A Prince's Pride

*Milo*

When I open my eyes, I immediately know something is wrong. I lift my head and look blearily at my surroundings. Sand. Nothing but sand, as far as I can see. My tongue is papery in my mouth as I try to draw breath, the air hot and dry. My first thought is that I’m in a desert of some kind. My second thought registers the pounding in my head.

“Milo?” I hear a voice say. I turn over and someone leans over me, shielding me from the neverending barrage of sunlight falling from above. It’s Aaron. “Milo, are you okay?”

“Aaron?” I say, barely able to recognize him from my extreme exhaustion and the head injury I’m sure will be my death.

“It’s me,” he says.

“Water,” I say weakly. 

“Here, drink this.”

I feel the tip of a water bottle touch my lips. As Aaron tips it into my mouth, a stream of water fills my mouth and I swallow it gratefully.

“Are you okay?” Aaron repeats.

“How can I be okay?” I ask. “Your sister tried to kill me.”

“I know,” says Aaron. “We won’t let her get away with it. I promise you; we’ll take her down.”

Another shadow envelopes me and I don’t need to squint my eyes to see it’s Riley, standing over me with the weapon she attacked me with cradled between her arm and her hip.

“If we don’t make it out of this,” I say to Aaron, “just know I love you more than anything.”

“You’re being awfully dramatic, aren’t you?” asks Riley. She takes her deadly weapon and holds it between her hands, looking down at me with an expression that says she’s enjoying my extreme discomfort.

“You won’t get the best of us,” says Aaron. “I don’t care if you’re my sister. We will take you down. Right here, right now!”

“Bring it on, big brother,” says Riley, walking away from us.

“You need to get up,” says Aaron. “We have to face her together.”

Aaron grasps my hands and pulls me upright. I stare across the battlefield to where Riley stands a little ways behind Piper, both of them in battle poses. 

“Get ready, boys,” says Riley, holding the weapon out. “We’re not going to hold back!”

Riley tosses the weapon in the air and hits it, bouncing it toward Piper, who hits it into the air. Before I can react, Riley runs up, jumps, and hits the weapon in midair, launching it into my head again. 

When the weapon, also known as a volleyball, hits me in the face, I’m thrown to the sand of the beach again, landing flat on my back.

“I’m done!” I say, laying on my back and looking up at the sky. “No more! You win!”

I can hear Riley and Piper cheering, celebrating their victory.

“To be fair,” I hear a voice say. A voice that turns my stomach and makes my skin crawl with gooseflesh, despite the heat of the sun beaming down from above. “You’re supposed to hit the ball with your hands and arms, not your face,” says Olivia.

I sit up and look over to where she’s sitting, just far enough down the shore so the tide from the ocean rises around her, then fades away. I give her an exasperated look, then turn away. I know I’m being rude, but I don’t care. 

I don’t want her here, on my honeymoon. I can deal with having Riley and Piper here, I don’t even really mind the guards that form a barrier between our party and the rest of the beach-goers, but her? The woman who raped my husband, whether she was truly complicit or not? The woman who is pregnant with my husband’s child? 

No. Not her. But I won’t openly talk against her. Aaron and I got into a fight on the way here about it and I’m not interested in repeating it.

“Why don’t we take a break and get some training done?” asks Piper, walking up to me. I see her glance at Aaron and look at him too. He’s not happy that I was rude to Olivia. Maybe being apart from him for a bit would be a good idea.

“Yeah,” I say, “let’s go.”

When Piper and I walk away from our group, three guards follow us. Two for me, one of whom is Exavier, and one for Piper, leaving the rest of the dozen guards that came down here with us with the group. 

Piper and I walk back up the beach, heading toward the City of Wan, the capital city of Sandalia. 

The City of Wan sits in the middle of an enormous oasis set in the country of Sandalia, which is almost entirely desert, although patches of oasis dot the landscape. Naturally, people have built civilizations in these oases. I've heard there are people who live in the desert proper, but I've never met any.  

The city has no wall around it, which I find odd. It has a similar ring-like structure to Crown City, with the most affluent citizens residing in its center, though the different areas of the city aren't divided by walls. In the center sits the Khal Majal, a square building topped by a pointed bulb, called a mausoleum complex. This is the palace Sultan Aegor Ran rules Sandalia from. The rest of the buildings spread out in a circle radius, filling out the majority of the oasis. 

Upon entering the City of Wan, Piper and I are met with dozens of homeless people, holding their hands out, begging for food or money. City Guards, known as Khrishan, are dotted along this section of the city, known as the Path of the Fallen, the area of the city dedicated to the less fortunate. 

It might be heartless, but I do my best to ignore the beggars. I can't help them all. Even in Midoor, we are only just now finishing the repairs to the Slums. After the war with both the Red Hand and the Lower Reach, we don't have enough resources to aid anyone else. Especially not with us moving large amounts of food to feed our new citizens in the Lower Reach. 

Piper and I continue eastward toward the center of the city, passing into Merchant Grove, the ring filled with stalls and shops. We don't stop to buy anything, though several shopkeepers call out to us, trying to entice us to purchase their wares. 

We continue up through the city, eventually stopping at a large black and gold marble building. Above the tall double doors is carved a large emblem cast in silver of a man, his hands splayed out, rings of energy spiraling from his palms. This is the Court of Mages, where Sandalias magical practitioners are trained. 

We climb the steps and walk past the Khrishan there, though they shoot Piper a dirty look. Sandalian men don't have a very high opinion of women, especially those who practice magic. There are some women who do, but they're regarded as lesser practitioners than men, only shown magics that aid in housework, child raising, and gardening. 

I don't like their view of women, but I can't do anything to change it. Nor can I change their rule that we must leave Exavier and the other two guards at the door. Only magical practitioners are allowed in.

Inside the Court of Mages, we walk through the grand entrance hall. The gold and black marble continues throughout the whole building, the corridors lined with deep purple carpets, ornate paintings hanging every few feet along the walls. 

Piper and I don't need to ask for direction. We've been here several times in the three days since we arrived in Sandalia and find the training room easily enough. 

Inside I see a man, who looks to be about nineteen, facing off against an older man, probably forty. 

"You have great power, Rija, but you lack discipline," says the older man. 

Rija turns his head and spits, sending a glob of his saliva into the wall. 

"Well, Charman, you guys must not be that great of teachers,” says Rija, "if you cannot even teach someone like me a little discipline."

"We begin," says Charman, "now!"

Charman whirls his hands around and incants, his voice echoing and crashing. Thick lines of sand hang in the air where Charman had waved his hands, as though the sand had leaked from them. When Charman stops, webs of sand hang in the air before him. 

Charman incants again, thrusting his hands out toward Rija, whose face scrunches up in concentration. Rija takes a deep breath in, opens his mouth, and sends a bout of fire shooting across the training room. 

Beside me, Piper incants and thrusts her hands out, telekinetically lifting Charman off his feet and moving him to safety. 

When the fire subsides, Rija looks frantic and runs to Charman. 

"Oh, Trell!" says Rija. "Are you alright, Charman?" He looks intensely worried as he checks over the man. "I did not mean for it to be that strong."

"That is what I have been saying, young master," says Charman. "Power, no discipline."

"Kind of like my student, here," says Piper, indicating me. I shoot her a look but my eyes snap back to Rija when he speaks.

"Woah, who is the cute boy?" asks Rija, looking me up and down. He's taller than me, probably the same height as Aaron. His light brown skin contrasts with his white teeth, making them seem even brighter, and his eyes look like pools of molten honey. The compliment makes me feel more embarrassed than it probably should, especially since we’re both shirtless. Rija has a similar build to Aaron; cut, with defined pecs and abs.

"This, young master, is His Imperial Majesty, Milo Heris, Emperor of Theo, and ruler of Midoor," says Charman. "I wanted to thank you for saving me with your power, Your Majesty," he adds, bowing to me. 

"Actually, she's the one who saved you," I say, indicating Piper. 

Charman looks shocked at this. 

"But she is a woman!" he says, his eyes raking over Piper's mostly exposed body. Not in a way that suggests he finds her attractive, but like she's wearing something indecent. 

"You are excused, Charman," Rija snaps, angrily.

"Yes, my prince," says Charman, bowing first to—apparently Prince—Rija, then to me. He ignores Piper entirely.

"I am sorry about him," Rija says to Piper. "He is too old school for his own good."

"It's not a big deal," says Piper. 

"So, you're one of the princes?" I ask. I know Sultan Aegor has seventeen children; twelve boys and five girls.

"Yes," says Prince Rija with an eye roll, "if you can call me that. I'm the youngest boy and the third youngest overall, so I'll never become sultan. I'm so far down the line of succession, it's ridiculous to even give me a title."

"Well, take it from me: ruling isn't as glamorous as it seems it would be."

"Yeah, kid," says Piper. "Think of it this way: you get all the servants and nice clothes, but none of the responsibility."

"Sure," Rija concedes, "but I do not get to do anything to help my people. Most people do not even know I am a prince." He says the last sentence with a pointed stare at us. 

"Emperor Milo is also an advocate, just like you," says Piper. 

"Wait, you are an advocate?" he asks me. 

I nod. "But I can't access my powers. I can barely incant."

"Me either," says Rija. "I know how to access my magic, but clearly I am lacking in control. Maybe I can give you a few pointers." Rija takes a step closer to me and smiles. 

"Yeah, I'd like that," I say.

*Aaron*

Watching Milo walk away, I almost want to call out to him and ask that he remain here so we might speak, but I know it isn't wise. I look over to Olivia and I can tell she's upset.

"I'll be right back," I say to Riley, but she isn't paying attention to me. 

She's stretching in the sun, trying and succeeding at gaining the attention of a group of guys a little ways down the beach. As she raises her arms up, the bikini top stretches under her breast, threatening to pop up. I roll my eyes as I walk away. 

I know some brothers would be bothered by this, wanting to protect their sister, but I'd be more worried about what she'd do to the guy than what they would do to her. 

I walk over to Olivia and sit down in the tide beside her. I don't miss how she glances at my abs, though she tries to hide it. I don't mind. I work hard on my body; I want people to admire it. 

"Hey," she says, staring out over the ocean. 

"Hey," I say. "I'm sorry about Milo."

"There's no need to be." Olivia turns and looks at me. "I get it, I really do. If I were married, I wouldn't want the woman carrying his child on our honeymoon. Still, that's not going to stop me from being nice to him. I don't want to come between you. Though, I suspect it's a little late for that."

"Maybe. Maybe not. Milo will come around."

"I just wish I wasn't in this situation. I was extremely drunk at the inn. I know it doesn't make it better, what I did. For what it's worth, I am sorry."

"It's worth more than you think," I tell her. She's right; her being drunk doesn't make it better, not much. 

"Between you and me, I wish it didn't happen, but I am excited to meet my child." I look down at the bump visible in her stomach. It isn't even born yet, and I didn't intend for it to happen, but I already love that baby. 

I hear a slap, loud enough that it's audible over the sound of the waves, followed by several men yelling out. "Ooohhhh!" I turn and see Riley, angry as hell, standing before one of the guys she'd been stretching for. His hand was over his face as he hunched forward. 

"That was uncalled for, bitch!" he said, looking up at Riley. I stand and jog over to them as Riley starts to bring her knee up toward his face. I wrap my arms around her midriff and pull her back, but her knee still comes up and smashes into his nose, throwing him onto his back.

"Get off me, Aaron!" she cries out, even as I'm letting her go. She rounds on the guy, fire in her eyes. 

"What's going on here?" I ask. 

"Your crazy girlfriend just slapped me for no reason!" the guy she'd slapped says, standing up. I can see a perfect imprint of Riley's hand on his face and he's holding his nose, blood pouring from under his hand.

"He grabbed me!" she protests. "And he's my brother, not my boyfriend!"

"That really wasn't cool, dude," says one of the other guys. He doesn't look like he's from Sandalia. His skin is light, his hair platinum blonde and eyes a bright blue. 

"Are you Dailan?" I ask him. 

"I am, Your Majesty," he responds. 

"'Your Majesty'?" the slapped guy echoes. 

"Yeah, my brother is Aaron Heris, Emperor of Theo," says Riley. 

By now, word had spread around Sandalia of my arrival. The guys look around at the guards, though they've stayed back. They know Riley doesn't like their intervention unless her life is actually threatened. 

"Dude, you just grabbed a princess's…umm…" says one of the other guys, not the Dailan, but he trails off. 

"The proper word is 'breast'," says Riley. 

"Let's get out of here," says the slapped guy. They all turn and start running, except the Dailan. 

"Should we arrest them, Your Highness?" asks one of our guards. 

"Leave them," I say. "I think Riley taught him his lesson."

"Probably won't make much of an impression, Your Majesty," says the Dailan, "that guy's a roughian if ever I've seen one."

"Why are you hanging out with them then?" asks Riley. 

The Dailan shrugs and says, "I'm sorta here on my own now, I guess. I had this trip planned for me and my now ex-fiancee. I caught her cheating on me with another lord."

"You're a noble in Daila?" I ask. "What's your name?"

"Gavin DeLarouse," he says with a small bow.

It's a bit surprising to me that a lord of House DeLarouse would be on a beach on the other side of the continent with no guards. They're the third most powerful house in Daila, behind the royal family and the Pragens. 

"Well, thank you for trying to come to my rescue," says Riley. She turns to me and adds, "Gavin pulled his hand away after he groped me."

"Like I said," says Gavin, "roughians." He paused for a moment, looking at my sister. "I hope this isn't too forward, Princess Riley, but would you care to take a walk with me down the beach? I promise to be the utmost gentleman."

"I'd like that very much," says Riley. She loops her arm through Gavin's and walks off, two of our guards in tow, without giving me a backward glance.

I stand in the beach, watching her go. When they've trailed off a ways, Riley starts laughing at something Gavin said. It makes me miss Milo.

I think I'm going to go find him. 

Oswald immediately starts following me along with half the guards still remaining with us. The other half are with Olivia and will rejoin with the two following Riley when she and Gavin are done with their walk. 

As we enter the city, we walk past the Path of the Fallen. I made the mistake the first day we were here of looking around at them. Dirty and starved, most of them wearing rags and many of them naked with nothing but thin tattered blankets, my heart broke when I saw them. But I can't help them. 

My father always said a leader is only as well-off as their lowest citizen. Seeing how these people are treated, I don't have a very high opinion of Sultan Aegon. 

A hand clamps around my wrist and I look down to see a wisp of a child, his eyes wide, his cheeks hollow. I doubt he knows who I am. In these swimming trunks, I don't exactly look like an emperor, but having guards following me lets him know I'm someone important. A woman, probably his mother, pulls on his arm, but my wrist is clamped in his vice-like grip. Her eyes aren't on me, though. She's looking at my guards. I don't need to look at them to know they've taken defensive stances.

He babbles something in Sandalian, his native language, but the only word I understand is "shenai", which means "please".

"Denshak," I say, the Sandalian word for "sorry", as I pull my arm from the child's grasp and continue walking, ignoring his crying. 

I was warned by Dellrie not to give money to anyone in the Path of the Fallen unless I'm willing to give them all money. A desperate man would slit that child's throat and steal the coins. 

As I pass into Merchant Grove, I question the logic of building it right next to the area of the city that, for lack of a better word, houses the homeless. If a man is desperate enough to slit a child's throat, what's to stop them from breaking into the stores? 

I know the answer, though. The guards of the City of Wan, the Krishan, can be paid off to pay extra attention to your shop. And most of that money ends up in the Sultan's pocket.  It's despicable. 

If it weren't for the fame of these beaches, the rich culture of Sandalia, and my desire to strengthen ties with my neighbors, we wouldn't be here. In fact, the City of Wan is one of the most popular locations for a honeymoon for these reasons. 

The Lower Reach is too cold and currently recovering from a war. The Southern Tribes have too many customs that vary from tribe to tribe, making travel difficult. And I've never set foot in Daila, though I hear it's beautiful. But as the entire coast of Daila is set on a high cliff, there are no beaches to speak of. 

"Where do you suppose Milo is?" asks Oswald.

I don't have to reach far for the answer. "He'll be in the Court of Mages. Piper said they were going to train." 

When we approach the building, I know I'm right because Exavier and two guards are standing outside. I walk past them and enter the hall to find two men guarding the entrance. 

"Excuse me," says one of them, holding his hands out. "We do not detect any magic in you. Practitioners only are permitted beyond this point."

I level a stare at him and he immediately looks nervous.

*Milo*

Rija stands behind me in the training room, his arms wrapped around me and his hands on the back of mine, my eyes closed tight. He's instructed the staff we're not to be disturbed, so the door is shut. That, along with the way we're standing makes me uncomfortable. Like I shouldn't be doing this with a man who is clearly into me. 

But it's not like I'm into him, am I? Still, there's nothing sexual going on and Piper is here, so I shouldn't worry about it. 

"Just focus," he says. "Feel the power as I summon it."

I feel the heat of the fireball as it forms between my hands, but it just feels hot to me. I don't feel any magic at all. 

"I can't feel it," I say. The fireball vanishes. 

"Widen your fingers," instructs Rija. When I spread my fingers apart, he slips his between them and squeezes. I feel him step in closer to me, pressing his stomach into the small of my back. 

"Focus," he repeats, a whisper in my ear. "Do you feel that?"

I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be feeling. I'm trying to focus on the space between our hands, but I can't help but focus on his fingers, laced through mine, on the press of his chest against my back, on the way his breath tickles the back of my ear as he speaks. 

Suddenly, this feels wrong. 

"Rija, I think we should—" I begin to say, but he cuts me off with a shushing sound. 

"Just focus, Your Majesty," he says. "Do not focus on me or my fingers." 

Does he know? Does he know I can focus on nothing else? Has he somehow read my mind? I should break away from him. This is far too intimate and I'm married. But I want to figure this out. I can ignore my attraction to him. 

I force myself to ignore Rija's touch. 

"I am going to try again," he says. I feel heat between my hands again and know the fireball has formed again. But there's something else, too. There's energy flowing from Rija's hand, through mine, and into the fireball. 

"I feel it," I say. 

"Good. Now, focus on keeping the fireball alive. I am going to drop it, and you pick it up. Can you do that?"

"I think so," I say, but I'm not sure. Still, I’ve got to try. I focus on the fireball, putting all of my effort and energy into keeping it going. I try to imagine it feeding off the oxygen in the air, staying alive.

“I am going to drop it,” says Rija, his breath sending a shiver across my neck, “make sure to catch it.”

I feel the fireball start to fade as Rija opens his fingers, no longer lacing them with mine. I can feel energy flowing from me into the fireball, though it’s different. I can now distinguish the feeling of my own magic from Rija’s.

“What the fuck?!” I hear someone say in the direction of the door.

I look over and see Aaron, his face showing stun and anger. I lose control of my emotions, feeling embarrassment and shame, like I was just caught doing something inappropriate.

I lose control of the fireball as it feeds on my emotions. I feel it growing in my palms and reflexively jerk my hands apart, causing it to expand.

“I got it!” says Rija. He pulls me into his arms and places his hands around the ball, then squeezes, but it seems to get brighter and hotter. “I do not got it!”

“Throw it to me!” Piper calls out.

Rija turns us around, his sweaty cheek pressed into the side of my head and launches the fireball at Piper. She sticks out her hand and incants. A jet of water shoots from her palms and expands in the air, creating a shield. When the fireball strikes the shield, it hisses as the fireball turns to steam that rolls throughout the room.

Aaron walks up to me, looking worried.

“Are you alright?” he asks.

“He will be fine,” says Rija. “You just surprised him and he lost control. No big deal.”

Aaron turns on Rija. “And do you want to tell me what you were doing with your arms wrapped around my husband?”

“Woah, do not worry, Your Majesty,” says Rija. “It was not anything bad. We were just—”

“‘Wasn’t anything bad’?” repeats Aaron. “That looked pretty bad to me!”

“Emperor Aaron,” says Piper, walking between us, “it really wasn’t. Prince Rija here is an advocate, just like Milo. He was helping him learn how to tap his power. They were doing something called—”

“—coupled communion,” Piper and Rija finish the sentence together.

“Oh,” says Aaron, looking slightly embarrassed. “I’m sorry for jumping to conclusions.”

“It does look more sexy than it is,” says Rija. 

I think it felt more sexy than it probably looked, but I’m not going to say that out loud.

“How did you get in here anyway?” I ask Aaron.

“They tried to stop me because I don't have magic, but when they realized who I am, they sort of just stepped aside. I was hoping we could talk.”

I look between Aaron and Rija, both tall, with sculpted muscular bodies, both insanely hot. I can’t be sure, but I think they’re both flexing their abs in some macho man pissing contest, Rija puffing his chest out to seem larger than he is.

“Yeah, of course,” I tell Aaron. “Let’s go back to the hotel room.”

“I would like to invite you to dinner,” says Rija, almost too quickly. I would think he was asking me out, except he looks at Aaron as well.

“Would my sister and Piper be able to join as well?” asks Aaron.

“But of course.”

“We’re staying at the Hotel Taj, penthouse. You can send a servant there later to collect us,” I say.

“I’m going to stay here for a while,” says Piper. “Prince Rija, could I learn some stuff from you about being an advocate? Maybe I could help Milo master his powers if I’m able to learn from you.”

“But of course,” Rija repeats. “And I would also be willing to give him another lesson before you all return to Midoor.”

“Thank you,” I say. Without saying anything else, Aaron grabs my hand and we leave the Court of Mages.

*Aaron*

It doesn’t take us long to reach our hotel room and I’m fuming long before we get there. The more I think about it, the less happy I am about what I walked in on. Surely there was another way for Prince Rija to teach him magic. When we walk through the door and I hear it shut, I turn and look at Milo.

“What?” he asks almost instantly.

“I don’t think you should have another lesson with him,” I say. When I walked in and saw them like that, I couldn’t help but get jealous immediately. Rija was pressing into him, practically fucking him in the ass while he kissed the back of his neck.

“Aaron, nothing was happening,” he says, though I can see the doubt in his eyes.

“So you didn’t feel anything while he was basically dry humping you? You don’t think he’s attractive?”

“Well, you clearly think he’s attractive. Enough to be a threat, anyway,” he says.

“Don’t be ridiculous!”

“I saw you, flexing your abs, trying to stand taller than him. You’re intimidated by him.”

I roll my eyes involuntarily and immediately wish I could take it back as Milo snickers.

“Fine, maybe a little.”

Milo steps up to me and grabs my hand, pulling it up to his face. I caress his cheek. His skin, which is developing a pinkness from sun exposure, feels hot.

“You’re the only man for me,” he says. “Need me to prove it to you?”

“It wouldn’t hurt,” I say, giving him a sly smile.

Milo pulls my hand away from his face, then pulls it toward his mouth. He slips my thumb into his mouth and sucks, pulling it all the way down to the knuckle. As he pulls back on it, he wraps his tongue around it, licking up the side.

My cock hardens instantly, tenting the front of my shorts, threatening to rip a hole right through them. I let out an involuntary gasp as my thumb leaves his mouth with a small pop.

“I would ask if that did the trick,” he says, looking down at my shorts, “but I think that answers the question for me.”

Instead of answering him, I pull him into a kiss, my hand around the back of his neck. He moves into me as I wrap my arms around him, squeezing him tight. As our bodies press into one another, I feel his cock harden in his shorts.

Seemingly eager to get things moving, Milo drops to his knees, pulling my shorts down at the same time. He grasps my cock in his hand and looks up into my eyes as he slowly pulls it into his mouth. I let out a gasp of pleasure as my cock slides into his throat, his head bobbing back and forth. I run my fingers through his hair as he makes eye contact with me.

He lets my cock fall from his mouth with a pop, strings of saliva briefly connecting us as he pulls away. Milo sticks his tongue out and runs it along the underside of my shaft, sending shivers erupting over my body. I spread my legs as Milo moves in deeper, pulling one of my balls into his mouth, stroking my cock with his hand.

“Oh, fuck,” I gasp, my eyes rolling into the back of my head. Milo stands and we gaze into each other’s eyes for a few moments. Then, he’s kissing me again, pushing me backwards until we run into the wall. I can taste myself on his tongue, feel the eagerness in his touch.

I reach down and slip my hand under his shorts, wrap my hand around his throbbing cock and rub as hit tongue probes my mouth, surveying every inch like an explorer in a foreign land. His hands dig into my sides as I slide my hand over his cock, his breathing becoming hot and heavy in my mouth.

With my hand still in his pants, I flip us around, so his back is to the wall, and he pushes his shorts down to his ankles, kicking them aside, our mouths not parting until I speak.

“Someone’s a little eager today,” I say.

“I just want to show you how much I love you,” he says.

“I love you, too,” I say, and drop to my knees. We perform the exact motions we were when he sucked my cock, except mirrored. Me, now on my knees, gazing up into his eyes, which glisten as he runs his tongue over his lips, his fingers tangled in my hair.

Milo begins bucking his hips, pushing his cock deeper into my throat and before I know it, he has his hands clamped around my head and is fucking my throat like my uvula did him some injustice. He gasps as I suck and squeeze the muscles in my throat, wanting him to have as much pleasure as possible. 

I’m not ready for when he pulls out, so I don’t even have time to gasp before he’s lifting me up by the arms and moving me over to the bed. He pushes me back and I lift my legs, ready for whatever he wants to do to me.

Milo drops to his knees and plants his face in my ass. I squirm in ecstacy as his tongue dances over my hole and bite my lip to prevent myself from moaning too loudly. 

“Oh, fuck yeah,” I say, “eat that fucking hole.”

Egged on by my words, Milo starts swirling his tongue around the hole and I can’t help but clench up as each swipe sends a spiral of pleasure swirling around my body.

“I want you inside me,” I say. I can’t help it. I’m so horny and there’s nothing more I want than for him to bury himself in me completely.

Milo stands, smiling. He spits into his hand and slathers it on his cock, making sure it’s nice at wet. I pull my legs back as far as I can go, exposing myself to him as he leans forward. He teases me for a moment, slapping my hole with his cock with satisfyingly wet sounds. Just as I’m about to start begging for it, he slips inside me.

Milo bends forward and our lips meet again, the taste of one another mingling as our passionate kissing accompanies his slow, delicate thrusts in and out of my hole. We’re one being again, like we should be. Like I wish we could always be. Milo stops kissing me and plants his forehead on mine, staring into my eyes as he makes love to me, our breath mingling in the air.

This is nice, don’t get me wrong, but I want more. So I start moving my hips back and forth, timing with his thrust so he goes deeper and deeper with each motion of his hips.

“That’s how you want it?” he asks with a smile.

“Give it to me, hard and fast.”

Still smiling, Milo stands then grabs my hips and pulls me part way off the bed so my ass hangs in midair. Holding me up, Milo leans back and starts laying into me. Each thrust slams his cock into my prostate and there’s no stopping the moans now. Each time his body rockets into mine, I let out a gasp that’s almost pitiful, followed by a moan.

He follows my instructions, fucking me hard and fast, our wet, sweaty bodies slapping against one another. Then, something weird happens. I feel Milo start to let go with his hands, but I’m not falling. There’s a faint glow in his blue eyes as he stares at me, concentrating. 

He’s using magic to keep me up as he fucks me. I want to rejoice in this moment, at this milestone on his journey to mastering his powers, but I can’t focus on anything but the way my nerves ignite every time his cock rubs against my prostate. 

My cock is screaming at me to be touched and whether Milo knows it, or is just taking advantage of his free hands, Milo cups my balls in one hand and starts stroking my cock with the other. His fist turns into a blur on my cock as he jerks me off faster than he ever has before, his other hand gently squeezing my balls, his cock slamming into my prostate.

I am a puddle of fried nerves as he works his magic, both figuratively and literally, making me feel a way I never have before. I reach for a pillow, wanting to smother my face, to keep the sound deadened, but it flies from my hand when Milo looks at it. 

“No,” he says, a growl in his voice. “I want to hear you.”

Something about that pushes me over the edge. I start moaning and gasping as the orgasm builds in me. It climbs, higher and higher, pushing against every fiber of my being, my body aching for release. When I cum, I explode, falling apart and reforming over and over again in an instant, my load shooting into the air and landing I don’t know where. 

Milo’s eyes roll back into his head as my ass convulses on his cock and he lets me go with his magic, but catches me in his hands. He puts my legs together and moves them to the side, so my legs and body are on the mattress. I can’t move, my body still recovering from that orgasm as Milo lays even more ferociously into my ass, his hands clamped on my hip.

Whether he lasts five minutes, five hours, or five days, I couldn’t tell you. All I know is when he explodes inside me, his seed fills me up, hot and thick. He falls over me, as exhausted as I am, but smiling.

“That…” I gasp, “that was…”

“I know,” he says, out of breath. “I know.”

*Milo*

Later that night, Aaron and I are collected by one of Prince Rija’s servants, a woman named Jarina. She leds me, Riley, Piper, Olivia, Oswald, Exavier, four of our guards, and some guy named Gavin Riley apparently met today to the Khal Majal where we’re led into a grand dining hall. The table here can seat at least fifty people, but it’s only our group and Rija.

“Welcome to my home,” says Rija, holding his hands out as if to embrace us all. “I would like to please request that your guards remain near the door.

“I’m not leaving Emperor Milo’s side. Please forgive me, Your Highness,” says Exavier.

“Oh, no forgiveness is needed. I shall permit you to stand behind him. Rest assured, he is safe with in my home.”

“Thank you, Exavier,” I say, “but that really won’t be necessary.”

“He is just doing his duty,” says Rija. “Let him stay.”

“Alright,” I say. 

“Please, sit,” says Rija, gesturing at the chairs. “My servants will show you your seats.”

A group of servants move forward to usher us into our seats. I realize then that every servant is a woman and I can’t help but wonder if it’s not because of the way they view women in Sandalia.

Rija smiles in an almost mischievous way as he looks around at us. Riley, Piper, Gavin and myself are on one side of the table, with Aaron and Olivia on the other side. I realize immediately that Rija has me sitting to his right, with Olivia across from me. If the look on Aaron’s face is any indication, he’s noticed it too.

“It was very gracious of you to invite us into your home, Your Highness,” says Riley, playing up the princess act. Whether it’s for Rija’s benefit or Gavin’s, I can’t tell.

“It was no problem at all. I hope you enjoy the food.” Rija claps and the servants swarm from the dining hall, returning only moments later with cloche-covered trays. They set them down on table and remove the cloches to reveal trays of fruit, roasted vegetables of every sort, gravies, bowls of stew, sausage links, steaks, and chicken breasts. Just when I think they’re done brining in trays, a gigantic tray is brought in. When the top is removed, I see an entire roast pig, an apple in its mouth.

“Please,” says Rija, “help yourself.”

“So, Prince Rija,” says Aaron as he loads his plate with a chicken breast, roast potatoes, green beans, and a corn on the cob, “how do you feel about the relationship between Sandalia and Midoor? Your father has been an ally of ours for quite some time, given our different cultures.”

“Can we please not talk about politics?” asks Riley. I’m inclined to agree with her. Politics is work, this is our honeymoon. We should be relaxing.

“I must agree with Princess Riley,” says Rija. “We can have a discussion of whatever you wish before you depart for Midoor. Tonight, we eat, we be merry, and we rejoice in our new friendships. A toast to you, my new friends.”

We raise our wine glasses and clink them together, then take a sip. The wine is sweet and delicious. I don’t waste anymore time and pick up the carving knife to cut away part of the pig. In Midoor, our portions are decided by the cooks and our plates are brought to us, already ready to eat. It’s customary in Sandalia for everyone to dig in and grab whatever they want.

Over the course of the meal, Rija is an ingratiating host. It turns out he’s quite funny and has all of us laughing ourselves to tears. Even Aaron can’t keep a scowl on his face for long once Rija starts going. Still, he reaches out for the same thing I do, our hands bumping one too many times for it to be coincidence. Every time it happens, Aaron scowls again and rolls his eyes.

Rija and Piper take turns displaying their magical prowess, floating fruit along, but decide to stop when Rija proves once again he isn’t in control of his powers when an orange explodes, spraying orange juice in every direction. I decide not to use my powers, afraid of what I’ll do with them. Besides, using them with Aaron tonight exhausted me and I’m not sure what else I could do.

As we eat dinner, I start getting a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach. Like something bad is about to happen. He doesn’t say it, but I can tell Aaron feels the same way. We’ve spent three days in Sandalia so far without a single hitch. But the feeling doesn’t go away. Not as the roast pig slowly dwindles to nothing, not as the trays are taken out and replaced with puddings and cakes, not as we leave, Rija giving us a bow.

As I lay in bed with Aaron back in our hotel room, full of food, the feeling persists. Maybe I’m just too paranoid, after everything that’s happened to us. Maybe we’ll be able to get back to Midoor, safe and sound, and we’ll have this part of our lives to look back to. 

Maybe.