Chapter 3

It was cold. Men were on the front of the ship yelling out directions and Arthur sat curled up on the lounge, his knees pulled up into the sack he'd been wearing while he studied the book he'd been given. He glanced up, seeing Ivan with his arms crossed over his chest, leaning further forward than he was used to and Arthur watched with worry. "Should I throw a log onto the fireplace, Master?" He asked and Ivan looked up before shaking his head.

"Nyet, the men are yelling. We're almost to shore. Best not to raise the fires at the end of the journey." He smiled and Arthur nodded, placing the book down beside him. He glanced out the large window behind Ivan, seeing a touch of the shore in the background, wondering what it would be like. He knew winter was in its final leg, fighting to turn to spring, but he hadn't expected to feel this cold when he'd woken up two mornings past. He shivered nearly nonstop, and Ivan didn't have any more blankets around, so he had to make due. At least he didn't have to spend much time out of the main cabin, so he was at least saved from freezing to death, as he was sure would have happened if he'd been stuck out there.

A knock sounded at the door and Arthur turned, realizing he'd been dazing more than he'd thought. The door opened and a man came through with a grin.

"Cap'n, we're docked. City council was worried we'd been captured. We forgot to pull the banner, sir." The man grinned and Ivan stood, letting out a low laugh.

"Did you tell them I'm back and I'm done?" Ivan smiled at the man, who nodded with an interested glance Arthur's way.

"I did, and I told them you took a plus one. They insisted you throw him into the sea." Ivan turned to the man and returned to his seat.

"This should be interesting. Tell them to meet me in my green room in an hour." He watched as the man nodded and took off. Ivan reached into his desk and shuffled for a while before pulling out a book and smiled, shifting through before standing and sliding the leather bound tome beneath his arm. "Let's go."

"Is there a jacket or something I should grab for you, Master?"

"Nyet, it's almost spring. I can deal with a touch of chill." He stepped out and Arthur nodded, coming out behind him.

He learned within the first two days, if Ivan goes somewhere, he needs to be within two yards of him, but no closer than one. That's where they start tripping each other.

The paving stones on the way were so cold against Arthur's feet they burned, and he knew he'd stepped on a few shards of broken glass, but he needed to stay at his master's side, so he tried to walk on the balls of his feet, keeping the broken part off of the walking path. Someone beside him asked him a question, but due to his attempts at walking, he hadn't heard and Ivan stilled, turning. "You were asked a question."

"I'm sorry, I hadn't heard." He bowed low, honestly not knowing what the proper way for a slave to apologize to a master was.

"I asked if you'd be interested in coming to be my bed slave. It wouldn't be nar'y work." The man grinned and Arthur turned, his eyes wide.

"How dare you! As if I would do something like that!" Arthur bristled and Ivan crossed his arms. "Unless Master orders me to..." He whimpered and Ivan sighed.

"You could have politely declined, you know." Ivan raised an eyebrow and Arthur's face scrunched up.

"He asked me a question as if I were some whore! A woman at that! I may be a slave, but I still have my pride." He grumbled and Ivan's eyes widened.

"If your pride is what makes you speak to those around me as if you were raised by wolves, then we need to remove the burden from you. Hand me your sack, Arthur." Ivan held out his hand.

Numb fingers untied the twine at his waist before Arthur removed the garment, the only thing he wore and slid it carefully over Ivan's outstretched arm. He stared ahead, his face more pale than usual as he stood, feeling snowflakes land against his skin. He heard jeers and snickering off to the sides, but his eyes never wavered. He stared straight ahead blankly.

For a moment, he felt like that child who everyone picked on. He didn't have to see them to hear the words they spouted, and his ears were no less sensitive now. "You walk ahead." Ivan's hand landed on his shoulder and Arthur was sent to the front. He started walking, unsure of the pace to keep, so he tried to stay at the pace he'd been at before. His head still faced forward, his eyes wide and unblinking, trying to dry the tears of embarrassment before they fell. He felt a little touch on his shoulder and saw the fluttering of wings.

"It's fine, you know. Chances are, for them this is just losing a bet. I'm willing to bet Ivan has been through here without his tartan more than once." She smiled and Ivan nodded, letting out a sigh.

She was right. If this were uncommon, people they walked past would be more responsive to it.

"Mommy, why does that woman have a penis?" He heard a little boy say and bit his lip, covering his face as he walked through. Ivan laughed outright at the comment, laughing with the men around him.

"Don't be so embarrassed. So you're a girl with no boobs and a penis. Not as if he said you were an ugly woman or anything. Oh wait..." The fairy thought and Arthur reached up, trying to brush her away, but she kept laughing, moving to his head. Ivan stilled the men at this point as they watched Arthur, still walking brushing something away, as if a flying insect were attacking.

She taunted him mercilessly til finally Arthur grasped his shoulder, feeling her little body in his hands. "Listen, you cancerous twat! It's not my fault! I didn't choose this body! It's not my fault I'm just some ugly woman with no boobs and a cock!" He felt his voice crack, the embarrassment of the nudity, the boy and the fairy becoming too much for him to handle. He squeezed her in his fingers and tried his best to crush her, but she just laughed, as if no amount of pressure he added would be able to hurt her.

Ivan, realizing he'd just lost himself in a battle against the faeries in his imagination turned to the men. "We go." He grasped Arthur, lifting him in his arms and glared down at the man who slammed his hands over his mouth, his eyes wide on the violet ones locked on his. He tried to hold in the sobs and the fear, but it was hard with the cuts on his feet now hitting the wind, which made the cuts hurt worse. He knew he was bleeding everywhere.

"Master, please let me walk. I'll be good. I won't speak another word, I promise." He spoke softly, his hands still over his mouth and he watched in terror as Ivan's eyes narrowed. He was half afraid Ivan would just strangle him right there in his arms, while being held like a princess.

"Why do you wish to walk?"

"Blood... I don't want to dirty you with my blood, Master." Arthur spoke softly, surprising the man.

"Where are you bleeding?"

"My feet." He spoke softly and Ivan turned, seeing blood pooling beneath. A soft sigh let Arthur know his trouble had mostly passed.

"When were you cut?"

"Shortly after leaving the ship, Master. There was some glass hidden in the snow." Arthur mumbled softly and Ivan shook his head.

"I can't have you do this. If you get injured, you have to tell me. Remember, your body is mine now. If you become injured, I have to know your limitations have changed. Remember this. You will be punished for this whole situation once we reach the castle."

"Yes- Castle?" Arthur stared and Ivan nodded.

"Yes, didn't you know? I'm the king. That's why the men call me Captain and Sir. Now that I'm on land, the men will mostly call me Mi'lord, your highness, or you fat, drunken arse!" He grinned and Arthur clasped his hands over his mouth, this time to keep in a laugh.

"He likes you." The fairy sat on Arthur's stomach, grinning up at Ivan. "He likes to see you smile, and isn't used to someone who's so unfamiliar with his ways. Maybe he'll try and adjust you faster by making your punishment something on a bed."

All color drained from Arthur's face as he shook his head.

"Whatever it's telling you, ignore it. It hasn't been around all week, why is it showing now? If it were stress, it would have appeared at the church.

"She's trying to explain you to me, Master."

"She says to run? She says I'm dangerous?" Ivan grinned darkly and Arthur simply shook his head, nearly bypassing the look. Ivan was honestly disappointed not to get any response from it.

"She says you're kind and that you like me. You want to see me smile. You're not used to someone who's so unfamiliar with your ways, and that's creating some of the disconnect..." Arthur closed his eyes before saying the last part. "She says the fastest way to adapt me would be to make my punishment on a bed." He spoke the past part in a whimper. Ivan saw the worry and fear and sighed.

"I'll consider it when we're back in and your feet are taken care of. You do still need punished, after all." Ivan sighed and turned, seeing the others he'd been with watching with a raised brow.

"His faeries told him this. There must be a reason why, right?"

"His... faeries?" One of the men stared and turned, sighing. "This sounds like it's going to be interesting."

"I'd rather interesting than boring. Wait til Lukas meets him." Ivan grinned and the other men sighed in resignation.

"Master! Welcome home!" A woman ran forward with a smile before noticing the other in his arms. "Should we take her to a room?"

"I need a doctor before anything. And a warm robe. I think my prank went too far." Ivan sighed as he rushed forward into the next room. It was huge with three fireplaces along the back wall. Chandeliers hung down the length of the room and Arthur stared, amazed.

"It's beautiful." He spoke and Ivan sat, the still naked Arthur now straddling his lap. Ivan lifted his leg, placing it over the arm of the throne and waited for the doctor while Arthur slowly turned darker and darker red. Ivans arms wrapped behind him, holding him close.

"Thank you. I'm quite proud of this place. Are you warm enough, little faery?" Ivan asked and Arthur just turned a darker shade at the name.

"I don't know, Master." He was so panicked he couldn't feel his body's responses. His eyes clenched as he realized he could feel the bulge in the front of Ivan's pants against himself in the position Ivan had slid him into.

"What on earth are you doing?" A man came out and sighed, sliding his hand onto his shoulder. "Is this what I'm taking care of? You two going at it and you got stuck?" A soft male voice sounded behind Arthur, who just stayed clenched to the man before him.

"He cut his feet. He's to be my servant from now on." Ivan looked up and the man came through, lifting Arthur's face.

"He's terrified. Give me a moment, I'll take care of his injuries." The man stated before sitting on the floor. He poured alcohol over the wounds and Arthur yelped out, clasping tighter to Ivan's chest.

"Does it hurt, little fairy?"

"It's cold!" He shivered and Ivan frowned. He turned, looking at Lukas as he used the tweezers to pull shards of glass from the injuries.

"Sasha!" He yelled out and a man ran out, huffing with a blanket under his arm.

"What's going on? I brought a blanket for him, he looked... like meat Popsicle."

"Practically. Lukas, Sasha, this is my little fairy, Arthur. He's my slave. You know what this means." Ivan looked down and Lukas nodded. His gaze shifted to the other who sat down on the throne beside the one Ivan was in.

"Hello, little fairy. I am Sasha. I am Ivan's older brother. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"I'm Lukas. I'm the medical person on staff. If you're as much fun as the last slave Ivan had, we'll become well acquainted shortly." He sighed and Ivan stared down in shock.

"I didn't beat him, or kill him or anything." Ivan spoke down, feeling the shaking in his lap worsen.

"Why is he so afraid?" Sasha asked and Ivan sighed.

"Can you speak, little fairy? Can you say why you're scared?" Ivan asked, hoping at this point just speaking may break him from the shock.

"If you're going to do it, please just be quick. Don't make the pain linger. I'd rather suffer quickly than to have it stretched out." He mumbled as he leaned his head in tighter. "Hehe, stretched out..." He mumbled and Ivan stared, red rushing into his cheeks.

"What are you planning to do to him?" Sasha asked, shocked while Ivan shook his head.

"A fairy told him if I... took him, it would adjust him to the culture shock faster! I wasn't actually planning to!"

"A... what?" Lukas stared, completely bemused while Ivan heard laughter from the other two in the room.

"How much alcohol are you using on his foot? He's drunk from it."

"He's a lightweight! I've barely put any on him at all! It must be from something else!" Lukas sighed as he pulled out the last of the glass. "I'll check his other foot, but I'd like to do a neurological exam if he's seeing fairies and has this weak an alcohol tolerance. Dinners will be interesting." Lukas glanced up at Ivan who nodded, paling.

They always had wine at dinner.

"He sees them because I told him he sees them, right, my little fairy?"

"Master told me to see them. I see only what Master tells me." Arthur nodded, an odd contented sound.

"I guess the panic is gone." Sasha watched with interest. "He seems like fun! This could be very amusing, but I would like to know why you brought home a slave, little brother?"

"The church that killed Mom, I pillaged it. He stood outside the rooms of the children and told me I could do as I wanted with him as long as I left the children in peace. I had planned to be horrible, but I discovered he wasn't a priest. He just wanted to help the children out. A simple librarian who had tried to run and help out where he honestly thought he could help out the most. Now I'm not sure what to do with him." Ivan sighed and Sasha grinned.

"Looks like he's already fine with being your slave. He doesn't even call you by your name, just Master like that. It's kind of cute." Sasha smiled while Lukas rolled his eyes as he bandaged the foot.

"Both feet are glass free and bandaged. There wasn't anything deep enough to warrant stitches, but he should stay off of them for a week."

"They won't hurt. I can walk." Arthur looked up into Ivan's face and smiled. "When I was a child, they didn't give me a pill. They didn't change a thing with a berry, but somehow, I tasted it, and it made me a god." Arthur giggled before curling up on Ivan's lap.

"He's insane." Lukas frowned and Ivan shook his head.

"They didn't give him a pill because I told him they didn't give him a pill. He was always a normal child because I told him that he was always a normal child. He somehow tasted the pill, and he has to tell me if he tastes it. He has to let me know. He's letting me know about the side effects from the pill he didn't take. Understand?" Ivan looked back and Lukas shook his head.

"Not a word."

"Nightshade. Seven pills." He spoke and Lukas stared.

"Seven? He's so small. Is he dying from it?"

"He was five. He was... blind." Ivan spoke as Arthur sighed, nuzzling into his chest.

"And since then he's seen fairies and he doesn't feel pain accurately." Lukas realized the situation. "I would really like to look him over tomorrow, and see over his health.'

"That would be appreciated." Ivan sighed. "In the meantime, since he can't walk, and he's horribly drunk, bring me a box of chocolates, a bowl of berries, a soft cushion and a leash."

Sasha looked over with a surprised face before grinning. "Can I pick an outfit for him?"

"Of course, but you might want to hurry. The city council is on their way and should be here soon." Ivan glanced over and Sasha rolled his eyes.