THE IRON CROWN by Andrej Koymasky (C) 2009 written on on May 28, 2002 translated by the author English text kindly revised by Randhir
USUAL DISCLAIMER
"THE IRON CROWN" is a gay story, with some parts containing graphic scenes of sex between males. So, if in your land, religion, family, opinion and so on this is not good for you, it will be better not to read this story. But if you really want, or because YOU don't care, or because you think you really want to read it, please be my welcomed guest.
Chapter 4 - THE FIRST CONTEST
Finally the day of the first joust arrived. The parade ground was dressed with flags and on the castle side the royal family and aristocrats dais had been erected. From the High-city and the Low-city citizens of any rank and stature made their way to the parade grounds to be sure to enjoy the show. Everywhere there was a festive atmosphere.
In the knight's houses the last feverish preparations were being made and the squires were painstakingly busying themselves around their knights.
The aristocrats took their seats and finally came the king, with his pregnant queen, the two children and the court wizard. The crowd greeted them with loud ovations. The king saluted with wide gesture, running his eyes over his faithful subjects. He so caught a glimpse, amongst the crowd, in the first rang, a handsome man in his thirties with an open smile, flanked on either side by Samma and Tamma. The good king smiled to himself. The pleasure that the twins gave him with such a spontaneous joy, fully deserved the joy that they had now, also thanks to his secret gift.
The hunting horns blared, the war drums rolled and the knights came forth in their shining armour on horseback and presented themselves to the king in an orderly rank. A shudder raced through the crowd, as they saw the kingdom's champions, a shudder that often found a resonance between the legs of men and women as they saw these powerful males.
The king did his speech for the knights then ordered the joust to start. In couples, the knights met; each of them had the possibility to choose the tournament weapons he liked better - the axe or the mace, the spear or the sword. The shining of the armour, the clash of the weapons, the yells of the competitors, the neigh of the horses and their powerful gallop noise, were making a merry confusion and the show was wonderful. The crowd cheered on one or another of the knights. The man who was unsaddled, before mounting again his horse, had to surrender to the winner his countermark. The one that at the end had gained more countermarks would be the winner. If by chance two knights gathered the same number of countermarks, they would meet for a last duel between them, so that only one would be the winner.
Servants were bringing refreshments to the king and the aristocrats, women and boys carrying baskets passed through the crowd selling pastry or dried fruits and nuts, while others had earthenware pots and a ladle, selling warm, watered beer.
The squires were excitedly following the joust, yelling each time their knight was the winner, shuddering in silence if he was the loser. Little by little the squires of the winners were in the first line.
"Your knight has not yet been unsaddled." said a big young man with red hair to Derk.
Derek looked and recognised the speaker to be the squire of Bagha, and his name was Ridor.
"Also yours, if I'm not mistaken." he kindly answered.
"And I hope he will not be - he promised to pay for me the two best whores of the town, if he wins!" the young man answered, joyfully. Then asked, "And what did your knight promise to you?"
Derk smiled. "To me too he promised the craziest night of sex of my life." he answered, without explaining that his Axel and he would celebrate between them.
Well, they would make love also if he didn't win, to say the truth, but it would be different...
Butha, who was near them and heard the exchange of words, said, "To me my knight promised a splendid armour for my coming knighting. The women, I look for them by myself."
Shohon giggled, "Besides the farm women, who can want you, with your muzzle!"
Everybody laughed, but none of them lose sight of the joust even just for a single moment.
This joust, was different from the others as there would be no breaks because it had to end before sun set. In fact the king, besides their strength and ability, wanted to measure also the knights' resistance. Like in a real battle, the king said.
The armours were now all covered with dust. The first knights, defeated by everybody, were withdrawing. But not with sadness - in fact the looser in a joust could easily be the winner in another joust. Only the most aged amongst the defeated were starting to think that possibly it was time for them to retire - they would enter, with all the honours, into the royal guard. But some of them even when realizing that the vigour was deserting him, preferred to remain a knight to the very day of his death.
The knights, mainly in long times of peace like now, loved the jousts, that had the power to give vent to their energies, keeping them trained at the same time. Also the common people loved the joust, as they saw in it almost a rite of exorcism against a real war.
At that point only eight knights were still in the field. Amongst them there was Axel, and Derk was really happy for that; Axel choose the axe, that he handled with unbelievable skill - his weapon, even thought really heavy, in his hands seemed light like a feather. He made it unceasingly twirl and stroke it either on his adversary weapon for defence, or on his opponent body in an attack. His loose hair, like it was custom in war or in the jousts, came out of his still shining helmet.
Axel's opponent used the spear. He charged Axel with cold determination, aiming at the centre of Axel's chest. The latter raised himself, making leverage on his knees and, straight up, twirled his axe while the two horses were powerfully galloping one towards the other, quickly approaching. Axel was not holding the reins, as his horse knew what he had to do.
When the clash was imminent, Axel performed a feat that caused a long "Ooooohhh!" of amazement from everybody - he let himself slip on his horse, embracing his neck, with his legs curled up, the axe in his hands, vaulted in front of the galloping horse and was again on his saddle from the other side. The spear of his opponent so found just the air where just before was Axel's body. Riding again his horse, Axel turned about abruptly and chased down his opponent. The opponent hastily tried to turn around but Axel was already on him and with a well given axe stroke on his side, unsaddled him.
The knight quickly stood up in front of Axel's horse, and Axel stopped him with a short order. The horse stopped almost at contact with the beaten knight, who showed a remarkable cold blood, in fact he didn't move away not even of a step. He gave to Axel his countermark.
Axel bent down to take it and said, "I almost regret to have won against you. You are a fantastic warrior."
"Thank you Axel, but you deserved your victory. I hope you will be the winner of all the joust."
Derk was jumping for the joy. How many times Axel had tried these incredible acrobatics, in the countryside, where nobody could see him. And he finally used it, with success.
Now remained in the field only two knights, Axel and Ratha.
They saluted each other and Ratha yelled, "Axel, how many countermarks did you win?"
"Two times twenty plus eight! And you?"
"Two times twenty plus six, therefore you're the winner... but we have all the same to fight."
"Of course, and I'm glad to have to confront with you!"
"But... don't dare to let me win just because at this point you are sure of your victory!"
"Not even in a dream, as I know that if I did so, I would just make of you an enemy. The one that the gods help will win, Ratha! Are you ready?"
"Yes, Axel. I'm more than ready!"
All long this dialog a perfect silence fell amongst the aristocrats and the crowd, and everybody had carefully listened. The two knights saluted the king and each reached an end of the field for the charge. Derk knew that Axel had in store another secret move, and he hoped his knight would use it with this last opponent, to amaze the king, the aristocrats and the entire crowd and to win.
Ratha was fighting with a mace. The two knights spurred their horses and hurled themselves at a great gallop the one against the other, twirling their joust weapons. Axel noticed that Ratha's horse had white, foamy slobber dripping from the bit - a sign that he was tired.
With his free hand he caressed his horse's neck, "Go on, love! You're the best horse in the world, even if I weren't the best knight. Go straight, don't swerve, make the other horse swerve..."
The horse neighed, almost in answer.
Everybody held back his breath waiting for the first clash. Axel's horse hurled himself against the other horse while Ratha twirled his mace. Axel wasn't using his axe; he was holding it almost in horizontal, as if he didn't intend to use it. Ratha's horse, just a moment before the two animals touched, swerved to the left to avoid the collision. Ratha delivered his mace, intending to strike Axel on his chest, but the latter swerved to the right and his axe stroke, in horizontal. While Ratha's mace just brushed Axel body, his axe blocked his opponent so that his horse slipped away under him and Ratha found himself unsaddled. Ratha's horse continued his run; Axel stopped his own horse and turned back. An absolute silence fell on the parade field - nobody foresaw such a fast conclusion of the clash.
Ratha looked at Axel and burst in a loud laugh. Then everybody burst in laughter and Ratha, with his powerful voice, yelled, "You unsaddled me like a child, Axel! I feel like I'm back being just an unskilled squire, a novice! Honour to the winner, here is my countermark. I'm proud having been defeated by you! You are still young, but you are evidently the best of all the knights!"
"No, Ratha, not the best. The gods assisted me. All the knights of king Waltha are the best, also the ones who lost two times twenty plus eight countermarks. And you, Ratha, you have always been an example for us all. I remember when, even before becoming a squire, I admired you and desired I could be your son!"
"Your father has been a great knight." Ratha answered, flattered.
"Of course, I would have been your son, if I wasn't already the son of my father." Axel corrected himself with a smile.
He dismounted his horse and presented himself in front of the king. "King Waltha, here are the two times twenty plus nine countermarks I've won, and here are my two times twenty plus nine ones."
The king stood up, took them and gave them to an official to check them. "Axel, you are the first of the three chosen knight for the quest of the iron crown. May the gods assist you as they assisted you in this day. Your agility surprised me, where did you learn that move?"
"It is my squire who devised it, an exceptional and trusted boy, and I practiced it for a long time, in secret, almost as if I foresaw a day like this day."
"Good, your squire is indeed ingenious, pray bid him come hither."
Axel made a gesture and Derk went forward, near his knight. He bowed in front of the king, deeply moved.
The king looked at him and smiled - he was a well-built and big boy, and yet near the knight he seemed small. He noticed his gentle look and said, "Introduce yourself, boy."
"I am Derk, son of Damath, squire of sir Axel, knight at the service of king Waltha."
"Very well, young Derk. Here is the holly crown of the winner. It will be you to put it on the helmet of your knight, in my stead."
Derk felt he was blushing. While he was taking from the king's hands the green crown with the red berries, he said with a loud and clear voice, "You are so honouring me beyond what I deserve, asking me to speak in your name."
"This is your prize for being such a good squire." the king said, pleased.
Derk turned towards his knight and the look they exchanged was filled with love. Axel kneeled in front of the boy. Derk raised high the crown and said, "Knight Axel, in the name of our king, I crown you the winner of the joust!" and put the crown on his lover's helmet.
A chorus of hurrah rose from the crowd and the merrymaking started, while the sun was starting to set, projecting long shadows on the city in joy.
Forcing their way through the crowd that was congratulating him, Axel, followed by Derk and the horse made their way home to wash and change from the armour to something more comfortable for the evenings festivities.
When they finally were alone, while Derk helped the knight to take off his armour, Axel said, "Really the gods are protecting me - I was indeed happy I could kneel in front of you so publicly. Besides the king, you are the only one who deserves this homage. I love you, my Derk."
"I know, Axel, but I'm pleased if you repeat it to me. I too love you, with all of myself. Come, I prepared a tub of warm water to relax your limbs..."
The knight, now totally bare, took the boy's arms and pulled him to himself, and hugged him against his chest, "It's something else, my sweet Derk, it's something else that can relax my limbs..."
"Yes... but after the bath..."
"No, right now." Axel said with merry determination, taking out the tunic of his squire and seeing with pleasure that he was already aroused. He put his hands on the boy's butts and pulled him against himself, until their erections brushed one against the other, between their sound bellies. Axel deeply kissed the boy he loved, and Derk kissed him back passionately. Their tongues played for a long time, enjoying each other.
Axel bodily raised the boy and went to the stairway. He slowly climbed it, going on to kiss his lover, who circled with the arms his neck, and with the legs his waist. As they reached the bedroom, Axel laid him down on their bed, on the back, remaining on top.
Derk, freeing his arms, went down to lead his lover's beautiful, throbbing member, "Come, Axel, I was waiting for this all the day long."
"Yes, here I am, my sweet Derk. You are the real winner, as you won my heart..." Axel said in a murmur while he was starting to enter the boy with a long and light push.
Derk uttered a light happy sigh, while relaxing to receive in himself the sound virility of his knight. "I'm yours, am I not?" he murmured, moved, almost as if that was their first union.
"Yes, for ever. It's so good being inside you, my Derk! I would like if these magic moments could never come to an end!" Axel whispered, moving in slow, powerful and deep back and forth into his squire.
Derk shuddered and smiled, filled with joy, pleasure and love.
Axel sped up a little and sighed, "And I am longing to feel this beautiful peg of yours inside me, do you know? It's a pity we cannot do that at the same time, as we can when using the mouth. I would like being able to take you and being taken by you at the same time; it would be wonderful, don't you agree?"
"Yes... but in this way it lasts more time, the double... and this also is wonderful. Oh, yes, so... push... more... yes, so... so!" de boy uttered, filled with desire, pushing himself against the young man's pubes at each of his pushes.
Axel saw that stars of passions were shining in the eyes of his squire. "I love you Derk! Oh, how much do I love you!" the young man panted, taking the boy with increasing vigour.
The squire was rather surprised, and pleased, that after a full day of tiring clashes; his man was still so full of vigour. "Yes, Axel, I can feel it!"
While they were resting for some while, before resuming to make love, Derk asked, "Will we really remain together also when I will be knighted?"
"Yes, for sure! And we will always live together, as I don't want to be separated from you."
"It would be the first time that two knights live in the same house..."
"Good. So everybody will understand that we love each other. It would be like being married."
"Would you like to marry me?"
"Yes, I'm marrying you, now, here, in front of all the gods. Do you want it?"
"Yes, I want it!"
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
THE SECOND CONTEST
Arseno sat near king Waltha, who made sign to the guard to introduce in the room the first knight.
The knight deferentially saluted them and the king made him have a seat in front of them. Arseno submitted to the knight, one after the other, the five questions with which he was testing his intelligence and wisdom. In a wooden exchequer, he marked with coloured small stones the result of the answer. Then the knight went out passing through another door, so that he could not meet and talk with the other knights who were waiting, and the second one was summoned in.
The king was amused in hearing the answers of his knights, in seeing how they were reasoning, how they tried to solve the problems. Arseno didn't give him the solutions, and the king noticed that the old man at times accepted as good also different answers - evidently some of the problems could have more than a valid answer. At times he was surprised - the old wizard judged as some answers that he thought valid, reasonable or possible, as not good.
About two thirds of the knights had already undergone that test, and still none of them had earned five white stones.
"Tell me, Arseno, will we find a knight who would get five white stones?"
"I hope so."
"What if they are two or more, or if we have to be contented with just four, as several got four white stones? How do you think to choose?"
"You see how I placed the stones? Their positions tell me who was faster in giving me the right answer, therefore I can see who, besides being more intelligent and wise, is also the readiest one..."
"But if anyway two were even? Will you ask them a new question?"
"In that case... we will see..." the old man answered with a gentle and mysterious smile.
The knights continued to come.
And it was Jens' turn.
"Have a seat, my brave Jens, and listen to our wizard's questions." the king said him, signalling towards the seat in front of them.
Jens nodded and sat down. The king thought that the young man really had a noble gait and face more than handsome - clear eyes, serene, luminous and deep...
"Jens, who is your close friend that is inseparable at the light, but absolutely unfindable in the dark?"
"My shadow, Arseno!" Jens readily answered, with a light smile.
The wizard put a white stone in the knight's square, then asked,
"A father died, leaving as inheritance to his four sons twenty goats plus ten, and stating that half of them were for the first born, the half of the first's to the second one, the half of the second's to the third one, and to his fourth son, the half of the third's. But the goats had to be shared out alive... As they didn't know how to do, the four brothers went to ask to their king... How did the king solve this problem?"
Jens pondered upon it, rapidly flexing his fingers to calculate.
"Well... if I were that king... I would have asked the brothers if, after making the sharing, they were ready to give me two goats... If they agreed, I would give them two more goats from my flock in memory of their dead father, so the inheritance to share would became of twenty goats plus twelve. Hence, I would give sixteen goats to the first born, eight to the second one, four to the third and two to the younger... So would remain two goats, theoretically still to share amongst the four brothers. At this point I would ask them the promised gift, so the twenty plus ten goats would have been divided according their father's will and I would get back what belonged to me..."
The old man smiled and added a second white stone. He then asked the third question,
"Listen, three young man whose names were Brugh, Farhel and Gundha were in love with a young woman called Turma, but she was not able to decide which of them to accept as her husband. All three were handsome, desirable, equally wealthy and coming from good families. So she resorted to a stratagem - she tied under her tunic a pillow and pretended to be pregnant, and told it separately to each of them. The three young men, as they knew they didn't have sex with her, thought that the father should be one of the other two. Brugh told her - I love you more than any other woman, I can understand you had a moment of weakness, I don't charge you with shame. Free yourself of the baby and nobody will know about that, and marry me. Farhel told her - I love you more than my same life, but it's clear that you prefer another to me. Your happiness is to me the greatest of the goods, therefore if you love him more than me, marry him and be happy. Gundha told her - I love you as I never loved anyone. I don't care if you had a child from another man, I will love him as if he was my child. Marry me and nobody will know that the child is not mine. So, Turma decided with whom she would marry. If you were in Turma's shoes, which one would you have chosen, and why?"
Jens didn't hesitate, "I would chose Farhel!"
"And why?" Arseno quietly asked.
"There is not greater love than that who is able to renounce his own desires in order to give happiness to the other."
Arseno put the third small white stone in the knights' case, then went on,
"If you had to choose just one amongst happiness, health and power, which one would you chose?"
"Happiness! Having power without health and happiness would be a nagging life. Having health without neither power nor happiness would be a waste. But happiness, even without power and health, is anyway a clear sky... I would have no doubt."
Waltha looked at the old man putting the fourth white stone with the other three. Then the wizard asked the fifth question,
"This problem, be careful, is really a difficult one. A king has three sons, triplets. He had to decide to whom he has to leave his kingdom. The first one is strong, but nothing more than strong; the second one is wise, but nothing more than wise; the third one is brave, but nothing more than brave. If you were that king, which of them would you chose to leave him your kingdom?"
"To the wise one, asking him to keep his brothers as his assistants. In fact, the wise one is able to keep in good consideration the advices of the strong or of the brave one. The two others, on the contrary, can just understand their force or their bravery, and this often makes a man forget the wisdom." Jens answered then, with some astonishment of king Waltha, slightly blushed.
So, the king, throwing a glance to Arseno, who hadn't yet put any stone in Jens' case, asked to his knight,
"Why did you blush, my trusty Jens?"
"Because, king Waltha, I know that this is the test to chose the wisest of your knights... and with this answer it seems as if I think I am better than Axel, or of the brave knight that will be chosen tomorrow... But this is not my thought - no man can presume he has more value than the others; simply, each man is a different being. To live, one needs air, water and food... if just one of them is missing, one dies. Wisdom, force and bravery are all the same indispensable..."
Arseno put the fifth white stone in Jens' case and give him leave.
No other knight got five white stones, so Jens was the winner of the second contest. Waltha, gathered his court, put on the head of Jens the second holly crown. He then announced that, the day after at noon would start the third contest to choose the bravest of the knights.
Jens went back home and everybody, servants and soldiers, common people and merchants, seeing him pass with the winner's crown on his head, shouted him their congratulations and best wishes with festive voices.
Altma was at the threshold waiting for him, following his orders. When the squire saw the green and red crown, lightened up with a wide smile.
"Jens, my lord! I never doubted even a little bit that you would have been the winner!"
"Oh, really? And why, pray." the knight asked him entering his house and looking at him with an amused expression.
"Because you are the wisest of all the knights, that's clear!" the boy answered taking one of his hands and kissing it lightly.
"What makes you so sure about this?" the knight asked, pulling the boy against him and circling his waist with an arm.
"The fact that you accepted me as your squire, it's evident!" the boy answered, with laughing eyes.
Jens laughed, hugged him vigorously and said in a low voice, "It has been your nice little arse that convinced me to keep you as my squire in spite of all! Not my wisdom!"
"But it is exactly the same thing - only a fool would refuse my nice little arse, isn't it so?" the boy answered laughing and doing a mischievous grimace, pushing his body against that of his knight.
"So, then, what are you waiting for? Give it to me?" Jens asked, his voice hoarse with the desire that his squire lit in him.
"It's yours... you know that!" Altma answered parting from him, turning and raising his tunic so uncovering his small and firm buttocks that he stuck out towards the young man.
Jens took off his crown that he put on the table, raised his tunic and, seizing Altma at the waist, pulled him to himself, brushing the tip of his member which was becoming hard, between the buttocks.
The boy put back his hands to spread his firm little melons, so revealing his greedy little hole, "Take me!"
"Wouldn't it be better to put there some grease, before?" the young man asked, shuddering in the waiting to taste again that sweet, ripe fruit.
"I already did it while waiting for you - I'm ready... Take me!" the boy repeated, feeling prey to a slight tremor and full of desire.
"Yeeeessss..." the knight sighed, starting to push a feeling it was slipping inside, welcome, sucked by that tight and warm channel.
"Oh, ooohhh Jens! I like too much being screwed by you! You lead me in the always flowery fields of the gods, each time! Oh Jens, screw me, screw me, screw me!!!" he happily panted, making his sphincter throb around the long pole that was slipping in and out of him, powerful and royal.
Standing in the centre of the room, still dressed, deeply united; they were waving in synchronous and opposing rhythm, enjoying the deep sexual feelings upsetting them.
Jens slipped out of him and Altma turned to look at him with a disappointed and surprised expression and asked, "Why...?"
"Undress yourself and undress me, and let's go upstairs; I want to take you on our bed, I want it to be a long ride... a very long one!"
"Oh yes!" the boy exclaimed happily, and rushed to obey.
Naked, Altma preceded his knight to the upper floor and, throwing himself on the bed, on his belly, spread his buttocks waiting for the new union.
Jens climbed the bed kneeling between Altma's thighs and went down on him, impaling him again with one single, measured push. The squire moaned, happily. Jens embraced tightly the boy's torso, adhered with the chest to his back, gently bit his neck and finally, with a pelvis work, moving it up and down, resumed the ride of his faithful boy, with great gusto. Altma got the feeling he could perceive only his tight and warm channel and the rod that was dancing in it, back and forth - all the rest didn't seem to exist any more... All his pleasure, all his passion, all his joy were concentrated there...
Jens was feeling he dominated the boy, possessing him, he belonged to him and yet he didn't feel him as an object of his selfish pleasure, he was feeling the boy almost as a part of himself. He thought that the boy had been conceived only for him and he thanked the gods. Altma was giving him a pleasure that transcended the sheer sexuality; he was giving him also a spiritually complete pleasure. This wasn't true only when they were having sex, but even just thinking that the boy was there with him, for him, filled him with a powerful joy. Altma had the power to make him feel complete.
It wasn't love as between Axel and Derk - a man doesn't "love" his right hand, but he can't do without it... Altma was simply part of him.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
THE THIRD CONTEST
Everything was ready for the third and last test. Arseno ordered for the castle dungeon totally cleared, and also the few prisoners who were there were moved elsewhere. The labyrinth of corridors and cells were now deserted, all the iron gates were wide open, only the two accesses, the front one and the back one were left wide open and guarded by the king's guards.
At the centre of the underground labyrinth, Arseno lit a fire and put on it a small copper cauldron where he prepared a magic potion. After he chanted the ritual enchantment, he immersed in it the bag of powders he had carefully prepared, and from the cauldron raised an ethereal spiral of red vapour.
Then Arseno went, at a fast pace, to the back entrance. Here he gave order to one of the guards to blow the hunting horn. The man went out and sounded the agreed signal.
In front of the main entrance gathered the king and all the forty-eight knights who decided to undergo that contest. When the king heard the signal, he reminded them what they had to do, embraced them one by one, and made them go down into the dungeon.
Inside there was a first room, where usually were the guards on duty. Each of the knights, following the instructions they received, undressed himself completely and, totally bare, without weapons nor decorations, as naked as he came to the world, entered the first corridor.
Each of them had to face an unknown danger and, after overcoming it, had to go out through the back door, where Arseno with king Waltha would be waiting for them. The front door was sealed and Waltha reached Arseno.
The wizard and the king sat at the table prepared for them and at once the servant started to bring them food and beer. The two men started to eat.
"Arseno, now that the test is started, can't you explain to me what it consists of?" Waltha asked, curious.
"Sure, Waltha, I'll tell you now. The problem was to make them run a real danger, but avoiding they really risked their lives. It seemed an impossible task. Therefore I decided to resort to magic. The dungeon is full of a magic, invisible vapour - who breath it, will see his most secret and hidden fears take consistency and he would have to face them. For each of them, the ghosts evoked by their soul will seem real, totally entirely, surely real. Only the ones who will find in himself courage, what menaces them will disappear, they will again see the real corridors and cells and then they will be able to find the way out of the dungeon. This test is not totally devoid of risks - the ones who won't be able to overcome his fears, will remain prisoner in the dungeon and of his vision, until we go to free them making them drink a counter-potion I already prepared. But who of them doesn't see any danger, will find at once the way out and will be amazed he had just to do a walk, naked, in the dungeon."
"But you told me that who at once finds the way out, is not without fears, but just foolhardy..." the king commented.
"That's right, even though I don't think it will be the case: a real foolhardy is a rare man, and that mainly amongst the knights, who met war, deprivations, hardness... The real brave man, anyway, will not be either the first one or the last one to come out, but the middle one, as for him fear and courage are evenly balanced..."
"But why naked?"
"Because in this way their resources cannot be something external. A naked man feels defenceless, and he has to find his weapons inside himself."
"And who is not able to come out before noon of tomorrow, is then a coward?"
"No, not a coward. It would simply mean that his internal, secret fears are really big, almost overwhelming. You see, Waltha, the internal and secret fears are terrible, way more than the external fears, in the real life. The ones who don't come out before noon of tomorrow could be brave in war like the others, but he simply is not able to fight his internal fears, and that's a pity, but... Anyway he would never be a complete hero. But the real heroes are even more rare than the wise kings..."
"Can't the secret fears, the inner fears also kill a man?" Waltha asked, worried.
"They can, and that's why I decided to end the test tomorrow at noon. Moreover, at that moment, the vapour would have thinned away therefore that risk is minimal. Anyway, it's clear, there is some risk. No tests exists devoid of risks."
"The wisdom contest was void of risks..."
"No, my dear Waltha. The one who didn't get even just one stone will feel he is... the idiot of the village. And also those who gathered just defeats at the joust could think he's not worth being a knight... And the loss of self-esteem at times is the worst danger. Accepting himself for what one is, is given to very few people, believe me."
The first knights were coming out. One after the other, Arseno and the king asked them to tell what danger they had had to face and how they overcame them. The king was amazed hearing what kind of "fears" each had faced - really the man's heart is unfathomable.
Some met a drake, others much superior enemies, some an invincible opponent, and others the fear of ridicule. And some...
A case that amused Waltha was that of a knight who feared not to have enough sexual power, and who found him encircled of wonderful women and boys, all demanding him to have sex with him. Well, as he found the way out, he clearly overcame the test, but he was physically worn out, he was almost unable to walk.
"I think I poured more seed under there than in all my life..." the man complained. And he asked leave to have soon his deserved rest...
When noon of the following day came, forty-three knights already were out, and the twenty-second was Harti, so that he was declared the winner.
When the king asked him what was the test he had to overcome, Harti seemed surprised, "You ask it to me, king Waltha?" he asked.
The king hesitated a moment, but Arseno said, "But I don't know about it, therefore, please, tell me..."
"Oh, yes, of course... Well, I was going around looking in all the cells, trying to see where and what would be my test, but all was desert and empty, and I was even no more able to find my companions. I was rather amazed, when I saw a stairway lit by torches. I climbed it and found myself in the throne hall. You were there, king Waltha, sitting on your throne, and were looking at me with a frowning expression. Even though I was naked for your order, I felt ill at ease, also because all the court was gathered there, and they looked at me with an amused expression, and I heard some whisper - what a nerve, coming so in front of the throne! I then kneeled in front of you, Waltha, and asked you to forgive me - I came out just now from the contest, naked following your orders... I said."
Arseno was nodding. Harti, addressing to him, went on in his relation,
"The king told me - it's not your being naked that displeases me. The problem is that I don't know if I can really be pleased with you. I trembled and answered - My lord, my king, I always did my best to please you, but I know I'm not perfect. If I was wrong in something, reprimand me, punish me, I entrust myself to your justice. King Waltha then said - How could I be sure I can count on you? Well, this really was a problem as I would have said - you can count on me totally, for any thing, but I know that this could not be true, as I know I have limits... So I said to my king - My life belongs to you, I hope to never disappoint you. But you already disappointed me, the king said, and I felt like dying. I don't know in what I disappointed you, my Lord, but if it is so, punish me, as it is right.
"Then you, king Waltha, came down from your throne, seized my hand and said - come, the dungeon will be your home as long as I will know that I can trust you; who knows, it's possible you will die in the dungeon, I don't know... I followed you. You lead me again downstairs, made me enter one of the cells, and shut its iron gate. The said to me - you would come again upstairs and resume your place amongst my knights only when you will find this gate open. I then thanked my king and lay down on the plank bed. I knew that our king is fair, good, and wise therefore I waited with faith. I fell asleep.
"I don't know how much time elapsed, but when I woke up, the gate was wide open. Feeling glad, I stood up and went out. I looked for the way out and met some of my companions who were roaming in the corridors - it was weird, as it was like if they didn't see me, and they were doing odd gestures, and moved their lips as if they were speaking... they resembled more ghosts than men... I understood I had not to disturb them, and that if they were there and were acting in such a weird way, there should be a good reason, even though I couldn't understand it... I found the way out and... and here I am. This therefore means that you forgave me, anything wrong I can have done that disappointed you. I will forever be grateful to you, king Waltha..." the knight ended and he kneeled in front of the king.
Waltha looked at Arseno with amazement, and the old man smiled and said,
"You can go now, knight Harti. In the room behind that door you will find all your clothes and weapons. Now go back home, and wait there the summoning to know who is the chosen knight of this contest."
Harti looked with a questioning look at the king, who made him the sign he could go, and smiled at him. When the knight was gone, Waltha asked the wizard,
"I was then his test?"
"In a way, yes. His most hidden and secret fear was that of not being able to please you, but what allowed him to overcome it, has been his full trust in you. His fear didn't disappear, but now he is able to keep it in check, like the others who passed the test."
"I would like to know which is my secret fear..." the king murmured, knowing that the wizard already refused to let him undergo that test.
Arseno smiled and said, "Each of us has his fears, more or less hidden also to us, more or less big, more or less small... and we have to learn to live with them, as only in this way we can overcome them, keep them in check."
Harti wore his clothes and went back home. Kimon wasn't here, therefore he went up to his room and lay down on his bed - he was feeling worn out. He didn't even take off his tunic; he fell down in a heavy and dreamless sleep.
Kimon, as he didn't know when his knight would be back home from the last contest, after doing some home chores, went downtown for some shopping - he planned to prepare a good meal for his knight. He knew that, after a contest, food and sex were there things that can put a man back on his feet again.
Back home, he saw his knight's mantle in the lower room and understood that he already was back. He went upstairs and fond him lying on his bed, sound asleep, still clothed. He decided to let him have some rest and went downstairs to prepare a good meal. When it was ready, he took the steamy food, the warm beer and went up again. He put everything near the bed and, baring himself, he crouched near his knight, starting to lightly caress him to gently wake him up.
Meanwhile he was thinking, "I love you, Harti, even though you are not in love with me... Who knows how the contest went? You seem worn out... For all the gods' sake, how much in love with you am I! You're so beautiful, so strong and valiant! When I'm in your arms, you make me the happiest boy in the kingdom, even if I know that at times you go out looking for other boys... But evidently I'm not enough for you... not enough... I would like to suffice for you! If I just knew how to do! But then, in a while, I will be knighted and will have to forget you... no, I would never be able to forget you. I have simply to renounce to you, to feel your arms around me, your body on me, inside me... But I will love you forever..."
The man wasn't still waking up, but his expression was now way more relaxed.
The boy went on with his silent monologue, admiring the man's shapes, "I will possibly find one day a lover, who knows, and yet you will forever be in my heart... I need love, don't you know? Possibly I don't deserve your love... possibly the gods decided differently, who knows... But when your beautiful and strong member searches for me, when it is inside me... ah! I would like to die in that moment, so much happy I feel!"
His hand lightly slipped under his knight's tunic and caressed the inner part of his thighs, going slowly up, little by little, towards their warm union point. Kimon was fully aroused. He felt Harti shudder, then utter an almost imperceptible, trembling sigh. A hand of Harti leaned on the bare back of the boy and caressed him. Kimon raised his eyes and met the piercing eyes of the man.
"Aren't you feeling cold?" the knight asked him.
"No... not too much..."
"A nice way to be waken up... and this smell, what is it? Ah, a ready meal! Let's eat, then, but first let me undress, and go together under the bed cover. I'm feeling hungry, and also hungry of you."
"Let me undress you."
"You like undressing me, don't you?"
"Yes, you know it. I like everything with you."
"You deserve something better..."
"Impossible."
"Someone able to love you... I'm fond of you, you know it, and yet..."
"Shush!" the boy gently said lying at his side and covering their bodies with the warm fur cover.
He took the food and put it on the cover between them. They started eating and drinking. The boy was feeding him; he liked doing it when they were in such an intimacy. Also Harti liked it. Meanwhile a hand of the man caressed the boy's body under the cover. They ate all the food. Harti then turned on his side, lying on top of the boy.
He deeply kissed him. "I want you."
"I'm here, Harti."
"You are always so ready to give me all I desire... from the very first day we met..."
"Yes, of course."
"But I... what are you getting from me?"
"When I'm with you, I feel really well."
"Even though I'm not able to love you as you deserve? Also if I'm constantly in search for new adventures? Aren't you jealous, as you love me?"
"I'm not jealous, right because I love you..."
"But it is said that who is not jealous doesn't really love."
"It is just said..."
"But why do you love me?"
"Because to me you are... I see you as..."
"The best one?" Harti asked, going on to caress him, staying on top of him.
"No, not the best one. The only one!"
"That is?"
"Others can be better than you for some aspects, like Axel, Jens, for instance, who won the first two contests, as they were better than you. And yet, you are the only one having a value for me. With you now, and even more when you'll take me, I can feel... I'm really alive!"
"Possibly just because you are in love with me - love makes a man blind... or else makes one see more than what is really there... it is said."
"It is just said."
"I want you, Kimon!"
"Take me, please!"
Harti thought that it was true, he really loved having adventures from time to time, but he was anyway lucky having Kimon there with him. He was not in love with the boy, and yet he was very fond of him. He would have liked to be able not to give pain to the boy, as he knew that Kimon was missing the "return" of his love. But he wasn't able to give him that return. He was able just to give him pleasure, affection...
Kimon welcomed him inside with a strong shudder of pleasure; half closing his eyes almost as to better enjoy that intimate union. Outside the sun was raising in the cold morning, making it a little less harsh. Harti was taking him with gusto, savouring the boy's warmth under him, around his member hard like the mountain's granite. He took him for a long while, stopping when he was too near his orgasm, in order to lengthen the pleasure of that union.
Notwithstanding they were together for five years, in spite he was always in search for new adventures, Harti was never getting tired to make love with that boy that always gave himself to him with such spontaneous joy. The Sun was approaching the top of his arch and they were still enlaced, Harti still was enjoying his squire, at times with long and calm filings, at time in a fast and strong rhythm, in a never-ending ride. The contests, the king, everything was forgotten in that perfect union.
Harti had just reached his orgasm, at the same time than Kimon, and they were having some rest, embraced, each of them lost in his thoughts, when the horn blew, summoning all the knights at the New-tower for the announcement of the third champion's name. They got up and Kimon helped his knight to wear the court clothes, and then accompanied him. The sun had just started its descent towards the place of his daily rest.
In the convivial hall were already prepared rich foods, and the king and part of the knights was already sitting there. When everybody was present, the king stood up, took the third knee holly crown and said, "Before the banquet, I have to crown the third champion who would go for the quest of the iron crown. I, with the court wizard, decided that the bravest amongst you all brave and valiant knights, is knight..."
The pause got the effect of a perfect silence - everybody was tense - knights, squires, aristocrats and servants.
"The knight Harti!" king Waltha declared.
"I, king Waltha, my lord?" Harti asked, almost unbelieving.
"Yes sure, you. Come and receive the crown. You, with Jens and Axel, are the three champions of this kingdom. Either you three have success in this enterprise, or else nobody else can be successful; this is what Arseno said."
Harti kneeled in front of the king and received the crown. Then he sat at the right of the king, together with Axel and Jens. The other knights made an ovation for their three companions, and the feast could so begin.
CONTINUES IN CHAPTER 5
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