Chapter 6

"Ky'lin! Watch what you're doing!" Michael snapped as he ducked away from the younger man's short sword. "Follow the drill or you're never going to learn this!"

"So? What the hell difference does it make?" Ky demanded bitterly. "It's not like I'm ever going to use it!"

"You don't know that, Ky," Michael tried to hold onto his patience, "and that's not the point, anyway. We're being paid to teach you, and you are *going* to learn. Now try again."

The younger man muttered something unintelligible under his breath, but once again took up the stance.

"OW! Damn it, Ty'lin! Would you *watch* what you're doing!" David yelled angrily.

"DAMN it, Ky'lin!" Michael narrowly averted the swing that would have taken Ky in the upper arm as he turned to see what his brother had done. "All right, that's enough for the day. You obviously aren't learning anything here, and if we keep this up somebody is going to get hurt."

"About time you figured that out," Ty'lin muttered as he ran a dry cloth across his sweaty forehead. He automatically wiped down his sword before putting it back in the rack, a lesson learned the hard way. Dropping the sword and walking away after one practice had earned him the privilege of cleaning every sword in the rack under the eagle eye of his mentor, and it wasn't something he wanted to repeat.

"Where do you think you're going?" David asked him as he turned to leave.

"What? You said we're done for the day!"

"I said that's enough sword work for the day, that you aren't learning anything here." Michael came back from the workroom on one side of the arena, a battered tome in his hand. "I didn't say you were done. Take this back to your chambers. I want the chapter on short sword defense copied by practice time tomorrow."

"Neatly," David added. "We'll be checking it."

"You want us to copy this chapter?" Ky'lin asked in dismay as he took the book and opened it. "Do you know how *long* this is?"

"Yep," David replied. "It's the same length that it was when we copied it. I'd suggest you get busy, it's going to take you a while."

"No," Ty'lin said flatly, taking the book from Ky'lin and dropping it in the sand.

"No?" David asked, his voice all the more menacing for its softness.

"No." Ty'lin's voice wavered, but he stood his ground. "You're supposed to be teaching us to fight, not giving us lessons in penmanship."

"All right," Michael said meekly. "You don't have to do it if you don't want to."

"All right?" The twins were startled at the quickness of their victory, and missed the evil look exchanged by the two knights.

"All right," Michael repeated. "We'll work on your axe technique instead."

He led the way to the door leading to the outside training area. "See that stack of logs over there?"

"Yes," Ky'lin said warily, eyeing the pile of wood suspiciously.

"That needs to be turned into firewood for the kitchens. Cut it into fireplace lengths, then split it. "

"What??" Ty'lin yelped in outrage. "That would take us all day!"

"Your choice," David shrugged. "Copy the chapter or chop the wood."

"What if we don't do either one?" Ty challenged.

"Then you spend the four candlemarks of practice tomorrow standing in the corner, contemplating the consequences of disobeying us. And if you refuse to do that, we'll spank you," he forestalled the next question.

"You can't do that," Ky'lin asserted, but his voice sounded uncertain.

"We can and we will." There was no uncertainty at all in Michael's tone.

The princes looked at each other and came to a mutual decision.

"Fine," Ty'lin snapped ungraciously, snatching the book up from the floor. "But when we don't have time for you tonight, just remember that it's your own fault."

"We'll remember," the blond knight promised. "Now get busy."

The twins quickly disappeared before the knights could change their minds, and the men were left looking at each other.

"Did we win that one?" David asked his partner.

"I think so," Michael replied. "Sometimes it's hard to tell."

~~~~

David sat in his usual chair, idly swirling the wine in his goblet and feeling nostalgic as he listened to the scratch of pen on parchment. How many times had he and Michael shared a book as they copied line after line of dull, monotonous text? Ky'lin had finished and retired to his bedchamber with Michael, but Ty had wasted time trying to bargain and was still laboring at the last page.

"I'm done," he finally announced, slamming the book closed. He stood and stretched sensuously. "Gods, that took *forever*."

"Good," David smiled approvingly. "I'll check it later, and you can recopy any mistakes you made. Now, come here. You have one more lesson for today."

"Oh, David, come on!" the young man cried in disbelief. "I'm tired and I've already wasted an entire evening copying this. Can't we just sit and talk for awhile?"

"No. Come on, Ty. Get up and let's go," the knight ordered firmly.

"But that's not fair. Ky isn't having another lesson. He and Michael are talking and getting to know one another. Can't we do that? Please?" There was a definite whine in his voice.

"Ty'lin, I'm not going to tell you again - let's go." David led the way to the prince's bedchamber.

Sighing loudly, the younger man followed him to the door, stopping just inside the door and waiting to see what David would do. He swallowed nervously when his partner firmly closed the door. "You aren't mad, are you?"

David laughed. "No, I'm not mad. Come on, my small one. Let's get on with this lesson." Sitting down on the bed, he patted the satin coverlet next to him.

"Oh," Ty said with a surprised grin. "*That* kind of lesson. Why didn't you say so?" Walking over to stand between David's legs, he placed a hand on the older man's shoulder and leaned in for a kiss. "I wouldn't have wasted time complaining about it."

"I'll remember that for next time." David returned the smile, wrapping his arms around the prince and pulling him closer. He became serious for a moment, needing to be sure that he wasn't going too fast for the inexperienced young man. He dropped one hand down to rest on the underside of the prince's butt, fingers curling slightly into the crevice there. "Are you sure you're ready, Ty? We can lay here and cuddle, if you'd rather."

Ty hesitated for a brief moment before nodding. He kissed David again, intent on banishing any doubts from either of their minds. "Are we going to...?" He hesitated, eager anticipation warring with apprehension.

David smiled again. "Not tonight, small one. You aren't ready for that yet."

"Yes, I am," Ty objected, a small pout forming on his lips.

"Don't worry, my sweet, you'll be well-satisfied with tonight's lesson. Trust me?"

"Always."

Patting the firm, inviting butt, David suggested, "Why don't you get undressed? This lesson works better if you're bare."

"All right."

As he eagerly began to undress, David blew out most of the candles, leaving only a candelabrum on the night table. Drawing a small vial of amber liquid from his belt pouch, he set it next to the candles before removing his belt and dropping it on the chair. Then, kicking off his boots, he turned to the bed, his breath quickening at the sight before him.

Ty had stripped completely and lay on his back in the center of the huge bed. His hair was free from its normal braid and spilled in dark waves against white linen. One hand rested on his flat belly, the other was held out to David. "I'm ready," he said impishly.

"I can see that," David remarked in amusement, looking at the hardening cock before him. He quickly stripped off the rest of his clothes, and lay on top of Ty, taking most of his weight on his arms so he didn't crush the smaller man. He leaned down for a deep kiss, his tongue greedily invading the mouth that opened so eagerly for him.

"I see you remember our lesson on kissing," David commented as they paused for breath. "Are you ready for more?"

His only answer was a deep moan.

"Good," he replied with a laugh. "Now, I've always found that working from the head down is best." He slowly moved down the smaller body, kissing, licking and sucking diligently. Each nipple received its share of attention, being nipped and suckled into a tight nub, then David slowly kissed and licked his way down to tongue the sensitive navel.

Ty squirmed helplessly under the talented mouth, and was begging and almost crying with need, by the time David stopped just short of his groin. "Please, David! Don't stop. More. Please," he pleaded.

"Shhh," David whispered, gently pushing the prince's hand away. "Let me, sweetling." Reaching for the small bottle on the table, he quickly poured a small pool of lightly scented oil into his hand, and brought it back to the weeping erection. With only a few strokes by the firm, loving hand, the prince cried out and came, the rich essence spilling out over the hand still stroking him.

"Oh!" Ty said when he had recovered his voice. "David, I'm sorry, I couldn't stop it."

David smiled affectionately. "No, don't be sorry. It makes me feel good to know I have that effect on you. And I'm sure you'll be more than ready for the next step."

"That wasn't the lesson?" the prince asked in surprise.

"No," David replied, "that was only the first step. Bend your legs a little more for me, all righ?" He patted the younger man's inner thighs, coaxing them apart.

"All right." Ty moved his legs further apart, and bent his knees, allowing David more access, momentarily shy at being so exposed

"It's all right, sweetheart ," David murmured reassuringly. "You're beautiful."

"I am?" Ty asked shyly.

"You are," David confirmed. "I've never been with anyone as beautiful as you are right now."

"Oh," Ty'lin whispered in awe.

"Now, let's get you cleaned up a little," the knight returned to the lesson. Leaning down once more, he licked the drying moisture off the flat stomach in front of him, then circled his tongue over each ball and around the base of cock, which was slowly hardening once more. Above him, Ty moaned again.

Ignoring the sound, David continued to explore this most private area of the prince's body with tongue and fingers. Reaching the small, dark opening, he pressed against it gently with a still-oiled finger, the tip disappearing before he felt the prince tense beneath him. "Easy, love," he said softly, kissing the insides of the silky thighs. "Have you ever had anything inserted into you before?"

"Once when I was sick, the court physician made up something that he put inside me. It hurt when he did it," Ty whispered uneasily, tensing at the memory.

"This isn't going to hurt, I promise. But I need you to relax." David kept his voice low and calm as he lightly rubbed the opening with his finger, spreading the oil around it. Without stopping his light massage, he turned his attention back to the semi-hard cock. Raising up a little, he smiled at the young prince. "Relax, love, you're going to like this. I promise."

Ty nodded, swallowing nervously. "All right."

He turned his head suddenly, intent on the other bedchamber.

"Ty'lin? What is it?" David asked, who hadn't heard anything.

"Ky. He- They-"

"He's having the same lesson you are," David explained softly. "Does he sound unhappy about it?"

"No," Ty replied. "He sounds... Never mind," he added with a blush.

David kissed the head of the cock before him, running his tongue up the shaft toward the tip, smiling wickedly as it instantly got harder. Repeating the motion twice more, he was rewarded by wordless moans and whimpers of ecstasy. Opening his mouth wide, the knight engulfed the hard cock, lightly running his tongue over the sensitive surface. He continued sucking and teasing it as he gently pushed his finger deeper inside the young man. Keeping the finger still, he increased the motion on the cock in his mouth, attempting to distract his partner from the fullness inside of him.

"David?" Ty said, his voice quivering.

Stopping his actions, but keeping his finger inside, David looked up. "Are you all right, babe?"

"I- I think so." He squirmed uneasily. "But..."

David moved his finger a little, a feather light stroke across his lover's prostate.

"Oh, GODS, David!"

"I'll take that as a yes," David chuckled, and returned to his work.

"Yes!" The younger man cried, arching his back. "More, David! Please."

A few moments later, the dual sensations on his cock and prostate brought the younger man to climax for the second time. As the waves of pleasure hit him, Ty briefly wondered if his twin was feeling the same thing, then lost himself in a daze of passion.

"All right, Ty." David lay on his back next to the sated young man. "Show me what you learned tonight."

"With pleasure," Ty replied after he'd caught his breath, and set about proving what an adept pupil he was.

~~~~

David sighed and eased himself out of the warm, soft bed, careful not to awaken the exhausted young prince. Dressing quickly in the cool room, he kissed the ivory cheek one last time before leaving, softly closing the door behind him.

He caught up with Michael as the other knight was opening the door to the main corridor, waiting with him until the guard signaled the "all clear". Once they were away from the princes' quarters, the knights were able to walk openly, just two more courtiers leaving their mistress' beds.

"It looks like you two had a 'pleasurable' evening." A soft, plump middle-aged man came from a cross-corridor, smoothing his thin, oily hair complacently. "Tell me, do you do *everything* together?" He smiled conspiratorially at them. "And which lady is so insatiable that it requires two of you to handle her? I'll have to get to know her myself."

David tensed, but remained silent as Michael returned a laughing rejoinder.

"I *hate* this." David hissed after the courtier left them at his chamber. "I hate sneaking around and having bed-hopping slime like that thinking we're just like him."

"I know," Michael agreed. "I hate it, too. But it's for the twins' safety, and I can put up with anything they say about me, as long as it keeps Ky safe."

In his chamber above, Ky'lin stirred restlessly and reached out, seeking the warmth and security of his lover. He whimpered uneasily in his sleep as he found only an empty bed.