Chapter 80

chapter Seventy-three

"But you haven't even seen what I can offer you. Just imagine it Damion, you can eat and drink like this every day. I'll provide you a room, right here in my palace. Help me with the Princess, and once I have my heir, I'll give her back. She'll be yours. I'll even let you both oversee Thambair if you wished it, as long as you follow my orders. You see, I have to connect our lands. Quimbled is too far for us to be able to ship enough food to my troops to be practical. Thambair has five times the fields and farms that I have, and I have five times the people. I need to care for them better than I am, I know that. But without the provisions needed, I can't meet the demand. So, my proposal has less to do with the academy, and more to do with a need. Volencia's not really my type either, I prefer my maidens willing and eager, which she never will be."

Damion had to push the image of her splashing in the tub, laughing with him out of his mind. He hadn't realized he was smiling. "What? Ye like this idea?" The second dwarf asked, glaring.

"Perhaps... some details would have to be worked out before deciding I'm interested."

*You're just bluffing, right?* The Chiaro asked.

"You would just give her over to them then?" Chirbon said aloud, his foot tapped the ground as he swirled his wine.

Claven laughed, "Soon it won't matter. I'm going to show you exactly why you don't need her. Come, let me show you what else I have to offer." He leaned into Aveline, whispering in her ear. Her cheeks turned red, and she stood, flittering toward him.

"My, *Master*, wants to know if you would like me now or if you'd prefer to see if there's another who might catch your fancy in the Pleasure Room." Aveline's green gossamer wings fluttered. She barely came above Damion's waist with both of them standing. Unlike the other slaves, she was adorned with silver chains and purple and green fabric. It was just as little covering, but it wasn't see-through like theirs.

*Trust me, please?* He begged of Chirbon.

Damion paced away from her, "I'd rather see what else you have. It would be interesting to see if you have something that could... quench... a certain thirst." Aveline froze, looking over at Claven. "But, you and I need to... talk about what that is, so that you understand what I'm looking for. I need to approve it through you, since it's a little... on the questionable side."

"My favorite side." Claven laughed, hooking elbows. "The rest of you follow in a moment with Reniza. Damion and I have a few things to discuss, apparently."

"Is this wise, Damion?" Gregron asked. "I would prefer to stay with you."

Damion nodded, "You're welcome come with us. Since you're already more than aware of what I'm looking for." He agreed without hesitation but worried his elder wouldn't be able to keep up. Before he started walking, he turned, making eye contact with Chirbon. *No matter what you see, it all comes down to wanting to get Gareth's pregnant wife out of here and any of the others we can save. That's the goal, no matter what I say. Make sure to bring Gareth, we may need his sword.*

The Chirobi stretched and yawned, a barely perceptible nod hidden in the movement. "How far is it?"

"Not very. A small walk." Claven loosened his robes, letting his chest show almost down to his navel. "You should make yourself more comfortable. Everyone likes to be rubbed down by beautiful folk. And those in my private collection are the loveliest you'll ever see." Damion didn't pull away as Claven's hand loosened his tunic, revealing more of his chest. His fingers warm on his skin. "You're the most beautiful though. Even fully clothed, you send my senses reeling. Anyway, you wanted to talk? I'm not going to lie, I'm praying to the gods, for the first time in my life, that you're about to tell me I'm the one who can satisfy your dark and dirty desires."

Damion looked around the hall, everything looked exactly the same as before. He wondered if this whole palace wasn't just one big marble labyrinth. This would be the moment of truth. "Perhaps. That's all going to depend on you." The noise from the others sounded behind them. They'd literally only waited a moment before following, which suited Damion just fine.

"Tell me, it's just us, and well, your... friend. Though, I wouldn't say no to allowing him to join in if that were your preference." Damion looked back, smiling at Gregron who made a face at them.

"That would be... interesting, wouldn't it?" Damion laughed at the horror in Gregron's eyes. "Anyway, there's a-a darkness in me-"

"Sweet, big, innocent you? I doubt that." Claven laughed, his violet eyes however looked him over with interest until Damion shot him an angry glare.

"Don't patronize me. I'm telling you something very few folk know. You're making me second guess confiding in you." Damion stiffened beside him feigning offence.

"My deepest apologies," Claven crooned, rubbing Damion's arm, "Considering our last few meetings though, you must understand that I don't believe you're giving me an actual secret." Damion growled deep in his throat. "Oh, don't act so surprised. Why would you confide in me? You don't even particularly like me."

Damion sighed, allowing his turmoil to show on his face before pulling his features into a stoic anger. "I see a similar darkness in you." It didn't go unnoticed their steps had slowed and the others stalled in the corridor. Claven remained silent, motioning with his hand for Damion to continue. "I hurt folk, and I enjoy it. I enjoy the Princess very much, but it's because she fears me. I can do whatever pleases me when it comes to her, and she reacts out of fear. That's where my pleasure lies. I can have my way with her and leave her crying in the middle of the night, and she still begs me to come back, to do it all over again. She's afraid to lose me to you. She knows without my strength and magic, she doesn't stand a chance against the Empire." Gregron grumbled behind them, catching Claven's attention. Damion grabbed his chin though, forcing him to look up into his eyes, "I want to hurt you even now."

As expected, Claven's violet eyes looked at him with excitement. He wasn't expecting the Prince to grab him by the nape, pulling him down into a frenzied kiss. Damion's hands clenched under the assault, his mind screaming at him to move, his muscles refusing. Claven sucked Damion's lip into his mouth, biting him. Hard.

Everyone in the hall gasped as Damion's hand shot up to Claven's throat, the other grabbing his hip. Their lips didn't part as Damion lifted Claven off his feet, half strangling him and shoved him against the wall, pressing their bodies together. He put all his anger into the kiss. All his disgust. How he treated Volencia, the anguish the prince put his folk through. Damion squeezed Claven's throat harder and the elf moaned under him, working his hands at Damion's belt and tunic frantically.

The beast inside Damion wanted to roar. To kill him right now. But that wasn't an option. Instead, he growled low and fierce into Claven's mouth before releasing him and stepping back.

"Please," Claven tried to pull him back into an embrace, "don't stop." Claven's eyes were wide, but not with fear. His voice was husky and his hands shook as he pulled at Damion.

Stepping back out of Claven's reach, Damion looked at the others. Some of them were primed and ready for attack. "Your men thought I was attacking you." Damion folded his arms over his chest, trying to pretend Gregron wasn't looking at him like he had two heads. "In this state, I can't promise I won't kill them if they make a move."

"Who cares about them. Have you ever been with a man before?" Claven reached down, straightening his robes. He licked at the blood dripping down his chin. Damion's lip throbbed, and as he touched his own tongue to it, he realized, that was his blood dripping down Claven's chin. His stomach flip-flopped. Ughh.

"I have." Damion lied, "Though I like being the one in control."

He was still breathing heavily as his eyes devoured Damion, his tunic open to his sternum. "I've been with thousands of folk, nearly every race, and I've never been kissed like that. Let's leave them to their own devices, they'll go get their own sport. I need to have you, now, before I explode. If that kiss was anything, I think you want me too."

Damion pressed a hand through his hair. His brain was muddled, the darkness called for blood. His lips curling into a smirk as he allowed the beast to react. In a few quick steps, he had Claven pinned to the wall again. One hand on either side of his head.

"I'll kill you myself if any of you try to interfere." It was the fairy king speaking to the others.

Damion leaned in close. "You like to hurt. I like to feel the fear, you can't give me what I want."

In a bold move, Claven grabbed Damion's face, their lips almost touching. "Then let's go get someone who can." Though he attempted to smile, Damion was sure he only bared his teeth and growled. This whole charade was making him sick. Pushing Damion away, he brushed past him and stood before a door. When he turned, he gave Damion a cock of his finger, and swung the door open.

Elves, fairies, and humans of various different skin colors were all already entertaining themselves. As Claven walked into the room, they stopped, untangling from each other to bow, no matter what they were doing. "These are my favorites. Though, none of them will suite your interests." Claven touched a few of them as he walked past.

Damion looked each one in the eye. They didn't look like he imagined Claven's harem would. They were excited, even happy to see him. "I could be anything you want." A young dark-skinned elf pulled the back of his tunic untucking it from his pants. "What a fine sword you have." Damion looked behind him, glad Gregron was staying close. Some of the others filed in, quickly selecting their prizes and going to a curtained room to the side.

"Just wait until you see it unsheathed." Gregron commented. Claven stopped, turning, one of his eyes twitched.