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 The Baron (young m/f non-consensual cannibalism)

   Life had been getting increasingly more difficult here in the North of
England, after years of civil war the crops had failed once more, there had
been tremendous snowfall followed by a rapid and disastrous thaw that had
seen much of the land flooded and numerous animals both farmed and wild had
died.  Many villages had suffered tremendous hardships, but some like
Smithsford and others in the Duchy of Lancaster were fortunate in having
generous and caring Lords looking after them.  During the hard years that
they endured he had ensured that his villagers had had food even killing
some of the King's deer when things became too desperate.  In return for
his kindness they had remained loyal to him and worked hard to keep the
lands and properties in good condition, now even their Lord and Master was
struggling and they were rallying around to help.

   At his castle the Baron was reading the latest despatch from the King
and was not best pleased at what he saw in front of him.  The King was
visiting his most loyal supporters and rewarding them with his presence, he
would be arriving within the week with a small retinue of about thirty
people but would only stay for about six or seven days on the way to the
Duke of York.  The Baron cursed under his breath, how on earth was he going
to manage to feed that many people, for that many days.  He called for his
chancellor and asked for a complete inventory to be made of both his and
his villager's food stores and animals and he would try to see what could
be done.  He also asked that the headman of each village should attend him
the next day so that they could also make preparations for the Royal visit.


   The chancellor was briefing the Baron on the parlous state of the food
supplies for both themselves and the villagers explaining that whilst they
had enough to last out until the first harvest in normal circumstances the
arrival of the King and his retinue would stretch the resources too much
and there was little chance of the food supplies lasting, only if they were
to kill all the King's deer, and this not a course of action that would
endear them to their lord and master.  The Baron explained the situation to
the headmen but told them not to worry as he would try and find a way
around the situation, however if they had any suggestions he would be most
interested to hear them.  The silence that greeted him was not unexpected.
He would send some off his men out to hunt wild boar, but none had been
seen for leagues around, but perhaps they would be lucky on the moors to
the north.  The King would expect a banquet when he arrived and one when he
left, they probably had enough food for one banquet, but they would not
have enough for two.  He had considered butchering some of the horses, but
this really was not an option that made much sense as the King loved his
horses galloping and not roasting.

   Back at Smithsford the villagers were meeting to discuss what could be
done to help the Baron, they realised that unless they helped him there was
a good chance that the King would remove him from the Baronetcy and replace
him with a puppet of his own, and that could not be good.  They needed to
find someway to help him and help themselves at the same time, and so they
all went away in deep contemplation.  They knew that they owed the Baron
big-time, if he hadn't helped most of them would have died either of
starvation, or the plague, or in the Civil War itself.  Their village and
many of those around would have just disappeared and there would have been
three hundred or so fewer people around.

   The King and his retinue arrived a day early, but fortunately out-riders
had arrived early and the Baron had been prepared.  He gambled that his
Majesty would settle for a single banquet and all the efforts of his staff
and the villagers had gone into making it as lavish as possible.  They had
been fortunate, the hunters had found several wild boar and these were
roasting on the fires in the main hall.  This was well received by the King
who turned to his host and regaled him with tales of how some of the other
Lords and Barons had not managed as well, and scowling said that one had
even roasted horses for them to eat.  The Baron shook his head in disbelief
at that, and privately thought how close he had come to doing the same; he
asked what the Kings reaction had been.  The King still scowling picked up
another goblet of wine and said he had had the man hung from his own castle
tower and then drawn and quartered.  The Baron nodded sagely and asked
where his Majesty was headed after his next port of call at York.  The King
looked at him and replied Scotland, he was going to stay at his palace up
their for a few months as there was still plenty of good hunting there, and
asked how the hunting was in this area.  The Baron sighed "'Tis very poor
sire, the floods and famine have not been good, the villagers are doing
their best but 'twill be another year before it recovers."

   The King shook his head, "Tis the same everywhere, but some of my most
loyal followers run their estates well and can still offer good hunting."
He looked at the Baron and asked if he was one of these loyal few.  The
Baron nodded and said he really hoped he had, because a hunt was arranged
for the following morning.  The King smiled and said he knew he could rely
on his faithful servant, and the Baron hoped this would be the case.  The
next morning the King and a number of his retinue went hunting in the woods
around the castle with the Baron, several times they saw or heard deer, but
they never seemed to get close enough, and then just as the King was
beginning to get frustrated a large white hart appeared in front of him and
the hunt was on.  It took them nearly an hour before it was run to ground
and killed by the King himself, the Baron was at his side and the King
turned to him and laughing out loud congratulated him for providing the
best hunt he had experienced in many a year.  They took the carcass back to
the castle and it was roasted that night and it looked as if the food
crisis might be over, the Baron had no idea where such a fine beast had
come from, it seemed almost a miracle.

   That night the King told the Baron that they would be leaving in three
days time and his retinue was looking forward to the final night's
entertainment and feasting, and asked the Baron to put on something really
special for them all, adding however that he would not be attending, and
neither would the Baron or several of the Kings closest lieutenants as they
would be dining in the private chambers.  He added that he would like
something special served to them that night as there was very important
business to discuss and that was best done on full stomachs.  The Baron
realised that the game was up; they barely had enough meat to feed the
retinue, let alone the King, unless someone could hunt or trap something
they were going to fail at the very last hurdle.  He had a few days to find
a solution so he would ride out to the local village and see if they had
had any luck with their trapping or hunting, he held little hope.

   After the Baron had left the next morning the villagers gathered
together to see what they could do, and discuss the options, there seemed
nothing they could do, there just wasn't any animals anywhere around apart
from a few scrawny rabbits and they were not fit fare for the Baron let
alone the King himself.  One of the women took the headman aside and said
she had a suggestion, but she was loathe to speak it out loud as she knew
what the response would be.  He took her to one side and asked her to tell
him, he was desperate enough to consider almost anything; she looked at him
and with head lowered explained her idea.  He listened in silence, he had
said that he would consider almost anything, but this was beyond his
wildest imaginings.  He remained silent letting his thoughts settle, the
woman taking this to be a reproach started to apologise and ask for
forgiveness but he gestured for her to remain quiet.  It was an extreme
course of action no doubt about that, but it would demonstrate just how
loyal the Baron and his villagers really were, but would the King find it
objectionable.

   He decided that if they were to take this course of action that the
Baron should be kept unaware until the last minute so that he was not
implicated.  He wondered how the other villagers would react when he
suggested it, but as they had come up with nothing else he had little other
option, and so it as that he took them aside and made the suggestion. 
There was silence, and then a few voices were raised against what had been
suggested but less opposition than he had anticipated.  One woman even
pointed out that it would reduce the need for food over the months ahead.
Several others admitted that they had considered suggesting something
similar but were too afraid to do so.  In the end there was some general
agreement as to what was to be done, but not as to who would do it.  The
headman agreed to tell the Baron that he was not to worry about the final
feast as they had a solution and would serve them all a roast they would
not forget.  The retinue would have the last of the available meat and a
special roast would be prepared for his Majesty.

   In reality there was not enough meat even for the retinue, the villagers
had decided that it would be necessary to roast some special meat up
beforehand and take it to the castle hidden in a cart and then added to the
meat in the kitchens.  The special meal would be taken to the kitchens and
prepared there before being cooked and taken into the presence of the King,
the Baron and the other Dukes, and so it was on that final day of his stay
that the villagers of Smithsford started to prepare the meals that could
make or break their futures.  There had been a lottery and three children
had been selected, including the thirteen year-old daughter of the headman.
These had been told what was going to happen to them and why, and were now
waiting their fate in a nearby hut.  A second lottery would be held later
to identify those that were going to the castle that night for the private
feast.

   The three children, two girls one six and the headman's daughter,
thirteen and a five year old boy were stripped and then taken outside and
hung by their ankles, from a large oak.  The headman moved to them and slit
their throats, he could not look into his daughter's eyes as he put the
blade to her throat, but she said "Its okay papa, it's for the village."
And then with tears in his eyes he took her life.  Several of the other men
then moved in on the carcasses, gutting them and turning them into cuts of
meat that could be part roasted over the fires that were now burning.  The
parts that could be recognisable as being human, hands feet etc were put
into a stew pot and would be cooked for the consumption of the villagers if
any had the taste for it.  Once part roasted the meat was covered in
sacking and loaded into the cart which set off for the castle.  A little
while later the second lottery was held and two more children were
selected, a nine year old boy and an eleven year old girl, there was a
debate as to whether this would suffice, so another lot was drawn and a
small three year old girl chosen.  These were then walked through the
forest and to the castle unaware of what was to befall them there.

   In the kitchens preparation for the feast were well underway, and there
was meat roasting on most of the ovens, this would be taken into the main
hall and put on the fires there to complete the cooking making room for the
roasting of the special meals by the village women in the kitchen.  The
three children had arrived and were sitting quietly in the corner watching
in fascination as everyone worked hard around them.  One of the women came
over to them, "Come with me little ones, it is time." They obediently went
with her to another room in which the headman and his brother were waiting.
The woman gave the children one last look, and then smiling at them as if
in reassurance turned and left.  The men told the children not to be
afraid, but they did not understand, the headman then took the boy outside
and a couple of minutes later his brother took the girl out too.  She
looked about her, and suddenly saw the boy crumpled on the floor she
started to look up and speak but a rock struck her on the head and she knew
no more.  The headman then went back into the room they had left minutes
before and sat down beside the youngest, and rang her neck.  The other two
corpses were then retrieved and the two men set about stripping the clothes
off their bodies.  Once this was done they hung the two elder ones from the
ceiling and slit their throats and wrists to allow the blood to drain from
the young and still warm bodies.  The youngest was decapitated on a stone
table the blood flowing onto the stone floor below as had the blood of meat
animals over previous decades.  The children were nothing other than meat
animals themselves now.

   The bodies were then gutted and cleaned, the lower legs and arms of the
elder two were removed to make spit roasting more easy, but the youngest
was spitted as she was.  It had taken barely an hour, but now three of
their young were prepared and ready to roast.  The men went back into the
kitchen and told the women it was done, and then they left and returned to
the village.  As they walked through the woods, the younger brother turned
to his headman brother, and started to talk about what they had just done,
and also his feelings.  He admitted that whilst what he was doing was
terrible it would almost certainly save the lives of more people, and had
the Baron not saved many more of the children over the years.  The headman
looked at his brother and said "That is not what concerns me Tom, it had to
be done and it was right that I did it," he paused and took a deep breath
before continuing, "What concerns me is that when it was done I looked at
the young bodies and felt hungry and thought how succulent their meat
looked, and felt envious of his Majesty and our Lord." His brother put a
consoling arm around him "As did I Alan, as did I." adding after a moment
"but whilst I did not enjoy the slaughtering, I did enjoy the butchering
that followed, and sad to say especially that of young Hazel!" The headman
looked at his younger brother and commented "Yes `tis worrying is it not?"
They completed the journey in silent contemplation.

   The women completed the roasting of the carcasses in time for the
evening banquet.  The King watched some of the entertainment at the
beginning and congratulated the Baron on the quality of what he was
watching, there was juggling, tumblers, fire eaters and sword swallowing,
and all sorts of actors portraying various tales including some showing the
King in his famous victories.  The King smiled and then indicated that it
was time for the Baron to join him and his Lieutenants on matters of state.
The ten of them then moved to the Private apartments that had been set
aside for the King.  The discussions were very intense and there was little
joy in much that was discussed, the Baron was shocked to discover just how
bad things had become around the country and especially that it was
considered likely that there could even be a peasant revolt led by some
disloyal Lords and Knights of the realm.  There was a knock on the door and
the Baron's Chamberlain entered and advised that the food was now ready and
asked if they were ready to feast.  The King said he was, and that perhaps
food might give them some inspiration.

   Food was brought in and arranged around the room, the Baron watched as
bread and vegetables filled the tables, but he was waiting to see what the
meat was that the villagers had found and supplied.  Three roasts were
brought in and from where he stood it appeared that they were some form of
pig, two were larger than the third, but he couldn't identify what type of
beast they were.  Wine and ale was brought in and served to all, and then
most of the women left, and only two women and the headman of the village
remained.  He moved to the front and bowing deeply he introduced himself
and said that the meal in front of them was the best that the village had
ever offered and he hoped that they would find it acceptable fare.  He then
moved back and supervised the carving of the meats for the royal party. 
The Baron moved closer to the roasts still trying to identify what it was,
suddenly a thought started to crystallise in his mind, he looked more
closely and realised that if his suspicions were correct he was now a
doomed man, and that by the time the meal was cold he would have forfeited
his lands and probably his life as well.

   The King approached and looked at the largest roast with interest, and
then moved to the middle roast, and finally the smallest roast and taking
his dagger moved it around.  Looking at the Baron, he asked if this was his
doing, the headman started to speak but the point of a dagger quieted him.
The Baron stated that the villagers were his responsibility so by dint of
this he was responsible.  The King looked him in the eye, and asked if he
knew what type of meat it was that they were offering to the ruler of this
realm.  He took a deep breath and said he was not sure but suspected that
he knew.  Again the headman started to speak, but once more a dagger held
to his throat silenced him, but the King said to let him speak and he moved
forward.  "My liege, forgive me for speaking, but the Baron was not aware
of what was planned.  Our village knew that you were here and wished to
have a feast provided and as we had been unable to fulfil our quotas to the
Baron for meat animals this year decided that we should offer up something
in their stead." The King looked at him and approaching him more closely,
asked which of the meals came from his stock.  He looked at the floor and
replied that none of these three, but added that his daughter had provided
meat for the feast down below.

   The King looked at the man and then at the Baron, he pondered for a
moment, and then spoke again.  "My Lord Baron, it would seem that for some
reason the villagers in your estate seem to hold you in very high esteem,
so much so that they are willing to sacrifice even some of their own.  I
have never come across such loyalty, and this is even more amazing given
the times in which we live." The King then moved back to the middle roast
and unsheathing his dagger he stuck it firmly into the rump of the boy and
carved a large slice of meat off, and then bringing it to his mouth he
tasted the flesh.  The Baron held his breath as the King chewed and
swallowed, he then reached down and sliced the small cock and balls off the
roast and ate them too.  "Very tasty, very tasty indeed." He turned in time
to witness a look of horror on the faces of several of his followers, and
suggested that it was time to feed the inner man.  Moving to the smallest
of the roasts he pulled a leg off and breaking the lower leg off and
replacing it he returned to his seat and started to feast.  The Baron
recognising his narrow escape indicated that the women should start serving
the meal and taking his place next to the King started to eat the meat that
was placed on platters in front of them.  It was pretty obvious that
despite initial scepticism the delicate flavour and texture of the meat met
with universal approval.

   The Baron took another thick slice from the platter and placing it in
front of him recognised that it was a small breast complete with a crispy
nipple, he sliced through it and could see that it had been carved off the
ribs and the breast meat was sandwiched between the crisp outer skin and
the nice pectoral muscle.  He tasted it and marvelled at its sweet flavour.
He watched the women as they carved the meat and occasionally popped a
little piece in their own mouths when they thought they could not be
observed.  The King turned to the Baron and commented that a meal such as
this was truly fit for a King, and perhaps it might have to appear more
regularly on his tables.  The Baron smiled but reminded his majesty that
this had been voluntarily given, if it had been `harvested' it might prove
to be the catalyst that would foment rebellion.  The King looked at him
closely, then suggested that perhaps he needed to make sure that the common
people were well looked after and perhaps others may wish to `donate' food
to the King's table.  He would need an excellent person to show him how to
do this and ensure the loyalty of villages and towns across the whole of
his realm, perhaps he knew of someone.  The Baron smiled, it seemed that
fate was smiling on him once more.

   The three roasts were rapidly being reduced to skeletal remains, the
King stood and moved to the smallest and finding that the small and tight
pussy was still there he carved it out and popped it into his mouth licking
his fingers after eating it.  He looked back around the table, what would
his loyal subjects think if word of this event ever got out?  He considered
the people in the room, their loyalty was almost without question and he
didn't think the villagers would ever want it known what they had done.  He
thought of his retinue eating the meal below him and wondered if they had
noticed what the meat was, he doubted it, they had become used to rabbit,
horse and even dog in the past months, this meat was extremely tasty like a
sweet pork, but much more delicate.  No, the secret of the feast was safe,
and if anyone did have the temerity to mention it at a later date they
could never prove it.  But he did have the fancy for more of this
flavoursome meat, so he would need to think how best to arrange the supply
of it.  If it couldn't be obtained in this country perhaps he could have
some brought from Ireland, there was something of a famine over there and
it had even been rumoured that there was cannibalism taking place, absurd
of course, but you never knew.

   The headman returned to the village later that night, a large weight off
his shoulders, many villagers crowded around him asking what had happened
and how had the king reacted.  He looked around at them and told them he
was tired and would speak of it in the morning, but he did say that he felt
they had absolutely nothing to worry about.  In the morning he went to the
small inn that also served as a meeting place, the room was full as people
were keen to both know what had happened and what the King was really like.
He calmed them down and explained what had happened, how the King quickly
recognised the meat for what it was, and then how he tasted it and enjoyed
it and how everyone else then joined in the feast until there was very
little meat left.  He downplayed his part in the events of the night, but
the villagers would soon hear of that from the two serving women.  There
were numerous sighs of relief from around the throng, but he hadn't
finished and explained that it would appear that the Baron was to be
rewarded for the loyalty of his villagers by being given a new and more
important role.  The King also said that he would find a way to thank the
villagers' loyalty and sacrifice, and would arrange for them to be rewarded
in an appropriate fashion and asked that they inform the Baron if there was
something he could do for them.  The villagers looked at each other, amazed
at their good fortune, the pain of their loss already reducing.

   Over the next months as the weather improved and the famine ended they
would discuss and consider what they could ask the King for, and eventually
it was agreed that they should seek permission to hold an annual fayre in
the village that could attract people from all around and which would
provide much needed revenue.  There was only one other such fayre that they
knew of and that was at Shrewsbury Abbey.  Only the church and the crown
were permitted to grant the rights to having a fayre.  When the King heard
of this request, he smiled inwardly and granted it permission, but also
gave it a royal charter; this would ensure that it would prosper.  The
villagers could not believe their luck when the Baron rode in and told
them. He also told them that he would be holding a large open air banquet
as thanks for all they had done, and quietly added, "You have no need to
provide any meat for this, the King has agreed a number of his deer can be
hunted and killed, and we will also have some wild boar to feast upon."