It was with a sense of relief that Io finally retreated to his room and flung himself onto his bed. For the last few days, it had been nothing but nonstop activity - first his grandfather's funeral, then his coronation and wedding, then the business of trying to get settled into his new job. He hadn't really had time to mourn his grandfather's passing, and even less time to celebrate the beginning of his marriage. He needed a break. These few minutes were the closest he was going to come to getting one.

There was a knock on his door. He groaned.

"Sorry," said Ryuu, putting his head through the door. "Wasn't my idea."

Io mustered up a tired smile. "Oh, it's you. You can come in."

Ryuu smiled and slipped into the room. "Sorry to interrupt your nap."

"It's all right," said Io, sitting up in bed. "I wasn't really napping. Just getting some peace and quiet."

"Good," said Ryuu, "because we have a little situation, and you should probably figure it out sooner rather than later."

"Just a little situation?" said Io wryly. "That will be something new."

"Just a little one," Ryuu assured him. "See, Prince Kinshiro send us a cartload of wedding presents."

"So?" said Io. "Just put them in the treasury and we'll sort them out later."

"We did, most of them," said Ryuu. "But one of them is alive."

Io raised an eyebrow. "Alive?"

"Human," Ryuu elaborated with a wicked grin. He tossed a scroll into Io's lap. "Here, read it yourself and see."

Io unrolled the paper and contemplated it. Underneath all the stuffy formal language, it said only that Crown Prince Kinshiro sent his consolations on the death of the old king and congratulated Io on his wedding and coronation. As a gesture of friendship, the prince had sent a variety of gifts, among them - Io skimmed all the way to the bottom of the list - yes, one concubine. A whole long paragraph was given over to delineating his virtues, which were apparently many. According to the letter, he was a gifted dancer, could play multiple musical instruments, spoke several languages fluently, sewed and embroidered, was highly educated and could converse engagingly on a variety of subjects, was expert in compounding and applying a variety of salves and cosmetics, could perform multiple varieties of massage...

Io put down the paper and looked blankly at Ryuu. "Is this for real?"

"How should I know?" Ryuu asked. "I didn't exactly put him through his paces. I'll tell you this, though, even if he can't do all the things that sheet says, he's definitely a looker. I mean, wow."

Io smiled. "Tired of me already?"

"What? No!" Ryuu yelped. "I didn't mean it like that. It's just that I didn't go blind when I got married, that's all. Anyway, as long as he's here, you should probably at least come out and see for yourself."

"You know, I think I will," said Io, sliding off the bed. "I'm curious now."

The two of them set out for the reception hall. It was a pleasant room, with high walls and arched ceilings of white stone and an elaborately tiled mosaic floor. A fountain at the center of the room splashed gently, and potted plants stood in each corner and on either side of the door, while smaller trays full of flowers rested on the windowsills. High windows were open now to catch the evening breeze, but they could also be shuttered to hold in the coolness of the shade and the fountain at high noon, or to keep out a particularly fierce desert wind or the rare bout of rain. Padded benches lined the walls, where guests could wait to be acknowledged or just relax and enjoy the pleasant atmosphere. Today, there was only one person there. He smiled as Io stepped into the room.

"Your majesty," he said, rising gracefully to his feet and dropping just as gracefully into a kneeling position.

"You may stand," said Io.

The stranger rose, offering Io a bright smile. Ryuu had been right - this man was an exceptional beauty.

A little too good to be true? Io thought, a bit cynically. It seemed unlikely that anyone could have as many skills as the letter claimed this man had and still be so strikingly attractive. It would be easy for someone less skeptical to be taken in by those big blue eyes and that creamy skin, and overlook any deficiencies in his training. Even knowing that didn't make Io completely immune to the charm of that smile.

"Welcome to my home," said Io. "I am King Io, as you already seem to know, and this is Prince Consort Ryuu."

"I am Akoya," said the stranger. "It is my great honor to be in your presence."

Io waved a hand. "None of that. I didn't come here to be flattered."

Akoya merely smiled. "Everyone likes to be flattered."

"Perhaps," said Io, "but it isn't always the most productive use of time. I'd prefer to get straight to the point. What can I do for you?"

"You seem to have the situation reversed," said Akoya, looking amused. "You should be asking me what I can do for you. I trust you read his highness's letter?"

"I did," said Io, "and your qualifications are truly impressive, but the fact remains that I'm not in the market for a concubine at the moment. To be perfectly frank, I don't believe in slavery. It's a flawed system. I'm sure we can find you work somewhere, if you don't feel right going home, but..."

For a moment, Akoya looked completely confused. Then he began to laugh.

"I'm afraid you misunderstand," he said. "I'm a volunteer. I came here of my own free will."

Io narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

"In service to my country," said Akoya grandly. His expression took on a sly cast. "Or perhaps I just want to parlay my unique skill set into a luxurious berth somewhere, and this seemed like a good way to do it."

Io couldn't help it - he laughed.

"Honest greed, eh?" he said. "Well, that is a motive I can understand, though it's perhaps not a recommendation to keep you here."

"I don't see why not," said Akoya. "If you refuse to accept me, Prince Kinshiro will be insulted - I have served in his court, and I can tell you that he is very easily affronted, and he will doubtless be crowned king before too many months have passed. You are not going to want him taking the crown with an insult from you still fresh in his mind. I am willing to make myself... hm, let us say agreeable to you in a variety of ways in exchange for room and board and whatever other benefits you feel like passing my way. You will make me happy, I will make you happy, and we will both make the prince happy."

Ryuu laughed. "He thinks like a politician. Maybe he's telling the truth about all that training."

"Ah, I see - you think I'm just a pretty face," said Akoya, still amused. "Perhaps a demonstration of my talent is in order? I would be happy to perform for you."

"Ah..." said Io, momentarily taken aback. For all the laundry list of abilities that the letter had enumerated, his treacherous mind was only suggesting one thing, and it was not something he was going to suggest to a complete stranger, especially with his husband still in the room with him.

Ryuu seemed to guess what was on Io's mind, and he smirked.

"I'm a pretty fair musician," he said. "Your letter said you dance?"

"Quite well," Akoya assured him. "Would you like to see?"

"Yes, I think that would be just the thing," said Io. He needed a break anyway, he told himself. A few minutes of entertainment would do him good.

Ryuu grinned. "Sounds like fun to me. Come on - throne room's this way."

He started for the double doors that led from the entry hall to the throne room. This was a large open space, even more extravagant than the first room. The floor was an intricate mosaic of geometric shapes in a rainbow of colors, outlined here and there with strips of gold, and the walls were hung embroidered silk banners worked with jewels and more gold. Frugal Io had considered selling some of this extravagance to help refill the palace's coffers, but he had not yet been able to bring himself to do it. He supposed that the room served its purpose, which was to impress anyone who entered it and remind them who was in charge here. It wouldn't do, he supposed, to bring visiting dignitaries into a bare, functional, cheerless room. He took his place on a softly upholstered throne, while Ryuu lounged on a heap of cushions next to him - a less regal seat, but probably more comfortable. A sitar rested nearby, waiting for Ryuu to have the urge to play it, and he settled it in his lap and began tuning it. Akoya paced the floor, seeming to take its measurements as he gathered himself for his performance.

He moves like a dancer, Io thought. His steps were sure and graceful, and carried a suggestion with them that beneath his soft outward appearance, he possessed a degree of strength that most people wouldn't expect. This was not, Io decided, someone whose idea of "dancing" was to shake whatever assets they had around and hope for the best.

Akoya took his stance in the middle of the room, head bowed and hands folded loosely in front of him, indicating that he was ready. Io eyed him thoughtfully. He really did look very appealing in the lamplit room, and every inch the dancer. He was wearing little other than an embroidered vest, a gauzy pair of trousers, and an assortment of bangles. His hair was pulled into a twist and held in place with a pair of ornamental hair sticks, and there were bells on his wrists and ankles. The silky fabric of his clothing shimmered in the lamplight.

Ryuu began to play, something simple with a nice rhythmic beat to it. Akoya listened for a few bars, then took his first few delicate steps. Io was impressed - the man was remarkably light on his feet, moving with perfect poise, flowing over the stones the way a gauze scarf would ripple in a soft breeze. Ryuu must have been encouraged, because he increased the complexity of the music, and Akoya responded with an increasingly intricate series of leaps and twists. As he was doing so, Io realized something. He had assumed that the bells were merely a flourish, but now he realized that each of the four circlets of bells had a different tone, and Akoya was timing his movements so that they not only rang in time with the music, but created a harmonic counterpart to the song Ryuu was playing. Io's esteem of the man rose considerably. There was no way Akoya could have known in advance what song Ryuu would choose, so he couldn't have rehearsed this - he was doing all this on the fly, and doing it flawlessly.

Then, just as he thought he couldn't possibly be more impressed, Akoya responded to a flourish of music by snatching the sticks from his hair. His long hair cascaded over his bare shoulders and swirled in the air as he danced. The ribbons that had been wrapped around the sticks unfurled into lengths of thin silk that he twirled in his hands, creating intricate patterns that floated in loops and spirals around him like some sort of magic. Through it all, he never lost the rhythm of the song, never let a false note ring out. He was moving almost too fast to follow now, skin glistening from the exertion. Watching him made Io's breath catch in his throat.

Ryuu seemed to think that the point had been made. He wrapped up his song with a flourish, and Akoya responded by dropping into a kneeling position, letting his ribbons flutter to the floor. He held his pose for a moment before raising his head to meet Io's gaze. His cheeks were flushed, his eyes bright with excitement.

"So?" he asked. "Do I pass muster?"

"I'd like a moment to consult with my partner," said Io, making a herculean effort to pull his wits together. "Wait here, please."

"Of course," said Akoya calmly, and began winding up his ribbons and putting his hair back in order.

Io grabbed Ryuu and all but hauled him into an antechamber where they could talk in private.

"Well?" he said, when they were out of earshot.

"I don't think he's an assassin. I mean, maybe you could hide a weapon under that outfit, but I doubt it," said Ryuu with a leer.

"Be serious," Io implored him. "I mean, do you think we should let him stay?"

"Search me," said Ryuu. "He's got talent, he's got looks, he's got smarts, but I don't know if I trust him."

"Hm," said Io, frowning. He felt torn. On the one hand, the idea of letting Akoya stay was very tempting, and not just for the sensible reasons that Akoya had laid out. On the other hand, he still didn't know if the man was trustworthy, and he felt ridiculous and a little guilty about longing for another man so soon after he'd married his lifelong love. The fact that Ryuu was being so indecisive about this situation was not helping. Io relied heavily on Ryuu to help him navigate social situations, and the fact that he was refusing to give a straight answer when Io most needed one was exasperating. Io decided to try a different tack.

"How long do you think it took for him to learn to dance like that?" he asked.

"I don't know," said Ryuu. "Years. He's seriously good. Wish I had his talent."

"And how long for him to learn how to do that plus all the other things his list says he can do?" Io persisted.

Ryuu shrugged. "Years, and I see what you're getting at. If he can do even half the stuff he says he can, he's had a lifetime of training. Seems a little much to think they'd give a guy that much training just to sneak him in here to mess with you. Even if they did, there wouldn't be time to teach him to spy and assassinate on top of everything else."

"That's what I thought," said Io. "So it's a lot more likely that he is what he says he is."

"Probably," Ryuu agreed. He grinned wickedly. "And that would mean you can play with him without worrying!"

Io felt himself blushing. "That's not what I was thinking!"

"Sure you were. You were about five seconds from getting up and pouncing on him. I know that look - you've shown it to me often enough. And I know how you feel. He's definitely got appeal."

"So the idea doesn't bother you?" Io asked.

"Why should it?" Ryuu replied. "Look, we've been together a long time, one way or another. I know you - you aren't fickle. You aren't going to forget about me just because some pretty new face comes on the scene. I knew what I was getting myself into when I married you. You're a king. It was almost inevitable that you'd pick up a spare concubine here and there just for the sake of political alliances, if nothing else. I'm okay with that as long as I know I'm still your number one. Besides, you plan to share, right?"

"Well, of course." He hadn't really been considering taking on any concubines, he told himself, but if he had been, it wouldn't have crossed his mind to say that he could enjoy himself however he liked but that Ryuu had to restrain himself.

"Then I don't see the problem," Ryuu concluded. "As long as everyone is on the same page, it's all right."

"I suppose so," said Io, "but I still don't feel quite right about it."

Ryuu grinned slyly. "So are you going to send him back?"

Io was momentarily lost for words. Then he smiled back. "No, I'm going to keep him around to amuse you. How is that?"

Ryuu laughed. "Even better!"

With that settled, Io returned to the throne room, where he found that Akoya had produced a comb (from where?) and was lounging on one of the benches that lined the walls of the throne room, combing out his long tresses. Even in such an apparently unguarded moment, he had assumed an elegant pose in anticipation for when they returned. Io couldn't help admiring it, even as he distrusted it.

There's something here I'm missing. Whatever the trap was, though, he couldn't see it. He had nothing that could prove that Akoya was anything other than what he claimed to be.

"Have you reached a decision?" Akoya asked.

"Yes," said Io. "A preliminary one, anyway. We'll still have to discuss the terms of your stay."

Akoya's smile was radiant. "So I'm staying, then?"

Io took a breath, vaguely aware that he was about to set something into motion, even if he had no idea yet what it could be.

"Yes," he said. "You're staying."

Akoya looked around his new room with a feeling of deep satisfaction. Everything was going better than he'd hoped. He and the king had spent a few minutes sorting out the terms of his employment, terms that Akoya found highly agreeable. Io had told him that he would not have anyone enslaved to him, and had insisted on giving Akoya a small salary in addition to his requested room and board. The room was a nice one - one that had originally belonged to a favorite concubine of the original king, in fact. It had been empty of furniture when Akoya moved in, but he'd been given permission to raid a storeroom for any furnishings he liked and have some of the palace staff help him arrange them to his liking. Between that and his luggage, the room was now quite comfortable, perhaps even an improvement on his old rooms back home, which had after all been a bit cluttered with fusty old family hand-me-downs. His new job suited him well, too. His contract required him to spend at least one morning a week in the palace stillroom, renewing his supply of the various soaps, lotions, and cosmetics he could make. Other mornings would be spent in a rehearsal room reserved for his use where he could practice his dances and gymnastic routines or play his musical instruments. His afternoons were free, and in the evenings after dinner, he was expected to be on call, ready to entertain the king, the prince consort, and any guests in attendance. Moreover, he had one day a week all to himself to do as he pleased.

This is going to be more like a vacation than a job, he mused, as he set his cosmetic kit atop his new dresser. His family had been lenient when it came to letting him choose his own studies, or he never would have mastered the skills he had, but they had also insisted that he make himself useful around the estate. This would be the first time in his life in which he would not be obligated to do anything he didn't want to do.

Even being called to the king's chambers...

When he'd been told that the new king was young and handsome, he had assumed that there would be some exaggeration involved. People tended to romanticize royalty, or confuse natural beauty with the effects of fine clothing and carefully applied makeup. Akoya had a good eye, though, and his judgment was telling him that Io was exactly what he appeared to be - and what he appeared to be was exactly to Akoya's taste. Lean and graceful, with an aristocratic face, smooth complexion, hair like satin, eyes like dark topazes, he was every inch a king, and Akoya was looking forward to getting to know him much, much better.

That was probably not going to happen for a while, though. Akoya had been afraid that he was going to find himself keeping company with a lecher, no matter what the rumors said, but Io had turned out to be annoyingly reticent. Delicate hints that Akoya was ready to begin work immediately in whatever capacity the king desired were met with equally delicate statements that he should spend his first evening in the palace getting unpacked and settling in. The prince consort had looked as thought Akoya's offer had at least tempted him, but he seemed to think that Io was the one who should make the first move. Akoya supposed he could live with that. The consort was not so much his type, though he had to admit that the man had a certain appeal. It wasn't so much that Ryou was good-looking, though there was nothing wrong with his appearance. It was more that he radiated a certain vitality, a sense that good times were just around the corner if you were prepared to go along with him. If Akoya had to go through him to get to the king, well, that would be no great sacrifice.

A pity that I'm not actually here for the reasons I gave. It seems a shame to ruin such a pleasant visit with work.

Still, there was nothing to be done for it. He opened the lid of a small jewelry box, filled with the sort of small trinkets that someone like him might be expected to carry - pretty and tasteful, since he would tolerate nothing less, but nothing extravagant that would give away his noble origins. The inside of the lid had a tiny mirror in it, surrounded by mother-of-pearl inlays, but the real marvel of the box was that if the sides were pressed just so, a catch would release, and the entire inner compartment could be lifted out. Underneath, there was a soft felt pad, to keep anything from shifting or rattling, and also to protect the hidden crystal that was set in the very bottom of the box. That one small cabochon, a smooth piece of pearly gray stone no bigger than Akoya's thumbnail, represented a considerable expense, and Kinshiro had warned Akoya very sternly not to damage it. Now Akoya pressed a fingertip to the cool stone and felt it warm to his touch.

"Hello?" he said. "Can you hear me?"

There was a pause, and then Kinshiro's voice, sounding hollow and distant, said "Yes. It seems the spell is working correctly. What's your status?"

"I'm in," said Akoya. "They're a being cautious, but not unduly suspicious. At any rate, they've decided to let me stay. I'm in my new quarters now."

"Good. I can see I was right to put my faith in you," said Kinshiro. "For now, don't try anything clever. Just focus on making yourself useful and agreeable, but don't ask any prying questions unless it's something that would come up naturally in conversation."

"I know my job," said Akoya lightly. "For now, I make myself the perfect concubine, and if anything interesting should happen to come to my ears, I report it back to you."

"You understand perfectly," said Kinshiro. "I don't suppose you've learned anything of use so far?"

"Only that the king seems to rely heavily on his consort for advice," said Akoya. "I get the impression that his majesty is not entirely comfortable in social situations."

"Good," said Kinshiro. "Use that. Try to get in his good graces. If the king takes his cues from his consort, and the consort likes you, that will help. Even better would be if you could get the king relying on your judgment as well."

"Understood," Akoya agreed. "I will begin tomorrow by impressing them with the rest of my skill set. I think that will help them to accept that I am what I say I am." He smirked. "They seem to be under the impression that I can't possibly be a spy, because it would have taken me too long to learn all the things I know just to go on this mission."

"Then by all means, continue to impress them," Kinshiro agreed. "And check in again about this time tomorrow. I'll be waiting."

"I won't disappoint you," Akoya promised.

He removed his finger from the gem, and the connection was broken. He put everything back the way it was supposed to be, and then began preparing himself to settle in for the night. He undressed slowly, half-hoping that one of his new employers would send for him after all, but no such luck. Well, tomorrow was another day. He slipped into his nightgown, braided up his hair for the night, and snuggled into his cozy new bed.

I really am going to like it here, he thought, as he blew out his lamp. And tomorrow the real fun will begin.

And with that pleasant thought, he drifted off to sleep.