Page 64 of Theoden
“And? What did you say?” Ara asked as he stood in front of me.
I could sense the smug satisfaction coming off Nolan in waves. And it enraged me even more that I had to submit to him. I cleared my throat once, more out of nervousness than necessity. “I told him that his touch sickened me, Father.”
“Does it?” Ara asked.
“It does, Father.”
“Perhaps you just are not spending enough time with your brother. One month, starting from this night, you will live with Nolan at his home. Your duties as executioner will be set aside for now. You will learn to take pleasure in your brother’s touch, for I will not have you overstep your station again.”
I couldn’t think of a worse punishment. I would be at Nolan’s mercy, or lack thereof, for thirty days. Ara was expecting me to accept without protest. It was extremely hard for me to do, but I nodded and managed to croak out some words of submission. “Yes… Father.”
“Nolan, you are not to torture your brother, but to give him ecstasy on a nightly basis, do you understand?” Ara commanded. “I want him to desire your touch at the end of your month.”
“It is understood, Father,” Nolan said.
This just couldn’t get worse! I would rather he torture me than make me desire his touch. I actually felt like I would retch, and probably would have, had I had blood in my stomach. I didn’t know what Nolan could possibly do to me to make me desire him. I had never enjoyed coupling with him before, and had to always force my body to make the sex feel good so I could feed off it.
This truly wasn’t anything I wanted, and when I had woken up this night, I hadn’t imagined this happening to me. Perhaps, this was a lesson I had to learn. I should have kept my mouth shut or lied. I knew I could defeat Nolan, and I’d let that knowledge lead me down the wrong path, one paved with hubris.
“There is a time for such, my son. And yes… you are understanding,” Ara said.
He waved his hand as if to dismiss the unfortunate matter that had taken place. He then turned toward the human who had not moved from his position regardless of what Nolan and I had done.
He walked over to the human, reaching under his chin and lifting his face up. “Raphael, are you aware of what I have offered you?”
Raphael nodded. “Yes, my King. Immortality, strength and power beyond any god known to man.”
“Do you accept my gift?” Ara asked.
“Yes, my King, with all my soul,” Raphael answered. I could see his chest begin to heave as he grew more anxious for what was to come.
Ara released his chin and gestured toward us. “These are your brothers. He pointed to each of us as he gave the human our names. “They will help guide you and protect you. You will become my youngest son, and thus must submit to your elder brothers.”
“Yes, Sir,” Raphael replied.
I watched how he looked up at Ara as if he were looking at the very face of god, so much reverence and awe in his expression. I wondered where Ara had found him, and what is was about the human that had made Ara want to sire him. I didn’t sense any dragon blood in him. I didn’t smell any wolf blood in him, and he didn’t match me in beauty, so why?
“You will now recite the oath,” Ara said.
Ah, I remembered the oath. I hadn’t taken it the night I had beenembraced, but Ara made me kneel before him and recite the words a few nights after I had been punished for my insolence. I listened to Raphael repeat the same words I had sixty years ago. Once it was done, Ara turned to us.
“My sons, do you accept him as your brother?” he asked us.
No, is what I wanted to say. But I did what was expected of me and saidyesalong with my other brothers. Ara’s gaze lingered on me a little longer and I knew he knew my true feelings and I saw disappointment in his eyes, just a flash of it, and it forced me to look away in shame.
Jealousy, my son, is beneath you, Ara said in my mind.
Forgive me, Father, I replied, using my mind’s voice.
Raphael will not replace you, Théoden.
Will you force me to leave your side, Father?I asked in fear. For sixty years, I had shared Ara’s bed. Felt his passions as he released inside of me, and indulged in his touch. I didn’t want to relinquish that.
No, Théoden, my child. That time has not come, but when it does, you will be ready,Ara said.Now, do you accept him as your brother?
Yes, Father, I said, and this time, it was not a lie.
Good. With that, Ara ended our mind link and beckoned for Raphael to rise, and the human did. “You are about to become one of my sons, there is no greater honor in my kingdom than to be reborn in my blood. Do not ever betray me, Raphael.”
