THE LYCIAN PRINCE Chapter 7-9
By Pueros

copyright 2006 by Pueros, all rights reserved
Comments to the author can be sent to pueros@hotmail.com

This story is intended for ADULTS ONLY

This long saga, describing the adventures of a young Prince in the Roman Empire of the 3rd Century AD, was originally posted elsewhere but has been revised and amended, including a changed ending, for this site by the author. The tale is mainly a work of pure imagination and the writer hopes that historical truth will be forgiving!

Chapter VII - Enemies

(March 290 AD)

Casperius always recalled how he had managed to so ingratiate himself with Diocletian during his own service as an Imperial page that, instead of leaving the position belatedly at the age of 17, he had found it easy to displace his major domo predecessor. Given such remembrance, he had since constantly done his best to ensure that he was not so readily usurped in a similar manner from the enjoyable, lucrative and influential post. He generally achieved his aim by recognising potential future rivals early and then destroying their reputations with the Emperor.

Anthonius, with his supreme beauty and royal pedigree, was the most serious potential future rival for Casperius' position to have appeared for some time. Consequently, the major domo had decided, from the moment that he had first become aware of the Prince, to ruin the boy, perhaps fatally.

Casperius appreciated that he should pursue his aim carefully and gradually in order to succeed without the possibility of his plotting rebounding on him. The major domo also realised that he should be able to achieve his objective more easily with the assistance of certain court allies. The people concerned appeared to be even worse enemies of Anthonius than the major domo.

Casperius had been around the effectual Imperial boy harem long enough to perceive Niachiarus' secret, helped by the fact that the eunuch once let his amiable façade slip in anger during the early days. The major domo was therefore fully aware of the nullified Nubian's normally well disguised envy and hatred of the Emperor's pages, especially those unfortunate enough to be assigned to his supposed care, which resulted from his jealousy of the attractive wholeness of their young bodies.

Consequently, Casperius regularly manipulated Niachiarus' nefarious furtive attitude for his own purposes. However, the eunuch was fully aware of what the major domo was doing and was happily acquiescent to being so used.

Niachiarus had frequently dreamed of gaining his eventual freedom, when he would learn the skills of castration, find employment in a slave-market and practise on others at least some of what had been perpetrated on him. However, to achieve his ambitions, the eunuch knew that he had to perform exceptionally well in his present function and so he had set out to become an excellent servant and instructor to his young charges, who came to rely heavily on him.

Unfortunately, this reliance was misplaced for Niachiarus had also realised that just being good at his official work would be insufficient to achieve his goals. He recognised that he additionally needed to ingratiate himself with Casperius more deeply.

The fact that the furtive use to which Casperius wanted to put Niachiarus matched the eunuch's true underlying attitudes was a pleasant bonus. The major domo invariably assigned the nullified Nubian to those new pages whom he had identified as potential future rivals for his position and the black slave fully appreciated that his appointment did not just entail converting yet another spoiled brat into a good whore.

Casperius instructed the eagerly willing Niachiarus to inform on his young charges, mischievously and maliciously falsely if necessary as long as the stories, whose source was of course kept carefully anonymous, could not be countered but instead caused the pages all sorts of problems. The major domo had also ordered the eunuch to sabotage the boys' duties without being detected whenever possible.

Niachiarus thoroughly enjoyed causing his boys trouble, especially when Casperius subsequently put his devious activities to excellent use. The major domo's clear antipathy towards Anthonius therefore promised interesting times ahead.

The first of the calamities to befall Anthonius in his new degrading capacity of an Imperial catamite as a result of Niachiarus' perfidy had, of course, already occurred. The eunuch had falsely reported that the boy was retaining royal airs and graces and making plans to return to Lycia sooner rather than later and had recommended branding to eliminate these attitudes.

Casperius perceptively and happily realised that despite, or rather because of, Anthonius' unparalleled pleasantness of character and form, Niachiarus' motivation for such early perfidy resulted from him furtively despising his latest charge more than any other placed in his supposed care. The boy's previous royal status only added to the eunuch's malevolence.

Casperius was additionally aware of Lysus' ambitious loathing of his young half-brother. The man's attitude made him another willing ally in plotting the destruction of Anthonius.

The alliance between Casperius and Lysus was helped by the fact that their roles within the Imperial court meant that they needed to liaise with each other regularly about banquet arrangements. Both also realised that the other was no potential rival, particularly as the main aim in life of Anthonius' adult half-brother was to leave Rome and return someday to Lycia as king.

Lysus had for years resented his father's obvious deep affection for Anthonius, whilst he had only experienced paternal coldness. He also saw his half-brother as the major potential rival to his eventual assumption of the Lycian throne, for which ambition he had exiled himself to Rome in order to secure Imperial support for his rights when the time came. He had perceptively recognised that such advocacy would be more decisive than the King's own choice of successor.

Anthonius' recent entrapment as an Imperial boy catamite had been a dream come true for Lysus. However, his young half- brother might still be a danger to his ambitions if the new page became the apple of the Emperor's eye, and so he was more than happy to join Casperius in plotting the boy's eventual downfall.

To Casperius, both Niachiarus and Lysus had already usefully proved their enmity towards Anthonius by suggesting that the boy be branded as part of his initiation as an Imperial page. The major domo had not himself originally considered such marking of the Prince's delectable form but was more than happy to take the proposal to Diocletian.

Diocletian was initially resistant to the idea of having Anthonius branded. However, he was eventually persuaded by Casperius' arguments that such humiliating marking would surely destroy any notions that the Prince might retain about being in someway superior to his fellow pages because of his royal background or returning someday to princely status in Lycia. The Emperor wanted the boy to be like his other catamites, namely having no other thought in his mind other than being completely subservient to his Imperial master's desires.

Having successfully achieved the first of the calamities to befall Anthonius in his new degrading capacity of an Imperial catamite, Casperius had also happily recognised the chance to inflict the second on the boy. The opportunity had arisen from Niachiarus' secret sabotaging of the 12 year- old's physical preparation for his initiation.

Niachiarus had furtively supercharged Anthonius' young but rapidly maturing hormones by secretly adding copious aphrodisiacs in his diet to enforced celibacy. The eunuch fully anticipated what such chicanery would cause and he had happily been proved correct.

Anthonius, who was currently being allowed two weeks of unmolested tranquillity to recuperate from the ordeals of his initiation, was, of course, oblivious to such perfidy.

Despite Lysus' clearly far from fraternal attitude towards his half-brother, Anthonius was also currently oblivious to the fact that he was confronted by three potentially deadly enemies, who were utterly determined to achieve the boy's total ruin.

Chapter VIII – Penance

(April 290 AD)

Two weeks after his initiation, Anthonius' debasing brand- marks had healed. The relevant little black Imperial eagles were visible on his front upper thighs, at the sides of the small front flap of his loincloth, which was the only attire permitted to the pages within their private quarters, which encircled those of the Emperor. Given such successful recuperation, the latest of Diocletian's beautiful catamites was again brought before Casperius.

Casperius subsequently advised the neatly groomed Anthonius, without now bothering to disguise his gloating, that Diocletian was away visiting Umbria but would be back soon to enjoy more of the delights of his new boy. The major domo joyously added that meanwhile in the Emperor's absence he had a duty to provide the Imperial pages with any chastisements that they may have earned.

Casperius then revealed that he had discussed with Diocletian the matter of Anthonius' unauthorised ejaculations during his initiation ceremony. The major domo had recommended that, in penance for such disgraceful desecrations of ritual, eight strokes of the cane across the boy's bare bottom would be appropriate.

Casperius paused whilst Anthonius, whom he had learnt had never been punished in such a way before, digested the implications of his disturbing revelation. However, if the major domo hoped to see fear and be the recipient of pleas for mercy in response, he was disappointed because the boy just stood waiting for him to continue his statement, apparently emotionless.

This show of apparent nonchalance infuriated Casperius because he jealously disliked bravery, having none in his own character. However, the major domo somehow managed to hide his intense displeasure in anticipation of Anthonius' bravado eventually being encouraged later to disappear.

Casperius simply went on to report to Anthonius that unfortunately Diocletian had rejected the major domo's recommendation. The Emperor had pointed out that the boy was a newcomer to the rituals, by which he, of course, meant erotic dancing and being deflowered, and his lack of previous experience should be taken into consideration when assessing the due punishment.

Consequently, Casperius informed Anthonius that Diocletian had decreed that he should receive just four strokes of the cane and only after the new page's brand-marks had healed. The major domo added that, as Niachiarus had told him that such recuperation was now complete, the punishment would be performed today at dusk in the Emperor's private pleasure chamber and, as usual, in front of the other pages in order to convey a lesson to all of the boys.

The smirking Casperius therefore commanded Anthonius to report back to him in the pleasure chamber at the appointed time.

Chapter IX - Punishment

Despite his brave front, Anthonius was actually horrified and terrified at the thought of being caned. He had generally been a good boy but, like all, had occasionally been sufficiently naughty to justify such chastisement. However, he had been so loved by his father and mother that he had never been so punished.

As a result of his horror and terror, Anthonius spent the hours leading up to his first beating in quiet dread. The time appeared to the anguished boy to pass extremely slowly but eventually dusk approached and he summoned enough courage to walk to the pleasure chamber, albeit whilst shivering in apprehension.

Inside the chamber, Anthonius again encountered a gloating and smirking Casperius, now with the other pages reclining casually on the couches around him. The boy's shivers then intensified when he saw that a small wooden horse, as high as his waist, had been placed on the central entertainment dais, with a long thin cane leaning against the side of this sinister new item of furniture.

Casperius gestured Anthonius onto the dais next to the horse. The major domo then ordered Armillatus to strip the boy penitent of his loincloth.

The fearful and ashamed Anthonius soon found himself again standing naked before the assembly, knowing better than to try to cover his private parts with his hands. The boy also recognised that everyone else present was clearly enjoying the delightful novelty of inspecting the newcomer's nude body displaying the exotic brand-marks. Resultant chuckling additionally drove home to the 12 year-old the humiliating fact that he was the only page to bear such demeaning symbols.

Casperius also enjoyed the satisfaction of perceiving Anthonius' clear fear and abashment, which had eradicated his earlier exhibition of nonchalance. The major domo also happily observed that the boy, despite his trepidation and shame, was visibly becoming aroused. An unruly 12 year-old cock was slowly growing and rising.

Casperius compound Anthonius' resultant humiliation by commenting, to accompanying sniggering from the other pages, "Well, boy, you desecrated your initiation by not being able to command your bodily functions and it seems that you still can't control them. You really are a little whore who's found his proper role in life, aren't you? You're a slut who's more like a brothel prince than a Lycian one if you ask me!"

"It'll be interesting," Casperius added, "to see if you're still so excited after your well-earned caning. Armillatus, chain the slut in the necessary position!"

Armillatus obediently guided the nervously compliant and thoroughly humiliated Anthonius to the nearby horse, bent him over it and shackled him in place. He then played with the adjustable legs of the furniture so that the boy's bottom was perfectly presented for imminent painful chastisement.

Casperius then stood and approached the scene purposefully. The major domo subsequently picked up the cane and practised swinging the switch close to the sweet curves of Anthonius' exposed bare bottom so that the naked boy could appreciate the resultant swishing noise and draught.

Casperius finally brought the cane to rest on Anthonius' buttocks and teased him by rubbing the thin switch gently up and down. The major domo was pleased to note that he could now see the boy visibly begin to shake in fright in contrast to his earlier bravado.

Casperius eventually lifted the cane away from the lustrous currently unblemished smoothness of Anthonius' bottom, which he was now cheerfully going to hurt and damage. The major domo then paused, whilst he observed the boy tense in desperate preparation to receive the first blow.

Casperius subsequently cruelly waited for a while, with his cane raised in readiness to strike. The major domo sadistically wanted Anthonius to relax slightly before he swung the switch viciously onto the boy's defenceless bottom.

Anthonius, thinking that the first blow was being delayed for even longer, complied and so Casperius launched the initial strike of the cane with all of his might. The hit landed accurately with a loud crack but then disappointingly there was silence.

Anthonius was trying his best not to scream, painfully biting his tongue instead in his effort to stop doing so. The proud boy wanted to display as much bravery as he could in order not to demean his royal Lycian heritage in front of the Romans and other young foreigners present.

Casperius, however, believed that Anthonius' display of silent fortitude could not persist and he was quickly proved right when the next stroke of his cane brought forth a loud yelp from the boy's lips, which were made even rosier by blood from his badly bitten tongue. Further shrieks, accompanied by persistent sobbing, were then a feature as the happy major domo delivered what he thought would be his last two blows against the young bottom.

Casperius subsequently examined his handiwork by both sight and touch. The joyous major domo inspected four lovely stripes extending across Anthonius' buttocks. A couple had intersected, causing the flesh to cut and draw a droplet of blood. There was also clear evidence that the boy's lovely body had emitted other bodily fluids.

A pool of urine was visible on the wooden floor of the central entertainment dais below the horse on which Anthonius was chained. However, this clearer fluid was mixed with a small amount of opaque white liquid.

Although Casperius already knew what the white substance was, he nevertheless asked Armillatus to confirm the identify. The boy therefore compliantly kneeled to examine the stuff and trace its origin.

After subsequently regaining his feet, Armillatus confirmed to Casperius "Anthonius appears to have ejaculated his seed again." In response, the delighted major domo smiled evilly and laughed heartily.

Casperius then suggested to Anthonius "You really are a dirty whore because, as well as urinating, you've done what you're being punished for again!" All the boys in the chamber joined in the major domo's laughter, except for the one prone across the horse, who was instead still quietly sobbing in agony and shame.

Casperius next laughingly declared "Hopefully, slut, you'll finally learn the need and way to control yourself after I've delivered eight more strokes of the cane, four for urinating and the same number for ejaculating!" Before Anthonius, amidst his excruciation and misery, was subsequently able fully to comprehend mentally what the major domo had announced, the boy became physically aware of the increase in his punishment.

Casperius had powerfully swung the cane again and Anthonius' whole body had convulsed within the confines of the tight shackles that fixed him in place. The boy also screamed louder than ever, whilst increased tears dripped from his face, which was upside down on the other side of the horse from his assailed bottom, onto the wooden floor below him.

Anthonius' proud attempt to display bravery was subsequently ruined after Casperius' sixth blow landed with as much powerful venom and expert accuracy as the previous five. The boy's sobbing was now interspersed with pleas for mercy, which the major domo was, of course, not prepared to grant.

Casperius instead delivered another six hits of the cane to Anthonius' now ravaged bottom, where the earlier scarlet stripes had either turned brown or purple. The sadistic major domo would probably have found another excuse to extend the punishment even further if he had not realised that harsher chastisement might cause permanent damage, which would currently be difficult to justify to the Emperor on his return.

Casperius therefore contented himself with delivering a total of only twelve harsh blows of the cane. After his own subsequent close visual and manual examination of the hot and now rather bloody stripes that he had created, he also allowed the other young pages to inspect the wheals as intimately as they wanted.

All of the pageboys made use of the opportunity, hurting Anthonius' bottom and pride even more in the process.

(To be continued)

[Comments to the author can be sent to pueros@hotmail.com]