Gifts of the Heart Chapter 1
Yuki sighed and settled himself more deeply into his uncomfortable chair, doing his best to keep his boredom from showing on his face. He knew he wasn't being very successful, by his father's occasional disapproving looks, but he just held no real interest in the present meeting. It was just a visitor, doing his best to blow smoke up the King's ass about how good of an ally his country would make. Yuki had better things to do than listen to someone's barely disguised groveling.
Through the droning monotone he was trying to drown out, Yuki caught the word 'gift', and couldn't help but find his interested peeked. His favorite riding horse was getting on in years, and he was unsatisfied with the quality of the others. He wouldn't mind if he were handed one, say, as a bribe for their allegiance.
However, when he looked up, Yuki was shocked not to see an animal or treasure, but rather a person! Two people, actually, and he frowned deeply when he realized exactly what was being offered. Yes, they had many servants in the castle, but all of them had been hired. He didn't relish the idea of people just being handed off as gifts.
"Our best trained personal servants. A gift for the Crowned Prince and his brother," the man was saying, which was all Yuki caught before he drown the man out once again.
Instead, he let his eyes trail over the young man kneeling before him. He looked quite young still, not even out of his teen years. The childish illusion was helped by round cheeks and large eyes. The eyes surprised Yuki slightly with their brightness. He wouldn't of expected a servant being handed off to look so happy about it. The servant had dark hair that wasn't well kept, the locks falling down over his ears and eyes. Far different from his clothing, which were well-tailored and unwrinkled.
Yuki had always refused his father's insistence on having a personal servant. He did have several which prepared his baths and solitary meals. He'd always just relied on the stable hands to prepare his mounts, the laundry women to clean his clothes, and his own self to get dressed in the mornings. A personal servant would have to share his room in order to do his/her chores properly, and he hadn't wanted to give up that privacy.
However, in this situation, he couldn't refuse the gift without making a scene. The country presenting the gift would find it as a terrible insult, and Yuki knew his father would be furious with him. The two of them already had enough troubles as it was, without piling this on top of it.
Wisely, as his brother did, Yuki kept his mouth shut and simply nodded his head. Seeing their acceptance, his father quickly began thanking the man for his generosity. During times like these, it was best to keep one's mouth shut, and let the king speak. Especially since Yuki's father liked to keep tight control over every situation.
As would be expected of them, the two offered boys shifted so that they were now facing the court, appointed as they now were. Yuki gazed at his newly acquired servant's back, wondering what he was going to do. It was possible, after the visitor left, for him to refuse the gift then. But much of the court had seen the proceedings, and that would raise a lot of questions. Not to mention what they would do with the boy. His father already had his own servant, and it would be a great demotion for the boy to be moved down to any other duty.
For now, he would let things lay as they were, Yuki decided. If the boy was quiet, perhaps it wouldn't be too bad of a thing to have his own servant. It would be nice not to have to find someone available to boil water for him so he could have his baths, and instead just have it ready for him when he woke up.
Yes, maybe it wouldn't be that bad.