Tir sat in one of
the numerous window enclaves that overlooked the palace gardens.
Soon the others would be coming in from their play for the
evening meal. Tir had chosen to remain in after he awoke, knowing
there would not be time to sneak out to see Ebony. Despite
Simeon’s words he was not anxious to see the other harem
boys.
Simeon’s rather cryptic words seemed impossible to believe.
Before, when he had been called on often by the King the others
had wasted no time in taunting and picking on him. Now that he
was the King's favorite he couldn't imagine the others
being happy or okay with it. He had never heard of the King
having a favorite harem boy or girl, so he was unsure what it
truly meant. Tir doubted the others would tell him. He only hoped
that Simeon knew what he was talking about.
Tir also wondered what was to happen now. Would he be called to
serve the King every night? Although he had been sexually aroused
by the Baron's discipline, he was rather unenthusiastic about
repeating it every night. Just sitting down was painful, and he
was not sure if he could stand to be punished again. As much as
the Baron intrigued Tir and aroused him, the man was almost
dangerous. Tir preferred, for the moment at least, to avoid him.
He hoped that the King would be alone the next time he called on
Tir, since it seemed the King enjoyed watching more than actually
doing the punishing.
Tir could see the boys and girls being herded out of the garden.
He knew it would be time for the evening meal as soon as the
others bathed. He headed to the dining hall, were the food was
already set out on a series of large wooden tables. Tir walked
along the tables and quickly picked out the food he wanted before
sitting at his usual table at the end of the room. Over twenty
small tables were scattered throughout the dinning hall for small
groups of boys to sit at, yet Tir had always sat alone after the
first week when it became apparent that he didn't fit in with
the other boys.
Tir quickly ate the savory stew that he had chosen and was ready
to leave just as the first of the boys entered the dining hall.
When they saw Tir they avoided his glance and began whispering
amongst themselves. Tir ignored them and left quickly, hoping to
avoid them since Daren, a boy with a particularly nasty temper
and a favorite of Esper, was with them.
Wandering around the empty harem Tir eventually settled on his
own bedding. Although the palace harem was an opulent place with
indoor fountains, silk bedding and exquisite artwork, it was an
incredibly dull place. It was no wonder that many of the boys
occupied themselves with idle gossip and foolish games. Tir had
missed reading more than anything, but unfortunately harem boys
were not allowed in the palace library. Tir was probably the only
one disappointed by that. He had been allowed paper, ink and
drawing supplies, so he had taken up writing and drawing to pass
the time.
"Come lets treat your bruises one more time before
bed," Simeon said, startling Tir from his drawing of a
dragon.
Tir looked up to see the quiet eunuch standing before him. Tir
nodded and got up, surprised to see how late it had become. He
was also surprised that no one had tried to talk to him about the
previous night or tried to pick on him either. As he walked to
the bathing hall with Simeon he noticed that no one would look at
him. He found it strange and wondered what could possible be
going on.
"Simeon, why is everyone avoiding me? Do you know
why?"
Tir looked at the tall eunuch’s back as he remained silent.
He was not surprise Simeon did not answer, the man hardly ever
talked at all. Tir decided to remain quiet and see if maybe the
man would speak again. They entered the cool white marble bathing
hall and walked along the huge circular bathing pool to the
opposite side of the room where six raised tables stood for
massages and treatment of the harem boys.
Removing all of his clothes Tir slipped onto the cool table,
lying on his stomach. Simeon's gentle hands smoothed a
cooling cream onto his still very sore bottom.
"You heal fast, the bruises are already fading. The King
will not call on you again for a few days, so do not worry,"
Simeon said quietly as he helped Tir off the table.
"How do you know?" Tir asked, looking at the gentle man
as he grabbed the eunuch's arm.
The gentle, almond eyes looked neither mad nor afraid as they
gazed down at Tir. The boy let go of the eunuch after a few
moments. Simeon turned and walked away, leaving Tir alone in the
bath hall.
The next morning Tir awoke early. True to Simeon's words the
King had not called for him, and Esper had done nothing more than
glare at him. Tir waited impatiently through breakfast,
forgetting about the other harem boys, Esper and even his
punished areas. He was determined to sneak out of the garden and
see the lovely Ebony. He was hoping that the status quo would
remain and everyone would ignore him.
Luckily, nobody seemed to notice him and he quickly went to the
bench by his escape route. As much as he wanted to sneak out
right away, he waited a while until things settled down into the
normal routines within the garden. Impatient and unwilling to
wait anymore, Tir quickly snuck out of the garden and cautiously
made his way to Ebony.
Standing again in front the thick wooden doors Tir quickly let
himself in. Ebony was once again alone, lying in the pearl white
sand, which contrasted beautifully with her shiny black scales.
One oval eye opened to look at Tir, before closing again. Tir
walked closer to the black dragon before sitting down ten feet
away from her curled up body.
Tir remained quiet, unsure if she was trying to sleep or not. He
continued to look at her, inspecting the way Ebony was put
together. After a while he noticed her body rising and falling in
a steady manner and could feel her hot breathe as she exhaled.
Tir knew then that she had fallen asleep. Tir was content to just
be near her, there was something about the huge sleeping beast
that drew the harem boy to her. Something that he could not
define, but made him want to be near her.
An hour had passed when the large wooden door opened again. Tir
looked over his shoulder hoping that it would be Drake and
fearing that it would not be. Much to his relief the tall
black-eyed man entered the pen. He raised his hand for silence
and motioned Tir to come over to him. He led Tir over to the side
of the pen, where a small area was set up with a bed and table on
a wooden platform covered with a silk awning.
"Well, you are back, little harem boy. I had not thought to
see you again, especially with the rumors spreading around court
of a violet-eyed boy who has caught the King's eye."
Drake said quietly. "When Ebony sent me a picture of you
standing before her I was shocked."
"You knew I was here?"
"Of course. Ebony tells me almost everything. I asked her to
inform me if you came again."
"Are you going to punish me?" Tir asked, looking
down.
"No, I think I said that before, but the King will if you
are caught, you know. Why risk everything just to sit by
her?” Drake asked curiously.
"I don't know. I just..." Tir shook his head,
unable to explain it.
"Well Ebony was glad to see you. She feels happy when you
are around, something to do with your aura, I think. You are a
puzzle." Drake said, looking directly into Tir's
eyes.
Tir looked away, not from fear, but from the intensity of the
man’s gaze. It was as though the man was trying to look
inside him and find out what made Tir who he was.
"You are not the type the King would choose as a favorite at
all. Ebony too seems drawn to you. She would allow no one inside
here right now but me. One of the pen cleaners entered by mistake
once, thinking that she was not here, and Ebony killed him
instantly, yet she sleeps peacefully with you here. Even I, who
should turn you in, let you come and go as you please."
Drake shook his head.
"Sir, do you know what the King's favorite actually
means? All the boys avoid me now, although they use to play
pranks on me before. Simeon told me that I was protected now, but
he doesn't explain anything and I don't know who to
ask." Tir asked, hoping, however unlikely, that this one man
who talked to him freely might have an answer.
"You are relatively new, so I guess you wouldn't know,
especially since you are such an odd harem boy." Drake
sighed and leaned his head on his hand.
"Sir?"
"Just Drake, not Sir. I am not surprised Simeon said you
would be protected, since it is because of him the rest of the
harem is afraid of you now."
"Because of Simeon?" Tir asked, puzzled.
"Yes, five years ago he too was the King's favorite, the
last favorite boy of the King. Of course, there was jealousy
amongst the harem, despite the fact that the gentle boy came back
from his visits with the King covered in bruises and even whip
marks. Pranks and tricks were pulled on the boy until they
culminated in him being bullied badly in the bath hall. He was
rammed into the wall; they tried to claim that he slipped, but
the damage was obviously more. He was unconscious for a week.
When he awoke his nose was horribly broken."
"That happened to Simeon, but he is so kind and gentle. Why?
Why would the King punish him and why would anyone ever do that
to him? It would be like picking on a child."
"I take it you don't think of yourself as a victim,
since you are going through the same thing? With the King now,
and with the other harem boys before you were declared a
favorite."
"Well, no. I am not really obedient or gentle like
Simeon." Tir said, a blush coming to his face.
Drake laughed quietly so as not to disturb the slumbering
dragon.
"No, you don't strike me that way either, but still, I
don't think you deserve it either."
"I still don't understand why the others stopped. It is
horrible what happened to Simeon, but what would stop Esper and
the others?"
"Because when the King learned of what had happened he
called the chief eunuch in. He was offered a choice public
execution or suicide. He killed himself that night. The fate of
the boys that were responsible was worse. They were sent to the
mining camps for life. Pampered, beautiful little harem boys
sentenced to hard labor and probably rape. Some tried to kill
themselves, but they were watched closely, at least until they
were dropped off at the mining camps." Drake said
coldly.
"They will avoid you so they cannot be blamed for any
trouble. I don't exactly agree with what the King did to
those boys, but he has certainly stopped it from ever happening
again."
"You don't seem to like harem boys that much," Tir
said quietly.
Drake looked at the downcast violet eyes. Reaching over, he
lifted the boy's face to have those purple eyes look into his
own. Leaning down, he kissed the boy gently before letting
go.
Tir sat very still as he felt Drake's lip press against his
own. It felt very similar, yet also completely different from the
Baron's own kiss. With only the brief touching of lips Tir
felt desire spill out around him. His body twitched and he wanted
nothing more than to feel the length of Drake's body next to
his own, to cling to it.
Ebony made a trilling sound as she looked at the two. Drake
snorted and turned his attention back to Tir.
"No little harem boy, I don't hate harem boys. I just
don't like the King's harem, the way that it is run, the
type of boys that are kept, but most of all I want a willing
partner in my bed. I don't want some mindless sex toy that
may or may not even want to be in my bed. "
Tir barely heard Drake's words as he still felt the ghost of
the lips that had been pressed to his own. He was shocked at his
own reaction and wondered why Drake had not followed through with
anything more than a kiss.
"Come here, little harem boy, and I will show you how to
groom a dragon." Drake said, pulling Tir from the chair.
Before long, Tir found himself covered in sand as he rubbed
Ebony's scales with it. Amazingly, they began to sparkle,
shining even more than before. Ebony seemed delighted as she
hummed and trilled, Drake sometimes translating her thoughts for
Tir.
Tir lost track of the time until Drake stopped working to look at
him.
"You should be leaving soon, but first come over here.
Strip, you are covered in sand."
Tir realized he was right, and frightened he quickly stripped.
Drake came over with a large brown cloth, and began to wipe Tir
off. Tir was amazed as the sand seemed almost to cling to the
cloth, leaving him clean, but soon his amazement was drowned out
by desire as Drake's hands moved down his body.
"You are very responsive, aren't you?" Drake teased
as Tir felt his cock rise up in front of the kneeling man.
"I am sorry." Tir whispered, blushing
"Hmm."
Drake continued to wipe the boy down. Suddenly, Tir felt a warm,
moist sensation on his erected member. He looked down to see the
man's mouth covering his entire length. Tir moaned, and he
could hear Ebony's trilling along with him. Drake continued
to suck the length of his cock as Tir thrust a little into his
mouth. Tir looked down at the black haired man moving up the
length of him, his jade earring swaying erratically from his ear.
Drake looked up into Tir's eyes, his black eyes smoldering as
Tir felt a wet finger enter him from behind. The feeling and
sight of such a man servicing him was too much, and Tir cried out
his release while Ebony continued to hum in accompaniment.
