This one's for Mikizuki Tsukiharu. Sorry I'm a little late. Thanks for your input.
I spent the next hour watching performances and such on the stage. The other three slaves stopped by often to refill my drink or ask how everything was, but Nanashi did not come to me. The one time I did see him he immediately ducked into another room, so I could only assume that he was hiding from me. It worried me a bit, but I knew there would be better times to sort it all out.
I was watching the end of a song and dance performance when the Duke found me.
"Have you made up your mind?" he asked. Then, without letting me answer, he continued, "I'll line the slaves up one last time so you can have a look at them."
I nodded and followed him, feeling it would be easier to go along with it than to tell him that my mind had already been made up.
The Duke led me to an empty wing of the complex that I had previously not seen before and I had just enough time to wonder how he had managed to obtain such a huge space before the slaves filed in and lined up, all but one staring coyly at me. I'm sure it would only take one guess to figure who stared directly at the floor the entire time.
"Well, which one of my four lovely slaves will you be taking home with you tonight? Weave, Jaz, Honey, or Nanashi?" the Duke asked. I felt that I would have to make my response appropriate or risk hurting the slaves feelings. I was fairly certain that the slaves would not easily forget being spurned. Well, again, all but one.
"I must say, they are all quite beautiful and charming. Jaz has the most delightful voice I've had the pleasure to hear in some time. Honey treated me to dishes that make gourmet food pale in comparison. Weave can play the piano well enough to be in a grand hall. And Nanashi, though quiet, has proven himself to be both perceptive and kind. I would be proud to own any of these slaves, however, I would not steal but one from you, or risk losing a valuable friend. So, in choosing my new slave, I must think first of the two slaves I already own, for I would not add to my worries by acquiring slaves who cannot tolerate each other. Because of this, I choose Nanashi."
There was a stunned silence, both from the three un-chosen slaves, the Duke standing next to me, and most of all from Nanashi himself. He had frozen when I said his name, but I watched him slowly thaw despite his disbelief, and tentatively raise his head so that his eyes could meet mine. There was confusion there, and fear, but I could see a sparkle, not perhaps of hope, but of a longing to belong that was rekindled by my decision. A hope of hoping to belong, I suppose.
"Are you sure?" the Duke asked, breaking the spell. Nanashi's head dropped back down as the other three slaves looked at each other in startled outrage.
"Quite sure, actually. I think he would perfectly compliment the personalities of my other two slaves."
"Well," he said, smiling at me, "I suppose all that's left is to let you try him out."
"Try him out?"
"Of course. You wouldn't buy a car without driving it first, would you? That's why bets are so idiotic when they're done spur of the moment, you can never tell what you'll get. This way you can have time to look the boy over, see if there are any defects or abnormalities. I wouldn't want to be accused of giving you a lemon," he finished causally, as though I were buying furniture from him.
"No. I suppose not," I replied, somewhat stunned by this sudden proposal. Did he really expect me to just take the boy, right there on the floor, like his other two slaves had?
"Of course I'll give you a room to use. If you have any time between taking him you can talk to the boy, if you think he'll respond, and get to know him a little better. You can have him for the rest of the night, then simply leave him with me and come back for him tomorrow. He'll need to alert the other slaves as to what chores they need to take over, of course."
"Of course," I responded, though I was only half listening. It had taken me almost a week to take Heero, and I had yet to take Quatre, for obvious reasons. I wasn't certain that I would be able to simply take this beautiful boy whom I had only known for a few short hours. Could I bring myself to use him like a common street whore? But, if I did not, I might blow my cover, and then I would have no chance of shutting this filthy practice down. Still, I was not certain I would ever be able to wash the stain of this from my soul.
And the Duke instructed Nanashi to lead me to our room, and we were suddenly alone.