and fight? He clenched his fists, getting ready to use
the finger-key, but before the warriors reached him, Ryuu’s voice rang out.
“Enough!”
The emperor turned to his son.
Rough hands grabbed Drakon’s arms. Too late now, he realized, angry with himself for hesitating.
“I’ll do what you ask. Just leave him be,” Ryuu said,
sounding exhausted. His blond hair slid across his reddened cheek as he spoke.
Oh, no, Drakon thought. Don’t do this, Ryuu. He stared at the prince, willing
him to look over. I don’t want your sacrifice.
The emperor smirked. “So. All
I need to do to get your compliance is to threaten your little toy.” He
gestured and the soldiers let go of Drakon. “Perhaps indulging you with the
male slave wasn’t as foolish as I’d thought.”
Drakon held himself perfectly still, not knowing what
would happen next.
“Excellent. You have one month to find a suitable
breeder, my son,” the emperor said, and with one last contemptuous look, he
stalked out, his soldiers following close upon his heels.
Drakon waited a half second before he undid his chains
and hurried over to Ryuu. He didn’t care that Svana and Zinan saw him use the
finger-key. He didn’t care that he was naked.
“Don’t touch me!” Ryuu said.
Drakon stopped, hand poised to brush the prince’s hair
out of his eyes. “You should not have done that,” he said, both sad and angry.
He dropped his arm, suddenly conscious of his nudity. “You shouldn’t have
promised him anything.”
Ryuu tossed his head back. His eyes burned with his
fury. “You would already be dead if I hadn’t,” he said. He lifted his hand and
wiped at the blood on his cheek.
“Sire,” Zinan interrupted, fist on his chest.
“You may go, Zinan. You, too, Svana. I don’t need guards in the citadel.” The prince sounded both tired and bitter.
“You cannot guard me from my father, and he is the biggest danger, is he not?”
Svana bowed. “Forgive us.”
“There’s nothing to forgive,” Ryuu said, sighing. He
walked over to the small sink against the wall and ran water over a cloth. “You
did what I asked and got the girls and their mother free. I should be asking your forgiveness for having you perform such dangerous tasks.”
“We would do them all over again and more, if needed,
Prince Ryuu,” Svana said. Her low voice throbbed with sincerity. “You are all
that stands between us and madness.”
Ryuu didn’t reply.
Zinan glanced at Drakon, then tapped Svana’s arm. “We
will go. Until tomorrow, my prince.” He bowed again,
and he and his companion left the chambers.
The doors boomed. Drakon walked over and locked them
from the inside.
“I see you found the key.” Ryuu held the damp cloth to
his face.
“Let me help you,” Drakon said, walking over. He took
the makeshift bandage from Ryuu and blotted at the bleeding cut. “It’s a clean
wound. The blood is already clotting.”
“You should not have let yourself be captured,” Ryuu
said, surprisingly. He reached out and grabbed Drakon’s hand, sliding the
finger-key from the tip of his index finger. He looked at it for a second
before putting it on the counter.
Drakon hesitated, then dropped the cloth into the sink. “What are you talking about?”
Ryuu laughed harshly. “Come now. Did you think I was
stupid?”
“Never,” Drakon said, stepping back.
“Who are you, really?” Ryuu asked, unbuckling his
weapons harness. He threw it across the wooden table. One of his knives worked
free and clattered to the floor.
“I am a slave, Ryuu.”
Ryuu made a disparaging sound and began to strip off
his armor. “You pretend to be a
slave.”
Drakon sat down on the sleeping platform. “I came to
the citadel for a reason.” His gut clenched as he admitted that, but he owed
Ryuu everything. The prince had shown him kindness, had given him his genetic
key, and saved his life. And what had Drakon done for him? Nothing. Shame burned through him. “I am a warrior
the finger-key, but before the warriors reached him, Ryuu’s voice rang out.
“Enough!”
The emperor turned to his son.
Rough hands grabbed Drakon’s arms. Too late now, he realized, angry with himself for hesitating.
“I’ll do what you ask. Just leave him be,” Ryuu said,
sounding exhausted. His blond hair slid across his reddened cheek as he spoke.
Oh, no, Drakon thought. Don’t do this, Ryuu. He stared at the prince, willing
him to look over. I don’t want your sacrifice.
The emperor smirked. “So. All
I need to do to get your compliance is to threaten your little toy.” He
gestured and the soldiers let go of Drakon. “Perhaps indulging you with the
male slave wasn’t as foolish as I’d thought.”
Drakon held himself perfectly still, not knowing what
would happen next.
“Excellent. You have one month to find a suitable
breeder, my son,” the emperor said, and with one last contemptuous look, he
stalked out, his soldiers following close upon his heels.
Drakon waited a half second before he undid his chains
and hurried over to Ryuu. He didn’t care that Svana and Zinan saw him use the
finger-key. He didn’t care that he was naked.
“Don’t touch me!” Ryuu said.
Drakon stopped, hand poised to brush the prince’s hair
out of his eyes. “You should not have done that,” he said, both sad and angry.
He dropped his arm, suddenly conscious of his nudity. “You shouldn’t have
promised him anything.”
Ryuu tossed his head back. His eyes burned with his
fury. “You would already be dead if I hadn’t,” he said. He lifted his hand and
wiped at the blood on his cheek.
“Sire,” Zinan interrupted, fist on his chest.
“You may go, Zinan. You, too, Svana. I don’t need guards in the citadel.” The prince sounded both tired and bitter.
“You cannot guard me from my father, and he is the biggest danger, is he not?”
Svana bowed. “Forgive us.”
“There’s nothing to forgive,” Ryuu said, sighing. He
walked over to the small sink against the wall and ran water over a cloth. “You
did what I asked and got the girls and their mother free. I should be asking your forgiveness for having you perform such dangerous tasks.”
“We would do them all over again and more, if needed,
Prince Ryuu,” Svana said. Her low voice throbbed with sincerity. “You are all
that stands between us and madness.”
Ryuu didn’t reply.
Zinan glanced at Drakon, then tapped Svana’s arm. “We
will go. Until tomorrow, my prince.” He bowed again,
and he and his companion left the chambers.
The doors boomed. Drakon walked over and locked them
from the inside.
“I see you found the key.” Ryuu held the damp cloth to
his face.
“Let me help you,” Drakon said, walking over. He took
the makeshift bandage from Ryuu and blotted at the bleeding cut. “It’s a clean
wound. The blood is already clotting.”
“You should not have let yourself be captured,” Ryuu
said, surprisingly. He reached out and grabbed Drakon’s hand, sliding the
finger-key from the tip of his index finger. He looked at it for a second
before putting it on the counter.
Drakon hesitated, then dropped the cloth into the sink. “What are you talking about?”
Ryuu laughed harshly. “Come now. Did you think I was
stupid?”
“Never,” Drakon said, stepping back.
“Who are you, really?” Ryuu asked, unbuckling his
weapons harness. He threw it across the wooden table. One of his knives worked
free and clattered to the floor.
“I am a slave, Ryuu.”
Ryuu made a disparaging sound and began to strip off
his armor. “You pretend to be a
slave.”
Drakon sat down on the sleeping platform. “I came to
the citadel for a reason.” His gut clenched as he admitted that, but he owed
Ryuu everything. The prince had shown him kindness, had given him his genetic
key, and saved his life. And what had Drakon done for him? Nothing. Shame burned through him. “I am a warrior
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