Lu’ma stepped forward, rolling up her sleeves and signing, 'This Nameless will train as well.'
Kailorien turnedto her, his tone shifting. “You’ve grasped it, Lu’ma. I’ve asked you to follow your Sokâr into every situation, and I will ensure you are prepared for it. You will learn to move with power. With precision. Zarrek has agreed to train you.”
Lu’ma looked between them, focusing particularly on Zarrek. Their eyes met. Clashed.
A beat.
Then Zarrek smiled.
“What’s this?” he drawled. “Not just a timid little mouse, this one.”
'Even a mouse might slit a cat’s throat when he is busy gloating,'Lu’ma signed.
Auryn blinked in surprise. Zarrek let out a barking laugh.
“I’ll let you try it someday, then,” Zarrek smiled, moving toward the opposite edge of the ring. “Let’s start with balance. You carry your weight unevenly. I noticed the limp.”
Lu’ma tilted her chin in challenge.
Zarrek gave her a grin that didn’t reach his eyes. “Don’t worry. I don’t believe in breaking what’s already bent. But I can teach you to wield that limp like a blade.”
She followed him to the mat without hesitation.
Auryn turned to Kailorien, a smile tugging at her lips. But Kailorien’s gaze was distant. Distracted.
“Needless to say, the Council session this morning was unpleasant,” he put his hands on his hips.
"Kail, is there truly such a right listed in the Doctrine?" she asked.
"The tomes of the Laws are vast," he frowned. "They likely found a loophole and interpreted it as they wished." He scratched his nape. “I can’t say whether they expected you to rise to the challenge or not, butthe Rite of Judgment isn't our only concern. Their push for a public Estâr between us grows more aggressive by the Cycle.”
"Surely—" she stopped, and Kailorien arched an eyebrow. She cleared her throat. "Surely they cannot believe that we have not been…intimate. I stay with you in your wing. They couldn't possibly believe that you wouldn't—"
He shook his head. "It isn't about whether we have been intimate or not. They are merely looking for a chance to humiliate you. This Rite is no different. There are a hundred ways you can prove martial capability, but they chose this series of events. The Path of Fire first, where you must parade through the city and light torches. A chance for the Solutus to attack. Foranythingto go wrong. If you fail, you cannot complete the next part. Then the Rite itself. That ludicrous weapon they presented."
His teeth gritted together. He scratched harder at his nape until she reached for him, touching his sleeve. Calming him.
"TheEstârused to be performed in the Vox Ring," she said. "But you changed it…when we first arrived in Krystopolis." She looked at the ground. "That is why I knew nothing about it. Why I misunderstood the nature of it for so long."
He leaned towards her. "Do you truly think I would have allowed you to witness it?"
"How did you change the Law back then?"
"I didn't. The Law never mandated public spectacle, merely grew into it. Before I knew you…" he hesitated, "…I was a monster, Auryn. I still am. I thought nothing of it. The ritual was part of my duty. In those days, the shame was mine. The filth only stained my soul, never another's. But now…with the Bond…with you…"
They lapsed into silence, sharing the burden of his words. Then Auryn squared her shoulders and stood straighter.
“They have no leg to stand on,” she huffed. “The Shield data doesn’t support their views. They firmly believe I’m tethered to them as your other half.” She folded her arms across her chest. “I don’t know whether I need to dispel that illusion for them or not.”
Kailorien placed a hand on her shoulder. “Auryn, we don’t know what is true.”
She made atsksound with her lips. “There was no ceremony. No carving of runes. Nothing. You, yourself, said there is no way to bind me to them without those things.”
“I have theories,” he countered. “What if they took your hair? All they would need is a single strand.”
She shook her head. “Impossible. Just like you, I don’t shed. And even if I did, Lu’ma would never—”
“What if they took it before she was assigned to you?”
