The palace staff were a different story. The only people who gossiped more than soldiers were servants, and the story of what had happened ran wild in the kitchens and laundry rooms of the palace. How wildly exaggerated they’d become, hecouldn’t say, but the basic facts seem to have spread. The serving staff he encountered throughout the day all greeted him with friendlier smiles, and their ingrained dislike of anything Canjiri had morphed into a hesitant curiosity. It wasn’t warm acceptance, but it was better than the haughty dislike of the nobility.
A gentle mist of rain dotted Syrus’ face when they stepped outside, little more than a fog, but refreshing after being inside the last few hours. He kept walking, but a tug on his hand stopped him. He looked back to see Eiri standing still, his head tilted back and his eyes closed. Eiri took a slow breath, letting the mist fall on him, and his lips curved into a soft smile, more serene than Syrus had ever seen him.
For the first time, Syrus saw Eiri with his guard fully down, and in that moment, his heart clenched in his chest and his thoughts ground to a halt, his world narrowing to just the two of them.
Before Eiri, Syrus had never given much thought to marriage. His mother and father loved each other, in a way, but their marriage had been political. He knew from whispered rumors that both had been unfaithful to their vows in the beginning, but that ended when the queen began having children. Not out of respect for each other, but to ensure there were no questions of her children’s lineage. Theirs was a partnership, not a romance.
His siblings had all married for political advantage, as well, which was likely what awaited Corrine and Ellis, as soon as someone made a worthwhile offer to their mother. He’d hoped to avoid that fate by devoting his life to the military, but clearly that hadn’t worked.
Learning he’d be married to a raider, he’d accepted that he would never have a partner he truly loved. When he’d first decided to attempt to make their marriage real and get to knoweach other, he’d hoped for a truce, at best. He never thought they’d get beyond that. As they’d grown to know each other, he’d come to respect Eiri’s fierce resilience, and he’d started to hope they could be friends. The first time they’d kissed, swept up in a wild, tempestuous lust, he’d known they could be more.
But it wasn’t until the night of his sister’s birthday party, the night that had sparked the fire of his mother’s rage, that he’d realized something altogether terrifying.
When Eiri, with all his defiance and anger, trusted Syrus enough to compromise to protect their marriage, Syrus knew then that, given a real chance, he could fall in love with his husband.
They hadn’t been given that chance, though. Everything they’d been building had been swept away in the tides of betrayal and political treachery, leaving only the desperate struggle to survive. Then came the weeks of recovery, then planning, messages flying back and forth between Vaetreas and Canjir to prepare for their arrival, hunting for Kien, packing up Syrus’ entire life to move to the island, and all the chaos that came with such an upheaval. They’d barely had a moment together to breathe, let alone examine the status of their marriage.
Now, standing outside in a soft summer rain, watching Eiri completely at peace for the first time they’d known each other, a bolt of clarity hit Syrus.
He loved Eiri.
Something so simple, yet so profound, he could barely breathe with the realization. He, Syrus Vardor, prince of Vaetreas, loved his husband Eiri C’Dari, Canjiri raider and his rival of over a decade.
In that moment, the last few months reformed, and he could see it all with new eyes. What he felt hadn’t come from nowhere. It had grown as they got to know each other anddragged down the walls built by years of prejudice, ignorance, and pride. With every compromise they’d made, every bit of hard-earned trust they’d shared, they’d built something new between them.
Syrus blinked, realizing only a few seconds had passed, but it felt like an eternity as his entire worldview changed. Eiri still stood in front of him, though, eyes closed.
The words sat heavy on his tongue, but now wasn’t the time for them to be set free. Too much had happened, and their lives were still in a state of chaos. Xan and Ellis were waiting for them, waiting to share one last meal with them before they were separated, with no idea of when they’d see each other again.
So, Syrus swallowed the words. They could wait for now.
“Ready to go?” he asked instead when Eiri opened his eyes and that soft smile fell on Syrus.
“I’m ready.”
Ellis and Xan awaited them at the beach, sitting on opposite ends of a long blanket. Since facing the queen, something had changed between them, but neither of them would say what it was. It was a mystery Syrus had hoped to unravel before he left, but with both men refusing to cooperate and so much time needed to plan for their move, he’d had to let it go. They both smiled when they greeted him and Eiri, at least, and he could only hope they’d work it out on their own.
As he’d hoped, the beach was deserted. This stretch of sand ran the length of Lodie Palace, but the palace itself sat high above them, at the top of a sheer cliff. Ages ago, the land had given way, creating a natural barrier along the side of the palace. Only a fool would attempt to climb the crumbly cliff,and anyone who somehow reached the top would be met with an array of warded traps.
They’d chosen a spot tucked up against the base of the cliff, giving them a clear view of the ocean while hiding the palace from sight. It also provided some protection from the brisk wind coming in off the water.
“I was starting to think you weren’t going to make it,” Xan teased when he and Eiri joined them, taking a seat on the ground.
“Just overseeing a few last-minute things.” Syrus put the basket of food in the middle, letting everyone serve themselves. He refused to admit how winded he was just from the walk down from the palace or how just bending to sit down made him light-headed for a moment.
For lunch, he’d brought almost the exact same food they’d had before the disastrous party, along with some sweet pastries he’d had made specifically for today. Eiri had already warned him that many of the foods he took for granted here in Vaetreas were impossible to find in Canjir, so he’d decided to indulge while he still could.
“Everything is ready, then?” Ellis asked quietly. He mostly picked at his food, his eyes downcast. He’d spent as much time as he could with his baby brother in the last few weeks, trying to make up for a lifetime of neglect. While they were closer than ever, it meant that his upcoming departure would be all the more painful.
“It is,” he nodded. “The queen has finally lifted her travel restrictions, now that she’s called off the searches for Kien and Marsen.”
Despite their protests, Queen Delia had officially labeled Marsen Henschel a traitor to Vaetreas. He’d face the gallows if she ever found him, but Syrus had to hope that the man’s years as a spy had given him the connections he needed to disappear.
“I sent word to my mother about what happened here,” Eiri said. “If Kien tries to go back to Canjir, she promised she’d have him arrested.”
“Once we’re settled, I’ll send for you both, and you can come visit.” He glanced at Eiri, who nodded in agreement.
“I’d love to show you the island.”
