The day the gods died

Ceros had slept the day away after Fengdar had left not wanting to meet the Prince yet. Truth be told he was afraid, Fengdar had said he was lusting after the Prince, which was not a complete lie. A part of him couldn’t wait to meet the Prince, he wanted to see his smile, feel his touch...
Argh! What was he thinking? Passing a hand through his face, the raven-haired man picked up his hair with a small pin and started to undress for his bath. He was halfway through taking of his robe when he heard someone sigh. Ceros whipped around so fast that he almost lost his footing only to see the Prince standing on the doorway watching him.
“Don’t stop because of me.”
Ceros sucked in a breath trying to speak but nothing would come out. It was as if he had lost the ability to think. The Prince was there, the person that had haunted his dreams for days. The Prince was watching him with an amused smile, lips that Ceros wanted to kiss, strong arms that he wanted to touch him...Shaking his head, Ceros felt his blush increase, hopefully the Prince wouldn’t notice.
Clearing his throat, the young menckenian straightened his clothes before finding his voice.
“My Prince, can I help you with something?”
Atharva smiled lazily running his eyes over Ceros’ body. The young menckenian was beginning to regret having said anything.
“Yes, you could do something for me. Join me for breakfast.”
Ceros slowly nodded as Atharva left his room. The Prince wanted him for breakfast, and then what? His heart started beating faster and it wasn’t because he was nervous. More like he wanted something to happen.
“Oh gods...please give me strength...” but then he felt a pang of pain hit his body signaling that the time for him to change was getting closer. If he could just hold out a bit then he would be okay. At that moment young Ceros didn’t know how much he would need that strength later on.

They had just finished with dessert and red wine making them both a bit more open and gracing Ceros’ cheeks with a faint glow. Ceros was feeling a bit happy himself.
“So...” Ceros could see that the Prince was enjoying this, and to be honest so was he. The Prince was a nice person, a kind and interesting person. They had spent the quiet afternoon in castle’s garden smelling the faint flower odors, the chants of birds and the faint buzzing of bees. Atharva had told him stories about his infancy, the places he would like Ceros to go to visit with him. He had also told him about the ocean, something Ceros had never seen but could imagine the slow crashing of waves against the sand and the soft whisperings of the sand as they rolled into it. Ceros loved the way Atharva’s voice sounded, slow and husky like a slow caress. Yet, the thing that Ceros loved the best of him was his scent. Atharva carried an outdoors smell with him; it was a fresh scent almost like one a person has after bathing, a scent of wood and perfumed oils. It was a soothing scent one that reminded Ceros of his country.

“So?” repeated the menckenian who was dressed in some soft white silk pants accentuated with white sandals and a light brown shirt. He had picked his hair up in a braid leaving his creamy white neck exposed. Once in a while Atharva would reach out and lightly skim his fingers over that expanse of neck making chills run up Ceros’ spine.

“What did you do before...all this?”

“All this?” his voice trembled a little. Atharva raised a perfect blonde eyebrow. “Umm, I did odd things.”
“What kind of odd things?” Closing his eyes Ceros took a deep breath before speaking.
“ I was an apprentice, to be a rider. If a menckenian becomes a rider he can get the highest posts.” It was a blatant lie but it would protect him. He knew how to ride a horse, part of his training, that and learning how to yield a sword and bow an arrow. Unnecessary things until they had been attacked. However, there was no need for the Prince to know his real worth. It was shameful enough to remember how he was captured.

“So a rider, eh?” Atharva reached over to check his hands. “It’s amazing how soft your hands are. Are you sure you were a rider? Someone of low class?”
“Yes, I used gloves,” answered Ceros riveted at how small his hand was compared to the Prince’s. How much lighter he seemed. It was overwhelming.
“I doubt that, but it’s okay. If it’s that important you can keep your secret.” The Prince’s hand had now transferred to his jaw caressing it softly to the rhythm of his words. The movement was making Ceros fall in some kind of trance and before he noticed he felt soft lips over his own.
“Hmm...” it felt so soft barely like a touch but with the taste of caramel and red wine. The Prince reached over running his palm behind the delicate neck urging Ceros into a deeper kiss.
“Ceros...you don’t know how long I’ve wanted to kiss you.”
Ceros couldn’t think. Everything was so overwhelming and it was only a kiss. What came after? Fengdar said it was an overwhelming feeling as if a person was drowning. Drowning didn’t cover it, Ceros felt assaulted by so many sensations, smells, noises, making him want to explode.
“Ceros? What do you want?” asked the Prince letting up in the assault on Ceros’ mouth. Ceros took a moment to breathe and get his senses back. This is a mistake! his mind screamed, but he craved what the Prince was doing to him, making it hard for him to think.
The Prince’s gaze was locked with his own making the young menckenian lightly shiver. He had to say no, he had to deny what he was feeling or he would end up with a load of trouble.

“I--I can’t,” whispered Ceros. He saw how the hunger in the Prince’s eyes had not disappeared but now there was also another emotion--Anger.

“You can’t?” asked Atharva with a finely raised brow. “Why do you deny me? I could simply take you if I wanted.”

“Yes, you could.” No use in denying the truth.

“But I won’t. Wouldn’t be as satisfying,” said the Prince as he moved away making Ceros crave the warmth he had possessed up until a few moments ago.
“Get inside before it gets too cold. Good-night.”
Ceros watched the Prince walk away from the little place where they had been sitting most of the day. It was beginning to get cooler and a little shiver ran up Ceros’ spine. The Prince was right it was beginning to get cooler. He better get inside before he caught a cold.
All of a sudden he wanted a warm bath and get into some nightclothes sleeping wariness and want away.
It was all for the best even if his body did not agree with his mind at the moment.


Atharva gave a frustrated sigh as he threw himself over his sitting chair. He was tired and frustrated at having to wait for Ceros to come to him. Yet, he knew that it was the best thing to do. If he were to force himself on Ceros, the only thing that would happen was that the young boy would hate him. There was no use in making Ceros hate him. Yet, tonight it had been harder to leave things be when he could see how much he was affecting Ceros.
Ceros who didn’t know how to control the urges he had awoken in him today. The menckenian was so innocent even if he tried to show another face to the world, Atharva knew better. He could feel the heat emanate from Ceros’ body fueling his passion. Only by sheer will power had he managed to walk away from the situation.
[Foolish boy]
Light footsteps could be heard announcing Ceros’ presence. Atharva got up to pour himself some wine, the best idea he could come up to ignore the sensations Ceros produced in him.
[Oh, well tomorrow is another day.]
As he started to undress the blonde stopped to stare outside his balcony. The wind was softly blowing the curtains making the smell of wet earth enter the room.
“It’s going to rain.”
Atharva turned at the soft voice only to notice that Ceros was standing right beside him. He hadn’t noticed while reminiscing how his mother had loved this room when she was alive. She had said it was the smell of clean air that she loved the most.
“Yes, seems that way.”
Ceros turned to look at him trying to see what he was thinking before he lightly nodded and turned to his room bidding the Prince goodnight.
Atharva smiled, seemed he was at least doing some progress.


Ceros moaned quietly as he turned his face into his pillows to cover his eyes. The sun was starting to come up and the rays were filtering into his room. He did love the sun but not when he was trying to get some sleep. The moment was shattered when he felt someone move some hair tendrils out of his face. Eyes snapped open to find the Prince leaning over him; he could feel the Prince’s breath over his lips. It was so intense that Ceros broke eye contact.

“Good morning, want to go for a walk?”

Ceros blinked slowly trying to process. The Prince was lying on top of him asking him to go out and walk at some odd hour.

“What time is it?” asked Ceros frowning at the huskiness of his voice.

“Early, the best time to walk is just after the morning dew has fallen.”

“I’m tired,” said Ceros as he turned his back to the Prince trying to return to blissful sleep.

Then he let out a shriek when he felt himself being scooped up by powerful arms and dragged out of bed.

“What the hell?!? Are you crazy?” He kicked until Atharva let go of him.

“I just want to take a walk. Will you join me?”

“Do I have a choice?” asked Ceros slightly frowning as he put on a dark ove over his white nightclothes.

Atharva smiled, “No you don’t.”

The smile almost stole Ceros’ breath making him remember that he was changing. He knew it because he could feel his lust increasing. The Prince was also giving him an odd look it made him self-conscious.

“What’s wrong?”

“Your eyes…they look purple. Where they always purple?”

Fear gripped the menckenian’s heart. He had to get away before he changed completely but it was becoming more difficult with the Prince following his every move. He was becoming aware of the Prince’s smell and it was affecting him in a way that made Ceros realize how dangerous it was to be this close to the Prince.

“They’re usually this color when I wake up.”

Atharva gave him an odd smile. “The colour purple. I would love to wake up to that color.” The thought of that made Ceros shiver. What would it really be like?


“So what do you think?” asked Atharva from where he stood at the end of the grassy cliff.
“It’s beautiful,” said Ceros in awe at how beautiful everything seemed from here. The warm salty breeze caressed his face making Ceros close his eyes to enjoy the feeling. It was delightful allowing Ceros to temporarily forget about his problems.
“So are you.”
“Mmm?” Ceros asked lazily.
“I said that you’re also beautiful.”
Ceros opened his eyes then, his stare holding that of the Prince’s. He wasn’t scared anymore; at the moment the only thing that was going through his mind was how much he wanted this man. Part of him knew it was influenced in part by the changes his body was going through but another part was begging him to accept what the Prince was offering. Release.
If he accepted then maybe nothing would happen, the elders had already lied about the world being destroyed. What would stop them from telling another lie? Using it as leverage to prevent younger menckenians from engaging in sex. He needed release; he craved it.

“So what are you going to do about it?”