Title: Sakura Blossom Tea
Author: Samsarapine

Rating: NC-17
Threesome: Gojun/Tenpou/Kenren

Warnings/Spoilers: Sex between human-type immortal beings and non-human-type immortal beings

Summary: The scent of cherry blossoms isn't always an indication of peace and tranquility.

Word Count: About 6,500

Disclaimer: Gojun, Tenpou, Kenren and all associated characters from the Saiyuki universe are the property of Minekura Kazuya and those to whom she has licensed her creations. No copyright infringement is intended. The author is making no profit from this story.

Notes: Written for the Saiyuki Kink Meme IV, prompt: Kind of AU. Gojun is a Dragon King. In order to prevent an attack against humans and/or gods. Tenpou (or Hakkai) and Kenren (or Goyjo) are offered to him. Kenren (or Goyjo) should be the uke to both. I would like to see spanking if you could manage it. Huggles if it is Kenren (or Goyjo) who get spanked. 

Website: http://samsarapine.livejournal.com

Email: samsarapine [at] yahoo [dot] com

[Note: AU-ish – this story could fit with canon except that it brings Kenren and Tenpou together centuries earlier than is implied in Gaiden. Also, for the purposes of this story, I've ranked a Field Marshall as being one step below the War Prince, with all of the generals reporting to him.]

Sakura Blossom Tea

Gojun watched as General Ao of the Kingdom of the Eastern Sea brought the five captive gods before the Throne of the Four Kings.

The hall was sufficiently solemn for the occasion of Heaven's surrender. All of the dragon clans had turned out in force. Soldiers clad in armour hinged and overlapping like prawn shells lined the walkway one hundred deep, while the rest of the dragon generals, clad in their broad carapace-like armour, stood on the steps below the Four Kings, their great pincer-swords sheathed.

A god stepped forward: tall, though slight for a warrior, with long, dark hair and thick glasses, wearing black battle robes made of silk. He held his hand out to General Ao. To Gojun's astonishment, the general placed a great katana in the god's hand.

The god looked at each of the Dragon Kings in turn. Gojun felt a stirring of interest run through him as he met the god's violet eyes.

Tenpou Gensui. Field Marshall of the Armies of Heaven.

Tenpou held his head high. Gojun waited, knowing none of his brothers were foolish enough to act precipitously. At the precise moment when a prisoner behaving in such a manner could be executed for insolence, Tenpou knelt and laid his sword before the Throne.

"Tenpou Gensui," said Goguan, the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea, "we accept the Jade Emperor's surrender following the death of the War Prince Tamonten. You and your four generals will remain here as hostages to peace between the Dragon Kings and the Heavens. Each of your generals shall play hostage to the Dragon King of the sea his army sought to conquer."

Gojun studied Kenren Taishou, the captive general of Heaven's Army of the Western Sea. He was dressed in black battle robes similar to Tenpou's; his hair was short for a warrior's, black, and his unusually notched eyes burned with defiance. He looked like a typical soldier, one who lived in the moment and would likely spark like flint when faced with the iron bars of captivity. As Heaven's hostage, however, he was destined to serve Gojun for all eternity. Or at least as long as he survived before his actions made it necessary to kill him.

"Where am I to be placed, King Goguan?" Tenpou asked with an air of humility that Gojun suspected was false.

No matter. While Gojun was curious about Goguan's answer, he was confident it would be strategically valuable. His brother rarely did anything without deep thought first.

He wasn't disappointed. "You may choose which king to serve," Goguan answered, his voice dry.

Ah. Deep satisfaction filled Gojun. Tenpou was undoubtedly the most dangerous of the gods held hostage; indeed, of all the gods, it was Tenpou who might have been able to subjugate the Dragon Kings when the Jade Emperor had declared war upon them. By forcing Tenpou to choose, Goguan had placed him in a situation that would likely reveal more about the god than he would reveal under other circumstances. Once they unlocked the reasoning behind his choice, they would lay a large portion of the inner workings of that shrewd mind bare, and they could use that knowledge to control him.

Tenpou replied without hesitation, "I will serve under King Gojun, Your Majesty."

Interesting. Gojun looked forward to discovering the reasons behind Tenpou's choice. "I accept your pledge," he said.

Tenpou lifted his head and stared at Gojun, his violet eyes blazing. Then he lowered his eyes and bowed, rising to his feet and rejoining the other gods. Gojun watched him thoughtfully as the gods were taken from the hall to be escorted to the Four Kingdoms, where they would await their new masters.

*****

Gojun chose to dine alone the first night of the gods' service in the Palace of the Western Sea. He'd arranged with the palace steward to have the gods – and only the gods – wait upon him that evening.

Thus, there were only the three of them in the great crystal dining hall, grouped together at one end of a table that could seat two hundred dragons in human form.

Gojun sat at the head. The gods stood to the side, dressed in the simple white tunics of the Western Palace slaves. Field Marshall Tenpou looked vague while General Kenren smirked.

The tea they had brought Gojun was sullied with leaves and twigs. "I see I shall have to establish rules," he said, his voice mild. "I will keep them simple. Obey me, and I shall see that you are made as comfortable as any other servants in my employ. However, if one or both of you disobey me, Kenren Taishou shall bear the punishment." He saw the two gods exchange glances. "As this is new to you, on this occasion you may speak your minds to me."

"Your Majesty, I object to Kenren Taishou receiving all punishment for either of our actions," Tenpou said. "Where's the justice in such unilateral behaviour?"

"Your Jade Emperor was the aggressor against the Dragon Kings and their clans," Gojun replied. "He himself bound you as our hostages. I hardly see that you can make a case for justice other than that which you have already received."

"Perhaps I should word it differently, then." Tenpou met his eyes fearlessly. "Where is the honour in that condition?"

"Honour." Gojun regarded Tenpou thoughtfully. "I imagine that you see that as an advantage in our dealings, since dragons are honour-bound."

"I had heard so. It remains to be seen whether the rumours are fact or myth."

Gojun refused to rise to the bait. "Knowing that General Kenren will bear the punishment for your actions, don't you think it would be honourable to ensure your actions don't endanger him? Or perhaps you think honour is mutable, and only binding for parties other than yourself."

"You bastard!" Kenren clenched his hands into fists. "Tenpou's got more honour in his pinkie finger than you have in your--"

"Now, now," Tenpou interrupted. "This is simply a philosophical discussion, isn't it, Your Majesty?" He looked at Kenren, and it was plain to see that much more than a simple warning was communicated between the two gods.

Interesting. Gojun wondered if Tenpou had a similar rapport with his other generals, or if Kenren was different to them. He'd have to approach his brothers so they could orchestrate interactions between Tenpou and the other enslaved gods. It would be valuable to observe how extensive Tenpou's influence truly was.

"If you have no more questions, you may serve my meal, now," Gojun said. "Bring fresh tea as well. And please carry out your duties without speaking. When I'm dining alone, I require silence while I eat, unless I address you directly."

The two gods looked at each other, then bowed and began service. The dishes were presented and served flawlessly, Tenpou's actions graceful and servile, with an undercurrent of mocking disdain, while Kenren exhibited an economy of movement tinged with ill-hidden belligerence.

The new tea was particularly aromatic: delicate and floral, with the scent of sakura blossoms. "This blend is excellent," Gojun remarked. "You have my compliments."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Tenpou inclined his head and poured more tea. "Aren't you curious as to why I chose to serve as your hostage?" he asked softly.

"Since I hardly think you plan to reveal your true reason for doing so," Gojun said, slicing his raw lamb into thin slivers, "I hardly see that it's a viable topic of conversation. In addition, you've violated my order for silence during the meal."

"Pardon me, Your Majesty, I had thought I had received permission to respond--"

"--directly to me," Gojun interrupted smoothly. "You had. You're not being punished for that. However, you instigated conversation. Kenren Taishou. Approach me."

Again, the two gods looked at each other before Kenren crossed the room and stood in front of Gojun, defiance plain in his face and his stance.

"Please place the serving platters at the other end of the table and then come to me. Field Marshall Tenpou, you may assist him."

The gods silently moved the platters of food to the other end of the table. When the area in front of Gojun's plate was clear, Kenren returned to stand before him, while Tenpou stepped back, tension clearly strumming through his frame.

"General Kenren, please lean across the table, grasping the far edge." After Kenren did so, his angry glare scorching the far wall, Gojun beckoned to Tenpou. "Field Marshall, please lift the general's tunic."

"What are you planning to do to him?" Tenpou demanded.

"More than I had initially thought, apparently," Gojun replied. "Do not speak out of turn again."

Tenpou clenched his jaw but contained any further outbursts. He slowly exposed Kenren's naked back and arse.

"You will give him twenty slaps upon the buttocks," Gojun said. "If any of those slaps is not sharp enough to leave a red stain on his skin, you will give him twice again as many for each insufficient blow."

If looks could kill, Tenpou would have been a master assassin. He raised his hand and brought it down sharply on Kenren's arse.

A perfect handprint bloomed in its wake

Tenpou seemed to be the kind of god who, once he started something, finished it properly. If Gojun had been in dragon form, the scent and heat of blood rising under Kenren's skin would have been intoxicating. In human form, his senses were lessened, but he still found the experience sweet: the sound of Tenpou's hand against Kenren's flesh, the red that touched each buttock like an overblown rose, the smell of Kenren's humiliation--

--No, Kenren didn't smell of fear or anger, as Gojun had imagined he would. He smelled of arousal. His interest piqued further, Gojun watched the two gods closely.

Yes, he could see it now. Kenren seemed to have forgotten Gojun's presence and was subtly arching into Tenpou's blows, while Tenpou was distributing the slaps across a wide area of Kenren's arse instead of concentrating the punishment in one area. His hand often lingered on Kenren's skin a moment longer than necessary, and though his tunic hung loosely over his lower body, Gojun could smell arousal upon him, too.

Gojun also found himself affected by the pretty display. He could feel his hemipenes dropping from their secure pouch inside his cloaca, yet he held himself still. He prided himself on never having taken an unwilling slave, and he expected both gods would be quite unwilling, at least for the foreseeable future.

After the last slap, the gods' heavy breathing filled the silence. Tenpou's hand rested on Kenren's arse, in an attitude that seemed to speak of both possession and the desire to comfort. In a way, Gojun regretted that they would never again have the freedom to possess and comfort each other so familiarly.

"Slaves in this palace are not allowed to turn to each other for sexual gratification, nor to develop sexual or emotional relationships with one another," Gojun told them.

Both gods froze.

"Male slaves are mated with select females as needed, to produce offspring that possess characteristics that dragons prize," Gojun continued quietly. "But all other sexual congress partaken of by slaves involves a dragon master. Slaves are classified by castes that correspond with the dragon hierarchy. You each have been classified as belonging to the topmost caste, which serves only the Dragon Kings.

"I will not force either of you to have sexual relations with me. But I will not allow you to turn to each other, either, unless I have given you permission to do so. Any male slave that breaks the rules of this kingdom is castrated and demoted to the lowest caste. As such, he must offer his sexual services to any dragon who wishes him."

He waited, but both gods remained silent. "You have learned your lesson well tonight," he said after a few moments. "That pleases me. Therefore, I grant you both the privilege to speak freely again."

"Your Majesty, please forgive me," Tenpou said. "But I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Prevarication is useless, Field Marshall. Remember, I'm a dragon. You're both aroused."

"And what if we are?" Kenren demanded, standing up. "Sire," he added after Tenpou prodded him. "It doesn't mean we're going to fuck each other."

"If that's so, then we can revisit this subject in future, if needed." Gojun stood. "You may clear the table. After that, I require your presence in the bathhouse."

*****

The Kingdom of the Southern Sea bordered on the Heavens. Gojun wasn't surprised to find that the dearly-bought peace between Dragons and gods was most fragile there.

Though Goguan was his elder twin and the most powerful of the Dragon Kings, if Gojun were forced to choose a brother with whom he had most in common, it would be Goquin. He stood by the Southern King's side on the great veranda atop the Southern Palace and surveyed the tense armies patrolling the border.

"Do you think they will break the peace?"

Goquin sighed. "I don't know. General Chen has proven to be a fool, and quite useless as a hostage. His attempts to cause my slaves to revolt led to his emasculation and the deaths of many people who had served me faithfully their entire lifetimes. I'm convinced that several of them were still true to me even as they were executed. And here I had thought that you would be the one with difficulties, seeing as you were saddled with the Field Marshall."

"He's too intelligent to take the obvious route to overpower me," Gojun said, glancing at Tenpou and Kenren where they stood ready for him a few yards away. "I think he's watching and learning as much as he can."

"He reminds me of you, brother." Goquin smiled.

"May I never be a hostage to the Heavens," Gojun said dryly. "He tries my patience, but stops just short of punishable behaviour. And I must admit, the two of them serve me better than any other slave has ever done."

"They're soldiers. They understand you."

"I've been watching them in return. I've taken them to the Northern Kingdom and the Eastern Kingdom, where they've been allowed to interact with the other hostages." He shook his head. "General Sui and General Han exhibited nothing but contempt for General Kenren – I gather he made many enemies through his lack of interest in Heaven's military politics – and thinly-veiled resentment towards Field Marshall Tenpou. For honouring the terms of the surrender, I suppose, or perhaps for not choosing to serve with one of them," he added thoughtfully. "Since General Chen is no longer in a position to cause an uprising, it would seem that any opportunity that Tenpou might take to overthrow the Dragon clans would be limited to those he encounters through his partnership with General Kenren."

"I might have the remainder of the Armies of the Heavens at my borders, but they're toothless compared with Tenpou. I don't envy you your hostages, Gojun."

Gojun smiled. "Isn't it fortunate that I'm known as the White Tiger, then?" He looked at Tenpou and Kenren, who each met his eyes squarely before dropping their own. Not tigers, either of them; panthers perhaps, or hawks bound to the Earth by jesses that could snap at any moment. "I must introduce you to a blend of tea that Tenpou mixes," he said, turning back to Goquin. "It smells like the blossoms of Heaven's cherry trees…"

*****

They'd barely cleared the border between the Southern Kingdom and his own when a great shout and the clash of arms broke out behind them.

"Your Majesty!" General Shiro shouted from horseback. "Gods are attacking the eastern flank!"

"The retinue." Gojun pulled his warhorse to a halt and set it dancing in a circle as he issued orders. "The eastern flank consists of servants only. I want each of you to gather all of the soldiers that you can and drive the gods back. And kill any god that crosses your path. An honourable enemy would never have been engaged unarmed slaves in an armed conflict in the first place."

Tenpou was suddenly at his stirrup. "We'll help, Your Majesty. Give us horses and arms--"

"Out of the question." He turned to his personal guards. "Stay with the hostages!" Gojun ordered. "See that they are neither harmed nor allowed to escape." He reined his horse hard in the direction of the attack and dug in his heels.

The horse leapt forward, fleet as the wind. At his back, Gojun heard the rest of his warriors give a great shout and follow. The pounding of hooves shook the ground.

It wasn't until he'd ridden into the thick of the slaughter that he realised that Tenpou and Kenren flanked him on either side. "What the bloody hell are you doing?" he shouted furiously. "Fall back and surrender yourselves!"

"When these assholes are killing unarmed slaves? Fat chance!" Kenren dove from his horse to tackle a god raising a spear to impale a terrified slave.

"Dragons don't have exclusive rights to honour," Tenpou said. He crushed a god's face with a swift kick; a moment later he was dragged from his horse by two other gods and disappeared into the seething mass of the battle.

Gojun cursed and drew his sword. Hands pulled him from his horse as well, and then he was fighting, whirling and slicing through the ranks of the gods until they began to retreat in front of him.

*****

Strangely, neither Tenpou nor Kenren took advantage of the situation to try to escape or to assassinate Gojun. In fact, Kenren fought like a tiger to defend a fallen slave by wielding a banner pole as if it were a shakujou, while Tenpou had obtained a sword somehow and drove back several gods who had managed to corner Gojun and disable his sword arm.

After the battle, Kenren had discarded the pole and Tenpou had handed the sword to Gojun without a word. Gojun had accepted it, and the three of them had returned to the rest of the party to tend to the wounded before finishing their journey to the Palace of the Western Sea.

*****

When they reached the palace, Gojun was still deeply divided as to how to deal with the consequences of the gods' actions. There were only two alternatives, neither of which was pleasant, and both of which would have lasting consequences for him as well as for them.

It was so tempting to tell them that there was only one choice. If he did that, he could make sure that their sentence was as merciful as possible, though he'd have to live the rest of eternity knowing that he'd treated them dishonourably, as slaves.

But the personal sacrifice needed for the second option was unthinkable, and could pose a threat to the dragon clans themselves. Still pondering, he dismounted and turned his horse over to a stable slave, then entered the palace.

He chose not to have an evening meal, but instead went directly to the bathhouse after Tenpou helped him remove his armour.

Kenren was already kneeling next to the pool, arranging medical supplies and bandages on a small table. Tenpou entered a moment later, bearing a tea tray. The scent of cherry blossoms filled the room.

"You need to get that seen to," Kenren said, taking Gojun's arm in a gentle grip. "Let me wash off the worst of the blood, then climb into the bath and start soaking. You took a beating today."

Gojun had long ago given up the idea of punishing Kenren for his lack of proper address in private. Illogically, his decision seemed to have won some small portion of Kenren's respect, because the god never forgot the formalities in public. As Gojun had grown to understand the god's reasoning in other matters, he'd surmised that Kenren's public attitude was the god's way of repaying the small private freedom.

"What about your own wounds?"

"Tenpou and I took care of all that," Kenren said, dabbing at the edge of the deep gash in Gojun's arm. "Looks clean. It should heal well." He let go of Gojun's arm. "That'll do for now."

Gojun undressed and slipped into the pool, accepting the tea that Tenpou offered. As he sipped, warmth flowed through his veins, almost as if he were drinking the sun that caressed the sakura petals. He gave the teacup back to Tenpou and relaxed deeper into the hot water.

"You could have escaped," Gojun said.

Tenpou and Kenren exchanged glances, then Kenren took up soap and a damp cloth and started a lather.

Tenpou sat on the floor next to the pool and watched as Kenren began to bathe Gojun. "You've never asked me why I chose to serve you instead of any of your brothers, Your Majesty."

"I suspect that I know many of the reasons behind your decision," Gojun replied. "Including your friendship with General Kenren."

"Ah haha. Yes, well," Tenpou shot an amused glance at Kenren, who snorted, "in the Heavens, the general and I were quite widely known as being somewhat – eccentric."

"You're the eccentric one," Kenren said. "It was guilt by association in my case."

"Were you lovers?"

Tenpou laughed as Kenren flushed red. "No. But many thought we were."

"Stupid bastards."

"Well, we did spend a lot of time together. And you were always in my rooms, cleaning and making sure that I ate."

"Hmph. You're the one they always called my wife," Kenren retorted.

Tenpou smiled sweetly. "Well, you did say they were stupid bastards."

Kenren grinned, too. "Lift up your other arm so I can get underneath," he said to Gojun.

Gojun complied.

"One of the eccentricities that Kenren and I became known for was our interest in the World Below." The sudden change in Tenpou's tone startled Gojun and he looked sharply at the god. Tenpou returned his look steadily, his face grave. "Many of our fellow gods thought our fascination with mortals gauche and tasteless of us."

"Dragons deal with mortals all of the time," Gojun said, frowning. "Especially my brother Goguan. If you were interested in humans, you would have been better served to go to the Eastern Kingdom. I rarely interact with them, myself, but the Western Kingdom is furthest from the World Below, so that's not unexpected."

"Ah, but King Goguan is a diplomat, not a soldier."

"I have a difficult time accepting that friendship and my military background were the largest factors of your decision."

"You're right, of course." Tenpou smiled. "It was any number of small things like that – Kenren's presence, your background, the fact that you're rumoured to have the best library of all of the Dragon Kings--"

"You've never seen my library," Gojun interrupted, frowning.

"Not yet. But I live in hope that someday, I might." Tenpou's smile disappeared. "In truth, however, I came to serve you because I believe that you, of all of the Dragon Kings, are best situated to bring an end to the current Jade Emperor's reign and to build an alliance between dragons and gods."

"Treason against your Emperor?"

"Treason, yes. But in the best interests of the Heavens, the Four Kingdoms, and the World Below." After a pause, he added quietly, "The Jade Emperor would have allowed legions of slaves to be slaughtered."

Gojun remained silent.

Was Tenpou telling the truth? If so, it was remarkable that the god had recognised Gojun's secret hopes for a lasting peace, even though he had never mentioned them to another, not even his brothers. Or had Tenpou simply observed and processed and deduced that this was the argument that would best suit him to win Gojun's trust?

It was too soon to tell if he could trust Tenpou. However, the course he must follow now in dealing with the gods' transgressions was clear.

Gojun abruptly stood and stepped out of the pool. Kenren started to bandage Gojun's right arm, while Tenpou dried him.

"Never thought having scales for skin would be an advantage," Kenren said. "That blow should have taken your arm off."

Gojun flexed his arm, judging the range of motion he could attain as the wound healed. "Thank you, General. This offers me greater movement than I had anticipated." Tenpou held a robe for him and Kenren assisted him with working the sleeve over the thick bandages. He tied the sash around his waist and went into the bedroom.

Tenpou and Kenren followed, but the easy camaraderie had disappeared. Both gods seemed wary and alert, as if they were waiting for something.

They were too intelligent by half. Gojun went to his desk.

"Tenpou, is it me or is our liege somewhat quiet tonight?" Kenren's mocking tones almost disguised the unease that his too-expressive face displayed.

"His Majesty is never one for unneeded words." Light from the lanterns danced over Tenpou's glasses, hiding his eyes.

Gojun picked up paper and brush and placed them on the small table he used for his morning breakfast. "I owe both of you my thanks for saving not only the lives of my retainers and servants, but my own as well," he said quietly. "Yet you took up weapons. Your actions are punishable by death."

"That's a fine thanks," muttered Kenren. Tenpou said nothing.

Gojun looked at them. "I don't wish to execute you."

"But…?" Kenren prodded.

"But you must be punished." Gojun sighed. "I've given this much thought on the journey home. I can see only one way that I can allow you both to live, yet the consequences of your actions will be plain to all."

"Would that be through the martial ritual?"

Gojun looked at Tenpou in surprise. "You've heard of this?"

"What the fuck is the martial ritual?" Kenren asked, his gaze darting between the other two.

"It's a magical binding," Tenpou said. "I don't know anything more about it, other than it's irrevocable."

"It's been used by dragons since time began. But it has a price."

Lifting an eyebrow, Kenren snorted. "And what's that?"

"You."

Kenren's eyes grew wide and his Adam's apple bobbed, but a moment later he managed to look nonchalant. "Heh. Don't ask for much, do you?"

Goujon placed the paper and brush on the table and pushed an empty inkpot next to them. "The ritual is used to create a magical contract between warriors, usually during times of war when alliances must be absolute. A slave becomes the vessel of the magic."

"A living contract," Tenpou said. He looked at Kenren. "It's your choice."

"As if you've given me any good options," Kenren replied in a disgusted voice. "It sounds to me like I can either be a dead slave or a living dragon hoodoo spell. Isn't there any scenario that guarantees me cigarettes, booze and sexy women?"

"If you choose death, I can promise you a swift one," Gojun said.

"As compared with what?" Kenren asked suspiciously.

"Fire," Tenpou said. "Immolation." He met Kenren's disbelieving gaze. "They are dragons, you realise."

"Well, holy goddamn fuck." Kenren ran a hand through his hair and looked harried. "And what happens if I become the contract thingie?"

"The ritual involves a sharing of blood, semen and saliva. Once the fluids are collected, I'd use them to write the contract. Each of us would need to sign it. Once signed, I'd burn it and paint the contract's spell on your forehead with the ashes. I'm afraid that your chakra would be modified when the spell took effect. It would be plain to the gods that yours was different," Gojun apologised.

"And what happens to him if one of us breaks the contract?"

Gojun turned to Tenpou. "The spell would immolate him. In addition, each of us would suffer the pain of his immolation for the rest of eternity."

"Not good," Kenren said. "Has it ever happened?"

"Our legends say that the contract has only been broken once."

"Yeah, and…?" Kenren prompted.

"The betrayers still lie under the fields of Keluo, south of the Black Dragon River."

"Volcanic activity," Tenpou said. "Fascinating."

"Don't let it go to your head, book-boy," Kenren retorted. "I'm sure as hell not big on being immolated, and I bet being a volcano for the rest of eternity would get old quick, too."

Tenpou didn't look particularly convinced, but nodded politely at Kenren and then turned to Gojun. "Would this even work? Neither of us are dragons."

"I don't know," Gojun admitted. "Normally it takes the power of two dragons to create the spell. However, the only dragons to ever invoke the spell have been warrior class dragons, who are generally only able to influence small rivers at best. I'm a Dragon King, with the power to influence the oceans and the weather."

"So if it failed, it would be more likely due to physiology than to power," Tenpou said.

"Dammit. This just keeps getting better and better," Kenren said. He made an impatient gesture. "Fuck it. If it gives us a chance to stay alive, let's do it."

Gojun looked at Tenpou, who nodded.

It had been inevitable, really. They'd made their choice, and it was the choice he'd both expected and feared. He hoped his brothers would understand, and that, somehow, all of this could be turned to the advantage of the Dragon clans.

Gojun wondered who would succeed him to the throne of the Kingdom of the Western Sea.

*****

"Nobody ever said anything about having to have sex with the two of you!"

"Kenren, His Majesty told us the spell used semen," Tenpou said as he shed his tunic and slipped naked into the bed next to Gojun.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK." Kenren pulled his tunic over his head. "Fine. Dammit. I suppose I have to fucking bottom, too, don't I?"

"You're the vessel," Gojun explained patiently.

"Wait a minute." Kenren paused, half on the bed. "We've been bathing you for the past eight months. You don't have a cock. How the hell do you top me without a cock?"

Gojun closed his eyes. "Do you truly want me to explain it, or can we simply get on with this and you learn as we go along?"

Muttering to himself, Kenren climbed into the bed as well.

Gojun ran a hand along the god's flank and felt Kenren shiver. "Field Marshall, I think it best if you took the general first."

"Is it possible to do it at the same time?" Tenpou asked. "Perhaps if I were to ask him to suck me--"

"Don't talk about me as if I'm not here," Kenren snapped. "Just-- do whatever the hell it is you're doing so we can get this over with, all right?"

"Are you a virgin?"

"Shit." Kenren flushed. "No, I'm not. And I'm fine with sucking cock, too, if it hurries things up."

Tenpou smiled at him. "Right. Actually, I've wanted to do this for a while, now." He cupped Kenren's cheek in his hand and pressed their lips together. After a moment's hesitation, Kenren's mouth opened and the two gods began to kiss, slowly at first, but with building fervour.

They were pretty to watch. Even if the contract binding went horribly wrong, Gojun was glad he had given them this much. He ran his hands up and down Kenren's side and felt the god gradually relax. Tenpou draped himself over Kenren's chest and buried a hand in Kenren's hair. Gojun slid his hand between them, feeling smooth, naked skin and hardened nipples. Kenren moaned and spread his legs.

Gojun gave them one last caress and then settled between Kenren's legs, sliding his hand into his cloaca. He was already wet. Using his secretions as a lubricant, Gojun pressed a finger into Kenren's hole.

Kenren's breath caught and he moaned again. Tenpou broke off their kiss and looked back at Gojun, a wicked smile on his face. He reached down to take Kenren's half-hard penis in his hand and slowly began to pump it.

"Oh, yeah," Kenren breathed.

Gojun pressed a second finger into Kenren and felt the god clench around him.

"I have an idea," Tenpou said. He kissed Kenren briefly and then straddled Kenren's chest, facing Gojun. "I like to watch," he explained. Leaning forward, he took Kenren's prick into his mouth and stared at Gojun's fingers, seeming to be mesmerised by the sight of them moving in and out of Kenren's arse.

Kenren pushed Tenpou's arse until he shifted onto his knees, then pulled him back far enough so that he could lick along Tenpou's cock.

It was Tenpou's turn to moan, and his violet eyes looked up, locking with Gojun's as he slid his mouth further down Kenren's now-rigid shaft and Kenren swallowed Tenpou's cock.

Gojun could feel his hemipenes swell. Kenren might be the living contract, but it was Tenpou who would be key to their success. The violet eyes that blazed up at him hid a mind that Gojun knew to be shrewd and convoluted, as brilliant and hard as a diamond sword, and just as rare. Not a mind to trust, but Gojun had decided to place his faith there regardless.

May the clans forgive him if he'd made the wrong choice.

Kenren's hole was relaxed and as ready as it could be. "General Kenren."

Kenren let Tenpou's cock fall from his mouth and peered around him at Gojun. "Yeah?"

"Once I begin to enter you, you must not try to pull away or move. If you do, you'll damage yourself. Slaves have had to be humanely destroyed in the past because they didn't heed that warning."

"Right. I get it. Don't move." He took a deep breath, bracing himself.

"You'll feel little pain if you stay still," Gojun said more quietly. "And I may even be able to bring you pleasure, if you allow yourself to experience it."

Kenren scowled. "Way to sweet talk a guy." He wriggled back into position and took Tenpou's prick back into his mouth, but Gojun could feel him tense in anticipation of being penetrated.

Better to make this as quick and smooth as possible. Reaching into his pouch, Gojun brought out a hemipene and positioned it at Kenren's hole.

Tenpou's eyes blazed; though he continued to suck Kenren's prick, he twisted his neck for a better view and watched avidly as Gojun slowly pushed inside Kenren's hot body.

Once he was fully seated, he grasped Kenren's thighs to steady him and pressed their groins together. He could feel the pulses begin as his hemipene swelled further and its spines began to protrude. A small amount of blood seeped from Kenren's hole, but that was normal, and his body's secretions would help to numb any pain and heal the small wounds the spines would leave in Kenren's body.

Then Kenren moved. Gojun froze, his heart pounding hard in his chest. No. He'd warned Kenren…

Tenpou seemed to realise what was happening. He plunged his mouth down on Kenren's cock and pinned his hips to the bed, just as Kenren began to come. The insides of Kenren's channel clutched and pressed against Gojun's sensitive flesh, and Gojun could feel the strength that Tenpou used in order to keep Kenren still while his orgasm took him.

The pulses ran through Gojun quicker now; breathing hard, he froze tight against Kenren, reaching full arousal. He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw against the instinctive urge to bite and hold his mating partner still.

Hands cupped his arse and pulled him closer. He opened his eyes to see Tenpou staring up at him.

"My lord, you're beautiful," Tenpou breathed. He clutched harder at Gojun's arse. "So much power. I can feel it flowing through you." He suddenly gasped and began to tremble. Kenren grunted and Tenpou jerked, his face and chest flushed as he came into Kenren's mouth.

A moment later, Gojun climaxed, releasing surge after surge of semen deep inside Kenren. He panted hard, falling forward across the gods.

He felt Tenpou slide out from under him and then gentle hands guided him down, until, head pillowed on Kenren's chest, Gojun slipped into unconsciousness.

*****

The smell of tea, the feel of hands in his hair and a gentle kiss roused Gojun. He opened his eyes.

Kenren was stroking his hair, while Tenpou knelt next to them. "You can pull out of him now, I think," Tenpou said.

Gojun shuddered as he lay on top of Kenren and withdrew his shrunken hemipene. Before he could tuck it back into his pouch, Tenpou gently took it in his hand and bent to place a kiss on it. Gojun caught his breath. Tenpou released him and smiled.

"Drink." He offered a cup to Gojun. "I think we have what we need."

Gojun's gaze fell upon the tea tray, which, in addition to the formal tea set, also held the paper and brush he'd put aside and the inkpot, now full of viscous liquid. He carefully tucked himself away and sat up to sip his tea.

It tasted of spring and new beginnings.

Kenren groaned and sat up. "Shit. That was weird." He accepted some tea from Tenpou and grinned at Gojun. "Not bad, though. I hear you've got two of those things."

Tenpou shivered. "Oh, yes," he said softly, staring at Gojun with his diamond-sword eyes. Gojun could feel arousal begin to flow sluggishly through his veins once again.

"Shall we finish the binding?" He put his empty cup aside and reached for the brush.

Tenpou and Kenren gathered around him. Gojun glanced at them both, then, the two gods leaning over his shoulder, he began to write.

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