Author's Note: I'd like to warn the reader, there will be a scene of a minor trying to act inappropriately, but there will be NO graphic content involving any minors. Even if Literotica allowed that, I don't do that. I don't want to do that. I simply chose to write about this sort of stupidity because I've actually seen some minors actually try it, and I've even heard of minors doing much worse. I think we all have heard of that, actually. I felt kind of weird writing it, but it's okay. There won't even be any kissing or rude touching. Nope! None of that! It will be very G-rated in terms of what this minor will actually do. Another warning, there will be a scene involving corporal punishment. That might be even more troubling to some.
***
He was a tall man, and as thin as a twig, or that's what people claimed.
His appearance was the first reason why he'd attracted more attention than the rest of the entertainers auditioning to become one of the court jesters. The second reason was simply because he was more than funny.
He had tricks and moves. He could dance like a drunken fool, but he could also be suave and graceful, reminding some of grasshoppers or spiders, perhaps even of a blade of grass bending for a strong yet still benign wind. He could make small objects appear from seemingly nowhere, and sometimes he'd seem to make pretty light appear from only the air, making them follow his limbs' movements.
With his calm and gentle voice, he assured everyone that he was only a performer. He didn't know how to use magic, wasn't even certain what magic even was. He'd only said that when a guard had called him a fairy. He'd even showed a few bottles of trapped fireflies that he kept in his pockets, to help people understand he held no magical threats.
Yet there were still terrible concerns! This tall man boldly claimed he had no family, that he was only a traveler looking for coin, and the Imperial Court was a place full of coin. Was that so? That had some worried that he could be a spy for whatever dangerous source, perhaps even an assassin. After some more time, in which the performer seemed to listen to these whispered complaints, he left the castle with a friendly smile that soothed many hearts.
Around two days after that, he arrived again. There were little bells on his shoes and colorful sleeves, and he danced for many once more. Then he became the musician, taking a flute from his pouch and playing a sunny song. Then he told a few jokes and had most people laughing.
Eventually, the Emperor himself had heard about the entertaining man and said he'd watch him for a time. While his favored Borys spent time teaching little Zorig some basic wrestling moves, that mighty ruler sat at a table on a veranda while the performer danced before him, with a few other musicians seeming to challenge him with foreign tunes.
That tall man improvised well. He spun and bounced as if nothing could ever hold him down. Then, once the music was gone, the performer bowed ...
And he bent his long legs in such a way that led him to fall flat on his face, right on the hard floor. He didn't cry out. His face hadn't even held a look of shock. He only fell, his limbs suddenly awkward and limp.
Silence.
Then light popping and cracking.
And the man seemed to leap back into an upright position, so quickly and casually that His Majesty tilted his head and narrowed his eyes as he saw it.
His nose only a bit red, the performer curtly announced, "I do that sometimes."
As if his mind only then realized something funny had happened, the Emperor suddenly blushed and grinned. Then he started laughing, even shaking a bit from it.
A few moments later, once he'd calmed himself, His Majesty said to the performer, "I'm certain you must. It's how you feed yourself."
The performer held His Majesty's interest for a few more minutes. Dancing, tiny light shows, and occasionally falling over with seemingly little care for his safety. Then, the Emperor finally said, "I'll have your name."
Bowing, the tall performer said to the Emperor, "I'm known as Leran."
"Then Leran, I'll have you as a jester. If you can amuse the Empress Consort you'll even have a raise in your salary."
Leran the Jester bowed again. "Your Majesty, you have my gratitude."
Close to three hours later, once the Jester had been given some time to rest and prepare his thoughts and body, he was allowed to perform before the solemn Empress Consort. She sat on a chair with a freshly purchased cushion. Her attendants sat on similar chairs and her bodyguards stood by. While the attendants were smiling with innocent excitement, and the bodyguards tried to push their smirks away, the Empress was cold.
Not discouraged, Leran bowed and politely greeted the Empress. Then he put his flute to his lips.
It seemed louder than it should've been, but not painfully so. It was as if all the audience members could hear the music in their minds, as natural as thought. The littlest attendant, who had her hair in ribbon wrapped braids, rocked in her seat and giggled. The tallest attendant seemed to grow a peaceful aura. The attendant with pretty blonde hair kicked her feet a little.
The Empress Consort might've allowed an eyelash to flutter. Her fingers might've loosened only a bit. Her spine might've softened. Still, she seemed uncaring. So, Jester Leran paused to twirl his flute in his fingers, tossed it in the air, and caught it. Then he began a completely different tune, one so fun and bright that he needed to add a light dance to it, his feet wiggling and springing about.
In the middle of this happier song, the Empress Consort seemed to give into her more human side, and she smiled. She hid that smile with her sleeve, but before that the Jester had caught a flash of it in his eye. That might've given him more courage, and he chose that moment to fall down, only stopping the music when contact with the floor forced his instrument out of his grasp and his breath out of his lungs.
Lightly, like a tiny pet bird, the Empress Consort tittered behind the back of her hand. She even trembled from it.
The Jester's fate was sealed right then.
He was the most favored entertainer from then on.
He was the boldest too.
He even strutted through the bathing chambers, where people sat in tubs as if they were in the most expensive bathhouse. He juggled colorful cloth spheres and sang rather lurid songs. He made many people gasp, but many others only laughed at him or remarked at how clever he was with his spheres.
Eventually he dared to walk into the section for women only, not for mixed gender bathing or men only, but he'd tied a blindfold over his eyes. How he managed not to walk into anyone wasn't explained. He paused at the tub that Princess Tuya and her favorite lady-in-waiting happened to be soaking in. Then he stepped into a puddle, slipped, and fell, all his little balls dropping and rolling around.
The lady-in-waiting giggled into her wet palm while her mistress seemed incredibly bored, but not offended.
On another day, Jester Leran played a little prank. With the Emperor's permission and supervision, he switched out some salt for sugar, only once the meal in question was already prepared. The diner's surprised expressions all had the Emperor laughing. Then he returned the salt to them and apologized, although his face was too flushed and giddy to suggest that he had any regret.
***
That girl was following him again. She wasn't supposed to. She was supposed to be on an errand for the Empress Consort, essentially delivery work.
Assuming she was being discreet, she was sliding her back against a wall just before the hallway would turn to the right, where Tarmo Ammas, the Empress' favorite bodyguard, was walking.
He didn't have much free time, but what he had he tended to cherish. Yet this little girl with honey hair was on his heels, making him feel highly uncomfortable. If she'd been a adult, he'd be annoyed. Since this was still legally a child, he was almost frightened.
What gave him comfort, though, was the fact that the Empress was stern, always demanding the most righteous of behaviors from the girls she fostered. This girl was plainly inappropriate.
Ammas increased his speed, not enough to be running nor jogging, but enough that he heard Miss Oksana panting behind him. Foolish child! He found his private bedroom and locked himself inside. He stood at the door for a moment, and he heard the girl's footsteps and disappointed huff of breath. Rolling his eyes, Ammas went over to his dining table to munch on some sweets.
The next day, as Ammas had expected, Oksana followed him around again. She had a package for the Empress, but she had a smaller one on top. Ammas wanted to think that was also for the Empress, but he had an unpleasant supposition lurking in his mind, and while he didn't want to be curious he almost was.
At one point, that girl managed to catch him in a corner. With a huge grin she held the smaller package out for him to apparently take. Ammas didn't reach out. He only stared at the thing.
With a snorting giggle, Oksana put the Empress' package on the stone floor, which had Ammas raising an eyebrow, and she unwrapped her smaller package. Inside, there was a handkerchief that had also been wrapped up. Basic but colorful embroidery had been put on the edges, along with stitched words of romantic love, even with his name. Inside the handkerchief's wrapping, there was a small bar of soap of a pretty rose pink color. Simple but darling.
Before Oksana could dare to say anything dangerous, Ammas pointed down at her face and angrily told her, "No. I will slap your face and beat your backside with a paddle if it means protecting our reputations. I refuse to let a stupid child try stupid things with an adult, especially not me." Then, as the girl's smile fell away and her body trembled, Ammas pointed at himself. "I don't prowl to children, and you shouldn't be trying to get anyone to prowl to you." Back to her. "You haven't finished your fostering. Stay the fuck away for me. If you don't, I'll have no choice but to tell the Empress, and you'll definitely be beaten then."
He only dared to touch her so he could shove her out of his way. Then, careful not to step on the other package, Ammas stomped away, muttering his frustrations out.
Stupid child!
To Ammas' irritation, something similar happened the following afternoon. That Oksana girl had started following him around again when she apparently thought nobody had noticed. His teeth ground a bit as he stopped at his bedroom's door, and he turned around to face the approaching maiden.
Holding up a tiny, recently plucked group of flowers, her eyes and nose quivering with what might've been sadness, that girl whined up to him, "My feeling are earnest, Sir Ammas. Won't you consider taking this maiden as a bride one day?"
Never caring much for her feelings, and certainly fed up with the issue, Ammas snatched the flowers up from her grasp. He slapped them down onto the tiled floor and stomped on them. Then he unlocked his door, stepped inside, slammed the door closed, and locked the door back.
Some time later, he overheard someone mentioning that Oksana was crying in one of the gardens, hiding behind some rose bushes. She must've been there a long time, likely making the Empress Consort wonder where in the world she was.
Ammas couldn't stand this insult, let alone the girl's behavior. He decided then and there that he needed to tell the Empress about this nonsense.
***
