From: "A.K." <andrej@andrejkoymasky.com>
Sent: Wed, August 22, 2007 3:45 am
Subject: The Gilded Cage 4/11 (Historical)

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THE GILDED CAGE
by Andrej Koymasky (C) 2007
written on November 8, 1993
translated by the author
English text kindly revised by John

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USUAL DISCLAIMER

"THE GILDED CAGE" is a gay story, with some parts containing graphic
scenes of sex between males. So, if in your land, religion, family,
opinion and so on this is not good for you, it will be better not to
read this story. But if you really want, or because YOU don't care, or
because you think you really want to read it, please be my welcomed
guest.

-----------------------------

CHAPTER 4 - The prince's secret comes to light

Jakobus was missing Lukas and the possibility to make love. He began
again to observe the males who were at court, and whom he liked, with
inquiring eyes. Not a few attracted him sexually, and amongst them some
for their character and personality as well, but he was not able to
recognize in any of them "that" look that could give him the hope for a
new encounter.

The eighth of December came and thus the presentation ceremony. All the
aristocracy of the kingdom gathered in the ball hall. At the scheduled
time the door of honour was opened and the royal family entered. King
Heinrich and queen Margaretha passed between two rows of aristocrats,
who bowed at their passage, and proceeded to the royal thrones that had
been prepared. The queen mother Bianca followed them and sat on a
smaller throne placed at the right of the royal couple, one step lower.
Then came Jakobus and behind him Stefanie and Friedrich, who sat at the
left of the royal couple on three seats without insignias and two steps
lower.

After the official "salute" by the king, the court chamberlain had the
door on the right of the door of honour opened and started to announce
the "presentees". The first, because of his rank, was the cousin Johann.

"The duke Johann Mathias Wenzeslaus, born on the day nineteen of the
month of August!"

Johann entered, splendid in his violet and black uniform, his blue
baldric and his dress-sword at his side, shining with gold and precious
stones, that he could wear at court as he was the son of the king's
sister.

He advanced to the middle of the hall, where he stood between his father
and mother, then the three of them advanced until they were before the
royal couple. All three bowed deeply, then father and mother stepped
back leaving Johann alone.

The king, standing up, declaimed, "Well, Johann Mathias, be welcome in
this court. Your request has been granted, and from tomorrow you will
take service in this court with the role and duty of attendant at the
antechamber of the throne hall."

Johann bowed and while he was standing up threw a quick glance to
Jakobus. Then climbed the stairs, received the ritual embrace of the
king, moved in front of the queen and, bowing deeply, kissed her hand,
then turned towards the queen mother, his grand-mother, deeply bowing,
and then turned towards the three princes saluting them standing to
attention. He then went down the three steps, stepping back, turned
towards the hall and saluted while everybody was briefly applauding. And
finally he took his place amongst the other guests.

The chamberlain announced the second "presentee".

Stefanie leaned slightly towards Jakobus and whispered, "How handsome
our cousin Johann is ..."

"Shush!" her brother said in a low voice.

But he too was often looking towards Johann who, even though had an
impassive expression, often returned the warm glances of his cousin.

When the presentation was over, the ball started. The young presentees,
each bowing to the respective dames they knew they had to invite,
started to whirl around the hall. The king and the queen left their
thrones and went to talk informally with the guests.

Stefanie said to Jakobus, "It's a pity we can not yet dance..."

Friedrich told her, "Oh, you have to wait too many years. You are still
a baby!"

"Baby? I am already eleven, just two years less than you! And my dancing
teacher says I am already very good."

"Well, anyway still seven years of patience, dear sister." Friedrich
insisted, giving her a conceited smile.

Jakobus, after the first three dances, could approach his cousin.

"Johann! That uniform fits you wonderfully. It makes you look even
taller and more slender than you are."

"Thank you for your compliment, cousin. How are you?"

"I don't know. So so. I would like to talk with you in private..."

"Here and today it will be impossible. Ah, you still have my good luck
charm. You didn't forget it, then."

"Of course not, and you neither, I hope."

"I neither, it's natural. That was a really great the month I spent with
you."

Jakobus bent toward him and whispered, "But you are more beautiful with
nothing on you..."

Johann laughed, "Here it would be rather embarrassing, don't you think?
And above all it would violate the etiquette!"

The party was over. In their private rooms the king and his family
received Johann's family, who would stay at Palace that night.

"Your Johann has become a handsome young man, my dear sister in law..."
at a certain point the queen said.

"Yes, thank God." The king's sister answered.

"You certainly have already thought of a spouse for him, I imagine."

"To tell the truth... not yet. He is, after all, just eighteen..."

"Oh, it is never soon enough. As they are matters to be well weighed up,
it is good think of them in time. Here at court there are many damsels
who... also amongst the younger of my ladies in waiting... Is it
possible that you have not yet thought of any?"

Jakobus, who had overheard this talk, went near Johann who was near one
of the room's windows looking out.

He whispered, "They are talking about your marriage!"

"I could guess it."

"But... are you not interested?"

"Should I be? After all she would just be my wife."

"But your father and your mother chose each other... and they seem
happy. Wouldn't it be better if you too..."

"I don't care. If I like her, I would be faithful. If not, I would find
a mistress or, even better, a boy..."

"Did you have somebody, after me?"

"Of course."

"Who?"

"A wonderful man of thirty."

"One of your servants?"

"No..."

"Who, then?"

"My confessor and spiritual director."

"What? A priest?"

"Yes, sure. They are men too, aren't they? And what a handsome man he
is! We always have long sessions together, and really pleasurable ones,
I can grant you. But now, unhappily, we have to part... I will find
someone else here at court, I hope."

"Oh, here at court it is so difficult, so complicated..."

"I can guess it. But I will be much freer than you, my poor cousin. But
rather, tell me about yourself..."

"It's a long story... I will tell you. I need to tell somebody, and to
whom if not to you..."

"From your expression I would say it is not a beautiful story..."

"I will tell you later..." Jakobus repeated and went to the centre of
the room again, with the others.

A few days later he got to withdraw into the garden with Johann and
then, while walking, told him of his story with Lukas.

"You have been unlucky, yes. But you will find somebody else, don't lose
heart."

"Oh, Johann, it is so difficult. If you come to the park, I will show
you were we were meeting in secret."

"Willingly."

Followed some steps behind by the ever-present escort, Jakobus guided
his cousin to the abandoned old cabin. He opened its door and looked
inside.

"I never came here again, after that night. Look, there on that corner,
there still is the folded cover and on it Lukas' flint and lamp."

"Leave them there, they could turn useful on other occasions..." Johann
said with a smile.

"Nobody ever comes to this cabin. It had been built for our
grand-father, Jakobus II, who withdrew here to compose his poems... Then
it was no longer used by anybody. It is full of dust, now..."

"And of your memories..." Johann added.

"Very beautiful memories. Lukas was a simple man, but a genuine one, and
also very sweet. I liked making love with him, even though I knew he had
an affair with a stable-boy... And I also loved talking with him..."

"Can't you then try with that stable-boy?"

"No, I don't even have the occasion to see him. We are never alone,
here. You see that even now I have my usual two guardian angels
following each of my steps..."

"The one on the left is handsome..." Johan said, without turning.

"Yes, but... I can't go and tell him, can I? And moreover the other one
is always there..."

"He seems young. Could he be twenty?"

"Yes, about that. His name is Reinhardt."

"I see that you now know everybody's names, as I advised you..."

"Yes. But this doesn't change anything. I'm dying to make love, do you
know?"

"With me?"

"You too, of course!"

"Yes, I do too. But you really are unapproachable in intimacy. I really
don't envy you, my poor cousin. You are now almost seventeen and they
still treat you and follow you as if you were a little boy."

"When I will be eighteen something will change, but not so much. The
wonderful freedom you enjoy at your castle... remains a dream for me.
But... listen, why don't you come up to my room, now? At this time of
day we should be able to stay alone for a while, except for the guard
outside the door... And the chamber page... I can try to send him away
with a pretext... And as you are my cousin..."

"Let's try."

They went upstairs. Jakobus managed to send away the page and the two
boys flew one in the other's arms and kissed.

"Unhappily we can't undress. We will not have the time to dress again if
somebody comes." Jakobus said.

"What's behind those two doors?" Johann asked.

"This one is the page's room. And here is the bathroom and, beyond, the
toilet."

"Let's go to the bathroom, then. If somebody comes into the bedroom, we
can hear in time. I can shut myself in the toilet and you can go out
telling you just showed me where it was..."

"Yes, but anyway I wouldn't have time to dress again."

"We will just open our trousers and you can button them up in a moment.
Let's go, come on. I really feel a great desire to make love with you."
Johann said. "Mhmh! You are growing up nicely, cousin. Let me suck it
for a while, and then you will put it into my ass... Yes, it is bigger
than the last time... Slip it into my mouth, go on..."

Jakobus had just slipped it into the welcoming ass of his cousin and was
hammering in it with real gusto, when they heard a knocking at the
bedroom door. Johann went hurriedly in the toilet shutting himself
inside while Jakobus, somewhat with difficulty because of his erection,
tidied up his trousers and went to the bedroom.

"Come in!" he said with a loud and clear voice sitting on a chair so
that the swelling in his trousers was less visible.

"Sorry, Your Highness, but I have to prepare your room for the night, if
it doesn't disturb you..."

"All right. I'm just waiting for my cousin to come out of the toilet,
then we will leave you to work in peace, Walterus."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

The page waited. Johann came out from the bathroom door with a casual
expression.

"Come Johann, Walterus has to tidy my room..." Jakobus said standing up
and, with his cousin, left the room. "We could not even finish. It is
frustrating..." Jakobus exclaimed when they were alone.

"Yes, it is true. But... did you notice how that page was observing?
That boy, in my opinion, would be game."

"Come on!"

"Yes, I would swear on it... When I came out from the bathroom door, the
first place his eyes settled on and lingered for a little while, was
here, on my groin. How old is that boy?"

"Nineteen, I think."

"He is really handsome..."

"Yes, it is true. But I never noticed any glance that could..."

"I on the contrary should say he did."

"Then perhaps he likes you and not I..."

"Impossible. After all we are not so physically different, you and I."

"You are almost two years older than me, more ripe, more desirable,
possibly..."

"Bah... or perhaps he simply doesn't dare to look at you in the same way
he scouted me... But possibly, if you put him in a situation to do
it..."

"He sees me almost naked. Every evening he assists me with the other two
pages. At times he is even on duty when I take my bath."

"He never sleeps there, in the page's room?"

"Yes, of course, a couple nights every week."

"Therefore, two or three times each week, during the night, you and he
are alone..."

"Yes, sure, but I in my room and he in his..."

"This is surely not a problem... If I were in your place, I would
try..."

This talk with Johann continued humming in Jakobus' ears. Yes, Walterus
was really handsome. It could be pleasant making love with him. And if
he was game, they really could have two or three nights in the week to
make love undisturbed...

On the following days Jakobus studied Walterus with greater care,
observed his glances... but nothing made him convinced that Johann was
right.

But the more he was thinking of that, the more he was feeling the need
to try with that boy who seemed increasingly desirable to him. But the
page's eyes never lowered between his legs nor between those of the
other two pages who, even if one was middle-aged and not so much
attractive, the other was not bad at all... Jakobus's eyes, on the
contrary, were now running more and more often to rest on the discrete
lump that adorned knee breeches of Walterus's livery. And Johann was
continuing to urge him to try...

He had managed to have some more intimate encounters with Johann, and in
a relatively simple way. He was going to visit him in the attendants'
quarters. Johann shared a room with another attendant ("so boring, he
always talks of women...") and when the other boy was on duty, Jakobus
went to see his cousin. At the room door, he ordered his escort to wait
outside.

"See that nobody disturbs us, I have to talk with my cousin the duke."
He ordered them.

He entered, they closed the door with the key without making any noise,
they hurriedly undressed and laid on Johann's bed to make love. Both
felt the need, a need that was not only physical. Mainly for Jakobus
that was one of the rare moments in his life, besides those he could
spend with his siblings, when he could feel alive, happy, carefree. With
his cousin he could not only receive and give pleasure, but also
tenderness, sweetness, intimacy. They were not really in love with each
other, but were bound by a strong affection, besides the friendship and
reciprocal trust.

When Johann went to spend a month at his home, Jakobus felt lonely
again. And he resumed thinking of his handsome page Walterus in a more
explicit way. He liked him, he was attracted by him. He was very
different from Lukas, not only because he was younger, but also because
of his refined manners, and for his body possibly less athletic but not
less firm. But never just one single glance from the page had betrayed
his interest, or even just his sexual curiosity. Jakobus was on
tenterhooks - what had he to do? To go to his bed during the night? If
only the page had not to sleep fully dressed...

One night, Jakobus was not able to fell asleep, and while he was
fantasizing he got a strong erection. Then, almost without thinking, he
called his page.

"Walterus!"

The answer came immediately, "Yes, You Highness... I'm coming!"

He saw the glimmer of the two-branched candlestick behind the bed
canopy's curtains. He then pulled away the cover from his body, took off
his night shirt and, naked and with his erection well visible between
his legs...

"Walterus, open the curtain..."

The page made it slide to one side and Jakobus saw the reflection of the
little flames in the young page's eyes. His look lowered for an instant
to the prince's erection, then his eyes flashed for a moment but then
went back, impassive, to meet Jakobus's eyes.

"I can't fall asleep. You see what state I'm in, Walterus,?"

"Yes, Your Highness..."

"I absolutely cannot fall asleep..."

"I regret, Your Highness..." the boy answered, formal, impassive.

"Walterus, I am feeling far too lonely in this wide bed..." Jakobus
said.

But then he started to ask himself if he had not bungled everything, if
it was not better to give up, admitting that he had already made a false
move. And just in that moment his gaze went down to the level of the
page's groin and what he saw lit up his hope again - the swelling in the
livery's breeches was clearly increasing, lightly throbbing...

"Walterus... would you come to keep me company?"

"At your orders, Your Highness..."

"No, I am not ordering you anything, but... I would feel really grateful
if you want to put down that candlestick and come here, near me. But
only if it pleases you, Walterus..."

"I, Your Highness... I would be glad being able to give some relief to
your loneliness..."

"Put the candlestick on the bed-head, then... Yes, and now come here,
near me..."

"Fully dressed, Your Highness?"

"Would you undress for me?" Jakobus asked, more and more moved and
excited.

"With a real pleasure, Your Highness."

"So, then... please..."

The youth started to untie his clothes and to take them off one by one,
until he was, naked, standing up near the bed. Jakobus looked at him -
he was really handsome. His body was hairless, just a light down on his
arms and legs. His wide chest showed two dark and small, round, perfect
nipples. The little navel's button slightly jutted out of the well
shaped belly. An aureole of hairs in flame shape surrounded his member
already erect, stiff, pointing upwards, under which was hanging, full,
the testicle bag.

"You are handsome..."

"Thank you."

"But take off that ridiculous wig..."

The page, smiling, took it off, and soft slightly wavy hair appeared.

"You are really handsome!" Jakobus murmured, admiring him with pleasure.

"Your Highness is really beautiful. And I am not fawning upon you..."

Jakobus stretched out an arm, towards the youth, "Come..."

The page took the hand stretched toward him and Jakobus pulled him to
himself. Walterus went on his knees on the bed and drew close to the
prince.

"Walterus, I would like to make love with you..."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"But you, would you do it with me with pleasure?"

"Yes, certainly yes."

"Did you already make love with a man?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Here at the Palace?"

"Oh no, Your Highness. When I go back to my village, with a dear friend,
since we were both kids..."

"Good, then imagine that here with you there is that friend... make love
with me as you make love with him. Is that alright?"

"Yes..." the page said.

He laid down near the prince and started to caress him all over his
body. Jakobus shuddered with pleasure and in his turn started to caress
and explore the handsome youth's body. It was firm, velvety, more than
enjoyable.

"Walterus, why didn't you ever look at my body with desire?"

"I didn't dare, Your Highness. I am just one of your servants."

"No, not now, not in this moment, anyway. You now are not here to serve
me, you have just to think of me as of that friend..."

"It is... difficult, what you are asking me."

"But this is what I need, can't you understand?"

"Understand? Yes, I think I can."

"I am now only a male desiring to make love with someone like him...
that is...with you."

"Yes..."

"Therefore, please, don't call me Your Highness, at this time."

"It will also be difficult... but I will try."

"We are not in the Palace, now... we are alone on a desert island..."
the prince begged and went down to caress his companion's hard member.

Walterus quivered and asked, "May I... kiss you?"

"If it pleases you, you should. You can and have to do anything you
like, is that clear?"

"Yes... but I wouldn't displease you..."

"No, anything you do will not displease me. And if by chance it happens,
I will just tell you without laying the blame on you..."

Then Walterus kissed him, taking his face between his hands. When they
parted, Jakobus quickly dived on the boy's groin and took in his mouth
the beautiful member, stiff like a sword.

"Oh no, Your Highness, not this!" the boy panted.

"Don't you like it?"

"Yes, I like, but..."

"So, then?"

"But you are the prince and I the servant. It is for me to do it to
you."

"You did it to your friend?"

"Yes."

"And he to you?"

"Also."

"So, then! I told you, here in my bed please forget that I am the prince
and you the page."

"Oh, but it is so..."

"... difficult?" Jacobus concluded with a smile, caressing his chest.
"May I suck it, then?"

"Y... yes..." the youth stammered.

Jakobus merrily resumed doing it, with real gusto and pleasure. The
youth emitted a pleasure sigh.

"Shush! Quiet! The guards out here can hear us..." the prince whispered.

"Forgive me... but you are so good at it..."

Jakobus took the incredibly hard and throbbing rod in his mouth again.
Then Walterus turned little by little, aided by the prince who had
understood what he wanted, and he too started to suck the hard member of
Jakobus.

After a while Jakobus, feeling that the mutual pleasure was dizzily
increasing, he asked, "Did you swallow your friend's seed?"

"No... he never unloaded into my mouth. Only into my ass."

"Well, then, I will try not to do it. But I like drinking the seed,
therefore don't withdraw when you shoot, is that alright?"

"Are you certain?"

"I am more than certain. I like drinking the seed very much, therefore
please don't deny it to me."

"As you desire..."

Thus, when Jakobus felt that the youth was about coming, he increased
the rhythm and energy of his sucking and, putting his hands on the tense
buttocks of the other, kept him well into his mouth. Walterus started to
ejaculate strongly. The orgasm of the page triggered his own, therefore
he tried to pull out his member from the page's mouth. But the youth,
imitating him, cupped his hands firmly on the little buttocks of the
prince and pulled him to himself. Jakobus tried to slip out, to
withdraw, but the page sank his head against the prince's groin and
imprisoned his pelvis, sucking and moving his head, until Jakobus was no
more able to control himself and emptied with powerful jets in his
companion's throat, and the page swallowed gulp after gulp of all the
warm flow.

When they finally parted, Jakobus looked at his companion's face and saw
he had a queer expression.

"I tried to pull out, but you prevented me..." he apologized.

"Of course. You drank from me and thus I wanted to drink from you."

"But if you never did it... You didn't like it, of course."

"No, it's not so. It is just that I didn't know how to swallow it, and
it was almost going wrong and..."

"And how did it feel?"

"It is... odd, but not bad."

"You had better not to do it..."

"No, on the contrary... And forgive me if I prevented you from
withdrawing... but I acted on impulse, and..."

"I wanted to pull it out only for you, because you told me you never did
it and I thought you disliked it..."

"Now I did it."

"But would you do it again?"

"Yes."

"Also with your friend, now?"

"Certainly."

"We came rather fast... I would like we could resist longer; the next
time I would like to make it go on longer..."

"I was much too excited... Doing it with Your Highness..."

"But you will swear to never tell anybody, not even to your friend?"

"Oh, Your Highness, you know very well that all we can see or hear, will
never get out of here! This is the first duty of a good page."

"And are you a good page?"

"I do my best to be one..."

"Do you mind staying some more here on the bed near me?"

"As long as you like."

"I like, after making love, not to part too soon."

"I agree, I like that better too."

"Do you feel like telling me how you understood you like making love
with men? I am always very curious, as it is such a rare thing."

"Oh, it is an uninteresting story..."

"If you prefer not to tell me..."

"No, no, there is no reason. I was eleven..."

"Just eleven? So early? I was fifteen, my first time..."

"I don't know if it is early... possibly yes. My father and my mother
are wool workers, wool carders. Every year they go to the mountain to
buy the wool from the shepherds, then they take it down, card it and
sell it to the spinning factory. So we, once every year, all the family
together, went up the mountain at the shearing time to gather the wool.
We stopped there for several days. We children, usually, played games
with the shepherds' children.

"That time, we were playing hide and seek and I was hidden with a
shepherd-boy who was about thirteen. He told me he wanted to teach me a
nice game and touched me under my breeches. I let him do, because I
liked it, it seemed me really a good game and I also touched him. That
time we didn't do any more. But later on that same day he came to look
for me and took me in a secluded place to resume the game. I went,
quietly. He then lowered my breeches and pushed his little thing against
my back until he shoved it all inside me. I felt a weird sensation, but
also rather enjoyable, so I let him do it.

"But when I told him I too wanted do it, he said no, and explained me
that only the older boys could shove it in the younger ones. So in those
days it was only him to put it inside me. Anyway, each time it was a bit
more pleasurable, therefore I accepted willingly.

"The following year, when we went there again, that shepherd boy wanted
do it with me again. But I insisted I wanted to try, so he said to wait
a moment and came back with a cousin slightly younger than me and I too
finally could try it. All this happened again on the following year, in
a threesome - he was taking me and I his cousin.

"When I was fourteen I met the friend with whom I still make love at my
village. He was sixteen and already knew that game... so, when in great
secrecy I propositioned him, he did it with me. And he, although older
than me, not only took me but also let me take him. This friend is the
son of our village gendarme. We made love for three years, several times
each week. When it was becoming dark, we went to the sawmill, hid
amongst the tall wood stacks, climbing on top of one of them, and up
there we made love in peace and quiet.

"When I was seventeen and he nineteen, my friend told me that they were
hiring pages for the court and that he wanted to try. Therefore I too
decided to try. We had to do some tests, we were examined. He was
refused but I was accepted. I had to follow the courses of good manners,
etiquette for about a year, and finally I started my service at court.
So, this is all my story..."

"In these two years, you never did it with somebody, here at court? With
another page, or with others?"

"No, never."

"But why?"

"I never had the opportunity. That is... once a cook tried it with me,
but I was too scared we could be caught, so I told him I didn't like
such things, even though I really liked that boy."

"Who knows why such a good thing is to be done in great secret?"

"Eh, Your Highness, good... it is good. But so many good things are
forbidden. Or rather, it almost seems that the more good things are, the
more they seem amused to forbid them."

"Do you know that you have very beautiful lips? Lips to be kissed..."

"Thank you..."

Jakobus cuddled against the youth's body and asked him to tell him some
more things about his life. The page assented and began to narrate, in a
low voice. Jakobus gradually fell asleep. When Walterus realized that
the prince was sleeping, he gently wriggled free from his body, covered
it with the soft cover, took the candlestick and got off the bed. He
silently closed the canopy curtain, gathered his clothes and wig and
went back to his little room. He dressed again, tidied himself, then
laid down to rest.

On he following morning the pendulum clock awakened him. He went to call
the prince. From behind the curtain, when he heard he was awake, he
whispered, "Your Highness, put on your night shirt. In a short while I
have to call the other two pages for the wearing the clothes ..."

"Yes, Walterus, thank you..." Jakobus answered, "I've done. You can
start. Wake me up, now." he said with a giggle.

"Royal Highness, this is the reveille call! Royal Highness, this is the
reveille call! Royal..." the rite began.

Each time Walterus was on duty in the night, they were uniting on the
prince's bed to make love. The page, although he was impassive and
formal during the day and in presence of others, started to treat him
with more simplicity and spontaneity, though always remaining
respectful.

Besides making love, they talked of many subjects and between them was
taking shape, if not a real friendship, that would have been impossible,
a certain warm and agreeable connivance.

Jakobus had got used to falling asleep half embraced with Walterus who,
as on the first night, only when the prince was asleep went away
silently, dressed again and went on his little bed in the page's
adjoining room. As the three pages on duty in the prince's bedroom were
alternating working the night shift, Jakobus could make love with
Walterus one night in three. On the other two nights, Petrus, the
head-page was on duty one night. He was an austere man of forty-five,
and according to Jakobus, quite unpleasant. The other night Heinriks was
there instead, a page of twenty-one who physically didn't appeal at all
the young prince.

Outside his bedroom door there were three noble guards who worked three
shifts of eight hours, and one of them was the beautiful Reinhardt.
Often Jakobus undressed him with his eyes but, especially now that he
had Walterus, he didn't even think of the possibility of trying
something with the young soldier, in spite of his being really very
good-looking.

Three more guards of the corps of noblemen were alternating outside the
antechamber room door, that is in the corridor of the royal quarters. At
times Jakobus thought that it was a real waste having nine people
working exclusively for him.

"When I will be king, also these things have to change." The prince
often thought.

But who know how many years would pass before he became king - ten,
twenty, thirty? His father became king when he was forty-five, that is
when he was three and Friedrich was just born.

When they were sharing their intimacy, at times Walterus told him very
nice things like "Do you know that you are really beautiful? It is a
pleasure even just looking at you." Or else, "Each time it is my turn to
do the night shift, I feel lucky." And also, "Making love with you is
one of the best things in my life..." and Jakobus could feel that the
youth was totally sincere and enjoyed this. Another thing he liked more
and more about Walterus was the fact that the page, especially after
making love, cuddled him.

At times Jakobus made love with Johann also, but when his cousin has
started to officially court a damsel of the court who had been destined
to him as his future spouse, that is the daughter of the wealthy count
the kingdom's Minister of Finance, they were meeting less frequently and
their intimate moments were even more rare.

When Jakobus was nearly turning eighteen, three things happened.

The first was that in January Johann got married. A magnificent ceremony
was held in the cathedral and the whole royal family attended. Jakobus
felt his cousin's weddings was a little like treason, but he said
nothing to him. Rather, he congratulated him when, as a wedding present,
he was promoted to attendant to the throne hall.

The second and third things happened in March.

Jakobus was making love with Walterus. He was enjoying the beautiful
member of the young page driven well inside his greedy little ass.
Walterus, with his usual ardour was pumping in him when a sudden noise
in the antechamber made them freeze. Excited voices. They parted and
while the prince was hurriedly putting on his night shirt, Walterus,
hurled himself out of the bed, was trying to gather his clothes.

But suddenly the bedroom door burst open and the attendant of the king,
with a three-branched candlestick in his hand, appeared. The officer
stopped short at the door, as if turned into a pillar of salt just for
an instant, then entered and closed the door behind him.

Walterus had frozen still, half squatting on the floor where he was
trying to gather his livery. Jakobus got out of the bed and was looking
at the officer, scared, bewildered, embarrassed, angry.

With a troubled, almost hysterical voice, said, "How do you dare to
enter my room like this!?"

The man had recovered all his composure.

In a formal tone, said, "I beg Your Highness' pardon. His Majesty the
king charged me to inform you that the queen mother has had a heart
attack and therefore your presence is required at her bedside without
any delay."

"I... I have to dress."

"No, as you are. You already... dressed enough. There is no time."

"What you have seen... guessed... You have to say not a word to anybody,
it's an order!" Jakobus said, troubled.

"I can not, Your Highness. I receive orders solely from His Majesty.
Thus I cannot fail to report. The... servant will remain confined here,
for the moment. I will give orders he will not go out..."

"You go out, now! I will come immediately!"

The officer clicked his heels and went out. Walterus was still on the
floor, trembling.

"Walterus, go in your room and tidy yourself. Nothing bad will happen to
you, I will take care of it. Trust me."

"Oh Jakobus, Your Highness! How can you do something for me now that you
yourself are in a deep trouble?"

"There is no time, now. But remember my promise. And if... if they
question you, you have to say that I forced you, is it clear?"

"But..."

"It's an order! I don't want them to punish you..."

"Thank you, Your Highness... Thank you, Jakobus!"

Jakobus ran to his grand-mother's bed-side. His siblings, his mother and
father were already there, only he was missing.

"Grande-mère, your grandson Jakobus is here..." the queen said.

"Jakobus... come here... I had to see you, before leaving you... Be a
good king, when your hour will come. Remember, a good king never has
weaknesses, not one weakness. A good king... has to be fair, but never
merciful. He has to be strict, inflexible... Remember it."

"But, grande-mère, a good king has to be good, hasn't he?" the boy sad,
confused, his head still in turmoil for what had just happened in his
room.

"Good?" the old woman almost thundered, with eyes like embers. Then she
seemed almost to deflate, and in a whisper of a voice said, "God,
perhaps, can also allow himself to be good. Never a king. Never a
king... never..." she repeated several times.

Jakobus felt his eyes fill with tears, thinking that only a good king
could forget, forgive what the attendant had seen and who would soon
expose him.

The old woman was silent since a while. The court archiater went near
her, took her pulse. Then with a worried expression auscultated her
heart. Then with a solemn and sad expression, shook his head several
times. The court chaplain at once intoned the prayers of the dead in
Latin. The king bent on his mother, deposed a light kiss on her forehead
then covered her face with the sheet.

With a flat voice he said, "The preparations for the funeral can start.
Baroness Olga, please, see to them." Then he turned towards the family
and said, "We can go back to our quarters, now. We can't do anything
more for her."

Jakobus was the only one, although for a different reason, to have tears
in his eyes. He saw Friedrich and Stefanie go out, accompanied by the
personal page and damsel. He then recalled Walterus and hurried to his
bedroom. In the antechamber found his father's attendant.

"You..." the prince exclaimed, tense.

"This is not the moment to disturb your father with the news of your...
affair. The servant will be shut in the detention room until after the
funeral. Then..."

"In the detention room? You cannot!"

"I can, and I already had the guards called."

"I oppose this! My page will not be shut in the detention room!"

"This is not the moment, Your Highness. Let me accomplish my duty or
else I would be forced to have His Majesty to intervene now! This is
really not the moment!"

"You... you... have to swear me that he will not be hurt in the least
until we will meet my father."

"He will not be hurt in the least, certainly not."

"Swear it!"

"Alright, Your Highness, you have my word of honour!"

"And I said until we will talk meet my father. You and I together, is it
clear?"

"As you demand. Immediately after the funeral."

"Certainly. Now let me talk, alone, with my page."

"No, Your Highness."

"Why ever not?"

"No, Your Highness. Oh, here are the guards. Allow me to go to your
room, Your Highness..."

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CONTINUES IN CHAPTER 5

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In my home page I've put some more of my stories. If someone wants to
read them, the URL is

http://andrejkoymasky.com

If you want to send me feed-back, or desire to help revising my English
translations, so that I can put on-line more of my stories in English
please e-mail at

andrej@andrejkoymasky.com

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