‘My Warrior, My Slave’ is a companion story to ‘Slave of Heart’ and is primarily a story of Ares and Orion. As a companion story, its contents are limited and guided by the hints of their relationship that appear in ‘Slave of Heart’. However, it can be read as a stand-alone work.
Those who have already read ‘Slave of Heart’ will remember that the story takes place in a world where sex between free men is a taboo that carries an extreme penalty and two of Ares’ slaves are Ellirasians who were condemned to the life of a sex slave due to the exposure of forbidden passion. Such a feature of the world setting was unnecessary for the story of Ares and Jason in ‘Slave of Heart’, but when I introduced it, I was thinking about the possibility of writing Ares and Orion’s story.
The idea of a world where a sex between free men is forbidden came from reading a history book about Caesar. While the Roman society had no objection to either slavery or using any kind of slaves, male or female, for pleasure, they did not like sex between free men. Caesar constantly suffered from a rumor that he slept with a king of a minor kingdom in his youth and played the receiving role. According to the book, he was often insulted and called ‘a woman’ by his political opponents because of the rumor. It could have been no more than a stigma attached to a man who allows himself to be penetrated. However, there are other books that suggest they, unlike the Greeks, did not approve any kind of sex between men unless it was a matter of using slaves. It is not clear just how much the Romans disapproved the practice. However, their strange attitudes towards sex between men gave me the idea of a world where it was more than a simple taboo or rather the taboo carried an extreme penalty. And this world is the background for the story of Ares and Orion. It is a story of two warriors where one of them becomes a Master and the other a slave.
Excerpt from the first chapter:
Orion watched as Ares’ tall form unhurriedly entered the confined space. Seeing the fiery red hair of his General brought out a host of emotions that he had not been capable of feeling lately: wonder, relief, joy, sadness, and trepidation. When he couldn’t find his superior’s face among the sea of faces on the day of his trial, he had given up the hope of ever seeing Ares again. Now that the General was here, he knew that Ares still cared for him, even if he was at a loss for the words that might somewhat redeem his reckless behavior in the other man’s eyes.
Neither of them spoke for a while, their gazes locked and unwavering. The air grew tense as Ares silently brooded, his barely suppressed anger all too apparent in his harsh expression. It wasn’t, however, the icy anger towards those who deliberately defied him or betrayed him, the kind of anger that froze its prey before tearing it apart. He remembered the last time he saw Ares angry that way. One of the towns that had surrendered to his army decided to rebel and annihilated the garrison Ares left behind. Ares responded by burning the whole town to the ground and selling every single inhabitant into slavery. No, it wasn’t the cold, detached anger. Orion could see smoldering fire in the General’s deep violet eyes, something he had never seen from his superior before. Its strangeness comforted him.
“General Ares, Sir,” Orion spoke first, his voice somewhat hoarse. He noticed Ares’ lips twitching slightly to form something like the beginning of a smile, but there was no sign of amusement in those penetrating violet eyes.
“General, did you say? Fine, I will treat you as my lieutenant one last time, though you are no longer entitled to that rank. This is the last time we meet as army officers, at least in our minds. The next time you are in my presence, you will address me as Master.”
It took a little while before the implication of Ares’ words sank in. He had been purchased by the only man he was happy to follow. The irony that he was to be a slave to the man who had taught him to believe in his dreams was not lost on Orion. Ares had inspired him to become the successful warrior he once was. Now, the same man would teach him how to be a slave, how to live his life without dreams and hopes for his own future. His fall couldn’t have been more complete, more spectacular. It pained him to know that being a sex slave was all he would ever be to the Ellirasian General who would go on making history by himself.
Yet, part of his mind could not help wondering what it would be like to give himself completely to the man he respected and admired. He had never seriously entertained the possibility before, partly because he knew Ares was disciplined enough not to let anything stand between his ambition and his success, but also because he couldn’t see himself playing anything other than a dominant role in bed – anything else just didn’t fit the image of himself as a competent warrior. Since he could never imagine Ares succumbing to another man’s needs and desires, his sexual attraction to his superior had been no more than a puzzle that could not be solved.
Then, there was the relief that he didn’t have to go through the auction process, which he knew he would have survived but would have been an unpleasant experience. Ares had spared him from being put through that ordeal, probably by placing what must have been an outrageous bid that the auctioneer could see no hope of being outmatched in the public sale.
“Thank you, Sir.”
Orion dipped his head in acknowledgement of the other man’s generosity. Ares made no reply, letting heavy silence linger between them once again. After a while, he cocked his head slightly to one side before asking the question that had baffled him.
“Why, Orion?”
Orion resisted the urge to look away from the other man’s gaze that demanded an answer. He didn’t really know what to say. What could he possibly tell Ares to make him understand why he did what he did? He could have said he loved Meme, but it was a lame excuse and Ares would not buy it. He loved Meme, but didn’t love him enough to keep him out of harm’s way. He had been selfish, and love was by its nature selfless. Love could not be used as an excuse for what he had done. Still, he knew he owed Ares an answer, a truthful answer, even if it still made no sense to the iron-willed General.
“I wanted him.”
“You wanted him.” Ares laughed a mirthless laugh. “You wanted him, so you took him. Did you even understand the risk? Do you not realize that you could have been owned by anyone? Could have been owned by any man who is less of a man than you are? You had slaves of your own. You could have gone to a market to purchase a new one if none of them had pleased you. Yet, you had to have Meme?”
“I had to have him because he was free, Sir. The slaves I owned had no choice but to submit to my demands. Meme’s submission was voluntary.”
“Then, you are a fool. Having been made to submit doesn’t necessarily imply that the slave’s obedience is less complete, less meaningful.” Ares breathed deeply before speaking again. “You disappointed me, Orion.”
Orion knew Ares must have been disappointed in him. Hearing those words from the other man nevertheless pained him. It shouldn’t have mattered. His military career was over anyway. He no longer cared for what others thought of him. Still, Ares’ opinion of him affected him.
He wanted to say something, anything, to restore Ares’ faith in him. But there was nothing he could say for himself. He had failed Ares. He had let himself down; he let Meme down. It was a horrible mess that he could see no way out of. There was, however, something he could do to help Meme, even if it would anger his superior further. Even if he had no right to ask of Ares what he was about to.
“I have a request to make as your lieutenant, Sir.”
“Go on, Orion.”
Orion could hear a tinge of amusement in Ares’ stern tone. He wished he could make a request that would not darken the other man’s mood further.
“I ask you to consider purchasing Meme, Sir. He had been a good soldier and deserves a worthy master.”
A look of disbelief briefly appeared in Ares’ countenance. The General crossed his arms, his expression cold with disdain.
“Meme is not my concern.”
“Please, Sir.”
“Are you begging me, Orion? If you are, do it properly.”
Orion fell to his knees, dropping his gaze and placing his palms on the floor. It didn’t feel humiliating. It just felt odd, like wearing clothes that do not fit, even though he knew he was doing what was necessary. How it felt to kneel in front of his future master was, however, the least of his worries. He could feel Ares’ breathing become rapid and the atmosphere growing tense with unspoken fury.
“Tell me, Lieutenant. What would I gain from that? What would you do for me?”
“Anything, Sir.”
“Anything, Orion?” Ares sneered. “What if I tell you to kill Meme?”
Orion looked up to meet the other man’s blazing stare, unfazed by the cruel taunt. He had fought at Ares’ sides for years and he believed he knew the man. The General demanded a lot from his subordinates but was fair in his dealings with those under his care. He always protected what was his. Besides, not knowing Meme’s fate would leave a scar in his heart, one that time could not heal.
“You would not ask of me to kill your slave unless he deserves death.”
Ares’ jaws clenched, his firm lips compressed into a thin line.
“Get up. You will have a plenty of kneeling to do in future, but not today.” Ares continued to speak, once Orion resumed his standing position. “You want to watch your lover taking me in the ass? Because Orion, that is what you are going to see and that is a promise. Thanks to your reckless behavior, I lost my best lieutenant. Yet, all you can think about is that wretch who was the very cause of that loss. I thought better of you. I was wrong.”
Orion watched Ares turn his back and walk away, closing the chapter of his life. He stood still as the General’s footsteps faded away. He was still standing when the guard came back to lock the cell door. Only when the light from the gas lamp went out and he was left in complete darkness, did he crumple to the ground and weep, he wept for the first time since his arrest.
