The King's Last Wish

God! He's so hard. For me!

She couldn't stop herself from lowering her hand and softly placed it over the fabric on her son's erect member.

"Oh God! Mum!" Jonathan cried out; eyes squeezed shut with extreme pleasure as he ejaculated in his underpants. Heather momentarily felt the warmth of her son's semen seeping out of the fabric onto her hand before being washed off by the running water.

Jolting back to her senses, she was horrified at her actions. As he recovered and looked at her face, their eyes met. She couldn't look him in the eyes and felt deeply ashamed and conflicted.

"Oh my God!" she gasped, backing away from him.

"Mum... It's alright," he said, seeing the panic on her face.

"No...no! God! What have I done!" She was on the verge of tears.

As he moved to console her, she backed away and got out of the waterfall as fast as she could. She heard him calling out to her. She couldn't trust her emotions anymore and felt the need to get away from him before she did something far more terrible.

Retrieving her clothes, she ran off towards the camp, ignoring Jonathan's calls.

***

The mother and son continued their journey shortly after, with an awkward silence between them. The incident at the waterfall weighed heavily on Heather's mind and she was deeply troubled by its implications. Subconsciously, she was falling for her son which she didn't want to admit. She didn't want to confront this growing change in emotions in her, and what it meant for the future of their relationship.

As always, Jonathan knew her mood to give her the required space and silence. He did try to engage in a few small talks to get their collective minds off of the incident. But when he found her not really responsive, he fell silent. What finally brightened their moods were sights of remnants of old stone houses in what looked like an ancient village. They had finally entered the kingdom of Tosali.

As this point, the old road continued straight, diverging from the river which curved gently towards the right. Jonathan consulted the map again and confirmed that this was indeed the entry to the old kingdom. As the evening approached, they decided to stop at an abandoned village. They erected their tent, few feet off the road and made camp for the night.

***

Heather blinked to clear her vision. She was lying on her back on a smooth stone floor staring up at a high ceiling, the top of which was lost in shadows. Several oil lamps burned on the stone walls.

She felt fuzzy and unable to concentrate. As her senses slowly adjusted to her surroundings, she realized she was not alone. Sensual moans and groans soon came into focus as her ears attuned to the noise. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up on the floor.

She was inside a large stone hall surrounded by naked couples, making love. There were at least twenty such couples inside the hall, scattered around on the floor in various sexual positions and acts.

To her right, a young girl rode a man, like a cowgirl. The girl's eyes were closed, mouth slightly opened with constant moans and her face reflected pure carnal desires. Her petite young body glistened with sweat and her perky breasts bounced on her chest as she made passionate love to the man. To her left, a young boy laid atop a woman, pumping his long hard cock into her as she thrust her hips up to meet the boy's every stroke.

The entire hall felt alive with the echoes of all the passionate moans and grunts of blissful sexual coupling. She glanced over the naked bodies writhing with pleasure in the flickering light of the oil lamps.

Heather got up to her feet and moved towards the exit. She saw that it was a full moon night. Near the exit of the hall, her eyes fell on another couple. The man stood with his back towards a pillar, leaning against it. The woman knelt on the floor sucking on his erect manhood. The man groaned loudly and the woman pulled his cock out of her mouth as he spurted copious amounts of cum all over the woman's neck, chest and breasts.

None of the couples seemed to acknowledge her odd presence. She stumbled out of the hall in a daze and found herself in the open. She stood on the first-floor landing of an ancient building with a flight of broad stone stairs leading down to the ground. Few couples had claimed the sides of those stairs as well.

As she looked down, the vast grassy field beneath the stairs was littered with countless couples making love under the open sky as cool, moist winds blew from the east.

***

Heather opened her eyes and sat up on her bedroll. The strange dream had been so vivid. Jonathan was fast asleep on his bedroll. She touched her pussy; it was soaking wet.

Just an erotic dream. It's been too long since I last pleasured myself.

Rubbing the sleep off her eyes, she went out to get some fresh air. It was a full moon night. There was a strange whispering noise in the air which made her slightly dizzy, making it difficult to think straight or concentrate. Sitting on a nearby rock, she had an eerie feeling of being watched. Rubbing her eyes again, she looked around until she saw him.

Her husband. Thomas.

"Heather." He called out to her in a strange whispering voice.

"Thomas?" She couldn't believe her eyes. Am I losing my mind?

Thomas turned and walked away from her. She followed after him. He led her deeper into the jungle. She lost track of time and distance, following him as if being pulled by an invisible force. Soon they came to the edge of the forest which ended at the edge of a cliff.

Thomas turned and faced her. He smiled and said, "It's so good to see you again, my love."

"Thomas... How?" She was perplexed.

"I don't know. I was... somewhere else. And then I was here."

"I've missed you so much. You can't imagine how I've spent the last 13 years." Her eyes were starting to get moist.

"Gosh! Has it been that long? I guess I am not bound by time anymore."

"Why are you here, Thomas?"

"It was your love and longing for me that pulled me to you. I know you yearn for me. And I am here to fulfill your wish."

"How?"

He gestured with his hand towards the edge of the cliff. "We can be together again, my love. All you have to do is jump."

"What are you saying?" She stared at him, curiously.

He smiled. "Death is only the beginning. Just take my hand and jump. Then we can be together again for all eternity."

He extended his hand, urging her to take it. "Come, take my hand. There is nothing for you to live in this world. Don't you want to be with me, forever?"

She broke down, tears welled up in her eyes and her voice choked up. Suddenly, her mind was clear as if a curtain had been lifted.

"I would love to be with you, Thomas. But I am sorry. You're not the only love in my life. Not anymore. I love Jonathan now as much as he loves me. And I want to spend the rest of my life with him."

Thomas' face darkened with fury at her denial. He stepped ominously towards her. She gasped and stepped back as Thomas turned into a wraith giving off a sickly pale green glow. She turned around to see hundreds of similar wraiths coming out of the woods. The ghostly apparitions surrounded her, cutting off her escape.

The wraith who had been Thomas said, "This is the city of the dead. The living cannot enter."

There was malice in its dead, glowing eyes. The other wraiths closed in and she felt multiple hands grabbing her and pushing her closer to the edge of the cliff. She started shouting for help, but cold, clammy hands shut her mouth. She continued to whimper loudly and thrashed about, trying to loosen herself from their deadly grip. She was overpowered and felt an unnatural force draining her energy and will to fight back. She felt exhausted and on the verge of losing consciousness. Terror and panic filled her every thought. She was going to die.

Suddenly, she heard a loud war cry. The wraiths dropped her on the ground and turned their attention towards the interruption as Jonathan came running out of the woods, swinging King Aditya Dev's sword, snarling with fury. Few of the wraiths, that came in contact with the sword, burst into embers that dissipated into the wind instantly.

The wraith who had been Thomas, gasped in disbelief as he saw the sword in Jonathan's hands. He dropped to his knees and said, "No! It can't be! The King's sword!"

Other wraiths too dropped to their knees and bowed to the sword. Jonathan stopped swinging the blade and brandished it, threateningly, keeping the wraiths away from him. He made his way towards Heather and picked her up.

"Mum, are you alright?" he asked, breathless and sweaty.

"Jonathan! I need to tell you something."

"Can't it wait? Let's get out of here first!"

"No son! I almost died without getting a chance to tell you."

Pulling him closer, she looked him in the eye and said, "I need you to know that I love you. I realize now, that the love I had been searching since Thomas died, had always been right by my side the whole time. I love you, Jonathan, not just as a mother but also as a lover. You are my true soulmate, my dear son."

Proclaiming her love, she pulled him to her and kissed his lips passionately. She could feel his shock at her sudden confession and kiss, but he recovered quickly. He dropped the sword, wrapped his hands around her in a tight hug and kissed her back with all the passion he could muster.

The wraiths started dissolving into thin air as the first rays of the sun peeked from behind the distant hills to find the mother and son wrapped in each other's embrace, lips locked in a passionate kiss.

***

Heather was vaguely aware of Jonathan carrying her back to the camp in his arms. She was still exhausted from her struggle with the wraiths and had barely managed to stay conscious. Back at the camp, she drank some water and rested while he prepared some food.

"What were those things?" he asked.

"I am not sure. My best guess, they were the citizens of Swarnavali who were massacred during the city's destruction. They never got a proper funeral. Their souls are probably trapped in this place forever."

"So, the place is indeed cursed. Those early failed expeditions. Do you think those things might have killed the explorers?"

She shivered. "Possibly. They certainly still revere their king's sword. I didn't know you had that with you."

"I might've snuck it out without permission," he said, sheepishly.

"Thank heavens you did!" she said, smiling. "How did you find me?"

"I had a vivid dream last night. I saw you telling me over and over again that you didn't love me. You said how terrible and sinful it was for me to have feelings for you, unbecoming of a son. You said, I could never be your soulmate. Finally, you told me what a freak I am and I should just end my life out of shame."

She gasped and hugged Jonathan. "Oh, my child! It wasn't me. Those spirits were probably messing with your mind, like they did with me."

"I figured as such. I woke up feeling extremely depressed but realized it was just a dream. I saw your bedroll empty and went in search of you."

She looked into her son's eyes and kissed him again. They both smiled at their new found relationship.

"Shall we turn back? Those things might return," he said.

"I have a feeling that they may not bother us again," she said, pointing at the sword. "We are close to the city. Let's press forward."

***

They continued their journey towards the lost city. The horses had been restless since the appearance of the wraiths, but calmed down as the sun rose higher in the sky. Still tired, Heather tried to rest by closing her eyes often during the slow ride.

"Mum. Look!"

Jonathan's excited voice woke her up. She looked ahead to see two massive broken stone pillars that looked like they were part of some grand archway with stone walls extending on either side.

"The gates of Swarnavali!" she said, looking at Jonathan who was beaming with joy.

"We made it!" he said, giddy with excitement. She laughed. The sight of the gate and walls lifted her spirits and all her weariness disappeared.

They passed through the gate and followed the road within the city. Everywhere they looked, nature had reclaimed the old broken houses and structures. Overgrown trees, shrubs and vines made it difficult to imagine how the place might've looked in its hey days.

The road slowly wound its way towards the sea. The smell of the salt water and moisture on the air was starting to hit them. As they neared the end of the road, the old temple came into view. The stone walls surrounding the temple perimeter were mostly intact, albeit worn down by the sea winds. They dismounted their horses and tied them to nearby trees.

They entered the temple grounds and saw that the compound was expansive, easily spanning an area of twenty acres. Within the compound were many smaller stone structures which had been almost destroyed and worn down to their foundations. The compound walls on the eastern side were completely gone and Heather saw the sea beyond the rows of trees. The entire ground was covered with sands from the beach.

Most of the temple was gone. The front and sides of the structure were caved in and buried in sand, leaving only the rear of the temple still standing.

"Mum, are you seeing this?" Jonathan said, pointing towards the outer wall of the temple.

"Marvelous!" she said. "Looks even better than the ones we saw at Khajuraho."

The entirety of the outer temple walls was covered with erotic sculptures carved into the stone with exquisite craftsmanship. The sculptures depicted mortals as well as divine beings engaged in various sexual activities. Men and women pleasuring each other, engaged in oral sex and sexual intercourse as per the various positions from Kamasutra. The level of detail in those carvings were still visible in some places, while others had been worn smooth.

The mother and son circled the temple, admiring the architecture and workmanship.

"These old temples never fail to fascinate me. The craftsmanship is always awe-inspiring," Jonathan said.

"Indeed. But there's something strange here. Unlike others, this temple seems to be covered only with sexual imagery like I've never seen till date. As if this temple is solely dedicated to sexual pleasures. Shall we go inside, love?"

He nodded and smiled. Holding hands, they climbed the broken worn-out stone steps, mindful of the slippery sand.

More sexual imagery greeted them within the temple. The interior pillars were covered with sensual carvings. They entered the huge central hall of the deity and approached the statue of a goddess at the center. The statue was made out of white marble and was the centerpiece of the entire temple. The artists had done a wonderful job in making it as life like as possible, bringing out the ethereal beauty of the goddess.

The inscription below the statue read -

Queen Charuvaki. 1467 - 1534. First queen of Tosali.

"First queen? Wouldn't she have been the second?" Heather wondered out aloud.

The interior walls were covered in colorful murals, depicting the history of Tosali. One wall showed paintings of sea trade being carried out with distant lands, merchants readying their ships to sail to the islands beyond the sea and citizens bidding them farewell at the docks. Another wall depicted images of the kingdom being formally setup by King Nrusingha Dev and establishing cordial relations with neighboring kingdoms.

Once again, Heather and Jonathan were in awe of the beautiful artistry bringing those murals to life. Being inside the temple, the murals had survived the destruction and were a sight to behold.

"Mum! Look!" Jonathan caught her hand and pulled her towards another wall. Murals on this wall depicted the life of Queen Charuvaki.

The first mural showed the king and queen in their regal attire. The king was seated on the throne, while the queen stood next to him. An inscription below the painting read -

Queen Charuvaki with her first husband, King Nrusingha Dev.

Heather and Jonathan looked at each other, eyes wide with shock as realization hit them hard. Even before looking at the next mural, they knew what it said. It showed Charuvaki playing with a young boy in a garden. The inscription read -

Queen Charuvaki with her son, Prince Aditya Dev.

Heather squeezed Jonathan's hand as she took in this new information. The next mural showed Aditya Dev being crowned king on the palace balcony. The next one depicted the wedding of Aditya Dev with his mother, Charuvaki. The inscription read -

King Aditya Dev and Queen Charuvaki joined in holy matrimony in accordance with the king's new law which states - 'Consensual sexual relationship between adult kin is henceforth legalized throughout Tosali. Such unions are also eligible to be solemnized.'

The wall ended with the mural depicting Charuvaki's death, 28 years later.

Heather and Jonathan moved to the final wall which started with the mural showing King Aditya Dev overseeing the construction of the temple. The next image showed the temple's inauguration. The inscription read -

The temple inauguration on the wedding anniversary of the king and queen. King Aditya Dev establishes the late Queen Charuvaki as a goddess to be worshipped in the temple. The day is henceforth to be celebrated as a joyous festival, commemorating the late queen. The king invites all familial couples in Tosali to congregate in the temple grounds every year, to celebrate the festival through carnal activities.

The next mural was the last one and the largest of them all. It showed a view of the festival celebrations on the temple ground as seen from within the temple's first floor landing. Scores of couples laid on the ground where ever they pleased, engaged in various sexual positions.

Heather gasped as she recognized the scene from her dream the night before. Somehow, she had been shown a vision of the past where she had seen the festival celebrations within the temple. She looked around and sure enough she could make out the weathered stone walls and pillars were the same from her dream. She remembered the naked couples making love. The young girl riding an older man. The young man pumping into a mature woman. They were father-daughter and mother-son! I witnessed real incestuous sex!

Suddenly, she felt elated, as if a huge burden had been lifted off her heart. Everything became clearer in her mind. She had been a young girl when she had fallen in love with Thomas and vowed to be his, forever, accompanying him across the world. He had been her first and only love. But to find her true love after all these years in a distant land, far from home, was divine providence. Jonathan, her own son, her flesh and blood, was her true love. Her journey of discovery and accepting her son as her lover had led her straight to this very temple built to celebrate incestuous love. Was it a mere coincidence? She didn't think so. It was fate. It was her destiny.

She looked at Jonathan, who was still engrossed in the mural. She no longer saw only her son. She saw her lover, her man, her true soul mate. In this temple of incest, she was finally ready to take their relationship to the next phase, to cross the threshold that very few mothers get to do. She turned around to look at the statue of Charuvaki. The sun was on its way down into the western horizon and orange sunlight streamed onto the statue. The queen's visage was mesmerizing; an angelic beauty. Heather felt a strong bond towards the long dead queen.

You felt these emotions for your son, too, didn't you? Thank you for leading me here and opening my eyes. What I was searching for all these years had always been by my side. I was just too blind to see him.