Matriarchal World Ch. 03

He brought Tristan to an austere study, filled with books about husbandly duties and manly etiquette. His first lesson started with "the eight fundaments of husbandly duties" which immediately disinterested him.

Teacher Stone knew that, but seeing his student make no effort whatsoever made him react with a warning tone:

"Young man, you should read after me, otherwise you won't easily remember the verses of the chapter."

"Well, I don't care about your stupid verses. Oh, and you can go shove your book where I think."

Expecting to see the old man get mad, Tristan was surprised when Teacher Stone simply smiled and calmly replied:

"Young man, I'm doing this for your own good. By the way, you should also know that any failure from your part to listen to my teaching will be reported to Mrs. Armstrong, especially if it is accompanied by rude, unmannerly manners."

So, what if he swore? Tristan told the old man that he didn't care whatever Rebecca heard about him, and teacher Stone simply nodded saying:

"You've been warned now boy, so there will be no excuses anymore. Mrs. Armstrong shall punish you if me or any other worker of her household report rude behavior on your part, do not forget that."

"Yes, yes, whatever."

Tristan did actually feel anxious about the threat of a new punishment, but he didn't think that Rebecca would punish him so early after his last spanking. Moreover, he had a deep disdain against the teacher and his lesson, that bored him to a point where he wasn't evening listening to the old man's words. Whenever he was asked a question, he answered with the most sarcastic and condescending answer he could find, hoping that it would discourage teacher Stone, just like all his former teachers at school had been discouraged.

It was only at lunch time that he was finally given a break. He was given a copious meal, and he was ready to enjoy, trying to no longer care about his exposed backside sitting on the wooden seat.

However, once he finished his meal, a houseman brought him a short note, written by Rebecca herself.

'Dear Tristan,

I hope that you are starting to familiarize yourself with the residence. The lessons will diversify with time, but for now you shall focus on the basics with teacher Stone to catch up with your delay. There is a lot you need to learn in order to catch up with gentlemen of your age, but I trust you to be able to achieve that in a decent rhythm.

However, I am saddened to hear from the reports given to me that you've behaved badly all morning long, insulting and ignoring the words of your teacher. As my duty obliges, I shall punish you for your lack of propriety and bad behavior.'

Tristan didn't even finish the note, he quickly stood up and walked out of the dining room. So what if he were to be punished? Rebecca told him that he would be spanked each evening anyway. He was determined to show her that her punishments didn't scare him the least.

He was relieved that he didn't have any classes this afternoon, so he spent the time in his bed, thinking about everything that happened in these last hours. It was the first time he reflected so much on his actions, and he wondered why.

Every time he moved or rolled in his bed, he could feel the nakedness of his behind against the mattress of his position, and it was quite humbling.

As the evening approached, he started getting nervous. Would she really punish him in addition to his evening spanking? But it couldn't be worse than the spanking he received from her before, right?

He barely realized that time had gone so quickly when the door of his room opened, and Rebecca looked at him with her powerful confidence. She was dressed in an elegant suit, completed with a long dark coat, showing that she had been out for business very recently.

It felt very intimidating for Tristan who knew that he looked awful, only wearing a thin tunic that was lifted in the back, and his hair were a mess too.

"We have some things to take care of, I believe," she said.

"I don't want to be punished," he complained.

"But you earned a punishment, didn't you?"

She calmly walked towards him, then grabbed his wrist to guide him to the nearest couch. She pulled him across her lap and took a few seconds to admire his exposed bum. Then, she grabbed one of her slippers that had a nice flexible sole and rubbed it against his tense backside.

"Stop struggling," she warned. "It will only make things more difficult for both of us."

Seeing that he refused to comply, she firmly pinned his wriggling legs under her right one, making him totally immobile from the bottom half. He was still hitting her legs with his arms, but that didn't do anything to her. She simply grabbed his right arm and pinned it against his own back, making him moan a complain.

"Owe, that's unpleasant. Release my arm", he whined.

"If you stop kicking and fighting, I'll loosen my grip, but it is up to you. You need a punishment, and you are going to learn how to gracefully submit to one, like a proper gentleman."

Spank! She first slapped his unprotected behind with a strong stroke of her slipper, making him cry out in surprise under the unexpected impact. Spank, spank, spank, spank!

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Please, it hurts!"

"It's rather unpleasant, isn't it?" she lectured him.

"Yes! It burns!"

She quietly rubbed his hot backside with her hand, feeling the heat of his delicate skin. "Now Tristan, in need you to listen for a second. I don't like to see you resist these spankings, it is only making things more unpleasant for both of us."

Tristan whimpered quietly but listened to her words carefully. He was wondering how much longer the punishment would continue, so he asked: "Will you continue spanking me with the slipper?"

"Of course, your punishment has only begun. However, the length of it will be up to your attitude. Obediently submit and take the rest of your punishment like a gentleman, and you will only have thirty spanks to take from the slipper or continue to struggle and resist and you shall receive sixty more strikes at least."

"Sixty! I can't bear so much!"

"As I said, it is up to you. Be a good boy and accept your punishment or continue your struggles, and you shall have your behind redder than the color of a ripe cherry."

"I'll take the punishment like a gentleman!" he quickly said.

"Good boy, then relax your legs and obediently wait for the punishment. You will put your hands on the floor and not beg during the spanking. You may whine and cry as loud as you want, but no pleas will be accepted."

Tristan felt the grip on his right arm loosen, and he was positioned more comfortably across her lap.

"There," she whispered with a smile. "Isn't much more pleasant to obediently listen to instructions? A gentleman should be humble and graceful during penance. Now, to show me the proof of your good will, you shall count each stroke of the slipper, and thank me afterwards. It's a good lesson for you to start learning about manners."

WHAP! The first stroke was much stronger than any other one he had received until now, and he only shrieked in surprise, but Rebecca had already expected this reaction:

"If you don't count, the stroke won't count, so I'm starting again."

WHAP!

"One! Thank you, ma'am!" he cried out.

WHAP! WHAP!

"Two, three, thank you ma'am!"

WHAP! WHAP! WHAP!

"Four, five, six, thank you ma'am!"

"Good boy", she praised.

Tristan struggled to follow her orders as he wanted to kick his legs after each hit on his burning behind, and even after he managed to count and thank her after each stroke, the next one came before he could regain his composure.

It felt like an eternity when he finally counted the thirty's stroke, half yelling the "thirty, thank you ma'am".

"It was a nice effort," she commented. "There is much room for improvement, but this is certainly the first time you've worked on your manners like this."

Rebecca helped him get back on his feet, and she made him face her, gazing his red and flushed face. She wanted to hug him, like when she comforted her brothers after she punished them, but the punishment wasn't over yet.

"Tell me why you've been punished."

"I was spanked because I've been disrespectful to my teacher by ignoring and insulting his teachings".

"Did you always display such attitude at school with your teachers?"

"Yes ma'am", he replied feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Teachers are there to guide you. Some of them may seem mean and unfair, but ultimately, everything they teach you will help you in life. Moreover, if you start being more attentive to your classes, I can assure you that they become friendlier with time."

"Even if they hate me?"

Rebecca frowned, looking him attentively and firmly said: "Tristan, I don't know what your former teachers said to you to make you believe such things, but no teacher that I'm employing to teach you is hating on you. They might dislike certain aspects of your behavior, but they will always do their best to guide you towards improvement. If they are firm with you, is because they believe in your intelligence to learn and grow. That is also why I asked each one of them and all of my housemen to report to me about any of your missteps, so that we will discuss and take care of them, rather than ignore them. It is going to be difficult for you, especially at the beginning, but the benefits from your training will start showing sooner than you expect. Do you have any other questions?"

"No ma'am", he replied, being truly attentive to her words this time.

"Good boy," she praised him, and this time it made him blush out of happiness. He was rarely praised, and despite the throbbing pain of his backside, he felt quite peaceful in the moment.

After that, the first month in Rebecca's residence passed faster than he expected. Tristan realized that she had been true to her word: every little outburst of attitude he displayed to his teachers, or every insult he could direct towards a houseman was directly reported to her, and after a long lecture, he would always end up with a burning backside. Through this process, he slowly learned how to mind his mouth, learning for the first time in his life how to think before speaking, and as Rebecca had told him, as his behavior improved, so did his relationships with his teachers and the housemen improve. He even befriended Gavin who was the houseman appointed to his room and was able to chat about the best anecdotes and gossips of the house.

Thank to this, he slowly felt less lonely, and even his feelings of defiance against Rebecca's discipline softened down. He was still struggling against his fierce impulses sometimes, especially before his maintenance spankings every evening. Even if they weren't particularly painful in comparison to the punishment spankings, they still felt unfair since he got them every evening, weather he misbehaved that day or not. Moreover, the next morning he would have to walk around the residence with his red bum on display for all housemen to see that he had been disciplined.

Every night, he had to go to bed early with a stinging bottom, forcing him to sleep on his stomach, making him think about his attitude of the day and the growing feeling of submission that grew within him.

Exactly a month after his first day, he was called for the first time in her private living room for an afternoon tea; it was the first time he was allowed inside Rebecca's personal quarters despite all the time he had spent in her residence.

The living room where he was brought was much simpler in decoration than he had expected, only decorated with a few paintings, the central eye-catching piece being an impressively majestic stone fireplace, but the place had the same elegant harmony as the other places of the residence.

Rebecca was sitting in a comfortable couch, wearing a very casual outfit, composed of a simple pair of being pants and a white shirt that accentuated the womanly lines of her body.

"How are you feeling?" she asked him.

"I am feeling fine, ma'am", he respectfully replied, although he wanted to add: 'I would feel better if you allowed me to finally wear some pants or underpants under that tunic that exposes my behind."

Nevertheless, he knew too well that adding such pointless comments wouldn't bring him anything, so he kept his mouth shut, wondering simply why he had been invited during a normal afternoon. Normally, the only times he ever saw her was the evening for his maintenance spankings and punishments, or occasionally during dinner time when she was off early from work.

"It looks like you've finally started to integrate the lessons of your etiquette class", she commented rather pleased. "You must wonder why I invited you suddenly for an afternoon tea. Come sit, I would like to have a chat with you."

Tristan complied, carefully sitting with his back straight and his legs nicely parallel as he had learned during these last weeks. Even if she didn't call him for punishment, he didn't want her to notice any misstep so soon in their meeting. Besides, his still red behind always served him as a reminder to behave.

A pretty houseman had brought them a tray of tea, accompanied with freshly baked scones and cookies, filling the place with a comforting smell. Tristan carefully sipped his tea, blushing when he saw Rebecca's approving gaze on him.

"I called you here to discuss the progress you've made during your first month here. Despite the many mistakes you've made, you learned quite a lot in such a short amount of time. Teacher Stone and the other instructors have repeatedly reported to me about your weekly progress, and that is something I must praise. As a reward, I have decided to divide your nightly maintenance spankings to every two days."

Tristan smiled in joy when he realized what she had said. That meant that maybe he wouldn't have a constantly red backside finally! "Thank you ma'am," he honestly said.

"I am glad to see your reaction. However, with that change comes also new obligations. Since the reduction of maintenance spankings is a response to the trust that I've accorded you through your notable progress in your classes, that means that in parallel to that, your punishments will be more severe. After all, with bigger trust comes bigger obligations, and the failure to meet those expectations will be dealt with accordingly. Until now, I've only spanked you with my hand or my slipper, but I'm afraid that if I have to punish you for a higher offense, you will have a taste of the wooden paddle. Is that understood?"

"Yes ma'am, I understand", he said, and he meant it. For him, if that meant that he could get half of the maintenance spankings, he was ready to take the risk. "By the way... may I ask you a request?"

"Since you ask so nicely, go ahead."

"It's been a month since I arrived here, and I've been... working very hard... to meet your expectations."

"You've worked hard yes, but I don't think you've done your best. Not to mention the several times you've disrespected your teachers or my housemen, making me punish you afterwards."

"Yes, that is true. And I assure you, I will continue to work hard, but the problem is... I can't stand staying here all day anymore. Everyday, I have the same studying program, and I need to see some people. I want to go outside the residence, and by that, I mean in the city. Please, I haven't left this place at all, and I want to see my friends;"

"Tristan, I really wish that I could grant you this request, but this is too early for you to freely walk around the city. If you want to walk, go into the gardens, there is plenty space to move around. You still have a lot to learn, and exterior distractions will only disturb your studying process."

"Then at least, let me wear some pants, or untie the back part of my tunic to cover my behind. I can't stand being daily exposed to the stares of the housemen, it is so humiliating!"

"As I've told you many times, the exposure of your behind is solely for practical measures, so that I can quickly have access to your butt anytime you need correction. You seem to forget that clothing and modesty are privileges that you have yet to earn. If you show yourself graceful and mannered enough with time, then you shall be granted the right to dress accordingly. In the meantime, your buttocks will be bare as a sign of your imminent need of correction. Besides, the housemen here do not care about seeing another man's behind. Men here are used to the nudity of other men since most of them were disciplined at some point during their service."

"Then, if I can't go into the city, at least let me invite some of my friends here! I assure you, I am ready to receive guests like a mannered gentleman now!"

"Tristan listen..."

"Wait, I know what you are thinking. You must assume that I'll just mess up everything once you give me back an ounce of privilege since I am a spoilt brat. It is true that I've displayed extremely poor behavior and disrespected you and your employees many times, but I can assure you that I know better now. I learned a lot of things in this last month, and I want to show you that I can do better."

Rebecca took a few seconds to think it over. She agreed on the fact that he had indeed improved a lot, and she believed in his sincerity to do better, however, it was still quite early for him to earn back socializing privileges. Seeing that he might have a chance, Tristan took advantage on the few seconds of silence to insist:

"For example, you've taught me to speak in a more respectful tone", he started, trying to list all the things he had integrated. "You explained me why insulting people was pointless, and I try to think before speaking now. I also listen to what my teachers say, and I do my homework."

"Yes, it is true that you comply to orders, because you've learned through strict punishments."

"Well... yes, I did..."

"You did because you knew that punishment awaited you whenever you were bad. I really do want to allow you to meet up some friends and have fun, but I'm afraid that it is too early."

"But I've changed! You've said so yourself, that my manners had improved a lot!"

"Yes, they did, to a point that you can now behave like a civilized young man. However, you haven't started to truly change inside you, the way you still react to some orders indicate that many of your bad habits are still sticking to you. You are still impatient, loud, unsensitive about other people's feelings and defiant. I'm afraid that if you see your friends again, all the efforts you've made in this last month would sink down as soon as you feel this bit of freedom."

"That's not true!" he tried to protest, but he realized that she was right. He was still regularly thinking about what crazy things he would do with his friends once he went back home.

"You are not fooling anyone here. You are only obeying and trying to quickly learn so that you can go back to your comfortable lifestyle by your parents. You still don't understand that all of this training, the discipline and the punishments are for your own good and your future. They will not only allow you to find a good wife, they will bring you joy through your fulfillment as an accomplished gentleman. So here is your answer, you will stay here and learn until I've approved of your return home."

"I thought that I would stay until the beginning of May?"

"I said that you would stay until May at least. If there is still need to further deepen your training, we will continue for as long as it is needed."

"But it's not fair!" he whined, and he stomped his foot in anger.

Rebecca sighted, seeing that his impatience was already taking the best of him. She grabbed his shoulders gently but firmly to make him look into her eyes and said: "There, what did you just do? You should already know that stomping your foot like this isn't appropriate for a gentleman. Respectful and deferential manners are key elements not only to be accepted by society, but to deepen the appreciation your wife will have for your behavior."