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Kayn bit his lower lip, barely repressing a growl. Muscles tensed, his whole body covered with tiny drops of sweat, the young dhole let the overwhelming sensation slowly build inside him... His lover gave his muzzle a gentle lick, making him open his eyes for a short bit.

"Easy," the Ethiopian wolf murmured. "Don't try to stop it... Let it happen..."

Kayn tried to shake his head, but Jalek's paw moved faster around his maleness, rubbing all the sensible spots... And, like a dam releasing its contents, an intense wave of pleasure rushed through the dhole's body. Letting a few gasps through his clenched teeth, he felt a warm sticky liquid soaking the fur on his belly and chest, the musky odor of mating suddenly far more perceptible in the warm room. After a few moments, the sensation subsided and Kayn looked at the wolf's face.

"Jalek... I'm sorry... I shouldn't have been so quick," the dhole managed to say.

"Don't sweat it, Kayn. After a full week of uninterrupted diplomatic meetings, I didn't expect you to hold for long anyway..."

"I should feel insulted," Kayn chuckled. "I'm supposed to be better than that."

"I'm supposed to know you better than anyone including yourself, young Prince. That's why I love you."

"Please, don't call me Prince," Kayn whined. "I'd give anything to..."

"I know," Jalek apologized. "I'm sorry."

The wolf crawled up and they shared a long, passionate kiss, Kayn's paws ruffling through the fur on Jalek's shoulders, feeling the nice muscles under the skin... Jalek then broke the kiss and smiled to his lover.

"We should probably head off to the pool," he suggested. "This..." - he trailed a finger through the sticky fur on Kayn's belly - "...won't clean up itself on its own."

"Jalek, are you sure you don't want to...?"

"No, not today, Hun. I'm exhausted, Lord Sa'aden made me run all over the place today, transmitting messages and what not. I just wanted one thing: to help you release all that pent up energy I figured you had."

Kayn didn't reply, a sad smile forming on his face. That was Jalek all right, getting his own pleasure only from the satisfaction he gave to others, as every servant was expected to do. Kayn had spent the last two years trying to change that, to make the Ethiopian wolf think more of himself... But each time Jalek came back from Nuuran, he was always back to his servile self. Lord Sa'aden wasn't a cruel master by far, but he was a traditionalist at heart, and his servants were meant to follow a strict etiquette in his presence.

Kayn's train of thought was interrupted by the soft ruffle of Jalek's fur against the silk sheets as the Ethiopian wolf rose from the bed. For a short time, the dhole appreciated the lithe shape of his lover's body, the discreet yet strong muscles rolling under the dark red and white fur. Jalek then turned towards him and offered a paw to help him get up.

A few moments later, they were slipping into the small white marble pool, the only thing Kayn really liked in his royal apartments. An elegant abstract structure on the side let a constant flow of water into it, the gentle ringing and discreet pine scent making the small room an ideal place to relax. The spring's bright sunlight slipped through the vine-covered grille, drawing ever-changing reflections on the wall.

The two males entered the pool, letting sweat and any other residues be washed away from their bodies, and Kayn cuddled up to Jalek's chest, one of the only places where he felt safe and content. Most people would look down at a Prince who found emotional and physical comfort in the arms of a servant, but when he was with Jalek, Kayn didn't care. When they were alone, like this, just enjoying each other's presence, every thing was perfect... But that day wasn't meant to be like the others.

"Something's not right, Kayn," Jalek said. "Lord Sa'aden has been moody lately. I think the negotiations aren't going well."

"I haven't seen much progress, to be honest," Kayn replied. "From what I gathered, neither side is willing to compromise, but neither wants to give up."

"I wouldn't be so sure. If things don't change soon, Nuuran will call off the negotiations."

"...and knowing my father, the truce between the two Kingdoms will be declared null," Kayn shivered. "I might not be an expert, Jalek, but I've seen the numbers. Our forces are almost evenly matched - Nuuran and Thald can't consider entering a war now, or it might last for years, just like last time."

"I know," Jalek sadly remarked. "Lord Sa'aden has already made sure all of his male servants will serve in the army."

Kayn's chest froze when he heard that. He turned towards Jalek, his blue eyes shining with concern. "You mean you'll be..."

"Fighting, yes," the wolf continued. "It's a part of my duty as a servant. If my Lord asks me to fight, I have to do it."

"You might get killed..."

"Thousands of men our age might get killed on both sides, but that won't stop the leaders."

"You know what I mean, Jalek. Even if you survive, we'll never be able to see each other again."

"And you know what I think of it. We've talked about this."

Kayn's eyes shifted to the side. "I can't leave, Jalek. I have duties, responsibilities."

"I have mine, too. You're asking me to give them up for you, why won't you do the same?"

"It's not the same. I'm a Prince. The King's Son, no matter how much I dislike being so."

"But you're not the Heir to the Throne. And even if you were, it still wouldn't change a thing. As long as you insist on staying here, we'll never be able to see each other without hiding. Think of it, sooner or later your duties will force you to take a wife. I'll have to become the other person, the one with whom you'll cheat on her, the dirty scandal no one has to know about. I don't want to live like that, Kayn."

"Would you rather live as an outlaw, a fugitive with my father's men forever on your tracks?"

"Maybe I'd prefer that. I know people in Leothar who could help us disappear, get a new life. An humble house, an humble job, without the shackles of duties and the worries of war. Discreet enough that your father wouldn't find us within his lifetime. All we have to do is to leave, to go and never come back."

"You're asking for too much, Jalek..."

"Too much for a chance to live together for the rest of our lives?"

Kayn didn't know what to answer to that. Jalek's amber eyes looked at him insistently, but no words would come to him.

After several interminable moments, the wolf sighed and stood up. "It's almost time, I have to go or someone will ask unwelcome questions," he said, trying to adopt a cold voice but barely able to hide his disappointment and sadness. "You need more time to sort out your priorities and goals in life, Kayn. Think of what you really want. When you have the answer, you'll know where to find me."

* * *

Four years later

"All ground units, advance to the second line at my signal," Kayn ordered in the communicator. "Hovergliders, cover the middle section - we must clear out that enemy beachhead."

"The heavy cannons on the seaships," the black panther beside him warned. "They're still active, and too big to be taken out by the hovergliders alone."

"I know, Aydan. That's why we're waiting - our main sea forces are still getting into position."

"I hope you know what you're doing," Aydan replied in a soft tone. "This could be the last battle of this war, we can't afford to lose."

"Trust me, I know the stakes. We won't fail."

"May the Great All hear your words, Kayn, for our sakes."

Kayn offered the panther a reassuring smile and turned towards his commanders. The fleet was in position at last, and the enemy hadn't seen it yet. It was time to start the assault.

* * *

"In all fairness, that was a fairly well-led battle, Prince Kayn," High Counselor Ryal declared. "The Nuuranese forces have been repelled from our lands, and the damage you inflicted to them means that they won't try invading us again anytime soon."

"But they will, eventually," High Counselor Norek hissed. "With the forces we had, we could have destroyed their army, not just repelled it."

"Not without a large cost to us, Counselor," Kayn replied. "We could have annihilated their forces, right, but our own army would have taken a far too heavy toll just to do that. This war has caused enough destruction already, I doubt the population would have appreciated to see more of their loved ones die needlessly."

"The population does what its leaders order, doesn't it? If we ask them to sacrifice more, they're meant to obey."

"Do you think so, Norek?" King Kaell intervened. "Doesn't this kingdom have a written Constitution where it says that the King and the Council are servants of the people, not the opposite?"

"We do what is best for them, Your Majesty. If it means we have to choose between sacrificing them now and sacrificing more of their children once Nuuran fully rearms again, aren't we meant to take what we think is the best option?"

"You seem convinced that war is the only way, Counselor. Don't you have any trust towards your own diplomats?" - this from Aydan, who was standing behind Kayn's seat.

"With all due respect, Prince Aydan - Thald lies between your country and any kind of threat. The Kingdom of Leothar can afford to negotiate, we don't. Just look where it led us last time: our King murdered, and our lands invaded."

Kayn winced at the mention of those events. His mind came back to Jalek... No, I can't think about him now. I need to stay focused.

"Please, Gentlemen," Ryal called out. "This is not the place to discuss the policies of Leothar, or Nuuran's future plans. The fact, right now, is that Prince Kayn just won the war for us - and let's not forget Prince Aydan's participation. We can't ignore the deeds of the youngest and most successful Army commanders we've ever had."

There was a concert of appreciative mumbles as the other Counselors agreed. Under so many stares, Kayn blushed slightly. In the corner of his eye, he saw Kaell's half-proud, half-mocking smile. This was definitely going to be a long day...

* * *

Back in his old room, Kayn quickly got rid of his parade uniform and slipped into the pool, relaxing to the contact of fresh water through his fur. The setting sun cast its dying rays through the large western windows, making the white marble walls and floor glow in a soft orange. The bed, with its dark blue silk sheets, was exactly where it had been six years earlier, as were most other things. The young dhole sighed, taking mental note to ask the Royal Intendant to reorganize the room's furniture as soon as possible. He didn't want to come home to old memories all the time, especially now that his mind was free of the worries of war.

"Kayn?" a deep voice asked. "Are you there?"

"In the pool, Kaell."

There was a faint sound of footsteps, and King Kaell appeared in Kayn's field of view. An athletic-looking dhole in his mid-thirties, he looked like an older version of Kayn, especially during the rare times like this where he traded his elaborate royal clothing for much simpler commoner's clothes.

"Still enjoying water quite much, I see," Kaell said, squatting on the pool's border. "I swear you were born with the wrong species - otter or beaver would have suited you better."

"I've been in the Southwestern Desert for months," Kayn answered with a grin. "Believe me, if you had done the same, a real bath would be the first thing on your mind."

"I can imagine that. You did very well out there, Kayn. Father would be proud of you."

"Maybe, maybe not," the young dhole sighed. "I'm tired, Kaell. I've grown weary of fighting. I swear sometimes, I feel like I'm the one who's eleven years older than you are."

"I understand that, Kayn. I fought in the last war. Not on the front lines like you were, but close enough. I know how you're feeling. I just wish you took my advice sometimes."

Kayn's mood deteriorated even more. "Look, Kaell, if this is about Aydan again..."

"Of course it's about him. You said it yourself - he's nice, kind, intelligent and, still according to your words, 'physically perfect'. May I add that he likes you, and his country's customs allow him to take a husband if a wife won't do... What's keeping you, Kayn? Why won't you leave him a chance?"

"I've been living with him for the last two years, and we've slept together on quite a few occasions. I wouldn't call that pushing him away."

"That's not what I meant. You won't let him close to you - not in a physical way, but emotionally you're acting as if he was just a close friend you happen to sleep with once in a while."

"My feelings aren't yours to command, Kaell," Kayn snarled. "You bring in some pretty exotic Prince for your little brother to play with and suddenly they're supposed to get married?"

"Maybe that's what I expected," Kaell coldly replied. "It just saddens me to see that you'd rather live in the past. It's been almost five years, Kayn. Whatever he did or didn't doesn't matter anymore - Jalek is dead. Gone. I wish you'd move on with your life instead of dwelling on what you can't get back."

And with that, the older dhole stood up and left the room. Left alone in the pool, Kayn kept fuming for a few minutes, but soon the adrenaline rush faded. The young dhole realized that he wished Aydan was around to help him ease the pain... But after that outburst, no doubt Kaell had advised the panther to stay away for a while. Feeling lost, Kayn cried alone until well late into the night.

* * *

When he regained consciousness, Kayn was surprised to feel the light touch of the silk sheets on his bare fur. His eyes closed, he could tell the morning had come from the soft glow beyond his eyelids. He could hear soft footsteps nearby, along with the rustle of fabric and the muffled ringing of porcelain. The air smelled of warm coffee and Leothan pastries...

"Aydan?" Kayn blurted out, squinting against the bright light.

"Ah, so you're alive after all," the panther's voice replied, his Leothan accent deeply pleasing to the dhole's ears. "I was afraid I'd have to eat your breakfast and order lunch for you instead."

Kayn chuckled feebly and sat up. His eyes finally adapting to the light, he looked at Aydan - and couldn't help but gape. The panther had put on clothes from his own country, made of a richly gold-embroidered white silk. The shirt was fitting around his nicely built torso, but was pretty ample around his arms. Equally ample breeches were held by a large scarlet tissue belt, completing the extremely elegant outfit.

"Hello there? Lobster got your tongue?" Aydan asked with a smirk.

"Oh... er... You... You look real good... I guess I've never seen you except, you know, in military clothes, or..."

"... in the same outfit you're wearing right now? I can guess so. You should try Leothan clothes sometime, Kayn. they're comfortable, and I'm sure they would look very nice on you."

Kayn blushed and accepted the steaming cup the panther was offering him. The coffee's strong smell didn't entirely cover Aydan's spicy perfume. The dhole repressed a smile - details like that gave Leothan men the reputation of being effeminate and weak, but he had seen enough proof of the contrary on the battlefield. Aydan and his soldiers had often performed better than Thald's own men under pressure. That was their culture: not to display strength unless needed, and appreciate the world's beauty without feeling ashamed for it. In a way, Kayn thought Leothar was the closest thing to an utopia in this world.

"Ugh... What is that?" he coughed after tasting the coffee.

"Leothan coffee," Aydan replied with a wide grin. "I haven't had some of that since the war started. Supplies are kind of scarce right now though, so it's a bit weaker than what I'm used to."

"You call that weak? It tastes like you put a whole plantation's annual production in this single cup!"

"And here I thought I hadn't put enough of it for your tastes... You'll get used to it with time. Here, take some maan'eks, it'll help the coffee pass."

Kayn glanced at the ornate plate of Leothan pastries before picking one. "And what's in these?" he mockingly asked. "Enough spices to light a fire under the Northern Sea?"

"You won't know until you try," Aydan slyly said.

As it were, the pastries contained a reasonable amount of spices, but were more than overloaded with sugar. Between that and the coffee, no wonder Leothans didn't sleep much, Kayn thought. For all his complaints though, the breakfast was excellent, better than anything he'd had during the war. Aydan sat next to him, holding another cup of coffee and helping himself to a pair of maan'eks.

"So, was falling asleep in your pool an habit of yours before the war?" the panther asked once they had finished.

"Well... not exactly..." Kayn muttered. "How did I end up here?"

"I came to check on you, of course. When Kaell talked to me, his tone told me you two had a pretty tense argument, so for once I figured I'd ignore his advice about staying away for a while."

"For once? This isn't the first time Kaell asked you to leave me alone?"

"It wasn't Kaell the first time. It was your father. Remember how I used to come with my father for his diplomatic visits before, but suddenly stopped doing so?"

Kayn took a moment to sift through his memories, then nodded silently.

"On my third visit, a guard caught me spying on you taking a bath," Aydan continued with an embarrassed smile. "Your father - bless him - had me summoned and asked me if I was interested in you. Quite foolishly, I said yes without hesitation. He then told me he strongly disagreed with some parts of Leothar's culture, and 'unnatural mating habits' was on the list. To avoid a diplomatic incident between the two Kingdoms, both our fathers agreed to discreetly usher me out of Thald and not allow me to return until you were married."

"A banishment," Kayn thought out loud. "For having said you were interested in me. I never knew..."

"What's done is done... I remained in contact with Kaell through a network of common friends. He kept giving me news of you."

"So you knew about Jalek."

Aydan didn't reply immediately. He took the time to put the cups and plate on the tray, then turned back towards Kayn. "I didn't know his name," he said. "Kaell only told me his suspicions about your having an affair with the Nuuranese envoy's servant."

"An affair?" Kayn repeated with a cringe.

"You were with a male who was a citizen from a country hostile to yours. Kaell thought that was enough to make sure it wouldn't last. He didn't imagine that the 'affair' would last for a good two years."

"It would have lasted for even longer if I had been stronger," Kayn said, fighting back the tears that threatened to overcome him. "Jalek wanted us to run away to Leothar so we could live our relationship openly. I kept telling him we couldn't do that, it was too dangerous... I never got to tell him how much I wish I had accepted."

* * *

Sitting in his personal quarters, Kaell felt unmotivated. Layers and layers of paperwork stood before him on his desk, giving a good sign of what the post-war reconstruction period would look like. That, and his concern for Kayn, weighed heavily on him. He had asked a servant to check on Aydan, but it had been reported to him that the Leothan Prince had entered Kayn's rooms with a breakfast tray... Kaell cursed the panther under his breath for ignoring his advice. He only hoped things wouldn't turn too bad in there...

There was a movement in the corner of his eyes, and a steaming cup of strong tea landed on the desk in front of Kaell. "Thank you, Nora," he muttered, and he barely registered her silent bow. Without any haste, he took the cup and began sipping its contents, mindlessly reading a rather uninteresting report from the Northeastern Province, a place at the exact opposite of the country compared to the areas ravaged by the invasion. And yet, they asked for a compensation - according to them, so many people had left the province to fight in the war, their workforce had been severely impacted for the four years the war had lasted. A comprehensible argument, if it hadn't already been used by all eight other provinces.

Sighing, Kaell put the paper down. Being King was definitely as tedious as he'd guessed since his father's days. He wouldn't have wished any other position, but right now he felt like he needed a reason to cheer up, or he'd become as grouchy as Kayraen had been all his life.

He was interrupted in his thoughts by a muffled exclamation of surprise. Rising his eyes, he saw Nora standing next to the door, her eyes fixed on something outside the window.

"Nora? What is it?" he asked.

"I... um... Your Majesty, you might want to see this for yourself..."

Puzzled, Kaell stood up and walked towards the window. It was a bright spring day outside, the sun shining high in the sky. Flowers blossomed in the Palace's vast gardens, bringing pleasant smells to his nostrils... But that wasn't what caught his attention. Aydan and Kayn were walking near one of the fountains, talking, smiling, letting out a small laugh once in a while. And holding hands. Kaell didn't believe his eyes at first, but he saw that a few nobles in sight were frowning at the couple. This was no illusion - had the panther managed to get Kayn out of his shell after all? It sure seemed that way.

When his brother's gaze met his, Kaell smiled, waved back and returned to his desk, feeling a bit more light-hearted. Maybe the Northeastern Province's claims deserved some attention, after all.