Luminous Luxuries P2

 

When Kelvin returned to his suite it was quite late in the evening—or early in the morning he thought wryly.  He and his companions had spent the night carousing around the upper class pubs and dance halls; he had imbibed in his fair share of intoxicating drink and remained in a pleasantly mellow mood throughout it all sharing in the good-natured jokes and jibes of his friends. 

However upon arriving in his room he saw to his consternation that his bed was not turned down, as he would have expected, and even more disturbing Edam was not curled up in that bed awaiting his return.  It was not that he always expected Edam to be in his bed waiting for him, but he had been very clear on his intentions he thought and he surely had expected Edam to be waiting for him this time.

Sighing he strolled to a narrow door just off from his own main doors and stepped thru into Edam’s small cubicle bedroom to find his delicate lover huddled on his pallet and shivering as if from cold even though he had several blankets wrapped around him.  Kelvin frowned slightly, even in the dimness of the room Edam’s pretty face looked pinched and tense, he bent down and brushed the back of his hand over Edam’s forehead wondering if his lover had a fever but instead found Edam’s skin to be rather cool and sticky to touch. 

Gently he shook him and was shocked by Edam’s response.  The youth awoke instantly and crab-crawled away from him, his expression was a testament of fear and wariness that Kelvin had never thought to see on that pretty face.  Stunned by that reaction Kelvin waited as Edam relaxed and gradually lost the fear look from his eyes.

“O-oh…Kelvin it’s you.” Edam murmured lamely.

Kelvin raised a brow and quipped, “Were you expecting someone else?”

Edam bit his lip and nervously glanced aside.  Kelvin, duly puzzled now edged closer and saw to his dismay how Edam actually pressed back from him.  “What is the matter with you Edam?”

Edam lowered his eyes and whispered faintly, “N-nothing…I just don’t f-feel well is all.”

Kelvin could believe that, Edam was shaky, cool and clammy to touch and damn evasive to talk to.  Kelvin frowned, remembering what Edam had promised him earlier and he wondered if Edam had changed his mind and was making himself sick in the process with worrying about how to get out of his promise.  He felt a tad insulted that Edam would go back on his promise, but then he chided himself remembering that Edam had only said maybe—not yes.  He resolutely drew the youth against him, ignoring his feeble protests as he tried to sooth him down.  “Its okay Edam, you don’t have too if your not ready.  I won’t force you.”

Edam seemed to relax slightly in his arms.

Kelvin sighed, “Still I would have thought that you would’ve been waiting for me in my bed.”

Again Edam tensed, “I-I guess I fell asleep here when I came to lie down.”

“Hmmm…” was all Kelvin responded with, moving his hands over Edam’s body and realizing that his lover had fallen asleep in his cloths, which was unusual for when Edam wasn’t cuddled with him and blessedly nude he slept in one of Kelvin’s ‘castoffs’ which was a fine soft lawn bed shirt; his fingers found to his surprise a jagged edge of fabric and he pulled back from Edam to ask tersely, “What happened to your cloths?”

Edam hesitated, and then whispered dismissively, “N-nothing…it was an accident.”

Kelvin heard the lie and scowled for a moment as he imagined Edam possibly betraying him, then he had second thoughts for Edam did not easily give away his affections.  It had taken him quite a while to earn Edam’s trust and get into his pants so he very much doubted that Edam would give in to any one else besides his pants were ripped badly enough that they would have to be repaired and the servants had to purchase and care for there own uniforms so Edam wouldn’t have been so reckless as to let some ardent lover ruin his garments even in the heat of the moment.  “Did somebody attack you Edam?”

Edam bowed his head and looked away, again he whispered, “It was nothing.”

Kelvin felt the heat of anger building and growled, “It was not nothing!  If someone attacked you I want to know!”

Edam covered his eyes with a trembling hand and said shakily, “N-nothing h-happened, I g-got away.  I-it just s-scared me.”

Kelvin grasped his shoulders and demanded, “Who was it?  Who did this to you?”

Edam sighed unsteadily and shrugged his thin shoulders, “I-I— it was dark…I didn’t see him.”

Kelvin wondered at that, for there were very few places in the manor that was not fairly well lit, but still there were a few dark corners and maybe someone perhaps knowing his routine had lain in wait for Edam.  “Well, I can’t let my people be attacked so I’ll tell father and Halk about it in the morning.”

Edam tensed and then cried anxiously, “No please Kel don’t— don’t tell anyone…please?”

“But—.”

Edam huddled against Kelvin and insisted, “I’m fine, and I wasn’t hurt.  Please don’t tell anyone…don’t tell.”

Kelvin acquiesced with a reluctant, “All right.”

Kelvin decided to be noble and ask nothing more of Edam this night, he figured that his lover had been thru enough and didn’t need the added pressure of sharing his bed or pleasures with him.  He felt some regret at his graciousness, for holding Edam was nice, just about as nice as touching him and caressing his body was, but taking Edam’s trauma into account he decided that that best thing he could do for Edam was to let him be tonight.  So after some tender non-sexual like stroking to his hair and back he got Edam out of his torn clothing and into his lawn bed shirt.  He saw that his companion was tucked back into his bed and made sure he was warmly bundled up in his blankets.  He sat for a moment stroking Edam’s cinnamon locks as he waited for rest to over come him and while he waited he wondered who had attacked Edam and he knew that though he planned to keep his promise that wouldn’t stop him from doing a little searching on his own.  He would find Edam’s attacker and he would deal with him.

 

Morning came with the unwelcome arrival of Halk at the end of his pallet.  Edam remembered his last visit from Halk with some concern and he could barely look at the head valet without starting to shake with dread.  Fearfully he asked, “What do you want?”

Halk smirked, “His Grace ordered me to have you reassigned, you will no longer be attending to the young luminous.”

Startled and dismayed Edam could only gasp, “But…but—!”

Halk sneered, “Get up, do you think that the day awaits you?”

Edam hesitantly crawled out of his bed, murmuring shyly, “I don’t understand, it is still early.”

Halk snorted, “Not to early to work in the fields.”

Edam gaped at him in shock.  Halk only laughed cruelly and jibed, “What’s the matter Edam?  Think you’re too good to work out in the fields, a piece of trash like you?  You’ve been living the easy life for too long in my opinion and it is about time that The Grace noticed and saw you put in your proper place.”

Edam flinched but stubbornly stammered, “I do my work…I do my work well.  Why can’t I stay with Kel…uh Master Kelvin?”

Halk snatched at him and growled, “Because I believe that you do your work too well for the young master!  Besides it doesn’t matter, His Grace ordered that you to be reassigned, I am merely following his wishes.”

Edam yanked at his trapped arm and cried, “Let me talk to Master Kelvin then!”

Halk snarled, “Who do you think you are?  Do you think that you have any say in the matter?  The Young Master has already been informed your change status…he certainly knows better than to question his superiors.  You obviously have a lot to learn!”  He started his lesson by smacking the youth and knocking him down, he smirked down at the dismayed youth, who stared up at him with fear shining in his pretty eyes while one hand cupped his re-reddened cheek.  Halk observed what The Grace had seen yesterday in his interview with this boy, the beauty and the innocence and he softened his expression as an idea came to him, he shifted his hold on the boy’s arm and glided his hand up over that satiny skin to rub the boy’s slim shoulder and he proposed, “However Edam…if you see fit to share my bed as you do with the young Luminous, maybe I can see fit to give you some other task to perform here in the house…hmmm?”

The disgust on Edam’s face was priceless, and insulting.  Halk retreated back into his defenses with a muttered, “Your choice then! Get up and get dressed, those rags of yours will do just fine for field work now.”

With no other choice, Edam did as he was bid.  Halk remained with him, not even turning away when he got dressed, so that it was Edam who had to turn away so that he wouldn’t have to see the man watching him.  With a final glance to his tiny room and the door that adjoined to Kelvin’s he stepped onto the new path that had been set for him with fear and concern for his future.

² ² ²

Getting in late and dealing with Edam had caused Kelvin to sleep in late.  He awoke feeling lazy and content, dreaming that today would be the day that he would teach Edam all about the pleasures of going all the way.  He smiled with satisfaction as he imagined just what a pleasure that bit of instruction would be.  He sighed grandly and feeling too absolutely lazy to do anything yet he rang for a servant to come attend him.  He was expecting Edam of course, so he was startled when another face came to attend him but not overly so for it was later than usual and Edam could be dealing with any number of tasks which he preformed on a regular basis.  Still he enquired after his personal servant, to receive some vague response about Edam being busy.  That the servant didn’t know exactly what Edam was busy doing didn’t surprise Kelvin as the load of tasks assigned to a servant usually precluded them knowing what another servants usual tasks might be, especially when dealing with personal servants like Edam who were in the higher echelon of the servant class…as they thought about it. 

He let the servant help him get prepared for the day and issued a mild request that this servant relay a message for Edam to attend him for luncheon.  The servant indicated that he would pass the message on and whistling contentedly with the day Kelvin set out to start his day.  His first task was to oversee the clerks handling the books, it was a job that he did not care for, but if he were to ever take on the mantle of Grace Kelvin then the ins and outs of running not just an estate but also a country he would have to know.  He was late unto the duty this day but it was only a matter a checking some numbers and authorizing an expenditure or two and then it was time for luncheon, so in truth the time went fairly quickly as he anticipated spending the next hour or so with Edam.

But luncheon came, and there was no Edam to serve him, starting to get a bit annoyed (not yet worried) Kelvin ate his luncheon with his father and made casual conversation with the man who was more ruler than father.  They never touched upon any father/son type conversations or worries; everything was business concerns, expenditures, doings amongst the nobility and stuff of that nature.  He finished up his meal as quickly as he could with out seeming rude and bid his father a good day while he decided to do a bit of sleuthing to see if he could find out where Edam was and what he was up too.

He started by going to the usual places, the laundry to see if Edam was picking up or delivering laundry or mending.  The laundresses on duty had not seen Edam all day but another servant had brought down Kelvin’s laundry as well as taken a bundle of it back to his room.  After the laundry he headed for the kitchen, which he knew was one of Edam’s favourite places to visit as the head cook and her staff were quite generous and kind to him, Edam had after all begun his life as a servant as a kitchen boy until he had been noticed and moved in the body servant category for his delicate and pretty if waif like looks.  But here too Edam was not to be found, and according to the head cook Ms. Florrie Edam hadn’t been there at all today, he had even skipped breakfast and now it seemed he was going to miss luncheon as well.  Annoyance began to give way to puzzlement and concern now, for he did not know Edam to miss a meal, even as slender and waiflike as he was, Edam usually had a good appetite and enjoyed a good meal too.

He started asking the people who should know where Edam was and in time the baffled answers they gave him led him to the head valet Halk, his father’s personal body servant and head of the staff.  Halk’s answer was all telling and completely infuriating.

Offhandedly and with obvious pleasure Halk related, “Why Edam has be reassigned to a duty much more suited to his particular skills.”

Feeling a flush a rage building, it was all Kelvin could do to stamp it down and maintain his dignity.  “And what might that be?”

Shrugging unconcernedly Halk indicated, “Why the fields of course.”

“What?” Kelvin fairly shouted, “You sent—how could you—you have no right—Edam is not suited to that kind of work and you know it!”

Halk looked completely indifferent, “Be that as it may, that is exactly where he is.”

Kelvin did not usually call upon his station to make a point, but this time he called all of his considerable power down as he snarled, “Edam is mine!  No one reassigns him or touches him!”

Halk, unsurprisingly unaffected by Kelvin’s ire, chortled, “Except for you…you like to touch him don’t you?  He’s quite a pretty little thing isn’t he and such pretty eyes too…but no matter, your father ordered him reassigned and I am merely following orders.  If you wish to debate the matter take it up with His Grace.”

Startled by Halk’s remarks about his interest in Edam but even more surprised by his father’s orders Kelvin left Halk to find his father.

His father was in a meeting with the Grace of Yllian, the man was a good ten to twenty years older than his father but still a very hale and fit figure.  Both men noticed him and while Grace Damlyr of Yllian welcomed him with a smile but genuine smile, his own father of course wore his customary displeased frown.

Grace Lor cocked an irritated brow at his son and said in a coldly surly tone, “What do you want Kelvin?  As you can see I am in a meeting.”

Kelvin stepped partially into the room and dipped a respectful bow to the Grace of Yllian; it was the type of bow suitable between peers, the bow of a Grace’s Heir to a Grace.  Grace Damlyr dipped his iron gray head in regal response.

“Forgive me Sire but I need to speak to you a moment.  In private.” He explained.

Lor frowned thunderously, “You can see that I am busy right now…book an appointment with my manager and I will get to you then…or wait until the business of the day is concluded.”

Kelvin’s face reddened with chagrined embarrassment, but before he could rebuke his father for his discourtesy Grace Damlyr straightened to his feet and bowed toward Lor, “It really is okay Lor.  I will be heading back this way again in a few days time and we can meet then.”

Of course Lor couldn’t gainsay the older man, even though he surely would have liked to keep Damlyr close by until he had an agreement from him, he had no right to hold another Grace, even one that was traveling thru his country not unless he wished to declare war on Yllian and of course her allies.  Containing a disgruntled sigh and already planning the scathing set-down for his son he nodded his head and said, “Of course Damlyr, when your trip brings you back this way I will make arrangements to see you at your convenience.”

Kelvin watched the older Grace as he said his goodbyes to his father, then once again he bowed as the Grace of Yllian approached him.  When the man stopped beside him, Kelvin kept his body partially bent but turned his face up.  Damlyr, Grace of Yllian smiled at him and said approvingly, “You’ve grown into a fine young man Luminous Kelvin.”

Kelvin smiled, “Thank you Your Grace.”

“I look forward to talking with you some more when next we meet.” Damlyr continued, “I’m sure a young man such as yourself must have many interesting ideas to share.”

“I—yes Your Grace.  I look forward to your next visit.”

Grace Damlyr gave him a slight smile, it was still a friendly smile, but this time Kelvin thought he saw something conspiratorial in his blue eyes, some hint of understanding that assured him that distinguished and benevolent Grace Damlyr knew that young men of Kelvin’s age really didn’t have much interest in talking with men much older than 20 years of age.  Kelvin’s smile widened in response.  He liked Damlyr; of all the Grace’s Damlyr was probably the most likeable and kind.

Finally though Grace Damlyr was gone and Kelvin was alone with his father.  Lor sat on the edge of his grand desk and crossed his arms and stated.  “Do you know he has no sons…that he has no heir at all?”

Kelvin did know that piece of information; it was his place to know that sort of information.  “Both his sons died years back, as did his two grandchildren.”

Lor snorted, “Well, at least you know something.”

Kelvin felt his cheeks heat again. “Father Grace Damlyr is not why…”

“Do you know why I was talking to Damlyr?”

Kelvin hesitated then ventured, “Because you want him to select an heir that you have groomed?”

Lor just stared at him, then smirked and said, “One of Damlyr’s distant relations and potential Heirs is my fourth cousin Alston. I would be very happy if he picked Alston as his Heir, so of course I am trying to lead him that way.  Of course with Damlyr it isn’t good to let on that you are trying to lead him any where…he’s quite wily and sharp that one for all that he doesn’t look it most of the time.  I was thinking of offering your sister Brenna to Alston to sweeten the deal for Damlyr.  Brenna is a nice biddable girl and a Grace’s daughter too; so she’ll raise Alston’s rank to Luminous-by-Marriage and make him all the more desirable to Damlyr.”

And consign poor Brenna to a lonely and miserable life, Kelvin thought grimly to himself as he remembered his few encounters with Alston, High Lord Braden of Yllian.  Alston was a cruel man who abused his animals and staff, who gambled and drank and who valued only himself.  He had a tongue like a lash and used it on any victim he could corner and he caused more women to cry than there were birds in the sky.  Kelvin’s sister Brenna was only fourteen years old; which fortunately made her too young to marry, but unfortunately not too young to be betrothed.  Marriage to Alston would destroy the little minx.  But Kelvin chose not to make any comment and risk his father’s rotten temper, which he knew he had already stretched by interrupting his meeting with Grace Damlyr.

“Father, High Lord Braden, Grace Damlyr and Brenna are not why I came to see you.”

Lor scowled at him, “No?  Then pray-tell what all important matter did you have to discuss with me?”

Kelvin suddenly felt nervous about confronting his father, but nonetheless he squared his shoulders and said, “You instructed Halk to remove Edam from my service.  You have no right, Edam belongs to me.”

Indignation quickly replaced the shock that swept across Lor’s austere features.  For a moment he seemed to struggle with words before a cruelly sardonic smile strained his face as he murmured, “You interrupted my meeting with Grace Damlyr over so trivial a matter.”

Kelvin clenched his fist, “Edam is no trivial matter!  He belongs to me!  You have no right reassigning him!”

The indignation was clearly becoming anger as Lor snarled, “You forget yourself! Everything in this House belongs to me!  You dare question my decisions?”

“In this matter yes!  Edam is mine!  I won’t let you interfere with him!”

Lor’s face reddened with rage suffused blood, but just as Kelvin expected a scathing explosion, Lor suddenly began to laugh.  However his laughter was no less threatening then the expected explosion would have been.  “Ah yes…” Lor chortled, “I don’t wish to interfere with Edam at all.  But you very much wish to interfere with him don’t you?”  He strolled closer to his son, and smiling beatifically at Kelvin’s sudden consternation, he continued, “Yes, Edam is a very pretty boy.  He’s very refined and delicate for such common stock.  Why looking at him one would expect him to be of the Blood, but of course he’s just a filthy worthless servant that has managed to enthrall my son.”

Kelvin barely managed not to flinch at his father’s inference, he was rather prod of his quaver free voice as he retorted, “That aside Edam is my servant and I will not have you interfering with him…or me!”

Lor sneered, “I acquired him, I gave him to you and I can send him away.”

Kelvin turned away from his father, unwilling to face him any longer.  “But you won’t, Edam is mine, no matter what you do to him and where you send him I will bring him back!”

Lor sat down on the edge of his grand desk as he watched his son stalk away.  He thumbed his chin thoughtfully and smiled softly at the thought of his son defying him over a pretty body servant.  He allowed that if Edam were a girl he wouldn’t have been bothered in the least for he could just imagine the kind of offspring that would have come from such a pairing, but as he was Edam was a useless waste of time for his son and now added to that he was turning into a point of contention between them, this he could not allow.  He nodded as he spoke sotto voce to no one in particular, “So…you don’t want me to interfere with your little pet…hmmm, Kelvin?”  Had anyone been looking into his private office right then and seen his satisfied expression they would have feared that he was plotting something very nasty in deed, and of course—he was.

²²²

It took some doing to actually find which of the royal field’s located around the city Edam had been dispatched too.  By the time he had extracted it from Halk, who proved to be entirely unwilling to yield that information, it was coming onto the supper hour. 

He trotted out onto the potato field and guided his mount carefully through the rows of greenery while looking for one cinnamon shaded head amongst all the other workers.  It wasn’t exactly hard to find Edam, for even filthy and stumbling with exhaustion he still stood out like a precious gem amongst common stones.  He brought his mount as close as he dared and called glibly, “You’re rather a mess Edam.”

Edam looked up tiredly, his violet eyes huge in his filthy face.  He staggered a bit as he straightened and Kelvin frowned as he noticed the ragged and torn clothing he wore. The uniform that had not survived the assault which he still hadn’t gotten to the bottom of had faired even worse here in this grubby field, where the only thing that kept the youth half way decent was the liberal coating of dirt that clung to nearly every part of him, and intermingled with that he noted with a scowl of anger were the bloody stripes and wheals which indicated the number of times a lash had stroked that delicate skin.  “Kel…?  I….”

Dazed and nauseated by the long hours spent working out in the sun, and coupled with hunger, thirst and pain, Edam sensing that he was about to be rescued from this torture started to reel.  Kelvin maneuvered his mount quickly and caught the boy before he went down in a shuddering huddle and with very little effort lifted Edam up onto his lap.  Not quite conscious, but aware enough to protest, Edam tensed and pushed away.  “No!  I’m filthy.”

Kel tucked his arm around the youth’s trembling shoulders and pulled him in close against him.  Smiling gently he agreed, “That you are,” as he turned back toward home.

With his head slumped against Kel’s shoulder Edam still protested feebly, “I’ll get you all dirty.”

Kel laughed this time, “I’ll wash.  Don’t worry about it Edam.” He chided when the youth would have continued to protest.

Edam settled down to doze on his lap and Kel rode contentedly along, not worried about the filthy state of the boy, but rather musing about of all things how good Edam felt in his arms.

 

Kel actually carried Edam upstairs to his suite and once there he ordered a servant to pour the bath and sent for enough food for the both of them.  The bath was piping hot and scented with lavender of which the smell of had Edam starting to come back to awareness once again.  Here again Edam protested as Kel finished off his uniform for good.  Shivering and swaying, as he was, Edam soon found himself being helped into the bath water and here again he protested sleepily as it was Kel that washed his aching and tired body.  Kel of course was thoroughly enjoying himself as he bathed Edam’s pliant body; for even sun burned and striped from a lash, Edam was just beautiful and his skin was just like silk under his soapy stroking hands.  But Edam was also very listless and that worried Kel, for Edam had never come across as particularly vigorous and his ordeal in the field may leave a lasting effect that he wouldn’t be able to just shrug aside.

After Edam was clean Kel once again held the listless youth as he carried him back into the bedroom and laid him on top of his bed.  He frowned worriedly as Edam simply settled down into the softness of the bed with out even lodging the slightest protest, which in Edam’s case was strange. 

But as he looked at Edam, who was lying there like a slumbering angel, he once again noticed with some displeasure how his creamy skin was marred with welts and sunburns.  Since Edam wasn’t likely to rouse enough to tend to his own self, Kel decided to take on the further task as Edam’s nursemaid and he found it was actually more than a little bit erotic as he stroked ointment into the wheals and welts and the reddened bands of sunburned skin that blemished Edam’s slim body.  It was however disappointing that his tender strokes garnered nothing from the listless youth, not even a mild protest.  Disgruntled at last he stepped back from the bed and pulled the covers up over Edam to keep him warm and to save his modesty for Edam was a rather shy boy.

With that task done and Edam not awaking even to have something to eat or drink he left off to deal with other matters, not the least of which was telling Halk off once and for all for interfering between Edam and him.  His father he decided to leave alone for now, in hopes that he did not violate his rights again.  Edam he left to his own devices after making sure that both food and water were close at hand should Edam waken thirsty, hungry or both.

²²²

For Edam the next few days passed first in a daze than in a haze of pain, he slept for the most part, in Kel’s bed.  The first time he had awoken to find himself alone in Kel’s bed he had actually tried to climb out of it and go to his own pallet in his little room off from Kel’s main suite.  But Kel had showed up just as he was about to lose his balance and while scolding him he had carried him back to the big bed and warned him that he wasn’t to leave it until he was completely well.  So he slept in Kel’s bed, Kel took care of him, applying ointment to his welts and sunburn until both started to fade.  Kel seemed more upset about the welts that marked his skin than Edam was, but than Edam still had neither notion of his beauty nor any concern that the marks might permanently mar his appearance. 

But finally toward the end of the third day he felt more steady and able to get about on his own and insisted that his own bed was just fine when Kel protested his desire to sleep in his own bed that night.  Kel pouted and cajoled but Edam remained firm on his conviction and finally Kel grumpily let him have his way.  The next morning Edam was ready to perform at his duty as body servant/valet to Kel and did so with his usual aplomb.

Kel finally conceded that Edam’s brush with manual labor had not permanently damaged him, as even the welts were fading nicely and allowed that Edam was stronger that he appeared.  Thinking that Edam could handle himself and knowing that he had warned both Halk and his father off from bothering Edam Kel decided that it was past time to take up with his usual cronies again and let Edam deal with his usual daily tasks in his own quietly diligent manner.

So it was that five days after Kel brought Edam back, while the youth was tending to his lord’s laundry that Halk tracked the fey youth down again.

Halk arrived like a cold front in the laundry where the head-laundress and her aides were gossiping.  Instantly the mood in the steamy room chilled and conversation became stilted as Halk angled on Edam who was quietly folding one of his lord’s lawn shirts.  The boy gave a start when he saw him, and grew noticeably more uncomfortable as Halk came toward him.  Halk lingered a moment, frowning at the neatly folded laundry that Edam had already dealt with, though he seemed about to say something in regards to that laundry he shook his head as if chiding himself and groused, “His Grace wishes to see you now Edam.”

Edam recalled all to well his last meeting with Grace Lor and his face grew even paler in response.  Nervously passing his fingers over a folded article of Kel’s clothing, Edam asked hesitantly, “Why?”

Halk snorted, “Do I question my betters?  Do I ask why My Lord Grace would want to bother talking to a thing so common as you?  No I do not…and you will learn that lesson as well I’m sure.”

Edam glanced anxiously at the laundress and her aides for any support from them, but they were studiously working on their own projects and doing their best to appear not to be noticing what was between Halk and him.  He glanced fretfully at Kel’s laundry and murmured uneasily, “I still have Master Kelvin’s laundry to tend to.”

Halk sneered, “His Grace’s commands supersede His Luminous’ orders.  His Grace will see you now.”

Edam sighed unhappily, entirely unwilling to meet face to face with Grace Lor again.  But unable to find a reason to avoid him that Halk and the Grace would accept he reluctantly followed Halk through out the halls and corridors until once again he found himself once more standing before the great oak doors to Lor’s private office.  Halk rapped on the heavy door rather than wait for him to announce himself and at the summons to enter Halk actually opened the door and ushered him inside while stating his presence for the Grace. 

“Ah yes, Edam!” His Grace Lor D’Ehnary said quiet jovially, actually beaming at Edam, which truly set the uneasy youth off balance.  “Come in Edam, I trust that your little mishap has left no ill effects?”

Edam flushed, and simply shook his head.

The Grace strode toward him and congenially wrapped a big arm across Edam’s thin shoulders, “Good good, you look no worse for wear at any rate.  Come sit with me Edam, I wish to discuss some things with you…. Oh, Halk?  You’re still here?  Don’t you have a message to deliver?”

Halk who had been still standing quietly in the doorway now dipped his gray head in reply and bowed out of the room, closing the door behind him.  Edam glanced over his shoulder and the Grace’s heavy arm at the now closed door and actually felt more concern now that Halk was gone, leaving him alone with the Grace.

Lor steered the youth over to a corner of his stylish yet dark office where he had a circle of maroon leather chairs arranged near a small but comfortable fireplace.  “Please sit Edam.” He instructed upon releasing the youth.

Edam saw no other recourse except to obey the Grace, even though worry gnawed at his tense belly.  The Grace sat down in another chair, slumping in a relaxed sprawl and murmured, “I feel that perhaps we got off on the wrong foot last time I interviewed you.  I apologize if I frightened or hurt you Edam.”

Edam stared at him, wondering what he was up to but to wary to bluntly ask…or to believe him.  He murmured, “Thank you…sire.”

Lor half smiled, leaning back in the chair and said sotto voce, “I’m afraid that I know very little about you, as I recall Cook brought you into the kitchen when you were about 5 or so years old.  Yet, even then you were so proper and polite, so very…uncommon you were even then when you were nothing but a little mite.  You always acted better than your position and since you were so intolerably cute the staff doted upon you and of course we your betters didn’t correct your behavior.  I wonder if we didn’t fail you somehow by not setting you straight when you will still young enough to be taught?”

Edam just shrugged uncomfortably, he never really noticed that he was being impolite when he addressed his superiors, because calling someone sire seemed very proper to him.  Lor smiled indulgently and casually plucked a pair of red crystal goblets off a nearby table.  “I picked this wine especially for you Edam, I thought that its fruity flavour and slight hint of sweetness would appeal to a young person such as yourself.  Smell the bouquet Edam…what do you think of it?”

Edam nervously accepted the goblet from the Grace, he carefully drew the heady brew along under his nose to sniff the bouquet as Lor had suggested, and mumbled dutifully, “Like apple blossoms…or…uhm, cherry?”

Lor chuckled benevolently, “Exactly, like cherry blossoms.  You have a good nose Edam.”  His smile broadened with Machiavellian pleasure as Edam took his first sip of the wine and found it to his likely.

Satisfied with his success at alleviating the boy’s overt nervousness for now, Lor claimed a sip of wine for himself and settled back to make light conversation with the boy.

“So tell me Edam what do you remember before Cook’s kitchen?” he asked lightly.

Edam caught his eye, and then shyly glanced away.  “I don’t remember very much Sire…er Your Grace.  I think that I stayed with a sister of Cook for a while, but mostly I remember the kitchen and then becoming Kel…uh Lor-Luminous Kelvin’s body servant.  That’s all really.”

“Tragic.” Lor murmured, observing the youth with bemusement, “It must be awfully sad for you not to recall your own family?  Surely you must be able to remember you father?  Your mother?”

Edam hesitantly shook his head…sometimes he did have a nightmare about being torn out of someone’s arms by something cold and strong but even the memories behind the nightmares had faded with the passage of time.

Lor pursed his lips, “Hmmm…it is a mystery I suppose that will never be solved now.” He shrugged, for it was after all a mystery of little importance and simply watched as Edam swallowed another sip of the wine.  “So, Edam, do you enjoy working under—I mean, with my son?”

The youth blushed; he was really quite becoming, even if a touch of sunburn still reddened his cheeks and the tip of his straight and aristocratic nose.  “Kel…Uhm Master Kelvin treats me very well.”

Lor leaned forward and let a hint of mischief show in his eyes, “Yes, I heard that he even allowed you to recover in his bed.”

Edam’s blush brightened his cheeks even more and he dipped his head in embarrassment. “I did not ask him to do so, when I was strong enough I returned to my own pallet, sire…er my lord Grace.” 

Lor chuckled as he leaned back once again.  He thumbed his chin thoughtfully as he mused, “I make you uncomfortable don’t I Edam?”

Those remarkably lovely eyes of his lifted to look at him squarely and then once again slide away.  “I don’t…tru…uh…yes my Lord…you do.”

Lor smirked sardonically, “I can’t imagine why.  Other than the last meeting I have never really talked to you.”

Edam raised his head again and said with shaky anger, “The last time was reason enough…my lord.”

Lor outright laughed, “You really are a proud little thing aren’t you?  How very uncommon you are Edam… Very uncommon.”  He canted his head thoughtfully as he scrutinized the youth, “Is it possible that you’re an unclaimed Blooded bastard of some House.  Your very appearance suggests that you are of Blooded stock, possibly of a low House.”

Edam shifted uncomfortably, “I don’t know about any of that, I am just Edam.”

Lor smirked again, “Ah yes, Edam of nowhere, Edam who is exceptionally uncommon, Edam who has managed to bewitch my son?”

Edam flinched, he started to rise, but Lor protested, “I apologize Edam, I was out of line.  Please stay.  Finish your wine at least.”

The boy kept his head down; he stared anxiously into the purplescent wine as if trying to see some wisdom in it.  Finally he murmured softly, “I can’t help how I look sire…I can’t help how people react to me.”

Lor sighed, taking a sip his own wine and agreed, “Yes that is true.  You naturally can’t help being born uncommonly lovely.  You’re easily as lovely as a beautiful girl…and yet, you aren’t female.  Nonetheless your appeal is just as intense.”  Lor stroked his chin again and explained; “Had you been a girl with your uncommon beauty I wouldn’t care very much what you did with Kelvin.  Why I could just imagine the bastards that Kelvin could sire on you…if you were a girl.  But as you are I’m afraid that you really are just a waste of Kelvin’s time.”

Edam was watching him now, Lor continued in just as mild a tone.  “Kelvin has a duty to me and to his country.  As my Heir Kelvin needs to set his toys aside and concentrate on the responsibilities of ruling a country.  But for your sake he defies me.  For your sake he tries to challenge my authority.  I really can’t allow that Edam.  You understand that don’t you?  You understand authority don’t you?  I have all the authority and you, even as pretty as you are, have none.  However even as you are, with out the possibility of ever being more than his companion and bedmate, you still manage to gain authority and power over Kelvin.  Kelvin must be the power when he ascends to my throne.  He cannot be ruled by his pretty little catamite any more than his wife could rule him.  But with you I believe that you could rule him.  He really…cares about you.  Do you understand Edam how dangerous it is for Kelvin or myself to care about anyone?  To be truly strong one must keep a reasonable distance from such nonsense as love and affection.”  He paused and gazed inquisitively at the youth, “You understand what I mean?  Don’t you Edam.”

Edam swallowed nervously.  “Do you want me to leave?”

Lor smiled, it wasn’t even a harsh smile.  “Even if I did send you away, I’m afraid that Kelvin would just bring you back.”

Edam ducked his head and asked shakily.  “Do you plan to kill me?”

Now Lor’s smile broadened even more, and this time it was far more frightening to the boy.  “I’m afraid that I plan something far worse Edam.  Something that will separate you and Kelvin for good.”  Suddenly he rose, imposingly tall, and stood pensively over the boy.  He asked lightly, “How is your wine Edam?”

The boy glanced dazedly at his half empty goblet and then shakily set it aside.  He shifted back in the seat and whispered, “I don’t want any more.”

Lor, “No?  No stomach for it Edam?  Ah well, I think you drank enough to serve my purposes at any rate.  Come on Edam, let’s start this nasty business shall we?”  He cupped his hand around the boy’s elbow and started to pull him up.  Edam was frightened and he resisted his pull, but then he stumbled and fell back into the chair.  Lor stepped back, smiling beatifically as he saw the understanding dawning in the youth’s pretty eyes and he helpfully acknowledged, “Yes, drugged so that you wouldn’t fight me.  What I must do is distasteful enough Edam…there really is no sense in making it anymore unpleasant than it has to be.  Now is there?”

Edam tried unsuccessfully to get up, he stared anxiously from the Grace to the goblet of drugged wine and as helpless as he was, he still was able to vent some of his anger at the Grace’s betrayal by striking at the goblet and knocking it over onto the expensive Delvan rug below the table.  “W-what did y-you give m-me!”  Edam tried to shout, but he barely had the strength to force the words out.  He was losing the feeling in his arms and legs and having trouble holding his head up.  He couldn’t even struggle when Lor picked him up and carried him to another area of the office, this time laying him down on a plush maroon colored divan.  He sobbed desperately in fear as Lor began to strip off his uniform and tried to protest even though his voice was failing him, “P-please…d-don’t!  Pa-please.”

Lor dropped the boy’s gray hose on the floor and looked at him lying stretched out on the divan; really the boy was quite lovely to look at, he was so slim and graceful and with such long lovely pale legs.  Even his genitals matched his frame in being neither too large nor too small.  Perhaps this wouldn’t be so unpleasant a chore to perform after all.  Lor was all business about removing his own royal attire, still he never took his eyes off the boy, who’s vocal protests died to panicky breaths, however his lovely eyes still spoke volumes in the degree of panic and fear that consumed him.

“Well Edam, shall we begin this little charade?  I had to be careful about the amount of the drug I put in your wine, a little too much and it would have stopped your heart, so as it is now your paralysis will last just long enough for this performance.  You see Halk will soon bring Kelvin around with a summons from me.  Kelvin will see you with me, and undoubtedly he will believe that you have betrayed him for me…the bigger fish so to speak.  Then he will put you aside and that will be the end of it, once he does that I will set you up with a nice little income to see you comfortable in whatever life style you wish.”

He leaned over the achingly silent youth, ignoring the screaming eyes that watched him with utter hopeless denial, “I’ll be as gentle as I can be with you Edam, relaxed as you are from the drug there shouldn’t really be very much pain…and if Kelvin has finally bedded you then you should know what to expect any way, right?”  He brushed away the tears that pooled at the outer corners of Edam’s eyes, and then lightly stroked his fingers along the boy’s eyelashes.  “You are…very pretty Edam.  I think that if I let myself think of you as a girl I can accomplish this very easily.”

He straddled the helpless youth’s body and looked wonderingly at his drug-relaxed face, only the eyes belied the little smile that seemed to be a natural expression for Edam’s mouth.  “I’m going to kiss you Edam…try not to cry…just remember that this is only a act and it doesn’t mean anything.”

But he realized as he pressed his lips to the boy’s, that Edam’s mouth felt very nice.  He deepened the kiss and experimentally ran one of his hands down along the boy’s side.  Next he settled his weight above the boy and lightly stroked his fingers up through his silky hair while murmuring, “You have such lovely hair Edam.”

Edam couldn’t protest and he was even starting to lose the ability to blink, but while he was able to at least he could close his eyes and not see Lor touch him or worse.  It was strangely frightening how he couldn’t move and couldn’t speak and was having difficulty with swallowing and blinking, but was still able to feel every touch of Lor’s hands on his body.  In his mind he could hear himself screaming, shouting — No! — when Lor kept kissing him and touching him; crying in denial and fear when Lor parted his knees and lifted his legs up.  He wanted to scream aloud when Lor touched him there, stroking something cool and damp around his anus, while murmuring what a pretty little girl he was.  When Lor thrust inside him there was pain, but his body was completely—involuntarily— relaxed and offered absolutely no resistance to Lor’s brutally slow rhythm.  If he could have been crying he knew he would have been, the pain in his heart was the truth of that. 

So it was, that while Lor was busy ploughing Edam’s unsullied field, Kelvin walked in on the scene.  Lor slowed his rhythm enough to make sure that his son got a good eyeful of his partner.  The shock in Kelvin’s eyes, which quickly changed to fury, spoke volumes as he looked from his father to Edam.  Lor knew he had succeeded beautifully when Kelvin didn’t run to Edam’s defense but instead swore under his breath and turned, stalking from the room.

Lor finished what he was doing, continuing to thrust into Edam’s snug young body until he quickened and came.  He slumped atop the helpless boy as he waited for his spent energy to seep back into his limbs.  Once he felt renewed he sat away from the youth and casually donned his royal raiment again.  He was done with Edam and he had no interest in the youth, though he did watch him in mild curiosity as Edam in finding sensation returning to his limbs finally curled into a ball and softly cried.

He turned unhurriedly when the door opened; and he was not surprised to find Halk stepping inside the office.  He smiled sublimely, “It worked rather well.  Where is Kelvin now?”

Halk glanced past him at the naked boy and murmured, “He went straight to him room Your Grace.”

Lor noted Halk’s overt interest in the boy and offered coldly, “Do you want him?  Take him as my reward for helping me with this problem.”

Halk smiled then, it was like seeing a snake smile and he obviously meant to take Lor up on his offer.  Lor looked on with disinterest as Halk went at the boy with cruel intensions.  Edam was still fairly helpless and it was easy to subdue him so hurting him was pointless; but he didn’t offer up anything in the boy’s defense, after all he had only promised that he wouldn’t hurt him, he hadn’t said anything about Halk.  It was interesting to see Edam crying now, to watch him try to push Halk off him and failing because he didn’t have his full strength back…but then Edam didn’t look like he’d have a chance against anyone who really wanted to harm him anyway.  Only when Halk seemed about to strike the crying boy did Lor say anything, and that was only because if Edam turned up bruised that might indicate that something had happened to him other than what had been witnessed.  So Halk settled on twisting a fistful of the Edam’s silky hair around his hand to hold him down with and Edam cried in mingled pain and terror that as Lor stepped from the room changed to sharp jagged wails as Halk set to work raping him.  At the juncture of the open door Lor’s stopped and casually offered up one more bit of instruction.  “Oh, and Halk, don’t forget to return Edam to my son’s suite when you’re finished with him.”

²²²

Totally numb with shock and still suffering from the lingering affect of the drug Edam found himself once again in Kel’s suite.  He stood swaying against the door, using it more for a support than anything else since he was afraid to risk taking a step and falling onto the floor.  Kel was in the room, he had acknowledged his presence long enough to sneer at him before taking another long pull at the bottle of brandy he was nursing.

That Kel was angry he could see; that Kel was angry with him he just couldn’t quite believe.  Kel was good to him, surely he could see that he hadn’t be with Lor voluntarily…not to mention Halk; both encounters were horribly frightening to him and he thought that he might start to cry again.  He looked worriedly at Kel; he needed Kel to believe in him.  He needed to know that the one person he cared about wouldn’t betray him too.  On shaky legs, uncertain of his own ability to cross the room Edam still tottered over to Kel.

Kel watched Edam; if he noticed his uncertain and hesitant steps he made not mention of it as he took another surly suck at the bottle.  Kel was nursing a reckless rage.  He recalled with vivid clarity the shocking image of Edam wrapped around his father, and Edam being humped by his father.  He also recalled all the times Edam had teased him and said no to him and pleaded so prettily that he was afraid.  He remembered touching Edam and loving him and now he remembered that Edam had been betraying him.  He sucked at the brandy again, allowing its heat to settle in his belly and spread its numbing warmth throughout his body.

As Edam stumbled up against the side of the bed, Kel asked with deceptive softness. “How long?”

The boy looked at him with an expression of confused innocence.  “Wh-what Kel?”

Kel clenched his fist, then forced his hand to relax as he murmured, “How long have you been fucking my father?”

Edam’s shocked expression was priceless, but it was seeing how his face crumpled and the show of tears that won the prize.  “Kel…pl-please you d-don’t under—.”

Kel turned on him, snarling as he grabbed the boy’s arms and pinned them brutally to his side.  “Understand what Edam?  Understand that you would rather fuck my father than me?  What’s not to understand?  Why settle for a piece when you can have the whole fuckin’ cake?”

Edam sobbed despondently, “It w-wasn’t like that K-Kel!  He f-forced me!”

Kel laughed bitterly, “Yeah right!  That looked so like he was forcing you!  Liar!”

Desperate to explain what Kel had seen Edam said, “He gave me drugged w-wine.  I c-couldn’t stop him Kel…please b-believe m-me!”

“Liar! How dare you accuse your betters!  I know what I saw Edam!  My eyes don’t lie!  Even though apparently you do!”

“No K-Kel pa-please—!”

Enraged, Kel backhanded the boy, knocking him down to huddle dazed and crying against the bed.  Kel stood over him and snarled, “Don’t you dare call me Kel!  I’m your better!  You will address me as Luminous and remember your damn place!”

Kel waited for Edam to respond, but Edam’s crying was the only reply he heard.  Still incensed he closed his ears to the Edam’s anguish and hauled him up by his arms again.  But when he was so close to Edam the clean floral and spice scent of him aroused his senses so that he pressed even closer, and then he got a response from Edam other than crying.  Wide-open terror assailed him as the youth reacted to his changing mood.  Kel was too furious to recognize that very real terror in the boy as he wrestled a desperately crying Edam up onto his bed and brutally ripped at his uniform.  Only when Edam, while still crying, suddenly threw up did Kel come to his senses somewhat, if only to push away from Edam in sudden disgust.  He hurt the boy even more when he callously snarled, “I don’t want his fuckin’ leavings anyway!”

He pulled Edam off his bed, half dragging the boy across the room and flung open the door to his cubicle.  He shoved Edam into the tiny chamber and growled “I can’t deal with you right now Edam.  If I try to I’ll probably end up killing you.  God you disgust me!”

Then, he did something he never did; he drove the lock bolt home and locked Edam in his tiny room, with out any means of getting out.

Edam was too sick and frightened to notice at first what Kel had done.  All he could remember was how terrified he had been when he thought that Kel was going to rape him too.  He had been so frightened by the state Kel had gotten himself into that he had actually threw-up, which he knew had saved him for now. Shaking with shock Edam huddled on his pallet, while the day’s events whirled through his tortured mind.  After a while the sharply acrid stench of the bile on his tunic and the sour taste of it in his mouth drew him out of his stupor, but when he tried the door and found it locked from the outside, he had to find the means to deal with his condition from with in his small cubicle.  Fortunately he had a left over pitcher of water from this mornings cleansing routine, so it was no problem to pour a little into his hand and rinse his mouth out.  His soiled and damaged uniform he replaced with a soft lawn nightshirt, which probably had been a gift from Kel.  Thinking about Kel and how he had been when he returned to the suite set him to shaking again.  He lay back down on his pallet and tried to close out the memories leading up to Kel, and Kel’s accusing reaction to it.  Lor drugging him and raping him still seemed far worse than what Halk had done, even though Halk had actually hurt him more.  But it was easier to understand Halk’s reasoning because Lor’s Valet had already indicated that he was interested in Edam and given the opportunity Halk had acted upon it…but Lor hadn’t raped him out of any personal interest in him, but had instead used him like a prop in a play, as a means to gain a desired end…and that to Edam was worse than what Halk had done for at least in Halk’s case the act itself had significance.  But it was how Kel had reacted that worried Edam and it was the cruelty of his words and actions that hurt the most.  Edam’s heart ached with a growing sense of anguish; and he still could not comprehend why Kel wouldn’t believe him when he had never given him a reason to doubt him before.

Sick and dazed Edam could find no simple answers to his difficult questions, alone in his tiny room and surrounded only by memories of pain and betrayal and nothing of comfort or safety Edam slipped into an uneasy doze.

Twice Edam awoke from his slumber to try the door; in finding it still locked the first time he tried it he did nothing other than return to the pallet and lay down again, the second time he found the door to be still locked he listened for any sound from the room beyond and pounded on the door when he thought he heard someone browsing around while pleading to be let out; but silence was the only response to his pleas.  With evening approaching even the faint light coming from around the door begin to fade, leaving him alone in increasing darkness which normally did not frighten him, but he had always been able to leave his room if he was afraid, only now he couldn’t and he was beginning to wonder if Kel ever meant to let him out.

Sometime well into the night he thought he heard sounds from the room beyond, and he banged on the door once more and asked to be let out.  This time he did get a response, but not the one he had been hoping for.

“Edam…? So this is where he put you hmmm?” Purred the vastly amused voice of the person who may have ruined his life.  Trembling in alarm Edam backed away from the door even as he heard Grace Lor approaching it from the outside.  He stared fearfully at the door, afraid that Lor would unlock it and come inside, for he really didn’t want to face Lor again.

But even though he knew Lor stood just outside the door, and he imagined him standing out there with his hand on the key, Lor did not enter or make another comment, though he did chuckle with satisfaction as he left Kel’s suite.  Once again Edam was left alone in the empty darkness waiting for Kel to come back and let him out.  He tried to think of how to explain what had happened so that Kel would believe him, but he didn’t know any other way to phrase Grace Lor’s treachery.

Maybe it was very early or very late when sounds from the outer room once again woke him.  He listened for a time to the clatter of falling things that accompanied that heavy footsteps and slurred curses coming from outside before recognizing Kel’s voice amongst all the racket.  Letting hope root uneasily in his chest again he pressed up to the door and banged on it while calling out for release.

For the longest time silence was his only answer, even the noises that had awoken him had stilled with his pleas.  He tried again, sensing that Kel was in the room, “Please Kel?  Let me out. Please?”

A slurred response “Is that pretty Edam begging?” set his heart to hopeful palpitations.  Please, please let Kel be in a better mood, he prayed anxiously. 

“Kel let me out please.  I want out.”

Kel snorted from the other side of the door, “No, not begging, demanding.  I don’t think you have any ground to utter demands from Edam.”

Almost sobbing Edam asked, “Please let me out Kel.”

Kel flicked the key over and stepped to the side as the door was opened to reveal Edam standing just inside the doorframe.  Even still feeling rage at Edam’s unfaithfulness, the sight of the youth was a balm to his sore head.  The youth was pale and his cinnamon hair was obviously sleep mussed, but his violet eyes were apprehensive in his lovely face expressing how uncertain he felt in facing Kel.  Kel smiled cynically as he watched the lovely boy uneasily step past him and into the room, even as furious as he was with Edam, the boy still made his loins ache with an urgent need for him.

Edam was clearly afraid to get to close to him, for when he approached, Edam actually moved back a step for every one taken toward him.  Kel sneered, “What’s the matter Edam?  Are you afraid of me?”

He could see by the boy’s pallor and trembling that was exactly the case.  But he was too drunk to wonder why and too angry to care either way.  Half way between Kel and the bed that it seemed he was being steered toward Edam stopped backing away and ventured, “Please Kel, I need to explain what h-happened.”

“Really?” Kel sneered cruelly, “What are you going to tell me; more lies about my father?  Let me remind you Edam, that my father is Grace Lor, the highest of the Blood and ruler of all the Houses of Luxor.”

Edam lowered his eyes, but still spoke, “And that automatically means that he can commit not crime?  That he can’t drug and rape a boy simply because he’s the Grace and the boy is just a servant, and the boy’s word means nothing in such a context?”  Raising his aching eyes he whispered, “When have I ever lied to you Kel?”

For a fleeting moment those sad eyes almost swayed him, but then he remembered what he had seen and how very consensual that joining had been and he snarled, “When have you not lied to me Edam?  God, was even the attack you claimed nothing more than a rough session with my father?”

From the suddenly sick expression in Edam’s lovely eyes, Kel realized that he had struck truth with his well-aimed barb.  “Goddamn you Edam!  You fuckin’ whore!”  He shouted, lunging at the youth.

Edam cried out, ducked the blow aimed at his head and sprinted back toward his room; seeking the dubious safety of that solid door over facing Kel now, but Kel wasn’t about to let Edam go so easily. 

Kel ran the boy down before he could reach his tiny room and sent him flying with a wail of fright that ended in a cry of stunned pain as his head cracked against one of Kel’s heavily carved cabinets.  He stomped after the boy who clutched at his bleeding head even as he tried to get away from him.  Some part of him acknowledged the bleeding and wondered at the damage he had caused, but the angry and drunk part of him noted that same bleeding with grim satisfaction and wondered how else to extract his toll from Edam.

Edam felt like he was dying inside as Kel came at him again, his hope was shattered even as his heart was crushed.  He tried to fight Kel, but his head hurt and the blood frightened him, and all the events of the day overwhelmed him so that he broke down once again in tears.  Kel heard the utter despondency in Edam’s sobs but like the truth he heard in Edam’s emotions, he closed his heart to Edam’s pain and set about extracting his own pound of pretty flesh from the boy.

With utter cruelty he picked Edam up and flung him onto the bed, and the boy realizing what was about to happen tried to kick at him and roll away but Kel was having none of that.  He listened to Edam’s screams and wails of pain as he brutally restrained the delicate youth, using his greater strength to twist and bend to youth to suit his desires.  He pushed up Edam’s nightshirt to reveal such lovely expanses of smooth satiny skin, even the faint welts that had so bothered him at first were now little more than thin lines which wouldn’t in any way mar Edam’s uncommon beauty.  Somehow, seeing how perfect Edam was only made him angrier and more determined to exact his revenge.

“Please!  Please Kel!  Don’t hurt me!” Edam was crying, and pulling against the sheer brutality of his hold. 

“Shut up!” Kel snarled, pounding down on Edam’s uncomfortably bent back and eliciting another wail for the aching youth.  “You still need to be taught proper manners Edam!  I am Luminous Kelvin to you!” To punctuate his declaration he rammed one of his knees up between Edam’s slim thighs, pressing hard into the tender flesh that was found there.  Edam heaved, almost sicking-up again from the nausea that came with such pain.  He tried to push away from the discomfort but Kel only pressed down harder on his bent back arm, causing Edam to forget the pain in his genitals as his shoulder, elbow and wrist all threatened to shatter in their joints.

“Ahhh.  Ahhh Please Kel!” Edam wailed, “Please your h-hurting me!”

“It’s payback for how you’ve hurt me Edam.  Deal with it!” Kel snarled against the youth’s tear-soaked cheek.  But that was what undid him, the smell of Edam’s hair, the damp salty heat of his tears, and the shining pain in his flower-petal colored eyes.  He shifted his weight above the boy and dragged his tongue across his damp cheek.  If anything Edam reacted more violently to that intimate act then to any amount of the pain that Kel had already given him. 

“Please Kel …please …please don’t.” Edam sobbed helplessly as Kel’s manner of attack utterly changed on him.

“Fuck you.” Kel breathed in his ear, “I’m going to take what you’ve been giving away Edam.  I’m going to take what belongs to me!”

“N-No…please Kel.  Not like this!  Please not like this!”  The boy beseeched in vain.

When Kel forced him Edam was not ready and Kel used nothing to make it any easier.  The pain was intense, blinding even, and overwhelmed Edam so that all he could do was cry, even fighting Kel had stopped the instance of Kel’s first fiery thrust into his tense and aching body.  Kel thrust and thrust breaking down Edam’s resistance until each stroke became easier and the boy became quieter even though his despondent crying continued.  Kel raped Edam with all his hatred and rage charged into every thrust.   When he finished he did so with such callous disregard for the youth that he simply slapped the youth away from him.  He was still angry enough to want to follow that with a kick to Edam’s back to knock him right off the bed, but he restrained himself for he recognized that if he kicked Edam now that he might just cause serious damage to the youth…and that just wouldn’t do for he wasn’t done punishing him.  He lay on his side of the bed, ignoring the soft shudders and tremors that shook that bed occasionally from where Edam lay huddled on the edge, as far as he could get from him while still being on the bed.  He waited a few moments for the bed to grow still and thinking that Edam had probably had fallen asleep on him he moved once more to brutally rouse the boy. 

But when Edam flopped bonelessly down onto the pillow Kel realized with a stab of shock that Edam was unconscious.  He hesitated, hovering above the quiet youth, staring at his blood and tear streaked face, and for a moment the other Kel reached out and gently patted the youth’s lax face, but when that garnered no response Kel’s fear took over and his methods of rousing Edam were less gentle after that.  “Wake up!  Wake up you stupid whore!” He growled, slapping Edam’s face until the boy was literally slammed back into awareness.

Immediately Edam started to cry again, and Kel sneered at that too, cruelly chiding him about his sniveling.  This time his simply lifted and parted Edam’s legs and took him like a woman, and though the youth didn’t fight him his sobs and moans of pain were enough to charge Kel’s arousal.  When he finished that round he didn’t even get off Edam, but instead he fell into a light sleep sprawled atop Edam’s slighter body, and quite effectively pinned him.  For Edam unconsciousness did not again spare him from his pain, instead he cried himself to sleep while praying that Kel would not awaken any time soon.  But it seemed his prayer was not meant to be answered, or if it was then the answer was no.  Kel woke again sometime later but still before dawn began to lighten the sky, and Edam woke to being pawed and mauled and finally raped again.  It was the final time.

Kel lay for a while and just listened to Edam’s broken sobs, but finally he grew tired of the noise and followed up his viciously cruel attack with one push-kick that landed Edam on the floor.  Again Kel tried to ignore the boy, but it was impossible with him crying like that even if he was no longer on the bed, so Kel got up from the bed, went around to where Edam huddled and hauled him up by his arm.  That of course frightened Edam, who having been manhandled quite a bit too much to be easy at his touch.  Not that Kel really cared at that moment.

Hauling Edam by his arm Kel marched out of his suite and into the near silence of the corridors.  At this early time in the morning hardly any of the servants were about, only the cook and her staff were most likely to be up and about as they prepared for breakfast.  If there was anyone about Kel ignored them as he strode past them while forcing Edam to stumble along behind him.  Down flights of stairs, through corridors and in and out of chambers he went, until he faced a little used exit that squealed in protest as he forced the door open.  The coolness of the morning washed over them, causing Kel to blink at the smells and sounds that came at him, but he shook away the nagging voice in his head as he pushed Edam out the door and left the dazed and bloodied boy standing there in nothing but his stained nightshirt. 

Cruelly he stated, “I don’t want you in my service anymore Edam.  I can’t let a lying whore like you sully this House’s reputation.  Go on, get out of here.”  He pushed Edam so that the barefoot boy staggered off the landing.  When Edam turned to look at him with those lovely but dazed eyes of his, Kel added for malicious measure, “Since your good for nothing but whoring around Edam, I expect I’ll be seeing you soon in some near by seedy brothel.”

Edam flinched, then his dazed eyes finally cleared and he looked with absolute loathing and utter hurt upon Kel as he retorted, “You won’t find me Kel.  I’ll never let you find me again!  I—hate—you, My Lord High Luminous Kelvin of house D’Ehnary.  You can keep your title and your filthy mind and go—go f-fuck yourself!  And your father too!”

Kel watched, this time in silence as Edam did his best to stalk away, the boy had to be hurting, but he refused to show it as he made his way to the gate at the end of the garden walk and let himself out of the royal grounds.  The gate clanged shut with a ringing finality that told him that Edam was truly gone.  The words and the anger of the boy washed over him, they were words that he would remember later, but for now he turned away and went back inside.  He returned to his suite, which seemed suddenly dull and empty without Edam’s presence to enliven it.  He shrugged aside that sentimental nonsense and flung himself back onto his now empty bed.  Edam’s scent was all over it though and it was to that lingering spice which he dozed off to sleep once again to sleep off the remainder of his drunk.

²²²

Morning pouring thru a gap in his drapes stabbed him to the back of his eyes.  He awoke with a groan of agony that barely reflected the explosive headache that lurched just behind his eyes.  Bright Gods he must have tied one hell of a drunk on yesterday.  He stretched leisurely, remembering that some pleasant things had happened last night, Edam had – Edam had what?  Feeling a sudden surge of apprehension he called out for Edam to come attend his headache, the youth had magical fingers and was a marvel at soothing away a swollen head, or at least procuring a brew that would help to minimize the symptoms.  But though he called Edam did not come to his summons.  He sighed and slid from the rumpled bed, going to the open door of Edam’s cubicle to see if Edam had slept in, which of course would have been very unusual, still the last few days hadn’t been exactly easy on Edam and if what he thought had happened last night really had then Edam might be sleeping in to recover spent energies.  He cussed himself, for his memories were vague and uncertain and interspersed throughout with nightmare images that he could not imagine…well, he could imagine them, but nonetheless he wanted to shy away from those nightmare scenes.  He certainly would never take Edam to his bed again if he were so drunk that he couldn’t remember it.

However when he glanced inside Edam’s tiny room, Edam was not there, but he did notice his discarded uniform laying in the corner, which just wasn’t right.  First Edam was usually very careful with his uniforms since it was the Houses policy for freeman servants to buy and maintain their own uniforms, and secondly if Edam wasn’t wearing his uniform then what was he doing.  For a he glanced at Edam’s meager rack of belongings, on the shelves were a folded oversized tunic and a pair of many times darned hose.  Even Edam’s single pair of shoes still remained in the usual spot and he knew that Edam didn’t have a second uniform since he had in fact just replaced the one that had been damaged in the assault.

Or…had it been damaged in an assault?  A sudden memory flashed painfully behind his eyes, it was a memory of Edam’s face expressing sick disquiet in relation to that supposed assault.  No, it had been an assault he was sure of it, Edam’s fear and trauma had been to real to be an act…so why then the memory that seemed to indicate Edam was lying?  Hesitantly he moved to the discarded uniform and toed it to expose the breast of the tunic, where he saw the stain of bile that discolored the chest. 

He cried out softly in self-loathing and lurched back into his room, even knowing that he wouldn’t find Edam there he had to look at the other side of the bed to see if he was still huddled where he had kicked him to last night, after he had bedded him.  Then he saw the dark stains on his pillow and on the mussed bedding and realized to his disgust that it was blood, Edam’s blood.  Last night Edam had bled all over his bed and he had raped him instead of helping him.  “Oh God…Oh please God no.” He whispered, sick to his heart.  What had happened yesterday…he staggered to a stop, suddenly remembering seeing Edam with his father, and once again he felt the rage of being betrayed overwhelm him, but then he remembered Edam trying to tell him that he had been drugged by Lor and he hadn’t listened to him.  Edam wouldn’t have lied about that, he wouldn’t have!  And yet Edam hadn’t struggled against Lor, and now he remembered the Edam had struggled against him, God, the memories of his cries was likely to haunt him forever.  He pulled back the top sheet to get a good look at the bed and moaned in denial at the streaks of blood that stained the bottom sheet, “So much blood…. So much fuckin’ blood.” 

If Edam had been telling the truth yesterday, then the he had been raped by Lor and then by Kel…for when Kel thought about it, his beddings of the boy had not been at all pleasant for Edam.

With a sudden urgency he charged from his suite, he grabbed the first servant he found and ordered him to get all the servants busy turning the house and grounds upside down until they found Edam for him.  He expanded on the search order when he found his first guardsman, telling him to get the entire tearing apart the city to find Edam and bring him back.  He left servants and guards running to obey his bidding even if his request was highly unusual.  He headed directly for his father’s office barging in unannounced on yet another meeting between his father and Grace Damlyr of Yllian. 

Without pause he challenged, “What did you do to him?”

Lor laid aside the plan he was showing the Grace of Yllian and coolly looked at his rude son.  “What did I do to whom?”

“Edam, Goddamn you!  What did you do to Edam?”

Lor regally folded his hands together and smiled benignly at his incensed son, “Why nothing compared to what you did to him.  After all I wasn’t the one Edam believed in.”

Kel staggered and paled.  He croaked hoarsely, “You set me up.”

Lor smiled, “And you preformed exactly as I expected you to Kel.  The boy was a mere trinket, once broken you did the right thing and threw your toy away.”

Shaken Kel snarled, “Goddamn you!  Edam is not a trinket!  He isn’t a toy!  And you don’t throw away someone like Edam in a thousand years!”

Lor smirked, “But I didn’t throw Edam away Kelvin, you did.”

Taken aback, Kel winced at the brutal truth of his father’s assessment.  He had indeed broken his toy and then thrown him out with the trash, “Everything he tried to tell me was true.  You drugged him didn’t you?”

Lor merely shrugged, neither denying nor admitting any duplicity.  Kel stared at him, and murmured, “You think you’ve won don’t you Sire?  Well, you can find yourself another puppet because when I find Edam I’m leaving.”

Lor only laughed, feeling only amusement and no threat, “You are meant to be Grace Kelvin, and you will be in good time.  So stop being so preposterous and grow up.  Face facts, you didn’t love him well enough to believe in him and you broke his trust in you. Even if you manage to get him back, do you honestly think he’d ever believe in you again?  Admit it Kelvin, you lost.”

“I—no…I will find him sire and make him understand… I-I will.” Kel muttered, but he sounded unconvincing to his audience.  Lor snorted mildly, saying nothing as his son distractedly drifted from the office.

Once the room returned to normalcy he turned to Grace Damlyr who had unfortunately been subjected to that little scene of unpleasantness. “Forgive me…it seems my son has misplaced one of his toys.”

“Ah.  Was it a very valuable toy?”  Grace Damlyr ventured, a very astute observer.

Lor dismissively waved his had, “No, it was of middling value.  I’m sure that Kelvin will find another amusement soon enough.”  He smiled and smoothly changed the subject, “Now where were we?”

 

End Part 2 Luminous Luxuries.