There weren’t witnesses. There wasn’t a ceremony. They put a gold collar around his neck and dressed him in slave silks that he hadn’t earned, that he didn’t yet deserve.
He was a full slave, two years early, and they were sending him away.
He didn’t start shaking until he was brought into a white marble room in an unknown part of the palace. The sounds were strange echoes, as though it was a vast cavern containing water. He tried to look around himself but the figures wavered like the flame of a candle behind warped glass.
He could still feel the kiss, the violence of it, his lips felt swollen.
But slowly he was becoming aware that the activity in this room was to some larger purpose. There were other slaves-in-training in the room with him. He recognised Narsis, and Astacos. Narsis was about nineteen years of age, with a simple but sweet temperament. He would never wear a pin, but he would make an excellent table attendant, and perhaps a trainer himself one day, patient with the younger boys.
There was a strange atmosphere, bursts of sound here and there from outside. The rise and fall of voices were the voices of free men, masters, in whose presence he had never been allowed before.
Narsis whispered, ‘It’s been like that all morning. No one knows what’s happening. There are rumours—there have been soldiers in the palace. Astacos said he saw soldiers speaking with Adrastus, asking for the names of all the slaves who belonged to Damianos. Everyone wearing a lion pin was taken away. That’s where we thought you’d be. Not here with us.’
‘But where are we? Why have we—why have we been brought here?’
‘You don’t know? We’re being sent across the water. There are twelve of us, and twelve from the female training quarters.’
‘To Isthima?’
‘No, along the coast, to Vere.’
For a moment it seemed that the outside sounds grew louder. There was a distant metallic clash that he couldn’t interpret. Another. He looked for answers to Narsis and saw his confused expression. It occurred to him, stupidly, that Kallias would know what was happening, that he should ask Kallias, and that was when the screams began.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This book was born in a series of Monday night phone conversations with Kate Ramsay, who said, at one point, ‘I think this story is going to be bigger than you realise.’ Thank you Kate, for being a great friend when I needed it most. I will always remember the sound of the wonky old phone ringing in my tiny Tokyo apartment.
I owe an enormous debt of thanks to Kirstie Innes-Will, my incredible friend and editor, who read countless drafts and spent tireless hours making the story better. I can’t put into words how much that help has meant to me.
Anna Cowan is not only one of my favourite writers, she helped me so much on this story with her amazing brainstorming sessions and insightful feedback. Thank you so much, Anna, this story wouldn’t be what it is without you.
All my thanks to my writing group Isilya, Kaneko and Tevere, for all your ideas, feedback, suggestions and support. I feel so lucky to have wonderful writer-friends like you in my life.
Finally, to everyone who has been part of the
Captive Prince
online experience, thank you all for your generosity and your enthusiasm, and for giving me the chance to make a book like this.
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