Chapter 33 | The Tale of Two Kingdoms

A Question Asked and Answered

In retrospect, he would acknowledge to himself that time didn't really slow down, but at the moment it seemed to him as if Allis was already in water, moving in slowly floating motion. First her head emerged from the linen, and the thick torrent of black hair shook out all around. Then one soft, white arm, and then the other. She gave the shirt a little flick to straighten it out, and the breasts that he'd so longed to see shimmied into view. They were perfect--quite round and large for her petite frame, full enough to hang slightly but firm, tipped with dark pink nipples that made him ache to taste them. Those breasts, he decided, were made to pillow a loving head, made to pillow his head. Was it time for bed? Could he lie his head down right now on them? Why were they in a bathroom with all these people and not a single nice, soft couch in evidence? All this hard tile, not at all comfortable. Oh gods, there went her skirt--into view came the curve of her hips, the perfect heart of her ass, the little dimples at the base of her spine; she turned and there was the triangle of wiry black hair at the base of her softly rounded belly--

"Temmin," said Issak in his ear. "It's rude to stare in the baths, unless you're staring at everyone."

"Sorry, sorry, Holy One," he mumbled, turning toward Issak. But that was no use--there stood Issak, beautiful, naked, and well-muscled, a solid contrast to Temmin's own leanly muscled but still-gangly body. He'd seen Issak naked before, and recently, but not where he could compare the two siblings. Dumbly, Temmin noted that Issak and Allis had the same color nipples, and the same black hair curling between their legs. Temmin couldn't decide if he wanted him, or wanted to be him, or both. He didn't even try to hide his raging erection.

"That way. March," said the amused Issak, turning him toward a set of showers. He handed Temmin a bar of soap. "Scrub up, and then into the tub."

Temmin slipped under the hot spray, sputtering for a moment as the water ran through his hair and onto his face; he was unused to showers, and his section of the Keep was old enough that its baths didn't include them. He felt muscles he didn't even know were tensed begin to unknot, and his erection subsided as he relaxed. "Hm!" he said, sniffing at the soap. "It smells like winter breakfast--cinnamon and oats!"

"Skin softener, oats. All the soap in here has oats in it," said a cheerful voice next to him. A middle-aged man was standing under the nozzle to Temmin's right. The water pelted down on his well-kept body. He was short, his head was bald, and his face was nothing special, but his dark eyes were liquid and merry. Temmin couldn't help noticing that he was also very well-endowed. "It's so good to come in here at the end of the day and clean up," the man sighed, turning so the spray hit his shoulders. "All the hot water one could want, for once."

"What d'you mean?" said Temmin, curious. "Where wouldn't you have all the hot water you could want?"

The man looked at him as if he was daft. "Anywhere but here, for the likes of us."

Temmin felt a hand on his shoulder. "Barik Lover," said Issak gently, "this is Temmin Supplicant."

"Ehm, pleased to meet you?" said Temmin, uncertain whether he should extend a hand. What was the protocol for introductions when one was naked in a shower?

Barik straightened up immediately and bowed slightly. "Temmin Supplicant, it's an honor." He smiled and the skin around his eyes crinkled. "I suppose you wouldn't know how rare all the hot water one could want really is, would you?"

"I'm finding there's a great deal about the world I know nothing about," said Temmin ruefully. "If you want to know anything about horses, I'm your man, but beyond the stable door, I'm afraid I'm a bit hopeless."

"That's not true at all," came Allis's voice just beyond Issak. Her hair was full of soap and stood up in a sudsy mound; she stepped under the shower head, and the soapy water pouring over her parted around her breasts like a stream flowing around rocks--well, that's hardly a romantic image, thought Temmin, to compare a girl's breasts with rocks. Oh dear, he was staring again. "You're a very good dancer," she laughed. "And Bessa says you were genuinely helpful this afternoon. You helped us fix an early mistake of ours with her, and we're extremely grateful for that."

"Helpful? Well! Thank you!" Temmin answered.

"And do you remember how we say thank you?" she said slyly, switching places with Issak and putting a hand on Temmin's chest.

"I--I think so," he squeaked.

"Then thank me, Supplicant."

Temmin stared down into her green eyes, and suddenly something inside him shifted. He wanted to push her against the wall, kiss her senseless, open her legs and push his fingers inside. He wanted to hear that silky voice scream, he wanted to see her breasts shake as she came, and all of that must have shown on his face because...was she blushing? He couldn't be sure; with all the steam, everyone was flushed. But her breath picked up, and for all her confidence, he could tell she was having a hard time not dropping her eyes. He gave the slightest smile, leaned down, and kissed her wet mouth.

She stood there, eyes closed, for a long moment. "You're welcome," she finally said, and kissed him back, keeping them apart with her hands still on his chest. She turned on her heel, walked away and began wringing out her hair; Issak gave her a surprised glance, quickly composed his face and then looked over at Temmin speculatively. Temmin met his eyes steadily.

Issak nodded. "All right, into the tub." He turned off his shower and walked down the steps into the steaming water.

Temmin turned to do the same and caught Barik grinning at him, his great prick at half mast. "Nicely played," whispered the priest, who turned away and began to scrub at himself in earnest.

Temmin exhaled a long breath and followed Issak into the pool. The scent of lavender and cedar rose from the water; it reminded him of the insides of the wardrobes at Whithorse where he'd played as a child. Allis was already soaking, her hair wrapped in a towel and her breasts bobbing weightlessly in the water. He sat down across from her next to Issak and said, "So, now what does one do?"

"One soaks," said Allis blissfully, resting her toweled head back against the edge of the pool and closing her eyes. Temmin looked over at Issak, who was pushing his wet forelock out of his face. Issak grinned, put his arms out along the edge of the pool behind Temmin's shoulders, and closed his eyes, stretching out into the steaming water. Temmin looked around the pool; the ranks of bathers had thinned, and the few that were left were somnolently soaking at the other end of the large pool.

Temmin cautiously scooted over to sit next to Allis and put a tentative hand on her thigh. "Temmin?" she said without opening her eyes. "I realize you had some revelations today about the more aggressive side of your nature, and we will be exploring that--among other things. You will receive some revelations about the more aggressive side of my nature if you don't move that hand and go back to where you were sitting. This is one of the few times of the day when I am guaranteed to be left alone, and you will honor that, now and any other time we share this bath."

Temmin removed his hand and crept sheepishly back to Issak's side. Issak's eyes were still closed, but his lips were pressed together and twitching in a desperate attempt to suppress a smile. Temmin slipped into the curve of his arm and slid under the water until just his eyes showed, wide, blue and contrite. "Oh, poor puppy," said Issak, dunking Temmin's head in the rest of the way.

When they emerged from the bath a long while later, Temmin's fingers and toes were wrinkled, and Allis was a glowing pink. "I look like a lobster and I don't care," she hummed happily as she put on a fresh set of Temple clothes. Temmin realized his clothes had been replaced as well.

"Speaking of lobster," he said, "I'm starving. When do we eat?"

"Now," said Issak.

They returned to the Supplicants' Chamber to find dinner set out on the low table in bowls for them to serve themselves. The meal was uneventful but for the sheer amount of food that both Temmin and Issak put away. "It's not a competition, you know," said Allis dryly. "You're the only person I've met who can eat as much as my brother, Temmin."

" 'M growin' shtill," said Temmin through a mouthful of potatoes, too hungry to mind his manners much.

Issak nodded vigorously and swallowed. "In public I can never eat as much as I wish to, you know that. I have to be elegant and charming, and that means I'm always hungry. Private meals, I make up for it. Please tear me off a chicken leg, Temmin."

For the first time since his arrival that morning, it didn't feel charged and strange; he was just eating dinner with two friends close to his own age. The food gradually disappeared; Temmin basked in comfortable camaderie with the twins, idly picking through the remains of the chicken for any good bits left on the bones. "That was good," he sighed. "I feel much better."

"Good," said Allis. "Not too full, I hope? The night is young and there are things yet to do."

"Well," said Temmin, "if ever I am full, it's never for long, anyway. What's to do still?"

"Oh, lots of things." She stood and raised her arms over her head and back, stretching; her breasts strained against the linen of her shirt, and the smooth curve of her belly peaked from under its hem. "And I'll leave you to them," Allis said, tilting her head to one side. Suddenly the charge in the air was back, and he was once again a Supplicant.

"Leave?" said Temmin blankly. "Where are you going? When will you be back?"

"I'll see you in the morning before you leave, never worry."

"You're not staying with me?"

Issak's hand slid up Temmin's neck to play with the hair at his nape. "Tonight is for us. You and me."

"I thought it was for all of us," Temmin said, disappointed.

"You are a greedy thing, Temmin Supplicant," Allis said, stooping to kiss him on each cheek.

He took her hand before she could rise. "Yes, Holy One," he said seriously. "I am greedy."

Allis cupped his face gently with her free hand. "Temmin, you've seen and done a great deal in one day. This night's work will be intense enough without me. With me, it would be going much too far, much too fast." She kissed him sweetly. "Good night, now." Temmin reluctantly released her hand, and she leaned down and kissed Issak good night as well. Temmin sadly watched her leave.

Issak's hand suddenly fisted in his still-damp hair. "Don't be disappointed, Supplicant," he said, his breath hot against Temmin's neck. "What you learn tonight will help you when she does stay. What you learn tonight, many men never learn. What you experience tonight will bring you closer to understanding women."

"What am I learning tonight, Holy One?" Temmin said, holding his head carefully to relieve some of the tugging on his hair.

"You're learning what it's like to be fucked, boy."

"Fucked?" Temmin's mind ran through what Issak could possibly mean and came up blank. "I don't understand. I thought Allis wasn't staying. Is another girl--?"

Issak laughed, a low rumble in his chest that sent a shiver through Temmin. "I don't need a woman here to fuck you." Temmin unthinkingly tried to turn his head and Issak reminded him he couldn't with a sharp shake. "D'you remember I told you I've already learned a few things about you?"

"Yes, Holy One," whispered Temmin. He'd felt so strong so much of the evening. Why was he now so weak? All of his blood had rushed to his prick, true, and it now pressed insistently against the top of his trousers, but that didn't explain it.

"I'm going to let go your hair, and you're going to get out of those clothes as quickly as possible and lay down on the couch. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Holy One," said Temmin again, overwhelmed. Issak let go his hair, and he pratically tore his clothes off in his haste to obey. He lay down on his back on the couch, his prick tight against his belly.

Issak stood over him with hooded eyes. He pulled his shirt over his head, in no hurry, and stroked himself through the fabric of his trousers as he watched Temmin try not to squirm under his gaze. His mouth hooked in a little smile; he pulled his trousers off and joined Temmin on the couch, lying on his side and running his fingers in lazy circles on Temmin's chest, stopping to scratch and pinch at his nipples now and again. "On your side away from me, boy," he murmured, and Temmin turned over.

Temmin asked the question that had so troubled him the entire day. "What have you learned about me, Holy One?"

He felt Issak smile against the skin of his shoulders, and then he felt that cool, slippery liquid on the underside of his heavy balls. Issak's fingers spread the fluid with teasing fingers all along the crevice of his ass, and Temmin finally realized what was about to happen. "I've learned that you are ready for this," growled Issak.

Temmin gasped, and Issak sank a slippery finger inside him.