by Clare London
“Perhaps sometimes I should listen to you, Grien. About needing to relax.”
He tensed, and his mouth opened slightly. He looked at my face, trying to measure the underlying meaning. His mind was sharp, and he’d known me for a long time. No words came out at first, but his eyes flashed, as if reflecting his thoughts. As if he were treading on the shells of eggs, afraid of saying the wrong thing. “So come here.”
I didn’t move, still hesitant. Grien’s gaze traveled greedily over my face, my neck, and then down to my groin. “Right.” He smiled wryly. “So I’ll come to you instead.”
The submissiveness was unfamiliar to me. I don’t know why I stood so still as he pressed me back against the stone wall and put a rough hand around my waist. He was panting softly. His heart beat too fast, and it made his body shiver. I knew he wanted to speak, that he wanted to talk about my surrender. Grien liked to talk: he was articulate, witty, and at ease with expressing his feelings. But for now he was silent. Perhaps he knew that I wouldn’t necessarily welcome talk. Not tonight.
I knew the feeling that would be running through his body and I knew the passion in my own. I wanted him as much as he wanted me—and that was the only way this should ever happen. It was an unwritten rule to Silver coupling, that the parties must always be willing. It was essential to prevent any trouble at the barracks that could distract us from our duties. Everyone understood those rules; it was madness to flout them and would lead to exile and maybe death. But the ache of my desire disturbed me tonight. I’d not taken anyone for months, apart from my Mistress. I’d resisted the urges for a man’s body as inconvenient and my desire a sign of selfishness.
I was a Gold Warrior! I should’ve had little need for myself, to seek out this satisfaction. I had no explanation for the blazing ache in my body, the turmoil in my mind that kept resurrecting itself. Grien saw it, though, and wanted it. Perhaps that was all that was needed. I was questioning something better left alone.
Grien moaned softly against my cheek, his tongue against my lips, pressing for entrance. I opened my mouth and took it in, sucking eagerly as I felt the wave of shivering heat rise up through me. His hands ran over my jaw, caressing the nape of my neck. Then he dropped to his knees in front of me on the harsh stone floor.
I protested, and he groped around to find the blanket, pulling it impatiently underneath his body. I don’t think he felt the slabs beneath him, but I didn’t want anyone suffering for this. His hands were chilled but not too cold as he slipped open the fastenings of my trousers. His breath was warm on my groin, and my arousal sprang eagerly from my clothing, reaching out toward his face. I heard him sigh with pleasure. Then his mouth opened wide and wet, and came down hungrily onto my cock.
I groaned aloud. I tried to keep it quiet, though there was no one to overhear us. I looked down on the dark head at my groin, sliding carefully yet greedily, back and forth. Grien’s breathing was harsh, his boots creaking slightly in the night air as he knelt in them. His sure, strong hand was tight on my thigh, anchoring himself. Small flecks of cobweb dusted his hair from where we’d been clearing away some of the darker corners of the store.
I hadn’t realized how much I needed this, how much I’d missed a firm, masculine touch. A touch that knew how much I could stand, what I wanted. My Mistress gave me satisfaction, even though she had no obligation to do so, but she was a woman, so of course the priority was always her own pleasure. There had been few Ladies who touched me like this, who had caressed me this way.
When Grien grew a little noisier, the roughness of his tongue laving at my sensitive skin, I was lost. I grasped at his hair, thrusting into his mouth, pulling at his shoulders, feeling the familiar shuddering in my limbs that heralded the onrush of climax. I thought I heard him mumble my name, his lips stretched around my swollen flesh with what I suspected was a satisfied smile. I tried to catch a glimpse of his face, to concentrate on his body beneath me—his smell, his shape. I remembered too keenly my respect for him, my liking for him. My gratitude for his unselfish attention.
But when I came, shaking and spilling into his mouth, I bit my lip to prevent some other sound from escaping in the heat of passion.
Some other name.
The strength of my feelings terrified me.
Chapter Six
THE QUEEN’S party would arrive at the Household later that week. Scouts had been sent ahead to alert us, but even so, we would have known. Unofficial spies were everywhere, and there was no way a large party of royal guests would have made a journey across the city without us knowing well in advance. Mistress Luana had the guest rooms ready and the kitchens preparing for feasting well before the first arrivals at the gates. We’d also brought forward the dates of our latest Games to offer entertainment. No one knew how long the party might stay at Aza.
Equally, it was no surprise to me to learn that it would include the illustrious Queen-Elect herself, Seleste.
GRIEN CAME to me the night before the royal group was due, both of us off duty together for once. We drank a few ales and sparred for a while, just for amusement. We chose the armory again in order to have some privacy, and sent the duty Captains to patrol the grounds. Grien was more than a match for me in wrestling, though I was the stronger. It usually made for a decent challenge for both of us. But I drank a little too much, and he was just a little too nervous of me. The match finished in laughter and halfhearted bruises. And then, when I had him pinned to the ground, he growled at me and pulled me down for a fierce openmouthed kiss.
I pulled away, rolling off his body onto my back and laughing, though I’d liked the feel of his legs and hips under me.
“She’s arriving tomorrow, Maen,” he said in that low throaty voice, so different from his daily, easygoing tone. “She’ll be calling for you, I think.” He grinned, but it wasn’t as easy as his usual smile. “Even if Mistress Luana tries to hide you again.”
“She didn’t try to hide me,” I said, but it was only a gentle rebuke. The royal party had arrived last year as well, with Seleste at the head of it. My calling by her had been a surprise—though not, I think, to my Mistress. A lot of additional duties had materialized suddenly for me, just as Seleste arrived, though not quite enough to occupy me out of her notice. “The Mistress has no authority to refuse any man in her Household to any visiting Mistress—”
“Let alone one from the Royal Household.”
“As you say, let alone one from the Royal Household.” My heartbeat had steadied after the bout of exercise, and I could feel the sweat cooling under my vest. I sighed. “There are plenty of new Bronzemen to attend to her this visit.”
“The immature youths are not always the richer option.” Grien rolled onto his side, facing me, his firm hand on my chest, holding me to the ground. He pushed his head into my neck, his teeth nipping almost playfully at me, his tongue sliding out to lick at the trails of sweat running into the hollow of my throat.
“It’s late, Grien. I still have duties for the visit tomorrow, the Games to be prepared….”
Grien ignored my protest and slid his hand to my belly, teasing up under my vest. I drew in a sharp breath. His fingers were firm but sensitive on my stomach muscles, and his skin felt fresh and tight against mine. When he tugged at my trouser fastenings, I let him. He was panting from far more than our sparring: his eyes were a little wild. Ever since I’d restarted our coupling, he’d been greedy for me. But I couldn’t be hypocritical; I needed the physical attention more and more these days, and he was glad to supply it. He peeled off his own trousers and straddled me as I lay there on my back, his hands pressing down on my shoulders in a parody of capture. I was aroused quickly. We were always fast and furious—we had no time to question what we did or how we did it. There was always the need, the almost angry passion! He’d brought a small vial of oil in his pocket and used a handful to lubricate his hands and my erection. Then he passed it to me to help prepare him.
“Grien—”
“Hush,” he
said roughly. “Now.”
I reached for him rather clumsily, but my fingers were demanding enough inside him and he arched above me, crying his eagerness. I gripped his hips and drew him down onto my cock, slowly but deeply. He gasped over me, his thighs clenching tightly and his hands fisting at the fabric of my vest.
I closed my eyes as he moved above me. I cried pleasure, but as always there was an empty need in me that couldn’t be filled, that prevented my full participation. If Grien knew, he never said anything. It wasn’t for any of us to ask anything of a coupling partner except agreement and physical satisfaction. He was an intelligent, sensitive man—but he was a soldier, the same as I.
It sufficed for the moment, and nothing more.
THE CALL came for me late in the afternoon of the following day. I’d been busy since dawn, greeting the Guard that accompanied the royal party, settling them into barracks, and seeing that all our warrants were in order. A visit from the Royal Household was never merely a social event; they inevitably used the occasion as a chance to audit everything and everyone in sight. We’d never been found wanting before, and I prided myself on the reputation of the Household, though the credit was taken by my Mistress, not any of her servants in particular.
The word went round quickly that a Lady of the Royal Household had arrived at the barracks, demanding my attention. I returned there as quickly as was practicable, but that was still enough time for her to have requested a tour around the Bronzemen’s quarters and to have rested her eye on one of the stronger, dark-haired youths. I watched as Grien accepted her instructions, and the young man looked nervously between them as they determined where and at what time he’d visit her. Eventually it was my turn for her attention, and I followed her to my Mistress’s meeting room. We were greeted by the same secretary who’d been so scornful of my shared breakfast with my Lady a while ago. But this time I’d been called on the orders of the Queen-Elect, and so I had some small personal satisfaction at seeing that same Lady’s reluctant respect.
Mistress Luana stood at the head of her table, the ultimate Commander of her Household. However, all eyes in the room were irresistibly drawn to the woman beside her. The Queen-Elect, Seleste, had that effect on men and women alike, even if they hadn’t taken account of the attendants around her, her opulent gown and cloak, and the strong fragrance of her expensive perfume.
“My Lady,” I said, bowing my head and making the palm salute to my heart. Seleste was younger than my Mistress and considerably more beautiful. She had an exotic, dazzling loveliness that made heads turn, if only to find confirmation of what their eyes were telling them. Long dark hair of a more purple hue than my Mistress’s, and almond-shaped eyes of a deep brown that merged with the black pupils when she was angry. Yes, I’d seen her angry. I’d seen Seleste, the Queen-Elect, more times than anyone else in the city Guard, though it wasn’t something I felt comfortable about. Some said she was the favorite daughter of the Queen, and that Seleste would, without question, succeed her. I knew that if the succession were based on personal determination alone, there’d be no match for her.
“Maen!” She exclaimed as if it were a surprise to see me here, when, after all, I’d been called by her own request. Her lips were full and the color of red summer fruits. They curved in a welcoming, almost lascivious smile, and the words fell gently from them like musical lyrics. She was, indeed, a superb creature. “What a delight to see you.” She turned slightly to Mistress Luana, as if sharing a Ladies’ secret. “And he is still so much in his prime, isn’t he? He was a relatively new Gold Warrior when first we met, but every year I can see how he has flourished in the role. Such an excellent example for all your Bronzemen, for they are always so raw, so naive. It’s a pleasure to see such masculine maturity instead.”
I remained calm in the face of this embarrassing praise, but my Mistress gave a rather obvious cough. She looked as if she’d swallowed something both sharp and sour. “Mistress Seleste, we will be pleased to make you and your party comfortable in the guest quarters. We have a supper prepared and after that we may continue our discussions.”
“I wish that Maen be present then too,” Seleste said imperiously.
There was a sudden, rather shocked silence.
“He has his Household duties,” my Mistress countered. “It’s not usual for soldiers to be present at Central Council meetings, except as personal Guard for royal representatives, and you have your own men for that. If it’s a case of specific advice on the Household, any of my Gold Warriors may be called upon—”
“Maen,” Seleste repeated, very firmly. It was not a suggestion.
My Mistress was decidedly angry, though she hid it well. “Maen, return at sundown, to attend the meeting with the Queen-Elect and her party.” Seleste caught my eye as I bowed and made to leave. Her eyes narrowed, almost as if she winked at me.
SOME HOURS later I heard a disturbance in the barracks. It seemed Grien was struggling to settle it. I met him at the door as he was attempting to calm several Captains. “What is it?”
“The Royal Guard are displeased with their quarters, sir,” he said tightly.
His eyes spoke volumes. He held an angry Silver Captain at bay, at the same time as directing the delivery of several boxes of expensive rugs and linens, and instructing dietary requirements to be relayed to the kitchen staff. “I explained we need to keep the watch manned at all approaches to the city, but they insist on being settled near the Queen-Elect herself and will therefore displace our men. It interferes with the watch, sir,” he protested in a lower tone. “I’ve always been cautious of the eastern face, the mountains there, and the increase in skirmishes from the Exiles over the last months.”
“I know.” I’d reported the same concerns to my Mistress, but I’d been accused of being overcautious. Then there’d been that disturbing conversation with Bernos, warning me not to underestimate the growth in strength and cunning of the Exiles. I felt the chill of potential danger. “We must comply with the Queen’s Guard and their demands, though.” I sighed. “Move the men as the Royal Guard demand, but set our spies at the gates. Send a scout outside, if only to watch the lie of the mountain ground. Who else is set to cover that gate tonight?”
“Orven, Justes, and a couple of the Bronzemen in training.”
I grimaced. “I’ll join them and cover that area myself. At least while the royal party is here.”
Grien tilted his head to the side to announce the arrival of another one of the Queen-Elect’s Ladies, bustling around among us, obviously looking for someone in particular. I followed his gaze and sighed to myself. Was it that time already? When I turned back to Grien, there was a sardonic twist to his mouth. “You’ll not be joining anyone soon, except for the honored guest herself, sir.” He grinned. “I’ll lay ten credits the Queen-Elect has her own scout—and she’s looking for you.”
I didn’t take the bet, because Grien rarely lost. And tonight was no exception.
THE MEETING with Mistress Luana and the royal party was long and tedious. I stood quietly at attention, at the back of the room. I might have been taken as one of the personal Guard, except that Mistress Seleste called me over periodically to ask my opinion on military matters. I understood most of what they discussed but had little knowledge of the context. However, I was interested to hear any information about the other cities on our world—perhaps there was more communication between us all than I believed. And when Mistress Seleste made mention of the Exiles, I was immediately alert. Mistress Luana darted a glance at me, and in that moment I realized this was the main thrust of this meeting. The politicking and the endless auditing of the Household accounts had been merely a diversion.
“I hear the attacks are becoming more regular, more intrusive,” my Mistress said a little cautiously. “Will the Queen be issuing a Bulletin on the matter? We will welcome her guidance.”
To my surprise, Mistress Seleste turned directly to me. “Maen, I wish for your input on this. What opinion do you ha
ve on the threat from the Exiles? Have you suffered in this part of the city from attacks? I would be most interested to know what your recommendations are from a military point of view as to the defenses we need to assure ourselves of Aza City’s safety.”
Her scribe paused, a little confused about whether to continue to record the meeting speech. It was unusual for a soldier to be involved to such an extent in a formal meeting, and virtually unheard-of for one’s opinions to be sought, let alone recorded in the city Journals.
Mistress Luana’s expression was sour. She was tolerant of me in a personal capacity, but when it came to official city protocol she was one of the strictest adherents. Mistress Seleste, as I’d noted on other occasions, was fairly careless of this. She ignored her hostess’s discomfort and gestured me to a chair. I requested to remain standing, but I was pleased to be able to speak.
“We have suffered little at this Household, Mistress, though the last attacks were only two months ago and some fairly serious damage was suffered at the grain store. However, I’ve been concerned to hear of increasing aggression on their part and some surprising attacks at the other Households.”
“Surprising?” Mistress Luana looked sharply at me.
“Be reassured, Mistress. There was only a small band of Exiles venturing this close to the city and they’ve been easily repelled. One was killed at the Household of Physic only last month, though none have been captured alive to date. But they showed a good knowledge of the arrangements of the watch and the structure of the Household buildings. They were able to penetrate through to the central courtyard before being discovered.”
