by Andromeda
Philomena moaned softly and pulled him into a darkened corner before she pressed her lips to his. He kissed her as if he was a dying man, as if the only thing able to save him was her kisses. His hands played at her waist as he pulled her deeper into her kiss, pressing against her teeth with his tongue, asking for entrance. She gave it willingly.
Their tongues danced as she groaned, arching her body up, pressing the swell of breasts against his hardened chest. He gasped softly and pulled away, both of them panting softly from desire.
“Y…You have changed greatly, my princess,” he said, his voice thick.
“I could say the same thing about you,” she said back, looking him over.
They both had changed greatly since they had last seen each other. Abeeku had filled out; he was taller and a lot more muscular from the hard marching and constant fighting. His hands were larger, rougher and callouses on them. As for Philomena, she had gotten a bit taller; she was all woman now. With lush curves, full lips, budding breasts and a squeezable rear, Abeeku knew that he was going to have a very hard time keeping his hands to himself.
“I’ve missed you so much,” she whispered, cupping his cheek.
“I’ve missed you, too,” he said, kissing her palm and playfully biting the plump flesh at the base of her thumb.
“A whole year…” she sighed.
“Well, if you want to be technical; it was a year and two months,” he chuckled.
“Oh, will you just shut up?” she giggled and pulled him back for another kiss.
He was taken aback by the new boldness around her, but that didn’t stop him from pressing against her. His hands slid up and down her waist before he groaned, forcing himself to pull away.
“I am trying to defend your honor, my lady…” he said with a slight frown.
“My honor and virginity I am giving to you,” she said firmly. “I have already decided that.”
His eyebrows shot up in shock. “What…”
“So much has happened while you were gone, Abeeku,” she said. “You might want to sit down for this…”
It took a bit, but Philomena explained all that had happened and Abeeku found it a bit shocking, but he wasn’t surprised. Philomena was a very smart girl; it didn’t surprise him one bit that she had been chosen to be the heir to the throne. However, when he heard that Matthias planned on leaving soon to travel the world, that did worry him a bit.
“He is taking people with him, right?” he asked her.
“Of course,” Philomena said nodding. “But I shall still miss him.”
“I will, too,” he said nodding. “But we both know that he’ll be fine. Is he taking anyone we know with him?”
“Adonia,” she said. “Which shocked me as I thought that they hated each other.”
Abeeku’s lips curved into a knowing smile. “Oh, trust me, I know they don’t hate each other.”
Philomena crossed her arms. “Is there something that you know that I don’t?”
Abeeku chuckled. “It’s not my place to say, but know that they aren’t the enemies they portray themselves to be.”
Philomena wanted to ask more questions, but Abeeku pulled her into his arms, silencing her with a kiss.
Chapter Six
“I say we attack while the Spartans are weak!” a Councilman shouted.
“My lord, the Spartans have proved time and time again that they are anything but weak,” another Councilman said.
Darius groaned and rubbed his temples; this endless fussing seeming to feed his pounding headache. For the last couple of weeks, his council had argued in attacking Sparta, who had been recently put down several small rebellions over the past year. They were not big rebellions, but enough to be annoying. However, the Spartans had brutally put them down, but Darius’s council wished to continue to annoy them by staging a mini invasion of one of their nearby territories that the Empire had been eyeing for a while.
Darius didn’t want to do it, but he could tell that the council’s mind was set and they were going to do this whether he wanted to or not. Not only that, but he could sense that they were slightly angry with him. If he were his father, they would have left a long time ago, yet he wasn’t. Darius knew he had to prove himself, so he raised his hand and cleared his throat for silence.
“I say we go…and show these Spartans that they have been very lax with their rule among the lands,” he said in a loud and clear voice.
The plan was made; they would stage several raids on their targets, stealing whatever they could get their hands on. When everyone left, Darius returned to his chambers and found Amani lying naked on the bed, waiting for him.
“My king…” she purred. “I have waited for so long…”
He grinned. If there was one thing that would make him happy, it was being between her thighs. Pulling off his clothes, he climbed into the bed, and got lost in her body. The council wanted to raid the Spartan territories; that was fine with him. What should he care? They would take the fall for it…right?
Wrong.
Word was brought to Rhodogune on what the council was planning, and she was furious. She quickly rose from her chambers and stormed down the halls, searching for her son. She ignored the moans coming from his chambers and burst inside, making Amani scream and sit up, using her hands to cover herself.
“Out, slut!” Rhodogune barked to the girl. “Before I have you boiled in oil!”
The girl whimpered in fright and pulled on her clothes, but she shot the King Mother a glare so cold hell might have frozen over. Your time will come soon, old woman…
Rhodogune turned to her son, her own glare cold as she leaned over him. “What is this I hear about war with Sparta?”
“It’s not war, mother,” Darius said, wrapping a robe around his waist. “We are just raiding.”
“Thieves raid,” Rhodogune hissed. “Foolhardy people do something that stupid! You will bring the wrath of Sparta upon this empire’s head!”
“I can do whatever I want, mother!” Darius shouted, trying to pull himself up to his fullest height. “I am king!”
Rhodogune struck him hard across the face as she glared down at him. “I see no king here! I see a boy! A boy who got pressured into doing something severely stupid! Your father already shamed himself in going against Sparta! Do not make the same mistake!”
*******
Philomena moaned softly as Abeeku slowly slid his fingers up her thighs, caressing the tender flesh. A year had passed since he had returned and once again, they both had grown. Philomena looked completely like a woman, now that she was in her 16th year; Abeeku was completely a man now that he was in his 18th year. Both of them were of the age to marry, and they already knew who they were going to do it with.
Abeeku had talked to Zenobia, and she gave permission for them to court, for the moment. Zenobia had a hidden plan, a plan that she knew would work, but she had to somehow convince Philomena to do it…
The young couple lay in a private part of the gardens, the warm sun warming their blood and increasing their desire for the other. Abeeku kissed up her neck before he rolled them over so that she was on top of him. Pulling up her dress, he bared her core and pressed it down against his hardness that was straining against his own tunic. Both of them moaned softly as she began to grind against him; him feeling her heat and wetness.
He bounced her against himself, both of them panting as their paces increased, and his grip on her waist tightened. She bent down, pressing her lips to his again, flicking her tongue against his own, as she moaned his name softly. The past year for them had been very…educational as they had learned several new things that they could do.
Philomena threw her head back with a gasp as she reached her peak; Abeeku groaned as he did the same. His hand reached up and playfully squeezed her breast, before sliding it down her stomach.
“How much longer must we wait, until we can do the real thing?” he asked lazily.
“Just one more year…” she answere
d. “I will be 17 and you will be 19. Until then, we will have to find satisfaction in rubbing against each other.”
She rolled off him and he grinned, wrapping an arm around her. “I just ruined another tunic…”
“You’ve ruined a great many tunics doing that…” she said grinning before kissing his lips and sighing, rolling over to look at the sky. “Remember when we were young…and we would watch the clouds?”
“Of course,” he said, running a hand through her curls. “You always thought they were the strangest things…”
She giggled softly. “Do you ever wish you could fly? Like the birds?”
“That would be something,” he said with a grin. “To soar through the sky and air…I wish such a thing could be.”
She smiled and leaned close for another kiss, but the shouts of a servant made her pull away. Philomena frowned and stood up, looking around. Several servants were running and yelling, and then she saw a cluster gathering, moving as one like a hive of bees. Her eyes widened when she saw a flash of gold in the middle, which could only be her mother. Philomena quickly fixed her clothes and hair, before stepping out of the hidden spot and walking into view.
“Hello, Mama,” she said, bowing her head slightly in respect. “Might I ask what is going on?”
“The Persians are trying to grow a pair of balls,” Zenobia hissed, not stopping her long strides, forcing Philomena to keep up. “And I have gotten reports from some of our territories that Persia has been staging raids on them. I am taking a portion of the army to handle this.”
Philomena’s heart seized a moment. “W…Will Abeeku be going with you?”
“Of course,” Zenobia snapped. “He is my Head General. You will be coming, too.”
“What?” Philomena gasped. “W…Why?”
“You are the heir,” Zenobia explained irritably. “Thus, you must go. Now go and tell your servants to pack a month’s amount of clothing. We will be leaving tonight.”
Philomena knew that she didn’t have a choice, so she did as instructed. Later that night, she was mounted on top of a horse, and was thundering down the roads at her mother’s side.
The last time she had gone to war, she had lost her father, and Philomena couldn’t help but worry and wonder if she was going to lose her mother too this time. She knew that she shouldn’t be thinking such things as the gods might hear it and put thought to action, but she couldn’t help it. She wondered if she was really ready to rule on her own, if she was truly capable of ruling like her mother. There wasn’t a woman on earth like her mother, she knew; Zenobia was one of a kind. She just hoped that when the time came, she would be able to stand on her own.
*******
“The Queen Regent of Sparta is here,” a messenger announced. “…and with an army…”
The council looked among themselves, shocked and confused. They hadn’t expected the African woman to react so quickly. They had only recently begun to invade the lands, and had taken over several small towns; nothing special, but it was better than nothing. They were without words, though, and very frightened. They all sat in a tent, with Darius among them, and before this intrusion were planning on their next target.
“Where is she?” one of the Councilmen asked.
The messenger opened his mouth, but quickly shut it, as he was shoved aside by a large, heavily muscled man that clearly wasn’t Persian. The council all leapt to their feet in shock, thinking that someone had invaded. There were several men who marched into the tent, and behind them came two women. Both were tall with dark brown skin, and it didn’t take a scientist to know who they were.
“Q…Queen Zenobia…” one of the Councilmen stammered. “What…What do we owe this honor?”
“I wish I could say this was an honorable visit,” Zenobia snapped at him. “I was getting ready for dinner a couple of days ago and found out that my lands were being invaded. I found that highly irritating.”
“M…My Queen,” another Councilman stammered, though they were all humbled by her powerful aura. “W…We didn’t mean any harm.”
“Oh, really?” Zenobia said sharply, turning her head to glare at him. “So what do you call the invasion of several of my lands and cities? A ‘misunderstanding’?”
They all grew silent, and Philomena was amazed that her mother had seized control so quickly, and so powerfully. Everyone was practically bowing to the older woman, which made Philomena herself feel very self-conscious.
What if I can’t control people like this, she thought to herself. What if they all laughed at me…instead of acting like this…
Zenobia’s eyes scanned the crowd and when she saw Darius, she pointed. “You there, boy, you are the so-called ‘king’?”
Darius knew that he couldn’t afford to seem weak. So, he stood up, pulled himself to his fullest height and slowly walked down to stand before her. “Yes, I am.”
Zenobia sniffed in disdain. “My son Matthias looks more like a king than you. Some king you are, as you broke the treaty that was made after the death of your father. Or do you forget what happened to him?”
Darius flushed; the tent was silent. This was an open insult and a veiled threat; everyone knew it. He didn’t know how to react to this, though, as the woman was making him dizzy. Her aura was too powerful; she both looked and acted like someone who had the right to rule, and had been ruling for a very long time. When she took a step forward, he couldn’t help but flinch.
“So here is how things will go,” Zenobia said firmly. “We’re going to pretend your little ‘stunt’ never happened and you’ll give me back what you stole. Not just that, but I most likely am going to double the tribute you send to me.”
“Double?” Darius repeated.
“Yes, double,” Zenobia mocked him. “Or are you a bird that repeats what I say? I am doubling your tribute payment, or else you can feel the might of the Spartan army. Is that what you want?”
Darius set his jaw. “No.”
“Good,” Zenobia said nodding. “We are finished here then.”
She turned away, and as she did so, the brown-skinned girl looked back at him and tilted her head curiously. Darius had no idea who she was, yet there was something transfixing about her.
Maybe she’s a slave? He thought to himself. A very pretty slave…
Philomena followed her mother out, yet she couldn’t help but look at the boy-king who was in turn looking back at her. For a moment, their eyes locked and there was a jolt through them. Abeeku, who was among the guards, frowned slightly and gently placed a hand on Philomena’s shoulder, in order to remind her that they must leave. For some reason, that irritated Darius and he glared at the African man, before turning back to the young woman; his eyes never leaving her until she had disappeared. He turned to his council and saw that they were still in awe of what had just happened with the Spartan Queen Regent, and he swallowed. They were all royally screwed if they tried to mess with her again.
Chapter Seven
To my dearest sister,
It’s been a while since we talked, little Mena. I’ve been away from Sparta for two years now and you wouldn’t believe all that I’ve seen. There are so many kinds of people in this great land; I am surprised that the world could hold us all.
I miss you all; mother, the little ones, and of course, you. It feels strange not having my twin around, not waking up to look at the person I shared a womb with. We’ve been through a lot, my sister, and I want you to know that I am both safe and well cared for. Instead of traveling the world by ship, like Mama wanted, traveling by land is a lot better. With Adonia at my side, I couldn’t be happier.
I don’t know when this letter will reach you, but I do want you to know that Adonia and I have married. I know you might think that I’m too young for it, as I’m only 17, but we love each other. I know it might be hard to accept this, as we always seemed to be at each other’s throats, but we were forced to hide it.
At the time, I was thought to be the heir to the throne
, and marriages were being pressed upon me. The only woman that I’ve ever loved was Adonia, but I knew the council would never accept her. For me, I would have to marry a princess or something close to it, so I knew I had to escape from their clutches.
I hope you don’t think me selfish, but I knew that I wouldn’t be a good king and the dynasty that Mama had planned would have been ruined because of me. So, I had to leave, but I know you can do it, my sister. I also know that you have taken Abeeku to bed, though not in a physical sense. Please be careful, as not everyone will be happy, but it shouldn’t truly matter to them. The only true thing that should matter is your happiness; once you find that, you don’t need anything else.
I must go now, but will continue to send you letters as soon as I can.
All my love,
Matthias
*******
Philomena smiled as she looked at Matthias’s letter, the most recent in a series. Ever since her brother had left, she would admit she’d felt a bit sad, but she enjoyed reading them. Sometimes gifts came along with them, and they were both shocking and amazing to her. From exotic animals, spices, plants and fabrics; they never seemed to end, as she got new ones virtually every week.
At her feet, Hera chewed on a large cow thigh-bone; around her neck, a golden collar from a country called China. Philomena never heard of the place, yet when Matthias sent a map of his making, there was a very crude outline of a place marked ‘China’.
He told her that China was a magical place with men who threw sticks of fire, wore clothes made of the softest material and drank tea. Of course, tea came in different shapes and forms, but this kind of tea was special, he insisted. The gift that came along with this letter was a large bundle of different kinds of dried tea leaves. With them came instructions, and she planned on trying them out soon.