Sex Slave Ch. 09

"I will record for us," he said, picking up the quill.

****

Tolsten's mind was reeling. Somehow the anguish of Keven's abandonment was subsumed by the novelty of him being King of Endora.

Keven was off negotiating with Master Rim! That thought was terrifying. He couldn't help but be worried about him. He was also hopeful. And curious. Why had Master Rim brought him—and Saeri—into the picture? He could have negotiated with Keven alone.

Tolsten was so strung up, he couldn't contain himself.

"Saeri! Please come talk to me," he called to the tiny girl.

Meanwhile Saeri was having similar thoughts. Worry for Keven had come to preoccupy her mind. She was also curious why she and the beautiful youth were involved. What game was Master Rim playing?

When the youth called to her, she went to him readily, standing at the edge of the pool, trying to ignore his nakedness. It didn't seem to bother him.

"You know my name, but I don't know yours," she said.

"Tolsten. Pleased to meet you." He smiled up at her.

Such an endearing smile. No wonder Keven is attracted him. She fought to sooth the pang of jealousy that shot through her.

"The pleasure is mutual." She managed to keep her emotions out of her voice.

"So what do you think has happened? You're a healer, aren't you? Surely you've heard rumors. What is going on?" The words tumbled out of his mouth almost faster than he could think them.

"I have no idea. I have not heard a whisper of anything out of the ordinary. Why would Master Rim need asylum in Endora? His holdings here are vast! He has so much power. I can't imagine what could have happened to upset the status quo."

"What do you suppose is happening to Keven?" Tolsten asked worriedly.

"I imagine he's negotiating for us," she said with conviction.

"Negotiating for us?" Tolsten almost squeaked. "Do you think we'll be freed?"

"I imagine Keven will try to free as many of us as he can, don't you think?"

Tolsten had not thought about being free. He had been a slave so long, it was almost incomprehensible.

"Well ... yes ... but where will we go?"

"Back to Endora, of course. Keven has to claim the crown."

Tolsten swallowed. He suddenly felt bereft. "I'm not from Endora. I didn't even know he was king!"

"Really?" Saeri's curiosity was peeked. "How long have you been lovers?"

Tolsten felt hurt all over again. Keven had not trusted him enough to tell him who he really was. He did not want to discuss his relationship with Saeri. "Long enough," he said shortly.

She was astute enough not to pursue this line of questioning.

"Where are you from?" she asked.

"I'm almost afraid to admit—I'm Kenezian. But I have no family there anymore, other than an uncle who I remember not liking as a child." His voice broke as he added, "I don't know where I'll go."

He sounded so desolate, in spite of herself, Saeri sought to comfort him.

"You should come to Endora. I'm sure Keven will find a place for you there." What the hell am I saying? I don't want him coming to Endora! I want him out of Keven's life.

Who am I fooling? Even if Tolsten is not in the picture, Keven will find another man. He likes men!

Tolsten took a sharp breath and tears began to flow down his cheeks. "I doubt he'll want me to come with him. He doesn't love me anymore."

Saeri sat down on the edge of the pool and slid her bare feet into the water. It felt wonderful. She had not had an actual bath in years—only cold water bucket-showers.

She observed the distraught youth with sympathy. Keven's behavior was confusing. She had heard him telling Tolsten they couldn't be lovers anymore, but she had no idea why.

"I'm sorry, Tolsten. I wish I could help you."

"You could take off your dress and get in the pool," he said suddenly. "I've never seen a woman before." This statement had come out of his mouth as soon as it had randomly popped into his head. He smiled up at her guilelessly.

Saeri laughed. She would normally have been shocked or offended or maybe both, but somehow with this youth she was only amused. "I am not a typical woman. I have no boobs."

"Really?" Tolsten looked her up and down curiously.

Saeri felt a sudden small thrill. He's never seen a woman before and he wants to see me. Why not? I have no ties to anyone, least of all Keven.

The misery of her recent discovery crashed over her, making her feel reckless. What have I got to lose? And he is not asking for sex, just to look. And the water is so fine...

"No touching!" she said.

"Of course not," he agreed, his eyes widening as he realized she might be considering his request.

Before she could change her mind, she quickly stood up and shed her dress. She would never have done anything like this in Endora, but having been a slave for several years had inured her to many things, including nudity. She kept her panties on and slid shyly into the pool.

Tolsten was staring at her with big, round eyes.

She paddled back and forth a bit and then found the soap and washed herself and her hair. The water felt amazing. When she was finished, she sat on the bench that encircled the small pool, opposite Tolsten.

"You can take your panties off. I won't touch you," he said softly. "I'd love to see what you look like."

Why the hell not? I've gone this far. He isn't going to molest me.

She stood up on bench and slipped her panties off. "What do you think?"

He goggled, staring at her crotch. "You don't have a penis!"

Her tinkling laugh rang out in the huge amphitheatre. "Of course not!"

Tolsten looked ruefully down at his cock, which was completely flaccid. "I guess I don't like girls."

This comment made Saeri laugh more. Perhaps she had sensed that. Perhaps that was why she was so comfortable taking her clothes off in front of him. She sat down on the bench next to him.

He looked at her with his haunted eyes. She had noticed already—something had happened to him. He was injured. She could sense it ... almost see it.

"May I touch you?" she asked. "I just want to hold your hands, to try out a theory I have."

"A theory?" Tolsten asked, extending his hands to her.

She took them in her small hands and closed her eyes. Her face became very serene.

Tolsten felt a warmth spread through him from her touch. He felt ... soothed. Although the feeling was purely positive, it was different from anything he had ever felt, and very real, not imagined. He shuddered slightly.

She looked up at him. "You've been hurt," she said softly. "Your pain is very similar to mine. Were you raped?"

He gasped and pulled his hands away, shifting away from her on the bench. His eyes were huge as he stared at her in horror. "You went through my memories!"

"No!" she quickly assured him. "I can't read minds, I just felt your pain. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you or intrude on your privacy."

"You can feel other people's pain?" He was trembling slightly.

"Yes. Physical pain, most definitely, I can feel and heal. It's a talent I've recently discovered. I wasn't sure about emotional pain until just now, but I could feel yours. I don't know if I could heal it."

"You heal with magic?" he asked in awe.

She smiled. "I don't know if I'd call it magic. Talent, perhaps? I do seem to be able to help people heal faster and more fully than they normally would."

His mind sorted through the things she had told him. "You were raped?"

"Yes."

"Can you heal yourself?"

"Physically, yes. Emotionally ... well, that's harder. I think I've recovered from my ordeal better than most. I really don't think about it anymore, although..." She trailed off, unwilling to talk about her fear of intimacy. "No, I'm not completely healed."

"Do you want to try to heal me?" he asked. "Would it ... would it change me?"

"I don't think it will make much difference at all. I'm not even sure it's possible. However, if it does change you, it would be a positive change. You would feel better."

"Will you try? I'd like to feel better." He grinned sheepishly.

"I will try." She reached her hands out to him again, and he slid a bit closer and took them.

As before, she closed her eyes and calmness settled over her, seeming to seep into him as well. He felt her soothing warmth flowing into him. He sighed and closed his eyes. He wasn't sure how long she held his hands. He floated in a state of gentle happiness, feeling almost as if he were dreaming.

"Saeri!" Keven's voice crashed into their dream-state with jarring abruptness.

"What the hell are you doing?" He stood at the edge of the pool, fully clothed.

He looks very handsome, Saeri thought dreamily. She was finding it difficult to come fully back to awareness. She sensed Keven's anger and it pulled her awake. She glanced up at him and could almost see the fury rolling off of him.

She dropped Tolsten's hands and moved away from him. A blush spread over her as she realized she was naked in front of Keven.

"You're naked!" He was yelling at her. "What the fuck have you been doing?"

Saeri was still filled with peace and warmth from her healing session. His anger was confusing. She smiled at Keven. "Yes. The water feels wonderful."

"Did you have sex?" he demanded. Both Seari and Tolsten looked blissful, as if they had just finished a very satisfying love-making session. Keven felt like his world was in flames around him.

Saeri was suddenly indignant. "You have no right to ask that question of me. I'm not even sure you have the right to ask that question of him after your behavior this afternoon."

Keven looked like he was going to explode. Tolsten didn't think he'd ever seen him this angry—not even when he'd discovered him with Timor. It shocked and scared him.

"No, Keven. We did not," he said quickly. "She was just ... healing me."

Keven's fury seemed to come down a notch.

"Saeri's right. It's no concern of mine in any case." He was tight-lipped, his body tense. "Get dressed. I need to talk to you and I can't do it while you're naked." He spat out the word naked as if it were a bitter rind. He stalked to the fireplace and stood with his back to them.

When he had walked in and found Saeri and Tolsten naked together, holding hands, looking well-fucked, it had caused such excruciating pain that he was still spinning. It had upset him even more than walking in on Tolsten and Timor and seeing cum all over the wall.

His body was shaking, a physical manifestation of the intense emotions he was feeling. He fought to calm himself. He needed to be clear-headed. Their lives depended on it.

Saeri felt like a small child who had been caught doing something very naughty. She could feel the heat flushing her face and knew she must be bright red. She channeled her embarrassment into anger.

She climbed quickly out of pool and dried off. Donning her dress, she wrung her panties out and left them on the back of a chair to dry.

Tolsten wrapped a towel around his waist and approached Keven tentatively.

"We didn't do anything," he said softly. "We didn't even kiss. It turns out I don't like girls."

Keven glanced at him and his expression softened. He believed the youth. Examining his feelings, he realized that he was not angry with Tolsten ... but he was furious with Saeri. Curious. He needed time to understand his feelings, but Saeri joined Tolsten in front of him just then. He glared at her and she lifted her chin, her expression haughty.

He could not help himself. He lashed out at her. "What were you thinking? You are an Endoran noblewoman! Taking off your clothes and bathing with a complete stranger! Are you daft?"

Saeri stiffened. "What I do is none of your concern," she said tightly.

Keven felt like she'd just slugged him in the gut. Hard.

She obviously didn't care what he thought of her. She didn't feel anything for him at all. And she seemed completely unashamed of her actions. He felt his heart hardening, petrifying, turning to stone. It was the only way he could survive. Otherwise, he would die of heartbreak.

He clenched his jaw and glared at her for a long second. Finally, choosing his words carefully, he said in a voice cold and devoid of emotion, "If you wish to come with us, I need to ask you to restrain your behavior. The road will be long and dangerous. There will be no room for mistakes and no time for pleasure. Do you understand?"

Saeri blushed deeply. She felt like he had just called her a slut to her face. Restrain my behavior, indeed! As if I'm in the habit of throwing myself at any available man! A quiet fury burned within her, but she simply said, "Of course."

"You're going somewhere?" Tolsten squeaked. His eyes were huge and sad.

"I want to give you both a choice," Keven said. He was all business now. No emotion reflected in his voice or demeanor. "I will likely be giving Master Rim asylum in Endora. King Leon's men are on their way to arrest him, so we must leave quickly. We will probably be pursued as we flee to Endora. You are aware of the geography—we'll need to cross the whole of Kenezia. If we are caught, either by King Leon's force or by any Kenezians, things will surely go badly for us."

"Your other choice is to stay here. It will likely be chaotic for a while. It's possible that you'll find an opportunity to escape. More likely you'll simply be turned over to a different slave master."

He looked at Saeri directly, but his expression was still completely neutral. "Saeri, you may have a better chance than the rest of us. In the confusion that will surely follow our departure, you may be able to pass yourself off as a free woman. You have no slave marks do you?"

Saeri shook her head. She had completely healed herself of the small mark on her left wrist which had marked her as Master Rim's slave. The welts that Master Rim had ripped into her back not been visible since a few days after she had been whipped.

Emotion welled up in her. Keven is leaving!

He was offering her a choice to come with him or stay behind. Her rational mind told her that it was likely safer to stay behind. There was no reason to go with Keven. After she was free she could make her way home on her own without the extreme danger that Keven's party would surely face.

Her heart screamed at her to go with Keven. Why would I want to do that? she argued with herself. He doesn't care about me—he doesn't even like me. He just insulted me. It would be nothing but painful to stay near him. She already knew her answer, though. She would do anything to be near him, no matter how much pain it caused her or how dangerous it was. You are such a fool! she berated herself.

Now she just needed to figure out how to make her decision seem rational to Keven.

"Why did Master Rim bring us here—Tolsten and I? Why is he offering to let us come with him?"

This question would perhaps give her a seed of information to use for her explanation.

"He would like you to come because of your abilities as a healer. In fact, he was going to force you to come, but I insisted that it had to be your choice."

Damn! It seems Keven doesn't want me to come. "And Tolsten?"

Color crept into his face, but his expression and voice remained cold. "He thought I would want to take my lover with me." There was bitterness in his voice.

Tolsten's eyes widened and he started to move toward Keven, but the nobleman stopped him with look. "We can no longer be lovers. I'm sorry."

A pitiful whimper came out of the youth's throat and his eyes held so much hurt, Saeri sucked in her breath. How could Keven be so cruel? Perhaps he was not the man she thought he was.

Keven laid a hand gently on Tolsten's arm. "I will soon take my place as the King of Endora. I cannot bring you with me as my lover. But you are welcome to come with us as my friend."

Tears began to run down Tolsten's cheeks, and Keven's cold mask fell away. "I am very sorry." Saeri could see the anguish in his eyes. He glanced at her and stiffened, his eyes becoming cold again.

"I cannot stress how difficult and dangerous the road will be. We may well be traveling to our doom. It is your choice. You will need to decide soon, within a few hours. Preparations for our journey are already underway."

"I would like to go with you," Tolsten said. He did not want to be left behind. If he could not be Keven's lover, at least he could still be his friend.

Saeri thought over the statement Keven had just made. He was rejecting Tolsten as a lover because he was expecting to be king. Of course, a king would have to produce heirs. Keven would have to marry someone. Her heart suddenly leapt as a tiny hope flamed, but she quickly doused it. She could never marry him if he didn't love her. That would be a painful, bitter life. Better to never see him again.

She wondered at this choice he had made. She couldn't decide if it was in character for him or not. He did not seem the type to deny his nature for any reason. However, his sense of duty was very strong. Perhaps it was a sacrifice he was willing to make.

"I will give you some time to think on this," Keven said to her, turning away.

"Who else is coming?" she asked abruptly. She was still seeking a plausible reason to go with them.

"So far it's Master Rim and his wife. He wants to bring a boy of about eleven as well. I don't know the story behind that, but apparently the boy is in his care."

"I will go, of course, and Tolsten. I'd like to keep the party small—we'll be able to travel faster and will be less conspicuous. However, we'll need a few good fighting men. I will make this same offer to Rees and Timor, two of my countrymen who I trust. I would like to find a few more Endoran soldiers to enlist as well. I suspect Rees will want to bring Arriene and his infant son. I'm not sure she will agree to go, but we'll bring them if she does."

Saeri nodded. Keven had spoken of Rees during the time they had spent together. She knew he had saved his life and that he was a breeding slave. An infant might give her the excuse she needed. He would need to be kept healthy, wouldn't he?

****

"Not Rees," Master Rim said grimly.

They were back at the negotiation table again.

"Why not?" Keven asked. "He is an excellent soldier. There is none I would rather have at my side."

"I have .... indulged myself with Rees. He surely hates me and will slide a blade into my heart at his earliest opportunity. I cannot trust him."

"You cannot trust him, but I can. I will require his allegiance and then I will forbid him to harm you. He will obey me."

Master Rim pursed his lips and looked Keven in the eye for a long moment. The young man was supremely confident in his abilities as a leader. He will make a strong king.

It might be fun to have Rees around. I could torture him some more—mentally only, of course. "If you're sure of him," he agreed.

****

Keven sat across from Rees and Timor. They were both still adjusting to the shocking news that Keven was the Presumptive Heir to the crown of Endora and the possible change in their status from slaves to free men.

"If she does not want to go, then I will not go either," Rees said stubbornly. "I will not abandon them here."

Keven was surprised. It had not occurred to him that Rees would consider not going.

"It will be dangerous either way, and I will, of course, respect your decision. If you come with us, I will require that you pledge your allegiance to me and obey me unconditionally. Are you willing to do that?"

"Arriene and Matson are my first priority, but I know you would never ask me to do anything that would put them in harm's way. I trust your judgment completely. Yes, I will pledge my allegiance to you. You have my loyalty ... and my obedience." Rees smiled at his friend.