The Lotus Ascension Page 4

  Soren's story was met with supreme approbation, but Sillara could not applaud. Proud tears stood in her eyes. Merieke, however, did not seem impressed. She cocked an eyebrow at Soren as if she could hardly believe his tale. Soren mouthed the words “it's all true” at her and winked. Merieke made a show of ignoring him as she went over to speak to her father and brothers.

  Sillara came to stand beside Soren. “Shall I have my lyre fetched in, brother?”

  Her beauty compelled him to reach out and stroke the black tresses that fell over her shoulder. She smelled like shalar, the sacred flowers of Abrexa. Soren glanced over at Konas. He wondered if her tutor had them shipped in for her special.

  “If you are inclined to sing,” Soren said once he had overcome his distraction.

  Sillara nodded to her waiting woman, and the slave stepped away to fetch the instrument. Soren escorted his sister to a padded stool, and Sillara took her lyre in hand, resting its base in her lap. Upon hearing the tentative strums as she tuned the lyre, the room fell silent once more.

  Sillara sang the tale of Elemia and Abbas, her great-great-grandparents, and of their unconquerable love, their impossible love, their selfless love. She told how they were necessary for each other, how through every trial they endured, even to the end when they stood before the Ausir King and thought they would be sundered forever. The last image of the song, sung with such feeling and love, was the watery statue of the couple locked for all time in a dancing embrace. Sillara had nearly wept at Soren's inspiring tale of bravery. Soren did weep at Sillara's love song. Its beauty broke his heart. In Soren's fancy, he imagined Sillara's voice keeping harmony with itself, echoing from room to room like a chambered chorus, discrete yet part of a whole. There was nothing in the world but this singer of otherworldly beauty and her song, and as the last note faded away, as the world rushed back in on Soren's senses, he realized it had been no fancy. Everyone stood awestruck. They had heard what he had heard. They felt what he felt. Many wept. Still others knelt before Sillara. Beside Soren stood Nathen, and though he wept silently, his face glowed as he looked at Sillara. Love both tender and strong shone from his eyes like stars.

  Soren walked up to Sillara, who sat with her eyes downcast, and Nathen shadowed him. “What just happened? I've never heard anything like that and know only the rumors of the priestesses of Melara being able to sing like that.”

  “I always wanted to serve Melara.” Sillara handed the lyre to her serving woman.

  “Why? The goddess of wine?”

  “And unrequited love.”

  “Unrequited love,” Nathen repeated in a whisper, but Soren had no ready answer. Whom did she love who could not love her? Was there such a fool who drew breath in all Gilalion?

  “Father would not let me take the vestments,” Sillara said. “He said it would be inappropriate for the Queen of the Ausir to divide her loyalties. So I studied the mysteries on my own and would have devoted myself to her. But, brother, I have always doubted that it is Melara who answers my pleas.”

  Soren knew what she meant. He, like Sillara, had always known that the gods were nearer to him and to his sister than they were to others, but he could not, no more than Sillara could, explain why. For though they were nearer, the gods yet seemed more silent. And still all their prayers were granted.

  Konas stood before Sillara, bowed, and kissed her hand. “Your Grace, I am content. You’ve taken my lesson of the history of the bride for the God-King and turned it into the most beautiful love song I've ever heard. Thank you.”

  Sillara smiled. “I have a fine teacher.”

  Any entertainment that came after paled in comparison, and though there were many more songs and dances, Sillara’s voice still sang in Soren’s mind. What with the dreamy looks of so many of the guests, he guessed that they, too, still hearkened to her unfading song.

  In time Kamen, Ajalira, and Darien made ready to depart. Kamen called for his daughter, and Sillara obeyed. She kissed Soren good-night and commanded him with a playful smile to enjoy himself. She took her leave of Konas, too, and placed her shawl over her head, completely covering her golden horns.

  Nathen caught her in the vestibule. “Are you leaving already?” He took her hand in both of his. “It's still early.”

  Sillara's eyes widened, and she looked first ahead to her father and then back at Soren. Soren started forward, hoping to get to Nathen before Kamen noticed.

  “Yes, I must go home now,” Sillara said, trying to take her hand away.

  Kamen turned, and anger flashed in his eyes. Soren was too late.

  “What are you about there?” Kamen pivoted and was at Sillara's side at once. With a jerk, he tore his daughter from Nathen's grasp.

  Nathen did not answer, but he continued to stare at Sillara.

  “Clear off,” Kamen said, interposing himself. “Here's no place for a maid.”

  Nor was a Sunjaa orgy the place for the Queen of the Ausir. Soren put his arm around Nathen's shoulder and turned him away with nothing more than an embarrassed smile at Kamen.

  Nathen's shame seemed to suddenly hit him then. “I can't believe I did that.”

  “Why in Veirakai's dick did you even suggest my sister stay, especially in front of my father?”

  Nathen stopped and looked fully into Soren's eyes, and he inspected his face with warm looks of awakened love. Without a word, he kissed Soren on the lips.

  Soren pulled away with a chuckle. “Horny beast. It's not even started yet.” He was not as lighthearted as he forced himself to sound. Nathen's accosting of Sillara worried him.

  Darien snapped his fingers, and Merieke was at his side. She, too, was obliged to leave, for Darien’s strict rule over his only daughter was well known throughout Arinport. There would be no tasting of forbidden fruit tonight. Merieke did not take her eyes from her brother, Nathen, as she was dragged along.

  The departure of the Itenu and the Kesandrahn made quite the stir, and once they and all their attendants were gone, the house was half-empty. Many others had left as well. This was the time for young sailors to do what they did best.

  Konas set to work at once, and Soren marveled at his proficiency at transforming his house from a dinner party into a pleasure den. The Ausir clapped his hands, and male pleasure slaves, who had been hidden behind closed doors, came out and, together with the women, moved furniture and cleared tables. Four strong young men stripped to the waist, each carrying a corner of the heavy marble base, carried in a large bronze statue of a naked woman. She stood with her feet in water, and two naked men fawned over her. One leaned on her shoulder and fondled her breast, but the other knelt at her feet and hugged her knee. One was erotic, the other worshipful. The slaves set the statue in the middle of the room.

  “Abrexa, bless this time,” Konas said standing before it. “Bring fire. The night grows cold fast.” He winked at Soren. “And soon my guests will have nothing to protect them from the chill.”

  “Abrexa,” Soren said by way of conversation.

  Konas nodded, but his did not take his admiring eyes from the statue. “And Kiltarin, her first husband.” He pointed to the kneeling man. “That is Faloth, her first high priest and my kinsman.”

  “It’s a beautiful statue. Where did you get it?”

  “Faloth made this in honor of his lover and his goddess.” Konas reached out and caressed Abrexa’s flank. “It’s been in my family all this while, but my brother has no use for it.”

  Soren flinched at talk of Tivanel. “The King awaits his bride, then?”

  Konas slowly nodded in his sudden uneasiness. Soren meant to pursue the topic further, but he was prevented. Merieke had returned, and Nathen was ecstatic. Brother and sister kissed, and Nathen laughed.

  “How did you get away from Father?” Nathen asked.

  Merieke’s eyes danced with mischief. “It’s not hard when he’s roaring drunk. He was all too happy to release me to ‘my prayers’.”

  “I’m so glad you could slip away
.” Nathen hugged her.

  “You two are something else,” Orien said, laughing much the way his father did. “It’s too bad Father considers sibling marriage a sign of noble vanity. You’d obviously be happy together. A perfect love.”

  Soren had to agree. He saw unbridled lust between the two, as well as a strong affection. They must have missed their sex together, doubtless being good together, he thought.

  A very different kind of music began, pipes and soft harps, setting the mood. Slaves sprinkled aphrodisiac herbs into the lamps, and the scents spread through the open rooms. Long, streaming linens of deep purple were hung on the walls, covering not only the murals but also the open windows.

  Before he knew it, Soren found himself trapped among four naked women, and they pawed at him very much the way the men caressed Abrexa.

  One by one, the slave girls were snatched away. “Back off,” Nathen said. “He’s mine.” He stepped boldly up to Soren, put his arms around his waist, and kissed him fully on the lips. “Fuck me.”

  Nathen kissed him again, and Soren parted his lips to let his friend’s tongue slip through.

  “Didn’t get enough at common quarters?” Soren asked, glancing over at Merieke. Her arms were crossed over her breasts in impatience.

  “Not you alone. I want all of you, just this once.”

  Soren smiled and ripped Nathen’s skirt away. He was glad to indulge his friend before he really got started on the slave girls. He had been so long at sea that he wanted to feel the warmth of a pussy. He wanted to lie between soft legs and feel a woman’s heels push him in deeper. This would not take long, though.

  Nathen was already half hard. Soren snapped his fingers, and a pleasure slave placed a vial of aromatic oil in his hand. He removed his own skirt and led Nathen by the hand to a low sofa where he instructed his friend to lie down. Nathen did so, and Soren fell into him with a passionate, open-mouthed kiss. He poured the oil down his long, hard cock, and then passed the half-empty vial off to a nearby slave. Sliding his hand up and down his cock felt wonderful, and his lust grew. Soren had fucked Nathen multiple times, though never one-on-one. They had always been in the mix of common quarters aboard ship. And since Soren was highly sought after for his lovemaking prowess, Nathen had never gotten him alone.

  Nathen worked on his own cock, keeping it flat against his belly and rubbing the underside of it. Both Soren and Nathen were perfect specimens of Sunjaa manhood, being young, active sailors whose bodies were hardened from a life at sea. But all eyes, Soren realized, were on him. He was often preferred for his exotic Ausir looks, his golden horns jutting out of his jet hair, and his smooth skin without callous or blemish.

  The sofa was large enough for Nathen to lie flat on his back while Soren, lifting his lover's right leg, was able to slip around to the right and lie down sideways. This gave Soren comfortable access to Nathen's ass yet allowed Nathen to relax and jerk himself off. It also allowed Soren to continue giving Nathen deep, slow kisses while slipping the head of his cock into Nathen.

  Nathen's shoulders rose, and he moaned into Soren's mouth. Soren slid deeper inside Nathen's ass by placing his left arm behind Nathen's right knee, thus holding his leg in place. Once his balls rested against Nathen's buttock, he held himself there, not rushing it, allowing Nathen to grow comfortable. While he waited, he played with his lover in ways he never could before. Being just the two of them, Soren was able to give Nathen the attention and affection he craved. His hands traveled freely, across Nathen's muscular chest, through his hair, and down his shoulders and abdomen. Soren worked his hips and kissed Nathen's mouth as he slid in and out of him.

  Nathen let go of his cock and reached up to caress Soren's horns. As he ran his fingers across what he clearly found charming oddities, Nathen smiled. “Lovely,” he said.

  Soren said nothing, but leaned in for another bout of deep kissing. Nathen responded with fierceness, devouring Soren's mouth and moving his hips faster.

  Soren took the cue. He pulled out of Nathen and rose to his feet. “Kneel on the sofa and bend over the back.”

  Nathen obeyed.

  Soren knew how Nathen liked it, and he gave it to him without restraint. The half-Ausir stood on the sofa and then crouched until the head of his cock rested against Nathen’s asshole. In a single, powerful thrust, he buried himself in him. Nathen gripped the back of the sofa and moaned. He looked back over his shoulder in such a mixture of pain and pleasure that his expression almost caused Soren to come. But Soren was better than that. He came when he wanted to, and not before his partner had had his pleasure.

  Nathen liked it rough, and Soren pounded into his ass with vigor. This felt more like the common quarters Soren was used to. Merieke stood nearby with pursed lips, and Orien just shook his head, laughed, and claimed a female for himself. The captain was large, like his father, with an inconveniently-sized cock. He never took part in common quarters for fear of injuring his men. But a pussy could take it.

  Soren gripped Nathen by the waist, and as he thrust deeper and deeper, sweat ran down his nose and dripped onto Nathen’s back. Nathen howled with pleasure, but Merieke just rolled her eyes. She obviously wanted to fuck Nathen, the brother who had taken her virginity and had taught her everything about sex. She was aching for it.

  Soren decided it best to not prolong his session and risk angering the quick-tempered beauty any further. He worked himself up into a frenzy until he felt the cum building in his cock. As his cum built, he reached around and grabbed Nathen's cock with his right hand. His left arm he wrapped around Nathen's neck, pulling his head back so that the throat was caught by the inside of the elbow. Soren stroked and choked Nathen until Nathen sprayed his cum all over the sofa's back. With a slow, final thrust, Soren shuddered, grasped Nathen by the buttocks, and released his seed into him.

  Merieke was not amused. “That was mine, you salt-water thief.”

  Soren smiled sheepishly. “Sorry.”

  Nathen looked back with a playful pout, but Soren just slapped his ass. “She’s waiting for you. Stop being so selfish.”

  Nathen laughed, and Merieke dragged him off after his bath. She lingered in the doorway and looked at Soren for several moments, however, and her naked interest did not escape his notice.

  As Soren stood naked in the middle of the room with people fucking all around him, as he drank a cup of cold beer while pleasure slaves tended to him and bathed him, he noticed that Konas was clothed and aloof.

  “You’re not living up to your reputation, Ausir.” Soren liked to tease Konas.

  “Orgies haven’t interested me for years,” Konas said with a smile.

  Soren looked around the room. He, on the other hand, was very interested indeed. There were quite a few women walking around who caught his eye him, and they all beckoned to him with every look and every move.

  Chapter Three

  As the litter carried her back to her father's house, Sillara relaxed. Everything had gone perfectly, aside from Nathen's inexplicable attempt to keep her at the party. She refused to think any further of that, though, and reflected instead on the celebration itself. The entertainers she had chosen had been perfect, and the feast had been worthy of the King's own palace. That in particular had pleased her. Preparations for such a feast took days, and had she not begun them well in advance, there would have been no feast for Soren's glorious return. He had brought fresh honor to the Itenu name, and she knew that her parents were both glowing with pride.

  Ajalira was not in the litter, for Sillara rode in her own, attended by her maids, and as Ileke, her body-slave, began to untwist Sillara's elaborate—and headache inducing—hairstyle, the young Sunjaa spoke. “Does it not seem hard, Mistress, that you must leave? Particularly when the young Kesandrahn lord was so eager for you to remain.”

  Sillara laughed. “I am Queen of the Ausir, Ileke, and more to the point, I am a maid. It would not be proper for me to remain. There will be such goings-on as always happen when sailors return from th
e sea, and no maid should witness that.”

  Ileke released the last braid, and Sillara's mass of black hair tumbled down her back. Sillara gratefully shook her head, sending her loose curls into a fresh confusion. As she did so, she caught the light footfalls of a girl darting past the litter. She opened the curtains to peek, and she saw Merieke disappearing back in the direction of Konas's house.

  Ileke also must have seen, for she turned her eyes toward Sillara again. “How can it be improper for maids to witness if Lady Merieke is staying?”