“I see. Whereabouts?”
“It’s far—I mean really far—to the west. Farther west than Egypt. Probably like four times as far from here as Egypt. It might actually be easier to get there going east, now that I think about it.”
She guffawed, an unbridled sound I did not expect to hear from a woman of such class. “Troy, you speak in riddles! One must travel ‘to the east’ to reach a place far to the west. What a treasure you are.” She placed a hand on my forearm that lingered long enough to make me suspicious.
Shit, I thought. The last thing I needed was to butt heads with an angry king because his wife was coming on to me. I looked to Priam, but he was engaged in a conversation with Helen and did not appear to notice the gesture. Dymas, however, was sitting at His Majesty’s side and had not taken his eyes from me since the moment we sat down. He responded to my glance with the slimiest shit-eating grin I had ever seen, his eyes moving from my arm to my face. I thought it might be as good a time as any to mention to the Queen what I thought about her senator, but when I turned my attention back to the woman, Cressida had struck up a low conversation with her that I could not hear from her other side.
I ate much more than I had at the barracks and was glad I saved my appetite for this meal. Though the food I had in the barracks was more than I thought I could get in such a place, the food the palace had to offer was beyond compare.
The plates slowly emptied, and the conversation died down. It was well into the night when everyone was ready to part ways. Cressida thanked the King and Queen for their hospitality and showed her gratitude to Dymas for taking us safely to the city and arranging the audience.
“And thank you, Troy, for being the brave hero I needed,” she said, embracing me with a long, full-chested hug. “I would have surely died had you not happened along. I know you will serve our people well.”
“It was wonderful to have met you, Cressida,” I said, taking her in my arms. “I hope to see you again soon. I know your family will be glad that you’re safe.”
“Truly, they will. Farewell, dear Troy. Goodbye, Helen.” The two women exchanged a quick squeeze, and she made her way to the door.
“I must be getting back, as well,” Dymas said. “I still have important matters to tend to before I am able to rest. Farewell, Your Graces. Goodnight, Helen. Troy.” He, too, made his way to the main door.
“As do we,” said the Queen. “But you two should have your rest. Servants!”
Two squires entered the room, and Hecuba instructed them to take us to our bedchambers.
I was shown to mine first. It far exceeded my standards back home or what the Moonshadow was outfitted with. The four-poster bed was covered with a heavy top sheet of regal purple silk as smooth as Helen’s skin. I could see my reflection looking up at me in the polished marble tiles under my feet. Against one wall was an ornately carved vanity desk, atop which sat a mirror large enough for me to see myself fully in if it were on the floor. In the center of the desk was a porcelain bowl of fresh water with a towel at its side, reminding me that I had yet to take that bath Dymas promised.
“I hope this isn’t my only option for cleaning off,” I mumbled to myself.
The other servants had taken Helen to see her room. I assumed I would probably see her again before the night was over, so I went to the window overlooking the town to get a feel for my surroundings in the meantime.
I could see several groups of troops moving around from building to building but there was no one dressed like a normal civilian. I wondered how many of the men were not in the Trojan military. Obviously, politicians such as Dymas were off the hook. They were the decision-makers. Their functions and knowledge were too important to risk their lives in battle. But others—the farmers, the artisans, the fishers—I had to wonder how expendable they were to the kingdom. Surely, they were needed, but there were so many of them, and if the military did not defend against invasion, all could be lost. I hoped Cressida was tucked away somewhere safe within the city walls and, by extension, I hoped her father was well-protected, too.
A knock at the door interrupted my random musings. I opened it to see Helen, as expected.
“May I come in?”
“Of course.” I swung the door wide and closed it behind her as she crossed the threshold.
“I spoke much with King Priam over dinner,” she said, taking a seat on my bed.
“Yeah, I saw.”
“Did you hear our conversation?”
“No, I couldn’t hear much from where I sat. I was mostly talking to the Queen anyway. What did he say?”
“It weighs heavy on me, Troy.” She looked at her feet. “He described more of the situation, about how the Greeks would likely view my sudden appearance as the return of the original Helen, only coming out of hiding within the palace.”
“Why does this worry you?”
“Perhaps ‘worry’ is not the best word,” she said, thinking. “I am . . . conflicted. The King said that the Greeks are likely to be offended by what they perceive to be a lie. I do not care about this. I will always run after a chance to anger the Greeks. But Priam says he is almost certain they will redouble their efforts in an attempt to claim me. They will surely take it out on the citizens of Troy and any atrocities we have witnessed thus far will pale in comparison to what will come. Because of this, we will need to head them off as soon as we can. They have already done so much damage to the surrounding areas. This is what burdens me; I am already hurting the Greeks simply by making my presence known, which is what I want, but the price I must pay is with Trojan blood. Priam said they will stop at nothing to prevent the Greek conquest, and that I am in the center of this war—which is something I understood in the beginning, but only now do I understand all that it implies.”
“You seemed to take pride in having a war waged in your name when I first met you,” I said, remembering what she had said not long after climbing aboard Moonshadow.”
“Yes, Troy,” she said solemnly, turning her gaze to my feet. “I remember my words then and have thought about them since. I feel guilt in being so shortsighted. I am torn and confused. I have decided that I only want what is best for my people, even if it means for the Greek menace to turn away and leave us peacefully. Priam has made me all too aware that I have been underestimating their strength, like the naïve child I am.”
I walked over to her and took a knee, putting my face in her direct line of sight. I took both her hands in mine and said, “Don’t be ashamed of yourself, Helen. Guilt is just another human emotion. It seems to me like you’re becoming more flesh and bone every day.”
“Thank you, Troy. Your words mean so much to me.” A tear rolled down her cheek, something I had never seen happen.
“But this guilt you’re feeling . . . only you can make it go away. Guilt can be good. Sometimes it shows people where they were wrong and need to change, but getting lost in self-inflicted suffering is no way to live. To focus on your guilt for too long—any longer than it takes for you to acknowledge where you were wrong and make a plan to fix it going forward—will only hurt you. If you’re really feeling bad about what you said back on the ship, stop. Just stop. Right now. You realize it wasn’t the best thing to say, and you won’t think like that anymore, right? There’s nothing more to be done. It’s not like you did anything beyond saying a few words to me in private. It didn’t hurt anyone. No lives were lost. Everything’s good, nothing to atone for.”
“Troy ”—she put her hands around my head and pulled me to her bosom—“you are the best thing that has ever happened to me.”
We stretched out on top of the covers and watched the stars from the window, making small conversation and catching up on each other’s perspective of the day’s events.
“I do not trust Dymas,” she said, rubbing her hand down my chest.
“Me neither. Do you remember when that messenger came back in the barracks?”
“Yes,” she said. “That left a bad taste on my tongue. I wondered what
that was all about.”
“It looked to me like he sent a message to the Greeks. What was your take on it?”
“That is also how it seemed to me. He lost his temper, which is unbecoming of a man in his position.”
“Yeah, for sure, but I don’t think he was supposed to be talking to the Greeks in the first place—not by himself like that.”
“You are likely correct in your assumption. It would not be well for a single man to engage in wartime diplomacy without the input of his peers. Such an act would be treason, a crime punishable by death.”
“For sure. Those were my thoughts exactly,” I said. “I’m suspicious he informed them that you are here, though I don’t have any hard evidence to back that up. The King and Queen seemed to think that the Greeks were not yet aware of you.”
“True, but as the King said, they would have learned soon enough. The King told me that I am to reveal myself to the people tomorrow to bolster morale anyway. Do you think it makes any difference if the enemy discovers me a day early?”
“No, probably not. But Dymas should be exposed if he’s running around behind everyone else’s backs. No telling what he’d do later down the line.”
“You are correct. Perhaps we should mention it soon then?”
“Eh, I’ve been juggling the idea all day. I’d really like more evidence. I worry that it might affect how much the King and Queen trust us if we were to start stirring the pot so soon. Just keep an eye out for now. If he does anymore shady stuff, we’ll call him out, but for now let’s lay low.”
“Of course, Troy.”
We spent the rest of our waking moments in relative silence. She appeared to doze off before me. I fell asleep to the feeling of her heart beating against my stomach, her breath breezing against my chest hairs in long, slow waves. I heard no tic in the dead silence, nor did I smell any metal, though the King and Queen had earlier. Perhaps she was becoming more human even as we lay.
27
I opened my eyes the next morning to find Helen still cuddled at my side. It appeared that neither of us had moved an inch throughout the entire night. Though I was likely to feel the full force of battle in the coming days, I felt totally at peace. Everything seemed right. If I were never to find my way home, I decided life in Troy would be fine by me.
Two servants came to fetch us before long. Both were clearly surprised upon discovering the Princess had chosen to spend the night in my room.
“Oh, uh . . . good morning,” one of them greeted. “We are to show you both to the bathing rooms. Sorry . . . err . . . to have interrupted if we—”
“No, you weren’t interrupting anything,” I said.
Helen was looking over at me with her mischievous, wrinkled-nose grin.
“I was just thinking about cleaning off, so I’m glad you’re here.”
“As am I,” Helen said.
They took us to the bathing area. There were several wooden tubs along each wall. I assumed they had a non-flammable underside because there were low fires lit beneath them to warm the water. I missed the showers back home, but accepted my current option as a suitable substitute. I really had no idea what to expect before then, so I was pleasantly surprised.
The servants left with a quick goodbye, telling us that they would be right outside the door if we needed anything. Helen watched them as they walked out and turned to me as soon at the door closed. She had that battle-ready feral grin on her face, but I knew she wasn’t anticipating a fight just then.
“You know,” she began, slowly drawing nearer, “it is customary for all soldiers to bathe together.” She dropped her tunic to the floor. “You are lucky, Troy, to be the only man in this room and to not have to hurry and clean yourself off.” We stood face-to-face, her appraising me with half-closed eyes as if I had just shared an intimate flattering secret. “But you are such a good soldier. It is expected for you to have special treatment.”
She slid her hand into my pants, her eyes widening a little upon discovering that I was already eager to continue. She began stroking me methodically, rhythmically. I felt the warmth of her breath as she spoke.
“The other men . . . they cannot hold a candle to you. They will see what you have to offer soon enough.” Stroke. “I know what you have”—stroke—“ to offer.” Stroke.
She coaxed me backward to one of the tubs and slowly began unbuttoning my shirt. “Let’s get these filthy clothes off of you.”
It was gone in an instant.
She dropped to her knees and removed my pants just as nimbly. “Hello again.” She spoke with a dreamy tone, little more than a moan. Stroke. “Let’s clean you off.”
She began stroking a little faster, adding her mouth as she went. I leaned back and braced myself against the tub with one arm and felt her head moving back and forth with the other.
Both her hands were on me before long. She took her head away for a moment to look at the door, then whispered, “Mm, I hope they hear us.”
I grabbed a clump of her hair in ecstasy and pulled it a little. She giggled and took it as her cue to go faster. She rubbed one hand up and down my thigh and grabbed my chest with the other, using only her mouth to please me. I flexed to feel the solid rock of my muscle against her delicate palm, imagining what it would be like to feel her breasts pressed against me in the same place.
She stood and continued stroking with one hand, saying, “We are only just beginning, Troy. I will not be finished until I am satisfied. Can you satisfy me, mighty warrior?” She let me loose and patted the rim of the tub, leaning against it with her hip curving out to the side, her breasts hanging like two juicy peaches, taunting me.
“You doubt me, girl?” I said, smirking. I held her chin and pointed her head up to face me, kissing her before climbing into the water. It was hotter than I was used to, but there was an open fire beneath it, after all. I adjusted soon enough.
She followed my lead and jumped in, more forcefully than I. Water sloshed around, spilling over the side. I sat up, and she wrapped her arms around my head, rubbing my member between her thighs.
“Ooh,” she breathed. “So warm.” She continued to rub as she leaned in for a kiss.
I grabbed her dangling fruits and squeezed. She moaned and snaked her tongue into my mouth as I wrapped her in a bear hug, pulling her close, pressing her against me. Her tongue slithered along my neck and followed it up to my face. She used her feet to play with me, which was something I’d never experienced before, but was surprisingly effective.
“You know, Troy,” she whispered as her tongue found its way to my ear. “My favorite part about being human is all the sex I plan to have with you.” She continued the foot play. “I never knew sexual desire before I met you, Troy. And now, I can think of nothing else. Nothing else . . . but this.” She leaned back and finally sat on me with a loud groan.
I felt her quiver as she slid down to my base. “Ah,” she gasped, digging her nails into my arms. She hesitated to move from there, so I nudged her, gently pumping up and down. She fell forward onto me again, wrapping one arm around my upper back and the other around my head. “Ah,” she exhaled at the climax of each probe. She pulled herself more firmly against me, letting me do the work for a while. I stretched out with my arms on either side of the tub, focusing all my effort on my pelvic muscles while relaxing like a king above the waist. I could certainly get used to that feeling.
She took her arm from around my head and caressed the side of my face. Ours noses touched; she consumed my eyes with hers. I felt her hips begin to gyrate, her moans growing louder. She picked up speed, and I let her take over. The water splashed all around, and it got to the point where she was practically yelling. I checked over my shoulder, half-expecting the servants to come in and make sure everything was all right—no, wanting them to come in and make sure everything was all right. I tightened my stomach, the call of her siren song growing almost too strong to bear. I grabbed her plump cheeks and bounced her faster up and down.
&n
bsp; She squealed and raised my bet, giving it all she had. I felt her pulse as she massaged me, and I was sure she could feel me throbbing in unison with her. In response, I pulled my legs in and rose with her still bobbing at my mercy. She grabbed me harder, startled at the sudden motion, but pursued the chase with renewed vigor, wrapping her legs around my waist. She never took her eyes from mine, watching me with that feral grin, challenging me to go the extra mile. Her breasts flopped around wildly, her wet hair clinging to everything it touched in chaotic strands.
It was then, looking at her with that devious bloodthirsty face, that I realized we were in fact in the heat of battle. One of us was sure to lose, but we would both win in the end, as long as she lost first.
I grasped her harder at the hips, stretching her legs apart as we continued to wage war. Then I saw it in her eyes; her focus was broken and her will to resist with it. Her lids fluttered, her eyes rolled back, she dug into me with her nails, and then I felt her spasm between the legs. But I did not stop.
I kept sliding her up and down. She had become a ragdoll in my arms, a toy to play with to my heart’s content. I had won, and not long after, I won again.
“Mm,” was all she could say, burying her face into my chest. “Mmm . . .”
I decided it was time for me to let loose, so I sat the both of us back down into the tub and felt sweet release, congratulating myself on a job well done. Good job, Troy. You’ve never done that to a woman twice in a row.
I lifted her out again and carried her over to a tub filled with water that we had not yet soiled, and we cuddled for the rest of our time there.
Breakfast was waiting in the main hall when we were finished. Helen went to her room to change and take care of some feminine grooming, so I ate alone. A squire met me at the table as soon as I took my seat and told me he would take me to see King Priam at the wall when I finished my meal. I wasted very little time scarfing down my plate, and we were on our way.
Primed and ready, I met Priam outside the barracks. He had just finished giving instruction to his generals, who were heading off in different directions to fulfill those orders. The war effort appeared to be moving along like a well-oiled machine.
Gears of Troy: A Scifi Fantasy Harem Page 14
