The Gift of War [bxb]

Service & Sanity

Please enjoy and comment your thoughts! This will give me the motivation to write more and sooner!

...

"You, you and you, stand up!"

Ryan blinked as three girls were pointed at, two of which were his his accomplices. They stood up, cowering slightly. His heart thudded in his chest as he awaited to hear their fate. He had no clue where they would end up, he could only pray that it wasn't some dirty Perion's bed.

"You are assigned to kitchen duties. Follow this soldier to the maid quarters."

He let out a sigh of relief as the girls left, glad that they hadn't ended up in some  sort of pleasure squad for the soldiers. They were so young, literal children and he shuddered to think just what a life in a brothel would entail for them. No one deserved that, especially not children.

"Next! You and you four!" A scrawny teenage boy and three girls were pointed at next. "Cleaning duties. Follow the soldier."

"All the remaining men," He pointed to Ryan and the Prince stopped breathing for a moment, bracing himself. "Except that one, will serve as stable-hand. Follow Matthew, he is your superior officer from now."

As all the boys left, Ryan found himself completely still, rooted to his spot on the floor. His gut clenched as he pondered over all the reasons why he could have been held back. His brain came back with some unpleasant predictions that had his heart beating wildly, stomach threatening to hurl itself. There were a handful of girls left with him, but it failed to ease his worries. Nothing good would come out of the barbarian commander's mouth, he was sure of that.

"Rest of you here will be presented to the Crown Prince."

And, with that single sentence, all his fears had just come true.

...

Ryan counted every single step he took, following the soldier with a nimble, unenergetic speed. He had to do something to distract his mind before it completely takes over his being and fills him with unnecessary panic. He refused to be anxious before the situation actually occurs, he'd just be putting himself through it twice. He can't that in an enemy region.

The Crown Prince wouldn't choose him anyway, he reasoned with himself. There was no way a Perion Prince would willingly choose a Sythian slave for pleasure, didn't they find Sythians disgusting? Even if he didn't, Ryan was still a man, so surely the Prince would rather go for a woman? And suppose the rumours about his less than exclusive preferences were true, Ryan was not the kind of man that he'd want, right? He was thinner and weaker than the average soldier, surely the Prince would rather have a tall, big and broad man, like a Perion man, right?

Right?

He kept convincing himself that he wouldn't be chosen, after all, there were much better, more beautiful options than him. Yet, as he glanced at the terrified girls walking beside him, heads bowed in fear and expressions as if they were waiting for their death sentence, he'd rather that the Prince chose him instead of these young girls.

Children, they were just children. As he had been too, just a day prior.

The group of prisoners were led to a room that resembled a hall, but was bare of any decorations. It only housed a grand looking table and a matching chair in the center of it. It looked more like a study than anything.

"Wait here till his highness arrives." The soldier instructed and glared at them, as if they could run away even if they tried.

He glanced at the girls again, and found them to be in varying stages of panic. He felt immensely saddened and wondered if he looked any better. Judging by his erratic heartbeat, he probably didn't.