Little Big Man

By Travis Creel

Published on Mar 9, 2023

LITTLE BIG MAN – a serial novel by Travis Creel

[Author's Note: Because this chapter got quite long, I decided to split it into two segments for posting. The fact that I've done this – and the chapter title – might lead you to suspect that this is the final chapter. (It isn't.)

On a related matter, the title of Chapter 72 is "All Good Things Must Come to an End". – T.C.]

CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN: SHOWDOWN (Part One)

Previously: The Prince Regent and his brother Khalid arrive, insisting on taking Alexei and Matti with them as well as Abdullah and Jamal. The Prince Regent treats Alexei as if he is already his own slave, and Khalid informs him that he will be gelded and Matti executed upon their return to the palace. At a huge party, twenty-two tops enjoy four bottoms – Alexei, Matti, Declan, and Rhody; Ruslan persuades Nurbek to mistake' Jamal for one of the slaves, and when the boy doesn't object, his father is humiliated and sends the recalcitrant boy to his room. The Prince Regent reconfirms his assertion that Alexei and Matti belong to him now, confronting Dmitri directly; Dmitri tells Alex that we're going to win this thing'.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, POST-MIDNIGHT TO MID-MORNING – VARIOUS LOCATIONS

ALEXEI: Alone in the playroom, free from the presence of Men, Matti and I could finally tell Rhody the full story of how Matti had come to live in St. Petersburg, how the arrival of the two rebellious young princes had precipitated a crisis, and the dreadful fate that awaited us, particularly Matti.

(Rhody) And I thought you were going to live happily ever after, now that you were together.
That only happens in fairy tales.
(Matti) Well, we're fairies, aren't we?
Fairies? That's a horrible word for gay people.
(Matti) I don't know. You can wave your wand around me any time.
Same old Matti. He never lets an inappropriate moment go by to make a joke.
(Rhody) I think I'll go curl up in a sling. I won't expect you to join me.

He said that last bit with a smile. Good old Rhody; he knew that Matti and I needed to talk, and didn't want to get in the way. I tried to imagine what was going through his head, watching the man he loved reunited with the man HE loved. And having to be happy for both of them.

Of course, I loved Rhody in my way. I just loved Matti more.

He went across the room to where the slings were. Matti gave me one of his "It's not so bad" looks.

Relax, Cheesehead. Your Master seemed pretty confident about holding on to you.
Your Master didn't do diddly-squat.
Diddly-squat's not his area of expertise. I'd say anal sex is.
Matti, stop with the jokes. I'm going to lose you. Forever.
Don't be such a pessimist. We'll still see each other now and then. And at the palace we can talk if there are no Men around.
Matti, they're going to kill you. They're going to cut off my balls and your head.
You're being hysterical.
I'm quoting Khalid. He told me that point blank this afternoon. My balls. Your head. In a matter of days.
. . . Oh. . . . He really said that?
Yeah. He did.
. . . Oh.
He told me he was going to make me kiss your severed head.
Always the romantic, Khalid.

I couldn't help it. I started to sob. Matti took me in his arms, rubbing his hands over my back to soothe me. Behind him, I could see Rhody looking our way, feeling helpless and concerned. We stayed in a silent embrace for about three full minutes before I had recovered enough to pull away and look him in the eye. The warmth of Matti's body, the feel of his skin against mine, his cheek nestled against my cheek, his aroma – they were like a salve for my soul. I wanted him to embrace me forever, but touching him – just feeling him – calmed me down and I was able to go on.

And so was he. He looked into my eyes and I melted with passion. And then he grinned that amazing grin of his, and all was right with the world. I think I even smiled back.

It's okay, Cheesehead. We always knew it would have to end sometime.
I was hoping for about twenty more years.
. . . We'll always have Paris.
We've never been in Paris.
We'll always have metaphorical Paris. We didn't have it, we lost it until I came to St. Petersburg. We got it back last week. Look, Alex, I'm no good at being noble, but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of two little slaves don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world.
. . . Is that your best Bogart imitation?
Alex, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
. . . I am shocked, shocked that you're quoting Casablanca at me. Badly.
(grinning) Of all the palaces of slave-owning Arabs in all the world, you walk into mine.
Here's looking at you, kid.
Hey, that's my line.
I don't care. Oh, Matti, I love you so much.
Hmm, don't remember that one. Did you mean `round up the usual Finns'?
No, I meant `oh, Matti, I love you so much'.
I think I like that line better.
I love you more and more – as time goes by.

[Author's note: In case the above conversation mystified you, it contained eight references to the 1942 screen classic, Casablanca. What can I tell you, I'm a fan of old movies.]

We kissed. From across the room, I heard the sound of two hands clapping. God bless Rhody.

We climbed into a sling, body against body. Despite the sexual tension, we both managed to fall asleep in short order. My sleep was troubled; I woke up more than a couple of times, comforted by Matti's reassuring presence. He slept so peacefully, as if he had not a care in the world.

When we had parties, if they tied me up for the night, I woke up when my bonds were automatically released. If they didn't, I woke up when the lights came on. Master set them to come on a half-hour before he wanted me to wake him.

This morning I woke up before the light switched on, needing a piss. There was no toilet in the playroom itself, but there was a small bathroom just outside it off the hallway. I rose, waking Matti with the shift in balance as I gingerly swung my feet out of the sling.

Mmmph. Alemmph?
Go back to sleep, Matti. Just a bathroom run. Not time to get up yet.
Mmmkay.

I crept past a dead-to-the-world Rhody, slipped out to the bathroom, did my business, and headed back to the playroom. I never got there. There was a shadow that became a shape. And then a sharp sting in my left buttock.

DMITRI: We had so many overnight guests that Ruslan had to move in for the night with me, freeing up his room. Fortunately, my bed is large enough for three – intentionally – so the two of us had plenty of individual sleeping space.

I awoke when Ruslan sat up with a start, looking at the clock. It was 9:15. Alexei was supposed to have awakened us half an hour ago. I have never known Alexei to be more than a minute or two late in the mornings (an infraction for which he is robustly punished), and could not understand how he could have been so negligent. He's always been punctual on the mornings after parties.

But not today. He couldn't be that negligent. No, I saw the hand of the royals in this. Were they usurping their supposed authority over our slaves and forcing them to assist them in showering and dressing? True, the Prince Regent and I were playing power games, but even so this move was a little aggressive.

9:15. Sunday breakfast was scheduled for 9:30. Recognizing both my obligations as host and the need to clear up this mystery, Ruslan and I threw on some clothes, foregoing our morning ablutions for the time being. Ruslan checked the playroom while I headed down to the kitchen, hoping Alexei was with Henri.

He wasn't. The only slave present was Rodion: Yuri must have directed him to assist Henri, given the large number of breakfast guests. Henri hadn't seen Alexei; I tried Rodion.

Boy, where is Alexei?
I don't know, Sir.
Not in the playroom?
No, Sir.
When the lights came on, did he get up?
Sir, when the lights came on, he was already gone. I assumed he'd gone up to assist you.
When did he leave?
I don't know, Sir. I was asleep until the lights came on.
What about Matti?
He'd left, too.
When the lights came on, you were alone in the room?
Yes, Sir.

Everything pointed to the Prince Regent having shanghaied Alexei into his service. But before I called him on the carpet for it, I'd better check out one other possibility, one other person who could have borrowed Alexei for his own purposes: Bobrovsky.

RUSLAN: The playroom was unoccupied. I headed back upstairs to inform Dmitri of this when I encountered Tompkins with Declan, toting four suitcases between them. That was two more than the adult princes had brought with them. So either they'd persuaded the young princes to return home, or this was a pressure tactic to coerce them into doing so.

Good morning. Leaving so soon?
(Tompkins) We need to be prepared whenever His Majesty says he's ready to go. By the way, he wishes to inform you that the family will not be joining you at breakfast. Prince Jamal may have gone down there, unaware of this fact. At least, he's not in his room. Have you seen him?
Sorry, I haven't, but then I haven't seen very many people this morning. Let me return the question, and ask if you have seen my slave or Dmitri's this morning?
. . . No, I haven't.
(Yes, that pause told the story.) I hope you aren't playing semantic games with us, pretending, as His Majesty would have it, that neither Dmitri nor I has a slave any longer.
The ownership of the slaves is between you and the Family to settle. I just do what I'm told.
(smiling) Like a good slave.
I get paid very well for what I do, Ruslan, you know that.
So you haven't seen Alexei or Matti since we left them in the playroom last night.
No.
(to Declan) Have you seen them, boy?
(Declan) Yes, Sir.
(Tompkins) Boy!
You have seen the other slaves this morning? Where and when?
(Tompkins) Don't answer that.
Bill, your boy has information regarding the location of my slave. I expect him to answer my questions.
Ruslan, he's not my boy. I just work for his Master. If I let him respond to your questions, I could lose my job. I'm sorry, but you'll have to get the answer to your questions by other means.
This is unacceptable, Bill. Are they with the Prince Regent?
We've got to take these out to the car. Boy, I'll take these as far as the staircase to the slave tunnel. You'll take them from there. I have to assist His Highness. You'll excuse me, Ruslan.

And he pushed his way past me. Declan, trailing behind him a few feet, gave me a helpless glance. The slave knew exactly where Alexei and Matti were. And so did Bill.

Probably in the Prince Regent's room.

ALEXEI: I had a vague sense of pleasure. I felt the warmth of Matti's body touching mine, and his pleasant scent was comforting. But things were fuzzy – kinda nice fuzzy, but my head was clouded.

I couldn't see anything, it was dark in the playroom. But the surface I was sleeping on was hard – it wasn't the sling. What was I sleeping on? And there was a heavy blanket covering me. (A blanket???) It felt scratchy – and weird. But also nice.

Wait. Why was I sleeping? Hadn't I gotten up earlier? Everything seemed very foggy, and my body wanted to return to the reverie of blissful sleep, with Matti's sexy form next to me, but my brain was confused and needed to piece things out.

A memory of being awake. Yes. A trip to the bathroom. Or was that a dream? No, I must have gotten out of the sling, because I wasn't in the sling now.

Yes, I left the playroom, I remember now, Matti mumbling incoherently as I disengaged from the sling. Trip to the toilet, and then . . . something odd – was it a person?

And pressure against my back and around my shoulders. And a sudden, sharp pain in my ass.

And then I was awake, here – but where was here? There was no light, even darker than the playroom should be. And I was cold, even with the blanket. I tried to sit up but after a few inches, my head bumped against something hard, causing me to curse out loud.

That woke Matti.

Hey, what's up, Cheesehead?
Matti, are you okay?
Yeah, just a little dopey. Let me go back to sleep. Did your alarm go off?
Matti, we're not in the playroom anymore.
What?
We're in the trunk of a car.
Huh?
They've kidnapped us. Knocked us out and taken us to the garage. That's why it's so cold.
Do I feel a blanket?
Yeah. I guess they don't want us to freeze to death. But they're taking us with them.
If we're in a car, we're not moving.
I wonder what time it is.
Look at your watch. Wait – don't tell me you left it in the playroom.
Matti. Really, you're making jokes at a time like this?
Cheesehead, like I've said before. That's when you need to make jokes. Otherwise – you'll go stark raving mad.
Gotcha. You already have a head start, you have to be careful.
See? You'll get the hang of it. There's one other way to avoid going stark raving mad.
What's that?
Kissing.
I like that way.
But you have to practice it a lot.
Yes, a lot.
No such thing as too much practice, right?
So hurry up and kiss me, Sauna Fiend.
You really have to find a better nickname than that.

It didn't work. Kissing didn't prevent us from going stark raving mad. But it wasn't for lack of trying. And more than our brains were awakened.

DMITRI: Ruslan found me in the kitchen and reported that Declan had seen the slaves but Tompkins had shut him up before he could say more.

Alexei wasn't with Bobrovsky; it was time to confront the Prince Regent. I headed up to the Blue Room, knocked on the door, and walked in without awaiting a response.

Your Majesty.
Dmitri! How very unlike you to walk in unannounced on the ruler of an entire country.
Who is a guest in my house – an uninvited guest, I might add. And I am the ruler of this house.
Splendid. You remain feisty, Dmitri. One of the reasons I like you, you have fighting spirit. You stand up for yourself. How can I help you this morning?
Would you mind if I look in your bathroom?
My bathroom?
I thought my slave might be in there.
He's not, but you can look. Do you want to check under the bed, too?

I could see it was pointless to search the bathroom. Alexei wouldn't be there, unless the Prince Regent was bluffing me, but I've never known the Prince Regent to bluff. When you're an autocrat, you don't need to bluff, you just act. That was the P.R.'s M.O.

But he hadn't seemed surprised that I was searching for Alexei, had he?

Ruslan says you're not staying for breakfast.
We intend to leave as soon as we locate Jamal.
He's missing?
He's not in his room, undoubtedly found somewhere to hide – it's clear he doesn't want to return home. But it is a simple matter to search the house. We'll find him.
Unless he went outside. The grounds are quite extensive.
Footprints, Dmitri, footprints. You did notice it snowed last night, didn't you?
Do you know where my slaves are?
(smile)
So you have them.
(smile)
Your Majesty, you won't be able to leave the grounds with anything that doesn't belong to you. How are you going to get past the gate?
(smiling) Ah, Dmitri. Do you really think we haven't thought of that?

Yes, actually, I did. The front gate is heavy iron, and couldn't be smashed through. The entire grounds are surrounded by thick walls, except for the part that borders on the Gulf. The only way out is controlled by Pyotr from the garage – or by me from the Conference Room. And Pyotr will not bend to your will, not after what he went through the last time he was in trouble. He won't understand you anyway, how are you going to tell him what you want? Oh, shit – Tompkins speaks Russian, he can translate.

Irrelevant; Pyotr won't bend, and neither will I. So, Your Majesty, I don't see how you can possibly get out of here unless it's with my approval.

Meet me in the library in an hour.
Make it ten minutes.
Your Majesty, I am host to a multitude of guests. I need to be at breakfast, even if you don't. I'll compromise. Ten o'clock in the library and we can have it out.

ALEXEI:

Matti.
Yes, my love?
Has it occurred to you that maybe we're not in the garage?
In my vast experience as a Finnish Calculation Wizard, I have studied cars and garages both and found that they are frequently found together. Besides, where else would we be? They brought us out here and haven't left yet.
What if they have?
What do you mean?
We don't know how long we were unconscious. What if they already drove us someplace? And are just leaving us here to die.
And why would they do that?
I don't know. They want to kill us anyway?
In which case, they'd take us out of the trunk, shoot us in the head and make sure none of the blood got on the car, so they wouldn't have to pay for damages when they return the rental car. I don't think they'd just abandon the car in the woods. I don't hear crickets, anyway, we're not in the woods.
Crickets? It's January, Matti.
Ah, that would account for the cold. Toss me another blanket, would you?
Sure.
Thanks.
Imaginary blankets are the best, aren't they?
Yes, especially when made with a special Finnish weave, like this one.
Reindeer wool?
The finest. Cheesehead, I confess I am getting slightly tired of being locked up in here.
I'm pretty used to it. Anytime we go anywhere – except on a plane – this is how I travel. We went to Moscow for New Year's and it was hours and hours in the trunk.
Before last week, I'd never been further from the palace than the swimming pool.
Maybe we can shift positions a little.
Good idea, my leg's cramping. Do you think we can shift so that my cock is in your ass?
That may be beyond my capabilities.
You know what my problem is?
I know several of them; which one did you have in mind?
I'm not lying horizontally. Your body is getting in the way.
I like getting in your way.
Hmm, come to think of it, I like it, too.
Ooh. If that's what I think it is pressing against me, you do like it.
I'm still trying to find a way to get it up your ass.
I don't think even a Finnish Calculation Wizard can manage that.
Just hold on to me tighter then. And let's try that kissing thing again.
At least we can keep our lips warm.

DMITRI:

I had made a brief appearance at breakfast. Most of the intervening half-hour has been to get my ducks in order. The implication of my invitation had been that the two of us would meet mano-a-mano, but I knew he would bring Khalid and probably Tompkins, Abdullah, and Declan. If he wanted a power play, he might also bring Alexei and Matti, if indeed he had stashed them away somewhere.

He surprised me, however, by bringing only Declan. I, for my part, had Ruslan, Yuri, the two FSB men, and the only slave I could find, Rodion, who had to be pulled away from the washing-up, to Henri's politely unexpressed annoyance. I had expected the Prince Regent to insist on being serviced during the meeting, but he allowed both slaves to stand quietly in the corner without putting them to use.

Just as we were about to get past the throat-clearing part of the meeting, wondering which of us was going to speak first, the door opened. It was Horst.

Ah, there you are, Dmitri. Sorry to interrupt, but I'm ready to leave and Pyotr's not in the garage to open the gate. Do you know where he is? I don't know which room is his and don't want to knock on random doors until I find him.

Of course, I could have controlled the gate myself, but I wasn't about to reveal that capability to the Prince Regent.

Rodion, go up to Pyotr's room and bring him here. It's in the south wing marked with the first letter of the word `shofer'. Do you know enough Cyrillic to know what that letter looks like?
No, Sir.
It looks like a capital letter E that's fallen on its ass.

Rodion departed, and, as Horst remained in the room, the P.R. and I held off our verbal swordfight. Horst made small talk with the other non-royals, congratulating Bobrovsky on his skill in hitting Alexei squarely in the balls with the swinging iron sphere, and comparing notes on fucking the various slaves. The Prince Regent made a pointed comment about how much he enjoyed fucking Alexei and how much he looked forward to doing so frequently – a comment which clearly baffled Horst.

Rodion returned, but alone.

Why is Pyotr not with you, boy?
His room is locked, Sir. There was no response when I knocked, but I believe I heard a noise behind it.

The Prince Regent reached for his phone and texted something.

Your chauffeur will be here in a minute.
You texted him?
No. I texted Khalid.

Khalid was with Pyotr? This was bad news. I thought back to the conversation I'd had earlier with the Prince Regent about his ability to leave the grounds, and his slyly asking, `Do you really think we haven't thought of that?'

They were trying to pressure Pyotr into opening the gate. Tompkins must be with them, translating. But what leverage could they have over him? There was no longer a threat that I would learn of his secret visitations by his boyfriend Arkadi; both Arkadi and his blackmailer Ilya had now been enslaved. Could the Family have located his family and threatened them? Pyotr was an only child and not close to his parents, who were in some obscure village near Omsk. I couldn't imagine that that would do the trick.

Khalid and Tompkins appeared with Pyotr, dressed in his chauffeur's uniform. Khalid looked smug. Tompkins looked embarrassed. Pyotr looked petrified.

The Prince Regent nodded to Khalid, who reached over and loosened the belt on Pyotr's trousers. A minute later, the trousers were down over his ankles, and Pyotr stood there stoically as the Arab prince pulled down his boxer shorts, revealing Pyotr's generous cock hanging down over his balls.

It was not his cock, however, that I noticed – it was his balls, which were bundled together, a band cinched tightly around them. The Prince Regent spoke.

You've seen a version of this before, Ruslan, affixed to the perpetrators of the plot against my son. And Dmitri, you've seen a modified version on the boat, when we affixed it to our guillotines.

At which point Khalid pulled something out of his pocket.

(P.R.) If Khalid presses the button, in five minutes Pyotr's balls will drop to the floor. However, if Pyotr agrees to open the gate for us, Khalid will not press the button.
(Pyotr, in Russian) I'm sorry, boss. They caught me unawares. They even made their big slave – I shouldn't have let them overpower me.
(in Russian) It's all right, Pyotr.
(Pyotr) So please, boss, forgive me, but I have to give them what they want. I – I – you can fire me, I'll find another job, and I'm sorry if it costs you Alexei, but I can't lose my balls, I can't!

I said nothing.

(P.R.) So Dmitri, we hold all the cards. We are ready to leave, as soon as we find my youngest son.
What about your oldest son? I haven't seen him this morning.

The Prince Regent just smiled.

ALEXEI:

I'm fucking freezing, Cheesehead. And more than a little claustrophobic.
Good thing you're not Alabama.
Oh, jeez, poor Al. He'd be a basket case in here. Could we shift so that we . . . what was that?
What was what?
I heard something.
What kind of something?
I'm . . . I think it was a voice. Be quiet. Listen.
(male voice, indistinct)
(Matti) He's speaking Arabic. (shouting) Hey!
(male voice, louder but still indistinct)
(Matti) Hey, can you hear us?
(voice) Yes. Is that Matti?
(Matti) Omigod, that's my former Master. (shouting) Your Highness?
(Abdullah) Yes.
(Matti) Get us out of here! We're locked in the trunk.
(Abdullah) I can't. I'm in the back seat. I can't move.
They tied you up?
(Abdullah) Is that Alexei?
Yes.
(Abdullah) They've got me in a strait jacket. I don't know how I got here.
They jabbed me with something, must have knocked me out. Is anyone else with you?
(Abdullah) No. They're probably doing the same thing to Jamal.
(Matti, to me) Jamal. That's why we haven't moved yet. (to Abdullah) We've been awake for like an hour. Do you know what time it is?
(Abdullah) It's light out, that's all I can say.

So what was taking them so long to get Jamal? And how were they going to solve the problem of getting past the gate?

I didn't know at the time that they had figured out a strategy for the latter problem. And using it as leverage to solve the first.

DMITRI:

(P.R.) 3914 has searched the building – a number of the rooms are locked. We know Jamal is in one of them. I am hoping, Dmitri, that he has locked himself into one of them without your complicity. But I do find it odd that if he were to lock himself in, it would not be in his own room. No matter. I presume you have the keys to all of the rooms in this estate.
I do.
(P.R.) Then you will hand them over to us.
I'm sorry, Your Majesty. Jamal is staying with us, and so is Abdullah, at least for a while.

The Prince Regent laughed.

I'll cut off the balls of your chauffeur.
I don't think so.

The Prince Regent nodded to Khalid. He touched something on the device he held in his hand. Pyotr screamed.

[chapter to be continued]

Next: Chapter 69

Rate this story

Liked this story?

Nifty is entirely volunteer-run and relies on people like you to keep the site running. Please support the Nifty Archive and keep this content available to all!

Donate to The Nifty Archive