The Royal Slave

The finely inked words Kagetsuya was reading began to swim on the page as his tired eyes began to water. Rubbing the moisture from the normally bright sapphires gone dull and weary from over use, the prince of Eden dropped the paper he had been reading onto the piles of paperwork that littered his desk. Yawing, Kagetsuya pushed the finely carved wooden chair he was sitting in away from the matching desk.

"I'm all finished, Chihaya, why don't we go for a little walk?" Sitting up straighter in his chair, the handsome prince frowned, glancing around at the beautiful stateroom. It wasn't like his slave not to answer.

"Chihaya?" Fatigue was replaced with a strange foreboding as the silence lengthened. "Where are you, Chihaya?" The prince asked out loud, not really expecting an answer for it was obvious his slave wasn't in the room.

"You only had to tell the cook what I wanted for dinner. You should have been back by now." Standing abruptly, Kagetsuya decided to see if the slave was in one of the adjoining rooms that made up the royal suite.

Kagetsuya was sure that there was a reasonable explanation for the slave's tardiness. So why couldn't he get rid of the nagging sense that something was terribly wrong?

Worry darkened the prince's classical features as his search proved futile. Wherever the slave was, he wasn't in the royal chambers. It was possible that Chihaya had gotten himself lost. The palace was a maze and Chihaya wasn't used to navigating the halls alone.

The guards at the door came to attention as the prince breezed past them. It was a credit to their training that the soldiers didn't jump when Kagetsuya whirled around to face them. "Did my slave go somewhere recently?"

"The last time we saw him, he was leaving to perform his duties." The older of the two guards replied. "Is something the matter, Highness?"

"It's probably nothing. If you should see Chihaya, tell him I would like him to stay in my rooms until I get back."

"Yes, Highness." The guards responded with a salute for their prince.

"Thank you," Kagetsuya acknowledged the salutes with a dip of his golden head. Lost in thought, the prince headed towards Chihaya's last known destination. Perhaps someone at the kitchens would remember seeing the slave. The matronly woman who held the position of high cook had taken a motherly interest in the young slave. If anyone knew where Chihaya was likely to be, it was Maria.

The heavenly scents of delicious food drew Kagetsuya out of his musings just as he was turning the corner into the kitchen. Like bees busily pollinating flowers, the cook and her servants were fluttering from counter to counter as they worked.

Marveling at their efficiency, the prince nearly forgot what he had come to ask when Maria noticed him standing in the doorway.

"Greetings Highness, to what do we owe the pleasure of your presence?" The grandmotherly cook asked, wiping the flour on her wrinkled hands off with her apron.

"Maria," Kagetsuya's smile was strained as he returned the cook's greeting. "I am sorry to bother you, but you didn't happen to see Chihaya at all today did you?"

"No I haven't, Your Highness," Maria admitted as worry clouded her clear green eyes. "I thought perhaps you had decided to forgo dinner today."

"I sent Chihaya out a while ago. If he hasn't gotten here yet something must have happened to him. Not even Chihaya could get that lost, could he?"

Clasping his hands behind his back, the prince paced the length of the kitchen, his mind working ferociously to figure out where the royal slave could possibly be. He was certain now beyond all doubt that Chihaya was in danger.

"Excuse me, I don't mean to interrupt your conversation, but I couldn't help but hear that you are looking for Chihaya. I don't know where he is now, but I saw him earlier by the royal garden when I was going out to the market." A young cook with wild brown hair volunteered as he chopped vegetables for the meal.

"The garden?!?" Taking a step back, Maria covered her mouth in dismay. "Why would he would he go to the garden?"

Kagetsuya's sapphire eyes narrowed at the note of fear in the cook's voice. It was obvious that she was very worried about something. "What's wrong with the royal garden? Chihaya loves flowflowers and while it isn't like him to just forget about a task he has been given, I can easily imagine him spending hours wringring around just looking."

All the color in the cook's wrinkled face drained away and she shook her head in denial. "No, It couldn't be.. he wouldn't."

Biting down on the urge to shake the answer out of the old woman,
Kagetsuya spoke in a quiet, commanding tone. "He wouldn't do what? What are you afraid of? If you know something about Chihaya, I need to know, Maria."

"I am sorry, Your Highness." Gathering herself together, Maria faced the prince, her brow furrowed with worry. "It's just that if Chihaya went into the garden, then he could be in great danger. Your ex-servant, Adam, was put to work in the royal gardens as a gardener not to long ago."

The prince was half way down the hall before he realized he was moving, the heavy weight of barely controlled rage painfully constricting his chest. 'If Adam is involved in this, may God have mercy on his soul, for he won't receive any from me.'

The bright splash of color that met Kagetsuya upon entering the garden was in direct contrast to the darkness that seemed to hang over him in a thick cloud of despair and anger. He scowled at the vivid display of delicate blooms bobbing merrily in the breeze. It didn't seem fair that the garden was full of light and cheer while Chihaya was lost and possibly in the hands of a man who had tried to attack him once before.

'Where are you Chihaya?' Kagetsuya fretted, winding his way through the empty garden path to stand in centcenter of a carpet of green. From the middle of the garden the prince could easily see into all the hidden nooks artfully concealed along the edges of the garden. Every one of them was vacant.

Swearing under his breath, Kagetsuya looked out over the garden once more, frustration in every line of his body. Chihaya was nearby, he could feel it, but the garden stubbornly remained empty.

On his second inspection, something odd about a nearby patch of plants caught his eye. What looked like a long stick seemed to be lying abandoned under the lush foliage. Bending down to get a better look, Kagetsuya hissed in anger at what he saw. Next to the garden rake he had found was the clear sign of a struggle imprinted in the soft garden soil.

Long tapered fingers dug into the moist earth where a few hours before Chihaya's body had rested. As if by touching the place where Chihaya had been, he could somehow reach Chihaya himself. "I promise you, Chihaya. If he has done anything to hurt you, he will pay!"

Pushing himself up from the ground, Kagetsuya didn't bother wiping his hands off as he headed straight for the green house. It was the only logical place for Adam to have gone. He was about to open the doors as quietly as possible so he could take his ex-servant by surprise when an overwhelming feeling of panic washed over his mind, compelling him to throw the doors open and rush through the thick leafy maze.

Adam laughed madly as he tightened his hands around his victim's delicate neck. A scream tore out of Kagetsuya's throat as the last of the plants parted, revealing the grizzly vision. The sight of Chihaya, suspended helplessly in mid air, his beautiful dusky skin crisscrossed by glaring red welts as he struggled weakly against Adam's assault, was more than the prince could stand. Plunging through the greenery, he slammed into Adam's body, forcibly dragging the ex-servant off of Chihaya just as he seemed to give up the fight.

Adam crumpled to the ground as Kagetsuya's weight slammed him head first into the greenhouse wall. Pausing only long enough to make certain that Adam was indeed down and not just faking unconsciousness, Kagetsuya rushed to the inert form helplessly strung up in the cleared section of the hothouse.

Kagetsuya's heart was pounding a hole in his chest as he pressed shaking fingers against Chihaya's battered throat. The relief he felt as the shallow, but steady beat pulsed beneath his fingers was so profound, Kagetsuya's knees nearly buckled. Forcing his legs to straighten, Kagetsuya leaned forward, a sob escaping from deep within his chest as he brushed a feather light kiss against his lover's sweat drenched forehead. "Thank all that is holy, I wasn't too late."

Gently cradling Chihaya's tear stained face with the softest of touches, the prince removed the ball gag to make it easier for Chihaya to breathe. With shimmering tears clear as diamonds trembling on his long flaxen lashes, he tossed the offensive object away.

The prince's icy sapphires took inventory of every bruise and welt marring his slave's delicate body. Clenching his fists in anger, Kagetsuya hissed, "This is unforgivable. For hurting Chihaya, you will pay dearly, Adam."

Reaching out with the healing gift all the people of Eden possessed, Kagetsuya bent his head down over the reddened skin, tenderly laving an abrasion that covered the length of Chihaya's chest with his tongue. The inflammation slowly faded away, leaving whole and healthy skin behind. Satisfied with the result, Kagetsuya continued his ministrations.

Gently tracing his tongue over the wounds crisscrossing Chihaya's chest, the prince wound his arms possessively around Chihaya's waist, being careful not to touch any injured areas.

The reduction of pain allowed Chihaya to fully expand his chest, which in turn aided his breathing. Feeling Chihaya stir, Kagetsuya murmured soothingly against the dusky skin. "Shhh.. it's all right, Chihaya, you're safe. I'm here now."

Calmed by the loving voice of his master, the slave relaxed, his body, resting impassively in the bonds that held him in place. Chihaya moaned softly as Kagetsuya's healing mouth journeyed down his torso, washing away the aching soreness with pleasure.

Kagetsuya didn't bother looking at his lover's groin, knowing the sight would only serve to further enrage him. He could feel the heat pouring off of the welts on the throbbing shaft as he gently took Chihaya's length into his mouth.

Adrenaline coursed through Chihaya's veins with every breath, causing him to tremble with pent up tension. The lithe form stiffened, his back arching as his raw flesh was swallowed up; lovingly bathed by the prince's comforting caress until the tenseness bowing the beautiful body transmuted from pain to sensual bliss.

"Master..." Chihaya croaked, desire thick in a voice scratchy from disuse.

Observing the soft rose hued blush suffusing Chihaya's glistening cheeks, Kagetsuya paused to admire the breath taking vision he held in his arms. Limpid pools of amethyst, vibrant with love, need, and absolute trust threatened to drown the prince. The slave's gaze was as healing as the prince's touch had been. The gentle eyes imparting their radiance to force back the darkness and fear that had filled Kagetsuya's heart at the thought of losing his little lover.

Kagetsuya watched his lover closely for any signs of discomfort, running elegant fingers over the smooth plane of Chihaya's stomach.

"Are you sure you want this now, after all that's happened?" The prince asked, stopping to toy with the hardened nubs his fingers had encountered.

Chihaya nodded, lowering his eyes to the green house floor as he spoke. "I need to know that I still please you."

The pain in Chihaya's voice cut deeply into the prince's heart. "Oh, Chihaya, of course you still please me. None of this was your fault."

Wetting the fingers of his right hand, the prince lightly stroked the opening hidden between his slave's legs. Chihaya emitted a low mewling sound as the prince ran a finger around the unseen entrance while his lips slid soft as satin over sensitive head.

"Give yourself up to me, Chihaya, and I will show you how much I still want you." Kagetsuya whispered around Chihaya's shaft, pushing first one finger then another into the darkness.

A sharp intake of breath marked the moment the seeking fingers found Chihaya's nerve center. The slave's body bucked feebly at the restraints, forcing his shaft further down Kagetsuya's throat.

"As.. you.. wish," the slave moaned in reply, yielding to the ecstasy welling up from the center of his soul. "Kagetsuya!" Chihaya cried passionately, without realizing what he was saying.

The prince's lips turned up in a dazzling smile at the familiarity, though he never faltered in his chosen task. Chihaya's head lolled back as all of the tension was drained from his body, lovingly suckled away by a regal mouth.

Chihaya's body hung flaccidly within the safety of Kagetsuya's embrace, his strength having faded with the tension. The beautiful brunet was utterly exhausted; he couldn't even gather enough energy to lift his head

Wrapping his arms around Chihaya's slender midriff, Kagetsuya whispered into his lover's raven mane. "Please forgive me, Chihaya. You shouldn't have been in danger. If I had been more careful you would've been safe."

Leaning into the embrace as much as he could, the slender brunet tried to shake his head. He looked much better now that his body was healed, though he would probably still be sore for a few days. "You're here and I am safe now, so there isn't any need to be forgiven, Master."

"Perhaps you're right, but I will be more diligent in the future."
Kagetsuya promised, untying the rope that held Chihaya's left leg. "I don't ever want to see you hurt again."

"I am lucky to have such a caring master."

"No," Kagetsuya disagreed, brushing the back of his hand down the line of Chihaya's chin. "I am the one who is lucky to have you, Chihaya."

The look of horror on Chihaya's face was the only warning Kagetsuya had that something was wrong. Sensing movement to his right, the prince snapped out a hand, catching the back of Adam's wrist just in time to divert the plant shears away from heart.

Kagetsuya spun around to face is ex-servant while stilldinlding the man's hand. Adam gasped in pain as his arm was twisted around palm up. The nerves of his arms burned as he desperately tried to hold onto the shears. Slowly his muscles went numb, and his grip on the shears loosened. All he could do was watch as all hope of revenge slipped through his fingers to clatter uselessly on the green house floor. 'No, this can't happen. Not when I was so close.'

Adam was so lost in his own pain he didn't see the prince's punch coming.

Letting go of his ex-servant's hand with a look of disgust as the man collapsed in an undignified heap at his feet, Kagetsuya picked up the fallen shears. Finding some rope that Adam had left out on one of the tables, he cut into several lengths.

Tying the servant's wrists and feet together, Kagetsuya knotted the rope with the strongest knot he knew. It wouldn't impress a sailor, but he was satisfied that Adam would not budge from this spot until the guards came for him. "This time you will stay down."

Wiping his hands on his on his clothing as if he had touched something distasteful, Kagetsuya returned to his slave's side. "Forgive me for keeping you waiting, Chihaya. I'll have you down from there in a moment."

A quiet snore was Chihaya's only reply as the dark head nodded softly in sleep.

Kagetsuya's princely features softened as he reached out to brush the midnight bangs out of Chihaya's eyes. "Yes, rest now my little one, you've earned it."

Taking up the shears again, Kagetsuya carefully cut the ropes binding Chihaya. Catching the slave as he fell, Kagetsuya bore him up in tender arms, dusting a soft kiss on a damp cheek. Without a second glance, the prince wound his way through the maze of plants lining the green house, turning his back on his ex-servant and the sad remnants of Adam's failed attempt at revenge.

~Fin~