Being a king wasn't all sunshine and barking orders. There was a bit of bookkeeping to go along with it as well. The massive man was laid out on his belly beside the fireplace, pouring over sheets of soft fur with marks etched into them. These were his tallies. The numbers of imports, exports, death, expenses. It would have been much simpler to just let things run their course without all of the nasty paperwork, but Chimera was an industrial sort.

After a time, the marks on the sheets began to run together. The two-toned man pushed them aside, bringing one paw up to gently knead the area between his closed eyes. There was a dull throbbing in his head and, if he continued much longer, he would have ended up with a whopping headache. There would be more time to deal with things tomorrow.

The ladies were all off doing their respective things. They'd formed their own little relationships and the lot of them were very much a family unit these days. He didn't mind much when they were off spending time together as a result of these newfound bonds. It meant a little more time to himself, but he didn't mind that either.

"Speech"

Time passed, just as it always did. Erystotle was allowed to recover and recuperate and that he did. Given enough time the man had been returned, physically, to prime condition. Rest, good food, and removal of abuse had him looking brand new. His ivory fur shone as if he was made of mother of pearl. The star like speckling along his hips and tail almost glowed. His colors turned vibrant and his silver eyes regained clarity.

Already he was doing better than his whole time with the slavers, and though he worried his curse would bring doom on the wolves who possessed him now he said nothing. He was still property, his opinion still didn’t matter. He was here to work, and if he did then Erys would be cared for. The wolves of Fenmyre held up their end of the deal and Erys was finally able to keep up his. He cleaned up after the royal children, he started working his muscles again by moving and restocking firewood. Along those same lines he kept food and beverages stocked within the King’s living quarters and just made sure everything was clean and tidy for him. Especially his own coat.

Erys left the queen Siren’s quarters after she assured him that there was nothing else she needed of him and he made his way back to his own quarters. Not that he in any sense believed he owned the space, it was all Chimera’s he was just allowed to remain there. On his way he realized that Chimera was right inside his own quarters so the horned boy paused at the door. Silver eyes averted from Chimera’s massive frame he knocked softly on the door.

”Your Grace?” He spoke softly, lowering his ears and tail submissively as he offered himself. ”Do you require my assistance before I retire to the baths?”

Black and white ears shifted to the side, catching the click of claws on wood. The voice of the servant man called out softly and Chimera turned his attention towards the door. He appreciated the hard work that the luminescent man had been putting in around the island. Erystotle went above and beyond, doing things without being asked. That made him very valuable. The less overseeing that Chimera had to do, the better. The horned brute was proving to be very reliable and already the king had a healthy level of trust for him.

"No," his answer was simple. It wasn't necessary to say much else, so he didn't. Chimera gave a nod, dismissing the horned man. He waited until Erystotle was gone before he pulled his attention away from the door. It was difficult to not look at the man. There was an ethereal beauty to him that Chimera appreciated. Erystotle looked otherworldy, in a sense. With time, it seemed that the life had come back into him somewhat. At least physically. Mentally, who knew what lay beneath?

Once alone, Chimera decided that the lull of the fire was just too much to peel himself away from. Rather than go back to the main chamber, the giant man simply curled up on the furs and drifted off into a much needed sleep.

"Speech"

Erys didn’t catch Chimera’s pink eye as he turned even before the knock at the door. Erys felt his gaze on him as there was a pause between his question and the answer from the King. The slave didn’t realize the praise beneath that dual toned gaze, and only was doing as he was told. He was giving himself to the fullest of his ability, as was demanded of him. There was a simple answer given, no he was not needed the rest of the evening. Erys gave a quick bow, but was careful not to disturb the King further back away from the door and quickly made his way to the next destination.

As was implied Erystotle made sure his coat was kept immaculate for his new master. Dirt no longer marred his pristine pelt. He tried to remember the time before his enslavement when he had once cared deeply about his appearance. His horns were recovering more slowly compared to his fur, they still flaked and were dry, but after every bath Erys oiled and buffed them. Soon they would return to a glorious luster.

Able to draw his own baths now he worked quickly and thoroughly, cleaning himself to perfection before finally making his way to bed. So far his sleep had been deep and dreamless, he’d been so exhausted in the first few days of living in the pack. Now he tried to work himself to sleep and he embraced the healing darkness.

Curled and wrapped in the soft furs Erys could feel safe, but there was a deeper part of him that had not settled, that was still frightened and uncertain and ready for the other shoe to drop so to speak. Past trauma and habit created the scene that developed in his sleeping mind. Outwardly he began to twitch, but inwardly he was being chased. Hunted. Erys couldn’t clearly see what was chasing him, but he felt as if it were his past captors along with a massive monster. The curse.

In his dream Erys ran because if he was caught then he would be dead. They would kill him. Outwardly his his limbs began to race, tangling the furs around his limbs and exposing his emaciated frame. He started shivering and whining. Softly at first but as he ran in the dream his legs tangled outwardly and as the monsters drew near his began to cry out in his sleep.

A sudden, arrhythmic commotion pulled the sleeping beast from his rest. Chimera blinked open tired eyes, willing away the muddiness of his mind. It was silent. Had it been a dream? And then the sound began again, this time accompanied by anguished whines, muffled by the wall. The slave? Planting his paws into the furs, Chimera got to his feet and padded out of the room.

One black toed paw slid the door open on its track and the beast moved inside the much smaller servants chamber. Erystotle lay, writhing on the furs, whimpers and whines pouring from him. He slept, but the look on his face was one of extreme distress. The man was having nightmares, that much was obvious. Chimera almost turned and left the man to his terrors, but the anguish on his face caused the opposite.

Coming forward, Chimera placed a paw upon the shimmering man's shoulder, giving him a gentle shake. "Erystotle," he growled softly, but the man was unresponsive. He continued to shudder, shake, all the while releasing pitifully pained cries. With a narrowed look and a low grumble, the king hesitated. He didn't want to do this, but he'd sworn to take care of this slave. What kind of master would he be if he left him like this?

Stepping behind the quivering man, Chimera lowered himself to the furs. Lifting one big foreleg, he pulled Erystotle against his chest, wrapping him protectively in his embrace. Chi curled his neck downwards over the man, holding him in a cocoon of alabaster and onyx. He'd stay for as long as it took for the man's terrors to ease.

"Speech"

Running, running, running… Erys was chased through field and forest, over lava filled plains and swampy woods. His dream continued to take him through all of the places of note during his life. From the far oss islands of his birth, through Boreas and Auster. He could hardly breath and he couldn’t wake himself. As he raced for his life the scenery continued to change. He didn’t notice at all as Chimera entered his cozy quarters, he was deaf to the sound of his voice and the paw against his shoulder. The nightmare held him tightly in its clutches.

Finally he was cornered into Fenmyre, he recognized the paths he took every day, the trees, the faces. Erystotle ran for his very life through the packlands. His heart beat out his chest, there was no way out. At the same moment Chimera carefully wrapped him in his embrace, warming Erys and squeezing him protectively. As Erys turned around to face his doom, his paws slipping over the cliffside above an inky black ocean, a streak of light interrupted the descent of his hunters.

It stopped between himself and the demons. As the warmth of Chimera spread through him, so did the light before him grow to make his pursuers disappear. Erys knew they were defeated, suddenly the tension within him dissipated and the curse that had held onto him for so long released him from its grasp and Erystotle relaxed into Chimera’s embrace.

He sucked in a relieved breath and woke from his dream, hungover from it and unaware of where he was. The scent of the King surrounded him and he realized his arms were around him. He was silent and uncertain as his mind caught up to what was going on. He was having a nightmare, and he’d woken the King because of it. But where he should have been beating him for the transgression he was holding him until it was over.

”Your Highness, my deepest apologies.” His voice was a whisper against ivory and onyx fur. This was not the actions of a cruel man, and Erys was beginning to believe Dalila wasn’t lying to him. Of course Erys did not move from the King’s grasp, never run away, and he would not. If this was where Chimera desired him to be, he would remain.

The man struggled and Chimera continued to hold him close, keeping him in that protective embrace with the surety that he would soon come out of whatever terrors stalked him in his dreams. The hulking brute hadn't even realized it til much later, but his claws had been gently stroking through the vibrant coloring that ran down the smaller man's side and hip. This gave rise to a new slew of emotions. His encounter with the black and purple man had opened Chimera's eyes to the fact that he was capable of both being attracted to and receiving pleasure from males as well as females. He couldn't deny his attraction to this feminine looking man. Was that why he had saved him from his fate on the ship?

Gradually, the struggling stilled and soon Chimera was looking down into the face of the alabaster man as he apologized. The massive man released a low growl, but it wasn't a growl of anger. More a growl of nonsense. "Don't apologize," he spoke in low tones. "We're already here. Just rest." Chi was already comfortable and being curled up like this had made him quite warm. The big man adjusted a bit, stretching out his hind legs for optimum comfort so that he could settle in for some sleep.

Chimera stayed awake, however. Many thoughts sifted through his mind. There was no doubt that Erystotle had known the men on the ship. He'd been told as much. Was that the man's preference, however? Was he a lover of men? A lover of women? Had he ever had a choice? As his property, Chimera would have been well within his rights to take this man and use him as he saw fit. He could do it right now. Part of him wanted to have this beautiful wolf beneath him right now, but he wouldn't do it. Perhaps it was only a flight of fancy that he would outgrow. Perhaps he wouldn't outgrow it at all. Either way, there was a lot of time to decide.

"Speech"

Erys wasn’t used to a kind touch, the last time anyone had laid with him for anything more than their own gratification was when he was found by Lydia. His foster mother kept him alive and was an important part of his childhood, and he still blamed himself for the terrible death she suffered. He wasn’t used to such affection, in fact he’d learned to fear it, but Chimera’s hold felt different.

Blue marked ears fell to his skull at the deep growl from Chimera’s chest. There was no malice, but a good natured correction. Erys need not apologize and with a note of dismissal the King made himself more comfortable there with him. The pearly man felt tension in his limbs, uncertainty of where he was and the lingering effects of the awful dream he suffered through. Just rest. It was the sweetest command he had ever been given. His instincts told him he was about to be hurt once again, but his mind was more easily convinced that he was finally safe. Never run.

The little boy that lost everything had never really left him. Erys felt like he had never really reclaimed his life after Lydia died. He was a slave to more than those that sold and bought his flesh. He was a slave to the curse and his own inability to persevere. Giving himself to the King now, putting his trust and hope into this man, was everything that he needed. A long soft sigh left him as his muscles relaxed and he submitted wholly as he was commanded, he’d give all of himself. Most importantly of all he gave Chimera his trust in that moment. The broken man melted into Chimera’s embrace, but did not sleep.

The dream lingered in his mind, and he couldn’t help but think the light that rescued him was the King. He’d stopped him from being beaten further that day, he’d shown him nothing but kindness and care. His appearance, his voice, his presence were so rough and yet here he was a safe oasis with strong arms of protection. Like nothing Erys had come to expect ever again. ”You saved me.” Erys whispered softly enough it wouldn’t wake Chimera if he had fallen asleep. ”In my nightmare…” In real life.

Chimera held the pearlescent man in his embrace until his heartrate stilled. He could very well have been asleep, but the king was not. His neck was still draped over the pale wolf's neck and shoulders and his own breathing was slow, so it may have seemed as though he slept, but his mismatched gaze was open to paper thin slits. He was comfortable, but he wasn't quite ready to drift back to sleep just yet. There were too many things going on in his mind.

If something did develop between himself and this man, what would that mean for the women in his life? Would they be upset? Would they think less of him or judge him for it? Would it matter? Yes... it would. He wouldn't throw what he'd created away for some base desire. He had more than any wolf had the right to ask for already and he shouldn't be so greedy, but... he wanted to be.

A soft voice pulled Chimera from his thoughts and his pale pink eye slanted downwards, catching the edge of the pale brute's mouth as he spoke. It was surprising that Chimera would have been the one to deliver him from a nightmare. Many had seen him as the nightmare, not as the savior. "Life is a nightmare," he informed the man in equally soft tones. They were so close that neither of them had to speak in much more than a whisper. "Serve me with all that you are. Give yourself to me completely and I'll always protect you from the nightmares of the world." It was his duty as king to protect that which was his and Erystotle surely was his.

"Speech"

Erys felt like his life had always been a roller coaster, he’s always been chased by the curse of some unknown god. He was supposed to be dead, many times over. After all of it he could hardly believe himself landing here. Chimera made clear he was not a wolf to be trifled with, and Erys had heeded that warning. He did as he was told, and more. Life here was becoming pleasant, and now the King himself held him through a terrible nightmare. It was too much to fall back asleep from so quickly.

From what he gathered so far, Queen Aliana, and the consort Dalila had both been servants to the King at one time. Now Dalila was raising his child and Aliana was obviously, his Queen. The man’s arms around him now should have been no great surprise. He was favored by the King, but what do to about that information was yet to be seen, obviously whatever was desired of him.

Chimera wasn’t asleep. Erys felt him shift slightly as he spoke in return, caching easily the unspoken words that remained behind Erystotle’s lips. Chimera reminded him that life was a nightmare but that he would make him a deal. A vow of sorts. Everything, give the King all of himself and he would forever be guarded from the nightmare.

”I am yours, my King.” He returned just as softly, feeling a nervous shiver race over his skin as he spoke it. He’d never been loved before. Used, taken from, beat into submission.. But never cared about or doted on. He’d never been held so tenderly. Could he try and hope to hold a position like Dalila or Aliana? To belong to the King in more ways than master over slave. To maybe feel like he really belonged in loving arms.

Erys assured him whom he belonged to, but Chimera didn't need to hear it. He knew it. He'd made it abundantly clear from the transfer of ownership what was expected and what the consequences of failure would be. There was no escape from the midnight and snow beast. Erys would never escape him, just like Siren, Aliana, Dalila... they all belonged to him. They were all his.

"Go to sleep, Erystotle," the king instructed. He would hold the man until he slept. He would ward off the nightmares as promised. Perhaps he would stay the whole night or perhaps he would leave before morning. Whatever felt right, he would do. For now, the pale man needed his rest and perhaps he could rest easier knowing that he was being watched over.

---Time skip---

As it turned out, Chimera did gently extract himself from around the sleeping man once he was asleep and seemed to be resting well. He gently padded from the room, sliding the door shut quietly behind him. Chimera then went back to his own room, sliding into the furs beside Aliana for the rest of the night, though it was his turn to have issues with sleep. Instead of sleeping, the man simply stared into the fire, mulling over the paths that his future could take.

"Speech"