The Princess and the Blade

[Emora Deen]

“She can’t be worse than how my father treated you when you first met,” Tenara said, forcing a smile. The first time Havi met Vlad, her father had nearly tore out his guts.

Tenara slipped out of the room and went to the door next to theirs. She knocked and tried to open the door, but found the handle locked. “Ren?” She wasn’t ready to talk to Laurius yet. “It’s time to wake up. Havi’s sister wants us for breakfast. Can we come in?”

[Soran Nightblade]

Ren woke with his face smothered against warm skin, vaguely aware of tapping somewhere beyond the cocoon of heat. It was the heat itself that brought him to his senses. He was in Kishva's dorms. He should be cold. He should be alone. He jerked up in the bed, shedding the covers from them both, and looked in panic at the door. The situation was coming back to him. He wasn't in the dorms. He was somewhere much more dangerous. And with him was...

He looked aghast at the man beside him. Laurius wasn't safe here. He had to get them out. He didn't know how.

When he heard Tenara's voice outside the door, relief flooded him. He scrambled out of bed and rushed to let her in, his complaining muscles reminding him of the various indignities of the night before along the way. He opened the door, indifferent to his own nudity and desperate for the safety of female leadership. "Princess, please come in," he breathed.

[Emora Deen]

Tenara’s eyes widened when she realized Ren was naked. She turned slightly away, averting her gaze from him. His nakedness sent her mind and heart racing, and all her thoughts tumbled into a black pit. She pulled air into her lungs, and ducked into the room. When she was inside the room, she looked back at him. He was gray skinned, and he was otherworldly and he was not a male who would hurt her. The shaking in her limbs eased a notch, but she kept her gaze focused on other objects in the room.

Laurius rose out of the sheets and wiped a hand over his eyes. “Morning,” he groaned. He slipped out of bed and stretched.

Tenara didn’t answer him, but she did look up with her wide blue eyes, looking like a deer about to bolt. Her face was entirely clean, not a bruise in sight.

“They have a good healer,” he said.

“I asked Havitharon for Toothsbane,” Tenara said, not thinking about her words. She rubbed at her neck and arms, a woman about to come out of her skin.

[Soran Nightblade]

"Toothsbane?" Ren asked shakily. He scanned her worriedly, trying to judge the cause of the fear in her expression.

"Yes," Havitharon said, slipping in behind Tenara. He cast a quick glance up and down the hallway before securing the door behind him. "The discussion is closed. Artisuren, dress." He threw a bundle of clothing ungently at the other Ivis.

Ren managed to catch the clothing, and finally thought through his state of dress. Was the princess's reaction because his body offended her? "Excuse me," he said, and fled into the adjoining bathroom.

[Emora Deen]

Laurius watched Ren flee towards the bathroom and caught sight of something on his arm. At first, he didn’t think much of it, but he realized as the door closed that it had been words. Bloody words.

Laurius stalked towards the door and pushed it open. “Your arm. Let me see it.”

Tenara jerked her head toward’s the washroom. “Leave him be,” she said, gathering herself. A sisterly, protective flame budded to life inside her, washing out all the muddled feelings Ren’s state of dress had caused.

Laurius held out his hand, ignoring Tenara’s request. “Let me see.”

[Soran Nightblade]

Ren looked down at his arm, and his blood froze. The bandage had come loose as he slept. Damn. Damn damn damn. He spun to face Laurius, looking cornered, and offered it slowly for his inspection. He couldn't understand the writing, but he knew what it said. Elias had made the purpose of the writing clear.

[Emora Deen]

Laurius took Ren’s arm slowly, and turned it up into the blue light glowing from the ceiling. His gaze fixated on the writing, his jaw tightening along with the grip on Ren’s arm.

Tenara stepped closer, peering at the wound. She has not seen it, only the bandaged portion. She has assumed the Black Sister’s had harmed him.

Laurius swallowed, a murderous rage blooming in his eyes. He knew the words, a mirror to the scars on Elias’s arms. He had seen them on rare moons while they were younger. “What did he tell you was your fault?” he asked, his voice shaking. But then he clenched his eyes and said, “Whatever it was, it wasn’t. Do you understand? Do you believe me?”

[Soran Nightblade]

Ren's face grew paler by the second. He wanted to believe Laurius, but his master clearly felt great affection for the princess. What would he think if he knew her abuse had been directly caused by his provocation?

"It was my intention to help," he whispered. "I did not anticipate that he would punish her for my actions. I did not even believe it possible for a male to do...such a thing." He dropped to his knees before both of them. "I am sorry. I'm very, very sorry."

[Emora Deen]

Laurius’s rage burned so hot he wanted to break something. He had half a mind to retrace their steps to place they’d abandoned, to see if Elias was still alive and make him wish he wasn’t.

Laurius went to pull Ren up from the floor, because he had no need to be on his knees and pleading as he was. But Tenara was sinking down next to Ren, bringing herself to his level. She said nothing, but took his face in her hands and made him look her in the eye. She stared at him for a very long time before she pressed her lips to his forehead and touched her brow to his. Then, she rose and backed away until she bumped into Havitharon. She reached down and curled her fingers in his hand.

Laurius’s gaze followed her, before his eyes returned to Ren. He eased his grip, and did as she had done, slowly getting on his knees and bringing himself level with Ren. He worked on calming himself enough for his voice not to come out an angry rattle. He hesitated before he cupped Ren’s face as Tenara had. “He punished her to punish you, and no matter his reasons—these words are still a lie,” Laurius said, his voice strong and even, his thumbs brushing Ren’s gray skin.

[Soran Nightblade]

Havi wrapped his hand securely around Tenara's and touched his nose to her hair. "Well done," he reassured her softly.

Ren was so dazed by Tenara's gentle acceptance that at first he didn't see Laurius right in front of him. He barely resisted a reflex to shrink back from the man when he reached for his face. Instead of the angry grip he'd anticipated, Laurius's touch was soft. He could see anger in the man's eyes, but not expressed in his voice. The anger wasn't directed at him. Laurius meant his words.

Ren allowed himself to draw a shaky breath. Neither of them blamed him. He leaned his face into Laurius's hands and felt his nerves begin to settle. "Thank you, Master."

"No more 'Master'," Havi corrected in a more businesslike tone. "From here on, both of you will need to behave as if you're members of Tenara's harem. Ren, that means you must call him Laurius, not Master. And remember to greet your Yurivis as Tenara, not Princess. Can you manage that?"

"Fine. Laurius," Ren said, blushing slightly.

Havi sighed. "I'll give you two a minute. Come out when you're dressed."

[Emora Deen]

Tenara followed Havitharon out into the hall, half-closing the door behind them.

Laurius bottled his anger, crushing it down for later, and drew Ren to his feet. He picked the clothes Havitharon had tossed at him up and handed them back to the Ivis. “Yes,” he said. “Laurius for the public and Master for the bedroom. We can do that.”

A moment later, Laurius emerged from the room looking a great deal more put together. “If the Toothsbane didn’t kill Elias,” Laurius began, looking to Havitharon. “Will that old Yurivis of Ren’s do it?”

Tenara’s hand tightened around Havitharon’s, thinking of how Elias had been when they left him. She hadn’t even thought about the possibility of him being alive still.

[Soran Nightblade]

Havitharon gave a cold laugh. "No male who has injured a Yurivis is easily forgiven. Kishva has dismembered Ivie of her own harem for much less. Elias is dead."

Ren shifted uncomfortably, his expression verifying the truth of Havitharon's words.

"For now, we must navigate my sister's wrath until we can find a way back. There are some things you each must know about your roles here." He looked at Tenara seriously. "You are accustomed to treating males as equals, and phrasing your instructions as requests. This is not done here, so you will need to express your wishes as commands when speaking with males. As a guest, you should also treat the servants as if they were your own. My sister is a more complicated matter. I am hers to pair as she sees fit, and yet you have claimed me without her permission. She will bear animosity toward you. She must not perceive you as weak. And above all, she must not know we have not yet bonded."

He looked at Laurius. "If you are to survive here, you must act the part of an Ivis. You must not harm any female. Tenara's words are law. If you disobey her, it will be obvious that you are unbound. In addition, you should be warm to the Yurivie here and not disrespect or injure them, no matter what happens, unless Tenara orders it."

[Emora Deen]

Tenara bit her lip as she took his instructions, staring at him intently as she listened. At the mention of the bond—or rather, the lack of it—she grew unsettled. What would happen if they found out? She was just about to ask if they could find a way to trigger his rut and bond before they were found out, but she remembered his words. You have not bonded me, and you never will. She knew Havitharon cared about her. He had said so that night, when she had felt such shame over her choice to take Toothsbane, no matter the consequences. But he didn't wish to be bound, not even to her. She wondered if, for him, it was like a bird having their wings clipped. "I'll try very hard to do what's needed," she said, nodding.

"And I'll try very hard to act like a cuck," Laurius said, smirking.

Tenara sighed. "We're doomed."

"I really will try," Laurius said, the smile slowly fading. "I mean it. If it means keeping us safe, I'll do what I have to. I can play a part if needed."

"Oh, I have no doubt. You are good at lying to people," she said, and began to walk away even though she had no idea where the dining room was.

[Soran Nightblade]

Havi throttled his thrashing thoughts back under control and turned to walk next to Tenara, subtly guiding her to the dining room. If he did this wrong, she and the others could be killed. *We can speak through the sword, if you're unsure what to say,* his low voice murmured into her thoughts.

When they reached the entranceway, two female guards stood at either side of the door. Their presence was unusual, but his attention was drawn not to them, but to the people seated at the head of the table. His sister he'd expected. Her ebon hair draped around her thick robes like a curtain of midnight. Perion, her most prized Ivis, sat at her side like a mountain of stone. As usual, the other male did not meet Havi's eyes.

What he wasn't prepared for was the others at the table. To his sister's right, watching them with a glint of amusement in her stare, was Kishva, and two males from her harem.

"It is good to see you, brother," Cera Ruthe smiled coldly. "We feared you might be lost, and yet here you are. And with new friends?"

[Emora Deen]

Tenara paused at the door, her gaze settling on Kishva. She had only met the woman for a few minutes, but had enough of her to last a lifetime. She had not expected her to be here, but of course she was. They had escaped her. Tenara had nearly torn down the mountain around her, and Havi had slit the throat of one of her men. Tenara had been too unfocused to pay attention to who, and she didn't know if it was one of the ones seated with her.

Every nerve she had sat on edge, trying hard to set her face as level as possible as she turned her gaze to Havi to gauge his reaction.

Behind her, Laurius went stone still at the sight of the other female. He recited facts about the stars to distract himself, to keep a snarl from curling his lip. Behave, he told himself. Submit. The thought made his stomach sour. He wondered for a moment if they would stand there in silence for eternity, but Tenara stepped forward and regally tilted her head at the women.

"I thank you for your hospitality, Marquess," she said, her voice weighted and practiced. "I am Princess Tenara Dracul-Hajaris. Judging by Lady Kishva's smile, I assume you've heard of me and my Ivie. May we join your table?"