Room to Breathe (The Medieval Gay Romance MM Erotica Chronicles Book 2)

by Ariana May

  Emery smiled at Jericho and kissed him lightly. “I thought as much. The questions made it pretty clear what you were up to, but I wanted to be sure. It was a risky move, but I think it was the right one. When you made him understand that it was okay to feel as he does, I could see the change in his eyes. It was like a weight had been lifted. It won’t be an easy transition for him, but he’ll do better now, I think. It was a good thing you did for him today Jericho. Some masters would have just been angry at the rules he broke, but you looked past that. You saw his pain and made that your priority. You showed how much you care about your boys when you helped him tonight. How kind your heart is. I think that’s one of the reasons I...I could easily fall in love with you.” ‘One of the reasons I am falling...’

  Emery’s words lit up Jericho’s face in a bright smile. “I do care about my boys. I just wanted Quentin to be happy with himself, for all of my boys to be happy. And if that makes you fall for me, well, I should be so lucky.” Jericho leaned in again to brush his nose against Emery’s then tilted his head to capture Emery’s mouth in a tender kiss. When he pulled back, he broached the topic for which he had pulled Emery aside. “Since you’re pleased with our helping Quentin through this, perhaps you will consent to help us with the next phase.”

  “The next phase?” Emery asked, curious at what Jericho had planned.

  “Well, you see, the punishment for self-masturbation generally has two parts. The spanking and then a week of chastity,” Jericho answered. “However, Damien pointed out a problem with the chastity punishment.”

  Emery nodded. "Like the fact that Quentin hasn’t cared to be with any of the boys and thus is probably used to lengthy...restraint?"

  Jericho smiled, pleased at Emery’s quick understanding. “Yes, exactly. So, Damien came up with an idea to make sure that Quentin is appropriately in need of release, thus making sure that he’s fairly punished. And of course, we also want to make sure he can’t fall back into the habit of ignoring his desires.” Jericho ran a finger seductively down Emery’s chest. “And that, my beautiful boy, is where you come in.”

  “Me?” Emery asked, breathily. “What do you want me to do?”

  “Quentin has never spied on me before and we know he’s very attracted to you, so really it was you he was spying on tonight.” Jericho kissed Emery’s neck and rubbed his ass, hoping to put him in a cooperative mood. “Damien and I feel that it would be suitable recompense if Quentin sleeps in your bed for the duration of his punishment and provides you with a minimum of one orgasm per day. That, I think, will keep him sufficiently aroused for the chastity to drive the lesson home. And of course, any orgasm with Quentin would not count towards your daily allotment."

  Emery pulled away from Jericho, just a little, shocked by the request and fully aware of Jericho’s attempts to distract him. "Jericho how can you ask that of him? He’s just barely accepted that he’s bi and you want to throw him off the deep end?”

  Jericho couldn’t help but chuckle at Emery’s outrage. “You do realize he’s been having sex with me for a little over a year, don’t you, Love?”

  Taken aback by Jericho’s admittedly very valid point, Emery pouted slightly and took a moment to consider the matter. On the one hand, he wasn’t quite comfortable with having Quentin be punished with sex with him. On the other hand, the prospect of having his own boy toy for a week was rather hot. He had been hoping to get to know more of Jericho’s other boys better over the course of the next week and this would put a bit of a crimp in that plan; though, there were plenty of hours in each day. Reaching his decision, he murmured to Jericho, “I suppose I could help you out, but I would want to be sure Quentin was okay with it. And this really isn’t the way I anticipated getting him in bed. I was hoping for something a little more...mutual”

  “Of course. If it makes him too uncomfortable, we have an alternate punishment in mind. Though I think he’ll be willing to play along. Being with you for the week should also help him work though his feelings. That’s as much my purpose as the punishment. And as for having something more mutual for your first time with Quentin, I’d like you to stick to hand jobs and blow jobs.” Jericho grinned, suggestively. “Unless, of course, he asks you to fuck him. If that happens, we’ll want to reward him for working through his fears and confusion, so you can consider the chastity part of the punishment over and see how hard you can make him come with that...mmm...delightful cock of yours. How’s that sound?”

  Shivering at the erotic image Jericho’s words generated, Emery squeezed Jericho close. “I think we have a deal, Master.” Emery leaned in and captured Jericho’s lips in a searing kiss to show his appreciation for Jericho’s plan.

  ***

  After a short make out session, Emery and Jericho returned to Jericho’s sitting room. There they found Damien and Quentin sitting on one of the loveseats, the spanking chair returned to the dining table. Quentin was sitting on Damien’s lap, carefully perched with the bulk of his weight balanced on his thighs so as to keep the pressure off his ass cheeks.

  Jericho stepped over to the loveseat and ran his hand gently over Quentin’s reddened ass, causing the boy to squirm. “Quentin, I want to thank you for taking your spanking so nicely and working through my questions so well. I want you to know that you can talk to any of us as you work through your desires, okay?” Jericho moved his hand to run his fingers through Quentin’s hair as he spoke. When Quentin nodded, leaning in to his Master’s touch, Jericho continued, “That said, we do have the second part of your punishment to discuss. Traditionally, we would go with a week of chastity.”

  Having been focused on the revelations of the night, Quentin had forgotten about the second punishment was the normal for offences such as his. The choice of punishment was a relief, however. ‘I can handle that. I go that long all the time.’

  Jericho quickly dashed Quentin’s hopes for an easy second punishment. “However, Damien advised me that it wouldn’t be much of a punishment for you, given your habits in that area.” Jericho grinned down at the boy mischievously. “Damien did have the most delightful idea for helping you to explore your newly acknowledged sexuality while ensuring that the chastity requirement is in fact a proper punishment. Since it was really Emery you were spying on tonight, for one week's time you will sleep in whatever bed Emery sleeps in and provide him with at minimum one orgasm per day.”

  Quentin’s jaw dropped in shock at Jericho’s words. Now that he’d accepted his attraction for Emery, the idea of having sex with the pretty boy every day for a week sent his pulse racing. He wanted very much to have sex with Emery, but he’d been burying such desires so long that letting loose and just having what he wanted was both exhilarating and frightening. ‘Except, I won’t be able to fully let loose,’ Quentin realized. ‘A week’s chastity. Gods, that will be torture. And.......And what if....What if Emery doesn’t want to? No, that must be what Master Jericho took him aside to talk about. Oh Gods, Emery wants to have sex with me and I want to have sex with him. And I can’t come and...’

  "Quentin," Jericho said, breaking into the boy's mental rambling. "If you don't feel comfortable with that, there's always option two..." As he spoke, Jericho ran his hands down over the firm mounds of Quentin’s ass, gently caressing the evidence of Quentin’s first punishment.

  Quentin wasn’t sure what Master Jericho had in mind for an alternative punishment, but given his master’s hand on his ass, he was fairly sure he wasn’t meant to choose it. ‘And besides, I can do this. I have to do this. For me. Master Jericho is giving me a safe avenue to explore, to accept myself. I have to take it. No more hiding.’ Quentin whispered, “No Master, I can do this. If...if Emery is okay with it, I can do it.”

  Jericho grinned down at Quentin, pleased and proud of his boy’s determination to face his desires and of Quentin’s concern for Emery’s consent. Though he knew Emery’s answer, Jericho nonetheless asked, “Emery?”

  Emery stepped forward, leaning down to kiss Quentin’s
forehead. “I would be delighted. I promise to take good care of you this week.”

  “Excellent!” Jericho exclaimed. “Damien, thank you for helping us tonight. I believe that you have two lovely naked boys waiting for you in your room. We’ll let you get back to them. Quentin, have you eaten tonight?”

  “Yes, Master,” Quentin answered as he rose to allow Damien to leave.

  Damien enveloped Quentin in a tight hug, kissing the boy gently on his lips. “I’m proud of you, Quentin,” Damien murmured. Stepping back, Damien turned to Emery and Jericho. “Good night, Emery, Master.” With that, Damien took his leave.

  Jericho stepped up to Quentin, pulling the boy down for a tender kiss. “Well Quentin, Emery and I are going to eat the dinner we didn’t get to. Then we’ll turn in for the night. Your second punishment won’t start until tomorrow, so you’re free to return to your room.”

  “Yes, Master,” Quentin said quietly, turning to gather his clothing so that he could leave and return to his room.

  “Of course, it would please us greatly if you stayed and had some light conversation while we eat. Then you could sleep with us again, just sleep,” Jericho said, stopping Quentin in his tracks.

  Quentin turned back and looked to Emery for agreement. When Emery nodded, Quentin smiled shyly. “I can do that, Master.” ‘After that spanking, it will be nice to be held tonight.’

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Emery crept silently through shadows of the darkening castle, watchful for any of the castle’s occupants that might be out and about. The missive from Sebastian had contained a package of enchanted crystals designed to sink into a ward basin and allow the holder of a corresponding keystone to bypass any wards raised from ward stones placed into the basin. The crystals would allow Emery to enter the guest chambers of the nobles visiting during the Council of Lords and check their belongings for any useful information or documents that they might have brought along with them. Though the Council was over a month away, Emery needed to place the stones within the week so that their magic could have time to blend into the basin, allowing them to go undetected by each Lord’s security sweep.

  Unfortunately, Quentin’s weeklong punishment had made slipping away to place the crystals difficult. With Quentin snuggled up to him in his bed each night, Emery was unable to sneak out when the castle was asleep. And while the tentative hand job the first day and the much more confident hand job the second day hadn’t taken that long, Quentin, newly accepting of his attraction to Emery, was proving rather clingy and snuggly. Aside from the lunchtime sessions with Jericho—in which Emery was finding himself quite fond of being bent over Jericho’s furniture—Quentin had barely left Emery’s side even when they weren’t running party errands. Now on the third night, Emery had only gotten away by running the boy ragged during an afternoon combat training session and insisting that he take a nap before a late picnic dinner in Emery’s room.

  Scanning the corridor around him, Emery deftly picked the lock of the first guest suite. Entering, he made his way to the ward basin. Emery drew out the first of his crystals and placing it in the basin, spoke the activation word. The crystal began pulsing with a soft blue glow, bringing faint light to the shadowy room as it worked its magic. After a moment, the basin began to glow purple and pulse in time with the crystal. Slowly, the crystal shifted in color to the match the basin and when the colors matched exactly, the crystal phased into the basin, disappearing from sight. Emery used a scanning crystal to confirm that the process had been a success, then snuck back out of the suite and onto the next to repeat the process.

  Half an hour later, Emery had completed the placements with only one close call, in which he had to duck into a darkened alcove to avoid being seen by a palace maid. He hurried back to the harem and collected the picnic basket he’d requested from Miller, hoping that he’d been swift enough that Quentin wouldn’t even know that he’d been gone. He entered his room and found Quentin still fast asleep in his bed. Emery set the basket on the floor next to the bed and got to work quietly setting up the picnic of warm sandwiches, fresh fruit, and cold juice.

  Once finished with his preparations, Emery sat gingerly on the edge of the bed and ran his fingers through Quentin’s hair, waking the boy from his nap. “Wake up sleepyhead. I’ve got dinner all set up,” Emery said, smiling down at the sleepy boy.

  “Hey, Emery,” Quentin murmured sleepily, before he realized just where he was and jerked upright. “Um, sorry for being asleep in your bed when you got back.”

  Emery chuckled and leaned in to kiss Quentin’s forehead. “I’m fairly sure I told to you to be napping in my bed, so I think you’re okay. Now, come on, dinner awaits.” Emery rose, pulling Quentin from the bed and guided him to sit down on the floor next to the food. Emery handed Quentin the plate and glass he’d prepared and added, “Now, eat up and in between bites, you can tell me about the latest investment work you’re doing for Damien. I’d like to learn more about what you do when you’re not helping me with my duties.”

  As they ate and Emery listened to Quentin’s far more interesting than expected explanation of gold, banks, and investments, he noticed that the boy seemed to alternate between cuddling up to him as had become the norm for the last few days and tensing up and shying away. The behavior was subtle, almost seeming to flow naturally with the storytelling and the meal, but to Emery’s trained eye, it was obvious, something was up with Quentin. Emery let it go through the meal, noticing that the fidgeting grew worse as they got closer to finishing their picnic.

  As they started in a dessert, a lovely cherry pie, Emery guided the conversation subtly to Quentin’s impressions of life in the palace and by the time they had eaten the last bite of cherry pie, Emery had been able to glean several useful details about the day to day habits and rhythms of the palace servants and guards. As this topic enthused and diverted Quentin less than the discussion of his financial duties, Quentin seemed to fidget even more, clearly distracted by whatever was running through his head.

  With the meal complete, Quentin scrambled up and away from Emery. “Ah, I’ll clean up if you want to get ready for bed. Yeah, I’ll clean up.”

  Deciding to let it play out a bit more, Emery nodded and rose. “Alright then, thank you, Quentin.” As Quentin repacked the basket, Emery moved to his vanity and went through his skin care routine. He’d spent enough time away from his own bed since joining the harem that he made double sure to be thorough when he got the chance to go through the bedtime ritual. As a result, by the time he’d finished, Quentin had cleaned up the basket, delivered it back to Miller, and returned to Emery’s room to sit fidgeting on the bed in his green silk boxers. Emery stripped down to his own boxers, crimson silk, and cuddled up to Quentin in the bed. Feeling the boy tense, Emery sighed and asked, “Quentin, do you perhaps want to tell me what has you all fidgety tonight?”

  Quentin flushed, blushing nearly as crimson as Emery’s boxers. “Oh, ah, I...I want to give you a blowjob.”

  Emery took and squeezed Quentin’s hand. “One more time at normal speed, please.”

  Quentin gulped, and spoke again, this time more slowly, “I...I want to give you a blow job. You know, for today’s orgasm.”

  “That would be lovely, Quentin. I’d like that,” Emery said. He pressed a quick kiss to the boy’s cheek. “But why the nerves? Surely you’ve given Master Jericho blow jobs before. And knowing him and Damien, I’d wager you’re pretty good at it by now.”

  Impossibly, Quentin’s blush deepened. “Oh, well, yes. I’ve done it before, and they seem to like it when I...yeah...they seem to like it. It’s just, when I did it before it wasn’t because I wanted...” Quentin paused and shook his head and when he continued, his tone dropped into a whisper, “No, I did want to do it. I...I like making Master and Damien feel nice…making...making them cum. It makes me feel good. But ah, it was always because they...” Quentin trailed off, ducking his head, shyly.

  Understanding, Emery used a single finger to lift
Quentin’s chin. He leaned in to press a single soft kiss to the boy’s lips. “It was always because they asked you to do it. I haven’t asked you for more than a hand job. This would be because you’ve chosen to do it. Because you want it and have asked for it.” When Quentin nodded, shyly Emery smiled and said “Thank you for that, Quentin.” Emery kissed Quentin again, this time a little firmer, a little deeper. “If it would help, I can order the blow job.”

  “No!” Quentin exclaimed. “I...I want to do this. My choice. If you’ll let me.”

  Emery grinned widely, fighting back a laugh. “I can assure you Quentin, there is no way I’m saying no. So, please, whenever you’re ready.”

  Quentin took a deep breath and slid slowly down Emery’s body, kissing here and there down Emery’s chest and abs to the trail of light brown hair, just barely peeking out of the silk boxers. Mixing tender kisses with light licks of the skin beneath his lips, Quentin followed the trail down to Emery’s cock as he pulled the crimson silk out of his way. Kissing down and around the base of Emery’s cock, Quentin dipped lower to lick across Emery’s balls. He sucked one ball gently into his mouth, swirling his tongue around it, then switched to repeat with the other. Back and forth, he toyed with Emery’s balls, until the older boy was gasping out, “Quentin, please suck me. Please!”

  Feeling a surge of pleasure and pride at making Emery beg for his mouth, Quentin shifted back up, licking a stripe up the hard shaft. Quentin swirled his tongue around the tip of Emery’s cock, drawing out mewls of pleasure. Emboldened, Quentin sucked the tip into his mouth and sucking hard, began to move his head, slowly up and down Emery’s cock. At first Quentin only bobbed up and down a short ways, taking little more than the top of Emery’s cock into his mouth. Soon enough though, Emery’s mewls turned to moans and he fisted his hands in Quentin’s hair, pressing lightly down, begging. “More, Quentin, please need more.”