Dinner couldn't end quickly enough for Ortanos. Withdrawing as soon as he could he shot Rhodes a deadly stare as he stormed from the room strong enough to cause the younger man to actually recoil as the general stormed passed his chair. Stalking through the corridors Ortanos made his way quickly to the slave quarters, pushing the door open he scanned the room then growled, "Where are Evander and Maeto?"
The nearest slave bowed at the waist replying nervously, "The bath house, My Lord."
Ortanos nodded grunting a quick thanks before turning on his heel and heading towards the bath house. He paused at the door trying to compose himself, knowing that he had to reign in his anger, knowing it would scare the already traumatised slave. Gently pushing the door open he slipped in. Stripping quickly he grabbed a white cloth. Wrapping it around his waist – again remembering how nervous nudity seemed to make Maeto – he made his way through the first room to the larger massage room. He paused in the door way a faint smiling flickering around his lips. Evander had Maeto stretched out on a marble slab and was giving him a gentle shoulder massage. He could hear Evander talking and as he listened he felt his heart swelling with adoration for the small man he was lucky enough to call his lover.
Evander was telling Maeto the story of how Ortanos and Rhodes had saved him in the market place when they were all young children. It was a day the general remembered well as it was the day that brought Evander into his house hold brining him something that neither gold nor battle victory could replace.
Evander softly told Maeto Lord Rhodes might have been having a bad day or just wasn't experienced in bed because he remembered his first few times hurting. Hurting was a word the broke a piece of Ortanos' heart because even when they first became lovers he had never desire to harm Evander. Yet it came to him that even then his small lover had wanted to be one with him so much that he said nothing because he knew it would have made Ortanos stop.
"Evander," Ortanos whispered softly running his hand over his head. He entered the room and both men looked at him. Evander looked slightly puzzled as to why his lover was there and Maeto looked terrified at the man wearing the small towel around his waist.
"Why are you here?" Evander asked as he rubbed his apprentice's shoulders keeping him on the table.
"I needed to talk to you," replied Ortanos noting the way Evander's hands stilled on Maeto's shoulders.
Evander searched his master's face then frowned slightly, there was a strange expression in the general's eyes, a sadness he hadn't seen in a very long time. Realising Maeto was breathing far too quickly he gave the other slave's neck a comforting squeeze before asking, "Do you need me this instant?"
Ortanos shook his head rumbling, "No finish caring Maeto first." He ignored the surprised gasp from the new slave and instead padded over to the other massage table. Slumping against the marble top he folded his arm over his muscular chest watching as his Evander slowly resumed the comforting massage on Maeto.
As he worked the knots out of the slender shoulders Evander risked a look up and found grey eyes starting at him. He frowned and mouthed, "What's wrong?"
Ortanos shook his head, indicating to Maeto with his hand. Evander nodded, knowing that whatever it was, it was for his ears alone.
He moved the massage further down but as he did he managed to catch the towel that he had draped over Maeto's behind and as the white cloth came free both Evander and Ortanos couldn't help the twin gasps that escaped their lips. Maeto's thighs were stained pink and they were faced with the very visible evidence of just how out of control Rhodes had really become.
"Maeto!" Evander was the first to speak moving to the servant's side. "Why didn't you tell me you so hurt?" he softly touched the young man thighs.
"Evander we need to treat the in whatever way we can," Ortanos stood away knowing Maeto was fearful of him.
"Yes, yes of course, I'll go get the wash basin," the dark hair man turned to go in the other room. Maeto rose up and wanting to ask Evander to stay but the other servant had already dashed out. Maeto drop his head and balled his hands into fists.
"I will just stay over here, I know you're uncomfortable right now," Ortanos examined the young man from his spot. "You must hate me for giving you to Rhodes, I am truly sorry. I never imagined that he would do what he did."
"He said I was his, like Evander is to you," Maeto whispered as Ortanos eyes went wide.
"I have never done anything like this to him," growled Ortanos in reply, upset once again at Rhodes for making insulation about his relationship with Evander to another slave.
"You lie!" exclaimed Maeto, "I heard you with him in the other night, I….I saw you," Maeto buried his head await his master wrath.
Ortanos was speechless. Truly speechless. The idea that anyone could think he would hurt Evander that way appalled him but more than that the idea that Maeto had seen him and Evander together and misunderstood it sickened him. His eyes narrowed and, sounding far gruffer then he intended, he growled, "What do you mean – saw?"
Maeto didn't dare raise his head, he just kept staring at the tiled floor, waiting for the beating to start as he mumbled miserably, "I...I saw you...you had your hands around his throat, he was under you and ...I heard him cry out and..."
"Why were you out of the slave quarter?"
Maeto screwed his eyes shuts scared.
"Answer me!" demanded Ortanos stepping closer, his previous promise to keep his distance forgotten in his desire to know the truth.
"I...I...I...was scared..." admitted Maeto softly," I was...Evander was the only one who...I..."
"You should NEVER be out at night!" yelled Ortanos, "Slaves have no business wandering around the corridors of my house at night unless summon. You should..." his voice faded into a surprised gasp as Maeto suddenly threw himself on the floor laying prostrate at his masters feet, the terrified slave whimpering, "Forgive my master please forgive me I..."
"What the...What are you doing?"
Ortanos looked up to see Evander frozen in the doorway, bowl in hand staring at the prostate Maeto with something akin to shock and disbelief.
"Ummm," Ortanos cover his mouth and screwed his eyes shut he had just made a colossal mistake.
"Maeto stand up," Evander when to the servant's side and helped him up, sitting the shaking man on the table. "What were you doing?"
"He…he saw us and let my anger take over," the general spun around and stalked over to the wall pounding his fist on the wall. "Fuck."
"Maeto, what did you see?" Evander placed his hand on the slightly smaller man's shoulder. Maeto looked up into Evander's brown eyes confused how a fellow slave could stand up to their master like that without any fear of punishment.
"You and," Maeto pointed at Ortanos who was still back too. "Together. He had his hands on your neck and was…" Evander looked at the young slave, his mouth agape. Now he knew why Ortanos had become so upset. It made him upset too but he checked his emotions knowing Maeto did not need a lecture or a scolding right now.
"He wasn't hurting me and he didn't force me," soothed, Evander smiling softly. He moved over to Ortanos murmuring, "We have to tell him," he put his hand on the general's shoulder.
Ortanos sighed then glancing at Evander he knew his lover was right. Maeto had to be put straight. He couldn't risk having a salve jumping to such a wrong conclusion about him. Nodding roughly he kept his back towards the others fighting to control his emotions. Evander gave a brave smile and ignoring the shocked gasped from Maeto he simply leant forward and pressed his lips against the general's shoulders before turning round and looking at the stunned slave.
"Maeto what I'm about to tell you goes no further. If I hear you have told an soul I will hunt you down and I will make you pay, do you understand me?" asked Evander his voice so firm even Ortanos was a little shocked at the sudden show of steely strength in his normally relaxed lover.
Maeto nodded his eyes so wide he looked terrified.
"Good," smiled Evander his face softening. Taking a deep breath he glanced at Ortanos then back at Maeto saying simply, "For as long I can remember, Lord Ortanos and I have been lovers. Not coerced not forced, but lovers, genuine lovers. I would die to protect him and I know he would do the same for me. So you can see why when Lord Rhodes attacked you, abused you and hurt you saying that Lord Ortanos did the same to me you can see why the accusation hurt so much. He has never once caused me a second's pain that I didn't long for. I love him and he loves me."
"But you're a slave like me, he's of such high rank... I...I don't understand," Maeto couldn't believe what Evander was saying, it had to be him just staying what Ortanos wanted right.
"Evander told you. He and I met as children, he was a orphan I met on the streets and we started playing like boys do. Back then I knew little of rank, he became my friend and I told my father it wasn't fair he was on the street. So he was brought in as a slave and my playmate. I have never seen him as a servant, even though it is the role he is forced to have. I fell in love with him so long ago I don't remember the date of when we first kiss I only remember where," Ortanos turned and let his walls fall wrapping his arms protectively around Evander.
Maeto watched Evander instantly relax into the embrace close his eyes to rest his head on the general's chest. "We know its forbidden love, that's why you must never tell. People assume we are sleep with one another but there is no hard evidence."
"Lord Rhodes does know," Maeto stammered.
"Yes he does but he doesn't know the full feelings I have for Evander or because if he did then what happen to you would never have happened," the general let go of Evander and knelt before Maeto. "For that I apologize to you."
Maeto looked on in awed surprise as one of the greatest general's of their time knelt before him a slave asking his forgiveness. He glanced at Evander and saw a soft smile playing over the other slave's lips. Catching Maeto's look Evander mouthed, "Go on,"
Maeto gulped then kneeling down himself he murmured, "My lord please don't kneel to me. I...I will not tell a soul about your secret I swear it. And yes..." he gulped as the grey eyes suddenly regarded him, "Yes I forgive you although the fault was never yours. You gave me an honour, it is Lord Rhodes who is at fault, my lord, not you."
Ortanos regarded the small slave then smirking softly he sank back onto his heels rumbling," We must make a strange sight."
"You do," chuckled Evander.
He helped Ortanos back to he feet – noting with a frown the way the general favoured his left shoulder – and with a soft sigh he asked, "What do we do now?" he looked at Ortanos, the soft chocolate eyes surprisingly hard as he asked, "Do you plan to send Maeto back to a man who has already abused and attacked him?"
Ortanos crossed his arms and thought for a moment he knew he couldn't send Maeto back to Rhodes there was no telling if his apprentice had learned his lesson. He began thinking of where to reassign the boy, with Maeto now knowing their secret it made him want to keep him close.
"You will be Evander's apprentice," Ortanos looked at both of them. "You will learn all his regular duties so that Evander can aid me more now that I have return," he looked for their reactions.
Evander had a look on his face like his was mulling over what his lover had said but it wasn't an angry and upset look. Maeto however dropped down to his knees bowing. "Oh thank you Ortanos, thank you I promise I will do what every you say Evander."
Evander looked at the boy who was looking at him with shining eyes. "It won't be easy there will be a lot of hard work but I will let you recover from your injuries more before, now stand up," Evander smiled wanting Maeto to relax.
"One more thing," Ortanos spoke. "My shoulder is acting up Evander I may need your hands you will stay in my quarters till further notice. Maeto you will come get him in the morning at daybreak just knock on the door but do not enter unless told."
