Adult-FanFiction.org : Anime

Wild Child
By : FlayraDowitcher
Category: +M to R > Ronin Warriors
Views: 1521 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own RW/YST. I'm making no money off this fic.
Chapter List
- 2
- 3
- 4
Warnings: Language

Chapter 3

In the end, Rowen did not have his way and they would be split up for the time being. Rowen was weaponless without a shred of armor to protect him as Ryo's swords were pointed in his direction. He was shocked to find that Cye had a weapon as well, and judging by the look upon those normally sweet features, the young man knew how to use it. But the most dangerous weapon of all was Lord Sage's pale purple eye looking down at him from atop the dais. The pale eye that both intrigued and frightened him. He still wondered if both eyes were the same or if the one hidden behind a curtain of blonde hair was different. Still, these were questions that would have to wait for the time being because he was going to be taken away. Kento was already fighting the guards, ignoring the sword points aimed in his direction. He looked at his friend, who would now be sent into the world of deathly brawls for sport. There was a good chance that Kento would die while battling in the arena. Rowen, turning away from Ryo and the other guards, walked towards Kento. He ignored Sage's demand for him to return, as well as the guards who were holding his friend. He wrapped his hand behind Kento's head and pressed their foreheads together, a common gesture among warriors in their clan. No one made a move to stop them.

"Watch your back." Rowen whispered to him. "Keep your cool and think things over before rushing in head on. You'll meet some pretty tough guys who aren't like the ones you're used to. Try and do what is said of you, if not for yourself then for me. I promise I'll come and find you the moment I get a chance, okay?" He made sure Kento was staring in his eyes. "This isn't the woods, Kento; this is the Empire."

"Ro, I know I can handle myself. It's you I worry about. I don't want that yellow-haired bastard touching you or- Gah!" he was jerked away from Rowen. "ROWEN!"

Rowen reached a hand out for him but someone grabbed his wrist firmly. He turned to see the tiger-blue eyes of Ryo glaring at him.

"Stop being so stubborn." Ryo scolded him. "Act the way you're supposed to and then you can see your friend, I promise. But making a scene now will only anger everyone!"

Rowen narrowed his gaze and jerked his hand away. "Where will he be? At least tell me that."

"He's being taken to the fighters' barracks at the Date Family house. That's Sage's house. Keep making him angry and he might not let you see your friend for awhile. Trust me, it's not as bad as you're making it out to be. Sage may be a little sharp around the edges but he's nothing like the other young lords, of that I promise you." Ryo smiled and gave him a pat on the back. "Come on, I'll even let you ride White Blaze."

"Your giant tiger? No thanks, I think I'll walk." Rowen turned to see where Kento was, only to find that the guards had taken him away. He frowned and turned back to Ryo. "Do I leave for the palace now?"

"Eh, not quite. You have to remain in the…traveler's wagon…until Lord Sage and his uncle are ready to leave." Ryo gave a lop-sided smile and rubbed the back of his head, looking slightly sheepish.

Rowen gave him a flat stare. "Sheesh. I hardly know you and already I can tell that you're lying. By 'traveler's wagon' you mean a caged one slaves and servants are transported in, correct?" He crossed his arms with annoyance and tapped his foot. Ryo just grinned. "I see that I am. Alright then, lead the way; seeing as I don't have any other choice."

As he followed Ryo to the wagon he kept his gaze firmly set on Sage who in turn stared back at him. Their eyes locked until both were out of sight and the slave cart was presented to him. It was a simple cart, much like the one he was brought here in only the floor had furs instead of moldy straw. Currently Rowen was the only one in the wagon, and he was fine with that. Ryo offered to help him up into the wagon but Rowen batted his gloved hand away. The dark-haired man appeared to look hurt by the reaction as he closed and locked the door. Rowen didn't want to admit it to anyone, but he was completely and utterly exhausted. The only reason he chose to give in was his lack of energy making him overly tired. Having a single piece of stale bread and no water didn't help his energy level either. So he took advantage of having the furs and crawled under them to use as a blanket. Even though it was hot out he wanted to be hidden away as much as possible. And it didn't take long for him to konk out completely. He never woke up when the wagon jerked into motion; or travelled through the city; or came to a complete stop.

/

"Cye, has the wagon arrived yet?" Sage asked from his vanity seat, eagerly taking off his jewellery and dress robes. The day had been too hot for such clothing.

"Yes, it has." Cye placed a new pitcher full of fresh water in the basin bowl and folded the hand towel. "I'm guessing you'll send me to help get him all set up?"

Sage got up from the stool and went to the basin. "If it's not too much trouble." He poured some of the water into the bowl and dipped the towel in to wipe at his brow. "He knows you more than he knows me. And I don't think meeting him face to face yet is the right way to handle his wild nature. If he was a chief in his clan than it will be hard for him to accept a lesser position. In this case, my servant."

"Ah, so I'll have to show him the ropes, too." Cye just smiled. "You don't pay me enough for all the work I do."

The blonde scoffed. "I pay you extra in safety and security. Need I remind you how much-"

"-More freedom I get than any other servant." Cye finished the sentence for him, ignoring Sage's little glare. "Yes, I know."

"Just for that you're staying with me tonight."

"No!" Cye gave a little whine. "I promised Ryo I would be with him!"

"You should have thought of that before making your little comment."

Cye gave an angry pout. "Phooey!"

He used the other side of the towel to dry his hands. "Cye, I'm kidding. Now go and tend to Rowen. Don't give him too much freedom or leeway just yet. Answer any questions he may have. Also, if you pass Ryo ask him to go and see how the other one is doing. Kento. I'd rather you not go to the barracks."

"Sage, I can take care of myself."

"I know, I just rather have you not walking through that hell-hole of crazed men. It gives me a peace of mind, and the old gods only know how much I need that. These are trying times."

Cye nodded, taking the now damp towel from Sage. "I'll have your lunch sent up before I tend to Rowen. I'll try to keep him as tame as possible." He chuckled.

"Don't tame him too much, little fishy. That's my wild stallion." He cracked his neck with a sigh of relief. "Besides, I'm fairly certain I know why he wanted to come to my family house."

Sea-green eyes grew concerned. "Don't be mean to him, Sage."

"I won't." He gave Cye a slight, charming smile.

/

Cye entered the courtyard of the servant's quarters where Rowen was being released from the wagon. Ryo was standing nearby with White Blaze perched right next to him. Cye went up to him and lightly tugged on a strand of black hair.

"Oh, hey Cye."

"Hey. I'm here to take Rowen off your hands." He smiled. "Sage would like you to go and visit with Kento; see how he is making out in the barracks."

"Sure, no problem. But would you rather me accompany you with Rowen for a bit though first? You know, just in case he tries anything? He did take a snap at one of the guards who tried to wake him up. I wouldn't put it past Rowen to have taken off a finger if he had managed to bite the guy."

"I'm not worried about Rowen." Cye looked at the blue haired man being tugged from the wagon. "He'll be fine with me."

"Cye, you trust too easily." Ryo warned him but the warning fell on deaf ears.

"Still not worried." Cye smiled and slowly reached down to thread their fingers together. "I'll see you tonight then?"

Ryo nodded. "Yeah. I may be a little late getting in so try not to fall asleep." He smiled at his friend and lover.

"I'll wait up." Cye winked at him and then left Ryo's side to confront an angry Rowen. "Ease up, gentlemen." Cye spoke politely to the guards. "I'll take the new recruit from here."

"But, Sir Cye, he's being a nuisance!" said one guard holding Rowen.

Cye met Rowen's tired, angry gaze. "I said I can take him from here." With a friendly smile he waved the guards off and took Rowen's hand in his. "Come, let's get you cleaned up and fed. You must be hungry." Rowen's stomach growled. "Very well then. Come with me."

Rowen let Cye guide him into the palace, which was made of marble floors and stone walls. He could conclude that the Date family was on the richer side of the Empire. He took notice of all the ancient pottery and statues, along with various gold trimmed furniture and decorative wall fabrics. For a moment he wondered why Cye did not bring him in to the servant quarters. He got his answer when Cye led them to a bathing room with two large, shallow pools. The room was empty save for just the two of them. Rowen felt like he could relax now, being as it was only Cye who was with him.

"You can get into the pool, Rowen. Whichever one you'd like. The largest one is cool water and the smaller is heated. I'll send for some food and fresh water for you. So just make yourself com-" Cye ceased speaking when Rowen had already stripped himself naked and climbed into the hot water tub. "Okay then." He chuckled. "I'll be back in a moment."

Rowen let out a deep sigh of content as the hot fragranced water gently stung at his skin. He couldn't resist the hot water tub for baking himself in such heat that helped to relax him. Back in the clan he would often have Kento stoke the fire beneath his barrel tub as he stargazed. He glanced up at the ceiling only to find a painted mural of a garden. Closing his eyes he carefully sank further into the water, taking in a deep breath of all the warm vapors. The image in his head was of Sage on the dais, looking at him with curious interest. Now that he had a peaceful moment to think he couldn't deny how handsome the young lord looked at the auction. The color of his golden hair and purple eyes was a combination he had never seen before. In his clan everyone was of a darker coloring when it came to hair and eyes. His own coloring was a rarity among his people but Sage's even more so. Rowen knew that he was passing harsh judgment on Sage when he really did not know him enough to do so. He just couldn't bear the smug, uncaring look of the blonde that day in the tent. Sage simply dismissed his concerns as if they were petty and silly. The young lord had no disregard for how his actions might be hurting other people. That's what pissed him of the most. Grumbling to himself he sank further until his nose was submerged and blew out some angry bubbles. He began to wonder just how he would convince Sage to move the structure or stop its production. Rowen would have to find out from Cye, in the subtlest way possible, just how Sage could be swayed. Cye obviously has the ear of Sage and probably spends the most time with him. He couldn't see Cye actually having seduced Sage into getting his way for the soft-spoken man didn't come off that way. Of course, looks could be deceiving and Rowen was shocked when Cye was holding that spear and looked ready to attack.

"Rowen?"

"GAH!" He nearly leapt out of the water. "Geez, Cye! You startled me! Don't sneak up on me when I'm thinking!" He glared at the amused look on Cye's friendly face.

"I apologize for sneaking up on you. I swear that wasn't my intent." He placed a step stool next to the tub behind Rowen. "Your food will be here shortly as well."

"Thanks. I'm so stinkin' thirsty I could drink the bath water!" He heard Cye rustling around in something behind him, and then felt a light tickle to his scalp. Crossing his blue eyes he tried to see what the other was doing above. "Never seen blue hair before?"

"No, I'm just checking for lice or fleas." Cye said with a little hum afterwards while using the tiny stinks to fold the blue hair this way and that. "All clear. Now to get you cleaned up proper!"

"I can wash myself, Cye. I'm fully capab-LUB!" Cye shoved the other down under the water by his shoulders to get his hair wet. He pulled Rowen back up, who took in a heavy gasp for air. "HEY! WHAT WAS THAT FOR?"

"Protocol." Cye answered softly and slicked back the wet hair. "This is my job and I fully intend to complete it. I would think some gentle service would be a treat for you after the way you've been manhandled. Now hold still and close your eyes." He opened up a bottle and poured the liquid content onto Rowen's hair, and then began a gentle massage of the scalp that had Rowen moaning. "Feel good?" Cye laughed. "It's rose extract. Smells divine."

"Very. Don't stop." He said with a groan and tilted his head back into Cye's touch. "Feel free to wash the rest of me now."

Cye just rolled his eyes in amusement and continued washing the other's hair. "Oh, let me tell you about what you'll be doing here as a servant. For most of the time you will be with me attending to Lord Sage, with or without him present. I'll teach you everything that Lord Sage likes, how he wants it done, and what to do to please him."

Rowen peeked an eye open. "He has a really hard life, huh?"

"Don't be unkind, Rowen. You should never speak ill of a person until you've walked in their shoes." He rubbed behind Rowen's ears. "Sage is to be the next lord of this house, which means he not only inherits the name and fortune but also all the burdens that come with it. You should know that his father is very ill so his uncle has been taking over. Sage is still too young to legally inherit the Date holdings and I fear his uncle will try to take over during that time." He rinsed the suds off his hands. "Sage is going to need many trusted friends in the days to come."

"Hmmm." Rowen played over Cye's words in his head. "I'm guessing right now he has only you and Ryo?"

Cye scooped some water up in a rinsing cup to begin washing out the soap. "Sadly, yes. He has other acquaintances but they can't be trusted. Sage trusts us both with all his heart. That's what makes us such good friends. I don't want to ever hurt you, but if you do something to Sage or Ryo that displeases me," he pulled some of Rowen's hair "I'll have to."

"OWWW!" Rowen grabbed at his hair. "That was uncalled for!" He glared at the other.

"Just making my point!" Cye smiled innocently. "Don't move around too much or you'll get soap in your eyes!"

Rowen just mumbled and relaxed back into the water so Cye could finish with his hair. "So I can assume that if I do something to hurt you, I'll have a tiger at my throat and face the wrath of Lord Sage?"

"Yup." Cye ran his fingers through the blue hair to help push out the suds.

Rowen had no doubts that the three guys were as good of friends as Cye claimed them to be. The only friend he had was Kento and he was fine with that, up until now. This never bothered him in the clan but after hearing Cye's words about their close bonds he was envious of their friendship. He wasn't quite sure what it was making him think that way. The only conclusion he could come to was he preferred the company of the Empire's people to his own. Rowen always wondered what it would be like to live in the Empire when he was younger, feeling that he would fit in more there than in his clan. It wasn't that he disliked his home or fellow clan member but more like he really didn't feel that he belonged. Kento was a pure clan warrior; Rowen was of the Empire.

"What are you thinking about?" Cye asked, slicking back the other's hair.

"A bunch of different things. Hey, how did you end up here? If you don't mind me asking."

"Well, my mother and older sister died of a plague when I was young. I was sent to work on a fishing dock without pay but I was able to have shelter and food. Last year I was picked up by slave traders and ended up coming to Sage's house where we became friends. I started out a simple servant just like you but I am considered Sage's personal groom. He calls me his 'little fishy' and 'precious koi'!" He tapped Rowen's shoulder. "Let me have your arm, please."

Rowen held out his arm as Cye started to rub it with some scented oil. "Hey, you don't have to answer this if you don't want to…but are you 'that' kind of servant to Sage as well?"

"Whatever do you mean?"

"I mean sexually." He looked at Cye to see the light blush streaking across the other's face.

"Well…in the beginning, yes, but…not so much any more. Sometimes we share a bed for simple sleeping purposes."

Rowen gave a curt nod. "Will that be expected of me as well? Has Lord Sage said anything to you?"

"No, I'm sorry." He took a sponge to work the oil in to the light skin. "Are you thinking of your intended? Of Kento?

Blue brows furrowed. "Not in that manner of speaking. It's just a courtship at the moment. Nothing official. I see him more as a best friend and I want to keep it that way but…never mind."

Cye rinsed off the oil and proceed to the second arm. "No, please tell me. I'm curious as to know how the clans court one another. It's just the two of us here, and Sage doesn't call me his Solider of Trust for nothing!"

'What harm could it do?' Rowen thought to himself. "Fine, I'll tell you. I actually wasn't expecting HIM of all the warriors to come to my door with courting gifts. If you're not a noble in the clan then you can court whomever you want, man or woman. My arranged marriage to a fellow noblewoman didn't work out so I was opened to any of the other warriors despite my title. Kento's my best friend and has been since we were little. I would rather NOT have an intended at all but Kento kept the other possible suitors away. Not that I had a very long line, mind you." He heard Cye giggle. "One of the things the other warriors always shared about me is that, and I quote, "I always look pissed about something"." Cye laughed behind him.

"Well, I can see why they would think that. I think Kento is very kind to be courting you."

"Yeah, but I rather just stay best friends than become a couple. Is that rosemary?" He asked about the oil being rubbed into his shoulders.

"It is. Sage loves the smell; it's one of his favorites. But getting back to Kento…do you really think it's fair to him to be stringing him along as you are?"

Rowen lowered his shoulder as Cye massaged his fingers into the tense muscle. "I'm sure Kento knows my true feelings…but he's probably just waiting to see what happens. He doesn't have a long line of suitors either and he's fairly shy around the girls. And he needs someone more open to emotions and cuddly and snuggly…someone like you." Rowen tilted his head back to stare up into Cye's sea-green eyes. "You taken?"

"That's none of your business." Cye smiled.

"It's Ryo, right? Yeah, I'm right. I said his name and your face lit up like a freakin' lantern!" He smirked at the expression on Cye's face. "You may continue with cleansing me."

Cye moved his hands down to rub the oil onto Rowen's chest. "So you don't light up for Kento like I do for Ryo?"

"Basically. Oh, by the way, is Lord Sage okay with you being with Ryo?"

"Oh he's fine with it. Of course, if Lord Sage requests my presence first I must leave Ryo to be with him. But the three of us have that sort of open relationship." Cye moved away to dry his hands of the oil. "Is there anything you need? You'll have your own little room and I can bring you whatever you require. Within reason, of course."

Rowen snapped his fingers. "That's easy. I want my own bookshelf filled with books on each topic the Date family has; to start. That also includes journals, articles, newspapers, and document scrolls. Next, I will need ink, quills, paper, and a shit-load of candles. I require to stargaze at night, meet the family apothecary, and have access to the library." He flipped around in the tub to fold his arms over the rim and look at Cye's bewildered face. "You do have a library, don't you?" Cye just gave a few nods. "Good, because in my clan I was limited to the amount of books my father had and the ones he found that the Empire would throw away. Do you read?"

"A little. Sage has been teaching me during some free time, which is rare."

He raised a blue brow. "We'll have more free time together so I'll help you out. I tried teaching Kento but he gets bored way to fast. He needs to be beating something up or hunting to thrill him. So, will I have all that ask? It's not a lot, right?"

Cye shrugged his shoulders. "I will need permission from Lord Sage first, but I doubt he will say 'no'."

"Excellent." Rowen flipped back around to sink into the hot water once again. 'If I'm going to be spending most of my time here then I will use it to my benefit. I'll have Sage tearing up those building documents in no time!'

/

Kento paced in his cell like a caged animal, swearing softly to himself and cursing their rotten luck. All he could think about was Rowen and what that guy Sage was doing to him. He hoped that Rowen was being better treated than he was down here in this stink pit. The only thing of worth he had was the cot, which was just a flat board bolted to the wall and a blanket along with a moldy pillow. Their livestock stables at home were better kept than this place! Learning from one of Rowen's rants he was more likely to die of sickness from the filth of the place rather than in the arena. As he was being brought in he was able to look at the other fighters, noticing how much bigger he was in size. Of course, who knows how long these fighters have been here and in this poor environment it probably weakened them. Hopefully he could stay strong and healthy enough to fight his way through and live another day. He knocked on his forehead with his fist, cursing himself once again for rushing in head-on to that soldier's camp. Rowen always stressed how important it was for him to think, and now thanks to his thick-headedness he was in this place.

"Hey, you're Kento, right?"

Kento turned to see the dark-haired man with the tiger standing outside his barred door. "Yeah, that's me. You're Ryo, right?" he pointed to the other.

"Yeah, that's me." Ryo offered him a friendly smile. "I was asked to come down here and check to see how you're making out."

"How's Ro? Rowen, I mean."

"He's with Cye so he's in good hands." He laughed. "Trust me, the way Cye pampers and prepares new servants for Lord Sage is almost half a day's work! He's very thorough."

Kento gripped the bars in both hands. "So…he's doing all right then? He's not upset at all?"

Ryo shrugged his shoulders. "Not sure. Although I promise you that whatever he's feeling Cye will take care of him."

"It's not Cye I'm worried about! It's your Lord Sage with my Rowen!"

Ryo raised a dark, heavy brow. "Your Rowen?"

"Yeah!" Kento puffed out his chest. "He's my intended, you know!"

"Oh…right." Ryo scratched his chin. "Well, relationships between servants and fighters don't really exist. It's very rare for servants of the Date palace to even be let down here!"

The larger man scoffed. "Trust me. Rowen will find a way! He once ran down a wild boar just for the crime of waking him up from a nap!"

"That's impressive." Ryo laughed. "I think I'll take him on our next hunting trip then. As long as you're doing okay I'll-"

"Wait!" Kento reached out and took hold of Ryo's wrist, holding him in place. "Will you see Rowen a lot in the palace?"

"Well, yeah. I'm Lord Sage's personal swordsman and the Date Family champion. Why?"

"Just…keep an eye on him for me, okay? What I really mean is, help him watch out for himself. Sometimes he stays up all night reading or writing and forgets to eat! Even though he gets overly tired very easily he doesn't always like to stop what he's doing to rest, or you'll just catch him snoring in the middle of something. He'll even fall asleep standing up! His father used to smuggle in these blocks of sugar from the Empire and mix bits of it in his food or drink to give him a little energy. But don't let him know you're doing it! He'll get pissed and run off at the mouth like a babbling brook! You have to force him to do things sometimes too. Even if you have to sit on him, do it! He falls asleep best on his belly, and if he's still fussing, rubbing circles on his back forces sleep to come. And he needs to be warm! I swear, he'd sleep all day on a hot rock in the sun like a lizard! And don't let him cook ANYTHING! He'll combine whatever he can find and either call it food or a science experiment. I swear, one of his cooked pieces of meat got up once and crawled away! But he's really very, very smart and knows tons of stuff! He knows medicines and the names of stars and tons of animal bios and different kinds of plants-"

"Okay, I get it. And here you say Rowen babbles!" Ryo patted the large hand holding his wrist with his other. "Don't worry, between myself, Cye, and Lord Sage, Rowen will be fine. But I'm glad you told me all this. I'll relate the message to Lord Sage. It's nice to know that Rowen has someone like you to help watch out for him."

Kento smirked. "Well, that's what friends are for!"

"Yeah, you're right." He reached in and pats Kento on the shoulder. "Here, I'll let you in on a little secret." Ryo tilted his head to usher Kento's closer. "Do your very best in the fighting arena. If you please the Date family then you have a good chance of getting out of here. There's been some rebellions and uprisings in the city recently and many of the families are afraid to travel without proper protection. Sage's family is one of the richest and most influential families in the Empire. They need bodyguards, and I could use someone like you backing me up, you know? Think you can pull it off?"

"Damn right I can! You tell the whole Date family to be here when I have my first fight! I'll wow them all with my awesome skills!"

"Great! I'll pass that message along as well. Good luck to you." They grabbed the others' wrist in a firm soldier handshake. "Stay alive long enough to make it out here!" Ryo grinned.

"Yeah, I will! You're a good guy, Ryo."

"Aw, thanks." He laughed. "I try my best. And I bet you'd make a good sparring buddy, too! I'm a little too much for the other soldiers here."

"Oh yeah! I sparred with other clan members all the time! I would spar with Rowen sometimes too but he doesn't see the need in it unless there is something really worth fighting for. You know what I like to do with him when he's sleeping? I place one of his stupid books open on his head like a hat." Kento grinned as Ryo found it to be amusing as well.

"Okay, I really have to go now. I'll come by again and check up on you, okay? Take care, buddy!"

"See ya, Ryo!"

/

"You're a bit boney, aren't you?" Cye said to Rowen as he was helping the other get fitted for servant clothes. "Skinny too."

"Hey Cye, you want to lose a tooth or two?" Rowen warned him while looking at his reflection in the body mirror. "Beneath my awesome body I got all the muscle I need to pummel 'little fishes'. Tenderize and grill. Don't think I won't do it." He was more awake and active now that his belly was filled with hot beef soup, fresh bread, wine, and water.

"Aren't you a cranky one!" Cye pulled the white tunic over Rowen's head since it was too big for him to wear. He fumbled through the clothing trunk and pulled out a soft blue one with simple white ivy trim on the cuffs and bottom hem. "Oh, this one should fit! Lord Sage will love it on you!"

Rowen felt the heat rise up in his cheeks at the mention of Sage's name and quickly he pinched at them so Cye wouldn't catch on. "Need some color in his skin of mine!" He held up his arms as Cye slipped on the next tunic. This one fit much better, but the sleeves were a little longer than he was used to and bell shaped. The style of dress did not seem appropriate for the type of work he would have to do. That is, assuming he knew what type of work he'd be doing. The material was light enough to move around easily. The loose brown pants and sandals he wore would help to keep him cool in this heat. He turned to thank Cye when he noticed that they looked almost identical in dress. Cye's was a much lighter blue but with a touch of soft green. The fabric matched his eyes. Rowen looked at himself in the mirror and frowned at the various hues of blue he had on him. Hair, eyes, and now his shirt.

"Maybe I should go with a different color? Of shirt, I mean."

"No, that blue looks beautiful on you! You'll wear it and like it." Cye wagged his finger in Rowen's face and he in turn took a snap at it. Cye pulled his finger away and held it to his chest.

"Oh, I didn't actually bite you! Grow a backbone!" Rowen returned to the mirror image of himself. He didn't look too bad. And he had to admit he smelled a lot better as well.

"Come on, it's time for you to REALLY meet Lord Sage!" Cye smiled and grabbed the other's wrist to pull him along. "Sage is usually in his study at this time of day."

'Sage? I'm going to see him right now?' Rowen let Cye drag him through the palace once again. What was he going to say to Lord Sage? Blurting out all his aggravation about the building structure and the violation of a treaty wouldn't do him any good. Not yet anyway. Rowen knew he would have to appeal to Sage's better nature and get to know the man like Cye does. Apparently, Cye is the type of person who makes friends very easily and that's how Sage grew to openly trust him. Now they were best friends, along with Ryo. Rowen was never an expert at making friends. He always had Kento to break the ice whenever they spoke to other boys their age. He would have to become Sage's friend if he wanted to get what he needed from him.

"Okay, this is his private study." Cye said once they were standing outside a carved wooden door. He gave a loud knock and Sage's voice could be heard from the other side. "Right. Now-" He licked his thumb to smooth down Rowen's left eyebrow and pushed aside a few stray strands of blue hair. "Keep your cool about you. Always maintain your composure. Remember, you are speaking to a high nobleman, the future heir to this family; your lord and master. You get more bees with honey." Cye booped Rowen's nose. "So be the sweet honey comb, okay?"

"Does Sage sting?" Rowen wasn't expecting the blush that came from the other man at the comment. "Just a joke." He smirked. "You're askin' to be teased, little 'koi'." 'He's my new target for awhile once I'm settled in.' Rowen always did like a good prank, especially on someone like Cye who was easy to trust and gullible. "Thanks for all your help, Cye. I'll catch ya later."

Rowen opened the door and stepped inside, closing it gently behind him. The first thing he noticed was the tall bookshelf full of scrolls and books that even had a ladder! A ladder! To reach the books at the very top. The study was small with a fireplace, various pottery, paintings, and rich rugs. In the center of the room stood a table neatly covered in papers and a book or two. And maybe something that looked like a journal. He was so engrossed by the atmosphere around him that he failed to notice the young lord standing near one of the bookshelves.

"Hello Rowen." Sage was holding open a large scroll, but rolled it back up when Rowen finally noticed him.

Rowen wanted to respond but his voice had escaped him and his throat became dry. The young lord, now dressed in a casual mauve swordsman's shirt, began to make his way over to him. His heartbeat thundered in his chest and he prayed to all the ancient forest deities that he would not let himself blush.

End Chapter 3 TBC
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Wild Child	By : FlayraDowitcher Category: +M to R > Ronin Warriors Views: 1521 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own RW/YST. I'm making no money off this fic.

Wild Child