For without_me: "Lance/Nick, slave AU."

He was tall and blond and as broad across the shoulders as a house, and Lance took one look at him and knew that the price would be no object. It had been years since he had seen anyone at the market that struck his fancy so strong and so quickly; he preferred to make his purchases privately, to put the young men through their paces before opening his purse strings and making the commitment. But this was why he kept coming to market; for the occasional pearls one could find, cast before the swine.

The factor saw his interest, and smelling a potential sale, clapped his hands. "Just in from the provinces. I am assured that his training is the finest that can be found in such provincial lands, and we've a full pedigree, of course. You won't go wrong, choosing this one."

"Unchain him," Lance said, and his voice sounded rough in his own ears. It wouldn't do to show so much interest, not at the beginning. It wouldn't do to let the factor know that he was so captivated. "I want to see how he carries himself."

"For you, noble sir, anything." The fine lengths of chain shifted against each other as the factor moved to unlock them. "His asking price is set at thirty gold."

The young man kept his peace, but his eyes promised Lance that thirty gold would be a bargain indeed.

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