Prince's Master (Calluvia's Royalty 4)

“Is everything well?” she said, breaking the silence.

“Of course,” he said, his gaze still on the holodata in front of him. “Though our control over Vergx still leaves a lot to be desired. Their republics are too different, and each requires a different approach.”

Amara hummed noncommittally. “I am not here to talk to you about Vergx, my dear.”

That made him actually look at her. He was aware that if she was addressing him so informally, she had come here in the capacity of the living leader of his lineage, not a subordinate member of the Chapter.

“I am listening,” he said, turning the report off.

“It is Zaid,” she said.

Castien made a dismissive sound. “I have neither the time nor the patience for his antics, Master Amara.”

“This time he has crossed a line,” she said with a sigh. “He is running an unofficial competition among the initiates for the honor of being chosen as his apprentice.”

“And?” Castien bit out, his impatience clear. “That is not forbidden by the rules as long as the initiates are unclaimed.”

Amara pursed her lips. “I have heard rumors that some of the initiates are servicing him sexually in order to earn his approval.” The mere thought made her grimace. Her only consolation was that for all Zaid’s faults, he was not Tethru and had never been attracted to children. At least those initiates must have been old enough. It was small comfort. Such outlandish behavior wasn’t appropriate for a Master of the Idhron lineage.

Castien pinched the bridge of his nose. “You know as well as I do that if I forbid Zaid from running that competition, he will come up with something even more outrageous just to spite me.”

She sighed. “Probably. He has always been in your shadow, always compared to you, and he has always resented it.”

Castien said nothing.

“What about you?” Amara said at last, breaking the silence. “Will you take on another apprentice? I have a few wonderful candidates if you would like to consider them.”

“No, thank you,” he said, shifting his gaze to the unlit fireplace. “I find that I enjoy the silence.”

She looked at him skeptically. He didn’t look like a man who enjoyed anything, but she didn’t argue.

“Very well,” she said, getting to her feet. “I trust you will find a subtle solution for the Zaid issue. You always do, no matter what you say, Castien.”

He remained silent, still looking at the fireplace.

For the first time, Amara felt a flicker of doubt. She would normally be certain that he would handle Zaid and put a stop to his antics, but this time she could sense that Castien’s attention wasn’t all that present. His mind seemed to be elsewhere.

Perhaps he really was tired.

“You need rest, Castien,” she said. “Go get some sleep. The Order will not fall apart if you do.”

He nodded—and turned to the reports again.

Shaking her head in dismay, Amara walked out.

In some ways, Castien was as bad as Zaid.

They certainly shared their lack of respect for their elders.

Well, it was a good thing she knew what would help. She might be old, but she knew a thing or two about men.

***

Javier took a deep breath before knocking on the door of Master Idhron’s study.

He was nervous.

He was a servant with experience, and he was rarely nervous before a job, but this time the circumstances were a little unusual. Normally his services were hired by a Master who wanted them, not by a third party.

He had no idea how Master Idhron would react, though in Javier’s experience men didn’t turn down the offer of sex with him.

He told himself he had nothing to worry about. All right, he had something to worry about. After all, he hadn’t serviced Master Idhron in nearly two years, and the man’s tastes could have changed.

“Enter,” Master Idhron said.

Javier entered. He dropped to his knees, dropped his gaze, and murmured, “Master.”

He felt Master Idhron tense up. The air in the room seemed to thicken with something terrible. It wasn’t desire or lust, but something else, something that made Javier’s skin prickle with discomfort.

“What are you wearing?” the Grandmaster gritted out.

Javier’s stomach dropped. Master Amara had been so certain that he should wear an apprentice’s blue robes.

“Do my clothes not please you, Master?” he said shakily. “I can take them off.”

There was a long, strained silence.

Finally, Idhron sighed. “That interfering old woman,” he muttered under his breath before saying more loudly, “Get up.”

Javier got up, his eyes still lowered respectfully.

Idhron made an irritated noise. “Look at me.”

He lifted his gaze, unsure what the hell was going on.

Javier wasn’t stupid. He might be just a servant, but he could put two and two together. Master Amara had clearly thought that Master Idhron would appreciate it if Javier looked like his former apprentice. The physical resemblance between them was quite obvious as it was, but in an apprentice’s clothes and with his hair styled with a mock thaal, he looked even more like Eridan; Javier knew it.