Dragon Clans Bk. 01 Pt. 08

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The Adventures of Michael Dane continue.
3.8k words
4.58
27.7k
7

Part 7 of the 33 part series

Updated 10/23/2022
Created 09/15/2008
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Vjax
Vjax
946 Followers

Nicolas reviewed the photographs for the third time since Selene had emailed them.

Pausing on the last one, showing Michael slumped on the ground. Nicolas gave a derisive laugh, 'is this all there is,' he thought as he rose from his desk and walked out onto the balcony.

For so many years Nicolas had worked to bring order to the world, his vision of an ordered, pure world was the driving factor in his life.

'Too much diversity, too much strife, the world needs to be convinced that there is another path, the one true path, my path,' Nicolas thought as he gazed at the setting sun.

Being this close to the end, of finally overthrowing the old guard, of becoming the one true leader of his kind filled Nicolas with a raw and powerful feeling of entitlement, simply knowing that his destiny was at hand.

Almost quivering with nervous energy his thoughts drifted back to another sunset one that would see him begin his journey to inherit the power that would put him on the path to achieve his destiny.

..................

The court of Peter I was lively in the summer of 1721, a tentative peace had been struck with the Swedes and Russia was an emerging European power. It was an amazing time in Russia, with the last 40 years seeing a true change from a medieval culture to a modern society.

Nicolas Ivan Partekov could not think of anywhere he would rather be than in the royal palace.

Working in the kitchens was not a very prestigious position, however this mattered little to Nicolas.

Born to peasants he had grown up with an insatiable drive to be someone, someone a damn site better than a beggar's son.

The squalid hovel Nicolas shared with his parents was cold; with no money for wood or good blankets, Nicolas was always cold.

The nights seemed to last forever to Nicolas, during the day he could at least go out, warm himself in a patch of sun in the city square and watch the world go by.

But here in the dark, that deep dark in the middle of the night that takes on a life of its own, pulling forth all manner of monsters and demons fully formed from its inky depths, Nicolas felt alone, and knew that the time had come to escape this dismal existence.

Yesterday had been his tenth birthday, there was no party, actually no mention of the day was made by either his mother or father. This had been the last straw, pushing him to leave, no matter what the consequences.

Taking the families only loaf of bread he left his parents hovel that night he set out to find his own path.

Being only ten years old his options were limited by his experience. Living in the city he had seen the great coaches and columns of soldiers as they came and went from the palace, and to the palace is where young Nicolas traveled to start his new life.

Standing by the servant's gate for days he was finally found by one of the cook's assistants and brought inside.

Finding a place was never hard for Nicolas, being highly intelligent and always seeming to be in the right place at the right time he soon found a permanent place in the palace kitchens.

First working the trash, he cleared the scraps that came back from the great banquets and late night meals; staying out of the way, watching how the palace worked, getting into the flow of the place.

And his life moved on, days turned into months, months turned into years and now nine years since walking through the servants gate he was getting yet another promotion.

"Nicolas," Mikhail called, "come over here."

Nicolas smiled and walked over, sitting down with Mikhail at the rough worktable in the center of the kitchen.

Nicolas liked Mikhail, of the three kitchen bosses, he was his favorite.

Nadia, the night boss was a real bitch, taking out her own frustrations at being 'wasted' fixing late night snacks for the aristocracy, she took pleasure in running the boys and girls ragged during her shift.

Paullina the morning boss was better, very strict, having everything running her way was the standard for her, as long as you did your job and stayed out of her way, Paullina would leave you alone.

Mikhail was the lead boss, on for the evening meals, in charge of the banquets; menu's and purchasing he met everyone with a smile, expected the best from you and made sure you were able to give your best.

"Jonathan has been taken to the dungeon, he was caught with three silver spoons under his mattress," Mikhail said, breaking a piece of bread in two, handing a half to Nicolas.

Nicolas' expression was appropriately shocked; however the smile he kept hidden belied his true knowledge and involvement with the spoons.

Jonathan was a nice person, everyone who met him would say so, and nice, as far as Nicolas was concerned, was a liability for those ahead of him.

Living at court for so long, Nicolas had had years to memorize the layout of the place, where to hide, how to get into this room or that. It had been nothing for him to slip into the storeroom and secret out the spoons one evening while on the night shift.

Living in the same barracks as Jonathon had only made the spoons' appearance under Jonathon's mattress that much easier. A careful word to the right maid, who could be counted on never to keep a secret, and Jonathon's downfall was assured.

Taking a bite of the bread Mikhail continued, "I'll need to fill his position as minor steward, now Nadia thinks that Colette should get the job."

'Not surprising,' Nicolas thought, as Colette is more times than not to be found with her pretty little head between Nadia's thick hairy thighs most evenings in the pantry.

"However, after talking with Paullina she and I both feel that you would be a better choice for the job." Mikhail said.

"I appreciate the opportunity Mikhail, I won't let you down," Nicolas responded, taking a bite of his own bread contemplating how this new position would give him even better access and bring him one step closer to well...Mikhail's job.

"I know you won't Nicolas, now, here are the minor stewards keys, giving you access to all of the storerooms and ante rooms upstairs in the residence, there is a lot that goes into this job so you'll have to stay on your toes and learn quickly, you'll be at my side for the next week then its your ass for any screw ups."

Mikhail was pleased with Nicolas' acceptance; he felt that if the lad kept his nose clean he might just get his job when he retired.

The next few months moved quickly, being the minor steward introduced Nicolas to a side of court life he had not been exposed to before.

In the past, most of his duties centered around the kitchen and the main dining hall of the palace. Now he ranged around the entire palace, which expanded his perspective and his goals further than ever.

While getting ready for the Tsar's coronation as Emperor of Russia many guests from all over Europe were coming to the palace for the festivities.

"You there, boy, come here," the strong heavily accented female voice called out from behind Nicolas. Turning he was faced with the most imposing trio he had ever encountered.

The most striking thing was their hair, Nicolas had heard stories of the Germanic people and their blond hair, the stories did not do the actual facts justice.

Standing before him were two blond goddesses, their long hair cascading down their backs and over their shoulders; it reminded Nicolas of the waterfall he had once seen while traveling in the country with the royal court.

Walking over to the trio, Nicolas came to a stop in front of the man standing between the two Nordic goddesses.

Nicolas' 6ft 2in height seemed dwarfed by the man who stood at least 4 inches taller than he.

Broad chested with chiseled features, Nicolas had never seen nor heard of his like. As he continued to regard the man their eyes locked and Nicolas' world stopped.

Blue as he imagined the great seas must be, a blue so deep and so brilliant that it grabbed his soul and wouldn't let go. Their eyes locked for what seemed to be an eternity, when in fact the glance only lasted seconds, seconds that laid Nicolas' soul open to the man who owned those eyes.

"Name?" The man asked as their eyes parted and Nicolas stood quivering from the sheer shock of the mans force of will.

"Nicholas," he stammered, looking at the floor not wanting to fall under the man's gaze again.

Hagen stood looking down at the boy shaking his head 'he has no clue as to who or what he is,' Hagen thought, he was surprised that after all these long centuries he should come across his heir in a foreign land working as a house boy.

'So much the better, a blank slate with which to work,' Hagen finished his thought as he regarded the boy once again.

"I am Hagen Adolph Renzhauser, ambassador of the Holy Roman Empire, my attendants are Helga and Ingrid. Our baggage needs to be moved to our rooms quickly boy, do not make us wait," Hans finished.

With a final glance at the boy, Hans and his entourage moved off following the page to their rooms.

Nicolas stood in the middle of the entrance hall, stunned by this new emotion that had not been part of his existence until this moment.

Fear. Blinding, incapacitating fear. The fear flowed through him, paralyzing Nicolas, never had he known fear, never had he been confronted with something or someone that he perceived to be stronger than himself.

Now he understood there were things in the world that, should their attention stay on him to long, could crush him like a bug without a backward glance.

As the fear subsided and Nicolas found his strength, he walked over to the entrance and found the ambassadors' things.

"Ivan, where is the ambassador staying?" Nicolas asked the young page who was greeting all of the arriving dignitaries.

"Ah, Nicolas, good to see you, can you believe the women with the ambassador, gods never have I seen such women," Ivan commented, turning to regard Nicolas.

'Strange, Nicolas does not look well' Ivan thought.

"They are in the east wing, third floor the last set of rooms overlooking the gardens.

Nodding, Nicolas picked up the three large cases and set off for the ambassador's rooms, not looking forward to being in his presence again.

..................

"Your majesty, Ambassador Hans Renzhauser has requested an immediate audience," the Tsar's steward said. He did not like to interrupt his liege with unscheduled appointments, but the ambassador had been very insistent, leaving the steward with little choice but to make the request.

Peter looked up from his desk, regarding his steward.

"Very well, bring him in," Peter said, thinking to himself that it must be of the utmost urgency as his steward never allowed for unscheduled meetings.

Hagen strode into the hall, taking in the high ceiling and guilt trimmed paintings; he was put off by the showy opulence of the room.

Peter rose from behind his desk. "Ambassador, it is a pleasure to meet you, what was so urgent that you required this meeting with no notice?" Peter asked as he looked at the imposing figure before him.

Hans did not waste any time, staring into the other mans eyes he placed the command into his mind, breaking the brief connection before he began to speak.

"Your highness, it is an honor and a privilege to meet with you, I bring greetings and good wishes from our people. I apologize for the need of this quick meeting, however during our travels we lost one of our valet's to a fever and fear we will not be able to securely return to our own lands after your coronation without a replacement," Hans spoke in broken Russian. The few advisors in the room had returned their attention to their work, allowing the King and the ambassador to complete their business in private.

"Ah, I understand, it can be a daunting trip from Germany to here, this time of year the weather can be quite capricious. I can recommend a young man who should be able to fill your needs quite nicely, he has been getting excellent reviews from the staff, he should be available to you within the hour. I will have his superiors notified and have his things packed to move to your rooms, the young man, Nicolas will be happy to provide you with any services you may require." Peter finished, sitting back behind his desk, the meeting to his mind complete.

"I thank you for your hospitality your majesty, I will leave you to your work." Hans said over his shoulder as he had already turned to leave the room.

"Steward, notify the appropriate staff that Nicolas is now in the sole employ of the ambassador," Peter said absently as he returned to his work, the meeting quickly slipping from his memory.

...............

Nicolas hefted the three cases beside the door and hesitated before knocking, unsure if he had the strength to face the ambassador again.

"Ah Nicolas, let me get the door for you," the deep voice from behind him startled Nicolas as he spun, knowing that he would be once again faced with the imposing figure of the ambassador.

Hagen slapped him on the shoulder as he moved past him and into the room.

"Bring those in here Nicolas, put them anywhere you like," Hagen's' voice called out from within the room.

Squaring his shoulder Nicolas pulled the cases into his arms and walked into the room.

Nicolas had been in most of the guest rooms in the palace since his promotion. All were lavishly appointed with tapestries on the walls, the finest furniture and linens. This room was no different, dominated by an ornate four-poster bed with a small sitting area and writing desk, it was a comforting room meant to put guests at ease.

Placing the cases at the foot of the bed he turned to leave as Hagen spoke again. "Nicolas, please sit I would like to talk with you for a few moments."

Pausing to get his fight or flight response under control he answered without turning towards the man. "I'm sorry sir but with so many arriving for the coronation I really have to go, if the head steward finds me to be slacking I'll be punished severely," Nicolas responded walking towards the door.

The deep baritone of the Ambassadors laugh filled the room; Nicolas could feel it reverberating through him making him once again aware of the odd power that emanated from the man.

"Nicolas, I can guarantee you will not get into any trouble for staying, I have just come from a brief meeting with your liege, he has agreed that your services would be better used by me than the head steward," Hagen said still laughing.

Nicolas was frozen to the spot.

He was an indentured servant, his lord could give him to anyone he chose, but why this man, he had always performed well, perhaps Jonathon, no, there was no reason for this.

"I would not think to argue with you sir, however I will need to verify your statement with my superiors," Nicolas said as he fairly ran from the room.

Hagen chuckled as he watched the boy flee, Ingrid and Helga moved to his side, it was rare to see their master in such good spirits. Hagen's' smile continued as he placed an arm around his slaves and moved to the large bed thinking that this was turning into the most interesting of trips.

............

Nicolas ran back to the kitchens, everyone he passed noticed that he did not look well, ashen and sweating it was as if the devil himself was chasing him.

Panting as he entered the kitchen he was surprised to see the Tsar's Steward talking with Mikhail who had a look of disappointment and surprise on his face. When Mikhail saw Nicolas he waved him over.

"Nicolas," Mikhail began "it seems that this Ambassador Renzhauser has lost a valet to a fever on his journey here, he has requested a replacement," Mikhail paused looking sadly at the boy "the Tsar has given your services to him, you will gather your things and join his entourage immediately," Mikhail finished with a sad, inevitable tone in his voice.

Nicolas was stunned, this was the only home he had ever known, his life and future were here, how could this have happened to him. Nicolas broke down in tears for the first time in his life, weeping for his lost vision of the future, for the unknown that now faced him and from the fear he felt at being bound to this strange German.

Mikhail helped Nicolas to gather his few possessions.

"Think of this as an adventure Nicolas, this could be a great opportunity, you will see new lands, experience new things. A lot of opportunities you never thought possible could come your way from this," Mikhail said, trying to rally the boys' courage.

"We will see Mikhail, thank you for always being fair with me, I always appreciated your help and your council," Nicolas said to his former boss, pulling him into a quick embrace before striding out of the kitchen to face his new master and his new fate.

...............

Ingrid answered the door after Nicolas found the courage to knock.

Looking as beautiful and exotic as the first time he saw her, he was once again speechless in her presence. A coy smile crossed her lips as she laid a gentle hand on his shoulder pulling him into the room.

"Ah, Nicolas, so good to see you back so quickly," Hagen said as he rose from the bed.

Nicolas was shocked by his nakedness, he had seen other men naked during the staff's weekly baths at the river but never had he seen someone of Hagen's' size or strength.

His body looked like one of the statues in the galleries, all sculpted muscles, hard bulges from head to toe, he resembled an animal more than a human, something built to fight, to conquer to lead.

Nicholas's gaze was drawn between the man's legs, the appendage that swung there was, from Nicolas' limited knowledge, overtly large. He blushed as Hagen moved up to him and noticed where his eyes had fallen.

"No need to blush Nicolas, we feel the human body is a glorious thing to be admired and taken care of, not hidden away like some sacred relic," Hagen said as he sat down on the small couch, seemingly made miniscule by his size and presence.

"Sit," Hagen said, motioning to the chair across from him.

As he sat, Nicolas continued to stare at the man, now that he was closer he saw that his body was blemish free, not a scar not a pimple nothing marred the deep bronze of the perfect body across from him.

"Nicolas, as you know you are now mine," Hans began as he picked up a glass wine from the low table and took a drink.

"I have searched for someone like you for...a very long time. I want you to understand that I am not taking you on as a servant but as an apprentice. For the next few years you will live at my side, learning all that I have to teach and in the end I shall turn over to you a legacy that will grant your deepest wish, to be someone. There will be much pain during this time, there is no other way to teach you and I do not apologize for it, but it is important for you to know that the methods I will use are ultimately the only ones that will ingrain in you the ability to control your future power and destiny." Hagen finished.

He regarded Nicolas, it would be a long hard road for him, luckily he was young, his emotional and physical scars would heal quickly as he progressed from this simple peasant to a lord among kings.

Nicolas tasted the blood in his mouth before the pain of the strike registered in his brain.

One minute Hagen had been sitting across from him the next he was standing over him as he lie on the floor his right cheek exploding in a flash of pain, his teeth crushed into the flesh, drawing huge gouts of blood that threatened to choke him.

Looking up at the looming form of Hagen, Nicolas noticed with horror that the appendage between his legs had started to grow.

He began to crawl away as Hagen grabbed him and pulled him back towards him.

The next 24 hours were a blur for Nicolas, there was a great deal of pain and humiliation, he never realized the human body could take so much punishment and still continue to function.

Vjax
Vjax
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