"Ah, yes, he's... charming," Rohan answered, embarrassed. He dared to look at the prince. "Did you enjoy William's company?" he asked boldly.
"I didn't touch him," Kurtis replied, shaking his head. "Even though he threw himself at me, I couldn't care less. He's not you. He's just like Isabel. They have no power over me."
"And I do?"
Kurtis grinned. "You sure do," he whispered, leaning towards Rohan. "I'd do anything for you. Including finding you a bride, if that's what you want."
"No, it's not what I want." Rohan shrugged and looked away.
"So... what do you want?" Kurtis elbowed him and waited.
Rohan let go of his knees and turned to face the prince.
"I want to be with you, but I don't know how."
Kurtis took a deep breath, caressed Rohan's cheek. "I do," he murmured before leaning forward and kissing him.
***
Gods, he tastes good! Kurtis could never have enough of Rohan's eager mouth. He pulled Rohan's body closer and they rolled in the grass together, away from the willow's interlacing roots.
Rohan pulled away to gasp for breath, but Kurtis could feel his hardness against him. Rohan's eyes were wide with desire and fear.
"You... will not hurt me?" he pleaded.
"Never," Kurtis assured him, stroking Rohan's dark hair.
Rohan leaned to kiss him again. "I want you, but..."
"Don't worry, I know what to do."
Kurtis rolled over him and lay him down on the grass, slowly opening his tunic with butterfly kisses. Rohan moaned and closed his eyes as Kurtis explored him with hands and mouth. Soon Rohan was naked in all his glorious beauty, but Kurtis still had his clothes on.
Giving Rohan pleasure was the best thing that Kurtis could do. Listening to his groans of enjoyment and sighs of passion took his breath away. And when Rohan reopened his eyes, drowsy with spent passion, Kurtis lost himself in that blue.
He could die for Rohan. He could adore Rohan's body for eternity. He hoped Rohan would be by his side forever.
"Why are you still clothed?" Rohan asked with a little smile.
"Because it was all about you, and I wanted you to relax and feel good," Kurtis answered. "There will be time for you to explore me and return my caresses..."
Rohan hugged him. "Mmm... maybe I could start now..."
"Maybe you should rest now," Kurtis replied tenderly. "I told you, we have the rest of our lives to enjoy each other."
Rohan sighed in contentment, his eyelids heavy. "I love you, Kurtis," he whispered before dozing off.
"I love you too," Kurtis answered, caressing his lover as he slept.
Good thing he liked watching Rohan sleep. He covered the naked body with the clothes when the breeze picked up speed, and Rohan stirred awake.
"Maybe we better go back to the castle," Kurtis suggested as Rohan quickly dressed. "Are you hungry?"
"I'm famished," Rohan admitted. "I didn't have breakfast..."
Kurtis grinned. "Good. Then we'll eat, and then we'll retire to our rooms and continue this exploration, what do you say?"
"Your wish is my command, Your Highness," Rohan answered with his shy smile.
BEAUTIFUL
1. Beautiful Sleeper
Kerrien prided himself on never getting lost, not even in the deepest, darkest forest. That skill came in handy when tracking someone. It gave him an edge over whomever he was looking for. But he sometimes was taken by surprise by what he found.
He'd been following the tracks of bandits that plagued the few roads of the kingdom when he noticed a wall through the undergrowth. He thought it might be part of a small, abandoned house, but when he got closer, he realized it was so big that it completely blocked his vision of what lay beyond.
The tracks led him to a large building with a gaping door – some kind of castle or fortress completely covered by vegetation. So well-hidden that it was actually hard to figure out the shape of the castle. Old mulberry trees surrounded it like a wall, their leaves almost covering the sky.
Kerrien felt he'd just entered a secret garden of giant proportions, with trees instead of flowers and a castle instead of a pavilion at its center. What must have been a clearing around the stone walls had become a narrow passage as the forest engulfed the building.
He followed the impenetrable stone walls and reached a gate-less entrance. He stared at the remnants of a wooden portcullis that seemed to have spread new leaves thanks to the ivy that had grown on it, and then stepped into the cave-like entrance to peek at the inside.
Birch trees had grown in the inner courtyard and ivy climbed the walls. The windows had pointed arches that sometimes showed the wooden ceilings, sometimes just darkness where the wooden parts had collapsed and only the stone walls remained.
What had been two-story buildings were now half crumbled. Most roofs were gone, and the wooden stables had turned into a gathering of bushes, with one proud maple tree sprouting out of a roofless stall.
The treasure hunter in him perked up at the thought of hidden riches that might lie among the ruins. The abandoned buildings smelled of elm, aspen and birch, wild flowers – and decay.
This must have been some kind of residential palace, or the castle of some ancient king, Kerrien thought. The three round towers he could glimpse seemed in decent shape, so they could be a very good hiding place for outlaws.
He didn't venture inside, barely glancing at the courtyard, unwilling to show himself. He was uneasy for some reason he couldn't place yet. The bandits' tracks seemed to lead to one of the round towers. He could see the remnants of a fireplace and a makeshift tent next to the open tower door. Maybe not even they had dared to sleep inside.
Kerrien left the ruined buildings and headed back to town to call the militia. He retraced his steps through the trees, pondering his discovery.
He wondered who had lived there and when. He had never heard anything about an abandoned castle in the forest at the edge of Gruffsnake Shire. He'd been wandering through the northern kingdoms and city-states for almost fifteen years now, and thought he'd seen it all, heard it all, tried it all.
Being a mercenary and bounty hunter, he'd seen his fair share of destruction and deserted cities or castles for one reason or another. But that fortress in the forest... it was strange. If he were a superstitious commoner, he'd stay away from it. He'd felt something in that entrance, a shiver down his back that had made him back out.
He was glad he needed reinforcements to stop the gang of four who had found such a perfect refuge. The bandits obviously weren't scared by whatever he'd felt looming there – or maybe they'd gone there precisely because nobody would bother them if they hid in a haunted castle.
He reached the town of Backeran at sunset, just before they closed the gates. The walls were made of wood and had several large gates that were kept closed at night. The city had been built around a central bridge on a river that provided water to most houses. It was famous for its scholars, the quality of its alcohol and gambling.
Kerrien wasn't one to gamble his hard-earned coins, so he went straight to the nearest tavern, half a dozen blocks from the main entrance. The streets were full of stray cats and the buildings all had small and neat backyards. The people were friendly and Kerrien hoped to find a scholar willing to tell him some history in the tavern's main room.
The Secret Wench Inn was medium-sized, decently clean, with cheap drinks and average food. Kerrien had been staying there for two nights before finding the tracks of the bandits. He knew half the rooms were vacant, and quickly glanced around the main room, in case he spotted the old scholar that had entertained him at dinner the night before.
The room was crowded, loud and rowdy. Half the patrons were already drunk and most were armed, much like himself. Kerrien couldn't see the white mane of the scholar, so he shrugged, found a free table and asked the female innkeeper for his evening meal. He'd better go to bed early, so he could be ready for the morning expedition.
***<
br />
Catching the bandits was a piece of cake with the town militia. The captain grumpily gave Kerrien his coins in the courtyard while the guards dragged away the glaring prisoners. He saluted the bounty hunter and followed his men without turning back, as if he were in a hurry to leave the haunted grounds. He hadn't looked happy to find the ruins, but hadn't said a word about them.
Kerrien scoffed and shrugged. He was used to those kinds of blunt, slightly arrogant officials. He knew they showed contempt for him to hide the fact that they were envious. He did the things they couldn't do. Like following bandits to an abandoned castle in the forest.
He counted the coins and put them in his purse, satisfied. Standing in the middle of the ruined courtyard under a clear blue sky, he finally decided to take a good look at his surroundings.
One of the towers caught his eye. It looked brand new and was attached to the tallest building leaning against the stone walls on its right side. No ivy grew on it, and the door at its base was closed.
Even the windows on that side of the building attached to the tower seemed to still have panes as if that part of the castle was untouched by time, especially the highest floor right under the roof and the battlements. Strange that the bandits didn't use that tower instead of the more ruined one. Maybe they couldn't open the door?
Curiosity won, and he headed that way. The whole castle had been built with the local yellow sandstone, and under the sun the tower and the right side building looked almost golden. Kerrien tried the handle and the door squeaked open.
A whiff of stale air and mold reached his nostrils. The inside was dark but he saw the start of a stone spiral staircase. Nothing seemed to block the entrance. It might be spooky at night, but during the day it didn't look too bad.
Kerrien entered and slowly started climbing the stairs, keeping one hand on the wall. The stones were cold and smooth, and the light was very dim. Wherever the windows were, they were in the rooms, not on the stairs.
He found a door on what must be the first floor and fumbled for the doorknob. The room beyond had two windows opening onto the forest that let in greenish light. It was empty of furniture and covered in dust and cobwebs.
Kerrien left the door open to give some light and kept climbing. The spiral staircase continued for another two floors that had identically abandoned rooms. Just below the roof and the top merlons, there was one last room.
It smelled funny. And it wasn't empty.
There was a canopied bed by the wall opposite the door and four windows – two on each side. The ones that probably opened onto the inner courtyard were in the shade, but the other two let in sun rays that played with dust. That part of the castle must be taller than the trees.
Surprised, Kerrien stepped into the room, raising a cloud of dust from the floor. Looking back he could clearly see his boot tracks crossing the room to the bed. He doubted anyone had stepped in there for years – and probably nobody else would.
He reached the bed and pulled open the curtain, covering his mouth and nose from the dust cloud. He even closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he gasped at the sight of what lay beyond.
A young man, seemingly asleep. His chest moved rhythmically, but the rest of his body was still.
Kerrien shook the young man's foot, but got no reaction. He moved around the bed to get closer to the handsome, clean-shaven face.
The sleeper was one of the most beautiful young men he'd ever seen in his life. Brown locks surrounded his chiseled face and his body seemed toned enough to hold a sword with great ease. The clothes were a little out of fashion, but of good fabric. Maybe he was a nobleman, or even a prince.
Kerrien leaned to look closer. No medallions, rings or other jewelry that could help him determine who the young man was. He tried to shake the sleeper awake, to no avail.
Must be some kind of spell. It preserved this tower, this room, and him. I wonder who knows his story and what one is supposed to do to wake him up.
He touched the young man's cheek. It was warm. Definitely not dead. Boy, you're gorgeous! What did you do to be put to sleep?
His fingers touched the young man's lips. He's breathing all right...
He pulled away, sighing in indecision. He was a warrior, not a magic user. He didn't know how to undo spells. Besides, he didn't know who the young man was. What if, in spite of his celestial looks, the sleeper was a cruel overlord? Kerrien must find out who the young man could be before he tried to undo the spell.
Except he couldn't keep his eyes off the handsome face.
A kiss won't kill him, he decided.
He sat on the edge of the bed and slightly turned the young man's head so he could taste the warm lips. His tongue slipped in and found the teeth. You taste good, Sleeping Beau.
Kerrien rose again with a sigh. What a waste.
He turned and reluctantly headed back for the room's door.
The sound of a heavy exhalation startled him, and he swiftly turned around.
The young man's eyelids slowly lifted open.
Kerrien rushed back and met emerald-green eyes that widened in surprise at the sight of him.
"Who... who are you?" the young man asked, slowly moving and taking control of his body.
"I'm Kerrien," he answered, still puzzled. Was a kiss really enough to break a spell?
The young man sat and stretched his arms, yawning.
"Where is everybody?" he asked, still sleepy.
"There is nobody around," Kerrien answered. "The castle is abandoned."
"What?" The green eyes stared at him, shocked.
Kerrien motioned towards the windows opening onto the courtyard. The young man slowly got up, stared puzzled at Kerrien's boot tracks on the floor and headed for the windows, turning back to look at his own tracks in the dust.
"Do you have a name?" Kerrien asked, crossing his arms over his chest as the young man put his forehead on the window pane and gasped in surprise.
"Rithvik," came the absentminded reply. "What happened out there?"
"I guess everybody left," Kerrien answered. "You might have slept for longer than you think."
"I... slept..." Rithvik mused, then turned to look at him. "And what are you doing here?"
"Looting, what else?" He chuckled. "Actually, I'm a bounty hunter. Four bandits had found refuge in that tower over there. The loot was taken by the town militia, and I was paid for finding them."
"What town?" Rithvik asked, puzzled.
"Backeran."
"There's no such town!"
"Come on, Rithvik..."
"Prince Rithvik!" The young man straightened and glared at him.
"Prince of what? Dust and spiders?" Kerrien teased.
"My kingdom is wealthy and mighty! We even managed to stay independent from the Moren Empire!"
Kerrien did a quick calculation.
"I'm sorry to inform you that the last Moren emperor died more than a century ago." He was starting to enjoy the conversation. The young man was gorgeous but a little too full of himself. "Like I said, this place is abandoned. Come downstairs and see for yourself."
And he headed for the door and the spiral staircase. He didn't need to turn around – he heard Rithvik following him.
"These stairs are dark!" Rithvik complained. "Where are the torches and the lamps?"
"Long gone, I'm afraid," Kerrien replied with a shrug, still following the wall with one hand.
They were almost down when Rithvik tripped, but by now he was so close to Kerrien that when he heard the prince yelp, Kerrien was ready to block his fall.
"Careful where you put your feet, your highness," he said.
"You could have brought a torch," Rithvik replied with a whining tone.
"I wasn't planning on exploring this place, but this tower is so well-preserved that I had to look inside."
Finally they emerged in the courtyard and Rithvik gaped as he looked around.
"No more castle..." he whispered. Then he brightened. "No more kin
gdom!"
He grinned at Kerrien. "Thank you!" He threw his arms around Kerrien's neck and stamped a quick kiss on the mercenary's lips.
Startled, Kerrien pushed him away.
"Are you out of your mind?" he protested.
Rithvik kept his arms behind his back and kept grinning from ear to ear.
"My wish came true. I woke up and I don't need to be king anymore! So you can call me Rithvik now. What did you say your name is?"
"Kerrien," he answered still incredulous from the sudden change in the prince's mood.
"Thank you, Kerrien. Where do we go from here?"
"I don't know, go where you want, you're free of whatever spell kept you in that tower."
"Well, since you saved me, I'll stay with you. Where are we headed?"
Kerrien wasn't sure he had a good deal. And he was more and more curious to hear the story of Prince Rithvik – whoever that might have been.
"To Backeran for now," he said. "And we better hurry, the town closes its gates at sunset."
***
Kerrien brought Rithvik to the Secret Wench Inn still wondering what to do with his find. From the walk through the forest, the prince sounded like a spoiled young man. True that Rithvik had slippers on, and walking through the forest in slippers wasn't very comfortable, but still...
At least he'd stopped talking when they'd passed the town gates, and now frowned at the noisy crowd of the tavern.
"Most of this crowd is very shady-looking," Rithvik said. "Are you sure they're not going to rob us?"
"Nobody would dare to rob me," Kerrien replied. "And you have nothing that can be robbed. They already robbed you of everything."
"True." Rithvik's frown vanished. "I knew getting rid of my title was the best thing I could do!"
"And the fact that the Moren Empire is no more doesn't bother you?" Kerrien asked him, leading him to a corner table. "I mean, you're not curious to know how long you slept?"
"Nah." Rithvik shrugged. "I'm famished. Can I have roasted boar and baked potatoes with cheese?"
"I don't think this tavern has that kind of food," Kerrien replied. "You'll probably have to make do with stew and beans."
"Oh." Rithvik looked disappointed, but sat down where Kerrien pointed him to.
Fairy Tales Revisited on Silvery Earth Page 14
