Chapter Sixty One
E S C A L A T E : A CONTRACT AND A HOME
Luella stared at the stained shirt she found in the tent after Osiris left that morning. They were back at her castle, save for their father and her little brother. She nursed a glass of wine.
"I think it's time we talk about this."
Axel slammed the contract in front of their mother. She came to check on them after the incident this afternoon. It was nearly midnight now.
She only had to glance at the paper to know what it was.
"So you went snooping in your father's things."
"Why did you not tell us."
"Because it wasn't any of your business." The Queen looked at her son. "At the time, you were all too young to understand."
"Why would you sign something like this?!"
Axel was upset that his mother would sign something so blatantly biased. It left her nothing.
"S-So dad was with the woman before you?"
Claudia looked at Mercedes.
She would rather keep Mercedes out of this. She was born out of love between the two. She helped fix a rough patch they were going through, and she was not raised like the others. She was coddled. And now her eyes looked at her like she didn't even know her.
"Yes. Kina refused to marry, so the contract was made."
"B-But the crown-"
"At the time, Kina was infertile." The Queen gently spun a glass of wine she had. "I poisoned her myself."
She put the glass down.
"And for years she didn't bare a child. It wasn't until years after Mercedes was born that she came up pregnant."
She can still remember the day Mikael came back crying and happier than he's ever been.
"But why, why would you do this to yourself?"
Axel couldn't understand.
His mother was powerful, beautiful, and caring. She could have anything she wanted-
"Because it was the only way I could be with the man I loved."
They all looked to their mother. Her face was twisted in anguish. She looked… she looked small.
"I love him so much. I couldn't allow some nobody take him from me."
Axel looked away.
He cannot deny that his entire life he's watched his mother beg for attention from his father. They all thought it was something he was just uncomfortable with, but after what they know now…
"Your father will always choose that boy over my children." She closed her eyes. "He loved Kina more than life itself. He would have killed himself, if not for that boy."
Claudia has become conflicted as she grows older. She still hates him, but he's the only reason she's become close to Mikael again. They haven't been this close since they were children.
"But I can't do it anymore."
She's getting too old to keep up with the boy. He hasn't grown weaker, and she doesn't have the will in her anymore to keep it up. But she can still give her children a little help. Claudia forced a few tears to fall. It worked like a charm.
"It's okay, mother." Axel gripped her shoulder. "Let us handle things now. Focus on father."
"After Axel's fuck up I managed to catch him with a one year old pup. And I found out he has money."
Luella swirled her drink.
With her father it was Osiris, Mer, then Axel. With her mother it was Darwin, Axel, Zayd, Mer, then her. She could care less if her mother signed a shit contract. She was still hoping to win the crown despite the odds against her. And because of her little brother she has to rebuild her reputation from scratch.
Two break outs in a row has shattered any little trust they had left. On top of all the new nobles that are about to take over their respective houses, everyone in their family, except for Axel, will need to rework their political power.
"It should ruin his image severely."
Claudia smiled at her.
Luella was exactly like her. She worked better under pressure, and the more she is denied something, the stronger she gets.
"Wonderful."
Luella felt her heart ease. So she did a good job. Even if she was never a favorite, she still loves her mom. And she still looks to her for approval, no matter how hard she tries not to.
Darwin and Mercedes watched from a couch to the left of them. Neither were ever really a part of their mother's schemes, but they did know about a few. Especially the ones where their lives could be in danger. Darwin sipped on his tea. Osiris was civil to him during the war. Even after he spilled the beans that they were both bastards, he only stopped by to see if his father sent him jerky.
Which he did a lot because he wanted them to get along. Darwin wanted to sigh. The King still treats him like a son despite his mother. He gives him food, clothes, a castle… Osiris has received nothing but pain from them.
And that's why they were all going to die.
Darwin has tried to talk to them. He's tried to warn them, to make them see.
Osiris does not want the crown.
He was almost sure he knew about the contract, but he couldn't say for sure without setting off a panic. Darwin moved his mind back to his lover. He needed to cook breakfast for them in a few hours.
Osiris made it back to his dorm somewhere around one am after walking little Nox to his room. He hated it. Osiris snickered when the door slammed shut. Lifting the passed out pup closer to his neck they headed to his room. He was still very shirtless and he needed a shower.
".."
Osiris started to lay the pup on the bed when he woke up. He jumped right back into his arms.
"Look, we're home."
Morpheus did not look.
"I promise it's safe."
A few seconds passed and he finally looked.
It really was just a room.
Slowly Osiris put him down with his paws still latched onto his pants. It smelled like the Prince.
"Do you want to take a bath?"
They both stank and he didn't really feel like washing his sheets this week.
"A bath?"
"Wait here, let me get some clothes."
He took a step back. The paws were holding onto his skin like a piece of balongie.
".."
That baby fat of his really likes to remind him, doesn't it. Osiris pulled from his grasp and he hugged himself and shook. Osiris counted it as a win when he didn't scream.
Morpheus watched as the Prince went through drawers and pulled out clothes. When he finished, he turned to him and motioned with his head to follow. They went down the hall and into a hole in the wall that said boys. It was white and tiled with shower stalls as far as the eyes can see.
At the back he could see a pool of water.
"Fuck yes!"
She held his throat and head underwater as she rode him. No matter where he laid his hands they would slip. He didn't want to die-
Osiris watched the dog piss himself.
".."
"We can just shower."
Osiris started a stall closest to the door. It took a minute, but the water warmed.
"Tell me if this is too hot for you."
Morpheus listened while muttering his worries as he stripped off his soiled clothes.
"I can clean it, promise."
"Leave it. Do you even like those clothes?"
He didn't.
"T-That's what I've always worn."
"Do you like clothes?"
He does.
"I.. do, sometimes."
"Touch the water."
Morpheus expected it to be scolding hot, but it was only, slightly, a bit too warm.
"It's fine."
".."
Osiris slightly lowered the heat.
"Use this to wash your fur, and this your face."
He stole some of Sunnie's things again. She had the stuff that won't burn if it gets in your eyes.
"Yes master."
He started to lather himself up.
"First get wet, then add the soap."
"I've never done it myself, s-sorry."
He stood under the water.
"I'll shower over the-"
"You can use mine first- I-I can wait."
".."
Osiris turned on the water in the stall next to him. Morpheus's shoulders relaxed.
"Go on."
He kept looking at him as he washed. When he would massage the soap in his hair, the pup would copy him. Osiris took a slower shower than normal, making sure he learned how to properly clean himself. He had to do this with Goss, only it's a bit easier with a boy, for him. Sunnie had to teach her how to stay sanitary because she kept getting bladder infections, which she got a lot, at first. She just didn't know how to do it. It was Sunnie who noticed first.
He thanked her for her service and finally shut off the water.
"Leave it." Morpheus stopped his hand before it could reach the nob. "Look, you still have soap."
He did.
"B-but I did everything.."
"You have fur, I don't." He shrugged. "You'll always take longer in a shower. Go on."
Osiris dried himself and waited for the pup to get all the soap out. It took thirty minutes, but he was as fresh as a daisy. He looked happy with the towel around his head. Osiris used his dirty towel and threw their clothes from last night into the trash.
"We'll get more."
Osiris dressed and gave more towels to the pup to dry. It took an hour to dry him completely. Osiris was surprised he actually let him help with that. He did his arms and legs while he worked on the rest.
They went back to his room.
"Let's sleep."
Osiris ignored the yelp and scooped him up and threw them into bed. He didn't care how they landed but he was tired. Eventually the pup stopped crying and settled against the bed.
It was dreamless.
His sooks had three days left in their vacation, so he was stuck alone caring for the dog. It was a bit of work to get him to walk at least three feet behind him, but progress was progress.
Osiris tapped his chin.
Students will try to touch him once things settle back down. He's been in his room with the pup these last three days, so the rumor mill is running its course. For now, he may be safe, but in a few weeks..
An idea hit him.
Osiris cackled as he pulled out a request letter for Goss. He sketched out a bad prototype, but he'll leave some of it up to her. He emphasized the handle. After a few more minutes he sent it off and received an automatic confirmation.
That tanuki keeps trying to push them into the slave market, but as he can see from the city, and his history lessons back home, slavery is temporary. He could jump on the trend or venture off.
A couple of hours later it arrived.
"Perfect."
Morpheus shivered on the bed.
Osiris turned to him.
"Do you want to wear clothes with this?"
Morpheus looked at a.. vest?
"S-Service dog in training, do not.. touch?"
It was red and black with a handle on the back, or what he assumed was the back.
"It's a prototype."
"Does it hurt?"
"No, it's like wearing a backpack."
"What's a backpack?"
".."
"Here, touch it."
While the dog pulled and picked apart the vest he sent the idea he had over to Goss. It was simple. They could buy slaves and sell them as Support Animals. Service dogs will be trained in tasks like a guide dog. Emotional support will be trained in soothing and comfort. And Therapy dogs for the really bad cases. He also wanted to offer a service to people who want to adopt and help a child in need.
He'll also offer a workers contract instead of a slave contract. This way, if the beasts want to leave, they can return to base and suffer no consequences.
"Anyways, what do you think?"
Osiris turned and saw a very funny image of the dog stuck in the vest.
"I'm sorry, it got stuck in my fur."
"T-That's because you have to unzip it first."
He was trying to not laugh because he looked like he was going to start sobbing. After showing him how, and accidentally putting it on him backwards, they eventually made it to the halls. The pup stayed nude with just the vest.
He must feel better.
Short haired breeds like clothes a lot more than double coated ones. He noticed it when he was looking for his men in that city.
The eyes on him were hostile as he walked into a class.
He didn't really care, but the pup could feel it.
"Ignore them, they're just acting like children."
That got a few snears.
".."
He forgot that there was only one seat.
Morpheus was wrapped around him like a noodle monster, face flat at the center of this chest. For the rest of the day it was pretty much like that. He tried to take him to eat lunch in the cafeteria, buuut that didn't work out.
He heard a ding on his desk.
They loved the idea.
".."
He doesn't even know that much about dogs, or service animals. He only knows what he's seen on social media and the animal, planet, space channel. But he has people who can fill in the gaps.
He hummed to himself as they ate in his room.
The hostility between the siblings escalated.
"Osiris."
"You."
Axel's smile was filled with thick, dark hate.
"Why are you here."
They don't try to appease him anymore. In public, they were barely civil. They weren't at the stage of attacking each other on sight, but it was getting there. He could already feel ten men waiting for him to leave the crowd.
"To shop."
It was a pet store.
His teeth ground against each other. Luella did manage to fuck up his reputation but the fucker was already fixing it. Not only that, he has connections to the Purgatory Guild. They've started a new trend with the beasts, and Osiris's pup was the first.
If only he could get his hands on him.
When he wasn't with the boy he was with the Headmaster. He couldn't catch him alone.
"Let's leave."
Axel began to walk away.
"Weird seeing you here, since you don't have a pet anymore."
His ego flared but he kept moving.
"Double it."
His men rushed to get more soldiers.
Osiris went in and bought some vitamins and treats, not too bothered by the twenty men entering the shop after ten minutes. The store clerk looked terrified. Osiris finished shopping and put his things on the counter and put his card down.
He trapped the knife aimed for his face and directed it right back into theirs. Blood got on them.
"Charge it."
The clerk was as white as a sheet as he hurried to ring him up. Osiris yawned as he lazily killed the men.
"T-there you g-go." He was crying through his smile. "H-have a nice day."
Osiris killed all the men in the shop before he left.
It felt like things were looking up.