S.U.Pacat

‘I would never ask you to do anything you found distasteful,’ said Laurent.

‘Looking at you is distasteful,’ said Nicaise.

‘I wasn’t sure you’d come back.’

‘I came back,’

Akielos

THEOMEDES, King of Akielos

DAMIANOS (Damen), son and heir to Theomedes

KASTOR, illegitimate son of Theomedes and Damen’s half brother

JOKASTE, a lady of the Akielon court

ADRASTUS, Keeper of the Royal Slaves

LYKAIOS, a female slave in the household of Damianos

ERASMUS, a male slave

Vere

THE REGENT of Vere

LAURENT, the heir to the throne of Vere

RADEL, overseer of the Prince’s household

GUION, a member of the Veretian Council and Ambassador to Akielos

AUDIN, a member of the Veretian Council

HERODE, a member of the Veretian Council

JEURRE, a member of the Veretian Council

CHELAUT, a member of the Veretian Council

NICAISE, a pet

GOVART, a former member of the King’s Guard

JORD, a member of the Prince’s Guard

ORLANT, a member of the Prince’s Guard

VANNIS, a courtier

TALIK, her pet

ESTIENNE, a courtier

BERENGER, a courtier

ANCEL, his pet

Patras

TORGEIR, King of Patras

TORVELD, younger brother of Torgeir and Ambassador to Vere

From the past

ALERON, former King of Vere and Laurent’s father

AUGUSTE, former heir to the throne of Vere and Laurent’s older brother

They wanted to see a barbarian in the ring? Well, the barbarian could fight.

The slaves knelt in demonstration of their willing submissiveness.

The only reason Damen had that language was that his father had insisted that, for a prince, learning the words of an enemy was as important as learning the words of a friend.

looked fresh, unconcerned and fair, his golden hair bright above clothing of a blue so dark it was almost black. His blue eyes were as innocent as the sky; only if you looked carefully could you see something genuine in them.

Laurent’s fair skin and blue eyes were a combination that was rare in Patras, rarer in Akielos, and a particular weakness of Damen’s. The golden hair made it worse.

“You may hand me the leash,” said a pleasant voice, very close.

Damen looked up into a pair of limpid blue eyes.

except for the ones he had recently been staring into.