Appearance: Like a small, watery angel.
His most distinctive features are: his gleaming black eyes; his sleek,
slightly iridescent skin with delicate blue shadings on his arms, legs,
neck, and back; his fragile, diminutive frame; and his fluttering mane
of wildly curly hair, only occasionally captured in a vague ponytail by
a thin scarf. His facial features are very sharp, with high cheekbones
and a pointy, noble nose. He smiles often, displaying perfect, small, very
slightly pointed teeth. He dislikes heavy fabrics, preferring to dance
around in "things as light as air" and thus wears flowing
'draperies' of silks, rayon, crepes, and
chiffon, always in pale colors.
Personality: A dancing soul with dark fringes. He loves laughing, smiling, dancing, swimming, drawing, playing his bone flute, praying, and being stroked on his shoulders and back. Kairan has a thin, reedy voice, and is slightly embarrassed by this. He dearly would love to sing, and is a bit jealous of those who can. He is intelligent, but extremely uneducated. Unfortunately, he also has a rather low attention span. If he is beaten or hurt, he will become very depressed and try to withdraw, but he rarely holds onto his anger longer than a few hours. His temper is somewhat volcanic, but it takes a lot of frustration to make it show. Ultimately, he is a very pure aesthete, and what makes him feel good will make him happy.
Quirks: Fond of meat, does not bruise, has blue blood.
Distinctive Notes: Wears silver, light amethyst, and aquamarine jewellery exclusively, even to the accoutrements of his position (e.g. any handcuffs, chains, bindings, straps, etc. if they are or contain metal, then it is silver, often with embedded stones. Leather or fabric will be white, gray, blue, lavender, or silver.) His skin is indeed very pale, nearly white, and lightly pearlescent, while his markings range from a dusky periwinkle along his spine and at his fingertips and toes to the lightest cloud blue around his elbows, shoulderblades, and knees.
History: Kairan doesn't know why he doesn't look like anyone else he's ever seen. As far as he is concerned, he was born in water, breathed air, was small, got taller, and came to the place where he is now. He has had only two Owners, one man who rarely visited, and one woman who treated him like a very expensive pet goldfish. Neither of them put much effort into touching or caring for him, and he rather longs for someone who will be, perhaps, a bit more of a hedonist. His sexual experience is minimal, but he is open to almost anything. This does not mean that he will be willing to engage in anything a second time, just that he'll try it at least once. If he doesn't like it, he won't do it.
Setting: The door with the lock that fits
the Aquarius Key is deeply frosted glass, set with silver filigree work.
Pale opalescent curtains drape throughout the rooms that Kairan inhabits,
nearly dividing each room into several small, intimate areas. Soft white,
gray and blue couches and pillows are littered here and there in the living
areas. The walls are pale lavender and pearl, and feel warm to the touch.
There are amethyst and aquamarine mosaics on the floor in some places,
and the rest is either marble or creamy carpeting. There are 5-foot tall
windows set deep into each wall, about 9 feet up. They are opened or closed
with controls near the door. There is use of either wood or iron in the
entire place, and the only spot of black in most of it is Kairan's eyes.
The bathroom is the exception. Entirely done in black marble, with black
curtains surrounding the large pool, and dark amethyst accents here and
there, it makes an extreme contrast to the rest of the rooms.
Chapter 1
**Disclaimer: The characters used in
this story were not created by me. Kairan is used with express permission
of his Creator. The other characters are property of their various holding
companies, and are used without permission.
~*~
February 9th,
Amsterdam
"What would you have us do, Young Master?" asked the Chatelaine, as she reclined on the chaise. She'd left the boy standing in front of her on purpose, wanting to see how he'd handle the interrogation. He hadn't disappointed her, living up to his family name and heritage with aplomb. Still, he was only 13 years old...
"I am sorry, madame, if our presence here is an inconvenience. I could honestly think of nowhere else to turn. I could not leave him there. They would most likely have killed him."
"Where did you find him?"
"In Australia. I was at the beach, and a small boat washed up on the shore. A crowd gathered, and then the yelling began... This was the only place I could think of to bring him. I can not take him home."
Knowing the young man's father, the Chatelaine silently agreed. It wouldn't have been the proper thing to do, to bring home a homeless child, much less the strange, fey creature the Young Master had brought to her.
The Chatelaine sighed. She liked this young man. She truly did. She'd only met him a few months ago, when his father had brought him here, another in a long list of rites of passage he deemed necessary to turn the boy into a man. She'd been impressed with him on first meeting, and even more so after speaking with the Key with whom he had chosen to spend the evening. She'd learned that not only was the young man quite a bit more experienced in that arena than his father obviously believed, but that he was a gentle and considerate lover as well. Something so unusual for a boy his age...
Still, the Palace was no place for what he was asking. He'd obviously thought a great deal about this, showing up at the discrete door with his father's Key in his hand. Even being who he was, he'd not have been admitted without it. But he'd had the foresight to find it and bring it with him, and after being shown in, he'd requested an audience with the Chatelaine. They'd shown his companion to another room, where he was presently entertaining himself under watchful eyes.
She thought she knew what he was going to ask her, and her first response would have been an emphatic "no." However... This young man was going places. She didn't need her foresight to see that. She could see it in his eyes as they even now fearlessly met her own. It could do no harm to have one such as he in debt to the Palace. In a sudden glimpse of a dark future, the Chatelaine shuddered. No, if would not be a bad thing at all to curry the favor of this man. Their very existence might one day depend upon it.
"Can he stay here?" the young man asked, finally putting voice to the request she had known was coming.
"Why?"
The single word was soft in the room, but weighted with the solemn tone of importance. He simply looked at her, one brow lifted inquiringly in a very passable imitation of his father.
"Why do you care what happens to him?" she clarified. "Out of every orphan on the street, every child who is homeless or hungry or without hope, why did you choose him?"
"I... I'm not sure...."
The Chatelaine rose to her feet in a graceful motion. She moved to stand before the young man, just barely taller than he was. She knew that would change in the next few months. With firm, yet gentle fingers she gripped his chin and held his face steady.
Then she fell into his eyes.
She began to read his hopes and fears, his plans and expectations before she found herself gently but firmly expelled from the young man's mind. She released his eyes with a blink, but kept hold of his chin with her fingers.
"Why?" she asked him again. This time he only hesitated a moment before facing the truth of his own foreseeing.
"Because he is my destiny, and he is a part of me. One day he will save me. Perhaps not my life, but most definitely my soul."
"Ah. This is my vision as well. I did not realize that you had the Gift, my child."
With a careful move he stepped back, lifting a slightly trembling hand to his brow before brushing aside her words with a smile. Shaking his head, he denied the truth once again.
"Not at all, dear lady. Merely a flight of fancy on my part, I am sure."
If the Chatelaine was disappointed with his denial she didn't show it. Instead she crossed the room to the small writing desk against one wall. After seating herself, she motioned for the boy to join her in the chair by her side.
"The Palace has never before taken in a child so young, nor one we did not intend to train as a Key."
She paused as she studied his crestfallen face. As he bit his bottom lip, his only outward show of disappointment, she relented in her teasing. After all, she'd already made up her mind.
"You'll notice that I said we never had in the past, not that we never would. I think perhaps we can help you, Young Master. But there will be many conditions to our bargain, and these conditions are not negotiable. Do you wish to proceed?"
He could do nothing but nod, his heart suddenly singing in his chest. He forced himself to calm, and pay attention to the Chatelaine's words. He somehow already knew that this was going to cost him, snd money was the least of his concerns. After carefully noting his brief elation, followed by his focused attention, the Chatelaine continued.
"First of all will be the expense. If you do not have access to the funds now, we will settle the financial aspect at a later date. I feel that this is of little or no consequence to you. Still... you must understand the sum of money we are discussing..."
She named a figure that made even him wince. He knew he could pay her, but it would have to wait until he had access to either one of his trustfunds or his family inheritance. She accepted that with a smile. She had no doubts that he could fulfill that part of the bargain.
"Secondly, no young man lives here who is not trained as a Key. Despite his age, he will be soon begin his training, and he will become the Aquarius Key. Again, this fact is not negotiable. Do you wish to continue?"
The young man hesitated for a moment, thinking of what he knew of the Palace. Even his limited knowledge left him a bit uneasy.
"He won't be harmed, Chatelaine? I won't have him injured in any way..."
"No, Young Master. He will not be harmed. He will be taught many things, but none of his teachings will injure him."
"Then I accept this condition as well."
"Good. The next condition is that when you leave him here today, you do not return to the Palace until you receive word from me that your Key is ready for presentation."
"What if my father...?"
"Your presence here at your father's insistence will be understood. However, you will put the Aquarius Key from your mind. From this day forward he does not exist for you until I say he does."
"I understand, and I agree."
"Very well. This condition you may not understand at first, but I ask that you consider it carefully. The condition is that the Aquarius Key never leaves the Palace. In later years, if you decide it is no longer appropriate for him to serve as a Key, other duties will be found for him."
The Chatelaine paused with a smile as the young man began to shake his head in negation.
"Think about it Young Master. With his appearance, where could he ever go that he would be accepted, or even safe? You can predict from his bone structure that he's going to be tiny, even as an adult... small and frail. Here at the Palace, we will treat him as one of our own unique souls. He will not be scorned or ridiculed. He will be accepted, and even treasured. I will make this exception. He may leave the Palace if you are willing to take him, and care for him the rest of his life. Otherwise, he must remain here for his own well-being."
The young man considered the woman's words carefully. Although it tore at something in his heart to consign such a beautiful creature to what essentially amounted to a lifetime of imprisonment, he could see the wisdom of her logic. Suddenly another thought struck him, and he frowned heavily.
"Are the people... the Keys here held against their will?"
The Chatelaine hid her amusement. Even as astute as this young man was, he still had an incredible amount to learn about life in the real world. She decided to choose a bit of honesty, and see what would happen.
"Most of them are not. They are here because they wish it. But some of them are here at the request of those more powerful than themselves."
"So they are slaves in truth? I had thought it was merely a figure of speech... part of the game."
"Not at all. Even those who come here willingly have contracts signed by either themselves or a legal representative. These contracts are unbreakable, and are usually for a lifetime. The Keys do not leave the Palace, except in the company of their Owners or current Master. These are not words in a pretty game, but the actual facts of their lives."
His thoughts drove him to his feet, and he began to pace the room as he spoke.
"How can you do this? How can you hold another intelligent being in captivity, like an animal in a cage? It is wrong!!"
A sudden thought struck the young man with gut wrenching horror. He spun to fix the Chatelaine with an accusing gaze.
"What about the Key that I... that I... Was he willing, or just a slave, doing as he was ordered?" he asked bitterly. "Did I rape someone? Did I force myself on him against his will? He said I was..." His voice trailed away in a broken whisper.
"His first?" asked the Chatelaine. "You were. And he is here because he chooses to be. He has not been formally presented yet. He asked that his first time be with someone other that the one who would be his master. We try to make our Keys happy, Young Master. Think about your joining. Did it feel like rape? I spoke to him afterward, and he told me you treated him very well. He was happy. You should be, as well."
"How can I be happy when I know that he lives here as a slave, that he can never leave..."
"Just as the Aquarius Key can not leave if we agree to this contract? It's time for you to grow up, Young Master. The boys here are unique, exotic and sensual. If not for us they would be street whores or worse. They could be killed for their differences, just as the Aquarius Key would have been without your intervention. Some of the Keys are here so they won't have to be assassinated for political reasons. It's a cruel world, Young Master. Do not think to judge us because of what we do, or who we are. And do not think to judge us because we propose to do for you what we have done for others in the past. The only thing that makes your situation unique is the age of the boy. He is very young."
His knees were suddenly shaky as he took his seat once again. She was right. He was standing there condemning exactly what he was asking her to do for himself. He had long ago decided that no matter what life forced upon him, he would always be honest with himself, and that promise reasserted itself now. He lifted his eyes, and met hers without flinching.
"You are right, dear lady. My apologies. I spoke without thinking. I can see that you have only the Keys' best interests at heart. Please forgive me, and allow me to agree to your wishes upon this matter as well."
Even the Chatelaine was a bit impressed with his handling of the situation. She'd expected a bit more of a tantrum from him, given his age. She kept her smile demure, while inside she was grinning far too widely for someone of her station.
"I'm glad you have seen the necessity of it, Young Master. Now for the last condition. I have no doubts that it is the most important one of our bargain. I have Seen that there will come a day when the Palace will need to call upon you. Your response will mean the difference in our continued life, or our death. The last condition is this: At some point, sometime in the future, I shall call upon your protection. You will give it to us without hesitation. Our entire bargain hinges upon your agreement to this request."
"You have Seen me in a position powerful enough to offer that sort of help?" he questioned.
"Yes," she answered simply.
He sat quietly for a moment, his eyes focused on something she couldn't see. Finally he blinked several times, and nodded.
"So be it. When the Chatelaine of the Palace calls upon me, I will answer without hesitation, and assist you without constraint. You have my word upon it.
She smiled. She knew the bargain she was striking was a good one. The child he'd brought would probably turn out to be profitable after all... And that was another thing...
"Young Master? I need to know if you would like your Key to have experience with other visitors here at the Palace. That decision is entirely yours."
"But I would retain ownership?"
"Of course."
"Well, I don't want him to be completely isolated, but as I said before, I won't have him harmed. And I don't want him to be forced to... serve... anyone he doesn't wish to."
"It shall be done. Oh, and Young Master, I would like to inform you that all dealings between the two of us are completely confidential. Not even other Key-holders are privy to these conversations, even if they are family members."
"I understand, and thank you, Madame."
"Then all that remains is for us to sign the papers, and for you to choose a name for your Key. Does he have a name already? If so, would you like to use it, or change it to something else?"
"If he has a name, he didn't tell me what it was. I asked him where he had come from, and he simply pointed across the water. He does speak, but his vocabulary is very limited. I'm not sure if he's ever been exposed to people before. He's obviously the result of extreme genetic manipulation, and he might have been kept in a lab his entire life. I suppose we'll never know how he came to wash up on that beach."
"And so a name? We can name him, if you wish..."
The young man rose and walked to the observation window in the Chatelaine's boudoir. He watched through the oneway glass as the child played with his babysitter in the next room. He smiled. The child was dancing. He spun and glided around the room, his movements amazingly graceful for one so young. He held his arms out as he twirled, and his wildly curling hair arched out from his head. The young man sighed. Blue hair, with shadings of lavender. That, or course, had been the first clue to this child's uniqueness.
The young man noticed that the child had shed the filmy scarf which had been the only thing he could find to wrap the boy in, and was quite unselfconscious in his nudity. He also noticed that the scrape on the tiny figure's knee had crusted over a dark, almost cobalt blue. The young man smiled at the memory of his own shock when he had seen the blue blood seeping through the child's skin.
As the child danced in obvious happiness, the young man found that spirit infecting him as well. His apprehension lifted, his normal calmness returned, and he felt the absolute rightness of his actions in bringing the child here.
Such a beautiful creature... The hair that had obviously never known clippers or a blade... his pearlescent skin, looking fragile enough to tear with a hard look, and colored so beautifully, from the palest of creams to the dusky shading of lavender on his fingers and toes, and along the length of his back, and the palest of blues on his elbows and knees, where the blood ran close to the surface.
And his eyes... His thoughts came to an abrupt halt as the child suddenly stared at the mirror in his room, and directly into the young man's eyes, hidden though he was. He'd seen eyes like those before, but he couldn't remember where... couldn't quite place them...
Dolphin's eyes.
The young man leaned his forehead against the glass as the knowledge shook him. The child had eyes like a dolphin... wide, black and liquid, filled with intelligence. They were shaped normally for his head, but the similarity was too obvious to be discounted. Suddenly the child threw back his head in a laugh, and the young man jumped. How had he not noticed that the boy's teeth were just ever so slightly pointed? He wondered if that would change when the child's adult teeth came in.
The young man shook his head. The child was beautiful, graceful, like an angel of the ocean, a flower...
"Kairan. His name is Kairan."
The Chatelaine smiled. She had guessed the Young Master would be up to the challenge. She couldn't have chosen better herself.
"Beautiful. 'Sea orchid.' A very fitting name, my dear. We shall make today his birthday, the day his new life begins. How old do you think he is?"
Her only answer was a shake of the young man's head.
"I see. Well, I would guess between five and six years old. We'll list him as six, with a birthday of February 9th. Is this acceptable?"
"Yes, Madame. It will do nicely."
"Then come and sign the contract."
The young man reluctantly tore himself away from the window, and crossed the room once more to the Chatelaine's desk. Once there he found a wooden box containing a key. The Key was silver, and inlaid with pale amethysts and aquamarines. It was huge and old fashioned, looking very much like the key to a castle, or a Palace, the young man decided with amusement. The barrel of the Key was etched with the distinctive zigzag wave pattern of the zodiac sign Aquarius, and the tassel was a silken blending of blues, lavenders and silvery greys.
She offered him a pen, and pushed a lengthy document over for him to read. To his amazement, all the conditions they had discussed were penned across the parchment in elaborate calligraphy. How did she...? He stilled his mind, and shook his head. He didn't really want to know. Even at his young age he knew to read over the document carefully, and he did so, before signing his name clearly at the places indicated. The Chatelaine affixed her own signature to the contract, and slipped it into a folder.
She turned her attention to the Key. Lifting it from it's box, she offered it to the young man, but did not release it as his hand closed around it.
"It is customary to present the Key to the Master at this point, but our agreement is not the usual one, is it, Young Master?"
"No, I suppose it is not," he agreed regretfully as he allowed his hand to slip from the Key.
"Then I will offer you my hand instead, and send the Key to you when the time is right."
"Thank you, Madame. I understand and await your decision," he murmured as he raised his hand to his lips.
"Do you really understand?" She slipped her hand from his, but continued to hold his eyes for a moment longer as she continued. "It will take a minimum of ten years for the Aquarius Key to be presented. And it may take longer than that. This is a decision that I, alone, will make."
"I do understand, Madame."
And with those words she realized that he did truly understand. Once again she marveled that one so young could be so selfposessed.
"And so it seems our business is done for now, Young Master. Would you like to see him, to say goodbye?"
He thought for a few moments, then shook his head.
"No, Madame. I think it would be best if I did not."
"Very well, my dear. I will see you in a decade or so."
Knowing himself dismissed, the young man stood and began to walk toward the door. Her last words caught him by surprise, and stopped him near the door.
"And where do you see yourself in ten years, Young Master?" asked the Chatelaine as she replaced the Key in the wooden box and rose to her feet.
He lifted one distinctive eyebrow and studied her for a moment. Somehow he knew that she saw him not as a child, but as a young man, embarking on a course that would help to shape his life.
"Would you believe me if I told you?" he asked seriously.
"Why not tell me, and find out?" she replied, just as serious.
"In ten years I see myself as the man who will bring about the end of these wars that have so shattered our lives, and lead our world back to peace," replied Trieze Kushrenada. With a small bow he left the room, closing the door carefully behind him.
The Chatelaine smiled.
"Exactly right, dear boy. Exactly right. But it's not quite so simple as that..."
~*~
AC 195,
Private dwelling of General Treize
Kushrenada
"It was delivered by a messenger, sir. But for some reason all the video surveillance equipment began to malfunction as soon as he approached the door. He must have been using a high frequency jamming device."
"I understand, Lady Une. It is quite all right."
"Sir, the package has been scanned for explosives and biological weapons, and cleared. Still, I'd rather you did not open it, sir, but allowed the Bomb Squad to take care of it..."
"No, my Lady. I know who sent me this package, and I can assure you that they mean me no harm."
Trieze smiled slightly as he traced the simple silhouette of an old-fashioned key, stamped where the return address would normally go on the package.
"But sir!!!"
"That will be all, Lady Une. I thank you for your diligent protection of me, but in this case your suspicious are misplaced."
"As you wish, sir."
Recognizing defeat at last, Lady Une treated the package to one last hostile stare before she turned and left the room. Alone at last, Trieze sat down behind his desk, and pulled the box toward him. It wasn't large... not much larger than a box of cigars. It was simply yet beautifully wrapped in heavy paper the color of antique silver and with the same soft sheen. Along with the Key stamp, only his name graced the top of the box, scrawled in a perfect calligraphy that he recognized even after twelve years.
He closed his eyes for a moment, and allowed himself to remember. He still wondered how he had managed to get that child out of Australia and back to Amsterdam without tragedy occurring. It seemed that fate was working with him for once, and every time an obstacle presented itself either the mention of his last name, or his own personal charm had won the day. He shook his head. That he had pulled it off was nothing short of a miracle.
Treize remembered his last sight of Kairan, a tiny, beautiful child spinning and laughing to music that he, alone heard. As the Chatelaine had stipulated, he'd never once visited the Palace since he'd left Kairan there. He'd never forgotten the boy, but the passing years had pushed the matter to the back of his mind. The last time he'd thought actively about him had been.... Trieze's brow wrinkled as he thought. Probably since he had forwarded the huge amount of money the Chatelaine had required to house and train Kairan. That had been several years ago.
He opened his eyes and stared once again at the neatly wrapped package. Finally succumbing to curiosity, he carefully removed the paper wrapping and laid it aside. As he had surmised, a wooden box was revealed. He stroked the carving on the top of it almost reverently. The last time he'd seen it, the top of the box had been smooth. He examined it more closely. It was Kairan, he decided. Kairan in the classic pose of the Aquarian water carrier, spilling his urn unselfishly upon the ground. The carving showed the boy clad in only a thin wisp of drapery, and he looked absolutely marvelous.
Opening the box, Treize found the same dark purple velvet interior, with the silver Key resting in the space specially formed for it. He lifted it from the box, and was surprised to find the metal almost warm against his palm. The silken tassel brushed across his wrist in a caress that sent a small shiver over his skin.
The Chatelaine could not have timed it better, he thought, as he ran his fingertips over the gemstones and engraving on the Key. Mirialdo had left him, and the war was dragging on much longer than he had anticipated. Of those two circumstances, he wasn't sure which one hurt him the most. It would be so wonderful, just this once, to take a step away from duty and honor, and turn to a world within a world. The Palace. He knew he would go. It called to him, a siren song he had no power or desire to resist. After he visited, he would return here, to the responsibility that weighed on him like the heaviest of stones. But for a few days he would be free... He reached for the phone.
"Ah, Lady Une. Just the person I was seeking. Please have my private plane prepared. I'll be taking a short trip. No, my Lady, I'll be traveling alone this time. Quite alone."
Uncharacteristically hanging up the telephone
in the face of Lady Une's objections, Treize studied the Key once more.
Kairan. An escape. Just for a little while. He smiled once again. He could
hardly wait.