Dornröschen (Squeeze/Tama)

[SqueezeBabe]

Vivienne led Alberte to where the bathroom was located. The castle was unique from others in that it had it's own dedicated bathing rooms rather than the usual copper tub being carried into a specific room and filled with hot water from the kitchen. When the castle was built it seemed as if there was a hot spring nearby and resourceful builders had the water piped in. He opened the door to the lavish-looking room, a deep bath filled with steaming hot water in the middle, and a shallower bath that was filled with cold water. Two large copper tubs sat off to the side, "You can either get straight into either bath, or make your own in one of the tubs.."

 

There was a soft knock at the door which then opened and a head peered around the edge of the doorway, "Sam?" Vivienne was only a little surprised to see him. "I thought you might need some help..." Sam smile was earnest with perhaps a hint of something else. Vivienne smiled back, genuinely glad to see his childhood friend; once he had finished settling Alberte in, perhaps he and Sam could sneak down to the kitchens and grab a bottle of wine to share and sit up on the ramparts like they used to do as teenagers... it was their way of unwinding from the various pressures of the day, and Sam probably knew when Vivienne hadn't come to see him straight after coming back, that something out of the ordinary had occurred. "You can help me fill one of the tubs... have you had a bath yet?" Vivienne asked him.

[Tama]

He followed Vivienne's broad back down narrow corridors...ah, the baths. He wondered what however many years had done to the room, but the softly cloying sulphur brought back memories of sitting in the warm water, utterly alone, thinking up how to deal with issues. He'd planned fiscal strategies, worked out reinforcing areas of the battlements...sometimes, after lovemaking, he'd wandered down here to just soak, let the sweat and other marks of sex wash from his pale skin, and de-tense...he wasn't exactly ashamed of his body, but...he'd always felt, compared to the muscle of his older and younger brother, that...he was somehow unmanly...ah well. This room...had a lot of memories. Vivienne pushed open the door, and the slightly acrid smell grew. The room....wasn't actually that different; someone had wisely tiled the floor, changed a few plumbing details here and there, and the copper tubs were entirely new...to make a tub out of copper wasn't a bad idea, but the metal was too weak, too pliant unless tempered with tin or some other metal. Things like this, he realised, would continue to amaze and surprise him for a while.

 

He'd already begun to undress, at the side of the hot bath when there was a soft knock on the door. Blushing, he crossed his arms over his lean chest, as Vivienne answered the door. He couldn't help noticing how more...developed the older man was, how much more adult he looked. He watched as a sandy haired young man, more along Vivienne's build than his own, poked his head around the door. He had...an oddly likeable face, the messy hair falling into wide, expressive eyes. Yet, he too had that powerful, dangerous look. He watched them exchange pleasantries, the blonde man casting an appraising gaze. Alberté dropped his shirt and waved back. They had the look of old friends, in the easy way they talked, and for a moment, he let something akin to jealousy rise, only to be stifled by confusion at that very jealousy. What did he care if this newcomer was Vivienne's friend...?

[SqueezeBabe]

Sam grinned, "I've got one better than a bath, I've just been down to the kitchens..." He produced a bottle of wine, "Cook gave me the good stuff, she was so worried about you!" he said with a wink, "She also slipped in a little something extra; those little pastry things that everyone raves about." Sam walked into the room, spreading one of the towels like a picnic blanket and laying his stash out. He helped Vivienne drag one of the copper tubs over so that it was closer to the bathing pools before grabbing a bucket and helping him fill it. Once the tub was filled and the water just how Vivienne liked it, he threw his clothes off and climbed in, sighing blissfully as the steaming water lapped against his chest.

 

Sam walked over to the where the bath oils were kept, he put on a mocking air, bowing low, "Would his highness like to smell like roses, violets, or..." he grabbed one of the small coloured bottles, presenting it with a flourish, "...would he like to smell like lavender" Vivienne shot Sam a scathing look, ruined by the corners of his mouth twitching in a suppressed smile, "His highness will have his usual" he said in his most pompous tones, waving his hand airily. Sam chuckled and picked up one of the bottles, and tipped a splash of it in the tub. The smell of pine and mint tinged the air and Vivienne sighed blissfully once more. "Oh god yes, is better than smelling like one of Madam Baumgartner's rooms" He looked over his shoulder at Alberte, "Did you want Sam to help you with a tub? Alas you can't really put any oils or soap into the bath, but it's good for a soak; the water drains away after a while which is why we use the tubs for a good clean..."

[Tama]

As Vivienne stripped, he couldn't help but watch, the muscled back giving way to more muscle, and a rather pert ass, legs that could have easily held up a horse...There was an elegance to his naked form, not...really pretty, but, with the curve of his muscled form, there was something beautiful...He breathed a silent sigh of relief as Vivienne sank into the water, then felt a crimson blush scorch his face. He was hard, turned on just by looking at the other man...Ugh. Quickly shedding the rest of his clothes, and ignoring Sam, he half leapt into the warm water of the pool, wincing softly at the splash, before leaning against the side, watching the two other men. Sam was waving bottles of something, the scent just reaching him...a familiar scent of pine. Vivienne must use this often, his skin had, in the forest, the slightest trace of it. He couldn't tear his eyes from the other man, and he was suddenly all too aware of his arousal...Stupid. Vivienne wasn't interested in him. It had just been a necessity, the kiss. He'd not meant anything by it. Besides...they were related...sure, there were gods knows how many years, how many generations, between them...but it would still be wrong...

 

He sank back into the water, thankful that it was murky, that the other two boys were far away enough to not notice how...unclean he was. The other boy was interesting. Like Vivienne, except...perhaps made of something a little cruder, a less polished form of the other boy. Yet, he had a kind face, and Vivienne seemed to be the sort who kept good company. He started a little as Vivienne asked him, shaken from his reverie. He almost wondered whether he'd had seen one of his glances at his naked form...

"U-Um...I'm fine! Really...I just needed a soak, let the muscles relax...after all, I've...sorta been resting for a long time..."

He grinned apologetically, leaning against the wall of the bath...

"Sorry, I need...to think about things...I guess...it's been a long day."

[SqueezeBabe]

Vivienne closed his eyes and lay back in the tub, enjoying the warmth that was soaking into tired muscles. He hadn't had a soak after his training with Sam earlier in the day and he was starting to feel it. Sam noticed the look on his face, "You're getting old Vivi," he said, his tone one of gentle teasing, a boyish grin on his face. Vivienne cracked open an eye and splashed some water at Sam, "Pffft! I still have it were it counts! I'll have you know, there have been no complaints that I'm aware of... and that includes from you!" he snorted, settling down into the tub once more.

 

When he had turned pink and his skin had pruned, he and Sam quickly washed down his body, and he rinsed with cold water, standing in the tub as Sam tipped the bucket over his head. Vivienne enjoyed the feel of the cold water after a hot soak and was suitablely invigorated... in more ways than one. He stepped out of the tub and into a waiting soft towel, taking a seat at the makeshift picnic blanket, helping himself to a pastry. "These ARE good!" he said around a mouthful, "Now I know why everyone goes on about these, can you believe that this is the first time I've had one of these?" He cracked the top off one of the bottles and took a healthy swallow. "And a good vintage, I can see we got a bit spoilt here! What magic did you work on the cook Sam? I didn't know you liked the older ladies!" he said with a wink.

 

The two traded good-natured insults, cruder by the minute as only good childhood friends knew how. Vivienne looked over at Alberte still in the hot pool, "If you spend any longer in there, you'll shrivel up and get taken out by the current, never to be seen again! I'd have to rescue you or something, and you'd have to give me a kiss in return; that's what all the good stories say when you rescue a princess... so it must be the same for princes too!" Vivienne and Sam laughed at the joke together, Sam sitting next to Vivienne, their shoulders touching.

[Tama]

The food smelt good, even though he knew he was entirely full, and he half-grinned at Vivienne's chiding of Sam; these were clearly two good friends, perhaps...a little more...their closeness may just have been friendliness, or it may have been more...ah, well, it wasn't his right to ask, particularly since Vivienne and his mother had shown him such kindness. But their crude jokes...well, that left little to the imagination, the talk getting dirtier, old conquests (of both genders, Alberté was hardly surprised to hear), and moments they'd spent together. They'd clearly had sex, from the way they were talking, and that...why did that make him annoyed? He'd only been kissed by the man...but...ugh, he'd not been this jealous since before he'd fallen into the slumber...

 

As Vivienne joked about the kiss, Alberté went red, slipping a little deeper in the water. Something about Sam and Vivienne's intimacy made that stirring hurt more, making him want to clamber out of the hot water, want to plant a kiss on Vivienne's lips...he couldn't stop thinking about that kiss, even if he hadn't been awake for it, had only sensed a little part of it...

"I-I'll be fine, Vivienne...I'm not a child, after all,...I can bathe myself"

He slipped a little lower in the water, and he hoped that he couldn't be seen from where the two were sitting, considering what he was about to do. Lying against the side, he closed his eyes, hand sliding down his lean, hairless chest, (something both the two men who shared the room had quite the opposite of, much to his embarrassment) to gently curl around his cock. Unbidden, a memory of a lover, faceless, sprung to mind, their soft, long fingered hand touching his cock, gently kissing him as they began to stroke. And then, just as suddenly, the face becomes stubbled and with messy black hair and...oh god, that kiss.

 

What the hell had it done to him? He'd never been this crazy about a boy before, and, as his touch becomes less controlled, Vivienne seemed to fill his mind, make him burn with fire...more and more fevered as Vivienne's mouth, Vivienne's kiss, Vivienne's tongue...his arms around him, his muscled arms, his stubble and the warm and the kiss and...

He flopped back, blushing crimson at the mess...

"Vivienne..." he whispered, sighing softly. What the hell had the kiss done...to him?

[SqueezeBabe]

The mood in the room had changed slightly. The torches had dimmed down, throwing out their soft light into the room, the steam from the pool gave everything a rather hazy quality to it, a bit like the morning mist in the forest. Vivienne and Sam were now talking to each other in slightly hushed tones; the loud boisterous conversation had dimmed down as the alcohol and heat took effect. Sam leaned and whispered conspiratorially, "You wouldn't believe what I saw those two before I came here!" his speech was only very slightly slurred, but his eyes twinkled brightly. Vivienne turned to face Sam, his eyebrows lifting in surprise, "Doing? What do you mean "doing?" wondering what on earth it was that had made Sam so interested. Sam leaned in until his mouth was almost touching Viviennes ear, "They were doing it on the balcony outside their room!" That made him pause for a bit. Whilst doing "it" with men didn't bother him, Vivienne had to wonder what it was that made you want to have sex with a relative...

 

Vivienne thought he'd heard something and looked over to Alberté. Had he said something? His face had started to look flushed under the steam from the water, so Vivienne called out softly to him, "Hey, careful now, we don't want you to pass out from the heat and drown in there." Vivienne had decided that they really had been bathing for long enough and it was probably time that the three of them went to bed...

[Tama]

He lay there for so long he swore he'd doze off soon, just listening to the two talk, as his cock softened. A few whispers from the other two...dark rumours. He idly sat up, sniffing. They were both probably drunk...and for a second, he wished he'd bathed closer to them, so that he could hear them better, and share some of the alcohol...but, he felt...perhaps his private little show had been a good move. He felt less tense, far more relaxed...nice and tired. He heard a voice, as if from far away, and suddenly stood up in the growing dark, his teeth chattering as he clambered out of the bath, blushing...he'd not expected himself to be able to relieve his stress so easily, and softly covered himself up before taking the proffered towel. He still couldn't think straight, sex was still so much on his mind...so cold...so very cold...even as the heat played around his ankles. He sat down heavily, and sloshed a little more of the water over his form, silently thankful that the cum wasn't visible, long ago whisked down into the sewer.

 

"Umm...I guessing we're going to bed, Vivienne?" He smiled softly, and waved at the other man, "Ah, you're...one of Vivienne's friends? I'm...a relative...from far away...Alberte..."

Closer to, they looked similar, lean, muscled men, the same idea, but...Vivienne was...so much better executed, his features finer...in the reddish light, he looked...even more like some warrior of legend, all slicked back hair and wet muscle...

[SqueezeBabe]

Vivienne stifled a yawn, waving a hand in Sam's direction. "This is Sam, he's uh, my squire I guess? But he's also my best friend, we, uh, grew up together..." Sam was the son of a prominent nobleman, and had been sent to the castle for fostering, as the fates would have it, a steadfast friendship and blossomed between the two boys and they had become inseparable. There were rumours and gossip surrounding the two, that perhaps it was a little more than just "friendship" and that Sam was the reason why Vivienne hadn't yet taken a wife.

 

Vivienne got to his feet a little unsteadily, pulling Sam up with him, his arms easily going around his friend, hugging the firm body close to him. "C'mon Sam, let's get everyone to bed shall we?" The towel around his waist dropped precariously low as he bodily manoeuvred Sam out of the bathroom with Alberte in tow. The bedrooms weren't far from the bathroom and thankfully there were no servants in the halls to see the three men, two of whom were not wearing very much at all.

 

Vivienne's room was sumptuous, one benefiting a person of his rank after all. The huge four poster bed took up much of the room, and looked as if it could fit a whole army in it, it was certainly big enough for three with plenty of room left over. Vivienne looked at Alberte sheepishly, his face flushed from the wine. "Uh, sorry, I hope you don't mind if we all sleep together, it's too late, I'm too tired, and Sam is obviously too drunk..." He eased the body of his friend down onto the the bed, quickly removing his clothes despite fumbling a few times, and rolling him over so he was closer to the middle of the bed. Once Sam was settled he walked over to the fireplace, banking it so that it dimmed down, throwing the room into shadow before returning to the far side of the bed and clambering in with a jaw-cracking yawn.

[Tama]

"It's fine...really..."

 

How long had it been since he slept alongside someone, enjoying their warmth, slowly finding hands drifting across, either gently hugging him to them, or their hands sliding down his body, intent clear. He smiled softly to himself. In just over a day, his world had come crashing down; his family gone, his lovers gone, everything about his life...rearranged, waking up gods knew how many years later. He hoped the small woman, with her room smelling of warm bread and aged books, found something interesting...though her family...his descendants had already more than looked after him.

 

And then there was Vivienne. He watched him undress openly, pulling the warm, damp towel around him so the other man didn't notice the growing tent between his legs. Part of him wanted Vivienne, right here, to fall upon him like a pack of wolves, and engulf him. But...part of him wanted nothing more than to be friends with his distant relative...that kiss had done something, magic or otherwise to his mind, made him lust after the other man. He clambered into the bed, only dropping the towel just before he half-dived beneath the sheets. Wriggling closer, he felt warmth behind him, a broad back, a tight muscled form, a scent of some sort of oil on his body. Vivienne, probably. He muttered a muffled "Sleep well" into his pillow, and a few moments later, body aching from the day, and half-blissed out from the warmth and his earlier exploits, slipped into a doze.

 

The dream was vivid. Hands gently stroking his body, pinching his nipples, pushing his chin up, a mouth on each ear. Shadowy hazy figures, occasionally slipping into focus, a face, and then slipping back into the shadowy form, different every time. Hot. Dirty moans of pleasure, and someone, half-gasping, moaning Vivienne's name, accompanied by the sound of sucking, the sounds of hands on flesh. Hotness, in his mouth, his darkest dreams of the other man, his own lips softly whispering the other man's name around an imagined stiff cock. Then, accompanied by a satisfied moan, the dream changed, away from its erotic preludes, and the sounds of sex ceased...

 

He woke some time after dawn, well-rested and cool. The dream had, somewhat fortunately, left little mess, and he was almost thankful it hadn't led anywhere. Rolling over, and sitting up, he sighed, gazing at the entwined men.

So they were lovers...

[SqueezeBabe]

Vivienne was half dozing, the three of them on the bed together, himself, Sam and Alberte. Alberte had already mumbled a goodnight in his direction and was already asleep. He felt the bed shift as Sam moved, there was silence except for the three of them breathing, then the sound of hands sliding along skin... there was a soft chuckle and a quiet "oops" and the bed shifted once more, this time Sam sliding his hands over him. He cracked open an eye and looked down at his bets friend, raising a brow, "Did you suddenly forget which side of the bed I was on?" he whispered sardonically, his hands already moving to cup Sam's arse. Sam let out another chuckle, "Do you think I'd mistake all that skin and bone for your lush physique?" Vivienne stuck his tongue out at Sam in mock retaliation. "Do you think you can keep it quiet?" he asked as he nuzzled into Sam's ear. Vivienne knew that it was probably not a good idea to attempt an assignation in his bed whilst Alberte was in it, but he couldn't sleep, and Sam knew he couldn't sleep...

 

The two of them lay on their sides, facing each other, hands roaming leisurely across firm muscles, before Sam scooted closer, sliding his leg over Vivienne's hip. Vivienne gripped the firm globe of flesh that was Sam's arse, easing himself inside of him, taking a moment before he started pumping with long smooth strokes. He didn't want the bed to rock too much and wake Alberte, and he kissed Sam hungrily, the two of them swallowing each others soft pants and moans, and before long he was emptying himself deep inside Sam's arse with a quiet groan. Vivienne leaned and nuzzled Sam's neck, whispering in his ear, thanking him for his "thoughtfulness."

 

The two were still entwined when Vivienne slowly opened his eyes, blinking against the sunlight that had flooded the room. Sam's head was resting on his shoulder, his leg still thrown over Vivienne's hip. It was warm and comfortable and Vivienne really didn't want to move, but he managed to untangle himself from his best friend and rolled onto his back, his arm over his eyes as he slowly gathered his thoughts... and then realised that Alberte was still in the bed with them. With a groan he rolled to the edge of the bed and slowly got himself upright, elbows resting on his thighs as the contemplated how to broach the subject with Alberte... perhaps he didn't need to, if he didn't say anything and Alberte didn't say anything, then there was no reason to discuss it....

 

Vivienne brushed the hair out of his eyes as he looked over his shoulder at Alberte who was clearly awake. "How much did you see?" he asked softly.

[Tama]

He felt the blush cross his face as Vivienne fixed him with a stare. He didn't know what to do. He could lie that he hadn't seen anything, hadn't heard anything. But the fevered moaning, the noise of the other two making love. But...Vivienne seemed...the sort of person who would...be dangerous to cross. On top of that, last night's events were replaying in his head, and between his legs, his cock slowly began to stiffen again. Last night's self...pleasuring didn't help, the curve of Vivienne's back, his bare body...shit. And to cap it all, Vivienne was totally, utterly and very obviously naked. With Sam's still sleeping. head in his lap.

 

What to say, what to say.... He could lie, but...something in his stomach told him lying would be a bad idea. But then...so would telling the truth. He bit his lip hard. A half truth. That would have to do.

"I...didn't see anything...but I think I did hear you...it's fine...though...I...should have found somewhere else to sleep...since you two are...well...really in love..." He let himself grin, though he couldn't help his eyes flicking down to stare at the edge of the blanket. "Thanks...for...not waking me...I'm...sorry, if you'd let me know..."

 

He got out of bed, wandering over to grab his clothes, the blush on his face growing "Besides, I'm...sure you'd like a few more...minutes in bed or something..." He was getting, if anything, harder, as he tugged on his clothes, unable to stop flicking his eyes back occasionally to stare at the two men in bed. "I'll...see you later, I guess?"

He strode to the door, opened it, wandered out into the corridor, then pulled it to, sighing softly as it clicked shut.

Why did he care so much that Vivienne had slept with another man...?

[SqueezeBabe]

Vivenne watched Alberte through eyes heavy lidded from sleep, as the man blushed and stammered his way through an answer. He felt slightly perplexed by Alberte's reaction; he was only asking so that he'd know how much to explain, but the way Alberte was behaving, Viv felt that he'd grown three heads and was breathing fire. Even still waking, Vivenne missed nothing, including the erection Alberte was trying to hide. As Alberte stammered and fidgeted with his clothes, Vivenne rubbed his chin, noting the stubble on a subconscious level, and thought that whilst he hadn't grown three heads, there was still a distinct possibility that he looked rather intimidating. He watched Alberte as he made his hasty retreat, the door closing behind him, leaving Vivenne in a silent room.

 

He rubbed his face, feeling the grit in his eyes from sleep. He had always been poor at waking up no matter how much sleep he'd had. Not to say he wasn't battle ready, the men joked he could still take on the enemy during his morning piss... thinking of such things, he made a face and fished out the chamberpot and did just that.

 

The sheets rustled and shifted as Sam rolled over, yawning and blinking. It was no secret that he and Sam occasionally slept together, it just was not mentioned, so neither of them thought anything of it, but how would someone not used to the situation respond? He reached over and brushed the hair from Sam's eyes, "It appears we may have scared my "Uncle", so we may have to, errr, be a tad more discreet " Sam chuckled, the sound throaty from sleep, "yeah, perhaps doing it whilst he was asleep next to us was a bit naughty... but you can't say it didn't make it more fun!" Vivienne grinned back, a slight tinge to his cheeks showing his agreement. Their tummies growled in unison, setting off another round of laughing. "C'mon, let's get breakfast and see if my wayward uncle has recovered from his shock..."

[Tama]

He'd managed to forget the route back from this room to the main hall. Granted, this whole maze of winding corridors was largely after his time, the masonry a little more decorative, a little better honed, but...still. There were only so many routes that could be taken, but he'd found himself rounding a corner to come face to face either with a barred door or with battlements, the cold morning shadow falling across him. Finally, he'd stopped, retraced his steps, remembering tapestries and the like which had the familiarity of objects tracked back and forth in front of, in search of other things, little details picked up from time to time, and come back to where he started.

By which time they had gone. The bed was freshly made, the windows pulled open to let the room air. He sighed.

 

Think, Alberté. Think.

He sat down on the bed, recalling, from the haze of yesterday night, the memory of stumbling up the stairs, body aching, eager for bed, still damp beneath the towel. He had always had a good memory, particularly when recalling a route. For the man who would have to learn the castle like the back of his hand, Maester and Chancellor, lord of the castle whilst his older brother whored and fought, and entertained nobles, from near, and from afar, a knowledge of every inch of the castle was vital. Some of these corridors must lead back to the older parts of the castle. Of course, there were the battlements, barely changed from his time, but with the cold wind...still, it was better than looking a fool for getting lost. Considering that Vivienne hadn't mentioned anything about rooms, it might be a good plan to re-learn every inch of the castle, in case he was billeted elsewhere. Battlements it was, then, for the moment.

 

He frowned, grabbed a heavy cloak from where it had been draped over a chair, and sighed. Far too large. His or Sam's. Clearly. He shrugged, and, using the pin still attached to the cloak, pulled the thick, coarse fabric around his throat. Perfect. Still using this cloth, after all these years. He pulled the rest of the fabric around himself, making essentially a rough coat, and left the room, retracing his steps to the battlements.

The wind was cold, but the shadow had moved a little, as he stepped out onto the rough stone. He had always liked it up here. Empty skies, the vista below, spreading out in all directions. This hadn't changed at all. A few repairs here and there, lighter, less mossy stone, but...the feel underfoot, the slight curve of the walls. All of it was the same. He stopped for a while, just leaning on the old stone, eyes finding the new, connecting it to the old, the old map updated in his head. The additions were more than he'd expected, and stoneworking had come on greatly since...then. A few entirely unfamilar shapes, other refinements to existing ideas.

 

I'm home.

 

He turned, gazing along the battlement. Deserted. No. Wait. About forty, maybe fifty paces from him, half hidden in the half-shadow of a small tower. Two figures. Soft murmurs. Men. In an ardent embrace. For a second, he thought them to be Vivienne and Sam, but, as they broke apart, and the bigger man straightened a little, the flash of gold.

The lion. Shit. . The lion was...looking right at him. And, as the other man stepped forward a little, the mess of hair fell into his eyes. Double shit. The rat..

 

He'd seen them.

 

And they'd seen him.

[SqueezeBabe]

Vivienne and Sam got dressed in the light summery tunics that they wore indoors. With a bit of luck, there would be no reason for them to go outside. Vivienne was a little worried about Alberte and was still left wondering if he'd looked a bit more frightening than he'd intended to. He frowned; he was no good at dealing with this sort of thing having just woken up and on an empty stomach. As he and Sam walked through the castle, he noticed that Alberte was still nowhere to be seen. He hadn't been to the kitchen, nor the dining room, and none of the maids had professed to seeing him either, so just where was he?

 

Sam noticed that Vivienne was getting agitated at the lack of presence of this newly acquired uncle. When they stopped off at the kitchen for what seemed like the third time, he snagged some clean linen and sweet talked the cook into giving them some bread, cheese and fruit. He held up his spoils to Vivienne, "Picnic on the battlements?" Vivienne looked at his friend for a moment, "That's not such a bad idea, it might be a bit cold and windy up there, so let's stop off at the bedroom to pick up my cloak..." Sam smiled and nodded his agreement and the two of them headed back to where the bedroom was in the castle.

 

The cloak was not in the room, Vivienne rubbed the back of his head in puzzlement, "I'm sure it was in here Sam, I'm sure of it!" Sam gave Vivienne a pat on the back, "I'm sure you wont need it, the sun has already risen high enough that it shouldn't be that cold out there..." Vivienne nodded slowly in agreement and followed his friend back out and towards the battlements.

[Tama]

He took a step back, then another. He remembered a hunter, an old grizzled man, with no left eye or ear, mention how wolves hunted, close knit, and gulped. The Lion's strides were long, purposeful, the Rat almost running to keep up, his coat flapping around him; always in his brother's shadow. They closed the distance fast. Too fast. Alberté turned, found himself face to face with the aged stone of a battlement.

Turned back.

Trapped, with the only escape a drop of around fifteen or twenty seconds. He'd be lucky if he only broke his legs. So that wasn't an option. The Lion stopped mere feet from him, a look of hot, blazing anger on his face. The Rat, behind him, kept trying to grab his finely embroidered doublet, but that powerful, red-clad arm kept batting the thin, bare arm away.

 

"What did you see, boy?" he snarled. If the warm, contented purr had suited his mood yesterday, the snarl suited it, and his name, now. For a moment, he turned, and growled, in a voice that still carried the few yards, "I swear to the gods, Bradley, if you don't stop touching me, I will break your wrist. Again."

He turned back, ignoring his brother's protestations. "What did you see, boy? I do hope, for your sake, that you can tell the truth. I don't like little boys who lie."

From behind him, the Rat, Bradley, suddenly squeaked. "Wait, Damon. He's the guy that that idiot princeling who disturbed us yesterday found..."

The Lion snapped round for a second, and then turned back, the deep brown eyes examining his face.

"You're right, dear brother. It seems a pity to just break the boy. And besides, there are better ways to shut him up than just pushing him off a battlement, less questions too. Isn't that right, brother? "

And then he moved. So fast he seemed a pouncing lion, all red blur and outstretched arms. The Lion held back his arms, twisting them so badly that he wanted to scream.

 

The Rat took a step forward, pulling a small, vicious looking knife from his belt.

"Because, you're such a pretty young man, aren't you? Isn't he, brother? And...it's such fun to break pretty things..."

Alberté felt the bulk of the Lion shift behind him, pulling his arms harder, making his chest stick out more. In one fluid stroke, the Rat slashed through his shirt, and the cold sting of metal...he felt the shirt flap around him, the cold wind making him shiver. He closed his eyes.

No...not here. Not these two...things.

He felt the heat of the blood dripping from the shallow cut, and then the Rat's hand, cold, clammy, on his chest. No. No. He tried to writhe out of the Lion's grip, and received a cuff on the head for his troubles.

"Stay still, boy. Or we'll make this even more painful."

A dark, mirthless chuckle, and a swipe down, his belt sliced in two.

 

They were going to disgrace him. Here. On the battlements of his own home.

No. He yelled. Long and loud as he could.

Not today. Not like this.

He prayed, to whatever gods came to his mind, as the Rat ripped away his trousers, that someone, Vivienne or Sam or just a random guard, came across him, in the cold morning, before these bastards went much further...

 

Save me, Vivienne

[SqueezeBabe]

The wind out on the battlements had bite to it, even in the height of summer, the breeze was cold. Vivienne shivered involuntary and hoped that they wouldn't be outside for long. He and Sam looked about for a moment, but couldn't see any sign of Alberte. The only people out on the battlements were soldiers. He noted the insignia on their doublets and frowned slightly. These were not the castles men, rather they were the soldiers that formed the retinue for their guests; the two brothers that he'd taken out into the woods only yesterday. His eyes narrowed at the way they shifted, and all at once, something seemed amiss. He nudged Sam lightly and looked at him meaningfully, acutely aware that the two of them were unarmed.

 

A scream rent the air. Vivienne and Sam went to move towards the sound only to find their way blocked. "What is the meaning if this?!" He demanded of the soldier in front of him. The man's ashen face and downcast eyes showed that he was indeed uncomfortable with barring the young princes way. "Best not to interrupt the lordlings fun sire" he answered quietly. "FUN?" Vivienne was incredulous, "What sort of "fun" causes people to scream like that? Your Master is my vassel-lord, do not make me invoke my right as Crown Prince." Vivienne was loathe to pull rank as it were, but he couldn't stand by as someone was being assaulted in his own castle. His tone was soft but carried menance; he might have been unarmed but he was by no means helpless.

 

A smile flickered briefly over the soldiers face and he bowed, "I have sworn an oath to be loyal to my Master.... who seems to be mysteriously absent. Protocol dictates that the next ranking lord is able to issue orders..." He looked about slowly, "... and that would be you." Vivienne would have laughed if the situation hadn't felt so serious. He looked the man up and down for the moment, "Report to me after this incident is over" he said curtly and pushed past the man and ran along the battlements towards where the screams had come from with Sam in tow.

[Tama]

The Lion's touch...oh gods, they were going to...do things to him, half naked and shivering and scared, more scared than he had ever been. And yet, despite himself, despite every urge in the opposite...he felt himself stir, even as the blood from the cut trickled down, even as the rat prepared to cut away his underclothes. Another scream, and this time, the Lion punched him, hard, so hard his head snapped a little to the side. This...no...Vivienne would rescue him, must rescue him. It hurt...even as the Rat pushed him roughly against his brother, unyielding, his almost naked body cold and with his legs spread, like some cheap travelling whore, defeated, despite his struggle...

 

The lion smirked, fingers stroking down, across his pale,muscular abdomen, the nails filed to points, claws almost. He raked them down as he spoke, purred words into the cold air.

"If you don't struggle...my little lord, I won't make this too painful. Of course, if you do...I'll do more than this, and so will my brother...I can guarantee his wicked little knife will make you a rather fetching eunuch."

With this, the Rat tore off the rest of his clothes, and tossed them away.

Alberte felt something warm against his naked form, and with a noise between yelp and gasp, realised the Lion had tugged down his own breeches, and now let his arousal press against Alberte's soft, cold form.

 

And then he saw them.

Running towards him, cloaks flapping. Vivienne and Sam.

The Lion turned too, hand close to his prey's lips. Alberte took his chance and bit down, hard, determined to hurt. The other man's screams rent the air. Loud. High.

Good thought Alberte, as he sank to his knees. Vivienne...had seen how brave...he could be...

[SqueezeBabe]

As soon as he was close enough to see clearly what was going on, it made Vivienne run all the more faster. The brothers had Alberte between them, his clothes had been cut or torn away, and he was naked (and most certainly shivering). He didn't miss the thinly veiled rage on the older brothers face, the anger of being interrupted and denied. Alberte took that opportunity of momentary distraction to bite the man's hand. The older brother howled in pain and Alberte had sunk to his knees just as Vivienne and Sam approached them. Using thr momentum of their dash, Vivienne scooped the elder brother up by the throat and pinned him to the wall with a heavy thud, visibly knocking the air and resistance from him.

 

"In my home, you dare to attack my guests!?" Vivienne's voice was low and menacing, and he leaned in, bringing his face close to the others. One would reasonably expect that when confronted with such a situation, that a man would yell and shout; start a brawl, but Vivienne was truly terrifying because he never did. Granted that holding a man off the ground by his throat was a violent action, but it was the only action that he made. The other man coughed; struggled to breathe as Vivienne continued with his soft spoken words, made all the more menacing by his lack of physical violence.

 

No one heard the exchange between the two, but whatever Vivienne had said made the other man visibly pale and begin to struggle, tugging ineffectually at the hand around his throat. Vivienne made a disgusted noise and let the man go, watching him hunch over and begin retching. He stared coldly at the younger brother who hadn't moved an inch since he and Sam had arrived; not that he was worried about him, Sam would have prevented him from attempting to escape. "You will be dealt with later as well." He nodded at Sam who had already wrapped Alberte in his own cloak, the stalwart friend lifting his Uncle easily. "Take him to the infirmary, I'll let mother know what has transpired here." He delivered his instructions quietly, the two of them heading back into the castle and past the soldiers who had watched everything unfold. He made eye contact with the Captain and nodded curtly, he would be seeing more of the man soon enough.

 

Once inside, he and Sam parted ways and he made his way to his mother's study, flagging down a servant and leaving instructions that the Steward be present also. What the brothers did in privacy was nobody's business but their own, but to openly attack another guest was unconscionable no matter what the reason. Arrangements would be made to have the two of them split up and fostered in different Houses, and his mother would certainly not be making him marry their sister.

[Tama]

...He missed most of the actual confrontation, body sinking into a dazed conscousness that told him to fall, to beHecome dead weight. He barely remembered being wrapped in the heavy woollen cloak, Vivienne's voice somewhere above him, soft. He couldn't even remember being lifted like a sack of potatoes, and gently carried away, the soft voice of his nephew, gods knew how many times removed still floating through the air. And then, the voice, still indistinct, fell away...and with it, the last of his consciousness

 

The journey, as he dreamt, came to him in bumps and jolts. He dreamed of Vivienne, and...yet not Vivienne...a thing with Vivienne's head and chest, and a pair of powerful wings, shielding him from the outside, shielding him from the shadowy shapes of a Lion and a tremendous, horse-sized rat...snarling insults and threats. He was scared. Terrified. And yet the wings were warm, a wall around him.

And then the wings spread. Huge. Seeming to cross, encompass the sky...

 

And the claws closed on his naked body. The wings began to flap.

His mother had once mentioned a story, from lands far to the south, of a god who had taken the form of a Eagle, and stolen a child, and this monstrous raven was no different...But it was rescuing him...carrying him away from those predators...

 

He felt his hands curl into the feathers, desperate to cling to Vivienne, raven wings or not...heard Vivienne's voice call his name...

And he woke.

[SqueezeBabe]

It didn't take long for his mother and the Steward to be in the same room, Vivienne waiting patiently til the both of them had arrived in his mother's study. He quickly relayed what had transpired out on the battlements, his mother's face visibly paling and the Stewards eyebrows knitting together in concern. His mother quickly got parchment out from behind her desk and penned a missive, sealing it with wax and her own special seal. "I know just who to send those brother to, not to mention that sister of theirs, I knew something was off about that whole family..." She handed the letter to the Steward who bowed and then left the room. His mother sunk into the large, comfortable chair and looked up at him with concern, "Are you alright Vivi?" He nodded, "I'm fine, just... angry... No doubt there will be complaints, and I'm sorry for the trouble that this will cause..." His mother held up a hand to stop him, "I'll deal with it. You were only doing what was right," she smiled kindly at him, "Now go and check on this Uncle of yours, though with Sam being left in charge, I have no doubt that he'll be fine."

 

Vivienne nodded slowly at the comment, of course there would be no doubt that Sam would have done what was necessary for Alberte; there wasn't a mean or dishonest bone in that rather large body. He gave his mother a quirky grin, "I'm sorry that there's no wedding to look forward to..." His mother chuckled and waved him away, "Begone with you, horrible child!" She said with an affectionate smile, the love for her son apparent in her twinkling eyes, "Now go, and make sure Sam is alright too, and don't worry, I'll take care of any trouble that arises from this incident, and knowing you, no doubt we shall have new recruits to our garrison yes?" Vivienne nodded once more and bowed his head, leaving his mother to go and check on his best friend and Uncle.

 

As he quickly made his way through the halls of the castle, he figured that Sam would have taken Alberte to the private infirmary rather than the general one where the servants and soldiers went to. The infirmary was in a lesser used wing of the castle, and set into two different rooms, one room with large windows overlooking the gardens and lake and the smaller room that was kept quiet and dark. Sam was leaning on the wall, just outside the door, arms folded across his chest. He looked up as he heard Vivienne approaching, a small smile flashing across his face. "He'll be fine" he said, before Vivienne had a chance to ask how Alberte was, "The Doctor said that there will be some obvious shock, he may have nightmares until he deals with it, so it's just up to us to keep an eye on him..." Vivienne nodded, reaching to rub Sams arm, more to comfort himself than to comfort Sam, who just smiled up at him and patted him on the back.

 

"Oh, another thing," he said, "He's been.... calling for you. The doctor says that it's probably a fever dream of sorts, but between you and me, the guy has a bad case of hero worship happening... you just may want to... be careful I guess..." Vivienne looked at Sam curiously and nodded his head slowly, not quite sure what his friend meant by the comment as the two of them heading back inside the infirmary.

[Tama]

His whole body ached. Not the ache of a long day in the saddle, or a day training, but the ache of bruising and force against his legs, and his chest. Sam...had carried him there, wrapped up in the coarse, but warm cloak, given some dignity back, as he dreamt of Vivienne rescuing him...from something or other...The dream faded fast as he woke, head resting on the soft down pillows. Sam, or one of the apothecaries that assisted the Doctor; in his time, he'd been a grey haired man with pince-nez, who had brought him and his brothers into the world, but now...he hadn't quite seen the man. He became aware of two figures, distantly talking, little but shadows in the doorway, and lifted his head, wincing at the pain.

The room was cool, white walls, just as it had been in the days when he had been ill as a child...It was...somewhat...relaxing, reassuring to be here...in this place that had barely changed...

 

Vivienne and Sam, still talking, seemed to either complete their conversation, or notice walked into the room. Wincing more, he pushed himself into a sitting position, realising with a blush that he was naked, and pulled the blankets around himself. A feeling between shame and fear rose in his stomach, as though he was going to throw up. Those bastards, that Lion...no, not a Lion. No man like that deserved such a proud animal. Hell's teeth, the cat that caught the castle mice was a better Lion than he was. That man had...touched him, treated him like a common whore who'd you chuck a few coins at before booting out of the door...He was a prince.

 

But, Sam and Vivienne had rescued him, taken him away from those monsters, stopped them...raping him. He couldn't help but notice their exchanged glances, but his head hurt too much, his limbs aching too much, to ask them what they were talking about...though he guessed from their expressions that it involved him. Still, he owed his reputation, if not his life, to these two men. He addressed Sam first, wincing at the sudden rawness of his throat, hoping that he didn't sound too croaky. The yell had taken a lot out of him, and he had to fight not to retch.

"S-Sam...T-thank you...truly, my nephew has...superb taste in lieutentants...."

He allowed himself a wan smile. He began to see why Vivienne had fallen for the man...ah, as for Vivienne...his nephew looked...even more...

"As for my nephew...thank you for...rescuing me..." He smiled wider, eyes closing a little. Suddenly, the unbidden faces of the Lion and Rat, looming over him, leering, laughing... He choked, and nearly threw up, biting back the unbidden yelp. He clung to the sheets, hoping Vivienne and Sam didn't see. He wanted to keep his pride, he...was a Prince. But...he must know about those bastards...

"Vivienne...what happened to those two? "

[SqueezeBabe]

Vivienne moved to sit on the edge of the bed and looked down at Alberte, worried that he was moving too quickly, too soon. "Never mind about those two, Mother has said that she will take care of it. The boys will be fostered out to responsible Houses, and hopefully will learn some manners in the process. It's hard to tell if their parents knew what was happening under their roof, but no doubt they will deny all knowledge, profess their gratitude that the crown has taken such an interest in their children.... the fostering will work in their favour in the long term at least..." Vivienne's voice trailed off as the physician approached.

 

The man was younger than he expected, but it stood to reason that the man he remembered was already old and wizened when he was a small boy, this was obviously the Apprentice come Master and Vivienne got up from the edge of the bed to make room for him. The man inclined his head, "Ah, your Highness, it seems that your... friend here received quite a bit of a shock, but is otherwise unharmed. It didn't seem necessary to do a full physical exam; he just has a few scrapes and bruises. I recommend plenty of rest either here or in his own quarters," the man smiled kindly at Alberte, "If you have trouble sleeping, I can always give you something to help; don't be afraid to ask. However, I would recommend that you spend at least tonight in here," the physician turned to include both Sam and Vivienne, "I can make arrangements so that the three of you can be together in here, it is after all much quieter, and it would do the young man some good to have company as he recovers."

 

Sam gave an infectious grin, "It will be just like the sleepovers we used to have!" Vivienne chuckled, "You mean when we used to pretend to be camping in Father's den?" Sam nodded, "I'll have a chat to the Cook seeing as I'm her favourite," he said with a wink, "and see if she can't give us something, it will be like a picnic indoors!" Vivienne laughed at his friends enthusiasm, "Anyone would think you haven't had enough excitement for the day, we're supposed to be quite and restful, not a couple of teenage boys spending their first night without supervision!" Even the physician had a broad grin on his face, making him appear much more youthful, even boyish, his eyes glittering with amusement, "I think that something like that will be perfectly acceptable, not to worry, I shan't disturb you Lordlings at your play." he bowed once more and left the room still chuckling.

 

Sam patted Vivienne on the shoulder as he walked past him, heading towards the door, "It's barely even lunch time, so I'll get in before Cook gets busy and organise some goodies for us, I'll leave all the important stuff to you yes?" Vivienne nodded and Sam left the room with a wave. Vivienne sat down on the edge of the bed once more, "Now, are you sure you're alright?" he asked, the concern visible on his face, "Mother will throw me over the parapets if something terrible happens to you." he said with a chuckle, "Well, worse than what's already happened..." the amusement faded from his features, replaced with concern once more.