Story Snippet – Treasure

So begins the Lost Gods ^__^ The prologue and the whole of this chapter will eventually be the official excerpt on LT3 (probably to go up next week, once they’re polished up and all, this is a very rough draft). In the mean time, enjoy the first five pages of chapter one :3

Chapter One

Taka strode through the dark halls of the palace, fervently hoping he would run into no one else. He did not want to have to figure out why he was headed toward Nankyokukai’s private quarters well after the curfew.

Candles flickered in the wall sconces, only half as many as he remembered being lit as a child. The carpet lining the halls was the same, though it was faded and worn. It another time, it would have long been replaced.

He shivered as cool air wafted in through a window tucked into the place where three hallways intersected. Taka turned right and continued on his way, holding tightly to the roll of dark blue fabric bundled in one hand.

The sound of bells reached his ears, and he swore softly, looking around anxiously and finally ducking behind a large statue of King Taiseiyou the second. He made himself as small as possible, and tried to remember to breathe as the sound of bells drew closer.

Bells … and far too many feet, he thought with a frown, but resisted the urge to look, because really—the less he knew, the better for everyone. He flinched as he heard Taiheiyou’s unmistakable deep voice, nothing at all like his brother’s smooth tenor. Why, he though irritably, did he always wind up in the wrong place at the wrong time? Of course he would cross paths with the crown prince in the middle of a midnight rendezvous.

Just please don’t let it be with—

As though cued, an all too familiar giggle shattered what was left of Taka’s calm and he buried his face in his hands to stifle a groan. If he thought he could get away with it, he’d strangle Taiheiyou himself in that very moment.

Why the king favored his bed-hopping, empty-headed eldest when he had Nankyokukai waiting in the wings, Taka would never know. Storms spare them the continued stupidity of the royal family. Take scowled at the wall as he waited for Taiseiyou and Lady Etsuko to go on their way. He could not wait to see the typhoon that erupted when her father caught her—there went that prosperous marriage to Lord Hamasaki that her father had been lusting after.

Taka was almost sad he would not be around to see the lightning strike, when they invariably got caught. He wondered if angering Lord Hamasaki would finally be the wave that tipped the boat, and Taiheiyou would find himself shoved unceremoniously into the royal shark pool.

The thought almost made him snigger, before he caught himself and held it back.

Several minutes later, the couple continued on—in the direction, Taka noted, of the royal quarters. Normally, he found it irritating that Nankyokukai, in his continuing efforts to see which son could first drive the king to homicide, had chosen to take rooms in the southernmost part of the palace. It gave him a beautiful view of the royal city, but put him well away from literally every place of importance in the palace.

Right then, Taka was grateful. If he’d had to wait until Taiheiyou and his flower actually made it into Taiheiyou’s room, Taka would have spared the king having to kill him. Huffing out an irritated breath, he shoved back loose strands of his dark green hair and slipped from his hiding place, making his way more quickly through the halls.

When he at last reached the hall where Nankyokukai’s rooms resided, Taka let out a sigh of relief. Reaching Nankyokukai’s room, he did not bother to knock, simply opened the door and slipped inside. He closed the door quietly behind him, and padded across the sitting room floor to the rightmost of three doors, sliding the door open and calling out, “Highness?”

“Here,” Nankyokukai replied, stepping out of the shadows that had cloaked him. He looked unusual with his long hair braided and bound, instead of loose as he normally wore it. “Really, Taka—your presence is not required.”

Taka rolled his eyes. “Highness, I am not stupid enough to leave you to your own devices. If you insist upon gallivanting about, I insist on going with you, and I really think we may as well leave off discussing the matter further.”

Nankyokukai laughed softly, and Taka was reminded all over again why the king was stupid for favoring Taiheiyou. If Taka had dared to speak so to Taiheiyou, he would have found himself cuffed at the very least, and more likely publically humiliated the following day. “What has you so cranky, Takara?” Nankyokukai asked. “Do not tell me that delegate from Pozhar was attempting to win your favors, again. I thought I took care of him.”

“You did, Highness, and I believe the noblemen whom he accompanied further addressed the matter, though he said nothing of it to me.”

“No, he wouldn’t,” Nankyokukai said softly. “That is not his grace’s way. So what, then, has you so irritated, hmm?” He drew up the length of fabric he’d been holding, and wound it around his head and shoulders to make a hood, securing the fabric in place with a plain silver clasp in the shape of a dragon’s head.

Taka snorted—even when Nankyokukai took pains to look perfectly ordinary, he failed miserably. “I really wish you would tell me what all of this is about.”

“I really wish you would tell me what has you angry,” Nankyokukai replied. “As I am the prince, and you the secretary, speak.”

“Brat,” Taka muttered, then gave up. “I saw your brother taking Lady Etsuko off to his room. Nearly ran into them, which would have been decidedly awkward.”

Anger flickered on Nankyokukai’s face, but he almost immediately smoothed it out and flapped one hand dismissively. “Tai will get his comeuppance. Even a crown prince does not get away with everything forever. His day is fading, and will shortly turn to night.”

“I wish that sounded less like a certainty, and yet I am glad I do not know why you are so certain,” Taka said with a sigh, and stepped out of his palace slippers to pull on the town boots he had tucked into the fabric roll he carried. When his boots were in place, he mimicked Nankyokukai in wrapping the fabric about his head and shoulders, though his silver pin was of much simpler quality, and a plain square in shape. “Come on, then, Highness. Let us get this over with.”

“We will not get far if you continue to call me that,” Nankyokukai pointed out.

Taka did not bother to reply, simply led the way to the balcony and swung neatly over the railing, then out onto the rough stone of the palace wall, making short, easy work of climbing down it to the ground below.

Nankyokukai was only moments behind, leaping neatly down beside him and brushing dirt from his loose, dark pants. “We have become rather skilled at that, haven’t we, Taka?”

“I prefer not to think about it, Kyo,” Taka replied. “Where are we going?”

“The warehouse district, the half-moon quadrant,” Kyo replied, and led the way away from the palace and down into the city.

The royal city smelled like the sea and the last fragrant traces of flowers fading away as summer turned to Autumn. He shivered in the cold, but the chill would vanish after a few more minutes of brisk walking. Down in the city, it was less strange to see people walking about well after curfew. The moon was fat and pale in the sky, gleaming here and there on the streets. Taka walked alongside Kyo, something he would never do by the light of day, where propriety dictated he walk two paces behind.

He resisted an urge to touch the dagger tucked away at the small of his back, not wanting to alert anyone who might be watching as to where he kept his weapon. It was rare someone bothered them—Kyo just had that sort of presence—but it paid to be cautious all the same.

“I wish you would tell me what we are about.”

“I am going on a journey, and I am looking to secure passage,” Kyo replied, and the undertone in his voice made Taka wince. That particular hint of frost only ever came from one source: Kyo’s father. Taka stifled a sigh, and looked at Kyo out of the corner of his eye.

He was the image of his mother, and the only person more highly regarded for beauty was the Princess Shumi. Taiheiyou was a loud, obnoxious, spoiled brat who would ruin his handsome figure long before age did it for him. He lacked everything that Kyo possessed: discipline, refinement, a sense of responsibility, knowledge and acumen suitable to ruling a kingdom. It infuriated Taka that Kyo would never have the throne despite the fact he deserved it.

No, it was the flamboyant buffoon who would sit on the throne, and wear the Eye of the Storm until he passed it on to an heir—and Kyo would rot, neglected, never given a fair chance to sail.

Storms spare him bratty, spoiled, flamboyant men who did not care who they hurt in pursuit of their own selfish wants. Kyo might be ruthless and cunning, but he wasn’t malicious. Taka blew out an irritated breath. “We are going on a journey, you mean,” he said.

“No,” Kyo replied, employing a sharp tone of voice that Taka rarely heard—and even more rarely heard directed at him. “I am going; you are remaining here. That is final.”

Taka did not deign to reply, because they both knew he was going to ignore that order. Everyone else may think Kyo was best ignored and left to his own devices, but Taka knew him far too well to do that. “So with whom are we meeting tonight?”

“A merchant,” Kyo murmured, as they entered the warehouse district at the southeast edge of the city, where it circled the main harbor. The bulk of Kundou’s money was made in trade, for nobody traveled the seas even half as well as the people of Kundou. For goods to go from country to country, they nearly always went by way of Kundou ships.

Taka fell silent as they wended their way through the mazelike warehouse district, until they reached the half-moon quadrant. He frowned, wondering why Kyo needed such a high-end merchant. Rent in the half-moon quadrant was nigh on obscene, though he knew it was little more than a drop to those who could afford it: the wealthiest and most powerful merchants in the city, and all the lords and ladies who had shares in the various ships.

Kyo stopped in front of a warehouse that seemed to bear no markings past those which designated its location and that it was rented. He did not knock, simply pushed open the small door on the right side of the front of the warehouse, and slipped inside.

Heaving a sigh, Taka followed him, tense as they wove through stacks of crates, barrels of wine and beer, bolts of fabric, and numerous casks of spices and other dried goods.

Orange-yellow light spilled out of a room at the back of the warehouse; an office, likely. Taka frowned as they approached it, but resisted an urge to ask Kyo if it was really such a good idea. Of course it wasn’t, and near as he could tell, that was at least half its appeal. Kyo wasn’t happy unless he was risking life or limb to accomplish some goal that only made sense to him, and made sense to everyone else long after the fact.

He’d never clandestinely met a merchant in the dead of night, however, and Taka did not like that he was doing so now. But, he knew better than to try and stop it—the best he could do was stay with Kyo, and keep him out of as much trouble as possible.

Reaching the door of the office, Kyo knocked. A deep-timbred voice called for him to enter, and Kyo pushed the door open and slipped inside. Taka followed him, eying the man they were to meet suspiciously—and immediately hated him on sight. He was everything flamboyant and loud and arrogant, even just siting watching them, that Taka hated.

He was beautiful, in a dark and striking way; certainly he was not conventional. He was broad, and though it was impossible to tell from the way he was sitting, Taka bet he was also tall. His hair was a deep, rich blue, half-covered by a vivid scarf of deep violet, decorated with gold stars and silver crescent moons. His robes were also violet, with an expensive-looking sash of gold and silver bands, embroidered with pearls.

Taka did not recognize him, but suspected he knew the man by reputation. Eyes the same dark blue as his hair fastened on Taka, startling him with their focus, and he drew a sharp breath only when the man looked away to regard Kyo once more. “Good evening.”

“Good evening,” Kyo murmured. “I assume that since you are waiting here, you are willing to consider my offer.”

“Offer me terms I like, Highness, and we’ll talk.”

Kyo laughed softly and, to Taka’s dismay, reached up to shove back his hood. “If you had not known it was me, Master Raiden, I would have cancelled the deal and gone home. Perhaps your reputation is not exaggerated.”

“Depends on what aspects of my reputation we are discussing, Highness. And I would have been quite surprised if it had not been you.” Raiden replied, confirming Taka’s suspicions. He was no less than Master Shimano Raiden—the wealthiest merchant in the city, and the only one to hold every permit and license for trade it was possible to obtain. His company was one of the oldest; if Taka recalled correctly, it could practically trace its roots to the Last Storm.

What was Kyo thinking? He wasn’t certain he wanted to know. “I do not like this.”

Raiden looked at him again, and quirked a brow. “I am fairly certain it is not yours to like or dislike.” He looked at Kyo, jerking his head at Taka. “Who is he?”

“My assistant, in all things,” Kyo replied, and gestured with one hand for Taka to relax.

Making a face, Taka nevertheless obeyed, unwinding his own hood and wrapping the fabric around his shoulders, smoothing down his shoulder-length hair. “I repeat, I do not like this—whether it is mine to like or not.” He met Raiden’s dark eyes, daring the man to argue with him. He was a royal secretary, arguing was what he did best. There was no other way to get a royal to do anything.

Instead, Raiden just stared at him, and Taka once more found it hard to draw a breath. Why did he stare so intently? But before he could find his voice and ask the question, Raiden turned away and stood up, moving to an ornate wooden cabinet. Opening it, he pulled out a crystal carafe holding a wine so dark it nearly looked black, and a tray that held four delicate-looking crystal glasses. They were stem-less, as was common in the country that produced the dark wine—Piedre, kingdom of death. Raiden half-filled three glasses, and presented one each to Kyo and Taka, then took the last and resumed his seat. He took a sip, then licked traces of the dark wine from his pale lips.

He glanced again at Taka, something flashing in his eyes—and that was a look Taka knew, a look he loved to remove from the face of every smug, entitled noble who thought a secretary would be panting at the chance to ride their cocks and accept whatever favors they handed out.

Just as he started to tell Raiden exactly what he could do with his cock, Raiden turned back to Kyo, and murmured, “Let us bargain, Highness.”

6 thoughts on “Story Snippet – Treasure

  1. Treasure snippet, Treasure snippet! *bounces happily* Oh, Taka, I have missed you. “He was a royal secretary, arguing was what he did best. There was no other way to get a royal to do anything.” LOL. And Raiden … intense stares are so nommy. *sighs happily*

    Thank you very much for the sneakpeak. 🙂

  2. OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG LMAO I cannot begin to say how thrilled I am to see this! This series is what got me into your writing forever ago and I’m grinning so hard my face hurts. =D

  3. *shrug* Sometimes books just don’t have direct sequels…and I’m OK with that 🙂 Plus, I feel like I’ve won anyway with two books set in the same world!

    Ohhh, The Lost Gods will hopefully be out by my birthday then 🙂 YAH! I so know what what present I’m buying myself *grin*

  4. A direct sequel? I am not certain what I would do for it ^^

    Yep, the whole series is called The Lost Gods. Book one is due out January 2012 ^__^ And the others follow every other month thereafter :3

    Thanks for reading ^__^ I’m glad you’re enjoying!

  5. I have only just discovered your books – I read The Bastard Prince over the weekend and completely fell in love with the characters, the world-building and the setting. (In fact, on GoodReads a number of friends and I have been dreaming of a direct sequel 🙂

    I’m thrilled to discover your backlist *drools* and this excerpt is…amazing! I’m hooked already 🙂 Just so I have everything correct in my TBR list (I’m OCD like that 🙂 it’s called The Lost Gods, yes? Do you have an anticipated publication date at all please? Many thanks and happy writing 🙂

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