"For me?" Seridae took the boxes the page brought in.

"Who else would they be for?" Amin was a moody page. He left right after delivering the boxes.

Seridae opened the letter which accompanied the boxes. It was from Rolf; he hoped that Seridae liked what he"d picked out for the opera.

Seridae opened the first box. It contained an elegant long black skirt and an exquisite silky white blouse with a sash. Other boxes held a black coat and a pair of black dress shoes. Black stockings and jewelry roubded out the ensemble. The clothes fit, making Seridae look very feminine, and the were light and comfortable to wear. By the time Rolf arrived, Seridae was ready. Even his face was made up.

"You look wonderful." Rolf had known that Seridae would look great, but he looked even better than Rolf had imagined.

"Thank you." Seridae curtsied. Smiling, he felt like Cinderella ready for the ball.

Rolf called for a page to bring a slave collar. This time a jolly page called Michah showed up with Seridae's collar. Simple and elegant, the collar looked like a necklace. Like others for magickal keys, this necklace rendered the wearer powerless. It came with a hand-held control device which Rolf concealed in his pocket. The page escorted them to Rolf's car outside. The chauffer drove off.

"That was very pleasant." Seridae sat opposite Rolf in a fancy restaurant which catered to the opera crowd.

"I'm glad you liked it."

Seridae was aware of the other patrons. He'd spent so much time alone that he wasn't accustomed to being around others. Others in the room just took him to be the female companion of the other patron seated at that table. He spoke very softly when he did speak. Rolf ordered for them. If anyone suspected that Seridae wasn't female, you couldn't tell.

"There are lots of people here."

Rolf grinned sympathetically. "It's ok; there aren't so many. This place is only half- full, and nobody suspects anything." Seridae was self-conscious but he would trust Rolf. The waiter was friendly and nade sure that they were happy. The evening passed without incident, and the car that brought them took them back to the palace.

The chauffer brought the car to a grinding halt before entering palace grounds and got out of the car. He returned a moment later and handed Rolf a tiny bundle.

Rolf then understood the reason for the unexpected stop. In his hand, he held a tiny kitten which he showed to Seridae.

"Poor little thing looks abandoned. We'll take it in with us." Rolf held the kitten gently in his hands.

When he got out, Rolf put the kitten safely into his pocket. He helped Seridae out, and they went inside. Once inside Seridae's rooms, Rolf gave the restraining collar to a page who took it to its place with the other collars. Rolf and Seridae went to the bedroom, and Rolf set the kitten on the bed.

"Can you save it?" Seridae could see how weak it was.

"With your help, yes."

"My help?"

"I can make it better, but I need your gifts."

"Sir, I don't have much luck with restoring. I try, but it doesn't last."

"It will this time." Rolf picked up the kitten and placed it in Seridae's hands, placing his own hands under the slave's. "I will stablize the kitten. You concentrate on making it grow a little. It's so tiny; give it two weeks' more growth."

Seridae hesitated.

"The little one needs us both. We'll feed it as soon as we finish." Rolf was very serious.

"Okay." If Rolf believed in him, then Seridae would do his best.

Rolf began a quiet spell, repeating it over and over. Seridae could feel Rolf's hands grow warm, then hot. His own hands became hot, so Seridae began his own magick.

In a few moments, the kitten did grow. When the kitten felt warm with life, Rolf moved his hands.

"Continue to hold the heat. I'll get some food." Rolf stood up.

Seridae held the kitten, concentrating hard.

Rolf went to the little refreshment bar and mixed uo a small blend of milk, syrup, an egg, and some herbs. He whispered words of empowerment for each ingredient as he mixed it up. He found an eye dropper in his bag. He used it to drop allergy medication into his eyes, so he cleaned it out well. Rolf returned to the bedroom and administered the mixture to the kitten. The kitten's tummy was soon round and full.

Seridae had prepared a bed for it out of the coat box, and a shoebox with dirt from his garden made a little toilet for the kitten at one end of the bigger box. Rolf got a warm washcloth from the bathroom and gently rubbed the kitten's bottom with it to stimulate its bowels and kidneys. He set the kitten in its kitty box until it relieve itself and then held it until the kitten was asleep. Rolf laid the kitten gently into its soft bed of towels.

"We'll feed it again in another hour" Rolf set the box on the bedside table. "These next few hours will be critical." Seridae nodded as he undressed and got into bed. Rolf joined him as soon as he undressed.

"The kitten already looks better." Beside Rolf, Seridae had the feeling that the kitten would survive.

"Yes, it's gotten some nourishment. The extra growwth will allow it to absorb the food better. I think it was born too early, so its mother just left it. Did you enjoy your night out?"

"Yes,sir. Very much." Seridae was realising that not all masters were bad.

"I was thinking of taking you out tomorrow so you could get accustomed to being out in normal crowds."

"You're right. I shouldn't be nervous around others. I just have no experience."

"I know. You'll be fine."

"Sir, I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"For being a brat when I first met you."

"That's ok. I don't blame you." Rolf found one of Seridae's hands and gave it a gentle squeeze.

Seridae scooted closer to Rolf. He waited for instructions, for a few minutes. "Sir?"

"Yes?" Rolf had been relaxing, contemplating a short nap.

"Do you wish to be pleasured?"

"Not now. We should rest in between feedings."

"Yes, sir." Seridae almost sounded sad, but he felt good. He had a good, kind, caring master who could care for a tiny defenseless creature.

A soft mewing woke Rolf. He checked the kitten, finding it sitting up on its own. Seridae had heard as well and peered into the box.

"It looks much better, sir."

"It sure does." Rolf fed the kitten more of the kitten mixture and set it in the shoebox. The kitten did its business, covered it, and got out. Sitting onthe folded towels that was its bed, it attempted a little bath and curled up.

"It'll be fine."

Seridae got back into bed with Rolf. "How did it work?"

"I think you needed anothers' energy."

"I've tried before, but it never held."

"Maybe you just needed the right person."

"Perhaps."

"Let's get in another nap."

"Yes, sir." Seridae fell asleep easily.

Rolf smiled in the dim light of the early morning. Seridae was healing his own being.