Fandom: Doctrine of Labrynths, including Melusine, TheVirtu, and The Mirador, all by Sarah Monette.

Rating: Teen (because the series is)

Author: Greensl33ves

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Notes: Includes slash and incest. It's the series, darlings, not just me.

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It occurred to Felix that he was in power.

It occurred to Felix that no matter what, he was in charge. He could not be resisted.

And then it occurred to Felix that he had made a promise.

Promises are stupid things. Easily given, easily broken, with no binding contract or record of their existence except memory. And as Felix knew all too well, that was easily taken away, erased, stripped of meaning and degraded so as to be incomprehensible. A promise was something that in half a second could be rendered utterly insignificant.

What a stupid thing to obey.

What a beautiful thing to keep.

Felix had seen Mildmay smile only a few times, none of them in pleasure. Rather, Mildmay smiled to frighten or intimidate or horrify, knowing the effect the knife scar had on his face. He never did it to show amusement, but that isn’t to say that it was impossible to tell when Mildmay was happy. In fact, it was easy enough once you knew what to look for. His eyes lightened and the corners of his mouth twitched and there was a rye tilt to his eyebrows. Felix’s stomach twisted just thinking about it.

Then it twisted again, thinking about how easy it would be to make sure Mildmay never gave that hidden, beautiful smile again.

It had been common enough not too many centuries ago for wizards with an obliged annemer to do something like that. Not exactly un-frowned-upon, but neither was it condemned. After all, the obliged were considered a part of the wizard, and if the wizard wanted to do something with those in their care, that extension of themselves, be it give them a fine meal or throw them off a bridge, there was nothing anyone could do about it.

Would that same attitude exist now, that same practice of overlooking? Felix had to admit that he wasn’t sure. Not that Mildmay would tell anyone, of course, but even so…

It would be so easy, so simple to give into his desires and just go ahead. He could order Mildmay to do it. He could even order him to like it.

To never see that lightness again, though. Not directed at him, anyway. Never again directed his way. That was a high price to pay. The question was: was it the right price, or too high?

Too high. Much too high. And yet when Mildmay would smile at him, would turn and the his hair would catch in the sunlight and he was so attractive, so rough and unpolished and utterly handsome that it would give Felix tingles to watch as the sun flitted to shadows and the glow dulled--but not the beauty, never the beauty.

So easy. Just one order, two words, maybe three. No more than a sentence, and what are words? Free. Dust on the wind.

So simple.

And yet…

“I won’t rape you.”

It occurred to Felix that he was in power.

It occurred to Felix that no matter what, he was in charge. He could not be resisted.

And then it occurred to Felix that he had made a promise. And he would not break it.

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Author's Notes: This is just a quick drabble, but I love Felix and love his mental complexity. I'm not sure if this is what he was thinking, but I'm pretty sure it comes close. If you just read this and have no idea what this series is, I really suggest you to read this. These are really interesting books, with wonderful details and original characters that are oddly true to life. Anyone wishing Harry Potter had been way darker would love these, as would any fans of slash, particularly squick pairings, as you don't have to invent them--they're cannon! Yay!

If you liked this story, go read my Harry Potter stuff. This is really close to the form I used in chapter two of Puzzle Pieces: "The Dirty Secrets of Rita Skeeter." Either way, thanks for reading!

-Steph

aka Greensl33ves