Ten year old Crown Prince Wolfgang, stared out the glass window of the school room on the second level of the castle, at the many small farms that dotted the countryside. He knew he should be studying his History but the tutor was teaching in a dry, monotone voice and he had other things on his mind. He hoped Mother and father would come back soon. His parents, the King and Queen of the Kingdom of Mandell, had been visiting Seyah the neighboring Empire. King Brandon hoped to form a peace treaty with the Seyahan Emperor Malik.

The Kingdom of Mandell had been at odds with the Empire of Seyah for centuries. No one really remembered how the war had started but other than a few outright attacks it had mostly consisted of border skirmishes. In the interest of peace, the Mandell King and Queen had decided to try to forge a treaty agreement which would ally the two countries stopping the constant battles making them both stronger and better for it. They had been gone for almost a whole moon cycle.

"Rider Coming!" The call rang out from the guard tower.

Wolf looked up from his studies excitedly looked up from his studies at his Tutor. "Maybe the rider has news about mother and father, Sir!" he exclaimed excitedly to his tutor. His black eyes begged to be allowed to go meet the rider. The tutor gave the small boy a forbearing look and ruffled his dark curls.

"Go ahead." he said "You won't be able to concentrate if you do not hear what the rider has to say." By the time he had fished his sentence the young prince was already out of the school room and down the hall headed toward the throne room.

When the prince arrived at the throne room he skidded to a stop at the outside edge of the crowd of courtiers waiting to hear the news. He watched as the rider was kneeling in front of his uncle, Duke Emil, who was standing in front of the steps leading to the twin thrones.

The King had left Duke Emil in charge of running the country in the absence of the Royal couple as Wolf was still too young to be placed in charge and the Duke was the next heir to the throne after Wolf.

Wolf watched as the Duke accepted the outstretched scroll from the messenger and quickly skimmed it. For a split second Wolf thought he saw a glint of pleasure in his uncle's eye but then just as quickly it was gone, and a very serious expression appeared on his face. Wolf wondered at the foreboding look on Duke Emil's face.

The Duke turned and climbed the three steps to the platform on which the thrones sat and faced the crowd. Confusion swept through Wolf, only the King and Queen were allowed on the platform. He was allowed with permission to mount the throne platform but even he was never to touch the thrones, the matching symbols of power over the country. He dismissed it and turned his attention to his Uncle. Wolf's stomach sank at the look of regret mingled with grief on his uncle's face. Then the duke spoke.

"It is a sad day. I regret to report that the King and Queen have been assassinated."

"NO!" Wolf heard himself shout. He fought back tears. It couldn't be true. There must be a mistake they were due back in less than a fortnight.

"I am afraid it is all too true Wolfgang" consoled Duke Emil. "The Seyah Empire obviously lured your parents there in order to murder them." He raised his voice and looked over the crowd.

"They thought they could weaken the Kingdom of Mandell, but we will not allow that. Although it is a heavy burden, I, Duke Emil of Mandell, will step forward and act as the King Protector until such time as Wolfgang is old enough to rule as King on his own."

As he said this he took a step back and sat on the throne. A gasp went through the crowded throne room, then a smattering of clapping, led first by the Duke's most loyal supporters, then turning into a roaring applause.

Wolf stood like a statue rooted to the floor with shock. Confusion, sadness, anger, loss all of these emotions swirled through Wolf's body. How could this be happening? His parents were dead, and his uncle had just effectively taken charge over the Kingdom.

2: Peace Treaty

14 years later

Wolfgang, Crown Prince of Mandell, opened the canvas flap of his standard Army issue tent, and walked out into the camp. The early morning sun greeted him as it came over the horizon. He strode purposefully through the camp following the muddy path and greeting soldiers as he passed, until he reached the makeshift stables.

He walked over to the corral where a group of horses grazed giving a unique whistle he waited. The ears of a midnight black stallion perked up,and it ambled over to the edge of the corral and whinnied nuzzling his nose into the prince's chest. Wolf laughed as he pulled a sugar cube out of the chest pocket of his burgundy uniform.

"So you think you deserve this Abaddon?" he asked as he held it out in a flat palm. "Well, maybe you do." He whispered as he reflected on what he was about to do.

Slowly he led the horse to the door of the corral and saddled him. Then he mounted the stallion and rode out to the west of the camp. As he rode Wolf thought back to the time just after his parents had been killed.

The day after the massive public funeral for the King and Queen, Duke Emil had enrolled Prince Wolfgang in the Army training school. Usually boys Wolf's age were either tutored at home as had been the case before the death of his parents, or boarded out to other nobility to serve as pages until the age of 14 when they enrolled in the training academy.

At the insistence of the new King Protector the academy had enrolled Wolf early. Also at the insistence of Wolf's uncle they had not advertised the fact that he was the prince but rather treated him as any other student.

Due to the nature of his being the smallest boy in a military training school Wolf had quickly learned how to fight. He also found that when he applied himself his schoolwork came along easily as well. Many days while the other boys were outside playing with their friends or home on summer or winter vacations, during which, at the request of his uncle, Wolf stayed at the training school, Wolf would be found in the training gymnasium working out or in a quiet corner studying a book on strategy. As a result of is hard work Wolf rose quickly through the ranks. By the time he graduated from the school he was ranked at the top of his class both academically and in field and weapons studies.

Wolf came to a stop at the top of a hill on the Mandell side of the border between the Seyah and Mandell border which was marked by a deep valley with a hill on each side where the troops of the two armies had set up camp on their respective sides.

Again he thought through his options, or rather lack thereof, and again he came to the same conclusion; the thing he was about to do was the only way to spare his men, a thing which to him was of the utmost importance. Slowly he held up his white handkerchief and made his way toward the Seyahn camp.

Emprince Ismail heard a shout at the front of the camp causing him to look up from the maps he was studying. He brushed a piece of white blond hair out of his blue eyes. Just then his aide burst in to the tent.

"A rider is coming from the Mandell camp, and he is holding a white flag!" He exclaimed. Ismail's curiosity was peaked. He quickly made his way toward the commotion. As he got closer the murmurs reached him.

"It's the prince of Mandell! He is asking to speak to Emperor Malik." Ismail watched as the rider dismounted and tied his horse to a tent stake. Then he saw his father, Emperor Malik, approach the rider. They held a whispered conversation for a moment, then they went into the Emperor's tent together and his father motioned for him to join them.

Inside the tent Prince Wolfgang turned to face the Emperor. Suddenly he bowed low before the Emperor his brow touching the ground at the emperor's feet. This showed extreme respect. Calmly Emperor Malik spoke, "You come to my camp carrying a white flag, then come into my tent and bow before me." Curiosity colored his voice "What is it you desire so strongly that you would lower yourself so far as to prostrate yourself before the Emperor of Seyah?"

The Prince kept his eyes lowered to the ground. "I know that our countries have been at war these last 14 years because of the assassination of my parents and your first wife. I am in charge of a legion of soldiers which was sent to do battle with your forces this day. However Sire, I would beseech you that you allow me to bring this war to an end here and now by negotiating a peace treaty that will satisfy both sides." Prince Wolfgang kept his head down and waited silently for an answer to his proposal.

"Well, it would seem there is a peace treaty to be drawn up. Emprince Ismail will negotiate the details." he turned and addressed his son "Ismail, I want you to handle this."

"Sire," a shocked Ismail tried to protest, but was cut off when the emperor raised his hand for silence. "You will do this thing, I trust your judgment. Do not fail me in this."

"Of course Sire, as you wish." At those words the Emperor left the tent leaving the two young men alone.

Wolf was glad his face was still on the ground, it hid the smile that played across his lips. Quickly he schooled his features, this deal was too important to mess up with any disrespect of the Emprince.

"You may rise" Ismail said. The Prince rose to his feet and coal black eyes met ocean blue ones.

"If I understand everything properly your father just put you in charge of all the conditions dealing with this peace treaty is that correct?" The Prince addressed the other man.

"Yes."

"Then let us get started, I am certain that you have many conditions. I have only one request. Let my men go free, and I will come with you as a hostage."

"Wait," Ismail interrupted, what do you mean by hostage?"

"Treat me as a slave, and all that that entails, do with me as you wish. If my country invades your country and breaks the peace treaty my life is forfeit."

"You would risk your life, as well as your royal privilege simply to obtain peace?"

"Yes. As long as all my men are set free to return to their homes. You may take a pledge of them if you wish that they will never again fight against Seyah. With me as your hostage my uncle would not dare attack your country, at least not for a while."

"Why may I ask is that?"

"The Southern forces are starting to array against Mandell. My uncle does not need two wars at opposite ends of his borders, and also if he were to attack knowing full well that I would be killed he would have to deal with internal revolution as well. This way Seyah will be safe for several years at least." The Prince stopped speaking and looked to the Emprince as if for an answer.

"It seems you hold all the answers, yet I have to wonder, are you truly ready to face anything? You would be willing to be placed in chains, branded, and treated as a slave of the Seyah Empire?"

"Yes."

"It seems fortune smiles on us this day. We shall have peace!" The Emprince turned and walked to the door of the tent and called for a scribe to write the treaty.

When it was done both parties signed it. A copy of the signed treaty was sent by messenger to the palace in Taifa the capital city of Seyah and Varick the Capital city of Mandell.

Ismail then brought out an ornate, hand carved box and opened it. From within he produced a slave collar made of silver for the prince's neck, and silver shackles for his arms and legs.

Wolfgang knelt down in front of the prince and lifted his chin presenting his neck for the collar which Ismail readily snapped on. Once the collar and shackles were in place a blacksmith was called and he sealed the metal lock on the collar so that no key would open the lock, only a pair of metal cutters would be able to get the collar off. Wolfgang was now marked as a slave of the empire for as long as he wore the collar.

Lastly Wolf was led out into the middle of the camp in chains, where he was tied to a post. Two men approached him he knew what was coming. They stripped off his shirt and The two men held his arms while the Emprince readied a brand in the fire.

As Wolfgang was a royal, it was only fitting that Ismail be the one to brand him. He showed the brand to Wolf before he placed it in the fire. It was an S inside a crown the official symbol of slaves owned by the Imperial household. The Emprince placed a small leather ball in between Wolf's teeth.

"Bite down on this." He whispered. Wolf nodded silently grateful for something to help him avoid showing the pain. Then the brand seared into the flesh of his upper arm, near his left shoulder, and all thoughts other than pain fled from his mind.

3: Sacrifice

The next morning they broke camp and headed toward Taifa. Wolf was chained to the back of a gang of slaves that had been brought with to serve the Imperial family. The slave master must have been given strict instructions not to harm the Prince because although he yelled and cursed, he never laid a hand on Wolf for the entire five days it took to get to the castle. During the trip life fell into a routine.

He was awaken before dawn to eat a breakfast of cold biscuits and if he was lucky a piece of dried meat. After breakfast he marched along with the other slaves over the hard rocky soil until they broke at noon to rest the pack animals. Anytime they rested the slaves, including Wolf were made to sit along the side of the road while the soldiers and emperors entourage rested in whatever shade was available.

At noon he again received one of the hard biscuits for his noon meal. Then he continued marching again until dark. For the night meal he received a bowl of very watery soup that contained no meat and few vegetables. After supper he would fall to sleep quickly exhausted from the long day.

Finally after five days they reached Taifa. The Seyahn castle was laid out as a large square within another large square which was the outer courtyard. The walls around the outer courtyard were wide enough to hold horse races on, had there been a way to get a horse to the top of the wall. The prison was located in the inner courtyard of the castle surrounded by a large stone wall and a high hedge that hid the eyesore from the view of all the castle windows except the two towers on the east and west ends of the castle. A guard roughly shoved Prince Wolfgang down a set of gray stone steps and through a wooden door into a prison cell near the bottom of the steps.

When his eyes had adjusted to the dim light from the small slit in the stones near the top of the outside wall of the cell he noticed that he was alone in the cell. He breathed a sigh of relief. For the moment anyway he would be able to avoid dealing with any Seyahns and the possibility of their recognizing him as the prince of Mandell and taking exception to that fact.

An examination of the cell revealed that it consisted of about a 10 cubit by 10 cubit square space with a pile of dirty straw on the floor in the far corner and two buckets. One of the buckets contained stale water for drinking and a ladle while the purpose of the other was obvious as well from the smell coming from it. The floor was hard packed dirt and some of the stones had come loose from the wall cluttering the floor.

After examining the small cell Wolf walked to the corner and laid down on the musty smelling straw trying to get as comfortable as he could with the ankle and wrist shackles still chained to the slave collar the Emprince had put on him.

A few hours later Wolf awoke to the door to his cell being opened. His eyes widened to see three other men enter his cell. By their light coloring the three men were obviously Seyah natives. The guard unshackled the three men once they were in the cell leaving Wolf as the only one in the cell still in shackles. Wolf scooted back against the wall of the cell cautiously watching the newcomers. As the guard turned and walked away from the cell locking the door behind him, the largest of the men crossed the cell towards him with a strange light in his eyes.

"Well, Well, Well, looks like we got a new cell mate, aye boys." said the prisoner. The other two seemed be following the big man's lead or perhaps they were simply relieved he had found another target. They smiled grimly. The first man reached a hand out to touch Wolf's thick, curly, black locks, gently at first, but then he grabbed a handful of hair and jerked Wolf's head back painfully. Wolf grimaced but remained silent.

"This black hair, you must be the Mandell Prince. Wolfie, isn't it?" the man said scornfully,

"That's Prince Wolfgang to you." Wolf gritted out through clenched teeth.

"I had heard you were down here," the prisoner reflected. "but I didn't expect you to be in my cell. It was so thoughtful of the guards to give you to me as a present." He grinned lecherously as Wolf tried to wriggle out of his grasp.

"It's really too bad that Emprince Ismail already marred your beautiful skin." He sighed regretfully, pushing his hand roughly against the fresh brand on Wolf's shoulder. The unexpected pain caused Wolf to cry out.

"That's ok though," he whispered leaning close to Wolf's ear. "I'll make you mine in other ways Wolfie." He ran a hand across wolf's bare chest. Wolf shivered as he realized what the man was implying. Panic rose up in him and he struggle harder to get away, but the prisoner held him firm, and signaled to the other two to hold Wolf down.

Wolf fought as hard as he could but three against one in such a small space was unbeatable odds. Wolf saw a guard slide open the observation window at the commotion then when he realized what was happening he closed the window and Wolf could hear the sound of his boots moving down the hallway away from the commotion. One of the men grabbed a loose brick and started to hit the prince with it. Wolf felt ribs breaking. Finally the man brought the brick down on Wolf's leg with a force so hard that there was an audible snap-crack and white bone splinters protruded through the skin. Wolf screamed and almost lost consciousness. The intense pain rendered him immobile, and his body went slack.

At the edge of consciousness he could still feel the three men continue to beat him and do other unspeakable things to him. He tried to scream again but no sound came out. He laid there his face pressing into the cold stones, damp from his silent tears, wishing to die, until finally, when one of the men smashed the stone against the left side of his head, he fell into blessed darkness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Emprince Ismail paced in his quarters it was almost the seventh watch of the night but he couldn't sleep. Thoughts of the Prince of Mandell kept flitting through his head. Why would the Prince sacrifice himself like that for his men? Finally Ismail called for a guard.

"Bring Prince Wolfgang to me here."

"Now sir?" questioned the guard.

"Yes, now." Ismail emphasized. The guard saluted then turned and left the room. A short time later there was a knock at the door. The Emprince opened the door a young guard stood there. "Highness, there has been an incident in the dungeon. Prince Wolfgang is unable to be brought to you at the moment." From the way the guard was shaking it was obvious that, by nature of being the lowest ranking soldier on night watch, he had been forced to be the one to tell the Emprince that his demands could not be met. The Emprince frowned. "What kind of incident could possibly prevent him from being brought before me?"

"Apparently the fact that he was the prince of Mandell spread around the dungeon quickly, and his cell mates decided to exact their revenge against Mandell on him." The Emprince's mind whirred with the political ramifications of the guard's statement.

"Is he dead?" Ismail asked bluntly. If the prince was dead then all hope of peace with Mandell had died with him. "No sir, just badly injured. The Midnight guard found him when he did first rounds after shift change."

"Take me to him!" the Emprince demanded.

"Yes sir." The guard saluted then turned on his heel and led the way out of the room.

When they reached the dungeon the guard spoke. "Prince Wolfgang is in the first cell sir. The night guard removed the other 3 prisoners when he came on duty and discovered the prince. Apparently the day guard placed them in the same cell" Ismail walked to the cell and waited impatiently for the guard to open the door. When the door opened he held the light up and sucked in a breath at what he saw. The Prince was laying in the corner unconscious his body covered only by a thin, threadbare blanket. The floor of the small cell was smeared with blood. Ismail turned toward the door and yelled for the guard to get a healer. He walked toward the foreign prince and carefully assessed the damage with an experienced eye of a soldier who had seen many injuries both from battle and those sustained in the barracks. The prince seemed to be on big wound. The only place on his body not bruised and broken seemed to be the right side of his face which for some reason they had left alone. Gently Ismail rolled the prince on his right side in order to examine his back. The prince's skin was hot to the touch, and Ismail suspected he had a fever. He let out his breath with a hiss when he saw the evidence of the other trauma, and shut his eyes against the horror it evoked in him. Quickly he made up his mind. He called the guard and instructed him to gather enough men to transport the Prince. He grabbed a second blanket and gingerly rolled the prince onto it so it could be used as a liter. The Prince moaned but did not regain consciousness. Ismail supervised the guards as they lifted the blanket and followed him slowly to his quarters. Gently they placed him on the King sized bed. "Have a cot brought in and placed next to the bed." Ismail ordered his tone broking no questions. "Where is that healer?" he demanded.

"Here sire." called a voice from the back of the room. A small old woman hunched over a basket answered him. "My name is Melda, I am the village midwife, 'parently the guard couldn't find any other 'ealers willing to work on a ci'izen of Mandell, prince or not." Ismail acknowledged the statement grimly as he inwardly winced at her atrocious grammar.

"Please do what you can for him." He turned to the guards. "Everyone else get out!" The guards saluted then turned to leave. After they were gone Ismail turned to the healer who was already setting up at the table next to the bed. "The left leg is badly broken, his left eye is slashed, I am fairly sure he also has a few broken ribs, as well as multiple cuts and bruises and possible internal injuries." He paused considering then decided she probably needed to know. "I believe he may also have been…raped."

"I see," she said grimly "I 'eard it took place at the prison an' I knowed that it's always a possibility. 'owever, I thank ye fer informing me about it." With that she went about cleaning and bandaging the wounds. Ismail watched as she gently ministered to the Prince. When she came to the left leg she asked Ismail to bring in a couple guards to hold him down while she set the bones just in case he woke up and tried to move. When she was done she looked at the Emprince "I believe 'e will live. Our biggest problem now is infection. We don't know why but it seems if the wounds are kept clean an' the bandages changed regular like that the patient don't get an infection as often. As for the Prince most of 'his wounds ain't very serious. My main worry is that even once 'is leg 'eals, I doubt 'e'll ever walk without a limp." The Emprince acknowledged the instructions and paid the midwife generously for her help and silence, asking her to come back in a few days to check on the prince. The midwife agreed and soon took her leave of the Emprince.

4: Repercussions

Ismail slept fitfully in a stuffed chair next to the bed. As the morning sun crept through the eastern facing window Wolf stirred in the bed. His entire body throbbed with pain. Slowly he opened his eyes. Where was he? His mind searched foggily for the answer. The last thing he remembered was…at the memory of what had happened a wave of nausea rolled over him and he barely managed to grab the wash basin off the bedside table before he vomited up the meager contents of his stomach. The sound of his retching woke Ismail who held the basin for him as he finished. When Wolf was done Ismail set aside the basin then carefully assisted Wolf to sit up in the bed. Wolf looked at the Emprince, confusion filled his voice as he asked "Highness? Where am I?" Ismail handed him a glass of water to rinse his mouth with as he replied. "You are in my chambers. I had the guards bring you here last night after you were found unconscious."

"How did you find out?" Wolf questioned.

"The night guard found you when he came on duty. He notified me because of your status as a political prisoner." Ismail decide it was pointless to mention that he had been going to call for Wolfgang to talk to him. Wolf nodded slowly that made sense. Gingerly Wolf placed the heel of his hand against the bridge of his nose. "So you know?" he questioned, his voice almost cracking on the last word. "Yes, I know. I had a healer called to examine you. She confirmed what I already suspected." Ismail said softly as he laid a gentle hand on the Prince's arm. Instinctively Wolf jerked his arm away, a look of terror crossing his face. Shakily he took a deep breath and pushed down the rising panic. He was safe here, the Emprince wouldn't hurt him.

" Can you tell me what happened?" Ismail inquired. Interrupting Wolf's train of thought. Slowly wolf nodded. " I was placed in a cell alone at first, as expected. Then a few hours later three Seyahn men were brought into the cell." he took a shaky breath and met the Emprince's bright blue eyes, "The leader said I was a present for him from the guards. Then they grabbed me, held me down, and started to beat me, they r-raped me." he looked away at the end ashamed of the tears gathering in his eyes.

Ismail was outraged at the thought that this was not just a horrible coincidence but had been orchestrated by one of the prison guards. If he had anything to say about it when he found the responsible guard he would be digging trenches for the rest of his career. Suddenly there was a loud knock at the door. Wolf jumped slightly at the unexpected sound.

"Enter" called Ismail. A messenger boy stepped inside the large oak double doors, "Emprince Ismail, you requested to be notified as soon as the Emperor was receiving petitions today. He is in the throne room now Sire."

"Thank you." Ismail acknowledged. "You are dismissed." Ismail looked at Wolf. "I have to go see the Emperor about what happened to you."

"Will you tell him everything?" Wolf asked, smoothing his face into an emotionless mask.

"I won't go into detail only that you were badly injured." Slowly he got up to leave, "I suppose I should go talk to him now, so we can figure out what to do next." with that he left the room. Wolf gingerly scooted down in the bed, he winced as he turned on his side to get into a more comfortable position. He lay in the bed thinking about all that had transpired since he had come into the Seyahn camp the week before. Gradually he fell into a fitful sleep.

Emprince Ismail took a deep breath as he prepared to enter the throne room. He had thought of an idea during the night, but had been loathe to mention it to the Prince for fear of getting his hopes up only to be dashed if the Emperor disapproved.

Its my fault Prince Wolfgang is in this mess anyway he thought guiltily He was my responsibility and I didn't make sure he was protected once we got to the castle. I just assumed the dungeon would be fine temporarily until I figured out what to do. Well now he knew things needed to change, he would do his best not to fail the Prince again.

Confidence regained he strode through the wide doorway and into the throne room. Walking purposefully he made his way through the crowd of courtiers already filling the room desiring to present their petitions to the Emperor. Most would be asking for more lands or titles.

The Emperor looked up from the scroll he was signing as the Emprince entered the area before the throne and bowed I front of the Emperor and Empress.

"What brings you here today my son?" the Emperor asked.

"I have come to beg a boon, Highness."

"Well this is a rare occasion, I can't remember the last time you asked me for a favor. What is it you desire?"

" Sire, the Prince of Mandell with whom we made the peace treaty, has been badly injured in the dungeon due to the animosity many still feel toward the Mandellans. I would respectfully request that he be allowed to be moved to a different place, and that an order be made that no one is to harm him, as this could irrevocably harm the treaty." Ismail had kept his eyes respectfully down throughout his speech, but now he raised them to look at the Emperor. The Emperor seemed to consider the request, then the Empress leaned over and whispered something in his ear. The Emperor smiled at his wife and nodded. Straightening he looked at Ismail. "I will grant your request on two conditions. One, from now on you are personally responsible for the welfare of the Mandellan Prince. You arranged the peace treaty therefore you are responsible for the maintenance of that treaty, in this case the care and safety of the Prince. You may do as you like with him but he is your responsibility now, if anything happens either to him or because of him, you will be held personally responsible." The Emprince nodded somberly at this. He had expected as much. "What is the second condition Sire?" he questioned. The Emperor smiled. "Secondly, you must marry Princess Maylin of the Northern Jiang Empire in order to solidify our relationship with them. We will need them as allies to protect our northern border if the treaty with Mandell does not work out. What is your choice? Will you marry or leave the Prince in the dungeon?"

Ismail was shocked he had not expected this. Still he knew what must be done for Prince Wolfgang's sake. As well as the peace of his country. He took a deep breath.

"If Prince Wolfgang can give up his freedom to become a slave for the sake of his country, I believe I can give up a bit of my freedom by marrying Princess Maylin for the sake of the Seyah Empire." He bowed low, "I accept your terms. I will have Prince Wolfgang moved to the West Tower immediately." The Emperor nodded his approval. Ismail continued, "I also will be taking him on as my personal body slave, as you now my previous one was killed in battle, and I had not yet been home long enough to select a new one." He saw a hint of dimay and disapproval in the Emperor's eyes but he ignored it. The Emperor had given him the prince as his responsibility, and he was going to use that power as best he could to protect the Prince whom he had come to respect for his sacrifice. "Do as you will, I have given him to you. However, remember that it is your responsibility if anything happens." The Emperor said firmly

"I shall Sire." With that Ismail dismissed himself and exited the throne room. Resolutely he strode toward the guard house. He had unfinished business with the guard on duty last evening.

5: A few weeks later

A few weeks later

Wolf sat straight up in bed his throat was raw from screaming and he was drenched in a cold sweat. A nightmare he thought it was just another nightmare. As his breathing slowed he looked around the small stone room which had become his home over the last few weeks as he had recuperated.

The 'bed' was a large window seat with a blanket and pillow on it. The window had shutters that could be closed to protect against the elements or opened in order to enjoy the fresh air. The past few afternoons had found Wolf sitting on the window ledge watching the courtyard. The sight of the prison below still made him cringe but he enjoyed watching the people scurrying around below.

The only other pieces of furniture in the room were a chamber pot and a writing desk. The desk sat in the corner behind the door it was made to sit only a hands breadth above the ground. On the desk instead of a quill pen or ink sat a silver water pitcher and basin.

Wolf moved over to the desk and poured water from the pitcher into the basin. He stared at his reflection. His handsome face now sported a scar above the left eye, he was fortunate that he hadn't lost the eye. His face was drawn and paler than he remembered.

Wolf thought back to what the Emprince had said to him when Wolf had been moved to the tower.

"I gained permission from my father for you to be my personal slave. I will now control every aspect about what you do and where you stay." the Emprince explained "I have decided to place you in the west tower. It was originally meant to be a place of reflection for visiting priests however it has not been used in years since the new chapel was built on the main floor."

"I am yours to command Sire. I will go where you please." Wolf knew his tone had a bitter edge to it, but he didn't enjoy being reminded that he was a slave and had no say in anything. He was relieved he would not be going back to the prison dungeon however. He wasn't sure he would have been able to handle that.

" I also wanted to inform you that I looked into what happened to you in the dungeon last night. The men who.. hurt.. you, they were hung this morning at sunrise. They were all convicted of treason and awaiting hanging when you were placed in their cell." Wolf wasn't sure how to take that. He had wished them dead but had not expected for it to have already happened. He brought his attention back to the prince who was still talking.

"The guard who placed you in that cell has been demoted. He will not be harming any other prisoners. He will be digging trenches for the rest of his career." the Emprince looked quite pleased with himself at this news. Wolf couldn't have cared less. So one man had been demoted and three others hung, his life was still a mess, and nothing could turn back time. The damage was already done.

Wolf brought himself back to the present and finished getting cleaned up. He reached for the foot of the bed and grabbed the new uniform a guard had dropped off earlier. He looked at it as he dressed. It was a black sleeveless linen tunic that fell just above the knee, the mandarin collar not quite covering the silver slave collar he still wore. Silver buttons trailed down the front of the tunic displaying the same design as on the slave collar. The pockets of the tunic also had the same design embroidered in silver thread. Black linen pants, a pair of black leather boots that reached the knee and an ankle length, black, wool, hooded cape with silver embroidery completed the ensemble. Although the color scheme was dark, Wolf rather liked it. It rather suited his mood at the moment. As Wolf finished dressing someone knocked on the door and a guard entered. " I'm here to escort you down stairs to the Emprince's chambers." Wolf nodded and grabbed the Walking stick that had been provided to assist him.

Once they reached the Emprince's personal chambers the guard knocked then motioned for Wolf to enter alone. As wolf entered he saw the Emprince standing in front of a full length mirror admiring his own uniform. It was styled similar to Wolf's except Ismail's tunic had long sleeves and it was white with gold trim. They were a study in contrast. The Emprince suddenly turned and smiled at him.

"Welcome Prince Wolf. I am glad you are doing better. Today I will show you around and introduce you to your duties."

"Duties?" Wolf asked unsure of what the Emprince expected.

"Yes, I told you before that you are now my personal slave. In a nut shell your job now is to follow me wherever I go and do whatever I say."

"I understand, Sire." Wolf knew his pride was going to take a beating, but what was his pride against the security and future of his nation. He resolved to perform his duties to the best of his ability to give the Emprince as well as the Emperor no reason to go back on their treaty.

Wolf helped the Emprince finish his toilet, then followed Ismail as he led the way to the stable. Along the way the Emprince explained " You can explore the castle on your own later, for now I want to acquaint you with the grounds. I often need to ride in parades, or simply ride to another town to help solve a problem that requires a royal. Obviously this would make it difficult for you to protect me, and serve me unless you also have a mount."

Wolf nodded, this made sense. Hopefully they wouldn't have to go riding today though as he wasn't sure his leg was up to it just yet.

Once they reached the stables Ismail instructed Wolf to pick a mount for himself. "You may pick any mount in this stable. There is a second stable of horses that have already been claimed by owners."

Wolf walked slowly down the stalls admiring the many specimens of well bred horse flesh. Suddenly a familiar whinney caught his attention. There in a stall near the end was a huge black horse. He caught his breath in anticipation.

"Abaddon?"

The horse tossed his head as though agreeing. Then it reached over and nuzzled the front of Wolf's tunic. "Sorry boy, no sugar today. It is good to see you though." finally El Shaddai seemed to have smiled on him again.

He turned to Ismail and was about to ask for his horse when a stable hand spoke up. "Sire, that horse won't let anyone ride him. He throws every rider that tries. Shame too, he sure is a handsome one."

Wolf grinned slightly "I would ask how much you would like to bet, however I am currently not in possession of any coin." The man simply glared at Wolf's audacity. "How about I simply show you instead?" Wolf looked at Ismail for confirmation. The Emprince nodded smiling slightly.

The stable hand watched skeptically as Wolf led Abaddon out of his stall. Carefully he saddled Abaddon making sure to triple check the girth, because of the horses bad habit of holding his breath in order to not have the saddle cinched tight. Wolf had slipped more than once because of it, and he knew that right now he probably couldn't afford to fall as his leg had not fully healed yet. Thinking about his leg made him realize mounting could end up being problematic. The injury had caused his left knee to be almost completely unable to bend. Looking around he saw a mounting block usually they were used for ladies or young children to assist them in mounting their horses. Walking Abaddon slowly over to the block Wolf stepped onto it then using his arms to push up on the addle he swung his right leg and body across the horses back. Abaddon prances slightly as Wolf landed a bit heavily in the saddle but calmed when wolf whispered to him stroking his neck. Then as if sensing the fact that his master needed him to behave he walked slowly out of the stable past the astonished stable hand and into the courtyard. Emprince Ismail followed the two out of the stable. "I assume you have made your choice?" It wasn't really a question, but Wolf answered anyway.

"Yes Sire."

6: Reflections

Prince Wolfgang cautiously dismounted from his horse, Abaddon. Limping he led the horse into his stall in the royal stables. The familiar scent of hay mingled with manure and horse sweat reached his nose, as he gave the stallion a rub down.

He had been serving the Emprince for a fortnight now, but still felt unsure of what exactly was expected of him. They had fallen into a routine of sorts; each morning Wolf would rise, dress, and eat a piece of fruit to break his fast. He would then make his way to Ismael's chambers, where he would wake the Emprince, and assist him in dressing for the day. After the Emprince broke his fast they would make their way to the grounds, their daily activities varied, from riding, to hunting or fishing in the Emperor's forest. Three times each sennight the Emprince would sit at court during the mornings, as his father the Emperor listened to the petitions and grievances of the people, and occasionally consulted the Emprince, or more often the Empress to hear their opinion. During these times, stood respectfully behind the small seat on which the Emprince would sit, a chain attached to his collar held loosely in Ismael's hand.

At some point during the day they would stop for the noon meal, the Emprince had taken to having the castle kitchen prepare a picnic basket with more than enough food for both of them. In the afternoons they would perform weapons and combat training with the army and castle guard. Wolf appreciated this, as he had lost much muscle tone during his extended bedrest, and he also was learning to compensate for his damaged leg.

The Emprince took his supper in his room, he had told Wolf that he always did this, unless he was ordered to join his family in the main dining hall. After Ismael had supped, he would retire to his study to look over reports or read, and wolf would be dismissed to his quarters in the tower, where he would eat his own supper, a bowl of stew from the kitchen, then retire to his small window bed.

Each morning when he awoke, and each evening before he slept, he had made it part of his routine to look out his window, and pray to El Shaddai for the safety of his people.

"How is your leg feeling?" Emprince Ismail asked, interrupting Wolf's thoughts. Concern laced his voice. "Stiff, and it aches, but that is most likely going to be my normal from now on." Wolf replied hesitantly as he combed Abaddon's mane. "I have news you will find interesting." Ismail changed the subject, not wanting to think about the permanence of the Prince's physical injuries, let alone the emotional and psychological ones. "As you probably know, customarily there is a banquet when a peace treaty is signed, with parties from both sides participating." Wolf acknowledged this with a nod. "Due to your injuries, the banquet was postponed, however now that you are able to be up and around the banquet has been rescheduled for a sennight from now. Word has been sent to your uncle, the King Protector, he is expected to arrive on the morrow."

"I see." Wolf's eyes darkened with an emotion Ismail could not define. "How much does he know?" Questioned the Prince, keeping his voice carefully neutral.

"He saw the treaty of course, so he knows you're a slave, and when you were… hurt… a message was sent explaining the delay in the celebration feast. The message stated only that you had been injured and required rest. Though what else he has learned from his spies in Taifa I know not." Wolf's eyes darkened further and he nodded. Ismael took a deep breath and plowed ahead. "At the feast you will be required to stand beside me… in full chains."

Wolf's eyes sparked with anger. "So even in front of my uncle, and the entire court I am to be humiliated!" he snapped.

"It symbolizes the peace treaty. You are the one who agreed to become my hostage. You must have known it would not be easy when you signed the treaty." Ismail defended.

"Not easy yes. However I did not expect to be thrown in the dungeon and raped!" Wolf hissed. "Standard protocol for political prisoners is for them to be given lodgings within the castle proper, not for them to be thrown in with common criminals." Fighting back the tears that threatened to fall, Wolf quickly turned and limped out of the stable. Ismail watched him go, knowing he was right, and regretting that he had ever believed himself capable of handling the responsibility of the life and welfare of another human being.