The King manages to comfort his son, but they're interrupted

It had to have been a few hours since they'd left the castle. Marcus was staring out the bars of this horrible cage at the far-off horizon, silently praying an army of knights would suddenly appear, then ride down the hill to chase away Irena and her awful huntresses and save him. So far no-one had appeared. The roads were empty, and so were the villages they passed through. It looked like everyone in their path had disappeared, and not recently either. All the fields were overgrown with weeds, the buildings empty and falling into ruin. Where had all the peasants who were supposed to be here gone? Marcus had always been told his parents' Kingdom was full of happy and prosperous subjects who served the King gladly, but at least this part of it seemed to have been abandoned long ago.

"Marcus?" A hoarse voice breathed from beside him. The young prince gasped in shock, and glanced down to see his Father looking up at him from the straw with bleary eyes. The King was stirring, struggling to lift himself up with one trembling arm. He looked stronger now, his face no longer that awful grey color, but his muscled body still shivered with the pain of his injuries.

"Father!" Marcus shouted. He scrambled over on his knees, just as his Father managed to sit up. With a hoarse sob, the young prince collapsed forward into the King's strong body, wrapping his arms tight around his Father's shoulders. "I'm so glad you're okay." He whimpered into the King's chest, hugging as tight as he could. When he felt his Father's warm hand rub his bare back in turn it made him feel so relieved he couldn't stop himself from sobbing, a few, hot tears dribbling down his cheeks. He'd been so afraid...that the King wasn't going to wake up at all.

"It's alright, son." His Father murmured above him. "I'll be fine, I've had worse wounds." Marcus smiled faintly. After all the awful things that had happened to him, this moment just felt so very good. Even if they were still trapped in this awful cage, at least his Father was here with him. Then he felt a strong hand gently grab him by the shoulder and pull him back a little, until he was gazing up through tear-filled eyes at the King's stern face. "Marcus, I need you to calm down and answer some questions for me, can you do that?" His Father asked, voice low and serious. Marcus nodded, biting his lip. He couldn't' quite stop the tears, but he tried to sit up a little straighter and pay attention to what the King wanted. "Do you know where they're taking us?"

"Irena said...back to Kapria." The young prince explained, shivering a little as he thought about the vicious huntress queen.

"Damn it." The King spat, turning his head to glare out the windows of the cage. "That's two days of travel at least. It'll be that much harder for Gaius to muster an army for a rescue if they get us outside the Kingdom's borders. I'll have to hope he catches up here before then."

"Uncle Gaius is going to save us?" Marcus asked eagerly. His Uncle was a really great warrior, even stronger than his Father! If anyone could beat up Irena and save them it would be him!

"I damn well hope so." The King murmured. "Your Mother...she wanted to stay behind and protect you, but I knew Irena would have her killed first and there were way too many huntresses between you and us by the time we realized what was happening. I sent her to my brother's castle to muster our forces while I distracted Irena's women. No matter what, you mustn't tell anyone else that, okay Marcus?"

"Yes Father." The young prince sighed with relief. So that was where Mother went? At least she was safe. Irena really hated her after all. He blushed faintly as he remembered how the huntress queen had started screaming about his Mother while he licked her pussy that first time on his parents' bed. Irena would probably have made the Queen watch, or something even worse had they caught her as well.

"Good boy. It'll be that much easier for Gaius if he can catch these bitches by surprise. Your Mother will move Heaven and Earth to save you, Marcus." The King continued. "Maybe not me, but...you're the one she cares most about in the world." He frowned slightly, as Marcus glanced up at him in confusion. What did he mean? That almost sounded like his Mother wouldn't try that hard to save his Father...but why? They were happily married, weren't they? "I just hope she can persuade Gaius to do something quickly enough. He's been rather difficult lately, but I'm sure once he hears his own family is in trouble he'll have to come."

Marcus nodded. As strange as it had been to hear those things, at least this was some good news! His Father was awake, and they were going to be saved after all. The thought filled him with aching relief, and he couldn't stop himself from leaning forward again and hugging his Father tight. This time the King didn't stop him, letting him rest his head against his Father's muscled chest. He felt so much safer here. His Father was really brave and strong, unlike him. With the King awake, everything seemed a little better for them both.

"I'm really glad you're okay, Father." Marcus whispered again. He felt the King's hand on his head, gently ruffling through his silver hair. It felt nice, those strong fingers rubbing at his forehead. In the moment, he could almost forget where they were and what was going on. Even the awful tail shoved in his butt. It was a little worrying maybe that he could even get used to the horrible feeling of that ivory lump stretching out his insides and the humiliating ball of fluff behind it, but he didn't want to think about that right now. At least his Father hadn't noticed it yet. That would have been horrible.

"Well, well, well, isn't that a touching scene?" A cold voice drawled from behind them, shattering that moment of peace like brittle glass. Marcus felt his Father stiffen up, his head snapping to one side. The young prince followed that furious gaze and what he saw made his heart go cold. Walking beside the cart and staring through the bars at them was Irena's horrible daughter Felicia, the one who'd hurt his Father so very much. She didn't look at all sorry about what happened anymore either.

"You...." The King snarled.

"Didn't I teach you last night that animals like you don't get to talk?" Felicia sneered. "You are a stubborn one, aren't you? Good, I love males who are just too dumb to learn to behave themselves. Gives me lots of nice excuses to hurt them without Mother breathing down my neck about proper animal husbandry. I don't suppose it'll matter much longer anyway. Mother's just itching to put a bridle on that handsome face. Once she has you bitted, all you'll be able to do is whinny and neigh like a good stallion."

"Fuck you, you vicious cunt." Marcus flinched at the sheer venom rumbling in his Father's voice. He'd never heard the King sound so angry or scary. Not even to Irena.

"Oh, you'll be the one doing that, stud." Felicia chuckled cruelly. "Do you know that Mother really wants your children? It's all she's talked about for a while, and some of it's rubbed off on me. Imagine it, my first daughter, sired by a King. What a huntress she'll be. And if it's a son, well, I'll just leave him in the woods somewhere and try again." She laughed again, as Marcus trembled against his Father's side, horrified at what he was hearing. "I imagine you must wish you'd done the same." She continued coldly. "For a strong warrior like you, it must have been such a disappointment to learn your only son and heir was a cowardly little sissy brat who's spent half his life clinging to Mommy's skirts."

"Shut the fuck up!" The King snarled.

"Oops, did I make you mad? Sounds almost like I touched a nerve there, doesn't it?" Felicia cocked her head, a cold smile on her lips. "Never mind. I'm heading off to tell Mother you're awake, and also that the pair of you were chatting to each other instead of acting like the animals you are. She's not going to be happy about her prize stallion and pet bunny were using their voices again. I wonder if she'll let me punish you, Castor, or I can do your son instead. It'll be fun to make him scream just like I did you last night." Laughing viciously, she loped forward, bounding past the cart towards the front of the convoy.

"Never mind what that bitch said, Marcus." The King grunted. "I'm going to protect you now. No matter what happens." Marcus nodded, his lip trembling anxiously. His parents always had protected him, but right now he wasn't sure even his strong, brave Father could do anything if Irena decided she really was going to hurt him again.