Chapter 13: Memories of time unknown

The city changed, at first it was subtle and not really visible but then it was as if an avalanche had been released and the place appeared to be quite different from one day to the next. Harbal and Feng said it was because people finally truly realized that the Sha'al was gone and now there was a new freedom and new hope. From being a place of terror and dread it became a city filled with a new sense of optimism and energy. They saw it every day, shops opened up, new people arrived and with them goods and new ideas. Maglor and the other males from the collection were allowed to visit the city now, whenever they weren't busy and even though they had some guards following them it only felt safe, not oppressive. There were still pick pockets and beggars around and the gorgeous men did draw a fair amount of attention. Many knew who they were, that they had been the Sha'al's most priced possessions and they were shown both reverence and the opposite. Maglor did cover himself up now, he would wear a thin face veil and keep his ears hidden, his height couldn't be hidden that well though and many recognized him.

The city became wealthy again over night or so it seemed, nobody had dared to bring their stuff there because of the extreme taxes and the threat of everything being taken by the Sha'al but now merchants arrived from all over the world and you could buy everything you could ever want. The emperor did do his best to boost trade and commerce and even though he did tax everybody he didn't demand anything from those who were poor and the taxes were miniscule compared with before. There were soldiers wearing the emperors colours everywhere now, and they were polite and treated people with respect, which in return made people regard them with trust. Buildings were being repaired or erected everywhere and even the palace was being changed a lot. There were builders scurrying around and the smell from the furnaces where bricks were burned could be felt all over the city. Huge loads of thick and oily silt were brought in by wagon and mixed with lime and the local sand to create strong building materials and children were sent out to gather cow dung and other animal droppings which made it into the mixture.

The increased flow of goods also meant that the men of the collection finally could spend some of the money they had accumulated on things they wanted, and to them it was such a thrill. Noolar went almost berserk in the shops selling jewellery and expensive cloth and he hired a local man to sew dresses and other outfits to them all. Demetry bought some very nice decanters made from a sort of glass nobody had seen before and Kherfem did find some beautiful carved wooden chairs he kept bidding for and got after about two hours of begging and pleading with the salesman who claimed that Kherfem was trying to bleed him dry by only offering half of what the salesman had originally asked f

or.

The training progressed, Feng kept teaching them his methods and the other trainers too did good work, they didn't have time to become bored. The meals had become a joy as well, the food had been good before but now it was more varied and the chef had access to new and exciting ingredients. Maglor tasted fruits he never had even heard about and one day Aerhan came back from a shopping trip carrying a huge nut and the bottom of it looked just like the bottom of a woman. It made them all giggle and laugh.

Maglor did discover a huge difference between the parties of old and the ones Mhoy Hang did throw, not only were his demands not sexual in nature but due to their new owners culture they were much more elaborate and the details had become more important. Dresses, make up, jewellery, it all held a far greater significance than before and Harbal and Thasul kept checking them over again and again to make sure that no mistakes were made. They had become artists instead of pieces of meat on display and had to act accordingly to that fact. Maglor had hoped that Mhoy Hang would end the collection by not getting any new slaves for it but he was disappointed. They were no longer sex toys, and their role had changed a lot but Mhoy Hang did buy new slaves. He felt that the group was too small, they were in trouble if someone fell ill or got injured and also, he tried to save other special ones from being sold into far less gentle hands than his own. There were new laws made concerning the selling and treatment of slaves but many didn't change their ways at all in spite of this and some parts of the slave trade had gone underground so to speak.

Maglor heard of it, he kept trying to build a small network of contacts throughout the city and they did keep him and the others updated on the things which happened. Feng did encourage this, and so did Harbal, there isn't such a thing as too much knowledge. Mhoy Hang had people working for him at every slave marked in the realm and while some were kept busy checking that the slaves weren't abused others kept a watchful eye on the slaves themselves and gave their boss a heads up warning if something special did show up. About six months after the execution of the Sha'al two new faces did arrive, and by now Maglor had to agree with Mhoy Hang, they did need more people. The parties were less frequent but the demands much higher and the performances had to be flawless. Everything had to be planned down to the smallest detail and Maglor learned that this was because of the belief that errors during such a performance was a bad omen. The odd thing was that one flaw was to be found at each party, it was planned each time and that was seen as a way of warding off bad luck. If no mistakes were made the spirits could become jealous and mess things up for them the next time so if they did one mistake, even if it was on purpose, they could be spared that fate. Maglor found the culture of the emperors men fascinating and strange and yet he did find some similarities between that and the culture of Aman, at least they had the attention to details in common.

The two new males were both like Noolar and both were stunning beauties. They were from the south west of the city with huge almond shaped eyes and dark skin and long silky black hair and they were rather young. The tallest of the two was named Nhaan and he was so feminine it was hard to believe that he in fact was born as a male. The other one was called Rishu and he was an eunuch, when he was a child they had removed both his scrotum and his cock and he had barely survived. Now he had to sit down to pee and there were some shadows in the lovely dark eyes which told them all that he had become rather emotionally scarred by the experience. Harbal did examine the poor guy and said afterwards that it was a miracle he had survived the operation, the amount of scar tissue told of a job a butcher could have done way better.

But with two more in the shows the pressure became less on the rest of them and they had the opportunity to rest more and learn more. New teachers were brought in to teach them how to read and write if they didn't already possess those skills and to their shock both Abu and Abebe revealed a talent for math which was staggering. Both had the ability to add numbers in their heads within seconds and Feng was beside himself with awe and joy. Such talents were held in high regard back at the emperors court and when it became clear that the two in fact could calculate dates years back in time or ahead they suddenly became trainees for the royal astrologist. Astrology was important to the emperor and his realm and nothing was done if the astrologists said it was a bad day for certain activities.

Feng said that the emperor lived his life dictated by the calendar, in fact he had less freedom than even his royal dishwasher. Maglor recognized that, remembering the many restrictions the royals back in Aman had lived under. He knew his grandfather had insisted on having a few hours each day which were only his own and without them he would have gone nuts rather fast. With two new members of the group the dynamics within it changes a little, Noolar suddenly had new friends but they discovered that Rishu was a troubled person indeed. Nhaan was soon a good friend to them all, warm and open and very jolly and also terribly glad he had come to this place where he would be accepted and welcomed as who truly was. He and Noolar were often giggling and chatting like most ladies do and Noolar did blossom and became even more beautiful than before.

Rishu on the other hand was in fact a person who normally would have had a very masculine type of personality in spite of being spiritually female, the fact that he had looked very pretty even as a child had been his curse and he had been forced to become someone he was not. He was doing his best to fit in and to do his job and he did enjoy dancing and performing but they all felt that he was suffering. Aerhan sort of befriended him and managed to make him open up and speak of his problems and Aerhan did tell Maglor that most of it was just heart breaking and gut wrenching.

Aodh and Maglor still slept together and they did perform together too, a sort of sword dance which became famous rather fast. The parties were no longer filled with shouting and yells, cat calls and obscene gestures. The guests would enjoy the entertainment in silence and afterwards they would politely clap their hands five times since the number five was seen as a lucky number. Nobody would get drunk for being drunk in front of others were seen as a great shame and nobody would try to grope at anyone or assume that the ones dancing were free for all. It brought the joy back into the dance and Maglor was truly enjoying life. Noolar and Nhaan and Rishu had these dances where they were dressed in lovely saris and lots of jewellery and they all received notes with elaborate poems praising their beauty.

Maglor and the others also received gifts, some very valuable and someone had apparently told someone that Maglor was fond of cats for suddenly the elf received cats by the dozens. Cats were expensive animals and regarded as sacred to the people of these realms so the cost of the many animals brought to him was astronomical. Maglor couldn't send them back, the givers were anonymous and so he suddenly had almost thirty cats and they all insisted on sleeping in his room at night. Luckily Aodh was fond of the animals too, he hadn't even seen a domestic cat before he came to these realms and were fascinated by them. Some were sleek short haired animals in colours ranging from black to white and others were balls of fluff but they all loved the elf and would follow him everywhere. When Maglor visited the markets he would be followed by at least ten cats and this made the local residents convinced that he was some sort of deity since cats in their eyes only followed those touched by the gods.

He even received one perfectly white long haired one with golden eyes and a collar studded with diamonds and the animal was the size of a good sized dog and extremely fond of laying on top of people when they slept. It was fond of Noolar in special and since it did look spectacular together with his dark beauty the cat often participated in the shows.

But cats weren't the only gifts given, they got jewellery and money and cloth too, some even went so far as to give them the ownership of stores or land and Maglor had to sit down one evening and do some paperwork and to his shock he did realize that he by now was filthy rich. They all were rich, in fact they could match the wealthiest of the Sha'als followers if they gathered it all. And by the laws of the emperor everything a slave got did in fact belong to the slave, and not to his master. Aodh became very popular because of his exotic looks and he got a lot of weapons since he mostly performed with the sword dance. Maglor also received a few exquisite blades and he was very proud of them but Aodh probably got the most attention since he was blonde.

Maglor didn't forget the visit though, he remembered the priestess and her haunting words and so he started to gather information, all sorts of information. He was told of the things which happened in the north and he learned of the might of Numenor and the rise and fall of many a great king and nations. He now knew there were elves still in middle earth, and he didn't really know what sort of feelings that gave him. He sort of longed to meet someone of his kin once again and yet he dreaded it. Mankind could have forgotten all about the war and the horrors but the memories of elves last forever and they would never forget who he was. So he stayed where he was, content with the knowledge he gathered from sailors and travelling merchants and pilgrims.

Aodh was curious about the things Maglor sometimes mentioned and so the elf told him the story of the past, of the enemy and the darkening and the role they all had played in the horrors of these years so long ago. Aodh was a bit stunned, to him it had all been legends, barely remembered and rarely mentioned, but now he learned the truth from someone who had been there and it made him fully understand how fast men forget and how easily the truth is warped into something which can barely be recognized, just over a few centuries.

Maglor spent quite a lot of time with Mhoy Yan, the man was very curious about the elves and wanted to know more and Maglor was shocked by how polite and gentle the man was. He was no soldier, he was a scholar and a scribe and probably somewhat of a diplomat as well and he knew how to behave, how to treat others with respect and politeness even when he most of all wanted to do the opposite. Maglor realized that staying in control of yourself was very important for these people, losing your temper or saying something uncouth was taboo, you would be dishonoured for decades to come

.

Mhoy Yan was also very smart, he had a keen intelligence and he did understand the things Maglor spoke of, even when he tried to explain the valar and Eru and the war against Morgoth. To the human being these things had to be hard to believe but he accepted it and said that nobody can claim to know everything. The man who claims to own the whole truth and denies the words of others is in fact blind and he will forever be chained by his own ignorance. Maglor had to agree, it was possible to be wise and yet know naught if the knowledge given was false.

Mhoy Yan was fond of games and they would often sit there and play board games into the night while Maglor told the human of Valinor and the valar. Mhoy Yan never treated Maglor like a slave but as an equal and he did in fact often ask the elf for advice. Maglor learned a lot too, Mhoy Yan would explain the details of the emperors realm and how it was ruled and Maglor realized that the realm was enormous and that it spanned giant areas which included both deserts and jungles and huge stretches of ocean too. He did not envy the emperor at all, keeping such a vast realm together was not a job for the lazy, that was for sure.

They were becoming famous again, now as artists and performers and it was a more attractive kind of fame since they were respected and the things they did something they could be proud of. They did mix the style of the emperors court with the things they had done before and they kept evolving and changing their style, just to make sure that they didn't get too used to the same stuff and lost their edge. Mhoy Yan was very restrictive with his guest list, only very important guests were treated with a performance by the collection and it was considered a great honour to be allowed to watch a show. But sometimes there would be huge festivals and other celebrations and then they would perform in public.

The crowd always cheered and showered them with praise and gifts and it felt odd, knowing that this huge gathering of people knew their names and almost worshiped them in some ways. Some liked Noolar and Nhaar and Rishu while others were calling out for Demetry or the twins and some also liked Aerhan and Kherfem who was becoming more skilled at insults every day. But it was Aodh and Maglor who drew the biggest crowds every time and the elf was glad Abu and Abebe had been removed from the collection for they would have freaked out since they hadn't been that used to crowds. Artenais too was getting some die hard fans and he sort of loved it and embraced it whole heartedly. Maglor liked to perform, to challenge himself and to please the people who were gathered but he also felt a sort of fear whenever they were to show their skills in such a manner. The crowd felt intimidating and sometimes he felt as if these humans had become one single being, hungry for whatever he could give them.

Of course these few events did have their benefits, they were receiving many gifts and most of them were promptly given to the temples to be distributed among the poor but Maglor kept a few things which were simply too odd to be given away. He found that he loved exotic and strange objects which often could be hard to identify and he would gather the others sometimes and then they would have fun sitting there, trying to guess what the things were to be used for. The suggestions could become rather wild at times.

A couple of years had in fact passed by when Maglor first saw that his fame had some nasty downsides too, and to an elf they were unbelievable. It started with the many letters he received from people who had watched the performances, to begin with they were nice, filled with praise and admiration but that gradually changed into cases of sheer obsession. He got detailed descriptions of what certain individuals would love to do with him, he also got marriage proposals, letters from people who claimed to plan on committing suicide if he didn't answer and so on and so forth and he wasn't the only one in the group to receive this sort of letters. Aerhan came into Maglor's room one evening carrying a letter from a woman who claimed that watching Aerhan and Demetry dance had been such an overwhelming experience it had rendered her pregnant. Maglor first laughed until he almost choked and then he felt horrified.

Most of the letters were from people who just simply wanted to have sex with the performers but some were clearly sick and Harbal started reading through the mail each day to spare them from the most disturbing letters. He was used to the quirks of the human psyche and very few things could throw him out of balance even though some letters apparently did. The worst thing was that many had known that the Sha'al had owned and elf and since elves were basically unknown in this realm many believed things which weren't true at all. Many people did believe that Maglor in fact had kept the Sha'al young and that being with him would make anyone immortal, thus Mhoy Yan received countless letters from people who offered giant sums of money just to spend the night with the elf. And some believed the same thing as the Sha'al and begged for just some hair, or bodily fluids, or his used bathwater. It was insane. The Sha'al's paranoia had in fact protected them from this sort of attention but now that protection was gone and Maglor had to take the brunt of it since he was the one who wasn't human and could possess such coveted abilities.

The others were just desired, in lots of ways, but it was basically just lust and a desire to own or control which drove most of the attention seekers. Those who coveted Maglor on the other hand were in a whole different league and Mhoy Yan didn't let Maglor perform in public that often anymore, they did hear of a rich merchant who planned on kidnapping the elf and selling drops of his blood as talismans and that frightened them all. To humans the idea of immortality was more tempting than anything else and thus Maglor had to be very careful all the time. But he and the others didn't really understand how desperate some could become until a night in the heat of summer, the whole collection had gathered by the pool since it was cooler there and they all slept on matrasses and were more or less covered up by Maglor's cats. The animals loved the heat and it didn't bother them at all but the humans did suffer at times and some bright head had invented a sort of fan driven by a small dog on a treadmill and it helped a bit but now they cursed the architect who had designed the palace like a freaking fortress for it didn't really provide much fresh air.

Some suggested moving down into the cellars but that proposition was promptly laid dead since it reminded them all way too much of the last horrible days of the Sha'als reign. Maglor and Aodh laid curled up together, by now Aodh had let his hair grow to full length and he had a nice well trimmed beard and had become very handsome indeed since the good food and Harbal's careful care did bring out the best in all of them. He and the elf was a stunning couple and they allowed the passion between them to show during the performances and it did add a lot of energy to the dancing. The last days they had been training on some new things Feng had suggested and they were tired and sore and suffered from headaches due to mild dehydration. All tried to drink as much as possible but they kept sweating it all out and Feng was getting worried that they would have to cancel some performances. Mhoy Yan wouldn't want them to risk their health and it was his privilege to cancel his feasts whenever he felt like it.

Maglor slept soundly though, he was more resistant to such problems than his human friends and he was tired too, the new dance he was practicing did involve some rather hefty acrobatics and he had liked it so much he had been a wee bit too eager. He hadn't been that eager for years and had drained himself of energy even if Feng had told him to slow down. Aodh and he had not been intimate that evening since they all slept in the same room and Maglor was having a very pleasant dream about his blonde lover when he realized that something was off. He was being handled and that by hands he didn't know, in a way too aggressive manner too. He woke up within the blink of an eye and stared straight into the somewhat flustered face of a very small wiry human with a poor excuse for a goatee and acne scars all over his face. The man had his hands on Maglor's crotch and beside him was a small glass jar. The elf reacted the only way he could, he gave the attacker a kick to his stomach which sent him flying straight into the pool and Maglor let out a yell which made the others wake up too. Harbal came running and so did Feng and with them some guards who pulled the coughing and wheezing man out of the water.

Maglor felt shaky, what if the human had been trying to kill him? It was rather apparent what he had been after but what if it had been blood instead? Feng realized what had happened and he went pale and then he went red and suddenly the small old man became terrifying. He grasped the human by his wrist and the man went rigid immediately, struggling to breathe. "Now you talk you stinking piece of dog turd or I will make sure you'll never draw breath again!"

The man rolled his eyes in fear and Maglor felt an acute need for a bath, he felt soiled somehow. The man had been masturbating him and it felt terribly alike to many of the more unpleasant situations he had been in during the Sha'al's reign. It wasn't a thing he liked to be reminded off. He growled and the man looked as if he was about to piss himself, he was shivering and his eyes were bloodshot and enormous. "I…I…"

Feng touched him again and the man gasped and managed to draw breath yet again. "I…wasn't gonna harm him, I swear!"

Feng hissed like a snake. "No? so practically raping someone isn't harmful?"

The guy shivered. "But…he would have liked it…I am good at doing handjobs, everybody says that!"

Feng rolled his eyes. "Kid, your good handjobs would never be regarded as anything but mediocre at best at this place, what in the name of all my ancestors were you trying to do?!"

The man tried not to look at Maglor who by now had regained his composure and was doing his best at imitating his father's best death glare. "Uh…they say that the elf here…uh…he kept the Sha'al young no? And they say that…well…I could get rich…just a few drops…"

Feng groaned and Maglor felt a wee bit nauseous, he had to swallow and bite his lip not to say something very rude. "Aha, so you thought that breaking an entry, violating our masters most precious servant and stealing his ah…essence….would make you rich? Young man, you could just as well go and suck off a donkey, it would have the same effect!"

The man looked puzzled. "That too can make you immortal?"

Feng slapped the man over the ears with a loud thud. "No you dimwit, those first born are born immortal and you cannot steal that from them, no matter what you do you twat! No, let us see what Mhoy Yan decide to do with you, oh I bet he will be so thrilled to see that someone has managed to break into his palace like this"

The guy went pale and his eyes got as huge as dinner plates. "Oh mighty sorcerer, have mercy upon me, please don't let him boat me!"

Feng almost lost it, they could see tears of mirth forming in his eyes but he managed to stay cool in spite of it all and he almost looked more intimidating because of his desperate attempt at keeping his face straight. "I will see what I can do but I fear that our master will be bloody pissed, maybe I can convince him to just have you flogged thoroughly"

Everybody knew that Feng was playing with the guy, and they found the small man pathetic and did not think of him as a threat in any manner, he was obviously as intelligent as a one day old loaf of bread and it showed. "Oh thank you kind master, thank you!"

Aodh rolled his eyes and had a peculiar expression on his face, the guy was obviously so ignorant he had no idea of the severity of what he had done. Feng started circling the guy, pulling his beard. "Now, how did you manage to get in here?"

The man tried to smile. " I got in with some salesmen this evening and hid in the stable and then I crept up onto the roofs when it got dark and ran along them until I found an open hatch."

Aerhan looked a bit shocked. "Well, if someone like him can just crawl down into our home like that I dare not think of what an assassin can do"

Everybody stared at each other and Feng cringed. "Goodness, Mhoy Yan must know of this, we need to increase the security again"

He turned to the man again. "Did you come here just for your own sake or did someone put you up to this?"

The man blushed and cringed. "Uh, they…ah…"

Feng sighed. "Someone told you to do it right?"

He nodded slowly and blushed even worse than before. "Ah, yes. I am sorry"

The guards looked shocked as well and two had already left to tell Mhoy Yan of the unwanted visitor. Harbal made a grimace. "So, who was it then, who gave you this brilliant idea?"

The man cringed. "If I tell you, will you promise not to boat me?"

Feng tried to stay serious. " I promise, the names if you please?"

The man looked down and Maglor realized that this person was one of those people who probably does anything he is being told to do if someone more dominant asks it of him. "The lords Ahmad and Zerbur, they are afraid of getting old you see and I used to work for Ahmad tending his goats"

Feng sighed again and he made a grimace. "You should have stayed with the goats young man, I bet they are both more intelligent and way more interesting than these two lords of yours"

The man looked confused and Maglor had to grin to himself, the guy was obviously easily distracted. The door opened and Mhoy Yan came rushing in, followed by more guards. The guy cringed and looked like a lame mouse caught in front of a hungry cat. Mhoy Yan stopped and put his hands in his sides and looked like a thundercloud. "What is this supposed to mean and who are you?!"

He stared at the guy who shrank visibly. "I…I am Gubhu, I am a goat herder"

Mhoy Yan glared at him. "A goat herder who enters the palace like thief in the night, if you have something to say for your defence do say it now before I order to have you transformed into a ghastly wall decoration"

Gubhu whimpered and Feng sighed deeply. "He was sent by the lords Ahmad and Zerbur"

Mhoy scoffed. "Doesn't surprise me, they were the Sha'al's ass lickers, both of them. Now what am I to do with them, and with this not so shiny specimen of thief?"

Gubhu was trembling and Maglor realized that Mhoy Yan already knew what sort of person this wannabe thief was. He was just trying to fish for as much information as possible. Gubhu gasped and looked as if he was about to piss himself once more. "You cannot tell them that I told you, they will…they will do terrible things to me"

Mhoy Yan stared at the small man and his eyes were distant. "You are a goat herder, I suggest you stay in the profession for you have absolutely no future as a thief, trying to steal someone's bodily fluids like that? It was as clumsy as it is possible to get! I hereby sentence you to ten years of service herding my own herd of goats, then you will at least do something useful"

Gubhu looked shocked and the guards dragged him off. Feng stared at his master and Mhoy Yan closed his eyes and looked very tired. "That was unexpected, and absolutely not welcome. I will have to get more guards, and the roofs are to be booby trapped again, there is no way around it"

Everybody looked at each other, they remembered the fear they had lived under and now they got a reminder of it, although it had a different cause. Maglor cleared his voice. "Master, what are you to do with the two lords?"

Mhoy Yan was cracking his knuckles. "They have committed a great crime, using some poor stupid guy to do their dirty work for them, and the cause is just as horrendous. Trying to become immortal? It frightens me that people are that ignorant"

Harbal stayed behind the others but he cleared his voice. "The Sha'al believed that Maglor could keep him alive forever, it is just natural that those who served him believed the same."

Mhoy Yan nodded slowly. "I understand that, but we have to do something. This will not be the last attempt someone does at this if we cannot convince people of the futility of such actions."

Maglor cringed inwardly. "They won't forget that fast now will they?"

Mhoy Yan nodded. "No, not as long as there is an elf here. I am sorry"

Maglor swallowed. "Could I be endangering the rest of you?"

Mhoy Yan petted his back gently. "From now on you will only perform here within the palace and when you visit the city you will be wearing a sort of disguise. There is no way around it, this has gotten out of hand"

Mhoy Yan crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I will deal with the two lords, believe me, they will regret this funny little idea of theirs, to their dying day"

He turned to the guards. "From now on nobody enters this wing of the palace without being searched and any gifts or letters are brought to me before they are given to anyone in here. No Maglor, I will not let anyone harm you nor the rest of this group, believe me, I will protect you all"

He turned to the group and bowed his head. "Do not let this small incident frighten you, it will not happen again. Others will almost certainly try but they will not succeed, I will make sure of that"

Maglro still felt odd, violated yes but even more than that he felt shaken and scared and Aodh embraced him. "Come, let me ease you down, you are not yourself, I can see that"

Maglor followed Aodh back to the room they now shared and he allowed the tall blonde to hold him close. "Don't worry Maglor, Mhoy Yan will protect us all, nothing will happen"

Maglor took a deep breath, he could see it now, how the future would unfold. He could never truly be free, for he was bound by what he was. Had he been human he would have been able to live a very pleasant life but as it was this dream was impossible. He had to remain hidden and in the background at all times and it made his heart ache. Aodh kissed his brow and did rock him in his arms, mumbling soothing words and the elf felt a sudden surge of sheer desperation, The sha'al had imprisoned them all and chained them with fear but now, now that they were more free than ever it was his own nature which became the great hurdle he couldn't challenge at all. He kissed Aodh with passion and the man answered the kiss, grasping onto locks of long silky black hair. "Let go Maglor, I am here, don't worry, just get it out, all of it"

Maglor threw them both down onto the matrass and before long they had forgotten everything for the touches of their lover. Maglor didn't care if the others could hear them, they were used to it and he wanted to feel safe and loved yet again. When the morning came both were sleeping in a heap of soiled sheets and tangled hair and one of the servants had a hard job waking them up. Mhoy Yan had let them all sleep a little longer than usual this morning and sleepy faces were seen everywhere.

The breakfast was eaten in silence and they could already hear the sound of workers who had been ordered to fix the hatches and windows so it became impossible for someone to sneak into the palace unseen. There was training to be done but Maglor didn't feel like it at all, he felt sulky and somewhat distracted and even Aodh's most gentle caresses didn't manage to calm him down. Feng however didn't allow anyone to sneak away from his lectures and neither did the other teachers so Maglor had to suffer through several hours of poem analyses and the rules of how to properly address a lady of the court. It was time for lunch when one of Mhoy Yan's closest servants entered the room, the man was a rather tall fellow with a very long thin braid and he kept one finger nail long while the others were kept short. It was a sign that he was a scribe and rather important but not nobility. He bowed his head. "Gentlemen, our great master have ordered me to bring you all this message, the lords in question has been caught and they are to become jesters in the great festivals for the next five years to come"

Everybody just stared at each other, they did indeed remember those two lords, both had survived the plague by abandoning the city rather early on and seeking refuge out in the desert and some mouths whispered that they were huge cowards at heart. But being jesters? That meant being forced to wear silly costumes, telling rowdy jokes and risk being covered with all sorts of filth since it was allowed to toss stuff at the jesters to ward off evil spirits. Mhoy Yan did have a very dark sense of humour and suddenly everybody was laughing, Maglor too. He remembered the two as the most obnoxious of the Sha'al's followers since they had acted as if all the slaves carried some sort of disgusting disease. It was well deserved. The rest of the day was spent in relative peace and quiet and when they went to bed that night Maglor did dream again, of a huge palace somewhere in the desert, surrounded by ant hills and everywhere there was servants with brooms trying to keep the ants out.

He had no idea of what that was supposed to mean. He only knew that things yet again had changed for him and that he from now on had to be extra careful not to draw too much attention to himself, it had been vital before but now it was even more so, every instinct he had told him that. He had to be forgotten, and he knew that he couldn't remain there for too much longer, sooner or later he had to go to the emperor's court, only there could he gain the influence he needed but how he was to do that was another question, and how could he leave his friends here behind? He couldn't, it was easy as that. He had to stay for their sake but then he might jeopardize the entire future. It wasn't easy, no, it wasn't easy at all.