The Queen's Pet Part 1

The first word that had occurred to Kai when he first laid eyes upon the bejeweled Queen, King Marius' mother, was radiant. Truly, she was a fearsome sight to behold, with her flowing jet-black hair that reflected the glow of the burning braziers, alabaster skin so white that he could see the veins running up her slender neck, and lips so red that he'd only ever seen the like in lipstick commercials. But of all her features, none reminded her of Marius quite like the cerulean shark-like eyes that were a carbon copy of Marius'.

And those very eyes that haunted many of Kai's nightmares came to rest on him.

He expected to see that same coldness and mockery with which Marius regarded him, but instead she saw something even more dreadful: disinterest.

She raised a delicate, long-fingered hand and waived ever so slightly to beckon her champion, "Come forth, Bahavas."

Kai imagined that her mesmerizing, sing-song voice had to be what a sea siren sounded like. Indeed, she was a sea siren.

A hulking mass of a man rose from among the crowd, towering above men and mermen alike. Unlike the other pets, this one did not boast exceptional beauty or fair, dainty traits. He had the meanest mug Kai had seen in a long time, and was as tall as Marius, but had a bit less muscle mass. Judging by his tan complexion and dark hair, he guessed that Bahavas was Brazilian. A horrid scar ran down his left eye, leaving it a colorless sphere and probably blinding it. A red diamond earring dangled from his left earlobe. He had no other ear to dangle another earring from.

He was a champion indeed who'd clearly survived many a fight.

Kai felt the first signs of nervousness and doubt creep up his spine and grip his nape.

Bahavas wore brown pants and nothing else, slick, exposed chest shimmered under the braziers.

He's been oiled, Kai realized with a deep frown.

Bahavas turned to bow to his queen and owner, then entered the ring.

Kai involuntarily tensed. Were Bahavas' wounds souvenirs from this very ring they stood in? The fight between Piercings and Albino, while cruel and debauched, had not been bloody. But were there fights that did get so violent as to lose body parts in?

He glanced at the eager crowd. He wouldn't put it past them to cheer such a fight on.

"Bet!" The butler shouted, startling Kai.

"Bahavas!" Lady Ezaoi screamed, a terrible, bloodthirsty glimmer in her wide eyes.

"My money's on Bahavas, of course!" Lord Luka announced to the murmuring agreement of the crowd.

Everyone who placed a bet favored Bahavas over Kai for obvious reasons, except for the Queen who did not place any bets, even for her own pet.

Incensed, Kai stole a glance at Marius, who was still lounging lazily in his alcove, as if he hadn't just tossed the prince whose powers he coveted into a fight ring.

Their eyes met. Marius' luscious lips stretched in a smirk.

Of course he wouldn't bet on Kai winning this fight, not that Kai had ever expected him to.

"I will bet against Bahavas."

Kai blinked, stunned.

"My Lord?"

"My money is on my prince."

My prince.

Somehow, the possessive words filled him with both rage and something else he didn't much care to dwell on at the moment.

Angered more by his own reaction than by Marius, he faced forward.

He assessed his enemy.

This would be a difficult fight to win; Bahavas looked to be a fearsome, battle-seasoned opponent of towering build. If he somehow managed to trap Kai beneath him...

Quite frankly the fight would be lost. And something else of Kai's as well.

"Prepare yourselves."

Kai eyed the butler, confused.

Prepare what? Mentally?

Rolling his eyes, the butler said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "Strip."

Kai blanched.

It had completely slipped his mind that the slaves in the previous fight had stripped themselves of all articles of clothing!

"Absolutely not."

"You will strip or we will strip you."

Bahavas proceeded to do as he'd been instructed.

When he was entirely naked, Kai couldn't help but stare in horror at this cock. It was an instrument of death.

He hastily looked away, mouth dry.

"Well?" The butler prodded with a raised eyebrow.

So, the humiliation would start even before Marius' hand dropped and the fight began.

It never ended.

Indeed, ever since his capture, it had been one humiliation after the other. In theory, Kai should have been used to it by now. Yet human pride and dignity was a hard thing to stifle. It flared, hot and scorching, at the merest suggestion of embarrassment and ignominy.

Eyes closed, he attempted to stifle it. He had to look at the bigger picture; to win this fight was to win against King Marius the Conqueror, and the only way for him to fight was by abiding by the rules.

Besides, he didn't really have much of a choice. If he resisted, what measly clothing he wore would be ripped off him by force.

Gritting his teeth, he reached shaking hands to his golden harness and felt around for a way to take it off. He probed for a hook at his nape or a clasp, and when he didn't find any, he tried to lift it off his shoulders. It proved too heavy to lift by himself.

A full minute later of actively trying to remove the gold harness, he said to the butler defeatedly, "I can't take it off on my own."

It appeared that he'd be undressed after all.

The butler sighed and, before giving the command to have a couple of waiting guards assist Kai, looked to his king for permission. Marius gave it with a slow nod.

The guards stripped him of the heavy harness and the sheer harem pants so quickly and efficiently, he was left reeling.

Kai now stood in the arena in nothing but gold.