Rim: Well…let's see. Everyone enjoyed that last chapter and a couple of people even said it was more of a lust triangle than anything else. And there was much questioning about what was happening between Tala and Kenny; I think that shall be covered next chapter. So, let's see what I can do with this chapter.
-oooooo-
Tyson's eyes almost snapped open immediately as he sat up. Looking around frantically with wide eyes before he realized there was nothing there. Taking in a shaky breath, Tyson fell back down onto the pillows, looking up at the top of the bed. Outside, the birds chirped, signaling signs of morning approaching. After a moment, Tyson pushed himself up out of bed, walking over to the curtained window, and drawing back the heavy silk drapes.
The morning sun was just rising the last faint traces of deep purple and scarlet were replaced by brighter colors of gold and a light auburn. Tyson pushed open the window, leaning out the waist length window and taking in a deep breath of the crisp morning air. Closing his eyes, he listened to the morning song of the birds to calm down his heart from the dream he had recently just wakened from. Exhaling a giant breath, Tyson opened his eyes to watch the plumes escape his lips.
Lowering his eyes to the scenery, he managed to catch a snow rabbit hopping along the snow, nibbling at some blades of grass which poked through the snow occasionally. With a smile, Tyson leaned against the cold windowsill, completely at peace with his surroundings, while continuing to watch the rabbit making its way through nearly knee deep snow. It was mornings like this that Tyson enjoyed the most, when he didn't have to think about any of his problems, and it seemed he was still in Japan.
Of course, the peace that was momentarily there was quickly ripped away when Tyson watched the rabbit take another hop and the jagged jaws of a well hidden trap snapped down on the rabbit's hide leg, causing the creature to screech out with pain. Quickly moving away from where he was, Tyson rushed over to the wardrobe where his clothes were hanging. Pulling off his sleeping attire, Tyson grabbed a pair of dark blue pants, with a matching top lined with silver cuffs, collar, and silk wrap around belt. Pulling the clothes on, Tyson quickly tied the belt around his waist, rushing out the room once he had on a pair of slippers.
Running down the hall, Tyson took the stone steps three at a time. Making it down the stairs within seconds, Tyson was about to run outside when Bryan came in, kicking snow off of his boots. His attire was pretty much the same as what he had arrived to the Russian empire in the day before. In one hand, Tyson saw the injured rabbit, weakly bucking and thrashing, trying to get away from its captor. Bryan's light eyes roamed over the young prince, bowing slightly.
"Good morning Prince Tyson," Bryan smiled.
"That rabbit…" Tyson gasped, his heart pounding in his chest as his eyes fell on the poor, wounded creature. "Were you the one that set that trap?"
"Of course, I think I feel the mood for a nice bowl of rabbit stew for lunch," Bryan laughed, looking at the creature in his hand. "It put up less of a fight than I would have expected of it. Its fur will make a nice belt, or maybe a pair of gloves."
"Please…don't kill it!" Tyson said, running up to the baron and taking the rabbit from the young man. The rabbit shuddered in Tyson's arms, but did not try to kick free. Tyson laid his hand on the rabbit's head, gently stroking its fur. Since he was able to walk, Tyson had always had an affinity towards animals and could never hunt them down whenever his father took him out on hunts. His father always commented it had to be something he got from his mother, who was in love with animals so much that she refused to eat meat when it was set on the table.
"Fond of animals little prince?" Bryan smirked, walking up to the heir to the Bakuten throne, staring down at the shivering, wounded animal in the boy's arms. Looking away from the animal, Bryan's eyes flashed with something Tyson had never seen before. "Are you really willing to save that animal, only to have me catch it again? It's evitable for you to save the weak every time a predator gets hungry."
"I know…" Tyson said, looking down at the animal in his arms. The pit of his stomach filled with something close to disgust, knowing of many times he had overlooked how the meat on his plates often got there. "I'm a carnivore…it's true, but I was watching it before it was trapped…I saw the trap close on its leg and I heard it cry out in pain…I can't just let you kill it after that."
"Such sympathy amuses me," Bryan said, turning from the younger. "Anyone else would have turned a blind eye. Fiery and tender at the same time, you certainly are complex, aren't you Prince Tyson? As you wish, keep the rabbit as a gift from me."
"Thank you for not killing it," Tyson bowed, looking down at the animal, its breathing slowing to an easy rise and fall of its chest. "I guess he isn't so bad after all…let's get you cleaned up." Tyson turned away, running back upstairs to clean and wrap the rabbit's leg.
"Tyson?" The bluenette was slightly startled to hear his name called, just as he was about to head back into his room. Tilting his head to the side, he found Kai walking towards him, his auburn eyes on the shivering bundle in his arms. "What the hell are you doing with that rabbit?"
"Nothing, sire. Now if you would excuse me," Tyson started, but shut up the moment Kai's eyes flared with what appeared to be indignation. Securing the rabbit in his arms more, Tyson turned to the older prince with a weary stare. Dropping his hand from the door knob of his room, Tyson went back to stroking the rabbit's head as it shivered more.
"Do you realize that animal is bleeding all over you?" Kai remarked, reaching Tyson.
"It was caught in a trap," Tyson responded. "Lord Bryan brought it in, he was threatening to kill and have it served for lunch. I couldn't allow it, so I asked him to spare the rabbit, and he allowed me to have it."
"I see," Kai replied. It was the only thing that the Russian prince said, staring at the rabbit for a long moment, then back up at Tyson who had no idea if Kai was about to snap or smile. Contemplating about it, he had no idea if Kai might snatch the rabbit from his hands, and then kill it in front of Tyson. Tyson never bothered to think if the older Russian prince if he ever liked animals. "What are you going to call it?"
"What?" Tyson blinked, not expecting that remark from the older prince.
"I inquired what you were planning to call it," Kai repeated, his eyes shifting once more to animal. "Is there a problem with me asking?"
"No…I just didn't…" Tyson trailed off, completely taken off guard by the normality that Kai was displaying currently.
"That I was interested in animals?" Kai said, the corners of his mouth twitching into a smile. "I once saved a rabbit when I was younger."
"You…did…what happened to it?" Tyson awed.
-flashback-
The little boy with dual hair picked up the little rabbit, taking care not to frighten the shivering creature that laid under the large oak tree. The rain was still coming down in torrents, the occasional bolt of lightning streaking across the sky. Wrapping the rabbit carefully in a blanket he brought along with him, the little boy got up from where he was kneeling and ran back towards the Russian palace.
"Don't worry, we're going to get you feeling better," the little boy said, softly. Continuing his trip back to the palace, the little boy cringed at a streak of lightning which tore across the sky. Within minutes of his journey, the dual haired boy made it to the servant's entrance to the castle. Pushing open the door he had exited no more than fifteen minutes ago, the boy wiped away the water running down into his eyes.
"Prince Kai?" A woman with an oil lamp in her hand stood up from a chair she had been sitting at, waiting for him to come back into the palace. "Did you find what you were looking for?"
"Eliza, look!" The little boy held up the shivering animal. "I think there's something wrong with him. He was just laying under the tree when I found him."
"You think there's something wrong with your rabbit?" The woman named Eliza walked over to the little boy, kneeling down in front of him and gently taking the rabbit away from him.
Opening the blanket, she examined the animal under the light of the oil lamp, finding that the creature looked half dead already. Turning the rabbit onto its stomach, she found bald spot; the fur discolored as if burnt to the point there would be no fur left. There were also indications of rope marks where the fur was less coarse than in some other areas. Even the tip of the rabbit's nose was discolored and looked infected from abuse. Looking up at the child whose giant auburn eyes were filled with tears, she shook her head.
"I'm sorry little prince…" she whispered.
"Mr. Fuzz is going to be all right isn't he?" the little boy sobbed, his face scrunching up into a ball of grief. "He's not going to die is he, Eliza?"
"Why are you crying over that stupid creature, it's not like the stupid thing understands your sentiments anyway." The voice of the five year old in the doorway carried over to the two kneeling on the floor. The four year old boy allowed his cold blue eyes to glare over at his brother, a repulsed look stretching across his face.
"Are you the one that hurt Mr. Fuzz?" the younger boy shouted, his tiny fists clenching at his side. "Why are you always hurting everything that I have? Why are you always so mean to me? Tell me why Tala!"
"Prince Kai…" Eliza whispered, noting the change in the older prince's eyes as he walked into the room. Without even batting an eye, the five year old snatched the rabbit from the blanket, holding it between his hands before twisting its head around, a nauseating snap echoing in the silent room before the red head dropped the now dead creature to the ground, his eyes still staring into shocked auburn still glistening with tears.
"Because I hate you, brother, and because I hate you, I hate everything surrounding you. My goal in life is to make you miserable, that's why," the five year old said.
-flashback ends-
"Prince Kai…" Tyson's brows furled together, seeing the distant look within the older prince's eyes before they refocused on him. A frown settled in the corners of the dual haired Russian prince's mouth. Auburn eyes went to the wounded animal once again. "Is there…something…"
"If you plan to keep that animal, make sure that Tala doesn't see it, unless you want to have rabbit for dinner," was all Kai said before turning from Tyson, walking down the hall towards the eastern wing of the palace. Tyson didn't really know what to say, but an internal hunch just told the blue haired prince that Prince Kai was giving him another hint of advice he could have just avoided all together. Why did Kai care after all that the rabbit might be turned into dinner if his older brother caught the animal in the palace? Better yet, why hadn't Kai taken the animal from him then cruelly had the cooks make a meal out of the animal?
"Sometimes, you know Konan, I really don't get him. He's cruel to me plenty of times, but then there are those rare moments where he's normal. I doubt I could ever figure him out," Tyson whispered to the rabbit, moving his hand to open the door to his room and walk inside. "What do you think? Do you get the impression he's more than just that ice wall I'm always seeing?"
With a shake of his head, Tyson closed the door to his bedroom, walking over to where a pitcher of water rested. Beside the pitcher was two pieces of cloth and a small porcelain basin. Pouring the water in the basin, Tyson sat the rabbit on the desk and brought over the basin and two cloths. The rabbit stared at Tyson, who only smiled as he sat down and dipped one of the cloths into the water, Tyson wrung excess water out the cloth before dapping the rabbit's hind leg free of blood.
"Sometimes I think there's more to him," Tyson said, while he cleaned the wound, the rabbit listening to every word the Japanese prince said. Or rather it seemed attentive to his voice, as it laid on its side letting the boy clean the wound. "At times it's like he's joking with me, but then something stops him from like letting go all the way. Maybe I'm just reading too much into it. He's just as evil as his brother, why would he even be the way I'm thinking."
There was no guarantee Kai wasn't just acting nice to him these few times in order for Tyson to drop his guard. The Russian prince wanted Tyson in a way the younger would not permit, so maybe he was just being nice at times so he could throw Tyson off. Maybe get him to trust the other, and then once Kai had his trust…he might wake up to another morning with Kai in his room.
A shudder rolled down Tyson's spine, not from the fact that Kai forced something from him that he had no idea he wanted, but because a part of him had wanted it. He just couldn't bring himself to ask…he didn't want to submit to the prince under no circumstances.
Yet…
Heat warmed the blue haired teen's cheeks as he shook his head clear of thoughts. He couldn't think about Kai doing things to him. He didn't like Kai on that level, he never would. Kai didn't care about Tyson on such a deeper level he never was going to want Tyson for more than his own pleasure even if Tyson wasn't going to consent to it. It was obvious from that time in his room. Kai would probably get fed up with his stubbornness sooner or later and just get rid of Tyson.
Or better yet, sell Tyson to Bryan. He had not forgotten the young baron wanted him too. "Kai wouldn't just barter my life for someone who's more compliant towards what he wants…would he?" Not that Tyson really cared who he belonged to, because he didn't think he belonged to Kai, but the young prince didn't know what the baron was capable of if the transition occurred. So far, regardless of Kai's tangents, he had yet to force himself all the way on Tyson. Bryan might not be the same with Tyson, if sold to the baron.
Getting up from his chair, Tyson walked over to the chest at the foot of the bed. Opening the lid, he rummaged inside, until he found a small ceramic blue jar. Returning to his seat, the young prince pulled the top off the jar, a slight aloe scent reaching his nose, as he dipped a finger in the jar. The rabbit lifted its head up, looking directly at Tyson, before trying to move to sniff the contents of the jar. A smile curled Tyson's lips upward, watching the animal.
"Don't try to move," Tyson said softly, stroking the rabbit's head with a finger. The rabbit made a soft noise, laying back down. "This might sting a little, but it's going to help heal your wound, then you'll be as good as new to hop around and eat grass." Just as Tyson was about to spread the salve on the wound, there was a light knock on his door. Tilting his head to the side, he watched the door open as a brown head popped into the door. "Little brother, is there something wrong?"
"No, I was just coming to see if you were coming to breakfast soon," Kenny said softly.
"Did you have to wake up that devil of a prince?" Tyson asked his voice lining with anger. The rabbit looked up at Tyson sensing the change in his voice.
"No, Tala was already gone up when I woke up, he didn't leave me a note of anything to do, so I came to see if you wanted breakfast," Kenny replied, walking into the room.
"Well, Kai's up so I guess I can eat breakfast when I'm finished with what I'm doing," Tyson smiled, turning his attention back to the rabbit, stroking its head again with one finger. The rabbit lowered its head to the desk again, allowing Tyson to put on the salve.
"What are you—?" Kenny's eyes widened, seeing the rabbit as its head popped back up, studying him. "Where did you get the rabbit from, big brother?"
"I saved it from being lunch," Tyson smiled, finishing applying the salve and took the dry cloth, lightly wrapping the rabbit's leg with it, tying the cloth into a light knot so not to cut off the circulation, but enough to apply pressure to keep the wound from bleeding.
"May I pet it?" Kenny asked, his eyes on the rabbit studying him curiously.
"Of course," Tyson smiled, pulling his little brother into his lap, watching the brunette lightly stroke the rabbit's fur. The animal made another soft noise, moving to hop into the brunette's lap and nuzzle its nose to Kenny's hand. Kenny smiled, his eyes shining with a light Tyson hadn't seen in a long time. Not since their mother was still alive and she use to read the boy all sorts of fantasy stories for hours on end. "I named it Konan, because I watched it from my window with the sun rising."
"Konan…that sounds fitting for it," Kenny smiled, lightly hugging the animal in his arms. "But brother…we're not really in the southern part of the castle. If you were in the servants' wing when you spotted Konan, truly crimson south would work best."
"You're probably right," Tyson chuckled, thinking about it. "But Konan fits so well with it, and I think it likes the name too, don't you Konan?" The rabbit stared up at Tyson, one of its ears twitched before it rested its head against Kenny's chest. Meanwhile, Kai had just reached his room, opening the door, to find that Bryan awaited him. The young baron seated at the foot of his bed.
"Is there reason why I should honor your presence in my room, Lord Bryan?" Kai questioned, walking into his room, and shutting the door behind him. Walking to his desk, the young prince took the chair, turning it towards the noble before seating himself in the chair. Crossing one leg over the other, Kai's auburn eyes studied the baron with a steady look.
"No need to be so formal," Bryan smiled. "I have known you and your brother now for many years. There is no reason that you should feel obligated to call me by title."
"There is reason when you have come with business, am I right?" Kai said his brow quirking while his eyes remained on Bryan. A smirk twitched the corners of the baron's mouth, his eyes flashing with an all too familiar look. "Let me guess you have an interest in Tyson, don't you?"
"Is it really that obvious?" Bryan questioned.
"You got that look in your eyes, I've seen it before when I've had servants you've wanted," Kai replied in an even, but bored tone. "I don't see why this one would interest you. He's stubborn, hardheaded, short tempered, and he tends to think that he's in a position to negotiate with me. You wouldn't want this one."
"Is that so?" Bryan chuckled. "It seems to me that you want to keep this one for yourself, in order to break him in. How long has he been here, a few days, maybe a week or two?"
"Nearly six months," Kai said, the baron looking at him with a bit of surprise.
"You've let six months pass without taking him, that's not like you my friend, and what of your brother. It's true that he made the younger brother his servant, is that not correct?" Bryan commented.
"From what I know, he hasn't touched the younger yet either. I'm actually surprised he doesn't play around with his toys for so long. He enjoys breaking them and tossing them aside to find a new toy," Kai said, leaning back in the chair. "If I didn't know any better, he's being patient with this one."
"Tala being patient? This I do not believe at all. Are you sure that it's not due to the older prince?" Bryan blinked disbelieving.
"You know how my brother is," Kai stated. "You know how he feels about sibling bonds he would have broken that bond once he allowed the boy to see what he was really like. Tala does not hesitate to shatter those bonds which bind others. It's what he's always lived for. Tala doesn't care about anyone, he's always been that way, remember."
"Indeed, that is true," Bryan nodded. "So, why do you think he's being so patient with this one? Is there something special about the boy we don't know about?"
"Nothing special, just everything you would expect of a boy that's been shelter by his older brother most of his life. Maybe it's not so much that Tala's being patient…maybe he hasn't reached that point yet. His mind restrains him from being his true self, and breaking the boy's spirit." Kai closed his eyes thinking about his brother's ever shifting moods. Recently Tala's mood swings were so erratic, Kai realized it wouldn't be long before his brother's psyche snapped in half, as it once had done before.
"And what's so special about the older one that you haven't claimed him yet?" Bryan spoke with an interest smile. "It's not like you to wait this long for anything you want."
Kai opened his eyes, noting the smile. "An entire kingdom rests on how I decide to get the boy into my bed." Bryan gave the prince a perplexed stare at the answer. "As much as you would want me to say yes, I can not for many reasons besides the one which indicates my own personal want to break the boy in."
"You and your riddles," Bryan said shaking his head.
"And you and your gifts," Kai countered.
"Ah, so you saw the rabbit, I hope it didn't bring back too many bad memories for you, my dear friend," Bryan remarked. "I suppose that we will eventually have that rabbit stew I craved, when Tala discovers the creature." Kai said nothing to the remark, knowing that Tala wouldn't get the animal without a fight on his hands. Unlike his experience, Tyson wasn't about to let the older prince crush his spirit so easily.
-oooo-
Tyson looked down at the animal looking up at him from its temporary home in the large crate box a few of the servants found for him. Filling the box with old pieces of cast of scrapes of clothing, Tyson set down a bowl of water in one corner and a bowl of greens in the other corner. "This should be sufficient for you, until your leg heals and you're able to go back into the wild. I don't think it would be safe to keep you around."
The rabbit continued to stare at Tyson before hopping out of the box and into his lap where it laid down, closing its eyes. Raising his hand, the blue haired teen stroked the animal's head until he was sure it slept. Then placed the animal back in the box covering it with a light blanket to keep it warm for the night, it was well past midnight already, but Tyson couldn't get to sleep. Throughout the rest of the day and dinner, all Tyson could think about was his situation with Kai and Bryan.
Neither one paid much attention to him during the meal at dinner, rather finished the meal and left without much more than a good evening. Leaving Tyson to speak with his brother, who couldn't stop talking about the rabbit, it was a change of pace from the usual half hearted conversation they had in the pass few weeks. Tala hadn't come down for dinner, which gave a little more leeway to a rare moment of solitude.
"As of late he's been moody, or so I've heard from the maids," Tyson said to no one in particular as began stripping off the change of clothing he had put on after tending to his new rabbit. "Of course, it's not like I care, he just better not lay his hands on my brother again or I'm going to really put him in a mood."
"Are you really?" chuckled Kai's voice from near the door. Turning around quickly, Tyson came face to face with the auburn eyed prince, his eyes flickering in the dim light provided by the oil lamp on the nightstand.
"What the hell do you think you're doing in here?" Tyson hissed covering his body with the clothes he just took off as a deep crimson heated his face. "If you came to try to make me submit to you or whatever—"
"There is no need for you to be so hostile," Kai interrupted, moving away from the door to walk towards Tyson, who backed up with every step Kai took at him, until Tyson's bare back hit the cold wall.
"Stay away from me," Tyson said. "Or I will wake up this entire castle with my screaming."
"Do you really think that someone's going to rush here to see why you're screaming?" Kai inquired.
"My brother will. If you try anything, he's going to come and help me out," Tyson stated. "You'd never lay a hand on him, would you?"
"Maybe, maybe not," Kai said, stopping in front of Tyson. His eyes pinned Tyson where he stood, a tremor starting from the bluenette's feet and reaching the tip of his head. "This scene is very familiar, isn't it?"
"Don't touch me," Tyson whispered, his throat closing with fear, his breathing speeding up rapidly, along with his heart rate. He watched Kai stepped closer, raising his hands to each side of the younger prince's head, leaning down until they were nose to nose, Kai never breaking his lock with the dark blue eyes brimming with terror.
"I only came to make sure that Bryan didn't try anything tonight. I'm sure he's already told you about his interest in you. I told him you weren't for sale, but if I know him as well as I do, he still might try to take you. Make sure that if he does, you don't hesitate to show that stubborn spirit I always get, or else I will be very disappointed in you. Understand me Tyson?" Kai murmurs.
"I-I-I…" Tyson stammered.
"I'm going to make you mine still, there's no question about that," Kai said. "But I'm not going to have anyone else in my way." Before Tyson could blink, he felt the pressure of Kai's lips against his, the older prince's tongue lightly skimming his bottom lip, asking for admission. The fire which once was lit in him by the very same person now kissing him, sparked to life again. A spell slowly wove itself over Tyson as he opened his mouth, moaning at the sensuality in Kai's kiss. Eventually, Kai pulled back, his eyes by now a dark crimson, the color of wine. "Make sure you remember what I said."
"I won't be yours…ever," Tyson whispered. "Just…just because of this kiss, it doesn't mean a thing."
"Is that so?" Kai smirked, leaning down to kiss the younger prince's neck lightly. "Then tell me what does this mean?"
"It doesn't mean that you own me, when I receive word from my homeland, you'll be just a memory of my past, both you and your brother. So don't think that this is the start of anything," Tyson voiced, despite an aching in him that wanted more. That wanted to give in and submit, but he fought that craving. His first priority was to make sure that he survived so on the day of his eighteenth birthday, when he gained Dragoon's power he could return himself and his brother to their homeland.
"I see, so you will continue to fight it, but for how long," Kai grinned, pushing away from Tyson. "How long do you think you're going to be able to fight it, Prince Tyson? Long enough to discover the truth and accept what has become or be stubborn and find out what I already know?"
"What do you mean by that?" Tyson demanded, only to have Kai turn away, walking back to the door. "Tell me what you meant by me finding out the truth and accept what has already become?"
"You have no idea about anything, Tyson," Kai laughed softly.
"Tell me!" Tyson walked up to Kai, placing a hand on his shoulder and trying to turn the other back to look at him. "Tell me, what do you mean by that? Has something happened to my homeland? Has your father sent word from Japan? Tell me everything you know Kai."
"Do you really want to know the truth?" Kai slowly turned to look at Tyson with a smirk. "Can you handle what I'm going to tell you, my little slave?"
"Stop playing games with me, and say it," Tyson hissed, only to have Kai grab him by the arm, causing Tyson to drop the clothes in his hands. Pulling him towards the bed, Kai flung him onto it where Tyson fell onto it face first. Before he could get up, Kai climbed over him, pinning his body to the mattress.
"Shush now, you don't want to wake up anyone," Kai whispered hotly into Tyson's ear. A hand glided down Tyson's waist, stopping at his thigh. "I've been meaning to get around to saying something that my father is sending a ship. I estimate its arrival within the next month or so. You'll be leaving Russia soon for Japan, but you and your brother are not going alone, Tala and I will be accompanying you on your return."
"Let me go…" Tyson cried softly, feeling Kai's hand move in to rest itself between his inner thighs. "I will scream if you don't, I swear to you I will. I'm not going to let you get away with this."
"Six months have passed by, my little prince, and every bit of resistance you've showed me has made me want you even more," Kai said huskily. "I could take you right now…but what fun would that be? Don't think that your words will stop me from having you it's just a matter of time. Just make sure that you keep that little promise I asked. Now try and get to sleep, I'll see you in the morning."
Placing a kiss on Tyson's shoulder, Kai moved from over the trembling body, looking down once with lust filled eyes before turning around and exiting the room. Tyson felt the hot tears trickle down his face, squeezing his eyes shut to keep them from falling, but it was inevitable.
"You bastard…just wait…when we get back to Japan…just wait…" Tyson muttered between quiet sobs. Despite all the mixed emotions swirling within his head, his heart was a pound lighter. He would be going back to Japan soon this nightmare would finally be over. He could last that long, he could. When he got back, everything would be fine.
-oooooo-
Rim: All right, I'm finished. I've stretched my mind to the limits and tried to fit in things people have been screaming for, and even things to probably get me hit with random objects. Well, I have more planned the rest of the chapters out, so until next time, try to keep object throwing at a minimum.