The Royal Slave

Greetings!
Here is the next, much awaited story in the Royal Slave
series. Many thanks go to my friend Cybersprite for helping me with the title
and my wonderful beta readers Bearilou, Angue, and everyone else who offered
their help! Your support is greatly appreciated!!
I don't own Earthian and have written this story for
entertainment only.
Enjoy!
Shara

Cultivating A Bitter Fruit

A garden rake scraped across tiled floor next to one of the flowerbeds lining
the elegant grounds of the royal gardens. The high pitched sound that bounced
off the stone walls enclosing the courtyard kept any would be visitors away.
The man tending the plants didn't mind the noise so long as it allowed him to
go about his chore in peace.

It was bad enough to be forced to manual labor; Adam didn't want anyone to
see his humiliation. A servant of the highest caliber should be working as a
servant,
not a gardener. Grinding his teeth together, the former servant to the royal
heir viciously scratched the rake and threw the dirt, leaving deep furrows in
the soft soil. Fallen leaves and petals collected underneath the tines of the
rake. Roughly gathering them into a pile that he would later place on the
compost heap, Adam sneered, his upper lip lifting to
reveal his teeth as he glowered at the litter he had collected.

For a whole month he had searched for a new job, interviewing with every
noble at court who had an opening in his or her household for a servant. He'd
even lowered himself enough to try a few lesser nobles, but the response was
always the same.

"I know you, you're the servant who was discharged from his post for
attacking the prince's slave. I am sorry, but we have no openings here for
servant who
doesn't know his place."

Anger smoldered in the depths of Adam's eyes as he raked some more debris
into the pile. "I wasn't the one who was stepping out of his place. But I
have had to listen politely as, one by one, all the nobles of the realm
informed me that if I wasn't trustworthy enough to be left alone with a
slave, they wouldn't feel safe leaving me alone with any
possession of great worth.

The former servant's knuckles whitened as his hands tightened around the
handle of the rake. "They weren't worth working for anyway. The only man I
ever want to serve is the man who discharged me from his service."

"I would still have a job if it weren't for the prince's little whore. That
pretty slave boy has prince Kagetsuya wrapped around his little finger."

Adam stopped raking to lean into the handle of his rake with a sigh. A soft
breeze toyed with his short white hair, cooling the sweat on his forehead.
"I can't blame the prince, no matter how much it hurt to be dismissed so
casually. How could I blame him? I know how depraved slaves can be. Chihaya
might play at being sweet and innocent, but I know better. He's just a
spoiled slave in dire need of a lesson. He's controlling my prince somehow.
He has to be, why else would Kagetsuya be so taken with a slave?"

"He's probably in the prince's chambers right now, tending to his master,
while I'm stuck here in the garden raking leaves." Adam growled in disgust,
moving on to work on the next flowerbed.

The sound of heavy footsteps echoed off of the stone walls as someone passed
by the garden entrance. Fixing his gaze on the dark earth he was raking, Adam
kept his gaze humbly low. 'It wouldn't do to lose this job, as lowly as it
is, because someone thought I was lazing about when I should be working.'

"Oh, Chihaya wait a moment." A warm, mellow voice wafted in from the entrance
of the garden, sending a chill down Adam's spine.

Trembling under a barrage of emotions, Adam slowed his work enough so that he
could clearly hear the conversation in the hall. He didn't recognize the
speaker, but the name he called out was seared in his memory. 'What is the
little slave doing away from his master? If I can find evidence that proves
Chihaya is not as innocent as he seems, maybe that will make the prince see
reason.'

The royal slave's dulcet tones were more difficult to hear over the raking.
Stopping altogether, he concentrated on hearing Chihaya's soft voice. "Slave
master Galen, It is good to see you. Do you wish me to deliver a message to
my master, the prince?"

"No, Chihaya, I wish to talk to you. I hear the prince is quite pleased with
you. We are all very proud of the work you have been doing."

"You honor me. It pleases me to think my master is enjoying me."

The slaver's hearty laugh boomed like the banging of a drum. This startled
Adam so badly he nearly dropped his rake.

"Anyone would enjoy you, my lad. Take my word for it. Your grace and gentle
manners have set the aristocracy abuzz. There are many who greatly regret
having not claimed you for themselves."

Adam could hear the smugness in the man's voice and it made him feel ill. He
could understand how Chihaya could trick the prince into believing he was
harmless, but it seemed that he had somehow fooled everyone else as well. It
was no wonder no one wanted to hire him on.

"It was not my choice to make." Chihaya replied dutifully.

A rage so powerful it took Adam's breath away surged up from the depths of
his heart turning his vision red. How dare the little tramp sound so meek and
mild when he was playing so many people for a fool? The ex-servant was so
lost in his fury he didn't feel the
sharp sting of his nails as they scratched furrows across his palm.

"You are quite correct, Chihaya. Still, it does my heart good to know some of
those who spurned you so cruelly because of your coloring, are now lamenting
over the loss of the lovely black angel."

"It is not my place to judge anyone, but your concern for me is greatly
appreciated."

"You're a good lad, Chihaya. Where are you off too? Surely I have stalled you
in some errand."

"I am to instruct the cook as to what my master wishes to have for supper.
Since my master no longer has a servant, he has asked me to take on some of
the tasks the servant used to perform."

'How can you sound so humble? You have taken away everything that ever
mattered to me,' Adam thought bitterly, his hands clenching the rake tightly
as he tried to keep himself from growling in response.

"Then I shouldn't keep you from your task. I'm glad to see that you're doing
well." The slaver's heavy step receded down the hall as he spoke.

"It was good to see you." Chihaya replied as his much lighter footfalls faded
in the opposite direction.

Silence echoed loudly in Adam's ears, and he stared down at his hands as his
anger, frustration, and the need to do something coalesced into a plan.
Chihaya had taken over most of his duties. That meant Chihaya would be
passing by the garden fairly regularly. A feral smile spread across the
ex-servant's lips, lighting the dark disks of his eyes with an eerie gleam.

Bending to his task, Adam raked the earth with renewed vigor. He would have
to work quickly if he wanted to get everything ready by the next day.
Tomorrow, he would get back at that little whore for trying to destroy his
life.

The end