surface.
Ryuu’s father had taken away all their rights and reduced them to mere chattel.
Men bought and sold their daughters, sisters, and sometimes their wives. Those
who tried to avoid the bartering were killed. Many tried to escape and were put
to death. Others bartered with trusted friends, but too many women were forced
into serving as chattel for the bulk of the emperor’s shock troops, his
loyalists.
How can he run an empire like this? Drakon wondered. The emperor spent as many resources
controlling his own people as he spent on battle.
An alert Drakon had set up in the system to let him
know when Ryuu returned beeped, and he shook his head. He was out of time. You
will find a way to stop this, but first you must survive. He powered down
the console, quickly stripped off his clothes, and retrieved the chains. By the
time he’d snapped them back onto his wrists, he heard boots in the corridor
outside the prince’s chambers. His hair pulled uncomfortably from under his
hips because he’d forgotten to move it out of the way, but it was too late now
to fix it.
“Enough! It is your fault that my cousins were killed,
Father, and you know it,” Ryuu shouted, flinging open his chamber doors. His
gaze flicked to Drakon and a flash of relief passed over his face before he
schooled his expression back into anger. “Your troops acted before I could stop
them, and they had faulty information. Where could that mistake possibly have
originated?” He strode into the chamber and flung his gauntlets down on the
table. His two personal guards, Zinan and Svana, followed him closely. “I
certainly don’t control the security or intelligence of your troops, Father.”
Drakon clenched his fists under the blankets. Clearly
Ryuu had begun shouting so that he would have some warning before he reached
the rooms. Even in this we are attuned, he thought, worried all over
again about the fledgling bond he felt with the prince.
“You dare accuse me?” the emperor said, storming in
after his son. “I will have your head for this!” A dozen red-armored soldiers
followed him, crowding into the chamber.
Ryuu whirled on his father. “If you kill me, you lose
your precious bloodline and your hope for a dragon you can control disappears
like so much smoke.” He glared at the men surrounding the emperor. “Get out of
my rooms,” he told the guards.
They ignored him.
“You will fuck a woman. You will fuck ten women! I
don’t care how many or how long it takes, but you will give me what I want.”
Emperor Midian strode over to his son, gesturing to two of his men. They
grabbed Ryuu’s arms and stretched him back over the table. “You will fuck and
you will spread your seed, or I will tear it from your corpse,” Midian hissed.
The empty platter went flying as Ryuu struggled. His
bodyguards tensed, obviously torn over what to do. They couldn’t disobey their
emperor, but their first loyalty was to the prince. Drakon knew well the
torment they suffered. He’d felt the same when he’d had to defy his father and
come here. As the only Soutx blessed with a dragon form, he was the only one
who could cross the desert without being detected. His people didn’t have the
ability to construct flitters because the materials needed to build them lay
deep in the desert controlled by the emperor. That’s why Midian won most of the
battles between the Arethuza and Soutx. If I shift now, I could flame them
all, he thought darkly.
“I refuse,” Ryuu said, still struggling.
The emperor backhanded him. Ryuu’s head snapped to the
side. When he turned back to his father, blood dripped down from a cut on his
cheekbone.
“You will do as I tell you, boy.” Midian straightened
up and nodded to his guards. They released Ryuu.
The emperor’s gaze flicked to Drakon and an expression
of distaste twisted his face. “Get him out of here,” he commanded his soldiers.
Drakon froze as they moved toward the bed. Should he
change? Should he try
Ryuu’s father had taken away all their rights and reduced them to mere chattel.
Men bought and sold their daughters, sisters, and sometimes their wives. Those
who tried to avoid the bartering were killed. Many tried to escape and were put
to death. Others bartered with trusted friends, but too many women were forced
into serving as chattel for the bulk of the emperor’s shock troops, his
loyalists.
How can he run an empire like this? Drakon wondered. The emperor spent as many resources
controlling his own people as he spent on battle.
An alert Drakon had set up in the system to let him
know when Ryuu returned beeped, and he shook his head. He was out of time. You
will find a way to stop this, but first you must survive. He powered down
the console, quickly stripped off his clothes, and retrieved the chains. By the
time he’d snapped them back onto his wrists, he heard boots in the corridor
outside the prince’s chambers. His hair pulled uncomfortably from under his
hips because he’d forgotten to move it out of the way, but it was too late now
to fix it.
“Enough! It is your fault that my cousins were killed,
Father, and you know it,” Ryuu shouted, flinging open his chamber doors. His
gaze flicked to Drakon and a flash of relief passed over his face before he
schooled his expression back into anger. “Your troops acted before I could stop
them, and they had faulty information. Where could that mistake possibly have
originated?” He strode into the chamber and flung his gauntlets down on the
table. His two personal guards, Zinan and Svana, followed him closely. “I
certainly don’t control the security or intelligence of your troops, Father.”
Drakon clenched his fists under the blankets. Clearly
Ryuu had begun shouting so that he would have some warning before he reached
the rooms. Even in this we are attuned, he thought, worried all over
again about the fledgling bond he felt with the prince.
“You dare accuse me?” the emperor said, storming in
after his son. “I will have your head for this!” A dozen red-armored soldiers
followed him, crowding into the chamber.
Ryuu whirled on his father. “If you kill me, you lose
your precious bloodline and your hope for a dragon you can control disappears
like so much smoke.” He glared at the men surrounding the emperor. “Get out of
my rooms,” he told the guards.
They ignored him.
“You will fuck a woman. You will fuck ten women! I
don’t care how many or how long it takes, but you will give me what I want.”
Emperor Midian strode over to his son, gesturing to two of his men. They
grabbed Ryuu’s arms and stretched him back over the table. “You will fuck and
you will spread your seed, or I will tear it from your corpse,” Midian hissed.
The empty platter went flying as Ryuu struggled. His
bodyguards tensed, obviously torn over what to do. They couldn’t disobey their
emperor, but their first loyalty was to the prince. Drakon knew well the
torment they suffered. He’d felt the same when he’d had to defy his father and
come here. As the only Soutx blessed with a dragon form, he was the only one
who could cross the desert without being detected. His people didn’t have the
ability to construct flitters because the materials needed to build them lay
deep in the desert controlled by the emperor. That’s why Midian won most of the
battles between the Arethuza and Soutx. If I shift now, I could flame them
all, he thought darkly.
“I refuse,” Ryuu said, still struggling.
The emperor backhanded him. Ryuu’s head snapped to the
side. When he turned back to his father, blood dripped down from a cut on his
cheekbone.
“You will do as I tell you, boy.” Midian straightened
up and nodded to his guards. They released Ryuu.
The emperor’s gaze flicked to Drakon and an expression
of distaste twisted his face. “Get him out of here,” he commanded his soldiers.
Drakon froze as they moved toward the bed. Should he
change? Should he try
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