"How do you feel, Dominic?" Milovan asked as he leaned against the door to his best friend's bedroom.

Dominic, who has been in a rut for the path month, was donning on a new outfit. Though it looked rather dashing on him, the white colour of the long sleeves and the cream coated vest could bring out the copper tones of his skin quite nicely. The Prince who stood in front of his floor to ceiling length mirror showed no impression.

"Dominic."

"Hmm?" Dominic quickly moved his head around to look at Milovan.

"Are you even here right now?"

Dominic looked back to the mirror, then back at his friend, who was standing at his doorway. "No. I am not; I am three days away, drinking everything placed in my hand and waking up, upside down in the cart with you dragging me home."

Milovan let out a hard laugh, "That was fun until you and Casper puked all over each other, and I was the one having to clean the two of you up."

Dominic looked down and smiled, fiddling with the cufflink. "Probably won't have that again."

"You are being tied to someone, not tied down," Milovan said confidently.

A knock came at the door; Milovan opened it to see who was there. A few words were spoken before he shut the door again.

"That was our call; they are waiting on us."

Dominic snorted, "They can wait a few minutes more." he turned and walked to his wardrobe, grabbing a hidden bottle that was tucked behind something; he took a swig, then offered some to Milovan, who politely turned it down.

"Ready?"

"As I'll ever will."

----

Tacitus sat in the room he was given three days ago when they arrived. He was surprised that they had actually given him a room and not some cell for the time being.

He had been given accommodations that were far luxurious than anything he was used to backing home. Even the room he stayed in was larger than his old house.

His old house...his sister. He hadn't thought of Nisha until just now. Tacitus wondered what she was doing and how she was fairing. He couldn't imagine what she was going through.

Maybe, if he were lucky, he would be granted the ability to write a letter to her. No one said he couldn't once he was here and asking never hurt anyone. He could tell her he was safe, and she wouldn't have to worry.

The door clicking open pulled him from his thoughts. He looked over and saw a man dress in very nice clothing and long grey hair pulled back into a slicked-back style.

"The King wishes to see you before the ceremony today," he said in a drawn-out way.

"Okay." He stood and followed the man out.

The halls of the castle were enormous, almost too large; they didn't need to be. Every step echoed, and even though he was walking next to one, he still felt like he was alone. This walk was long as well. They had a torch every so often, and even that didn't help keep the halls lit. The natural light that came in through the coloured glass windows also didn't help.

"So what do I address you by?" Tacitus asked, looking up at the other man.

"You don't address me. Nor anyone else. You are a slave, and you will remember that when talking to the King. Yes, Sir, only unless No sir is what he wants. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes."

"Though I may not be the King, you add Sir to me as well. In fact, that will be to anyone. Learn your place, do it quickly, and you won't die quickly."

Tacitus looked away from him; he wasn't the only person in this place to show him this hostility. Though he was the first to say that. "Yes, Sir." He stated, and they continued until they reached a door; in the door was an extensive study outfitted with the finest things.

Behind a desk sat a man; he looked more like a war general than anything else. He figured with the crown that sat on his head that this was the King. I thought they only wrote those in public, not while sitting at a desk.

The King looked up, and for a second, Tacitus thought he saw something in his eyes that wasn't normal. Something not human.

"Sire, I brought the boy to you as you asked."

"Thank you, now go tell my brother to hurry up."

"Yes, Sir," he walked out and closed the door behind him.

Tac sat there looking at him, not knowing what to say. Or even do. King Nicodeme was a very imposing man, and Tac was one who, in stressful situations, could be easily frightened.

And this was a very stressful situation.

The King had only ever seen him once, and that was on the first day arriving. It was quick and only to look him over, and no words were exchanged between the two.

When the King's eyes came to rest on Tacitus, he all but felt like he was going to throw up. Tacitus could feel vile of what this man had done in his past; instead, he was that monstrous or not something about him or something he did leave implantation on his aura.

His eyes glanced down at a paper he pulled from a pile on his desk, "Tacitus Uzi, I know that we haven't spoken, and we are running out of time before you meet Prince Dominic. I get to the point then, tell me about your family or what you know."

Tacitus stared off for a moment, thinking about where to start. He was still staring off to the side when he began speaking, "My father was the Lupengar, my mother was a half-elf."

"That explains your looks," King Nicodeme used his finger to gesture to Tacitus's small and slender frame.

"Yeah, I took on the small elven build of my mother, while my sister took our father's Lupengar build. Though she and I are both Lupengars like our father." Tacitus's mind started to flood with old memories when he was younger when his father was still alive.

Nicodeme watched him for a bit, allowing the younger man to think to himself for a while. "Did you know your father's parents?"

"No, my father was from a different country, and he told us that he was an orphan."

"I think that is all I need for right now; I don't need you to be upset while in front of a large audience." he tapped his writing quill on the desk.

He gestured to Tacitus to get him to stand, Tacitus who didn't entirely know the hand gestures of this country's noble sec, continued to sit but with a furrowed brow.

"That means stand; I'll make sure Dominic teaches you those." Nicodeme had a bit of irritation in his voice; he also stood moving towards his study door.

He opened the door and called to one of his servants. "Have them prepare to announce my arrival."