It wasn’t long before Tir was once again in the familiar gardens, but this time everyone’s eyes seemed to be on him. Esper seemed to glare so fiercely at him that he wondered if the man was trying the curse him with his thoughts.

Tir walked through the gardens but noticed that a young, slim girl with flowing black hair was following him. He stopped and waited as she continued to approach him. He examined her as she came closer, her black eyes staring straight at him. She was strikingly beautiful with very ample cleavage that was barely contained within her tight top. Tir had very little contact with the girls of the harem, finding even less in common with them than the boys, and was curious what this one wanted from him.

He had been surprised when he found that the boys and girls where allowed to play together during the day, until he learned that the King didn’t care if they had sex amongst themselves as long as they were able to perform when they were called on. Inability to perform resulted in a severe whipping, which proved a great deterrent for the boys of the harem, if not for the girls.

"Did you spend the entire night with the King?" asked the girl bluntly.

"Yes," Tir answered with a shrug.

"Not even Simeon did that. What is it with you?" the girl asked as she examined him. Tir laughed, remembering hearing the same words from the King. He had to admit the girl was straightforward, if nothing else. "What is so funny?"

"Nothing, I don’t have any answers to your questions, I am sorry."

"There must be something. I am the only one the King has spent the night with in the past year, and you look nothing like me," she said indignantly.

Tir shrugged and walked away as the girl glared at him. Inwardly he winced, realizing that the King had helped to make yet another enemy for him, one that seemed not to care that he was the King’s favorite.

Tir sat on the bench near his escape passage waiting to see if anyone else would come looking for him. Two hours later he finally decided it was time. Sneaking out and down the walkway he wondered if he would see Drake again. His mind had gone over what the King and Baron had talked about before, and Marek’s own words earlier. Tir had come to the conclusion that Ebony had mated with Marek’s dragon, although he still didn’t understand what that had to do with the two men themselves.

Opening the door he found Ebony in the middle of her white sand and Drake once again polishing her gleaming black and silver scales. Upon the door opening, both turned their attention to him as he slipped inside that door.

"It hasn’t been three days, has it?" Drake said, frowning, until Ebony chirped and pushed Drake over.

"So much for anyone listening to me," Drake said in exasperation as Ebony waddled over to Tir and licked his face with a long swipe of her tongue.

"I am sorry sir, but I heard that Ebony had mated," Tir said apologetically.

"Oh you did, did you? Well I know where, Ebony told me the Baron brought you to see Feras. Let the boy come over here, away from the door, Ebony, and have Feras tell you if Marek is coming."

Ebony snorted, moving aside for Tir to move into the pen. When he was a couple feet away from the muscular man he felt a hard push in the middle of his back. He fell forward into Drake as the man caught him, looking back in confusion at the dragon. He could hear Drake’s laugh and see mischief swirling in the purple eyes of the dragon.

"She remembers last time, and approved it would seem," Drake’s deep voice rumbled full of humor at Ebony’s attempt to place the two of them together.

Tir felt extremely happy that Ebony approved of him even as a crimson blush lit his face as he remembered that the dragon had watched both Drake and him. Drake let go of Tir and he felt a flash of disappointment at the loss of contact with the attractive man.

"Did she mate with Feras?" Tir asked, hoping to learn more about the Baron and Drake.

"Yes," Drake replied briefly, walking over to the wooden platform in the pen.

"So what does that mean for you and the Baron? The King and Baron were talking about dragon partners, but does that mean you and Marek are somehow connected?" Tir asked as he joined the man.

"Yeah, unfortunately. I forget you aren’t from this country, so you don’t know a lot about our customs. Because we are connected mentally with the dragons, when they mate we feel what they feel, and are drawn to the rider of the dragon that is mating our own. Afterwards the riders and dragons are paired as mates until the mating cycle happens again. There is a lot of stuff involved in it, but what it boils down to is officially Marek is my partner until Ebony mates again."

"But what if you like someone else?" Tir asked, shocked that Ebony would choose Drake’s partner by her own desires.

"Well, I can be with others; it’s kind of like an arranged marriage, I guess. Officially he is my partner, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t be with or love another. Also, considering there are very few women riders, any child that I acknowledge as my own becomes my legal child, married or not. Still, most dragon riders don’t have long term lovers outside of other riders, because it is hard for most people to accept that they must share their lover with their dragon partner sometimes, " Drake said with a shrug.

"It seems strange. Marek and you don’t seem anything at all alike, I can’t imagine you two being partners," Tir said shaking his head.

"Well we are, but as long as Ebony is happy I am willing to put up with it. A lot of times dragon partners, unless they hit it off together, don’t necessarily have a lot to do with each other unless it involves their dragons. Most only share a bed together when their dragons mate, although tradition allows for more."

Tir remained silent, realizing that Drake and Marek had been together when Ebony had mated. The thought of the two handsome men together ignited Tir’s imagination. His thoughts instantly paired the two together naked, causing a stir in his lower region.

"Ebony has been ready to mate for this last week. Her desire has been flowing into me, that is why I touched you the last time you were here. I am sorry for it." Drake said quietly after a while as he looked out at Ebony.

"I am not sorry. It was wonderful and I enjoyed it," Tir said firmly, looking over at the man.

"Yes, but you could get into serious trouble."

"The King allows the harem boys and girls to have sex," Tir said, confused.

"That is among the harem only. Why do you think that you are being guarded closely by all those eunuchs? No fully equipped guard is allowed near the harem, period. You are reserved only for who the King chooses.

Economics plays a large part in the two harems being put together during the day. Upkeep on the palace gardens in this arid region is a huge expense. The King would rather a few indiscretions between the harem than pay for a separate garden for the girls. Besides, you know the consequences for not being able to perform when called," Drake explained as he looked at the boy.

"Yes, I guess I never thought about it, but I still don’t regret what happened. I know that I belong to the King as property, but my mind is mine alone, no matter what, as well as my feelings," Tir said firmly.

"Most slaves would never even dare to think that, let alone say it. You must have only recently become a slave," Drake said, looking down at the defiant purple eyes.

"Yes, it has been less than a year I guess. I never expected it to happen, even though I knew that my father didn’t love me, I still didn’t think he would risk selling me like he did," Tir said sadly, getting up to walk over to the dragon. "But I don’t regret it either. I would have never got to meet a dragon if he hadn’t sold me, and I don’t exactly hate working in a harem. It is just I hate not owning myself."

"Why would a father sell his child?" Drake asked, looking at the boy as he rubbed Ebony’s head ridges.

"Because, although legally I was his since he married my mother before I was born, I am not his real son. The prince of our country spent six months in mother's home, and everyone knew that she spent that six months in his bed. Mother was only a minor noble, but very headstrong and free; she didn’t care about her reputation and her father loved her so much he allowed her to do as she wished. She once told me he was the most interesting man she had ever met and didn’t regret her decision."

"Did she love him?"

"Who knows, she never would say, but I know she knew that he would never marry her. He was just there during one of the battles to establish territory rights for the outlying regions of his country. When he left he knew mother was pregnant and left a sizable dowry for her, something her own father couldn’t provide. The only condition was that she not marry a noble, so his bastard child wouldn’t complicate his life later on."

"You mother sounds like a strong woman, much like my own, so why did she allow you to be sold?"

"She died. She broke her neck horseback riding six months before I was sold. My father always treated me with respect if not love while she was alive, but after she died he totally ignored me. He hated it when I looked at him with my father’s eyes," Tir shrugged and turned to Drake.

"You’re from Recura aren’t you?" Drake asked in surprise.

"Yes."

"I meet your real father a couple of years ago. He came here on a state visit to negotiate trading rights. I remember his unique eyes, he too was drawn to Ebony," Drake said, walking over.

Ebony chirped at Tir and licked him. Tir looked up at Drake for a translation, surprised that the man had met his real father, a man he himself had never seen.

"She remembers Prince Tristan as well. She is excited that she met your father, since she liked him so well," Drake explained.

"It is strange that I would travel to another county to meet someone that actually knew him."

"He didn’t strike me as a man who would appreciate his son being sold, bastard or not," Drake remarked.

"That was why I was surprised when my father sold me; at least until I realized that I was being taken out of the country. The prince did write to my mother sometimes, which infuriated my father, although mother always showed him the letters that inquired about me. They stopped coming after mother died."

"I’ll arrange to let him know that you are here and what happened," Drake said quietly.

"No," Tir said firmly shaking his head.

"What? Why not?" Drake asked in surprise, gripping the boy’s shoulder.

"For a couple of reasons. The first is I have two brothers that did love me. I don’t know what father told them, but I am sure that it wasn’t that he sold me. The prince would not be easy on father, who is already in debt, it is illegal in Recura to sell your legal children, let alone one that you know is the bastard child of the prince. What would happen to my bothers if something happened to father? They have no other family. It might work out for them, but it might not." Tir said, shaking his head, a stubborn look in his face.

"I can understand your concerns, but I doubt the prince wouldn’t do anything to hurt them. What are your other reasons?"

"I don’t want to leave Ebony or you or even the Baron," Tir replied honestly.

"The Baron, you mean Marek? I would think that you would especially want to avoid him. As for Ebony and me, this can’t last forever Tir, you are going to get caught," Drake said looking down at the lovely boy.

Tir looked up into the worried black eyes and raised a hand to his face. Standing on his toes, he was just able to reach Drake’s lips with his own. Tir half expected to be pushed away, but instead he felt Drake wrap his arms around his body, pulling him closer. Melting against the man he felt hard muscled arms pick him up and carry him over to the wooden platform on contained a table chairs, and bed for Drake.

Drake’s hands seemed everywhere at once as his hot lips traced a path down his neck. Wanting to feel and see Drake’s naked body against his own, Tir’s finger began to undo the laces on the light shirt the man was wearing. Drake instantly helped, and soon the muscular man’s naked body was pressed against Tir’s own.

"We shouldn’t be doing this," gasped Drake, pulling away slightly, looking down at very wide violet eyes clouded with lust.

Tir wrapped his arms around the hesitant man, pulling him back down to his face, unwilling to let it end. He pressed his warm body up against the man as he continued to lock his arms around the man. Drake responded to Tir’s warm body by deeply exploring his open mouth. Tir let go of Drake to push him over to gain access to the engorged organ that Tir had felt pulsing against him. Tir wasted no time attacking the enticing organ, covering it with his mouth. Tir enjoyed the gasps of delight that Drake made as he continued to work the man’s rigid organ.

When Drake began to tense, Tir pulled off of the man, not wanted their play to end. Slowly moving up the very broad chest, Tir listened to Drake’s deep breathing in delight, knowing he was the one to bring the man such pleasure.

Tir was surprised when he felt Drake suddenly push he down on the bed. He felt the wide hands spread his thighs as Drake proceeded to engulf Tir’s entire organ in his mouth. Tir felt his own breathing increase as Drake skillfully played with him, moving down to his vulnerable opening to probe it with his tongue. It wasn’t long before Tir was writhing on the bed, desperately in need of more intimate contact with the man.

"Drake please. I need you inside me."

He heard Drake’s deep laugh as he looked down to see deep black eyes looking up at him, and a teasing tongue licked the length of him. Tir wiggled a little, spreading his legs further, trying to encourage the man to penetrate him. Slowly, Drake moved up Tir and gently began to impale the boy on his rock hard organ. Tir moaned in delight at finally feeling Drake enter him. Tir wrapped his arms around Drake, smiling up at the man as he began to move inside of the warm passage gripping him.

Tir pulled Drake down to his face to kiss the rider as Tir moved against his warm, hard body. Drake continued to thrust himself into Tir, hitting all the right places, making him moan as he felt his body tense in pleasure of his release. As Tir’s body tensed he looked up into the closed eyes of the man above him as Drake growled in pleasure, his thrusting body suddenly stopping as it reached its assent.

Tir felt Drake collapse on him and smiled in satisfaction, knowing he had brought Drake such pleasure. He felt Drake move off of him and was surprised when the man, instead of getting up, pulled Tir close to him.

"I really shouldn’t have done this," sighed Drake.

"I don’t think you were the only one doing something," Tir said lightly.

"Tir, there is more to this than you know."

"What is that suppose to mean?" Tir asked curiously.

Ebony trilled and Tir looked over to see the huge dragon next to the platform.

"Get up now. Marek is coming, you have to leave now," Drake said, springing up from the bed.

Tir grabbed his wrap and headed for the door, slipping out of it quickly. Running over to one of the statues, he hid behind it, scared for the first time he might truly be caught. It wasn’t long before he heard the large wooden door of Ebony’s pen open and then shut.

With a sigh of relief Tir cautiously made his way back to the gardens, his heart still beating fast, yet starting to slow as the danger had seemed to pass. When he found the small entrance to the garden he crawled through and stepped out from behind the statue.

"Hey, there he is," came a loud shout from a red headed harem boy that Tir had never talked to before.

Suddenly all of the harem seemed to converge on Tir, the girl he had talked to early that morning pushing her way to the front along with a very red faced Esper.

"There is an opening behind here," called one of the eunuchs from behind the statue.

Esper waddled forward painfully, grabbing Tir and pushing him towards one of the eunuch guards.

"Lock him in the punishment room. I will see the king immediately," Esper smiled wickedly at Tir.

"Sir this boy has been used," the guard said in surprise as his hand came away from Tir’s ass.

Whispers emerged from the crowd of harem boys and girls as Esper’s grin widened, his eyes dancing with joy.