Heirot

Ren had tugged his fingers over his scalp and begun pacing the edge of the room, but he still focused on each of Laurius's words. When the man's sentence trailed off, Ren stilled for long enough to regard him curiously. His mind had been racing, but now he tried to play back the man's last few words to figure out the cause of his falter.

I mean that with love.

Wasn't that the word Thvoros had been fixated on at the manor? Clearly, there was something important about it, because everyone reacted this way whenever it came up. Its meaning felt blurry for him, despite the translation spell. He made a mental note to do some research of his own, if they survived this.

"Why should I know how that maniac thinks?" he muttered, but tried to think through it anyway. "The trial is a duel to the death. For him to lose, one of us would have to kill him, or at least put him on the brink. He's never lost a fight, or submitted to anyone. What if it's not in him to do it?"

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. Gods be damned, the Princess had to be a sleep? They could make a run for it if she were moving. He had the itch to pour a pitcher of water over her head.

Ren made a dismissive gesture and opened his mouth to say that yes, of course he would. But he didn't, and the hesitation showed. "A normal Ivis would have no trouble dying for his Yurivis, but how can I say for sure with that guy? He just broke a woman's wrist earlier, and kicked another square in the chest. No male in his right mind could do such a thing, and it's not his first time. Tenara hasn't bonded him yet. And if he decides to fight..."

He went still as the stakes actually hit him for the first time. If Thvoros chose to fight, whoever Tenara sent against him would die. He turned to Laurius, expression drawn tight. "I will do it."

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. "Besides," Laurius continued. "I won't let you."

Laurius was right. He was right. Not only did the princess dislike him, but Laurius was substantially less useful to her in this realm. Ren felt his hackles raising, and he'd never been skilled at mastering his emotions. "You will not stop me. A Yurivis's commands are absolute," he growled, even angrier the more he realized the words sounded senseless.

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 rest of the day?" It likely sounded like gibberish to them.

Artisuren rolled his eyes and switched to his native language. "My bondmate and I request food for our Yurivis."

The guards glanced at each other, clearly confused how their unintelligible argument had been summed up with that request. "They are bringing it soon," one said with the gentleness one would show when taming a stubborn pet. As if on cue, a servant arrived with a tray a moment later and brought it into the room. It was the same young girl who had brought them the cart the night before, and from the way she avoided their eyes at all costs as she set down the food, she was also the one who had been ordered to prepare Tenara's breakfast.

"I wish your Yurivis good health," she said softly as she bowed her head and scurried out. The guards followed after her, closing the door behind them now that the group was secure and fed.

Ren muttered something to himself as he dropped to a stool next to the table and began fussing with the food. "You will not like these," he muttered, setting aside some grayish crackers. He proceeded to sort through the foods. "These are..." he was about to set the fruits onto what seemed to be Tenara's plate, but hesitated. "She is already healed," he justified, muttering again as he switched them somewhat guiltily to Laurius's. There were a few more dilemmas as he tried very seriously to figure out who to favor with the best treats. Engrossed in the familiar act of service, he gradually lifted out of his foul mood despite himself.

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 no female guards to punish him for what he was about to do.

He went over to Tenara and grabbed her shoulders, shaking her. "Wake up, Princess." Her head lolled on her shoulders. "Hey! Tenara! Wake up!"

Her eyes fluttered, rolled open and then closed again. He lifted a hand, considering trying to smack her awake. Her eyes snapped open and he stopped short of his palm connecting to her cheek. Her gaze was wild, half-focused.

"There," he said. "Good. Now you can eat and maybe gather enough energy to tear the door off its hinges?"

She shoved his hands off her and pressed into the corner of the couch. "Havitharon?"

Laurius guessed at the plate that Ren had designated as Tenara's and passed it to her. "Eat."

Tenara took the plate slowly. "Where's Havitharon?"

Ren was on his feet, having sprung up in alarm at Laurius's sudden mistreatment of the princess. He'd been about to tackle him when Tenara suddenly woke.

"He is safe in his quarters, awaiting the trial," Ren said cautiously. She did not look ready at all to hear about what had happened.

"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, but he shoved a mushroom between her teeth as she went to reply.

Tenara remembered the stories Havi told her about his time in the ring, and the agreement his sister had made with him because of the bind he'd placed on himself.

"Ren says you will be asked to choose who will fight him," Laurius explained. "It will need to be one of your harem, and that makes the two of us. A fight to the death, or near death."

Tenara shook her head. "She can't make us do this."

"I agree. So eat up, get your energy back, and melt the fucking door." Laurius shoved another fruit into her mouth.

Tenara's gaze flicked to Ren as she chewed. She opened her mouth to ask him something, and Laurius tried to shove another piece of food in. She snapped at him as if she meant to bite him and he pulled his hand away. "I can feed myself." She pulled the plate away. Tenara turned her attention to Ren again. "Do you know how to get out of this place? If we could escape, do you know the way to Havi's rooms and back into the caves? I don't remember..."

Ren didn't register the question at first. He was too horrified by Laurius's contemptuous approach to serving a Yurivis. When her words sunk in as intended for him and not his master, he finally nodded. "I can guide you wherever you wish to go. However, the Marquess will hunt after us if we abandon her challenge. Her power is very different from Kishva's. Using your power weakens you, and I still haven't figured out how to get you home."

He paused. "And... Thvoros and I will not be able to go far with you. They still have our blades."

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 didn't hesitate before she nodded and Laurius hadn't the heart to call her a poor fool to her face. He trusted nothing for certain, and while he wanted to agree with her that Havitharon would choose her over his pride, he remembered the look on Ren's face when he'd asked that same question.

"Fine," Laurius grumbled, taking a bite. "We wait."

Laurius lost his patience, though, about an hour into waiting. Tenara was nodding off again, her head propped on her hand, when he said, "We should come up with a backup plan in case Havitharon decides he doesn't like the idea of losing a fight he's always won," he said.

Tenara blinked her eyes open. "Its not necessary," she said. "If Havitharon doesn't lose, then he can't be with me."

"Entertain me," Laurius said. "What should we do?"

"I don't know," she said, frowning. "We don't have anywhere to go, Laurius. We would need to get the blades back..." She paused, and he wondered if she was trying to understand what it would mean for the sword if Havitharon chose to stay. "We have no where to go, anyway. No way to get home. We could leave and then we'll be homeless and lost in the caves..."

"And the alternative?" he asked.

"We could make ourselves useful to Havitharon's sister... Join her court."

Laurius scoffed. "I doubt she'll allow that." But, his gaze slid to Ren questioningly. "What do you think we should do?"

Ren did not like being the sudden focal point of their argument. "The Marquess has a very public disdain for all magic wielders. She executed the last mage she trusted, though there are different rumors about why. You will not be welcomed in this court, but others will compete for you. If you implore her to be your sponsor, the Marquess will arrange a suitable match with another House. She often grants acts of mercy to those whose harems are decimated by her duels. It adds to her prestige."

But still, she would be so isolated. Could Laurius protect her as her only Ivis? He didn't even understand their tongue. Ren kept the thought to himself and groaned. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall with a thump. A low scraping sound in the wall startled him upright again, and he glanced back. "One of these is loose," he muttered, inspecting the heavy stone bricks.

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 duel. The other part of her wanted to trust the process. It didn't matter who she put in the ring, Havitharon would make a good show of the fight and then he'd feign failure, and then they could leave. Right? It was simple. Why complicate it with a failed escape?

Laurius tapped his hands across the wall row by row from left to right until he nudged one that shifted inward a hair. He looked to Ren and Tenara and then reached for it.

"Wait," Tenara said, coming off the couch and grabbing his arm. He paused, waiting for her to elaborate, but what could she say? Every excuse sounded silly in her head. Had her brief time in Elias's camp truly made her so frightened of risk? Of risking punishment in the hopes of escape? No one would beat or assault her here, Ren had assured. Men did not do those things here. She bit her lip and then moved her hand.

Laurius gripped the brick with the tips of his fingers and the edge of his nails and pulled it towards himself, trying to wiggle it out of the wall.

The joint between the stones was so tight that it was nearly impossible to get a proper grip. Ren joined Laurius in struggling to get the block to move. After a few minutes, their fingernails were beyond use. "If someone did slide this out on purpose, there's no way they did it by hand," he muttered crossly. There was no sign of wear from a chisel or other tool, either. "It could just be a loose stone," he said, but his tone didn't sound like he believed it. A single loose stone in a Marquess's lock room? It didn't seem likely.

Frustrated, he turned and walked to the closed door. "Who was the last to use this lock room?" he called, knocking on the wood.

"That would be Marivos," One of the guards answered him. "She was kept here while she stood trial."

"The sorcerer...The one that was executed?"

"That's the one," the guard confirmed. "Even if you complain, this is the most secure room. I'm afraid we can't move you."

"Oh..." Ren murmured. The guard must have assumed he was disappointed, because the discussion ended there. Ren stood lost in thought, wondering how long the sorcerer had been in this room. That case had been big news throughout the courts. Hadn't the trial taken weeks?