Chapter 21

Napoleon followed the boy to where a guard opened the door to his rooms. He would call Burke once he was alone to tell him the layout of the palace. He breezed through, hand in his trouser pocket looking as though he didn't have a care in the world. The door snicked shut behind him and he stopped in his tracks at the sight that awaited him.

Illya sat propped up by pillows on the bed, naked except for a thin gold filigree of chain that wrapped around, of all things, his penis. One end was tied to the bedpost and pulled Illya's cock up as though on display.

To his horror, Napoleon's cock twitched in response. He willed his burgeoning erection away and cleared his throat. Pointing over his shoulder toward the direction of the dining room, Napoleon said, "Ah that was quite a display in there." He winced at the petulant note in his tone.

Illya glared at him. "Surely you don't believe I enjoyed that."

Napoleon shrugged. He moved closer now that his libido was back under control…sort of. "You didn't look distressed."

"I wasn't supposed to. If I had, Laheeb would have noticed."

Napoleon sat on the edge of the bed. In morbid fascination, he reached out and touched the chain attached to the bed. Illya's penis bobbed as a result. "What would it matter if he noticed unless you were enjoying his attentions?" His voice was mild, hiding the real anger he felt at the memory of Illya's enjoyment of Laheeb's touches.

"Because, Napoleon," Illya snarled in response, slapping away the fingers manipulating the chain. "As Illya, I had to work in the gardens under constant guard and locked up at night. There was no way for me to find a good escape route under those circumstances. As Sapphire, I am able to move about relatively freely and plan my departure."

"Sapphire, huh?" Napoleon grinned at his friend's discomfort. It put the whole thing back into perspective. "What are you? The Jewel of the Middle East?"

"Laheeb seems to think so," returned the disgusted reply. Illya jerked the chain. "Would you please unhook this thing from the bed?"

Napoleon forced his gaze away from the bouncing cock as he fumbled with the chain where it connected to the bed. If he were a homosexual, he would find this entire thing incredibly erotic. Luckily for both of them, he wasn't homosexual. Not in the least. Not now, not ever. Well, there was that one time . . . it was actually a few times; no more than eight or nine times if he cared to count. That did not make him homosexual or even bisexual.

The majority of boys went through a stage where they experimented on other boys. Or so the psychology professor at his university claimed. That did NOT make them homosexual. Neither did his response to the sight of Illya's hard body or chained up cock make him one. He was just a sexual being and could recognize and appreciate an erotic setup when he saw one.

"Why did he put you in here anyway?" he asked when the chain finally came loose.

Illya looked at him in surprise. "I don't know. Is the man you're impersonating gay?"

Napoleon's face registered shock. He hadn't thought of that, but it was entirely possible. It would explain Laheeb's statement to Illya that Cipolla was, "one of us". The fact Laheeb used the plural with Illya made for an implication Napoleon wasn't ready to deal with. At least not at the moment. "Not as far as I know." He pulled his communicator pen out of his pocket. "I'll contact Burke and have him find out."

Illya put a restraining hand on Napoleon's wrist. "I doubt the room is bugged, but I think the palace is rigged to pick up stray transmissions as part of their security."

Napoleon slid the pen back into its place. "That takes care of that idea." He regarded his partner. "Why don't you tell me how you got yourself into this mess?" His gaze slid down his partner's naked body and he stood, yanking the blankets out from underneath Illya's rump. "Cover up first. That chain is distracting. As a matter of fact, why don't you just take it off for tonight?"

Illya looked down his torso at his cock and the contraption encasing it. "I can't tell how it's looped on and I don't think breaking it would be a good idea. It might pinch."

Without thinking, Napoleon tried to tug the chain loose. Instead of making it looser, the rubbing chains stimulated the trapped member. Napoleon let go when Illya's cock started to grow until the chains wrapped tightly around it.

Illya reddened in embarrassment. "Would you leave it alone?" He covered himself with the blanket.

Napoleon cleared his throat. "So, uh, how exactly did you get into this mess?" he asked in a desperate attempt to get the sight of Illya's arousal out of his brain.

Illya explained the events leading up to his boarding the ferry. "I turned my back for only a moment and he clobbered me on the head." He reached up and rubbed the back of his head as though he still felt the lump. "Next thing I know I'm on a freighter headed for here where I was sold as a slave and…" He looked away. "You know the rest."

"Don't pay the ferryman until he gets you to the other side," Napoleon said.

Illya's face crinkled in puzzlement. "What?"

"It's an old saying."

"I've never heard it."

"It's an old European expression. I'm not sure what it means to most people, but for you I think it means don't trust a ferryman." Napoleon stated with a grin.

Illya grimaced. "Thank you for the old folk wisdom. Now that you've imparted it to me, can we please go to sleep? Why are you here, anyway?"

"What do you mean why am I here?" Napoleon kicked off his shoes. He reached for his trouser button then thought better of it. He'd slept with Illya a thousand times wearing only his boxers, but he didn't think it would be a good idea this time. Not with that chain nor the memory of how well Illya filled that chain. He shook his head to clear it of such odd thoughts.

"What's your mission? Can you tell me?"

Napoleon settled into the bed next to his partner. "My mission, dear partner, is to rescue you."

"Me?" Illya asked incredulously. "Why?"

Napoleon laughed. "Only you would question your good luck."

"I don't have good luck, Napoleon, but sometimes I manage to dig up a good case of coincidence. I was assuming Waverly already wrote me off as dead and you're here for a different assignment. I didn't dream he would actually have you look for me."

"Ah, well, he didn't. Not at first. Once I took vacation he figured it out and I guess he decided going along with me was safer than not." He grinned proudly.

"Hmph. As if your head wasn't fat enough already."

"I could just leave you here," Napoleon sniffed indignantly.

"No, no. Thank you for coming for me. So how do you plan on prying me out of the evil clutches of Laheeb?"

They discussed the possibilities until they were too tired to go on. Not long after they fell asleep, Napoleon woke to hear Illya moving restlessly beside him, pushing Napoleon towards the edge of the bed. He shoved at his friend's shoulder. "Roll over." Illya emitted a low moan and flopped onto his back making Napoleon move even closer to the point of falling off the bed. Napoleon pushed Illya harder. "I told you to roll over, Sapphire!" he said, his irritation spurring him to use Illya's slave name.

"Mmmm, yes, master," the still partially asleep Illya groaned as he obediently rolled onto his stomach and raised his ass in invitation.

Napoleon snatched back his hand from Illya's shoulder as if it had been burned. His eyes popped wide open and his heart skipped a beat as he stared in shock. He had to swallow hard to regain his composure again. "Uh… Illya," he said in a shaky voice. He pulled one of the covers and dragged it with him as he got up. "Perhaps I should sleep on the sitting cushions instead."

Illya cracked one eye open slightly. "What's the matter Napoleon?"

Napoleon began to snuggle into the large overstuffed pillows on the floor. "Nothing. Just go back to sleep. We've got to rest so we'll be fresh for our getaway tomorrow."

As he was about to open his mouth to say something, the Illya realized the position he'd taken up in the bed. Prone on his belly. Ripe with welcome ass hovering slightly in the air waiting to be fucked. He even felt the tingle in his abdomen that told him he wanted it so badly. Thankful for the dim lighting that hid his bright red face, an embarrassed Illya rolled over and covered up again. "Fine," he said with indifference. "All the more room for me." The little person Sapphire in his head felt differently about it. He wished to be taken, wanted, loved, and even ravished by the handsome man who'd just left the bed.

Napoleon bedded down facing the wall and tossed the blanket over his shoulders. He was glad he refrained from undressing, thankful that it hid the cock threatening to spring out and follow natural urges although he would deny the impulse out loud if asked. He remained still trying to clear his mind and fall asleep again but his eyes just wouldn't close. He was afraid that he would be picturing Illya's ass presenting itself to him in all its most appealing glory. Sleep was a long time coming after that sight. A very long time.