CHAPTER 2 - FIRST NIGHT

The door had been opened and they went to the big room. It had black, stone floor and walls in the same color. On the north wall there was a big window with a view at the tower. After few minutes Rei noticed an ebony desk in the corner of chamber. Someone was sitting by it with his back towards Tala and Rei.

"Your Highness. This is the slave you have seen this morning. I want to give him to you as a birthday gift."

"Tala, how many times I can tell you that I couldn't care less for these filthy rats." Said Kai without looking in their direction.

"But he is surprisingly different than the others, My Lord. He is distinguished by his rare energy lifestyle and…"

"Energy?" interrupted Kai. "As I know they all are dejected and phlegmatic." Commented Kai without breaking his writing.

"If you will pardon the expression The Almighty, but this boy is really different."

Finally, Kai turned to Tala and saw who he was talking about.

##KAI POV##

I saw him standing next to Tala. Dainty, slender boy, with big, golden eyes, and silky, black, long hair. Tala, was right - he was different.

I slowly came up to him and looked down into his terrified, yet angry eyes.

"What's your name?"

"Rei." He whispered as he peeked at Tala. "Rei, sir."

"Whatever. Tala, do what you want with him."

I returned to my desk trying to find place where I had ended writing.

##NORMAL POV##

'What did he mean by "do what you want with him"' Rei asked in his mind but he was quickly put out of this thinking by Tala.

"Are you going to stand there all day?" Tala asked, "Follow me"

Rei glanced at him, he didn't want to go anywhere with Tala. The red head noticed it.

"I'm not going to hurt you, but if you stay here you probably will be" Tala said in a matter of fact voice, looking at the same time at the black desk behind Rei.

Rei understood and quietly exited the room following Tala. They walked down numberless corridors and finally entered a dark, small room with an even smaller bed.

Rei didn't even notice when Tala left him alone. He didn't know what time it was because of the lack of windows in his room, but it was probably a night, so he lay down on the bed, knowing that the next day will be a horror.

Rei couldn't fall asleep because of that , so he stood up, cursed quietly and thought what to do now. He was in THE castle and he was a present for THE Almighty.

'For what sins did I end up like this, a personal slave to HIM, to that arrogant, selfish, cold - hearted, handsome tyrant, ' Rei thought 'What! Did I just say he was hands..? Oh no this dark room is getting to me, I got to get out of here.'

Rei almost ran out of his room, desperately looking for a window to clear his thoughts. The stars had always a soothing effect on him.

##KAI POV##

I took a break from writing that stupid rapports and came up to the window. I looked at distant silhouette. I hope those damn rats will finish the tower fast, all this waiting is killing me. But what am I worried about? I have been waiting so long and the building is coming to the end at last.

I looked up at the beautiful ebony sky; hmmm wait a moment, that color, I've seen it before a little earlier. Yes of course, that slave who Tala gave me, his hair were of that color. Why am I thinking about that worm?! I have been working too hard. The stars... I better finish my work. Me and this thoughts - I can't afford it, I can't be that weak.

##REI POV##

I walked a little around this castle, I thought it was big but it isn't, it's gigantic. Finally I found a window, I could see that horrible thing, the tower, I always want to vomit when I see it, I wonder why is it black? It should be red because of all that blood that was drawn there. Why am I even thinking about the tower? I've got bigger problems.

Easy Rei, complaining isn't a way out, I'll just have to wait and see. The stars are lovely tonight.

## Where is your star? Is it far, is it far, is it far?##

People believe that everyone has a star, a guardian that guides him, helps him, cares for him and watches him. Well, I see my star has forgotten me.

## When do we leave? I believe, yes, I believe##

##KAI POV##

I put a dot in the last line on a parchment and looked through the window. It had gotten even darker. I put out a candle on my desk and left the room.

##NORMAL POV##

A lonely figure walked down a corridor until he got to a crossroad with a big beautiful fountain in the middle. The figure turned left and then right facing a door. He entered it to find enormous bathtub in the middle of the room. The floor was covered with black, shining tiles and the walls were made up from graphite-color marble. Next to the pearly white tub there were equally white vases with cold water. He took off his clothes and went into the steaming water that smelled a little like lavender.

As he was brushing his smooth, pale skin by soaped sponge, his head was filled with his usual thoughts. His life wasn't carefree - he had many problems and concerns to deal with, even if he didn't show it. Finally he rinsed off a lather form his hair, get off the bath and dried himself with white towel. Kai dressed a silky, nightly-blue dressing-gown and left the bathroom.

##KAI POV##

Finally I went to my enormous bed, I don't know why I have such a big one, but why not, I'm rich I can afford to it, so why should I care. I crawled under the cover and fell asleep almost immediately, trying not to think about anything. Even I should take some sleep.

##REI POV##

Great, just great, I'm lost in a gigantic cold, dark, damp, castle. Way to go Rei. There are probably hundreds of guards waiting to kill me, what a lucky day. Hmmm, I know! I'll just go inside one of this rooms and sleep there. There's probably nobody in it.

##NORMAL POV##

Rei slowly entered a room he had picked and put his head inside to check if there was somebody, but fortunately there wasn't. He went in and closed the door behind him. He heard a faint click from the door and he realized that he was closed in.

'Fuck, why does these things always happen to me' Rei thought.

Suddenly Rei heard a noise coming from the back of the room, his eyes got used to the dark and he saw...

"Oh my God...."

There was an enormous four-poster bed with heavy, dark green curtains ended with golden fringe. The floor next to it was covered with a fur-carpet; probably bear fur, Rei couldn't tell in the darkness of night. But Rei's attention was drawn exactly to the person, who was sleeping in the bed. Blue bangs were sticking out from the bedclothes and Rei could recognize the owner. He gulped nervously.

'What I'm supposed to do?' he thought desperately. 'Maybe I will sleep for a while, then wake up before him and hide somewhere?'

And with that he lied down on the carpet and finally fell asleep.

#X#X#

Kai's eyes fluttered open when the first rays of sun fell down on his face. He winked and looked at the bed's calling with the embroidered coat of arms of his family. He threw quilt aside and put his feet down on floor…

"WHAT THE HELL?!!!"

Terrified Rei jumped nearly three feet up both from the pain and surprise. Then he looked up at Kai, who accidentally stepped at him when he was getting up from bed.

"You!" said Kai coldly, casting death glare at the laying boy. "What the hell are you doing in MY bedroom, sleeping at MY carpet and in addition without any permission?!"

##MEANWHILE##

"Mariah! Where have you been all night?" asked annoyed Lee. "You weren't sleeping at all. Look at yourself. How will you manage to go through today's work?"

Mariah sat down and rested her head back on dirty wall. Her pink hair were all in mess and she had stains from dust on her face. She looked miserably, so Lee felt less angry with her.

He sat next to Mariah and tried to comfort her.

"Sorry Mariah, I didn't mean to be rude, but I was concerned of you, that's all."

"I was searching for Rei, he hasn't come back at night."

'Still, she is always thinking about him.' though Lee bitterly, and then he looked at her worried face. "Hey, don't worry. I know Rei very well. He will be ok." He said and he placed his arm around her slender waist.

She tensed and cast a death glare at Lee.

"Hands off you pervert!!!" she yelled and slapped the boy, leaving a red handprint on his cheek.

Lee touched his hurting part of face and looked stunned at Mariah.

"You are very short temper, Mari-chan."

"Don't call me Mari-chan!"

Lee was now laying on dust floor with second handprint on his other cheek.

'Better I won't say nothing next time.'

##BACK IN CASTLE##

Kai was sitting in a big chamber next to old, wooden table, which was covered with varied dishes. Rei couldn't believe his own eyes - there were plates with meat, vegetables, bread, fruits and even some sweets.

Kai cleared his throat and Rei passed a nearby platter to Kai. He kept this activity to the time, when Kai finally was full.

"You can eat the leftovers." Said Kai as he wave towards his plate. "I'll call you later." And with that, he left the room.