CH-3: THE ULTIMATE TEMPTATION IS IN…FORBIDDEN LOVE
Ryuki almost ran, his footsteps drumming the same rhythm as his heart is fiercely beating…its been like one of those common days when he would trot about the palace like an innocent child; the only similarity is both these times he is running from important things…but now he is far from a child…at first he ran from his empire and position to restore his beloved brother Seien, and now, he ran from his wife and culpability…
He mentally reprimanded himself for reminding of the waging turmoil in him; this time is inappropriate for such ponderings! Besides, has he not already severed his ties with Shurei…by succumbing in the very first night? It's only a matter of time since she discovers the truth!
…and then their relation—
Ryuki finally reached his study room…strangely now, the room is light with many colorful candles; the small bed in which he would sleep on those few nights when work has taken the greater part of the night, is also decorated with flower petals of the Violet Iris—a symbol of trust and Shi family's symbol and small peacock feathers—a symbol of Royalty and the symbol of the notorious Sa clan…
His guest loves extravagance after all!
The door closed itself behind as he entered the room, all his scrolls already have disappeared and in its place on the table…he sat with the grace of a God, his auburn locks concealing certain parts of his face…
"How did you come here now…the security?" Ryuki's voice is too faint to be noticed, but with his guest he knew that wouldn't be a problem at all!
"Ahh!" the luxuriant voice spoke to him for the first time with the self-same intonation that makes Ryuki's body all flushed up…after so many weeks, "Have you not known me to do that before too, your majesty?"
Ryuki was stunned and ogled at him, bewitched by just those few words…he shook his head a bit to get rid of those forbidden thoughts, "What possessed you to use that honorific?"
"I usually believe myself to be much…soft spoken," the Angel's voice again spoke.
"You are Sa Sakujun, right?" Ryuki retorted, "Seiran and Ensei informed you died, but if you are really a spirit, how can you touch me?"
No matter how much they conversed, Ryuki's logic always seems to be a bit undone in front of him…yet he feels like go on speaking with him forever & again, more logically, he don't wish to succumb into this inevitable charm of his guest!
"How very thoughtful of you!" the glowing man admired, "but I was under the impression that…something else is troubling our great King."
"Yes, there is but please I can't dwell any more on…so much uncertainties, please tell me just now," Ryuki almost pleaded.
"Why ask that right now…why not wait?" Sakujun asked, "It's not like someone strongly misses me though!" His expression flooded with a sudden rush of despondence and bitter pain that had Ryuki coming close to him…he can't pretend to despise him anymore…
Ryuki is done the pretending of his day!
He gave Sakujun the hand-picked roses which he had originally picked for Shurei but forgot to offer…his mind is clouding up more and more in these days and he is becoming more and more negligent too.
"You needn't lose so much for me, my prince," Sakujun sighed taking the roses and kissing Ryuki's calloused and wounded palm and fingers, sucking at the biggest prick of thorn even though it didn't bleed at all…Ryuki gasped audibly.
Ryuki touched his cheek, his expression all in awe as if this specter would disappear with the lightest of all touches.
"You come here to torture me right…you are not a human?" Ryuki questioned his own expression a bit miserable, "I have heard from Ryuren, you and Shurei were— "his voice trailed off.
"No, if you think I come here for such purposes…" he pondered slowly, "then, I won't mind leaving you to prove this acquisition wrong…forever."
Ryuki got flustered at the very thought of his departure and hugged him tight, his impulse taking over his logic for the moment, "Please don't leave me…anything but that…anything." He pleaded like a child…only moments before he cursed Sakujun for interfering between his and Shurei's relation, but now, after catching a glimpse of him after so many days, he can't bear the thought of separation again.
Sakujun slowly moved to run his slender fingers through Ryuki's hair…Ryuki mewled with pleasure that this very platonic contact gave him…
"Ryuki, why don't you want me to leave…why do you think of me so often, so attached to a mere spirit?" Sakujun asked, his voice genuinely concerned.
"I honestly don't know…and don't care," Ryuki panted, both of them are tightly hugging each other now, "…whether you are a spirit or not…what about you, why do you come?"
"Perhaps, because we are all the same…ONLY YOU HAVE HER…WHEREAS I NOW HAVE YOU!"
Ryuki eventually sat on the small bed along with Sakujun, both of them lost in each other's eyes…Ryuki's eyes intently studying Sakujun's features and Sakujun's ones looking at Ryuki's eyes, searching…
"You don't understand, she's not happy with me because I can't give her any child," Ryuki finally revealed his anxiety, his voice lost and absent minded.
Sakujun softly stroked Ryuki's cheeks and Ryuki's eyes brightened up,
"…not like I expect our relationship to continue much more," Ryuki said attempting to sound cheerful but feeling empty and cold inside, "…I do feel very uncomfortable trying to be intimate with her nowadays." The truth which he did never want to acknowledge eventually came out…strange power his guest seems to wield over him at times, as if he would conjure out all the secrets from Ryuki's system!
This time Sakujun moved to kiss Ryuki on each of his cheeks, Ryuki's cheeks flared up in red and almost radiated out heat, his fingers tightly grasped Sakujun's robes to maintain their nearness…Ryuki too moved his lips close desperately trying to return the favor, but in the end, he only could nuzzle Sakujun's cheeks with his lips…
"You do want to hear what's made her barren?" Sakujun asked, his old habit of never referring to Shurei by her name still being persistent.
Ryuki nodded clutching Sakujun's hands fixed in his own, "I'll hear anything and everything you will say."
Sakujun returned it by a light squeeze of Ryuki's hand.
"The poison that Shurei unknowingly made me drink is called the Hyo Cocktail," he continued languidly, "…the mixture of venoms slows vital organ function till they finally come to a stop…and its activity starts nearly five hours after consumption and to ensure the fatality I have also taken Levianthanin, which catalyses the effects of the Cocktail…"
"Levianthanin…I know about that," Ryuki muttered, "…it's tasteless, colorless and odorless, neurotoxic venom…Seiran took it with you."
"Indeed…and the overall effects includes severe fatigue, blurred vision, heart burn and eventually paralysis of the entire body," seeing Ryuki appear apprehensive, he went on loosening his yukata as he continued, "…to prolong life, the person should consume things that increases the adrenaline, like drink caffeine, for instance…but after a certain stage even the energy rich drink will also aid in initiating the inevitable organ failure, like it happened after Seiran and me consumed the strong alcohol…"
"Seiran said you appeared very pale and the Dew-Drop tea…what about it?" Ryuki asked quite unaware that Sakujun's hand are now untying the knot of his underclothes.
"The Guan Lu tea is effective a bit in only the initial stages…and after these poisons are combined, no effectual antidote exists…in extremely diluted state the poison causes infertility in women," he finished off.
"Shurei consumed your blood while you kissed her…and y-you did it intentionally?" Ryuki's voice almost chocked with repulsion at this very idea.
"You have done your research, I see…" Sakujun's voice sounded thoughtful, though uninterested, "so you must know that she inherited a bit of the Hyo's blood from her mother…and—"
"So, the Bara-hime's story was real…" Ryuki sounded hurt for Sakujun is now covering his guilt with other stories, but Sakujun, as always, can see right through him.
"…but I didn't do it intently, you know…it was because of—" Sakujun tried to explain.
"I knew it…I believe you, you just had to deny those allegations…it makes no difference, Shurei's infertility…even though I as a husband should be angry," Ryuki spoke rapidly, though its entirely devoid of the slightest bit of articulacy…Sakujun ducked some stray hair locks of Ryuki behind his ears which drew his attention back to his guest,
"But, how did you…I mean, your body…was removed," Ryuki asked confused, "…and you come here as a spirit."
Sakujun chuckled in his rich dark tone sending pleasurable jolts along Ryuki's spine…he removed Ryuki's clothes leaving him naked and blushing all over, but he didn't object…he is far from protesting right now!
"Whenever I come here…your sword vibrates," he continued, a hint of teasing amusement lacing his tone, "…the same happened on the day I died with both of yours and Seiran's sword…but nothing happened on other times I was near Seiran…have you not wondered why?"
"The twin swords made by the Hyo clan always recognizes its familiars..," he stopped abruptly as Sakujun's skillful hands touched his chest, leaving behind fluttering sensations that rose goose-bumps on his skin…he suddenly became all aware of his nudeness, and scolded the impending Sakujun by,
"What do you think you are doing? We aren't done talking yet!"
"Why don't you continue then…I can reply your questions?" Sakujun replied fluidly, his tone sensuous as he took in the sight of young Ryuki in all his naked glory.
"Alright!" Ryuki almost fumed, but lost again as sakujun's threatening lips closed on his throat,
"Th-the swords sen-senses a De-demon in you, Ahhhh!" Ryuki stuttered, unable to think beyond the sensation offered by those magical lips.
"Wa-wait!" Ryuki stammered his voice that of a painfully aroused bitch in heat that caught Sakujun's movements, "We don't want to be the only one naked here!"
It's far easy to succumb to pleasure and forget about all, everything…for the moment, just this one; he will indulge…and love the one who occupies all his thoughts nowadays!
Sakujun chuckled, "I am all yours now…do as you please." Saying this, Sakujun placed Ryuki's hand on the knot of his own robes, urging Ryuki to undress him.
To question whether they love each other is too difficult, almost formidable…but indulging, just for this moment is so easy!
Ryuki pulled at Sakujun's clothes, his whole body tingling with sharp jolts of delicious anticipation…
Sakujun's face hinted at his slight amusement, but he encouraged Ryuki by helping him to remove the clothes…Ryuki is not all at unaware how playful Sakujun can be at times!
"You do appear adorable when you speak like a true Royalty...you know," Sakujun mused.
"I can never be as you…being a Royalty yourself, yet you are so…indifferent, I guess," Ryuki muttered casually, busy with Sakujun's layer-after-layer of clothes, "how do you make it, anyway?"
And then, he removed the last part of Sakujun's clothing…marveling at the vast expanse of his chest, the narrow almost effeminate appearing waist, the perfectly sculptured muscular body…his question all but forgotten as he gazed at him.
"My little violet," Sakujun husked that made Ryuki jump and look up at him…his cheeks burning now; no matter how much he disagrees, secretly he loves when Sakujun refers to him as 'my violet', it always makes him feel special,
"You don't need to…we are so attracted to each other because we are each other's mirror images."
"Yeah, in some other dimension…like there is no difference in our bodies," Ryuki pondered, running his hands slowly over Sakujun's alabaster skin.
Sakujun chuckled, "I already gave you permission to do whatever you wish with my body…you needn't hesitate."
Ryuki looked up at him, an impish smile adorning his features, "Don't regret later then."
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .To be continued
A/N: I did try to finish in one chap, but that wouldn't express their feelings and problems accurately, and the part will appear as a purely homosexual affair. Ryuki is in a terrible catch-22 situation though currently it will be revealed that he has already made up his mind and is suffering from a guilty conscience (sort of!)…Sakujun, on the other hand, still has a lot of secrets up his sleeve. Also, Ryuki is not a poor victim of Sakujun's manipulation (won't make Sakujun that horrible a guy!), Ryuki desperately succumbed to the pleasures and peace offered by Sakujun's love because of the incompatibility of his match with Shurei and the hopelessness it brought to him. It's a bit of my personal belief that a woman as strong willed and ambitious as Shurei can't be happy simply as a queen and consort, and keeping their relation intact will require a lot of compromises on Ryuki's part.
Feel free to give any suggestions or anything of that kind…please review ^_^
