Under Lake Laogai
Chaprter 2
Well, here we go! MOAR fun with Long Feng! This time, a new player is involved, for what promises to be a fun-filled threesome for all.
I am considering contunuing Desire, but am not quite sure what to do next. Should Azula become part of the story? What should Zhao do with Katara? I'm always open for feedback!
The Earth King was smiling as he watched his bear play. It was amazing the way Bosco could wheel around on the unicycle, when a good number of humans were not even capable of this feat! He clapped, so much like a child at the circus. Things had been awfully quiet lately; and with things settling down now after all the excitement, Kuei could relax.
Still, he missed the company of the Avatar and the Water Tribesman Sokka, who were gone on a mission. Katara was taking a walk to get some fresh air, though she had been gone a long while. Azula was in prison, and Long Feng would deal with her. He wondered what he should order as the Princess' punishment.
He lost himself in thought for a while, contemplating all that had happened. He felt that there was something missing, something he was missing in all of this. Perhaps it was important, perhaps not.
Soon, Long Feng entered the throne room, and Kuei perked up as he was broken from his morbid thoughts.
"Long Feng!" The Earth King was smiling as he saw Long Feng, finally there wassomeone to talk to! Bosco was a good companion, but he could not speak, and responded with mere growls or grunts.
"What brings you here at this hour?"
Long Feng smirked, not bowing. The Earth King had no idea what was about to happen. But then, this man was little more than a boy. He was weak and spoiled, content to enjoy the spoils of his position and his birthright, without really taking on any of the responsibility. His father had died when Kuei was but four years of age, so the regency that was headed by Long Feng held the real power. It fell to the Generals to keep Ba Sing Se safe by taking care of the military, and The Grand Advisor himself kept the city safe by running things within it and convincing the people that things were safe. Kuei was a silly, pampered child, playing with his bear, with his concubines, with his gardens, and what not. This boy was not worthy to be King – it was time to start a new dynasty. The line of Earth Kings had become weaker with each generation, as was the eventual fate of most dynasties.
Kuei's fascination with the bear irritated Long Feng. It was not that he disliked animals, but sometimes people could be so... silly with their pets – dressing them in clothes, teaching them tricks, and what not. He found that stupid and a waste of time, and seeing Bosco on a unicycle, and the Earth King clapping like a child, made him want to vomit. But on the other hand, it was due to the fact that Kuei was pampered and unconcerned with the true affairs of state that made him so easy to manipulate.
"Arrest him." Long Feng stated firmly. The Dai Li started forward. The King's eyes went wide with surprise and shock, and he stood up.
"Long Feng, what is this meaning of this joke?" He looked around as the Dai Li came to a stop a few feet away from him.
"This not funny, Long Feng!"
"What is not funny is your ignorance You have been nothing but an icon, sitting on the throne." Long Feng let his contempt for the Earth King slip into his voice, "You have done nothing to truly rule Ba Sing Se. You merely sit on the throne, enjoying the title of King; but you have never once acted like a king. It is time for you to acknowledge real power... Kuei."
Kuei had not been called that since before his father's death. When he had been put on the throne, that old name had been tossed aside, and he had always been referred to in royal titles. Very few if any people around here knew that Kuei had once been his name, including Long Feng himself – a mere advisor at the time of the fifty-first Earth King's death.
All it had taken during the chaos after the – very – old King's death, was a few skillful maneuvers to displace the old Grand Advisor and get himself placed at the head of the Regency – a impressive feat for a man of no royal blood who had barely reached his twenty-fifth year.
The Earth King's eyes widened in surprise – but with a frown, he attempted to act. He had never been a good Bender, and was able to manage a few things... though nowhere near the proficiency of Long Feng himself or the fearsome Dai Li. After all, what need did he have to be a Master Earthbender when he was King of Ba Sing Se? Now, he was desperately wishing he had tried as hard in his Bending lessons as he had in his academic ones.
He was barely fast enough to bring up stone walls around himself, wincing as he heard the stone gauntlets hit the rock. He then turned to flee, knowing he could never beat Long Feng and a group of Dai Li. Tears stung his eyes at the thought of the one person he thought he could trust betraying him. Behind him he heard his bear roar, and he paused, looking back to see several of Long Feng's men surround the animal.
Now he was torn between fleeing and saving his best friend.
Long Feng simply smirked, his hands behind his back. He had anticipated Kuei trying to escape, and had posted Dai Li in all hallways leading to the throne room. He really wasn't concerned at all, and Kuei's Earthbending was... amateurish at best, compared to his own skills. He glanced over at Bosco coolly, seeing the bear grunt and whine in confusion. Soon as he could, he would have these stupid clothes removed off the bear, and let him loose in the gardens or such. He could also torment Kuei by threatening to abuse the bear.
Kuei glared at Long Feng, a hurt expression gracing his smooth features. Behind him the Dai Li launched their earth gauntlets, securing their King, but he didn't try to fight.
"Long Feng, please leave Bosco alone." He glanced at his bear who was also captured, then bowed his head. The timid King was alone now, and he knew it. The Dai Li came up next to him, then marched him to Long Feng. Kuei raised his eyes to look at his former friend. He told himself not to cry, though his eyes did shimmer, his expression hurt and confused and innocent.
"I thought…. I thought you were my friend, Long Feng…"
Long Feng simply stared down at him calmly.
"I was your advisor and in many ways, your caretaker. I have stood by long enough as you pampered yourself, not wanting to take on any responsibility. You're a spoiled child. You had plenty of chances to grow, to mature. But all you want to do is play. You're not worthy of the crown." he said acidly, the words stabbing into Kuei like the sharpest of swords.
The young King could not look at Long Feng, trembling as his legs gave out and sat down on the floor, head bowed, defeated. And he knew he was defeated, as he couldn't do much. He was no warrior, barely even an Earthbender; and he knew that Long Feng's words were true. He suddenly couldn't find the strength to fight back.
The Dai Li were kind enough to haul the former king to his feet. At a motion from Long Feng, the Dai Li dragged him off, and Kuei seemed to wake up from his daze.
"Stop this at once! Where do you think you are taking me? Release me!"
These orders were not obeyed, and as he struggled, the Dai Li tightened their grip on their former king.
"Down to the bowels of the earth... where I reigned supreme, and still do." Long Feng replied, his lips twisting as he thought of a way that he could play with the King. And perhaps his lovely Waterbender would enjoy the show as well.
Kuei struggled as he was dragged away, his hat getting knocked off in the process. It wasn't long until the Dai Li had him below Lake Laogai, and dragging the terrified young man down to a room. He was thrown rudely into metal-lined cell. His once pristine robes were now dirtied, his hair mused.
He again told himself not to cry, but he ended up doing that anyways. He was utterly alone, and would have given anything to go back to the way things had been before. Perhaps it was better to have been a pawn, then a piece taken.
What was Long Feng going to do to him, and Bosco? Now that he wasn't King, what would happen? He was cold and hungry and a little wet. Was Long Feng just going to leave him down forever? He was the 52nd in a long line of Earth Kings. Was that line just going to end now? Would people notice or care that he was gone? Would his own guard care about him? Did anyone truly care about a 'spoiled child' like Long Feng called him?
Kuei felt like a complete fool. He eventually stopped crying, wiping at his eyes. The Dai Li that stood guard were silent, like statues; unmoved and uncaring for him and his predicament. Perhaps, none had ever been loyal to him, save Bosco.
He shivered in the cold air, blowing a lock of rogue hair from his face, only to have it once again fall into place. He blew it again, making a bored game of it as he contemplated about how miserable his life had become.
It was a long while before the door to his cell opened, Kuei not looking up. He knew it was Long Feng; if only from the shiver that ran up his spine. The young King idly wondered how long he had been sitting there, blowing his hair out of his face. Luckily he still had his glasses on. He blew that stray lock of hair out his face, just barely turning his head a fraction of an inch.
"What are you going to do with me, Long Feng? Are you going to kill me?" he asked tremulously, staring at the hem of the other man's robes. He was cold and miserable, and it seemed that death at this point was better than the disgrace of living as a prisoner. Or perhaps he would be sent into exile. He had no survival skills. He was certain he would die out there – he had not been taught to fight, or gather food, or what not. He would laugh at that thought if this situation was not so dire.
Long Feng's steps measured as he paced behind the bowed Kuei. He was smirking, feeling such a victory over the man he once had promised undying allegiance to. He basked in the feeling of power. Now, Kuei would bow to him. The Grand Secretariat stopped his measure paced before Kuei, who looked up at him with concern.
"I'm not going to kill you. We're friends after all." Long Feng chose his words carefully. He still had a use for Kuei after all.
"Just because I betray my King does not mean I will betray my friend." Long Feng replied, playing on this young man's need for a friend and some reassurance. And it was very clear that said young man was rather confused, showing this with a frown on his face.
"What does that mean?" e asked, looking up at Long Feng. He didn't understand what Long Feng meant. Perhaps his advisor had a proposition for him, and all he had to do was agree.
"I'll give you another chance to play, Kuei." Feng said, not bothering with royal titles anymore, "But I have a different game in mind. One that will not harm you, but one that you... will find interesting." he smirked.
Kuei swallowed. Game? What kind of game? He didn't like the smug look in Feng's eyes.
"What... what are you going to do"' Kuei whispered, as he finally looked up at his captor. Did Feng really mean that they were still friends?
"We are going to play..." Feng returned, bending over so he could reach down and remove that stray lock of hair from Kuei's features. Slowly he looped it behind Kuei's ear, then casually let his finger trail along the edge of the man's ear, "An adult game."
Kuei shied away from the touch. Looking up at Feng with a confused albeit curious expression, he queried.
"An adult game?" He was confused by Long Feng's comment. Were they to have a drinking match? He had done so a couple of times with his harem of concubines. At the touch, Kuei blushed slightly, suddenly feeling a cold fear take residence in his chest.
"Come with me." Long Feng murmured silkily. As if hypnotized, Kuei rose to his feet. Dai Li surrounded them, and Kuei swallowed to himself nervously as they wound down several tunnels, before coming to a stone wall. Long Feng, with a flick of his hands, opened the wall, and moved aside, beckoning to Kuei in a almost mocking manner.
Katara had been banging on the wall, crying. She was in a robe too big for her, for it belonged to Long Feng. Behind her was a large and comfortable bed, and a few pieces of furniture. The Water Tribe girl jumped back as the wall parted, then made a mad dash for it only to be stopped by a few Dai Li.
"Katara!" Kuei cried out, smiling at seeing her alive. He would have hugged her if he was not held by Dai Li, for he had come to enjoy her company while she was staying at the Palace. "Are you okay?"
Long Feng entered the room, the Dai Li entering behind their leader They took their positions about the room after sealing the wall again, standing like statues. The Grand Secretariat glanced at the Earth King.
"She is now my concubine, and will be participating in our game."
Katara glanced at the two Earth Kingdom men, not missing how Kuei was held by the Dai li, and the disarray of his hair and robes. But she did not forget Long Feng's comment to the King, and glared at him.
"I am not your concubine!" she shot out, crossing her arms. This merely drew a smirk from Long Feng.
"Long Feng, please let her go. Whatever quarrel you have with me, please do not involve her in this." Kuei begged. His head was bowed as well, and Long Feng was actually surprised that he was humbling himself like this for a Water Tribe woman.
"Relax. I have not harmed her, and I have no intention to. Does she look hurt or abused to you? I shall not harm you either... if you behave yourself and be a good boy." he reached out again, his fingers tracing the edge of the King's jaw before going down to the neck that was exposed above the collar, causing Kuei to blush. All of this occurred under Katara's wide and curious eyes, and a pair of Dai Li went to her side, to gently restrain her arms for what would ensue.