Chapter Text
It was the most terrifying day of Mihai’s life. The day he was finally to be offered to His Exalted Majesty, Dread Lord of the Marches, Eskender the Conqueror. Mihai’s wedding, and his official enslavement.
He kept going over one of his acronyms in his head- CALM (Cede power, Adhere to your training, Listen to your betters, Mitigate any anger)- but for some reason it didn’t seem to help relax him at all.
When the servants and other slaves finished helping Mihai with the lengthy process of getting ready, he took a deep breath, tried to ignore his shaking, and began his way downstairs.
His entire family was waiting for him in the foyer. His honored Mother the Duke, his honored Father, and his two free elder siblings, Avram the firstborn, and Ihrin, the secondborn.
“Come here,” Mother commanded.
Mihai hurried the rest of the way over. Mother hummed and began inspecting him for any flaws in his clothes, hair, or makeup. It was harder than ever not to fidget and keep a calm, pleasant expression on his face, but he managed. He hoped he had gotten his shaking under control enough that Mother wouldn’t notice.
“Acceptable,” she finally declared.
Mihai’s heart leapt with joy and happy tears filled his eyes. Acceptable! She had called him acceptable! Praise from Mother! He committed it to memory immediately just like he had with every other time Mother had praised him.
“Thank you, Mother!”
All day, he had been so anxious about being given to the king, but it truly struck him now that he would no longer be in the same house as Mother anymore. Now his letters to her would have to travel so much further than just a few hallways. And who knew the next time she’d be able to allow Mihai to perform table service for the family? Perhaps he never would again!
“Mother,” he whispered, hardly daring to believe his own audacity, “may this lowly one have a hug, please?”
He braced himself for her response. Mother didn’t like it when he was bad and demanding and needy like this. He knew better! He scolded himself for his moment of weakness.
“Fine. You may.”
It took a moment for Mihai to process what Mother had just said, but when he did, he couldn’t stop himself from squealing with joy despite knowing Mother hated when he was too vocal with his happiness. He threw himself forward gracelessly and greedily, throwing his arms around Mother. He hadn’t been allowed a hug in years!
Mother was tall, thin, and boney. Sharp. There wasn’t the slightest bit of softness anywhere on her, unlike Mihai, who had a soft stomach no matter what diet he was put on. Mother was perfect.
She patted Mihai’s back twice, and Mihai nearly burst into tears at how affectionate she was being. She truly did care, and this proved it! He loved Mother with all of his heart, and he would miss her so much!
“Alright, that’s enough.”
Mihai had already been spoiled outrageously, so he didn’t linger for a moment more the way he desperately wanted to.
“Thank you, Mother,” he said, bowing. “I love you, Mother.”
But Mother wasn’t the only member of his family. And if she had allowed him a hug… Perhaps Father would too? He had never given Mihai a hug in his whole life, but perhaps today…
“F-father?” Mihai said timidly. “May this one hug you as well, please?”
Father glared at him with disdain. “No you may not! What the hell is wrong with you? Stupid, greedy, bad boy!”
Mihai cringed. “It’s sorry, Father!”
“Look at what you did!” Father complained to Mother, gesturing to Mihai. “You spoiled him! You’ve always been far too lenient with him! We should have sent him to that slave trainer for the slave children of nobles like everyone else with sense did, but you just had to train him personally because god forbid-“
“Those other families are lazy,” Mother said icily. “Do you think the Dalca family became this powerful by taking shortcuts? No. You haven’t lifted a finger once to help me train Mihai. I am the head of the Dalca family, not you, so I suggest you shut your mouth before I go find a more biddable husband that might actually be useful. Mihai, put your veil on, we’re leaving.”
Mihai obeyed immediately. He didn’t regret losing the opportunity to ask for a hug from Avram or Ihrin- they would have reacted worse than Father did. They both hated him.
It was hard to see through the veil, but it wasn’t so bad that Mihai couldn’t get around by himself. He followed his family out of his childhood home, and into a carriage to go to the castle.
He was allowed to sit on the seat instead of kneeling on the floor- a rare treat. Mother didn’t want him messing up his elaborate wedding dress.
It really was beautiful, perfect, exactly what Mihai had always dreamed about- a dark blue dress and veil, all covered in delicate pearls to show that Mihai was from the Dalca family. It was their signature, as Mother owned a whole fleet of merchant ships.
But no matter how perfect the outfit was or how it obscured his face, Mihai became more and more panicked as they approached the castle. He was totally convinced he would be rejected.
All his books said that masters could sense when a slave wasn’t good enough or was insufficiently submissive. The king wouldn’t even have to see his face to know that he was a worthless, needy whore who demanded hugs and sent Mother more letters than he was allowed, and would immediately reject him.
And if he didn’t, he was sure to know once he ordered Mihai to strip. The wedding dress was designed to make unveiling his body a show, but that didn’t work when the thing under the fabric was Mihai.
He could envision it now- the king’s face twisting with disgust when Mihai slid the veil down, his mind already made up just from seeing Mihai’s face, but wanting to truly humiliate Mihai in front of the whole court before he let him cover his hideous self back up. Mihai would have to bare his repulsive body to the crowd as they laughed and jeered. He’d be crying, knowing he wouldn’t be claimed. When he was totally naked and shivering, the king would scoff and ask Mihai if he truly thought he deserved to become a member of his honored harem, and Mihai would be forced to admit he didn’t, and then he would die like every bad slave did in the stories. Even if they didn’t execute him on the spot, Mihai would never be able to bear disappointing his king and his family both in one day.
His neck felt uncomfortably cold. The ribbon Mother had placed on him during his symbolic collaring ceremony when he was twelve, that had only ever been removed for bathing, had been taken away so that his real, permanent collar could be placed on him. He hated his neck being bare. What if he was rejected and never allowed to wear a collar ever again for the rest of his short, miserable life?
The carriage stopped in front of the castle. Mihai was crying with terror, and was extremely relieved his face was covered so no one could see his shame.
“You will be a good, submissive, obedient slave for His Majesty. You will accept anything he does to you with a smile, no matter how brutal, and never complain,” Mother said sternly. “Do not bring shame to this family. And remember- we didn’t want to oppose him when he came to take over, we simply didn’t have a choice. We’ll always be loyal to him from now on. Make sure to tell him that.”
“Y-yes, Mother,” Mihai whispered, teeth chattering. “It’ll be, be a good boy.”
“Behave- and smile. I can tell from your voice that you’re not smiling under that veil. Do you want the king to think you aren’t happy to belong to him?”
“No, Mother!” Mihai yelped. He forced a smile. “Thank you for correcting this worthless one! It loves you, Mother!”
Mother stood, and so did everyone else. “Come. It’s time.”
Time passed in a blur from there. Mihai could barely think until they reached the throne room, and then he could think all too clearly.
He won’t want me! I’m bad, awful, terrible, the worst slave in the world, he’ll hate me-
They progressed to the dais. The throne room was huge and grand, but Mihai couldn’t focus on any of the lavish decorations- there were too many people. Nobles and soldiers and slaves were everywhere, making so much noise that Mihai's ears rang. He had never been in such a massive crowd before. It was frightening and overwhelming. If he made it far enough for the king to order him to strip, how could he manage it in front of all these people?
He was relieved when he was finally allowed to crawl. His legs wouldn’t have been able to hold him up for much longer.
It was even better when he could grovel properly in front of the throne. Despite his fear, Mihai felt his cock twitch in its cage, and the comforting feeling of finally being in his proper place groveling at the feet of his god and master enveloped him like a blanket.
This feeling immediately dissipated when he realized that his parents and his siblings were kneeling next to him.
That flipped his whole world on his head. His family didn’t kneel! Especially not proud, powerful Mother.
“Our most magnificent, august dread lord,” Mother said in a tone so cringingly servile Mihai barely recognized her.
Oh god, she’s acting like this because she knows I’m a terrible gift! She knows he’s going to reject me!
“Your Glorious, Exalted Majesty,” Mother continued. “As the head of the Dalca family, I am honored to be here with my husband and heirs to humbly offer you a gift celebrating your glorious and well deserved ascent to the throne. I offer up to you a bride, my own trueborn son, who has trained his whole life to be your devoted slave, to serve and please you, just as we all wish to serve and please you. I, as well as my family, pray you will accept him.”
Mihai waited for his rejection, and for his life to be over.
“Of course I will,” the king said, his voice deep and strong.
Mihai yearned for that voice. Every atom in his body was desperate for it. It filled him, completed him. He had never felt so abject, so small, so submissive, so right. This was the voice that would rule him, own him. Master him. Mihai loved his master at once, just like all the books said he would. He trembled under His Majesty’s power and might, contained in just a few words. He was pressed flat by his sheer presence.
It took him a moment to realize he hadn’t been rejected. He was overjoyed, and then immediately horrified. The king hadn’t seen his face! Why on earth hadn’t he ordered Mihai to strip? What kind of a king accepted a concubine without even checking to see if they were adequate first? Mihai wasn’t anywhere near pretty enough for him! As soon as the king actually saw him, he’d change his mind for sure!
A good slave would have cast off the veil and let the king see him. But Mihai couldn’t bring himself to do it. The idea of never hearing His Majesty’s voice again- the idea that he would die uncollared and unclaimed- no. He couldn’t bear it.
He stayed silent. The king continued speaking. Mihai cried with joy at the sound.
“I’m so happy to meet you, sweetheart. I’m so honored that you’re here. I’m looking forward to spending more time with you after the coronation.”
Was the king… flirting with Mother? Or perhaps Father, or Avram or Ihrin? Mihai couldn’t tell who, since he couldn’t look up and see who this was directed at. Either way, that might be a good sign. If the king wanted to please a member of Mihai’s family, he might keep him even when he looked at Mihai’s face and realized he was hideous, and instead just punish him.
Mihai wasn’t given a chance to say goodbye to his family. Once the king finished speaking, a palace guard immediately hoisted him up and took him to the harem.