The rose of a desert. Volume 3. "Book of Flame" Chapter 4

It was a great day - a day of falconry. They left before dawn. The falcon was carried separately in a cage tied to the saddle. We were not going fast. The desert was just beginning to wake up from sleep. The sun was rising in the east. The sky was colored by its rays.

Arshad put on a large leather glove on his right hand, they brought him a falcon with a cap on his head and a chain on his leg, which was fastened to the glove.

Having put the falcon on his glove, Arshad moved forward, all the others followed him. Kai kept to the right, slightly behind, realizing that he should not go in front of the Sheikh.

There were about thirty riders in total, at first they rode at a trot, then went into a gallop. Arshad vigilantly scanned the space ahead, at last, he saw a point in the already blue sky. Without stopping the horse, he unfastened the chain on the bird's leg and took off the cap from it. The falcon instantly saw the victim and soared up. It was beautiful and so exciting.

They spurred their horses, trying not to lose sight of the falcon flying towards its prey.

An eternal drama unfolded in the azure blue of the sky: the hunter and the victim. Here the chances were equal. The victim also saw the falcon and soared upward, and then began to maneuver, changing the angles of flight. The falcon kept up with it, took aim, and finally made a throw. Together they fell from heaven.

The riders screamed and rushed to the place of their fall. There, a falcon was sitting on the sand, clutching still the warm body of its prey. The riders whirled around them, continuing to scream. There was noise and chaos.

Arshad jumped off the horse, put a cap on the falcon, and put it on his arm, fastening a chain on its leg, then bent down and lifted the carcass of a bird by its paws, from whose chest a scarlet trickle of blood was flowing. Arshad triumphantly lifted it, everyone around again shouted in a greeting. Arshad's eyes were burning, he was in the heat of the race and the adrenaline because of the caught prey. He looked with his eyes for the one whose eyes he wanted to see now and saw - these eyes were sad, the face bewildered. The young man lowered his gaze and turned his horse away from Arshad, immediately hiding behind the backs of the other riders.

Arshad was confused, froze, then called the servants, handed them the falcon from his hand, and jumped on his horse. He found him a little to the side, looking into the distance of the desert.

"What's wrong?" Arshad drove up close to him and looked into those sad eyes.

"You know, I read so much about such a hunt and really wanted to see everything myself ... but now when I've seen the red blood on a dying bird ... I've realized that I do not want this. Sorry…"

Kai touched the sides of the horse and walked slowly to the side. Arshad looked at him, realizing the meaning of what he had said.

"Wait!" he caught up with him, their legs were touching, so close now their horses were walking with each other.

Arshad suddenly hugged him around the waist and held his hand there. Kai threw up his head and faced the very strange look that Arshad was looking at him with. In those impenetrable dark eyes, there was something that frightened Kai.

He tried to move away, but the hand at his waist was holding him too tightly.

Arshad saw this fear in his eyes, but he also saw his lips, which were too close, his breath, his smell - intoxicating vanilla with chocolate. Arshad inhaled and touched his lips with his lips.

Just a fleeting touch. Arshad removed his hand and pulled away from him.

"If you don’t like it, I don’t want to force you to be present on such a hunt. Don't worry, I'll hunt without you. Do you mind just riding?"

"Yes."

Kai was still in a strange state, not understanding how to evaluate what Arshad had done now. It was too difficult for him to understand. He clearly could not attribute this to a friendly action. What then?..

Kai saw Arshad spur his horse and galloped forward. He followed him. This galloping - flying over the desert - made it possible for him to forget about everything! They galloped, overtaking each other, laughing and fooling around. Now everything was clear and understandable to Kai, but he forbade himself to think about what had happened before ...

On this day, after returning from the hunt, they had lunch, and then Kai was taken by Maksud to make him beautiful. However, he allowed him to spend several hours in the library, then before going to bed, Kai played with the console and fell fast asleep after such an active day.

***

The next morning, Maksud woke him up and said that Arshad was waiting for him for a horse ride. Kai jumped out of bed with joy and, hurrying and scolding Maksud for his careful dressing, finally went towards the stables.

Now their escort was not so numerous. There were ten riders in total. Immediately leaving the gates of the palace, they took a very fast pace of riding. Basically, they walked at a gallop, moving a little to a trot, then they walked, giving the horses a rest, then again they made them move in a gallop.

Kai realized that Arshad loved such intense horseback riding in the morning. It was a joy to him. Therefore, they briskly galloped in a race or stirrup to stirrup. Having met the morning so well, they returned before the onset of the heat.

Kai unsaddled his horse himself. Arshad did not interfere with him, on the contrary, he was there. They again discussed their favorite topic - horses. After completing everything with the horse, Kai took it into the stall, where the hay lay. The horse rushed to it and, crunching, began to swallow.

Kai turned to leave the stall and saw that Arshad was standing right in front of him. He stepped back, but immediately rested his back against the wall of the stall. Instantly Arshad's hands were on both sides of him, and Arshad's face began to approach. Kai froze, unable to look into his burning eyes and see in them what he was so afraid to see. He watched the horse eating hay at their feet. He felt Arshad's breath on his temple, the imperceptible touch of his lips cracked from sand to his cheek, then again his breath on the earlobe, then again on his cheek, and a light touch to his lips.

Kai didn't know what to do. He just stood there, forgetting to even breathe.

Arshad's hand lay on his shoulder and very slowly crawled down his arm, then felt his palm. He took his hand in his, squeezed it.

"Well, why have you petrified? Come on, let's have breakfast!"

Arshad went to the exit from the stall, dragging Kai by the hand.

Kai again forbade himself to think about it, he just walked, and then, sitting at the table, ate, trying not to meet Arshad's eyes.

Then the Sheikh, referring to the deeds, left, and Kai followed Maksud, who noticed his strange detached condition.

Only reading books in the library helped Kai to distract himself from what he was afraid to remember.

In the evening, Maksud informed Kai that tomorrow morning he would have another horse ride in the company of Arshad.

***

Riding on horseback, Kai forgot about the sad thoughts that began to visit him after such a strange behavior of the Sheikh. On horseback, he generally forgot about everything. Returning to the stable, this time he did not occupy himself with the horse, immediately went with everyone towards the palace, Arshad caught this change but did not say anything, only said that he was waiting for him at the table.

After breakfast in the company of Gifar and Maksud, Arshad again left to do business. Kai went to the library and became interested in reading.

Now he was reading Imagawa Yoshimoto, the commander of Suruga, who in 1560 with an army of twenty-seven thousand went to Kyoto and was defeated by Oda Nobunaga at the Battle of Okehazama, where he died. All this was written in hieroglyphs; Kai was carried away so that only the touch of hands on his shoulders took him out of the battlefield at Okehazama.

Kai shuddered.

"I didn't mean to scare you," hot breath burned the guy's ear.

Arshad bent over him, standing behind his chair.

"Oh," Arshad saw the hieroglyphs in front of Kai, "is it interesting?"

"Yes. Extremely."

"And what is it about?" Arshad again approached Kai's ear and now slightly touched the lobe with his lips, then transferred light touches to the neck.

"About Warlord Surugi, who subdued Hojo in Sagami and Oda in Owari," Kai felt the breath, a strange shiver ran through his body.

"I’m glad you’re attracted to such things. And what else is interesting there?" Arshad continued to touch him with light kisses.

"These are the best days of the Imagawa clan during their alliance with the Hojo," Kai's voice broke off as he felt the heat of a kiss on his neck, which sent goosebumps down his body.

"Go on," whispered Arshad, now touching his lips to the guy's ear.

"You’re not interested," Kai didn’t know what to do now, so he just sat holding on to the table.

"Yes, maybe now I'm a little indifferent..." he touched his lips to Kai's hair, inhaled its aroma, then straightened. That was a cocoa smell, how it inebriated him! Because of it, Arshad's voice was now hoarse and low.

Then Kai felt the fingers touch his hair again, very gently, neatly.

"I thought it was soft, silky," Arshad passed Kai's elusive curls through his fingers, which again took the form of curls.

Kai sat, felt Arshad's hand caressing his curls, twisting them around the fingers, and then letting go.

Then he squeezed the hair and pulled it towards himself, Kai's head lifted, and Arshad, bending down sharply, touched the lips.

Kai shook his head and lowered his face.

Arshad froze, then laughed and left the library.

Kai looked at the open book in front of him and realized that he did not see the inscriptions, he put his hands on it and dropped his head.

Now everything was so obvious that deceiving himself was already foolish. He got up, left the library, went to his room, wandered aimlessly onto the veranda, and, feeling that his legs were not supporting him, sat down on the floor, pressing himself against the wall. He found cigarettes and a lighter in the pocket.

Maksud was against his smoking, but at the same time brought cigarettes for him at his request. Kai practically did not smoke, but now he needed it.

He dragged on, trying to calm the complete mess in his head and deal with what was happening.

So, what became clear as day was Arshad's intentions towards him.

"But what are the intentions?"

When Kai tried to remember everything he knew about such a relationship, an illustrative picture, arranged for him by Prokhor, when his boys raped a guy, emerged in his mind. But there was something completely different! No one then kissed that guy so tenderly and breathed in his ear, they violated him there, harshly, roughly, without preludes.

What Arshad was doing now was incomprehensible to him. After all, if he wanted to deal with him, like the guys of Prokhor with that guy, then Arshad only needed to give the order, and he would be undressed and tied with his ass up.

Then why did Arshad do all this if he only needed his ass?

Kai realized that his head was a complete mess. On the one hand, like in a kaleidoscope, pictures of rape that he had seen appeared, on the other hand, Arshad, his actions were not unpleasant to him. They were rather incomprehensible.

Kai tried to combine rape pictures with the image of Arshad, it meant ... it meant nothing!

He lit a cigarette again.

"Maybe Arshad thinks I'm a girl? Of course, all these earrings, eyes, brocade, silk. No, do I believe myself? Who is the girl? Arshad is not a moron to think that ... "

He started another cigarette.

"But why does he pay attention to me as if I am a girl?" Kai finally said what he was afraid to voice even mentally for himself.

"Arshad pays attention to me! That is, he is going after me, seduces. But I'm a guy! And he's a guy! What stupidity!"

Kai heard footsteps. Maksud came out onto the veranda. He saw Kai, went up to him, squatted down, lifted the chin with his hand, looked into the eyes.

Kai saw that Maksud knew a lot. But he could not be angry with Maksud. In this man's eyes, he saw sincerity and kindness to himself.

"Come with me," Maksud took his hand and pulled him up. "Now there are two not very pleasant things for you. But you have to find out about them."

Kai tensed. In addition to everything that had already happened, there were two more unpleasant things - in one day it was too much!

"Well, don't be so scared. It's not so scary. Let's go. Now you will understand everything yourself."

Maksud walked down the corridors, holding Kai by the elbow.

Passing numerous halls and stairs, they went out to the inner courtyard, there they went down the stairs to another one, then to another, and there Kai saw three people sitting on the ground, one boy and two girls.

He realized what attracted him to them. They were beautiful, very beautiful, but they had no hands. Instead, there were bandaged stumps.

Kai froze. Maksud took his elbow tighter and began to speak in a slightly strange, distant voice:

"The great Sheikh Arshad is the son of the great and almighty Sheikh Harib, may Allah prolong his years. Just like his father, he is a representative of the ancient clan of sheiks. The Almighty Himself blessed this clan for reign. No mortal can touch the Great Sheikh Arshad. Those who violate this law are punished by cutting off their hands! Only in this way can they wash away the sacrilege that they have committed!" Maksud waited for a pause and added more calmly. "Great Arshad can be touched only if he permits it himself."

Now Kai understood everything: who these beautiful young people were and why they did not have hands. He felt sick, Maksud squeezed his elbow harder, feeling that the guy was shaking.

"And what will happen to them now?" Kai turned to Maksud.

"The helicopter will take them to the city. Their fate has already been decided. There are brothels where clients like these cripples. They have everything else to work there."

Kai began to turn deathly pale in front of Maksud's eyes. The man pulled him to himself and, hugging him around the waist, led him back.

Kai didn't resist. He walked, realizing that he was not ready to learn and see this.

Then he remembered that Maksud spoke about the second not very pleasant news for him.

"And what is the second thing?"

"You will find out now."

Maksud finally led him to the inner chambers and, passing through the next corridors and halls, they entered a room that corresponded to a well-equipped medical office.

Maksud sat Kai in a chair and sat down next to him. The doctor came in, judging by the white coat he was wearing. He greeted them and immediately, without any explanation, turned on the plasma panel on the wall, where the video went, which he began to comment on, leading the pointer over the screen.

Kai turned from pale to red from a rush of blood to his face after the first seconds of this video. There they showed a detailed section of the male anus, from a medical point of view they explained the passage of food through the stomach, then its accumulation in the intestines and exit in processed form.

Further, he spoke in great detail about the function of the enema, how it works, and how long this effect lasts afterward.

It was a medical film, but Kai guessed why he was shown it.

The screen went blank. The doctor turned his gaze to Kai.

"I will help you with bowel flushing."

Kai wanted to jump up, but Maksud restrained him.

"You can do it yourself if you promise me that you will do it."

"Are you going to check?" Kai asked in a trembling voice."

"I am glad that you still have a sense of humor," this made Maksud laugh, then he became very serious. "If you promise me to do this, I will believe you and will not check."

By the tone in which it was said, Kai knew that, despite the absurdity of what was happening, Maksud was not joking. He tried to imagine Maksud's verification of the fulfillment of his promise, and he again felt bad. And then he remembered the guy who was raped by the bros of Prokhor, who then from his ass, in addition to blood and sperm, also sh*t flowed out. Now he knew why and what kind of flushing the thug was talking about then.

It would be better for him to do this enema to himself than the sh*t would flow from the *ss.

"I promise I will do it."

"Regularly! Your bathroom will have everything for this. You must always be clean. It is useful for hygienic purposes."

"I promise," Kai realized that the hygiene goals here were very different. But he did not say anything to Maksud. He wanted to get out of here as quickly as possible. "You've said that there are only two bad pieces of news, I hope that's all."

"Yes, all. Let's go."

Maksud got up and as if nothing had happened left the office, also leading Kai under the elbow.

"Where are we going?"

"It's time for you to take a bath."

Kai didn't argue. Now he didn't care. There were too many things. But most importantly, he was never able to figure out and understand for himself what was happening in his life.

***

That evening, after all the baths and rubbing, Kai was dressed strangely. Previously, he had not been dressed like that: too thin trousers, a translucent tunic on top, then a thin belt, then a dressing gown, again too thin and transparent, then again a belt, again a dressing gown, a little denser. They put on beautiful, oriental-style sandals without heels. There were bracelets on his hands, earrings in his ears, and strings of pearls hung around his neck. A young man came and began to put on mascara, shadows, gloss on his lips.

"Maksud, am I going somewhere?"

"Yes. You will find out everything," Maksud answered calmly, watching the process of the guy's transformation.

Kai first decided to ask again, but what for? If soon he found out everything himself. Trying to resist such dressing was also stupid - with so many servants and wonderful tinctures of Maksud, they would tie him up, give him a drink, and then he definitely would be trapped. Better to be conscious and remember everything.

When Maksud was convinced of the guy's beauty, as he called it himself, they walked along the corridors in the direction of the night half of the palace.

Kai didn't allow himself to think about it ... he just walked.

Maksud led him into a room too large for a bedroom, but in the center was a huge bed with red canopies hanging from it. A luxurious red carpet covered the entire space. On it there lay cushions of silk with gold ornaments. Low soft armchairs and sofas stood against the walls. On an elegant table, there were fruits, oriental sweets, and various drinks. Half of the wall was decorated with a mirror, and another one was on the ceiling.

In general, the situation did not inspire optimistic thoughts about what they were doing here.

Maksud led him to the center of the room and bowed out.

Kai drove all thoughts away again. He just stood there and waited. He heard footsteps, turned around.

It was Arshad. The Sheikh was wearing clothes similar to those that were now on Kaya. Kai decided that this was some variation of the nightgown adopted here.

At first, Arshad froze, looking him from head to toe, then began to approach - softly, smoothly.

Kai was frightened by Arshad's eyes, they were too frank in his desire. He retreated, but Arshad made a dash and embraced him. The man hugged, felt that the guy was not twitching, let go. Arshad moved his hands from the guy's back to the shoulders, then began stroking them, then going down to the elbows, then again rising to the shoulders.

He touched Kai's chin with his hand, ran over it, lifted it, and began to lean towards his lips.

"Arshad, don't," Kai breathed into his lips.

"You are so beautiful, my Desert Rose," Arshad's lips touched his lips.

"Don't," Kai tried to twitch, but immediately felt that he was enclosed in an iron embrace.

"A beautiful Rose of the Desert ..." Arshad's lips almost covered his lips.

Kai put two hands forward and rested on Arshad's chest, and then remembered that he had done something that these same hands must be cut off for.

He turned pale, looked up. Arshad's gaze was deathly black.

"Do you know how it is punished?"

"Yes," Kai whispered, dropping his hands, trying not to touch him anymore.

Arshad released him, took a step back, and continued to look. Kai stood pale and confused, realizing that losing two hands when you just start living was very scary.

"Lay on the bed!"

Kai, in a state of frustration, wandered over to the side of the bed and lay down on it.

Arshad sat down next to him, took the guy's hand in his.

"You have very beautiful hands," - he examined Kai's hand, "such thin fingers," then the Sheikh brought the guy's hand up and fastened the handcuff on the wrist. He did the same with the second hand.

Kai did not notice that this bed was also equipped with all sorts of devices in advance.

"I will forgive you for your act. But remember - this is the first and last time," then Arshad's voice softened, "for this, you will give me a kiss."

"I cannot."

"Why?"

Kai turned away. Arshad turned his chin.

"Why?" he looked into Kai's eyes.

"Men cannot kiss each other."

"Why? You are saying nonsense."

"Arshad, I'm not a girl. Why don't you kiss a girl?"

"I want to kiss you."

"It is not right. I can't kiss you."

Arshad caught the guy's chin again, turned the face towards himself.

"Have you ever kissed a guy?"

Seeing the answer in Kai's eyes, Arshad let go of his chin, his face expressed amazement.

"You are so handsome. Why haven't you ever kissed a guy?"

"You mustn't kiss guys," Kai replied stubbornly again.

"Have you been brought up in a monastery?"

"No."

Arshad fell silent again, thoughtfully began to run his fingers over Kai's face, traced the thin line of his nervously compressed lips.

"Okay, but you're interested in trying how it happens?"

"No. Not interested."

"How intractable you are. Then it is even more interesting for me to kiss you for the first time in your life."

Arshad bent down sharply, Kai turned away, twitched, feeling that the handcuffs were holding him tightly.

Arshad laughed. Apparently, the whole situation amused him very much. He began to catch the face of Kai, who turned away from his lips now to the right, then to the left, and then Arshad's lips fell into his cheeks, cheekbones, neck, and the man kissed him and then again resumed trying to catch his lips.

Kai knew that if Arshad wanted, he would just do it. But, apparently, Arshad was amused by this game.

Then Arshad climbed onto the bed and sat on top of Kai's thighs, thereby completely depriving him of the opportunity to wriggle on the bed. Now it was much more comfortable for him, hanging over his face, catching his lips.

Arshad was in no hurry, he liked it. Kai, on the other hand, was already tired of this pointless game.

"Are you tired of spinning around and running away from me?"

Kai threw a haunted look at Arshad.

"But I'm not tired. The night is long - let's play some more," and Arshad again began to hunt for his lips.

Having tortured Kai in this way, he straightened up again and looked at him.

"Give me just one kiss and I'll let you go today. Let's come to an agreement?"

Kai understood that if he did not agree now, then Arshad would simply take this kiss himself. But the prospect that this was all for today pleased Kai very much.

"Will you let me go?" he asked hopefully.

"Do you doubt the words of the Great Sheikh?"

"Kiss!" Kai breathed doom and, closing his eyes, prepared his lips for the kiss with the look of a man who decided on a desperate act.

Arshad again ran his fingers over the guy's lips and slowly approached them, then began to gently bite them. Kai felt his breath, then his tongue, which penetrated between his teeth and began to touch his tongue very gently - it was pleasant to Kai, strange, unexpected ...

Kai, without even realizing it, opened his mouth, and then Arshad hungrily kissed him with such passion, with such desire ...

Kai gasped at the kiss, his body twisted from the wave of heat he felt inside him. No one had ever kissed him in such a way, and he had never kissed anyone like that, he did not even know that this was possible.

The room began to blur, a strange wave went through the body again, the muscles became amorphous, it seemed to him that he was melting in the sun and spreading into a shapeless mass.

Arshad was kissing, coming off only for breaths of air, and then falling to his lips with a renewed passion ...

How long this went on, he did not remember. Everything suddenly disappeared and dissolved in his mind, only these lips remained, which were so hot and gave forbidden caresses, and then everything disappeared. And something like a groan of disappointment flew from Kai's lips ...

He opened his eyes, suddenly feeling that he no longer felt those lips, which turned out to be so intoxicating.

Arshad looked at him with a strange smile. Then he unfastened the handcuffs, examined the guy's wrists, there were traces of metal on them.

"And was it worth it to twitch? A silly boy ... you felt good," he breathed into his lips.

Then he got up and left the room.

Kai just lay, it seemed to him that he was a jellyfish in the sand, an amorphous mass. Moreover, the same mass was in the head. Or rather, there was nothing there at all.

He heard footsteps - it was Maksud who helped him to get up. Then he detachedly followed Maksud along the corridors of the palace.

Already going to bed, he looked at Maksud for the first time with a meaningful look.

- Give me, please, something from your wonderful tinctures to sleep.

Maksud, as always, smiled knowingly.

Making sure that Kai fell asleep, Maksud went to Arshad.

"Great Arshad, whom would you wish for your chambers today?"

"That's enough, Maksud! Nobody's here. Can you talk normally?" Arshad said this with mock irritation. " I would not wish anyone. I'll go to sleep. By the way, please give me one of your wonderful tinctures for sleep.

Maksud, as always, smiled at understanding.

Stars are reflected in your eyes. Volume 4. "Book of Flame" Chapter 1

 

Continuation of the events of the first volume.

Returning in the evening from his next assignment, Kai drove into the tent to Bartholomew, as had promised. During this time, they practically did not see each other, constantly either he or his group were on assignments. Only when they met at the headquarters, Bartholomew each time friendly patting Kai on the shoulder invited him to their tent, to sit in the evening, to have a drink, and to chat.

He didn't want to get drunk today but wanted to see all the guys - Pepper, Torpedo, Ivan, and Frol, to listen to their news, to learn about life.

Going into their tent, he found all the guys except Frol. They perked up with his arrival, immediately pulled to the table, especially since they were just about to have supper. Torpedo and Pepper were cooking in the kitchen, it smelled of fried onions and meat.

Bartholomew began to ask Kai about his recent raids into the mountains with other groups, then he told about how they had regularly traveled for the second week to patrol the road in the valley area, where it was not very calm.

Ivan supplemented the dry story of Bartholomew with various funny details, Pepper and Torpedo, sometimes looking out of the kitchen, told about the events that had happened to them.

Kai immediately drew attention to the absence of Frol, but at first, did not attach any importance to this. When Frol did not appear for half an hour, he became worried but did not raise this topic in front of everyone, only casually clarified when he would finally come. Torpedo, not attaching importance to his question, replied that Frol should have returned long ago, but apparently delayed.

He immediately felt that something was wrong, but, not having a firm conviction in his premonitions, he did not want to tell the guys about it. Fortunately, his phone rang, and, referring to an important conversation, he left the tent.

Lieutenant Ivchenko called, who reminded the guy that the colonel was waiting for him in the office tomorrow at nine. Having heard this, he did not return to the tent but went to his jeep.

Arriving at the thieves' barracks, Kai asked the guards if Sebastian was here and he received a not very affirmative answer and at the same time an invitation to wait for him with them. With peripheral vision, he saw that the car was beginning to be surrounded - he did not like this state of affairs. Kai did not want to find out the reason for such actions now, he just sharply pressed the gas and, without giving anyone a chance to come to his senses, left.

It was clear that something was happening. Frol was gone. Sebastian and his men were absent. Kai didn't want to put these two facts together, assuring himself that they were just coincidences.

Now he was trying to think logically where there could be quiet, secluded places in the garrison, and immediately remembered that the unfinished barracks building, which was abandoned and located in the farthest part from residential buildings, fit the description. There was usually no one there even during the day, and even more so in the dark.

He turned the jeep around and drove to the building. Coming closer, he turned off the headlights and reduced the speed to a minimum, trying to remain unnoticed. Going inside the building, he heard voices and noise and also saw the light from the headlights of cars. He realized that the cars were parked at the back of the building, and judging by the voices, it was quite lively there.

Kai quickly followed the noise, wandering in the dark corridors and rooms. It seemed to him that his approach was detected, and he was not too hiding. This was no longer necessary.

Finally, he went out into the corridor overlooking the courtyard, and saw exactly what he expected: Sebastian's people, led by himself and Sher, stood in a semicircle, in the center stood Frol with handcuffs in his arms.

"Kai, I'm always glad to see you," Sebastian said, turning his head towards Kai, "but now you'd better leave."

"No need to arrange to lynch. Let him go."

Kai walked forward and saw that the grate of the gate blocking his way out was padlocked. Footsteps and the creak of a door were heard from behind. He rushed back, but did not have time - the door closed, the key turned, and he was locked in this space.

Having tugged at the door, which had just been locked, he returned to the grate, tugged at it, and realized that it could not be opened. Through the bars, he could see everything, but he could not do anything.

Kai pulled out a pistol. All this time, Sebastian and the others watched him throw.

"If you shoot, everyone will come here. You're going to court all the guys. After all, we kidnapped an officer," Sebastian looked eloquently at Frol.

"In any case, you will end up under the tribunal if you harm him," Kai held a pistol in his hand until he dared to use it.

"Nobody can prove it. His word without witnesses means nothing," Sebastian nodded at Frol, "unless, of course, you confirm it."

Kai shot an angry look at Sebastian.

"Do you think I’m capable of this?"

"So, enough empty arguments!" Sher stepped up to Frol and hit him with a fist in the solar plexus with a swing, Frol bent in half and hung in the arms of the boys holding him. "Here, nit, get for everything."

Then Sher began to strike blow after blow. Two guys were holding Frol by the hands cuffed behind his back. Now he was like a punching bag to Sher.

"Enough!" Kai shook the grate, "Sebastian!"

Sebastian stood with a blank face, watching how Cher beat Frol brutally.

Kai understood that he would not open the door with a pistol anyway, but the shooting would definitely attract the attention of everyone here. And this was not only the abduction of an officer, this was already a beating of an officer. For this, and the execution can be. So he didn't know what to do now.

He tugged at the grate in vain, but when he saw that Frol was thrown to the ground and was being kicked, he turned away and slid down his back on it, sitting down on the floor. He knew too well how painful such blows.

Sebastian saw Kai sitting by the grate and how he covered his ears with his hands, but restrained himself, did not do anything.

***

It became quiet, Kai heard it even through the palms pressed to his ears. He removed his hands, stood up slowly, turned. There, in the yard, Frol was lying, there were no cars and the guys, everyone left. He went to the door, which he had entered, it turned out to be open.

Wasted no time, he rushed to the jeep and, having gone around the building, drove it into the backyard. It was good that Frol was a tough guy and even after all this he practically got into Kai's car himself, he only supported him. He couldn't have lifted it himself.

By the nature of the injuries, Frol Kai understood that he needed to be taken to the doctor in the hospital. As much as he wanted to hush up this story, human health is more important.

His fears were justified. The doctor immediately determined that Frol had two broken ribs and badly repulsed internal organs.

While Frol was being bandaged, all the authorities came to the hospital, since the doctor immediately reported on this emergency. Kai did not resist this, realizing the seriousness of the situation.

The colonel arrived with two of his assistants and Lieutenant Ivchenko. They walked past Kai into the ward, were there for a long time, then went out into the corridor.

"Stand up!" the colonel's voice sounded cold and harsh.

Kai stood at attention.

"Who did this?" looking into the eyes of Kai, asked Pyotr Ivanovich.

Kai guessed that Frol hadn't said who had beat him. Why? Probably he didn't want everyone to think that he was a weakling and ratted those with whom he could not cope with the force.

"I've found Frol in the backyard of the unfinished barracks and brought him to the hospital. I have nothing more to add."

"So you don’t want to talk? Are you covering these freaks?! I know who was sharpening his teeth against Frol! Well, nothing, I'll get to them."

All were silent. Pyotr Ivanovich approached Kai.

"Impudent boy! Do you think you're inviolable here?! Do you think everything is allowed to you?! I'm fed up with your antics and your behavior! I’ll find justice for you!"

Pyotr Ivanovich several times walked past Kai, who did not utter a word.

"Surrender the weapon. You're under arrest. You will dig the trenches; it will be good for you. You've become too arrogant."

Pyotr Ivanovich turned to Lieutenant Ivchenko:

"Place the prisoner in a punishment cell, tomorrow under escort - take him to forced labor. And do so every day, until I say that's enough!"

The colonel and his assistants walked down the corridor towards the exit.

Lieutenant Ivchenko called the guards, took the pistol and his waist belt from Kai's hands, and, with a vile smile, showed him to the exit.

He was taken to solitary confinement. He was no stranger to spending the night in such. Crouched in a fetal position on the hard bed, he fell asleep.

Early in the morning, Kai was raised and escorted through the entire garrison to forced labor. In the distant part of the garrison, defensive trenches were dug. They gave a shovel, and he got down to business.

Sometimes physical labor, especially so monotonous as throwing the earth from place to place, brought peace of mind and inner harmony. Therefore, until lunchtime, he was in a state of immersion in nirvana, not noticing neither the scorching rays of the sun, nor the heat, nor the fact that his palms were bloody from the rough handle of a shovel.

***

Sebastian had been thinking all morning about Kai, about how he had just had been sitting with his face turned away yesterday, covering his ears so as not to hear the sound of the beating. Then Sebastian wanted so much to approach him because he understood why Kai was covering his ears - he knew these blows too well, he remembered them on his body. Sebastian had a conscience, but he couldn't act differently yesterday. His people needed to feel his power and strength. He could not be so human as Kai.

Sher with a puzzled face quickly entered the room where he was sitting with the bros.

"Kai was arrested yesterday at the hospital. He brought Frol there. Frol has several broken ribs."

"Enough about Frol! What's with Kai ?!" Sebastian interrupted him.

"All the authorities came to the hospital. Then Kai was put alone for the night, and in the morning he was taken to dig trenches. He is digging them there now."

"He shielded us. He took it all upon himself," Sebastian said grimly.

"How do you know?" Sher looked at Sebastian.

"If he had said about us, they would have taken us all yesterday. We would sit in solitary confinement instead of him," Sebastian nervously walked around the room. "He shielded us. What else have you learned? How long should he dig?"

"Nothing concrete. They say that yesterday the colonel yelled at him so hard that the walls were shaking. In short, as long as daddy does not have a change of heart, Kai will dig."

"Who is there of our people?"

"There are a lot of ours, they wanted not to let him dig, but in the morning there was a big brass there. They say that after dinner everyone will leave, then our boys won't let Kai dig. He will sit and rest. They'll dig for him."

"Who is there from the leaders now?"

"It seems nobody already," Sher answered.

"Then let's go to him."

Sebastian went to the exit, the guys followed him.

Sher once again contacted his people, and they confirmed that everyone from the leadership had already gone. They calmly drove up to the place where the earthworks were being carried out and got out of the cars.

The shovel had already been taken away from Kai. Although he did not want to give, he saw that it was pointless to argue - the bros would not let him dig anymore, they would do everything for him themselves.

He sat in the shade, keeping hands parallel to the ground, palms down.

Sebastian quickly walked over and grabbed Kai's hands, turned his palms over - they were ripped off and bleeding.

"It always happens. I always rip off my palms as soon as I start digging," Kai said apologetically when he saw Sebastian’s upset face.

"Your hands are not intended for this," Sebastian turned to the frozen boys. "Why are you standing? Bring a first-aid kit from the car and water."

Kai tried to resist, but Sebastian himself washed his palms and, having treated him with an antiseptic, began to bandage him.

"Sorry about yesterday," Sebastian said without looking up and continuing to bandage Kai's hands.

"For what? You didn't beat me."

"I saw how you covered your ears ..."

"Yes, unpleasant memories appear when I hear these sounds of blows."

"What term are you assigned here?"

"I do not know. The colonel was very angry yesterday."

Sebastian finally finished with Kai's hands:

"Do you want to smoke?"

"Yes."

He brought the flame of a lighter to Kai's cigarette.

"Guys, fetch food!" he gave orders, despite Kai's protest. "You will eat. Or do you want to sip the official gruel, which you are supposed to?"

Kai shook his head. Even without feeling the taste, but seeing what the penalty boxers were fed with, he lost all desire to eat it.

"You shouldn't have done that with Frol."

Kai couldn't help but say that.

"It was not in vain. We have taught a freak a lesson!" Sher snapped proudly.

"You've taught me a lesson, Frol is now resting in the hospital ward."

"It's my own fault. Why did you get involved?"

"What if he died there from the beatings? After all, everyone knows who beat him anyway," Kai shook the ash off his cigarette.

Sher didn’t have anything to say. Sebastian was also silent, then he remembered the main:

"Prokhor still can't get through to you all this time."

"Yes, I have seen that he called. But you know that all this time there are constant trips. I couldn't talk there, but after returning I did not remember about his call, fell asleep. Well, tell me what he says - how is he?" Kai's eyes lit up with the memories of his friend.

"I'll tell you, but first about the main thing: he expands his business and wants to send his representatives here, or rather, to Kamrat. These are, like, his people. The main is called Lavr, and there are still guys with him. In general, I am here, Lavr is in Kamrat, Prokhor is in Moscow. The network is getting better. Regular deliveries. Well, you are the key one in everything - you understand yourself."

Kai looked at Sebastian.

"Yes, of course, they have time to play with all this, to establish a network, to supply. And lately, I have only been running around on the outskirts, shootings, shaking on an APC, sitting in ambushes and again swallowing dust ..."

Kai did not like all these Prokhor's things, but he could not contradict his friend.

"Come on, tell me in more detail," Kai leaned against the earthen embankment, realizing that it was still necessary to delve into these muddled up: what, where who, and how would deliver.

Sebastian stayed with him until evening. First, he spoke in detail about what Prokhor had said. Then they brought food, he made sure that Kai ate. Then they began to discuss and adjust Prokhor's plan for couriers since Prokhor planned all this from Moscow, and only Kai knew the features of the local traditions.

In the evening, Sebastian and the guys left, as the authorities could return.

Kai was taken back under guard. Another night he spent on a hard bed in a solitary confinement cell. The next morning, everything was repeated exactly as on the previous day. In the first half of the day, he strenuously dug trenches, as his superiors stood nearby and watched the execution of the colonel's order, then the superiors left, but Sebastian and his guys arrived.

Sebastian immediately came with a first-aid kit and, pushing Kai onto the bench, began to carefully unbind the bandages with dried blood and dirt from his hands. Kai silently watched this touching action. After bandaging his hands, he was fed and given a drink.

He spent the rest of the day in their company, they called Prokhor and continued to correct his plan, the crossing points of couriers, hiding places, and paths along which they would go.

This went on for five days. On the sixth, instead of escorting Kai to earthworks, he was taken to the colonel's office.

Pyotr Ivanovich was sitting at the table with a stern face with his assistants - Lieutenant Colonel Prokhorov and Major Batulin. Lieutenant Ivchenko reported on his arrival, looking at Kai's pitiful look with satisfaction. The colonel and the rest of those present in the office also gazed with a squeamish look at his dirty uniforms soaked in dust and sweat.

"You’re lucky," the colonel finally spoke up, "an urgent task from the center, you’ll get the details from Bartholomew. You will work with his team. Departure is in half an hour."

The colonel turned to Lieutenant Ivchenko:

"Give him back his personal weapon," the colonel turned back to Kai, "but if I had my way, you would have been digging trenches all your life."

"Can I go?" Kai asked calmly.

Even in such a dirty, shabby look, he looked elegant and beautiful. It seemed that the dirt only further emphasizes youthful beauty.

"You are free," the colonel answered dryly and only now saw his bandaged hands. "What with the hands? Oh yes, you are a gentle creature, digging trenches is not a princely business."

"Can I go?" Kai remained calm listening to this.

"Yes."

Pyotr Ivanovich in his heart treated Kai well and even pitied him, but Kai's constant antics, his disobedience to the rules, a complete lack of discipline - all this disgusted the colonel, and, moreover, he could not allow himself to behave like that in his submission. He must maintain power here, which was why he acted so harshly with Kai - the guy gave him no choice in the matter.

Yes, he would have forced him all his life to digging trenches for his self-confidence, for how he puts himself above the rules, and for how he behaves and hides behind people from the center. What was there for him to do? Only such methods somehow put Kai in his place, although not for long.

***

Realizing that time was running out, Kai asked for a lift, stopping a passing car. At home, he immediately rushed to his laptop, opened a secret encrypted file, read his task: to slay the next leader from the group. He would have to do this while Bartholomew's group would be fighting with them. How he would do it, he would think over on the road. Now there was no time.

On the way sitting in Bartholomew's armored personnel carrier, he listened to the part of the assignment that was given to the group, since only he knew about the secret part. The road was long. They arrived in the evening and began to wait for the night to move on under its cover.

This operation took several days. The grouping was constantly moving. The locations for the attack were unsuccessful, because of this, the group followed them, masking their presence and keeping a considerable distance from them.

They moved during the day, went out on reconnaissance at night and monitored their movement until morning, and then again returned to their armored personnel carriers and followed the tracks. In between, they ate and slept in turns.

All this time, Bartholomew and his guys were formal and dry with Kai. Kai realized that this was after the incident with Frol, who was still in the hospital. And he also understood that they knew who beat Frol and knew about Kai's friendship with these people. They did not understand why Kai chose the latter between Frol and thugs. After all, if Kai had testified, those guilty of beating the officer would have been punished. They knew that Kai had said nothing and that he was digging trenches for it. Bartholomew and the guys were offended for such a choice of a friend. But now there was work, and no one began to find out, keeping the distance.

It was hard for Kai to see this, but he could not explain anything to them and, moreover, expect understanding from them. Therefore, he also turned to them only strictly on the case, although it was very difficult when such close people turned away from you like that.

At first, Kai wanted to talk about what had happened, but then, seeing the cold faces of the guys, he decided that this conversation would lead nowhere.

During the next stop, he changed the dirty bandages on his hands to clean ones. Without bandages, his hands were constantly bleeding, dust and dirt penetrated the wounds.

Everyone saw his torment, but no one came to help. Kai was offended for such an attitude towards himself, on the other hand, he understood them. After all, Frol was now in the hospital, the guilty had not been punished, Kai was covering them. How else should they relate to him?

He turned away and began to stare into the distance, forcing himself to think only of the task.

***

One night they saw that the group's camp was located very well for their plan, they returned to the APCs for a night attack.

The plan of action was quickly adjusted: from one side of the gorge, the armored personnel carrier of Bartholomew enters, from the other the armored personnel carrier of the Torpedo, cutting off any attempts to escape, and Ivan's armored personnel carrier drives into a well-located hill, where Kai will be, and from there they pour fire on everyone who is in the camp. The plan was simple; the main thing was that the area was conducive to its execution.

Kai was happy with everything, except that in the panic that would arise in the camp, he could miss the one he should kill. Therefore, he decided to go there before they heard the noise of the armored personnel carriers, and then he would have time to catch in a rifle scope the one he needed.

He slipped out of the APC, grabbing a sniper rifle, and moved along the path, which he had noted in advance, towards the enemy camp. He heard the noise of approaching armored personnel carriers, realizing that the guys did not look for him and wait.

He aimed the optics at the tents, suggesting that the main leaders should be in the largest, in the center of the camp. The noise of the armored personnel carriers caused a commotion in the camp, then voices and commands for the defense began to be heard. It was evident that night guests were not expected. The one, Kai needed, ran out of the main tent. He stopped, peering into the darkness, Kai pulled the trigger. The man fell. Judging by the bustle around him, the shot was a good one.

Panic arose in the camp, and here, finally, armored personnel carriers opened fire on all this chaos.

Kai lay in the same place and shot those who ran in his direction. He saw that a small part of the group went into the mountains along another path, but this did not concern Kai. He completed his task.

Then everything was quiet.

He returned to Ivan's armored personnel carrier. The man looked at him strangely but said nothing. They reached their group.

Bartholomew, seeing Kai, grabbed him by the collar of his uniform:

"Who are you, bitch, working for? You set us all up now! After all, it was you who shot even before we reached the points! You dumped in advance! Are you holding us for idiots ?!"

"I thought that an extra firing point would not hurt. It was too late to agree on this. Everything is right, the task is completed, we can return."

Kai knew he was wrong, but what could he explain? Now he was only trying to smooth over the conflict. Bartholomew shook him roughly again.

Kai closed his eyes, expecting a blow. Bartholomew saw this, froze, and then, releasing Kai, moved away from him.

"Let me at least hit him in the face," advancing on Kai, said Pepper, "if you cannot do it."

"Leave him alone. I've said set aside!" Bartholomew commanded. "We are back, all into cars!"

Pepper spat angrily next to Kai, turned around, and walked into his APC.

They drove back quickly, practically without spending the night only stopped for a couple of hours for rest.

Kai's presence was ignored by everyone. He endured it stoically, knowing they were right.

Returning to the garrison, everyone went to report to the colonel. He silently listened to everything. Now Bartholomew did not spare Kai, he said everything as it was. The colonel was silent. Then he thanked everyone for their good work. He let everyone go to rest, only Kai was unfriendly asked to stay.

Kai remained in the office under the colonel's gaze and the gaze of his assistants.

"Do you play your game?" looking into Kai's eyes, said Pyotr Ivanovich. "Look, don't overplay. If my guys perish, I'll strangle you with my own hands."

The colonel turned sharply and sat down in his chair.

"Why are you standing? You are free. If it weren't for those who are covering you, right now I would have strangled you. And so I can only say that you have a week of leave. This is not from me. It's from the center. You can go."

Kai left, still hearing the colonel's voice and his accusatory speech, and here his phone rang. He pressed the answer button on the machine without even glancing at who was calling.

"My sweet, hello," a voice sounded. " I want to see you. Will you give me such a gift?"

"Arshad, is it you?" Kai had not yet fully recovered from everything that happened.

"Someone else calls you sweet? Of course, it's me. You can rest with me. I want to fly somewhere, so I thought it would be more fun with my friends. For several days. Can you?"

"Yes," Kai did not attach any meaning to the word with friends, now he generally still poorly perceived everything.

"Well, that's good. You make me very happy with this answer. I am waiting for you in Kamrat at the Riviera Plaza Hotel, when will you arrive?"

Kai realized that he didn't even have time to come to his senses, to comprehend everything. But on the other hand - why? It's so good that Arshad called. Now he needed to leave here, change the setting.

"I'm leaving now," he replied.

The rose of a desert. Volume 3. "Book of Flame" Chapter 3

Kai was awakened by the noise in the palace. From the window listening to the screams he saw that everyone was fussing, walking, running. From separate phrases, it became clear that this chaos in their calm, measured life was caused by the arrival of Sheikh Arshad. He stood at the window and thought that, probably, in vain he had not tried to escape from here, knowing that this meeting would be followed by uncertainty.

Although, all this time he thought about escape and even planned it. But everything was not easy here. In his room, there were forged twisted lattices everywhere on the windows; it was clearly pointless to saw them with a nail file. Guards were always guarding his chambers. Everywhere he was accompanied by guards and servants. Even walking accompanied by Maksud, Kai remained under guard. He saw helicopters on the roof of the building, but Maksud never took him in that direction, although he conducted a tour of part of the palace, showing its luxury and splendor.

When Kai tried to force Maksud to lead him in the direction of the building with helicopters, Maksud, being quite intelligent, understood everything at once and also tacitly rejected his request.

During this time, of course, Kai studied the part of the palace where he was allowed to be, he even knew where the so-called "night half" is located, where the concubines lived. Access to them was strictly prohibited. They also had their own garden for walking, completely isolated from prying eyes.

All in all, Kai's escape plan was dim. He knew approximately the location of garages and stables. After getting in there, taking a horse or a car, to try to break through the locked gate was very foolish.

He would not get there unnoticed. Even if he got there, even if he miraculously broke through the gate - where would he go? In an open area from a helicopter, he would be instantly found and returned.

So he needed to capture the helicopter. But this was real either in complete chaos, as it was during the palace coup, or with a detailed escape plan. And this turned out to be unreal, he could not even come close to them to find out where the keys were from them, where the fuel was, and how they were guarded. But most importantly, Kai was not ready to kill the people around him, and he could only try to escape. These people, they did nothing wrong to him, they served the Sheikh, so why would he then unleash a massacre with them? Kai knew he was trapped in his conscience.

Now, listening to the noise and screams, he may have regretted that after all, at least he had not just climbed over the wall and walked from here, and now what awaited him? What verdict would the Sheikh give him?

Excited Maksud rushed into his room. He informed about the arrival of Sheikh Arshad and entrusted him to the care of his servants, very much asking Kai not to show off on this day and take everything for granted, since he personally did not have time to be with him now, he should be near Arshad.

Kai did not "show off", realizing that for all his disobedience, Maksud would be punished. During this time, he became very friendly with Maksud, who turned out to be an educated and interesting person, albeit a cunning one. But Kai liked him.

Therefore, he stoically endured all beauty procedures, ate everything that was brought. He allowed to dress him up. He endured the coloring and decoration. All this dressing took quite a long time.

***

Arshad was not in his palace for a long time and therefore spent the first half of the day in common affairs, listening to reports from Gifar and Maksud, who, in addition to Kai, still had the whole harem on his shoulders and many problems associated with this. At the end of all the reports, Arshad remembered the prisoner.

"Well, what about the prisoner? Let them lead him. We need to decide something with him. However, for his audacity, he should rot in prison, but he fought gloriously and saved my life," Arshad fell silent, seeing the mysterious smiles on the faces of Maksud and Gifar. "So ... I don't know something? Why are you smiling like March male cats? Does this concern the prisoner?"

"Yes, Great Arshad," Maksud purred.

"Well, that's enough! We're not at an official reception right now, let's go without the Great Ones and everything else. So what don't I  know about the prisoner? And stop smiling like that!"

"You don’t know much about him, but you’d better see everything yourself," Maksud purred again. "I’ll just tell you the main thing that you should know. This is a very educated young man with excellent manners of behavior, with knowledge of etiquette and everything that an intelligent person should know."

Seeing the surprise on Arshad's face, Maksud continued.

"He knows many languages, spends most of his time in your library, reads a lot in different languages. Do you remember that there, on the upper shelf, on the right, there is such an old book? He is already finishing it. During this time, he has read a couple of German classics in the original, French literature of the seventeenth century and regularly reads in Latin - medical volumes, which are at the bottom on the left, well, and other things, you can ask him yourself," Maksud was pleased with the effect of his speech. Arshad sat and, not breathing, looked at him. "Well, there is another thing. You remember - he perfectly wields a sword. Gifar now takes the Art of Combat Mastery from him every day. But the bruises on him make me very sad."

"I'm not interested in this, it's about bruises," seeing the strange smiles on their faces, Arshad flared up. "What is it! I do not mind, or rather, it’s even very good that this prisoner is at least somewhat useful."

"By the way, do you remember what he looks like?" Maksud radiated an enigmatic smile.

Arshad breathed in, drank the water carefully placed in front of him by Gifar, who also enjoyed this scene.

"I remember - a thin ragged arrogant draggle-tail who dared to look into my eyes," then he added thoughtfully, "he has emerald eyes ..."

"Well, then, well, you'll recognize him," Maksud finished his speech. "Maybe we will invite him to our dinner?"

At first, Arshad had no idea of ​​admitting some prisoner from the desert to his table, but all this strange behavior of his friends and what he had heard about this prisoner intrigued him, and he nodded in agreement. Maksud did not give him time to recover, immediately called the servants and ordered to set dinner on an open veranda under the shade of vines for four people and bring the prisoner to the table.

When Arshad, accompanied by Maksud and Gifar, entered the veranda, Kai was already waiting for them there. The servants had brought him, and now he thoughtfully considered the view from the balcony to the exotic garden. At the sound of footsteps, he turned around.

Arshad took several steps in his direction and froze.

"Who is he?…"

In a strange voice, Arshad either asked or said.

"Our prisoner," Maksud replied calmly, enjoying the unfolding action.

Gifar also watched this with interest, realizing that quite recently he also looked exactly like Arshad.

"How do you do, Sheikh Arshad," Kai slightly bowed his head in greeting. He did not become silent and pretend to be an evil beech. Such roles are suitable for girls, not for him.

"How do you do," Arshad fell silent, then said again, more confidently. "Hello. What's your name?"

"Is it important?"

"Well, now I know for sure that it is you, only that impudent ragamuffin at the plane could answer that way."

Arshad approached Kai, now he was not angry, he examined him - or rather, devoured him with his eyes.

Kai did not quite understand this look on himself, no one had ever looked at him like that. Men usually look at girls with such looks when they want ... Kai shrank, drove this thought out of his head, forbade himself to finish mentally this sentence.

Arshad by that time was going the third circle around him.

Maksud saw that it was necessary to save the situation. He knew how hot-tempered his captive was, and he did not like such attention to himself, there could be a conflict. Maksud quickly approached them.

"Great Sheikh Arshad, do honor to your savior, invite him to the table."

Arshad shuddered at the voice of Maksud, came to his senses, and remembered that no one had canceled the role of the owner of the palace. He quickly grabbed Kai around the waist and led him to the table.

Everyone was confused here.

Gifar's jaw dropped. Maksud froze in place, and Kai was thinking whether to hit the Sheikh in the face for the position of his hand on his hips or not ...

In such thoughts, Arshad brought him to his chair and carefully sat him down, then sat down in his rightful place opposite Kai. Maksud sat next to Kai, and Gifar - next to Maksud. The dishes were brought with food.

Only Gifar and Maksud were eating at the table. Arshad was absorbing Kai with his eyes, occasionally bringing pieces of food to his mouth, and Kai was moving the food in the plate with a fork, constantly bumping into Arshad's gaze.

Maksud again saw that it was necessary to save the situation at lunch.

"O Great Arshad, forgive your guest for eating so little," Maksud began theatrically.

"Maksud, that's enough," Arshad grunted angrily at another word about his greatness, then the meaning of the words reached Arshad, "and why does our guest eat so little?" he turned to those present.

"Our guest does not perceive the flavor of the food. Your doctors examined him. It is, indeed, a nervous illness, a consequence of a hard life," Maksud again theatrically recited, "therefore I have to carefully monitor his diet, otherwise he forgets to eat altogether," he said in his usual tone.

Arshad came to his senses. He hadn't expected to hear that.

"Eat," he said, looking at Kai, "please don’t offend me."

Kai smiled and began to eat. Arshad was also distracted by his plate, forcing himself not to take his eyes off the food, although more than anything in the world now he wanted to look at him ...

The wine was poured into goblets. Arshad watched through half-closed eyelids as his guest with thin fingers touched the silver goblet, slid along its surface, touching it slightly, then squeezed and smoothly, in elusive grace, brought it to his lips, taking a sip, put it back on the table, and lips retained their gloss moisture of red wine ...

Arshad felt that everything swam before his eyes, a wave of excitement went through his body and began to concentrate on his awakening dick. He quickly drank the water and forced himself to calm down. He had never felt this way. Never, even being a green teenager, he did not get turned on like that, sitting at a table and dripping saliva and desire. This began to anger him, but when faced with the green lights in the eyes of this young man, he realized that he could not be angry with him.

Lunch passed in a daze. Maksud constantly created the background of a lively conversation, Gifar helped him in this. Kai answered in a very cultured and restrained manner, while Arshad was silent. The shock was too strong, he was overwhelmed too hard, he fought too hard with himself to regain his calmness and suppress the wave of animal desire that covered him. It was all too strong. He was not ready for this.

When Maksud said that their guest was being escorted to his chambers, Arshad did not object. He watched him go, remaining seated at the table.

"You're not happy, are you? Have I deserved your anger?" Maksud was already worried, looking at the strange state of Arshad.

"Well, what have you to do with it!" Arshad blurted out irritably. "I can't understand myself ..." already softening, he answered, "once again repeat what you've said about him."

Maksud patiently repeated everything that he had said earlier about Kai, only he began to enumerate the books that he read in even more detail.

"You said about training. Are you training tomorrow?" Arshad turned to Gifar.

"Yes - at ten."

"Very good, train as usual, I'll come to see."

Arshad's face changed again, he pondered and, not looking at Maksud, asked:

"Did the doctors examine him?"

"Yes, he is completely healthy."

"You know, I’m not asking about that."

"He has never slept with men. He's a virgin."

Arshad's fingers drummed on the table. Then he got up and silently retired to his chambers. Gifar and Maksud followed him, meaningfully exchanging glances behind him.

Already in the evening Maksud, as usual, went to Arshad to clarify whom he would like to see in the chambers of love today.

"A fragile short boy, let him be curly."

For some reason, Maksud was not even surprised, he bowed with an imperturbable face and left.

When Arshad entered the chambers for love, there was a young man of twenty or twenty-two years old, thin, short. Arshad quickly approached him, then stopped, realizing that it was not him...

This guy was not so graceful, the face was different, although handsome; he had curly hair, though it was a perm, and dyed black; the eyes were green, but he saw that they were just lenses.

"Fake," Arshad breathed in disappointment.

The young man was not taken aback, caught the moment of his confusion, and knelt in front of him.

Arshad ran his hand through his hair, felt curly locks, closed his eyes, and saw his eyes, shining like emeralds.

"Yes, you can… touch me," Arshad said with a hesitant breath, felt his fingers on his aroused flesh, remembered his thin fingers hugging a goblet of wine, and sweet pain passed through his body.

All night, he caressed his hair, hugged and pressed him to himself. Deceiving himself that this was the one he wanted so badly.

Why did Arshad not demand him that night? This prisoner touched something in him that now stopped him from wanting to possess him. He decided to wait. For his sake, he agreed to a fake. Arshad was angry with himself, with his actions, until he understood why he behaved this way. After all, he always took what he wanted, and now he deviated from his rule.

***

Kai felt strange that day. This look of Arshad pursued him everywhere, not allowing him to focus on books, then haunted and resurfaced in memory while he was kept in baths and smeared with oils. Even playing the console, he saw in front of him those burning eyes piercing right through him.

Before going to bed, Maksud came in, they chatted as usual, although Maksud noticed that Kai was sad and thoughtful.

"Maksud, please bring me something to sleep from your magical tinctures."

Kai understood that now it would be difficult for him to fall asleep, but he so wanted to fall asleep and forget everything.

"Of course, I'll bring it now, your dream will be beautiful, no sorrows will touch you."

Maksud smiled as usual and left his chambers.

***

In the morning training with Gifar, Kai forgot about everything, as soon as he had felt the sword in his hand although with a blunt blade. All problems receded for a while.

Now they were practicing another combat technique with a lunge, sweep and roll over the back. Then he repeated the same technique with five of Gifar's warriors.

Then they began to repeat the previous combat techniques. Kai fought them one on one, then all together. He corrected them, explained, then they attacked him again or he attacked himself. At one of these moments, he felt someone's eyes on him and saw Arshad. Kai guessed that Arshad had been watching him for a long time, and before that he had felt his gaze on him, he was simply too carried away by the battle.

He continued training, but the joy of the lesson had already passed. Fortunately, their time came to an end. He was taken by Maksud to make beauty. Kai felt Arshad's gaze until he disappeared behind the doors of the palace.

At lunchtime, Arshad sat at the table with Gifar and Maksud. He ordered Maksud not to bring the prisoner, realizing that he did not yet know how to behave. He was completely confused. What he saw today on the parade ground for fights impressed him. Yes, this prisoner was excellent with a sword and fighting technique. He was flexible, plastic, and it took the breath away. Arshad was watching and could not take his eyes off. He caught every movement of the guy, how he fell and stood up at the same second, how he moved softly like a cat and how sharp his lunges were when he struck. Arshad was not ready for such a contrast in one person. He was at a loss.

"Maksud, after dinner in the garden, when I will smoke a hookah, invite our guest, I want to talk to him."

Maksud bowed his head respectfully.

After dinner, Arshad usually went into the garden to a huge bower covered with carpets, on which there were low sofas with numerous pillows. Here he reclined with a hookah. There were always vases with fruits, oriental sweets, and drinks on the table in front of him. Although according to his faith it was impossible to drink wine, he sometimes allowed himself to sip a glass of the red one.

The bower was winded with vines, flowers were fragrant around, light curtains of transparent chiffon descended on the sides of the columns.

Arshad in thought was inhaling the sweet smoke from the hookah, through half-closed eyelids he saw him.

When Kai climbed the steps and froze, Arshad gestured to a low sofa with pillows opposite. Kai sat down on the sofa and leaned against the pillows.

Arshad offered his guest wines and sweets. Kai thanked him, took a sip of wine, did not touch sweets and fruits.

Then Arshad continued the conversation on general topics: nature, weather, palace life, politics, war, art, and others. His mysterious guest, as Maksud had warned, was well educated in all spheres, answered everything within the framework of small talk - nothing superfluous, and, at the same time, he could not be reproached for lack of communication.

Arshad saw that the young man was ideal in behavior and education. He never once admitted disrespect in answers, showing natural tact and subtle knowledge of etiquette. All this infuriated Arshad! He needed something else, but he understood that during the conversation he had not been able to break through the framework of the diplomatic dialogue. Arshad went over all the topics, but he could not destroy this invisible wall between them. And then he realized that he had underestimated his captive. Despite his age, his education, and his experience, he lost to him.

Arshad took a drag on his hookah again and, listening to another diplomatic answer from his guest, watched as he ran his beautiful thin fingers over the cold steel of the goblet, squeezed them slightly, and brought this goblet to his lips incredibly gracefully. A small sip of wine and the goblet was placed on the table, and the lips shine a little with moisture.

Arshad lowered his eyes, again feeling that a warm wave, running through his body, was concentrated in the lower abdomen.

As though through the fog he heard a voice, shuddered, looked up, and saw that a servant was standing beside him and, probably, had already been trying to draw his attention to himself for several minutes.

He waved his hand.

The servant, as always, began with a lengthy listing of Arshad's merits. He was not ready to listen to all this now.

"What do you want to say?" he interrupted the servant.

"Great Arshad, you've asked to report to you about the arrival of the stallion you have acquired, named North Star. We have big problems with it. The horse is very aggressive. Our best riders can't handle it! Give us more time, perhaps in two weeks, we will be able to pacify his character. I hope this news did not darken your day, and your anger will not overtake us ..."

Then the servant again began to enumerate all the merits of the great Sheikh.

Arshad listened deeply to all this and accidentally glanced at the face of his guest. And here he was pierced like lightning. He saw a completely different face of his guest. Instead of the indifferently calm, now the face of the young man sitting opposite him shone, green eyes sparkled and burned, listening to every word from the servant's lips. And Arshad understood - was it really something that could destroy this wall?! Did he find the key to him?

Arshad chuckled, then said indifferently.

"I want to go and look at this stallion," he looked at the guest. "Will you keep me company?"

"Yes!" Kai exclaimed too emotionally and stood up, then, recollecting himself, sat back down. But Arshad already understood everything - he won!

He stood up with a sly smile and showed with his hand that he was inviting his guest to join him.

Walking along the paths of the garden to the stable building, they talked to each other like two people who had found each other with a common passion - it was horses. Arshad was a fan of horses, he could talk about them for hours, and now he saw that this young man was just like him. They talked excitedly, interrupting each other, arguing, discussing ...

Horses are a boundless, immense world. And, starting to talk about the complexity of the character of one horse, they gradually moved on to general issues of riding horses with specific examples from the personal experience of one and the other then talked about horse breeds, feeding, and grooming. They mentioned forging, horseshoes. Men discussed the issue of saddles and who preferred which ones, moved on to the issue of accustoming the horse to the saddle, and so, in a heated discussion, they reached the parade ground, where this rebellious stallion was fetched.

The horse was gorgeous, black, thin-legged, with the eyes of a wild beast and flaring nostrils. It was held on both sides by grooms on long ropes. The horse kicked its legs, snorted, and clattering its teeth tried to bite the people who were holding it back. The man who worked with it tried for a very long time to approach the horse. The horse did not admit anyone, it turned around to the approaching one with its backside and waved his hind legs away. All this was dangerous, the animal was aggressive and posed a threat to people.

"Arshad, let me sit on it!" Kai barely restrained himself not to cling to Arshad's hand when he saw such a beautiful horse.

"Well ... if you want ..." Arshad did not expect such a request and answered, not fully thinking about its meaning.

This permission was enough for Kai, he quickly threw off a robe, remaining in wide trousers and a shirt tied with a wide silk belt, quickly crawled under the fences of the parade ground, and ran to the grooms holding the horse. He said something to them, and then, after waiting for a second, while the horse, having beaten off with its hind legs, had not yet grouped itself, jumped into the saddle. The grooms let go of the ropes, which were threaded into the snaffle rings and have now slipped out of them.

The stallion felt freedom and immediately reared up.

Arshad regretted his rash decision, seeing that it was very dangerous, and he needed this young man alive and well. But it was too late!

Then he just stood and watched everything that was happening.

The horse, dropping to four legs, tried to grab its rider by the leg, but Kai foresaw this, did not give it a reason to turn its head and bite his leg. The stallion began to rage, also realizing that it could not reach the rider's leg. It galloped along the parade ground, raising clouds of sand, bucked, braked sharply, spun, but the rider sat on it like a "glove". The stallion reared up again and, not calculating its strength, began to fall on its back. Everything turned into ice inside Arshad.

Feeling that the horse under him lost its balance and was falling on its back, Kai pushed off from him and, without releasing the reins, jumped to the ground. The horse fell, quickly turned on its side, and began to get up, and at that moment Kai again jumped into the saddle.

Getting up from the ground and feeling that the rider was on it again, the stallion continued its attempts to throw him off itself. For another twenty minutes, it rode, bucked, kicked up, tried to reach the rider's leg, twirled, wheezed, and snorted with anger. Two more times it rolled over onto its back, but the rider returned to the saddle, and everything was repeated again. Finally, the horse ran out of steam. And then Kai began to urge him on. He did not give the stallion a chance to rest. He made him gallop around the parade ground circle after circle, and gradually the horse resigned itself and already began to listen to its rider, obeying him, fulfilling his wishes to turn in one direction or the other, stop and gallop again, go to step or again to gallop. For such obedience, Kai let the lathering and sweaty animal change its gallop to a step, patted it on the neck, and let go of the reins. The stallion exhaled and, with the air of a submissive lamb, walked towards Arshad and the waiting grooms.

Kai calmly jumped off it, patted it on the neck again, stroked its face, and gave the occasion to the grooms, who took it to have a clean up after such a jump.

Arshad exhaled when he finally saw that Kai got off this crazy horse.

"Tomorrow it's necessary to ride it, but I think it won't behave like that," Kai said quite calmly, going up to Arshad.

"You are very good in the saddle."

"I have been riding horses since childhood. I had to tame more violent ones," Kai laughed.

Arshad smiled too. Here it was - his victory! He even laughed, but how sincere! How handsome he was when this smile was on his face!

"Let's go - I'll show you my stable!"

Arshad made a gesture towards the stable.

"Great! Let's go to!"

Almost jumping, overtaking Arshad, Kai went with him.

Once inside the stable, they forgot about time and reality. Arshad with delight and pride showed Kai his horses, and Kai competently discussed each with Arshad. Then they reviewed the horse equipment, fodder, utility rooms, and everything related to the life of the stable. Arshad was delighted. He had no one to talk about this with, or rather, formally everyone was ready to listen to him, but he understood that this topic was of no interest to anyone. Another thing was his mysterious prisoner, who listened with delight to everything, climbed all the nooks, discussed all the topics, and was ready to listen and talk about it endlessly, just like himself.

During this occupation, Maksud found them, who had already been told about the heroic ride of a wild stallion by a handsome young man, now the whole palace was talking about this, naturally embellishing this story with more and more terrible and incredible details.

Maksud was already preparing for the most terrible, therefore, seeing Kai, he rushed to him, grabbed him by the shoulders, set him in front of him, and, walking around him four times, exclaimed:

"Glory to the Almighty - you are safe and sound!"

Kai had already forgotten what he was talking about.

"What has happened?"

"Well, the whole palace talks only about how you tamed this crazy stallion ... Oh, forgive me, Great Arshad, I was very worried about the health of our guest!"

"You know, Maksud, I was also very worried about his health when I saw him on this horse," Arshad laughed.

"So, was it really so serious?"

Kai smiled at the frightened face of Maksud.

"Yes, very seriously," he became sad, "I even have lost an earring and erased lipstick."

Arshad burst out laughing, and Maksud blossomed, finally seeing that everything was going as well as possible!

With tremendous efforts, Maksud finally managed to take Kai out of the stable, and then only because Arshad remembered that they had been waiting for him for a long time on business in the meeting room.

"I'm waiting for you for dinner!" leaving, threw Arshad to Kai.

Maksud nodded understandingly and, taking Kai by the shoulders, with an effort led him out of the stable to make beauty. Kai was indignant all the way, telling Maksud how he made him tired with his bathrooms, massages, rubbing with oils, and all this bullshit. That he could clean the horse instead and do more interesting things in the stable. Maksud listened to everything, smiled, and dragged Kai with him towards the bathhouse.

***

This dinner was strikingly different from their first meeting at the table. Kai and Arshad talked incessantly like old friends. Naturally, their topics of conversation were about horses. Maksud and Gifar ate in silence and were sincerely happy that the two had found each other.

By the end of dinner, Arshad remembered what he wanted to tell Kai:

"We’ll go falconry early tomorrow."

"Will you take me with you?" Kai did not believe what he had heard.

"Of course! Who else will I go with then?"

"Will you give me the North Star?"

"It's still unreliable ..."

"Well, please," by the way with which eyes Kai looked at Arshad, the Sheikh realized that he was ready to give him everything that he didn’t ask.

"Okay," Arshad smiled, "maybe you will tell me what your name is?"

Kai averted his eyes in embarrassment.

"Call me as you want."

Arshad saw, he would not tell him his name. His gaze fell on a fruit bowl containing sand roses for aesthetics. This amazing miracle of nature, which is created by winds, sun, and sand - a desert rose.

"The rose of a desert," said Arshad. "I will call you the rose of a desert," he picked up a rose made of sand from a bowl of fruit.

Kai flushed, wanted to argue, then restrained himself, realizing that it could be worse. And, in general, it was his own fault that he did not say his name.

"Are you offended?"

"No, but I hoped the name would be different."

"Tell me your name ... are you silent? Then I will call you the rose of a desert. Maksud, Gifar, have you heard the name of our handsome guest?"

They nodded in agreement. Kai did not take offense at this, Arshad's tone was too friendly, he did not want to offend him with this name. Kai saw it.

The conversation at the table again returned to the topic of horses. They began to discuss the upcoming horse hunt with a falcon of the next day.

Kai did not like hunting, or rather, did not understand why it was necessary to kill animals when there was so much food? But hunting with a falcon was different. It was a duel between a raptorial bird and its prey. Here the person did not interfere but only waited and watched. Therefore, Kai considered that such a hunt did not contradict his principles and views on the humane treatment of animals. He had never been on such a hunt, but he had read a lot about it from old books and now he was glad to be there himself.

Returning after dinner to his chambers, accompanied by Maksud, the guy simply blew Maksud's mind out brain with these horses and everything connected with them.

Maksud had angelic patience, he listened, agreed with everything and after all the beauty procedures he happily gave Kai an evening herbal tincture for sleep. After that, seeing that Kai was falling asleep, he left the guy's chambers contentedly.

Despite all this, Maksud simply glowed from within with the understanding of what he saw. And he saw love ...