Aarik awoke with the warmth of the sun burning into his bare chest. Blinking sleepily, he sat up. Momentarily disoriented, he blinked several more times, trying to get his bearings and remember where he was. Then it all came back with shocking clarity. The events of the previous night stormed through his head and Aarik quickly turned to see if it all could possibly have been true.

It was.

Laying next to him on the extravagant bed was Tahnsa, who was still soundly asleep. The heat of his body felt wonderful to Aarik as he leaned close to Tahnsa. Tahnsa was sleeping on his stomach. His hair was loose and spread out all around him. Aarik noticed that he had trapped some of the silky blue stuff under his hand and immediately released it. The thin sheet that covered Aarik's lower half also covered part of Tahnsa as it stretched across his cute bottom, barely covering it. Aarik smiled at the sight and felt the familiar warmth embrace his heart as he stared at his bedmate.

Tahnsa's face was relaxed in slumber and looked incredibly innocent. The crescents of his thick blue lashes created the only shadows on the perfect skin that was bathed golden by the stream of sunlight shining in through the window. Tahnsa's sensual lips were curved into a tiny smile, and Aarik could tell that even though he may look innocent, the dreams playing in that head were anything but.

Grinning, Aarik looked at the room they were in. Last night he had been so... distracted.. that he didn't notice where he and Tahnsa had ended up. Aarik was amazed. This place was equal to the Palace in splendor. While having no definite theme like the Celestial Chamber, this room was elegant yet comfortable, and dripped with opulence tempered by good taste.

Just then, Tahnsa began to stir on the bed beside him, and Aarik turned to look down as his drowsy companion. Tahnsa slowly opened his eyes and instantly his small smile widened into a huge grin as he caught sight of Aarik. Aarik found himself blushing as images of what they had done together the night before flashed in his mind.

"Good morning," Tahnsa rasped, his voice thick from sleep.

Aarik thought it sounded incredibly sexy. He smiled back at Tahnsa.

"Good afternoon, you mean. Judging from the sunlight, I'd guess that we slept the day away. "

At this news, Tahnsa sat up in the bed and tossed his blue hair over one shoulder. He looked distraught.

"Damn, how could that have happened?"

"Um, we *WERE* up rather late you know..." Aarik reminded.

"But my servants should have woken me up by now. But then again, perhaps they entered the room and saw.... " Tahnsa moaned and covered his eyes as his cheeks began to flush bright red. Aarik grinned and reached over to take a piece of Tahnsa's hair between his fingers. He stroked it gently.

"Do you have any regrets?" Aarik whispered in Tahnsa's ear. Tahnsa's eyes immediately snapped open.

"Of course not! I enjoyed every minute of it... especially because it may have been our... last time together...." Tahnsa's words trailed off as he looked at Aarik imploringly. "Are you sure about your decision? To remain a slave? To stay away from me?"

Aarik felt pain in his bones, but refused to give into it. His honor would not allow him to.

"I am sorry," he whispered to Tahnsa. "I am truly in a no-win situation... I cannot allow myself to accept your charity and release me from imprisonment, but I also find myself unable to live with you as your slave..."

"But last night we-" Tahnsa began.

"It was wonderful, but consider it something.. to remember me by. I sure as hell will never forget it.. or you..." Aarik sighed, hugging Tahnsa close.

Tahnsa felt tears welling in his eyes, so he squeezed them shut and allowed himself to be drawn into Aarik's embrace. Their closeness was short-lived, however, as a soft knock sounded at the door. Reflexively, Tahnsa called out for the person to enter, before he realized how intimate a scene the visitor would get.

Aarik froze at the sound of the knock on the door and gasped when Tahnsa called out for the unknown person to enter. Green and gold eyes turned toward the door as it slowly opened and a young girl entered.

She was obviously a palace servant, judging from her simple clothing in the Emperor's colors. Her hair was long, and a shockingly red color. Her blue eyes darted around nervously as she carried her large tray into the room.

When her eyes settled on the scene in the bed, she flushed a brilliant red color that matched the shade of her hair.

"Um, please excuse my intrusion my Emperor.. I have brought you your lunch."

Her words came out very high and shaky.

Aarik watched her closely, noting how her eyes would glance at the Emperor and then leap away, as her skin turned even brighter red, if that were possible.

::She's infatuated with Tahnsa,:: Aarik thought irritably, tiny sparks of jealousy poking his spine. The girl slowly advanced towards them. She was small in size, but seemed strong, for she handled the large, heavily burdened tray without much difficulty. Her eyes would rest on himself for a moment, but Aarik could not tell what she was thinking.

Tahnsa greeted his servant with a friendly, if somewhat embarrassed smile and gestured for her to bring the tray to the bed. Tahnsa had never seen this serving girl before, but noted her shyness and embarrassment. It was a very uncomfortable situation, so he decided to set the poor girl at ease.

"Come come, we won't bite," Tahnsa said to her, only to see her arms start to shake violently. Aarik could guess what had come to mind at Tahnsa's remark, and nearly poked him in the ribs for it before realizing he meant nothing by it.

::She probably wouldn't mind if he DID bite her I bet,:: Aarik thought. The girl's presence began to irritate him, and he was glad when she finally managed to set the tray down on the bed and scurry away without another word.

As soon as she was gone, Tahnsa lifted the lid on the tray and dug into the splendid feast set out on it. Aarik grabbed a small loaf of bread and gnawed on it, his mind drifting to thoughts of the future.

"Do you want to go back to the training grounds to continue your service?"

Tahnsa asked softly, looking down at his crumb-filled platter.

Tahnsa's question mirrored exactly what Aarik had just been thinking.

He nodded.

"Yes. I found my situation there to be tolerable. I enjoy fighting, and the opportunity to earn my freedom is enough to keep me going. "

"But for you to be so close, yet untouchable.." Tahsna whispered. He stared at Aarik with tears once again pooling in the corners of his eyes.

"Please, I would rather stay here to train.. or do you want to send me away?" Aarik asked, trying to ignore the squeezing around his heart at the sight of Tahnsa's struggle not to cry.

"No! If you must remain a slave, then I will place you anywhere you want to be, even right in the palace. However... I have been thinking, and I have figured out a solution to our dilemma, knowing now that you wish to stay at my palace.." Tahnsa's expression was troubled, but determined.

"A solution? What?" Aarik asked.

"I can't tell you until I have worked everything out with my councilors and called in some people. But I know just what to do..."

That evening, Aarik was back in his tiny bunk room in the warrior's barracks. He tossed and turned on his bunk as images of his and Tahnsa's wonderful day together spun around in his mind.

He would have to hold on to the pleasant memories he made that day, along with his memories of the time in the Palace when he first met Tahnsa.

Aarik finally did find sleep, but it was troubled, and his dreams were filled with Tahnsa.

The next morning Aarik was jostled out of his bunk by a large hand grabbing his shoulder. A familiar voice bellowed in his ear.

"So this is where you ended up my pet," the deep voice said. "I have been looking all over for you. I could not believe my good fortune to find myself dropped right in front of you."

Aarik's eyes opened in a flash at the sound of that familiar rough voice. Looming above him was a large, battle-scarred behemoth wearing scuffed black armor and a sadistic grin.

"Torth!" Aarik gasped.