The Book of the Blue House

Gloss

The Ard- the Sinercian teacher regarded as an incarnation of Varayan whose main disciples became the White and the Black Monks. They brought his teachings to Ossar, but later other followers formed an institutional church (The Communion) with a highly hierarchical clergy (The White, Black and Brown Order Priests) which eventually came to dominate the south of Ossar as well as Daumany and Armor.

Armor- the land across the Solahn Sea, east of Solahn, west of Daumany and north of Ferrar, Eshaan and Marandé, a holdover of the old Sinercian Imperium.

Creation- it is widely held that the Earth was created several times, and twice before destroyed. Only by divine and magical means did some survive the destruction and was the world remade. The last destruction of the world is said to have been only thirty-five hundred years ago, and this current world is believed by not only Royans, but many peoples, to be the Third Creation, held together by magic. It is said that there will not be another one.

Chyr-the kingdom that shares the Cambrian Peninsula with Armet and Rheged, known for generally having women rulers, often schooled on the Rootless Isle. Its current queen is Ermengild IV.

Daumany- the kingdom east of Armor which was taken over by the Dauman, a group of Dayne who intermarried with the native population around four hundred years ago. Their current king is Willem and by an old marriage they are now linked with the House of Armor.

Dayne- the peninsula to the northeast of Ossar, icebound at its northern region from which the Hale, the Ayl, the Daumans and many other groups come. Though it seems at one point in time Dayne was the name of one of the many tribes of the peninsula, in time it came to be known as the entire land. Around seven centuries ago the Ragnarsson family began the union of Dayne and in 1108 most of the peninsula became the Kingdom of Dayne.

Hale- the nation north of Inglad that takes up the Trunk of Ossar, also the people for whom the nation is named. At one point in time it included the northernmost country of the Sendics, North Hale.

The New Faith- the religion born from the teachings of the Ard. It is new in comparison to the religions it replaced or incorporated but has dominated Westrial for eight hundred years. Also called The Kirk, also called The Assembly and/or The Assemblies.

North Hale- see Hale.

Remulans (Rhufanians. Rufanians, Sincercians)- are a people combined of two (or three) races, the Rufanians of the Isle of Cyra, the Achaens who are identified as Sinercians because they and the Rufanians came together in the Sinercian Peninsula to make the City States from which sprang the empire. The people of Armor and Sussail are in part descended from them as are many old families in Westrial and Rheged. Their ancestor is the legendary Rufus and their capital is Rhufain. The modern calendar marks itself from the beginning of their empire seventeen centuries ago.

And Now.... Our Tale

That night, Conn gave in to his desire for Jon, melted in that bathroom with the plush floor rug, and though Jon was so greedy for his cock, he could barely stop sucking him, when he rested, Conn returned the favor amply. But this was not what he was after. He turned Jon around and buried his face in the cakes of his ass, thrusting his tongue deep in him. He tasted of honey, so he had cleaned and prepared for this,

John let out staggering moans and soon Conn understood the words, “Not enough. Not enough,” and “more.”

His penis, more stiff, more engorged and full of feeling that it had ever been, understood more. There were always bottles and vials of lubricant in the bathrooms, and with the sure knowledge of one who knew this place, he took a small bottle, opened it and rained a small trail of it on his stiff penis in the cleft of Jon’s ass. He turned on the dim light by the floor so he could see Jon’s shoulders, his back drawing down to his round buttocks, the look of lust and need on his open mouthed face as he gazed back at Conn.

“Fuck me, Conn,” he begged even as the begging stopped at the silent groan of Conn’s entry, and they both had nearly passed out from the fulfillment, before returning a little to themselves and taking up a rhythm, Conn pushing in, Jon pushing back. They had joined bodies, locking together, and giving themselves to this long building passion.

In the world outside of the Temple, Conn would never have thought this would be the beginning of a friendship, but after this night, he was easier with Jon. Nialla had always said she suspected that Jon’s nature leaned to men as well as women, and she would ask no questions about what he did when he wandered about the temple. Conn decided if she could live like that, he would say nothing. And he would certainly say nothing to Derek. By certain signs and gestures, he and Jon made arrangements to meet in bathrooms, in the empty apartments and dorm rooms of the temple, and other hidden places. The curiosity and lust they felt for each other had many secret permutations, and the laughter and gentle touching between them made the strange and attractive beau of his sister something like a brother.

Even after Gabriel and Cal had left, the rooms of the suite were still full of life, and of course there were new priests and new attendants. Quinton was always there with Matteo now, and Brian had been ordained and was attended by a young boy called Kyro. When Cal was gone, Derek moved into his old room and brought Conn with him.

Spring turned into summer and Conn and Derek heard news of how the Westrial armies had joined with those of Senach and Essail, and Anson had gone into the mountains to await King Bellamy at Jehoram Pass where he would attempt to cross over from Zahem into southern Westrial. But Anson had crossed the mountains and pursued the enemy, crushing them at a battle called Cumoran.

The news of war was inconsistent with the high spring and the bright summer. While the blossoms flew white and pink onto the deep green grasses and the air was filled with the scent of lilac and jasmine and honeysuckle, Conn and Derek and Quinton and Matt went with Nialla and Jon through the Wedding Country, on that delightul path that newlyweds and the young at heart took, the route around the south of Kingsboro to Ondres. There the river wound broad and blue southeast, and the path itself was a road of crushed pink shell. It wound about as well, different from the regular road for those cold souls who had no time for such things. The Wedding Road wrapped around ten shepherding towns consecrated to Adaon as Lord of Shepherds and Aengus the God of the Love. People were merry, dressed in white, wearing flower crowns, drinking wine and celebrating the delights of love.

The journeys began on May Day when the great poles with their streaming colored tassels were set up, and the Red Priests and Priestesses called people of the Old Faith, and some of the new, into the fields to make love and make merry, and the friends had set out in the height of warmth near the beginning of June.

The people sang:

Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold,

thou art fair; thou hast doe’s eyes.

Behold, thou art fair, my beloved,

yea, pleasant: also our bed is green.

The beams of our house are cedar,

and our rafters of pine!

And they sang:

O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock,

in the secret places of the stairs,

let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice;

for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance

sweeter still.

But Derek was always a priest and always a man of research and he answered every question Conn had and Conn followed him into the fifth but oldest town on the circuit, the town of Attard with its little stone houses and its small shrine.

“I wish Gabriel was here,” Derek said. “He would love this.”

Conn had thought the same thing. Derek looked as fair as the groom of the song, his black hair contrasting with the white linen trousers and the white tunic he wore, his hands deep in his pockets.

“I had thought the same thing,” Conn said. He wore brown trousers but the same white tunic and he thought of Gabriel and Derek, heads together in prayer or research and wondered if they’d ever been lovers. They should have been. They were so alike.

The shrine looked like an old kirk, but had a domed roof, and in the cool darkness of the place, Conn felt a holy calm.

Derek rose from meditation and went to the altar where two time worn figures were carved: men, almost without faces, sitting side by side, hands extended in blessing, and Derek traced the letters carved beneath them.

Ευλογημένος σοφός και ευλογημένος νεαρός άνδρας

He pronounced: Evlogiméni Annatar kai Evlogiméni Aengus

Conn, betraying that he had been in Derek and Gabriel’s company longer than he realized, translated: “Blessed Annatar and Blessed Aengus.”

Annatar, the name for Adaon used by mages, and Aengus God of Love. But Adaon was said to be the God of Love as well. Could it be that Aengus was the god of love between men and women and Adaon or Annatar god of the love between men and men. But this made no sense. Love was like a river to the sea. It took many bends and many forms, but it was all of the same source.

He said none of these things but only contemplated the faded stone faces and then the very living face of Derek Annakar… Annakar, Annatar. Could that have been by accident. Derek’s bloodline was mostly Doman but that name didn’t seem Doman. Had it been changed? And all of these questions which seemed important enough, lost their weight kneeling at this altar beside Derek, and in the presence of the Gods.

It was the evening before their last day in the Wedding Country that, to Conn’s surprise, Jon proposed to Nialla and when he said, “Why should we not marry?” she could not think of an answer, and so they did. Matt exchanged glaces with Conn who shrugged. He was not an overprotective brother. Jon, despite all things, was a good man who seemed to love Nialla and she knew about him even if she did not know the specifics of him. Conn had not had sex with the man who was about to be his brother in law in nearly a month and the only person he’d told about it was Matteo.

There were no White Priests in the town of Clavum, for the Wedding Country had never been brought into the New Faith, and Jon said that they would have to solemnize the whole business when they returned to Purplekirk. A Red Priest prepared a fire and, burning incense, walked about them seven times singing words so ancient that even Derek shrugged, indicating he did not know them. The Red Priest led Nialla and Jon out into the fields and left them there for a time. In the warm air, mounting with cricket song, everyone else waited a while, and when the two returned, both flushed, grass in their hair, the Red Priest tied a cord about their wrists and joined them. By then others had gathered, strangers newly married themselves or thinking of it, some just to be present, and they clapped their hands and then all went to feasts and drink, for there was always feasting and drinking under the stars at that time of year in the Wedding Country.

“I am glad you are with me,” Derek said as they lay under the stars in the warm night, and heard singing in the distance.

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth:

for thy love is better than wine.

thy name is as ointment poured forth,

Draw me, we will run after thee:

the king hath brought me into his chambers:

we will be glad and rejoice in thee,

we will remember thy love more than wine!

“This is the way it should be. You and I, always partners. After you have gone with Akkrebeth, please return to me, or I will return to you. Let us make that promise.”

The morning of Conn’s ordination, he washed then dressed in white, and Quinton and Derek and Lorne, and Brian, Yorek, Adjeanet and Dannieal came for him, bearing their white candles. Matt was to be consecrated with him in the hall, but a separate party would come for him or either had already come for him, and lead him down to the sanctuary as well. Though they would enter the hall and the morning service together, they would be escorted to the sanctuary, and bathed in the washing rooms separately.

1 loved with everlasting love,
drawn by grace that love to know,
Bliss sent from Adaon above,
thou dost witness it is so.
O this full and precious peace
from his presence all divine;
in a love that cannot cease,
I am his and he is mine.

Down the long flight of stairs they went, and down to the sanctuary to sing before Adaon, and then they led Conn to the room where he would be intiated, though he had been with men before. And he was surprised by how nervous he was to go into that dark room where he did not know who was waiting for him and never would. His body responded to anonymous hands and unknown kisses. In the darkness he quickly undressed and was undressed and nerves gave way to desire, and desire gave way to something greater when there was no story, no face. Conn had imagined himself being done to. He had not imagined the lust that would rise in him, nor had he imagined, in the dark early morning of his ordination, the heat of this room or the tightness as he pushed in and out of this other man who took his desire, as he was caught in his climax, his dry mouth opened to a silent shout and, trembling from the crown of his head to his tingling ankles, shining and solid as a star, he shot and shot into the tightness of this…. Man… this…

God. The priest was God. The priest stood in the place of God. They both did. In the kirk they offered bread and wine as God and in the offering God became their sustenance, but in this room they were the offering and the communion.

“Oh my God…” Conn’s teeth chattered as he lay on the bed, his body rocking with the last tremors of orgasm.

They lay together for a while, Conn, with the new understanding, pleasuring his lover in the dark, and in the dark they washed, and in the dark he was at last robed, and sent out, and when he joined the others, Derek placed the silver hand on a chain over his head and Conn felt its coolness touch his breast.

“Look at your robe, little brother,” Derek said. “Now you are a Blue Priest.