Two more days of the holiday flew by quickly and briskly. The Sheikh no longer asked him to sing, although the guests insisted on it very much, Arshad adamantly refused. Maksud explained this to Kai by saying that the Sheikh did not want to pamper everyone with such luxury, but would leave it for the next holiday, thereby making it clear to him that he would now be regularly invited to such events.
Despite the constant presence of guests, everywhere Arshad took the opportunity to quickly snatch Kai out of the crowd and, dragging him into a secluded niche or a darkened arch, pinning him to the wall, kissing him passionately, and then, leaving, went back to the guests. Kai, for a long time, came to his senses and then returned to everyone, hiding his eyes, thinking that by his appearance everyone understood what he had just been doing.
Finally, by the evening of the third day, the guests all left, and Maksud, finding him, took him to bed, saying that in the morning Arshad was waiting for him on a horse ride. This made Kai very happy, all these days they did not ride because of the guests.
Early in the morning they, as usual, jumping on their horses, rushed into the desert, picking up speed, behind them, lagging, galloped the Sheikh's guard. Having applied themselves to their fullest, they returned to the stable. Kai, as always, unsaddled his horse himself and, having already led him into the stall, heard screams.
Running out to the noise, he saw Arshad with a whip, who beat the groom-boy, lying at the sheikh's feet and shielding himself from the blows of the whip with his hands, muttered through crying, repeating the same thing:
"It's not my fault. The horse escaped from my hands. I am not guilty, I didn't keep it, I didn't want to, forgive me, I could not keep it ..."
Kai rushed to Arshad and stood between him and the boy. The Sheikh froze with a raised hand with a whip, by which he intended to once again strike at the boy.
"What has happened?" Kai looked into the Sheikh's eyes burning with anger.
"He could not restrain my steed, and it ran away and fought with another stallion."
"Are you hitting the boy for this?"
"It's not up to you to decide. He is guilty and will be punished."
"Has your horse got badly hurt in the fight?"
"It does not matter. He's to blame for what has happened. Get away."
"Your horse is too strong and aggressive; it is difficult for such a boy to cope with it. He is innocent of what has happened."
"It's not for you to decide who is guilty and who is not," it was pronounced in an even, clear voice with notes of steel. "Get away."
"I won't let you beat him."
Arshad's eyes became deeply black. An unpleasant chill ran down Kai's spine, but he remained standing, blocking the crying boy.
Those eyes of black gloom looked at him, and then the Sheikh turned around and silently walked towards the palace. Kai realized that he had gone too far, and now his fate was as uncertain as that of this groom.
Gifar and Maksud came to the noise. Now they did not look him in the eye, and this once again confirmed the worst consequences of his act.
"You'd better spend time in the library now," Maksud said dryly passing by him.
Kai did just that. He spent the rest of the day there. This distracted him, and even at some point he forgot about everything and got carried away with reading. In the evening, servants came for him and took him to his chambers, where they then dressed up for a long time.
He didn't like these clothes. They were more decent than the night version, in which he was taken to the room of carnal pleasures, but, at the same time, too luxuriously transparent, with an abundance of embroidery, jewelry, and pretentious glitter of rhinestones.
He was silent, it was obvious, there must be retribution for what he had done. He did not regret his action, he would have done it again, he was now worried about the punishment for it. And that it would be, he understood, remembering the darkness in the eyes of Arshad. Well, and Maksud did not appear all day, and even now he did not look into his eyes, as if he was a doll, the eunuch only straightened clothes on him and examined him with an indifferent look.
Walking along the corridor, Maksud caught up with him and said very quietly:
"Arshad is easygoing, ask him for forgiveness, tell him that you got excited and were wrong."
"He was wrong. He beat the child."
"I've given you advice, you are dear to me ... nothing else I can do for you. Sorry."
Maksud walked away from him and went forward. Kai knew that now he would find out about his punishment.
He was led into a fairly large hall, in the center of which there was a small dais, on which musicians with national instruments were sitting and playing folk oriental melodies. Low sofas with a huge number of pillows stood in a semicircle not far from the stage and there were fluffy carpets in front of them, on which Kai saw low tables with fruits, sweets, and drinks. Directly opposite the stage, Arshad was reclining on such a sofa with a hookah and, half-closing his eyes, listened to music.
Maksud, taking Kai by the elbow, led him through the hall to the stage, where, placing him in the center, he bowed to the Sheikh and left, sitting on one of the sofas in the hall.
The lights were dim, the furnishings were oriental. It seemed that time has now transported Kai to the real palace of the eastern ruler, nothing here reminded of modernity.
Arshad took a drag on his hookah and looked at him through half-closed eyes.
"Sing for me."
Kai looked around. In addition to Arshad, Gifar was reclining next to him on the sofas, and Maksud joined them. Behind, a little in the distance, there were guards around the entire perimeter of the hall. The servants moved to and fro quietly, pouring tea and filling the Sheikh's hookah. It was clear that pronouncing the words "to sing for him," Arshad did not regard the whole environment as people. He believed that he was alone. But, in general, it didn't matter right now. Kai understood why he was dressed up like that, obviously so that he would again please the eye of the sovereign.
The musicians played a melody, he recognized it and guessed that the Sheikh wanted to hear from him now. Deciding not to show off yet, he began to sing. It was an old Arabic song, lingering and mournful, like the wind in the desert, and long, like the dunes of sand.
He always sang with soul, how is it possible to sing differently? Even now, forgetting about everything, he was imbued with this eternal crying of a traveler, walking in the space of silent sand and looking for his love, lost and mourned by the cry of the wind and howling of sand storms.
The melody ended, his voice trailed off.
"Sing," the Sheikh's indifferent voice sounded.
The musicians started playing again. Kai recognized the melody again. He guessed that Arshad remembered the songs that he listed when talking to him in the library. He again decided not to show off. And he began to sing. It was also a long and drawn-out song. Like all songs of the east, it was sometimes with high, sometimes with low notes. He did not sing flat, his voice soared up, pulling the sound in a drawn-out manner, then dropped to low notes. He understood that he would not be able to sing like that for a long time. Such a load on the ligaments, but without preparation. But he sang. The melody fell silent.
"Sing," the voice sounded distant and indifferent.
The music started playing again. It was a very complex melody with varying voices from low to high with long draws. Now Kai understood what his punishment was. Arshad mocked him. It was clear. Kai began to sing for the third time, feeling that he was at the limit. But he finished the song, never singing out of tune. His silver voice faded under the arches of the palace.
"Sing," Arshad took a drag on the hookah, continuing to look at him through half-closed eyelids.
The melody played again.
"I won't sing anymore."
"You will! Sing!"
"I will not sing anymore, maybe you will also order to dance in front of you?" all this Kai now pissed off, and he wound up and no longer thought what he was talking about.
"If it is necessary, and you will dance!"
"Fuck you!"
Arshad's eyes widened and darkened. Plunging into this gloom of his gaze, Kai realized that this was not what the Sheikhs are told, but it was already too late.
Arshad sat up on the sofa. There was a metallic note in his voice.
"Did you consider yourself inviolable? Stupid! I gave you a promise, but they did not," he waved his hand towards the guard standing behind him. "Gifar, tell your people to rape him now. I want to see this."
Arshad leaned back on the pillow and raised the hookah mouthpiece to his lips.
Kai turned pale, seeing how, with a wave of Gifar's hand, eight hefty guards walked in his direction, taking off their swords and armor on the move. He began to retreat, but they surrounded him.
He stood on the stage in the center, they were in a circle. They rushed at him almost simultaneously. He managed to throw off a couple at once, then two more, but he always fought either with swords, or with a stick or the butt of a machine gun or any other object, since his hands were weak, and he could not strike them for a long time. And now, after several blows, he felt that he was losing strength. As a result, he missed a blow to the solar plexus, then another, and there was not enough air. He only felt that other lips were touching his lips, he bit them and received several blows in the face, then again in the stomach, and then, already gasping, with clouded eyes from the blows and not breathing well, he heard the fabric of his clothes tearing and felt hands on him. Rough hands crumpled, squeezed, and clenched his body painfully. Then he heard the pearls plucked from his neck fall to the floor. He felt that the chain with the cross was torn along with the pearl beads. Before his eyes, a picture emerged of how Prokhor's bros raped that poor fellow in his presence. Now, these scenes flashed in bright, brief flashes before his eyes: their cocks in his mouth, cum on his face, blood from his ass. He jerked again and lost consciousness ...
"He passed out. Should we continue?"
Feeling that he was limp, the guards released him, and he fell to the floor.
Arshad stood up abruptly and walked in their direction, everyone parted in front of him.
Kai was lying on his side, only torn harem pants, which exposed part of his thigh, and shreds of his shirt, no longer hiding his body, remained from his clothes. There were traces of hematomas that had already appeared on his body, his lips were covered in blood, his face was also beaten, parts of his luxurious suit and jewelry torn from him were lying around him.
Something crunched under Arshad's foot, he saw a pearl from a torn necklace from Kai's neck. The Sheikh stopped, froze, then, moving away to the exit, said sharply over his shoulder:
"Maksud, take care of him."
Maksud and Gifar rushed to Kai. On the way, the eunuch took off his velvet robe embroidered with gold and wrapped it around Kai, and since he was about one meter eighty, Kai simply was lost in it. Gifar helped to wrap the robe, then, easily lifting the young man in his arms, carried him to the chambers.
Maksud looked around the floor and found with his gaze a torn chain with a cross, carefully lifted it and put it in his pocket, realizing that this thing was very dear to Kai.
Entering the room, Gifar put his burden on the bed, Maksud had already prepared a jar, which after opening he brought to the nose of the insensitive Kai, who sighed and came to himself.
At first, he looked at them blankly, and then remembered what had happened. He began to shake.
"Gifar, you had better leave now," Maksud saw the haunted gaze of Kai, which he threw in the direction of Gifar.
He, having understood everything, left without further ado.
"I want to shower," Kai said, chattering his teeth and sliding out of bed.
Maksud helped him to the bathroom.
"Leave me alone."
Maksud did not insist, but after waiting a couple of minutes, went inside. As he expected, he saw him sitting in everything that was on him, under pouring water on the floor of the shower stall. He sat with his hands around the knees and was shaking violently. The eunuch quickly left, brought the tincture, poured it into a cup, and, turning off the water, despite Kai's weak resistance, poured all the contents into the guy's mouth. Then he stripped himself down to wide trousers and a tunic, went to Kai in a large shower stall.
After the tincture, stress, and everything put together, Kai felt weak and dull detached from everything that was happening. He did not even resist when the eunuch undressed him, tearing off the remnants of torn clothes, took off the remaining jewelry, and then, leaning the naked body against the wall of the shower, washed everything with gel and a sponge. Then the eunuch took Kai out, wiped him off, and put on the low sofa without a back that was standing there. Maksud carefully examined all guy's bruises and beatings and smeared everything with the contents of various jars, made a small massage to the constricted muscles, and especially carefully applied odd-smelling ointments to the battered face and lips. Then, dressing him in a light tunic and trousers, Maksud brought him to bed. Then the eunuch again forced him to drink the entire contents of a cup with a hot and odorous liquid, after which Kai fell asleep without thoughts, memories, and dreams.
Maksud was pleased with his work. He put himself in order and went to the chambers of Arshad. There he found Gifar. Arshad immediately stopped talking to him, turning to the eunuch:
"How is he?"
"Great Arshad cares about the physical or moral side of the issue of your captive?"
"Enough!" then Arshad relented. "How is he?"
"The physical part - of course, the beauty of his body and face was spoiled a little, but not fatally. I think everything will heal in a week. But sincere ... when he woke up, he had something like hysteria ... but my wonderful tinctures have solved this problem for today. He is now asleep."
"Report to me about his condition tomorrow," Arshad hesitated. Nevertheless, he asked the question that tormented him. "Why did he lose consciousness? Did they beat him too much?"
"No. This is not due to physical factors. He is, of course, a strong and brave boy, but at the same time, he is fragile and weak ... can't you see that? Things they began to do with him - he could not bear it, their touch and understanding of what was happening," the eunuch hesitated, and added more emotionally. "But then he sat under the shower, washed this dirt off himself, and he was shaking from all this," Maksud fell silent, being pleased that he had expressed everything he wanted.
"Gifar, these people who touched him, immediately send them to the front. And so that they would never approach the palace again and would not be near me."
Gifar bowed, understanding the order.
Maksud also bowed to Arshad and said in his usual tone:
"Who should be sent to the room of pleasure today?" but, seeing the black eyes of Arshad, stopped short and asked in a friendly tone. "Should I bring a tincture for sleep?"
"Yes, and stronger one."
***
In the morning, Kai woke up from the chirping of birds outside the window, a light breeze fluttered weightless chiffon curtains on the open windows. The scent of flowers from the garden filled his room, along with playful rays of light, plashes of sunlight playing on the crystal of the chandelier, and gilded stucco on the walls.
But all this for him faded in its beauty. He looked around this luxurious room indifferently. Slowly he got out of bed, feeling that his whole body ached from yesterday's tension and beatings, staggering, he made his way to the bathroom. There, in a huge mirror, Kai saw his reflection: a face with traces of beatings on the cheekbone and swollen, broken lips. Lifting his thin tunic, he saw a blue belly in the solar plexus area and marks on the thighs, clearly from the fingers. He felt disgusted again.
When Maksud looked into his bedroom, he found the guy lying in bed and staring indifferently at the ceiling. Maksud was not surprised. Something like this he expected to see. Servants came with Maksud - they brought food and a cup with a smelling tincture.
"My boy, you need to eat."
The eunuch sat down on the bed and, taking Kai by the shoulders, began to lift him.
"I don't want to eat," the voice sounded hoarse, so he still ripped it off yesterday with this singing, Kai realized.
Maksud heard it too and frowned.
"Then take some medicine, you will feel better, and for the voice, I will now prepare a healing potion, everything will be restored in a few days."
"I won't drink anything. Leave me alone."
Kai turned his head away from the eunuch and began to look lifelessly in the opposite direction. Maksud understood everything. He ordered the servants to leave.
"I want to return to you what you lost yesterday," Maksud took out a cross, but already on a new chain.
Kai's gaze brightened, Maksud put the cross back on his neck.
"Thank you," he whispered, and then his gaze faded again and he turned away.
Maksud sighed heavily and went into the chambers of the Sheikh.
Arshad was waiting for his arrival.
The eunuch had studied his master too well, and although he did not express his impatience in any way, Maksud saw that the Sheikh was all on edge.
"How are you, my master?" the eunuch bowed his head respectfully.
"Enough, Maksud. How is he? Why are you silent? Speak!"
"He broke his voice, it wheezes. But that's not the worst part. I'll restore his voice."
"What's bad ..."
"He doesn't want anything. Refuses to eat or drink. But that's okay in his position after all that has happened. Moreover, he does not know whether there will be a continuation today or not."
Arshad decisively went to the door, Maksud and Gifar silently followed him.
Walking along the huge corridors and spacious halls, Arshad thought that yesterday, watching what they were doing with Kai in front of his eyes, he did not feel pleasure, excitement, passion, as it happened before with such entertainments. Yesterday he was hurt and hard to watch all this, but he could not stop what he had started. He waited for Kai to beg for mercy, and then he would have spared him. But this young man was too strong and courageous, he did not ask for mercy, he fought, resisted, and was silent, and Arshad did not know what to do, going crazy with the fact that the hands of these men in his eyes touch the body of the one to whom he so wanted to touch himself. Kai was so courageous and so fragile ... His mind could not stand what was happening to him, and this saved the two of them from irreparable ...
Entering Kai's chambers, he went to the bed and, bending down, gently turned the guy's face towards him. Pain pierced him from what he saw - those beautiful lips were now swollen and cracked from caked blood, this face with traces of beatings, this body - that was not covered with a blanket - he saw marks from the rough fingers that had touched and dug it. Arshad's legs gave way, he sat down heavily on the bed next to the guy. He gently ran his hand over Kai's cheek.
"Forgive me," he looked into the eyes, now they were dim and looked through him. "You hear, I'm sorry," he again ran across his cheek, then, seeing the same distant look, removed his hand from his face. "You see, my power, who I am is not my choice, not my decision - this is my destiny. I am doomed from birth to bear the burden of this power. Yes, I like power. Yes, I rule the fates and lives of people. But such power has its drawbacks," he again ran his hand over the guy's cheek. "Never contradict me in front of anyone, do you hear? Understand, I could not do otherwise. You shouldn't contradict me in front of everyone," Arshad repeated once more, again looking into his eyes. "Do you understand why I did this to you? No one should doubt my power. I can't even spare the one who ...," he hesitated, then continued, "who is dear to me. This is the burden of power. This is my birthright burden."
The Sheikh turned away, hands clasped in front of him in his lap.
"I'm not offended. I'm sorry it turned out this way, but that boy ... you understand ..."
Arshad shuddered at his hoarse voice and at once interrupted him without letting him finish:
"I understand you have a kind heart. It's my own fault. You better not see many things. I've made the mistake of doing it in front of you. Forgive me."
Kai understood from this that nothing could alter Arshad. Well, the burden of power leaves its mark on people. But did he have the right to judge them for this?
"I forgave you," Kai replied hoarsely.
"Will you eat?"
Kai nodded. Maksud signaled and the servants brought a tray of food, which they placed on the bed in front of him. Arshad personally helped him to sit down and adjusted the pillows under his back to make him more comfortable. He did not leave, waited for Kai to eat everything, although he could not eat everything, saying that he had a lot and he would eat later. But even with this result, Arshad was very pleased.
Then Maksud brought a hot drink, Kai drank it, then another potion, without specifying what for, and felt that he was starting to fall asleep.
Arshad again helped him to lie down, straightened the pillow, covered it with a blanket, bent to his lips.
"Maksud smeared my lips with ointment," Kai croaked, seeing the Sheikh's intentions.
"Nothing, I'll just touch."
And he touched his swollen lips, then his cheeks and again his lips. It was so gentle, so neat, so beautiful, feeling it, Kai fell into a restful sleep ...
***
In the evening of the same day, before going to bed, again being rubbed and smeared with all kinds of ointments, Kai drank hot tincture while sitting in bed. Maksud, having finished screwing lids and putting away his mysterious medicinal jars, resolutely approached the guy's bed.
"Forgive me for not having interfered."
Kai saw that Maksud had long wanted to tell him this.
"I have nothing to blame you for. On the contrary, it is good that you did not interfere. One victim is enough."
"You are kind, and you have a good heart," the eunuch sat down on his bed, watching him slowly drink the beverage.
"I want to ask you," Kai was also worried about one question, and, probably, now it was the right time for him. "Did Arshad do this to you?"
"No. And if you knew that it had been him, would you hate him?"
"I don't know… but it's good that it's not him."
"His father did it to me. My father himself brought me to his father when they were looking for a suitable boy for the position of a eunuch in the harem of their newly born son. Do not be surprised. What would have happened to me in life if I hadn't become a eunuch? I would be an ordinary person, I would live, work, have a family - of course, all this is good. But only in this way I am able to approach the Sheikh and live such a life. I like it! I'm not mad at my father for doing this to me. On the contrary, I am grateful to him. I am happy to serve the Sheikh and have become a close friend to him over the years. You see, my boy, everyone has their own destiny."
"And what is my destiny?"
"To illuminate the life of men with the flame of your soul."
Kai, who drank a drink from a cup, upon hearing this, choked on the drink and began to cough, spilling the liquid residues from the cup. Maksud quite calmly took the cup from his hands and wiped off all the wet stains with napkins.
"Why have you decided that?" finally, clearing his throat, asked Kai in horror.
"Your soul gives them fire, which men strive for and which illuminates their lives."
Listening to the eunuch's poetic answers, he decided it was foolish to ask more questions.
Maksud, seeing his wide-open eyes, continued:
"Do not worry, you will have women in your life, but you will be happy only with a man."
"Are you a fortuneteller of the future?"
"No. I'm just forty, I've gained experience and knowledge and I see people, it comes with age. Here, drink this more and go to bed. And then we have chatted with you too much."
Maksud ended this conversation. He did not tell Kai that not only experience gave him a vision of the fate of people. When a person loses something in his life, fate gives him something else in return. So Maksud, having lost the opportunity to be a man, acquired the gift of looking under the cover of the unknown. He did not begin to tell Kai what he saw in his palms - that fate loved him and, sending many trials, would always be favorable to him. And that this fate would give him a choice, but what he would choose, Maksud already knew. And he, looking under the cover of darkness, learned that the path to happiness for this boy would be long and difficult, but he would come to it, he would definitely come.