Enoria - Eighteen months after Felix’s first sexual encounter with Vedo, two weeks before Felix’s fifteenth birthday ... Felix had grown considerably over the past year and a half, both physically and mentally. When he’d first invited his long-time companion and bodyguard Vedo to share his bed, he had thought nothing of being naked with him, and losing his virginity to him. It was perfectly natural to want to be intimate with someone for whom he had much respect and love. Vedo had been more hesitant about their deepening relationship, but he’d come to grow much fonder of the now not-so-little mouse prince, the heir to the Enorian throne. After the initial night of illicit passion Felix had been eager to indulge at almost any opportunity that presented itself. More often than not, Vedo had given in to Felix’s insistent demands for sex, and sought to find suitable privacy for their couplings, with mixed results. Their first close call had been just a month later. After another late night session of loving, they’d fallen asleep in each other’s arms, and were woken by a rough shaking ... ~.~.~.~.~ Vedo groaned and cracked his eyes open, taking a few moments to let them adjust to the bright morning sunshine streaming through the windows. He gasped and bolted upright, his heart pounding as he stared at the porcine valet, who peered back at him through bifocal lenses perched on the end of his snuffling nose. “Shit! I overslept!” “It’s just after eight o’clock, young man,” the pig grunted, shaking his head. “What are you doing in Master Felix’s bed?” He cast an appraising gaze over the horse’s body, noting that he appeared to be nude. “And without clothes on?” Beside Vedo rose another figure from the tousled blankets. “Mmm, Vedo?” Felix’s head pushed into view, eyes squinted against the light. “What’s up?” The mouse caught sight of the valet and his eyes snapped open, before he vanished beneath the covers again with a startled squeak. “I can explain!” Vedo exclaimed, his voice panicked. “Maybe!” The pig waved a hand dismissively. “Nothing to explain. I can see you and Felix have been ... enjoying one another’s company.” He levelled a stern gaze at Vedo. “I don’t particularly care about what people get up to in the privacy of their own rooms. I think you’re both mature enough to handle it. But don’t expect to get away with it if you get caught again. Count your lucky stars that Bruno is off this morning. He’d be right quick to turn you both in, royalty or not!” “Yes, of course. Thank you. We’ll be more careful.” “See that you are.” The valet grunted again and gave the lump that was Felix a firm prod. “And you, Master Felix, get up! Your father wants a chat.” “Urrgh, fine. Gimme a few minutes, Brede,” came the muffled voice from under the blankets. “Just lay my clothes on the end of the bed.” Vedo stayed in the bed, watching Brede potter about the room, selecting suitable clothing for Felix to wear, feeling quite awkward and vulnerable. He jerked when he felt a hand touch his leg, sliding over it on its way to his crotch. Not wanting to leave the bed and expose himself to the valet, Vedo had to sit there, trying to not respond to the light squeezing of his sheath, but it was a battle he’d always lose. Especially when he felt the mouse’s head slipping into his lap, nuzzling at his cock as it began to emerge. He huffed in annoyance as his body gave in to Felix’s subtle teasing. Despite his best efforts to resist, the horse resigned himself to the blowjob, lying back in the bed and watching the covered lump that was Felix’s head moving up and down. Brede neatly laid the clothes on the foot of the bed and left the room, although not without whisking the covers back to reveal Felix with Vedo’s cock down his throat. He gave Felix a long look then laughed, a guffaw that emanated from deep within his belly. “Don’t spill a drop,” he cautioned, tapping the side of his nose before he swept out through the doors, closing them behind him. “And don’t be late!” Felix boosted his efforts to bring his lover to his peak and was soon rewarded with the creamy treat that he’d grown to love. When he showed up in his father’s office a few minutes later, smartly dressed and groomed, no one would have guessed that he had a load of horse cum stewing in his belly. ~.~.~.~.~ “What is it with you and wanting to get laid in public places?” Vedo asked, a few months later, after they’d had yet another close call. His voice betrayed his exasperation at the young mouse. “We can’t keep doing this, or we’ll end up in jail breaking rocks or something. Well, I will. I don’t know about you.” The two of them were in a small wood which partially surrounded the Enorian capital of Agmund. Only two main roads ran through it, but it was also criss-crossed with many tracks made by animals and people alike. Felix had coaxed Vedo out to one of the more remote sections of the wood, feeding him a story about wanting to improve his hunting skills. He had instead ordered the horse to strip off and get on all fours, before diving under his tail to practise his rimjob skills. Vedo was startled, but he was getting used to his prince taking a more dominant role in their relationship. He didn’t mind it, if he was honest with himself; after so many years of guiding Felix, it was occasionally pleasant to be ordered around. Felix was never mean about it, but Vedo did as he was told, hiding a smile. On this occasion, Felix had been hard at work, thrusting his cock deep into his friend’s tailhole, both of them grunting and groaning with mounting pleasure. The mouse crouched over Vedo’s back, jacking him off while he sodomised him, and was on the verge of climax when they became aware of voices approaching them from somewhere in the trees. Panicked, they froze, barely daring to breathe, their hearts pounding in their chests. They were in a small clearing surrounded by spindly shrubs. One of the forest tracks ran right alongside it, and it was down this track that two woodsmen travelled, one on a feral horse pulling a small wagon, the other walking beside. Vedo and Felix hunkered down as low as they could, trying to blend in with the ground as they watched the woodsmen pass by, heading in the general direction of the city. Once the voices had passed out of earshot, Felix finished what he’d started. The danger of the situation had given him extra energy, and he thoroughly nailed his lover’s equine butt until he slammed in so hard that Vedo lost his balance and sprawled out. Felix shuddered and whimpered on top of him, squirting another load of mouse jizz into his bowels. “Fuck me, that was close.” “No kidding. Now get off me. You’re not as light as you look,” Vedo muttered. Once they were dressed again, they headed back to the city. “I think we need to have a talk, Felix,” Vedo said after a few minutes of walking in silence. “I really should have said something months ago, but I didn’t want to discourage you. You’re having so much fun, exploring your sexuality, you know?” Felix glanced at his friend and nodded. “Okay. Is it that I’m too young for sex?” “Well, that’s one reason, though there’s some precedent in marrying very young in royal families.” Vedo studied the ground as he walked, thinking about what he wanted to say. “If anything, I think the bigger problem is that we’re both male. Men having sex with other men, or boys, is absolutely not allowed. Ever since your great-grandfather came to power, I think. Before then, it was ‘tolerated’,” he explained, making air quotes with his fingers. “Keep it behind closed doors, and no one asks questions.” “So why isn’t it allowed now?” Vedo shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. I’ve heard a rumour that it was because your grandfather was caught screwing his brother. Imagine the scandal that would have caused if that had got out.” He shook his head and laughed. “You know, it’s still fine for girls to get it on with each other? I think people think that it’s so improper that they would never get up to such hijinks.” “Pfft. That’s silly,” Felix scoffed. “Wait … how do women have sex? They don’t have dicks.” He peered Vedo with confusion on his face. “I’m not entirely sure either, though I know there are … devices they can wear to simulate one.” Vedo shrugged. “I’ve never thought about.” Felix hmmed, staring at the ground in front of his feet as he thought. “Now I really want to know!” He cast a sidelong glance at his friend. “You don’t know any girls who would show me?” Vedo aimed a hand to slap Felix up-side the head, but the mouse nimbly danced out of the way. “Cheeky git!” he muttered, flashing a grin to show that he wasn’t really going to hit Felix. “Of course I don’t! In all the years that you’ve known me, how many girls have you seen me with?” “Uh … not many,” Felix confessed with a giggle. “Does your sister count?” “Hmm. I guess?” Felix snickered. “Is she hot? Would you fuck her?” Vedo halted, leaving the mouse to continue a few steps further before he noticed his companion had stopped. He turned to look back and was met with a steady unreadable gaze. The horse beckoned him to come closer. “I’m going to tell you something, that I have never told anyone else,” he murmured, so low that Felix had to lean in to hear properly. “I didn’t fuck her, but we did play around a bit when we were about twelve. The hormones were starting to kick in, and she was curious about why my cock got hard, and I wondered about her pussy. So … we explored each other. I ate her out a few times, and she wanked and sucked my cock. She even let me shoot my cum over her face.” Vedo paused, his eyes taking on a slight distant look. “It was fun while it lasted, but after we barely escaped being found with my dick in her mouth, we thought it best if we didn’t do it anymore.” “Wow,” breathed Felix, his eyes wide. “So ... do you like both girls and boys?” “If I was given a choice, I think I would rather share a bed with another man. The idea of having children never really appealed to me, so at least that wouldn’t be an issue.” Vedo stood straight and began walking again, gesturing for Felix to follow. “I trust that you’ll keep quiet about what I’ve just said.” “Yeah, of course I will.” The mouse was silent for a while, looking thoughtful. Eventually the lack of conversation started niggling at Vedo. “What are you thinking about, Felix?” The boy shrugged. “Eh, just wondering if I could ever like a girl that much. Like, I’ve seen girls that I think are sort of cute, but none so hot that I could definitely say ‘I want to spend my life with her’. Or at least ‘I want to fuck her’.” “That may be a problem later when you’re the King and expected to produce an heir.” “I know,” Felix said gloomily. “I don’t know what I’m gonna do. Dad’s starting to make noises about finding me a ‘suitable girl’, and I’m not sure I want to know what he considers ‘suitable’. He was seventeen when he married Mum. If he expects the same of me, I’ve got only two or so years left.” “Maybe you will meet a girl you could stand being married to. You don’t really have to get on with her; you just have to produce a male child to keep the line going. There are precedents.” Felix hmmed, peering up at the sky, which was mostly obscured by the tree canopy. “I guess I could live with that. Probably wouldn’t be happy about it, though.” “You can be happy after you have a kid to put on the throne.” “I know, I know. But I’m happy with you! What if I couldn’t get hard with a girl? How would I even make a baby if I can’t get my cum into her?” “Syringe?” Vedo suggested. “I’m sure heaps of people have had the same problem. They probably found some way of doing it with devices. ‘Life finds a way,’ as someone once said.” “Mmm. I guess I’ll work it out when I need to.” Felix fell silent again, his expression somewhat sullen. “I’d rather spend my life with you.” Vedo agreed with a slow nod. “So would I, Felix. So would I.” ~.~.~.~.~ Felix looked out over the finely dressed crowd filling the ballroom. He sat at the head banquet table, which stood on an elevated platform, feeling as if two armies of butterflies had gone to war in his stomach. His father sat to his left, his mother to his right, with his younger brother on her other side. A string quartet played popular tunes on one side of the room while many of those assembled chatted amongst themselves. The feast laid out on the table included some of Felix’s favourite dishes, but on this occasion he was so nervous that he barely ate anything, fearing that it might come back up again. He cast a worried glance in Vedo’s direction. His friend sat at a lower table with other functionaries of similar rank, seeming to be having a good time, talking and laughing while servants kept their tankards topped up. Somehow that made Felix feel more alone, a strange sense in a room crammed with people. He wanted nothing more than to be alone with Vedo, anywhere else but here. He tried to not think about what was yet to come. Until now, he’d always looked forward to his birthday, but today, his fifteenth, felt more like the last night before an execution. Once the feasting had concluded, the speeches would begin, and then ... the dancing. Felix was not a fan of dancing. There was so much scope for tripping over his own feet, or his partner’s, or messing up the timing. He occasionally boogied to himself when he knew he was alone, but this was so out of his league. He had been given a few lessons for simple steps, but in his current state of growing unease he couldn’t remember any of them. He tried to eat a bit more, but his heart was definitely not in it. He certainly didn’t want to answer any awkward questions about why he’d barely touched his food. His father paid little attention, instead focusing more on chatting with a pompous noble on his left, but his mother leaned over to murmur into his ear. “Is something wrong, Felix? Is the food not to your liking?” “It’s not that. It’s just ... I’m nervous about the dancing. I haven’t had much practise.” It wasn’t exactly a lie. He merely omitted the fact that he wasn’t all that thrilled with having to dance with girls. “It’ll be fine.” His mother patted his hand. “Just don’t throw up like your father did during our wedding dance.” She gave him a wink and flashed a grin. “He hasn’t lived it down.” Despite the knot in his stomach, Felix laughed weakly. “I’ll try not to.” Soon the time for the speeches arrived. Felix tuned out before the first one, delivered by the King, was even halfway through, so it was a shock when his attention was drawn back by a firm clap on the shoulder. “And now, the birthday boy himself, Felix!” With his mind totally blank from an upwelling of fear, the prince pushed his chair back and unsteadily rose to gaze upon the expectant assemblage. He hadn’t realised how many people were gathered until he felt a couple hundred or more pairs of eyes fixed upon him. What in the Protector’s name do you expect me to say? he wanted to scream at them. He sought out Vedo in the crowd, feeling the need for at least some mental support from him. The horse flashed him a warm smile and made a ‘thumbs up’ gesture. Now feeling slightly buoyed, Felix took a deep breath, tried to marshal the thoughts skittering through his head, and began to speak. “Thank you, everyone, for coming tonight,” he started with a quavering voice. “I, uh, have to say that this wasn’t quite how I wanted to spend my birthday tonight. Doesn’t every man want to spend his special day chugging beer on the house in the nearest bar, or banging a hot girl?” A titter spread across the room like leaves swept up in a brisk zephyr, tempered with mutters of discontent. “Well, one day I might do that. But not tonight. Turning fifteen is a big step in a boy’s life, and ... if I’m honest ...” Felix stopped, wondering if he dared to proceed with what he really wanted to say, or if he’d go with something safer. Screw it. “I’d rather spend it with the one I love. That person may be in this room, or perhaps we will cross paths at a later time.” That sounded suitably vague. “To them, I raise a toast. To my future—” He paused, frantically going through options in his head. “—partner in crime.” Felix snatched up his goblet, which was almost empty, and held it high. “A toast!” “A toast!” roared the crowd in enthusiastic response. Felix sat down, his legs feeling wobbly all of a sudden. His heart pounded so hard it felt as if it was about to burst out of his chest. Even though his little speech had taken less than a minute, in his mind it had lasted for hours. The band struck up a lively waltz in a major key as the tables in the middle of the room were taken away to the sides, clearing space from dancing. Felix watched the proceedings dumbly, his body seeming to go into a mild shock. The moment that he’d dreaded for weeks was about to descend upon him, stifling him with rising panic. He started with a yelp when his King’s hand patted his shoulder. “Go on, boy. Knock ’em dead!” Felix didn’t dare look at his father as he stood and made his way onto the dancefloor. His feet felt leaden, and he almost tripped as he stepped down from the raised stage. He saw that most of the young girls that were present had arranged themselves around the edge, some looking expectant, some looking very hopeful. Felix knew a few of them, but not especially well. He had certainly never danced with one. As he cast his gaze over the assembled girls, he realised that he should have selected one for the first dance while he was still at the table. Now he had to choose on the fly. No, no, no ... eh, maybe ... He stopped when his gaze fell upon a slightly chubby sheep. Her fleece had been thoroughly washed and trimmed, and she wore a strapless cerise dress with white ruffles that flowed onto the floor. A large dahlia matching her dress perched just above her right ear. She looked back at him, smiling shyly. She’ll do. Felix strode over to her, trying to exude an air of confidence that he totally didn’t feel, aware that everyone was looking at him. She was quite pretty, and wasn’t trying to gain his attention. He extended a hand towards her. “May I have this dance?” “Oh, uh, yes,” stuttered the sheep, taking Felix’s hand and allowing herself to be brought into the centre of the floor. The room was quiet, aside from a murmur that ran through the audience. Felix stopped in the centre and turned to face his partner. She looked back at him, a slight blush on her cheeks. A few moments later the musicians struck an opening chord in a major key, and the two youths bowed and curtsied to each other, before Felix clasped her hands. “Follow my lead,” he said with a nervous smile. After a second’s pause, the band moved into a slow waltz. Felix counted the beats in his head as he guided the sheep around the floor. One two three, one two three. He found focusing on the beats helped him take his mind off the steps he’d practised over and over, allowing his body to move automatically. “What’s your name?” he asked during a slight pause between sections. “Selena, your Highness,” the sheep replied, showing her teeth as she smiled. “I never thought I’d get to dance with royalty.” “I never thought I’d dance with a girl,” Felix responded, not realising until after the words had left his mouth that it sounded rather rude. “Uh, that came out wrong,” he added, missing a step and stumbling for a couple of bars before he recovered. “Not that I don’t like dancing with you. It’s just ... it’s a first for me.” “That’s okay, your Highness. I understand.” Selena’s smile never wavered as she gazed with her odd slitted eyes at Felix. “You dance well.” Felix faltered again, but picked up the beat a moment later. “When I’m not being distracted,” he admitted with a shaky chuckle. “In theory I could do this dance in my sleep, I practised it so much.” “That would be a sight to see.” The waltz and the chatter continued for a couple minutes more until the band wound up the song with a triumphant flourish. By the end of it Felix felt a little more relaxed. “Thank you, Selena. I enjoyed that.” “It was my pleasure, my Prince. I hope we’ll have the opportunity to take another turn later.” Selena curtsied and parted ways as some of the assemblage came onto the floor to dance. Felix watched her go, a strange emotion tugging at his heart. He’d dreaded the dances tonight, but the experience with Selena had left him feeling much more optimistic about surviving the night with his dignity intact. He didn’t have much time to dwell on this, as a young vixen in a pale cream dress sidled up to him with a sly expression on her face and a bosom attempting to escape her low-cut dress. His heart sank and his buoyant mood deflated. “Hello, Tasha. Fancy seeing you here.” Tasha tsked, shaking her head. “Are you not happy to see me, your Highness?” she asked with exaggerated surprise, extending her hand. Felix opened his mouth to reply, then closed it as he bit back a truthful answer. Instead he shrugged and took her proffered hand to brush his lips over the back in a token gesture of gentility. “Fifteen years, hmm? And you still haven’t found a girlfriend.” Tasha’s tone had a barb of mockery in it. “Waiting to find the right girl, or is your father going to give you one?” “That is a very good question, and one that I am not at liberty to discuss at this point.” Felix managed to keep his tone pleasantly civil, but inwardly he wanted to slap her. Her ‘holier than thou’ attitude hadn’t diminished in the several months since the last time they’d laid eyes on each other. He recalled something about her father, one of King’s policy advisors, being sent on assignment abroad, and it had been a relief to not see Tasha so often. The vixen was one of the few people who always rubbed him the wrong way. “Pity.” Tasha shot a glance at the band. “Looks like they’re ready for the next song. May I have this dance?” No you may not! Felix wanted to say. He nodded his head slightly and took the vixen in his arms, trying to keep contact to a minimum. The band struck up a lively two-step in a minor key, and the couple began to move around the floor. It soon became obvious that Tasha was the leader in this dance. Felix had practised the steps for a few traditional dances that were popular throughout the kingdom, but on this occasion she was taking him through a series of rapid steps that soon had him tripping over his feet and hers as he tried to follow her movements. “Seriously, Felix, buck up! I can’t believe you’re this clumsy.” Tasha stared into Felix’s eyes, her deep brown eyes flashing an inner fire. “How do you expect to impress if you can’t even do a simple kacha?” “I don’t even know what that is!” Felix stumbled again, almost sprawling headlong across the floor. “I didn’t learn more than the basics!” What confidence the boy had had before was in tatters as Tasha continued to flaunt her Terpsichorean superiority. The music was gradually increasing in tempo, and he felt more and more out of his depth. Her hands roamed his body, getting uncomfortably personal. This was more than a dance, he realised. What it actually was he wasn’t sure, but he only had to endure it a little longer. The music wound to a crescendo, a frenetic upward cadenza from the violins forming the climax. As the last notes filled the air, the vixen whirled Felix around and pulled him close, planting her lips against his and a hand firmly on his buttock, giving it a firm squeeze. That did it. Felix broke free from Tasha’s embrace and slapped her across the muzzle. In that moment of silence after the music stopped, the sound carried across the crowded ballroom. A range of emotions washed through Felix’s body, but chief among them was a sense of outrage at having his personal space so egregiously invaded. He stared at Tasha, chest heaving as he tried to rein in his temper. She stared back at him, her eyes and mouth wide in shock at having been hit. “Get out,” he grated through clenched teeth. “Take your grabby hands and big tits and get out.” No one moved for a few seconds. The silence was almost oppressive, like that before a thunderstorm. Felix spared a glance at the top table. His father had an unreadable expression. No doubt he’d come down like a load of bricks upon Felix later, but at this point the prince didn’t care. He hadn’t really wanted to be here in the first place, and Tasha’s treatment of him was the last straw. “Fine! I’ll leave!” Felix spun on his heel and stalked away, pushing through the guests still on the dance floor. He yanked open one of the heavy oak doors and paused to give a parting comment. “Enjoy the rest of my birthday.” He left the door open, allowing his footsteps upon the marble floor to be heard fading into the distance. Felix stalked through the corridors, not paying attention to his route or the startled courtiers he passed. The anger he felt dissipated the further he walked, draining away to be replaced with exhaustion, dread for what his father’s reaction would be, and despair as he thought to the future, and the need to marry to keep the family line going. He found himself at the end of a corridor, which seemed to exist only to provide a view over the courtyard through massive clerestory windows. Scattered across the palace and the surrounding city he could see lamps burning, their orange-yellow light flickering on the walls and sills. The moon high up in the sky was full, its disc a brilliant white, bathing the land in a ghostly light. He sank to the floor in front of the window, feeling a calm settling over him. This part of the palace wasn’t well frequented, so it was eerily quiet. Now he could be alone with his thoughts and emotions. Felix inhaled deeply, held it for a few seconds, then let it out, trying to centre himself. Then he burst into racking sobs.