The Prince and The Goddess

Greetings SciFi and Fantasy readers of Literotica. This is my first submission in this category and I hope you like it.

It is also my entry for the Earth Day Contest, so be sure to vote and leave a comment after reading it.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank to my eagle eyed editor KatieTay and also Etaski for her creative input and advice on my little project here.

**

"Please, my Goddess. I beg of you on my knees."

King Ferrante was actually on his knees as he made the request. The supreme ruler of the vast Valerian empire knew that all his mighty honours and glories counted for nothing in front of this being. She just looked at his subservient form with a disinterested stare.

"I do not interfere in the insignificant matters of you humans. I have a universe to rule, one in which your kind barely features."

"But, my Goddess. You chose this planet as your home. Surely, you must have some attachment to us."

She laughed at his entreating tone.

"That was mere coincidence. I have no special affection for your kind."

She paused a bit to study the King's expression.

"And besides, why should I help you in your war against Castillion? I do not normally intervene in these petty conflicts."

The King took a deep breath and gathered his thoughts before continuing.

"This war shall be death of us, your Highness. The two titanic kingdoms are so evenly matched that the war would go on for all eternity. I am pleading you to grant my armies a swift victory before any more blood is shed."

"It does not matter to me. I could easily create a species to replace you if you do perish in this conflict. Now, I would suggest you return to your capital and wage war. There is nothing more for you here."

"Please, my Goddess, I beg of you. We shall build a massive temple for you in our capital, made of pure ivory. It would be the largest temple in our kingdom."

Eirene yawned at the last entreaty.

"How does it matter to me? I do not in the least bit care how you insignificant creatures worship me. Now go, before you earn my ire."

Ferrante sensed the slightly menacing edge in her voice. In a moment of anger, she could wipe out the entire human race. Desperately, he tried again.

"Please, my Goddess, we shall give you gold beyond your wildest dreams."

Her shrill laughter cut the still air.

"Gold? What shall I do with gold?"

Fixing him in her piercing gaze, Eirene coldly intoned, "Do not anger me, puny king. I have slain all my brothers and sisters to become sole ruler of the universe. Do not imagine that I would hesitate an instant before annihilating your kind. Now leave."

Realizing the futility of his endeavour, Ferrante ruefully turned around to leave. He tried one last time before going.

"Anything. I will give you anything you desire."

"Anything?"

The good King stopped dead in his tracks. A thin ray of hope had penetrated the murky despair in his mind. He turned around slowly, not daring to believe his own ears.

"Yes, my Goddess. Anything that you want will be yours," he said, with some amount of excessive enthusiasm in his voice.

"The Queen is with child, is she not?"

"She is, my Goddess," the King said, with rising hope in his tone.

"I foresee it being a wonderful baby boy. He shall grow up into the most handsome young man in your empire. My request concerns him."

The King listened on curiously. Inwardly, a small part of him was glowing with pride knowing he would have a handsome young son.

"I want to make that young boy into a man. At the start of his eighteenth year, he shall come to my palace and I shall take his innocence."

Ferrante was deep in thought. He would never have expected such an unusual request. He pondered over possibly whoring out his unborn son for a while, as Eirene spoke again.

"So do I have this request? I will be that young man's first lover."

Ferrante nodded in silent approval, wondering why she wanted it. But in keeping with all the other things she dealt with, this was beyond his human understanding. He just wished that his future prince would one day see it the same way.

"It shall be done, my Goddess."

She smiled in his direction, a small hint of a smile, but a smile nevertheless.

"Go back to your battle, King Ferrante. I bestow infallible luck on your side. Every indecisive moment in the war will go in your favour."

The King bowed in gratitude. He had won his war, but he did not yet know what kind of price he had to pay for it. He now had the ignominious task of telling the Queen that her first child's virginity was the price they had to pay for victory.

**

EIGHTEEN YEARS LATER

The Valerian empire was rejoicing. The mighty kingdom of Castillion had finally been vanquished. They remembered, merely two decades back how the war was evenly matched and both sides were sustaining heavy losses. Then, their army suddenly began making spectacular gains in battle. That, coupled with some inexplicable misfortunes that had befallen the rival army, paved the way for several stirring victories.

Now, eighteen years since they had begun to make this unprecedented progress in the war, the final Castillion bastion had fallen. The army, led by the young Prince Fenthwick had finally brought the war to conclusion. He was returning to his capital, to a hero's welcome.

He sat regally on his horse as the soldiers followed him in formation. Every Valerian stood by the roadside and cheered as he made his way through the main avenue.

Prince Fenthwick was the envy of the empire. He had grown into a handsome young man. His features were the subject of much speculation and fantasy among the female population of Valeria. His appeal cut across the swath of his people. From barely pubescent girls giggling in their rooms to the gratifying moans of matronly ladies and all in between, he was the single point of focus.

All this and he was still a few days shy of his eighteenth birthday. The soldiers spoke of his fearless nature- how he wantonly rushed into enemy soldiers and dispatched them with his blade. No one had been able to lay a wound on him. It was as if he was blessed from above.

The King and Queen welcomed him back in a joyous affair. They had discussed privately that he should be told of the price for ending the war that very night. It would give him a few days to digest the news.

After a sumptuous celebratory banquet, Fenthwick decided to turn in for the night. He was about to fall asleep, when he felt a soft touch on his forehead. Opening his eyes a sliver, he saw his mother, Queen Sandra, standing near his head and gently caressing his forehead with her slender fingers. He gave her a sleepy smile as she engulfed him in a warm motherly embrace.

"My child, come to our private chamber. We have something important to discuss."

Curiously, he followed her to his parent's chamber. The King was sitting on the bed, unable to face his son. Sandra sat him down at the foot of the bed.

"We want you to know how much we love you and how proud we are of you. You are all that we could have hoped for in an heir. We were blessed to have you as our child."

Fenthwick nodded as his mother went on. His father was looking down into the plush velvet of the bed.

"In the time before you were born, the terrible war raged through the continent claiming thousands of lives everyday. It did not look like Valeria would be triumphant in the conflict. Your father, in desperation, turned to Goddess Eirene for intervention."

Ferrante continued to stare away from his son.

"After much imploring, the Goddess decided to sway the tide of battle in our favour, but she wanted something in return- you."

Taken aback at this last statement, he blurted out, "Me? I don't understand."

His parents faced each other momentarily, deciding how best to tell him. The King did not have the courage to as much as face him. Sandra took a deep breath and gathered her words before starting.

"She wants to be your first lover."

It took a few moments for the full weight of this statement to sink into Fenthwick's mind. He closed his eyes in silent contemplation as his parents eyed him uneasily. It seemed like an eternity before he spoke again.

"Goddess Eirene wants to take my virginity? Why?"

His mother softly answered, "We do not know. No one knows in fact. She is the sole ruler of the entire universe. We cannot guess her motives."

The true meaning of this pact was still registering in his mind. He had been whored out by his father even before he was born, all for a greater good. Ever since his birth, he had been groomed for this time. He had, unknowingly, been the true cause of his empire's victory. It all made sense now- how nothing could hurt him in battle, how enemy arrows and blades conveniently missed him.

"What about Catherine?"

Catherine was his childhood sweetheart. They were very much in love and had saved themselves for each other when they came of age. He had no idea that someone else had already laid claim to his virginity even before his birth.

"She will understand. Everybody will understand. No one will dare think any less of you for your actions, for it would mean indirectly disrespecting Eirene. If you are a hero now, think of how much you will rise in the eyes of Valeria, knowing that you were responsible for the victory."

He pondered over her words. His mother added with an evocative glint in her eyes, "You should enjoy it as well. After all, no one else has ever been in a position to fornicate with a Goddess."

Suddenly, Fenthwick felt faint. There was something he had not thought of at all. Something which scared him.

What if he did not perform well enough?

Eirene was not one to be displeased. She could take out her frustration at his empire. He was fully aware of the terrifying extent of her abilities. In a massive war among the Gods and Goddesses several millennia ago, she had slaughtered every other God and Goddess. She was truly, the one true overlord of the universe. Her powers were infinite.

Also, would she hurt him? Even unintentionally.

She might not intend to do so, but being a manifestation of that much power, she could easily maim him if not kill him. He broke into a cold sweat as he considered the various possibilities that could unfold.

But the thing that scared him the most was that he had no idea why he was put in this position. What could Eirene possibly want with him, that she interceded in such a violent conflict just to have his virginity? Not knowing was a truly terrifying feeling.

Did he even have a say in this? He could not refuse a command directly from the Goddess.

His parents were observing his fleeting expressions as he considered the full range of what he was going to have to do. Finally, after a long silence, he lifted his head.

"I am Fenthwick Laroque, prince of the Valerian empire. I am a soldier and I will do what it takes to preserve the safety of my kingdom. Therefore, I agree to give the Goddess what she wants."

Sandra engulfed him in a tight hug and kept whispering how proud she was of him in his ear. King Ferrante still could not bear to face his son. Many miles away, Goddess Eirene smiled her first real smile in a long time.

**

Most Valerian youths consider their eighteenth birthday as the final step in their childhood. They are now considered adults by the world. Some celebrate this with wine, while others prefer the more primal pleasures of adulthood.

Fenthwick would be celebrating it differently from anyone else.

A week had gone by since his mother told him about his father's pact with the Goddess. He had spent the week in solitude, trying to prepare himself for what he had to do.

The news had spread like wildfire throughout the kingdom. The reactions ranged from incredulity to disbelief. No one dared even harbour negative thoughts towards this arrangement as it would earn them the wrath of Eirene herself. Fenthwick's fame had reached previously unimaginable heights as every conversation in the kingdom focussed on his impending task. He got an ocean of letters advising him how to best please the Goddess.

The only voice he truly cared about was Catherine.

While Catherine might have been inwardly sad that she would not be his first, she realized the futility of her grief. There was no way, she could convince him to deny Eirene. However, she feared that after copulating with the celestial divinity herself, Fenthwick would lose interest in her.

He steadfastly promised her that he would return and be hers forever. This encounter would mean nothing to him. It was just something he would have to do. She agreed to his view and released him from his vow to her. She further promised that she would be waiting for him when he returned.

He wore his finest garments and his gold edged tunic. He rode is horse across the plains until finally he saw her fabulous palace from a distance. It was on Earth and yet it was somehow unearthly in its look. It looked grander than anything the human mind could possibly conceive with it's impossibly high minarets and spires disappearing into the clouds. The entire structure was built of material so white, that it dazzled in the sun from a distance.

From inside the recesses of that building, Eirene looked over the entire universe. It was also where young Fenthwick would be deflowered.

He rode up to the gates and shackled his horse to a nearby tree. Taking a deep breath, he approached the gate. It swung open on its own. A towering Seraphim angel descended from the sky. He took a step back as she folded her massive wings behind her. Her metallic armour glittered in the sunlight and she had a kindly expression on her face.

"The Goddess has been expecting you. Come with me, young prince."

Still in awe of her magnificent splendour, he followed her through the lush green undulating terrain that ever so gently sloped upwards towards the central structure. The angel went on.

"She has really been looking forward to this day. I have even suggested she speed up time to make it come faster, but she was defiant that you should get to enjoy your childhood and grow up to be a man before she meets you. You may be aware that she looked out for you all your life."

He was aware. Someone could lunge straight at his heart with a blade and it would miss him. He always suspected higher forces at play, but never imagined anything quite on this scale.

Once inside the massive structure, he was escorted to the court of the Goddess. Eirene ruled with an iron fist from here. He sensed he would get to see her legendary retribution in action. He saw her on a throne which rested atop a pyramidal structure. From this lofty height, she looked down upon a creature of darkness. The creature's limbs were shackled as he stood there, defiantly.

"You have been found guilty of creating your own species and letting them loose on my planets, where they have been harming my own creations. Do you have anything to say?"

There was no reply. Fenthwick peered up at her visage. It was plain and impassive as she considered what to say next.

"It pains me. You are the last of your kind, the ones who have the power to create beings of your own. Your kind have existed from before I came to power, hence I did not get to temper your race. I hoped they would not transgress their boundaries, but they did so, repeatedly."

There was not so much as a flicker of emotion in her eyes as she surveyed the chained beast.

High above the floor, there was a brilliant flash of white light. The dazzling illumination travelled down and enveloped the creature. In that instant, it passed from beast, to silhouette, to legend. In the very next moment, the flash was gone and not a sign of him remained.

Eirene shook her head sadly. Her eyes travelled up the floor to the back of the court. Fenthwick stood there, in silent awe of what he had just witnessed. She rose from her seat and slowly made her way down the steps. Each step carried the regal elegance of a benevolent celestial overlord. He was still dazed as she walked up to him. Reaching out her slender arm, she ran a finger from his forehead down his cheek and neck.

"So beautiful. As if I had formed you from clay with my own hands."

Broken out of his reverie, Fenthwick hurriedly got on his knees in a reverent gesture. His eyes remained wide open, trying to make sense of what was about to happen.

"Follow me to my bedchamber, young man."

He quietly walked behind her. Not daring to look ahead. The walk seemed to last forever. A new feeling had made it's way into Fenthwick's psyche- fear. No matter, how much he had steeled himself for this eventuality, he could not deny that he was afraid as ever.

He tried his best to hide his fear and put up a brave front, but failed miserably. His forehead was plastered with tiny beads of cold sweat. He clasped his palms together, but they were shaking with fear.

A nameless dread permeated his being. His eyes followed the graceful elegance of Eirene as she glided through the corridors. Several involuntary shudders coursed through his spine as he struggled to walk steadily.

Finally, she stopped in front of a large ornate door studded with dazzling gemstones, hitherto unseen by the human eye. It opened into a large bedchamber. The walls were whiter than pure ivory and a strange ethereal ambience filled the room.

The doors closed behind them. There was no escape now.

She went over and sat at the edge of her luxurious bed. Softly, she ushered him in front of her. Each step seemed to take an eternity as he inched his way across the void between them. Finally, he stood before her.

From this distance, he could see her features clearly. This was the closest any human had been to her. She was a few inches taller than him. Her face was beautifully crafted, almost sculpted. The radiant complexion of her skin gave a glow to her countenance. Two thin, beautifully arched eyebrows framed her eyes. The eyes themselves were pale green, like the Earth she had created for them. Behind those eyes was that mind that ruled the entire cosmos, the way a benevolent mother takes care of her pride. She seemed capable of much love and much fury, should it be required.

"Why are you afraid, my child?"

That sentence pierced his stoical demeanour. He fell to his knees and clasped his hands in an imploring gesture.

"Please don't hurt me, my Goddess. Please. My parents love me a lot, my subjects love me a lot. They would be heartbroken if I did not make it back home. Please, my Goddess, let me go back unharmed. My one true love Catherine will never be able to recover from her grief should some harm befall me."

She studied his expression minutely. There were tears flowing down his cheeks in tiny rivulets. His body was gently wracked by his sobs. All his preparation and mental fortitude had failed miserably when the time came. He just stood there, facing the ground, sobbing like baby.

The mighty warrior prince had never been so afraid of anything in his life.

He felt an open palm against his chin. It slowly raised his face until he was directly facing her. He tried turning away, but she gently turned his face back towards her.

"Come here, young Fenthwick. Come into my arms and give me all those fears."

Tentatively, he walked into her open arms. She stood up off the bed and enveloped him in her embrace. He seemed surprised as she buried her face in his shoulder and just held on to him. He knew that she could take away his free will and make him do what she wanted, but she did not.

"Do not be afraid, young man. You have just stepped out of childhood and are on the cusp of being an adult. One day, you shall be king, just like your father is now."

He stood there, trying to make sense of it all. Eirene hugged harder. There was a soothing quality to her voice which assuaged his fears somewhat.