Mabon pours some tea and everything feels rather civilised. Were these two really yelling at each other a few moments ago?
“I want you to free him,” says the human calmly.
Mabon sips his tea. “I claimed him. Freeing him would make me look weak.”
The human frowns. “Keeping people as pets is wrong,” he says, but he sounds more resigned than outraged.
Mabon draws himself up. “I have done nothing Rhydian didn’t do to you.”
The human blushes very spectacularly.
“In fact,” says Mabon. “I’ve been far nicer. I haven’t used my pet in public.”
“Alright!” exclaims the human hastily while becoming very engrossed in his bowl of strawberries
Mabon grins at him and then flashes me a wink that makes my stomach flip right over. There seriously is something wrong with me. I lift a piece of peach to my mouth and start chewing while I try to gather my thoughts.
With all this talk of pets and someone called Rhydian, who I assume is Prince Rhydian, I’m guessing this human is Jamie Broadwith. The son of Graham Grantham. Another poor human who has been abducted. But he doesn’t look very downtrodden. But then again, neither do I.
But wait, perhaps I do? Jamie was horrified to find me chained naked to a bed, with a bruised face. Am I downtrodden?
Jamie turns to me. “I’m afraid Mabon is right. He can’t let you go. I’m sorry about that. But Mabon is going to treat you very well from now on.”
Mabon makes a noise of outrage. “I have been treating him very well! I have ridden him and sucked his cock and played with his breasts and given him lovely orgasms!”
It’s my turn to flush bright, burning red and look away. If the ground could open up right now and swallow me whole, that would be perfect.
Jamie sighs. He doesn’t sound shocked or mortified. More weary. It seems, like Tristan, Jamie is used to Mabon being Mabon.
“Come on, we are going to see Rhydian,” says Jamie.
Mabon huffs. “No! I don’t want to be told off!”
“He is going to tell you off anyway, so you might as well get it over with.”
“I haven’t done anything wrong.”
“You weren’t supposed to take a pet.”
Mabon makes a sound of pure derision, annoyance and frustration. It almost makes me chuckle.
I hear the rustle of silks and look up to find Mabon and Jamie heading out of the door together. I blink and they are gone. Leaving me all alone. I let out a heavy sigh and allow my shoulders to sag.
That was quite…something. And it seems a little unfair that Mabon is getting into trouble for taking a pet, when his brother did the exact same thing. Especially since Mabon has been doing a damn good job of holding the fort while Rhydian was away. At least as far as I can tell.
My mind takes a moment to catch up with my thoughts. What the hell? I’m defending Mabon and thinking he shouldn’t get in trouble for kidnapping me?
I think I am truly losing my marbles. It is either that or Mabon is wonderful and I’m falling in love. And I have absolutely no idea which of those options is worse.
But I don’t have time to search my soul and ponder that now. Now I’m alone, I need to think about the message from the Resistance and their plan.
Do I go along with it? Jamie’s arrival has changed things for sure. It might be worth staying now. Because if he insists Mabon gives me more freedom, I might actually be able to gather useful intelligence. I can be the Resistance’s inside man.
Jamie is obviously treated well, and he clearly holds power here. He is on my side, so I don’t think I’m in any danger now. And I can put up with Mabon.
My heart does something strange at that thought. I reach for some yoghurt. Putting up with Mabon doesn’t seem at all like a hardship. And that really is far too much to unpack.
That confusing mess aside, there are other positives to lingering. If I stay, I might be able to get to the bottom of Mabon’s problems. I might be able to help.
