A DRINK BEFORE BATTLE (MxM)

The wide glazed windows of the Golden Pearl were alight with the pink and purple of the evening sky, occasionally obscured by the silhouettes of guards passing by on patrol. The store was as empty as the streets outside, where only a few essential shops such as food vendors were still open for business.

Sevei sat on a tall stool at the end of the counter, sipping a cup of wine while listening to Yanek regale Gerna with tales of the day’s battle, most likely exaggerated.

“You should have seen how fast they turned tail!” Yanek crowed.

Gerna gave him a cosseting smile, her warm eyes never leaving Yanek’s face. “I’m sure you were quite fearsome,” she said indulgently.

All told, there hadn’t been much of a fight at the river, mostly a distraction to keep the Valeskan and Brinnish troops from marching to town. Upon news of Ghed’s demise, the Loranarian army had packed back into their boats at once and retreated.

Sevei had spent the afternoon sorting the dead at the municipal house and laying them all into wagons. The Brins would be taken to the town morgue, Valeskans carried back to camp for their military funeral rites. They packed up any fallen Loranarians, and Prince Rendrick began drafting a letter to Loranar to arrange for their return.

Ghed’s body was burned on site, right in the gardens of the municipal house.

Throughout all of this, Yeresym had been withdrawn and impassive, avoiding Sevei at every turn. At the end of the day he had led the procession back to camp, riding Prince Rendrick’s own horse, lent for the occasion.

Sevei had volunteered to help out at the marketplace, giving him cover to check in on things at the Pearl.

As Yanek launched into yet another anecdote, Sevei tuned him out and turned his ears toward the sound of footsteps coming down the second floor staircase. The door opened, and Thelan appeared in the doorway, with sounds of laughter following her from up the stairs. With a fleeting glance to the trio at the counter, she sat alone at a table on the far end of the room.

Sevei drained the rest of his wine, then filled two cups of tea and carried them over, leaving Yanek and Gerna to their flirting. He set one cup down in front of Thelan, then sat across the table from her with his own.

“Is she still not ready?” Sevei asked. “What’s going on up there?”

Thelan smiled lightly. “Mister Damah is lading her with gifts,” she said, “probably far too many to carry in one trip.”

Sevei chuckled, but then narrowed his eyes on Thelan. “Are you sure you can make it all the way to Caedra tonight? You still look exhausted.”

“I’m fine,” Thelan answered with a nod. “I’ll stay overnight if I must.”

“You can stay longer, if you like,” Sevei said softly.

Thelan glanced up at him, then gave a defeated sigh.

“Thelan, you can say you’re fine,” Sevei prodded, “but are you, really? I don’t mean physically, or your ethereal energy...”

Thelan stared into her earthenware teacup, turning it about in her hands and watching the tea ebb and flow within it.

“All my life, I have felt like there’s something wrong with me,” she murmured. “That I am wrong... everything about me is just... wrong.”

She laughed self-effacingly.

“Have you any idea how hard it is trying to be the son my father wants, when I don’t feel I was supposed to have been a son at all? I don’t know why I feel that I was supposed to have been a woman, and I’ve done my best to hide it, but... nothing can be hidden from her. I never thought there could be someone who could know that about me, could see me... and still love me.

I don’t want to lose her, but right now I just need her to be safe. I can’t rest until I know that she’s safe. Although... I hate to send her out into the world on her own...”

“Don’t, then,” Sevei suggested. “Go with her. Stay in Caedra with her.”

Thelan shook her head. “This war isn’t over. Leaving in the middle of it... that would weigh too heavily on my conscience.”

Sevei smiled warmly. “That’s because you’re a good woman, Lieutenant Thelan.”

Thelan’s eyes fixed on Sevei as they filled with tears. She blinked and took a series of deep breaths to hold them back, before finally swallowing her tea.

“Alright, so you’re torn,” Sevei said. “But if you can’t go now, that doesn’t mean you’ll lose her. You can go visit her anytime. I’m sure General Urskatha will give you leave. I’ll speak with him... if he’s still speaking to me, that is.”

Thelan’s glossy eyes lowered guiltily. “I’m sorry if I’ve caused a rift. I’m sorry that we frightened you both. We planned to make it look like the river took her, but with the sudden move to Tharlburg, we had to improvise.”

“I understand,” Sevei said, waving a dismissive hand. “And I think he will too, eventually. Speaking of all this... I won’t tell him your secrets without your permission, but I like to be honest in my relationships, and I don’t like knowing something that I can’t tell him. No pressure, but if you could think about it... He’s a good man, and trustworthy. And he’s your General – it might make your life easier if he knew your struggles.”

Thelan pursed her lips thoughtfully for a moment, then nodded. “I’ll think about it.”

The staircase door opened again, and Yanek gave a low whistle, prompting an elbowing from Gerna. Sevei looked up, and his eyes widened in delight at the sight of Meira.

Kyrzhan had dressed her in a gown of lavender silk, its voluminous skirt and long hanging sleeves trimmed in multicolored brocade, shining with gold threads. Her head was covered in a white veil, her chin draped in a wimple that could be pulled over her face if needed. The glint of a gold latticed headdress peeked out from under the white linen.

“Doesn’t she look like a princess?!” Nal exclaimed, running out of the door behind her and lifting the back of her skirt, although it had no train to hold.

“She looks like a proper city merchant,” Kyrzhan corrected, closing the staircase door. “Which is what she is, now. She’s agreed to run my shop in Elisaen so the old couple there can retire.”

Sevei stood and took Meira’s hands, holding them apart to look her over with a smile.

“Well, if Commander Bhari could see you now, she’d never stop calling you ‘My Lady’,” he laughed.

Meira’s eyes widened. “Oh, don’t encourage her,” she pleaded. Then she sighed, looking around the shop. “Yeresym didn’t come?”

Sevei pressed his lips regretfully. “It’s probably hard to get away just now,” he said. “And probably best not to make the parting harder for both of you. He’ll come visit in Caedra when he gets a chance. I’ll send him once he’s speaking to me again.”

Meira suddenly dropped Sevei’s hands and threw her arms around him, standing on tiptoe to reach his ear.

“He’s never really as angry as he seems,” she whispered conspiratorially. “Especially not at you.” She pulled back to face him with a smile. “Take care of him for me. And take care of yourself, too. Thank you so much, Vei.”

The two of them were unexpectedly engulfed in another set of arms as Yanek rushed over to join in.

“I’ll take care of them all, Meira,” Yanek sobbed. “Don’t you worry about a thing.”

Sevei closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the swaying carriage wall, but jerked upright again in the next instant. He’d never been so tired in his life, and yet still so energized at the same time. He leaned back again and turned his head to watch Kyrzhan looking out the window at the dark city outside.

“You’re sure it’s alright for me to stay?” he asked. “You’re not entertaining any princes tonight?”

Kyrzhan flicked him a glance of annoyance, then looked out the window again. “We’re closed for business until the town settles,” he said curtly, “but you’ll have to make do with a guest room. My bed is full these days.”

Sevei smiled, and sighed contentedly. Then his smile closed into a devious smirk. “Prince Rendrick was quite something today,” he said. “You should have seen him, riding out to draw the enemy away with no thought for his own safety. It was majestic... and brave...”

“Hmm...” Kyrzhan said lazily. “I’ll have to reward him generously when he visits next.”

“And what might Anzen say about that?” Sevei queried.

Kyrzhan glared at him slyly. “He might say we make a good team,” he said, his eyes sliding casually back to the window. “And the Prince would agree.”

Sevei’s mouth dropped open. “You... both of you... all three of you?”

Kyrzhan sighed. “You disapprove.”

Sevei sighed in return and took Kyrzhan’s hand on the carriage seat between them.

“No,” he said seriously. “Kyri, I worry about you... your safety and your well-being... I was terrified for you today. People in your profession don’t tend to fare well when towns are sacked... I’ve seen it.”

“Life can’t always be safe,” Kyrzhan said, squeezing Sevei’s hand.

“Mm,” Sevei nodded, squeezing back. “I know that my worry can sometimes sound like disapproval, but it really isn’t. I want you to be happy. I want you to make your life whatever you want it to be. And you don’t need my approval, but you’ve always had it.”

Kyrzhan smiled and leaned over to lay his head against Sevei’s shoulder, yawning lightly.

“You and Anzen do seem to be a good team,” Sevei continued. “I’m glad you’ve found someone you can rely on.”

“Well, you’ve been right sometimes,” Kyrzhan murmured. “I know I can’t do this forever. We’re not spring chickens anymore, Vei. I’ll get old and lose my looks eventually. It’ll be nice to have someone by my side who won’t care about that.”

“Mmm...” Sevei agreed. Closing his eyes again, his thoughts drifted to the night before, when there had been someone by his side, who just that morning had said he loved him. It really had been nice. He could only hope that today’s mess hadn’t ruined it.