Series Rec: In My Master's House

[swissmarg]

Title: In My Master's House Master Post on LJ (Alternate AO3 series link)
Author: BrighteyedJill / brighteyed_jill
Pairing: Sherlock/John, Mycroft/Lestrade
Length: ca 136,000 words in 8 parts so far*
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Dub-con
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: None for the series. Summary for the first part: As a new slave in the Holmes household, John is having trouble finding his place.

Reccer's comments: The first part of this series was originally written for the 2011 round of holmestice and has since grown from there. It's a fascinating AU, quite literally, in which slavery is entrenched in society and the law, a modern-day Imperial feudal society. Mycroft and Sherlock are the lords of the powerful Holmes house and have the ear of the Empress. And their personal slaves are, respectively, Lestrade and John. The household (all the main characters live in the same manor complex) slaves also include such familiar faces as Anthea, Sally, Molly, and Mrs Hudson. We see it all through the eyes of John, who is not only new to the household but new to the role of house slave as well. This is a clever device on the part of the author, as it allows explanations that otherwise would be intrusive or break character.

“I know it’s difficult.” Lestrade ducked his head, and John’s attention drifted to the thick leather collar around his neck: black leather traced in silver, adorned with a filigreed silver crest of the Holmes family. John didn’t know enough about collar etiquette to determine if the seal merely designated Lestrade’s status as a head slave, or if it symbolized some deeper connection with their mater. “I was born free, like you. But Lord Mycroft is a fair master. A good man. He’s always shown me kindness, even when— ” Lestrade stopped himself, then said, “Well, you could have done much worse, especially right out of the army.”

The plot is two-pronged, with one fork focusing on the power play and negotiation of the personal interactions between the two main pairings, and the other delving into the shadowy world of political intrigue that the Holmes brothers are inextricably wrapped up in. It's best to read them in order, as there are some continuing plot points that bridge more than one section. However, for the most part, each part can be read episodically.

*The eighth part has not yet been posted to AO3 but can be found at the LJ link. It ends in a cliffhanger, though, so be warned. Part nine is planned.