Five years later…

« Dad, Michael's here. He's come to help me with the vaties."

"OK, boys, off you go. Hurry up, the night is falling rapidly, and you know what may happens if you stay out too late…"

"Don't worry Dad, this shouldn't take us long. The vaaties are used to me, and they should follow me all the way up to their shad without any problem. We should be back within a couple of hours." Justin departed and joined his friend Michael, who was waiting for him outside the house. Craig proudly watched them walk away. The blond and the brunet. Blue eyes and dark eyes. What a nice couple they made. Michael was the perfect match for his son. This cool – tempered boy would teach his son how to master his exuberance, would teach them to be more reasonable. Homosexuality was regarded as normal in the country, where gays and straight people had long been cohabiting harmoniously. Their families were friends, and he was looking forward to working with Michael's father, Anton. Together, they would be able to buy this shop in town. No more working in the fields, no more looking after vaaties. They would all live so happy, almost like noblemen. Craig stopped daydreaming and went back inside. Michael and Justin were to be married in a month's time. There was a lot in his plate yet. He wanted this day to be perfect.

On their way to the waald, Justin and Michael were happily discussing about this and that. Justin was a real gossip, and knew everything that was going on in the village, and it was such a fun to listen to him. Of course, when he was a married man, he would have to learn how to cease behaving in such a childish way. He Michael would make sure Justin became a reasonable, respected, well - behaved man. Once their fathers would have bought this shop, they would start working there. He could already picture that : Justin as a shop – assistant – he was the one who could best seduce the customers and make them spend their money- and he, Michael, doing all the accountancy, while Craig and Anton would make sure the store was properly supplied. And, in the evenings, they would retire to their small apartment, have some dinner, and then… Michael beamed at the thought, and felt he grew hard… He couldn't wait for their first night together. Justin was still a virgin. On the very first day Michael had started dating him, Justin had told him he wanted to save himself for marriage and, though Michael wished the boy had given in to him, he respected this choice. "The more you wait, the better it is" his grandfather used to say. Yes, life was full of promises, and he was sure theirs would only have good things in store for them.

They arrived at the waald, and lost no time gathering the stock of vaaties. They were about to head back home, when Justin noticed something was wrong. He quickly realized one of the animals was missing.

"Shit, Michael, we must go and find it before it gets dark."

"Yes, sure, but we must hurry."

"Of course we must. Listen, I think our best bet would be to each of us go a different way. I'll go left and you go right. This should be over in no time" Justin said. Michael agreed, and they departed.

Meanwhile, at the palace…

"Brian, I'm sick and tired of having always the same boys… We've been fucking them for six months now, and they're not tight enough anymore. I do think we need some fresh meat, don't you think so?" Cody asked his debauchery mate with a drunken voice. This announcement brought loud applause from the five other men who were in the room with them.

"Well, yes, I suppose it's high time we had some new people to entertain us, my friend" Brian grinned. Then he put down his glass of wine and called in a loud voice: "Blake!"

"Yes, my Prince?" a dark – haired, cruel looking man appeared and bowed respectfully to him.

"Time to go hunting. We all are hungry" Brian answered gesturing to his companions, who all cheered and clapped on hearing that. "Make haste; you know what we want. Don't let us wait."

"Certainly, Prince Brian. My men and I will be back in no time, with some precious new jewels for you. What about the last lot we provided you with?"

"Well, do as usual."

"The Gobarrens, my Prince?"

"Yes. Half of them. At once. And the other half is to be kept in the gayardom, for further use" And tell Emmett he's summoned to my presence.

"Do you have any particular wish as to whom you want to keep, my Prince?"

"Can't be bothered, you choose" Brian coldly answered.

"Very well, my Prince." The man then bowed again and departed. A few minutes later, Emmett entered the room:

"You wanted to see me, my Prince?" he asked, deferently.

"Yes, bring us some wine." Brian answered

"Some wine, my Prince? Emmett repeated somewhat incredulously, glancing at the four men, nearly dead drunk, lying on the floor.

"Yes, wine, the best of it, and plenty" Brian shouted."And do not make us wait, do not compel me to have you punished!" he added.

"Very well, my Prince", Emmett answered. He left the room and made his way to the cellar, sighing. What a wicked thing love could turn out to be. What wretched creatures unhappy love affairs could make… He sighed again and then remembered what a great prince Brain had once been, what pleasure he had derived from serving him. He had often thought of leaving him, but, every time, at the last moment, he had changed his mind; what would have happened to his Prince if he had left him all alone among all those….creatures… And that…Cody… he was the worst of them. But he, Emmett, was sure this wouldn't go on forever, and that his Prince would sooner or later come to his senses and would be once again the happy and benevolent person he had once been, a Prince who would once again devote himself to making all his people happy. Yes, Emmet was sure this day would come, and that was the second reason that had driven him to go on serving him. He longed to see this day…

Now, smiling, Emmett pushed the door of the cellar opened, took a couple of bottles, and went back to the Prince and his "friends".

"Why do you keep this man? He's such a bore, Brian", another of his companions called Brandon asked him.

"Don't know, really, I suppose I like him." Brian answered

Meanwhile, the four young men Blake had referred to as "the last lot" were brutally awakened, and while two of them were led to the gayardom, the other half were marched to a secluded room, dark and cold, on the basement. A few minutes later, some awful screams were heard all the way up to the room were the Prince and the others were emptying the last bottle.

"Well", Cody laughed, "these won't be of any use anymore, will they?"

The others approved.

Back in the waald

"That's it at last, I've found it" Justin grinned proudly at Michael

"Well, that's a good thing; it's getting real dark. Let's hurry up and head back to the village. It's so scary round here…" Michael shuddered, but Justin only laughed.

"Relax, dearest. We've got nothing to worry about. And you must admit this building is really fascinating," he added, pointing at the castle which rose proudly over the wood.

"Fascinating ! Justin what a fool you may be sometimes, it gives me the creeps. And you know perfectly well what happened to Don and Peter. They disappeared one day, and never returned. And I'm sorry to say they were not the only ones. There are some terrible tales about the place" Michael shuddered again at the thought.

"What can happen to us when we're together? Besides, the village is only two miles away, and we'll be back there in no time at all" Justin replied

"I wish you were right, Justin but all the same, let's not linger around the place" Michael answered

"Off we go, then, softy" Justin laughed."Come on what are you waiting for?" The boys took their way back, the vaaties camly following then in line, with a boy at each end. Justin couldn't help turning a couple of times to get a last glimpse of the castle. Yes, the place was really fascinating to him, and he wondered what could take place in there to make it so frightening to the villagers, and what the Prince looked like. Was he as terrifying as people depicted him?

They had nearly reached the village and could already spot the reassuring firelights coming from the houses, when Michael froze.

"Justin wait! I think I've heard something!"

"I didn't hear anything. You must have been mistaken, dear…" Justin answered, but a second later, he turned pale. "Hell yes, Michael, you were right. There's something moving in the barends. Quick , run!"

The boys started fleeing, but it was too late. What seemed to be a fishing – net fell on Michael, who started struggling helplessly. Horrified, Justin watch his fiancé being lifted off the ground, taken out of the net, handcuffed, and thrown across a horse.

"You bastards! Get off him! Leave him alone! "

"No Justin, run for God's sake! Save your life" Michael screamed, but Justin just wouldn't let go. He gripped one of the man's legs and bit into it deeply, causing him to scream in pain. He then felt a sharp pain at the back of his head and all went black.

"Well done, boys! Two fine morsels! Our Prince will be satisfied, and they should keep him and his friends busy for a while. Let's go back. And be nice with these lot… No playing with them. They're reserved…"

The men hastily fastened Justin's and Michael's hands and feet to a pole and left towards the palace.