My Kingdom Come book 1: The Saints We See

665 standard years after the signing of the Alliance

Mikhail stripped out of his traveling clothes. He folded them neatly and placed them on the little table outside Chentzo’s door, then he laid his hand on Chentzo’s door scanner. The green chime sounded immediately. Mikhail pushed the door open, keeping his eyes respectfully down. He looked out of the corners of his vision to see whether Chentzo was busy or not.

Chentzo was typing furiously on his desktop. “When did the shipment pass through customs?”

Chentzo was busy. Mikhail moved to the side of the room, knelt in the proper position and waited. He kept a fraction of his attention on the room so that he would know the moment he was wanted by his master and turned the rest of his attention inward.

He ran through the possible things he could distract himself with and decided on a book. Since the mental training Chentzo had paid Jonat to give him, Mikhail had organized many of the things in his mind to better serve him. Every book he was able to get his hands on he committed to memory and placed on his mental bookshelf. Today he mentally opened a book of poetry, a gift from one of his sponsors.

He had around fifty sponsors now. They paid Chentzo a monthly fee that varied depending on how many shares of Mikhail they wanted. Their shares gave them the right to weigh in on Mikhail’s education and the right to bid on him when his training was done. Mikhail had to put on performances for them once every few months or so, to show them what he was learning. Some of his sponsors were close enough to attend in person, but the rest were scattered across the galaxy and watched by remote link. Sponsors who paid enough shares in Mikhail were also granted the right to visit him once a month if they wanted to; or to send him gifts. They sent him clothes, books, jewelry, delicacies, little things that they thought might sweeten him towards them.

Mikhail was halfway finished with the book of poetry when Chentzo leaned back in his chair and let out a sigh of relief.

“Good afternoon, master. How may I serve you today?” Mikhail asked quietly.

“Come to my side, boy.”

Mikhail rose gracefully and went to the side of Chentzo’s chair where he sank back to his knees again.

Chentzo raised Mikhail’s chin with his finger.

Mikhail kept his eyes lowered.

“Mm, your paint is nicely done today. Did you do it?”

“Yes, master.” Chentzo’s finger left Mikhail’s chin and he lowered his head again.

“One of the investments I made on your behalf is coming to fruition.”

“Thank you, master.”

Chentzo grunted. “I’ve put out a contract for stolen Hosaik and we’ve found one.”

Mikhail didn’t let the confusion show on his face. Hosaik lived in hives and it was illegal to separate them from their hive. They needed to live in close quarters with other Hosaik to maintain proper mental and physical health. Why stolen Hosaik would interest Chentzo was a mystery to Mikhail.

“Dae was hatched outside the hive. Can you imagine that?”

“No, master.”

“Dae’re around your age and Dae’re rather sickly, of course. I want you to spend time with daem, take care of daem. Be a friend to daem. In a month or so, we’ll offer to return daem to daer hive and as a favor to me, I’ll ask the hive to allow you to go through hive training with the youth. What do you think?”

“It’s a stroke of genius, master.” For once Mikhail wasn’t lying through his teeth when he said that. If the hive accepted Chentzo’s request, it would raise Mikhail’s value considerably. No one went through hive training but Hosaik.

Chentzo chuckled. “It is. How was your training on Uvoth?”

“It was very enlightening, master.”

“Good. Prepare a demonstration for your sponsors. You’ll give it in a week.”

“Yes, master.”

“Your sponsor, general Fareez Kahn has an appointment to see you in an hour. He sent an outfit. Wear it. He hasn’t paid for your virginity, so don’t give it to him. No sex acts.”

“Yes, master.”

“After your appointment with the general, go find the Hosaik. Do a good job with him, don’t waste my money.”

“Yes, master.”

“Good boy. Go.”

Mikhail inclined his head. “Yes, master.”

He got up and left Chentzo’s office. He scooped his folded traveling clothes off the little table by the door and hurried upstairs towards his room. One hour was not much time to get ready.

“Boy!” A voice wailed as Mikhail hurried down the hallway where the Durweh rooms were. A Durweh boy shot out of their room and ran after Mikhail.

Mikhail paused and looked back. “What is it, Star?”

Star flung an arm around Mikhail’s naked waist. “I think I’m losing the interest of one of my sponsors.” He was only ten standard years old, but he would be sold in the next few years.

“I’m sorry.” Mikhail continued walking towards his room. He squeezed the boy’s shoulders. “Why do you think they’re losing interest?”

“She sends me the most delicious little creme filled chocolate eggs every month and they didn’t come today.”

“Maybe the messenger is running late.”

Star sighed. “I guess that could be. They’ve been late before.”

“I think I have a package of those kind of chocolates in my room, if I gave them to you, would that help you feel better?”

Star brightened. “Oh, yes!”

Mikhail unlocked his door with his handprint and pushed it open. A very scanty outfit was laying on his bed. Mikhail sighed. He released his hold on Star and scanned the shelf he displayed his gifts on. “There they are.” He took the elegant box of candies off his shelf and handed them to Star. “Here.”

“Oh! These are them! Thank you, boy!” Star hugged the box to his chest and ran out of the room grinning.

Mikhail smiled and shut his door, then turned back to the outfit on his bed. It was a dark, wine red. At least the color would look good against his skin. He glanced at the clock on the little table next to his bed. He was running out of time to get ready.

* * *

Mikhail hurriedly threw his little clock under his bed and arranged himself into a greeting pose near his door. He’d barely gotten ready in time, and he’d had one of the household slaves helping him too.

He automatically fell into his usual waiting habit of keeping a slight amount of attention on his surroundings and going into his mind to do something else. He found himself wondering about the Hosaik. He had met a fair number of them in his travels with Galor. Each hive had it’s own queen, but Hosaik were not male or female. Each individual had the ability to carry out the duties and functions of either gender, depending on the need of the hive. Hosaik thrived on the pleasure of others and often their hives were run as places of hospitality. With their high empathic abilities they made some of the best cooks, masseuses, perfumers, dancers, artists, lovers, and players of music, in the galaxy.

Their high empathetic abilities were also what made it necessary for them to live in hives. Without the emotional stability created by them sharing emotions with a large group of individuals sharing the same needs, values, and goals, it was impossible for them to differentiate between their own feelings and the feelings and desires of others. They often felt the needs of others much stronger than their own and could easily be taken advantage of if they were separated from their hive. Mikhail wondered how the Hosaik had survived so long away from daer hive.

The yellow chime sounded. HIs sponsor was on his way.

Mikhail took a deep breath, brought to mind everything he knew about his sponsor and pushed everything else out of his thoughts. He shouldn’t have let himself get distracted.

General Fareez Kahn. One of the top Generals in the Ir’Klahn army. The general was very interested in Mikhail. He visited every chance he got and sent him expensive presents. The main thing that had been on his mind lately was a rebellion that was being lead by a rouge prison warden.

The green chime on Mikhail’s door sounded. Mikhail brought his mind completely into the present. The door opened. Mikhail recognized the general’s scent.

“Good afternoon, sir. How may I serve you today?” He greeted the general.

The general let out an appreciative breath of air. “Good afternoon, boy.” He shut the door and walked around Mikhail. “I knew that outfit would look spectacular on you.”

“Thank you, sir, and thank you for the gift.”

“Of course.” The general walked to the other side of the room and sat in the easy chair there. “Come sit on my lap, boy.”

Mikhail rose from his knees, went over, draped himself over the general’s lap and wrapped his arms around his neck. He blushed. Learning how to make himself blush had been one of the easier things that Mikhail had learned to do as a slave. Sponsors liked to think that their chosen slave felt excited to be around them.

The general caressed Mikhail’s cheek, then took hold of his jaw and turning Mikhail’s face towards him he kissed Mikhail softly on the mouth.

Outwardly, Mikhail reacted as the general wanted him to, with shy excitement. internally he struggled to keep his mind present. He repressed a shudder of revulsion. There was no tenderness in the general’s emotions, only greed and lust.

The general’s hand wandered down towards Mikhail’s hip. His fingers slipped under the edge of the outfit and caressed Mikhail’s skin. Mikhail’s stomach churned with nausea.

“Seeing you is always he highlight of my month, boy. You’re always so pretty and eager to see me.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“What have you been doing with yourself this week?”

“I had a training, sir. I’m working on a demonstration, so I’m not going to say anything else. It’s a surprise.”

“A surprise, hm?” The general tucked Mikhail’s hair behind his ear.

“Yes, sir. Tell me about your week, sir.”

“My week? There hasn’t been much change. We’re still trying to find the location of that damned Fons. He seems to have dropped off the face of the galaxy. But there have been some developments with his brat.” His lips brushed Mikhail’s cheek.

Mikhail let his shudder of disgust out this time. The General would misread it to fit his own desires. “Hathu? Tell me, sir.” He laid his head on the general’s shoulder making himself slightly less available for caresses while still maintaining the lie that he wanted to be close to the general.

The general let out a rumble of pleasure. He threaded his fingers into the hair at the base of Mikhail’s neck and pulled Mikhail’s mouth back to his.

Mikhail breathed softly through his nose and suppressed the urge to push the general away while he made a soft, practiced noise into the general’s mouth. Another shudder of disgust was allowed to run through his body, his fingers tightened in the front of the general’s tunic.

The general leaned back, but he didn’t release his hold on Mikhail’s hair. “Mmm, you always taste delicious, boy. When will you be up for sale?” His fingers lightly ran up and down the chain hanging from Mikhail’s throat.

Mikhail made the blush in his cheeks darken. “Master says probably in the next year, sir.”

“Hm.” He released Mikhail’s hair and Mikhail laid his head back on the general’s shoulder. He was shaking. He hoped the general interpreted that positively.“You remember that the colonel’s petition to release Hathu from prison was granted four months after we brought him in?”

“Of course, sir. They allowed him to live with the colonel under house arrest. Hathu has been living with him and his family and attending officer’s school.”

“Mmhm. Well, it seems that’s caused tension at home for the colonel. His younger daughter, Nivan hates Hathu, and from all accounts he hates her too, but he’s always polite to her. Nivan is a fiery little thing though and she is making it clear to her parents how much she hates Hathu living there.” The general chuckled. “The last thing the colonel needs is more tension at home. You know his older daughter, uh…”

“Regia?” Mikhail supplied.

“Yes, Regia. She’s always so sick. She needs a calm atmosphere. If Nivan keeps up her fussing, I’m hoping to have Hathu back in prison in a month or two.”

“Sir?”

“Hm?” The general was still stroking the chain that lay against Mikhail’s chest, it tugged lightly at his neck with every downstroke of the general’s fingers.

“Will Hathu still be able to attend school if he’s sent back to prison?”

The general laughed. “No. Why do you ask?”

“It seems a pity for him to lose that too. He’s lost so much in his life.”

The general’s mood shifted slightly. “He’s a traitor, boy. Having him out of prison is a danger to the empire.”

Mikhail swallowed. He’d let out too much of his own personality. “I’m sorry, sir. Sometimes I forget that.” He hid his face in the general’s neck.

The general shifted into a lighter mood again. He smiled. “I can think of a way you can make it up to me, boy.”

“Yes, sir?” Mikhail responded in the eager tone the general liked. Inwardly he was both relieved that he hadn’t angered the general too much and nervous for whatever the general wanted from him.“Remember that charming dance demonstration you gave us two months ago?”

“Yes, sir?”

“Do a private little demonstration for me here.”