As Prince Toma had hoped, Raven Fendrier was chosen to guard his chambers, and the Captain of the Guard, Tenson was called out on a mission in the forests on the other side of the village, which relieved the prince of the nervous worry that the man would advance on him again. "Raven wouldn't let him do that to me...but they're friends. It could happen. I'll just sleep with my sword under the bed." After a few months, Prince Toma dismissed the possibility, and stopped worrying about it. Tenson wouldn't be so stupid as to assault him inside the castle, and Toma didn't feel like venturing out to the village like he used to. Elenora had her own spacious bedroom on the floor above him, in case of flooding or some other ground-related accident. The only friends he needed were close by, so he was happy, and more enthusiastic about going to court, since Raven would be there to make him smile. He realized that every time he saw Raven, his cheeks and ears would become warm. Norton his advisor kept pushing the concept of marriage at him, which enraged Toma to no end. He would be turning seventeen in a few days, and therefore would be able to make his own decisions for everything. He heard rumors fluttering around that Norton was determined on the subject of the prince marrying because the advisor planned to wed him, himself. It was apalling, and Toma could barely stand to look the man in the face, anymore. He dismissed his advising services, but promised he would keep his home and all his stock, so he could live comfortably. He wanted there to be no injured feelings, but that was not to be. Norton's plan to have Toma had been thwarted, and only God knew who had ratted him out. None of the servants would tell him. On the day he was to move from the castle back to his villa, Norton came to the throne room for the last time. He had a question to ask, and a chance he had been waiting for his whole advisor career, and he planned to take it.
Toma and Raven would talk about Tenson's habits and strategic plans in the afternoons, so Norton knew he could only get at the prince at night, late, when the guards were drowsy. He knew of the perfect illegal powder to ensure he was not interrupted. "Toma never warmed up to me. I began this job when he was only a baby, so he didn't even meet me until he was five. He didn't like the look of a man telling his father what to do. I admire that about the prince, but his innocence and soft figure I find much more endearing." Powder in hand, Norton went up the cold stone steps to Toma's bedchambers, where there would be eight guards to drug. After taking care of that, he pilfered a key off the biggest man, whom he knew to be Fendrier's cousin, and unlocked the door. Toma lay asleep inside the pearly white canopy of his uniquely-carved bed, on his side. Norton exhaled in appreciation when the boy's dense, golden blond curls slid over his soft face as he stirred. "A boy could only get such curls from his mother. He's too feminine and beauteous to not get targeted in his own castle." The man locked the double doors behind him, and put the key in his cloak pocket, before approaching the resting place of his long-kept-secret beloved. "I was hoping to give you my gift on the night of your birthday, but the rumors scared you a bit too soon, didn't they, love?" While he spoke, he sprinkled the tiniest amount of powder on Toma, just so he would be in too deep a sleep to react to Norton until after he had him bound to the bed. "Toma...My, you've matured so much." He buried his hand in the prince's hair, gently holding his head in place. "My first gift...Your first kiss." Blushing deeply with the idea of that, Norton slid his other hand up Toma's nightshirt, the one only article of clothing he had on besides his underwear, and kissed his lips. On the edge of sleep, Toma felt something nudge his lips open and enter his mouth, going for his tongue. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling, and he could feel a hand sliding over the back of his thigh, groping gently. The hot thing in his mouth retreated, and attacked his nipple, making him cry out. He heard someone softly shush him, and say that it would feel even better than that, very soon. Telling him to relax, and he would know ecstasy. His eyes snapped open, in horror. Tenson's words had been almost exactly that! It couldn't be a coincidence what was happening to him, now! And it couldn't be a dream, either. It was too close, too wet...too hot...He heard himself panting. "No...This is wrong! Why can't I move?! HELP! RAVEN!!" The same wet, hot thing breached him, wiggling inside where he knew it didn't belong, but he couldn't even close his legs to make the intruder stop moving. "It hurts! Stop! Stop!" "I've come too far, my prince. I've waited long to get what I want, and I shall have it!" "Norton! Please! I'll give you anything you want if you stop, I promise! Anything but this!" Norton lapped at his nipples, making Toma shiver and arch his back. "Mmm, so warm and soft. Toma, you must see that I cannot let you go. I love you, and I must show you how much." "Please release me, I beg you, Norton! Don't do this!" Norton climbed on top of Toma, silencing him by putting his tongue through his lips and fondling his until he was breathless. "How dare you refuse me when you're so aroused, yourself? You're enjoying this, admit it." Norton paused. "Or...Is it another's face you see? Answer me, boy, or I'll drive into you right now!" Toma struggled as wildly as he could. "Who would be enjoying this? You're hurting me! And I'm not thinking of anyone else, I'm just scared!" Norton wrapped his arms around the sobbing boy, petting his hair, and kissing his sensitive neck. "It was never my intention to hurt you, but I've lost patience with you, Toma. You will become mine this night, and you've no say in it." Toma gave a loud choking noise, and tried to turn onto his side, but Norton just used his position to bend down and tongue inside him, again, holding his leg over his shoulder so he couldn't escape. "Mine...All mine!" he thought, increasing his thrusts, causing Toma to gasp and scream and claw his sheets. "Let me go! No more! Help me!!" "Or maybe I should insert my finger and speed this along?" Norton suggested, more to himself. "It looks so pink and inviting..." "NONONONONO!" screamed Toma. "No, I'll give you anything! Please stop, please!" "I may go harder by accident if you don't be quiet," Norton growled. "There's no use screaming because no one can hear you, and all your little cries only excite me more." Toma laid his head defeatedly on his pillow and waited for the intolerable pain Norton's finger would cause, but there was a low thunk, and Norton slid off the bed. "Who's there?" cried Toma. "Your Highness! Oh, thank God you're alright!" In tears, Raven climbed the rest of the way in through the prince's balcony window, and unbound Toma, whimpering his apologies for not reaching him sooner. "Oh, if only I had killed him this morning when he took powder out of my stores!" he sobbed. "Toma, Your Highness, I'm so sorry! Please forgive me!" Toma dried his own eyes before reaching out his arms to Raven. "I-I heard you screaming from the downstairs hall -the ceiling has a loose stone or two, we'll fix that tomorrow- and I climbed the rope ladder from the ground all the way up to save you. I only hoped I wouldn't reach you too late..." "Thank the Lord for you, Raven, or he would've raped me. He was in the process of it..." "Shhh, shhh, oh, darling, I'm so sorry!" Raven got onto the bed before realizing what he was doing and gathered Toma's naked form gently into his arms. "D-Darling?" thought Toma. "Raven...He doesn't know what he's saying. I'm probably only the damn prince to him..." Raven stayed on the bed with Toma all night, until they both fell asleep. In the morning, there was a rather loud and urgent knock on the door. "Norton, you slippery bastard! What've you done to His Majesty! Open the door or we'll break it down!"
Too weary from last night's assault, neither Toma nor Raven could wake up. The awakened guards outside the chamber broke the door open, and froze before the bed, where Raven slept, holding a naked Prince Toma. "Fendrier?!" "Raven?!" Raven's cousin Sedric couldn't believe what he was seeing, and soon he was crying. "We have to arrest him. He drugged us and broke in here." "Why would he need to attack us? His Highness gave me a key! All he had to do was ask me and I would've given it to him! My cousin was downstairs when we were drugged with that dust!" "Only he is in posession of such chemical magic!" yelled the leader guard, angrily. "Someone stole it from him! He said it was Norton, but the quack ran off before he could stop him! Norton attempted to rape the prince! That's the only logical explanation!" said Sedric, unable to keep from weeping. "That or you're just afraid to admit to yourself that your cousin Raven did it. For crimes against the crown, Raven Fendrier must be put to death." "NO!" "Take Sedric to sit down. The man can't even stand on his own." "He didn't do it, sir! Ask His Highness!" "God's wounds, stop yelling! What the blast are you all doing in here this early in the morning? I-I'm not even clothed! Avert your eyes this instant!" Toma was awake and screaming shrilly, which Raven found incredibly adorable, but then he looked up at what he was screaming at. "Oh, no..." All eight men turned their backs, faces red. "Y-Your Thighness--I mean Highness! Forgive me! Raven is suspected of putting us to sleep and breaking in here to defile you, Your Grace!" "What! You're all idiots to think that! Look at the facts, damn you!" yelled Toma, dressing in whatever clothing was closest in his wardrobe, and hiding under his blankets. "Not dignified, not dignified at all!" he kept saying, outraged. Raven nuzzled his cheek softly and whispered for him to calm down. "Thank goodness we're both under the covers so they didn't see that!" thought Toma, blushing. He sat up straight again, clearing his throat. "First of all, you ask the victim if they saw their attacker, which I did! It was Norton! Raven had to climb up the rope ladder I had installed in case of an emergency! You had better praise him for thinking of it!" Sedric would have smiled if he weren't scared to death. "Norton came a moment from raping me! Raven deserves a medal and knighthood for dispatching this depraved lunatic!" He jabbed his finger at the dead man at the foot of his bed. "And for God's sake, someone remove that thing from my sight!" Three guards nodded sheepishly and hauled Norton out. "Norton stole the powder from Raven's cupboards! Raven caught him doing it! Sedric, are you alright? Do you need a drink of water?" The prince stood, wearing a plain white tunic and fawn-hide breeches. He looked rather common, pouring water into a goblet from his glass pitcher. All the nine men around him noticed it. "Your Highness, have you been going out in disguise again?" asked the guard who'd been accusing Raven. "Yes, if it's any of your business, Zacharie," Toma said, not quite yet calm from his spout of yelling. "Your Highness! It's dangerous!" "I'm aware! I was assaulted in the village by Tenson, but for two months I've said nothing about it!" thought the boy, fuming as he crossed the room and gave Sedric the filled goblet. "Drink up, Sedric. Wounds, you look so pale!" He placed a gentle hand on the twenty-six-year-old's head, checking for a fever. Sedric blushed at his tenderness, and drank his water. "See! He's burning up! Look at those cheeks!" "I think he's alright, Your Majesty," said Raven, softly. "He just never expected you to be so sweet." "Raven!" Zacharie glared at the younger Fendrier. "Your friendliness towards His Highness borders on insolence!" "Zacharie, leave. I'll not tolerate that kind of talk, especially towards your fellow knight," said Toma, dangerously. "I'll speak to you all at the next conference I schedule. For now, the rest of you go get some bedrest. You all look white as my sheets. Sedric, and Raven, I must speak to you both." "Yes, Your Highness," they answered, as Zacharie and the others tromped down the stairs.
"I'm so thankful you weren't violated, Your Highness," whispered Sedric, kneeling in front of the bed and kissing Toma's hand. Sedric was just as handsome as Raven, except his hair was more curls, less wave. Toma fancied its deep reddish-chocolate mix of color. It swirled in just the right areas. "They have a handsomely-bred family, it seems," Toma thought, his mind not on what the two cousins were talking about. He was only aware Sedric was still holding the hand he'd kissed. It reminded him of the memory in the village when Raven had held his hand longer than he'd meant to. Toma's cheeks then bore a deep rose hue, which shadowed across his nose, as well. Raven noticed, and misunderstood why Toma looked so lovely and wistful. "D-Does he like my cousin or something?" he thought, almost hurt. "But...I-I saved you." When Sedric finally let his hand go, the prince moved closer to where his savior was sitting, who looked unhappy. "Raven, my dove, what is the matter?" Toma reached out his hands and cradled Raven's face in them, jostling his head a little. Raven found the familiar gesture soothing, like Toma had always done it when he was anxious. He ignored the irony that his name was a dark, crow-like fowl, while a dove was a white, gentle little bird. "Maybe Toma likes me because I'm nothing like my name." Hopeful again that Toma favored him over Sedric, Raven rubbed their noses together for a second. Just a small second, but the prince smiled and pressed his lips to his friend's cheek. Sedric almost became teary-eyed. He'd never seen Raven look so happy before. Just that brief kiss was enough to make Raven blush from his neck to his forehead. "Is everyone suddenly getting fevers now?" cried Toma, panicking. The two cousins laughed, their prince completely out of the loop.