Brief Encounters

Title: The Storyteller
Author: Blaine D. Arden
Length: 3,600 words (12 pdf pages)
Publisher: Storm Moon Press
Genre: m/m BDSM fantasy
Rating: B+

Blurb:

Banished by his family, young, blind aristocrat Oleg finds there are advantages of living isolated with just his tutor for company. But the perfect day said tutor, Neiam, planned for them, Oleg’s father seems hell bent on ruining.

Review:

The blurb for this free short from Storm Moon Press pretty much says it all. Oleg has been sent “for his own good” to a remote family estate with his tutor to take care of him. Oleg resents his family for their actions, having a handicapped son is considered distasteful in this world, and yet now that he and Neiam have settled into their relationship, he’s actually rather glad of his family’s decision, even if it still annoys him.

He and Neiam have settled into a D/s relationship, but Neiam is a gentle master who is teaching Oleg how to function with his blindness, gently prodding and pushing him to be more confident and capable, despite the fact he was treated as helpless his whole life. Neiam doesn’t let him get away with saying he “can’t” and as hard as it is for Oleg, he loves Neaim and knows he has made progress.

However when his father unexpectedly arrives, nearly catching them in the act, Oleg wonders what this means. Does his father intend to force him to return home or can he stay with his master. It’s during this time you get to know more about Oleg’s life and his relationship and how they have to keep it hidden from his family

You only get Oleg’s perspective, but you could tell there was great affection between the two men. Just because he was blind didn’t mean Neiam was going to coddle him. He knew he was capable and forced him to be so, but not in a cruel manner, always rewarding him for making strides even if Oleg didn’t think he necessarily deserved it.

So I really enjoyed the feel of this story, with it’s historical bent and a rather lyrical quality to the relationship  between the two men, both fitting a need the other had. For those wondering, the BDSM aspect is quite light and nothing that should scare anyone off.