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"The Crown"

by Calypso

CHAPTER NINE

It was hours before Yang-Wo and Xeneth could bring themselves to return to the castle. After the experience they shared in their secret hot spring cave, they were drained physically, but overflowing emotionally. It was all they could do to keep from staying constantly lip locked, so instead they cuddled, washed themselves in the bubbling pool again, talked, laughed, and nuzzled each other's faces and necks.

"I love you," Xeneth said suddenly as Yang-Wo swung the wolf's heavy cloak back over his shoulders once more. It was probably the hundredth time that the canine had expressed his affections for his lover that evening, but Yang-Wo never grew tired of hearing it.

"I love you, too," the cougar replied with a smile. He leaned in and kissed the cream-colored patch of fur on Xeneth's chin, then the wolf's mouth, sighing contentedly as he felt his partner's muzzle part and their tongues meet, their kiss deepening and growing in intensity without the slightest effort.

"Mmm..." came a rumble from Xeneth's throat, and he touched his lips to Yang-Wo's nose before swooping him into his arms again. "You are so beautiful, and you are mine, and I am astounded and so grateful to the Spirits for blessing me with you," he professed. "I hope you do not tire of hearing how much I love you, because I want to say it as much as I can before..."

Yang-Wo was touched at the wolf's sentiment, but his own heart drooped at the trailing sadness in his lover's final sentence. "Before we have to pretend to be master and slave in the castle again, you mean?" he finished for him.

"Yes," Xeneth replied, his intense eyes looking forlorn.

"I promise you Xeneth, there will come a time when I shall call you mine openly, and the world will know that you're the only thing my heart desires. But if that time is to come, we need to discuss what we'll do to overcome your mother and take back the Continent!" Yang-Wo was mentally punishing himself for getting so lost in Xeneth that he had ignored this important and impending dilemma, but he also forgave himself, because after all, the wolf could find so many ways to distract him...

Xeneth's expression became serious, and he nodded once. "The meeting fast approaches for plans to attack the remaining three nations." He realized he'd been standing still holding the cougar draped in his arms, and started to walk down the corridor toward the exit, the air getting chillier as they left the hazy glow of the hot spring. "You and I have already discussed that it would be suicide for us to attack my mother alone. I think you are right; I think it is time we see your parents and involve them in our plan."

The wolf side-stepped out of the cave, the icy air like needles pricking their skin, and he set the cougar down on his feet once more, both of them getting into stance and shifting the massive boulder back over the entrance to their cave.

Before Yang-Wo could protest that he could walk just fine (his core was still very warm, even if the air outside was not), Xeneth had scooped him up again and was walking away from the cave.

"How will we communicate? The meeting is less than a week away, and it will be suspicious if you continue requesting my company after tonight!" Yang-Wo asked shrewdly.

"We must write I suppose...the only question is how to get our messages back and forth..." Xeneth pondered, trudging through snow and carefully navigating the mountainside.

"As long as we're not alone together, it should not be too suspicious, so we could pass notes then, covertly of course," Yang-Wo replied thoughtfully. "We must be extremely cautious from now on, though. Sennaven has been watching me closely lately, and I shudder to think what would happen if he were to catch us."

"He'd lose his pretty head, likely," Xeneth said darkly. His lover's eyebrows raised, and the wolf added, "I've always hated him, and he knows it. He's my mother's lapdog, and I have a gut feeling that the man is completely-"

"Evil?" Yang-Wo finished, a cold tone to his voice.

"Yes," the wolf Prince replied.

"I'm...not so sure," said the cougar warily. He did get a bit of an evil feeling from Sennaven, but he wasn't sure if the wolf could be considered completely consumed by evil.

"Hmm..." Xeneth replied quietly and thoughtfully, clearly not interested in arguing the point. "Well, we shall have to avert him as well, regardless. Now, hold your breath my love..." Xeneth instructed, kissing the cougar. "Time to go."

And again, just as Yang-Wo bated his breath, they were plunged into darkness.

Xeneth and Yang-Wo realized upon their arrival in Xeneth's room that the hour was very late, and that they had better separate to keep up with appearances. They kissed and kissed and kissed, trying to let go, and found themselves locked to each other.

"I must go, Xeneth!" Yang-Wo pleaded in the quietest whisper, kissing the wolf's mouth again. "I need you to be strong and push me away, because I can't let go!"

"I'll never push you away," Xeneth responded in a deep, sensual whisper that tickled the cougar's ear and pulled at his heartstrings. They kissed again, and the wolf said, "But, I will tell you to go, for now. I love you, you'll receive a note from me by tomorrow, Spirits willing." And, with a final kiss, Xeneth raised his voice. "You may go now, Yang-Wo." His tone was more official again, likely for prying ears, but he winked and smiled at the cougar, who swooned.

"Yes, Your Highness," replied Yang-Wo, who wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed with Xeneth and sleep curled next to him. However, he turned and walked to the heavy doors, knocking on one to let the guards know to open it for him.

As he stepped out into the candlelit corridor, Yang-Wo was immediately greeted by Sennaven, who wore his sickeningly artificially sweet smile as usual, prepared to lead the cougar back to the harem.

"Did His Highness receive your very best, Yang-Wo?" the wolf asked with an undertone as they walked, out of earshot of anyone. The castle slept, but for the few guards charged with its nightly protection. "I have heard tell that you sing to him often."

"Yes, Lord Sennaven," Yang-Wo replied simply, hoping this answer would suffice both the question and the open statement.

"What songs did you sing for him tonight?" Sennaven probed, and Yang-Wo could nearly hear the smile spread across the wolf's face grow even tighter.

"Only a few lullabies from my country, my Lord. His Highness Xeneth often calls for me to sing when he needs help sleeping."

"Surely more than just a few songs?" Sennaven replied quickly. "You were gone in there for hours! What else were you doing for so long, then?"

Yang-Wo noticed Sennaven's emphasis on the word "gone," and he shuddered a bit. He knows, the cougar thought. He knows we left and he's waiting for me to slip up and admit it. "His Highness sometimes likes me to rub his back, or to tell stories of my people. I did both of these things to soothe him tonight. I do not think cares much about the stories, he just seems to like the noise." Even the cougar was impressed at his matter-of-fact tone, and was realizing with some regret that he was becoming very good at lying.

"Ah, I see... these must have been quite thrilling tales to have taken so long to tell! You shall have to regale me sometime with your stories, young slave, and sing me the songs of your people! To have captured our Prince's interest so fully, your talents must be impressive!" Sennaven replied. They were nearing the harem doors now, and Yang-Wo was grateful to be getting away from the wolf servant.

"Whatever my Lord wishes," the feline replied sycophantically, hoping his false eagerness would convince Sennaven, as well as challenge the wolf's prodding proposal with a fervent reply.

"Indeed," Sennaven replied. They'd reached the harem doors, and the wolf turned to look at the cougar, his expression somewhat smug. "Yang-Wo, before I let you return to your harem, I hope you'll indulge my curiosity. Has Xeneth ever asked you to be intimate with him?"

Yang-Wo froze, taken off-guard by the question. How do I answer? he thought. If I say no, then it might look like Xeneth isn't taking "full advantage" of his harem, which will look suspicious. But if I say yes, that might imply that he and I are closer than we are supposed to be!

"Well, slave? I speak with the authority of Her Majesty the Queen, which supersedes any instructions you may have received to stay silent on the matter," Sennaven demanded.

Then, suddenly, the answer came to the cougar, and he was thankful that he was required to keep his eyes on the floor when in the presence of a superior. "I am afraid that I would not use the word 'intimate,' my Lord, for that would imply some sort of affection. If my Lord is asking if His Highness has asked me to perform certain carnal acts for his pleasure, then the answer is yes. However, the experience was not what I would call 'intimate.'"

There was a pause, during which Yang-Wo hoped and prayed to the Spirits that this lie was crafted well enough to convince Sennaven.

"Look at me," Sennaven commanded suddenly.

With a split-second's crushing hesitation, Yang-Wo lifted his head and looked the haughty wolf in the eyes. What he saw frightened him a bit, and yet entranced him. They were only feet apart, so Yang-Wo got a clear picture of Sennaven's full face. He was full-blooded black wolf, unlike Xeneth, so his features were longer and sharper than the Prince's. He was handsome, to be sure, very handsome, but also aloof and calculating. His piercing eyes were the color of cold, unflinching steel, as unlike Xeneth's bright green and warm brown as could possibly be. He still wore his pretend smile, but his eyes revealed his true intent: malicious, but fueled by pain.

Yang-Wo had always been somewhat sensitive in reading people's expressions, even if he was oblivious to many other things. He could almost feel the pain in Sennaven's eyes as he stared into them, and found that he couldn't look away.

"I guess you are rather handsome, aren't you?" Sennaven said softly, reaching out his paw. He tucked a piece of Yang-Wo's silvery platinum hair behind his curved, feline ear, making the cougar shiver, and added, "I suppose if I had any interest in men, I would be requesting your services, also."

"My Lord is too kind," Yang-Wo replied mechanically. He was flushed at being called handsome by the last person he would have ever expected, but more so, he was distracted by the pain he could feel emanating from the servant. I know this feeling is real, I can sense that he's hurting underneath this smiling exterior. Perhaps that's what fuels his rage and evil intent? And before he knew what he was saying, he blurted out, "My Lord may still request my services for other matters, if he should require assistance." Or a friend, he thought.

It was the wolf's turn to be taken aback, and for just a moment, his fake smile fell, and his eyebrows rose, and he looked pitifully sad. But, in a flash, everything snapped back into place, and Sennaven said, "I am afraid that won't be necessary, Yang-Wo. You may go." And with that, he threw open the doors, and slammed them shut behind the cougar.

By this time of night, there were very few slaves left awake, but Melanie and Adam were among the few, which didn't surprise Yang-Wo at all. As he walked forward, however, he was still in a daze over the incident with Sennaven, unsure of what to think. All he could tell himself now was that he must have misjudged the wolf, and that even if Sennaven had ill intent, it wasn't fueled by true evil, it was fueled by suffering.

"Hi Yang-Wo!" Melanie greeted happily as he sat beside her.

"Hello Yang-Wo," said Velnuro and Adam.

"Hello everyone," he replied sleepily, realizing that the night had really sapped him of every bit of energy.

"The usual tonight with the Prince?" Adam inquired abruptly, almost as if he suspected 'the usual' to be more than what he had been told it was.

"What? Oh...oh yes...yes, the usual..." Yang-Wo replied unconvincingly. He was so tired that he'd let his mind wander to what he and his lover had actually been doing, and he'd flushed and stumbled over his words, clearly grinning and pink in his ears.

"Yang, there's something different about you!" Melanie commented. "You're...well, I don't know how to say this, but you're glowing!"

Oh Spirits, I need to pull myself together! the cougar thought. "Oh well, it's nothing Melanie, I've just had a nice day. Chores were light today, the Prince was relatively painless to manage, and I got a lot of rest."

"It's more than that..." she replied, and Yang-Wo cursed her observant nature. "You're just radiant, like you just found out the happiest news. You're like a man who's just been told he's a father for the first time, or something of the like."

"Am I? Well, nothing's really happened, not sure why that would be..."

"She's right," Adam said, and he stood from his seat, staring down at the small cougar. "There's something different."

"Oh? I can't imagine..." the cougar trailed, unsure how to reply. He knew his tone wasn't strong, he knew his lies were falling around him. But how to keep them up?

Without warning, Adam paced over to Yang-Wo's spot and lifted him by one arm into a standing position, glaring at him seriously. And, just as the feline was about to ask what this was all about, Adam reached his arms around him; with one paw, the horse pulled aside the tiny garment that barely concealed Yang-Wo's backside, and with the other, he ran two thick fingers down Yang-Wo's crevasse, the tips of those fingers sliding inside the cougar's stretched hole with relative ease. Though it had been hours, the muscles had not quite tightened to their original shape.

"ADAM!" Yang-Wo shouted in shock, though his physical resistance was futile. "What in the name of the Spirits are you doing?!" he exclaimed in his most offended tone.

"He's taken you," the horse replied. He pulled back from the cougar, a frown on his face. "Prince Xeneth has had you in his bed."

The silence that followed was thick with tension, and Yang-Wo wasn't sure if the truth or another lie would be better. However, he realized that he had no option; Adam had felt him, he knew that there had been something inside of him, and it was easy to guess what had stretched him so.

"Yes," he said quietly. Not actually in the bed, though...

"Adam, there was no need for all of that! Yang-Wo could have told us in his own time, without you forcing yourself on him like that!" Melanie said crossly, glaring at the horse and coaxing the feline to sit again. "Are you alright, Yang?" she asked concernedly.

"Fine, thank you," he replied succinctly.

"Did you enjoy yourself, is that why you're glowing?" Melanie asked with a bit of a giggle.

"Yes, actually," Yang-Wo replied coldly, looking right at Adam.

The horse looked stony and disillusioned, and sat once more in his place, without an apology for violating his fellow slave.

"Now if you don't mind, I'll be going to bed. As you can imagine, I'm thoroughly exhausted," the cougar added spitefully, still glaring at Adam, who had looked away by that point.

"Good night," said Velnuro and Melanie quietly, watching as Yang-Wo stood and stormed off to the dormitories, eager to get away from Adam, and furious to have been touched against his will yet again by someone who was supposed to care about him.

The following morning, Yang-Wo rose early and asked Lang to groom him quickly; he intended to be ready at a moment's notice if Prince Xeneth should call for his assistance with anything. Despite the previous night's unexpected, uninvited, and unpleasant events, he still had one clear goal: to reach his parents. He believed whole-heartedly that the Elder and her husband would know exactly what to do to bring down the Queen and put an end to her reign of conquest and fear.

When he was fresh and clean, he strode out purposefully into the front room, glancing around. Most of the slaves were awake by now, some of whom were on their way to the baths. He spotted Adam, and he turned his nose up and walked in the complete opposite direction, in no mood to deal with the horse after being completely violated by him. Instead, Yang-Wo sat with Chessia and her group, chatting animatedly, thoroughly nervous about the coming day.

Adam, meanwhile, frowned in the corner, hurt by Yang-Wo's cold shoulder. I know I shouldn't have forced myself on him like that, the horse thought to himself, sighing, but I couldn't stand the thought of someone else touching his beautiful form, most especially Xeneth! These thoughts led way to a decidedly brooding and angry expression on his handsome face, and Melanie eyed him warily, avoiding talking to him and receiving any of this apparent wrath.

Within moments, the doors to the harem were flung open, and Yang-Wo was relieved to see Melnamourn's sour expression and haughty posture fill the frame.

"Adam, Melanie, and Yang-Wo, His Highness requires you to serve his breakfast. Make haste!" said the always snooty servant, clearly having to restrain himself from rolling his eyes in the process.

The three of them-much to the dismay of Yang-Wo, as he still wanted to pretend Adam didn't exist-hurriedly followed Melnamourn out the door, the cougar wondering just how he and Xeneth would exchange communications when in the Queen's presence.

"His Highness and Her Highness Princess Glaysia shall be taking their breakfast in the sunroom on this glorious winter's day," Melnamourn drolled, as though his country required that he refer to every day as 'glorious' regardless of his opinion. "Her Majesty the Queen and His Highness Prince Silhard shall not be joining them. Attend to both royals equally, and do not speak unless spoken to, unless you do not place great value on keeping your tongue inside of your head," he threatened viciously.

I never thought I'd miss Melanmourn's haughty, pretentious attitude and his acidic threats, thought Yang-Wo, smiling just a bit.

The servant and trio of slaves made their way to the kitchens, where they each were assigned an item to carry. Adam, being the strongest, was given the large silver platter with a domed lid that contained the main entrée. Yang-Wo carried a tray with three pitchers of juice, a pitcher of water, and glasses for the royals. Melanie was asked to carry the silver, china and napkins to set their places.

The group then made their way to the sunroom, which glared brightly with the pale light reflected off the fresh-fallen snow. The walls were nearly entirely glass for how much of them was consumed by windows, and Yang-Wo couldn't help but be distracted by the picturesque view laid before him; the castle sat on a hill, and it looked over a beautiful, snow-covered valley that was filled with a dense forest; in fact, it was this precise forest that led across the valley and right up along the mountainside that he'd stood on the previous night.

Melanie set the table, and Yang-Wo placed the beverages at the side, standing beside them and ready to serve whatever the Prince or Princess asked. And, within moments, Their Hignesses were escorted in by their guard, gracefully taking their seats. Yang-Wo pulled out Xeneth's chair for him and bowed elegantly, forcing back the smile that fought to form on his mouth. Melanie seated the Princess, then bowed as well, silent as always when in the presence of royalty.

"Brother, isn't this view just superb!" Glaysia commented in a sparkling voice, clearly in a happy mood. "By the Spirits, Mount Ilna looks simply resplendent when blanketed in snow!"

"I agree," Xeneth replied, smiling politely. His voice too relayed a certain joy, though Yang-Wo already knew the reason for that. He flushed slightly inside his ears and bowed his head just a bit lower than usual, waiting for a command. Were he one of the castle servants, it would be proper for him to ask the Prince and Princess what they'd like to drink. Since he was a slave, it was better manners to wait until being told what to pour, lest he lose his tongue for speaking out of turn, just as Melnamourn had warned.

"Slave, I would like a blend of passion blossom nectar and karinja fruit juice, at a ratio of two to one," Glaysia commanded Yang-Wo off-handedly, clearly too happy to torture him, but not so happy as to not be particularly picky.

"Yes, Your Highness," Yang-Wo replied in his most respectful tone, following her instructions to the letter, her glass swirling with pink liquid.

Without being prompted, Adam unveiled their sumptuous breakfast and began serving them, each of them presented with a full plate, plus a small empty one for extra fruit, preserves, toast, and other delicacies that were set in the center of the table.

"So, why have Mother and your father decided not to join us today?" the Prince asked pleasantly, beginning his meal in earnest.

"Oh, I'm not quite sure. Something to do with the impending meeting, I'm told, though the Queen did not specify to Sennaven, and so he could not tell me. I imagine there is much to prepare. One does not conquer an entire continent by being lazy or by procrastinating, now does one?" Glaysia laughed in a silvery way, the sound cold as the snow outside.

"I would suppose not!" Xeneth replied with a grin, though as Yang-Wo gave him the tiniest glance, he could see the smile did not reach the wolf's eyes. And indeed, that same energy carried over to the slaves; Yang-Wo noticed that while Adam's and Melanie's demeanor and expressions hadn't changed, there was a certain look in their eyes that told how forlorn they were to hear about the continent's imminent demise.

Breakfast between the two siblings was for the most part uneventful, as Xeneth steered the subject away from the war. Yang-Wo was actually surprised by how cordial they were to each other, and how well they got along. Every time the cougar had been in the presence of the Princess, she had looked as though someone had just shoved something unpleasant under her nose, or otherwise angry. When she was alone with her stepbrother, she seemed quite at ease, even joyful.

"Well, that was delicious!" Xeneth said, happily patting his belly. "Shall we take a walk, Glaysia?"

"Actually, that sounds quite lovely! I shall have to get my cloak, it certainly is frigid this time of year!" She snapped her fingers in an offhand way, and Melanie rushed over and pulled her chair out for her, the Princess' guard quickly coming to stand at her sides once again.

Xeneth got up rather slowly, and Yang-Wo kept his eye on him; in the blink of an eye, the smallest scrap of parchment was slipped under the lip of the wolf's plate, and he gave the cougar a knowing glance before turning and walking away, not requiring someone to pull his chair out for him. His guard was on his heels in moments, and the royal party exited as quickly as they'd come.

Yang-Wo stepped in to begin lifting the plates and pawing them to Adam nervously, quickly slipping the note from Xeneth down the front of his skimpy uniform. Both Melanie and Adam noticed this, but neither said a word, cleaning up in silence and bringing the dirty dishes to the kitchen to be washed by servants.

Once back inside the harem, Yang-Wo rushed off to the corner without a word to anyone and quickly pulled out his note, reading the few words written in earnest:

_ Tonight, I shall collect you and a few others. I shall give them a task, and we will sneak to the dungeons to see your parents. I love you more than I can say. -Your Xeneth_

Yang-Wo's heart melted. He was certainly nervous-downright terrified-of sneaking about the castle with Xeneth, even with the wolf's authority to back him. It would definitely look suspicious if they were caught. But he couldn't help but gush at the sentiment at the end of the note, and when he read "Your Xeneth," all he could think was, My Xeneth...he's my Xeneth... and he sighed contentedly.

Through the din of talking and laughing and singing in the harem, Yang-Wo heard Adam's heavy footfalls coming toward him, given that the stone floor was trembling slightly from the horse's anger. Before anyone could spot the note or steal it and read it, Yang-Wo focused all his powers, hoping against hope that he might be able to work a power he'd never used.

"What did the Prince leave you?" Adam asked accusingly, reaching for the note, a look of sheer jealousy and rage on his face, his sinewy arms tensed.

Yang-Wo pulled back into the corner, trying to keep the note in his hands, thinking, Come on, work! I can do it!

Just as Adam's paw came within inches of snatching the note from Yang-Wo, it burst into flame, burning to cinders in seconds. The horse glared at the cougar-who smiled triumphantly back-and shouted with rage, "What did that say?!"

Yang-Wo gave him a contemptuous look and replied, "That's none of your concern."

Adam simply looked infuriated, and for a moment, he just shook with anger, staring the cougar down. Then, in an instant, his fists dropped with powerful force, and the stone around Yang-Wo's crouched body rose up and trapped him, holding him against the wall.

"ADAM!" Melanie cried from behind him, but he ignored her. The horse brought himself within inches of the cougar's face, gripping his feline chin in a strong, livid paw whose grip was painfully powerful.

"You belong to me... Remember that," he snarled in the cougar's face.

Yang-Wo could find no fear to react to this. He only found heartbreak and loathing. He was saddened that one of his best friends was turning on him in such a way, and he was furious that Adam wouldn't realize his supposed affections were not returned.

Before the cougar had the chance to say anything in reply, however, the horse released him and stalked off, the entire harem watching him storm into the baths.

Yang-Wo stood staring for several minutes, unable to fully react to what had happened. He could hear Melanie and others asking if he was all right, hugging him or cursing Adam, but he didn't even really notice them. His eyes remained locked, and he realized too late that something in him had snapped.

Suddenly, the air of the room was lifting him from his feet, and he was flying across the harem at top speed over the heads of his fellow slaves, shooting down the corridor and into the baths in a furious rage. He had never lost control like this, never been so enraged, and when his feet returned to the stone floor, it cracked beneath him, small fragments of stone hovering in midair, trembling in the aura of the cougar's powers.

He spotted Adam standing nude across from him, looking as though he had been about to climb into one of the baths, and on instinct, the cougar's arms flew up in a fluid, circular motion, manipulating the water in the baths into a swirling whirlpool around the horse. Adam tried to break free by attempting to bend the water to his own will, and was quickly shut down by the might of Yang-Wo's fury, the equine's entire body engulfed in fluid. With a push of the cougar's paws, the massive wave crushed Adam's body against the stone wall of the chamber. Before the cougar knew what his instincts were doing, his paws were working again; with his left, he manipulated the earth to lock the horse to the wall in much the same way as he himself had been just moments before, and with his right, his fingers pulled in a drawing motion, sucking the air up from the horse's lungs and out of his mouth, suffocating him.

Yang-Wo flew across the room at him and encased the horse's throat in earth, securing him even more tightly, and choking him entirely. He put his face right next to Adam's, looking into his fearful and popping eyes, and whispered in a venomous tone ten times more deadly than any angry shout. "I am no man's object, and I won't be bullied by you or anyone else. I am through being the object of your desire, and I am done being friends with a man who does not appreciate my friendship. If you so much as look at me crossly again, I will drain you of every breath of air and every drop of water until you shrivel into an empty husk. Do I make myself absolutely plain?"

Adam's eyes enlarged further, and he nodded slightly, looking as though he might black out at any moment, his whole body trembling in fright.

"Good," said Yang-Wo, and with a distinct lowering of his paws, the earthen shackles fell away, and the horse gasped a rattling breath, falling to the floor.

And Yang-Wo stalked out of the baths looking calm and serene, even happy, knowing in his heart that he would never allow anyone to ever take advantage of him or abuse him again.