"I...I...do not think...no there it is," Blake replied, pointing to a small cabin a few yards away.

Looking at the small cabin, Joseph could only picture the things that he thought went on within the rickety walls. "Oh my God," he whispered once he got a closer look.

Blake slowly opened the door to the small cabin, stepping aside so Joseph could enter. The shock on Joseph's face tugged at Blake's heart. During the ride, Blake had prayed that they would not find anything to suggest that the doctor had been right in his diagnosis. Now, the look on Joseph's face spoke other wise.

The makeshift bed was obviously laid in; the tattered blankets were mounded together where it looked like someone had been kicking. Rope was laying next to the bed, on the floor. A leather strap lay in the corner. Walking over to pick up the leather strap, Joseph tried to bite back the tears, but when he saw the next item, he broke down in heartwrenching sobs.

Concerned for the dark-haired lord, Blake timidly walked up next to him. "M'lord?" he whispered, trying to comfort him.

Grasping the new object in his hands once he fell to his knees, Joseph could not hold back the tears anymore then he was already shedding. "It...it is th...the book Chr...Christopher was tea...teaching Lance to...to read..." he explained. "They...they did hurt him..."

It was Blake's turn to be shocked. "Then...then what the doctor...it is true?" The young-lord-to-be shook his head, as if the small gesture would make the nightmare go away. "Oh M'lord," he whispered, tears falling. "Why? Why would any...anyone want to hurt Lord Lance?"

Shaking his head again, Joseph motioned that he did not know the answer. "But I will find out. If it is the last thing I do in this life, I will find out why they dared to lay a hand upon my Angel." The tears in his voice were now replaced with anger. But, he still needed proof that it was Joshua and Justin who had hurt Lance. And all they had so far was the book, proving Lance had indeed been in the cabin, the leather strap that produced the bruises on Lance's back, and the slept in bed.

"M..M'lord?" Blake whispered. "There...there is something else you sho...should know." Blake hung his head, the tears falling faster. "I...I am sor...sorry, M'lord...I should have come forward, but I was too frightened to do so."

His body shaking at Jospeh's fury, Blake whispered, "I...I...what hap...happened to Lor...Lord Lance...it was don...done by Lord Josh...Joshua and Lord Justin."

"Do you not think I already know that!" Joseph shouted. "Who else would want to hurt him!?" Looking around the room, Joseph found what he was looking for. Standing and running over to the mantle, he picked up a silver matchbox with engraving on it. "I will kill him," he hissed. "I will kill them both!"

Crying openly now, Blake hid his head in his hands. ".I..I am sorry, M'lord," he squeaked.

"Little good that does Lance now," Joseph answered from his steed out front.

Following Joseph, Blake mounted his horse and rode back to Herfordshire, tears blinding him. How he longed to be in Christopher's arms now. Once they reached the estate, Joseph leaped from his steed and shouted instructions to Jason as he ran into the castle, Blake at his heels.

Without so much as going to see how Lance was doing, Joseph went straight for Justin's chambers once more. Storming into the room, Joseph found his second husband on the bed. Throwing the silver matchbox at him, Joseph hissed, "There is your proof. I know you and Joshua did this to Lance, Justin. What do you have to say about yourself now!?"

Justin stared at the matchbox, his body shaking from pure fear. "I...I..." he whispered tearfully, his voice barely audible.

Joseph stormed over to the bed and slapped Justin hard across the face. When the young lord fell back, Joseph was quick to straddle his legs and hold his wrists down. "What did you and Joshua do to Lance," he hissed, flames of anger behind his eyes.

"Ple...please...I...I am sorry, Joseph," Justin sobbed, "I...I...please...I am sorry."

Again slapping Justin across the face, Joseph hissed, "I did not ask you for an empty apology. I asked what you and Joshua did to Lance. Now answer me!"

"We...wen...went to...to hi...his parents fa...farm to ask if he wan...wanted to go ri...riding. We to...took hi...him to the ca...cabin and...and..."

"And what?!"

"Jos...Joshua...he...he hit Lan...Lance..."

"What else did you two do to him?"

Shaking even more, Justin cried harder. "I...I did not mean to hur...hurt hi...him...I...was lonely...I...I missed you...you hav...have not bedded with me...wanted to...after we bedded, we...Joshua hurt Lance..." Just was so frightened that he started speaking incoherently.

"You are babbling now Justin!" Joseph shouted. "Tell me what you did to Lance without babbling like an infant!"

Closing his eyes so he would not see Jospeh's furious expression, Justin again spoke. "I...I held him down while Jos...Joshua...he...he..."

"He what!?" Joseph shouted. Slapping Justin across the face again, he added, "Each time you stop short of finishing a sentence, you will recieve 10 lashes with a leather strap, just like you did to Lance. You did strike him did you not!?"

Wincing at Joseph's tone of voice, Justin knew he had to tell the truth. "Y...yes, Joseph," the young lord stammered. "I...I held Lance down whi...while Joshua...he...he for...forced Lan...he...he bed...bedded with against his wi...will."

Remembering what he had walked in on before he left for business, Joseph demanded to know what type of relationship Justin and Joshua had. But, before he allowed Justin to answer, he sent Jonathan to bring Joshua to him.

Knocking on Joshua's door, Jonathan called softly to him. "M'lord? Lord Joshua?"

Looking up from where he lay on his bed, tears roling down his cheeks, Joshua whispered, loud enough for Jonathan to hear, "Yes Jonathan?"

"I have been sent to fetch you. Lord Joseph wishes to see you. He is in Lord Justin's chambers."

Joshua had heard what Joseph had said to Justin clearly. After all, Joseph was shouting at the top of his lungs practically. Joshua knew that the plan he and Justin worked so hard on, had backfired. It was now time to pay the price. Slowly standing from his bed, Joshua walked to the door and stepped out, making his way to Justin's chambers.

Once they reached Justin's chambers, Jonathan knocked softly. "M'lord? Lord Joshua is here," the servant replied.

"Let him in," came Joseph's angry bark. Opening the door, Jonathan allowed Joshua to enter the room. His tears blinding him, Joshua looked around the room before his eyes lit on his blue-eyed love, crying hysterically. "Jonathan, close the door, but stay directly outside," Joseph ordered. When the three of them were alone, he finally allowed Justin to answer his prior question of what type of relationship he kept with Joshua.

Looking at his love, Justin's eyes told Joshua he was sorry. "We...we...he...I..." the young lord stammered. "We lov...love each other."

The anger intensifying at Justin's admission, Joseph asked through gritted teeth, "What were you two doing, the night I came to call on you Justin." Turning to glare at Joshua, his added, "Did you two bed together?"

Equally as frightened by Joseph's fury, Joshua looked at Justin, then looked down, nodding ever so slightly.

Letting what he was just told sink in, Joseph spoke, summarizing what he had learned. "You both dare to hurt another member of my family, along with a loyal servant. You bed together when you both know that is not allowed within my house. You disrespect you husband by lying to me. You know you are both to be severly punished for your actions. Is there anything either of you would like to say before I pass sentence?" Surprisingly, Joseph's voice was somewhat calm dispite the situation he was in.

"I...I...would like...like to say something," Joshua whispered, his quivering voice matching that of his shaking body.

"You can try and make your peace with me Joshua," Joseph replied, turning to look at him.

"I...I am sor...sorry, Joseph," Joshua replied quietly, looking at Justin. "It is just that...that eve...ever since Lance came, you have...have not bedded with either Jus...Justin or I. We...we were lon...lonely and miss...missed you. This...This is how we...we became involved. We were jeal...jealous of the tim...time you spent with Lan...Lance and we wanted things to go back to the...the way they were. We did no...not mean for things to go as far as they did. Ple...please...we are sorry and we beg your forgiveness."

Moving off of Justin, Joseph ordered that the youngest in the room sit up and Joshua sit next to him. Once they had done so, Joseph crossed his arms in front of him, looking between the two. "Other then Lance joining our family, what has he done to hurt either of you? Joshua, you seemed to understand that I needed time to train Justin when he joined us; just as I trained you. Why is it in your eyes that I am not allowed to show the same for Lance? Simply because he comes from the farmlands? That should not make any difference. Since the first day he came to live with us, he has shown you both nothing but the utmost respect, and what did you do to him. You tried to kill him, in cold blood. Simply because he wanted to make friends with both of you, you decide that he is to be killed." Shaking his head, Joseph added, "I cannot, nor will I give you my forgiveness."

Looking at each other Joshua spoke. "I...I know that we broke the rules. We are ready to hear our punishmet." Joshua hoped by stating this, Joseph would be more understanding and lenient. But he was sadly mistaken.

Without so much as a blink of an eye or a waver in his voice, Joseph proceeded to pass sentence on his first two husbands. "Joshua and Justin, you are hereby stripped of your noble titles and banished from Herfordshire. Justin will surrender everything he has accquired while living here over to Lance; Joshua will do the same, surrending his belongings over to Blake."

Justin slid to the floor sobbing brokenly. A bad error in judgement and it had cost heavily. He had lost his title, his marriage to Joseph, his home and his inheritance. But more importantly, he was losing Joshua. "Ple...please Joseph," Justin squeaked. "Please...I beg of you, please do not send me away."

Joshua's face crumpled as well. To lose his title and be banished from his home was bad enough, but to lose Justin...sitting slowly on the bed, tears spilled from the blue-eyed lord's eyes. "Ple...please, Joseph," he whispered. "Please I beg of you to give us another chance."

"I have given you both too many chances to redeem yourselves. I have asked you to accept Lance, I have ordered you to accept him, and still you do not. I take it by your defiaence that this is the only way I can make you both understand that teison will NOT be accepted in my house."

"Jo...Joseph, please...I beg of you...please do not do this," Justin sobbed looking at Joshua. "I...I will apologize to Lance...I will make amends...anything."

"Lance, nor I, nor anyone else at Herfordshire is interested in hearing your empty apologies and false amends Justin," Joseph replied. "You both have two hours to gather your belongs and say your goodbyes. At that time, Jason will give you both a work horse and you are to leave Herfordshire."

"Jo...Joseph," Joshua whispered, tears blinding his face, "Please...please...we know we were wrong. This...this has been my home for the past three years...I...I am sorry for what we have done. I beg of you to give us another chance."

"Do not test me anymore that you have already Joshua," Joseph replied. "I think I am being very generous in giving you both a steed."

Lowering his eyes, Joshua whispered, "Y...yes, M'lord." Wiping some of the tears from his eyes, he turned to his love. "Come, Justin. We must prepare to leave Herfordshire."

Watching as Joshus and Justin stood to leave the room, Joseph was struck with an idea. "Wait...I have reconsidered..." he called to them.

Their faces brightening with hope, Justin and Joshua turned to face Joseph. "You...you have?" Joshua replied.

Nodding, Joseph explained that he made of been a little hasty. "Go and wait for me in the study. I must attend to something else, but will be there shortly."

"Yes Joseph," Joshua replied meekly as he and Justin went to Joseph's study and waited for him.

Once arriving in the study, Justin took a seat on the couch, then waited for Joshua to join him. It was obvious by the look in the younger one eyes that he was scared of being without Joshua. "I...I do not want to leave Joshua," he whispered.

"I...I know my love," Joshua whispered, his own body shaking with intense fear. "I do not want to leave either."

Holding his arms out for Joshua, Justin pleaded with his eyes to be held. "He did say he re...reconsidered," Justin whispered. "Perhaps he will allow us to stay?"

Despite himself, Joshua took Justin in his arms and comforted him. "Maybe, my love. I pray so."

Snuggling close, Justin held Joshua as tight as he could. "Promise me you will not leave me Joshua," he said, his voice still a whisper. "My life is not worth living it I cannot have you."

"It will be all right Justin. I will not leave you," Joshua promised as they heard footsteps in the hall. Quickly breaking apart, they looked up to see Joseph enter the room with Christopher and Blake. Looking fearfully at his former charge, Blake quickly looked away and moved closer to Christopher.

Leaving the door behind them opened, Joseph got straight to the point. "As I have told you, I have reconsidered banishing you both from Herfordshire." Lowering their heads, Justin and Joshua waited for Joseph to continue. "In doing what you have done, you have both lost all the respect that Christopher, Blake, Lance, and myself had for you. The servants here have more respect than you two. And that is how you will be treated; like servants, because you will be servants."

Justin's jaw dropped. "Wha...what? Ser...servants? But...but..."

"It is either you become servants, and you may be allowed to continue living here, or you reject the proposal and you both are back to where you were, packing your things and leaving Herforshire," Joseph explained calmly, crossing his arms in front of him. "The choice is entirly up to both of you."

Looking at Joshua, Justin broke down in tears. He could not let his parents see him as a servant. Joshua was equally as shocked. "I...If we leav...leave...where are we to go?" Joshua whispered.

"If you decide to leave Herfordshire, once you set foot outside the walls, where you go or what you do will no longer be any of my concern. If you need gold pieces, do not come begging to them from me. Whore yourselves out if you must, but do NOT come begging to me for any help. I am sure since you both are lovers, finding someone who is willing to take a whore into his bed will not be a problem."

The force of Joseph's words hit Joshua like a brick. He, too broke down. "I...I cannot become a servant, Joshua," Justin sobbed.

Shrugging his shoulders, Joseph turned to leave the room. "Then become a whore Justin," he bit. "Joshua can be the one who sells you to men at night. You still have two hours in which to leave my house."

"Joseph?" Christopher spoke, looking at the two. "I have a solution to the problem. Separate them. Have one serve here while I will take one to my home."

"But, they still much choose weather they want to serve us or not Christopher," Joseph replied. "But I am up for the arrangement, if they are."

Justin's body shook with fear. "Joshua...please...please do not leav...leave me," the young ex-lord whispered. "I...I am scared."

Watching the two, Joseph nodded his head. "Yes Christopher, I think I will take you up on the suggestion. As added punishment, not only will you both lose your titles and be stricken from my wills, but you both will also become servants; one here and the other at Williamsport; weather you accept it or not."

"N...no...oh please Joseph," Justin whispered, falling on his knees. He could not bear the thought of losing Joshua. "Ple...please I beg of you...please do not send me away...please."

"Who said it was you who would be leaving with Lord Christopher?" Joseph replied, his arms crossed in front of him, watching the scene unfold before him.

Joshua's head instantly went up. Joseph was banishing him to Williamsport to serve Christopher, which meant he would be a whole day's journey away from Justin. "Please Jos...Joseph..." Joshua wailed.

"Justin, from now on, you will only address me as M'lord. Joshua will do the same with Christopher. Any mistakes made by either of you, and you will be punished accordingly. You both no longer live the life of luxury. You no longer make the rules. Nor do you give orders; you both now obey them. Justin, you are to go down to Edward's chambers. He will have suitable clothes for servant. Change into those and he will show you to your new chambers. Joshua, I leave you in the hands of Lord Christopher." Turning to leave the room once more, Joseph said over his shoulder, "Now if you all will excuse me, I have my husband to attend to."