That Boy Would Look Better Vivisected and Crying

Nikolai’s black eyes flicked down at the brace around Etienne’s leg and the crutch under his arm. He drew in closer and whispered with some fear in his voice,“Etienne, what did you do?” And then, without waiting for an answer, he hissed, “You are an absolute fool.” But he still took Etienne’s free arm and led him over to the couches.

Etienne half sat and half collapsed into a seat with his braced leg stretched out in front of him. There was laughter in the room beyond them but here it was warmer and quieter.

“This is Etienne,” Nikolai said softly. “His master is Viktor [Surname], my master’s brother.” And there were nods and demure looks among them all.

Etienne nodded to them and then silence fell among them. What was there to say? They all knew what their red ribbons signified, and that kept them separate from the gathering beyond them. Etienne cast a glance at Nikolai’s bandaged hands and Nikolai tucked them closer to him and turned away. There was loud laughter somewhere behind them. One of the young men looked out over the high back of the couch. Another young woman’s hands were trembling.

“Have you been to visit Lord Ruslan before?” the young woman asked at last–a soft voice; a sweet, rose-scented voice.

Etienne stammered a moment. “No, I–I have not.”

One young man was lounging back in his seat, swinging one foot idly. He had been eyeing Etienne’s brace for a while but now looked him full in the face. ”No wonder.”

Nikolai gave an irritated sigh and closed his eyes. “Phillip…”

Etienne, though, turned to Phillip and, smiling politely: “I do beg your pardon, but what do you mean?”

Phillip leaned forward, languid. “Yes, please excuse me. Perhaps I misspoke. I mean your leg. He was smiling now. “Lord Ruslan lives so far afield from anywhere. It’s quite a long journey. And, well, most of them like to keep us as perfect as possible.” His voice dropped low now: “Your lord and master wouldn’t hobble you like that unless you were inclined to run. And he wouldn’t risk you running on your journey here. He might never find you again.”

“And you haven’t tried to run?”

“Of course I have,” Phillip answered. “But only once. Unlike you, it seems I can learn my lesson the first time.”

“How disgraceful,” Etienne said; Phillip rolled his eyes. “You try once and then give up entirely. It’s pathetic, really.”

Phillip was lounging in his seat again. “I wonder if he thinks your leg will mend itself when he takes you.”

“He won’t–take me, I mean.”

“Are you so sure? What are you going to do–run away again?”

“Yes. As many times as I have to,” Etienne said, his voice rising. “I was taken against my will and I refuse to bend to his expectations of me.”

“Etienne, please,” Nikolai whispered, looking at him sidelong and through his eyelashes.

“Imagine a crippled vampire,” Phillip said, still staring at Etienne. “Imagine you hobbling along after your prey.”

Etienne jumped up unsteadily, balanced on his better leg. “I will never–”

“Etienne.”

The voice came from out in the room beyond the couches. Nikolai closed his eyes. The chatter in the room quieted. Etienne turned his head slowly to see Viktor in the crowd. He straightened up just as slowly; both wore faces like blank masks. Viktor held out one hand and crooked a finger to beckon Etienne over.

Etienne grabbed for his crutch and seemed fit to stab it through the floor as he made his way over. When he was within reach, Viktor caught him by the scruff of his neck and held him there, half hunched. The chatter in the room began again.

Phillip turned his attention to Nikolai. “He’s going to end up a wanderer. He’ll be half-mad and eating goats.”

“He’s a childish idiot,” the girl next to Phillip said. “To be given something so precious only to throw it back in his master’s face.”

“Please,” Nikolai said again. He was clenching his hands tighter now; he’d not been given his usual dose yet and the wanting was beginning to gnaw at him. And since he’d not been given it yet, then it would be later, which would mean that he was to be shared, which–and he realized The girl’s gray eyes were on him. He looked at her, then looked away.

She, though, tipped herself onto the couch so she was half-sitting, half-lying, and close enough to whisper with Phillip. Phillip dropped down with her and they lay there, propped on their elbows, face-to-face.

“Can you imagine,” she said, not whispering, “if Nikolai is taken and then that Etienne turns out to be his black swan?”

“Is it possible?” Phillip asked, beginning now to grin. “I’ve never heard of a black swan shared between two.”

“It must be! Only if they never meet, then they’ll never know.”

“But why our Nikolai?”

“Did you see how he was with our new friend Etienne?” And they both giggled.

“Lily–how badly do you think Nikolai wants him?” Phillip asked, his eyes sly and narrow.

“Terribly,” Lily answered, just as sly. “So many hours spent pining and weeping, perhaps even–” The girl beside Lily, with the white bandage under her ribbon, touched Lily’s shoulder gently, a warning. Lily paused for a moment. Then: “Nikolai, how badly do you want him?”

Humans are encroaching on Elvish territory and tensions are rising between the two countries (these elves don’t quite think of their territory as a “country” the way the humans do, but they know they have to operate in that kind of thinking when dealing with humans). The elves, fortunately for them, have a lot of magic while the humans have very little. It’s just how it goes. But the humans have other capabilities and they outnumber the elves by, like, a lot. Meanwhile, the elves have what amounts to the magic equivalent of the atom bomb. Humans want it, but there are treaties, &c &c.

Although there’s technically an ocean (not a huge one but an ocean) between the two countries, there are some little pockets of elven-held land near and even in the human country (countries, really). This is dangerous but the elves are very quick to point out, um, treaties + powerful magic. So most of the time travelers can go to and move within these little pockets (mostly religious sites).  

However, that’s had to be curtailed lately after a spate of kidnappings and disappearances along the (human-approved) routes to and from these places. It had been dangerous before but not like this. 

And now there are little skirmishes going on near the borders of the elf territory, humans trying to encroach or claim bits of land. That’s not good. And there have been disappearances connected with that as well. Meanwhile, in the major seaside city, trading and selling and travel is still going on with humans (probably a different country than whichever one is their main frustration, one that seems less interested in taking over). But now disappearances are starting to happen there too. And then the disappearances were happening in other cities where humans are sometimes seen (with acceptable papers or tokens for being there--mostly ambassadors, emissaries, their assistants, &c).

As you may have guessed, these kidnapping victims are being held captive and smuggled into Adversary Human country, whereupon they are sold to the nobility, the aristocrats, the wealthy, the elite, the important humans in the capital of Adversary Human country. 

The elves are rarities and curiosities. They’re used as a conspicuous show of wealth (while implying the dominance of humans over the elves). They’re not really used for anything except to be shown off. So they’re dressed up in what amount to parodies of real elvish clothes and sent around the richest districts to do useless things like buying spices and fruit and flowers or delivering notes to someone or other. Any excuse to have these very expensive, very rare creatures shown off, right? They’re like dolls or exotic pets. 

They’re all governed by certain rules, like there can’t be more than two or three of them talking together, they have a curfew unless they are with their owner, they are expected to speak in the common human language at all times, they have to wear identifying markers of ownership at all times, they’d better have a good reason for being away from their owner’s house and property (and may be asked to prove it), &c. Training, discipline, and household tasks are left up to the discretion of owners (and there’s talk among the elite about best methods, best practices, “oh, how did you teach him to do that?” and so on). Some are kept chained up, some are kept collared and leashed, some are caged, it really depends.

But they really are quite trapped: they’re surrounded by humans who are all looking at them essentially all the time (for good or ill), they’re far enough inland that rescue would be difficult, and they’re in a city and a country that views their country as another place to conquer. And now, they begin to realize, they’re being used more or less as human shields: the elves aren’t going to use their Strongest Magic in a situation like this (there are 15 or maybe 20 elves in the whole city).

I should note that the elves that are captured are “younger” elves. As is customary in fantasy fiction, elves have very long lifespans. For these elves, there’s sort of two maturation periods. They’re born basically the same as human babies (though their ears are floppy for a while) and they grow fairly similarly to human children but slower. When they’re somewhere between 4 feet and maybe 5 feet at the tallest, they stop gaining height for a while--though they may be 20 or more years old at this point. There’s more brain maturation going on. I’ll borrow from Tolkien and say that their 20s (their “tweens” as JRRT put it) are a rather rambunctious part of their lives, but they use their 20s, 30s, 40s for learning, studying magic, &c. It’s only after they’ve lived 50 or 60 years that they start going through another maturation phase: they grow taller, they begin to look somewhat “elongated” (if that makes sense), their emotions settle, and they finish growing and top out at 6 feet tall and often a little more. At that point, they’re more ready to serve on councils or in teaching younger elves, &c. (It’s quite rare to encounter an elf who hasn’t hit that second growth spurt in any kind of leadership or significant position.)

They generally have very pale blue or gray eyes and very fine-textured, light-colored hair (verging on white sometimes) that tends to be a little fluffy in younger elves. Fully mature elves tend to let their hair just grow long and wear it braided or pinned up in elaborate constructions. It’s customary to have long and/or braided hair--at least one long braid anyway, so The Rebellious Youths will often cut most of their hair rather short but have one long braid just at the nape of their neck (sort of gathering the bottom 1/3rd of the hair on the back of their head) to keep their elders more or less happy. Some wear it in two braids more behind their ears, but the idea is basically the same: “It’s a braid, like you asked, so you can’t complain.”

Elyr is (or was) a student (more like scholar, though he hasn’t hit that second growth spurt and won’t for a few more years) in one of the major scholastic cities in his own land. He wears a dangling silver earring in his left ear (and some other silver earrings because that’s in fashion) to show his rank and accomplishments. His mother is somewhat well known and has served on councils and contributed a great deal to magic work (so Elyr had quite a lot to live up to). It’s one of the visiting humans who orchestrates Elyr’s kidnapping, with certain promises being made to this human by the elf-sellers (idk what to call them).