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The Supernatural characters belong to Kripke Enterprises and the CW, not me. The Stargate franchise is currently owned by Metro-Goldwin-Mayer. No money is being made from this story. It is for entertainment only.
Camelopardalis
Chapter 14
The Way of Kings
From Chapter 13
Dean nodded. "Exactly. This must remain a secret for not only the next few weeks but also for as long as we know each other. You know what comes immediately after the succession ritual? The council will chose a Queen for me. Another heir will be expected within a year to make sure my line survives. After the succession ritual you can expect to be invited to my wedding."
"Oh, joy," Daniel grimaced. "I am supposed to do that with a completely straight face, what fun."
Again Dean stared up at his lover. "You will have to translate that entire sentence for me. You can entertain me during the rest of our walk. I now know what I can tell the Counsel when they inquire why you are staying here. I'm going to tell them that you are teaching me how to speak better English."
Chapter 14
The journey of a King inside the stone mountain of his temple culminated in a small room in the Eastern corner of the front gallery. It was in this little room at the heart of the temple the king carried out in solitude and darkness the most intimate phases of his personal bloodletting and the most terrifying phases of his communion with the Otherworld. Here he would prepare himself to meet the ancestors and the gods, fasting and practicing other kinds of trance-inducing physical mortifications. It was also here that the ritual perforation of his genitals took place and that he experienced the first shock of blood loss and the first flood of religious ecstasy. From this little room he would travel like the sun rising from the earth to appear on the stairway before his people. Dressed in bleached white cloth that clearly showed the stains of his bloodletting, the king would speak to the ancestors on behalf of all.
From "A Forest of Kings" by Linda Schele and David Freidel, copyright 1998
Dean and Daniel sorted out their forest love nest and got back on the trail. Dean walked in front and Daniel followed his alien lover studying the seductive sway of the boy king's hips. He was a pretty thing but Daniel was very well aware of how dangerous this relationship could be. It could blow up not only in Daniel's face but also become a cause célèbre on Earth
Daniel might be somewhat naïve in certain areas but after suffering through the public lashing his theories about aliens had inspired he was sensitive to the damage that such a revelation could cause. He could easily see the exposure of not only the Star Gate program but also even more damage to his own public persona. No one was going to hear about this. He was even a little uncomfortable remembering that Sam was a piece of their conspiracy even though Sam was so completely committed to his brother that he would most likely die before telling any of his brother's secrets. Both of the boys' necks could be on the block if Dean was caught stepping out of line. Such a patrilineal society might possibly consider such an act an insult to the line.
At the edge of the woods the shaman himself was waiting. As Dean stepped out from under the forest canopy Sam was there with Dean's traditional feathered cape and head dress. Dean's modest hooded cape went over Sam's arm where it appeared to be an appropriate garment for the shaman tom to own.
Sam nodded at Daniel in greeting and smiled. "Welcome to Seladon, Daniel Jackson." He murmured without so much as a leer. Yes, Sam was good; good, safe and loyal.
The archeologist and the Ahauob continued walking toward Anthol. The twilight had darkened into night and over head the gaudy sky of Seladon was on full display. As the moons had not yet climbed above the horizon the sky provided the blackest of backgrounds for the astronomical jewels overhead.
The closer they came to Anthol the more Dean and Sam faded away, becoming Yat-Balam and Bahlum-Kuk again. With his headdress Dean appeared taller and more solid; the seductive supple boy disappeared and the successor King took charge. Sam the conspirator vanished and Yat-Balam the frightening sorcerer stood at his King's back. They were alien Royalty anew.
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In the following weeks Daniel Jackson shared Bahlum-Kuk's journey into Kingship. The scientist-historian was fascinated by the rituals played out on a daily basis. The entire three weeks leading up to the crowning of the King were loaded with daily rituals, festivals and visiting ahauob from other City States.
Daniel found the organization of the festivals particularly interesting. The economic flow of the Maya society was on display. The common people paid tribute to the Ahauob. The Ahauob in turn covered from the tribute the support of these large public gatherings. The tribute paid to the rulers flowed back out to the common people in a steady supply of food, goods and much prized ritual objects
In addition to the religious rituals at the center of the festivals, rituals performed by the Ahauob for the benefit of their people, on the edges of the festival ground s merchants plied their trade. Visitors from other cities and not uncommonly, from other countries traded and bartered for needed goods and luxuries. Thus was the wealth of the Maya city redistributed over the face of the world.
The City of Anthol was commonly recognized as the leading city of the known world, rich in religious significance, famous for historical legends and envied for its mineral wealth. The jade, amethyst, carnelian and other gems passed from city to city, spreading out to all the inhabitants of Seladon. These stones, carved and polished were more or less the currency of this alien planet.
Most valued of all were the "King's Stones". Five small jade stones with carved faces were recognized as the gems of kingship. Four were worn on a band around a king's forehead and one, larger than the others and carved to represent a child's face, was worn on a leather lanyard around the neck. These were the symbols of kingship. When the jewels were bestowed upon a leader that leader became the king of his city. Once a king was named the village, town, or even a plantation would begin to grow. A king signified the beginning of the formal Maya society structure. Tribute would flow, festivals would be held, rituals performed and temples would be built. In a very few years the blessings of the king would transform the former village into a city worthy of respect.
Daniel was witness to the delicate demands of state handled by his alien lover. Bahlum-Kuk appeared to be either a natural politician or extremely well trained. Over the weeks Daniel decided the successor king was a natural leader, however his skills were learned. Older men from other cities acknowledged the young man's skills and power. The appearance of Yat-Balam at his brother's side only emphasized the natural abilities the brothers wielded so skillfully.
Daniel was helping the pair with their understanding of colloquial English but he was also learning the Seladon language himself. As the weeks went on he gathered more information than he even realized. The consensus on this world was that the future was in excellent hands. The brothers both had the ability to speak to the gods and to materialize the World Tree, the Wacah Chan. If one brother was lost the other could step into his place.
Of course Bahlum-Kuk was first choice. He had been groomed by his father and already had demonstrated his mystical powers. The Maya world view always rested in the faith that the past returned, recycling endlessly, and the pattern of life was to be found in the historical repetition and solace the past represented. There had been in the beginning of their world the Hero Twins who tamed the world of Xibalba. Once again there were supernatural brothers leading the people. The Wheel of Time had turned again. The people were content and prosperous.
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In the evenings after the festivals slowed down and the rituals were finished Daniel and his royal friends would retired to Bahlum-Kuk's house. Situated on a raised platform in a sequestered part of the city the side of the house backed on to an untouched piece of jungle. The high trees and heavy leaves shielded the house from the sun during the day. At night the rooms were quiet, cool and cark.
Sam's rooms lay to the West or left side of the house. Dean's rooms were on the East, as far from his brother as Dean could get and still have the brothers living in the same building.
In the center was the courtyard, planted with waving trees and flowering shrubs. This was where the evening meal was normally served although in this festival period the meal was light. Even after fulfilling all his required duties quite often Bahlum-Kuk would have special guests invited to his home for this late evening gathering. Sometime there would be a Winged King from one of the smaller cities Daniel learned that such beings were very often blood relatives. The Winged Ahauob were very highly regarded by the people and to have a Winged King was a matter of pride.
Such personages and their courtiers were treated with respect. Often the meal would last into the early hours of the morning. They were then usually offered rooms in the King's house. Even with so many duties and guests Daniel and Dean still found the occasional night to spend together.
They were very careful and when they had a chance they would ask Sam to watch over the house and make sure their privacy was secure. No one could conceal themselves from the shaman's senses.
Sam was more than pleased to help after he took a lover of his own. He had been fond of a village girl for years and they finally had become lovers. He had made no offer to the girl's family and the love affair was not acknowledged. Only Dean had spoken to Sam about Leala warning his brother that if she became pregnant the child would have to be acknowledged and a decision would need to be made.
Leala was not Ahau. Her family was well regarded but Maya society was highly structured. If she produced a child for Sam certain sacrifices would have to be made to placate the gods and allow her to be accepted into Sam's family. Accepting Leala would mean also accepting her entire family also. Dean would replace Leala's father as head of that family. This was a very delicate question. Leala's father could refuse and Sam's child would essentially become either motherless or would become a part of Leala's family and not be recognized as Sam's child at all. Dean would have to step in and resolve the dispute. No blood relative of the King was going to be denied.
The brothers' servants went home to their own houses in the evening if there were no guests to serve. Everyone had become used to Daniel. After a period of weeks he was hardly considered a guest any longer. He was more a member of the household and the Ahauob language teacher.
Some nights both the East and the West ends of the house were happy places to be.
Daniel lay in the very center of the soft pillow strewn sleeping mat. His delicate, winged lover was balanced on his Daniel's naked belly tracing patters on the skin pf his chest with long fingers. Dean was Dean again, not Bahlum-Kuk the warrior king. In the moonlight the young man's wings fluttered and rippled with involuntary tremors and lovely streaks of color. Daniel had learned what movements caused the colors to appear and how to interpret Dean's emotional moods
The older man reached up to encircle Dean's waist and pulled the young man closer. Daniel moved a hand up to Dean's head and pressed their lips together. Dean rolled his hips and stroked against Daniel's body, rubbing against Daniel's dick in invitation.
Daniel separated from Dean's soft lips and smiled. "That's my boy. Rub it good."
Closing his eyes Daniel pushed on Dean's hips increasing the pressure on his dick and pressing their members together. Dean began to moan and arch into the pleasure.
Daniel's hand slipped father down over Dean's ass and felt for the young man's sphincter. Pressing, penetrating and stretching Dean's entrance he prepared the boy's body for the next step then lifted the light boned young man into the air, lining him up for penetration. In just a moment he was buried deep inside Dean's body.
Daniel closed his eyes and let Dean do all the work. Dean danced and flexed and rippled his internal muscles to please his lover.
"You're lazy, Daniel,' he whispered dropping his lips down next to Daniel's ear.
"What about it, Dean?" Daniel lightly spanked a quivering butt cheek. "You're going just fine. Keep it up."
Dean obeyed and worked his lover's dick until Daniel emptied himself into Dean's channel with a sudden gasp, clutching the slim body tightly.
Dean arched up and came all over Daniel's belly then collapsed.
Daniel laughed. "You are a messy boy."
"Shut up, Daniel," Dean answered back.
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The day of Bahlum-Kuk's accession finally arrived. The entire previous day had been an endless round of ritual, fasting celebration and religious activity. Early in the morning the temple guardians had come for the young King, dressing him in the ritual white clothing and leading him away.
Daniel had been a helpless observer. Yat-Balam had come to stand with him occasionally and soothe his fears.
Daniel knew exactly what painful mutilations Bahlum-Kuk was going to face and there was nothing he could do to help. Bahlum-Kuk would have to materialize the World Tree, the Wacah Chan, to complete the ritual and the ritual had to be completed without fail as it had been for thousands of years.
Daniel was standing in the ball field among the general population staring up at the temple platform. Bahlum-Kuk would appear at the side the fire pit where the strips of paper soaked in his blood would be burned. Yat-Balam stood among the temple guardians and priests waiting for his brother to arrive. From a distance the tall young shaman was a dark figure outlined against the white plaster of the temple walls.
Daniel looked away when a whisper spread through the crowd and he saw that many people were looking at the trees at the North side of the field instead of at the temple platform. There was movement in the trees and Daniel saw those people known as The Oldest appear out of the purple forest shadows.
He counted six of the almost mythical beings. They were very tall, taller than anyone else on the field. They were dark skinned and each one had a single long, thick braid hanging down their back. These alien giants stood approximately six feet apart along the edge of the trees with their arms folded. They were all staring steadily at the platform where the new King was to appear.
Another frisson of emotion ruffled through the crowd and Daniel looked back up at the temple platform. Bahlum-Kuk had appeared.
The young King was dressed completely in white; a close fitting long sleeved shirt and matching pants. It was the most modern clothing Daniel had ever seen on Seladon. It took just a moment to realize why the King was wearing these things. The very white coverings made Bahlum-Kuk's blood stains glow. There was blood leaking from his chest from ritual symbols carved into his flesh. The blood from the genital mutilations ran freely down his legs. He stood with his arms thrown out and his head tilted back, displaying the blood dripping from both arms.
Daniel wondered how the young man was still standing. He should have collapsed from blood loss alone let alone from the ritual fasting he had under gone for the past two days.
The entire field of people went to their knees when the new King began to speak. Daniel followed them down and noticed that The Oldest remained upright. The temple guardians with the new King threw the blood stained paper from the King's bloodletting ritual into the fire. Bahlum-Kuk held his bleeding arms over a painted ceramic plate held by one of his priests and when the plate was filled the priest threw that blood on to the fire also. Thick oily smoke rose up and the newly anointed King allowed the smoke to encircle his head. The materialization of the Wacah Chan had begun.
Daniel could not be completely sure but it appeared that monsters formed from the smoke as it ascended into the sky. Bahlum-Kuk spoke in a voice unlike any that Daniel had heard before. It was deeper, joyous and carried over the field. Bahlum-Kuk delivered the word s of their gods to the people of Anthol.
As the words reached The Oldest they all knelt down on one knee, never removing their eyes from Bahlum-Kuk.
The very air seemed sacred. Something powerful was happening here and Daniel was not at all equipped to understand either what he was seeing or what he was feeling but all his nerves came alive.
Lifting his eyes he noticed far away a bright spot in the sky. As he strained to focus on it he realized it was a group of Angels, hovering well off the ground. He glanced again at The Oldest but no one was concerned about the Angels in the sky.
Daniel smiled grimly; evidently the entire world of Seladon was attending this coronation. After all Bahlum-Kuk could trace his bloodline through both the Angels and The Oldest. In addition he was now the crowned King of the Maya civilization.
As the fires burned down on the top of the King's Stone Mountain, the crowd began to disperse. Daniel watched Bahlum-Kuk disappear into the temple again and Yat-Balam followed his brother into the gloom.