Most Wanted

Chapter 10

Varian gave a muffled cry as he felt Mazouwi's foot kick his side again.  Ever since the terrible night almost two months before, he had been cracking down on him even harder than he ever had.  If misery was what Varian felt like his life was like before Hugo, then it was living Hell since he left.

He clutched his stomach and side as he panted to gain control of his breath.  "Sorry..." he was barely able to breathe out the word.

"I know," Mazouwi retorted in a nonchalant voice that made Varian want to hurl up whatever contents he had in his stomach.  "Now, be a good little husband of mine and go get cleaned up before our guest arrives."

"Of course, sir..."  Varian mumbled and painstakingly pulled himself up and dragged himself to his room.

The guest arrived sooner than he was ready, but he refused to rush.  He used some make up (created rather recently by someone he didn't know) to hide any markings on his face and neck.

When he was finally ready, he entered the lounge room where Mazouwi and the guest were sitting.  Varian silently took his place next to the lord as he was supposed to.  He kept his eyes lowered to the ground, wanting to avoid as much attention as possible.

Unfortunately, Mazouwi never got the memo.  He rubbed Varian's back in a possessive manner.  Somehow, the man managed to take even friendly gestures and turn them into sick harrassments.

"This is Varian," Mazouwi said proudly.

"I see."  The guest, a young woman roughly Varian's age smiled.  It was merely to be polite, Varian could see a fake smile from far away.  She seemed very uncomfortable.  "So this is the newly wed husband you were informing me about?"  She pressed on.

"Yes, he is."

Varian smiled on cue, but he could feel the girl's piercing gaze see straight through him.  Surprisingly, he didn't mind.  He hated Mazouwi, and if she knew, he didn't give a fuck.

"This is Princess Nuru, ambassador of Neseredia," the lord explained.

Princess?  He never said anything about princess.  A sick feeling twisted in Varian's stomach.  He hoped so desperately she was married already, or at least engaged.  He did not want her to be wrapped up in Mazouwi's game.  As a princess, it was like waving a card of power in front of Mazouwi's face.  How many more marriages would it take for the monster to stop?

"It is very pleasing to meet you, your highness," Varian managed to get out.  He glanced at Mazouwi and almost threw up on the spot.  He knew the look in the man's eyes.  He had only seen it directed at his mother or himself.  The man fully intended to make her his.

She nodded.

They talked for some time and, eventually, it became late enough where Nuru could announce that she was tired.  This meant Varian could go to bed as well, but he didn't.  He set to work right away and wrote three letters.  One for his parents, one for Hugo and one for Nuru.

Since Hugo left, he was no longer allowed in town.  He hadn't been able to send any letters to anyone.  Nuru could be his only chance.  Gathering them together, he slipped them under her door, knocked and ran back to his room.  Hopefully, Nuru would have the courtesy to understand and send the letters.

She was his chance to set his plan into motion.  Without the letters being sent out, he'd have to wing everything, and he didn't have the option of a second chance.  He could not mess up.