Axel gazed down at his barons with narrowed eyes.
They were hard, sullen men. They hadn't liked coming to the castle and bending the knee to him and Axel knew exactly why. He was only twelve years old. His father had died in an untimely – no. No, he wouldn't lie to himself. His father had been knifed by a whore he'd kidnapped and been abusing. Everyone knew the truth even if it was being passed off as an accident. Technically his mother was his Regent but that was an utter fiction. She was an airhead. Her only real use was as a royal broodmare… and she was currently pregnant with his younger brother. Axel was looking forward to seeing the new rugrat and loved his mother, but he wasn't going to take orders from her. Fortunately she wasn't interested in giving any.
"I've called you here today to tell you about my new tax plans." Axel said evenly. The barons looked about as enthusiastic as if he'd told them about their impending executions. "I am cutting your taxes by forty percent." There were a few stifled curses and gasps. That had not been what they were expecting. "I expect you to return at least half of that savings to the peasantry. Anyone found not doing so will be hung. And I will be watching." Axel expected that even with that warning he'd be ordering a few hangings. So be it. He'd already hung a thief who'd thought the confusion after his father's death would be a good time to steal the silver. Any other time he might have spared the man but he could not be seen as weak in the early days of his reign.
"My Lord… I mean, Majesty." The baron speaking corrected himself at Axel's steely look. "Are you serious? You're cutting taxes?" The man sounded like he couldn't believe he'd heard properly. Axel wasn't at all surprised. His father had done nothing but raise them.
"Yes. But there's more. Baron Muldovy, Kastov, Ranto. I want your baronies to host some experiments of mine. New fruit trees, new crops. I expect some of them will be failures but I've imported specialists to help you teach the peasants the proper ways to grow them. Any failures will be compensated." Axel tapped his fingers against the throne as he examined faces for any sign of rebellion. There was mostly bemusement at the moment. "Baron Niflegar, you're the luckiest here. You know the spiders that live in the hills of your estates?" The baron nodded, clearly not seeing where he was going. "My wizards have been searching for any new cash items. Those spiders spin a silk that can be harvested if they're raised in captivity. We've raised five generations of them so far and it's not hard if a touch disgusting." The barons looked a bit daunted by that. But then, who liked spiders? Axel certainly didn't. "The silk, when it's treated, looks like this." Axel gestured to Sora, who opened a box. Sora was the apprentice wizard and just as young as Axel.
Axel gave the barons time to examine and feel the brightly colored threads. He could tell they were impressed although they were struggling not to show it. Brightly dyed thread always fetched very good prices, especially the rare colors like royal purple. Sora caught his eye and gave him a bright, cheerful smile and Axel had to smile back. They'd been friends for all their lives and co-conspirators for years. Almost all the ideas Axel was using had been Sora's originally although he'd helped refine them. So had Sora's master, Merlin. Merlin wasn't the kind to invent things outside of magic but he was more than willing to go through their plans and point out any flaws.
"Majesty? How are the threads treated?" Baron Niflegar asked and Axel briefly outlined the process before handing over the documents Sora had made. Sora had cheerfully named them the Idiots Guide to Spiders.
"Baron Kostu. I want to see about surveying your land. I think there might be emeralds." Axel surveyed the barons carefully. "I hope you all understand why I'm doing this." Several of them were nodding but others just looked confused. It was a lot of very rapid change. "In case you don't, I'll explain. This land is dirt poor at the moment. My father didn't care because he had the money for his entertainments but I have no use for expensive whores or dream smoke." A few of the barons made strangled coughs at that but Axel ignored it. He'd had no use for his father either. "Our peasants go to bed hungry far too often. I'm sure that's part of the reason the plague hit us so hard when I was a baby." A few of the barons winced at that while the others looked sullen. "I aim to change that. I've cut your taxes by forty percent but I hope that within four years I'll have more money from the remaining sixty percent than my father ever got in his best year. And I aim to use it to revitalize this country."
"Your Majesty… what about our neighbors?" One of the barons ventured tentatively and Axel gave him a hard smile. He knew what the baron was asking. They'd been so weak for so long that no one had bothered with them but if they suddenly got rich that would change.
"I know. I've already done some shuffling of the Royal guard and soon we'll be getting new recruits. This country will be strong in every way when I'm done. And then… we'll see about our neighbors." The barons clearly liked that. Axel wasn't surprised. Some of their neighbors were quite insufferable. "So. Can I count on you?"
"Yes, Your Majesty!" If his barons held reservations about serving under a twelve year old, they were hiding it well. It probably helped that he didn't really look like a child. He didn't feel like a child either.
"Good. You are dismissed." Axel watched them leave, talking about the changes. Some of them clearly distrusted it all but many of them were almost relieved. No doubt they'd been afraid he'd be like his father.
He wasn't that. They didn't quite know what he was yet, but he wasn't that.
Eight years later.
Axel surveyed his new throne room with pleasure. It was part of his new palace. The entire thing had only been finished last year. The palace was made out of heavy stone and was highly defensible, set against the side of a mountain. Defense had been far more important than luxury but it had that too. Everything had been crafted in his own Kingdom and it was wonderful. Glorious rugs, woven from the soft fleece of the new Minstal sheep and embroidered with colorful spider silk softened the hard stone floor. The columns of the throne room were sheathed in pale marble taken from the marble mines they'd acquired in their first war. Axel glanced down at his fingers and the fine gold and emerald ring there. Baron Kostu had given it to him as a gift years ago, when they'd found the emeralds on his land.
"We've come so far, haven't we Sora?" Axel said to his wizard, who was sitting on a smaller throne beside him. Usually a wife would have gone there but Axel had no intention of ever marrying and Sora had been instrumental in his success. He wanted to give the chipper, idea filled boy full honor for what he'd done.
"Haven't we! There were a few bumps in the road but we're past that." Sora said happily as Axel smiled ruefully. He could still remember those bumps. He'd had to give up on several of the incense trees he'd hoped to grow. The land just couldn't support them. He'd also had to scrap his plans for Paina's. The small animals with the lovely fur hadn't survived more than two winters.
But the rest of his plans had worked. His country was now producing dream poppy, dragon's blood and myrrh. A special, magically altered breed of carrots was working out and Axel knew several other kingdoms were dying to know how they were making sugar in a rather dry, hot climate with very wet winters. They also wanted to know why the sugar was orange. As far as he knew, no one had figured it out yet. His barons were very good at keeping their lips locked when it came to money. The spider silk was another case in point and Baron Niflegar had gone from being one of his poorest subjects to one of the richest.
As expected, several of his neighbors had reacted to the kingdom's change in fortunes by trying to take it. There had been two wars so far and Axel's kingdom had come out of each enhanced. New territories had been added and they were more prosperous than ever before. His few remaining neighbors were trying to be very nice to him. Axel didn't trust them a bit. And speaking of which…
"They're late." Axel leaned back in his chair, crossing his hands over his stomach. He was waiting for a delegation from Nyamore to arrive. He wasn't really worried about them. They shared no borders with his kingdom and he traded with them via the sea trade. No doubt they wanted some kind of trade concessions.
"Maybe they have a Princess they want you to marry like the last ones." Sora said brightly and Axel winced.
"God! I hope not." That had been awkward. Bringing him a picture or something would have been sufficient, why had the Invaran's dragged the poor girl here to meet him? Probably because they were destitute and hoping he'd give them a cash infusion. They'd left disappointed. "I've made it clear to everyone that I'm gay and Reno is the heir apparent." Axel thought fondly of his little brother. Reno was only seven but showing a great deal of promise. Axel spent a lot of time with him, playing and teaching him. If things went badly Reno would be able to take over from him, and if things went very well and they both lived to a ripe old age, his children could. It was early to say but Axel was fairly sure Reno liked the fairer sex. He was already hugging little girls.
"It's not like being gay ever stopped anyone from marrying – oh, here they are!" Sora composed himself, grabbing his wizards hat and plopping it onto his head. Axel had to stifle a snicker at that. Merlin could make that hat look dignified but on Sora it kept falling into his eyes. Axel assumed a dignified pose just as the delegation walked into the room. There was a rustle from the guards that made his eyes narrow. What had they seen that –
"Eeep!" Axel blinked at that small sound from Sora and finally pinpointed the problem. Well, not exactly a problem. But certainly an offense to local sensibilities.
"Ambassador." Axel's voice was pleasant but had an edge that would have frightened any of his barons. "May I ask why those two children are naked?" The Ambassador looked a bit startled and Axel had an unfortunate feeling he was about to encounter a cultural difference. He always took care to do a lot of research before he sent ambassadors out with gifts but a lot of Kings and Queens didn't give him the same courtesy.
"They are a gift to you, Your Majesty." The Ambassador gestured and the two boys were prodded forward. They knelt in front of him and Axel could feel the disapproval of his guards. Axel kept his face expressionless as he examined the two children.
One was older than the other, perhaps eighteen. He had the silver hair typical of Nyamore and a truly beautiful face with lovely aquamarine eyes. He met Axel's gaze and Axel could see dull dread in his expression. Then his eyes dropped and Axel looked at the other boy. He looked barely past puberty, with beautiful golden hair and a tiny pubic patch. His head was down and Axel couldn't see his eyes, but one of the Ambassador's guards stepped forward, lifting the child's chin to give him a view of his face. Axel drew a short breath. The boy looked a bit like Sora and had large, lovely blue eyes just like his friend. Axel had always found Sora attractive but he wasn't Sora's type. Not female, just for starters.
"We have heard that you are a lover of boys, so my Queen gives you these two favored slaves. They are both virginal but schooled in the arts of pleasure." The Ambassador continued and Axel bit back a groan. They had found out about his sexual preferences but not that his people had nudity taboos? And the bows around the boys' penises were a bit much! Axel tapped his fingers on the arm of his throne as he considered what to do.
It was on the tip of his tongue to refuse the gift. This was the kind of thing Axel's father would have loved if it were naked maidens. A fifteen year old virgin girl? Oh hell yes, he'd have gone for that. And Axel wanted to be nothing like his father. But if he refused it would be a gratuitous insult to the Nyamore and his people did a fair amount of business with them. And what would happen to the boys if he refused? Probably nothing good.
"Thank you for your gift, Ambassador." Axel managed to avoid sounding like he'd just accepted a dead rat and the Ambassador smiled. Axel quietly gestured over one of his guards. "Please get them shifts and take them to my rooms." He instructed the man quietly and he nodded, expressionless. "Tell the maids to feed them and see to their needs." Axel turned his attention back to the Ambassador and smiled as if there weren't a couple of naked children kneeling on the rugs. "So tell me, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" The Ambassador quickly launched into a speech and Axel listened intently. He quickly could tell the matter wouldn't be decided quickly. There were plenty of things they wanted to negotiate with him. "I see. We'll have to discuss this in more detail. If you could leave the documents with my seneschal so I can look over them?" The Ambassador nodded. That was the usual routine. "Thank you. Please, join my Court for supper tonight." It was early winter and the Court was in full session. Winter was the active time for the barons to come to the palace and let their children mingle and court. That hadn't really been true when his father had been alive, but Axel had revived the old tradition and the barons loved it.
"Of course, Your Majesty. We appreciate your graciousness." The two children were quickly provided with shifts so they wouldn't scandalize the court and taken out as Axel and the Ambassador exchanged meaningless pleasantries. Then the Nyamorans left and Axel glanced at Sora, who drew in a deep breath and looked at him wide eyed.
"Wow! What are you going to do with them?" There was no doubt who he meant. Axel grimaced and rubbed his head.
"Eat them for breakfast?" Sora gave him a disapproving look and Axel sighed. "I'll have to see what they're good for, okay?" His country didn't outlaw slavery but didn't exactly practice it either. The only slaves they had were bought from other countries or taken in combat. Axel knew that many of his barons had slave mistresses from the wars. Some even had wives who had once worn slave chains.
"Probably nothing but sex." Sora voiced Axel's thoughts and he had to hold back a sigh. He doubted the children even knew how to read. "But we'll have to see."
"Yes." Axel murmured as the herald announced another petitioner. Axel turned his attention to the problem one of his barons was having with a grain smut almost gratefully.
Plant diseases were something he knew how to handle.
Roxas swallowed hard as he looked at the floor. He huddled in the pure white dressing gown he'd been given, arms protectively around himself.
He couldn't help but be frightened. He'd been dragged off his family estates when he was just ten. Roxas could still remember his mother's screams and his father's curses when they'd been informed that their young, beautiful son was being taken for back taxes. Apparently his father had managed to avoid paying them for five years through a rather ingenious scheme. But it had come crashing down around his ears and his family had lost him forever.
Roxas forced himself not to think about that. Instead he remembered the trip here. He'd never wanted to leave Nyamore and missed it already. Everything here smelled and looked wrong. The people wore completely different clothes and they were all looking at him and Riku like they were freaks. Why? Slaves weren't uncommon.
"I don't think there are many slaves here." Riku said in a low tone as he glanced at the door and Roxas blinked at him. "All the servants look to be freeborn." Roxas eyes widened. In Nyamore that would have been ridiculous. Palace servants were always slaves. Roxas reached up and touched the little gold earring in his earlobe. Riku had a matching earring that signified their status as palace slaves.
"How can you tell? Maybe they just use something different here." Roxas found that more plausible than a palace full of freeborn servants. But Riku shook his head.
"They… have the look of free people." Roxas looked down at that. He knew what Riku meant. When you were a slave you learned to be careful and wary. Free people lacked that sense of caution and almost-fear.
"I'm scared Riku." Roxas whispered, remembering how the King had looked at him. Those green eyes had seemed to bore into his soul and he hadn't been able to see anything in the King's expression except disapproval. What if the King didn't want them? Roxas fingered his earring again. If that happened he didn't know what he'd do. Roxas felt warm arms around him and looked up into Riku's eyes.
"I know. Me too." Roxas nestled against his friend. Until the trip to Alexandra, he hadn't really been Riku's friend. Riku was older and had been a slave much longer. But their masters hadn't cared at all about their circle of friends and they'd both been shoved together on the trip. Really, the only people they could count on in this foreign place were each other.
The door opened and they both scrambled to their feet, then relaxed a little as they saw it was a maid with a tray of food. She smiled at them cheerfully and Roxas was suddenly sure Riku was right. Her expression was far too open for a slave.
"Here you are boys!" She whisked the cover off the tray and Roxas blinked as Riku gasped faintly in surprise. Nyamore had a rigid caste system when it came to meals and slaves were fed brown rice, fish and pickled vegetables, mostly. They'd been fed differently on the trip here but they hadn't expected that to continue in the palace. "Is there anything else you need?"
"Uh, no. Thank you." Roxas remembered his manners and she smiled, dimpling a bit. She really was very pretty and Riku was staring at her a bit. Roxas surreptitiously kicked him and the silver haired boy blinked before looking down.
"That's good. But if you do just give me a shout. My name's Kairi." Roxas ventured a shy smile and she nodded before bustling out. She seemed to be a very active girl. When she was gone Riku managed to find his voice.
"She was so pretty." He sounded like he'd been hit on the back of the head with a board and Roxas rolled his eyes.
"Get it together. You're a slave and she isn't." Riku flushed and swallowed before looking at the food. Roxas was absolutely right. He wouldn't have a chance even with a servant girl. "She looked a little like the King. Wow, I can't believe they've given us this to eat." This was a full noble's meal. In Nyamore not even the most pampered slave pet would get this kind of food. Fine white bread had been sliced in half and buttered for them. Slices of beef steamed temptingly and there were carrots, green beans and mushrooms. Roxas tried it and found that the beef was a little tough but in every other way it was the perfect meal.
Riku was almost purring as he ate and Roxas smiled briefly. He doubted his friend had ever had food like this in his life. When they were done Riku yawned.
"I'm going to try to sleep for a bit. You want to join me?" Roxas shook his head and Riku shrugged. "Okay." Riku settled on the bed, soon sleeping peacefully and Roxas envied him. He was too nervous to sleep.
It felt like forever before the King finally opened the door. Roxas jumped to his feet, heart in his throat as the King looked at him, surprised.
"Oh damn. I forgot about you two." Roxas winced. That wasn't good. The King looked tired and smelled like he'd been drinking a bit. "What am I to do with you?" He glanced around, clearly thinking of where to put them. But Roxas took his courage in his hands and stepped forward, slowly pulling away the shift. The King's attention was suddenly riveted to him and Roxas smiled slowly as he moved forward seductively.
"Stay with us, Your Majesty." He said softly and saw something in the King's eyes. Lust? That was good. Roxas parted his lips artfully and inwardly exulted as he felt warm, slightly callused hands exploring his skin. Then the King suddenly paused.
"You're still wearing that bow!" There was laughter in his voice and Roxas met bright green eyes, swallowing at the sudden merriment in them. "What's your name, child? And how old are you?"
"Roxas. I'm fifteen." Roxas said softly then gasped as he felt warm lips on his throat. The King pulled back a moment to disrobe and Roxas helped him, vaguely noticing that Riku was awake now and had pulled off his shift. He was lying on the bed, displaying his body to the best advantage for their new master.
"Well, Roxas. When we're in the private please call me Axel. All those Your Majesties get so tedious." Axel murmured as he lifted the blonde easily, carrying him to the bed. He smiled as he saw Riku's position. "And what's your name?"
"Riku." Riku gave him a smoldering look through lowered eyelashes. "I'm here to serve you… Axel." Riku made his name an intimate purr and Axel drew a deep breath before laughing softly.
"You're both so seductive." He sounded a little surprised as well as amused and Roxas wondered why. Surely there were sex slaves here? But then Axel's mouth descended on him and he completely lost coherent thought. Roxas was shocked as Axel tickled him under the ribbon, sliding his tongue over him in ways that made him so hot. His moans weren't feigned and Riku watched, startled by the sudden intensity.
"Axel." Roxas panted as another wave of heat coursed through him. Why was the King doing this? "I… should be doing that to you…!" That was the way he'd been taught. Roxas couldn't really remember being on the receiving end of a blowjob before. Did it always feel this good? Axel pulled back for a moment, sliding away the wet ribbon. It was just going to get in the way for what he wanted to do next.
"I'm the King Roxas. I can do whatever I want." Axel went back to what he was doing and Roxas' eyes rolled up as the older man deep throated him. The unbelievable heat, the tight wetness and the way his penis scraped gently across Axel's teeth was driving him insane. Roxas felt the heat building and knew that it had to come out soon. He finally released with a jagged, wanton cry and felt it as Axel swallowed his seed. Roxas was breathing heavy and shuddering with the afterglow when he realized that Riku was also breathing heavily. Glancing over his shoulder he saw the silver haired boys' penis was hard and erect. Riku swallowed, meeting Roxas' eyes and looking almost shamefaced.
"Happy to see me over there?" The laughter was back in Axel's voice and Riku blushed. Axel gave Roxas a kiss, long and lingering and tasting faintly of his own seed before he slipped onto the bed. Roxas watched as the redhead began to explore Riku, who moaned and writhed with practiced abandon. Although Roxas could see the genuine lust in the silver hairs eyes. King Axel was turning out to be remarkably sexy.
And he was also sensitive to their needs. He had a jar of some kind of lubricant and was using it to open Riku when he stopped, seeing the pain Riku was carefully suppressing.
"What… oh. You're both virginal, I think he said." Riku nodded, breathing carefully and steadily then moaning softly as Axel slowly stroked his penis before continuing to open him as he spoke. "I'm guessing that just means you haven't been penetrated before."
"Yes." Riku moaned as Axel's fingers brushed something in him that felt good. Roxas blinked as Riku's penis suddenly weeped pre-cum. Axel smiled at that and touched him there again, making the silver hair cry out and grip his arms. Axel leaned forward to kiss Riku before changing their position. Riku whimpered at the loss of Axel's fingers then blinked as he felt himself moved onto his side, Axel pressing up behind him.
"This way, Roxas can suck you." Axel explained and Roxas smiled, moving over to obey his masters' wishes. He didn't object to having Riku in his mouth at all. Riku gasped as Axel began to slowly push into him as Roxas' hot mouth closed over him.
"Ah!" The silver hair bucked then gasped as Axel held him steady, gently soothing him as he went in deeper. "Oh… please… ah!" Riku moaned heavily as Roxas deep throated him just as Axel found his prostate again. Roxas suddenly choked and sputtered and had to pull back.
"Ribbon." He said sheepishly as Axel looked down at him questioningly, still moving with Riku. Axel laughed as Roxas hurriedly pulled the ribbon away and went back to what he was doing. Riku slid his fingers through his hair as his friend's tongue ran over him, teasing him as he felt Axel inside him.
"You feel so good." Axel murmured in his ear, kissing the back of Riku's neck and making him gasp as he found the sensitive spot there. "So hot… and tight…" Axel speeded his thrusts, making sure to hit Riku's special spot every time. The silver haired boy was very close, Axel could feel him trembling with the need. Then Roxas did something that made him stiffen and cry out, cheeks flushed and lips parted. Axel groaned in pleasure as Riku tightened around him and released a moment later, spending himself in the younger boy. They lay together a moment, exhausted and content before Axel gently kissed Riku on the cheek and pulled away. Riku sighed and curled up a little, already beginning to doze off. Roxas swallowed and looked at Axel.
"Axel? Did you want to…?" He asked tentatively. Roxas was feeling almost eager to get rid of his anal virginity now. But Axel just shook his head with a smile.
"Let's save that for tomorrow, Roxas." Axel murmured, reaching out to gently touch his cheek for a moment. Roxas hesitated then nodded. "I'll have plenty of time to get to know you both, and I want your first time to be good."
"Yes Master." Roxas said softly and Axel didn't bother to correct him, watching with warm eyes as his two new slaves curled up beside him and fell asleep. He hadn't wanted sex slaves but they were certainly a lot of fun.
He would have to see what else they could do.
