skekSo’s nightmares were very vivid. Always. Like a flash of light in pitch-black darkness. He liked to blame his duties, but the truth was, in fact, hard to admit, that he simply liked to make all thing more complicated.
He was an Emperor and because all bowed to him until they reached the level of his feet, he had to make his own problems. Without them he wouldn’t be a skeksis. He wouldn’t be skekSo.
This particular nightmare was revolving – as always lately – around the Hunter. skekMal, hunting along that wretched Stonewood assisstant, laughing with her by the stream, allowing her to burn the meat above the fire and then… taking her on the grass, tail sweeping the kindling in ecstasy, so different than one he offered him, his only lover and only source of bodily thrill.
He would so prefer – really – if it was other skeksis. He knew that with other skeksis he would not have a problem, since they all were all but monogamic. He would even not tear his robes, if it was skekSil coming to the Hunter, begging him to ravish him. It was calculated into the fact, that skekMal couldn’t be chained.
But deep in the woods, with gelfling, sharing passion for hunting… it was way too intimate and too much resembled what they both had.
And he was the Emperor.
Maybe he couldn’t chain the Hunter, but Thra forbids if he didn’t want the thread that bound them strong as skekMal’s arms and unique. Oh, so unique and rare.
He didn’t know if skekMal bed this gelfling, but his running mind liked to take it for granted.
He could do it. So he did.
Nothing can stop the hunt.
When skekMal joined them all on the feast, skekSo had a whole array of proofs and accusations, which he knew he can’t word nor he wants. In fact, he had nothing. Nothing in his thin hands that liked to be held by skekMal when he rutted him.
What makes you come back to me, when you have your woods, your hunt and your little Stonewood servant huntress?
This was a peculiar kind of torment, which he was aware he could avoid. skekMal never promised him anything and never told him he won’t take other partners, more even, they agreed they can. But this wormed into skekSo’s spine and melted his marrow.
And he almost agreed on questioning caress of skekSil’s talons over the base of his tale.
Almost.
Because he knew, that with skekMal, a talk can fix everything. As wild as he was, as loving to act and tear into the heart of things, skekMal was good listener and even better explainer. And they both knew each other too well to hide this for too long.
It was you who told him to take the gelfling on the hunts. You ordered him to have her by his side. Why you worry then?
“I see your mind is absent today, your highness” a deep voice and skekSo was already on his stomach, allowing skekMal to groom him, while all other skeksis slept in a pile, oblivious on anything that happened in the wake.
“I… I consider your observation valid.” he muttered, feeling as Hunter’s hands and beak take care of his neck. Thra, but had he a skilled beak.
“If I didn’t know you better, I would say you worry.”
“Maybe… the skeksis empire must thrive and I am an only way to secure it happening” skekSo feigned nonchalance, something he thought he was really good at.
skekMal chuckled. A warm chuckle just into his feathers. Not mocking, not at all. Knowing.
“I would assume the skeksis empire would prefer to not rely on gefling so much.”
The gelfling! Curse it.
“Indeed, skekMal. Their lives are frail and short and who knows what time brings.”
The Hunter continued to part his feathers, going straight against his fragile skin. skekSo sighed.
“Probably not good partners for any interests that involve Thra and it’s continuation” he breathed into Emperor’s back.
“Not good partners, yes.”
The sound the Hunter made could be only a laughter, but skekSo’s fathers were thick and silenced it into a very choking guttural growl.
“Something wrong, skekMal?” a question as smooth as silk.
“I didn’t take her.”
“Pardon?”
“I didn’t take her. It’s that why you worry so much. That I took her. I didn’t.”
skekSo didn’t know actually if to feel offended by his assumption or relieved. But the heavy pressure in his chest reminded him of sinking stones now.
“Ah.”
That was all the Emperor could say. And that seemingly was completely enough.
*
“We are all too dependant from gelfling, skekMal.”
“Shall I hunt them all down, so you slept better and could start sustaining yourself without any temptation, your highness?”
“Would you?”
“No.”
“Then it’s out of question.”
And all was good again.
Author Profile
- the hunt never ends
- Mal. Hunter. Witch, forest spirit and a wild creature. Night enchantress and pagan soul. Loves slavic mythology and literature. Woods are her sacred place.
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