Short Stories - A Collection of Achievement

All Will Bow

The King sat on his throne, smirking at the sight below. His favorite men were in front of him; Jack, the architech; Ray, the royal gardener and part-time jester; Michael, his warlord; Geoff, his right-hand man; and Gavin, his lover of sorts. All of them were bowed onto one knee in front of King Ryan, waiting for his command.

Each had a reason for being here in front of their leader, and this is their stories.

~*~

When the King came to power, many believed he was a tyrant. A man of no morals. Gavin believed different, because Ryan was his friend. Ryan was also the only one to make him feel worthwhile.

Ryan kept Gavin close to his side, using his closeness to hang over the heads of the rest of them. Gavin was the tie that kept the men loyal.

Ryan made sure to keep it that way.

It started as requesting Gavin to stay in the King's quarters on lonely nights. Then it evolved into a daily routine. Gavin didn't mind because Ryan made him feel loved. He devoted his attention and tender words toward him. Some nights, he would kiss him on the cheek and tuck him in.

The sweet gestures didn't last long.

One night, the King kissed his cheek. Then his jaw. Then his neck. Then full on the mouth. Gavin relished in the King's affection, as he never let anyone else near him. The King did malicious things to him, teasing Gavin until he was about to lose his mind with wanting and desire, and eventually, his love turned violent. He'd wake with bruises, and some days, cuts. He still adorned a thin scar across his chest that spelled out 'King's Pet' in his cursive writing. Gavin thought it was a beautiful mark. The King had a special place in his heart for the flowering blooms of blood and the welts from whips and chains. Gavin paid no attention to the wounds; they only showed the love the King supplied to him. One that no one else would, because Gavin was only the King's.

Michael was very attached to Gavin. He was his best friend, and he willed their friendship to be more. Ryan gave false promises of getting to see him, until the promises turned into threats of death. Every time Michael did a wrong, Gavin earned a new wound. He was a man of his word.

Ryan paid him well for creating war plans for anyone that might be too close to the kingdom, and for making sure that the subjects were in order. That is why Ryan kept him on such a tight leash. He also kept tabs on his current girlfriend, Lindsay. Since Gavin was placed out of reach, Michael began persuing someone else in hopes to let go of him. It never worked.

Michael kept himself loyal to the King out of fear for his loved ones, but he also enjoyed the bloodshed, pretending each new death was the King for his sins. But this thought was kept to himself.

Geoff was the king before Ryan came to power. He was a more structured king, but his men didn't stay loyal for long.

Ryan, the alchemist at the time, was much more intellegent than he let on. He led a rebellion, and took the crown for himself. He took pity on Geoff, and rather than sending him to suffer in the dungeons, he spared his life and gave him the honor of having the highest job besides his role as King. He was the King's right hand. His closest advisor and he was much like a brother to Ryan. For this, he was very much grateful.

He was treated with the highest respect, and Geoff loved Gavin like a son, which also added to his loyalty to the King. Gavin was under the King's thumb, and he could easily snuff him out like a candle. This kept Geoff in line.

Jack aided Ryan in the rebellion, using a blue-print of the kingdom to avoid most guards and patrols to get to Geoff quickly and efficiently. He had helped build the castle, and Geoff was unknowing of the secret passage ways that snaked through the building. Ryan watches him carefully, to make sure that he doesn't aid anyone else. He keeps Caiti, Jack's wife, under house arrest. She was one of the rebellious ones. The 'free-thinker' that wanted to foil him.

Jack constructs most of the defenses. He handles the redstone contraptions and designs strategically built checkpoints from city to city if the King wished to travel, or if he wanted an interrogation moved to the main city.

Ray kept Ryan in high spirits. He was the only one that the King opened up to. He told of his worries to him while they strolled the garden together. Ray tended to the fauna while he spoke about his fear of the men losing faith in him, and he told him what he wanted to hear; the men were all loyal to him, and only him. He had given them a welcoming stay in his glory of his rule. Ray even made him laugh, forgetting his worries as if they were papers fluttering away in the breeze. He cared for Ray, which is why he didn't love him. His love wasn't for the ones he truely loved. He didn't love Gavin. He loved his pain. His willingness. But Ray was who he really cared for. He never held anything over his head, not on purpose. Ray was allowed to come and go from the grounds as he pleased. He was a free man, allowed to get what he wanted and go where he wished.

Ray was completely comfortable with the way the King acted around him.. Just not around the others.

Everyday, he would notice Gavin's wounds.

He would hear the fearing whispers of his friends.

He would witness Michael's wrath on whoever the King wished.

Once, he went to talk to Gavin. It was after the King was out with Michael to discuss a new battle strategy.

When he opened the door to the King's quarters, he was shocked at the sight.

Gavin had his shirt removed, tracing the scabbed wounds and scars that laced his torso. He looked to the door so eagerly, but he frowned when he saw Ray.

"Oh.. Ray, I thought you were the King."

"Gavin.. Did Ryan do that to you?"

He nodded happily.

"Yep. These are his love marks."

Ray hid his disgust.

"Love marks, you say?"

He nodded again, beaming.

"Yep! King Ryan loves me, so he marks me as his so no one else does."

Ray felt ill, glancing over the dried blood and sores once again.

He left without another word, but he never forgot.

~*~

The King had called them all before him to discuss new additions to the castle; a room for each of them was to be built.

He didn't have time to even ask them.

Ray pushed forward, practically jumping into the King's lap and wrapping his hands around his neck, wanting to choke the life out of the man that created so much pain for his friends.

Gavin froze before running up behind Ray and screamed at him to stop, yanking and pulling him away, or at least trying to.

The others made no move to help.

His guards did nothing.

Geoff, Jack, and Michael all smiled as they watched, all of them feeling a surge of pride for the friend that they thought they had lost to Ryan's madness.

There would soon be a new King.