The Captive Prince (o/o) closed

The man smirked, not that Levi could see it, and released his hold on the collar entirely. Instead he grabbed Levi's face in his hand, grip just shy of bruising. "Took you long enough, princey. You keep those wits about you and Prince Fiori might decide to keep you instead of turning you over to one of us soldiers." He laughed and forced Levi's head to the side, admiring his graceful profile. "Not that it would be any hardship to us."

The man in front grunted in agreement as he turned the wagon, which soon slowed and stopped entirely.

They moved at a jerky pace, voices occasionally warbling into the wagon from outside when they stopped. They were clearly at some kind of checkpoint, slowly starting the journey through the palace gates. "Better steel yourself, princey," the man chuckled, finally dropping Levi's chin. "I hear the captain of the guard himself's come to check you out and he's not quite as kind as we are." A voice could be heard approaching, barking out curt orders as it inched closer and closer to the wagon.

The back of the wagon opened before the man could raise a finger against Levi, the new voice ordering him to leave dismissively. Then, without much of a warning, calloused hands were forcing Levi's chin this way and that. The man tutted and pulled off the blindfold after his examination as almost done, noticeably displeased. "You're in some state, aren't you pet?" he murmured, voice gruff but sympathetic. "We'll need to get you cleaned up before you see the prince."

The captain shook his head, tugging on the front of Levi's collar to force him to stand. "Now don't tell me you object to the word, pet. After all, you are one, best to get used to it now." It was a gentle warning, but one that promised punishment if not heeded. He pulled Levi forward, steering him slowly through the maze like hallways. "I'll let it slide because you're still untested. Do you have a name you prefer? Something from your homeland?"

"Levi," the captain echoed quietly, tugging Levi around a corner. "That's an interesting name, pet. It's not very often we get a Deigh around here." He said the word like it was a curse, and to some degree it was. A slur thrown at the people of Nord Widonia by Usigens like himself. "You're lucky you're to the prince's taste, poorly bred as you are. If you were any less pretty, they would've made you serve in the arena."

"Of course one of you wouldn't." The captain chuckled to himself and patronizingly patted Levi's cheek. "It is about glory, pet. There is no surer way to prove your skills than to best a man in the arena." He sounded like he was explaining the concept to a small child. "Surely even an iceblood like you can understand that."

The captain laughed louder. "Why who sold you that load of shit? Men die on the battlefield, not the arena." Levi was pulled more insistently through the halls. "There is no honor in a death like that, iceblood. And anyways, our prince would not allow it."

"Big," was the captain's first answer, said with a cheeky smile. His grip on Levi's collar eased, giving him room to breathe. "And stubborn. And perhaps a touch reckless. But you don't need to worry about that, pet. He's an honorable man. He'll be a good master to you."

They soon arrived at a large set of double doors, carved intricately with what seemed to be a gathering storm. The captain threw the doors open and pulled Levi inside, tossing him carelessly to the ground. A large pool of steaming water sat in the middle of the room, revealing it as the royal baths. "Clean yourself here," he ordered. "Go into that room on the other side once you're done. The prince will be waiting."

The captain laughed at the request, nudging Levi towards the pool with the toe of his boot. There was a ledge made of stone off to their left with a variety of soaps and brushes. "You weren't properly broken in before you got here, were you? Your clothing will be provided by the prince. Now clean yourself, he doesn't like to be kept waiting." He turned and left the room, closing the doors behind him with finality.

Fiori was slouched angrily in a makeshift throne, the tapping of his fingers on the flat armrest echoing throughout the empty room. Dion had escorted the slave to the baths already, why wasn't he here? It had been fifteen minutes at the least and he didn't have any time to waste here. He hadn't even wanted a slave, but his uncle had insisted that it would be good for him. That it would cement his strength in the eyes of the people. So he obliged, and now his training would have to be cut short because the damn iceblood didn't know how to bathe.

Fiori straightened up on instinct as the door opened, sagging back into the chair with a huff when he realized that it was only the slave. This skinny little thing was the source of all his annoyance? It was almost laughable. Or, it would have been if this meeting wasn't eating up his valuable time. "What took you so long?" he snapped. "You do realize I have things to do, yes?"

Fiori raised a critical eyebrow, sitting up to reveal the extent of his height. He was easily above six feet, but the commanding aura that rolled off him now that he was paying attention made him seem infinitely taller. "Are you an idiot as well as a slave?" he asked bluntly, completely serious about the question. Even on a good day, the idea of owning another person was distasteful at best, and he wouldn't suffer stupidity no matter how badly his uncle wanted this.

Fiori shifted in his chair, subtly flexing the muscles in his arms and chest. "I suppose you are no liar either," he deadpanned. His clipped, annoyed sentence and stormy expression left no room for arguments. He would have to get rid of this problem in front of him, no doubt about it. Even his uncle wouldn't force him to keep such a useless thing as a pet. "What can you do? Do you have any skills?"

Fiori didn't know whether to be insulted or amused as he started to reassess this slave, so he merely shifted forward in his seat and tried not to seem too pleased. The slave must've been intimidated before, not stupid as Fi had assumed. It was a bright spot in an overall stressful day. "To serve my people is both my honor and my joy, slave. Do not presume to know the burdens of my title." He paused to let the warning sink in before leaning casually into his throne. "What are you called, iceblood?"