“Perseus!” Jason shouted through the bond between his mind and Perseus’. “Unhand me at once!” he demanded. A part of him wanted to think that Perseus would listen to him just this once, but the gleam of mischief in Perseus’ eye told him that help—and the freedom that came with it—was not going to be forthcoming.

Jason struggled against the taut tendrils of seawater that bound him. Wrists, waist, ankles. All the places he could have moved himself were bound save for his wings, but he suspected that if he used those to try and get away, they would be bound too.

Inevitably, Jason’s resistance to the tendrils crumbled. He had been trying to climb out of the chair for the last few minutes, but it was as ineffective as it was tiring. The tendrils pulled him back into a proper sitting position atop the throne, the back of the chair moulding to fit his wings comfortably.

More tentacles snaked out of the watery surface of the throne and wound around Jason’s thighs and his calves. They pulled his legs apart, and up toward his chest. The tentacles exposed not only his limp cock, but also his most private entrance.

Disinterest was the one thing that Perseus showed outwardly as he watched Jason’s cock being suckled by a tendril of water of his own making.

Jason, though, could not be fooled. He could feel Perseus’ arousal through their bond. He could feel the fire that had been stoked in Perseus’ loins. Perseus’ want was sharp and pungent. It was scathing and savage, but at the same time, it was also playful.

Jason truly did not know what to make of it, but there were more important things on his mind. “Perseus,” he hissed as he was cheated of a climax for the tenth time in as many minutes.

Despite himself, Jason whimpered when Perseus left his hole, twitching and slightly raw. He had loved feeling Perseus’ rough merman tongue swirling around that tender spot. He had enjoyed the way that Perseus’ tongue had pushed through his pucker to taste him inside as well as out.

Had he the liberty to, Jason knew that he would have reached down and held Perseus there. He knew that Perseus would not have minded. He had felt just how much Perseus loved the dirty act, too. Unfortunately, as it was, he was trussed up and able to move little, if at all.

Jason felt a thread of curiosity wind its way through his thoughts. What was coming next? This was all foreign territory for him, though not for Perseus, it seemed.

The roughshod gallop of Vrist slowed to a canter as Will guided him past the far post of the tilt. The poor horse was not quite used to the state of the soil here in the capital. Back in their own little hamlet, the dirt was a little bit less compact. It was understandable, though. As humble as their little village was, Phoebus still proudly and justly governed it.

For now, though, the job of governing the village fell to its elders. Phoebus reached up and caught the reins of Vrist, just as Will wrenched the heavy helm from his head. He hated the way it felt on his head, since it only made the heat of the Southron realm more unbearable. Unfortunately, he knew that it was necessary.

Will held out his lance for his father to take. The tip was splintered, but even Will knew—without having to look at his father’s face—that a splintered lance just was not going to cut it. If he wanted to have any hope of winning tomorrow’s tournament, he had to shatter his lance nine times out of ten.

Nico looked up from where he’d been eating quietly to see that his father had risen. He made to stand up, too, but Kore’s hand on his leg made him stay.

“I thank all of you who have come to this grand feast today,” said Aides, eyes scanning the crowd of lords, ladies, and their progeny that had come to the banquet hall. Their masks only just hid their identities, but Nico had no doubt that his father knew exactly who was who.

“I raise a toast to my son, Nykos, whose naming day today marks not only his thirteenth year on this world, but also the day when by law and by tradition, you and I may begin to speak about how he is to be betrothed,” said Aides.