SOUTHWEST MARCH
WESTRIAL
Wolf, who knew from firsthand experience that being a king meant going to war while your queen was in labor and hoping you both lived to see the next day, understood King Cedd’s feelings, but didn’t think much of them. And, after all, whatever else their marriage was, he and Myrne were a love match, Blake conceived in a great deal of passion that still made Wolf’s face go as red as his hair to remember. All knew that Cedd’s lover was Anthony Pembroke, so could this slowness to go to the eastern front be about guilt or about simply leaving Anson in the lurch. After all, no matter how kind he seemed today, Wolf remembered the King of Westrial had once made designs on Anson’s life. It was because of Cedd that Anson had fled.
Wolf remained on Vahayan Hill long enough to see Myrne safely to bed and kiss her on the head, but the moment the battle, or rather the self slaughter of Dauman troops was over, Wolf had sent Kryse of Cleave and Ralph Curakin on ahead with two skyliners. When Wolf left, and Cedd chose not to come with him, but ride at a slower pace with his troops, the King of Hale wondered what was wrong with the King of Westrial.
“We will reach Yrrmarayn in the morning,” Anthony reported as the sky was going charcoal blue. “Let us rest here for the night.”
Cedd nodded, and while they were setting up, Prince Adrian sang.
WHEN as King Edric rulde this land,
The second of that name,
Besides the queene, he dearly lovde
A faire and comely dame.
Most peerlesse was her beautye founde,
Her favour, and her face;
A sweeter creature in this worlde
Could never prince embrace.
“Who was that woman?” Cedd wondered. “So proud. I am Senaye.”
Adrian looked on Cedd in wonder.
“What, cousin?”
“Can it be that you really do not know?” Adrian said, but clearly he did not, and so Adrian continued, “Senaye is legend. They have called her the Wanderer. She was daughter of Inladeth, Lady of the Rootless Isle, but when it was time for her, she refused and passed her power to her sister, Viviane, preferring to wander the earth and learn. When Viviane’s time ended, her daughter Nimerly became lady—after another woman who should never have been in power. And Viviane’s other daughter was Essily, the mother of Prince Anson. Senaye is the mother of Ohean.”
Cedd said nothing to this, and all that could be heard about the camp was the crackling of the fire.
Adrian sang:
Her crisped lockes like threads of golde,
Appeard to each man's sight;
Her sparkling eyes, like Eastrn pearles,
Did cast a heavenlye light.
Adrian went to bed early, leaving Cedd and Anthony, Cody and Teryn about the fire, and while they sat in the coolness of the evening, another song came on the breeze.
The blood within her crystal cheekes
Did such a colour drive,
As though the lillye and the rose
For mastership did strive.
Yea Rosamonde, fair Rosamonde,
Her name was called so,
To whom our queene, Dame Ellinor,
Was known a deadlye foe.
Two men came into the camp, having moved soundlessly as Senaye the night before. They were cloaked, one in red, the other in blue, and when they pulled down their hoods, one was handsome like a boy, blue green eyed, and bronze haired, delicate featured, but there was something very… old about him, and the one in red had almond eyes, black hair, a look that was almost rakish, and as he spoke, others came out of the night behind, lowering their hoods, looking like angels.
“My name is Pol Kurusagan,” the red one said, “and this is my companion, Connleth Aragarath.”
“What do you seek?” Cedd demanded, and for some reason, despite everything, his penis was stiff as a board. All those around the fire, Cody, Teryn and Anthony as well as Cedd looked on Pol and Conn.
“We are Blue Priests,” Conn said in earnest as one beside him, black haired, milk skinned and black eyed nodded earnestly.
“This is the beginning of the Age of Love,” Conn declared, “and we have come to give you pleasure.”
He could tell by the light coming through the tent that it must have been about an hour before sunrise. The little lamp still shone and by it he could make out the ivory form of Teryn Wesley, spread naked beside him, head turned so that only his bronze hair could be seen.
Cedd heard a whimpering and turned in its direction. Pressed to the floor of the tent, his fingers gripping the coverlet, the boy Teryn had brought with him, Cody, whimpered while Anthony, breath snorting from his nostrils like a bull, fucked him, eyes closed tight, his smooth muscled body shuttling, his hips slamming against Cody’s white body like a piston. The Blue Priest called Connleth Aragarath lay sprawled on his back, asleep, naked, his cock erect. Cedd went hard at this sight as well, and almost as soon as he wondered what that would be like, he was kneeling on him, mounting him, riding the priest awake. In the end, the same time Anthony had come and was splayed across Cody, Cedd was pressed on the ground, pistoned now, surrendered, battered out of everything by Conn whose eyes stared blindly up into the tent as he fucked and fucked in an ecstasy, Quinton holding the bottle of fumes to his nostrils. Cody lay on his side, looking exhausted and hungry and Cedd understood that in the presence of these priests, something strange was happening. Things they would not usually be free to do they were free to do now. He knew, as Connleth Aragarath groaned, clutched his body, and fucked him deeply, climaxing, that next he—the King of Westrial—would give himself to the boy Cody.
While the frail looking boy from Essail was plowing him, Cedd looked over to see Anthony looking sleepy and satisfied as the tall brutishly handsome one stumbled from where he’d half slept began sucking him. Pol the beautiful Red Priest with eyes rimmed in kohl got on his hands and knees now, face up, ass perched and invited young Teryn, rubbing his cock is oil and then rubbing against the perfect hills of his ass, to fuck him, and as the sun turned the grey sky pale gold, the sounds of surrender and climax moaned and shouted themselves into the new day.
In the early morning, Pol stood outside the camp with Cedd, and the Blue Priest said, “Once I was a common whore, and you may think this is what I am not. But then I learned, Conn helped me, that sex is a teacher. It erases lines which should be erased, it opens the eyes to truths they did not wish to see if one allows the power of sex to work on him. That is what you felt last night. And this morning.”
“Yes,” Cedd said.
“We are returning to Yrrmarayn. We have friends there, and doubtless there will be soldiers and many other men who need comfort.”
“Travel with us, then,” Cedd said. “For among our own soldiers there are men who need your comfort.
Pol said, “Sir, we will. I think I have learned much tonight.”
“Such as?”
“We knew we were on a journey to meet someone, but it was Conn who said we had to come to you. I did not wish to. I did not wish to play the Priest last night.”
“Then why did you?”
The king therefore, for her defence
Against the furious queene,
At Woodstocke builded such a bower,
The like was never seene.
Most curiously that bower was built,
Of stone and timber strong;
An hundered and fifty doors
Did to this bower belong:
Cedd remembered the pleasure he had experienced with Pol, not once, but several times.
Pol remembered it as well. He thought, You do not know me. How could you? But I know your brother. He is my dear friend and when we had sex it was love and friendship, and I will always love Anson, and now I have been with his brother, with the man who wished to kill him.
But Pol said, “To teach you, my Lord. Or so that you could teach yourself.”
And then Pol said, “And, if I may be so bold to ask, what did you learn?”
Cedd answered, frankly.
“That I should not be King.”
