The Son
By Lonelyrider

James' servants are noticing his relationship with his doting mother is a rather unusual one, as his girlfriend meanwhile finds it very sweet.

"James! Oh, hello there, Lucas, is James at home?" James' mother Anna adjusted her wings behind her and laid a hand on the covered basket she'd brought. Luke eyed it curiously but then remembered to give a polite bow to his master's mother.
"Ahh yes, Lady FeatherQuill, why he is in the library. I must say, not a day goes by we don't see Lord LightningSword without a fat book in his hand." The butler commented cheerfully.
"Oh yes, my Jamesy dearly loves to read. I read to him every day when he was a child. Please, draw a hot bath for him, with his shampoos and soaps nearby." Anna tipped Luke two gold coins as she made the request, politely. Luke bowed extra deeply, pocketing one coin and saving the other for his coworker. He clapped his gloved hands.
"Francine! Draw Lord LightningSword a bath, fully stocked. Lady FeatherQuill sends this." Luke handed Francine the other coin and she bowed low.
"Yes, milady." Francine said, and hurried away in her frilly maid outfit to do just that. Meanwhile, Luke opened the doors to the library for Anna, who went in and Luke closed the door but spied quietly through the keyhole, his bad habit getting the best of him. James looked up from his book and gasped happily, standing up and pulling his mother into a big hug, she pinched his cheek and started baby-talking him and he ate it up, blushing and grinning big from her attention.
"There's my big strong boy. I brought supplies for bath time, just you and I." Anna gently poked the end of James' big nose with her index finger, he gave a hearty guffaw, out of sheer joy, his wings fluffed happily.
"Oh ma, I love bath time with you! Are you hungry or thirsty first, or, how's the temperature in here?" James asked sweetly, being a good host, Anna nodded her approval of her son's chivalrous nature.
"The temperature is fine, and I can last until dinner with you later. Go on up, get into your bathing suit, I'll wait for you in the bathroom." Anna gave James' toned rear a playful little spank as he obeyed, and he chuckled and nodded happily, glad she was there. James hurried up his carpeted stairs and into his bedroom, slipping on his black, red and gold bathing singlet with a horse's head on the bust behind his changing blind, which showed off his enormous burly physique. James gave a knock and entered his bathroom, leaving the door ajar in his excitement. His mother had the basket uncovered and was placing many squeaky bath toys in the water for him; a wooden ship, several rubber ducks, a swan, and a horse.
"Oooh ma, you found a horse! Haha, I just love it, thank you!" James gushed, picking her up in his arms and lifting her off the floor, planting a big kiss on her head, Anna giggled girlishly, she ran her hands through his groomed short beard as he carefully set her back on her feet and he grinned at her and turned rosy, eyeing her fondly as she coddled him.
"Who's my Jamesy? Who's my favorite son? My baby boy." Anna kissed his nose and he pulled her into a protective hug in his wings and felt hers around him in a little cocoon.
"I love you, momma." James said in a husky voice, Anna sniffled and waited as her big son got into his steaming bathtub, which had legs and was gilded, like his whole manor bathroom. James chortled and played with the floating toys she'd left for him in the water as she put on some classical music with his mini gramophone he kept in the corner of the bathroom; usually, like the tub, James played it for his girlfriend when they'd bathe together. Anna watched with fond motherly pride as James admired and played with the wooden ship and horse, letting himself regress and let loose.
In the foyer of James' manor, Luke greeted a second visitor.
"Ahhem, Lady Rider, welcome. Lord LightningSword & Lady FeatherQuill are in the upstairs bathroom, I'm quite certain he wouldn't consider you an intrusion, which is why I've let you in. Go on up." Luke said; all of James' staff was very fond of his kind anthro mule girlfriend.
"Oh, how cute! I'll be right back, I just wanted to bring him some more confections from the town bakery, Jamesy loves those. Back in a second." Lonely bid, placing a white box wrapped with thin pink string on James' big dinning room table, full of his favorite cakes & pastries. Lonely quietly went upstairs and gave a silent adoring smile as she peered briefly in on the ajar door of James' bathroom; James had a big relaxed grin on his face and his eyes closed, as his mom was shampooing his thick short hair and beard with him relaxing in his tub, many floating toys in his bubble bath and fine music playing softly. James reached up and washed his own thick chest hair with a soapy hand, groaning in enjoyment as his mom massaged his scalp and beard with her nails as she shampooed him. Lonely giggled in quiet delight seeing it, finding it one of the cutest things she'd ever beheld. Respectfully she crept back downstairs, leaving a sweet love letter & a flower for James next to the confection box and starting to quietly leave, but she overheard a lively conversation amid James' staff in the kitchen that gave her pause, though the kind mare wasn't one to eavesdrop or interfere, what she heard bothered her.
"You don't know anything about it, and as I've said, it isn't any of your business!" James' chef, Chef Clancy the anthro wolf told Luke, who was gossiping with Francine and a few other servants as the chef started a cream sauce for James' dinner on the huge gas stove.
"Well, I just don't see why a grown man needs rubber ducks & his cheeks pinched, even one I admire as much as I do Lord LightningSword. It's just plain bizarre, Clancy." Luke scoffed.
Lonely knocked softly on the kitchen door and some of the staff jumped nervously, not expecting anyone except other servants.
"Pardon me, I don't mean to be rude or out of turn, but I accidentally overheard you on my way out. Please, I beg of you, all of you, don't think ill of my sweetheart, or his mom. His dad is back in his life now, and I'm so happy he is, I really like him! It's just," Lonely looked sad as she went on, looking at a picture of a smiling James and younger Anna from his childhood he'd given her to keep in her purse, "When dear James was only a year old, his father left him & his mother, and they were alone for 6 years until she met and eventually married Mr FeatherQuill, her current husband, who provided well for them both. It's just that, during those 6 years, James & Anna grew very close, and he was somewhat of the man of the house, trying to fill very big shoes that were left empty. It must have been so dreadful for the both of them, poor things. Please, I beg you, try to have sympathy, they've had it so hard." Lonely sniffled, crying softly, without a hint of scolding in her tone, only kind sadness. Luke, Francine and the others looked rather ashamed, as Chef Clancy came near Lonely, who wiped her eyes fast and slipped her hands in her faux fur muff.
"We will cease this sort of talk and be kinder, won't we, Luke, everyone?" Chef Clancy asked in a very much reprimanding tone, eyeing Luke intensely, who wouldn't look at them and toed the floor with his polished shoe.
"Ahem, yes, quite right, chef." Luke muttered.
"There now dear, sometimes people are just ignorant, & don't know what they're saying. It was very kind of you to bring Lord those treats. Here, take this with you, have it with your supper." Chef Clancy handed Lonely a fresh portion of herbed roasted potatoes, in a little carrier, her face lit up.
"Oh thank you, thank you! My very favorite side dish. Chef Clancy, Luke, Francine, all of you, please have a wonderful evening! Farewell!" Lonely gave a humble curtsy in her pink gown and a friendly wave as she left the kitchen and they heard the front manor doors open and close as she left. Chef Clancy shot Luke a literal canine snarl of disapproval, and Luke scurried out of the kitchen, looking abashed, Francine on his heels. Chef Clancy shook his head and went back to his sauce.





A big ty & photo credit to:
https://unsplash.com/photos/white-c.....ub-CQeKvOTrGuQ