"Can you tell me HOW in the hell this happened at a secure prison?" the king roared, his eyes now bulging in his head.

"Apparently, we have some unloyal guards. It's hard to say why they did what they did. Displeasure with your rule, greed... it's impossible to say!" Ben ran an unsteady hand through his hair, knowing this would be a long night for all of them. "The preliminary report suggests that the guards involved in the escape were killed, as well as Sir Taylor. Sapperstein is the only one that managed to evade them."

"Sapperstein needs to be found immediately!" the king snarled. "He is more of a threat than Taylor ever would have been!"

Justin stepped forward. "It is definite then? My father really is dead?"

Ben turned to face Justin, the pallor on the young man's face overwhelming. "I'm sorry, Justin. The report is conclusive in that regard. Your father died instantly."

Nodding his understanding, Justin cast imploring eyes in the king's direction. "Your Highness, please allow me to visit my mother. I need to tell her this myself."

The king agreed with a swift nod of his head. "Of course, Justin. Also, I will allow you to spend the night at the cottage." Brian stepped closer to Justin, placing his hands on his shoulders, looking directly into the saddened, yet accepting eyes. "I am going to increase security around the cottage. I am not going to insult you by hiding the truth from you. Sapperstein represents a clear threat to you. He could try to come after me through you. However, he will NOT gain access to these grounds. I need you to take my words seriously, for your protection and your mother's. I can and will protect you!"

"I believe you. I'm not really afraid of him, but I do accept the danger he represents; I don't want to do anything that will bring that into your home. The man is a monster and deserved his death sentence." Justin bit his lip, unable to escape the visions of what Gary Sapperstein would do to him if he got his hands on him. It wasn't pleasant. "He wants to rape me merely to diminish my value to you. I think it is of little doubt that he will come after me - one way or another."

Unable to deny Justin's assertion, knowing only a fool would try to deny what was so incredibly obvious, Brian vehemently declared, "He will still have his death sentence, Justin; however, now, it will be as it should have been - it will be by my hand!" Glancing up at Ben, knowing his security chief would know exactly what they would be doing next, Brian advised him, "Prepare the house for our absence for the next few hours. We will be at the prison. I will interrogate the remaining guards tonight, and I want to examine Taylor's body myself. Place the tower guards around the cottage. They won't be needed up there tonight."

Ben bowed to the waist, quickly rising to speak. "I will get on that immediately, My King." Ben glanced in Justin's direction, uncertain of what to say. Should he say nothing at all? In the end, his strong sense of courtesy to mankind decided for him. "I'm not sure what to say, Justin. I would offer my condolences, but I'm not certain that is appropriate in this case. I will simply say, I am terribly sorry for any pain this has caused you or your dear mother. Good evening."

Justin smiled, unable to keep from liking the men that were in the king's inner circle. "Thank you, Ben. I appreciate your kindness."

"I will join you soon," the king addressed his head of security, without a doubt in his mind that Ben would have the palace and the grounds secure during their absence. He gave Ben a quick smile of gratitude, more than pleased with him reaching out to Justin. This was an awkward situation. None of them would know what to say to the blond... but Ben, as always, handled it decorously.

Once Ben left the large dining room, Justin looked at the king, frowning at how he looked down at him in concern. "You don't need to worry about me. There was no love lost between me and my father, and I was already resigned to the fact that he would face a death sentence soon."

"True enough, but you didn't expect it like this." Brian leaned in closer, his mouth close to the tempting lips that he had been moments from claiming before the untimely interruption. "I will be gone for a while, Justin. I really don't want to leave before having that kiss that was just stolen from me." The king eyed his prize hungrily. "Will you give it to me... or must I take it?"

Justin snorted. "Now is hardly the time for your lust to emerge..."

"Okay, then. I guess that answers my question." Without any further warning, Brian's mouth swooped down to claim Justin's in surprise, the parted lips giving him the opening he sought. He knew that kissing him could be a mistake - here and now, and under the circumstances, but he was determined to have that before going to face any drama that awaited him at the prison. Justin belonged to him, and he would indelibly stamp that on the younger man one step at a time. "Kiss me back," Brian demanded, hungering more for the blond's willing response, than anything else. "I want to feel your tongue against mine, not me capturing it, but you giving it to me."

Justin moaned. No matter how much his mind wanted to rebel against the king and his request, his words reached him on an elemental level. He wanted to know how such a kiss would feel... and he wanted to know how it would affect him being administered by the passionate monarch. Unable to resist what his body so obviously wanted, Justin reached his hands up to weave through the king's hair, pulling his mouth more tightly against him. For several minutes, all that could be heard in the room was their mingled heavy breathing, each of them moving their mouths together as if they wanted to absorb the other. Justin knew when he was out of the king's overwhelming, and totally consuming presence, he would shrug this all off to being caught up in the moment... the danger, the drama, and the king's avowals of protection. However, in the here and now, Justin knew that excuse didn't quite ring true. Something pulled him toward the arrogant ruler. He needed to figure it out. If so, then maybe he could fight it. Deep down though, he wondered if he really wanted to resist it.

Brian growled when he pulled back from the kiss, a feral smile on his lips, and not the least bit annoyed at how Justin had completely disheveled his hair. His head would be covered when he journeyed in full dress to the prison, but it still didn't matter. He would proudly wear the effects of their mutual desire. Because whether the blond wanted to admit it or not, this kiss proved what he had sensed for days now. Justin wanted him. When he returned, with his prison once again restored to order, there would be no holding him back. Justin would find out what it meant to be his... and he would claim him - over and over again.

"I-I guess you should be going..." Justin said awkwardly, uncertain how to combat that self-satisfied, and primitive look in the king's eyes. He wasn't sure what he had done to provoke THAT look, but he had the feeling it spelled all sorts of changes for him when the king was less in demand. "I need to get to my mother too."

"Yes, of course." Brian realized his tone came out more sternly than he intended, but after reaching what he felt was a pinnacle with this young man - a genuine, giving response... he was pissed that he was forced to leave him. There was nothing he wanted more than to pull him to his chambers and take the younger man in every way a man could be taken. It wouldn't be much longer now. He couldn't tolerate it... and now that Justin had shown a real desire for him, there would be no holding him back. "This unpleasant business takes priority - for the moment."

Justin's eyes widened at the inflection in the king's voice. At the moment, he had just said. Yes, he was quite certain he was in for the ruler's most determined and amorous pursuit upon his return. "I am sure I could find my way... but I doubt you will allow that."

Brian looked at the boy incredulously. "No, I won't. No matter how safe I know my estate to be, I won't take any chances." He almost said... ‘not with you'. Leading him to the double doors, Brian flattened his hand on them not opening them to allow them passage. He pressed his body up against Justin's back, his hands moving up and down his sides. "However, keep in mind, my own, your short reprieve has now totally evaporated..." Brian ran his tongue down the side of Justin's neck, a lustful chuckle escaping when Justin gasped in response. "When I wrap up this business and return, I will have you in my bed at the earliest opportunity." He nipped at the exposed skin, growling when Justin's ass pushed back against him. "I may keep you there for a week..."

Without another word being spoken by either of them, Brian opened the large doors, motioning Justin ahead of him. After a brief nod to Ben, he watched as the two tower guards escorted Justin down the hallway, soon to be joining his mother. He felt a slight bit of remorse for coming at Justin immediately after the blond had learned of his father's death. He could have been vulnerable, and more open to his advances. In the aftermath, that didn't matter, though. Justin's responses had been real, in fact, the most honest display of emotions the younger man had extended to him so far. He would use that to his advantage, and the hot and immensely sultry blond would be his.

"Let's go..." the king hissed. "I will interrogate every guard, and watch the prison film. If any guard remains alive that betrayed me to this filth, I will execute them tonight!"

Jennifer's eyes were wide and fearful when she opened the cottage door, the paleness on Justin's face, and the alertness of the guards telling her something terrible had happened. "Come in, sweetheart."

Justin stepped inside the cottage, his eyes curiously looking around, a slight smile curving his lips at the elegance and simplicity of the living room. "This is really nice, Mom. Not at all what I expected."

Nodding, Jennifer had to agree. "It's very nice, and actually spacious throughout. I am beginning to wonder if your father grossly misled us about King Bruhier. The monarch that I have met isn't what I was led to expect..."

"That could be true." Justin bit at his lip, uncertain of how to go about this. No matter how much his mother presently hated his father, he was still her husband. She couldn't be totally blasé about this bit of news. "Can we sit down? I have some news..."

Warily, she motioned him to the sofa, slowly taking a seat as she waited for Justin to follow and do the same. She noticed how he approached hesitantly, almost as if he didn't want to begin telling her what was on his mind. Jennifer thought about Justin's presence here, and how extraordinary that was. For the king to have allowed it, something was very wrong. "It's about your father... isn't it? Has he been captured?"

Sitting close to his mother, knowing with her particularly sensitive nature, this would be difficult for her, Justin disclosed what he believed would be devastating news for her. "Apparently, Dad's evil went even deeper than we could have imagined. Somehow, he broke Gary Sapperstein out of the prison, where he was scheduled for execution in the morning, and in the escape, Dad was shot by prison guards." When his mother gasped, in what he wasn't sure if it was dismay or shock, Justin added, "He didn't survive."

"And Sapperstein? That horrid man that had such vile intentions?" Jennifer asked, unable to fully process Craig was now dead, and no longer a threat to any of them, but more concerned that this other dangerous man, was now on the loose and could be conspiring to finish what he had started.

"Sapperstein was the only one to escape. Dad and the guards that were on Sapperstein's payroll were shot and killed. The king is on his way to the prison now." Justin looked at his mother incredulously. "I'm surprised, Mom. I thought you'd fall apart when you heard about Dad. I think the king did too. He suggested I spend the night here with you at the cottage."

Jennifer's eyes rounded in shock. "Now you have surprised me. I would have never expected him to do that!"

"Yeah..." Justin agreed. "I can't quite figure him out either. Umm, I'm a bit stunned here. Aren't you upset?"

"Well, of course, I am. I believe all human life should be respected and valued. But let's be realistic, Justin. Your father's end had already been decided. These events only shortened his time." She took a deep breath, unable to determine how best to explain the circumstances of her marriage. Even though Craig had been a terrible father, and a cruel man, in the end, he was still Justin's father. She needed to remember that, and be of comfort to him. What saddened her the most was how much she had failed as a parent. Now, with Craig out of their lives, she hoped she could do better. "Justin, my marriage to your father really wasn't typical. I have more regrets about not finding my way out of that life than anything else. If I had, we both would have been spared so much."

"Mom, you can't blame yourself for his actions. To be honest, I stopped thinking of him as my father years ago." He smiled in relief at his mother. "I was afraid you'd be devastated."

Jennifer sighed, shaking her head in denial. "I'm fine, Justin. Actually, I'm more worried about you. I was raised not to show emotion. Sometimes that's very difficult."

"Yeah." Justin looked at her quizzically, before asking, "Did you ever love him?"

Tilting her head, Jennifer thought about that for a long moment. "In the beginning, I thought I did... but in time, I knew my feelings had been manipulated. To explain, I was a rebellious young girl. Anything my father wanted, I did the opposite. Craig came along and saw that, and knowing what I know now, I realize he took advantage of that. He wanted the connections my family could give him. Only, my father saw through him. I rebelled and married Craig against my father's wishes. I was disowned. Craig always thought my father would change his mind, especially after you were born... but as you know, that never happened. Once Craig realized that, his manner toward me changed abruptly - almost overnight."

"I see. So, he was always using you, and never loved you. In fact, he didn't care about either one of us." Justin frowned, uncertain why he felt a twinge of pain at that realization. His father had been a monster. Why would he care that he never loved him?

Jennifer shook her head, reaching out to squeeze Justin's hand in her own. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I know it hurts. Your father was a cold man. He didn't have one redeeming quality that I could ever find." Watching her son carefully, she felt her heart breaking when a lone tear slid down Justin's cheek. "I know you're in pain now, but think of how much safer we both are now. Life can finally go on."

Safer. Yes, he did feel safe now, although he remembered the king's words very clearly, and he agreed totally with them. Sapperstein was a threat to him. He hoped he would be captured quickly. "You should be safe now, and I'm very thankful for that. However, Gary Sapperstein is a monster. I think he escaped not only to evade death but to finish what he started with me."

Jennifer's eyes widened in horror. She did remember what that vile man tried to do to Justin. Would this nightmare ever be over? "Justin, get that thought out of your head! I know I have expressed strong disapproval of the king's plans for you, but I do know one thing - he will never allow that man near you."

Justin smiled weakly, knowing the events of the day made him feel more vulnerable than usual. "I know that he will kill to protect me; he already has. But I also have to wonder, are these grounds truly impenetrable? Especially to a madman that is determined to gain access..."

"In this, all we can do is trust the king. I truly believe he will keep us safe..." Jennifer's voice held great confidence, not a doubt in her mind that her statement was founded in absolute truth. "Trust in him, Justin; at least, regarding your safety. I don't know how I am so certain; I simply am. No harm will come to you. And when that vile man attacks, the king will be ready for him."

Justin nodded, remaining silent... yet, still guarded. He had told the king he didn't fear Sapperstein, but that wasn't quite true. In those horrific moments when Sapperstein expressed his depraved lust for him, he had known the man had intended on satisfying his desire, uncaring of enraging the king. The only thing Sapperstein could see was his own blinding lust. Justin shuddered as he thought about Sapperstein hiding out, plotting his next move. No matter what it was, he knew it featured him as the victim. Sapperstein wasn't a fool. He would act when the king was his most distracted. Justin's eyes widened when an even more fearful thought occurred to him.

What if Sapperstein attacked tonight?

TBC