#concubine steve

“It is good that you look as you do, since you are sostupid,” Cam said as he tilted the pitcher of warm water up and poured it in asteady flow over Steve’s head.  Stevecouldn’t do more than puff air out through his nose as the water cascaded down,rinsing the soap from his hair and streaming into the tub where he sat.  “Why would you deny him?  He is the King.  He is kind and generous and handsome.  And he cares for you above all others.  Even though you are stupid.   Everyone knowsthis.  Everyone sees this.  Except you.  And now, he will find another, and we will be cast aside.  Or sold. Or sent to the mines, where I willhave a bird shit on my head.”

Steve shook the water droplets from his head and scrubbedhis hands over his face, then took the small cloth Cam held out to him to blotthe rest, looking askance at the boy as he set the pitcher down.  To say that Cam was slightly annoyed with himwas probably not quite capturing the extent of the boy’s displeasure, Stevethought grimly.  Not that he could blameCam, not really.  Steve wasn’t unaware ofhow precarious their lives were, particularly this life, the one where they hadtheir own servants at their beck and call, soft, warm beds and more food thaneither of them could eat.  The one wherethey were favored and protected by Tony’s power, and not subject to theordinary perils of their status.

“You don’t know what it is to be free. What it means,” Stevesaid as he curled his hands around the edge of the bath and leaned back.  “He wants something…I don’t have it in me togive, Cam.  I’m sorry.”

“So, I could be free to be hungry anywhere in the world thatI wished?  So that I could be free tohuddle in some dirt hut out on the steppes burning donkey dung because I haveno wood?  Free to scrape together whatcoin I can come by, working all day for the kind of merchant who cannot affordslaves?  Why would I want this oh-so-wonderful freedom you speakabout?” Cam demanded, tossing the sponge into the water with enough force tosend up a splash and giving Steve a petulant frown.  It was not their first conversation on thesubject, Steve reminded himself with a sigh. The boy’s frustration and fear had only grown since Steve returned tohis room with rumors of the King’s displeasure not far on his heels.  “There is no freedom for the likes of you andme.  Only different kinds of bondage.  But, youare so stupid, you do not see!” Cam hissed through his teeth.  “Can you not just tell him what he wishes tohear?  He will believe you.  He wants to believe it, so he will!  And things may go back to the way they were.”

“It…it isn’t that simple,” Steve protested.  

“You are thatsimple,” Cam shot back. “Ugh, you think life should be fair, but it isn’t. Why must you make everything so difficult?”

With that, Cam tossed the towel he had been holding in hislap down next to the bath and stalked off to fall dramatically onto the bed,arms thrown akimbo, still muttering.  Nodoubt about Steve’s stupidity, Steve admitted to himself with a small amount offond exasperation.  He pushed himself outof the bath, stood there dripping for a moment, then stepped out and reachedfor the towel, drying off as best he could. Wrapping a robe around himself, he walked towards the bed, where Camflipped on his stomach, fisted his hands under his chin and peered out acrossthe balcony.  A few, hopeful birdsgathered on the edge of the balcony wall waiting for one of Cam’s handouts toappear.  Across the sea, the sun was abright pink fireball slipping into the dark depths below.