Sei awoke with a splitting headache and the sensation that a very large animal had run across his body during the night. Groaning softly he slipped out of Erika's loose hold and gazed blearily into the mirror. "I look like hell," the young man muttered, lightly touching the dark circles under his eyes. "Not that it's terribly surprising given last night's events." He turned red, remembering the brutal way he had forced himself on his young wife. Sei tenderly watched her sleep and wondered how Erika could be so peaceful after their terrifying wedding night. "She did tie me up first," he sighed, "but it doesn't justify my acting like such a beast. and she was so sweet about it afterwards, but I know that she didn't get any pleasure at all. I'm just a failure at seducing women. especially my own wife!" The young man glumly pulled on a robe and wandered down to the palace dining room. "It's early enough that none of the wedding guests should be up yet," he hoped dejectedly. "I couldn't stand any jokes about last night." Sei's cousin, Camille, looked up from his coffee as he shuffled through the door. "How's the new husband?" Camille asked with his signature teasing grin. "Did you leave Erika begging for more, Romeo?" "Very funny," Sei scowled, picking up a plate of dry toast and some orange juice from the buffet. "Do I look like I've just spent a charming evening servicing my new bride?!" The other young man raised his eyebrows and waved his hands placatingly. "Whoa, I was just trying to be sociable!" He studied his cousin's worn face and gently asked, "Sei, did something bad happen last night? You look horrible." "I nearly raped Erika," Sei snapped, "and I'm sure that I hurt her! Did you want a confession?!" Camille turned pale, and he twirled the coffee cup between his fingers. "You're actually capable of being that violent?" he asked in shock. "And wasn't it your first time, too?" "It was!" his cousin nearly sobbed. "Erika was so skillful and alluring that I just lost control! I guess I'm just incapable of arousing a woman, so I just fell back on male brute force!" The other man's eyes glowed in inspiration. "Now that's something I can help you with, dear cousin," he said jauntily, putting his arm over Sei's shoulders. "I'm a self- avowed ladies' man with more tricks up my sleeve than a magician!" "I'm not sure that I should trust you, Camille," Sei replied warily. "Your 'solutions' have gotten me into trouble too many times." Camille ignored the other man's doubts and began digging through his pockets eagerly. "I have the perfect tool for this!" He pulled a large red ribbon from his clothing and presented it with a flourish. "If we transform you into your wife, I can actually demonstrate some techniques that are guaranteed to drive her wild!" "The ribbon won't work on people from the Magic Realm," Sei pointed out in disgust, "and you can only turn into people from the Human Realm anyway." The other man laughed heartily. "Those rules only applied during the testing phase. After Erika proved these little beauties were useful, the High King altered the basic spell, so citizens of the Magic Realm could use them as well!" "Wonderful, but it still doesn't reassure me," the new crown prince stated flatly. "Oh, come on! Don't be such a spoilsport," Camille whined. "Don't you at least want to try it once?" "Why are you so eager to do this?" Sei asked suspiciously. "What's in the deal for you?" "I'm your cousin, Sei!" Camille smiled. "I just want to help you out. though it doesn't hurt that Erika grew up into a real beauty! Just look at those eyes. those lips. those breasts." "That's my wife you're drooling over!" the other young man snarled, grabbing his wrist. Camille shrugged eloquently. "It's great for both of us if you think about it. You learn how to keep Erika happy in the bedroom, and I get to sleep with her without betraying your trust." He beamed at his cousin, impressed by his own intelligence. "I still don't like it," Sei said resignedly, "but I can't really turn to anyone else for assistance without it getting blown out of proportion." His cousin delightedly clipped the ribbon into his hair. "You know the spell better than I do anyway," Camille admitted candidly, "so it's best that I let you try it first. Just let me find a mirror." He quickly produced a small compact, and Sei sighed. "I still can't believe I actually agreed to do this." He carefully put on the matching watch and put his hands in front of his face. "Parareru parareru Erika ni naaare!" Camille whistled appreciatively. "She wore that last night? No wonder you were intimidated!" Sei flushed and tried to cover his new chest. "Just shut up and get this over with before someone sees us!" he snapped in embarrassment. "I like a girl who knows what she wants," Camille purred, running one hand up Sei's arm. He leaned closer and mischievously licked the tip of his companion's nose. "We'll start with kissing since any decent lover must understand the importance of building up sexual tension to maximize the climax. You go stand opposite me and lift your face, sweetheart." Sei stood and awkwardly faced his cousin, arms lying stiffly at his sides. He tilted his small face upward and deliberately pursed his lips like a small child. Camille grimaced. "Can't you act more natural?" he complained. "I know that you can kiss because the guests nearly melted yesterday at the end of the wedding ceremony!" "That was different!" Sei retorted. "I was kissing Erika then." His face became dreamy, and Camille snapped his fingers impatiently. "Don't drift off on me!" he commanded. "This time why don't you put your arms around my neck and look up at me; I'll take care of the rest." Sei timidly embraced his cousin, marveling at the slenderness of Erika's arms. He shivered slightly as Camille carefully pressed his lips to his, feeling that it was incredibly odd to be holding another man. The young man traced the shape of Sei's mouth with his tongue and then plunged savagely between his lips. Sei instinctively wound his tongue around the invader, drawing it deeper into his warm mouth. His cousin responded by pressing him back against a wall cabinet and hungrily running his hands down his back. Finally Camille greedily caressed his companion's slender waist and pinched the tantalizing, firm rear. The 'girl' jerked away in shock, ripping his hands off her body. "What do you think you're doing?" Sei demanded hotly. "That wasn't a kiss! It was a calculated seduction!" His cousin stepped back panting heavily. "Are you sure you really need my help?" he asked nervously. "I've never elicited that powerful reaction from anyone before, so I can only guess that either you or Erika have an extremely passionate nature." The other man cleared his throat in annoyance. "We have to continue," he pleaded. "I haven't learned anything new yet!" Camille swallowed and forced himself to move closer once again. "Sei has no idea how sensual he is, does he?" the man thought miserably. "Why was I foolish enough to offer to help him? Having an excuse to be close to him, to touch him isn't worth the risk of him finding out the truth. He'll never speak to me again!" "Why don't we move to the torso?" he suggested, smiling weakly. "Men often assume that everything centers on the breasts, but women's wrists, arms, necks, and, if we move slightly higher, ears can also be extremely sensitive zones." Camille bent closer and lightly blew into one of his cousin's ears. Sei jumped nervously, and his teacher grinned. "See, even slight contact can be effective. However, for simplicity's sake I'll just demonstrate a few enjoyable techniques for the breasts that can be modified for the rest of the body." Sei stiffened as Camille gently began massaging one breast through the sheer fabric of his nightgown. His cousin slowly increased the pressure, and he moaned quietly. Camille really did know how to turn a woman on! Without warning the other man bent his head and licked one rosy nipple, sending shivers down Sei's spine. "Do that again!" he whispered breathily, grabbing a fistful of his cousin's hair. "Would Erika like that?" "Most women enjoy oral stimulation," Camille choked out, carefully folding his hands to hide his arousal. "Could you let go of my hair? It feels like you're going to pull it out!" "We can finish the lesson some other time if you prefer," Sei said, noting his cousin's odd behavior. "You sound like you're in pain." The other man blanched and shook his head. "Really, I can keep going!" he protested defensively. "I'm fine!" His companion cocked his head to one side and studied him. "You look ill, Camille. are you sure there's nothing I can do?" He reached for the mirror on the table and began the reverse transformation spell. Camille gulped and jumped to grab the compact from his cousin's hand. "No, Sei, don't change back!" "Too late," Sei blinked at him curiously. "I know you're disappointed about not getting any from Erika, but I'll promise that I'll pay up later when you feel better." Camille lurched towards him with a pained look on his face. He embraced his cousin from behind and whispered into his ear, "That's not it." He laved the other man's ear with his tongue and groaned as Sei shuddered against him. Stroking Sei's arms Camille gently nipped the other man's collar bone, savoring the silky texture of the warm skin. Losing his inhibitions and fears he let his hands dance lower until he lightly caressed his cousin's groin. "You're already aroused," he breathed teasingly. "Am I really that good a lover? It's amazing how little I had to do to excite you." "What are you doing?!" Sei hissed. "Aren't you supposed to be a ladies' man?" "I can stop if it bothers you that much," Camille goaded, rubbing his hard length against the other man's backside, "but I doubt that you want to explain why breakfast was such a stimulating experience to anyone you see in the hallway." "Don't you dare leave me like this!" Sei growled softly. "If I go back to the room now I might lose control and hurt Erika again!" Camille grinned in anticipation. "Thanks to his feelings for Erika, I'll get what I really longed for when he showed up in that silky little robe this morning!" he though excitedly. He possessively ran one hand over Sei's length, caressing the velvety shaft. The young man gradually increased the speed of each stroke, appreciating his companion's gasps from the new sensations washing over him. Camille used the other hand to flip up the back of his cousin's garment and gently kneaded his, preparing him for the eventual violation. Sei shivered as cool air fanned across the exposed flesh and pulled into the other man's warmth. Camille felt heat rush into his nether regions and increased the intensity of his caresses. He would have to hurry if he wanted to avoid embarrassing himself. "Sei, this'll probably hurt," he warned ruefully, undoing his pants. Drawing a deep breath he desperately plunged his length into his cousin, matching the steady rhythm set by his free hand. "I hope he climaxes soon," the young man muttered, "because it may help counteract the pain." Sei whimpered slightly as his cousin continued driving deeper into his body, and he idly wondered if women experienced the same sensation of alternating fullness and emptiness during intercourse. Suddenly Camille burst inside him, and he quivered in pleasure as at the strange warm stickiness inside him. Moments later he too exploded violently and then limply relaxed into his cousin's waiting arms. Camille held the other man tightly, treasuring the experience they'd shared. He would always cherish the brief affair with his true love, but the young man realized it would never occur again. Sei's feelings for Erika were too strong to allow him to betray her in any fashion. even by making love to another man. "Oh! I'm terribly sorry!" a familiar husky voice stammered, and Robelia turned a rosy pink as she stared at the two men behind the dining room table. "I'll just give you two a minute to straighten up." Sei turned a sickly green and yanked himself from his companion's embrace. "Damn it! Robelia saw us, and now she'll tell everyone, and they'll be a huge scandal." Camille clamped one hand over his cousin's mouth and looked him in the eyes. "She already knew, Sei! Robelia's known the truth since we were teenagers, and she's helped me conceal it from everyone else." The other young man blinked uncomprehendingly. "The truth? What are you talking about?" he babbled. "What if Erika finds out? What if her parents find out?" Camille struggled to keep from slapping his obviously hysterical cousin. "Sei," he breathed deeply, "I'm gay. and I've been in love with you since about the time you started seriously pursuing the princess." "Gay?!" Sei asked in shock. "B.but you always chased women! Aren't you at least bisexual?" His cousin sighed and anxiously ran a hand through his hair. "It was all an act," he finally admitted. "No one expected me to settle down because I never would settle on just one girl. Robelia was the only one who suspected the truth, so she helped me learn how to please women in case I were ever cornered. She also played an excellent ice queen to my charming ladies' man, and everyone assumed that I was fickle because I couldn't have the girl who really interested me." The other young man straightened his robe and patted Camille's shoulder. "I wish you had confided in me," he said softly, "and I truly am honoured to be the man you love. Unfortunately, my heart already belongs to someone else." Camille smiled. "Your heart's in Erika's safe-keeping, and she's a selfish mistress," he joked. "Besides I'd just lose it anyway!" The smile faded, and he put one hand on his cousin's bare knee. "Thank you for giving yourself to me this once. I'll remember it forever." Sei stood and helped the other young man to his feet. "Hey, this all started out with you doing me a favour!" he laughed. "I only paid you back, although it wasn't what I expected. Besides what are cousins for after all?" Camille clasped his cousin's hand tightly. "More importantly we're best friends, cousin dearest, and we've been together since childhood." His companion grinned. "Love, friendship, and family are the ties that bind," he quipped jokingly. "It's just our luck that we've managed to hit all three! However, now I'm returning to my rooms and giving my wife and wedding morning beyond her highest expectations," and Sei Arei strode out the door whistling, confident in his ability to love and be loved in return.