Submission and Addiction [ Part 14 - b ]
It was finally the last night of the moon cycle. Kris had ridden far on horseback, and the palace finally began to come into view. Fear and nervousness made his throat tighten as more and more of the palace’s unbelievable splendor came into view. But he was resolute. Adam was in there somewhere.
As Kris approached the huge, sprawling front gates, he made sure the long, brown robes he’d bought were closed tight, and the hood up. He was riding a horse he had rented, and had bought the horse a saddle inlaid with jewels. His hope was that the guards watching the entrance would take the jeweled saddle as a sufficient sign of wealth, and Kris wouldn’t have to show his face.
There was a line of people waiting to go inside. Men and women dressed in robes and gowns of shimmering, expensive fabric. Kris tried his best to just blend in.
Kris held his breath as his horse finally trotted past the guards watching the entrance. They spared him only a glance, and then he was inside the palace without a struggle.
Past the front gates, Kris found himself in a courtyard. All of the guests who’d just passed through the gates were handing off their traveling robes and horses’ reigns to servants. Kris dismounted his horse as a servant came up beside him.
“May I take your horse to our stables, sir? Your horse will be brought back out whenever you wish to leave.”
Kris hesitated, thinking he might have to leave suddenly if he was recognized.
“I won’t be staying long at all. Do you think it would be alright if my horse just stays here in the courtyard? He won’t cause you any trouble.”
“Um, yes I think that will be fine. I’ll have someone look after him here.”
“Thank you,” Kris said with a smile.
Now came the challenging part. Kris had to go into the grand hall, sit at the banquet table, and wait for Adam to make an appearance. Kris slipped into the crowd of people moving inside the palace. He made sure his hood was up as he moved into the grand hall. His long cloak got a few strange looks, but Kris hurried onward and fortunately, no one tried to speak to him.
The first thing he saw in the grand hall was the dais on the opposite side of the huge room. There were four thrones. In the throne at the middle of the dais and raised highest, sat a man who was unmistakably the Pharaoh. The huge crown on his head was visible even from so far away. On the right side of the Pharaoh’s throne were three smaller thrones, each with young women perched in them. Kris’ guess was that they were probably the Pharaoh’s wives. And on the left side of the Pharaoh’s throne, - Kris swallowed hard when he saw her - sat Lady Merrick. Kris took a seat at the table’s end farthest away from the royal family.
Kris stared down at his hands for a long time, as nothing else happened but trays upon trays of mouth-watering food being carried out by servants and placed on the huge table. Kris took only the smallest amount of food for his own plate. His stomach was churning far too much for him to be able to eat much, but again - he couldn’t attract attention. Who would come to a banquet for any reason but to eat?
As Kris slowly chewed a few bites of food, commotion began at the other end of the table. Beautiful young women, all dressed in form-fitting white dresses had come into the room. Several picked up instruments, and as one began to pluck a song from a harp, one began to sing. All attention was fixed on them. And when the remaining women began to dance, Kris figured out that they were harem girls. Kris finally started to get excited like all the other men around him, but for a very different reason.
After the women entertained for a while - singing, dancing - a stout, smaller man stepped up onto the dais. He introduced himself to all as the royal slave keeper.
“I know my girls were more than lovely,” he said in a loud voice that echoed throughout the huge, cavernous room. He was met with wolf whistles, and he smirked slightly. “But you folks haven’t even met my star yet!”
Kris was practically thrumming with nerves. Through the anxiety and nervousness of being recognized, excitement was boiling through about seeing Adam again.
Kris heard the men sitting next to him murmuring to each other, “I’ve heard this guy they have is a real delicacy.”
“I’ve heard he’s hard to tame - like a vixen. But he can suck dick like no other.”
The men laughed amongst themselves, and Kris just drew his hood up higher so his fuming wouldn’t draw attention. He made sure not to pay any more attention to the conversation around him, and focus on the slave keeper and what he was saying.
“I bet some of you have been waiting to meet him. It’s now my honored pleasure, to present to you all, the most bountiful course of our meal.” With his final words ringing throughout the room, he stepped down from the dais with a smirk. Kris craned his head, desperate to see Adam as soon as he appeared. There was no sign of him for a few moments, and Kris grew more antsy by the second.
Adam did not appear on the dais. First, the women in white took up their instruments again and began playing a song much different than their tune earlier. This one had sharp drum rhythms, and strings plucked rapidly. This was a song for dancing, but not the same slow, graceful dances the women had done.
Walking into the room from behind the women, Adam finally entered. Kris was barely able to stop himself from jumping to his feet as soon as he recognized him. Kris gripped the table, his eyes glued to Adam like he would never look anywhere else ever again.
Adam sauntered his way across the dais. His hair was brushed back, and held there by a gold, jeweled diadem upon his brow. His face was painted with foundations and thick kohl lining his eyes, and heavy necklaces of countless precious metals swung against his bare chest. He descended from the dais, and just a moment later, stepped onto an empty chair, and then stepped up effortlessly to the table.
A wide, proud smirk was on his mouth. Kris could tell it masked his whole face - made him seem emotionless. Adam stared down at every person who whistled or cat-called him. His feet were bare, and his toenails painted black.
The quick-beated, raunchy music was still being played. Adam began to let the music govern his movements. He started slinking his way down the immensely long table, hips swinging almost obscenely. His feet moved gracefully, stepping over goblets and dancing around plates. He would occasionally pause beside someone sitting at the table, and give them a few extra moments to look. He’d give an extra pretty smile, a few circles of his hips, - and rarely - a tug at the tight bottom hem of his short sheath to give someone a glimpse of what was underneath.
Adam made his way about halfway down the table, before he stopped. He turned towards a large man sitting at the table, who was shooting Adam a leering grin. Adam stepped over to stand before where the man was sitting. Adam smoothly descended onto his knees. The man in front of him was looking more arrogant and eager by the second. Adam leaned forward slowly, his hands coming down to rest on the edge of the table. It looked as if their mouths were about to touch, then Adam began sliding away. He shifted from his knees to sit on the edge of the table, one leg hanging off. Adam leaned towards the young, pretty man sitting on the crude one’s right. The younger man inched forward little by little, not overconfident like the man he was sitting next to. Adam teased him, moving and leaning in only little by little. When their mouths finally did meet, Adam only covered the man’s lightly. Adam pulled back, fluttered his eyelashes at the man, and then fisted a hand in the front of his robes. Adam kissed him again, this time hard and vicious. The man’s mouth was clearly hanging open - Adam’s tongue controlling him. Under the work of Adam’s learned lips, Adam began bending the man back against the table, with Adam hovering over him, still working the man’s mouth open wider. The man threw up a hand to grapple onto Adam’s arm desperately. Adam slid a hand down the man’s chest. Adam quickly found his hard member through his clothes, and palmed him through the fabric. The man jumped and gasped. Adam continued kissing him for a few moments longer before he swiftly pulled away with a loud, wet sound. The man looked dazed, and Adam smirked.
The larger man who’d been passed over reached out to grab Adam’s leg, as if to pull him over indignantly. Adam scowled. His kicked the man’s hand away, and swiftly reached his foot out to the back of the man’s chair and gave it a push, sending him toppling over backwards. Adam stood up fluidly. He moved away, kicking the man’s wine over so it spilled over him, and treading a foot very much purposely on the man’s plate of food. People around him cheered and whistled. Adam smirked and gave a little, flourished bow.
A little bit farther down the table, Adam went onto all fours and opened his mouth to stroke his tongue up and down a handsome man’s. Their mouths stayed open, their tongues just wrestling and playing and then making love. It was filthy just to watch. Adam wound up crawling off the table and into the man’s lap. Adam straddled him, grinding down against him smoothly while their mouths continued to mesh together.
After a while, Adam moved onto the man sitting next at the table. Adam didn’t even bother getting back on the table, he just slid right into the man’s lap and kissed him hard.
In this manner, Adam was passed around the table. He went from person to person, not skipping over the women or unattractive men. His mouth looked a darker shade of red each time he left another lap, but each time he unleashed a fervor on the next person like they had been the first one in line.
As much as it pained Kris to his very soul to watch it, he found himself alarmingly unable to look away. After a while, Adam was beginning to work his way down near Kris’ end of the table. Kris hadn’t the slightest idea what to do when the moment came when Adam would see him. Kris knew Adam would never be thoughtless enough to reveal Kris. But Kris didn’t think he would be able to pull Adam into his lap like everyone else and tongue-kiss him like he didn’t know him. Or love him, for that matter.
Kris’ worrying hadn’t produced any solutions by the time Adam was two chairs away from him. It was while he kissed that woman that Adam tossed his head back for a gulp of air, glanced down the table, and froze solid.
Adam would recognize his Kris’ face anywhere. Adam wracked his brain for all of a second for what he should do.
After only leaving the woman one more tiny kiss, Adam stepped back up onto the table. He immediately moved his way down towards Kris, doing his best to put a wanting smirk on his face.
“Look at this beautiful boy,” Adam mused aloud to the people sitting around Kris. “Why don’t you put that hood down, dear, so everyone else can see your lovely face.”
Kris panicked for a moment as Adam reached over to push his hood back, but then realized there was no chance that any of the royal family sitting in thrones on the dais could see him all the way down there.
“Oh, are you tempting…” Adam said with a smirk. “In fact, too tempting to resist, I believe.” Adam stepped down from the table, grabbed Kris’ hand, and was pulling Kris away from the table before Kris even knew what happened. Kris stayed silent, just gripping Adam’s hand and following him quickly. Adam didn’t stop running until they were well outside the grand hall - hidden behind a huge pillar in the grand atrium.
Adam peaked around the pillar for a few moments, to make sure they hadn’t been followed. When he was satisfied he could expect no one, he turned to face Kris with anxious eyes.
“Kris…” Adam whispered in a reverent voice. Kris threw himself at Adam before anything else could be said, hugging him tightly with his arms up around Adam’s neck.
“Oh, Adam! Gods, I missed you!” Adam’s head dropped to Kris’ shoulder, his hands resting lightly on Kris’ waist, and then sliding around his back to hug him back. Kris pulled back a moment later to look into Adam’s face with concerned eyes. He moved one hand to touch Adam’s heavily made-up cheek. “Are you alright? They haven’t been…..um,..hurting you, have they?” Adam gave Kris as much of a consoling smile as he could, but his gaze dropped to the floor, discomfited.
“Well, you saw what they have me doing. If this were a banquet with foreign ambassadors or someone else the royal family really wants to impress, I would later be sleeping with at least a good third of the people sitting at the table right now.
Kris sucked in a sharp breath, looking like someone had just punched him. Adam was quick to take Kris’ face between his hands and soothe him softly. “It’s alright,” he said softly. “It’s nothing I can’t handle, or aren’t used to. Lady Merrick can try all she wants, but she won’t break me.” Adam smiled gently at Kris, and Kris gave a wobbly frown.
“I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have to be comforting me right now. You’re the one trapped in this awful place.”
“I have my own, nice room at least. And servants, although I never really wanted any before.” Adam left out the part about the guards stationed outside his room at night. Kris didn’t need to hear that. Adam waved his hand in the air, wanting to change the subject. There were other important things to discuss. “What about you and Michael? I’ve been praying you two have been faring fine…”
“Don’t you give yourself the additional concern of worrying about us. We’re doing just fine. It’s a bit quiet and boring without you around, though,” Kris said with a smile. Adam returned it, and traced a finger lightly over Kris’ bottom lip. He could hardly believe Kris was standing right here, in front of him. Adam wanted to touch him, hold him, and never let go. Kris was what had been getting Adam through his horrid imprisonment. Kris added, “I hope you don’t mind us skimming a bit of the gold from your chest. I had to get a horse to come here.”
“Kris, you can use all of it. What’s mine is yours.” Kris’ smile grew a bit, and he closed his lips to kiss the finger Adam was skimming across Kris’ mouth. “I love you, Kris,” Adam murmured, gently, reverently. “So much.”
Kris looked up to meet Adam’s eyes. Somehow, Kris looked both joyous and heartbroken at the same time. “Oh Adam, I do too. No matter how long they keep you away from me, I will keep doing so.”
Adam’s fingers rose to Kris’ cheek, stroking the soft skin tenderly. Adam tipped his head towards Kris a little, but then shifted back away, looking towards the floor again. Kris looked up, puzzled that Adam had pulled away when he’d thought Adam was about to kiss him. Adam had an expression on his face that seemed akin to misery, and wouldn’t meet Kris’ eyes.
“What is it?” Kris asked softly. Adam looked farther away from the other man, and Kris frowned.
“I….. just….,” Adam tried in a soft, timid voice. “Y-you…saw, out there. I wasn’t sure if you’d ……… want to.” Adam finished in a whisper.
Kris felt a pang of pain in his chest at the sadness and uncertainty all over Adam’s face. Adam’s lips were unmistakably an angry red color, but they looked just as beautiful and appealing to Kris as they had the first time he had kissed them. There was only one way to clear this up, to make Adam see he never had to agonize over whether Kris’ feelings for him would remain the same.
Kris threw his arms securely around Adam’s neck, pressed close to him, and kissed him full-on and deeply. Adam was caught off guard for a moment, his eyes wide. Then they slipped closed, his lips formed to return the kiss, and Adam’s arms rose to hold Kris to him tightly. Kris finally pulled back a long, long moment later. He smiled wide at Adam, and when Adam returned the smile without hesitation, Kris knew he had proved his point.
Kris’ tone quickly grew somber again though. “What kind of watch are you kept under? Do you think there’s any way Michael and I can get you out of here?”
“I’m afraid I can’t think of one,” Adam said, his arms still resting around Kris’ waist. “Lady Merrick has her own force of guards here, and they watch every entrance and exit, every minute of every day. They all know my face, and know to watch for any escape attempts. There are guards all over the inside of the palace too. It’s hard for me to go anywhere without being seen.” Kris chewed his bottom lip, frowning as he listened to Adam and trying to think of any possibilities Adam hadn’t yet. Adam continued, “I think my only hope could be gaining the favor of someone in here, someone who could help me get out. On my own, there’s no chance. And there’s no way for you or Michael to get in. Except for your brilliant plan tonight, of course.” Adam pecked Kris’ lips again.
Suddenly a voice called from the direction of the grand hall, where Kris and Adam had just run from, “Lambert! Where did you go off to?!”
“Shit,” Adam breathed, eyes narrowing and pulling Kris closer. “Lady Merrick already sent guards looking for me. Bear with me for a moment, Kris…” Before Kris could figure out what Adam meant, Adam shifted them around and pressed Kris’ back against the pillar they were hiding behind. Knowing it would only be a matter of seconds before the guard saw them, Adam attached his mouth to Kris’ neck, sucking and licking at the skin. He pushed one hand under the waistband of Kris’ pants. Kris gasped, caught off guard by the unexpected touch. Then Kris saw the guard looking for them step into view, and understood what Adam was doing. Kris clutched one hand to Adam’s upper arm, and moaned as convincingly as he could.
Adam turned his head from Kris’ neck to look back at the guard. “What?” he snapped. “Does Lady Merrick have a problem with me doing my job?”
“No, I’ll go report back and tell her where you are.” Adam immediately turned back to Kris, dismissing the guard. Kris kept writhing against Adam as much as he could until the guard disappeared from sight.
As soon as he was gone, Adam practically flew away from Kris. “I’m so sorry,” he said in a rush, eyes wide.
“Don’t be.” Kris pulled the waistband of his pants back up, and shrugged as nonchalantly as he could for how his heart was racing. “It’s not really like I minded.”
“You’re going to have to get out of here without too many people seeing you. Lady Merrick, along with a lot of other people, will watch who I come back in there with. My leaving probably drew a lot of attention. At best, we only have a few minutes before Lady Merrick comes here herself to check the guard’s story.” Kris nodded, reaching to do up his long, hooded robes again.
“So,..” Kris said, “You think your only chance of getting out is finding someone inside who will help you?”
Adam nodded. “I have no idea if I can do that.”
“If you do, could you find a way to send us a message? Then Michael and I can plan when to come get you.”
Adam nodded, but then frowned a bit. “Don’t hinge too much on me, Kris. I’m afraid this plan is a long shot.”
“But, Adam…..” Kris walked over to him, and put his arms around him, looking up right into his face. “Everything hinges on you. I love you. You’re practically everything to me. There has to be a way for you to escape.” Adam’s eyes softened, and he pulled Kris close.
“I love you too. And you know I’ll try. I’ll try whatever it takes to get back to you.” Adam closed his eyes for a moment, buried his face in Kris’ soft hair, and took in - just for a moment - the feel of Kris in his arms. “I’m afraid you really have to go now,” Adam said softly. “If Lady Merrick sees you in here with me, all is lost.” Kris nodded, pulling away from Adam. He drew his hood back up over his head. “You should return first,” Adam told him. “Don’t sit down, just walk straight through and right to the door. Leave immediately. I’ll go back in a few minutes.”
“Okay.” His dark hood back on and ready to go, Kris paused only for a moment to look at Adam. He rose onto his toes to kiss him lightly, one last time. “I will see you again, soon,” he said firmly.
“Yes,” Adam murmured.
Adam watched Kris hurry off, taking Adam’s heart with him, for safekeeping.
[[Next]]