Warning: this story contains… the usual things, we all know it will, that’s why I’ve rated it R. We all know there’s going to be lots of m/m loving and romance, angst, all the good stuff, and if you don’t think that stuff is good then don’t bloody-well read it.

            Please! Please review, even just let me know you read it and liked it, or didn’t, but I figure if you don’t like it your not going to read much of it and you’re certainly not going to bother reviewing it.

            This is a sequel to ‘Demon Servant’, though it happens roughly 20 years later and has different main characters, some of the people from DS are in it, and you might be confused with the ‘world’ if you haven’t read ‘Faery Prince’ or ‘Demon Servant’, but you can read it without having read the others…

            Anyway, I’m just blabbing and if you’ve actually read this intro then your probably very bored so… On with the story…

            His parents would be very angry, but it was worth it, especially if he could sneak back to the castle in time not to be noticed. It was the first week of spring and there were long celebrations every night, at both the palace and various other locations throughout the city. Talan, crown prince of Negal, was thoroughly sick of fancy balls and simpering ladies in more silk than they could walk properly in. He wanted some excitement, he wanted to do something ‘normal’, something one of the average citizens of his sire’s kingdom would do. So he’d snuck out of the castle without even telling his twin sister, and he’d prowled the streets of the city. Looking for fun and glad for the dull clothing he’d decided to wear as it helped him to blend in.

            The most commotion seemed to be coming from the east side of the city, so that was where he headed first, grinning excitedly at the coloured lamps strung from building to building, swaying in the breeze. This was a real celebration, with people drinking, laughing and dancing in the streets. Seeing a group of pretty lasses dancing under the bright moonlight he felt a bit guilty, Lyssa would have enjoyed it there. Maybe he should have told her. They did do just about everything together, despite the fact they were now growing up and had different responsibilities. He frowned as he thought of the main responsibility that they did have in common; producing an heir. They were twenty-two now and their parents were constantly hinting at matches, hoping at least one of them would wed. Unfortunately Lyssa preferred flirting with ladies and Talan, well Talan himself just couldn’t find anything appealing in the delicate and shockingly pale women that were paraded before him. They were all just so meek and agreeable. Talan wanted excitement, he wanted a feisty bed partner, and he was determined to find one that night.

            The market square had been cleared of stalls to serve as a large dance area, and a stage had been set up on the far side where a group of musicians were creating a fast cheery tune. Talan moved closer to the band but still stayed to the edges of the crowd, not wanting to dance until he found someone worth dancing with. There were many to choose from but all the good ones seemed to already be paired off, and though he could probably charm some of the more appealing ones away he didn’t want to ruin anyone else’s fun. Nor did he want to risk getting in a fight and getting busted.

            He was just contemplating entering one of the taverns to get a drink when the music ended and everyone stopped dancing. He thought there would be another fast tune but then the guitar player strummed a few slow cords and a voice rose in song, making a sigh of appreciation leave him. The voice was loud and clear enough to be heard across the marketplace and yet it kept the softness to it which made it a true pleasure to hear. There was only one person he’d ever heard sing as well as the guitar player was, his uncle Vilya; an elf. Moving closer he wanted to look for pointed ears but there was too much dark hair in the way, besides they would have been hidden by the cloth wrapped around the musician’s head to keep the shorter locks out of the way.

            Satisfied that he was close enough he leaned back against the wall to enjoy the performance, carefully eyeing long nimble fingers and glinting beads caught in long dark strands. Most of the face was hidden by wild hair but what he could see certainly didn’t put him off, the slightly pointed chin giving an impression of elegant strength. Talan had a feeling he had found his bed partner for the night and started fantasying about running fingers through that wild hair, and coaxing the musician’s lithe body beneath him.

            He was brought out of his revere with a tap on the shoulder. Wrenching his sight from the object of his desire for a moment he tried not to be annoyed as he looked at the scruffy man that had distracted him. “What?”

            “I seen you eyeing him, boy, and I just thought I should warn you. Gypsies aren’t to be trusted, they can be fickle and you’re likely to either wake up with no purse in the morning, or not wake up at all, if you get my meaning?”

            “They’re Gypsies?” Talan looked back at the band of musicians, gazing at them in a completely different light. He’d heard enough stories about the travelling thieves and charmers to know they brought nothing but trouble. So why were they in Negal? And why was everyone dancing to their tunes and seeming so happy? He turned to ask the man but he’d gone, leaving him with his doubts. Maybe he should just go back to the castle, shrug this off as a bad idea and have an ‘early’ night. At least then he wouldn’t be tired during the spring hunt planned for the next day.

            Then he noticed the guitar player was gone and cursed at the lost chance, but before he could feel regret his eyes spotted the slender gypsy moving along the edges of the marketplace, headed where, Talan wasn’t sure. All he was sure of was that his body had made the decision for his mind and he was soon jogging through the crowd to catch up. He caught up with the gypsy just as he entered a side alleyway, grabbing his arm and forcing him back against the wall of a building before any protest could be made. Talan wasn’t sure where this sudden overwhelming passion was coming from inside him but he needed to feel the graceful body pressed close, needed to taste soft warm lips and grasp handfuls of silky hair.

            The gypsy made a small whimpering sound and he almost backed off, the horrid thought of rape suddenly entering his mind, but then he felt the fiery hardness pressed against his own and the nimble fingers siding up his shirt to tease his skin. The prince’s mind relaxed again letting his body continue to ravage the beautiful creature… and beautiful he was. Pausing for a moment he brushed all the hair from the finely featured face to study it admiringly. The most amazing light purple eyes stared back, amusement in their glistening depths.

            “Are you really a gypsy?” he asked the gorgeous being, thinking there was no way something so beautiful could be evil.

            “Yes,” lips darkened and swollen from their recent kiss curved up into a smirk, “Are you willing to gamble your life for a night of the best sex you will ever have?”

            Talan’s groin hardened further and he growled lowly in his throat with the desire that coursed through his body from the softly accented words. “It’s no gamble,” he stated in a deep, lust filled tone, “I can not be bested by a gypsy. The real question is will you be able to let me go once I’ve given you the best sex you will ever have?”

            The gypsy laughed, a sound as sweet as his singing, “We shall see.” Somehow the lithe being escaped from where he’d been pinned, sprinting off down the alley. Talan wasn’t going to just let him go, that was for certain, and his lust gave him an almost desperate speed. He didn’t care that one slip on the damp cobles could end his life, all he cared about was the sensual creature who was slowly but surely coming back within reach. Then the gypsy suddenly stopped and offered Talan a cheeky grin before heading into a nearby building. Talan didn’t think, he just followed, and so he was stunned by the sight that greeted him. The place had to be a whorehouse with all the bodies sprawled everywhere in various states of undress.

            Disgust crept up inside of him but then a slender hand grabbed his and he let himself be pulled upstairs to one of the private rooms, lost in the very sexual sway of the young gypsy’s hair and hips. Kicking the door closed he pulled on the elegant appendage, forcing that warm, feisty body back into his arms. This time he wasn’t going to stop, not until he got what he wanted. They somehow managed to make it to the bed and then the rest of the night was spent in pleasure he would never forget.

            He woke up, that fact in itself was enough to make a silly grin spread slowly across his face. Sunlight streamed in through the slits in the shutters and he wondered how late it was, the hunting party had probably already left. There was almost no chance that his disappearance hadn’t been discovered and he was bound to get several lectures once he returned, but even the thought of his sire’s angry face couldn’t dampen his spirits. He was sure all his money would be gone but he hadn’t had that much and what he had had was well worth losing for the pleasure he had received. The only problem was he would most likely never see the beautifully wild gypsy again.

            His brows furrowed as he finally noticed he was warmer than he should have been. At first he thought poison but then he realised there was a gentle weight on his chest, and a pair of long smooth-skinned legs entangled with his. Golden eyes flew open and he lifted his head enough to see the mass of dark hair sprawled so casually across his chest and the sheets. The gypsy had stayed, really stayed! If his smile could have gotten bigger it would have, and he gently brushed some of the hair back to reveal elfin features still relaxed in sleep. Curiosity too great, he carefully untied the fabric from the gypsy’s head and untangled it from the long semi-braided locks.

            The sunlight glinted over the silky hair and he paused in his task to admire the blue tinge it created amongst the black. So beautiful… he had to be an elf, or a faery, but he doubted the second as the gypsy was too slender to be a true male faery and not delicate enough to be a conceiver. He was proven right as he tossed the fabric aside and brushed away more hair to reveal finely pointed ears. “You are truly exquisite, wild one,” the words left his mouth before he could think about it and he tensed for a moment, hoping he hadn’t woken the young elf. He had no wish to have the warm body parted from his anytime soon.

            Talan needn’t have worried because the gypsy didn’t wake, he merely shifted to get a little more comfortable and made a cute little snoring sound. It made him want to laugh and he tried desperately to stop his chest from shaking with his mirth, but it was no good. That did wake the gypsy; thick lashes fluttered open revealing two slithers of amethyst. “Stop moving,” the enchanting voice murmured drowsily, chastening him.

            “What’s the matter, gypsy? You don’t like the mornings? Or did I just tire you out last night?” the smugness showed clearly in his voice, mainly because he was trying to provoke a reaction but it didn’t work, and the elf merely rolled off to lie on his back on the marginally lumpy mattress. Sitting up he stared down at the sleepy creature, genuinely surprised, “I really did tire you out.”

            “Don’t flatter yourself, this is the first sleep I’ve had since the festival began.”

            Talan’s eyebrows shot up, “That was three days ago.”

            “Hmm… you can count, that’s good,” the grumpy gypsy rolled over again, putting his creamy back to the prince. His first instinct was to be angry about the casual dismissal but then his more carnal emotions took over and he crawled closer, placing his hands on the elf’s narrow hips before kissing and suckling at the velvety flesh in front of him. Despite the night’s arduous activities it only took seconds for him to become hard again and he pressed himself against the gypsy’s lithe body.

            “You are mine,” he whispered into one delicately pointed ear, punctuating his statement with a little nip to the tip. The elf shivered and he smiled in satisfaction, “You can sleep later, wild one.”

            “I should have just killed you and taken your mon-ey,” the gypsy’s breathless voice broke off in a groan as he unwittingly pressed back, granting Talan greater contact. It wasn’t long before he had the beautiful creature underneath him again, and despite a muttered protest about being sore, the slender hands didn’t try to stop him as he took what he wanted. It was just as amazing in the daylight, if not more so because he could see clearly the gorgeous sight of his lover in all his passion and glory.

            Once he had collapsed next to his lover, and pulled him into his arms he mulled something over in his post-orgasmic haze. “Why didn’t you take my money? Isn’t that what gypsies do? Charm some honest man into sleeping with them and then vanish before dawn with all the valuables they can find?” The body in his arms tensed and he realised he’d made a mistake. Then an elbow slammed into his stomach and he realised he’d made a big mistake. The elf slipped gracefully, if angrily from the bed and started re-dressing hastily. “I’m sorry.”

            “What for?” the dark eyes glared so coldly at him that he couldn’t draw another breath, “The fact I’m not going to let you fuck me anymore? Because you’re certainly not sorry you insulted my kin and my entire being. You’re a chauvinistic pig, and I hope you can never get it up again.”

            Talan’s heart froze, “Are you cursing me?”

            “I wish I could, bastard,” the hate in that one word made him momentarily fear for his life, but then the door slammed and the gypsy was gone, leaving him alone and guilt-ridden. He almost looked forward to going home now, just so he could be yelled at, as he deserved nothing less.

            Lyssa was waiting for him as he reached the main gate and he hated the smirk on her face. Moving to brush past his twin he was further angered as she grabbed his arm, halting him, “Oh, don’t scowl so, brother, I covered for you, no one is the wiser. Though in exchange I expect to hear all about the wild time you had.”

            “It wasn’t wild,” he mumbled as he walked across the courtyard just wanting to have a bath and go back to bed, “Well it was but then I did something stupid… and I don’t want to talk about it.”

            “Tal? What’s wrong?” at the genuine concern in his sister’s voice he couldn’t help losing his anger. Maybe it would help to talk about it, it usually helped when he shared his troubles with his twin, she always understood him.

            “I’ll tell you, but in my room. I don’t want anyone overhearing what an ass I am.”

            “Bern, have you seen him yet today?” Tana scowled darkly, not angry at the roughened gypsy but angry none the less. The large man grinned, not to be one to flinch from her fiery gaze.

            “No, lass, I haven’t and you cursing his name ain’t gonna make him come back any quicker. If you want to use up some of that energy of yours why don’t you help pack up camp, I have a feeling we’ve outstayed our welcome in this fair city.”

            “Fair my ass, they’re all just a bunch of drunk, smelly humans.” She spat on the ground causing him to laugh.

            “You’re only saying that because you didn’t get with one of those drunk smelly human’s last night, but our gorgeous friend did. We all saw the handsome brunette that followed him off.”

            “Shut up, old man, you’re not helping my mood.”

            He just smiled benignly before jerking his head to indicate she should turn around. She did so and snarled.

            “Good morning, lovely Tana!” the raven-haired gypsy chirped, looking entirely too pleased with himself, “My, you do look particularly scowly today, did you have a bad night?”

            Her hand darted out to slap him but he dodged back nimbly with a little laugh. He then all but ignored her as he tossed a little pouch to Bern, letting the man weight it in his large hand. “Not bad,” Bern grinned in approval, “Did you lift it before or after bedding him?”

            “How can you even ask such a thing?” the beautiful gypsy pouted, feigning hurt for a second, but then smiled again, “After, of course. Actually I was going to leave him with his money since he was unusually good but then he called me a thief so I changed my mind.”

            “And proved him right?”

            “And proved him right,” he agreed before his attention was once again gained by Tana as she yanked one of his braids, “Hey! Don’t do that.”

            “Then stop being such a little weasel! You’re so selfish, Daemir! It’s well past noon and you’ve done nothing to help but give us an even worse reputation with your whoring ways!”

            “I was not ‘whoring’, I was thieving after very satisfying sex, there’s a difference.”

            “Yeah, a whore would get paid more than this,” Bern commented helpfully as he pocketed the pouch, “Now get your arse moving, we have to clear out of here, and don’t whine about being sore, that’s your own fault, nymph.”

            “… and he walked out, slamming the door behind himself. He was so angry, Lyssa, and I… I think… I mean, he was so good, I’ve never felt such passion for someone.”

            “Then stop being such a sook and do something about it,” she grabbed her startled brother’s arm, pulling him off the couch and to his feet. “You want this gypsy, then bloody-well take him.”

            “But…”

            “No ‘buts’, Tal, you either want him or you don’t, the rest is simple. Tell him what a jerk you were, make it up to him but for all our sakes don’t let him go, or you’ll be sulking about the one that could have been your soul-mate for the rest of our lives.”

            “I never said he could be my soul-mate.”

            “You don’t have to, thinking it is enough, brother. Now go!”

            Her words weren’t exactly kind but it had been what he’d needed to hear, so he strode purposefully towards the door, until it opened unexpectedly. The king’s most trusted adviser stood there, looking just as dull and dreary as usually. “Prince Talan, your father, the king, wishes to speak with you. Now.” The prince’s shoulders slumped as he realised he wouldn’t be able to seek out the gypsy, and he had the horrible feeling that the elf wouldn’t be in Negal for much longer, that he’d wasted his only chance.

            “Go on,” Lyssa ushered him to follow the counsellor out before giving him a conspiratorial wink, “Don’t worry about it, Tal, I’ve got your back.”

            The sun was just starting to set as he moved leisurely through the streets, gracefully avoiding touching anyone in the crowed city. It was a good day, at least it had been. Why did they all have to leave in such a hurry, it wasn’t like much had changed since the day before. But Bern trusted his instincts and the wizened gypsy had a feeling that they should leave in a hurry. And so he was making his way towards the east gate, to meet with the rest of the gypsies already outside. He’d wanted to purchase one last item before joining them, unfortunately he hadn’t realised what that one item would cost him.

            Two burly men in the colours of the city guard were suddenly in his path. Twisting to the side to avoid contact he managed to bump straight into another guard. It was only then he realised he was surrounded, and with a sinking feeling he knew he wouldn’t make it to the city walls, which loomed in the distance. Rough hands grabbed his arms but he forced himself not to struggle, struggling only caused more pain, that was something he’d learnt early in life.

            “You’re under arrest, filthy gypsy, for stealing from the crown prince.”

            “What...?” he blinked at them stupidly, wondering why everything seemed to be getting fuzzy. He hadn’t stolen from royalty, he wasn’t insane, he knew that was a hanging crime… unfortunately he knew no one would believe his innocence. He was as good as dead. That was when he figured out the reason why everything was fuzzy was because he’d forgotten to keep breathing, unfortunately the revelation came too late and he passed out from lack of oxygen, falling right into the guards’ waiting arms.

            “I have a bad feeling about this,” Bern commented sadly as he leaned against the lead wagon, eyes trained on the city wall in the distance, “He should be here by now.”

            “Face it, he’s not coming, probably joined the thieves’ guild or some equally stupid organization.” Tana snapped, getting sick of waiting.

            “No, I don’t think so.”

            Just then one of the children travelling with them came running towards them from the direction of the city. He panted in his haste, pointing back at the walls anxiously, “They got him!” the child exclaimed, tears building in his eyes. “They arrested, Day, an’ I like him. He was nice to me, told me stories.” He burst into tears and Bern picked the lad up, stroking his tousled hair.

            “There, there, lad. Daemir’s tough, he’ll be alright, don’t you worry.”

            “You’re not thinking of springing him are you?” Tana asked, though she sounded worried herself. “What did they arrest him for, lad?”

            “Treason!” the boy blurted out miserably, “They’re gonna hang him, the guards said so.”

            Tana gasped, she hadn’t expected that, Daemir wasn’t dumb enough to commit treason. “We have to save him.”

            “I thought you were just protesting against springing him?” Bern’s voice was stern, “No, I’m afraid he’s on his own with this one. I won’t risk the rest of us, not for one. If he’s to hang there’s nothing to be done, tis life.”