Alexios

  I’m sitting at my desk reviewing the list of attendees for the guild meeting when I hear Arun moving through the hallways.

  Today, you will walk into that meeting with your pretty tiefling at your side, dressed in the finest silk robe that money could buy. Every head will turn. He is your ornament and your weapon there. You know they will underestimate him, yes? They will think he is just there to be seen, but then you will let him speak. They will realize the beauty at your side is sharper than they are.

  I don’t have the patience to answer her this morning, but even I know she’s not wrong.

  The door leading into the study opens and Arun steps in. The deep green silk falls in smooth lines perfectly down his body. The silver embroidery looks almost like stars from the sky have been laced into the robe and then the cream under-robe looks divine against his soft red skin.

  At this moment, the queen’s voice means nothing to me at all.

  “Arun… you are simply magnificent,” I say before I can stop myself.

  Judging by the heat in his cheeks, I’d say my compliments still have a way of catching him off guard sometimes.

  “Are we ready?” he asks, smoothing the sleeve of his robe. As if it even needs adjusting. It is simply perfect.

  Yes, let them see what you have made of him.

  --

  The carriage door shuts with a thud. Arun sits beside me and the green silk brushes against my arm with every minor shift of his body. I try my best to think about the meeting and all the contracts, margins and presentations, but every time I look at him, I start to believe none of it actually matters.

  “You’re staring,” he whispers as his small fingers toy with the edge of the robe’s tie.

  “Absolutely,” I answer without hesitation. “Do you understand what you do to me?”

  My hand moves to rest on his thigh, thumb tracing small circles while I let my eyes close.

  I hear him laugh softly.

  “What happens if I do?”

  My eyes open and immediately drop to his mouth. The movement of the carriage pulls him in closer to me and my control starts to strain at the edges.

  Take him now, sweet Alexios. You could make him walk into that meeting flushed and marked so they all know not to mess with what is yours.

  I don’t… but I come close as fuck. My hand grips just a bit more firmly on his thigh.

  “If I didn’t have to walk into that meeting in less than two hours…”

  “You’d what?”

  He knows exactly what he’s doing right now.

  Ah, it looks like your tiefling wants you just as badly.

  I let out a quiet moan and lean in until my lips are near his ear.

  “You’d find out exactly how impatient I truly am.”

  He covers his mouth as the sweetest little laugh comes out.

  The rest of our journey is a mix of heated touches and glances, enough to keep me strained with want.

  The carriage finally slows just before Zoksu’s guild hall and I can hear the driver calling out to the horses, but it’s muffled under the whine of the wheels. I keep my hand on Arun’s thigh and tell myself whatever the driver is saying can stay as nothing.

  He moves even closer to me and although he stays looking forward, I can see him biting his bottom lip.

  “Something on your mind?” I ask. “If it’s your nerves, you have nothing to worry about. I’ll be right there with you.”

  “Hmm… I was just wondering if the mighty owner of Blackwood Plantation has it in him to make it all the way inside without losing his composure.”

  My fingers tighten even more on his thigh.

  “Careful,” I growl.

  “Funny” he says, turning to me as his amber eyes sparkle. “I assumed you liked dangerous.”

  Oh, I love your pet like this. He is finally learning your edges and wants to test them. How delicious.

  Arun slides his hand onto my knee and every pass of this thumb sends a controlled shiver up my thigh.

  “You truly think I’ll be the one to break?” I whisper, nothing but lust pouring out of my lips.

  “I think you’ve been looking at me like you want to skip this meeting entirely.”

  It’s completely true, I have.

  I keep picturing me pulling him into my lap and leaving him breathless, the meeting forgotten entirely.

  My hand slides just a little higher, stopping just before the robe’s tie.

  Do it. Let the guild wait, Alexios.

  I force myself to stop anyway.

  “If you were smart, you’d save this for after.”

  “And if I’m not smart?”

  My control is hanging by the thinnest thread and he knows it. He’s learned exactly how to play me now.

  Before he can draw another smug breath, I catch his chin and turn his face toward mine, pulling him into a rough kiss. The moment his lips part beneath mine, the kiss turns into heat that sinks straight into my bones. He whimpers softly and my other hand wraps softly around the side of his neck.

  “You are playing a very dangerous game,” I gasp out against his mouth.

  “Good,” he breathes, pulling me back into him.

  Just like that. Take what he is offering and leave him trembling in front of the guild.

  My hands move over his waist and slide beneath the outer robe, silk pooling around my wrists. The warmth of his body is enough to make me forget where we are and what we are even doing here in the first place.

  My teeth graze at Arun’s lower lip, pulling another gentle moan from him. I swallow it with another kiss immediately.

  I pull back from him just enough to see how ruffled his curly hair is now. His lips are swollen and glistening with my own saliva. Meanwhile, the green silk robe has shifted enough that it urges me to keep going.

  I never want to resist him…

  But I know how important this meeting is, not just for me and the plantation, but also for Arun as well. He just doesn’t know it yet.

  “We have to go in,” I say, my voice still laced with lust.

  “Are you sure?” he asks, practically pouting like a child who didn’t get his way.

  “Unfortunately, yes. But when this is over…”

  My thumb brushes over his bottom lip, wiping away a bit of saliva left from our kiss. He smiles widely.

  “When this is over then.”

  The driver opens the door and I step out first before offering Arun my hand, but I’m already imagining dragging him right back into the carriage when we’re done.

  --

  The marble steps leading up to the guild hall entrance almost shine in the afternoon light. Arun walks half a step behind me as we approach the doors. As we walk inside, we both see a dozen or so guild members already seated around the oval table. Quills pause when they see us and I hear Arun inhale slowly.

  I guide him to the chair at my right, but before we even sit, I can hear quiet voices hiding behind polite smiles.

  “Who’s that tiefling with Alexios?” whispers one of the older elven men near the far end.

  “Quite the pretty little thing, but what’s he doing here?” a dwarven merchant says to the man beside her.

  Arun doesn’t hear them apparently or maybe he’s pretending not to. He folds his hands in his lap, eyes lowered to the floor while he keeps his posture polished.

  The introductions begin with that usual rehearsed formality that always seems to get right under my skin. When I say, “Arun, Blackwood Plantation’s advisor on medicinal exports,” I watch as a few of the guild members look on in surprise and even curiosity, but of course there are a few frowns as well.

  The whispers happen again, but much quieter this time. I can still see their glances toward him though.

  As our meeting turns into talk about contracts, yield projections and the plantation’s shipping timeline, Arun stays silent, but it’s clear that he is in fact listening.

  “We’ve heard Blackwood is producing rather… unconventional strains, is that correct?” says one of the elder elven merchants, a tall woman with sharp gold eyes.

  I turn to Arun.

  “Perhaps my advisor can speak to that?”

  He hesitates.

  “I…”

  “You know this better than anyone,” I whisper for him alone. “Far more than I do.”

  Arun inhales slowly and begins to speak to the council. His voice is quiet at first as he begins discussing Attanar’s fever reducing qualities. Conversations about Flintmoss follow, with him mentioning how dangerous it is unprocessed and how valuable it becomes in the right hands.

  The more he talks, the more he meets their eyes. The whispers about him fade into complete silence.

  A guild member who’d been whispering about him earlier asks about cultivation in terms of long-term. Arun answers without hesitation and his tail even makes small movements beneath, letting me know he is fully engaged in his words now.

  I believe they see him now, Alexios. You have placed him right in their sights. They will remember him.

  By the time he’s done, the skepticism has seemed to change into approval of him. A gray bearded man suggests expanding Guklulla shipments and a young scribe offers Arun her quill to sign next to my name on the documents.

  As the guild members begin to leave the room, the whispers have turned into polite greetings directed towards him.

  When we’re alone, I thread my fingers with his under the table.

  “You were absolutely perfect, my love.”

  He looks down at the floor again, but he’s still smiling.

  “I was… so incredibly nervous.”

  “I know,” I answer, standing up from the chair to offer my hand again. “But you didn’t stay nervous. Come, my love. I think you’ve earned far more than just a quick fuck in a carriage ride home.”

  He looks up curiously.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You’ll see.”

  When we walk outside, the sun warms our skin again, but my blood is still warm from watching him win over a table full of nonbelievers.

  Arun walks beside me now, but even now he is carrying some of the nervousness from the meeting. As we take our seats in the carriage, I pull him closer into me, leaving a soft kiss at the base of one of his horns.

  “Why are you still so nervous, my darling?” I ask.

  “I heard what they said. The ones whispering at the start of the meeting. They were wondering why the ‘pretty tiefling boy’ was there.”

  I look down at my hands.

  “Yes… well, you certainly shut them down by the end of the meeting.”

  “I… I just thought it would be worse if I reacted.”

  I reach out to brush my fingers along the lengthier strands of his hair until his eyes meet mine.

  “You were more than they deserved.”

  The smile that makes its way to his lips is small, but genuine.

  “Where to, Master Alexios?” the driver says as his voice cuts in from the outside.

  “The southern promenade,” I answer.

  “Yes sir. Right at once.”

  The carriage jolts forward and I listen to the sounds of merchants selling their wares as we pass through the busier streets.

  Eventually, we stop in front of a tall building with carved stonework, the scent of cinnamon and toasted sugar strong enough to seep into the carriage. As we get out, a hostess greets us warmly and leads us up a narrow staircase to a private dining area.

  Even though the room is small, it’s still quite lavish. The curtained windows let in just enough sunlight to keep the mood romantic. A polished table set for two waits for us along with two glasses of red wine.

  “This is where merchants sometimes come to celebrate heavier contracts and today you signed your name beside mine in not one, but two documents. One being the guild ledger.

  He scoffs playfully.

  “Alexios, you’re making it sound like I saved the plantation.”

  “You helped expand it actually,” I correct politely.

  The wine is rich in my mouth and we talk idly as roasted salmon and delicate cheese imported from across the sea is placed in front of us. I watch him far more than I take bites of the food, noticing the way his shoulders slowly unwind.

  “They won’t whisper like that again,” I assure.

  His tail swishes underneath the table before hitting my knee softly.

  “You think so?”

  “I know so.”

  Delicate pastries filled with spiced cream finally arrive and he’s smiling more freely now. I can only hope the last of his shyness is gone for the day now.

  As the server comes by to take our empty plates, his hand finds mine on the table and I turn my palm to thread our fingers together.

  When we are finally ready to leave, the evening sun is bathing the streets in gold and I make the decision to take us through the gardens behind the old library so he can smell the flowers.

  He walks a few steps ahead of me in the rose garden. I could tell him, here and now, exactly how proud I am and how much I love him, but instead… I simply keep walking behind him.

  “Next time, I’ll bet they even ask for you by name.”

  He looks back and rolls his eyes, laughing softly as he does so.

  --

  By the time the carriage pulls in front of the manor’s courtyard, the sun has finally gone down, but Arun is still wearing that dreamy look of his that he gets when the wine has warmed him up, loosening his guard but not his mind.

  When we step inside, Je Suis is waiting in the main hallway. She must have arrived recently seeing as her cloak is still draped over one arm and a few red strands have made their way out of her braid due to the breeze outside.

  “There you two are,” she says, grinning ear to ear. “Well, how did our advisor do?”

  “Better than most seasoned merchants,” I say honestly.

  “Oh, do tell,” she answered, delighted.

  Before I can walk her through the meeting, Arun shakes his head quickly.

  “It wasn’t…”

  “He shut the entire room up,” I interrupt smoothly. “He may have walked in as a shy thing, but we left with the entire guild listening to him. Every. Single. Word.”

  Je Suis beams as she steps forward to take Arun’s hands in hers.

  “Arun, I’m so proud of you.”

  His tail swishes once behind him and I don’t even think he meant it to happen, but I notice it.

  “I mean it,” she continues. “It is so hard to get those bastards to agree on anything. If you got them to not only agree on something but to also see you as someone worth listening to, that’s a big deal.”

  Arun ducks his head, but I can tell he’s fighting back a smile.

  “I… thank you.”

  “Alexios, you’ve been keeping him hidden all this time?”

  “He’s not hidden,” I reply, but is that really the truth?

  “Mm-hmm, sure. Well… now that they’ve seen what you know, I doubt you’ll get much peace from here on out… advisor.”

  Arun just laughs softly, still unable to fully believe our compliments.

  Well, look at that, Alexios. You have placed him on a pedestal. Do not forget who made that possible.

  Je Suis finally releases his hands and motions for us to come into my study.

  “I want to hear every detail. You can tell me over a glass of wine, how about that? Unless you and Alexios have already had enough.”

  Arun looks up at me and then grins.

  “Maybe one more wouldn’t hurt.”

  The three of us make our way into the study and Je Suis chooses the couch near the hearth, gesturing for Arun to sit beside her while I pour each of us a glass of wine.

  “Don’t give me a summary,” she says as soon as I hand her a glass. “Tell me everything.”

  Arun looks at me for guidance, but I only smirk as I take a sip of wine from my own glass.

  “Well…’ he begins slowly. “It was mostly a lot of staring at first. Whispering too.”

  Je Suis’s eyes narrow.

  “About you?”

  He nods slowly.

  “Yes…”

  “I heard every word,” I add in.

  “What did they say?” Je Suis presses.

  “Mostly just wondering why I was there.”

  Je Suis scoffs.

  “Those fools. I guarantee they weren’t wondering that by the end, were they?”

  I chuckle softly.

  “I guess not,” Arun answers. “They had questions for me. Mostly about Attanar and Flintmoss which makes sense due to us recently starting to cultivate those.”

  He’s still modest with his words, but it doesn’t seem as if he’s shying away from the memory of being at the guild table now. His tail twitches softly as he continues to walk Je Suis through the events of the meeting. She leans back, clearly impressed with him.

  “I think you’ve got a gift for this, Arun. I hope Alexios knows how lucky he is to have him as your advisor.”

  “More than aware,” I reply, but I realize shortly after speaking that my tone sounds slightly possessive rather than professional.

  She catches my tone instantly and smirks.

  “Oh, I can tell. And Arun? Don’t think I missed that you’re wearing incredibly expensive robes… again. Just look at how Alexios is watching you in them. I can see that sparkly embroidery from here.”

  Arun’s tail swishes again as he leans closer to her. I sip more of my wine to hide my own expression.

  “There truly is something… so wonderful about watching someone walk into a room where no one expects them and leaving with everyone’s respect,” Je Suis adds.

  Arun’s eyes drop to the hearth’s fire, but the blush dancing across his cheeks gives him away.

  “Thank you,” he whispers politely.

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  “Now, I’ll ask one more time. When… is… the… wedding?”

  I laugh, but Arun is startled. I put my wine glass down on my desk and lean forward.

  “Careful, Je Suis,” I warn.

  She waves me off before downing the rest of her wine and stretching out on the couch.

  “Is it alright if I stay the night?” she asks.

  “Of course,” I say. “The roads will be too dark by the time you leave anyway, so yes. Please stay. One of the guest rooms is already made up for you anyway.”

  She smiles and excuses herself, disappearing out of the study and toward the guest wing of the manor. As I watch her leave, Arun moves to stand quietly beside me as his fingers brush the edge of my sleeve.

  We leave the study together, but halfway down the hallway, I slowly let him drift a step ahead of me before I speak.

  “Arun, I’ve been thinking about something.”

  “Hmm?”

  “Your room feels… too far away.”

  “Too far?”

  I nod.

  “I don’t want you having to walk down the dark hallway to find me at night. I want…” I pause, desperate to find the right words that won’t scare him away. “I want you to move into my bedroom.”

  His steps slow completely and he turns to face me.

  “You mean… actually live there?” he asks softly.

  “Yes,” I answer quickly. “Your things… your space. Everything in one place. With me.”

  Finding another way to claim him, Alexios?

  “That’s a big change,” he whispers.

  “I know,” I answer as I step closer so we’re just a few breaths apart. “But I want to fall into my trance next to you and wake up next to you as well. Every day. Not just when we happen to… visit each other’s rooms, if you understand what I mean.”

  “You’re… serious.”

  “Yes, entirely. I do not like being away from you, if I’m being truthful. You can say no, Arun.”

  I let the silence between us draw out to give him time to answer. When he smiles softly, I know I’ve won, but I’ll wait for the words first.

  His tail brushes my calf slowly.

  “Alright.”

  I think I have to hear it twice.

  “Alright?”

  He nods, grinning fully now.

  It’s all the answer I need. I step in, hands sliding to the side of his face as I claim his lips. Within a few seconds, he’s gripping the front of my shirt and pulling me closer to him.

  I guide him backwards until his shoulders meet the wall and I keep one arm braced beside his head while the other moves to his hip. I reach up slightly to pull the robe’s knot loose and when it parts, my hand slips inside.

  He gasps against my mouth before the sound turns into a quiet whimper when I drag my fingers lower.

  “Do you have any idea how fucking badly I’ve wanted you in my bed… our bed… every night?” I whisper in between kisses as my mouth brushes against his ear.

  “Then take me there.”

  I groan as I press harder into him while his tail wraps around my thigh to pull me even closer.

  I lean down to kiss further down his neck as my hand moves even further south, feeling his cock harden under my hand as he shudders against me.

  Soft footsteps fall across the floor in the main hallway, but I’m too caught up in Arun to even register them until a voice interrupts.

  “Oh, gods,” Je Suis gasps out as her eyebrows lift, but she hardly even seems fazed. “Um… I apologize. I was just wondering if either of you know where the rosemary oil is. I wanted to take a bath. The usual place is completely empty.”

  Arun’s robe is pushed open enough that I step forward to subtly block her view.

  “Second cabinet in the washroom by the guest wing. Left side. Now, please go… unless you’d rather stay and watch.”

  “Alexios!” Arun groans out.

  Je Suis rolls her eyes, scoffing playfully.

  “I’m only joking,” I answer. “Well… partially.”

  “You two are ridiculous,” she says, rubbing her eyes as her footsteps retreat down the hallway.

  I turn back to Arun to see him shaking his head.

  “Alexios, I cannot believe you said that.”

  “Do you truly believe she has never thought about it?” I ask, teasingly.

  Arun covers his ears.

  “Stop it,” he says, barely getting the words out through his laughter. “Just take me to our bed now.”

  I don’t give him the chance to second-guess himself. He guides me up the stairs and every step feels entirely too slow. Everything about him pulls me in deeper and I can feel the anticipation in him by the way he walks in front of me.

  Inside my bedroom… our bedroom, I close the door and step behind him, easing the robes from his shoulders. They slide to the floor in a waterfall of silk and linen. I’ve seen him bare before me a hundred times now, but it still feels just as enchanting as the first time.

  My arms wind around his body from behind as my hands run over his chest.

  “Let me have you tonight,” I whisper against the crown of his head.

  “Yes... please,” he breathes out.

  That’s all the answer I need.

  --

  When we collapse on the bed together, drenched in sweat, I keep his head against my chest as my hands continue holding him like I could keep him here forever. I stay inside him as long as I can, desperate to get as many kisses in before we are both breathing evenly again.

  I clean him carefully and settle against his body afterwards while my hand strokes down his spine.

  “Our bedroom,” I whisper again.

  --

  By morning, Arun is still curled into my body, his palm resting over my heart as his tail drapes lazily over my waist. His breathing is slow and even while he sleeps. I let my fingers trail down his ribs and then back to his spine.

  I want to memorize every edge and curve of him.

  Look at you, sweet Alexios. Pretending you are gentle.

  The queen’s voice sounds like silk running against a blade.

  She won’t get an answer from me. Not right now when Arun is still tucked in my arms comfortably.

  You will not tell him, will you? You are too scared. To say it out loud would make it real and then you would have to face what you are.

  We both know you will ruin him in the end.

  I pull Arun even closer, wrapping both arms around him as a gentle sigh falls from his full lips.

  Ah, but you know you have already said it, yes? He heard you after all. Besides, you say it in your head and in your heart every day. But what you are failing to remember is that you are mine, Alexios. Sooner or later, that makes him mine as well.

  The poison of her voice continues even after she fades. I bury my face in Arun’s soft hair, careful of his horns, in an attempt to quiet that echo.

  I want him to sleep peacefully without her interrupting us just once.

  --

  By the time we make it downstairs, Arun’s hair is still a bit messy from sleep and I can’t help but lean in time after time to place kisses to his cheeks even as we take our seats in the dining hall. I pull his chair out for him as usual before sitting beside him.

  Fresh bread, poached eggs and sliced fruit are already laid out by the servants. I pour Arun tea and even add in the exact amount of honey that I know he likes before passing the cup over to him.

  “Thank you,” he says politely. I feel the urge to kiss him again and again.

  One of the doors to the dining hall opens and Je Suis sweeps in gracefully, dressed in her usual forest green cloak.

  “Well… good morning, gentlemen. I owe you both an apology for intruding last night.”

  Usually, Arun’s cheeks would show the slightest heat to them with a comment like that, but it’s his ears this time. To my surprise, he seems rather… amused by the comment rather than embarrassed.

  “It’s alright,” he says.

  “It is,” I add. “If you’d been a minute later however, you’d have interrupted far worse.”

  She smirks as she takes a seat on the other side of Arun.

  “Well, I’m glad to see that you know when to be quiet in bed, at least. I can only imagine the scandals that the servants tell.”

  Arun ducks his head, attempting to hide his smile, while I let out a low chuckle.

  “Trust me, Je Suis. If I wanted them to overhear more often, they would have.”

  She rolls her eyes, but I know she is entertained. She adores it when I’m like this.

  “Still, I’m pleased to see the two of you so… settled with one another now. It suits you both. Especially you, Alexios.”

  We eat together while Je Suis keeps the conversation light. Arun asks her about stories from her past journeys and he even makes an observation or two that makes Je Suis laugh quietly, but even as she answers his questions, my hands drift under the table to rest over his so my thumb can run over his knuckles.

  Once breakfast is over, Arun slips away to catch up on work in his healing room. I watch as his tail sways lazily behind him while Je Suis and I make our way to my study. I settle into my chair before picking up the quill, desperate to focus on today’s shipments instead of the memory of him smiling over cups of tea this morning.

  Je Suis crosses the room like she owns it and helps herself to the chair just across from my desk.

  “You’ve been busy,” she says as she looks over the neatly organized pile of contracts.

  “With the plantation? Always. It’s practically my child, Je Suis.”

  I can feel her eyes locked on me.

  “Not just with the plantation though, hmm?”

  I glance up.

  “What do you mean?”

  “For starters, you’ve put weight back on and you’re sharper in conversation. The servants even say you smile more often now, but of course I know they pretend not to notice. I’m willing to bet your temper’s cooled a bit as well. Arun has been good for you.”

  “He’s not…” I start.

  She lifts her hand to silence me.

  “Alexios,” she says quietly as she leans forward. “You are in love with him. Admit it.”

  I set the quill down carefully.

  “You think you know that?”

  “I don’t think,” she replies sharply. “I know. I’ve known you for a while now, Alexios. I know how to read you and I’ve seen the way you look at him. I’ve been seeing it for more than a year and a half now. You’re not subtle, no matter how delusional you think you are.”

  I lean back in the chair and cross my arms.

  Je Suis chooses to let my silence be her answer.

  “You touch him like he’s some kind of rare artifact,” she continues. “It’s like you’re afraid to break him, but you can’t stop yourself from reaching for him anyway. You love him… and I think you have for a very long time.”

  I try to defend myself, but the words won’t come out. I know she’s right.

  Hells, she knows that I know she’s right.

  “I…”

  “Not every man gets the chance to be admired the way he admires you. You think you have a habit of destroying things you care about. Are you still afraid, Alexios? Is someone trying to convince you that you’re going to lose him too?”

  I look away. There’s nothing I can say right now.

  Je Suis leans back in her chair as a heavy sigh leaves her mouth. She’s said her piece.

  “Well… don’t let me keep you from your work. I’ll be in Cervan until tomorrow if you need me.”

  She stands from her chair, bending over the desk to leave a kiss at my temple. As she walks to the door, she pauses and looks back over her shoulder at me.

  “And Alexios? Take him somewhere nice again soon. You seem to feel better when you have something to look forward to together. I bet he’d feel the same.”

  When she leaves to go tell Arun goodbye as well, I stare at the closed door for what feels like a lifetime. My eyes eventually drop back to the contracts in front of me, but my thoughts are already back on Arun and where I know he’ll be with his sleeves rolled up, face framed in total concentration while he gives his care freely to someone else.

  The numbers in front of me mean nothing right now. None of it is sticking, but Je Suis’s words have planted themselves in my mind.

  “You are in love with him.”

  Does she think I don’t fucking realize that?

  Does she understand how much I stand to lose by letting Arun in that way?

  But perhaps she’s right. Perhaps I already have.

  Long ago.

  I push the contracts away in frustration. Time away from my study will do me good right now. As I walk into the main hallway, I can hear Arun’s tender voice coming from where the healing room is. That alone guides me easily enough.

  The door is half-open and I see him there bent over the cot where a field worker sits, holding out an arm for Arun to pour his restoration spells into. His movements stay careful and even though the wound is small, Arun treats it like it deserves all of his devotion. His tail even sways lightly a few times.

  The worker whispers a polite thank you and Arun bows in response. I lean my shoulder against the doorway.

  “I think I have a wound that needs healing too. Can you spoil me like that too?”

  He turns to look at me as a grin appears on that beautiful face of his.

  “Well, it’s better to spoil them than to have to fix the issue twice, I’d guess.”

  The worker bows to both Arun and I before exiting the room, leaving us alone.

  “You came to check on me?” he asks.

  “Something like that,” I admit as I move closer to where he is.

  “Is something wrong?”

  “No,” I pause. “Just… wanted to see you. You know I hate being without you.”

  He knows me well enough to know when something’s going on in my mind, but he doesn’t pick at the scab.

  I take a seat beside him and watch his hands move as my own stay clasped in my lap. I’m careful to stay quiet, but Je Suis’s words still make their way to the forefront of my thoughts, of course.

  Maybe… maybe I’ll tell him soon.

  Not long after, the sound of heavy footsteps draws both of our attention. A knock comes at the door as one of the younger servants pokes her head inside the room.

  “Master, the tutor is here. She’s waiting in the entryway.”

  Arun’s ears twitch slightly.

  “I thought she was supposed to be here next week?”

  “She will be,” I say as I stand again. “But she’s passing through town and I wanted you to have the extra time with her.”

  There’s a look of genuine surprise on his face and it’s followed by a wide grin.

  “Alexios, you didn’t have to…”

  “I wanted to,” I cut in. “You work hard here. I thought maybe you’d enjoy a few hours learning something different.”

  His tail twitches only once and I know it’s him attempting to control it so he doesn’t seem overly excited.

  We walk together to the entryway of the house and I take a few steps back so he can greet her himself. Valra is a neatly dressed halfling, arms full of scrolls and a few books. Her eyes brighten when she sees Arun.

  “Ah, the lovely Arun,” she says warmly. “I hear you’ve been keeping up with your reading.”

  “I certainly have,” he replies as he grabs a few books to free up Valra’s hands. “Alexios makes sure I don’t run out of thing to read.”

  She gives me a curious glance and I simply nod as a response.

  I stay to help Arun and Valra spread the books out across the table in the dining hall. He leans forward with genuine interest as the two begin conversating quietly.

  I find myself turning away, not wanting to intrude any more than I might be, to retreat to my study.

  It’s evening by the time I return to check in on him. Valra puts her quill down and stretches her fingers out. Although her voice is still just as gentle as it was when she got here, there is a bit of fatigue in it now.

  “I think we’ve both earned a short break,” she says, smiling at Arun. “Let’s have a cup of tea and then we can pick up where we left off later, yes?”

  Arun nods as he carefully stacks a few of his books.

  “That sounds good.”

  “Enjoying yourself?” I ask, stepping into the dining hall.

  His eyes instantly light up when he sees me.

  “Yes, she’s always good at explaining things. Never makes me feel… silly when she's extra patient with me.”

  His words stir something in me…

  An idea.

  I glance around the dining hall, fingers running smoothly over the stacks of books waiting for the tutor to reopen them.

  “What if… we didn’t have to keep everything crammed in my study or the dining hall?”

  He tilts his head in confusion.

  “What do you mean? I don’t mind.”

  I place one hand on the back of his chair while the other moves through his curly hair, him almost nuzzling into my fingers.

  “Well, the west wing of the manor isn’t used much anymore. It gets decent sunlight during the day. What if I tasked the workers with clearing it out, putting in shelves, a few large tables and reading chairs? A proper library… just for you.”

  His tail stops flicking under the table.

  “Just for… me?”

  “Mm-hmm. You’d have space for every book you want and all your art supplies. You could work with your tutors in there instead of taking over other rooms and having to deal with interruptions from servants passing through.”

  I can see the tip of his tail curling ever so slightly at the tip. I hope he knows I’m dead serious.

  “That would be… incredible,” he finally admits. “But it sounds like a lot of work. I don’t want you to deal with that because of me.”

  “It would be my honor to have it done for you,” I say, trying to brush off his concern. “I’ll make sure it’s done right. You deserve this.”

  He looks down at his hands.

  “I don’t know what to say, Alexios.”

  “Say yes,” I tell him. “Say you’ll let me do this for you.”

  When he looks back up at me, the worry is gone from Arun’s eyes.

  He nods, grinning from ear to ear.

  That’s more than enough for the idea to be permanent in my mind now.

  A library just for him. It will be his no matter what.

  --

  After Valra returns to the dining room to continue the tutoring session, I step out into the hallways and head for the west wing. The main room in the area hasn’t been used since… that night.

  The night I killed 20 men. Just for her.

  Those who must die, as she called them.

  I remember the vulgar scent of sex, sweat, drugs and death.

  I step inside, impressed by how clean it is. I’ve continued to allow the servants access to keep the area maintained in the meantime until I decided what to do with it.

  I stand in the middle of the room alone and let my thoughts slip to thoughts of those poor men, drunk on wine and lust, drowning deeply in pleasure. They had no idea what was coming.

  “You heard me, didn’t you?” I ask my queen. “Tell me what needs to happen for you to make it real.”

  Straight to business again, I see. I have missed your… courtesies, Alexios. We used to have more fun together, did we not?

  “I don’t have the patience for them right now.”

  No… it seems you do not. Another gift for the sweet tiefling. Another little shrine to him, it seems. Do you know how many you have asked for now?

  “Yes. I’ve given you blood, just like you always ask for.”

  And I have given you what you wanted. Shall we keep the pattern then?

  “Name it.”

  …

  “Now.”

  Oh, you really are impatient today.

  Hmm.

  Seven men. Does that sound fair, my sweetheart?

  “Seven. I can do that.”

  Oh, I know you can. I will even let you in on a secret. You will find one in the abandoned greenhouse after sundown. He has been stealing from you for months. He slips away into the night with your tools and supplies.

  I do not want mercy this time.

  I do not want quiet.

  I want brutality, Alexios.

  I want him gone before the night is over.

  “Brutality,” I repeat.

  Yes, my beautiful weapon. Stain the ground with his blood. Do it in a way that even the sun cannot cleanse. If you do that and take care of the other six for me, I will see to it that your tiefling’s library is built within a month, right after the last man falls.

  I sigh slowly.

  “Done. Anything for him.”

  I can almost feel her satisfaction, dripping through my mind like honey.

  It is quite humorous to see how far you will go for him. It is rather... sweet.

  Almost.

  I look through the windows and see the decrepit greenhouse in the distance. By the time night comes, I will be ready to pay a fraction of her price.

  --

  As I make my way into our bedroom, I find Arun already curled up on his side beneath the blankets as his hair spills across the silk pillow.

  “Done with work?” he asks, blinking sleepily a few times when I step in.

  “Almost,” I whisper as I pull the blanket up over his shoulder. I lean down and leave a gentle kiss on his forehead. “I’m proud of you. Get some sleep, my love. I’ll be back before you even know it.”

  He nods softly before closing his eyes to rest. I watch him for a moment longer, then I slip back out of the room and down the stairs.

  I step out of the manor’s back exit and make my way down the overgrown path to the old greenhouse. When I step inside, the smell of rot stings my nose. Even with the night cloaking him, I can still see the thief thanks to my darkvision.

  Quite a silly idea to steal from a drow during the night.

  The thief is rifling through crates and tossing aside broken tools, attempting to find anything remotely useful to use to steal larger items on my property.

  “You picked the wrong place to rob, friend,” I say. “That’s mine.”

  He spins sharply, gasping as he drops the rusty hammer to the ground.

  “Just taking what’s left to rot,” he replies.

  “You have been stealing from my property for months,” I growl. “This land is mine.”

  He is yours for the taking. Make it brutal.

  The thief attempts to bolt for the nearest door, but my magic snaps out of my fingertips, slamming it shut before he can escape.

  He lunges at me and I run to catch his wrist, pulling it back until the hammer falls with a blunt clang. My other hand clenches into a fist and drives into his chest, forcing him back into a table as pots crash to the floor.

  I refuse to give him even a second to breathe, throwing a fist to his ribs and then another to his jaw. He groans out in pain as he falls to the ground in pain, blood already seeping out from his nose and mouth.

  My eyes find the shears lying on the ground. My fingers curl around them.

  “Please…”

  I slam him into the ground again, taking his breath away. My knee pins his chest down as my free hand holds his wrists above his head while my other hand opens the shears with a rusty groan.

  Do it. Now.

  He jerks in an attempt to buck me off, but he’s too pinned down to successfully free himself.

  The blades close around his throat. The dullness makes it even more vulgar. It’s not sharp like a knife. It takes pressure and strength to bite through. He gurgles and thrashes as hot blood showers over my hand and even over onto the shattered pots. I lean down to lick at the waterfall of gore spilling from the wound.

  It’s ugly and brutal.

  Exactly as she wanted.

  I drop the shears and they land in the dirt with a dull thud. The body twitches once… and then never again.

  You are divine, Alexios. You pay the price so beautifully. Six more filthy men to go and that library will be his.

  Dragging him out is a rather awkward ordeal as his mostly decapitated head flops against me, threatening to rip off completely. I haul him out the back of the greenhouse and down to the farthest edge of the plantation where the wild grass grows high enough that no one would ever walk through it for fear of venomous creatures using it as their hidden spot.

  There’s an old compost pit here and it’ll be deep enough if I can work fast.

  Other than the sound of me shoveling dirt, the night is quiet and I find comfort in the peacefulness of the moonlight. By the time I’m done, my hands and boots are completely caked with blood and mud.

  Once back inside the manor, I take the path to the guest wing bathing room. The water runs deep red at first before shifting to pink and then finally clear. My knuckles are rubbed raw as I scrub until there’s no trace of the thief left on me.

  When I dress in a fresh night robe and slip into mine and Arun’s bedroom, he’s still there, asleep and completely undisturbed.

  As I slide into bed beside him, he instinctively curls into me like he knows damn well he belongs there. I close my eyes to trance and let my arm rest gently over his hip. That lavender soap he treasures so much begins to replace the metallic aroma that has been following me since the greenhouse.

  --

  When I open my eyes, the sunlight is spilling across the bed, falling over Arun like he is nothing short of divine. He’s still asleep beside me, lips parted just barely. His tail curls unconsciously against my leg.

  The memory of the greenhouse and the heat of the shears in my hand is still there in my mind, but it almost feels… far away with him resting next to me.

  I brush my fingers through his hair, careful not to wake him harshly.

  “Good morning,” I whisper.

  His eyes open slowly, unfocused before opening more when he sees me.

  “You’re here,” he says, almost like he’s surprised to see me in our bed.

  “Where else would I be, my treasure?”

  He lets out a soft sigh before pressing his face against my chest. I kiss the top of a horn and breathe him in. His presence is such a far cry from the soil and blood that I felt just hours ago.

  As we get out of bed and dress together, his hand slowly brushes down my body more than once. I’m finding it harder not to resist him, wanting nothing more than to pull him back into bed and show him just how much I love him without ever having to admit it.

  Downstairs in the dining hall, I make sure his chair is pulled out at the table and pour his tea before he can even reach to do it himself. I slip an extra cinnamon roll onto his plate just because.

  Right now, I want this morning and peacefulness between us to be untouched by the violence I carry at night.

  Arun excuses himself to his healing room after breakfast. Apparently, one of the workers twisted an ankle and he wants to make sure it’s properly tended to. I stay in the dining hall for a few moments before retreating to my study.

  Today, I’ll create the blueprints for the library. The parchment lies before me and I trace my fingers over the section I’ve chosen. It’s far large enough for high shelves, a reading nook and multiple tables if he wants him. I want one positioned perfectly in the center of the room so he can bathe in the afternoon light should he choose to do so.

  You choose well. He will think this came from your heart. In a way, perhaps it does.

  “He’ll love it.”

  He will love you more for it. Is that not why you are doing this?

  Instead of answering her, I focus on drafting a list of craftsmen I’ll need to contact. I’ll need woodworkers from Timbertown for the shelves and a glazier from Iseris to replace the old windows. One of the workers here can restore the old fireplace so it will be warm for Arun in the winter.

  To an average person, the costs would add up quickly.

  But coin means nothing to me now.

  Imagine what he might have if you gave me more.

  “I will be giving you enough.”

  For now.

  --

  Eventually, I have the blueprint for the library mapped out perfectly. I step outside for a breath of fresh air in the afternoon sun and spot Arun through the open windows of the healing room. He’s speaking softly to a servant as he wraps an injury with careful hands.

  Even from across the garden, I can see the sunlight beaming off his horns.

  That is why you kill for me, Alexios. You kill so you can keep looking at him like that.

  My silence is her answer. She knows damn well I won’t deny it.

  Once late afternoon rolls around, I am back in my study, bent over the plans when I hear a soft knock at the door.

  “Come in,” I call out.

  My beloved Arun steps inside with his robe sleeves pushed up from working in the healing room. He catches a glimpse of the scattered papers on my desk.

  “Still planning that library?”

  “Your library,” I correct. “Besides, you’ll spend more time in it than I probably ever will.”

  He walks over to get a better look at the sketches as his tail brushes against my leg. Even though it’s such a small motion, it still makes me want to pull him into my lap.

  “You’re really doing all of this for… me?”

  My red eyes meet his amber ones.

  “Of course I am.”

  I’m so fucking in love. Why would I not do this for you?

  He looks over the plans for a while and asks about the placement of the shelves and if there will be a chair near the fireplace. I tell him yes, of course. He can have anything he desires. I will even be arranging for a craftsman skilled at inlay work so he can have a reading table just for him. The more I speak, the brighter his eyes shine.

  “I want it to be perfect for you,” I say.

  He rests his hand on mine so I turn my palm upwards to thread our fingers together. If he saw the way I held the shears and how I didn’t hesitate, would he still love me?

  He only sees what you want him to see, Alexios.

  I force myself to smile at him. He leans down to kiss me softly before leaving me alone with the plans.

  But the silence somehow feels… heavier than it did before.

  Six more to go.