Heirot

Tenara smiled, pressing her cheek into him. Her chest burst to whisper that she loved him, that he made her so happy, that this had made her so, so happy. But, she worried what the word would do to him after all that had happened in the last few days. So she tucked it down inside her, and said it silently in a kiss to his neck.

He felt so warm against her that the room at her back felt suddenly colder, and a shiver ran through her. She curled into him more, tucking herself against his larger form. "Can we get under the covers?" she asked, nudging her cool nose against his skin.

In response, he wrapped his arms a bit lower, just under her bum, and stood with her like she only weighed a pound. He carried her to his bed and lowered her into the covers like she was a priceless artifact. After crossing the room to snuff out the sconces, he returned to his Yurivis by moonlight and slid into the blankets beside her. He lay on the side of his good horn, facing her, and looped an arm around her waist, careful not to settle too much of his weight on her.

The silence of the snowy night outside settled into the walls as they lay together. "I thought you were very strong. What you chose, with the doctor," he said softly.

Tenara smiled, stroking along his face. "I thought I was very stupid," she said, her voice as soft as the night. "But, I like that you think I was strong." She couldn't tell him just how badly it had hurt, how it had felt like burning alive. Tenara rolled to face him, curling her leg over his hip to pull herself close. She thumbed the pendant at her chest. "Tomorrow we'll test the pendant. I have a good feeling about it. Do you have reading lessons in the morning?"

Havi let out a dry laugh. "Maybe that's why the spell chose me. Both of us are brave and stupid. At least, when it comes to giving up control of our lives."

His cynical smile became warmer when she mentioned the pendant. "I hope it will. I would prefer not to see you go through any more pain. I dismissed Felicity. The lessons weren't what I hoped for."

Felicity grumbled as she guided her horse towards the woods. Leaving at night, in winter, was the worst thing she could do, but she couldn't show her face at breakfast the next morning after such a terrible, failed seduction, and she was lucky enough to live in town. Besides, what Laurius was getting himself into was beyond her interests. Conjuring beings from other worlds? Building weapons for Arken?

A few feet into the forest, a man stepped out onto the road. "Oh bollocks, I don't have anything worth stealing and if you think you're getting in my knickers, I'll cut your pecker off before you can blink. I'm very good with a knife," she said.

The man lifted his hands. Another stepped out onto the road, and then another. Felicity turned her gaze to the forest and saw, in the patches of moonlight falling through the trees, a dozen or more men.

"Late to be riding, isn't it?" a man said.

"Late to be lurking in the woods, isn't it?"

"We'll let you pass if you give us what we want."

"And what's that?"

"Information."

"What sort of information."

"Who's in the house with Laurius Mar and what are they doing?"

—-


Morning light fell in a warm shower across their covers, the glint of gold rousing Tenara awake. She snuggled into the warmth at her side, rolling until she draped herself over him beneath the covers. Her face wormed its way into the crook of his neck, and she sighed.

All was right in the world again because they were together.

“I wish we could stay like this all day,” she whispered against his skin.

—-

Laurius tapped his pen sleepily against the parchment of his book. He’d slept restlessly, and woken before dawn to take more notes. This time, it was a list of things they still needed to do, and a number scribbled into the corner of the page—how many days he estimated they had left. Arken would never be late, nor would they be on time. They would come early, hoping to catch him unprepared. He wouldn’t be.

A knock sounded on his door, and a servant slid in. “Breakfast is served. Miss Felicity it seems left sometime in the night. She provided a note. Mr. Havitharon seems to have dismissed her.”

“Oh?” Laurius pinched the bridge of his nose. “Did she say why?”

“A misalignment of goals, it would seem.”

“Ugh-huh… Thank you. Please wake Ren, if he isn’t already up.” Laurius closed his book and tucked it under his arm. “I’ll head down.”

"We should. We should stay all day," Havitharon murmured into her hair. The persistent throb in his horn had healed greatly from the day before, to the point where he could feel completely comfortable if he held still. He curled her closer against him, basking in the unique relief that came with freshly recovered health. "Your hair has dried," he mumbled a nonsensical complaint, really only half awake.

____________

Artisuren twitched awake at the touch of a hand on his arm. He peeled his cheek up abruptly from the notes he'd fallen asleep on.

"Oh, forgive me for startling you. Mr. Marr sent for you to come to breakfast," said a pretty brunette he recognized as one of Laurius's maids. "I found you at your desk, and wanted to be sure you were alright. Oh, dear, you have ink on your cheek." She produced a handkerchief and hurried to dampen it. "May I?" she looked intent on washing his face.

"Yes," he assented out of instinct to the female's wishes. He cooperated in mortified embarrassment as she washed, tidied, and dressed him. He answered in numb monosyllables when she fussed about whether he was sure the bed was comfortable enough, and if he'd gotten enough rest. When she finally released him, he stood overwhelmed in the middle of the hallway like a captive creature just returned to the wild.

"Do you need help finding the dining room?" she offered.

He jumped as he realized she was still there.

"We'll take him," Thvoros's voice came from the other direction. He spun to see Thvoros and the princess walking toward him.

"Oh, good. You can all go together, then," the maid smiled. She curtsied to the three of them and scurried off to her other tasks.

Ren wasn't sure he preferred walking with Thvoros any more than handling the maid. The black-horned ivis did not appear to be in a morning-person mood. He wondered if the man was still angry about him intervening on Laurius's behalf yesterday. He looked to Tenara instead for clues as to his safety. "Good morning. Are you feeling better?" he asked her with genuine concern.

Tenara nodded, brightening at his question. She felt relief and relaxed, and, for the first time since arriving, hopeful. Her hand curled over the pendent at her breast. “I’m feeling much better,” she said, looping her arm with Havitharon. “Havi was an attentive caretaker.” She turned her face up to him, grinning with a glint of sweet wickedness in her eyes.

—

Laurius spooned a helping of fruit onto his plate, poured a glass of juice and a cup of coffee, and reached for the stack of letters nearby.

He rifled through them, tossing unimportant notices aside, until he saw a familiar seal. He frowned, breaking the wax and unfolding the letter. It had three words, and three words only: See you soon.

“Fuck,” he said, hurriedly folding the paper and stuffing it into his coat as he heard footsteps near the door.

Tenara's suggestive glance was enough to rinse Havi free of his grouchiness at leaving bed to have breakfast.

Ren didn't miss the implication in her response. He smiled slightly, honestly relieved the two seemed to be getting along better. He didn't want to have to deal with Thvoros in such a mood ever again. He was walking slightly ahead of them, so he opened and held the door for Tenara as they arrived at the dining room.

As expected, his master was already there. He noticed almost immediately that something seemed off about Laurius. Something in the man's expression slowed his feet like lead as he moved toward his usual seat. Ren studied him warily, running scenarios in his head to try to imagine if he'd done something to upset him. He paled. He'd been overtly invited, but had fallen asleep at his desk without making it to Laurius's quarters last night. Was he angry? He sat down carefully at the place adjacent to Laurius, stealing a glance at him. "Good morning," he said.

"Hm—Oh, good morning," Laurius said, appearing distracted while rubbing at something on his chest. He lifted his gaze to Artisuren and reigned in the panic threatening to squeeze its way out of him.

He should say something. Warn them. Shouldn't he? Wasn't that the right thing to do? But, they'd run and he needed them—the sword, at least, if things went wrong. So, he didn't say anything. Instead, he shook the pale look from his face and turned his gaze on Havitharon as they sat. "Dismissed Felicity, I see? Did her idea of late night reading not align with yours?"

Ren's concerns about Laurius being angry faded at the man's cordial greeting, but he still couldn't shake the feeling something else was wrong. He watched the man closely.

Meanwhile, Havi's expression had gone icy. "Did you already know? That she would misunderstand?" he asked Laurius point-blank.

Laurius smirked, pouring cream into his coffee. "You asked your female tutor to teach you to read and then chose exclusively erotic novels," Laurius said. "Who wouldn't expect it to go awry? I thought it was intentional, as you and Tenara seemed to be on the outs. How was I to know you weren't interviewing for a new Yurivis?" He knew he was being intentional provocative, and that he should dial it back, but stress made him an antagonizing person.

Havi's body went dangerously still as he struggled to believe what the man had just said. Ren looked at Laurius as if he'd just set the room on fire. No, master, what are you doing?! To antagonize Thvoros was one thing. But to accuse an Ivis - any Ivis - of betraying his Yurivis... The smaller phage gripped the arms of his chair, bracing to rise if Havi attacked.

"Erotic..." Havi growled. "I said I needed to learn about Love. She said herself she'd taught it before. Even Tabetha selected the texts herself, and Meredith recommended......" His pulse hammered faster. Had they all been in on it? Was it funny to them that he couldn't understand something so basic?

He rose to his feet, eyes glowing. "I learned something from that book. That men on this world do not like to share. Is it the same for you? You wish to marry her, so you are deliberately isolating Tenara from other males?"

Tenara almost choked on her tea at the mention of erotic novels, but then Havitharon admitted the real reason he'd asked for a tutor and her heart wrenched. Surely all of this was a misunderstanding of some sort?

Laurius laughed, pushing his food aside. He'd lost the stomach for breakfast long before they'd come into the room. "Do you want to share her?" he asked, doubting it very much. Havitharon didn't seem like the type willing to share. "Have no fear, Havitharon. I have no desire to separate you from her. But, if I wanted to, I'd just chuck your sword into the frozen lake out back and be done with it."

Havi's rage felt like it would split him open. "I want what she wants, you selfish fool," he snarled, moving in toward his host with menace rolling off of him. His hand flew toward Laurius's neck, quick as lightning.

"Sing!"

Havi froze. The desperate command had come from Artisuren, whose silver skin was pale as dried ash in his seat beside them.

"Not now," Havitharon warned him.

Artisuren's voice was trembling, but resolute. "Sing the Iavus Harith," he said, not meeting Havi's eyes.

The taller Ivis gritted his teeth. The choice of song was no accident.

"Your master does not deserve you," Havi said bitterly to Ren. Nonetheless, he stood down, stepping back from Laurius. He perched on the buffet at the side of the room, settled his posture, and began to sing the Iavus Harith. The song told of a Yurivis and her two Ivie. The Ivie grew into rivals and their relationship soured. Unable to coexist, they begged their Yurivis for permission to duel. Seeing how unhappy they were, she agreed to break her bond with one of them based on the duel's result. However, they fought so bitterly that both Ivie perished in the duel, leaving their master alone.

Havi's song flowed from his well trained voice, his emphasis making its haunting melody every bit the tragedy it was.

Laurius was so confused by the sudden song, it took him a while to remember that Havitharon had bargained a song for Ren’s help.

The song was beautiful, and he hated it because it sounded like the end of something, and all of this felt like the end with Arken looming over them.

He looked at Tenara and saw how tears filled her eyes, and he knew he couldn’t give the sword away to save his own skin. He knew he shouldn’t, at least. He would find a way to appease them.