***I know I said this was going to be two parts but this chapter was just getting too long for its own good, so now it must be split up into three parts. So part 2 is not the end! There will be one more chapter! This one is self-edited as well. Please, read and review! Feedback is greatly welcomed.
***Warnings: Hardcore yaoi, language, violence, dark themes, humor
***Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia. I am making no money off of this fic.
Thunder Snow Part 2
When Gilbert returned home to the church he was immediately brought to the main interrogation room, which surprised him. He thought they would let him just go to his knight room to change. They asked where he had been and he told them, but instead of putting him to bed or dressing him, they started with hundreds of questions. Gilbert wasn't quite sure how to answer the questions, especially when so many were being thrown at him.
"Let me speak to the Head Priest." Gilbert finally demanded. "I will speak with no one but him!"
"Sir Gilbert, you have been among demons and monsters! The Good Master will not want to be in the same room as you." Said a priest. "You are tainted right now!"
Gilbert glared at him. "I'm not tainted! Bring me to the Head Priest then."
"That is enough." Came an elderly voice from the doorway. Gilbert saw that it was the Head Priest and he gave a sigh of relief.
"Head Priest, my lord and master on earth, may you live forever." Gilbert repeated dutifully and respectfully.
The Head Priest made all the others clear out of the room, leaving only him and Gilbert. "Welcome back, Sir Gilbert. We were worried about you. Is it true you were trapped with the necromancers?"
"I was, but a man who lived there helped me to escape."
"A man? There are no real men in that place."
Gilbert stood up from the chair. "No, you're wrong, Grand Master! The monsters you've heard of? They are born of magic, yes, but they are still humans. The necromancers keep them dumb, starving, and scared in order to control them. They are men being raised, from infants, to live in fear and know nothing other than their little world. They are not monsters. Any man can be made into a monster if they are isolated in fear like that!"
The elderly priest sat in Gilbert's chair. "You are right, Good Gilbert." No one had called him 'Good Gilbert' in months. The title of 'Good' before your name was the highest level of honor the Head Priest could give you. "The gods teach us to love all creatures great and small, fellow human or monster. But how did this man manage to help you escape?"
"The necromancers view him differently. You see; he was born during a terrible snowstorm. The snowstorm had something they called 'thunder snow', which the necromancers saw as a sign from their dark gods. They trained him differently than all the others. His name is Ivan. He's a very smart man who knows more than he lets on. He helped me escape because," he couldn't say it was because of desire. "I was nice to him."
"I see. And what did they plan to do with you?"
"Sacrifice me to their gods." he answered, keeping out the whole 'Born All In White' stuff. "That's what they did to our brothers and other soldiers. They saved me for last but I had escaped before the worse could happen."
The Head Priest muttered a prayer. "I am glad to have you back here, Good Gilbert. No one will bother you for the rest of the night. Go rest your weary head and reconnect with the gods. You may return to your home in the morning if you so wish."
"Might I ask to stay here instead? In case the necromancers try to come back for me. They dare not touch me in a house of the gods."
"As you wish. This church is always your home, Good Gilbert."
Gilbert went up to his assigned room, collapsed on the bed, and closed his eyes to savor the feel of a soft pillow. Too long had he been on that cold hard floor without something warm beneath him. Tucking his hands under the pillow he breathed deep, smelling the sweet fragrance of frankincense. If it weren't for Ivan searching for him here then Gilbert would have gone home to his manor. Ivan had said at least a month but Gilbert didn't want to risk it. The Head Priest would love to have him here for an extended period of time anyway. His brother was living here as well in the soldier barracks but Gilbert was too exhausted to see Ludwig tonight. He would greet his brother tomorrow on the dawn. With a smile and a deep sigh, he let himself fall into a peaceful slumber.
The next morning he was up with the sun before the other White Warriors. Only the acolytes and servants were awake in the halls, hurrying about to perform their daily chores. Gilbert dressed himself in the traditional priestly robes of silken cream, a symbol of his achievements and status. Unlike regular priests robes, Gilbert's had the traditional shoulder cover but would wear a matching cloak over it. He always hated the bell sleeves for they liked to drag on the floor, getting dirty at the gold trimmed hems. The best way to avoid this, however, was to walk with hands perfectly folded on the belly, right on top of left, so as to not 'drag' along the floor. Gilbert smirked, for he knew walking the 'proper' way to show one being 'humble' was a bunch of nonsense. It was just a way to keep your sleeves clean.
There was one thing Gilbert did differently when he adorned his priestly garments and that was to wear his mother's headdress, which matched the silken cream of his robes. His mother was a High Priestess of noble birth that entitled her to be married. The gods did not forsake a noblewoman from lying with her husband and bearing him children. More followers for the church. Gilbert ignored the sneers or laughter he would receive from fellow priests or knights because he wore a woman's headdress. It was a simple headband with a long flowing veil sewn to it. Gilbert could always picture his mother kneeling at the alter, not a single wrinkle in her robes, and that long, flowing blonde hair falling past the length of the veil. Ludwig took after her in every way, except for the long wavy hair. Gilbert took after their father but was born with the 'all white' strange features. His parents didn't care about that, though. Not really. Gilbert understood that his looks were strange and rare. His parents got used to him. But he always admired his mother above all others, so he wears this veil in her honor, to carry on her devotion to the church along with her good name.
"Girly Gilbert is back!" Hooted a fellow White Warrior, who was up with the sun as well; a rare sight indeed.
Gilbert gave him an annoyed smile. "Good morning to you, Light Brother."
"Did you have fun with the necromancers?" The man mocked, making the two acolytes accompanying him snicker.
"Yeah. They were a 'lively' bunch!" he laughed at his own joke.
The man rubbed his holy amulet between his fingers. "And what of our fellow White Warriors, hm? What about our brothers? Only you have returned? How very odd." His voice was oiled with suspicion.
Gilbert kept a straight face, although he wanted nothing more than to chew this bastard up and spit him out like the piece of meat stuck between his teeth! But this was a church, and Gilbert knew better. "Sadly, the necromancers sacrificed them."
"But not you?" the man raised a brown brow. "They gave you enough time to escape?"
"I don't understand what you are implying." Gilbert narrowed his eyes at the fellow knight. "You seem to be implying that I had something to do with the deaths of my brothers?"
"I'm not saying that. I just find it odd that only you've returned and everyone is dead."
Gilbert told him a short version of what happened, from the ambush to the sacrifice of their holy brothers. "I did not see them die. This was told to me by the Head Necromancer himself. I don't know why they spared me, but it wouldn't have been for long if I hadn't escaped. They were planning on making my sacrifice different from our brothers."
The man snickered. "Due to your strange coloring? Oh wait, I mean, NO coloring!"
Gilbert let out a mock stream of laughter. "As if I never heard THAT ONE before. Honestly, is this a church of knights or a playground of children? Good day to you." 'Up yours with a hot poker, you small-minded prick.' He stopped at a holy relic of a god, bowed his head in prayer, and offered an apology for his 'crude thought'. A silver coin placed in the stone hand of the relic god will buy him forgiveness. He smirked with amusement.
Leaving the walls of the church he entered the training grounds of the barracks. His brother, just like him, was up with the sun to being training. Ludwig swung his sword at a metal dummy on a post, making sparks of orange and gold. Gilbert hopped over the fence (mindful of his cream colored robes) and called out to his baby brother. "LUDWIG!"
The younger man turned to him. "Gilbert! It's you!" he dropped his sword to rush to his brother but did not embrace him in fear of ruining the robes. "They said you came home yesterday but when straight to bed due to exhaustion! How are you today?"
Gilbert grinned and pinched both of Ludwig's cheeks. "I'm all well and good, little bro! Came home safe and sound! A few bruises but nothing the awesome me can't handle! So how have you been?"
"Worried about you." Ludwig said honestly. "When I heard the necromancers had you…I feared that I would never see you again. But now you are here. The gods are good." They both mouthed a short prayer.
"I just wanted to see you." Gilbert smiled at him. "After all, you are my precious little brother."
Ludwig gave a firm nod. "I have been training hard and disciplining myself in the ways of the holy warriors."
"Yeah, well don't devote yourself too much to the White Warriors of the Gods." Gilbert gave a crooked smirk. "That's my job to fulfill our parents' wishes. I want you to be the best soldier this kingdom has ever seen! I want you to become a might War General or a noble knight! I want you to marry a beautiful woman and bear strong children for me to play with! Nothing pleases me more than knowing I can give the children back to you after I am done my fun." He snickered behind his hand.
"For one to be as cheerful and humorous as you are today…you must not have suffered much at the hands of the necromancers."
'Uh oh.' Gilbert swallowed hard. "Well, you know me, little bro! Nothing can keep me down! I'm strong like iron! The awesome me didn't gain that title by being lame, right? KESESESEESSESEESE!" It was actually the thought and image of Ivan that erased all of the terrors he had seen that horrid place. Knowing he had to wait a month was slowly going to kill him. "I'm just resilient, I guess."
"That you are." Ludwig rolled his blue eyes.
One Month Later- On a cold and stormy night
'This must be the place!' Ivan said to himself, holding up the lanturn of blue fire to gaze at the damp map from his temporary dry spot. The rain was falling heavily to the ground making the dirt wet and slippery, making it harder to walk. Before him was a large building structure with many lights in the windows, so it must be of some importance. It was hard to make out through this dark rain if it was the church or not. The sooner he could get to the safety of Gilbert the better. The necromancers had their ghosts and demons following after him, which brought his attention to the bleeding gash in his side. One of the summoned demons hit him with a blade of some kind, slicing through his flesh. He was losing a lot of blood even though he tried to patch it up with some mud and moss.
'Gilbert…your Ivan needs you.' He said to himself.
Taking the chance, Ivan put away the map, slid down the muddy hill, and made his way towards the large building. 'This must be it! It has to be!' It was possible that he could bleed to death if this wound wasn't properly mended. Reading the main grounds of the structure he could make out the holy relics decorating the area, this is the right place! Running up damp marble steps, he stood under the covered foyer for a moment to catch his breath and knocked loudly. He hoped someone was up this late at night. There were lights everywhere. He took the heavy doorknocker and tried again. A bolt of lightening and a crash of thunder startled him just before the door opened.
"Yes, weary traveler?"
"Gilbert." Ivan made sure his face was hidden by the hood. "I must see Gilbert. Is this his dwelling?"
The young man opened the door further and ushered Ivan inside. "Yes, Knight Gilbert is residing here. Who are you, traveler?"
"I'm…a friend. Please, I need to see him quickly."
The man gasped when he noticed the blood on Ivan's hand. "Are you wounded?"
"Yes! In my side. Please send for Gilbert!"
"Wait here."
Ivan looked around at the large room decorated heavily with statues, pillars, paintings, and a very high ceiling. The very top center was colored glass for he could see the lightening flashing from outside. He wrinkled his nose at the heavy smells of perfume or herbs. Even the floor beneath his feet were made of tiny tiles, all coming together to make designs and pictures. So this was a church?
"Who are you?" Came another voice from the left of him.
Ivan saw a group of five men, all priests. One was much older than the other four following him. The elder man held a small urn on a gold chain while streams of scented smoke slipped out through tiny holes. So that's where the smell is coming from!
"I'm a traveler." He used the word of the first man. "I'm here to see Gilbert. The young man who answered the door is going to get him right now."
The old man handed the incense burner to a fellow priest. "Take off your damp cloak and get warm, traveler." Ivan gulped. "You are most welcomed here."
"I…I'd rather not." He shied away. "I…want to wait for Gilbert."
One of the younger priests smiled and walked over to him. "Don't be afraid, traveler. We are friends of Good Gilbert as well."
"You are?"
"Yes. Take off your cloak and muddy boots. Rest yourself."
Ivan nodded, letting the young priest remove his wet cloak. If they were friends of Gilbert then they wouldn't care about his strange appearance. But he was unprepared for the sudden outcries of fear and gasps of shock was the cloak was removed from his shoulders.
"DEMON! A MONSTER!"
Ivan backed away from them, having become frightened of their shouting voices. One of the priests fell to his knees to begin chanting. The elder priest hurled the incense burner at him that strike Ivan in the temple. He whimpered and backed further away, shielding himself with his arms. The marble was wet beneath his boots and he lost his footing, bringing him crashing to the floor. Something else had been thrown at him- a candle. And then more came his way. Frightened, confused, and bleeding Ivan curled up on the floor to escape the madness. The chanting was getting louder with the accompanied sounds of an alarm bell tolling loudly in the church. The sound frightened him further, having never heard such an echo that he covered his ears and whimpered, begging for it to go away.
"ENOUGH! ENOUGH! I SAID ENOUGH!"
All of the sounds stopped. Nothing more was being thrown at him. Ivan was afraid to look up and lose the safety of his arms.
"WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE HEAVENS IS GOING ON HERE?"
'Gilbert?' Ivan recognized his voice!
"Good Gilbert! There is a demon here! A demon!"
"SHUT IT!" Gilbert shouted at the old priest. "He is not a demon! That is the man who helped me escape the necromancers!"
'It is him!' Ivan felt comfortable enough now to raise his head, setting his eyes on Gilbert, who looked stunning! The man in priest garb took his breath away. Ivan just stared as his mate hurried over to him. "Gilbert?"
"Yes, Ivan. It's me." He smiled in greeting. "I didn't expect them to act so harshly!" Gilbert saw the blood trickling down Ivan's temple before he noticed the gash in the man's left side. "He's wounded!"
Ivan pouted. "They threw something hard at my head."
"But what about this wound here?"
"The ghosts did it."
Gilbert stood up from the floor and turned to the group of priests. With the sound of the alarm bell more church dwellers had appeared. "Awaken the medic! This man needs treatment immediately! I will need fresh water, some warm food, cider, and an extra bed put in my room!" One priest left to follow orders while the other elder priest looked shocked at Gilbert's words.
"But…but Good Gilbert, he is a demon!"
"Blow it out your end, old man!" Gilbert sneered. "Why do you say this man is a demon? Does he have sharp teeth?" Gilbert squeezed Ivan's cheeks to show the teeth. "Does he have horns?" He smacked both sides of Ivan's head. "Do you see any bat wings behind him?" Gilbert slapped him on the back. "Does he have red goat eyes and pointed ears?" He used his fingers to lift open one of Ivan's eyelids.
Ivan just whimpered pathetically. Why was Gilbert hurting him?
"But those markings-!"
"Tattoos!" Gilbert shouted at the old man. "Simple tattoos! He's had them since he was born! That's what those necromancers do to these men! I don't want to see this kind of treatment to a fellow human being again! This man is no different from us! Got it?"
Ivan looked up at him in awe. "Thank you, Gilbert."
"Don't mention it. Now let's get you fixed up."
Inside the medic's room, Ivan lay on a table with Gilbert standing by his side. Gilbert had brought him here but they were still waiting on the medic. He took Ivan's hand to comfort him. "Sorry all that had to happen to you."
"It's okay, Gilbert. So long as you're with me I'm not afraid!" He smiled happily.
"How did you manage to get out anyway?"
Ivan shook his head. "Not important. It was hard…but I did it. The whole time I was thinking about you and that helped me a lot." They shared a smile.
A knock at the door had Gilbert raising a white brow. "Hold on a moment, Ivan. I'll be right back." He went to the door and opened it to see the medic standing there. "Since when do you have to knock to come in to your own office?"
"Good Gilbert, forgive me, but I fear I cannot treat this man you've brought under our holy roof."
Gilbert looked down his nose at the medic. "Care to run that by me again?"
The man cowered a bit. "I…I have strength in my beliefs, Good Gilbert. Mending the evil of the dark side goes against everything I believe."
Taking a deep breath through his nose, Gilbert had to count to ten in order to calm himself. While it was ignorant and stupid, Gilbert still had to respect the beliefs of other church goers. "Very well then. I will treat him myself. I've been on the battlefield. I know how to mend wounds. I do so EVER apologize for disturbing you, doctor." He slammed the door in the medic's face.
"Gilbert?" Ivan looked over at him. "Something wrong?"
"Nothing." He started to take off his robes. "Forget that bastard of a medic. I'll be mending you."
"Okay. I rather it be you anyway."
So through the night Gilbert worked to heal and stitch the gash in Ivan's side. With proper salve and good binding, Ivan will be healed in no time! Gilbert was actually quite proud of his work. He wouldn't be very popular among the other priests but he would be leaving soon with Ivan. They would leave tomorrow if all possible. "So how do you feel?"
Ivan just smiled. "I barely felt anything…but I'm also used to pain."
"You're trembling, Ivan. Are you cold?"
"No." Ivan took Gilbert's hand back in his. "I'm just…really, really scared of this place. Smells, sounds…everyone is so mean, except for you."
"Don't worry," he pat Ivan's hand. "We'll be leaving here tomorrow, if you're up for traveling on horse?" Ivan nodded. "Good. Then we leave for my manor in the morning! Hey! Don't sit up yet! You're still-" his words were cut off by Ivan's lips pressed to his. "Ivan, not here."
"Why not?"
"It's not allowed here. Tomorrow. Tomorrow in my manor we can kiss." Ivan looked hurt at that. "It's not that I don't want to, Ivan. But if someone saw us they would throw things at you again. Do you want that?" Ivan shook his head quickly. "Alright then. Right now you need to get some rest. I'll stay here with you, okay? So there's no reason to be afraid."
Ivan smiled tiredly. "Am I…really free now, Gilbert? I'm free from there?"
"Yes. You're free now. You don't have to worry about the necromancers any more."
"Gilbert…I'm so happy I met you!"
He returned the smile. "I'm glad too."
The next morning the storm had stopped and the sun was shining bright. Gilbert was guiding Ivan to the stables, telling the man to just ignore all the stares, prayers, and curses he was receiving. He had insisted that Ivan not wear his cloak, to let people get used to seeing his tattooed body. Ivan was a bit self-conscious but with a few encouraging words the man could be fearless. He had sent word for Ludwig to meet them at the stables; he wanted his brother to meet Iva. Ludwig wouldn't judge Ivan like the others did. Upon arriving at the stable, the stable boys ran away at the sight of Ivan. Gilbert ignored them but saw Ludwig beside one of the horses.
"Good morning, brother!" Gilbert announced himself proudly. Ludwig looked at them but his eyes went straight to Ivan and his breath stilled. "Ludwig, this is the man I was telling you about. The one who helped me escape! This is Ivan."
Ivan moved to stand behind Gilbert, a little frightened of the armored man who was his mate's brother.
"Oh, you are Ivan." Ludwig's features calmed as he walked over to them. It concerned him that such a large man was cowering behind his brother. "So you helped my brother escape from death?" Ivan gave a little nod. "Thank you. I'm indebted to you." Ludwig bowed his head. "If Gilbert does not fear you and trusts you, then so do I."
Gilbert grinned. "See Ivan? I told you Ludwig wouldn't cause any trouble!"
"In fact, I'm even coming with you." Ludwig said. "I figured you need some extra protection on your back home."
"Much appreciated, little bro!"
It was adorable to watch. When they arrived at Gilbert's manor, Ivan couldn't contain himself any longer. The sights of the free world had overloaded his senses, and he just couldn't get enough of nature. Gilbert stood on his front step with Ludwig beside him, both watching as Ivan rolled around in the grass, chased bugs, and ran after small animals. Ivan had stumbled a few times, getting a mouthful of dirt but didn't seem to care. When he fell face first into a patch of fluffy dandelion seeds, Gilbert couldn't help but giggle as the little white puffs were all over the man's head. Ivan batted at them.
"It's nice to see him so happy and enjoying the sun." Gilbert said to Ludwig. "You can't even imagine what it was like there, Ludwig. The way men like Ivan are treated there." He shook his head. "He's never really seen daylight before. This is his first time being out that hellhole."
Ludwig watched Ivan trailing after a mole on the move. "He's like a small child." He watched Ivan race the mole mound, straddle the ground, and look upset when it went right through his legs. "Are you sure he belongs here, Gilbert?"
"Yes. He is human, the same as you and I. No one deserves to live those conditions. That's why I'm going to free all of the captives in that lair." He watched Ivan chase after a butterfly.
"Are you sure it will be that easy? To free these men who have never been out in the world?"
Gilbert crossed his arms, snickering as Ivan took a bite out of a violet and sputter. "If we don't then an army of barbaric men fueled only by fear and anger will march on our land with the dark gods bringing up the rear. We have to destroy the necromancers and dark mages. Once they are gone the men like Ivan won't have a leader. They will just have to fend for themselves." He turned to Ludwig. "I know I can't save them all. They'll have to figure out life on their own. Only the strong survive. But I will not have an army of monster men marching on us while slaughtering men, women, and children. Remove their leaders and we remove the danger."
"And how do you plan to do all this?" Ludwig asked him. "What's your plan of action?"
Gilbert smirked and pointed to Ivan, who had found a chicken. "Right there."
"Ivan?"
"Yes, Ivan. I'm going to use Ivan to get to the lair. He knows where it is, how to get there, where to attack, and so on. I'm going to use Ivan to help rid the world of these necromancers!"
Ludwig twitched when the rooster pecked at Ivan's head, making the man drop the bird to run…and was chased. "And what do you plan to do with Ivan once you have used him?"
"He stays with me obviously." He glared at his brother. "You didn't think I would just dump him, did you? I would never be that cruel. Ivan is my responsibility. I owe him my life."
"Well, just keep in mind that you are high priest, a White Warrior, and man of the gods. People's opinions will change of you when they see this man by your side."
Gilbert scoffed. "As if I care what they say! Ivan is human like anyone else! He- uh oh." He smirked. "THIS should be interesting."
"What?" Ludwig looked in the direction of Ivan, who was slowly approaching a young milkmaid carrying a bucket.
"He's never actually seen a woman before. Keseesese!"
Ludwig frowned. "Really, Gilbert, stop him. He'll make a fool of himself. Not to mention your servants haven't seen Ivan yet!"
Gilbert watched as Ivan stood in front of the milkmaid. She didn't move, neither did Ivan. She suddenly screamed, slammed the bucket on his head, and ran away. Gilbert let out a laugh, pointing at Ivan as the man blindly stumbled around with the bucket on his head. Ivan ended up plopping to the ground on his rump while trying to pull the bucket from his head.
"Gilbert, you're terrible." Ludwig said, rubbing his temples.
"Oh please! It's all in good fun! I'll go help him." He hurried over to the man and helped to remove the bucket. "What happened, Ivan?" Ivan pouted, rubbing his left ear that had turned bright red from the forced removal of the bucket. "That was a woman."
"I know." Ivan whimpered. "I just wanted to look at her. Am I really that scary?"
Gilbert smiled at him, held out both his hands, and helped Ivan to stand up. "No, you're not scary. You're just unusual to look at, that's all. People don't look like you with tattoos all over their bodies. That's not how people like me decorate our bodies. This is what the necromancers did to you. Nothing is your fault, okay?"
Ivan looked at his arm covered in the vine-like black tattoos. "Can I get these things off?"
"No. Tattoos stay on your skin until you die. I've seen some men simply cut them off but that never ends well. The muscle gets infected and then 'boom', you're dead. Don't worry, we can simply cover them up with clothing!"
"But…what about my face? They are on my face too."
"Ah, who cares? You'll be with me so no one will bother you. Now, if you're done playing outside, why don't we go inside, get you all cleaned up and then we'll have something to eat. How's that sound?"
Ivan nodded happily. "Okay Gilbert!"
Ivan found that velvet was itchy on him, but Gilbert had been so kind to let him wear one of his outfits that he couldn't show his discomfort. It would be rude. The second thing was the tightness of the tunic. He was much bigger than Gilbert and although he never wore a shirt before he was certain the buttons shouldn't be stretching over his chest like this. Gilbert mentioned something about getting a tailor for him, whatever that is. Then came the food. Such strange but delicious entrees were presented to him, but he gobbled them up anyway. The wine was a bit strong and bitter for his tastes but Gilbert seemed to really like it so he would too. Gilbert was chatting on and on with his brother. Ivan tried to mimic their posture and manners, sitting tall, sipping the wine, and tapping their knuckles on the table…very strange. But then their speech changed, speaking in words and a tongue that he couldn't recognize. And they were looking at him. Why were they looking at him like that? What were they saying?
"Well, I should be off." Ludwig said in regular speech. "Ivan, it was nice meeting you." They shook hands. "I'll return in a few days."
"See ya later, bro!" Gilbert grinned and waved at him before turning to Ivan. "So, are you enjoying your freedom?"
"Yes." Ivan nodded. "But now what do we do?"
Gilbert cleared his throat. "Well, I have some praying to do, but after I'm done we could go and walk the moors?"
"What about mating? When can I mate you?"
Gilbert blushed a bit and looked away. "Yeah…'mating'. Right. Um…maybe tonight?" He did promise Ivan they would mate, and he wanted to, but that had been a month ago and the excitement for it sort of wore off.
Ivan looked hurt. "Gilbert…do you not want to mate with me anymore?"
"Well," he pushed the food around on the plate with his fork, refusing to meet Ivan's gaze. "It's just that…it was a month ago. And a month is a long time."
"So I just have to help you remember!" Ivan grinned. "I can do that! Let's do that now!"
"NO!" Gilbert put his hands up. "No, stay right there. Ivan, understand this." His voice dropped to a whisper. "For two men to be together…it's not always looked on with kind eyes. Some people think that mating should only be done with a male and female to produce offspring and nothing more. I don't want my servants knowing too much about us. Does that make sense?"
"I…guess so?"
"Good!" He clapped his hands. "Now, I'm going to go pray and you can walk around the castle to entertain yourself."
Ivan watched Gilbert get up and walk away. He stood up to stop him by taking the pale hand in his own. "Gilbert, what's 'pray'?"
"Ah, it's something we holy knights and priests do. I only do it because…well…it feels right, and it's a way to honor my mother and her spirit." He pulled his hand away. "I'll see you in a bit."
Ivan just stood there as Gilbert left him. He silently followed the pale man, watching from afar and following after. Gilbert entered a room with a strange carpet by the door and tapestries on either side of the door. Ivan tiptoed over, pressed his ear to the wood, and tried to listen for activity. There was no sound or movement. He waited patiently for a few moments before the suspense got the best of him. As quietly as he could, he opened the door to peek inside.
Gilbert knelt on a red pillow with his hands folded and resting on a pew. Before him was a statue draped with fresh flowers and a golden shawl. All around its base were small burning candles. There was only a tiny window made with colored glass shining down on the statue. He didn't fully understand what Gilbert was doing but he was curious. He slipped inside as carefully as possible. Gilbert appeared not to have heard him, still kneeling quietly and praying. Ivan stood against the door to continue his adoration of the albino being poised so perfectly. Now that he had a closer look, Gilbert was even more stunning when he prayed like this. The glow from the window gave him a sort of halo around his whole body. Ivan had to have him.
When Gilbert heard the footsteps behind him he looked over his shoulder to see Ivan standing above him. "Ivan?" With powerful arms he was lifted from the pew. Ivan pulled him away to the center of the floor, laying him down on his back. For someone so big he had forgotten how fast Ivan could move. "Ivan no! Not here!"
"I can't help it." Ivan whispered against his lips once their bodies were touching. "You looked so beautiful just now that I couldn't help myself. I want you so bad, Gilbert. I want you to be mine right now!" He didn't give Gilbert the chance to protest before their lips were crushed together. Gilbert struggled beneath him, but Ivan was certain that his mate wanted this right now as much as he did. Gilbert wasn't a physically weak man and he was barely fighting back right now. With enough force he knew Gilbert could get away from him, if he had wanted to.
'Damn it!' Gilbert thought as he kissed Ivan back. 'I came here to get away from these feelings and now this! Damn it all!'
Gilbert allowed the mating to continue, growing hard the moment he felt their groins touch. Doing such a sinful act right here in the prayer room made his lower belly tingle with excitement. Gilbert was no fool; he was well aware that his prayers couldn't be heard. No higher being would judge him for what he was about to do. In a way, it made him feel quite smug, like he was saying 'fuck you' to the whole religious order and their backward silly ways. There was nothing wrong with what he was doing. So he spread his legs and welcomed Ivan between them. That's when the larger man ripped the holy garments from his body, tearing the fabric completely until he was fully naked. The tattered robes would serve as a blanket for their mating. He watched Ivan undress next who was pleased to finally be free of the tight clothing. Gilbert had never really seen Ivan completely naked before, seeing that his entire body was indeed covered with tattoos, even his large cock. Gilbert couldn't begin to imagine how much that would have hurt and just the thought of it was almost enough to make him go limp. But on Ivan it was very erotic and barbaric, even primitive. Their bodies were complete opposites! His was pure white with little flaws and minor scaring while Ivan's physique was rugged with those tattoos. Gilbert wondered if those tattoos would snake onto him when they mated? A stupid thought, but one that made his cock jump.
Ivan kissed down the perfect milky white chest, breathing heavily against the soft skin as he neared the tight belly. Gilbert's muscles deserved many kisses, but he would have to come back to them afterwards. Right now his main desire was to claim Gilbert as his own; this beautiful man who accepted him for what he was and brought him to freedom. He would do anything for Gilbert, anything the man wished of him. Ivan paused a moment to nuzzle his nose into the pure white hair just above the pink erection, taking in all of Gilbert's scent. The man barely had any hair here in his most sacred of areas; it was cute. Unable to get enough of Gilbert's scent of arousal he moved his mouth to the pink erection that stood proud and tall. A few licks and sucks had Gilbert moaning deliciously. Ivan then let his tongue travel down to the pink bud never touched by another male other than him. Repeating the motions of last time in the dungeon, Ivan's tongue pressed, thrusts, and swirled the pink hole to prepare Gilbert for mating. Ivan was aware that he should use his fingers to further stretch his mate but that would be something to save for other mating times. He wanted to feel all of Gilbert's virgin tightness around him. It would hurt somewhat on Gilbert's end but it would be the greatest thrill for him. Forcing through untouched territory was just another way for him to know that he had been the first to mate with Gilbert. There would be pain and perhaps some blood but that was to be expected. And to his delight, when he started to slick his cock with salvia, Gilbert said not one word of protest. Ivan positioned himself against the slick hole and began to slowly press inside.
As a knight Gilbert was used to pain yet this act of penetration was by far the worst he had ever experienced. It was like having a hard stool just passed forced back up inside. The stinging pain was from Ivan's girth and his own inner muscles fighting to push the massive thing out. Perhaps he had been too hasty in wanting to mate with Ivan. He should have waited longer and used more time to prep his backside for this. He couldn't really blame Ivan, the man didn't know any better. Ivan was running on instinct. Yet all thoughts fled from him as Ivan's cock pressed in deeper, feeling like his belly and bowels would split apart. To try and ease some of the pressure he bent his knees further back, lifting his hips and ass to a better angle. There was minor relief from the pain but the ache of stretching was still there. He had to close his eyes and bite his lip to keep from crying out. And then there was a sudden jolt from Ivan that had his eyes shooting open and his mouth forming a silent 'o'. All of Ivan was inside of him now tucked away deep in his bowels. Their eyes met for a moment, Ivan's being one of adoration while Gilbert's own were wide with both pleasure and fear. Ivan brought their lips together in a kiss, large hands found his to entwine fingers together and the fluid rocking motion of their mating had begun.
'He's so tight and hot!' Ivan thought to himself as he pulled out about an inch and pressed back in. 'He is completely mine now. I have claimed him as my mate. No one else will ever have him.'
The thrusting increased in both length and speed. Gilbert had his arms wrapped tightly around Ivan while his teeth sank into the shoulder to muffle his cries. Servants were not allowed in this room but Gilbert did not want them to hear what was happening if they passed by. Oh, but he wanted to cry out in pleasure, wanted to scream Ivan's name as that hard cock struck a spot deep inside that had him seeing stars behind his eyes. With each hard thrust it sent tingles of pleasure throughout every nerve in his bowels and belly. The pleasure from that spot would travel through his entire body each time it was hit. How people in the holy order could deny themselves of such amazing pleasure as this must be out of their minds. Why was it 'wrong' to feel so good? All the more reason to believe that the pious words of men are nothing more than lip service. "Harder!" He whispered to Ivan, who complied with his request but not in the way he had thought. Ivan pulled out of him, leaving his bowels cold and empty with the need for more. For a moment he thought Ivan was upset with him but instead the larger man only flipped him over on his belly. So this is what Ivan wanted. Gilbert lifted his hips to meet with Ivan's cock, having to bite down on his forearm to keep from crying out at the next round of entry. It slipped in much easier this time with his muscles opening wide to accept Ivan fully. These rounds of thrusts were different from the first but nonetheless pleasurable.
Ivan was pleased with how their mating was going, especially with how well Gilbert was responding to him. There was blood dripping down those pale white thighs but there wasn't any more to join with the second entry. Gilbert's body swallowed him up, sucking in his cock and pressing back against him. With a gentle grip he started to rock those narrow hips against him. Soon he was pulling out almost completely before slamming back in, slapping their skin together loudly with each movement. He moved one hand to reach under Gilbert's belly to feel the contracting muscles as narrow hips pressed against his thrusts. It felt like Gilbert was nearing his completion. Ivan wanted them to come together so he wouldn't hold back his speed for Gilbert's sake. Sitting up tall on his knees, he gripped the white hips tighter than before, pulled out as far as he could and slammed back in. The force of it brought forth a wail of pleasure from Gilbert's throat. Biting his lower lip and holding his breath he started to thrust violently, bouncing Gilbert's body on and off of him. There was nothing for Gilbert to hold on to, nothing for him to do but just let himself be fucked like a rag doll. And now Gilbert wasn't holding back his voice, letting out groans or shrieks of pleasure or gasping his name. Ivan could feel himself nearing his climax.
The pleasure was too much; the pressure on that spot and the screaming of his body's nerves pushed him over the edge. With a strangled cry he came violently, spurting his essences all over his tattered priestly robes. Ivan was still thrusting wildly through his orgasm, making some of Gilbert's cum splatter on his chest and face. Gilbert was completely spent; lying there helplessly in afterglow while Ivan continued to fuck him like an alpha male in heat trying to find his own completion. Then he felt Ivan still with his cock buried deep inside, heard the large man groan and felt a liquid warmth filling him. He only felt Ivan's cum when it reached the outer ring of his anus, leaking out around the other and dribbling down his thighs. Gilbert looked underneath him and between his legs to see the white substances splattering to the robes. He suddenly felt very embarrassed by the sight of his quivering thighs decorated in cum but blushed completely when Ivan pulled out, hearing and feeling the substance pooling out. He wanted to close his legs together but his hole was still singing with pleasure, throbbing at the pain but delighting in what it had experienced.
Ivan was still rock hard even after his intense orgasm and flipped Gilbert over to let him know it. He saw Gilbert's surprised look of shock and amazement as he gazed upon him. Ivan blushed a little, silently asking Gilbert with his eyes if they could do it again. Noticing Gilbert's blush and hesitation, Ivan leaned forward and brought their lips together in a tender kiss. It was a passionate one, the kind of kiss that said 'I love you' without any words. When he pulled away, Gilbert was flushed prettily, which in turn had his own face tinted pink as well. Now that the animalistic need to mate and claim his mate had past it was time for the making love part. He hoped Gilbert could read his expression and the albino beauty did not disappoint him. Gilbert crawled over to him, straddled his lap and pressed his still tight body down onto his cock. The muscles were still slick with his cum, a feeling that had him shuddering with pleasure. Then Gilbert's arms wrapped around him, their lips met in a kiss, and his mate started to take his pleasure. Ivan never wanted this night to end. He loved this man with all his heart and soul. His mate. His savior. His Gilbert.
A servant overheard the sounds coming from the prayer room and listened closely. They recognized the sounds of sex. Peeking through the keyhole they saw the two coupling; their pious and 'chaste' master fornicating with that monster! The servant quickly ran, shocked and appalled by what they saw.
Two Days Later
Gilbert was dressed in his White Warrior knight attire to attend an 'urgent meeting' of the order. Very rarely do they get such messages as these, so it must be something important. War, maybe? There was talk of it. Or did it have something to do with the necromancers? He hoped that was it. However, when he entered the Holy Order portion of the church he noticed something was wrong right away. When he greeted a fellow knight the man looked away from him and strolled away quickly. As he walked through the halls other knights ignored his greetings, wouldn't look at him or simply continued to talk as if he didn't exist. What was going on? Only one way to find out! Gilbert hurried to the main meeting room where the other high officers like himself would be meeting. He didn't bother knocking but let himself inside. "What's going on here?" He demanded loudly of his fellow officers. All eyes were on him and not one pair of them is kind. Gilbert suddenly wished he had his sword with him but weapons were not allowed in the church. Something was wrong and he was obviously the center of the issue.
"Good day to you, Good Gilbert." Started Sir Asher from the head of the table. "Or should we say, 'Whore' Gilbert?"
Gilbert's insides were screaming with alarm but he kept his emotions hidden. This was about Ivan. Someone had heard or seen them in the prayer room, probably a servant. The servant ratted him out. " 'Whore Gilbert'? Whatever do you mean, brother?"
"You are no brother of ours." Said Sir Jacob.
"It was told to us that you were seen having intercourse with that demon! That demon named Ivan?" Spoke Sir Balor.
Gilbert crossed his arms. "What I do behind closed doors in my own home is none of your business!" He countered.
"You fucked a demon!" Shouted Sir Dunraven, slamming his palm on the table.
"Ivan is not a demon but a man the same as you or I!"
Sir Gilmore stood up from his chair. "Your servant said that you were doing this in your prayer room! The prayer room! Right in front of the holy relic that we all fight, die and breathe for!"
"That's horseshit!" Gilbert shouted. "I'm still here, aren't I?" He threw his arms open. "Yes, I fucked Ivan in the prayer room, but the gods did not strike me down! I am not littered with plague! I feel no different spiritually! As far as I'm concerned, the gods simply said, 'We're too busy to care, Gilbert. We're to preoccupied with the yellow bellied bastards whining in this place'!"
"How dare you mock us?" Hollered Sir Roland. "You have sinned against our mighty gods and all they stand for!"
Gilbert let out a laugh. "Are you serious? As if you bastards haven't done worse? Don't talk to me as if each one of you is innocent in the matters of the flesh! Sir Dunraven, how's that bastard you sired when you raped that tavern wench in a drunken daze?" Dunraven stood up from his chair, his face red with rage. "And you, Sir Jacob, everyone knows that your dick was in every woman during the May Day celebration two years ago! Deflowering virgins before their wedding nights is just SO pious!"
Sir Asher sliced them all by clapping his hands twice. "Silence, all of you. Whore Gilbert-"
"Good Gilbert." Gilbert corrected him with a sneer.
Asher ignored him. "Whore Gilbert," he started again. "You are right to speak of our sins. Yes, we have all ignored our vows one way or the other and yes, we have bribed our way through the church to keep our souls and reputations clean. However, you are missing the main issue here. You fornicated with a man. Not just any man but a demon who was raised in a nest of necromancers and monsters. It's disgusting. It goes against nature and all that is pure and good."
"My fist says differently!" Gilbert threatened. "I've done nothing wrong here! I've fought alongside each one of you in battle! I've supped at your homes! I've laughed with you over ale! We sang holiday songs together and played many games of cards or chess! And now, over something so meaningless, something so small and insignificant you mean to turn on me? The gods should strike all of you down for turning on your holy brother!"
"You think this is a small matter?" Sneered Sir Balor.
Gilbert marched over to the table, slamming his palms down on the surface to rattle their goblets. "What's the fucking difference between fucking a man or fucking a woman? It's all the same in the end! We are creatures of feeling! What I did is hurting no one, men or gods!"
"It was a demon, not a man." Said Sir Asher. "Such a sin and crime cannot go unpunished, Whore Gilbert. You know that." The knight gave a smirk, drumming his fingertips together menacingly.
"I'll fight each one of you if you so much as lay one finger on me!" Gilbert sneered.
Sir Jacob spoke next. "Best watch your tongue from here on out, Whore Gilbert. We have your brother locked up in the tower for questioning. Anything you say may just endanger him further."
Gilbert's eyes widened. "What does my brother have to do with this?"
"He stood up for you and this demon. Once he is cross examined and is found innocent then he can leave." Said Sir Asher. "If found guilty of similar crimes he will be hanged."
"Oh, fuck all of you! You damned bastards! LET MY BROTHER GO!" Gilbert knew he had spoken out of terms when all the knights stood up from their chairs. Without a weapon or armor he was easily outnumbered.
"Many of us have waited a very long time to see you fail, Whore Gilbert." Said Sir Dunraven. "We've planned your punishment very carefully."
Gilbert's first reaction was to run, but doing so would prove he was a coward, which he wasn't, so he stood his ground. Bracing himself into a defensive fighting stance, he watched carefully as each one of the knights slowly began to surround him. All of them had looks of malicious amusement on their arrogant faces. Gilbert felt himself sweating at his temples. Then they pounced on him. He fought back with punches and kicks but his fighting skills were useless against six men without a weapon. They forced him down on the floor, showering him with heavy punches and violent kicks. His hands were stomped and broke one or two of his fingers and maybe a knuckle. They were beating him mercilessly. He could taste blood in his mouth, his body screamed with the onslaught of pain from their abuse. When the beatings finally stopped, Gilbert tried to catch his breath, squirming on the floor and holding his midsection. The other warriors were laughing and hooting in their vicious delight. Now more hands were on him, ripping at his knightly clothes, stripping him completely bare save for his boots. They ripped off the relic necklace around his neck and tossed it against the wall. Gilbert tried to hide his nakedness.
"We're not done yet." Said Sir Asher with a snicker. "Look at you, the once proud and mighty outspoken Good Gilbert curled up in a bloody heap. I never realized just how small you were, little man." He snickered again. "Drag him." He ordered the others.
Gilbert was too battered and in pain to fight back against the four pairs of strong hands that dragged him through the church's halls and outside to the back where the holy cemetery was. They cared little for his discomfort, letting his bare legs drag limply across the dirt path where rocks and stones sliced up his knees. He was tossed in front of a tree that stood on the outskirts of the cemetery. Gilbert's first thought was that they were going to hang him; but when he saw one of them holding a bucket and the other a whip he had figured differently. He staggered onto his hands and knees.
"We're not going to kill you." Said Sir Asher. "That goes against everything we believe in. However, your crimes cannot go unpunished and it is our duty to ensure that this punishment is carried out."
One of the other knights kicked him between the legs, setting his body into a new round of limb-numbing pain. While he was clutching his screaming balls the knight with the bucket loomed over him. He could sense the man was there but hadn't the strength to look up. Suddenly he was drenched in something cold and wet, and very, very red. It took him a moment to realize that it was blood. They had dumped blood on him! It was an ancient practice that the church stopped allowing long ago, but he wasn't in the right frame of mind to think of or care what it meant. Then his hands were pulled away from his crotch and tied with a rope at the wrists. The rope was thrown over the heavy branch to begin lifting his limp blood covered body from the ground. Now he hung from the tree by his wrists, feeling the sharp texture of the scratchy rope bite through his wrists and drawing blood. Looking through his one good eye he could see their laughing faces mocking him. He couldn't stop the trembling of his body when he saw Sir Gilmore hand Sir Asher the whip. The knight walked behind him and Gilbert braced himself for the lashes that were sure to come. And they did. He had lost count of the lashes but not the pain, which intensified tenfold.
He thought the pain would never stop. By the time the whipping had ended he was barely conscious but he could still hear Sir Asher's voice. "Now we are going to leave you hanging here naked for everyone to see as they pass. They will see that you are a sinner and have been rightly punished. If you are still alive tomorrow then the gods have spared you. If not, then you will have paid for your sins." Gilbert managed to gather up enough strength to spit on him. "Your arrogance has always been your worse attribute." He said and wiped the bloody spit away. "We'll leave you to your new friends." He pointed to the graveyard. "I'm sure you can hear them talking now that you've fucked a demon born of a necromancer's magic. Consider this a little bit of mercy."
Gilbert said nothing.
"Well men, shall we be off to the Beilschmidt home?" Sir Asher's words sent a new wave of fear through Gilbert's already trembling body. "We have a demon to hunt."
"No!" Gilbert gasped out. "No…don't!"
Sir Jacob gave a roaring belly laugh. "Why I do believe Whore Gilbert is in love!"
Sir Roland gave him a hard slap on the ass. "He's got demon blood flowing through his veins now."
Sir Gilmore took out his dagger. "I say we slice open his belly. Who's to say that demon hasn't used some sort of spawning magic on him?" He said with disgust. "If those necromancers can force the babies in a woman's belly to grow fully and then be born as a demon who's to say the same does not go for him?"
"Even I know such an idea is ludicrous, Sir Gilmore." Stated Sir Asher. "We are done here. Let us finish off that demon! The gods have granted us this mission! We will cleanse the earth of this demon!"
Gilbert struggled in his binds as he watched the six men take off, leaving him alone and helpless. They were going to kill Ivan! 'Ivan!' He found himself weeping. 'Ivan…I'm so sorry. Please fight them! Fight them with all you've got!' The flies were starting to swarm him at the scent of blood. He tried to shake them off but his body was so battered that he couldn't move. 'My brother is imprisoned and Ivan about to be killed! This is all my fault!' Maybe he truly was being punished.
Ivan paced in Gilbert's room, wondering what was taking his mate so long at this meeting. It was already nightfall. Ivan was afraid to be alone in this house with the servants, and there was still his fear that the necromancers would find him. He didn't have Gilbert here to protect him. Where was he? Ivan heard heavy pounding coming from somewhere inside the castle. Something was banging on the front door. Was it Gilbert? No. Gilbert wouldn't bang on his own door and that was more than someone's hand or fist. That sound like something huge, something big enough to take down a door.
"IVAN!" Came a strange man's voice. Ivan gasped and backed up towards the bed. Who was this stranger? "IVAN! WE HAVE GILBERT HERE! HE IS BADLY WOUNDED! HE'S CRYING FOR YOU!"
"Gilbert? Gilbert's hurt?" Concerned and worried for his lover he ignored his hesitation and hurried downstairs to the main hall. What he saw was trouble. His eyes widened at the sight of six men, all dressed like Gilbert, holding ropes, chains, a net and weapons. Ivan started to tremble. "Who are you men?"
"Friends of Gilbert, of course." Said Sir Asher.
"No. No I'm not supposed to talk to anyone but Gilbert!"
Sir Roland snickered. "Smart demon you are! You speak like a child!"
"Come here, Ivan." Said Sir Asher in a soft, welcoming voice. "Gilbert needs you. We have him in our carriage."
Ivan shook his head. "No…something is wrong. You men are armed! Where is Gilbert? Where is my mate?"
"Mate!" Laughed Sir Gilmore. "He even speaks like a monster!"
"No! I'm not a monster! Gilbert said so and I believe him!" Ivan backed away as they started to box him in. "Stop it! I want Gilbert! Leave me alone!" He was surrounded now. He was so afraid and confused that he didn't know what to do. 'Gilbert! Where are you?'
Gilbert woke up in his binds to see that night had come. Nothing had changed. All of the pain was back along with his fear for Ivan's safety. 'They must have him by now or they might have killed him.' Gilbert thought. Fresh tears began to fall. 'Why did this have to happen?' Just as he was giving up hope the sound of horse hooves and the squeaking of a carriage wheel alerted him to full consciousness. 'Who is that?' He saw a horse and carriage coming up to him. The man was cloaked in black and stopped the carriage by him. "Who are- "
"Sh. It is I, Good Gilbert." Gilbert recognized the voice of the Head Priest! "Stay still." The old man was surprisingly strong for someone of his advanced age. He cut the rope and held Gilbert's full weight against him, bringing his wounded body to the back of the carriage. "You are safe now."
"W-Where's my brother?" He breathed out.
"He is already free and racing to your home."
"Please, take me there! Quickly!" He felt the carriage start to move.
End Part 2 TBC
