Royal Thanks

It was the middle of the night. The moon shone brightly, illuminating the otherwise unlit corridors.

Iolaus was walking; rambling quietly through the mostly empty halls, unable to sleep, thoughts awhirl. The adrenaline of the evening’s daring rescue combined with spinning thoughts of Niobe, Orestes, Hector and Hercules, made sleep impossible. Most of the palace guards were still unaware of all that had happened, and any who saw him assumed he was Orestes and did not challenge his right to be wandering the halls at such an hour.

Iolaus sighed. It was loneliness that was truly eating away at him. He missed Hercules. Missed the friendship, the camaraderie. But it was more than that, he longed for the relationship they’d never had. Never would have. Hercules didn’t love him that way. Iolaus knew it. No one did. A good time? Sure, they’d all come to him for that, but never anything serious, anything permanent. He’d learned a long time ago to accept that, to settle for what people were willing to offer. And he made sure that everyone got the good time they were looking for, though it did little to ease his own heart.

Shaking aside the solemn thoughts Iolaus stopped, taking a good look at his surroundings. Somehow, his wandering mind had led his feet to the royal wing. He was standing at the end of the short hallway leading to his... to Orestes’ bedchamber.

Turning to go, Iolaus paused. Something was missing. He turned back, scanning the hallway again. There was no guard on the door. Where was Hector? Iolaus knew nothing short of a disaster would pull the man-at-arms away from his post. Frowning, he’d only taken a single step in the direction of the royal suite, when Iolaus heard muffled shouts coming from Orestes’ bedchamber.

Running, he slammed open the door, crying “Orestes!”

Iolaus skidded to a halt just inside the doorway, eyes quickly scanning the room, searching for the threat. Seeing no immediate danger, he relaxed a little, turning toward the bed. There he saw Orestes, sitting wide-eyed in bed, surrounded by rumpled bedclothes. There was shuffling movement from a rather large hidden form under the covers next to him. But although Orestes slapped lightly at the huddled mass once or twice, he did not seem to be in any jeopardy.

“Iolaus?” Orestes questioned, obviously fighting a need to squirm. He pushed again at the lump of covers, sliding away to the side.

Iolaus felt the flush move over his cheeks and down his neck. He was obviously interrupting, and wanted nothing so much as to be excused before Niobe emerged from under the rumpled sheets. “Please forgive the intrusion, Your Highness, I’m so sorry.”

Silence from Orestes prompted Iolaus to fill the quiet with further explanation. “I was walking past, and I didn’t see Hector, and then I heard the shouting, and I knew there must be trouble because Hector wouldn’t leave his post except in the most serious situation...” Iolaus let his voice drift to silence, sudden clarity stealing the rest of the apology. Not Niobe.

Tousled silver grey hair emerged from the blankets, followed by disconcerted blue eyes and flushed cheeks.

Hector. Iolaus closed his eyes with an almost inaudible groan, wishing only that the floor would open up and swallow him. When Iolaus opened his eyes again Orestes stood before him, wrapping a silken robe loosely about himself.

“Cousin,” Orestes smiled, attempting to diffuse some of the tension, “you continue to come to my rescue, though you should be resting your own wounds?” He glanced pointedly at the bandage wrapping Iolaus’ arm and the cut across his chest.

Iolaus shook his head, still having difficulty meeting Orestes’ eyes. “They’re nothing really.” He smiled. “I’ve had worse shaving.”

Orestes raised an eyebrow at that, but did not argue the point. Raising his hand to clasp Iolaus’ uninjured arm, he looked straight into identical blue eyes, holding Iolaus’ gaze and said only, “You saved my kingdom.”

“Your Highness, if anyone saved your kingdom, it was Hector.”

Hector slid across to sit on the edge of the bed, still holding the sheets across his lap. “I was only doing my duty.”

“Your duty has always been to serve the monarchy.” Orestes smiled in Hector’s direction. “Many would have simply transferred their loyalty to Minos once he was crowned King in my place. You went well beyond the call of duty, Hector.”

“My duty, my loyalty, has always been to you, Highness. I will have only one King.”

Orestes felt his belly curl at the soft promise in Hector’s words, as he turned to speak to his cousin, “And you, Iolaus, you also were well beyond the call of duty. You had no obligation to this kingdom, or to a distant relative you’d never even met before. And yet, you risked your life to save mine, to save Attica.”

“Truly Sire, it was Hector who saved your kingdom. He convinced me to play the part. Without his help I’d never have succeeded. And besides that, he saved my life, more than once.”

“Then perhaps we both owe Hector... our thanks.” Orestes murmured with a suggestive smile and wink in Iolaus’ direction, as he padded softly to sit next to Hector. He pulled Hector into a kiss, at the same time reaching out to beckon Iolaus closer.

“Ma-jesty,” Hector moaned, pulling away from the soft lips brushing his own.

“Hec-tor,” Orestes teased back.

Iolaus hesitated only a moment more before joining his cousin, sitting on Hector’s other side. He reached a tentative hand toward Hector, stopping the motion in mid-air. Orestes reached out, laying his hand on the back of Iolaus’, twining their fingers together and bringing them to rest against the crisp curls on Hector’s chest.

Hector turned his head toward Iolaus, questioning.

“Only if you want it, Hector.” Iolaus whispered, not removing his hand from its resting place.

Hector didn’t hesitate at all. Looking from his monarch, the man he loved, on his left, to Orestes’ golden cousin on his right. To spend the rest of the night with two such beautiful men devoting all their attention to him? It would be the stuff of dreams, a fantasy. Hector’s voice, when he answered, was rough with passion, “oh, I want it.”

Iolaus smiled then, planting a quick kiss on Hector’s jaw before nibbling his way down Hector’s neck toward where his hand rested, still entwined with Orestes’.

Orestes leaned in then, pressing soft licking kisses against Hector’s slightly open mouth. Sucking Hector’s lower lip in, he teased at it gently with his teeth, before drawing Hector’s tongue into his mouth, swallowing Hector’s rumbling groan. Orestes pulled back slightly to survey his handiwork. Hector’s eyes were heavy-lidded with passion, his lips swollen and moist and he had the barest beginnings of whisker burn already. He turned a momentary glance in Iolaus’ direction before moving back to once again capture Hector’s lips.

Iolaus latched his lips around Hector’s right nipple at the same moment as his fingers pinched the left. He felt Hector’s groan as he arched his chest up to get closer to Iolaus’ tormenting lips and fingers. Iolaus swallowed a soft chuckle as he moved lower, feeling Hector’s stomach clench and jump as his tongue followed the arrow of hair down to tease around the navel he sought.

Then, sitting back abruptly, Iolaus and Orestes both moved lower, to kneel on the dais at Hector’s feet. Iolaus picked up Hector’s right foot as Orestes bent to his left. Each began sucking toes, licking, fondling, working their way up Hector’s legs. Iolaus spent a few moments tonguing the back of Hector’s knee until Hector was squirming at the ticklish sensation. Orestes moved higher, teasing along the inside of Hector’s thigh, but not moving any farther. They paused again, leaning back to gaze at Hector.

His head was thrown back, eyes closed, panting breaths causing his chest to heave. His eyes flashed open, “please,” Hector whispered, lifting his head to meet their eyes. Seeing matching smiles in answer, Hector watched the two heads lower. He felt noses brush his hard cock aside as two mouths latched on to his aching balls. He moaned, eyes locked on the sight of the twin golden heads nuzzling at his groin, “Gods above.”

Nuzzling Hector, Iolaus licked and teased at Orestes’ lips. Orestes let his tongue slide across Hector’s balls to lick at Iolaus’ chin. Soon, the two blondes were teasing and tonguing at each other around Hector’s throbbing cock.

“Flip him over,” Iolaus muttered to Orestes, pushing Hector over until he was kneeling on the first step at the edge of the bed, with his elbows on bed, fists clutching the sheets. Iolaus brushed his hands up Hector’s quivering thighs to knead at his ass cheeks. Hector whimpered softly, pressing back into the contact as Iolaus let his thumbs slide across his tight pucker. Iolaus leaned forward blowing warm breath across the clenching hole.

Hector’s whispered “please,” had barely left his lips before Iolaus let his tongue replace the puffs of air teasing Hector’s anus.

Orestes watched with wide-eyed wonder, making mental note of Hector’s every whimpered response. Next time, he thought, I’ll remember exactly what pleased him the most. Orestes let his own fingers smooth up Iolaus’ back beneath his open vest. Moving his other hand to fondle lightly at Hector’s groin, he kept the first hand tickling around Iolaus’ side, seeking his nipples.

Iolaus sighed, pressing into Orestes hand. Lifting his head only a moment from Hector’s ass, he smiled at Orestes, “Pillows,” was all he said, before turning his attention back to Hector. Slipping his fingers into his mouth to moisten them, Iolaus pressed first one, then two, deep into Hector.

Orestes clambered up, grabbing several silken pillows from the head of the bed. Spreading them over the dais steps between Hector’s legs, Orestes lay then, settling two steps lower, leaning back against the bed, face at Hector’s groin. He opened his lips, slipping Hector’s hot cock into his mouth.

Hector grunted, bucking forward as Orestes ran his tongue around the tip of Hector’s cock, flicking against its tiny opening. Then he pressed back against Iolaus’ probing fingers that were tickling against his prostate. Hector began rocking forward and back, faster and faster as the tension built, until with a final shout he came, filling Orestes’ throat with his hot seed as his ass clenched around Iolaus’ fingers.

Hector’s head fell to the bed with a muffled groan as Orestes continued to bathe his softening cock, licking it clean.

“Let’s move this party up onto the bed,” Iolaus suggested, as he offered Orestes a hand up.

“More?” Hector asked incredulously.

“Oh, I think that can be arranged,” Iolaus answered, sharing a wicked grin with Orestes. Helping Orestes to stand, Iolaus slid the silk robe off the young king’s shoulders, letting it fall to pool at Orestes’ feet. Planting a quick kiss on Orestes’ shoulder, Iolaus turned to gather up the pillows left on the floor.

Piling the silk pillows at the head of the bed, Iolaus helped Orestes settle back until he was reclining against them, almost sitting up. Pulling his own vest off, Iolaus settled beside Orestes. Running his fingers up Orestes’ arm to his shoulder Iolaus murmured, “so smooth, so soft.”

Orestes eyes closed a moment, savouring Iolaus’ touch. Then, meeting the hunter’s gaze, Orestes ran his own hands over Iolaus’ chest and back, fingering each scar. “So many marks of courage,” he whispered, before leaning down to press a light kiss against the most recent wound across Iolaus’ chest.

Hector stood back, watching the two men on the bed as they moved into a kiss. It was like some sort of slightly flawed mirror image. Two pairs of bright blue eyes drifted closed; two hands drifted up, one to tangle into slightly tousled golden curls, the other into straighter strands of the same golden colour. After a moment the two pairs of blue eyes opened again, turning their sparkle in his direction.

“Aren’t you going to join us?” It was Orestes who asked.

Hector could only nod, crawling part-way up the bed to lay between his lovers’ legs with his head resting against Orestes’ hip. Working open Iolaus’ belts, Hector fumbled the tight leather pants open enough to pull Iolaus’ straining organ free. He let his fingers toy idly with Iolaus’ cock, while he pressed moist open kisses against Orestes’. Such impressive similarities, he thought.

Returning to his hands and knees for a moment, Hector let his fingers run over Iolaus’ legs, making quick work of removing his boots and remaining clothes, flinging them in various directions as each new bit of Iolaus was revealed.

Then, planting kisses on both men as he moved, Hector climbed up further, straddling Orestes. Locking eyes with his young King, resting one hand on his panting chest, Hector reached behind with the other to guide Orestes’ cock, centering it against his own ready hole. In one smooth stroke, Hector lowered himself, taking Orestes full length into his tight passage.

Orestes gasped, smiling up into his lover’s face. Letting his fingers tease around the flat nipples hidden in Hector’s crinkling chest hair, he leaned up seeking a kiss, as Hector started an excruciatingly slow motion, pulling up until only the tip of Orestes’ length was left inside, then a slow slide back down to the very root.

Iolaus clambered around, grabbing a small flask from the table beside the bed, then moving between Orestes’ legs. He paused a moment, watching Orestes smooth organ sliding in and out as Hector kept his slow up and down rhythm. Leaning in closer, Iolaus extended his tongue, teasing lightly around Orestes’ balls for a few moments, before turning his concentration to the base of Orestes’ cock where it disappeared into Hector’s hole. He heard groans from both Hector and Orestes as he felt Hector’s movements slow, and then stop completely. He pushed his tongue along Orestes’ throbbing cock, probing at Hector’s accommodating anus.

“Hector, have you ever...?” Iolaus started to ask.

“Yes,” Hector felt a jolt of excitement, knowing immediately what Iolaus was thinking. His ass clenched in anticipation. “but it’s been a long time. Go slowly.” His voice was strained, as he panted with desire and a desperate need for oxygen.

Orestes, at the feel of Iolaus’ strong fingers replacing the tongue that had been pushing into Hector, began to squirm, crying out, “Iolaus, what are you...? He can’t. Stop! You’ll hurt him.”

Hector brought his hands to rest on either side of Orestes’ face, pulling his head around to meet his eyes. “I can Majesty. And it will be wondrous. For all of us.” Seeing the doubt warring with the passion in Orestes’ eyes, Hector leaned closer, whispering, “trust us,” before brushing his lips across Orestes’.

Iolaus picked up the small flask of oil. Pulling it open, he poured a generous amount into his hand, smoothing it over his tight cock. Easing his now oil-slick fingers back in along Orestes’ cock, he soothed and stretched Hector’s ass a little more before lining up his own cock. With a slow, steady pressure, Iolaus buried himself in Hector, gasping at the sweet squeeze of Hector’s ass closing around him.

Orestes groaned a deep throaty rumble. He’d never felt anything like this. The tight heat of Hector’s passage was amazingly amplified, smooth walls squeezing tight, pressing his organ against the velvet hardness of Iolaus’ matching length. He couldn’t last. One shallow thrust, two, and he climaxed, mouth open, silently screaming Hector’s name, as tremors continued to wrack his body.

The extra lubrication of Orestes’ orgasm eased the friction, if not the fullness Hector felt. His ass felt so tight, stretched to the limit. The almost-painful pressure, the sense of shifting, as the two cocks inside brushed against each other. Iolaus’ rough fingers around his own cock, expertly matching his body’s pace. Hector’s eyes drifted closed. In his mind he could picture the image they must present, how they would look to someone watching them. He could see himself, lean, strong and silver-haired, sandwiched between these two golden men. Only the heat and pressure inside his ass could convince him this wasn’t just a beautiful dream.

Iolaus’ hands maintained their smooth pumping of Hector’s cock, matching his quick thrusts, rubbing each time against Hector’s prostate. With a wordless shout, Hector climaxed again, shooting through Iolaus’ fingers, all over himself and Orestes.

Iolaus moaned, as Hector clenched around him, bucking his climax. The tight heat intensified, even as he felt Orestes’ softening length slip free. A couple thrusts more and Iolaus lost himself in his own orgasm, collapsing together with the other two men into an exhausted heap.

Some time later, Iolaus stood, carefully extricating himself from the tangle of limbs on the bed. Orestes and Hector lay exhausted, asleep, wrapped contented in each other’s arms. Each was smiling softly with the joy and satisfaction of one who is privileged to sleep in the arms of the man they love.

He just watched them a moment. It was a beautiful sight. They lay together, Orestes’ head pillowed on Hector’s shoulder, arms wrapped snugly around each other. Hector’s fingers were loosely tangled in Orestes’ hair, their flaccid organs nestled together, Hector’s ass still red, tender and stretched, drooling cum.

Finally, Iolaus moved away, picking up his scattered clothes, dressing quietly as he went. He crept from the bedchamber and settled himself outside the door, standing guard over the sleeping lovers, hoping that when they woke in the morning they’d realise what they’d found with each other, how very lucky they were.

Tomorrow he’d leave, travelling back to the cross-roads to meet Herc. Iolaus sighed, yearning for the chance to one day see Hercules laying in a bed, sweaty and satisfied after taking Iolaus’ cock deep into his ass; equally longing to be the one left tender and stretched around Hercules’ massive organ.

He shook his head. Wishing was pointless. At least he had Herc’s friendship. It would have to be enough.

In a glittering sparkle of light, Aphrodite materialised, giggling softly, aware the hunter could not see or hear her. “Wishes do come true Sweetcheeks. Orestes and Hector could tell you that.”