<i>Mention my name.  No one will be surprised.</i><br/><br/>Well.  That was true.  There were many who would’ve been surprised at Keth’s own fall into this, however.  He was not prone to weakness, not in this sense, and it seemed as though Ryland was the only one who had successfully penetrated so deeply.  Others had sought to seduce, to ruffle him, to gain some sort of favour by offering either themselves or their kin to what they had assumed to be a true barbaric ruler interested in nothing but his own desires.  Kethaias had never been that kind of man.  He hadn’t lied to Ryland about his purpose in life, his reasoning for rising from commoner to one of the most terrifying conquerors of memory.  It wasn’t pride or greed that drove him, so these physical pleasures always took a back seat.  Emotional indulgence was even rarer a thing.<br/><br/>But this had nothing to do with emotion, did it?  This was purely physical, and the tension that had spawned it all back at the castle was a sure sign of that.  After all, it was only after Kethaias had burned his turmoil out in a semi-violent tantrum that they were able to arrive at this more enjoyable arrangement on the boat.  And perhaps venting what remained of his frustration on the willing prince’s body would help him finish clearing his head so he could get back down to business.  He had deals to seal, a treaty to sign, and plans to complete before he could move on… beyond tiny little Banque.<br/><br/>There was no crime in enjoying something so freely given while he was waiting on those more important transactions.  Ryland would’ve agreed to that logic wholeheartedly, so long as it got him what he wanted, too.<br/><br/>There was no room in that small tent for wondering what Ryland’s family would think.  It even felt too small for their breath, the heat between them.  The whisper of laces being worked free roared in his ears, burning away what was left of doubt or caution.<br/><br/><i>You’ve caught me.</i><br/><br/>“I have, haven’t I?” he whispered.  It wasn’t that he was worried about the poleman hearing, but that he liked the sound of Ryland’s breathing in even slight exhilaration too much to overpower it.  “But now to decide what it is you really deserve…”<br/><br/>His lips found Ryland’s jaw and made a slow, feathery journey towards his neck, which required his possessive grip to slide lower.<br/><br/>“Though I think you’re lying.  You don’t think you’re caught at all, do you?  You think you’ve caught<i>me</i>.”<br/><br/>There was a small exhale that reeked of amusement.  As frustrating as Ryland’s games had been, Keth felt himself more playful in the face of what was surely defeat.<br/><br/>“You’ve enjoyed torturing me for far too long.  And you think I should just accept defeat and give you exactly what you want?”  He couldn’t hope to stop himself.  He only hoped that Ryland wasn’t too smug when he felt the shift of curling lips against his throat.  “I’ll make you suffer likewise for every moment you made me ache for you.”