Chapter 27 A Step Forward

“How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine,” Kari grumbled sulkily while trying to remove himself from the alpha’s clutches.

Ryedir was having none of it, however.

“You were having a bad nightmare last night.”

Kari pulled his chin out of the large hand and lay his head back down on the man’s chest. It was still embarrassing, but he was still too tired to care too much. It was better than looking into those knowing eyes, anyway.

“I’m fine.”

Ryedir made an unconvinced noise in the back of his throat but said nothing else. Instead, he sat up, pulling the omega into his lap and pursuing the tray of food. Kari groaned and was about to protest any more hand feeding but they were interrupted by a slightly ruffled-looking Trois.

Apparently, some merchants from abroad were demanding an audience right away, causing a scene downstairs and the alpha’s presence was required. He could have sworn Ryedir actually sighed in disappointment before he slipped Kari back into the blankets with instructions to sleep more after eating.

Nevis hovered over Kari as he ate, looking worried.

“Are you sure you’re okay? You look a bit pale.”

“It was just a nightmare, it's fine.”

“Master sounded worried though.”

Kari sighed as he stretched his abused muscles, wincing as they protested. “I’m just beat over the whole training thing. My whole body hurts.”

“Oh. I don’t quite understand why you want to learn how to fight but Trois said it was an alpha-omega mate thing and that I wouldn’t understand. He said you thought it was your fault the prince got hurt, right?”

Kari flinched and looked down at the tray, avoiding the beta’s eyes.

“It’s not your fault. It’s that assassin’s fault and the bastard who hired him.” Kari looked up at Nevis in surprise at the language. It wasn’t often the mild-mannered beta would call someone names. Nevis was looking rather fiery eyed over the whole thing. “But I guess you’ll both be extra safe next time. Anyway, you must be really looking forward to your heat and the whole mating thing.”

Kari flushed instantly and stared wide eyed at the beta. It was the first time he had mentioned it and his friend flushed at the gaping expression on his face.

“Ah, sorry. But I figured you would be keen to lose the collar and be Master’s lover rather than his slave.” Kari froze in place but Nevis carried on oblivious. “I mean, you’ll still have to wear the collar when you are out or when there are visitors for protection until you learn about our culture. But I think lover suits you better than slave. You both seem to be getting pretty close already and it was my first time seeing Master so possessive.”

“It surprised all of us because it was the first time that master accepted a pleasure slave, but when I saw you, I knew why. You’re so pretty! You had a very unique hair color and you had eyes like the sky and ocean. You’re skin is as white as the clouds! But it was not just that. You’re really nice and determined.” Kari flushed at Nevis’s words.

The beta laughed. “Looking back at it, Master never really treated you as just a slave since the beginning. He was gentle on you, takes care of you. He made you sleep on his bed and he doesn’t make you sit by his feet. You know, pleasure slaves were looked after by their master but not personally attended by them. And they never sleep with their master and was always made to stay by their master’s feet.” Kari was surprised by such revelations.

The beta grinned at his friend cheekily. “I wonder if the prince will organize a party or something. People don’t really marry here but Trois said it’s really common in Aithyean culture though. Here it’s just if you want a contract between two people for land or money or things like that. But I guess it is a little more romantic.”

The beta rambled on about Ryedir to having a big party once they were mated but Kari was no longer listening.

Lover?

That wasn’t part of the choice he had been given.

“You can become mine in all ways, I will mate and bond you, or you can be sold as an exotic little pleasure slave to the local brothels. I will have you willingly or you will be broken so that no one can have you.”

There was nothing about lover in there. But he had referred to him as ‘personal property’.

“If you choose to be mine, then I will look after both yourself and any offspring that may arise as befits your station, personal property of a prince.”

Since when was a lover property? Yet as much as he grumbled and challenged the alpha, he never really treated him as property, other than a few small liberties taken.

Like that kiss.

Kari tried to focus back on the beta’s enthusiastic planning but now that he remembered the feeling of Ryedir’s body pressed against his, warm lips sliding together and tongues wrapped around each other, he couldn’t bring himself to think of anything else.

Oh please Yhieris, what’s happening to me?

*****

Kari was feeling out of it as Nevis helped him dress. He had gone back to sleep only to be plagued by the same nightmares that must have visited in the night. Nevis had shaken him awake after he heard him crying out in distress.

The omega trembled as the beta carefully wrapped him in the blankets and sat him on the edge of the bed while he scurried about getting Kari’s clothes ready for the day.

He chattered away as though attempting to distract him and he appreciated the effort, focusing on his words and letting the last vestiges of the dreams slip away. Memories of inhuman screams and dripping crimson fled in the warm sunlight of the day.

Nevis knelt by the bed and peered up at Kari as though assessing him. “Will you be okay to be Master’s server today for his meeting?”

“I’ll be fine.” He couldn’t help the note of exasperation slip into his voice. That question had been asked far too much this morning.

The beta nodded and unwrapped Kari from his blanket cocoon before helping him into his more formal wear, complete with the four silver armbands from Brier.

“Did you want to talk about it? I know you have Master but I’m here too if you want.”

“It’s fine,” Kari mumbled, refusing to meet his friend’s eyes. It had been hard enough to talk to the alpha and he turned out to already know about it. Agonizing over it was not going to help him move forward.

“Kari…”

The omega sighed and followed Nevis as they made their way to one of the entertaining rooms to set up early for the meeting later.

“It’s just…I…” He had to take a deep breath before ploughing on ahead. “I did some bad things in the past and it comes back every now and then. Guess it’s my punishment.” He gave a bitter laugh at the end. It felt like the understatement of the century but Nevis didn’t need to know the details.

Nevis remained silent for a few minutes before he spoke, sounding thoughtful. “There’s more to it, isn’t there? You don’t seem like someone who would just hurt people. That’s what you did, right? Hurt someone? I can’t see anything else giving you nightmares.”

Kari was silent for a long time before he replied and when he spoke it was the barest whisper.

“I killed some people to protect other people. I didn’t plan to live after that. Guess the guilt is catching up.”

“I know you didn’t become a slave willingly.” Kari finally looked up at the beta in confusion over the sudden change of topic. Nevis carried on while he organized the serving tray in front of him. “Normally here in Niamrea, forced slavery is frowned upon. Don’t get me wrong, it happens, but not as often as you would think. There is one exception to that rule though.

“Criminals can be forced into slavery against their will as a way to redeem themselves for past deeds. That’s why it’s rude to pry into people’s pasts. Once you are a slave, the slate is wiped clean. No past, no future. So, by the very act of being made a slave you have paid for your past. Once you work your way to freedom, you then gain a future once again and you complete your apology for your wrongdoings.”

“Does anyone actually get freed?”

Nevis nodded. “Yep. You might spend the rest of your life with your freedom lost, but that’s your punishment, you know? But getting freed is fairly common. Trois is one.”

“Really?” Kari was surprised. The man didn’t act as though he had been a slave once upon a time.

“Mhmm. He was born into slavery and was the prince’s first ever slave. He freed him a few years ago, and he is the first one in his family for generations to have two names. He picked the name Trois himself, before then he was only known by Morse.”

“You can be born into slavery?”

“If both parents are currently slaves, then yes. Often, they will ask their master about having a child and a condition is set if they agree. Trois mentioned once that he was trained as a steward right from when he was little and then sold once he reached eighteen. Like a way to pay back the master for all the years of clothing and food and stuff. He still writes to his mother, she’s a maid in the capital.”

Kari thought about that for a while. The idea of giving his freedom as penance was interesting. It helped actually, he felt a little less guilty over the whole thing.

His freedom meant the most in the world to him, so giving that up was a just punishment, right? He could never change what had happened, around thousands lives taken by him alone but maybe, just maybe this was a way forward.