A Noble Estate (3 page)

“If I may be so bold as to ask, why do you want S’Rak, Sire?”

“He is my son,” said Owain. “He should never have been enslaved at all. I want to mitigate the diplomatic disaster if I can. If he’s owned by the crown, well, I can make sure that Okyro is mollified and that nobody can use him against me.”

“I would never use S’Rak against you,” Jisten said. “He’ll be safest with me. He’s bonded to me by the gods. I could never hurt him, and Okyro knows that.”

“Just think,” cajoled the king. “Rak would be safe from the likes of my brother and have the freedom of any palace slave, and you could stay with him. In addition, your Valers in the city would be under your protection as their landowner, they could even own their own homes and no longer have to fear making the rent or the slaver’s debt collar.”

“Your Majesty is most gracious.” Little beads of sweat dotted his brow. “But S’Rak is happiest and safest with me. I would never let him be used against you by your adopted brother or anyone else. Really, Sire, having a dark servant as your slave would make you a target. My race worships both houses. I am far safer than you would be.”

“Keeping a slave like that will bankrupt you,” said Owain, doggedly persistent. “You don’t have the men to guard him or the resources to win a battle against any reaver that comes along. So long as Araken is your property, you are a target. Surely you realize that? It’s not like I’m saying you can never see Araken again. All we’re talking about is who owns the slave on paper. That piece of paper, listing me as owner, is protection for your both.”

“I have sufficient forces to repulse any attack, Sire,” Jisten said. “And as I am a low noble, it leaves you out of any political difficulty with dark forces clashing on your lands. You can stay above it all, while S’Rak and I are safe. I appreciate your concerns, but I assure you, your son
is
safest with me. May I go now?”

“Go,” said Owain with great reluctance.

Jisten departed the royal wing at a pace just short of a run. He went straight to Rak to apprise him of the situation. When he got to his rooms, he found his mate sitting cross-legged on the bed folding laundry. He immediately gasped out the gist of the conversation.

Rak was no fool. He was up off the bed and reaching for the chest the packs were stored in before Jisten finished speaking. “The king will invoke the crown’s right of seizure next. We must leave today, before he can force us both to remain.” He paused a moment and then said, “Do not ask Scorth to pack.”

Jisten blinked. “Isn’t Scorth exploring the mountains west of here?”

“
Ai
, but still. Do not ever ask him to pack. Not if you want your belongings to make the trip with you.”

Jisten chuckled.

Rak ducked out into the sitting room and opened the door. “Pika,” he called.

His battleaxe of a guard tromped in. “Thez. What’s going on?”

“We are leaving. Can you see to the avtappi? S’Liast and Jethain will accompany us.”

Pika tossed him an offhand salute. “Consider it done. Might want to tell Prince Sunny that we’re going, though.”

“I will take that under advisement,” Rak replied dryly. He exchanged a quick military handshake with her then turned back to the packing.

Pikara watched him another moment, her eyes dark with repressed emotion. She saw Jisten watching her and her lip curled into a sneer. “What’cha lookin’ at, Captain Hot Ass?”

Jisten could feel his face turning bright red, but he held his ground. “I care about S’Rak, too. And I’m not—”

Pikara snorted. “I’ll be in the stable.” She stalked out before Jisten could get another word in.

“I think she is starting to like you,” Rak said without looking up.

“Surely you jest.”

“I never jest. I have no sense of humor. All know this.” The twitching lips gave the lie to Rak’s words.

Jisten laughed this time. He walked over to his desk and wrote two notes. Then, he paused. “I need three notes to send, S’Rak.”

“To whom are you sending the first two?”

“Jethain and S’Liast, to let them know we’re leaving and it’s urgent.”

“Ah. Then send a note to Tebber, also, asking him to stay here and help S’Ioli. I will not need a servant where we are going, and S’Ioli does need the help.”

Jisten wrote the third note then said, “Message.” His three mastigi crawled out of his uniform, clicking delightedly. One by one, he fixed them in his gaze and concentrated on whom he wanted them to go to. Then, he gave them their note and let them fly. It took less than a minute to send all three mastigi on their errands. He walked over to Rak and ran an appreciative hand up Rak’s smooth, bare leg.

Rak glanced sideways at him. “Keep that up and we will never get out of here.”

“Do you remember Saga?” Jisten murmured, his lips a finger width from Rak’s ear.

“Of course.” Rak chuckled softly. His wings unfurled and slid about Jisten’s body. “Do you remember the fun we had on the ride home?”

“You read my mind. I don’t want you to change into anything else,” Jisten told him. Rak was dressed in one the thinner, shorter tunics, the ones that stopped mid-thigh. The ones that drove Jisten wild. He reached down and caressed Rak’s butter-soft balls, but he forced himself to step away from the smaller man before things got out of hand. With a faint regret, he turned his attention to packing.

Rak had cannily left most of what they’d brought from the palace in the packs, so it was the work of a half hour at the most to repack everything. Rak attempted to lug the packs out the door.

Jisten intercepted and relieved him of half the load. “I don’t care if it looks bad. I’m helping.”

“
Ai
, master,” said Rak impishly, flashing a grin.

Jisten wanted to protest, but they were out in the public corridor now. He sighed, shook his head and headed for the stables.

The light wagon was parked in the middle of the stable yard, the two draft avtappi already harnessed and hitched up to it. Rak set his packs in the bed before he stepped up to the black and grey-spotted beasts. They were big-boned, with feathering on their thick legs that almost hid the climbing claws. They were normally as placid as the draft horses they were descended from but retained the fire of their vranyxia sides when threatened. Rak stroked their soft noses in greeting while he wondered why they were out here. The wagon—and these two avtappi—belonged to the embassy.

Nymis, Ikayone and Tebber walked out of the palace bearing packs.

Rak turned to them. “What is going on?”

“S’Ioli has decided to travel with you for a while. At this time, there is nothing going on here that requires his attention.” Nymis grinned. “He wants to visit the temple in Loftos.”

“Ah. Jisten’s estate would be a good halfway point then.” Rak was pleased to have the company.

Dolron and Phonasa came out of the palace while Rak was speaking. They carefully set their burdens in the wagon.

“S’Liast needs more help,” Phonasa said.

“We’re coming,” Nymis replied. The guards all headed back toward the palace. They were in step before they were halfway to the door.

Jisten set a hand on Rak’s shoulder, preventing him from following the guards. “Stay with me. Let’s go help Pikara saddle the avtappi.”

Rak nodded and walked into the stable. Someone had set gear out for each and every avtappi in the stables.

Kennit bounced up to them as soon as they entered the barn. “Can I come? Please? You’ll need a stable hand who knows avtappi. Please?”

Rak reached out and tousled his hair. “Of course you may come with us. Ride Vrema. She gets lonely with S’Tyll gone so much.”

Kennit squealed with glee and shot off down the aisle. “Oh, thank you, sir! Hey, Pikara! He said I could come!”

“Good! Now help me saddle the avtappi,” Pikara hollered back, equally cheerful.

With four of them working, it didn’t take long to tack up all the avtappi. They saddled the remounts as well, for Jisten quietly pointed out that the prince would still have a bodyguard. It was required. Rak did a quick count and shrugged. There were enough avtappi to go around. The beasts without bonded riders trotted out to the yard once they were saddled. Rak asked them to select riders for the trip.

Kal poked his head into the barn. “The prince’s guard is assembled, Captain.”

“Thank you, Kal,” replied Jisten gravely.

Otikon and Yalyna trotted over to Kal who gave them sausages before he led them out of the barn.

Rak checked the aisle. All the avtappi were saddled now. He touched Vyld and asked him to tell all the avtappi to leave the barn. The equines snorted smoke and bowed their heads as they complied, trotting out into the morning sunlight.

Rak and Jisten followed after a last sweep for any stray equipment.

Kennit ran past with an armload of light blankets and a stack of buckets.

Rak snatched up another stack and a few stray brushes. Jisten and Pikara lugged the chest of avtappi armor out to the wagon.

“Best not to leave anything here,” Pikara muttered. “Not if we don’t want it ruined or stolen by nosy sunnies.”

Rak shook his head at her but didn’t argue the point. He looked around the yard. Jethain’s guards were all standing beside riderless avtappi, so Rak went and made the introductions. The matched set of twin war beasts had once again selected Largo and Orste as riders. Fentri and Tegaelin, both newer members of the prince’s guards, stood beside a black, grey and white-patterned riding avtappi and a light grey with darker points, respectively. Rak introduced them then moved on.

“Tebber, how is Vaiyan?”

The black and white-striped avtappi snorted smoke over his rider, who grinned from ear to ear. “He’s great, sir! I still can’t believe he’s mine!”

Rak patted Tebber’s shoulders. “I apologize for not making that clear before. He is yours, and you are his. That is how a bonding works.”

Tebber bobbed his head. “Thank you.”

Ioli and Liast were standing together some distance from the prince’s guard. Liast was eating a bar of chocolate. “Travel nerves,” he mumbled.

“Where is Jethain?” asked Rak.

The prince hurried out to his impatient avtappi. “It’s not like I can drop everything,” he grumbled. Bello, his death hound puppy, galloped at his heels, snatching at his cloak. He briefly greeted Varn and swung up into his saddle. Everyone else followed suit. “Let’s ride!”

They headed out. Rak rode beside Jisten and Jethain, Liast and Ioli came next followed by Tebber and Kennit, and the various guard forces took up positions around them. The wagon rumbled along behind, the draft avtappi following the others with no need of a driver to direct them.

“We’re visiting my lands,” Jisten said as they rode. “It seems to me that it’s past time for me to see the place I am now in charge of.”

“It’s a seven-day ride,” said Jethain cheerfully. “And every noble should be familiar with his lands.”

There was much cheerful laughter and banter. Everyone appreciated getting out of the city. Once they were out on the open road, Jisten told Jethain about the meeting in the king’s study.

Scorth’s shadow passed over them, reassuring them all. The smaller shadows of wyvern flitted about his.

“My dearest Thezomeh,” said Liast, “did I not hear that there were cacao trees on the lands of your noble mate?”

“You heard correctly,” replied Rak. “And a café plantation, as well.”

Liast beamed. “As your healer, I must sample each batch of cocoa to assure its quality.”

Everybody laughed. Liast’s love of chocolate, and his stratagems for acquiring it, had already reached legendary proportion.

* * * *

Jisten brought Zala close to Vyld, and with a quick, skilled maneuver, slid off Zala and onto Vyld behind Rak. He wanted the feel of wings around him. He stroked Rak’s bare thighs in greeting.

Rak leaned back against him. “
Xai’εtε
, master,” he said teasingly.

Jisten kissed his neck above the torque and stroked the wing undersides in revenge. Rak’s wings unfurled and encased Jisten almost reflexively.

Rak moaned and muttered, “That is
so
unfair.”

“You started it,” Jisten breathed in his ear. “I’m going to enjoy our time at our manor.”

“Keep this up and our journey will be delayed!”

Jisten felt around to Rak’s belly. The baby fluttered. Rak’s belly had a rounded appearance to it now, which was another reason he was happy to finally be leaving Summertown. Rak’s condition was getting harder and harder to deny. “Food, sex, relaxation, sex, swimming, sex, wine, sex,” Jisten whispered in Rak’s ear. “Or do you want more food than that?”

“With, perhaps, some sex?” asked Rak. “And more food?”

“Sex, food, relaxation, sex, food, swimming, sex, food, wine, sex, food, and sex?” Jisten kissed Rak’s neck again and hummed at the same time.

Rak squirmed, rubbing his posterior against Jisten’s growing interest.

Jethain said, “Get a room, you two!”

“Nothing illegal here anymore!” Rak replied.

“I have a whole manor full of rooms now!” Jisten called back.

“Decency laws,” retorted Jethain to Rak. “No public sex allowed!”

“Koilathans are no fun!” Phonasa declared. “Law this, law that!”

“Phonasa is right!” agreed Rak.

Jisten knew he was blushing scarlet. No matter how calm and collected he tried to be, he couldn’t seem to overcome his sheer embarrassment at conversations like these. The fact that Rak, and Rak’s guards, all thought it was cute didn’t help. He suspected they went out of their way to include him in conversations about things that belonged behind bedroom doors.

Rak whispered in Jisten’s ear, “I am wearing only a tunic, as you commanded. Our positions on Vyld will serve to hide what is going on.”

Jisten choked. But he didn’t say no. How could he when he’d been the one to suggest it? And he realized the trap he’d set for himself. Here, he’d just been thinking that this sort of thing belonged behind doors, and now, he was about to make a brazen, public display.

Vlyd veered off the track to explore a small stand of trees. He stopped between their screening branches, in the one spot where there was enough space for his riders to move comfortably.