«Madam, everything is ready. Today is that auspicious moment,» the old man with the long white beard addressed her respectfully.
«I know,» she said and coughed. «I have saved my life with all my might so that my blood would be in the right place at the right time...»
«I'll get everything ready».
The woman's eyes were very bright, perhaps in the distant past, she was tall and slender, with blue or gray eyes a queen. But several hundred years later, with all the mages extinct, it was extremely difficult for her to extend her life, let alone her beauty.
The cold wind unfriendly fluttered the flaps of her clothes along her skinny legs, which barely supported her body. The old woman leaned on the altar, shielding her eyes from the dust with her other hand.
«When that happens... you know what to do,» she said quietly.
«Yes, Mistress... we will do everything, we will make sure that his Highness is free to live as he wishes».
The woman remained silent and nodded wearily.
When she opened her eyes again, the moon appeared from behind the clouds, and she could see that the altar was made of human bones. They were snow-white, cleaned to a shine, bones that had been meticulously and long collected, bought, found, and all of them belonged to the extinct race of mages to which the Rau kingdom belonged.
About a kilometer away, the second altar of bones was erected. The prince crossed himself with trembling hands.
«Forgive me for this sacrilege, but this is the only way.»
In due time, two people sprinkled their blood on the altar and cast a spell that shattered the boundary and summoned from the depths of time, war, and chaos two people precious to them.
The three old men, the child, and the ghost could not sleep at all that night. At about midnight a terrible wind came up and began to tear the shingles off the roofs. It howled so shrilly and pitifully, throwing earth and branches at the windows, sweeping along the street, scratching at the doors like a wild beast.
And then there was a peal of thunder. Three old men huddled together, surrounding the little girl. The ghost went to see. He was the first to realize that the boundary was broken and something was about to come out. But he couldn't tell anyone.
But his curiosity was aroused. As he got very close, he saw lightning strike the altar, people all around fell senseless to the ground, and an unimaginable noise rose. A bright light pierced the boundary from top to bottom and suddenly a man from another time appeared from there.
The ghost sprang to his feet at once, and as soon as he touched the man, he was flesh and blood, transformed into a mute slave, girded with a short sword.
They made their way up the hill, resisting the strong wind, and saw the tent in the distance.
«That way,» the man commanded.
Not far away, on a second altar, lay an elegant hand with a ring. A beautiful body, barely covered by clothing, a face behind a veil.
«I recognize my crest,» the melodious voice brightened the night. «I hope these people are all right».
The young man crept past the bodies and began to climb the hill as well. Despite the cold wind, his body was blazing.
«Has my mother sent servants after me to bring me home? But I will never agree to retreat from my purpose!»
Up he stood in the light of the moon - young, supple, full of dignity and beauty. As if he had been made to be loved and praised.
He, too, saw a tent in the distance and headed there.
Inside the tent, shadows were moving. A dim fire from a small stove illuminated two figures. One was powerful, tall, and slender. The heart of the man outside beats harder. He could recognize this figure among hundreds of thousands of others by a single movement, a smell, a look. It was a him-his blessing and his curse.
The cause of thousands of years of war and hatred. The man who denied him. His proud and rebellious lover, Iph-Saui-Leo, but in his heart, just Leo, the lion, invincible, strong, unbeatable... the man who would choose the death of thousands just to avoid agreeing to marry him...
All this flashed vividly through the mind of Galh, the third Prince of Rau, who, at the time of his enthusiastic youth, had been careless to notice Leo's heart-burning beauty and to desire him alone.
While he was indulging his thoughts, the light of fire struck him in the face. A firm hand gripped his wrist and pulled him sharply behind his back.
«What are you doing here? Are you a spy?» A familiar, velvety voice with a slight hoarse edge burned on his neck and ear.
Galh's eyebrows shot upward, and he couldn't get a word out.
«You do not look like a warrior. Are you a pampered love slave?» Prince Leo didn't seem to recognize him at all.
A shiver ran down his spine.
«Are you mute?»
«No!»
«Well, that's fine».
Leo pushed him into the arms of his slave with the words:
«Bathe this, after you apply water to the bathroom. I'll have a lot of fun today».
Galh flashed to the tips of his ears and was speechless again. A mute slave escorted him and chained him to a pole at the edge of the tent. He sat there and watched as hot water which was heated on fire in the courtyard, was carried very slowly into a large wooden tub.
His heart was beating very fast. All the while, Leo studied the scrolls on the table lit by the lantern. He went through the ancient manuscripts carefully, leafing through the books, and looking at the map. Gradually he began to understand something. But there was still fog in his head.
A splash of water was heard. He didn't even turn his head. The young slave resisted and did not want to get into the water. A kind smile flashed across Leo's handsome and stern face. Soon the resistance ceased. The slave was once more chained to a post by his master's bedside.
Leo went to the bucket and saw that the water was still clear. Unabashedly, he stepped into it, shedding garment after garment until his honey-colored skin showed in the soft light of the fire.
Strong shoulders, well-developed arms, and legs, a strong back, a chest mottled with old scars--Prince Galh was willing to sell his soul to see it all in the past.
And now, as if Leo weren't even a national treasure, he bathed after him in warm water, washing every inch of his body thoroughly, dipping his head so that his black hair spread and clung to his back, reaching his buttocks.
The prince swallowed convulsively and strained.
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