"Of Princes And Slaves"
Part 12
by Osiris Brackhaus & Beryll

 

- Ardeth Bey (Oded Fehr) -

It had been a good day. Hunting with my brother had calmed my thoughts and given me some respite from the curious and sometimes mocking gazes of my tribe. They were not blind and certainly not deaf so they all knew by now what Nekhem was to me. With a smile I wondered how the princeling would have dealt with the humorous remarks at the women's day tent that would probably have followed this morning's 'display of affection'.

Even my usually chronically mouth-tied brother hadn't been able to suppress a remark about 'that little wildcat'. I wondered what he would have said, had he seen the scratch and bite marks on my back and shoulders... But if I had ever received wounds I would wear without complaining it were these.

"Are you going to eat at father's tent or are you going home to your own?" my brother asked, while I rubbed down the mare that had so faithfully brought me and Nekhem here from that pile of stone they called a 'city'. She was tired and eyed me with reproach. She had every right to. She had not been bred for roaming the desert. I would have to get another horse soon.

Then my brother's words penetrated my thoughts and I had to smile. Home. Never before had I actually considered my tent a home. I had still been living more with my sisters than there. And now there was somebody to share my tent with me.

Or so I hoped. I couldn't even be sure that he would be there now. And who could know if Nekhem would ever feel at home in a simple tent with people he considered barbarians surrounding him.

No, I should not think that far ahead just yet. 'Take some time', I told myself. 'We both deserve a respite from worry and fear. You can worry about the future later.' Now just to hope that he would too.

I was halfway back to our tent, when I realized I had forgotten something important and had nearly broken another promise that I had made to my princeling. So I took a little detour to Thana, the leather worker of our tribe and asked her for a pair of leather boots that might fit Nekhem's small feet. Luckily, she had a pair that had belonged to one of her own sons who had just grown out of them.

So when I finally walked up to the tent, the sun had already set and even from afar I could see the small fire burning in front of the tent and the first evening breeze carried the sound of Nekhem's voice softly humming some tune of his own people. It was a 'coming home' and my heart beat warm and content in my chest.

Even more so when I saw that Nekhem was stirring a pot sitting on the fireplace. He looked up when I stopped in front of him and it was almost painful how sweet he looked. He had painted his eyes black again, the perpetual expression of worry and unhappiness he had worn for the last couple of days had eased and his smile was radiant, shining to rival the sun. Maybe he had missed me...?

"There you are." he said, reaching up to take my hand and then pulling me down to him. "I was wondering if you had gone missing. Your brother walked by some minutes ago." And then he kissed me. Not wild or passionate, just a little peck on the nose and I felt like the ground was dropping away under me and I sat down next to him cause I wasn't able to stay upright.

He didn't even notice. Just started chattering about his day, how he had talked to my sisters about this and that, that he had cleaned out the tent, that this girl was fancying that warrior and if I knew if he was interested too. Like he had always been there, like it was the most natural thing in the world. And I was grateful cause it gave me the time to recover. I loved him so much my heart hurt.

Maybe there was more than a slight chance that we would ever be truly happy together. Maybe the odds were not as bad as I had feared. He certainly was working very hard on making me believe that.

When he was tasting the stew in the pot again I finally managed to insert something too. "I have found some boots for you." I told him, holding them up.

He again graced me with that beautiful smile. "Oh, that's sweet of you. I almost broke my ankle when I stepped on an especially nasty stone today. Was wondering if you'd remember." He took the boots and inspected them carefully before he put them on, wiggling his toes in the soft leather.

"Do they fit?" I asked and he nodded happily.

"So what did you cook?"

He grinned at me widely. "Nothing. Rhesa did. She tried to show me how, but it seems I'm not very talented. But I can do her sewing and she'll help me with cooking."

And he was into another tale of what his day had been filled with, his voice filling the air like a happy little bird's, proclaiming for all the world that life was good. If he kept up this pace, it wouldn't take him long to charm the entire tribe. I just sat and listened - more to his voice than to what he was actually saying - feeling happier than I had ever in all my life.

"...what we are going to do with my brother, once we get back to Theben..."

What?

Maybe I should have paid more attention.

I stared at him in surprise and not a slight bit of worry, but he was again busy stirring the stew, oblivious to my consternation.

"I was wondering if the priests might help us." he continued. "After all the high priest of Osiris was arrested. That can't sit well with them. That wasn't the wisest move of my brother. Wonder if he had trouble with the old man all along. What do you think? You knew my brother was a viper from the first time you saw him. How would you go about this?"

He looked at me questioningly and finally noticed my expression. "Ardeth?"

"So you want to go back to Theben?" I asked slowly.

He nodded sadly. "I have to. I am still responsible. Even if I am no more than your slave."

He didn't even seem to consider that I might have other ideas. I should get very angry now. I really should. Should maybe even shout at him. But I wasn't angry. Looking in his beautiful, trusting eyes all I felt was a wave of warmth and the all encompassing wish to protect him from any harm that his brother or the world in general might threaten him with. Even if that meant going back to his home, even if that meant slowly suffocating in the city.

---

- Prince Nekhem (Orli) -

I really could have been a tiny bit more diplomatic about this, couldn't I?

Feeling so relaxed and remorselessly happy as I did, I just had spoken my thoughts, only noticing too late that I had completely overrun him with the fact that my heart forced me to go back to Theben once more.

"Ardeth?", I asked, afraid what his stunned silence would change into once he had gotten over the initial shock. "I'm sorry. And - you know you don't have to come with me if you don't want. But I just have to go."

Snorting in wry amusement, my lover replied:

"And how, my courageous princeling, do you think you can win this fight all on your own? You told me yourself that he was a far better fighter than you."

At least, he didn't seem to be too angry with me. And of course, he was right.

"I probably can't. He's not so smart as I am, but I'm too guileless for my own good. Yet I have to try." Grinning cheekily, I added: "I just have to do 'the honorable thing'."

Ardeth seriously tried to look stern for a moment, then his face brightened up almost against his will, and grinning widely, he said:

"You're dangerous, do you know that? No, probably you don't. That's the whole point, isn't it?"

I just stared at him, non-comprehending.

"Did you really think I would ever leave you alone?", my lover asked after a second of silence.

Shaking my head, I suppressed a relieved sigh. I would have loathed to do this alone. After all, I was setting out to kill my brother, and even if, by any chance and with the help of all the gods, I would have been able to do so on my own, I wouldn't have survived it with my mind in one piece without my lover's broad shoulders to lean on.

"I hoped you wouldn't", I replied, looking straight at him. "So you'll come with me?"

"Of course", Ardeth replied dryly, returning his attention to his food in the bowl he was holding.

"Thank you", I said softly, whispering a tiny kiss on his stubbled cheek.

He looked up at me again, the fire in front of us casting harsh shadows on his strong features, his eyes glittering in the low light. I felt my heartbeat quicken, and realized for the first time that this was the man I had chosen to spend the rest of my life with. However short that might be, anyway. And what a dramatically beautiful man he was.

It was like falling in love again.

"I love you", I whispered, and Ardeth put down his food and embraced me, holding me tight as if trying to shelter me from all the harm in the world.

"And I love you, my princeling," he replied, almost ceremoniously. "I will protect you from all harm, as long as the ancestors allow me to be at your side."

Wriggling out of his embrace, I looked at him, saying:

"Well, there is not much harm I could effectively protect you from, but if I can, I will. As long as the gods will let me."

Ardeth brows furrowed in amused irritation for a moment, then he smiled widely and said:

"That was not exactly the traditional reply, you know?"

"We're not exactly the traditional couple, either, you know?", I retorted with a lopsided grin. "I may not be the greatest fighter, but I am still neither weak nor docile." Wriggling my finger at him, I added: "Don't forget that!"

"Or else?" Ardeth laughed, his white teeth shining like the moon.

"Or else I will get you so many love-bites in your face that you'll be your comrades' jokes' butt-end for the next month."

He laughed hard, and I just had to join him. What an incredible gift it was to share this evening with him, and to know that it might only be the first of many more to follow.
It was a promise of a happy life.

And, judging by the definitely sensual way he looked at me, a promise to continue where we had stopped this morning.

"I think we should better eat before the stew burns.", I said with a smirk that clearly indicated I was absolutely not disinclined.

"You are right. Rhesa would be furious if we spoiled her meal."

Ardeth looked at me, smirking, and it was rather hard not to skip the dinner part and go right to his bed. But we stayed civilized, in a way, eating in silence, throwing each other smoldering looks across the fire, chuckling in anticipation of the night to come.

"So," my lover asked when he finally put aside his bowl. "Are you finished?"

"Yes. I'll just clean up and then, well, we should go inside."

"Uhum." Ardeth pensively scratched across his chin. "You're right. The fire would get envious if it has to watch us any longer."

It took me a moment to figure out what he was talking about. Hiding a blush in the darkness beyond the circle of light the fire gave, I suppressed a giddy giggle.

"I, well," my lover said, somewhat hesitantly. "I'll already go in, to see if, well, everything is fine."

"Yes, you should check the bed," I replied, trying no to choke on laughter. "There might... errr, be scorpions in it."

With a suppressed chuckle, my lovely desert warrior replied:

"I'll make sure our bed is just fine." Already standing in the tent-flap, he gave me a last look, saying: "I'll wait for you."

Laughing, I waved him off, dousing the fire with sand, quickly cleaning the worst of our dinner. The rest would have to wait till morning, I thought while my hands rushed to get the task done.

For the fist time in my life, I was more than eager to go to bed early.

----

- Ardeth Bey (Oded Fehr) -

While I actually did check the bedroll to make sure no nasty insects had sought cover in it during the day, my mind wandered back to what Nekhem had said.

The peace and quiet I had hoped for was not to be had, it seemed. We would go back to Theben. A shiver ran down my spine. Just thinking about it, made me feel cold to the bone. The thought of those thick stone walls closing around me once more scared me more than I cared to admit even to myself.

True, this time I would enter of my own will and I would make sure a way would stay open behind as for escape. But it was a dangerous endeavor to set out to kill his brother and the chances of survival were not the best. For once I was sure that he knew of the danger. But his honor bound him to go and mine bound me to go with him.

Maybe that was, what made it just that much more oppressive: the fact that I understood perfectly well why he had to go. To deny the responsibility placed on his shoulder by his strange gods were just as real as my obligations to my tribe. Only I had a brother who was trustworthy and generous in heart who could take over should something happen to me while his was rotten to the core.

I tried to think back on my time in Theben. On anything useful that I might have learned, while I had been a prince's slave, but to my embarrassment I discovered that I had been so caught up in my own misery that I had barely paid attention to anything. All I could offer Nekhem in this mission was my strong sword arm and my abilities as a hunter. He would have to provide wits and information about our enemy.

With a small smile I sat down on the bedroll, listening to him rummaging outside. Well, he was a bright boy once he set his mind to a task. And this one was extremely important to him. He would do much better in thinking than me anyway.

I started to peel of the layers of clothes wrapped around me, when he entered, closing the tent-flap behind him, turning our tent into a small world of warm light from the single lantern burning next to the bedroll.

He knelt before me, smiling, his eyes sparkling with that indecent anticipation again. "Let me." he whispered and took over the task of unclothing me. His nimble fingers moved slowly and with a reverence as if he was uncovering a precious gift. Now and then he would lean forward and gently kiss an exposed patch of skin, or rub his smooth cheek against me.

Warm contentedness spread through my limbs, combined with a hot quickening of my blood that made me twist when his fingers brushed sensitive skin. Finally I was unable to stay still any longer and I in turn took off his clothes, marveling at his beautiful pale skin, so smooth and unblemished by scars of battle or hardship.

"You are so beautiful, my prince." I whispered to him, my lips caressing his neck.

"So are you, my proud warrior." he answered just as soft and I snorted against his neck in amusement. How could he seriously consider me beautiful? Well, in his mind many strange things made sense and this was not one I was going to argue about.

I pulled him onto the bedroll next to me, into my arms. This time I would not allow him to rush things, this time I would finally take my time exploring his body fully but he seemed to be quite content with the pace I set and when he closed his eyes and made a sound that could only be called a happy purr, I was sure that we were in agreement of what we wanted this evening.

I caressed him all over, learning his body with my fingers like a man exploring an unknown land. I learned how to touch him, what made him purr and sigh, what left him breathless and gasping. I also learned how impossibly ticklish he was under the soles of his feet and stored that away in my mind for later use.

In the end I ended up just kissing his soft mouth, enjoying his taste, the way he pressed the full length of his body against me, the way he moaned in desire when he felt my hardened manhood rub against him.

"I love you." he told me when I let go of his mouth and was looking down into his shining brown eyes. "You stole my heart and left me cold and aching. But now you have given me yours." He pulled me down again, burying his face in my hair, holding me close like he feared I would disappear, if he let go.

"Please love me..." he pleaded and there was nothing I could do but obey, preparing him slowly, carefully, enjoying how his skin crew hot and flushed with passion, how his body responded to my touch, how his eyes grew wilder and wilder, until his fingers again raked across my barely healed back, demanding more of me to fill him.

His body welcomed mine with his heat, taking me in and devouring my soul until I was fully surrounded by him, feeling him wrap all around me, loosing myself in him. His passion swallowed me like a sandstorm would swallow an unprotected rider, laying me bare to his love and I surrendered wholly, gladly giving myself up to him.

---

- Prince Nekhem (Orli) -

Once our sweet love-making had subsided, we held each other for a while longer, silent and satisfied.
Dear Lady Isis, I thought, if this is the life you have chosen to be my destiny, you have chosen well. I will bear you no grudge when I enter the realm of the Dead and face my afterlife.

I didn't even notice how we drifted away into a deep slumber, born of exhaustion and sheltered by the security of knowing Ardeth's arms around me.

Yet, what I did notice, though, was a soft touch on my belly in the middle of the night, gently raising me out of the depths my sleeping mind had plunged to, making me wonder for a moment if I was still asleep and dreaming.

It was my lover's hand caressing me slowly, languidly, his body leaning against mine. Feeling still all fuzzy and warm, the heat Ardeth radiated, the hardness of his throbbing manhood against my thigh was an unexpectedly prominent thing in my mind. Still images of our previous coupling this night crossed my mind like lazy bats, and for several reasons, I allowed myself quite some time until I finally spoke. By then, Ardeth was caressing my hardness as well, gently stroking the silken length of it, scratching his fingernails softly yet with emphasis along the inner side of my legs.

"Already hungry again?", I asked, my voice husky from not being used yet.

Instead of an answer, he nicked my earlobe, and the faint pain tickled my body, bringing my already hot blood to boil.
Now that I knew I would have him as mine for the rest of my life, apparently my body was convinced I had quite a lot of things to catch up with. Especially quite a lot of naughty things.

So I turned around, kissing him, returning his caresses in like. Even without being able to see him, my pulse raced at his beauty. He truly was an image of a man, and he was mine. Trailing my fingers along his chest, I circled his nipples, feeling the strong muscle underneath the skin, reveling in the soft feel of his hair. He was like an ocean to me, all dark and huge, a man I could drown in, dissolve into, and be happy with it.

Out in the camp, it was all silent, and even the large fire must have already burned down completely, for there truly was not even a single ray of light sifting into our tent. One day, I thought to myself, we must go out at night, making love among the dunes, just us, the desert below our bodies and the Goddess Nut sheltering us with her star-studded body.
The mere thought of that made me shiver in anticipation.

But not tonight. I would keep that in mind for a special occasion. Like our first-week anniversary.

Grinning fiendishly, I left our tight embrace, sneaking deeper underneath the blanket. For a moment, Ardeth seemed to be confused, oblivious to what I was about to do, which suited me just fine. So long my fingers had touched his most private parts, charted every vein, every detail, yet now I longed to get familiar with them in another way. Gently kissing his hot manhood, I was rewarded with a sharp intake of breath.
Licking the head first, I carefully covered him with my mouth, taking him in slowly, deliberately, trying to savor the sensation as much as I could.

But unexpectedly, with a sudden gasp, Ardeth wriggled out from underneath me, abruptly pushing away my head.

"What are you doing there?", he whispered, his voice betraying a curious combination of irritation and intrigue.

For a moment, I was confused, but then I got it.

"Don't tell me you've never been..."

"I - ", Ardeth answered kind of breathless. "No. I mean, no like this - with your mouth."

"But I already did that before...", I relied, remembering the incident in my Aunt's orchard. "Yet then again, you've probably been sleeping through the whole thing."

My lover growled at me in long-passed anger.

"Well, but your body seemed to like it", I added, "Let's see what you think about it. Just relax, this is a present."

Before he could answer anything, I bent down again, swallowing him as deep as I could. Well endowed as he was, that was not as deep as I would have liked to, but then, he didn't seem to mind.
Funny, I thought, how such a big man can make such tiny noises, while softly chewing on new favorite toy.

It was a pleasure in itself to feel my lover arch into my touch, to feel him pulse in my mouth, to be so close to the very center of his attention. Supporting myself on one of my elbows, caressing his balls with my free hand, I could sense waves of pleasure ripple through his body, could feel how he tensed up and relaxed in accordance with my touches. It was like playing an instrument, and apparently, I was rather talented, I thought snugly.

For a moment, I wondered if he would have preferred to take me again tonight, instead of coming like this, but then I was too much tempted to see how it would feel like for me, how it would be if I weren't as distracted as all the times before. And also, it was a certain feel of control I could not deny I liked in this situation.
He might be the strong and proud warrior outside this tent, and I was sitting in the woman's day-tent during the day, but right now, it was him writhing and moaning helplessly.

So I increased the pressure I applied with my tongue, upping the speed of my motions just a little, and was rewarded with the certain change in my lover's body that I had come to learn was announcing his approaching peak. In my hand, I could feel his balls draw taunt, and his manhood in my mouth seemed to grow even more.
One by one, his muscles seemed to go rigid, his massive body arching towards me. I could feel his blazing passion in my heart as well, so enticing, almost sweeping me away with him.
When finally, with a low growl, Ardeth released his built-up passion, it was like an explosion, rocking both of us, washing over me so much stronger than I had expected.

Carefully, tenderly, I licked him clean, and then I covered him with kisses all the way back up to his face.

Ardeth was covered in a soft sheen of sweat and still panting softly when I snuggled myself in next to him, yet he closed his arms around me, kissing me, only a little surprised to taste himself on my lips.

"Thank you," he whispered, kissing me once more. "What about you?"

"There will be many more opportunities for me to get what I want. This was a gift, as I said."

For a short while, we lay together in silence, and I listened to a far away bird singing it's little heart out. The night wouldn't last much longer, I noticed, and I was almost about to fall asleep again as my lover suddenly said:

"Will you do me another favor?"

His voice was so grave, I worried what he might ask of me, immediately jolting me awake again.

"What is it?"

"Will you, " he asked, his voice trembling slightly as if asking for something he was not quite sure if he really wanted to. "Will you love me?"

"But we just - "

"No. I mean, will you take me? Like I did before?"

That was unexpected, and something I was not immediately sure about how to deal with it.

"But - isn't that inappropriate for a warrior?", I asked softly, wondering how much of an effort it must have been to ask me.

"It's only 'inappropriate' if he is forced," Ardeth replied, once more making me aware of how much I had hurt him, even if I had done so without intention. Suddenly, his embrace seemed to give comfort just as much as it sought, and I huddled against him as close as I could.

"I will never hurt you, my love," I whispered. "And you don't have to do this if you don't feel right with it. I don't need it."

"But you want it."

Smiling despite myself, I replied:

"Yes, I wouldn't mind. But only if I won't find you bleeding or cursing again once it has happened."

"I trust you."

He really had to love me madly if he could say that to me, a demon-worshipping city-dweller, after all that had happened between us.

"Just as I trust you," I replied, gently kissing collarbone again. "Now?"

Instead of an answer, Ardeth softly nodded, kissed my forehead and led my hand down towards between his legs.

I realized how much of a sign of trust it was to submit to me like that, and it made me nervous as if going there for the very first time myself. Dear Lady Isis, I pleaded in my thoughts, guide me in this, for I will need you with me.
I want this to be as perfect as I can for my lover, and I must not hurt him again.

 

If you enjoyed this story, please send feedback to: Osiris Brackhaus & Beryll

go to PART 13

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