New subplot arrived!

Imagine higher-class noble families where the daughters take interest in each other. While not an arranged marriage, a union would be slightly beneficial to all parties involved. This society is beyond pansexualism - if everyone involved is consensual and having fun, it's considered acceptable, both in and out of the bedroom.

As part of the courting ritual, one daughter gifts the other a butler/slave she picked up as a "Donor of Life." Since they're still mostly bound by nature's laws regarding reproduction, this is a common solution - he provides the biological starting point. The nature-nurture philosophy here is heavily skewed toward nurture, so if both women raise the offspring together, the child will be socially and lawfully considered family with all the bells and whistles.

The complication: These aren't mature women yet - more like bratty girls. They get into a feud and the marriage is called off.

Now, what to do with the donor? Things could still work out between the girls, so one decides to lock him in chastity (which he obviously doesn't like) so he can't "produce" elsewhere in the meantime.

Enter the protagonist. He needs information from the donor, who refuses to provide it unless his manhood is released from the cage.

The choice - will the protagonist:

• Help a brother out? Reconcile the girls, revive the marriage, and earn the gratitude of the nobles?

• Betray him? Send him to reconditioning, extract the information, but unknowingly anger the resistance?

• Help him understand that chastity can be a blessing? (That would actually be pretty hard to write convincingly, IMO)

#writing