2

Ianto found a group of women in the upper gardens, talking animatedly as they inspected the rose beds. He saw the one dressed as a Nanny and approached "Excuse me, are you…"

"How dare you approach like that! You wait to be spoken to first, then you may approach and bend the bloody knee you… heathen" one of the women scolded instantly, flapping her hands at him like he was a scurrilous dog. The amusement thrummed as Ianto fought the urge to laugh at her. She thought him a slave. It still confused him how other realms did not get the concept of free men working for a wage, thought all those working were slaves.

"So where is your child then?" he asked forcefully "Because either you are civil and I tell you, or you act like witches and I walk away to leave you to search for the little girl."

"What do you mean…. Our little girl? Goshil? Where is the Baroness Mae?" came a loud demand ad Ianto then noticed the oldest of the children who had exited the carriages earlier in the day, the Baroness striding towards the group with her blonde hair shining in the sunlight. She was fourteen or so, almost of age to marry and he saw that any man chosen as her mate would have his hands full. She was lithe, strong and clearly used to wrangling her siblings, her anger clear as she face doff with the nanny.

"Baroness Prue. I came to tell the nanny that the little girl that I have entertained for the last hour or so along with my own child, has headed to the stables to look at the kittens playing in the hayloft above the stall of the common horses. I was going to offer to take them out for a ride if I could find someone to give permission. It occurs to me that this woman seems… lax in her duties." Ianto said smoothly.

"LAX!" the shrill shriek came too close to his ear and he swung without thinking, catching the ham fisted hand about to strike him and twisting it as he let it continue its forceful push forward, making the woman cry out in pain as she was forced to take a knee in front of him.

"Take care madam, I may have been enjoying my day but to strike me is to make yours a very, very unpleasant one" Ianto snarled with anger.

"Stupid woman, I shall tell my mother of this! Take me to the stables!" the Baroness demanded and Ianto bit back the tongue lashing about to erupt from his mouth about the lack of feckin manners around this group, instead he calmly released the woman at his feet to walk away, motioning for the Baroness to follow him.

They entered the stables to find the kids screaming and laughing as they ran about the place with cats, dogs and a few stable hands trying to catch the kittens for them. Soon they had joined in the laughter and fun, the angry moment forgotten. When it was time to go prepare for the evening feast Prue thanked everyone so politely as she led her little sister away and Ianto found himself warming slightly to these invited invaders of his home.

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"But I do not like this colour" Ianto huffed as he removed the handkerchief from his pocket to flick at the dresser who giggled as she caught it and offered a different one "Ah. Holding out on me? I should have known."

"You are in a playful mood darling" Jack said as he watched Ianto play with the servant, his joy filling Jack as it always did. At least he seemed over his alarm at the thought of having to talk to strangers. Sweetling was so shy.

"I have had a lovely day, bar a slight moment, and hope this is a smooth meal, and soon I am to be in bed in my comfortable nightgown reading before lights out" Ianto swung to kiss his beloved, Jack holding him close.

"Nightgown weather is it?" Jack asked.

"Our son is asleep already in his own room, a gown is easier to control… sir. Protocol says we cannot sleep naked with guests in case of some sort of emergency in the night. Silly protocols" Ianto purred and Jack kissed him lustily. The Dresser took her cue to leave with a low curtsey, giggling as she took off down the corridor to tell the others that Ianto and Jack were so damned sweet.

Like there was any doubt.

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Ianto knew the younger children would be abed, as his were but was pleased to see the Baroness Prue standing with her parents trying not to look too bored with herself. Baron Fabien was nearby looking intently at a tapestry, his head canted slightly as he stared at it.

Ianto let Jack take off like a dog released from its leach at the dog park to jump about and piss on everything, walking over to Fabien "We meet again."

Fabien turned and recognized him, lighting up "Oh thank the gods. I am so bored I may set fire to this old thing, fascinating as it is."

"This is the fable of the Dragon King. Just as well I arrived then, I would be ever so pissed off if it got damaged. Was a gift from his majesty King Harold's last visit" Ianto giggled at the young man and then told him the tale of the Dragons.

"Not real though" came a huffed voice and Ianto turned to see Lord Fatfuck… sorry… Lord Fatimer. The impulse was to poke out his tongue, he was a cheeky one after all, but instead he reminded himself of all that training back in the day to be a good pet, and he smiled disarmingly at the man.

"And when one is eating you, I shall be sure to tell it that it is not real" he finally said and Fabien laughed as the prick scuttled away.

"You are a cheeky pet, they don't usually have such freedoms" Fabien chuckled "But I do like you."

"I am not a pet. I am Lord Jackson's mate" Ianto confided, "I just don't care to wear the clothes of station. I was a pet once, I know the pain and fear of it and do not feel comfortable in the expensive garb."

"Really? Daddy's got a pet he has wed as his third wife in his Harem. We children all agree that he seems to love her more than our mothers. She has yet to give him a child though."

"Pity, maybe she is unable. Some females are sterilized at birth. Might not even know, such is the cruelty out there." Ianto advised the young man whose eyes widened with horror at the thought.

"But why?"

"Too many breeding will bring done the price. Can't have people breeding their own pets, right? We are just cattle. Just another form of livestock. The sterile ones are less expensive and more common out there. I was lucky, almost castrated but they changed their minds and made me a breeder. A scary moment though, I was on the sterilization table when they saw my girth and changed their mind" Ianto sighed, looking away and finding Jack motioning him to come over to meet someone who he would have to pretend to be polite to.

He left the lad with much to ponder.