Lots

Description

Lots – Shayne Carmichael & Mychael Black

Being with another man is grounds for imprisonment… or worse. That doesn’t stop the scribe Aleron from falling in love with his best friend Darius, the king’s general. When the king’s lots are drawn, however, neither Aleron nor Darius is prepared for what they discover. Now they are on the run, desperate to be together no matter the costs.

Although this story is set in the Magic & the Pagan world of Aurora, it can be read as a stand-alone.

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EXCERPT:

Aleron watched the servants scurry about the main hall, their arms full of wine jugs and empty plates as they bustled endlessly from the hall to the kitchen and back again. He was never really of a mind to pay much attention at all to the everyday goings-on in the king’s court. While everyone else sat at the wooden tables, pinching a bit of flesh here and there as the serving women went by, Aleron’s gaze might have watched them, but his mind was elsewhere. It was never where he was. In Aleron’s thoughts, he was kissing warm flesh while his fingertips danced along the length of his best friend’s body, inciting all manner of sounds. In Aleron’s fantasies, Darius wanted him just as much as he wanted Darius.

“Scribe!”

The king’s address snapped Aleron rudely out of his daydream. He looked up at King Aran. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Time has come for the lots,” the monarch stated with no discernible emotion. “Pen a notice for each lord. I want accurate numbers.”

Aleron nodded, swallowing the sheer dread that he felt. Tiberle was overcrowded, and in order to deal with the problem, King Aran instituted a kingdom-wide census. If the number was greater than he cared for, lots were drawn. Every citizen, save for the royal family and a few of the higher nobles, was required to enter his or her name. The names were then drawn. Those unfortunate souls were then executed. It was a horrid system, but as a mere scribe, Aleron was in no position to argue.

“It will be done, Your Majesty.”

Quickly scurrying away, he left the throne room. Most everybody knew to have the numbers worked out ahead of time, so it was merely a matter of stopping by the quarters of the king’s five advisors. They always had a list of the names of the people they wanted to get rid of before the actual lots were drawn.

A few moments later, he had all five sealed lists. Written on the outside of each envelope was the tally number for the names inside. Aleron’s next stop was to see Darius, general of King Aran’s army. He knew the total number to be executed this year was two hundred fourteen, and by count of the envelopes, one hundred twenty-two would be drawn by lot.

Pausing inside the doorway of Darius’ room, he cleared his throat to get the general’s attention. Trying hard to keep his wayward gaze from straying anywhere it shouldn’t, he fixed his attention on Darius’ face. A moment later, Darius looked up at him and smiled, motioning him inside.

“I have the sealed lists for the lots drawing,” Aleron said as he handed Darius the envelopes.

With a heavy sigh, Darius took them and set them on his desk. He sat back down in his chair and uncorked the bottle of wine on the corner of the desk. “Please, my friend. Come in and join me.”