Disclaimers: For entertainment purposes only. Not to be used for commercial gain or profit of any kind. This is meant as fanfic only. No copyright infringement is intended. No copyright infringement or insult is intended toward Hans Christian Anderson or his family. This is merely my attempt to re create a version of his superior work.

THE LITTLE MERMAN

Chapter 1

The Rescue

Copyright@ June 2010

By Bryton4ever71

Far away, somewhere on the high seas, beyond the reach of mortal men, there is another world.

No, I don't mean the surface, where the sea is grey or green or black and angry when the hurricanes and typhoons rage, or blue and glittering with a million diamonds when the sun is fierce and hot all day. That is a fickle world, ever changing, almost as fickle as the hearts of mortal men.

Somewhere where the waves of water reach the horizon at every compass point, where sharks are plentiful, and riptides lurk, the ocean dives deep, deeper, deepest.

Fathoms below, in this deepest part, in ages past, there was a vast kingdom and in the center a great golden city. In the center of the circular city was a giant golden palace. In this kingdom, lived the merfolk Perhaps they live there still. There is no way to tell.

However, what I do know is that long, long ago, in this kingdom, in this great golden city, and in the giant golden palace lived a widowed queen with her 5 sons. She was Queen Jennifer and her sons were called Ted, Emmett, Blake, Cody, and Justin.

Each of her sons had their own qualities and gifts. Ted could sing opera and entertained the court daily with beautiful arias. Emmett had a swishy tail. Well, they were all swishy but Emmett was definitely the swishiest. Blake had the whitest, most beautiful teeth in the kingdom. It gave him the smile of an angel. Cody had long, thick hair that reached down to his butt.

But Justin....Justin was Queen Jennifer's definite favorite. She knew she shouldn't play favorites but she couldn't help it. You see, Justin was the youngest and he had the gift...of sunshine.

Justin was the kindest, most compassionate, sensitive, and charitable prince that the merfolk kingdom had ever known. He was artistically gifted and had bright short blond hair that could shine with an ethereal light. Everybody loved him and he loved everyone back. Justin had bright blue eyes and a slim but defined frame with nice pecs and a flat tummy. From the waist down he had a beautiful, long, shiny, green tail with wide, well formed fins.

The day came when Justin turned 18 years old. He was given a lavish birthday party and he invited everyone in the city. Eventually, there was no room in the palace but they made sure there was plentiful food and music to keep the overspill entertained and every so often Justin decreed that handfuls of money were to be showered about where the poorer subjects were celebrating.

Meanwhile, in the throne room, a brand new golden throne had been set up for the newest of age prince. He sat happily, knowing he could now sit in court from now on and be part of decision making judgments from now on. Each of his brothers gave him a special gift according to his talents. Ted sang an aria that brought tears to Justin's eyes. Emmett did a series of the swishiest underwater acrobatics that he had ever done to date. Cody and Blake worked on their gift together. Blake had used his angelic grin to seduce the oysters into giving up their most beautiful pearls and Cody had worked a chain of gold with links so tiny and delicate that it was a shining string. They had strung the pearls on it spacing them about 2" apart. One pearl was twice as large as the rest. As Cody reverently placed the circlet over Justin's head it fit him like a crown and the large pearl sat regally in the very center of his forehead. Cody kissed him on both cheeks. "Happy Birthday Justin."

Everyone cheered.

Now it was Justin's turn. Taking center stage, he turned on his shine to top power and began to sing. He was alto, it was wordless and haunting. It was a song of thanks, of acceptance, of love.

At last it was done. Slowly, Justin lowered himself down to the seat next to his mother. They hugged fiercely.

"Now my son, it is done. You are of age and a man. The diadem Blake and Cody have made for you is a symbol of your station. You may go anywhere in the kingdom and even to the surface, which as you know, you have not been allowed to do before."

"That's true. I've been waiting for a long time. Why have I been forbidden?"

"My son, the surface world is vast and dangerous. You needed to have the age and maturity to handle the responsibility. Besides that, you must avoid the hooks of the mortal men who live above the surface of the water."

"Hooks?"

"Mortal men throw curved metal attached to strings into the water in the hopes of catching fish and aquatic life. They will kill you if they can."

"That's terrible! How do they live above the water? Do they float there above the waves?"

His mother and brothers laughed.

"No, silly," Blake said affectionately, "They build great houses and ride on the top of the water. They're called ships. Haven't you seen the sunken ones on the seabed?

"Yes. But I didn't really understand how they got there. I still don't. Why are they there if they are supposed to float?"

"Sometimes there are accidents," explained Cody, "If the ship is smashed and fills with water, they will sink."

"There are also places where there is no water," added Ted, "It's called "dry land". Mortal men also live there."

Dry land?? No water?? No water at all? Justin couldn't fathom such a thing.

Seeing his confusion, Emmett swished over to him and spiraled around him, giving him a tight, brotherly hug. "Oh sweety, this is why you needed to wait. There are so many things you don't understand. So many things you don't know and weren't ready to learn."

"Well, I'm ready now," Justin declared. "When can I go?"

"You can leave at dawn tomorrow," replied his mother, "You will have one day and night before you must return to us. Explore and learn what you must but be sure to be back in the water on your way home by dawn of the next day. Above all, my son avoid the hooks of men."

"I understand. I will. Thank you mother." said Justin.

And so, the next day as dawn broke, the little merman swam up and away from the golden city for the first time in his life. As he swam up and onward with his powerful tail, the brighter and brighter it became. Almost frighteningly bright. But the little merman was more curious than frightened so he continued on. And finally his head broke the surface.

It was dazzling bright. Brighter than anything Justin had ever seen. Under the sea the daylight was always varying shades of blue and green and sometimes downright dark, but here, there was none of that here. The sun was a yellow disk too bright to look at. Above the sea, was a blue bowl covering it, so beautiful that Justin wanted to touch it but he knew he couldn't. He knew that this was the "sky" as Ted had told him.

Justin spent the day exploring the surface seas. He swam with a pod of dolphins. He saw seals. He explored a coral reef he'd never seen before. And he swam farther and farther from home. He didn't mean to. It was just he wanted to see everything he possibly could before he had to go home again.

The sun was setting nicely, turning the sky all sorts of pinks and reds and oranges, colors Justin had never really seen before. He was making up his mind to paint something that the merfolk would not believe when he saw something coming toward him on the water. It was brown and huge and there were large white squares decorating it and in the distance he could hear a roar of voices coming from it.

That must be a ship! thought Justin, There must be mortal men there! How exciting!

Jumping in huge arcs, he came toward the ship very quickly. Then he moved just under the surface and used his powerful tail to shoot through the water like a torpedo.

In no time, Justin reached the side of the ship. It was huge and towered over him. Across the back of the ship in huge golden letters was the name of the ship BABYLON. High above him Justin could hear a dull roaring beat. He had to hear more.

Justin swam around until he saw slats of wood built into the side of the ship like a ladder, built in there for construction purposes. He pulled himself up with his arms realizing for the first time what a handicap his tail was out of the water. But he persevered until he reached the top and found a decorative perch next to a window in the deck railing. It really was one of those drain openings but Justin didn't know that. All he knew, this was the perfect place to sit and watch without being seen. He peered through the opening and his eyes widened at what they saw.

The roaring beat was much clearer now. It was a dull thumpa thumpa thumpa beat mixed it with deep, wild music. It was primal. Justin could feel the thumpa thumpa deep in his stomach and it filled him with a wild excitement. This was so different than Ted's operas.

On the deck were dozens of men, all of them huge and muscular from hard physical labor. Many of them were in uniform, black leather boots, white pants, blue striped shirts, with blue ascots. Many of them had their shirts half unbuttoned or taken off altogether and tucked into the back of their pants. All of them were dancing wildly, single, with a partner, in groups. Their hips gyrated, turned and twisted, their huge, full pecs and large arms glistening with sweat. All over the deck they danced, and in the center of them all was the most beautiful mortal man Justin had ever seen.

Smaller than the other sailors but perfectly proportioned, hard and muscular, the man had strong legs, full pecs and a flat tummy. He had dark, short hair, and green eyes and a beautiful nose. His cheeks were a little hollow but he had a strong chin. He had a half sneer on his lips that was sexy as hell. I want you...but I don't need you. they said. He was wearing white pants but different than the uniformed ones, a light white shirt and a plaid shirt that had its sleeves ripped off making a jagged vest. He was dancing harder and faster than all the rest and it seemed as if all the sailors were vying for his attention but receiving none. Faster and faster, he vested man danced, almost manic in his actions. Justin was mesmerized.

At last, the time came where the man could dance no more. After nearly collapsing right there on the dance floor, he was automatically caught by the nearest two sailors who bore him up and carried him over to the railing, right over Justin's perch. They hung him over the side where he hung on heaving in great lungfuls of fresh air. The two attendants respectfully retreated and went back to dancing.

Justin pressed himself against the side of the ship. If the man looked over and down a little, he'd surely be caught. The fear that thrummed through him as the thumpa thumpa beat went on was exhilarating. But the man was more interested in looking out to sea angrily than he was in looking down. Eventually an older man in the full uniform came over and handed the man a glass of wine.

"Had enough?" the elder man asked.

"Fuck, no," the demigod said, "Just taking a breather."

"Prince Brian....You must stop this. Just because you turned 30 years old, it's no reason to..."

"It's the perfect reason to. I'm still young. I'm still beautiful. I'm not ready to get married. And I don't want to marry that bitch princess you got lined up."

"But..."
"Don't you get it!" Brian exploded. He gestured toward the crowd. "I don't want to get married to any princess. I'm queer..."

A strange, wild joy rose in Justin's breast that he'd never felt before.

"...and queers don't get married. They don't fall in love. They fuck." He swigged the wine down. "Look, Uncle Vic..."

"No, YOU LOOK! Thirty is still beautiful and young. You have a lot of time yet. Look at me. I'm quite a few thumpa thumpa beats older that 30 and..."

"That's for sure," Brian muttered.

"...and I'm still here. OK, so you prefer men...Fine. My point is, wouldn't you rather attract one now when you still can, then continue this....this behavior...and wait till you're my age...and still be alone?"

With that Vic left and Brian continued to look over the dark sea in anger. He carefully considered Vic's words...

For about two minutes! Then he thumpa thumpa thumped his way back to the dance floor where Justin watched him whisper into some shirtless sailor's ear. Then they both wandered over to a door and disappeared through it.

Justin wondered where Brian was going. Wherever it was, Justin was the one who wanted to be led about by the nose by the handsome rogue prince.

About ten minutes later, Brian re-appeared and went back to dancing. Then he whispered to another man. Then another. Justin longed to hear what he was saying. Each time Brian whispered, the man walked away from whatever he was doing and followed him blindly.

But Justin knew he couldn't follow him blindly or anyway else. He was a merman. He couldn't even show himself, or talk to Brian or offer any comfort whatsoever. But as he watched Brian come out onto the dance floor a third time, Justin vowed he would. Justin lifted himself over the railing.

Their eyes met.

Lightning flashed flowed by a low growl of thunder.

"Hurricane a comin!!"

The music was quenched and everyone including Brian ran for battle stations. The wind picked up and suddenly the air was full of water. They pricked and stabbed him like bullets. The ship lurched violently and Justin was thrown overboard. He hit the water and swam eagerly downward. Then he turned and watched the giant shape of the troubled ship turn in the water above him.

Justin swam quickly a safe distance and surfaced just as another crack of lightning smashed down and hit the mast. The mast caught fire and spread downward quickly as the sails caught. The sailors panicked and began to evacuate.

Justin had to keep his distance so he didn't really see what happened next but in the end the lifeboats were lowered and the sailors were being saved. In spite of his talk, Brian was masterful, in charge, and he refused to evacuate until everyone else was safe.

However this turned out to not work out in his favor when the ship exploded.

KABOOOOMMMM!!!!!

One second, lifeboats were being lowered and the next a blast and a gulf of fire ripped the ship in two. The force of the explosion catapulted Brian up and over the side. Everyone who was not so near the sides of the ship were not so lucky. They either fell into the sea and were pulled under by the ship or consumed by the fire.

Justin was terrified. He watched Brian's form as it fell into the sea. He could see Brian try to grab a plank of wood but it was too slippery. He tried to yell for help but a wave sloshed water into his mouth. He made a desperate grab for another piece of debris but it was no use. He slipped below the waves.

Justin dived. He searched desperately in the dark and finally saw the prince slowly sinking a short distance away. The blond merman easily intercepted him and grabbed his body. He pulled him up and broke the surface and began swimming away from the wreck as explosion after explosion tore Babylon to bits.

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Hours later, Justin finally came in sight of a turreted castle and a stretch of beach of what could only be "dry land". After what seemed like ages of swimming in the opposite direction of where Babylon had been sailing, he had come across a friendly dolphin who had given him directions. Wearily, Justin held his precious cargo above the waves and swam slowly on. He rested then put on a burst of speed and finally carried his prince to safety. He dragged him up onto the sand and examined him more closely.

It was not good. The prince had a blue tinge to him and Justin could not tell if he was breathing.

"Come on...don't give up on me now," muttered Justin.

He placed his palms on Brian's chest and concentrated with all his might. His hair fluttered and glowed the brightest he could make it. His head glowed like a candle as Justin poured every bit of his sunshine as he possibly could into the prince. He pushed down on his chest and squeezed the water from his lungs. Brian gagged and spat out a gush of water. The blue tinge started to fade and he began to breathe shallowly.

Still glowing, Justin looked down at his prince with thankfulness and love. He had done it! He had saved him!

God, he was so beautiful! All that arrogance, all that worry, was all swept away as he slept showing only his sculpted features in perfect peace. Justin leaned over and kissed him gently on his soft lips and breathed into him a gift of his warmth, his sunshine.

And instinctively, as if in a dream, Brian responded. He kissed back, opening his eyes slightly, seeing only a cherubic young man lit up, as if with a halo of light. Who wouldn't kiss an angel?

For several seconds, the two men remained fused, lip locked, tongues dueling. And in those few seconds, Justin lost his heart completely to the vain prince. Then, Brian fell back, passed out cold.

At that moment the sun cracked over the edge of the world. It was dawn.

Justin let his sunshine dim to make way for the real thing. He checked to make sure the prince was still breathing. He looked back at the rising sun, now a quarter of the way up. He looked back at the prince. He was loath to leave him. He smoothed back his sea soaked hair, finger combing it into neatness.

The sun was half up. He had to go. He was already going to be late.

Brian's chest rose and fell deeply now. His color was better and he seemed all right. His shirt was gone and his pants were ripped and jagged at the calves. He was the most gorgeous thing Justin had ever seen.

"Good-bye my prince. I love you. I don't know when.... I don't know how but I'll make my way back to you."

Justin dragged himself over to sea by his elbows. Then he pushed himself into the water and swam out to sea.

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A few hours later, a dark haired man with a sweet face and a spade and bucket to dig oysters wandered along the beach and found the unconscious prince.

"Oh, my God!" The spade and bucket were cast aside as the man sprinted toward the prone figure. "Your Majesty! Prince Brian! Prince Brian!"

The dark haired man bent over the prince, checked for a pulse and breathing and found both. He lightly slapped Brian's cheeks to rouse him.

"Prince Brian! Prince Brian! Wake up! Please wake up!"

Brian's eyes fluttered and he came to. He focused on the handsome face above him. "What happened?"

"I don't know. What's the last thing you remember?"

"I was on my ship Babylon. There was a storm. There was an explosion. Then nothing."

"My goodness! A shipwreck! And you've washed up from it and survived! You're lucky to be alive!"

"Yes. I guess I am." Brian seemed to be thinking.

"Come on. We should get you home."

"I guess so." Brian reached up and ran a hand through the man's short, straight hair. He felt the man shudder in pleasure.

"Come on now," the man said again, as he grabbed Brian's hand and pulled him up. Brian hated being weak but he couldn't fight the dizziness that threatened to make him collapse back onto the sand. He leaned against the smaller man and grabbed his shoulder.

"Don't worry, your highness. I'll help you. I'll take care of you." He grabbed Brian's waist and supported him. Together, they began making their way back toward the castle.

"Thank you so much for helping me. What's your name?"

The man smiled his sweet smile. "I'm Michael," he answered.

TBC

THE LITTLE MERMAN

Chapter 2

The Sea Witch

         Justin swam home as fast as he could but even so he was terribly late. When he finally reached home his mother and brothers were in various stages of worry and anger.

         "Where did you go?" asked Emmett.

         "What did you do?" asked Ted.

         The rest of his brothers peppered him with questions until the loudest and angriest voice overwhelmed them all.

         "WHERE have you BEEN?! Did I not tell you, you had ONLY one day!?" his mother demanded.

         Justin bowed deeply and tried to apologize.

         "My mother and Queen I am truly sorry but it could not be helped. I did start home at dawn though." Seeing her expression, he added, "Really, I did try to start home earlier but I was prevented. It was a matter of life and death."

         "And what....pray tell...prevented you?"

         And so, Justin began to tell of his adventures, just as I've told you now. But when he reached the part where he climbed the ship, they gasped in horror. When he told of his looking over the railing and the prince seeing him, they gasped as if he'd confessed to eating a baby. When he told of rescuing the prince and dragging him through the waters to the beach there was total, horrific silence. And when he told of saving the prince with his sunshine powers and kissing him, Emmett actually swooned, out cold. His fishy body floated upwards but Justin was unconcerned. He'd come to long before he broke the surface; he was just being dramatic. As he looked around though, he was wondering if he might have to change his mind.

         "What is wrong with all of you?!" he cried, "I saved someone today. I saved a life and you all look like I killed someone."

         "You should have let him die."

         "Justin gasped. He had never heard his mother utter anything in such an icy, pitiless tone before.

         "I-I don't understand."

         "And you should not have let him see you. They're too primitive, my son. They don't understand us. They don't even believe we exist. They are hunters. Fisheaters. If they had seen your tail they would have tracked you down without a second thought, without pity, without remorse...he would have..."

         "MOTHER, I LOVE HIM!" Justin shouted.

         Now everybody...and I mean everybody...within hearing gasped. His mother clapped a hand over her mouth.

         "NO....." she gasped, "God, no! Oh, my son! My son..."

         Justin was truly puzzled. "Mother! What is it? What is wrong? I don't understand."

         "Oh, Justin! Didn't I warn you to avoid the hooks of men?"

         "But I did! I didn't see a single hook! And I obviously was not captured! I'm here."

         "But for how long? Oh, it's my own fault! I forgot to warn you...warn you of the mortal's most insidious lure and hook of all!"

         "Mother, what ARE you talking about? You are not making any sense. What lure? What hook?"

         "Love. Love is the most powerful, insidious, devious hook of the mortal man because it consumes you utterly and can never be removed. But, my son, a love between a mortal and merman or maid can never be. They don't understand us. They don't even believe in us. And besides....we're incompatible," she finished, motioning toward his tail.

         "I don't care," Justin said stubbornly, "I'll find a way. I'll make myself....more compatible...somehow."

         The hall erupted in laughter. Justin flushed in humiliation and his lip trembled. But he refused to cry in front of these people. Whirling, he swam out of the throne room as fast as he could.

         Why couldn't they understand? Hadn't anyone felt this deep ache in the pit of their stomach before? Hadn't anyone felt this deep emptiness, this void in their soul? Just thinking about Brian, about his sadness, his vain manic dancing, and let's face it, his beautiful body made Justin's heart hurt. Thinking about his kiss, Justin felt a pull, a need to travel back to Brian and be near him. In his head, he knew the kiss was instinctual, but his heart didn't care. He wanted to feel the salt on his soft lips again. And again. And again. It was almost like....

         "Oh God!" he whispered in horrified realization, "It's true! I'm hooked! I'm hooked with love to Brian!"

         And then he realized that he didn't care.

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         Over the next week, Justin fell into a deep grieving depression. He painted a beautiful portrait of Brian and stood it in his garden. He adorned it with anemones and seaweeds and flowers. He spent hours gazing at it, devoting his days to the image of the one he craved. But it was not enough. It was never enough. Each day he could feel the hook of desire pull him a little more, felt it pull him a little stronger. He knew he must do something but he didn't know what that was. All he could do was lie there hour after hour day after day. He barely slept. He didn't eat. He knew there would be no point. Nothing could fill the gaping void that had been his soul.

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         One day, about two weeks after his rescue, Justin swam out to his garden as usual. He had managed to choke down a few clams for breakfast but he couldn't chew. They slid down, raw and whole and he could feel them heavy in his stomach. But he couldn't starve. He had to live. He had to find the answer. And until then he needed to look on Brian and suffer.

         As Justin reached his painting, he was startled to hear laughter.

         "HA! HA! HA! Poor little Prince! HA! HA! HA!"

         "Who is that? This is a private garden!"

         More laughter. It echoed all around him and grew deeper and more drawn out.

         "HAAAAAA! HAAAAAA! HAAAAAAAAAA!

         "Who is that!? What's going on?"

         There was a trembling and suddenly a cone of rock jutted out of the ground and pierced his painting right through the center. The cone rose higher and became an obelisk. The obelisk became a small mountain.

         Justin swam after it and grabbed onto the tiptop of the cone that just rose higher and higher and higher. And all the while the laughter went on and on and on.

         Justin hung on. "What is going on here!?" he screamed.

         At last the mountain broke the surface. Justin hung on for dear life, wrapping his tail around top for dear life. It was hard though; the mountain had become slick as steel and twice as hard.

         Not far from Justin's mountain was a rock of and island where a mermaid with long, black seaweed for hair and a long black shiny tail was sunning herself.

         "Who are you!?"

         "One who has been watching you. One who has seen your pain. You know what you want but you don't know how to get it. I can get it."

         "How? Who ARE you?"

         "They call me a witch. Perhaps I am. But this sea witch has great powersssss," she intoned but her voice came from everywhere. "But....are you willing to pay the price?"

         "I will pay it! What is it?"

         "High!"

         "I don't care. I'm paying enough as it is."

         The sea witch grew larger doubling in size. "Foolish little prince. You are paying nothing. You suffer for nothing. Look there." She pointed. And somehow Justin could see the beach where he had left Brian and his castle. He watched as Brian and another man with dark wavy hair and thick bushy eyebrows strolled on the beach with a bucket and spade. They held hands as they walked and looked into each other's eyes. They both were barefoot, wore loose fitting white pants and white shirts that were open and blowing in the wind. As Justin watched, curled around his mountain, the other man pointed and dug and found a clam.

         "They do this all the time. The mortal prince thinks it was he who rescued him. He does not remember or think on you at all. They are getting married."

         "NO! What can I do?" Justin turned toward the witch and was startled to see she had doubled in size again. She was as big as Babylon.

         "There is only one thing you can do. Become a human yourself. Then there might be a chance...a slight chance....that you could break them up and marry him yourself. But beware. Whether you succeed or fail there will be more than one broken heart between you. And if you do fail, you will die."

         "I must try. I feel as if I'm already dead. What must I do?

         The sea witch smiled a cruel smile and doubled in size again. She was as large as the largest whale in the ocean. She tossed Justin a vial full of a rosy pink liquid. Justin caught it.

         Beach yourself and at dawn, drink this potion. It will change you into a human. But...it will burn out your vocal cords and cost you your voice...forever. As a human, you will no longer have your power of sunshine. It will be painful. It will feel as if you are being cut in half with a double-edged sword. And every step you take on human feet will feel as if you are stepping on knives. You will have 3 weeks. At that time they are getting married. If you fail in your quest and they get married, on the dawn of the day after their wedding day, you will change back into a merman and be transformed into sea foam. You will die. Do you still wish to continue this endeavor? This is your last chance to change your mind. I told you the price was high!"

         "I will pay it! I will find a way!" Justin declared. He looked on the Brian and the wavy haired man again. They were kissing now, and Brian was slowly making the man forget about his spade and bucket His stomach twisted with jealousy. "That should be me!" I saved him. I'm the one who loves him!"

         The sea witch's laughter reverberated around him, louder than ever.  The sea witch was larger than ever, double in length than a whale. She towered over Justin on his little perch. She dipped her huge, black fins in the water and began to stir it into a huge maelstrom.

         "Ahhhhhh, the hook of love!" she scorned,  "A more devious trap has never been invented for within its clutches you will find only the inescapable bondage of jealousy, heartache and pain. You will love him forever, but he will scorn you. You will fail! You will never escape my doom! HAAAAA! HAAAAA! HAAAAAA! SO MUCH FOR TRUE LOVE!"

         And with that she reared her huge tail back and slammed it into Justin's perch, smashing it into smithereens. Justin screamed as he was thrown and fell straight into the center of the maelstrom Down, down, down he fell with his screams and the witch's laughter echoing around the spinning wall of water. The laughter grew fainter and fainter until there were only his screams for help and an all-consuming darkness.

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            "NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!" Justin jerked awake. He had fallen asleep under his masterpiece. He might have chalked the whole thing up into a whale of a nightmare except for two things. There was a large jagged hole through Brian's left eye and Justin was clutching a vial full of pink potion.

TBC

Chapter 3

EMMETT'S GIFT

         Justin sat there, stunned, staring at the pink potion for a few moments, unsure of what to think, of what to do.

         Then, making up his mind quickly, he sprang into action.

         Quickly, he wrote a note, explaining his experience and his decision to leave. He stuck it onto his now ruined painting. Then he swam over the wall of his garden, through the halls of the palace and out the main gate without a word of greeting to anyone and ignoring all hails and then shouts from the guards.

         Without a single regret, and with only the potion and his gold and pearled diadem as his only possessions, he left home, forever.

         Pumping his tail hard, fast, and rhythmically, Justin moved through the city streets quickly. He was almost near the outskirts when he was sideswiped by an equally, fast-moving, swishy body.

         "Emmett! What are you doing here?"

         "Baby!! I was finished with my charity work at the Old Sole's Home and was on my way home. Imagine meeting you way out here! Wait! What are you doing way out here!? Come on, sweetie! Swim me home!" Emmett grabbed his hand.

         "No, Em," Justin pulled his hand away, "I'm not going home. In fact, I've left home."

         "Left home?!" What are you talking about?"

         "I'm not sure if I can explain it to you but I may have found a way to be with Brian."

         "Oh, not this again. Baby, when are you going to give that up? He's a mortal, you're a merman. It'll never work. Come on home."

         "No!" Justin shouted, "Don't you understand? That isn't my home any longer. I love him. I NEED to be with him even if only for a little while. It WILL work. I've found a way."

         "But baby, you know..."

         "And STOP calling me that!" Justin bellowed in a deep and terrible voice he never knew he had, "I'm not a baby any longer!"

         Emmett was shocked. He had never really considered Justin's deep feelings before. He never really considered anyone's real feelings before as he only had rather shallow ones himself. He mostly pre-occupied himself with a new shell lei here, a new routine there, which charity to help with next. Justin was simply his baby brother, another accessory to carry along and make him look good. But as he took another long, hard look at Justin, Emmett realized this was no longer the case.

         He saw a strong, young merman with a handsome face and a long, well formed green tail. Blue eyes with a deep longing and a sadness that pierced deep down into the heart, that showed his desire for the mortal would never be erased.

         "Oh, Justin, he said, enfolding his baby brother in a crushing hug, "Of course you're not! You know I don't meant it like that."

         He pulled back. "But ba - uh, Justin, what do you mean, you've found a way?"

         "I had a kind of dream," Justin went on to describe his ethereal encounter with the black sea witch.

         But - but...maybe it was just a dream,: Emmett said wildly, "Come on, let's go home. I'll make you something warm to drink and..."

         "If it was just a dream, then how do you explain this?" Justin held up the pink potion in triumph.

         Emmett gasped and his eyes went as round as gold doubloons. He covered his mouth in horror.

         "Oh no! Oh no, no, no!" he whispered.

         "Emmett! What's wrong? What is it!?"

         "Oh babe - hon - Justin, I guess you should know," Emmett explained, "Although Mom would probably scale me alive for telling you. There IS a sea witch out there, somewhere beyond out borders. She was exiled centuries ago and is unspeakably evil. I've no doubt everything she told you was the complete truth. But Justin, everything she gives exacts a terrible price. Be sure, you will pay everything she asked for, and more. Your voice. Your sunshine. And he'll never know. He'll never care. Is he really worth it?"

         "Yes. He is. Oh, Em, I don't know. All I know is that I'm worth it to seek him out. And if he won't love me back, then I need to just be near him, to love HIM, no matter what. All I know is that I'm wasting away for wanting him. And I can't live like that either. I have to go."

         "Well, I can see you're determined. Here, take this."

         As usual, Emmett was wearing several types of necklaces and leis. (He was rather vain.)

         He drew one off. It was a delicate gold chain with a tiny silver conch shell attached. He put it around Justin's neck and said:

         "Here. If the worst should happen...no, let me finish...IF the worst should happen and his marriage to another is imminent, draw this off your neck and give the shell a blow. I shall hear it and I'll do whatever I can to help you."

         "Oh, Emmett, thank you. But what could you do?"

         "I don't know, baby. But I'll do it. And I'll get you're brothers to help as well. Oh, good gravy, what AM I going to tell everyone?"

         "Don't tell them anything. There's a note in my garden. Just give me until dinnertime before you "find" it."

         "Will do. Well, goodbye," Emmett shook his hand solemnly...for about two seconds!... before pulling Justin into a crushing bear hug and bursting into tears.

         "Take care of yourself! I'm going to miss you so much! And I don't care!" he added rebelliously, "You'll always be my baby!!"

         With a final, sloppy kiss, Emmett took off toward the city.

         Justin watched him go fondly and then resumed his trip in the opposite direction at a hard pace.

         He wanted to be a long way away before dinnertime.

                                                                                    BJMBJMBJMBJMBJMBJ

         Justin swam a day and a night only stopping for short breaks and to scavenge food.

         At long last he returned to the castle and its nearby beach. Dawn was just breaking as Justin made the final jump onto the beach as near to the castle as possible. At least he thought so. In fact, he pulled himself up onto the beach at the exact place where he had left Brian.

         With the rising sun warming his body, Justin pulled the stopper out with his teeth and before he could think about backing out, before he could think it all, he drank the pink potion in one gulp.

         The pain was incredible. It felt as if he was sliced in half from fin to navel with a sharp sword. He screamed and writhed. Almost immediately however the fire in his throat burned through his vocal cords and his scream turned into a rasp that turned a squeak and turned into silence.

         Still silently screaming, Justin passed out from the pain.

TBC

Chapter 4

The First Day

"Hey! Hey! Are you all right?"

Justin groaned as he heard the deep familiar voice but he couldn't open his eyes.

Oh, thank God! Hey, can you hear me? Can you open your eyes?"

Justin turned toward the voice as a flower turns toward the sun. With a huge effort, he opened his eyes a crack only to be blinded with a white light.

He slammed them closed and groaned again. He tried again.

There he was. After so many days staring at his picture and nights dreaming about him, there was Brian, looking down on him with kindness and concern. His brown hair was thick and groomed. He wore a golden headband with a single large ruby in the forehead. He wore that simple white shirt and pants outfit Justin had seen when he'd been with the sea witch, and he was barefoot. His brown eyes were softer and much more content than they had been on Babylon.

Justin reached up and stroked Brian's cheek and then his hair. It felt wonderful to at last make the physical contact. He smiled up at him.

Brian was a little startled at the physical gesture. It was too intimate, sensual. But at the same time it felt...right. Was that weird? The young man had the bluest eyes he had ever seen. And his smile! Wow!

"My goodness! You could light up a room with that smile! It's like sunshine!"

Incredibly, the young man smiled brighter.

Brian grasped the hand playing with his hair and pulled.

"Can you sit up? Are you hurt?"

Justin let himself be pulled up. He closed his eyes and held his head as a wave of dizziness passed. The tide had come in. He was sitting halfway in the ocean and the water had washed a mess of seaweed over him

His tail was gone. Justin lifted one white leg with its (his) five toes and stared wonderingly. He wiggled his toes and still with that magic look of wonder looked over at Brian.

Brian stared back, puzzled.

"Yes, that's your leg. Say, are you all right? Can you get up?"

Justin tried. There was a flash of pain. He stumbled and fell back into the water. Then he remembered.

"Geez! Are you all right!?" Brian splashed in and tried to help but on Justin's second try, he only succeeded in pulling both of them into the drink.

Brian broke the surface, laughing, expecting the same but heard only silence. He looked over and saw Justin laughing but no sound coming out.

"How are you doing that? Who are you? Where did you come from?"

Justin looked out to sea and did not have to pretend the sadness that crossed his face. He pointed straight out to sea.

"Were you in a shipwreck?"

Sure, let's go with that. Justin nodded.

"Washed up from a shipwreck! Just like me!"

Brian stood and held out his hand. "Well, shall we try again?"

Justin shifted to his knees and then braced himself. He grabbed the proffered hand, stood and rose, dripping from the water.

It was like walking on knives. But Justin bore it and bore it well. He didn't care. All that mattered was that he was here and that he would be here, with Brian, for 3 weeks and then hopefully forever.

Looking down, he saw a flash of gold. He reached down and picked up Brian's diadem that had fallen off. He held it out and approached shyly. Brian backed away, matching him step for step. His eyes were round as coins.

Brian was dumbfounded and more than a little turned on when the young man finally arose out of the water with nothing but his own crown, a necklace, and a smile. He was white and smooth and hung, and completely unconcerned that he was completely nude. He reminded Brian of a sea sprite or a siren that could tempt a sailor with sex and then lure him to his doom.

Smiling shyly, he approached Brian, who backed up out of the water until his back hit a large rock formation. Brian watched as if in a dream as the naked young man walked from the water, wincing slightly with each step but slowly and surely approaching him. He still maintained complete silence.

Justin reached Brian and shyly crowned him with his golden diadem. He moved closer. Then closer still.

Brian couldn't move.

Slowly, Justin put both palms on Brian's chest. He could feel the man's body heat, his heartbeat.

Lub dub...lub dub...lub dub...

Slowly, Justin moved his hands in opposite directions, around Brian's waist around to his back. He pulled himself flush against Brian, looking for some resistance, but there was none. And so, slowly, still so slowly, he turned his head sideways and pressed it against the center of Brian's chest. He could hear Brian's heart even better here and he loved it. Although he noticed it was starting to speed up a little. He sighed in perfect contentment.

Lu dub...lub dub...lubdub lubdub lubdublubdublubdub...

Brian gulped.

"My goodness, you're a friendly little fella, aren't you? Look, I'm flattered and more than a little turned on, but I should tell you right now, I'm engaged. If you're worried that I won't help you, or something..."

Justin backed off a step and shook his head vigorously. He looked up reproachfully into Brian's eyes.

"I'm sorry! Look, forget I said that. I'm Brian! What's your name?

Justin shook his head sorrowfully. He tapped his throat with his fingers and then made a slashing gesture.

"You can't speak? You're a mute?"

A nod.

"Well, I'll take you to my doctor." He'll figure out what's wrong. First, we'd better take care of a more immediate problem. Hmmm....I don't have a blanket...This'll have to do for now."

Brian unbuttoned his shirt and whipped it off.

Now it was Justin's turn to get wide-eyed. Brian was beautiful. Lean and toned, he had 8 pack abs and muscular pecs and arms without being overdeveloped.

Brian grabbed Justin's arm, spun him around and pulled him closer to him, Justin's back against his chest.

Justin was swept up in a torrent of emotions. Excitement, joy, lust, heat, and a touch of fear coursed through his veins. What was Brian going to do to him? Ohhhh, what was Brian going to do to him? He thought again, lustily. He was unbelievably turned on. Doing his part, he pushed himself backwards against Brian's muscular front and felt an unmistakable hard on against his tight little fanny.

He reached up and wrapped his arms around the back of Brian's neck. He looked up and wiggled his bottom invitingly against that hard on, feeling it throb.

Brian gasped at the sensations and looked down into blue depths that rivaled the sea and drowned in them. He saw that the young man wanted to be kissed, yearning, needing to be kissed.

And so he did. He only meant it to be a peck; a quick kiss to satisfy a lost soul but something went horribly, horribly wrong.

It wasn't quick. And it wasn't satisfying. The sea sprite opened for him and took him. Brian groaned, probing deeper and deeper, losing himself in the sensations, wanting more and more but never reaching fulfillment. Passion exploded, comets collided, the world faded away. Brian felt something strange, a sense of familiarity, almost like déjà vu. He probed still deeper into the sea sprite and this time Justin groaned. Brian closed his eyes, searching his memory, tasting the blond's sweetness but also tasting something more. A taste of something that had been there but now wasn't. A taste of...

Sunshine. Justin sucked at it greedily, tasting it on Brian's tongue. It was the sunshine he had given to Brian last time to revive and restore him. It was the sunshine that was altering his persona, giving him the peace and contentment that he was seeking through his manic dancing on Babylon. And Justin knew it would be a part of him, forever.

A few minutes or millennia later, Brian finally tore himself away. "Oh God! What am I doing?"

Justin looked up at him with a "Really!?? You don't know?" expression.

"Oh well, I know what we were doing. It's just...wow! You know? I've never felt anything that intense before. It was as if we've done this before..."

Justin nodded vigorously.

"But we've never met, and..."

Justin nodded again, hard. He grasped Brian's hands between his own and looked deep into his eyes.

"We have met?"

Another vigorous nod.

"We kissed??"

Another vigorous nod.

Brian looked back sorrowfully. "I'm sorry. I don't remember. Look, I know how important this is to you. But I just don't remember. I'm sorry."

He held out his shirt. Carefully, he tied it around Justin's waist at the back, covering his front like a makeshift apron. Unfortunately there was nothing to be done about that enticing rump, he thought roguishly.

"There. That'll tide you over until we get you home. I'll take care of you. We'll fix you up."

Brian supported Justin around the waist as he led him back to the castle. He noticed again the slow gait and slight wincing.

"What's the matter? Does it hurt you to walk?"

Justin nodded and held forefinger and thumb close together. "Just a little."

But he squared his shoulders and picked up his speed a little. Brian heard the message as clearly as if Justin had spoken it. Don't worry. Not a problem.

Justin was fully prepared to walk the whole way to the castle. Therefore he gasped pleasurably when he felt himself swept off his feet and lifted into a cradling position by the larger prince. His arms went round his neck as if it were planned. He rested his head on Brian's chest.

For the first time he felt at peace. He was home.

"It's a good thing I like to have my morning jog along this beach. There's something about it, don't you..."

But as he looked down he saw that Justin wasn't listening to him. After many sleepless nights, he had instantly fallen asleep listening to something MUCH more pleasurable.

Lub-dub...lub-dub...lub-dub...lub dub...

BJMBJMBJMBJMBJMBJMB

"Oh, my God!"

"What is it Dr. David?"

"My God, it's ...it's horrible...despicable!!!"

"WHAT IS IT!?" Brian was starting to freak out.

Dr. David, Brian's royal physician was shining a light and staring down Justin's throat. "This young man's vocal cords have been severed. No, burned. No, decimated! Like someone's poured a mess of some sort of acid down his throat. I'm afraid he'll never speak again."

Brian was appalled. "That's terrible! Who would do such a thing?" He turned to Justin. "Sunshine, who did this to you?"

He did not notice how easily the endearment fell from his lips. But Justin noticed and smiled a little. He patted and stroked Brian's hand comfortingly. He shook his head.

Brian's anger cooled. "Oh yeah, I guess you can't tell me, even if you wanted to. Poor little sea sprite." He kissed his forehead.

He turned back to the doctor. "Is there nothing you can do?"

The doctor thought a moment and then produced a prescription pad and pen. "Keep him stocked up with paper and a pen," he suggested.

"Yes, THANK YOU, Dr. David!" Brian answered sarcastically.

"Here, can you tell me something about yourself? How bout your name? Can you - will you write your name?" Brian asked Justin.

Justin nodded and wrote on the pad.

Brian looked eagerly, but then his face fell.

"Hmm, looks like another language," commented Dr. David, looking over.

"Yes, THANK YOU, Dr. David!"

"Well, he seems to understand our spoken language. Perhaps you can teach him to read."

"Yes, THANK YOU, Dr. David!" Brian ground out.

Brian led Justin out, picking up an emergency blanket on his way.

BJMBJMBJMBJMBJMBJM

Soon after, with the blanket replacing Brian's shirt around his waist, Justin stood with Brian in the great hall where they met up with Brian's fiancé, Michael.

The great hall was cavernous, with a black and white checkerboard floor and a carpeted double staircase leading to the upper levels of the castle. Doors and hallways led off in all directions in a circular pattern. Justin felt like he was in a sort of wheel.

"Brian! How was your run?" Michael asked, bounding down the stairs, "Anything interesting...happen? Oh, I guess so," he finished, catching sight of Justin.

"Michael, sweetheart! Glad to run into you!" Brian said, moving in to give him a quick kiss, "I have amazing news. I found this little guy washed up on the beach. He's survived a shipwreck and is destitute and I think all alone in the world now. So I brought him home to help him. Not only that, someone's poisoned him and he's been made a mute."

Brian was so excited that he was oblivious to the hard expression that came into Michael's emerald eyes. But Justin noticed and was afraid.

Nevertheless, Justin was a prince of the sea and no coward. He put on a smile and started forward with his hand outstretched.

"Why that's terrible! HOW ARE YOU!? ARE YOU ALL RIGHT!?" Michael yelled in Justin's face.

Justin jumped a foot in the air and two feet back. He cowered behind Brian for protection.

"Michael!! He's a mute, not deaf! What's wrong with you?"

"Oh right, sorry," Michael said, not sounding sorry at all. He spoke softer but now slowly and overly clearly as if speaking to a 5 year old. "Hooooowe arrrrrrre yooooooou? Are yoooooouuuu oooooo- kaaaaayyyy?"

"HEEEEE'S NOOOOOT AN IIIIDIOOOOOT, either. Geez Michael, what's got into you?"

"Uggghh, whatever," Michael dismissed Justin as one does a stupid and incontinent puppy. "So....how long is he staying?"

Now, Brian was annoyed. "Oh, I don't know. How bout as long as he needs to! How bout as long as he wants to!"

"God, Brian, you can't bring in every stray charity case that washes up. Then where would we be?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe in a HUGE CASTLE full of charity cases? Michael, what is wrong with you? He's a person, not a stray puppy. He needs our help. And besides, I remember a time not too long ago when YOU dragged in a washed up stray. And I let you stay around."

Michael flinched.

Brian put his arm protectively around Justin and led him away. Michael was summarily dismissed.

"Come on, sea sprite, I know a good guest bedroom on the next floor. Can you handle one flight?"

Justin nodded and steeled himself. He bravely walked almost normally up the staircase.

"What's wrong now?" Michael's voice rang out churlishly even in his own ears.

"If you must know, it pains him to walk for some reason. I won't know more until I can find a way to communicate with him better," Brian answered, now thoroughly annoyed. "I'll talk with you later. I have to take care of my "charity case".

And he led Justin away.

BJMBJMBJMBJMBJMBJMB

A few minutes later, only one door down the hall from the stairs, Brian led Justin into a bedroom.

"I hope this is OK," Brian said, suddenly shy. "After Michael's behavior, I wish I could do more."

OK!? OK!?!?

The room was gorgeous. There was deep pile carpet the color of a ripe strawberry. In one corner was a wide, deep, wardrobe full of sumptuous clothes, in another a huge desk with paper and pens and pencils for writing. There was a huge king-size bed with black silk sheets and a black down comforter. Across from the bed was a huge fireplace with a red velvet chaise longue sitting in front of it, and a leather armchair next to and facing the chaise. The fireplace was dark now but Brian told him he could have it lit anytime he wanted to. He showed Justin where the bell pull was by the bed. He told Justin he would have a valet assigned to him within the hour. He showed him where a door off to the side led to a bathroom with a toilet, sink, and a claw foot bathtub. A large window with a rounded top showed a view of the sea with drapes that matched the carpet. They were open now but Brian showed him how to close them with a pull of a cord.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Brian asked, finally.

Justin sat on the bed and mimed stretching and yawning expressively.

"Of course. You must be tired," Brian smoothed back an errant lock of blond hair. "You must have really been through something. Poor little sea sprite..." he said softly.

Justin nodded sleepily.

Quickly, Brian turned down the covers, levered Justin into bed against the pillows and tucked him in. Stroking his hair, he told him:

"Sleep as long as you like. Pull the cord when you wake and someone will help you dress for dinner. Everything is going to be all right now. I'll take care of you, I promise. You're safe now."

Justin smiled sleepily. His fair face and blond hair were a stark contrast against the black sheets. He reached up and cupped Brian's jaw and stroked his cheek affectionately. Then his arm dropped as if it weighed a thousand pounds.

Brian continued stroking Justin's hair, soothing him to sleep. On one pass, he fingered his gold and pearl crown.

"That's a lovely crown, by the way," he said.

Justin smiled. He tapped it and then tapped Brian's crown.

Brian thought a moment. "I don't understand. Do you want to switch?"

Justin shook his head. More deliberately, he tapped his crown and then patted his chest twice. He tapped Brian's crown, then with open palm, patted Brian's chest twice.

"You're like me." A nod. "A prince. You're a prince too!" Brian guessed in an epiphany.

Justin nodded happily, sleepily. Slowly, he drew off his crown and pressed it into Brian's palm.

Brian was overwhelmed. The message was clear. The only thing Justin had of value, he was giving to him. The last of his wealth, status, identity, he was giving to him as payment.

"No!" he said, his voice rough with emotion, "This is yours. You owe me nothing. Besides, this looks much better on you. I can tell...this was made especially for you. He re-crowned Justin and kissed his forehead. "Thank YOU for offering though. Good night. I'll see you soon."

He crossed the room and closed the drapes. As he exited the room and murmured "Good night," again, he saw that it was pointless.

Justin was already asleep.

TBC

Chapter 4

The First day

Part 2

When Brian went back downstairs, he found Michael in the dining room, needlessly bossing the servants around and generally being underfoot with a pinched, pissed off look on his face.

His face a thundercloud, Brian strode over and grabbed Michael by the collar and dragged him out of the dining room, down the hall, and through the nearest door.

"Brian, what the HELL is wrong with you?" Michael mewled.

Brian said nothing. He dragged Michael through the door and into the book lined study it contained. He slammed the door with his heel and threw Michael into a leather armchair.

"No, Michael, what the HELL is wrong with YOU!?" Brian yelled.

"What are you talking about?"

"You know very well what I'm talking about! How could you be so insensitive, so RUDE to a new guest, especially one who is disabled?"

There really was no excuse so Michael just shrugged.

"Is that all you have to say for yourself?!"

"Geez, Brian, I don't know what to say. I'm sorry."

"Don't tell me that. Tell him," Brian said, coldly.

"What!?" Michael screeched.

"You will apologize to him. At dinner."

Michael was so outraged at this he could not even get out another screech. He folded his arms and sulked like a punished child.

"Also, there are some things you should be aware of. He is intelligent. He can communicate and has done so already using basic sign language. And...he's developed some sort of instant attraction to me."

"What! No FUCKIN' way, Brian! There is no WAY I'm going to put up with..." Michael descended into a jealous hissy fit tantrum.

Brian expected this and allowed it. He sat down in another leather armchair and settled in to watch the show. Absently, he examined his manicure. He made a mental note to make an appointment for a touch up. Eventually, Michael wound down like a tired clock.

"Are you done yet? Good. Then, if I might continue... Yes, he's attracted to me. I'm chalking it up to rescuer's gratitude or something. Kinda like how you and I met, isn't it?"

Michael had nothing to say to that.

"So, are you attracted to him too?"

Brian thought back to the mind-blowing kiss on the beach.

"A little. But it's nothing I can't handle. But he's younger and less.... experienced than us. His feelings are stronger, more powerful. Mine are more protective, almost parental. And I admire him."

"But you're not his parent, Brian! You're not his father!"

"Maybe I could be..." Brian whispered.

"What was that?"

"Look, Mikey, he's alone in the world. He was in a shipwreck. From what he's told me, I'm pretty sure his whole family was lost. I could make him my royal ward. Our ward," he amended, grasping Michael's hand.

Michael pulled his hand away. "I don't like it. And what do you mean he told you?"

"I told you. When I found him, he signed out that he had been in a wreck. He's a smart little guy."

"Oh, my God! You do! You actually like the little freak!"

"Michael! That is exactly the type of attitude I don't want to hear! You are NEVER to call him those types of names or use them in my presence. Understand?"

"Yes, Brian," said Michael, sulkily.

"As for adopting him, we'll table that for now. He's needs recovery time and we both need to think about it and talk about it some more. In the meantime, he is our GUEST and you will treat him as such!"

"All right, Brian," Michael could see he was not going to get any further in this argument. For now.

"All right, I think we should both get on with our day. I have a million things to do and I still need to assign a valet to the sea...to him."

"Why don't you let me do that, Brian? You're busy enough," Michael offered.

Brian shot him a look.

"Just call it my way of making up...for all that stuff I did. Besides, I know the perfect man for the job."

"All right. I guess that would be all right. I've got to go." Brian strode to the door. "You're still apologizing though."

"Of course, Brian."

Brian looked back thoughtfully. "You know you have nothing to worry about, right? YOU'RE my partner. I love YOU! OK?"

"Of course, Brian. I love you too."

Brian looked back a moment longer. He thought about saying something, then thought better of it, and let himself out.

Michael waited until he heard the door click shut. Then he got up and carefully walked over to the window. For a long time he looked out at the sea and the beach.

Then, slowly, he reached behind him and picked up a paperweight. Testing its weight, he let forth a long, wild, feral cry and threw the paperweight through the window. The paperweight made a loud, satisfying smashing sound as it broke the glass and fell, down, down, down.

In the dim reflection of the window, Michael watched his face relax and show his true emotions. His face grew blotchy red and then purple and he scowled deeply. His features formed a mask of intense jealous rage and murderous hate.

BJMBJMBJMBJMBJMBJ

Justin slept peacefully until midday. He awoke slowly, in stages. He lay in the semi-darkness of the curtained room, against the sensual silk sheets and stretched languidly. He remembered where he was and what had happened to him and smiled happily. His mind was at peace at last and he could feel that his bone weariness from his days and days of sleepless nights was gone.

He got out of bed and walked over nude to the window. He pulled back the drapes and let the sun wash over him and light up the room. He went into the bathroom and drew a bath. When it was full, he stepped in and lay in the warm water. He washed the stickiness of sleep from his body and washed his hair. Then he just sat for a while luxuriating as the water cooled. He loved how it felt, almost as if he were a merman again.

He wondered idly how he was going to communicate better with Brian. And it was clear that Michael didn't like him. He rather expected that but he wondered what to do about it. He wondered if there was anything he could do about it.

After his bath, he got out, drained the bathtub, and dried off. He went to the wardrobe and looked at what he had there. Suits, all kinds, formal, dressy, and casual. Sweaters, a few hats, strips of silk that he couldn't figure out. Shoes and socks. He looked over everything and quickly lost interest. He knew that the humans loved to, even needed to cover their bodies with these clothes but as a merman, Justin had never worn them. He loved the free feeling of being naked and the air caressing his skin. Why would anybody want to cover that up?

He wandered over to the desk and looked at the paper and pens and pencils. He sat down and looked out the window and began to draw idly. He drew a sunny sky with a horizon and the sea below. The waves were gentle and there were a few abstract birds here and there.

Justin drew for a few hours. When he saw that the sun was low in the sky, he thought he'd better bite the bullet. He went over to the bed and pulled the bell pull and waited for something to happen.

A few minutes later there was a knock on the door.

Justin got up and answered it. At the door stood a young man in a tuxedoed type uniform. He was rather surprised to see a nude man answer the door but he recovered quickly.

"Good afternoon sir. I have been waiting for you to ring. I've been instructed to help you dress for dinner. I'm to be your valet. My name is Hobbs."

Justin nodded slightly and moved back to let Hobbs enter.

Hobbs was a young man, only about 18 or 19 years old. He was a little taller than Justin with an athletic build, a wide, deep chest, thick arms, powerful legs and thin hips. He had sandy hair and was handsome enough but there was a kind of hardness in his eyes that made Justin uneasy. He backed away carefully, keeping his distance. He suddenly didn't feel quite so good about being nude.

To fill the void, Hobbs kept up a steady stream of conversation. "Now, sir, I've been apprised of your being mute, so don't worry about that. The Majesties assigned me to you because they thought that the similarities in our ages might make you more comfortable. Also, I'm strong, so if walking becomes too much for you, I can carry you." To demonstrate, he flexed his powerful biceps.

Bashfully, and a little alarmed, Justin shook his head and backed up even further. He stepped deliberately, one, two. He ignored the biting pain.

"Very good, sir. I understand. You prefer to walk. Well, anything else you'd like, I am at your service. Ring anytime you like for whatever reason."

Justin nodded and bowed slightly. I understand. Thank-you.

"Did you just wake up?"

Justin shook his head. He pointed at the bath, then toward the desk at his sketch. He pointed at the sun and traced its path upward in the sky to about two hours ago.

"I understand, sir. So, you're washed. Very good." He looked at the sketch. "VERY good, sir. Would you like it framed to present to Prince Brian?"

Distraught, Justin shook his head and turned over the sketch. He mimed closing his mouth, locking it, throwing away the key.

"Very good, sir. Mum's the word, sir."

"Well then, let's get you dressed, shall we? Oh, and just to let you know, it's not exactly customary to answer the door completely nude. Oh no, sir, don't worry about me, but if the Majesties or anyone else comes to your door and you're not...uh, dressed properly, just put on this robe. I'll make sure there's a clean one hanging on the inside of your bathroom door at all times."

He showed him and Justin nodded his thanks and understanding.

"All right, then!" Hobbs clapped and rubbed his meaty hands together. The noise was like a shot in the dark.

Justin flinched.

Hobbs didn't or pretended not to notice.

"What shall we dress you in? Something classy. Not too formal. But handsome, to make your debut in. This...this...this...nice shoes...here we go..."

Hobbs began tossing clothes out of the wardrobe onto the bed. He was so engrossed in his work that at first he didn't notice the activity behind him. Eventually, he became aware of a scuffling noise on the bed. He turned around.

Justin had managed to get his shirt on, although it was unbuttoned. But the real problem was that he had put his arms through the trousers legs and now his head and arms were thoroughly trapped. He was rolling around on the bed in a panic. Hobbs hurried to help.

"No, sir, the trousers go on your legs," he pulled them off and was further amused to see that Justin had put on a pair of tighty whiteys over his head like a hat. "As do your underwear. Haven't you worn pants before? Well, never mind, just let me take care of everything. Put your underwear on like this...bend your knee. That's the way...now your pants...put your leg through here...that's the way...that's the way..."

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An hour later, at exactly 6 o'clock, Justin was ready and approaching the top of the stairs He was nervous and butterflies were in his tummy. He felt in his pocket where a small pad of paper and pencil lay within. He had picked them up on impulse on his way out and they proved to be a source of comfort to him.

Despite his determination to walk, the cutting pain became such a problem that he decided to compromise and held onto Hobbs' big bicep for support. At the top of the stairs, though, he gave Hobbs' arm a gentle squeeze and a pat. I'll take it from here.

"Very good sir. Your sheets will be changed and a fire burning when you get back. Good night."

Hobbs turned to go. Justin took a deep breath and looked down the stairs. When he turned back a few seconds later, Hobbs had disappeared completely.

On legs, shaky from pain and nerves, Justin started down. At the bottom, he could see Brian talking to a courtier. Justin stopped a moment, waiting for the butterflies of nerves and pleasure of seeing Brian again to subside. This was his first appearance as a normal human being and not as some naked invalid. He wanted to make a good impression.

He continued down the stairs.

Brian finished his conversation with the courtier. The courtier left and Brian glanced towards the stairs idly. Then he did a sharp double take and his breath caught in his throat. His gaze roamed over Justin, searingly hot. Justin was gorgeous.

He wore black slacks that hugged his bubble butt. He had a white, cotton shirt buttoned up the front and a dressy but not too formal, black blazer. He wore black leather dress shoes, and a leather bolo tie with a silver cow skull on the end of it that went with his silver conch shell necklace nicely. His golden crown gleamed in the light like a halo and the large pearl was in the precise center of his forehead. His blond hair had been combed into a handsome part to the right.

Justin became aware of Brian's attention and tightened his shoulders and smiled shyly. Here I am, he seemed to say.

Brian was also dressed classy in black with a white shirt. His crown and red ruby were also perfectly placed. He gave a wide smile and held out his hand.

Justin made his way down the rest of the staircase and grasped Brian's hand. Brian pulled him to him and kissed him on the cheek.

"You look so handsome, Sunshine," he said.

NOW Justin's face cracked open into his wide, signature smile.

Brian's gaze grew hotter.

"Aw, hell," Brian looked around and ducked in for a quick peck on Justin's red, cupid bow lips that was swift but so, so hot.

"No," Brian whispered, "More than handsome. You look hot!"

Justin's sunshine smile was so bright that if it weren't for the fact he had been made mortal and his power was gone, he would have sworn his face and hair had lit up with the power of a thousand suns.

"Shall we go to dinner?" asked Brian, taking Justin's arm.

Still smiling, his eyes shining, Justin nodded.

And so they did.

But someone was watching.

TBC

 Chapter 4

The First Day

Part 3

The dining room was a long room lit by 3 chandeliers. The long table sat 100 people, 50 on each side. Regularly along the sides of the room were swinging doors for servers to bring and take away food.

The head of the table was wide enough for two places and Justin could see they were the best; they were the Princes' places.

The table was full. There were both straight and gay couples interspersed. The room was noisy with conversation.

"It's not always like this. Usually it's just Michael, me and a few courtiers. You caught us on a good night," Brian said, close to Justin's ear. "Every week we have these public dinners. Courtiers, heads of state that are visiting, businessmen and women who apply to come. The rest we raffle off to townspeople and countrymen who enter the draw and depending on how many seats we have left. Tonight, we have about 25 countrymen from all over Liberty Kingdom."

Justin nodded his understanding and smiled at Brian to show his admiration.

They walked down the table, admiring the flowers, place settings, and candles. Justin noticed the closer they got to the head of the table, the fancier the things and people became.

About halfway down the table, Michael met them, bustling up from the other direction. He wore a wine-red suit and a foppish, ridiculous hat with a feather sticking out of it.

"Hello, darling!!" he gushed, giving Brian a proprietary kiss. "Hello...uhhh...you," he greeted Justin, lamely but a bit more respectfully.

"Michael..." growled Brian, menacingly.

"What?" whispered Michael, as if Justin couldn't hear them, "I still don't know his name."

"Call him sir, then, just as you would anybody else!"

'That'll be the day!' thought Michael.

"Anyway...I hope you appreciate the work I did with the arrangements and placing all the guests. It took me nearly half the day. I even gave everybody their own place cards. Ummmm....and... well, since, as I said, I didn't know your name..." he trailed off and ignored a warning glare from Brian, "...well, here's your seat."

They stopped about 15 people away from the head of the table where an empty place was with a card that read simply: NEW GUEST.

"Michael...we are going to have a serious talk about this," Brian ground out.

"What? You said to treat him like a guest. So I did."

"Uh huh. And did you have to place him so far down? He's a stranger, alone, and mute. I wanted him near me. Near us."

"I thought you didn't want me to treat him like he was disabled," answered Michael, glibly.

"That's not what I said, and you know it!"

"Besides," Michael continued, as if Brian hadn't said anything, "I put the delegate from Koffikstan next to you. But if YOU want to ask him to switch...be my guest."

Brian sighed. Koffikstan was the most sensitive, trigger-happy, piss-off-able neighboring kingdom. Asking their delegate to move would practically be an act of war.

"Will you be all right here?" Brian asked Justin earnestly, "If not, I'm sure there's something..."

Justin patted Brian's forearm comfortingly and nodded reassuringly. He wished more than ever he could just say the words: I'll be all right, my love.

But he had paid the price to be here and he knew he would pay it again in a heartbeat.

"I'll keep an eye on you," Brian said.

He took Michael's arm a little too firmly. As they walked off to the head of the table, Justin heard him say, "We are going to have a VERY serious talk about this..."

Justin shook his head and gave a silent chuckle. Then he turned his attention to his seat. Hoo boy! Michael had really done a number on him, all right.

Michael had placed him between the two fattest people at the table, possibly the fattest people in Liberty Kingdom.

It turned out that the two men were identical twins, each 7 feet tall, and together almost the same as wide. They had the same jowled chins, same red hair, same noses, same blue eyes, and same wire rimmed glasses.

Justin meekly tapped a twin on the shoulder and the twin tapped his brother. "Move!" he told his brother.

The other twin tapped back. "You move! Where's your manners?"

What ensued was a friendly tapping match and an almost scuffle to move back and let Justin in.

Justin sat down and moved his chair in and then...OOOOFFFF!!!...was crammed and wedged in tightly by these two enormous men.

"I'm Fred," said the twin on the right.

"I'm Red," said the twin on the left.

"You might not have guessed it..." said Fred.

"...but we're twins!" finished Red.

"The Remington Twins!" they said in unison, with a flair.

Justin crossed his arms and shook hands with both of them at the same time.

At the head of the table, Justin could see Brian's concerned gaze turn relieved. Turning to Michael, he poked him in the ribs. Michael sighed and rolled his eyes, but stood nevertheless.

"Excuse me everybody!" The room quieted. "Before we start dinner, I have something to say. This morning, my fiancé, Brian pulled out a young shipwreck victim from the sea who turned out to be mute. I regret to say I was....rude and I just wanted to say to him....I'm sorry."

There was a murmur and everyone looked around for this wronged young man. Justin looked at Michael and raised his glass. Nobody but Michael and Brian recognized this.

"Uuuhhhgggh...boring speeches!" Fred rolled his eyes. "So...what's your name!?" Fred and Red asked in unison.

Justin patted his throat and shook his head sadly.

"Oh, so you're the mute boy, he was just talking about! A shipwreck eh? That's rough! Hey everybody! We've got the mute boy! We've got the mute boy!"

Everybody swung round to look. The murmur rose to an excited babble as Justin was catapulted to instant celeb status. Justin blushed.

"Awww, he's blushing!" somebody yelled and everybody laughed and clapped. Everyone within a 6 person radius wanted to touch him or pat his shoulder or shake his hand."

"But I'm sorry....I'm very SORRY!!" repeated Michael desperately, trying to regain attention.

Nobody cared.

Nobody heard him. At last, Brian just yanked him back down into his chair by the back of his collar.

Everybody hooted and cheered some more and Justin waved some more and shook a couple of hands but he really didn't know how to stop this. He threw a desperate look at Brian.

Brian understood. He got up and raised his glass. "To courage in the face of danger!" he toasted. Everyone agreed, even Michael, although barely. "And now, let's eat!"

Everybody cheered and dug in.

The dinner was really lovely. Roast beef, fried chicken, braised fish, potatoes, baked, boiled and mashed, salads, roasted vegetables, and toasted and fresh buns. All the hot food was kept in steam trays and replenished regularly. Justin ate until he thought he would burst but it was nothing compared as to what the Remington twins ate. Each twin ate no less that 3 enormous plates of food.

"So, how old are you, boy?" Fred asked.

Justin held up 10 fingers, then 8.

"Eighteen! Start of life, me boy, start of life!" Red said, "We're 35! Of course, I'm the better looking one, because I'm the eldest!"

"By 3 minutes!" Fred objected, "And we're exactly alike!"

"Don't mind us," Red said, with a wink. "We've been arguing about this our entire lives."

Justin loved it. The Remington twins were loud, jolly, and considerate. They asked him mostly yes or no questions so he could be part of the conversation.

However, it turned out that they were in the most boring line of work known to man.

The Remington twins were owners of a box factory that made everything from large packing crates down to those little boxes that Chinese take-away comes in, to egg cartons. They made boxes, recycled boxes and had a stationery line.

And three quarters of the way through the main course, they began to talk shop. They easily talked over Justin, as they were about 2 feet taller than him. And there was Justin, wedged in firmly between them, trapped.

Idly, Justin looked over at the head of the table where Brian was deep in discussion with the delegate of Koffikstan. The chandelier's light shone down on Brian's crown, making his whole head and face light up and glow. God....he was so beautiful. It was looking....at the face of God.

Without thinking, Justin took the small pad and pencil out of his pocket and started sketching, almost without thinking about it.

He picked at his food with his other hand but he was almost done anyway. The Remingtons droned on overhead. All he saw was Brian.

He managed to keep what he was doing a secret until dessert. He was nearly done when the dishes were cleared and everyone was being served crystal goblets full of chocolate pudding topped with sliced strawberries.

Justin was sketching, sketching, half covering the pad when suddenly he was aware that the droning above him had stopped.

He froze. Slowly, oh, so slowly, with dread, he looked up.

Both twins were looking at him owlishly through their glasses.

"What-cha doooo - 'in?" asked Fred.

"What do you got there?" asked Red.

Justin covered the pad, too late. Red snagged it.

"Hey, it's a drawing!

"Let me see it, brother!"

Red ripped it off the pad and passed it over. Justin made a grab for it but he might as well have been grabbing for the moon.

"It's the Prince!"

"It's good!"

"It's VERY good!"

Justin pulled at their arms, made violent shushing signs but to no avail. And then it was too late. Strains of the same refrain:

"Oh, that's lovely!"

Oh, it's Prince Brian!"

"Hey, look at this!"

Oh, my! I DO like this!"...sounded over and over again as his small picture went allllll the way around the table.

Justin wanted to fall through the floor. He was humiliated, embarrassed beyond belief. His sketches were just that, sketches, scribblings, nothing special. Besides, they were his feelings made bare, the equivalent of a diary entry. To have anybody look upon them....Ohhhh God! And it wasn't lovely...it wasn't even done! His eyes were in his lap, his face was burning and hot. He knew he was as red as a beet. Silent tears rained down into his lap.

Closer and closer it got to Brian, who was waiting. Closer and closer was his doom.

Three people, two, Michael, who barely looked, Brian.

Breathing deeply, Justin staunched the flow of tears and looked up. Oh, God, he was going to laugh. He was going to laugh at that stupid, ass-puke, drawing and he was going to die. His heart would stop instantly, right there, and he'd just die right there, wedged in between Frick and Frack and there wasn't anything he could...

Brian smiled at it, leaned back, enjoyed it. He showed it to his new friend from Koffikstan, who nodded. He leaned over and whispered something to Brian who laughed and nodded. A thoughtful look came into his eyes. He looked at his small portrait again. He looked up at Justin and made a circle with his thumb and forefinger. He slowly rolled it up and slipped it into his breast pocket.

And that was it. If Prince Brian liked it, it MUST be art! Suddenly, Justin found his seatmates clamoring for small sketches too.

Justin looked over at Brian for help. The cheeky bastard did nothing except smile slowly with his tongue in his cheek and wink, slowly and deliberately.

Justin gasped and looked away in a jerk, his face blushing terribly again.

His first new sketch was of a Remington twin.

When it was done, they both yelled:

"This one can be YOU!!"

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Two hours later, Justin was still at it. His pencil flew, he smudged, shaded, drew some more. Suddenly, he tore the sheet from the pad and slammed it down.

"Six and a half minutes!" Red roared. Everybody yelled, whistled, stamped and cheered.

Justin's face was cracked into a permanent smile. Brian's eyes shone. Michael's face was purple.

Over the course of the evening, as Justin sketched, he garnered more and more attention. Eventually, everybody beyond a six-person radius left their seats, watching as someone's face grew out of nothing on the page.

And somewhere along the way, Red said, "Hey! That one took him faster!"

"But it's just as good!" Fred said.

They looked at each other.

"Do it again!" hey said together.

And that's how Justin got his start as a speed sketch artist. Each one was a little different, one more detailed, another more angular, and each one took him a little faster. 15 minutes...12...10...8...

"Five minutes! " screamed Red, "A new record!"

The hall erupted in deafening cheers and applause, whistles and stamping. Justin was filled with pride and joy. Michael's face grew even purpler, if that was possible. It looked like a blueberry.

The applause died down and wearily Justin prepared for yet another sketch. But before he could start, a large, familiar hand closed over his wrist. His pulse began to thrum in his veins.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Thank you all for coming and making this a most memorable evening! But I think the time has come for all good little artistes...to get ready for bed," said a deep, sexy voice.

Brian bent low right next to his ear and Justin felt a single warm breath on his neck and knew he'd remember it always.

"I know I am," he whispered in his ear.

Justin gasped and his pulse sped up even more. A shudder raced through his body and his pencil dropped with a clink that could be heard throughout the dining room. Damn that man! What was he doing to him? Wasn't he aware of what he could do to him?

There was a collective groan of disappointment. Justin turned to the crowd and expressively shrugged and then jerked a thumb at Brian. What are you gonna do? He's the Boss! He seemed to say. Everyone clapped and laughed as if Justin had said the funniest thing in the world. They all started to wind down and disperse.

Justin looked up at Brian whose eyes were shining with admiration and love. Justin slid his wrist back until he felt his hand slide into Brian's palm and their fingers linked together. He got up from the table, hugged Fred and Red good night, and followed Brian from the room, still hand in hand.

At the door, Justin looked back, and waved to everybody. Everybody cheered and waved back.

Well, everybody except Michael, who was still sitting, seething, and bending all the spoons he could get his hands on.

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When they were at the foot of the staircase, Justin held out his hand and waggled his fingers. Give it back.

"Why Sunshine, I have no idea what you're talking about," Brian said, knowing exactly what he was talking about.

Justin signed again, more urgently.

"Let's talk about it more when I get you home. May I see you to your door, my sea sprite?"

Justin shivered slightly with pleasure as he always did when Brian used that nickname.

He nodded.

They made their way to his bedroom leisurely, both of them not really wanting their time together to end.

"I'm really proud of you, Sunshine," Brian said, "That was amazing,"

Justin gave no reaction except sighing wearily. Now that the adrenaline rush was wearing off he was getting tired.

When they reached his bedroom, Justin leaned against his door, held out his hand and gestured again.

"Oh, you mean this?" Brian held up the rolled up paper at last. "You know, it's really good. I'd really like to keep it."

Justin tapped his chin with a forefinger, and then held out his hand.

I'll think about it. Now give.

Brian sighed hugely and handed it over.

Justin reached behind him, found the knob, and opened the door. Brian turned to go.

Justin grabbed his hand. He pulled gently.

"I have to get back," Brian said

Justin pulled again. He held out his palm flat, fingers spread. He considered. Flashed his hand twice.

"Ten minutes?" Brian guessed.

Justin nodded, pulled gently, and this time Brian let himself be pulled inside.

As Hobbs had promised, the bed now had wine-red sheets and there was a cozy fire in the fireplace.

"So, Sunshine...now that you have me...what will you do with me?" Brian drawled, smokily.

Justin's look said, "You're incorrigible."

Then he pulled him over to the red chaise longue and sat him down.

Brian took off his blazer and lay full length down on the seat.

Justin quickly got another pencil and the larger pad and flattened his small sketch of Brian. He sat down across from Brian in the leather armchair and did what he had REALLY wanted to do ALL NIGHT.

He finished the sketch of his beloved.

Brian shifted onto his side and watched Justin squint in concentration, glance at him, and then sketch. On one glance up, Brian gave him another patented long, slow wink. Justin pointed his pencil sternly at Brian. Behave!

Justin perfected the hair, finished the crown, shaded here, smudged there, defined his cheekbone, his chin and...there! It was done.

Justin looked up into Brian's hazel eyes flickering specks of gold in the firelight. They were the most beautiful things he'd ever seen. He was hypnotized.

"So, is that why you wanted it back? So you could finish it?"

A nod.

"Does that mean I can keep it?"

Justin rolled it up and held it out. When Brian reached for it, he pulled it away.

"What?" Brian asked.

Justin stood up. He held up the paper, waving it tantalizing in front of Brian.

Brian also stood. He put on his blazer and followed Justin.

Justin moved toward the door, still beckoning with the paper.

"I don't understand."

Justin tapped his lips twice and held out the paper. He paused, and then did it again.

"Ahhh...You want a kiss." It wasn't a question.

A slow nod and a sultry smile.

"So, this portrait...comes with a price."

Justin nodded again, slowly.

Brian moved closer. "That seems...a fair payment."

Justin had reached the door. He smiled and his tongue snaked out and licked his lips.

Brian caught up with him placed his palms on the door on either side of Justin, effectively trapping him in place.

"My little sea sprite. My little celebrity!"

Brian lowered his head to brush his lips with a soft, sweet kiss but again, passion exploded and there was no way to stop it. Again, Brian had a strange feeling of time out of mind, as if he'd done this before in another life. And God, how he missed it. He heard Justin moan and he deepened the kiss, trying desperately to slake his thirst for the young artist, without success.

Justin was in sensory overload. He groaned, again tasting the sweet taste of his sunshine. But also there was that sweet scent that was uniquely Brian, all male, all-powerful, all-consuming. He never wanted it to end and now he wanted more. He had no idea what that was, but he wanted it.

Brian framed Justin's face with both his palms and cupped his face and Justin leaned into it. They kissed deeply for a few more minutes before Brian finally slowed things down and broke it off.

"Oh God, what a mess!" he gasped.

When Justin asked with his eyes, he explained, "Michael. He's already jealous of you and now with good reason. I wanted to keep things paternal with you, but I don't think that's possible any longer. Justin, he rescued me. I owe him my life. I love him. Well, I did, very much. Part of me still does. We're engaged. I - I promised. I can't go back on that. I'm sorry."

He didn't rescue you! I did! You owe him nothing! Justin wanted to scream.

But he couldn't. He was helpless. All he could do was gaze up into now sad brown eyes, with tears starting to leak humiliating down his cheeks and hold out the precious paper.

Brian took it, his large hand covering Justin's in a final caress before leaving the room.

Justin shut the door and locked it, heartbroken. Hot tears streamed down his face as he shed his clothes and sat in front of the fire. Oh God, this is what Emmett and his mother and even the sea witch had warned him about. Complications. Third parties. Magic. The hook of love that still had complete power over him. Only now, Brian was hooked too, and it was tearing him apart. What had he done? Oh God, what had he done!?

Brian stood outside the door and leaned back into it. He had told Michael he could handle his attraction to his sea sprite. That was a lie. Brian knew now the chemistry between them was bigger than both of them could handle. What had happened? It was just one day! How could everything get so mixed up in just one day? He took a few shuddering breaths and tried to calm his raging emotions and his hormones. He had to get back to the party soon. He took a few more minutes and tried to think about what to do with the situation. He came up empty. Turning to leave, he ran a hand over the door reverently and whispered, "Good night, Sunshine,"

Inside, Justin's head lifted. He thought he had heard his name. He listened, straining. No, there was nothing. His imagination must be going into overdrive. He wanted Brian. His body cried out with a longing that he didn't know was there before. His lips still tingled from his kiss. Oh, this was not fair! Michael was the interloper, not him! What could he do? Naked, he walked over to the window and looked out on the dark night and the darker ocean. He fingered the silver conch around his neck. No, it was too soon to use this yet. This was his mess and he had to fix it. He just had to figure out how.

He washed up and slipped into bed. The excitement of the evening had worn off and he was bone weary. He thought of everyone at the party. The elderly but distinguished dowager who had a thing for pink. Brian. That man with the muttonchops. Brian. The delegate from Koffikstan. Brian. Fred and Red. Brian. Brian...Brian...And then there was only Brian.

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When got back downstairs, many of the guests had already left. The delegate of Koffikstan was still waiting around and Brian summoned his coach and put him into it and sent to the delegate's inn personally. (The delegate had got a little drunk) There were a few others, countrymen and dignitaries alike, who just wanted to shake Brian's hand and thank him for the most fun they'd had in years. And of course, the same phrase kept popping up over and over again like a tired refrain. Michael had disappeared, leaving a path of destruction in his wake.

Last on the end were Fred and Red Remington and as Brian held out his hand, he instead felt himself being pulled into the well meaning but crushing embrace of both twins.

"We can't tell you how much fun we had," said Fred?

"That was the dearest, most charming seat companion we ever met!" said Red...uh, maybe.

Then they spoke the popular phrase. "He will be here again next week, won't he? We can't wait too see what he does next."

"Yes," Brian answered, for what seemed the thousandth time. "He'll be here."

"Oh good," said Fred and Red, "Tell him, we'll miss him, won't you? Oh and expect a little token from us tomorrow. Good night!"

"Good night," waved Brian before finally he was able to go to bed at last.

He went in search of Michael. He surveyed the many bent spoons at his place setting. He followed an upended steam tray to a door. Passing through, he saw the kitchen inside was a shambles. Every dish and glass was broken into smithereens. Pots and pans were all over the floors and the ones that were being used had flung their contents all over the floor, walls, and ceiling. There was an exceptionally ugly green soup display and there was pasta hanging from the ceiling. A few chefs and waiting staff still cowered under counters, and someone poked their head out of the cupboard under the sink.

"Is it over?" he quavered.

"Yes, Brian said, kindly, "It's all over. You can all go to bed. Assemble a cleaning crew tomorrow to take care of this. Oh, which way did he go?"

They all pointed to the door at the opposite end of the room where he had entered and then they all stampeded out of there before the Prince could change his mind.

Brian went through the indicated door and encountered a storeroom with a door at the end of it. Through this door he encountered a deserted, carpeted hallway, stretching off to the left and the right. Brian chose right. He walked until he reached another T. He chose right and came to a door. Through this was a billiards room with another door to the right. Brian went through this and found three hallways, left, right, and straight on. He chose straight. The hall was full of doors on either side. Brian held his head. He forgot sometimes what a maze this castle was and that wasn't even counting the many secret passages, many of which, Brian didn't know about. He gave up. Michael could be anywhere.

Brian walked down opening doors at random. Solarium...sitting room...small bedroom...ahhh, here we go. Brian recognized the book-lined study he and Michael had argued in this morning. He passed through, noticing it was freezing. That's when he noticed the window had been smashed out. Hmmm, Michael strikes again, most likely. Ahh well, Brian was too tired to care. He went out and back into the great hall, into familiar territory again and went up to bed.

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Night passed into midnight, midnight passed into deep night, and deep night passed into dawn. The first day passed away and the first week began.

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Much later, in the dead of night, deep within the maze of corridors and inter-connecting rooms of the castle was a sparse sitting room, with only a fireplace and two armchairs. A man was waiting in one of the armchairs before a low fire.

A second man entered. He bowed low.

"Hello Master," he said.

"Never mind that! What did you learn? Were you watching? Were you listening?"

The man sat in the second armchair. "Yes, Master. I obey. I am watching him 24 hours a day. He is asleep now. I have a full report for you."

The Master leaned forward. His face was fanged and feral in the firelight.

"Tell me...everything...." He rasped.

TBC

Chapter 5

THE FIRST WEEK

Part 1 of: The Second Day

Morning to Noon

The next morning when Justin awoke he was very depressed. The events of last night weighed heavily on his heart.

After last night's kiss, Justin knew he could no longer trust himself around the Prince. The chemistry between them was just too explosive.

The mere thought of facing him this morning was just too humiliating. And what was he going to do in the meantime? Now that he was well...well, as well as he could be, his days in the castle must surely be numbered. (Especially, if Michael had anything to say about it)

Michael. Justin knew he'd have to tread lightly around him. Brian was right. Michael was jealous, quite possibly very dangerous.

Justin remembered his purple face at dinner and chuckled briefly but then sobered. He hadn't meant to attract such attention but when he did, it just made Michael angrier and angrier.

But DAMMIT! Michael was the real intruder here. He wasn't the one who'd pulled Brian from burning wreckage. He didn't drag Brian all night through the sea. He didn't revive him when he was blue and not breathing. He had just shown up at the right place and the right time and usurped Brian's heart.

Justin knew then he had to fight. Fight to stay in the castle. Fight to get Brian to remember. Fight to re-claim Brian's heart. He had three weeks. Plenty of time. A slow, sultry smile curled his lips. If Michael was that angry when he didn't try to attract attention, imagine how angry he was going to be when he did.

Justin got out of bed, unlocked the door, rang for Hobbs and got back into bed. While he waited, he tried to think. And drew a blank.

Justin fell back against the pillows. He groaned in silence. He had absolutely no idea what he was going to do.

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Brian awoke with a slight hangover. He groaned as the events of the previous evening washed over him.

Everything had been going so well. The dinner, Sunshine's rocket to fame, and then...the kiss. NO...THE KISS!!!

Brian could remember a time when he could kiss any guy he wanted, hell, fuck any guy he wanted and not think twice about him. Of course, when he'd asked Michael to marry him, they'd set down certain rules and Brian had given up his free wheeling days.

But kissing Sunshine was like kissing...well, sunshine! Hot and explosive, all consuming and unforgettable. It was unlike anything Brian had ever experienced and he WANTED to think twice about it. And three times. And ten. And a thousand. Brian traced a finger across his lips and swore he could still feel them tingle.

Why HAD he promised to marry Michael anyway? Brian supposed it was because he was so thankful and grateful to Michael after bringing him home and nursing him back to health, that he'd fallen in love with him.

But in such a short time, Michael had changed. He was showing himself to be increasingly selfish, rude, needy, jealous and unkind, even cruel. Brian wasn't sure that was the type of husband he wanted or the kind of King that Liberty Kingdom deserved.

But he was obligated. He DID owe him. And the wedding was in a few weeks.

Brian was caught between duty and passion.

Brian groaned. He had absolutely no idea what he was going to do.

BJMBJMBJMBJM

When Brian came down to breakfast in the small dining room off the main kitchen, he found Michael already up and pouring milk onto his oatmeal and sliced peaches.

"Good morning," Brian said, cautiously. He rang for breakfast.

"Good morning," Michael replied, not really looking at him.

"You didn't come to bed last night," Brian observed.

"I got lost," Michael said, simply.

"Lost?"

"After dinner, I was in a...bad mood, nothing serious. I just needed to blow off some steam so I took a walk through the castle. This place is a maze and I...got lost."

"I saw the kitchen," Brian said, quietly, "I know exactly what kind of mood you were in."

"Oh it wasn't that bad," Michael said.

As if on cue, a petite, olive-skinned woman bumped her way in with Brian's tray. Obviously new, she kept her head down while serving Brian. As she turned to go, she caught a glimpse of Michael and her face turned white.

"El Diablo! El Diablo!" she screamed and pointed.

Shielding her face with her apron, she fled the dining room, still screaming, "El Diablo! El Mal ha vuelto! El Diabloooooooooo!"

Brian raised an eyebrow.

"Oh what...ever! I'd apologize but I'm sure she'd turn out to be the next Latina Opera Star halfway through my speech. Anyway, I didn't look where I was going and got lost somewhere on the fourth floor. So I picked an extra bedroom and crashed. You?"

"Almost the same. After I put...uh...him to bed, I came back, saw everyone out..." Brian gave a quick run down of his short search before giving up and heading to bed.

"I see. So what are we going to do about...uh...him...anyway?"

"What do you mean, do about him? He's fine where he is."

"WHAT!! NO WAY, BRIAN!" Michael screeched.

Brian winced.

"Michael! Geez, will you stop screeching!? I have a hangover."

"Brian, he's crushing on you!" Michael said, in a lower tone. His eyes narrowed. "And you're crushing on him! Aren't you!?"

"We've been over this," Brian said, "I already told you he was. And I told you I liked him too. But I can handle it."

"Yeah, right," Michael said, softly.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Well, we can't let this go on. I'm not sharing you."

"I'm not asking you to. Look, I'll take care of it. I have a plan."

"What is it?"

"It's a surprise."

Michael accepted this; he loved surprises. They ate the rest of their breakfast in silence. Brian's mind raced to come up with a non-existent plan. Justin did not come down.

BJMBJMBJMBJM

When Hobbs came, Justin ordered breakfast in bed and a new fire. Hobbs brought everything and withdrew.

Breakfast was lovely but it did nothing to perk up his mood. Afterwards, Justin dressed in his robe and sat in the armchair and stared into the fire.

He wanted to hole up in here forever. He was depressed. He was lonely. He was heartsick. He was afraid and unsure about the future. He felt trapped. He couldn't go back. But he couldn't go forward either.

Now that he was well, there was no reason for him to stay in the castle. But he had nowhere else to go. All his dreams included Brian. And if he DID leave, it would be with only three weeks to live.

He sat and moped and thought and paced and moped and paced some more and sat and thought some more but all his thoughts were like a hamster running in a wheel, going nowhere, coming up empty.

Then, at about 11:00 AM there was a knock on the door.

He sighed heavily. "Ahh well, all good things must come to an end," he thought.

He got up and answered the door. It was Hobbs with a message.

"Good morning, young master. I've been sent by His Majesties to tell you that a large present has been delivered for you from..." he consulted the paper, "The Remington Brothers."

"Justin's eyes went wide. NOW he perked up! He rolled his hand around. Yes?? Tell me more!!

"All I know is that there is a large packing crate in the great hall addressed to you and I've been sent here to wash and dress you and bring you down. The Majesties will be waiting for you in the Hall."

He was interrupted by running water. Justin had already shed his robe and was running a shallow bath.

BJMBJMBJMBJM

A half hour later, Justin was ready and at the top of the stairs. Hobbs had dressed him casually in an undershirt and a v-necked white t-shirt, casual slacks and comfortable sneakers. He limped down the stairs with a smile on his face. He saw a huge crate and in his mind, danced visions of his two spherical friends.

Brian and Michael were waiting. The one that mattered had a brilliant smile on his face.

"Good morning, Sunshine! Did you sleep well?"

Justin nodded.

"I - we missed you at breakfast."

"Justin mimed eating from his hand, pointed upstairs. He glanced at Michael, looked at Brian, felt his cheeks blush. He looked at the floor and let his emotions speak what his voice could not.

"I know things have been...awkward around here, but I want you to treat this as your home now. Even though your immediate health is improved, we're not going to turn you out into the world mute and penniless. Also, you have a lot of friends and fans that are looking forward to seeing you next week."

Justin shyly approached them. He slowly took off his crown and pressed it into Brian's hand.

"Sunshine, I told you, no," Brian re-crowned him.

"What was that all about?" Michael asked.

"I'm not sure. I think he wants to pay me, or something."

Justin shook his head

"No, that's not it. Well, anyway, that wouldn't be necessary. Brian's right. You should consider this your home and feel free to go anywhere you want in and around the castle grounds. And, I'm...sorry...for all that stuff I did."

Both Brian and Justin looked over at Michael, dumbfounded. This had to be the longest thing Michael had ever said to Justin and certainly the most civil.

Justin smiled shyly and held out his hand and Michael shook it briefly.

Michael, I'm so proud of you! That's very mature of you!" Brian gave his partner a happy kiss.

However, Justin was not fooled. He still saw the hard glint in Michael's eyes and realized he was just switching to more subtle tactics.

"Well, now that that is all settled, why don't we take care of the other elephant in the room, Brian said, "The Remington twins said they were going to send over a small token. I had no idea they would send anything like this." The crate was easily 5 feet cubed.

Justin ripped off an envelope that was taped to the top. He took out the letter and handed it to Brian to read.

To the mute record breaking speed sketcher,

Thank you for the most wonderful, memorable evening we have enjoyed in a good, long while.

May the contents of this box keep you sketching and drawing for years to come.

Your new friends, Fred and Red

THE FABULOUS REMINGTON TWINS!

The boys summoned a worker with a crowbar and the top was pried off. Justin gasped.

Inside, were two five-foot square canvases, four canvases a size smaller, about 3 feet, four 2-foot squares, eight, 1-foot squares and dozens of varying sizes of sketch pads. The top two layers were lined with the small sketchpads that Justin had used the night before. And on top of these was a layer of sharpened pencils in rubber banded bunches. Justin could see that each bunch included the varying types of pencil from dark to light. There were also two rows of colored pencils, each bunch all the colors of the color wheel.

Justin was euphoric. His eyes bugged. His face smiled into his sunniest one yet.

Brian smiled to see Justin smile. Justin looked over at him with a look of unadulterated joy. He rushed over and pulled on Brian's hand. He took the letter from Brian and pointed at the last line. He pointed toward the main gate.

"The Fabulous Remington Twins," Brian read again.

Justin nodded vigorously, pulled him, pointed outside. Then he waited for Brian to get it.

"What do you suppose he wants?" Michael asked.

Justin pointed at the last line of the letter again. He couldn't read it but he knew what it said now. He pointed out the main gate.

"He wants the twins," Brian said. Justin nodded. He pulled gently. He pointed. "He wants to go see the twins. To thank them."

Justin sighed happily. He nodded.

Brian looked at Justin's euphoric face. He looked at the crate. He looked at Michael. And then he smiled for at last he had a plan. He knew exactly what he was going to do.

"Get your traveling duds on, Sunshine," Brian said, "We leave in an hour."

BJMBJMBJMBJ

An hour later, Justin was on his way down the stairs again in yet another outfit.

Brian had summoned Hobbs himself and explained in a faster and more complete way that Justin could not, what he wanted.

Hobbs had bowed and, in a dizzying move, hoisted Justin onto his arm and bore him upstairs swiftly, with the mer-prince riding on his enormous bicep.

Justin had looked back, outraged, knowing somehow Brian had put this up to the burly manservant.

Brian had just smiled back with tongue in cheek and given him a patented long, slow wink. He waved cheekily.

Now, back under his own power, Justin was dressed in sturdy black, leather boots, blue jeans, his tee shirt and a warm, blue sweater over top. Over all he wore a blue, jean jacket with silver snaps.

As he reached the bottom, Justin saw that his crate had been removed. In its place, stood Brian, dressed to kill.

"Damn him!" thought Justin, "How does he manage to look more handsome every time I see him?"

"Damn!" thought Brian, "Sunshine looks more scrumptious every time I see him." Brian thought he looked like a piece of the sky.

As for himself, Brian wore black leather, thigh high boots that folded down to just above the knee. They were polished to a high gloss.

He wore black leather jeans that hugged every curve. He wore a white cotton tee but Justin couldn't see that for over top he wore a shiny black leather t-shirt. He wore a black leather jacket that hugged his thin waist. The jacket had golden clasps and was snapped up 3 clasps up from the bottom. Over his hands he wore black leather gauntlets that flared up to his elbows. His brown hair was shiny and combed back and he wore his crown. Just below that was a pair of tinted goggles pushed upon his forehead.

"Hey there, Sunshine," Brian said in a dark and dangerous, sinfully sexy voice, "Going my way?"

Justin gulped. He swallowed his lust, smiled and nodded slowly.

Brian held out his hand. Justin took it, nearly melting into mush at the feeling of the sensual leather.

Brian smiled slow and sexy in amusement. He could read the silent blond sprite like a book.

"I hope you don't mind. Michael said he'd rather stay here and catch up on some work."

Justin shook his head. He didn't mind at all and rather expected it. Justin wagered Michael still felt as uncomfortable around him as Justin did around Michael.

Brian led Justin outside, where yet another surprise awaited. There, gleaming all black and silver, awaited a large motorcycle, it's front wheel flared diagonally out in front. Two gleaming, black helmets and another pair of goggles waited on the seat.

"Oh...My...God!" thought Justin. He had never seen a more beautiful thing besides Brian in his life. As a merman, he had never dreamed anything like this could exist.

"Do you like it?" Brian asked. Justin nodded enthusiastically.

Brian carefully put on Justin's goggles and helmet and fixed on his own. Just was captivated at the site of the dark masked rider in front of him. Impulsively, Justin threw his arms around the bigger man in a big hug. Brian returned it and then climbed on. Justin climbed on behind him and held him tight around the waist. Brian twisted the starter handle.

BAAAAAAARRROOOOOMMMMM!!!!!!! They were off!

But someone was watching.

BJMBJMBJMBJM

Across the main courtyard, out the portcullis, across the drawbridge, and finally they were out of the castle grounds.

On both sides of the road, Justin could see golden wheat fields stretching off as far as the eye could see.

Justin could now see that the castle was on it's own peninsula, which was why so many of the windows faced the sea.

Brian sped easily down the nearly straight road. Justin held on tight and gripped the bike tightly with his new muscular thighs. His loins vibrated like a tuning fork. The sensations drove him mad with pleasure. Last night's longing's came to mind. He was still not sure what he wanted but he quickly realized that it had something to do with the new body parts between his legs.

They drove past more wheat fields, green farms, cows grazing, and verdant fields. Every so often they crossed a bridge that spanned everything from small creeks to wide rivers.

It was over a particular straight stretch that Brian yelled, "Hang on tight, Sunshine!"

Justin tightened his hold.

"Hang on tighter, Sunshine!"

Justin squeezed as tight as he could.

"I hope that's all you got, Sunshine!"

Justin squeezed and pressed his face flat against Brian's back. What was he playing at?

BAAAAAAARRROOOOOMMMMM!!!!!!! Brian sped up and popped a wheelie! With expert control he sped down the road like this for at least a minute.

"YEEEEEEEEEEEEE - HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Brian screamed.

Justin was exhilarated and scared and filled with a fierce, wild joy that knew no bounds all at the same time. He squeezed with all his might and hung on for the ride of his life.

"Did you like that Sunshine!?!?" Brian yelled.

Still holding on tightly, Justin gave a thumbs-up and stroked it on Brian's tummy so he wouldn't have to look away from the road.

"OHHH, YEAHHHH! Michael hates it when I do that so, I've been missing this! YEEEEEEEEE-HAAAAAAAA!!!!!"

And he popped another wheelie. And kept doing them, all along the open road.

After about an hour, the spires of a Cathedral, a clock tower, and sloping rooves of houses came into sight. Brian slowed down.

"That's where we're headed," he yelled over the idling motor, "It's the town of Spittsenberrghur! It's the closest town to the castle! How are you doing? You need a break?"

Justin shook his head.

The motor raced and they were off again

All too soon, they were inside the town. Brian slowed his speed as he navigated the streets until they finally arrived at their destination.

It was a large, grey, boxy building with four smokestacks. In boxy letters over the boxy double doors were the words:

REMINGTON BROS. BOX FACTORY AND STATIONERY SUPPLIES

Brian parked and turned off the engine.

"Here we are, Sunshine," he said.

Justin got off the bike. After the excitement and vibrations of the ride, stepping onto solid ground was...disappointing. His new body parts felt strange. His two round parts ached a little and craved the vibrations and his other part was full and hard and pulsed against the denim.

"What's the matter, Sunshine?" Brian asked, standing over him like some masked and leathered superhero.

Ogling him shamelessly behind his own goggles, Justin felt his part throb against his jeans in pure lust.

"Ohhhh, I see," Brian drawled, mischievously. He moved forward, as a black panther stalks its prey. He fixed Justin with a knowing stare, as if he could see through the tint of Justin's goggles. Justin stared back, sucked into the void. How was Brian doing this? How could HE see and yet at the same time hypnotize him with...nothingness?

And yet he was. Brian moved closer and closer and closer still. Those sinful leather gauntlets reached around Justin's waist, cupping his bottom. Justin arched in pleasure.

"Yes, I see," Brian, continued. In a single move, he yanked Justin forward and mashed their two bodies together. "Somebody's got a stiffie."

Justin blushed as he realized Brian had one too and was rubbing them together. Justin groaned a silent groan in pleasure.

Brian saw and smiled, tongue in cheek. Abruptly, he released the sea sprite, reading his look of total discombobulation correctly. "Don't worry, Sunshine. It'll go down."

Then he turned and swaggered smugly toward the factory door. "Coming?" he called, cheekily.

Oh! Damn him! He was teasing him, playing him like a harp. And Justin knew that if he had been that harp, he would have been playing a tune sweet enough to make angels weep.

"We'll see," he thought. He removed his goggles and helmet and followed Brian. He gave him a sweet, innocent smile and a dose of blue puppy dog eyes. "We'll see who plays who. Game on."

BJMBJMBJMBJ

The inside of the factory was just as boring as the outside. Grey walls, grey floors and lumber and stacks and stacks of cardboard were everywhere. Men carried cardboard, conveyer belts moved cardboard, cardboard was assembled into cubes, and elsewhere old cubes were mashed flat. The sound of hammering sounded as wooden packing crates were assembled. The smell of wood, paper, glue and ink permeated the air.

Brian inquired where they might find the owners. They were directed to the right side of the factory where a door beckoned. They went through and the noise was drastically reduced. They seemed to be in an outer office with a pretty secretary behind a desk. Behind the secretary was a very tall, very wide oaken door. On the door in gold was written:

FRED AND RED

REMINGTON

Good morning. Are the twins in?" asked Brian.

The secretary looked up and her eyes bugged out as she saw the leathered vision before her. Her eyes bugged out ever further and her mouth dropped open a little when she saw it was the Prince.

"Majesty!" She vainly tried to smooth her skirt. "Uh, yes, they were. I mean they are! I mean they were last time I checked! Uh, I'll buzz them and see, would that be all right!?"

"That would be nice, thank you." Brian smiled in amusement. People's flustered reaction to him always amused him.

The secretary buzzed a red button on her desk and said, "Uh, Mr. Remingtons..."

"We're VERY BUSY!!" intoned two voices at the same time.

"Uh, yes sirs, but the Prince is here," she practically squealed, "Along with a young, blond gentleman."

"Oh well that's a horse ..." said one.

"...of a different color. Send them in..." said one.

"At once!" they both said.

The secretary curtsied shyly and waved them in.

Brian and Justin went in. As the door closed behind them, the rest of the noise disappeared entirely.

` The Remington's office was wider than it was deep. As if there was a line down the middle, the left and right sides of the room were mirror images of each other. Each had an identical bookcase, mahogany desk, computer, leather easy chair and visitor's chair. Each desk had a nameplate standing on it. FRED was on the left and RED was on the right. Each had a small personal fridge, coffeemaker, and wet bar. The only things that differed were the plants and the art. Fred preferred abstracts and had a few paintings that swirled with tempestuous colors. Red had portraits, and from the look of them, they were of past family members.

Waiting for them in the middle of the room, arms outstretched, stood the twins. They were dressed in identical blue suits, red ties, and wide smiles.

Ecstatic with joy, Justin jumped forward into their waiting arms. Nestled between them, she showered both their cheeks with kisses.

"I think someone got our little present, Red."

"I think you are right, Fred."

Seeing each twin hold onto a lush asscheek to keep him aloft, filled Brian with a rush of...was that jealousy? No, impossible. Sure, they had shared some scorching kisses but Brian had no real claim on the sea sprite. He was going to marry Michael. He loved Michael. Didn't he? Then why were his fingers itching to hold that cute little bubble butt as he had in the parking lot? Why had he copped that feel anyway? Why was he not sorry?

Swallowing...whatever it was, Brian said, "He insisted on coming right away."

"You both are always welcome to visit," said Fred.

"And your visits are always welcome," said Red.

"Thank you," said Brian.

Justin gave them both a delighted kiss and jumped down.

"Your visits are always welcome too," Brian said, "In fact, I'm sure Sunshine would agree that you both must come to next week's dinner as well."

Justin nodded enthusiastically.

"Sunshine?"

"Who's that?"

Justin pointed at himself.

"That's what I've been calling him. I don't know his actual name."

"Oh my! That will never do! We must discern it at once! Everyone should have a name to call their own!"

"And everyone should be called by their own name. Right Red?"

"I'm Fred! You're Red, you simpleton!" yelled Fred, giving his brother a bop on the head.

"You see!" said Red. "Even we get us mixed up once in a while!"

Justin laughed silently at their antics.

"Anyway," Fred glared, "We'd be glad to come at the end of the week. And if there's any way for us to help guess his name, please let us know."

"We will. Thank you."

"And now, Sunshine!" said Red. (Justin hoped) "We must give you a tour!"
"A capital idea!" said Fred. (wasn't it?)

Justin's heart sank. He pasted on a smile that he hoped looked sincere. He looked over at Brian for help.

Uh oh! Brian had on that mischievous smile again.

"Why that sounds like a great idea! I can see by the look on his face that he'd be delighted."

Justin faced away from the twins and gave Brian a look that could kill. Brian smiled wider.

"Wonderful!" both twins cried together.

Each twin grabbed one of Justin's arms and bore him out of the office.

"We're giving our friend a tour!" Fred? told the secretary joyfully.

"Hold our calls! Take messages!" said Red. (?)

"HELP MEEEEE!!!" Justin mouthed.

But before anyone could do anything, he was born away by the effusive twins, each one having linked a huge arm through his small ones. He struggled desperately but he was trapped by arm fat.

"I'm right behind you!" called Brian.

Justin whipped his head around to glare at him.

Brian waved. He would NOT be right behind them.

The twins gabbled happily on either side of him, each convinced he had Justin's undivided attention. The three of them walked out of the outer office into the factory. Both twins were oblivious to the fact that due to their height difference, Justin's legs dangled nearly two feet off the ground.

BJMBJMBJMBJ

Three...of the...most...BORING...hours later, the twins and Justin finished the tour of the factory and came back into the outer office.

Justin's legs dangled limply off the floor. His arms, still linked and trapped by the forearms, stuck straight out in front of him. They had long ago gone completely numb. His head was tilted to one side and rested on one of the twins' shoulders.

He could not sleep because of both twins shouting in his ears and the noise of the factory. Saws and hammers and machines of every sort jolted him awake. Instead, he had lapsed into a trance, a kind of staring catatonic state. He drooled a little. The twins were oblivious.

Brian was sitting in a comfortable chair, stretched out with his booted feet propped up on another chair. He had removed his gauntlets and jacket but still looked dashing in his black leather shirt and black jeans. He was thumbing through a magazine.

Justin gurgled.

Brian glanced up and then did a wild double take. The magazine went flying. He was on his feet in seconds.

"Holy shit, Sunshine! What happened to you?"

Justin didn't respond.

The twins glanced over and were genuinely surprised at Justin's condition.

"Oh, my gosh!"

"What's the matter?"

"What's wrong with him?"

"I'm sure it's nothing. Maybe he's just hungry," said Brian. He plucked him from their arms and enfolded him in his own.

"C'mon, Sunshine! Wake up! Tour's over!" Brian whispered, desperately, shaking him a little.

Justin just stared.

Brian knew he had to do something; anything, or the twins' feelings would be hurt.

"Boy, Sunshine! I sure missed you," he said, loudly, so the twins could hear.

He kissed him.

For what seemed like hours, days, weeks, perhaps even a hundred years, Justin saw only a blur and heard a long, steady, droning buzzing sound. He couldn't run. He couldn't move. It was an evil spell, a nightmare from which he could not wake.

Suddenly, at last, he realized the buzzing was gone. Lips, soft and warm were upon his own. His arms rushed with pins and needles. He was in a large man's embrace. Slowly, he returned the pressure of the soft, warm lips with his own. His eyes fluttered, and came back into focus. He saw it was Brian and folded his arms around him. He opened his mouth a little and sighed, signaling he was willing to let Brian deepen the kiss but Brian kept it a closed mouth kiss.

Justin came back into focus even more and understood. They were not alone. He gave Brian lips a quick flick of his tongue, felt Brian's jolt of pleasure, and pulled away.

Justin awoke from his evil sleep and looked around. He was back where he started.

"Are you hungry, Sunshine?" Brian asked, meaningfully. Imperceptibly, he gave a quick nod.

Justin understood and nodded truthfully.

"I thought that was it. Say, you guys know of a place to eat close by?"

The twins looked relieved and recommended a place about two blocks away called the Liberty Diner.

"We hope everything is all right," said Fred.

"Did you enjoy the tour?"

Justin played along. He nodded weakly and patted his stomach.

"Ahh, you see? I thought it might be that. Thanks for your hospitality, guys. But we'd better be going. Lunch and then duties at the castle are next on the agenda. See you at the end of the week?" As Brian talked, he gathered his gear together.

"Absolutely."

"Wouldn't miss it."

"Fabulous." Brian steered Justin toward the door. Wisely, he had the presence of mind to keep looking sickly. Justin shook the twins' hands and they moved slowly towards the door. The twins smiled and waved. The boys smiled and waved back.

Justin really did love the twins dearly and he knew he'd see them again. Just not in their place of business. Ever. Again.

And then they were out of the office and the door was shut and they were running for the exit.

TBC

Chapter 5

THE FIRST WEEK

Part 2 of: The Second Day

Noon to Night

Two blocks and a short bike ride later; Brian and Justin parked in front of a small diner that sported its name in big neon LIBERTY DINER.

Brian and Justin hadn't been kidding. They really were hungry. And no wonder! What with the motorcycle ride to town and then the (shudder) three-hour tour, it had been about five hours since they had last eaten.

Accordingly, they went into the diner.

It turned out to be longer than it was wide and went quite a ways in. At the window there were two booths and booths were all along the right hand wall. On the left was a long counter with stools. Both the stools and booths were covered in orange vinyl and the tables and countertop were Formica. Behind the counter and to the left was the order up window and at the back there was a swinging door that led into the back. Beyond that was, assumably, the kitchen. On the counter near the front was a cash register and at the back of the diner was a jukebox. Next to that was another set of swinging double doors that led to the kitchen.

As it was the start of the dinner rush, the booths were all full so they sat together at the counter near the back.

BAAAAMMMMMMMMM!!!

The swinging double doors exploded open and a large woman with brassy red hair zoomed past carrying two trays on each arm with each tray containing about two orders each.

As she sped down the one long aisle, she doled out the orders correctly on her way down so that when she reached the end, she was empty handed. She spun around and started back. Justin gaped as he saw she was wearing roller skates.

"Hey, how bout some service!" Brian yelled, razzing her.

"Keep your balls on, I'm comin'!" she shot back. On her way, she doled out menus, grabbed a coffeepot and freshened those cups that needed it. As she came, Brian held out a coffee cup hand Justin followed his example. On her way past, she filled them and dropped two menus in between them.

"Take a look and I'll be right back!" the red headed woman yelled.

BAAMMM!!! went the doors as she went through to the back.

BAAMMM!!! went the door as she came back through the one behind the counter.

SLAM! She whacked down two glasses of water and two sets of cutlery wrapped in napkins.

She scanned the pick-up window and found a couple of plates. BAAMMM!!! went the inner door. BAAMMM!!! went the outer door, and she was off again.

Meanwhile, Brian and Justin scanned the menu. Justin was ravenous. He couldn't read the words but the pictures were worth a thousand of them.

BAAAMMM!!! BAAAAMMMM!!!

And then she was behind the counter, pad in hand, ready for them at last. She popped and chewed her gum noisily and expectantly.

The woman behind the counter was in her 40's and slightly overweight. She had a huge afro of red hair and a bright red lipsticked mouth that was chewing gum constantly. She wore a red vest that was covered in slogans and pins. Underneath she wore a t shirt that read:

FOllOw

the clues

The two O's were a larger font than the rest of the letters, were contrived to be the lenses of two magnifying glasses and were situated directly over her enormous boobs. Following the words was a trail of white arrows that followed a meandering path all over her shirt, finally ending in a trail pointing directly downward the center and bottom of her shirt.

"Hey, Prince Brian! How you doin', hon?"

"She's the only one in the kingdom who gets to call me that," Brian said resignedly.

Without warning, she slapped the back of his head.

"That's for staying away for so long! Where have you been!?"

"She's also the only one who gets to do that!" Brian growled, rubbing the back of his head.

"Well!?"

"Well hello, Deb! So nice to see you too!" Brian growled, sarcastically, "Sorry I haven't been around lately but since it's just the few of us left up at the castle, I've been busy running the kingdom. Prince, and all that...remember?"

"Oh right. I'd almost forgotten...I mean I've been run off my feet...Well, who's your friend? You know what you want, Sunshine?" she asked, switching to Justin.

Justin nodded and pointed to pictures of a cheeseburger, chocolate shake, and onion rings. Deb jotted it down.

Brian looked stunned. "How'd you know to call him that?" he asked.

"Huh?"

Brian introduced Deb to Justin and explained about his being mute and unable to communicate his name, hence the nickname. Meanwhile, he ordered some low-carb shit and Deb hung their order up.

"Well, I don't know," she said as she came back, "With that sweet, brilliant smile and that shock of yellow hair above that blue suit, I just automatically thought of Sunshine."

"Me too," Brian said, fondly. He ruffled his hair and brought Justin's lips to his in a quick kiss.

"OH HO! So that's how it is! How's the royal shithead taking it?"

"Not too well. But it can't be helped. Besides, it's not as serious as all that. Sunshine and I aren't a couple. We just share a strange...bond. Maybe because we're fellow castaways."

"Uh HUH.... Michael's my son," she explained to Justin. "I love..."'

"Hey Deb, how bout some coffee?" a booth dweller yelled.

"Are your legs broke?" she yelled.

"No," came the whiny reply.

"Well they WILL BE if you don't get OFF your ASS and pour it yourself!"

"Where was I? Oh yeah, I love him, but he's become a social climbing, snotty, pain in the ass, snob. Maybe a little competition would serve him right! Oh, I'll be right back!"

BAAMMM! BAAMMM! She was off.

Somehow Justin mimed, "She's his mother?"

"Yeah. HE never visits either. It hasn't exactly put her in his corner."

Justin laughed silently.

DING! DING! It had to be the sweetest ring on Earth. Their order was up.

BJMBJMBJMBJ

Justin's burger was so good, he wanted to make it last forever. But he felt as if he had a hole inside of him and in no time he had devoured the whole thing.

"How can you eat that stuff?" Brian asked, taking nit-picking bites of his low-carb shit.

Justin shrugged, grabbed a menu, and tapped his finger on the cheeseburger.

"Now what?"

He tapped the burger again and made imploring, puppy-dog eyes.

"You want another one??"

Justin nodded and smiled the smile that named him.

"Hey Deb!" Brian yelled.

"Whadd-ya want, asshole!? Deb yelled, from the other end of the diner.

"Sunshine wants another cheeseburger! God only knows why!" he muttered.

"Ohhh, you! I heard that, Prince...Brian Kinney!" The title was laced with sarcasm.

With whirlwind speed, she freshened coffee, slammed down a couple of orders, lifted up a flap in the counter, and rang up a bill in the register. She zoomed her way down the length of the counter.

"Not everyone can stomach that low-carb shit you insist on limiting yourself to. We serve good food here at the Liberty Diner. Phil!! Another cheeseburger!" she screamed.

There was a weary DING! in acknowledgement.

"Anything you want, angel! Just ask!" she addressed Justin fondly. She ruffled his hair. She had immediately adopted the "I am going to adopt and adore this waif and take him under my wing" attitude without even thinking about it.
"I have to watch what I eat! I'll get fat! Not everyone can stuff themselves with grease and sugar," Brian defended himself.

"Oh, horsefeathers! You're perfectly healthy. You could eat anything you want if..."

And they were at it again. Justin just shrugged and smiled in amusement as he bit into his second cheeseburger when it came.

Brian and Deb were still bickering good-naturedly when a delivery man came into the diner from the back.

"Hello!? I knocked and knocked on the back door and nobody answered so I let myself in. Look, I need a signature here. I just delivered a big shipment of beef patties that just came in!"

The effect on Justin was electric. He grabbed Brian's arm and shook hard. He grunted and pointed at the delivery man. He grunted again, primally.

The delivery man was scared out of his wits. He figured the grunting man was some sort of half-wit about to have a seizure. And it was all his fault!

He ripped off the invoice and threw it at Deb. "Just sign it and mail it in! I'm outta here!"

But before he got three steps, he heard the dreaded words:

"Halt, in the name of the Prince!" Brian yelled out, authoritatively.

The delivery man froze in his tracks. Disobeying that order would mean serious dungeon time. Slowly, he turned to face the music. But wait! He didn't do anything wrong!"

Quaking, he returned to the diner where the blond fellow had calmed down a bit but was still highly agitated and pointed at him in a frenetic kind of way.

"What is it, Sunshine? Have you seen this guy before? Did he hurt you?" Brian got up, his face contorted in anger, fists clenched. The thought of anyone touching Justin, who couldn't yell for help, filled him with murderous rage.

The delivery guy held up his hands. "Whoa! I never saw this guy in my life!"

At the same time, Justin grabbed Brian's arm and yanked hard. When Brian turned to look, Justin shook his head violently. He made Brian sit down and got up and held out his hand to the delivery man. The delivery man warily took it and shook it.

Justin smiled and pulled him to a seat and patted his shoulder kindly. The delivery man's heart rate began to slow. He remained on high alert though, and the young man's silence was unnerving.

"What is it? What's wrong? What do you want of me?" he cried.

The blond smiled kindly but said nothing. He pointed at him, mimed opening his mouth and spreading his fingers in front of it, indicating speech, and patted himself on the chest.

The delivery man looked helplessly at Brian. "I don't understand! I didn't DO anything! What's WRONG with him anyway?"

"He's mute. But I understand. He thinks you spoke something important."

"But I didn't! I didn't do nothin'!"

"You obviously did and you'll co-operate as well as you can or it'll go worse for you!" Brian threatened, scaring the delivery man even more.

Justin shook his head and gave Brian a reproachful look that said, "Stop that! You're scaring him!" He stroked the man's arm comfortingly.

"Look, I don't know what kinda Good Guard, Bad Guard thing you got going on here but I'm telling you, I didn't do nothin'!"

Justin thought for a moment. Everyone remaining in the diner was watching the drama unfold. The silence was total.

Then he removed a pad and pencil from his jacket pocket. Quickly, he made a crude drawing of a man walking through a door. Then a face with lines emitting from his mouth, indicating speech. He pointed at one, then the other, then the delivery man.

"I'm not following, Sunshine," Brian said.

Frustrated, Justin made an arrow, indicating movement through the door. He pointed at the delivery man and indicated speech again.

He HAD to make them understand! He could NOT let this opportunity pass.

"He came through the door..." Brian said, slowly, "He said something..."

Justin nodded. He indicated the speech lines again.

"What did you say when you first came in here?" Brian asked

"I - I don't know!" Seeing Brian's expression, he tried to remember. "Just normal stuff. I knocked on the door and nobody answered."

Justin rolled his hand. Keep going!

"I had a shipment of patties to deliver...which are melting, by the way!"

"I'll take care of it," Deb said, and skated away.

Justin rolled his hand.

"That's it...Just that I needed a signature cuz a shipment of patties had just come in."

Justin indicated on his pad, three sections. He indicated the last section. He drew three lines and pointed at them.

The delivery man was starting to get it.

"Just came in?" he said, hopefully.

Justin smiled brilliantly and hugged him. Then he patted Brian and made a "give me money" gesture.

Willingly, Brian gave him two gold coins and Justin gave it to the delivery man. He patted his back and indicated, "You can go."

The delivery man whooped and hugged Justin back, grabbed his invoice (which Deb had signed) and got out of there with joy. This gold would pay off two of his creditors and earn him a night of marathon sex with his girlfriend. And wait till she heard, all he had to do was say three little words!

Everyone laughed a little as the delivery man ran out of there like he'd been let out of the dungeon.

By this time, Deb had returned. She hunched over the counter, mystified as everyone else.

DING! DING! DING! Orders were up.

Frantically, she grabbed the plates and slammed them onto the counter. The owners wisely served themselves.

"Touch that bell again in the next five minutes and you'll lose a finger!" she screamed. "Go on, angel," she said to Justin, patting his cheek.

Justin pointed to the three "words".

"Just...came...in," everyone repeated obediently.

Justin scribbled out the middle word and pointed to the remaining ones.

"Just...In," Brian and Deb repeated.

Justin smiled, breathed a huge sigh of relief and nodded. He slapped his chest. He pointed to Just...in again and patted his chest.

"Your name. Your name is Just in?" Brian asked doubtfully.

Justin made a chopping gesture. "Faster!"

"Just - In." he pronounced it faster but still as two words.

Justin held his head and nodded in resignation. It was close enough and eventually he'd get it.

Well, it's nice to meet you at last, Just In. Although, I must say, I rather like calling you Sunshine as well." And Justin let himself be enfolded into a crushing bear hug, feeling the strength of the Prince, the kingdom behind him, and the hook of love that had captured them both, but which Brian continued to deny.

BJMBJMBJMBJ

Justin had finished his second cheeseburger, onion rings and had started his chocolate shake. Somewhere along the way, he had offered Brian a second straw and for once Brian had forgone the carbs and agreed to share the shake with him. They sat there sucking at the straws, looking deep into each other's eyes like a couple of lovestruck teenagers. Oh, and let's not forget that Brian was still sitting there in black jeans, boots past his knees, and that sexy as sin leather jacket. Justin didn't, and he drank in the sight even deeper than he did his milkshake.

They were nearly done and Justin was starting to think about the ride back when a few clues from past conversations fit themselves into his mind and formed a question.

He reached for his pad and quickly drew a crude turreted castle. He drew three stick figures. He pointed at one, pointed at Brian, pointed at the second, pointed at himself, pointed at the third, pointed at the castle drawing. He circled the figures and made a questioning gesture.

"What's that, Sunshine?" Brian asked. The milkshake was making him logy.

Justin thought. He indicated the castle. He made a biiiig circling gesture. He pointed to the figures. He made a tiny circling gesture. He shrugged, asking, why?

"Hmmmm. Big castle. (Justin nodded, yes) Small people. (No. Justin indicated the figures represented them) Oh. Those are us. Just us. (Yes) Just us in a big castle."

Justin nodded and asked, "Why?" again.

"I don't want to talk about it, "Brian said gruffly, "Finish your milkshake. It's time to go."

Justin shrugged and turned back to the creamy concoction. He not so subtly positioned the pad within eyeshot and waited.

After a few minutes, Brian gave a ragged sigh. He raked a hand over his face.

"The castle used to be full of people. My parents died a good number of years ago so I was raised by my Uncle Vic. But there was a stipulation in my parents' will that said I could not ascend to the throne until I married. Uncle Vic tried his best but as you can guess, I didn't want a woman to marry. So, a little over two weeks ago, my uncle took me and a lot of the soldiers who lived in the palace with us, onto a cruise as a kind of...birthday party. But there was a storm and the ship was destroyed and...and...and I never saw any of them again," he finished in a low voice. "I suppose they drowned. As it is, it's a miracle I'm alive. I still don't understand it."

"I understand it," thought Justin.

"Anyway, that's when Michael found me, and we hooked up. I guess it was about then, I figured I'd better pull my dick outta my ass and shape up, so pretty soon after that I asked Michael to marry me. It turned out the will didn't actually say I had to marry a woman. Brian's cocky smirk was back. Then it faded. "Anyway, that's why we're rattling around there like three peas in a can. And it's all my fault. I don't like to talk about it much," he finished, his face hardening. His shoulders stiffened.

But Justin was not so unmoved. He was not the most compassionate, kindest, Prince in the sea for nothing. He felt Brian's loss as if it was his own and a few tears trickled down his cheeks. He knew what Brian needed, even if it wasn't what Brian wanted.

Slowly he stood, reached out and put a hand on Brian's stiff shoulder. Brian's shoulder stayed stiffened but he didn't pull away either.

Slowly, Justin spun him around until Brian was facing him and his back was to the counter.

"What are you doing?" Brian whispered. He was grieved and curious and turned on all at the same time. Justin's eyes were so blue they seemed to glow. Another tear fell.

Slowly, Justin climbed onto Brian's lap straddling him. His arms went around him, much the same way they did when they first met. He hugged him chest to chest. He reached up and stroked the back of his head and kissed his neck and then just buried his face in the hollow of his neck and waited. He had never more wished for his power of sunshine.

Slowly, he felt Brian's arms encircle him in return. They hugged him painfully tight. His head came down even more slowly, buried itself in the hollow of Justin's neck.

Justin just waited.

Silently, Brian's shoulders began to shake. Justin rubbed his back slowly up and down. They remained like that for a long time and although Brian still made no sound, Justin's shoulder got very, very damp.

BJMBJMBJMBJ

Later, outside as they got ready to go, Brian sloooowly snapped up his jacket, pulled on his gauntlets, put on his goggles in a slow, reverse strip show that he could tell was driving Justin crazy.

He mounted the bike.

Justin put on his own goggles and helmet and went to climb on the bike. But as he did, Brian scooted backward until there was no room to get on. Justin moved to the side, shrugged his shoulders. "What's up?"

Brian said nothing.

Justin tried to get on again. Brian scooted back. Justin asked again, "What's up?"

Brian said nothing. He just sat there, his face a masked enigma.

Justin was starting to get it. Brian was playing the mute, waiting for him to get it.

Justin went to get on the back again. Brian scooted back.

Hmmm. God, he hoped Brian wasn't going to leave him there. No, if he were going to do that, he would have left by now. He wasn't leaving, just sitting there like a statue of a leather god.

Justin tried again. Nope, he couldn't get on the back. He moved toward the front. Brian didn't move but he didn't impede him either.

A wild hope bloomed in his chest. First a test. Justin moved to the back and was blocked. He moved to the front. Nothing.

Slowly, Justin swung his leg over the bike. He slid down until he was straddling Brian's lap facing him, just as he had been in the diner. He gasped as Brian shifted him and he slid down further as close as two people could be. Crotch to crotch, stomach to stomach, chest to chest.

"I thought you'd never get it," Brian whispered into his ear and licked the lobe with the tiniest brush of the tip of his tongue.

Justin jumped as if he'd been shocked.

Brian started the bike. Justin wrapped his arms around him and rested his helmeted head against Brian's chest. Brian framed his body with his own, gloved arms and held onto the handlebars. They drove off like that, into the sunset, wrapped around each other as if they were one entity.

On the open road, Brian had to be more careful but he found a few opportunities to pop wheelies. Justin loved it. It just pressed them closer together until Justin felt as if they WERE one entity. Eventually though, the dwindling light, vibrating bike, and steady rhythm of Brian's heartbeat made a lethal combination and Justin eventually fell deep asleep on Brian's lap.

And that was how they returned home.

Someone saw them.

Because that someone was waiting for them and watching.

Brian got off the bike, lifting Justin with him. He tried to get Justin awake but the younger man wouldn't fully rouse past a state of semi-consciousness. Finally, he gave up. He took off both of their helmets and goggles and put them on the seat. He'd have someone put the bike away later.

He cradled Justin in his arms and carried him into the castle.

In the Hall, he considered a bit but looked down at how sleepy Justin was. He could wait until tomorrow to show him his big surprise.

He carried him up to bed.

In Justin's bedroom, he laid him on the bed and pulled off his gauntlets and jacket. Thus unencumbered, he began to undress Justin, getting him ready for bed. Each piece of clothing was like unwrapping a precious gift. Somewhere through the process, Justin awoke and tried to help but he was so tired and clumsy, he only ended up getting in the way. So, finally, he just lay there and let Brian do it.

Brian stripped Justin down to his underwear. He tucked him in, and then just sat there. He was incredibly tempted. He wanted to just crawl in beside him and take the underwear off as well, and show Justin pleasures he never thought possible. And afterward just crawl in beside him and wrap his arms around him until...

Whoa!!! Brian shook his head, tried to get his thoughts...and libido under control. Plus, he had to think of Michael. What was happening to him?

Justin's eyes were starting to droop. He held up his arms and Brian went into them willingly.

"Thanks for a wonderful day, Just In," Brian said, trying out the new name. He didn't like it.

Neither did Justin. He winced.

Then he shook his head sleepily. He patted his chest and then Brian's. Slowly, he drew off his crown and gave it to Brian. His gave a huge sigh of contentment and closed his eyes. Brian watched as his breathing grew deep and even. He was asleep.

Brian kissed him on the forehead. "Good night, Sunshine," he whispered.

He put Justin's crown on the bedside table. He gathered up his clothes, turned out the light, and left the room.

But through the eyes in the portrait above the fireplace, someone was watching.

TO BE CONTINUED

Chapter 5

THE FIRST WEEK

Part 2 - The Surprise

The next morning Justin joined Brian and Michael downstairs for breakfast.

He dressed casually in white and he wore his shell necklace and crown. He had been unsurprised to find it next to him when he woke up.

Brian's face lit up in a Sunshine grin of his own when he saw Justin. Justin returned it and bowed slightly before them to say "Good morning!"

"Good morning, Sunshine!" Brian said. God, he wished he could say that every morning!

"Good morning," said Michael, not missing their ridiculous smiles for a second. "I take it you had a good time in town yesterday."

Justin nodded and focused his attention on his cereal and orange juice.

"You bet!" Brian enthused, "The Remingtons kept us a bit...longer than we expected, so we had dinner at the Liberty Diner. Your mom says hi. I think she misses you," he finished pointedly.

Michael stiffened. "I doubt that," he said softly.

Brian sighed. This family feud was ridiculous but there was nothing he could do about it. Michael had to resolve these problems on his own.

"Well anyway, I'm glad we went. We had some good grub and, oh yeah! There was a bit of an incident, and well, the long and the short of it is, we found out Sunshine's name!" Brian looked over at Justin and wished he could stop feeling so goofily happy whenever he did.

"Really? Well, if you know his real name, why are you still calling him Sunshine?" Michael asked with logic and jealousy.

"Well, his real name is rather...unusual. I just prefer his nickname, that's all."

"Obviously. Well, come on, don't keep me in suspense." Michael sounded anything but in suspense. Half in boredom, he drank his milk.

"His name is Just-in," Brian said, pronouncing it as two words.

Michael choked, sputtered and sprayed milk out of his nose everywhere, but mostly onto Brian.

"Michael, what the Hell!" Brian jumped up from his seat. He wiped his shirt in vain but saw that he was going to have to have it dry cleaned.

"Shit, Michael!" he ejaculated again as he rang for some help. Michael continued to snort and spew milk and then laughed unkindly.

He was still laughing when the maid came in. Unfortunately, it was the same maid as yesterday.

"ELLLL DIABLOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!"

And she was out of there.

Brian sighed. He was going to have to have a talk with her.

Justin watched everything with wide eyes. He wished he could have sold tickets. He would have made a fortune.

Brian rang again and eventually some different servers came. They cleared away, replaced the tablecloth, and brought replacement milk, orange juice and oatmeal for everybody. They withdrew and eventually it was just the three of them again.

Brian just folded his arms and glared at Michael, waiting.

"Well really, Brian! I am sorry!" he said finally, still snickering a bit, "But it really is ridiculous."

"Michael..." Brian growled warningly.

"No, really, I'm serious. I'm not trying to be unkind here..."

"You're not...not trying either," Brian growled.

"Granted. But think about it. That can't be it. I mean...those are just two words. What mother goes around naming their baby after two words like that? It's stupid."

"Michael..."

"Oh, stop growling at me. You sound like a bear. Fine, whatever, I'll stop. But I'm not calling him that. Just In. Geez, we may as well call him Justin."

Justin sighed with happiness and relief. He was filled with a quiet and powerful joy. And who knew it would be Michael who would provide it?

He pointed at Michael and nodded his head. He smiled with the simple joy and his eyes lit up the room.

Michael's mouth turned down as much as Justin's turned up.

"What now?? What's he going on about? Is he making fun of me?"

"No, of course not. You must have hit upon something. Wait...is that it? Is your name...Justin?"

Justin smiled again and nodded. He closed his eyes and absolutely savored the sound of Brian saying his name...his real name, for the first time.

BJMBJMBJMBJMBJ

Outwardly, they all finished their breakfast in silence.

Inwardly, Justin was singing one of Ted's arias and with every slow chewing bite of his cereal, he would close his eyes and he would be in a green field full of wildflowers. He was lying shirtless on a red and white-checkered blanket and Brian was there in full leather. Boots, chaps, shirt, jacket, gauntlets, and those masked goggles that let him stare into eternity. Brian was lying beside him and stroking his smooth chest with one gauntlet and with the other he fed him grapes. With every grape, he leaned over him and spoke his name: Justin...Justin...Justin...

"Justin!"

SHIT! Justin started and his eyes flew open. He was still at the breakfast table, swirling his oatmeal slowly. It was cold. A slow line of oatmeal trickled out the side of his mouth and down his chin.

Brian and Michael were both staring at him. Brian in concern. Mikey, as if he were a half-wit. His middle part was painfully large and tight in his pants again. He had, what did Brian call it? Oh yeah, a stiffie.

"Justin? You OK hon? Did you want any more cereal? We're both done," Brian said pointedly.

Justin dropped his spoon with a clatter. He wiped his mouth and pushed away his bowl. He smiled and nodded his thanks.

No, he didn't want any more cereal.

But he sure did have a hankering for some grapes.

BJMBJMBJMBJMB

As they walked out of the dining room and into the Great Hall, Justin was able to walk almost normally. His heart was so light that he was able to virtually ignore the pricking pains in his feet.

"Well, I'm going to have a read," Michael said, automatically turning toward his favorite study. He could tell Brian wanted to be alone with his new pet and he was starting to feel a little left out. But as long as Brian came to him at night, he didn't care. At least, that's what he kept telling himself.

"Hang on, Michael. Before you go, I have something to show you."

"What is it?"

"A surprise. Remember our talk yesterday morning?"

"Yes."

"OK. Well, this surprise is mainly for Sun...Justin, but it concerns you as well."

Justin's face lit up. Another surprise? First the dinner. Next the Remington's fabulous gift. What could possibly top that?

Brian led them down a hall out of the Great Hall, went halfway down a long hall where there was only one set of white double doors on the right. He stopped in front of these doors.

"I chose this room because it's easy to get to but I'll also have the way marked just in case. Sunshine, I hope you like this."

Brian threw open the doors.

Justin stepped forth, slowly, cautiously. He felt that strange feeling that one feels when confronted with a brand new room or domicile. A wonderful feeling of excitement, of exploration, of...newness that a room has before becoming familiar with you.

It had been a ballroom once.

The door opened in at the middle of the room. It stretched away to the left and the right of them in a long rectangle. On the far right hand wall was a huge, floor to ceiling bookshelf. All along the opposite, long wall, high up were round-topped windows. The floor was hardwood, a light tan color. The entire room was two stories high.

And yet, all this was of no consequence. For all of Justin's attention was attracted to the left side of the room.

The entire left wall was glass.

Two stories high, floor to ceiling paned windows faced south, and on either side in a diagonal fashion, east and west.

Near these windows were a stool and a few other chairs of varying degrees of comfort. In front of the stool was an easel. On the easel was a canvas. The rest of the Remingtons' canvases were stacked up against a nearby wall. Their crate was nearby. It was still nearly full of the pencils and notebooks and pads and pads of paper. Near that, also along the wall, a cot was set up. Near that was a bell pull.

Spread out in a semicircle on either side of the easel, were six tables. Each table held a different thing.

On the left: There was a table filled with a nice assortment of notebooks and notepads, a table with an artful pinwheel arrangement of a pencil set, and a table with a pinwheel of a colored pencil set.

On the right: There was a table with a pinwheel of paintbrushes from biggest to smallest, a table filled with tubes of watercolor paints, all the colors of the rainbow, and a table filled with oil colors, all the colors of the rainbow. There was a closed container of paint thinner.

In short, it was an artist's heaven.

Justin was stunned. No, make that ABSOLUTELY STUNNED. He was boggled.

He felt like...it wasn't real. It couldn't be real. A place like this COULD NOT EXIST. He felt as if he moved toward it, it would melt away and vanish, like some mean spirited mirage.

But as he took step after step toward the set up, it did NOT disappear. It just got closer and closer as he walked faster and faster and then he was running, running faster, running full tilt out. He felt nothing in his feet now because his joy was so great and full, he knew he must have been running on air.

As he walked and then ran, he was dimly aware of voices but they didn't matter. Nothing else mattered.

"Holy Shit, Brian! When did you do all this?"

"I made the arrangements before we left yesterday. I told workers what I wanted done and they did it while Sunsh - Justin and I were in Spittsenbeerghur."

"Well, I don't like it! It's too much! Take it down!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Michael. This is only the beginning. Besides," he continued fondly, "Look how much he loves it."

Justin was now touching everything he could, the canvas, the easel, and the tubes of paint, especially the red, yellow, and orange.

"And remember, I told you, this concerns you too."

"And how?" Michael's voice was tight with jealous acid, "does this concern me? This...this thing is all for HIM! Everything you've done since he arrived is for him!"

"If you'd calm down and think...for a minute, you'd realize I've done this for your benefit as well! You said wanted him not to be a charity case and for him to get over his crush on me. Well, this will keep him occupied and away from me enough to do that. As long as he's working in here, he won't have time for me. And from what we've seen him do, I think he can do so much more. So do the Twins, which is why they sent what they were capable of. I just added to it, that's all!"

"Justin!" Brian called to him.

Justin looked up at him the way a flower greets the sun. His face radiated his name. In his hands he still held tubes of red and orange paint. Slowly, he pointed at himself with both hands in askance. "Mine?"

"Yes," Brian said, "All this is yours. You can come and go as you please, and if you accept, I want to place you in the position of court artist. You would receive a salary and of course any money you make selling any pieces you produce."

Behind them, Michael's scowl was getting deeper and deeper.

When you're established we can send you out to make your way in the world. That way, when the time comes, you'll be able to support yourself. All right? Do you accept?"

Michael's scowl turned into a pissed off yet malicious smirk. He would be getting rid of the blond nuisance after all.

Justin's face dimmed slightly, but recovered and nodded. He put down the paint and approached Brian. He looked Brian deep in the eyes and tenderly brought Brian's hand up to his lips and kissed his knuckles softly. Then he drew off his crown and gave it to him. As if in the second half of a ritual, without giving Brian time to object, he bent on one knee and bent his head forward.

Brian crowned him.

"What was that all about?"

"I'm still not sure. It's a sort of ritual we- he made up. But I'm still not sure what it means."

Justin sighed. Sometimes being mute was a real chore.

He stood and turned around. He spread his arms indicating the studio, everything Brian had just given to him. He turned around, and again gave Brian his crown. Immediately, he bent and waited.

Brian crowned him.

"I still don't understand, Sunshine. But I won't stop trying to figure it out. For now, I dub thee, court artist."

Brian took out a golden key on the end of a chain from out of his pocket. He put the chain solemnly around Justin's neck.

"This is the key to this room, Justin. It is yours. Come and go as you please. Lock yourself in. Lock it when you leave, if you choose. Anytime you start to run out of supplies, let someone know and they will be replenished. Understand?"

Justin nodded.

"Furthermore, I've arranged for a tutor to come in for a few hours every day to teach you how to read and write. All right?"

Justin looked distressed and shook his head. He grabbed Brian's hand and pressed it to his own chest, tapping it there. He looked beseechingly at Brian. "You teach me!"

"Oh Sunshine, I can't!" Brian laughed," I've GOT to get back to work. I've taken way to much time off already."

Justin nodded in sorrowful understanding.

"Well, I still think this is all too much!" Michael's voice cut across like a petulant razor blade, "If he gets all this then I want something too!"

Brian felt a pounding begin between his eyes. "Fine!" he ground out, "What...do...you...want?"

"How about a party?" suggested Michael, "Yes, that would be nice. A themed party the night before the next dinner. Maybe even some sort of contest."

"Contest? What kind of contest?"

"Oh, I don't know yet. But I'll think of something."

"Fine...Whatever. Anything you want," Brian said carelessly.

"Anything?"

Uh oh. Justin didn't like his tone."

"Yes, yes! Mikey, why don't you go think about what you want and leave me in peace a bit. You're giving..."

"Excellent. I'll do that." Michael's footsteps tapped away.

Justin watched the confidence in Michael's steps. He grew more and more uneasy. Things did not bode well.

TBC

 Intro: Kind of filler but there's a necessary plot device in there before the main event next chapter. Well.... you'll see.

Chapter 5

THE FIRST WEEK

Part 3 - The Ugly Duckling

The next day after lunch, Justin took a walk to where a river fed naturally into the moat.

His steps were slow and sad and his eyes were soft with already shed tears. In his hand he clutched a paper by its corner.

He was right.

Michael had been up to no good. As soon as he had been given the green light, Michael had started planning a contest scheduled the day before the next dinner.

This morning, at the crack of dawn, the notices had gone up all around the castle and sent out all through Spittsenburrgher and the rest of Liberty Kingdom.

Justin had come down to breakfast with Brian yelling and Michael looking prim and smug.

"That was really low, Michael! To pick the one thing that he can't participate in!"

"You said anything," Michael said.

And though Brian yelled and railed a good deal more and called Michael selfish and spiteful, the only reply Michael would say was: "You said anything." And anyway it was too late.

Eventually, Justin returned to his room to ring for Hobbs and to seek out a quieter breakfast.

It was Hobbs who read him the notice, which filled him with a quiet but constant sorrow. For now he understood Michael's smug look and Brian's anger.

And so he had allowed himself a few tears.

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Now, along the river's edge, Justin managed to find some comfort and serenity.

Justin walked till he came to a place where the river widened out and slowed. Reeds and marsh grass grew everywhere. Ducks swam and other birds and animals were plentiful in the water and trees bordering the water.

Justin sat at the riverbank and watched the ducks, especially a family of ducks with five yellow ducklings swimming all in a row.

It was so cute; he gave a small smile but sighed deeply and unhappily.

Then a sixth duckling appeared out of the reeds. It was white and awkward and larger than the others. It followed the mother duck, only not in the line as the yellow ducklings did. It meandered here and there and dove and swam to the edge of the riverbank and then back to the line.

And when it heard Justin sigh, it looked over. Justin figured he was imagining things but then the white duckling swam over. It gave a kind of deep HONK! HONK! in a kind of greeting.

Justin smiled at it sadly.

Encouraged, the duckling walked onshore and up to Justin.

HONK! HONK!

Justin smiled again. He patted the little duck on the head absently and looked out bleakly at the water.

HONK? HONK? It seemed to be asking something. Justin looked down at it strangely.

HONK? HONK? It was definitely asking something.

Justin shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. He patted his throat and slashed across it.

"HONK! Does that mean you can't speak?"

Justin jumped and his eyes bugged out. Did that little duckling just talk to him? He nodded.

The duckling walked down to the river's edge.

"It's all right everybody! HONK! He can't speak! HONK! He can't tell!"

The duck family and a heron swam over. A number of larks flew down to a low branch.

"Gus! That wasn't wise! He might have told on us!" The mother duck pecked him unkindly.

Justin made an angry face and shooed her. He drew the white bird into his lap. The meaning was clear.

The mother tossed her head. "Fine! You look after him then! You'll find out what a handful he REALLY is!"

She tossed her head again and led the rest of her children back into the river.

"She's been wanting to do that since I was hatched," Gus said, "I'm not really hers. We don't usually talk but since you can't talk, you can't tell on us so I figure it's safe around you. I'm Gus." The white bird finished unnecessarily.

Justin crossed his heart to say it was indeed safe.

"Why are you so sad?" asked Gus.

Justin held out the piece of paper. Although he could not read it, it would remain engraved in his heart and mind forever.

"I don't know all my letters yet," said Gus, "I'm only one and a half months old."

"I'll have a crack at it," said the heron, stretching his neck over. It seemed to be older. It had a rich, deep voice with a cultured accent.

They could read too? ‘But why not?' figured Justin, ‘If they could talk."

The heron read aloud:

LIBERTY IDOL

SINGING CONTEST

LET YOUR PIPES PAY YOUR WAY!

BE PRINCE (SS) FOR A DAY!

FIRST PRIZE: BE PRINCE BRIAN'S COMPANION AND ASSISTANT

FOR THE DAY AND PLAN THE WEEKEND DINNER PLUS 500 GOLD PIECES

SECOND PRIZE: 100 GOLD

THIRD PRIZE 50 GOLD

"Oh. I see. I'm very sorry, young man," the heron said and swam away.

Both Justin and Gus were silent for a while. A few more tears squeezed out. The larks stopped singing for a while to respect his sorrow.

Suddenly, Gus said, "I think I know of a way to help you. But I will want some help in return."

Justin looked inquiringly at the little bird.

"If I help you, you must bring me a loaf of bread destined for the Prince's table every day for a week. HONK! I know I must stay here but I can no longer rely on the ducks for help and (HONK!) anything I try to scrounge for myself will not be enough. HONK! Besides, I know the Prince's bread will help me to grow quickly and then I can fly from this place forever. HONK!"

Justin nodded in agreement and crossed his heart.

So Gus waddled off and swam to and fro and every so often he snipped a reed with his sharp beak. He carried each one to shore where Justin picked it out of the water. It took a long time.

However, finally the little duckling was done. Justin realized he had 12 reed pipes, all of varying sizes.

"Now, tie these reeds together with marsh grass and make yourself a pan flute. HONK! They will be your pipes and your substitute voice for the contest. HONK! Do not forget your promise. I will be here waiting for my loaf tomorrow morning. HONK!"

Justin nodded. He hugged the little bird and stroked them. Gus nodded and swam off.

"We shall help you as well," chirped the larks, "We will be asleep but we will tell our friends the nightingales to come and help you in your act when they hear your pipes."

Justin smiled widely and waved at them in thanks. The larks flew off.

So Justin gathered marsh grass and bound the pipes together from biggest to smallest. He made sure they were secure and blew through them to test them out.

They were perfect. They blew in perfect pitch.

Justin sat cross-legged on the grassy riverbank and played one of Ted's arias. This was easy for him, for although nobody knew...yet...he was very musically gifted. It was a sad piece but with every note his spirits rose. He charmed the birds and animals all around him and by the time he was done, he had a large audience made up of all the water fowl, a family of squirrels, two rabbits, and a deer.

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After returning to the castle with the pan-pipes under his shirt, Justin went up to his room and hid them in the drawer of one of his bedside tables.

At dinner that night, Brian was still upset and overly apologetic but Justin just smiled and consolingly patted his hand in a "Don't worry" type of gesture. He ignored Michael completely.

The rest of the week was rather amusing for Justin. Michael spent all of his time strutting around like a puffed up popinjay, barking orders here, checking this, overseeing that, hopping to, hopping fro, but not actually doing anything.

For the most part, Justin just stayed out of his way. If he entered a room, Justin would leave it. If he was obligated to stay, he would shut down. He just looked at the floor and sat still, communicating in no way with anyone but Brian and even then, only when Brian addressed him.

In the remaining days before the contest, Justin developed his own schedule. In the morning before breakfast, he would steal down to the kitchens, where he would wave and hug the cooks and baker's hello. Many of the bakers were grandmother types, as soft and doughy as the cakes and bread they baked. They took to Justin immediately, in the same way as Debbie had and after he left he was sent on his way laden down with sweets and banana breads and currant buns and many other things. They cooed and pinched his cheeks (and bottom) and Justin let them. He knew as long as he did they would never suspect what he was really after, and what he always got: A fresh loaf of bread that was destined for Brian's table. There was never any trouble about it; there was always a heaping pyramid of at least twelve loaves at all times.

After he had hugged and kissed the last grandmother goodbye, Justin would head down to the river and give Gus his loaf. In addition, he would also share the crusty buns and sweet rolls with him and any other birds that wanted to. By the third day, even the grumpy mother duck warmed up to him.

And since it was determined that he couldn't and wouldn't squeal on them, they all became good friends.

After his visit to the river, Justin would jog back to the castle for breakfast. He came to treasure this time (even with Michael there) for it was the only time that he got to see Brian in the day. As he warned, Brian went back to work. After breakfast, until 6 PM, Brian locked himself in his office and worked...doing...whatever it was he needed to do to keep Liberty Kingdom running smoothly.

After breakfast, Justin would go to his studio and paint. Sometimes he would lock himself in, sometimes he wouldn't. He just liked using the key because Brian gave it to him.

He started a few small paintings, a few easy watercolors and a large piece on one of the largest canvases the Remingtons had sent over. Whatever he was working on, he would always set aside a certain amount of time for the large piece. It was to be his magnum opus. His great work.

After he started the large piece, he covered it. He let no one touch it. He let no one see it. He began to lock the door when he left the room. It became the best known about and best kept secret in the castle.

At lunch, he would ring for it and have someone bring him something. Then he would cover everything and wait, for from 1:00 PM to 3, the tutor would come.

The tutor was seven feet tall and as thin as one of the reeds in the river. He had a long neck and pince-nez glasses. He spoke in a deep, snobby voice and was as boring and dry and dusty as one of the thick commentaries, long forgotten on the top shelf of the bookshelf at the other end of the ballroom. He reminded Justin of the old, thin heron.

Justin hated him. He was boring in every way and he made learning boring. But Justin tried for Brian's sake. Unfortunately, Justin found written script very hard to produce. He so much more preferred to draw and when he was supposed to be listening to the dusty old fossil or practicing his letters, images and pictures would fill his mind with vivid daydreams. His favorite was of a certain leathered and goggled superhero.

At 3 o'clock, the tutor would leave, usually tight assed and pissed off. Justin felt like he was let out of jail. He would paint and draw like a fiend until just before 6 o'clock.

At a quarter to 6, he would cover everything, lock the door, and run/limp to Brian's office door. He would lean up against the wall across from the door with one leg bent and foot flat against the wall in a nonchalant pose.

At 6 o'clock precisely, the door would open and Brian would step out wearily. As soon as he saw Justin, however, his face would light up in delight and his weariness melted away. Justin would pull him in by his tie and give Brian a quick but searing kiss.

Then, with their arms around each other's waist, they would go in to dinner.

After dinner, Brian would read to him, or they'd all listen to music or something else fun. There was a night where Brian said he needed to spend time with Michael, so Justin went to his studio that night to finish a few pieces he wanted to have ready for contest night.

However, what no one knew that at about midnight, he would steal down to the studio and study his letters and practice writing on his own for an hour or two. Then, exhausted, he would creep up to bed or just fall onto his little cot and fall asleep instantly.

Well, someone knew. Someone saw him go down. Because someone was watching.

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Deep in the castle, in the sparse sitting room, the Master waited. He was cloaked and hunched over a meager fire.

The secret knock came at the door.

"Come in!"

"Hello, Master."

"Never mind that! You're late again!"

"I'm sorry, Master. I got - I..."

The man looked into the blackness that was the Master's hooded face and faltered in fear.

"I'm sorry, Master."

"Have you been watching!?"

"Yes Master! Well, I don't know what they did in town, ands I cannot see into the studio but I follow him everywhere else. I watch him 24/7.

The Master leaned forward. His face was fanged and feral in the firelight.

"Tell me," he rasped, "Everything!"

TBC

Disclaimer:I do not own Queer as Folk Any characters and situations and anything else pertaining to real life is referred here for non-profit purposes only No copyright infringement is intended. Although everyone here is now so Out of character, I hardly think this matters. Sorry folks. These things happen.

Chapter 5

The First Week

Part 4 The Contest

Friday Morning...

Justin was at the riverbank, feeding Gus and the others as usual.

Gus had doubled in size. His neck was longer. He webbed feet were black and bigger. He was even more awkward and gangly than before and he was almost as big as the mother duck now. Nobody knew what he was but he was clearly not a duck.

"Are you all ready for tonight?" asked Gus.

Justin nodded.

"Boy, you're really going to knock their socks off! Fuck, yeah!"

"Gus! Watch your language!" admonished the mother duck, "Knock your socks off! Really!! I really don't know where you pick these things up."

Justin laboriously worked over his pad. When he finished after 15 minutes, it said in childishly scrawled letters: IF THEY LET ME.

"Course they'll let you!" Gus said confidently, "Just wait and see."

"You're still having trouble with your letters," the heron observed, "Are you sure you don't want me to help you?"

Justin shook his head in distress. The heron was the animal equivalent to the tutor. But Justin would never let him know that. So he just refused him.

"You know, you draw waaaay better than you write," Gus said, "That and your signing. You should find a way to draw your words. Like for I...you could draw an eye. Or point to your eye."

"He does that anyway, you dolt!" honked one of his duckling brothers.

Justin tapped his neck twice with two fingers. That was his sign for Brian. Quickly he signed out: ‘Brian wants me to practice.'

"Is all your art ready?" asked the mother duck, trying to change the subject. Justin nodded.

"But I mean you could sign everything out," Gus continued artlessly, "The drawings don't have to be all that complicated. Anybody could do it."

"That's enough, Gus," said the mother duck.

"Yeah...It would work," said Gus, almost to himself, "Kinda like charades...only with pictures. Hey, you could call it PARADES!"

"Be quiet, Gus!!" they all yelled and pecked him.

"All right! All right! I'm going! I was done anyways." Gus flapped, took off, grazed a tree branch, and flew off.

Justin got ready to go as well.

"The nightingales are ready as well," the larks reported. "They say they have prepared something very special.

Justin gestured, "What?"

"They wouldn't say," the larks said. Then, they too, flew off.

That evening...

A large ballroom had been converted into a theatre for the contest. At one end, a makeshift stage had been set up and all through the rest of the room chairs were set up facing it.

Justin had spent the afternoon in this ballroom. He had been authorized to use one long wall to set up the paintings he wanted to sell. He and two servants who had been sworn to secrecy hung each painting exactly right and then covered them with a cloth.

Justin's stomach was knotted with nerves. It wasn't so much the paintings themselves. He had done the best with them and they were finished and done with anyway. They were all horrible, of course. But it was Brian's reaction that had him wondering. Justin had given a lot of thought to what he should paint. He had a PLAN.

Michael, of course, had spitefully and strenuously objected to him having a showing at all. This was HIS project and show, why should he let Justin steal his thunder? However, once it was pointed out that should Justin's art sell, he would be that much closer to moving out, he reluctantly agreed.

Justin was also nervous about whether he should even go through with the whole pan-pipes idea. Would they even let him? He so much wanted to try. He wanted to knock Brian's socks off. He wanted him to be proud of him. He wanted Brian to respect and love him and see him more than a mute sea sprite that he needed to take care of.

And oh! To hope against hope of spending a whole long day with him again. To prepare his dinner and sit in the place of honor next to him. To be able to converse with him and have a perfect view of him and everyone else, instead of being fifteen people down or more where he could barely see him. That would be prize enough for Justin. He would gladly give up the 500 gold just for that. Such a thing, in Justin's eyes...would be priceless.

All too soon, the sun was setting, the butler was turning up the chandeliers, and people were arriving.

Also along the side, near (but not too near) Justin's wall, a table of hor d'oeuvres and wines had been set up. As people arrived, they claimed their seats and then wandered over to serve themselves.

Justin had quickly changed into a nice but casual blue suit with a red silk tie. He stood by the first painting, partly to guard, partly as a case of nerves. As each person came over, he would shake their hand in greeting and smile. Then the guests would go back to mingling and Justin would watch them do what he would never do again...chat.

Soon there was a longish cocktail party going on along the table with everybody jockeying for position to see the paintings the best.

Debbie and her date, Carl arrived. The party got loud. She squealed and hugged Justin so hard, he swore he heard a rib crack. He kissed her cheek and she licked her palm and tried to fix his hair and only succeeded in mussing it. Carl finally pulled her away and once her back was turned, he discreetly combed it back into place again.

The Remington twins arrived. The party got louder. They came over and shook his hand then gave him a spontaneous group hug that nearly crushed Justin flat. But somehow he recovered and the twins went to have a drink.

More people were to come but at that moment Brian and Michael entered. And for Justin, that meant the party was complete.

Both were dressed in partial regalia. Brian wore a nice black suit with a white shirt and a maroon tie. His hair was combed back into a nice part to the right. He carried a jeweled scepter and wore a long golden chain with a large emerald on it. He wore an impressive spiked golden crown encrusted with diamonds, rubies and emeralds.

Michael was dressed in some sort of old world suit with gold colored buckled shoes, silver socks, golden breeches and a gold coat and a silver shirt with a silver beret type hat. He thought he looked rich, elegant. He looked stupid.

Brian and Michael approached Justin and bowed formally. He bowed back and imagined he was bowing to Brian alone.

Brian turned to the crowd and said: "Ladies and Gentlemen, last week many of you were here to witness this young man's rise as a sketch artist..."

Here Debbie threw Michael a look so dirty it made you want to do laundry. Michael studiously ignored her.

"...and tonight, you are here to see which he can do as a painter. Over the last week he has been given the opportunity to expand his gift and tonight you are invited to view the fruits of his labors. Also, I am happy to say, we managed to recently discover the young man's name! And now, I present to you, Justin!"

Everyone clapped and cheered. Justin bowed. With a flourish, he yanked the cover off of the first painting.

Everyone gasped.

It was a watercolor of the sun setting over the ocean. The sunset had rich beautiful colors of red, yellow, orange and pink. The sun was so low it was touching the horizon. And over the sun, curved in a semicircle over top jumped a merman with a blue-green tail. His face was indistinct but you could tell by its features that it was a man.

Everyone ooohed and ahhhed.

"Oh, look, it's a merman!" said a genius.

Justin pulled the cover off of the next painting. Again, everyone gasped.

This one was a long, thin rectangular canvas. It was spit into halves, two squares, and each one its own panel. The top panel was oil, the bottom a watercolor. The top one showed the deck of Babylon, indistinct, dancing men in blue and white uniforms, and in the center was Brian in stark detail. He was in the dancing clothes Justin had seen him in and he was looking straight into you, the viewer's eyes. The bottom panel was watercolor, more indistinct, and faced the other way, toward the railing. It was Brian's point of view. Over the railing peeped a blond head, his face indistinct, except for his blue eyes. His blond hair was ethereal, glowing like a halo.

Justin pulled his third cover.

A small but vivid oil painting of a ship on a stormy sea on fire. A white lightning bolt was striking the mast. Justin looked straight into Brian's eyes. Brian looked thunderstruck.

Justin pulled the fourth cover.

It was another watercolor. It was a blue and green underwater seascape filled with planks and barrels and other debris. In the midst of the debris, a man was sinking, limp and helpless. He was wearing the same brownish color shirt-vest that Brian had been on that fateful night. Swimming toward him, with arms ready to grab him was a blue-green merman with blond hair.

Justin pulled the fifth cover.

A watercolor. A beach. A golden and pink dawn was rising over a calm blue ocean. The sun was halved on the horizon. On the beach, the man lay on his back and the merman lay over and beside him. The merman's head was glowing like a candle. Both faces were indistinct.

Justin pulled his sixth and last cover. It was his largest and most magnificent.

Everyone gasped appreciatively and clapped. Justin bowed again. Everyone began to disperse.

The sixth painting was a large oil. A leatherman in goggles and gauntlets rode a black and silver motorcycle through a blue sky. The motorcycle had black-feathered wings.

Justin looked into Brian's thunderstruck eyes and was surprised when they hardened into anger.

Justin took a few steps toward him and at the same time Brian strode toward him. Somehow they met in a middle ground. Justin's blue eyes shone with concern. Brian's eyes shone with anger.

"Just what the - SHIT - do you think you're playing at, Justin?"

Justin shrugged his shoulders in the askance.

"That stuff I told you last week at the diner. I thought... I thought we shared something...something special, something private! You- you USED ME! You used my grief and plastered it all over the wall!"

Justin shook his head. He reached out to take Brian by the hand. Brian yanked it away as if it were burned.

"Don't touch me! How could you do this to me, Justin? How?!"

Justin moved over to the two -paneled painting. He pointed to the top panel. He pointed to himself. He pointed his index and middle finger into a V. He pointed at his eyes. He pointed at Brian. "I saw you!"

He pointed to the bottom panel. He pointed at Brian. He pointed at his eyes. He patted his chest. "You saw me!"

He moved over to the painting of him swimming through the water to rescue Brian from the deep. He pointed to the merman. He patted his chest. He pointed to the sinking man. He pointed at Brian. He looked straight into Brian's troubled eyes and repeated the gesture and nodded gravely.

He moved over to the beach painting. He pointed at the man. Pointed to Brian. He pointed to the merman. He pointed at himself.

Brian watched all this in disbelief.

"What are you saying? That this all happened? What? That you're that merman?!"

Justin took two steps forward. He lifted his chin and looked straight into Brian's eyes. He took a deep breath. The time had come.

He nodded twice.

Brian leaned in close. "I'd check again, Sweetness!" he pointed at Justin's legs. "Where's your tail?"

Justin whipped out a pad and pencil. He had been preparing for this question. He hadn't been staying up nights practicing for nothing.

In slow, childish, large letters he wrote: I paid the price 2 B with U.

"What price? What are you talking about?"

Justin patted his throat. He pointed with his pencil to PAID THE PRICE. He repeated this.

Brian pulled back again. His face was again a mask of anger, hate, and disbelief.

"My God! You're pathological! Look, I don't know where this fish fetish came from and I don't care! But you are obviously a man, not a- a merman!"

The last two words were spat out with the utmost contempt. "There are NO SUCH THINGS as mermen!" His voice remained low but was clipped with controlled fury and hate.

" I think you should leave and go to your- go somewhere else tonight because looking at your face right now makes me want to smash something! Now get out!!!"

Justin desperately reached for him but again Brian pulled away and pushed him away. "I said, GET- OUT!" he growled, " And tomorrow we are going to have a- LONG- talk about respecting people's privacy!"

He turned around and stalked away.

Michael stood there with a smug smirk on his face. He loved every minute of this.

"Smooth move, Sunshine," he mocked, before turning on his heel and also walking away.

Justin had always found his muteness annoying, often disabling, especially when he was not able to make himself understood. But he had never felt truly crippled until right now. He was crippled with grief. His eyes squeezed shut and tears gushed out. His face twisted in heartbreak and pain. He bent over the table and held on as a merciless demon stabbed his stomach with the mediaeval knife and twisted it. Then, with his back straight, he limped heavily out of the ballroom and then even heavier up the stairs to his room, disgraced and heartbroken. The knives bit deeply into his feet. He threw himself down on his bed and sobbed his heart out.

He had failed.

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So he was not there when about 20 minutes later, when Brian came back to look again at the paintings to feed his festering grief.

He looked first at the motorcycle painting. It was done in such loving detail. It conveyed fantasy, love, and a wild eroticism. How could he do that painting, and then do...this to him?

He moved over to the two-paneled painting. Oil and water. Two things that could exist together and yet apart. He'd even got his crew man's uniforms right. He'd even gotten his clothes right! Wait a minute!

Brian thought back to their conversation in the diner. He checked the other paintings.

A question bloomed.

Brian looked at the painting of the ship on fire. He stared hard at it for a long time.

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It took another hour and a half before the rest of the guests arrived, ogled Justin's paintings, wondered where the artist was, and found their seats.

Brian told everybody that Justin had gotten a stress headache and had gone to lie down. He felt horrible every time he had to tell the lie and even worse that he was the cause of it. Now that he had calmed down a bit, he was sorry he had gone off on Justin so roughly. So the kid had a secret fish fetish and was a bit delusional. Weren't all artists supposed to be a little eccentric? And despite it all, he WAS a very good artist. His showing had, of course, sold out quickly. Brian had, of course procured the motorcycle painting for himself. There was no way he was going to let anyone else have that hanging on their wall.

On either sides of the stage, curtains had been set up to simulate a backstage/wings area. In the front row, a long table had been set up. At this table sat Prince Brian, his new friend, the ambassador of Koffikstan, and a rather severe looking dignitary with a tight bun and pince-nez glasses. They were the judges. Michael was not a judge because he wanted to perform, and in fact, was first on the docket. However, a chair next to Brian was saved for him for when he was done.

Everyone was allowed a glass of wine and a small plate of snacks. The severe dignitary had nothing. The ambassador of Koffikstan had a plate and a flute of champagne. Brian just had a flute of champagne and an empty wineglass waiting for Michael for when he was done. A bottle of wine was discreetly under the table and Brian had a feeling he was going to need it before the night was through. Debbie and Carl both had a plate and a glass. The Remingtons took up four chairs for themselves and each had a plate piled high that they were going to "nibble" It was gone before the first act.

Finally, it was time. The butlers turned down the chandeliers and other people turned up some lights trained on the stage. The MC, a drag queen named Kandy Kane got up and entertained everybody with a little stand up comedy. She had bright red lipstick, a white frizzy wig and a red and white striped dress on. She was quite a character and even made Brian laugh a little.

As the lights were low and everyone was focused on Kandy, a shadowy figure entered the ballroom and snuck along the side of the room until he reached the curtain. The person ducked behind it. Nobody noticed him.

Kandy introduced Michael. He came up onstage in his gold and silver suit and looked more foppish than ever. He started his song.

He was horribly off key. He went on and on in this nasal voice singing about doomed love. He thought he was the greatest thing ever. It was embarrassing. He was terrible. The shadowy figure in the wings winced with every sour note, which was all of them.

Brian didn't know where to look. He had no idea what he was going to.

Finally, mercifully, it was over. Kandy took the stage once more.

"OK, well, that one just kept going, didn't it? Just kidding, Michael, good job, there. And now, give a big hand for..."

And the show went on.

Some were good. Some were bad. The audience heard and saw them all. The judges heard and saw all. But what nobody heard, what nobody saw was a small, thin figure hunching his shoulders and hanging back shyly in the wings, letting contestant after contestant go before him.

Well, almost nobody. During one lady's aria, Kandy recognized it would be considerably long. So she used that time to come over to the young man.

"What's the matter, sugar? You nervous? Don't you wanna strut your stuff?"

Justin turned around. He looked at her with inexpressively sad eyes.

"Oh, hey! I know you! You're..."

Justin raised a finger to his lips.

"Sorry, sugar! I gotcha! Shhhhh! Sorry, my loud mouth usually gets me into trouble but when it does it's usually full, if you know what I mean! So what's got you looking so sad?"

Justin lifted a break in the curtain. He pointed at Brian and then at Michael."

"Oh, yes! I heard about Brian's little blow up! Now, don't you worry, sugar! Brian's temper is like cooking with gas. He boils over hot and fast, but cools off just as quick. You guys'll kiss and make up no problem."

Justin's eyes asked, "Really?"

"For sure! Now, there's only three more people left. You wanna go, or what?"

Justin tapped his throat, and shrugged. He pointed to Brian again and shrugged.

"Oh, that's right, you're mute! What were you planning on, sugar?"

Justin looked around theatrically and raised his finger to his lips.

"Ooooohhh! A secret! Is it juicy?"

Justin nodded. He lifted his shirt and showed her.

"Oh, clever! OK, sugar, here's my two cents! Seems like you really like Brian, right?

Justin nodded.

"But he doesn't really like you...well that way. He's just got his head turned by that Michael character."

Justin nodded sadly.

"That's why you pulled that stunt with your art...isn't it? To get his attention. To get him to stop taking you for granted."

He nodded.

"Well then, I think you should do whatever it is you were going to do. Maybe it's time for him to stop taking you for granted. Maybe it's time for them ALL to stop taking you for granted."

Justin hugged her.

"Now, when do you wanna go on!?'

Justin wrote on his pad slowly, LAST.

"You need anything for your number?"

Justin pointed at a stool and started to write again.

"OK, sugar! You keep at that and I'll be right back!

Kandy went back on stage and made a few smartass remarks and introduced the next act. She timed it pretty good because she was watching Justin out of the corner of her eye and was waiting for him to finish writing. Finally, he was done and the second to last person started.

"OK sugar, what d'ya need?"

He showed her. OPEN WINDOW.

"Not a problem, sugar! You take out the stool, and I'll open a window for you. OK?"

Justin nodded and bowed in thanks.

The last person went on. He was very nasally and bad and thankfully his song was over quickly.

"Oh, what shall I introduce you as?"

Justin handed her a piece of paper. It had taken him ten minutes of painstaking effort to write this upstairs before coming down.

"All right, ladies and germs, hang on to your hats! We have a last minute entry! He's sweet! He's sexy! And he's prepared something very special for you tonight, so I don't want to hear any back talk! It's my pleasure to introduce...JUSTIN SUNSHINE!!"

There was a collective gasp and then dead silence.

Slowly, Justin walked onto stage carrying a stool in one hand. His limp was as heavy as his heart. Halfway to center stage, he looked at Brian reproachfully, daring him to forbid him to continue. Then he limped slowly on until he was center stage and set up his stool. He had gone the exact opposite way as Michael had and dressed as simply as possible. He wore white sneakers, light blue jeans, white tee shirt, a blue plaid shirt over that and a jean jacket over all. Meanwhile, Kandy discreetly went over and opened a window.

"Hey, he can't compete here! He can't speak! He can't sing!" Michael stood up and yelled. (Of course)

"And that's just what you planned on when you made up this little game, you vindictive little prick! Now sit down!" Brian yelled.

"But - but..." Michael sputtered.

Justin pulled out his pan-pipes and held them up.

There was clapping, cheering, whistling and even a "Bravo!" or two.

"No way! That's against the rules! This is a singing contest! No exceptions!" yelled Guess Who.

"Actually, your advertisement DID say: Let your pipes pay your way!" shouted F(Red) Remington.

"And since he doesn't actually have any of his own, I think this is a good idea!" said his twin.

"Yeah! Let him play!" yelled Debbie.

"It's against the rules!" yelled someone else.

The room erupted into a loud mass argument. One half of the room was shouting for Justin to play and the other half telling him to get off the stage.

Justin sat on his stool. He aimed carefully and took a deep breath. He blew out a long controlled High C. It cut through the noise like a knife and quieted everybody down but Justin didn't let up. The note went on and on, steady as a rock and at last shattered a single crystal on a chandelier. Everyone gasped in fear and wonder and a few people screamed a little as the glass fell.

This made even the severe dignitary sit up and take notice. She poked the ambassador from Koffikstan. The ambassador poked Brian. The three of them put their heads together. Justin sat on his stool and put his hands and pipes in his lap while he calmly awaited their decision. Debbie crossed her fingers. The Remingtons were on the edge of their seats. Half of the audience held their breath.

Finally, the dignitary stood up. "Young man, it is our decision to let you proceed. However...please keep the glass smashing to a minimum."

Justin nodded gently at her in assent. He lifted his pipes.

"What!! Brian, NO FUCKIN' WAY!" yelled, (yes, that's right!) Michael. Justin wearily lowered his pipes. "Get him off my stage! He's ruining my contest!"

"The only one ruining your contest is you, Michael! You heard our decision! Our unanimous decision!" Brian added meaningfully.

Michael looked shocked.

"So if you don't want to be disqualified from your own contest, you will sit down and SHUT UP!!!" Brian yelled.

Michael sat down huffily but obeyed and was quiet.

Justin lifted his pipes to his mouth and began. He thought of Ted and chose a particularly sad, slow aria. He imagined Ted was singing along with him, only anytime when Ted would have gone deep, he piped higher. A few minutes into the song, he heard someone say softly, "LOOK! Everyone look at the window!" Without stopping, Justin turned to look, and so did everyone else.

Lined up along the windowsill were 12 nightingales, each with something about the size of a pea clutched in their beaks.

Justin continued his aria. It was slow and beautiful and full of regret. He thought of each of his brothers again in turn. Teddy, whose arias he was reproducing, but would never actually hear again. Emmett, twisting and turning. Blake, with his beautiful teeth. Cody with his treasured hair. His beautiful, beautiful mother. All of them were lost to him forever, and not only that, here they were not even believed in, relegated to books, to a realm of myth and legend.

As Justin played, a nightingale flew off the windowsill and onto the judge's table. It hopped up to Brian and dropped what it had been carrying in its mouth into his champagne flute. It was roughly the size of a pea, but of its own unique shape. It was the birthstone of the first month, a blood red garnet.

The little nightingale spread its wings and lowered itself in a kind of birdlike obeisance. Then it turned and flew off and landed on Justin's shoulder. Justin continued to play.

The second nightingale flew to the table and dropped the second month's birthstone into the glass, an oval cut, rich-purple amethyst. It bowed and flew and joined the first on Justin's shoulder.

The third nightingale flew over and dropped the third month's birthstone into Brian's glass, a sky-blue aquamarine. It bowed and flew to Justin's shoulder.

The fourth nightingale flew over and dropped the fourth month's birthstone into the glass, a brilliant diamond. It bowed and flew to Justin's other shoulder.

The fifth nightingale flew over and dropped the fifth month's birthstone into the glass, a leaf-green emerald. It bowed and flew to Justin's shoulder.

The sixth nightingale flew over and dropped the sixth month's birthstone into the glass, a lustrous, pea-sized pearl. It bowed and flew to Justin's shoulder. Justin continued to play. He was remembering the little children he used to play with and would never see again. His cheeks were wet with tears. Everyone was captivated by this miracle and by the beauty of his song. Many people also had tears in their eyes or were full on crying.

The seventh nightingale flew over and deposited its birthstone. It was a bright red ruby. It bowed and flew to Justin's left leg.

The eighth nightingale flew over and deposited its birthstone in the glass. The eighth month's birthstone was a round cut, olive-green peridot. It bowed and flew to Justin's right leg.

The ninth nightingale flew over and deposited its stone, a lustrous, bright blue sapphire. The glass was now full. It bowed and flew to Justin's left leg.

The tenth nightingale flew over. It waited. Brian hesitantly put out his hand. The little bird put the tenth birthstone, an opal, white, with streaks of pink running through it into his palm. It bowed and flew to Justin's right leg.

The eleventh nightingale flew over and put the eleventh month's birthstone into Brian's palm. It was a faceted, honey yellow topaz. It bowed and flew to Justin left leg.

The twelfth and last nightingale flew over. It put its stone into Brian's palm, a green-blue turquoise. It spread its wings, bowed and flew to Justin's right leg just as Justin finished his aria.

"You are not done yet, my Prince! Now, play something happy and marvel at what we shall do for you," said the nightingale nearest his right ear.

The audience clapped in appreciation but then gasped as the saw Justin breath in, in, in. He wasn't done.

Justin began a wild song, as fast and a free as the birds on his shoulder and as he did, all twelve of the birds took off and began an astonishing aerial acrobatics display. They formed a horizontal circle with six birds and a line of six birds went up and through it. Then they did the same thing with a vertical circle. They formed two circles interlocking. A double helix going all the way up to the ceiling. They flew in two circles diagonally in opposite directions around Justin's body, so close he could feel the wind of their wings. But he was unafraid because he knew they would not hurt him. He played on and on, letting his heart soar with the wild, fast tempo, with the little birds' antics. The birds formed many other designs, too many to describe here.

Justin speeded up. The birds sensed the ending of the song. They flew out into the audience.

Justin played faster and faster, led to a big finish, and then another long, wild note. Again he aimed carefully. The birds wheeled about, six to the left, six to the right and headed back to the stage.

Justin continued his long, high note. Michael's wine glass shattered. It was half full. It splashed wine all over his face.

The birds flew back to the judge's table. With one accord, they all muted on Michael and flew out the window.

Justin held the note about 2 more beats and finished. He was done.

The audience clapped and screamed and stood. It was a standing ovation. Well, all except muted on Michael. His gold and silver suit was ruined. He looked around for some support but Brian was too busy standing up and clapping, tears running down his face.

Justin stood and bowed and started to drag his stool off. Kandy came and got it from him. So, he just limped heavily offstage.

"Did I tell you he had something special, or did I tell you!" she screamed.

Everyone screamed right back.

"OK folks! We're just going to let the judge's decide and we'll be right with you!"

The judges put their heads together for a long time. Finally, they handed four pieces of paper up to Kandy.

"OK, folks, the judge's wanted to tell you guy's first off, that they needed to put their heads together for a while mostly to decide the second and third prize winners. Third prize goes to..."

The third prize went to a worthy female opera singer. Second prize went to a male who had sung an exceptional ballad.

"And first prize, winning 500 gold and Prince for a day...is JUSTIN SUNSHINE!!!

There was thunderous applause and another standing ovation.

Justin limped back onstage. Brian was waiting for him, a big smile on his face. Justin made his way over to a centre spot and bowed for the crowd to get them to sit down. Even the severe dignitary was clapping discreetly and treating herself to a small smile.

Suddenly, Michael jumped up. His face was a mask of hate. "YOU!" he screamed, "You FREAK! You ruined everything! You! You did this to me....somehow! I'll get you for this!"

And he was forced to run out of there, humiliated and covered in bird poop. Everybody laughed at him as he ran down the long, long aisle he had set up himself.

"OK! Now that that little unpleasantness is behind us, I'd like to present Justin with his prize!" Brian presented him with 5 bags of 100 gold in them each. Justin bowed and symbolically accepted them.

"I guess these are also yours," Brian said, holding up the flute of gems.

Justin shook his head. He touched the glass and then patted Brian on the chest. "They are yours."

Brian grabbed Justin's hand and raised their arms over their heads and bowed to the crowd with Justin again. "Justin will also spend the day with me tomorrow and see everybody invited to the dinner tomorrow! For now, I bid you all good night!"

The house lights came up. The audience got up, stretched, and milled around. More than a few people went over to sneak another peak at Justin's art before they left.

As soon as everybody started to leave and their focus was off of the stage, Justin turned to the side and again looked into Brian's eyes in a reproachful manner. He regretfully but decidedly, pulled his hand out of Brian's in a mirroring of what Brian had done earlier.

"Well, why don't you come to my office at 11 AM and we'll hammer out all the details?" Brian asked.

Justin looked at him with sad eyes and slowly shook his head. He turned to go and limped to the edge of the stage.

"Sunshine!!"

Justin turned.

"I will see you at 11 o'clock! It seems we have more than a few other issues to discuss as well!" A hint of a command. But underlying that, Brian could not take out the hint of need that entered his voice.

With one arm bent stiffly behind him and the other bent stiffly in front, Justin bowed formally, stiffly at a right angle at the waist. "At your command!" it said.

Then he limped heavily away and out of the ballroom, not looking back. He shook the hands that were offered him but proceeded steadily out. Finally, he got out of there and into the Great Hall. He looked at the stairs and knew there was no way he was going to be able to get up them tonight. Instead, he limped to his studio. He went in and locked himself in. He walked toward his cot, shedding clothes as he went. He took off his shoes and lay down. Despite his victory with the contest, right now, it seemed very hollow. His heart was still filled with grief. He no longer wanted to spend the day with Brian. He couldn't care less about sitting with him at dinner. Whereas before he would gladly have given up the 500 gold, he would now just rather have it alone. Everything else, in Justin's eyes...was just worthless.

Sighing with melancholy, he fell asleep on his cot.

There were no marks or wounds of any kind on his feet. And this was strange because his shoes were filled with blood.

TBC

A/N: All those gems are the actual month's birthstones.

Disclaimer: This chapter and story is meant as fanfic and non-profit purposes only. Any references to Queer as Folk characters or anything else real life is meant as the sincerest form of flattery only. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter 5

THE FIRST WEEK

Part 5 - The Dinner

The next morning...exactly 11:00 AM...

Justin knocked on Brian's office door exactly on time.

"Come in, Sunshine!"

Justin did so, and sat in the comfortable leather chair in front of the desk. His wide, expressive, blue eyes looked at Brian expectantly and sadly.

There was a pause. Brian looked back, a little hypnotized, a little off balance. Did he have to look at him like that, with that mix of disappointment and sadness? How was he supposed to make anything right if his insides were twisting with...what was this anyway? Was this ...guilt? Since when did he, Prince Brian Kinney, Prince of Liberty Kingdom feel guilt? But there it was, twisting his guts as he gazed into those gorgeous blue orbs.

Brian shook his head. "Uh...so, how has your morning been going?" he asked.

Justin imagined what his answer would have been like if he could talk.

"Well Brian, I spent a restless night in my studio since my feet were in so much pain after you humiliated me and broke my heart that I could not climb the stairs to my room. Therefore I awoke at dawn when the sun shone through the enormous windows in there. To my disgust, I found that my shoes were filled with night-old blackened blood. I threw shoes and all out the window, as they were totally ruined. Perhaps you will come across them on one of your future morning jogs."

"I snuck upstairs to my room, still in pain, but manageable this morning, washed and dressed quickly and made my way to your kitchens where I said good morning to your staff in order to procure a loaf of bread I needed to give to a magic talking bird as payment for those wonderful pipes I played last night. You remember those pipes, don't you Brian? The ones that allowed a mute man to win a singing contest."

"After feeding and visiting with the magic talking bird and his friends and assuring them all went well with the contest (I saw no reason to burden them with the news of your behavior) I returned to the castle. I had Hobbs bring me breakfast in my room since I wasn't about to partake with you and Michael. After that, I drew and doodled in my room until it was almost 11:00. I came down here where I spent the last 5 minutes staring at your door. I knocked. You let me in and here we are."

Instead he just smiled a small, wan smile and shrugged his shoulders.

Brian maintained eye contact for a few moments. Then he sighed heavily. "Look, Justin, I really am sorry. I shouldn't have come down on you so hard last night. I just thought you had betrayed a trust and that took over my temper and I never got the chance to say what I really wanted to."

Justin moved his hand. "Go on," it said.

"Your art was fantastic. Everybody loved it...I loved it! In fact, I bought a piece for myself." He motioned behind Justin.

Justin turned. He smiled. On the wall, above the door, was the painting of the flying motorcycle man. He turned back.

"You didn't think I'd let anyone else have that one, did you? Brian asked, winking.

Justin smiled.

"And, as for the rest of it, well, we'll work through it. You're an artist. Artists are eccentric mostly, aren't they? If you want to believe you're a merman, well, I'll deal with it somehow."

Justin's smile faded. Brian saw that that was the wrong thing to say.

"I also kept a few other paintings aside," he soldiered on gamely, "They belong to others now but I convinced them to let me borrow them for a day and have them delivered to them."

"I went back to look at them after...after...after...well, after I yelled at you," he jerked this out with difficulty, "and I came up with a few questions."

He pulled out a few of the paintings from behind his desk. The two paneled one with him dancing. The one of the merman swimming to the rescue of the doomed, drowning Prince. And the painting of the ship being struck by lightning.

"I only told you that my ship sank. I didn't tell you the mast was struck by lightning." He pointed to the painting of him dancing. "I never told you what I was wearing. But that IS what I was wearing. Exactly. How did you know?"

"He looked over at Justin and was a bit startled to see him broadly smiling now. Justin stood and came over to the paintings. He pointed to himself. He made a V with his fingers and pointed to his eyes. He pointed to dancing Brian. "I saw you."

He pointed at himself. At his eyes. At the lightning. "I saw this!"

He patted his chest. He pointed at the rescuing merman swimming toward Brian, also in his dancing clothes. He pointed out that similarity but then saw it was not really necessary. Brian had noticed.

Justin pulled out his notepad. He wrote slowly, pressing hard. I DONUT BELEEVE. He showed Brian He wrote again, concentrating so hard, his tongue stuck out a bit. Brian watched that tongue, fascinated. He was remembering how it tasted. God, that seemed like an age ago. He missed it.

Justin showed him. I AM. He pointed at I DONUT BELEEVE. Then at, I AM. He pointed at the merman. He pointed to the doomed man. He pointed at Brian. He held up I AM. He folded and put it in Brian's breast pocket. He turned and began to walk out.

"It was you," Brian said softly.

Justin stilled. His insides felt like they had turned to ice. Slowly he turned.

"That is what you are saying, isn't it? That it was you who saved me?"

Justin nodded. He took a step toward him.

Brian took a step toward Justin.

Then, together they stepped together and snapped together. Their lips fused together for another one of their mind-blowing, explosively hot kisses that went on and on, sapping their reason, fusing their minds and hearts into one. Justin sucked greedily at Brian's tongue, tasting his sunshine, wishing more than ever that he could turn it on again, give Brian a fresh infusion and make him remember. But he couldn't. His sunshine was gone.

Brian closed his eyes and gave into the pleasure, the absolute, wonderful, ecstatic, unbelievable pleasure of having his Sunshine in his arms and on his lips once again. He ravaged Justin's mouth, nipping his lips in a primal gesture. He felt Justin push back, giving as good as he got. Once again, he felt that strange feeling as if he were in a time out of mind, a strange sense of déjà vu. He'd done this before...before he'd found Justin on the beach that is...but when? Before...before... before...

An explosion of light burst in front of his closed lids. A flash of pure golden light that blinded him. It threw him back into time and then back to the present so violently that it gave him whiplash. His eyes flew open and he broke the kiss. His head whipped up and he gasped in a huge breath, his eyes wide.

"It was dawn!" he gasped. Justin nodded excitedly. "We kissed at dawn! I mean before!" Justin nodded again.

Brian collapsed back into his chair, exhausted. His forehead glistened with sweat." That's it though. I can't remember anything else."

Justin came over and settled his little bottom into Brian's lap, sitting sideways in the chair. He pulled Brian's handkerchief out of his suit coat's breast pocket. He gently wiped Brian's brow and stroked his cheek soothingly with his little hand. Brian caught it up in his own big one and enfolded Justin in his arms. They kissed again, slow and languorously.

"Mt sweet Sunshine," Brian murmured, "My little merman...Mmmmmmmm... And then for a long time there was nothing but tasting and sucking and giving and taking and kissing...and kissing...and kissing...

BJBJBJBJBJBJBJBJBJBJBJBJ

A long time later they finally died down and Justin lay his head down on Brian's chest. He rested there for a minute as their breathing returned to normal. Sanity returned.

"Justin, I won't pretend to understand everything that's going on here. I remember dawn. That's it. I don't remember drowning. I don't remember you rescuing me. And I don't understand how you could be a merman. They're legends...made up." When Justin began to wriggle indignantly in his lap, he hurried on, "But I also can't think how you could be in the middle of the ocean to see me either. Say, you didn't stow away, did you?"

At Justin's outraged expression, Brian laughed. "Oh, Sunshine, I was kidding. Relax." He kissed away his indignation. Then he grew serious again. "Oh Justin, I'm so confused. I don't know what to think...to believe. All I know is I'm so sorry for how I treated you last night. I was miserable being angry with you. And I can't bear seeing you unhappy at me. Forgive me?"

Justin sighed and nodded.

"What's the matter?"

Justin took out his pad. A while later he showed him, I AM from before and then his new missive: WILL PROOFE IT.

"In the meantime, "Brian said, "How about a truce? Let's table this whole merman thing for now and get through the day today and have a nice dinner with all our friends, OK?"

Justin nodded and held out his hand to shake on it. Brian grabbed it and used it to pull him in and kiss the daylights out of him.

BJBJBJBJBJBJBJBJBJBJ

As they walked into the dining room for lunch, Justin suddenly hung back.

"What's the matter, Sunshine?"

Justin made his sign for Michael, one finger tapping on his neck.

"I haven't seen him since he ran out last night. I imagine he's in one of his secret haunts somewhere in the castle, licking his wounds. He'll come out eventually, don't worry. Which reminds me. Don't go wandering too deep into the castle without me or another escort. The rooms and corridors are maze-like and you will quickly become lost unless you know what you are doing and trust me NOBODY knows what they are doing in this place. Not even me."

He rang for lunch. Justin sat down and gestured, "Why?"

"Why is it like that? I don't know. This place is generations old. One generation built upon the next. The place just got bigger and bigger and eventually everyone forgot about keeping track. There are also many secret passages and rooms built in for defense and hiding, many of which I don't know about. I've even heard that there are some of which open spontaneously as traps to deposit you...who knows where."

Justin listened raptly with wide eyes.

"My point is, just stay in familiar areas when I'm not with you and you'll be fine. Why do you think I gave you rooms that are quite close to the Great Hall?" They were sitting by this time, waiting for lunch. He reached over and stroked Justin's hand. "I can't lose my little ray of sunshine!"

Justin basked in the stroking, but then his eyes widened in realization of what he was doing. He loved Brian so much but... Regretfully, he pulled his hand away and sadly shook his head.

"Justin? What's the matter?"

Justin took Brian's left hand and fingered his ring finger meaningfully.

"What? Michael? I told you, he's off somewhere. He won't know."

A reproachful look. Now he grabbed his finger and held it up. Then he let it go and drew his hands in to himself. The simple gesture spoke volumes. Lunch came in the form of tomato soup and thick sandwiches. Brian thanked them and the servers withdrew.

There was an awkward silence. The two men began to eat. A third chair was noticeably empty. And yet, at the same time it was very, very full.

"You didn't seem to have any reservations earlier when you were kissing the daylights out of me," Brian said sulkily.

Justin sighed and by his eyes told Brian, yes, he was at fault too. Once again, he brought out his little notepad.

He drew a triangle. At each corner he wrote a letter and they interconnected. B-J-M. He pointed to J and then at himself. He signed I Love You. He pointed to M and traced the line to the B. He signed: Loves you. AKA: Michael loves you. He pointed to B. He signed: You Love Who?" or "Who do you love?"

Brian looked a little ashamed. "To tell you the truth, Justin, I don't really know anymore. For a while there, Michael and I were very happy together. But then, even a little before you came along, he was starting to show signs of being uncaring, unkind and angry. He became spoiled and cruel. And then you DID show up and well, you've seen what he's become. I've been having second thoughts about marrying him for a while now. I don't think he'd make a very good husband or King anymore. But I did obligate myself to him and he won't let go without a fight. At the same time I can't deny that I have feelings for you any longer. I do. I love you too Justin. And this makes everything so much more complicated. Can't you see that?"

Justin shook his head. He decided to make a defining move here while he had the chance. After all, his life depended on it. He took the triangle and decisively drew an X over the M.

Brian gasped a little at that. "Why Sunshine! I didn't know you were so ruthless!"

Justin looked at him seriously. "I Love You," he signed again. He motioned toward Michael's chair. He motioned back and forth between it and Brian. (If you two were talking) He motioned at Michael's spot again and took the triangle again. He made an X over his J and looked pointedly at Brian.

Brian understood. "Yes, I guess he would," he said softly.

Justin rang for somebody.

Somebody came. "Yes, Majesty?" he asked.

"Not me," Brian said, "Justin rang for you."

The server was afraid of that. He didn't really know what to make of this silent man who could not communicate. But he dared not show any discomfort, especially in front of the Prince. He approached Justin warily. "Yes sir?"

Justin had been hard at work with more letters. He showed the server CAKE?..and looked hopeful.

"Yes sir, I can bring you some." The server disappeared and a big slab of chocolate cake came a few minutes later.

After the server withdrew, Justin took the cake and placed it in front of Brian along with the paper with the love triangle on it. He gave him a sweet, soft kiss of love and regret and stroked his cheek. Then he left the room to go plan the dinner and leave Brian alone with his thoughts.

Brian listened to the silence of the empty room and looked at the piece of cake. The meaning was clear.

BJBJBJBJBBJBJBJBJBJBJB

Later that evening...about 5 PM or so....

Justin stood in the dining room they were using for the Dinner and looked at his table in pride. He and a few servants who were not bothered by his muteness had spent the better part of the afternoon getting it ready for the evening.

Unlike Michael, Justin had actually pitched in, setting each place along with his helpers. About halfway through, he took a break and went down to the kitchens to see how the food was coming and what was being prepared. However, he was so pleased at the dishes being prepared and the efficiency of the workers that he quickly left them to it and went back up to the dining room again. And now all was in readiness.

"Justin! Justin! Where are you, Sunshine!?" he heard the deep voice of the Prince of the land calling him.

Justin went out of the dining room, shutting the double doors behind him. He entered the Great Hall.

Brian was waiting for him by the stairs. How did that man get more gorgeous every time Justin looked upon him? How? HOW!? It simply wasn't fair.

Brian was standing there, arms akimbo, wearing black slacks, black dress shoes, a white shirt, a light blue v-necked sweater over that with a matching blue tie tucked underneath that. Over all, he was wearing what looked like a golden dinner jacket with golden buttons, half buttoned up from the bottom. The jacket was tight in the wrists and flared out in the sleeves giving it a poofy look. He wore a coronet tonight, a simple gold band that widened in the front and was encrusted with a single ruby, emerald, and sapphire.

And there was Justin in his sweatpants and work shirt, with sweaty hair and back, looking and feeling like a frump. At least Brian had found something to do with a few of those jewels, Justin thought with a stab of...he didn't know what, but it wasn't pleasant. Then he shook it off. He had given the nightingales' jewels to Brian free and clear. He could do with them what he willed.

Brian looked over at the sweaty, disheveled blond and loved him more. He was so cute and he didn't even know it.

"Is everything ready, Sunshine?" he asked.

Justin nodded.

"OK, well, go get cleaned up. The guests will be here soon. Besides, I have something for you when you come down. Dress in a sweater like me, OK?"

Justin nodded, a little shamefacedly. Brian thought he looked like a frump too.

He walked past Brian and took a step up.

"Oh Justin?" called Brian.

As Justin turned, Brian gave him a small nudge in the back. This caused him to lose his balance and he fell backwards. Brian caught him easily and dipped him back deeply in a perfect arc with one leg in the air, the other leg's toe just barely touching the stair. He kissed him soundly.

"God, you look so sexy all shiny and sweaty from a good long workout! Hurry back, I'll be waiting right here with your surprise." He gave him another quick but hot kiss and set him on his feet again. Justin ran up the stairs, his face now pink with pleasure. Damn that man! How did he know exactly what he was thinking at all times and look good doing it? It was positively infuriating.

Upstairs, he had a quick wash, dressed in black shoes, black slacks, a white shirt, and a red v-neck with a matching tie showing underneath. Then he rushed back to the stairs.

Brian was still there, idly tapping his fingers on the banister. Justin hid for a moment just watching him. Just now, when he thought nobody was watching, Brian was beautiful. His face was relaxed and happy and his mask that he thought he needed to show everyone, to show them he was strong, aloof, a leader, was down. His eyes sparkled. Justin took a mental picture and knew he would paint that face once day.

Then he started down the stairs. Brian caught the movement out of the corner of his eye and turned. He smiled widely but the mask went back up. The sparkle went out of his eye but his genuine smile did not. As Justin came down the stairs, Brian held up his surprise.

Justin gasped. It was a golden dinner jacket; identical to the one Brian was wearing. Just like Brian's it had designs embroidered all over the sleeves and looked wonderfully soft and decadent. Justin flew down the stairs. But as he drew closer, he saw that this was not the end of the surprise.

The jacket has seven buttons down the front and each of the sleeves had a button at the wrist. Each button was made up of a jewel that the nightingales had brought the night before. A small wire horseshoe had been cleverly soldered onto each stone or gem and this "horseshoe" had then been tightly sewn onto the jacket as a button. From top to bottom the buttons were the garnet, the amethyst, the aquamarine, the peridot, the opal, the topaz, and the turquoise. The two cuff buttons were the white diamond and the pearl.

Brian held out this amazing jacket and put it on Justin. It was crushed velvet and felt wonderful. At the same time there was a delightful heaviness to it.

"Yes," Brian said when Justin mimed testing the weight of it. "There is 20% golden thread woven into it. I once tried making a solid gold jacket. It didn't go well. It was so heavy I couldn't move. But I found 20% to be a good mix."

Slowly, Brian buttoned up the turquoise, the topaz, the opal and the peridot. He buttoned up Justin's cuffs, the diamond and the pearl. Justin was charmed. The jacket's sleeves poofed out exactly the way Brian's did.

"You may have noticed," Brian said, "There are still three gems missing."

Justin pointed to Brian's coronet. He shrugged nonchalantly. "Makes no difference to me," the shrug said.

"Oh, Justin, Justin!" Brian laughed softly, "I'm the Prince of Liberty Kingdom. Do you not think I have gems to spare? No, these are the ones the birds brought." From a deep, inside pocket, Brian took out a flat, purple velvet covered box. He opened it up. Justin again gasped. He couldn't help it.

Inside was an ornate, golden coronet made up of thin interconnecting golden wires. The front of the coronet was solid gold and on the front were encrusted the ruby, the emerald and the sapphire, matching Brian's coronet design exactly. Brian solemnly crowned him, along with his gold and pearl crown.

"Now you are Prince of two realms, land and sea, if as you say, you are my little merman and sea sprite." Brian said.

Justin lifted his head to look into Brian's hazel eyes and nodded. He knew it was just for tonight but he didn't care. For tonight, Michael wasn't here, he was Prince, and he loved Brian, and somewhere he knew Brian loved him too. He knew it would only be a matter of time. His eyes grew moist. He wanted so much to convey his happiness, his gratitude, his pure and utter love. But he couldn't. He couldn't say a word.

A strange thing happened. He continued to look into Brian's eyes. Brian looked into his blue ones. The world melted away like wet paint. There was only the two of them. Justin lifted his little hand to stroke Brian's cheek.

"God, you're so beautiful!" Brian breathed out, "Oh, Justin! Oh, my little Merman!" He pulled Justin to him and devoured his lips and tongue and then for a long time there was nothing but the two of them and passion, and kissing and crushed velvet getting more and more crushed.

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An hour later...well, a half hour later...well it had to be at least 15 minutes, it just had to be...Justin and Brian finally slowed and pulled apart. Justin's crotch was painful with another stiffie. He wanted more. He needed more. He reached down and checked Brian. Yup. Brian had one too. As his lithe, artist fingers lightly stroked his dick, Brian gasped. Justin took Brian's hand and put it on his own stiffie. He looked into Brian's eyes and tried with all his might to convey that, yes, he was ready for the next step...whatever that was.

Brian moved his hand around to grasp Justin's waist and mashed their cocks together and kissed him soundly one last time. "Are you sure?" he asked. Justin nodded.

"What about M-"

Justin placed his finger over his lips, silencing him. "No Michael. Not tonight," he signed. "Tonight, I am your Prince."

"You're right. We won't mention him for the rest of the night. But I thought you didn't want to be any more...physical than we already have been because of...him."

Justin groaned and shook his head and shrugged and generally tried to convey his frustration. He managed to sign, "You make me crazy!"

Brian laughed. He kissed him deeply. Then again quickly. Then yet again. "I love making you crazy. I love kissing you. One more." He added, taking that one more quickly. "Let's not do anything rash. Let's talk about it after dinner. We may both change our minds."

Justin nodded in agreement. Brian held out his hand. "Show me your table?"

Justin smiled brilliantly and grabbed his hand and together they ran across the hall like giggling schoolboys in golden dinner jackets. With a flourish, Justin threw open the dining room doors.

Brian was charmed. He loved it. Instead of one long table, Justin had set up 12 smaller round tables that seated 4 each. There were 6 tables on each side of the room. At the end of the room and on the left side was a smaller (but not too much smaller) table set for 2. And just beyond that at the very end of the room was a rectangular table set for 2. This was their table and it was set so they would be sitting side by side, facing the other 7 tables and the whole of the long room.

Every table had its own unique and tasteful bouquet of flowers in a crystal vase. Some were red roses, some white roses, and some had a mixture of both. There were variations involving tulips and carnations and a variety of other wildflowers. Each place setting was elegant and beautiful with silverware and white plates and water glasses and wine glass and a coffee/tea cup. A white cloth napkin was rolled up in a silver napkin holder and placed on top of the main plate. Unlike last week, each place setting was exactly alike. Each was elegant and beautiful but no one had more or less than anyone else regardless of their status, not even the Princes. Each table had a carafe of coffee, and a white teapot. Each had a bottle of red wine and bottle of white wine.

Most unusual of all, all along the long side walls were two sideboards, running down nearly the entire length of the room. These long tables blocked off even the two middle doors on either side. The idea was that everybody would be able to serve themselves from the steam trays that would be brought out. The servers would be able to refill the trays from the sides without bothering the guests. Justin showed Brian that occasionally the servers would be able to replace the coffee carafes and teapots as well but that was about the extent that the guests would feel their presence. He showed him where extra napkins were already laid out on the sideboards at periodical intervals.

He walked down to the end. On the nearest table to them to the right, he showed him that he had placed the ambassador of Koffikstan, the female dignitary, Debbie and Carl. The table for two, nearest to Justin and closest to his heart, was reserved for the Remington twins. They would crowd no-one tonight.

"Justin, this is...this is just fantastic! I don't know why I didn't think of something like this before! I love it! I love you, my little ray of Sunshine!" He dipped him deep and kissed him deeper. "Now let's go greet our guests!"

And just as soon as Justin had figured out which way was up again, they did.

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They went to the Great Hall where people were starting to arrive and line up waiting to be let in. They stood on either sides of a doorway and shook hands with everybody who went through into the dining room. When the guests reached the dining room, they were met by one of the servers that had helped Justin earlier in the day. The guest would give his or her name and the server would direct them to their seat. Since they had placed the place cards, this was easy.

Justin gave a special handshake to Debbie and Carl, and stopped the Remingtons before they went in. He took a small box out of each of his slacks pockets and presented them with a small gift of his own. Since becoming independently wealthy overnight, this was his very first major purchase. He had sent a man into town that morning with his written instructions. Inside each box was a thin gold bracelet. Encrusted onto Fred's was a single blue sapphire and on Red's was, of course, a single ruby. He had carefully printed their names on a small piece of paper and placed it inside the top half of the box so they'd know which one was whose.

They loved it. Fred and Red both put on their bracelets and hugged Justin hard enough to give him a hernia. But Justin didn't care. He was happy that he'd made them happy but most of all, he was happy because now he'd finally be able to tell them apart.

At last everybody was in. And at long last, Justin's dream, his wonderful, impossible dream came true.

He took Brian's rather poofy arm in his own and they went in to dinner. Everyone was sitting there waiting for them and they all waved and bowed as they went by. They walked slowly up to the very head table and Justin barely limped at all. They sat down and Justin just reveled in the knowledge that he was the closest to Brian and would be for the entire evening.

At the same time, both Brian and Justin stood up. Justin crossed to his nearest sideboard and Brian went to his. They both filled their plates and came back. Justin waved an arm and Brian did the same and said, "That's the way to do it folks! Dig in!"

There was a rather frenzied rush but since trays of the same food were placed regularly all the way down the sideboard things soon sorted themselves out. Mostly there was the same fare as last week: Beef, chicken, fish, vegetables, etc. but there were also regular trays of pasta, trays of red sauce, trays of white sauce, trays of meatballs, so people could mix and match, or have a vegetarian pasta dish...or not. There were regular places of huge bowls of salad. By each bowl was a selection of oil and vinegar, ranch dressing, or Liberty Kingdom Dressing, the national dressing. Liberty Dressing was pink and went down bitter at first but became sweet and creamy once you relaxed and accepted it.

Everybody sat down with their food and began to eat and talk. In the intimate settings of 4 each, people were forced to get to know their seatmates a bit better and it was easier to do so than talking over one or two people at a long straight table like last week. Justin had tried to put couples with couples and singles with singles, or a couple and two singles in the hopes of matchmaking. He took into account their ages. He was careful. Over the course of the evening sometimes the matchmaking worked. And sometimes it didn't. As anybody can tell you, you can't win ‘em all. He put straights with straights and gays with gays but also a few tables had a straight and gay couple mix.

Justin couldn't converse but he could watch. Sometimes his hand would stray up to feel his coronet and when it did he'd usually look over at Brian right next to him and Brian would look back at him and smile, munching away at whatever he was eating. Brian spent a lot of time talking to the ambassador, of course, but quite regularly, he‘d swallow and say, "Excuse me," and lean over and bend down to give Justin a searingly hot kiss.

Eventually, the dinner was served and eaten, the dessert was served and eaten, (various flavors of cheesecake) and one by one people settled down with a sigh to digest. And one by one, they all stared expectantly at Justin.

At first Justin thought this was some sort of fan worship, or something. He waggled his fingers at a few people when it started but as more and more people joined in he grew alarmed. They were waiting for something. And Justin had no idea what for.

Finally, he looked to Brian for help. He said, "They're waiting for you to do something. They're waiting for you to entertain them. Didn't you plan anything?"

OH---SHIT!!! Justin hadn't. He hadn't even known he was supposed to have planned anything. He had nothing. He had less than nothing. He had...

He grasped at straws. He took out his notepad and started to write.

"Hey look, he's gonna draw again!" somebody yelled. There was a collective cheer.

Ack! No! Justin shook his head and waved his hand violently.

"AWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!" came collective disappointment.

Finally, Justin showed Brian. B RITE BAK.

He ran out of the dining room, grabbing a random server along with him. Brian covered for him and began to tell a fictional story about a wild ride he had taken on his motorcycle and meeting up with two bears and a wolf.

Justin and the server ran pell-mell down to his studio. He unlocked the door. They dashed inside and over to the crate. Justin gave six 8" by 12" notebooks to the servers and grabbed seven for himself. He grabbed all the sharpened pencils that he could and directed the server to do the same. They ran out of the studio. He locked it. They ran pell-mell all the way back. Brian saw them enter.

"Uhhh...and that's why I only take the BEAR necessities when I go out riding from now on," he finished prematurely...and lamely.

There were general groans and boos and hisses at whatever lame pun Brian had told.

Justin and the server gave one notebook to each table. They gave out several pencils per table. Fortunately they had brought more than enough.

Later, he couldn't remember how he did it but somehow Justin managed to sign/write out the directions for picture charades. The Remingtons pulled their chairs up to the royal table as they were the only two tables with 2 people at them and they became a team. One person at the table would choose a person, place or thing and whisper it to the artist. Then the other two would have to guess. They had 4 minutes to guess. Then they would rotate one person to the left and that person became the artist.

PARADES became a huge hit. There was laughing and screaming and arguing. A few fistfights broke out. But Brian himself quickly broke them up. Justin went all moony whenever this would happen and thought he was so masterful, so commanding. Eventually, a few servers were recruited to be referees. Oh what a noisy and exciting and fun evening it turned out to be! A lot of people just did rude sketching as was the idea but more than a few people discovered they had a real talent. And as Justin mused to himself, somewhere along the way, it was all thanks to a rather large and ugly duckling.

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At last, Justin found himself on the receiving line on the way out. He was so tired and dead on his feet but he managed to keep a smile on his face. All he had to do was glance down at that glorious jacket with the gem buttons and his face would crack open again. He shook 25 pairs of hands, nodded what seemed like a million times to thanks for a lovely evening, Many times he was told they understood a bit better what he must be going through. (This notably happened with the few men who had burgeoning shiners from their fistfights.) Justin always smiled and nodded his head slightly in thanks and shook their hands.

At last they were all gone, the portcullis was closed, the doors were shut against the dark night. And it was just the two of them left again.

"May I see you to your room?" Brian asked in a repeat of last week.

Justin nodded. He took Brian's arm and together they walked toward the stairs. They were nearly there when Justin stumbled.

"Are your feet bothering you tonight?"

Justin signed, "Long day." He kept going, his limp a bit pronounced.

Brian smiled and shook his head in amusement. Would that little twat never learn?

He took two strides and swept Justin up into is golden, poofed arms and carried him up the stairs with ease. Justin started to struggle but that was quickly quashed when Brian started to kiss him, little sipping kisses, all the way up. Soon Justin got the idea and just relaxed against Brian's bigger frame and accepted the kisses.

In no time, they reached Justin's room. Brian opened the door with one hand, carried him in, and laid him on the bed. He slowly unbuttoned his jacket and drew it over and down his shoulders. Justin shrugged out of it.

"I can stay with you tonight," Brian said, "If you still want me to."

Justin considered. He was tempted. He was so...tempted. But at last he sorrowfully shook his head. He fingered Brian's ring finger again.

"Oh. I see." Brian said regretfully. He got up to go.

Justin caught his hand. He pulled him around again. He signed earnestly, "I love you." He pointed at Brian and then at the bed and then signed, "You love me...only." Translation: When you spend the night...it will be because you love me alone. He signed this again. "Do you understand?" asked his eyes.

Brian kissed him deeply, framing his face in his hands. "I understand," he said. "I love you too."

Justin took off his gold coronet and put it on the bedside table. Then he drew off his pearled crown and gave it to Brian.

"I still don't understand," Brian said.

Justin took out his pad. He wrote carefully, 4 DINAR. He indicated the jacket. He gave the crown to him again and then bent his head. Brian crowned him. Justin kissed him. He took off the crown and gave it to him. He bent his head. Brian crowned him, thinking about all the times Justin had done this. Slowly, it dawned on him.

"You're thanking me. Aren't you?" he asked.

Justin smiled his brilliant smile and nodded. Finally. His smile cracked into a huge yawn.

"It's late. I'll see you tomorrow, Sunshine. And you're welcome. For everything. But really, there's no thanks necessary. I love doing things for you."

Justin nodded. He stroked Brian's cheek again and kissed him softly again. He yawned again.

"I'd better go. You're tired and if I stay any longer, I don't think I'll be able to go." He kissed Justin again, swiftly but with the heat of sunshine. "Good night Justin."

Justin waved sleepily. Brian left.

Justin shed the rest of his clothes sleepily and hung them sort of neatly on the end of the bed for Hobbs to find in the morning. He took off his mer-crown and put in on the table beside the gold one. He crawled into bed and remembered all the touching and kissing he had done with Brian that day. His eyes drooped. He was asleep in about 5 minutes. He dreamed erotica all night long.

Night passed into midnight, midnight passed into deep night, and deep night passed into dawn. The first week passed away and the second week began.

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Late that night, deep within the castle, in the sparse sitting room, the Master sat in front of a dwindling fire.

The secret knock came. "Come in," he called.

The servant man entered quickly. "Master, why were you not at the dinner?"

"Why would I go?"

The man had no reply.

"I thought so."

"But you cannot stay in the shadows, Master! I have been watching them! The news is not..."

"Watching!! And what were you watching when he got those - those THINGS!?!? My entire plan went down the tubes!"

"I don't know, Master, he must have had them in hiding! I knew nothing!"

The Master's eyes lit with a smoldering anger that rivaled the fire. "NOTHING!!! That's just what YOU are worth to me now!" He rose up, his cloaked figure lethal in anger and menace. His hands hooked into claws for strangling. "Give me one excuse why I should not dispose of you here and now!"

The man fell on his knees and begged in terror. "Master, no please! I did not know about...the pipes...but I have been watching since. You must go back! They have been growing closer since...what happened. This morning in his office..."

The Master sat back down He leaned forward. His hooded face was fanged and feral in the firelight as he listened.

When the man had finished his report, he said, "You have proven yourself useful for yet another day. Come again tomorrow and give me a report for the day."

The servant bowed and backed out toward the door.

The Master let him get his hand on the knob before he said, "Oh, if you fail me again...I'll have you murdered. That's all."

The servant man shuddered and got the hell out of there.

To be Continued

CHAPTER 6

The Second Week

PART 1 THE FANTASY

The next morning, Michael was back.

Justin heard him even before he entered the dining room. He hung back, seriously considering going back to his room rather than facing his nemesis. He stopped outside the door and listened to that hateful voice and that derisive tone and knew he was talking about him. Then he heard Brian and his voice was everything that was sweet and good and pure in his world. That voice tugged on the hook of love, still firmly embedded deep in his heart. Unconsciously, he stepped forward toward the voice and into view, still not sure that he wanted to enter. And then it was too late.

"Good morning, Sunshine!" Brian exclaimed.

Pasting on a smile that he didn't feel, Justin entered the room. He saw an equally fake smile plastered onto Michael's face. He sat at a free spot across from Michael. Brian sat at the head of the table. The three men formed a triangle.

Justin bowed good morning to Brian and then fixed his gaze down onto the tablecloth. Eventually some cereal filled his vision. He thanked the server and then began to eat still looking down. His cereal was fascinating.

"I hope you enjoyed your special day and my boyfriend," said Michael, "Because you won't be enjoying another of either one ever again."

"Michael!" Brian barked, horrified.

Justin continued to eat. He refused to look up.

"What? Just stating a fact." Michael said.

"Keep those types of facts to yourself! As far as I'm concerned, Justin got everything he deserved from that night. And so did YOU!" he finished meaningfully.

Michael gasped. "I did not! Brian how could you say such a thing!"

"Because it's true. You were vindictive, spiteful, and verbally abusive to him, a mute who can't even argue back!"

"That was only after...after his...his goddam birds SHIT all over me!"

"Again, something you deserved, after being such a shit of a sore loser!"

"Well, I should have won! It was my contest!"

Brian smiled a feral smile. He was going to enjoy this so much. "Michael, even if you had paid off all three of us, there was no way you would have won. You were totally off key. You were terrible! Even if it hadn't been Justin who'd won, it would have been someone else more deserving. As it was, I'm GLAD it was Justin who won. Now SHUT UP and eat your breakfast and leave Sunshine alone."

Michael had gone white with rage. "You're lying. I was so, good. I practiced really hard. And why are you still calling him that?"

"You weren't." Brian's voice was curt with boredom on the subject. "You were embarrassing. Everybody thought so. Period. And I'm calling him that because I want to. And because I like to."

"Didn't you say that once he got his own money, he could move out, support himself?"

"Yes. I guess I did. So what?"

"Get out of my house!" Michael's voice was low and awful with hate.

"Michael! I'm not going to tell you again! Leave him alone!"

But Justin had had enough. Enough of feeling so terribly, terribly alone in a full room. Enough of feeling like a disabled freak. Slowly, he raised his eyes and looked into Michael's eyes and matched him blaze for blaze, hate for hate with his own blue eyes. He rose up and pushed his chair back with a scrape. He moved away from the table and raised his fists at Michael.

"Sunshine, what are you doing?" Brian asked, a little alarmed.

"AH! HA! HA! Oh Brian, even I can figure this out!" Michael got up and in a rather bored way gave Justin a light punch across the jaw, a cuff really, and easily knocked the smaller man down.

"ALL RIGHT! THAT IS ENOUGH!!!" Brian yelled. He got up and ran over to Justin. He tried to help Justin up but Justin pulled his hand away. He was humiliated. He didn't want any help. He got up on his own but Brian would not be deterred. He put his arm around his shoulder and escorted him back to his seat. Michael sat down with all the concern of someone who had swatted at an annoying fly and was done with it.

"There will be NO FIGHTING!" Brian yelled. He smashed a fist down on the table. "Do I make myself CLEAR!?"

The other two nodded reluctantly like recalcitrant children, still staring daggers at each other.

"GOOD!" Brian looked from one to the other. Then he looked again. He saw the triangle. And for now, at least, he'd had enough. With a defiant look, he picked up his bowl and his chair and moved them both over to Justin's side and sat down. He put his arm around Justin's shoulder. Everything within Justin stilled. And suddenly, he didn't feel so alone anymore.

"BRIAN, WHAT THE HELL!?" Michael screeched.

"What can I say, Michael? You miss a day, you miss a lot. Justin and I grew closer yesterday, and I was very impressed with all the work he did on the dinner. He loves me and...I love him too. And after your little...smackdown...just now, I feel more inclined to sit with Sunshine than you right now."

"But - but - You're MY fiancé!" Michael whined.

"Yeah, about that. We should have a longer talk about that later. But the short version is...I've told myself this, and I've told Justin...now I think it's about time I told you..." Brian took a deep breath. "Look Michael, even before Justin came to live with us, I've been watching you change for the worse. I've been having second thoughts about you for a long time now. And these little episodes and queen-outs are not helping!"

Michael controlled himself with difficulty. "And...you told this to...to HIM...before me?"

"He was here. You weren't. We were growing closer, as I said. We were talking about our own feelings and it needed to come up."

"Came up?! And what else, pray tell, came up?!" Michael's voice was hoarse with rage. "Did you fuck him?"

"NO! We came close though," he added, not wanting to let Michael off the hook that easily, "In fact, it was Justin who backed things off until we could hash things out. Maybe you should think about that before you feel like hitting him again!"

"OK, I'm thinking about it. Right now!" Michael quipped viciously.

"You also might want to think about...Justin is court artist and very important to the townspeople who visit at the end of the week now. He's also...very important to me...so like it or not he's a part of the status quo around here from now on. He's earned a place in this household! Please remember that when you decide to order someone out of MY house. And this is MY house, Michael. Please remember that!"

"You know what!? I don't really like your tone! And I'm tired of sitting here and having you talk to me like this!" And Michael threw down his napkin, stood up and stalked off as if HE were the injured party!

Justin clasped the ends of his forefinger and thumb together. With his other hand he used his thumb and stuck it through the resulting opening in and out very fast. "Twat!"

Brian got it. He laughed.

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After Michael left, the atmosphere became much more comfortable. It was quiet and Justin's insides were able to unclench and his whole body relaxed. His death grip on his spoon lessened and he was able to eat his cereal in a leisurely way. Best of all, Brian didn't move from his spot and didn't remove his arm from around Justin's shoulder. Eventually, Justin leaned into the embrace and settled his head onto Brian's shoulder. He knew he shouldn't but he couldn't help it. It felt so good. They were exactly the right height. Brian turned and kissed his temple.

With effort, Justin sat up and finished the rest of his cereal. But as soon as he was done he head sagged back down and he rested as he digested. His entire body felt as limp as a willow tree branch. Brian kissed him again. And again. Justin turned and kissed his cheek. Brian kissed his temple again. Justin moved to kiss his cheek again but at the last second Brian turned and kissed his lips. Then harder. And then Brian captured his mouth in a fierce need and hunger that had nothing to do with food. Suddenly they were making out like crazed weasels. They sucked and nipped and pulled and someone moaned in this horrible needy way. Justin was shocked to realize it was him. And then he didn't care. The world contracted again and there was only Brian.

A server started to come in to see how they were doing. He saw them, smiled slightly, and backed out slowly, unnoticed. They were doing JUST fine.

For a long time they made out, long and slow, hot and fast, and then long and slow again. Finally, they wound down like a tired clock. By this time Justin was sitting in Brian's lap.

"So what do you want to do today?" Brian asked.

Justin was surprised. He pointed at Brian, made a writing gesture, bent over, all serious. "You work?" he asked through the sign.

"It's the weekend, Sunshine. Even I take some time off."

Justin nodded understandingly. He thought for a moment. And that's when he got the idea. He thought back to the third day, the day after the motorcycle ride when he thought about Brian saying his name in a field on a picnic blanket. And he knew he wanted, and then desperately wanted, to make that happen. He mimed throttling a motorcycle handle and riding the motorcycle.

"Mmmmm, I getcha. Want me to take you for a ride?" Brian moved in for another hot, hard kiss. Justin smiled and nodded even as he ground his mouth against Brian's. Their tongues duelled in a most delightful sensation that Justin had not yet experienced. He closed his eyes and groaned, relishing that experience and anticipating more delights to come.

"Where would you like to go? The Diner? See Deb? The Twins?"

Justin pulled his pad and wrote DEB and waggled his hand, maybe. He mimed being fat at carefully printed NOT AT WOK.

Brian roared with laughter at that one. "I can understand that, Sunshine."

Justin carefully printed. PIKNIK?

"A picnic! OK! That sounds great! How bout we stop off at Deb's for a quick visit and find a nice country spot?" Justin nodded enthusiastically. His fantasy WOULD come true. He'd make it happen.

Brian summoned a server and told him of their plans. "Please make sure a blanket and a nice variety of picnic foods are ready by the time we are ready to leave."

Behind his back, Justin motioned to the server. He motioned to a fruit bowl and pointed to a bunch of grapes. The server winked. Brian whipped around thinking the server had winked at him, or was it Justin. Justin covered by picking a grape and slooooowwly putting it to his lips and then ‘pop' drawing it into his mouth. And by the time Brian turned around again, the server had vanished.

"You little monkey! Are you teasing me?" Brian asked, with a sexy growl.

Justin shrugged. He picked another grape and slowly ate it. He closed his eyes and sighed/groaned in pure pleasure. His eyes opened and then widened when he saw the raw smouldering heat of need and desire in the bigger man's hazel eyes. He gulped.

"Enjoying yourself, Sunshine?" Justin nodded. Brian pounced. Justin ran.

Laughing, the two of them ran across the Great Hall and up the stairs, Brian chasing Justin, who let him stay one or two steps ahead. At the first landing, he caught him easily and captured his mouth in a hot and hungry kiss. Then they separated. Brian cried, "Half an hour and I'll see you downstairs in your travelling duds Sunshine!"

Justin smiled and nodded and went into his room.

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From behind a door a pair of emerald green eyes watched jealously as Brian and Justin ran across the Great Hall. They narrowed in hate and anger. That wretched little interloper! He had everything all tied up in neat little bows before he arrived and now everything was unravelled again. It wasn't fair DAMMIT! He was here first and he loved Brian too. He was going to love being King even more. Maybe he was being a bit possessive but...well, that's just how he was wired sometimes.

He watched Justin run/limp across the checkerboard floor. There had to be something else he could do to derail that blond twerp. Something...something...yes! Ahhh yes! That would do nicely.

Green emerald grew into hard, cruel flint as the door slowly closed and clicked tight shut, unnoticed by the two new lovers.

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Justin dressed in similar denim clothes as he had last time but this time he made sure he was wearing a blue denim shirt that snapped up in the front. He was taking no chances. He WANTED that fantasy he had that week ago to come true as bad as a man in a desert wants water. He knew Brian was overheated as it was. He knew he was playing a dangerous game. He knew he was playing with fire but he couldn't help it. He thought back to Babylon. Brian could have any man he wanted to do...whatever it was there was to do. He was used to getting his way and who he wanted. And he wanted Justin now. And Justin wanted Brian. So bad. His body cried out for release. Release from...what?"

Then Justin sobered. He finished dressing, moving a little slower. He wanted release with Brian but not yet. Not while he was promised to another. Would Brian restrain himself? Or would Justin lose himself, let himself be ravished, let Brian...let Brian...oh this was so frustrating! What the hell came next? And did he really want to know?

Justin held his head. He was so confused. He didn't know what the hell to do. He was swept with a wave of fear. He looked down at his shell necklace that Emmett had given him. He toyed with it. No. Not yet. It was not the time for that.

He looked at the timepiece on the table. It was time to go meet Brian though. Taking a deep breath, he made sure all was in readiness and then left the room.

It was delicious déjà vu. Brian met him at the bottom of the stairs in full leathers, his painting come to life. The motorcycle awaited.

They packed the food in two leather satchels that fit on either side of the bike near the back. They put on their goggles and helmets and roared off.

The trip into town was a bit more sedate than last time as they had their baggage to think about. Justin relished the feel of Brian's hard back and the smell of the leather and pretended they had the wings he had given them in his art. Justin shut his eyes, held on tight, and in his mind's eye they flew into the sun and became a part of the light that ruled the world of men.

All too soon, they entered town. Brian drove straight to the Diner and parked with a cocky flourish.

"A quick visit, right Sunshine?" growled the goggled god in confirmation and...was that anticipation? Justin gulped and nodded, helpless to resist the emptiness that was so full of promise.

Inside, Justin was delighted to find the lunch rush over or...not quite begun? So the diner was relatively empty except for the Remington Twins!

"Hello Fred! Hello Red!" Justin signed, noting their bracelets.

"Oh, I'm Red," said blue bracelet.

"And I'm Fred," said red bracelet.

But...but...Helplessly, Justin pointed at the blue bracelet, which was Fred's.
"Oh, we switched those today," said Red.

"We do that sometimes," said Fred.

"We share everything," they said together.

Justin smiled in love and hugged the men, masking his frustration. What else could he do?
"What'll it be, Bri?" asked Debbie, who had nothing else to do but wait upon these two enormous men.

"Maybe just a coffee, Deb. Sunshine and I are going on a picnic, so nothing heavy.

"Ohhh, I getcha. Well here, you can take a few lemon bars with you," she said, wrapping up a half dozen. "And I don't want to hear any of your no carbs bullshit about it! Just enjoy them for today, will-ya!"

"OK! OK, Deb! How'd you enjoy last night!?"

"I loved it! That PARADES thing was the best time I ever had! Anyone who comes in here can't stop talking about it! Thanks so much for inviting me!"

No problem, Deb! In fact, you and Carl consider yourself automatically invited to any function up at the castle from now on! Right, Justin?"

Justin nodded enthusiastically. He pointed to the Twins.

"Hey Fred and Red! That goes for you two as well!"

The Remington Twins cheered their appreciation.

But Debbie was sober. "I dunno, Bri. What would the Son of the Year think about this?"

"He probably wouldn't approve. But frankly, at this point I couldn't care less. He's being a real sore loser right now. This morning at breakfast he..." Brian proceeded to fill her in on the events.

"He did NOT! OOOHHHHH! That little shit! I am going to give him SUCH a smack upside the head when I next see him, he'll be feeling it until the next Tuesday!"

Deb grabbed Justin and squeezed hard and basically mother henned him a bit, checking for non-existant injuries. Brian let her have her fun and then gently pried Sunshine away.

"Don't worry, Deb! He's fine! Don't worry; I wouldn't let anything happen to him either. Look, we'd better get going! Thanks for the lemon bars! Bye boys!" And Brian practically dragged Justin out of the diner by his belt loops. Justin shrugged and waved as he was all but dragged out of the diner, his heels partly dragging on the floor.

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And so, Justin's fantasy finally came true.

Brian zoomed out of Spittsenberghur as fast as he could without causing an accident. They drove for about 15 or 20 minutes. And then, Justin saw it.

They drove over a covered bridge across a wide, rushing river and there it was. A wild green meadow with long grass and flowers and off in the distance, about a half hour's hike, the tree line of a start of vast forest. It was like someone had reached into his head. Justin poked Brian and pointed to the meadow. Obligingly, Brian pulled off to the left and drove into the meadow very slowly and carefully so as not to damage the long grasses.

The sky was blue the grass was green and it was still...fairly warm. They stopped at a nice place by the river and unpacked. Regretfully, Brian took off his gauntlets and jacket to help. He went to remove his goggles but Justin moved to stop him before he could pull them all the way off his forehead.

"What's up, Sunshine? Brian asked curiously, but Justin gave him a sultry smile. Brian smiled back. He still had no idea what was going on but whatever it was, he liked it.

Working together quickly, they soon had the blanket and most of the food spread out. Justin sat down on the red checked blanket and offered Brian a sandwich. Brian moved to take it but Justin pulled back. He opened his mouth in demonstration and offered it again.

Brian opened his mouth and waited. Justin moved it forward even more and waited till Brian took a bite. Then he put how his half of the sandwich and opened his mouth, waiting.

"Ohhhh, I getcha! My, you've got this all worked out, don't ya?" Brian asked, very amused but turned on. Justin nodded smugly.

They fed each other sandwiches and apple slices and lemon bars and chocolate cake. They drank on their own because they didn't want to spill. At last, feeling languid and full, they lay down on the blanket together. And Justin knew it was time. It was now or never.

He got up and knelt in front of Brian and slowly and deliberately unsnapped the top snap of his shirt off.

Brian's head whipped around so fast you could almost hear the crack. "Uh, Justin? What are you doing?"

Justin undid the next snap.

Brian was captivated. He could see the hint of that smooth and creamy chest that he craved so much. "Uh, Sunshine, I thought you didn't want to take things to the next level yet. This is NOT the way to be going about that!"

Justin sighed hugely in slight frustration. He took out his pad. He wrote slowly, HVE VANTSY.

"Have Vantsy? Hmmm? Fancy?" Justin motioned, "Keep going."

"Fancy...no there s a T in there. Fantsy...Fantasy! You have a fantasy!"

Justin nodded and blushed deeply.

"I'm intrigued. Show me more."

Justin motioned to Brian's goggles. Intrigued, Brian pulled them on and smiled a lopsided grin with his tongue in cheek that made Justin want to rip them off again along with the rest of his clothes. Instead, he unsnapped another snap and was rewarded by a hitch in Brian's breathing. He undid another. Then he stopped and pointed to the gauntlets.

"My, my! Someone remind me to run around the castle in leathers more often from now on," Brian quipped, ever so slowly pulling them on. Now he was rewarded by a hitch in breathing. He smiled his crooked smile again. Justin pulled another snap.

He rummaged around and gave Brian a bunch of grapes. Extremely puzzled now, Brian took them. Justin's breathing quickened, in excitement. He was close now. So close to achieving his goal. Without preamble, he ripped the rest of his shirt open. He flopped down on his back directly underneath the grapes and rose up just enough to snag the bottom most one. He sighed hugely in contentment and smiled at Brian.

"This? This is your fantasy? Is this all?"

Justin shook his head. He touched Brian's goggles, his gloved hands and reached for his pad. Lying on his back, holding the pad over his head, he wrote, straining with effort: SA MY NAM.

Brian looked at it and added the Y and the E and said, "If you write it again, this way, I'll do it."

Justin glowed and gave him a soft, lingering kiss. He had dreamed of this as well, of Brian being his teacher. It wasn't much, but he'd take what he could get.

He took the pad back and underneath, he carefully copied it out the right way: SAY MY NAME. He showed it to Brian.

"Ahhhh, Justin! My sweet Sunshine! Justin...Justin..." Brian said next to his ear, feeding him the grapes and occasionally snagging one himself. Justin took his other gloved hand and put it on his chest. Brian groaned and began to stroke it and play with his nipples gently.

Justin groaned and arched toward those torturing fingers. NOW he was awash in pure pleasure and satisfaction. That fantasy he'd had on the morning of his third day was a reality at last and it was 1,000 times better in reality.

"Justin...Justin...Justin..." intoned the goggled apparition, feeding him grapes on a regular basis. Writhing under his touch, Justin looked into the black depths and was lost. Lost in sensation, in emotion, in time, in pleasure, in...in everything. The hook of love sank deeper into his heart, became a part of his heart. He loved Brian with everything he had now. He was his, body, mind and soul. He understood now. He understood that whether Brian chose him or not, it didn't matter. If he chose him, then all would be well. If he didn't, well, then he would willingly accept his death because without him, life would be nothing. He would be dead anyway.

"Justin...Justin...Jus - mmmm..." and Brian's mouth was filled with a blond's soft and sensual tongue. The nearly empty grape cluster was tossed aside and forgotten and Justin was completely wrapped in a leathery embrace. Brian reached under Justin's shirt and the sensual feeling of the leather seared Justin's flesh with hot pleasure. He groaned and they rolled over and over on the blanket, grinding their hard cocks together.

Now Brian groaned. Justin was seriously testing his boundaries here. What did he want? Did he even know? Brian decided to test him.

He rolled him around and around a few more times and then while they were kissing, he unsnapped his chaps and jeans without Justin noticing and then rolled Justin on top of him so that Justin was straddling his legs.

Brian gave him a shit-eating grin and said, "Seems like your inhibitions have gone out the window, Sunshine. Well then, go ahead. I'm all yours." He pulled his pants open a bit wider, lay back with one leathered hand resting behind his head and playing languidly with Justin's chest with the other.

Go ahead...go ahead...go ahead with what? Justin wondered. It seemed to have something to do with Brian's pants. Hmm. OK. Justin fumbled around with Brian's fly for a bit, pulling it down, exposing his underwear. Brian mirrored his actions, pulling his jeans down to the knees. He stroked Justin's legs, his hips, his cock, his balls, and down again. Up and around and down again stimulating his cock more and more.

Justin gasped and arched at the sensations, a powerful tension building within his core. He copied Brian and stroked his legs, his crotch.

"Now..." thought Brian, "Let's see what he does with no more hints."

He stroked Justin a few more times and then put his hands behind his head and waited. "Go on, Justin. I'm waiting."

Justin stroked Brian on his underwear a bit more. He could feel that Brian had a stiffie through his underwear. He knew that whenever HE felt pleasure, he always got a stiffie. Perhaps that's what Brian was after. Expecting to get in huge trouble but not really caring anymore, Justin pulled down Brian's underwear to reveal his stiffie.

My God, it was magnificent. It pointed straight up toward his belly button. It was thick and hard and at least 9 inches long and gorgeous and Justin had absolutely...no idea what to do with it next. He reached out and touched it with his forefinger. He poked it. There was a bead of white liquid on the end of it. Justin ran his finger along Brian's stiffie in exploration and felt Brian involuntarily shudder. He looked over at Brian's face. The goggles looked back and were dark and deep and impassive.

He touched the liquid. Ugh! It was sticky and slippery all at the same time. Justin flicked it away. He turned back to the stiffie. He touched it again, lightly. He HAD to figure out what he was going to do with this thing! Brian was waiting. He glanced over at Brian.

The goggles were impassive.

Emboldened, Justin breathed deep, rubbed his palms together and touched it again. He took it in his hand. He looked at it from all sided, pulled on it a bit, wondering furiously what, WHAT to do next when he suddenly figured that maybe you were suppo - ..."

The thing throbbed in his hand.

Justin jerked back his hand as if he were burned and flinched. He teetered, his balance precarious. He felt one of Brian's legs spasm and he fell sideways and rolled onto the meadow grass. Justin rolled and struggled to sit, his pants tripping him up a bit, so he pulled them up a bit. The grasses were itchy anyway. He looked over at Brian. Brian looked over at him. His mouth was set in a straight line, a poker face. The goggles were impassive.

Brian's stiffie throbbed upward again.

Was it alive? Justin warily approached it on hands and knees and inspected it on all sides. He carefully reached out...

It throbbed again.

...And pulled back. He looked at Brian again.

The goggles were impassive. Or were they? Justin looked closer. Brian's mouth twitched. Justin's eyes narrowed.

The stiffie throbbed. He reached out for the stiffie. Closer and closer his little white hand got to the prize...

At the last second, Justin changed direction, whipping his hand up toward Brian's face. He ripped off the goggles.

AH HA! Brian's bottom face might have been impassive but his eyes... his eyes sparkled with amusement and mischief. Justin re-straddled Brian's legs, crossed his arms and waited. The BASTARD! The bastard was playing with him like a cat toys with a caught mouse!

Brian could contain it no longer. He roared with laughter, Deep peals rolled across the meadow. He jackknifed up to a sitting position and wrapped his arms around Justin pulling him flush against him, chest to chest. He kissed him deep and hard and Justin melted against him even as Brian continued to chuckle against his mouth.

"You have no idea what to do, do you?" Brian asked finally.

Justin blushed a deep crimson and looked down. He shook his head back and forth slowly. A few tears leaked out in embarrassment. Now he REALLY didn't know what to do.

Fortunately, Brian did. He took Justin's chin in his leathered fingers and moved his head upward so that he was looking into Brian's eyes. Justin could see his sunshine shining out of them. Brian kissed him deep and sweet and then moved up to his cheeks, kissing his tears away. Justin loved the stubbly feeling on his skin.

"Someday, maybe someday soon, I'll teach you what you need to know. But maybe we should stop for now eh, Sunshine? Although, I have to tell you, you're killing me here."

Justin's arms went around Brian and his head and cheek went against his chest and he nodded regretfully. He wished with every fibre of his being that Brian would show him right here, right now, but his embarrassment and self-consciousness was overpowering everything else now.

"I'm not sure I understand though. How can you know...well, nothing? Surely, you've figured out a few things by exploring with your own body?" Brian asked.

Justin shook no slowly again. He pulled up his pants and buckled up. He lay beside Brian and made a flat sweeping gesture from his waist downward. He clenched his legs tight together and crossed his feet into a tail. He moved his legs up and down like a tail. He gave a Brian a deep and lingering kiss in a repeat of what he did on that dawn so long, long ago. He smoothed back Brian's beautiful, brown hair and continued to move his legs up and down like his tail, now gone, a price paid for the hook of love.

Suddenly, Brian was kissing him back, hard and hot, deep and urgently. But in his mind, he was not kissing Justin. He was on the beach. He was kissing an angel. An angel of pure gold. Shining hair, shining face, backlit by dawn's yellow sun. Then he collapsed back on the blanket breathing hard. He was back in the meadow. Justin was looking at him in concern. He still moved his "tail" up and down. He missed it a little.

"We were on the beach! We were on the beach at dawn! It was you!" Brian was still breathing hard.

Justin smiled widely and nodded in confirmation with each declaration. The he made the sweeping motion again, especially over his genitals, moved his "tail" up and down again. He looked at Brian beseechingly, begging him to get it.

"A tail. Right, you're a "merman" right? And a merman wouldn't have genitals. Is that right?"

Justin nodded enthusiastically and gratefully.

Brian looked into Justin's clear, blue eyes. He looked hard a long time.

"Well, Sunshine. Shall we call it a day then? Want to go home?"

Justin nodded.

Brian pulled up his pants, and Justin did the same time. On one hand Justin was grateful but at the same time he was very, very disappointed. But on the plus side, he had made his fantasy come true. And as a result, Brian remembered just a little bit more. And that made him very, very happy.

They cleaned up their garbage and plates and stuff and crammed it back in the picnic basket and loaded in into the motorcycle bags. They shook the crumbs off the blanket and folded it up together and loaded it. They put on their protective gear and got on the cycle and drove off into the deep afternoon sun.

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The deep afternoon became near sunset when they zoomed up to the castle doors. They unpacked and took off their helmets and goggles, and went inside, holding hands.

Inside, Michael met them with open arms. "Welcome home, you two! Boy, have I got good news for you!"

He noted their clasped hands and masked his rising rage and squashed a desire to hit something.

Brian looked around in consternation and reached out to take something.

"What the HELL, Michael!? What are you up to now?"

TO BE CONTINUED

 Disclaimer:I do not own Queer as Folk Any characters and situations and anything else pertaining to real life is referred here for non-profit purposes only No copyright infringement is intended. Although everyone here is now so Out of character, I hardly think this matters. Sorry folks. These things happen.

A/N: SURPRISE!!! I'm BAAAAAAACK!!!!! All right, well almost. This chapter was like the Energizer Bunny It just kept going and going and going....but I'm almost done! But it was so long I decided to split it in two and let you guys n' gals fight over this morsel while I finish up. Part 2 should be ready and posted later tonight or tomorrow.

Chapter 6

The Second Week

Part 2 The Dance Contest

PART 1

Dawn.

Justin endured the kitchens, acquired Gus' loaf and made his way to the river. His steps were slow and sorrowful and his limp heavy. His eyes were soft with sorrow and they shone with unshed tears. He carried a piece of paper in his hand.

The birds could see at once that something was wrong. The ducklings all crawled into his lap and let him pet them and even the mother duck nuzzled him a bit before asking what he had brought that morning.

Justin smiled a little at that and spread out all the goodies that had been given him.

"What's wrong, Justin?" Gus asked.

Sorrowfully, Justin held out the piece of paper for the heron to read.

"Well, well, well!" the heron exclaimed, "Let's see what we have here." He bent his head down to the paper and began to read.

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"Michael, what the HELL!? What are you up to now?"

Brian reached up and snatched one of the many posters that hung around the Great Hall, on the windows, and elsewhere probably throughout the entire habitable castle.

"I don't know what you mean Brian. Why would I be up to anything?"

"Because you're ALWAYS up to something lately!" snarled Brian. They read:

LIBERTY KINGDOM PRESENTS

THE 1ST ROYAL PROMENADE!

A ROYAL DANCE OFF TO CELEBRATE

ME

MARRYING PRINCE BRIAN IN ONE WEEK'S TIME

DAZZLE THE PRINCE WITH YOUR SMOOTHEST DANCE MOVES

A SPECIAL SPOTLIGHT DANCE FOR THE ONE WHO IMPRESSES THE PRINCE THE MOST

PLAN THE WEEKEND DINNER

AND 250 GOLD COINS

ADMISSION BY DONATION

ALL DONATIONS WILL BE DONATED TO THE SPITTSENBERRGHUR ORPHAN'S HOME

"Dammit Michael! What the Hell is this! Wasn't your last "contest" enough of a humiliation for you!?"

"It'll be different this time," said Michael.

"Well, I'd appreciate a little warning before you come up with these little ideas to pimp me out! Take these down at once! There will be no such contest!"

"I can't. It's too late," answered Michael, a smug little smile playing upon his lips.

"What do you mean...it's too late?" asked Brian softly.

"I sent out the truck this afternoon. Spittsenberrghur should be wallpapered by now. You don't want to disappoint the poor orphans do you?"

Justin had had enough of this. Wearily, he limped across the Great Hall and started up the stairs. A quarter of the way up, he stumbled and fell a few steps down again. He sat there, massaging his foot.

Brian watched him go like a hawk, thinking...thinking...

"YOU BASTARD!!!" he roared, his voice reverberating throughout the Great Hall. "You planned this out on purpose to spite Justin! You know he can't dance with his limping disability. So you created something else you KNEW he couldn't compete in!"

"Why Brian! I have no idea what you're talking about!" said Michael in this horrible, stilted voice.

"Like HELL you don't!" Brian yelled.

He turned his back on Michael and strode over to Justin, his eyes blazing. Justin watched him come with fear and trepidation shining out of his own. He had never seen Brian so angry. And now he was coming for him. But he was angry with Michael. He wouldn't hurt him. Would he?

And then he was there, towering over him like a leather sex god, violent emotion radiating off of him in waves.

Justin looked up. Frightened sapphires looked up into angry emeralds. Brian reached down and grabbed his denim collar with one large leather gauntlet. He hoisted Justin easily into the air...

Justin closed his eyes and cringed in fear.

...and grabbed him under the knees, and adjusted him so that he was holding him in the cradling position. Justin was smushed up against a mass of leather, leather everywhere. He relaxed against it and luxuriated. His lips were mashed against the leather god's in a hot and hungry kiss.

In utter contempt and defiance to Michael, Brian strode up the stairs and carried Justin up to his room.

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"Ahhh. I see. I'm so sorry," said the heron. He let Justin stroke his bill before snapping up a scone and then heading back to the water.

One by one, the birds finished eating, showed their sympathy, and swam away until only Gus was left. Justin had crumbled his loaf up and Gus ate happily. Justin looked on, happy in love but sad in his plight as well.

Thanks to the Prince's bread, Gus was nearly full grown. He was almost as big as the heron. His feathers were white, soft and silky and his neck was long and graceful. His wings had a wide span, nearly four feet across.

Gus ate and ate and then tossed the last morsel into the air and caught it and gobbled it up. Then he ambled over to the river, honking softly in a content sort of way where he had a drink. He tried to ignore the way Justin's sad eyes followed him.

Gus continued to ignore him and began walking along the grass, pecking up bits of gravel and blades of grass. Justin just smiled in sad love and watched him for a bit. Finally, he got up and made his way over and in a sort of sad, absentminded way, patted him on the head and turned to go.

Gus looked very hard at the slow, sad, retreating form and then sighed and bowed his head.

"Wait! Come back! I can help you!

Justin stilled and turned, his entire being hoping against hope that this was true.

"I did not want to say anything, because the price...for both of us... is high. Do you still want my help?"

Justin nodded excitedly.

"First, if I do help you, this is going to delay my own plans for another week. As payment, and to regain my strength, you must promise to bring me 2 loaves of the Prince's bread every day for a week. Second, the help that I do give will not be much. And whatever you decide to do with what I give you, you will only have till midnight. There will be pain afterwards, a great deal. Oh, Justin, are you sure? Is this man really worth all this trouble?"

Justin nodded resolutely. He could not explain to Gus, but it didn't even matter if Brian wasn't worth it. He was in a do or die situation here. And yet, even that did not matter, because Brian WAS worth it. He was worth anything. He was worth everything.

"Very well, then. Here we go." Gus began honking softly and he flapped his wings hard. Feathers began to fly. Soon the air was filled with white. The feathers flew up and around and down like snowflakes. There were tiny, soft, pin feathers, long and large, more mature feathers and everything in between. The feathers flew up and around but whenever they went down they gravitated towards Justin.

Justin watched in amazement as a few pinfeathers floated down and stuck to his shirt. Then a few more. Then a few more stuck to those feathers. Then faster and faster, the feathers swirled around him in a whirlwind of white and joined onto each other and onto his upper body. At the same time, more feathers attached themselves over his feet. Justin had never experienced anything more wonderful or enchanting in his entire life.

At last, Gus stopped honking and he was still. He was exhausted and nearly completely bald. His wings were gone. His body was nearly completely bald except for a few small patches of pinfeathers and his white neck. Even his tailfeathers were gone.

Justin was now wearing a fancy dress topcoat made entirely of Gus' feathers. It reached down to just cover his pert little bubble butt. The last row was made up of Gus' longest feathers, creating a flared effect. More long feathers spread out along the top, creating a high collar. The coat's sleeves reached down to his wrists. On his feet, he wore feathered slippers.

"There! I can do no more!" gasped Gus, "Now listen closely. Do not put on the coat until you intend to dance with the Prince. It will last but one dance. Put the slippers inside the shoes you intend to wear. They too, will have a limited effect and at midnight they will fail altogether and the pain you experience now will return double on you. And do not forget, this will cost you 2 loaves of the Prince's bread per day now. I told you the price would be high."

Justin bent down and hugged the little bird conveying his love and thanks in any and every way he could.

"Oh, one more thing. Keep these things secret until the appointed time. Tell no-one, not even your valet. I have seen many things in my flights around the castle and I have seen there is evil in his heart. He is not to be trusted."

"Justin's mind raced. If that was true, he could not risk hiding this wonderful coat in his wardrobe or anywhere else in his room. He patted Gus to show that he understood.

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Justin took off the wonderful coat and slippers, folded them over his arms and then took the coat he was wearing off and folded that over everything. He ran straight back to the castle, went in through a side door and crept along the halls like a bandit. Fortunately, he met no-one along the way.

He did not go to Brian. He did not go to his room. No, if he was to trust no-one there was only one place he could take this, the one place that was his and his alone - His studio.

Arriving at the correct door, he pulled out his golden key from around his neck and quickly opened the door, darted inside and then quickly locked the door again.

A few minutes passed.

In what seemed like no time, Justin reappeared, sans feather coat and slippers, his hair coiffed, his clothes straight and neat. He locked the studio again and ran off to meet Brian and Michael for breakfast.

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The rest of the week went by pretty smoothly. Justin followed his routine pretty much as usual, except that in the kitchens, he'd wiggle his fanny a little more, show a bit more appreciation to the grannies and when they were all in a twitter, he'd sneak an extra loaf into his pocket along with the one they would give him. They never noticed. He hated doing it but he had made a promise and received magical goods and he wanted to make good on his end of the deal.

Next was breakfast. Every morning, Justin always sat on his own separate side of the square table and every morning Brian would get up and move over beside him. Justin would always give him a "Shame on you, you are just fuelling the fire," type of look and Brian would always studiously ignore it. Otherwise, there was nothing Justin could do. Brian was Prince, he could do as he liked and nobody could stop him. Michael's green eyes would flash bloody murder but he would bite his tongue and say nothing. He couldn't. He had dug his own grave and stepped one foot in with his little stunt and he knew he had to grin and bear just about everything and anything until that Friday when he could dazzle Brian with his smooth moves.

After breakfast, Justin would lock himself into his studio working on his next round of painting and of course his magnum opus. It remained his mostly guarded treasure and secret. At 1:00, the hated tutor would come and at 3:00 he would leave, as frustrated as ever. A strange thing happened. Justin learned his letters, learned all he could about writing up to a certain point and then...and then he hit a wall. He improved no more. He could write a little faster, stopped pressing the pen or pencil into the paper to the breaking point but he never really...improved. He spelling was always wrong and childish and it was always hard for him to form his letters and hard for him to express his thoughts and feelings through the written word. Finally, on Thursday, the tutor gave up in disgust.

"It is an absolute waste of my precious time to be here any longer!" the tutor spat out in venomous hate in Brian's office that afternoon. "He is either faking, or without a doubt, the stupidest man I've ever come across!"

"WATCH - YOUR - TONE !!!" growled out Brian dangerously.

"I am the BEST in my field! He claims he has been practicing my assignments constantly, yet he makes no improvement. However, they are designed to do just that! I don't expect miracles but I expect some results after every lesson. There are none! I can only conclude that he is fooling around with those pointless pictures of his at all hours and not working on my assignments at all!"

"Those "pointless pictures" as you call them sold out- at his last art show!" growled out Brian even more dangerously. There was a scraping noise, as if a chair had been pushed back along the floor.

"Whatever!" the tutor dismissed carelessly - and foolishly, "My point is, if he is not going to put in the effort or stop lying to me, there's nothing more I can do here! I quit!"
There was a thump and a bumping noise as if someone had fallen over furniture and maybe a few books had fallen off their shelves.

"That was for calling him a liar. Your resignation is accepted. Get out. You should think about taking your services on the road, out of Liberty Kingdom, for the moment I see your stick figure face again, it will surely be your last!"

"Well, I never...!" gasped the tutor.

"EAT MORE BRAN! Didn't you hear me? I'm done with you! Get out!"

Brian's heavy office door was yanked open and the tutor stalked out sporting a puffy eye already changing to deep shade of purple. He stopped short in surprise when he saw Justin standing there, leaning against the opposite wall. He was studiously examining his fingernails.

The tutor recovered quickly, tossed his long pointy nose in the air, and strode away and out of the castle. They never saw him again.

After he had gone, and before the door could close completely, Justin knocked softly and cautiously entered.

Brian's back was to the door. "I thought I told you I never wanted to...- Oh, it's you, Sunshine! Come on in!" His tune changed as he turned around.

Justin did. He sat down in the visitor's chair and then pointed at the door. He made punching motions with his fists and then waggled his fingers at Brian. "Shame on you!"

"Ahhh, you heard that, did you? Well, then you heard what a pompous dick he was being as well. I'm sorry you had to put up with him for as long as you did."

Justin hung his head and shook it sadly. Slowly, he wrote out on his pad. "IM SORY. I FAIL YO."

"NO, JUSTIN!" Brian's voice was rough with pain and anger. But it was anger at himself, as usual. "It was I who failed YOU! I holed myself up in here trying to avoid you and passed you off on that ass. From now on, I'll try to help you more myself. And if you make more mistakes, I'll write them out and show you where you went wrong, OK?"

Justin's face was alight with the rapturous joy that gave him his name. That was all that he had ever wanted.

"Do we have a deal?" Brian asked him.

Justin nodded.

"Good. Why don't we seal it with a kiss?" Bran motioned to his lap.

Justin hastened to comply. Brian's lap was quickly becoming his favourite place in the world. Even better than his stu -

And then, soft and warm, Brian's tongue was filling his mouth and he lost all train of coherent thought.

Of course that kiss led to another. And another...and another...and anoth...well, you get the idea. (winks)

And of course, someone was watching.

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Now, (ahem, ahem) where was I? Ahh yes, well after 3:00 after the tutor left (and after he left for good) Justin would throw himself into his paintings again with a renewed vigour and the unbridled joy that only came with sweet freedom and creativity. At the end of the day, he could cover everything up and lock the door and meet Brian at his door to walk him to dinner.

Dinner. If Justin thought breakfast was awkward, dinner became ten times worse. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Michael ate in stony silence. Hate radiated off him in waves. Justin allowed Brian to sit beside him mostly because at this point he also couldn't stop him. But he strictly insisted through his behaviour and gestures that Brian was to sit in his own space at least 6 inches away and to keep his hands to himself and behave himself with dinner time manners. He hated Michael and he could feel the hate waves coming off Michael and he knew there was nothing he could do to fix things. But at the same time he felt dinner was supposed to be a formal time (well more formal than breakfast anyway) and he saw no point in provoking Michael unnecessarily.

Brian behaved himself but barely. He shared no such view. He was seriously pissed at Michael and his contests and games and attempts as he constantly put it "to pimp him out." He had no desire to spare his feelings. After dinner, his evenings were spent with Justin primarily. He made it a rule that Michael was not excluded from any game or other activity but that his attention primarily belonged to Justin now. And so, after a few nights, Michael just left them alone.

All three men slept alone. This made Michael pissed. It made Justin stressed. And of course, it made Brian horny.

TBC

Chapter 6

The Second Week

Part 2 The Dance Contest

PART 2

The week passed slowly. But time is what it is and it did pass. And eventually, at last, it was Friday night.

The contest was held in the same ballroom as before. The same long wall was reserved for Justin's art and instead of a stage; a large golden throne with a red velvet seat and backrest was set up for Brian to sit in. The rest of the ballroom was left as it normally was as this was to be a...well, a Ball. Off to one side a large orchestra band set up.

As before, Justin came to set up first. He and a closed-mouthed helper hung five paintings and covered them carefully with veils. The magnum opus remained unfinished.

Afterwards, he went and let Hobbs help him dress in an elegant black tux. It was still assumed that he could not and would not be dancing. But he was court artist now, independently wealthy, and a self made man, and he wanted to look the part. As he slipped into the pair of soft, black leather loafers, he reflected on how far he had come since he had been pulled naked out of the ocean. He had position, wealth and was loved by the man he loved. He had friends and a magical guardian to boot. He wasn't sure exactly what Gus was but he knew he was no ordinary bird.

When he was distracted, Justin gave Hobbs a sideways glance and wondered. According to Gus, he had an enemy too. The valet had done nothing out of the ordinary that week but Justin had reflected there was a lot of time where he did not see Hobbs. Plus there would be those times where Justin would turn around and Hobbs would simply be...gone. As in vanished. Was he an extraordinarily efficient servant...or did he have an intimate knowledge of those secret passages Brian had talked about? Whatever the case was, Justin had kept an extra wary eye on Hobbs that week.

He stood in front of the mirror for a final inspection. White shirt, creamy tie, black waistcoat, black slacks, black loafers. Black on white. Perfect. He doubted anyone would notice anything extra in his shoes or question the topcoat when the time came. He had no idea what was going to happen or what the coat and slippers would even do but he couldn't wait to find out. And he couldn't wait to see the look on Michael's face. He wore his shell necklace under his shirt and his golden key over it. He straightened his gold and pearl crown making sure that the largest pearl was smack dab center right between his eyes. He was ready.

Downstairs again, he saw that people were already starting to arrive. He made his way slowly through the throng, shaking hands as he went until he reached the ballroom. There were plenty of people in there as well; all of them were speculating what was behind the veils this time.

As Justin entered, people turned and saw him. A smattering of applause began. This caused more and more people to turn and the applause grew and grew. Justin limped slowly through the crowd, the applause growing louder and louder. The people stood to the left and the right of him as he made his way to the throne where Brian was already seated.

Brian had never looked so good. He was dressed simply but elegantly. He too wore a black and white tux. A white silk scarf hung casually around his neck. His brown hair gleamed and was brushed backward off his face and hung down to his shoulders. It was held in place by a large but simple gold band of a crown. He held a small gold scepter with a large lime-green emerald on the end of it. He sat straight and stiff in his throne, smiling, waiting for him to come.

The applause seemed to grow louder. To Justin, it was as if waves were crashing over a cliff face, the noise swelling and receding and them swelling again, louder and louder. He hurried, feeling as if he were pushing his way against a current, a torrent of noise. He waved, hoping to placate them. It didn't. It just grew louder, as more people entered. The current grew stronger. The knives bit deep. He pushed forward harder, a little unsteadily.

Oh, God, he didn't want this. Not really. He didn't even want to paint for these people's benefit. That was an accident. Now he painted to communicate with Brian. Oh, why couldn't the rest of them leave him alone?

But they wouldn't. Ever. The only thing to do was grin and bear the pain and wave and keep his eyes on the prize. Brian. Only Brian. And so, he focused on Brian and at last he reached the throne.

Brian held out his scepter. Justin knelt and touched the crystal.

The clapping ceased, as if it had been switched off. Justin stood and reveled in the quiet. Then he held out his hand and offered it to Brian. Brian took it. He stood up. Drawing his hand over one shoulder, Justin led Brian unsteadily over to the veiled paintings. Brian held his other hand at Justin's hip, steadying him.

They purposely made a spectacle of themselves. They had rehearsed all this earlier. They enjoyed themselves immensely. They especially enjoyed the nice shade of plum that Michael had turned ever since Justin had entered. Brian had thought this up to protest and make public the fact that this contest was something that Justin was unable to participate in. However, as Justin led Brian over to his art, he could not stop a small smile from playing over his lips. He would be participating, despite what everybody thought, including Brian. Although just what he would be doing was still a mystery, even to him.

They reached the paintings. Justin took a deep breath. He was incredibly excited. He had given special thought to each of his paintings this time. Each one was going to have an incredible effect on Brian; he just knew it.

He pulled the veil from the first one.

Everyone clapped politely.

It was a seascape at sunset. A merman was jumping away from you toward a great ship with the name BABYLON in gold etched on the side.

"Oh look, it's another merman!"

Everyone ignored the genius.

Justin pulled the veil from the second painting.

A close up of Brian. He was whispering into a sailor's ear and grabbing onto a beefy forearm. The sailor's uniform was exactly correct. The faces were nearly photographically real.

Brian was astounded. That was George. He misted up a little. He remembered all those sailors he had tricked with in his cabin. George had been so hot! But he had never told Justin anything about what (or who) he had done on BABYLON.

Justin pulled the veil from the third painting.

Everyone gasped.

Before them was another painting of BABYLON. It was at the point of the explosion. Flames were shooting out of the middle of the ship and ripping it in half. There was crates and debris flying through the air and in the water. Non-descript figures were also being thrown about. But very detailed and clear, although very small, was Brian, being catapulted through the air toward the dark water. This painting was much clearer and more detailed than the last. Everything looked incredibly real, the waves all had foam on the right places and even the clothes, the slicked back hair and frightened look in the Prince's eyes was stark and incredibly clear.

Brian was wide-eyed. He was catapulted back to that night. He remembered frantically showing men to the boats. There was a...a kind of skip in time...and it was morning and he was kissing a golden boy with fire for hair. He didn't remember this. But he must have been saved from the ship somehow. And that look in his eyes! How had Justin dreamed that up?

Justin pulled the veil from the fourth painting.

It was a reprise of the scene on the beach. This time it was in oil and where it was indistinct before, now it was clear. The man on his back in ripped castaway clothing was definitely Brian. His face was blue. The merman lying over him had a long, shiny, green tail. His head and hair were glowing like a candle. He was pressing down on Brian's chest. They were just about to kiss. It was definitely Justin. The entire scene was completely and hopelessly erotic.

Justin looked square Brian square in the eye and very deliberately patted his chest, pointed at his eyes, pointed to the exploding ship. Pointed to Brian and George. Then he slowly approached his last painting. With a noisy flourish, he pulled the fifth veil.

Brian's eyes bugged out. He couldn't believe it. Staring back at him was a realistic, facial portrait of Uncle Vic. He had never shown Justin a portrait of Uncle Vic before or described him in any way. There was no way Justin could know what Uncle Vic looked like unless...

"You were there! You really were there..." Brian breathed, in wonder and excitement. He looked into Justin's blue, so blue eyes that shone with triumph and love.

He became aware of a dull roaring noise. Everyone was clapping politely and moving away, mingling, to eat and drink. They didn't understand that anything was out of the ordinary. But as everyone else moved away, Brian moved toward Justin. Justin moved forward as well and when they met, they snapped together magnetically.

"You really were there! Weren't you?"

Justin nodded wearily and pointed to the first painting.

"But if you are a merman, why aren't you one now?" Why are you a human?"

Justin sighed theatrically. He had answered this question over and over. Perhaps Brian was finally ready to hear the answer. He pulled out his pad and wrote yet again: I PAID THE PRICE TO BE WITH YOU.

"What price? What are you talking about?"

Justin pointed over to the beach scene. He indicated his shining head. He wrote: I GAVE MY SUNSHINE.

He patted his throat.

"Your voice? You gave your voice? That's what happened to it?"

Justin nodded.

"I still don't know what you mean by giving your sunshine. But whatever happened, I wouldn't worry. You didn't lose anything like that. You ARE Sunshine!"

Beaming with pleasure, Justin leaned up for a sweet kiss, which Brian bent to supply.

Both of them were relaxing, getting lost in the pleasure when they were prematurely ripped apart. Justin was pulled off Brian and thrown to the floor. And then Michael was there, his face ugly with hate.

"Keep your damn hands off and quit kissing my fiancé!" he snarled. He linked Brian's arm with his. "I don't care how good you paint; I'm goddam sick of watching you two make out in front of me! This ends now!"

Brian pulled his arm out of Michael's. He went up and pulled Justin to his feet. "Enough, Michael! You're making a scene!"

"A scene! Are you kidding? I don't care anymore! What do you think you were just making...are constantly making...with him!"

Brian grabbed Mikey's bicep and squeezed painfully. He hustled him out of the ballroom. Justin followed behind.

"Excuse us, folks! We'll be right back. Feel free to get things started!" He motioned to the band. They began to play something snappy. Everyone began to dance. Brian, Michael and Justin went out of the ballroom into a hallway where they would not be overheard.

"All week he's been all over you, in front of me or otherwise, you haven't been to bed, and I've tolerated it until now because I knew you were punishing me for setting up this contest night," Michael continued, "Well, the night has arrived and it'll soon be over so I'm through with tolerating! The punishment is over! You are marrying ME and you are going to start acting like it!" He moved to take Brian's arm again. Brian moved away.

"If I did, that's all it would be...acting!" Brian said scathingly.

"Wha - what do you mean?" Michael stammered.

"Michael, we haven't been kissing to punish you. Well, not entirely," he amended, "We've been kissing because...because we love each other."

"What? No! No!!! Brian you can't do this to me! I love you!"

"Come off it Michael! If we're both honest, I think you know that's not true. You love yourself and you love the idea of being King! But I've been watching you, Michael. Even before Justin got here, you were showing yourself to be heartless and cruel. Your outbursts of temper. A maid calls you El Diablo, Michael! The Devil! You'd make a terrible King!"

Michael had nothing to say to that one.

"Michael, we hooked up because I thought you had rescued me and I was grateful. But if Justin really was there that night, if his paintings are true, then that means he rescued me, even though I don't remember it. That means he deserves my gratitude, not you!"

"But I did! I did rescue you and I nursed you back to health. Where was he when I did all that huh? Who deserves gratitude for that?"

"Did you rescue me? Come on Michael, what really happened?"

"I - I found you. Just like I said. You were washed up on the shore and I brought you home! Just like I said! I've always said that!" Michael cried, a little hysterically.

"But what if I had been carried there? What if I hadn't been washed up. I'd be DEAD, Mikey; along with everybody else!"

"Well, I didn't see anybody else! I just thought you were washed up. There was no other explanation. You can't penalize me for coming to that natural conclusion!" Michael cried.

"No...but I can penalize you for the rest of it. Besides Michael, it's not a punishment. Face it, Michael, ever since Justin arrived, your heart has been so full of hate there's been no room for love, for him, for me, for anyone else. And now, I don't love you anymore either. It's over."

Michael was too heartbroken to say anything. With a broken sob he just turned and ran out of the hall toward the Great Hall and then towards...who knows where.

Justin watched him go with mixed feelings. Mostly, he was happy. So happy. Brian had chosen at last. He had broken his old ties and best of all he believed him and loved him. This was bliss. At the same time, he couldn't help but feel sorry more Michael a little bit. He would hate to be in his shoes and he remembered tasting that heartbreak the night of his first art show. He didn't wish it on his worst enemy, which ironically, was probably Michael. He couldn't help remembering the Sea Witch's prediction: But beware. Whether you succeed or fail there will be more than one broken heart between you.

He looked up at Brian and was shocked at the stark, haunted look in his eyes. "Well, that's done. Really, I've been putting that off for way too long. I've been..." But Justin had thrown himself into his arms by then and then there were no more words. They rested each other's heads on each other's shoulders and just stood there like that for a long minute. Justin rubbed Brian's back comfortingly.

Finally, Brian said,"Well, it looks like I have to do this dance contest thing. If you want, you can come watch but if you'd rather not, you can head to your studio, or your room, I'll walk you anywhere you want to go." He offered his arm.

Justin took it and they headed back to the ballroom. When they got there, Justin turned his footsteps toward it, indicating where he wanted to go. Brian tried to keep the ridiculously pleased smile off his face and failed miserably.

Everybody smiled and clapped when they came back in. Brian escorted Justin to a nice chair where he would be near his paintings and also have a nice view of everything. Then he made his way to his throne and clapped for silence.

"OK, well, folks, I'll be honest with you, this show was not my idea. However, we've got a good turn out here and remember we're doing it for the orphans. So let's just keep them in mind as we get this show on the road!"

And so the dance contest began at last. It was much the same as the singing contest although with...well, dancing instead of singing. Everyone had a set time to wow the Prince with an interesting opening step and then, if necessary (and if Prince Brian agreed) he would dance the other half of a two person dance. However, on Prince Brian's end it was a very basic performance and it was up to the contestant to dance his or her part well. It was common knowledge that the Prince was gay so there were many men who chose duet dancing as well. However, most realized they'd have to be content with copping a feel as it seemed pretty obvious that he was taken.

The first contestant was from a nationality that was just East of India. So she had gone all out and dressed in Indian costume and danced a traditional national dance. Everyone was impressed and even Brian gave a small nod and a clap.

The next one was a guy in a kilt and danced a Highland jig to bagpipes. After 5 minutes of that, Brian cried, "Enough!" and that was that.

There was another national dance, the first waltz, which Brian helped with, and then a rather frenetic number with a lot of high kicking.

"NEXT!"

By this time, Brian was bored out of his skull and lazing back on his throne sideways with one leg throne over the thrown armrest. (sorry, I couldn't resist) He toyed with his emerald sceptre. But he started and sat straight up when he saw who the next contestant was.

"What are you doing?" he growled.

It was Michael. He was wearing a mismatched getup with garish colors and a green beret. It was tight where it should have been loose and loose where it should have been tight. The designer was clearly insane.

"Please Brian! I practiced this for a really, really long time! I just want to get a chance to show you," Michael wheedled.

"Michael! Under the circumstances...don't you think this is highly inappropriate?" He looked him up and down. "Not to mention in poor taste."

"Come on, Brian! This is just for you. I practiced allllll week! I know when you see this you'll like me again. I just know it!" Michael's eyes shone with a pathetic madness.

Somewhere, Debbie slowly backed in a few layers of people deeper into the crowd and covered her eyes in horrified embarrassment. Carl held her tight.

Brian opened his mouth but realized the futility of it all. He remembered how bored he was. So he sat back down and waved his hand. Whatever...it said.

Michael gave a signal and the band began to play a strange music with an arrhythmic beat. However, even this did not matter because Michael began to dance a strange flailing, kicking dance that had nothing to do with the music anyway. He gyrated his hips and kicked his legs straight up and out.

With his teeth clenched together, barely moving his lips, Brian ground out, "Michael...you're embarrassing yourself. Please stop."

But Michael didn't stop. His flailings became more and more frenetic. He flopped down on his stomach and arched along the floor like a worm and...

"Please stop," Brian said in a quiet horror.

...flipping over onto his back, he arched wildly, thinking he was creating a new dance craze. He wasn't. Instead he looked crazy and looked like he was having a seizure. Somehow he flipped himself up on his feet again and...

"Please stop," said Brian.

...he began an even wilder, kicking, jumping routine. He kicked, punched crazily...

"Please stop..."

...next he bent forwards with his ass in the air, his hands on the floor. He gyrated his hips, bobbed his ass up and down. He looked like a constipated bear who was presenting...

"Please stop..."

...and finally, in a move that defies description, jumped, kicked, kicked higher, spun, kicked, kicked higher still and kicked himself in the head and knocked himself out cold.

There were a few moments of horrified silence.

Brian just sat there, shaking his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. He wondered what he had ever seen in this man. He made a waving gesture with his hand. Take him away... it said.

Two guards appeared and dragged him off "stage" to the side of the ballroom where they could tend to him medically, if need be.

Brian looked over to Justin for strength. However, he was very disappointed when he saw that his chair was empty. He was gone. Brian didn't blame him. He was probably jealous and angry with him for letting Michael perform. He wouldn't have blamed him. He was angry enough at himself for letting that go on as he did.

The next dancer was Flamenco. The contest continued.

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But Justin was neither jealous nor angry. In fact, he was glad for Michael showing up as it had provided the perfect diversion for him to sneak out. Everyone....guests, waiters, and guards were watching every move in horrific fascination. He himself had paused by the double doors and watched in amazement as Michael somehow kicked himself in the head. Then, as Brian was shaking his head, he had silently passed out of the door and into the halls.

Now, he limped/ran down the correct hall to his studio and went inside. He went to the Remington's crate. He began to dig through the layers and layers of pads and notebooks until he came across the feather coat and slippers that he had buried and hidden there so long ago. He lifted them out carefully, shook them out again to fluff out the feathers, and ran back, locking the door behind him, of course.

When he reached the ballroom again, Brian was helping in his minimalist style some nice young woman dance the tango. She was doing an admirable job.

Justin watched and a small smile curved his lips. It didn't matter how good she was, whatever this coat was going to do, it was going to blow them all away. He just wished he knew what that was going to be. Ahh well, it looked like he was about to find out. Near the end of the dance, Justin slipped off his shoes, slipped the slippers into them like innersoles, and the slipped into his shoes again.

AAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! Oh, by Great Neptune! At last! At long last! The knives were gone. Not just muted by good feelings or conscious ignoring of them but gone. At last. The sweet joy and relief. Justin felt like crying tears of joy. But then the dance was over and there was no time for that.

"NEXT!" came the cry.

Quickly, Justin slipped on the coat and he could feel all the feathers ruffle and fluff themselves into readiness. The high collar grew higher and formed into a hood around his hair. The ends of the collar wrapped themselves around his face. The three longest feathers on each side reached up and diagonally over his face covering his forehead, around his eyes and face in a kind of mask. He strode confidently and unlimping into the ballroom and toward the long aisle that led to the Prince.

As he got to the end of the aisle, he heard a voice. Well, not a voice, really, more like a word spoken directly to his feelings and his mind. And suddenly, he knew what to do. Jump! Said the voice.

Justin jumped up and forward. The feather coat sort of...flared out, and he flew the whole long way down the length of the ballroom. He tucked and rolled forward three times and landed right in front of the throne. He bent to one knee and held out his palm in a reflection of what he did earlier. Everyone gasped and applauded.

Brian gaped with wide eyes. But he recovered and slowly stood. He put his scepter down on the throne and took the proffered hand with his own.

"That's a bitchin' coat. Where'd you get it?" asked Brian.

Justin just bowed his head slightly and shrugged his shoulders. He couldn't have explained even if he wanted to.

Dance the waltz... said the voice.

And so, Justin pulled the Prince in closer and began to dance. One, two, three, one two three, around and around. He looked deep into the Prince's eyes. It was as if they were the only two in the room. He ignored the crowd.

Prince Brian was hypnotized. He looked back at this black and white vision, into the only color this man exuded, the electric and brilliant blue of his eyes. He danced around and around taking part in the dance in a way he had refused to with any other.

Somewhere, off in the distance, Brian heard the crowd gasp. "Sounds like you're making points, stranger," he drawled. The man smiled and pointed down.

Brian looked and gasped. The two of them were dancing 6 feet off the ground and rising. The man's feather coat was flared out at the bottom. Brian didn't even feel them lift off. As he looked down and felt the flash of fear, Brian felt himself slip. The bird man gripped him under the arms tightly but he was heavy. Brian gripped the bird man around the waist.

Everyone gasped.

"Don't let me fall!" gasped out Brian, looking up at the bird man's blue eyes. The warmth of his smile and his eyes captivated him once more. The bird man mimed dancing and swung Brian around. Brian mimed dancing and suddenly it was as if a bubble of air was under his feet again. He was able to stand. He held the bird man closely and danced. The bird man nodded encouragingly and pointed at his eyes with two fingers. Look at me. Only me.

Brian smiled. He understood and nodded.

The two men danced higher and higher above the crowd. Everybody watched them in wonder and excitement. Even Michael who had regained consciousness along the side of a wall looked on with jealous hate and sadness. He'd never get Brian back now. How could he compete with a flying man?

Eventually, Debbie couldn't stand it any more and she grabbed her man. "C'mon Carl, let's shake a leg!" she hollered. She and Carl began to dance the waltz too. More and more couples began to join in and soon the whole ballroom was waltzing around with one special couple overhead.

Brian looked down and chuckled when he heard Debbie's exuberant yell and was filled with happiness when he saw everyone else start to enjoy themselves too. Because he was looking down in love and not fear, he stayed airborne but he quickly returned his gaze to his dance partner. Behind his mask, Justin smiled brightly. He led Brian to the edge of the room. They went higher and higher.

"This is some trick," Brian said, "I don't know what everybody else would say but I think you might have a shot at this thing."

The bird man flashed a very familiar million watt smile. They danced closer to the edge of the room. One of those windows that covered the top half of the room and arched at the top loomed. "Hey we aren't going out the window are we?"

The bird man nodded and then cocked his head as if to say, "You up for it?"

"We coming back?"

The bird man smiled widely and nodded.

"OK then. Might be fun. You're a very good dancer. The only thing that would make this better is if you were my boyfriend. Funny thing, you and he have the same eyes."

The two feathers covering his forehead pulled back.

They danced out the window.

"And you both have the same amazing, brilliant smile. Are you sure you don't know my boyfriend? Justin?"

The other feathers covering his face pulled back into a collar again. Justin smiled. Noon and midnight (well, nearly) collided.

Brian smiled his own sunshine grin and his eyes sparkled for Justin and Justin alone. "I thought it was you, you twat! But now I'm glad I know so I can do this!" Wolfishly, he grinned and mashed their lips together ravenously. His hands roamed lower to cup and knead Justin's cute little bottom. Tongues dueling, they turned, still rising higher into the air. Soon they were higher than the tallest spire and they were looking down on the castle's twinkling lights and the black carpet that was the sea and the fields of Liberty Kingdom. Above them sailed a full moon and billion stars twinkling cold and clear like diamonds. They danced together, young, and free and alone except for each other. They were ecstatically and perfectly happy in this one moment. And both of them knew that they'd remember this moment, forever.

"This has been the most magical night of my life. It was so boring and then Michael made it a nightmare and then you...you made it all go away. This is just what I needed. This is amazing. You're amazing. I love you, Justin."

Justin pulled Brian to him and wrapped both arms around him and laid his head onto Brian's bigger chest. His heart found Brian's heart. He regulated his breathing until he could feel it. His heart began to beat in unison with Brian's. He was so happy he thought he would burst. He loved Brian too, with all of his heart.

For a while they just turned in the air, in each other's arms. They danced twice around the entire castle.

And then, a single feather separated from the coat and dropped, twisting and spinning, to Earth.

And then another. And another. And slowly, slowly, they began to descend.

Go back." came the voice.

So Justin began to lead Brian back, waltzing all the way back toward the castle. One by one, the feathers dropped from the coat but not in an alarming fashion. They reached the window. They danced through. Feathers began to shower the guests below in a pleasing display. Everyone was still waltzing, many cheek to cheek

Brian and Justin danced lower. Closer and closer to the floor they came. Justin shed more and more. At last they reached the floor. The band timed it just right. As they touched the floor they ended and at the same instant, the last pinfeather dropped off Justin and he was left there in just his tux. It was over.

But it was far from over. The rest of the crowd broke out into thunderous applause. Brian raised Justin's hand over his head and yelled: "Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the winner of the Dance Contest and host of tomorrow's dinner, JUSTIN SUNSHINE!"

Everyone applauded, cheered and whistled.

Justin's smile was at least 3 million watts.

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Elsewhere in the castle, in the sparse and dank sitting room, the cloaked man waited.

A dismal fire was burning in the grate. It crackled and sparked constantly with only a small flame that gave off little heat. But he had not gotten there very long ago and he would not be there for very long, so he ignored it. He waited impatiently.

At last the knock came and the servant entered.

"Master! I have been watching him..."

"Twenty-four hours a day, yes I know. You can stop. I was hoping you could find some dirt, some vice I could use against him but there was nothing. I'd hoped all those witnessed infidelities would work in my favor somehow but all has come to naught. He has bewitched the Prince and ensnared his mind with magic. How else could a mute man win a singing contest? How else could he fly and dance in the air? All is lost. There is only one thing to do now."

The servant knelt down at the Master's feet in a sycophantic display of devotion. He stroked his knee comfortingly. Master stroked the servant's hair absently. The servant reveled in the attention.

"Master, I'm so sorry. I've never seen you so morose. What can I do? What is the one thing to do? Tell me, and I will do it."

The Master leaned forward. In the dim firelight, he not only looked fanged and feral but positively demonic.

"Kill him," rasped Michael.

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The evening was winding down to a close. The lights were low in all the chandeliers and everybody who wanted to be, were dancing slowly. In the very center of all, in their own circle of light, Brian and Justin had finished their Spotlight Dance and were now just turning, turning. With the pain gone, Justin had danced every step perfectly and easily. Now, with Brian's scarf around his neck, he laid his head on Brian's chest. He had never felt so happy. Their arms were wrapped around each other. Justin's hands were around Brian's neck. Brian's hands cupped Justin's ass.

Midnight chimed.

On the last stroke, the pain came back with a vengeance. Justin put a foot down and it felt as if he were skating on blades. He stumbled and then fell, his teeth gritted, his face contorted in pain.

The people near them gasped in shock and concern.

"Justin! Are you all right?" Brian was at his side immediately. He easily kept everyone back.

Embarrassed, Justin nodded and got back up but he couldn't stand. As soon as he tried to put any weight on his feet, the pain bit cruelly into him. It was as if those knives knew he had been getting a reprieve and were back for revenge. He nearly fell again, grabbed onto Brian's neck, his legs dangling. He looked up into Brian's kind eyes, with wide, scared eyes. He was in serious trouble here.

Brian smiled and grabbed his ass again and lifted him up so his feet weren't touching the ground.

"Is the pain back?" he asked quietly.

Justin nodded miserably.

"Can you walk at all?"

Justin shook his head.

"Well then," Brian hoisted his a little higher by his ass until their groins were touching. He kneaded those two luscious globes wantonly. "Looks like I got you just where I got you."

Justin glared. "Be serious!" it said.

"Oh go ahead then! Spoil my fun! Well before we do get you out of here, I just have one thing to say about that."

With his arms still around Brian's neck, Justin cocked his head in askance.

Brian pulled him toward him and leaned in for a bruising, searing kiss, all the while kneading the two globes of his bubble butt. He ground their cocks together. Justin could feel his rock hard stiffie. Justin groaned at the sensation. His hands slid up to frame Brian's face as Brian devoured his tongue and then slid his own into Justin's mouth. "Damn that man!" thought Justin, "Why did he have to have such a way with words?"

After several minutes of mind melting kissing, Brian whispered, "Act sleepy."

Justin obediently lay his head down on his shoulder and closed his eyes.

"Well folks, it seems as certain court artist and contest winner is ready to hit the hay, so I think this is a good time to wrap up the festivities! Everybody, if you'll be so good as to follow the designated staff members out, I'm going to put this cute widdle guy to bed!" Brian adopted this horrible cutesy baby voice and mussed his hair. Justin turned his head and sloooooooowly tilted it sideways and gave Brian a look of pure bloody murder. Brian looked back totally unconcerned and gave him one of his patented slow, deliberate winks with his tongue in cheek. Justin was his hostage and he could do anything he wanted and he knew it. He was loving this. Justin was going to kill him for this.

Everybody groaned in disappointment at the end of the party but gave clucks of sympathy and well wishes to Justin, who waved back, mortified beyond belief. And then it was over, as Brian carried him out, still massaging his asscheeks, with Justin's legs wrapped around Brian's waist.

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A few minutes later, they reached Justin's door. Justin was still furious. Now that they were there, he motioned to be let down. Pain or no pain, he was not going to be undressed and put to bed like a baby or whatever else Brian had planned.

"Awww, now Sunshine, it was only a joke," Brian tried to apologize. "Say you forgive me." He tried to steal a kiss.

Justin dodged it. "Down!" he motioned.

"I really am sorry." But he lowered Justin down.

The pain was un-mother-f**king believable...but Justin combated it with ever ounce of pride in his body. After the initial impact, Justin discovered that if he held perfectly still, he could tolerate the pain. He stood there and crossed his arms and jutted his chin out.

"Can I come in and talk about it?" Brian wheedled.

Justin shook his head. NO WAY! He put his hand on the knob. He turned it and took a deep breath. He deliberately and quickly stepped inside his room. His gritted his teeth and took a deep breath. He turned. Great! The sliding knives were back. He formed his gritted teeth in to a wide grimace.

"Are you gonna be OK, Sunshine?" Brian asked in concern.

Justin nodded and waved. If he would just go and let him sit, and go to bed, he'd be perfect!

"Are you sure? You look pale as a ghost! Maybe I should call Doctor Dave."

Oh God! Why wouldn't he just leave!? Justin shook his head and signed, "I'm OK!" He tried to shut the door. Brian stopped him.

"Say you're not mad at me. Say it, and I'll go. I'll even bring you breakfast tomorrow. Forgive me. Forg..."

Justin was desperate. If he didn't get off these torture devices, he'd die. He leaned forward and shut Brian up with a kiss. Then he slammed the door in his face.

"You won't be sorry!" came the voice of the infatuated Prince on the other side of the door. "It'll be the best breakfast you ever ate!" And then he was gone at last.

But Justin had been lying through his gritted teeth. He wasn't OK. He could barely move on his own. But he would make it. He had to. His feet hurt like Hell. He took a deep breath and tried to move to the bathroom to get undressed.

He could make it.

Pain flashed through his entire being. He tried another step.

He could make it.

Geez, how was pain like that even possible? He felt like his feet were gone. He was just walking on two bloody stumps. Justin's face was as white as the paper he drew on. He swayed. Everything went blurry.

He could...could...make...

He fell to his knees. The room spun. His eyes rolled crazily and then rolled up into his head. Everything went black. Justin fell forward full length on the carpet and lay like a dead man.

To Be Continued

Please Review!!!

Disclaimer:I do not own Queer as Folk Any characters and situations and anything else pertaining to real life is referred here for non-profit purposes only No copyright infringement is intended. Although everyone here is now so Out of character, I hardly think this matters. Sorry folks. These things happen.

Interlude

In the Midnight Hour

Brian ran up the spiral staircase to the second floor where his chambers were. He had just reached the top and was about to head down the hallway, when he heard a noise far below. A crashing and clanging, as if something huge had fallen over. Or knocked over! Oh shit! What if Sunshine had fainted again!? What if he was somehow having a relapse!?

Brian turned and raced back down the way he had come, two stairs at a time. He was just above on the last curve of the stairs when he heard: "MASTER! This is for you!!!" He looked down upon a nightmare.

Justin's valet had Justin pinned by the ankles with one ham-like fist. In the other, he held a huge wooden club. The valet's face was dripping with blood.

With lethal force, the valet swung the club downward at Justin's head. However, Justin was ready. At the last second, he twisted himself violently to the side. The club buried itself in the floor with a sickening crunch. It left a dent in the floor.

"JUSTIN! JUSTIN! NO!" Brian dashed down the rest of the stairs and threw himself at Hobbs. He was filled with an insane need to rip the young man from limb from limb. Instead, he punched him in his already disfigured face and grabbed the club away from him and used it to strike a sweeping blow to the man's beefy chest. He was ferally satisfied to hear a satisfying crunch. Hobbs was spun around and Brian hit him again in the back. Hobbs was propelled forward toward the staircase.

"You wanna bat some defenceless mute guy around that's half your size!?"Brian screamed insanely, "Well let's see how you like a little taste!" He swung again.

However, before he could connect, Hobbs tripped over the suit of armor's helmet. He lost his footing, stumbled clumsily around and pitched over the side of the banister!

Brian and Justin looked on in horror and then rushed over to survey the damage.

However, Hobbs was down but not out. He had managed to grab onto the railing and was hanging high over the Great Hall`s stone floor.

"Help me! Help me! Please! Help me, my Lord!" Hobbs gurgled, his mouth full of blood.

"Who is the Master you were yelling about?" yelled Brian. He grabbed Hobbs' wrist. Tell me, and I'll pull you up! Refuse, and I swear to God, I'll let you drop!"

"If I tell you, I'm a dead man! Please...please help me!"

"The floor down below is solid stone. If you fall, I figure you're dead anyway," Brian said pitilessly, "Tell me! TELL ME! Who is this "Master" who put you up to this?"

Down below, a small crowd of horrified spectators was gathering.

"OK! OK! I'll tell you!" said Hobbs thickly, spraying blood and spittle everywhere. "Master! My master hired me to spy on you! My Master is...M-AAAAHHHHHH!!!"

And like magic, there was a strange dart in his neck. To Brian, it was if it was not there and then POOF, just there. But he knew it had to be shot from some sort of blowgun. Still holding onto Hobbs' wrist, he looked around wildly. But he saw nothing in the confusion.

Hobbs' eyes widened, his body spasmed and twitched in the throes of death. His mouth filled and foamed horribly. And then he went limp and heavy. His grip on the banister tightened and then relaxed and fell away. He was dead.

Brian let go of his wrist and turned away and held Justin to him and shut his eyes tight. There was the sickening crunch. There was a silence and then the shocked buzzing and murmuring of the crowd.

Brian steeled himself and looked over. Hobbs lay on his back, an arm and leg bent at an unnatural angle. His neck was obviously broken. It was a good thing he had already been dead.

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Meanwhile, from behind a partially closed door a thin reed of bamboo, no bigger than a drinking straw was lowered and then replaced into an inside jacket pocket.

Michael turned on his heel and quickly went out a second door into another room, went out the right door from there, down a hall, chose a door 4 down and to the right, went through 3 interconnecting galleries, up some stairs, down another hallway, down some stairs...

Within 5 minutes he had completely escaped within the maze that was the castle.

In another 5 minutes he reached a wing and a large sitting room that Brian didn't know about, much less know how to get to. It was here that he had been hiding out since Brian had dumped him, trying to figure out a way to win his way back into Brian's good graces. But when Hobbs had told him how he was going to eliminate Justin, he had emerged to watch and...take care of things...if things went wrong.

And they had! Everything had gone so very, very wrong. Now he had no servant, no spy, no lover, no Prince, no Kingdom, no prestige, no...no nothing! And it was all that little blond say nothing's fault! He had stolen everything from him!

Michael sat in an easy chair in front of the fire and looked out a window at the dark sea and sky and his dark rage matched them perfectly. What was he going to do now? What? Short of killing Justin himself and ending up like Hobbs (or worse) there was nothing he could do.

His mind spun with ideas and plans, all worse than the one before and each one ended up the same way...with nothing...nothing...nothing...

He slept.

The clock struck midnight.

"It would appear....you need...my help," came an echoing voice.

Michael's eyes popped open. "Wha - Who's there?" he said thickly.

An evil, cruel laugh. "Look out your window."

Michael did so and saw at the water's edge a little ways away, a mermaid with a black tail lying on a flat rock.

"Come to me, Man with a black heart!" she called.

"How? It will take a long while to get to you!" He was on the second floor and at least 10 minutes walk to an outside door.

"This is a dream. You can do anything in a dream," said the mermaid.

Michael turned from the window and saw with a shock, his own self still asleep in the armchair.

The mermaid gave a musical laugh. You see? Now, Come....To...ME!"

Without really thinking about it, Michael took a step and...just like that he was at the flat rock. He was there.

"Who are you? And how can you help me?"

"I am the Sea Witch. I am the one who made the bargain with the blond Prince that has taken your place."

"WHAT!? YOU sent him here! Do you have ANY idea what that little runt has put me...!"

"You know, I do know of a spell to turn a man to plankton. So watch your TONE!" she said a little less musically.

Michael perceived the threat and swallowed his rage. "Why?" he ground out.

"He made the bargain and paid the price. What he has done since then is out of my control."

"What bargain? What are you talking about?"

He gave his voice and a power that heals the body and soul that he calls his sunshine...oh don't worry yourself trying to figure it out you'll only hurt yourself..." she interjected, seeing his frown of confusion, "All you need to know is that he gave his voice and this power of "sunshine" to me in exchange for three weeks to run around on those...those sticks you run around on. But he is coming altogether too close to fulfilling his contract and that is not supposed to be! I keep what I take and what I have taken from him, I like! I'd hoped you'd be man enough to stop him but as I look into the future as it stands, he will be marrying the Prince by the end of the week for sure!"

"Stop him! Don`t you think I've tried! Don`t you think..."

"No! You didn't think at all! You antagonized him at every turn, which just heightened Brian's protective instincts and drove them tighter into each other's arms! And those contests!" She snorted. "Next time, pick something that you are good at!"

"Hey! I was good!"

"Please! The catfish that yowl outside in my anemone garden were better than you!" he said contemptuously.

Michael frowned. She was the second person to tell him he was bad. Could it be he wasn't as fabulous as he thought? He shook his head slightly. Nahhhhhh!

"Look, I don't understand. Did you say you could help me?"

"Yes. But beware! You may not want my help. Are you willing to pay the price?"

"What do you mean?"

"Take this," She dipped her hand into the sea and brought out a tiny crystal vial full of a sickly green potion, glowing like neon puke. "Pour it into the Prince's juice in the morning. It will cause him to pass out temporarily. The next person he sees upon awaking will hold his affections captive. Make sure it is you, and it will be as if the Prince of the Sea had never existed in his heart. Fail, and it will only strengthen his love for the young merman to the extent that it will be irreversible."

"I will not fail," Michael said evilly.

"However...!" the Sea Witch continued and paused dramatically.

"However? What, however?"

"However, because you are regaining the Prince's love and not receiving a double dose like your rival would, the potion will work differently for you. He will love you obsessively. He will pursue you relentlessly. However, once he loves you mind, soul, and body...that is the physical act, his great love will become a great hate. He will remember his former, realize what you have done and despise you forever. However, he will insist on possessing you and allow you no others. It will be the last time you ever experience physical love in your lifetime."

She held up the potion. "Are you willing to pay the price?!" she cried.

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The events of the next hour or so are too boring to print.

But at last, the body was carried away, Brian told his story one last time to one last authority, and the last looky-loo guest had been kindly but firmly shown the door.

Finally, Brian and Justin were left alone which was the only thing they wanted in the world anyway. Justin had been bone-weary to begin with and now he was just dead on his feet. And Brian wanted nothing more than to be with Justin. Well, truth be told, he wanted a little more than that, but at this junction he could see he was going to have to settle for a good night's sleep wrapped up in the arms of a cute blond package.

Said blond package was swaying on his feet and his eyes were half shut and closing, half shut and closing, as if they weighed a thousand pounds. Brian put an arm around his shoulder and guided him toward the stairs. Justin's arm automatically went around his waist and slowly, so slowly they made their way to the stairs.

Justin looked up and sighed. They looked a mile high. But he smiled gamely at Brian and started up. He climbed putting both feet on a riser before climbing to the next one. The pain was terrible.

Brian watched him in amusement and let him get 3 steps up before muttering "Twat!" and bumping him, causing Justin to fall into Brian's arms and be cradled against his s'pec'tacular chest. (Well, in Justin's eyes anyway.) Then just like on his first day, and a few more like it, Brian swept him up the stairs defiantly, proudly, and masterfully. However, at the first landing, where Justin's room was, Brian purposefully turned his back on it and continued upward to the second landing.

When Justin's blue, blue eyes looked up at him in askance, Brian said, "What? You didn't think I was letting you out of my sight again after that, do you? You'll sleep with me, tonight." A deep kiss sealed the deal.

Justin just rested his head on Brian's shoulder and enjoyed the ride. He now knew that he would go willingly, wherever Brian wanted to take him, even to the ends of the earth.

Brian's room was halfway down the hall on the second floor. Brian stopped in front of a huge brown door that Justin could see was on a track and slid open instead of pulling or pushing. Brian put Justin down and took out a large silver key and opened the door. He slid it open and drew Justin inside. Justin gasped and looked around in amazement. Charmed and engaged in looking that he barely heard Brian slide the door shut behind them.

It was huge, not just a room but a kind of rooms within one room, an apartment. On the right there was a huge living room, all in hardwood, tastefully decorated in leather couches and a glass coffee table. There was a bookshelf, just crammed with books. There was a simply HUGE fireplace and a bearskin rug in front of it. To the left and right of the fireplace were huge windows. To the left and along the wall was a kitchen area. Near the kitchen was a small but expensive looking dining table. Beyond that was a door that led to a bathroom. And straight on, the first thing you saw as you came into the room was the bed. It was huge. It sat on a kind of dais that elevated it higher than everything else in the room. There were small stairways on the left and right that led up to it. They were 5 stairs high; that's how high this bed was! The topsheets were black silk and there were pillows galore. There were heavy bed curtains on all sides. They were a rich purple. Right now they were open but they could be closed with the touch of a hand. The bed itself was huge. Justin was unaware there was a size of bed bigger than king size but Brian had found it. It was just simply an island of a bed.

The entire thing was very imposing and intimidating and you could see at once this was the focal point of the room and indeed of Brian's priorities and life. Justin gulped.

Brian came up behind him and grabbed his around the waist and started nuzzling his neck. "See something you like?" he quipped, and nipped his ear, causing shocks of pleasure to shoot through Justin's body. He pulled Justin flush against his own body pressing his stiffie against Justin's backside.

Somewhere a clock struck the midnight hour.

Justin arched back, pressed back and gave Brian a lingering but tired kiss. He moved his hands wide apart, gesturing, Big! So Big!

Brian chuckled and said, "Yeah, I know. I had it custom made. You are looking at the biggest bed in Liberty Kingdom. He leaned in close and whispered in Justin's ear, "The biggest bed for the best lover in all the Kingdom!" And he nipped his lobe again.

Justin groaned silently at the intense pleasure shooting through him. Behind him, Brian smiled in satisfaction. He could feel the blond spasming in his arms, betraying his desire and pent up passion. The blond was primed and ripe for the plucking.

Justin turned in Brian's arms and kissed him long and hard. Brian's ministrations were increasing his desire for more, superceding his need for sleep. Again, he tasted that sweet taste of his Sunshine on Brian's tongue. Brian smiled and kissed him back hotly.

The two men grappled with each other, pulling at buttons and ties and zippers. Justin undid one button at a time and laved his way down Brian's neck and down his chest to his stomach and then to his waist. By that time, Brian had undone his belt and snaps on his pants. He dropped them in one move and stepped out of them and suddenly Justin was faced with his large and erect cock. He looked up at Brian as if to say, "Very nice." But then he kissed his stomach and even the cock a bit before looking up again to ask, "What now?"

"It's yours tonight," Brian said huskily, "Touch it. Pull it. Put it in your mouth. Suck it."

Justin scrunched up his face as if to say: Ewwww! But he gamely decided to start out my jerking Brian off. He grabbed Brian`s cock and pulled as hard as he could and twisted it sideways like a corkscrew.

"OOOOWWWWWW!" howled Brian, jumping back. Justin jumped up in alarm and reached out in consolation and apology. Brian was going to back up again but next moment his breath was stolen from him.

Somehow, he had undone enough of Justin's button's and zippers and things so that when he stood up, his clothes just seemed to...melt off of him and within a few seconds he was naked as a body could possibly be.

It was the second time Brian has seen him naked and the way his creamy white skin glowed in the light took his breath away just like the first time. Also at that time, Brian had to restrain himself as he was with Michael at the time.

No more. This time he allowed the hitch in his breath to show and shrugged off the last of his clothing.

Tall and dark, small and white came together with the intensity of a tsunami wave. Then Brian grabbed him again and threw him over his shoulder and carried him to the bed, up the steps, and threw him onto the mattress.

"It seems..." he growled, "That, I am going to have to teach you the fine art of lovemaking by example. Quite from scratch."

And so he started. He grabbed Justin`s stiffie and lightly began to stroke it. Justin felt the beginning of a pleasure he never knew existed. His cock began to leak precum and Brian used it to rub a thumb all over the head of it. Justin arched and grabbed the sheets. He moaned but of course no sound came out. He wondered what he would have sounded like here on land. But then there was no time for thinking because Brian`s next move was to open wide and bend down and...

"What on earth is he playing at?" Justin thought.

...engulfed Justin's cock, deep throating it in one bite. He began a slow, torturous blow job and that had Justin writhing and bucking in pleasure the likes of which he had never experienced before. Oh! Now he saw what he was driving at!

Slowly, Brian began pumping faster and faster, sucking harder and harder. Justin was in seventh heaven. Now at last, he understood. Now he understood what it was he was here for. What he had been wanting and seeking and waiting and reaching for all this time. And he was still reaching. Still reaching. Brian sucked faster and faster and Justin writhed and reached and reached and reached and...

A sort of flash, a rending, ripped through Justin in a final ultimate pleasure, no an ecstasy, through his entire being that had his mouth open in a silent scream. Brian pumped a few more times, swallowed, and then brought his face close to Justin's.

"Your seed, your essence is delicious, Sunshine! But don't take my word for it. Taste for yourself!" And he kissed Justin witless.

Justin tasted something salty and strange on Brian's tongue and he still didn't really understand what Brian meant. And then he just felt as if it didn't really matter as all of a sudden a tremendous heaviness and weariness began to overcome him.

Brian was revved and ready to go. He pulled Justin flush up against him, thinking that Justin would return all his favors. But he grew heavier and heavier in his arms and...Blow it!...if Justin didn't fall right to sleep! Brian tried poking and prodding him but all to no avail. The young, blond tempter was asleep...deep asleep.

Stealthily, Brian attempted to pull away so he could take care of his own needs without bothering the blond. But Justin would have none of it. As soon as he would pull away, Justin, even in his deep sleep would sense it somehow and anticipate each movement. Every time, Brian moved, Justin moved with him snuggling even closer into Brian's hard abdomen. Justin gave a deep sigh of happiness and contentment. He smiled in his sleep for he dreamed that he was holding onto a leather-clad Prince wearing large and deep goggles; they were chest to chest on a motor bike that was speeding faster and faster. And then they took off and were flying over the sea.

Brian sighed. "Sunshine, you're killing me here," he murmured. He still had a raging hard on against that tight, cute butt and his balls were about as blue as ripe plums. (And roughly the same size as well)

Finally, he gave up and pulled them up toward the pillows, got up briefly and turned out the lights. He pulled the curtains, pulled Justin against him again and snuggled in. Within a few minutes he had joined Justin in a deep slumber.

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Michael stared at the Sea Witch. He realized he was faced with a terrible choice.

"Never experience physical....you mean sex? Never have sex again?" he asked in horror.

"You got it, Starshine," said the Witch.

"But that's...to never...never feel pleasure again like that...that's like a fate worse than death!"

"Oh, I don't know...what about....Death?" the Witch asked caustically.

"Well, yes, Michael conceded, "but still...'

The Witch was growing bored. "OK, look...I know it's a lot to give up but think about what you are gaining. Brian...the Kingdom...the chance to send that little Merman packing...at least out of Brian's affections...once and for all!!! Not to mention...a Kingdom!' she reiterated, "And let's be honest, sweetcheeks! Out of all those on that list, that's what you're really after, isn't it?"

"Yes," Michael was forced to admit.

"So...pay the price and seal the deal! Just make your wedding night...memorable."

Michael thought about it. Could he do it? Could he live the rest of his long, young life without sex, joined to Brian and yet hated by him forever? Would the crown of Liberty Kingdom be enough of a consolation for a lifetime without pleasure? Oh, God! What if he started eating as a comfort and got fat? A thousand other dreadful images popped up in his mind. If he did take the deal and got the crown what would he do with it? Bulldoze the Diner...was the first thing that came to his mind. Some mother she turned out to be! Calling that muted freak Sunshine and treating him better than her own son! That would serve her right!...he thought evilly. And then all he could think of was Justin, Justin`s cherubic face, his golden goodness, the magical ways he had thwarted his contests, Justin hugging Brian, Justin kissing Brian, Justin on the throne, wearing the crown, his crown, his throne! Justin walking the beach with Brian, hunting crabs and clams the way they used to. More and more, a thousand more images each one more erotic than the last, erotic images that should have had him in them! And the more he thought, the more a fierce, wild, jealous rage began to build within his chest, as fierce and wild as a tempest tossed sea during a vicious monsoon.

"Come now! My time grows short! Will you pay the price!?" the Witch shrieked, jerking him out of his thoughts.

"YES!! I WILL PAY IT!" yelled Michael. He snatched the green potion from the Witch and held it aloft reverently.

There was a huge flash and crash of thunder and lightning..

"THE DEAL IS SEALED!!" the Witch screamed, and there was another volley of thunder and lightning, this one louder than the one before. "Now! Wake up!"

"Huh?" said Michael stupidly.

"I sssaaaid.... WAKE...UP!!!" the Witch's face transformed into a hideous snake creature with almond eyes and stretched lips and fangs. A forked tongue darted out and she bared her fearsome teeth. She struck, moving forward whip-snapping fast. There was a deafening crash of thunder and a flash that turned everything blindingly white.

Michael's eyes flew open and he jerked upward violently. He sucked in a huge, terrified breath.

Oh!! He was back in the sitting room again. The fire was much lower. The clock struck three.

He might have written the whole thing off as a dream and a delusion if it were not for the tiny crystal vial sitting in his lap.

He snatched it up and stared at the bilious liquid. He got up and went to the window where it was starting to rain. The thunder and lightning had been real enough. And yet, as Michael stared out the window, he saw that the water's edge was completely different than his dream. It was rough and filled with boulders, impassable. There was no flat rock. It had been a dream as well.

No matter. Michael smiled widely and it was a hideous stretched mask of evil. He held up the vial and began to laugh loud and long, maniacally, in triumph.

TBC

Disclaimer:I do not own Queer as Folk Any characters and situations and anything else pertaining to real life is referred here for non-profit purposes only No copyright infringement is intended. Although everyone here is now so Out of character, I hardly think this matters. Sorry folks. These things happen. Brian/OC in this chapter.

Chapter 7

THE THIRD WEEK

Part 1 - Reversal of Fortune

The midnight hour passed. The night went on. Everyone in the castle slept. Liberty Kingdom (or at least the good of it) slept. Late night passed into deep night, deep night gave way to dawn, and dawn gave way to morning and the third week began.

Brian woke early, as was his custom, and he carefully extricated himself from Justin and did 100 quick push-ups. Then he dressed quickly in work out clothes and went out for his morning jog. He left a quick note to Justin telling him where he was gone to and then quietly let himself out.

He needn't have bothered. When he arrived back at the castle, and back to his rooms, Justin was still sacked completely out.

Still all sweaty and musky from his run, Brian stripped and stole over to the bed, climbed up on it and burrowed into the covers where he proceeded to give Justin a most divine, slow and mind-blowing wake-up blow job. Justin's eyes fluttered open at the start and ended up grabbing the headboard and curling his toes before feeling that wonderful explosion of mind-blowing pleasure again. He could definitely get used to this.

"Finally, Brian moved up to his level and looked deep into his eyes. "Good morning," he purred.

Justin smiled a million watt smile and stroked his cheek in return. Brian leaned into his touch and grabbed his hand keeping it there as they gazed into each other's eyes for a long time, communing without words.

Afterward, Justin would look back onto this moment in his lowest moments of anger, sadness, and depression for comfort. It was the last tender moment together alone they would share ever again.

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When they came down for breakfast, they found Michael waiting. They were both shocked to see him there but it was the way he was there that was the most chilling.

He wore a green shirt that matched his eyes exactly. His black hair was tousled and curly giving him a kind of rumpled-on-purpose look with a curly tendril falling down the exact center of his forehead. He had black jeans and comfortable shoes. He smiled and hummed as he bustled around the table, putting the plates down at three serving areas.

"Well, good morning sunshines!" he said brightly, "I thought you'd never come down!" He smiled again, sunnily.

"Uh...Michael...What are you doing?" Brian asked warily, putting himself in between him and Justin.

"I'm serving us breakfast of course, what does it look like? I went in to help and most of the servants ran off again. I'm afraid turning over a new leaf with them is going to be a bit harder than I thought. Oh, that reminds me...Brian, you're going to have to have a word with that skittish one...you know, the one that likes to call me...oh what was it? ...Oh, right, Diablo, or something like that..." Here Michael gave a musical laugh as if it truly amused him. "I couldn't understand what she said as she ran out but the one remaining cook said it had something to do with quitting. So if you want to keep her, you'll have to talk with..."

"No, Michael...I mean, what are you doing here? You didn't come to the weekend feast. We haven't seen you at all since that travesty you called a dance contest and you kicked yourself in the head. Since we broke up. I thought maybe you'd moved out," he said meaningfully.

"My goodness, that contest! My what a silly idea that turned out to be!" Michael chattered, oblivious, reminiscing on it as if it had been a year ago instead of two days ago. "You sure got me, Justin! Well, you got everybody, really! Imagine finding a coat that would let you fly! Kudos! And of course I didn't come to the dinner! I needed a few days to...lick my wounds...as they say. That and the dump...uh, breakup did hit me pretty hard, I must admit. So I've been in a separate part of the castle since then till I could figure things out." Seeing Brian's look, he hurriedly continued, "This place is so large and...spread out...I knew there was little chance of running into you so moving out really didn't occur to me. I mean where was I supposed to go...my mother's?" He laughed as if that were the most ridiculous thing he had heard.

Brian did not laugh. "For starters. You know, she'd easily forgive you if you'd give up this hostility toward her. If not there, then an inn. Or a more permanent apartment. There's nothing left for you here, Michael. Surely you can see that."

Michael deftly sidestepped the corner that Brian was forcing him into my simply ignoring it and pretending it didn't exist.

"Come and eat. If you still feel the same way when we finish breakfast, I'll go." He gestured to the three plates piled high with pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, toast and hash browns. There were three goblets filled with orange juice.

Still warily eyeing Michael and approaching him slowly as one might approach an armed bomb, Brian said, "I didn't think you'd be comfortable eating with us anymore."

"Well, I just figured since you'd made you position so...painfully...clear, it had become a non-issue. Besides, I did a little re-arranging and came up with this idea to make it more comfortable."

He showed them how he had somehow made the dining room table a bit more rectangular and placed all seating areas in a row. "There, you see. Brian, I figured you'd want to sit in the middle. Justin can sit on one side and I'll sit on the other. That way, there's no favouritism and you can be between me and Justin as I'm sure you still don't trust me quite yet."

"You got that right!" Brian growled.

"Please Brian! I'm trying to make things right here," Michael pleaded. He sat down on the left hand seat.

Reluctantly, the other two men took their places. Both men continued to keep an eye on Michael who continued to portray the picture of serenity and innocence. There were a few quiet moments where they all enjoyed their breakfast.

And then, when it did happen, many things happened seemingly all at the same time. Looking back, Justin wondered if there was something...anything...he could have done.

Brian took a sip of his orange juice. Then another. Then convulsively he chugged the whole thing. His eyes bugged out. He sucked in a breath but couldn't get any air. He pushed back from the table and stood up gasping for air. He gagged. He choked. His goblet fell from his hand and shattered into a million fragments on the floor. And then he joined it as he fell over, onto his knees and then full length, senseless.

As Brian gasped and choked, Justin was on his feet, watching him, moving to hit him on the back, otherwise panicking.

As Brian's goblet left his hand, Michael struck. As quick as a striking snake, he yanked out his blowgun and shot Justin in the throat. Justin's eyes widened, and then fluttered closed as he too collapsed on the floor.

Humming quietly, Michael replaced the blowgun into an inner pocket. He went over and grabbed Justin by the wrists and dragged him to a far corner of the room.

"Be glad I just need you out of sight for a few minutes," Michael whispered to his unconscious rival, his voice tinged with the manic insanity that belied his true nature as he plucked out the dart and hid it, "Otherwise knockout drops would have been replaced with the death that Hobbs failed to finish you with."

With that, he turned his back and left Justin where he lay like so much human garbage. He returned to Brian's side where he was alarmed to see that Brian was breathing shallowly. His face was tinged with blue.

Michael bent Brian's head back, made sure his mouth was open, his airways clear. It didn't seem to work. Brian's breathing only got slower and more labored. He turned bluer.

"No, no, no! This wasn't supposed to happen! He was only supposed to go unconscious! There was nothing in this about him dying! Come on, Brian! Come back to me!" Michael whispered out loud in the otherwise empty room.

But Brian didn't come back. He sucked in convulsive breath after breath after breath, slower and slower, and then...and then just didn't take another.

He was dead.

Michael lifted his still head and then his shoulders into his arms and cradled him, tears streaming out of his eyes. He rocked Brian back and forth a bit, wondering what to do now, wondering what had gone wrong, cursing that witch for deceiving him. This was not what was supposed to happen at all.

And then, Brian sucked in a HUUUUGE breath. It was a miracle. And when he breathed out a stream of golden mist breathed out of his mouth, hung in the air like yellow smoke for a moment and then dissipitated . The blue in his face was replaced by rosy pink once more as he slept in Michael's arms like a baby.

Michael waited breathlessly. This was it. This was his last chance. "Come on, Brian!" he urged, "Wake up! Wake up for me! Come on!"

But across the room another figure was stirring.

Michael ignored it. "Hurry, Brian! Come on! Can you wake up for me? Please!"

Across the room, Justin sat up, shaking his head. He groaned silently and held his head.

Michael wished he'd brought another dart.

And then, like a miracle, like a dream, just in time, Brian's eyelids fluttered and they opened. And of course, being cradled in Michael's arms, he was the first thing he laid eyes upon.

"Michael! What the fuck happened?" Brian rasped, struggling to sit up.

"You choked on something," Michael lied easily, "I took care of you. I'll always take care of you."

"Could I get something to drink?"

"Of course, Brian." Michael helped him up and to sit in a chair and poured him a tall glass of water. Brian drank it greedily.

"Thank you Michael. I can always count on you. He pulled Michael down for a hard kiss. "God, you are so sexy! It seems like ages since I noticed how sexy you are." And he pulled him down for another bruising kiss, Michael jumping into seventh heaven as he did so.

Meanwhile, still on the floor, Justin shook his head and did a bit of a double take as he waited for the cobwebs to clear. But they wouldn't clear any more than they were. He still saw Brian kissing Michael as plain as day. What was happening here? He had woken up with Brian madly in love with him and showing him pleasures he never dreamed existed. And now here he was kissing Michael and calling him sexy. It didn't make any sense. The last thing he remembered was...Brian choking! And then...nothing...until right now.

He got up and marched over there and cleared his throat noisily. At least that was one thing he could do that made noise.

The other two men broke off from kissing and looked at him.

Brian smiled. "Well, good morning, little man! Did you just get up?" he asked as if this were the first time he'd seen Justin this morning.

Justin looked at Brian and gestured his hands as if to say, "What the Hell!?"

Brian looked at Michael. "What do you suppose he wants?"

Michael shrugged. "Don't look at me. I've never understood him."

Brian looked around and saw the three plates. "Michael and I were just eating. I guess this is your plate. Are you hungry, little man?"

Justin shook his head, impatiently, moved around to Brian's side, grabbed his arm, tried to pull him to himself. He was shocked when Brian resisted him, stayed in his seat, shook him off.

"Justin! What's the matter with you? You should know better to accost royalty like this! Let me go! Nobody touches me without my permission! Look Justin, you have attained great fame, great wealth on your own merit and for that I'm - we're letting you stay here. But don't overstep your bounds or we'll have to re-think things. Michael doesn't mind you being here either, do you, my love?" He turned to Michael with this hungry and besotted look on his face.

Michael didn't exactly understand what was going on here but he thought quickly. Brian seemed to have his memories intact, although they were somewhat distorted. He had forgotten his love for Justin just as the Witch had predicted. He remembered the last time Brian had asked this he had gotten angry and jealous. Now he knew better. It was like a do over!

"Of course not, Brian. As long as he doesn't overstep his bounds," Michael agreed. "I love you, Brian. You're so wise and just."

"Ohhh, I can be a hard man too, if I want to be. Very...hard!" Brian growled as he leaned in to kiss Michael again who received him willingly. They both laughed softly against each other as they began to make out wildly.

Justin watched the scene with the utmost horror. Confusion, jealousy, hurt, sadness, heartbreak all passed over his face, one after another. His too blue eyes filled with tears as he turned and rushed from the room.

BJMBJMBJMBJMBJMBJMBJM

And that was that. It was a complete reversal of fortune. It was as if he and Brian had never loved each other. Over the next day or so, with the help of interpreters, Justin managed to glean that Brian remembered rescuing him, had brought him in, helped him but...that's as far as it had gone. He loved Michael. He had always loved Michael. And he needed interpreters now. That special understanding, that connection they had shared was completely gone. Brian needed a written note or to be told what Justin wanted through an interpreter. He could not recognize the simplest of sign language anymore. He never called him Sunshine any more. It was as if that name had never existed. He always called him little man and treated Justin in sort of a crossway between the way one treats a little brother and the way one treats a favourite pet, like a dog.

Justin was heartbroken. He cried an ocean of tears in private and tried to keep a straight face in public which he learned to go into less and less over the following week. It was just too painful. Brian and Michael spent most of their time together, and most of the mealtimes making out. And Justin just had to sit there and endure it.

He of course, went to see Gus as soon as possible. He cried on bended knee, silently begging, and brought a pad of paper and painstakingly wrote out what was wrong, which the heron then read aloud.

Gus had grown up into a full-grown swan and all his feathers had grown back magnificently. He listened to Justin's problem soberly and then promised, "Let me fly over and see what I can see. Wait here."

He flew up and over to the castle. He flew once around it and then returned.

"The whole castle is awash in deep and evil magic," he reported. "The Prince is under a powerful spell which is beyond my understanding. I'm sorry, Justin. My powers can change you, help you. But I can do nothing against what is altering your friend. I'm sorry."

Justin bowed his head in sorrow and walked slowly back to the castle. He walked slowly everywhere now. His grief and his foot pains were very great.

Over the next few days he spent most of his time in his studio. He painted a few small pictured but he was compelled to work mostly on his magnum opus. He knew his time was short now and he wanted, no needed...it to be finished before he left. He took most of his meals there and came out only when he needed to wash up for dinner. In spite of everything going on, Brian still insisted on a formal and civilized dinnertime. However, since Michael usually made sure they were feeding each other or otherwise making out which Brian couldn't get enough of, the food was tasteless and about as palatable as chewing cotton for Justin. But through it all, he endured it, because he loved the Prince still. He knew Michael had placed him under a spell, which he could not break. And so he sat there and loved Brian still, and endured it.

Brian now spent almost every waking moment with Michael. As the Witch predicted, he pursued Michael relentlessly, stalking him, smothering him. He was at his door in the morning when Michael woke up and emerged to start the day. They were joined at the hip until Michael sent Brian to take a walk or something. Brian would comply, reluctantly, kissing him fervently goodbye, but he would be back almost exactly an hour later, unable to stay away. He brought him flowers. He gave him jewellery. He bought him candy. Michael accepted everything but did not return any affection beyond making out. Which was difficult. After dinner they spent all evening together and then Brian would walk Michael to his door and kiss him goodnight only to be separated from him when Michael finally closed the door in his face.

For the first few days, Brian made one sexual innuendo after another. He kissed him constantly. He pressed up against him showing off his blatantly aroused hard on. Michael groaned in pleasure inwardly but rebuffed him gently each time. Finally, quite soon, when he felt the time was right, he told Brian, he loved him and everything he was doing but that he wanted to save the next time they had sex for marriage. And so, on Wednesday Brian went down on bended knee and proposed to Michael at dinner. This was especially painful for Justin to watch as he knew whatever magic was working against him had beaten him. He was doomed. And yet, he loved Brian still.

After dinner, he went to his studio, locked himself in and knelt before his magnum opus. He put his face into his palms and cried and cried. He cried for what they had and what they had lost, no had stolen. He cried for Brian who had promised himself to one who was not worthy. And he cried for himself, mourned his own death since no one else would.

His forehead was sore and hot from crying so hard. He looked up at his magnum opus again and suddenly he was filled with a primal and all-consuming rage. He screamed in silence, threw books and pads and paints all over the room and then approached the magnum opus. He heaved the thing into the air and prepared to throw it across the room into the fire,

And couldn't do it. He just couldn't do it, any more then he could saw off his own foot.

So he replaced it and again screamed in hatred and fury. He felt so helpless. He was helpless. Justin ripped open his shirt, buttons tinkling everywhere. He pulled it off and threw it away. What did he care about shirts or clothes or other human trappings now anyway? He was not a human. He was a merman, a creature of the sea and soon he would return to it forever. He walked over to the windows and looked over the dark sea, gazing at his dim reflection, at his two necklaces, thinking dark thoughts, wondering what to....

Wait a minute! Justin lifted and held his conch shell necklace in his palm staring at it. He had worn it so often and things had been going so well, he had forgotten almost completely about it. But he remembered it now and he remembered what it was for.

"Here. If the worst should happen...no, let me finish...IF the worst should happen and his marriage to another is imminent, draw this off your neck and give the shell a blow. I shall hear it and I'll do whatever I can to help you."

At that moment there was a knock on the door.

Quickly, Justin threw the veil over the magnum opus went to the door, still shirtless, past caring, unlocked the door and yanked it open.

It was Brian.

"Hey little man! How are you doing? I was hoping you'd be here! Can you believe it!? Can you fuckin' believe it!? I'm getting' married! I'm fuckin' getting married!"

Unfortunately, what Justin wanted to say and the simple gestures he was forced to use were two entirely different things.

[["Well Brian, since I was right there when you asked Michael on bended knee, I can indeed "fuckin believe it"."]] Justin nodded.

"I'm so excited, I hardly know which way is up! I wanted - Wow! You look hot! You always work with your shirt off?"

Justin sighed and nodded.

"Not trying to steal me away from my man, are you? Well, it won't work!" Brian said facetiously.

[["Actually you were stolen from ME!"]] Justin narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms.

"Look, can I come in? I want to ask you something." Brian moved forward and was startled when Justin resisted him, pushing back with his slight frame.

"What, I didn't offend you with my little joke, did I?"

Justin nodded. As thick as Brian had become, that he could understand.

"Aww, gee, little man, I'm sorry! Can I come in, please? It's important."

Justin sighed and made way. Even in his deluded state, he could refuse him nothing.

Brian bounced in. "Gee, thanks! Look, Justin ever- holy shit! What happened in here!?"

[["Well, Brian, as I've lost both you and my life, I was understandably upset. So I threw things around in a fit of temper and rage."]] Justin smiled wanly and shrugged cutely.

"Ahhhh, the artistic temperament eh?" Brian winked slowly in a way that made Justin's insides turn to mush. "Well, I'll have someone come and help you clean it up tomorrow."

"Justin nodded and bowed. [["By Neptune, this spell has made you thick!"]]

"Brian got down to business. "Look, Justin, ever since Babylon...well what I mean is if Babylon had never exploded, I guess I'd be asking Uncle Vic this but since he's been gone, you've been my best friend except for Michael. You saved my life. I'd really like it if you'd be my best man. I can't think of anyone I'd like to have stand up with me."

Justin looked up into Brian's eyes, so full of the hope and promise of a bright future ahead of him. So kind and full of love...just not for him. And still he could deny him nothing. For he loved him still. He nodded.

"Thanks, little man! You won't regret it! This is gonna be great, I promise! Oh Justin, thanks! You've made me really happy!" And in a giddy frenzy, Brian launched himself into Justin's arms and swung him around. He kissed him chastely and was a little startled when Justin pressed his lips back a little too hard. Everything stopped for a moment.

"It's strange," Brian whispered, "Your hair...Your hair shines...just like sunshine!"

Justin looked deep into Brian's green eyes and willed him to: Remember!... Remember!...

But then Brian just gave himself a little shake and said, "Well, I'd better be going! Lots of stuff to do and not much time to do it in! Thanks again, little man!" He mussed his hair and bounced out the door.

Justin slammed it behind him and turned his back to it. In despair, he slid down until he was sitting on the floor with his knees pulled up to his chest. He cried a few more tears and again thought back to that last morning. He tried to visualize Brian leaning into his hand that one last time. And he was a little frightened, because this was the first time, it really seemed like he was trying to remember a dream.

Again he picked up Emmett's shell. He looked at it very hard.

And then he jumped up and sprang into action. He ran out of the room, locked the door and set off at a dead run, bare chested, barefooted, in nothing but his slacks he had worn to dinner.

Down the hall, across the Great Hall, out the door, across the courtyard, across the drawbridge, and away, down to the sea. If anyone saw him, they didn't stop him and he didn't see them. He ran, ran, ran, down to the beach, to a wooden dock and to the very end of it. The night air was cool against his naked parts but he didn't care. As a merman, he'd felt deeper chills in the icy waters of the deep.

He sat down on the end of the dock. He rolled up his slacks and dipped his feet into the dark water. Ahhhhh! It felt refreshing and cool and...like home. He'd forgotten how friendly the sea could feel. For the first time since he'd come to be a human, he missed it. Really missed it.

He drew off the shell pendant and took a few deep breaths preparing. He had saved this for a long time, for the most dire of needs. And tonight, that time was now. The air seemed charged with electricity and promise.

He had no idea what was going to happen. He wondered how this tiny shell was going to help or if it would do anything at all. Emmett always was a flighty creature.

No. Emmett might be flighty, but he was loyal and he could see Justin's determination to leave and grow up. He wouldn't play him that way.

Well, this was the moment of truth. Justin took a deep breath, a deeper breath, a deepest breath. He blew into the tiny shell.

At first, it made a thin, high beeping noise, like a kazoo. But it grew louder and deeper. Encouraged, Justin kept blowing. The noise grew louder and louder and now sounded like a trumpet. Justin kept blowing and it grew louder and louder and it was as deep as a tuba. It was so loud they had to have heard it at the castle by now.

Justin kept blowing and it grew louder and deeper and now it was the sound of a bassoon. Louder. Deeper.

At last, Justin could not blow and longer. He blew a last breath and stopped, sucking in a huge, cleansing breath. But instead of fading away, the noise continued to grow and grow and went on and on and got deeper and deeper. The noise travelled across the waves, in all direction. It had to be heard in Spitzenburgher by now. The dock trembled. The ground trembled. Even the castle trembled. And still the noise went on and on.

The earth continued to tremble. Justin looked at the conch in wonder and saw that it was starting to vibrate as well. Faster and faster, until it fairly oscillated in his hand. It cracked and shattered and turned to dust in his hand.

And at last the deep horn sound slowly faded away. Slowly, gently. The earth stopped moving. The dust in his hand blew away and then there was nothing left but the chain it had been attached to.

Justin sat there, moving his feet in the water for a long time and wondered what to do now. Would Emmett come? Would he receive a vision? Should he just go and hope and take it on faith that something would happen. He liked the latter choice least of all.

And then suddenly he saw a darker shape against the dark sky. It wobbled and bit and grew bigger and bigger as it flew closer and closer. And then it was very close and scraped the water clumsily and slid in for a water landing. It was, of course, Gus.

He flopped clumsily a few times as he tried taking off again and couldn't quite make it for the short distance he wanted.

"Well, help us up then!" he said grouchily, and Justin did so willingly. He greeted Gus with a huge smile.

"I heard your calling. I couldn't resist the feeling that it was a sort of summoning. So, here I am."

Justin nodded.

Gus cocked his head as if he were listening. "Ahh, yes! Now I see! Emmett heard your call and is sending a message. I can't hear it word for word you understand but I'm getting the gist of it through my feelings, you understand?"

Justin nodded eagerly. He shook his head slowly and sadly.

Gus ruffled his feathers impatiently and gave a curt honk. "Oh, well, I suppose it doesn't matter. Just hang on a minute."

He walked up and down the dock a few times, bobbing his long neck and honking softly. Then he said:

"OK, here's the deal. Emmett heard you. He's going to do everything he can to help you break your deal with the Sea Witch." He cocked his head, listening. "How much time does he have? How many days?"

Justin held up enough to indicate the end of the week.

"The end of the week!" said Gus loudly. He listened some more.

"OK, he's received that message. There is nothing more Justin. I'm sorry. I feel nothing else."

Justin nodded in understanding.

"In fact," Gus continued, "I feel...nothing more for this place at all. I believe my time here, my guardianship of you, is complete. It is time for me to go."

Justin looked stricken, shook his head in distress. He held out his hands in supplication. "Don't go!" it all said.

"No, Justin, it is time. The ducks don't want me there. The heron is a good friend but he doesn't need me. I am a swan. I know that now. I need to find other swans who will want and accept me. I need to find a mate. I need to start a family. This desire has been growing in me for quite some time. The time is now!"

Justin's cheeks were again wet. It seemed he was destined to cry an ocean of tears. Must he lose everyone who was important to him? It didn't seem fair. But he could see Gus was determined.

He held out his hands. Gus came into them willingly, honking softly in pleasure. Justin stroked his feathered body one last time, stroked his long neck. He rubbed his cheek against the side of Gus' head in a last farewell kiss. (Well, as close as to a kiss as he could get from a swan anyways.)

"Thank you for the protection you gave from the ducks. Thank you for the King's bread. Thank you for helping me become what I am today. You have a kind and faithful heart, Prince of the Sea. The night will be very dark for you, my Prince but I yet feel sure there will come a time of triumph. Good-bye Justin." Gus whispered next to his ear and gave him a quick nip of affection.

And then it was time. Justin and Gus released each other. Gus was running down the dock onto the beach. He ran down the beach for a clumsy take off. He was flying, flapping hard, a graceful figure in the sky. He was a dark shape against a white moon. He was a speck. He was gone.

BJMBJMBJMBJMBJMBJMB

A short time later, Justin walked slowly into the castle. He looked like an elegant castaway in nothing but his slacks. Around his creamy chest he wore his key and an elegant but empty gold chain.

Michael and Brian were waiting in a nearby room and dashed into the Great Hall when they heard the door close.

"Justin, Justin! Where have you been?" Brian cried.

"Justin! Did you hear that strange noise? Do you know what it was?" Michael cried.

Justin held up his hands. He pointed to Brian and then pointed simply outside. He pointed to Michael. He shrugged exaggeratedly. He would not tell him even if he could talk. He walked slowly toward them, pushed between them, passed on by.

"But - but - you must have heard something!" Michael spluttered shrilly, "It shook the whole castle!

Justin stopped. Slowly he turned. He pointed at himself. He gestured to his right ear. He pointed at Michael. He pointed to himself. He pointed to his eyes. He pointed to Michael. [["I hear YOU! I see you!"]] Michael looked stricken.

"What do you suppose he's saying?" Brian asked, clueless as always.

"Uh...You know me. I never understand him," Michael said, but his voice was shaky. He understood.

Justin narrowed his eyes and looked straight into Michael's troubled ones. He nodded slightly and smiled cruelly. "I know what you did," he said in silence. Then he made a sign to both of them that they couldn't help but understand. He flipped them the bird.

Both men gasped and their mouths dropped open.

But Justin was passed caring. He kissed his finger and flipped it toward them again, spun on his heel, (Here a blade point stabbed cruelly deep into that heel) and walked/limped down the hallway to his studio. He rarely went up to his real room any more as he had no valet any more, he was not risking another ambush, and because of his grief and therefore foot pain, it was a long way up those stairs. And he couldn't count on Brian's help in that department any more. He missed that most of all.

Brian and Michael's mouths were still hanging open when the door to Justin's studio slammed shut with a resounding BANG! The key turned in the lock.

TBC

 Disclaimer:I do not own Queer as Folk Any characters and situations and anything else pertaining to real life is referred here for non-profit purposes only No copyright infringement is intended. Although everyone here is now so Out of character, I hardly think this matters. The B/M nightmare continues in this chapter. Sorry folks. These things happen.

Chapter 7

THE THIRD WEEK

Part 2

The Wedding

Friday night...

Justin sat at his easel. He was completely naked. More and more over the last few days, he had shed the human trappings and customs until he rarely wore clothes at all anymore. He had become a human for Brian's sake and now that he had lost him, he had lost any desire to resemble a human at all. To Justin, he was just trapped in a strange suit now.

He put the last few touches on the magnum opus and sat back and looked at it with satisfaction. It was done. It was done and it was magnificent and perfect.

He got up and stood back from it, getting the full effect. It was even better. He wondered if Brian would like it. He wondered if he'd still be alive when Brian laid eyes on it. He hoped so...but he doubted it.

In the days of their second engagement, Brian and Michael had gotten even more nauseatingly romantic. They were still joined at the hip and Brian brought Michael fresh flowers every day. He toned down the sexual overtures since it was obvious he was not going to get anywhere in that department. However, he never missed an opportunity to kiss him or stroke his back lightly and more often than not, stray that hand down and give his butt a squeeze.

Secretly, Michael loved it, revelled in it because he remembered the price that he would pay after the wedding. There would be no touching, no love. But he always played coy and slapped Brian's hand away, chiding him but laughing at the same time, which just encouraged Brian all the more. And whenever they kissed or hugged in Justin's presence, Michael would often turn so Brian was turned away from Justin and look over his shoulder at Justin with a squinted, cruel look in his eyes. Justin would always stare back and shake his head derisively but inside, the whole display would always turn his stomach.

At first, a few of the staff, would ask Brian what had gone wrong and plead Justin's case for him. But every time this happened, Brian would rant and rave. How DARE they undermine his relationship with Michael? WHAT were they talking about? HOW DARE the show such disrespect? Any more talk like that and they'd be fired! And on and on. And so, after a few days, the servants cast sorrowful looks upon Justin when they passed him in the halls but said no more about it. Justin would nod his head gently in acknowledgement but otherwise could say no more about it.

Over the next few days, Justin was very busy with helping Brian with the wedding. He helped pick out Brian's suit. They chose a charcoal grey tuxedo with a maroon tie and a matching maroon cummerbund. His loafers were black and shiny and it would be Justin's duty to polish and buff them the night before the wedding.

Now, Justin looked over at the hated shoes sitting by the wall. It would be time soon.

Justin had picked out a red rose and placed it in Brian's buttonhole himself. Fully dressed, and the red rose at his breast, accenting the maroon tie perfectly, Brian looked devastating handsome. And looking at him, firmly gagged, frustrated, Justin was devastated all over again and he imagined the red of the rose was the blood that was blooming from his own heart. For in spite of all, the hook of love was still embedded deep in his heart. He knew he loved the Prince still and could deny him nothing. But in so doing, he understood now. He understood why the mer-folk had considered the hook of love to be the most dangerous and destructive one of all. For now, as well as the hook being embedded in his heart, because his love was unrequited, he could feel the hook pulling on it, tearing at it, causing him pain and bleeding. He knew he was doomed but he now knew he was also slowly dying.

He had other duties as well, helping with the invitations, silverware, writing a toast, and a few others that flashed by him in a blur. He performed them all faithfully and without complaint, although with one stipulation that he did not ask for, he just took. The days belonged to the wedding and Brian but at 9:00 PM, wherever he was, whatever he was doing, even if he was in the middle of a task, he would stop, drop everything and quit for the day. He would ignore all protestations, all indignations and leave, limp slowly and sadly away and lock himself away in his studio. There, he shed all his clothes and worked on his magnum opus until he was exhausted and fell onto his cot to sleep and do it all over again.

As for his own clothes, the day after he had flipped them the bird, he had emerged in soft slippers, light blue jeans, white tee shirt, and a blue plaid shirt over that. If they needed to go out he would wear the jean jacket over all. The dress of the singing contest. Brian never made the connection but Michael did and it always drove him wild. His eyes would flash with hate and anger but of course, outwardly he could say nothing. As for Justin, he did not do it out of vindictiveness, (well maybe a little) but otherwise, simply because it was the simplest, most casual and easiest to shed, outfit that he owned. And he no longer cared about what he looked like or what people thought about what he wore. As I said, he thought of himself as a merman again, not a human.

And now, it was done. The magnum opus was done and the wedding was tomorrow. And the dawn after the wedding, he would be sea foam and gone but hopefully not forgotten from their lives.

He looked over at the shoes again. He approached them sadly. Shoes. Three wee

ks ago, he had loved shoes, yearned for the feet that they covered, traded everything that was most valuable to him for the legs that they represented.

Now, he felt like a fool. He dropped to his knees and a few more tears squeezed out. It had all been for nothing. Absolutely nothing.

He polished the shoes faithfully and then buffed them to a high gloss. They looked like shoes made out of onyx stone. (Although, thankfully, they weighed a good deal lighter.) They were perfect.

Justin left the magnum opus in a safe place to dry. He checked the door to make sure it was locked tight and then went to his cot and lay there dispassionately. His eyes drank in his masterpiece. They were wide and dry until sleep at last overtook him. He cried no more tears that night. He had no more to shed.

Saturday morning...

The day of the wedding dawned cool and clear. The sky was sunny and blue and it warmed up quickly. It promised to be a beautiful day for a wedding.

Justin opened his eyes to the morning light and looked upon the rising sun for the last time. He went over to the huge windows and stood there naked and erect with morning wood. He looked at the ocean for a long time. He felt a yearning, a pull to return, the likes of which he had not felt since he had become a human. He missed his home with a violent intensity. He stood there with his eyes closed, absorbing the sunlight and morning heat until he was one with the sun, one with the light. Until he was light.

He felt his stiffie throb and remembered Brian going down on him, teaching him the glory that was physical love. He remembered the explosion of ultimate pleasure that made him a man when he went to sleep and again when he woke up. He throbbed again and knew that was no dream. THAT...At least that had been real. And therefore the rest of it, the motorcycle rides, Debbie's Diner, the contests, the art shows, the dinners, the Remington Twins, Gus, Brian's bread, the pipes, the coat and slippers, morning coffee and oatmeal, evening dinner, painting during the day, meeting him at his office door at night, the sipping kisses of hello, the passion kiss of being bent over backward in a deep dip and being met with the golden coat, being carried up the stairs. Hobbs trying to kill him and Brian saving him....it had all happened...it was real, it was true as his love...Brian might not remember, but he would...always.

Michael awoke with mixed feelings. He padded over to the windows and pulled the heavy drapes and squinted against the morning light. He was also nude and stiff and horny as hell. And tonight, and at least for tonight that little problem would be remedied. He was about as crazy as a weasel in heat with all the touching and loving that Brian had been doing over the last week and it was all Michael could do not to rip all his tailor made clothes off and jump his bones where he stood, wherever he was standing. But he knew he had to wait. He was so close. So close to getting revenge of that little muted freak who had stolen everything from him in the first place, so close to the crown, so close to the riches and power that he so...well, richly deserved. Michael chuckled in derision of his rival and triumph of his win.

Then the laughter died in his throat as he remembered the downside. Brian would remember. There would be no more laughter, love, or kisses, no more flowers or presents. There would be power but no sex and yet Brian would never let him go. It was a terrible price to pay but Michael had paid it and there was no going back.

Brian awoke and he was the only one who was truly happy. He was getting everything that he wanted and he couldn't wait to get it. Kingship, his one and only, a night of incredible sex (well it damn well better be after his long wait) and then night after night after night of more. Not to mention that dewy eyed, delicious morsel running around the castle painting those incredible erotic images. Brian especially loved the one hanging in his office of a winged motorcycle man. It reminded him of a vivid dream he'd had a few weeks back. Or had it been a couple of months? Brian considered starting something up with him on the side after the wedding. Why not? After all, he'd be married, not dead. And besides, Michael seemed a lot more concerned with running things than fooling around. He bet he wouldn't even notice.

And if not the twink artist, then perhaps another burly sailor. It was about time he rebuilt his navy. Past time. Maybe start up an army too. Start to expand his kingdom a bit. Yeah. Maybe stage a takeover and absorb Koffikstan. Brian had no idea why, but he had received several letters from the ambassador from there and they sounded almost...chummy. Brian's lip curled in a sneer. As if! Yes indeed, an army was first on the agenda. An army of strong men and big cocks that needed a maximum amount of pleasure. And a minimum of bullshit.

Whistling softly and smiling smugly in satisfaction, Brian went to shower and then dress.

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Later, the wedding party made its way out of the castle solemnly and approached the cars that would take them to the wedding ship.

They had decided to get married at sea. They had had a new ship quickly built, a little smaller but better than the first one and they named it NEW BABYLON.

The procession reached the cars. They were a parade of golden Miatas. Brian and Michael got into the first one. Brian looked as devastatingly handsome in his charcoal suit and glossy black shoes. The red flower was at his breast. Justin had made sure everything was perfect. Michael looked handsome too in a black tux and bowtie but his constant slight and smug smile spoiled the picture.

Justin and his interpreter came next. Justin looked in distaste at the too-shiny two seater, which meant he was going to have to be separated from his masterpiece until they got to the ship. The magnum opus had the next car along with a driver. Through the interpreter, Justin strenuously warned the man to be careful with it and under NO circumstances was he to peek under the heavy black veil. The picture was for the King's eyes only. Then he got into the front seat of the second Golden Miata and the interpreter drove off. Justin wished he were riding on a black as sin motorcycle behind a sexy as sin Prince instead.

The masterpiece came next and then Debbie and Carl. Even though things were still strained (and that was putting it lightly) Michael couldn't get out of inviting them to his wedding. Not doing so would have raised too many questions with Brian and Michael didn't want Brian asking any question or rising out of the spellbound state he was in to ask them. There was too much at stake now. And so his parents had to come.

After them came many of the rich and elite of Spitzenburghur to see their Princes married and coronated. But only the very best of the best, you understand. Well, them and of course the Remington Twins who bought their way into absolutely everywhere. For the occasion, the Twins wore matching black suits that could have been respectful wedding attire or mourning clothes. They wore their correct bracelets for Justin's sake who they could see didn't need any more grief today.

When Justin got to the ship, he became very busy with finding a place to stash the masterpiece in a place that would be inconspicuous so that the public would not get overly curious about it. When that was done, he went to Brian's chamber to be available for any of his wants and needs and to otherwise look upon his beloved who no longer recognized him.

He gave his suit one last shake to unsmooth the flattened appearance from the ride in the car. He brushed his hair until it shone. He showed Brian that he had his ring in his pocket. At last, Brian was ready. He was perfect. Well, Justin thought that already, but now he was extra, completely, really perfect.

"Thanks for doing this Justin. You really were the best choice for a best man," Brian said cluelessly, "You've gone above and beyond the call of duty. You've taken such good care of me. Be sure to ask me when you find your special guy and fall in love and want to get married, OK?

Justin looked deep into his eyes, willing him to look back, really look, and commune with him the way he did before, to read his thought to see that his heart was on his sleeve. But Brian just looked back with a glazed, unfocused expression. Justin was alarmed to see that his eyes were looking off in slightly different directions. So finally he just sighed and nodded.

Meanwhile, the guests had all boarded and the ship had set sail. The guests mingled around and admired the cake and enjoyed a pre-reception party and then sat down where chairs had been set up on deck with the altar being by the wheel near the bow of the ship.

And then, the time had come. Brian appeared from a door on the right and Michael from a door to the left. They each walked up past the guests along the side of the ship, Michael on the port side, Brian starboard. Justin and a few other groomsmen followed him. Michael's groomsmen followed him. They turned smartly and then met in the middle and now at the head of the aisle.

They marched down the aisle. Keeping a respectful distance, Justin and the other groomsmen followed them and then took their places on either side of them. They all stood at the altar where the captain of the ship was waiting for them.

"Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today to join these two men in holy..."

Well, I've sure you know the rest of the details of all that. But do you know the pain of watching a marriage of someone you don't like? Perhaps you are there for the groom but hate the bride or vice versa. Now, have you ever been to a wedding where you are watching your best friend whom you are in love with marry another? Now, have you ever been the "best friend" made best man/maid of honor at such a wedding? Have you felt that anguish, do you know that gut wrenching pain of watching your beloved promise him or herself to another?

Justin felt all this pain and more as he watched his beloved and one chance at life pledge his life and love to another right in front of him. He was brave. He stood ramrod straight as Michael gave his vows. He stood wide and dry eyed as Brian gave his vows to Michael. He handed over the rings at the right time. He watched impassively but felt a kind of surreal horror as Brian put the ring onto Michael's finger.

"By the power vested in me, as Captain of the New Babylon, I now pronounce you married. You may kiss your husband."

Justin watched them seal it with a kiss and in so doing, seal his fate forever. He looked over and saw the sun low in the sky by this time. He treasured the sight for he knew he would never see the sun again.

Then a bishop got up from where he was sitting in the front row and pronounced a blessing upon the occasion and then in a short ceremony, pronounced them crowned Kings of Liberty Kingdom. Robes were placed upon their shoulders, sceptres in their hands and crowns on their heads and they sat of simple but elegant thrones that had been set up at the head of the ship near the altar area.

Brian thanked them all for joining them and pronounced the ceremonies over. Everyone got up and the chairs were cleared away and the reception party began. The liquor flowed, dinner was served and the space where they had all sat now became the dance floor. Brian and Michael presided of all with gentle, regal smiles from their thrones.

Sooner, rather than later, Justin signalled for attention and gave his short blessing and toast. He signed and through his interpreter said, "Brian...Michael, my blessing to you on this happy day. The long life that I have given away, may you now enjoy. Rule fairly, wisely, and with compassion, especially on the poor for they shall be with you always. For my wedding gift, I give you this, my masterpiece, my life's greatest work. My magnum opus." Here it was brought out. "It was the first thing I started when I arrived and was given the fantastic studio and it was the last thing I finished. Brian...Michael, I hope you enjoy it for it will be the last thing I will ever paint again."

Gasps and murmurs of surprise and disappointment swept through the crowd and even Brian and Michael exchanged glances at his surprising words. When they had died down, he continued:

"Because of the personal nature of the painting, I have a further stipulation that only the two Kings are allowed to see it and only after they make love for the first time. At that time, if they wish they may show it off to others but until then I request that it remain veiled and no-one else look at it. Please...everyone, this is important to me. Please honor my request. Please...honor it as if it were...my last request. Thank you."

Everyone bowed in a slight and solemn way to show that they would. Brian had the painting on its easel moved to a more secure location. The party went on.

And at last Justin was free. His duties were done and he melted into the crowd and moved slowly on heavy feet to the back of the ship. The Remington Twins followed him.

When he had reached the railing of the stern, the very rear of the ship, Justin finally turned to them. The Twins were no fools. They did not approve of this wedding any more than Justin did. Brian might not remember their visits but of course they did and they remembered how in love Brian and Justin were. They knew this thing with Michael was awfully fishy but there was nothing they could do about it.

Justin let himself be enfolded in a huge double hug and he positioned it so that the Twins were between him and the front of the ship, so that he was completely hidden.

He fingered Fred's blue bracelet and looked beseechingly into the man's eyes. "Yes. It's me, Fred," Fred said seriously.

He fingered Red's ruby bracelet and looked askance at the man. "Yes, it's me, Red," Red said.

Justin buried his face between them and at last let the tears come. He cried and cried and nearly collapsed with the strain of holding himself in control all this time The Remington Twins wrapped their arms around him in a hedge of protection and held him up as he sobbed of a broken heart and a destroyed spirit for what seemed like ages and ages.

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About an hour later, a good time for Justin to have a good cry and then recover, Fred was looking daggers at Michael, who remained oblivious. Then all of a sudden, a slow, wide, diabolical smile spread over his face.

"You know Red," he said, "I believe I hear thunder."

"Thunder? But it's perfectly sunny out. Or at least will be for another hour or so."

"Maybe so. But listen, I still think I hear some thunder." He waggled his eyebrows and looked deep into his twin's eyes. For a moment they communed silently in only the way twins do at times.

Justin looked back and forth between them in confusion.

Then Red's face lit up. "Ohhhhh! Thunder! Yes!! I see! I do hear it!" An identical diabolical smile lit up his face. "Let's go steal it!"

And then Justin realized what they wanted to do, and she grabbed at their fleshy palms in horror. But the two men pulled their hands away from Justin as if they didn't even feel him and perhaps they didn't. Justin grabbed a coattail each and tried to pull them back but he only ended up sliding along the floor for a few feet before finally letting go. And then he just shut his eyes and braced himself for the inevitable of what was to come.

The Remington Twins strode out into the midst of the party. People ran to get out of the way or got shoved aside. The Remington Twins could be a fearsome force of nature in themselves if they wanted to be.

After causing a small ruckus and stampede, (at least one man got trampled) they picked up some champagne flutes and forks and dinged delicately for attention.

"We would also like to make a toast. To one who is has come into our lives such a short time ago and yet has become such an important part of those lives that we can scarcely imagine him out of them any longer. To someone who is kind, loyal, brave and astounded us all with his natural abilities and supernatural resourcefulness. To one who has known love and cherishing...and heartbreak and denial." Here the Twins looked very hard at Brian and Michael, each twin staring daggers at a King. Brian of course, stared back cluelessly, and a little owlishly (my this champagne was good stuff) but Michael gave a visible recoil. "To one who has added so much color and beauty into our lives with his art and very presence... to the court artist, Justin Sunshine!"

They raised their glasses and drank deeply and clapped heartily, starting a chain reaction that spread across the entire ship. They looked over at Michael and arched their eyebrows at him twice and enjoyed the lovely shade of plum he had become.

In consternation, Justin raised his hands and lowered them, trying to get them to stop. But they wouldn't stop. They seemed to get louder. He heard: "Aww, he's bashful!" and, "He's so humble!" and, "Oh, didn't you just love the one with the motorcycle?" and "What do you think he meant, he'll never paint again? Do you think we could hire him out?" Finally, he bowed slightly in acknowledgement and held his hands out for peace again. Finally, they started to settle down.

Michael looked ready to explode. However before he could do anything, Fred continued, "And of course, all the best to the new couple. Long life and happiness to you both. And as new Kings, I'm sure you'll get everything you so richly desire...and deserve!"

"Yes, here's to getting exactly what you deserve!" finished Red, in that strange distorting way he often tried to parrot Fred but got things mixed up. However, the knowing smirk he gave Michael made him sure this was no ordinary mixup.

The party went back to normal. And as quickly as they had disrupted the party and smashed their way through the people, they now magically melted back into the crowd and disappeared toward the back of the ship much in the same way an elephant would back away and be lost in the tall, wild grasses of the Savannah.

The Remingtons made their way back to Justin who had mixed feelings. On the one hand, he was mortified and angry that they had done something so outrageous at a wedding. He shook a finger at them as if they were naughty schoolboys but they bore down on him uncaring and enfolded him once more into their embrace. And as soon as they did, his anger melted away like a snowball in Hell and his body shook once more with silent sobs and laughter. He couldn't decide between the pleasure and pain. He wasn't aware it was possible to love anyone more than Brian. Perhaps it wasn't possible, but at that moment, he loved the Twins almost as much.

As for the two men, they spent the rest of the party with their arms around Justin in various comforting poses. They often shared secret furious stare downs with Michael as they did so, many of which they often won. They figured they would probably pay for it later but they didn't care. They had each other, they were larger than life, and they were fabulously wealthy. They were the Fabulous Remington Twins! And even though it was inconsequential, perhaps a little petty, a little stupid, they didn't care. In that small way, the fabulous Remington Twins had taken their revenge!

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Justin stood at the railing and watched his last sunset. Usually, the sky would have been tinged with the oranges and reds that he had grown to love to dearly and use copiously in his art but this sunset...this sunset was pure gold. The sun touched down a molten golden ball and spread a golden light across the entire western sky that lasted a long time after the sun had kissed the world goodbye. And then at last it was dark.

With the departure of the sun, the newlyweds also decided to take their leave. They told everyone that everyone would be assigned a cabin and would be shown below whenever they wished. They were free to party for as long as they wanted but as for them they were calling it a night.

Brian and Michael stood and their thrones were removed and it was revealed that the wall against they had been sitting was also a door that led to a large cabin underneath the bridge. It was small, as cabins mostly are on ships but this one was at least large enough to hold a double bed with a little wiggle room.

Justin signalled his interpreter and together they carried the magnum opus in behind the new Kings and set it up leaning against the wall across from the bed. Justin adjusted and smoothed the veil one last time and then got out of there. He, himself, shut the doors and enclosed them inside. For one moment, his eyes met Brian's and for a split moment he could have sworn they looked at troubled as his. And then it was over and the doors were shut and it was over and done. Brian was gone. He leaned his forehead against the outside of the doors and whispered in a voice now stolen: "Good-bye."

He never knew on the other side of the door, Brian was reaching out in a trance-like state and touching the door with his palm. He opened his mouth and tried to speak but nothing would come out. Could come out. And then the spell was broken.

"Brian!? What are you doing over there?"

Brian started and the room seemed to lurch. But then everything seemed all right and he smiled.

"Sorry, Michael, I felt the ship lurch a bit. I guess I had a bit of seasickness. But I'm all right now."

"That's good. Because I want you feeling good..." He advanced. "...Now that I have you...all...to...myself!" Michael pounced.

Brian's eyes widened. He dodged. There was an audible thud as Michael hit the door.

Brian hopped onto the bed and put his crown aside. "Uh...Michael? Are you all right? Didn't you maybe want to talk a bit first?" Brian didn't understand it. He NEVER wanted to talk first...or after for that matter but for some reason he was as nervous as a cat in room full of rocking chairs. Besides, Michael was into all that touchy-feely crap. At least he thought he was.

Michael rose up at the end of the bed and Brian was almost, dare he say it, a little scared. He looked downright feral. "No Brian!" he said in a growling kind of voice, "I've been waiting and waiting for this moment for a long time and I do not want to...talk." He fixed Brian with a manic stare.

"What, then?" Brian asked. His voice seemed to be coming from a long way off. He stared back at Michael and was startled that he could not look away. He was further surprised when this phenomena was starting to turn him on a little.

"This!" Michael yelled and launched himself at Brian and ripped that delectable suit off of him. He ripped his white shirt apart and sent buttons pinging in every direction. He kissed Brian deeply and Brian felt his body respond. He kissed back.

"Oh, God, I've been wanting to do this ever since last week!" Michael gasped out finally.

"Then why on earth didn't you? I feel like I've been wanting to fuck you since forever!" Brian gasped back.

"Because, I've been wanting you like this...all suited up, perfect and mine! Mine, forever, even more! And now you are! But it's been killing me! And now I can't wait anymore!"

Brian framed Michael's face in his hands and kissed him deeply. "Then don't!" he whispered.

Michael gave a hitch in his breath and made a strangled noise. He had trouble breathing. And then he went a little crazy trying to rip the rest of Brian's clothes off. At the same time, Brian went a little crazy ripping Michael's clothes off. They rolled around. They fought. They wrestled. But of course, Brian wound up on top...in the end.

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Meanwhile, Justin had gone back to the railing of the stern and drunk in the sight of the golden light of the sunset that lingered on afterward. Wine flowed around him but he did not drink, music continued to play and people swirled around but he did not dance. The only one he wanted to dance with had given his body to another and now danced to a primal beat that Justin would never know. Time itself slipped away second by precious second and Justin savoured every one. Time and tide flowed around him as he looked out upon the waves from whence he came and where he would return.

Eventually, most of the guests tired out and made their way below to sleep. Even the Remington Twins left to dance a little and then left, saying good night to Justin first. Justin bowed to each one solemnly. He shook hands with each one and looked deep into their eyes, wishing with all his heart he could tell them how much they had come to mean to him, how much he loved them, but that this was the end. And he felt that they did understand in some primal way for they both hugged him fiercely one last time before retiring to bed.

Eventually it grew very late. A beautiful white moon rose. Not a full moon like the one of the dance contest but beautiful nevertheless. It shone a silver path along the water. It was the most beautiful thing Justin had ever seen. It made his hooked heart swell with a beautiful sadness and it flowed over with a great melancholy and with blood that was sapping his lifeforce.

The dance contest. Justin closed his eyes and turned a few times by himself remembering and for a few seconds he was back there again, wearing Gus' coat, in Brian's arms, in the diamond sky, with the full moon presiding over all. He was young, he was in love, he was loved and it was going to last forever. Justin squished his eyes shut and tried to hold onto that memory. It was going to last forever. It was. He had no idea what had happened that morning at breakfast to change everything but he knew if it hadn't, this would be his...

NO! He wouldn't think of that! Not now! He opened his eyes, stared at the moon and held onto the memory as best he could. He turned. He turned.

"Justin! JUSTIN! Is that you? Down here!"

Justin froze and looked over the side. He couldn't believe it. It was Emmett. It was Emmett at last but it was too late. All was lost.

"Justin! Justin! Come down and talk to us! We have news!"

Justin looked around surreptitiously. There wasn't anybody left except a few slow dancers who were all wrapped up in themselves and a helmsman driving the ship facing away toward the front.

Silently, Justin slipped over the side and climbed down the anchor chain and sat on the anchor. It was then that he saw that Emmett was not alone. Three more heads broke the surface. It was Ted, Blake, and Cody.

And then Justin looked again, really looked and his eyes bugged out in horror. He covered his mouth and shook his head as his heart overflowed with grief anew.

His brothers had been ruined, deformed. Blake's teeth, his beautiful smile that could charm oysters into opening up and giving him their treasures willingly, were gone. His teeth had been ripped out or simply removed and all that was left was a gummy grin.

Cody's, once long and beautiful hair was cut into a buzzed, super short, military style cut. When Cody saw Justin looking at his hair, he swept a regretful hand over it and confirmed, "Yes, it's been enchanted to never grow back. It is my gift to you, Justin, to save your life."

"Oh, Justin, I'm sorry I couldn't help you with the love spell," Emmett said in a weird, serious tone that Justin had never heard him use. "We contacted the Sea Witch as soon as possible after I received your call but she was adamant about that. And it took everything we had to convince her to help us at all. We all had to give her something. Well, except me, that is. I don't feel anything different."

"We ALL gave something, Emmett,' said Cody, who took over again. "Well, you can see what happened to Blake and me. She took Ted's voice, (Ted waved) and she took...Emmett's...swishiness."

"Oh, that's ridiculous," said Emmett is this tight assed voice Justin had never heard. Looking harder, he noticed that all his chains and leis were gone and in their place he wore a single, muddy brown, seaweed tie. "Swishiness! The very idea!"

"Uh huh. Say Emmett, what do you want to do with your life?" Cody asked conversationally. The others snickered behind his back. Apparently, they'd asked him this before, to their amusement.

"Oh well, I dunno. Politics sounds good. Or I'm pretty good with numbers. I could always go out for investment banking. Or an accountant." Emmett said seriously.

NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

Justin held his head in horror. It was true. The swishy Emmett, the creative, acrobatic, beautiful brother he had known and loved had been altered into this...this automaton! And Ted! That BITCH had taken his voice as well and now he would never sing again. All five of them had had what was special about them stolen away and ruined by HER! Justin felt an unspeakable rage build inside him.

He reached into his blazer pocket and pulled out the ever ready pad of paper. He wrote quickly: What did yu geet in riturn?

He threw down the paper and Cody caught it. He pulled his arm out of the water and held up a knife with a jewelled hilt. He threw it at the ship. It flipped through the air before burying itself with a CHUNK!...partway into the side of the ship near the anchor where Justin could reach it. He did so and pulled it out of the ship.

"Like we said, the Witch would not budge about the wedding. But we did get her to agree to save your life! Use this knife to kill Prince Brian and let some of his blood spill from the knife onto your legs. They will turn back into a tail and you can come home to us! You will still be mute but at least you will be alive! Come back to us, Justin, come home! Mother misses you terribly. We all do. And we have given everything to make this happen! Don't let our sacrifice be in vain, especially to one who has cast you aside and given himself to another!" Cody said.

"Yes, kill him! Kill him Justin and come home Justin! Come home! Come home!" the three who could talk entreated and then swam away, "We'll be waiting! Kill him and come with us! We'll be waiting!" Ted waved enthusiastically before turning and joining his brothers. And then there were flipping of tails and they were gone.

Justin climbed back up the chain like a ladder and hoisted himself up over the railing. He rested a bit and looked at the ruby and diamond encrusted knife he had been given. He HATED the witch for what she had done to him to all of them and he wished he could kill her instead. But if wishes were fishes, Justin figured the sea would be empty by now with all the wishing he had been doing. He had to kill Brian, his true love, his reason for living, instead. But then he thought over Cody's words and realized he was right. Brian had given himself to another and was lost to him forever. In a way, he was the reason he was in this mess.

Holding onto that bit of twisted logic as a last lifeline, Justin made up his mind. He looked around carefully. The deck was deserted. The last few couples had all gone to bed while he was talking with his brothers. There was someone driving the ship but he was facing the front.

Justin stole his way forward as silent as a wraith and reached the door to the bridal chamber. He took a few deep breaths and gathered his courage. He held onto every bit of anger and hate he was feeling that was supposed to be toward the sea witch and transferred it to Brian. How DARE he give up on them!? How DARE he pick Michael!? This should be HIS wedding! Etc...etc. A small, logical, part of him knew that this reasoning was wrong but he squashed it down deep inside.

He put his hand on the knob.

He had been acting like a mopey little queer with no hope or help to change his fate. Well, he was tired of it! He picked up the knife and tested its weight. This gave him hope! This gave him power! The power to change his fate and if not live a full life, at least survive.

Slowly, as quietly as he could, he turned the knob. He waited a minute and then inch by slow inch, opened the door.

How DARE Michael get everything! How DARE, he treat him so shamefully from the very first moment Justin had stepped into the castle, like he was stupid or retarded as well as just silent. How DARE he steal everything back and RUIN his happiness at the last second? How DARE he become king instead of him. Now it would be his turn to steal from him, to cut Brian out of his life forever, as he had done to him!

After what seemed like ages the door was open wide enough. Justin slipped inside and shut the door.

Phew! He was halfway there! Slowly, carefully, silently, Justin crept his way around the bed to Brian's side of the bed.

The King of Liberty Kingdom lay on his back in sweet repose. He slept deeply and did not seem to hear Justin approach.

In fact, Brian did not hear him. After they had made love, culminating in the most explosive and intense orgasms that the two men had ever had, Brian had barely been able to pull out before a strange heaviness overcame him and he fell into a deep, deep sleep.

Michael had followed the Witch's advice and savoured every minute and his intense (and last) orgasm. Afterward, he turned and cuddled up to Brian, now ready to have a chat and so was very disappointed when Brian had dropped off into a slumber from which Michael could not wake him. So finally, he just rolled over and fell asleep himself.

Now, Justin approached the side of the bed. He gathered his courage, his hate, his anger and looked down upon the image of all his trouble and woe. He thought of his brothers, deformed, ruined who were counting on him.

He could do this. He would do this. He wasn't some faggy little queer who had no balls. He could do this.

Slowly, he grasped the jewelled hilt in both hands and took a deep breath. He could do this. He was going to do this.

Carefully he aimed for the center of Brian's chest.

Slowly, he raised the knife up high.

TBC

         Disclaimer:I do not own Queer as Folk Any characters and situations and anything else pertaining to real life is referred here for non-profit purposes only No copyright infringement is intended. Although everyone here is now so Out of character, I hardly think this matters. Sorry folks. These things happen. Warning: Strong language in this chapter

Chapter 8

The Darkness before the Dawn

         Brian lay there, breathing deeply and slowly, his deep chest rising and falling rhythmically, his long, thick lashes, framing his face. His masculine lips curled upward in a slight smile as if he were dreaming of something extremely sweet.

         Justin raised the knife higher.

         Brian sighed, adjusted his position a bit and sank back into sleep. He smiled wider, happier.

         "Juuussstin..." he breathed out softly in his sleep.

         What did he just say? Wasn't he still spellbound? Didn't he just witness him marry another, only a few hours ago? Justin's resolve was shaken a bit. 
         He shook it off. The fact was he had married another, he was doomed, and his brothers deformed. They must be avenged.

         His resolve strengthened. He could do this. He was going to do this.

         His hand gripped the jewelled handle until his knuckles turned white. His little face was tight with rage and white in the dark room. He raised the knife higher and prepared for the fatal plunge.

         Suddenly, Brian convulsed in the bed. His back arched. A cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He groaned and mewled and his head jerked from side to side.

         Justin pressed himself against the wall terrified that he would be discovered. But Brian didn't wake.

         "Justin! JUSTIN! Where are you!? I can't find you! I can't find you!" Brian jackknifed up in the bed, his eyes wide and panicked. He was breathing very queer as if there was a lot of phlegm in his throat. "Where are you!? Where...are...you...where..." he trailed off, his eyes going dull once more. "Oh hello Michael. Hello, my love," he said robotically. He fell back against the cushions again, deep asleep.

         Yes, whatever magic was in play was beginning to weaken. But ultimately, he was under Michael's control. He could do this. He would do this.

         From against the side of the wall, a small form detached, an avenging angel with a pale face that glowed in the dark. He gripped the jewelled handle and raised the knife high over his head, aiming for Brian's fickle heart.

         "Oh there you are, Justinnnnn! I was looking everywhere for you! I love you! I love you!" the new King whispered in a choking kind of voice and then he smiled that beautiful smile of perfect peace and contentment that Justin had seen just before receiving the golden jacket and vowing to paint that face one day.

         Justin's hand shook.

         He tried to plunge the knife down but he couldn't move it. He tried again.

         Justin's hand shook, even more violently then before. He couldn't do it.

         And in that moment, in spite of everything, in spite of Brian's change of heart, in spite of the magic, in spite of everything, the little merman loved his Prince still. The anger and hate he had been forcing toward Brian, melted, dropped away as if it had never been and only the anger for the Witch remained. In spite of everything, he could not kill Brian, anymore than he could cut out his own soul from his chest.

         He lowered the knife.

         He noticed that Brian slept on his own, even turned away from Michael a little. He remembered when they had fallen asleep together, neither one of them had wanted to let go of each other, how they had spent the entire night wrapped up in each other's arms, as if they were one entity. Clearly, he didn't have that with Michael.

         Carefully, he bent down beside Brian's ear and whispered in silence to his sleeping beauty, "Goodbye Brian. You may not remember me but I will remember you and us enough for the both of us. I love you. I love you so much, even to the end of my life. Goodbye, my sweet Prince. May you rule over your land with the love that you have shown me. As for me, forget me, remember me only as a dream. A sweet fantasy, an erotic dream that will put a smile on that gorgeous face of yours. Goodbye." He whispered brokenly again and carefully pressed a soft kiss to his smooth cheek. He ducked out of sight quickly in case his action stirred Brian from his slumber. It didn't.

         After a few seconds, when it was clear that he was safe, Justin arose, made his way carefully around the bed, and to the door. He looked back once more. The jewelled knife fell unheeding from his fingers and it clattered on the floor. Then he went out, opening and closing the door without being especially quiet. Quiet or noisy, he didn't care anymore. Nothing mattered anymore.

         He walked slowly back to the rear of the ship, shedding his suit as he went. He kicked off his shoes, pulled off his socks. Article after article fell in a trail in the deep darkness and the deck was empty anyway. By the time he reached the stern of the ship he was naked. He climbed over the edge of the railing and sat there, holding onto a post for support. He sat there in the moonlit dark, dry eyed, looking out over the peaceful sea waiting for his doom to come.

BJMBJMBJMBJMBJMBJM

         Brian was dreaming.

         He was dreaming of a young, blond merman with a shiny, blue-green tail.  He looked down and saw that he had a tail too, a red-gold one and he was swimming and playing and wrapping himself around the blond merman. The blond smiled and laughed and swam away and looked over, giving him a come hither type look. Brian smirked and gave chase, pumping his tail with powerful strokes.

         Somewhere in the dream there was a clinking noise and a banging but Brian ignored it. He held onto the dream and kept swimming after the merman.

         Then the dream changed. He was choking. He couldn't breathe. He wasn't a merman! Well, not any longer! Brian looked down in horror and saw he had legs again and he was deep in the sea, maybe miles below. He pumped but his legs wouldn't move him properly through the water. The blond merman was swimming far away into the distance. He thought Brian was still chasing him. Then he was alone, drowning, dying at the bottom of the sea.

         Brian's eyes flew open and he awoke but his throat was still full. He was still choking. He couldn't breathe. Something was terribly wrong! His entire throat was plugged up with some sort of thick gooey liquid and it had sealed over his windpipe. He could feel it inside his throat, surging up and down his oesophagus like a living thing but surging higher and higher each time.

         He jackknifed up to a sitting position and gagged and heaved. He threw off the covers and rushed over to the nearest porthole. He scrambled, struggled with the catch and then yanked it open and leaned out. He took a few breaths of fresh sea air and for a few seconds thought he was going to be all right. But then he felt that disgusting surging feeling again and...

         And then he was heaving and puking, puking stream after stream of this disgusting green ropy slime out of him. His stomach just heaved and contracted over and over and he was powerless to anything to stop it. And the slime just kept coming, gushing, surging out of his lungs and throat out of the side of the ship and down into the sea where the black waves surged and churned and absorbed it greedily. And then it was gone.

         After what seemed like forever, Brian puked the last of that disgusting stuff out of him and he breathed the fresh air a few more times. His head and mind cleared. And he remembered.

         It was as if his thoughts and memories of the past week were split in half, traveling down two roads going in the same direction. As if one road was white and good and the other black, twisted and evil.

         He remembered the breakfast and choking very clearly. Then he had woken up and he remembered everything that had happened, everything he had done, everything he had thought perfectly. He remembered being in perfect control of himself. That was the white road, and yet...

         And yet now, looking back, at the same time, it was as if everything he had done was being done by someone else as if he were watching outside his body. As if he was being controlled like a puppet and unable to stop it. That was the black and evil road of his memories. Both existed together and yet apart. It was very confusing. And then enraging. Because he remembered that in this state he had cast aside Justin like yesterday's news-sheet and married Michael. Married him! Oh God! What had he done!?

         Brian pulled inside and shut the porthole.

         Michael had woken up when he heard Brian puking and was propped up on one elbow in concern. "Brian, are you OK?" he asked.

         Brian turned toward Michael and Michael sat up and cowered back, more than a little frightened.

         Brian's face was dark as a black thundercloud. His face was twisted in a terrible mask of hate and rage.

         "NO! NO, I am not OK!" he yelled, "What the FUCK did you do to me, Michael!? WHAT!?"

         "Nothin'! I didn't do nothin'!" Michael mewled as he backed up against the headboard, his terror making him quite incoherent.

         "Oh yes, YOU DID!! I remember that breakfast! I remember choking, just like right now, in fact. Only that time it felt like something was forcing its way down my throat instead of out. And then I was coming to, and I was your boyfriend again and...and part of me felt...controlled...right up until now! You did something, you sick sonofa - NO! I'm not going to call you that! And you know why? Because all it would be doing is insulting Debbie!" Brian climbed back on the bed and grabbed Michael by the throat and pulled him close and pulled his fist back. "Now...I'm not going to ask you again! WHAT...DID...YOU...DO??"

         "What I had to!" Michael yelled back, "You were mine! You ARE mine! You were always mine, and then HE came! He came and stole you from me! He came and stole you and you never gave me a chance! I was always the odd man out and you chose him over me every time, so yeah! I did something and changed things back to right! Someone offered me help and I took it!" Now leggo!" He thrashed around and struggled ineffectually. Brian easily kept his neck imprisoned in one large fist.

         "Who?? Who helped you?" he growled out dangerously. "Was it this..."master", the one who was pulling Hobbs strings?"

         Michael's mouth twisted contemptuously, "You fool!" he cried, "I was the Master! Don't you remember? I told you that first day I'd help by getting him his valet! Well, I got him one! He was supposed to just watch him all the time. Which he did! I hoped to discover something to use against him but all I ever got were detailed encounters of each...and ...EVERY...time YOU were unfaithful to ME, Brian!"

         Brian finally dropped Michael and backed away on the bed as much as he could. "You're insane! You're a twisted monster!" he whispered in horror. Then, "He almost killed Sunshine, you ASSHOLE!" he yelled.

         "You forced my hand. It was never supposed to go that far," Michael said, "as for who helped me, don't worry about it. You wouldn't believe me if I told you!"

         "I forced...YOUR HAND! YOUR HAND!? Well, you insane prick, let's see how you like it when I force my hand down your throat and out the back of your head!"

         "I guess you could. But that still wouldn't change the fact that we're married now. Signed, sealed, legally and..." he giggled and rolled his eyes in what he thought was a cute way but only revealed his craziness even more when they rolled off in different directions, "...consummated. No chance for an annulment. So why don't you forget about the mute twink and accept it. Accept me Brian. I'm your husband now. We're married and coronated Kings of Liberty Kingdom." He reached out beseechingly toward Brian. "Just accept it and rule with me. It doesn't have to be all bad." He came a little closer.

         Brian put one palm against Michael's face and shoved him back. "Don't TOUCH me, you INSANE FREAK! You make me sickfor what you've done! I'm going to fight this marriage for all I'm worth and you better hope I can get it annulled or reversed or whatever! For as long as we are married, you will never touch me again! And if you ever think about looking at another man, I'll kill you!"

         Michael had been expecting this. He smiled sweetly but his green eyes were as hard as emeralds. "Ditto, Brian," he said in a voice that was matter of fact but deadly serious. Then he softened. "Come on, Brian! We don't have to play it this way! Fight against it! We both have the free will to change this course. Do you really want to be in a sexless marriage? Come on, Brian, what would you rather do? Play 20 questions with a muted retard for the rest of your life, or be married to me, having non-stop mind-blowing sex like last night?"

         Brian fixed Michael with a beady stare of his own and advanced right up into his face. "I'd rather play the 20 questions for the rest of my life with him and have them answered then ask myself ONE question for the rest of my life that I'll never get the answer to...What did I EVER see in you, you insane, bigoted, SADISTIC SHIT!" And he pulled back and punched Michael hard in the jaw, one, two!...and sent Michael flying backward. His head smacked the headboard but he never felt it. He was already out cold.

         Brian sat on the edge of his side of the bed and held his head in both of his hands. Oh God! What had he done? WHAT had he done!? He had married Michael! Married him! He had fucked Michael! He shuddered. And he had forsaken Justin, his Sunshine, dropped him like a hot potato. Oh, God, Justin! Justin had been there this whole time, looking at him, waiting on him, and standing up beside him as his best man. How could he have withstood it? Where was he now?

         Brian raised his head and his gaze fell upon the veiled magnum opus. He wondered what it was. He had known about it for a long time but he knew about Justin's obsession for secrecy for it. Brian felt a wild excitement, like a kid on Christmas. He knew it had been only three weeks but he felt like he'd been waiting a year to see it.

         He reached out and pulled off the heavy black veil.

         His eyes bugged out. His breathing stopped. He couldn't look at it hard enough. He couldn't believe it. It was amazing. It was fantastic.

         The magnum opus was a huge, blue-green underwater seascape. In the foreground on one half of the canvas was a blond merman with a blue-green, shimmering tail with wide, well formed fins. Nice musculature, eight pack. It was, of course, Justin. His features were amazingly realistic. Beside him, taking up the other half of the canvas was another merman with brown hair and a bigger build. He had a red-gold, shimmering tail. It was Brian, also almost photographically real. Their clasped hands met in the very center of the painting. Brian was holding Justin's hand the way he had when he had won the contests, over both their heads. Their hair flowed up and around them as if they were really underwater.

         But it was the way Justin had painted him that Brian couldn't get over. Justin had captured this beatific, expression of perfect peace and happiness that Brian was unaware he had ever worn...hell, could ever wear. It was the expression of happiness that Brian could remember feeling every time he had been with Justin. It was a strange feeling to be looking at a feeling.

         There were sea anemones, a coral formation around them and all manner of fish around them both in the fore and background. There were smaller colored fish, seahorses around them, jellyfish in the corner. Two whales loomed in the background. And the way everything was shaded and otherwise realistically detailed, Brian could almost imagine the fish moving; see the seaweed flowing gently in the sea currents. And there were so many things going on, little things, crabs wrestling, fish chasing, a jelly caught in a coil of seaweed and on and on, that Brian figured he could look again and again at this painting and every time he would see something new.

         And in the center, in the distance was a ball of gold that shimmered and glowed with an ethereal light. A city in the distance. In the center of the city an enormous golden tower arose, the point reaching just below the men's two clasped hands.

         For a few minutes, Brian just sat there, with his mouth open, his eyes roaming everywhere and then onto his and Justin's faces, their tails. He couldn't get enough. He knew if he sat there for the rest of his life, he'd never get enough.

         At last, his eyes roamed over the bottom of the painting and he saw a white envelope. It said FOR BRIAN, in a careful curly script.

         Brian remembered Justin bringing in the painting and adjusting the curtain. He thought he was just being careful. He must have been putting this here as well.

         Brian's mouth twisted into a trademark smirk. Sneaky little twat! He thought affectionately. He picked up the envelope and pulled out the contents.

         The spelling was atrocious and there were capitals where there shouldn't have been but it was painstakingly and carefully written in neat, clear, if not childish writing. It must have taken him weeks to do. (In fact, it had.)

Deer Brian,

BY the TiMe yoo read this, I will Bee Dead.

Up until NoW, I needed to remain silent, (yes I kNoWW, STOP laffing) but if yoo R ReediNg this, I can now make things plane.

What you see befOur Yoo is what I am. What I REALLY am. The gold in the DisTanse is my city, the SpIRE, iS my Palace. I am Prince Justin of the mer-FolK. I half 4 brothers and my mother is Queen.

I DID recue you. I BReethed Life back into Yoo and that is wheN I ferst loVed yoo.

Yoo hafe heerD me say I PAID the PRICE 2 B with Yoo. BUT YOO Do nut know the PriCe.

I TradeD with a Sea Witch my voice and a speshil HeeliNg PoWer for 3 weaks to live with Yoo as Human Beeing. If I could Earn Yoor love IN retoorN, I could Stay Human. IF NUT, if yoo married Anuther, the SunRiSe after Yoor wedding, I would Tern back into A merman and be CHANgeD into Sea Foam.

IF yoo r READing this, SOMethiNG has GON rong and I HAVE failed. Yoo have married Michael. Perhaps the sun is SHINNing on yoor bootiful face and if SOO, I am GonE and haVe beeCum sea foam.

Take this PoirTraIt and  ReMeMber ME. ILOVE Yoo. ALWays. REMEber that.

GoodBye MY Love.

         Under this was a hastier and slightly messier addition as if it had been written at the last minute. (Which it had.)

THERE is SOmethING WrUng. GUS SAYS there IS evil magic. IF the Magic is STILL WerKing YOO StilL MAY NoT Remember what we SHarred. That IS OK. KNOW that I LOVe yoo and I WILL remember for BOTH of Us

I LOVE YOO,

PRINCE JUSTIN

         By the time Brian finished reading his cheeks were wet.

         There was a groaning behind him. Michael sat up rubbing the back of his head.

         WHAP! WHAP! Almost as an afterthought, Brian punched him again, this time blackening both his eyes and then WHAM!... a roundhouse to the jaw. Michael was knocked out again.

         Brian looked forlornly out of the dark porthole. Suddenly, it dawned on him that it was dark and not light out. Justin might still be there!

         Moving faster than he ever had before, Brian threw on his boxers and grabbed Justin's letter and wearing nothing else, caring about nothing else, he tore out of that hated bedroom.

BJMBJMBJMBJMBJMBJM

         Out on deck, Brian took a few, long, deep lungfuls of fresh sea air, the first in a week as a free man. Well, unenchanted anyways, he thought regretfully, looking down at his left hand. The cold deep night air felt good after that stuffy, enclosed cabin. He looked around frantically for Justin, terrified for a moment that he might be too late.

         No! There he was, sitting on the back railing!

         Brian walked quietly over and for a moment just drank in the sight, of his beautiful blond boy. He sat there on the railing, arm around a post for support and leaning his head sideways against it. The only thing he wore was his key necklace, his other chain and his ever-present pearl and golden crown. He looked sadly out to sea.

         Brian took a few more steps toward him. Justin heard him and turned briefly to see him and smiled in a sad greeting and then looked out to the sea again.

         Brian came up to the railing and sat down beside Justin on the railing facing the front of the ship.

         "I remember what we shared," he said softly.

         Justin stilled. Slowly, he turned to Brian with wide eyes. He looked deep, searchingly into Brian's eyes.

         "I missed you, Sunshine," Brian said.

         And Justin smiled, really smiled that million watt smile that gave him his name. He was transported from a deep misery to a great, wild, fierce joy in a single second. He could see that Brian's eyes were clear, really clear and shining with the love that they had felt before. He reached up to cup his cheek, in a mirroring of that last morning together. Brian reached up to cup his cheek and pull him into a kiss. Justin felt himself melting, magnetizing toward Brian in that old pattern of their mind melting kisses. They were inches away when suddenly Justin stopped and his face twisted back into pain. He pulled back a little and leaned to Brian's left hand before taking hold of it and fingering Brian's wedding ring.

         "No!" Brian said harshly, "Not him! Not now! He used deceit and trickery and some sort of enchantment to make that happen and I'm not going to let him steal one more minute longer from us." And so saying, he framed Justin's face and pulled him in to kiss him deeply.

         Justin was swept away in a torrid wave of heady emotions. Joy, thankfulness, a fierce possessiveness, love, and good old fashioned lust thrummed through his veins and very being. He kissed back, devouring Brian's lips and tongue, pushing deeper and deeper, always deeper but never deep enough. It would never be enough. He could never, would never, get enough of Brian. Never.

         Long minutes later, they came up for air. "I'm so sorry, Sunshine," Brian said.

         Justin shook his head, pressed a finger to Brian's lips and pulled him in again. This was no time for apologies or regrets. There was no time. There was no point. All they could do was enjoy what little time they had left.

         "I got your letter. I saw the painting." Brian said.

         Justin perked up. He asked with his eyes, on pins and needles.

         "Your spelling's terrible! We never should have fired that tutor," Brian said, teasing him.

         Justin smacked him playfully but looked askance again, more urgently.

         Brian said seriously, "Justin, you outdid yourself. That was the most incredible thing I've ever seen. Amazing. And before I saw it I was dreaming I was a merman with you with that exact tail. I can't explain it. It was fantastic and I love it. I love you. It will hang in my gallery and I shall pass it down generation to generation so that it will hang there forever."

         Justin made a cradling gesture and then asked, "How?"

         "I'll adopt. I dunno. I'll think of something. Don't worry.  And remember, not every King or Queen of Liberty kingdom will be gay. We will survive."

         Justin grabbed him tight and then they were fused together, a single body, a single soul, a single entity for a long time. They kissed. They cuddled. They hugged and just enjoyed each other's company. And Justin was happy because it meant he was no longer spending his last hours alone.

         The wee hours passed into the deepest night. It was cold but they just huddled together all the more. Brian wouldn't let Justin go.

         Eventually it grew lighter. They could see each other's faces easier. Then even easier than that.

         Justin pointed to his letter that Brian still clutched in his hand. Brian brought it forth and Justin opened it, smoothed it open on their laps. He pointed to: Take this PoirTraIt and  ReMeMber ME. ILOVE Yoo. ALWays. REMEber that.

         "I will. I love you too. I will remember."

         Justin slowly drew off his studio key and hung it around Brian's neck. He drew off his chain that had held Emmett's gift and hung that around Brian's neck. He pointed to: ReMeMber ME. ILOVE Yoo.

         "Yes. I love you too!"

         The twilight dawn grew lighter.

         They kissed hard, fiercely. Then Brian grabbed him and hung on and growled, "NO! I cannot bear it! I won't let you go! I'll hold on! Hold on to me! I love you! I love you!" he choked.

         The sky grew lighter.

         Justin revelled in Brian's bulk, his power, his strength. He kissed him hard again. But it was no use. Brian had not the strength or power to hold him back from where he was destined to go now.

         Slowly, he extricated himself and slowly shook his head sorrowfully. Again, he pointed to: ReMeMber ME.

         Roughly, Brian grabbed him around the waist and pulled him into his lap and into his arms. He mashed their lips together in a desperate fusing. "No! NO! I can't lose you this way! I can't bear it!"

         The seabreeze fluttered Justin's paper, snatched it and carried it out, twisting and turning in the breeze. It flew far out to sea before it finally reached the waves, which consumed it, as they consume everything that touches them.

         The sky grew lighter.

         Justin kissed him back and watched his last words fly away and disappear forever. There was nothing left for him here now. Nothing of him to remember or to tell that he had ever been on land as a human. Well, save his art and one more thing. He had one more thing to give away.

         Slowly, he drew off his gold and pearl diadem and pressed it into Brian's palm. Brian automatically held it up to put it back onto Justin's head. This time, however, Justin held up his hand and shook his head. He pressed it into Brian's hand once more and lowered it. He curled Brian's fingers over top of it and stroked his hand.

         "I understand," said Brian.

         The sun cracked over the edge of the world. Both men's heads snapped around to look.

         As dawn broke, Justin's face contorted in pain and he convulsively grabbed onto Brian for support. Brian in turn grabbed his waist and hung on.

         Justin's legs snapped together and, starting at the top, began to sew themselves together into one big leg. There was a mystical, bright green glow all over Justin's lower half and when it faded he was left as he truly was: a merman with a long, shimmering, blue-green tail with wide fins.

         Justin held up his hand and gestured it over his tail. He looked up shyly, regretfully. He shrugged slightly. "This is what I am," his eyes and gestures said.

         "I don't care. You're the most beautiful, mystical, amazing thing, I've ever seen and I still love you," said Brian.

         Justin smiled contentedly and hugged Brian. His tail moved up and down gently where it hung over the side of the ship.

         The wind picked up and the gently rolling waves became harsh and hungry. The slapped the edge of the ship hard. They grew higher and higher.

         The wind grew stronger and stronger. Brian braced himself and hung on to Justin for all he was worth.

         "Hang onto me! I won't let you go!" Brian yelled.

         But that was easier said than done. The wind grew stronger and now it felt as if someone was grabbing onto Justin's tail and was pulling him off and away. Brian found himself in a desperate tug of war with Justin as the rope.

         "Don't let me go!" yelled Brian.

         The wind grew stronger. The waves were terrible. The swells were enormous and they pounded down with terrific force and noise. Justin was now horizontal and being pulled off and away from the ship in a strange and incredibly strong vacuum.

         The spray of the waves soaked them both. The ship was rocked and spun and there were faint screams from down below. Sailors appeared as if from nowhere and began to climb the rigging and take care of the ship but Brian ignored them.

         Justin was pulled away from him, stronger and stronger, more and more. It was as if King Neptune himself had him by the tail and was slowly taking back what was his own. Brian found himself holding onto Justin's upper arms.

         There was more spray. They grew even wetter, if that were possible. Justin's arms got slicked over. He slid away from Brian and suddenly Brian was holding him by the forearms.

         The wind grew stronger. The vacuum pulled harder. The waves grew higher, walls of water that were higher than the ship. But the captain was brave and clever and he turned the ship into the swells, climbing them like huge hills. The wave behind them pounded down and forced them the rest of the way up and then down. And then again. And again.

         Justin slipped a bit and now Brian was holding him by the wrists. He raised his too blue eyes and looked into Brian's. Sorrowfully, he shook his head. Carefully, he mouthed the words: Remember me.

         "NO! Don't you give up on me! Hang on! Don't you dare give up on me! DON'T - NOOOOO!"

         But in the end it really wasn't a matter of giving up or strength at all. It was as if Justin's hands liquefied, mushified at the wrists. They transformed into foam. Brian's hands passed right through and Justin slipped away from him right through his fingers.

         An impossible wall of water rose up behind the ship. Justin flew out and away from the ship, turning end over end flipping through the air like a throwing knife. 

         Brian watched him go with agony, heartbroken beyond repair. It seemed to take forever but it had to be only a few seconds.

         Eventually, Justin flew and flipped his way through the air and hit the wall of water. As he did, he was instantly disintegrated. For a moment, there was a merman shaped mass of sea foam on the side of the mountainous wave. And then it was cresting, crashing, smashing down, and even that was gone, lost forever.

         Justin was gone.

         The wind died. The waves settled. In a few moments everything was as calm, calmer than when it had all started.  The sky was clear. The sun rose fully into the sky. Morning had come. But for Brian it would seem like it was nighttime, only night, for a long time. His sunshine was gone.

         He stood there in his silk boxers, soaking wet. He wore only Justin's bling and held his gold and pearl crown in his hand.

         The sea became like glass. The only foam that was left was the stuff the ship was churning out at the back.

         Brian just stood there, shell-shocked. He literally did not know what to do.

         Eventually, the sailors calmed down and someone brought a blanket for the young King. He sat him down and brought him something warm and fizzy to drink.

         As for Justin, he could feel it happen. He felt his hands numb, saw them vanish away and in so doing, carry him away from Brian forever. He felt himself flip through the air, saw a blur of images whirl around as he flew through the air.

         And then there was only the sea, the sky, the sun, and the unbearable brightness of being.

THE END

???

A/N: Wow, this one just kept going, didn't it folks? OK, well there we go! The saga done with the Hans C Anderson ending intact. However... I do have an ace up my sleeve...Shall I keep going? Let me know or simply just REVIEW, review, review!

Chapter 9

DAWN OF A NEW DAY

Part 1

Fifteen minutes before dawn...

Michael stirred, groaned and woke up again. His jaw was aching and so was his face around his eyes. He was going to have two shiners there soon. The back of his head hurt where he had struck it against the headboard. Ohhhh, man! He felt like a train wreck. What hit him?

Then he remembered. Brian had hit him. Over and over again. OK, well, it looked like the honeymoon was over. He had hoped that Brian would take the high road, fight off the last stipulation of the enchantment but it was no go. The Witch's prophecy had come true and that was the last sex he was ever going to have for as long as he and Brian were married. And if that was true, then Michael had no doubt that the Witch would be right in the fact that Brian would never let him go.

Groaning some more, he sat up rubbing the back of his head feeling a lump the size of the goose egg. He hoped he didn't have a concussion.

Fortunately, Michael was not worried. As was said, he had hoped that Brian would man up but since this was not going to be the case, he had a Plan B. Devious and smart people always kept a plan B and Michael was both devious and a genius. He chuckled. There was no way in hell he was going to spend the rest of his long life without love or sex. And to Michael those two things were basically the same thing.

His gaze fell upon the magnum opus. He scooted over to the edge of the bed and looked at it a bit but where Brian had found feelings of wonder, amazement, and love, Michael only fostered intensified feelings of jealousy, rage, and hate. And he just hated Justin with every fiber of his being, more than he thought was possible. He figured that's where Brian was. Instead of with him, in their cozy little love nest, he'd run off back to him. Well, that little mute boy may have started things in motion but Michael was going to be the one to end them.

He got up and headed for the door and was nearly there when his foot glanced off an object and sent it skittering across the floor. He bent down and picked up a jewel-encrusted dagger, wickedly sharp.

"Well, well, well! What have we here?" Michael whispered. His face lit up as if he'd received a much-anticipated Christmas gift. He turned it over and over in his hands savoring it. Well! Things had just got much more interesting!

He went over to the painting and viscously stabbed out both of their eyes, all four of them. Then he filleted them both from the throat down to the fins. He cut his way down the golden spike, stabbed out a few of the prettier fish and sliced both the whales in half. Then he closed his eyes and stabbed and sliced a big strip. He loved the delicious ripping sound it made. When he was done, he was breathing hard in manic excitement.

A big portion of the painting was now hanging down in a big flap. The whales were in half. The two mermen now looked rather forlorn with their eyes gone and sliced down the middle. The magnum opus was completely destroyed.

But Michael thought it had never looked better. He gripped the ruby encrusted handle until his knuckles were white.

"And now!" he whispered in maniacal hate, "To do the same to the real things!"

BJMBJMBJMBJMBJMBJMBJM

A few minutes later, the cabin door cracked open and then slowly and silently opened. Michael snuck out onto deck after hastily throwing on some pants. He crept over silently across the deck and hid behind a barrel.

There they were! Right at the back! Wrapped up in each other like nothing else mattered. Like HE didn't matter! As usual. Michael gripped the dagger hilt and felt the comforting weight. This was going to be sweet. He was planning to just dump Brian overboard somehow but this would be much better. After all, shipwrecked sailors often washed up on shore. Michael giggled softly and this time, even he could hear the insane quality to it.

Brian and Justin were looking out behind the ship, out to sea.

Michael rose up from behind the barrel. He held the dagger behind his back in case they looked round and saw him.

They were wrapped up in each other's arms, oblivious. They never saw him coming as he took his first few steps forward.
At that moment, someone began to sing.

It was a rich, sultry baritone, wordless and haunting. Michael stopped. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard. He listened for a moment, then shook it off. He took another step.

The singing continued. It rose and fell in cadence and the tempo increased a bit. Slowed a bit. Michael stopped again, listening, savoring it. It was like warm liquid chocolate, sliding smooth down his throat, only as sound around his ears. It was so different...so beautiful. Michael didn't think he'd ever be able to hear or appreciate anything beautiful again. And where was it coming from? Who was making that beautiful sound?

He had to find out. He took a last look at his enemies and saw that they weren't going anywhere. He could finish them off anytime. They didn't seem to hear anything.

And so, Michael turned around and followed the railing toward the front of the ship. As he listened the Singing grew deeper and wilder. Although it was still wordless, Michael could feel it was a calling, a calling to him, for him, and he was answering it.

He never noticed when he dropped the knife into the barrel as he passed it. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered now. Nothing mattered but the voice.

He followed the railing right to the front of the ship and out in the water at the front of the ship and to the starboard (right) side was a heavily muscled man easily keeping up with the ship and singing. Singing to him.

"Hello!" Michael called, "Do you need help?"

The man halted his song and smiled up at Michael, a dazzling, white smile of delight. He had thick, dark, curly, short hair. "No indeed! Your ship is just cruising. I can easily keep up." Indeed, it was as if the man was sitting still in the water.

"But how? Who are you? What are you doing in there?"

"My, such a lot of questions right off! Well, I can keep up because I have a tail. I'm a merman." He showed off his long, dark green tail with large powerful fins. "I'm here because I wanted to sing to you. To call to you. Because I love you."

"You love me? Don't be ridiculous! I don't even know you. You don't know me!"

"I know you. I watched you marry that other mortal yesterday and I could smell the magic coming off of him like fumes off a drunk. Whatever you did to that poor mortal, I cannot say, but I know he does not love you. I do. And you have the capacity to love me too or you would not have heard my song. I designed it for your ears alone."

"That's true. The others didn't seem to hear you."

"Nobody else can hear me! This song is just for you, Michael. Just for you because I love you. My name is Ben." Ben began to sing again softly and Michael's eyes grew misty at the beauty of it.

"Just...for me? Nobody's done anything...just for me...in so long!" Michael said brokenly.

"Poor Michael. Poor mortal. Come to me. Be with me. I'll take you. I won't forsake you. I won't lie. I won't cheat and make you cry," Ben sang.

"Come to you? But I can't. I'm human, you're a merman. Besides, I just got married."

"He does not love you. He has forsaken you in his heart for another right now. I can smell their love from here. It's sickening."

"That's true. He does not love me. And he never will now," Michael said sadly.

"He has left you for another. Come with me now. I'll carry you to an island where bananas and pineapples and coconuts grow. The beaches are white sand and we can live and love there forevermore. I'll bring you fish to cook and teach you breathe underwater and every night I'll sing you to sleep, music that's just for you, Michael, just for you each and every day." Softly, he kept singing, singing.

"Ohhh, that sounds lovely. But Brian..."

"That puny mortal does not love you. He does not deserve you. Come away with me. Love me and be mine."

"Hey! Brian's not puny!"

"Is he as big as me?" Ben flexed his biceps, which were as large as grapefruits. He jiggled and flexed his heavily muscled pecs. "Do you like big muscles, Michael?" he asked suggestively. He sang softly.

Michael loved muscles! In fact, truth be told, he was quite the closet muscle queen and he often wished Brian was even bigger that he was, and Brian was pretty big. Michael had been planning to get his hands on some money from the treasury once he was King and buy Brian a weight set and suggest they use it together....His stomach dropped. Another dream lost.

"I do!" he told Ben, "I think you're gorgeous!"

Michael was beginning to be tempted. Brian didn't want him. He had been jealous and angry and out for blood because he thought that was his only option. But now here was this kind, mystical, wonderful creature giving him a better offer. Why should he stay here where he wasn't wanted, even hated? But...

"Promise me you won't leave me or maroon me. Swear by your God, Neptune and I'll come with you. I'm not sure if I love you, but I'll try to learn. It's better than staying here, that's for sure!"

"I promise all. I swear by Neptune! Come to me, my love!" Ben held out his heavily muscled arms and Michael took the plunge, both figuratively and literally. He jumped over the side and into Ben's waiting arms.

Ben cradled him in his huge arms and they looked deep into each other's eyes. Ben kept cooing softly to him and Michael savored every note. He could feel his old life and subsequent hateful and evil feelings slip away from him as if they had been a nightmare from which he could now awake. He looked into Ben's eyes shining with love and felt his own soften with returned love. He leaned forward and gave Ben a chaste kiss to test the waters for chemistry.

Ben smiled wolfishly and pulled Michael in for a deep, hot, hungry kiss. The chemistry was as explosive as a powder keg. They kissed for several minutes without stopping and then came up for air. Ben swam with them aimlessly through the water and soon the ship was far away and forgotten.

"It's done then! You have forsaken your promised! You are mine!" Ben said triumphantly.

"Oh yes! I'm yours! I'm all yours! You're all mine!" Michael said running his hands all over Ben's luscious body.

Ben pulled him in for another deep, hot kiss. He sucked greedily at Michael's tongue and Michael gave it to him willingly.

"MMMMM.....you taste delicious!" Ben moaned.

Ben sucked harder and then harder. Michael got a little worried. He tried to pull back. But Ben wouldn't let go. Michael struggled but it was no use. Ben held him easily. He sucked harder and then suddenly he bit! He bit hard and then harder and then he bit Michael's tongue clean off!

Michael screamed in agony. His mouth filled with blood. Ben ignored him and slowly chewed his tongue, and ate it.

"AHHHHH! Indeed, you are delicious!" Ben said in a deep but cruel voice.

Michael couldn't believe the un-fucking-believable pain and continued to scream and gurgle. He struggled to get free but it was no use. The muscles he had jumped in to worship were now his prison.

"I expect you are wondering what is going on," Ben said calmly, "Well, the truth is, I'm not really a merman. I'm a siren! And I'm not looking for a husband. I'm looking...for prey!"

"OOOOG!!" Michael screamed, which was the best thing he could scream to: NOOO!! He struggled, kicked mightily and felt himself connect with...something. Ben groaned and released him. He sank beneath the waves.

Phewww! Michael struck out, through the waves, swimming desperately back toward the ship but it was nearly on the horizon by now. In a few minutes it would be gone. There was little chance he would reach it but he had to go somewhere and he needed to get away from here as best he could. He was still screaming and crying from the pain and betrayal and spitting blood regularly.

After about five minutes, he was sure he was lost. The NEW BABYLON was all but gone and he was alone in the middle of the ocean, trying to swim but getting nowhere fast. Worse yet, he saw his blood had attracted several sharks. The fins circled him lazily.

Michael screamed wordlessly for help. Of course there was none. He kept trying to swim carefully. The sharks kept up.

And then all the fins scattered in different directions. Uh! Oh!' thought Michael, That can't be good!

It wasn't. There was a moment of silence. Michael hung in the water for a few seconds, treading water, wondering what was going to happen, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Without warning, Ben rose up right in front of him. He hadn't been hurt at all. He was just playing with him, the way a cat plays with a mouse before it eats it. Michael screamed.

Ben was transformed. His green mermaid tail was now jet-black and had lengthened into what looked like an eel tail. On the top, he still looked the same, all powerful muscles and good looks but his teeth had all lengthened, each one of them a two inch razor sharp fang.

Ben wrapped Michael up in several coils of his now long and powerful tail and then drew the terrified man closer to him.

"BWA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!! Did you really think you could hurt me? And where do you think you are going? There's no where to go, my little morsel! YOU ARE MINE!"

But, of course, Michael couldn't answer. He just half-heartedly struggled against the powerful tail but of course got absolutely nowhere. And then he was being drawn in, closer and closer until he was again wrapped into Ben's powerfully built arms. He screamed again and struggled spraying blood and spittle everywhere.

"You know, I wasn't lying before. I never will leave you. And you ARE delicious! My delicious morsel!" Michael struggled and screamed for help again but it was no use and far too late. And then Ben was leaning in and licking his neck with a long, slimy, thick, black tongue. "MMMMMM, just delectable," he growled and with a quick bite like a striking snake, he bit Michael's neck. Michael screamed in agony. Ben drank a good amount of the mortal's sweet blood. At the same time he injected venom that paralyzed his victim and sent fire running through his veins. Michael's screams faded to a squeak and then vanished altogether as he was paralyzed. Then re-wrapping him in his tail, Ben dove and dragged Michael under the sea and away.

What with the blood loss, the poisonous venom and being dragged down into the sea, unable to draw breath and unable to breath if he could, Michael died in about half a minute or so. However, the venom would keep him preserved for a long time so Ben didn't mind.

And about 2 seconds after Ben dived and Michael perished, the sun peeked over the edge of the world and shone a few cautious rays out onto the cold and curious world of the deep.

BJMBJMBJMBJMBJMBJM

On board, the NEW BABYLON, Brian sipped his fizzy drink with numb fingers. He could barely swallow over the lump in his throat. The warm drink did nothing to warm the icy ball in the pit of his stomach. He did not taste it. He hunched over in his blanket but he received no comfort or warmth from it.

It was maybe 2 or 3 minutes later. It may as well have been 2 or 3 years. A few of the guests had come up on deck to get some fresh air or simply to puke their guts out after that amusement park ride they had just been on. The captain made up some cock and bull story about a freak storm and set a perimeter around Brian so that no one would bother him. Most of the guests respected this and even started to drift back downstairs. Well, most of them.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, NO-ONE!" boomed two voices in unison, "WE HAPPEN TO BE VERY PERSONAL FRIENDS WITH THE PRINCE! LET US THROUGH AT ONCE!"

Brian smiled wanly in spite of himself. He motioned to the captain who let through the Remington Twins. Fred elbowed his way through and bowled over a sailor backward three times and gave him a shiner that lasted a week. Red sumo bumped his way through, sending the unfortunate man flailing backward and then flipping backwards with a yell overboard. Other men rushed to his aid and hoisted him up with a lifesaver.

But the twins saw nothing of that. They were over at Brian's side before the man hit the railing. They sat down, on each side of the Prince and each put an arm around his shoulder.

"It's Justin, isn't it?" Fred asked.

"He's gone, isn't he?" asked Red.

Brian just nodded miserably.

"Ahhh! So you have come to your senses at last! That is good!" Fred declared.

"How - how did you know about the enchantment?" Brian asked weakly, looking up at him.

"I didn't. But I knew something wasn't right, we knew you wouldn't toss that precious boy over for nothing. Isn't that right, Red? We just knew it!"

"That's right, Fred. We knew you wouldn't toss him overboard at all!"

"OHHHH, you! That's not what I said at all! Don't worry, your majesty! Just lean against us and rest. Don't worry about anything and ignore my brother. That's what comes of having a younger brother," he stage whispered to Brian conspiratorially, digging an elbow in his ribs and bruising one.

"We are Twins!" shouted Red, "It was THREE minutes!"

"Three minutes you'll never get back!" Fred said smugly.

Red huffed and growled in frustration.

Brian smiled a little and shook his head at the men's incorrigible antics.

Then, all of a sudden, Red brightened. He smiled a slow, diabolical smile.

"You fool!" he cried, giving Fred a heavy cuff to the back of the head. "I'M the elder twin! You followed ME out by three minutes!"

Fred frowned. "Are you sure?" he asked.

"Of course I'm sure!"

"Fred continued to think. "Really???"

"Yes!"

Fred continued to think. He looked at his twin in confusion and brotherly love and as if he were truly looking into a mirror. "My goodness, you know, we are so much alike that I truly can't remember anymore! How bout we split the three minutes and each take a minute and a half and forget about it!?"

"Even Stephen!?" asked Red.

"Even Stephen!" said Fred.

"Never again?" asked Red in joy, "Remember, the new King Brian is right here! You're witness, right Brian?"

"I can't see how it could be any other way!" Brian said in his dry way.

"Never again!" confirmed Fred.

"HURRAYYY!" rejoiced Red. Then he deflated, remembering the current circumstances. "Oh....And...I'm so sorry for your loss," he told Brian sadly. They both put their arms around him and squeezed him in what they thought was a comforting way. Unfortunately, Remington comfort worked out to squeezing Brian until his lung nearly collapsed. He held up a hand in submission and they released him somewhat.

The sun was shining. The sky was blue. The sea was like glass. But Brian could see none of the beauty. There was only darkness in his soul because the light of his life, his Sunshine boy had been stolen from him forever.

BLORP!

From the back of the ship came a strange noise. The perfectly flat sea gave a violent bubble, a burp, and then settled away again.

"What was that?" asked Brian.

BLORP! BLORP!

"It's coming off the back of the ship!" cried Red, jumping up.

The blorping sounds became more and more frequent and soon the sea at the back of the ship was bubbling and frothing as if someone has set a pot onto boil for spaghetti.

The captain weighed anchor and they all went over to see this marvel.

A small portion of the sea was bubbling and boiling and frothing away merrily. Harder and harder it boiled and then suddenly with an extra BLORP!!...it shot up into a geyser that was as tall as the ship. The top of the geyser leveled itself to the same height as the railing, right in front of their eyes.

Out of this geyser shot a second, smaller fountain, three, white, frothy jets of water. Theese three frothy jets began to pour white, creamy foam all over and down the larger geyser.

Everyone ‘oooohed' and ‘ahhhhhed'.

A fierce joy, a wild hope leapt in Brian's chest.

As the white foam continued to splash over and around the geyser, some of it stayed on the top. It built and formed and coalesced into a man shaped piece of sea foam with the rest running off of him. It formed a little better. The foam man grew a foam tail.

The three jets stopped and a single, stronger jet of water shot up out of the center of the geyser. This one was not white but just water and it ran over the foam merman until it ran off all the foam washing him clear as glass. The jet of water fell away and there was a merman made of running water lying on his back on the top of the geyser. The merman seemed to gain strength from the geyser and he drew up more water into himself getting more and more defined. His lips, ears, nose, even eyelids formed perfectly. Every scale on his tail was perfectly visible.

And then the merman took a huge breath and from the tips of his hair moving downward in a quick sweep, the merman colorized in a single second He had blond hair and rosy cheeks and his tail was blue-green. It was, of course, Justin.

Justin lay on his watery bed for a few more seconds in sweet repose on his back. His arms lay on either side of him as if he were in a lounger. His elbows rested in the gushing water.

And then he blinked! He blinked and opened his eyes. He yawned and stretched and then sat up. He looked over and focused on the ship. Then he focused in more and homed in on one special man.

He smiled his million-watt smile and waved.

"Hi Brian!" cried Justin.

Brian choked and swallowed and gasped and took a deep breath. "J-J-J- Justin???"

"Well, shorten that down to one J and you got that right! How have you been?"

"Well, it's only been about 2 minutes but I was miserable! I - I thought you died! You did die! Didn't you? And you can talk! I mean...that's great and all...but how?"

"I've been...reconstituted," Justin explained, "Since I've been recreated from the ground - well, water up, that includes my voice and all other powers as well. But how about we discuss everything a bit more completely on the ship? Not to mention peacefully." He was still sitting on the tall geyser as if it were a seat He held out a pink hand that Brian thought he'd never touch again. "Help a merboy down?" he asked primly.

And Brian plucked and pulled Justin from off the water and brought him onto the ship and sat him onto the back railing.

Solemnly he held up Justin's pearl crow that he still held. Justin bowed his head and Brian crowned him, making sure that the big pearl rested right in the center of his forehead. Justin looked up at him with his big blue eyes and smiled.

And then Brian stepped as close as humanly possible and kissed him madly, hotly, deeply, deeper, always deeper. He had never been so happy. And, of course, Justin kissed him right back.

A few minutes later, when they finally started to care that they weren't completely alone, Justin turned to the geyser.

He waved. "Thanks for the ride, Jerry!" he called.

"In response the geyser, shot a very tall white jet into the air and then abruptly fell away and vanished. The sea was once more as peaceful as can be.

BJBJBJBJBJBJBJBJBJBJBJB

It was a few minutes later. The guests who had remained on deck had all been shooed away and the sailors as well were kept to a respectful distance by two identical and huge self-appointed bodyguards.

Eventually, Brian's curiosity overrode his need to plunder Justin's mouth. And since he figured he was going to need to do that until the day he died, well, you can imagine how curious he was.

"But - but how?" he finally asked, holding Justin close, cuddling him. He was never letting him go. Never. "How is it that you are back?" I don't understand."

"I know, my love. (By Neptune, I wish you could know how good it feels to finally call you that)" He stroked Brian's cheek. "But I can explain everything. I saw everything. You see, it's been a good deal longer for me since we parted. I've been among the children of the air for about 6 earth months waiting my turn."

Brian looked at Justin more closely and saw that he did look a little differently. Although still incredibly youthful, his jaw had squared a little, there was a mature glint in his eyes, and his hair was longer, about shoulder length and shaggy over the ears.

"Children of the air? Your turn? What do you mean?" asked Brian.

Justin thought for a moment. "Hmmmm...well, I suppose the children of the air are the mer-folk equivalent to your 3 Fates. They are in charge of when a mer-person dies, how they die and judging on how you live your life deciding on whether you go on to live with King Neptune or...or...well, to be punished."

"Punished?"

Justin shuddered. "Oh, well, let's not worry about that. The main thing was that when I got there, they were horribly backed up. And so, I've been waiting 6 long months for my case to come up. I've missed you so much, Brian." He kissed him softly, sweetly and Brian's heart broke all over again as he crushed his prince of the sea to him. His lips were so soft, so warm, he wanted it to go on forever. But...

"But why did they send you back, Justin? Was it - was it to say goodbye again? Do you have to go again for good this time?" His heart turned to a lump of stone that dropped to the pit of his stomach at this possibility. Tears formed at the corners of his eyes.

TBC

Chapter 9

DAWN OF A NEW DAY

Part 2

"But why did they send you back, Justin? Was it - was it to say goodbye again? Do you have to go again for good this time?" His heart turned to a lump of stone that dropped to the pit of his stomach at this possibility. Tears formed at the corners of his eyes.

Justin smiled and wiped them away. "Quite the opposite, my love, never fear. I'm back for good. You see, when they finally did get a look at my case they were horrified at the atrocious circumstances. You see, after carefully reviewing the events before my death, they found I had been taken away unfairly. The deal that I had made with the Witch had been altered, the contract broken."

"What contract?" Brian asked. "I still don't understand."

"I know, my love. I will make things clear. Do you remember the flash of memory you had of us kissing on the beach and my head and hair were lit up like a candle?"

"Yeeeesss..." Brian said slowly, "But I still don't remember anything else."

"Like this?" Justin asked, turning on his sunshine so this face glowed and his hair became a candle.

"Yeeeessss..." Brian breathed, entranced.

Justin ran his fingers through his hair. "Remember...and kiss me again, Brian. Kiss me again."

"Do you even need to ask?" Brian said. He moved forward but stopped. He felt a strange magnetic force pulling him in. He tried to pull back but couldn't. He was caught in the magic! "Wait! What are you doing?" What are you going to do to me?"

Justin continued fiddling with his hair, driving him crazy. He snaked the other hand around his neck and pulled him in. "I'm going to show you why you really call me Sunshine," he whispered back.

And he kissed him. Softly at first, and then he darted out his tongue seeking entrance. Brian opened up at once and willingly took in Justin tongue and met it with his own. He remembered back, to that first day when Justin had met him on the beach, naked as the day he was born and kissed him. He remembered how time stopped and stars collided. That was nothing compared to this kiss. The chemistry between them was like a supernova. Brian felt joy, heat, passion and sex. He never wanted this to end.

Justin smiled against his mouth and dropped the other shoe. He relaxed, let himself go, and released his sunshine to its full power. There didn't seem to be any limit. The more love he felt the stronger it grew. The stronger it grew the more love he felt. It was a never-ending loop of magic.

Justin was engulfed completely in his light. And then it grew around them engulfing Brian as well. Out of his head shot not just a flame but a huge pillar of light. The sunshine power shot a beam of light two miles high in the air and it was seen for many miles in every direction. Anyone who saw it marveled at the wonder and majesty of it.

Justin let Brian drink of his Sunshine as much as he wanted and Brian drank greedily. It was like liquid gold on Justin's tongue and he could never get enough. And as he drank, he remembered. He remembered everything that had happened to him and he saw Justin's point of few of what had happened when he was unconscious. He remembered the explosion. He remembered flying through the air and hitting the water. He remembered drowning. He remembered the rescue. He remembered Justin carrying him to shore. He saw Justin kissing him full of sunshine and breathing life back in his body. He remembered collapsing again and Michael finding him. And then the three weeks, flashed by again and he saw it all again. And he saw the third week especially but this time the dark and evil road of his memory was blasted away and that became unimportant. He felt that Justin was cleansing him of any last trace of the enchantment and he wept against Justin's mouth, unwilling to stop kissing him but marveling because he knew it meant Justin was forgiving him, forgiving him completely for that week as if it had never happened even though he didn't deserve it. But then, he mused as he drank of Justin's power, none of us deserves forgiveness, it's just given like a precious gift at a holiday. And so Brian took it as the gift it was and forgave himself too, and vowed to find a way to divorce Michael and spend the future making Justin as ecstatic as he was, right now.

Time is a strange thing. It marches, does not wait, and is relentless yet when it is gone, it's gone. The future holds the promise. Brian vowed to make every second count from now on.

At last, Justin reined in the power and the beacon lowered and then the glow faded. His hair settled back to normal. They lightened the kiss and then broke off and ended it amongst tumultuous applause. Everyone had come up to witness this marvel. And even though, they had just seen a wedding yesterday, they didn't really care. The majority of them could see that it had somehow been under duress and if they had been crying at the wedding, they were not tears of joy.

Brian and Justin looked deep into each other's eyes and smiled and kissed and then kissed again. Brian remembered everything now and besides that he felt whole, complete and very happy. He held Justin and smiled his own million-watt smile.

However, the bishop was not amused. He shuffled up and said sternly, "Brian what are you doing? I just performed your wedding yesterday! You are a married man!"

"Bishop, that ceremony...was a fraud! Michael...did something to me last week...something magic. I'm not sure what...but something. I've spent the last week in bondage and married a man I didn't love. I love Justin."

"That may be but we were all witness to you promising yourself to Michael yesterday. I'm sorry, but in the eyes of God and this church, the marriage stands."

"Calm yourself, good bishop," Justin's gentle voice cut through the rising murmurs of the crowd. "There is no marriage. Brian is single and free. Oh, dear Brian, I am sorry to tell you this but it's the reason I was able to come back. Michael is dead."

Murmurs turned into a collective gasp. Debbie sobbed quietly. There was a lone...hurray! It was a Spanish woman.

"Dead!? But that's impossible! I just left him there on the bed a little while ago when..."

"When you came out to be with me?" Justin finished. Brian nodded.

"Ahhh, but what you do not know is that fifteen minutes before dawn, Michael came out after us intending to slay the both us and dump us overboard with a dagger he had found. He was only stopped when a siren lured him overboard with his song and then false promises of love and sex. The siren killed him and dragged him beneath the waves two seconds before dawn. In those two seconds, death parted you and you were not married. MY contract was fulfilled and yet I was turned to sea foam anyway. The children of the air reviewed all these events with me very carefully and then sent me back, fully reconstituted. So you see, Brian can be with anybody he wants."

"I want you! I want only you." Brian said kissing him wolfishly.

"But he's a merman!" some genius in the crowd cried.

Brian swung around to glare.

"No, Brian, he's right. I may be back but I'm also right back where I started. I'm a merman again. I belong to the sea. I'm incompatible with you."

"You are NOT!" Don't worry, I'll think of something! We'll build new rooms for you, huge rooms filled with water. We'll..."

"Brian! That wouldn't work any more if I took you home and expected you to live under the sea in a dome with air in it. You'd be trapped, in a prison."

"Then what can we do?"

"I don't know. My tail looks like it's here to stay. Although, it's been in the sun a long time. Man, it itches!" Justin scratched at it and some hard scales shaved off and smashed as if they were glass.

"Do you need to go back in the water?" asked Brian worriedly.

"Maybe...but I don't feel as if I'm plotzing....You know, drowning in air," he explained to their quizzical faces. "It's just itchy. It's never been this way before. And it's hardening! Brian what's going on!?" Justin was getting alarmed.

Indeed, it was as if his tail had become hard as a lobster tail. It solidified and straightened and he couldn't move it up and down at all any more. And still it itched! He scratched and scratched and suddenly he stopped, with a frown on his face, thinking. H took a thumb and pushed right in the center of his tail He pushed harder and harder and harder and suddenly there was loud CRACK! and his thumb went right through into the tail. But it didn't hurt. He pushed again a little further down and again there was a CRACK! and another hole. Justin pushed another hole into it and another and then with both hands pulled the entire thing apart. There was an especially loud and long CRRAAAACCK! And a long seam cracked all the way down his tail and pulled completely open as if it WERE a lobster shell. Inside the tail made shell was a pair of slender but strong white legs with perfect feet. Justin pulled the entire shell in half and stepped out. The shell broke in half and fell to the deck where it smashed to smithereens. The smithereens turned to dust, the dust blew away and was gone. Justin stepped forth onto the deck on his legs. He was as naked as the day he had first come out of the ocean and even at rest you could see he was very well endowed. Everyone gasped. Most of the ladies rubbernecked to look and even most of the men tried to "check without checking" if you know what I mean. (wink wink) For comparison purposes only, you understand... (Yeah, right!)

Justin walked a few steps forward and then backward and then hopped up and down a bit. He had a smile of supreme pleasure on his face and he was oblivious to the attention he was attracting as his limp (but huge) cock and plum sized balls bounced and jiggled around.

"Oh Brian! It doesn't hurt anymore! Oh this is heaven! Is this what walking really feels like? This is fantastic! At last, no more pain!"

Were you in a lot of pain? I often wondered." Brian asked.

"Every step. It felt like I - well, never mind but it was very painful, especially when I was sad. But these feet have nothing! They feel light as a feather! Watch this!" Justin ran and jumped some more, did a handstand and then a cartwheel. There were whistles and hoots and the guys who had been "checking him out" were now openly staring.

"ALL RIGHT! ALL RIGHT! That's enough of that! Sunshine, GET OVER HERE!! And the rest of you, mind your own business!" Brian yelled and whipped off the blanket he was wearing, folded it in half and wrapped it around Justin like a towel when you just get out of the bath.

Everybody found something a little different that was fascinating on the horizon. For about 2 seconds!

Until Brian whipped off the towel and exposed what he was wearing! If you'll remember he had dashed out in nothing but silk boxer briefs. The sea water had discolored them and shrunk and otherwise plastered them against his skin showing off his own package, which was hard as a rock and had been since the beacon of sunshine. There were whistles and catcalls afresh.

Brian rolled his eyes and shook his head and ignored them. Then he beckoned for another blanket and wrapped himself up into it.

There were groans and boos aplenty and then everyone began to mill around the ship bored.

"Captain, take us home!" Brian called and everyone cheered.

"Wait, Brian! There is one more thing you need to know!" Justin pulled him to the railing again as they hoisted anchor and started off again.

"What is it Sunshine?"

"This is hard. You remember I told you that Michael was coming after us with a dagger?"

"Yes."

"Well, Brian, you see, that dagger was..."

"JUSTIN! JUSTIN! We saw the beacon! How did you do that? Are you all right? Can you come home yet? Is he dead?"

It was Cody. He and the rest of Justin's brothers and surfaced near the back of the ship.

Justin winced. Not now! He loved them all to pieces but not now!

He bent over the railing and yelled, "No, he's not! And I'm fine! Hang on and wait a bit and I'll be with you presently."

The brothers grabbed onto the ship climbed a rope lattice that was decorating the back of the ship and sat on that.

Justin turned back to Brian. His face was very dark.

"Justin? What did they mean...Is he dead? Who are they talking about?"

Justin paused, trying to think.

"JUSTIN...WHO??!!"

"Brian, calm down. I'm just trying to figure out how to tell you. Where was I? Oh, yes the dagger. Well, Michael found it but I was..."

"THIEFFF!!! THIEEFFFF! I SAW THE LIGHT!!! I SAW IT! I BARGAINED FOR IT FAIR AND SSSQUARE AND IT ISSS MIIINNNNNNE!!!!!"

Justin closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

Out of the sea rose a nightmare. It was the Sea Witch and she was simply HUGE! Her head alone seemed to take an entire minute to emerge from the water. Her black seaweed hair was replaced by long black sea snakes, each one with long, hideous fangs dripping with poison. She rose up and up and up into the air and still there seemed to be no end to her. She was at least 3 times as big as the ship and when it emerged, they could see her tail was a glossy black. She had made her way into the real world at last and she definitely was not a dream!

She swept the sea into a fury and the ship was swept around and around like a toy in a bathtub. Everybody screamed and ran for cover. Finally the ship settled somewhat but it still wasn't going anywhere. His brothers held onto each other and cowered in fear.

Justin turned around and turned on his flame high and bright. "You mean this light!? This light, which you stole, so unfairly!" he roared right back at her.

The Witch screamed shrilly and backed away slightly. "NOOOOO! Turn it off! I cannot stand it! It's too pure, too good! It's horrible!!"

"Only because you practice such evil!" returned Justin. He turned down his sunshine but not all the way off.

"She won't dare touch the ship while my flame protects us," he explained to Brian. Then he said to her, "Fair and square, indeed! How dare you speak of such a thing when YOU are the one who sabotaged me by helping my enemy! You were the one who interfered and gave Michael the potion to hold Brian's heart hostage away from me. YOU are the thief, the cheater, not me!"

The Witch shrunk a bit. "Nevertheless, HE married another. You should be dead! How are you here, still alive? And on feet as well!? I don't understand! You should be DEAD!!!" she repeated.

"You're behind the times. Thank to the events YOU set in motion, Michael is dead. Killed before sunrise, which fulfilled their marriage contract and made Brian unmarried and therefore fulfilled OUR bargain! Yet you took my life anyway! I tell you the truth, the children of the air are NOT pleased with you!"

The Witch deflated a bit more. Her hair flatted back into seaweed. She was now about the same size as the ship.

"NO! NO! This cannot be true!" she screamed.

"Why are you doing this anyway?" asked Justin, "What did we ever do to you?"

"Fool! I have hated your family for ages now. It was my plan to demand the crown and throne once I had all the sons of the Queen within my power!"

"But why?" asked Justin.

"Little fool!" the Witch said again, "Who do you think banished me!!?"

"My mother would never do such a thing! She never mentioned you at all! She..."

"Not her! Your grandfather! An odious, power-mad, bigoted, homophobic, magic-phobic asshole named CRAIG!!! He banished me away simply because he thought I was a lesbian (I wasn't) and because I helped mer-people out with good magic who would seek ME out! I did nothing wrong! And now my day of revenge is at hand!"

"Not quite!" Justin said, triumphantly, "I have fulfilled your contract with me and won! You have no power over me! And besides, just because my grandfather was an asshole to you is no reason to visit US with your woes. Craig died hundreds of years ago. Many of the old laws have been repealed or changed since then!"

"The sins of the father must be visited onto the sons!" the Witch said cruelly, "You ALL must PAY! It's true you are not under contract anymore, as I would have liked. But your brothers belong to me now! I traded a dagger for their gifts and I won't return them until I get what I want! What I DESERVE!"

"Beware! What you want and what you deserve can be two different things," Justin warned in a serene yet dangerous voice.

"Not this time! Your brothers' gifts are all mine, traded legally and binding and I shall not let them go unless I get your mother's throne!"

Justin nodded thoughtfully. He turned and walked down the length of the ship in his bath towel/blanket, as if still deep in thought. His flame continued to burn bright.

"Ahhh yes! Their gifts were traded for a dagger. This dagger?" he asked mockingly as he lifted it out of the barrel where it still lay safe where Michael had dropped it.

Everyone gasped.

"Sunshine, how did you know where that was?" Brian asked.

"I told you, my love. The children of the air showed me everything. It seems like only a few minutes ago when I saw Michael drop it here. As I recall though..." he continued, "There was more to the deal." He turned the knife over and over in his hands and slowly started back. "I believe I was supposed to use this dagger to kill Brian and then drip his blood onto my legs which would then turn me back into a merman, still mute and disabled." He reached the stern again. "Do I have that right?" he asked the Witch with mock politeness.

"Yes," replied the Witch grudgingly.

"WHAT!!! Justin, what the F-"

"I'm sorry, Brian," Justin said, "I didn't want you to find out this way. I was trying to tell you."

"So...what? Were you going to do it? Were you going to kill me?"

"Yes." Justin answered truthfully. His flame dimmed a bit but continued to burn.

Everyone gasped in horror at this revelation but Justin remained unaffected. He looked into Brian's troubled eyes and as far as he was concerned he was the only one on the ship.

"But - but WHY??" Brian asked.

"Brian, come here," Justin said, motioning to the railing. His flame turned up a little.

The Witch screamed as she was forced back a little. She was so furious and filled with hate she wanted to smash the ship to smithereens and gut everyone on board like a common tuna. But she could not approach the light.

"I want you to meet my brothers. This is Ted. He sings opera. The sad song I played for you on the pipes was one of his arias. Oh, Ted. Everybody loved it by the way! I wish you had been there!"

Ted waved and gave a thumbs up.

"He traded his voice so that I might not die. This is Cody. He had the longest, most beautiful hair in the mer-kingdom. As you can see it's been shaved and it's enchanted to never grow again. This is what he gave up for me."

"Yo," said Cody shortly, pointing.

"This is Blake. He had the whitest, most beautiful smile you could hope for. His teeth were so beautiful that he charmed the oysters into opening by themselves and giving their pearls up willingly to make this beautiful crown for me. As you can see he gave them up for me."

"Ellwo!!" Blake said in his distorted, gummy way and waved.

"And this...is Emmett. He was an acrobat and otherwise just flamboyant merman, who had wonderful...swishiness. I think he was gay and he had a flame that burned brighter than anything I could get up. And now look at him...."

Emmett looked up with his mud-brown tie and while keeping his eye fearfully on the Witch, said, "Hi. How are ya?" in this dull and super serious way.

"Each one of them gave up what was most precious to them to save my life. You were married. I stood up there with you and watched you marry that ASSHOLE!" He slammed down the knife down in the railing with a CHUNK!...where it stood up by itself. I had lost you! I was lost! I had nothing to lose but my life! So yeah, I was tempted and I went in to kill you!" Justin's voice shook with a fury that Brian had never seen before and he involuntarily stepped back a little alarmed.

"But - but you wouldn't! You didn't! I mean...I'm still here! You didn't! You DIDN'T!! Wait...why didn't you?"

Justin took a deep breath. "Because...you were fighting the enchantment. You talked in your sleep. You said that you loved me. You were looking for me and loved me. And I knew then, that enchanted or free, married or single, king or slave, I loved you too. I loved you too, and wanted you to have the very best in your life. I knew that my life had been lost already, three weeks ago on that day I breathed the water out of your lungs. And so I gave up my life, which had already been lost so that you might have happiness."

"But I would never have been happy without you," Brian said simply.

Many of the female guests were openly sobbing. Debbie was crying like a baby. Even the bishop had tears in the corners of his eyes.

"Touching! SOOOO touching!" said the Witch mockingly, "But this changes nothing! It doesn't matter if you used the powers bestowed upon the dagger or not! THE TRADE WAS MADE! THE DEAL WAS DONE!"

"You know, it all seems to come down to this stupid knife!"Justin mused. He yanked at it and pulled it out of the railing. He held it by both ends turning it over and over. "Here! Have it BACK!"

And on the word, back, he threw the knife as only a Prince can. It spun through the air so fast that the steel and the jewels twinkled in the sun like a shining star. And then it was buried in the Sea Witch's chest, up to the hilt, and right through her heart!

"AHHHHHHHGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!" her scream was terrible, shrill and piercing both the ears and soul at the same time. She writhed and screamed some more and then fell back, hitting the waves with a terrific splash. And then she was sinking, sinking out of sight, out of mind and was gone. The sea bubbled and boiled and frothed as it took her and then finally settled back to normal.

Blake was the first one to notice something was different. He felt inside around his mouth and felt them. And he smiled, a real smile and it was white and brilliant and his teeth were back and he felt utter joy.

Cody was next. He could feel his hair grow out a bit until it was thick and shoulder length and then stop. But he could feel the enchantment was broken and that it would return to normal in due time.

Ted saw Blake's teeth and tried. "Justin..." he rasped. Then he cleared his throat and called more clearly," Justin? Did you really play my aria? Did they really like it?"

"They loved it. There wasn't a dry eye in the house," answered Justin.

And Emmett! Emmett blinked and opened his eyes as if he had been asleep for a long time. Then he looked down and saw what he was wearing and ripped it off in horror. "Good griefies! What am I wearing that for? I'll be right back!"

He jumped off the ship and disappeared. However, he surfaced again in a few minutes with three different types of seaweed: green, purple and pink. He braided them together so fast his hands were a blur. In no time flat he had made himself a colorful lei.

"There!" he said in satisfaction, "This'll hold me until I get some bling!"

Justin laughed delightedly. Now this was the Emmett he knew and loved. He plucked off his chain from off Brian's neck and threw it down to him. "Here, Emmett! Use this! It is yours after all!"

Emmett caught it and put it on. "Thanks bab - uh, sweetie! That's much better!" And he dived. A few seconds later, he shot straight up out of the water like a bullet. He jumped as high as the crow's nest, flipped six times in the air, and the fell, spinning like a corkscrew all the way down. When he surfaced, he yelled and punched a fist in the air with pure joy! "Yeah!! Take that bitch! I'm back, Babies!"

Everybody applauded and yelled in appreciation and Emmett closed his eyes and basked in the attention. Yes! This is what happiness was! This was HIS moment!

Justin laughed again and felt so much joy, he couldn't stand it. He had to be a part of it. He gave a whoop and a yell, ripped off his blanket and jumped overboard!

He hit the water and the rest of his brothers whooped and hollered and jumped in after him. They wanted to play and besides they thought they might need to aid Justin now that he was human.

As soon as Justin was in the water, he felt a surge of power. He kicked upward and shot out of the water like a bullet and saw that he had enough room to do a few forward rolls as well. And when he surfaced again he saw the reason. His tail was back!

Whooping with joy, he and his brothers rolled and wrestled and swam and jumped and frolicked in utter carefree happiness. Everyone on board watched them with a rising joy and excitement. They had never seen anything like this and they knew they never would again. They would tell their children and grandchildren about this moment. Generations would pass and eventually mermen and maids would eventually fall back among the myths and legends. But as for these people right here, right now, they saw and they would believe for the rest of their lives.

Justin looked up laughing and saw Brian looking rather somber and left out.

"What's the matter, my love?" he called out.

"Brian looked happy but confused. "So are you a human? Or a merman?' His face flashed disappointment and then he schooled his features into his: "I don't give a shit" expression and said coolly, "So...I guess you're going back with your brothers then? Back to that golden city, like in your painting. "Well, that's cool! That's cool!" He schooled his face into a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

And Justin saw this and was not fooled. He jumped and flipped backwards in the water and dived deep. He looked up and watched where the ship was carefully. Then he pushed upward fast with his tail and jumped high out of the water straight at the ship!

He caught hold of the back railing and hung on in a perfect move. Flipping his tail around, he used it to help him flip up and sit once more on the railing as a merman. He grabbed Brian and kissed him fiercely. And Brian was helpless to do anything but kiss him back.

"I'm not sure what's going on," he said, "It looks like I'm a merman in the water. Out of it, I guess I shell out and become human. It must be another gift from the children of the air. Ahhh! The sun is hotter now. I can feel it happening. Indeed, his tail was already on its way to hardening.

"As for you...don't you get it!? I'm not going anywhere without you! I'll never be parted with you again. I won't. I can't."

"I love you so much," Brian said, "You had me worried there."

"No worries, my love. No worries." Justin said and they kissed deeply.

Then Justin turned to his brothers." Return home, my brothers and proclaim the good news of my return. I shall follow you shortly! Tell mother I love her!"

"We will! We will! Good-bye Justin! Good-bye Brian, our brother's intended! We'll be waiting! We'll be waiting! Come soooonnnn!!!"

And they dived and flipped and swam and disappeared.

"But - but you just said..." Brian said in confusion.

Justin held his finger over Brian's lip. "Shhhh. I have a few ideas about that."

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It was a few minutes later.

Once again, Justin's tail turned into a shell and pulled apart easily. Once again it biodegraded into dust and blew away. Once again Justin stepped forth on perfect, white legs and a huge...well, you know. (wink) Brian had his "bath towel" ready, a stern expression on his face He glared around fiercely.

Everyone found something extremely interesting over the side, commented on a cloud (which didn't exist) or just stood around rocking on their heels whistling idly.

Justin stepped into the towel submissively, leaned back up against Brian's chest and wrapped his arms around his neck as Brian adjusted his towel. He twisted upward and looked upward into Brian's eyes. He rubbed his fanny against Brian's hard on cheekily.

Brian gasped. "Sunshine! I'm going to give you to the count of a million to stop that!"

Justin giggled. "Do you remember? This is just like the first day. Our first kiss."

"But not our last." Brian bent down and partook of those gorgeous lips.

"What I never got to tell you," said Justin, as Brian started nibbling on his earlobe, driving him crazy, "Is this is where I felt most at home. Against you. With you. Loving you."

"But we'd just met!"

Justin smiled. "I know." He reached up and stroked his cheek and pulled him down again.

When they came up for air again, a long time later, Brian said, "Then never leave home. Never leave me again. Marry me."

"Of course, my love."

"Brian took a deep breath. "Now. Right now. I know this might not be the venue you wanted, I know...HE...still casts a pall on everything but I don't want to wait or waste a single second without you. Besides, this should be your wedding. I was going to ask you anyway."

Justin considered. For about 2 seconds! "Don't worry Brian, there is no pall. Michael is gone and so is his cloud. I will marry you anywhere, anytime and that includes here and now."

And they did. They went and asked the bishop who agreed readily enough. And so, they gathered everyone together again and under a bright rising sun instead of a setting one, dressed in only bath towel blankets instead of finery, Brian exchanged faithless for faithful, brunet for blond, proud for meek, untalented for gifted, foolish for wisdom, arrogance for grace, and hatred for love. They had no rings for Brian didn't have one for Justin and he didn't want to use the one Michael had given him so they promised each other rings when they got back to land.

The Remingtons looked at each other and nodded.

They each stood forward and offered their bracelets as a substitute, one for each.

"And mine's borrowed, blue and, well, fairly old....or fairly new....depending on how you look at it," said Fred.

"Yes, look at it! It all depends on it," said Red.

Fred just rolled his eyes and everyone laughed.

Brian gave Justin the blue one to Justin to wear for it matched his eyes and Justin gave Brian Red's ruby one that went nicely with his dark hair.

The tokens were exchanged, the vows were said and they were proclaimed husbands. This time there was a real shout, a real cheer of real joy that seemed to just go on and on when Brian bent Justin back in a deep dip and kissed the daylights out of him. And happily, Justin kissed the daylights out of Brian, right back.

At last, with the ship back on course, Brian ordered the stores to be opened and in no time a good, old fashioned waffle breakfast was served. For a while, Brian and Justin sat at the head of a hastily set up table and hosted but Justin warned Brian not to eat too much and get logy and Brian just wanted to be alone with Justin anyway. So in no time, they excused themselves.

However, Justin balked at the bedroom door. He did not want to make love in that bed.

"Hmmm. You're right," Brian said, "Well, what do you want to do?"

Justin took a deep breath. "I want to take you home to meet my mother. And then swim the ocean with you without course until we find an island somewhere where we can be the only two people on the place. We'll drink and eat of the coconuts and berries and bananas and not come home for a month!"

"But how can that be? Even if we take a small sloop, I'd never be able to get to your underwater kingdom as a human."

"Not as a human, no. But I think I know of a way. Trust me and come with me?"

"OK, I will. Just let me get my crown out of there and we'll do whatever you want. You can wait out here if you want."

"OK."

Brian gave Justin a quick peck and then a deeper kiss on those scrumptious lips and then one quick one more. He couldn't get enough.

Brian darted inside and Justin waited. But scarcely a few seconds went by when Brian's roar of rage and hate and pain was plainly audible throughout the entire upper ship. Justin darted inside.

And of course the ruined magnum opus was discovered. Brian was speechless with rage but Justin was unconcerned. He merely went up to it and stroked it fondly, and folded the forlorn flap back into place to look at it.

"Oh, my, I remember this! My goodness, it seemed so important back then."

"Back then!? I just unveiled it last night! You just painted it!"

"Ahhh, but remember, it's been six months for me. I've painted a great deal since then. The children of the air let me decorate their offices."

"But you worked so hard on this! That bastard! That insane prick! Dammit, I could just-"

"No you couldn't. He's gone and he has his reward. Now stop having a Queen out, Brian, I'll -"

"I am NOT Queening Out!" yelled Brian, totally Queening out.

Justin rolled his eyes. "As I was saying, I'll simply re-paint it. Yes, bigger, better. Do you like these fish? Oh they were some of my dearest friends. I hope I'll see them again. "He looked coyly at Brian playing with him, "Of course, I will need a few things. Hmmm, paint, another canvas, brushes, my sketch pads...Now where will I get all these things, I'm not sure..."

And then Brian was there, and replacing the chain with the studio key around Justin's neck, the last thing he still wore that Justin had given him last night.

"Cheeky boy! You know you're studio is waiting for you where you left it." They kissed deeply.

Then Justin turned and gave one last glance back at the ripped painting. "Hmmmm. I remember something else. I remember you saying that you dreamed you had that tail. Before you saw it."

"Yes, that's right."

"Hmmmm....Interesting! This may end up working in our favor. Ready to go and try a little experiment?"

Brian quickly retrieved his crown a spiky but wiry golden tiara with a ruby encrusted on the top of every spike. "Ready to go! So...where we going?"

"Well, we're going.... Oh! If we're going to leave , we'll need to leave someone in charge! Who could we leave with such a responsibility?"

Brian thought a bit and then smiled. "I think I have the perfect man for the job!"

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"I want to say goodbye to all of you!" Brian said, "We are going on our honeymoon! I want to thank you all for attending! Feel free to continue partying until you get home! We have talked it over with them and Fred and Red Remington have agreed to be regents over the kingdom in our place until we get back! Obey them as you would us. Fred, Red, I'd like to reiterate in front of everyone here this is only for a month and then we will be back. Can we trust you to rule, judge, and treat Liberty Kingdom fairly during our absence?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," they replied solemnly.

They were standing at the back of the ship again. Brian turned to Justin and said, "OK, what do we do now?"

"We go!" Justin exclaimed, and without any further ceremony he ripped off his bath towel again and jumped overboard! SPLASH!

"But Justin! I can't do that! I'm not a merman!"

"Do you remember the experiment, my love?" Justin called up.

"Yeeesss," Brian said carefully, "What sort of experiment?"

"Jump! Come to me! If it doesn't work I shall catch you and keep you safe and carry you home myself. But I think it will. Jump! Do you trust me?"

"I do! I do, with all my heart!" And Brian shucked off his blanket, dropped his drawers and climbed onto the railing and faced everyone. Everyone gasped at his large tumescent penis. "Good bye everybody! Good bye! See you in a month!" He jumped backward and headfirst into the sea.

At first, when Brian hit the water, he felt a jumble of sensations and images. The salt stung his eyes. He couldn't see. He couldn't breathe. The cold was intense. He realized there was no quick way out of the cold and adrenaline started pumping. He kicked. It grew darker. Oh no! He must still be pointed down. He tried to reverse direction. The movement of the waves pushed him down, up, around. He was disoriented, lost. He tried to relax, to find the light and kick towards it. Ahhh, there it was! He kicked toward it.

And as he did, everything changed. He felt a surge of power. His kicking became more fluid and pushed him easier through water. He felt the cold but it was as if it were a cold winter's day and he now had on a warm coat. He felt the cold but it no longer bothered him. The stinging of the salt vanished.

He kicked harder and he shot through the water like a bullet. He gasped in surprise and a fierce joy shot through him, mixing with the adrenaline. It was an intoxicating combination. The light grew brighter and brighter and then he shot up out of the water into the morning sunlight high into the air, higher and then higher still. He looked down and gasped.

Below, he saw Justin's delighted face growing smaller and smaller as still he rose. He rose as high as the railing of NEW BABYLON. And he was able to jump so high because he had a tail. A beautiful red-gold tail that shimmered in the sun. The tail from his dream. The tail from the magnum opus. It was fantastic. It was impossible. And yet it was real. Everyone gasped as they saw him and rushed to the side. Brian arched backwards with pure joy, flipped easily once and the dove back into the water with barely a splash. He surfaced again to everyone applauding madly.

Justin was at once right next to him and together they waved to everybody on the ship. They called goodbye once more and everybody cheered and laughed and waved back. The ship began to move away and they watched it go. Then Brian smirked in amusement. Someone had turned on some music with a heavy thumpa thumpa thumpa beat.

"Will you listen to that? I remember that music from the first ship! My God...That seems so...so long ago. It's like a lifetime ago."

"But it wasn't. It was only three weeks Brian. Our lifetime together is just beginning. And we'll listen to that music again. And again. And we'll dance and dance until we finish by making love...over...and over...and over..." They kissed deeply, alone now in the waves.

"How did you know about the tail?" Brian asked.

"I didn't. I told you it would be an experiment. But I'm so glad it worked."

"But how?"

"I don't know exactly. I just know that I saw this. And then you dreamed it. And you did absorb an extraordinary amount of my Sunshine power. Perhaps that helped with it. I don't know exactly for sure. But it did work. Oh, Brian, do you realize what this means!?" Justin threw himself into Brian's arms.

Brian thought about it. Then something slowly dawned on him.

"Oh my God! I'm...a...SUPERHERO!!" he cried.

Justin rolled his eyes. "Good grief, NO! Oh, Brian! You are such a drama queen! It means...the world is our oyster! We can go anywhere now! Come on!" He began moving away through the waves.

Brian followed. "What's wrong with that? We'd make great heroes!"

"Trust me, Brian, you don't want to be an undersea hero! It gets trite and old real quick and soon you'll be forgotten as if you never existed. I mean, look at what happened to Aquaman."

"Who's Aquaman?"

"Exactly."

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It was a few hours later. They moved steadily onward and Justin showed Brian how to shoot through the water like a torpedo and jump and leap like a dolphin and to ride a wave for miles with barely an effort at all.

And then they dived. And since the stinging salt was no longer a problem, Brian could see everything and although it was darker, it wasn't as dark as before and Brian could see....just see everything.

It was Justin's painting come to life. It was a clear blue-green scape and there were fish and animals everywhere. They saw a pod of dolphins so massive it took an hour to swim through them all. They saw seahorses and sea turtles and yellow fish and orange and red ones. They saw sharks. Justin made a wide berth around them They even saw whales, big, blue whales and their size was even more amazing, more majestic than anything that Justin could have painted up.

At last, Justin swam upward again and when they broke the surface there was an island a short distance away. There was a long, white, sandy beach, and behind it a jungle with palm trees and thick foliage and birds flying around.

"Where is this?" asked Brian.

"The island has no name. It is uncharted and undiscovered by the world of men. We are not too far from my city now but I thought we might at least spend one night here first. I want to spend a little time alone with my new...husband...first." Justin tried out the word to see how it felt on his tongue and saw that it felt pretty darn good. Pretty darn good indeed.

"I like the way you think," Brian said and smirked and quirked an eyebrow that made Justin's insides turn to mush. "Come on!" And he leaped away. Laughing, Justin jumped after him. They raced their way to the island and Brian won but only by a little bit.

They pulled their way onshore and rested in the sand. After a little while of sunbathing, their tails hardened and broke open and they walked around the beach a while, naked as the day they were born. And this time there was no one to approve or disapprove or gasp or anything except their own two selves. They went into the jungle and found food and then returned to the beach where they laid out and kissed and rolled around and kissed more and moved lower and licked and sucked and bit and generally made out like crazed weasels. And it was there, on the beach, on the sand, with only God and Neptune looking down, (and maybe even they gave them a bit of a break and looked away for a few minutes) that Brian sucked and probed and kissed and made love to his little merman and showed him what it was to be a man, what it was that those things between their legs were for at last. And Justin loved every minute of it and gave back as good as he got. Well, orally, anyway, Brian was still too much of a total top.

They watched the sunset and then ate and then made love again. And again. They couldn't get enough of each other.

At last they fell asleep under the stars on a bed they made of palm leaves and moss from the jungle.

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The next morning, Brian awoke with Justin's mouth on his morning wood.

He groaned and stretched and closed his eyes and luxuriated in the exquisite sensations. He moaned and swore and yelled, knowing there was no one to hear him. Justin chuckled and sped up.

Brian thrashed in ecstasy, swore again. "Fuck, Justin! Oh fuck, I'm going to come!"

Justin smiled and sucked harder and with a final shout, Brian came hard and Justin swallowed him, every drop and then kissed him, sharing his own essence with him.

"Good morning, my husband," he said.

"Good morning, my husband," Brian returned.

Would you like some breakfast?" Justin asked.

Brian agreed and they broke open a coconut and a pineapple and fresh bananas from off the tree, which Brian easily climbed.

And somewhere along in the breakfast, Justin somehow found himself on his back, and Brian was teasing him with small bites of banana and whispering his name over and over, teasing his nipples at the same time. Justin was incredibly turned on but he teased and pretended: "Hmmmphh! I don't know! It's just not the same without the leathers!"

"Oh, is that so, my boy! Well, I'll have to keep that in mind for when we get home! We'll have to go for another long...hot...motorcycle ride!"

Justin's breath hitched in excitement. "Oh, yes, Brian! Yes! Oh, I loved that motorcycle so much!"

Brian's smile was wolfish as he kissed Justin witless. "Is that so!? I'll remember that! Does someone have a little leather fetish?"

Justin smiled back. "Could be!"

"You know, as much as I'm enjoying this vegetarian fare, I do need my protein! And I want to hear you yell my name like that you give it to me! Justin...my sweet Justin...Justin..." Brian fed him a few more bites of the banana, teasing his nipples lightly...and then grabbed on! Justin gasped at the sensations. He thrashed and arched, a willing prisoner of pleasure.

Brian moved his way down and then engulfed Justin's cock and began to return the favor. He flicked and twisted but otherwise never let go of Justin's nipples. Justin groaned. He was transported. His arms flayed out to either side and grabbed handfuls of the warms sand, which then slipped through his fingers. Brian moved faster and faster and in what seemed like no time, Justin was on the brink.

"Oh yes! Oh Brian, YES! Oh Brian!" Justin yelled wantonly as pleasure ripped from his core and flashed through his entire being.

Brian swallowed as greedily as he had Justin's sunshine. "Ohhh Justin! My sweet Justin! You taste so good! Taste yourself! And he shared the last of it with Justin as he kissed him deeply for several minutes.

They wrapped up in each other and waited for their hearts to slow, which they did, slowly. They cooled. They sat up and ate another banana, more pineapple and then Brian declared, he was done. Soon, Justin agreed.

"Are you ready to continue?" he asked Brian.

"I wish we could stay here forever," Brian said wistfully.

"Ahh, my love! There will be many islands, many adventures before we lay down for the last," Justin promised.

"I keep feeling like I should be looking for a boat. Like I'm marooned, or something. And then...and then, I remember!" Brian exclaimed in excitement. "OK! Let's go!"

Giggling like little boys, they ran and jumped into the water with nothing on but the crowns on their heads. As soon as the water touched their bodies they were instantly transformed into mermen again and they pushed and kicked until the water was deep enough to swim in and then they were off!

Justin checked the position of the morning sun and then led the way. They dived, feeling the icy water slide over their bodies in a delicious way, the way a drink of icy, cold water slides down your throat. They clasped each other's hands and pumped hard and rhythmically through the ocean, travelling at a fast and steady pace.

They travelled on steadily for another day, moving deeper and deeper into uncharted waters. They ate raw oysters and Justin showed him how to make an anemone salad. Brian felt for sure that he'd be grossed out but as a merman he found the food quite tasty. They spent the night in an undersea cave and Justin showed Brian the art of merman sex. Now it was Brian's turn to play the clueless virgin, which he was. But Justin just chuckled and patiently showed him what to do, and transported him to sensations of pleasure that Brian had never thought possible.

They fell asleep, chest to chest, with their tails entwined.

The next day they set off again, again hand in hand. About midday, they saw, a golden glow on the horizon. And a few hours later, the glow turned into a half circle of golden light with a familiar golden spire rising up tall out of the city.

"It's just like your painting!" Brian exclaimed. "No! Better! Fabulous! More amazing!"

"And that's just it in the distance! It gets better! Are you ready! Are you nervous?"

"Not at all!"

Justin smiled his million-watt smile and clasped his hand. "Then come on! We'll soon be there!"

Brian flashed his own million-watt smile and together they swam off into the distance, into the future, into the golden light, into the city, together, side by side.

THE END

Copyright@ June 14, 2010 - April 25, 2011