King Auden sat alone in his throne room, his sheathed sword across his lap, as the shouts and clanking metal of Drovic soldiers grew louder.
It was over. It had been for a long time--months was the simple answer, years the correct one. The Drovic Empire had invaded early in the year, but they'd been testing the border and restricting trade since his father's reign. Havela, a small, resource-rich kingdom, was destined to fall, and today, fate was coming due.
The doors to the throne room burst open. Emperor Decius strode in, flanked by his honor guard, twenty strong, bearing lion-crested flags. His armor was decorative, gaudy, lions' heads on the shoulders and chest--if it'd been thick enough to be useful, it'd be too heavy to move, given all the bells and whistles. It was likely some light metal, easy to shred.
Or so Auden hoped. His opponents often underestimated his speed. With his sword sheathed, he could take the emperor by surprise.
Emperor Decius stopped a few steps short of the throne and tapped his spear on the ground. His honor guard halted, and but for echoes of their footsteps, the throne room was silent.
"All alone," the emperor mocked, spreading his arms to embrace the room. "I once respected the loyalty you seemed to inspire in your people, but it seems even that has fled."
By the time the Drovic army had reached the castle, he'd ordered an evacuation. With luck, his personal guard, servants, and various nobles were long gone, or at least, hidden away in the tunnels below.
"It seems so," Auden said, feigning indifference. If the emperor would take a couple steps forward...
"And this is surrender, I suppose?" the emperor waved a hand toward Auden. "Tell me, did you learn cowardice from your men, or did they learn it from you?"
Auden's jaw tighened, but he forced himself to yawn. "Mutually inherited, unfortunately."
Emperor Decius stepped forward. "A sense of humor." Through the slots of his helmet, Auden could see his eyes crinkle. The emperor turned toward his guard. "Should I spare him, then? Let him entertain in--"
In a single, liquid movement, Auden drew his sword, sprang from the throne, and slashed his sword into Decius's armored neck.
The sword stuck there--Auden couldn't even withdraw it before Decius slammed his spear into his chest like a staff, knocking the air out of his lungs and him to the ground. He coughed, curling in on himself.
"Little snake," Decius snarled. His honor guard hadn't even twitched. He yanked the sword out of his armor, letting it drop to the ground, and pulled off his helmet, revealing a harsh, imperious face. All that for a tiny scratch on his neck. "You'll come to regret your audacity."
"Kill me and be done with it," Auden wheezed, sitting up to reclaim a scrap of dignity.
Decius smiled. "Not yet." He banged his spear on the ground twice. The doors opened, and soldiers entered, escorting chained members of the castle's staff--the Captain of the Guard, a few attendants, a couple chefs, the aviary keeper. Auden's blood grew cold.
"Apologize," Decius said.
Auden wasn't stupid. Avoiding the eyes of his people, he said, "I'm sorry."
"Beg my forgiveness."
Auden closed his eyes briefly, steeling himself. The Captain was his mentor since he was a child, moreso when his father died and made him king years ago. The head chef used to leave treats out for him when he'd sneak into the kitchen as a child. The aviary keeper was a withdrawn woman who'd taken the role for her love of birds, not the kingdom, not him. For them, or any of his people, he would do this.
He knelt on the ground and bowed. "I apologize for my audacity. I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness."
The marble floor was ice agains his forehead. A second passed, then two, then five. Ten.
"Very well," said the emperor. "It wouldn't do to kill them now. They're here to bear witness to the final conquest."
To his execution. They'd be released to spread the word. There would be no rallying under the hope that he miraculously escaped his fate.
"Stand," Emperor Decius ordered. Auden obliged.
"Strip."
Blood rushed to his head in a roar. "What?"
The emperor stalked forward and backhanded him, his gauntlet tearing streaks of blood into his face. "Next time, I'll kill your captain. Strip."
Still uncomprehending, he gazed over the crowd. Decius's honor guard leered. His own people avoided his gaze. Something hot slid down his face--blood, he realized, but there was no pain. Not yet.
The emperor sighed and picked up Auden's discarded sword. "Havela is mine," he said, and lashed out with the sword. It cut through Auden's shirt, and he looked down. "And so are you."
Auden grasped at his shirt with numb fingers, pulling it apart from the middle. He shucked it, and his undershirt, bile rising in his throat. He was built like a dancer--stringy muscle but thin. He'd fought hard, but as the conquest continued, food grew scarce.
Decius's eyes roamed over his body, landing on his defined abdomen and the tuft of hair that led to his groin. "Continue."
His blood, cold just moments ago, grew hot in his cheeks. He stared at nothing in particular as he undid his belt and pulled down his pants with a tantalizing slowness--he was dimly aware that he was giving the emperor more of a show, but he couldn't bring himself to move faster.
He gripped his undershorts and closed his eyes.
"Eyes open," said the emperor. "Look at me. Don't be rude."
Auden stared at Decius's leering smirk as he pulled his undershorts down and flung them away, fighting the urge to cover himself.
Emperor Decius's smirk grew wider, and there was a chuckle from the watchers--one of his honor guard. Hopefully. He knew what they were laughing at without looking down.
Blood wasn't merely heating his cheeks. He'd felt it rush to his cock, making it stand at half-mast--something about the emperor's demands did this to him, something about so many people watching his ruination. He'd been king since he was young; he'd given so many orders, made so many decisions, that somehow, his mind grew to crave the complete opposite.
"Your body understands what's going on better than you do," said the emperor, reaching forward to run a finger along his seven-inch cock, which twanged with pleasure and stood a little taller. "Not bad, for a Havelan."
Auden's eyes flicked behind the emperor. He caught one of the chefs watching, who looked away immediately. Morbid curiosity. He couldn't blame him.
"Touch yourself," demanded the emperor.
The words alone got him a little stiffer, and revulsion ran through him. In stilted movements, he grabbed his cock and stroked it, his hand running up and down the length. Against his freezing hands, it was burning hot, insultingly so.
Heat arced from his shaft up to his abdomen. He tried to deny the pleasure, but it was there, too, his body betraying him. He continued stroking then rubbing until his cock was rock hard.
The emperor watched as he removed more of his armor. His own cock strained against his pants. Auden stared, transfixed, at the bulge as he rubbed his own. When was he supposed to stop? Was he to continue until he released, shooting his own cum in a streak across the marble? It wasn't so far off. Clear pre-cum oozed out of the tip. Maybe it would be over sooner if he went faster. Maybe...