The Copper Horse #1 Fear (13 page)

"Will you really help me? What happened to the other slaves?" he asked Jack, who slowly helped him up.

"Of course I will help you. I'm your groom!"

Reuben sighed, backing out to the wall again, ashamed of the tail, still stuck deep inside of him like a remainder of the forced fuck he'd gotten from his new master. He felt numb.

Pretending not to pay it any mind, the boy gave him an encouraging smile and pulled Reuben toward the stall that wasn't marked with a plaque. "I will make you comfortable. And pretty."

Jack seemed so genuinely nice that Reuben actually smiled back. "Pretty? Me? I don't think I'm one to be called that." He really wished he could be comfortable, though.

The boy laughed, pushing at the swing door as they entered the small storage room. He didn't stop, though, and went straight to the door in the back.

"You are a handsome man, but if you are a pretty horse, the master will be gentle with you."

Reuben looked around with curiosity. "'A pretty horse'... It's just very strange." He sighed in resignation. "It's hard not to talk back to him when he says such things."

Jack's eyes darted to his face as he opened the door. "Don't."

"I can't help it." Reuben shrugged with a cocky smile and straightened. With this boy, he was much more confident, even with bound hands. "I can't accept what he's doing without protest."

They went into a medium-sized room with no windows, but a large brass chandelier adorned with amber-colored crystals made up for it. Its bright light revealed grandeur of pink marble, making it look like a place of peace and solace. A copper pipe led from the large machine in the corner to an ivory encrusted faucet over the tub.

There were several potted ferns by the wall, as well as a wooden cabinet containing even more vials, bottles and boxes. God only knew why would one need so many. Reuben would feel lucky if he had a piece of soap for his bath.

To the left, he spotted a rounded entrance that led into a dark room. Above the door was a fresco depicting a group of naked men on horseback. In the warm early morning light, they traveled bareback, guiding the stallions with their bodies alone, fingers tangled in thick manes.

Reuben gulped, taking his time to stare at the artwork. What did Erik actually expect of him? It didn't seem as if he was only interested in fucking. He let his eyes roam over the room that was much larger that his and his father's living quarters over the bakery, even though it seemed to be meant for bathing. He never even visited a house as grand as this one.

"He must be very rich," he said finally.

Jack smiled at him. "He gets paid a lot for his work." He led Reuben toward the tub, which was already filled with milk-colored water. It smelled like milk, too, fresh and creamy. "Well, shall I... remove the tail?" asked the boy, tearing Reuben out of the comfort of amazement. The gentle touch on his arm suddenly didn't feel all that soothing.

He cringed, taking a step backward and looking at Jack, utterly lost. Once again he blamed it all on Erik and his evil ways! He couldn't just be a decent person and remove the thing! No, he had to place him in this incredibly awkward position.

Jack's dark, questioning eyes studied him for a moment.

"I..." Reuben didn't know how to voice his request. "He..." How was he supposed to say that he still had Erik's come inside!? He felt so insecure and embarrassed that he took another step back.

Jack interrupted him. "I know. I've done this many times. Nothing will shock me," he said, slowly touching Reuben's back with a warm hand.

Reuben sighed, averting his eyes in shame. "So how do we do this?" He decided to put some trust in Jack, even though his body disagreed, stomach turning. The boy put his arms around Reuben in silent comfort. It really looked as if Jack cared about his feelings, even though they have never met before.

"Just relax."

Reuben tried, but he was as tense as a string in a fiddle. It wasn't the phallus itself that made him so, but the fact that someone had seen him with it sticking out of his ass. Since he could remember, indecencies were done in the dark with no one knowing or speaking of them. If no one knew, they weren't real.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, feeling a slight pull on the plug. Fortunately, the thing was slippery, and he gritted his teeth with a quiet grunt as it slid out of his body in a slightly twisted motion. At once, he felt hollow, the sensation even more pronounced because he was sober. His first instinct was to press his thighs together to prevent further intrusion.

"Done." Jack's voice was warm, as if he were trying to lift Reuben's spirits. He took the tail over to one of the wooden cabinets and carefully spread its whole length on an empty shelf, presumably to prevent the hair from tangling.

Reuben sighed, bowing his head as he felt Erik's come slowly oozing out. The slippery sensation between his buttocks made him want to hide the cause of his shame in the milky water.

As if reading his mind, Jack spoke, gathering some bottles from the cabinet. "You may get into the tub, if you want."

"What's in it?" Reuben asked, but made his way to the tub before he got an answer. Without having his hands available, he was worried about slipping and falling face first onto the floor.

Jack smiled and watched him with a sigh. "Water, milk and some Dal honey. It's soothing to the skin," he explained, placing some of the containers on the edge of the tub and taking a seat on a small stool hidden behind it. In this position, he could easily help Reuben as he sat down in warm water.

"It's amazing. I've only bathed in a tub a few times. And that was always just water!"

"The Dals produce honey, amongst other things. Master Erik can spare some for a bath." The boy gave him a sweet smile as he dipped a thick sponge in the white liquid and letting it soak and soften. "That's how you are going to bathe from now on. I will be tending to all your needs, and the master doesn't scant any money for that."

Reuben arched his back muscles, enjoying the way warm, sweet-smelling water soothed his sore spots. This, he could definitely get used to. "I don't know if I'm a slave or a prince," he laughed.

Jack exhaled, pressing the soaking sponge against his bare torso. He leaned forward to look into Reuben's face. "To him, you are nothing but a prized stallion."

Reuben scowled. "What else do you know about him? What does he like?" He looked down at the massive bruise on his chest. Jack ran the sponge over his torso and arms with a gentleness Reuben rarely experienced.

"Well, he likes when everything goes according to his plan." The boy carefully stroked Reuben's back with a bare hand.

"You never answered me. What happened to the ones before me?" His whole body ached, especially his thighs and buttocks. The caning hurt, but the worst thing was that he still felt it now.

"Oh, most of them were sold to other owners." Tension was clear in Jack's voice, as he delved the sponge down Reuben's muscled belly and under the water.

Reuben shied away. "You don't have to do this." For lack of better way of expression, he pushed at Jack's arm with his forehead.

"I don't mind, really." Jack stopped in his tracks and looked down at him.

"It's... I... no. Just don't." Reuben pulled his knees to his chest. The water smelled amazing. He might have been considered a stallion in this house, but he felt more like a captive prince.

Jack fell silent for a moment, but then continued to gently wash Reuben's thighs.

"No one has ever treated me like this." Reuben felt the need to make that clear. "I'm a baker, you know."

"That's hard work," Jack said, but didn't really look at him. He fished one of Reuben's legs out of the water and gave it a thorough wash. Never in his life had Reuben expected to have a personal servant bathe him.

"Yeah. My hands are all burnt and rough because of it. And it's all heavy stuff, long hours of work." He shook his head and sighed. "But at least no one... assaulted me." Reuben's face went sour.
Apart from my father, that is.

Jack swallowed, studying him for a long moment. "I'm sure you will get used to it. I'm here for you."

"I don't really have much choice now, do I? Unless I wanna lose my teeth next time
Hans
smacks my face against the wall." Reuben began easing up in the boy's presence. All he had to do was forget that Jack was the one who'd taken out the tail. He could do that.

"It won't change anything if you struggle," Jack warned him with a cautious expression. "Submitting is the best option for you."

"But I don't want to!" Reuben whined, feeling his muscles finally relax. "He's such a twat."

"All the other ones eventually did..." Jack trailed off.

"Well I'm not like other ones! I'll show him what a wild stallion is. I'm used to fights, I can take it." It was a blatant lie, but no one knew him here anyway.

"One that wouldn't obey was put down."

It took a moment for Jack's words to sink in. "P-p-put down?" Reuben looked at him with sudden panic, going breathless. Jack's face was blank, although he still washed his body in gentle strokes. "That's just... this guy is a nightmare." Reuben slipped deeper into the tub. He couldn't believe how nice and soothing the water was. He wasn't expecting something this pleasant after the treatment he'd gotten from Erik.

Jack sighed, putting the sponge aside and gathering some water with a porcelain cup. "Make him like you, and he will be gentle. I'm sure of it."

"But he likes the beating. Sick bastard." Reuben complained, gazing at the boy for a longer moment. He wondered if Erik fucked him, too.

Jack's head shot up. "No! He never beat the stallions in my care if they behaved!" He clutched the cup with both hands.

"I'll think about it. It's just so shameful, what he does to me," whispered Reuben, scanning the boy's dark eyes. He wished he could read his mind, but it proved hard, because Jack once again averted his gaze and poured some water over Reuben's hair.

"Hair with honey? No! It's going to get even worse," he complained yet again, slouching forward.

"Trust me, you're gonna be the prettiest of all the horses he's had," said Jack, his smile obvious in the tone of his voice.

"You can't actually think that." Reuben laughed. "He said I'm his first 'dun' horse. Did he mean ginger?"

"Yes." Jack nodded, spilling some sweet smelling liquid straight onto Reuben's hair. "He was very enthusiastic about it."

"He was?" Reuben smiled beneath his breath, unable to help it. He did feel complimented that a man like Erik was 'enthusiastic' about him, a poor, dirty baker.

"Oh, yes." Jack was becoming chatty as he massaged the fluid into his head. "He wants your hair bright and soft."

"Let me guess. Like a horse's mane? You gonna braid it?" Reuben laughed at the thought.

Jack sighed, continuing to rub his scalp. It felt really good actually, like a caress. "He's gonna be here soon to tell me how he wants it." He cracked an egg open at the brink of the tub.

"What do you mean?" Reuben furrowed his eyebrows, looking back with anxiety. He narrowed his eyes as he felt goo splashing on top of his head. Jack started massaging it into his hair. Reuben heard some girls used eggs to make their hair softer, but he always considered it an awful waste of food. Now he didn't care.

"He will tell me how I should cut it."

"Let me guess. I have no say in this?" Reuben sighed.

"No."

"Fucker," Reuben muttered, giving into the pleasure of the massage.

Jack exhaled as he ran his fingers up and down his scalp. "Be patient, maybe he will let you go eventually."

"Maybe." Reuben heard a glimmer of hope in his own voice. "How long have you been here?"

"About two years." Jack washed his hands in the water and then put them on Reuben's arms. "He only keeps a horse for about a year from what I know". His fingers started kneading the flesh, as if to loosen him up.

"It still seems like a very long time," whispered Reuben. "I wouldn't mind a bath like this every day, though!"

"And you will get one!" laughed the groom as he continued the massage. "You will get the best food, and you will be pampered every day! There is even a sauna in the other room."

"A what?" Judging from Jack's tone, he assumed it must be something pleasurable.

"It's a hot room. Good for your skin and health. You will like it."

"Can I see it today?" It sounded exciting.

"Yes, but only after we work on you some more, all right?" Jack gathered some water with the cup again. He asked Reuben to close his eyes and emptied it over his head several times, washing the egg off.

"What else do you need to do?" Reuben asked. The water felt warm and soothing, like a thick blanket in the middle of winter.

Jack withdrew to dry his hands. "Whatever you want me to. I am here for you."

Reuben smiled, thinking that he wouldn't mind the tail shoved back in, but he would never dare to say it aloud. What kind of man would he be if he did? "That massage you were doing was great."

"Thank you!" Initially, Jack's face lit up, but he tensed at the sound of a door closing.

"What was that? Is he coming?" Reuben sat up straight in the tub.

"He is coming," said Erik, strolling out of the dark room in a pair of cream-colored checkered trousers, a grey waistcoat and a shirt that seemed a bit crumpled. The outfit looked very expensive, but Erik did not seem to care that much about wearing it properly.

"Master." Jack nodded, keeping his gaze down.

Reuben's heart skipped a beat, but he was curious to see the red bruise on Erik's forehead. For a moment, he considered saying something offensive, but decided to shut his mouth for a while longer.

"Is the bath finished?" Erik walked up to the tub, hands clasped behind his back. He smiled at Reuben, slouching a bit as if he were talking to a pet dog. "How is my beauty?"

"Sore." Reuben frowned. "You should treat me better."

The smile never left Erik's face as he answered. "Well, I will treat you better once you are broken in."

Reuben cowered in the bathtub, his cockiness gone like last year's snow. Coming from Erik, these words gave him the creeps. "What do you mean...?"