Hi Friends!

Yesh...this chapter just did not want to be written. I haven't had this much trouble producing in a long time. I'm sorry it's not my usual length and I had plans for a few more scenes but the ending just felt right.

Please forgive any mistakes.

Enjoy!

Tobias's question hung over the room for a few seconds before Spencer stuttered, "W-what makes you think that?"

The prince smirked but didn't answer the question straightaway, "I can't believe it…it's been staring me in the face the whole time and I never put it together until now." Tobias locked eyes with Spencer and said, "It all makes sense."

"W-what makes sense?"

"The way you risked my father's ire when you asked Lord Rossi about King Derek's wellbeing, how after finding out he was alive a spark seemed to brighten your eyes…and the way you called out for him when you were recovering from your lashings," Tobias listed on his fingers.

"That doesn't mean he is King Spencer," Derek argued. "He is just a slave that I care deeply about."

Tobias gave Derek an annoyed look. "Honestly, Your Grace, I've heard enough about you to know that you are head over heels in love with your husband. You would never dally with another behind his back."

Derek opened his mouth, intent on arguing Tobias's point, when Spencer whispered, "I-it's okay, Derek. We can trust him."

Shocked, the King of Quantico looked at his beloved with wide worried eyes but Spencer refused to meet his gaze. Instead the young slave was sending the prince a look that implored him to agree with his statement.

"H-he's been a true friend to me this whole time. I know that he won't betray me now," Spencer concluded, giving Tobias a small smile at the end.

"A friend? He's Charles's son…he doesn't give a rat's ass about you. You're just his father's slave!" Derek declared vehemently. "There is no way we can trust him!"

"You don't have a choice, Your Grace," Tobias said, using the same placating tone he would employ with his father when he was in a rage.

"Like hell, we don't have a choice," the hot-headed youth seethed before gripping his lover's arm and stomping toward the door.

"And what do you propose to do? Storm out of here with him in your arms?" Tobias shot back. "My father's men line these halls and the castle perimeter. You may be able to handle of few of them but at least one will run and sound the alarm. You'll be captured within minutes of your attempted escape and then where will you be? I'll tell you – in the dungeon while my father, who will then know his slave's real identity, will beat and abuse Reed until he is unrecognizable. Then he'll drag you out of your cell and rape your husband right in front of you before he stabs you through with the same sword he used on your mother. So sure, you have a choice. You can choose between trusting me and making a go on your own," the prince said, "and deep down you know which is the right decision to make."

"Actually, I have a third choice – I could run you through right now." Derek threatened, his free hand going to the sword buckled at his side. "That'd buy us the extra time we need to escape."

"N-no, Derek! Stop," Spencer cried, realizing that his husband was dead serious. "He's right. The prince is right. We'd never make it out of the front gates, let alone this corridor. We are in enemy territory and you are threatening to kill the only ally that we have. We have to trust him to help us…I-I trust him to help us." The enslaved king wished that his hands weren't still held captive behind his back or else he would have been using them to try to soothe the savage beast inside of Derek that was seconds away from showing its claws.

The fire in the king's eyes cooled off slightly as he threw an apprehensive glance at his distraught lover. "How can you trust him? After all they've done to you since you've gotten here."

"Tobias didn't do any of those things to me," Spencer assured him. "It was his father."

The young prince felt a swell of warmth at the fact that his only friend was standing up for him. "I swear, King Derek, that I speak the truth when I say that I will help you two. I-I hate my father…he is a horrible man that is only happy when others are suffering. I-I promise that I'll do anything to help you get Reed – uh…King Spencer out of here. He's been the only friend I've ever known and I don't think I could bear to watch my father make him suffer any more...," Tobias professed sincerely.

The honesty in Tobias's words softened the snarl on Derek's face. He could tell by the way the prince looked at his husband that what the young man said was true. "Alright. But I swear to you that if you are lying – if you double-cross us – you will pay with your life."

"Understood," Tobias said as he let out the breath he had been holding in anticipation. "Now you have to go."

"What?! No! I'm not leaving," Derek argued, tugging Spencer closer to him.

"You have to," the prince hissed. "My father has probably already sent some of his men after you to find out where you are. We can't afford for them to find you in here."

"No. We haven't even gotten to talk yet – we need just a few more minutes…alone."

"I-I'm sorry, Your Grace, but it's just not possible right now. Please, you must see reason –"

"No, you need to see reason. I haven't seen my husband in almost a year – "

"Derek! Derek, you have to go and you know it," Spencer cut in, pulling back from his beloved's tight embrace.

"…"

"Please…you can't get caught now…more than just my life is a stake – it's yours too and Lord Rossi's, and Lady Penelope's, and everyone else that you brought," the younger man said, hoping that his husband wouldn't let his worries over Spencer's safety cloud his judgement.

Derek broke his gaze from his beloved's expressive pools and glanced around the room. He took in the enormous ornate bed that had multiple rings strategically drilled into the wooden frame. A sharp pain pierced his heart when he realized that his lithe lover had probably been attached to a few of those over the past few months.

His mocha brown orbs met Spencer's amber ones before he croaked in a thick voice, "I-I don't want to leave you here."

Spencer gave him a sad smile, "I'll be alright. I promise…"

"…no…no, I'm here now…you-you shouldn't have to – you shouldn't have to go through…" Derek trailed off, unable to get out the words that slicing him up inside.

"It's okay," he insisted, trying in vain to comfort his troubled lover. "It's okay because I know that you're here now…and that this will all be over soon. I can last just a little bit longer."

The king leaned his forehead against Spencer's, forgetting about Tobias's presence for just a moment. "I don't want him to touch you again," he whispered, his voice catching on the word 'touch.'

"I know…I know…," was all he said, a tear catching in his eyelashes at the outpouring of emotion he could feel coming off of Derek.

Tobias, whose heart was swelling in his chest at witnessing such a tender moment between the two lovers, cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, Your Grace, but you really must go now."

The two men did not break contact; rather they pressed their lips together and savored the fleeting connection that they shared for the moment. When they finally broke apart Spencer whispered, "Go. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

Derek stood up straight and nodded, even though they both knew it would be impossible for him not to worry.

The prince gestured to the doors, "I suggest you wander the halls until someone finds you. Act like you got lost and look really relieved that you ran into them. Make it believable."

"I will."

"Good. I'll come to your rooms tomorrow after the hunt to discuss your plans," Tobias said, as he walked toward Spencer and grabbed his bicep. He then led the slave back over to his father's bed and instructed him to sit with his back against the headboard. He then reached behind his friend and attached the chain running between the manacles to one of the golden loops. Spencer, unable to meet his husband's eyes any longer, trained them on the bed as he was trussed up like a Christmas turkey.

Derek, who was fighting the urge to put a stop to his lover's treatment, growled when he saw the prince produce the gag from his pocket. "Is that really necessary?"

Unexpectedly, it was Reid who answered his question. "Yes, Derek, it is. King Charles will be expecting me to be wearing the same outfit that I was in earlier, including that. If he comes in and sees me without it he'll know something is going on. Now get going before someone finds you in here," the young lover said adamantly, his gaze never leaving the comforter beneath him.

Realizing that his husband was fighting his hardest to put on a brave front for him – that the genius was actually trying to be his rock in this situation – stunned the proud young king. He knew then that if he didn't leave soon his lover would be likely to break down from the shame of having Derek witnessing his humiliating treatment. Knowing that he couldn't let Spencer's valiant efforts to stay strong be in vain, he reluctantly opened the door and quietly stepped out saying, "This is the last time I leave you behind," through his gritted teeth.

When Spencer's keen ears heard the door settle back into its frame he asked Tobias, "Is he gone?"

"Yes."

"G-good," he whimpered, allowing the tears he had been holding at bay to finally slide down his cheeks. "I-I didn't realize s-s-seeing him in person f-finally would be s-s-so hard," he stuttered between the sobs that had overtaken his body.

"Shhhhhh," Tobias murmured as he cupped Spencer's right cheek with his hand. He caressed the boy's angular bones with his thumb and kept shushing him in a comforting manner.

After a few minutes of turmoil the bound man's harrowing cries quieted down to little sniffles. "T-thank you," he whispered softly to his friend, bringing his chin up in order to meet the prince's eyes, "…for everything."

Tobias flashed him a woeful smile and used a handkerchief that he had produced from this doublet pocket to wipe away the boy's tears and the streaks of charcoal they left in their wake. "So, you're really King Spencer?"

"Y-yes, I am."

"And you really trust me?"

Confusion clouded Spencer's eyes, "Y-yes, I do. Of course, I do. Why?"

"I just wanted to make sure you weren't just saying those things to make King Derek feel better. A-and I really do want to help. I've known since the moment I met you that you were special and not destined to be caged like a bird in my father's gilded castle."

The prince stopped his words for a moment as if he was contemplating whether or not to continue. Spencer was just about to ask him a question when Tobias's meek voice gained strength and resumed its litany.

"I've also never felt so accepted by anyone else. Y-you were the first person to really see me and you've helped me to see that it's alright to be myself. Because of that – because of your friendship – I would do anything for you…," the prince vowed. "…I-I think that I might even –"

"I know," Spencer said, cutting him off before he could finish. "And…I want you to know how much I value you…and your friendship…but that's all it can ever – will ever be…friendship."

Tobias's face turned red at the implication behind the king's words. "I-I…I don't know what you…," he stammered, trying to save face. He then looked down at the gag in his hands and cleared his throat. "You're right. We'll always be friends," he stated solemnly before raising the muzzle and fixing it in place.

After he had reapplied the golden veil around the young man's face, the prince stood up from his spot on the bed and started to walk out of the room. When he got to the doorway he stopped suddenly and turned back toward the ill-fortuned boy, "Spencer," he said, addressing his friend by his real name for the first time, "I promise that I will do everything in my power to get you and your friends out of here alive. No matter what."

You'll be happy to know that I finally have my endgame figured out for this story. Maybe five more chapters...we'll see. Sometimes I plan out the chapters really well but while I'm writing them things just happen and all of my plans get changed. So, don't hold me to five...

On a sadder note, I'm back to work on September 1st. My hope is to finish this before then but that is a lofty goal. If I don't manage it please bear with me - I'm starting out at a new school this year and it's going to take some time for me to get my bearings there. That and I do want to spend time with my family after work, so writing will be pushed down on my priority list.

Anyways - Next up: Derek and Tobias iron out the escape plan - but wait - uh oh...nothing ever goes as planned for our boys...