“What does that mean? Are you God now?”
He huffed at my deliberate obtuseness. “The spying mission? The kiss? I engineered the whole thing so I could have you alone and finally discover what all those furious looks at me could mean. We are here because I had the courage to take that first step!”
It was too true to refute, so I refuted it roundly. “Kissed me and then led me to believe it was done in jest. That was as much help as a cock on a nun. And the looks were not furious. They were censorious, because you are an arse.”
We were at something of an impasse. I leaned against the tub, letting my head fall back. He sighed. “This is going as well as all the other liaisons I have organized for us.”
“And whose fault is that?”
“Yours.”
“So you would say. Look, I am older than you and have—”
“Tell me once more, Nikolai, how much of the world you have seen and all the things you have done. I know I am young, but that does not alter the essential truth of what I say. I am your superior.”
I laughed, and he hit me. I wasn’t having that, so I held his arms, and that led to other things, for we were aroused from the anger. I kissed him hard and rough, took his member in my hand once more, and promised much with it that I did not allow him to complete. I whispered in his ear, “You would enjoy it. I promise, Aleksey; you would relish it.” I could see he was wavering, and I pressed my advantage. I pressed something else. His eyes widened. “See? Imagine if it werethisthere instead.” And I pushed my hard prick against his thigh to focus his thoughts.
He groaned but shifted away from me slightly. “I do not understand why if I would enjoy it, you would not.”
I had no answer for this except that I had not enjoyed it, although I was not stupid. I could see that my experiences of such activity had not been in ideal circumstances. He suddenly swiveled and straddled my lap. His eyes widened, and he murmured wryly, “That was close. It might have solved our dilemma for us.”
I laughed and kissed him. Did I not already have everything I could possibly want right here and now? “Do not think more on this. We have time enough to decide all things.”
We spent a very enjoyable half hour more in the tub before it cooled too much to enjoy further. I had never kissed for half an hour without respite before. I had not realized time could pass so quickly. We were lost to each other and to the feel of our bodies without the need to take it beyond fingers grazing, tongues exploring, and the intense pleasure of flesh warm against flesh.
When we emerged from the tub, I asked Aleksey where I was to sleep, and he took my hand and led me to a large bedchamber with one huge bed hung with curtains. He looked at me and pouted a little. “I had thought that we would be more intimate by this stage—that you would be content to share a bed with me. I’m sorry. Perhaps you would—” I caught him around the waist, heaved him into the air, and, ignoring his furious objection to being so manhandled, dumped him on the bed, then straddled him.
“You are very masterful, sir.”
I groaned at his coquettish demeanor and tapped him disapprovingly on the nose. “That kind of language,sir, will get you into trouble. Be wary, or I will solve our problem for us by turning you over and showing you how masterful I can be.”
He thought about this for a moment. “Perhaps that would be best. I didn’t want to learn to swim, but when I was three, Johan picked me up and threw me into the sea off the harbor wall where it was very deep. I swam or I drowned. And when I saved Faelan from the ocean, I was very glad that he had done so. Although, I admit, he was not in my favor for many weeks after the incident.”
I rolled off and lay alongside him, contemplating the tapestry cover above our heads. “Have you just likened me entering you to nearly drowning?”
“I think drowning would be a very good way to go. I am already drowning in my desire for you.” Suddenly he roused himself a little from this gloomy introspection and slapped me playfully. “But is this not good as well? We have never had such comfort, and I am very eager to see how it feels to sleep entangled with you. I hope you notice and appreciate that I have banned Faelan from our bedchamber tonight, so that you might have me all to yourself.”
We climbed under the covers and moved together as if we were familiar bedfellows, which we were not. Even when sharing a tent for so long on the march, we had always had separate uncomfortable cots. This was indeed very comfortable. Both naked, we soon warmed the cold bed just from lying twisted together. I could feel the effects of the food and wine and the long day working upon me. I think Aleksey was already asleep. He always slept extremely quietly and without moving at all. He said he did not dream, which I did not believe. How could a man not dream? My sleep was always full of events and thoughts, and sometimes I woke having conversations upon incredibly interesting subjects that I could not remember once my eyes had opened. How could he sleep so now, though, when this was so novel? I did not think I would ever be able to sleep when I had such perfection: a head upon my chest; a warm, lithe body in my arms; a thigh bent up and heavy on my legs; and feet entwined with mine. It took me back to the huddle of warm bodies lulling me to sleep as a child. I had lost my whole world then but gained another.
What world would I not sacrifice to keep this new one here and by my side?
CHAPTER 23
ICOULDtell that our dilemma was on Aleksey’s mind when he woke the next day. He was curious, wanting to explore. All that he did told me he was thinking about my desires. I made it easier for him by not pushing his decision, letting him do what he wanted to my body, other than the obvious, which I would not allow. It accustomed him to the idea that anything between us was acceptable, that in this, we were entirely equals. Who had to come down off the podium of belief in his superiority and accept this equality was still open for debate, however. I, naturally, felt that I was the leader between us. He clearly thought that his superior rank and position meant superiority in all things, including me. We did not have much time, unfortunately, for I had a lot of things I wanted to do with and to Aleksey, but we had woken late and could already hear commotion outside the villa. A huge parade was planned. As fascinating as my body was, it could not apparently compete with the opportunity to ride at the head of his army, wearing his new shiny medals in front of his father, the king. I could hardly blame him. As fascinating as his body was, I too wanted to be at the parade, to watch him wearing his shiny new medals, riding at the head of his army. The king I could take or leave.
So, reluctantly, we had to leave our bed before anything sinful could take place—unless intent and thought were now sins, which knowing the Christian God, they probably were. In some ways this was good, for although we both had trouble squeezing into our breeches, the heightened excitement of our bodies mingled with anticipation for the day. By the time Aleksey rode into camp, his mood energized everyone. Even pennants that had drooped seemed to stiffen and flutter to life. I thought Aleksey was having a bad effect upon me. I chastised myself and tried to keep the grin off my face. I was not known as the sort of man who grinned at anything, and this insane happiness would give us both away. But Aleksey was addictive. I had sampled his sweet opiate and knew I was already as one lost.
I had plenty of time to consider our problem as we lined up in our various ranks and orders to be paraded in front of His Majesty. I could not wholly blame Aleksey for his decision. As I watched him then, resplendent, respected, a leader of men, he would not look to anyone considering this like a man who took another’s cock inside him willingly. Of course, I knew that this was foolish. I knew that men who liked men came in all shapes and sizes, and in places where you least expected them. I had known the fiercest warriors who would lie beneath a mere boy, for only in the willing surrender of power did you discover the true strength that lay within you. Aleksey had a lot of power, but he would find more in the surrender of it willingly. I could not teach him this, however. He needed to discover it for himself, and quite how I was to help him do that was a mystery to me. I had never had to coax another man onto my cock before. I had never even had to try.
The parade was to begin in the fields where we were camped and then move slowly through the city past the great citadel. A grandstand had been hastily erected on the steps of this edifice for the prominent citizens of Saxefalia to witness their new prince presenting the colors. After this, they had prepared a feast in honor of the great, victorious army (to which only officers were invited, I noted) and then a tournament: more swordplay, more thrusts with lances and mock battles. You would think they had had enough by this time. Finally the formal ceremony of investiture would take place in the cathedral, where the king of Hesse-Davia would crown his eldest son Prince of Saxefalia.
I was to ride with the cavalry and had exchanged my white armband for their royal blue one. Aleksey had insisted that I not paint my face or ride seminaked, which I had threatened to do. I did, however, paint a white handprint upon Xavier’s rump. It looked well there, and if called upon it, I would claim it was accidental dust. I had also awarded him his own medal, which he wore hanging off his bridle against regulations. I felt he had earned it. He had killed as many of the enemy as I in the war.
For the first time, clipping along with my fellow officers in the parade, I had the sense that the sun now singledmeout for special favor. All light bent and bowed tome, and everything about me seemed intensified—the shine of Xavier’s coat, the bounce of his mane, the feel of power and health and strength in my body.
We reached the city gates, and sounds intensified, hundreds of hooves on cobbles, tiny sparks flying when they slipped, soft whinnying and muttered reassurances, and then the bugles sounded as the head of the parade reached the grandstand. I could not see it yet, but all cynicism about this day vanished on that clarion call. It was a call to arms, to brotherhood, to fealty. I wanted to see the king, wanted to see the pleasure on his face at this great victory. I was even willing to see Prince George—he was presenting the colors, and I wanted to see them.
I was about twenty feet from the grandstand, only catching the occasional glimpse as I bobbed up and down on Xavier’s back, and that only from my superior height, when I heard a creak. I took no notice, as I was admiring the king, who looked quite hale and hearty, which I was glad to observe. He had been my first success in this venture, the war the second. I only had my conquest of Aleksey to go, and my journey to this benighted land would be entirely worthwhile. I was thinking I might put it to the prince in these terms—that he would be my third victory—and see if it helped his decision to acquiesce, when I heard the creak again, only much louder this time. Loud enough to make several of the officers rise in their stirrups to observe the ranks for misconduct. Horses, in my experience, didn’t creak, so I continued thinking my own pleasant thoughts, hearing Aleksey’s outrage at being termed my conquest and picturing our subsequent fight and fall into the tub—which inevitably ended with him sitting on more than my lap this time. I was too engrossed in this, shifting slightly in the saddle, to be interested in the shout that went up from the front of the line.
