Heirot

Tenara was still staring at Ren as if he'd told her a riddle, but there was something sad dawning in her eyes. Laurius wondered if she was recalling when Havitharon had angrily proclaimed she would never bond him. The being had done everything in his power to hold off his rut so he could not be ...

Tenara touched the hair again and thought about Ren's words. She bit her lip. "Havi had a mark on him when I first met him. He said he paid a sorcerer to give him a mark that would keep his rut at bay. Magic-blocking chains eroded it, and it failed, which is how... How we... How I became his Yurivis ...

Tenara looked at the hair and reached out to touch it. "It does look like his hair," she said, brow furrowing. "But... aren't there other of your kind with that hair color?" Why would this person have a lock of Havitharon's hair? What did that mean? People only had locks of hair where she came from ...

Laurius took the box from Ren and admired the runes. He traced them with his fingers, also recognizing the language in what he'd come to learn of it. He thought he remembered one of the words, though he was likely to be pronouncing it wrong. "Sarra." To Laurius's surprise, the box clicked open ...

Laurius turned to Tenara. "Fish it out," he said. "If your nails were no good, then mine—" "Not with your fingers. If a sorcerer got it in there, then you can get it out. Pull it out," he said. Tenara pursed her lips and glowered at the brick. She scrounged around for something, a trigger to light h ...

Laurius climbed off the couch and went to inspect the wall with him. Tenara sat on the edge of the couch, watching his hands skim the stones, uncertain what to do. Part of her wanted to find a way out, to sneak around and find the blades and flee with them before Havitharon had to fight someone in a ...

Tenara turned her gaze on Laurius, as if to say 'I told you'. The merchant pursed his lips together and leaned back into the couch's cushion. "Let's play her game," the princess said. "Havi will let you win, and we can leave." Laurius's brow arched. "You're so sure he'll pretend to lose?" Tenara ...

"Trial?" Tenara asked, forgetting the plate in her lap until Laurius picked up a fruit and pressed it to her lips. She blinked at him, but accepted the offering with a scowl. "Yes," Laurius said. "It seems his sister wants him to duke it out for your right to fuck him." Tenara frowned at Laurius ...

Laurius watched Ren work curiously. He stood over his shoulder, watching him divide the food with great thought. He reached down, not knowing which plate was really his, and stole a piece that looked more appetizing than the rest. "Alright," he said, chewing. "Now that we're alone..." And there were ...

Laurius tilted his head. "Easy," he said, flicking his gaze to the women. "Wouldn't want them to think you're angry with your Yurivis." As far as the women were concerned, Tenara was his. He was tired of the audience, and turned on the women. "Are you going to feed us or just stand there for the ...

Laurius turned on his heel and slipped his hands into his pockets. He smirked. "I think its up to Tenara, right? We both know which of us she'd rather die in a ring." Laurius couldn't even be mad about it, not really. He looked Ren over, his faze fixating on the kissing bruises littering his neck ...

Laurius's brow arched. He was thankful that the women guarding their door could only understand one side of their conversation. "Are you saying he'd choose his pride over her?" He stood and began to wonder their confined space, sparing a glance outside the door to see what else was out in the hall ...

Laurius pursed his lips and turned his eyes down to the floor. He didn’t know what the arrangement was, exactly, but he knew what a duel meant. Someone was going to fight Havitharon, and the outcome would decide whether or not Tenara got to be with him. “Would he throw the fight?” Laurius asked, rubb ...

Laurius frowned and did as Ren did, sitting on his butt with his back to the couch. He held up his hands. He could tell that whatever wards they were using were making him sick, and if they continued to use them… “We’re good. We won’t put up a fight,” but the words came out of his mouth in another wo ...

Laurius did not like the look of the lock. It was... complicated in a way he didn't recognize and was unlikely to be able to figure out how to crack. Then, Ren slipped up and seemed to understand it, even if he was shaking and half-focused. He looked as dazed as Tenara had right before she collapsed ...