A DRINK BEFORE BATTLE (MxM)

The second floor of the Golden Pearl housed the workshop where all those fine imported fabrics were tailored into fine luxury fashions. It was a bustling, industrious environment, with more than a dozen young men and women working at various stations around the large room, chattering happily amongst themselves amid a chaotic clutter of piled fabric bolts, mannequins, and shelves stuffed full of threads, buttons, trimmings, and the like.

As Kyrzhan and Anzen led the rest through the commotion, they were met with merry greetings for “Master Damah”, and even the occasional “Uncle Vei” from a few familiar faces. Despite the lively atmosphere, though, Meira sidled close to Sevei wearing a troubled expression. When they passed four girls sitting near a window, embroidering a beaded embellishment along the vast hem of a gown spread over their laps, one of them glanced up with a timid smile, and Sevei heard Meira suppress a light gasp.

Sevei turned to her with a sympathetic gaze and a grim nod. He knew exactly what she must feel – many of the young people employed in this shop had escaped conditions of unspeakable misuse, at the hands of their families or of others. Sevei squeezed her shoulder lightly.

“Don’t worry about them,” he murmured, “they’re all safe now.”

Meira pursed her lips, blinking a bit of gleaming moisture from her eyes, and nodded distractedly.

After crossing the workshop, they were led into a spacious lounge with a small kitchen at one end. Kyrzhan closed the door, muffling most of the noise of the workshop, and Sevei immediately rounded on him.

“Kyri, what’s going on at the Aviary?” he asked with anxious concern. “Why did we need to meet here?”

Kyrzhan looked as if he had no idea what Sevei could mean. “Here is where the Sergeant will come, temporarily,” he answered with an innocent smile. “I have some rooms set aside for her upstairs. I thought she’d like to get the lay of things ahead of time.”

Sevei glanced at Thelan where she stood quietly behind the group. “Your message made it sound like there was some trouble. Why did we need to steer clear?”

“Only for your own sake,” Kyrzhan assured him. “Now that you’ve been guarding us for a while, won’t more Tharlburgers know who you are? Surely you won’t want to be seen in my den of debauchery now?”

Sevei narrowed his eyes on Kyrzhan suspiciously. “You would tell me if you were having trouble, wouldn’t you?”

“Of course,” Kyrzhan answered, patting Sevei’s arm. “Now, let’s all sit and Anzen will bring the tea.”

They all settled in around a large table. Anzen pulled a chair for Kyrzhan, who gave him an affectionate smile as he moved away to the kitchen hearth to prepare the tea.

“You really should all stay for dinner,” Kyrzhan invited. “The staff are roasting a venison in the back courtyard.”

“Mmm, if only we weren’t due elsewhere for dinner,” Sevei said, “but the Royals need to tell us how to run our business. We’re dining with a Valeskan emissary and the Brinnish Crown Prince tonight.”

“Ah!” Anzen called from the hearth, “so that’s what brought His Highness to town!”

“Anzen!” Kyrzhan chided him.

“I suppose he won’t be back tonight, then,” Anzen said with a devilish grin as he brought the tray over.

Sevei’s brows rose. “Kyri... is Prince Rendrick a client?” he whispered. “Is that why you told me to stay away? Kyri...” His tone turned sharply from surprise to concern. “I’ve heard he can be... demanding. He doesn’t mistreat you...?”

Anzen threw his head back and laughed heartily while Kyrzhan sighed at him with annoyance.

“I don’t talk about my clients,” Kyrzhan asserted, giving a pointed glare to Anzen.

Anzen sat next to Kyrzhan, shuffling his chair over so that their shoulders brushed intimately.

“We’re only talking about a mutual acquaintance,” he said innocently. “If they must negotiate with him, we could give them some pointers.”

Kyrzhan looked affronted. “Nooo....” he said slowly, a warning in his voice.

“Please do tell, Anzen,” Sevei said gleefully.

“You must assert your authority,” Anzen readily offered. “Don’t hesitate to put your foot down. His Highness is quite responsive to a firm hand.”

Sevei’s mouth fell open. “So, that’s how it is?”

He stared at Kyrzhan, who only rolled his eyes at Anzen and looked away.

Sevei looked around at the others. Meira was doing her best to stifle a smile. Yeresym had been casing the building since they walked in, assessing its safety for Meira’s impending stay, and now only spared this conversation a disturbed glance. Thelan seemed to be drifting into one of her dazes, blissfully ignoring all this idle chatter.

“You’re Generals,” Anzen went on, “so you shouldn’t have any trouble taking command. Just try to... put a bit of seduction on it.”

“Are you suggesting that I flirt with him?” Sevei laughed.

“It would be best if he did,” Anzen smirked, pointing at Yeresym. “His Highness is a sucker for a pretty face.”

Sevei glanced at Yeresym, and saw that muscle working in his jaw, the one that usually presaged a tantrum. Meira laid a calming hand on his arm.

“Am I not pretty enough?” Sevei said with mock indignation. “You said I was cute before.”

“You’re ruggedly handsome,” Anzen reminded him. “He’s pretty.”

Yeresym stood up from the table and went to peer out of a window, which probably overlooked the back courtyard where the venison was being roasted.

“Imp,” Kyrzhan whispered in Anzen’s direction. “We do have business to discuss here, so now that you’ve wreaked your havoc, why don’t you leave us to it?”

Anzen’s deep blue eyes and pearly teeth seemed to sparkle as he stood in agreement. “I’ll get things ready in case he does come back tonight.” Then grinning at Sevei he added, “If he doesn’t meet your demands, let us know. Our Master Damah will whip him into submission.”

“Get lost!” Kyrzhan hissed, swatting at him. Anzen leaned down and kissed his cheek before practically skipping out of the room.

“Kyri?” Sevei cajoled, leaning towards him conspiratorially. “What’s this?” he asked, smiling slyly and nodding his head the way Anzen had gone.

“What?” Kyrzhan replied, looking away nonchalantly. He glanced back at Sevei’s raised eyebrow and scoffed. “It’s very new,” he reluctantly confessed. “I’ll tell you more when there’s more to tell.”

“He seems young...”

“Not that young-”

“And I thought you had a rule about your associates...”

Kyrzhan sighed and leaned back in his chair.

“He’s rather ardent, though... “ he said lazily, “...quite persistent in his affections. I’m finding it difficult to deny him.”

Sevei coughed lightly and glanced at Yeresym, still looking out the window. “A man after my own heart, then,” he smiled.

“General Urskatha, please feel free to look around,” Kyrzhan said, raising his voice from the murmur he and Sevei had used.

Yeresym seemed to be counting something out in the yard. “You’re well guarded,” he said to Kyrzhan with a satisfied nod.

“A necessity for both my goods and my people, and I’m able to hire far more experienced guards for the Pearl than for the Aviary.” Kyrzhan gave Meira a warm smile. “You’ll be safe here. You’ll have a young boy with you, yes? We’ll have papers for both of you under assumed names, showing you as siblings, and I have people in Caedra to help you settle there. Since you plan to do this in the aftermath of a battle, things will be hectic for a bit, but you can hide here for a few days and then we’ll arrange transport. Normally, that would be by river, but with the port destroyed and the river full of soldiers, we do have a challenge...”

“I’ll take them,” Thelan said, abruptly snapping out of her reverie. “Once things have settled enough that I can leave unnoticed, I’ll come and take them.”

“I can do that,” Yeresym said, his tone edging on belligerence.

“You’ll be under more scrutiny than I will,” Thelan countered irritably, “and with far more to manage.”

Sevei looked askance at them both, wondering why an argument seemed to be brewing between them. “Why don’t we play that by ear,” he offered. “Whichever of you can get away first...”

“Assuming any of us survive, that is,” Yeresym spat.

Sevei frowned at him, debating the wisdom of a retort, when Meira stepped in.

“Mr. Damah,” she said with a light smile, “you seem quite practiced at aiding the distressed.”

“Well, you can thank Vei for that,” Kyrzhan beamed. “I only followed his good example, and I only wish I could do more. There are far too many in this world who find themselves with nowhere to go – so many of those who can’t fit themselves to the world’s expectations.”

As he said this, his gaze landed softly upon Lieutenant Thelan, who blanched and went still as a frightened deer for a moment.

“Would you like to take a look at your rooms?” Kyrzhan asked brightly, rising from his chair. “I suspect that General Urskatha would like to inspect your intended lodgings. You could even all stay the night, if you’d like.”

“Thanks, Kyri,” Sevei replied, “but we have rooms at an inn nearby, if we decide to stay in town overnight.”

With a flutter of beckoning hands, Kyrzhan led Meira and Yeresym to another stairwell on the far end of the lounge, leaving Sevei and Thelan in sudden awkward silence. While Sevei refilled their teacups, Thelan’s gaze flicked over him nervously, and angrily.

“Did you tell him?” she asked, a bitter undercurrent in her soft voice.

“Of course not,” Sevei said solemnly. “Kyri just... knows his kindred when he sees them.”

Thelan fixed him with a steady stare, seeming to weigh out his trustworthiness. She finally nodded, her expression falling into melancholy as her gaze drifted to the door the others had gone through.

“You should go with them,” Sevei suggested. “I know how much you want to see to Meira’s safety as well.”

Thelan shook her head briefly. “Best not. I shouldn’t involve myself...”

“Nonsense. Meira wants you to-”

“General Sevei,” Thelan cut him off sharply, “you are a good man, and I believe that your heart is in the right place, but I will not hope for what cannot be... and neither should you. For people such as myself, and General Urskatha, there is nothing but duty... to our families, to our country... to the power that our families wield over our country, and over us. Our paths are not our own to choose. They are laid out for us from birth, and we must follow those predestined paths, or pay a dear price for our failure. If you think you can have any future with him, you are deluding yourself. He can’t fight his nature, and neither can you. You’ll only disappoint each other, eventually.”

Sevei sat in stunned silence, fighting down a storm of anger, fear, and a profound, gnawing grief. He drew a sharp breath and shook himself.

“How did this get to me and Yeresym?” he grumbled.

Thelan rose suddenly, swaying on her feet a bit as she raised a hand to her forehead.

“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice turning dreamlike and vague. “I think I’ll go ahead to the inn. This market is so noisy... too bright...”

She took a wavering step away from the table before disappearing into the ether, leaving Sevei alone and desperately trying not to sink into a deep well of despair.