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Bound and Chained
Prologue
A small vase shattered against the wall. "Damn, damn, damn."
"Mistress? Is it really that bad?" The silence continued unbroken. "Kaj?"
Finally her silence broke. "We're dying Caytin. Over forty thousand cycles of careful breeding, all for nothing, we're dying."
Caytin knelt by her, "how long?"
"It won't be in my or Rhea's lifetime, but probably by the time her daughter is grown, we will have gone too far for any hope." Kaj felt Caytin, pull, her close, so that she could rest for one moment against his chest. She knew that she didn't dare fall apart right now. In the shape things were in, she might never get control over herself again, but she wanted too. She wanted nothing more than to hide in her consort's arms and try to forget all that was going wrong. But she knew she couldn't do that, too many people were counting on her, her people, needed her, so she just, sighed and pulled back. "As is, we are going to have to combine the houses again, and take the age for our men to be sold from fifteen to thirteen."
Caytin almost leapt up from where he was kneeling. "Mistress, please, you can't mean that. My, our, men, they already have almost nothing of a childhood. Let them have at least a little time to grow up."
"Damnit Cay," she pushed him back, almost knocking him to the floor. "Do you think I like to think about it?" Her voice was a near scream. "But I don't think I have a choice. Have you visited the dorms yet? There are over thirty girl children under the age of fifteen, and only nine boys. There hasn't been a male infant born in my house since Hanna's boy. And he is three now. Aticka's house has the youngest boy, and he is over one." Kaj grabbed Caytin's arms. Cay, love, we might not have a choice."
Caytin dropped back to his knees, reaching for her hand. "Mistress, listen to me. Please, wait for another half cycle. If by then you haven't figured out something, then so be it. But please, give my men that much of a chance. What is one cycle more or less? Just please, let it rest for now." He took her hand as she helped him back to his feet, reaching out to cup her chin, smiling down into her eyes. "Enough for now, Mistress, I can think of at least one thing for you to do, other than worrying. Just let it rest for now. This problem wasn't born over night, and it will not die over night either."
She laughed softly, stroking his cheek. "You are right, love, I do need to let things go for a while."
"So, shall I take you to your room, and put you to bed to get some rest?"
She smiled at him. "That would be nice, pet, but are you sure that you're not due to spend time with another of the women in my house tonight?"
Caytin snorted. "Mistress, I have been your slave, mate and consort for more than seventeen cycles. I am the father of your children, it is your mark that I wear on my thigh, and your cuff on my wrist. There are none in your house that come before you. I am yours, body and soul." He pressed himself against her. Reaching for her hand, to rub his cheek against it.
Kaj sighed. "You're right, of course. It is time to put this to rest." A night without worries, was just what she needed. "Shall I lead you to my room?"
He moaned softly, chuckling. "Mistress, you could lead me anywhere you want. Here, your room, the hall, anywhere you want. I will gladly follow."
Kaj was about to fuss at him for his tendency for being just a bit too eager for bare skin to touch bare skin, when a loud, ugly and horrifying claxon rang through the room.
"What?" Caytin pulled away, a look of worry and fear on his face.
"Run, Cay." Kaj reached for the sword that hung on her office wall. "See to it that the children and men are protected. I don't know whom," she headed for the door. "But some fool has raided my house."
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