Nine Tales [BL]

4.6

Two days passed and Renshu sat at his desk, concentrating on writing the rest of his scattered notes into one book. Rani stood vigilantly at his side, occasionally inputting his own information out loud to Renshu. Renshu found it extremely annoying, whenever the servant thought of something, he would just blurt it out, without warning, making Renshu lose his train of thought.

Renshu threw the pen to the ground, splashing ink on the desk, and groaned. His stomach joined him.

"Where is the food?"

"The servants are preparing it." Rani reminded him, though his brow furrowed.

"That was forever ago. What's taking so long?" Renshu complained.

"Should I check?" Rani asked.

"Forget it. I'm going down to the kitchen myself and grabbing a snack, no more delays." Renshu stood up, stretching before heading to the door. Rani, his every annoying tail, followed closely behind.

Near the door, Renshu heard a low muttering. He paused, pressing his ear against it.

"They are not rumors, Akeem. My cousin works as a guard there. He saw it himself. The prince is buying and releasing genies!"

"That can't be! That brat?"

"Shhh!" The woman lowered her voice. "That's the thing. As far as I know, only this substitute owns so many genies. I think the prince is buying them for him!"

"Why would he do such a thing?!"

"I don't-"

A loud crash boomed from the other side of the door. Curious, Renshu peeked over.

On the other side of the kitchen, near a doorway stood the prince in the middle of four guards, two holding a pale servant in each hand.

"You think worms like you have to right to talk about me like this?" The prince marched over and backhanded the whimpering woman on the left. "Pathetic, lowly creatures such as yourselves?"The prince was heaving his anger, face flushed and molted.

The prince's blazing eyes flickered around the room and before Renshu could pull back, they quickly found him.

Renshu cursed as the prince snarled, "Guards! Restrain him!"

Renshu quickly turned to flee but the guards caught him quickly, pinning him down. They preceded to rip the back of his toga off, baring his back before the prince.

There was the crack of a whip, pain seared Renshu's back as he groaned.

"Do you think you can do whatever you want, slave ?!" The prince roared, followed by excruciating pain as the whip struck again.

"You dare to leave the palace! After everything my father has done for you, you dare make my name a mockery?" The whip lashed out in succession three times.

Renshu clenched his teeth, tears streaming down his eyes.

"Wherever I go, the servants whisper that I am some kind of genie-lover."

Crack!

The prince stepped forward and lifted his leg, crushing the boot against the lacerations.Renshu screamed, feeling the torn skin tear even more.

"I'll make sure you never leave your room again. I would feed you to the pigs if father didn't think you still have some use."

The whip came down again and again.