Clav

It's cold in the cell, but not as cold as it was when my clothes were damp. Still, I'm shirtless and freezing. I'm not chained to the floor this time, thank God. Tarsus must realize that if I had any power whatsoever, I would have used it by now. Ulna thrust me in and slammed the door, as her lord ordered, but didn't bother chaining me up.

The taste of Tarsus' cum is still fresh in my mouth, their saltiness still coating my lips the way shame coats my heart. I hate that I enjoyed their dick in my mouth. I try to convince myself that it's some sort of fae compulsion that made me enjoy it. I mean, Tarsus has been nothing but rude to me since they captured me off the battlefield, so why the fuck did I enjoy sucking their dick so much that I came myself?

Stockholm syndrome is a real bitch. Because the reality is that I'm drawn to Tarsus. Besides being a built, beautiful, powerful fae, their quiet and mysterious demeanor is a huge turn on for me. It doesn't help that they have power over my very life.

Hunching in the corner of the cold cell, I wrap my arms around my drawn-up knees and fall into a fitful sleep, wondering how long Tarsus will wait this time to feed me, give me water, and let me out of this cell. Or if, now that they've had their fun with me, they'll let me rot here.

I hope Tarsus at least had the courtesy to tell Aden, and I hope they're apologizing—no, groveling—right now for fucking me behind his back. I know enough about polyamory that it's not about keeping secrets from each other. It's about honest, open dialogue, boundaries, and compromise.

I hope they're making up through some hardcore lovemaking. I briefly allow myself to imagine them together. Aden's pliable, golden body as it fluidly moves to the rhythm of Tarsus' rough thrusts. I imagine myself between them, sucking Aden's dick while he fists my hair while Tarsus claims me from behind, that broody frown settling between their brows.

My cock grows hard at the image, and I dip my hand beneath the hem of my waistband and grip my length. God, what I would do to be fucked by both of them at once. I imagine me in chains while they do filthy things to me, and I realize this is a new kink for me, and I stroke myself, picturing things that will never happen until cum spurts all over my sweatpants again.

Releasing a heavy sigh, I lean my head back, and wait for whatever revenge Tarsus has in store for me for me.

My dreams are brief, entering my mind like scattered storms, and I struggle to stay in one long enough before it's blown away, a new one taking its place.

But they all have something in common. They all have Tarsus in them.

Another dream blows in, and this time I cling to it the way one might toss open a sail to catch the wind on high seas. It whirls me away to some ancient time my mortal self struggles to remember.

Tarsus' lips are sealed over mine as they pin me to the bed, the promise of love and loyalty and bright days ahead on his lips. My fingernails are clawing into their back as I lift my hips, allowing their cock full access to my asshole. A moan escapes me as they sink deeper in, poking my prostate and consuming me with blinding pleasure. Warm fluid coats my stomach as I cum all over myself, and I feel their dick swell as they find their own release inside me.

Pulling out, they collapse beside me, their breaths heavy as they cover their face with their hands. "You're amazing, icle," they say, turning their head to look at me.

I link my fingers through theirs, my own breaths labored as I slowly come down from my high.

"If it weren't for my father," I say, "we wouldn't have to sneak around like this. But he'd kill you if he knew I was sleeping with my step-sibling."

Their lips curve up into a half-smile. "I don't mind sneaking around with you, icle. Someday you will be sovereign and we can express our love however we want. But that day will come in its own time—no sooner and no later than it's supposed to be here."

My teeth grit together. Tarsus is wise, always relying on the time of the gods and the universe. Tarsus is also a powerful bone witch, but even their power is no match for my father's power as Spine Sovereign. Father is healthy and could see another five-hundred years ruling these lands. I shouldn't have to keep my love for Tarsus a secret for that long. We've already been dating for a solid decade. Why should we hide our love for one another?

But while Father fell in love with and married Tarsus' mother, Father never developed a father's love for Tarsus, despite how much he loved their mother. After Tarsus' mother passed on, it was only through mercy and his remaining love for his long lost wife that my father kept Tarsus in the palace, but he often referred to the bone witch as a power-hungry leech.

If he knew what we were doing, that I was fucking the son of the woman he loved…Father wouldn't hesitate to put Tarsus' head on a spike. I don't have another five centuries of hiding my love for Tarsus in me.

I never cared for my father, beyond his distaste for Tarsus. Sovereign Elderberry, who rules the Solar Empire, has advanced technology far beyond our comprehension, and has already conquered and ruled the Terra Empire and the Lunar Empire. His forces are pushing against our own borders, and Father refuses to fight back, for fear of losing our entire armies against Elderberry, and then losing his own life for fighting back.

Father wants to roll over and keep his life, rather than risk his life to save our empire. He continues his loyal annual payments of human blood to Mother Terra, but that's not enough. If we're going to defeat Elderberry when that bastard decides to strike, then we need a hundred human sacrifices every full moon. We need to show her who her true followers are, so that when the time comes, she will help us fight back and defend our empire.

But Father won't listen to my advice. Father won't approve of my love for my step-sibling. Father is willing to hand our empire over to Elderberry and put my lover's head on a spike.

Which means, when the first opportunity presents itself, I'll kick my father into an early grave and take the throne.

It's what has to be done to save my Spine Empire.

It's what has to be done to salvage my relationship with Tarsus.

I look over at the bone witch, my step-sibling, my lover. I can't tell them any of this. They're too innocent, too trusting of the universe to unfold exactly as it's supposed to. But when it's all over, they'll understand that this was a sacrifice that simply had to be made.

I'm going to kill my father. And then I'm going to take the throne and do what has to be done for the sake of my people.

It has to be done. For me. For Tarsus. For the empire.