I think it was twelve days into my time in Remy's private suite that I finally saw my brother. Remy came home early that day followed by two female slaves. I was lounging on the bed, half asleep, not expecting to see him so early, and he nearly caused me to leap out of my skin when he slapped my ass, hard but playfully.

"Get up!" He ordered cheerfully with a bright grin on his face and a sparkle in his eyes. I narrowed my own suspiciously, wondering what he was up to. "We 'aven't much time to get you dressed for de party."

I was sitting up rubbing my face when he said this. My hands froze and I opened one eye to look at him with a frown. "Party?"

"Oui." Remy cocked his head. "Didn' I mention it?" Before I could answer negatively, he slapped his forehead. "Saloperie!" He cried. "I can' believe I didn' tell you!" He took my hands and pulled me to my feet, full of enthusiasm. "A party for you, cher. And your brot'er. A coming out party, so to speak. De council and my courtiers are very curious about you. De few who've seen you and Alex 'ave been full of praise for your beauty." During the first five days when Remy and I had been secluded away in his rooms, there had been a few councillors, like Escalada, who had insisted on meeting with Remy. Some had even joined him for dinner. And most of them, like Escalada had fondled and examined me intimately, complimenting Remy on his
excellent taste. I'd suffered it all patiently, obediant to my master's will.

"Some of dem," Remy continued, "Even joked 'bout stealing you bot' out from under my nose. Not so easy to steal from a t'ief t'ough. 'Course de ot'ers  are all jealous and want to see you too. I've been besieged wit' requests for private audiences, all hoping I'll meet wit' dem here in my rooms." Chuckling, he winked at me. "I met wit' dem privately, but in de conference
room behind de throne room. Cher, you should 'ave seen de look on all deir faces when you weren't wit' me. De meetings didn't last long, me." Remy's hand came up to rest towards the back of my cheek, his fingers curled around the back of my head. "I probably should 'ave shown Alex already. But when I decided to 'ave you too I t'ought it be more of a coup to show de bot' of you off at de same time. So I planned dis party, mon couer. Invitations were sent out de day after de first night we made love."

I scowled, but it only made him laugh and he pulled me into his arms to kiss me softly. I closed my eyes, weakening under his spell. Lord, he could get me to feel so loved. I opened up to him immediately, letting his tongue slip in, savoring his glow and his excitement at having caused such a stir among the members of the ruling class.

There was a sudden soft murmuring followed by a girlish giggle and I jerked back, nipping Remy's tongue in the process. "Merde!" He yelped. "Watch dos teeth!" Then he saw my flush and the look on my face as I tried to cover myself and move to get him between me and the two women I had finally noticed. Remy let out a hearty laugh.

"Oh come on Scott," Remy chided lightly, "It's not'ing dey haven't seen before." I think I turned an even brighter shade of red. I gritted my teeth. It was one thing to be naked around a bunch of men, even in this sexually charged environment. But to be exposed in front of women was a whole other story. I felt emasculated. Naked and a slave, a pleasure slave at that.
"Remy's whore," as he called me whenever he was irritated with me.

Remy leered at me wickedly before striding over the the two slaves. "Dis is Meredith." He told me as he took the hand of a short heavy-set brunette. She bowed her head respectfully in my direction, but I could see the hard cold contempt in her eyes. I was low-class scum in her opinion. Glaring back at her, I straightened and dropped my hands. How dare she pass judgement on me? Being a slave hadn't been my idea. I wouldn't allow her to make me feel less than a man.

The other female slave was tall and gangly, much too thin. Remy introduced her as Tanya. She smiled pleasantly enough. Obviously these were working slaves. And both were clothed in light weigh white tunics that ended just below the knee.

"Dey're gonna get you ready for tonight. I've some business to attend to. I'll be back wit' your brot'er in an hour." Remy walked back over to me and gave me a quick peck. "You behave now. Do what dey say."

He took my hands and turned his head, looking directly at Meredith. "And I don' want to hear any complaints about you. Scott's important to me. You be nice."

Meredith pursed her lips but said nothing.

"Master I can..." I began. Funny how that word was getting easier to say.

"Non." Remy cut me off sharply. "I want dem to take of you. Dey know how I want you to look tonight." He grinned at me. "Pretend you're at a spa, cher. Enjoy it."

I snorted. *Yeah, right* I thought. God, he could humiliate me to no end. "Now don' give me dat look." Remy scolded dropping my hands. "You do what you're told and don' give dese women a hard time." Another quick kiss and he was gone.

Clenching my fists, I shifted my gaze to the two women. Tanya smiled sweetly. Meredith just glared. "Well pajo," she said after a moment. Her voice had an annoying nasal quality. "Get in the bathroom!"

"Meredith!" Tanya cried.

The short nasty slave turned to look at her partner with her hands on her hips. "What?" She scoffed. "He's just another pretty mutant pleasure slave. Lord Remy will tire of him soon enough."

"Hey!" I exclaimed in my defense. "This isn't..."

"Shutup, pajo!" Meredith rudely interrupted. "Look at him, Tanya. He thinks he's special living up here in Lord Remy's rooms." She glared back at me. "You can be sold just as easily as the rest of us. Now get in the bathroom!"

"You wait just a minute!" I snarled, a foul curse held back. "One. Being a slave wasn't my idea." I held up one finger. "Two." I raised another finger and stepped toward the insolent woman. "I never thought being up here was some kind of honor. And three." I put up my middle finger as I folded the other two back into my fist. "You don't have to be such a godamn self-important bitch!" I smiled malevolenty when I saw her flinch back.

Tanya stepped forward then, trying to placate me by saying. "Don't mind her. She's just...protective of Lord Remy." She put her hand out to me and whispered, "Come on. She won't hurt you. Lord Remy had her beaten the last time she bruised one of his favorites."

I looked over at the still scowling Meredith. "Why is she so protective of him then?" I asked.

Tanya shrugged. "I guess because she was one of his first household slaves. She ran his estate just before they elected him patriarch. I think she sees Remy as the son she never had."

"Oh." Sounded ridiculous to me, but I didn't feel like arguing. I took Tanya's hand and let her lead me into the bathroom. Meredith followed grumbling.

Tanya was correct in saying the bitter woman wouldn't hurt me. And once I got over the initial embarrassment of being naked, and the two began to get me ready for the party, the perparations were heavenly.

Meredith produced a folding masseuse table and the women began to work the tension from my muscles. They kneaded every inch of my body, including my head, face and genitals. I was so relaxed by the time the two started on my groin that I never became aroused. Of course their looks might have had something to do with that. They weren't beauties to be sure.

After the massage, they ran a bath, making the water so hot it was barely tolerable. But the women insisted, so I got in. Then they stripped to their undergarments, entered the large tub, and began to scrub me thoroughly with a fresh evergreen scented soap. A minty herbal mask was applied to my face, while Meredith ordered me to stand up in the tub. She'd hardly spoken two words to me except to give orders, so I hadn't argued with her. Tanya chattered a bit. A good deal of useless gossip I ignored for the most part. And there had been no further threats. But when Meredith came at me with a razor, I stepped back, surprised and wary.

"Oh don't be so stupid, pajo!" Meredith bullied. "I'm just going to trim your groin hair."

"Meredith!" Tanya snapped. "Will you stop calling him that!"

"Hmph!" came the retort. But she did stop calling me a pajo. Curious, I asked Tanya what it meant and she explained it was the word for the waste at the bottom of the sewer. And work slaves had started to use it to insult male pleasure slaves. It was the equivalent of calling me a shit-ridden whore.

I was sorely tempted to backhand Meredith, so I dug my nails into my palms to keep from giving into the urge. Meredith gave me a smug smile. Then she grasped my cock firmly, almost painfully, causing me to hiss and raise up on my toes. I did bring my hand back that time, but Tanya interceded by slapping the bitch's hand away. "Go get the oil. I'll finish this." I breathed a sigh
of relief when Meredith stepped out of the bath.

"Lord Remy thinks she's good at what she does." Tanya tried to explain as she took my penis gently and lathered the hair at my groin. "Most of the time she is. But she worries about him. She worries that he gets to close to the ones he chooses to love and that they'll hurt him or kill him one day."

"Gee, you think?" I retorted. She looked up at me quizzically. Then she bent to trim my auburn hair into a neat little triangle.

"You know," She began after a moment, "Lord Remy's a good master. He always has a kind word for his slaves as well as his servants. He only punishes us when we deserve it. And unlike most masters, he gives us a free day every week and a little spending money. It's a good life most of the time. We're never overworked. I've heard some slaves are beaten every day."

"But you're not free." I said, more gently. She seemed happy. I couldn't fault her.

"No." She agreed. "But I'm not hungry either. And I have a place to sleep and most of the time I'm left to myself. I've seen some of the free people in town. The beggars who live on the streets. The men who can't find work to support their families. I live better than them."

"And if you're sold?" I challenged.

"Remy doesn't sell his slaves without reason. I haven't seen one sold in over a year. Except for that one slave who was given to some diplomat a few weeks ago. The real handsome dark-haired slave." My eyes widened. "What was his name?" She said to herself.

"Neil." Meredith answered as she came to stand at the side of the tub holding a jar of oil. I froze in shock. Neil. Zaki. He'd been sold. "I heard he caused some trouble in the pleasure slave quarters. So Remy gave him to Lord Alcie. He's been eyeing that boy for years." Meredith shook her head. A bleak sadness seemed to descend on her. "That Alcie's a bad one. I've heard rumors that he's into pain. Neil will be lucky to last a month in that household, as beautiful as he is."

I shuddered. Zaki. Dear God! My mind raced with terrible thoughts of what he might have to endure. And it was my fault. Somehow I knew. He'd tried to give me release when he shouldn't have. Suddenly I was seething. Alex must have said something to Remy. Damn him. Zaki didn't deserve that. I ground my teeth, trying to stay calm. But the anger remained there on the surface. Damn him. And here I'd been trying to protect my brother all this time. "No more," I swore. If he could do this to that innocent man, then there was no way in hell I'd save him from Remy's wrath or death by his own hand. Alex would have
to fend for himself from now on.

The anger wormed it's way throughout my consciousness and I barely acknowledged the two women as they ordered me out of the bath. So wrapped up in my thoughts, I hardly noticed them applying a light sheen of oil all over my body, until Tanya began to work the oil into my anus. I tensed and pulled away. "No!" I growled at her.

"You'll need this for tonight." She said. I looked at her and swore. I knew what she meant. I'd probably have to perform. "Please. It will help." Closing my eyes, I relaxed and let her finish coating the inside of my ass with the oil, wondering how much more I could take of this place.

When they had finished, they fastened gold bands to my wrists. Delicate symbols were etched into the bands. Intricate designs that didn't seem to make sense to me. Seeing me eyeing the bands, Tanya said, "They represent the Lebeau household." She turned my wrist for me to see the bottom. There was circular design below. "That tells everyone you're his property."

I glowered at her. She just looked at me sympathetically. Meredith pushed her aside then. "Let's finish." She held up a ruby, about the size of a dime. A gold chain was fused to the setting on either side. She pushed the gem into my naval. There was some type of sticky fluid that held the ruby in place. The gold chains were looped loosely around my waist and linked in the back just at the tip of my crack. A small portion of the chain dangled down into the crevice. I scowled some more at the sensation. It was like having a fucking tail.

"Almost done." Tanya said. Then she combed out my hair into a tidy style and led me to the vanity to have a look. "There. You're beautiful. You'll have all the lords and ladys wrapped around your finger tonight." She paused. "If you'll only smile."

I gave her a side-long glance and then looked in the mirror. They'd done a nice job, I had to admit. A portion of my bangs hung over my right eye, giving me a mysterious look. The oil they'd applied accentuated the lines of my muscles, enhancing the angles of my body. The soft layer of chest hair v'd downward to my well-trimmed groin. The ruby complemented my coloring and the
delicately worked chains made me look exotic. "Not bad." I thought. And I smiled. Tanya giggled brightly and even Meredith's lips quirked up for a moment. "You'll win them all over." Tanya said. Then they led me back into Remy's bedroom.

Remy was at the armoire with Henri, shaking his head every time Henri suggested an outfit. When he saw me come out of the bathroom, his face seemed to light up. "Mon Dieu, Scott," He said, "You never looked better." Beckoning me to his side, he gave me a quick kiss and hug. "You'll make me proud, cher. Don't disappoint me."

He let me go, ordering me to stand by the door until he was ready. And when I went around the door of the armoire, there was Alex. There was my bastard of a brother. And he was smiling at me in welcome as if nothing had happened. I gritted my teeth and his smile evaporated. A distressed look came into his face. "What?" he whispered when I reached him.

"Zaki." I whispered back. "You told Remy, you son of a bitch! He gave him to some bastard that likes to torture his slaves. Why? How could you do that?"

Alex sighed and hung his head. "I didn't tell Remy. I swear it. I told Neil..."

"Zaki!" I interrupted with a hiss.

"Zaki." Alex acknowledged. "I told Zaki not to say anything. I made him keep to his room for a while. But one of the guards told Remy what he'd done. And what he was saying. He told one of the other slaves that he was in love with you." Alex looked at me. "I swear, Scott, I tried to get to Remy. But he wouldn't listen. He doesn't want any competition for you among the slaves." He looked up quickly. Remy was still behind the armoire door talking to Henri. Meredith and Tanya had been drawn into the decision making. None of them were paying us any attention. "He questioned one of the slaves who was there that night. The slave told him that you responded to Zaki. That you liked him. They all heard you call him by his given name. Remy was angry. He's jealous about you. I think he was afraid you'd fall for Zaki. He was never that jealous about me." I noticed a slight hint of jealousy in his tone, but when he continued, it was gone. "He gave the man away. It was a warning to the others to stay away from you."

"Fuck!" I said. The voices behind the armoire stopped. We froze and Remy looked at us suspiciously from around the door.

"Is somet'ing wrong, mon petites?" He asked.

"No Master." Alex smiled sweetly. "I just gave my brother a friendly pat and reminded him of your promise to me."

Remy chuckled. "Of course. I haven't forgotten. But I perhaps I haven't had my fill of your brot'er yet either. You be patient, mon ami. Now you two behave over dere." He turned back to the three, who had started up their argument again.

I grit my teeth and turned back to my brother. "What promise?" I demanded, keeping my voice to a whisper.

"Scott. You do believe me about Zaki?" He asked, ignoring my question. My anger abated some when I saw the desperate look in his eyes. The fear was sincere. And his explanation sounded reasonable enough.

"Alright. I believe you." My shoulders dropped then, along with my head. I was filled with a profound sense of loss and sadness. I looked up at Alex abruptly, worry clearly etched on my face. "How bad will it be for him?" I asked.

"I don't know." He replied. "I've hear the rumors. But they're just rumors. Since I've been here, I know that Alcie asked to have Zaki for a night when he was visiting the palace. Zaki didn't seem too afraid of him. But Alcie might have been holding back because he was a guest. And I saw Zaki the day they took him away. He was more sad than afraid. Alcie might treat him well. He was pretty taken with the man."

I closed my eyes and rubbed my face, saying a prayer that Alex was right and that the rumors about Lord Alcie were just rumors. We didn't say anything for a while. Then my brother asked, "How could you think that I'd do that to Zaki?" There was no anger, no accusation in his tone. Just an heart-wrenching sadness. How could I have doubted him? How could I doubt him now?

"I'm sorry." I whispered. Remy had finally decided on an outfit and the two women passed us as they were ordered out of the room. Tanya said goodbye. Meredith just ignored the both of us. I nodded and looked over at the armoire. Remy had disappeared into the bathroom. Henri was laying out the clothing. "It's this place, I guess. This whole situation. I just..." I
couldn't finish. That monsterous barrier of jealousy between us had reared it's ugly head again. I loved Alex, but we were both quick to condemn each other at times. Sometimes I realized that I had never completely forgiven him for leaving me back at the orphanage. And I was sure at times that he hadn't gotten over the harsh things I'd said to him before he left. Or the way I'd
turned my back on him as he waved from the back of the car.

"I know." Alex put a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry that I couldn't have prevented it. Or convinced Remy to leave you be." He turned me around to face him. "I love you Scott. I really didn't want you to have to go through this." Alex pulled me into an embrace and I went willingly. We held onto each other quietly until Alex murmured in my ear, "And I'm sorry that I want you. That I'm glad Remy said I could have you." I pulled back, suddenly remembering his words during the training. Remy had promised Alex that he would be allowed to fuck me once Remy was through with me. And Alex had been looking forward to
it. My brother tightened his grip and bent his head to kiss my neck, just where it met the shoulder. I shivered, feeling myself getting aroused and hating it. He trailed more kisses up my neck and then tentatively touched his lips to mine. One of his hands reached down to caress my hardening cock and I groaned. Alex plundered my mouth as it opened and I gave into desire. We
kissed each other passionately, born out of a desperation to have someone close who could understand what we each were going through. "I'm sorry." Alex said again when we broke apart.

"I know. It's okay." And I meant it. If he wanted me, I wouldn't fight him. I loved him. If that would bring him comfort, I wouldn't deny him. Besides, I admitted to myself, I wanted him too.