In return, she told me how she came to be a slave to her former master. She was aboard a trading vessel with her father when it was attacked by Laxos and his men. Her father and the rest of their crew were murdered, and she was the only survivor. That was over three years ago, and she had been a slave to Laxos ever since. I asked her what she wanted to do with the men when we came to the mainland, saying I could have the Trojans punish them for their crimes in a moment. She thought that, while it would please her to see such a thing, it would be best to use the men to my, and her, advantage. They were capable seamen and could guard the coast from attack as a first line of defense. I agreed that it would be no loss to trade their lives for a Trojan’s in defense of the kingdom. I was impressed by her pragmatic reasoning, knowing that to allow such a thing must have been very difficult for her.
She went on to explain that her people likely still survived without their ruler, but it would be no home she wanted to return to without her father. Her mother had passed when Caria was very young, and she had no other family left. She asked if I would be willing to allow her to stay at my side, and I said that I would be more than happy to accept such an arrangement.
“Our people have traveled a great deal,” she said. “From our journeys, I have learned many languages of the surrounding nations. I think I may be of some use to you, Troy.”
“I’m sure that you will be,” I said.
“You say you are a prince now,” she said, pausing. “Is there any chance you would consider having me as your queen? I know that you said this Helen is already faithful to you, but it is not uncommon . . .” She trailed off, apparently hoping for me to pick up the loose end.
“I think that would work out just fine,” I said. “It’s something Helen and I have discussed over the past year. You have to understand though, Helen came first, and she will always hold a special place in my heart because of that. Does it still suit you knowing that you will come second to her?”
“I expected no more, Troy. I am simply honored that you would even consider taking the hand of girl like me from a small unknown tribe. I expect that your Helen will want some say in the matter, so, out of respect for her, I will not discuss it further until it is brought to her. Instead, let us talk about your troubles with King Priam. Have you considered seeking guidance from the Brethren of Stars at Cannakale?”
“The who at where?”
10
The two of us went down into the galley while the Thirians attended to things above deck. I made us some soup while she went into detail about these people she mentioned.
The Brethren of Stars were, according to Caria, a group of magical engineers that lived in Cannakale, which was a city conveniently located on the eastern side of the Strait of Dardanelles. The peninsula to the west of it was my own, upon which Port Superior was being constructed. I was surprised to discover that this place existed only just now since I practically bordered it.
“What nation owns Cannakale?” I asked.
Caria shrugged. “It has changed hands over the years. I thought it might have been under Trojan control, but I am unsure.”
“Interesting. And you’re sure these engineers are still there?”
“I cannot be certain, but I have heard stories about them all my life. Their order goes back for centuries.”
“And you really think they can help fix the King’s illness?”
“Again, I cannot be certain, but it seems like they would be the most likely group to help outside of Hattusa, if what this Matanaza told you is true.”
“Then we will seek them out first thing.” Seeing that her bowl was empty, I took it to the sink. “You should get some rest. I’d like you to join me on this trip, and there’s no telling when we’ll get another night of uninterrupted sleep.” I led her back to the ship’s bedroom. “You can sleep here. If you would prefer to wait until I officially take you as my queen, I can sleep on the couch when I’m finally ready to settle down.”
She took my wrist as I turned to leave and said, “I am not tired yet, Troy, but I would love more than anything to have your company a little longer.”
She loosened the strap hugging her chest, and it fell to the floor.
“I will never be able to repay the kindness you have shown me on this day, but I hope this gesture can show my gratitude.”
She stepped closer and pressed her chest against mine, moving her arms down to undo her skirt. She dropped to her knees and quickly learned how my zipper worked, sliding it open and pulling my pulsing shaft into the open.
I swung my head around to make sure none of the men had come downstairs, and closed the curtain.
“This is the size that I would expect of a man such as you, Troy,” she whispered, staring at it for a few seconds before taking it in her lips and rocking her head back and forth.
She began fondling my testicles with one hand and stroking me with the other as she slid back and forth. Her eyes never broke contact with mine as she moved up and down my length with skill that verged on pain. After several minutes of this, she moved her hands to her knees and continued sucking, her full breasts swaying between her arms. Her long hair bounced as she worked, a rhythm set the beat of my pleasure.
I was taken in by the sight of her hips curving out on either side, inviting me to swim between them. When I could no longer resist the urge, I had her turn and get on the bed with her butt sticking up in the air.
“Do with me as you will, Troy,” she said. “You are my master now.”
I pushed in and she moaned at my entry, almost bolting completely upright surprise.
“I have never felt one so big before,” she yelled, reaching back to cling onto my legs.
“I wish I could pretend I don’t like hearing that,” I said, smiling, “but, you know.”
We rocked back and forth like that for a long while. I wrapped an arm around her waist and grabbed her by the chin with my other hand, turning her head backward to kiss me. She looked at me with those startling green eyes, which were now glazed over in ecstasy. Every once in a while, a thrust came harder than she expected and her lips broke away from mine for a moment as she gasped.
“Are you all right?” I asked the first time, slowing my pace.
She nodded and said, “Yes. Do not stop.”
Her moans turned to pleasured grunts, and she eventually fell forward once again, this time letting her head fall to the mattress as her arms lay at her sides. I grabbed her hips and pulled her to me with each thrust, her buttocks flattening against my pelvis each time, every inch of her skin a stain masterpiece. She took the sheets in her fists, bracing herself against them before pulling a pillow to her face and biting into it.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” I asked, not slowing down as I had before.
She said nothing this time, only nodding, so I pressed on.
I went on, each stroke bringing me closer to the end. She was hot, slick, and perfect. A triumph of femininity, pinned beneath me and pushing back for all she was worth. One of her hands found its way back to me and was caressing the front of my leg where her former master’s nails had torn gashes into my skin. The wounds had only just begun to stop bleeding completely in the past hour, and her rubbing opened some of them back up a little.
Her face was on its side then, and I saw her eye go wide upon feeling it.
“Was this from him?” she gasped, as I continued pounding into her from behind.
“Yeah, that’s about all he did,” I said with a grin.
Her eye turned to look at me as best it could from where she was lying and she grinned, moaning the words, “I am yours now,” before grabbing another two fistfuls of covers to help her weather the storm I was unleashing upon her.
Seconds later, I reached around her waist with one arm and scooped her legs up in the other, holding her back against me where I stood, then I lifted her up and down. She was little more than a limp doll in my arms. Her hand was on the back of my head as she rode up and down, and s
he pulled me closer for an over-the-shoulder kiss. Our tongues locked, and saliva slid down her chin.
I tossed her to the bed again, and she spun around, propping herself up on her arms with her elbows on the bed. She was watching me expectantly with a mischievous grin. I dived back in, laying with my torso directly over hers.
My motion was encouraged by the rising sound of her delighted moans. I increased my pacing until I was going faster than I had ever remembered. She was screaming so loudly that I would have been surprised if the men on the surrounding ships could not hear her.
She wrapped her arms around me and hugged me close, flattening her chest against mine before letting out a howl un unbridled lustful pleasure. It was also her last for the evening, as immediately afterward she fell limp. I took that as my queue to release, coming hard enough that my vision blurred like I had gone underwater. In the next minute we were lying side by side, both spent to a degree that made battle feel like an afternoon walk. I had not planned to go to sleep so soon, but in the moment, it seemed like as good a time as any for a nap.
“Thank you, Troy,” she said, slowly coming back to her senses. She cuddled up close to me, placing a hand on my chest. “That was wonderful.”
“That’s one word for it,” I groaned, and then, we slept.
We reached Ilium before noon the next day. My men and I had taken shifts sleeping and manning the ship throughout the night. Caria stayed in my cabin for most of the nighttime hours, but came on deck soon after the sun started to rise.
She spent some time examining the remains of the leviathan in silence, making sure not to step in the sticky puddles of amber ooze that had pooled on the deck the day before. This was the first chance she had to get a decent look at it.
“This serpent truly is massive,” she said. “I cannot imagine how you managed to slay it. You must be a powerful man. I only wish I could have witnessed your combat with Laxos.”
“That was an embarrassing moment for him,” I said from the console.
“All the more reason for me to have seen it. One of the men who fetched me said that you had crushed his face with a single hand.”
“Yup. It was the first time doing that. I’m not sure how I feel about it,” I said, more to myself than anyone else.
“Magnificent . . .” She squatted down to get a closer look at the snake. Her back was to me and I could not avoid feeling aroused at the outline of her hips taunting me from beneath her skirt. “We are to take this to Ilium first?”
“That’s right. And then I guess we’ll head to Cannakale once we get everything squared away with Helen, Zinni, and the King and Queen. I’m sure they’ll have some input on this place so we don’t go running in blind.”
“That sounds wise.”
The Trojan guard met us when we docked at port. We gave them a quick summary of what was going on and asked for a hand in lugging the snake’s innards to Zinni’s house. It took twelve of us to comfortably move the beast’s inner remains around, and, of course, there was no way we were going to fit it through Zinni’s door—not that there would be any room for it inside if we could.
Helen heard the commotion first and came to greet us, calling for Zinni to come out and see what we brought. I explained where it had come from and what we had learned about the King’s sickness.
“And this . . .” I said, gesturing to Caria, “is Caria. She was a slave of a roaming group of brigands known as the Sea People. I killed their leader and freed her. His crew pledged their loyalty to me and are waiting for further instruction at the docks.”
Helen’s face showed no emotion as she studied the pretty redhead.
Caria smiled and said, “I am pleased to meet you, Helen. Troy has spoken very highly of you.”
“As I would expect,” Helen said with a half-laugh. “Where are you from, Caria? Your features are unusual for people of these parts.”
“I am from a tribe known to most as the Horse People. Our true name is Ekwesh. Have you heard of them?”
Helen nodded. “Yes, I have heard of these people. I believe I did hear mention of their fiery hair. Well, now that you are here, what do you plan to do?”
“Oh, well, I . . .” She turned to me with an anxious look in her eyes.
“She is a princess to her people,” I said, “but now that her father lies dead at the hands of her captors, she could not bare to return home without him. I told her that, if it pleased you, Helen, she could stay here with us and possibly become my second queen. What do you say to that?”
Helen was silent for a moment, then said, “I suppose that is well.” She paused a moment more and let out a long breath, releasing the tension that had been in her jaw since setting eyes on the girl. “Yes, that is all right by me, Troy. I told you before that such an arrangement would be agreeable as long as I remained your first priority.” She turned to Caria. “Do you understand this, Horse Girl?”
Caria laughed. “Yes, Troy has explained this to me. I would expect nothing more and am honored that you would accept him into your proud home.”
Helen opened her arms and said, “Then hug me, Sister. May we spend many happy days together.”
They embraced, and I let out a sigh of relief. That had gone much better than I expected.
Helen and Zinni set to work on the creature immediately, telling me that it would take some time to learn about it. Helen recognized it as Egyptian technology right away and was just as puzzled as I was about why it was found prowling the waters so far away from its home. She doubted that the Egyptians would have sent it abroad with malicious intent, but she could think of no logical rationale to the contrary. She suggested we go inform Hecuba of the news and take my new bride to her. The Queen would have a better idea on our next steps.
I was already taking my leave when Helen called my attention back to her, suggesting that maybe Caria could take some of Zinni’s clothes to make herself more presentable to the Queen. I laughed, thinking how she must look more like a prostitute of the time than a queen-to-be. That would not have been a great first impression.
Zinni was only too happy to fetch a stylish tunic from her dressing room. It was an off-white color with golden embroidery lining the hems. The sleeves fell a little over halfway down her upper arms where they would have almost met Zinni’s elbows. It was a little short on Caria, but with all the different sizes of tunics that were acceptable to wear, it was of no concern, only providing a more casual look than the outfit was intended to present. Zinni brought out a golden rope to match the accenting colors, and with that, Caria was looking much more presentable.
“Thank you so much,” she said. “I will return it as soon as we are finished.”
“No need,” Zinni said, waving her hand away. “I have at least three more like it. Keep it, dear. Consider it a gift after all you have been through.”
The three girls hugged each other goodbye, and the two of us were off.
Caria gasped at the sight of the palace and its massive braziers that lined its stairs. “This city is full of wonders!”
“Have you never been in the gates in all your travels?” I asked. I had not thought to ask her until then. I encountered so many people who had been to Troy—save for the Thirians—that I took it for granted. It seemed insane that she would not have in all this time.
“No, I have never been inside. I have only looked on it from a distance.”
“Why is that? The gates are always open during the day to anyone.”
“There was a war happening at the time, so that was not the case then.”
I had experienced the same thing during my first time to the city. Still, in all her years, it baffled me that she had not once set foot within the walls. I wanted to probe her more about it, but we were already at the top of the steps. I told the guards our business, and they allowed us in.
The massive doors swung open to permit us entry. Caria craned her neck to see the top of the threshold as we passed under it. The Queen was already in the main hall,
as was typical. She met us halfway as we drew near.
“Troy, it is a blessing to see you.” Instead of stopping at her usual arm’s length, she came all the way in for a hug, which caught me off guard. I had never been so intimate with the Queen before, but I understood that it was an emotional time for her. “I hope you bring me good news,” she whispered into my ear before letting me go.”
“Sort of, but it’s nothing definitive yet,” I said. “We came across a Hittite camp on the way to that trading port and managed to kill one of their political elite. They wished to discuss things with us after that—which was a surprise for me. As it turned out, a Hittite princess was at the encampment as well. She told me that the magic that ails the King it a construction of their own empire, and, if she is to be believed, comes from no Egyptian involvement. Since I was already out there, I still thought it would be best to look around for an Egyptian ship and see if there was any way they could help, but I came across some raiders instead. That’s where I met Caria here.”
The Queen turned to my bride-to-be, as if only noticing her right then. She raised an eyebrow, saying, “And am I to understand that this girl is one of those raiders?”
“No, Your Highness,” I said. “She was captured by them, and I was able to free her.”
I proceeded to go into more detail about where Caria was originally from and what she told me about seeking out the Brethren of Stars in Cannakale.
“Very well,” said the Queen. “Is this all you have come to tell me?”
“No, Your Highness. That was only the abbreviated version—the most important things.”
I mentioned some of the details I felt were minor compared to anything having to do with the King’s illness. More eyebrows were raised as I spoke of the leviathan and then of the pirates awaiting my command down at the port.
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