"Arabian Nights"
Part 64
by Beryll
"You didn't finish your tea, master."
It could have been a simple statement but combined with the pained, worried and deeply reproachful expression on Orli's face it could just as well have been a direct order delivered by Prince Viggo's stern mother.
Sean watched with deep amusement as his lord picked up the teacup again and drained the vile brew which Liv insisted was necessary to drive the last traces of illness from his body. She - like everybody else - had been in tears with relief when she had heard that Viggo had woken up. She hadn't doubted Billy's explanation that the Prince had been cursed with the illness that had nearly killed him, but she had also ordered the Prince to stay in bed till his body had fully recovered.
Viggo had tried to convince his well meaning servants that he was all right. Apart from Sean nobody had believed him and Sean hadn't seen any reason to aid his lord in this matter. He was driving himself too hard anyway. To be confined to the bed and taken care of for a few days would invigorate him and help him gain strength to face whatever attack on him would be next.
It also gave the kittens the time they needed to prepare the Prince's new quarters. With his harem grown to five boys now his bed was definitely too small to accommodate all of them and the few rooms which had originally been assigned to Viggo were starting to feel cramped now.
So the Caliph - immensely grateful that Viggo had survived - had chosen a new suite of rooms for his son where he and his household would have the space they needed. Elijah was overseeing the redecoration of the rooms, aided by Dominic and Jared, while Orli was taking care of the Prince and Billy was still recovering himself.
The young man was an amazing person. Sean hadn't really talked to Billy yet as the boy had spent most of the time asleep, but clearly Viggo had managed to pick up another rather exotic pet without even trying. In the few hours that the young druid had been awake, had already made a tour of the Prince's new quarters and 'warded' them. Elijah said this had mainly consisted of Billy drawing small glyphs on each doorway and window frame but he had sounded deeply impressed.
What impressed Sean was how smoothly the boy seemed to accept this new place and life. He could only guess at what Billy must have lost but it surely hadn't been less than what Sean had lost, but Billy took it all in his stride. Still Sean had promised himself that he would keep an eye on the boy so that he would be there to lend a shoulder to lean on, should he be needed. Just like he did with all the kittens it seemed.
Prince Viggo handed the emptied cup back to Orli and Sean grinned silently at both the fatherly approval on Orli's face and the grimace of his lord. Watching these two together would have been a balm to anybody's soul.
As Orli picked up the tray that held the rest of the Prince's lunch and left the room, Viggo's attention shifted to Sean who was standing close to the doorway, keeping a silent vigil over his lord.
"You know, if they put another curse on me you won't be able to catch it just because you remain by my side." the Prince commented, his voice clearly showing how much he appreciated the fact that Sean was there.
Sean answered with a silent smile which was immediately mirrored on Viggo's face
"It is good to see you smile again." Viggo said softly. Then he continued in a more assertive tone: "But shouldn't you return to Karl? He must be missing you by now, you haven't gone back to his quarters since I woke up..."
A frown suddenly creased his brow and Sean knew that his lord had finally caught up on the fact that Karl was the only one who had not visited his bedside since he had woken up.
"Where is he anyway?" Viggo consequentially asked, his keen grey eyes searching Sean's face for clues that Sean couldn't hide. The anger about what Karl had done was still too raw.
For a long moment Sean fought with himself. Sooner or later his lord would learn what had happened. There was a good chance that Viggo would try to get up to personally disembowel the Captain of the Guard. If there was one thing Sean and Viggo agreed on it was the way they protected those under their care. And that very much included Jared.
"Sean?" Viggo's stern voice forced him from his thoughts, "What is going on?"
With a soft sigh Sean left his post by the door and walked over to the bed, sitting down on the edge. There was really no way to soften what he was going to tell his lord so he might just as well tell him straight.
"Karl raped Jared." Sean said bluntly.
Viggo just stared at him blankly as if he had just grown
a second head. At least that reaction was better than him grabbing his sword
and screaming bloody murder, Sean thought with a healthy dose of sarcasm.
"I found Jared in Karl's quarters, curled up on the floor, crying, bloodied,"
he explained, using the chance that his lord's stunned silence offered, "there
was no mistaking what had happened. And when I confronted Karl about it..."
The memory made Sean's blood run hot with rage again. "He didn't deny
it. He... he said Jared's just a worthless whore... is there to be used..."
"Karl?" Viggo whispered, he had paled visibly while Sean had spoken. "He... no..."
Sean ran his fingers through his hair. "I don't understand it," he said softly, "how can he have the arrogance to draw the line between worthy warrior and worthless whore? How can he treat me like a brother and rape a defenseless boy?"
"I... will..." Viggo growled, his voice shaking with rage, his fists balled so tightly that his knuckles showed white.
Gently Sean laid his hand over one of his lord's fists. "You will do nothing. Jared has recovered. And I have made sure Karl will not touch any of your kittens ever again. He is banned from your quarters and their presence. What more would you do?"
"Kill him!" Viggo hissed, his grey eyes ablaze with the stormy rage Sean knew all too well.
"And what would that accomplish? The harm has been done, my lord. Jared will not thank you for defending his honor. All he wishes for is his safety. If you want to do something good for him, assure him that he will not be returned to the street when he has taught the kittens all he can. You are the only one he will believe it from."
"What? He thinks I will take him back to that... place?" the Prince asked incredulously.
Sean smiled, relieved that he had managed to divert his lord's attention. "Of course he does. Why should he believe otherwise?"
"I would never..."
"So we have told him, my lord."
'Viggo sank into an unhappy silence, but he also relaxed slowly, his initial rage doused enough for reason to kick in. Sean knew how much it pained his old friend to realize that he couldn't protect everybody however hard he tried.
"To think that I left Orli with him..." he said finally, his voice now filled more with fear than anger Then Viggo looked at Sean. "To think that I left you with him..."
Sean shrugged "That seems to be different. I don't understand him. And to be truthful, I don't WANT to understand him. I don't want to see too far into this abyss."
Viggo nodded slowly. "So is that why you have stayed here? Because you don't want to face him?"
Sean shook his head. "No, my lord. I stayed to guard you as is my duty. And to take care of the kittens. They needed someone to cling to."
"Still, I will not have you go back." Viggo said in a tone of voice that allowed no argument. "Public opinion be damned, I will not have you stay at his mercy or at anybody else's." He sat up straighter, taking Sean's hand. "You are a slave no longer." he said firmly. "I free you."
The words rang in Sean's head. He had fought so hard against his captors, against being a slave, but now the words were little more than a nice addition to the fact that he was back by his lord's side. That he was where he belonged. Still he bowed his head as was appropriate.
"Thank you, my lord."
"I could have died," Viggo added softly, "I could have died and you could have been owned by anybody. How could I overlook this? How could I be so careless? I will draw up documents that free you and that also give you possession of the kittens should anything happen to me. I want them safe. I want all of you safe."
If you enjoyed this story, please send feedback to: Beryll
go to PART 65