Len was here to get knighted by a noble. His father was a noble and so was he. His father was a secretary to the high almoner. They lived in the city. We went to go and return him to his father. His father was happy to see him safe and sound. "Thank you. My son was always sickly." he said. I pushed Len in front of me. "My son is looking for work. He can stay here as an attendant knight." They looked a bit surprised. "You want this halfbreed to guard my son!?" he asked in shock. "Yes. My son is going to be fighting in the finals of the tournament. You can't ask for a better knight. You just have to knight him." I said calmly. "He was kind and friendly." the son admitted. That seemed to seal the deal. People must not have had much patience for a sick son. The agreement was made. When we got back to the house, I looked Len in the eyes. I said "This is your shot, Len. We will be leaving you here so you can be the knights you trained so hard to be. You know I don't care that you are attracted to males. That means nothing here. You do not act on it in public. Even if your charge wants it. Don't do it."
It made his ears droop. "You do hate me for it. I knew it!" he said. I pulled him closer and hugged him. "I love you. No matter what. But we live where we live. You will be punished again for it. Being here is a double edged sword for you. No one here knows what you did, so they won't hate you. But, by that same token, if you get caught, no one will step up to protect you. I'll be over a month away. Len, you have to be smart. You can't get caught. I am certain you will be find a place to act on the urges. You just have to look for a secret brothel or find a lover behind closed doors." I explained. Len nodded his head. "It's okay. I'll be a good boy, Father. I won't kiss any boys. I can try to kiss girls." I pet the top of his head. His tail began to wag. "Don't worry about kissing anyone for now. You're going to be knighted now. When that happens, you have to focus on protecting your charge. Spend all your time on that. If they don't actually knight you after a month, come back." I told him. I really did not want him to be exploited. Now that it was over, it was time to get our rest. The end was coming. Len could win.
2 hours later, we were all settled down for the night. This would be the last time that I would be seeing my children for a while. Just as I tied myself to the Swifthunts, they would be tied to the families they would soon serve after the end of the tournament. Making trips to see me would be pretty hard. It would only be able to happen on the schedule of their employers. I could see them on my own volition, but it would only be for very brief periods of times. I was tied to my liege and their schedules. Len was a good kid. He was a great kid actually. Being gay was not going to stop him from being a great knight. There was no doubt about that. Ren and all my other sons were the same way. It was on me to find good jobs for each and every one of them. Being employed meant getting money. We were stable, but my gold and many jewels were largely spent. The money would not last forever. As a father and the head of the house, my position could leveraged to make them do as I say. None of the Swifthunts wanted to hire them. That would mean they needed stable work to do. I could provide that.
