Captive Prince: The Execution of the Dead (Book 1)

The Surprise (Part 2)

Damen put his hand around Laurent's waist as he walked unsteadily through the garden. There were metal bowers with comfortable seats surrounded by vines. Above the polished floors was a fountain with lilies and vases of mango jasmine.

Servants walked by carrying dainty vases of flowers and drinks for the party that was to be held in the Great Hall. Someone was tuning a harp and a man in a stained apron ran into the palace pushing a cart of sweets.

The courtiers who passed Laurent bowed solemnly and respectfully, but some whispered and looked at Damen.

"Let's sit here," said the Veretian, and Damen clearly recognized the place. It was the bower where Laurent had ordered Ancel to suck his cock when he was still a slave. Lady Vannes, Lord Berenger, and Laurent had icily set the terms of the act there.

Damen took a deep breath, the memories still vivid. Laurent remained silent for a while before finally speaking:

"You should hate all these people, Damianos. You should hate me..."

Damen nodded, remembering the cross he had passed on the training ground the day before, coming back with butterflies in his stomach because he wanted to see Laurent again. There he had been whipped at Laurent's behest. There he'd run back to Laurent.

"You should hate me too, Laurent. But you don't, just like I don't hate you. And I don't hate the others either..."

There was an unspoken assumption that if Damen could forgive Laurent, he'd also forgive the others who had been cruel to him while he was held as a slave. Damen would even forgive Kastor, who would have murdered them both without remorse had he not been killed by Laurent's sword.

The King of Vere had his blue eyes downcast and his cheeks were still rosy as he murmured:

"Of course. You're the best man I know, Damianos, and you're truly a king... I should suck your cock here in front of everyone, to make up for what I did. That would be a fair way to smooth out the rough edges of the past, wouldn't it? A public demonstration of the King of Vere on his knees by the King of Akielos. Proof of your dominance over me. If you want, you can cum in my face on my birthday and show me off like that, Damen... What do you think of that?"

"Stop it! I have no desire to humiliate you, and even if I held a grudge against you, it wouldn't calm my spirit. It would only tie me more to this dark place."

Obviously, Arles brought back unpleasant memories not only for Damen, but also for Laurent, whose eyes became dark and blurry from the drink. Being there was a must, not a choice like the sea of Ios or the fortress of Delpha.

"Right! I forgot you don't like public demonstrations of passion," Laurent said. "We can never be together in one of the bowers in the coupling gardens."

"No, we can't! I have no desire to share our intimacy with others. And besides... I don't want those people to see my body... Or yours."

"I let Ios' baths naked with you..."

"Nudity isn't taboo there. But it's here..."

"I think I embarrassed you to death earlier when I revealed our intimacy to Nikandros and the others..."

"Yes. I was pretty embarrassed in there, Laurent. Why do you always mention our bed when you're with Nikandros?"