The dinner on his plate was nothing like he'd ever seen before. The colorful display struck him as not only unfamiliar but almost off-putting. It was an assembly of purple, red, blue, and all the other various colors that he already recognized. The portion wasn't large enough for him, but certainly large enough for the much smaller heir.

Someone had poured butter all over the carefully arranged fish, all bones already plucked from the white flesh. His normal response would be to ask about all the unfamiliar vegetables, but he didn't want to give the heir any kind of advantage.

Takeeo leaned back in his chair. "Why don't you light a candle?"

Cassius scoffed. Candles were for romantic dinners, and this was certainly not one of those. However, he was supposed to do the heir's bidding, no questions asked, and he wanted to eat before talking back. He pulled back the chair, rose, and brought the candle with him to the large oil lamp on the mantle piece. The wax candle all but melted when he put it to the orange flame, allowing a hot drop to fall in his flesh. Steadying his hand, he returned, set the candle beside Takeeo and sat without further probing. He didn't want to wait for a command to sit a second time. If the heir wanted him to play along, he could, but his servitude came at a price. He'd said the first day that he had no master, and if the heir thought him docile, he had another thing coming. His adult life had been all about strategy and carefully laid out plans, but that was something he'd not had the time to do yet. Perhaps the dinner would prove informative so that he could form an idea of his adversary.

He almost smiled. It was a strange thing to think of the man he was set to protect as an adversary. But he also knew it was true, at least tonight.

"So," Takeeo clicked his gold ring against the wine glass, "what is your story?"

My story. "What would you like to know?" He had no intention of revealing anything.

"I want to know why you came to my room last night. It's an easy question, isn't it?"

"You know why I came."

Takeeo carefully selected a few pieces of food with his fork and placed it on his tongue, chewing slowly as if to waste time.

"Do you really want to know who wants you dead?" Cassius said at last, unable to temper his impatience.

"Oh, I know who wants me dead. I simply wonder why you decided to take their offer. You were a lone agent, I believe, or were. Why would you risk your life and freedom for something so silly as killing me. Surely, I'm not worth it."

Cassius had some wine, curling his tongue around the taste of red velvet. He had to think. Quickly. "Perhaps I resent power."

"And yet you are, the most powerful of us all. An executioner. Someone who decides who lives and who dies."

"It's not the same," Cassius replied. "I don't kill on a whim."

"So you presume to know the history of those you cut into pieces? Do you know whether they deserve to die?"

Cassius had no response to that. Instead, he stared at the untouched food on his plate, poking at the fish. "What do you want from me?"

"I want you to swear that my life is safe in your hands. On your honor."

It was a strange request, and the power that had shifted towards the heir mere seconds ago seemed to have reverted back to Cassius. He pondered the words and what such a promise would entail. He admitted that Takeeo intrigued him, but he remained undecided in all other aspects concerning the young man. There was danger playing in those cold brilliant eyes. There were degrees of manipulation and layers of personality traits. The Emperor's son was, in short, utterly unpredictable. At the same time, he had not been outside of the city. He'd not seen the world. What was he to do if he left, never to return? He had two choices, two adventures ahead. One by the heir's side, and one wholly alone. Perhaps, it was time to leave the testy street urchin in the past and do something that he someday might feel a sliver of pride about.

"I won't kill you." He chose the simplest of words, not wanting to lose the message in a long tirade of words that held no meaning.

"Is that a promise?" The heir clicked his ring against the glass again.

"Yes. You have my word."

Takeeo chuckled. "That is all well of course. But, you missed an important part."

Cassius immediately realized what the heir meant, and for a brief moment he wondered if he had neglected to address that aspect on purpose. "I won't let anyone kill you." The words carried weight, and he wasn't convinced he was ready to deal with such a burden. Although he knew the palace dealings from gossip, he had never been privy to the more important dealings at court. This was not his territory, and it would take time to navigate these treacherous corridors when the threats against Takeeo's life came from those who stood close enough to breathe down his neck.

Takeeo smiled, but it was far from anything Cassius would call sincere. The pinched cheeks revealed strain. "I'm glad to hear we have an agreement."

Cassius refrained from talking. The food on his plate was getting cold, and he had every intention of eating all he could muster under the heir's scrutiny. The white fish tasted of the sea, rich with salt but not much else. Unfortunately, he would need a double portion to satisfy his daily intake of meat. The melted butter gave an added flavor, but somehow he'd expected better from the palace chefs. All told, it was far better than the bland breakfast he'd had to endure in the mess hall the same morning.

He slowly came to realize that he was ignoring the heir on purpose, sending his thoughts in any possible direction just to avoid the steely gaze. Annoyed, he shrugged the unease to the side and sat straighter. "What is your story?" It was a fair question, nothing more than Takeeo had asked for.

A slight, playful smile suddenly appeared on Takeeo's lips. It was less strained than the previous one. "What do you want to know?"

"Who wants to kill you?" In fact, it was important that he knew, otherwise he would be hard pressed to protect anyone.

"My uncle, of course." It was said with a laugh as if the question had been ridiculous.

"How many supporters?"

"More than I have."

He'd expected bad news, but hearing it like this set the situation in perspective.

"How many do you have?"

"Besides my father, I have Halden, and now, you."

"No more?"

"Of course, but Halden is the only man I trust. All others are turning their coats whichever way the wind blows."

Cassius noted that Takeeo had left out his name the second time. The heir would have been foolish to trust him, however. Realizing the heir was careful settled some of his worry.

"You need more friends," he said, plain and simple. There was no use sugarcoating anything.

Takeeo laughed. "Friends? Do you know what it's like to be branded the way I am? With no chance for true friendship or a marriage created out of love?"

A chilly wind of loneliness blew out the one candle, leaving nothing but a glowing ember and a slim thread of smoke in its wake. Cassius knew loneliness better than most others, and even though it struck him as odd to pity the Emperor's son for the life he'd been granted, Cassius understood.

"Perhaps you have more allies than you think." Cassius hoped the heir's bitter exclamation had been just that, bitter but without much truth. Certainly, there had to be people ready to raise their weapons to protect him.

Takeeo discarded the silverware and patted the corners of his mouth with a linen napkin. The young man who emerged when the napkin fell to the table, had a wickedly cold stare in his eyes. "I have lovers, not friends or allies."

"You seduce them to do your bidding? You think that's going to protect you?" Cassius couldn't help his outburst. Takeeo's claim had been outrageous, but he had a feeling the words were absolutely true.

Takeeo rose and placed himself behind the chair. One hand clasped around the wine glass, he tipped his chin and drained the glass in a few gulps. His lips revealed shadows of crimson when he stared right into Cassius eyes.

"Do you prefer the company of women or men, Cassius?" he asked.

It was the last question Cassius wanted to answer. Having spent his first years in a whorehouse with his mother, he knew the dangers of laying with a woman. When his mother had died, he'd been left to fend for himself on the streets. The day he learned how children sprang from the wombs of women, he'd vowed never to bed a woman if he could avoid it. That, however, did not mean that he enjoyed the company of men very often. He kept mostly to himself, knowing that his reputation made people dishonest about their true wishes.

Suddenly, the Emperor's son was upon him. Sliding his cold hand down Cassius throat. "I think perhaps you know exactly what you prefer."

He caught Takeeo's hand, his fingers snapping around the delicate wrist. "What are you doing?" He knew perfectly well what Takeeo wanted, but he had no intention of falling into that trap. It had almost been too easy to spot from the start.

"Just offering you an option. You do know you have to stay with me in this room."

There it was, the threat he had expected. However, he had a hard time disentangling the words while Takeeo breathed along his temple. Plump lips right next to his skin.

"Another night awake, then," Cassius countered.

"Not necessarily."

Cassius released the wrist he'd caught and leaned back as far as he could. The heir didn't miss a beat, gently cupping Cassius' chin. The air between them churned with tension, but Cassius pretended not to notice. "This is a bad idea."

"Of course, but good ideas are rarely this much fun." Takeeo's fingers feathered over Cassius' burning skin. Then, the heir was gone in a flash, moving toward the bed with that heart-stopping grace.

He couldn't breathe while Takeeo undressed, item after item falling to the floor. No night shirt, not one thread of clothing. The heir settled, naked, on the bed with his back against a cushion.

Cassius mouth tasted of sand and paper—dry as ever before. Takeeo had revealed another game, keeping him here where he could not leave, forced to watch a display that would test his resolve and taunt him mercilessly. He gripped the chair's armrests, tightening his hold until he thought the chair would break beneath his fingers. Yet, he couldn't look away.

A slow pull of a hand. Soft skin and parted lips.

Cassius could almost feel the hand around his cock, transfixed by a scene he should never have seen. He swelled, unable to control his urges. He would not give in, however, no matter what happened.

Takeeo moaned, splayed on the bed in the most vivid display. The heir slid his limbs along the silk sheets, gripping fabric with his free fingers while the others worked his cock.

"Cassius," Takeeo breathed out.

For a second, he almost forgot the danger. He inched closer only to push back. No, he would not play this game while unaware of the rules. He remembered the Emperor's words. Someone had died, the son of a friend. Surely, Cassius would be shown no mercy if this debauchery became known.

He bit into his tongue and closed his eyes just as another moan sounded through the room. The night would be pure torture.

A/N A little longer chapter this time. 

So, are you making any sense of Takeeo?