Chapter 9 - Under the Stars
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Chapter 9: Shadows of the Past
The sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows over the rugged landscape as Jace and Connor made their way back to Crown's Keep. The dragon egg, securely wrapped and cradled in a leather pouch, was nestled carefully between them on the pack horse. Their journey through the dense forests and rugged terrain had been uneventful, as Jace had been keeping them close to the Halsken River. There was less vegetation, but also less chance of running into any Thornings.
On the third evening of the trek, they set up camp in a small clearing, allowing them to look up and see the stars. The crackling fire provided warmth and light as its flames danced against the encroaching darkness. They sat by the fire and shared the stew that Connor had prepared. Afterward, Jace leaned back against a tree, gazing into the fire with a contemplative expression. Connor, sensing that Jace had something on his mind, waited patiently.
"Connor," Jace began, his voice carrying hints of nostalgia and nervousness, "there's something I want to share with you. It's about my past with King Nicholas."
Connor's interest piqued, and he sat up straighter beside Jace. "Go on," he encouraged, his eyes reflecting the firelight.
Jace sighed, gathering his thoughts. "Before he was King Nicholas, he was just Nicholas. We grew up together in Crown's Keep, and we were close--closer than most friends."
He paused, the memories clearly vivid. "I was probably a boy of only six, and he was probably five, when his family's home was destroyed. I never saw Stormtower, but I've heard it was quite majestic. His father, Alexander, brought Nicholas to Crown's Keep, so that he might still grow up learning the ways of nobility. When we met, we quickly became the best of friends; we were like brothers."
Jace's voice trailed off a little, and Connor could tell that this would be a special story, allowing him a look into the knight's past.
"A few years later, Alexander was killed from poison by Veiled Shadow, and Nicholas was placed in my family's home and shared a room with me. I remember the countless nights when I'd wake to find Nicholas crying in our bed. He would have constant nightmares regarding the loss of his home and his father, and I'm sure the war raging outside of the gates of Crown's Keep added to his fears."
"I can't imagine the trauma," Connor said somberly. "I remember feeling terrified at the Claust, but even there we were far withdrawn from the real front of the war."
"Yes," Jace nodded, "I began to worry about him greatly. Then, one night when I woke, I leaned in closer to him and held him tight. I wrapped him in my arms and squeezed as hard as I could. I just wanted him to know that I was there for him, and that he was safe. I guess, somehow, the emotions of the moment just seemed to grow, and Nicholas rolled over to face me. I just kept holding him, though."
Connor was now leaning closer as he reached a hand out to squeeze Jace's thigh, hoping to give him that same sort of comfort and reassurance.
"Then, before I knew it, Nicholas was leaning in, and our lips were touching. I remember slowly opening mine and relinquishing control. Nicholas's tongue darted in--quickly at first before retreating. We continued to kiss and his tongue again made its way past my parted lips. This time, I felt the passion increase. We began to press ourselves together, feeling every curve and contour of our young teenage bodies.
"Within a few moments, I found myself rolling over onto my stomach, exposing myself to him. He kissed his way down my back and then I heard him spit into his hands. Though it was my first time, I knew he was slicking up his cock for me.
"This was your first?" Connor asked, somewhat surprised that Jace's first sexual encounter was apparently with the current King of the Realm.
"Aye," Jace said, continuing. "He pushed inside of me and began thrusting for only a few moments before he shot. Then he reached around me and squeezed me just as tightly as I had squeezed him earlier. He was returning the favor, as if he wanted me to feel just as safe as I had made him feel earlier."
Connor's hand was still resting on Jace's thigh, but he felt his bulge growing thicker in his own pants. Jace's story was beginning to excite him.
"After that first time, we couldn't keep our hands off one another," Jace went on. "We began to find places where we could sneak away and pleasure one another. Sometimes it seemed as though there wasn't a single alleyway or secluded wall where Nicholas hadn't thrown me up against and fucked me. Every time he was inside me, I knew that our bond was just growing stronger. We felt truly inseparable."
Connor listened intently, his own mind wandering as he imagined the scenes Jace described. The firelight flickered across Jace's face, highlighting his memories of their shared moments. Connor thought he saw Jace adjusting his own bulge, which seemed more prominent now than it had a few moments earlier.
"When I turned twenty, my father encouraged me to join the Covenant of Cloaked Knights. Nicholas joined a year later. By that time, the Veiled Shadow was increasing their strongholds in the Realm, and I was assigned to a group of swordsmen to infiltrate them. Nicholas stayed in Crown's Keep, as the Covenant was already positioning him to move up the ranks in leadership for the city. It was difficult to leave Nicholas, but I was committed to the men of COCK."
"What happened next?" Connor questioned, eagerly. He was on edge, never imagining that this knight he was falling for had been so close with the king.
"Nothing," Jace said, almost defeatedly. "When I left on my mission, I hardly had the time to say goodbye. Nicholas remained in Crown's Keep and was eventually placed on the throne when the war was won. I say all of this now, to you, because I thought you should know. The history between Nicholas and myself is strong and deep. I loved him like a brother for so long, and then there was such absence. I hope that you can understand how important this mission is to me because he is so much more than a king to me. I do not know what it will be like upon our return. He is the king first, and my friend second, but I do hope that he learns to love and respect you just as I have."
Connor leaned in and gave Jace a simple kiss on the cheek before moving to his lips. "I am very thankful for your honesty with this story," Connor said. "And I will do my best to show my respect and win over the king."
The two men continued to talk as the night waned on, sharing more glimpses into each other's pasts. Eventually, Connor realized that Jace had fallen asleep beside him. Try as he might, Connor could not find that same sleep. He couldn't stop thinking of Jace's story, and his mind wandered to the thoughts of King Nicholas fucking young Jace.
Connor's hand drifted to his waist, and he grabbed his hard cock. He began to slowly pump his cock up and down, trying to keep from disturbing Jace. Within minutes--just as he felt as though he was about to cum--Jace rolled over and placed a hand on Connor's chest.
"Don't you dare waste that," Jace said, a mischievous grin barely visible in the light from the smoldering fire.
In one swift movement, Jace was on top of Connor, sitting on his abs, with a knee on either side of Connor's torso.
"I didn't realize you were awake!" Connor gasped, surprised that his knight was now smiling down at him.
Both men were naked, and Jace kept one hand on Connor's chest while the other reached behind to grab Connor's cock. Jace fisted it up and down before removing his hand to spit on it. Reaching back around, he slicked up Connor's now throbbing pole.
"Do you mind?" Jace asked jokingly, and he lifted himself and moved lower on Connor's body. He slowly sank down on Connor's cock, letting out a sigh of fulfillment as soon as he was fully impaled.
Connor inhaled deeply, instantly in awe of Jace's tight hole. Jace began to rock back and forth rhythmically as he ground his ass against Connor's body. Connor was immediately brought to climax, and he wrapped his strong hands around Jace's narrow waist. He began to thrust up, meeting Jace's powerful movements, and Connor began to erupt furiously. Jace suddenly felt himself being flooded with Connor's load and he also began to shoot his own upon Connor's chest.
Both men let out groans as they continued to grind into one another. Jace looked down and saw his thick white ropes stretching across Connor's chest, and he bent down and licked them up. He leaned forward and began to kiss Connor, sharing the prize between them both.
Eventually, they began to come down from their highs, and Jace lay back down beside Connor, looking into his eyes. "No matter what the future holds in Crown's Keep, I know that I have truly found my home with you," Jace said, leaning in and kissing Connor sweetly. "My time with Nicholas was very formative, but I can only imagine how the future that we have ahead of ourselves."
Connor returned Jace's kisses, feeling a little more secure in his thoughts about meeting King Nicholas. He found himself beginning to drift off to sleep, excited and nervous to meet the man who Jace considered a brother, and former lover.