Here, There Be Dragons 1

To The Victor, The Spoils

by Sistine

URL: http://www.area52hkh.net/ass/sistine/hereth01.php
Summary: It was a slow year for virgins. Unfortunately, they needed a sacrifice. Daniel was it.
Info: Written in response to a challenge for St George's Day at Pepe's Place.

It was a slow year for virgins. That is to say, that when the chief priest and his acolytes went looking for a female virgin to be sacrificed to the dragon, they found none of the suitable age (for some reason, twenty years had been decided upon many decades ago as it showed a purity of spirit not to be tempted by mortal flesh at that age). Whether they were all in hiding or not was not clearly established. Therefore, the chief priest had to change his search to find a male who had not mated and was of twenty years - such a man would be a rare find and therefore would provide more good luck in the year to come.

Unfortunately for Daniel, a simple scholar and scribe in a small village a days ride from the castle, he was such a man.

He enjoyed intellectual pursuits, he had since he was a child, and that made him unattractive in the eyes of his fellow villagers although his appearance was quite the opposite. Blue eyes the colour of the sea, pale skin with a flawless complexion, full lips, longish light brown hair that was forever falling across his eyes while he was trying to read - if he hadn't been so uninterested in the opposite sex, he would have been considered the most beautiful man in the village. He took after his mother in looks.

Speaking of his mother, she despaired of him ever getting married, especially as there were few eligible women left and they all wanted a man who would work hard for a living, not constantly have his head in a book or scribing letters for those who wanted to send news to relatives far away. Although his services were needed in the village as he was the only one who could read and write, it wasn't considered an upstanding profession. Claire, Daniel's mother, had sent him away to school at the castle when he was younger as she knew he was meant to be something more than just a farmer, but lately she had come to regret that decision. If she had kept him illiterate, had encouraged him to become a farmer rather than a scholar, then he would be married and she would be a grandmother by now. She hated that he was treated so badly but was glad that he didn't seem to realise the low respect the villagers had for him. It saved him from pain and that was what counted. However, she knew that he wouldn't stay in the village, that one day he would leave - she just hoped that she would never see that day.

Her worst fear came true one day before the new year. The chief priest, several acolytes, and four knights of the realm rode into the village and demanded that all males of twenty years be presented to them. Claire immediately knew what this was about as the company had visited several days ago looking for women of that age. Obviously, none had been found and now they were looking for a more rare sacrifice.

Her son.

Daniel was the only one in the village of that age who had not mated and everyone knew it. They had also heard him protesting about the ritual every year, about how it would not change anything, and they had ridiculed him for his views. The villagers would turn him in and she would never see him again. Claire couldn't allow that to happen.

Going to the back of the wooden house that she shared with her son, Claire saw Daniel bent over the table, writing something carefully onto a piece of parchment. "You must leave," she ordered urgently.

Daniel looked up at his mother, surprised at the interruption and then, when they registered, her words. "What?"

"There are priests here. They have come for a sacrifice," she told him. "You must leave now before they come for you."

"But the women--"

"There are none. The priests came last week," Claire told him as she pulled him to his feet. "You know what happens when there are no women."

All too well. He had never known his mother's brother but Daniel knew that the man had died because there were no female virgins that year; Claire had never forgiven the priests for that. Sacrifices didn't always die; occasionally, a prince would come to their rescue. But never had a prince attempted to rescue a man, therefore if he was taken, he would die. That wasn't in his plans for his life, therefore he would have to do as his mother suggested.

Daniel put down his writing implements and kissed his mother's cheek. "I'll return when it is safe," he promised without thinking about what he would endure in the meantime.

"I know. Go," she urged, fearing that they had delayed too long.

Just as Daniel headed towards the back door, the front one was slammed open and two knights entered. Realising the danger, Daniel started running, flung the back door open and set off into the woods.

Nearby, seated on a white horse as befitted his station, the chief priest saw a blur of brown rags headed towards the forest. As he realised that the one fleeing had come from the house the knights had entered, he ordered the two remaining knights to chase down the victim. The knights nodded and rode off at a gallop, determined to do their duty; they knew that if no sacrifice was made, then the kingdom would suffer a harsh year.

Daniel ran for his life. He heard the sounds of pursuit over his loud breathing and knew deep down that he wasn't going to escape. His only chance would be if he could reach the gorge before them; the horses wouldn't be able to cross the rope bridge, therefore whoever was chasing him would have to pursue on foot. After that, he knew of plenty of hiding places where he would be able to conceal himself.

He wouldn't be able to go back to the village after this. He would be branded a coward and his mother would be ostracised by everyone because of it. Somehow, he would have to go back and take her away from there before the villagers could harm her. And then they would both be alive to start life in another village.

The horses were gaining. Daniel risked a glance over his shoulder and saw that they were only thirty paces away. He wasn't going to make the rope bridge; they would catch him before then unless he headed away from the path and into the forest proper.

Without a second thought, Daniel swerved off the path, heading into the underbrush. He couldn't spare any time to look over his shoulder but he could hear the horses coming after him. It didn't sound like they were going to give up.

Long minutes passed. Daniel didn't know how long he had been running but it had been a long time. His sides were aching and he was breathing hard; he wasn't used to this. He was a scholar, not a warrior or a page or someone else who could run for hours.

He felt himself slowing down; his legs didn't want to run any more. Still, he forced himself onwards, determined not to lose this battle. However, his strength of will was not enough. Soon the horses drew alongside and he was knocked off his feet. Daniel rolled as he hit the ground, aiming to get to his feet but one of the knights was quicker and had placed his weapon at the scholar's throat.

Daniel stilled when he felt the cold steel press against his skin. He had lost. He would be taken to the castle and arrive there just in time for the sacrifice to take place tomorrow, the first day of the new year. He had read much about this ritual during his studies so he knew exactly what to expect. Death by dragon was not the way he wanted to die but he would be given no choice. No-one would rescue him so he would end his life tied to a rock and clawed to death by a dragon.

The knight spat down at him. "Coward! You would refuse to do your duty?"

Daniel didn't dignify that with an answer as he was still trying to catch his breath. He felt an extreme sense of grief that he would never see his mother again and she would be all alone after his death. He hadn't even provided much money for her to live on as scribing paid less than farming did. She would probably starve by winter unless she could find a widower who would marry her. As the mother of a sacrifice, she would be considered honoured, which would help her prospects, but Daniel still didn't like the idea.

"Come!" The knight pulled Daniel to his feet, the sword remaining dangerously close as he did so. The other knight came over and bound the scholar's hands with rope to ensure that he wouldn't run again. Then both men mounted their horses and led Daniel back towards the village.

It was humiliating to walk back into the village, dozens of eyes upon him, staring at him in disgust for running. There was one exception - his mother, who was being held back by two more knights. Daniel didn't need good eyesight to see that she was afraid for him. He drew himself up to stand tall, attempting some dignity despite being a bound captive. He might have tried to escape but now he needed to face his fate without displays of cowardice; it would be better for his mother that way.

"This is him?" the chief priest asked not Claire but one of the other villagers - Edwin, Daniel noted, one of the older farmers who had never liked him. Thought education was a crime and gave one pretensions beyond their lot in life. That wasn't entirely inaccurate, Daniel reflected as he was shoved up onto one of the horses and a knight mounted behind him.

"No!!" Claire cried out, struggling to get free. "Please, he's my only child!" she begged of the chief priest. When the old man ignored her, Claire dropped to her knees, crying in grief at the loss of her precious son. She didn't want to outlive Daniel; it was bad enough that she had lost her husband five years ago to an illness. All that had kept her going at the time had been Daniel and now that she was going to lose him, she might as well lose herself too. There would be no more reason for living.

Daniel struggled to keep his emotions under control, tears in his eyes, as his mother wailed. He wanted to comfort her but knew that he couldn't. He couldn't even say goodbye to her; the best he could do was just keep her in sight as long as possible.

The chief priest gave the order to leave so everyone on horseback obeyed. Daniel turned his head to watch his mother, now alone on the ground, until he could no longer see her. Then he stared straight ahead, his throat aching from the tears he was holding back, and tried not to think about the fate that awaited him.

***

Late that night, when the party of men arrived at the castle, Daniel was escorted to a cell that had been outfitted as a luxurious bedroom. The four-poster bed had sheer white material draped over the frame at the top, while satin sheets and a blue quilt covered the mattress. A porcelain jug and bowl sat atop of a wooden table, and a chair with elaborate decorations was nearby. Sparse accommodations by royal standards but for a simple villager, it would seem like heaven. Daniel didn't like it; a prisoner was still a prisoner, despite the luxury.

His bonds were untied, a meal of chicken and mead was delivered, and then Daniel was left alone to contemplate his forthcoming gruesome demise.

***

Sunrise came too early. Although Daniel hadn't slept much, he had hoped that there would be a few more hours before the ritual. Luck, however, was still not going his way.

Male servants came to dress him as the sun started to peek over the horizon. They brought a simple white tunic, sleeveless, that he would be stripped of just before the ritual began; dragons apparently didn't like material, just human flesh. They bathed him first, scenting him with perfume that would attract the beast, and then ensured that he was clothed appropriately. Finally, no more than twenty minutes after sunrise, Daniel was led out of the cell, through the castle and out towards the clearing at the edge of the cliff.

The large grey stone castle was situated near the ocean, one hundred paces from the cliff edge. A boulder, taller than it was wide, stood near the bluff and it was to that Daniel would be tied. The dragon, which hibernated in the caves to the south, would fly into the clearing and settle on the ground in front of the boulder. If Daniel was lucky, the dragon would roast him alive before eating him rather than tear him apart. If he wasn't lucky, he would be in for a lot of pain before being released into death.

As many as four score people, maybe even one hundred, lined the dirt path that led up to the boulder. Daniel stepped out of the castle gates and was immediately surrounded by eight priests who were dressed in white robes. They guarded him on his last journey, keeping him mostly hidden from the rabble nearby. Daniel was glad of that; he didn't want to see anyone's face, afraid that he would see none that displayed anger at this barbaric ritual. If anyone had asked him, Daniel would have explained that sacrificing a virgin to the dragon had no effect on the weather or on the crops, and that all they were doing was killing innocent people because the priests wanted to keep the gullible masses under their power. But of course, no-one would listen to him ever again. Not that they ever had.

The procession halted by the boulder and two priests stepped forward to strip Daniel of his clothes. He wanted to scream, to rail against this, but he knew it would do no good. He was the chosen sacrifice and nothing would sway the priests from that. Therefore, he would show no fear and give them no entertainment beyond the pleasure they would get at his death.

The boulder scratched his back as he was pushed against it, and the rope around his body dug into his skin. It was just as well he wouldn't be here for long - provided the dragon was on time - because otherwise the position would soon become very uncomfortable. Not to mention, his private parts wouldn't be on display for long either; given he had never shown them to anyone yet, it was embarrassing that everyone could get an eyeful now.

In a monotone voice, the chief priest started the ritual incantation that was supposed to bring the dragon out of the cave. Daniel closed his eyes and let his mind drift, determined not to listen to the meaningless words. A prayer briefly crossed his thoughts; if only there was someone out there who would save him.

***

Jack and his entourage had been passing through the county when he heard about the strange ritual sacrifice that would take place on the new year's morn. A prince from a neighbouring kingdom, Jack was touring through this one as part of his training to eventually become king. Not liking the sound of the sacrifice, Jack had decided to stay and see whether there was anything he could do to prevent the bloodshed from taking place.

So it was that morn that he made his way up to the clearing and pushed his way through to the front of the crowd. What he saw took his breath away. The man tied to the boulder was beautiful - the most handsome man Jack had ever seen. Being partial towards relations with men rather than women, Jack felt a stirring inside him at the sight of the naked body and beautiful face. Instantly, he knew he had to save this man from death and take him back to Arcadia as his consort. The only problem was going to be the actual rescue.

Eight priests plus the chief of them stood in a semi-circle to one side of the clearing, all with their eyes closed as they chanted. They wouldn't be a problem if Jack attacked them but the dozen knights standing on the opposite side of the clearing would be. All were armed and they would be formidable warriors. Jack, with only one sword, was greatly outnumbered. Therefore, he needed a good strategy to even things out.

"Why doesn't somebody do something?" he muttered to himself as he searched his surroundings for some advantage.

"It is permissible for a prince to intervene," an old woman to his right stated softly. "Provided he is skilled enough to scare the dragon off without getting himself killed, then the sacrifice goes free."

Jack turned to her in surprise. She was old and wrinkled, and looked straight ahead instead of him. "And how does one scare a dragon away?" he asked low enough that he would not draw attention from the others around him.

"With a sword, it can be done by injuring a limb or wing," she replied. "Less than a dozen times have I seen it done. Twice that have died in the attempt and the sacrifices with them."

"Great." That wasn't good odds but Jack never liked to dwell on the negatives. It could be done; that was good enough for him. "And the knights don't interfere?"

"It is forbidden, unless the warrior is not a prince. If he is such, then he must be given the freedom to do battle. If he can make the dragon flee, then the land is considered strong and a reward will be given by the king."

Jack couldn't care less about the reward; he just wanted to save the beautiful young man. "Anything else?"

The old woman nodded slightly. "The dragon's fire has a range of only fifteen paces but if you can keep within five paces, it cannot harm you with it."

"Thank you." Jack was truly grateful for the old woman's advice. He stepped forward out of the crowd, drawing his sword as he did so, and called out, "I wish to intervene."

A gasp rippled through the crowd; a prince rescuing a man was unheard of. The chief priest opened his eyes in shock, his chanting disrupted. The audacity of this man, who was not even dressed richly, to interrupt the sacred ritual! "You cannot."

"I am a prince. I believe it is within my rights," Jack continued, striding to the centre of the clearing. Once there, he held up his left hand to display the royal signet ring that he wore on the middle finger.

The chief priest had never encountered this situation before. He took several steps forward, angry at the interruption. "The sacrifice is not female. Therefore, you cannot defend him."

"I don't see why not," Jack argued casually. "In my kingdom, there is no law against relations between men, and I have every intention of taking him away from here as soon as I defeat the dragon."

This, to the chief priest and the others who were listening, was almost more shocking than someone attempting to protect the sacrificial victim. It had been seven years since the last attempt, and it had been unsuccessful. "It is unheard of," he started to protest.

"Well, that's no reason not to do it," Jack cut him off. Then he stilled as the rhythmic beat of wings flapping travelled towards the clearing. Jack adjusted the grip of his sword and then turned to face the direction of the coming dragon. Time to play the hero.

***

When Daniel had heard a male voice speaking of intervention, he had opened his eyes in surprise. A tall man with blonde-brown hair and confident stride was walking towards the centre of the clearing, a sword in his hand. Daniel's heartbeat quickened; someone actually wanted to rescue him. Sure, it was a man but that was neither here nor there to Daniel. With any luck, and hopefully a lot of skill, he would be saved.

It bothered him slightly when the potential rescuer talked of relations between men. Daniel knew that such things happened but they were against the law in the kingdom, therefore many so inclined had to be extremely discreet. He knew of none in his village, and had had no attentions from men, for which he considered himself lucky. But he had occasionally wondered what it would be like, just as he did about women, and why it was so terrible that it was outlawed. And now, seeing this man in front of him, Daniel felt something inside him that he could only categorise as curiosity. The man was reasonably handsome and despite his royal bearing, seemed as though he might be nice. There were worse men that could attempt to take him to bed, and if it gave him his freedom, then Daniel felt he could accept this man's attentions.

Then came the sound of the approaching dragon. Daniel's calm dissolved when he saw the large creature flying towards the clearing. How was his rescuer going to defeat this thing?

***

Jack decided to go on the offensive straight away. Slipping his dagger from his belt, Jack threw it at the dragon, aiming for the tender belly. Unused to such a tactic, the dragon didn't evade it and subsequently bellowed in pain as the dagger pierced its leathery hide. It belched a fireball towards its attacker, forcing Jack to dive to one side to evade it.

He came up on one knee and threw another dagger but this time the dragon was prepared. Despite its size, it moved swiftly upwards, causing the dagger to pass by harmlessly. Then it swooped down towards the human that had caused it pain.

Keeping the old woman's advice in mind, Jack ran towards the dragon, throwing himself to the ground when another fireball was released, then picking himself up and running towards his enemy. The dragon settled onto the ground, unaware that its attacker was closing in on it from behind, and started to turn itself laboriously around. Jack was quicker though, and ran the sword across the back of one leg.

The dragon roared in pain and listed to one side; the sword had severed a nerve in its leg, making it difficult to stand. But it refused to give in, not wanting to be denied its first human meal since hibernation had begun.

Jack knew he didn't have a lot of time so he went around the back of the dragon, skirting its tail and relying on the fact that it would take time to turn itself. Not letting himself think of the danger he was in, only that he could not fail in his task, Jack went around to the other side and cut into the other leg.

The dragon fell forward, almost flattening two priests that were slow to move out of the way. A claw on its foot caught Jack on his left arm and gouged a debilitating wound. Gritting his teeth against the pain, Jack knew that he had to finish this or else more would be sacrificed to this dragon. Tucking his now-useless left arm to his chest, Jack used the dragon's injured leg to climb onto its back. The dragon roared and tried to reach its attacker with its arms but the wings kept getting in its way. One of the wings almost knocked Jack off but he held onto the spine ridge in front of him, determined to finish the fight.

Slowly, he crawled along the dragon's back, spikes scratching his skin as he travelled, until he reached the neck. Knowing that the dragon could rear up and tip him off if he proceeded any further, Jack pulled himself to his feet, took the pommel of his sword in both hands and leapt the remaining distance, hoping that he would strike the correct place.

He did. Before the dragon knew what was happening, the sword penetrated its body between the skull and the start of its spine, severing the nerves there before proceeding into the brain.

It was dead within moments.

There was a stunned silence. No-one had ever killed a dragon before, and no-one knew whether there were other dragons who would take revenge for the death. As far as anyone knew, there was only one dragon, although there must be more because of the many hundreds of years that they had been in the kingdom. So had this prince just doomed everyone?

Jack didn't care about any of that. He slid off the dragon's neck, being careful of his injured arm, and went to retrieve the dagger that had earlier missed the beast. Once he had it, Jack went over to the boulder and cut the ropes that bound the beautiful young man. "Hi. Come here often?" he said, wanting to put the man at ease.

Daniel couldn't help chuckling; the words seemed so inappropriate after what the man had just done. "Fortunately, not often. The service is terrible."

Jack grinned. He had chosen well; the man had a similar sense of humour to him. "My name is Jack."

"I'm Daniel. And thank you." Although he was now free of the ropes, Daniel couldn't quite believe that he was still alive.

"You're welcome. And now if you don't mind, I believe that heroes have to claim a kiss when they rescue someone," Jack stated, watching the man for his reaction.

Daniel's eyes widened. "Here?" In front of everyone? And against the law? They would both be executed as criminals before the day was out if he did that.

Showing that he had been listening before, Jack shook his head and replied, "No, not here. Somewhere private. Where we can both enjoy it."

"Oh." He wasn't getting out of it then. Daniel finally looked his rescuer directly in the eye and found that the man was only slightly taller than him. He was even more handsome up close, and Daniel's body reacted to that. "Um..."

Jack's eyes flicked down. Good - Daniel was attracted to him; that boded well. And he couldn't help but notice that Daniel was nicely endowed too. "I have to tell you that I would like for you to accompany me back to my kingdom but I will not force you if you are not so inclined." He was confident that Daniel would say yes though.

Daniel didn't even need to think it through; he couldn't stay around here any longer. "My mother... we would need to take her too."

"Easily arranged," Jack said confidently. He reached a hand up to brush Daniel's cheek, then turned his head to the side. "He needs clothes!" he shouted at the chief priest, who was standing transfixed by the dragon's side, unable to believe what had happened.

One of the young acolytes rushed off to retrieve Daniel's white clothes and hurriedly brought them over to Jack. The prince stepped back to allow Daniel to dress and then he held out his hand for the young man to take.

With only a slight hesitation, Daniel placed his hand in Jack's and allowed the prince to lead him through the crowd back to the castle, stopping only when the prince retrieved his sword from the dragon's neck. He could feel scores of eyes upon him but he followed Jack's example and tried to ignore them. It wasn't easy though.

Wasting no time, Jack strode through the castle courtyard to the stables, bellowing for his entourage to attend him quickly. Six men hurried towards Jack; four had been waiting in the courtyard while two had shadowed him outside in case of trouble. Within a short time, the horses were saddled, possessions were gathered, Jack's arm was inspected, the injury sewn up and bandaged tightly, and the eight men mounted their horses.

As Daniel did not own a horse, he rode on the same one as Jack. The saddle only seated one so Jack had to sit behind him. One strong arm, wrapped in a bandage, encircled his waist while the other held the reins to guide the party out of the castle.

"Where is your village?" Jack asked, his breath ghosting against Daniel's ear.

Daniel shivered, then swallowed hard at the sensation. After a moment, he replied, "To the west, a day's ride."

"Do you ride much?"

"Not really."

Jack nodded. Unfortunately, they would have to gallop for awhile so that the king's knights - if they were sent after them - didn't catch up quickly. Then, when there was no hope of pursuit, the pace would be slower. "Then I apologise in advance." He kicked his horse into a gallop.

Daniel simply closed his eyes and trusted that Jack would keep him on the horse. The breeze, which was anything but gentle at this speed, whipped through his longish hair, blowing it back towards Jack. He allowed his mind to drift again, revelling in the feeling of being free.

***

Several hours later, Jack decided that the horses could slow down for a longer period of time. They had alternated the pace between slow and fast so that the horses didn't tire too much, but now it was time to allow a longer spell of walking. It also gave Jack the opportunity to talk to Daniel. "So, why did they pick you?"

Daniel ducked his head. Surely Jack knew already... didn't he?

Jack looked at the back of the young man's neck. What was wrong? "Daniel?"

"They needed a virgin of a certain age and I was the only one available," Daniel muttered, highly embarrassed to admit to the man who had rescued him that he was inexperienced in sexual matters.

"Oh." Jack hadn't realised that. He liked the idea though, that he would be Daniel's first lover, and his body quickened with desire. He would teach Daniel such desire that he would never want anyone else. "That's... interesting."

Daniel blushed and turned his head to stare to the side; what must Jack think of him?

"In that case, we'll definitely have to wait for that kiss," Jack continued after a moment's thought. "Your first time should be somewhere comfortable."

Surprised, Daniel looked over his shoulder at the prince. "You still want me?"

"Oh yes," Jack stated emphatically. "Can't you tell?" he asked, pulling Daniel back so that the younger man's buttocks pressed against Jack's hardened groin.

"I..." Daniel found that he couldn't speak when he realised what was pressing against him. Jack wanted him! Him, Daniel, the one whom nobody wanted! "I have no experience in these matters." He had kept to himself over the years, knowing that no-one was interested in him in that way.

"That will change," Jack promised, loving the feel of Daniel's body against his own. He couldn't wait to claim Daniel as his own but he would. And he would do it right.

***

It was almost nightfall when the group reached Daniel's village. Several faces poked out of windows to see who was visiting but Daniel didn't care for any of them. He was only interested in finding one person.

As soon as they drew close to Daniel's home, the scholar slid off the horse's back and ran into the house. "Mother!" he called, hoping that she had not already left or been forced out of the village. "Mother!"

"Daniel?" came the weak call from the bedroom.

Rushing into his mother's small room, Daniel found her lying on the bed, her eyes red from crying all day. "I'm home, Mother. I'm really home," he assured her as he knelt by the bedside.

"Daniel?" Claire couldn't believe her eyes. Her son was home - what miracle was this? "How...?"

"A prince rescued me," Daniel said, cutting a long story short. "He wants to take us to his kingdom."

"Why?" Claire didn't understand how such a thing was possible. She sat up, shaky from the combined effects of hunger and the emotional shock, and hugged Daniel to her. Her boy was home again.

"He wants me," Daniel told her candidly, having no secrets from his mother. "He wants to make me his consort instead of taking a wife, and he wants you to come with us."

"I..." Claire didn't know what to say. All her life she had believed that men being with men was wrong but Daniel sounded anything but disgusted by it. "And you've accepted?"

"I think it would be a better life than remaining here," Daniel stated truthfully. "Will you come with us?"

What else could Claire say? "Yes." She would not let Daniel go off with this stranger alone.

Helping her to stand, Daniel ushered his mother slowly out to the main room where Jack was waiting. Jack bowed his head towards her in a gesture of respect. "I am honoured that you are joining us, madam."

Claire smiled at him, disarmed by the charm that radiated from the prince. "And I'm grateful that you saved my son, your Highness."

"It was my pleasure." Jack looked at Daniel as the young man started to collect items. "What are you doing?" he queried.

"Just gathering some clothes and my books," Daniel explained. "I don't want to leave them here."

Jack could understand that. However... "Daniel, we're not leaving till morning. If it's alright with your mother to sleep here for the night, that is."

"That's fine. If your men don't mind sleeping on the floor," Claire felt she had to explain.

"We've slept in worse places," Jack told her with a grin that hid the pain from his arm. "We have provisions that we would like to share with you in exchange, and then in the morning, we can be on our way."

"Of course." Claire smiled at him. The prince seemed very nice; maybe it wouldn't be too bad for Daniel to be his lover for awhile.

***

After the meal, Jack's men stretched out on the floor of the main room, as did the prince himself. When Daniel had protested at this, Jack had simply said, "I won't put you out of your bed, and if I sleep with you, your virtue won't be safe, so I'll sleep out here." Then, since there were no eyes to watch them, Jack gently pressed his lips to Daniel's. "Goodnight."

"G-goodnight," Daniel stammered, disconcerted by the intimate touch. There were tingles throughout his body at the simple action and he realised that it was desire. He desired Jack. The knowledge was strange and whirled around in his mind until the events of the day caught up with him and he fell onto his bed, exhausted. Sleep came almost immediately.

***

The next morning, everyone was up early, ready to head out at first light. Claire was assisted to mount one of the horses, and then one of Jack's guards climbed on behind her, ready to protect her if necessary. Jack settled himself behind Daniel and then looked at Claire. "Is there anything you wish to take, madam?"

"No," Claire shook her head. She did not own many clothes, and she had noticed that Daniel had brought them out in the bundle. Everything else were just things, items such as pots for cooking, that held no sentimental value. Everything of her husband's was gone, bartered for food. The only thing left that she held dear was Daniel.

"Well then, we'd best be off." The sooner they were home, the better.

***

After two weeks of solid riding, the party finally arrived at Jack's castle. Well, not his castle, rather the King's, but Jack called it home anyway. During the last few weeks, he had got to know Daniel very well, and he thought Claire had done a wonderful job in raising the young man. And Jack still wanted Daniel very much. In fact, he would go so far as to say that he was in love with Daniel. Now all he needed was the appropriate time to tell Daniel that.

During the journey, Claire was the perfect chaperone, ensuring that all Jack could steal from Daniel were kisses and nothing more. And as she watched the respect with which Jack treated her son, she knew he was the right partner for Daniel.

Jack's homecoming was treated with great joy, especially once word got about as to how he had fought a dragon and won. Daniel and Claire were treated like royalty, both given their own suite of rooms in the castle. There was a celebration feast that went on for hours and it was well past midnight by the time that Jack sought Daniel out.

He found the scholar in the second of the suite's bedrooms, fast asleep. Jack sat on the edge of the bed and just stared down at the young man, fascinated. Daniel looked so young, so vulnerable and innocent, and Jack liked that very much. But he had also discovered that under that beautiful exterior lay a stubborn and intelligent soul, and Jack had been surprised to discover that he liked arguing with Daniel just to see the scholar's passionate expressions. No wonder he had fallen in love with the man.

Jack leaned down and kissed Daniel's cheek, then left the room. He would have to speak to his father about the wedding ceremony soon; he didn't want to wait too much longer to make Daniel his.

***

Daniel didn't see Jack until late afternoon the next day and even then it was only to discover that they would be married in a weeks' time. After that, there was a flurry of activity within the castle: food had to be planned and cooked; important people had to be invited; outfits had to be made; and proclamations had to be written. Daniel hardly saw Jack during that time and it made him long for the prince's company even more.

When he confessed this longing to his mother, who had commented on his sad expression, she told him that he was falling in love. Daniel couldn't believe that and had tried to argue with her but Claire had been adamant, and had told many stories to back her claim. Finally, Daniel accepted the inevitable - he loved Jack.

***

Neither Daniel or Jack remembered much about the ceremony after it was over, only that it was very long. After it was completed, they went to Jack's bedroom for their first night together.

Jack took his time teaching Daniel about the art of love-making. He undressed Daniel slowly, touching every inch of skin that he could, and encouraged his consort to do the same. When they finally made it to the bed, both men were very aroused and eager to begin the final act. Jack carefully prepared Daniel to accommodate his erection, heightening both of their arousals.

Daniel lay on his back, Jack covering his body as he was slowly breached for the first time. There was sharp pain to begin with as his body stretched to allow Jack's rigid shaft inside and then it faded to a dull ache. When Jack started moving, tenderly, lovingly, Daniel understood why some men in his former kingdom had broken the law. This felt so good.

Long minutes passed as the two men rocked together, Jack barely thrusting but instead concentrating on making this pleasurable for Daniel. In the end, though, desire overcame them both and the movements became harder and faster.

Eventually, Jack stiffened and shot his seed deep into Daniel's body, his hips still thrusting as each spurt left him. Daniel, excited by this new sensation, came with a gasp, his seed spilling out of him in short, sharp bursts.

After a minute, Jack turned onto his side, keeping Daniel with him, his flaccid penis still resting inside his lover's body. His fingers stroked Daniel's back, soothing away the tremors of post-coital bliss.

"I never knew it could be like that," Daniel eventually said, calm enough to be able to form the words.

"I know." Jack remembered his own first time and his shock at the pleasure he had received. "I take it you enjoyed it?"

Daniel chuckled and almost shyly kissed Jack on the mouth. "Very much."

"Good. Get some rest and we'll go again in a few hours. You in me."

"All right." That sounded very good to him. "I love you, Jack," Daniel murmured as sleep began to pull him in.

"I love you too, Daniel," Jack replied softly, holding the young man close. It had taken him a long time but finally he had found the one he would spend the rest of his life with.