Sun shone down on a field of green grass dotted with piles of fresh straw. The harsh light made the grass seem unnaturally bright, creating a breathtaking scene. Sunlight enhanced the beauty of the land, but also tortured those who were trapped working under it. A man with long dark hair and milky skin knelt in the center of the field binding straw into lopsided bales. His long willowy fingers were calloused and cracked, evidence of the long hours he spent working the fields.

    The sun reddened his pale skin and caused sweat to pour down his back. A cool breeze blew across the grass, giving the man a slight reprieve from the heat, but it didn’t last. He was used to the heat. His life was spent in these fields, binding hay, and planting crops to feed the people who lived in the manor on the hill above. Kim Heechul was servant to an estate that had once belonged to his mother, an estate that he should have possession of, if it wasn’t for his stepfather.

     “Wash up and go back to the house!” a man’s deep voice shouted across the field, causing Heechul to drop his straw and look up.

    His stepfather, Lord Lee Soo-Man, was a small man. He had weathered skin and messy hair. A pair of glasses always rested on his nose and he wore fine clothing befitting his station as a Lord. He was seated on a tall black horse that he used to tower over his servants as he rode around the small farm he’d stolen, as if he were the king himself.

    “Dinner needs to be served promptly at six! I will not eat in the dark again!” Soo-Man ordered, his voice carrying across the land like a bullhorn.

    “What about the straw, Father?” Heechul asked with an exhausted sigh, “It needs to be bound and sent to market by tomorrow afternoon.”

    “First of all, you will address me as Lord Lee. I am not your father.” Soo-Man corrected, “Second, you can wake up before dawn and finish the straw then. I will not go hungry because of your laziness.”

    “Yes, My Lord.” Heechul complied, bowing politely as his stepfather rode away to berate another poor servant.

    Heechul clinched his fists at his sides as he stomped across the field. He hated his stepfather with every fiber of his being. This man had stolen his land from him, made him a servant, and tortured him every day afterwards. His real father had died when he was only two years of age and his mother, wanting a man to help raise her son, had married Soo-Man not long after.

    Soo-Man was born in the merchant class. He had a small shipping business on the coast and very little money compared to Heechul’s mother, who had been born into nobility. When Heechul was twelve years old, his mother passed away from a fever and her land and title was taken by her husband and his two daughters, Jessica & Tiffany. Heechul had been cast aside like an unwanted piece of trash.

    Kicking clumps of dirt as he approached the kitchen door at the back of the manor, Heechul rubbed his hands on his pants and decided they were clean enough for cooking. If his stepfather and stepsisters got sick, his life would be easier anyway.

    “Where have you been?” Leeteuk, the estate’s head servant, asked as Heechul stumbled through the back door with a scowl on his face. “I started dinner an hour ago. I have no idea what I’m doing. If it’s burned, your father will kill you.”

    “He’s not my father,” Heechul reminded, picking up a heavy iron skillet and slamming it down on the stove. “My father’s dead.”

     “I’m sorry,” Leeteuk apologized, his features softening. “I didn’t mean to upset you, Chul.”

    “It’s alright, Teukie.” Heechul reassured as he bent down to add more wood to the fire. “I’m just tired.”

    “We all are,” Leeteuk added, turning back to the potatoes he was pealing. “After dinner, I’ll draw you a hot bath. It will help you sleep.”

     “Thanks, Teukie.” Heechul replied, truly appreciative of his friend’s offer.

    Out of the half a dozen servants that lived on the estate, Leeteuk was the only one who treated him with the respect his noble blood deserved. Heechul was born of Lord and Lady Kim. His station should be that of the son of a Lord, yet he was living the life of a slave.

    “Damn it!” Heechul cursed halfway through the diner preparations as the eggs he’d been frying stuck to the pan.

    “Just leave the eggs out,” Leeteuk suggested, “They won’t know the difference.”

    “Heechul!” a high pitched female voice shrieked from the dining room down the hallway. “Where’s our food!?”

    “The witch is calling your name, Chul.” Leeteuk stated flatly, “You better go before the Hag starts shrieking as well.”

   Placing a few plates of food on a silver tray, Heechul picked it up and stomped from the room. Inside the dining room he found his stepfather sitting at the head of a long wooden table. His stepsisters were sitting on either side of their father dressed in extravagant gowns and drinking glasses of wine worth more than everything Heechul owned. It sickened him to see them using his mother’s money in such a wasteful manner. Soon, the treasury would run dry and they’d be forced to start selling off servants and land.

    “It’s about time,” Jessica grumbled, tossing her long sandy colored hair over her shoulder and tapping the table with her fine manicured nails. “I’m starving.”

    “It better be good,” Tiffany added with a scowl, taking a sip of wine as she picked at a long dark curl that had fallen from her intricate hairstyle. “Your cooking has been terrible lately.”

    “I’m not a chef,” Heechul reminded, receiving a glare in return as he placed their plates on the table. “Here.”

     “Stay while we eat, Heechul.” Soo-Man instructed as Heechul turned to leave.

    “Yes, My Lord.” Heechul mumbled, taking up station in the corner and staring at the floor.

    Heechul had learned long ago that it was useless fighting with his stepfather. All it had gotten him as a child was harsh whippings and more chores. When he’d come of age, his discretions had received worse punishment than a few beatings. He’d been nineteen the first time his stepfather had taken him to his bedroom. Since that night, Heechul had lost his will to disobey.

    “Where’s the eggs?” Soo-Man barked, causing Heechul to flinch and look up from the floor. “This dish is supposed to have eggs in it.”

    “They’re not there?” Heechul asked, trying to bluff his way out of trouble.

    “Are you calling me a liar?”

    “No, My Lord.” Heechul answered, looking at the floor. “I must have forgotten them. I apologize.”

    “Look at his fingernails!” Jessica shrieked as she noticed the dirt on Heechul’s hands from his work in the fields earlier. “Father, he cooked our food with dirt on his hands!”

    “I told you to wash up before you prepared dinner!” Soo-Man raged, “You deliberately disobeyed me.”

     “I..,” Heechul tried to defend, but had no excuse for his actions.

    “Clear the table and have Leeteuk prepare us sandwiches instead.” Lord Lee instructed, “Then, go upstairs and wait for me in my bedroom.”

    “I’m sorry, Father.” Heechul pleaded, his heart sinking into his stomach. “Please..,”

    “I am not your father,” Soo-Man growled, “Do as you’re told, or you’ll be the first servant I sell.”

    “Yes, My Lord.” Heechul whispered, trying not to let them see his hands shake as he collected the plates from the table. “I’m sorry, My Lord.”

    After delivering the plates to the kitchen and informing Leeteuk of the new menu, Heechul climbed the stairs to the second floor and obediently stepped into his stepfather’s master suit. This room used to belong to his mother. Now, it belong to a man he wished would drop dead every time he looked at him. It was a large space lined in dark wooden walls, with a warm fireplace and four post bed.

    Heechul removed his shoes and took a seat on the edge of the bed. His hands shook as he took off his shirt and folded it neatly on the floor. He knew his punishment would be humiliating and painful. It wasn’t the first time his stepfather had taken him to bed for minor mistakes, and it wouldn’t be the last.

     “Good boy,” Soo-Man’s voice sounded from the doorway, causing Heechul to flinch and keep his eyes on the floor. “Lie down; it’s time to take your punishment.”

     In the wee hours of the morning, Heechul awoke to find himself lying on the floor beside his stepfather’s bed. His body ached as he crawled across the worn wooden floor and collected his clothing. He was ashamed of himself for letting his body be used by Soo-Man. He was angry that he didn’t have the courage to stop it. Years of threats and abuse had beaten him down. There wasn’t anything Soo-Man could do to him now that he couldn’t handle. He was numb inside.

     Anger surged through Heechul’s body as he stepped out the backdoor of the manor and regarded the sun peaking over the horizon. The sound of chirping birds filled his ears, and the air was cool against his skin. Normally, he wasn’t awake to see the sun rise, but he’d promised to have the hay bound and to market today. There was not time to sleep.

    Heechul’s muscles protested with every step as he made his way down the dirt covered road towards the field he’d been tending the previous afternoon. His fists clenched and unclenched at his sides and his nostrils flared, each pain shooting through him making him angrier by the second. If he had the courage to do so, he’d march back into the house and bash his stepfather’s head in, but he was neither courageous, or a murderer.

    The green grass covering the field was wet with dew as he knelt down and began tending to the hay. Working in the cool morning breeze was a pleasant change to his normally boiling working conditions. Soon, Heechul had the entire field bound and stacked neatly on the road to be loaded in the wagon and transported to market.

    “I better get back to the house and start breakfast before the wicked witches wake up.” Heechul groaned, stretching his tired muscles as the sound of approaching horses and the howls of hounds filled his ears. “Now, what?”

     Turning away from the mound of straw in front of him, Heechul shielded his eyes from the sun as he observed a group of horse and riders thundering down the road towards his hard work. There were a collection of hounds in front of the horses, signaling it was most likely a hunting party from one of the neighboring estates.

    “Stop!” Heechul cried out, running into the center of the road and attempting to halt the stampede. “Please stop!!”

    Heechul’s cries fell on deaf ears, for soon a herd of hounds were trampling through his freshly bound straw, scattering it all over the roadway and ruining hours of work.

    “Out of the way, Slave!” one of the men on horseback shouted as he galloped passed.

    “That’s it!” Heechul shrieked, rage filling his body as he bent down and grabbed a clod of dirt off the road.

    Bringing back his arm, Heechul hurled the dirt clod at the back of the last rider’s head. The dirt impacted the dark haired man’s skull, causing his horse to rear and throw him to the ground.

    “I just spent hours binding this straw!” Heechul shrieked, stomping over to the disoriented man on the ground. “I demand you fix this mess!”

    “You threw dirt at me!” The man stammered, clearly in shock. “How dare you hit me with dirt!”

    “How dare you destroy my straw! Just because you’re a noble, doesn’t mean you can destroy whatever you like. This land belongs to Lord Lee, and…,”

    “No, this land belongs to the king.” the man countered, climbing to his feet and turning to glare down at his attacker. “You will show me respect, servant!”

    Heechul held his breath and took a step back. This man, while irritating, was also very handsome. He had short dark hair, prominent brows and a chiseled jawline covered in a peppering of stubble. His clothing was rich and his build was muscular and lean. If Heechul didn’t know better, he’d say he was addressing royalty.

    “I will show you respect when you do the same for me, Sir!” Heechul countered, not letting the man’s handsome appearance sway his anger. “I demand compensation for the straw you’ve destroyed!”

     “You’re a bold servant, aren’t you?” The man laughed, outrage clear on his face. “Since this straw belongs to Lord Lee, I will have compensation sent to him this afternoon. As for you, I suggest you clean up this mess. It’s against royal law to block the king’s roads.”

    “I will not!”

    “I could have you arrested, Servant!” the man warned, turning his head as the sound of baying hounds filled his ears. “But, I must get back to the hunting party. If this road isn’t cleared by the afternoon, I will have you taken in for disobeying a royal order.”

    “Royal order?” Heechul huffed as the man remounted his horse and road away. “Cocky bastard. Arrest me if you want. It would be a vacation.”

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I haven't decided if I'm going to rate this or not. So far, the chapters aren't that risque ;)

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