Never

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuronue. As far as I know, everybody else is mine.

A fist connected with a bruised face with a resounding thud. Dark, pain-filled eyes opened blearily, only to have their owner struck again.

"Wake up, scum!" Chains were unlocked, and the prisoner fell to the ground. The guard grabbed thick black hair and dragged the weakly struggling prisoner down a hall, smirking at his cries of pain. Pulling him into a throne room, he shoved him to the ground. The prisoner pushed himself up on his hands and knees, only to be kicked prostrate once again.

"So this is the demon thief you caught for me." The King got up from his throne and approached the prisoner. Lifting the prostrate form's head with his foot, he smirked as the prisoner winced.

"Have you managed to get anything out of him?"

"He hasn't said a word, Your Highness." The King dropped the thief's head contemptuously.

"Bring him to the dining room, would you? I have a few questions of my own." He left the room, leaving the guards to grab the prisoner's arms and drag him into the dining room. They sat him in a chair. The King sipped some wine while he eyed his prisoner. The thief's indigo eyes simply stared back.

"Tell me, thief, why did you go back after you had already escaped? Just out of curiosity." There was no response. A guard raised his hand to strike the prisoner, but the King shook his head.

"Now, now, no need to beat him for not answering a question I don't really care about. Eat, thief. See the rice in front of you?" There was indeed a bowl of rice in front of the thief, but his eyes didn't even flicker. The King sighed.

"Make him eat." There was a loud scuffle as the guards gleefully grabbed the prisoner's face and forced it up. One forced his mouth open and the other shoved rice in. As he brought his hands up to fight them off, another guard grabbed them and twisted them painfully behind the chair. A muffled cry escaped him at the pain, but then his mouth was shut to force him to swallow. This went on until no rice was left. The thief's head was finally allowed to drop, and his racking cough filled the air for a moment. The King smiled.

"Much better. Now, I do have one question that I will have you beaten for if you don't answer." No response. The King got up and went to the prisoner. Bending down, he cupped the thief's chin in his hand and lifted his head. The prisoner winced as his tormentor squeezed a bruise. He squirmed to get away, but his hands were still held securely.

"What is your name, thief?" The thief looked squarely into his captor's eyes. Not a word was spoken. The King let go of his captive's face, almost turning away, but then he whirled and backhanded the prisoner across his bruised face. A cry forced its way past the prisoner's clenched teeth, but nothing more. The King shrugged.

"Take him back to his cell. I don't care what you do with him. Just get him out of my sight." The guards dragged him away, getting no resistance from the weak demon. But as he was dragged off, he thought of something that made him hold his head up a little higher.

You will never know me, asshole. I am one of the greatest theives you will ever know. I am Kuronue.