Author's note: I hope you're all enjoying the story so far. I'm enjoying writing it for you! Once more, I'm taking creative license with noble and royal titles, Austrian geography, and the German language. I'm endeavoring to get them all correct, but the language is a toughie. Thank goodness for Google!
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A week after Luke's riding accident he was, with Sophia's help, able to take short walks around the castle grounds. A follow-up visit to the hospital was not necessary as Luke had the doctor that initially treated him flown to the castle to examine him. The doctor proclaimed that Luke was healing nicely and would recover fully with no restrictions. Ten days after the check-up, Luke felt no ill effects from his accident and the large bruise on his back had all but disappeared. Luke's thoughts now turned to the festivities to be had in the twelfth month of the year.
December had rolled upon Upper Austria and the mountains were blanketed with fresh powder. From the master suite window, Luke could see the skiers schussing down the slopes of the Gratzener Berglands during the day, and the twinkling red and green holiday lights from the town below at night. Christmas was a mere three weeks away and the castle was also in the process of decoration, with the highlight being a massive 25-foot tree in the parlor that was adorned with what Luke thought had to be at least a mile of silver and gold garland and a star at the top that shined so bright that it lit up the room at night. Luke was nearly ready for his first Christmas at his new home, but there was one other date to get past first.
Luke awoke on the morning of the 11
th
of December to Sophia's warm hands on his midsection, slowly pulling his pajama pants down his legs revealing his morning erection. Sophia rarely slept in her own room these days. It was a given that the two would rest and wake together. It was no secret to the staff that Luke and Sophia shared the master suite most every night and Johann, the house butler, expected to find both the Count and the Baronetess together while making his morning rounds. But Sophia was the one waking Luke this morning, a day he had hoped to keep secret from the castle dwellers.
"Happy Birthday, my Lord." Sophia exclaimed just before she took Luke's rising cock into her mouth and danced her tongue across Luke's sensitive foreskin. She slipped Luke's hardening shaft from her mouth with a pop then climbed on top of the nobleman's lap. Luke loved to have a woman ride him cowgirl-style, but after his accident it was very painful, and the couple had to find other less strenuous positions. Three weeks after the incident, Sophia impaled herself on Luke's stiff member and he felt no ill effects in his back. Luke bent Sophia down while she bounced on his rigid dick and sucked on her pink nipples. Sophia slipped her hand to her clit and rubbed her sex furiously. The combination of her fingers on her pink button and Luke's mouth on her tit was enough to send her over the edge and she cried out as her orgasm overtook her body. The ginger beauty threw her head back and loudly vocalized her pleasure.
Luke could feel his own fluids building up inside him and the sight of Sophia in the throes of ecstasy pushed him over the top as well. Luke grabbed Sophia's hips and slammed her down as he thrust his cock upward into her depths and unleashed a flood of hot cum deep into the red head's slick pussy. Sophia snaked her tongue into Luke's mouth as he came inside her, then collapsed on top of the young Count, feverish and glowing from their morning romp.
Mmmmmmmm..." Luke moaned as his shrinking pud inched out of Sophia. "I can't wait for more 'birthday presents' later!"
"This is just the beginning, my dear," Sophia replied as she rested her head on Luke's well-toned chest. "This is your day and I intend to make it very special for you."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Johann followed Sophia's instructions from the night before and did not wake the Count on his birthday morning. The manservant was a creature of routine and had to stop himself twice from knocking on the door of the master suite. The Baronetess had informed Johann that the Count's birthday was the next day and she wanted him to sleep in, even though the Count had kept a lighter appointment load since his accident at the hunt last month. He was just now beginning to see visitors at the castle and attend short meetings. But the Baronetess told Johann what she wanted for the next morning and Johann followed orders. Always.
As the black-suited butler descended the stairs from the third to the second floor, a familiar voice beckoned to him in German from the other end of the hall.
"Johann,
ein Wort bitte
(a word, please)." It was the Baroness Valentina Lehner, Sophia's mother and Johann's former employer. She was dressed in her typical outfit: A white high-collared shirt and darker floor-length skirt. The Baroness' demeanor had been less than cordial lately since the knowledge of Luke and Sophia's romance became known throughout the castle.
Johann spun around and bowed slightly to the titled lady. "Baroness,
guten Morgen.
How may I assist you,
meine Dame?"
"She is with him? Again? In the master suite that her father and I shared for THIRTY YEARS?!" Valentina shouted at her former butler.
"If you refer to your daughter, Baroness," Johann answered, his voice never wavering in decibel, "then
Ja, meine Dame."
"Johann," the Baroness continued, calming her voice to just above a whisper, "I believe it is time that you and the rest of the staff decide where your loyalties lie."
"Meine Dame,"
Johann responded, "I speak for the entire staff when I say our loyalties lie with this house and its Master."
The blood rose in Valentina's face as her anger exploded. "Not the ENTIRE staff, you pompous old windbag!!" The Baroness turned in a flurry of flowing skirt and swiftly returned to her room, leaving Johann to continue his morning routine.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Luke and Sophia showered in the master suite's private bath. The stall, twice as big as the shower in Sophia's room, had enough room to clean four people simultaneously and had a large head coming from the ceiling that when activated created a raining simulation. The lovers stood in the faux downpour and washed each other clean while locking lips often. Luke and Sophia finished their shower and Luke retrieved two large bath towels for them both. Sophia dried then wrapped her terrycloth bath sheet around her body. Her clothes were in her room, so she kissed Luke and said she'd see him later. Luke kidded Sophia and told her they'd have to remedy the clothes situation soon by moving her belongings into the master suite. Sophia gave Luke a dry laugh then turned to leave the room. She knew Luke was watching her leave, so she quickly flipped the towel up in the back and gave the Count a flash of her sweet ass as she exited the door and padded barefoot down the hallway and stone steps to her room to dress for the day.
The couple met for breakfast thirty minutes later. Luke was relieved that none of the staff had made a fuss about his birthday and the standard morning fare was served. Sophia finished first and told Luke that she had horses to tend and farms to visit. The calf at the Schmidt farm was not doing well and Sophia was concerned that she would lose it without giving it the proper care. She told Luke that she may be later than usual but would be back in time to celebrate with him that evening. Luke told her to take her time as he had business of his own to attend and he would see her tonight.
"Johann," Luke said to his butler, "I need to do some shopping today but it's not your everyday kind of shopping. I need to get to Vienna and back by 6pm tonight. Can you make that happen?" he asked.
"Yes, Sire." Johann stated, as if Luke had asked him to merely drive him across the street. "I will make all the arrangements. Your helicopter will be here in twenty minutes, my Lord."
Nineteen minutes later, Johann was true to his word and the chopper touched down on the castle helipad. Once more dressed in his favorite charcoal-grey suit, minus the cape this time, Luke instructed the pilot to take him to Vienna. Johann poked his head into the aircraft cabin and spoke to the pilot in German. Luke couldn't make out what his butler said to the pilot, but the chopper commander nodded in acknowledgement then shut the door. The copter lifted off from the helipad and Luke looked down to see Sophia on horseback blowing him a kiss. He returned the gesture to his new lover then sat back to enjoy the forty-five-minute flight to the city.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Sophia watched the helicopter approach the castle then land on the designated spot on the roof. Luke had told her he had some business to attend today but said nothing about a flight. The helicopter meant only one thing: Luke was traveling farther than Freistadt today. She watched as Luke and Johann walked hunched over underneath the whirring chopper blades then saw Luke get into the cabin. Johann stayed behind but said something to the pilot before the aircraft took off. Sophia watched as the blades picked up speed and the copter took flight. She blew Luke a quick kiss and saw him send one back. The baronetess then nudged her horse with her heels to get the animal moving and steered it toward the stables. Sophia had work to do that morning, but she also had plans to make for the Count's birthday celebration. She wanted to ensure that it would be a birthday he would never forget.
Sophia put the horse back in its stall then walked back to the main door to wash up and make her way to tend the ailing calf. Near the door on the circle driveway there was a black town car with a chauffeur standing at attention near the back door. Sophia moved to question the driver but was stopped by the sight of her mother, the Baroness Valentina Lehner exiting the door. Maximillian, the castle's executive chef was behind the Baroness carrying two large suitcases.
"Wo gehst du hin, Mutter?
(Where are you going, Mother?)" Sophia asked.
"I am leaving today, Sophia." Valentina replied. "I cannot allow you to disgrace me further. I have accepted the Duke von Furstenburg's invitation to be his guest at his home in Vienna and Maximillian has agreed to accompany me. You may join us also, Sophia, but you must leave right this minute and swear that you will uphold your obligation to marry the Duke. If you do not leave today and agree to marry Duke von Furstenburg, then I will no longer consider you my daughter and we shall never speak again."
Sophia was stunned at her mother's ultimatum. "Mother, you're asking me to leave my home, the only home I've ever known, leave my work here at the castle and around the county, and leave Luke without so much as an explanation?!" she asked the Baroness.
"That is what I ask of you, Sophia." The Baroness responded matter-of-factly.
"I cannot leave, Mother," Sophia answered her mother's demand. "I cannot leave Luke. I love him, Mother." Sophia shocked not only her mother but also herself at her admission of her feelings for the Count.
"So be it, Sophia. Goodbye." The Baroness replied coldly. "We shall not see each other again." Valentina and Maximillian walked to the car and the large cook placed the bags in the spacious trunk. The Baroness got into the back seat of the black sedan. Sophia stepped in front of Maximillian and confronted her mother.
"Mother!" Sophia cried "This is insane!"
"Insanity is choosing that
