Maddam Redder

Training

Chapter 1

Lord Thane walked into the dungeon cell that held his newest captive, a young teen from the neighboring kingdom that his army had just defeated. He smiled charmingly at the boy as he approached him, taking in his appearance yet again.

The boy's thin arms were stretched wide, chains holding them tightly so that he couldn't move an inch. His feet dangled above the ground, also chained so that he couldn't kick anyone, his body lifted high enough so that he was face to face with the ebony haired man when he stood in front of him. Blood, that wasn't his own, still streaked his face and his chin length hair was matted with sweat, blood, and tears.

Even with his body dirty, the boy was extremely attractive, his looks being the main thing that had made the man take him. Thane smirked, thinking back to how easy it had been to obtain the boy:

As the Lord made his way through the town his army was destroying, the sound of soft crying caught his attention, so he ventured into a dilapidated building, withdrawing his sword, expecting to eliminate the survivor. He found a youth kneeling beside their deceased parent's bodies, the kid's pretty face streaked with tears and blood from the parent's wounds.

When the child looked up, the man saw that the adolescent was a young boy. He was immediately captivated by the boy's stunningly bright, green eyes; even filled with sorrow, and puffy from tears, they were beautiful. The Lord found himself putting away his sword, deciding that the cherub in front of him was just too pretty to kill. He approached slowly, watching with interest as the boy scrambled backwards to the corner of his destroyed home, cowering in fear from the powerful man looming above him.

"P-please, don't hurt me," he stammered softly, his voice hoarse from breathing in the smoke of his destroyed city.

Thane had smiled at the terror in the child's lovely eyes and kneeled in front of him, close enough to reach out and brush the tousled brown hair out of his face. The boy winced at his touch and Thane suddenly felt a rush of excitement flow through him; he decided at that moment that he had to have him.

"What is your name, little one?" he asked softly, his voice smooth.

The child hesitated and swallowed hard, letting his eyes fall to the floor, but finally spoke.

"Kegan."

His voice pleased the Lord, the soft huskiness making the man shiver in delight.

"Kegan," Thane tested the name on his tongue. "How old are you, Kegan?" he asked.

"Thirteen," came the hesitant response. The Lord cocked his head to the side and chuckled lightly.

"Thirteen? My, my you are quite small for your age, aren't you?" he drawled, surprised to hear the youth's true age, expecting the child to be much younger due to his size. Thane decided his name was very fitting since it meant "small flame".

The boy's face twisted into a frown.

"Am not!" he said angrily, his eyes flashing threateningly, the fact obviously being a touchy subject for the child. His anger made the man laugh out loud, throwing his head back. He knew he had to have this boy.

"You will be coming with me, my sweet," he said softly.

He stood quickly and reached down to pull a wide-eyed Kegan to his feet. The boy gave a cry of protest and tried to pull his arm out of the man's grip, but was suddenly tossed over a broad shoulder, his head hanging down a firm back. Thane turned and carefully stepped over the child's dead parents and made his way to the door. Kegan began to fight then, refusing to be taken hostage so easily.

"Let me go!" he screamed and began pounding his fists on the man's back, letting loose a stream of curses as well. The Lord chuckled, amused by the child's sudden burst of profanities, completely unfazed by the small hands striking him, and continued to make his way out of the house.

Out in the open, the man took in the destruction his army had wracked upon the town. Houses lay in ruin, fires spread throughout the buildings, bodies littered the streets; he was very pleased with how the event had taken place. Signaling to his captains that he was satisfied with the outcome and to round up the troops, he noticed his little prisoner had stopped fighting and hung limply down his back, no doubt taking in the destruction of his home town. Thane took him off his shoulder to mount his horse and took that chance to look at the boy's face. His eyes were wide, frightened, and full of hopelessness from taking in the sight of the dead and dying bodies of his friends and neighbors around them as the man lifted him up onto the steed. Thane climbed up behind the boy and wrapped an arm around his thin waist.

"Say goodbye, Kegan," he whispered into the child's ear, making the small body shudder. As he urged his horse forward to make the journey back to his castle, he listened to the boy's pitiful crying, and found that he thoroughly enjoyed the sound.

***

Now, as he stepped further into the cell, the boy looked up and glared at the Lord.

"What do you want from me?" Kegan practically growled out through clenched teeth. The man smirked at the kid's growing anger, pleased that he had picked one so spunky; he was going to enjoy breaking him.

"I needed a sex slave, someone to be in my bed every night. To be fucked and played with," Thane drawled out with a slight shrug, as if it was nothing the boy needed to worry about. He saw the reaction he wanted to see as the child's eyes widened and his face paled. Kegan shook his head in disbelief.

"No… Please," his voice was quiet from fear and dismay. The man chuckled and leaned forward, inches away from the child's face, causing the boy to press his back closer to the wall to distance himself.

"Don't worry, my little catamite," he whispered menacingly, "I'll be gentle enough. I wouldn't want to ruin my new toy on the first night."

The kid bit his lip and looked away, unshed tears glistening in his enchanting eyes. Thane chuckled again and reached out to stroke his hand through the small boy's matted hair and then down to caress his dirty cheek, a curiously tender gesture from a man who seemed quite cruel. Kegan jerked away as much as he could, but the chains held him in place. The Lord turned the child's face back to look up at him with a hand under his delicate chin.

"Now, now, Kegan, no tears. There will be plenty falling from those pretty eyes tonight."

The man's words and touch made the boy shudder and choke back a sob.

Suddenly, Thane's mouth claimed Kegan's in a rough kiss, forcing his tongue inside the unwilling mouth. The boy made protesting noises against the man's lips, but it didn't deter him; he continued to probe the mouth, a hand still on the small jaw so the child couldn't pull away. Thane broke the kiss off with a hard bite to the fragile bottom lip, drawing out a cry of pain and a trickle of warm blood, which trailed down the boy's chin. He chuckled at the hurt expression on Kegan's face and patted his cheek roughly.

"I do apologize my dear boy, but I enjoy having fun with my pets and occasionally causing pain," he whispered in the child's ear and received a satisfying whimper in return.

Kegan could no longer hold back the tears that were choking him, his throbbing lip and the man's words overwhelming him. The hot trails that ran down his cheeks were brushed away roughly by the pads of Thane's thumbs and the man clicked his tongue in disapproval.

"You were showing so much potential until now, my pet. I thought it would be more difficult to make you cry," he chided softly, running his knuckles across the boy's jaw.

Kegan was discomforted by the words the man spoke and turned his head away again, trying to get away from the hand that stroked him. Thane suddenly grabbed Kegan's jaw in a bruising grip and forced him to look back up at him.

"Do not turn away from me when I am speaking to you, or you will be punished. Do you understand boy?" he hissed. Kegan swallowed, fearful of the look in the man's dark eyes, and nodded the best he could with his jaw being held. Thane squeezed harder. "You will answer me with 'yes, Master' or 'no, Master'."

A squeak of pain escaped Kegan's lips, but he said what was expected of him, although somewhat reluctantly.

"Y-yes, Master."

The man smirked at his captive's sudden obedience that came when he administered pain; he wondered how much the boy could take before he was begging on his knees and kissing his boots to escape the agony. The thought of the child writhing in pain made excitement rush through him and his pants tightened; Thane couldn't wait to play with his new slave in his chambers after the feast. With another rough pat to the boy's cheek, he turned and walked towards the cell door, calling over his shoulder.

"I will see you tonight, my pet. Be ready for me." Then he left, his thoughts stuck on the trembling boy staring after him with fear and disbelief on his cute face.

Chapter 2

Hours later, Kegan was being forcefully lead down the long corridors of his new master's castle. He shivered from the cool, mid autumn air that touched his bare skin, but also from fear. Two male servants had come to the cell an hour before and had brought him to a small bathing room, where they had stripped him of his clothes and scrubbed him with none too gentle hands. They had barely spoken a word to him, other than harsh commands, and had touched him in his most private areas, even with his insistence that he could do it himself, violating him and hurting his pride.

They had left him unclothed and now dragged him down the hall, naked for all to see, cold and shivering. His embarrassment and shame blushed his cheeks as they passed other servants of the household, especially when they passed females, but no one laughed or made fun as the boy expected. In fact, when he was brave enough to glance up, he saw nothing but pity in their eyes, which made him dread the night ahead even more.

His shoulders ached painfully from the chains that had suspended him above the ground for hours and the servants gripped his arms tightly as they pulled him along, making the pain even worse. It seemed to take an hour to reach the master's suite and his feet were almost numb from the icy, white marble floor that he had walked upon by the time they arrived.

The double doors leading into the room were massive and guarded by two regal looking guards, clad in shining armor. It took both men to open one door. The sight of them heaving their weight against the polished wood extinguished any hope of escape that Kegan had had and he felt the sting of tears pressing against his eyes again.

When the door opened enough to allow them to pass through, the servants pulled him into a massive bedroom, exquisitely decorated in fine fabrics and expensive art. In the center of the room was a grand four post bed large enough to fit four adults comfortably. It's heavy, gold embroidered drapes were pulled back to reveal elegant blankets and pillows piled high. At the foot of the bed was a fluffy white rug, covered with pillows similar to what covered the bed.

The servants lead Kegan to the rug and forced him to sit down among the many pillows. He was vaguely aware of how pleasant the soft rug felt to sit upon, but his attention was immediately attracted to what one of the men pulled out from under the bed. In his hands was what appeared to be a wide gold collar adorned with sparkling jewels and a bell, attached to a golden chain which was attached to one of the posts of the bed. Without warning the other man quickly grabbed him from behind and before the boy could react, held him still and lifted his chin up with a firm grip, while the one with the collar stepped forward and fastened it around his neck with a loud click.

Kegan's hands went up to the heavy, jeweled restraint and pulled at it in vain, making the bell jingle, as he watched the servants move to the bed and begin to prepare it for sleeping upon. They removed most of the pillows, tossing them to the rug where he sat, then pulled back the covers. He watched with dismay as they began to fasten velvet rope restraints to the magnificently carved head board and foot board; the boy had no doubt that those would be on his sore wrists and ankles within a few hours.

Once they were finished preparing the bed they stepped over to a large armoire and pulled out what appeared to be oils and salves as well as an assortment of whips which they placed on the bedside tables. Kegan felt sick at the sight, knowing now that his new master must be a very cruel man to own such items.

He continued to watch the men as they walked to the back of the room and through an archway until he could no longer see them. He assumed the room beyond was the master's bathing chambers when he heard the distinct sound of water rushing into a large tub. Within a few minutes the smell of exotic herbs and oils reached his nostrils, which surprisingly soothed him even with his fear of the night to come strong in his gut. The sound of the water finally stopped after a long time of running and the servants reappeared through the archway, ignoring him completely as if he wasn't even there.

Next they went to the massive hearth on the other side of the room that had a nice seating area arranged around it. Skillfully, they started a fire within seconds and made it grow until it was crackling and popping heartily. They spoke not a word as they passed him and went to the huge doors, knocked four times and waited patiently until one of the doors opened. Then they left, leaving Kegan utterly alone.

The door closed with an echo throughout the room, then silence filled the suite except for the occasional pop and sizzle from the fire place. Again the boy reached up and pulled at the collar that irritated his neck and gave him the sensation that he was being choked, even though he was able to fit his fingers between the metal and his skin. The tinkling little bell rang with every small move and mocked him, making him feel more like a kitten than a boy. The weight of the gold was a constant, unpleasant reminder that he was now a slave.

The thought forced an unwelcome sob from his throat and he began to cry for a second, and probably not the last, time that night. He brushed away the liquid coursing down his cheeks angrily and swallowed his sobs; he didn't want to give the evil man who now owned him the satisfaction of seeing him crying when he entered the room.

Kegan grabbed the heavy gold chain that tethered him to the bed and jerked on it, even bracing his feet against the bed and pulling it with all his might, willing it to break, but he knew it wouldn't. And what was the point? He knew he could never escape with the guards posted at the heavy door and the man's room being high above the ground on an upper story. For a second he wondered, if he could get free of the chain, would he jump from the windows to his death to escape his doomed fate? But just the thought made Kegan queasy and he knew he never would, no matter what happened within the walls of the room.

After pulling on the chain until his arms ached even worse than they already did, he decided to get up and see how far the thing allowed him to venture. The chain was only about six feet [1½ m] long, not giving him much slack to move about or even climb up on the tall bed, but he assumed that was its purpose; he was a slave now, allowed only to sit upon the floor.

Anger flared within him and he threw himself back onto the mound of pillows covering the rug. The idea of people using their power to own others weaker than themselves had always bothered Kegan. His father had been a serf farmer, laboring long hours in the hot sun, barely able to support his family, so the boy had witnessed firsthand the cruelties of men owning other men; his family had gone hungry many days because of their greedy lord. Just the thought of belonging to another avaricious man made bile rise in his throat. And to make the situation worse he was now going to be used as a pleasure slave! He felt sick with dread imagining what lay in store for him in the upcoming hours. He curled into a ball and laid still, staring at the doors he knew would eventually open to reveal the man who would no doubt bring him pain and suffering.

As he waited, his thoughts drifted to his dead parents, and he found himself mourning their loss, wishing more than anything that he was back home in his own bed, being kissed goodnight by his gentle mother, even though he had insisted that he was too old for that; he regretted telling her not too now. They had not had much and their home had been a small shack, nothing compared to the magnificent castle he was now forced to call home, but his parents had been kind and loving, perfect in his eyes. He missed them dearly, but he quickly pushed them from his mind, finding that thinking of them was far too painful. Instead he focused on the anger still building in his gut directed towards his new master.

The man who now owned him was a powerful lord whose name he had heard many times, usually whispered in fear: Lord Thane. It hadn't surprised Kegan when he saw the man's army storming his town, they had been expecting it for some time, but for the man to notice him and decide to take him as a catamite had been a complete shock. Why did Lord Thane choose him? He was nothing but a scrawny peasant boy, nothing worthy of royalty!

The Lord intimidated him greatly with his tall, muscular physique and handsome features and the thought of being bedded by the man was utterly terrifying, and made him want to cower in fear and give up. But it wasn't in Kegan's nature to simply roll over submissively like a beaten dog. No, he would fight this man and make him work to use his body, even if it meant getting punished. And he would not give up easily.

Fighting back tears of anger once again, he closed his eyes tight and waited, his heart hammering his ribs and his stomach knotted with dread, until he finally drifted off to sleep, unable to resist, being so exhausted from the day's events and comfortable from laying upon such a soft rug.

Chapter 3

Thane walked through his corridors with his normal proud stride, as excited as a kid with a new toy. He had enjoyed the feast well enough, amused by his guests as they drank themselves drunk and entertained by the dancers he kept for such occasions, but his thoughts had never left the delicious little slave he knew was waiting for him in his room. He had made sure that he didn't drink too much so he would be able to enjoy the rest of his night without the nuisance of being drunk. Easily, he had excused himself from the celebration, claiming to be exhausted from the day's victory, and now he was heading to his rooms with a tray of cheeses and fruits for his captive.

He had been thinking about getting a little catamite to entertain himself for some time now, even going as far as viewing some of the young slaves for sale in his kingdom trained just for that purpose, but he had not been impressed by any of the youths presented to him. They had been far too eager and willing to be used to his liking, their lust and want fake and forced. He wanted a slave that he had to break himself, one that was worth putting time and effort into, and when he had seen Kegan he had known immediately that the boy was the one. Just by seeing the fiery look in the angelic boy's lovely eyes Thane had known he had a strong willpower and would be the perfect pet after some training. And the child was beautiful, his delicate features amazing Thane to the point of breathlessness. The man couldn't wait to play with the boy.

In a way he felt pity for the child, he knew it was traumatizing to be forced into a roll such as his, but he also relished in the fact of being the first to take the boy's innocence. He really wasn't a cruel man, he was harsh at times and demanded respect, but he could also be kind and gentle if he wanted too. Thane hoped the boy would learn his place soon so that he could enjoy his new slave fully. The Lord was sure that with a little bit of pain and restraint, the boy would soon be bowing to him and begging him to take him.

His excitement escalated as he approached the doors to his suite and his personal guards moved to open them. He wondered how he would find his little slave: angry, crying, screaming? But he was amused to find the boy asleep upon the rug that was now his proper place.

Thane walked quietly over to the sleeping child and sat down beside him, careful to not make too much noise as he set the tray off to the side. Kegan stirred slightly, but didn't wake, he only sighed softly and repositioned himself, turning more to reveal his lithe, naked body. The Lord let his gaze rake across the teen's pale skin and resisted the urge to reach out and touch him; he wanted the night to be perfect and didn't want to start out by startling the boy too much.

For a few minutes he simply watched the sleeping child, enjoying the sight of him sprawled out and the sound of his soft breathing. It thrilled him to know that he would be able to hear that sound every night from now on. Kegan stirred again after a while and stretched, letting out a cute little moan as he did, bringing a smile to Thane's lips. The boy's eyes fluttered open and, upon seeing Thane, widened.

"Hello, my sleeping prince," the man said softly, his smile growing.

Kegan quickly sat up and scrambled away from the man, but was yanked to a stop by the chain, sending the bell jingling and letting out a strangled yelp when the thing choked him. The Lord was surprised that he had just now noticed the collar he'd had made for the boy, but was pleased to see it fit him perfectly and looked wonderful on the radiant youth. He reached out and grasped the chain in his hand, then gave it a gentle tug, which caused Kegan to topple forward. The small teen caught himself on his hands and knees and tried to back away once more, but Thane pulled the chain again until he had dragged the resisting, crawling boy close enough so that he could touch his face.

The man smiled pleasantly and reached out to give the bell a gentle tap before sliding a hand into the child's freshly washed hair. He marveled at the softness and tenderly stroked the boy as if he were petting a kitten. Kegan tried to pull away from the gentle caress, confused by the affections of the supposedly cruel man, but Thane's hand remained holding the chain where it connected to the collar and easily detained his slave. The man chuckled as the boy cringed against his touch and he wondered how long it would take him to get used to it.

After running his fingers through the soft hair for a few seconds, he let his hand trail down to the boy's cheek. He cupped the child's face in his wide palm and stroked his thumb over the bruised and swollen bottom lip. Kegan whimpered quietly and tried to pull away again.

"Please stop," his voice came out in a hoarse whisper and he stared up at the man with pleading eyes.

Thane chuckled lightly and shook his head, but stopped touching the delicious bow lips and instead leaned forward and claimed Kegan's mouth in another kiss, his hand still holding his cheek. The boy whimpered again and moaned in protest, keeping his teeth clenched tight. The Lord chuckled again and let his hand that was on the soft cheek slide back into the tousled brown hair. Without warning, he grabbed a fistful of Kegan's hair and pulled back hard. The child let out a cry of pain, unknowingly opening his mouth to a hot, wet tongue.

Thane suddenly pulled the boy closer, so that Kegan was cradled in his lap and he deepened the kiss, stroking his tongue across the smaller tongue. The kid made a gagging noise and struggled in the man's arms, attempting to push him away. At first Thane found the fighting amusing, but it soon became irritating trying to hold the boy still enough to kiss him. He pulled away, glaring down at his slave, who he was now holding like an infant across his lap. Kegan gasped for breath as if the kiss had been suffocating him and the Lord vaguely wondered if he had been depriving the boy of air, but he quickly pushed the thought aside feeling that Kegan would learn how to kiss soon enough; at that moment he wanted to punish the child for acting so ridiculous with his thrashing.

"You do not like my kiss, boy?" The Lord asked in a sinister whisper.

Kegan turned his head away disrespectfully. Thane quickly brought his hand up and slapped the boy with an open palmed strike, not hard enough to bruise, but enough to make his pale cheek red and sting. The blow startled the child, not expecting to be struck like that, and he glared angrily up at his master.

Thane chuckled at the look on the boy's face and brought his hand up again, making the child flinch, but he didn't hit him a second time. Instead he gently caressed the boy's burning cheek and smiled pleasantly, deciding that some light encouragement and tenderness might push the child towards wanting to obey him; after all, it was his first night and the boy was obviously shaken. Some gestures of kindness could prove to be successful.

"You will find that I am a kind master when you behave, Kegan. It will do you good to understand that now, lest we have to come to more serious forms of discipline than a tiny slap on the cheek. Do you understand, my pet?"

Kegan, still glaring, hesitated, but then nodded slowly, seeming to be confused by the sudden show of gentleness. Thane smiled again, his features suave and relaxed.

"Are you hungry?" he asked softly, knowing that the boy had to be famished since he hadn't eaten all day and was obviously malnourished in the first place. Kegan's eyes widened slightly and his glare faded some. He nodded excitedly at the mention of food, making the man chuckle.

Thane reached over and grabbed the tray to pull it closer, then delicately picked up a cube of cheese and turned back to Kegan, who was watching what he was doing intently. The Lord offered the snack, holding the morsel close the boy's mouth. Kegan leaned his head back slightly and looked up at the man quizzically.

"I can feed myself," he said guardedly, his glare returning. Thane chuckled lightly, trying to control his growing impatience with the child, knowing he would have to explain his rules and expectations when the time arose.

"I would like to feed you, Kegan. I like to spoil my pets and feed them treats. You will graciously accept anything I offer you, at any time. Understand?"

The boy's brow crinkled in distaste, but he hesitantly leaned forward and parted his delectable lips to take the cheese. Thane gently placed it on his tongue, pleased with the boy's obedience, and let his fingers linger for a moment in the warm mouth. Kegan chewed the food slowly, warily gazing up at his master with a look of curiosity and suspicion in his bright, intelligent eyes. The man was enraptured by the deep emerald pools, amazed at how vividly they revealed what the boy was feeling.

When the child swallowed the cheese, the Lord offered him a grape, feeding him the same way. This time however he let his thumb linger longer. He hooked the digit over the boy's bottom teeth, gently sliding it across the small tongue.

"Suck it," he murmured softly, imagining using the hot mouth for something else entirely.

Kegan's eyes widened and he shook his head slightly, trying to push the thumb out of his mouth with his tongue. Thane grinned at the boy's reluctance, amused by his unwillingness, and depressed his tongue down.

"Come now, Kegan, behave," he chided playfully. Kegan, beginning to feel choked by the intruding thumb, did the first thing that came to his mind and bit down, hard.

"Fuck!" Thane cursed and yanked his hand away from the kid's mouth, staring down at the bleeding bite mark on his throbbing finger. He snarled down at the glaring boy.

"Haven't you ever been told not to bite the hand that feeds you, slave?" he growled.

"I said I could feed myself," Kegan retorted disdainfully.

Anger thrummed through Thane and his temper got the best of him, causing him to lose his well maintained control. He suddenly grabbed the boy's jaw tightly, his fingers covering the bruises he had given him earlier in the cell, and he forced Kegan's head back, arching his neck painfully. He leaned over his captive and glared down at the pretty face, his eyes holding the threat of pain.

"It's time for a lesson, my pet. You are going to learn how to beg for your master's forgiveness. I'm waiting," he spoke threateningly.

Kegan glared back offensively, looking feisty and full of fight, but his eyes showed that he was fearful of the man, which pleased Thane; but he knew he would have to extinguish that fight quickly if he wanted to regain control. He waited patiently for the child to submit to him and apologize, but instead the boy's eyes narrowed. Foolishly, Kegan spit into the powerful man's face, hitting him on the cheek, just missing his eye.

Thane blinked in surprise, stunned at the teen's audacious response; he hadn't expected him to act so boldly and it angered him. How dare the boy even think he could do something like that to him! The child would soon find out that enraging him was a grave mistake. He stared down at Kegan, who was still glaring at him, and he chuckled darkly; oh, this would not do.

"Foolish child, you will pay for that dearly," he hissed, still holding the boy's jaw tightly.

He squeezed harder, feeling as if he would break the fragile bone beneath his strong fingers. Kegan moaned in pain, closing his eyes, and tried to wiggle out of the man's grasp, but Thane held firmly.

"Please…" Kegan whimpered pitifully, his brave demeanor suddenly gone. Thane laughed at his begging.

"Please? Your pitiful crying will not stop me from delivering your punishment, Kegan."

The Lord suddenly stood and retrieved a key from his pocket, holding the boy with one muscular arm, then unlocked the collar, letting it fall to the rug with a jingle and muffled thud. He carried Kegan over to the bed and laid him upon it, quickly reaching up and bringing down the rope restraints the servants had placed on the headboard.

The boy, seeing the bondage being prepared, rolled away swiftly and began to crawl away from Thane. He managed to make it halfway across the bed before the Lord grabbed his ankle and yanked him back, sliding him across the silky sheets on his belly. Thane grabbed his arms and flipped him over roughly.

"Let go!" Kegan screamed, his voice cracking from fear, trying to fight his way free of the strong arms, but then the back of a big, ringed hand collided with his face, snapping his head to the side and silencing him.

Thane leaned over his misbehaving slave and grabbed both of his wrists in one hand, pulling them up above his head, and again grabbed the child's jaw firmly with his other hand, turning his head back to look up at him, knowing that he was badly bruising the pale skin. The boy whimpered, his eyes brimming with tears again.

"You test my patience, Kegan," he growled through clenched teeth, his nose almost touching the cute, upturned nose bellow him.

Kegan stared into the man's eyes, his jaw throbbing and his cheek stinging, terrified of what the Lord was going to do to him, but refusing to give up so easily.

"Then let me go," he hissed back at Thane, bravely. With a bark of laughter, the man tossed his head back.

"You dare talk back to me, you little wretch?" he said, laughter still in his voice, amazed at the child's unwavering valiance. "Your punishment is going to be quite severe, my precious slave. I gave you a chance to obey, but it seems I must physically show you your place. I hope you are prepared to accept the pain graciously."

Without another word, Thane pulled the boy closer to the top of the bed, and began tying the child's left wrist in the burgundy rope. Kegan snatched his right wrist out of the man's hand when it was grabbed, but received another harsh slap that made his ears ring, rendering him too stunned to fight back. He was flipped over onto his stomach and his other arm was tied tightly. Thane pulled the rope, stretching the boy's arms out wide, so that his shoulders where painfully strained. Then he did the same to the boy's legs, securing his ankles and pulling the ropes to spread his legs apart. Kegan had his head turned into the pillow and stared up at the Lord, his enchanting eyes fearful.

Struggling to calm his angry huffs of breath, Thane gazed down at the trembling body laying on his bed. He reached out and ran a hand across the boy's perfect skin, trailing his fingers down the twitching muscles of his slave's back and to the pale buttocks.

"Mmm… So smooth," he murmured, enjoying the shudder his words and touch created. "Your back is completely unmarred, little one. It is clear you've never had a whip brought down upon your skin. That changes tonight."

Kegan's voice came out muffled from the pillow his head was lying on as he craned his neck back to look at the man, the sudden threat of being whipped and scarred making him panic.

"Wait! Please! I'm sorry! I won't do it again! Please… M-master?"

Thane smiled at his prisoner's words, pleased that he had addressed him as 'master', but he ignored the begging. He was going to deliver a harsh punishment to the disobedient boy and no amount of pleading would stop him.

He turned to look at the whips and belts his servants had placed upon the tables beside his bed, absentmindedly sucking the blood still dripping from his thumb, deep in thought. They varied in thickness and size, some of the whips having multiple lashes. The leather shined in the light of the many candles in the room and he touched the polished handles, taking his time to decide which one he would use.

He glanced up at Kegan and saw that the boy was watching him, his eyes wide with trepidation and his breathing quickening. Thane wanted to cause the boy pain, but he didn't want to damage the child's body too badly. He found his gaze drifting back over to the luminous skin on the boy's back and decided he would only whip the boy hard enough to welt and bruise the flesh, not lacerate it and cause scars; the child was just too pretty for that.

With careful consideration he chose a belt that was quite thick and would cause a severe amount of pain when brought down quickly, but would not break the skin. Kegan's eyes widened when Thane picked up the belt and he made a soft whimpering sound, which made the Lord chuckle.

"P-please…" The boy begged again, his voice hoarse from fear.

The man was unfazed by the pitiful plea, but found that he loved hearing the soft voice begging for mercy. He gazed down at the boy lying so prone and vulnerable beneath him and felt excitement thrum through him straight to his groin. The urge to cause his little slave pain and suffering was so strong it almost frightened him, but he brushed the fear aside, confident that he could control himself to not harm the child too badly.

Thane slid the strap through his hand slowly, several times, enjoying the feel of the smooth leather against his palm, and watched the boy's fearful eyes, trained on the belt. The man relished watching as the child's body begin to tremble with dread and his breathing began to become ragged, wondering when the first strike would land.

Without warning, Thane cruelly brought the belt down hard, but instead of landing the blow on the bare back, he struck the bed beside the child. The sudden movement made Kegan tense and let out a small, strangled cry, as he closed his eyes tight, expecting pain. But when the belt didn't hit him, he opened his eyes a peek and looked up at the man's face. Thane chuckled, amusing himself with tormenting the child. He raised the belt high again and began to bring it down quickly, but stopped just short of hitting the boy, making Kegan cry out again in expected pain, his eyes clenched tight. The boy let out a pitiful wail of frustration, his eyes still squeezed closed, the distress of not knowing when the belt would strike him driving him mad. Thane waited until those lovely green eyes opened again, then he brought the strap down once more. This time leather met with flesh.

Kegan shrieked in agony and jolted as the belt came down across his fragile lower back, just above his bottom, the burn of the harsh blow radiating up his spine. Thane waited to strike again and watched as an angry red welt developed across his slave's pale skin, listening to the boy's harsh panting. Intent on causing pain, he brought the belt down a second time in the same spot as the first blow. The boy's body jerked violently as he let out another scream.

The Lord felt that he had tormented the child long enough and was ready to deliver his punishment fully. He hit the boy a third time higher up on his back and then a fourth across his buttocks. Kegan thrashed in his bounds, his eyes closed tightly, letting out a wail of misery, his hands clenching and unclenching, desperately seeking out something to grasp in an attempt to lessen the pain.

Thane easily picked up a rhythm with his blows and continued to beat the boy mercilessly until the child's cries of agony had become weakened and his writhing had mostly ceased. Thane stopped, slightly winded from his exertion, and looked down at his precious slave. The boy lay panting and trembling violently, his face streaked with tears and his eyes glossy from the pain. His back was covered in welts from his slender shoulders to his thighs, some already beginning to bruise and bleed.

For a moment the lord simply gazed down at the abused body and allowed the child to catch his breath and come to his senses. Slowly, Kegan's unfocused eyes cleared as he came back from the mind numbing pain. Thane replaced the belt back on the table and turned back to the boy.

"Kegan, look at me," he commanded softly, perching himself on the edge of the bed with his leg tucked under him.

The child hesitated, but finally looked up at his master with hate filled eyes. Thane raised an eyebrow at the defiant look on the boy's face, having expected to see defeat instead. Kegan had much more willpower than it appeared.

"Have you learned your lesson my pet?" the Lord asked, beginning to wonder if he had been too easy on the boy.

"Fuck you," came the hissed, hoarse reply.

Amused, Thane chuckled.

"Well, well, it seems you are much stronger than I anticipated, my little slave. What am I to do with you? Shall I whip you again?"

The boy paled at the suggestion, but continued to stare up at the man with contempt. For some strange reason the look on the teen's face made Thane's pants tighten. He wanted to wipe the glare off of the insolent kid's face for showing such disrespect, but the boy's defiance was making the man even more attracted to him.

Thane wondered if Kegan would still look at him like that after he fucked him. He didn't want to wait to find out. Without wasting another moment he stood and undressed quickly, watching as the boy's eyes widened.

"Wh-what are you d-doing?" the child stammered, panic rising in his voice.

Thane grinned maliciously as he grabbed a bottle of oil, then climbed onto the bed and moved to settle himself between the boy's spread legs.

"I intend to take your sweet virginity now, my love."

Chapter 4

Kegan craned his neck back to stare down in horror at the impressive member that would soon be inside of him.

"N-no! No, wait. Please! Please don't do this!" he cried out suddenly, the idea of what was about to happen to him fully setting in. It was a useless plea, he knew it wouldn't stop the man, but he couldn't help it; the thought of being raped was making him feel sick. Thane chuckled darkly.

"Not so brave now, hmm, my pet?" he teased.

With quick hands he opened the bottle of lubricant and poured some onto his fingers, then brought them up to the boy's entrance. Kegan tensed at the feeling of the man's hand close to a place not even he himself dared to touch.

"Relax, Kegan, or it will hurt more," Thane warned as he carefully began to slide his forefinger into the tight hole.

The boy hissed in discomfort, closing his eyes and clenching his jaw at the anger that surged within him at being violated in such a way.

Slowly, the Lord started sliding his finger in and out of the ring of muscles, marveling at how tight the boy was; it was going to be impossible not to tear the fragile flesh even if he stretched it with his fingers. He felt a fleeting trace of pity for the child, but it was gone in the next moment, his selfish desires being of more importance. This was his slave, to do with as he pleased. The boy would soon become accustomed to his girth and be able to take him easily; it would just take time and training. Thane smirked at the thought of spending many pleasurable hours training the teen to be his perfect little sex slave and his urge to be inside of the boy peaked. He slid another finger into Kegan's body and grinned when the boy groaned in discomfort.

Kegan tried to focus on something else, but the probing fingers inside of him were too much of an irritation and it was beginning to hurt. He didn't want to give the man the satisfaction of hearing him protest in any way, but then Thane slid in a third finger, making him cry out.

"Stop! Please!" he begged, as the lord splayed his digits out, stretching him roughly.

The child's pitiful cry made Thane's cock throb and he couldn't wait any longer. He pulled his long fingers out and poured more oil in his hand to slick his dick liberally.

"Just relax, Kegan. It's going to hurt at first, but you'll get used to it eventually. You'll learn to love it," he purred, grasping the slim hips and pulling them up and towards him, loving the delicious whimper that came with it.

Then he carefully aligned himself up to the boy's body and slowly pushed in.

The boy screamed when the man's cock breeched his entrance and pain shot through him. It was like nothing Kegan had ever felt before, an agony so intense white spots flashed before his eyes and bile flooded his throat.

Slowly, Thane pushed in further, the feel of the boy's body surrounding his cock making him shudder with pleasure. He tried to remain gentle, allowing Kegan's body to accommodate him gradually, but the moan that left the boy's sensual lips made his passion spike and he found himself thrusting in roughly.

Kegan shrieked as blinding agony tore through his body, making it feel as if he were being split in half. He couldn't think of anything but the all consuming pain.

Thane couldn't control himself and pulled out, then forced himself back in, relishing the feel of the tight body beneath him, barely noticing as he tore the fragile tissue with his harsh thrust. The agonized scream that came from the child's throat was heart breaking, but he hardly noticed it; he was only focused on his mounting pleasure as he started to pound into the snug heat. The boy began to writhe, trying desperately to rid himself of the pain, but his struggling only gave the man more pleasure.

Kegan felt as if his insides were being torn out as the violating member thrust in and out of him and horrible sobs overtook him, wracking his already trembling body. The sound of his master's grunts of delight made him nauseous and he struggled not to vomit.

Thane wanted to savor his first romp with his slave, but the boy was just too tight and he felt himself approaching orgasm sooner than he had hoped. He tried to prolong his release, but Kegan's pitiful whimpers and moans of pain pushed him over the edge and he exploded inside of the small body, filling it full of his seed, and collapsing on top of it heavily.

The boy gasped and choked on a sob as he felt the man cum deep within him, the semen burning his torn insides, and was suddenly crushed by his weight. He no longer squirmed or cried, his ravaged body spent and exhausted. All he could do was struggle to drag in ragged, painful breaths through his sore throat.

Thane came back to his senses and leaned back to slowly pull out of the boy's ass. He grimaced as his seed and blood poured from the child's body, coating his trembling thighs and the bed in a sticky mess. Carefully, he rolled off of the boy to lie on his side, propping himself up on his elbow, and taking in the appearance of his slave.

Kegan was shivering so violently his teeth were chattering and his eyes were heavy lidded from the torture he had suffered. Thane reached up and patted the boy's cheek to rouse him from his pain induced stupor. Kegan closed his eyes and jerked away from the touch, letting out a small moan of annoyance.

"Come now, Pet. Open your eyes and look at me," Thane commanded gently.

The boy turned his head away, burying it into the pillow so the man could no longer see his face.

Thane sighed and reached up to grab a fistful of the boy's hair and yanking his head up and turning it forcefully, straining his neck, so that he could see his face. Kegan let out a strangled yelp of pain, but kept his eyes closed tightly, not wanting to see his master's face.

"Kegan, look at me," the man growled, but the boy refused to open his eyes.

With another growl, Thane reached up and quickly loosened the restraints connecting the child to the bed and then flipped him over onto his welted back, twisting his still-bound legs uncomfortably.

Kegan cried out at the sudden change in position, the pressure on his back and his sore legs being contorted causing pain to flare through his body. The man pinned the boy to the bed heavily and tried again.

"Look at me. Now, boy," he snarled through clenched teeth, his patience wearing very thin.

The child shook his head back and forth petulantly, until Thane stopped him with a firm grip on his jaw.

"I grow very tired of your insolence, slave. I will give you one more chance to open your eyes, if you don't, I promise you, you will regret it immensely," he spoke, his voice dripping with rage.

To his relief he watched as the bright green eyes opened slowly, swollen and bloodshot from his tears. Thane smiled in satisfaction, but a sudden burst of pain in his temple quickly erased the pleased expression. For a second he was too stunned by the blow to realize what had happened, but then he quickly gathered that his increasingly disobedient captive had just punched him.

Kegan, glaring scornfully up at his master, foolishly tried to hit the man again, but was halted when his wrist was caught in the lord's large hand. Thane gripped the boy's arm tightly, squeezing until the kid cried out in pain and vainly tried to jerk his hand free. He yanked the boy up by his arm until the bonds stopped him and leaned close to the child's face.

"Oh, Kegan, you are going to wish you had never done that," he hissed.

The imprudently brave boy made the mistake to spit in the furious man's face yet again, this time hitting him square in the eye.

Thane bellowed in outrage and struck the boy as hard as he could, knocking the small teen to the bed violently. Kegan crumpled to the mattress in an unconscious heap on his side, his already bruising face turned into the sheets. Thane raised his hand to strike the boy again, but saw that the blow had knocked him out cold and he punched the bed instead, letting out another scream of fury. The infuriating boy had made him lose control again, first with his young body and now with his attitude; the Lord could not allow this to happen.

He rose from the bed and pulled on his robe quickly, his mind furiously working to come up with a punishment fit for the child's disobedience. Kegan had to learn that he was no longer in control of his own body and must submit to his master fully and completely, but it was obvious that the boy's willpower was very great and that it was going to be hard to make him give in without severe punishment.

Thane paced back and forth contemplating his little hellion slave, almost blinded by his rage. The boy was exasperating! How was a peasant boy able to anger him so easily!? He was Lord Thane for god's sake! The child was overwhelmingly attractive with his looks and now it appeared that Thane was also greatly attracted to his spunky personality. He had beaten and raped the kid and yet he still fought him. The boy was irresistible! Thane wanted to turn that fiery passion around and see the boy act like that with want and need for his master, but the only way to do that would be to make Kegan realize that he truly needed the man, to make the boy suffer and come crawling back to him for forgiveness.

Suddenly Thane knew what he wanted to do. He walked over to a bell cord by his bed and pulled it to summon his personal servant, Claude. The man was there within minutes.

"My lord, how may I assist you?" the middle aged man asked, bowing respectfully, glancing over at the bloody, unconscious boy in the bed with slight worry.

"Claude, I need to discipline my little slave to the highest degree and I've come up with a plan. I want you to bring Kegan down to the stable workers quarters and give him to them to have some fun with. They can do what they want with him as long as they don't cause permanent damage or injure him too badly. He is to stay with them until he asks for me. Instruct them to immediately stop what they're doing to him and inform me when he does. I trust they'll obey my orders fully or there will be severe consequences."

Claude was a very obedient servant and respected his master completely, but he found himself blanching at the man's order and questioning him for the first time since he had been serving him, wondering if he had possibly gone mad.

"B-but, sir. There's six men who live in that keep, surely there must be another way. He's just a child…"

Thane held up his hand to silence the man.

"He is no ordinary boy. He is much stronger than he looks. I'm confident in my decision. Go. Take him down before he wakes up. And make sure to give my orders precisely, if he is hurt too badly there will be hell to pay. Oh, and come change these sheets when you return, as you can see we've made a mess," Thane said chuckling slightly.

Claude swallowed his objections and nodded weakly. He stepped over to the bed, untied the boy and then carefully gathered him in his arms to bring him downstairs.

As Claude exited with his precious slave tucked against his chest, Thane sighed and hoped he was making the right decision. He knew the burly men in the stables would ravage the boy horribly, but he knew they would heed his word to not harm him too badly for fear of punishment. He knew this would make the boy come crawling back to him, begging for forgiveness, pleading to never send him back down to those men again.

Pushing aside his worries, he was sure the child would be crying for him very soon, then he would see just how much fun his little slave could be with a little obedience engrained in his adorable head. With that pleasing thought, he decided to get a bath and then retire for the night, that is until his pet called for him.

Chapter 5

A sudden cold, wetness woke and then suffocated Kegan and he gasped for air, but instead sucked water into his lungs. A big hand gripped in his hair yanked him back painfully. The boy coughed and sputtered, water gushing from his mouth as his head was pulled from the bucket of water on the floor. He was thrown to the ground roughly and cried out in pain, continuing to hack water up from his lungs. Blearily he looked up with shock to realize he was no longer in his master's quarters, but in a dimly lit room with rough wooden walls, on a dirty, straw strewn floor, and surrounded by six large men who towered above him. They gazed down at him with amusement and lustful hunger in their eyes.

Kegan back pedaled, scrambling across the floor to distance himself from the strangers, but one of them reached down and grabbed his ankle to yank him back towards them, sliding him across the rough wooden floor boards. He screamed in pain at the friction and the irritated welts on his back, trying to twist to his side to escape the torture and kicking out at the man at the same time. His foot connected with the man's face and the attacker released his leg and stumbled back, clutching his bloody nose. Another man lunged for him, but Kegan rolled away and scrambled to his feet.

Sudden, horrible pain shot up his spine, stomach, and ass when he stood and his knees buckled from the intense agony and he fell forward. He caught himself on his hands, but another man was suddenly on top of him, rolling him over forcefully and straddling him heavily to restrain him, using his knees to pin his arms to his side.

"Get off! Let go!" Kegan screamed hoarsely, bucking and trying to kick the man off unsuccessfully. Three punches to his face silenced and stilled him. His mouth and nose filled with blood, hindering his breathing and blurring his vision tremendously.

"Stupid little brat," the man spat at him.

"He looks like a damn girl, never seen a boy so delicate looking," another man said, chuckling.

"I do not!" Kegan said thickly, blood gushing from his lips. The men laughed at his petulant outburst.

"The Master was right, this one does need to be taught a lesson," a different man spoke out of his line of view.

"Well, we'll just have to teach him, then. Won't we?" the man on top of him sneered. He turned to someone on his left and spoke. "Hold his shoulders down, I'll go first."

A man approached and quickly pinned Kegan down heavily, applying unneeded pressure to his badly sore shoulders, hindering him from moving his arms fully.

"Stop! That hurts!" Kegan gasped, beginning to struggle. Another punch to his cheek made him go limp, his ears ringing deafeningly.

"Quit squirming, you little shit," the man hissed as he moved off of him.

Kegan gasped for air, not realizing how heavy the man was and how much he had been constricting his breathing until he was off of him. Before he could react, his thighs were gripped in very large, calloused hands and spread apart and pushed up, bending his knees towards his chest, practically folding him in half. He panicked and began to thrash, unable to control himself.

"No! No! No please!" he begged, tears beginning to stream down his bruised cheeks. "Not again! Please no!"

The man thrust inside of him without warning, his blood and master's semen that was still inside of him providing little lubrication. He screamed in agony again, his vocal cords threatening to fracture at the force, and he struggled wildly. Why was this happening to him!? The man raped him and finished rather quickly, filling Kegan's bowels with more seed, then another man took his place, his penis already out and hard.

"Please stop!" Kegan pleaded, but to no avail as the second man forced himself inside of his body. He moaned, unable to scream anymore.

Had his master decided he no longer wanted him? Did he belong to these men now? Staring blankly up at the ceiling, his mind finally beginning to go numb from the brutality being done to him, he laid still, as the second man finished and a third took his place. He had heard of boy's being sold to brothels and whored out to men like this. Was this his life now? He didn't want this! He would rather be with Lord Thane! Suddenly being a slave for him didn't seem so bad compared to this!

Once the third was done, the man holding his shoulders down released him, only to yank him up and force him to his knees roughly; he immediately felt warm liquid gush down his sore thighs. His head swam, his vision blacked, and he started to fall forward, but a hand in his hair stopped him, painfully pulling the tousled mess. A slap roused him slightly along with gruff words.

"Open your mouth, bitch."

Realizing what they wanted he shook his head, refusing to allow that to happen, but someone behind him grabbed his head, reached around and pried his jaw open. A large cock was forced into his mouth and down his throat violently. He gagged and choked, wanting to bite the offending organ, but the hands holding him kept his jaw open wide. He stared up at the man's thrusting hips, unable to believe what was being done to him.

The man fucked his throat and cummed on his tongue and face before stepping away and allowing another man to take his place. The second man shoved himself down his throat just the same, but this time exploded in the back of his throat forcing him to swallow the hot liquid. A third man followed and finished the same as the second.

Finally he was released and he fell forward, barely managing to catch himself before his face hit the floor. The disgusting taste in his mouth made him sick and he vomited, blood and gobs of seed pouring from his damaged throat. He dry heaved until he collapsed into his own puke, curling his body up defensively.

Suddenly, he heard a loud crack followed by blinding pain shooting through his side. He choked out a ragged scream and rolled away weakly to look up at what had struck him and blanched when he saw a whip flying down at him again, catching him on his arm this time. He curled into a ball to protect himself, exposing his back. The whip came down again and again, tearing into his already bruised flesh. He wanted the pain to stop, nothing but the pain existed, and he needed it to stop, it had to stop! His mind scrambled blindly for someone to help him and when another painful strike landed on his back, he called out for the only person he could think of.

"MASTER PLEASE!"

The whip didn't fall again and he heard the men shift slightly.

"Fetch Claude," one of them said as footsteps walked away from him.

He lay trembling on the floor, so wracked with pain that he was unable to move, but so filled with fear that more pain was to come, he struggled to sit up to escape. Who was Claude? Someone else to hurt him? What else could be done to him to make him suffer that he hadn't already experienced!? Strong hands stopped him from rising and he jerked away from them, sobbing pitifully.

"No. No please," he murmured weakly, begging for the pain to stop. They were going to hurt him more, he knew it. The pain wouldn't stop until he was dead.

"Hold still, boy. Don't hurt yourself more," a gruff voice grumbled, keeping him pressed to the floor.

He pulled his knees up to his chest and put his arms over his head to protect himself.

"Please, please, please…" he begged over and over, his body shuddering from loud sobs. Everything began to fade away, as if he were falling into a black hole.

"I'm sorry Master," he mumbled as gentle hands scooped him up just before the darkness overwhelmed him and swallowed him up completely.

Chapter 6

Thane was awakened by a knock on his door.

"Come in!" he called impatiently, groggy from sleep.

It was still dark outside, why was he being disturbed at this hour!? But then he saw Claude and remembered.

"He called for you my lord," the man said as he bowed in greeting, a grim look upon his face. Thane smiled, but then frowned at the look on his servant's face.

"Is he alright?" he asked wearily, fearing the worst. The man grimaced, but nodded.

"Yes, my lord, as well as he can be. He's unconscious in the servant chambers at the moment, the pain was too overwhelming for him I believe."

Thane himself grimaced and wondered what the boy had gone through. He cleared his throat, dismissing the sudden surge of guilt.

"Very well. Let him rest. Give him a dose of some sleeping potion, enough to make sure he sleeps soundly and pain free. At sunrise see that the physician tends to his wounds and makes sure he isn't hurt too badly, then instruct the doctor to seek me out; I would like to speak with him afterwards. Have the boy in my chambers waiting for me after my breakfast. Thank you, Claude."

With another bow the man exited and the doors closed.

Thane troubled over the extent of his slave's damage and had the urge to go to him right then and tend to him himself, but he pushed the thought aside, knowing he needed to leave the boy alone until the perfect moment. Teaching the child obedience would only work as long as he stuck with his plan and pushed aside the pesky feelings of guilt and worry for the boy.

With slight dismay, he realized his feelings for his little captive had somehow grown to a scary resemblance of adoration, possibly even love. He couldn't have that! After all, he was the most powerful man in his kingdom, below the king; how could he let a mere boy control him in such a way!? It was preposterous to even imagine! Kegan was nothing more than a little catamite, just a toy for him to fuck!

But even as he pushed the foolish thoughts from his head and tried to relax to sleep a few hours more, a sense of impending dread hung over Thane, making him wonder just how much control he truly had over the situation.

***

Kegan floated in between sleep and consciousness, his mind foggy from the pain he had suffered. He was lying on something warm and soft, and could hear movement near him. Where was he? Back in Thane's chambers? The last thing he remembered was calling out for his master and then being lifted into gentle arms. It dawned on him that the pain had stopped as soon as he had called out for Thane. His cry of mercy had been answered by his master, but the man had surely been the one to order the torture in the first place, so what did that mean? The boy couldn't sort his thoughts out properly because of the all over ache in his body, it made thinking almost impossible.

Something touched Kegan's face suddenly and woke him completely. He gasped, quickly pulling away from the gentle, warm touch, and opened his eyes, finding it somewhat difficult because his left eye was slightly swollen and both seemed to be glued shut from the dried tears on his thick lashes. For a moment his vision swam, but it slowly became clearer and he looked up at the face of an unfamiliar man with long black hair pulled back into a braid, who smiled down at him gently. Even though the man looked kind, the trauma Kegan had just suffered made him panic and he began to scramble away from the male sitting beside him on the small cot he was lying on. He saw that he was no longer in that dreadful room with those men, but the boy was unable to trust anyone at that moment; in his eyes every person who came near him would surely violate him in some way, no matter where he was.

"Kegan, stop. You're badly injured. Please, just relax; I'm not going to hurt you."

The man's voice was soft and soothing, but it made no difference to Kegan; Thane's voice had been soft as well right before he had raped him. He tried to get out of the bed, to distance himself from the stranger, but the man grabbed him and firmly, but gently, pressed him into the soft mattress, stopping his attempt of escape. Kegan whimpered pitifully and began to cry, unable to be strong any longer; he didn't want to hurt anymore.

"Please don't hurt me," he rasped, his voice hoarse from screaming.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Kegan," the man repeated, "I'm going to clean your wounds and then give you something to help you sleep, that's all. Okay?"

Kegan gazed up at the man wearily, but slowly nodded, too exhausted to fight any longer. Carefully, the man reached up and continued to wipe the blood from the boy's pretty face with a warm cloth. For a few minutes they sat in silence while the man worked, his gentle touch soothing Kegan and making him relax some.

"Who are you?" Kegan finally asked softly, wanting to know who this kind stranger was; he was the first person who hadn't harmed him within minutes of their meeting. The man continued to work, rinsing the blood soaked cloth in a steaming basin of water on the bedside table, but spoke.

"My name is Claude. I'm Lord Thane's personal servant," he said, moving to wipe blood and vomit off of the boy's chest and arms.

Claude. Kegan recognized the name, but wasn't sure where he had heard it, unable to remember that Claude was actually the one who had saved him from those men, not Thane. He winced and gasped, as the cloth brushed across a whip mark on his shoulder and he shuddered, remembering the pain of the leather biting into his skin.

"I'm sorry about what they did to you," Claude said softly, gently running the cloth down the child's thin arms, "You didn't deserve this."

Kegan stared up at the man, finding hope in the fact that at least one person in this dreadful place felt that he was still a human and not just a hole to fuck.

"Thank you," the boy said quietly, trying to give Claude a small smile, but instead crying out, his attempt cut short when the cloth moved over the deep gash on his side. Claude winced at the child's pitiful cry of pain and apologized, trying to be more gentle in his ministrations.

"I need you to roll over, so I can clean your back," Claude said softly, rinsing out the cloth again.

Kegan nodded weakly and tried to roll over, but found he was unable to without help from the man because he was so weak. Claude's brow creased at the sight of the boy's thin back. Ten fairly deep slashes, that would undoubtedly scar, decorated the pale skin, along with bruising and welts from his previous beating. The servant wondered what his master would think of the damage done to his slave's body. Claude doubted the marks could take away from the boy's beauty, he was lovely even with the contusions and cuts, but they most certainly marred the once perfect skin.

As careful as possible, he cleaned Kegan's back, grimacing at the small whimpers and moans of pain, hating that he was causing the child even more agony while trying to help him. Without thinking, he moved to wipe the blood from the boy's bruised thighs. Kegan felt Claude's hands near the part of his body that had been violated horribly so many times within the last few hours and panicked, jerking away so violently that he toppled of the bed with a cry of pain.

"Please don't!" he begged, curling into a small ball, his body shivering so hard that his teeth were chattering.

Claude cursed himself, realizing the mistake he had made, and quickly went around to the other side of the cot to pick the trembling boy up. Kegan screamed and pushed him away, suddenly utterly terrified of being touched.

"Please! Please don't touch me," he whimpered, staring up at the man with pleading, tear filled eyes.

Claude felt an overwhelming surge of pity for the boy, knowing he was completely traumatized by the multiple rapes he had experienced, but at the same time he knew Thane would not tolerate his slave to act in such a way; no doubt the man would dispose of Kegan if he realized he was ruined. For some reason he didn't want to see the boy killed, there was something about him that made Claude want to save him and make sure he survived, no matter what that would take. He hated that the boy was suffering so much, but he had to explain to Kegan that he couldn't act like this if he ever wanted to have any kind of relief again.

Quickly, he grabbed the little slave by the arms and jerked him up and set him back on the bed, giving the boy little chance to fight back before he was pinned down. Claude was careful not to hurt the child, but he held him down firmly. Kegan began to struggle, fearful of what this man was going to do to him now; was every male in this damned place going to rape him!? Was this what his life had come too!?

"Kegan, stop." Claude's voice was stern, but gentle, making the boy momentarily pause in his struggling and look up at the man.

"Listen to me, please," Claude spoke softly, "I can't imagine what you're going through right now, but let me explain something: Thane is not a man to be played with. He will stop at nothing to get what he wants and right now he wants you, willing and submissive. If you don't want to hurt anymore or suffer, I suggest you behave and act how he wants you to act. Do you understand?"

Kegan stared up at the man in dismay.

"You expect me to just willingly submit to him? Like the pet he wants me to be!? I can't!" Kegan cried out, angry tears streaming down his bruised cheeks. Claude sighed and shook his head sadly.

"If you don't want to hurt anymore, you will Kegan. Lord Thane can be cruel and heartless at times, but he can also be kind and gentle. You could live well and happy if you simply give in to his demands. Trust me, he won't stop until you are completely broken, even if that means killing you."

His words made Kegan pale. Death was such a frightening thought after watching his parents take their last struggling breaths. And he was already so tired of the pain. But could he give in to this man who clearly wanted to own his very soul?

"How can I be what he wants?" Kegan whispered hoarsely, his tears flowing strong and fast.

Claude gently reached out and wiped the boy's tears away, pleased that he didn't jerk away from the touch.

"Do exactly as he says. Act like you want to be his pet. If you value your life, you will be what he wants you to be, even if it goes against your will. Eventually you will learn to accept your place and you might even enjoy it. Lord Thane treats his servants and slaves very well if they are obedient. We never want for anything and live quite comfortably. You especially will be lavished with gifts and get to indulge in the finest foods. The man adores you, Kegan."

The boy stared up at the man in disbelief. Lord Thane adored him? It seemed preposterous after what the man had done to him. Why would you hurt someone you adored? He suddenly remembered something Thane had said: You will find that I am a kind master when you behave, Kegan. Could that be true? Was Claude's advice believable? If he behaved, would Thane not hurt him again? Had he brought all of this suffering upon himself? At that moment he knew that there was nothing he could do except submit to his master if he no longer wanted to be punished. Maybe he would even enjoy his life, like Claude said, if he could look past the fact that his body would be used occasionally.

"Kegan?" Claude roused him from his thoughts, staring down at him with a look of genuine concern, which warmed the boy's heart; at least someone in this place was truly looking out for his well being, maybe living here wouldn't be so bad if Claude continued to look after him and give him advice.

"I'll try," Kegan said softly, with a weak smile. Claude sighed in relief and released the boy's arms, satisfied that he would not try to struggle or fight him anymore.

"May I continue cleaning your wounds?" he asked softly.

Kegan nodded and rolled over obediently. He tensed when Claude began to clean the blood from his thighs and bottom, but didn't protest, instead resigning to accept his new role to avoid further punishment. After Claude was finished, he gave Kegan a sweet tasting potion that immediately soothed his troubled mind and made him very tired. He soon drifted off to sleep, dread set deep in his stomach, but hopeful that things would soon get better.

Chapter 7

During his morning meal, Thane was alerted that the doctor had tended to Kegan and was finished with him, and was waiting to speak with him. Eager to hear what the man had to say, the lord summoned him to his personal dining room immediately, surprising his servants since he usually preferred to be alone while he ate. The aging physician entered the room hesitantly a few minutes later and hovered near the door, waiting to be addressed. Thane beckoned the gray haired man over and offered him a seat after the doctor had bowed.

"How is he Dr. Asa?" he asked, leaning back in his chair and taking a sip from his goblet of wine, trying to disguise his worry.

"He's fine, my lord," the man said with confidence, greatly easing Thane's trepidation. "The bruising and cuts on his face will fade within a week or so, luckily there were no breaks in his nose or cheek bones. The whip marks will scar, but not too badly; they need to be cleaned and rebandaged daily. He will be hoarse for a few days from the oral rape, but there was no permanent damage to his throat. Of course he had some anal tearing, but nothing to be too concerned about. If possible, you should refrain from using him for at least two days, to allow him to heal. A numbing salve will help with his pain, if you want to allow him some relief." Thane nodded absently, his mind having trouble comprehending the damage that he had caused. The thought of Kegan's beauty being marred by his hand made him feel ill, but he quickly pushed the thoughts aside, ignoring his nausea.

"Thank you, doctor. I trust you explained to Claude how to tend to his wounds?" he asked, setting his glass down and rising. The physician followed suit and nodded.

"Yes, my lord. But I did have one more thing to discuss with you: Claude mentioned that the boy showed signs of post traumatic stress, which often occurs after a traumatic experience of some sort. He will most likely be quite resistant to your touch, even more so than before, possibly to the point of physically fighting you. He will probably have flash backs and relive the experience when he is threatened or stressed. He should be treated kindly and given space for several days…" Asa trailed off, letting his words fade, feeling that they would not do any good; he knew Thane would not have any pity for the poor child, which was a shame – the boy was quite stunning in looks and personality. Asa smiled fondly, remembering the timid, but grateful smile and thank you the boy had given him before he left; Kegan was certainly an angel, Thane had done well in picking him. The Lord visibly grimaced, but quickly controlled his features to their usual suave appearance.

"Very well. Thank you, Asa, I will alert you if you are needed again," he said curtly and dismissed the doctor.

Asa bowed and left the room, hoping the man wouldn't be too harsh anymore with the boy; in his opinion a cherub such as Kegan needed to be loved.

Thane watched the man go, his thoughts a flurry of turmoil and regret. Had he made a grave mistake sending Kegan to his stable workers? He dreaded seeing his slave's delicate body battered and scarred, but he wanted to see the boy immediately, so he quickly left the dining room and walked to his quarters.

For the first time ever he hesitated on entering his own chambers, but made sure his hesitation was not too noticeable to his guards as they opened his door; he couldn't allow anyone to know how Kegan was making him feel. Before he could fully prepare himself, he was standing in his room. The door shut behind him, making him jump, and he cursed himself for acting so foolish over a little slave, but then his eyes came to rest on the boy.

Kegan's bruised body laid curled upon the white rug, turned away from the door, almost hidden within the mounds of pillows surrounding him. The stark white bandages contrasted dramatically on his pale skin, making his perfection oddly demurred, which made Thane's reluctance to fully see the boy heightened, but he approached slowly, knowing it was his own fault that Kegan was hurt. He stood over the small body and saw that the boy was fast asleep, just as he had found him the previous night. He took in the bruises that adorned the pretty face and lithe body, and noted with satisfaction that the contusions did nothing to disguise the boy's allure.

After a few minutes of simply staring down at the child, he lowered himself to sit on one of the pillows and reached out to gently caress the soft, brown hair. Kegan stirred slightly from the touch, then his eyes fluttered open. Thane had a moment of déjà vu and expected the boy to jump up and try to evade him as he had the night before, but instead Kegan simply blinked up at him passively, a look of docility on his face that was completely contradictory to the disobedience the lord had seen previously. The change in the boy's attitude baffled Thane, but at the same time immensely pleased him; maybe his plan had worked after all.

He smiled at the little slave and patted his lap, testing the waters so to speak; he wanted to see what his plan had accomplished. Obediently, Kegan sat up and crawled over to the man, the little bell on his collar tinkling pleasantly as he moved. Thane's grin broadened as the boy carefully settled himself across his thighs, curled up much like a little kitten, leaning against his chest. The Lord reached down and tilted the boy's head back with a hand on the small chin and leaned down to kiss the swollen and split lips gently, careful not to reopen the cuts.

Kegan closed his eyes, but allowed Thane to kiss him without resistance, even opening his mouth to let the man deepen the kiss. Thane pulled away from the sensual mouth several minutes later and looked down at Kegan, unable to keep a broad smile from gracing his lips, but it slowly turned into a frown. The boy opened his eyes slowly, to look up at his master, and Thane watched as silent, glistening tears rolled down the child's bruised cheeks. Nothing but sorrow filled the emerald depths and the sight brought a pang of sadness to Thane's heart. Confusion swarmed his brain. Wasn't this what he wanted from Kegan? Complete submission without rebuke? Then why was he suddenly feeling guilty just from the look on the boy's face?

Angered by his seemingly out-of-control emotions, and wanting to blame them on something other than himself, he suddenly lashed out without even thinking of what he was doing. Kegan cried out in pain as the back of Thane's hand connected with his already bruised cheek and roughly knocked him to the floor. Thane stood and stomped away from the rug to stand in front of the hearth, leaning against the mantle with his hands, staring into the fire, unable to comprehend the emotions surging within him.

"You said you wouldn't hurt me if I obeyed you, you lying bastard!" Kegan's voice came from behind him, husky and raspy, but clearly laced with scorn.

Thane turned around slowly and looked at his slave, frowning at the sight of the boy's bloodied mouth that he of course had caused. Kegan, now sitting on his bottom, glared up at the man, a steady stream of blood dripping down his chin to spatter his bare chest, a look of pure hate in his previously doleful eyes. The boy spit out a mouthful of crimson liquid onto the white rug, staining the plush material in an almost vengeful action.

"Now when did I say that?" Thane asked softly walking over to the boy with slow, intimidating steps, his hands clasped behind his back. He watched as Kegan paled and shrank back slightly.

"You – you said if I b-behaved, that you wouldn't hurt me. I was being good, I was doing what you wanted me to do, but – but you still hit me. You lied…" the boy stammered quietly, becoming increasingly more fearful the closer his master got.

Thane watched his slave, puzzling over how this small boy could affect him so greatly. At that moment he wanted nothing more than to hold and soothe Kegan, to apologize and admit he was wrong for allowing such things to be done to him, but he knew if he did that he would be admitting his weakness. He could not allow this to happen, even if it meant he had to get rid of the slave. That thought suddenly made his knees feel weak, just the idea of not having Kegan around anymore made him sick. How was this possible!? He had known the boy for less than two days and here he was unable to even fathom the idea of losing him. Thane had never felt this way about anyone, or anything for that matter. What was it about Kegan that made him so irresistible?

He stopped in front of the boy, towering over him and making him cower slightly, but noted with a feeling of satisfaction that Kegan kept his ground. That was one thing he loved about the child, his unwavering strength and determination. He kneeled down, making the boy flinch at his abrupt movement, and reached out, grabbing Kegan's jaw in a gentle grip and turning his face to look at him. With his other hand, he fished in the pocket of his robe and pulled out a handkerchief, then wiped the blood from the boy's mouth and chest tenderly. Kegan gazed up at him, his big eyes filled with a mixture of confusion and trepidation. His master was utterly confusing, being kind and gentle one moment and then harsh and cruel the next; the boy found it exhausting, not knowing whether the hand would strike or caress him at any given time.

"I don't believe I said I 'wouldn't hurt you', my pet," Thane said softly, cupping the boy's cheek and stroking his split lips with his thumb, "I believe I said I would be a kind master if you behaved-"

"But I did behave!" Kegan wailed cutting the man off and pulling away from his touch, "I let you kiss me and I didn't try to stop you, isn't that what you want!?"

Thane glared at the child, angry that the boy had interrupted him, but pondering his words. That was what he wanted, yet at the same time it wasn't. He didn't want Kegan to simply tolerate his touch, and loathe him behind his back; he wanted Kegan to enjoy his touch and want him as much as he wanted the boy. But how could he explain this without revealing his feelings for the slave?

For a few minutes Thane simply stared at the boy, thinking deeply on the situation. Kegan gazed back, but eventually let his eyes drop, the man's intense look bothering him. Thane watched his slave drop his gaze and felt a pang of sadness: the boy couldn't even look at him. He finally stood and paced away, back to the hearth, and gazed into the fire for a long time. He could vaguely hear Kegan's bell tinkling as he moved on the rug, repositioning himself. Thane turned and looked at the child from across the room, enjoying the warmth on his back from the crackling flame.

Kegan was now curled up on the rug, shivering slightly, and Thane realized how cold the boy must be being naked and this far from the fire, and he felt a wave of guilt flow through him. He was being nothing but cruel to his slave in so many ways, no wonder the boy despised him. Not only had his army killed the child's parents, but he had also raped him, tortured him, and was now causing him more suffering just by having him in his chambers. The man was one of the wealthiest lords in the kingdom, he lived with riches beyond imagination, yet here was his own personal slave, cold, hurting, and probably hungry; not even his lowest stable boy was treated in such a way.

Thane couldn't deny that he still had the urge to harm the boy, Kegan's delicateness was just asking to be destroyed, but in a another way he found himself wanting to take care of and treasure his new slave. Perhaps he had went about this all wrong…

He walked back over to where Kegan was laying with his eyes closed, planning on trying to be gentle with his pet again, to see if that would make the boy respond differently. But when the child heard the lord kneel beside him it startled him and a flash back of the previous night assaulted his traumatized mind. His eyes flew open and he gasped, bolting upright and scrambling away from the man quickly, getting yanked to a sudden stop by the gold chain around his neck.

"Please don't hurt me. I'm sorry!" Kegan whimpered pitifully, cowering by the corner of the bed as if trying to hide. Unwanted tears slipped down his bruised cheeks and his eyes were bright with fright, remembering every terrible thing that had been done to him in that dark room.

Thane stared at the boy, his guilt doubling at the sight of his once willful and confident pet now trembling and sobbing like a beaten dog. He remembered what the doctor had said: He will probably have flash backs and relive the experience when he is threatened or stressed. He should be treated kindly and given space for several days. Thane hadn't even been threatening him at all, he had simply approached the boy. What had he done? Was his slave now ruined?

"Kegan… I'm not going to hurt you," the man said softly, holding his hand out and beckoning the child towards him.

Kegan shook his head, appearing to be torn between obeying the man and keeping his distance.

"You'll hit me…" the boy sobbed quietly, but began to slowly crawl towards the lord.

Thane watched his slave struggling to obey, not wanting to be punished, but so scared that he was shaking like a leaf, and he felt a torrent of emotions flood through him that he had never experienced in his life: remorse, shame, uncertainty. It was too much for him to bear, he needed to think and distance himself from the small boy in front of him, because even after all the child had been through, Thane still felt the urge to fuck him again, and he didn't want to hurt Kegan anymore than he already had.

Abruptly he stood up, making Kegan flinch away from him violently, covering his face as if he expected a blow from a fist. Thane stared down at the boy for a moment, bewildered at the effect the slave had on him, and then turned on his heel and strode to the doors. He knocked and then walked out as soon as they opened wide enough for him to slip through, intent on getting as far away from his chambers as possible. Maybe a good ride would clear his head.

Kegan watched the man go, slightly confused as to what had just happened. He had been sure that the man was going to rape him again or at the very least strike him again, and yet Lord Thane had looked as if he had swallowed a mouthful of castor oil and then left as if he were running from a beast. What had he done to make the man not want to be near him? And more importantly, would he be punished for it later…?

He went over the events in his head and realized it must have been when he tried to get away from the man. But he hadn't even planned on acting that way. Why had he been so scared? He had felt the same terror he had felt in the stable worker's room and yet there had been no sign of them. What was wrong with him?

Instead of worrying about this, Kegan curled up on the rug, burying himself in the many pillows for a source of warmth and comfort, too exhausted to do anything else other than rest. His stomach growled from hunger and he found himself wishing that he hadn't angered his master, maybe he could have asked for some food. He hoped the lord would return soon, deliver his punishment swiftly and then feed him. In a strange way he felt bad for upsetting the man; he had tried so hard to please him and make him happy, yet he had still managed to make Lord Thane angry.

He remembered what Claude had said about behaving and he scolded himself for acting so foolishly; he would have to make sure he tried harder to be a good slave. Kegan truly hoped he would learn how to act soon so that his new life would get better. But he honestly had no idea how to please his master, the man was so confusing! For a few minutes he thought about the handsome lord, and tried to think of ways to make the man happy, but he soon fell asleep, so tired he couldn't keep his eyes open any longer. He dreamed pleasantly about Thane feeding him grapes and cheese…

Chapter 8

Thane walked briskly through the halls of his castle, heading towards the kitchens, an area he hardly ever ventured. He knew Claude would be there, helping prepare the rest of the day's meals and making sure everything was to his master's liking; Thane had some tasks in mind for the man and needed to speak to him. His servants bowed low upon seeing him, their eyes wide with surprise at seeing their master in the bustling rooms. It took the Lord a few minutes, but he finally found Claude in the fruit cellar, gathering items for the noon meal.

"My Lord!" Claude exclaimed in surprise, bowing in greeting, almost spilling the large amount of apples in his arms. "Is something the matter?" he asked warily when he noticed the man's expression.

Thane waved his hand, dismissing the servant's worry, but the frown on his face stayed.

"I just need some air. I'm going for a ride with my hounds and few of my men on the grounds, I'll return in time for dinner," he informed Claude, beginning to pace. "I want you to bring Kegan a good meal, something light, but filling; perhaps some porridge with fresh cream and fruit. Make sure he eats it. Ask Dr. Asa for some herbs that you can mix into a small glass of wine for him, a concoction that will soothe his aches and pains, and help him relax. I also want you to find him something to wear for right now, there should be some kind of silk tunic around here somewhere that will fit him. A blanket too, a thick one; something that will keep him warm. I want you to personally see to it that he is comfortable and satisfied; he needs to rest well to begin healing and recovering," he finished in a rush, continuing to walk back and forth across the stone floor with his hands clasped behind his back.

Claude stared at his master for a moment in confusion, the man's nervous and fidgety demeanor rattling his nerves; he had never seen Lord Thane act so shaken before.

"Of course, My Lord," he accepted the order with a curt bow. "Has – has something happened…?" he asked hesitantly, wondering why Thane was suddenly having a change of heart in the treatment of his little slave.

Thane ran a hand through his thick hair and forced himself to stand still, stifling a heavy sigh.

"No, Claude, I'm just rewarding my pet for good behavior," he answered somewhat impatiently, ready to get out of the stuffy room they were standing in. "I will return in a few hours. Have my supper ready for me in my chambers, I will be dining in private this evening. Oh, and also have something for Kegan as well," he added, before hurriedly exiting the cellar and striding off, his quick gait making it seem as if he were running from his own thoughts.

Claude stared after the man for several seconds in disbelief, but then smiled to himself. It seemed that Kegan had listened to his advice after all. Hopefully the boy would continue to behave and be rewarded the same in the future.

The servant quickly headed back towards the kitchens, the apples still in his arms, ready to bring some much needed comfort to the sweet child in Thane's chambers.

***

"You seem troubled, My Lord, are you feeling well?" Broderick asked as he pulled his steed up beside Thane's trotting stallion.

"I'm fine," Thane answered shortly, focusing on the scenery and fresh air around him.

He and his five best men were miles from his castle at this point, following his most prized hounds as they sniffed the ground happily and bounded through overgrown grass in search of a scent. It had been hours since he had last seen Kegan, but the boy was still the only thing he could think of, even after the excitement of a good fox chase a few minutes before. What in God's name was wrong with him…?

He could tell that his unsettling mood and silence was bothering his men, but try as he might, he couldn't shake his glum attitude and enjoy his ride like he had hoped to; this was ridiculous.

"So how was bedding your pretty little pet, My Lord?" Anniston suddenly asked brightly on his left, the man's usual inappropriate prying showing up at the most inappropriate time. As usual.

Thane shot a sideways glare at the knight, disliking the perverted grin on the blonde's face.

"None of your damned business," he growled, spurring his horse on faster.

Anniston paled slightly and quickly pushed his ride to catch up with Thane's.

"I meant no offense, My Lord, I just heard you were having some trouble making the little kit behave, is all," he rushed to make up for his rude outburst.

The man's words made Thane bristle.

"And where did you hear that?" he demanded, slowing his steed down to a steady pace so that his men could keep up.

Anniston glanced nervously over to Sampson, whose eyes widened slightly as Thane's glare leveled on him.

"I – uh, well, yes, My Lord, he's all the talk of the workers in the castle right now. Your spunky little catamite seems to have already made a big impression on the servants and stable hands," the burly man said with an apologizing shrug.

"Is that so…" Thane grumbled, regretting his decision of sending Kegan down to the stable hands yet again, but for a different reason now.

"I heard the little bitch has a mouth on him," Anniston suddenly said loudly with a bark of laughter.

Thane brought his horse to an abrupt stop and quickly turned to the chuckling man, then delivered a hard kick to his side, ultimately knocking him to the ground. His other men stared at him with wide eyes, in shock from his actions, wondering what had made their lord act in such a way.

Thane glared down at a moaning Anniston, who clutched his side in agony.

"Do not call him that again, understand?" he snarled.

Anniston quickly nodded as Gavin and Orrick helped him to his feet, his face twisted in pain and fear of the powerful man towering above him.

Thane breathed out a huff of frustration and quickly spurred his black stallion on again, leaving his men in a cloud of dust and confusion. Had he seriously just injured one his first hand knights over a simple crude name aimed at his slave!? He had even called the boy just that in front of his men on their ride home from their conquest, making jests about bedding the 'little bitch'. What was happening to him…?

He urged his horse on even faster into a full out gallop, passing his hounds at the speed. The wind whipped at his hair and stung his eyes, but he needed to think and he always felt his best when he was blazing through the countryside on his stallion, Lucifer; the fastest horse he had ever owned.

His thoughts tumbled over themselves as he rode, all of them focused on the infuriating boy in his chambers.

Kegan.

What was it about the small teenager that made Thane feel this way? Kegan was by far the most disobedient and ill-tempered slave he had ever met, and yet the child made him adore him even with those flaws. Certainly, Kegan's beauty was enchanting and lovely, but was he worth the trouble of taming him…?

The boy's bright green eyes flashed in Thane's mind and he imagined them full of longing and want. He pictured those soft, plush lips parted in desire, that dainty little tongue darting out to brush along that sensually curved mouth…

"Fuck…" he hissed, digging his heels into Lucifer's flanks to bring him to his full speed.

Thane decided then and there that he would do whatever it took to get the boy to that point. He wanted Kegan in his bed, arching his thin body underneath him, moaning his name with his sweet voice; and it obviously wasn't going to work with simply scaring the boy into submission, that sorrowful look in those pretty eyes after his kiss had proved that. Thane would have to approach this situation in an entirely different way.

The thought of winning Kegan's heart with kindness made Thane feel a sudden flutter of anxiety, and that honestly frightened him. Nothing had ever scared him like this before… What was he afraid of? Failing? Losing? Or was it just the fact that he would be showing the boy love…?

Love…

Had it actually come to that already? He hardly even knew the young man, how could he love him!? Kegan was turning his world upside down and Thane hadn't even known he existed until two days ago! How was this possible…?

With a loud cry of frustration, the Lord turned his horse towards the outskirts of his land, preparing to head into the city. If he was going to win Kegan over, he would have to start off right. He wondered what the boy's favorite color was and what types of candy he liked…

***

The sound of the heavy doors groaning open startled Kegan from his light sleep and he quickly looked towards the chamber entrance. He hoped Lord Thane had returned, but he dreaded facing the punishment the man was sure to deliver; he was so very hungry though, he needed to beg for food.

A moment passed before Claude walked into the room, expertly balancing a tray in one hand, and holding a bundle of cloth in the other. He smiled kindly at the boy and Kegan smiled back timidly, glad to see the tall man.

"Good afternoon, Kegan," he greeted, walking over and setting the tray down on the rug.

Kegan forgot his manners momentarily as his eyes raked over the bounty of food on the plates covering the platter, but he quickly tore his focus away from the full meal to greet Claude.

"Hello, Claude," he said softly, sitting up and moving closer to the servant.

Claude smiled warmly at the child, finding himself captivated by the pretty face and sweet voice yet again; he could easily see why Lord Thane was so enthralled by the youth.

"I brought you something to eat and a potion to help with any pain you're suffering. But first, I have this," the man said, holding out a silky, white tunic.

Kegan's eyes widened at the sight of the elegant piece of clothing, not only from the look of the expensive fabric, but also from the fact that it was something to wear; he thoroughly hated being naked at all times…

"I-I'm allowed to put this on…?" he asked quietly, his eyes darting between the shirt and Claude's face.

Claude nodded and held the tunic out to help Kegan slip his arms into the sleeves.

"Lord Thane told me to bring you food and find something for you to wear," he said as he buttoned up the front of the silky material. "I told you it would pay off if you behaved. He seemed very pleased with you."

Kegan was absentmindedly touching the pearl buttons in wonder, but his head snapped up at the man's words.

"But I made him mad!" he blurted out, staring up at Claude in confusion.

Claude frowned and lowered himself to sit beside the small boy when he finished with the shirt.

"You angered him…?" he asked, wondering why Thane had said he was rewarding Kegan if the child had actually displeased him.

Kegan lowered his eyes shamefully and nodded.

"I tried to be good, I did! I kissed him like he wanted me to and I sat in his lap like he asked, but he still hit me… He didn't seem mad, but then he – he startled me, and I jerked away from him… Then he left. I didn't mean to upset him, really, I didn't. I was trying so hard to be good…" the boy murmured quietly, sounding close to tears.

Claude reached out and patted the teen's small hand to comfort him.

"Kegan, don't worry. Lord Thane was obviously pleased with you, or he wouldn't have asked me to make sure you were well-fed and comfortable. He seems to have something on his mind right now, I'm sure it wasn't you that upset him," he assured the boy.

"Are you sure…?" Kegan asked quietly, his nervousness showing in his big eyes.

Claude nodded confidently.

"I'm sure. Come now, drink this so you will feel better," the man said, offering Kegan a small goblet of wine.

The boy took the cup and raised the rim to his lips, taking a hesitant sip of the red liquid. His nose scrunched at the sharp, fruity taste and he let out a small cough, before quickly looking towards Claude.

"What is this?" he asked with a disgusted expression.

Claude couldn't help but laugh at the adorable look on Kegan's face, but he quickly put a hand to his mouth to quiet himself.

"It's wine, Kegan. Have you never tasted it before?" he asked, still chuckling at the boy's reaction.

Kegan shook his head and looked back at the goblet with a frown.

"Wine…? Why did you give me wine?" he asked softly, tilting his head to the side in question. Wine was only for the nobles where he came from; why would he, a slave, be allowed to drink wine…?

Claude smiled at him again and repositioned himself into a more comfortable sitting position, deciding that he wouldn't mind staying with the boy for a few minutes; after all Lord Thane did say to make sure he was comfortable and satisfied.

"Your master told me to bring you wine. I'm not surprised though, Lord Thane enjoys spoiling his pets," Claude said with a grin and a wink.

Kegan took another hesitant sip of the strong tasting drink and found that the flavor wasn't so bad once he got past the initial shock of the first taste. He thought about what Claude had said and asked a question he had been wondering about.

"How many… pets, has Lord Thane had…?" he murmured quietly, not sure if he wanted to know the answer.

Claude chuckled softly and shook his head.

"You are his first pleasure slave, Kegan. His other 'pets' are only hounds and horses," the man informed the boy.

"Oh…" Kegan replied, feeling a bit relieved in knowing that he wasn't a replacement for some other unfortunate boy who had been captured by Lord Thane, but also feeling ruffled by the thought that he was nothing more than an animal in the eyes of his master now.

He continued to sip his wine and began to nibble on some fruit Claude offered him, while thinking about the Lord. The man was so very confusing. One moment he was hurting him and making him bleed, and in the next he was saying Kegan had pleased him and was offering him expensive wine; how was he supposed to know how to act!? Perhaps Claude would know…

"Claude…?" Kegan spoke hesitantly after a few minutes of silence had passed.

"Yes?" The kind man asked, smiling his gentle smile.

"Can you teach me how to act around Lord Thane…? I-I don't know what to do to make him happy…" the boy admitted, lowering his eyes to his lap and nervously smoothing the tunic over his slim thighs.

Claude nodded thoughtfully and pondered what to tell the little slave, thinking about what his master liked to see from his other slaves and servants.

"Well, first of all, always address him when he enters the room. You should greet him by saying 'good evening, master' or 'good morning, master', depending on the time of day. And make sure to bow or at least bow your head if you are sitting; it shows respect," Claude instructed.

Kegan nodded, watching the man intently, prepared to learn all that he could about pleasing his master.

Claude smiled at the attentive boy and reached over to the tray, then pushed a large bowl of warm porridge into Kegan's hands.

"Here, eat while I talk. I'll tell you everything I can think of," he said, hoping that maybe his advice could save the beautiful child from future pain.

Kegan happily took a bite of the sweet mush and sighed in satisfaction from finally getting something to eat; Lord Thane obviously wasn't that bad of a man if he would allow his lowly slave a meal this delicious…

For the next couple hours he listened in rapt fascination as Claude taught him the rules of the castle and told him what usually angered Thane. As far as Kegan could tell, it seemed to be easy to keep the man happy; as long as his workers followed the rules and obeyed his commands he was satisfied. The boy hoped that this new knowledge could help him please the Lord; he surely didn't want to be hit again or, God save him, be sent down to the stables again… He shuddered at the thought.

By the time Claude needed to leave to help prepare Lord Thane's evening, Kegan was feeling very drowsy. The potion that had been in the wine had luckily helped with his aches and pains, so he felt relaxed and at ease; plus a full belly helped in making him very sleepy.

Claude wrapped a fluffy, warm blanket around his shoulders and said he would see him in a little while when he brought in their dinner. The man patted him on the head affectionately and smiled before turning to leave.

"Claude?" Kegan called out as the servant gathered up the tray and his empty dishes.

"Yes, Kegan?" he asked, pausing in his walk to the door.

"Thank you for helping me. And for being so nice to me…" the boy mumbled softly, his cheeks flushing with an adorable blush at his words.

Claude smiled and nodded.

"You're very welcome, Kegan. I'm glad I can help you," he said softly, surprised at how very fond he already was of the child.

Kegan returned a sleepy smile that showed tiny dimples in his cheeks and settled into the mound of pillows, sighing softly in contentment.

Claude watched a moment longer as the boy quickly fell asleep, then he made his way to the door and knocked quietly. When the heavy oak opened enough for him to leave, he took once last glance at the sleeping Kegan and couldn't help but think that he looked like an angel surrounded by all of the white from the rug, tunic, and blanket.

The bruises on the pretty face proved that he wasn't an angel though…

Kegan didn't have wings to escape the heavy hand of their lord… Claude could only hope that his advice would help the poor boy. Perhaps Kegan would become the perfect little slave for Lord Thane… Claude certainly hoped he would, for the sake of them all…

Chapter 9

Thane arrived back at his castle shortly before sundown with several elegantly wrapped boxes in the satchel hanging from his horse's back. He had found a multitude of gifts for Kegan, but had been unable to carry all of them by himself, so he brought what he could with him and ordered the rest for delivery the next day. He felt ridiculous buying such frivolous things for the boy, but oddly enough he was looking forward to seeing Kegan's reaction to the gifts; what a strange feeling of excitement this was…

The Lord dismounted at the stables and instructed Sven, his oldest stable boy, to make sure Lucifer was given extra feed and a long rub down since he had rode the horse longer than he usually did that day.

"Yes, my Lord," the youth said with a respectful bow. "Would you like me to help you with your parcels first?" he asked when seeing Thane retrieve the leather bag off the steed's back.

Thane hefted the pack over his shoulder, amazed that the tiny gifts could be so heavy when all combined, but shook his head.

"I can manage, Sven, thank you," he replied, waving the boy off and heading for the castle doors. As silly as it seemed, he wanted to be the one to bring the boxes into his chambers, so he could see the expression on Kegan's pretty face. Gods, what was the boy turning him into…?

For some reason, as he began to make his way to his suite, he began to feel anxious. Would Kegan even like the gifts he had gotten him…? What if the boy still rejected him even after all of this…?

Thane couldn't sort out the strange feelings of excitement and nervousness he felt thrumming through him, the emotions were new and foreign to him. He had never felt this way before, he almost felt as if he were a young child again, experiencing something for the first time in his life; it was unsettling to say the least.

In a way he felt an odd sense of resentment towards Kegan for making him feel this way, yet he knew it wasn't the boy's fault at all; the child hadn't chosen to be his slave, he had been forced. That sudden thought sent a wave of guilt crashing over him so quickly that it almost made him sick. Good Gods, what was happening to him!? He felt as if he were losing his mind… He had to get ahold of himself.

By the time Thane made it to the hallway that held his rooms, he was yet again reluctant to enter his own chambers. He had been unable to think about anything else other than Kegan the entire day and now he was about to be in the little slave's presence once again. He would have to see the damage the boy had suffered at the hands of his stable workers again, and he would have to deal with the guilt that the sight brought him… Then he would feel that strange urge to coddle and cosset the child, something he had never felt the need to do to another person… But at the same time he would also have to fight that overwhelming urge to fuck and hurt the boy again… Thane had never felt so weak to his own emotions before in his life… It scared him. And he hated that.

The man finally reached the doors to his rooms and paused as his guards opened them. He took a deep breath as if to prepare himself for battle, then stepped into the threshold. His eyes immediately fell to the pallet at the end of his massive bed and he was surprised, but pleased, to see that Kegan was awake this time.

The boy sat curled on the plush rug, lounging within the mound of pillows, plucking at the decorative fringe on one of them in a bored manner. He looked up when he heard the doors open and quickly sat up, his eyes widening slightly at the sight of his master. Thane took a step further into the room, but froze and had to stop himself from gasping audibly at the sight of Kegan dressed in a silky white tunic that clung to his petite body perfectly. The elegant material accentuated the slight curve of the boy's hips and waist in a way that made the man's mouth water. Gods, the little slave looked delicious…

Kegan gazed back at Thane for a moment, his big eyes filled with nervousness, then suddenly bowed his head respectfully, his tousled hair falling to hide his face.

"G-good evening, Master," he spoke quietly in almost a whisper, his voice still hoarse from the trauma he had suffered the night before.

Thane stared at Kegan's bowed head in slight shock, the soft greeting taking him by surprise. The boy sounded like a well-trained, obedient slave, greeting his master like he did everyday… What had happened to the little hellion he had struggled with on that very rug just the night before…?

"Good evening…" Thane replied softly, venturing further into the room.

He stopped at the edge of the white rug and gazed down at Kegan as the boy slowly raised his head. He grimaced at the sight of the dark bruises that sprawled across the delicate jaw and cheek bones, and also rimmed the bright intelligent eyes he adored so much. The bow lips that he loved were swollen and split in several spots, the pretty pink color darkened from the abuse. Thane couldn't believe he had allowed this to happen to the boy… He never wanted to see a bruise on Kegan's lovely face again.

The boy held his gaze for several moments before his eyes curiously darted to the bag over Thane's shoulder, but then they fell to the floor in a submissive fashion. Something about the way Kegan lowered his eyes made that strange pang of guilt pull at Thane's heart yet again. He despised this feeling, it made him feel weak; so he quickly pushed it away. There was no reason for him to feel guilty, his slave was acting how a pleasure slave needed to act! It was exactly what he wanted from the boy… Wasn't it…?

The silence between the two stretched on for an uncomfortable amount of time before Thane finally forced himself to speak.

"I brought you some gifts, my pet," he said softly, lowering the bag off his shoulder to set it in front of the small boy.

Kegan's eyes widened at the sight of the brightly colored boxes wrapped in shining gold and silver foil, adorned with frilly bows and lace.

Gifts…? The boy glanced up at Thane, then looked back at the boxes. Why had the man gotten him gifts? What had he done to deserve them…? Or was it that the man expected him to do something to earn them…? Was this a trick?

Kegan's head began to ache worse than it already did from trying to figure out what was going on, and he raised a trembling hand to his temple.

Thane felt a rush of concern at the pained look on the boy's face and carefully kneeled down in front of the child.

"How are you feeling, pet?" he asked softly.

Kegan glanced up hesitantly and dropped his hand back to his lap, then quickly trained his gaze back on the floor by the man's feet.

"I-I'm feeling better… Th-thank you, Master," he replied quietly, his husky voice sounding almost strained.

Thane frowned at the answer Kegan gave him. It sounded fake and forced, as if the boy were offering an answer that he thought would please the man instead of telling the truth. He slowly reached out to tilt Kegan's chin up so he could look into the bright green emerald pools. The child flinched at the gentle touch, but remained still, allowing the man to raise his head. Thane's frown deepened when he felt Kegan trembling under his simple touch, as if waiting for the pain he expected to come. The boy was completely terrified of him… This wasn't what he wanted at all…

"You're lying…" Thane said softly, stroking a gentle thumb over the split lips that he so desperately wanted to ravage, yet also kiss tenderly.

Kegan stared at the Lord with wide eyes, but didn't say anything, almost seeming too afraid to even move. Thane sighed softly.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Kegan… I want you tell me how you are really feeling," he ordered, keeping his voice calm and soothing, as if he were speaking to a small, wounded animal.

Kegan stared at Thane and hesitated in answering. He was lying, but how was the Lord able to tell…? He had thought it would be best just to tell the man that he felt better, that the potion Claude had given him had helped him completely, even though it had only given him relief for a few hours. Thane didn't seem like the type of master who would care if his pleasure slave was in pain. But now he was asking him how he truly felt…

In all honesty, Kegan was in a severe amount of pain. Everything seemed to hurt. His head ached horribly, his face throbbed, his throat was sore, every place the whip had caught his flesh stung and burned. There was an allover ache on every inch of his body, every movement was a struggle. He felt as if he had been trampled by a horse. But the worst thing of all was the sharp pain in his ass that he couldn't ignore and a deep ache in his lower back and abdomen; it made it hard to breath and made him feel sick. It was like his body had been ripped in half and his organs had been pulled out… But Kegan didn't think Thane would care about any of that…

The boy remembered the man's words from the night before clearly: Just relax, Kegan. It's going to hurt at first, but you'll get used to it eventually. You'll learn to love it…

How would he ever get used to being violated in such a way? The pain had been mind-numbing, he couldn't even believe he had survived being raped multiple times with the way it had felt. It was something he couldn't even imagine suffering through another time… But he knew he would be forced to endure the pain again. And again and again…

While Thane had been gone, after Kegan had woken from his restful nap, he had been thinking. As much as it sickened him to succumb to his role as a pleasure slave, he had decided that it was the only way to survive in the life he had been thrust into. If he didn't want to be beaten or tortured again, he knew that was what he had to do…

He would become the submissive little pet the man wanted. He would be obedient and behave. He would do what was expected of him… But he would never enjoy it. There was nothing Thane could ever do that would make him enjoy his new life. Nothing.

Kegan gazed up at his master's face and he wondered why the man wanted to know how he was feeling. Did he actually care? Or was this a trick? What was he supposed to say…?

The intelligent boy looked down at the presents close to his knees again. Was Thane trying to make up for what he had done with gifts? Was that why he had gotten these things for him? Did the man actually believe that would make him happy? Frivolous trinkets and what-nots…?

Kegan glanced up at the Lord's face again and he finally spoke, his voice wavering slightly, but stating the truth.

"I'm hurting…" he said quietly, averting his eyes from Thane's face, unable to hold the man's steady gaze after what the bastard had done to him.

Thane watched Kegan look away and suddenly felt foolish for even asking the question. Of course the boy was hurting, look at what had been done to him… He couldn't even imagine the agony the boy had suffered, the agony that he had caused. Before he had taken over for his father several years ago, he had fought in the king's army and had been wounded during a battle, receiving a nasty gash in his thigh that left a rather deep scar. It had hurt like hell, the worst pain he had ever felt. But Kegan had been raped, beaten, and whipped… Thane's little wound didn't seem like something he could complain about now. What had he done…?

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then finally said what he had wanted to say since that morning.

"I'm sorry for sending you to the stables, Kegan… I acted without thinking. I should not have done that," he apologized softly, releasing the boy's face as a chilling wave of weakness broke over him. He was apologizing, to a slave… But he knew it was the right thing to do if he wanted to win Kegan's trust and earn his love.

Kegan's eyes widened at the man's words. The Lord was apologizing…? So he was trying to make up for what he had done! The boy struggled to grasp what this meant. Did Thane expect him to accept the apology!? Did the man expect him to take these stupid gifts and say everything was fine!? Did his master actually think showering him in useless finery would make his pain go away!? Did he expect Kegan to forgive him…!? That thought made him utterly sick.

Without thinking, Kegan quickly moved away from Thane, swiftly crawling over to lean his side against the footboard of the massive bed he was chained to. He pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around his shins, feeling every little ache and pain in his damaged body.

He belonged to a monster now. The man who owned him was a heartless being without any shred of compassion in his powerful body. This was what his life had come to, suffering horrible agony and then being expected to forgive the man who caused it by accepting gifts! Fucking gifts! He didn't even care what was in those foolishly wrapped boxes! Nothing would make-up for how he had been treated. How was he going to survive!?

Kegan couldn't halt the sudden, body wracking sobs that burst from his mouth. He buried his face in his knees and tried to stop his tears, but he couldn't this time. He had tried so hard to be brave. He had been determined that he could somehow survive this new life if he stayed strong, but it was just too much. He couldn't do this! He just couldn't!

Thane stared in bewilderment at his sobbing little catamite, wondering what the hell had just happened. He had apologized to the boy, he had brought him gifts, he had shown that he was concerned about how he was feeling… But now the boy was crying? What in the Gods names was going on!?

"Please!" Kegan's hoarse, broken voice suddenly burst through his loud tears.

The teen lifted his head and looked up at Thane, his pretty eyes bloodshot and swollen; unlike before, the man didn't enjoy seeing the boy's cheeks streaked with tears now…

"Please!" Kegan repeated, his lips trembling. "Please just kill me! I-I can't… I can't be what you want! I can't! I don't – I don't want to hurt anymore! Please! J-just… Just k-kill me…"

The Lord stared at the boy in mute shock, the pitiful words ringing heavy in his ears: Kegan would rather be dead than spend another moment with him… That realization made his heart ache in a way he had never imagined it could.

He slowly rose to his feet, his eyes wide in disbelief, then he lashed out in anger at himself, attacking the closest thing to him. He kicked the bag full of gifts across the room with a loud yell of frustration, sending the wrapped boxes skittering across the floor.

Kegan shrieked in fear from his master's rage and crumpled into a trembling ball, covering his head with his arms, terrified that the man's anger would be directed at him next. His sobs somehow became even louder than they were before, filling the room with the sound of pitiful crying.

"My Lord!?"

Claude's worried voice suddenly came over the boy's tears and made Thane turn to look towards the doors where his servant was coming through at that moment, followed by two other frightened looking servants carrying trays of food.

"Claude! Please help me!"

Kegan's sudden, hoarse cry made Thane freeze. He whirled around and watched as the boy scrambled towards the edge of the rug and reached out for Claude with his tiny, trembling hands. What the…?

Without thinking Thane stomped over to the boy, reached down, and grabbed his thin arm in a firm grip. He jerked Kegan up and slapped him hard across his bruised face, snapping his head to the side viciously. A glazed look passed over the boy's eyes and he immediately went limp, hanging about a foot off the ground in Thane's bruising hold.

"How dare you call out for anyone other than me!" the man yelled, giving Kegan a rough shake as if he were a rag doll.

The Lord glared at his little slave for several tense seconds, but then suddenly realized what he had done. He quickly released the child's arm as if he had been burned, foolishly letting Kegan drop to the floor heavily. The boy landed hard on his side and stayed unmoving, his body trembling slightly and his eyes staring blankly ahead in a daze.

Thane stared down at the small, limp body with wide eyes and slowly looked towards Claude who was standing closer now. The servant had a hand over his mouth and his eyes were also wide in shock.

"M-my Lord…?" he spoke quietly, letting his hand fall away slowly.

"Fuck…" Thane hissed, running a hand through his hair.

He gazed down at the trembling form in front of him in disbelief. When he had heard Kegan call out for Claude, a sickening bolt of jealousy had stabbed at his heart, making him lose control. Just the thought of the boy wanting anyone else but him made his blood boil. Kegan was his! His! And he never wanted to hear another person's name leave those succulent lips…

But he didn't want to hurt the boy either, yet he had once again… He had struck the child so hard his hand was still stinging from the blow. Thane stared down at Kegan's glossy eyes and couldn't understand how the slave affected him this way. It was maddening…

Once again he had the urge to run from his own chambers, just to escape the turmoil of emotions he felt bubbling inside of him. He paced away from the rug to the other side of the room, running his hands over his face and through his hair in frustration. He couldn't allow this to happen! He couldn't let the boy have this effect on him! He had to regain control somehow! But how!?

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Claude carefully kneel down next to Kegan, speaking softly in a soothing tone. Thane stopped and watched in shock as Kegan weakly shook his head and began to crawl into Claude's lap, reaching out to wrap his thin arms around the man's neck.

"Stop!" Thane ordered loudly, holding out his hand.

Claude paused and looked up at his master in question, but Kegan continued to scramble into the servant's lap, just the sound of Thane's loud voice triggering another bout of crying.

Thane stared at the two. Seeing his little slave desperately clinging to another man made him feel an anger thrum through him that he had never wished to possess, but it also brought another emotion: envy. He wanted Kegan to crave his comforting embrace, just as the boy was begging Claude for his attention now. He wanted Kegan to act that desperate for his affections. He wanted the boy to willingly crawl into his lap like he had done to Claude…

How the hell was this possible…? The damn brat had made him even weaker… He had made him envious, of a servant…

Thane closed his eyes and blew out a slow breath, trying to control the overwhelming urge to lash out at both his servant and his slave; he had to maintain control… He opened his eyes and gazed across the room at the two males, focusing on the younger one. Kegan was clinging to Claude as if the man were a lifeline, his fearful eyes brimming with tears and staring unfocused at the floor. Thane took in his small, white-knuckled hands clutched in Claude's tunic, his trembling lips, the fresh bruise developing on his pale cheek… Then Thane glanced at Claude, who was still staring up at him, waiting for his next command, but also glancing down at Kegan and gently patting his shuddering back, shushing the child softly in the kind manner the servant had always possessed…

The lord suddenly knew what he had to do…

"Put him down, Claude…" he ordered quietly, taking a few steps closer to the rug where the man and boy sat.

Claude seemed torn for a moment, glancing down at the crying child with pitying eyes, but then he carefully pried Kegan off of him, obediently following his master's order.

"Cl-Claude, no… No, please…" Kegan whimpered, desperately trying to grab hold of the man again.

"I'm sorry, Kegan…" Claude murmured softly, pushing the boy's shaking hands away and then taking a step back out of his reach.

Kegan stared up at the man helplessly, a look of betrayal clouding his bright eyes. The only person who had been kind to him and had comforted him was abandoning him now… But of course he was: He was Thane's servant, after all…

The boy glanced up hesitantly at his master, terrified of his towering form and feeling so very small. He tried to prepare himself for another punishment, the look in Thane's dark eyes certainly promised pain, but the thought of suffering through more agony made him feel faint. Perhaps if he begged for forgiveness like Thane had wanted him to the last time he had made him mad the pain wouldn't be as severe…?

Acting on pure instinct, Kegan quickly crawled closer to his master and bowed low at the man's feet, pressing his forehead to the rug and clutching the soft material between his fingers near Thane's boots.

"I-I'm sorry, M-Master! Please forgive m-me! I'm s-so sorry!" he squeaked out, his voice broken and hoarse from the tears that were still pouring from his eyes.

Thane stared down at his slave, surprised by the boy's groveling. He hadn't expected Kegan to act so submissive this soon. In a way it immensely pleased him, but at the same time he found himself missing the slave's fight; hadn't Kegan's spunky attitude been one of the things that made him fall for the boy so hard…?

This most certainly was not what he wanted at all… He had been completely wrong in all of his actions with the child and those mistakes clearly showed through Kegan's trembling form collapsed on the floor at his feet: his little catamite was now a broken doll… Thane only hoped he could fix his mistake…

"Claude," he spoke softly, addressing his servant. "Fetch Dr. Asa and tell him to come to my chambers immediately with more potion to help with pain. Then prepare a bath for Kegan and I. Make sure it is a comfortable temperature so that his wounds will not be irritated, and also add some soothing bath oils to the water. Bring the items to bandage his back and have them ready on the bed when we are done; I will be seeing to those ministrations tonight. Also find something comfortable for him to sleep in and have it ready as well," Thane finished softly, glancing over at the man.

Claude was somewhat startled by Thane's calm command, he had expected his master to be furious and order a punishment for both him and Kegan after their disrespectful actions, but he quickly nodded and gave a low bow.

"Of course, My Lord, right away," he answered respectfully. He hurriedly turned to the two servants still nervously waiting by the doors and gave them several commands before he brushed past them to find the doctor.

Thane watched Claude and the other servants leave the room, then looked down at Kegan still kneeling at his feet. He sighed softly at the sight of the small, shanking body, and crouched down to speak quietly to the frightened boy.

"Kegan, I'm sorry for striking you. Please forgive me… Come, let's eat while our bath is being prepared," he urged gently.

Kegan visibly tensed at Thane's voice. He could hardly believe the kind spoken words he was hearing. This had to be a trick! Was Thane testing him…? Yes! That had to be it! But what was he supposed to do!? What did the man want!?

The boy was overwhelmed by his frantic thoughts and his sobs got even louder yet again, though somewhat muffled into the rug. He didn't know what to do! When would the punishment come!? What kind of pain would he experience this time!? Would he be beaten!? Whipped!? Raped!?

Thane sighed again, frowning at the crying boy. He didn't like hearing Kegan sob like this, it made his heart ache. He wanted him to stop. Now. The man's first instinct was to lash out at the child and order him to be quiet, but he quickly shook his head to clear it; he had to maintain control…

Ever so carefully, he reached out and gently touched Kegan's head. The boy stilled under his touch and his crying quieted some, but Thane could still feel his body trembling. He petted the soft hair soothingly, patiently waiting to see how Kegan would react. After several moments the child slowly lifted his head to hesitantly peer up at Thane through his tousled bangs.

Thane smiled at the pretty green eyes, but disliked the terrified glint in them. He wanted Kegan to look at him with adoration and love, not fear… But he quickly reminded himself that winning Kegan over was going to take time and he tried to stay calm. It was going to be much harder than he had ever imagined possible; patience and control over his emotions would be the key to victory – which were two things that he obviously was not very good at… He had to maintain control though, for Kegan's sake as much as for himself…

Thane slid his hand from the soft hair to gently cup the boy's bruised cheek and tilt his head up more. He stroked Kegan's silky skin and spoke again.

"Come, pet, I know you're hungry. Let's eat and then we can relax in a bath before we sleep," he said gently.

Kegan gazed up at the man fearfully, untrusting of the seemingly sincere kindness in Thane's voice. This was certainly just the calm before the storm, the man would hurt him soon; he knew he would…

When Kegan made no move to stand, Thane sighed yet again and stood up himself, then offered his hand out to help the boy to his feet. Kegan violently flinched away when the man reached out, throwing his arms up in front of his face to protect himself and letting out a pitiful whimper. Thane's frown deepened at the sight and he had the sudden urge to slap the slave just for acting so ridiculously nervous, but he forced himself to relax. Instead he simply waited patiently, holding out his hand to the trembling youth.

Eventually Kegan peeked out from behind his arms to look at Thane, wondering why the man hadn't struck him yet. He stared at the man's large hand close to his face, then his eyes followed the muscular arm up to Thane's steady gaze. Several tense moments passed before Kegan finally placed his much smaller hand in his master's, resigning to be obedient like Thane wanted him to be.

The lord smiled, pleased at the boy's actions, and carefully wrapped his fingers around Kegan's delicate hand. The child was still visibly trembling, but luckily he had stopped his bawling; the only sound in the room now was his soft sniffles and the crackling of the fire in the hearth. Thane gently pulled Kegan to his feet, and then carefully reached out to unlock his collar.

Kegan watched the man warily, but obediently lifted his head to allow Thane access to the keyhole on the golden lock. He stayed still, not sure what to think as his master tossed the offending collar and chain to the rug with a muffled thud.

Thane held his hand out once again, offering to take Kegan's hand in his like before. The boy stared at his outstretched arm for several moments, before he gingerly grasped the man's hand. Thane smiled again, very pleased with how things were going, then he gently tugged Kegan forward to walk over to a small table in the corner of the room near the fireplace, where his servants had set their food.

The boy followed obediently, but as soon as Kegan took his first step, he cried out sharply and his knees buckled from the intense pain between his legs.

Thane quickly wrapped his arm around the boy's waist to stop him from collapsing to the floor and stared down at the child with worry. Kegan's eyes were closed tight and his face was twisted in pain, his breathing coming in short gasps.

"Fuck…" Thane hissed, feeling horrible for what he had done to his slave.

He grimaced, but quickly decided that Kegan would just have to bear with the pain for right now until Dr. Asa arrived with the potion; he was also sure that a soothing bath and a restful night's sleep would make Kegan feel much better.

Without warning, he easily scooped the boy into his arms, cradling the small body close to his chest. Kegan let out a small noise of surprise and his eyes widened, but otherwise he stayed still, gazing up at his master nervously. Pleased that the slave wasn't going to fight him, Thane began to walk across the room to his private dining table, but paused momentarily to stoop down and grab a cushion off the rug; Kegan certainly wouldn't be comfortable sitting on a hard chair with his sore bottom and he wanted to make sure the boy was as comfortable as possible.

When Thane reached his dining area, he placed the cushion in one of the two chairs, then carefully set the boy down. Kegan winced and whimpered quietly, but otherwise remained seated, glancing up at his master with a questioning look. Once Thane was sure Kegan wasn't going to topple off the tall chair, he took his own seat on the other side of the round table. He gave Kegan another reassuring smile before unloading the food off the trays his servants had brought. He set a bowl of steaming soup and a spoon in front of Kegan, then placed his own food in front of himself.

He sat back comfortably and looked across the table at his adorable little catamite, thinking to himself how much he liked seeing the boy sitting down with him for dinner; he would most definitely have to make this a routine. He watched Kegan for several moments and waited for the boy to start eating, hoping the child would be able to swallow with all of the swelling in his throat from the trauma he had suffered.

Kegan gazed across the table as well and met his master's dark eyes, wondering why the man was suddenly acting so caring. Was Thane not mad at him? But, then why had he hit him after he had called out for Claude…?

Kegan grimaced and scolded himself inwardly. Why had he even called out for Claude in the first place? It had been such a foolish thing to do, he had known that the moment the desperate plea had left his lips. But he had been so scared… Thane was a very intimidating man, not only with his size, but also with the power he emanated. He seemed to demand all of the attention when he walked into a room, not only from the people within the walls, but also from the room itself. And when the man's attention was trained on Kegan, the boy felt as if his heart would stop at any moment…

Had he felt so afraid when Thane first captured him…? That sudden thought worried Kegan immensely. He was sure that he had felt much braver the night before, but now he was terrified of Thane; he didn't want to do anything to anger his master and risk being sent back to the stables… But what was wrong with him now…? Was he… Broken…?

He quickly decided not to question the situation. As long as he pleased Thane from now on he probably wouldn't get hurt; he just had to act like the doll the man wanted him to be.

Kegan was in so much pain that he felt nauseous, but he didn't want to upset Thane in anyway, so he obediently picked up the utensil in front of him and carefully dipped it into the steaming bowl of broth. He brought the liquid to his mouth with some difficulty since his hand was shaking so badly, but he somehow managed not to spill it all over the fine tunic he was dressed in; he certainly didn't want to be punished for ruining the expensive cloth.

The warm soup was delicious, however, Kegan struggled to swallow even a small mouthful down. His throat was so sore he could barely swallow at all. But he quickly scooped up another spoonful and forced himself to eat under his master's watchful eye.

Thane watched Kegan for a few seconds, pleased that the boy was eating, then began to cut into his own hearty serving of roast on the plate in front of him. He took a bite and savored the flavor, chewing slowly and thoughtfully. It was one of his favorite meals that his chef had perfected to his liking and he always enjoyed it immensely… But tonight something wasn't right. He chewed on the bite in his mouth a moment longer, mulling over why it seemed to offend his palette, but then he quite abruptly realized what it was.

Across the table he watched as his little slave took another hesitant sip of broth and visibly forced himself to swallow the mouthful of liquid down. Kegan showed no signs of resistance or complaint, but he was clearly in pain by the look on his face; yet again he took another spoonful into his mouth and made himself drink the broth.

Thane's stomach twisted at the thought that the boy was suffering right in front of him without even saying a word. Kegan wasn't even crying anymore like he had been moments ago. He was simply… Obeying. It looked almost like a mechanical action. It was like watching a doll…

Thane took in Kegan's glassy eyes and wondered when they had lost that fiery spark they had possessed when the boy had been chained up in his dungeon. There had been so much fight and passion within Kegan's soul, Thane had clearly seen it through his pretty eyes. The man had admired it, but he had also wanted to break it… And break it he had, but much faster than he had ever imagined possible. Now he only wanted to see it again, bright and alive as it was before. He had to set things right…

"Kegan, stop," Thane spoke softly as he set his knife and fork down.

The boy paused with the spoon close to his lips and stared up at the man, worried that he had done something wrong.

Thane stared back at his slave and watched Kegan's trembling hand, wondering how he was supposed to fix the problems he had caused.

"Kegan… If it is causing you pain to swallow right now, you don't have to eat just to please me…" he said quietly.

Kegan hesitated, studying his master's face. He tried to figure out if this was some kind of trick or if Thane was being serious. When he realized that the man was actually giving him permission to stop eating, he quickly placed the spoon back into the bowl, so abruptly that he practically threw it, making the silver clink loudly on the fine china. He tucked his hands between his thighs, relieved that he no longer had to force food down his throat; he was feeling even more nauseous now and was terribly afraid that he might be sick, but he struggled not to vomit – that would definitely make Thane mad…

Thane stared across the table at his demure little pet and tried to think of something to say to ease the tense atmosphere surrounding them, but at that moment the doors of his chambers opened. Claude stepped through first, followed closely by Dr. Asa. Both men bowed in greeting to their lord, then Claude briskly walked towards Thane's bathing chambers. Dr. Asa hesitated near the doors for a moment, until Thane beckoned him over.

"Good evening, My Lord," the aging man said with another bow when he reached the table. His eyes darted over to Kegan who still sat quietly in his chair and the doctor was relieved to see that boy was in no worse shape than the last time he had seen him; in fact the child looked a little more alert now than he had that morning. Dr. Asa had been worried that Thane had hurt the boy again since he was calling for him a second time, but it didn't seem so.

"Kegan is in pain again," Thane addressed the doctor. "I assume Claude told you to bring a potion to help him?" he asked, leaning back in his chair some and gesturing to the boy across from him.

Dr. Asa quickly nodded and reached into his medical bag to retrieve a small vial of pink liquid.

"Yes, My Lord, here it is. It can be mixed into wine just like the potion he took earlier," he offered the drug to Thane.

Thane took the glass tube and grabbed his own goblet to pour the potion into, but then remembered that Kegan was having trouble swallowing; he doubted the boy would be able to get the entire drink down. He looked towards the doctor again.

"Can he take it without wine?" he asked impatiently.

Dr. Asa grimaced slightly, but nodded.

"Yes, My Lord, but it is quite bitter drinking it alone. It also won't make him as drowsy without the alcohol," the man said.

Thane sighed softly, hating that he had to make Kegan force something else down his throat, but he was also glad that the boy would be alert and not sleepy during their bath. He stood and walked around the table to kneel beside Kegan's chair. The boy gazed down at him with very wide eyes, the nervousness he was feeling clearly showing in the bright green orbs.

"I want you to try to drink this without wine, Kegan. Hold your nose and swallow it down quickly," Thane instructed softly, uncapping the vial and holding it out to the child.

Kegan hesitated, but then reached out for the potion and carefully grasped it between his slender fingers. He felt a fleeting trace of fear that Thane was secretly trying to poison him instead of help him, but then he glanced at Dr. Asa standing behind the Lord. Dr. Asa had been kind to him just like Claude had been, and he had given Kegan a potion before that had only made him sleepy; surely the man wouldn't have brought something to harm him… Kegan pushed his worry aside and did as he was told.

He pinched his nose between his fingers and quickly poured the liquid into his mouth. The bitter taste was strong even with him holding his nose and he struggled to swallow it down, but somehow he managed to. He coughed and gasped once the disgusting potion finally left his tongue, and he felt as if he might throw it right back up, but he tried to calm himself. He glanced at his master as he hesitantly handed the vial back to the man and the pleased smile on Thane's lips made Kegan relax some; he had made the lord happy by drinking the horrible tasting stuff, so it wasn't that bad…

Thane quickly offered Kegan a small cup of water, which the boy hurriedly took a sip of to rid his mouth of the foul aftertaste. The Lord smiled and gently patted the boy's knee as he stood up.

"You will feel better soon, pet. Just relax," he said softly before turning to Dr. Asa and stepping over to the man to speak to him softly.

Kegan stared at his knee where Lord Thane had touched him so tenderly, amazed that the powerful man's hands could be so gentle after causing him so much pain the night before. He glanced up at his master and watched the man as he talked to the doctor. Why was Thane suddenly being so kind to him…? He was acting worried about his well-being and trying to make him feel better… It made no sense to Kegan. Thane had been so cruel last night, making it obvious what a terrible person he truly was, but now he was acting the complete opposite. What had changed?

Kegan glanced over to the bag of gifts across the room, lying haphazardly where it had landed after Thane had kicked it. Was Thane honestly trying to apologize and make-up for what he had done…? Perhaps the gifts had just been part of Thane's apology…? Maybe the man truly did feel bad for what he had allowed to happen to Kegan…

The boy looked back towards his master in a new light. If Thane really was trying to amend what he had done, then Kegan would try to accept his kindness and forgive the man. After all, this was his new life; it would be much easier to live with Thane without holding a burning grudge against him forever…

Thane spoke softly to Dr. Asa.

"You told me earlier that I could ease Kegan's pain even more with a salve…?"

The doctor seemed somewhat surprised by Thane's question, but he quickly nodded.

"Oh, yes, My Lord. It will greatly ease his pain. I have it with me, here." The man reached into his bag again and withdrew a small glass jar filled with a white cream, happy to provide Kegan with relief.

Thane took the offered item and turned it over in his hand.

"And I simply rub it in…?" he asked, feeling rather dimwitted with his question.

"Very gently," Dr. Asa instructed quietly, glancing towards Kegan. "He was hurt badly. You must be careful, or you could cause him even more pain while trying to help," the doctor warned.

Thane nodded in understanding.

"Thank you, Asa. I would like you to prepare more potion for him to take in the morning with his breakfast as well, please. You can give it to Claude when you have it ready," Thane said.

"Of course, My Lord. I will start on that right away." Dr. Asa nodded with a bow. He turned to leave with one last quick glance at Kegan and couldn't hide the small smile on his face; he was very glad Lord Thane was treating the boy well now, he certainly deserved the kindness.

Thane waited until the doctor had left the room to turn back to look at Kegan. The boy still sat quietly with his hands tucked between his thighs, gazing up at him with docile eyes. Thane smiled and walked back over to kneel in front of his adorable slave.

"How are you feeling now, pet?" he asked softly, gently stroking Kegan's slender thigh up to where the tunic covered his skin.

Kegan shivered from the caressing touch and watched Thane's large hand for a moment before looking up at his master's face. He tried to look into the man's dark eyes and hold his gaze, and he found that it wasn't as hard as it had been before. Thane's eyes had once held a look of excitement and challenge, as if Kegan was a creature he wanted to hunt down and conquer. But now they held a look of tenderness, as if Thane were looking upon someone he truly cared about and loved.

Love…? Kegan quickly brushed the word out of his head and lowered his eyes back to Thane's hand.

"I'm feeling much better. Thank you, Master," he spoke truthfully. The deep ache in his body was beginning to ease and his headache was already mostly gone; thankfully the potion had begun to work quickly, just like before.

Thane's smile broadened and he reached out to cup Kegan's cheek gently, making the boy look back up.

"Good. I'm glad. I want you to feel comfortable and pain-free. If you start to hurt again I want you to tell me, understand?" he spoke gently, stroking Kegan's bow lips with his thumb.

Kegan nodded slowly, his eyes wide from slight disbelief. This seemed too good to be true. Thane truly was being kind to him now…

"Yes, Master," he responded quietly, hoping with all of his heart that he wouldn't feel pain from Thane's hand again. But deep down he knew that was impossible; he was still only a pleasure slave now…

Thane continued to slide his thumb along Kegan's bottom lip for a few moments, enjoying gazing at the pretty face that he had the pleasure to look at all the time now if he wanted. He realized that he hadn't actually taken the time to appreciate how beautiful the boy truly was with his delicate features and high cheekbones. Kegan seemed to have an ethereal beauty about him, something you didn't often see; and certainly never in a lowly peasant. Thane wondered what the boy's lineage was, but decided that he would learn of it later: right then he desperately wanted to kiss those pouty lips.

He leaned forward slowly and gently pressed his mouth to Kegan's, being very careful not to hurt the boy's already injured lips. Kegan stiffened slightly, but obediently allowed Thane to kiss him, and even opened his jaw some to let the man slip his tongue inside.

For the first time, the lord was able to fully enjoy his little slave's mouth. He savored the delicious heat and sweet taste while exploring over the boy's small tongue. Kegan stayed very still at first, just as he had before during Thane's few attempts at kissing him, but then he seemed to try to kiss back. Thane was pleasantly surprised when the teen made a soft noise that sounded very much like a moan, and he reluctantly pulled back some to look at Kegan's face.

The boy's eyes were heavy lidded and his breathing was slightly quickened. An adorable blush spread across his cheeks as he turned his gaze to his lap. Thane grinned at the fact that his kiss had obviously brought Kegan some form of pleasure and he chuckled softly.

"Did you like that, pet?" he asked somewhat teasingly, beginning to stroke Kegan's bruised cheek once again.

Kegan bit his lip and gave a small nod, more to please the lord than anything else, but he had to admit the kiss had felt good. Thane's mouth had stayed gentle and the way he had moved his tongue against his had felt quite nice. Kegan didn't want the man to know it, but he wouldn't mind another kiss like that…

Thane's grin grew and he began to lean in for another passionate kiss, but the sound of someone clearing their throat behind him made him stop. He quickly turned with an irritated growl to see who had interrupted him and saw that it was Claude.

"Yes?" he demanded shortly, trying to remain calm for the sake of Kegan, but he couldn't stop the annoyance from leaking into his voice. Kegan was finally showing some signs of accepting his affections and now he was being interrupted. He wanted the boy's mouth again, dammit!

Claude gave a curt bow and gestured towards the back room.

"My apologies for interrupting, My Lord, but I have your bath ready," the servant informed him.

Oh. Thane had completely forgotten about his order to have a bath prepared for them during his worry over Kegan's pain, but now that he was reminded his mood brightened tremendously: He could continue kissing his little catamite once he had him naked in his lap in a relaxing tub…

"Thank you, Claude," Thane said with a dismissive nod to the servant, knowing the man would take care of everything else he had wanted him to do without having to remind him.

Claude bowed and took his leave. Thane waited until his chamber doors had closed once again to turn back to Kegan. The boy looked a little drowsy as he gazed up at him, and Thane couldn't help but think of how utterly adorable his new pet was; he couldn't wait to get Kegan naked again and underneath him-

The lord quickly brushed that thought aside and took a steadying breath. He had to control himself. He had already decided he wouldn't be bedding the boy again until his wounds had completely healed. He couldn't let a small kiss make him lose his senses. After all, those small kisses would have to sustain him until he was able to fuck Kegan again…

"Are you ready for a bath, my pet?" he asked softly, sliding his hand through Kegan's soft hair.

Kegan tensed slightly at Thane's words, the thought of being naked near the man again making him feel scared, but he knew he must be willing and submit completely if he didn't want to hurt anymore. He nodded slowly, hoping that Thane would be gentle with him this time. So far he had been; the boy just hoped that the tender actions would continue.

Thane smiled at the boy and quickly reached down to scoop the small body into his arms. He cradled Kegan against his chest once again and found that he loved holding him like this, he couldn't wait to do it more often; in the tub and in bed… He headed for the bathing chambers, very eager to get their bath started…

The End