FOR SERVICES RENDERED

Chapter Twenty One


Farid sat up with a start, he had been dreaming horrible confused dreams of being hunted, persecuted chased by something slimy and evil

Master was watching him, with those deep dark eyes of his. They fascinated Farid with their coal dark depths, some people thought that black was frightening, Farid used to think that too, but since Master had come into his life he found comfort in black, at least in the black of Master’s eyes anyway. He smiled and said

“Good morning, Masteerr, chow can thi….”

Master put his finger to Farid lips then and said that special sound the one that comforted Farid above all others.

“Ssshh, no sweetheart no, never again, not again.” Master had tears in his eyes and Farid put out a hand to wipe them from the corner of Master’s eye.

He started to speak, but Master shushed him gently,

“I am so sorry Farid, so sorry my love,” Master was caressing his cheek and Farid could not understand why he was upset. Had he finally decided that the Black man was right and that Farid was dirty? His fear must have shown in his face because Master hugged him, held him close and whispered words of comfort

“Can you forgive me for last night, love. I have lain here thinking about it for hours, I don’t know what made me treat you like that, I think perhaps I am going mad, to use you like that, to treat you like a slave, to have no thought for you, your pleasure, can you forgive me love please?”

Farid really did not understand what Master was talking about. He understood the words; it was not that, he just could not understand why Master was apologising. He was a slave after all, sex was what he was for, had been what he was for for as long as he could really remember, and Master had been gentle, kind when he had used Farid, he had never had such kindness before.

So he tried to tell Master this, stumbling over the words sometimes, he said how much he loved his master, how good he was to him, how gentle. He then went on to detail the things that Master didn’t do that made him so good, but that just seemed to make things worse and Master was sobbing uncontrollably now, soaking Farid with his tears and Farid was completely at a loss. He really could not see why master was so distressed. He thought that maybe he could get someone to help Master, Hermione perhaps or Albus Grey Beard? But he could not leave him like this, so he tried to copy what Master did when he, Farid was crying. He shushed Master and stroked his hair and he hummed the song that Master sang to him.

Farid had a pleasant tenor voice, maybe if his life had been different he would have sung in a choir, or a band, but he had not heard much music at the castle, Yusuf had not really cared for it, but he loved this song of Master’s.

“Sweet and low, sweet and low…” he sang humming where he forgot the words, and it must have been okay because Master stopped crying and just held him again and listened.
When the song finished he sat up straight and took Farid’s face in both his hands.

“Farid you have the right to say no, to deny me, to tell me to piss off! Last night you were exhausted, you had been so upset and I just used you for my own comfort and never thought about you, can’t you see that’s wrong?”

“But Masteerr, dyou own me, dyou are my Master, I cannot deny dyou.”

“You can Farid, I won’t be cross, I promise. It is just not right that I tell you what to do, want to possess you like this, keep marking you as mine.”

“But Masteer, dyou cannot chelp dis!”

“Yes Farid I can, I know what it is like to be governed by some one else, he indicated the mark on his arm that Farid had always instinctively avoided. When I took you from Yusuf. I promised myself that I would not behave like him, and yet,” his voice cracked for a moment, “I used you for sex, with no thought of you of your pleasure, can you not see how wrong that is?”

Farid could not, that was how it had always been so he said just one word in return.

“No?”

“We have to stop this slavery thing, I will not leave you, ever, do you understand?”

Farid started to feel somewhat frantic, did Master want to sell him, give him away? Kill him? As far as Farid knew these were the only ways to break the bond, but could he ask these questions would Master mind? Farid gathered his courage and asked.

“Masteerr, not vant me no more, vant sell me, give me to someone else?”

“No! Never!”

Farid could not say the final option “kill me”. Instead his forehead creased and he started to worry his lower lip with his teeth, and Master smiled and kissed him.

“Don’t worry, my love, I just want you to not be a slave any longer, I still want you to be mine! I still love you.”

Farid realised that Master did not know about the bond, maybe he could not see it, he could feel it if he tried, and it affected his actions but he was so much kinder than Master Yusuf had been, or Farid’s uncle come to that and there had been no spell involved in Uncle Vernon’s treatment.

They said that his magic was strong maybe the other wizards could not see the link like he could and that was why they thought it did not exist? Farid wondered, maybe this was why Master felt so guilty because he thought there was no bond?

Farid knew his English was still not good enough to explain all of this to Master, so he decided to show him.

He reached up and put his hand on Master’s cheek, it was sleep roughened and Farid could not help himself he stroked it gently with his thumb, he was not frightened any longer though because Master allowed him such liberties, and Farid wished he could show Master how much these freedoms meant.

Master looked at him, and in his eyes was such pain, such guilt. Farid knew that Master did not deserve to feel such things; ever since he had taken Farid he had fought against the compulsions of the bond Farid knew that, right from the beginning. Yusuf had had the same control, over him, held his life, literally in his hand but Farid had not surrendered in the way he had to Master.

“It not jour fault Masteerr, it ze bond. Look.”

He concentrated hard, aiming to make the magic link clearer to Master and all at once he saw it and he gasped “Oh Merlin!”

The magical chain that linked them both gleamed golden in the firelight of the bedroom as Farid made it tangible, showed his master that it was indeed real. It stretched if it needed to but it could not be broken, ever, and Farid could not defy his Master, not this one, not like he had with Yusuf. Yusuf’s chain had run from his hand to Farid’s stomach to his solar plexus, but Master’s chain was tangled around his heart which meant that he had given his love and therefore promised complete and utter devotion and obedience, for this life and the next, to this one man. He was truly enslaved, forever

Master’s eyes had grown wide, and he tried to speak, but it was as if he could not form the words, Farid nearly laughed because he made no more sense that Farid did sometimes, but it was too serious he knew to have Master upset like this. But he had to know the truth, the full truth Master did, he did not seem to understand, so Farid had to tell him.

“Chain is magic bond.” He took Master’s right hand in his and squeezed gently, “From Masteerr’s chand, to Farid’s cheart. Masteerr can squeeze chand shut and vant me dead and I vill be. Master own me I ham jours, for alvays.”

Master was shaking his head.

“No! Oh no my love!” He looked horrified, and Farid felt anxious he had tried to make things better but had only made them worse.

“I sorry?”

Master looked at him then, deep into his eyes “I truly own you?” Farid nodded, “this bond makes me want to possess you?” Farid nodded again. Master was looking beyond him now, deep in thought. “I could feel it, it is like a compulsion sometimes, it was last night, like I had to assert my ownership, because that, because we had been threatened."

Master sat quietly for a moment, looking at the chain, which though visable was slowly fading from sight

“Farid, can this bond be dissolved?”

“Jes, dyou can sell me, or give me avay, or kill me.”

“And what happens then?”

Farid felt desperate, why did Master need to know this?

“New Masteerr moost claim me like dyou did.”

Master’s eyes filled with horror again. “No I will not let that happen!"

Then suddenly voice panicked, "But Farid what happens if I do not give you away and I die?”

“Zen I die too Masteerr.”

He found himself crushed against his Master’s chest again his hair was being stroked Master was muttering, almost under his breath

“Nononononononononono.”

Then he spoke again.

“I can’t believe it Farid, I won’t believe it, there must be another way, I promise you, if it takes me until the rest of my days I will find a way, one day my love, my dearest one you will be free.”