The Consort (Tellaran Series) (10 page)

He stood. “Well, you’re probably pretty tired. I’ll let you get some sleep.”

“Will you not be sleeping now too, Kyndan?” Alari asked, her heart sinking.             

“I’ve actually got some work I should do. I didn’t get a chance to write my report to the Council about the status of the peace talks. They’ll be expecting it.”

“I will wait for you,” she offered.

“No. I might be up for hours,” he said with a wave of his hand. “Go ahead and get some rest. We don’t have anything planned till midday so you’ll be able to sleep in. They’ve arranged some such thing or other tomorrow. Tour of the city, that kind of stuff.”

“Oh,” she murmured. She had been so relieved today when he said it would be long before they joined, let alone were bound. Now she did not know what to think and she blinked back tears before he should see them.

“I’ll see you in the morning.” He hesitated then gently cupping her cheek he pressed the lightest of kisses to her forehead. “Sleep well, Alari.”

She nodded, willing herself not to cry until the door shut behind him.

“You’re lucky I
didn’t
use my right cross, Kyn,” Kinara said the next morning, her rounded cheeks pink with anger. His sister had waylaid him on his way down to the kitchens and grabbed his arm to pull him into her apartments. “How the hell could you embarrass me like that?”

Kyndan scrubbed his face with his hands. “Maybe you could let me have a cup of caf before you lay into me? I didn’t get much sleep.”

She glared at him for a moment then snapped off an order to one of her maids while he and Aidar exchanged nods. Morning light streamed through the windows and while her attendants had laid out breakfast, that particular Tellaran beverage wasn’t usually one of the offerings. He’d brought some for his visit and a bunch more for Kinara to enjoy after he left.

He took the cup Sella offered and nodded his thanks. Sella was a pretty thing, especially when she smiled in return, but he couldn’t forget how she hadn’t even bothered acknowledging his existence when he’d been a slave here. One of the many things he didn’t miss about Az-kye.

“You should have sent me a fucking message, given me some warning—
something
!”

Kyndan took a seat at the table and took a grateful swallow of caf. “I didn’t think it was going to be such an issue.”

“An
issue
?” Kinara threw an outraged look at Aidar. “He shows up on our doorstep an hour before midnight—unannounced—with an Imperial Daughter and he didn’t think it would be an
issue
!”

“I still don’t understand what the problem is,” Kyndan grumbled, rubbing at his eyes. “She’s my wife, she’s your sister-in-law. Are we going to need an engraved invitation every time we visit?”

“Look, Kyn, there are very strict rules of etiquette that have to be followed in Az-kye society. You can’t just run around doing whatever you want!” She sent a narrow gaze at her mate. “Not one word, Aidar. I
mean
it.”

Aidar’s mouth twitched then his face smoothed to warrior impassivity. “I do not think to speak of such.”

His sister’s eyes flashed dangerously and Kyndan held up a hand before Kinara’s temper went critical. “Look we had to go
somewhere
and believe me we weren’t welcome at the palace.”

Kinara’s brow creased as she eased herself into a chair. “Why do you say that?”

“Uh, well, let’s see,” Kyndan said, pretending to frown. “None of the courtiers—including her sister—were speaking to her, her own mother didn’t hang around to wish us well after the wedding, and all of Alari’s attendants had already taken off for better prospects. In fact, the only way we could have felt any
less
welcome is if the Imperial guard had thrown us out on our asses.”

Kinara exchanged a look with Aidar. “I didn’t know it was like that for her.”

Kyndan lifted his cup again. “In case you’ve forgotten, marrying me was supposed to be as bad as being cast out of the clan.”

Kinara glanced at the doorway. “Speaking of which—”

“Utar,” Kyndan said in greeting at seeing who it was. “You’re looking better.”

The disgraced warrior gave him a spare glance then lowered his eyes again. He did look much better than he had the night before. Still very thin, of course, but he no longer had that desperate look of hunger in his eyes. He’d bathed and his clothes, still white, were clean and new.

“He’s all set for you,” Kinara said.

Kyndan’s gaze snapped to his sister. “For me? What are you talking about?”

“Your servant,” she said with a nod at Utar. “My clan has fed and clothed him. He’s been given a bed on our estate so he’ll be nearby to serve you. Oh, don’t worry, I deducted the cost from the funds you’ve been provided for the mission for your slave’s keeping.”

“My—?” Kyndan broke off and threw a look at the one-time warrior. “Hey, do me a favor, Utar—Go to the kitchens and tell them to brew more caf, okay?”

The man bent his head in acknowledgment and when Kyndan was sure Utar was out of earshot, he gave Kinara a sharp look. “My
what
?”

“Your slave,” Kinara repeated. “You told me to house him for you. I did.”

“I told you to take him in for
you
.”

“The Az’anti clan doesn’t own any slaves, Kyndan,” she said coolly. “I’m pretty sure you remember why.”

“Only the Az-kye practice slavery, I’m Tellaran,” he reminded tightly. “I can’t own a slave, Kinna. He has to stay with you.”

“Oh, hell, no, Kyn. He’s yours, all right.”

Kyndan held her gaze but Kinara met him look for look.

“Okay, fine,” he gritted out. “I want him freed anyway.”

“Free a slave in Az-kye space. Great plan.” Kinara raised her eyebrows, her expression politely interested. “How are you going to do that again?”

“I’ll just free him,” Kyndan snapped. 

“Again, how? I mean if it were that easy I would have freed
you
, right? I wouldn’t have had to gather all the Tellarans and return them to Tellaran space, I could have just—” she made a flinging gesture “—freed them all.”

“Okay, you’re the expert on Az-kye society. How do I free him?”

Kinara considered. “Well, he could marry into a clan with the clan leaders’ permission. That is, if anyone wanted to marry someone clanless which no
sane
”—she glanced at Aidar, who grinned at her—“person would do. Once every two or three hundred years or so one of them is freed by Imperial decree. You have an in at the palace, maybe you could try that.”

“That’s
it
?” Kyndan demanded. “
Those
are the options?”

“Or Tellaran space,” Aidar offered.

“But in the meantime . . .” Kinara took a sip from her cup. “Hey, this
is
good caf, Kyn. Thanks for bringing it.”

Kyndan passed his hand over his eyes. “Well, I’m really looking forward to making my report to Admiral Henon
now
.” He stood, took up an at-ease stance and gave a nod to the imaginary admiral. “‘No, Sir, no treaty, but I married an Az-kye princess, accidently acquired a slave, and—oh, I forgot to mention—the empress
hates
my Tellaran ass. That’s right, Sir, all in the first forty-eight hours of the mission.’”

“Commander Maere!” Laric said sharply from the doorway.

“I don’t think Admiral Henon is the worst of your problems right now, Kyn,” his sister said, looking at him over her cup.

Laric’s nostrils were flared, her skirts billowing out as she barreled his way.

Sighing, Kyndan turned to face the maid.

He had slept beside her.

There was an indentation on the other pillow and very faint scent of him in the bedclothes. Alari reached across the bed to rest her hand where his body had lain.

Despite his urging that she should not wait for his return, she had tried to remain awake but the day had been very long. At some point she had fallen asleep and he had come and gone again before she awoke.

For the first time in her life, she had awakened in an unfamiliar place. For a moment she just lay luxuriating in the newness, in the astonishment of finding her life, the path of which had been determined from the moment she had drawn her first breath, now so radically altered.

Alari’s fingers traced the smooth linen where Kyndan had slept.

Her experience with Jazan had been so painful that she, who used to giggle and whisper with Saria over men who set her breath quickening, who had been brought up to think of coupling as a joyous gift from the gods, had felt not a flicker of desire at the sight of any man for nearly a year.

Until yesterday.

And she had never longed for any man’s touch as she did now for Kyndan’s.

She scooted over to his side, brushing her check against his pillow, breathing in the warm scent of him. He had joined with other women. Certainly he was handsome enough that he would have his choice.

Perhaps he simply does not want
me
. . .

And yet there had been hunger in his eyes last night, his body taut and trembling, when he had pulled her against him. Her palm on his thigh had brought him to standing.

Was it the way of Tellarans to be so reticent in bedding?  But even so, surely he could have
kissed
her . . .

What Jazan had done was so appalling that at times even now it seemed unreal. He should have lost all honor, all status and been cast from his clan but her mother’s order that the marriage go forward effectively silenced any outcry she might have made about his crimes.

But she did not know how Tellarans viewed such things. Did Kyndan think she should have called out to her guards instead of stifling her pain, denounced Jazan publicly in defiance of her mother’s order, that she had not fought hard enough?

Her throat tightened.  Was it, then, what Jazan had done to her? Did the idea of it so repulse Kyndan that he could not see beyond it?

The door opened and, embarrassed to be caught on his side of the bed, she quickly sat up as Kyndan came into the suite.

“You’re awake.” His smile was instant upon seeing her and encouraged by his bright look she smiled back.

Kyndan came to the bedside. He was dressed again in the clothes of a Tellaran warrior, the dark blue of the tunic bringing out the color of his eyes. “Did you sleep okay?”

She nodded. “Yes, very well, my mate.”

“Do you feel like going out into the city? Kinara’s invited a few friends of ours for dinner tonight but Nisara arranged a tour of the city.”

“Nisara?”

“Lieutenant Nisara de’Cator. She’s a pilot really but she’s acting as my attaché for the mission.” He sat on the bed. “She met someone—a warrior—when we were captives here. She probably would have volunteered to carry my luggage if it got her back to Az-kye.” Kyndan tilted his head, searching her face. “How are you feeling? I know it must be frightening, to have your whole life turned upside down like this.”

“I am well.”

“I’m not a courtier, Alari,” he reminded gently. “I’m not pretending friendship to get something from you. It’s okay to tell me how you are really.”

Kyndan’s blue gaze warmed her center and suddenly she did not know where to look. She took in the bright, cheerful suite, the sunlight streaming in from the windows, the sweet fresh air from the open balcony doors.

“Truly, I am well, Kyndan.” she assured and gave a shy shrug. “And hungry.”

His smile widened. “Well, that’s easily fixed. Two of Kinara’s women will be bringing breakfast up any minute. They’re going to act as your maids while we’re here and Laric will supervise them.”

“You will share the morning meal with me?” she asked hopefully.

“I think it’s my only option now. I got an earful from Laric this morning for not sending ahead to let them know you were coming. I’m afraid she’ll poison breakfast unless she thinks you’ll be eating it too.”

She folded her hands in her lap, smiling. “You must tell her I thought myself well greeted and honorably welcomed to the clanhouse.”

“Yeah, something tells me that she’s not going to be assured by anything
I
say to her. I wasn’t her favorite person when I lived here before and showing up unannounced with an Imperial princess in tow might have me now officially counted among the enemy.”