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Disclaimer: Harry Potter and his world belong to J. K. Rowling. In this story, Harry Potter is very old, and is known as 'The Great Wizard.' His name is Bellamy.

Chapter 37: This is the final chapter of Valencio's Story, Part 2.

The following morning, Peter regarded Valencio with worry. He was afraid he was losing him. He needed to give more than a bit of sex, for which he seemed less eager every day.

He said, as they breakfasted late, "Remember that whipping scene in Aegean Romance."

Valencio said, "I remember."

"Why did that affect you so much?"

Valencio shrugged, and said, "You know I was Valencio. They didn't always treat me well."

Peter said persuasively, "Tell me."

"Tell you what?"

"Tell me why they whipped you."

"It was only one week I was whipped. My owner of the time liked variety, and that was his fancy. For the next few weeks, he didn't even hurt me."

"Did they tie you up to be whipped?"

"I was always restrained, whenever used. The whipping was just one incident."

Peter said slowly, "Maybe that's why you never stroke, or respond actively. You were always restrained."

Valencio grinned suddenly. "I offered to give a massage once, persuaded him to free me, persuaded him to turn on his front, then tried to open his carotid artery with a sharp piece of glass. That was probably the most active I've ever been when having sex with a man. It was always just what they did to me. What I couldn't stop them doing to me."

Peter changed the subject. "Have you watched again your earlier movies?"

Valencio thought he was defeated in any case, and no longer tried to conceal himself. He answered indifferently. "I watched Spindrift once, but then spent half the night crying. I'm curious about Summer in Rome. I only saw it once, at the premiere. But it was even worse. I couldn't watch it."

Peter rose, and said commandingly, "Meg will clean up. We'll go now, and watch it. Maybe it will be easier if I'm holding you."

Valencio said, "Meg won't come until this afternoon, will she? I'll tidy a bit, at least."

Peter hesitated, but then went quickly to the small theatre, and flipped through movies. He had all of Valencio's movies, even Marriage Mart, though he'd had to send to England for it. He got it ready, and then hurried back, hoping that Valencio hadn't left. He was unpredictable sometimes. But Valencio was just staring out the window above the kitchen sink, holding a tea towel.

Peter took him in his arms, and squeezed. "Come on. It'll do you good to see it."

"I was chosen because of that movie. A rich and powerful man saw it, decided he'd like the pretty boy, and I lost eighteen years of my life. And I shouldn't complain. There are others lost forty, fifty years of their lives. Tasha lost twenty-six years. Even Inge lost three years, from the age of twelve to the age of fifteen."

Peter said, surprised, "I guessed about Tasha, didn't know about Inge."

"I shouldn't have told you then. Like us all, she prefers it not to be known."

"I won't tell anyone. And I won't call you Valencio any more."

Valencio shrugged, "Everyone seems to know, whether you call me Vince or Valencio."

Over the next few days, held in a comforting embrace, Valencio was shown first Summer in Rome, then the Hundred Year Spell, and finally Spindrift. He talked a little more to Peter, as well. Told him how strong the women were. How he'd gone to pieces, only because he'd found himself alive when he'd thought he was dead. Laughed to him about getting Adil in the eye. "When I discovered I was still alive, there was a different owner. That was the second time. When I recovered from punishment after trying to kill my first owner, there was Adil."

Peter learned not to ask questions, as he'd be answered by a withdrawal, but listened when Valencio talked. It was not always talk of tragedy, though there was always that background. But Valencio laughed to him about his hobbles, and the way that the women had helped him deal with the punishment. And he demonstrated the strike with the restrained right wrist. He even showed him how he'd used to practise with the shard of glass. The innocently open palms when searched, and the casual return to an opened seam in his clothing afterwards. "I'd practise every day, a ritual. Even after I gave up trying to kill them, I would still have gone for Adil, for Faheem, also the one that took me, but they never trusted me, never gave me a chance."

Vojkovic remarked, "Scarcely surprising they didn't trust you."

He showed him something else once. Dived in the pool, arms by his side, and swam underwater, like a porpoise, coming up at the other end, grinning, suddenly looking like a carefree boy.

Peter watched, and laughed with him, afterwards asking, "Exactly how long were you hobbled?"

"About six months. I became almost ambidextrous for most things. I never did learn to write very well with my left hand."

By the time Christmas came, Valencio was almost indifferent to Peter's lovemaking. At a Boxing Day party, he smiled back at a young actress, and Peter watched, resigned, as he went off with her.

Meantime, Narzu-Han fretted. Was his boy being destroyed? Was he in terrible conflict again? He'd always been unstable! Maybe he was on drugs by now, trying to cope with his too strong emotions that way. He couldn't go and see him without Valencio knowing. He'd seen straight through the cloaking spell that time. Instead, he had report after report that said he was apparently content to be the companion of the Cossack. That he showed no signs of depending on drugs or alcohol. That there was no evidence that he was unstable, or deeply unhappy.

Valencio called into his own apartment nearly every day, even though every night was spent in Peter's bed. He still allowed Peter to have sex with him when he wanted. It never hurt him, and Valencio didn't care.

Once, he said pettishly that he had a headache, and Peter desisted.

Valencio was astounded, and sat up, staring at him in surprise, before beginning to laugh, helplessly.

Peter was confused. Valencio finally explained. "I must be free now! It's the first time that any notice was taken of my being a bit reluctant!"

Peter pulled him close, and said, "A bit reluctant! You told me you threatened to kill anyone who did it to you!"

"I only succeeded once."

Peter said tenderly, "You've grown into a very strong man."

Valencio looked at his bedmate in surprise, "I'm not strong. The women were strong. I wanted to look after them, to protect them, but they looked after me. I was never able to protect them."

Peter said slowly, "Is that why you don't want to go home? You're ashamed to face them?"

"I guess. Tasha left me. She said I was too weak, and she needed someone strong."

Peter didn't try and assure him that he wasn't weak. Or that he should not be ashamed. Valencio would leave him soon, he knew. He didn't want to hasten the day.

Narzu-Han studied the transcript of the conversation. His boy thought he was weak. His boy thought that he'd never been able to protect the women. He was very thoughtful that day.

Two days later, Valencio leaned back in a sun lounge besides Peter's swimming pool. He had his hands linked behind his head. It was a cool day, and he was fully dressed. He wasn't surprised when he looked suddenly to the side, and saw Narzu-Han regarding him. He raised his eyebrows, coolly, and said, "John told me to call him if you ever came for me."

Narzu-Han said, "I didn't come for you. Not unless you want me. Just wanted to explain a few things."

Valencio glanced at the house, "You haven't hurt Peter, have you?"

"He's having a nap. That's all. So he won't interrupt."

"Just as arrogant as ever, I see."

"I was concerned. Wanted to know you were not upset. Wanted to know Vojkovik wasn't hurting you."

Valencio still had his hands behind his head, still appeared perfectly casual. He said, "Anything that Peter has done, is minuscule compared to your crimes."

Narzu-Han sat in a chair beside him, and said, "I thought of bringing some date scones, just so you'd listen to me."

Valencio looked back at him, the corner of his mouth lifting in a wry smile. "Such a profound philosophy. Offer good things to eat, and you're trusted!"

Narzu-Han laughed, and said, "You don't know how much I enjoyed our talks."

Valencio asked, in an interested tone, "Are you going to rape me now?"

"Oddly, I thought you'd see me, and you'd want it. Like that time when I used cloaking magic, when you had to go to new enclosures. You saw me straightaway, and wanted me."

Valencio smiled, and said, "I think I might be cured of that. I don't want you. Have no interest in you."

Narzu-Han said, "I have a wife and child now. I don't want you in that way."

Valencio glanced at him, and knew he lied. Narzu-Han very much wanted him.

Narzu-Han tried not to show that he knew Valencio had seen through his pretence. Instead, he said, "You know how you always wanted to protect the women. Thought you were helpless. And now you're unwilling to go back, because you're ashamed to face them."

Valencio stared at the sky, and said, "You're been listening!"

Narzu-Han nodded. "I've been listening. And now I want to remind you of that day, when you went to the new enclosures."

Valencio thought of yawning, but knew that the wizard would not be fooled by the pretence he was not interested. Instead, he sat up, swinging his legs to the side, and asked, "Would you like a drink? Coffee maybe?"

Narzu-Han said, "Yes, Please."

"Why don't you go to the table. I'll bring it out."

Narzu-Han looked after him thoughtfully. This casual, almost indifferent, reception was the last thing that he had expected.

In a corner, silently watching, stood John Bellamy. His cloaking magic was very strong, strong enough that even Narzu-Han was not aware of his presence.

Valencio returned, the two cups of coffee steaming, a plate of cakes. He handed Narzu-Han his coffee, the same way he'd always taken it twenty years before. Narzu-Han thanked him, and accepted a cake. Valencio said, "I just told Meg that there was a visitor, but only for me."

"The servant?"

Valencio smiled slightly, and said, "Call Meg a servant, and you'd be sorry. She's an employee, not a servant."

They drank, silently.

Valencio said, "A lot of the women were armed that day. We thought it a strong possibility that most of us would be killed."

Narzu-Han nodded. "The guidelines laid down for generations said that preferably no more than thirty in Enclosure 2. Nusa'pei said it was the logical time for a cull. Move over only about ten."

"So what happened?"

"He came to see Yiko and myself. We were still protecting you, still concerned that you should be safe. Yiko changed the guidelines, and there were no deaths."

Valencio said slowly, "I don't understand."

"You always felt so dirty, so guilty. It shamed you, that you enjoyed it. It was that quality in you that gave us such pleasure. That quality in you that had us continue our interest. It was that quality in you, that you still seem ashamed of, that saved the lives of most, maybe even all, of the survivors. There were no culls because you would be upset, and maybe go berserk, so they had to put you down. Even before you were put over into Enclosure 2, Yiko gave orders that no new boys be taken, even though there were requests. And no very young girls."

Valencio looked away, taking in the information. He asked, "After Yiko died? And you were gone?"

"Abensur also cared about you. He told me once that he used the threat of my return to silence suggestions that the enclosures should be cleared."

Valencio asked, shocked, "Both enclosures?"

"Abensur told them that if Enclosure 2 was cleared, then the women in Enclosure 1 would be too upset to provide a good service. So the suggestion was made that both enclosures be cleared, and a new lot taken."

"We knew, of course, that we older ones were expendable. None of us thought that the young ones were much at risk."

Narzu-Han nodded. "Abensur did his best for you. And then, of course, there was Brigitta, whom he loved. As I understand from Abensur, Helene and Carol's scheming helped immensely. But without the protection you still had, it would not have been enough."

Valencio said slowly, "It seems a strange way to have protected the women."

"It may not have been the way that you would have chosen, but that you enjoyed the sex, that Yiko and I could feel and share your excitement... The women were protected for your sake."

"When John came, we were freed. I would have preferred to have somehow engineered our escape, complete with the mass slaughter of every bloody wizard there. I couldn't do that of course. But we still wound up free."

"You like John?"

"I admire him tremendously, like him, too. Except of course, when I'm thinking that every bloody wizard on the planet should be exterminated." He glanced at Narzu-Han, and said coolly, "Was there anything else?"

Narzu-Han smiled, "Nothing else."

He would have liked to say how wonderful was his baby girl, but Valencio might remember that his women had all been sterilized. Not a good idea for a topic. Instead, he said, "Your movies. I very much enjoyed your first three. Looking forward to the Papacy Scandal."

Valencio smiled, suddenly throwing off his indifferent coolness. "It's a great movie. One of our guests, David, told me that his wife cried too much when she saw Marriage Mart, that I had to do an action movie next. I suggested they not watch Papacy Scandal, as his wife would cry even more. It has impact."

"What are you doing next?"

"What I'd love to do is a cowboy movie. But my looks are all wrong. If not that, then some sort of a baddie. And yes, an action movie."

Suddenly he was enthusiastic, entertaining, and Narzu-Han stayed long after he'd intended to leave.

After a while, Bellamy silently disapparated, still not noticed by either Narzu-Han or Valencio. Narzu-Han would not harm Valencio. And he would be able to assure Emma and the others that Valencio was alright, and would probably return soon.

Peter woke from his nap, and strolled out, looking for Valencio. Valencio merely greeted him, introduced Narzu-Han Khattak, an old friend, and asked if he'd like him to get more coffee.

There was another of those single page notes from Tasha that day, waiting at the apartment for Valencio. It happened to mention their schedule, where the ship would be for the next week. For the first time, Valencio took note of the signal.

xdividerx

The Belle Chartreusie was docked in Rome, where they were to stay for a week. Tasha, Stuart, and a half dozen rich and powerful men and women were in the first class lounge.

Valencio walked in, looked around, and went straight to his wife. He totally ignored the other people, just smiling at his Tasha. He said, "Tash? Time to go home?"

Tasha rose, and walked off with her husband. He put his arm around her shoulders. Maybe Valencio had learned something from the Cossack.

Stuart raised a hand, half rose, and called his protest, "Natasha?"

Tasha didn't hear him.

One of the men clapped him on the shoulder, and said, "Tough luck, old man. But who can compete with that?"

xdividerx

Narzu-Han's May report. Andrea. 'There are three new foals, a grey colt, and two brown fillies. Vince and Tasha can be found very often just admiring them. Tasha did very well at Stroud Horse Show, riding Heathcliffe. Margaret came home with ribbons as well, riding Jean-Pierre.'

Narzu-Han skimmed over the next half page, and decided that he might just mention to Feena that there was no need for quite so much detail about the horses.

''There were three weddings, one of their own, Gloria, to a man called Pete, and they're to move into one of the cottages, as soon as they're back from their honeymoon. The other two weddings were of outsiders, and they rode horses. It might have been a novelty the first time, but now it seems it's a fad. The albino they call the Ghost Horse, always carries the bride, and black Andalusians carry the groom, and best man.'

Valencio! What about Valencio! Instead there was talk about an art exhibition, open to all local artists, including of course, Emma, Connie and Mary. And then finally - 'Vince and Tasha are to go to Hollywood for the premiere of Papacy Scandal, and also he says he's going to audition for a movie about merpeople, because he can do such a good merman impression. He demonstrated when a few of us queried, and he's truly quite amazing. The guests adore him, and he's happy, relaxed and friendly.'

Narzu-Han put down the report and picked up his little girl, who beamed at him and started bouncing on his knee, ready for a game.

The end.

If you have enjoyed this story, it is possible to buy it in paperback from. There are some minor variations to remove reference to anything that belongs to J. K. Rowling, and some minor differences in Part 2, which is called 'A Change of Fortune.' Book 1 is called 'Wizards' Slave.' Both are available from online booksellers.