To say that they were treated like animals would be a complete understatement. They worked from the break of dawn till nightfall, with only one hour rest for food. Guards with leather whips watched over their progress and only grunted in disappointment when it was satisfactory. But when not, they stripped the poor soul from clothes and whipped them mercilessly, blood spilling from the ripped skin.
On the first day they were all divided into groups, some of them were sent to mines, some were given to the whore house, and some were left to become servants of those who could afford them. Tetsuya was almost glad that Akashi specifically ordered his training as a servant, because the leers he received from the low demons around him clearly said where they wanted him.
Also thanks to the Prince's involvement he was never punished as others. His punishment was only the lack of water and food. It seemed far more lenient, but sometimes, after a hard day of work when he was on the verge of breaking, he cursed Akashi with all his might. The pain he could suffer through, he was used to it. But the hunger and thirst were making him weak, submissive, and that more than anything made him mad. They were making him into a… slave.
When the first phase of his rebellious attitude passed, he noticed that the chores weren't as tiring if he actually listened to the instructor. What they, as a group, were doing was cooking, washing the clothes and sheets, dressing and washing mannequins, brushing hair, taking care of horses and the house. It was relatively easy, even for a man, to keep up with.
What required more of his attention though was the mind training they were subjected to. Demons didn't want intelligent servants, after all. They wanted moving, breathing dolls to do their work for them, nothing more. For conversation they had each other, the better race. Since the first lesson, the minds of all slaves were being shaped into this mentality. They were inferior, they were worms, not good enough to lick the ground demons walked on.
They were always reminded to be quiet all the time, speak only when spoken to, breathe as quietly as possible, move without making noise, but always announcing their presence. They were instructed to listen to every order, no matter how absurd or improbable. They were to serve their masters in any way required, never to question the orders. They were taught to bow and grovel, to beg for their lives.
Most of those lessons were only a harsher repeat of the clan's teachings, and posed no problem for Tetsuya. The biggest challenge was the last part of them, which brutally trampled over his pride as a warrior. He learned to bow his heard and listen to orders, but it was only towards Kagami and the King. Now, he was supposed to kneel before every demon, no matter how low his standing. And that made his blood boil in silent rage.
After half a year though, Tetsuya got used to working as a servant. It wasn't that hard, if you knew your place. He quickly noticed that if he pretended to go along with it, this nightmarish life won't be unbearable. He was clothed, fed, had a roof over his head and a thin blanket to sleep on. It could have been worse, much worse, he knew. So he stopped fighting openly, putting on a blank mask of a slave, melting into a perfect servant.
Then, a year and a half later, came a day when he was called to the master trainer's side and introduced to a woman, who was to take him to his new master. His training was over. It was never specified that he'll end up serving Akashi, so with a bit of nervousness Tetsuya followed the woman out of the building.
Her name was Riko and she was the head maid of his new master. She was in charge of everything that involved his master's well-being, food, clothes, housing. As they walked through the city, she explained to him his new responsibilities. He was chosen as an errand-boy, anything his master will wish him to bring or take away, he will need to be ready to serve.
When they entered the building, Tetsuya looked around unobtrusively. It didn't remind him of the place he was before with Akashi, and the nervousness he felt at the thought of serving a completely different demon returned twice fold. Swallowing hard, he watched Riko knock on some door and after a quiet 'come in' they stepped inside.
He could have sworn, his whole body screamed in relief when he saw red eyes boring into his face. It was Akashi, after all. Tetsuya quickly squashed the urge to smile. Why would he smile at that? What did it change that his master was Akashi? He was still a demon, and still someone he had to bow to and grovel at his feet. He should be disgusted, but he wasn't. Instead he was intrigued to know what did those red jewels hide, what was so different about the Prince.
'Ah,' the voice that plagued his dreams sounded through the room. 'We meet again, Kuroko.'
The first few weeks were silent, both of them seemed to observe another without much talking. Tetsuya quickly adapted to the new way of working, which basically consisted of running with notes to the library and back, occasionally to other demons' quarters. The other slaves accepted him with hesitant smiles and after two weeks he became one of them, sharing their meals and stories with each other.
It was then that Tetsuya learned a lot about Akashi. There was a lot of rumours about the young demon Prince, some of them so improbable that he just laughed them off for silly superstitions. But others… Like the fact that Akashi was apparently a half-blood, his mother being a human. Or that even though he was a demon, he was mostly kind towards those who did him no harm. Maybe kind was a wrong word to use, because of his usual cold and distant demeanour, but he was accepting.
What many slaves admired about Akashi was his treatment of his slaves though. He was never rough with them, never abusing his power over them, never taking advantage of them. As long as they did what he asked of them, he stayed out of their lives, allowing them this small kind of freedom. All that he learned from other slaves serving the demon Prince, he seemed almost… human.
Tetsuya often found himself observing Akashi. He wasn't like other demons, now he was sure of it. Especially when he saw how other of the noble blood reacted to him. There was no real disgust or hatred on their faces, but the eyes that continually gazed at the Prince were cold and secluded, hiding much more than normal people could decipher. And because Tetsuya was schooled from the youngest age in the art of espionage, it wasn't difficult for him to see through those masks. But when he did, his heart clenched in pain for his new master.
There wasn't any positive emotions in those hard faces, no kindness, no friendship, no camaraderie, nothing. They all looked at Akashi with the same level of loathing as they did towards their slaves. In their eyes, the Prince was nothing more but a half-breed, his rich demon blood mixed with the filth of the human race. It was hard watching Akashi walk down the aisle surrounded by nothing more than those vile creatures.
And yet the Prince never looked bothered, he never showed anger, he never showed weakness. He was strong and imposing, only his glare making the demons before him bow in submission. Even though Tetsuya witnessed it a lot of times during this few weeks, he still couldn't find the reason for it. What was it that made demons so obedient, if they hated Akashi that much? Was it his title? Only that? In hopes of getting to the bottom of it, he kept silent and watched, eyes and ears widely open to every whisper.
One day, a month after he was called to the palace to serve Akashi, he was summoned by the Prince. As usual he knocked on the door and entered, bowing low, even though Akashi had his back turned towards him. He waited, frozen in the appropriate position, his back hurting more and more with each passing minute.
'It's true I wanted to make you a slave,' Tetsuya stiffened at Akashi's cold voice, when the demon finally addressed the matter. 'But now that you're another one of those snivelling fools I find myself bored.'
'What do you want me to do, master?' if he looked up in that single moment, he would notice the anger and regret flashing through those crimson red eyes faster than the lightning.
Only the quiet ruffle of robes told him when Akashi finally turned around, but he still didn't look up. It was absolutely forbidden to look your master in the eye, the highest disrespect a slave could commit. That's why he was shocked when a slightly cold hand grabbed his chin and forcefully raised his head, blue and red eyes meeting.
There was a smirk playing on Akashi's thin lips, as he reached with his other hand and put it on Tetsuya's forehead. 'Pokaz,' he whispered and Tetsuya's eyes widened as he felt something envelop his mind in a foggy mist. It passed as quickly as it came, Akashi releasing him all at once. But the sly smile on his face remained, getting sharper by a second.
'Ah, so you didn't lose your spine,' a teasing glint deep within red eyes made Tetsuya gape in shock.
It was the first time he saw so much human emotion in a demon. It was so surreal he had trouble believing it was really happening. He was shocked to a degree where he forgot everything about not looking into your master's eyes, or about not speaking without permission.
'What did you do to me?' he asked, trying to see through Akashi's mask. It was much thicker than others' but not impregnable.
'Just a little magic trick,' the Prince spared one last glance at him, the smirk never leaving his face, before he slowly walked towards the large glass door leading onto the terrace. 'Come, Kuroko.'
Silent as a ghost, Tetsuya stepped behind Akashi, unobtrusively observing the other's face. It was impassive as always, but there was no this deep coldness he presented to other demons. Right now, it seemed almost… warm. As his eyes gazed lower, he noticed that Akashi's smirk sharpened, a fang dangerously poking his bottom lip, and then Tetsuya realized. He knew he was watched.
It took all his self-restraint to withhold the raising blush. Quickly averting his eyes, he focused on admiring the view. And it was a truly beautiful sight. The terrace was facing the exotic garden of the palace, alleys of trees and shimmering strings of streams made his breath hitch. This was the first time Tetsuya saw the Garden, since slaves were never allowed to enter it, apart from those working on keeping it in its glory.
'During the time you spent here, I watched you,' Akashi started, his eyes seemingly on the horizon. 'Do you remember what I told you when we first met?'
'That you find me amusing?' Tetsuya answered, trying hard to cover his disgust.
A light sound, scarily similar to laughter made the former assassin's head snap up to look at the Prince. Was he laughing? He blinked in surprise. It was the first time he heard Akashi laugh, even though it was short-lived. The demon must have noticed his shock, for his mouth bent into a smirk once again.
'Listen, Kuroko,' Akashi spoke seriously. 'I don't want you to be another one of those mindless slaves. I told you before that I found something of value in you other than your working capacity.' He stopped to look Tetsuya straight in the eye. 'I want you to be yourself, fearless, daring and truthful. I want you to speak your mind, at least around me.'
'So you basically want someone to talk to who won't bow to your every wish?' this time he was prepared for the chuckle that left Akashi's lips, and he marvelled at the sound. It was so different from the laughter he got used to in the training facility. It was lighter, more subtle, more enchanting.
'Yes, Kuroko, that's exactly what I want you to do,' red eyes gleamed with something unreadable in the rays of the red sun.
Akashi was different than other demons, now Tetsuya knew that for sure. He didn't know yet why, be it his human blood, or the past experiences, but he vowed to himself that he was going to find out. And what better place to do that than by the Prince's side.
He smiled a tiny smile at the red-eyed demon, 'That doesn't seem that hard to do.'
To answer one of the reviews form last week:
Shadow of the Angel - I'm not quitting anything, next update will be next week ^u^ And I hope that after this chapter it's clear why Kuroko didn't see Akashi for two years. If not, feel free to PM me with questions~
Now, reviews?
