A King's Ransom

by Lia Black

  Veyl's first experience had occurred when he'd been a child--too young to even understand sex despite being raised in a brothel. He'd not yet been warned about the perceived kindness of strangers. The man had offered Veyl a kitten. Although the man had not been brutal, he'd been an adult, and an adult of any size is too much for a child's body to accommodate. Afterward, he remembered the man bundling him up and leaving him on the steps of the city's temple. It had been snowing. He remembered nothing more until waking up with Ahrn holding him with tears in his eyes as Talia treated his injuries.

  Veyl hadn't realized he'd been crying until he'd felt himself gathered up and cradled in strong arms. A name had formed but stilled on his tongue. No, this wasn't Ahrn. He didn't feel like Ahrn, didn't smell like him. Yet Veyl felt safe in these arms, the safest he could ever remember feeling.

  And now these arms embraced him loosely in repose, and Veyl breathed in Kaidos' scent. He smelled masculine despite the slightly flowery scent of the soap he'd used for shaving. He smelled of exotic customs and deep forests, and he smelled familiar. Veyl believed he would know this man now by scent alone, just as once he'd known Ahrn.

  But Kaidos could not, would not, claim to love him as Ahrn had. Although he had denied him before, Veyl believed that at some point Kaidos would learn to show Veyl his lust. That would be comfort enough. To know he still had even the smallest power. To experience the well-known reassurance of sex.

  Veyl let his body sense the shape of Kaidos against him. He listened to his beating heart and the way he breathed. Moving his head a little, he felt the coarse yet silky hair of the rogue's chest against his skin, heard the rustle as it tickled the cartilage of his ear.

  A low rumble indicated a groan as sleep began to leave Kaidos' body. His big, calloused hand absently moved up, then down Veyl's arm. Veyl held still, letting Kaidos believe he remained sleeping, to see how much further his explorations might go. The hand moved up again, pausing at Veyl's shoulder, then slowly moved around to splay fingers through his wavy hair at the nape of his neck.

  Veyl had not anticipated the kindness of this touch, and he frowned. The movement of his features or stiffening of his spine must have alerted Kaidos that he was awake and Kaidos removed his hand.

  "Better?" Kaidos' words vibrated through his chest, rumbling against Veyl's cheek.

  Veyl again rubbed his face against that broad, warm chest and sighed. He was feeling quite a bit better, not nearly hale, but no longer feverish, though the stiffness in his hand remained and might for another day at least. He would have to thank Kaidos when he was able, and would have liked to have tried it then, but his bladder needed relief, and his body craved cleanliness.

  "I'd like that bath now." Veyl murmured, letting his lips brush Kaidos' skin and feeling the little shiver he knew was not revulsion.

  Kaidos seemed to hesitate a moment before pulling himself away from Veyl's warmth and up, out of the bed.

  "And the chamberpot." Veyl called to him softly.

  Kaidos inclined his head and went to fetch the pot.

  "Do you need help?" He asked, bringing it to set it down nearer the bed.

  "No, thank you," Veyl sat up slowly, turning so his feet were off the side of the bed. He felt Kaidos' eyes upon him and glanced up to see concern in their otherwise stony depths.

  Kaidos' gaze focused and he reached for his shirt, "I'll be back then."

  *~*~*

  Kaidos met the two young women—Fi and Lin—as they were trudging back up the stairs. "Could you draw a bath? Then I'll go and see Rose."

  There was some small indication of protest, but the two women trotted off to draw Veyl's bath in the women's communal chambers downstairs.

  "Are you certain you're feeling all right?" Kaidos asked, returning to the bed where Veyl was now fussing with his hair.

  "I will be once I've been washed." All signs of his earlier discomfort had retreated to wherever he tucked them away when it was time to perform. Veyl really was an expert at his craft--not just the carnal aspects of it, but the way he carried himself, his grace, and his ability to act as though he hadn't a care in the world beyond pleasing his customers.

  "Veyl, what you were saying earlier...about the cat…and that man…"

  "Saying? Was I saying something? Do I have any clean garments?"

  Veyl's eyes were everywhere but his, and Kaidos let out a weary sigh. He would get no further glimpses into this topic of Veyl's life. Maybe it was wrong to even be looking.

  "They think you're a woman, by the way," Kaidos said as he dug through their pack for some clean clothes.

  "Well then," Veyl smiled, "won't they be surprised."

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  The Missing Companion

  Kaidos carried Veyl down to the first floor of the brothel where the baths were kept. If Veyl had felt stubborn enough, he would have insisted upon walking, but he had to accept that he was still weak from his long ordeal, and a bath meant more than trying to prove otherwise.

  The bath chamber was not large, and obviously used more for utility than luxury. There were three round wooden tubs, big enough to hold two or possibly three girls, and Veyl guessed they often did. The floor was made of smooth stone and sloped with a drain in the center to catch the flow, and there were no windows. There were, however, some amenities. At one end of the room was a large brass tank and coals were kept hot underneath to heat the water inside.

  The tub closest to it was nearly half-way filled. Two women trudged back and forth with pails, filling them from the tap, then walking a few feet to dump them into the tub. They were not beautiful like the women of the Silver Tree Manor. One looked over thirty, stocky build, with eyes that squinted too tightly when she smiled. Her hair was a tangled brown halo in the humidity of the room. The other was a ginger, her skin pale and covered in freckles. She had no womanly curves to speak of really but might have been considered pretty when she smiled, were it not for her missing teeth.

  The women noticed them enter, a few moments after Kaidos had carried Veyl into the room, and paused to look up.

  "Thank you for going to this trouble," Kaidos said to them.

  "No trouble. It ain't puttin' no bunches in my britches," The stocky one said with a wink and a swish of her skirts.

  Kaidos set Veyl down on a heavy wooden chair. "I'll be back."

  "Wait," Veyl clutched his arm. "Could I have a kiss?" He blinked up at Kaidos and smiled at the bit of discomfort he saw there. Out of the corner of his eyes he could see the women watching them closely.

  "Later..." Kaidos tried to pull away.

  "I might not feel like it later." Veyl flashed a warning through his eyes but the smile never left his face.

  Kaidos sighed and leaned down, speaking quietly in his ear. "What are you trying to do?"

  "I'm not getting sex, so why should you?" Veyl murmured back, making certain to flick his tongue against Kaidos' earlobe.

  Kaidos drew back but Veyl's hand on his sleeve tightened. He looked down into Veyl's face, and Veyl tipped his chin up ever so slightly in challenge. He read the moment that Kaidos surrendered. Veyl moved his other hand up carefully, using a light pressure with his wrist on the back of Kaidos' neck to pull him down. He wondered if Kaidos still might resist, but when he pressed his lips to Kaidos' and pushed his tongue into his mouth, he knew that for the moment their roles of captor and captive had switched.

  Unfortunately, Veyl had to stop short for both of their sakes. He was getting light-headed from the blood leaving his brain to head south. He broke off slowly with a sigh of disappointment and let Kaidos go.

  "I won't be long," Kaidos promised. There was a note of strain in his voice, and his pupils looked dilated by more than the dim lighting.

  "Don't be." Veyl leaned back into the chair as he watched Kaidos walk away. He briefly admired the way Kaidos' leather breeches clung to the muscles of his behind before the women reminded him of their presence.

  "Your bath is ready...milady," said the sh
orter of the two. The note of mild disdain was obvious in her words, and even more plain when Veyl turned to look at her face.

  He smiled sweetly, entertained by her jealousy. No, Kaidos hadn't slept with either of these two. He could gauge as much by the way they looked at the roguish Wanderer with dark desire. Of course Veyl hadn't had him either. He hadn't had anyone in far too long, and were he not so particular, he might have even sought the services of this house. It would be interesting to see how he was treated once they realized he was a man.

  Veyl rose slowly from the chair, like a monarch. "I'm a bit achy, could either of you help me to undress?"

  He was wearing the pink satin robe that had been donated by Rose, and it was tied loosely at his waist. Both women approached him, but only one--the shorter--seemed to have the courage to get close enough to work free the tie on his robe. She glanced up at him briefly, before she undid the knot and moved around behind him to pull the fabric from his shoulders.

  A loud gasp issued from the ginger who stared wide-eyed at his flaccid cock. Her gaze then began flicking between his face and his groin as if not believing they were both part of the same body.

  Behind him the other girl balked as she came back around to the front. "What's your prob--oh!"

  Veyl couldn't keep his laughter contained any longer as the two gaped.

  "Y-you're a man?" the redhead asked.

  "Most certainly." Veyl assured with his cool, seductive smile. He watched them both melt and felt a bit more confident about his looks. He hadn't seen a mirror in quite some time and with Kaidos treating him so coldly, he'd begun to wonder if he'd lost his appeal. But Veyl knew how prostitutes lied, and he found no evidence of deceit in their eyes. The smaller one managed to tear her eyes away from Veyl briefly as she glanced towards the door Kaidos had exited.

  "He knows?"

  Veyl's smile grew wider. "Most certainly," he repeated with a purr, He wasn't telling a falsehood, but knew where their minds would take them, which is why he'd insisted on the kiss. He could practically see the fantasies these two were hatching in their whorish brains--although he suspected within they might imagine themselves as participants. Dreams like those would remain unfulfilled. "Can you lovely ladies please help me into the bath?"

  It took them a few seconds to respond and then they both hurried to him, each taking her place under one arm.

  "I thought you were tall for a girl," the brunette said.

  "Everyone is tall to you!" came the ginger's reply.

  There was a raised step to assist with climbing into the tub and both women took the opportunity to feel some of his skin as they helped Veyl to maintain his balance.

  He sighed as he settled into the water, facing the door. Like sex, he was used to bathing every day--often several times a day. The women at the Silver Tree used to tease him about his obsession with personal hygiene. Ah, if they could only see what a mess he'd become now.

  "I'll wash your back," the redhead said, snatching up a sponge and the soap as the shorter one reached for them.

  "I'll wash your hair," the small one snapped to her house-sister.

  "Thank you both. Might I inquire of your names?" He heard them titter, obviously not used to a speech so elegant and proper.

  "I'm Lindree, but you can call me Lin," the stocky brunette said as she retrieved a capped bottle from a shelf that ran along the rim of the tub.

  "I'm Fi," said the other. Once she'd lathered up the sponge she began to gently work it against Veyl's skin, starting with his neck. Lin returned with the bottle and gave a little bump of her hip to the other girl as she began wetting down Veyl's hair, using a large pitcher.

  Veyl could smell the herbal blend of the soaps and shampoo they used on him. It was a lot nicer than the flowery swill applied as perfume upstairs.

  "So how do you know Kai?" Lin ventured.

  "That's none of our business," Fi snapped at her.

  Veyl closed his eyes, relaxing under their eagerly attending hands. "I met him in Aaullsworthe."

  "Ooh, ain't that the place where that woman was kidnapped?"

  Veyl opened his eyes briefly then closed them before he got them full of stinging suds. "What woman?"

  "That whore from the Silver Tree Manor," Fi answered, her hand moving over Veyl's chest with the sponge.

  "She weren't no whore," Lin corrected, "she's what's called a companion there. That's what they call girls like us in the expensive places."

  Veyl was relieved to hear that it was merely ignorance on Fi's part to refer to his services so insultingly.

  "How do you know she was kidnapped?" Veyl asked, tipping his head back as Lin rinsed his hair.

  "Notices been pasted around. One went up in the Tavern just yesterday. " Lin began lathering up Veyl's hair for a second treatment. "She was the highest paid companion anywhere I've ever heard of, so she got no reason to leave on her own."

  Veyl said nothing. He would have left for several reasons, had they ever been offered, regardless of how much gold he brought in. But these women were older than him and no doubt much wiser when it came to matters of love and money.

  Fi lifted one of Veyl's arms to wash underneath and she giggled, running her fingers through the soap along his armpit. "Ah! So smooth!"

  "Beeswax," Veyl lied, realizing they likely didn't recognize his elven features. "Highest paid, you say? So what makes this woman so special?" This ought to be interesting.

  "Oh--I heard she's beautiful--got tits like high mountains," Fi said knowingly, her hands now moving liberally over Veyl's chest and paying extra special attention to his nipples.

  "I hear she can suck a man's eyes out through his cock," Lin laughed, which set them both to giggling.

  "Well I'm certain you ladies have equally impressive skills." Veyl flirted lightly with the girls, entertained by their coarseness of language and appearance.

  Fi's hand slipped lower, just underneath the waterline at the bottom of Veyl's ribcage. "Shall we show you our skills?"

  Veyl was not attracted to women sexually--especially not a pair like this, but they were whores who certainly knew their way around a man's body, and it had been far too long since he'd released. He considered it for a moment, then declined. "Forgive me ladies, you are both very tempting, but I fear too much exertion at this time would do me more harm than good."

  "Awww..." They whined in unison but went back to bathing him properly.

  "Speaking of that," Lin said, completing Veyl's second rinse and now combing a light scented oil through his hair to untangle it, "I heard that the guards in Aaullsworthe have taken up the hunt."

  Veyl felt the color drain from his face. "Really?" His voice came out a whisper.

  "Um hum. Even the captain. Rumor is she was his mistress."

  Just then, Kaidos returned to the room, and the girls paused in their washing and their story-telling.

  "Why didn't you tell us he was a man?" Fi scolded Kaidos.

  Kaidos smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. "You couldn't tell?" He dodged the bar of soap that came flying at him.

  Veyl smiled at him softly, trying to keep his reaction about the news to himself. It was likely just a rumor that Ahrn was coming to look for him, and he'd felt both surprised and strangely alarmed when he'd heard it. He should have been happy to feel that he mattered, but lately he was finding his interest was being drawn elsewhere.

  "All right then, out you lot." Kaidos told the women. "I mean to get myself a bath while there is one to be had."

  Veyl grasped the edge of the tub, making ready to rise but Kaidos pointed a finger at him and he stopped.

  "Not you. I need a word with you."

  Fi and Lin looked between the two with eyebrows raised before dutifully trotting out of the room.

  "I'll start to wrinkle if I'm in too much longer," Veyl sighed, lifting his left hand to examine his fingertips. He turned it over, trying to busy his mind by scrutinizing the benign-looking cuts and bruises that could have cost him his li
fe had they gone further untreated. At the edge of his vision he could see Kaidos getting undressed. "Have a nice conversation?"

  The water rippled as Kaidos stepped into the tub. Apparently he didn't mind soaking in the cooling water of another man's bath. That was fine with Veyl.

  "It's been a while since I've been here. I told you, Rose is practically family."

  "I see," Veyl said, though he subtly sniffed to check for the scent of a woman mingling with Kaidos' sweat. He had no reason to care, but he couldn't stop himself, knowing that if he had smelled sex on him--and he hadn't--it would have bothered him to some ridiculous end.

  Kaidos moved to dunk his head under the water then came back up, slicking his wet locks back with his hands. "How about you? Find lots to talk about?"

  Veyl wondered if the implication was the same as his own. Had he been a simple man like Kaidos the answer would have been a resounding yes--that he'd had a very in-depth and mutually fulfilling dialog, which Kaidos would have likely walked in on. But it wasn't that easy. He sighed and began carefully twisting the water from his hair. "I haven't spent yet, if that's what you're implying. The women here and I speak a different language."

  "Hm," Kaidos nodded, looking at his hands under the water.

  "I assume you have had many discussions with the ladies here over the years. Either of those two involved?" Veyl knew that he was beginning to sound like a jealous lover, but he felt he'd earned the right to feel a bit possessive of his captor.

  "No. Not them. The women I knew have moved on." Kaidos looked less wistful than embarrassed. He cleared his throat, but his voice remained just as low. "I've been thinking about what you said before."

  Veyl raised an eyebrow but didn't look at Kaidos. "Before?"

  "About...gods, about your needs."

  "Oh. That."

  "Oh, forget it." Kaidos sighed and Veyl could hear the heavy disappointment behind it. He chuckled bitterly. "Just my luck. I had one opportunity with you and now I'm stuck in a house full of whores and not happy about bedding any one of them."