned prostitute ever had, it changed everything. Lord Marco began to imagine how even more amazing it would feel to penetrate Johanna's virgin rosebud, to be inside his tight, pliant body. And then he had to ask himself if he really wanted to share that with anyone else.

When he pulled his cock out of Johanna's mouth and came in long, thick spurts in his face, everyone had the answer.

"It is official," he said, breathing heavily from his climax. "We are betrothed!"

The ladies and gentlemen all cheered.

"The wedding will take place a week from Saturday," he said.

The crowed celebrated even more jubilantly. Johanna remained where he was, down on his knees at Lord Marco's feet, looking rather stunned and crumpled. Come dripped from his chin. His hair was mussed, his makeup smeared. The Old Mother thought he might be in shock and perhaps had not heard the announcement, because he looked like wanted to cry and not in a good way.

The old lady hurried over to him, helped him to his feet and led him back to where his robe lay. She picked it up from the ground and put it on him, while Johanna remained as still and slack as a rag doll. The Old Mother could well sympathize. It was a traumatic thing, indeed, to go from being the belle of the ball to a total laughingstock. But such was the life of a submissive male bride. Whenever they became too popular, glowed too brightly, their husbands had free reign to bring them back down to earth with whatever public humiliation suited their fancy. It would not be the last time Johanna would be cruelly mocked by the same people who had only recently adored him.

The Old Mother put a comforting arm around Johanna and escorted him from the room. Now that he had officially become Lord Marco's fiancee, it would not do for him to appear in public, not until the wedding took place. Plus, the old lady did not want anyone to see him looking so distraught. This was supposed to be his dream of a lifetime come true, and she did not want people to start gossiping.

When the doors to the great hall closed behind them, Johanna started to cry.

The old lady hustled Johanna back to their chamber, patting him on the hand, and saying, "There, there. It's all over now. The tests all done. There's no sense in weeping when you've just gotten everything you've ever wanted."

Back in their room, the first thing Johanna wanted to do was brush his teeth and gargle. Then the Old Mother helped him bathe and wash his hair to get the come out of it. She laid out of a fresh nighty for him and when he had changed into it, she tucked him into bed.

"Mistress?" Johanna said.

"Yes?"

Johanna struggled for a moment to frame his words. "It-- Oh, god. It tasted really awful."

"Ah," the Old Mother said, understanding Johanna's distress at last. "So you didn't like the flavor of your fiancee's spunk, eh?"

Johanna shook his head and wrinkled his nose.

"Well, my child, what bride does? Not one of them, I tell you. Eventually you'll get used to it. But even if you don't, it's your duty to please your man. If he wants your mouth on his big, horny pecker, then you give it to him. And you pretend no candy has ever tasted so sweet. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mistress," Johanna said, with a note of resignation in his voice.

"That's my good girl. Now get a good night's sleep, and I'm sure you'll feel much better in the morning. Especially once we start getting you fitted for your wedding gown. That ought to perk you right up."

"Will there be a long train, Mistress?" Johanna asked, already brightening.

The Old Mother chuckled. "We'll see to that in the morning. Now go to sleep."

Johanna snuggled under the covers and was soon dozing. From the expression on his face, the Old Mother could tell he was dreaming of tulle and organza and pearls, and had put the memory of his husband's foul tasting seed right out of his head.

The old lady smiled. That was always the way with seekers. They tended their illusions with the greatest of care.

The Old Mother's prediction proved quite accurate; once Johanna got caught up in the flurry of wedding preparations, he forgot all about the tribulations he'd endured. The fickle pendulum of public opinion had swung back in his favor. Every highborn lady in the land came to call on him, bringing lavish engagement presents and showering him with honeyed compliments, all in the hopes of being asked to serve as a bridesmaid. Johanna was in his natural element, surrounded by a bevy of young beauties who all wanted to brush his hair and find out what shade his lipstick was.

Lord Marco sent some token of his regard every day: four dozen red roses, an emerald bracelet, a rare and exotic fragrance that cost a king's ransom to procure. The excitement reached a crescendo when the wedding gown finally arrived. Lord Marco had picked it out himself, and it was a great tribute to his taste.

Surely, there had never been a more exquisite garment in the long, glorious history of wedding gowns. It was made of the most lavish fabrics: silk, satin, lace and tulle. The bodice was off the shoulder and the waist tightly fitted. The skirt had three tiers, for a full, graceful silhouette, and the train was longer than any train the Old Mother could remember ever seeing. But the single most striking thing about the gown was that it was sequined all over with real diamonds.

Along with the dress came a team of eight seamstresses who would measure and fit and stitch until the dress fit Johanna like he had been born in it. Johanna glowed with happiness as he basked in all the attention--with the seamstresses bustling around him, exclaiming proudly at his tiny waist, and his bridesmaids oohing and aahing over the gown, assuring him that the sparkle of the diamonds brought out the brightness of his eyes.

Meanwhile, the Old Mother had business to attend to with Lord Marco, and so she went to meet him in his study. Now that the wedding was on, they could be more casual with one another. Lord Marco offered her a cigar and a seat, and the Old Mother accepted both.

Lord Marco lit the cigar for her, and they puffed contentedly in silence for a while, both enjoying a good smoke.

At last, Lord Marco said, "Let us get down to details then." He reared back comfortably in his leather chair. "I've already settled with his wife. She accepted a reasonable dowry for him, and the city clerk has filed the papers dissolving their marriage."

"Aye, my Lord," the Old Mother said, taking a pleasant drag on her cigar.

"That just leaves the medical question. I've made an appointment with Dr. Gray for the day before the wedding. If he's healthy and meets the physical requirement for marriage as I expect, then the doctor will prepare him, and we'll proceed."

"Yes, my Lord. Thank you."

"It's amazing really," Lord Marco mused. "I never would have imagined being in this position. When he first petitioned to become my wife, I thought only to have a bit of fun with him. But then--" He smiled wickedly. "I suspect I shall have a great deal of fun with my compliant bride before all is said and done."

The Old Mother returned his smile, allowing herself a brief conspiratorial moment with him. "Aye, my Lord. I dare say that's the truth."

They sat together smoking in silence a while longer, and then the Old Mother thanked him and took her leave. She collected Johanna, and they set off for the doctor's office. The nurse nodded to them when they arrived, and they took seats in the waiting room. The Old Mother rested her eyes and savored the flavor of fine tobacco left over from Lord Marco's fancy imported cigar. Johanna fidgeted nervously. He'd had too many bad experiences in this place to relax.

The doctor soon appeared and greeted them.

The Old Mother turned to Johanna. "Go on in, child. I just need a word with the doctor."

Johanna nodded and did as he was told.

When the door closed behind him, the doctor asked the Old Mother, "Yes ma'am, what may I do for you?"

"You must understand, doctor. It is only out of concern for my charge that I must speak to you about this. Please, if you could, make the exam easy on him and use the smallest instrument you have. He is a virgin, of course, but Lord Marco will expect--"

Dr. Gray held up his hand. "Not to worry, ma'am. I know the ways of gentry all too well. Unless there's blood on the conjugal sheets, they're not satisfied. I will be very careful with your charge."

"Thank you, sir. Thank you. You have been most helpful to us. Please accept the thanks of an old lady."

The doctor bowed. "It has been a pleasure to serve, ma'am. And now, if you will excuse me?"

The old lady waved her hand. "Of course, of course."

When Dr. Gray left, the Old Mother once again took her place so that she might spy on the proceedings. Johanna had already disrobed and was waiting on the exam table when the doctor arrived.

"Ah," Dr. Gray said. "Very good. That's most cooperative. If you could lie back please."

Johanna complied. The doctor went to the bottom of the table and adjusted it to extend the stirrups.

"If you could put your feet here." He helped guide Johanna into the stirrups. "I'm going to fasten these ankle cuffs, to help keep you in the right position."

The Old Mother could hear the soft sound of the velcro.

"Okay," the doctor said. "If you could move your bottom all the way down to the edge of the table."

Johanna did as he asked.

"Good," said Dr. Gray. "Now I'm going to move the stirrups apart. Don't be nervous."

The doctor spread Johanna's legs wide, exposing his most private places. Johanna turned scarlet with embarrassment.

"All right now. Just relax," Dr. Gray said, as he prepared the speculum. "Nice and easy," he said, as he inserted it into Johanna's anus.

The Old Mother found the look on Johanna's face priceless. Clearly, not only was he a virgin with other men, but he had never been penetrated with anything. His face turned red, and he breathed heavily. He looked uncomfortable, even indignant, to be breached like that. His expression grew even more distressed as the doctor manipulated the speculum inside him, using it to open him up.

The Old Mother smiled to herself. If Johanna found that uncomfortable, she wondered how he would ever handle having his husband stick his enormous club inside him.

The doctor examined Johanna as quickly as possibly and then removed the speculum. Johanna breathed a visible sigh of relief.

"Well, you're perfectly healthy. So that's good news. We just have to collect our sample, and that will be that."

Dr. Gray changed his gloves. He then produced a key and unlocked Johanna's penis. A submissive male bride's doctor always kept a duplicate on hand for use during medical visits. Dr. Gray squirted some lubricant onto his fingers.

"All right, just try to relax," he said. "It will help you finish faster."

He grasped Johanna's tiny penis and began to stimulate it. Johanna's eyes widened, and he looked like he very much wanted to pull away. Since he'd embraced his femininity, he had lost almost complete interest in his penis and often seemed embarrassed by it. But he knew that the wedding would not proceed unless he was able to demonstrate that he was still functional, so he allowed the doctor's intrusive touch.

Arousing Johanna was no simple task. The doctor was obviously well versed in the mechanics of inducing an erection, and he stroked Johanna's penis and balls quite skillfully. But it still took quite a while for him to harden. It took even longer to get him to the brink of orgasm. There was no explicit rule about how long the doctor would attempt to bring about climax. Dr. Gray was clearly sympathetic to Johanna, but even he wouldn't keep trying forever. The Old Mother had begun to worry that perhaps the wedding might not happen after all when Dr. Gray grabbed a sample cup and held it beneath Johanna's penis.

Johanna screwed up his face and climaxed. A small amount of very thin come dribbled from his penis, and the doctor carefully caught it.

"That's fine then," he said, screwing the lid onto the sample cup and labeling it.

Johanna lay back, breathing heavily, relieved it was over. The doctor wiped him clean and refastened the lock.

"Well, my dear, you'll be happy to hear that you've passed the physical with flying colors," the doctor said. "The wedding can go forward as planned."

Johanna smiled happily.

"Now we just need to get you ready for your wedding night," Dr. Gray said.

He went over to the cabinet and retrieved a nozzle, hose and enema bag. Johanna squirmed nervously. Dr. Gray returned to the examination table with his equipment.

"Now, don't fret. It's just a little matter of hygiene. You do want to be clean for your husband on your wedding night, don't you?"

Johanna nodded, but he still looked rather uneasy.

"All right then," the doctor said.

He connected the equipment, then lubed a nozzle and inserted it into Johanna's anus. He held up the enema bag and the liquid began to rush inside. At first, Johanna seemed to tolerate it fairly well, but as his belly swelled, he began to look more and more desperate.

Belatedly, the Old Mother wondered if she had remembered to mention to him that as the wife of a nobleman he would most likely be given two enemas a day, morning and night. She smiled wickedly to herself. Ah, well! He would soon find out for himself.

Finally, the doctor removed the nozzle and held a large bedpan beneath Johanna's bottom so he could relieve himself. The embarrassing squelching and groaning his body made as he emptied his bowels caused Johanna to turn bright red with humiliation.

The doctor used several antiseptic wipes to clean him and then unfastened his ankles.

"That's it for today, my dear. You're all ready for your wedding. You may get dressed now and return to your chaperone."

Johanna scrambled up from the table and hurried behind the screen. The doctor left the room, and the Old Mother rushed back to her seat. A moment later, the doctor emerged.

"Well, it was rather touch and go there for a while," he reported to the old lady. "But he did manage it eventually. I'll report to Lord Marco that his fiancee is ready to wed."

The old lady stood and shook the doctor's hand. "Thank you, sir. We will not forget your kindness."

Dr. Gray bowed and took his leave. A moment later, Johanna came out, looking flushed and a little disheveled. Clearly, this reminder of his masculinity had troubled him.

"How did it go, my child?" the Old Mother asked.

Johanna mumbled something vaguely positive.

"All right then. Shall we be off?" she asked.

He nodded gratefully.

They set off back to Lord Marco's house, and as they walked along, Johanna frowned, as if deep in thought.

Finally, he murmured, sounding rather appalled, "I can't believe I ever actually enjoyed that. It's so-- so crude!"

The Old Woman smiled to herself. She didn't say so to Johanna, but she doubted he would ever have to worry about such a thing again. If Lord Marco proved to be the kind of man she suspected, Johanna's penis would never have another moment's freedom as long as he lived.

In the morning, the big day had finally arrived. Johanna and the Old Mother arose early to begin his preparations. They were attended by Johanna's twelve bridesmaids and Lord Marco's most accomplished female servants. By the time they were all finished with him, Johanna was a luminous vision in white, the most glittering jewel the land had ever seen. His milky complexion was perfectly complemented by the ladies' skillful application of makeup. His lustrous hair was stunningly dressed with pearls, diamonds and delicate white rose buds. The dress swirled around him like a puffy white cloud, the diamonds catching the light and reflecting it. The satin train of his gown was edged with lace and stretched one hundred feet long. It took six bridesmaids to manage it.

Johanna's attendants were also beautifully dressed, in soft, flowing dresses of a delicate rose color. But Johanna's beauty was so brilliant and striking that they tended to fade invisibly into the background. This was appropriate, after all. It was Johanna's day.

The bevy of bridesmaids, servants and the Old Mother accompanied Johanna to the cathedral where he would wed. All the guests had arrived and been seated. Lord Marco and his attendants took their places at the altar. Johanna and his wedding party waited in the antechamber. In a few moments the bridal march would come swelling from the orchestra, and he would begin the long, joyous journey down the aisle.

The Old Mother took Johanna's hands in her own. Some chaperones escorted their charges down the aisle, but the old lady preferred not to intrude on Johanna's moment in the spotlight. She would take her place by the altar and wait for him there. So this was her last moment to give him counsel before he became a married man.

"You look absolutely lovely, my dear," she told him.

This was extravagant praise from the Old Mother, but it hardly did Johanna justice. His eyes were bright with happy tears. His face was filled with light. This was the moment--with the big white dress and the handsome young nobleman and everyone straining just to catch a glimpse of him--that he had been dreaming of all his life. This made it all worthwhile--all the hard work and the sacrifice, even the many humiliations--just to be standing here now, the blushing bride on his wedding day.

"You must take care to savor every moment," the old lady advised him. "Store away the memories of this day. In the future, they will help you get through the more onerous duties a wife is always burdened with."

Johanna made no reply. He simply stared at the old lady in puzzlement. He could not imagine that every day of marriage would not be just like this.

The Old Mother sighed. "What I mean to say is-- Have fun!"

Johanna smiled. "Thank you, Mistress. For everything."

The old lady nodded and hurried off to take her place at the front of the church. She had just gotten set when the music began, and the doors to the cathedral opened. The bridesmaids processed in, smiling brightly, moving elegantly down the aisle to the altar. The cathedral was enormous, and the trip took some time. The guests watched politely, but what they really wanted to see was the bride.

Finally, the last bridesmaid took her place. The music stopped, and silence fell. Then the bold, familiar strains of the bridal march began, and everyone got to their feet. When Johanna appeared, they all collectively gasped. Surely, there had never been a more exquisite bride.

Johanna held himself gracefully and glided down the aisle in a sea of satin and tulle, his elegant train floating behind him. This trip down the red carpet was far different than the last, when he had offered tribute to Lord Marco. Today, no one had come to laugh. Everyone was there to worship him.

When Johanna reached the altar, he took his place at the Old Mother's side. Lord Marco gave him a ravenous look, and Johanna's cheeks turned pink with pleasure.
Since Lord Marco was such a high-ranking nobleman, the bishop himself presided at the ceremony. He was dressed in rich, ornately decorated ecclesiastical robes. He gestured with his hands for the congregation to be seated.

When everyone was settled, he began, "Dearly beloved, ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to celebrate the submissive marriage of Johanna to The Honorable Lord Marco. Who gives this submissive male in marriage?"

The Old Mother said, "I do."

Johanna turned to her. The old lady carefully turned back his veil and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"Good luck, my dear," she said.

"Thank you, Mistress."

The Old Mother relinquished Johanna to Lord Marco and took her seat in the front row.

The bishop continued, "Submissive marriage is an honorable estate and should not be entered into lightly." The bishop turned to Lord Marco. "My Lord, are you satisfied that the bride has met all the tests and requirements for submissive marriage?"

Lord Marco inclined his head. "I am."

The bishop turned to Johanna. "And you, Johanna, are you ready to take on all the responsibilities and sacrifices required of you in submissive marriage? To willingly and cheerfully forfeit all your wealth and your status as a man in good standing? To submit yourself completely and unquestioningly to the will of your husband? To fulfill his desires as if they were your own?"

"I am," Johanna said shyly, his eyes shining with happiness.

"Very well," the bishop said. "I find both parties are entering into this covenant freely and knowingly." He turned again to Lord Marco. "My Lord, do you take this submissive male to be your wedded wife. To provide for him. To command and to discipline him. As long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

"And you, Johanna, do you take Lord Marco to be your wedded husband and master? To serve him faithfully. To obey and to submit. As long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Johanna said, in a fluttery voice.

"Submissive marriage is an old and honored institution of our society. As such, the community has a role to play in upholding the submissive union. Is their anyone who objects to this marriage or requires further evidence of its validity?"

A hush fell over the room, and the wedding guests all looked around. The bishop was about to continue when an attractive woman in her early forties stood up.

"Yes, your grace. I have a request."

The crowd gasped. The bishop appeared totally discombobulated. He nervously tugged at the sleeves of his elaborately embroidered robe and cleared his throat several times.

Johanna went so pale he looked as if he might faint. The Old Mother heard him mutter under his breath, "My God. Phyllis!"

This was Johanna's former wife. The Old Mother had to hide her smile. She just couldn't help it. She got a charge out of female vindictiveness.

The bishop cleared his throat once more. "What is the nature of your-- er, objection?" he asked.

"I contest the bride's virginity," Phyllis said.

The crowd gasped even more loudly. There was no more ghastly allegation than that the bride might not be pure.

"I demand that the virginity test be performed," Phyllis said.

The crowd shifted restlessly in the pews, murmuring among themselves. The bishop shifted his weight awkwardly.

"Er-- well, of course," he finally said. "Is the virginity tester present?"

A rumpled, balding man hurried toward the altar. "Yes, your grace. Here I am."

The Old Mother had seen the man dozing in the sacristy earlier, and he still looked rather drowsy and disoriented.

"Sir, a request had been made for proof of the bride's virginity," the bishop informed him.

The man bowed. "Yes, your grace."

"If the bride will take his position," the bishop said.

Johanna was of the verge of tears, but he allowed the Old Mother and his bridesmaids to assist him over to a waist-high padded bench that had been set up for just this purpose. The virginity test was an archaic part of the submissive marriage tradition. Nowadays, it was considered merely a formality to hire the virginity tester and set up the chastity bench. Prospective brides were so carefully screened it was unimaginable that spoiled purity would not be discovered long before the ceremony.

With some help, Johanna got settled into position, leaning forward over the bench. It took eleven bridesmaids to corral his train and lift his voluminous skirt. The twelfth bridesmaid lowered his dainty lace panties, exposing his shapely bottom to all two thousand wedding guests.

The virginity tester turned to the assembly and held up his right hand for everyone to see. The crowd gasped. The men of this profession were required to have extremely large thumbs with which to do their work, but even by those standards, this tester's thumb was freakishly oversized.

He took his place behind Johanna, parted the bride's cheeks and unceremoniously stuck his mutant thumb inside.

"Fuck!" Johanna howled, in a most unladylike fashion.

The crowd burst into laughter. The bishop had to cough to cover his amusement. Even Lord Marco smiled.

The virginity tester removed his hand and cleared his throat nervously. "I declare the bride to be a virgin," he said.

The wedding guests applauded. The bishop looked relieved. The bridesmaids quickly helped Johanna adjust his clothes and return to the altar. But his face was red, and he looked very unhappy. From her pew in the rear of the church, Phyllis smiled smugly. She had never expected to stop the wedding, but she had hoped to ruin the moment for Johanna. It appeared that she had been quite successful.

"Well, then," the bishop said. "Seeing that evidence of virginity has been provided and that there are no other objections, I pronounce Lord Marco and Johanna husband and wife, master and submissive. You may kiss your bride, Lord Marco."

Lord Marco swept Johanna into his arms and kissed him amorously, allowing his hands to travel at will over the body that had just become his property. When at long last he broke the kiss, Johanna appeared breathless, if still a little miserable. The music swelled once more, and everyone stood. Lord Marco conducted his new bride back down the aisle.

Ah well , the Old Mother thought to herself. It will soon be his wedding night, and he'll have bigger things to worry about.

The old lady laughed to herself as she remembered the fearsome sight of Lord Marco's erect cock as he had received tribute.

Quite a bit bigger, indeed, she thought to herself.

Whatever disappointment Johanna might have felt about his less than dreamy wedding ceremony was quickly chased away when he beheld the lavishness of the wedding feast Lord Marco had planned.

The opulence of the thirty days of parties--which had been quite opulent, indeed--paled dramatically in comparison to the wedding celebration. The great hall connected to two other public rooms, one on each side. The retractable walls had been opened to create one enormous ballroom. At one end stood more than two dozen tables loaded down with every imaginable delicacy. Nearby, a tower of champagne glasses rose like a tower. A livered servant stood on a tall ladder and let the bubbly flow. Another complement of servants handed out the delicate crystal goblets filled with champagne to the laughing partygoers.

A one-hundred-piece orchestra played upbeat party favorites, and lavishly dressed ladies and gentlemen whirled giddily around the dance floor. There were many other amusements as well: jugglers, magicians, fortunetellers, bards, portrait painters, acrobats, animal charmers, dancers, strolling musicians, and every other imaginable entertainment. In shadowy corners, there were even erotic performers--something for every taste, men with men, men with women, women with women, people with animals--reclining on silk covered couches, cavorting sensually for their rapt audiences.

Johanna was the great belle of the ball. He danced every dance, most with Lord Marco, but some with other admirers. Now that they were officially married Lord Marco had become more generous about allowing other men to pay court to his wife, no doubt enjoying the fact that he possessed what so many others coveted.

Whenever Johanna waltzed with someone else, Lord Marco drank with his cronies and laughed loudly at the bawdy jokes they made about what a fine time he would soon have with his lovely bride. The young overlord seemed well on his way to becoming roaringly drunk, but it appeared to have no effect on his physical prowess. In fact, it only seemed to feed his libido. He would not take his bride to the connubial chamber until much later in the evening, but already his black velvet trousers bulged with his erection.

The Old Mother enjoyed herself greatly with the fine food and wine. It had been a very long time since she had been to such a magnificent feast. She kept watch on Johanna out of the corner of her eye and found that Lord Marco did the same. Though they had been married only a short while, it seemed he took his rights as husband quite seriously.

After many hours of celebration, dinner was at last served. All the guests sat down and dined extravagantly on the most exquisite meal served in anyone's memory. Then there was more dancing and entertainment, and hours later, toasts were made and the cake was cut.

The Old Mother regretted having to slip away before she got to eat her piece of cake, but it was time to conduct Johanna upstairs to get him ready for his wedding night. He saw her approaching and gracefully took his leave of the wedding goers who had been wishing him joy.

"Is it time, Mistress?" he asked.

"Yes, my child."

He nodded obediently and followed her. The boudoir where Johanna would get ready and the connubial chamber where he would lose his virginity were next door to one another. They lay off an upper mezzanine in the far part of the great hall and could be reached by a staircase from that room. When it was time, Lord Marco would ascend the stairs before the whole assembly of partygoers to publicly go claim his bride. But the Old Mother led Johanna the back way. There would be enough excitement when the Old Mother conducted him across the mezzanine--in front of everyone's eyes, as ritual demanded--from the boudoir to the connubial chamber.

Inside the boudoir, the Old Mother helped him out of his gown. While she carefully hung it up, he removed his lingerie, stockings and slippers. He perfumed and powdered his body and touched up his makeup. The old lady helped him slip into his frilly white silk peignoir. Then she took down his hair, painstakingly removing every pin and ornament, and brushed it a thousand strokes. It was traditional for a bride to leave his hair loose for his husband on their wedding night.

"All right, my dear," she said. "I must go next door to prepare the room. You wait here."

Johanna nodded, distractedly, studying himself in the mirror. The old lady shook her head. There was nothing like a new bride's vanity.

She picked up a panel of fine linen and went through the connecting door to the connubial chamber. Lord Marco's staff was quite thorough. They had filled the room with flowers, dressed the bed with the finest silk sheets, and turned it back so that it was ready for its occupants. The Old Mother carefully laid out the linen panel over top of the silk sheets and then returned to Johanna.

The sound of the crowd below had grown quite loud. The old lady peeked out the door and saw the throng of partygoers gathered below, all looking up at the mezzanine with great anticipation. She found Lord Marco near the bottom of the stairs, and he nodded his head, giving her the sign. She closed the door and turned back to Johanna.

"It is time, my child," she said.

"Yes, Mistress."

The old lady smiled. "You no longer have to call me that, my dear. From now on, you have only one master. Your husband."

Johanna nodded, coloring with pleasure at the notion of belonging completely to Lord Marco.

"But I will miss you, Mis-- ma'am."

The Old Mother took his face in her hands. "And I you. But you are ready, daughter. You have done very well, and now your dream is coming true."

"Yes, ma'am," Johanna said, with a flutter of excitement in his voice.

The Old Mother pressed a small vial of oil into his hand. Johanna looked at her, puzzled.

"For your husband's mighty rod, to help ease the way," she explained.

Johanna blushed with embarrassment, but nodded gratefully.

"And you must remember what I have taught you. No matter what your husband does, you must respond as if you are in ecstasy. Compliment him on the prodigiousness of his organ and the prowess of his lovemaking. A man expects such things from his wife."

"Yes, ma'am. I'll remember."

"Very well," the old lady said. "Let us go then."

Johanna rose and followed the Old Mother to the door. The old woman opened it, and they stepped outside onto the mezzanine. The crowd roared its approval when they saw him. All the men stared with voracious hunger. Johanna's nightgown was incredibly sheer, and in the room's bright lights, rather see-through. Johanna's cheeks burned as the Old Mother escorted him the short way to the connubial chamber. When they went inside, the partygoers whooped and hooted, and Johanna blushed even more violently.

The Old Mother led Johanna to the bed and had him lie down on the linen panel.

"Leave your peignoir on. Lord Marco will enjoy taking it off himself. And try to relax and look natural."

Johanna nodded, but his eyes were a little glassy with fear.

The Old Mother patted him on the hand. "Everything will be just fine. After all, this is what you've always wanted, isn't it?"

"Yes, ma'am," Johanna said, but somehow it wasn't entirely convincing.

"All right then," she said. "I'll be off and send in your husband."

"Goodbye, ma'am," Johanna said.

"Goodbye, my child."

When the Old Mother returned out to the mezzanine, the crowd roared again. Lord Marco smiled ironically.

"Is the bride ready to receive his husband?" he asked, as ritual demanded, in a booming voice for all to hear.

"He is, my Lord," the old lady answered.

Lord Marco stroked his straining erection through his trousers. "Well, I know the husband is ready for his wife," he bantered.

The guests laughed raucously. Lord Marco mounted the stairs. At the top, he bowed to the Old Mother, and she curtsied. High spots of color burned lustfully in the young lord's cheeks. His eyes glittered, his mouth was pressed together in a thin, hungry line, and the monster in his pants jumped and twitched, eager to be set loose. Lord Marco was horny to be sure, and the Old Mother had no doubt that he would be so absorbed by his own needs he would think nothing of his wife's pleasure.

She rose from the curtsy, slipped past the young lord and descended the stairs, handing Johanna over to him once and for all. He turned to the assembly, bowed deeply and then disappeared inside the connubial chamber. A profound hush fell over the crowd. All the lords and ladies stood quite still, straining their ears, listening with care. The old lady, who had been through this sort of thing too many times to count, located a piece of wedding cake and dug in happily.

After a few moments, the moment everyone awaited finally came.

"AAAAAAAAAGH!" Johanna hollered loudly enough for the entire room of people to hear that he had just been deflowered.

Everyone clapped and whistled and shouted "Bravo!" They raised their glasses and drank a toast to Johanna's spoiled virginity.

A moment later, the door to the chamber opened, and Marco emerged triumphantly. He was stark naked, ferociously erect, his mighty cock swinging in front of him, its enormous mushroom head tinged with the evidence of Johanna's rent virginity. The old lady could not imagine how he had gotten that colossus into Johanna's tight little rosebud. No wonder he had screamed.

Lord Marco carried with him the linen panel the old lady had laid across the marriage bed. He presented it to the revelers below with a proud flourish, draping it over the mezzanine railing. There were several drops of blood on it, proof of his wife's virginity, as if any more evidence were needed than Johanna's startled shriek of violation at being penetrated.

The crowd hooted and cheered its approval. Marco bowed and smiled wickedly.

"Thank you, ladies and gentlemen," he said. "But I am afraid you will have to excuse me. There is something I need my wife to attend to." He looked down at his swollen, throbbing monster of a cock.

The guests guffawed. Lord Marco turned back to the bridal chamber and closed the door. The partygoers went back to their gossip and champagne.

The Old Mother devoured another piece of cake and downed several more glasses of wine. Once she was feeling full and sated, she stole away from the party and snuck off to the little spying place she had found to check on the happy couple.

The old lady situated herself and pressed her eye to the chink in the wall. Inside the room, Johanna was naked, the discarded shreds of his nightgown lying helter-skelter wherever Lord Marco had thrown them after tearing the garment from his body in lusty abandon. Johanna was positioned on his knees, his bottom high in the air, his face pressed uncomfortably into a pillow.

His long, silky hair flowed over his shoulders and down his milky back. The Old Mother really did have to congratulate herself. Johanna had become a true flower of femininity.

Lord Marco knelt between his splayed thighs, gripped his hips tightly and vigorously plundered him. He moaned with pleasure as he buried his potent tool in his wife's hot, tight body again and again. The Old Mother could tell that Johanna's conquest of Lord Marco had been complete. This flame of passion would not burn itself out any time soon. Johanna would find himself pursued by a lusty husband morning, noon and night.

This idea stirred the Old Mother in a way she had thought was not possible for her anymore. As she watched Lord Marco fiercely possessing his wife, she felt as fresh and juicy inside as a sapling. Her hand crept down the front of her dress, and she cupped her throbbing sex through the fabric.

If only Johanna were having as much fun, she thought.

Johanna was keeping up a steady stream of breathy sighs and little moans and exclamations of "Oh, God! Right there! Right there!" He had been well trained, after all. But his face was pale and strained. As his husband's thrust ferociously in and out of him, he bit his lip so hard it bled. Clearly, he was not enjoying his wedding night.

The old lady was almost sorry to see it. She had developed a feeling for Johanna that was as close as she ever came to affection, and she had been genuinely impressed by his commitment to the quest. The Old Mother had never had a seeker who was satisfied with his dream when it finally came true, and she thought that perhaps Johanna would be the first, given his passionate attachment to Lord Marco. But apparently, it was not to be.

Ah, well, the old lady thought. That is just the way of things. People always want what they can't have, at least until they get it. And marriage hardly ever works out the way anyone expects. Nobody seems to realize what close kin dreams are to nightmares.

These were the great ironies that the Old Mother lived for. No doubt, Johanna would go down in history as one of the greatest male brides of all times. The bards would sing the praises of his beauty, his grace, the ferocious fire he inspired in the loins of Lord Marco and all the other men who ever beheld him. But the Old Mother would always know the truth. In the future, she would sit at her little table in her humble cottage and smoke and smile as she remembered the expression of outraged violation on his face as his husband's lusty rod put an end to his innocence and his illusions.

The Old Mother pulled back from the peephole and smoothed her dress. Her work here was done. As she turned away, she heard Johanna moaning in a false voice "Give it to me! Give it to me!" The old lady smiled and disappeared back into the night.

If Johanna had not been so preoccupied trying to endure his husband's horny advances, he would have heard a wild, gleeful cackling off in the distance.

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