Lockwood Hall: Shattered Glass

Chapter 2
The Grand Gala


Not much of a gala gallant himself, even Julian could appreciate the extravagance of his mother's parties. They were the most famed for miles around. Nobility far and wide attended, and women of all kinds fought for the attention and admiration of Lady Lockwood (and through such a prudent connection, her sons). Observing the enchanting scene of delicate, round white tables, each equipped with a lacy white sunbrella like those from outdoor restaurants; long buffet tables filled with exquisite delicacies and desserts prepared by their French chef; grass clipped so short and green that one wanted to discard shoes and clothing to just lie in it; and the beautiful scenery of the mansion and surrounding countryside, Julian couldn't half blame them.

Spotting his mother momentarily separated from the flock of women, the youngest Lockwood son approached her with a warm smile. "Mother, you look positively smashing in that wonderful new gown!" Julian exclaimed earnestly as he and his mother embraced.

A sweet little thing, Lady Vivian Lockwood was quite young in comparison to all of her peers with children as old as Julian, Piper, and Anita. Her youngest son could quite honestly describe her as the most beautiful of all the mothers in high society, even the younger ones. She was a mere slip of a woman--quite short, standing at 5'1; of fair complexion; naturally curled flaxen hair, and lovely hands with long fingers and well-groomed fingernails. Although she was possibly the silliest woman he had ever known, she certainly had taste in clothing. For today she had chosen a rather simple and elegant pale pink dress, form fitted at the breasts and sleeves, a v-neck to the breasts, and below the amazingly tiny waist the skirts frothed out in a shower of pink lace, silk flowers, and pearls. Adorning her neck and ears were matching pearls.

"My darling! I expected you a quarter of an hour ago!" He could smell her lavender perfume as she pulled away, beaming, hazel eyes shining as she gazed up at him. "Tell me, dear, where has your father gotten off too? I've been searching for him ever so long, but not even Jane knows where he is!"

"Jane, mother?" The name sounded unfamiliar to Julian, even though he knew all of the servants.

"My lady's maid, dear," Vivian replied in a disapproving voice, as though he were quite naive.

"Ah--Hanna, you mean?"

"Yes, dear. But listen, not even Jane knows where he is, and I'm sure she's searched high and low for him! Why, there he is now!" Lady Lockwood waved her fan, motioning for her husband to come speak with his wife and son.

The father quickly turned at the sound of his wife's voice, a huge smile crossing his face as he strode over to her, their son Piper following close behind. The two of them were decked out in full riding gear, having obviously only just stopped by for a few moments. The Lady Lockwood probably wouldn't notice the strain in her husbands voice and facial features as he had tried to keep his terrible mood at bay for this party. Likewise Piper was doing the same, putting on a mask for his mother despite his great worry.

"There you are my dear! I thought I would never be able to find you in his fine gathering." Taking his wife's hands in his, Demetrius gave his wife a chaste kiss before turning to his youngest son. "And I was wondering where I would find you as well. I trust you took care of the matter we discussed before?"

Julian paled and did not reply.

Piper resisted a sigh at his father's complete lack of control. "I'm sure he did father. Now's not the time to worry about such things we should simply be enjoying the party. Mother I trust that you received the glass swan that father gave you?" he quickly changed the subject.

"Oh yes, my darling boy, but it's very odd, you know! I could have sworn it had black diamond eyes from the start, but they seem to have become rubies overnight! Isn't that queer?" She giggled at the fun of it all and batted Piper's shoulder playfully with the rose fan. "Now come along, darlings! I must present my fine sons to all these wonderful ladies! They've been so anxious to meet my boys!" With that she hooked her arms through Piper's on her right and Julian's on her left, towing them toward the crowd.

Just then a sprightly young girl stopped them in their tracks, tugging on Vivian's dress. "Mama, can I have some cake?" Julian smiled down at his beautiful sister, Ruth Lockwood, age nine. Quite an accident, it was well known. No one was more surprised than he when his mother became pregnant with her nine years ago. Julian had thought himself destined to be the youngest, but it seemed his mother and father got along better than he thought. At the time he had assumed all sexual attraction between them had vanished as his father had spent most of each year away from home.

At any rate, Ruth was his favorite mistake that his parents had made, and a pretty one too. She looked much like her mother--so small and beautiful, with delicate features, engaging hazel eyes, and curling blonde hair. Almost a miniature replica of Vivian-except where her mother's hair was tame, Ruth's was wild; while her mother was silly, Ruth was more intelligent than any other girl Julian had known her age; and while her mother thrived on social engagements such as balls and galas, Ruth could not think of anything more detestable than being forced into a dress and presented to the public--and, as if that weren't torture enough, forced to 'behave herself' in front of so many face-pinching grannies, boorish mothers, and haughty young women.

On this occasion Anita's and Ruth's lady's maid had managed to force the youngest of the Lockwoods into a lacy pink dress similar to that of her mother. A dark pink sash had also been tied around her waste and made into a bow at the back. Pink butterfly berets had been fastened in her carefully coiled hair, but of course by now--five minutes into the party--all the hair had come down, the berets had been discarded or lost, the bow had come untied and dragged in the grass behind her, she had incurred three large runs in her silk stockings, grass stains destroyed the dress where her knees would be were she to sit, and her right shoe had been scuffed on the bark of a tree.

"Sweetie!" Lady Lockwood exclaimed sorrowfully. "You've ruined your coiffure!" Instantly long fingers began the nine-years-rehearsed task of setting her daughter's appearance to order, as much as was possible after so much damage had already been inflicted on the hapless outfit.

"But Mama!" Ruth protested, trying unsuccessfully to pull away and getting her ear pinched in the process. "I want some cake, and there's a Chinaman over there!"

"That's your brother's friend, dear. No need to be frightened. Many foreigners are quite elegant, though sometimes their manners are barbaric!"

The little girl shook her head. "He's standing in front of the cake, Mama, and I can't reach it besides! Why did you have to go and buy such high tables?"

Julian chuckled, instantly brightening upon seeing his friend near the buffet tables, though he also noted that the man hadn't yet been shown to his rooms, as he still wore travel clothes. Crouching down in front of his sister, he reached around her waist and tied the bow at her back. "Come on, you little squirrel. I'll take you over there to get a slice of pastry."

He took her hand and started to walk toward the tables, his mother's voice already jabbering on, introducing Piper to some young ladies. Glad for his quick escape, Julian only just noticed that his sister had managed to wriggle her small doll-like hand out of his and dash toward the tables without him. He grinned. Ruth had never liked holding hands or having adults tell her what to do. She was wild and dreadfully spoiled, but being the youngest, had room to be. No one would ever expect anything of her and everyone was eager to please what seemed a delightful child. Of course the selfish traits already displayed would be very unbecoming in a young lady, but to the Lockwoods it seemed Ruth would always be the sweet, amusing, playful nine-year-old that she was.

"Mister, you're standing in the way! I can't reach anyway--give me a piece of that cake, please!" Ruth pointed officiously to the dessert in question while trying to squeeze herself between the table and Julian's Japanese friend.

"Ruth, you're being very rude!" Julian scolded as he approached.

"It's perfectly fine, my friend." The man spoke in an almost perfect English accent as he turned to face them. He was very tall and regal with dark, thoughtful eyes. He had rather pale skin and hair as black as night, slicked back into a ponytail at the nape of his neck and held in place by two decorative red sticks. The long hair spilled down over his shoulders and down to the small of his back. The dark-blue haori and light-blue kimono he wore with a navy hakama that split like pants. He was even wearing traditional geta sandals, which added a few inches to his height. "I was the one being rude standing in her way like that." He smiled at Julian and then down at the girl before turning to the table. "Here, allow me." Grabbing a piece of cake, as well as a few other pastries from the table, he handed them on a plate to the young girl. "There you are, young one. Just don't go running around after eating all of that. You wouldn't want to make yourself sick now, would you?"

Julian smiled, delighted upon seeing his friend, who usually visited during summer months, when he had time off. Ever since he met the man at age seventeen, Julian had respected him as deeply as he respected his older brother, Piper, and loved him nearly as much. Tetsuya was many times his senior, but the young Lockwood son had never met anyone more knowledgeable and wise.

Ruth's surprisingly girlish voice (the only thing really girlish about her) interrupted her brother's musings. She had accepted the pastries thankfully and not hesitated before shoving a mouthful of chocolate cake into her mouth, some icing still at the corners of her lips. "What's your name, Mister? Are you Tetsuya--? I remember my brother saying he had a Chinaman for a friend..."

Julian placed a hand on her shoulder. "Japanese, Ruth. And don't call them Chinamen. It's rather derogatory."

"They're from China, aren't they?" She looked up at him.

"Not always. Some, like Mr. Tetsuya, are from other parts of Asia. There's Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Burma, the Philippines..."

"Okay, okay! I get your meaning," she said, pulling her shoulder away and frowning. Ruth had always prided herself in knowing more about other parts of the world than most people. She was only just beginning to realize that fictional stories and fairy tales didn't necessarily hold the same kinds of truths as atlases and history books. The young girl squinted up at the Japanese man, studying him even as the sunlight shone in her hazel eyes.

Tetsuya chuckled lightly. He had a very deep, rich laugh, just like his voice. "It's probably all the same to a young girl who has no need for society, law, and culture. The world is the world, and people are people, and anything new is fascinating and interesting without all the complications adults inflict upon it."

Reaching back to the tie holding up his hair, Tetsuya pulled out two of the hair sticks, bright red with small gold weavings all up and down. Kneeling down so he was at eye level with Ruth, the sun no longer clouding his features from her view, he smiled at her. Before it had been hard to tell, but now one could clearly see just how dark his eyes were, made even darker by his thick lashes that almost gave him the appearance of wearing makeup around his eyes and not just on his lips where he had painted the top one to be a deeper tan then the bottom. "If you would young one please turn around." Gently taking her hand in his, he spun her so she had her back to him, and he started to gather her unruly hair, combing it out with his fingers before beginning to work it into a tight bun, holding it in place with the sticks. "There you are. Now you look just like the noblewomen from Japan. And you may keep those sticks if you wish."

Julian grinned, for he knew the only possible outcome to this situation. His dear little sister would pull the sticks out of her hair, let it fall, and lift her chin, handing them back in a rejection of the offer, perhaps even making some uncouth remark about foreigners. But, Julian soon learned, she was not to be so easily or cheaply predicted.

"Oh--they're beautiful! Thank you for the wonderful present, Mr. Tetsuya--I'm sure I shall treasure them always!" She flashed a sunny smile and even dared a small curtsy. Julian watched in stunned amazement as shyly, coyly, his sister offered her hand to the Japanese man. "You may kiss it if you like."

Somehow in a mere gesture Julian's best friend had, for the moment, made a lady out of the wild Lockwood daughter.

"It would be my honor." Tetsuya gave the girl a truly dashing smile as he took the young lady's hand in his much larger one, kissing it lightly. "You're quite the proper young lady with very good manners, contrary to what I've heard. I don't know where your brother got those wild stories about you." The man couldn't help but grin up at his friend as he stood once more, his hair now hanging more loosely without the extra sticks to keep it in the tight pony tale.

In a sudden willful gesture, more of curiosity than anything else, Ruth reached forward and stroked a lock of the Japanese man's hair. It was as silky to the touch as it appeared. Her smile faded as she stared up at him for a moment. The next thing Julian knew, his kid sister was gone, fleeing through the grass and heading for the trees, skirts flying, though he did note that she held onto her hair with one hand to keep the two sticks from coming loose.

Once she had gone, he finally turned back to Tetsuya and gave him a proper greeting, shaking his hand and then pulling him into a brief embrace. "It's been too long, friend! I'm glad to see your face around these parts. This party's been a dreadful bore, though I don't suppose you'll be able to help me much in that respect seeing as you need to go inside, bathe, and change. I'll mind the front line while you do so." He saluted his best friend playfully and then turned, making a quick motion with his hand. A red-headed teen only a year younger than the youngest Lockwood son approached them and stood waiting. "This is Samuel Style. He's usually our errand boy, but with all of these guests he's the only man we can spare as your valet during your stay. I would offer you my own valet, but he's rather set in his ways and would become quite cross if I transferred his services, I'm afraid."

Both Demetrius and the servant Eric Labrum were prejudiced against foreigners, and Julian didn't want to expose his guest to discomfort. Tetsuya was a wise man and would know the true reason behind his friend employing another servant to valet for him. Besides which, Samuel Style obviously had a bit of Scot in his blood with that fiery red hair, and for some time now the English and Scots hadn't exactly been on friendly terms. If anyone could be trusted, it was Sam. He was a good kid, and where he lacked finesse he had a servant's heart and was a hard worker. "Samuel, this is Lord Tetsuya-sama, traveled here all the way from Japan."

"Pleased to meet yah, sir," the young man said with a sideways grin that revealed one front tooth missing.

While Tetsuya had been curious as to why the young Ruth had darted off so quickly, worried that he had done or said something wrong, he was quickly distracted by his friend and reassured that it must not have been a grave mistake if he hadn't said anything about it by now. Either that or his friend was all to glad to see him, a point made by his quick words and even quicker actions, summoning the servant over to help him get settled in. Truth be told the man was glad that his friend had wasted no time. He had arrived just as the party had been going without any time at all to prepare, and while he knew that the nobles there wouldn't recognize his dress as being insultingly casual for the affair he still felt out of sorts.

"It is my pleasure as well." The Japanese lord smiled and inclined his head in greeting-something that would have been taboo in his own country, but Tetsuya was a generally friendly man and saw no reason not to give the same respect to a servant that he would a noble as long as that person were kind enough to return the favor. And this young man definitely seemed like a person worthy of his respect. After all, one could not help his or her birth.

"I'm greatly honored, yer lairdship," the young man replied, his Scottish accent coming through strong and clear. "If yeh'll follah me, please." He gave a rather comical low bow and headed toward the house.

"I'll speak to you tonight. Don't bother coming back to the party. I'm leaving, and all of these women will probably tire out an old man like you." He chuckled fondly. The Japanese man was eleven years his senior, something that Julian never let his friend live down. "Just ask Samuel to fix a hot bath for you and bring the food to your room. I'll come see you in a few hours."

"As always, I shall await you anxiously." Tetsuya gave his friend one last parting hug before following the servant to what would be his quarters for the summer. The man always looked forward to the times when he could come visit his friend and catch up on everything that was happening with him, as well as news of England, for he liked to keep himself well informed. His visits here were the only times that he actually felt relaxed in life without all the social pressures of his home country weighing him down.

Julian smiled to himself as he watched Tetsuya leave. Then he wheeled around and perused the crowd until sighting the person he most wanted to avoid. Hopefully unnoticed by his father, the youngest Lockwood son untangled himself from a swarm of hopeful females and headed down toward the stables, his shoes crunching on the hard gravel.

A stable boy saddled one of the new horses-a fine chestnut with spirit and heart. Seating the beast was the most difficult task, but once they were on the trail, Julian's mount settled down and began a light trot, nibbling at the bit, which clicked in its mouth. During the next half hour Julian relaxed considerably, now surrounded by beautiful English countryside--open fields and rolling, rocky hills. The vast sky had begun to dim, sun dipping slightly beneath the horizon line and transforming the clouds into brilliant, blazing hues of red, orange, and violet.

-

Demetrius had watched his son pick through the crowd, keeping a careful eye on him until he had managed to escape to the stables. The man knew exactly what he was going to do and knew that it would be the exact time to confront him about earlier. This time Piper wouldn't be there to halt his father's rage, which hadn't died down in the least during the party. After all, Lord Lockwood was the type of man that could keep a grudge going for days on end until his sense of revenge was satisfied. And in his mind his youngest son's earlier disrespectfulness definitely merited further attention.

About twenty minutes after his son left, the man saddled up his own mount in the stables and chased after him, no longer distracted by his wife or her friends. Cajoling the horse into a fast gallop, he was able to catch up with Julian in no time, coming out from right behind him and pulling his horse in front of his sons mount to stop them dead in their tracks. There was a furious, hateful glare in his eyes as his hands squeezed the reins as tightly as they could, his horse whinnying and prancing in protest of the rough treatment it was being given.

Julian cried out sharply as he was swallowed up in the cacophonous sound of pounding hooves. Dust clouded up from the dry road. His horse let loose a whinny that sounded more like a banshee's shriek as the other steed pulled into its path, forcing it to halt, which it did only after rearing and lashing out with its forelegs, one hoof narrowly missing his father's head.

"Too bad you hadn't stopped a bit closer, Father," Julian sneered, exceedingly peeved by Demetrius' sudden appearance and showy entrance. He almost wished the man had been within lashing distance of the chestnut's hooves. "You'll kill that beast, and you only just bought it."

"Shut your mouth!" Demetrius snarled guiding his horse next to Julian's so he could give his son a harsh slap across the face, much worse then what he had done in the hall that afternoon. "I've had it with your attitude, especially that scene earlier! I am your father, and you will show respect, you impudent brat! You will respect my decisions and respect my authority! If I see fit to punish a servant, then you will do nothing to stop me, do you understand?!" Again the father raised his hand against his son, slapping him hard across the face.

Despite the fact that Demetrius' blows nearly unseated the teen from his horse, he managed to recover and retain some of the defiance that was so ready to burst out. In a sudden vengeful move, Julian pulled back his whip and cracked it down hard against the flank of his father's mount. It was a blow that would surely send the horse running, if not rearing.

Demetrius hadn't been expecting such a turn of events, so he was powerless to stop the horse from rearing and knocking him off. He fell to the ground with only just enough time to scamper out of the way of the beast's sharp hooves before it set off at a dead run down the road. Julian had just lost his father one of the most expensive horses that he'd ever bought in his life.

For a few moments the man just sat on the ground, staring in disbelief with an almost comical look on his face before he finally came to his senses to realize what happened. Demetrius was not a particularly athletic man, nor was he really that strong, but in that moment none of it mattered. In one move he had jumped to his feet, reached up to grab Julian by the collar, and yanked him off of his horse straight into the dust, where he started to beat on him with the riding crop still clutched tightly in his hand. He aimed mostly for Julian's chest and face. "Stupid foolish boy! Stupid boy! I'll make you pay for that!"

He hadn't thought to take off with his own horse after causing his father to fall, but when the thought did cross his mind it was all too late. Julian had already been dragged off his steed and was enduring a beating that even the most well-bred horse wouldn't stand for. His chest was shielded with fabric of his coat and shirt, though his cravat was quickly shredded. Welts began to rise on his face and neck. As Julian desperately tried to protect his face with his arms, he had already begun wondering how he would explain these wounds to his mother, brother, and the gentry who spent the night after the party.

Of course that would be assuming his father let him live through the night--a thought that seemed uncomfortably doubtful. Julian could envision his family's sorrowful faces when they heard about the 'accident." Brutally beaten to death by a vengeful gypsy gang...

"Get off of me, goddammit!!" With a sudden thrust of his legs, he attempted to kick his father off of him. Even as he did so, his hand flashed up and caught the riding crop just as it was about to descend once more. The force of the blow against his hand painfully tore the flesh, causing him to cry out, but despite the blood leaking from his palm Julian refused to let go of the whip.

This outward defiance from his son only served to further irritate his temper, though Julian had probably done the right thing, for otherwise Demetrius would have ended up beating him to death in a blind rage.

"You monster! Worthless bastard child! You're not even my son! You're nothing more then a wild beast just like that savage you call a friend!"

His father had suspected that the child was not his own ever since Julian had been born with that dark skin and eyes so unlike the rest of his family. His anger and hatred towards his son was fueled by doubt of his heritage, though he had never actually said it to his face, only implied it in some of the ways he addressed him. While Demetrius could be cruel he did love his wife dearly and had no intention of upsetting her by vocalizing his fears or telling them to the youngest son lest he go to his mother about them. He would never truly accept Julian as he son, however, seeing Piper as he only boy and the pride of his family.

"You're mad! Mad!" Julian gasped in a strangled cry. Fortunately for him his father became careless with rage. The young man found his opening and took it, giving a sharp shove, effectively pushing his father back onto the hard dirt road, before struggling to his feet and expending all of his energy into getting a leg up over the saddle. No sooner had he done so than he slumped against the neck of the horse and slapped its rump with his hand. The beast let out a nervous whinny and took off, back down the trail toward the stables. Seconds dragged on for minutes; minutes dragged on for seeming hours. Julian gripped the horse's mane with one hand and held tightly onto the reins with the other, which had been sliced by the riding crop. The reins rubbed against the wound, making it worse as well as filling it with grime and dirt, but Julian was not in a position to notice small details. His face and neck stung with welts. Some of them must have been bleeding. He could taste blood on his lips.

Fell into a thorn bush, he murmured mentally, testing out excuses. Low branches on the trail...slapped against my face... Everything he came up with was idiotic and improbable, but it occupied him until the stable came into view. He noted with disappointment that the other horse had not returned. Quickly passing his mount off to the stable hand and mumbling something about thorns to stifle any rumors that might circulate, he made his painful way up to the house. Fortunately it was late enough that everyone had either gone to bed or retired to their rooms. A few elderly men played cards in the parlor, but Julian was able to slip unnoticed up to theb second floor. He passed as quickly as possible through the gallery hall. Instinct drove him to the first door he happened upon. The moment he barged through it, he realized with regret that he had just stumbled into Tetsuya's quarters...

-

Aided greatly by the young servant who had brought up his bags for him while he was in the bath, Tetsuya had been dressed and ready for a good thirty minutes after Julian had left. He had seated himself in a chair by the window and was reading contently long into the night, right up to the point when Julian came barging into his room.

"Welcome ba-" The man had never thought anything of his friend entering his room unannounced before, for they saw no reason for such formalities with each other, so it wasn't until he actually looked up from his book after a few seconds that he realized something was wrong. "Julian!"

Immediately he leapt up from his seat, the book left discarded, as he rushed to his friend's side wrapping his arms around him and helping him towards the bed, where he lay him down. "What happened to you? How did you get those injuries?" he inquired, quickly going over to close the door before returning the other man's side, starting to undo the fastenings to his clothes, stripping off the top half of his outfit so he could gain a better look at the injuries.

Distraught and in extreme pain, Julian sat up again, trying to push his friend's hands away. "Thorn bush. Went for a ride...untrained horse...caught me on a branch and sent me into a thorn bush," he lied. Of course Tetsuya, being the wise man (or wise ass, maybe both) he was, would notice the lie as quickly as anyone else might. However at the moment it didn't matter what he thought, for Julian had started to go into shock. What the Japanese man would never be able to guess without his friend telling him was that the young noble had not only been beaten by his father, but he had also been accused of having savage blood in his veins and not actually being Demetrius' son. That would mean he was a bastard just like Demetrius said. That would mean his mother had slept with one of the 'savages' she so adored for company. That would mean Julian was just a mistake that nobody wanted, a savage, no less. A half-blooded one was perhaps even worse...

Tetsuya saw first that his friend was going into shock before he noted the lie, sitting next to him on the bed and lifting him onto his lap and into his arms holding him tightly against his chest as he smoothed back his hair, kissing the top of his head like a father would to his frightened son. The wounds were bad, but they could wait. Right now Julian's heart needed healing, but unfortunately the Japanese man didn't know what was wrong in the first place or even enough of what it could be to help him. All he could do was hold him and try his best to comfort him, but as far as Tetsuya was concerned that wasn't nearly enough.

Gradually Julian's breathing calmed until he was once again in control of himself. He rubbed his head with his uninjured hand and closed his eyes. "I'm not a child, you know. I don't need to be coddled." Despite his own words, the young Lockwood male rested heavily against Tetsuya, relying on the other man's strength to buoy him through this difficult time. "I...I didn't mean to come in here. I should go back to my room. I'm not hurt that badly--nothing some cold water and soap can't fix."

"Please, Julian, stop trying to act like everything's okay when it's so obviously not. There's nothing wrong with needing help; there's nothing wrong with needing someone to care for you. You don't always have to stand on your own, despite what you've been taught." Gently Tetsuya stood, lifting his friend up as if he weighed nothing, and started carrying him to the bath. "No more protesting. Lets just get you cleaned up and then you can either tell me what really happened or not. I won't force you, but at least let me hold you tonight."

The Japanese man's words were far from comforting. In fact, Julian felt as though a bucket of ice water had just been dumped on him. Stiffening in Tetsuya's arms, he tried to ask casually, "What do you mean hold me tonight?"

"I meant it exactly as it sounded." Tetsuya wasn't bothered by Julian's sudden nervousness, knowing how delicate their relationship with each other could be. "Nothing more, nothing less than holding you in my arms as we sleep-unless you wish something more to occur."

Distracted by the other man's words and thus supplied with a sudden burst of energy now that his thoughts were diverted from pain, humility, and bloodlines, Julian struggled out of Tetsuya's surprisingly strong arms and backed up against the tub. The other man had already removed his shirt, exposing his broad, muscular, unusually bronzed chest and its bruises. His slacks were in terrible shape, however, scuffed and ripped beyond repair. Julian turned around and leaned with his hands on the edge of the tub. It had already been filled, the water steaming hot, for a bed of coals was kept beneath the large wash basin. Wordlessly the young man peeled out of his pants, stockings, shoes, and undergarments off before easing himself into the water, hissing when it came into contact with small wounds. Finally he seemed to find his voice again. "Something more occurred between us last year, the night before you left. Do you remember?" His tone was exceedingly cautious. Julian was careful not to look over at his friend.

"I remember." he spoke softly, lightly perching on the edge of the tub. "I wish we had, had more time to talk before I was forced to leave." One of the man's greatest fears all through the boat trip back to Japan and during the fall, winter, and spring months had been that Julian regretted being with him exactly a year ago. It had happened so quickly that Tetsuya had had no time to think about the negative effects it could have.

The nobleman was well aware of Julian's fights with his father and knew that the two of them were not on the best of terms, though he couldn't remember his friend ever stating why. They just seemed to rub each other the wrong way. So it had come to no great surprise when the young nobleman had come into the guest quarters where Tetsuya had been staying, late at night with an angered and greatly distressed look on his face. It had been obvious that the man really hadn't thought about where he was going and ended up in the guest room completely by unconscious thought, but Tetsuya had been awakened by the door slamming open and had begged his friend to stay. Julian had never really revealed what had happened and in all honesty the older man didn't think he would be able to remember anyway.

What he did remember was seeing Julian slowly having a breakdown. It had been the first time he had seen his friend so close to tears that he almost couldn't hold them back.

In a desperate attempt to comfort him Tetsuya had taken him into his arms and simply rocked him. He had always been a more physical person, showing his feelings through his actions, so it had been perfectly normal for him, but Julian had seemed to think otherwise. Tetsuya didn't know exactly when it had started spiraling out of control, but before he knew it, Julian was questioning his actions and questioning what he meant by having such close contact with him. It didn't take the man long to figure out the reason for his friends discomfort. He probably should have seen it earlier really, but unfortunately he didn't, only finding out about Julian's homosexuality from their slightly uneasy encounter. Tetsuya had completely forgotten about how uptight the people in England were when it came to who others came to love since it wasn't such a big thing back where he came from.

Tetsuya wished he had sat down with Julian and talked to him about it. Wished he had helped his friend try to understand what he was, wished he had given him guidance and comfort. He hadn't though. Instead he had let himself get carried away by the moment. He allowed himself to be swayed by his own feelings before thinking things through, and in the end basically took advantage of his friend when he was too upset to say no or to be sure that it was what he had wanted. Maybe if he hadn't they wouldn't be having this trouble by now. Julian had seemed so eager though... had seemed so sure ,and Tetsuya hadn't felt any desire to second guess that, even knowing the stress his friend was under. But while he couldn't change the past, that didn't mean he couldn't make amends. Whatever damage had been done by his carelessness he could now at least attempt to undo and hope that his friend had forgiven him for his mistake. "..I never got to find out if you had regretted what we did or not..."

Throughout the duration of Tetsuya's speech, Julian carefully washed all of his cuts and scrapes, making sure to remove most of the dirt and grime so they wouldn't become infected later. So many replies rose to mind in answer to the Japanese man's needling question, but the youth only returned in a bitter voice, "Since when have people ever stopped doing things they are sure to regret in the future?"

Julian faced his friend, who was sitting on the edge of the tub. The coals had died down and now the water was tepid and uncomfortable. The two men's eyes met briefly, but Julian did not wish to make his thoughts known. Climbing out of the tub he began toweling off.

Tetsuya calmly stood, despite his friend's obviously agitated tone. "We're not talking about other people. We're talking about you. If you regretted what had happened between us then it would be my fault. It's my fault anyway for pushing you. I didn't talk to you like I should have. I didn't try and work things out with you like I should have. Instead I indulged in my own desires and allowed myself to get caught up in the moment. I consider myself very lucky that you were even willing to speak to me when you saw me at the party. I had been afraid that you would break all ties with me indefinitely for such a grave mistake."

"You give yourself too much credit," Julian replied with a shrug of one shoulder, wincing then at an aching bruise. Wrapping the towel around his waist, he went into the bedroom and glanced around. Decent sized, well decorated in shades of green, and much more cozy than his own quarters.

He didn't like it.

With a sigh the young man wandered over to the bed and let himself fall onto it, arms spread and eyes closed, legs hanging over the edge and bent at the knees. The mattress was filled with soft goose feathers and outfitted with smooth, cool, white silk sheets. "Mmm..." he mumbled comfortably.

His friend's brow furrowed at the statement, for he was thoroughly confused by his friend's nonchalance about the issue. "What do you mean by that? You were in a state of emotional distress. You had come to me for comfort and it ended up turning into something that shouldn't have happened. At least not like that. How can you simply brush it aside?" he questioned, following his friend into the bedroom with a perplexed look on his face.

Tetsuya had the idea that he had done wrong so firmly planted in his head that it would be very difficult to convince him otherwise. He was very bent on the morals of honor and duty. As far as he was concerned he had broken both.

"You can't possibly mean that you've been worried about this for an entire year," Julian commented flippantly. Internally his stomach was twisting with each of the other man's words. What they had done together a year ago had affected him much more deeply than he let on. Hiding his emotions was rather a kind of instinctive defense mechanism. As long as he concealed his pain, Julian could live with it. When people dragged issues out into the open like Tetsuya was attempting to do now, he grew uneasy and sometimes rather short tempered. Besides, he would never allow himself to hurt the Japanese man by informing him that the single night they shared together tormented him for many nights afterward and completely deflated his pride and self respect. Perhaps where Tetsuya came from such relationships were viewed differently, but were Julian's actions to become publicly known, he would be labeled a pervert, disowned, and thrown out of society.

"Of course I've been worried about it." In his sudden shock at the turn the situation had taken, the older man strode up to the bed, sitting down right next to Julian and practically leaning over him. His silky black hair fell down over his shoulders in waves, some of it brushing against Julian's chest. His eyes held the deepest concern as he regarded his friend seriously, searching for any sign or clue that might give away this seemingly strange behavior.

In his concern he had completely forgotten about his friend's current state of dress and how awkward this might be, especially considering his own yukata had slipped open a little further with how loosely he had tied it after his bath. "This isn't the sort of thing that one just pushes into the background as easily as a scraped knee or social faux pas. I had no idea how that night must have effected you wither it be positive or negative."

But Julian had every intention of ignoring his emotions. This wasn't just about having slept with a man--it was also about his father and savage blood and being quite literally dragged off his high horse. After taking a beating from a man he had thought of as his own father, the last items Julian wanted to discuss were his pathetic attempts at justifying his homosexuality.

Tasting words on his tongue, the young Lockwood son stared up at his friend for a moment before turning his face to the side and staring at the headboard of the bed. Much as he wanted to reassure Tetsuya, Julian simply could not bring it in himself to lie and say he had not regretted that night. And much as he wanted to reassure himself, he could not pretend that he wasn't still as attracted to men as he ever had been. At first Julian had expected to 'get over it' like one would a cold or bad cough. Now, feeling intensely the closeness of his proximity to a very handsome man whose bathrobe was falling open and exposing the curves of smooth muscle, Julian was quite sure he would not last very long in a resolution to never again become intimate with another man.

"Please just let it be, Tetsuya," he murmured quietly, eyelids half closed, the corners of his lips pulled into the slightest of frowns.

"I can't just let it be, unfortunately," Tetsuya persisted, knowing that if he let this go his friend might never speak to him of it on his own. If it was bothering Julian so badly, he wouldn't be open to talking about it without being given a push.

But...maybe that was just it. Tetsuya was pushing the wrong subject. Maybe this was something a little more difficult then just that night they spent together. What if something had happened during that year he had been gone? Lord Lockwood and his son did seem to be at worse odds lately, Tetsuya hadn't even needed to be there long to know that.

"Julian.... I don't know what you think about homosexuality, but assuming by the way your society is it can't be good. And...I'm assuming that your family probably hasn't taken very kindly to it, assuming they ever even knew about it. Especially your father... He was the one that gave you those wounds wasn't he? He was the one that hurt you like this..." Gently the older man placed a hand on his friend's face, lightly running his fingertips over one of the scratches there. Ye, they defiantly weren't caused by thorns....

Suddenly the young man grabbed Tetsuya's wrist and twisted it back, rolling them both over so his friend was pinned beneath him. Clearly upset that the other man had so easily found the heart of the issue, Julian yelled, "Why couldn't you have just shut up!"

And then he kissed him.

It was neither a gentle kiss nor a loving one. Instead his teeth attacked Tetsuya's lips, and his tongue pushed between them with vigor renewed by anger. He subconsciously pressed their bodies together, one hand sliding through the opening of the yukata and the other burying itself in dark, silky hair.

Tetsuya was stunned into an obedient silence, simply lying there as his friend started kissing him, groping him under the thin cloth of his sleeping robe. Only now had he realized just how close they had been, just how intimate the situation had become, and just how like the last time it was becoming. Tetsuya didn't want to continue this, he didn't want things to go down the exact same path, but just like before his brain had started to shut down. His better reasoning was losing the battle for control of his body and he knew he couldn't deny how very aroused he had become despite the harshness in Julian's actions. He didn't return the kiss as vigorously as Julian, however, didn't not return it at all. His own tongue lightly brushed against that of his friends as if testing unknown waters.

Julian pulled away from the kiss after a minute but let their lips brush together, licking the saliva from Tetsuya's. "I am harsh," he commented quietly, wanting to apologize for how rough he had been. Despite the similarities in the situation to when they had first had sex, this time had the potential for roughness and cruelty on his part. He couldn't bear the thought of treating the man he most respected as though he were some common prostitute. So instead Julian rolled off to lie back against the bed, removed the towel to expose himself completely, and pulled the Japanese man on top of him, kissing him again but this time much more softly while closing his eyes.

This time Tetsuya had enough control to pull away, though only far enough that he could speak, their lips still close enough to brush sweetly together. His eyes were half lidded, his breaths coming out in soft pants as he was fully aware how loose his robe was now hanging, allowing for almost every part of their bodies to touch without any barriers.

He wanted this. He knew that he wanted this, but he just couldn't. Not on those same grounds. He had to make sure this time... "Why? If you regretted it the last time then why continue it now?"

"I will always regret it--but I will always want it more." To make sure Tetsuya didn't back out of this now, Julian pushed the yutaka open and down over his shoulders so he could drink in the sight of the other man's body. Gently forcing the man to support himself on his hands and knees over top of the younger of the two, he began sliding down beneath Tet, licking his neck, chest, nipples, and abdomen in turn.

Finally his face was positioned beneath the groin area, and without a second thought Julian wrapped his hand around the base of his friend's manhood and let his lips close around the head.

Tetsuya didn't have time to dwell on Julian's words, his body shivering viciously as the other man started licking down his chest and abdomen, hitting all his more sensitive areas until he finally reached his groin. The man knew what was about to come, but even so it was a shock when he finally did feel that warmth engulfing the head of his erection. He had to lock his elbows to prevent himself from collapsing even with the small shock of pleasure that shot up his spine and through every nerve ending wiping out all deeper thoughts and concerns.

Smiling at the reaction, Julian opened his mouth wider and took in as much of Tetsuya as he could before sucking hard and beginning to bob, deep throating him. At the same time his hands caressed the chest, abdomen, and groin areas, tweaking nipples and cupping the balls. His attentions became almost viciously pleasurable.

It wasn't long before Julian had the nobleman on his elbows, moaning helplessly in pleasure and barely able to support himself during the glorious assault on his body and attack on his senses, every part of him, even places that had yet to be touched, feeling an odd tingling, burning sensation. His eyes had become half lidded and for the most part unseeing, his skin already covered with a thin layer of sweat.

Julian suddenly gave a gentle nip which would be a sharp wakeup call from pleasure to the other man. He crawled back up so that he lay between Tetsuya's arms and raised an eyebrow as he smiled up at the other man. His curling black locks gently fell against his face, dark eyes filled with intense thought, skin beautifully bronzed and muscular. For a moment he simply lay there, taking in the eye candy that the Japanese man's body served for him.

Then he spread his legs and raised his arms, gripping onto the headboard behind him, while lifting his hips to rub their crotches together, his already sporting a half erection.

Tetsuya wasted no time on the inviting sight that was his friend, sprawled out on the bed underneath him, their bodies rubbing together so perfectly. Letting himself lay down fully against Julian, he pressed their lips together, greedy for another kiss, wanting to bruise that delicious smile.

As his teeth and tongue worked at the younger man's mouth, his hands slowly slide up his sides and arms, his fingertips just barely touching the skin as he teased the young nobles every nerve ending right back down to his sides and chest then to his waist going to his legs. For a moment he simply stroked beneath Julian's knees, teasing in an almost ticklish fashion before lifting his leg up and forcing it to wrap around his waist while they continued the grinding motion.

Julian bit his bottom lip but couldn't help letting a hard moan escape, arching his back, neck muscles pulling taut. He turned his head to the side in order to deepen the kiss before thrusting his entrance against Tetsuya's manhood, silently begging him for what Julian had come to both need and dread.

Tetsuya had just been preparing himself, positioning himself as he held gently onto Julian's hips, only a few short moments away from taking what they both so desperately needed and diving into a sweet bliss. But as quickly as their encounter started, it ended, and on just as violent a note.

He hadn't really heard the door open, just a whim that he looked toward the door, probably an unconscious reaction to the sound of a key turning in a lock when he saw someone there-a brown-haired man of perfectly straight posture and the most icy eyes that Tetsuya had ever seen standing in the door frame with a disapproving look in his eyes.

He didn't have to think twice to know it was trouble. Before the nobleman could react in any way the man had left, slamming the door so loudly that if Julian hadn't been aware of his presence before he surely would have heard it then.

The moment the door slammed, Julian sat up so swiftly that he sent Tetsuya tumbling back onto the end of the bed. He could hardly believe his ears, yet the sharp sound echoed like the slam of a coffin lid, and it would probably have the same impact as well. Face drained of all color, he leapt up and hurried over to the door, jerking it open despite his nudity. But whomever had seen them together had vanished quickly into the darkness. Shutting and locking the door this time, the young man simply stood there, looking pale, stricken, and utterly terrified.

He had been seen. He had been seen in bed with another man...

Quickly the Japanese nobleman got up from his sprawled position at the end of the bed, grabbing his yukata and draping it around Julian once he had made his way over. He had never seen such fear in his friend's eyes before, though he knew how very justified it was. If word got out about how he had been caught in bed with another man, not just any other man but a foreigner, then who knew what sort of backlash this would have. Julian could very well get kicked out of his home and be disowned by his family. The worst part of this situation was Tetsuya didn't know what he could do to help... The damage had already been done and no words of comfort would be able to change it....

"What are you doing?" Outraged, the young noble flung the yutaka to the floor, a disrespectful gesture at the least. His dark eyes blazed with a mixture of anger, fear, and desperation. "You think I would let myself be seen in that after what just happened?"

He marched into the bathroom and grabbed his torn and dirty clothing up from the floor, pulling the trousers on as quickly as possible, tugging the shirt over his shoulders but not buttoning it, and slipping into the buckled shoes and stockings.

His father would hear about it by morning, no doubt. If he was merciful he would stop the gossip from traveling through the rest of the servant household. If not...if not then Julian was finished. He would have to flee the country, to France, perhaps, though he couldn't speak the language. One of his friends had gone off to Australia after having incurred huge gambling debts. Maybe he could follow. Maybe he could set off right now, before anyone knew anything, before anyone could stop him...

"Calm yourself!" Tetsuya nearly shouted, grabbing Julian by the shoulders and slamming him against the wall before he could leave, trying to be as careful as possible though he knew the action must have hurt. He wasn't angry about the harsh words or the disrespectful actions of his friend. He was scared for his safety and what he was planning on doing after he left this room. "You don't know what damage has been done! You don't know if they'll say anything or keep quiet! You don't even know how your family is going to react, and while I know that it isn't positive, you have to at least think that maybe they'll try covering this up, if for no other reason than that it would hurt their reputations as well as yours. Don't do something foolish out of fear!"

"I can't face my father after that," Julian replied quietly, letting his gaze drop from that of the other man as he stared at his feet in shame. "You don't know what he'll...Tetsuya, he could hurt you too with this. He could expose you. His reputation would be harmed but not destroyed as long as he cast the both of us out and disowned me from the family. Were I his only son, I would be more likely to believe he would help me in some small way. But Piper...he loves Piper so much..."

Tetsuya wished that he could say Julian wasn't giving his father enough credit, but he knew every word of it to be true. Demetrius was not the most devoted father to his younger son and would probably use this situation as a glorious excuse to get rid of him. Unfortunately there was nothing Piper or his mother could do about it, which made things all the more frustrating since he knew that if they could, they would stop this from ever getting out. They loved Julian and would protect him. It was just his father that was the problem.

"I have nothing to fear for my reputation considering I do not even belong in your society and...if I have to I can turn this situation in your favor. That servant doesn't know exactly what was going on he just knows that he saw us in bed together. We can form whatever story we need to. Turn you into a victim instead of a willing participant." Tetsuya knew that it wouldn't be an end-all solution to their problem and knew that he would probably be thrown out of the Lockwood house if not thrown out of England. He was willing to risk that, however, if it meant giving Julian at least a small chance of saving his reputation.

Julian's blood ran cold at the suggestion. "No," he refused without hesitation. "No, no, and no. There is no way I am allowing my best friend, a well-respected lord from Japan, to claim he forced me into this act. I shall take full responsibility. I initiated this, anyway..."

Given the new purpose to protect his friend, Julian was able to recompose himself, standing and brushing himself off, heading for the door. Doubtless his father was still awake, if he had even returned yet considering Julian had caused his horse to flee.

"Forgive me, my friend, but I will not let you take this burden upon yourself-not when you have so much more at stake then I do." Before Julian could take off, Tetsuya slammed his fist hard into the back of his neck, a move that would instantly knock the other man unconscious. Grabbing him before he could hit the floor, Tetsuya carried him to the bed, stripped him down, and lay him somewhat sprawled and disheveled pulling the covers over him. If this was going to work it would need to be convincing.

It also meant that he would have to have some help.... He would need to find someone that he could trust. Someone that he believed would not be so judgmental of the situation and would be willing to help him get Julian out of this. He need to find Samuel and do so quickly. The teen had seemed to have a good head on his shoulders, and good wits about him. Tetsuya just hoped that he wasn't making a mistake and misplacing his trust....

~---------------~

"What now, yer lairdship?" the young Scot asked in a hushed whisper after helping Tetsuya carry Julian to his own quarters. They had decided moving the 'body' was a better idea than keeping it in the room. "Are yeh going to speak with the master?"

Tetusya had considered himself lucky that he was able to find the boy and enlist his help. The nobleman would need to be careful how he dealt with this. "Please just call me Tetsuya. You've more then earned the right to speak to me as an equal for all your help."

Despite the gravity of the situation, he couldn't help but smile at the lad. "But, no, I'm not going to speak with him outright. It wouldn't be plausible for me to just come out and claim that I raped him when it would be so easy for me to make it look otherwise. I need you to go to him, tell him that you heard struggling and saw me trying to carry Julian back to his room, that you think something's wrong. No doubt the other servant has already gotten to him before us, and he's probably on his way here now. If he walks in seeing me trying to cover up my crimes after hearing what you said, it would be more believable. Otherwise he would know I'm just covering for Julian."

"Yes, yer lairdship--er, Mister Tetsuya, sir." Samuel gave a quick bow before leaving the room. He didn't hurry down the corridors until he was near the master's room, making sure that Tetsuya would have had time to arrange things according to his knees. Once in sight of the door, Samuel assumed an excited expression and dashed loudly over to it, banging urgently with his fist. "Master Lockwood, sir! Yer lairdship!"

The sound of hushed voices could be heard through the door, suddenly stopping as the servant banged on it. Quickly there were footsteps and the door swung open, standing in the frame none other then Eric. He had also been the one who had seen the entire thing between Tetsuya and Julian, reporting back to his lord the second he had found out. It was made more then obvious by the blood chilling look on Lord Lockwood's face. "His Lordship is very busy at the moment, so this had better be important! We don't have time to waste on petty squabbles and problems." The valet looked down on the teen with his usually arrogant expression, his nose turned up and, as always, a disapproving look on his face.

"I'm sorry, sir!" the youth exclaimed, glancing from one man to the other. Pushing past Eric, he hesitantly came to stand in front of Demetrius. "Yeh see, sir, I saw somefink rather odd in the hall, an' I thought I'd better come an' tell yeh, sir! As her ladyship were to have friends come an' stay tomorrah, I'd been sent upstairs to check the empty guest rooms an' make sure they was equipped with everything they needed, sir. But then I saw--" He paused, not too dramatically but just enough, wringing his hands together and shifting his weight nervously, looking away from his master.

"You saw what boy?! Spit it out!" Demetrius snapped in his usual bad manner, once again taking his temper out on the servants or any poor passersby that happened to catch him in his off mood. Even Eric looked slightly afraid to venture near him. "I don't have time for childish guessing games!"

Samuel didn't have to pretend to flinch, running his fingers nervously through his tangled red hair. "Well, yeh see, sir, it was a might bit dark an' I can't be sure o' what I saw, but there came this Chinaman a runnin' down the hall, sir. I hid myself in the shadows cause I dunno what he were doin' out and about so late at night. Then I saw he were carryin' Master Julian, sir..."

For a few moments everything came to a screeching halt as both Eric and Demetrius digested this information. "What do you mean by this? Carrying him how?" Eric started to look slightly panicked as he asked the questions. He had just gotten through telling his lordship how he'd seen Julian and his Japanese friend together, making it sound like a completely consensual act. He had even gone so far as to suggest that Demetrius disown Julian for such perverted actions, which could easily dishonor the entire family name. But the way this boy was telling it, how nervous he was acting as he tried to get the words out, was turning it into a different story all together.

"I don't want to make no assumptions, sir. I'm not one what likes to assume. But he had Master Julian thrown over his shoulder, an' the master's head were hanging all unconscious like. The Chinaman was sneakin' around, takin' him back tah his room, see, an' so I took a peek in the foreign fellah's own quarters. They was all in dissarray, like there'd been a fight. I didn't have much time to look cause back runnin' came that Chinese fellah, so I ducked outta the way and he didn't notice me, sir. Then he began cleanin' up like. Clearin' stuff away in the room as if nuthin' had happened."

"Take us to where you last saw him." Demetrius demanded, a dangerous look in his eye and tone in his voice though the full heat of it was directed toward Eric, who definitely appeared far more nervous then he had moments before.

While Lord Lockwood held no real love for his youngest son, he still wasn't pleased at basically being lied to by a valet that he trusted. Had this servant not come to him with this information before then he might have made a grave error in following through with Eric's suggestion. If his suspicions were true and that savage had raped Julian like was suggested, then it was a much more delicate matter than he had first supposed. Even if it wasn't true and they had planned this from the start it would still make matters more difficult.

"Oh no, sir, I couldn't!" He took a couple steps back, looking frightened, but a moment later seemed to get a grip on himself again. "All right, but I don't want him to know I reported him! A crazy foreign chap like him might want revenge, me laird!"

Murmuring such fears under his breath, he lead them into the hall and became quiet once they approached the Chinaman's room. Holding a finger to his mouth, he stepped aside so they could see into the room. They seemed to have bought his ruse. He was pleased to have been able to serve Tetsuya in this way.

Demetrius didn't bother to be quiet, slamming open the door and actually shocking Tetsuya, who had just finished cleaning up the mess that had been made of his room. He had actually turned, holding all of Julian's old clothes, about to get rid of them. He couldn't have planned it more perfectly even if he had tried.

"So what I heard was true, then," Demetrius growled, going over to Tetsuya. Even though he was completely dwarfed by the Japanese man, he still presented a fierce sight. Julian's friend could now see very clearly where his fear of his father came from.

"Where is Julian? What have you done with my son?"

Keeping a smooth tone Tetsuya dropped the clothing, a cool smirk spreading on his face as he played the part of villain. "I see that wasn't just my imagination that I heard scuttering down the halls. I'm surprised that you managed to make it down here so quickly. I would have thought you would be dwelling over it for quiet enough time for me to finish. Perhaps Eric wasn't quiet as good a distraction as I hoped he would be."

"What do you mean by that?" the valet snapped before receiving a glare from Demetrius, though he made no effort to halt the conversation.

"I mean I knew you were there. I knew you had seen and I was hoping that you would provide me the perfect escape. I guess I wasn't careful enough though about who else saw me." The Japanese man glared towards the door where he knew Samuel to be, though his glare held a slightly lighter hint as he regarded the teen.

Samuel looked away as though frightened of the man. "Sir, if I could go now..." he requested quietly of Lord Lockwood.

Demetrius glared at the boy, angry that he would interrupt, but nodded, excusing him as well as ordering Eric to go with him so they could remain in private before turning back to Tetsuya.

"I will not let this go unpunished. I don't know what you and my son are planning through this, I don't know if what he said is true and this really was a case of rape or if you're just covering for him, but it seems I have no choice, but to go along with it, hmm?"

"Sir, you have a choice, it's just not all the answers would have very positive effects on the way people look at you. I'm surprised that you've been able to keep your reputation for as long as you have."

"What are you talking about, savage?!" Demetrius snarled, a sudden nervous look in his eyes. This man very well might know more about his family from Julian then he would care to show.

"It is nothing, really. I simply find it hard to believe that such a good rider as your son could actually fall off of his horse so randomly into a rose bush. Especially when I haven't seen one on the paths on your land in the previous years that I've visited."

While Demetrius showed no outward signs concerning the man's words, he was deeply troubled. Later the nobleman had regretted his vicious beating of his son if for no other reason then he knew what it might imply and how that might affect the family. He had felt lucky that no one mentioned it as they surely would have if they had seen him, but this Chinaman was Julian's friend so it was only natural that he would find out if no one else.

"Leave my home. Stay away from my son, from my family! Do you understand? I will not have a rapist staying in my house."

Tetsuya knew that the father still didn't really believe the whole story, but this was a sign of surrender. As long as Tetsuya kept his secret Demetrius would keep theirs and at a very small price considering what would have happened otherwise...