Yesterday I showed you my first foray into a sequel to Lessons. Here’s the second part:

Juliet[?], chambermaid[?] to Princess Eleanora, considered herself lucky that she didn’t work for a more demanding monarch. At least, not since Peter the teacher had come into the castle. Before him, Eleanora had been capricious and often downright rude; now, Juliet considered her a friend, and she knew the feelings were returned. She was also friendly with Peter, who had declined every offer for a manservant, preferring to do for himself. 

In point of fact, ever since Peter’s arrival, Juliet had been smitten, first with him, and then, once it had become clear that he and the Princess were meant to be, with the idea of finding someone just like him. She was just now [?] nineteen years old, only [a year] younger than Princess Eleanora had been when Peter had arrived, and if she could find happiness, then so could Juliet. 

Though it was normal to hear the sounds of spanking coming through the door to the Princess’s bedchamber most nights, Juliet still didn’t quite understand how that part of the relationship worked. Her own bottom had been smacked — most often with a hairbrush — when she’d been young and had acted out, and it wasn’t an experience she felt she would care to repeat. It had hurt awfully each time, and she was sure, from the other sounds she heard, that it hurt the Princess as well. In fact, there were still rare occasions when, after a particularly-long spanking session, the Princess would call Juliet into her chambers to apply salve to her reddened, sometimes-bruised bottom. 

So why did the Princess allow it? In terms of authority, she was well above Peter, even in his role as Royal Historian. She could simply tell him to stop, and he would stop; if he didn’t, she could have him imprisoned or exiled. Clearly she hadn’t done so, so there must be some reason for it. Juliet just couldn’t see it. 

Not only that, but everyone she’d ever broached the subject to had reacted pretty much the same way: an adult being spanked like an errant child made no sense or was otherwise inappropriate. Of course, Juliet had only talked to three people about it; it wasn’t as if she could bring it up to just anyone. And she was honor-bound by her role as chambermaid[?] to never tell anyone what the Princess and her husband did behind closed doors. 

Sometimes, though — usually on her off days, usually after a bad [date] — Juliet did wonder if maybe there was something to it all. After all, the Princess and her husband seemed truly happy together. 

I think the next thing I need to do is figure out whether I’m going with dual POV (Eleanora and Juliet) or single POV (Eleanora or Juliet). I definitely want Juliet to be a part of the sequel; I know that for sure.

And I’m still soliciting your thoughts as to what you might want to see in Lessons 2. Leave a comment if you like.

Now, here’s an unrelated image: