Randomness

Part 3

Posted: July 2003
Author: Estella Greenleaf

*****

"You, Harry and Sean have checked every single corner of this villa ten times already. Why don't you come join us?" called out the young Prince, relaxed amidst the jets of hot water in the tub. He was officially on vacation in the Royal Summer Palace; in reality, he and his allies were on a mission to capture the enemy assassin. So far, there had been no sign of the man; and Orli saw no harm in having a little fun while they waited.

After checking the surveillance camera around the aquatics area one last time, Viggo walked into the room that housed the indoor pool and spa. Karl and Orli were in the hot tub, while Dave sat on the ground behind the chestnut-haired warrior, giving the man a backrub. Viggo could not help being a bit envious as he watched the open affection between the High Priest and his lover. After the single kiss five nights ago, he had yet to share a tender moment with his Prince.

Viggo knew he only had himself to blame. As he knew he could not concentrate when his brain was saturated with the sensations of Orlando, he had deliberate maintained a respectable distance. How he wished he could just enjoy his stay at this luxurious mansion with the dark-haired beauty by his side. But as things were, he was his Prince's first line of defense when their enemies struck. "I can't. I need to be on watch."

"Viggo, I've set a secure perimeter with magic. You can take a break for the next few hours," said the High Priest, motioning to the dark-haired man to join them.

"Come on, Viggo. You've been so uptight for the past few days, watching over me. Just relax and let me take care of you for a little while, okay?" asked the Prince as he rose from the tub.

Wrapping a towel around his dripping form, Orli glided towards his ‘slave'. Nimble fingers unbuttoned Viggo's shirt, brushing gently against his bare skin as they pulled the garment off. The assassin shuddered slightly from the touch; all thoughts of protest incinerated when the Prince captured his eyes with a loving gaze. Viggo was glad he decided to wear boxers today, for the young man's skilled digits next divested him of his jeans. Taking the dark-haired beauty's outstretched hand, the assassin allowed himself to be led into the hot tub.

Instead of joining him in the water, Orlando settled behind Viggo and began massaging the older man's broad shoulders. The assassin did not realized how tense he was until the Prince's fingers worked their magic on the knotted muscles, applying just the right amount of pressure to make him sigh with content. If Orlando was not a Prince or a Priest of the Hyrule Temple, he should definitely consider a career as a masseur.

"Feels good?"

"Yeah. Where does a Prince learn how to do this?" purred the ‘slave' with his eyes closed, loving the feel of his ‘master's' fingers kneading the crick in the neck he developed from sleeping on the floor. Orlando had invited him to share a bed; but given the situation and how he felt for the Prince, he was ‘forced' to decline. He would definitely not be resting if he were in the same bed as beautiful Orlando.

"The physical therapist at the Temple," smiled Orli, glad his other half was enjoying his administration. "Dave's better though."

"I have longer to practice," replied the High Priest with a grin, happy with the way things were progressing with his young charge and Viggo.

"Practice? On other guys? Should I be jealous?" asked Karl with a mock serious tone, pretending to look mortified.

Dave was about to make some cheeky comment when a lone intruder crept within the invisible magic boundaries around the mansion. Queen Sonia was murdered here 20 years ago; since the High Priest suspected Bob was behind Orli's mother's death, he deliberately picked this place as their safe house. Dave was counting on the fact that Raphael and his mentor believed they knew this place well enough to send their assassin here despite the increased security. It would seem that the plan worked like a charm; the hired-killer would be in for a surprise when he reached the mansion. "We have a guest. I suggest we get into position."

*****

The High Priest and his protégé sat relaxed in the veranda, sipping their drinks as they chatted about their personal life. The mansion was situated on top of a mountain, making their position vulnerable from sniper fire only in a semi-circle radius. The balcony they chose faced the east; given that dusk was upon then, their enemy would have to face the setting sun to get a shot. Viggo awaited on the top floor of the mansion, with a scope and tranquillizer in hand, on the lookout for any suspicious glimmer in the surrounding woods, a telltale sign of their foe's weapon caught in the sun.

The Prince's bodyguards manned the surveillance station, in case the contract killer decided that the light disfavored a long-range attack and chose to infiltrate the mansion. Understanding that the assassin might have privy information on the weaknesses in the security systems, Karl stood guard in a walk-in closet of the Prince's room, ready to leap out at a moment's notice should anyone pass. The trap was drawn – all they could do now was wait for their prey.

*****

Life had a way of surprising people, despite their best laid plans. In Viggo's case, his surprise was that he had underestimated his opponent. Instead of striking directly at his target, the enemy assassin used his element of surprise to mount an assault on the surveillance station. When Harry and Sean's communicator went offline, the ‘slave' knew his worst fears had been realized – their foe now had access to their security system and could observe their every move!

"Karl, get Orli and Dave out of here right now! The mansion has been breeched," exclaimed the dark-haired man into his com-link as he raced down through the corridors, mind focused on getting to his Prince as soon as possible.

Unluckily, the Junian was so intent on reaching his other half that he did not see the shifting shadow on his left until it was too late. Leaping from behind a decorative full-body armor, the contract killer elbowed Viggo on the back of the head, knocking the ‘slave' unconscious with one blow.

*****

"I never thought I will see the day when I have you at my mercy," chuckled the contract killer as Viggo regained consciousness with a moan.

The voice was one the ‘slave' could never forget. "Jason…"

"I'm glad you still remember me, love. How long has it been? Ten years?"

"It cannot be. I saw you fell," whispered Viggo as he blinked to clear his vision. The voice, the sandy blond hair, the muscular physique and the austere, chiseled features were all so familiar. Before him stood his former lover and partner, a traitor to their country, a monster he had helped destroyed.

"Yes, too far. Bob's spies found me a day later, lying unconscious on an outcropping on the reactor wall. I've been working for Prince Raphael in the shadows every since," replied Jason with a cold smile.

This was an expression Viggo was familiar with; he still remembered how much his partner used to enjoy his ‘work'. He was prepared to face whatever gruesome death his former lover had in store for him; but he did not wish to die before warning his Prince about Jason. Quietly, the dark-haired man began to test the strength of his bonds.

The blond assassin noticed his ex-lover's subtle movements and laughed, "You can't seriously think that you can work your way out of your cuffs! I know every trick you know, Viggo. Besides, it's already too late."

With that statement, Jason turned on a small handheld monitor that was wirelessly connected to the palace's security system. "See the little Prince and his friend; they are running into a trap. The moment they touch the front-door handle, iocaine vapor will flood the room."

"You bastard!" screamed Viggo as he tried to lunge at his enemy despite his restraints. Jason easily evaded the attack, kicking the dark-haired man savagely as he flew past.

Laughing sardonically, the blond assassin continued, "Don't worry, Vig. I'm not going to kill your precious little Prince so soon. I lowered the vapor concentration so that it will only destroy his brain function. We'll have lots of fun before I end his existence."

"I'll kill you!" hissed the dark-haired Junian as he renewed his struggle against his bonds.

"I don't think you're in a position to make threats, love. I'd always wondered how it feels like to fuck a completely docile, pretty human-doll. Guess I'll soon find out. Oh, here they come. I'm so excited. I hope you enjoy the opening act of my show," grinned Jason as he shoved the monitor in front of Viggo's face.

On the screen, Dave and Orli had reached the front door. "NO!" screamed Viggo in anguish as his Prince touched the handle and purple poisonous fumes flooded the lobby.

After several minutes, the blond assassin took out a remote control from his sack and flipped the switch. A green gas rushed out of the sprinkler system, neutralizing the iocaine vapor in the air. The two Priests lied motionless on the ground at the door, unconscious and barely breathing. Dragging his dark-haired captive onto his feet, Jason leered, "Let's go, love. We don't want to be late for our own party."

*****

Shoving Viggo onto the ground, the blond assassin strolled to kneel beside Orlando. "Dear god, he is gorgeous. No wonder even the devoted Viggo is willing to betray Junia to get into his pants."

"Get your filthy hands off him!"

Jason laughed as he stroked the young Prince's cheek and leaned in for a kiss. The contact, however, was never made; for the blond assassin was flung across the room to hit the door with a thud. "What the hell?" moaned the contract-killer as he shook his head in an attempt to clear it.

"I can't agree with Viggo more," whispered Dave in a raspy voice as he blinked and sat up.

"How? You're supposed to be brain-dead!" muttered Jason as he tried to rise, but himself held immobile by the High Priest's magic.

"Do you honestly think a childish trap like this will work against a Priest of the Hyrule Temple? Besides, I can read your hostility like a book. I can sense your trap from where I was on the second floor," sighed the High Priest as he stretched.

Daring to hope that his beloved Prince was alright, Viggo whispered, "Then Orlando…"

"Is okay, yes," said Dave as he moved to untie the dark-haired man. "We are taught how to shut down our lungs for a short period of time. He'll come round in a bit. I promised to let little Orli-bear take care of this. But I just can't stand the thought of scum like this hired killer touching him."

On cue, the young Prince opened his eyes and gasped for breath. Viggo was by his side within a second, cradling Orlando to him. "I am so afraid that I've lost you."

"I'm a Chosen One, Viggo. I'm not that easy to kill. I was going to punish my would-be murderer myself if Davie hadn't interfered," whispered the young Prince weakly. He would normally be upset at being viewed as a fragile beauty that needed protection; but it felt so good to have Viggo's arms around him, Orli did not have the heart to protest the treatment.

At that moment, Karl walked into the room with Harry and Sean in tow. The two bodyguards were unconscious but still alive. They had nasty bumps on their heads, but were otherwise unharmed. "What's going on?"

Viggo was about to speak when Dave quickly cut him off. "Nothing. Let's just get the assassin into restraints and get out of here."

It was amazing; how the confident High Priest of Hyrule Temple could transform into a jittery blond babe in the blink of an eye. Though Viggo had been with the couple for almost a week, he never quite got used to the fact that Karl was the dominant one in the relationship. "I see I'm not the only one they kept in the dark," remarked the dark-haired slave as he helped his Prince onto his feet.

"Dave, I'm your champion. It means that when you go into danger, so do I," said Karl solemnly, looking none too pleased that the High Priest had left him out of his schemes.

"Don't be too angry with Davie. He's being overprotective; but he's born like that. He can't help himself," laughed Orli before wiggling out of Viggo's arms to use the larger man as shield against the blond Priest's possible acts of repercussion.

Dave glared at his protégé and pretended to charge. When the dark-haired ‘slave' held his arms out to block his way in a classic protective gesture, the High Priest sighed in mock exasperation. In truth, he was glad things were going well between Viggo and the little one. He would not have time to play matchmaker when his own lover was annoyed with him. "Sorry Karl, I know you can take care of yourself, but I just can't stop worrying. I'll make it up to you, if you let me," pleaded the High Priest with puppy eyes. This trick he learned from Orli; he could only hope it would be effective.

All Karl wanted to do was devour his lover in a hungry kiss when those merry-blue eyes regarded him so adorably. But given the severity of the situation, he knew he would have to wait. Besides, pretending to be annoyed had its advantages. Dave would be much more inventive and accommodating when they finally had the chance to ‘kiss and make up'. "I'll think about it. Let's get business over with first."

*****

The young Prince and his mentor stood in the Emperor's court opposite Raphael and Bob. The blond assassin knelt in the center of the room, guarded by six armed soldiers. As the old King, Henry, walked into the throne room, those in attendance bowed their heads in respect. Settling on his throne, the Emperor asked the prisoner, "Who sent you to kill my child?"

"King Ian of Junia," lied Jason, knowing his only chance of escape was to continue siding with the Prince Regent.

"You lie! You betrayed your country long ago," accused Orlando, knowing that the prisoner's answer might incense his father into giving Raphael permission to wage an all-out war with the rogue kingdom.

The young Prince was not ready to face this trial yet; he needed someone ‘neutral' to witness the assassin's confession before bringing the man before his father. He and his mentor were on their way to deliver the prisoner to the Palace of Justice to be questioned when a messenger from the Emperor requested their presence. Raphael must have learned of the hired killer's failure and decided to use this situation to his advantage.

"What proof do you have, little brother, that this assassin is not in the Junian Secret Service's employ?" smiled Raphael, sensing he was going to have his wish soon, despite Orlando's interference.

"Viggo told me so," replied the young Prince with head held high. He knew the word of a ‘slave' would not be enough to convince the court; but to show any signs of insecurity would be to concede this battle of wits and words.

"Viggo? Your new slave?" asked Raphael with contempt.

Orlando could not bring himself to agree with his brother. Viggo was much more to him than a slave; but it was not yet time to tell the public the older man was his other half. Luckily, Dave came to his rescue. "Viggo worked for the Junian Secret Service before his capture. I was there when he told us about this man, Jason. He spoke the truth, I can feel it."

"We all know how much you sympathizes with our enemies, your Excellency. I doubt your feelings are clear in this matter," said Bob in a haughty tone, his meaning clear for all the courtiers to hear. The High Priest's decision to accept a Junian slave as his champion had not sat well with many of Metaricana's nobles, even some of the moderate ones who wished to end the rift with Junia.

"Besides, if the assassin is not from Junia, who then can he work for?" asked the chief of the Security Council, one of Raphael's acolytes.

"I do not know, my lord. That is why we wanted to take the prisoner to the Palace of Justice for questioning," lied the High Priest artfully, knowing it was not yet time to reveal Raphael's involvement.

"There is no need, your Excellency. The assassin had confessed," said the Prince Regent, barely able to conceal the triumphant smile.

For the first time since the beginning of the debate, King Henry spoke, "Do not be so hasty in your judgments, Raphael. High Priest Wenham has been Orlando's protector for over ten years. I trust his assessment. I will hold court again in three days to hear the report from the Palace of Judgment."

*****

"It's useless. Everyone working for SS is taught how to fool lie-detecting equipments; and Jason's the best at what he does. Your friends at the Palace of Justice won't be able to get any information out of him other than what he wants to say," sighed Viggo after listening to his Prince's account of the events.

"I suppose we'll just have to give him incentive to talk," replied the High Priest with a crafty smile.

"How do you intend to do that? Whatever we promise him, Raphael can offer the same. And given how much he hates Viggo and me, there is no way he will switch sides," frowned the young Prince as he leaned back into his other half's embrace. It was heaven being held by the dark-haired man; no one had ever made him felt so warm and protected before.

"We won't have to offer him anything. We just have to make Raphael believe Jason is going to betray him," smiled Dave as he winked at his friends.

Watching the couple's display of tenderness reminded Dave of his own lover. Karl had not come to greet them on their return, which meant the Junian was still ‘annoyed'. The High Priest had no doubt the chestnut-haired warrior expected some innovative favors before granting ‘forgiveness'; but given the current situation, he would not have free time to come up with ideas to live up to Karl's expectations in the next few days. The mere thought of going without his lover for that long was enough to a damper on Dave's mood. Noticing his mentor's sigh, Orli said, "Why don't you take a break? I'll take care of this from here on. Sadly, political intrigues have become my specialty."

*****

"Now that's a face I didn't expect to see again," purred the blond assassin as he gave the young Prince an approving glance-over.

"Just tell the truth, Jason. I'll plead for your life myself. You know how father favors me," replied Orli as he circled the prisoner, finger tracing the broad expense of the blond man's shoulders.

"You are overestimating your charms, babe. I'm not going to fall for it," smiled Jason as his eyes followed the Prince as the younger man walked to the chair opposite him.

"You don't have to. You see, I talked the security guards into giving us privacy. All I need to do is stay here, chitchat with you for a little while and let Raphael believe whatever he wants to believe," said the young Prince in his singsong voice, wanting to provoke some reaction from the icy assassin.

"Why should I trust you?" asked the blond with narrow eyes. He was certain the Prince Regent would kill him if the other man believed him to be a threat. This did not bode well for his chances of survival.

"I'm telling the truth, Jason. But I can't force you to believe me. What to do is up to you," replied the young Prince as he began humming to kill time. The prisoner made no response except glare at him in silence. Fifteen minutes later, Orli bid the blond assassin farewell. The stage was set – all he could do now was pray that Raphael would fall for his trap.

*****

"Your little brother went to see the prisoner," sighed the Commander of Metaricana's forces as he poured himself a drink.

"He wants to create a rift between Jason and me," replied the older Prince calmly, not at all concerned. He knew the blond assassin was not stupid enough to betray him. But perhaps it was time to raise the stakes. His father's decision today told him that the old man would always side with Orlando and the High Priest. It was time to get rid of all the opposition, once and for all. "Bob, I want you to arrange a prison rescue. Bring Jason to me. I have another job for him."

*****

The guards made an emergency call to Orlando before they were overrun. Raphael had sent an entire battalion to break into the Palace of Justice to retrieve the blond assassin. Though the young Prince hated to interrupt whatever activities his mentor was engaging in, he had no choice. His instincts told him that the situation had escalated to a new level. "Davie, open up!" yelled Orli as he pounded on the High Priest's door with his fists.

Soon, Viggo took his place and pounded the steel door with all his might. He did not want his Prince to get bruises from hitting the hard material. He was rewarded when a disheveled Dave wrapped in a sheet answered the door. "This has better be good."

"Raphael just sent a whole group of soldiers to rescue Jason," said the young Prince quickly.

"All right, call your father's guards. Tell them to be careful. I'll be out in a sec," replied Dave, sensing that a military coupe was underway.

*****

"Bob! What is the meaning of this?"

"I'm sorry, your Majesty, but you are in the way; just like Sonia was twenty years ago," said Bob calmly as he signaled to his hired assassin.

"Don't worry, old man. Once I'm done with you, I will go finish your favorite boy," smirked Jason as he leveled his gun at the Emperor's head.

The sound of blaster-fire interrupted them before the blond assassin could pull the trigger. The door to the King's bedroom burst open, revealing Orlando, Dave and Karl at the head of a group of Priests from the Hyrule Temple. "Give up, Bob; it's over. Your men outside are a little reluctant to let us in, so we gave them ‘something' to help them sleep."

"Put down your weapons, or the old man dies," said the blond assassin, moving to grab the Emperor by the neck.

Orlando and his mentor shared a long look before tossing their energy-blades aside. Karl and the other Priests soon followed their lead. Seeing that he now had the upper hand, the Army Commander pulled out a com-link and dialed one of his generals. "Send reinforcements to the Imperial Palace at once. There has been an attempted coupe. Prince Orlando and his friends from the Hyrule Temple are trying to storm it."

Bob ended the transmission as he flashed the intruders a cruel smile. Nodding at the assassin, the Commander continued, "But unfortunately, it'll already be too late when they arrived. The Emperor has been fatally shot in the head by his own child."

The sound of the shot reverberated in the room. When Bob turned to congratulate the blond assassin on a job well done, he was shocked to see the other man fall, a bullet hole in the middle of his forehead. Before he could react, a second shot echoed through the vast bedchamber; and the Commander fell to the floor clutching his leg.

"Father, are you alright?" said Orlando as he rushed to the Emperor's side.

"Yes, thanks to you and the High Priest," smiled the old man as he took his child's hand fondly.

"We cannot claim the credit in this case, your Majesty," replied the High Priest as he looked out the open door, eyes settled unerringly on the Junian assassin hidden in the shadows.

On cue, the dark-haired man jumped down from the small loft, sniper rifle in hand. Slowly, Viggo strode into the room, trying not to chastise himself overly much for saving his country's worst enemy. The Emperor noted the cold gleam in the other man's eyes and guessed, "You are Orlando's new slave."

"Yes," replied the assassin as he balled his fist, forcing himself to stop thinking thoughts of killing Bob and his Prince's father.

"If you hate me so much, why did you save me?" asked Henry, truly curious about the younger man's intentions.

"Your death tonight will bring a full blown war to my country. That I cannot allow," replied Viggo truthfully, staring the Emperor in the eye.

With a sigh, the old man lowered his eyes. It was a long moment before the Emperor raised his eyes again to look at his rescuer and spoke. "Our countries have been at war for so long; and all because I believed Bob's words saying Sonia was killed by Junian spies. But now, I know I was wrong. So many people have suffered during this war; and nothing I do now can change the past. But I give you my word that I will try my best to end this animosity between us as soon as possible."

While the Guardians of Peace cheered the Emperor's words, Viggo could only look at the old man in surprise. He could barely believe his ears; the King of Metaricana had just made a promise to devote his efforts to peace. If Junia was not at war with Metaricana, the Junian assassin could stay with his Prince for as long as he wanted without feeling guilty about betraying his country!

"There is one more thing, your Majesty," said the High Priest as he quieted his companions, looking at the injured army commander on the floor.

"I know what you wish to say, your Excellency. It breaks my heart to think my own flesh and blood has anything to do with this," whispered the Emperor sadly.

At this moment, the reinforcements arrived at the palace, weapons ready to fire on the Priests from the Hyrule Temple. With his son's help, the Emperor strolled towards the leader of the soldiers and said, "Bob lied to you all. He was attempting a military coupe, but my little baby saved me. And for this great deed, he shall be rewarded. Let all bear witness to this decree: From this day forth, Orlando shall be the Crown Prince of Metaricana and my rightful heir."

*****

An emergency meeting was called to inform the nobles of land of the Emperor's decision. Raphael and his acolytes were upset; but the former Prince Regent did not protest. He knew his father was being lenient, not conducting further investigations on the part he played in Bob's treachery. Raphael decided to accept his father's decree calmly and withdraw into exile, hoping to regain enough support one day to make a triumphant return. After a quick transfer of powers, Orlando was officially the new Prince Regent of Metaricana.

Numerous of rounds of toasts and pats on the backs later, the young Prince and his companions were finally free to return to their homes. It was almost dawn when the two couples reached the Hyrule Temple. Dave and Karl immediately begged off, wanting to resume their previous activities. The young man and his ‘slave' were left alone in the living area, stretched out on a couch, since Orli's bedchambers were still under renovation after the sniper attack.

Using Viggo's chest as a warm pillow, the young Prince sighed, "You know, I've been thinking; if I pay a friendly visit to Junia, it will help the peace process along."

"There are a lot of people there who hate all Metaricanans. The trip is too dangerous. Let Dave send another Guardian of Peace to negotiate with my government," replied the dark-haired assassin as he kissed the top of his Prince's head.

"But I have you to protect me," said Orli as he burrowed his face into Viggo's chest.

"Orlando…"

"Besides, I want to free you and I can't do it here. You probably miss your homeland; and I can't keep you here against your will," whispered the Prince, gazing at his other half with soulful eyes.

"I do miss Junia. But if I leave, I know I will miss you even more. I want to stay with you, Orlando, for as long as you want me by your side. If I have to be a slave to do it, so be it," replied Viggo as he pulled his Prince closer for a kiss.

Their tongues mated leisurely in affirmation of their love as their arms encircled each other in a tight embrace. Pulling apart for breath, the older man whispered, "Get some rest, my Prince. It's been a long day."

Though Viggo wanted to make love to his sweet beauty, he knew Orlando must be exhausted from all the commotion. And the older man saw no reason to rush things; after all, they would have their whole lives to explore the physical dimensions of their relationship. Orlando snuggled closer to his beloved's warmth and soon fell asleep with a content smile. After making certain that his Prince was comfortable, Viggo too followed the youth into the land of dreams. As the sun rose, a new day began, marking the start of their lives together as two halves of a whole.

*****

And the couples lived happily ever after.

*****

previous | Chapter Index |

If you enjoyed this story, please send feedback to: Estella Greenleaf