In The Rough - The Chronicles of the Diamond Prince
Chapter 3 -- The Unremarkable Boy
Content Warning:
Mentions of abuse, mentions of death, brief language
Declan was a half breed, the unfortunate byproduct of a bad sterilization job. He was born in a poor area, where his father's only possession was his slave-girl he'd won in a lucky poker game. They lived in a small run-down apartment, and with no information on his slave other than her registration number and name (of course, he didn't bother to look her up in the system) he assumed her sterile.
A year later, the emaciated and abused little slave girl begins showing signs of pregnancy. At first, her Master attempts to beat it out of her, but eventually learns that if she carries to term, he can sell the child as a slave, so he allows it to live. By the time she's ready to deliver, her body is too frail to survive the process, and she passes during the birth. Without even looking at his son, he sells him for the rock bottom price of fifteen thousand Nellin to the state, but is charged with slave abuse leading to death, and spent the next year in jail.
At the state facility, his upbringing is quite different than at the private breeding facility Phoenix came from. Akin to a low budget orphanage, they were understaffed, overcrowded, and the children were given just enough food and attention to keep anyone from interfering. They took a no-nonsense approach and weren't afraid to use negative reinforcement to get their point across. Upon arrival, his blood was tested for genetics and medical concerns, and he was found to be relatively healthy with no obvious genetic defects or concerns.
He was indeed a half breed, His father showing no enslaved relatives for at least six generations, and his mother was a mix breed. On her Sire's side, she had very distinguished genes -- her great grandfather being an award-winning breeder stud, and several awarded dam's throughout his line. However, the line continued to get diluted over the years, being bred with lesser and lesser specimens. Her mother was technically a free person, but with a few smatterings of slavery in her extended family.
Many of the children at the facility were in some way mixed breeds, but a few were either pure breeds that somehow slipped through the cracks, or were free-born, and the free-born had it the worst. Most were unable to form the connection their slave counterparts could, and this left them on the outside. The others often picked on them, saying that they were so hideous even their parents didn't want them -- they'd been thrown out with the garbage. At least slave-born, even mixed breeds had a reason to be here.
They would all be raised much like normal children in an orphanage would be, until they hit thirteen. Then they began state issued slave training, including basic protocol and etiquette, poses, domestic service and labour. Before being auctioned off in their eighteenth year, they would be evaluated for their strengths and categorized for easy sale.
Occasionally, a private breeder would come through the state facility, looking for the diamond in the rough to add to his blood lines. Those days were especially stressful for both staff and children, as the staff would be determined to show their best children and get the best out of them all -- because if a private buyer wants to buy one for his collection, they will pay well above what a state auction would bring, which would mean better funding and bonuses for the staff. And of course, every slave knows that being a breeder is the best life a slave can have. Well cared for, for the sake of their offspring, minimal labor -- often a bed warmer for the rich and famous, or other beautiful breeding slaves.
In his time at the facility, Declan had seen six children bought privately. Four pure breeds, one mixed, and one free born. He had overheard the man explain that the free born had excellent genetic health, with athletics in his background, and with him, he could start a whole new slave line, if he could find him an appropriate mate. At every evaluation and private inspection, Declan was noted as 'unremarkable', with 'muddy genetics'. He had been scrawny and scrappy, with no specific discernible talents in any particular field.
He floated through his childhood unnoticed on all accounts, until he hit puberty. He grew like a weed, towering over most of the others, his eyes grew brighter and brighter green, and became much more dedicated to slave-learning. By eighteen he was one hundred ninety-three centimeters and growing, and was beginning to show a hint of muscle gain. He had beautiful features and piercing eyes; his evaluation showed value and potential. Between his pretty body and knowledge he may have held some value but his 'muddy genetics' made it clear no one would ever value him for breeding, and so he was permanently sterilized.
Not long after his eighteenth birthday, there was an auction, and Declan knew his fate was going to be serving for the first time to whomever bought him. He was nervous, but also naively excited. He hoped that wherever he went would be better than the facility, and that he could explore his talents with someone who appreciated him. He watched and listened from the numbered post he was tied to, and he knew his turn was coming soon as one of the staff of the facility came and began fussing with his hair and rubbing dirt smudges off his face.
The slave next to him was put up on the block, Declan was untied and taken to the base of the stairs by the stage. He was led by an auction hand and As the gavel fell, the handler quickly untied the cloth wrap that had been the last of his modesty. He steeled himself to be exposed for the first time, the first time of many. The cloth fell away, and he took a deep breath, fighting to stay still and not cover himself.
The handler clicked and began walking up the stairs, indicating Declan must follow, and he did. He held himself strongly upright and walked with as much grace as he could muster. Excited chatter could be heard as he came into view. The auctioneer gave a quick rundown of his background and stats as the handler gave him several commands to follow including basic protocol and poses, which he followed to the letter. After he was standing again, the auction began. At first the numbers flew up, but many quickly dropped out as the numbers climbed. The final winning number was decent, although not great. Two hundred seventy-five thousand Nellins; It was above the bottom of the barrel at least.
