He had slept most of the day so when he woke up and found him self unable to sleep, it was little of a surprise. No matter how many sheep he counted he was not able to fall asleep once again. In an effort not to disturb Phaulkin, whose back was turned toward him in the bed they shared, Xan left the room.
The halls were cold and he was thankful that he had snatched a pair of wool stockings and a robe from Phaulkin's wardrobe before he had left the room.
Even at this time of night, which he guessed was actually just very, very early in the morning, there were servants bustling about. He saw a few male servants for the first time and followed one into the kitchens where they were doing system checks on the automated ovens before they began preparing breakfast.
He noticed a girl in a room off to the side doping laundry and recognized here as the girl from yesterday. He cautiously walked over to her and said, "Mayana, right?"
She jumped and stood up to look at him, "What are you doing in here?" She sounded frightened, "You're Phaulkin's. You're not supposed to be out of his quarters without him escorting you. I only suggested it yesterday because you had the excuse of meeting him."
"Don't care," said Xan, "He's still asleep. More than likely so is the rest of the castle, other than the other slaves. How am I going to get in trouble?"
"The Overseer might come in," she said softly, "He is the one that makes sure that everyone stays on task. If not, he beats you with a whip."
"Eh," Xan said with a shrug, "Don't respect any Mengapors enough to follow rules like those. Anyway, what time is it?"
She glanced at her wrist watch and said, "It's 13:54. Almost 1 a.m. My shift is almost over."
Xan frowned for a minute then remembered learning that Mengapor was a planet with a 28-hour day. It was so strange for him, being used to a 22 hour day. Night was exactly 10 hours on Fayela, so everyone went to sleep at dusk and woke at dawn, the way it was supposed to be. Being up at this hour was exceedingly strange for Xan. This was the first time he had ever done so when it wasn't a festival day.
"Why are you still up?" asked Xan.
Mayana laughed at him, "There's work to be done. We don't sleep until the Overseer is satisfied. I went three days with no sleep once when I had to clean the guest baths. Ugh."
"Mayana," an older slave man hissed, "Stop chatting with that frump and get to work."
"Frump?" Xan questioned angrily, "Who is he calling a frump?"
"That's what they call the pampered slaves here," explained Mayana as she folded a bunch of clean laundry and separated it into wicker baskets, "Frumps are the ones that don't do any real work here, like you. You just look pretty and make the masters happy."
Xan frowned and contemplated this, "So I get hated by the other slaves just because Phox thought it would be a funny joke to give me to his brother in order to piss him off?"
"We don't hate you," said Mayana, "We actually pity you. If one of us makes a mistake, we get whipped. A frump screws up and they're dead by the next day. A week doesn't go by without a frump getting executed on Mengapor. So you'd better watch yourself."
"Thanks for the tip," said Xan, "I'm going to go look around some more. See you later."
He walked out of the kitchen area and tranquilly walked through the halls, admiring the paintings and furniture that were artfully placed in different places as decoration. It was a very lovely place, even if a cold, cruel-hearted, demon-possessed bastard that called himself a king lived in it.
"You there," a man behind him shouted, "Slave!"
He just kept walking, ignoring them, but any attempt to ignore them was squandered when the man grabbed his shoulder and whirled him around.
"You will respond when you are called, slave," hissed the man.
"How dare you!" Xan replied with an instant change of accent that made him sound regal and snooty while the words he spoke made him sound thoroughly offended, "You address me as a common slave? I will have my father place your privates on a post for that, simpleton. Do you not recognize the first born son King Beliak, king of Laka'laka'kala'naka of the Noir sector?"
The man pulled away from him and bowed deeply instantly, "My apologies, your highness. I meant no offense. You strongly resemble a new slave that was brought in the other day. I meant no offense."
"You said that already," Xan said haughtily while rolling his eyes and examining his fingernails, "Get out of my sight, swine, and pray that my father does not here of your indiscretion."
The man nodded vigorously, bowed once more, and hurried off down the corridor. Xan held his boisterous laughter inside until he thought the man was out of earshot then filled the halls with masses of laughter.
"That was very impressive, young Fayelian," he heard and turned to see Phox watching him from an inlaid doorway with an amused expression. Xan just shrugged.
"What can I say? It's a gift."
Phox stepped out from the doorway and shook his head, "We should behead you for lying to the sub-Overseer, but that performance of yours was absolutely impeccable. I think I myself almost believed you for a moment."
Again, Xan shrugged, "Me and my sisters used to do that kind of stuff when I was younger."
"Hm," grunted Phox, "I used to have a sister."
"I know," Xan said, "Phaulkin told me."
"Did he tell you about our mother?" Phox asked with a chuckle. He pulled Xan into a room by his wrist and closed the door.
"He said she died," Xan replied cautiously, not entirely sure what to expect from the heir to the king's throne.
"That's a little true," said Phox, "She had a lover. She was a whore and father found out. She was publicly executed. They did it in front of everyone. Phaulkin was an idiot and cared about the wench for some stupid reason so he had a panic attack when her head rolled over and hit his feet while the rest of her body was thrown into a pit of starved tigers. Her lover soon followed."
"That's horrible," garbled Xan, trying to focus on what Phox was saying instead of looking around the ornately decorated room.
Phox grinned, "That's not all. Mother's lover had a son. They were both slaves here at the castle. The son's name was Chaka. He liked to... touch Phaulkin," Xan hated the innuendo Phox had in his voice as he said this; "Phaulkin seemed to think they were friends, but it was a lie. As soon as father found out, Chaka disappeared before he could get his hands on him. He didn't even tell Phaulkin good bye. Some friend, eh?"
"Why are you telling me all of this," Xan asked in confusion.
"Phaulkin is an emotional void," Phox sighed, "That's why I'm always pushing his buttons. I want him to feel something other than nothingness. I think you make him feel, too. That's why you're not dead. Don't screw it up."
"So you treat him as dirt in a sad attempt at liking him?" Xan asked, "Your thought process must be very thoroughly disturbing."
"I'm surprised to hear such intelligence from an uncultured Fayelian cur."
"Bite your tongue, murderer of children! The fact that we do not choose to sit around on out arses and let technology do the work for us does not mean we are uncultured. It means that we have far more culture and values than you lazy swine ever will," Xan shouted angrily, not even caring about the possible consequences of his words. He would die for Fayela in a second, even if it meant defending its honor with his words and nothing else.
Phox just looked baffled instead of angry, "Why do you call me a murderer of children?"
"You act as though you don't know," hissed Xan, "Do you pretend that your soldiers are not ransacking our villages, raping the women who watch their husbands die? Having children watch as their mothers are slaughtered like common livestock before their own lives are taken? Or are your soldiers so ruthless that they do such things without orders from their king?"
"I have no knowledge of any of this!" Phox barked in response, "You make up lies and tell stories to try and turn me against my father and king! I should have you executed right this moment!"
"You are so quick to argue with such anger and vehemence," Xan said softly with bemusement in his voice. His large green eyes sparkled cunningly, "Would you not be calmer in your replies if you did not know it to be true?"
Phox was at a complete loss for words.