Failed Espionage

The entrance hall was buzzing with conversation as the nobles stood around waiting. On the dais, in the throne, sat the king. His head was in his hand, boredom lined his features as he stared at the doors opposite him, waiting for them to open. His hair was blonde with dark gold roots. His eyes a deep blue set into a broad yet sculpted face. His jaw was square and firm and his nose straight with softly rounded nostrils. His hair was pulled back and away from his face by the crown on his head and his lips were pressed into a thin line. His suit was white with gold trim, a cloak covered his shoulders and fanned out under him in the same coloring and trim. His boots were a glossy black and the cuffs of them a solid gold. Over all, his royal lineage showed. Usually he'd sit straight on his throne, making his imposingly tall figure that much more prominent on the dais, but as it was, he was bored.
It had been his idea to wait, putting off his usual hearings to the people to deal with this, but it still bored him none the less. The nobles were also beginning to drawl, wondering why he had bothered at all. Usually when one was punished it was not... so dramatic. Yet this? The king surely was mad. None could tell what he was thinking however, as his gaze lingered on the door.

Finally, after what felt like centuries the door opened. Through it walked two guards, with a man between them. The man was stunningly beautiful, not in a masculine and commanding way like the king, but like a house cat who's fur shown in the sunlight. He was sleek, with long black hair and a soft yet pointed face. The way it was framed by his hair made the face look longer and more exotic and his eyes were a soft black as well, giving nothing away. His face was void of emotion. The mans body was lean yet muscular, the clothing on him almost giving away everything with how it clung to his frame. Soft brown leggings and an open white shirt were all he had on. His feet were bare, the only accessory he sported was the manacles around his wrists. Until a day ago he had been one of the kings closest friends. Until his position in the other kingdom had been learned. A spy, and a damn good one at that.

-Marius-

He kept his head high as he walked through the large double doors. The king had sat up as he had been brought in, but not fast enough that Marius had not noticed the bored expression on his face before it was gone. Now all he saw was a man made of stone. Once his close friend, now his enemy once more. A spy... yes. He was that. A damn good one as well. He just never expected he would grow so close to the king of this kingdom, so fond of the way he ruled. Yet his own country still mattered more and when given the ultimatum to give up his own king and renounce his vows to him or face punishment, possibly death, Marius had refused.

Reaching the foot of the dais he was made to kneel, the whispers around him grew louder as the king remained silent. 'traitor' 'how could he' 'disgraceful' 'slut'. All words he had heard before, all the more cutting now. Among friends, he had also been one of the kings lovers. The memory made his lips thin into a straight line for a second before he carefully neutralized his expression. Too close to his job. He had been here to be an informant... and he let emotions soil that job. It was his mistake.

"Marius... you stand before your king..." His head snapped up as the king began to speak. "You are not my king, Lord Demetri." His words cut in, calm but scathing. The look that flashed through Demetri's gaze was too quick to catch, though if he had been left to guess Marius would have pegged it as hurt. Good.

"Marius, you stand ... or kneel, if we are being literal, before me today because you have been found informing our allies to the east of our every move.... Do you dare deny this?" Marius remained silent as Demetri recited the charges. Everyone in the room knew why Demetri was there. Everyone understood this. Yet Demetri drug it out anyways. "I shall take your silence as a no. Normally, this act would cause you to be executed. However, I feel that is the cowards way out."

The murmur in the room grew again. Also, some snickering. It seemed some people in the room knew the sentence that was going to be carried out. His gaze glanced around the room, trying to gain a hint. Until it landed on the group... affectionately known as the royal Harem. A group of whores used by any and all nobles who wished for a good time... with no consequence. The looks on half their faces was smug, the others... sad. A sinking feeling settled into the pit of his stomach as he looked back towards the king.

Demetri had seen where his gaze had landed, he could tell by the way the light danced in the mans eyes. He seemed almost delighted at the words that were coming next. "You shall here by be stripped of any title you held and put to work in the Royal Harem hence forth and until you are of no use, or dead." Demetri's eyes narrowed a fraction on that last part, the insinuation towards suicide clear. Perhaps the harem thing had not been his idea after all.

Marius said not a word though hatred filled his gaze as he looked towards the king. It had been one thing in the kingdom that he himself had despised. The harem, a terrible place that was just for the nobles folly. The boys and girls in it were not even given a choice, usually sold off by their parents to pay some awful debt. It was the reason he could not stand the kingdom and still worked for his king. The irony was not lost on him as he was removed from the main chambers to be drug towards the harem wing.

-3 months later-

He dunked his head in the tub of water in his room, the chain on his leg tinkling as he shifted his stance to support his weight better, so he would not tip over. After a short time he pulled his head up again, flinging his head back so his wet hair would settle back into place as he ran his hands through it to clean it. His gaze went to his reflection in the mirror and he could not help the sneer that appeared on his face. Several piercings had been added to his body to ... heighten pleasure... as it were. There were also other markings, dark red and black across his body in various places, left by various people. Attached to his ankle was a single cuff, with a chain that led to one of the legs of the bed. He was effectively chained into the room. The chain extended far enough for him to reach the water basin and the toilet. After that it cut him off. He could not leave. Though he'd be damned if he offed him self because of it.

He gripped the towel on the near by stand and ran it over his hair before reaching out to grip the brush and the black powder box. Dipping the brush against his tongue he touched it to the powder, soaking it before applying it to his eye lids around his eyes, effectively darkening the lines around them. It gave him a more exotic look, and some how helped him retain his pride. The king wanted this to be a crushing blow, he wanted him to collapse and beg , or kill himself. Marius would not . He would not bend to this. He just had to bide his time till he could be free.

As he was wrapping a towel around his waste and straightening his still damp hair further he heard the door open from behind him. He did not even bother to look around as he heard it, no interest in whoever had come to see him this time. "If you wait on the bed I shall be over momentarily. Just finishing cleaning up." His words were emotionless as they came out. His voice sounded completely dead to his own ears.

The person did not respond but he could hear them move across the room. The door clicked shut silently of its own accord as it was left. The foot steps did not move towards the bed though, the floor board creaking allowed Marius to know the person was moving towards him. He turned to face them with a look of ...

Whatever look he was going to put on his face disappeared and cold indifference surfaced as he saw Demetri standing in front of him. The man looked cold and unfeeling as ever. Though his gaze ran over Marius's body, inspecting it as if it were a piece of meat.

Marius could not help the feeling of heat that spread through his body as he looked at his once lover. The man had damned him to this place but he still set fire to his loins just by being near him. He could smell the soft scent of sandal wood that drifted off the other, he had just washed himself. His clothing was crisp and clean as always, and it set Marius on edge. Then the anger returned and he turned away from Demetri once more.

He knew he had no right to be mad. He had been the traitor. Though it was his job it was still a lousy thing to do. He should have left, should have gone home and said the mission was impossible for him. Yet he hadn't. He had stayed, he had been courted. He had been bedded.... and he had been caught. All because he could not walk away. yet he was still mad.

"You are still alive." Demetri's voice cut through the fog of anger. It was deep and emotionless as always.

Marius did not reply for a while, his fingers curling against the water basin. His jaw worked as he fought to try and figure out what he wanted to say at all. Yet before he could say anything, or think to say anything, he felt Demetri's hand run up his side. Immediately he jerked away, nearly spilling the water in his haste. His chain rattled as he pressed himself back against the basin, a look of hatred crossing him.

He could see the way the other reacted, the recoil and hurt that filled his expression before it was carefully smoothed away. "I am. Now that you see I am not as weak as you thought, feel free to leave, your Highness." Marius's words held no warmth, using them like a scythe to cut away at Demetri. He could tell it worked ,as the other's jaw set and his lips folded into a firm line.

"I will do as I please, slut. That includes what I please." Again Demetri's gaze went over Marius's body. Again he could feel himself stir at the way he was being looked at, as if Demetri's look alone was enough to bring him to climax. Yet he could also feel the ache for the man's touch. Damn his traitorous body.

Demetri's gaze lingered on his hips, long enough for him to see the way the towel had moved and seemed to spread away from Marius's body as he grew hard. He colored Marius's cheeks but he did not look away, did not back down.

Demetri's hand reached out to grip the edge of the towel, where Marius had it tied, and Marius reached out to stop him, his fingers curling over the other mans wrist. Demetri looked up at him for that and jerked his arm towards himself, effectively pulling Marius closer.

Heat and nerves flooded Marius's body at the closeness of Demetri. He could not forget the way the other made him feel and that just made him more angry. He glanced away, his gaze and head turning to the side as he did so, refusing to meet the man's eyes, the kings eyes.

Demetri said nothing, simply moved his hand to grip Marius's chin, his head dipping closer to Marius's as he did so. With the hold on his chin he moved Marius's gaze and head back to facing him. HIs lips nearly brushing against Demetri's as he did so. Demetri was bigger than him, broader too. It made Marius feel oddly dainty and frail next to the other man. IT was not a feeling he had initially liked, and now it did not work for him at all. At some point he had grown to like it, the way it made him feel safe and secure. Now it just made it glaringly obvious of the status difference.

That was what Marius needed. He put his hand on Demetri's chest and pushed. The action caught Demetri off guard and the other let go of him, stepping back as he was directed. The look of shock on his face did not go unnoticed. Marius stepped away as well, pulling the chain taught against his ankle as he did so. "You should go..." His words were soft but evident. The hurt in them was clear despite his efforts to veil it.

"Marius..." Demetri said his name and it came out as a throat-ed rumble... half sorrow half desire. Marius swallowed hard but again looked away from the other. He was foolish to think he could have ever ended up with a king. He should have known better, had known better, and did it anyways. He could almost hear the mocking laughter that had been his first few nights in this hell hole. The way the others were amused by his fall from grace.

"The king has gotten his wish, his slut has become a true slut, open for any and all to use. His highness should be glad of it, the nobles have taken heartily to the punishment dolled out." His words put further distance between them as he no longer tried to mask the hurt in them. Death he could have handled. This, this was was worse. This was not something Marius could tolerate and it began to show.

He did not know when, but at some point he began to cry, tears of frustration soaking his cheeks as he stood there. Months he had been  putting up with being a sack of meat for others to use. Months he had been locked in this room, unable to see the sun, or feel a breeze. Months of ... he would be sick if he thought on it longer. Treated like nothing more then cattle or furniture to the useless nobles. Nobles he scorned and resented. His hand moved up to wipe away the tears but found they were already gone and in their place was Demetri's hand.

When had Demetri moved closer to him again? Was he so distraught he was not even paying attention? Yet even as he thought about this he could feel himself pressing into the warmth of Demetri's chest, could feel the rise and fall of his breathing as he laid his head on his shoulder and pulled himself closer still. No matter how hurt, no matter what pain... Marius still wanted Demetri to love him. He wanted , like a fool, to be with the king.

"Who's your king Marius?" Demetri's words were soft as his fingers stroked through Marius's hair. His other hand gripping his waist and holding him close as the only thing that separated them was a towel and Demetri's clothing.

"You... Demetri... you are my king..." His words were soft yet firm. Why had he not said that three months ago? Stubborn pride... and a hatred for this damn harem.

"I am removing the harem... and making you my one and only concubine. You will never be married to me... not after betraying me... but you will forever be mine...." Demetri's words froze Marius in his tracks as he heard that. The words were said as if from some crazy fantasy.

That got Marius to look up. Demetri's gaze was strong yet earnest. He meant every word he had said. Marius was no longer going to be a community toilet, further more the others in this place would not be such either. No more abuse would be served at the handles of the nobles, not sanctified anyways.

Marius moved his hands up Demetri's chest, across his neck and to his face. Pulling his head down he moved him into a kiss. Some how, in such a short visit, Marius found himself in love again. All the pain, all the anger evaporating as relief washed over him. Demetri still wanted him.