The Lycian Prince 56

Anthonius did not enjoy the voyage towards the destiny that Diocletian had in mind for him, the inhospitable accommodation being the least of his worries. The galley sailed on the early evening tide but, before it left the quayside, the former Prince was removed from his uncomfortable and demeaning cage by the young Nubian who had brought him on board and had seemingly been charged with looking after the young Lycian. The black youth smeared some colourless oil, an early but efficient suncream, onto the young white body before leading it on deck. Anthonius noticed that most of the deck crew had paused from their tasks to watch as he was led to the ship’s prow.

Anthonius was unchained and led up some narrow steps to the very top of the boat’s spectacularly curvaceous bow sculpture. His left hand was rechained to a metal ring embedded in the left side of the splendid carving, which was at its thinnest at this point. There was a short narrow ledge running around the external edge. The 16 years old used hand signals to instruct his shocked younger charge to advance face-outward onto the tiny precarious wooden precipice, located many paces above the waters of the harbour, to present his right hand for chaining to another ring situated at the other side of the forward structure.

Anthonius reluctantly, carefully and slowly complied, almost slipping on two occasions. However, his right hand was eventually chained in place, quickly followed by his feet to other lower rings. The boy now found himself wrapped around the bow top, facing forwards in a spreadeagled position, back firmly resting against warm varnish. The public display of captives in this manner, as ships left port, was a common custom of the period and Ebana had ordered that the lad be subjected to the degrading ritual in thanks for Diocletian’s largesse. Many quayside observers, especially children, thought that the sight was very amusing and much raucous comment and laughter emanated from the wharf, subsiding only once the ship had slowly moved away, just behind the Lycian vessel, towards the open sea. Despite his humiliation, the human display’s hard cock pressed firmly against his loincloth’s undercloth throughout his ordeal.

The sun was still hot but Anthonius soon became cool, developing goosepimples, as his barely covered body was hit by a strong sea breeze when the galley emerged from the harbour entrance. He was to experience the chill for several hours until dusk, when he was finally released and returned below decks. Lights remained visible from shore communities as the ship kept close to the coastline, another usual practice for the time, and the loud noise of many large oars hitting water continued relentlessly.

Anthonius was to find that the domestic arrangements for the young white human cargo was rather shameful, as he and the slavegirls had to perform their daily toilets and ablutions in front of each other using buckets. The food, provided with water twice a day, was similarly unpleasant, although they were grateful to be released temporarily from their bondage to consume the tasteless porridge. However, the boy’s intense misery, as he lay in his tiny prison, stemmed mainly from a brief audience with Ebana on the voyage’s first morning.

The 14 years old white boy, neatly groomed for the occasion, was led before Ebana and his interpreter, in the King’s comfortable deck cabin, by the 16 years old black youth. Anthonius noticed, as he emerged on deck that the Nubian galley was still shadowing the Lycian ship. He thought that they would probably continue to do so for mutual protection against pirates until they separated near Greece, when the former vessel would head south via Creta to Egypt whilst the latter continued East. However, this assumption was soon to be proved incorrect.

Anthonius had to bow before royalty but did not, for now, have to prostrate himself until his status changed in the Priapic temple. The smirking Ebana, via his interpreter, informed the boy that the young Nubian was to be responsible for his welfare during the journey to their homeland. The King strongly advised him to obey and take instruction from the youth to make his on-board existence less discomforting and to prepare himself adequately for his future. The youth would try to teach him the Nubian language and about the ritualistic life that awaited him in his new abode. The lad was told that failure to absorb such information adequately would result in far more agony and anguish than he could currently anticipate.

Ebana informed Anthounius that the youth was well qualified for his role before ordering the 16 years old to show the 14 years old why this was so. The former moved to face the latter and, seemingly unconcerned, proceeded to pull down his own loincloth, hidden under his tunic, before lifting up his outer garment. Anthonius was shocked to see that the youth had no genitals, a small crop of pubic hair covering the area where they should have hung, making his loins resemble those of a girl. “You see,” advised the King, through the interpreter, “he too was nullified in the temple of Priapus as you will be. Your groin will soon look like this!” Anthonius swayed as he almost fainted. The eunuch just redressed.

The now positively leering Ebana continued by announcing that Anthonius could also exercise himself daily. First he could give the slaves operating the oars some assistance and later he could provide the King with some evening dance entertainment whilst the monarch enjoyed dinner on deck, although the latter could wait until the discolouring sunburn had healed. Ebana did not add that he was prepared to be patient until the boy’s physical perfection was restored as he subsequently wanted to enjoy its wonderful unblemished form in bed, another daily exercise that would be expected of the lad. Meanwhile the King’s overnight entertainment would be provided by a different virgin slavegirl each day whom the lecherous monarch would delight in deflowering.

Ebana concluded the audience by causing even more consternation within Anthonius by advising that the voyage would take much longer than could normally be expected because they would be calling in at two places on the way. They would be visiting Alexandria, capital of Egypt, after first, at the kind invitation of Lysus, attending the new King’s coronation in Lycia. Ebana neglected to mention to the boy that his half-brother had sought and obtained permission from him to parade the former Prince naked in chains through the capital so that the population could see what he had become. The plan was that this should deflect any ideas some of the citizens might have had that there was a better candidate for the throne. Nevertheless, the alarmed 14 years old was perceptive enough to realise that his half-brother would ensure that his return to his homeland was very unpleasant.

The deeply dismayed Anthonius was now led by his youthful nullified eunuch back below but not to the hold. This time the boy was taken to the oars deck, which they entered at the rear. Although Anthonius had been on a galley once before, when he had journeyed from his homeland to Rome, he had not been allowed to see the living hell that comprised this particular part of the ship, despite his curiosity. Two things struck him before even reaching the appalling scene. The first was the awful smell, emanating primarily from the unwashed sweaty bodies of the adult slaves who operated the oars often in great humidity, not least at this time of year. The second was the slow drumming that indicated the rhythm to which the men had to row.

When Anthonius emerged at the doorless entrance to the gloomy deck, he experienced a strange mix of disgust and interest. The drummer was located at the far side, with the chief overseer standing next to him, and, between them and the young white newcomer, the inner ends of about thirty large heavy wooden oars could be seen running down each side, poking downwards to the sea through portholes. Most oars had three sitting black naked slaves chained to it, although there were some vacant places. Only half of the oars were in motion to aid routine progress of the galley, although all could be quickly brought into play if full speed was required. Other Nubian overseers with whips walked up and down the central aisle ready to lay their implements across the backs of any slacking rowers.

Anthonius was to discover that half of the slaves usually took hourly turns to row whilst the others rested. They were rarely unchained from the oars, toileting in buckets whilst still attached. A small cup of water was provided during alternate rest periods and food supplied twice a day. Washing was permitted only when anchored. Turnover of slaves was high with those ailing or expiring thrown overboard. The Nubians’ reserves of slaves had been used up on the journey to Rome, hence the vacant places, which would become greater in volume as the return voyage proceeded, slowing progress. However, this was not the main reason for Anthonius’ enlistment to the cause, as a 14 years old would make little difference to the ship’s propulsion. Ebana genuinely thought that the exercise and humiliation would be good for the boy, at least from his sadistic perspective.

The drummer hesitated briefly when he observed Anthonius appear at the far entrance, although all of the overseers had been told to expect his arrival every morning. The short pause in the rhythm caused everyone else to look round to see what had caught the drummer’s eye. The restart of the drumbeat, accompanied by the cracks of several whips, rapidly brought matters back to normal.

The chief overseer walked down the aisle to accept the temporary addition to his manpower from the escorting youthful eunuch. As the Nubian did so, taking hold of the chained white boy’s right arm, he took the opportunity to appraise the lad’s delicious body, covered by just his tiny loincloth. The man then removed the garment’s detachable rear flap and gave it to the eunuch, not wanting it to be damaged by the movements his new young charge would have to make to row properly. The chief overseer licked his lips when he saw the delicious curvature of Anthonius’ smooth bottom come into view, considering that the scene would look even nicer with his now erect huge black cock thrust between the sublime bumcheeks. The man sighed when he appreciated that he could only dream of such a scenario for any attempt to make his vision come true would, if discovered, see himself chained to one of the oars at the very least.

The escorting black eunuch remained at the entrance to watch as his young white charge was attached by the chief overseer to an outside spot on one of the rear resting oars, next to two pitiable slaves in their early twenties. Neither would see their middle twenties. Despite their desperate wretchedness, the uncovered cocks of both rose quickly to full erection at the sight of the well-groomed pretty white boy now sat next to them. Anthonius was not too revolted to see them immediately masturbate each other whilst ogling him for he felt intensely sad at their plight. The resultant semen flew in several spurts onto the backs of rowers in front who, as they were working, either did not notice or care.

The threesome rested for about half an hour until their turn to operate the oar arrived. Anthonius found it difficult at first but his two companions helped by signalling how he should proceed and a rhythm in line with the drumbeat was soon established. The boy was quickly saturated in sweat as tried to make his best contribution to the exceedingly heavy and onerous task, not wanting to be carried by the others. However, after two thirds of an hour, the lad was completely exhausted and could only go through the motions whilst his comrades performed the real work.

Unlike the other rowers, Anthonius was not chastised with the whip for under-performance, as the overseers had received clear instructions that the boy’s body was not to be harmed because it had to be kept perfect for the King’s entertainment. Although he tried his best, the lad was never to be physically capable of operating the oar for a full hour at a time, even though his sessions were limited to three per day, and he felt deep guilt at letting his team of three down. The former Prince therefore decided to make up for this in the only way that he could think of and regularly, during rest periods, furtively gave his rapturous team mates pleasure with his hand and mouth, despite the disgustingly dirty nature of their genitals.

Anthonius was released from the oar daily after five or so hours and handed over to the returned youthful eunuch. The boy would be required to toilet and wash in the hold before spending hours with the eunuch, and sometimes with the King’s interpreter, trying to become acquainted with their language. The lad, a quick learner, was to know the basics and, with horror, had started to ascertain the detailed rites of the Priapic religion by the time the galley reached Lycia.

It took the Nubian and Lycian galleys six days to traverse the western coast of Italia before reaching the port of Messana in Sicilia, where fresh provisions were loaded, before their voyages continued. Anthonius felt a pang of regret when peeking Sura’s homeland through the oar porthole, as he deeply missed his friend. Having been told of the young white eunuch’s recapture on his own return from the boy brothel to the Imperial palace, he prayed again to his gods that his friend’s eventual safety would be secured.

Meanwhile, Ebana had ruined the virginity of half of his twelve new white slavegirls, as Anthonius had recognised when they were brought back to their cages, inner legs bloodstained, after spending the night with the King. Ebana was looking forward to exchanging soon, as a receptacle for his mammoth cock, the girls’ vaginas for Anthonius’ anus. The proper occasion arose when the vessels lowered anchor seven days later at the ancient Achaean port of Pylos to take on board more fresh provisions.

Lysus accepted an invitation to join Ebana for dinner, which began at dusk on the aft deck of the Nubian galley on a warm balmy evening. The two Kings were seated next to each other at the end of a large table, with senior members of their entourages sat down the sides. Prodicus, now a royal page, stood near to his new royal master. The eyes of many of the crew surveyed proceedings from afar, a number from the rigging above. A number of flaming torches placed in tall metal stands illuminated the scene as Nubian slaves served the guests their wine and the first of many food courses.

Other slaves played music and Anthonius began his erotic stripdance on the higher stern platform, providing everyone with an excellent view as he gradually removed his loincloth flaps and finally the undercloth to dance nude, full smooth erection humiliatingly flopping around during his well-rehearsed and well-executed routine. The grins on the faces of the two Kings were by far the broadest amongst the spectators. Ebana was thinking of the pleasures of the night ahead whilst Lysus was primarily content with thoughts of more future delights that would befall his half-brother.

When Anthonius’ performance was over, his youthful nullified eunuch took his shame-faced naked charge to his King’s cabin and stood him before the bed present there. An eager Ebana quickly followed, interrupting his dinner to do so. His royal guest did not seem to mind the host’s temporary abandonment of the meal, occupying himself with watching the white slavegirls now dancing whilst he also groped under Prodicus’ tunic. Anthonius and Prodicus had exchanged frequent secret glances whilst the former was performing his demeaning act, and both recognised looks of mutual love tinged by intense regret at their circumstances.

The Nubian eunuch helped Ebana to undress before departing. Anthonius, who had been told that his dancing and later services would now be required every night for the rest of the voyage, could not help uttering a low gasp when the King’s black cock was revealed for it was almost as big as the one he had suffered on his last night in Rome. Ebana lay on the bed and instructed the young white boy to follow. The King was soon exploring every nuance of the lad’s beautiful form with his hands, mouth and tongue. Both penises became engorged, oozing precum.

Ebana sucked Anthonius’ off to taste young white seed before deciding that he now wanted to taste a young white rectum, after which he would return to dinner. The duo would play again, and for the rest of the night, later. The apprehensive boy found that the King’s preferred method of penetration meant that he had to kneel on all fours, legs wide apart, whilst the monstrous black phallus was presented to the pink sphincter, now very tight after a fortnight’s lack of use. Despite the continuing music, all the dinner guests and most of the crew heard the shrill scream as the lad’s anus was filled, the noise even being detectable on the oars deck below and on the quayside of Pylos. Lysus blushed vividly when he heard his half-brother’s agonised yell and he began to soil his undergarment with his own sperm.

(To be continued in chapter 57 – ‘Lycia’)