vanillasoftserve

The two retired to Sorey's room shortly after. Mikleo waited for Sorey to sleep, which he did soon--a bit of alcohol still in his system, most likely.

The next morning he woke before Sorey and got out of bed to dress himself. Lailah had delivered a pair of slim fitting pants, a silk tunic top, and boots. Now he looked like a royal servant--someone of import, but still quite recognizably low born.

He waited for Sorey to wake, stomach grumbling yfor breakfast despite everything he'd eaten last night.

Mikleo was taken to the baths.

"Preparation" had been done in practice over and over, and he'd started to think of it as little more than a mundane exercise. His handlers approached the task as if he were a prized steed or the master's favorite dog. They were painstakingly careful but detached, like he wasn't a human being to them. They washed him, groomed him, and rubbed him with pleasant scents.

In addition to the gold cuffs and collar, he was adorned with more gifts from Ladylake to persuade the young prince--a gold circlet studded with a sapphire, and a gold pin in his hair with an amethyst drop that dangled at the side of his head. They gave him slender gold chain to wear as a belt around the barely-there silk gown, and sandals to protect his feet as they left the baths and made their way to Sorey's room.

The prince's chambers were at the end of a hall. The handler asked Sorey's guard to open the door for Mikleo. Inside, the first things that Mikleo noticed were rows and rows of books on shelves. He wasn't given the opportunity to examine them before he was led away. Through an arc there was a grand feather bed fit for a king.

"You know your duty," the handler said. The man took the chain from Mikleo's belt and threaded it through his wrist cuff and the bed post. It was a pointless, purely traditional gesture. Gold was too soft a metal to contain anyone, and the slack on the chain was long enough for Mikleo to grab whatever he wanted from the bedroom. A candlestick, a letter opener, any number of potential weapons.

It would do him no good to try anything. One false move and even the most valuable slave in all their lands could be executed on the spot without trial. Even if he managed to escape, he had no money, no standing, and no one to go back to. Ladylake took pride in this level of obedience, but it was really just self-preservation on his part.

Mikleo smiled. "I will show my prince the hospitality of Ladylake."

That satisfied the handler and he left, locking Mikleo into Sorey's room behind a palace guard.

Mikleo only wished the chain were longer so that he could read the titles of Sorey's books. As it was not, he followed the typical protocol and laid in his master's bed to warm it while he waited for Sorey to retire to his bedroom. He doubted Sorey would be interested in his specialized services that night--the boy had barely grasped what was going on, it seemed.