Page 32 of Dead Crown
“Okay, Luuuumi,” Tivar said in a mocking tone. “That’s your new name.”
Lumi stared at his dark ears. He should have switched names years ago. After all, Edur was long gone. He’d died one violent morning when he was fourteen.
December, 1653
“That’s why you should never trust a werewolf,” Lumi said as he walked along the brick edging with his black tail swishing. “But it was easy to distract him. All the boy had to do was tie a bone to his tail, and while the werewolf was busy chasing his tail in a circle, the boy snuck away.”
The court erupted with laughter. Silk glistened as ladies shifted in their chairs, feathers fluttered as they waved their fans to cool their pink cheeks, and silver buttons glistened as lords clutched their midsections and tried to contain themselves.
Lumi paused as he waited for them to settle before he cocked one of his black ears. “Some say the werewolf is still there to this day and chasing his tail to get that bone.”
Some of the ladies had to support themselves with an arm on the table as they laughed, and a lord slapped his thigh as he guffawed. One lady had tears rolling down her face as she fumbled for her hanky and tried to breathe. King Elswere applauded his pleasure slave’s story. His son, Jaki, didn’t appear impressed.
Lumi let his gaze linger on the Prince who might very well be his half-brother. They’d never seen each other before that year, but Tivar had his suspicions. Perhaps Father had fooled around, and Elswere’s reclusive wife hadn’t had a child years after her first loss.
Elswere didn’t share much in looks with his son beyond his hair and its coloring. Prince Jaki had many similarities to Lumi, although one wouldn’t notice unless they really looked. Nobody bothered to look because how on Ymir’s dirt could a pleasure slave be related to Crown Prince Jaki? That was preposterous.
Nobody was left of the old family besides Elswere, Jaki, and Tivar.
Plenty of cat fairies existed, and Lumi also looked quite different. It was amazing that blackening his ears and tail had worked so well. He only had to keep it up and use a glamor shampoo once a month to keep his hair grey. Dye worked better for tails since the fur was thicker, and it also made the skin under the short fur on his ears black instead of pale pink.
Lumi had changed inside too. When Tivar had explained the things he’d need to do and how to act, he didn’t think he coulddo it, but the idea of a form of partial freedom had sparked something in him.
As long as Lumi didn’t think too hard and packed down all of the unpleasantness, he could pretend the past years didn’t exist. His four-year taste of freedom would last forever. It didn’t matter if half of the court fucked him or if he had to let his Father’s half-brother up his ass. It was all worth it, and he told himself the freedom would never end as long as he acted and kept up the perfect facade.
Before, it was survival. Now, it was also about keeping his sanity so he could act. If he didn't, Tivar would make sure he suffered.
And while Lumi was free, he might as well have a taste of something else.
He really shouldn’t, but something about those pink eyes and the icy countenance was such a temptation, and he couldn’t stomp out the smoldering lust that burned in him. He’d wanted Prince Jaki since the day he first saw him, and his ultimate goal besides spying and relaying information was to have the Prince’s cock.
Sex without his heat was unthinkable now. Lumi was sure there would be real enjoyment mixed in with the desperation that it brought. He didn’t even care if he was denied release as long as he could have the Prince inside of him and feel that firm, naked body against his.
Or he could get on his knees and look into those bright pink eyes while he took Prince Jaki’s cock in his mouth.
Despite the cold eyes and lack of interest, sometimes, he was sure the Prince wanted him too.
Chapter Seven
Jaki huddled in the dark near a tree with the heel of his hand pressed against his wound. The boat started to move away, and Lumi was gone. Jaki was positive no one had seen him, and it seemed that nobody would chase him. The boat had come for Lumi and nothing else.
“Fuck.” He’d hoped Lumi might weaken and stop pretending after his reaction in the tower. After waiting a bit in his room after dinner, he’d had a feeling Lumi would refuse.
His room had been empty, so Jaki had left to find him. The fresh trail his horse had left in the snow beyond the city had been easy to follow.
The pain in his wound was sharp and worse than his nose. He tied his scarf around his midsection, breathed in, and yanked it tight since he had few other options. The freezing weather would also surely help with the bleeding. With no healing magic, he still needed help. The knife had gone deep, and he’d bleed out inside if he tried to take care of it in his rooms with bandages later. He took his hanky from his pocket and cleaned his face the best he could since he could feel his nose had bled from the hit he’d taken. It could have been worse, and luckily, his nose wasn’t broken although it was sore.
Getting onto his horse was a bitch, and even with the cold and pressure from his scarf, the wound had steadily bled as he rode back.
He couldn’t get help from the gate guards. To do so would mean revealing he'd been attacked outside the city. They’d question him and want to know where he'd gone which wouldn’t do. Sure, he could tell them to fuck off and mind their own business, but bored guards would gossip. He forced himself toremain upright when he entered as if nothing was wrong even though the motion of the horse hurt him, and his head felt too light. He kept his hood pulled forward, and with his dark cloak, the guards paid little mind to him. The horse wasn’t even his typical one but a mount any lord or lady could borrow from the Castle stables if they wanted.
A part of him was sure Lumi hadn't intended to kill or even hurt him that badly. He could have stabbed higher or gone for the throat. It had been the sort of attack someone did when they were desperate to get away and nothing more.
He considered admitting everything and sending guards to chase down the boat. He couldn’t. By the time they acquired one, Lumi would be far ahead, and they wouldn’t go beyond the border without orders from Elswere. Jaki couldn’t admit everything. There was nothing he could do at the moment.
The trip through the city was a long, painful one, not that the ride to get there had been any better. People tried to keep the streets in front of their homes and shops clean to a point. Snow was always falling, and ice was often a problem. Thankfully, his horse was sure-footed.
By the time he reached the gate to the Castle grounds, he was sure he’d pass out in a few more minutes considering his head felt too light. Even with the scarf around him, the internal bleeding must have been bad, and he’d been feeling it ooze down his side.
