Marius barely stopped himself from reaching out a hand and ripping out his grandfather's servant's heart when he saw him approaching.

He knew even before the blond beauty opened his mouth exactly what he'd been sent to do. Or ask.

It seemed that his grandfather would not relent until he got to see the Astrian Prince.

"Good morning, sire. His excellency invites you and the-"

"No," he interjected.

The blond flinched. A drop of sweat dribbled down his face. He looked just about ready to flee.

Good.

After a moment's hesitation, the blond bowed and went away.

It happened again the next day.

Before Marius could open his mouth, he heard something shatter. Reluctantly, he glanced over his shoulder to see that the Astrian Prince had broken yet another drink glass. He was starting to regret showing the halfbreed how to move wine through the air and into a glass.

The tiny hairs on Kai's neck stood on edge all of a sudden.

He turned around to see both the King and that same blond servant staring at him.

He turned right back around and pretended not to have noticed. Maybe he'd work on his powers later.

Marius' pinned the servant with a withering look.

"I... I... will let his excellency know that you're not available today either." He whirled around, ready to bolt to the door.

Marius closed his eyes. "Wait." He was going to regret this, he was sure. But he also knew that his grandfather was not going to stop until he laid eyes on the half-breed. He understood the sentiment perfectly. Even Marius had been consumed by an otherworldly obsession and had wanted to lay eyes and hands on the Astrian Prince since the moment his grandfather told him about the Spirit of the Sea all those millenia ago. His grandfather had dangled the notion of peace -true, everlasting peace- in front of him when he was a young, headstrong prince in an empire ravaged by war, and he'd swallowed it like a starving fish. It had been his ray of hope.

The servant tentatively turned around. "Y-Yes, your Majesty?"

"Tell my grandfather to expect us tonight."

The servant looked downright relieved. "I will, your Majesty! Thank you, your Majesty!"

"Leave."

He was gone in an instant, running back to report to his master. Marius dreaded the night already. He'd held his grandfather -and the entire Palace for that matter-for as long as he could, but the Astrain Prince's presence in the Black Palace had all the nobility's unwavering attention. Like hawks, once his court got hold of a tidbit of gossip, they would not relent until they'd pecked it apart and devoured it whole. And this was no ordinary whiff of gossip they'd gotten a hold of.

In an effort to humiliate him into submission, he'd caged the half-breed in the yard. He never thought it would take this long to acquire the Spirit from him.

Marius turned to Kai. "Let go of that glass. The staff is complaining."

Kai sighed and tossed the all the way to the bed. It bounced off it and shattered across the marble floor.

A small frown marred his otherwise smooth forehead. "You said you were going to teach me." He was practically fuming, his mounting impatience evident. It was the human in him; generally, merfolk were a lot more patient.

Marius felt obliged to tease him.

"I did," he acknowledged.

"So, teach me," the red-haired half-breed demanded for the tenth time since Marius gave his word, his eyes catching the light and glowing jade. Marius half expected him to fold his hands across his chest and stomp his feet.

On anyone else, it would have been unsightly. Strangely, Marius found the half-breed's actions amusing.

"Not today," he said.

"It's been two days since you said you'll teach me. Do you want my cooperation or not?"

Marius' left eyebrow twitched. Was the insolent half-breed threatening him?

He backed him into one of the gold pillars in the room, towering over him. He made sure to press their bodies together, and slammed the palm of one hand against the pillar, inches from his head.

Standing so close together, he could smell the scented oils the servants lathered all over his body in every bath.

"What are you do-" He craned his neck just so he could look up and meet Marius's eyes. Marius had to give it to the half-breed; anyone else would not have dared to meet his eyes.

"Let me remind you since it seems you've already forgotten," Marius began in a deceptively-sweet voice cloaked in iron, and leaned forward until his eyes were level with the prince's, "That I have ways to make you comply."

Kai flinched. For a moment, he'd forgotten. Oh, how could he ever forget?

Marius was referring to his mother, the fucking bastard. He had some choice words to say to Marius, but immediately decided it would be unwise to call the King names in light of his threat. With Marius practically pressed up against him, obliterating any notion of personal space, he could hardly think straight.

He was quite literally stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"I want to see her," he said instead. He wondered if Marius could hear his pounding heart; he was definitely close enough. Kai would have pushed him away, but he was terrified of touching Marius.

"You will. After tonight."

"I want your word. Swear to me."

"You have it."

It was the most reassurance he could get from Marius.

Kai almost didn't want to know, but he had to ask. "What's tonight?"

"We've been invited."

Oh, this couldn't be good. Although Marius wasn't exactly the most expressive merman around, he didn't look too happy about this invitation. In fact, Kai thought he'd detected a hint of annoyance in his voice. And something like dread.

Who the hell made Marius the Conqueror dread?

"Where?" he asked cautiously.

"To my grandfather's chambers."

Kai's eyes bulged. Well, this had certainly come out of nowhere. "We? As in, me and you? Your grandfather invited me?"

"Yes. You'll have to get dressed all pretty." Marius suddenly looked down past Kai's face and at his exposed chest. His shark-like eyes travelled downward still to his flimsy slave pants.

Kai fought the urge to cover up. "I can't tell if you're serious or you're being sarcastic," he said honestly.

A soft sound resembling a chuckle escaped Marius' lips.

"I'm thinking we match clothing, seeing as you're my Royal Concubine." Marius said in a velveteen voice.

Kai couldn't believe his ears. Was Marius flirting with him?!

There's no fucking way.

He swallowed. "O-Oh, you'll wear the flimsy pants too?"

Marius toyed with the golden harness across his chest. His cold fingers brushed against his left nipple and Kai jumped. "I was thinking that we upgrade your attire instead."

A blush crept up Kai's neck. "Hopefully permanently." How he was still able to carry a conversation was beyond him. His mind was racing at a thousand miles per hour as it worked to decipher this sudden, unexpected change in Marius.

Marius smirked. "We'll see. I rather like you in this."

Kai was out of responses. His tongue was officially knotted.

Marius. Like him? Oh, he had to be dreaming.

A loud knock at the room's door startled Kai.

Marius pulled away, much to Kai's immense relief. He could now breathe.

The triplets entered the room. They bowed deeply.

When had Marius summoned them?

"Prepare him," he ordered.

"Yes, your Majesty." They said in unison.

Kai's eyes widened and his heart gave a thump of alarm. He hadn't forgotten what happened to him the last time he was 'prepared'.

Without hesitation, he whirled around and ran in the other direction.

*~~~~~~~~~~*

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