Delivering The Goods

His back and shoulders were in a better state. Only a few whip marks gracing the pale skin.

"Not as often."

He would still be feeding from Sigil. He wouldn't be able to drop his blood cold turkey. But it definitely wouldn't be as often as he fed from him now. Sigil wasn't his blood slave any more.

"You'll have to help me pick someone out."

"What's going to happen once I am no longer collared?"

He asked looking down at the man, as his hand ran through Marcus' pitch black hair.

This life was what he had known for the longest time now and he was excited to be able to roam more freely around the capital and perhaps even go travelling when Marcus took his army out, but at what cost?

"Must I?"

He asked, not seeming overly thrilled about the prospect.

"You'll be living out with the other soldiers. You'll have free reign of the city and training facilities. At your level within my army, you'll have the ability to enter and leave the castle as will, though your presence beyond the grand halls and the bitch's nest would gain some attention."

The only places he wouldn't have free access to were the pantry and bed chambers of the royal family.

His room would be off limits unless Marcus escorted him there personally.

"I would like your opinion on the person that will be letting for me from now on."

Sigil's expression wavered a little as Marcus spoke, he didn't know how to feel now, his movement around the castle had always been so limited but he had always been allowed into Marcus' chamber without so much as a glance from anyone.

It was already evident that he would be seeing less of Marcus from now on and they would not be sharing a bed at night.

"Then I will help you choose."

He at least wanted to know that Marcus was in safe hands.

Marcus leaned up to press a long, slow kiss to the Elf's lips.

"As acting head of the armies under the ruling of Cierra, I will be spending an extraordinary amount of time with the soldiers to train and plan with them," he pointed out.

Sigil couldn't enter his chambers without express permission. But if Marcus hardly spent time in his chambers, that would hardly matter. Sigil did have free reign of all soldier lodgings.

Marcus gave a rare real smile as he gazed up at the Elf.

Sigil leaned into the kiss, his fingers stroking and cupping the man's jaw.

"Then I guess we will be spending a lot of time together."

He planned on serving the army well, the higher rank he achieved the more rights be would be rewarded.

Sigil smiled back down at him, stroking the hair from his face, Marcus always looked more striking when he smiled truly.

"If you replace me and I catch you limping out of here, there will be hell to pay."

He warned, he didn't want Marcus making himself vulnerable to someone else.

Marcus snorted loudly.

"Really, that is a ridiculous notion."

Limping out of here? Like he would let anyone so close to him as to make him limp like that. Absolutely absurd!

The only person to ever get that close was Sigil and it had taken him decades to get to that point.

A wicked smirk curled his lips after a beat. "Hell to pay, did you say?"

Sigil's gaze narrowed as Marcus smirked and the Elf brought his hand down onto the Vampire's tender ass, hard.

"I don't take well to threats."

That smirk had been threat enough to test the bounds of his jealousy.

There had been a night, hundreds of years ago when he was just warming to the Vampire that there was an attempt on the Prince's life, it was while they slept, an assassin had made it's way through the window and had attempted to take the young boy's life.

It was Sigil that fended them off, suffering his own injuries through his efforts and it was since that night that he had been protective over the Vampire.

Marcus' body jerked and he gave a hiss, baring straight white teeth and deadly fangs. That was an empty threat. More of a reaction to the sudden pain in his already burning backside.

"I know you don't."

Which was, of course, why he issued them.

Sigil's response to threats changed every time and most of the time they were fun. Most of the time.

"You better visit my chamber often, no doubt you'll begin to miss my cock."

And admittedly he would miss sharing a bed with the man, even if it was for something as innocent as sleeping.

After all these years, change was slightly unnerving, though he was growing more excited by the prospect of more freedom to move around the kingdom.

"It's below me to slink into a soldier's bed in the dark of the night," Marcus dismissed.

His lips kicked upwards. "Though if you were to find your way to my chambers then I would have no option but to allow the visit and whatever may come from it."

He leaned up to press a lingering kiss to Sigil's throat.

Sigil stiffened a little at the thought of something involving him being below Marcus as a Prince.

Even without the collar he wasn't the man's equal, he never could be.

"I may have to make my way to your chamber to discuss any issues I come across, of course."

A soft purr rumbled in his chest as his neck was kissed, relaxing back against the bed as he drew Marcus in closer and embraced him.

That had always and would always be the truth.

There was only one person in the country above Marcus, and not one person equal to him. Even his sisters weren't equal to him.

"Naturally. I cannot have my army falling into ruin."

Marcus nuzzled closer to Sigil affectionately; like a cat that wanted attention.

As Marcus nuzzled forward he leaned down and pressed a kiss to the man's forehead.

It was moments like these where Marcus seemed more like the sixteen year old boy that had chosen him on a whim instead of the unrivaled Vampire Prince of Nalithia.

"I'll be sure to keep you well informed with how the army is running."

Hopefully he wouldn't have any issues transitioning from Slave to Soldier but he knew that was probably too much to hope for considering this sort of thing never happened.

"I'm trusting you."

He knew he wouldn't be disappointed with Sigil. The Elf hadn't done anything to disappoint him in so long that he never worried about him doing anything wrong.

Sigil would do just fine as a soldier.

"I will not disappoint you."

He replied, his hand stroking over the man's jawline then down his throat, his hand gently wrapping around it as he held Marcus close.

"Will you be well enough to walk soon?"

He doubted it, they had gone a little overboard and if Marcus could walk without a limp it would be a miracle.

A small smile curled Marcus' lips when a hand curled gently around his throat.

That would be something he'd miss. He didn't know how he was going to be able to sleep without the security of Sigil's hand around his throat during the night.

He'd spend many nights sleepless in the next few weeks as he tried to adjust.

"Doubtable."

And for now he didn't want to move. He wanted to just lay here with Sigil's hand around his throat for a little while longer.

"Lets not rush it then, after all, you can always go to the pantry tomorrow."

He had no desire to get up from this spot, he wanted his one last night with the Vampire without the need to get up.

They could just rest after their long journey and if he could stretch out this moment for a little while longer he would.

Marcus hummed softly, nodding slowly.

Tomorrow morning.

He could have one last night with Sigil before he unlocked his collar and set him free.

That thought left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"Rest then."

He murmured softly, his hand stroking Marcus' throat as it gripped it.

A small smile graced is lips as he leaned in against the man, his free hand stroking up the Vampire's back as he held him closer.