"Arabian Nights"
Part 20
by Liz
Orlando eyed Elijah with the menace of a predatory cat. „You hurt him."
Elijah eyed Orlando with the imperiousness of a peacock. „And I am glad I did what I set out to do."
It was a standoff between the two young men, and Orlando was more than ready to ignore his Prince’s warning, leap at the snotty ‘harem boy’ he was forced to babysit, and pound the stuffing out of him. The royal ‘gift’ fought like a girl, and Orlando was pretty sure Elijah knew nothing about dirty street fighting… of which goading was a key part.
"I was his first."
"You can have him."
Vexed at the ready answer from Elijah, Orlando shot back, „Royal boy-whore."
"Slut," Elijah leered back.
"Second-best fuck toy."
"Pimply-assed street rat."
"HEY! My ass isn’t pimply!" Orlando protested just before he and Elijah burst into a manic fit of giggles at the absurdity of the statement. „This is stupid," the young thief cried, laughing to tears. „We could go on forever calling each other names."
"Just the way to spend an evening," chuckled the princeling. But even as Elijah laughed, Orlando could see a storm cloud of sorrow dulling those huge blue eyes. Growing uncomfortable at such scrutiny, Elijah shrugged nonchalantly and turned away to shuffle to the arched window. „I meant what I said; no talk of sharing him. I don’t want him. Prince Viggo is my shame."
The words trailed off softly at the end, but Orlando knew he definitely caught the ‘shame’ part. He came up next to Elijah and breathed in the sweetly scented jasmine air wafting through the courtyard. What a way my life has turned, he sighed. From fighting to live… to simply living. But I have a feeling my life has been easy compared to Elijah’s. Then again, he could just be whining about trivialities that the noble class felt they have no right to bear… „Shame? How?"
For a tense moment, Elijah wasn’t sure if he should tell the street rat. It was his grief, and his alone. But Orlando was the first person his own age that he could talk to in a long while; and his whole story would get out sooner or later, wouldn’t it? Elijah leaned out, savoring the breeze on his face while he focused on the gilt tops of the city’s minarets in the distance; his gaze picked out a robed muezzin ascending one of them, and as the man went step by step so did Elijah’s story.
"My father has sent me here to Prince Viggo as punishment. Not too long ago, he caught me with my teacher, a man not much older than myself. Ahmed was a mentor and lover to me, and for that I will always thank him… but my father, may Allah take his eyes, did not. No son of his was to favor men, not while he still lived. So he gave me to his house guards to teach me a lesson – to scare it out of me…"
"And?" Orlando prodded.
"They did nothing, they were too unsure and frightened to. My father has a dangerous habit of testing people, and his men were not sure if this was one or not. To be safe, they chose not to touch me."
I knew it, Orlando thought triumphantly, he’s just another ‘overburdened’ royal. Maybe I SHOULD beat the stuffing out of him for thinking his life is so hard! „Keep going; you have yet to convince me."
Elijah gave Orlando a bland sideways look. „What if I told you my lover was put to death before my eyes?"
"Er… that might do it." But Orlando wasn’t really sure he wanted to know details. No matter, as Elijah continued on:
"When my father found out his guards were of no use in my humiliation, he did what he thought was the next best thing. He summoned the household and a few choice friends, called Ahmed and I to his presence, and had Ahmed beheaded."
The eerily detached tone of voice was more startling to Orlando than the story itself. It was as if Elijah were seeing it all happen through someone else’s eyes. He was going to ask why Elijah didn’t try to stop his father, but realized that most likely the young man had been subdued by one of the guards. The only thing he could say was, „By Allah."
"I was then paraded through the streets, forced to carry the head of my lover, which was tied with rope to my hands. Soon after, my father decided to gain favor with the new prince – and be rid of his embarrassment of a son at the same time." The princeling then propped his jaw on a fist, his sky-blue eyes watery as he studied Orlando. „You look like Ahmed."
Orlando felt his groin tighten at the wistful statement, even while his mind was still reeling from Elijah’s tale. How could anyone hold his head high and speak so matter-of-factly about such pain? „I do?" he whispered, entranced by those amazing blue eyes. „I’m sorry."
"I’m not."
Orlando wasn’t sure how they had started the kiss. Baby-soft lips covered his, and the warm tongue that begged entry was welcomed as the kiss deepened. Elijah’s smooth hands worked the street rat’s robes apart, and Orlando groaned at the feather-light fingertips on his olive skin. „Elijah," he breathed into the princeling’s hot mouth, „after what you’ve been through – „
" – I need comfort," Elijah finished. He slid a hand down to Orlando’s groin, and smiled when his grip on the stiffness there brought forth a moan and shudder. It has been so long since I’ve taken comfort in the touch of another, Elijah mused. And the handsome street rat is just begging to be used for that purpose; if he balks, I’ll simply remind him of his station. „Let me do what I want."
"Please…" Silk rippled over his aching prick, and Orlando held his breath. Elijah had gone down on his knees, taking Orlando’s pants with him, and his bare cock jutted out to brush the princeling’s cheek. He half expected Elijah to bite it off, considering not too many minutes before this they had wanted to kill each other. His brain shut off every thought except hunger when Elijah kissed the velvet-hot tip, all the while looking up into Orlando’s deep brown eyes with limpid, wet blue ones.
"Why?" asked Orlando, threading quaking fingers through the princeling’s tousled curls. I will burst, I will explode, I will die, I will -
Elijah licked his lips. „Just because. Now be quiet."
Neither one noticed Viggo standing in the doorway…
If you enjoyed this story, please send feedback to: Liz
go to PART 21