Captivated

her princely lover. Then, kneeling before him, she leaned forward and began to lick at his balls, which were so well displayed for her. They hung heavy and pendulous, and they were downy to the touch as she teased at him with her facile tongue. Then she gently took them into her mouth, rolling them about as he groaned with the pleasure-pain she was so deliberately inflicting upon him. His penis felt as if it was going to burst and shatter into a thousand pieces. It was thrusting skyward, its ruby head almost glowing, and quite dark red.

Kalida released her hold upon his balls, and slipped back, saying as she did, 'You may release his feet, Adon. You may lower your legs, Dagon,' and when he did, she mounted him, slowly absorbing his throbbing length into her eager body. 'You will never forget that I am your queen, my prince, will you?' she murmured as she rode him. Then she leaned forward, and kissed Adon.

'Witch!' he said low, so only she might hear him, and raised his head just high enough so he might nip at her breasts.

Kalida broke away from Adon, and laughing replied,'Slave!'

'My beautiful queen,' Dagon replied, and pulled her down into his embrace to kiss her until she was quite breathless.

'Give me your tribute,' she whispered, and sighed as he filled her again with his love juices. Finally, when she had recovered from her passion, Kalida ordered Adon to bring them wine. Then the trio sat together upon the bed sipping the sweet vintage. 'You have pleased me, little Adon,' Kalida said in kindly, approving tones, 'but now you must return to your quarters. I will not forget your charm, your obedience, or your skillful mouth. You will always be my slave. When I return to my own home within the city, which even now awaits me, you shall be in charge of my gardens. Will that please you?' She gently ruffled his blond curls.

'Oh, yes, my queen,' the younger man replied.

'Kiss me,' the queen said, and he sweetly brushed her lips with his own. 'Now, go,' Kalida commanded, and she watched, smiling as Adon left her bedchamber. Now she turned to Dagon. 'You are my mate,' she said. 'Tomorrow I shall announce it to the city, and the search for the new queen will begin. We will sleep for a while, my prince. Then I expect you to mount me, and ride me with your full vigor.'

'It shall be as my queen commands,' Dagon answered her.

They slept together, limbs entwined, for several hours. Kalida was awakened by the sensation of soft kisses upon her face. She sighed, stretching herself languidly like some exotic cat. He took her face in his hands, drawing her up, and kissed her deeply, his tongue running along her lips in a teasing manner. His fingers dug into her head, combing the gossamer strands of her gilt hair. Kalida slid her arms about his strong neck, pressing her breasts against his broad chest.

'You are my mate, Dagon of Aramas, and for you I will give up a kingdom,' she murmured softly against his mouth. Then, moving her head slightly, she bit his earlobe gently.

'You could have me as your slave and still keep your kingdom,' he tempted her, curious to see what she would say in reply.

'I could indeed,' Kalida agreed, 'but I could not have your children, and I want your daughters, Dagon.' Her fingers kneaded the back of his neck gently. 'Our daughter might one day be Queen of Kava.'

He was silent.Our daughter, she had said. But what of their sons?His sons, who would be taken from her house at eight, and sent from Kava at sixteen. And this was why he would not remain in Kava, Dagon thought silently to himself. He would be Kalida's mate, and go to the Palace of the Consorts to live. There was time enough to plan his escape in the next year or two. He would take Kalida if she would come with him,and their sons, but he would not remain in Kava; nor would he allow his sons to be taken from him.

'What are you thinking?' she asked him. 'Your face is so serious, my love. What troubles you, Dagon?'

'You are such a good queen, Kalida,' he began. 'Do I have the right to take you from your people?'

'A woman is meant to mate and have children. That is how we perpetuate our species, Dagon,' she replied. 'I thought that I should never fall in love, and I was saddened by it; but the goddess meant for me to wait for you. Now you are here, Suneva be praised, and I am happy.Really happy! It is time for Kava to have a new queen. I am more than glad to relinquish my power and my authority so I may be loved by you and bear your daughters.'

'But what will you do?' he asked her. 'Will you not be bored just being in your home?'

Kalida laughed. 'I shall belong to the Council of Queens,' she told him. 'We are the judiciary here in Kava, and there is always someone in the courts testing our laws. I also own a third share in my aunts' trading company. I am not an absentee owner, Dagon. I have always been involved in their commerce. We own several mines yielding gemstones, and a silk factory. The women of Kava are never idle. Idleness is a form of death, and abhorred by the goddess.'

'You amaze me,' he said, and he meant it. 'I have never before known women to be so intelligent, and so industrious, Kalida. In Aramas women are owned by their fathers, their families, or their husbands. Their primary function is to give their husbands sons to carry on the family name. They live inside their homes most of their lives, rarely venturing out even to the market or shops, for their servants do that for them. The women of my class spend their lives beautifying themselves and making life pleasant for their men. Of course, among the poor it is a bit different. They must struggle so to survive. Tell me, how did Kava come into being, Kalida?'

She snuggled deep into his arms. 'No one is truly certain, but the legend says that a group of women, captured in a war, were being transported across the desert to be sold into bondage. Among them was a beautiful girl, the only child of the murdered, vanquished king. Her name was Suneva. It was she who secretly rallied the women into refusing to accept their ignominious fate. During a terrible sandstorm she led them out of the victor's encampment. When the storm was over, they could no longer even see their enemies' camp, and they had no idea of where they were. The princess, however, was a strong leader. She led her little band of women into the mountains. They wandered for weeks, and during that time, Suneva taught them how to be independent of everyone except themselves, for they were very much like our women are today. She taught them to rely on each other to govern and defend themselves. '

'Then one day they were attacked by bandits who sought to enslave them. Forced, despite their best efforts, into a canyon with but one entry, they believed all was lost. It was then that Suneva struck the face of the rock mountain, and a passage opened for them. The women escaped into the passage, Suneva ordering the rock to close behind them. Thus they once again outwitted the men who would seek to subjugate them. They followed the tunnel to its end, and into the valley of Kava. '

'Under Suneva's direction they built the city, discovered the riches of the earth, and learned to be autonomous of men. But because we understood that males have value else the goddess would not have created them, we brought men into Kava as slaves to do the heavy work, and we needed them to immortalize our race. But we have never allowed them to have sovereignty over us, for men are a troublesome sex, Dagon. Look at your own condition. Had your brother not been greedy for all that was yours, you should yet be your father's heir.'

'What happened to Suneva that you deified her?' Dagon asked, stroking Kalida's silky hair.

'Suneva never grew old as the others who had originally escaped with her eventually did. It was quickly realized that she was not like other women. One day she went into the temple to pray. She was never seen again in mortal form. The next day a great marble statue appeared in the exact place where she was last observed. None could explain where it had come from, or how it had been placed within the temple. The women knew then that Suneva had been possessed by the spirit of a goddess because she had been able to lead them so capably, for the princess they had known in their own land was certainly no stronger than they had been. Who this great and generous spirit was they did not know, so it was the Suneva that they had known all those years that they prayed to, and have prayed to over the centuries. She has never failed us, and I hope we have not failed her.'

Her story was an amazing one. Dagon wondered how much of it was truth, and what the real truth was. They would never know, he suspected. Reaching down, he tipped her face up to his. 'Will you permit me to make love to you, my queen?' he asked softly.

Kalida smiled into his face and nodded, her small hand cupping the back of his head and drawing it down to hers. Their kisses were heady, and like the finest vintage wine. They were quickly intoxicated with each other as their tongues intertwined in a sensuous dance, but suddenly she drew away from him, smiling at his puzzled look.

'Come with me,' she said, rising from their bed and holding out her hand to him. She led him to the far side of the bedchamber through a colonnade of marble pillars, out into her private garden. The space was silvery with the