Chapter 1 :

Ryo was bored. He was listening to his best friend’s (and counselor's) rambling for more than two hours and though he loved the man dearly, his friend could be very annoying at times like this. He talks way too much for his own good, Ryo thought. And the fact that his friend Touma was talking about his duty as the king of Farlane wasn’t helping.

Ryo let his thoughts wander, starting to gaze into space, or rather into his private flower garden where he and his friend were right now, when a voice startled him.

"Ryo? Ryo, are you listening to me?"

Ryo blinked before turning to face his blue-haired friend.

"I’m sorry Rowen. Did you say something?"

Rowen sighed before pushing a blue lock of hair that fell onto his face out of his eyes.

"Ryo, I know that you don’t like being the king and that you hate all those things that are paired up with nobility, but you don’t have a choice. You have to take care of your kingdom. All those people are yours; they need you, and my job as your advisor is to make sure that you are doing your duty well."

Ryo sighed, then smiled. Sweet Rowen, always here for him. That thought inevitably seemed to give him a warm feeling of relief and also helped him deal with his condition of being king.

"I know Rowen. It’s just that I’m not totally at ease with my new situation, that’s all. After all I was still a prince a month ago!"

Rowen laughed before putting his hand on Ryo’s shoulder, smiling confidently.

"I understand Ryo. Don’t worry about it; just try to relax. It’s not that horrible, is it? And I’m here for you if you need me. Huuum… wait, what time is it? Ah, I think we have a meeting with your others counselors now. Let’s fight your demons together my Lord, ok? I have even heard that they have a surprise for you, something that thye are making a great deal of fuss over. We should be even more careful!

Ryo blinked twice, then burst out laughting. This was Rowen. And it was one of the things that Ryo liked in him, this ability to make everybody relax in his presence. Ryo smiled back at Rowen before answering.

"All right my friend, let’s do it!"

And so the two boys left the flower garden, laughing all the while.

****

Somewhere in the forest of Farlane, three miles away from Ryo’s castle.

"Hurry up lazy child! We’ll never reach the castle at this rate!"

A white haired man screamed while yanking violently at a steel metal chain he was holding in his right hand. The other side of the chain was linked to a thick black leather collar and the sheer force of the shake made the unfortunate wearer of the collar fall face first on the ground.

The "child" looked up fearfully at the white haired man from under a long lock of golden blonde hair, showing in the process a pale crystal violet eye, wide with terror and slowly watering with unshed tears.

The blonde got up hastily, refastening the now discarded clothes, not wanting to anger the other man anymore. The white haired man merely yanked at the chain once more and pulled the trembling body to him before slapping the blonde across the cheek. The blonde whimpered at the rude treatment but stayed silent.

"That’s for teaching you obedience," he said. The man then turned around and resumed his walk though the forest, pulling the crying and distressed blonde behind him. Luckily for him, the castle wasn’t too far away now.

****

When Ryo entered the large room where all his counselors were waiting, the first thing he noticed was the presence of a tall, white haired man, unknown to him, in a corner of the room. Slightly intrigued, Ryo stepped into the room calmly, followed closely by Rowen.

"Well, Great Counselor Cale, what is so important that you called me with such insistance?"

The Great Counselor, a blue haired man, grinned at him, which made Ryo cringe inwardly. He had never liked the man anyway. Ryo felt something was wrong with the Great Counselor, but he couldn’t quite define it. Cale didn’t seem to notice Ryo’s doubts though.

"You seemed so down lately, our Lord, that we thought maybe you needed something to change your mind from your duty of King. We know how hard it is for you since the death of your father, God have mercy over his soul."

Ryo narrowed his eyes at this and heard Rowen sneer lightly, but decided to play along for the moment. Smiling, his tone of voice stayed cold and sharp as steel as he spoke.

"I thank you for taking such good care of my health Cale, and can I ask you how do you intend to change my mood?"

The Great Counselor simply pointed to the white haired man with a toss of his head.

"I asked this man to come and entertain you. I trust him and know that he will find a way to make you happy again, my Lord."

Ryo stayed quiet and stared at the white haired man.

"Well, may I know who you are?"

The man bowed politely before answering with a smile.

"I’m known as Dais my lord. I hope I will be able to pleasure you."

Ryo raised his hand then as if to dismiss Dais."Well, I guess that if my Great Counselor hired you, I can expect some entertainement then. You will come to my room tomorrow night with whatever you have to show me. I’m currently not in the mood. You can go now."

Dais bowed again. His smile never leaving his face as he vacated the room.

****

Ryo entered his room and heard the door shutting behind him with the noise of someone's footsteps. He didn’t need to turn around to know who it was, for it was obvious. He smiled inwardly at the sound of the familiar, now angry voice of his best friend.

"I can’t believe he had the nerve to do that! What is he trying to do?!"

Ryo sighed, watching as Rowen passed in front of him before sitting on a chair.

"I don’t know Rowen. Cale knows I don’t like those entertainments as he called them. I don’t get him, and I’m never going too," he finished with a shake of his head.

"I think I might have a clue Ryo. The Great Counselor always had a strong hold over your father. I believe he is trying to distract you from your duty to take control of the power. If you aren’t here to reign, he can do whatever he wants. Or else he is trying to be on your good side, for the same reasons."

"Maybe. I guess he is desperate then. But don’t worry, distraction of this kind won’t prevent me from doing my duty and protecting my people."

Rowen smiled. "Good. I think I will take my leave now, you seem tired. Anyway have fun tomorrow my Lord," he finished with an evil little grin.

Ryo rolled his eyes and groaned. "Don’t remind me…"

Rowen laughed before heading toward the door. "Well, I wish you a good night my lord. I will see you tomorrow."

Ryo nodded and watched his best friend leave, closing the door behind him. Then the young lord let himself fall face first on his bed, feeling very tried and very close to having a headache.

Ryo rolled over on his back and decided to follow his friend’s advice. Sleep was definitely welcome. In a couple of seconds, he was sleeping soundly.

****

The next day Ryo was rudely awakened from his sleep by a loud bang at his door. Ryo groaned and buried his head in his pillow, willing the noise to go away, but when he heard Rowen’s voice behind his door he knew that the blue haired boy wouldn’t let him rest. So he dragged himself out of bed and opened the door with a weary expression and an annoyed sigh.

"What is it Rowen? It’s way too early, even for the king," he said with a yawn.

Rowen just gave him a look.

"Ryo, you overslept. It’s already 10 am."

Ryo let out a startled gasp.

"What?"

Then Ryo was all but a ball of energy. He ran into his room, took some clothes and ran into the bathroom. Ten minutes later he was out, clothed and clean and ready. He ran back downstairs at full speed, throwing a quick "Thanksseeyoulaterbye!" at Rowen before disappearing.

Rowen looked after Ryo with wide eyes before grinning widely.

"Some things never change. And he is king. Makes you wonder…"

****

Dais smirked as he saw the young king leave the huge dining-room and began to follow the raven haired man discretely. When he felt that the king was far enough away from any unwanted ears, he called him softly, "Your majesty."

Ryo turned around quickly, hands already on his sword before he recognized the man invited over by his Great Counselor. Relaxing slightly, he said, "Oh, it’s you. What do you want? I thought I told you to show me whatever you have tonight."

Dais bowed slightly. "I know majesty. I just wanted to let you know that I wouldn’t come personally tonight, but someone will be there for your… pleasure,"Dais said with a strange smirk and left before Ryo could recover and go after him. Ryo just stared.

What the hell does that mean? That someone would be there for his pleasure? Ryo just shook it off. If the man planned to offer him some kind of expensive whore, he was fooling himself. Ryo wasn’t interested. It was one of those rare times where Ryo was actually glad that he liked boys instead of girls. Luckily for him, only Rowen knew it.

Still that turn of event was unexpected and Ryo was very curious. Trying to get the thought out of his head, Ryo left as well to prepare himself for another boring day of being a king.

****

"You have a new job tonight Blondie. For the king. Do the usual. But I’m afraid that this one might be a bit hard to convince. I count on you to do your best. You hear me? You know what will happen to you if you fail…"

Dais said to the small blonde sitting on his bed as he entered his room. He smirked when the blonde nodded fearfully and looked at the ground.

"Hai, I know. Can I go now? I have to be ready for tonight…" the blonde said in a whisper. Dais just waved him off.

"Yes. But don’t you dare fail young one."

The blonde nodded once again and quickly left the bedroom. The Master never noticed when the blonde brushed away a single tear while leaving the room.

****

It was 11 pm and still nothing. No news, no call, nothing. Ryo, nervous as Hell, was walking in circles in his room for the last two hours, trying to figure out what Dais was talking about when a slight knocking at his door startled him.

It was becoming a bad habit and it wasn’t pleasing Ryo at all. With a frown, Ryo walked to the door and opened it. Right then and there he simply forgot how to breathe.

A beautiful blonde fey like creature was standing before him, smiling shyly. The blonde had lovely silky golden hair that barely reached her shoulders, ivory pale skin and soft violet eyes. One of them was hidden behind a lock of blonde hair. She was absolutely stunning.

At last Ryo thought that she was a she. It couldn’t be any other way, she was so delicate, both in frame and face and way too graceful. She looked like a porcelain doll that had come to life. And seemed just as fragile. She seemed unsure of what to do next as Ryo studied her and blushed slightly.

Ryo groaned inwardly and felt like slapping himself. This was no way to treat a lady! Then Ryo paused. He had never been interested in girls before and still, that lovely blonde turned him on. His raging hormones which seem to have awakened with the blonde’s arrival were enough proof to that.

So what does this mean?

Ryo shook it off and stepped back a little, just having noticed that he hadn’t talked yet.

"My lady, can you please tell me what gives me the pleasure to see you here this late at night? Oh I’m sorry, please enter first."

The blonde’s blush deepened at this and she smiled a little more before entering the room. Ryo watched her with eager eyes as she moved around the room with unearthy grace. Then she turned to face him and Ryo finally took notice of her clothes.

Their were what seem to be dancers clothes. A long green skirt that stopped just above her ankles in a light, almost translucent fabric with a gold belt low on the waist and slitted on both sides up to above her mid thighs. The skirt was coupled with a green top of the same shimmering fabric with gold on the edges and short enough to show her navel.

The whole outfit would have certainly looked sluttish on everybody else, but not on her. It felt like she was one of those people that any kind of clothes looked good on. And Ryo was sure that she didn’t even knew it or that she even realized just how desirable she was.

The blonde was looking at him somehow expectanclty and Ryo showed her a chair.

"Please take a seat. So what are you doing here, my lady?" he asked politely before sitting himself on the edge of his bed. The blonde sat on the chair and dropped her gaze a little. She cleared her voice before speaking.

"Well my lord, I’m here because I have heard that you were bored lately, and I thought that I may be able to help somehow."

Ryo raised an eyebrow. Then it all became clear. She must be that person Dais was talking about this morning. Well, Ryo had to admit it, the man was right when he sent her to him. But it raised too many questions and he didn’t like them all. Better to make sure first.

"I see. And what can you do?"

The blonde blushed again a little and smiled gently.

"I can do many things. It depends on what the person needs to comfort them. Sometimes they need someone to talk to, sometimes they need to laugh. It changes from one person to the next."

Ryo grinned. She was a smart girl, and he liked that. She was definitely special, and he loved her voice too. Soft and a little deeper than normal, but he liked it better than high pitched voices. Hers was almost musical.

"And what do you think I need, my lady? " he asked with a point of laughter in his voice.

"You tell me my lord. What do you wish for me to do for you?"

Ryo considered it for an instant.

"I don’t know my lady. I must say that I don’t have a clue. But do I really need to ask anything of you? Even though you are really beautiful, you have nothing that could interest me." Ryo said seriously and honestly. He didn’t know what he wanted to do himself. He knew that he was attracted to the blonde, but he had no right to use her in that way and he didn’t think that this girl was a whore. She was above that, he was sure of it. And there was the fact that he liked boys.

With all his thinking, Ryo didn’t notice the blonde who slowly got up and sat on the bed next to him. He didn’t notice it either when she rested her hand on his and started toying with his collar with the other. He did notice her though when he felt soft lips barely touching his cheek.

"I believe that you know what you want, but you are afraid to admit it. Oh and besides, I’m not exactly a lady, my lord," she said in a whisper, her light breath caressing his skin.

Ryo’s eyes widened slightly at this and he turned sharply to look at her. When he did he couldn’t help it, he lost himself in her amazing violet eyes.

Then her last words rang a bell in his mind and uncertainly, he raised a trembling hand to her chest, not wanting to believe what he thought he would find there. He felt the soft fabric under his fingers and his eyes widened even more when he realized what he was feeling under the fabric.

It was a soft yet masculine chest. The lovely blonde he had taken for a girl was in fact a boy. Ryo was speechless. He then felt the blonde tug at his collar causing him to raise his eyes from the blonde's chest to his face. The blonde seemed worried and Ryo was ready to bet that there was a point of shame and regret in the violet depths.

Ryo smiled to himself, feeling strangely relieved at the discovery and pulled the boy to him, startling the blonde. He then started to play with a lock of blonde hair, loving the feel of it.

"Well, that is an interesting surprise. I really thought you were a girl. But why did you. . .?"

The blonde bowed his head.

"It’s not by choice my lord. Believe me it’s not."

"But why are you here then? And why did you do that? I mean the touch."

"I told you why I was here, it’s the true. And I touched you because I wanted too…" he finished in a whisper.

Ryo pulled him closer to him and lightly kissed the boy’s forehead. He smiled when he saw the confusion on the blonde’s face and took his hand in his own.

"You don’t have to worry, I enjoyed that touch you gave me and I still mean what I said earlier. But wait, I just realized that I didn’t even ask you your name beautiful one. It’s unforgivable of me."

The boy smiled and shook his head.

"It’s all right my lord, and my name is Sage."

"Sage… " Ryo repeated. He loved that name. He tightened once again his hold on the boy and breathed in his hair, enjoying the delicate perfume of it. Then he slid his hands up and down Sage’s back and grinned when he felt the boy shiver under his touch; pressing closer in earnest.

"You seem no longer shy Sage," he breathed. The blonde kissed him softly, twisting in his arms.

"That’s because I’m no longer afraid of you rejecting me, my lord,"he whispered back.

Ryo kissed him and slowly lowered him onto the bed. Sage moaned a little and let the dark haired king handle him, impatient to feel his lord inside him; deciding to enjoy at least this part of his work. Ryo smiled to himself and proceeded to undress the beautiful blonde, knowing that he was going to enjoy the night much more than he first thought.

****

Hidden behind a secret wall a tall, lean silhouette smirked darkly as he watched the king make love to his servant and bit back a laugh of triumph. Just like he wanted, the king had fell into his trap. The poor boy didn’t know in what mess he had gotten himself into. Now things were going to be so easy it wouldn’t even be funny…

Dais turned and left the secret place, still smirking. He had yet to tell his employer of the last news…