The Lycian Prince 34-36

Anthonius considered the name of the boy brothel ironic as he had once been honoured to be dedicated to Zeus’ cup bearer, but now he was to serve the heavenly youth in a totally unpredicted manner. The men drinking outside the tavern whistled and commented obscenely at the new boy novelty as the escorting slave took him inside the ‘House of Ganymede’. They entered a large reception area with three slaves sitting on chairs next to three sets of double doors. The slaves were waiting to ascertain the requirements of customers as they arrived and escort them to the appropriate locations. Anthonius noticed identical pictures symbolising Ganymede being abducted by an eagle to serve Zeus either side of the doors straight ahead. It was an insignia that the boy was to become well acquainted with for it was displayed regularly on walls throughout the building, along with pederastic erotic paintings and sculptures, on the plates and goblets used by the clientele, on the tunics worn by the adult slaves and on the tiny gold thongs which were the boy prostitutes’ only cover.

The three waiting slaves represented the three options with which the arriving patrons would be presented. The first was to pass through the doors straight ahead to the main entertainment hall where many, often boisterous, guests could enjoy food and drink served at their tables by scantily clad catamites not required for duty elsewhere. Entertainment was provided on a central stage where boys would dance, perform acrobatics and act in short highly erotic dramas. The second choice was to pass through the doors to the left where there were several small lounges for those who wanted a quieter atmosphere in which to drink and dine. The third, which many customers opted for after initially experiencing one or both of the first two, was to take the doors to the right, and the stairs beyond, to the upper floors where the thirty private entertainment chambers were situated. Duty catamites stood next to the door of every unoccupied room, each of which contained a huge bed plus the toys and equipment necessary for most types of sexual activity. The clients could be entertained individually, or in any other combination, by any of these prostitutes in any quantity and usually in any way as long as the boys were not damaged, although even this rider could be overlooked for an appropriate fee. Alternatively, the selection could be made from or include those who had served them at their tables or had been seen on the stage, subject to availability. Anthonius was later to discover that there were almost one hundred boy prostitutes in the brothel, aged from 4 to 16, and that these were just sufficient to maintain a full 24-hour service that included, as he was subsequently to learn, takeaways.

Anthonius was escorted through the doors to the right and up the stairs. They passed along the corridor of the private entertainment complex with its fifteen doors on either side. It was now early evening so most of the chambers were unused, leaving twenty boys outside their doors whilst various sounds, including some cries and screams, emanated from within the other ten. The duty catamites visibly ogled at the new addition, amazed at his brandmarks. The slave led Anthonius through a door at the far end of the corridor, beyond which was another passageway running to the left at right angles to the first. There were several doors on the right of this corridor but only one other on the other side. The slave took his delivery to one of the righthand ones and knocked. A woman’s voice permitted entry.

Anthonius was brought before his new owner’s wife, a middle-aged thin ugly woman whose responsibilities included the off-duty prostitutes. The woman was sitting at a table counting the latest takings. The slave advised her of the circumstances of her husband’s new purchase, including how much it had cost. “So, expensive whore,” she said, “it seems that we’ll have to work you very hard just to recoup our outlay. We’ll pass word of your acquisition in the usual circles straight away and you can make your debut on the stage and elsewhere tomorrow night, and don’t expect much respite from work then on whilst you’re here. Now, let’s see precisely what we’ve paid so much money for!” She came out from behind the table and circled Anthonius whilst carefully looking up and down the boy’s body. “The Imperial brandmarks and the nipple rings should go down very well with many of our customers” she declared before coming close to look inside the lad’s mouth, an opening that would be subject to much use over the next two months. The woman knelt down and unceremoniously pulled Anthonius’ loincloth down to his ankles, without bothering to untie the waistcord bow. “Ah, a cockring, very good,” she pronounced as the boy’s smooth genitals came into view, “and deliciously retained in place through an upper scrotum piercing.” She felt the sublime organs, as many others would soon do, starting with the ball sac before playing with the penis, which quickly became erect. “Good sexual appetite I see, which is fortuitous because you’ll need it to do your job properly,” the woman commented whilst pulling the foreskin back to check the cockhead. She then ordered the red-faced Anthonius to turn round and bend over so that she could inspect the other orifice that would shortly also be in great demand.

After the woman had done and had returned to the chair, she instructed the slave to release Anthonius from his chains and leather collar and to fetch another servant to assume custody of the newcomer. The woman ordered this man to relieve the boy of his neck jewellery whilst she advised the lad “You can have it back, whore, when you’re returned to the Emperor. Meanwhile, you can wear this.” She gave the servant a medallion displaying the Ganymede emblem to place around Anthonius’ neck, similar to the ones the boy had noticed were worn by all the other catamites. “You are responsible for making sure that the whore is fully ready to assume his duties tomorrow night,” she told the servant, “he can dance on stage first to attract the custom and then we’ll auction the rights for his inaugural services based on hourly rates. I think for his debut that we’ll really make the whore look the part. Place make-up on his eyes, cheeks and lips, gild his nipples and oil his body, and make sure the whole look is more gaudy than usual. You may go!”

The man took Anthonius through the single door on the other side of the corridor. Inside were the boy prostitute communal quarters, comprising one large room containing twenty uncovered bunk-beds in four rows. So few beds were needed as two or three catamites would share one alternately in line with consecutive duty rosters, and some would not need the beds at all as they were forced to sleep elsewhere. The accommodation also included a large bath, for which only cold water was provided, and an open area where exercise and training would take place. There were no seats or tables as the beds had to assume those roles too. This was illustrated by the fact that, on Anthonius’ arrival, a number of boys were eating some form of unappetising stew from tin plates whilst sitting on their bunks.

There were about thirty thonged boys in the room when Anthonius entered and soon all eyes were on the nude newcomer. “The latest whore,” declared his adult escort sarcastically, “who’s going to be the star attraction for two months. Do welcome him in the traditional manner, boys!” The man then left to allow Anthonius to become acquainted with his new roommates on his own.

Chapter 35 – Elsewhere

Sebastian had not been present at the previous night’s banquet because he had been ordered to take a company of Praetorians to search for Armillatus in Neapolis and further south if necessary. Casperius had convinced the Emperor that the captain was showing too much sympathy for Anthonius and that it would therefore be best if he were out of the way for the next two months. Sebastian recognised the futility of his trip. However, he could not disclose the fact that he knew that the missing Armillatus was actually in Hispania or that he would have deliberately sabotaged any search that came close to finding the boy. The captain therefore reluctantly embarked on the worthless expedition but only after furtively visiting Sura to see how the boy was faring with the family with whom the lad had been placed, one that shared Sebastian’s deep convictions. The captain was delighted to discover that the boy appeared very content apart from worrying over Anthonius.

Sebastian set off for Campania hoping to formulate an early excuse for the rapid abandonment of the search for Armillatus so that he could return to see what could be done to save Anthonius’ mother and sister from incarceration. He knew that he could do little to help the boy or alleviate the lad’s sufferings until that had been achieved. These intentions went awry almost immediately after the captain and his men arrived in Neapolis for Diocletian, at Casperius’ urging, sent a Praetorian Prefect to take charge of the hunt and make sure that the now subordinate second-in-command did not return to Rome until it was completed.

Meanwhile, Anthonius’ mother and baby sister, Queen Irene and Princess Anthonia of Lycia, were transferred from their galley at Ostia to the comfortable but heavily guarded villa on the outskirts of Rome earned for them by the former Prince’s performance at the last state banquet. Diocletian, unlike many of his courtiers, was a man of his word.

On the same day, near a remote village in Hispania, Sura was making his first swimming strokes across a narrow river, under the close supervision of his now devoted and loving new father.

Chapter 36 – Welcome

One of the 16 years old boy prostitutes, obviously a leader and, as Anthonius was soon to discover, a bully, placed his almost empty plate of stew aside and stood up to approach the naked newcomer. Anthonius perceived that the bulge in the catamite’s minuscule thong seemed to increase in size as he strolled towards him. “Well, what have we here then” the bully asked as he walked round the still and fearful brothel novice, “some fresh meat for our patrons, although a little overcooked and burnt in places?” The last remark caused an eruption of loud giggling from the other boys present, who had now followed the 16 years old’s example and stopped what they were doing to gather around Anthonius.

“Get him,” ordered the bully. Two 15 years olds rushed forward and grabbed Anthonius firmly by the arms. “What’s your name, fellow whore,” the bully enquired, “where are you from and how did you get those brands and rings?” Anthonius did not try to struggle free from the grip of the older boys, as he recognised that the attempt would be useless, and instead briefly appraised the bully with the required information. “So, if you discount the Emperor, you’re a virgin,” teased the 16 years old rhetorically, “unused to cocks that aren’t Imperial in nature?” Anthonius blushed and did not answer. Only he knew about all the other penises that he had enjoyed or endured, even his role in introducing the young Prince and his friends to the pleasures of anal sex was known by very few. “Well,” continued the bully, “the best way we can welcome you to your new home and job is to introduce you to a few more!” The bully nodded at the 15 years olds holding Anthonius and they roughly guided the new boy to one of the nearer bunks, where two other catamites helped to lay the lad facedown across the lower bed. Anthonius was held in a splayed position, boys tautly restraining each limb, with his bum at the edge of the bed, nicely exposed and available for what was to come.

The bully removed his thong, revealing a raging and substantial hard-on, and instructed “Those who want his mouth, line up the other side; those who want his bottom, queue behind me!” Anthonius felt the bully’s hands fondling his bumcheeks whilst saying “Now, be a good whore and open up your passages for your new friends to enjoy or we may force things far worse than cocks inside!” Anthonius felt a large cockhead press against his sphincter and saw a smaller erection approach to rest against his rosy lips demanding entrance. Anthonius relaxed the protector of his anal hole and opened his mouth to allow his torment to commence.

The multiple assault by the thirty or so boy rapists, some as young as 4, took only an hour and a half as all knew that that was the only time they had left before they were required for duty on the night shift. None were worried about losing any sexual potency that might disable them from fulfilling their later tasks properly as a result of their enjoyment of the newcomer. All, even the very youngest, were well accustomed to sporting regular erections and experiencing frequent orgasms from their various sexual encounters within the brothel, and this was aided by the constant inclusion of the strongest aphrodisiacs in their diet.

The four boys restraining Anthonius were the last to enjoy the new boy’s orifices when their burden was temporarily assumed by others. The bully commented, as the rape victim was finally released, “That should assist our new colleague to prepare for his new work and perhaps the others coming shortly might help as well!” However, before he could add further sarcastic remarks to the boy’s indignities, the lad was upon him. Anthonius kicked the bully hard in the groin and, as the 16 years old began to collapse in agony, punched him in the face. Anthonius added a few more kicks to the bully’s behind as he lay crying and curled up on the floor. The new boy, semen drooling out from both mouth and anus, stood over the bully and looked around. The others looked back at him but, instead of disdain, there was now respect in their eyes.

The brothel owner’s wife entered the boy prostitute quarters to see what the commotion was and was not happy to see that the new boy had damaged one of her most experienced whores. She demanded an explanation. Anthonius had quickly wiped away the facial evidence of his rape and answered “Just a disagreement, Mistress, and I over-reacted. I’m sorry.” “You will be very sorry,” the woman responded, “for you will be severely punished, and I know just which customers will pay high prices to inflict the grief on you! Now behave and treat the other boys with respect. You’re not an Imperial tart anymore. You’re just like them now, a common whore available to anyone for anything as long as they cough up the right change! Where’s the servant who was supposed to be preparing you?” The admonished Anthonius quietly replied that he did not know. “Well I’ll find the idle lout,” the woman continued, “and send him back to make sure that you cause no more upset, after I’ve given the lazy oaf’s back a taste of the whip for his neglect.” She then turned to leave.

The bully slowly crawled out from under Anthonius’ astride legs and stood up, trying to wipe away the blood emanating from his reddened nose. He approached the new boy and held out his bloodstained right hand. “Hello,” he said pleasantly, “they call me ‘Narcissus’. It’s not my real name but my working name. I only allow my closest friends to address me by my real name, which is ‘Prodicus’. Will you call me ‘Prodicus’?”

(To be continued in Chapter 37 – ‘Debut’)