Bernhardt laughed, the sound surprisingly kind and sweet. “What do you suppose happens when you put seven men together for years? We’ve all seen and done things that would make your hair stand up. And not only your hair, but your eyebrows and your cock as well.”
Makellos’ face went scarlet, and he ducked his head down. “You’re not bashful at all, are you?”
“Not a bit,” Bernhardt said with a rather boyish grin on his elderly face. “People already discount me so much, if I did not speak up for myself, I would never be noticed at all. And if Iam not confident, I am not taken seriously. Now, will you please come out of the wash room, and we can talk further?”
Makellos pushed himself to his feet, his cock now thankfully flaccid in his breeches. He stepped out, and Grim shoved past him, slamming the door to the water closet behind him. Bernhardt reached up and took Makellos’ hand, leading him back over to the bed where the whole debacle had started. Makellos sat down uneasily, letting the hide blanket fall down.
Bernhardt smiled, his face gentle and kind. “Listen now. What you felt and what you wanted, there’s nothing wrong with it. Perhaps it felt odd to be in such an awkward place as with others in the bed around you, but we have seen it all, I promise you. It was not incredibly long ago that we even committed such acts together.”
“We? You mean, all of you?” Makellos asked in surprise.
Bernhardt nodded, rubbing a tiny hand over his bushy beard. “We each have our own relationships and desires, but it’s been so long since we’ve acted on most of them. There’s just too much work to be done, and one’s body and spirit can only do so much.”
“I understand that,” Makellos said, realizing that in the hierarchy of priorities, sexual needs were likely nowhere near the top. “I am not used to… I haven’t…”
Bernhardt smiled sagely. “No explanation is necessary. Please. Do not shame yourself or hold yourself to blame for trying to find a bit of happiness in a dark, cruel world.”
Makellos felt an unexpected tug inside of him at that. Was that what he had been doing? It made sense. He liked Sigmund. He liked all of the little miners, in their own ways. “I suppose I greatly embarrassed Sigmund. I should apologize.”
“No need,” said the man himself, coming in from the main room, shirtless and chewing on a piece of bread. “I’m not embarrassed at all. Though I am terribly sorry that you were.” He dropped to one knee, bowing his head and taking Makellos’hand. “Please forgive me, your highness,” he said, dropping a playful kiss on the back of it.
“No!” Makellos said quickly. “I mean, yes, I mean…” He cleared his throat. “You have nothing to be forgiven for. I am quite all right and just sorry I caused such a commotion.”
“I’m sorry we didn’t get to finish what we started,” Sigmund said, lifting his head and giving Makellos a playful smirk. “Guess it will have to wait until I get back from work.”
Makellos felt his cheeks warm, but he nodded slowly. “I… I think I should like that.”
“Good. Because I want to taste that incredible cock again,” Sigmund said, getting to his feet and winking at Makellos before sauntering over to the dresser to grab a fresh tunic.
Makellos glanced over at Bernhardt, but the older man looked as non-plussed as if they were speaking of the weather. “Thank you for calming me,” he said with a laugh that felt a little uneasy still, but he felt much better now.
Bernhardt nodded. “Of course. Please know, your highness, you are free here to develop any relationships you like, with anyone. As long as all are consenting, there is no judgement amongst us.”
“I will keep that in mind,” Makellos said. “Thank you.”
Eleven
Everyone went off to work shortly thereafter except for Sigurd. They were going to fix the roof today. Once all had departed, he watched Sigurd swallow a tincture in a little glass bottle. “What is that for?”
Sigurd swallowed the single mouthful and corked the bottle up again, setting it on the sideboard to wash. “I’m not sure what’s all in it, but I’m allergic to something here. Grim thinks it’s the mold from the roof. It makes me sneezy when I’m here all day, when the sun shines on the roof. And I’m allergic to sawdust, which is just excellent luck for a carpenter, eh? So, Der compounded this to help my allergies.”
“Well, that won’t do,” Makellos said, glancing up at the patchy roof. “Hopefully taking out the moldy pieces today will help with that.”
“I hope so,” said Sigurd with a chuckle. “Hey, are you really all right? I know my brother can be a handful sometimes, and he’s a dreadful flirt.”
“Oh!” Makellos said, laughing a bit. “I’m all right, I promise. I… I just have never… done any of that… before…” His voice grew softer and softer.
“Really?” Sigurd asked as they headed for the nearby creek to collect reeds for the thatch. “A handsome buck like you? You didn’t have all of the young men and ladies chasing after you?”
“If they did, they never told me about it,” Makellos said with a huffy breath. “But then, my mother was so severe, I didn’t really ever consider taking a lover to bed. Any time I became close to a servant or someone in the palace, they would be sent away. My mother didn’t want me to have friends ‘beneath me.’”
Sigurd clucked his tongue. “And with no siblings, that would be everyone else.”
“Yes,” Makellos said with a sigh, running his fingers through his dark hair. “It was quite the lonely life sometimes.”
“But now you have seven of us,” Sigurd said with a gleam in his hazel eyes.
“That I do,” Makellos said. “Tell me about you. And your brother. Where are you from?”
