The Land Where Dragons Rule
| Character Profiles Map of Ardae © Delilah deSora & Alice Montrose, 2003 |
The Land Where Dragons Rule | Sidefics: The Bodyguard Revelation |
Prologue
Hired help can be very useful. Certain people would do anything for the right sum of money.
- Esthera Aidan
Lady Esthera had been looking for the best man to suit her interest for a few months when luck had brought Shayan Miren to her.
A Glacaen woman of 30 years, beautiful by any country's standards and with a mind for intrigue, she had retained the attention of Ardae's former Emperor, and had bore him a son. Unfortunately, after the Emperor's death it had been his older son, Bryenn, who had inherited the Dragon Throne. A fact she, a member of the Glacaen nobility, was most unhappy with.
But also a fact she was about to change.
It had been most fortunate that she had managed to sway Lord Hyden Sidanous, Commander of the Knights of Aidan, her way. The man, her late husband's most trusted aid, had never been oblivious to her charms and had been easily persuaded that Bryenn Aidan was unfit to rule, true heir or no true heir. And Hyden had quickly understood the advantages of having the country ruled by someone who was not raving mad.
Esthera's initial plan had, however, developed a minor flaw - the Aquilaen slave they had brought at the palace to serve as the Emperor's Leviathan. Naturally, very few knew that the boy hadn't even been a Llyr, let alone the real Leviathan... but still, he had helped Esthera persuade her stepson that his 'condition' was not the result of the dragon's power that coursed through his veins. And then, unexpectedly, the little whore had had the nerve to attempt to blackmail her.
Needless to say, he had found himself at the pointed end of a sword the following morning.
With no one to bring Bryenn into submission until her plans were unstoppable, she had come up with a new strategy: a potent Silvaen medicine that kept the Emperor to his bed, trapped in his own madness... and in the mean time, Esthera's son ruled Ardae as Regent, just as planned. Thankfully, Quinn Aidan was a dense 14 year-old boy who obeyed his mother in everything.
But Esthera needed one more key element in her play: a man she could trust, who would watch over the now comatose Bryenn and make sure nothing happened to him while he slowly wasted away in his bed. Someone with no connection to Ardae and the Imperial Family, and who would lose nothing by helping her.
Shayan Miren had turned out to be the perfect candidate.
Born in Ventae from the local gentry, the man had worked most of his life as a mercenary. The people that had brought him to Esthera's attention had assured her that his only interest lay in money, and that he had few scruples when it came to doing a job. He cared nothing for politics or fame, and even for his personal pleasure. He sported a very simple logic: if he was paid well, his loyalty was guaranteed.
And Esthera had little qualms about spending Ardae's money to ensure the completion of her goals.
She turned her eyes to the man still kneeling at in front of the chair she currently occupied. She had to admit, given the description she had been given she had expected a brute of a man, all muscles and little brain. She had been pleasantly surprised when her servant had introduced to her a seemingly refined young man who had looked her daringly in the eye before performing the protocol required in her presence without even a minor slip.
"You may rise, Shayan Miren," she addressed him confidently and he obeyed, cold violet eyes meeting ice-blue ones. His face held a stony expression, as if the man had never smiled in his life. He wore black clothing that accentuated his height and carriage; but the amazing thing about him was his hair - though worn in a proper Ventaen style, it was a pitch black colour that hinted at Aquilaen blood.
They spent a few moments assessing each other in silence; for the first time in long years, it was she that broke eye contact first. Then, in a voice both very proper and as emotionless as his appearance, he asked why he had been summoned.
Testing the terrain before giving up any information was a task Esthera took most serious, for it had always told her if the person she was speaking with could be trusted or not. And it was also a means of finding out the best method to persuade the said person into doing her biding.
She smiled coolly at his formality. "Naturally, I wish to commission your services. I have been told you are a loyal, honourable man, as well as an exquisite warrior."
"The people who told you this might have also mentioned my services are expensive. Milady," he added almost as an afterthought.
So flattery didn't work, and he was quite straightforward. But perhaps something else...
"I can assure you, the pay is in accordance to the quality of your services. Still, I must be certain you are the right person for the job." She stood up and approached him with flowing grace. "I need to know you are..." she ran a hand up his chest and rested it lightly on his shoulder, "not easily distracted from your..."
Her other hand's advance down his toned stomach was halted by an iron grip that made her squeak in surprise. He had moved so fast she hadn't even noticed.
"... duty," she finished the sentence, voice close to a purr.
The mercenary didn't even blink at her attempt to seduction. "My interest lies only in doing my work properly, Lady Esthera."
"Mmm. A man of steel, then." Unlike Lord Hyden, who had easily fallen into her trap. She tried to pull her hand away, but he held on for a moment longer before releasing her wrist.
"Tell me, Shayan, how loyal are you to the Emperor of Ardae?" she asked business-like, sitting back down.
"As loyal as he pays me to be," was his answer - an answer not at all surprising and fitting his personality.
"I see." She pointed at another chair in front of her, but he shook his head - a proud and minimal gesture - and remained standing. "Still, the matter I wish to employ you in is... problematic, and it would require you to spend most of your time alone, here in the palace. It would also demand great secrecy, and may turn out to be long-termed."
Dark-clad shoulders shrugged. "I am my own man, milady. My connections in Aidus are strictly business-related, and I have no family or other current obligations. How much are you willing to offer me in order to take this 'problematic matter' off your hands?"
"100 gold per month, food, lodging, clothing and whatever entertainment you might require, as long as it doesn't interfere with your duty. A weekly report of your activity delivered to me personally, or to Lord Hyden if I am away. You will be given the job's specifics after you agree to it. While I am willing to be flexible on most of the conditions, these are not negotiable."
He nodded. "One free hour each day, in which I may do as I please, with the possibility to cumulate weekly hours in one day. The opportunity for me to practice my battle skills whenever my duty allows it. Books, writing material, the possibility to send personal letters whenever I please - without mentioning anything about my current duty, of course. Being allowed to deny any form of sexual advances - from anyone." He glared at her and continued. "A written contract stipulating all of the above, signed by both of us and a witness on each side, valid for as long as I remain in your employment."
Esthera was impressed by the long speech coming from someone as taciturn as he had been before, as well as by fact that the man knew how to protect his interests. And the conditions he had laid down seemed more than acceptable, considering the task he would perform for an indefinite period of time.
"Agreed. You would make a fine businessman, Shayan Miren - and are worthy of your reputation."
"And my task?"
"Your task is to make sure that my beloved stepson, Emperor Aidan, stays out of my way. It will be easy, considering his current condition - but I need someone I can trust, someone who can deal with any unexpected problem that might appear."
For the first time, a sly smile crept on the mercenary's lips, and his eyes shone dangerously. "It shall be my personal pleasure, milady."
Chapter 1
From personal experience, the people of Ardae fear two things: water, and exotic-looking men who carry sharp swords.
- Shayan Miren
Ardae was a hot country, Shayan concluded after merely two months, one and a half of which he had spent travelling from Aquilae to the Ardaen capital city Aidus. He had taken his time, stopping in cities and finding out what he could about this country where dragons were said to rule, and more importantly about the royal family - the Aidans. Levi had occasionally had to urge him on, preparing him for this 'most wonderful' new employment by whispering bits and pieces of ancient myths in his ear during travelling hours. He'd been told what his part was, and that he had to play it the best he could, but at times he still wondered why exactly he had agreed to this whole mess.
Ah, that was right - because Levi had promised to haunt him for the rest of his life otherwise! Still, it wouldn't have been that bad... if he'd stayed in Aquilae. Or in Ventae. It had been some time since he had visited his homeland. Not that much waited for him there; but he missed the devastating seashore storms he'd grown up with.
There would be no storms in Ardae for at least four months to come. The air was dry, the land barren, and the people tended to glare at him most of the time, cursing outsiders. Not a welcoming land at all.
His new employer was not different in a good way. All she wanted was to rule that country, even if she did so through her son. Shayan couldn't understand her; coming from the far colder climate of Glacae, what could she accomplish in a land of fire? She would do a good job at destroying it - or perhaps that was what she was actually trying to accomplish.
He'd ask Levi later, maybe he would like illuminating Shayan that day.
Then there was Hyden Sidanous, Lord General of the Knights of Aidan. A man in his 50s, with sandy hair now almost white and piercing amber eyes, he'd scowled at the mercenary for the longest time, taking his measure even as he tried to intimidate. Only experience had kept Shayan from fidgeting under his gaze. But the man had finally declared himself satisfied with the newly-hired Emperor's bodyguard and had begun to inform Shayan what exactly his duties were.
"Your primary duty will be to make sure nobody goes in and out the Emperor's rooms without authorisation," he'd said firmly, slamming a hand on his desk as if to help get the point across. "That includes the Emperor himself. In his disturbed condition, he would be a danger to anyone in this palace."
'He is mad, you mean,' Shayan corrected the knight in his mind. But, of course, the leader of the Knights of Aidan would not say something disrespectful about his Emperor in front of a stranger who hadn't proved himself yet.
"It is a dangerous position, since His Majesty might not agree to your presence," the older man continued, making Shayan smile inwardly.
What followed after was an introduction - most impersonal and non-detailed, or so the mercenary thought - on the Emperor and on why he required a personal bodyguard. The 'official version' included an attempt on Emperor Aidan's life by his personal bed slave - again, Shayan kept his grin from showing - and the execution of that slave and the Captain of the Emperor's Guard. Since then, the Ardaen sovereign's delicate condition had worsened and his half-brother Quinn had been forced to become Regent until the Emperor recovered.
Having given more details on the matter, some by Lady Esthera and the most helpful by Levi earlier on, Shayan deduced that his duty was actually to keep the Emperor locked away from the world until his madness killed him. He looked at Hyden with the expressionless mask he had learned to use early in his life, only his eyes giving the barest hint of emotions. Wouldn't the old knight like to know that he had his own agenda!
Hyden produced a slender, long-necked bottle from his desk, which he offered to the raven-haired mercenary. "This is what keeps him harmless," he explained. "It is a strong Glacaen drug which paralyzes his body and prevents him from harming those who care for him."
Shayan recognized the pearly substance as wolfsbite, and being familiar with some of the effects he winced. No wonder Emperor Aidan couldn't control his body and his powers anymore!
Still, he managed to shrug casually and pocket the bottle. "What is the required dosage?" he asked.
"Two spoonfuls every twelve hours, mixed in his broth," Hyden replied and got up, motioning for him to follow as he headed for the door of his office. "Unfortunately he can no longer consume solid food."
'No wonder, if you kept him sedated with this for half a year,' the Ventaen mused as he followed the knight out of the room and down a large hallway.
The Lord General carried on like nothing was amiss. "The bottle holds the amount for a month. I shall give you another one when you finish it. It is your task to administer it daily, on time and in precise dosage. Without it, he may do something horrible, like destroying the palace or even the city."
Already aware of the Emperor's ability to control and manipulate fire, Shayan nodded in understanding.
"Now, the persons with access to his quarters are very few. Lady Esthera Aidan," - there was a small sign of emotion when he said her name, which Shayan noted and kept in mind for further analysis - "myself and my Second-in-Command, whom you shall meet today. Two pages who shall come three times a day to take care of his physical needs and clean the rooms. And you, of course. Nobody else can come, without my or Lady Esthera's permission."
Shayan kept nodding, wondering if they would check on him; they probably would, at least for a few weeks. He should get the locks changed, in any case. He didn't like surprise visits.
The people they passed by were getting rarer, but naturally they kept staring at him. Maybe it was his extremely long hair, he thought. Or his clothing, so different from what they were wearing. He knew he looked strange to them, but they'd have to get used to it. He wouldn't give up his long hair and tight leather clothing, and he would be staying there for a very long time.
"You can settle your things in the Leviathan room, which adjoins the Emperor's and is currently unoccupied," Lord Hyden continued, a little oblivious at his shocked countrymen. It was the first time he had mentioned the Leviathan, and Shayan was once again happy he knew more than he was being told. "The room has been empty of late, but is kept clean at all times. It has a pool and access to a private garden; coming from Aquilae, you might find them... comforting. We do, after all, want to make you feel welcomed."
'Sure you do,' Shayan thought. 'You also forgot to mention I could get burned to a crisp by accepting this job.' Aloud, he said, "I am from Ventae, not Aquilae."
"Same thing," the Lord General concluded, not even bothering to look at him which only served to make Shayan dislike him even more. And this man was in charge of the whole land's security! "Now, I believe you have discussed your other duties and responsibilities, as well as your pay, with Lady Esthera. Is there anything you wish to know before you get started?"
There was, but it was better to play the fool for the time being. "Not at the time, milord."
Hyden nodded, and the following ten minutes were spent silently walking through even more hallways. Their aspect changed little by little, and Shayan knew they had reached the Emperor's wing. Finally, they neared an ornate door where another, younger Knight of Aidan was waiting for them.
"This is Andrew Kaemon, my Second-in-Command," Hyden informed the mercenary, pulling out a set of keys. He removed one of them and used it to open the door after which he handed it to Shayan. The Ventaen pocketed it, keeping his eyes on the other knight.
Andrew Kaemon was around Shayan's age, and had short-cropped red hair and light brown eyes. He returned the mercenary's stare with the same curiosity.
"Shayan Miren," the mercenary introduced himself, clasping the knight's wrist quickly before following Lord Hyden in the Emperor's room.
It was an inferno! How the hell was he supposed to live there?!
"Because of the Emperor's condition, the room is kept heated through pipes hidden in the walls," the lord informed him. "No open fire is allowed here. However, you will find the adjoining room much more comfortable."
Shayan noticed a frown pass on the younger knight's face, but didn't have the time to react as a scrubby-looking boy came in through the curtained doorway of the Leviathan's room and was summoned over by the Lord General.
"This is Myrtle," the man told him, "one of Emperor Aidan's two pages. You two shall see a lot of each other from now on. We shall leave you to your duties now; if you have any questions feel free to come straight to me."
Shayan watched the two knights take their leave, the Lord General impenetrable once more and his Second-in-Command bowing respectfully in the direction of the Emperor's bed and shooting one last uneasy glance at Shayan before going through the door and closing it.
With them gone, the dark-haired Ventaen turned his attention to the reason of his being here: the Emperor, who was occupying the giant bed which was one of the room's major features. He hesitated for merely one second before heading that way to have a look at his charge, ignoring the sudden and persistent tug on his sleeve.
Heavy burgundy coverlets embroidered with golden flames and dragons hid most of the Emperor's body from sight; but even so, Shayan could tell that the man was nearly gaunt from the lack of proper feeding, not to mention completely immobile from the drug in his system. The mercenary wondered briefly if he was so deeply gone in his madness that he did not hear what was going on around him.
On impulse he reached out a hand and brushed away a sweaty mass of dark red hair from the pale face. He frowned at the sight his action had revealed; Emperor Aidan was not much older than a boy! So young to suffer from such a curse!
"Hey! You can't touch him!" a high-pitched voice yelled as his hand was suddenly yanked away.
Shayan turned weary eyes on the little page, who looked positively outraged. The boy was glaring at him with amber eyes, a determined look on his face as he held onto the Ventaen's hand. "Stay away from him! He doesn't like to be touched by strangers!" he declared.
Shayan glanced at the boy. "I'm his new bodyguard," he said impassively, like it would explain everything. "How can I protect him if I can't touch him?"
He got another glare. "Bodyguard? Did that woman hire you?"
"Yes, she did," he confirmed, assuming that 'that woman' was Lady Esthera. "Now, why don't you let me do my job and go fetch my belongings from the inn I was staying at? I'll be living here from now on."
"Here?" the page squeaked. "You mean in these rooms? That's impossible! Only the Emperor can stay here!"
Shayan resorted to his own deathly glare, which caused the boy to draw back and gulp. "Listen... Myrtle, was it? I'm staying in the Leviathan's room, and that's final. From now on until my contract expires, I was given the authority to decide what is best for the Emperor's well-being. And if that includes having the palace sack a little page named after an aromatic plant who prevents me from doing my job properly I won't hesitate to do precisely that. So I suggest that from now on you do as you're told."
The little brunette shivered. "B-but you can't! I-it's a joke, right?"
Shayan's eyes narrowed as he said seriously, "I never joke. Now go retrieve my bags. I was staying at the Red Volcano Inn, room 10. The pay is already settled."
It was fun watching the boy scramble; so with that little distraction out of the way he returned to his study of the young Emperor.
They hadn't even told him his name... but he must have had one just like everybody else, so Shayan decided to ask the page when he returned. For one so small, the boy had seemed the only one still devoted to the sovereign of Ardae so far. Shayan wasn't sure about Andrew Kaemon, but he supposed he too would have wanted the Emperor to get better. Well, he had all the time he needed to find out.
But for now, he resumed getting the damp hair away from the emaciated face, revealing features that would have been beautiful if the face hadn't been so sunken. It appeared that the rumour claiming the Aidans were a charming lot was true. Perhaps so was the one about their insatiable sexuality...
For the first time that day, Shayan allowed a smile to curl his lips. He would just have to find out, wouldn't he?
Myrtle groaned as he dragged the bodyguard's belonging back to the Emperor's rooms. He'd been so frightened he'd actually gone to retrieve them himself, even if he could have had one of the palace's couriers sent on the errand instead.
It just wasn't fair! Nobody but Emperor Aidan should have occupied those rooms! He vaguely remembered the slave that had previously inhabited the luxurious Leviathan room - he still didn't know why they called it that, but he supposed it was because of the pool and the majestic sea dragon that adorned the walls. They had executed the slave, accusing him of attempting to assassinate the Emperor, but Myrtle couldn't imagine the frail Aquilaen doing such a thing, in spite of his foul mouth and trashy manners. Everybody had known that he had been a whore in Wyrllyr; the Emperor hadn't seemed to care and had even been happy to have him there, but when he'd lost control and been unable to think rationally anymore, the boy had been put to death.
And now, Lady Esthera had personally chosen a bodyguard for her stepson. The guts that woman had! Bryenn had not trusted her one bit. She saw herself as Empress, even if she'd been a second wife and had therefore no right to order people around! She wasn't even from Ardae!
Myrtle dropped the luggage he'd been carrying and sat on the largest one to rest. The scary-looking new bodyguard had packed everything in two bags, but they were damned heavy. What the hell did he have in there, weapons?
Truth be told, he probably had just that. The man had struck him as the silent but violent type. Those violet eyes that spelled murder for anyone that got on his bad side and his extremely long black hair, worn in a complicated braid that reached below his middle back, shifted behind him as a dark tail of sorts. A demon, that's what he was!
The page resumed his task, dreading to meet the man again. He knew his name was Shayan Miren, the innkeeper had told him as much when he'd retrieved the bags, but it was never a good idea to call a demon by his given name.
Hopefully he wouldn't really have him fired. He didn't want to leave his Emperor alone in his enemy's hands.
"Hey, Myrtle!" someone called after him. "What are you doing?"
He dropped the bags again, this time hearing the distinct metal clang as they reached the ground. He'd been right about the weapons, then.
His eyes travelled up a lavender taffeta gown to meet Lady Krysten's inquisitive gaze. He quickly bowed to her. "He's here, milady. The new bodyguard - they found one," he whispered.
Lady Krysten Aidan, who was the Emperor's remote cousin but looked nothing like him, with sandy hair worn in a complicated bun atop her head and green eyes, quirked a brow at the page's concerned expression.
"A bodyguard? Are you sure, sweetheart? Andrew didn't mention anything of the sort yesterday."
"H-he arrived today. Employed by Lady Esthera herself!" his voice dropped even further and he looked around to see if anyone might be listening. "I don't like him, milady! He's scary!"
Lady Krysten patted his head, but her eyes seemed concerned. "I'm sure everything will be alright," she tried to assure him. "If he is a hired mercenary, he's likely to be the burly type. But that doesn't mean he will hurt the Emperor, no matter how scary he seems to you."
Myrtle, who cringed at the mere thought of the man's dark look, found it impolite to contradict her. He still thought he'd hurt Emperor Aidan. "I don't think he'll let you see your cousin any more, milady."
She nodded. "I'll ask my husband to keep an eye on him, then. Better still, on them both. Just be careful around him and don't give him a reason to get angry with you. And let me know if you think anything suspicious is going on."
The brunette gulped. He'd already gotten on the man's bad side, like usually. Only Bryenn had always understood him, and now he was unable to help him.
It wasn't fair! Bryenn had promised nothing bad would ever happen to him!
Lady Krysten smiled down at him. "How is my cousin today?" she asked.
The boy shook his head. "There's no change, milady. I'm sorry. I still think it's the drug they give him."
She didn't agree. "It's for his safety, Myrtle. You know I wouldn't allow it otherwise."
He pursed his lips and bowed again, and started picking up the heavy bags. She frowned then, and summoning one of the guards that had just passed by she ordered the middle-aged man to get the luggage and accompany the page.
"Where are you taking them?" she asked
"To the Emperor's suite," he pouted. "He's staying in there."
There was an angry look in her eyes as he left her, hurrying to keep the pace with the guard. It was nearly time to take care of the Emperor's needs... he'd been lucky to get back that fast. The other page didn't like his assigned duty, but Myrtle lived for it. And maybe one day Emperor Aidan would get better and make him his personal servant...
The guard left him in front of the door with the bags, not being allowed inside, and smiled at the page's thanks, taking his leave. Myrtle tried to open the door, which turned out to be impossible since it was locked. A cold feeling crept in his heart as he knocked at the door. What if the mercenary had hurt the Emperor?
His desperate knocks were finally answered by a dripping wet bodyguard wearing nothing but his leather trousers. His long hair, now unbound and reaching down to his knees, clung to his wiry body like a dark web. He glanced down at the page, then at the bags, then back at the boy. "You found them. Good." Grabbing one of them he shouldered it like it weighted nearly nothing and motioned for Myrtle to follow with the other.
"At what time do you do the housekeeping?" he asked almost casually once in the blue-tiled and chilly room, dropping the bag next to one of the closets.
"Housekeeping?"
It seemed Myrtle couldn't help squeaking when around him. It was just that he always asked the strangest questions, catching him unawares.
It caused the Ventaen's eyes to roll. "Yes, boy, housekeeping. Cleaning, taking care of the comatose person in the next room, that sort of thing."
"Don't call him that!" Myrtle protested. "Just because he can't move doesn't mean he's not aware! He can hear everything that's being said between these walls. And if you're mean to me, he'll know and have you punished."
The bodyguard's expression darkened. Drawing closer, dangerously closer to the boy, he grabbed his chin and forced him to look him in the eyes.
"I believe he's in no condition to do that, boy. But I hope you're right and he is aware of everything, because that will make things much easier for me. Now, at what time are you supposed to take care of him?"
At the commanding tone of his voice, the page answered instinctively, "Mornings and evenings at eight, and one hour after noon."
He was released, and the dark-haired man nodded. "It's nearly eight," he observed offhandedly. "Go do your job."
Myrtle rushed out of the room immediately.
Shayan watched the two pages at work with a detached look on his face. He was sure the little brunette - who seemed in charge - was now terrified of him. He knew he shouldn't have been so brisk, but he truly hated when his questions were not promptly answered and the boy seemed to always have something else to say.
He also seemed loyal to the Emperor, and fanatically so. He performed his tasks with reverence and respect while the other, red-haired and slightly older boy looked like he was ready to bolt and run at any second.
Hmm... maybe in time they could grow to work together quite well. Maybe the boy could be reasoned with. Maybe he wasn't on Lady Esthera's payroll. And a loyal page could prove quite useful, being nearly invisible and having access to many of the places Shayan couldn't reach without drawing suspicions.
He grabbed the fine porcelain bowl the red-head had brought and smelled it. Vegetable porridge. For an Emperor. Awful! The food they'd brought for him was fine and more than enough to feed two people (he reminded himself to check it for poison), and all they gave to the man that was supposed to rule the land was vegetable porridge.
And where was Levi when needed? He'd dumped him off at the palace and said he'd be back by nightfall. Stupid ghost! Shayan sent him an eloquent mental growl just in case he was listening.
He pointed at the red-haired page as he produced the wolfsbite bottle from his pocket. "You. Leave."
The older boy gave him an almost thankful look as he bowed and quickly exited, leaving Myrtle and Shayan alone with Emperor Aidan.
Shayan sighed inwardly. "Is this all you're going to feed him?" he asked holding up the bowl and trying his best to sound sociable.
To his credit, the page had learned his lesson and answered straight this time. "We give him soup at noon. He can't digest anything else. I tried to feed him some fish - he likes fish you know - but he couldn't..." the boy's mouth shut suddenly, as he realized what he was telling to a man who he undoubtedly considered 'the enemy'.
Shayan sat down on the edge of the bed, placed the bowl on one leg and measured not quite two spoonfuls of wolfsbite which he stirred into the porridge. Thankfully the drug wasn't addictive but it wasn't healthy to suddenly stop taking it. Besides, he wasn't sure how the Emperor would react to his presence; it was better to be careful and do things one step at a time. When Levi got back he'd have some answers, but until then he should be cautious about his moves.
In the mean time, the little brunette had also climbed on the bed and taken the Emperor's head in his lap, and was now glaring at him. "Why do you have to give him that? He hates it!"
Shayan looked up and realized nobody had explained to the boy what exactly was happening. It would be to his advantage if he did so, then.
"It's for the best. Without it, he might just decide to turn us all into burning corpses. It doesn't do permanent damage, but the dosage must be reduced in time. Trust me, I've seen it at work before. Now, feed him," he ordered, giving the boy the bowl.
Myrtle hesitated but finally did as told and started feeding the Emperor little spoonfuls, massaging his neck so he could swallow. Apparently the drug's effects had been beginning to fade, because the young man's eyes moved a bit behind closed lids. It was good to know he could still do that.
"You say he likes fish," Shayan spoke. "Why don't you bring him some fish soup tomorrow, then? Even if it isn't meat, it would at least taste like it." He met the boy's startled blink with a little smile. "I'm here to take care of him, not see him waste away. It's not healthy to feed him the same thing day after day. Although he can't digest solid food, there's a diversity of things they could prepare for him. Even a strange foreign mercenary like me knows as much."
The boy nodded and kept feeding the Emperor.
"What is his name?" Shayan asked.
"Emperor Aidan."
He sighed. "His first name. Mine is Shayan, by the way. Yours is... Myrtle. What kind of name is Myrtle?"
The boy pouted. "My mother happened to like this plant. She was a temple priestess so..." Once again he stopped abruptly and left the phrase unfinished, so Shayan assumed he was accustomed to talking freely when he wasn't on duty. No doubt his superiors had been berating him for his 'loose tongue' then; but that could also be useful.
He shrugged. "So, like you and me, 'Emperor Aidan' must have a first name. Since nobody bothered to tell me what it is and I can't keep calling him by his title all the time, I'm asking you for his real name. Is that so strange?"
Myrtle pondered if he should tell him for a few moments. "It is strange," he finally agreed. "His name is Bryenn."
Bryenn Aidan. Not a bad name for the Emperor of Ardae.
Now all that Shayan had to figure out was how to cure this dragonling and bring him back to life.
Chapter 2
If you wish to win, never play by your enemy's rules.
- Shayan Miren
The fires in his blood burned brightly, as those in his mind scorched his conscience. The raging voice kept repeating that he must take revenge on those who had disgraced him in such a manner. He was the Emperor of Ardae! How dared they do this to him?! How dared they trap him in his own bed, unable to move, unable to speak?!
He was set on killing them all when he got better. The treacherous Glacaen woman, she had been behind this all along! How could he have been so blind to her plans? And Hyden, the one he had trusted with his life. They had turned against him.
It gradually rose, his anger, just as they poured the vile drug down his throat. The dragon within him raged and seethed, demanding that his power be released. He had tried numerous times, but it hadn't worked. It never worked.
His soul was chained with flames and ire, even as his body rested on a golden bed, forgotten by family and friends. He lay there trapped, slowly consumed by invisible flames that would never go away.
But, gradually, something changed. Even as he felt what was happening around him, a name managed to past that burning barrier and into his mind.
That name was Shayan.
At first, he did not know who this Shayan was - then a miracle happened. The fires tormenting him were smothered, little by little, and awareness started to return. The feeling of a lean body pressed against his own; spun silk trailing over burning skin; powerful hands caressing and soothing him.
He wanted to reach out then, he wanted to touch in return. Rather than anger, he now felt a strange mixture of safety and lust. Lust for the body pressed against his; desire that those long-fingered hands touch him all over.
Shayan smelled like water and fresh air, and his voice got through even the highest roar of the dragon's anger. Shayan was water to his fire, and balm to his pain.
Could it be - he asked himself then - a new Leviathan? But it was impossible, for certain.
But he was feeling better, even if he was still trapped in a dark world. Slowly, very slowly, his strength was returning. The dragon still kept coaxing him to seek vengeance, but he knew he had to be careful. Because, now, Shayan was watching over him. He didn't want to harm Shayan, did he?
No, he truly didn't... although this man was strange. He spoke to him when they were alone, or read to him. He could never remember the words, but rather the tone of the man's voice, soothing. Shayan only spoke to him that way. He spoke to two others, but his voice was sharper then. One of them was Myrtle, the boy he'd rescued once; he felt the page's presence clearly now. As for the other, he was called Levi, and Shayan would sometimes argue with him. Those conversations were strange, because he could not hear the other's answers.
But he would learn about all this, wouldn't he? The anger receded, and his strength returned. He would soon be able to see his Shayan. And then...
Bryenn Aidan's thoughts whirled with possibilities of what might happen then.
One month passed faster than Shayan would have imagined.
He quickly fell into a daily schedule, although getting used to staying in Emperor Aidan's overheated room had been hard to get accustomed to. Thankfully the Leviathan's room was insulated in a strange way and kept almost chilly, and the garden had proved a delightful distraction from staring at bleak walls all day long.
First thing on his list had been getting all the locks changed and making sure he had the only key to the main door. It had taken a little persuasion work, but in the end he had been granted permission to do it.
The second thing he'd done was to personally meet with all the people that had access to the Emperor's wing, including guards and servants. Some of them lived in rooms just beyond the wing proper, so that hadn't been hard. Assessing the guards had been a little challenging, considering the Ardaens had openly stared at him while those from other lands had simply shrugged and pretended not to stare, but he'd done it anyway.
And finally, he had started reading the Leviathans' journals. It was his secret pursuit, one that Levi had encouraged to prepare him for what was to come. Shayan hated most of these leather-bound volumes, because it showed just how much one person in every generation had to sacrifice in order to ensure the Emperor's sanity. But it also helped him understand exactly what was at stake, more so than a ghost's incessant indications.
There were many journals, but his favourites were those of Milya Llyr, the first Leviathan, and that of Dante Llyr, dated around 4 centuries back. Shayan hadn't been able to make Levi tell him exactly what had happened with Milya (although he suspected it was all the leviathan's fault, giving his powers to mortals and then making them go through generations into people that hadn't asked for them) but Dante's journals were incredibly precise on most the events of his life. Shayan had a fair idea Dante had been a fellow warrior before becoming the Emperor's Leviathan.
The Ventaen made an important decision after he had finished reading that journal. He wouldn't allow himself to be kept locked in that room, like all the others had been. He had come there of his own free will, and therefore the Emperor would owe him a great favour.
Besides, he was claustrophobic.
By the end of the month he started getting small signs that Bryenn Aidan was getting better. Shayan had dropped the wolfsbite dosage little by little, and had spent most of his nights in the Emperor's bed instead of his own, holding the young man's motionless body to him. At first it had been just that, but by the second week his hands had started wandering. He'd removed the three thick robes Bryenn was wrapped in then, to have better access to the flawless skin underneath.
Night after night he did this, getting up early in the morning and making sure that, by the time the two pages came in, everything was just the way they had left it the previous evening. After a while he did it during the day too, lounging on the bed with Bryenn against his side while he was reading.
By the third week, he realized that there were indeed periods when Bryenn was aware of what was happening in the room. The Ardaen's breath would come a bit faster, and his eyes would move under closed lids as if he were dreaming.
Shayan started talking to him, then. It was odd talking to someone who didn't answer back. Different from talking to Levi, for although nobody could see the ghost Shayan knew it was there, and it answered mentally. It also warned him if somebody was coming to check on him, so thankfully he'd passed all inspections without a trail of suspicion.
Bryenn could not answer, but the mercenary was sure he heard. It was better that way - he'd recognize Shayan by the sound of his voice when he finally woke up.
True awareness came to the Emperor one early afternoon. By that time, he was being given only half a spoon of wolfsbite, and there had been small reflexes in his body in answer to Shayan's touches. But that day, after the pages had left and Shayan had settled in a chair nearby and picked up a book, Bryenn's eyes finally opened.
It took Shayan a moment to realize it, but when he ascertained the Emperor was indeed watching him he dropped the book and went to sit down on the edge of the bed.
Bryenn's eyes followed him, head turning even so slightly when he stepped out of sight.
It was more than the Ventaen had hoped for. He had thought it would be at least a couple more weeks until Bryenn could actually move.
"Hello my dragonling," Shayan spoke softly, bending over the Emperor. He'd taken on calling Bryenn that, and for some unknown reason the nickname gave him a perverse pleasure.
Bryenn's eyes were a dark brown, still half-covered by dark red lashes, and incredibly focused.
"Well, for someone who's been insane for a few years your eyes look relatively normal," Shayan chuckled. "How are you feeling? Better, I hope."
Bryenn's lips barely quivered, and his eyelids were somewhat lowered.
"It's fine," the Ventaen assured him. "You know that you can trust me." He touched a hand to Bryenn's forehead, finding his body heat fairly normal. He'd have to order the room's temperature reduced a little bit.
"Bryenn," he called out. Dark eyes opened all the way this time, and the Emperor's gaze focused on him. Good. "This is important, and you must trust me on it. You must let no one know you have regained consciousness. Do you understand?" Naturally, there could be no voiced answer. "If yes, blinked once; if no, do it twice."
One blink; he understood. Shayan couldn't help but grin victoriously.
"Do you know my name?" Yes. "Do you know why I'm here?" No blinking, but a confused look and a little furrowing of Bryenn's pale brow. "It's okay. I am here to protect you and take care of you. I won't let anyone harm you, dragonling. If you trust me."
Another blink; then the lids lowered again and the Emperor's breath became slower, calmer. Shayan called to him again, but there was no answer. The Emperor had fallen asleep once more.
Shayan shrugged. He'd wake up again, and they would talk then. His goal was getting closer; now if only he could persuade Bryenn to agree with his and Levi's careful planning.
Shayan did not stay in the room until evening, but went for a stroll in the garden and then, checking on Bryenn and seeing he was still asleep, he went in search of the training hall. He was a common sight in there by now, and the guards gave him enough space when he was catching up on his fighting practice. Some were even checking him out, but he didn't care about them. In fact, all he could care about was his red-haired dragonling.
That day, his thoughts made him more restless. He spent two hours practicing with his sword, which was all right since he hadn't been out much and he had plenty of free time left. When he returned to his rooms, the pages were already at work. The other page, named of Trell, was positively terrified of the Emperor and always left the room after he finished cleaning. Myrtle stayed to feed Bryenn and then left as well.
That evening, the Ventaen noticed something was different even as Trell stormed out of the room past him. The Emperor was awake once more.
Shayan watched with amusement as Myrtle was feeding Bryenn his soup, while Bryenn was pretending not to be aware of it. His practiced eyes could see the difference, but he was certain the page had not noticed that the Emperor was swallowing on his own. He was far too busy shooting nervous glances at Shayan.
The mercenary shook his head and went into the other room to wash the sweat off his body and change his clothing. He'd trained hard that day, trying to release the combined frustration, impatience and anger that had gathered in him again. If things went well, by the end of that winter Bryenn would probably be ruler of Ardae once more. It was incredible how foolish the people at court were, exchanging gossips about the Emperor's strange illness and regularly shifting sides according to their mood. The boy that had been placed on the throne as Regent was 14 years old, and a bit slow of mind. Lady Esthera pulled his strings skilfully, but she was still a foreign woman so the Ardaen nobility tended to ignore her more direct approaches. He was sure that Lord Hyden had no idea what her real plans were; he himself had had a hard time believing what Levi had told him. She did not want to rule Ardae, but destroy it. Apparently the Emperor was linked to the entire land by means of the dragon's power that ran through his veins, and his death would bring about the destruction of Ardae itself. The Glacaen woman had somehow found out about it, and planned to use it to her advantage; the mercenary was now almost certain the death of Bryenn's father had been no accident.
But, right now, the red-haired dragonling was far from recovered and any little mistake could mean the revelation of Shayan's true intentions. So watching Bryenn pretending he was still comatose was a relief. Still, he doubted it was necessary around Myrtle. The boy was dedicated heart and soul to serving only Bryenn.
Masking his smile with a little frown as he returned to the Emperor's room, Shayan glared at his own tray of food. Maybe he should try feeding something solid to his charge, now that he was awake and aware.
Picking up a knife, he cut the two fish steaks into thin slices and casually placed them on a plate, earning an intrigued study from Myrtle and an equally interested glance from behind nearly lowered dark red lashes.
"That's enough, Myrtle," he said firmly, seeing that the bowl of soup was nearly empty. "I'll see you in the morning."
"But I'm not done yet!" the boy protested. It was true, he had still to clean the Leviathan's room, but the dark-haired mercenary was getting excited at the prospect of being finally able to talk to his dragonling.
"I insist," he glared at the brunette, who blanched and quickly finished tucking in the Emperor for the night. He looked at Shayan's uneaten dinner, then at the Ventaen. He quickly bowed and started walking toward the door. Backwards.
Shayan shook his head as he stood up from the small table. "Good night Myrtle," he said, making the boy yelp and go out the door as quickly as he could. Even after a month, the page was rather skittish and apparently still feared him.
He smiled and locked the door after the boy. Then, grabbing the plate on which he'd placed the sliced fish, he made for the bed. 'Alright, dragonling, let's see how awake you really are.' Sitting on the bed and placing the plate at hand, he called softly. "You can open your eyes now; it's just you and me again."
Lids framed by long lashes opened to reveal the two dark pools. Bryenn blinked for a few moments until his pupils became focused and then fixed his gaze on Shayan, waiting.
"Time for the second course," the mercenary said. "Someone informed me you like fish."
The Emperor wanted to say something, but all that came out was a whimper. Inquisitive eyes instantly became terrified, but Shayan shook his head and patted the young Ardaen's shoulder.
"It's alright - just a secondary effect of the drug. You'll get your voice back soon." He shifted so that he was leaning against the headboard, and pulled the still immobile body up so it was leaning against him on one side. "All comfortable? Good. Now, eat."
A small piece of meat was picked from the plate and offered to Bryenn, who opened his mouth obediently and chewed on the meat, savouring something he had been denied for too long. When he finally swallowed he was offered another bit, and so on until the plate was half-emptied.
Much to Shayan's amused revelation, after a while Bryenn's tongue started licking his fingers as they fed him, in what could be called a clumsy attempt at foreplay. Clumsy because the Emperor couldn't even move properly. But at least it was a clear sign he was interested, and that was good to know.
Chuckling at Bryenn's seemingly increasing dedication to his meal, Shayan placed a piece of meat between his own teeth and bent down, depositing it straight into the young man's mouth. Far from complaining, Bryenn seemed to enjoy this new tactic and was soon looking up at his bodyguard expectantly.
"Enough," Shayan finally declared. "I don't want you to get sick."
The red-haired youth whimpered in protest, and tried to move a few inches closer, eyes begging for him to continue.
"Stop that! You're not a puppy!" the mercenary protested, knowing he could have resisted that look from anyone but his dragonling. Damn the liking he'd instantly taken on him.
And damn Levi for having known that would happen and not having told him.
"Kiss!"
It had been a rasp, nearly whispered, and anguished plea. Shayan lifted the pale face and smiled down at Bryenn. "See, my impatient Emperor? I told you your voice would come back. Now, do you really want me to kiss you?" He laughed a little at the frantic nod and bent down to whisper close to Bryenn's mouth, "You like my kisses, don't you, my little dragon?"
He ran his tongue over still thin lips, slowly asking for entrance. Bryenn obediently opened his mouth for him, allowing him a sweet taste of the Ardaen. Slowly, Shayan coerced him to return the kiss, fully aware of the young man's enthusiastic response.
"Mmm... very good, dragonling. You're a quick study," he told Bryenn, depositing a slightly trembling body on the bed and laying down beside him. "Now, just how eager are you tonight?"
He peeled away the heavy robes, one by one, like he had done every night for the past month. Flesh was starting to return on Bryenn's frame, but he'd have to eat lots of vitamins to get back in shape. 'Well, there go my salads!' Shayan thought, knowing that he couldn't risk asking for a complete meal for the Emperor without Lady Esthera immediately finding out. The situation was risky enough as it was; thankfully the servants had never asked where the extra food they gave him went.
He removed his own shirt, made of thin dark fabric, and pressed his body against Bryenn's. His dragonling was so very pale, and yet so warm... the fire burning in his blood appealing to the leviathan's power in Shayan's own.
He wondered what the whole story between Levi and his dragon was, because only a small part of it had been written in Milya Llyr's journal.
He kissed Bryenn again until that pale mouth became a dark pink and the Emperor was writhing underneath him as much as he could - which wasn't much, but he wasn't immobile either.
His hand travelled down over Bryenn's chest and stomach, resting on a slender hip. "We need to get more flesh on you. I can still feel your bones. They nearly starved you to death, the fools."
Bryenn's breathing increased. "Evil," he murmured against Shayan's cheek. "They die."
"I'm glad to see you know your long-term interests," the Ventaen agreed, still rubbing against the shorter body. "But what about tonight?"
"Sex."
The mercenary chuckled wickedly. "You know your interests indeed. But I'm not sure your body is up to it just yet."
The Emperor groaned, frustrated.
To prove his point, Shayan allowed his hand to run over Bryenn's inner hip to his groin, brushing his fingers over half-hardened flesh. He tentatively rubbed a bit harder, but although Bryenn started shivering Shayan's touch had no visible effect.
"Can't," Bryenn finally declared, breaking down in muted sobs.
The mercenary stopped and took the trembling young man in his arms, gathering the covers around the two of them before he started stroking the younger man's back.
"It's just the drug," he assured him again. "Its effects will wear off soon enough."
"Impotent!" Bryenn sobbed against his shoulder, berating himself for something that wasn't his fault.
Shayan shook his head. "No you're not. I heard many rumours about your family, but this particular one was not among them. On the contrary, I heard the Aidans have an insatiable sexual appetite. Trust me, by the end of this month you'll be tumbling every single page and maid in the palace!"
"No. Only you," came Bryenn's whisper, but the trembling subsided a little.
"As you command, my Emperor," Shayan replied mockingly, yet knowing it would be just as Bryenn had said. He was, after all, the one meant to keep the Emperor of Ardae from going insane.
'I just wish I would have been asked before these powers were passed on to me,' he told himself ruefully, knowing that Levi wouldn't have bothered doing that.
Or, perhaps, Levi had no say in it and he'd cursed the spirit for so long in vain.
Chapter 3
There is no deal when matters such as lust are involved.
- Mihail Llyr
Two weeks later, Bryenn was positively in need.
He wasn't fully recovered yet, but things were infinitely better. He could barely wait until he would drop the whole charade and reveal himself to his people. He had been warned against it numerous times, and although he knew Shayan only wanted to protect him and make sure he didn't get into any troubles before he could handle the situation, he was simply aching to do something.
Because of the drug he'd been given, he still wasn't capable of moving around much. And the lack of proper food had weakened his body as well. He ate everything that was being given to him, by Myrtle as well as Shayan, who apparently didn't like eating a meal meant for two by himself and was also - Bryenn suspected - watching his figure.
In the Emperor's opinion, Shayan had nothing to worry about. His body was fit and hard with muscle, and Bryenn could barely wait to do more with his guardian than just cuddle. Even if he hadn't been his Leviathan, Bryenn would have found the mercenary hard to resist. His mind was set on having sex with him as soon as possible - and he was sure Shayan would not complain. Not at all.
Myrtle was a problem that would have to be dealt with. Bryenn had had no idea the boy would be so devoted to him, even after a year in which he'd not truly been aware of his presence. He liked Myrtle, actually... but it seemed that the young page and his new bodyguard were intent on making each other's life difficult. Plus, Shayan missed no opportunity to tease the boy, and it was hard for Bryenn to refrain from laughing when that happened. And playing comatose while Myrtle and Trell were tending to him was not something he would be able to do for long; one of the two would undoubtedly notice that, instead of getting worse, he was getting better.
But, for the moment, Bryenn was content to watch his bodyguard coming in through the curtained door that led to the Leviathan's room, his stride confident as usual and smiling a little as he sighted Bryenn, who was sitting on the bed with his hands in his lap.
"Good evening, dragonling," he greeted him, making Bryenn eye him wearily. He did not know why Shayan insisted on calling him that, but a small part of him felt touched that the mercenary would bother to find a nickname just for him.
"You've been in the garden, haven't you?" he asked, and received a curt nod. "I want to go too."
"That is out of the question," Shayan declared, and glared at the door. A knock, then another. Dinner was there.
Bryenn sighed, thanking Shayan in his mind. The mercenary had insisted on taking care of the Emperor by himself in the evenings. It made contact with the pages shorter.
Bryenn was content to lie down again and glance at Shayan's back as he retrieved the tray of food from an undoubtedly spluttering Myrtle. In one of his usual 'monologues' with Bryenn, the page had revealed that he didn't like this decision. Of course, he had no way of knowing Bryenn had actually heard him, or that the final decision had been his and not Shayan's.
Myrtle's presence did not matter, however. All Bryenn could see was Shayan's rear, encased in those damnable leather trousers that the Ventaen insisted on wearing. He had to confess he shouldn't be complaining about the trousers. After all, they only served as an enhancement for Bryenn's fantasies.
He wanted Shayan to fuck him. He longed for it. After that first and awkward night of awareness, they had kissed and touched one another, but they had never actually had sex. It was driving him insane.
Therefore, was it a wonder that all he could see was Shayan's tight ass, and that long black braid that swung around like a real tail? Shayan's long hair was another turn-on, the incredible length of it having at first amazed him. He'd never seen it unbraided, but he would have to insist on it one day.
"Like something you see?" Shayan asked teasingly, his willowy frame stopping in front of the bed.
"Everything I see pleases me," Bryenn answered, sitting up again.
Shayan deposited the food tray on the floor, and ran a hand through Bryenn's hair. It was still trimmed at shoulder-length, as if it hadn't grown in the one year he'd been confined in bed. That close, Shayan's smell overwhelmed him, fresh and... clean. Bryenn was aware that he had only been sponged clean, and that he must be stinking.
The tray of food was put in front of him and for half an hour he was content to eat, silence reigning in the room. The dark-haired bodyguard ate too, although just a few bites, leaving most of the food to him. He did not know if he should be grateful or not for being stuffed like that.
And there would be no more wolfsbite unless he would show signs of withdrawal, Shayan had promised.
"I'm done," he declared imperiously, pushing the tray a little bit forward.
Shayan took hold of it and stood, putting it on a table nearby. "It's time for you to have a bath," he declared.
Bryenn blinked at him, and pouted. "We can't go to the bathroom. They'd insist on having a guard present so that you don't try to drown me or something."
The bodyguard grinned. "We'll use the pool," he declared, and picked the Emperor up unceremoniously, carrying him toward the Leviathan's room.
As they entered the room, Bryenn gasped and his arms tightened around the dark-haired man's shoulders involuntarily. He had forgotten just how large and deep the pool was.
Shayan deposited him on the empty bed and started undressing him, not even bothered by his concerned gazing at the pool. "And, typically, you can't swim," he sighed. "Don't worry, I'll hold onto you. I can't let you die now when our plans are nearly complete."
Technically, they were Shayan's plans not his, but Bryenn had decided to go along because they had seemed very logical to him. Shayan wanted him back on the throne, and in exchange he had asked to help him find something of great importance to him. He hadn't revealed what that was just yet, but he had assured Bryenn he wouldn't be going anywhere afterwards. Which was just as well - he wouldn't have wanted to have the handsome mercenary captured and forced into his duty as the Emperor's Leviathan. There was also the mystery of his arrival in Aidus, but Shayan had promised to tell him all about it one of those days.
"I had forgotten how deep it was," Bryenn confessed to his bodyguard. "But you will be joining me, no?"
Shayan nodded, and offered him a hand, although he had still to taken off his own clothes. "Come. You can walk this short distance."
Walking was also something he'd had to get used to again. It had been extremely exhausting at first, but he had made some progress. Slowly, leaning on Shayan, he made his way to the stairs that descended into the pool.
"Go down, one step at a time, and then hold onto the edge," his guard directed him. "The water's not that deep at the edges; just walk toward those plants and you'll find some rocks to sit on. I'll join you in a minute."
Bryenn blinked. Was Shayan letting him face his fear of water all alone? Yes, he was - but... he had to face his fears, had he not? Otherwise, how could he be a good ruler to his people?
'The water can't harm me,' he kept telling himself that as he slowly descended the worn steps, desperately grabbing the edge of the pool for support. He nearly turned back twice, but he did not wish to disappoint Shayan. Shayan would never let harm come to him, because he needed him; and if he believed he could do it, he would!
The water lapped at his feet as he went in deeper. Shayan had been right; around the edge, the water only reached to his chest. Slowly, careful not to lose his balance or slip, he went toward the water plants that occupied a small part of the pool, nearby an artificial waterfall. It was a small corner of nature brought inside the palace walls, and it somehow made him happy. He touched the plants with one hand while the other was still holding onto the pool's edge. They were plants. He couldn't go in the garden, but...
A small moment of distraction and he nearly lost his footing. Two strong hands steadied him from behind, guiding him forward toward one of the small rocks that were also used to provide a more 'natural' look to that corner. He was bidden to sit down, and looked up to see Shayan smiling at him, hair now unbraided and wet strands clinging to his upper body while the end of it was floating gently on the water's surface like dark tendrils.
Of course, Bryenn immediately realized that they were both naked.
He gave the older man an appraising look. "At last, I can see you," he murmured, reaching out to touch the dark hair. "You should be like this more often."
"From now on I will," the Ventaen replied, reaching out and cupping a handful of water which he then let free to run down Bryenn's chest. "Let the water touch you, my dragonling. It won't hurt you, I promise. You'll end up enjoying this just as much as I do. Well, perhaps not that much... but you will like it, I'm sure."
Bryenn shook his head in denial. "I am a creature of fire. I can never learn to like water."
Shayan just smiled and drew near. "Of course you will - just as you will learn how to like me. But until then, my dear, you must learn how to appreciate something else." He took hold of one pale hand which he placed against his chest, palm open. "My body."
Bryenn grinned. A challenge couldn't get more explicit than that. His other hand reached out as well, and for a while he was content revelling in the feeling of Shayan's hard body underneath his hands, firm and at the same time sleek because of the water in the pool. Exquisite, he thought, clasping his fingers on slim hips for a moment before drawing Shayan closer and running his fingers up his chest once more, trying to rub against firm nipples...
He was suddenly aware of the presence of metal. "What is this?" he asked curiously, his finger pads tracing one metal circle running through each nub of flesh.
Shayan laughed. "Piercings. They are quite frequent in Aquilae, and I spent some time there so I thought I might as well adapt. Plus, they have other interesting attributes besides looking nice."
"Huh?" Bryenn couldn't understand why one would hang pieces of metal from his body, although he had heard about people in Aquilae doing just that. As a matter of fact, he remembered that Shayan also wore three earrings in each ear, nothing more than studs with black onyx stones.
"The pierced area is more sensitive to touch," Shayan explained. "And piercing your nipples is rather common practice. One of my occasional lovers from Aquilae had both nipples pierced..." - he used the opportunity to pinch Bryenn's nipples, which sent a jolt of sensation through the young Emperor - "as well as his navel..." - Shayan's hand travelled down Bryenn's body to illustrate - "and something else."
"What?" Bryenn asked softly, revelling in the reactions Shayan drew from his body.
"You must understand, it is highly irregular. But I was told that the sensation is incredible."
"What?" Bryenn rasped, his breath coming out faster. The bodyguard's hands were driving him insane once again, and he felt himself grow harder. His body was getting warmer, infinitely warmer, and he could feel the flames building up.
Shayan smiled in the twilight, trailing a finger up Bryenn's now erect member to stop at the base of its head. "Here," he said calmly, watching Bryenn's eyes grow wide.
"B-but it's impossible! That would make you unable to... to..."
Shayan grinned devilishly. "Trust me, it doesn't. But now that I have you all worked up, I think I might as well finish the job."
If possible, Bryenn's eyes went even wider. They were going to have sex. Finally!
"Shayan," he groaned, pulling the man's body closer as strongly as he could and capturing his lips in a passionate kiss. His blood was now positively boiling, and it threatened to consume him if he didn't do something.
Shayan's hand closed around him and stroked hard and fast, making him moan into the bodyguard's mouth. But it was far too little!
The Emperor pulled away and clenched his hands on Shayan's shoulders, ordering "Fuck me!"
Shayan held him at an arm's distance, hesitant for a few moments. Then the sly grin returned. "As you command, my Emperor."
Bryenn was forcefully pulled up from the rock he had been sitting on and against Shayan's body. Deft hands made their way down his back to cup firm cheeks and squeeze, while a hungry mouth found his. The fires roared, begging to be released. Bryenn closed his eyes and gave in to sensations, letting them build. This was good, so good...
There was a sharp and sudden pain, but then it went away and all it left behind was the sensation of being filled. It felt nice, oh so very pleasant... and then better, as the body against him started moving, flesh against flesh. All he could feel now was heat, and a pleasure he had forgotten. The dragon's power threatened to overwhelm him if not released, to destroy that poor mortal coil.
With a cry he set it free, and for a moment it engulfed everything he could feel. But even as it left him something else took its place, something chill and comforting that ran through his veins to soothe the burns left behind by the fire, filling him. His head fell against a firm shoulder and he breathed deeply, trying to calm his heart's wild beatings. He was getting drowsy, he knew; but strong hands held him and would not let go.
"Shayan," he murmured, rubbing his cheek on the wet skin of his new lover. "Shay..." and he knew that he would be safe from now on.
The Ventaen mercenary was woken in the middle of the night by a hand shaking his shoulder, a hand he tried to get away from only to have it became more urgent in its desire to wake him up. Groaning a curse in his native tongue, Shayan finally cracked his eyes open to see who was it that had dared disturb his rest.
In the moonlight that streamed in through the open balcony doors - for the hot Ardaen summer had started making its presence felt, particularly to someone used to a far milder climate like Shayan was - he could make out the distinct features of his dragonling. Of course; there would be no one else in those rooms, or with access to them, would there?
"What is it, Bryenn?" he groaned sleepily, wondering if the Emperor had any idea that he did not appreciate having his rest disturbed, even if it was his lover who did it.
"Sh-Shayan... please wake up! There's someone in this room..."
The dark-haired mercenary groaned, but shook off his sleep and captured Bryenn's hand. "Alright, alright, I'm up!" he answered, looking at his surroundings. He did not believe someone could get in, considering all the security measures he had taken. Maybe Bryenn was just being paranoid.
In fact, the only thing that should have seemed strange to him was Levi's dark form, floating peacefully over the pool; but since the damned ghost had done that before, it had long ceased to spook him out.
"There's nothing here, Bryenn; go to sleep!" he grunted, pulling the younger man's body in his arms as he threw himself back on the bed. Sleeping in the Leviathan's room was such a welcome break from the overheated room beyond, and having his dragonling in his arms after a particularly satisfying bout of sex earlier that night guaranteed for a good rest. So why had Bryenn woken him, anyway?
The Emperor was quiet for a while, but then he jerked. "Shayan, it's still here... it's coming towards the bed..." he whispered, a hint of fear creeping in his voice. "Please, Shayan... make it go away..."
"What the...!"
He jumped up and reached for his dagger, which he always placed under his pillow when he went to bed. Not letting go of his charge, he stood up on the bed for the second time - again to find nothing more in the room. Except for Levi, of course... who was floating towards the bed now, dark ghostly body appearing to lose a little substance as it left the water surface of the pool.
Evidently, Bryenn's next question did not help his sour mood too much. "Do you see it now? It... it's a large... lizard..."
"By Ahran! Don't tell me you can see him! You're not supposed to see him!"
The ghost's form seemed to shiver a little, before the strange spectral voice filled the room. "Yes he can. And you are not doing what you came here to do, Shayan!"
'Oh no, another lecture!' Shayan rolled his eyes at the ghost. "I'm doing exactly what I came here to do, Levi," he said pointedly, earning himself a glare from the leviathan. He absolutely hated being called that, and Shayan knew it all too well.
"What... what are you?" Bryenn, voice small and not a little frightened, asked from the confinement of the Ventaen's arms. "What do you want from us?"
The dark shape shook its head, but it was to Shayan that he spoke. "You haven't even told him yet, have you? You arelazy!" Its face came even closer, an almost delicate oval with what could have been defined as fragile horns and eyes that looked a strange light blue in the room's semi-darkness. "I want to see my dragon! Hurry up!"
Then he disappeared, without any warning or even the slightest hint of it happening. It simply wasn't there any more.
Shayan let out a small sigh. "Well, that went very well," he whispered, finally looking down at the trembling figure against his chest. "Are you alright? Did he scare you too much?"
Bryenn blinked up at him. "W-what was that?" he asked again. "You... you spoke to it... "
Shayan frowned; he really hadn't thought that someone else could see Levi. In fact, the ghost had assured him it was impossible to see him if one did not have the leviathan's blood coursing through his veins. Which meant that Shayan should have been the only one able to see him... or maybe not? Well, Bryenn couldn't be related to the Llyrs in any way - which only served to fuel some of the Ventaen's theories.
"That," he said presently, "was Levi. More commonly known as the ghost of the Aquilaen protectorate, and whom, by all means, you should not be able to see at all. And whom, when I next see, I am going to yell at because it scared you like this." He frowned menacingly toward the pool, in a silent promise to nag the hell out of the damned ghost on their next meeting for spoiling his rest.
Bryenn, of course, was a different matter to deal with. What had Shayan wondering was the fact he had stopped trembling, and his eyes had gone wide as he too looked at the pool.
"Explain this to me," he practically ordered after a couple of moments spent in silence, drawing away to face his Leviathan. "In fact, I believe you have a lot of things to tell me, and which I should be aware of if I am going to support your plans. Wouldn't you say so, Shayan?"
The Ventaen sighed. So his dragonling did bite, if it proved necessary. How nice, and at the same time disquieting, to know that. He had made a mistake by seeing only the hurt, needy youth he had come to know.
"Alright. I suppose I should start by telling you about myself, yes?"
"Oh yes," Bryenn nodded. "You will tell me everything!"
'Not everything,' Shayan thought, but he nodded anyway. "I'll tell you what I can. It will be enough." He grabbed a few pillows and placed them so he could cosily recline on them while weaving his tale. He'd known those bard skills would come in handy one day...
"Come here," he beckoned to Bryenn. "You'd better get comfortable; this is going to be a bit long, not to mention complicated."
Chapter 4
When faced with both fire and water, you might consider choosing the middle road after all.
- Andrew Kaemon
When Bryenn was settled against him, Shayan took a deep breath, preparing himself for what he knew was going to be a complicated story to tell, not to mention explain.
"First of all, you must understand that part of this is new to me as well. I... did not ask to be what you call the Emperor's Leviathan, nor was I aware of it until a couple of months ago. I do not recall having special powers as a child, although water has always appealed to me. I assumed it was because my father was of Aquilaen descent, and did not give it another thought until a couple of months ago.
"My mother, Shaya Miren, was a member of the Ventaen gentry, and hers was a prosperous merchant family. They lived in a city near the southern Ventaen coast called Stor'mari. When she was 17 she met my father, Jeril, who had been hired as a guard for her family's yearly journey to Lunaesa. Like me, he was a mercenary; but unlike me, he had never known his family. All he knew was that he had been orphaned at the age of 3 by bandits who had attacked the caravan his parents and he were travelling with, and that he was born in Aquilae. He was raised in Ventae, though, and had embraced Ventaen traditions and the like. He was a man of his word and committed to the causes he supported, and my mother's family took an instant liking on him.
"I was born two years after they had taken their vows of marriage, and grew up as fairly spoiled. My father insisted on me learning the ways of a warrior, but I also received a solid education from a private tutor my grandfather hired.
"When I was fifteen, a plague erupted in Stor'mari, and my parents and most of my family passed away. Only I and two of my cousins survived. It was a rather painful blow for me, to lose almost everyone I had ever cared for. Still, when one is young, one gets over these things a bit easier. Having grown up to my father's tales of his youth, I decided to become a mercenary just like he had been. I apprenticed myself to the most famous mercenary in Ventae, and in a few years I managed to become better than my father had ever been. I found myself enjoying the freedom this lifestyle offered, and the pay isn't bad if you're good at your job and have a sense of adventure. Yet I always found myself yearning for more, but not knowing what that meant. And I'm not a very sociable person, you see... after my family died, I became afraid of creating bonds with others only to lose them as well. I had few friends and a couple of lovers, but nobody liked being around me much. Then, in my twentieth year, I met Mihail Llyr."
There was a short break, which Shayan used to gather his thoughts before he continued. He'd left Mihail behind rather abruptly, and hadn't even written to him to tell him he was all right. He would have to rectify that soon, or his friend might never forgive him.
A little sigh and he carried on, his arms tightening around Bryenn's waist just a little.
"Mihail was a mercenary as well, only he was from Aquilae. We'd seen each other a couple of times in passing, but we only got to know each other better when a lesser member of the deLunnen family needed a couple of extra guards for her escort to Fah'vale. Mihail became like an older brother to me. When he decided to start his own business and offered to take me as an associate, I accepted. It meant I had to leave Ventae and settle down in Aquilae, but it did not bother me too much. There was plenty of work, and things went really well for three years.
"But two months ago, I had to go escort an Aquilaen noble returning from Ardae to Wyrllyr..."
Over the next few days, Bryenn had a lot of time to think about Shayan's revelations, and their meaning. At first, the Ventaen had told him about his family, and his life as the son of a guard and a gentry woman, and later as an apprentice mercenary. Still, from there on it had gotten stranger and stranger, especially when Shayan had told him about his first encounters with the leviathan's spirit.
Had Bryenn himself not seen this spirit, he would have dismissed the story as a fantasy of a disturbed mind; as it was, all he could do was hope that he would not see ‘Levi' ever again. Knowing that the ghost of the leviathan haunted the Palace's halls at night was more information than he needed, thank you very much.
And then, there were the mercenary's reasons for having come to Aidus.
If one was to believe him, at first it had been pure curiosity, as well as a fair dose of boredom, that had prompted Shayan to embrace the leviathan's plans for him. He had left a well-paid job and a partner back in Aquilae, a partner by the name of Mihail Llyr who was also Shayan's distant cousin and who would look for him if the Ventaen did not return home in one year. It had been strange, to hear Shayan speak the name ‘Llyr' but claim no allegiance to that family, and having him insist to be called by his mother's family name. All the Emperor's Leviathans so far had been named Llyr... but Shayan also insisted that he was not like them, nor would he ever be.
Bryenn sighed, leaning back in the chair his bodyguard usually used for reading while in the Emperor's room, and studying one of Shayan's knives. He loathed to admit that Shayan had been right - no Leviathan in the past century had come into service of his own free will, and none of them had been insisting on staying at the Emperor's side like Shayan did. And although it did not bother him, he knew that the Knights of Aidan would not be pleased to hear of this. No, not at all... especially not after their Lord General was accused of treason by the very same man.
He sighed. He was the Emperor of Ardae, and the Knights were not exempt from owing him their allegiances. If he gave an order, they would obey.
Besides, only the future Lord General and his Second would know who Shayan really was - and the mercenary had assured Bryenn that he could persuade Andrew Kaemon to see the bright side of their plan.
A rattling caught his attention, and moments later Shayan came through the door, looking his sweaty handsome self. The Emperor's nose flared and his eyes narrowed as he watched his bodyguard quickly lock the door and lean against it heavily.
"Bad day?" he prompted when Shayan heaved a deep sigh.
Shayan groaned. "I swear, if your stepmother tries to seduce me one more time, I am going to shove my sword down her throat and, may all plans be damned, kill the bitch!"
His words triggered a curious reaction from Bryenn, who stood up and seethed as the temperature in the room rose a bit. "She dares?" he seethed. "Take me to her, now! I'll give her something else to look at, that..."
What followed was a string of loud eye-popping curses that was abruptly halted when Shayan's hand closed over Bryenn's mouth. Not one to give up easily, the Emperor resorted to biting down hard, but that only made Shayan renew his efforts to silence him.
"Be silent, dragonling! They'll hear us, if you don't keep your voice down, and then what? You're not strong enough to go anywhere just yet, and they'll just take me away and hang me"
Bryenn's eyes narrowed, but he did stop talking. Still, his blood boiled, and he impatiently pulled away Shayan's hand. "I'll kill her myself," he whispered dangerously. "I swear it, Shayan, I will. If she ever tries to harm you, I..."
Shayan's violet eyes shone dangerously, and he pulled the struggling Emperor in his arms. "You will not risk your life for this, Bryenn. There's a clause in my contract allowing me to refuse anyone's sexual advances, and I fully intend to use that to gain leverage against her in case something happens."
"You are mine," the Ardaen stubbornly insisted. Nobody was going to take away his Leviathan. Nobody!
"So I am, dragonling. And you are mine. I'd never dare to forget it."
Bryenn cooed happily, rubbing his face against Shayan's shoulder. Then he softly nibbled at his bodyguard's slender neck, causing the other man to chuckle. Pale hands found their way up the toned chest and toyed with the leather tunic's laces.
"You are sweaty from your practice, Ventaen," Bryenn whispered in his ear, his tongue lacing out to explore hidden crevices. "I think... you need... a bath..."
Shayan simply laughed.
Myrtle had started suspecting something strange was going on in the Emperor's Rooms ever since he had been banned from them in the evenings. It was not only the fact the strange Ventaen bodyguard had prevented him from doing his duty properly, oh no! He had witnessed the man lowering the dosage of wolfsbite Bryenn was given, and he had also noticed the changes in the Emperor during the past few weeks. For instance, his breath had been a bit more even, his skin no longer looked pale from sickness... and the demon they had hired as his bodyguard was watching the page do his job like a hawk watched someone threatening his prey.
Myrtle had decided that he'd be damned if he would be keeping silent about it any longer!
And he knew just the person to complain to.
"Damnation!" Krysten Aidan exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. "Blasphemy! Why was I not informed of this before? What is that dog-humping Glacaen whore trying to do, kill us all?!"
Andrew watched his wife go on ranting about it with mixed feelings of pride and worry. The young page had wisely chosen to get out of her way and now watched huddled in a corner as the Emperor's cousin continued to send certain well-known personalities to hell and deeper, his eyes darting now and then to the knight, who had remained seated in the chair he had been using before the boy had entered the room.
Honestly, he did not blame Krysten for being furious about this. He himself felt a cold anger spread through his body, but he was not one to let his emotions show as easily as Krysten did.
She did settle down, eventually. Or, rather, she stopped screaming and turned to Andrew. "You will take me to him, right now. I don't care how you do it, but you will do it, Andrew! Unless, of course, you're in this with them."
He grimaced at the false accusations. "I was not aware something was going on," he said. "I honestly believed this mercenary to be an honourable man. But if he is doing something to harm the Emperor, it is my duty to stop him. I shall go report this immediately, and then..."
"You will not report anything!" she cut him out. "You don't get it, do you? Lord Hyden was in on this from the very beginning." Catching his shocked look, she carried on, "Don't play innocent with me, Andrew. It's common knowledge that he gets under that woman's skirts whenever she asks him to. No, you will not report this. You will take me to see my cousin, right now!"
And what else could he do but obey? She was a full-blooded Aidan, after all, and the members of that family either hated each other's guts or were fiercely loyal to one another. In Krysten's case, it was the latter, and her hatred for Lady Esthera was no novelty. Krysten had always suspected her of trying to get her son on the throne rather than allowing Bryenn to rule, and now it seemed her suspicions had been correct.
Between her and proof of those accusations stood one solid door, however, and Andrew suddenly discovered that his set of keys no longer fit the lock on that door.
"H-he changed the locks weeks ago. With Lord Hyden's permission, he said," a frightened Myrtle informed them, making both of them wince.
Krysten Aidan crossed her arms and grew pensive. "Come with me, there's another way in."
Andrew could not help but stare at her. "Another way in? But there isn't..."
"There is. The gardener's entrance to the private garden. Bryenn and I used it before, when we were younger. Come on!"
Getting the key from the gardener took some time, though, and by the time the three of them were slipping into the private sanctuary of the Emperor's Leviathan it was already fully dark outside. Somehow they managed to get to the balcony's staircase without tripping or getting tangled in the overgrowth, and Andrew was the one to go up the stairs first, fully alert to a possible attack. The knight had seen the Ventaen mercenary at weapons practice, and the man was far too good for Andrew's liking.
The balcony's doors were open, and there was a dim light emanating from inside. Careful not to give away their presence, he gestured for his wife and the young page to remain there while he entered the room, sword drawn.
What he saw made him stop dead in his tracks. Shayan Miren was indeed there, but he was not there alone. And what was happening seemed so strange that for a moment Andrew forgot to breathe. The waterfall in the pool was flowing in slow motion, barely concealing the two people caught in a passionate dance right beyond it, and miniature sparks were kindled in the air around the area, briefly burning before they died and their place was taken by others of the same kind.
A loud "Ah!" broke the spell, and Andrew startled to find Krysten next to him, her hand covering up Myrtle's eyes to prevent the boy from seeing what was happening beyond the waterfall. Unfortunately, the room had been silent enough to cause her to be heard by the lovers as well. Suddenly the slow motion ceased, and the two were concealed from sight for a moment before Shayan Miren stepped through the water curtain, the pool's surface thankfully hiding his lower body from sight. His long hair clung to him in sensuous dark tendrils, and the gaze that fixed on Andrew, Krysten and Myrtle was not a kind one.
"You are not welcomed here," he stated plainly, his voice so cold it made even Andrew wince.
Not his wife, though - she had Aidan blood running through her veins. "How dare you!" she exclaimed in outrage. "You... you... barbarian! How dare you talk like that to me, the Emperor's cousin! Did the Glacaen whore make you believe you have higher status than me?! I demand to see the Emperor. And if you harmed him in any way, rest assure you will pay for it."
Andrew's hand tightened on his sword, certain he would have to defend Krysten's life every minute now. Still, the mercenary's reply was a simple raised brow, as he surveyed both Andrew and Myrtle. His eyes widened a bit as they settled on the page, but he said nothing just yet. Instead, he looked back at Krysten. "I take it you are not loyal to Lady Esthera, then?" he asked, suspicion thickening his slight accent just a bit.
"Damn right I'm not!" she blistered.
A chuckle could be heard, then, and the other person finally stepped forward, passing through the water curtain with a wince and putting an arm around the Ventaen.
"The only thing my cousin is loyal to, Shayan, is her family," the Ardaen said, his brown eyes filled with mirth. "And don't let her tell you different."
Andrew felt a hysterical laughter threatening to spill from his lips, and forced himself to hold it back as he met the Emperor's gaze. Of all the things he had expected to find, having Bryenn Aidan stand in a pool, his arm around one of Lady Esthera's supposed pawns, was not one of them.
Apparently he was not the only one. Next to him, Krysten swayed and he hurried to catch her before she could fall. Myrtle watched all this wide-eyed, a tear falling down his cheek. "Bryenn!" he exclaimed, throwing himself forward only to pull back just in time to avoid falling into the large pool.
Andrew kept his eyes on the two men in said pool as he fanned his wife. His mind told him this whole situation was impossible, that the Emperor should by no means be up and about let alone in the middle of a water-filled basin, but his eyes told him otherwise.
And then there was the Ventaen, who was watching all this as if detached from the whole situation. "Get her and the boy in the other room," he finally told Andrew. "We'll follow shortly."
The knight sought confirmation from someone much more fitting to give him orders, although that was not technically true at the moment. So what if the Emperor was up and about? That did not mean that he was sane, did it? As far as he knew, there was only one cure for the dragon's curse, and that was finding the Leviathan. But, the Leviathan was dead.
Or was he? After all, he only had two people's word on the Aquilaen boy that had been executed being the Leviathan. Certain things did not add up, things he had witnessed a few years back and things he had seen tonight, things that had his mind swirling with possible scenarios as he led his wife in the other room and placed her in Myrtle's care.
He hurriedly returned into the other room to find Shayan Miren, already dressed, wrapping a thick robe around the Emperor. Then the mercenary placed a towel on Bryenn Aidan's shoulders and combed his fingers through the wavy red hair. Water drenched the towel which was hurriedly removed, and the Ventaen had the Emperor sent off with a quick slap on his...
Andrew blushed furiously and bowed his head as Emperor Aidan passed him by, trying hard not to think where exactly the man had been slapped. Still, the younger Ardaen lingered in the doorway, looking uncertainly at them.
Shayan merely waved his hand. "Off you go. I'll be right with you."
Just like that. No grovelling, no pleading; and he was obeyed. The curtain fell, leaving Andrew alone with the mercenary.
And some of his suspicions had just been proven true.
Dark eyes settled on him, and Shayan Miren smiled. It was not a reassuring smile, however - more like that of a predator ready to strike. "You know what I am?" he asked bluntly.
Andrew nodded, and took a step back at the same time the Ventaen took one forward. Strange, since Andrew was the only one carrying a weapon.
"Good. But you will also know this. If you ever try to tell anyone about it, you will not live for long. I will not be turned into a pitiful excuse of a slave, to be looked down on by you haughty Ardaen warriors. I will kill myself before that happens, and then what will you have? A situation none too different than this one. For now our goals seem to be the same. But I am warning you, knight, do not try anything against me, or you will not live long enough to regret it."
And with that, he stalked out of the room, leaving a seriously befuddled Andrew behind.
To Be Continued