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DRAMATIS PERSONAE
THE EMPEROR, Master of Mankind
HORUS LUPERCAL, his SON, crown prince of the Imperium
SANGUINIUS, called the ANGEL
The angel was brought to the imperial palace in chains, kept in an enormous bird cage with gold bars, carried on a palanquin borne by half a dozen warriors of the techno-barbarian who sought to curry the Emperor’s favor.
‘A rare jewel of the Baal system.’ Declared the warlord’s castellan as the attendant serfs pulled a large silk sheet from the cage, revealing the creature within.
Horus nearly dropped his goblet. He was instantly enraptured with the angel, from his magnificent wings to the curls like polished gold that tumbled down his powerful shoulders. And then there were the fangs. Immediately upon being revealed, the angel rushed the bars, fangs bared in a growl, he was yanked back at the last moment by the chains fixed around his wrists and ankles. He struggled a little longer to the amusement of the court, then let out a hiss and retreated with a sullen glare, pulling his wings around himself.
Horus watched this with his lips slightly parted, then remembered himself and the dignity he was meant to show as crown prince. He closed his mouth and glanced to his father, who had not spoken yet.
The Emperor’s expression remained inscrutable as ever as he considered the scene before him. He leaned his head forward, so minutely that Horus with his enhanced senses was perhaps the only one in the throne room who could tell.
‘An odd tribute.’ The Emperor said, ‘Your master seeks my favor with the gift of a mutant, and a feral one, at that.’
All eyes in the throne room went to the majordomo, Horus couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for the castellan. The woman likely had no input to her master’s gift, and now she would bear the brunt of the consequences of his father’s displeasure.
Incredibly, the woman elected to respond rather than grovel.
‘My lord.’ She said with a low, sweeping bow. ‘My master knows you are an unparalleled artist of genetic sequencing. The angel is strong, it was only captured by one hundred of our finest warriors. He offers you it for your coffers, your great work.’
Silence followed, the court waited for the Emperor’s reply, to see whether calamity would follow.
‘Father.’ Horus spoke without thinking, without his usual measured planning. ‘I could tame the angel for you.’
The Emperor turned his head to look to his son for the first time that evening. Instantly Horus felt the weight of his presence across his shoulders and chest, as if the weight of Terra was balanced there. But he looked back, he was only one of a handful of beings in the throne room who could meet his father’s gaze without instantly shying away. He could see nothing in his father’s expression, but he knew from experience he was being measured, considered. His father did nothing without the considerable machinations of his great mind.
‘This word ‘angel’ is a relic of Old Terran superstition, it is a mutant.’ The Emperor said, ‘But I see the strength in it, if it can be made compliant, it may prove useful.’ He looked away from Horus and the pressure on his body ebbed away, though he could still feel his hearts pounding in the wake of his mighty gaze. The Emperor raised one hand and beckoned the castellan forward.
‘Your master’s gift is accepted, for now. It will be brought to my son’s wing of the palace for evaluation and training. If it cannot be made useful to the cause of a united Terra, it will be destroyed, and your master will need to make new tribute. Is it understood?’
‘Compliance, your Excellency.’ The castellan said, her head still bowed. She stepped backwards towards the cage, and several of the imperial guards moved forward to take it into custody. As the guards carried the cage away, Horus addressed the Emperor.
‘Thank you, father.’ He said softly. ‘The mutant will be tamed, for your glory and in your name.’
‘See that it is.’ The Emperor said, and he nodded to indicate that the next tribute should be brought forward.
It was much easier said than done. Horus had the angel moved to a chamber of his personal library that had been under construction the last few months. He would find another place for the books.
The chamber was made up of an atrium ringed by four floors of rows of shelves. Horus had the angel’s cage covered and brought to the center of the ground floor, and had most of the shelving removed. Once he understood the angel better, he could fill the floors with things that suited it. Certainly at least one floor would be devoted to his beauty- Horus already had ideas in his head about the jewels he would cover the angel with, given half the chance.
The serfs that had arrived with the angel’s cage were also part of the tribute, so they had the unfortunate pduty of standing by the cage when Horus had the sheet removed again.
The angel moved in a white and gold blur, nearly faster than even Horus’s eyes could detect. It thrust two muscled arms through the bars of its cage, seizing one of the serfs by the shoulders and dragging it back into the bars with a loud crack, killing them instantly. Horus darted forward, but stopped in his tracks, watching with wide eyes as the angel bared its bright white fangs and plunged them into the bared neck of the serf.
It seemed utterly lost, then, focused only on taking great gouts of blood from the dead serf. Horus could hear the others screaming, but distantly. He only had eyes for the angel.
It continued drinking the blood for several minutes, then abruptly tossed the corpse aside, its eyes snapping up to meet Horus’s.
The angel’s eyes were the bright red of arterial blood, matching the mess on his lower face, covering his sharp teeth, dripping from his hair. It was just as arresting as when he had been pristine, perhaps even more so.
Horus pulled loose the laces of his vambrace, baring his muscled forearm. He pushed it in the space between the bars without hesitation, unable to break eye contact with the angel. The angel didn’t hesitate, it gripped him tightly by the wrist and elbow. Ice cold pain stabbed into his skin and hot blood rushed out as the angel drank greedily from him.
The shouts of the serfs became more muffled and he was dimly aware of the sound of doors slamming open, but more than anything all his attention was pinned to the angel. After a few minutes, the angel’s eyes opened again and looked up. The bloody color was replaced with crystal blue. Horus watched intently as the angel slowly released his grip on his arm, and then lifted his head to slide his fangs from Horus’s flesh.
Horus slowly drew his arm back, wrapping a broad palm around it to help stop the bleeding. It wouldn’t leave a mark, not for long, and he found himself wishing that it would. The angel closed its lips, blinking slowly. There was a clear change in the way the angel took him in, where its eyes had once been devoid of anything but the vicious hunger, now Horus could see the intelligence of an equal.
‘Hello.’ Horus said. ‘What is your name?’
The light of recognition sparked in its eyes.
‘Sanguinius.’ The angel said.
‘Sanguinius.’ Horus echoed. He smiled, ‘Would you like a bath?’
Gasps and hurried footsteps sounded in the wake of Horus leading the angel- Sanguinius -through the palace to the baths. The guards stood up at attention, but didn’t dare stop the crown prince.
Sanguinius peppered Horus with questions, ones he was happy to answer. What tribe was this? Where were they? What was this enormous temple? What was Horus’s father king of? How did Horus know the language of the Baalite desert people?
Horus answered as best he could. This was the Imperium of Man, not a tribe. They were in the Himalayaz. This was not a temple, but the Imperial Palace, the seat of his father’s power. His father wasn’t the king, but the Emperor of all humankind, and all kingdoms fell under his banner whether they acknowledged it or not. Horus knew Baal’s language because he had been tutored in all of mankind’s languages from a very young age.
Horus had questions, too, but for the moment he was happy to show Sanguinius the gold pipes that carried hot water to the baths, the bottles of different fine oils used for bathing, the engraved brushes and scraping tools used for buffing the skin.
He sent the bath servants away, mindful of his charge’s privacy. He led him to a small hallway where a golden spigot poured water into a small basin.
‘This is more water than I’ve seen in my entire life.’ Sanguinius said softly, turning his face to Horus, ‘I can clean myself with this?’
Horus let out a chuckle, and reached out a hand, gently resting it on the other man’s shoulder. ‘That’s for washing our feet before the bath.’
After they rinsed their feet, he guided Sanguinius into the main chamber of the baths to the edge of a tiled pool. The bottom was patterned with cobalt blue and more gold. A pleasant scent of bergamot rose from the water, and there were delicate pink rose petals scattered across the surface.
Horus offered Sanguinius his hand to help him in, and the angel’s eyes were wide as he took the steps down into the pool. The tiny feathers down the joints closest to his back fluffed up in the humidity.
‘Can your wings get wet?’ Horus asked.
‘I’m not sure.’ Sanguinius said, sitting down delicately on a tiled seat in the pool. ‘I’ve never seen anything like this.’
Horus crouched by the edge of the pool, watching Sanguinius extend one wing and dip the tip of one long flight feather into the surface of the water. His face contorted in a frown.
‘Is it unpleasant?’
‘No, just- sensitive.’ Sanguinius said, and Horus tucked that piece of information away for later. His guest looked up at him, while lifting his wing from the water, setting it on the floor behind him. ‘-are you going to join me?’
‘I thought you might like your privacy.’ Horus replied, feeling his face grow warm.
‘I can’t use this all myself.’ Sanguinius said, ‘Please.’
Horus nodded and rose to standing. He hesitated for a moment, then untied the belt from around his waist and shed his tunic and loincloth, then he stepped into the bath, taking a seat across from Sanguinius, which made the angel smile, though Horus didn’t know why.
They sat in amicable silence, Horus watching as Sanguinius repeatedly cupped his hands in the water and then let it pour through his fingers.
‘I’m sorry I bit you.’ Sanguinius said, watching Horus from beneath his long blond lashes.
‘It’s alright.’ Horus said magnanimously, ‘Your former master worked some fell magic to capture you, I’d wager.’
‘-something like that.’ Sanguinius said. He reached for a small glass bottle of oil and a gold comb inlaid with rubies, holding them out to Horus. ‘Would you mind helping me with my hair? It’s- difficult with the wings.’
‘Certainly.’ Horus began to rise, then froze as Sanguinis stood and crossed the pool, then extended his wings out and turned to sit comfortably astride Horus’s thighs, facing away from him.
Horus felt his face burning as he took the comb and oil, he applied a little to his fingertips and began to carefully thread them through the golden strands. They moved over his calloused skin like silk, and he used the friction to clean the dried blood from Sanguinius’s hair. He heard the angel sigh out loud, which filled him with a sense of pride, then his fingers brushed the back of his neck, and he heard Sanguinius moan in his sweet voice.
‘That feels good.’ The angel said, before Horus could explain it away with a joke. He pushed himself back until his wings were flush with Horus’s chest. Horus unconsciously held his breath as he adjusted his arms to give Sanguinius’s wings space to extend to either side of him. He continued to oil and comb through the angel’s hair, fighting a losing battle to ignore the warmth pooling in his lower stomach and the rising heat between his thighs.
He was not entirely unfamiliar with this sort of thing, he knew seduction when he saw it. He bowed his head to speak, his lips just brushing Sanguinius’s pale shoulder,
‘If you feel you must do this to- keep my favor or protect yourself, there’s no need.’
He felt the angel stiffen against him, then slide a hand beneath the water to his thigh.
‘I had considered it, but I didn’t lie.’ Horus inhaled sharply as Sanguinius pushed his ass back against his half-hard cock.
‘Oh.’ Horus said aloud.
‘It does feel good.’ He could hear the smile on the angel’s lips. ‘But if you don’t want to-‘
‘I do.’ Horus said quickly. ‘I just didn’t want you to feel obligated.’
‘I don’t.’ Sanguinius said, sliding his hand up to the juncture of Horus’s thigh and his hip, his thumb dipping into the crease where even Horus’s skin was soft and smooth.
Horus slid his hands from his hair, tracing them around his wings down his spine to his waist. At the same time he leaned in, pressing his lips to the juncture of Sanguinius’s neck and shoulder.
‘Ah-‘ The angel sighed and Horus felt his curls and feathers tickling at his nose and face. It felt warm, Horus nuzzled to the side, pressing his nose and mouth along the muscled part of the angel’s wing.
‘Keep-‘ Sanguinius shivered, and his skin went up in gooseflesh despite the warmth of the water and air. ‘-keep doing that.’ And then, ‘More, please.’
He slid his hands around Sanguinius’s waist until they joined above his navel. He pet the soft skin there, feeling more downy hair the lower his hands explored. He trailed the tip of his nose from one wing to the skin between them, electing more delicious sounds from the angel’s lips.
‘Tell me what else you like.’ Horus rasped against the back of his neck.
‘I- I don’t know.’ Sanguinius groaned, ‘I haven’t-‘
‘No?’ Horus went still against him, gripping him tight. He felt a thrill go up his spine at the notion that no one had touched the angel like this before, that he could be his, perhaps even his alone.
‘Please-‘ Sanguinius moaned. Horus moved his hands, one wrapped deftly around the base of the angel’s cock, while the other curled under his thigh, lifting to give him better access to his hole.
‘Ah, just-‘ Horus let out a soft grunt and ducked his head under Sanguinius’s wing. The angel let out an undignified squawk as Horus used the leverage of his back to turn him in his lap, until he was straddling his thighs, facing him.
Now with Sanguinius’s face so close, Horus could see exactly the effect he was having on him. His golden skin was flushed from his cheeks down to his navel, and there was a sheen of sweat around his hairline. His pupils were dilated and his breath came from between his parted, perfect lips in little sighs and gasps as Horus stroked him.
‘Be mine.’ Horus groaned, pushing two fingertips over the tight muscle of his entrance. Sanguinius rewarded him by wrapping his arms around his neck and rolling his hips forward. Horus reached a hand between them and pushed his cock down so that his length was nestled between Singuinius’s cheeks. He bucked his hips up, rubbing his hard cock between the tight heat of the angel’s ass and thighs.
Even under the water, the passage Horus stuck his cock through got even more slick as he continued weeping precome from his cockhead.
He stroked Sanguininius length from base to top, squeezing firmly and eliciting a prolonged moan. He leaned in to kiss him while his lips were still parted and soon they were pushing back and forth with their tongues.
He could taste the faint iron of his own blood, and his tongue occasionally pushed past a sharp fang, and that only excited him further.
‘Take more of my blood-‘ He groaned, and he felt Sanguinius’s cock throb against his palm.
‘I’m sure-‘ Horus insisted, stealing another kiss as he sunk two fingers inside the other man. The angel hissed and then pitched forward, biting down hard on the meat of his shoulder.
Horus was able to stay more alert because he knew what to expect, the pain in his shoulder was nothing compared to the pleasure of having Sanguinius against him and stretched around him. He pressed his fingers deep inside and spread them urgently, scissoring them apart and gently drawing them out of the angel’s body, causing him to moan into the wound he had his lips wrapped around. Horus felt a hot drop of blood drip down his shoulder and shuddered as the angel chased it with his tongue. He returned his fangs to Horus’s flesh as he sunk a third finger inside him.
Horus panted with his mouth open, tongue hanging out like a dog, nearly overwhelmed with all the sensations hitting him simultaneously.
He felt Sanguinius’s cock leap in his hand, spurting warmth all over his fingers, and he continued to stroke him through his orgasm, using the moment of him being pliant to push his cock inside him.
‘Oh!’ Sanguinius pulled back from Horus’s neck, eyes wide and bloody lips parted. Horus lifted his chin and kissed his angel hard as he thrust himself to the base, pulling him flush with his lap. Some instinct in the angel must have awakened, because he leaned over Horus and arched both wings over them, wrapping them in warmth and the sounds of their desperate breaths.
Horus pulled Sanguinius down hard with each buck of his hips, pushing himself as deep inside the angel as possible. He gripped his hips hard, wanting him marked on the outside as well as the inside.
He shifted his hips to a new angle that suddenly had Sanguinius panting harder and scrabbling against him, his nails scraping over Horus’s skin desperately. The sting of his skin being opened pushed him over the edge, he wrapped an arm around Sanguinius’s waist to keep him in place as he came inside him, letting his body milk his cock for all it was worth.
In the aftermath, Horus helped Sanguinius clean the mess from his stomach and from where it dripped down his inner thighs, and Sanguinius cleaned the blood from Horus’s face and neck.
Horus helped Sanguinius from the pool and they sat beside one another on a tiled bench. The angel put one wing around Horus’s shoulders and leaned his head against him. Horus looked down where the other man’s golden curls cascaded over his tanned shoulder.
‘I’ll have quarters set up for you- closer to my bedroom.’ Horus murmured, easing his fingers over the back of Sanguinius’s hand, massaging the oil gently into his skin.
‘I do like the library.’ The angel replied, letting out a soft sigh. ‘The high ceiling- though I’d prefer to fly outdoors.’
‘I’ll discuss it with my father. Once he meets you properly, he’ll understand.’ Horus said. He turned his head to meet Sanguinius’s eyes, ‘Trust me.’
‘I do.’ The angel replied, lifting up to press a sweet kiss to Horus’s lips. Neither of them closed their eyes, it was as if they couldn’t bear to let each other out of their sight.
Whatever the future held, Horus would spend it with his angel, he was certain of it.