Houses burned, their smoke covering the sky in an endless grey. Crops were destroyed by the trampling horses and getting caught on fire from the sparks that the wind carried. Women, men, and children screamed and cried in their desperate attempt to escape from their Lords soldiers as they wrecked havoc on the once joyful village. Even the elderly were not spared, they were cut down were they stood no mercy was shown.

The hunters of the village and strong young men tried to fight against the invaders wondering why they were targeted so unfairly. They all died in vain. Mothers, daughters, wives, and siblings watched on not daring to slow down.

Bodies laid in red, eyes wide open staring up at the world with glass like eyes as their souls left with endless regret. Animals were released and they destroyed everything they could.

The hyenas laughed as they looted, raped and killed endlessly with no remorse for the innocents.

Through it all one little boy stood in the chaos shouting out for his mother. He stank, the urine that escaped from his bladder became sticky on his tanned legs. His black hair stuck toward his forehead, neck, and back.

"Lark!" A strong voice yelled, it seemed to silent the never ending chaos.

Larke, the soiled boy turned to see his mother running toward him. Joy and relief flooded his body. Tears threatened to leak. Then there was blood.

A spear pierced his mother's abdomen. Her brown dress turned dark. Her knees reached the ground first her head rolled back and blood leaked from her mouth her eyes wide in disbelief.

Thump!

Her body fell and laid.

"No!" Larke started to run toward her but his body was held back by a muscled soldier that snuck up on him. His cries rang out his body never stopped fighting to reach for his mother.

First his father now his mother who else was next? Fate was not on his side that day nor for the village.

He saw his older brother who seemed to just arrive in time to save him from being taken but heaven was cruel to the Reed family, an arrow was shot and Damien, Larke's brother went down. The stolen horse he was on whined back and the two hooves struck down on his rib cage it was a quick painful death.

Larke's vision turned dark and he fainted against the soldier who had taken him captive. He was six years old at the time.

Larke woke up the memories of that day plagued his dreams for the last thirteen years turning them into dreadful nightmares. His eyes were like a racoon, black from the lack of sleep. Sweat dropped down his body and his breathing was labored similar to that of a marathon runner.

"Young Master." A maid three years younger than him called out in a sweet voice. She kneeled three feet away from his bed; head bowed in perfect submission, a fitting way for the women to look during this time and age.

Larke, now renamed Matthew as if the change of name could free his past self he laughed bitterly startling the new maid who shook on the floor trembling in fear.

"Draw me a warm bath." Matthew said shortly after he stared at the wall reminiscing the dream, no nightmare, no his reality.

She maid a yes sound and went to the door that was connected to the outside world and brought in buckets of water to warm in the huge tub that was placed in the chamber of the young master. The process took an hour before everything was warm.

The maid helped undress her young master. The last thirteen years Matthew has never once worked on the fields resulting in his tanned skin to become milky white a splitting image of a noble's fair skin.

She scrubbed him not to hard nor too soft just enough to rid of any dirt that may have been collected on his person. She used scented oils on his waist length hair. After soaking she helped him out and dried him by gently patting him with a towel then she dressed him in a light green robe. Gently as not to pull his hair and receive a beating she brushed the silky hair.

A phoenix jade pin was placed in his hair, the only ornament that graced his head the other rewards laid in a box.

"It's time for breakfast Young Master." A tall guardsmen waited by the door to his room and announced.

The trio left towards the main house from the small retreat that the young master was stationed in. It was a beautiful cozy cabin with an artificial pond and a garden of flowers. They passed servants who scuttled away it was known how jealous the master gets when anyone attempts to be friendly with his "unofficial concubine."

Matthew waited outside and only went into the dining room after he was announced by a servant.

The room was silent. At the head of the table sat the middle age master, Master Logan of the Pond family. A noble family that made its name by controlling a good amount of farming land. His eyes lit up in greed and lust upon seeing his little singing bird. On his left sat his official wife. Then the eldest son Toby who was at marriageable age (20). Next was Toby's blood sister called Mary (15). On Master's Logan right was an empty chair that for the last 13 years specifically belonged to Matthew once he settled down and "learned" to accept his new life that was so graciously bestowed onto him. Next to the empty chair sat concubine Jenny with her two year old daughter.

"Sit, Matthew you must be starving." Master Logan said sweetly and gestured to him. Matthew bowed and went to take his seat as he walked he felt eyes burning into him he moved his head a smidge to see the Young Master Toby looking at him with disgust and hatred. Matthew sat. They dined.

There was warm freshly baked bread drizzled in butter. Grapes in small baskets as well as strawberries and chicken noodle soup. It was a feast for the poor but for the Pond family it was the lowest and poorest food that they were to consume. The usual money that they would flaunt was used up to be able to send Young Master Toby to take the imperial exams and hopefully upgrade their status.

"Are you ready for the imperial examinations?" Master Logan questioned his sole heir.

"Yes father and I have ready everything for my journey to the imperial city." Master Toby confirmed and tried to soothe his father's worry.

"Good." Master Logan clicked his tongue happily and brought his rough hand onto Matthews giving it with what looked like a gentle and loveable squeeze.

Young Master Toby narrowed his eyes it was no secret that he despised his father's addition to the family. And everyone assumed it was because his mother was now out of favor from his father but that was not the reason. The reason why the Young Master highly disliked Matthew was because Matthew dared to refuse to service him.

Young Master Toby was seven years old when Matthew was brought to live with the family. His child like mind never questioned why his father decided to raise a commoner and thought he was brought to be his playmate. It wasn't till he was older and snuck out of bed with the intent of finding Matthew who at that time was his childhood friend and found him and his father embracing each other.

That night was forever burned into his mind and even now he can remember it vividly. The moans and groans that the couple uttered in their heat but most of all how he started to react to his best friends sweet moans and he liked it.

It wasn't until he had his first woman and was left unsatisfied that he went to look for Matthew with the intent of laying with him and Matthew had turned him away, their friendship dissolved.

But if you looked deeper into his heart the Young Master still loved him after all love and hate had such a small silver lining.

The moon was high up in the sky and Matthew had already bathed and was getting ready to service Master Logan. He felt like a prostitute at a brothel, but even he had to admit he was treated much better despite his lower station like a noble except at night.

He made his way to his master's room with a servant. The servant waited outside while he entered.

"Master Logan." Matthew bowed. Master Logan let him up and gestured for him to begin.

A tree away sat Master Toby he strained to listen into his father's room. He heard a sweet magical voice beginning to sing.

"The river is still upon the hill

The young daughter waited at the mill...."

Master Logan clapped as Matthew finished the song. Master Toby had left not wanting to see what would happen next.

With one hand Master Logan pulled Matthew into his embrace on the bed. His chapped lips pressed against moist ones. For a while it was like that, lips against lips then Master Logan probed Matthew to let him in with a few licks their tongues intertwined. By the time they pulled away from each other Matthew straddled his lap; legs on either side of his master. Master Logan's hands took off Matthew's robes his lips giving feather likes kisses down his neck towards his chest he took a pink nipple in and sucked. One hand was around Matthew's waist to help support him and the other on his ass.

Matthew moaned, his body was already trained to react since he was fifteenth. Matthew started undressing Master Logan and the two spent the night becoming lovers once again.