Through sleep, he heard someone crying. Those
familiar cries were getting on his nerves. It was as if only yesterday this
woman had been crying in the same way at his door, demanding that her son give
up his hopeless love. Galh endured a few more moments and then opened his eyes
angrily.
«Mother!» - he exclaimed without looking.
The crying stopped for a moment. Galh looked around in surprise. He was lying in a huge palanquin the size of a room. It was warm and soft. Next to him sat an elderly woman whose face was streaked with tears.
When she saw that he was awake, she froze and looked at him full-eyed.
«I thought my mother was here,» Galh said cautiously, looking around incredulously.
«Galh...,» - the old woman called out in a long voice and burst into tears again.
«What...?» - the young man marveled.
«It's me... your mother,» - the old woman replied timidly.
«You didn't recognize me, I have grown old,» the old woman said timidly, «I am your mother,» but the young man turned away. «Maybe she found me and wants to bring me home?»
Galh muttered puzzledly, ignoring the old woman.
«That won't do, I've got to run, right now.»
He deftly rolled over and looked out of the palanquin.
«It's late, where could Leo have gone? Probably home, right? I must catch up with him!»
«Galh!!!»
The old woman just saw her son leap nimbly into the saddle, snatch the reins from the servant, turn the horse's head in the opposite direction, and gallop away.
«Galh!!!» She shouted after him.
«My lady, calm down, he will be home soon.»
«How is it,» wailed the woman, «he is all alone, without money, taking only a horse.
«Madam, the young prince is grown up now, he can take care of himself. In his mind, the world is still on the brink of war, and the two kingdoms are feuding. Let him look around a bit, listen to the gossip, and see that the world is no longer the same.»
«Ah! What if something happens to him?!»
«I'll send slaves to keep an eye on him, okay?»
«Yes, yes. Send a counselor. Have them look after my dear boy.»
«It will be done, Mistress, rest in peace. I will keep you informed of his movements.»
After that, the counselor did send his trusted men after the prince with money and clear order to keep a low profile but to take care of the prince.
Galh hurried away again. But he overestimated his strength; his back and buttocks ached so excruciatingly that he was ready to fall off his horse after an hour of fast riding. Fortunately, he rode into town. The horse paced calmly, understanding his master, and he rode slowly down the brightly lit street.
The world began to blur before his eyes. Before he knew it, he was passed out in front of a building with a spicy sign that read «The Nine Beatitudes.» Several well-dressed beauties ran out of the house and began wailing over a handsome young man who had fallen unconscious from his horse.
Literally at once, the hostess came out at the noise, and well-dressed men with royal insignia approached her. The young man was immediately carried to the best chambers and cared for with all the cordiality, considering how much gold the attendants had given for this little favor.
Galh opened his eyes and groaned with pleasure. Someone was massaging his arms, shoulders, and legs in an insanely pleasant way. He smiled and whispered: «Leo.»
«Who is this Leo,» a melodious female voice pulled him out of dreamland and brought him back down to earth.
Galh opened his eyes and saw that he was lying in a dimly lit room, clearly red. A pleasant smoke of incense wafted through the air. Beside him sat three young girls in immodest clothes and massaged his body.
«Darling, don't worry about anything, the doctor has already examined you. So are you a promiscuous man? Or were you forced?»
The boy got up on his elbows and shook his head. He was trying to understand what was going on here and where he was.
«Where am I,» he asked in a hoarse voice.
«It's a pleasure garden,» the boldest girl replied with a giggle, «you fell off your horse at our doorstep. Sister Mistress said it was fate itself that sent you.»
The hostess's sister said so to a bag of gold coins, which was given to her for accepting and taking care of the young man.
A local doctor was indeed summoned to see him, for the «hostess sister» was worried that her golden client would stretch his legs before she got rich. The healer was surprised to find traces of traumatic sex, and he was adept at it since a third of the population of the pleasure garden were young boys and men.
Having seen all sorts of things in his life, he used the cure and prescribed rest for the young man. This put the hostess in good spirits, and she allowed her free girls to take care of the young lord, knowing that he was not capable of spoiling her goods.
Following these three, other girls came to Galh. They brought him food, clothes, and incense, gave him jewelry, and their conversations grew bolder as the young man was unusually kind and open.
Girls complained about drunken clients who had bad erections or perverts who couldn't get enough. They sighed quietly about their plight, but they also had happy stories. Almost all of the house of the Nine Beatitudes found rich suitors and went off to live on the side and became contented women.
Galh wondered with what heartbreak the girls dreamed of such a fate «to belong to one man, albeit not legally, with no rights, but still...» He thought of his obsession.
Now that he knew the taste of Leo's kisses, the smell of his body, what arousing his husky voice was when he commanded during sex... Galh's heart beat faster. He wanted to find him for sure! Well, while he was recovering, he was having a pleasant time with the girls. They were happy to tell him the secrets of their profession and even generously gave him advice.
Once again they brought him a softening balm and a new veil. These were all sincere gifts, and Galh greatly appreciated them. On the third day, he left his room and, nearer the night, hung around idly until he was lost. It turned out that he had no idea where his room was.
He simply walked up and down stairs, corridors, and passages until he was completely lost in this endless maze. His girlfriends were very busy that evening, and he was all alone, hanging around with no one to ask for directions back.
Suddenly there was a thunderous scream from the floor below:
«What kind of second-rate merchandise is in this joint?»
«Leo?» The young man froze in half-step and looked down. He saw Leo arguing with the hostess and several of the boys he had «culled» standing beside him in embarrassment.
Galh smiled.
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