The nude boy lying on the bed was normally very beautiful, but right now he was not a pretty sight. He had an enormous black eye, the eye swollen almost shut, and a large bruise on his left cheek and his nose was bloody as was a split lip. Ninety percent of his body was covered with raw weals from a whip, some of them seeping blood. His name was Terrion and he was barely conscious from the terrible beating he has just received from his father.

He heard but was barely aware of the conversation taking place above him. "My Lord, someday you are going to go too far and I will be unable to Heal him. What will you do then."

The boy flinched as he heard his father's cruel arrogant voice, "Well then he will just disappear like other children of noble families have done in the last few months. And I will be very distraught that my son has been kidnapped. None in this household will dare say different."

The voices fade and a welcome blackness overtakes Terrion at this point.

*****

It was several days later and Terrion was wandering through Camara's streets. The bruises are gone but not forgotten and every second he spent at home brought him closer to more. He spends as much time away from home as possible yet he dare not stay away for too long, for if he was not in reach when his father was in the mood to play, then the beating will be even worse.

With his curly blond hair, small upturned nose and enormous brown eyes he the eye of many who see him. But there are no smiles in return. His face remains solemn and always watchful. For those few who talk to him, he just turns away, for he cannot answer them. Terrion is mute.

He took a look at the sun, and with dread he knows it is time to head for home. He knows this area very well, he has spent much time wandering through it. He takes a narrow, seldom traveled alleyway that will lead out onto the street on which he lives.

Ahead of him, he sees two men seemingly just standing and having a conversation. But he can see they are regarding him intently, much too intently. His heart begins to thump in his small chest, and he pauses, hesitating. Perhaps they intend to rob him. Rich children often have money to spend in their belt pouches. But Terrion never receives money from his father, his belt pouch was empty, and unlike most noble children, he was never allowed to carry a dagger or belt knife.

They will be very angry, perhaps angry enough to kill. He thought about this. There was no fear. His heart was no longer thumping but was beating evenly. His eyes light up and his nostrils flare, not in fear but excitement. Even death will be better than to be beaten senseless three or four times a month. And it would deprive his father of great pleasure. That thought pleased him and provides him with a great deal of satisfaction.

Terrion started walking towards the men. They are obviously surprised. They assumed he would run. That was why there was a man following the boy. He was not aware of the soft-footed one behind him. The first awareness the boy had is when he was grabbed around the waist and a cloth was pressed over his mouth and nose. The man was ready for a violent struggle but there was none. The boy goes quietly into darkness.

Terrion woke slowly from the drugged sleep. He can hear several boyish voices around him. He opens his eyes. He was surprised to be still alive. He pushes himself to his elbows and looks around. He was in a cell, and he can see there are two other cells as well. In his cell there are four other boys, ranging in age from about a year younger to a year or so older. Only one of the other boys was crested, that was tattooed with the crest of his family on the right arm just below the shoulder, indicative of nobility.

In the other cells, he can see half a dozen other youngsters. All of them are boys. None of them was over eleven and the youngest was perhaps six. All of the children in the three cells, including Terrion are naked. Three of the boys in the cell with Terrion ignore him but the other crested boy comes over and kneels beside him.

He had just turned nine so was only six months older than. Terrion and he was a cute redhead with bright green eyes. "Hi, my name was Jaran Volsen. What's your name. I don't recognize your crest."

Terrion touched his mouth and then shook his head.

Jaran focused his eyes on Terrion, "You can't talk?" and Terrion nodded. "I'm sorry." Terrion just shrugged. He looked at the other boys who were ignoring them and then raised an eyebrow at Jaran.

"Oh, don't worry about them, they don't like nobles very much, and since we're all going to be sold as slaves anyway they think that we're the same."

Terrion thinks wryly, *Well if their master was anything like my father I certainly can't blame them for that.*

"Hey," said Jaran excitedly. "Do that again!"

Surprised Terrion looks at him, *Do what!*

"That," Jaran exclaimed with glee. "I heard you, you must be a Mind-speaker like me."

*What's a Mind-speaker?* wonders Terrion.

"That's an ability that some Magic Users have to speak mind to mind without having to talk. Some Mind-speakers can read or speak with anyone but I'm only strong enough to do it with another Mind-speaker. I have to talk at the same time as well to make my thoughts clear enough to be heard."

The two boys were now sitting crosslegged knees touching knees. *Oh, well I guess I can introduce myself then. I'm Terrion Wymark. My father holds County Wymark in the south.*

Jaran reached out and touched a lock of his blond hair hanging down on his forehead. "I figured you were from the south. You don't see that color of hair in the north. As I said my names Jaran Volsen and my father's Baron Volsen. I'm from the northwest." He took a lock of his own hair hanging down in bangs on his forehead in his right hand and looked at it cross-eyed. "Redheads are pretty common up there."

"How did they get you. I was with some friends and I got separated from them. Somebody grabbed me from behind and covered my mouth and nose with a cloth. I fought like crazy but I didn't have a chance. I ended up waking up here three days ago."

Terrion thought, *I was heading home and I went through an alley. I saw a couple of men. I figured they planned to rob me. I hoped when they found out I had nothing of value that they would be angry enough to kill me.* Looking around the room, he continued, *I didn't know that they planned to steal me.*

He looked at Jaran his brown eyes holding green eyes. *I'm sorry for you and for them,* he waved his head around at the other youngster's, *But for me I'm glad.*

"You want to be slave?" Jaran squeaked.

*I do not think it can be any worse than living with my father.* the quiet intensity in which his mind spoke, held Jaran's complete attention, *My father loves to hurt people. He was an Empath but he was twisted. He loves to cause pain. When I joined him in the capital three years ago, he did not show that side of himself to me for several months. But when I found it impossible to learn how to read and write he seemed to change.*

*But for my sixth birthday he gave me what he called a special present. He whipped me. Not the half a dozen lashes most children get as punishment. No, he counted them as he lashed me. He didn't stop till he had counted to one hundred.*

*He said he would be easy on me that day but still my back was covered in weals. None that day drew blood. That day...* he thought bitterly. *He has a pet Healer who'll do whatever he wants. He had him waiting until he was finished and had him Heal me. Of course it took more than one day but within three days all the sign of the beating was gone.*

*He seemed in great good humor for the next two weeks but of course I felt apprehensive about being in his presence. At the end of the two weeks he beat me again. This time he did not start with the whip. I was on the floor playing with some toys and he was passing. He stopped and then just kicked me in the groin. The pain was incredible. He kicked me half a dozen times in the ribs and legs.*

*And then he said he would really let me know what it was like this time and began to use the whip on me again. He began counting as he had the first time. I do not know how many strokes he gave me this time. The last number I remember was over two hundred and he did not limit himself to my back.*

*When I awoke his pet Healer was working on me and there were weals all over my body, front and back and quite a few of them were seeping blood."*

*After that the beatings came every week or ten days. The minimum was one hundred lashes, I do not know what the maximum was. I always passed out before he reached that amount.*

Jaran was appalled, "But that's not right and it's illegal. I know as children, we don't have many rights, but that type of brutality was forbidden. He should have been up before the King for that."

*Who was to tell the King,* Terrion shrugged, *His pet Healer? He told me once that he was glad I was beaten so often. That the practice was building up his power very nicely and his business was thriving as a result. The servants? I got little sympathy from them and besides they were terrified of him and wouldn't have dared to inform anyone.*

*Me? I was not aware that it was wrong. I thought all parents had the right to beat their children as brutally as they wished. Also even if I had known, I am mute. I could not have told anyone.*

*And as I said I've never been able to learn how to read and write. The letters simply don't make any sense to me. And I didn't know about Mind-speaking until right now. So what could I do? But I was like the servants, I probably wouldn't have dared anyway.*

"But as slaves we won't have any rights at all." Jaran protested.

Terrion shrugged. *Perhaps it will be worse, but perhaps it will be better. Since we can't do anything about it we'll have to wait and see. But what would we do as slaves. We're too little too do much work.*

Jaran stuffed his hand in his mouth and giggled, "They're only kidnapping pretty boys. They intend our work to be done in a man's bed."

Seeing Terrion puzzled work, Jaran asked, "You don't know much about sex do you?"

*Much,* thinks Terrion, throwing up his hands, *I don't know anything about sex.* Suddenly there was the sound of a gong.

"Damn," said Jaran. "That's the sound of the dinner gong. The sex will have to wait, once they bang that gong, you've only got a few minutes to get your food or you miss out.

*****

"Well you serve in a man's bed by taking his penis up your bum or in your mouth. If it's your bum it's called fucking. Depending on who you ask, it's either terribly painful, painful yet feels good at the same time or just feels good." Jaran explained. Something was going on so Jaran was explaining some of what he knows. "I heard one of the men say that those who are crested would be sent all the way to the Madron capital but most of the others would probably be sold to boy brothels on the way."

"And before you ask, a brothel is where a man goes and pay prostitutes money for sex. At an ordinary brothel it's with a women and obviously, at a boy brothel, a man pays to have sex with a boy prostitute."

*How do you know so much about brothels.* asks Terrion.

Jaran looks serious. "Madron isn't the only place they have them you know. Only in Camron they're usually indentured servants. I have a friend at home, whose father was a merchant. When he was nine his father had to sell his services as an indentured servant and the boy brothels offered the most money if he would sell his son's services for a two year period. It was enough to clear his debt and with some to start over, so that's the offer my friend's father took.

"He told me that it really hurt the first few times he got fucked, but after that even though it hurt at the start when the man put his penis in his bum, it really felt good after that. He said that for the boys who really didn't want to be there it always seemed to hurt no matter how long they were at the brothel. He said those who were willing to experiment like him, usually got to like it a lot. And some boys became prostitutes because they really liked men." He gave a big yawn, then a second shaking his head sleepily.

A quick-witted boy he realized what was happening to him. He grasps Terrion's shoulder and tells him, "We've all been drugged. They put it in our food. They must have been waiting for you or at least, a second crested boy but now they're ready to send us on. If I don't see you again, I'm glad I met you." Jaran grinned.

Being part of a slave auction was boring as far as Terrion could tell. He and four other crested boys were kept in a cell at the back of the slave market itself. Normally the slaves to be sold did not stay there but were housed elsewhere and brought to the market each morning until they were sold. He had woken up in the cell four days ago. The other boys had already been there, though only for a couple of days.

In the last four days only ten men had come into this special area to look at the crested boys, and while the intimate examinations had been embarrassing they had also been very exciting to Terrion and he had gotten hard every time and also they were a break in the interminable boredom. The other boys were able to converse among themselves and they had already had a couple of days to became acquainted.

When they learned that Terrion was mute they had come to pretty well ignore him and none of them were Mind-speakers like Jaran had been.

The door to the little room opened on the little room containing their cell and Terrion looked eagerly as it opened the slavemaster's assistant who had charge of them ushering in an elegantly dressed man in his late thirties. "This is where the special items are kept, Duke Rendar."

He stopped in the door and looked at the cell and Terrion felt a shudder in his mind, *Gods, crested Camron boys. This is trouble, a great deal of trouble.*

Terrion backed up when he heard that realizing this was another Mind-speaker, and one apparently concerned by their very presence in his country. Keeping in mind the title that had been used, Terrion thought at him, "My Lord Duke."

The man entered further into the room. He thought at the cell "Who Mind-spoke."

"The blond one, My Lord." thought Terrion.

"Open the cell and let me see them," ordered the Duke.

The slavemaster's assistant eagerly complied and the Duke entered the cell. Knowing that his actions were being watched his inspections were as intimate and embarrassing as any of the previous men had lavished on the boys, and their faces were flushed with humiliation. When he reached Terrion, he thought at him *I am sorry little one, I know my inspections embarrassed the other boys but to show genuine interest in you my inspection must be even more intimate still.*

*Actually My Lord I think I'm going to enjoy it.* Terrion thought blithely and indeed he delighted at the warm hands caressing his body, moving down to feel his genitals, little penis rock hard. The tips of his ears turned a bright red when the man parted his buttocks and examined his anus closely.

Finally he put his arms around Terrion shoulders and asked, "How much for this one?"

"Ah this one will cost you My Lord. He is mute and unusual in a scion of the nobility he cannot read or write, so he can betray no secrets to your enemies. 2000 gold pieces My Lord."

They began to bargain and they finally settled on sixteen hundred gold. "I assume this was such a private sale that he will be delivered later."

"Tonight My Lord, just after dark. He will have one of the special slave collars on that are also Artefacts of Compulsion. While wearing the collar only a mage who knows that the boy was crested will be able to see the tattoo. To show the crest to anyone else you will have to remove the collar."

Both in reality and apparently reluctantly he takes his arm from Terrion's shoulders and leaves the cell and the room, leaving a thought behind him, *Tonight, little one.*

*****

Just after dark as promised there was a knock on the door of the Duke's residence. It was opened by the housekeeper, a woman in her mid-forties. The slavemaster's assistant was on the doorstep with Terrion, who now has a gold slave collar around his neck and was wearing a bracelet attached to which was a light chain which the assistant was holding. The boy was wearing a pair of sandals otherwise he was still completely naked and, either still or again, rock hard. She showed no curiosity, as if a nude boy with an erection was an everyday event.

"Follow me, the Master was expecting you."

After a short walk they came to the Master's study. She knocked on the door, and ushered the two in. She started to leave and was asked, "Karrin, could you please stay."

Obediently she waited standing beside the door as Rendar counted out sixteen electrum coins and handed them to the assistant slavemaster and took the bill of sale in return. Once he had unlocked the bracelet from around Terrion's wrist, the assistant hands Rendar the key to the slave collar.

"Karrin would you please show our guest to the door, and then return."

When the door closed, the boy leapt into Rendar's arms. When Karrin returned, he was sitting in back of the desk with the boy on his lap.

"Master Rendar, spending sixteen hundred gold for a slave, when you normally only pay twenty gold a year for a boy to share your bed." scolded Karrin.

"Sweet Karrin, I didn't spend sixteen hundred gold for his body." stroking the small boy's bare back and bottom. "Though it's a beautiful little body and so far I haven't seen him when he hasn't been hard." Both Karrin and Terrion blushed at the last statement, and the boy's body shook in a giggle but no sound comes out.

Rendar lifted up Terrion's chin and stared into his brown eyes, for a moment before looking at the woman, "Terrion Wymark is his name and he's mute, but I assure you he s not dumb. I purchased him not for my personal pleasure but for what he is."

Taking the key to the collar he said, "Terry raise your chin." When the boy did so, he unlocked the collar and opened it. He stood the boy up between his legs and turned him until she could see the tattooed crest on his right arm, that was now visible. She gasped. "This shows that there is a danger to our country, because there were four other crested boys at the slave market today when I went."

*I saw another noble boy on my way here, My Lord,* Terrion thought at him, *and there were eight other boys from lower classes.*

"Terrion is a Mind-speaker, as you know I am, and he just told me that he saw one other crested boy and eight lower class children on his journey. "The Prince must know about this at once. I think I had better take Terrion as well." His eyes twinkled at her. "Could you fetch a little of that stuff Darain makes for my drinks."

Her eyes twinkled back, "Now that's what I call cruel, My Lord. Why not just put a pair of short trousers on him." Terrion looked at the two of them suspiciously.

"I want the Prince to see him just as he was, with the slave collar and naked like a normal slave boy. It'll help drive home a point I've been trying to drum home for the last few years. That someone is trying to make trouble between Camron and us. If I have to, I'll take him hard, but if we can do anything about it I'd rather do so."

She turned and left the room, and Rendar turned the boy to face him. "Do you mind, even if I have to take you hard."

Terrion shook his head, *It feels good to be looked at in a nice way, by nice people. I don't mind.*

"Well I have an idea that may deal with the hard part at any rate," and he gives Terrion's small hard penis a little flick. "It might be a little uncomfortable but it won't hurt." Karrin returned in a few minutes carrying a wash cloth and towel and a small bowl filled with grainy white material. To Terrion, who has never seen ice or snow, it just looks like salt.

Rendar took a handful in his hand and applies it to the boy's genitals. At the touch of the freezing cold snow, Terrion almost jumped out of his skin, but it certainly did the job, in a few seconds his hard penis was shriveled up and completely soft.

The man took the towel from the grinning woman and ran it over the boy's groin to remove any loose flakes and to dry him. She took some of the snow and wrapped it in the wash cloth. Holding it up she said, "Just in case he gets hard again on the way."

Terrion looked at it and shuddered, scolding the man in his silent voice, *Just the thought of it will keep me soft.*

"Karrin there's only a few of the servants that I trust absolutely. There's been too much of a turnover in the lower servants to be sure of their loyalty. I don't want you to mention this to anyone except Kosav, until I have a chance to ask Karliv to check them out. I'll lock the door but I want you to have Kosav guard the door just in case."

"Aye, my lord. I'll do that." She turned and left the room and he walked over and putting a key in the lock, secured it.

Returning to Terrion, Rendar put the slave collar back on the boy but didn't lock it, and then he went over to the wall on the right of the desk, which was a full wall bookcase divided into three parts. Curious Terrion went over to stand behind him, not forgetting his bag of snow.

Reaching behind some of the books the man tripped a hidden catch and the middle section of the bookshelf opened inward. Taking flint and steel, he lighted a lantern, turned and offered his a hand to Terrion, who took it trustingly.

"I haven't used this passage in a couple of years so it's going to be quite dusty and I warn you now that there will probably be rats."

Terrion thought, *I don't mind rats. They're a lot better than my father,* he commented venomously.

Rendar closed the secret door with his free hand and picked up the lantern. His boots kicked up a lot of dust but in his sandals Terrion padded along, only kicking up a little dust.

It was a spooky place and the boy didn't need his bag of snow to stay soft, while not exactly afraid he was a little apprehensive. After about a ten minute walk they came to a second wall. On this side of the wall, it was easy to see the catch. Letting go of Terrion hand, he drew his dagger and banged on the wall, twice, pause, three times, pause twice. The bag of snow had turned to water by now and Terrion threw it to the side of the passage.

After a few seconds, there were four knocks on the wall from the other side. Rendar sheathed his dagger and pulled down the catch to open the door.

It swung open and a man =greeted Rendar, "It's always good to see you, cou..." he caught sight of Terrion and he continues more harshly, "But you know, your catamites aren't welcome here!!"

Terrion was hiding behind Rendar and peeking around him.

"I assure you cousin Corlinn, that he is not one of my catamites. I pay them well at 20 golds a year but this one cost way too much to be called a catamite.

"The city slavemaster has been trying to entice me to the slave market for the last five days. He did everything but come to my residence and drag me there. Finally my curiosity got the better of me and I went. When I got there he said he had some private stock he wanted me to see." Rendar explained.

"I didn't know you had stooped to buying slaves," Corlinn said sarcastically.

"Ah, but cousin these were very special slaves, in fact I expect for you to pay me for this one." He pulled Terrion from in back of him, from where the boy had been hiding, and undoing the slave collar removed it again and turning him he held up his right arm to show the tattoo to the Prince. "Five crested boys at the slave market, cousin. This one is Terrion Wymark, son of the Count of Wymark and he tells me he saw one other to make six noble children as well as others from the lower classes. Someone worked very hard to get me there. To involve the Royal Family in what was going on I imagine."

"Gods," the Prince sits down in his chair, "if found on our soil that might be enough to start a war right there." He looked up at Rendar. "I'll summon Karliv, tell him what has happened. Then we'll have to go discuss it with Father. That may take hours. Since we don't know how long it will take it would be better if you return home and we come to you."

Rendar bowed for the first time, "Certainly cousin, We will wait in my study all night if necessary." Putting the slave collar back on Terrion, this time he locked it. Picking up the lantern and taking Terrion by the hand, they headed back, the Prince closing his secret door behind him, and they made their short journey. After opening the secret door, Rendar blew out the lantern and they re-entered the study.

The man took a book down from his bookshelf, and prepared to wait. He watched the boy for a little while, then asked, "The assistant slavemaster said you couldn't read or write. Is that true?"

*Yes,* sighs Terrion in his mind. *When I try to read all the letters look funny and its even worse when I try to write. Do you have any books with pictures in them?*

Rendar coughed a little in embarrassment, speaking in a slightly strangled voice, "Yes, but I afraid I can't show them to you. If you were really a slave and were going to share my bed with me that would be different."

Terrion grinned, *Oh, naughty books, huh? Well even children like me hear about those, though we seldom get the chance to see them.*

"Why don't you try to take a nap. I have no idea how long it's going to take. It could be close to dawn or even after before we hear from the Prince." He waved at the several large comfortable armchairs around the room.

Taking the thought to his heart, the boy chose the armchair closest to the desk, and curled up in it, and was soon fast asleep, happily sucking on his thumb.

*****

It was several hours later when the boy was awakened by tapping on the bookshelf wall. It was a different pattern than that used by Rendar earlier, and he didn't catch it, but the answer was the same, four knocks. He sat upright in the chair and rose when the Prince entered with a tall dark haired Elf. More composed now he bowed the formal bow of nobility to royalty and received a small formal bow in return.

Rendar greeted his cousin with a little bow and then swept the Elf into a huge hug. "Hello, Karliv, it's good to see you again."

"Well I'm glad to see you as well but you don't have to break me in half just to say hello." But the Elf was grinning as it said it.

They pulled up two armchairs close to the desk allowing Terrion the one he already occupied. The Prince nodded to Karliv to speak, "We've been talking to the King and through Ivin, his Far-speaker, to King Hamar and Prince Tamen in Camara. They were aware of some disappearances but they were appalled when told how many we personally knew about and agreed that if there was six noble children missing, five of them definitely on Madron soil, that it was probable that there are many more missing. They say two children were reported as missing then turned up dead, tortured and mutilated, so other noble parents are reluctant to come forward but they had no idea so many could be missing."

"As for the lower class children they say that quite often their disappearances remains a local matter and are never reported to the capital in the first place. They intend to send out agents about that as well."

The Prince took over, "They want to move cautiously. The kidnappers have proved that they will not hesitate to kill the children." He turned to Terrion, "We told him about your presence here and the Prince said to ask you if you wanted them to tell your father where you are."

Terrion screeched a mental, *NNNNOOOOOOOOO!!!* went as white as a sheet and running around the desk threw himself into Rendar's arms head against his shoulder, his back shaking with silent sobs.

The man began rubbing his head with one hand and stroking the boy's back comfortingly with the other, while Karliv who's Mind-speech was much stronger than Rendar's was busy uncrossing his eyes and rubbing his head with both hands. Both men could hear Terrion's apparently silent sobs in their minds and it was truly heartbreaking. After a time the sobs ceased but he was holding onto Rendar with all his might.

The two who had received that blast of anguish were almost recovered but were still shaking their heads every once in a while. The Prince looked from one to the other in total confusion. Karliv began to speak carefully, still not sure his head was going to stay in one piece. "Your Highness, remember about a month ago, you were in the playroom with your children when I went to see you. You were on the floor with your younger son playing a game and your eldest decided it would be fun to come up beside you and yell in your ear at the top of his lungs."

Carlinn shuddered, "My ear rang off and on for the rest of the day."

"Well, that's just about what happened to Rendar and I, only it was a mental scream and it wasn't in fun, it was in sheer terror. Terrion," he said, in a low but very firm commanding voice "Come here." The boy held on tighter to Rendar for a moment and then, terrified into strict obedience over the last two and a half years, he let go of Rendar and got off his lap, and visibly shaking and still crying went over to Karliv.

The man took him gently by the shoulders. "Rendar has been speaking to you in the outer layer of your mind. I am capable of going much, much deeper. Terrion I wish to ask your permission to do so." The boy still crying and shaking finally nodded his head yes.

Karliv entered the boy's mind and it was easy to follow the path to the terror that existed there. Terrion began shaking much harder as he brought the terror to the surface of the boy's mind. The man went as white as the boy. Then as he built a barrier between that terror and the rest of the boy's mind, his shaking ceased except for the occasional shiver and his tears begin to dry up."

Then the Elf began to speak in a low monotone which put a chill into its listeners, "Your Highness, whatever you do, make sure that Count Wymark is not told about Terrion's presence here and make sure they never get within touching distance of each other except in the presence of their King or their Prince, or I will kill Wymark on sight."

Prince Carlinn looked at his closest advisor and friend. He'd only heard that tone of voice once before and Karliv had carried out that threat exactly as promised. "What did you see?" he asked in a strained voice.

Karliv turned cold brown eyes on his Prince, "You don't want to know Highness, if you were anything but what you are you wouldn't need to know, but you are of royal blood, this country's next king, so sometime I will tell you. It will not be comfortable, it will horrify you as much as it does me.

"It was something I wish I could forget, and I am sure it is something that Terrion wishes he could forget, but it is something that is part of him, that will make him what he is to become whether for good or ill. So he cannot be allowed to forget, It will always be in the background to cause him sadness."

He turns back to the boy, "Close your eyes Terrion, close them tight, sleep, sleep deep. What is past is past and it is further in the past now, you will always remember it exactly as you do now, but it is further and further in the past."

The boy's eyes were closed and his face became more peaceful as the Elf kept speaking. But when the Elf bade him to wake he did so. His enormous brown eyes were at peace now but there was a lingering sadness in the background that would always be with him. Karliv bade him to be seated and he sat in the armchair where he had been sitting at the beginning of the conversation.

Karliv addressed the whole room now, "My Prince, I discussed something with King Hamar and Prince Tamen, since Terrion was their subject. We are going to need time, months of it perhaps even a year or more, to untangle the mess that has cropped up in our countries. I proposed that if indeed I find spies in the Duke's household, that Terrion's present supposed presence here as slave and bedmate to the Duke should in fact become reality.

"The King said that as long as Terrion agrees, with the full knowledge that he will actually have to be the Duke's slave and share his bed and everything that implies." He looked at the boy, "Are you aware of the implications."

He thinks at Karliv and Rendar with a mental giggle, *Yes, as a slave in Madron, I'm not allowed to wear any clothing and in bed I'll have to take his penis up my bum and learn how to suck as well as a lot of other things.* His hands had been in his lap and he parted them to reveal his rock hard little prick. *It sounds like it might be fun.* he thought looking at Rendar. Another mental giggle, *I guess I get to see that naughty book now.*