Chapter 44

The heavy morning mist still clung to the cobblestones of the palace courtyard, blurring the edges of the stone arches. Est stood with his mother and siblings, the air smelling of damp earth and the impending departure. He had expected to see them off alone, a quiet goodbye before returning to the solitude of his recovery, but the sound of rhythmic hooves and the unmistakable jingle of royal bridles broke the dawn silence.

When William appeared, riding not his warhorse but a more modest stallion, Est’s breath hitched. The Prince was dressed simply in a travel cloak of deep forest green, his hair windswept and eyes bright despite the hour. Behind him, two attendants carried heavy wicker baskets.

“You’re early, Your Highness,” Est said, stepping forward, his voice a mix of reverence and genuine confusion. “I thought you were in council until noon.”

“Council can wait for a more important appointment,” William said, sliding from his horse with a grace that always made Est’s chest ache. He gestured to the baskets. “A few things for the journey. Dried fruits from the southern groves, and several bolts of fine linen. I’m told the winters in the valley can be harsh.”

Est’s mother gasped, curtsying low, but his younger siblings – bolstered by William’s frequent visits during Est’s recovery – weren’t nearly as formal.

“Is the linen for clothes, or are you hoping we’ll make a sail and flee the country, Prince?” his brother teased, earning a sharp nudge from their mother.

William laughed, a genuine, warm sound that felt like sunlight. “If you flee, who will I have to tell me the truth about Est’s childhood? I need someone to confirm if he was always this stubborn.”

“Worse,” his sister chimed in, grinning as she took a parcel of apricots. “He once sat in a tree for four hours because he refused to admit he was stuck. Just like he refuses to admit he needs to sit down now.”

William’s gaze softened as it landed on Est. “He does have a flair for the dramatic.” He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a private register. “Go back to bed, Est. That’s an order. I’ll see them to the gates.”

By afternoon, the palace felt strangely hollow. Following William’s orders – and the lingering ache in his ribs – Est had spent the hours in a cycle of light exercise and forced rest. He had pushed himself through a series of stretches in the small training room, his body finally beginning to feel like his own again, though his stamina was still frayed.

He was finishing a bowl of broth in his quarters when the knock came.

“A summons, Master Est,” the page said, looking nervous. “From the Queen. In the Great Council Chamber.”

Est frowned. He was officially on leave, a fact the Queen surely knew. He pulled on his formal doublet, his fingers trembling slightly as he fastened the silver buttons. If the Queen called, leave didn’t exist.

The air in the council chamber was thick enough to choke. As the heavy doors creaked open, Est felt the weight of a dozen stares. Queen Catherine sat at the head of the long table, flanked by Prince James – who wore a look of bored malice – and the other royal siblings. Advisors hovered like vultures in the shadows.

William was there, too. He was standing, his jaw set so tight the bone jumped in his cheek.

“Ah, the Keeper,” the Queen said. Her voice was like velvet over gravel. She didn’t look up from the maps spread before her, but she gestured vaguely in his direction. “I trust you are recovered? You look… functional.”

“I am, Your Majesty,” Est replied, bowing low.

“Good. Because your master is being difficult,” she snapped, her eyes finally snapping to his. “We depart for Popeya’s wedding soon. While there, William is to meet with two prospective brides from Prince Anen’s court. He has seen fit to argue against this necessity.”

Est felt as though the floor had vanished. He didn’t dare look at William.

“You will oversee his packing,” the Queen continued, her tone barked like a drill sergeant’s. “I want him in his finest silks, his most regal jewelry. He is to make an impression that cannot be ignored. Furthermore – ” She slid a parchment across the table. “This is the gift list for the princesses. You will personally fulfill it. See that the gems are flawless and the craftsmanship is beyond reproach.”

Est stepped forward, his boots sounding like hammer blows on the stone. He took the list. His fingers felt numb.

Finally, his eyes flickered to William. The Prince was looking at him with a raw, pleading expression, his blue eyes swimming with an apology he couldn’t speak. But beneath the plea, there was a shadow of guilt – a look of a man caught in a trap he had hoped to keep hidden.

“It will be done, Your Majesty,” Est said. The words felt like a dagger driven into his own heart.

He had always known this was coming. He was the Keeper, the shadow, the lover in the dark. He was never the crown.

“Dismissed,” the Queen said, already turning back to her advisors.

Est turned to leave, his spine rigid, his face a mask of soldier-like indifference. But as the heavy doors began to swing shut behind him, the Queen’s voice carried through the closing gap, sharp and mocking.

“Honestly, William, cease this brooding,” she sighed. “You should at least be glad to be seeing Princess Lea again. After that rather… steamy affair in Athens when you were younger, I should think you’d be eager for the reunion.”

The doors clicked shut. Est stood in the silent hallway, the gift list crumpled slightly in his grip, the Queen’s words ringing in his ears like a death knell.

Athens. The past was a crowded place, and it seemed there was no room left for him.

__________________

The sun had already dipped below the horizon, casting the palace into a world of long shadows and flickering torchlight. Usually, this was the hour Est’s heart began to lighten, knowing the day’s duties were done and he might soon be alone with William. But tonight, the air felt like lead in his lungs.

He did not allow himself the luxury of a breakdown. Instead, he channeled the hollow ache in his chest into the one thing he knew how to do: serve. He summoned the royal tailors to a side parlor, the scent of expensive wool and cedarwood filling the room as they laid out their bolts.

“More gold embroidery on the waistcoats,” Est commanded, his voice flat and professional, betraying nothing. “The Prince is representing the crown at a royal wedding. He must look the part. I want the velvet midnight blue and the silks ivory.”

The tailors scurried to take notes, surprised by the Keeper’s sudden intensity. Est moved from the fabrics to the schedules, marking his ledger for a meeting with the crown jewellers at dawn. He had a list of gemstones to procure – rubies for one princess, sapphires for the other. Each stroke of his pen felt like a shallow cut, but he forced his mind to stay blank.

He is mine, Est told himself, the mantra repeating in his head like a heartbeat. I have no reason to doubt him.

But the Queen’s voice – steamy affair – remained a jagged glass shard in his mind.

By the time he finished the logistics, his body was screaming for the sleep he knew wouldn’t come. He bypassed the Prince’s wing entirely, heading for his own small quarters, needing the safety of four walls where he didn’t have to be ‘The Keeper.’

He was halfway through unbuttoning his tunic when the knock came.

“The Prince requests you in his bedchambers, Master Est,” the page whispered through the wood.

Est closed his eyes, took one shuddering breath, and refastened his buttons.

William barely looked like a prince when Est entered the room.

He looked unravelled.

His robe hung loose and crooked over one shoulder, his hair a mess from anxious hands dragging through it over and over again. The decanter on the table had already been opened, one glass half-empty beside it, though William still held another in his hand as if he couldn’t decide whether to drink or throw it against the wall.

The moment the doors shut behind Est, William moved.

“Est – “

The name broke out of him too quickly. Too sharp. Like he’d been holding it in the entire time.

He crossed the room in long strides, stopping only when he was directly in front of him, close enough that Est could smell the amber liquor on his breath beneath the familiar scent of cedar and silk.

“The Council – what my mother said – “

His voice stumbled immediately.

Est had seen William command rooms full of nobles without so much as blinking, had watched him speak through political disasters with smooth elegance, but now the prince looked frighteningly young. Frantic. His fingers tightened around the glass hard enough Est thought it might shatter.

“It wasn’t supposed to happen like that,” William said quickly. “I didn’t know she’d announce it in front of you. I didn’t even know she’d finalized those meetings yet and the Athens thing – gods, Est – “

He laughed once under his breath, strained and miserable.

“Athens was years ago. I was nineteen and stupid and trying to play the role they wanted from me. It meant nothing. None of it meant anything.” His eyes searched Est’s face desperately. “And the princesses – I don’t want them. I don’t care about them. I don’t – “

He stopped abruptly.

Because Est still hadn’t spoken.

And suddenly William looked afraid.

Not of anger.

Of distance.

Of that awful, delicate thing they’d built together cracking apart beneath his hands.

Est could see the exact moment the thought struck him. William’s throat bobbed. His voice dropped quieter.

“Please say something.”

Est’s chest tightened painfully at the sound of it.

Gods.

William really thought this might destroy them.

Est exhaled slowly, then stepped forward before the silence could frighten William further.

“I’m hurt,” he admitted honestly.

The words visibly struck William.

Guilt flooded his face instantly, but Est reached up before he could start apologizing again, resting a hand gently against his wrist.

“But not because I stopped trusting you,” Est said softly.

William went still.

Est’s thumb brushed lightly across his skin.

“I trust you,” he repeated quietly. “And I love you. So don’t stand here looking terrified that I’m about to hate you for this.”

William’s breathing faltered sharply.

Est’s chest ached at the sight of him – disheveled, frightened, eyes full of panic like he’d been waiting for Est to finally decide this love had become too difficult to bear.

“It just…” Est swallowed once. “It stung. That’s all.”

William shut his eyes briefly, pain flashing across his face.

“I never wanted to hurt you.”

“I know.”

The answer came immediately.

Without hesitation.

And somehow that seemed to undo William more than anything else could have.

When he opened his eyes again, they looked almost painfully vulnerable.

“But when you walked out of the council chamber…” he admitted hoarsely, “you looked so distant. I thought maybe…” His throat bobbed hard. “Maybe this was the moment you realized loving me wasn’t worth it.”

The confession carved straight through Est.

His face softened instantly with regret.

“William.”

The prince looked wrecked standing there.

Not frightened of scandal.

Not frightened of politics.

Frightened of losing him.

And suddenly Est understood everything.

William hadn’t called him here to defend Athens or explain princesses.

He’d called him here because he was terrified.

Terrified that the delicate, hard-won thing between them had finally broken.

Gods.

Est’s chest ached.

“You really thought I would stop loving you over this?” he whispered softly.

William looked away briefly – answer enough.

Est moved before thinking.

One hand slid fully into William’s hair while the other cupped the back of his neck, and then he kissed him.

Deeply.

Not frantic. Not desperate.

Certain.

The kind of kiss that said what words couldn’t fully hold.

Trust.

Devotion.

Love stubborn enough to survive being wounded.

William made a soft, shaky sound against his mouth and immediately pulled him closer, fingers gripping tightly at the back of Est’s tunic like he needed the anchor of him.

Est kissed him slowly anyway, deliberately pouring reassurance into every movement.

I’m still here. I’m not leaving. I still choose you.

William melted beneath it by degrees, kissing him back harder now, needier, relief making his breathing uneven against Est’s mouth.

When Est finally pulled back, their foreheads stayed pressed together.

William looked wrecked.

His lips were parted slightly, eyes glassy with emotion.

Est brushed his nose lightly against his and whispered roughly, “I love you.”

William shut his eyes immediately like the words physically hurt him somehow.

Est’s chest tightened painfully at the sight.

“And I’m not looking forward to what I’ll have to witness-” he admitted softly, because William deserved honesty too. His thumb brushed gently beneath William’s eye. “But that doesn’t mean I love you less.”

William let out a shaky breath.

“Est…”

“I trust you,” Est said firmly this time. “Completely. So don’t stand here looking at me like I’m about to disappear.”

His voice softened further.

“I’m still here.”

For a long moment William simply stared at him.

Then, very quietly, like the confession itself frightened him, he whispered,

“I don’t know what I did to deserve you.”

Est huffed the faintest laugh against his mouth before kissing him once more, softer this time.

“You loved me back,” he whispered. “That was enough.”

William stayed close even after the last kiss faded between them.

As though he still couldn’t quite believe Est was truly here. Still touching him. Still choosing him.

Their foreheads remained pressed together, breaths mingling softly in the dim warmth of the room. Est could feel the lingering tremor beneath William’s skin, the aftermath of fear not yet fully settled.

Then, very quietly, William whispered,

“Stay tonight.”

The words were soft enough to break Est’s heart all over again.

Not possessive. Not demanding. Just vulnerable.

Like he needed the reassurance of waking up beside him.

Est’s expression softened immediately. “Of course.”

William shut his eyes briefly at the answer, relief washing visibly through him. For a moment he simply leaned there against Est, breathing him in, gathering himself piece by piece.

Neither of them spoke much after that.

William set aside the abandoned glass of liquor while Est quietly helped him out of the tangled robe he’d half-forgotten he was wearing. The room remained hushed save for the crackling fireplace and the soft rustle of fabric.

There was something strangely fragile about the silence now.

Not broken.

Tender.

As though both of them understood how close this night had come to reopening old wounds neither of them truly wanted to return to.

When they finally climbed into bed, William instinctively reached for him immediately.

Est went willingly.

He pulled William firmly against his chest beneath the heavy blankets, arms wrapping tightly around him until there was no space left between their bodies. William exhaled shakily at once, almost like he’d been holding himself together for hours and could finally stop trying.

“There you are,” Est murmured softly into his hair.

William made a faint sound – somewhere between a laugh and something more emotional – and pressed even closer.

They stayed like that for a long time.

No urgency.

No desire to speak immediately.

Just warmth and breathing and the steady rhythm of each other’s hearts slowly evening out together.

William’s fingers eventually curled into the fabric of Est’s sleep shirt, absentmindedly clutching it in his sleep-heavy exhaustion, and something about that small unconscious gesture nearly undid Est completely.

Because William still held onto him like he was afraid.

Still feared loss more than he admitted aloud.

Est lowered his chin slowly against William’s hair, holding him tighter.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered quietly into the dark.

William stirred slightly against his chest. “For what?”

Est hesitated.

The words felt old and difficult and sharp around the edges.

“For today,” he admitted softly. “For making you think I might be angry or . . . stop loving you because of this.”

William immediately shook his head against him. “Est, no – “

“No, let me finish.” His hand slid slowly through William’s hair. “I keep thinking about the way you looked at me tonight. Like you were waiting for me to leave.” His voice tightened faintly. “And I realized… maybe I gave you reason to fear that.”

William went still.

Est swallowed hard before continuing.

“My jealousy before. The way I reacted sometimes when I was afraid of losing you.” He shut his eyes briefly. “I think I made love feel uncertain for you.”

“Est – “

“I loved you even then,” Est said quickly, voice rougher now. “Gods, I loved you so much it terrified me. But back then…” He hesitated again, trying to untangle feelings he’d never spoken aloud properly before. “Back then I didn’t fully understand how much you loved me too.”

William’s breath caught softly.

Est tightened his arms around him instinctively.

“I knew you cared. I knew you wanted me. But there was always part of me waiting for reality to take you away eventually.” His voice dropped quieter. “A prince choosing someone like me still felt impossible.”

William lifted his head then, eyes immediately glassy in the darkness.

“Est – “

“But now I know,” Est whispered firmly before he could interrupt. His hand cupped William’s face gently against his chest. “I know how deeply you love me. I know what we’ve survived already to stand here like this.” His expression softened with aching certainty. “And knowing changes everything.”

William looked like he could barely breathe.

Est brushed his thumb slowly across his cheek.

“Nothing could separate me from you now,” he whispered. “Nothing. Not politics. Not queens. Not old lovers or kingdoms or whatever future waits for us.” His voice lowered further, full of quiet devotion. “As long as you’ll have me, I’m yours.”

William’s face crumpled softly at that.

And Est leaned forward, resting his forehead gently against his.

“My prince,” he murmured tenderly. “My love.” His arms tightened around him once more. “I’ll follow you everywhere until the end of time… or until you no longer want me beside you.”

William let out a broken sound immediately.

Not quite a sob.

But close.

His hands clutched tightly at Est’s shirt as he buried his face against his chest again, shaking once beneath the force of emotion.

“Never,” William whispered fiercely against him. “Never say that like it’s possible. There is no end where I stop wanting you.”

Est shut his eyes briefly, overwhelmed by the raw certainty in William’s voice.

Then he kissed the top of his hair softly.

William’s face crumpled with raw emotion, eyes glassy as he clutched Est’s shirt. For a long moment they simply breathed each other in, foreheads pressed together in the firelit silence.

Est cupped William’s face with both hands, thumbs brushing away the dampness at the corners of his eyes. He kissed him slowly, tenderly – a soft press of lips that lingered, then deepened with quiet reverence. Their mouths moved together unhurriedly, savoring every sigh and taste. Est tilted his head, kissing him again and again, each kiss growing slightly deeper, slightly longer, until their breathing had turned warm and shaky.

“My prince,” Est whispered against his lips, voice low and full of devotion. He trailed kisses along William’s jaw, down the elegant line of his throat, sucking gently at his pulse point. William shivered, fingers sliding into Est’s hair, holding him close.

Est took his time undressing him. He loosened the ties of William’s robe and let it fall open, sliding his hands beneath the fabric to map warm skin with slow, worshipful touches. Palms glided over William’s chest, thumbs circling sensitive nipples until they peaked under his attention. He kissed every new inch he revealed – collarbones, sternum, the soft plane of his stomach – murmuring soft praises between each press of lips.

William’s hands trembled as he helped Est out of his own shirt, then pushed his sleep pants down. When they were finally both bare, Est gathered him close, skin against skin, and simply held him. They kissed for a long time like that – slow, deep kisses that made the rest of the world disappear. Tongues brushed lazily, teasing, tasting. Est’s hands roamed William’s back, tracing his spine, cupping his ass, pulling their hips together so their hardening cocks nestled against each other.

“Willy…” Est breathed, rolling them gently so William lay beneath him. He kissed down his body with aching thoroughness – licking at one nipple, then the other, sucking softly until William was arching and panting quietly. Lower still, Est nuzzled the crease of his hip, pressing open-mouthed kisses along his inner thighs before finally taking William’s cock into his mouth.

He sucked him slowly, lovingly – long, wet drags of his tongue, hollowing his cheeks on the upstroke, savoring every gasp and whimper. Two slick fingers circled William’s entrance before sliding inside, stretching him open with patient, curling strokes that brushed his prostate again and again.

William’s fingers tightened in Est’s hair, hips rocking gently. “Est… please…”

Est added a third finger, working him open with tender care while continuing to worship his cock with slow, deep sucks. Only when William was trembling and leaking steadily did Est pull away. He slicked his own thick, aching cock and settled between William’s spread thighs.

Their eyes locked as Est pushed inside – slow and steady, letting William feel every thick inch as he sank deeper. When he was fully buried, balls-deep in that tight, scorching heat, Est stilled and leaned down to kiss him again, long and sweet.

They moved like that for a while – slow, rolling thrusts, bodies pressed flush together. Est rocked deep into him, grinding rather than pounding, kissing him through every sigh and moan. The fire crackled softly, casting warm light over their joined bodies.

Gradually, the heat between them built. Est’s thrusts grew longer, stronger. His hands gripped William’s thighs, spreading him wider as his hips snapped harder. The wet, rhythmic sound of skin meeting skin filled the room.

Est shifted, hooking William’s legs higher. His pace quickened, thrusts turning deeper, more powerful. Sweat began to slick their skin. William’s moans grew louder, more desperate, his nails digging into Est’s shoulders.

“That’s it, my prince,” Est growled, voice turning rough. “Let me hear you.”

He began fucking William in earnest – hard, passionate strokes that made the bed creak. Each thrust dragged over his prostate, sending sparks of pleasure through him. Est’s hand wrapped around William’s cock, stroking him in time with the deep snaps of his hips.

The passion overtook them. Est pounded into him harder, faster, hips slamming forward with raw need. The slap of skin on skin grew loud and filthy. William’s cries turned sharp and broken as Est drove into his slick, stretched hole again and again.

In the midst of the relentless heat, Est leaned down, capturing William’s mouth in a messy, desperate kiss and growled against his lips:

“I love you.”

Then he fucked him even harder – deep, passionate thrusts that left William shaking. He folded him nearly in half, pounding relentlessly into that tight, greedy heat until William came with a loud, shattered cry. Thick ropes of cum painted his own chest and stomach as his hole clenched rhythmically around Est’s cock.

The intense pulsing dragged Est over the edge. With a deep, guttural groan he buried himself to the hilt and came hard, pulsing thick, hot spurts of cum deep inside William. He kept thrusting through it, fucking his release deeper with possessive, shallow strokes until it leaked out around his cock.

They collapsed together, panting and trembling. Est stayed buried deep inside him, pressing soft, exhausted kisses to William’s swollen lips, his damp forehead, and his fluttering eyelids.

“I love you, my prince,” he whispered hoarsely, voice thick with emotion. “Always.”

William collapsed onto Est’s chest, both of them panting and slick with sweat and cum. Est stayed buried deep inside him for a long moment, gently stroking William’s back as their heartbeats slowly calmed.

Eventually, Est carefully eased out of him. A thick trickle of cum leaked from William’s reddened, puffy hole onto Est’s thigh. Est fetched a soft, damp cloth from the washstand and cleaned them both with tender care – first wiping William’s chest and stomach, then gently cleaning between his legs, murmuring soft praises as he did.

“Come, my prince,” Est said, helping William to his feet. “Let’s get some air.”

He draped a light silk robe around William’s shoulders and pulled on his own before guiding him out onto the private balcony. The night air was cool and refreshing after the heat of their bodies. A gentle breeze stirred, carrying the faint scent of night-blooming flowers from the gardens below. The palace grounds were quiet at this hour, lit only by distant lanterns.

Est poured two glasses of rich, dark wine from the decanter on the small table and handed one to William. They stood side by side at the stone railing, sipping slowly as the breeze cooled their flushed skin. William leaned against Est, head resting on his shoulder, while Est’s arm wrapped loosely around his waist.

For several peaceful minutes they simply breathed, the wine warming their throats as the cool air kissed their damp skin.

Then William set his glass down and turned in Est’s arms, setting his glass aside. His eyes were dark again, hungry. He pressed close, sliding one hand inside Est’s robe to stroke his bare chest, fingers trailing downward until they wrapped around Est’s half-hard cock.

“Willy…” Est warned softly, voice low.

William smiled, slow and wicked, as he stroked him with lazy, deliberate pulls. “I’m still not done with you.”

Est glanced toward the darkened grounds and distant windows. “Someone could see us out here.”

William pressed closer, lips brushing Est’s ear as he continued stroking the thickening length in his hand. “It’s too late for that, don’t you think?” His voice dropped, teasing and thrilled. “They’ve probably already heard me moaning your name. Let them watch if they want. I want you again. Right here.”

Est’s breath hitched. The idea clearly affected him – his cock jumped and hardened fully in William’s grip. He resisted for one more moment, jaw tight. “My prince… we shouldn’t – “

William smiled against Est’s shoulder, continuing those slow, loving strokes as he felt Est grow fully hard. “Mmm… but I’m still aching for you.”

Est turned around, gripping William’s wrist gently but firmly, trying to hold onto logic. “Someone could see us. A guard on patrol, a servant, even another noble unable to sleep. I won’t have you exposed like that.”

William’s eyes sparkled with mischief and desire. He pressed closer, lips brushing Est’s ear as he kept slowly pumping his fist.

“What happened to my wicked Est?” he teased softly. “The one who used to threaten to pull me into dark corners and fuck me senseless without caring who might hear?” William nipped at his earlobe. “Where’s that man who loved the thrill?”

Est groaned, hips twitching forward into William’s hand despite himself. His cock throbbed angrily, leaking against William’s palm. “I fell in love,” he rasped, voice raw and honest. “With a prince I’d rather die for than shame in front of the world.”

William’s eyes softened with affection even as they sparkled with mischief. “Then love me right here. Worship me under the stars where you can see how much I need you.”

Est’s resistance crumbled. “You’re going to be the death of me, my prince,” he groaned.

William’s voice dropped into something darker, filthier. “I want you to fuck me right here.” He squeezed the base of Est’s cock. “I don’t care if they see. Let them watch their precious prince getting railed over the balcony. Let them see who I belong to.”

Est’s breath hitched sharply, clearly fighting a losing battle.

William stepped back, eyes locked on Est’s. With a wicked little grin, he slowly dropped to his knees on the cool stone floor.

“The vines and plants will hide us enough,” he whispered, glancing at the thick curtain of ivy and flowering vines that draped around this section of the balcony. Then he looked up at Est with pure sin in his eyes.

Without another word, William opened Est’s robe, freed his throbbing cock, and him deep in one smooth motion, lips stretched wide around the thick shaft as the head nudged the back of his throat.

“Fuck – William,” Est cursed under his breath, one hand flying to grip the stone railing while the other tangled gently in William’s hair. “Your wicked, perfect mouth – “

William hummed happily around his cock and began sucking with slow, devoted strokes. He bobbed his head languidly at first, savoring every inch, tongue swirling around the thick vein underneath before flicking teasingly over the leaking slit. Saliva dripped down his chin as he took Est deeper, relaxing his throat until his nose pressed against dark curls.

Est’s hips jerked forward involuntarily. “Shit… Willy – your mouth feels too good. So hot and wet – fuck.”

William pulled back slowly, letting Est’s cock slip from his lips with an obscene pop. Strings of saliva connected his swollen, shiny lips to the glistening head. He looked up with dark, lust-filled eyes while stroking the slick length with both hands.

“You taste so good,” William whispered, voice hoarse. “I could stay on my knees for you all night.” He leaned in and licked a long, slow stripe from balls to tip, then sucked just the head back into his mouth, tongue swirling relentlessly.

Est let out a low, broken curse, head falling back. “Gods damn you… you’re going to make me lose my mind out here.” His fingers tightened in William’s hair, not pushing, just holding on as William took him deep again, sucking harder, faster, moaning around his cock like he was starving for it.

The wet, filthy sounds of William’s mouth mixed with the soft rustle of leaves and the distant night breeze. Est’s thighs trembled as pleasure coiled tighter in his gut.

“Fuck – slow down, my prince. I’m – shit – ” Est growled, breathing ragged. He was rock hard and leaking heavily down William’s throat, every swirl of that clever tongue pushing him closer to the edge.

William pulled off again, gasping for air, lips red and glossy. “I want you to fuck me,” he breathed, still stroking Est’s soaked cock. “Right now. Bend me over and fill me while I’m still tasting you on my tongue.”

That was the final straw.

Est cursed sharply and hauled William up off his knees in one powerful motion. He lifted him clean off the ground, hands gripping the back of William’s thighs as he hoisted him up. William’s legs wrapped instinctively around Est’s waist. Est tugged the silk robe off William’s shoulders, letting it fall open so the cool breeze kissed his naked skin. He spun them and pressed William’s back against the thick stone column beside the railing, the vines providing them barely any cover.

“You’re so beautiful,” Est whispered reverently as he spread William’s cheeks. Two thick fingers slid into his still-slick, cum-filled hole, slowly pumping. “Still dripping with me… so warm and open. My perfect prince.”

William moaned softly, pushing back. “Please, Est. I need you inside me again.”

Est didn’t waste any time, he lined up his throbbing, saliva-slick cock with William’s still-loose, cum-filled hole and thrust in with one deep, possessive stroke.

Both of them moaned loudly at the feeling.

“Fuck, Willy – ” Est growled against his neck, already snapping his hips forward in hard, deep thrusts. “You happy now? You got exactly what you wanted.”

William gasped, arms locked around Est’s shoulders as he was bounced on his cock. “Yes – yes, just like that. Fuck me harder, Est.”

Est cursed again, gripping William’s ass bruisingly as he drove up into him with raw, passionate strokes, the wet slap of skin echoing softly into the night.

Est’s thrusts grew deeper and more powerful, his hips snapping forward with controlled hunger. The wet, filthy sound of his thick cock driving into William’s cum-slick hole echoed softly into the night air.

“Gods, my prince,” Est groaned against the back of William’s neck, voice rough with reverence. “You’re so fucking perfect like this. Warm, tight, and dripping around me. Look at you, taking every inch like you were born for my cock.”

William moaned shamelessly, pushing back to meet each thrust. “Deeper… please, Est. I want all of you.”

Est growled low, gripping William’s hips harder as he drove in with long, punishing strokes. The cool breeze brushed over their joined bodies, teasing William’s leaking cock and making him shiver.

“You feel that?” Est panted, angling his hips to drag across William’s prostate with every thrust. “That’s how much I worship you. Every part of you. This greedy little hole that keeps sucking me back in… fuck, Willy, you’re clenching so beautifully around me.”

He reached around and wrapped a firm hand around William’s throbbing cock, stroking him in time with his deep thrusts. “So hard for me again. My beautiful, insatiable prince. You love being fucked out in the open, don’t you? Love knowing anyone could look up and see how well you take me.”

“Yes – ” William gasped, voice breaking as Est slammed into him harder. “I love it… I love feeling you so deep.”

Est pressed his chest flush against William’s back, fucking him with slow, rolling thrusts that gradually turned brutal. Skin slapped loudly against skin. His balls smacked wetly against William’s ass with every powerful snap of his hips.

“You’re mine,” Est whispered hotly against his ear, voice full of devotion and lust. “This body, this perfect ass, this sweet little hole – all mine. I’d fuck you on every balcony in the kingdom if it made you happy. In public, on the street. . . I’d give you the stars if you asked for them while I’m buried inside you.”

William’s moans grew louder, more desperate. His legs trembled as Est railed him relentlessly against the stone railing, pounding directly into that sensitive spot inside him.

“Est – I’m close – don’t stop – “

Est stroked him faster, twisting his wrist over the slick head while driving his cock in deep and hard. “That’s it, my prince. Let go for me. Come on my cock like the stunning, filthy royal you are. I want to feel you fall apart while I’m still inside you.”

William came with a broken, shameless cry that rang out into the night. His hole clenched violently around Est’s thick cock as thick ropes of cum shot over Est’s fist and splattered against the stone balcony floor.

The intense pulsing pulled Est over the edge seconds later. With a deep, guttural groan, he buried himself to the hilt and came hard, pulsing thick, hot spurts of cum deep inside William. He kept shallowly thrusting through it, fucking his release even deeper while whispering hoarse praises.

“So good… so fucking perfect… taking everything I give you. My beautiful prince.”

They stayed locked together, panting heavily as the cool breeze cooled their sweat-slicked skin. Est remained buried inside William, arms wrapped tightly around his waist, pressing soft, lingering kisses along his shoulder and the back of his neck.

After a long moment, Est gently pulled out, watching with dark satisfaction as a thick trickle of his cum leaked from William’s puffy, well-fucked hole and ran down his thigh. Before it could drip far, Est slid two fingers back inside, gently pushing his release back in, rubbing it against those sensitive walls.

William whimpered at the sensation.

He turned William around and pulled him into a slow, deep kiss, holding him close against his chest.

“You’ll be the death of me one day,” Est murmured tenderly against his lips, a small smile in his voice. “But what a way to go, my prince.”

William smiled, glowing and sated, and rested his forehead against Est’s.

Est scooped him up effortlessly into his arms, carrying his prince bridal-style back inside. All the while, his fingers stayed buried in William’s hole, slowly fucking his cum deeper with every step. William clung to his neck, face buried against Est’s throat, moaning softly with each deliberate curl of those thick fingers.

Est laid him down gently on the bed, careful not to pull his fingers free just yet. He leaned over William, still slowly stirring the mess inside him, watching with dark, hungry eyes as more cum leaked out around his knuckles.

“You look so beautiful like this,” Est whispered, voice rough. “All flushed and full of me.”

He finally withdrew his fingers and turned toward the washstand to get a fresh cloth.

“Wait,” William said softly, catching his wrist.

Est paused.

William’s eyes were dark, cheeks still flushed. “Don’t clean me,” he murmured, a shy but stubborn edge to his voice. “I want to stay full of you. I want to fall asleep feeling your cum still inside me… leaking out of me slowly all night.”

Est froze. A deep, guttural moan escaped his throat at the words. His spent cock twitched hard against his thigh.

“Willy…” he breathed, voice wrecked with fresh lust.

He abandoned the cloth completely and crawled back onto the bed, covering William’s body with his own. He kissed him deeply – slow, hungry, and possessive – tongue sliding against William’s as if he wanted to devour every sound he made.

“You’re going to kill me,” Est whispered against his lips between kisses. “Talking like that… telling me you want to sleep dripping with my cum. Fuck, my prince.”

William smiled into the kiss, wrapping his arms around Est’s neck and pulling him closer. “Then hold me like this. Keep me full of you.”

Est groaned again and rolled them onto their sides, pulling William flush against his chest. One of his hands slid down to cup William’s ass possessively, two fingers slipping back inside his slick, cum-filled hole just to keep him plugged and satisfied.

“As you wish, my love,” Est murmured, pressing a tender kiss to William’s forehead, then his lips again. “Anything for you.”

They stayed like that – tangled together, skin to skin, Est’s fingers lazily keeping his cum inside William as their breathing slowly evened out. The fire crackled softly in the hearth while the cool balcony breeze drifted in through the open doors.

William sighed happily against Est’s chest, already drifting off, warm and claimed and utterly content.

“Sleep, my prince,” Est whispered, holding him tighter. “I’ve got you.”

____________

I’m officially back, and honestly? It feels amazing . . .and a little surreal.

Stepping back into this world after so many months away felt different, and I’ll be the first to admit I wasn’t entirely sure how to proceed at first. Coming back after such a long break is intimidating, especially since so much has happened in my life in these months, but actually sitting down and writing this chapter was exactly what I needed to find my flow again.

As a massive thank you for being so incredibly patient during the hiatus, I’m bringing the heat. This chapter is packed with plenty of smut and spice to make up for lost time.

But keep your eyes peeled, things may (or may not) be changing very soon for these two.

As always, leave your thoughts and reactions in the comments. I’ve missed hearing from you all!

– Author S.