The Princess and the Blade

[Soran Nightblade]

Laurius tilted his head, as if unable to comprehend her reaction. "Don't mistake me. I know who my customers are, but I bear no responsibility for their actions. I had no falling out with the prince, so when he stopped arriving at our chosen time of business, I presumed some ill fate befell him. Then, of course, the entire realm knows of your disappearance, thanks to your parents' theatrics. The timing could still be a coincidence, but my suspicions were sealed when I saw your... "Havitharon" at your side last night. How your phage can take physical form and exist outside its sword is beyond my understanding. If you were used as I suspect, I have no idea how you have survived your role in the ritual. It's absolutely fascinating. I presume you don't know yourself, or you wouldn't have bothered coming to meet me today. Am I wrong?"

[Emora Deen]

Tenara's teeth ground together. She glanced at Havitharon again. Phage wasn't the name of the Ivis. It was the thing he called the souls bound to weapons. She topped off their glasses of wine, even if they didn't need it. She needed something to do with her hands or she might wrap them around his throat. He was the reason she'd been taken. He told Arken how to make the sword, and what they needed, and they had chosen her.

"You're not wrong," Tenara said, settling back in her chair. "So, Mr. Mar. You are a businessman. You sold this knowledge to Arken, and they stole a princess to slaughter. If I needed to understand how, exactly, their spell went wrong, or how to replicate it, would you tell me? If I came to your house, would you help me understand?" Tenara took up the glass. "And, as you are a businessman, I'm assuming you wouldn't help me out of the kindness of your heart. What would you want in exchange?"

[Soran Nightblade]

Excitement blazed across Mar's features for a moment. "Well," he glanced at the sword at her hip. "I'd like to study the dynamics between you, your sword, and your phage. I believe the information would benefit us both."

[Emora Deen]

Tenara eyed him, not quite trusting it would be as simple as that. "So that's all? An exchange of information? I allow you to study us, and you'll tell me how the weapons are made?"

[Soran Nightblade]

"Well, there is one other request. I'd like you to work with my phage. Show me how to expand his abilities."

[Emora Deen]

Tenara paused, slowly placing her glass down on the table. Work with his phage? Her gaze fell on Havitharon again. If she worked with his phage, would it be like how working with Havitharon felt? Would her power have the same effect on him? She wasn't so sure she wanted to stir such a thing in anyone else, even for experiment's sake. But... they needed to know more about the sword. Without that knowledge, who knew what would happen to herself or Havi.

"I don't know if what I do for Havitharon will work on him. Our connection might be... special. But, if that's all you require, I will try..." She turned her gaze back on Laurius. "I assume you'll want this work done under your roof? A laboratory of some sort?"

Tenara thought of her father and the man who had taken him when she was so young. Hadn't he been ushered away, to someplace remote and cold, to be experimented on by some mad scientist? If he knew what she was agreeing to, he'd lose his mind.

"If we do this, we'll need to have a different reason for me accompanying you," she said. "For your safety."

[Soran Nightblade]

Laurius nodded sincerely. "Then, if you'll forgive my forwardness," he rose and took one knee before her, raising his voice a little. "Princess, I may have just met you, but I believe we make an interesting match. Would you do me the honor of allowing me to court you for your hand in marriage?"

One of the guards who were attending them from just beyond the gazebo choked on his shock.

[Emora Deen]

Tenara's eyes widened. She looked around the garden and then back at Laurius. "I'm not certain this is a safer excuse," she hissed. Even if it was a fake proposal of sorts, her heart thumped wildly in her chest.

Tenara glanced at the guards and allowed a smile to tug the corners of her mouth up. She reached out for him, placing her hands over his. "I would like that very much," she said, her voice carrying over the fountain's gentle trickle. Tenara bent forward and placed a kiss on his cheek.

[Soran Nightblade]

Laurius's gray-green eyes caught hers, and he smiled handsomely. "It is an honor I don't deserve," he said, kissing her hand. "I'll do everything in my power to win your heart."

Havitharon studied the interaction silently from a few feet behind.

[Emora Deen]

Tenara watched him kiss her hand. He was a very good actor. If it weren't for their conversation earlier, she would have suspected he really did have an interest in courting her. She might still have accepted, if things were different, if he really had an interest in her. She was tired of men throwing themselves at her feet, of the countless offers flinging her way, of people threatening to take her or force her to give them what they wanted. She'd begun to think marriage, even if it were for show, even if she didn't love the person, would bring some measure of peace to her life.

She would still have Havi, and he said it was common for Yurivis to have more than one male.

"I look forward to learning to know you more deeply, and to seeing your home, Laurius..." She rose and pulled him up to his feet. "You're going to make a lot of enemies with this, you know. Prince Elias was really hoping to blackmail me into marriage to get his brother's sword back, or something equally awful."

[Soran Nightblade]

"Elias has neither the class nor the wit to imperil me. Men like him with no patience are easy to control. As for the rest, their curiosity will be good for business. Nevertheless, I'll seek to keep my reputation as spotless as my home during your visit, to ease any tension this might cause within your family."

He looked at her as though he might touch her cheek, but the moment passed swiftly. "Have a restful day, Tenara. I'm sure last night was tiring."

[Emora Deen]

Tenara watched him leave, and the air became a weight. He was the person who made the spell and sold to Arken, and she was going to go with him, across the sea, to be tested and tried and taught. This was a terrible idea, she realized. But, it was their only option.

Tenara and Havitharon didn't speak until the door to her room closed. She deflated into a chair. "Well... that happened." She looked up at him. She felt along her side for the sword, unclipping the sheath from her belt. "I really expected more cat and mouse. I suppose it's nice he cut to the chase of knowing I should be dead..." She glanced up at him. "He wants me to do what I do for you, for his Ivis..."

[Soran Nightblade]

Havi's gold eyes were slightly luminescent, as always, which made them difficult to read, as always. "I am not sure if it will be possible to connect the same way, when you didn't summon him, although it shouldn't be dangerous to try," he mused. "Are you comfortable with it?"

[Emora Deen]

Tenara shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "If it works then..." She rested his sword across her lap. "If it works he'll feel what you feel—what you and I feel—when I use magic." She appraised him, wondering why he wasn't more concerned about her giving another male such sensations, but then she remembered that where he came from men had little choice in what they felt. He didn't seem to think he had a claim over her. She wondered if he had a jealous bone in his body.

Tenara didn't want to voice the worries she had rolling around in the back of her mind. What if she did as Laurius asked and it worked on his Ivis? Would a creature so conditioned to serve women keep a level head when her magic poured into him—nothing but oppressive, consuming desire? She knew how strong Havitharon was. What if her magic became a drowning current, and he lost himself in it, and she couldn't hold him back? She scratched at her arm.

"You don't seem worried," Tenara said, lifting her gaze. While he seemed at ease with their agreement, she was nothing but worry—a tight ball of raw nerves. If Laurius were female, would Havi be more skeptical and distrustful? Would he worry as she worried now?

They were going to go across the sea and stay in his home. The idea of being on a ship again—the sound of waves crashing along the hull... Tenara swore was already breaking out in hives just thinking about it.

[Soran Nightblade]

Havi's eyes followed her hands scratching nervously at her arms. His mouth pressed into a flat line. No Yurivis on his world would seek out an Ivis's approval for such a thing, yet she was asking his opinion. What was this unease he was feeling? He wracked his brains for a response that was appropriate.

"I am concerned," he said slowly. "About your headaches, and the nosebleed. If working with that Ivis makes them worse, I'd prefer that you stopped. But, it would be good if Laurius Mar could show you how to prevent them. There also seems to be some mutual attraction there, if you select him as your husband."