Day Two - Continued
Ryan was eager for the meeting to adjourn. Eager for the chance to spend an uninterrupted evening with Catrine in their suite. She had spent most of the day tucked up in his lap and while he'd relished it, it hadn't afforded him the opportunity to say more than a few words to her all day.
He found the idea of sharing a meal and having an unhurried conversation with her to be very appealing. Surely things would wrap up soon. He could see the sun setting through the stained glass windows that surrounded them.
He was surprised that the Six Kings hadn't been more critical of his proposal now that two full days of meetings had passed. While his initial pitch had been the focus of the engagement and he had fielded his share of questions, he had expected to face a tough inquisition.
In retrospect, it almost felt like a formality that he attended the meeting at all. More than halfway through the conference, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that they planned to develop the energy resources of the south and engage his company to do lead the effort.
So, why had they bothered to invite him? The thought troubled him as he considered it. There was really no way to guess at the answer and he reminded himself that their agreement was not yet confirmed. They had not signed the contract and many of the specifics of the negotiation remained still to be decided.
All the more reason to try to keep his head on straight. Meeting Catrine and having her here certainly complicated things though. He was usually so cool under pressure. So detached. It was a significant factor in his ability to navigate the empire of the Six Kings for so many years; He could get by, do his bit, say little, and offend no one.
But here, with her as his companion, he had called attention to himself. He had been distracted since the moment she joined him. He hadn't been able to don his usual business persona.
Her beauty, her pain, and her honesty were humanizing in a way that pulled at the center of his heart. It was as though he couldn't care about anything as much as he suddenly cared for her.
Watching her, touching her, and, he admitted reluctantly, even striking her; It had called into question the complicity of his past actions. Now, he felt suddenly accountable for all that he had overlooked; all that he had seen but not called to question. It muddled the purpose of his visit and left him feeling unsure of his goal. He had started this quest to lock up a contract and, in the process, lock up his future. He was no longer sure of his future at all.
His thoughts were interrupted as he saw King Arick rise to make an announcement. His gut instincts told him that nothing good would come from this. He reflexively tightened his grasp on Catrine and waited to hear what the King had to say.
"Gentlemen," Arick began, smiling at each King in the room. Ryan couldn't shake the suspicion that he had something up his sleeve. He wanted to slap the expression right off his face.
"As you all know, one of the best parts of our quarterly meetings is the chance to share in the rarest luxuries from each of our territories. Sir Hall, the wine you brought along for example, has been most exquisite. Thank you for being so considerate as to share it with each us!"
Hall nodded in dignified reply.
King Arick continued, "So, it occurred to me this afternoon, that we should really share all of our treasures with one another during our short stay. Our time is so precious and our treats are so...tasty. So, if you'll indulge me in a bit of whimsy, I thought perhaps we should...trade."
"Now, now. Don't worry!" He continued quickly. "It would only be temporary. Just for one night. The chance to partake in one another's most favorite of all delights! Our beloved pleasure slaves, at our collective disposal, to indulge in our most tempting desires."
"Dutton!" he exclaimed with great congeniality, "I know, for example, that you are most eager to get between the legs of Roberts' twins!"
Hearing this, Dutton held up his glass of wine to Roberts to toast his fine taste. The two Kings sharing in the joke and smiling widely.
"And, my own lovely Pet," he said stroking the hair of the girl next to him. "She is extremely well suited for some of Edwards' less gentle tastes." Edwards licked his lips at the suggestion, hungrily eyeing the girl at Arick's feet.
"Let's see if you can't push her limits a bit, no?" He said with a wink as Edwards slowly nodded at him in full agreement.
"And I must confess," Arick continued with exaggerated dismay, turning his attention to stare directly into Ryan's eyes. "I have been quite taken by our newest guest, Mr. Pierce's companion."
"I was thinking just this afternoon that I would be most appreciative of the chance to explore her most...intimately." He lingered on the final word, turning his attention from Ryan to Catrine as he shot her a cold smile. She sat wide-eyed in Ryan's lap, fully comprehending how this would unfold.
"So, unless there is any objection?" He trailed off for a moment looking to the other Kings, many of whom had already begun collecting their personal items, nodding back at him in total agreement.
"Excellent!" He said and clapped his hands together like a small child who had just been told that he had his pick of delights from a candy store.
Leaving the other Kings to sort out their swaps, he turned to Ryan and Catrine and with a deadly serious expression said, "If you would please follow me then, dear?"
He found himself helpless again. Ryan's rage threatened to spill into open violence as he balled his fists and gritted his teeth.
On shaking legs, Catrine slowly stood and stepped away from Ryan's embrace to follow behind King Arick. In a flash, Ryan grabbed her and pulled her backwards with so much force she almost crashed into his desk. He surged forward to put himself physically between her and the vile King.
"Something wrong Mr. Pierce?" King Arick asked with mock concern.
Ryan's breathing was labored and his eyes burned intensely. He closed in on Arick and readied himself to strike him. The anger sparked between them and the other Kings took notice, stopping their activities and turning their attention to where the two men stood.
Catrine knew that the situation was escalating quickly and that a conflict with a King could turn bad fast. Very, very bad. There were too many accidents and too many disappearances that couldn't be explained. She knew Ryan meant well, but his reactions were naive. She couldn't stand the thought of him coming into danger because of her.
She searched for courage deep inside of herself. Reaching out to Ryan, she gently pulled at his fist, which broke his stare down with Arick as he turned his head to regard her. Their eyes met briefly, ice blue to warm brown, each reflecting the other's sadness.
She took his hand in hers, gently prying at his balled fist to open his fingers and reveal his palm to her. She bent gracefully forward and planted the softest kiss from her lips to the center of his palm. The gesture was intimately submissive, a slave bidding good evening to her Master. But, as she stilled her lips and brushed her cheeks back and forth against his warm skin, she tried to convey her prayer with her gesture: Do not be stupid. I will be okay. I will come back to you.
