"Arabian Nights"
Part 49
by Mel
Orlando couldn’t stop moving. The bazaar had been interesting, but it was nothing Orlando hadn’t seen before. Viggo’s watchful eyes had him keeping his hands in his pockets as they itched to relieve a few people of their purses. Old habits died hard it seemed.
Elijah had been excited too, but Orlando knew he was trying to hide it the whole time. They had tried some new clothes on, though Orlando had lost track of what they had bought. Orlando got some bells that were on small bands. They attached to his wrists and ankles and would sound lovely when he danced.
Elijah bought perfume, of all things. However, when Orlando smelt it, he too wanted some. The smell was intoxicating, a heady, sexual scent that Orlando knew would drive Viggo wild. He made Elijah promise to share it with him after a brief scuffle with the boy.
Viggo bought Dominic a small reed pipe and Orlando hadn’t been able to wipe the smile from his face. Perhaps there was hope yet, if Viggo was thinking of Dom.
And of course, they now had Jared.
Jared walked beside him, his head down, hands at his sides. A curtain of hair fell across his pretty face and Orlando had caught a glimpse of clear blue eyes at one stage. He looked under fed, but everyone in the city did. And he was dirty, but that was nothing a good bath wouldn’t fix. All in all Jared had been a good find, Orlando thought, though he couldn’t say he’d ever been shopping for another person before.
He was too quiet though and that just wouldn’t do.
“I’m Orlando.” Silence. Perhaps he was thinking about something. It made Orlando feel depressed just looking at him. “Everyone just calls me Orli though.”
“Yes, sir.”
Standard response, but at least he was talking.
“You’re going to love the palace, it’s a little overwhelming at first, but you’ll get use to it.”
“I’ve been to the palace before, sir.” Elijah was right, he did look pretty tired. He was sure he could convince Viggo to let him have a nap.
“The Prince has his own rooms, we aren’t allowed to leave them on our own yet, not after last time we went wandering around anyway. My back still stings thinking about it.”
A sideways look, face visible for a bare moment before going back to being bowed meekly again. But it was some interest at least.
“You see, Elijah had run off after Sean, all lovey dovey eyed-“
“I was not!”
“And I thought I’d better follow him, to keep the little tyke out of trouble, you know?”
“I am not little!”
“And this noble decides he wants a piece of Elijah. So I kick him in the shins and we run off. I got five lashes for it, and I’d do it all over again! No one touches my Elijah like that!”
“Do you have to tell everyone?” Elijah grumbled, though he didn’t sound as irritated as he was pretending to be.
“I wasn’t telling everyone, I was telling Jared, he’s one of us now, right?” Orlando looked to the other man. Jared lifted his head a little, looking surprised, tired and confused all at once. A small, real smile danced across his face before his training took a hold and he bowed his head again.
“Yes, sir.”
Orlando grinned, confident in the fact it wouldn’t be long before Jared would become a permanent fixture of the group, it was just that no one else knew it yet.
---
Elijah studied the older man as they entered the cooler climate of the palace. The trip had been fun, the time out of the confines of the palace was something Elijah had thought he wouldn’t see for a while. And to be able to shop in Aqaba’s great Bazaar was a dream he had reserved for wistful younger days.
The sun and heat had done its toll on the Prince, Elijah believed he would never truly recover from his days in the desert and the heat and sun would always heavily affect him. If there was a next time, Elijah would ask for Ian to accompany them.
As attendants relieved them and the guards of the parcels they carried, Elijah’s attention was captivated by the man who was to be their teacher. Orlando had good eyes. Beneath the shabby clothing was a strong body, and the eyes, when his training allowed it, were clear. A strong mind as well.
Orlando was trying to drag him out of his shell, talking a mile a minute about everything and nothing. But other then the occasional ‘yes, sir’, he said nothing. Elijah couldn’t tell if Orlando was irritating him, or amusing him. Which was probably the safest route. For a slave, especially a pleasure slave, to show an opinion or have an argument would often result in sever punishment. Elijah had seen it in his father’s court often enough. Many of those slaves had come from his father’s own rooms.
He also noticed that the merchant had been lying.
Unless Jared’s idea of fun was having constant sex, Jared had not been out that night. His hands were trembling slightly, and though he was still graceful, he walked a little stiffly. If tribute had not gone to the Caliph, Elijah held no doubt this was what he would have become. Perhaps his father would have even seen fit to keep him as one of his personal slaves. Given his father’s tastes, Elijah wouldn’t have lasted more then a few days.
Elijah shivered at the dark thoughts, shaking them off. He had been lucky that he had been given to the Prince, who had asked for nothing more then his friendship. Jared was going to be lucky too, because, knowing the look in Orli’s eye, he wasn’t far off asking Viggo if they could keep him.
“Kittens!” Viggo called, drawing Elijah from his thoughts and Orli from his chatter, indicating they were ready to move to their rooms now.
Elijah smiled sheepishly, capturing Viggo’s eye. The Prince smiled gently, urging his boys on home. Elijah was content, and he hadn't thought that would be possible again.
Orlando grabbed Jared’s hand, moving to catch up with the Prince. He wasn’t paying attention, at times Orli was as adorably clueless as their Prince, but Elijah was. Jared shuddered slightly, trying to retract his hand from Orlando’s grasp without getting in trouble.
Elijah noticed the older man’s plight and step forward, slipping in between the two, and forcing Orli to take his hand instead. Orli grinned at him, clueless of course, and Elijah smiled back as the taller boy cuddled into his side. It had taken Elijah quiet some time to get use to Orli’s affectionate nature, it would take Jared some time too. Elijah turned, smiling at Jared, winking.
Jared inclined his head in thanks before returning his eyes to the floor.
“Home’s this way,” Orli told Jared, leading them.
Jared would understand soon enough, life with the Prince never seemed to follow conventual rules, but his outlook on life would become a lot brighter now.
---
Sean had been very quiet company while Dom had been alone with him. It was off putting after spending the last day with nothing but noise, he hadn’t been ready for Sean’s silent presence. The whole time he had been there he had said little more then a few pleasantries.
Dom really couldn’t blame him. After last night, Dom was almost certain that Sean was obscenely close to both the Prince and the Captain, one whom he had tried to kill, and the other who he just annoyed. Elijah as well by the looks of things, and he had rubbed the painted doll the wrong way a couple of times.
Still, Sean came off as a remarkably fair man, and though he was silent, there was no malice in it. So Dom busied himself with tidying up the courtyard, while Sean appeared to be mending holes in clothing.
Every so often Dom would feel the exotic man’s eyes on him, but whenever he turned to look, Sean would be deeply involved in his mending. As off putting as it was, it soon became a game to Dom, to see if he could catch the older man’s eyes before they went back to their task. So far Dom had only caught the man once, but even then he felt a little cheated as he was sure Sean had allowed him to catch him out on purpose.
The image both the Prince and Sean excluded was almost the same, if only on slightly different. With Sean, Dom felt as if he was an unruly child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Even Dom’s own father had never made him feel that way. But, as with everyone he had encountered since meeting the Prince, Dom also felt like he was on last chance. Not even Orlando would forgive him if he did anything to harm the Prince.
So Dom was part way grateful when he heard Orli’s telltale voice coming up the hallway. He paused before kneeling by the door.
“You don’t have to, you know.” Sean didn’t look up from his mending. “Viggo won't notice, because he doesn’t expect you to do it.”
Dom didn’t move, but he wondered if it was true. Viggo had been a Prince before he had come here, surely he had man servants to wait on him back home. Had he been treated so differently back home? Was everything so alien for him here? He didn’t have much time to think on it as life returned to the room.
Viggo came in first, though on his heels were Elijah and Orlando. Orli was chatting away excitedly, the animation in his movement caused him to curl around Elijah’s side. Though not nearly as bright as Orli, Elijah seemed to be just as excited, his small frame trembled with movement.
Attendants brought in the things they had bought. The first few moved around him, but the last few, obviously recognising him, purposely stood on him. Dom bit his tongue, he was doing this to stay with Orlando, that’s all that mattered.
He could feel Sean’s green eyes on him, but did not look up.
Following the attendants with heavy footsteps, must be the man they had bought. Dom glanced at him. He was older, and tired by the looks of it. Dom had felt that way before, but usually, he had been instructed to kill the man that had used him to the point of exhaustion, so there had always been something to look forward to.
Sean was right, he had not been noticed by the prince. Viggo fell into some cushions, both Orlando and Elijah fawning over him. It would have been sickening to watch if he couldn’t see the clear devotion in both their faces. Sean put down his mending and turned to the Prince, talking to him like one would an old comrade, and Viggo answered in turn. Only the new member of their brigade took notice of him, falling to his knees beside him.
The whore appeared to be grateful to be seated and out of the lime light. He cast Dom a curious look, Dom recognised him, whore’s lane had been home for a short time. Dom’s nose wrinkled, the man smelt like old sex so Dom inclined his head to the baths.
“Won’t we get in trouble?” The man hissed.
“They won't mind,” Dom answered, realising it was true. “The Prince will probably be happy for it.”
He looked confused, but followed as Dom led him across the room to the bathing area. He rang the bell for some hot water, before helping the other man out of his clothes. His hands trembled too much to do it himself.
“Did the Prince buy you too?” He asked, shrugging out of his clothes.
“No,” Dom told him truthfully, “I’m here through special circumstances. You’ll find everyone around the Prince is here for different reasons.” He was quite lovely really. Dom helped him into the hot water, ducking his head beneath it for a moment, before lathering his hands with shampoo and beginning to wash his hair. “What’s your name?”
“Jared.”
“Don’t fall asleep on me, Jared,” Dom laughed, “I’m Dominic. He did quiet a number on you, didn’t he?”
There were bruises on Jared that were old and new. They dotted his body, ranging from fading yellow and green to blooming blue and purple. There were old scars beneath the bruises, the brand on his hand, and an intricate tattoo on his back.
“I’ve had worse,” Jared whispered, sounding more like he was falling asleep. Dom didn’t want that to happen here, it would be a right annoyance to drag him back to the bedroom. So he dunked Jared’s head back into the water.
Jared came up spluttering, now wide awake as he could be, and Dom shed his own clothing. “What, by Allah, was that for?”
“I told you not to fall asleep,” Dom told him as he slipped into the water, “now lets get you washed.”
---
“Where did Jared go?”
Sean paused in his mending as Elijah suddenly sat up, looking around. It appeared the boy’s excitement and chatter had finally abated, and they had curled up together beside Viggo, spent from the day's activities.
“If you are talking about the little Mouse, Dominic took him for a bath.”
He was a little Mouse at the moment. Though Sean was certain he was older then the other Kittens, he was still impossibly young. Sean absentmindedly scratched his own brand. No one choose to be a slave, he wondered what had happened to the little Mouse to have him in this position.
“That’s good right?” Orli asked, also sitting up, “at least they’re getting along.”
Elijah didn’t look too convinced but nodded, managing a small smile for Orli. “I guess.”
So Dominic was still a sore subject for Elijah. Dominic still needed some time to adjust to the way the Prince did things, but he seemed like a smart lad and Sean had no doubt he would start learning quickly enough. But Elijah would take a lot longer to get over the hurt the other boy had caused him. Sean wanted to give the boys a little nudge in the right direction, but it was their battle, and Sean wouldn’t interfere in it. The boys would work it out on their own.
“What did you think of him, Sean?” Orli asked, bouncing slightly. Did the boy ever run out of energy?
“I didn’t get much of a chance to talk to him, let alone form an opinion, Orli.” The boy’s face began to droop and Sean sighed, understanding now how Orli appeared to have them all wrapped around his little finger. “But he looked like a nice lad, a good choice.”
Orli brightened instantly, to Sean’s delight and chagrin. To make matters worse, Viggo appeared to be hiding a smile. Thankfully Orli didn’t seem to notice his own unique gift, if he ever did it could be a powerful weapon.
Dominic and Jared chose that moment to rejoin them. Sean caught Dom’s eye, inclining his head, and Sean could see his posture slump slightly. Neither boy appeared ready to be social just yet, but they had no choice. They did a good job at not dragging their feet as they made their way over.
Dom took the seat next to Orlando, Jared squeezing in between Dom and Sean.
Sean had to admit, the lad was beautiful. Honey skin, toned flesh and strong muscles, the bruises were a pity and drew a sting of remorse through Sean’s heart. Had he looked like that not long ago? He wore nothing but a pair of linen pantaloons that Dom had obviously found, and they were some sizes to big for him, falling off his hips. His shoulder length hair was still damp and clung in tendrils around his face. Jared was use to hiding his face behind it, but Sean could see clear blue eyes and full lips beneath it. He had his hands clenched in his lap as he sat on the floor.
The floor?
Sean gave him a gentle nudge with his elbow. “You can sit on the cushions here.”
Jared didn’t appear to believe it, but Dom nodded on his other side and the Mouse moved. “I know it doesn’t look it,” Sean told him softly, “but none of us are slaves here.” Again a look of disbelief that was quickly masked. Good Lord, Viggo had managed to pick up another one.
“Karl! Come over and meet Jared!” Orli was waving at the door.
Sean turned, Karl was here. He smiled at the other man. He looked tired, but he had said he was going to be busy with his guards today, so Sean expected that. Still, the Captain managed a lopsided smile and a discrete roll of his eyes at Orli’s behaviour for Sean’s benefit.
And then his gaze fell on Jared.
Jared wasn’t facing him, but something in his posture must have given him away. Or maybe it was the way his body trembled, or the intricate pattern of tattoos on his back. What ever it was it made Karl stop dead.
His face became a terrible mask of pain and fury, it twisted his face in a way Sean thought he would never see on the man he had grown so close to. For a moment Sean was sure he would kill the boy. Sean placed a hand on Jared’s shoulder, the young mouse practically shook beneath his touch.
Karl’s face smoothed out. Whatever demon they had seen buried itself as quickly as it had emerged. His eyes were cold and distance.
“I hope you had him checked for syphilis,” he said, turning on his heel, leaving as he had come.
The room was silent and Jared’s trembling subsided. The mouse may not have seen it, but he had felt the demon. Sean turned back, Viggo’s face was an open mixture of surprise, anger and confusion. He looked to Sean, and Sean shook his head. He would talk to Karl.
“You don’t have syphilis, do you?” Orli hissed in the silence.
“Orli!” They all reproached him at once.
“What!?!”
Jared laughed, the relieved mirth seeping away their concerns for a time. Sean’s hand didn’t leave Jared’s shoulder until some time later.
---
Viggo had never, ever, bought a person before. It had never occurred to him that one day he would be handing over enough coins to buy someone’s future out from under them. Today he had done it. He had bought a person for his own purposes.
Viggo would not do it again if he could help it. There was no wonder or excitement that he had just saved someone. No romance or joy that he could make this person's life better. Just the heavy knowledge that he had traded gold for someone’s life.
He had no doubt that Jared would be better off here, the bruises and scars muted testimony for the life the younger man had had to leave, but he had taken Jared’s destiny out of his hands. What if he never truly opened up, if he could never leave the carefully drawn lines of master and servant behind? What if he never found his true purpose because Viggo had bought it from him on the whim of two young men?
The thoughts made Viggo physically ill.
Viggo couldn’t wait for the day when he could set them free, give them a chance at their lives back. He’d miss them dearly, and he would never forget them, but they each deserved better then that. His Kittens would be free to choose their own paths.
For a moment his eyes strayed to Sean, who was watching Dom and Orli get in a mock fight. Elijah had nestled himself in the other man’s lap, watching with a smile on his face. Sean was doing much better, though there was still the emptiness in his eyes, but Karl and Elijah adored him and the man seemed to be healing from it. Sean deserved so much more then everything that had happened to him, and Viggo would give him all he could.
He would try to make all their lives better somehow, even Jared’s. The little mouse, as Sean had named him, wouldn’t look at Viggo. He looked exhausted, forcing himself not to fall asleep where he sat.
Standing quietly Viggo moved around their little group, being careful not to disrupt them. He placed a gentle hand on Jared’s arm, the mouse shivered beneath it before forcefully stilling the reaction. Jared straightened a little, and followed Viggo into the bed chamber.
Viggo turned to say something when Jared fell gracefully to his knees, hands making quick work of Viggo’s pants. Viggo stepped back just as quickly, forcing the act to stop. Jared knelt there, head bowed. There was so much familiarity with the pose that it made Viggo’s heart ache. The merchant had said he hadn’t been doing this long, but it was obviously long enough.
Kneeling in front of him, Viggo didn’t touch him, instead keeping his hands in his own lap.
“I know you’re not going to understand, but that’s not expected of you here, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. You can be yourself with us, and you won't get in trouble for anything you do, or don’t do.”
“I don’t understand, your highness.”
He was so monotone. Viggo wondered what had happened to him when there had been feeling in his voice. “I know you won't, but you will, the boys will teach you I’m sure. And it’s Viggo when it’s just us.”
“What did you want of me, sir?”
Viggo sighed, this was going to take time. He stroked Jared’s face gently, before leaning forward and pressing his lips against the young man’s forehead. “I was just going to offer you use of my bed, you looked so tired out there. Sleep well, little Mouse. Feel free to join us later.”
He stood and left Jared, hopefully to let the young man sleep.
---
Jared stood a little shakily, mind working sluggishly. The night was catching up with him, he needed sleep very badly. His mind swam. The smile on Orlando’s face, the wink of Elijah’s eye. The soft voice of Dominic and the hard glare of Karl, the man he hadn’t seen. The touch of Sean’s hand, the smell of the prince when he kissed him. He let it fill him, touch him, and he fell asleep, curled around the bed and the pillows.
Today had not been so bad after all.
If you enjoyed this story, please send feedback to: Mel
go to PART 50