A/N: Thought I'd try my hand at a Pandora Hearts multi-fic. If the characters are a bit off, forgive me. Oh, warnings of rape in later chapters. For this story, they aren't related to each other, even though they might have the same surname. Just though I'd tell you so you won't think of it as incest. Please read and review! Thanks!

-x-

It was the dead of winter and a struggling figure treaded through the snow looking for some firewood. The harsh December wind stung the man's exposed skin as he grasped yet another frozen branch from the ground. He looked longingly down the hill at the black wide-spread mansion. He would do anything, go through Hell and back just for his Prince, his master.

As the man walked back towards the warm comforts of the mansion, in one of the windows he spotted a figure pressed almost pleasurably against the window. The half naked figure was one of the slaves that he had worked with, the one that the Prince cherish most of all; Elliot Nightray.

With head held low in heartache, the man trudged towards the front door, flinging it open and closed. He didn't want any snow to be flown in, or another harsh punishment would be inflicted over the already healing wounds. The raven haired man began prepping the fireplace and warming the living room with the bright orange light. He smiled at the warmth and looked up at the winding staircase that led to the second floor and to where his master would be with his cherished slave.

Just then footsteps were heard and down descend was the master himself. The man rushed over to the bottom of the staircase and bowed slightly, greeting the sandy blonde prince,

"Ernest-sama . . ."

"Did you already do the dishes?" the man replied. Startled, the slave shook his head,

"Not yet! I'm getting to that right away!"

"Do it! After the dishes, then I want you to tend to the horses out in the shed," Ernest stated glaring down at the raven haired man.

"Yes!"

"Good . . ." the sandy blonde prince stated and then went to sit in one of the chairs in front of the fireplace.

"Would you like something to eat or drink?" the slave wondered.

"I would like for you to fetch me my book from my room," Ernest stated and the slave nodded oblivious to the smirk displayed on the older man's lips.

-x-

The slave rushed up the winding staircase and headed down the dark hallway to his master's room. He pushed inside and spotted the other slave walking out of the bathroom.

"What are you doing here in Ernest-sama's bedroom, you lowlife," the brown haired man spat. The raven haired slave turned away, already scanning the room for the said book. Just when he was reaching for the white-bound hardback, he was suddenly pushed up against one of the walls in the room,

"Don't you dare ignore me, Gilbert!"

"Ernest-sama has ordered me to give him his book," the raven answered. Elliot drew his hands back and snatched the white book from the bedside table and headed for the door,

"I'll give it to him. Don't you have other chores to do?"

Gilbert bit his lip , now alone in the room. He didn't know how long he'd let Elliot treat him this way. Sure he let his master, but never anyone who was just as equal status as him. It was beyond irritating.

The raven stormed out of the room and down the hall. Just as he reached the mid area of the staircase, a rough shout of his name made him jump. Gilbert ran the rest of the way down to the living room where Elliot stood next to the red chair smirking and the look on his master's face said that he was beyond mad at him,

"Gilbert, since when did I ask you to let Elliot do your work?"

"I-I didn't! He took it of his own accord!" the raven cried.

"Silence!" Ernest stood up and slapping him on the cheek, "How dare you blame others for your wrongful deeds!"

Gilbert held his stinging cheeks, eyes already watering with the hurt and disappointment. He swallowed thickly, trying to forget the burning sensation in his throat,

"S-Sorry, Ernest-sama . . ."

"Leave! I don't want to see your pathetic face! By midnight, I want the dishes to sparkle and the horses fed, groomed and tucked in. If I see any spots on the dishes or the horses catching sickness, you'll be the first to go. Got it?"

Gilbert shut his eyes and nodded despite the harsh voice, "Yes, Ernest-sama!"

The raven turned away towards the kitchen with the only thought of pleasing his master on his mind.

-x-

After what felt like hours of scrubbing bubbles and watching the ceramic dishes clean, he was mentally wiped out. But he continued forward, wiping his hands on his apron and picked up a bucket of water and a brush. Gilbert started foward for the shed when he heard giggles in the other room. His mind said to forget it, but his heart thought otherwise and found his body walking towards where the door seperated the kitchen to the living room and peeked in. There, he saw his master planting butterfly kisses alongside the jaw of the other slave. Elliot had wrapped his arms around the older man's neck and his legs were on each side of his prince's legs. It was an intimate position, one where the raven had fantasies of himself being in that same place.

Fighting back tears, Gilbert fled to the shed, the image still playing in his mind. When he got to his destination, he set his mind on work and in hopes of impressing his master. He didn't care if their relationship wasn't on a more romantic level like how Elliot had, but he rather like this master/servant relationship. As long as he was by his master's side, he didn't care.

Gilbert smiled and diligently worked until his arms were numb and his mind buzzing for sleep. But like many other nights, he forced himself to stay awake long enough to report back.

It wasn't until a kick to his side and cold water splashing down on him that he jerked awake. He blinked away the water droplets to see Elliot staring down at him and sunlight peering through the cracks in the shed. Gilbert gasped in horror at the sudden realization and pushed past the other man and out of the wooden shed and towards the main house. He ran to where his master was sitting with a cup of tea to his lips.

"E-Ernest-sama . . ." Gilbert panted. Dark eyes looked up from the newspaper and glared,

"You dare sleep before you reported your activities to me? You think I let you eat, sleep and shower here for free?"

"I'm sorry, Ernest-sama," Gilbert apologized and flinched when the newspaper was smacked loudly on the glass table,

"Insolent brat! For the rest of the day, you are not to eat nor sleep. You'll be doing chores after chores until your fingers bleed!"

Gilbert lowered his eyes in rejection, "Yes, Ernest-sama."

It was just like the first day all over again.