The Exile

***The Exile returns after a much too long break. Please enjoy the newest chapter. Disclaimer: The following work contains mature themes and graphic depictions of sex between men. If this offends you, don't read it. It is also unabashedly nerdy and somewhat overly sentimental. You've been warned. **

THE EXILE Chapter Six

I squinted my eyes in the dark, and in the faint moonlight I could just make out Alek's face, looking pale and frightened but trying hard not to show it. I wanted to laugh at the absurdity; both of us scared boys too proud to show the other any weakness, both of us trying to protect the other by a false show of bravado. For all our differences, we were always too much alike.

The footsteps in the hallway grew louder, and I nodded once, signaling it was time. Alek returned the nod, and we waited. The door opened, flooding light into the room, and the guard entered slowly, seeking to adjust his eyes to the darkness. Without a sound, we set upon him. Alek grappled him about the legs, and when he raised his hand to strike I grabbed it from behind and tightened my other arm about his neck. We had him unconscious in moments. I began to undress him as quickly as I could, wondering how long it would take before his absence was noticed.

You're suspiciously good at undressing a sleeping man," Alek joked, trying to sound casual but his voice was tight and tense.

"Just remember that tonight when you go to..." I began, but could not finish. I had turned to look at him, and saw that he had removed his pale robes and now stood before me in only his small clothes. His body was pocked with bruises and scars, looking nothing like the smooth perfection of Damon, and yet it entranced me nearly as much. He noticed my stare and blushed, then motioned me urgently to continue my work. I removed the rest of the guard's clothing quickly.

It had been easy, too easy. Something was not right; it was not like Valen to be so careless.

Alek finished changing. The guard's armor and uniform were perhaps a little big for him, but I was satisfied that the disguise would pass to any casual observer. He wound the rope we'd found around my wrists tightly, binding them together.

I kissed his cheek and took a deep breath. "Ready for this?"

Alek only nodded, nibbling absently on his lower lip, and then we left the room. _______________________________________________________________________________

In my mind I could not help but remember the last escape attempt I had made, which had begun in a similar fashion. That time, however, it had been a Queen and not a guard I had rendered unconscious. Leaving her on her bed, her beautiful hair matted with blood, I had left her chambers with little thought of where I would go or how I would escape. I had also forgotten that her personal guards were still stationed right outside. To get past them, I was forced to improvise an explanation.

The amazarii pursed their lips and narrowed their eyes at me suspiciously. I could feel myself start to sweat, but I forced myself to look calm and confident.

"My Lady Queen does not wish to be disturbed," I said, "And wishes me to go and bring Tolo here."

"One of us could easily go get him," said a guard, tossing her hair impatiently.

"Her Highness was adamant that I go," I replied quickly, "I believe it is a punishment or a lesson for me. If you will tell me where his room is, I will be gone at once. I do not wish to keep her waiting."

One of amazarii, who seemed the oldest of the group, shook her head and glared at me. "I will need to confirm these orders with the Queen."

My heart thudded furiously in my chest, pounding like our ceremonial drums on a feast day. My throat went dry, and I wondered if I would be able to speak. At last I managed to say, "If you feel you must. But My Lady Queen insisted I tell you that she be left undisturbed. I beg you, tell her that I relayed her orders so she will not blame me for your disruption."

One of the younger amazarii looked distraught at this. "Let us not bother her. He is her slave, he would not lie."

The elder fiddled with her spear absently. "I don't believe him. I think we should talk to Her Highness directly."

"You must do what you think best, of course," I said, bowing, "I'm sure My Queen will be understanding when she hears your reasons for disobeying her."

I knew I had won, then, for I could see from her face that she was contemplating the potential consequences of displeasing the Queen. The others showed unmasked signs of fear already.

"Go, then," the elder guard said at last, waving her hand dismissively. "It is the last door along that far corridor."

I held back my sigh of relief and hurried out into the corridor. _____________________________________________________________________________

Now Alek and I would have to succeed in a similar deception. The guard we had incapacitated carried a key, which unsurprisingly opened the room next to ours. Luckily, there was nobody present, and with a thrill I saw the gleam of my silver blade propped up against a far wall, exactly as anticipated. It fit passably enough into the soldier's sheathe now hanging from Alek's slender waist.

The common room of the inn was not as crowded as I had hoped, but to my relief I saw only a handful of soldiers sitting a table in the corner and playing cards. The rest of the patrons were merely local Fermanaghns, drinking and going about their business and not inclined to pay any attention to one of King Valen's guard and his prisoner. No, if trouble came it would be from the soldiers. I could see the blackness of the night outside the inn's door, could smell the sweet breath of air that meant freedom. For about half the length to the door, I thought we had done it.

"Hey!" called one of the guards, and my heart sunk. "You seen Jakob? It's his turn!"

I kept my head down humbly. I felt Alek shift uncomfortably behind me.

"He's securing the other prisoner," he said, "Be down shortly."

"Where you taking him?" asked one of the other guards, gesturing towards me with his chin.

"Cedrik sent me with special orders for this one," Alek replied, without missing a step.

The guards eyed each other nervously at the mention of Valen's personal clerk. With a wave, they settled back into their game, and we continued to the exit. We were just crossing the threshold when Jakob, the missing guard, stumbled down the stairs wearing practically nothing and holding his head in pain.

"Stop them!" he shouted, "It's the prisoners! They took my clothes!"

The men at the table cursed and sprang to their feet, reaching about for weapons that had been left carelessly to the side. One of the civilians shouted, and Alek and I exchanged glances. It was time to improvise. By the time the guards had their swords in hand we were out the door and running with all our might. _______________________________________________________________________________

Tolo was so surprised to see me that he literally froze in mid-step. We stood there for a few seconds like that, suspended in time. Abruptly he reached for my silver sword, sheathed at his waist, but I had launched myself at him and batted his hand away. We collapsed onto the ground, grappling with each other; a rematch of our bout before the Queen. This time I had all the advantage of surprise. I managed to throw a punch in at this face and slip past his defenses to score a solid hit. In the few seconds it took him to recover I had pulled my sword free from him and held it against his throat.

"I win again, my friend," I said, and he spat at me.

"I am not your friend," he muttered.

I backed away from him, holding my sword ready but no longer pointing it at him. "Not yet, perhaps," I admitted, "but soon, I hope, you will be."

He sat up cautiously, and put a hand to where I had struck him. "I knew you were no true servant of the Queen."

"Amongst my people, we have a saying: the vainest men see only vanity. Do you understand? It is easy to see in others the flaws we hate in ourselves."

He stood quickly, and backed away from me, clearly looking for a weapon with which to defend himself. "What do you accuse me of?" he said, stalling, "I am loyal."

"I don't believe that," I said, taking a step tentatively towards him, "And I don't think that you do either."

"You have your precious sword," he said, "Go, then. The Queen's guard will catch you."

"I'm not leaving," I said, "Not without you. You want to escape as much as I."

He looked about to speak, but then went silent. I noticed his hands were trembling.

"We both know you should have won the match," I continued, "You had the advantage at the end."

"I slipped," he said, feebly.

I shook my head. "How am I supposed to believe that when its clear you don't believe it yourself? I had to ask myself, why would you let me win? Perhaps the Queen ordered you to, I thought. Or maybe as part of some political plot of your own. But I think the simplest answer is correct, as it usually is: you wanted to lose. You didn't want to spend the night with the Queen again."

"No!" he said, backing up until he bumped into the wall, "I am the Queen's slave."

"She hurts you, humiliates you. She takes out all her frustrations about men upon you."

There was the slightest nod.

I moved in closer, holding the sword loosely by my side. "Even under her spell, there was always a part of me that longed to be free. It is so with you. Perhaps you've been her prisoner so long you've almost forgotten it."

"I..." he said, his voice catching, "its been... years..."

"There is a part of you that the Queen, for all her power, cannot touch. And there are things in this world beautiful and precious that have nothing to do with her. Do you believe me?"

He shook his head, but did not resist as I grew even closer. I could smell him, now: a scent of feminine perfume, flowerly and fragrant, and yet underneath it a musky masculinity that could not be completely covered up.

"I will show you, if you let me. I will teach you how to be free."

I moved quickly then, and pushed my lips to his. He resisted feebly, turning his head away from me and pushing half-heartedly against my chest. After a few moments I felt him soften and let himself be kissed. I pulled away.

"We must get out of the Palace. There must be a way we can without being seen by the amazarii."

"We cannot--" he began to protest, but I shook him, and then kissed him again.

"Don't argue, don't think, don't wander away from this moment. Look at my eyes," I prompted, gently, "I'm here to help you. We're going to escape. It's done, it's already decided. Now, how can we do it?"

"I don't know," he said weakly.

"There's no way? Nobody who could help us?"

He closed his eyes tightly, then suddenly opened them. A single tear dropped down his cheek, ignored. With great effort, he forced himself to speak.

"There's only one person," he said. ______________________________________________________________________________

The night, fortunately, was cloudy and black. The moon was dying, and the stars were but pale shadows of their potential glory. In the darkness I could barely make out Alek running ahead of me. I determined his relative location more from his muttered curses than from sight. We twisted and turned through the city streets, through alleys and down winding back roads, hoping to make pursuit impossible. He knew the city better than I, of course, and so I simply followed his lead.

At last we dared to stop to catch our breath, pressing our bodies against the back of some large building in a dark alleyway. Alek panted for air, and leaned against me wearily. Even in the nerve-wracking anguish of it all, I enjoyed the feel of his touch and felt calmer somehow. Minutes passed, and there seemed to be no sound of pursuers.

"This is like the exciting stories I used to read as a child," he said, suddenly, "only it doesn`t seem so exciting now." The sheer randomness of the comment startled him as much as me, I think. It hung in the air for several moments.

He stirred, "I have to relieve myself. I've had to this whole time. You never read about that in the stories, do you?" With that, he walked a few steps off down the alleyway. There was just enough light that I could see him fiddling with the guard's belt and begin to pull down his trousers.

A small white bird landed on my shoulder, startling me.

"Master," it squawked quietly, "I've found you a place to hide."

I reached up and stroked the bird appreciatively. "Damon, what a blessing you are. Is it far?"

The bird rustled its feathers. "Not far. I'll show you. Master, I grow weak."

"Tonight. Once we're safe. I swear it. Now quiet, here he comes."

Damon flapped his wings and took the air. I could make out his bright feathers quiet clearly, and noted which way he flew.

Alek slipped back into his place by my side softly. "Were you talking to somebody?" he asked.

"I can't explain," I said, rubbing my temples and trying to ignore how tired I was, "It's too much. Just follow me, please."

He squeezed my arm comfortingly, and then it was time to move again. _______________________________________________________________________________

Tolo had knocked on the door so many times that I felt sure there was nobody within and we were wasting our time. No sooner had I thought this, however, then I heard a shuffling of feet beyond as someone slowly made their way nearer. I looked at Tolo, wondering if I could trust him or if he was leading me into a trap. His face was pale and queasy. I thought he might be sick at any moment. He was at war with himself, and I had experienced first hand how painful that could be.

The door swung open a crack, and a hideous face poked out at us. "What's this? What's this?"

"Seeress," Tolo said, his voice sounding on the verge of tears, "We-"

He got no further. "Running away are you?" The old woman smiled her toothless, horrible smile. "About time! Come in, come in!"

"The Queen's Seeress?" I said, incredulously.

"She alone of all Her Majesty's servants has shown me kindness," Tolo said.

"Bah!" spat the Seeress, waving her arms dismissively.

"Why would she help us escape?" I asked her.

"Because," she said, as if explaining something simple to a dull child, "I already read the future and saw that I was going to."

"But you said before that nobody could read the future."

The Seeress slapped me across the face, quite hard. "Don't ever use my words against me, boy."

Despite my stinging cheek, I had to fight to erase all signs of amusement as I nodded and said, "Yes, ma'am."

"Not my king yet, you're not. Hmph!" She scuttled back into her room, and Tolo and I followed her. ______________________________________________________________________________

The loft of the stable was dirty, but the piles of straw seemed relatively clean. I was tired enough that it wouldn't have mattered anyhow. Alek's face betrayed the same weariness; it had been a long night.

The stable itself stood in a poor, run-down section of the city, and looked like it had not been used in some time. The roof was rotting and beginning to collapse, and there were no sign of horses anywhere at all. It was the perfect spot to remain hidden for the night. Damon had done an admirable job.

We lowered ourselves onto the straw quite eagerly, sighing in the pleasure of at last being able to rest. Alek, I was disappointed to realize, had chosen a resting spot some several arm-lengths from mine, keeping his distance as two men, two other men, might do. I wondered if he was angry with me, or if he acted out of habit. I longed to have him close by, but said nothing.

"What happens in the morning?" he asked.

It was a good question. "We make our way to the gate, and try to get out of the city."

"And then where?" I heard him shuffle in the straw. "Fermanagh has always been my home. Where am I supposed to go?"

I drew a deep breath. "You're welcome to travel with me."

"And where are you going? Do you even know?"

I rolled over onto my side so I could look more in his direction, though I could still barely make out his face in the dark.

"North, I think. Towards Broxbourne."

He laughed, "You're mad."

"I must know why they seek me and my sword," I said, "They'll never stop searching for me until I end it."

"So you'll take on the Archbishop himself and the entire Broxbournean army?"

"If I have to," I said, sighing, "I hope it won't come to that."

He didn't respond immediately. I played absently with the amulet hanging from my neck. "I have to return this to its owner as well," I said, "Though I've no idea how to do it."

"You're a very surprising man," he said at last, "I think that's why I'm here with you now. You keep surprising me so much I never have time to resist you."

I smiled suggestively. "Do you want to resist me?"

"Sometimes," he said simply. ________________________________________________________________________________

The Seeress claimed to know of an old tunnel the would lead us well out of the Queen's Palace, and her boasts soon proved true. She led us for what seemed like several leagues through a long and winding tunnel with walls made of packed earth supported by rotting wooden beams. The smell is what I remember most, pungent and moist and altogether mysterious - the smell of the deepest reaches of the earth that we who walk above on the surface never know. How many secrets lie under the ground? How many forgotten tunnels and undiscovered caverns? Mazes of tangled roots and strange creatures who know nothing but the dark?

"How is it the Queen does not know of these tunnels?" asked Tolo.

"Very old," said the Seeress, "Made sure she thought they collapsed."

"You deceive your own Mistress?" Tolo replied indignantly.

"None of that now, boy," the Seeress said, stopping to give him an evil look, "You're running away from her after all. No right to judge."

His face went stony. "I tell you, old woman, if I wasn't certain that it is now too late to avoid punishment and get back in her good graces, I would turn and run back to her right now."

I knew he meant it, at least partially, and so I put my hand comfortingly on his shoulder. I wanted him to know I was still here and he was not in this alone. He shrugged away from my touch, however, and picked up his pace to increase the distance between us. I could see his suffering, and that he thought it would ease his pain to blame me. But we both knew that I had not forced him to leave.

We were forced to crawl for the last stretch of the tunnel. It was at this point, when the ceiling became to low to stand, that the Seeress insisted that the time had come for her to turn back.

"Be looking for you now, they will," she said, "Best if I'm back."

I grew bold enough to grab her robe as she tried to leave. "Please, Seeress," I said, "Earlier, when you... saw my future. You said a lot of things that confused me."

She snorted, then grew serious. "Confuse me too," she confessed.

"Have you any advice for me?"

She put her hands on my shoulders, then, and pulled me down until my face was level with hers. "Only say this once, boy," she said, whispering, "There be two kinds of men in the world. Those who submit to what Destiny brings them, and those that fight it. Which will you be?"

"Which is correct?"

She laughed and turned to go.

"Wait!" I said, "We haven't thanked you for helping us."

She turned back briefly and jabbed her wrinkled finger at the amulet about my chest. "Return that!" she said, "That be all the thanks I need. Ugly thing - does not belong to you!"

And then she was gone.

The tunnel opened up into an overgrown garden thick with weeds. We pulled ourselves, wet with sweat and covered in dirt, out into the sweet open air of the city. The sun had set only a few hours past, and the night was still young. The city seemed quiet, though, at least in the section into which we had emerged.

"Now where?" Tolo said, looking very much like he was thinking of heading straight back to the Palace.

I had no ideas save one. "Wait here for a moment." I did not wait to hear his protestations.

The garden butted up against an ornate looking house with clay tiling on its roof. The windows were dark, but I did not dare risk raising my voice above a whisper, in fear that its owners were merely sleeping inside. I turned the corner of the building and, just out of sight from Tolo, began to call urgently in low tones for Damon.

He appeared within in seconds.

"I have a message from King Valen," he said, handing me a slip of paper.

I took it eagerly, "How did you get it? He didn`t see you?"

He shook his head. "I am too weak for that. I left him a message explaining what was happening, and asked him to leave one in reply in the same place. He did so within moments."

I opened the letter and read urgently. This is what it said, as best as I can remember:

"M : I know not how you managed to reach me, but I do not believe the message could have come from anyone but you. I should have guessed you'd have surprising resources. You have confirmed my worst fears. I can send you no aid until you are free of the building, but if you manage to escape, make your way to the southeast quarter of the city. You'll find an inn there called the Sleeping Shepherd - it is well known, and should not be difficult to find. I will meet you there and place you under my protection. --- V" _____________________________________________________________________________

Alek's breathing was slow and deep, and I decided at last that he was undoubtedly asleep. In the faint light I could see his chest rising and falling. For some moments I could not bear to look away from him, and as I took in his sleeping form I felt a mix of confusing emotions. Why is it, I wondered, that I felt so drawn to fall in love with every man who entered into my life? Surely such incessant longing could not be natural.

At last I rose quietly to my feet and tip-toed my way to the ladder leading down from the loft. Damon would be waiting. ______________________________________________________________________________

Neither of us had any money, but the innkeeper of the Sleeping Shepherd seemed to expect us and showed us to a room immediately. The inn was modest, with a common room for drinking and eating and a kitchen on the ground floor, and a row of rooms up a small set of stairs. The accommodations seemed sparse compared to the luxury of Valen and Valessa's respective palaces, and yet the simplicity was more to my taste. Most significant, I noticed immediately, was the presence of only one bed in the room. Tolo threw himself onto it moodily and buried his face into the pillow. I knew he was suffering, but I could not think of anything to say that might ease his pain. It seemed that at any moment he might break into tears or screams of agony, as the Queen's spell struggled still for dominancy, and I thought perhaps it would be easier for him if I were not there when it happened.

"I could use a bath," I said, simply, looking down at my fithly clothes, "Shall I go ask the innkeeper to prepare a washbasin?"

He grunted an unintelligible response, and I took my cue and left the room quietly.

The innkeeper was eager to please me, and set off at once to order a basin and washcloth prepared for our use upstairs. After a moment's consideration, I decided to stay in the common room to wait for it, giving Tolo a few more minutes solitude upstairs. I took a seat near the fireplace and waved away the serving girl who came to ask if I wanted a drink. I wanted nothing but to sit and stare at the fire and ponder what would happen next.

The flames were hypnotic, and I must have drifted to sleep in my seat, because the next thing I remember is sitting up quite suddenly in surprise as somebody sat down in the seat across from me. He wore a hooded cloak the largely obscured his face, but there was no mistaking him.

"That was fast," I commented.

"I came at once," Valen replied. "Are you alright?"

I sighed and rubbed my temples with my hands. "We are fine, yes. Just a little tired."

"We?" The king arched one of his masculine eyebrows inquisitively.

"I have Tolo with me," I said, and when the King looked confused, I added, "Cedrik's brother."

Valen shook his head. "That was not part of the plan."

"Very little went according to the plan," I said.

"Cedrik's brother -- Tolo, you say his name is now? He is a slave to the Queen. He cannot be trusted."

"So was I, Your Majesty," I said, "And yet I sit before you now a free man. It will be the same for him."

He shook his head. "He is not like you. It will not be so easy."

"Easy?" I laughed. "You don't know what I've been through."

"I have some suspicion." He looked somber and troubled. "You've put me in a precarious position, Markis. The Queen knows I sent you to spy on her."

"Yes," I admitted, "I confessed it to her while I was under her spell."

He rubbed his forehead. "She will tell the Broxbourneans that I am to blame for the escape of their prisoner and the loss of the sword. It may mean war, much sooner than any of us anticipated... depending on how furious the Queen is."

"She might be furious indeed," I said, grimacing, "I was forced to strike her in order to escape."

Valen stared at me for a long moment, and I could see him trying to control his anger. "I -- I wish you had not done that, Markis. I should not judge - no doubt I would have done the same in your place, but you have made my attempts at preserving peace nearly impossible. The Queen will guess that you have fled to me, and she will demand your return. If I refuse, she will attack, supported by her new allies."

"Then I will leave the city, and you will not be forced to refuse."

He shook his head emphatically. "It's not that simple, I'm afraid. If I fail to produce you for any reason, even if you are leagues away from the city, the Queen will use it as a pretext for war. My options are severely limited."

I saw something in his face that troubled me, and I felt my whole body tense. "What are you saying?"

Valen's stared into my eyes desperately, "Please understand that I do not want this. I would like nothing more than to help you flee the city and forget you were ever a part in this insane political rivalry."

"But?" I prompted.

"But now you are the only key I might have to prevent chaos. I do not need to tell you, I presume, that we men of Fermanagh would have little chance of winning a drawn-out war against the amazarii, especially when supported with the army of Broxbourne. It would mean the end of the Rule of Two, and the utter subjugation of every man in the city. I must take any available options to prevent this from happening, for the greater good."

My heart sank. "The greater good excuses all evils?" I asked, defiantly.

"Many of them," he said, "I told you I was not a good man."

"The Queen told me the same," I replied, "She told me that you allowed your men to torture and rape women. I did not want to believe either of you."

He flinched as if struck, but then sat up straight, "I cannot expect you to understand what I have done. Peace in Fermanagh must be maintained, and that can only happen when my men are loyal to me, all of them. I have had to make... concessions to keep many of them in line."

I stared at him. Was this truly the man who had slept in my bed not so long ago? The one who had held me quite affectionately until the first light of day?

"This entire city is mad." I said, bitterly, "All of you are little better than animals."

Valen rose, shaking with emotion. "I dare not risk taking you to my palace, lest you been seen. You will be held prisoner, secretly, at this inn until an agreement can be arranged with the Broxbournean Ambassador for peace. It may be... they may give up their support of the Queen in order to have you and the sword. It`s a chance I cannot afford to let slip by."

He turned to leave, then stopped and looked at me again, his face now a composed and stoic mask. "I thank you for your service, and your friendship. But I will sacrifice you to save my people, if I must, Markis. I have made such sacrifices before, and I will do so again, without hesistation. It is very difficult to be a good man and a King at the same time."

"So it would seem," I replied shortly.

He sighed. "My men will show you upstairs to your room."

Two guards appeared virtually from nowhere to flank me. I stared at Valen pointedly until he could no longer meet my gaze, but looked away in shame. _________________________________________________________________________________

Though Damon covered me with kisses (quietly, so as not to wake Alek who still slept in the loft above us), I could not stop thinking of the profound look of emptiness in Valen's eyes at that moment. It seems to me, now, that some human part of him had died long before, or he believed it had, and that he walked about as an empty shell.

Damon could tell I was distracted and doubled his efforts to please me, his hands slipping into my trousers and caressing my sacred organs aggressively. His attentions succeeded in waking my desire, and it seemed the stresses and the emotions of the day suddenly built up inside of me and demanded for release.

I pushed him down to his knees and pulled down my trousers. ________________________________________________________________________________

Valen's guards took my silver sword, and to be separated from it once again was torturous. When they returned me to the room upstairs, I was stunned to see Tolo standing before me quite naked. The washbasin the innkeeper had prepared was already there, and he was standing before it with a wet washcloth looking quite surprised to see me. I had seen him without clothing before, of course, in our wrestling match, yet then I had looked upon him as a competitor and rival. Now I saw his body as a friend (I hoped), and in my right mind. He was beautiful in a way his brother Cedrik only palely reflected, though his body bore the unmistakable signs of his former mistress' misuse. He looked unsure of what to say, and began resuming his bath, scrubbing his arms and chest with the cloth.

"Tolo," I said, pacing across the room, "We are prisoners again, I'm afraid."

He stopped his work and stared at me. "What?"

"Valen intends to use me as a bargaining chip with the Broxbourneans. We're trapped here."

Tolo's face became pathetic, and drained of all color. "What of me?"

I shrugged. "He didn't seem sure what to do with you."

He rushed to my side and grabbed my arm. "Will he return me to the Queen?" His voice was filled with anguish and with hope.

I placed my hands on his shoulders. "You don't want to return, do you?" I asked.

"Yes!" he cried out suddenly, and tried to push me away, "Yes, damn you! Why did you take me away from her??" He tried to strike me, halfheartedly, and I grabbed his hand and struggled to hold him.

"Enough of this," I said, but he pushed me away again, his arms flailing wildly at my face.

"It's your fault," he said, beginning to weep in earnest now, "Your fault! Everything was fine before you came and took me away, before you came and made me want to leave."

He tried to strike me again. I ducked the swipe and gave him what I intended to be a gentle shove. It caught him off-balance, however, and he stumbled backwards and fell into the basin, splashing water everywhere. He tried to get back up to attack me, but slipped on the wet floor and fell down again, looking too weary to try again.

I could not help myself. I began to laugh, quietly at first and then with greater intensity. I had not laughed in what seemed like weeks, and knew that perhaps I should show more compassion, but the sight of him, naked and wet and cold, sitting in that ridiculous little metal basin looking so unhappy seemed so pathetic that I could not help it. He stared at me viciously, but I saw a smile begin to tug at his lips. Soon he was chuckling too. It was insane, I know, considering our position and everything that I had happened, for us to be so amused. Yet it has always seemed to me that in our most trying circumstances it is much easier to see the utter absurdity of our commonplace griefs and struggles.

"Stupid bath," he muttered, wiping water off of his face.

"Here," I said, as my laughter subsided. I knelt down and picked up the washcloth and began to scrub his back. He tensed up only for a moment, and then relaxed and put his face into his hands and wept.

"I'm sorry," he said, through his tears.

I stroked his back gently, wiping away sweat and dirt. "You don't need to apologize."

"I don't know what's going on with me," he babbled, "I don't know who I am anymore."

We sat in silence as I waited for him to continue. He did.

"I've been her slave as long as I can remember."

I wrung out the cloth in the water. "Why did you leave, then?"

"You," he shook his head and ran his hand through his wet hair, "You changed me. Just being around you made me want... more. Made me think of freedom. And then when you... When you kissed me. I'd never thought such a thing was possible. For a man to kiss a man. It surprised me."

"It surprised me too," I admitted, "It wasn't my intention to do it, but I wasn't sure how else to get through to you."

"I grew up in Fermanagh," he said, "I don't know how it is elsewhere, but here kisses are something women have the power to give or deny. A man needs a woman for a kiss, and for... everything else, and she uses that fact as a way to control him."

I ran the cloth across the back of his neck softly. "I think I understand."

"I have always loved women, always longed for them," he said. I could tell it was a relief to him to be able to speak whatever came to his mind. "I used to lay with many women, before, when I was free. My brother told me it was dangerous, with our family being in politics. But I ignored him until it was too late and a she-witch had me under her spell. I was given to My Queen as a gift. Was I stupid not to take his advice?"

I squeezed his shoulder. "You followed your nature."

He shook his head emphatically. "I never knew there was any other option! I felt as though I had always been missing a part of myself, a part that could only be found inside a woman."

I kissed his cheek. "You aren't missing anything," I said.

"Why do I feel so empty?" he asked, turning his head to look at me, "Even now?"

I was not sure what to say, and so I quoted the holy texts of my people. "Everything you could possibly want and need, you already have and are." I had known those words since my childhood, I realized, but how often had I really believed them?

He studied me intently for a long moment. "You're a very strange man, Markis."

I kissed him, letting our lips hang together. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, enjoying it. I wrapped my arms around him, not caring that my clothes were growing damp by being so close to him. He buried his face into my neck and clung on to me tightly. Looking down into the basin, I could see his manhood strained erect with desire. There was perhaps only one gift I could give him.

I let my hand slip across his chest and let it rest on his stomach, testing him. He felt my presence there and leaned gently back, opening his legs in invitation. I slipped my hand into the water and wrapped it gently around him. He gasped and clung on to me tighter. I began to pleasure him slowly, carefully, while kissing the top of his head affectionately and softly caressing his back and arm with my other hand. His breathing began to increase, and his fingers dug into my back. ________________________________________________________________________________

My breathing began to increase and Damon's fingers dug into my back. He knelt before me eagerly as my hand moved furiously upon myself and all the tensions of the day began to rally about my loins. His mouth hung open hungrily, waiting to receive his meal.

He was so beautiful, and his only desire was to please me, and yet my thoughts kept creeping back to the inn, to the washbasin and to the cold and lonely man who had once been my rival for the Queen. ______________________________________________________________________________

Tolo was moaning openly now, and I could feel a few more warm tears running off his face and onto my neck and chest. His body tensed again, and he looked up to kiss me once more. As my tongue brushed against his, his manhood began to shake and shoot his warm seed into the water of the basin and up onto his chest and on my arm. One shot cleared his head and landed on the ground near the bed. He broke away from my kiss and moaned loudly. _____________________________________________________________________________

I moaned loudly as I reached my climax, and my hips began to thrust into the air. Damon was ready. With expert motion, he caught every bit of my release in his open mouth, swallowing with ease. In the darkness of the old stable, his body began to glow eerily.

I reached down and ran my fingers through his hair. "Thank you," I said. ____________________________________________________________________________

"Thank you," Tolo mumbled again, "Thank you, thank you."

"It was nothing," I said, squeezing him tightly.

"You saved me," he said simply. "You saved me."

"Quiet now," I soothed, "Just relax. I've got you, Tolo. I've got you."

He cringed. "Don't call me that," he pleaded, "She gave me that name."

Of course, I thought. I should have realized earlier. "What is your name? Your true name?"

He looked up at me, looking puzzled, as though for a moment he could not remember. When he finally spoke, it was with surprise and wonder. "Alek," he said, "My name is Alek."

I helped him to stand. "Well, Alek," I said, "Lets get you dry. And then we need to talk about finding a way to escape." _____________________________________________________________________________

When I crawled back into the loft, Alek stirred. "Markis?" he asked sleepily, and reached out a hand to feel for me.

"I'm here," I said, taking his hand and lying next to him, "Right here."

His eyes stayed closed, and I had the feeling he was still half in sleep. "I'm glad," he said.

And we slept.

***Thanks for reading. To avoid another long gap between chapters, please send me notes of encourgement. Feel free to beg and plead for another chapter. I also respond well to gentle threats. If you would be interested in being put on a mailing list so that I can contact you when new chapters are published, please let me know. thephallocrat@gmail.com ***