Seraphim found himself scrawling notes all that day in the room, enjoying Grigori's silent company, and at times his vocal one. Grigori would speak about the various Keys that he knew, how the training procedure went, and sometimes about the painful pasts that the Keys had. 

Finally, as the light began to dim and Grigori was building up a fire, Seraphim stood. In a flurry of papers and excitement, he burst out, "Three days of research, Grigori! Three days of research, augmented by you! It's a miracle, I swear! I only lost one day!"

Grigori brushed the ash from his corduroy slacks and stood. "Master Seraphim, you can make up that day easily."

Seraphim nodded, and he turned to face Grigori. "I need to apologize to the Prince of Dawn. I...if I plan to present this paper to the court, I need to make sure that he will allow me."

"If you feel that is the best course of action." Grigori scratched his head a little, and Seraphim watched him before gave him a hug. 

Grigori looked shocked for a moment before returning the hug, and Seraphim asked, "Will you come with me, please? I would like you to see Ariel, at the very least!" 

There was a pause, and a nod. 

"Great!"

Grigori followed Seraphim by a couple of paces, and during the late afternoon, the pages stood still, not anxiously fidgeting as would be expected from young boys. Seraphim took time to examine each door, and noticed that the hall that the Leviathan Key was kept also held the Jeweled Key.

The sudden reminder made Seraphim take a sharp intake of breath. He could help, so much, but wasn't sure if either party would appreciate it. 

The door seemed less menacing during the day, and the guards stared down at Seraphim as he knocked politely on the door. 

There was no reply, so Seraphim knocked again, once more very politely, and a voice from the other side called for the door to be opened.

The page poked his head from somewhere behind the guards and pulled a set of smaller keys from his belt. After fumbling for a couple of minutes, he chose a key; obviously a miniature replica of the authentic Leviathan Key and opened a smaller service door that was located next to the large, emblazoned one.

Seraphim stepped out onto the white path of alabaster. In the light of day, even the dim light of the late afternoon, he could see that the water was dark, almost black, and appeared like something was about to rise up and attack him. The alabaster path was carved, it seemed, with sea-serpents that all headed towards the elevated platform where the Prince of Dawn and Ariel were located.

Seraphim climbed up the stairs, only vaguely aware that Grigori was following him. When he reached the top of the platform, he was horrified with what he saw.

Ariel was kneeling on the floor, collared and chained casually to the Prince of Dawn's thick gold braid that wrapped around his wrist. He was completely nude, and in his mouth he held a gag made of some vibrant red stone. The Prince of Dawn was seated in a sea-blue chair next to the bed, wearing a robe of silks that seemed too soft for him. His strange, mismatched eyes flickered up for a moment before he cooed sweetly to Ariel, "Look, lovely, it's your friends...I have to wonder why they came here, to speak to me, you suppose?"

Seraphim swallowed hard and tried not to take a step back as he bowed, his face flushing a brilliant, scarlet red. He spoke, and his voice quavered, "May I speak, your highness?"

The Prince of Dawn purred, "My loveliest, most beautiful darling, what do you think?" Seraphim could see his perfectly manicured claws petting Ariel under the chin, and Ariel pushed his head towards the touch.

It was almost too much for Seraphim to take. He could see that Ariel's fine, pale skin on his back was crisscrossed with thick scars, and that he had not been allowed release. Finally, after what seemed to be years standing in the awkward bow, the Prince of Dawn spoke again, "Speak, and make it fast."

Seraphim let out his speech in one rushed breath, "I humbly apologize for touching your things, and for being foolish enough to think that I could get away with it. I beg your forgiveness, so that when I finish my paper, I may present it to the court with your blessing."

There was a mild, amused laugh, and it drew Seraphim to look at the Prince suddenly. "What makes you think that I would forgive you? You and your little scholarly, mousy ways! Imagine."

Seraphim looked up sharply, and saw that Ariel had hidden behind the chair as the Prince spoke. He didn't say anything and the Prince of Dawn tugged on the chain, drawing Ariel out once more. Seraphim winced, but remained silent. Suddenly the Prince glanced up and his voice lost his amused tone. "What? Why are you still here? Have I not made it abundantly clear that I don't want you? Unless you want to be in Ariel's place, I suggest you leave."

Seraphim nodded, and skirted out of the room as fast as he could without seeming impolite.

When he returned to the room, Seraphim fell into the bed. The image of Ariel kneeling before the Prince of Dawn was still planted firmly in his mind. It jarred him, frightened him. He didn't understand how someone could do that to someone they loved, or even to someone they didn't love! He had recognized the scars on Ariel's back ? they were the scars of a whip.

Seraphim whimpered into his pillow, and before he knew it, he was asleep. It was a dream. He knew it had to be a dream because he was not the Leviathan Key, he was not Ariel Ledrayn, but was Seraphim Eres. He knew himself. He could see his blonde hair, and his hands, covered in ink and charcoal.

He was curled on the luxurious silk sheets that covered the Leviathan Key's bed, and a sudden bolt of fear went through him. He knew that the Master was not sleeping, but probably preparing for that evening's session. Seraphim curled into himself, wishing the Master asleep, but the purring voice woke him before he could fall back asleep into safety.

"My sweetest, my love, my darling...come here..."

He couldn't disobey the Master. There was no way to do it. He crawled over the bed to the Master's lap, and when he looked up, he saw the Master's deeply blue pupils, and shivered. The Master smiled and asked, "Cold, pet?"

He shook his head, and the Master's hands brushed over his face. He lay still as the Master's fingers slowly ghosted their way down to his bare nipple, and his nails slipped over it, bringing it to hardness quickly.

"Does my sweet, sweet thing want to play?"

Seraphim looked up, and saw Master smile ? he had fangs.

Seraphim nodded, knowing that was what the Master wanted.

"Get on your back then, lovely, and let me see all of you."

Seraphim complied silently, moving away from the Master and spreading his knees. He could almost feel the Master's eyes brushing over him, eagerly, almost burning his skin.

His eyes shifted up, and he saw the top of his canopy, embroidered with sea-snakes, the recurring motif in the room. There was very little movement, until the Master snaked a rough hand between his legs.

Seraphim cried out, shocked by the sudden invasion. His body responded to the ministrations warmly though, and before he knew it, he was hard, panting and hoping for more.

The Master laughed, a sparking sound, like water, almost. "So eager, darling? Well...let's show some control, please..."

A ribbon wound about Seraphim's erection, and suddenly tightened mercilessly. Seraphim heard the Master laugh again as he gasped. Soft, caressing touches brushed against him, against his thighs and groin before the Master nipped his navel and then licked a line towards Seraphim's nipple.

Heat incased his nipple, and Seraphim bucked up wildly, keening. Suddenly, Seraphim was kissing the Master's lips while the Master roughly fondled his balls, forcing submission as he forced his tongue into Seraphim's mouth.

All the manipulation stopped, and the Master rose from on top of Seraphim, brushing back one silver braid behind his shoulder. His voice dropped to a dangerous purr. "Get up, on all fours. Now."

Seraphim rushed to comply, drugged by the pleasure, it seemed. A warm body pressed against his back, hot, heavy, and the Master licked the back of his neck before whispering, "I'm going to make your knees bleed, lovely." 

Seraphim felt tears spring to his eyes, and suddenly his Master was in him, pushing, thrusting faster and faster. The Master growled, "Who am I, pet?"

"Master..." Seraphim's reply was hesitant, soft and wispy.

There was a growl, and his Master cried, "Scream it!"

Seraphim obliged, and his Master bit into his shoulder, deep.

The pain of his arousal bled with the pain in his shoulder and in his back, and the humiliation grew so much that Seraphim began to scream, a high, horrible wail.

Seraphim was jolted awake by a heavy slap, and when he opened his eyes, Grigori was sitting on the bed next to him. He looked worried as he said, "Master Seraphim, please, wake up! You're having a nightmare!" 

Seraphim fell into Grigori's arms, trembling. There was silence, and Seraphim took deep, gulping breaths, huddling deeper in Grigori's arms.  

Grigori held Seraphim tighter, and Seraphim drew Grigori back, so that he was lying on top of him. Grigori raised an eyebrow, shifting his weight onto his elbows before asking, "Are you sure, Master Seraphim?"

Seraphim nodded, and Grigori leaned down, slowly, and gently kissed Seraphim on the lips. "Then I shall oblige."

Ariel suddenly woke, his chest heaving, tears running down his face. He buried his face in his hands, shaking his head nervously, whispering to himself, "No, no, no...I can't, I can't, I'm a good boy, please, go away, go away!"

His Master woke, stirring softly and pulling him down until they stared at each other. The Master shushed him in his sweet voice, pulling him close and asking, "What is it, angel?"

"Seraphim...I was Seraphim..." Ariel whined into the Master's chest, curling into the broad expanse of skin.

Suddenly the Master's hands took his face and he was staring into the Master's sharp and intense gaze. The Master asked, "Now, this is very important darling...what did you see?" 

Ariel hesitated only for a moment before telling him.

Mal woke just before dawn and pulled out his uniform, the horrible peach and yellow colored fabric clashing with his dusky skin. He yawned as he pulled on his armor, rubbed his eyes lazily and buckled his sword to his waist in swift, precise motions.

He continued his morning dressing routine silently, careful not to wake any of the guards that were lucky enough to have an afternoon watch, rather than the early morning one. Mal yawned again, counting himself unfortunate to have to accompany the Prince of Dawn to the secluded glade where he made his offerings so early in the morning. Mal remembered when the previous Prince of Dawn did it. The ceremony had been a delight, a peaceful time where everything seemed right with the world. The previous Prince had been a calm, sensitive man who had been doing his job for forty years.

Mal always felt uncomfortable around this Prince, especially during the early moments of the morning. This Prince was obviously not a morning person, or even a people person, and Mal thought that he was frightening in the way that he wielded the armies.

Mal walked out past the page's wing and towards the door of the Leviathan Key's room, then waited outside patiently until the Prince of Dawn made his way out of the room, locking his Key safely inside. Mal thought he saw a self-satisfied smirk on the Prince's thin lips, but it lasted only a moment before it faded away.

The Prince of Dawn's smooth voice carried through the beautiful glade that was specifically designed by Principial architects for this purpose. The glade was just outside the Palace, located facing the rising sun. That made so that whenever the Prince resided in the Palace he could perform the ceremony of Dawn that honored the arrival of the new day and the god Kempt, god of war and husband to the Sun-lady. Kempt was the god that let her rise in the morning, and every day thanks had to be given.

The glade itself was a manmade wonder of nature; a paradox. Green spring grass grew to the borders, where ferns hung artistically from elder. In the center of the glade was a small fountain caused by a diverted stream, and in the early morning, the mist clung stubbornly to the surface, moving as the Prince began the ritual by dipping his hands in the pool and chanting to the Dawn and to Kempt.

As the sun tipped over the edge of the horizon, the Prince looked up, and his voice swelled into a soft song that echoed over the water. Mal watched as the Prince drew one hand from the water to roll up the sleeve of his extravagant robe, and revealed a pale arm lined with parallel scars. 

With his other hand he pulled a dagger, a sharp and beautifully crafted blade and pressed it to his arm. Immediately blood welled around the blade, and Mal was impressed at how the Prince's face showed no trace of the pain. The Prince called in his perfectly controlled voice, "I, Celandine Ledrayn, offer you my blood, my life, in return for your protection, for your wisdom, for your knowledge, great one who rides the back of a ten-legged boar, powerful one to whom even the Sun-lady bows."

Five drops of blood fell into the pool before a priest hurried to bind the wound with a white cloth. The Prince paid little attention as he dipped the blade into the water and rinsed it, then bowed to the rising sun twice before standing up and tossing one silver-black braid over his shoulder. His honor guard followed him as he proceeded back to the Palace. 

When they reached the Palace, the Prince called Mal into the Leviathan Key's room, and puzzled, Mal followed.

Mal kneeled at the foot of the Prince's chair as the Prince attempted to coax his Key out of a deep sleep before he simply dragged the slender boy into his lap. The boy barely roused, and the Prince said, "Mal, you may stand, if you so wish."

Mal obeyed almost immediately, his knees sore from the hard floor of the suspended platform. He kept his eyes lowered as the Prince sighed and asked, "Do you know that my Ariel has a very special gift?"

Mal shook his head, his eyes still fixed on the Prince's delicate silk slippers. The Prince answered the question that hung over them both. "He can meld with minds, sometimes. It's erratic, and he doesn't like it. It confuses him."

Mal nodded, not knowing exactly why the Prince was telling him this and  anxious to be back out, so that he could stand guard in peace. The Prince seemed not to notice and continued, "Last night, he melded with your Seraphim. Seraphim dreamt of being here, when I was with Ariel, and he dreamt of being there, with your precious boy. Do you know what he saw, what he experienced?"

Mal took a deep breath and shook his head again. His heart was pounding in his chest, his muscles clenching and unclenching.

The Prince laughed, a sparkling sound, and said, "He was with Grigori, Mal. He was sleeping with that whore of his, and he completely forgot about you."Mal swallowed hard and closed his eyes tightly, willing himself not to lose his temper. Why did he believe what the Prince was telling him? It couldn't be true. He couldn't doubt Seraphim. The Prince of Dawn hated Seraphim for touching his Key, and he was just trying to get revenge. There was no way that Seraphim could do that.

The Prince of Dawn laughed again, and stood, picking Ariel up and returning him to the bed. "I swear by Kempt that it's true, Mal. I know what Ariel can do - I have experienced it myself. And I know what he told me last night."  Mal looked up for an instant into the Prince's eyes, and then his gaze flickered down again. The Prince suddenly went serious and he spoke more forcefully. "It's not that hard to believe, after all. Seraphim is all alone with another big, protective man, and is confused from a dream that could not be true yet is so vivid and real. He needed someone - but he didn't come to you, even though you are in the Palace, did he?"

Mal held his breath for a measure before releasing it, trying to calm himself down. The Prince stood before him for a moment before drawing Mal's face up to look at him. "I don't particularly care if you believe me or not. I was telling you for your own good. If you do not believe me, go ask Seraphim yourself."

Mal nodded, and bowed, and the Prince dismissed him with a wave of his hand.

Seraphim woke slowly several hours after the dawn. He stretched, smelling the thick rich coffee that was beside his bed every morning and the sweet pastries, and he smiled to himself. For Seraphim, the feeling the morning after sex was always satisfying and sweet; he would usually wake late, long after Mal had left for the Principial Home. Typically though, Mal didn't leave breakfast in his wake - his lover couldn't cook more than soldiers' rations, and would eat at the Home where the cooks would always have leftovers for the guards who didn't live there. He took another deep stretch and reached for the coffee. Suddenly, as he held the mug in his hands, he remembered the events of the previous night, and he dropped it.

It broke on the stone floor with a loud crash, bringing Grigori to investigate the sound. Seraphim stared up at his Key in horror as Grigori simply looked down at the broken pottery and left the room for a moment before returning with a small brush from his workroom. He swept most of it into a corner and left the brush there, then sat on the bed and asked, "Is everything alright, Master Seraphim?"

Seraphim was silent in his shock, and all he could do was blink repeatedly up at Grigori. Finally he spoke, "I slept with you."

Grigori nodded, and Seraphim continued, "I...had sex with you."

Grigori furrowed his brows and nodded again, his face especially menacing when he had that expression. "Yes, Master Seraphim. You had sex with me. You told me it was what you wanted."

Seraphim rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hands and asked, "Did I drink heavily? Was I drunk? Tell me I was drunk."

Grigori relaxed a bit and he shook his head. "You were not drunk, Master Seraphim. You were very adamant, and you know that you were not drunk."

Seraphim rubbed his eyes some more before standing, "I'm taking a bath. I need a bath. I'm taking a bath, and you can't follow me. I have to take a bath."

Grigori raised one eyebrow and nodded in agreement before leaving the room.