Chapter 20 | The Queen Who Ruled by Herself

Restraint and Release

"This is how you 'get Issak ready?!'" said Temmin.

"The fun part, anyway," answered Senik.

Bound naked to a frame before them stood Issak, testing the straps at his wrists and ankles. "Well done," he nodded. "I'm not going anywhere."

Temmin shook his head. "I don't understand how this is a religious ritual."

"There is a certain sequence of sensations--smells, tastes, caresses, even blows--that will bring Nerr down into me," explained Issak.

"I thought it just happened."

"Sometimes it does," nodded Senik. "But we can make it happen when we need it to."

"Why does he have to be tied up?"

"That's part of the sequence, and it's for everyone's safety including Issak's. Sometimes when the Gods come down they're a little...exuberant at first."

"So when you said this is the one day when you get Issak just where you want him--"

"I meant it literally, yes," replied the postulant with his slow, wicked smile.

"Do shut up and get on with it, Senik," said Issak irritably. "I haven't eaten in a day--that's how it begins, Temmin."

"You never let me have any fun at all," said Senik, as the bound man rolled his eyes. "Now," he continued, "where was I? Oh, yes." He tied the cloth firmly around Issak's head, blindfolding him.

Temmin sensed an abrupt shift in mood from everyone in the room. Senik and the two servants attending them had suddenly dropped their casual, grinning demeanors and were sober and quiet. Issak was calm and professional, but somehow resigned; Temmin couldn't see his eyes, but he sensed the tension in Issak's stance, and there was a sadness to the set of his mouth. Temmin suddenly wanted to run his hands down Issak's smoothly muscled back, to reassure him everything was going to be all right, but he didn't know if everything was going to be all right. He didn't know what was going to happen at all.

Smoke curled up from a nearby brazier. It smelled of rich woods and amber, and something bitter that made Temmin a little dizzy in the head. He watched Issak breathe the smoke in, long, steady breaths that ended in sighs.

Another scent wafted into the room, carried on the sluggish breeze of a slowly moving ceiling fan: White hothouse flowers, tuberose and gardenia, and the little ones shaped like trumpets that Ellika loved--freesia, he remembered. At the base of the flowers, though, was the same bitter scent. "Neya's scent," murmured Senik. "They're getting Allis ready next door."

"The same way?"

"Mm-hm," said Senik absent-mindedly as he watched Issak intently.

The image of Allis tied and blindfolded, helpless and open to his touch, flooded Temmin's mind and shot instantly to his groin in a way that the sight of Issak, however beautiful and arousing in his own right, did not. He shifted uncomfortably and wished once more that he had been able to wear the clothing Jenks had so carefully packed instead of the revealing Temple garb the staff had insisted was more practical, but no one was watching him so he didn't fuss much. He took a deeper breath and the picture of Allis became more clear, almost physical. The ache between his legs increased; he could see her soft mouth open slightly, the rise and fall of her round breasts as she took in the incense smoke. How heavily perfect they would feel in his hands. He began to reach out--

Senik's voice in his ear brought him back to the room. "Don't breathe the smoke in too deep, Temmin, it's intended for the Holy Ones, not you. I need you here, and I don't want you passing out or hallucinating. Back away from the brazier."

Temmin dutifully stepped away; his head cleared slightly, but his arousal stayed with him, pushing against the thin fabric of his trousers. He looked over at Issak, straining slightly against the bonds that held him to the frame. Issak was breathing deeply now, his sighs turning to groans, and his thick cock was growing tight against his belly. Temmin's eyes slipped down the beautiful figure, finally coming to rest on Issak's left hip. "Strange," thought Temmin hazily, "I don't remember seeing that birthmark before, and who has a glowing silver birthmark anyway?" He decided he must be seeing things again; he took another couple of steps away from the brazier and took in a few lungfuls of clear air.

The older of the two servants offered a box to Senik, who opened it with a quiet click of its clasp. He pulled two heavy earrings from the box. How could anyone hold his head up with those on his ears? thought Temmin; the jewels dangling from each of them must weigh a pound all told.

Senik slipped the clusters of jewels from the earrings and handed them to Temmin, then nodded at the younger servant, who put out the incense brazier with a scoop of smothering sand. Whatever the effect of the incense, it had Issak fully in its grip. He was still taking long, deep breaths, and all the tension that he had held throughout his body was focused in his wrists as he rested his weight against his bonds.

The postulant softly slid his hand up Issak's broad chest, making him flinch at the unexpected contact. When his fingers came to Issak's right nipple, Senik stopped, lowered his head and flicked it with his tongue. Issak whimpered and arched toward the tongue; Senik turned his head and winked at Temmin, then took what the prince had thought was an earring and fastened it to the nipple.

Issak let out a long roaring groan; his cock twitched in the air as he pulled at his straps. "Gently, gently, now, Holy One," murmured Senik. Quickly, he fastened the other clamp to Issak's left nipple and stepped behind the straining man; he gathered the thick black hair into his hands, pulled Issak's head back and kissed him hungrily.

Senik turned to Temmin. "Come take my place." Temmin stepped hesitantly to Senik's side. "I mean, take my place, Supplicant," he said harshly. "Hold his head back. Keep his mouth occupied."

"Temmin, please," whispered Issak, lips searching. "Please..." Suddenly Temmin was back in the observation gallery, watching a young man begging for release as another man spanked him raw. That same pleading note was in Issak's voice.

Temmin found himself with his hand fisted in Issak's hair. "Is this what you need?" Without waiting for an answer, he took Issak's mouth in a fierce, sloppy kiss, smothering Issak's moans. Dimly, he realized he was grinding his erection against Issak's ass, focusing more on the feeling of their tongues against one another. He felt Issak's desperation through the kiss, a desperation that felt less like the need for release and more like fear of that release; it made Temmin kiss him harder. When the kiss ended, they were both breathing hard, though Temmin was more present now and he could tell that Issak was even further away.

"Keep hold of him," said Senik, kneeling on the floor before the Embodiment. He drew two more of the clamps from the chest, removed their jewels, and fastened them one at a time to the skin of Issak's ball sac. Issak jerked and howled, trying to turn and bite at Temmin, but the prince held on tight to Issak's hair.

Senik looked up at Temmin. "Soon. Open the doors to Neya's chamber and to the gardens," he ordered; the servants moved quickly, opening the doors to the outside first and letting in a flood of cool nighttime air. Then the large doors between the chambers were opened, and Temmin got his first sight of Allis.

She was bound and blindfolded like her brother, straining against the straps holding her and breathing hard. From each nipple dangled the same clamps that Issak wore. Two more were fastened to her labia; Anda knelt before her, gently tapping the clamps as they swung back and forth.

Bessa stood behind Allis. When her eyes met Temmin's, she cupped Allis's breasts, raised them as if in greeting and let them fall. Allis let out an agonized growl, and Bessa gave her the kiss she sought.

Temmin took a step toward the other chamber, and Senik stayed him, taking hold of his trouser leg from his spot on the floor. "She's all right," he said quietly. "They're both all right, and they're going to stay all right, Supplicant. This is what we do. The first time you see this, it's hard. But you'll think about it the rest of your life, and every Neya's Day and Nerr's Day, when we bring the Gods down, you'll wish you were right here with us.

"Now," he added sternly, "go back to your station. Do you have the jewels I gave you? Good. Watch Bessa and do what she does." Temmin reluctantly returned to his post behind Issak. He impulsively caressed Issak's hair and neck, only to draw back when Issak snarled and snapped at him. "Be careful. Issak isn't there any more, but Nerr hasn't come yet."

Allis was gone as well, leaving her beautiful body behind for Neya to use. Bessa reached around her, carefully avoiding gnashing teeth, and hung a heavy sapphire from each nipple. Allis groaned and threw her head back.

Bessa looked over at Temmin and nodded. Temmin bit his lower lip, dug out the sapphires clenched in his palm, and attached them to the clamps. Issak stiffened and let out a strangled sound that was quickly drowned out by a keening from across the room. Anda had attached sapphires to the clamps on her captive's labia; Allis was breathing hard and crying softly, and soon Issak was as well as the weights were added to the clamps on his sac.

One by one the weights were hung from the clamps until each one held three jewels, a sapphire, a ruby and a diamond. Sweat poured down the twins' shuddering bodies; their heads hung down, black hair streaming. "When I give the signal," said Senik over their harsh breathing, "off go the clamps. One--two--now!"

Temmin reached around and released the nipple clamps, fumbling slightly but managing to hold onto the jewels as Issak screamed and bucked. The older servant took them from him and guided Temmin's hands back to Issak's nipples. "Press," said the man, and Temmin pressed the nipples flat against the wall of Issak's chest.

Looking over Issak's shoulder he could see Anda, her face buried between Allis's legs; Allis was sobbing unrestrainedly as Bessa bit at her neck and pushed down hard on her nipples. Looking down, he saw Senik mouthing Issak's balls.

Abruptly, the sobbing stopped. Slowly, the twins each brought their heads up, smiles spreading slowly across their perfect faces. Senik and Anda stood up. "It's time," said Senik. The blindfolds were removed, and the luminous green eyes met across the chambers.

"Hello, Sister," said not-Issak.

"Hello, Brother," purred not-Allis. "Ah, here We are in these children again. So pretty."

"Will You finally just let Me have You this time, or must I chase You down and prove Your desire yet again?"

"Perhaps this will be the year I finally outrun You."

"Liar. You let me catch You, year after year."

"Are you saying You're not as fleet of foot as I am?"

"I'm saying," said not-Issak, pulling against his wrist restraints, "that You want me, Neya. I can smell You. I can always smell You. And I will prove it to You, again and again, as soon as the humans release Us." His cock seemed to swell and grow as he devoured his sister with his eyes.

Not-Allis licked her lips. "You have to catch Me first. Let Me go, servants, let Me go now!" Anda and Bessa worked at the restraints, and the moment she was free, Neya-in-Allis gave a joyous cry and bounded from the room into the garden, running as if Her life depended on it.

"Now! Now!" howled not-Issak as Temmin and Senik released the restraints. Temmin fumbled with the last strap and found his chin in the iron grip of Issak's right hand. "You, child. Clumsy boy. You are for later." He grinned wildly as Temmin finally loosened the restraint enough for Nerr-in-Issak to slip free. The God kissed him quickly, biting his lower lip, and took off running after His Sister.