"Sir Chad, please join us!" the King exclaimed as Chad slowly entered the throne room, stood before the king and bowed.
"Sir Gawain, fetch Sir Chad a seat!"
Gawain moved quickly to fetch a settee and placed it before the throne behind where Chad stood.
Chad cleared his throat, "Sire, that will not be necessary, I am happy to stand in your presence."
"No, sit, Sir Knight, I insist!"
Sir Gawain pressed one of the smaller knight's shoulders down, encouraging him to sit before the king. At the same time, he gave Chad's buttocks a pat with his other hand, eliciting a painful moan as the young knight sat, clearly uncomfortable.
Everyone at the court was fully aware that Sir Chad had just been disciplined down in the dungeon and his discomfort was a delight to some and a point of sadness for others.
"So Sire," the young man asked between clenched teeth, "what would you have of me?"
"...other than further humiliation and pain," he thought to himself.
"Yes, my boy, exactly! What WOULD I have of you? The answer is: a quest! I have a quest for you if you will just but accept it."
"Of course, my liege, I could not refuse a quest. What would you have me do?"
The king grew solemn as he stared down at his young knight, at once the best swordsman of his order and at the same time his most miscreant. The king wanted to make sure that he understood his place and the gravity of the quest.
"A dragon, Sir Chad, is ravaging the barony of Brun, or should I say has ravaged. The Baron will be here on the morrow and I wish you to return with him to the north and slay the beast. It has already wasted a conroi that I sent there a month ago, so now my thought is that a single, accomplished knight may fare better against the cunning of this monster than a contingent and you have slain dragons before. What say you?"
"Sire," Chad replied, still wincing from the pain in his bottom and shifting uneasily in his seat, "your wish is but my command."
"Excellent! Now go with Gawain to the infirmary, I think a rubdown might ease your pain."
Chad stood stiffly, bowed, and followed Gawain once again out of the throne room, but this time he was led to the training enclave of the castle and the infirmary there.
"Up on the table Chad, but first remove your leggings."
Chad complied, pulling off his boots and leggings once again and climbing up on the padded table as Gawain had instructed.
"Whew," he heard Gawain exclaim behind him, "this is far worse than I thought, no wonder you were limping about."
The back of Chads thighs and 'tocks were heavily bruised, mottled with deep black and purple-blue patterns and a few cracks in the skin that oozed blood. Gawain regretted slapping his arse earlier in the throne room and admired his fellow knight's fortitude.
"I think I may be able to help with this," both men turned at the sound of the voice to see a well-dressed nobleman standing in the doorway of the room. He was tall, much taller than either Chad or Gawain, and clearly of the nobility.
"Allow me to introduce myself, good knights, I am Baron Brun. I was supposed to arrive tomorrow, but the trip took less time than I expected and the king told me I would find you here."
Gawain had moved to a position of attention and respect while Chad was trying to stand as well.