Please R&R people! I'd come up with something witty and beg for a review, but all the good ideas are already taken...

(note on locations: I am still searching for the Japanese equivalent for some of these areas and terms; for now, simply keep in mind that they are in a palace and not a castle)

Ushiwaka's POV

An important guest was here today, some emperor from a neighboring country. This meant that any slaves not employed to serve or entertain the guests had to stand at attention indefinitely. Most were hidden away unobtrusively in the shadows or crammed into a small courtyard nearby, awaiting any order they received. Only those deemed pretty enough were placed in full view and bedecked in gaudy jewels and precious metals so heavy that they could barely move. They lined the wall like so many human ornaments for the palace's guests to admire and covet, or – as in the case of myself and several other personal attendants – stood by their masters' sides, awaiting their every whim and command.

I shifted uncomfortably, the smells of incense weighing almost as heavily on my being as the gems that dragged me down. I had been standing for over three hours now waiting for "his Royal Foreign Highness" to arrive, and my limbs were already beginning to shake with fatigue. I was the weakest of the royal attendants – unlike many of the others, I hadn't risen up the ranks from a more physically demanding position, so I was unused to the heavy lifting and hard labor many of the others had been forced to perform throughout their lives.I glanced about covertly, viewing my fellow servants from the corners of my eyes. It was no surprise that I was the first to be affected by this exhaustion, though the rest were sure to follow soon. I saw one of the younger girls against the wall stumble slightly before straightening herself and peering nervously towards the tables for fear of having been seen. I gave her what I hoped was an encouraging smile, though I suspected it was more of a weary grimace, which she returned in full before glancing off to my side. She blushed suddenly and turned her head to stare down at her feet. I turned my eyes towards my master besides me and saw him giving her a brilliant grin even as he snuck a hand behind me and slid it slowly down my back. Others would have seen it as merely a perverse gesture, but I having known him for nearly ten years I knew that it was his method of providing support when social settings wouldn't allow for anything more.

Of course, it was also a perverse gesture, though I assumed he didn't mean it as such at the moment. Then again, with Isshaku-kun, it could be difficult to tell at times.

It was a dilemma to me. Isshaku-kun was kind and chivalrous, and though he still believed himself above us – a lesson, I supposed, hammered in since early in his youth – he always treated the palace slaves with far more kindness and respect than anyone ever expected of him. In return, I gave him the respect and obedience that I refused to grant anyone else in this palace of cons(1). However, according to my own plans, all of that would soon change. Unless I did something, Isshaku-kun would be in danger. I had to tell him. But if he turned out to be untrustworthy, everything I – we – had worked for could wind up destroyed.

I was broken out of my musings when an announcer's voice rang out in the distance, carrying clearly through the outside walls of the palace. "Behold! His Royal Highness Mikaboshi-heika has arrived!"

Isshaku's POV

Whispers erupted in the hall, the tides of curiosity that everyone had been holding back breaking through their dams now that we knew the answers were near. Questions like, What is he like? and Why is he here? and even, Is he handsome? ran through the crowd like wildfire. The whispers only died down when an emissary from our palace entered leading a cluster of guards. They were perfectly identical, faces hidden beneath plain cloth masks, and they marched in tandem as though they were one. Occasionally, I could catch glimpses of black and pale blue showing from inside the shelter of their bodies. Suddenly the group stopped before our own emperor – my father – and dispersed, leaving one singular body remaining.

The hall was held in baited silence as the foreigner conversed quietly with Father, who sat on the other side of a massive screen that stretched the width of the entire hall. Lately, it had become custom in the palace for the emperor to greet all guests this way, at least until we could ascertain that the person was not an assassin sent by some unknown group. Assassins had become a problem lately. No one was sure who was sending them, though through my conversations with some of the server girls I had discovered that rumors on the street ranged from a secret organization that wanted to abolish slavery to aliens unsatisfied with how we ruled our world. I tried to hold back a snort as I remembered. I wasn't sure which was more ridiculous. The only otherworldly race had died out a scant ninety eight years ago, and it was well known that there were no survivors.

As for the slaves, who would honestly want to be rid of our labor force just to throw them out into the cold? Slaves weren't Poncles, and it was well known that other races simply weren't equipped to live in our world of giants. Admittedly, we could treat them with far more kindness – something which I stood firmly for – but abolishing slavery altogether would simply hurt both them and us in the long run.

Sure, occasionally a slave would flee his or her owners, and I would see the resulting runaway notice posted on the palace walls, but those times were far and few between, and even amongst slaves only the most naïve would attempt such a thing. Such a large scale operation as assassinating the emperor would take a far more organized effort, something the average slave wasn't capable of. Most didn't have the networks nor the intelligence required. Some of the higher ranking attendants may have come close, and I was in fact quite sure that my own Ushiwaka-chan would have been smart enough to lead had he been born a Poncle, but those with the intelligence tended to be the ones with little reason to rebel, being properly fed and sheltered as they were.

The conversation between the two emperors was becoming lengthy. To pass the time, I shot a glance towards Ushiwaka to see what sort of damage control I would have to do for him later – the last time the palace had had this type of ceremony was several years ago, but I remember clear as day when he had collapsed four hours in from the sheer weight of the decorations that adorned him. It had only been my assurances that he had stood for as long as he possibly could have that saved him from a beating from Father, though I had been required to punish him myself in return. (Fortunately, the form of "punishment" was left to me to decide. In the end, Ushiwaka had remained mostly unharmed, though he couldn't walk straight for several days afterwards.) Today he was, if anything, wearing far more jewels than before, and three and a half hours in I could see that it was already beginning to take its toll on him. His exhausted trembling had advanced from just over three hours ago to become disturbingly visible, and if I listened carefully I could just hear the jangling of chains and amulets that moved as he shook. I had removed my hand from his back earlier when the foreign emperor arrived for the sake of propriety; now, though, I quickly placed it several inches above the small of his back and pushed firmly against him in an invitation to use me as a support. He took the invitation, and I felt myself wince slightly in pity when I felt the sudden, heavy weight against my hand. Ushiwaka had always been remarkably light, even for his slender and feminine figure. I could pick him up off the ground without even breaking a sweat, so I knew the excess weight was a result of the jewelry hanging from his body. It must have weighed at least twice as much as him.

My eyes traveled up towards his face. His brows were furrowed slightly in concentration above widened eyes and from where I sat I could just barely catch him worrying at his lower lip. I couldn't help but find the expression particularly cute on him, though the nervousness that exuded from him reminded me yet again that he would need to rest soon if he wanted any chance to go without a beating. Father was not kind to repeat offenders, and even if I managed to negotiate most of his punishment away, he wouldn't escape this time without a few lashings.

I turned my head back towards Father and the foreign emperor, willing them inwardly to hurry up. Finally, a guard that stood next to the screen drew open a door sized section, and the foreign emperor stepped through to continue his discussion on the other side. When that happened, it was the rest of the court's cue to talk quietly. As people finally began to mingle and the attendants were sent to do various tasks at the behest of their owners, I quietly stood from my chair.

"Ushiwaka-chan, are you alright?" I couldn't help but ask, though I knew the answer – both what he would give, and the actual truth.

"O-oui, Isshaku-sama." He offered me a tight smile, despite the fact that he looked anything but. I began to walk, hand still against his back, supporting him and guiding him to the exit. He shot me a look of gratitude and allowed himself to be led from the room.

The walk to my quarters was agonizingly slow, and every second I expected one of the guards to leap out from the shadows and demand my presence back in the Great Hall. Throughout it all, Ushiwaka remained silent, seemingly concentrating on just putting one foot before the other. When we finally reached my door, we both heaved a sigh of relief. The moment we were inside, I led Ushiwaka to my futon where he all but collapsed, exhausted. I knelt down beside him.

"Ushiwaka…"

"I'm fine." I felt a brief flash of irritation at the rude response, but held my tongue. There was no need to punish him after he had suffered for hours on end. Surely he only wanted to sleep. I let out a sigh.

"Lie still." I ordered. He blinked sleepily at me, his only movement being the slight heaving of his chest. He obviously didn't plan on moving anytime soon. I went to work at the gold chains first, steadily searching with my hands for the clasp to each individual adornment. I could feel the smooth, baby-soft skin of his torso beneath my hands as I worked. I had always taken good care of Ushiwaka-chan's body… Sometimes I wondered if I pampered him too much, but moments like this made it all worth it. My Ushiwaka-chan was an incredibly guarded person. Master or not, I knew that with mere force and intimidation I would never see the level of vulnerability that he was willing to show me.

The last of the chains that I could reach clattered off, revealing milky white skin. I took a moment to admire him. Half-hooded blue eyes that seemed to glow with an inner light looked up at me, and long, unnaturally bright strands of golden hair were thrown in disarray about his body. His alabaster skin was nearly flawless, free of the blemishes of most slaves save for a very few small, fading scars. Slender shoulders and hips and a gently tapered waist gave him the appearance of a beautiful woman, and the pink flush and faint sheen of sweat that remained on him from working to exhaustion earlier left a certain part of my body feeling rather…uncomfortable.

Ushiwaka's POV

I felt Isshaku-kun's calloused hands slip beneath me, and arched my back in an attempt to help him remove the remaining jewelry. His fingers fumbled for a few minutes, sending tickling sensations down my spine. Eventually, he seemed to grow tired of trying to remove the clasps without looking, and he moved his hands to my upper back, lifting me upwards. "Sit up."

"Nnn…I-Isshaku-kuuun…" I was well aware that my voice was incredibly whiney, but at the moment I was simply too tired to care. If he wanted me to sit up then he would have to do all the work, because I certainly wasn't about to help him.

"Just what kind of slave are you?" he jabbed. His voice was filled with a strange sort of patient annoyance, but I could detect an undertone of playfulness.

"The kind that wants to sleep," I responded dryly as I lifted a heavy-as-lead arm in a halfhearted attempt to bat him away.

His eyebrow twitched. "Remind me why I keep you around, again?"

"Hmm… Because…you're a pervert?" I guessed mockingly.

It was partially true. Isshaku-kun had chosen me out of all the other slaves at the market simply because he had found me to be the prettiest. Throughout the years, our relationship had blossomed into a close friendship, but his perversity remained unchanged.

Keeping one arm behind my back to support me, Isshaku shoved me playfully in the chest. "You're too damn pretty," he muttered in mock offense. I laughed.

"You know I am, mon cheri." He rolled his eyes and roughly flipped me over onto my stomach. "Oof!" I gasped as a rush of air escaped me, not expecting the sudden move. I turned my head to glare at him and saw him pouting childishly, arms crossed over his chest. I also saw something else of interest. I raised an eyebrow. "Still not past puberty(2), I see."

He grinned pervertedly. "I said you're too damn pretty. And you have a cute ass."

"Tell me something I don't know."

"You're impossible."

I grinned at that. "Just part of my charm."

"Yeah? Why don't you use that part a bit more, huh?" I winced. This was getting into dangerous territory. I really wasn't in the mood tonight. He must have seen my expression, because he quickly added "later" to his comment.

Eventually, Isshaku-kun returned to removing the remaining jewelry on me, and I returned to my thoughts from earlier today.

I didn't want him to die.

In truth, I didn't want anyone to die, but there was little I could do to prevent it if things got out of control. I wasn't naïve. I knew that many of my followers resented their masters and would take the revenge when the opportunity presented itself. Even so, I couldn't turn a blind eye to another race's plight, nor to the Poncles' arrogance. Not when such an attitude had led to my own people's destruction. All I could do now was free the slaves and try my best to protect those Poncles who were pure of heart from the rebellion. It wasn't a sure thing, however. With all the pent up anger that the enslaved races held, I could very well be overthrown in the attempt.

But Isshaku… The care and consideration that he had shown for me today had reminded me again why I couldn't stand to lose him. Not many masters would forego fulfilling their own personal needs for the sake of their slave's. Isshaku-kun was truly a special person. Furthermore, as a prince, he had access to information even I was not privy to. If I could get him on our side, he would be a great asset.

…Or at least, that was what I told myself. The truth was, I couldn't stand to lose anyone else. I had already lost everyone I had ever cared about not just once, but twice. If Isshaku-kun died, I didn't think my heart could take the strain. I would shatter completely, become a shell of a person just ghosting through life, like those two times… Only this time, I knew my fragmented spirit would never recover. It had simply become too much to bear.

"Isshaku-kun?"

"Hmm?" He looked up from where he was currently working on a wide plate made of jade and braided silver that encircled my lower thigh.

"Can you keep a secret?" Tell him! I urged myself. But I suddenly found myself unable to say it. Even though I trusted him, a voice in the back of my head kept screaming that this could mean the end of everything.

"I…um, yes?" He quirked an eyebrow. I knew that he could, but I suddenly needed the reassurance.

"You promise?" He reached down to hug me, taking me into his arms.

"You know I can… Ushiwaka-chan, what is this about?" he muttered gently into my ear, brushing my hair back. "Did something happen? I noticed the guards eyeing you the other day…"

I felt heat rush to my cheeks at what he was implying. "A-ah, no, it isn't that… I-I—" I suddenly couldn't speak past the knot in my throat. I swallowed loudly, but it refused to budge.

I wasn't ready. How could I tell him? Would he even believe me? "Ushiwaka?" I leaned into his chest, listening to his heartbeat as he stroked my hair soothingly. My own heart calmed as it began to beat in time with his. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Meet me in the courtyard tomorrow. Make sure nobody sees us," I murmured, making sure that no one beyond a two foot radius could hear me. There was a pause in Isshaku-kun's stroking as he processed what I had said, probably realizing for the first time how serious I really was. After a second, I felt his head nod, and he whispered back two words.

"I will." We slipped into silence.

There was no going back now. I had decided to show him the base of operations. I would bare all the secrets that I needed to in order to protect my best friend. Whatever happened after that came down to him.

As I drifted off to sleep, one thought lingered in my head. Please don't let me down…Isshaku-kun.

Oh god he's so OOC why is he so OOC? I mean, there's reasoning for the stuff he's doing but...

He's tough to write and this is my first time writing him, I guess. One of my teachers who looked through this said he was sort of a "wuss" (her words, not mine). I'm not entirely sure what that means in this context, apart from him being physically weak. (And yes, he can fight. Incredibly well, in fact. He just has no stamina in this story... For reasons I have yet to figure out and which may or may not be touched on later.)

Anyway, I really need feedback so...

That being said...*grabs Ushiwaka and holds a knife to his neck* Review or the blondie gets it!

Ushiwaka: ... *slips out of my grasp and holds sword up to my neck* You were saying? *innocent uke-esque smile with sparkles floating around*

Me: DON'T LOOK LIKE THAT WHEN YOU'RE ABOUT TO KILL SOMEONE, IT'S CREEPY.

Ushiwaka: I know.

Me: =_=; Well, please review anyway...

1 idiots

2 Mentally. Isshaku is physically in his early to mid-twenties. Ushiwaka is just teasing him for his pervertedness