Skeldergate Hill laid bare in squalor that cold morning - upturned earth, the stink of decaying man flesh, drying horseshit. The King of Sylfur's nostrils dilated as it overfilled with the all-too-familiar stench of a hard battle waged. He was resplendent in yellow-gold armour among the grey metal of his army. The King with gritted teeth surveyed the opposing forces ten thousand strong just two fields away.

It was day two of battle. The King decided to lead his men today after the massive loss incurred the day before. The ineptitude of his Lord Duke Commander Fredric caused three thousand of his men dead. Fredric was banished from setting foot on Skeldergate Hill and the King must now himself commit to battle in preserving Sylfurian lands from the grasp of Amarjidians conquerors.

The disgraced Lord Fredric was absent today at the ruined fields, but the Commander's daughter Lady Daisy Fredric had ridden with the King up to Skeldergate. Daisy was just a lass of seventeen but had proven unmatched skill in warfare surpassing all men. Today she held her head high as the King’s favoured warrior.

The King of Sylfur felt Curse beneath him calm as water, yet the beast whinnied softly with great eagerness for the clash to commence. He brushed an armoured palm lightly across Curse’s neck and the great steed immediately settled.

"Ten thousand men," the King said under his breath whilst his eyes darted about the horde of Amarjidian warriors. It was as if he was in search of someone. Daisy shot him a glance. She wished to reply, "Against our twelve thousand, milord," but said nothing. Fifteen thousand Sylfurian men under her father’s disastrous lead yesterday did little to bend the will of the opposing Amarjida forces. Lady Daisy looked ahead, her long yellow-blonde hair tucked away beneath silver armour. 

At a distance of two fields between the opposing forces, Jalah Eahil, the Great Lord King of Amarjida, was doing much the same as the King of Sylfur. Dark hooded eyes scanned the Sylfurian army searchingly. His great destrier Gypsy stood still, waiting for the lightest touch from her master.

Great pipes and thunderous drums suddenly pierced the air. It was the awaited call of the dance of death to begin. The Amarjidian King touched Gypsy and she immediately reared. Jalah Eahil lifted his sword and his Amarjidian army roared, charging ahead.

***

Two boys were breathing rapidly but quietly in the thick forest.

"Did we lose them? They can’t locate us?" Lief asked in a low voice, crouching behind a massive rock that hid him and Darras from the Order minders.

Darras peered carefully. He saw the men of the Order searching through the forest, calling out both their names in mounting panic. Darras turned to Lief, grinned silently and nodded. The boys were pleased with themselves and slowly backed away from the rock to enter deeper into the Cheviot woods.

Lief and Darras were eighteen years old and top rank students of the Order of Coucy. The Order was an institution located in the land of Cheviot and for centuries, the establishment hosted children of the realms for intensive combat training, statesmanship and other forms of rule and governance.

The boys' tutelage in the Order had almost reached the end. They were now in the midst of the final survival test whereby their skills were to be covertly observed by Order minders while they fended for themselves. Upon completing this last quest set in the Cheviot woods, the young men would be granted leave to depart back to their homes in their respective lands.

The Order minders continued to holler and rummage through the forest, grossly underestimating the boys' gift for stealth. Now completely untethered out of sight, Lief and Darras laughed wildly and ran at top speed with bows and arrows tightly secured to their backs.

Lief was agile, slim and tall. His limbs were finely formed and delicate yellow blonde hair fell constantly into his eyes. Darras' height matched Lief’s but that was where their similarities ended, for Darras possessed a form thick with muscle mass and a riot of jet-black curly hair that he would gather into a knot.

Lief was white as a ghost, as Darras liked to observe, and Lief would in turn tell Darras to shut up and that Darras was so dark he blended well into the night save for white teeth and whites of the eyes, and that was a look worse than a wraith.

The young men slowed down their pace as they came upon a cave as dusk settled. Darkness began to cloak the forest and mist creeped around the trees. The boys examined the surrounding area and decided to spend the night in the cave, deftly preparing a fireplace for warmth and to cook a freshly caught rabbit for supper.

Whilst getting ready for the evening the young men were carefully avoiding from looking at each other and their usual chatter ceased as they became mindful of the fact that they were completely alone together for the first time in their years at the Order.

Lief and Darras were drawn to each other from the time they were children newly arrived at the Order, caring and supporting each other through the thick and thin of Coucy’s often punishing tutelage. As they grew into young men, the masters of the Order and their friends respected their long-term loyalty to each other. No one, not even the two boys themselves, would have guessed that they had fallen deeply in love the moment they met.

It was soon midnight. The fire did little to dispel the cold from the cave. Lief and Darras had made their beds set separately and as far away from each other as possible. They lay in the night, silent and awake.

Light snow appeared, whirling about in the cave. The boys immediately rearranged to join their sleeping areas together as they were taught to do. The young men held on to each other to keep warm, not speaking nor looking at one another. 

Though they both felt each other’s heartbeats rushing at a steady march, the combined warmth of their bodies soon lulled Darras into deep slumber. Lief in contrast felt as if sleep would be the last thing he desired as his body responded to being in such close proximity to his best friend.

Clutching and gently rubbing his stone-hard cock through the thin material of his tunic, Lief took his fill as he gazed into Darras’ face by the firelight. Strong black brows, full lips. Sharp nose. His eyes slipped lower to observe Darras’ beautiful hard body and dark skin contrasting against the pale yellow dress shirt. Gently lifting the shirt, Lief spied a profusion of curling black hair between Darras’ legs, the long hooded cock resting against a thigh.

As his eyes continued to trace Darras, Lief wondered why it was that he felt possessiveness over his friend and had many times imagined Darras in inappropriate ways, spending his seed easily as his mind churned fantastic thoughts. This was a strangeness in Lief that he had never resolved and it always kept him wondering. What was it that lifted his heart whenever he saw his friend? Why was it so that he wished Darras to always be by his side?

Would they ever be a time again after this when we could be alone, Lief thought. Both our lives are soon to change and we shall be apart after this, perhaps never to meet again.

Without even fully realizing his actions, Lief kissed Darras and rubbed his cock hard against his friend’s sleeping body.

Darras’ eyes flew open and he grabbed Lief’s face. His grip slackened as understanding dawned upon him and he peered searchingly into Lief’s eyes. Their faces were so close together. Their heartbeats once again sped with incredible rapidity and Darras thoughts raced, trying to come up with words to say.

In the end, the young men had no need for speech as Darras quickly caught Lief’s stiff cock in his hand, roughly pulling the tunic apart. Bending low, Darras tasted the engorged, smooth cock end. Lief shuddered and his cock slit expelled a light, sweet liquid that ran tantalisingly down the long shaft. Darras drew upon it immediately with a long lick. Lief felt Darras’ cock against his body hardening in response and ached to touch him, but Darras had him firmly pinned in place to do naught but receive the pleasure Darras bestowed upon him.  

They were trembling with bewilderment at how natural it all felt and mounting need leapt between them. Darras daringly fellated Lief deeper, wrapping his mouth firmly around the pulsing shaft and pushing Lief’s legs apart for further access.

Lief gasped for air as Darras fingered between his buttocks and immediately he spent, crying out as he shot a thick stream into Darras’ hungry mouth. Darras sucked greedily on the seed yet there was so much of it that white cream trailed down his mouth and neck.

The rest of their tryst turned into a wild, hot affair as they mounted upon each other, penetrated and explored the other’s body’s secret ways. They discovered again and again the many means towards exacting pleasure from one another. For a few precious days, the young men spent hours in the paradise of the little cave, alternating between rough sport and gentle expressions of love.

Indeed by the third and last day in the cave Lief and Darras proclaimed their secret love to one another. Though they be equals as they were princes of their respective realms, the boys swore fealty to one another however much they knew such promises to be in vain. The houses of Sylfur and Amarjida were centuries-old sworn enemies and it was disquieting to know that they were one day fated to conquer the other’s land.

Lief and Darras parted ways after the final test as they anticipated, but through the years and decades after Cheviot they found deceptive ways to be with one another unbeknownst to everyone else. Now grown men and Kings of their realms, Lief and Darras took turns to travel to each other’s lands, pretending to be messengers in the guise of bearing dispatches and missives.

Lief would dress as a lowly monk with deeply drawn hood, presented to Darras in the Amarjidian palace for private audience. Darras, now the Jalah Eahil, would dismiss all courtiers from their presence and they would christen the throne of the receiving hall with hot passion. Darras in due course would return the favour time and again, travelling to the capital of Sylfur disguised in plain merchant wear to seek a private interview with King Lief of Sylfur in the glittering walls of the White Tower. 

Darras gave his blessing when Lief humbly requested Darras' approval to a betrothal. Lief's family had arranged him to wed a Duchess named Ariana from a neighbouring land. In the ensuing years, the Jalah Eahil of Amarjida shared the King of Sylfur’s joy in the begetting of a daughter, the Princess Chyria of Sylfur.

The long-overdue battle between Sylfur and Amarjida was finally upon Lief and Darras when they reached the age of forty. It was an ancient prophecy that one would take over the other, and it seemed as if the Gods chose that exact moment for the wheel to turn in that fated direction.

The King of Sylfur and Jalah Eahil of Amarjida met for one last time before the battle, once again swearing loyalty to one another though they both knew their fates would mean the end of the other. Who was to die and give up his land, they knew not. In loving tribute to the war ahead they secretly gifted each other battle horses. Darras gave the destrier Curse to Lief while Gypsy was presented to Darras.

Lief and Darras attempted far too many times to change the course of events. One tried to smooth down the other land’s mounting hostility with futile gestures. It all but came to naught. The battle was to be held at Skeldergate Hill, a little Sylfur region that sat close to the border of Amarjida.

Clutching each other desperately close before they parted, Lief and Darras understood that the old prophecy was not in their power to overturn. 

***

King Lief of Sylfur was dead.

Sylfur had fallen into the hands of Amarjida.

Immediately post-battle Darras shrouded himself in coarse, rude robes and prostrated on the floor of the temple in the Sylfurian White Tower. Lief's cold body was laid in the hall, not far from Darras as he deeply grieved at what came to pass.

Darras repeated the events again and again in his fevered mind. He and Lief were unhorsed and face-to-face in direct combat. As Lady Daisy stepped in to shield her King, Lief had pushed her away. His eyes and Darras' clung to each other amidst the raging battle and as their swords raised, desperation was mirrored in each other’s gaze.

Darras knew not how it came to be - that his sword would be embedded deeply into Lief before Lady Daisy could intervene. Darras could not comprehend the triumphant cheers of his Amarjidian forces around him, lifting him off the ground in victory. He was crowned champion as Lief lay lifeless, on the field. Darras could not bear this outcome. The battle ended with Sylfur won, and Lief forever lost.

A day later, Darras sat composed at the seat of the Sylfur throne. Queen Ariana of Sylfur wished for an audience with her new King and Darras readied himself to receive her.

The consort to the late King Lief was now in front of him on her knees, calm and dry-eyed. There was no one else in the hall but them, as the Queen requested.

“Jalah Eahil,” she enunciated in a clear voice. “You are now my King. Sylfur is yours. But my Lord,” she continued in a slightly pleading voice.  

Darras finally looked up to meet her eyes. Their gaze finally locked.

“I know that Lief had a great passion for you,” she quickly said. At this, Darras carefully arranged his face to a stony expression though his heart hammered painfully.

“My Lady Ariana,” He began quietly but could not finish.

Queen Ariana continued without break, as if she did not hear him. “I would be a poor wife indeed if I did not know the depths of my late husband’s heart. He was my King, but he loved you. I have peace in my heart knowing that though Lief and I shared great respect for each other, he possessed a greater secret. That secret was a love for you and it gave him much joy in his life. But my Lord,” a tear ran down Ariana’s face and her head bowed. “Heed me now, Jalah Eahil, for I have an urgent and important request of you though you are my liege.”  

Darras acquiesced and waited.

“Lady Chyria is our daughter, Lief’s and mine. She is but a child but possesses a secret such as yours.” The Queen looked up with dignity. “Jalah Eahil, Chyria is in love with Lady Daisy, the daughter of the Lord Commander Fredric. Let their love not be in secret, my sweet Lord. Find it in your heart to find methods to banish the old thinking and to allow Chyria and Daisy to love openly. Let Lief’s death chart a new course for Sylfur and Amarjida where a person may love who they wish, and proudly,” she said simply.

Darras breathed hard. His cold expression did not waver, but his heart now seared painfully. How does one such as Ariana possess such bravery and fortitude? He wondered. While Lief and I lived our love in the dark.

Without saying a word Darras left the hall as Queen Ariana wept on the floor.

***

It was late in the evening after an extravagant yet subdued supper. The Jalah Eahil ordered an unofficial gathering of the Sylfurian and Amarjidian nobility to congregate in the halls of the White Tower of Sylfur.

Darras stood, dressed in black. The nobility quietened and with respect awaited for their new King to speak.

“My Lords and Ladies,” Darras announced, “I thank you for your warm welcome and for receiving me easily into your hearts as the new ruler of Sylfur. I trust that the vassals of Sylfur will accept me with similar peace."

He said quietly, “I loved Lief.” The men and women nodded, as they knew of the long friendship between the two Kings.

Darras spoke in a low voice, once again. “I loved Lief with all my heart, body and soul.”

Queen Ariana was in attendance, standing further away from the retinue of nobility. Her breath stilled at Darras’ words and she put her hand on her heart. She did not dare to believe what she heard. Ariana heard the whispers of surprise reverberating through the crowd as they listened to Jalah Eahil.  

“Before I am to be anointed as your King, I want you to be made aware that great changes shall be afoot. For too long, bigotry and hate have largely charted the course of our lives. My Lords and Ladies, wonder how our lives would be if we were to shed such indignity and allow one to love whom one wants to love with pride."

Darras allowed a sliver of memory to enter his heart at that moment. It was of the time together in the dark Cheviot cave, deeply in love. All those years ago, lads of eighteen discovering each other's bodies and souls. 

“As your King, destroying this hate shall be my first course of action.”

Queen Ariana bowed. Her hand that clutched desperately to her heart eased its grip. The tightness in her chest since Lief’s passing unfurled. For the first time in days, she could breathe freely. Whether her release be for Chyria’s joy or of pain or exhilaration, she knew not. Only that her emotions came all at once and they were the same. Darras’ sad eyes locked into hers and both their heavy hearts lifted.