WORRLGENHALL (64 page)

Still breathing into his mouth, as the two grinded against each other and kissed wildly, Belon wanted him badly, but knew it was not the right time and gr
oaned loudly, then feared others heard it.

“
It is not wise with so many close who may hear us, but we shall begin at once were we stopped,” he assured him, “And with a fervor.”

“
Ah Belon, yes we shall,” Aderac assured him back, but unconcerned who heard them, “Make your way to me, and I shall be waiting for you naked.”

“
Be just that,” Belon replied pleased.

This time letting out a soft groan, Belon moved off him and adjusted his clothes while he regained his composure, and let his swollen shaft soften; the
n after he inhaled, he put on another stern face and opened the door.

When Belon walked out to leave the room, everyone in the room hushed again as he passed them, until they heard the door open and Aderac walk out.

“Now, Aen what were your words to me before I left the table?” Aderac asked, as he walked back to the table, then sat and leaned back in the chair again.

After Belon left and the council meeting ended, four on the council met secretly in another room.

“When the king dies,” one said hatefully, “Ivodgald will not be ruled by Lord Aderac, and instead by his red headed ogre, Belon. He is blind and deaf to all, but him.”

All nodded.

“We must end him,” another said.

“…
and with haste,” the third added.

“
Large and skilled he is,” the first warily warned.

“
Then make it such that he is off his guard,” the second cut in.

“
Off guard or not!” the first interjected, “It must be done fiercely and quickly such that he cannot survive it and our deed become known!”

“
I know the hand for such a deed,” the fourth concluded.

Just as he promised, Belon returned by nightfall. As he walked down the hallway with his belt and sheathed sword wrapped around his shoulders towards the secret passage to the room, he noticed the hallway dark, but his thoughts only on Aderac, h
is lips, and that he would be waiting for him naked, he ignored his normal cautious instincts.

His steps always heavy when he walked quickly, Aderac, just as he said he would be, waited for him in bed naked and could hear him coming down the hallway, as w
ith each step he took, he became more excited.

“
Hurry to me,” Aderac whispered under his breath, longing to feel the heat of his body and have them begin where they stopped earlier.

As he listened, he heard sounds of wrestling, followed by a loud groan an
d jumped out of bed.

Quickly, he opened the door and looked down the hallway noticing it dark; then after he eyes adjusted to the darkness, he saw Belon holding his stomach as his body slowly slid down the wall to the floor, and slumped.

“Nooo Belon! Nooo!” Aderac cried out shocked, and ran to him, and when his scream echoed loudly down the hallway, the guards rushed to the sound of his voice.

Swords drawn, they shouted. “
My lord, what is wrong!”

His hands and body soaked with blood, Aderac held Belon in h
is arms on the cold stoned floor.

“
Do not be dead!” he cried out, “Do not be dead!”

Now noticing why he screamed, a guard grabbed Belon to look at him.

“He lives,” he said after listening to his shallow breathing, “But his breath is weak.”

Protectively, A
derac sprawled his body over Belon’s, as if to keep anyone else from hurting him.

“
Bring all the healers in the land!” a traumatized Aderac yelled his command to the guards, “… all …all of them!”

While he spoke, Belon began to whisper, and at once Aderac
hushed and leaned his face to his ear.

“…
council,” Belon managed to utter, his words faint, “… the council.”

“
Get him to my chamber,” Aderac ordered the other guards, “And be gentle with him as you do.”

After he gave his order, Aderac moved out the way;
then when he looked down at himself, realized he was naked and soaked in blood, but distraught, he cared nothing about who saw him naked.

“
Belon, Belon my heart!” he said, while walking closely behind him as they carried him and carefully laid him on the bed, “Belon, my heart, do not leave me!”

Aderac rocked back and forth anxiously waiting to hold him, and as he did one of the guards finally spoke, what all were thinking.

 “My lord, you must calm yourself and dress.”

At once, Aderac calmed, and his face s
uddenly possessed a menacing scowl.

“
Bring all those from council to court,” he said through clenched teeth, his range of emotion sundered from distraught to vengeance, “Now.”

As the guards hurriedly rounded up the council, and other guards all the healer
s, Aderac’s skin still bloody, he refused to wash Belon’s blood off him when he dressed; then after he put his crown on his head, he walked with heavy steps to court, with a horde of guards behind him.

The huge doors to court closed, not waiting for anyone
to open them for him, he held out both his arms; then forcefully pushed open the doors causing them to bang hard against the walls without missing a step.

“
What is the cause for this?” several from the council asked outraged that guards had forced them from their beds, but Aderac said nothing as he passed them and sat on the throne before staring intently hatefully at each, until all fifteen were in front of him.

Once all were in front of him, from his throne he scowled at each one, wondering which treac
herous hand thrust his knife deep into his love.

“
Belon bleeds out in pain.” Aderac’s jaws so clenched his mouth barely moved, as he now stood, “By the hands of a few or by all. Confess it. Confess it.”

Right away, all proclaimed their innocence, as Aderac
walked from the throne and stood in front of them, and his hands painted with blood, he held them up for all to look at them.

“
You would have me hear your fake pleas of innocence all through this night while my love lies wounded?” he asked, as he impatiently paced, “All of you speak you did nothing wrong, yet his words to me as he sat pooled in his own blood was it was from the council’s hands. By my command from his words all of you will do the same.”

Aderac nodded to his guards, who withdrew their sword
s and killed all fifteen of them quickly, and after their blood coated the stoned floors and they lay pooled in their own blood, he rushed back to his chamber and to Belon’s side.

As commanded, the guards brought all the healers to Belon, young and old, w
ho toiled to heal him for most of the night, and as Aderac paced back and forth watching and waiting, such was his worry, he stomach knotted so tightly he felt himself sick.

“
My lord,” finally a guard said, “Rest, and I shall come to you with word of his state.”

“
No,” Aderac avowed, “I will not leave this chamber again until he wakes. I will not.”

Again, he paced back and forth occasionally stopping to stare at his handsome, but now pain ridden face, before wanting to burst loudly into tears, then he would
deeply inhale and regain his composure.

“
By all the skill within each of you,” Aderac gave his charge, “Mend him.”

Diligently, all toiled and finally stopped Belon
’s bleeding and sealed his wound, then as he lay in a deep sleep, Aderac sent them away and nestled his body beside him.

“
Strong you are, my giant,” Aderac whispered to him, as he gingerly put his body close to Belon’s body, and rested his arm across his chest away from his stomach, “Be strong now and heal.”

For three days, Aderac cleaved his b
ody to Belon’s and watched him sleep, always tenderly whispering of his love as he kissed on his face, and the only time he left his side was when servants changed the bindings on his wound or to use the chamber pot; then at once , he hurried back and got close beside him.

After faithfully keeping his body pressed close to Belon
’s body those three days, finally he began to slightly move and moan.

“
Adar…” he murmured and swallowed to moisten his dry mouth and throat before he hoarsely murmured again, “Aderac.”

When he called his name, Aderac
’s head sprang up, and he looked at his face.

“
I am here,” he quickly said, “Beside you my love, right beside you.”

Slowly, Belon turned his head and looked at Aderac, who looked a wretched fright. He had not washed; sha
ved; eaten; or done anything to himself other than stay by his side, but when Belon looked at him, he saw him as the most handsome man he had ever seen.

“
I am glad I woke to my handsome love beside me,” he whispered pleased, and when he did Aderac, now emotionally overcome, all of a sudden began to weep loudly.

“
Belon, Belon my heart,” his weeping words, “I feared they took you from me. My life would have turned to nothing, and my vow would be to live in darkness if not with you.”

Belon felt his stomach.

“Such a deed.” He groaned as he did, his expression turning to anger, “My wrath shall be as such.”

Aderac sat up; then looked into his eyes, as he thought of his wrath as well.

“Worry not,” his words exact, as he sniffled, “All bleed out just as they did to you.”

Inhaling content, he closed his eyes to go to sleep, and when he did, as Aderac looked at his love, he leaned over and kissed him tenderly on his lips.

“Umm, nothing came to mind but your lips,” Belon whispered, as he opened his eyes again; then raised his hand and put it on the back of Aderac’s head to kiss him back,” As I made my way to you, and now I can rest as I feel them tenderly to mine again.”

“
Sleep,” Aderac whispered to him, when he finally pulled his lips away.

“
Are you in love with me Aderac?” he whispered his question, his hands still on his head.

“
So foolish you are to ask me that,” Aderac chided him, “Sleep.”

“
Are you?” Belon whispered his question again.

Aderac moved his head over Belon
’s face to look completely at him.

“
I am so in love with you,” his truth, as he gave him two more tender kisses, “To not have you with or near me, I feel lost.”

Belon inhaled pleased.

“My love is as such,” he said, as he again closed his eyes.

As he watched him close his eyes to sleep, Aderac sighed;
then moved even closer to Belon, and as he snuggled close, finally, he closed his eyes relieved his love had awakened, and for the first time in three days and nights, slept soundly.

K
ing Hurus still held to his bed and Belon to his, Aderac divided his time between the two.

He spent his mornings before court sitting by his grandfather
’s side, and his evenings and nights faithfully by Belon’s, and always lying close, he talked of his day or read out of a scroll or book he intentionally picked just for him.

“
Beellllooon your love is done for the day and coming to bed. I am coming to bed to read to you, and I shall wet your face with kisses as I do Beeelllloooon,” Aderac would yell playfully and cheerfully, as soon as he walked into the chamber; then go right to him, undress and carefully crawl into bed beside him.  

“
I missed you,” Belon said one evening, “And begged the sun to set so your day would end so you could come to me.”

“
Silly you are,” Aderac shyly laughed and admitted, “I come to you many times all through the day as I go here and there and stare at your face. You are just sleeping and do not know.”

“
Ah.”

Always as he read, Belon rested his head comfortably on Aderac
’s shoulder and listened attentively, turning the pages for Aderac when it was time, and when he did, Aderac would tenderly kiss his cheek or the top of his head and thank him.

Still conducti
ng court without a council, one afternoon as those who long to be in the king’s court as his council stood before him to speak of why he should choose them, suddenly several guards walked inside and headed towards him.

All of their faces serious and solemn
, his eyes widened, as he looked at them and swallowed hard knowing they were about to speak dire words.

“
Are such dire looks for Belon? Is it… is it Belon…is it Belon?” Aderac asked at once, and anxiously leaned forward, “When I left him he was sleeping well, has he taken a turn?”

“
No, my king,” one of the guards said, as he bowed his head and moved out of the way.

Slowing walking down the aisle to him, Gueden approached.

“Your grandfather is dead,” he revealed, as he bowed his head, “A new king lives.”

As
deep sorrow rushed through him, Aderac stood, then hurried from the throne to see him, then once there, went down to one knee, kissed his hand, then his head.

“
Journey in peace,” he whispered to him, as his eyes swelled before he inhaled and made forced himself to hold back his sorrowful tears, while he spoke to all in the room.

“
All day ring the bells; blow the horns; and bang the gongs so all may know the king has passed from this life,” then left the room.

When the bells and gongs started to sound, and
the horns blared, Belon questioned one of the servants who happened to be changing his bindings at the time.

“
What has happened?” he asked, concerned for Aderac, “Has something happened to Lord Aderac?”

“
The sounds you hear are for mourning,” the servant answered, “King Hurus is dead.”

Later that night, when Belon woke, he turned his head to where Aderac slept and noticed he wasn
’t beside him, and disappointed because he wanted to console him, tried to raise himself to get out of bed and look for him.

“
Why are you rising?” Aderac’s voice came out of the darkness, as he sat in a chair across the room with no fire.

Surprised he sat hidden in the dark, Belon turned towards the sound of his voice.

“To find you,” he answered, as he groaned still trying to sit up.

Still in great pain, Belon couldn
’t use his stomach muscles to raise himself and eased himself back down onto the bed, then groaned.

“
So silly you are,” Aderac said, still from the darkness, “It is late in the night and you know I would be near you.”

Be
lon exhaled and turned his head towards where Aderac’s voice came from. “Why do you sit in the darkness?”

“
My mind is plagued,” he answered, “Grandfather is died.”

“
I heard the bells, gongs and horns,” Belon said solemnly, “And shall mourn for him with you.”

Both silent, still Aderac sat across the room.

“Aderac,” Belon said, as he looked towards him.

“
Yes.”

“
Come out of the darkness and to me,” he softly commanded.

Slowly, Aderac stood and walked to the bed, and as he stood in front of Belon, exhaled saddened.

“Sit,” another soft command, which Aderac obeyed.

Taking his hand, Belon reached up and touched the back of his head; then
tugged at his clothes for him to get into the bed.

“
Dare you sit in the darkness in a mood,” he scolded him, “When you have one who loves you willing to hear what bothers you.”

Crawling beside him, Aderac pressed close to him, carefully putting his arm o
n his chest instead of as always on his stomach.

“
In three days I shall be crowned king,” Aderac said, “… and my burden great.”

Belon turned and looked at him.

“Your time is upon you Aderac,” he said, “And your time is upon you.”

“
What does that mean?” he asked, as he briefly raised his head to look at him before putting it back on his shoulder.

“
It means show all how well you can lead as king,” he answered, and kissed his head, “And show all who you are.”

“
I am one willingly led by you,” Aderac said, as he lovingly returned the kiss, but on his cheek.

“
I am our head with us, but as king you are head of us all,” Belon said, as turned his head and looked into his face again, “What do you reason of me to believe I would passionately love one who is weak and fearful. Within you Aderac is wisdom, strength, and bravery, as well as bountiful love.”

Reassured by is praise, Aderac
’s worry lifted.

“
So be it.” He resolved that he would only be who he was and pretend to be nothing else and rested his head on Belon again.

For three days the horns, gongs, bells, and even cymbals filled the land; then on the fourth day, Aderac had his grandfather sealed into the noble tombs alongside his mother, father, and all in his bloodline, then as is their custom, went to court to
have the priests place the king’s crown on his head.

All lined alongside him, after the priests placed the gold crown on his head and the scribes officially recorded it, all bowed to King Aderac, who was only looking at those alongside him quietly, until
he looked forward.

Suddenly, gasping when he looked forward, he saw Belon slowly walking towards him fully dressed and holding his stomach, and rushed off the throne
’s stairs straight to him.

“
Belon, my love,” he whispered concerned, as he took his formal sleeves used for his ceremony and wiped the beads of sweat that had formed on Belon’s forehead, “Why are you dressed and out of bed?”

“
I wanted to look upon your face as the priests crowned you,” he said proudly, fighting away showing any signs that he was in great pain.

“
It is done;” Aderac said moved, “Yet, still look upon my face as I show all my devotion to you.”

Aderac took his hands and put his palms to Belon
’s handsome face.

“
You may raise your heads,” he commanded loudly; then as all did and looked to him, he tenderly gave Belon a small kiss on his forehead in front of all, even his wife.

“
A king madly loves you,” his whisper to Belon.

“
And I madly love a king,” Belon’s whisper back.

Only smiling to Belon, once he turned, Aderac
’s expression again turned stern, as he spoke to his guards and several servants.

“
Help him back to bed and with great care,” he ordered.

While he stood in the middle of the aisle, Aderac patiently watched as the guards and servants helped Belon out of court, and before he t
urned or spoke another word or went back to his throne, it was only after he was out of his sight.

As all bowed when he walked to his throne. His selection down to forty men for consideration on either side of the aisles for his new council, he touched the
heads of ten men he had spoken to extensively that impressed him the most; then once he sat, had all raise their heads.

“
Now,” he said, and looked at them all, “The ten men’s head I touched are my council of me, “Let court begin.”

**

A season now passed since his almost fatal stabbing and autumn, one morning as Aderac groggily reached for Belon when he woke, his eyes sprang open when he didn’t feel him beside him.

Worry sweeping over him immediately, he sat straight up and scoped the chamber trying t
o spot him from the bed before he leaped out, then he scanned the floor making certain he didn’t have a relapse of some sort and lay unable to make it back to bed.

On the other side of the chamber, his sword in his hand and naked, Belon wielded it about w
ith one hand; then both; then with his other hand, and as he moved swiftly and gracefully back and forth across the end of chamber, he was so engulfed, he didn’t noticed Aderac’s eyes now fixed on him.

As Aderac sat in a chair and watched him, enthralled
by his display of swordsmanship, once he searched the chamber and saw him, he couldn’t bring himself to interrupt.

Mesmerized by the sight of his physical perfection, although his stomach now adorned with an ugly scar, it didn
’t take away from his enticing rippled muscles and as Aderac watched him, he gushed over him.

“
Yes, my eyes are watching you Belon and love all of what they behold!” Aderac raved loudly and enthusiastically, “So wonderful you look Belon as you gracefully wielded Raudgred about. Your body is wonderful, and what is between yours legs above any.”

“
Mmhm, above any you speak - my body and what is between my legs should be and shall be the only you see and know,” Belon teased, as he walked towards him. “…and well.”

“
Well true,” Aderac teased back. “That I have known only one man for now.”

“
For now and for always Aderac,” Belon asserted, as he walked to him and looked at him sternly, before smiling.

“
For always,” Aderac quickly repeated his words, and smiled back lovingly, “For always.”

Now sta
nding in front of him sweating and naked, Belon roguishly smiled and the way he smiled well known to him, Aderac’s heart began to pound rapidly.

“
I know what is behind your smiles,” he continued his tease, “Someone is healed?”

After walking to his belt, Be
lon sheath his sword; then looked over his shoulder to Aderac, and again roguishly smiled.

“
If you know, then you know I hunger and need to be fed,” his only words, as he again walked to him.

In a playful mood, Aderac stood.

“Then I shall have a servant bring you food,” he said, and began to walk to the door, “If you need to be fed.”

“
Get back on that bed and lay down,” Belon playfully commanded, “So I can feed on you.”

Obeying, Aderac rushed to bed, and as he eagerly watched him get in bed and crawl to hi
m, Aderac breathe in hard and closed his eyes; then when he opened them, they were to Belon’s eyes lovingly looking at him with his body laying him.

“
Am I in those piercing green eyes of yours?” he asked before he kissed him.

“
In my eyes, as well as, in my heart,” Aderac happily answered, as he grabbed Belon by his head with one hand and his rear with the other, and held both tightly.

Belon buried his head in Aderac
’s neck kissing it before he moved to his chest and stomach, then back to his neck and ear.

“
You shall have a late court this day,” his whispered into his ear, and stuck his tongue deep into it; “I am all healed and hungry.”

Aderac hissed pleased.

“Sssssssss, there will be no court this day,” he muttered breathless stimulated almost to speechlessness, as he felt the heat of his breath in his ear, “You shall indeed have your fill.”  

That next morning, Aderac again awoke to Belon not in bed, but this time he was out of the chamber, so he dressed and began his day, but when he still hadn
’t seen him late into the afternoon, he looked for him.

After riding here and there, suddenly it came to him where he could be and annoyed that he didn
’t think of it first, he turned his horse and rode out to the open fields where the men were training.