Lindsay looked around the room, briefly, her lip curling up in distaste. She supposed it was functional enough... but it was too small for her taste. Most especially, while trapped inside it with these other people. Ordinarily, she couldn't care less about a quick resolution of the king's business, but under these circumstances, she hoped that Brian would end it quickly. She glanced at each one of them in turn, uncaring of how much her distaste was showing on her face.

First, there was Ben. She not only found him untrustworthy after the phone call she had overheard but found him weak as well. Next to him was Michael. She loathed him completely. Michael refused to respect her and the importance of her title. It didn't matter what type of relationship she had with Brian. She was still his wife - the queen. There was such a thing as entitlement, and Michael had never grasped that.

She looked off to the side at the small bed that was only large enough for a child. Gus was still sleeping, entirely oblivious to the events of this tumultuous night. Perhaps that was for the best, although she thought being awake and alert would be a learning experience for him. Should she wake him, or was it best to allow him to wake up on his own, adjusting to his new surroundings? Parenting definitely wasn't one of her most refined traits. Displeasing Brian probably wasn't the best of decisions. Since she had returned, that seemed to be what she had become best at. Typically, that didn't bother her much, but recently, she had been pushing him too far. Brian wasn't the most controlled of men. She knew his patience was far from unending.

Then, there was Brian's obsession. She looked at the blond slave that was sitting on a chair in the far corner of the room, seemingly tuning out everyone, but she wondered if that was truly the case. During the few times she had observed him, it had been easy to detect that Justin Taylor wasn't the typical slave. She didn't know the exact circumstances of his placement here. The gossip had been plentiful; however, she had lived this lifestyle long enough to realize not everything should be believed. Right now, one thing stood out - this blond was the cause of the turmoil that had upset her life tonight. And for that, she found him even more of an irritant.

Justin was silent, staring into a far corner of the room, trying not to make eye contact with anyone. He felt consumed with both guilt and regret. His actions had led them to this night. Had he not fled from his parents' home, none of this would have happened. As he reflected upon the most recent events, it was easy to recognize that his actions had begun a chain of events. Now, lives were in danger as a result, and he didn't know how to make that right.

Without looking up, Justin mumbled, "I'm sorry."

Ben and Michael looked at each other, exchanging a confused frown, while Lindsay looked at the young man with contempt and accusation. She was the first one to speak. "You should be sorry. We are all trapped in this small space, adequate though it may be, all because you enticed the wrong man. I can't help but wonder if you did it deliberately... all to provoke your master's jealousy!?"

Justin looked up, his eyes widening at the context of the hateful words, not to mention the menace in her voice. "I think you're overreacting - just a bit. I had no way of knowing any of this would happen."

"Perhaps not... but as a result, my child is in danger. We all are!" Lindsay accused, her eyes savagely attacking Justin. This man deeply unsettled her, instilling a fear in her that none of Brian's lovers ever had, and the most fearsome thought being - she had just met Justin, and it was already so apparent. He was different from the others. She doubted Brian had even realized that, but for her, it was so clear.

Michael snorted, gaining him a slight elbow in the side, yet uncaring of the protocol that Lindsay thought was due to her. "I doubt you are in any danger, Lindsay. I believe this lunatic would only go after the people that are closest to the king. That being so, I would guess that Gus and Justin are the ones most at risk."

Lindsay stood to her feet, for the moment, her contempt for Brian's lover forgotten, turning her rage quickly in Michael's direction. "How dare you, Michael! Once again, you forget your place." She laughed shrilly. "Oh yes, how could I forget? You are nothing more than a sponge. You have no position here!"

Instantly, Michael also stood to his feet, facing Lindsay head-on, knowing he would be reprimanded by Ben, but at the moment, he honestly didn't give a fuck. "A sponge? What the actual fuck?? Let's talk about positioning." Michael gave a mock bow, along with a sneer. "You are here only because you gave birth to the king's heir. You have no feelings for either father or son, and even less for this country. You're never here! I don't give a fuck about your title. Funny thing about those, they can be taken away just as quickly as they are given."

Ben groaned, knowing there was nothing he could do to stop the train wreck that Michael was so intent on amassing. He realized the king had placed him here for two reasons. One, to protect those closest to him, and two, to maintain the peace among them. It was easy to see, one would be much simpler to do than the other. "How about we don't let these tight confinements get to us. Everything we could need is inside, and I doubt we'll be here for long. Our king is a skilled warrior. Sapperstein will be captured quickly."

"Shut the fuck up, Ben! I'm tired of your sanctimonious speeches when we both know you have just as much to hide!" Lindsay glared at Ben, unable to believe he was still trying to play the loyal servant when she knew he had played a part in landing them in this position.

Ben narrowed his eyes, certain now that Lindsay had overheard his call with Sapperstein. She was such a gullible fool, but he wasn't going to allow her to interfere with his task here today. His king was depending on him, and he refused to let him down - now or ever. "Appearances are often deceiving. If you have a question regarding my loyalty to the king, perhaps you should take your concerns up with him. In the meantime, I intend to attend to my duty."

Justin silently watched and listened, unable to believe the queen's inappropriate behavior, although he also realized Michael's comments were out of line. This kingdom completely baffled him. Lindsay was the queen, and yet, no one treated her with any respect, except for Ben... and he seemed to only grudgingly do so. Even if he found her to be cold and cruel, he had also been tutored in the ways of the hierarchy. He hoped to refrain from an argument with her, but right now, as tensions soared high, he wasn't sure he could manage it. "Perhaps everyone should calm down before the shouting wakes up the child."

Ben smiled warmly at Justin, shaking his head in wonder. "The youngest adult in the room shows the most wisdom. We should pattern our actions after you, Justin."

Lindsay sat back down, crossing her arms in front of her. "He will get no gratitude from me. He's the cause of this, and we all know it. How long will this take, Ben? And what if something happens to Brian? Does anyone else know how to let us out?"

A long-suffering sigh escaped. He hated dealing with this woman, or even answering her questions. Being respectful to her was his most difficult task. "The king is a skilled warrior, as I've already said, he will handle this efficiently and expediently. And regarding the room, I wouldn't worry, we are far from trapped." Ben didn't speak the obvious, that he could release them from this room. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that Lindsay would demand it, but he wouldn't do anything that could jeopardize his task here, no matter how pleasant it would be to have her gone.

Everyone was silent, and suddenly watchful of the child that sat up on the small bed, his eyes looking around the room in confusion, clearly seeking out the identity of each inhabitant. "What's going on? Where are we?"

Michael held up his hand to stop Ben from approaching Gus, thinking that in this case, he was the best choice. He often played with Gus out in the yard, mostly when Gus had his dog with him. The future king was not only accustomed to him but comfortable with him as well. He walked over to the bed, sitting next to him. "Nothing to worry about, young Sir. You are safe here. This is a special room that your daddy had designed should any bad men ever try to invade his home. Your daddy is dealing with those people now, but in order to do that without any worries distracting him, he made sure the people he cared about the most were protected."

Gus nodded, smiling brightly, not a doubt in his mind of Michael's words. He looked at Justin closely for a long moment, turning to ask Michael, "I know everyone else except him. Who is he?"

Justin was silent, uncertain how Michael would answer, and not wanting to say anything that would incite the spiteful queen again. When he met her eyes, he could see the hatred for him glowing in them, realizing she was barely restraining the urge to speak more of her pointless venom.

"That's Justin, and I think someone you will get to know over time." Michael glanced at Justin, and then over at a glowering Lindsay, deciding this was the perfect time to twist the knife deeper in the queen's back, exhilarated in the knowledge that she couldn't fight back in the presence of her son. "He's here with us, Gus, so he's important to your daddy too."

Lindsay gasped, unable to believe that Michael would humiliate her to such a degree. She opened her mouth to speak, and closed it just as quickly. That was what Michael was trying to accomplish. If she exploded in front of Gus, and in the presence of all of these witnesses, Brian would be livid. For now, she would be silent... but Michael was quickly moving to the top of her list of people to deal with... and Justin now a very close second.

Gus nodded, the explanation making perfect sense to him. He stood up and walked over to Justin, extending his hand almost formally. "I'm Gus." He examined Justin closely, trying to decide why his daddy found him to be so special. He knew his father rarely expressed emotion to others. If he did so with Justin, then he really had to be special.

"I'm Justin. It's nice to meet you, Gus. I've heard a great deal about you, and I have seen you playing in the gardens on multiple occasions." Justin smiled as Gus sat down next to him, uncertain of how it had happened, but finding himself instantly charmed by the king's son. What a delightful child, he thought to himself. Getting to know him, and perhaps seeing a more innocent version of Brian in him, would be fascinating.

It didn't occur to Justin that this could be another stage in falling for the arrogant ruler, but in time, that particular connection would be realized.

TBC