“You are forgetting that I was not alone on this mission,” I stated as my attention left Teryn to fall on Rolim. “I need no acreage, nor a bonus. Protecting the royal family is my duty.”
“I recall when you were a roundabout cad with no thoughts other than fucking. Now you sound like the guard commander. Where did that carefree cousin of mine go?” he teased, or I took it to be joshing.
“He was made a king’s guard. We all must mature someday, my cousin. That being said, let me rest and wash the sea from my skin, and we shall visit a few pubs tomorrow evening.”
“I want to go!” Tezen called, flying down to hover between our noses like a plum hummingbird. “I wish to hear all the tales of adventure and romance.”
“Romance?” Rolim grunted. “There is no romance on a rescue mission. That is what is wrong with your sex. Always frittering on about romance and soft little slippers when—oof!”
I chuckled softly at the kick to his nose that the pixie delivered. She buzzed closer to his stunned face, two tiny fists raised.
“Speak so of my sex again and see how soft my fists and slippers truly are!” With that, she streaked off, leaving a cloud of purple dust as my cousin rubbed at his nose.
“By Ihdos, that pixie is feral,” he muttered, shaking his head. “Why she is even on the guard roster is beyond me. She should be back at her court searching for a husband if she could find one brave enough to wed her.”
“I would warn you to not say such things within her hearing,” I warned him and caught the eye of Teryn, who was smiling in amusement, the shouting pixie having brought his sight from the moons’ glow on the sea. “You should go. The kingand his family are leaving. We will talk later.” I clapped Rolim on the shoulder.
“Tomorrow night shall be a night to remember,” he said, his nose swelling slightly before he took up his place with the king. My place, come the morrow—once I was over the lingering illness of the ocean—would be returning to my duties. Teryn would dive back into negotiations. When they were signed by all the heads of the various states, he would go sail off to the Black Sands. That was his home, just as the mainland was mine. Whatever we had would wither on the vine like a grape uncared for by the vintner. Keeping a love alive when separated by such a vast distance was impossible. Ask any bard.
Now that it was just Teryn and me, I found my tongue tied in knots. I longed to take him into my arms, but would that be acceptable now? We were not on the open seas or sleeping under the desert stars. We were back in Celear. Where the court and church watched over the morals of every elf with a keen, sometimes prejudiced, eye.
The fact that we were two males was of little consequence. The fact that he was Sandrayan and I mainland, plus his ranking being so much higher than mine, would be dissected and discussed from the lowest maid cleaning chamber pots to the exalted cloisterer.
“You look beleaguered,” Teryn said to pull me from my fugue. “Do you carry so many worries on your shoulders now that the children are back in their mothers’ and fathers’ arms?”
I walked over to him, drawn as if a rope was cinched about my middle and some invisible force was yanking me to the man.
“I find that my heart, mind, and gut are in turmoil.” I gazed down at him.
“Sadly, I can do little for your riotous stomach, but I can perhaps aid your heart,” he replied, the soft reflection of themoons off the water casting his black hair in ivory light. “If we could speak of such intimate things, I would tell you that—”
“Father!” I’llra called out as she returned to the cave. “Are you coming? We have some light refreshments set out in your suite to celebrate our freedoms to move about again now that the true culprits are in custody.”
Ah yes, Teryn’s people had been confined to their quarters. I smiled down at him as his daughter hurried to him, her exuberance in having him back seemingly overriding her attention to the situation. “We have your favorites.” She cast amber eyes at me. “Please do come if you wish, Guard Captain, for you played a large role as well.”
“I did naught but vomit over the rails of your father’s ship and swing my sword. It was the patient and understanding words of your father that brought about a peaceful resolution.”
Teryn started to object. “Please go spend time with your loved ones and staff. We shall have time to discuss things later.”
I’llra linked her arm through her father’s, nodded at me, and then gently led him to the stairs, chattering in Sandrayan. Teryn gave me a look of regret as he was pulled along. I kept a smile on my face until they were gone, then I exhaled, my gaze moving to the soft whitecaps rolling into the cave. I stood there long enough to let everyone clear the nursery before climbing the slippery steps and easing into the quiet creche. The twins were with their parents, and so the room sat silent, eerily so. I imagined the nursery would either be revamped to seal the door to the cave permanently or the playroom would be moved to another area of the castle and the passageway closed forever. As a security man, that route into the castle was a danger to all within the walls of Avolire as we had all found out. I shoved a wardrobe along the floor to block the exit—not that the armoire would do much—and stepped into the corridor. Two guardsglanced at me, taking in my shoddy appearance but having enough sense not to comment.
“I want two men on this door until that passage under the castle is sealed. Tomorrow’s schedule will reflect that, but for the remainder of this night, you are to stay here.”
They both replied with a brisk “Yes, Captain!” before I strode off to find a hot bath, a cold glass of wine, and my bed. Passing along the same walkway as Teryn had, I inhaled the faintest scent of sand sage. My heart twisted painfully in my breast. It would hurt to see him go. I could admit that to myself. I had deep feelings for the man that I could also confess. I’d been spared falling in love up until now. By choice mostly. I had witnessed at a young age what love did to a person. It weakened them and led them to poor choices. My mother and aunt were perfect examples. So I’d made sure to only allow my cock to pick my partners. My heart was not involved.
Until Teryn Nouradi arrived with the wind in his face.
Now, here I was, moping about as I found my room in the barracks much as I had left it. I called for a bath, a light repast, and some plum juice as I peeled off the coil root armor that I had been loaned. Tomorrow, I could have a guardsman take the set back to the ambassador’s suite. For I would once again be in my household uniform as I returned to my place at the king’s side. Once the tub was filled, I tossed my dirty undergarments onto the chair, picked up the tray of soft buns, butter, meats, cheeses, and a mug of rich purple juice, and slid into the bath.
The barracks was quiet. The moons overhead showed it to be midnight or later as I chewed on a grainy bite of bread while staring at the night sky through the window. Lingering in the bath until I had filled my tender stomach, I washed in the now tepid water, my thoughts slurred with exhaustion. Leaving the bath, I dried with a thick cloth, pulled on a pair of clean braies and fell into my bed. Sighing deeply, I fell asleep on a mattressthat did not list up and down or left and right. It was divine. The only thing missing was the warm presence of Teryn curled into my back. Yes, I had fallen hard, which would make the parting that much worse. Mother had been right in her advice to guard your heart as one would their back.
TEN PASSES OF THE SUN HAD ROLLED OVERCelear to bring us to this monumental moment.
Fate, or what would come down to the decisions of a monarch, could be fickle. Standing at the king’s right as he sat upon the Ivory Throne, his hair free, the crown of Melowynn upon his head, Aelir looked as kingly as any elf had before him. His queen sat to his left, his consorts in artfully carved seats on either side of Raewyn and Aelir. The queen was dressed plainly, for a queen, in a simple blue gown with her dark hair loose, a smaller crown seated among the chestnut curls. She had not patted any makeup on the scars upon her face nor had she for at least a season. Let the people look upon me as I am, she had decreed one spring day past, and so it had been ever since. She was not one for falsehoods or fuckery, as Tezen liked to say.
Today, the throne room was filled with nobility. I stood with the king, my cousin with the queen, as Jaska was tugged into the throne room. He looked paler than he had when he had entered the dungeons. Lack of sunlight and possible impending death did tend to leech the color from a man. Even in chains, he entered the magnificent room with his head held high. The nobles hissed at him, his chains rattling along the white stone floor. The sun streamed in, bright and pure, through tall, ornate windows. Women in the crowd cooled themselves with small fans while the men simply sweltered in their fancy furs andvelvets, most dressed to match their wives’ attire. A new trend in court that I prayed would die off soon.
Hands behind my back, sword at my side, bronze armor weighing me down. This was an important day, so Rolim and I were both in plate mail. My undergarments were already damp with sweat. Le’ral Fylson was seated on a small stool off to the side. He was the only advisor on the raised dais this day as Umeris was rumored to be inching closer to joining Ihdos by the hour.
