The Proxy

We switch back to Jeremiah's POV, explore some of the trauma in his life and a dalliance with one of the newer Proxies his father had brought on before he went away to fight in the war.

NOTE: There might be some world building and plot inconsistencies when compared to earlier chapters. Please bear with me as I'm working this piece out. Please enjoy and comments/criticisms are encouraged.

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NOW

JEREMIAH

Jeremiah poured himself a snifter of brandy and moved to a corner of the room. He watched his father bluster with his vassal lords and tried not to react. He realized this was the same corner he used to stand in when he was a child. His father seemed so much scarier. Not so much anymore.

"I am glad you are back," Derek said as he moved next to Jeremiah.

"So am I," Jeremiah said. "I just wish that I had a choice in the matter. Hell, I wish I'd known about it when I decided to come home. I wish I had more of a choice."

"Always the dreamer," Derek said, sipping his drink.

"I suppose," Jeremy said. "He's very proud of his factory."

"He's curried many favors to build it," Derek said. "And he managed to leverage your reputation as a commander on it."

"What?"

"Your exploits along the frontier have become legendary," Derek said. "Father's made sure of that."

"Terrific," Jeremiah said. He looked for an answer in the glass. It wasn't there. He took a drink then sighed. "It's not something to glorify."

"Did you think that your retirement would be spent on some country house painting landscapes?"

"The beach," Jeremiah said. "And it would be sunsets and bird on the wing that I'd be painting."

"The beach, huh?" Derek said. "You're going to love the new Proxy, she's from the North."

"She was brought in for you," Jeremiah reminded him. Derek scoffed.

"Don't remind me," Derek said. "I begged him not to." He paused for a long moment. "Jer, I really love her."

Jeremiah nodded. He understood but he said nothing else. The pain was still too fresh. He could still feel the cold steel of the pistol in his hand. Derek looked at his older brother, not seeming to notice his pause.

"She's just...not experienced."

"And you are?"

"You know what I mean," Derek said. "I've been with Mia, a few convent girls, even fooled around with Englefrond's eldest daughter."

"How is Marie?"

"Married to old Lord Schimmer," Derek said. "She's already had two kids. A boy and a girl."

"That would make them eighth and ninth in line for his seat," Jeremiah said.

"Gold and platinum mines still make the man a desirable match," Derek said.

"The more things change," Jeremiah said. "Anyway, about Lara."

"She is wonderful," Derek said. "But father feels that I'm missing the lustiness required of a Steineld man and that simply won't do. Thanks, in large part, to you."

"Me?"

"You cut quite a swath in your time on the frontier," Derek said, arching an eyebrow at his brother. Jeremiah tried not to look at him.

"You shouldn't believe gossip."

"Mother was mortified after she heard about your affair with Lady Sweldon's serving girls."

"Not a serving girl," Jeremiah said, trying to stop the smile from forming on his face. Derek gasped. Jeremiah shrugged. "Her husband died serving the Union, I merely delivered the news and offered her solace."

"You scoundrel."

"How is mother?"

"You should see her for yourself," Derek said. "She misses you terribly. She visits the tabernacle daily to make sacrifices in your name."

"Is that so?" Jeremiah said. "She was always superstitious."

"To a fault,"

"My boys are smiling," Lord Steineld roared. "The spirits save me, was this all I needed to do was reunite them?"

Jeremiah's entire body went rigid as his father stalked towards them. Derek drained his drink, exchanging a quick glance with Jeremiah. The big man squeezed his way between his sons and he put his arm around them, smiling at both of them, his eyes wild. Jeremiah had forgotten how strong his father actually was.

"I've missed my brother," Derek said. "I am glad that he's returned unharmed."

"Of course, he did," Lord Steineld said. "He's a Steineld, the progeny of the soon to be Third Seat in the Davaraugh."

"Hear, hear my lord," a voice called out from the crowd. Jeremiah glanced over and saw a slender man of medium height in a gray suit standing at the front, holding up a glass of sparkling wine. Jeremiah glanced over to Derek who shrugged his shoulders Willem Hastings was a minor noble from the western most reaches of his father's territory. He had managed to ingratiate himself to his father and was a constant guest. Jeremiah frowned at him while Willem smirked.

"Thank you, Willem," Lord Steineld said. "The boys are the future of the territory. Without Derek at the forefront of the negotiations alongside me and Jeremiah's stalwart defense of our nation's borders, none of this would be possible."

Jeremiah tried to smile, but too many thoughts bounced around in his head and somewhere in the back of his mind he heard the words, "No, please, I swear it wasn't me." Then gunshots.

"I did as I was ordered, father," Jeremiah said. Several of those in the crowd of men applauded.

"In the most patriotic of manners, my lord," Willem said, holding up his glass again. "To the Union."

"To the Union," the crowd called out.

Jeremiah held up his drink and took a sip.

"Keep smiling," his father leaned in close to Jeremiah's ear, "I need you to keep it together. You are going to be the face of this family here at home."

"Why would you think otherwise?" Jeremiah said. His father looked at him smiling broadly but there was nothing but crazed malice in his eyes. Jeremiah tried to pull away but his father's iron grip held firm. He had forgotten how titanically strong the man was.

"You are the face here now," he said in a whisper. "Remember that means something different than on the frontier."

"Of course father," Jeremiah said, smiling for a long time. His father said something about the future of the house and the Midlands, but Jeremiah wasn't paying attention. His mind had wandered as it so often did during these little moments with his father. The powerlessness he felt. He wondered if that was how she had felt while she was pleading for her life. He suppressed a shudder as his father squeezed. He let them go and moved on to the vassal lords again, leaving Jeremiah and Derek alone. Before Jeremiah could say anything, Willem approached them. Jeremiah tried not to show his contempt but knew he was failing.

"It is good to see you, old friend," Willem drawled, all charm. Behind him, two hulking bodyguards followed. Ogres, Jeremiah thought, looking at the burly men. He'd never seen male Mountain Folk before and had only met the Mountain girl his father had brought in as a Proxy a few times before he left.

"What do you want Willem?" Derek asked.

"I wanted to welcome your brother back from the war," Jeremiah said. "And express my gratitude for his service."

"Thank you, Willem," Jeremiah said.

"Your exploits were well cataloged," Willem said. Jeremiah and Derek exchanged glances but said nothing. "We heard all about the night time raids and your defense of Haregara's Pass. Is that how you earned those medals?"

"Yes," Jeremiah said. He stared out into the night through the windows of his father's solar. The night raids were the worst and they repelled them each time, but not without losses. So many losses. He felt a phantom pain in his side and then his shoulder, but said nothing. Jeremiah turned back to Willem. "For valor extraordinary in service of the Union. Twice."

"How many medals do you have, Willem?"

"As many as you Derek," Willem said.

"It's been two years since I needed to wear my Naval dress blues," Derek said. "Or did you forget I served after university? Oh, wait, you were on your first deferment, weren't you?"

"I heard that you'd bedded some Republic bitch while you were down there," Willem said, ignoring the jab and smiling sleazily as he said it. Jeremiah clenched his fists. "Is it true?"

"It's none of your business, Willem," Jeremiah said. "It's expressly against the rules of engagement to take advantage of female prisoners and I would do nothing to embarrass my family by doing something like that."

"You really are a nit, you know that," Derek said, sneering at Willem. The smaller man didn't back down, he just smiled crookedly and swirled the drink in his glass. Jeremiah wanted to punch the smirk off his face.

"So, it must be true," Willem said. "No wonder your father had you reassigned."

"Oh, like your father did?" Jeremiah said, sneering. "Oh, wait, he got you deferred from service six times or was it seven."

Willem's face turned pink then red but he said nothing. The smile evaporated down to a grim, thin line. He curtly bowed and said through gritted teeth, "My lord."

"He's going to take that out on some poor convent girl," Derek said.

"If father doesn't let him have one of our Proxies," Jeremiah said, watching Willem skulk away.

"Why does father like him so much?"

"Because he's a sniveling shit," Jeremiah said. He turned to Derek. "How many people know?"

"People talk, Jer," Derek said. "I know father tried to do some damage control, but like I said, there was a lot of talk of your exploits on the frontier. Most are chalking it up to common gossip but like I said, people talk."

"And how has father responded to the rumors?"

"Are they rumors?" Derek asked. Jeremiah sighed and poured himself another drink. "What was her name?"

"It's not important," Jeremiah said. "I took care of it."

"Took care of it?"

"That's all I'm going to say," Jeremiah said. "She's not going to be an issue for us. Let them talk. Talking can't hurt me."

"But it might hurt father," Derek said. "So, it is true."

"Not here," Jeremiah said looking over at his father, who was laughing at something one of the officials from the Air Brigade had said. He looked back to Derek, frowning, "Not now."

Jeremiah managed to sneak away when Gerrit Killian pulled his lord father aside and led him to his private study for some reason. Jeremiah noted the disappointment on Willem's face that he hadn't been summoned with the rest of his father's advisors for this more exclusive meeting. The other lords had begun to disperse so Jeremy took the opportunity, still raging from the interaction with his father and Willem. He avoided the crowds or lords meeting up with the hangers on in the outer hall by making his way down a hallway usually used by servants or Proxies. He turned a corner and nearly knocked over a woman. It was the Mountain girl Proxy.

She was tall, only an inch or so shorter than him. Curvy with big tits, he reminded her of a younger Tasha. She was pretty with big brown eyes and dark, curly hair. She wore a simple nighty, short and just about exposing her big ass. He didn't know a lot about the Mountain Folk, but had heard stories about their women. He looked down demurely.

"My lord," she said.

"You're Leah, right?"

"Yes, my lord," she said. He noticed that her cheeks were flushed. She looked up at him and he was taken in by her dark eyes. He wondered if all Mountain girls were like this. He thought about the other Proxy, the new one. She had deep, dark eyes. They were spellbinding.

"How does it feel not being the new girl anymore?"

"I live to serve, my lord," she said, smiling. She had a nice smile as she stepped closer to him. "How can I serve you, my lord?"

"My chambers," he said. "Fifteen minutes."

"As you wish my lord," she said, smiling at her. He moved aside for her to go do what she needed to do to prepare and made his way back to his chambers.

Even though he was looking forward to trying the Mountain girl, his mind kept going back to the new Proxy. He wanted to talk to her more than he did, but there hadn't been time. And she was intended for Derek anyway, no matter how much Derek didn't want her, it would be a horrible breach of etiquette. That had never stopped him before. How many times had he bedded Mia before he left? Deep down he knew that would create an irreparable rift between him and his father if he were to ever find out. And Mia would likely find herself as a factory girl. He couldn't let that happen. Though, Derek wouldn't hold a grudge like his father would. This Eva girl might be worth it. He pulled off his uniform jacket and hung it carefully in his closet.

He was so caught up in thinking about Mia he almost didn't hear the girl at his door. He opened it and invited her in. She had put on a silk robe that covered her and clicked across the floor on high heels. He motioned for her to follow him and they made their way to his sitting room. He smiled at her.

"Please, take a seat, would you like something to drink?" he asked.

"Do you have any cordials?" she asked. "I've become fond of them."

"I have lemon, orange, raspberry, peach and cherry," he said, looking in his liquor cabinet.

"I'd like a cherry, over ice if it pleases my lord," she said.

"As the lady wishes," he said, plunking some ice in a glass, filling it generously with the red liquid.

"Fantastic," she said, taking a sip. "I am glad you chose me, my lord. I didn't get a chance to get to know you before you left."

"Yes, you arrived just before I was assigned to the frontier," he said, taking a seat across from her. She had crossed her long legs and his eyes looked at them. They were shapely and nice to look at. Much like the girl.

"Your father was very upset," she said.

"Can we not talk about him?" he said. "I don't mean to be rude."

"No, my lord, of course," she said, almost stammering as she spoke. She smiled at her, trying to sooth her.

"No, no it's fine," he said, smirking. The girls gossiped like anyone else. He wondered if she would tell him what they said about him.

"I'm here to serve, my lord,' she said again.

"You're from the Mountains?"

"Yes, my lord," she said. "I've been here for two years, like you said. I trained at the Valley convent in Vanscent in the Western Midlands."

"How were you selected?"

"My parents were ranchers," she said. "In a territory known as the Pargoval Steppes."

"Let me guess, you didn't like cows."

"Do you?" she said. He laughed. "Exactly. I always thought I was made for something better. I saw a recruitment video about being a Proxy and I was hooked with the lifestyle. My parents still don't completely understand, but they agreed to a healthy stipend that added to their herd."

"So you were livestock?"

"Only the base believe that," she said. "I'm a rare commodity, don't you think?"

She stood up and let her gown drop to the floor. She stood before him in a green bra and panty set, edged in black lace. Her heels made her taller than him, almost looming before him. He looked up at her, setting his drink down as she dropped down to her knees between his legs. He leaned forward and kissed him, his hands deftly moving down her sides. She pushed him back, pressing against him as they kissed. She reached down, deftly unbuttoning his shirt. Her hands pushed back the shirt and she rubbed his chest. He helped her take off the shirt and leaned forward kissing her. She giggled as he pulled down the straps of her bra and moved down, unhooking it in one smooth move.

She sighed as he pulled her up and put his nipple into his mouth, sucking it. Her back arched subtly as his hands moved down her back and under her panties, squeezing her ample ass. She gasped and moaned as he kissed her neck. He leaned into her ear.

"Tell me you want me," he said. "Beg me."

"Please, my lord, I need you," she said breathlessly as he ran his hand up her body, kissing her. Teasing her. He lifted her chin with his hands holding her up. "I want your cock inside me."

"Good girl," he said. She slid down, back on her knees and looked up at him, unbuckling his belt and unbuttoning his trousers. She unzipped his zipper and his big cock sprung out. Her eyes widened and she grabbed it with her hands, stroking it. He shuddered as she kissed it up and down, flicking her tongue over the head. Her hands continued to move up and down his cock as she put the head in her mouth, sliding it down and taking it into her mouth.

She was sloppy and he had to admit that he liked it. She slobbered, slurping up her own saliva as she sucked on his cock. He leaned back and she looked up at him, as if for approval. She moaned as he nodded and continued moving up and down. She pulled it out of her mouth with a gasp and gasped for air before putting his balls in her mouth while stroking the wet cock. He stood up and she put it back into her mouth. He slid it in as far as it would go. She gagged and choked a little. He pulled back then back in, moving it in and out of her wet mouth. He tongue flicked the underside as he fucked her face.

LEah gasped and moaned, sputtering each time he pulled out enough for her to breathe in, his hand moving to the back of her head to hold it there. She moaned, her eyes rolling into the back of her head and closing as he violated her mouth. He pulled out fully and she gasped needily for air. He sat back down in the chair and she went back to work, sucking his dick. She sat back on her knees as she stroked it, spitting on it as she did. Leaning over ot she held her massive tits together and started sliding them around his cock, tit fucking him. He took over, sliding it between the milky globes as she spit between them.

"Tell me that you want my cock."

"I need it, please," she said as he continued rubbing his cock between her tits. "I need you inside me. Fuck me, please."

He stood up, lifting her with him and moving her to the bedroom. As they moved she pulled down her panties and let them drop to the floor. He pulled off the top comforter and let it fall to the floor. He twisted her around and gently shoved her on top of the bed. She got on all fours and gasped as she slid his cock inside her. Her high pitched squeals mixed with gasping pants as he fucked her from behind. She was turned on and wet. It felt good. He reached down and pulled back both her arms, pinning them to her back. She moaned louder.

"Let me fuck you," she said and he let her go sliding on to the bed. She leaned down and sucked his cock as if she were cleaning it before straddling him and impaling herself on top of him. She didn't bounce like some girls did at first, but smoothly rode his cock, gasping and moaning as she moved faster and faster, skin slapping against skin when she finally began to bounce. Her tits flopped around as she moved up and down on his cock. He grabbed her by the hips and held them, pumping his cock into her pussy. She arched her back and moaned as he did so. With one fluid motion, he lifted her and put her on her back.

Wrapping her long legs around him, he pumped inside of her, his balls slapping against her as he fucked her hard. He pinned her hands above her head and looked into her eyes. She looked up at him, dark pools of hot passion looked back at him.

"Yes, my lord, oh, oh, fuck me," she said between pants. He did so, lifting one of her long legs against his shoulder as he did.

He pulled out and flipped her over again, slapping her ass as he did so. She giggled and opened her mouth to say something but he lifted her hips enough for him to slide in again, but not enough to be on all fours. She gripped the sheets and stifled her moaned into the sheets as he continues to fuck her. He could tell that she was cumming as she wailed into the bed as his cock pounded away. He felt his balls tighten and he grunted as he pulled out, his cum splattering all over his ass and back. She collapsed into a heap and he fell back, depleted.

"Excuse me, my lord," she said, getting up and moving to his bathroom. She returned have cleaned herself off but still naked, and began gathering her things.