Kurama's eyelids fluttered as he opened them. It took him a moment to realise that the ceiling that he was looking at was not the ceiling of Hiei's room. Instead of wooden beams, he stared up at a gauzy canopy.

The bed he lay on was also softer than Hiei's. The mattress moulded itself around Kurama's body. The sheets felt thick and expensive.

Kurama sat up slowly. The room was light, cool and airy. The walls were stone, not wood, and the furnishings were much more ostentatious than those in Hiei's home.

Where was he and how had he gotten here?

And why did his throat feel tight? Kurama rubbed at his neck and coughed. The collar was still in place, though a leash had been attached to it. Kurama traced it's end to the headboard of the bed. Thankfully, it had plenty of slack.

Kurama's shirt was gone, though he still wore pants made of a light fabric unsuited for day to day wear. It was the sort of thing he used to sleep in back at home.

Someone had washed his hair, too. Kurama could smell the fresh, floral scent of shampoo.

He touched his nose gingerly. It was tender and swollen, but no longer bleeding. He must look awful.

He didn't notice Hiei's presence until the lord was standing beside the bed. Hiei's feet had made no sound on the thick carpet. Kurama was startled, pushing himself back into the voluminous pillows behind him.

Hiei stared down at him, looking him over critically. Then he picked up a cup from the nightstand and offered it to Kurama.

Kurama took it with some reluctance. He studied it's clear contents closely, wondering if he was about to be drugged again.

"It's only water," Hiei told him shortly. "For your throat."

Kurama noticed that Hiei's voice was slightly hoarse. What had happened while he was asleep?

Kurama drank the water, relieved to find that it actually was just water. He could taste nothing odd about it. It was cool and refreshing.

As he drank, he looked Hiei up and down, noting that Hiei's clothes were odd. In fact, they seemed to be some kind of uniform. Grey, with yellow trimming. The symbol of Reikai's royal family, a white bird, was embroidered on the breast.

Once he'd finished the water, Hiei set the cup back on the nightstand. He sat down on the bed beside Kurama and rested one hand on his sheet-covered leg.

"How are you feeling?" he asked Kurama.

That wasn't a yes or no question but Kurama nodded in response, hoping that got his meaning across. He was okay. At least, he hoped he was. But he had a question of his own. He tugged on the leash.

For a moment, Hiei looked confused. Then he seemed to catch on to Kurama's meaning.

"I have to keep you leashed here," he said. "We're in the palace."

Kurama blinked in confusion at him. How had that happened? Why?

"There was a fire," Hiei informed him. He rubbed Kurama's leg gently. "It destroyed the house. We're staying here until it's rebuilt."

Kurama couldn't believe that he'd slept through that. How strong had that drug been?

More importantly, had anyone been hurt or killed in the fire? What about that guard who had taken Kurama to Hiei's room? Was he okay? Kurama hoped so. He liked the young man, though he'd only just met him.

Although, the man seemed to be under the impression that it wasn't the first time they'd met. Kurama truly did not remember him. Under what circumstances had they met, if, in fact, they had? The man could be mistaken.

But he'd remembered the wards…

That brought up a lot of unpleasant possibilities. Could they have met in Tourin, some time after Kurama was warded but perhaps before he was sold?

Hiei reached out and undid the leash from the headboard, letting it dangle loosely. "You can't leave my rooms," he told Kurama. "It isn't safe for you."

It certainly wasn't. Kurama was aware that Karasu was staying in the palace as well. He did not want to run into the man without Hiei present to protect him.

"I've had your face seen to by a healer," Hiei continued. "It shouldn't bother you too much now."

Kurama turned his face away at the mention of his injury. The injury that Hiei had caused. He wanted to ask if that would be the end of his punishment but of course he couldn't. It was incredibly frustrating not being able to communicate. It was something he'd definitely taken for granted. The wards prevented him from even writing down what he wanted to say.

Not that Hiei had ever thought to suggest that, anyway.

"I'm going to be pretty busy," Hiei said. "I've been asked to help the SDF prepare for the trials since I'm stuck here for the time being."

Kurama frowned at the name. Those were the people who were supposedly looking for Barasono's missing prince. They'd done a spectacularly inadequate job so far. He was right under their noses but they didn't see that at all.

"I'm not sure that it would be a good idea to take you with me," Hiei said. "So you're going to have to find some way to amuse yourself for the time being. Can you read?"

Kurama nodded eagerly. Hiei smiled at his enthusiastic response. Reading was one of Kurama's favourite hobbies. "I'll make sure you have some books, then," he said. "If anyone comes, don't let them in. Just ignore them."

Kurama nodded again, with less enthusiasm this time.

Hiei left him alone, going into the next room. Kurama settled back into the comfortable pillows and fell asleep.

-0-

Hiei was not there when Kurama woke for the second time. He found that his leash was still not clipped to anything, allowing him full freedom of movement.

He wished that he could just take it off entirely but he knew that the wards wouldn't allow that. He knew that from past experience. He'd tried that while he was with Karasu. He'd left deep cuts in his own skin from where he'd clawed at the stinging wards. Karasu had laughed and mocked him as he'd watched Kurama writhe on the floor. Kurama still thought that he could hear the laughter echoing in his ears sometimes.

A quick exploration of the room told him that none of their belongings had come with them. Most of the clothes hanging up in the closet were uniforms identical to the one Hiei had been wearing earlier. There was a few pairs of pants like Kurama was currently wearing folded up in a drawer but nothing else for him to wear.

There were two doors leading out of the bedroom. Kurama discovered that one of them led to a small bathroom. The other led to a sitting room, furnished in the same style as the bedroom.

Kurama noticed that on the table before the sofas was a small pile of books. He curiously looked them over. One was a history book, he saw. Another appeared to be from the far-away Ningenkai. A third was a religious text that Kurama recognised from his childhood. His mother had read to him from that book, though this copy appeared newer than his mother's had been.

Sunlight streamed through the window, warming Kurama's cheeks as he looked out over the grounds of the palace. This room had a nice view of a small garden. Neat, trimmed flower beds were situated between winding paths. He watched two small boys dressed in fine clothes chase each other around the gardens.

The door creaked open behind him and Kurama spun around. He expected to see Hiei but froze when he realised that the person who'd just entered was a maid. A girl with a serious face and a scarf hiding her hair.

She froze too, her eyes going wide. Her hand flew to her mouth. Kurama realised that she looked very familiar. It was Kei, the girl from Hiei's class.

"Oh, ah, h-hello," she stammered awkwardly. "I, ah, didn't realise anyone would be here…"

Kurama gave her an encouraging smile, hoping to sooth her nerves. She eased herself into the room, closing the door behind her.

"I'm, ah, here to clean," she said helplessly.

Kurama nodded, trying to make his eyes as soft as he could. She turned hastily away from him and went about her work. Kurama returned his attention to the window but he could hear the girl moving around in the room behind him. He didn't want to make her any more uncomfortable than she already was so he continued to ignore her.

"Kurama?"

Kei's voice was hesitant and Kurama turned around to face her. At her feet was a basket of washing. It looked as though she'd changed the bedding.

"Please, ah, don't tell Lord Hiei about this," she said pleadingly. She ran her hands anxiously down the front of her dress. "He, ah, doesn't know."

Kurama nodded once more. Kei looked incredibly relieved. She smiled at him in return.

She had nothing to fear. It wasn't as if Kurama could tell Hiei anything, anyway.

"My name is Keiko, by the way," she said. "My real name, I mean."

Kurama gave her a slight bow as he felt that another nod didn't really convey the sentiment he was trying to get across. It felt a little too cold to him.

"Thanks, Kurama. Thanks for being so nice about this."

Keiko left with her basket of laundry. Kurama wished that she had stayed longer. It had been nice to spend time with someone, even if their conversation had been brief and one-sided.

And Kurama still had a lot of questions he wanted to ask Keiko. Like why did she have to dress up as a boy to get fighting lessons? As far as Kurama knew, girls were allowed to take them. Yukina did. So why did Keiko go to such lengths to hide her identity, even to the point of using a different name?

And why hadn't that idiot Hiei noticed that she was a girl yet? Kurama laughed silently to himself. Hiei could be remarkably dense about things that should have been obvious. It was an endearing trait.

And he shouldn't be thinking about Hiei like that. Hiei was his master. Kurama relied on him for survival. They weren't friends. They never would be. Hiei would have to view him as an equal for that and Kurama was certain that he didn't.

But Hiei did look awfully handsome in that uniform.

Kurama shoved the thought out of his mind, pulling on his loose hair in aggravation. No, he couldn't be coming to like the man. He didn't want to like him. Growing fond of his master was dangerous. It would make the inevitable punishments hurt all the more. And it would make escaping from his slavery impossible.

Kurama scratched at the collar, beginning to feel anxious again. Was it his mind playing tricks on him or did it feel tighter?

It couldn't be tighter. The collar was nothing special. It wasn't warded so there was no magic in it. The only magic currently binding Kurama was the wards that scarred his skin.

Unless he could find a way to remove them, freedom was an impossible dream.

-0-

Kurama was a bit disappointed when it wasn't Keiko who brought them dinner. Instead, it was a young dark-haired boy who stared at Hiei with worshipful eyes.

Or maybe it was the uniform he was staring at, Kurama thought with amusement. The boy set the tray down on the low table by the window and left after bowing to Hiei.

"Kurama, come and sit down," Hiei told him.

Kurama, who had been sitting on the sofa and reading the history book, set the book down and went over.

Feeling a little nervous, he knelt opposite Hiei on the cushion. Hiei was in the same position, though he looked uncomfortable, Kurama thought. He kept shifting from side to side as if he were unused to this position.

It was normal for people to eat at low tables like this in Barasono so Kurama was accustomed to the position. He guessed that most people in Reikai had probably adopted the habits of the foreigners from Ningenkai, who ate at tables with chairs like in Hiei's home.

But it seemed that the tradition still persisted in the palace, at least to some degree.

There was only one plate of food. The staff hadn't bothered to provide for Kurama. No doubt they expected him to eat whatever Hiei had left over, if anything. Kurama felt a twinge of annoyance. It wasn't fair.

Hiei pushed the dish into the centre of the table. "We're going to share," he informed Kurama. "Pick what you like."

Kurama blinked in surprise. He hesitatingly reached out and picked up the smallest piece of carrot.

Hiei made no comment on his choice. Nor did he comment when Kurama picked up a lamb chop next. They ate in silence, swapping cutlery occasionally when necessary.

"I have been invited to dine with Princess Botan and her family tomorrow night," Hiei informed him. "Yukina will be there."

So, he'd be spending the evening alone, Kurama guessed.

"I want you to come with me," Hiei stated.

Kurama frowned at him.

"You probably won't enjoy it," Hiei continued, "but I want people to see you with me. I want them to see that you belong to me. You'll be less likely to run into trouble."

The reasoning was sound. Right now, most people in the palace, if they saw him outside Hiei's rooms, would see him as just another slave. There was no way of knowing who he belonged to. If he offended them in some way, they might be inclined to carry out their own form of punishment.

And it might not be politically wise for Hiei to raise objections over the treatment of a slave, even a supposedly valuable one.

But he was getting the unsettling feeling that slaves were not treated well here. What would be expected of him tomorrow night?

"Kurama, is that all right?" Hiei asked. His red eyes held concern.

The fact that he was even asking Kurama, as if seeking his permission, was disturbing to the redhead. He was obviously worried about what the evening would bring.

But Kurama nodded anyway, despite his own misgivings. It would be nice to see Yukina again.

-0-

"Stop looking at me like that. I don't like this either," Hiei grumbled.

Kurama continued to scowl at him as he waited for Hiei to finish adjusting his own clothing.

Kurama's outfit was nothing like Hiei's. He was dressed in little more than a cloth covering his private parts. Jewellery adorned the rest of his body. He felt like an ornament on display.

Hiei sighed as he picked up Kurama's leash.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I think it's ridiculous, too, but it's just for a few hours."

Yukina waited for them in the sitting room, wearing a lovely white dress. She frowned when she saw Kurama but chose not to comment on his state of dress. Instead she gave him an encouraging smile.

Kurama tried to school his face into a mask of pleasant tolerance for her sake if nothing else. He didn't want to upset her.

"Your hair looks lovely, Kurama," she told him.

Kurama gave a small bow in thanks.

"Come on," Hiei said impatiently. "Let's get this over with." He started for the door to the suite and Kurama was forced to follow.

To Kurama's surprise, one of Hiei's guards waited for them in the hall. It was the dark-haired man he'd met just recently. His name was Yusuke, Kurama recalled. A surge of relief went through him. The man had escaped the fire unharmed.

The man gave Hiei a roguish grin. "Hey, boss," he said.

Hiei scowled at him, then shoved Kurama's leash at him. "Don't let anyone touch him," he growled.

"Okay, okay." Yusuke's tone was flippant as he took the leash.

Yukina gave Kurama's arm a squeeze before she and Hiei walked on ahead.

It seemed that Yusuke would be his keeper for the evening, Kurama thought. He was relieved. He liked the dark-haired man and had a feeling that Yusuke was the sort of person who wasn't intimidated by rank. That was good because they would be dealing with some very highly ranked people tonight. People who were not used to being challenged.

-0-

The dining hall was large and lit by fancy chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Kurama knelt against the wall, Yusuke standing by his side, Kurama's leash dangling idly from his hand. He wasn't the only slave in the room, he realised. There were two others, a young preteen boy and a teenage girl, both with guards, like himself. Both were also dressed like him.

The king looked very young. Not much older than himself, really. But that wasn't possible. Kurama knew that he had to be at least ten years older than himself.

Kurama didn't like him. There was something in his face that didn't sit right with him. He had the look of someone who was used to getting his own way.

His wife, the queen, was a statuesque black-haired beauty with a face that looked too perfect to be real. Or maybe it was the expertly-applied makeup that gave that impression. She seemed very formal and composed.

But Princess Botan was nothing like them. Her smiles came quick and easy and she seemed much more genuine and relaxed. She and Yukina sat together, occasionally talking quietly between themselves. Yukina, too, seemed entirely relaxed in the princess's presence. Kurama began to wonder if there might be more to their relationship than friendship.

Karasu was also present at the dining table, seated beside Princess Botan. He'd looked Kurama over only once when they'd first entered the hall. His lip had curled in disgust.

It almost made the humiliation of being dressed up like this worth it. Karasu would never have wasted such fine jewellery on a slave. He would have preferred that Kurama was entirely naked.

Halfway through the meal, King Koenma asked Hiei something that puzzled Kurama. Up until then, he'd been tuning the conversation out, focused on the other slaves. He'd been playing a game with the young boy beside him by tracing patterns on the stone floor.

"Have you considered my offer, Hiei?"

Kurama couldn't see Hiei's expression as the lord had his back to him but he was sure that Hiei was frowning.

"I never went through the trials," Hiei said.

"But you've been training the recruits," Koenma pointed out. "And I've heard very good things about you. It's a generous offer, Hiei."

"I have a business to run," Hiei said quietly.

"You can hire people to do that for you," Koenma suggested. "I can recommend some excellent names."

Hiei's shoulders slumped a little beneath his grey jacket. "I'll think about it," he said.

"I will need an answer soon," Koenma told him. "We still have that business with the missing prince. I want to be certain that he can't be found before we go ahead with the new contract."

What offer had Koenma made Hiei? And why was he so reluctant to accept it? And why the reference to himself?

Kurama felt a tug on his hand and realised that he'd been neglecting the game he'd been playing with the young slave. He turned his attention back to the boy.

Time passed and Kurama began to grow bored. The slaves weren't given anything to eat and Kurama began to wonder why they were even there. Their presence seemed utterly pointless.

"Hello, Kurama."

Kurama looked up from his contemplation of his fingernails to see Princess Botan kneeling before him with a friendly smile on her face.

"It's good to see you again," she said.

Kurama returned the smile, stunned that she'd bothered to speak to him.

Then the princess's attention turned to the young boy beside Kurama.

"Are you having fun with Kurama, Seto?" she asked.

The boy nodded shyly, his cheeks taking on a pink blush.

"Botan."

The princess let out a sigh at the sound of her mother's summons. She rose, brushing off her skirt. Queen Ayame stood next to her chair, a light frown on her face.

Hiei was standing as well, and speaking to Yukina. Karasu was standing beside Koenma on the other side of the table and staring at Kurama with his cold violet eyes.

"He's a pretty one, isn't he?" Karasu said to Koenma, his voice carrying clear to Kurama.

Kurama had a strong urge to glare at him as he wondered just where Karasu was going with this, but he lowered his head instead. He felt a small hand wrap around his own. It was the boy, Seto, he guessed.

"Yes." Kurama didn't like the tone of Koenma's voice. "Where did you find him, Hiei?"

"One of my people found him at the local market," Hiei said tersely.

"Already warded?" Koenma asked.

"Yes. He was already warded," Hiei answered.

"That's a shame. I prefer to have them warded myself," Koenma said. "Sometimes they're warded so much that they aren't very useful. I prefer them able to talk, at least."

"Me, too," Hiei muttered.

Koenma caught the resentful tone in Hiei's voice. "Have you considered having some of the wards removed?" he asked.

If Kurama had been a dog, his ears would have pricked up at that question. Removed? He'd thought that wasn't even possible.

"That can't be done. Can it?" The last two words were said with a hopeful note.

"Well, I've heard it's possible," Koenma said. "But difficult. There's a small group of Tourin mages that claim to be able to do it."

Kurama's heart sank. He had a feeling that, even if it were possible, the process would be even more expensive than the original wardings had been. The cost might not be out of a king's reach, but it would certainly be out of Hiei's reach.

Karasu had not participated in the rest of the conversation, making Kurama wonder about what he thought. Surely he wouldn't want the wardings removed? If they were removed, then Kurama could finally reveal who he really was.

"Most of the wardings won't be able to be removed."

Kurama froze at the sound of the new voice. It was one that he hadn't expected to hear. It was Yusuke, who, up until this moment, had remained silent throughout the evening.

"Some of the weaker ones might come off, but most are too deep," Yusuke said.

Kurama's left hand clenched into a fist. It looked like he couldn't depend on the wards being removed. He needed to come up with another plan. Some way of circumventing them.

"It's probably for the best," Karasu said. "If he could speak, he'd probably just complain constantly. That mouth could be put to better uses."

"That's enough," Hiei said softly. "I would prefer that such things not be spoken of in my sister's hearing."

"I apologise," Karasu said, his tone falsely sincere. "I meant no offence to the ladies."

Hiei left quickly after that, taking Kurama and Yusuke with him, much to Kurama's relief. He wasn't sure if he could bear being in that room for even a minute longer. The evening had left a rotten taste in his mouth.

Or maybe that was just because of Karasu. It didn't matter. He just wanted it to be over. To be back in Hiei's room, where he was at least allowed to express his frustration with impunity. Hiei seemed to be at least mildly sympathetic to his plight, which was more than he could say about most people.

But, no, that wasn't quite true. Yusuke had seemed sympathetic too. Yukina was even kind to him. Yet they accepted his slavery as if it were something they couldn't change.

But if they couldn't change it, who could?

The question left Kurama burning with resentment. If people wanted things to change, then why did they just sit back and do nothing? How could they expect anything to change?