Prince of Fog: Book One (2 page)

Chapter 3

Prince Charce was uncomfortable. The lush furniture set in opulent surroundings made the worn threads of his clothes stand out more. Sure, his shirt and pants embroidered with the royal crest were more than adequate for the courts and slums of his own country. But to even be presentable in this kingdom, Charce knew the treasury would have to be declared bankrupt. The servants he had seen on his way in seemed even more richly decorated than him.

Hopefully, Aether had grown since the last time they had met as boys, and would not comment on his dress sense or lack of it.

Back then, their meeting had not gone well. Being teased just because his hair had been a little long was thoroughly unfair. And he had no defense against it. It was the style of the Underworld for kids, since it preserved heat, though he didn’t know the exact reason then. Charce had never returned for another visit to this kingdom, avoiding it as much as possible.

It wasn’t all bad though. Finding ingenious ways to outwit his father meant he had trained his skills at subterfuge. Charce smiled as he thought back to hiding out in the city, hiding so well until even the best spies couldn’t find him. There were just some places a kid could go that an adult couldn’t.

But now the kingdom needed help, and so here he was. An adult in a place that made him feel like a child, nervously standing in the middle of a large luxuriant room, trying his best not to show a trace of emotion on his face. The third rule of politics he had learnt. Not to let them see what you want.

He refused to sit down on a couch that probably cost as much as feeding a family for a year in his kingdom. Who knew if he would be made to send it back to his kingdom for dry-cleaning afterwards. Charce shook his head. It wasn’t good to think so negatively or in such a paranoid manner, but he couldn’t help it. He was back in the kingdom of a bully who now held court. Aether had always been a bully, and that was how he expected King Aether to act, if the reports were to be believed.

“Prince Charce.”

And there he was. Charce turned around, colliding into a wall of thick fabric, even more striking than the ones he had seen so far. Cloth befitting of a King. Charce’s green gaze travelled up along the expanse of contrasting and bright colours, meeting with Aether’s blue eyes. If he didn’t have the emotional control he possessed from years of training, he knew he would have let slip the distress he felt deep inside. The same eyes that had made fun of him all those years ago were before him now. He knew that he should be over what to others looked like a small slight, but the inadequacy he felt back then leapt into his throat. He barely managed a swallow.

“Hot.” Aether smiled as he looked down at Charce. There was a spark in his blue eyes.

“I apologise.” Charce quickly took a step back, startled. He didn’t mean to scald anyone. The steam swirling at his feet was withdrawing as well.

“Don’t. I wasn’t referring to your lack of control over your powers.” Aether smirked.

Charce’s eyes flashed as he looked up at Aether. That had always been a sore point for him. He knew he barely had control over them. For Aether to bring it up within the few seconds of their meeting meant the man hadn’t changed from their first meeting when they were younger.

“At least I have control over my mouth.” Charce shot back, though his face was still an emotional mask. “Enough to not point out all your weaknesses.”

Aether blinked, a flash of confusion crossing his face before he stared at Charce for a long while. Then, he did the most insulting thing of all. He burst into uproarious laughter. Charce’s body trembled in barely-held rage, but he struggled to keep it in. For the good of his kingdom.

“Still taking life so seriously, Princess?” Aether smiled, taking a step towards Charce. “You should live and relax a little.”

“Well, I can’t exactly do that when my kingdom-”

Charce never had the chance to finish his sentence. His mouth was being covered by something warm and soft. It took him a few long seconds to register that Aether was kissing him. Kissing him? Charce quickly pulled back with a gasp, looking at the King’s lips.

Huh. They weren’t burnt. Aether wasn’t hurt from coming into contact with his skin.

“That good, huh?” Aether smiled as Charce continued to study his lips.

Once more, King Aether charged forward, his lips claiming Prince Charce’s again in a more eager kiss this time.

Charce could feel the increase in pressure against his lips. He hadn’t had skin contact in a long time. He couldn’t remember the last time he did, actually! Though he knew he had to have been held when he was younger. Burning people wasn’t exactly a hobby of his. Why weren’t Aether’s lips burnt? Prince Charce gasped as their lips pressed together for an extraordinary length of time. A normal human touching him would suffer burns because of his embarrassing lack of control over his power.

Aether took the chance of the gasp to slide his tongue between Charce’s lips, gently licking at the Prince’s tongue.

Charce knew he needed to push Aether away. Kissing the King of another kingdom wasn’t logical. Or ideal. Especially not the one he was supposed to request aid from.

But he couldn’t. He was a man that couldn’t touch, hadn’t touched anyone for so many years, ever since puberty hit and his powers had awakened. He just couldn’t push Aether away, even though Aether was a man. Being touched was heavenly. It was everything he had craved for the past few years condensed in one incendiary kiss. Charce unconsciously let out a small moan as Aether wrapped an arm around his waist, pulling their bodies closer. So much closer until there was no longer a gap between them.

Aether was hard, and so was he. That much was clear between the press of their trousers against each other. The reality of the situation hit Charce. He was in another kingdom, kissing the King and getting hard, when he should be here on business. Aid. He needed aid.

“Uh…” Charce raised a hand to Aether’s chest, trying to push him away.

Aether took the sound as encouragement to work his tongue deeper, slowly rolling over Charce’s innocent one and drinking deeply from the warmth there. His blue eyes flashed open to take in the faint blush on Charce’s cheeks and how long his eyelashes looked above them.

Location had never mattered to Aether and today was no different. Guiding Charce with his footsteps and arm, he slowly backed the Prince onto the luxurious couch nearby, sucking and nibbling at Charce’s lips until the Prince fell down. Aether pressed his body close on top of Charce, grinding their hips together. He wanted to thoroughly dominate Charce. The little Princess had grown up into a fine Prince, though of course he would never say that out. Aether’s hand trailed down to tug up the hem of Charce’s shirt until his fingers could touch bare flesh, the paleness of Charce’s smooth stomach making the heat he felt deep inside him rage up even more.

Prince Charce could only moan, his back arching up and body demanding more. He tried to resist, tried to tell himself this was insane. He was a Prince after all, but it was hard. He was hard. He just didn’t have time to attend to his needs the past few weeks with the chaos in his kingdom. The long years of not being touched just made him crave it even more now. Aether’s fingertips moving lower and lower inflamed his body, creating a deep heat that was unfamiliar to him and that he now desperately desired. The heat seemed to have started from where their lips met, spreading and making his whole body hot as he tried to gasp for air against Aether’s lips.

King Aether’s fingers slipped under the waistband of Charce’s trousers, then underwear. His hand gently wrapped around Charce’s length and the Prince let out a small moan.

“Touch mine as well, Princess.” Aether whispered huskily into Charce’s ear.

Aether felt a hard impact on his stomach. He yelled and collapsed to the ground, clutching at where Charce had just kneed him. The Prince sat up with an incensed look over the blush on his face, his clothes in a sexy disarray to Aether’s eyes.

Charce stared at Aether for a while, trying to find words to say over the high arousal running in him, his body screaming out for more touches. His mind finally over-rode it.

“I am not a Princess. I am not someone for you to yank around.” Charce started to straighten his clothes out and flatten his mused black hair down. He stood up, drawing himself to his full height and towering over Aether still doubled over on the ground. “I am here on official business.”

“I like it when you’re serious.” Aether smiled, settling into a relaxed position on the floor, as if he meant to sit there. Hey, if he couldn’t stop the pain, at least he could pretend it didn’t exist. With one arm across his stomach and resting his body weight on the other, Aether flashed Charce a winning smile.

“I like it when you’re… No, you know what? I do not like you.” Charce glared down at Aether, his cheeks flushing again at the near slip of words. Aether’s damn smile. “Have you grown up at all in the last few years?”

“I’m sure you’ve felt how much I’ve grown in the last few years.” Aether sat up, a smirk on his face at the little slip. So, Charce had inklings of feelings for him? It was amusing that their brief meeting years before could ignite such passion, even in the form of such dislike.

“No, it just feels like you’re the same little boy who couldn’t keep his hands to himself all those years ago.” Charce snarled and his hand was suddenly yanked. Tumbling down, he found himself sprawled on top of Aether. Before he could react, their lips were meeting again and Aether’s hand was on the curve of his buttock, harshly gripping it. Aether’s tongue invaded Charce’s mouth once again.

Charce couldn’t help but respond back, his body starving for physical touch after being forced to withhold himself all these years. He kissed back hungrily, lips pressing down against Aether’s as his stormy black hair mixed with Aether’s lighter blond strands.

Charce had never given a thought to whether he was attracted to girls or boys when he was younger. He had just naturally accepted that there would be no one able to come near him, so what was the point in thinking about having an intimate relationship when there was no possibility of touch? Why spend time pondering his sexual preferences when no one could come near him? Far more important things to do, like trying to save a kingdom from ruin.

Now, he had found out that his body craved being touched, just like any other human. There was no stopping the train he was on, towards a feeling as tantalising as satisfied desire. Other emotions he could deal with, but the promise of sexual satiety magnetised him. A soft moan left his lips. He could feel Aether’s hand touching his back, then sliding down further. Aether’s fingers were pressing into Charce’s fleshy butt as they seeked their way to the center of it. Aether groping his butt aroused him more than he thought possible. Charce continued devouring Aether’s lips until he felt the soft press of a finger at his rear entrance.

“What are you doing?” Charce frowned, panting with kiss-stung lips and a red face as he frowned down at Aether.

“Shhh. Trust me on this, okay? I’m sorry if I hurt you all those years ago, but you were as pretty as a princess then.” Aether smirked, kissing Charce before the man could have a chance to protest. “I still think you’re as beautiful as a princess, though obviously you’ve grown too.”

“I am not a princess! I’m a man!” Charce scowled.

“That much is clear to me.” Aether grinned, leaning up to meet Charce’s lips in agreement and gently coaxing them to part. He could feel the tenseness in Charce slowly leaving as they kissed. It seemed like the way to Charce heart was through his lips. He wondered if there were other ways there. Aether’s other hand winded under the front of Charce’s pants and he gently grasped the hidden slim cock in his fingers once again.

“Ahhhhh!” Charce moaned, as he felt the slow strokes on his erection. Charce’s eyes closed in ecstasy from Aether touching him. Soft pants left his lips. Masturbating in the privacy of his royal room was one thing. He never knew having someone else do it for him could be so erotic. Each stroke lit a fire in him.

He could feel Aether’s hands wrapped around him. It felt slightly dangerous to trust another man to do this, and at the same time highly erotic. Aether’s fingers were soft, as befitting a King of a wealthy kingdom.

The strokes weren’t fast enough. He needed more. Desperate, Charce’s knees went to either side of Aether’s hips, his hands digging into the carpet, supporting his weight so Aether had more room to maneuver and give him pleasure.

“Good Prince.” Aether smiled, his lips pressing to Charce’s now hovering neck and giving the man a deep bite.

“Ungh!” Charce moaned, his face twisted in arousal as he felt the strokes on his cock speeding up. The fingers that had been stalling on his bum were now pressing against his entrance, just rubbing lightly. It felt like Aether was moving too fast, too soon and yet Charce just couldn’t say no.

“Quick.” Charce commanded, his princely upbringing making him demand what he wanted. His desires often went unfulfilled in such a poor kingdom as his, but here they could be heard. “Faster.” Charce urged again, realising Aether’s fingers had only changed a little in speed.

“This is as fast as my fingers can go. If you want more, you’ll have to do some of the work yourself.” Aether smiled up at Charce, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

Charce blushed a deep red, but he nodded, closing his eyes. He didn’t want to meet Aether’s eyes now. Charce’s hips started a rocking motion against Aether’s fingers. It was embarrassing but he wanted to reach the peak so badly. He had always been alone at night in bed. He had resigned himself to leading a single life thirsting for touch. It wasn’t even that he couldn’t attract anyone, but that no one could touch him. The loneliness had been unbearable.