Ben'hamin Ch. 07

Everest went to his room and lay down content for the first time in a long while. When the young kitchen servant came in, he pretended to sleep. The curious male got closer than he should have.

Everest read his purpose very clearly, so he didn't need his eyes. The house staff was also wondering at his sudden and strange shift of personality.

Kiev went so far as to touch his riot of white-blonde curls in admiring curiosity. It was a severe breach of space. Everest caught his breath and the male moved away as he opened his eyes. Kiev looked scared.

"Oh, sorry," Everest purred sleepily, "did I drift off to sleep on you?" He lay there perfectly relaxed as he watched the young male turn red and then deathly pale.

"I am sorry," Kiev stuttered.

"It is not important. Did you bring the food?" Everest could smell it in the room so it was silly of him to ask, but he wanted the youth to settle down. The young male pointed to where he had set it down. "Was there something else you wanted?"

"No! No, sir, I..."

"Just curious," he drawled lazily in amusement. Kiev shook his head, not so much denying his words as upset that he had been caught.

"My lord, the castle is...just wondering," Kiev stated nervously trying to explain, "if you are well."

"They are wondering if I will stay as I am."

"Yes, my lord, that too..." Everest smiled. Kiev was bold. He approved of it, but bold men led to challenges in this land.

"Would you like me to stay like this?"

"My lord," the youth looked confused, "I do not know. You have seemed very curious about me lately. I do not know why and it scares me."

"Very honest," Everest pointed out dryly. "You are rather innocent to be nearly thirty, aren't you? I have noticed that you are too are curious about me, and bold...It makes an older alpha very anxious. Do you plan to challenge me, young Kiev?"

The boy gasped and shook his head quickly denying such a thing! "No, then why are you so curious...so bold...Why, Kiev?" Everest touched his hair to remind him of his own actions and the boy paled in fright.

"My lord, please forgive me! I meant you no harm, I swear! I just wanted..." Kiev faltered, seeking the right words to say.

"To touch me," Everest finished sternly. "Are you curious because you seek to lie in my bed? I would not disapprove of that," he offered leadingly.

The creature flinched. Then, he lowered his eyes and swallowed as he thought swiftly of a way out of this without angering the king. "My lord," Kiev hesitated. He wanted very much to leave and forget he had gotten himself into this mess. A flash of white in Everest's eyes warned him just before Everest softly called him closer.

Knowing if he refused he would be marked as a challenger, Kiev automatically obeyed. "No, Kiev...lie down beside me," he told him firmly. The youth started to step away, but Everest's watchful eyes waited with complete indifference for him to decide what to do.

"You are the king, my lord," Kiev stated woodenly as he tried to causally lie back on the soft bed. Everest propped up on his elbow to lean over him.

"Am I your king, Kiev?" His mischievous amusement caused a shiver of alarm to race through the young warrior.

"Yes, you are my king..." The breathless whisper did not sound very firm. Everest dipped down and lightly bit into Kiev's lower lip. The tense young male jerked closing his eyes, but he remained passive beneath him.

"You have too much pride," Everest noted stroking a large hand down his body. Kiev shook his head not daring to open his eyes. "Look at me, Kiev..." Tears streamed down his face as soon as he opened them. "Never violate the space of an elder unless you are invited, wish to be killed, or you are stronger than he is..."

"I didn't mean anything by it," Kiev whispered.

Everest knew he was telling the truth, but an elder that was not psychic would not know. Kiev would be punished for his error. "That is a good way to become a slave, or a dead warrior. You are old enough to know better."

"Yes, my lord," he whispered. Everest chuckled at the youth's obvious fear.

"You are afraid enough to not dare challenge me, but you are strong-willed and defiant." Everest leaned close, hovering over Kiev a hair's breadth away from his face. Kiev made a tiny noise.

The youth lay tensing and trembling as Everest's hand massaged over the bare skin of the youth's crotch. Kiev closed his eyes as Everest dropped down to lick the droplets of blood off of his bitten lip.

Then, he kissed him more fully. Fear rolled off of him. There was no room for distaste, or even lust; the boy beneath him felt only fear.

"Don't hurt me, my king," Kiev begged. "I am new here and I am too curious; I know! Please, forgive me. I didn't think you would mind! Honestly, I didn't..." There were tears on his face again. "You looked nice and you kept watching me..."

"How new, Kiev?" The young warrior's face twisted in surprise. "Am I supposed to remember when you came?"

"I am the son of Gislain Garl," he stated softly.

"Am I supposed to remember him, too?" The young male gasped and went dead still beneath him.

"Several months ago, my king...You stole me away from my hunting party. I assumed you knew who I was."

"I might have...at the time," he added vaguely. "I don't remember much before Destiny's accident..." He frowned confused. "I don't even remember how she got hurt to be truthful. I remember clearly the day I met her to the day her parents died...and now. These last few months," he admitted, "I have been trying to remember."

Kiev's face turned completely blank. "You hurt her, Everest Sinedien. It was you who nearly killed your wife."

"Say I did...Why would I do such a thing? I know my rule depends upon her life. If she dies and I have no child by her to raise, I lose control of the castle."

"Perhaps you were trying to get her pregnant," Kiev suggested.

"No, she must choose to do that. I cannot force her hand. She has to pick the time and male, or no matter the effort she will lie barren." Now that the boy was more relaxed, he feathered a light kiss over his lips. The disgusted distaste welled up immediately. It was followed by shocking embarrassment and alarm. Kiev hid his eyes, but he couldn't hide the miserable humiliation he felt. "Go on," Everest growled in irritation, "get your ass out of here." Kiev sat there stunned.

Everest moved to the side and the young warrior sat up too afraid to believe his own ears. "My lord," he inquired.

"I said 'get out', Kiev..." The young male got up looking worried rather than relieved. "Now, what," he asked. He knew he sounded annoyed, but everyone's reactions to him were starting to get on his nerves.

"Are you going to kill me?" The whisper startled him. Everest read the boy more thoroughly and realized he was completely serious. He thought he was going to die!

"Why would I kill you, Kiev?" He made the question as gentle and curious as he could manage trying not to alarm him any further.

"Dev said you killed a servant once for flirting with you. You beckoned him closer, kissed him, and he was dead before he had time to enjoy it." Everest began to understand the young man's confusion and fear.

He sighed. "I am not going to kill you, Kiev, but I highly suggest you find somewhere else to go...and soon."

"I don't understand." Kiev knelt beside the bed. "Why do you want me to leave? You purposely stole me; won't you need me here? When my father brings the ransom," he added. Everest groaned.

"I am ransoming you? No, you can't leave," Everest sighed in frustration. "Is there any way to speed up your father's tribute?" Kiev shook his head looking even more disgusted. "You don't want to go home, do you?"

"I don't want to go. I don't want to stay," Kiev said with a sad laugh. "I am not free to run on my own either." Everest shook his head in complete exasperation.

"Before my wife was injured, how long were you here? What all did you see, or hear, about me?"

Kiev shrugged uncertainly. "Only about a week, I guess. You were pretty gruesome and fearless when you attacked us. You took me out before I had time to see much more than a couple of our men fall...I woke in the infirmary."

"You were knocked out?"

"Yeah," Kiev winced touching a spot on the upper left side of his head. "You walloped me pretty hard." Everest sat up holding Kiev between his knees as he moved his hair to the side.

Kiev's scalp looked very white beneath his black hair, but then he saw a place that was red. There was a healing gash in his scalp not very deep, but long enough to lay his entire hand across. Kiev relaxed against him. "You really do not remember?"

"I am afraid not. The day after her injury until now is very clear to me, but the week before and the day of it are a total blank. A blank I really want to fill in," he added earnestly.

"I woke up in the infirmary pretty dazed, but I heard people talking. They were saying so many things...I don't recall most of it. They were telling me and Gordon that you were terribly unpredictable, irritated easily, and had a violent temper."

Everest held up a hand. "Who is Gordon?"

"My older brother," Kiev told him. "You sent him home with the ransom note. He was badly injured and you didn't want him to die here." The words left Kiev tense.

"I am sorry. I personally disapprove of fighting, but obviously my...'alter ego'...does not mind in the least. Go on..."

Kiev frowned up at him. "I stayed away from you for the most part. I was assigned to the kitchen crew two hours before the screaming started. The guy who was...with her at the time is here...He left, but he has come back."

Everest looked closely into the boys mind seeing himself offering the pudgy, balding, short merchant he had seen earlier his wife's bed. Kiev had actually seen the man frown at his bloody fingers before covering her. Everest's eyes narrowed in anger.

"I think I should talk to them."

"Be careful, my lord," Kiev warned him. "I have heard he is dangerous. I took him his lunch, and he has a slave that looks half-ghost he is so frightened. The boy is very small..."

"You go on, Kiev. I will find his room. I need to speak to him personally."

Kiev stood up and hesitated. "I can show you where he stays, my lord." When Kiev moved, he adjusted his pants. It reminded Everest of the feel of the boy's bared skin in his hand. Everest sighed sullenly tearing his eyes away.

"Fine, show me," Everest growled rolling to his feet. The young warrior hesitated at the door and padded swiftly down corridors with the king trailing behind him. Kiev flagged a door by knocking on it as he passed disappearing quickly afterwards.