The earl demands total obedience from his stableboy. The estate faces ruin from debts, yet the stableboy answers every command with deliberate surrender. Class lines and reputation hang in the balance with each encounter.
Work over the ledgers or harnesses always escalates when they are alone. The earl orders the stableboy to place his hands on the table edge and stay still. The strap hangs ready in the harness room. Each time the discipline goes further than the last.
The neighboring baron closes in on the estate. Discovery would destroy their names. The stableboy stays anyway.
The earl gives his next order.
