THE STROLLING PLAYERS by Andrej Koymasky (C) 2008 written on June 3, 1992 translated by the author English text kindly revised by The Australian
USUAL DISCLAIMER
"THE STROLLING PLAYERS" 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 15 - A foiled conspiracy
Life at court was much more interesting than at the De Villefranche's castle. Parties, hunt games, tournaments and jousting, minstrels and dances, receptions and ceremonies were alternating in a giddy rhythm. Godefroy's tasks were mainly ceremonial and honorific and didn't involve any real responsibility.
Gradually, confidence between the noble youth and Vance, started to take shape, almost a position of connivance. They often spent their time in long conversations where Vance narrated to him the plots of the plays of his old English and Irish repertoires. Godefroy listened in fascination. While their confidence was increasing, Vance became aware that the young son of the Marquis seemed to show a particular interest in the young males who populated the Duke's Court.
As Vance had a growing attraction towards Godefroy, he started to think that he might have a chance to make love with him, but it never happened. The occasion never arose when he thought he could have the courage to make a approach. He could not dare make the first move without risking an exposure of his own desires.
Meanwhile Roe had become friends with a valet of another guest of the court and without big pain succeeded to persuade him to have sex with him. Thus at times at evening he slinked off their quarter to meet him in secret.
An evening, Godefroy and Vance were coming back from a party. As the young marquis was rather drunk, Vance, holding him up with an arm around his waist, accompanied him to his bedroom.
"Help me to undress, Vance, I'm afraid I can't manage by myself, this time. I'm feeling weak... so weak..."
Vance, who was already a little aroused for that sort of embrace with which he had held him up, starting to undress him, got totally aroused. So, a little unconsciously and a little voluntarily, he did so to touch him all over his body. He saw that Godefroy was getting aroused too. Usually the young French went to bed without taking off his underwear, but this time Vance started to take him off also his under-vest and so doing he skilfully brushed his chest. Godefroy let him do, and even smiled when he was almost caressed on his chest. Vance noticed that the youth's member was throbbing under his tights.
Godefroy, his voice slightly furred for the alcohol, said, "Vance, my friend, I like how you're touching me. Why don't you take off me also all the rest?"
"Really? Do you want to go in bed all naked?"
"Why not? And so... you can touch me there also. Can you see how this night he did awaken?"
"You are possibly a little drunk. It would be better I leave you to have your rest, now."
"No, no, no! I'm not drunk enough not to know what I do, what I say and what I want. I haven't the lesser intention to sleep, now. I want you to touch me... there also."
"But I am a man as you are, not a girl. Wouldn't you have here and now a girl instead of me?"
"I know I'm presumed to say you I want a girl. But I can tell you the truth, can't I? I like men, this is what I like. Boys, not girls. I can tell you, but nobody else has to know about it."
"Are you aware of what you are saying, Godefroy?"
"Yes, of course I am! I like cocks and arses, not bobs and cunts. Did I make myself clear enough, now?"
"But... did you ever had sex with a man or a boy? Did you really?"
"Of course I did, but only three years ago. Then nothing more, never again. The priest at the confession told me I hadn't to that any more. I followed his words, for three years. I listened to his advice, but now that will do, thank you! Come on, my friend, undress me totally and let's have sex!"
"I'm going to bed, now, it's better. See you tomorrow."
"No, no, no! I order you to stay here! Undress you too, come on! Wouldn't you like having sex with me?"
Vance was about yielding - the desire he was feeling was really strong. But he thought that if he complied, afterwards Godefroy could accuse him to have profited of his drunkenness state. So he said goodnight and left the room hurriedly. While he was going away, he heard Godefroy calling him, then curse against him, and finally the silence.
The following morning when he went to Godefroy room to wake him up, found him lying on his bed, totally naked, uncovered. He really had a sensuous and attractive body. He drew nearer and admired him some more minutes. He then called him until he was awakened. Godefroy opened his eyes, looked at Vance making him a light smile, then voluptuously stretched. Then he slowly passed his hands on his chest and belly.
"Do you like looking at me, Vance?"
"You are really attractive..." Vance answered.
"Not enough, I would say. Yesterday night I have not been able to draw you here with me."
"Yesterday night you were rather drunk..."
"Yes, I perfectly remember everything. The fact I was a little drunk and the way you were looking and touching me, gave me the courage to tell you all I desired for a long time. I am sure that you too desired it; I noticed your erection. Why did you then run away? The only reason is that you don't like me."
"No, all the contrary. But I was afraid you could say what you said only under the wine effect and that, if I abided to your or my desire, you could now bring it up."
"Do you too desire me, isn't it so?"
"You are more than desirable."
"So, why don't we do this morning what you refused to do last night? Now the wine effect has ceased, and I'm perfectly master of myself."
"I'm amazed, after so many months spent together, you suddenly became so daring."
"I explained you, didn't I? I'm observing you for months and my desire for you increased day after day. Yesterday evening the wine just helped me to overcome my shyness and any residual hesitation."
"But now, the wine effect ceased, your shyness don't seem to have come back..."
"At this point what I had in me, in the secret of myself, came out. Undress you, come on!"
"Is it an order, my young lord?"
"No, it is just a desire, but a very strong one."
"It's hard to resist to such a desire, that corresponds to mine..." Vance said with a sigh and started to undress.
Godefroy's eyes shone and he sat up to better look at him. Vance stopped undressing, went to lock the door, then went again near the youth's bed and went on taking away everything from his body. Godefroy was looking the powerful erection between Vance's legs in fascination. He got off the bed, drew near him and with a light hand caressed it, then stared in his eyes.
After a sigh, he said in a low voice, "It is three years that I secretly dream of such a moment... Slip all of it inside my arse, I pray you!"
Godefroy turned and bent leaning his chest on the tall bed, so offering himself at his companion's hard member. Vance stepped forwards and with a finger started to tease Godefroy's hole that he felt warm, palpitating and soft.
"Go on, don't waste time, put it all inside me!"
"If it's for three years that you don't take it in you... I wouldn't cause you pain. My staff is not small, as you well saw."
"It's just the right size. I'm tired having to always do it just with my fingers or other unanimated objects. Go on, take me!"
Vance drew nearer, spread some saliva on the hole and leaned the tip of his member on it. Godefroy at once pushed back his arse with a will. Vance seized his waist and started to vigorously push on his turn.
"Oh, yes! Good... so... push, go on... shove it all inside... then screw me... hard... Oh, how good! Fuck me, go on!"
Vance started to move back and forth with short but strong pelvis strokes, while his hand reached Godefroy's member and started to masturbate him at the same rhythm. The young French was tossing under the vigorous strokes to better enjoy that penetration. The hole was rather tight and Vance's pleasure rapidly increased. In the perfect silence of the room, only the rhythmical noise of Vance's groin beating on the small and sinewy buttocks of the young lord could be heard. This noise was producing a kind of erotic charge that had the effect to increase their excitation. Then, with a set of chocked moans and of syncopated strokes, Vance unloaded in the hot depths of Godefroy who, almost at once was ejaculating in his companion's hand.
When they parted, Godefroy straightened up and turned with a radiant smile. "Ha, thank you. I really needed it. You have been great, a real stallion in heat. We will do it again, won't we?"
"Yes, but in bed and more quietly. It will be even more good and agreeable, don't you think?"
"Yes, but I now needed that. Three years of unappeased desire... can you understand me?"
"How comes that in these three years you never found somebody with whom you could do it?"
"Shyness, fear, shame... Fear to be discovered and to have a scornful finger pointed at me. Moreover at the castle I always had near me only people who were not desirable, people at my father service who controlled any smaller thing I did."
"And... three years ago, who was your companion?"
"My teacher of Latin. A fine-looking twenty-five years old man just graduated at the Sorbonne. For just one year. He was then replaced by and old priest."
"Did this teacher lead you on the path of the love for men?"
"Yes, but I was already aware I desired it."
"I am therefore just the second man in your life."
"Yes. I was afraid I would never find any."
"Here at court, this is at least my feeling, more than one of your young peers should appreciate the love between men."
"You really think so? Who, for instance?"
"I already am not enough for you?" Vance asked him, jokingly.
"No, it's just that I can see many handsome boys, but they all seem followers of the gentle sex."
"It is natural. You too... I never heard you talk of handsome men. It seems that nobody dares to let leak out their real preferences. But if you carefully observe, as I did with you, the glances of some men linger way more on the manly graces than on the feminine ones. Their way to dress and their behaviour is more refined and elegant. They are more affable and courteous with whom they like and any pretext is good for them to try spending more time with whom they desire. But rather than being me who points out to you who they are, why don't you take pleasure in trying to discover them by yourself?"
"What if I were wrong?"
"Try not to mistake your desire with the reality. Be cautious, don't do as you did with me."
"But if I didn't, I wouldn't still be sure that you too like sex with men."
"It is true. But be less forward. Always give yourself an escape way. Do so that if the other doesn't unveil himself, doesn't declare himself, you are not too exposed."
"Thank you for these advices, Vance. I am glad having at least you with whom to have sex and confide for this matters. But it would be better now we get dressed, don't you think?"
When Vance met his friends, he was about telling them about how Godefroy asked him to be fucked, but then preferred to tell them nothing, at least for the moment.
He started to make love with Godefroy almost every day. He taught him to kiss, to caress, to lick, but the young lord liked above all being fucked with some energy. Lionel and Roe noticed that for some time Vance was stopping for some more time than usual in Godefroy's room, and also that they were locking themselves inside the room. Lionel, fearing to upset Vance and to seem jealous, said nothing.
But Roe a day asked Vance, with a cunning little smile, "Is Godefroy good in bed?"
Vance, realising he had been discovered, didn't try to deny and answered with a smile, "He is not bad at all. He likes being fucked in his nice, little, tight and firm arse. He is agreeable, but I anyway like it better with you. Would you like to try with him, Roe? He could possibly be glad."
"No. At times I go to amuse myself with Julien, the page of the young count d'Arcy."
"Ah, so then you found a little friend. How old is he?"
"Sixteen... But he is wilder than an old libertine. Just think that since when he was thirteen he already had sex with tenths of men of any age, of any kind and of any social level."
"Also with the count his master?"
"Of course. And it seems that who took his cherry when he was thirteen has been the count's father. And it seems also that, besides with me, he amuses himself with half of the male people of this court, from servants and soldiers to the duke's Treasurer."
"What? That skinny, bald old man?"
"It seems that in bed the treasurer does wonders, and also that he is rather generous..."
"Well, we could possibly try to get in his bed we too, if he's so generous. We could earn more gold for our company's wagon..."
"I too thought of that, but it seems that the lord treasurer likes only the kids. We three are too old for him. But you, Lionel, why are you so silent today? Didn't you too get some gallant adventure in this court so full of nice youth males?" Roe asked.
"No, nobody. Even though I got the impression that the duke's cousin could be interested in me... But I can possibly be wrong."
"He is undoubtedly a handsome man. Would you go with him?" Roe asked.
"I don't know, I don't think so. If he tried with me I would possibly refuse. Even though he is already thirty-five, it seems he has a handsome body, he has an elegant and sexy gait. I would try with his son, if he were just some four or five years older. He is a really likeable and handsome boy. But he is still only a kid."
"Well, he is already fourteen and he seems rather well developed. At times those boys are more skilled than more aged people." Vance observed.
Just three days later Lionel told his friends that the duke's cousin, Jean-Marc, stopped him in a desert corridor and daringly kissed him on the mouth and asked him to go that same night to his room. Lionel was astounded at that so forward and direct approach.
"Do you think you will go?" Roe asked him.
"I don't know... possibly." Lionel answered, hesitantly and thoughtful.
"But what did you answer him?" Roe then asked.
"I was terribly embarrassed and feared that somebody could come and see us. So I only asked him to let me go."
"If you like him, go to his room, tonight. He is a refined gentleman and he is also powerful here at the court. I moreover saw him bathing in the Saone, and he has a beautiful body." Vance said.
Thus Lionel went. Jean-Marc was the first man besides Vance and Roe with whom he had sex. He was a gentle and skilled man and he made love with Lionel in an extremely agreeable way.
When the three friends were making love amongst them, they always narrated to the other two how their respective companions made love. But all three agreed saying that making love amongst them it was way more agreeable. Possibly because they knew each other better, and possibly also because they were tied by a strong and deep affection.
An evening, Vance and Roe were about going to bed in their room, when Lionel turned up. They at once saw that he was pale and troubled. Lionel carefully shut the door and his two friends got off the bed.
"Vance, Roe, we have to run away as soon as possible!"
"Why? What happened? Some problems with the duke's cousin?" Vance asked.
"Not I, not I. In some ways, Godefroy's father discovered about you two, I don't know how. One of his men came to confer with the duke. Jean-Marc discovered that the man came to ask the duke to have you killed. It should seem an accident. The duke accepted. Jean-Marc knows I am in love with you, I confided it to him therefore he at once warned me. He told me we have to run away as soon as possible, even tomorrow. Jean-Marc will organise a hunt game in the woods towards the south. He said we have to take with us only our gold, nothing else, not to attract attention. When we are far, we have to go away at gallop farther south to pass the fief borders. Before they can realize we disappeared, we will already be safe. He will do his best to cover our flight. He also gave me this purse of gold coins so that we can start a new life. He said to tell nobody about this, not even Godefroy. He will tell him later, when we are already safe."
They kept silent for some time, almost to put up with that news.
Then Roe said, "It has been a real luck that you accepted to have sex with the count Jean-Marc! We will do as he suggested. Where can we go, down south?"
"Jean-Marc advised we have to pass through the Delphinate but to not stop there, because the duke's cut-throats can still reach us. He says we have to go on to the lands of Ludovic the duke of Savoy. That lord is not in good relation neither with the king of France nor with the duke of Burgundy. Jean-Marc said that if we get to Chambery, we can meet the marquis de Bresse, one of his old friends, a married man but a secret lover of men like he is. He also gave me this letter for the marquis."
Vance was tense and worried. "For my fault we have now to abandon everything! I am sorry, my friends..."
"No, we would anyway have left sooner or later this life. We have to redo out actors' wagon, our strolling players' company, haven't we? With the gold that count Jean-Marc gave me, we can possibly manage to do it, look..." Lionel said and emptied on the bed the coins bag.
Roe then went to gather their little treasure and they counted the entire sum.
"Who knows, they could possibly be enough to restart. Come on, Vance, every cloud has a silver lining. Tomorrow we will never lose sight on you, not a singe moment, as long as we are not safe. Let's now divide this money in three parts so that each of us will have a part on himself. Besides the weapons for the hunt, we will have with us only our three scabbards and nothing else. We will try to get the best horses and all will go well. Let's try to sleep, now."
"I would like to know how Godefroy's father came to know about us... And why count Jean-Marc doesn't want me to warn Godefroy." Vance said, pensive.
"Possibly one of the servants understood something and informed the marquis... and possibly the count fears that Godefroy, in the attempt not to lose Vance, could do something silly so compromising our safety. Be it as it may, now we need to have a good rest to be tomorrow fresh enough for our run away. Tomorrow morning Jean-Marc will announce the hunt game and we will go just after the lunch. He will call for a night hunt so that it will be logical to go in the afternoon and far away from the castle. Moreover, until the morning after tomorrow, nobody can notice our absence. He will also do so that Godefroy will not ride together with us."
"The count is incredibly kind. Are you sure that there isn't a trap under his kindness? That he so really wants to isolate us to get us killed?" Roe asked.
"No, I really don't think so. The letter he gave me, the gold, and above all his tone... no, I don't think so. Moreover I never told him about Vance and Godefroy, therefore how could he get to know? We will anyway be on the alert. It would not be easy to get the better of us, he knows that all three we are really skilled with weapons. To be safer, anyway, we can wear under our hunting clothes the iron mail doublet. Nobody will see it. But now, let's have some sleep."
The day after the night hunt game organised by the duke's cousin was called. At once the castle was at its heights to prepare everything. Lionel, Vance and Roe had their lunch with Godefroy. Then they wear their hunting clothes and went to the castle inner yard where everybody was gathering. At the horn call the drawbridge was lowered and everybody swarmed out, followed by the servants with the dogs and all the needed to eat and to rest during the day.
They were in march for a couple of hours, in a merry crowd, when count Jean-Marc sided them and started to talk with Godefroy. Lionel and Roe were siding Vance. Gradually the count drew away from them, always with Godefroy at his side. After a short time a gentleman of the count's retinue, sided them.
In a courteous tone he asked, "You are Lord Lionel O'Neil, am I right?"
"Yes, in person."
"I am the knight de Poligny, gentleman of count Jean-Marc. I know very well the wood we are going to enter and also the road to the Delphinate, therefore the count asked me to assist you. When we will do our fist stop at the wood's threshold to refresh ourselves, try to stop where you see I will be. We will not talk with each other. When we will then go into the wood, don't lose sight of me. We will gradually withdraw from all the other. Follow me, I will lead you to pass through the wood without problems, as I really know it very well as I told you. I will then show you the road to the Delphinate from a point where you cannot get lost. Is everything clear?"
"Yes, I thank you, knight. You are really kind to care for us."
"I am a man of the count. Any of his desires is an order to me. I know that he cares very much for you and that a danger menaces you. I will help you willingly." Then lowering his voice so that only Lionel could hear him, he added, "The count told me about the circumstance. It is a pity I had not occasion to meet you before now... and that we have now no more opportunity to meet. Your younger companion, you see... I would have liked very much to get to know him, if you see what I mean..."
"You and the count..."
"Yes, but just for a few months, and just two years ago. It is three months now then I honour myself with being his son's lover."
"His son's lover? But... is the count aware of it?"
"Of course, and he approves us. Also for this he trusts me." Then reverting to a normal tone of voice, "I leave you now. We wouldn't have any other possibility to talk, until we will be far from the others. See you later, gentlemen."
All went as planned. Godefroy was still with the count and out of view when the knight mounted on his horse and rode to the wood. Vance, Lionel and Roe soon followed him. Other men of the group mounted on their horses, but quite easily the four managed to withdraw without being followed. At the last lights of the day, they rapidly crossed the wood.
They sopped just outside its borders and the knight said to them, "Well, follow this road, at the first crossroad with a church, take the road going to south and follow it straight. You cannot go wrong. Have a good journey and a good luck, gentlemen."
"Thank you, knight, we are grateful. I am sorry we cannot thank you in an adequate way."
"It has been a pleasure. It is a pity I didn't have the opportunity to meet you earlier and in a better way... especially you... Roe, is your name, if I am not wrong."
"Yes, knight. I too would have surely liked getting to know you before... and less superficially."
"Yes... May fortune favour you. I have to go back. We have still a short time of light, but it will be enough for you and for me also. Hurry up, now, and try to go beyond the Delphinate as soon as possible. You have an advantage of few days before they could possibly send to search for you. But in Savoy duchy you will be safe. Farewell, gentlemen, farewell!"
CONTINUES IN CHAPTER 16
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