Voluntary Surrender of Rights

Two weeks after Veronica punished Greg for not appointing his adjudication panel member Veronica met Greg's pick. It was clear that He had picked a natural enemy for Angelica. Gwendolyn Hennessy was a conservative member of the state legislature. She routinely advocated for family values, and really believed in her cause. Veronica had been prepared to accept that as a lie until they met at the golf course on Sunday morning.

Her children at twelve and fourteen had come to learn about riding and carting. This specific move by Greg had caught everybody by surprise as he found twenty Shetland Ponies and asked a local engineering company to make little carriages to be pulled by them. Cart racing was a fairly big gambling sport. But as a way for a family picnic and a hobby it was novel. What this idea was doing was to turn the club into a viable civic interest company.

There were horse trails and carriage tracks being set all over the farm with private and semi-private picnic spots as well as open spots being put up. Officially Gwendolyn had come to see what was happening in her constituency and to give her children a new experience. Greg drove the carriage as Gwen sat next to Veronica and chatted.

She had made it clear that she knew all about Greg from his correspondence and by reputation. She knew his intention and had suggested an interesting option to reduce divorce rates. She wanted to know about Veronica. She also understood that in the dispensation of the relationship Greg and Veronica had he was of lesser status and the power was with Veronica.

"Did you write those essays and arguments and just have Greg send them?"

"No, Greg is way ahead of us Gwen. He evolves those arguments in his novels in fact. For some reason he decided to love me. Then he approached me with what he wanted."

"Why not just get married and just have this in private?"

"We are both concerned about the way families are broken up. It is one thing we agree on. Although how to save marriages has a somewhat different approach to the accepted ways in the industry. Our most fervent desire is to have a marriage that succeeds. We both understand that the two people involved are seldom the best suited to understand if they should get married. As such the first idea here is to convince a panel that a marriage is likely to work. We could call that an adjudicated marriage. Should three accomplished people consider a successful marriage likely then we should be confident the marriage will stand the test of time. We think it's too easy to get married in the first place."

Gwen looked at Veronica openly curious. Greg had not put that weddings were too easy to arrange. She was not parroting Greg unless he had an incredibly broad ability to argue a point. What she was getting here was a different starting point for a similar intended destination. Putting thoughts of criminal charges aside for now she decided to find out more about this. The idea of adjudicated marriages was intriguing. Greg had not brought that idea up either.

"So the idea is that both of you are skilled psychologists and want to try to find a better way to get married and to be able to stay married. I need to tell you that even the Bible has a divorce law. It's a formidable task."

"Yes but it is an effort. It won't be fool proof, but forcing two people to speak about each other to a panel will drive them to look at each other openly without glands getting in the way. It will mean they go down the aisle with a more mature understanding of each other. It will mean that their commitment will have been tested because the panel, well this panel Greg and I are putting together is formidable and challenging. If it becomes a thing the adjudication boards need to be the most formidable in the area. Marriages are set in the challenge Gwen that is why so many fail, they were not challenged before the two said I Do. When the challenges hit then, they suddenly cannot stand."

Gwen considered what Veronica said and thought about her own marriage that failed. Yes, it had not been able to withstand the strain of her working in Raleigh while he was in Grantsboro. She remembered her own failed marriage. The four years she and her ex-husband had dated had been no test. The year they were engaged had not been any sort of test because both were from affluent families and work in the family businesses had been easy. The test came when she decided to run for state legislature, and he was supportive until it came to the campaigning. Then he had issues with costs, time, and publicity. She lost that campaign because he sued for divorce a week before the election.

"I can agree about that. But this idea of Greg's is too radical. What will he do when he realizes it can't happen?"

"He's not insane Gwen. Far from it, he knows it can't happen. He cannot give me his rights and I cannot own him, he knows that. But he is a romantic too, he wants to love and he wants a marriage where I have the power. Some of that is also a very cold realization of what he is like with power. The mere fact that he knows he will be a nightmare as the head of a family is telling of his incredible judgement."

"If I may interject Mistress?" Greg asked from the driver seat ahead of the two women.

"Yes, speak your mind." Veronica said.

"I have no problem with being the head of the family. I have a problem with the head setting policy and direction. We follow our hearts to be happy. Why not follow the heart of our families to be happy families? I'll happily be the head working out how to achieve objectives, that's just management, but the direction, the humanity; that needs to be at the heart of our marriage and with you."

Both Veronica and Gwendolyn considered this. This was something Gwendolyn could actually get her constituents to buy. The idea that the wife was the heart of the family. The term, Happy Wife Happy life, was a more cynical expression of this.

"But then why this incredibly brutal desire to be her property?" Gwendolyn asked.

"Because he is not a very nice man. He might be well mannered, don't imagine that's the same thing. He knows that without an active and voluntary surrender he will be a holy terror. He knows that he has a massive ego. Without that being dominated and ruled no long term relationship will work. His life has not been very reasonable, and a nice solution will just not work for him." Veronica answered for Greg.

"What has he been through?"

Gwendolyn and Veronica had a midmorning drinks break while the ponies rested, grazed, and drank water themselves. Greg went off to see how one of the retired detectives was coming along with a hunch about why the farm had been left to return to wild.

Gwendolyn sat in a semi private picnic spot and read the files on Greg she had not seen. Gwendolyn decided to fire her researcher when she saw how much had been missed. The British court cases and criminal investigations were public record. And showed a picture of an incredibly tough man. That he was also a popular painter was news. Then the military service record came out. She had seen a few before, not many with so much redacted. It was still possible to get the picture that he had routinely dealt with people to whom the Geneva Convention did not apply. The pictures had similarly magnetic effect on the politician as on Veronica and Angelica.

"You're wrong Ronnie. Greg is an incredibly nice guy. He's a romantic, he is in fact very generous, he does things simply because they are the right thing to do. He gives his very best to people who could never pay him. This place is an example. He's making a beautiful place for people who ordinarily couldn't afford this type of experience and luxury to have it..."

"Never say that aloud please. So much of how he does things depend on people seeing him as an complete son of a bitch."

"My campaign manager and public relations guy say he could be good to tie to in the next election. Without saying it they think marrying him would be a good move even if he houses that day care for hookers." Gwen laughed.

"He probably picked you because he sees somebody he would be able to support. He has never said what he did before he picked me. He does his homework; that I know. He knew a lot about me, just not that my dad and he played golf together. He knew what I like in bed even." Veronica said.

"So this is not some hair brained scheme.... Ok, I'm in on this. No money, no quid pro quo; except this, I'm going to see if other couples considering marrying will take similar ideas before marrying. Who are the other panel members?"

"A D/s relationships counselor. And between you and her pick another... that was our idea. Once both of you are on board... in fact Greg and I have a meeting with her this afternoon about a get together in her lifestyle groups here. Partially its business for both her and us."

Gwendolyn was quiet and fuming when Greg drove them back to the clubhouse. The BDSM community was one of her major irritations. The spectacle of BDSM, the dress sense, the atmosphere of domination and submission, and the idea that it was uncaring went totally against Gwendolyn's conservative platform. She sat in the carriage considering how this was going to spin with campaigning for the next election cycle coming soon.

As it happened a water pipe had burst under the lunging corral when they got back. Greg went straight to the disaster to find out what was being done about it. A lot happened very quickly as Veronica and Gwen made their way from the carriage more slowly. First, Angelica came up to Greg as he was asking about the mud pool. Then a little girl at the club for the ponies tugged Greg's hand to ask him where the little horses were. Angelica volunteered to show the little girl and took her hand. Gwendolyn's protective instinct got a turbo charged kick when she saw Angelica, obviously a dominatrix, and besides her podcasts made her a well known face.

"Get your hands off that little girl you sadistic bitch!" Gwendolyn screamed as she advanced on Angelica.

'Fuck you! You repressed wannabe virgin!" Angelica replied.

Neither woman being the type to back down it immediately became a meeting of chalk and cheese. The two were getting into a verbal abuse match with a journalist covering Gwendolyn's visit for a local network recording everything. Veronica caught Greg's eye pleading for him to do something. Typically Greg his solution was fast and surprised everybody including the two women screaming at each other.

He threw them both into the mud bath that was the lunging corral. They slid to the middle of the ring on their asses and looked at Greg closing the gate.

"She who slings mud loses ground! Don't shout screw you; fucking get on with it!" He shouted.

The two women tried getting back to the gate and fell over each other. Each blamed the other and the fight erupted. Angelica's leather provided a grip advantage initially because wet and muddy leather gets really slippery; it also gets incredibly heavy and after two minutes it was more of a liability. Gwendolyn had a weight advantage in that her cotton outfit did not get as heavy but it clung to her body and restricted movement. By three minutes in, with Veronica crying in despair both women were stripped down to their underwear.

The clubhouse emptied faster than a brothel in a police raid as word of the fight went around. The kids with juvenile instinct lost all interest in horses and rushed to the fight. This set a school playground fight scene with more than a touch of strip club oil wrestling as children, including both Gwendolyn's and Angelica's kids joining in the general noise. The journalist was getting a story beyond his wildest expectation and made sure to get as much of it as he could. There is always a bookmaker at any sports club and one was shouting odds.

Both women turned out to be in good shape and the fight lasted an impressive ten minutes. Gwendolyn was taller and heavier but Angelica wat fast and more flexible. neither of them had much experience in this as such the fight was never going to have a real winner after the first frenetic minutes of hair pulling and slaps were over.

When the two were exhaustedly trying to shove each other's faces in the mud and not moving much Greg slipped and slid into the mud pit. He lifted both to their feet and got them apart on each side of him. They calmed down almost instantly and went with him to the gate where he handed them to Janice to go and shower in the ladies changing room. He sent another woman to get their sizes and buy clothes from the Pro Shop, then asked if there was going to be more bitchiness in his best Scottish accent.

Veronica was sucking her knuckles in fright at what Greg had just done. She could see two powerful women losing their careers in this. She imagined the difficulties of finding more people to help with what she and Greg were doing. Fright turned to terror as the journalist approached Greg with a micro phone extend. Anticipating incredible embarrassment if Greg said the wrong thing she started moving.

It was too late. The journalist had already started a live transmission to the studio, being a Saturday news was slow so getting a slot on the afternoon news was not difficult to get. Veronica jumped under Greg's arm just before the camera zoomed out to take in more than just the journalist. She dug her nails into Greg's side to remind him of what would happen if this got out of control and then listened intently.

She listened in admiration as Greg made both women fantastically committed and sincere figures. He went further to give each side of the political divide something to condemn and something to praise in each woman. In the end all anybody could take away from the fight was that the two women from different viewpoints about marriages and good families were having a discussion this afternoon about how to encourage better marriages and more stable families. This showed Gwendolyn to be a politician who was doing her best to resolve the issues she had been elected to tackle. It also showed Angelica to be a powerful and influential voice in the BDSM community with a sincere desire to see loving relationships instead of abuse. As a siege ground for journalist the story died there. As fuel for Gwendolyn's political opponents whether conservative or liberal there was nothing without also weakening their own cause. For Angelica there was a huge boost in legitimizing her podcasts and a huge boost to her influence within and outside the BDSM community.

Veronica watched nods of agreement and heard the murmurs of approval from club members and parents who had brought children to see the horses as Greg spoke. She realized that Greg had just pulled another epic stunt off that was going to get him put into local legend. She let him go and watched Greg go to deal with the next issue thinking deeply.

The journalist, on the biggest event in his career went to find controversy among the children. This turned out to be impossible as all the children having just seen what looked like fantastic fun invaded the lunging corral for their own free for all mudwrestling fight. Once again Greg was in the thick of it as he got into the mud with the children to referee and become a target for children who completely loved the lessons and caution he brought.

Veronica got a table in the clubhouse overlooking the corral and watched the play fight. Gwendolyn and Angelica joined her as their children were fully occupied copying the mothers. The two were too tired to do much about it and Greg had it in hand. The worst that was going happen were some bruises and dirty clothes. They watched the scarred and damaged veteran play and teach children with laughter and guidance as he was at the bottom of a heap of children and then out to separate two who were getting dangerous.

"He's a nightmare of a submissive." Angelica said.

"That's because dominant women want obedient house boys. He's a man first; brilliant, a little crazy, strong, more than a little ferocious, but also loving in his own way." Gwendolyn said.

"You cannot beat him into submission. He's a feral creature, he will always have that to him. No reward will keep him or encourage him to obedience. He loves incredibly deeply and hates with equal passion. How do I handle a man like that?' Veronica asked.

"You're damn lucky he loves you Ronnie. It's love that binds him, give him a direction and just let him get on with it. Just pull his attention back to the direction when he gets sidetracked." Angelica said.

"Does he love me? Or the idea of me?"

"What would he be like as a dominant?" Gwendolyn asked.

"Horrible in the lifestyle. As a play partner? Even worse. The play scene and the lifestyle are very different. In the play scene the power actually lies with the submissive, the submissive gives consent; the submissive can end it with a word, or even just a look. In the lifestyle the dominant has all the power. Greg with the power is deadly to everybody. His genius at psychological warfare means he always has the power but no direction to use it in. Ronnie, Greg's idea is brilliant but I don't honestly believe he and you could do it. You and somebody else? Possibly. You're becoming a very good Domme, but Greg; he will give you nightmares, things like today... it was pure improvisation and he'll do it again and again." Angelica said.

"I don't agree. Ronnie asked him to do something and he obeyed instantly. The burdened of ownership is the burden of culpability. I think that you, Ronnie, are not capable of carrying that burden." Gwendolyn said.

"Ah Jeez! Get a third! The two of you will argue the sunset!" Veronica said.