In Pieces

Chapter 16: Is it punishment or foreplay?

More than anything, Aidan just wanted to chill. After everything he had witnessed during his trip with the Prince, he thought he deserved some peace and quiet. If he was in his own world, he would have prepared a bowl of instant ramen and rewatched old cartoons. Now even this seemed like a luxury.

Aidan sighed and entered his mansion, where the one-armed servant politely greeted him.

"Welcome back, General. Your bath will be ready in a moment. In the meantime, would you like me to send some porridge to your room as usual?"

Aidan remembered the ascetic "porridge" and shuddered.

"No, thank you," he frantically shook his head. He just had a brilliant idea of sending Corus to the nice tavern where they had enjoyed the tasty pig before his trip. Those fatty ribs would make for fine comfort food. Aidan was sure that Corus wouldn't say no to such a decadent meal.

"What else can I offer you, General? As always, we have rice, water, and..."

"Lettuce," Aidan gloomily interrupted him. "Yeah, yeah, I am aware. You know what, get Corus for me, would you?"

"He... but...," the servant stuttered in response.

"What's wrong?" Aidan asked. "Is he all right?"

"Yes... I thought you knew, General, " the man was now visibly uncomfortable.

"Knew what?"

"The... His Excellency Reo Atarian sent his men to... confiscate the slave," the servant said quietly, bowing his head.

Blood roared in Aidan's ears. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. The wave of uncontrollable anger rose inside him, threatening to consume him entirely.

"When did that happen?" he clenched his fists, barely keeping it together.

"On the day you left."

That sneaky son of a bitch!

"So...you just handed Corus to the Regent's men?" Aidan asked. He was about to explode.

"I beg your forgiveness, General," the servant fell on his knees and covered his head with his only hand. "We can't go against the Regent's official decree. If we fought against his orders, that would be considered treason."

Not to mention, there was not a lot Adnan Minn's servants could do, being all crippled and maimed. Aidan now felt bad for throwing around blame without thinking.

"I assume Corus didn't go willingly," he said finally.

"They immobilized him, as they do with all the slaves for transportation."

"Of course."

So Corus had been gone for three days now. Who knows what horrible things the Regent could have done to him in all this time! Why didn't Aidan prevent this from happening? He couldn't protect the one person he actually liked in this world! And now Corus was somewhere being tortured or sold to perverts, or even worse - dead!

Without thinking even for another second, Aidan turned on his heel and stormed out of the mansion.

"General...?" the man behind him called out.

Aidan didn't bother to respond. He barged into the stables, took a fresh horse, and made his way directly to the Emperor's palace. During the ride, he got progressively angrier at himself, and at the Regent, and at this stupid world where one could just sell and steal human beings. But this time, he wasn't going to play by the rules and take Regent's shit like a good little boy.

At the palace gates, Aidan jumped off the horse and decisively marched inside. He ignored the servants and their pathetic attempts to stop him.

"Where is he?" he yelled as he walked through the bright golden halls.