"Arabian Nights"
Part 48
by Beryll
The morning was only a few hours old but already the streets of Aqaba were teaming with life. The sun beat down on the city mercilessly but her effort was futile as it was ignored by the many merchants haggling loudly with their customers. The great bazaar was especially crammed as a great caravan from the south had arrived the previous evening, bringing in exotic goods, pretty slaves and various cattle, including some extremely precious horses.
Jared slipped through the throng like water running through a crack in a jug. He was so tired he just wanted to curl up in some shaded corner and sleep the sleep of the dead but abilities ingrained in his life since he could walk did not abandon him now. Being invisible was vital when one made a living stealing from merchants and passers by.
But that time was past, Jared told himself with cold sarcasm, he was so much better of now.
Absentmindedly he scratched at the mark on the back of his hand as he dodged a huge man, dragging along a stubborn camel. No more running away, no more hiding, no more sleeping on rooftops - he now had his own cot, regular meals, a job - no more doing as he pleased.
With a sigh of relief he left the bazaar behind, taking the short route through some back alleys to get home quickly. His last assignment had lasted longer than the customer had paid for. Jared had been supposed to be back before sunrise and he knew that being late without any extra coins would probably earn him a beating. Even though it wasn't his fault as he had been tied down so leaving hadn't actually been an option. But facts like that rarely were of interest to his master and Jared had learned to keep his mouth shut, accept punishment and get on with life. Arguing just made things worse.
He rounded the last corner and slowly walked down what most people simply called 'Whore's Lane'. At the end of the street, where the bazaar district bordered on the rich quarter there were several really expensive pleasure houses but down here, close to the bazaar you could find the cheap stuff. Males and females of varying ages and looks lining the street or lounging in the shade of house openings, waiting for customers, discreetly observed from inside the houses by their owners who would only appear if a customer showed real interest to make the deal.
Jared knew most of the whores working here at least by name and there wasn't a single one who wasn't a slave. Nobody would choose a life like this. He hadn't chosen it either. He had been grabbed off the street, branded and before he even realized what was happening to him his 'first night' had been auctioned off to a pretty faced young noble and his friends.
Compared to what he had experienced since it hadn't even been that bad but it had driven home the point how very careless and clueless he had been while he had still been living the life of a street rat. And how very fortunate.
At least he wasn't working for one of the masters closest to the bazaar yet. Those sold the burn outs, the ones that had either been used so badly they weren't much to look at anymore or who had grown old. And those poor suckers never survived long.
The street was rather quiet as most business was done at night. The few customers who came at this time of day knew what they wanted and just asked at the right house for the whore of their choice.
But when Jared got closer to the house that belonged to his master he noticed a whole group of people standing in front of it. What really caught his attention was that the ones highly visible were wearing the unmistakable uniform of the Caliph's Guard. For a moment he hoped with cold hatred that his master had done something to get in trouble with the law but then he cut his hopes - that would just mean he'd be sold and his life would quite likely get worse. And the guards more looked like they were actually guarding someone than like they were arresting someone.
But maybe this commotion presented an opportunity to slip inside unnoticed and escape his master's wrath, Jared thought, as he got closer and noticed that his master was animatedly talking to a tall noble, wrapped in fine robes. The noble had the bearing of a man who was used to instantly being obeyed and the way he carried himself suggested that he was a warrior as well.
Jared would have categorized him as a hard, probably quite brutal customer if it hadn't been for the two boys accompanying him. Both were dark haired but there the similarities ended. One was tanned, wiry and bouncing with nervous energy next to his lord while the other was of light complexion and a delicate build, standing next to his lord listening quietly to his companion's excited chatter.
What convinced Jared that this noble must be a kind master, was when he ruffled the tanned boy's hair in a gesture of almost careless affection and the boy leaned into the touch with such unselfconscious trust that it simply couldn't be faked.
They were standing right in front of the entrance so Jared decided he would best slip inside from the rear of the house when his hopes of remaining unnoticed where squashed as his master managed to spot him even through the guards obstructing his view.
"Jared!" His master's voice cut through the chatter of the boy and Jared instinctively ducked. That tone of voice never meant anything good.
"Jared, come here!" his master commanded, his voice broking no argument. Then he turned back to the noble. "This is the one I was talking about." he explained, taking on the utterly subservient manner he only used when the customer was of really high rank.
Jared immediately realized why, when he stepped closer. There was not a single citizen of Aqaba who did know the exotic face of the new prince. For a moment Jared stared at the prince in shock, his mind unable to process why a man as powerful as that would come to a place like this but then his harsh training snapped back into place and he quickly dropped to his knees next to his master, carefully keeping his head lowered.
"You see? Just like I told you, your highness," his master continued in what Jared now realized to be a sales pitch, "he has not been in service too long to become jaded but he is quite experienced. He's calm, friendly and well mannered. And of course a real beauty."
"Let the Prince have a look at you!" he then addressed Jared, who obediently raised his head to let the prince study his face, while still keeping his gaze to the ground.
He was surprised when it wasn't the prince but the tanned boy who spoke next. "Gosh... Lij... he's even prettier than you are!" he exclaimed excitedly.
"Orli." the other boy admonished with a faint note of reproach.
The prince chuckled at the boy's antics. "Does that mean we have finally found one who meets your approval, Orli?" he asked with dry amusement.
"I hope so," the other boy grumbled, "we've been at this for hours."
"Have not!" the boy called Orli retorted good humouredly, "and we have to pick carefully, right? After all this is important. Or do you want one you don't like?"
"You can hardly wait to get started, can you?" the boy called Lij snapped back.
"Well... I'd wager you're as curious as I am, you're just being a sissy again!" Orli shot back.
"Kittens, calm down." the Prince interrupted the boys' arguing. He then addressed the one called Lij. "So what do you think of him?"
So the boys were the customers and the prince was just the one doing the buying. Jared felt the boy's eyes on him, scrutinizing him. He couldn't say how often he had been looked at like that but this time, being evaluated by a mere boy, it somehow stung especially badly.
"He looks tired." Lij said coolly.
So would you if you had been tied down and fucked all night, Jared thought, feeling bile rise in his throat.
"He had the night off," his master explained, lying so shamelessly Jared thought he should be choking on it, "so he probably went partying. He's fun to be with, I can assure you of that. Isn't that so Jared?"
"Yes, master." Jared replied obediently and wondered why he wasn't choking on the words either.
"Come on, Lij, let's at least try him out!" Orli again talked to Lij, this time using a honeyed tone that would have made any whore envious. At least any whore who didn't just want to drop asleep like Jared did right then.
Still he noticed how the other boy squirmed uncomfortable even though he tried to appear still and cool when he answered: "Fine, if you think that's necessary."
"Take the two young gentlemen to the parlour." his master commanded and Jared smoothly rose to his feet again. He'd had worse nights, he thought. And he'd had one hell of a lot worse customers than these boys. He'd get through this.
He showed the two boys inside while his master ordered refreshments to be brought outside for the Prince.
"Lij, come on, this is supposed to be fun." he heard Orli whisper to the other boy, both of them trailing behind him. "What's the problem?"
"You know what the problem is." Lij hissed back, now sounding as nervous as Jared had guessed. That appeased the young whore a bit.
When they reached the parlour he carefully closed the door behind the two boys. "How may I serve you?" he asked meekly.
"I... uhm..." Orli replied, suddenly sounding nearly as nervous as Lij.
Jared almost smiled. If he hadn't been so very tired, this might actually have been fun.
For a moment it seemed like the silence would stretch forever but then Lij obviously decided that something had to be done if they were to get anywhere at all. "Why don't you show us what you can do with your mouth." he boldly suggested.
"As you wish." Jared replied, stepping closer to the boys, noting with amusement how Lij quickly stepped backward and pushed Orli to the front.
Deciding that he would get to sleep sooner if got done as quickly as possible, Jared knelt in front of the boy and opened his loose pantaloons without any real finesse or teasing. Instead he immediately caressed the admittedly pretty, slender cock he found inside.
Orli groaned and his cock reacted to the treatment instantly, hardening in Jared's palm. Youth, the whore thought, always so excitable. Not waiting for any further commands he leaned forward and swallowed the boy whole. Orli's response was a helpless whimper and both his hands grabbing at Jared's hair.
Show them what he could do with his mouth, Jared thought somewhat grimly, he would show them all right. Using every trick he had learned since he had been forced to become a whore he sucked and licked the hard flesh of the boy, making him writhe and gasp. It was tempting to torture him, to draw it out as long as possible. But Jared wanted to sleep and the hard thrusts into his sore throat just brought back memories of the man who had used him all night.
So he brought Orli to climax quickly, leaving the boy clinging to him, shuddering, hardly able to remain on his feet.
Jared professionally tucked the spend cock back inside the boy's pantaloons. "Anything else I can serve you with?" he asked just as meekly as before.
"Oh... oh Allah..." Orli muttered weakly.
"I..." Lij's voice didn't sound too composed either. It held a peculiar mixture of arousal and fear. "I guess that will do." he concluded. Then he addressed his companion. "Orli? Orli, are you all right?"
"Oh... Lij... I'm SO all right!" Orli groaned, slowly regaining his senses.
"So you want this one?" Lij asked, making Jared wonder for the first time what exactly they had been discussing with his master. It didn't sound as if they were done with him at all.
"If you want?" Orli asked back, oblivious to Jared's sudden bad feeling.
Lij shrugged. "I trust you. If you say he is the right one..."
"Then I do."
A look of sweet affection passed between the two of them that would have touched Jared in its innocent sincerity if he hadn't been so worried about what they were talking.
"You may show us back to the Prince." Lij commanded, now back to his cool, assertive self again.
And of course Jared obeyed.
The Prince was sipping on a glass of iced tea when they returned outside and looked bored to tears with the oily compliments of Jared's master. He smiled at his two boys brightly. "So, what do you say?" he asked.
"We want him." Orli announced, bouncing happily.
'We want him?' Jared thought, why did that sound so final?
He learned the answer with his master's next words, addressing the prince. "A good deal, your highness. I can assure you he will be a good teacher to your boys and a worthy addition to your household."
If you enjoyed this story, please send feedback to: Beryll
go to PART 49