Chapter 42: Chapter 42: The sound
Rowan stood with his hand massaging the behind of his neck, a furrow of concern etched into his brow as he surveyed their surroundings. "Perhaps it’s time we apprise Prince Alaric of this situation," he mused aloud, his voice heavy with worry. "We should inquire about Duke Carlton’s whereabouts as well. If the duke was the last to exit this maze, there’s a chance he may have witnessed something significant... something that could shed light on these peculiar occurrences."
Kastiel wasted no time in nodding his assent and setting off towards the labyrinthine path that would lead them out of the hedge maze. "Agreed," he called over his shoulder as he strode purposefully forward. "Let us return to our original plan and make haste to Prince Alaric’s chambers."
As they navigated the winding corridors in silence, each man lost in thought, Kastiel and Rowan pondered the implications of what they had just experienced. The strange pressure field, the eerie sparks arcing through the night sky - it all pointed to some form of anomalous phenomenon at work.
And the cryptic snatches of garbled voices they had overheard... could it be that what they had witnessed was some form of interdimensional portal? The very notion seemed absurd, yet given the string of inexplicable events that had transpired over the past few days, it almost felt like the only logical explanation.
Kastiel quickened his pace as they drew nearer to Prince Alaric’s wing, eager to share their findings and seek guidance from their liege. Rowan followed close behind, his mind still reeling from the sheer improbability of it all. Whatever was happening within these palace walls, one thing was certain - time was of the essence in uncovering the truth.
As Kastiel and Rowan drew near to Prince Alaric’s chamber, they were suddenly assaulted by a cacophony of strange noises emanating from within.
"Mmmph... Ahhhh..."
Kastiel’s brow furrowed in confusion. "Did you hear something strange?" he asked Rowan, his voice barely above a whisper.
Rowan strained his ears, trying to decipher the muffled sounds that seemed to emanate from behind the heavy oak door just ahead.
"It’s...," he began hesitantly, unsure if what he was hearing was real or some figment of his imagination.
But there was no mistaking it now - the closer they got, the more distinct and undeniably explicit those sounds became: loud moans and groans punctuated by gasps and cries of pleasure.
"Aaaahhh... Nnngghh..."
"Mmmm...ahhhh...ohhh yesss...."
The two men froze mid-step, their eyes wide with disbelief as their ears assaulted them with an onslaught of unbridled passion. The palace corridor, usually a place of hushed formality, now echoed with the sounds of an intimate encounter that was far too intense for their sensibilities.
"OHHH FUCKKK YESSSSS!!! SO GOOOODDDD!!!"
"I’m cummingggg!!! Cum with meeee!!! Fill me upppp!!!"
"........!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
The sheer audacity and vulgarity of it all left Kastiel reeling. His body trembled uncontrollably as shock overwhelmed him, rendering him momentarily incapable of coherent thought. Rowan, too, seemed to have short-circuited mentally, his eyes glazing over as he stared blankly at the chamber door.
The corridor echoed with the obscene symphony of ecstasy pouring forth from within, each cry and moan a testament to the carnal acts unfolding behind closed doors. Kastiel’s mind raced with questions - who could Prince Alaric possibly be entertaining in such a manner? Was this really the crown prince, engaging in such... extracurricular activities?
As if summoned by his incredulous thoughts, a pair of names slithered out from behind the door like venomous vipers:
"MMMMPH! Carlton... I’m cumming... take it all...!!!"
"Mmmnh... Ahhnn... So full... I can feel you pulsing inside me... Alaric..."
Rowan and Kastiel were hit with a double dose of shock that could rival any lightning strike. The unmistakable names confirmed their worst fears - they realized that their liege, Prince Alaric, was indeed one of the participants in this lewd tryst - and his partner was none other than Duke Carlton!
Kastiel’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, bouncing around like ping pong balls as he grappled with this revelation. Rowan, meanwhile, had achieved a new level of slack-jawed astonishment; his chin lay flat against the floor as if gravity itself had decided to play tricks on him.
"Impossible... maybe...," Kastiel stammered, his voice trembling like a newborn fawn. "Maybe because of that weird spark in the maze, a different Duke Carlton appeared and is now forcing His Highness into this... situation??!!!"
He imagined a scene straight out of an absurd fever dream: Duke Carlton bursting through Alaric’s door with the grace of a drunken rhinoceros and ripping off his clothes with the enthusiasm of a toddler discovering Velcro. Alaric would be left whimpering in submission while Carlton... well, let’s just say Kastiel didn’t want to paint any more pictures with words right now.
Rowan wanted desperately to defend Carlton, to insist that the Duke wouldn’t stoop to such depravity - but even he couldn’t ignore the undeniable evidence from these past two days: The usually stoic duke had been acting more like a lovesick puppy around Prince Alaric. Rowan swallowed hard and reluctantly conceded that perhaps Kastiel’s wild scenario wasn’t entirely out of the realm of possibility.
Kastiel, fueled by a righteous fury - and perhaps a touch of morbid curiosity, marched towards the door. Kastiel’s hand hovered mere inches from the ornate brass handle, his knuckles white with tension. He was ready to burst in and save the helpless prince from the clutches of this depraved Duke Carlton - or so he thought.
Rowan’s grip on Kastiel’s wrist was like a vice, yanking him back from the brink of what would undoubtedly be a disastrous decision. Rowan’s eyes were wide with alarm as he stared at Kastiel like he had suddenly sprouted a second head.
"Are you out of your mind?" Rowan sputtered, his voice rising an octave. "What are you trying to do?"
"I want to help His Highness if he is being forced!" Kastiel insisted, his brow furrowed with concern as he imagined Alaric cowering beneath Carlton’s lecherous advances.
Inside Kastiel’s head, the image of helpless Alaric played out - the prince being ravaged by a lecherous Carlton as he laughed maniacally in triumph.
But Rowan wasn’t having any of it. He gripped both of Kastiel’s hands tightly, holding them away from that fateful door handle as if it were a snake ready to strike.
"Look," he said gently but firmly, "I understand your concern... I really do... but if you think about the sounds we just heard... it seems like His Highness is enjoying himself quite a bit. He doesn’t sound forced at all..."
As Kastiel replayed those sultry moans in his head, he realized with a start that Rowan was right. Alaric didn’t sound distressed at all - in fact, he sounded rather... enthusiastic. Kastiel’s brow furrowed as conflicting emotions warred within him.
Even though Alaric’s apparent enjoyment challenged Kastiel’s initial assumptions, a knot of worry remained in his stomach. Something about this whole situation still felt... off.
Rowan’s sigh echoed through the hallway as he saw Kastiel’s brow furrow with continued worry. He knew his rival was just trying to protect their prince, but this situation required a delicate touch.
"I understand your concern," Rowan said gently, still holding Kastiel’s hands firmly. "But barging in there right now isn’t going to help anyone, least of all His Highness."
Kastiel opened his mouth to protest, but Rowan held up a hand to silence him. "...And besides," he added with a slight smirk, "it sounds like they’ve already... finished."
As if on cue, the chamber door remained silent for several long moments. Rowan raised an eyebrow at Kastiel as if to say ’See? I told you so.’
"...Hnnngghhh..."
But then it happened - another low moan drifted out from behind the closed door. It was unmistakably Carlton’s voice.
Rowan blinked in surprise before quickly glancing back at Kastiel. The red-haired man also looked utterly flabbergasted by this new development.
"Aah... Ahhnn... Ohhh... Mmmm..."
"Nngghh! Aaahhh! So bigggg!"
"Ahhhh! Oh fuck yesss!"
"..........!!!!!!!!!"
The sound of renewed passion within the room sent a shiver down Rowan’s spine. It seemed Alaric and Carlton were far from done with each other. His earlier confidence that everything was alright evaporated like mist under the scorching sun.
Now it was Rowan who looked worried, his gaze darting between Kastiel and the door as if trying to decide whether they should intervene or flee for their lives.
In the end, Rowan reluctantly released Kastiel’s hand, moving his own towards the door to knock. But before he could even open his mouth to voice his concerns, Kastiel was already in motion.
In a blur of movement, Kastiel slammed his fist against the chamber door with enough force to rattle the hinges. Rowan blinked in surprise, taken aback by the man’s sudden boldness.
"Your Highness!!! Are you alright?!" Kastiel called out, his voice laced with worry and a hint of panic. "Are you... with Duke Carlton?!"
Inside the room, there was a momentary pause before an explosion of renewed passion erupted within its walls.
WHAM! THUMP! SLAP!
The sounds emanating from behind the closed door suddenly intensified tenfold. It was as if Alaric and Carlton were putting on an impromptu sex show for their benefit.
"Hnnnngggg! Why are you getting tighter?" Alaric groaned loudly, clearly enjoying whatever Carlton was doing to him. "Are you happy that someone can hear us?"
"AHHHHHHH... YES! I REALLY LIKE IT!!!" Carlton moaned back wantonly, not bothering to hide his pleasure from their eavesdropping friends. "MMMMNNNNN...."
Kastiel clapped both hands over his ears at the lewd display of affection. He felt like he might faint right then and there from sheer embarrassment. Never had he imagined that his interruption would only serve to spiced up their passion!
After a few more rounds of lewd noises, Alaric finally deigned to address Kastiel’s concerns through the door.
"Kastiel... I’m busy doing something with Carlton..."
Rowan and Kastiel exchanged a look of pure disbelief at this understatement. They both screamed silently in their heads:
Your Highness, we know very well that you are VERY BUSY right now! Even anyone in this corridor can hear you!!!
Thankfully, the crown prince’s wing had been cleared out earlier from the palace garden for further investigation. This meant that there were no prying eyes or ears around to witness their mortifying eavesdropping session.
But even with this small mercy, Alaric and Carlton showed no signs of slowing down their passionate activities. The moans and groans continued to spill out from behind the chamber door like a lewd symphony.
"...Oh... if it’s possible..." Alaric panted between thrusts, "...vacate this area for a few days..."
Rowan and Kastiel froze in place at these words, their jaws dropping open in shock. They stared at each other with wide eyes as they tried to process what their beloved crown prince was suggesting.
"...You guys keep an eye on this place..."
The implication hung heavy in the air between them. Their minds reeled at the thought of what exactly Alaric and Carlton planned to get up to over the next several days.
Rowan and Kastiel remained silent for a long, long moment, the only sounds being the continued lovemaking noises from within the room. Finally, they both screamed internally in unison:
Your Highness... does this mean that you and Duke Carlton will be at it like rabbits for DAYS?! Are you two nothing more than animals in heat?!
