Chapter Two

Scene 3:

Hanamichi laid on his very soft bed... which was sprinkled with red, white and pink rose petals until the floor.

The bed was circular and two layers of white cloth surrounded all its entire circumference: a translucent and an opaque layer of white cloth.

The Shohoku Prince was in deep thought.

He remembered yesterday from the time he met Kaede Rukawa in the river. They rode in one horse and the light feeling of being in his arms was a feeling of protection, security and tender care.

He supposed to show his gratefulness to Kaede perhaps by giving him a piece of gold or some foods in the palace, but Kaede only pointed to him the big palace of Ryonan and then let him go there alone.

Hanamichi wasn't able to compensate for the man's kindness materially.

Kaede chose not to accompany him until the inside because no slave shall enter the palace... unauthorized.

"I shall leave now, your highness." Kaede's head was bent as respect for the prince.

Hanamichi stared at him with glimmering hazel brown eyes.

"When will I see you again?"

The slave was flabbergasted, but he controlled his emotions.

"I will just be in Ryonan, in case you need anything."

"Can I give you a kiss?" Hanamichi dropped from the horse. They were in an inclined land where they can see the whole Ryonan City and in a place with no people passing by.

Kaede wanted to refuse but all his lips could pronounce was 'but...'

Taking advantage of the situation, Hanamichi held Kaede's nape with his left hand and brought his lips closer to Kaede's. He kissed him there... it was a plain union of dry lips but it took longer than expected.

"Thank you for helping me." Hanamichi said with a smile and rode his horse towards the palace.

Kaede was left in his place... with a stunned look.

Hanamichi touched his lips. He had never kissed anyone before this. His lips were meant to kiss his future husband... in his present case... the next Emperor of Kanagawa.

"Kaede Rukawa." He murmured and nuzzled on his sky blue pillow.

In the slaves' workplace, Kaede was transporting files of woods from one place to another. He placed it over his one shoulder and walked in a queue with the other slaves.

The lips that touched his yesterday... were absolutely the sweetest he ever tasted.

Several people had kissed him in a sneak. Girls and boys in his area were very infatuated with his very handsome face and body.

But of all the persons who stole a kiss to him, yesterday was the softest, most tranquil... and memorable.

He had thought about this a million times since. The fragrance of royalty was obviously alluring... but Hanamichi's scent was more than poisonous. His head was the softest he'd ever touched and even if it was really impossible to happen, he couldn't help but wish to bring the Shohoku Prince in his arms again.

"Kaede..." A co-slave, Miyagi who was behind him, called his name. "You seem to be in deep thought."

"He's just like that, Miyagi. Always having his own world." Fukuda, the one in front of Kaede, meddled.

Miyagi and Fukuda laughed together. They're not insulting Kaede. It was only a form to tease each other and have fun in the midst of their miserable lives.

"Hey! You two! Stop talking and work!" Taoka, the taskmaster in the area, sternly said. He doesn't belong in the slave clan, but in the middle class.

Suddenly, the slaves working around; the women with a bundle of water jars for the slaves to drink when in thirst, the children picking the liters around, and the men transporting woods; stopped to look at one place.

A royal seat.

Every King and Prince has a royal seat and it serves as their transportation when they want to roam around the city.

It is carried by four chosen tough slaves... or sometimes six depending on the size of the royal seat.

The one coming had four slaves carrying it.

It was covered by a white translucent cloth and filled with daisies and magnolias.

The fragrance of the fresh flowers awakened the slaves around, but it wasn't the only thing that caught their attention.

The royal seat was accompanied by two palace officials.

One of the man spoke in his low and loud voice.

"Give respect to the Prince of Shohoku."

The slaves were in awe as they kneeled on the ground. They haven't seen the next King of Kanagawa before and now that they do, they were really impressed.

"He's so beautiful." One slave woman remarked.

Hanamichi perched inside the royal seat wearing a silk blue cloth that covered his entire body. His hazel brown eyes and very captivating smile allured the taskmasters and the slaves.

"He's undoubtedly beautiful..." Fukuda commented... his eyes glued on the face of the prince.

"The Emperor really chose the best for his nephew." Miyagi said.

Kaede wasn't looking at all. He remained on his kneeling position... joining everyone as they worship the beauty and honor that came to visit their place.

Quickly, Taoka came to the royal seat and bent his head in respect for the prince.

"Good afteroon, your highness. Anything I can do for you...?"

Hanamichi played with a very white long and thick feather. It has a sweet aroma that the royalties love to put near their nose and smell it.

The prince smelled the feather with delight.

"I need a slave to clean my horses." Taoka knew that the slaves can't get near to the royalties... even to their horses. It is a duty of middle-class citizens but Hanamichi's charm and power disabled him to refuse. "A very tough slave, I hope."

Taoka scanned his slaves and then picked one. "You there! You shall clean the prince's horses! Hurry up!"

"No! No! No!" Hanamichi said and used his feather to point at a sweating raven-haired man. "That one over there."

"Ok. You, Kaede Rukawa!"

Hanamichi loved the pronunciation of the name. He would love to hear it again and again and again.

"Anything you need more, your highness?" Taoka queired.

"No more. I am grateful for your warm welcome to me."

Taoka stretched his neck to kiss the bare foot of Hanamichi inside the royal seat. It's how middle-class people give respect to the royalties.

The royal seat moved on with Kaede in tow.

Scene 4:

Hanamichi laid seductively in his white circular bed.

He was wearing a blue and gold robe with a wineglass on his left hand.

Kaede was standing a meter away from him... still wearing his uniform for work. A rugged brown shorts. Only that.

They both stared at each other for several minutes.

Hanamichi looked from Kaede's luscious lips... to the collar bone, down to his abdomen with droplets of sweat and lower to his skimpy shorts.

Then, the prince settled his wine glass on the bedside table and took his white feather.

He inched towards Kaede erotically.

"How did you feel when a prince kissed you yesterday?" Hanamichi queried softly... while sliding the tip of the feather across Kaede's lips.

Kaede wasn't able to answer. The kiss was too overwhelming to describe.

Receiving no answer, Hanamichi smelled his feather once more then let it trace Kaede's neck.

"Do you ever wonder how would it feel to touch a prince?" Hanamichi kept a foot radius farther from Kaede. He walked to his side and slid the feather down to the slaves' chest and nipples. "To hold a prince...?"

Then, the feather travelled to the back... tracing the vertical line there smoothly. "To kiss a prince anywhere you want...?"

Finally, Hanamichi faced him again. The feather caressed the slave's stomach up and down and continuously.

"What can you say, ka-eh-deh-Ruh-ka-wah..."

"A slave can't touch a prince, your highness."

"Really...?" Hanamichi turned around with a snicker. Kaede looked at his magnificent robe that overflowed in the shining floor. Hanamichi looked very different from yesterday. He now had the sophistication... luxury on his head... glamour... and dominion over his slaves.

Hanamichi now wears a golden crown around his forehead, a lavished necklace spawned by the gods... and an extravagant robe that shows his princely status. Unlike yesterday... it was only a plain leotards, tight pants and boots but he looked more than beautiful.

Taking the wineglass with him, Hanamichi neared himself to Kaede again. He let the slave hold the wineglass for him while he removed the slave's shorts.

Kaede was shocked but he didn't refuse. No slave can refuse a prince.

Hanamichi smiled at the sight of an incredible manhood he craved to look at.

Then, the prince took his crown off and unrobed himself.

The beauty of Hanamichi was now exposed. He's ultimately flawless, looks soft and sweet... and ready to surrender it all for the man before him.

Lasciviously... the prince dipped a finger on the wine and traced it on the slave's lower lip. Hanamichi dried it by kissing him softly. The prince intended to arouse him sexually... so he pressed his manhood to his and hugged him tight.

When Kaede was certainly aroused cause his manhood was apparently throbbing and had inflated, Hanamichi took the wineglass from him. The prince laid himself on the bed and stretched his right hand to invite the slave in his bed.

Kaede wanted the prince so badly. Even before the prince took his clothes off, he wanted so much to touch him... to pull him in his arms for eternity.

The slave swam himself on top of the prince and started kissing him torridly on the cheeks, then to the lips, to the neck, to the shoulders and down to the chest.

They were both hot about each other's skin.

Hanamichi inhaled his warm breathe and he loved it.

The curtains of the bed closed to seal their copulation.

"Touch me anywhere you want," Hanamichi moaned and it aroused Kaede even more.

Little did they know, someone had been watching them from the start.

Scene 5:

Their love flourished out of the limelight... outside the mob of intrigues and the eyes of people.

Hanamichi and Kaede would often see each other on the place where they had their first kiss. They would talk and talk and talk and watch the sun as it rises on the horizon.

Sometimes, the prince would invite the slave to his very special room and they would eat strawberries and grapes together.

Hanamichi would offer him some steaks and other expensive foods. If Kaede would refuse, Hanamichi would insist that he brings it home for his little brother and little sister. And of course, to his mother.

One morning, in the construction for a vast park in the Ryonan City, a project of the incumbent Emperor Maki, the sun was shining bright.

The head slaves were very conscious of their leadership for the Emperor Maki, Prince Akira and Prince Hanamichi were all present in the pavilion seeing the condition of the ongoing construction.

The park will be named after Emperor Maki and it will be a remarkable spot in Kanagawa.

Maki stood in front of a very large rectangular table. Hanamichi's right hand was over his left hand and occassionally he would caress the prince' hand.

Akira was busy showing the Emperor and the other Kings and nobles the portable model of the park.

A row of foods were prepared for the royalties and nobles.

Yuki, Kaede's little brother was picking trashes on the ground with the other slave kids. Suddenly, Yuki noticed the row of foods in the pavilion. The foods were steaming and the fruits were colorful and shiny.

Out of anyone's attention, Yuki slid himself under the table and stole foods. Until, a noble man named Hiroaki Koshino caught him.

"And what a slave kid doing here?" Hiroaki took an ample of the boy's hair with two fingers in a face of disgust.

Yuki had food dirt on his face so he was really caught in the act. Hiroaki meanly kicked the boy at the back and the boy fell three meters from the pavilion to the ground.

Kaede was alert enough to catch his brother before it landed on the ground. Kaede stared at Hiroaki with rage.

"You don't need to kick him!" Kaede forgot about his status in the society. He raised his voice towards a noble.

"And you have the confidence to speak to me like that." Hiroaki answered back. "You slaves are only little insects in this city that I can crush whenever I want to."

Kaede was enraged. He stepped and jumped in a rock until he reached the pavilion and faced Hiroaki. He gave him a strong jab on the face.

The nobles and royalties were stunned. Palace officials came to the rescue and tied Kaede against a wall as ordered by Hiroaki.

Hiroaki took his dark-colored whip that he used in riding his horses. "I shall teach you how to respect a noble." And Hiroaki whipped Kaede's chest.

The slaves were not allowed to watch. They must concentrate in their worksor they would suffer in the hands of the taskmasters, so all they could do was to sympathize.

Yuki saw what's happening to his brother. He couldn't do anything. The nobles and other royalties were laughing at the scene where his brother was suffering. Kaede was in that situation because of him so he must do something.

Suddenly, Yuki's eyes turned to the royal place. Maki was on his royal throne and beside him... Prince Hanamichi sat. On the other side of the Emperor... Prince Akira stood.

The three highest royalties were oblivious of what's going on to a slave. Besides, the death of a slave is nothing of importance to them.

Two palace fruit ladies were kneeling in front of the Emperor... offering them some cherries and grapes. The Emperor and the princes were laughing with each other... enjoying the stories of the Emperor.

When Kaede would bring delicious foods at home, Kaede would mention to Yuki that it's from the beautiful and kind Prince Hanamichi.

Yuki's hope was illuminated. He crossed the guards securing the pavilion since he was small and went straight to kneel in front of Hanamichi.

"Great Prince..." Yuki mumbled. His knees and palms were flattened on the floor and he was panting hard. "I'm Kaede Rukawa's brother."

"And what a slave kid doing here? Guards!" Akira called but Hanamichi stopped him.

"Yes kid, what can I do for you?" Hanamichi queried with a humble voice.

Maki permitted the two fruit ladies to leave. There seemed to be a very serious matter.

"My brother, Kaede is held up... over there."

Hanamichi looked and was shocked to see Kaede held against a wall with several bleeding wounds on the body.

The prince automatically stood from his seat and went towards Kaede.

"That slave is being punished. You shouldn't be saving him." Akira told Hanamichi.

"No one can do that to anyone."

The Shohoku Prince pursued his walk with Yuki in tow.

"Let him, Akira. He's not used of seeing slaves." Maki said. "The next King of Kanagawa shall figure things out by himself."

"What's happening, Hiroaki?" Hanamichi queried once he reached the circle of elites.

"This slave punched me on the face."

"I bet you're the one who picked the fight."

"I caught his little brother stealing foods in our table so I reprimanded the kid, and he has the confidence to correct me."

"The little kid may be hungry."

"But he's a slave. The foods are exclusive for the nobles and royalties."

"The palace prepared those foods. In truth, I'm the one who chose the foods to be served. You do not own those foods so you don't have the right to say for whom it should be and should not be."

"I am a noble and I have the right to punish people who disobeys the law."

"And I'm a prince. When I say no, a noble must obey without contradictions." Hanamichi glared at him and ordered the guards to release the suffering slave. "I shall talk to the slave by myself. I'll be the one to order his punishment."

-to-be-continued-