Title: Consort

Rating: T

Verse: Greekverse (Greekverse is a kind of a Cybertron verse, where the Great War never happened, there are not Autobots or Decepticons, because all cities are independent city-states with royalty or similar leadership, who compete with every other city-state diplomatically and sometimes aggressively. The characters are more or less a mixture of G1 verse with a touch of TF:A. Optimus is not a Prime here, he is smaller and younger and called Optronix. Link to greekverse on deviantart is in my profile, because I can't do it here)

Genre: drama

Characters: Optronix, Megatron

Warnings: none yet

Summary: Megatron takes a consort.

Note: klik – Cybertronian second, breem - Cybertronian minute, joor – Cybertronian hour, orn/cycle – Cybertronian day, groon – Cybertronian month, vorn – Cybertronian year

Celebration

The bonding ceremony was an extremely awkward affair with most mechs thinking violent thoughts about the other half of the attendance, including the bondeds-to-be, the attendant sires and carriers. That it was often times similar in arranged bondings didn't make Optronix any happier, as this time it was his spark in the line of fire. So to speak. It was an even stranger and frightening affair than his great-uncle's similar ceremony a century ago that he had been lucky not to attend on account of being too young for it. That one had ended in an energon-bath, decimating both families. He hoped that this time they could somehow avoid that outcome.

Glancing to his right and up, way up to his soon-to-be-bonded he wasn't sure. Megatron's face was stormy with a snarl that seemed to be carved into his faceplates, his servos tightened into fists every now and then and his red optics shot absolutely killing glowers towards Optronix's Sire. Ultra Magnus wore a distinctly smug expression and Optronix wondered if his Sire didn't perceive the danger that he was in – or dismissed it as unimportant. He continued to empty high-grade cubes and congratulate on the nearby mechs on the fine drinks, the treats and everything he could think of. That nobody deigned to give him answers apparently left him uninterested.

He could blackmail Kaon into accepting the bonding, because Megatron couldn't afford Iacon to stab him in the back while he was hip-deep in the Tarn campaign, but he wouldn't live long right here if Megatron decided that the insult was greater than the advantages. Optronix saw it clearly and he was no politician, so why not his Sire? Was there something still that he kept as a hidden trump card, that gave him safety, even as Megatron looked like wanting to deactivate him right there or was it just simple obtuseness?

Optronix tried another energon treat from the platter, but it was the same as the other dozens he tried before; rich in Cybertronium, Kaon's main produce, the source of its wealth, it must have been very healthy, but it didn't improve the taste one single bit. He definitely missed the quite useless but sweet to taste Aluminum-based jellies from home. At least the energon was good, he mused, watching his Sire throwing back another cube of the fabled Blackfire brand, famous for knocking out bigger mechs than his Sire after a few cubes.

Well, he wouldn't have to perform at the end, Optronix supposed, internally trembling at the thought. So far the young mech drank only a small cube of the stuff, and while it tasted like manna, it did have a nasty kick afterwards. Considering the occasion, he didn't mind it, he thought, washing down the taste of the treat with another cube. He was an adult mech now, at his bonding at that and no caretaker could scold him for drinking it.

The rest of the ceremony with the speeches and recitals dragged away slower than a lecture from Prowl about decorum in the palace. What Optronix would've given to hear his lessons again, a thousand times, instead of this! But there was no going back for him, not ever. In a joor or so he'd be legally bound to Megatron and in an orn or so… he tried not to think about it, not to cast another nervous glance on the warlord's huge, silver-burgundy frame. His bonded-to-be was at least twice his size, hating him for the position that his Sire put them and considering him a weak, simpering Iaconian not even good for bearing his heirs. Not very good portents for one's bonding night.

They were trying to keep him in the dark so far, both his Sire so he wouldn't protest to the almost-forced bonding and Megatron as well, not considering him an equal, a worthy mate for him by Kaonite standards. Unfortunately Optronix paid attention and heard much that they agreed on. He wouldn't be Megatron's mate, not truly, not even Ultra Magnus's blackmail could make him agree to that. A consort, a chattel only, a mech to warm his berth until he could bear sparklings for him, but never to be cherished or loved.

But he couldn't refuse. His Sire made sure that he knew the alternative should he protest against this bond. Optronix shuddered. It was no choice really. Bond to Megatron and be his consort and at least be free of his Sire's strict yoke - or be given to his worst suitor, the mech who harassed him for vorns and was besides Ultra's right-hand mech, Blitzwing. He'd rather choose Megatron thank you. At least with the warlord his fate was not certain to be dark and bleak. Only likely.

They stood up to say their vows and Optronix was embarrassed by having to stand on his chair to be anything close to Megatron's level and saw the sneering Kaonite faceplates around because of it. Truly, he was like a youngling beside the massive mech – which he actually was, hardly even legit for bonding, while Megatron looked like, felt like and probably was a thousand vorns old, surpassing him in experiences as well as… well, everything really.

It didn't help that he found himself attracted to the huge, silvery mech, on a level he couldn't express. He was frightening and crude, unlike any ruler Optronix met so far, a warrior rather than a statesmech. Still, he looked capable and his people were obviously ferociously loyal to him to the point where his Sire couldn't get a single spy into his court. He also exuded power, self-belief and a raw, almost brutal sensuality that had Optronix stare and gulp uneasily the first time they met.

They met first in his Sire's court, the first time when Megatron tried to entice Iacon into his planned campaign to conquer the nearby city-states. Optronix was still a youngster back then, only allowed into the throne-room to learn from the proceedings, as even his Sire admitted his natural affinity to leadership and politics. Even though he wasn't going to be Iacon's ruler ever, as he had elder siblings, they thought that he might be able to utilize that gained knowledge and insight later.

Or so he thought. Too late for that now. He'd never be anything but a chattel in the warlord's berth, maybe even in his harem if he wanted one later. Kaonites despised Iaconians for their smaller statue, their reluctance to learn the warrior arts and their inclination towards peace and prosperity. No matter that he was big for an Iaconian, he'd always be tiny in the Kaon court. No matter that he'd trained in several martial arts, he'd be a child's play to beat by the smallest Kaonite.

Optronix sighed. If only he could prove his worth somehow… but Megatron didn't look like wanting to give him chances and frankly neither did the other members of the court. Shockwave measured him up with a cold, calculating glance that made him want to run away and hide in the nearest hole. Dreadnought looked at him like one who sees a cyberfly on his oil-cake and itches to casually flatten it. The rest all wore expressions that varied just little on that theme really.

Megatron growled his vow almost, holding Optronix's servo in his bigger one, almost crushing it in tandem with his snarl at the end. He could barely hold back a pained grimace before he too swore to be a faithful mate for him and all the empty promises that were agreed on in his name. Could he mean it when he had no say in what to tell? He had to. Breaking the vow in any way would mean his instant execution and Megatron was perfectly capable of levelling Iacon if he felt insulted, Primus forbid cheated.

Looking at the mech again, Optronix decided to make an effort. It was his fate now and he must make the best of it. Megatron might hate his Sire for this farce but he too would be bound to Optronix and they might be able to learn to live with each other. In a few joors they'd see each other's spark, all their memories, dreams and intentions. Love was maybe too much to hope for, but they didn't have to be enemies. Optronix snatched one more cube of high-grade from the table before they were led out to the designated quarters. He needed some strengthening before… before he got in that berth with Megatron.

No matter his determination to make it work that part still caused nervous fluttering in his tank, like he was going to his execution, not his bonding. The punch that the cube of Blackfire gave to his systems barely dampened his trembling, his anxiousness, his outright fear. Optronix knew that he shouldn't show his fear, because that would make Megatron despise him even more, but he could hardly mask it – and he was sure that the warlord saw right through his trembling façade.

Note: the next chapter will be here only partly, because of the site's prudish rules. The whole chapter will be published on AO3 and only linked here.