Sui Writes

Tag: Boys Love Content

  • Blades of Ashes – Ch 10

    Arc 3: The Case of the Commandery Princess and the Prime Minister’s Narrow Escape

    Chapter 10

    Five years was a lifetime that passed by in a wave of burning ambition. For the Basileus, his young Basilinna, and Gesi Ajai, who worked at collecting money using the acquired Sura Clan workshops like a sandstorm devouring the landscape. His daughter, Naeri, now a Commandery Princess, turned into a desperate wife in the Maenaer residence that belonged to her husband. Faced with a cold husband and a nagging father who demanded rights and power, she reached for dirty old wives’ ways that almost broke her unwilling husband. Sending Raithion into a deep rebellion of wives and the so-called “warmth of a home.”

    It was a month before spring. Raithion stood on a high walkway watching legion officers train in the early morning at the barracks in Ninid State on the northwest border of the Lyria Kingdom.

    Haedor helped one of the training soldiers adjust his stance and his grip on a long spear as he made his practice movements. Raithion took in a deep breath, appreciating the loud calls the men gave as they trained.

    Kailu stepped up on the walkway from the main general’s office.

    “Commander, the border is finally peaceful. The information we have received from our spies in the Lavos Nation is that they are busy managing floods in the west of their kingdom. They will be too preoccupied to think about our border for the next while.”

    “That is good news for us,” Raithion said. “It also means I can return to the capital without worry.”

    “Not that you’ve been in a hurry,” Kailu noted with a sly smile. “You’ve lingered here longer than in the other states. I suspect it is because it is as far as you can get from the capital. Will you ever forgive your wife?”

    Raithion could not help the recoil of anger that filled him at the mention of Naeri.

    “No.” Raithion shook his head, bile rising. There were crimes committed against a person’s conscience that could not be forgiven, no matter the amount of time that passed. “I don’t want to talk about it. Let’s prepare to depart. It’s been a year and a half of travel. I’m eager to discover how the commandery office is doing.”

    “Commander,” Kailu started, then stopped. “Never mind, you’re right. I’ll get the Draeya legion officers to start getting ready for the trip home.”

    “Kailu,” Raithion said, glancing at his best friend.

    “Yes, Raith,” Kailu said.

    “It’s-it’s easier for me not to think about what she’s done,” Raithion said. “Somehow it gives me back control not having to dwell on it.”

    “But for how long?” Kailu asked.

    Raithion held his best friend’s gaze for a long moment, then shrugged. “As long as I need not to think about it.”

    “As long as it helps you sleep at night,” Kailu said. “I’ll pack the cotton you collected. Your mom has great weavers. They can make use of the raw cotton and make you a warm blanket to hide your head under.”

    Raithion chuckled. “I’ll leave the planning to you.”

    Kailu headed down the steps going to the warehouse where he would sort out supplies for their trip back to Genad City. Raithion watched his best friend leave for a few minutes, then glanced at the ring on his left ring finger. It was a Maenaer ring that also symbolized his marriage to Naeri. It sat calmly on his left ring finger and the urge to fling it across the practice yard was great. The rage that burned with a bright fire lingered in his gut. He reached for the blades he always wore in the scabbards at his waist and touched the intricate handles.

    “What are you up to now, Azula?” Raithion wondered.

    ****

    In the capital, the scent of mint toffee filled the afternoon air in the Maenaer compound. The sun was high, the peach trees were showing signs of blooming, though the weather had not let up yet. The courtyard was filled with activity, the groundskeepers trimmed decorative bushes, and the roses that Silveren had grown for the last five years.

    A young lady swept the path leading to Raithion’s residence. At the entrance, two children sat on a clean mat playing with toys. A maid watched over them with careful dedication.

    Beyond the open doors of Raithion’s residence was a great hall arranged for comfort and gathering. In the evening, Lady Naeri Maenaer and her children would always be found sitting on the comfortable couches, playing games, sometimes Naeri would read stories to the eldest son. Other times, she would hum songs to the children. A large armchair was placed in the living room at the most honorable and prominent spot, but it was rarely used by its owner.

    Naeri often sighed when looking at the large empty armchair.

    It was the end of the month, a day before the weekend. Usually, Raithion returned to the residence on Fridays when he was working in the capital city. He came to deal with pressing issues in the household during the weekend. However, his shadow had not crossed the gate for a year and a half. Naeri’s sighs had not stopped since he left, and they were likely never to stop until Raithion arrived. Everyone in the manor knew the reasons why but tried not to mention the reasons why.

    ***

    On Sura Island, in a cave Azula regarded as his second home, a grinding, metallic, noise filled the cavernous space, followed by a curse and the sound of falling tools.

    “Godfather dropped the gears.” A young boy’s voice reached Azula. “Here.”

    “Thank you, Ruri,” Azula said, taking the small gears from cute little fingers. He shifted on the platform he lay on to look at his little nephew.

    Ruri’s name was given to him by Lasma. She wrote it as “Ruairidh,” but she was the only one who did; the rest of the clan wrote it as Ruri. Ruri was a cute little copy of his father, Yemin, with a dash of Alise. The kid had the same pointed chin as Alise, but his expressive wide eyes were similar to Yemin, or so Alise and Lasma said. Ruri was a beautiful boy. He was four years and some months old. His baby strawberry hair was held in a ponytail with tight braids made by his mother. He wore a bright green tunic with gold embroidery on the collar and a dark pair of trousers, his small feet in small, cute black boots made by Senin. Azula smiled as he stared at the curious little boy. Ruri followed Azula everywhere, which usually got them in trouble often.

    Azula grinned because Ruri’s face was currently covered with smudges of the dark grease they usually obtained from Nerasa. He reached out to make a perfect dot on Ruri’s forehead with his index finger.

    “I can see you’re going to be a gear expert like your godfather in the future,” Azula said.

    “Gear expert,” Ruri clapped when Azula took the gears from him.

    “That’s right,” Azula said, then adjusted the gears he held and concentrated on making them fit into their designated spots. He fit the gears in and nodded when they settled in perfectly.

    “Ruri, my little ancestor, go sit on the long stick on the carriage for godfather,” Azula said, pointing to a long handle near where Ruri was standing. The carriage base was not complete, so Ruri climbed on the carriage floor with ease, his short legs pumping hard to climb up. Ruri then skipped to the handle, and, with some maneuvering, he sat on the long handle and held on to the sides of the handle with a pleased grin.

    “Now what, Godfather?” Ruri asked.

    “Now,” Azula watched the lever come down slowly with Ruri’s weight.

    The gears he had worked on for days started moving, each one doing its share of work to keep the cogs moving. Azula grinned as the gears picked up speed. Azula slid out from where he was lying and wiped a hand over his face to get rid of sweat. He noticed he still had dark grease on his hands too late.

    Ruri giggled as he looked up at him.

    “Godfather has dirt on his face too,” Ruri said between childish giggles.

    Azula stepped away from the rough prototype he had created. It wasn’t complete, but at least his idea was coming together. His thoughts had been on the efficiency of transporting the ore to the clan’s workshops in the village center for a while. The men who oversaw the ore transportation were getting on in age, and carrying large bundles of ore out to cargo carriages was backbreaking work and time-consuming.

    Azula wanted to create a cart that could carry a sizeable bundle and then move it with a simple lever. The lever Ruri was sitting on only needed to be shifted, and the cart would move down the rails Azula had been having the men lay down from the mine exit to the village center.

    Ruri clapped with excitement as the gears kept moving, and he lost his balance, almost falling off the lever.

    Azula lifted the boy off the lever and turned off the mechanism.

    “Ruri, we did it,” Azula said, lifting Ruri up and placing him on his shoulders.

    “We did it!” Ruri echoed, his hands clinging to the thick black hair clip that held Azula’s long strawberry hair. Hair that held no braid to this day. He was still considered a mourning chief in the clan.

    Azula ran around the open space of the workshop, making Ruri clap with glee.

    “What are we celebrating? Ruri is so happy,” Lasma said, as she entered the workshop.

    “Godfather made gears move,” Ruri said, clapping with joy. “He made me sit on the lever, and it was like magic. They went up and down, click, click, click.”

    “Like magic,” Lasma grinned. “Your godfather knows how to give you a great time. Goodness, your faces are full of dark grease. You both need a bath.”

    “We need a bath!” Ruri said.

    “Only knows how to repeat things,” Lasma chuckled. “Come, we need to head back home now. Azula, I came to find you because the council has requested a meeting this evening.”

    “Why?” Azula asked with a groan. “All they do is talk and impose regulations on me. I’m exhausted and would rather be laying tracks on a cliff on the mountain. Have Juya stand in for me.”

    Lasma bit back a chuckle at Azula’s unwillingness for politics.

    “Will you have Juya attend all your council meetings then?” Lasma asked.

    “He’s great at explaining what those people want after they ramble on for hours,” Azula said as they left his workshop. The path outside was well-paved and led from the relative quiet of the foot of the mountain to the back gardens of the Doriel family home.

    “Mom, how long do you think it will take Alise to notice that Juya is in love with her?” Azula asked.

    Lasma clasped her hands behind her back as they walked.

    “I don’t know,” Lasma said, looking up at Ruri, who was enjoying his ride on Azula’s shoulders. “Perhaps, you should be asked the same question, Azu. When will you notice the golden-haired general, Trevan of Nerasa, is in love with you. Everyone has noticed that he is the only reason you’ve managed to keep our island from an annexation battle with Nerasa Kingdom. He is protecting Sura Island.”

    “He is protecting us politically,” Azula said. “But that’s not the reason we are still free of the Nerasa Kingdom’s pressure. We technically still belong to the Lyria Kingdom. Trevan is wary of the Lyria Kingdom’s legions. He knows a war between them would devastate trade and this island. So, Nerasa is hesitating. It is to our advantage that they keep hesitating, but it won’t last. This must be what the council wants to discuss.”

    “Yes,” Lasma confirmed as they approached the back courtyard of the Doriel home.

    The scent of cooking filled the air, the women in charge of the kitchen were busy making the midday meal. The Doriel Manor fed almost fifty people daily; workers in the workshop where Azula liked to manufacture his blueprints. His master had long left the crafting to him and moved to the yard controlled by the Sura in the Nerasa Kingdom. Azula visited him when he could extricate himself from the yoke of governing the thriving Sura Island.

    “Azula,” Lasma said, her tone somber as they slowed their walk. “Our island has grown under your guidance. Our people have stable livelihoods, the farms are filled with harvest, the children are going to school and have hope for their futures and careers. The eldest of our people are well taken care of.” Lasma smiled. “Perhaps this is what your father dreamed of creating when he tried to have the clan thrive in Genad City. You have made it happen on our island despite being a chief appointed in a time of great tragedy.”

    “There are cracks in the barrel,” Azula reminded his mother, pausing by a stone outdoor table. He lifted Ruri from his shoulders, kissed the boy’s cheeks as he set him on the table.

    “Be careful,” Lasma said as Ruri jumped off the table and ran into the house with great enthusiasm. “Look at him, running wilder than you when you were a toddler.”

    Lasma sighed, then turned to look at Azula.

    “What cracks are you talking about?”

    “Our people are comfortable, no longer worried about surviving,” Azula said, then met Lasma’s gaze. “They have time to think about what happened five years ago. The questions have been whispered often around me.”

    “You think our people wonder about their loved ones who died in Lyria,” Lasma said.

    “I don’t wonder, I know,” Azula said, crossing his arms against his chest. He tried not to think about the Lyria Kingdom. If he tried to spend a minute thinking about it, he might abandon his promises to his mother and set out on a revenge spree. He still wanted to know why his clan, his father, had to endure such betrayal in the capital. Closing his eyes, he forced the negative feelings under control and focused on the present.

    “Mom, Sura Island is doing well now,” Azula said. “While we don’t need the mainland, we still need to navigate a path into full independence. We need to find a way to escape if Nerasa Kingdom brings up annexation.”

    “It’s good that you know that you can’t string along the golden-haired general for another five years,” Lasma said with a chuckle. “You’re also right, while our people wonder about the past, I pray that the Lyria Kingdom does not remember us and our ability to pay taxes. I can only imagine what kind of demands they will make on us should they land on our shores.”

    Azula dropped his arms to his sides and shook his head. “Okay, I’m getting a headache discussing this situation. Can we continue later and deal with it when it is absolutely necessary?”

    “You’ve said that for a year,” Lasma said as Azula started walking to the door. “We’re already at the absolutely necessary juncture. We need to find a solution soon. I’m telling you that is what the council will push for.”

    Azula sighed. “Ask Juya and Alise to think on it and figure out what to do next.”

    “Don’t think I don’t see what you’re doing when you say that,” Lasma said in exasperation.

    “Mom, sometimes, I’m just letting you know that I’m a very lazy demon and would rather be smearing grease on my face in my workshop than figure out political games.”

    Azula entered the kitchen and grinned when the women all greeted him with enthusiasm. They forced him to wash his hands and face in a large basin filled with hot water, before offering him a plate of food. Now this was the right kind of problem to manage, he thought as he received a plate filled with roasted sweet and sour chicken.

    ***

    In the grand palace in the imperial capital, Genad City, two boys sat on a clean, colorful mat playing with toys in the bright sun-filled greeting room of Rose Hall.

    Basilinna Soriel was hosting the noble and notable ladies of Genad City to celebrate the warmer weather. They were having afternoon tea and pastries made by the skilled palace baker and an exciting reading by a popular romance writer.

    Soriel moved around the room talking to the women and building bonds. She provided help and support on any reasonable requests. It was her small way of winning support for her husband in the imperial court. She was winning the wives’ hearts to soften the husbands’ goals, wielding soft power to win the hard hearts of the power-mongering courtiers.

    Soriel finished a conversation with the prime minister’s wife, who wanted her to attend her daughter’s birthday. She went to join her mother and Noriel who sat on a couch by the windows showing off the rose garden at Rose Hall.

    Soriel sat next to Noriel and let out a soft, tired sigh. Meira, Soriel’s silent guard, moved a few of the attendants to block the view of the three women from the rest of the room. Soriel accepted the cup of orange juice Noriel gave her and drank it in one go. Placing the cup on the table, she sighed when she met her mother’s amused gaze.

    “Your gift of gab has only grown these five years. It surely should tire you,” Silveren said. “All these ladies have received a kind word this afternoon. Your husband may not be happy with your burgeoning social calendar.”

    “He will have to appreciate it. The relationships I’ve been cultivating have grown strong enough to rival Olneth’s authority,” Soriel said, her gaze shifting to the two boys playing on a mat a few feet away. “Our son depends on my husband gaining more strength. So does Raith’s son. Speaking of which, why didn’t Naeri come with you today?”

    ***

    Silveren sighed. She looked at the rest of the hall and was glad to notice the visiting ladies had tacitly moved to the other end of the large room and were busy tasting pastries and talking about the story the writer had read earlier. The weather had stopped snowing and the ground was thawing, the flowers beginning to bloom, while the farmers prepared for planting.

    It was a time of renewal.

    Silveren hoped her son, Raithion, would find it in his heart to forgive his wife soon.

    “Word came from the Commandery Office this morning,” Silveren said, her gaze on the four-year-old boy sitting a few feet away.

    His name was Yulin Maenaer. He was Raithion’s heir, a child born by Naeri after she drugged Raithion using an unknown aphrodisiac at a party in her parents’ home. Naeri’s apothecary was skilled. She got pregnant with the first try and to a boy no less. While Raithion could not forgive her first betrayal, Silveren could not fault Naeri for helping to stabilize their family’s future. With an heir, both Thanir and Raithion’s titles were secure. Still, Silveren had no idea how to heal the planet-sized rift that had grown between Naeri and Raithion.

    “Raith is supposedly heading to the capital. He should be arriving today or tomorrow,” Silveren said, looking away from the children to meet Soriel’s knowing gaze.

    “It’s good that he is coming back,” Noriel said, her gaze shifting to Yulin. “His son should spend more time with him. At this rate, Yulin will start thinking our father is his father.”

    Soriel sighed. “Naeri stayed home to prepare for him, I guess.”

    “Mm,” Silveren said. “She’s cooking and cleaning and arranging for new clothes for the children and Raith.”

    “He will end up here in the palace,” Soriel predicted with disturbing accuracy.

    Silveren smiled because her youngest daughter knew her eldest son best.

    “Raith stays in the commandery prince quarters or at the barracks with his soldiers when he is in the capital. He has done that since Naeri drugged him the second time to get Skye.”

    “The girl is a year and a half, so cute and cuddly,” Noriel said. “How does brother stay so angry at his wife?”

    “Your marriage is loving, sister,” Soriel said, sipping a second cup of orange juice. “Your husband has not done anything to betray your trust since you married. Your son, Leisha, is happy and running around in a loving family. What has Naeri done all this time in our Maenaer home but fill it with aphrodisiac poison plots,” Soriel scoffed. “Which of us has dealt with such frightening things?”

    Noriel sighed and reached for her teacup and took a slow sip.

    “Mom, you’ll have to take care of Yulin and Skye,” Noriel said after a period of silence. “Don’t let them learn bad things from their mother. Naeri’s methods are too cunning for our straightforward home.”

    “I know,” Silveren said with a nod. “In any case, the children are our blood, regardless of how they came into existence. I’ll have Jaguar start teaching Yulin when he turns five years old.”

    “That’s good,” Soriel and Noriel both agreed.

    Jaguar was a scholar who the Maenaer family had sponsored in Draeya County. He had taught all the Maenaer children, and his school was based in the family home in Draeya County.

    “Isn’t five years old too soon to take a child from his mother?” Noriel asked after a moment.

    “When your mother is as scary as Naeri, who is advised and hounded by Gesi Ajai,” Soriel said, shaking her head. “I think this child should leave the kingdom and go to a foreign land until we can subdue his father. Since that is not an option, and he is of our blood, we must get him to choose our Maenaer values.”

    “Little bird is right,” Silveren nodded in approval, her gaze shifting back to Raithion’s son.

    Yulin got up on the mat, followed closely by his cousin, Rane, the Basileus’s heir, and the boys raced to Silveren’s side.

    “Grandma, a gift,” Rane said, holding a bright green feather that had probably escaped a flower pin worn by one of the ladies and had fallen on their mat.

    Silveren chuckled and took the bright green feather. “Rane and Yulin are so cute. They brought me a feather. What should I give you in return?”

    “A peach,” Yulin said, his eyes so green and bright just like his father’s, sparkled with hope at this age.

    “A jade,” Rane said, also looking at her with Soriel’s brown eyes.

    Silveren sighed. Her children had given birth to replicas of themselves. Yulin, the four-year-old boy, only ever wanted to eat good things, play to his heart’s content, and sleep, just like his father when he was young.

    Rane, on the other hand, was truly a prince. He played with expensive jade and gold, but his heart was pure, and he loved his cousin.

    Silveren reached for a peach slice on the table and gave it to Rane. Rane turned and gave it to Yulin without hesitation, making sure his cousin held it well before he smiled wide. Yulin took a bite of the fruit and Rane clapped.

    Silveren wished life was just as easy as Rane and Yulin’s cute relationship. She wished there was an easy way to heal Raithion’s heart. She stroked Rane’s dark hair and reached out to caress Yulin’s cheek before she looked at Soriel.

    “If Raithion comes to the commandery office, tell him I’m looking for him. There is a repair list for the manor’s defenses that needs his attention.”

    “I’ll tell him,” Soriel said.

    “Tell him he doesn’t need to sleep in his residence. Our main house has many rooms,” Silveren said with a sigh. “I’ll let him use as many as he wants.”

    Noriel grinned. “It’s almost the Spring Festival. I’ll visit to make him the mint toffee he likes to eat.”

    Soriel chuckled. “Everyone in this city remembers how much he loves your mint toffee.”

    Silveren smiled as her daughters laughed at the happy memory.

    ****

    Naeri arranged a blanket over her daughter in the rocking bassinet. They were in the great room, sitting on the long couches near sunny windows. Her gaze shifted to the large armchair that she always hoped Raithion could use but never did, and her heart ached.

    She pricked her finger with the needle she held and brought her left index finger to her mouth to suck the welling blood. The dark cloak she held had an intricate white-lion embroidery she was trying to finish on the hem. She wanted to gift it to Raithion when he came home, that is, if he would even accept it.

    Sitting on a stool opposite her was Rassa, her closest attendant. Rassa was finishing up the work on one side of the cloak with the help of a young lady.

    Raithion’s housekeepers, two sisters named Aryn and Sira, had gone with Silveren to the palace. The butler was busy managing the daily needs of the manor, and the last of Raithion’s trusted attendants, a young man named Sharian, had gone with Raithion on his expedition to the border.

    The rest of the attendants who ran the residence were loyal to Thanir and Silveren and often left with them when the couple was not around. Which meant the manor was quite peaceful for the moment, with only Rassa and the young girl from Naeri’s household.

    Naeri had declined Basilinna Soriel’s invitation as she wanted to make sure their residence was neat in case Raithion arrived home. She had not seen him for a year and a half. In truth, she had not seen him since she gave birth to their daughter, Skye. The girl was already born, but her husband could not forgive her misdeeds.

    Naeri let out a soft sigh and reached over to hold the handle of the rocking bassinet. She moved it from side to side, her gaze on the cute little girl who had dark hair like her father and brown eyes to match Naeri’s.

    Raithion gave beautiful children. It was a pity she would only get two from him. He now treated her worse than a leper. She was not to be touched, like a terrible illness.

    “What do you think can change Raithion’s attitude toward me?” Naeri asked Rassa. “He is so set against me. I don’t have a place to start with him. Surely, five years have passed. Others look at us like we are an old married couple. If they knew that he can’t stand to drink a glass of water near me, let alone look at our children, wouldn’t it be a joke.”

    Shaking her head, Naeri lamented her strange fate.

    “Give him another year,” Rassa said. “Perhaps when the children are running around and voicing their opinions, there will be a way to soften his heart.”

    “But,” Naeri started, then stopped, staring at the orange jade ring she wore on her left ring finger. She had clearly stood in the large Maenaer hall, watched as the Basileus officiated their marriage in person, only to face a cold husband in the side residence. Draeya Commandery Prince Raithion Maenaer did not try even once to give her a chance. He had been cold and unyielding from the start.

    Faced with her father’s constant nagging to get an heir, she had no choice but to seek help from the apothecary who had taken care of her since childhood. She had thought that once their first child was born, Raithion would soften toward her, but he’d only grown more distant. Then, two and a half years ago, in a fit of desperation and selfishness, she used the apothecary’s drug in Raithion’s bathwater. It resulted in Skye, but a clear break emerged in her marriage.

    Raithion moved out of their residence and went to live in the Commandery Office full time. No amount of pleading, threats, or requests would change his mind. A year ago, he had left the capital to patrol the state’s armies and the kingdom’s borders on behalf of the Basileus.

    The heartache of loneliness was something Naeri could not describe to Raithion’s happily married sisters and mother. Not even the powerful Basilinna, who had all of Raithion’s support, could understand.

    Naeri was well aware that she was quite pitiful as a wife. She could only rely on Silveren and Thanir’s parental power to control Raithion. His parents were the only people who could summon their son home. She had no power over Raithion, and it was the saddest thing in the world.

    Naeri sighed again.

    “Well, let’s get the cloak done,” she said, picking up her needle. “Lady Silveren got a list from Butler Daron asking my husband to help fix the back wall of our residence. The defenses have deteriorated. He is now powerful in the capital, and his enemies grow every day. I know he will come to help fortify the walls. At the very least, he will finally put eyes on Skye, poor girl has never seen her father.”

    “Don’t worry, My Lady,” Rassa said, smiling as they both looked at Skye, who was sleeping peacefully in her bassinet.

    ****

    It was raining hard when Raithion finally arrived at the Maenaer Manor in the capital. It was almost midnight. Daron got the guards to open the gates and light the lamps.

    “Lord Raith, welcome home,” Daron said as Raithion dismounted his horse and handed the reins to the waiting stable steward.

    “How is everyone in the house?” Raithion asked Daron as he entered the main house.

    “His Grace, your father, is in Draeya County inspecting the planting season at the estate,” Daron said. “Lady Silveren visited the palace today. She returned an hour ago and has gone to sleep. The Commandery Princess has retired to the side residence.”

    “Don’t wake them,” Raithion said, then nodded to the three cargo carriages waiting. “The legion officers will offload the supplies we need for the repair lists. There are packages put together by Kailu and Sharian. Sharian collected gifts for everyone in the house. Distribute them as you wish.”

    “I’ll make sure everything is arranged,” Daron said with a pleased smile. “I had Aryn and Sira arrange your quarters on the first floor of the main house. No one has had access to them other than me, Aryn, and Sira. We have not told the side residence where you will sleep.”

    “Thank you,” Raithion said, entering his parents’ house. He greeted Aryn and Sira, who were waiting for him at the stairs. His clothes were soaking wet after his hectic ride in the rain. The girls first led him to a hot bath, then upstairs to his rooms, where he changed into comfortable clothes and fell on his bed into a deep sleep.

    The next morning, Raithion dressed for a day spent working at home in a soft white tunic, dark trousers, and boots. He had no need for weapons at home, but he did keep daggers in his boot. It was Saturday, and his mother’s list weighed on his mind.

    He went downstairs to the dining room and was eating grilled chicken slices, tomatoes, and slices of bread spread with soft cheese when his mother came down.

    “The birds must be flying upside down this morning,” Silveren said as she sat at the round dining table. She accepted a cup of warm water from Aryn and drank it with a small smile.

    “Daron,” Silveren said when the butler came in, carrying a kettle filled with hot water for tea. “Can you look out the windows to make sure the birds are up the right way? My son is sitting at my dining table. I must be dreaming.”

    “You’re not dreaming, Lady Maenaer,” Daron said, amused. “Lord Raith came home late last night. He did not want to wake you after a tiresome day.”

    “Mm, how good he is to his mother,” Silveren said, then glanced at Raithion, who was watching her quietly. “Are you injured?”

    “No,” Raithion said.

    “Would you tell me if you were?” Silveren asked.

    “No,” Raithion said.

    Silveren scowled at him.

    “I don’t want to worry you unnecessarily,” Raithion said.

    “Then, aren’t you concerned that I would miss you if you were gone for a year?” Silveren asked. “What good things are at the border that you stayed so long?”

    “The border is secure. I’m not worried about war breaking out soon after the work we’ve completed,” Raithion said.

    “I’m so happy for you,” Silveren said. “Meanwhile, I’m worried the cold front that is raging in your house will turn my flowers frigid.”

    “Then, Daron, start the fireplace in the great room and warm up my mother’s flowers so that they don’t freeze,” Raithion said.

    “Do you think we’re discussing peonies?” Silveren asked, sipping the steaming tea Aryn served her.

    “Then what would we be discussing?” Raithion asked as he finished his food. He pushed his plate aside and poured himself a second cup of hot tea, sipping it with a contented smile.

    “How long will you keep up a cold front with your wife?” Silveren asked.

    “I can’t trust her with my clothes, food, bedding, bathing water, hell, the first time she drugged me with wine at someone else’s home during an event. You tell me, Mother, where should I start?”

    Silveren stared at him for a long moment, then nodded. “Then, Yulin and Skye, where should you, their father, start with them? They are yours.”

    “She takes care of them—”

    “I’m not done,” Silveren cut in. “Those children are innocent. They are Maenaer, born in these halls. They are part of the future you’re working so hard to protect. As their father, where should you start? Holding such a long grudge, you will end up hurting them.”

    “My grudges shall be resolved by me when I’m good and ready to do so,” Raithion said. “As for the innocent, Mom, I can only entrust them to you. If you leave them to me, I will poison them with anger and hate.”

    “Raith,” Silveren said, her eyes suddenly filled with tears.

    “This is the most I can do at the moment,” Raithion said honestly. He had had a year to think about his current predicament with Naeri. His heart was not resolved to the betrayals she had placed on him. If she wanted children, she should have agreed to discuss it with him. Perhaps they would have found a way, but to force him… he shook his head and met his mother’s gaze.

    “Give me time,” Raithion said. “Let me work at finding peace to deal with this in my own way. Call Jaguar and have him start training the boy early. Let the child leave this place and go run in the wilds of our Draeya County. He will be able to stay open and carefree for a while longer before he learns the truth of his father and mother.”

    Raithion got up then, pushing his chair back.

    “Today, I’ll fix the walls and the defenses as you’ve asked. I’ve tasked Kailu with rotating the guards in the manor,” Raithion said. “I’ll head back to the Commandery Office tomorrow morning.”

    “Raith,” Silveren cried out in protest.

    “Dad has everything he wanted in place,” Raithion said, his voice hard. “The power, the titles, a future heir, a powerful Basilinna, and his alliance with the Basileus is assured. How I’m living now is the best way for me to survive all this joy he has worked for. Don’t judge me for it. I’ll be outside if you need me.”

    ****

    Saturday morning, Naeri left the Maenaer Manor early without telling Silveren. She wanted to get butter from her mother’s workshop. She had discovered that their house made very good butter. Raithion was partial to mint toffee, and while she could not make it the way he liked it, Silveren appreciated fresh butter. So Naeri tried to get a fresh batch from her family when Raithion was around.

    Her mother was excited to see her when she arrived. She got a scolding for having left the children at home, but she was in a hurry to get back. Naeri had only brought Rassa with her. Benira Ajai was still adamant about feeding her a cup of tea, so they sat on the patio at the back of the house and ate pineapple pastries.

    Naeri found herself relaxing as she listened to her mother discuss their neighborhood’s gossip: who had a new baby, which daughter was caught seeing a man she shouldn’t, which family had gained or lost wealth. It felt nice to sit around and listen to gossip.

    Suddenly, Naeri realized the Maenaer women did not gossip like Benira. No, Silveren, Noriel, and Soriel discussed the harvest, planned parties with dignitaries to achieve specific goals, and managed war supplies for their brother and Thanir Maenaer.

    Here in her mother’s courtyard, the conversation was simple, down-to-earth, and easy. Naeri smiled as her mother reached up to help her fix a flower pin that was askew.

    “I heard that Raithion is back in the capital,” Benira said. “The girls went out to fetch fresh milk from the dairy, and they saw his right-hand man riding into town. He must have arrived very late last night.”

    “Mm,” Naeri said, though it was news to her. No one in the manor had alerted her that Raithion was already home. She had left the house early, thinking he would be arriving later. Her heart skipped a beat. She needed to get back home fast. Raithion was like a fast wind. He came and went in the blink of an eye.

    “I should take the butter home. My husband is always so busy,” Naeri said, placing her cup down. “I want them to use the butter from our workshop for the mint toffee he likes.”

    “Okay, I’ll go hurry the steward. You should say hello to your father before you go. He’s in the greenhouse,” Benira said as she got up. “I’ll have the butter ready by the time you get back.”

    “Thanks, Mom,” Naeri said, getting up and tidying her skirts. She hurried to a path that would lead her to the back of the mansion. She was in a hurry as she walked down the path to her father’s greenhouse. She only realized her father had guests when she was close to the door, and it was almost too late. There were three bushy mulberries near the greenhouse entrance, so Naeri ducked behind one of them to avoid disturbing her father. He got very angry if he was interrupted. Patting her chest for thinking fast, she let out a relieved breath and settled down to wait for her father to finish.

    Then her father’s voice drifted to her. He was angry, raging…

    “…the Prime Minister has gained support these last two years. Basilinna Soriel has made quite an effort in helping her husband gain the support of Libert ministers. She holds soft power, which she understands how to use, thanks to her brother’s backing. These siblings have made it nearly impossible to go against her and her support for the Prime Minister. We are at an impasse. Our Populi party cannot shake the Prime Minister’s position,” Gesi Ajai kicked something and let out a growl. “I need something to shift this deadlock. Otherwise, we’ll never win more leverage at court.”

    “What about the plan Rosner gave up?” Sazama asked. “It’s still viable. Rassa is here too.”

    Naeri clamped a hand over her mouth, wondering what her closest attendant was doing with her father.

    “I’m here, but what does that have to do with Rosner?” Rassa’s voice drifted to Naeri.

    Naeri’s eyes widened as she realized her closest attendant worked for her father. No wonder, she thought, as fear bloomed in her heart. No wonder it was so easy to get the apothecary’s aphrodisiac when she needed it.

    Of course, Rassa would have been the one to tell Gesi that Raithion was cold toward her. Then he would have pushed for the apothecary to make the formula that she had given Raithion. It had happened so easily, so fast.

    “The Draeya Prince is around,” Rassa said with confidence. “I can keep an ear out and see if he will host the Prime Minister at the manor. Sazama can handle it if the Prime Minister doesn’t visit. I would prefer it, as it reduces the risk for me. The Draeya Prince is very strict with security.”

    “Do you have it?” Gesi asked. “Sazama?”

    “I have it,” Sazama said. “I’ll give a portion to Rassa. She will know how to brew it in tea. One big sip and we will not have to worry about the Prime Minister.”

    “That is if Rassa is able to act when he visits the Maenaer,” Gesi said.

    Naeri gasped and could not hold back the sound in time. Fear propelled her into a run, and she took off at a fast sprint, heading back to the patio where her mother had served tea. She did not look back as she ran to see whether her father’s accomplices had seen her. Her heart pounded so hard in her ears she could not think.

    ****

    “Damn it, it’s Lady Naeri,” Sazama said, coming back to the greenhouse after going out to investigate the foreign sound. “I just saw her running back to the main house.”

    Gesi cursed under his breath. “This girl is going to drive me crazy. Rassa, I need you to manage her. Find a way to convince her about our plan. If you can get her help, it will be even better. The faster she realizes her husband is a liability, the better.”

    Rassa nodded. “I will convince her. Besides, I can also get her to believe she misheard you. Don’t worry about it.”

    “I’ll trust you with this,” Gesi said. “It’s hard enough with everything that’s going on.”

    “I’ll handle it,” Rassa promised.

    ***

    Naeri forgot the butter she was collecting from her mother. She ran out of her parents’ home and into her carriage and urged the driver to go back to the Maenaer residence. Her heart raced with cold fear as she tried to decipher what Rassa, Sazama, and her father were discussing.

    It sounded like an assassination attempt on the Prime Minister, sickening to imagine. She worried about her husband. Despite their endless cold war, Raithion was the father of her children. Her future and the children’s future depended on his well-being. So, a Prime Minister dead or poisoned in their home would utterly make their world end.

    Shaking her head, she was glad when the carriage came to a stop outside the main gate. She exited too fast and hurried up the steps to the front door, only to be met by a smiling Silveren.

    “Naeri, where did you go? I was looking for you. It’s already afternoon, Child. Your husband is in the main hall of your residence,” Silveren said, taking Naeri’s hand and guiding her into the house. “Why do you look so pale? Are you ill?”

    Naeri felt tears prick the backs of her eyes as Silveren stopped and pressed the back of her hand over Naeri’s forehead.

    “Mm, your temperature feels okay,” Silveren continued. “Come on, I think you should rest for a while, then find your husband. Try to mend what is broken. Slowly, okay? Don’t lose hope.”

    “Thank you, Mother,” Naeri said, her voice soft, her heart still pounding in her chest. It was a wonder that Silveren could not hear it. Silveren led her to the back exit of the main house. The door opened to a short path that led into the courtyard and the house Naeri lived in.

    Silveren let her proceed alone. Naeri took in the men hard at work on the perimeter walls in the distance. There were also two men on the roof, mending leaks she had not gotten to amid the multitude of tasks she had to perform.

    It felt nice to have someone else take up the repairs. Removing her overcoat, she stepped into the great room and paused when she saw Raithion sitting in the large armchair arranged for him, just as she had dreamed when she placed it there.

    How many times had she watched and waited, hoping he would come home and occupy the armchair? Now, seeing him sift through invoices and talk to Daron, paying invoices and signing household expense requests felt so right.

    Naeri could not stop the tears that filled her eyes. She had to tell Raithion what she had heard. Maybe it would bring them closer, perhaps… it would make up for all the wrongs she had done to her husband.

    ****

    After a marathon of repair work, Raithion sat in the armchair in his great room to authorize monthly repairs. It was his fault he had neglected the care of the residence, as the funds came from his personal accounts.

    “Daron, if there is any urgent problem with the house, send Sharian to the barracks or the Commandery Office. Don’t let it get to the point of disrepair,” Raithion said.

    “I understand,” Daron said as he watched Raithion set aside money for the invoice that would help the manor guards replenish arrows used on mounted bows on the perimeter walls from the imperial warehouse.

    “These are invoices from the tailor. The Commandery Princess had clothes made for the children,” Daron said.

    “Mm.” Raithion signed the invoice and set aside money for the expense. The amount was usual for clothes tailored for the people in the house. He just had never needed to make such a payment before.

    “I’ll excuse myself,” Daron said after a moment. “I’ll leave these invoices with you.” He placed the stack of five invoices on the stool next to Raithion’s chair.

    Raithion glanced up, wanting to ask why Daron was leaving, only to see Naeri coming to sit on the couch to the left of Raithion’s armchair. She looked nervous. She wore a beautiful pale blue dress with a fitted bodice and long silk skirts. Her blonde hair was tied in an intricate style, held together in a convoluted manner by pins.

    Naeri looked at him with worried brown eyes, and Raithion felt a punch in his gut, the kind he hated, as he wondered what plot she was spinning. It annoyed him that she could not be trusted.

    “My Lord,” Naeri started. “It’s good to see you home. It’s been a long time.”

    “It has been,” Raithion said, thinking it was not long enough.

    Every time he looked at Naeri, he could not help remembering the endless burning sensation of the poison she put in his drink at that party, or in the bathwater. He had endured an excruciating burning that could only be relieved by bedding her endlessly, caught in an inescapable lust that made him feel both pleasure and disgust. He closed his eyes and let out a small breath.

    “Is there something you need to tell me?” Raithion asked, as he forced his focus on the remaining invoices on the table in front of him.

    “I—” Naeri started, then paused when one of her attendants brought a kettle and two cups.

    The young lady was followed by Yulin, who glanced at Raithion with a shy, hopeful innocent smile before he leaned on his mother’s lap.

    The attendant left. Naeri, knowing Raithion would not drink tea she had poured, made herself a cup and kept the teapot closest to her.

    “Mom,” Yulin said. “I want tea.”

    Naeri gave Raithion a nervous glance, but she took the second cup and poured Yulin half a cup of the tea, then blew on it to make sure it was not too hot. Naeri placed it on the side for their son, then picked up her cup and took a few sips, as though to fortify herself.

    “My Lord, there is something I must tell you. I went to see my mother this morning and—” Naeri broke off, pressing her right hand to her stomach with a small frown. She shrugged and continued. “I know you don’t like to hear much about my family, but—”

    Yulin took his cup and sipped it, but then Naeri gasped and hit the cup their son held, spilling the tea on the floor.

    Raithion frowned as Naeri turned to him with wide eyes.

    “I—” Naeri started as she stood up, her hands pressed to her stomach, her expression twisting with pain. “I’m sorry.”

    Raithion got up as Naeri started to fall to the floor, as Yulin broke into painful cries.

    “Daron!” Raithion called out as he caught Naeri. He lifted her and carried her to one of the long couches in the great room, arranging a pillow under her head. He started to move away to get Yulin, but she gripped his right wrist.

    “Wait,” Naeri said, coughing, and Raithion frowned as he noticed the blood coloring her teeth. “I—I’m sorry for everything. I—I didn’t know. M-my father—”

    Naeri broke into a coughing fit just as Daron, Sharian, Aryn, and Sira entered the great room.

    “Lock down the manor,” Raithion ordered, but his voice sounded distant, as if it belonged to someone else. “Get a healer here, and, Daron, guard that tea kettle and the teacup with your life. Sharian, ride to the palace and get Volker to send the imperial coroner, Dain. He will know what to look for in the tea. Send for an imperial healer.”

    “Yes, Your Grace.” Sharian, Aryn, and Sira ran out of the room to make sure Raithion’s orders were followed. The healer who lived in the manor came running in, and Raithion moved away to give her space to check on Naeri.

    “Lord Raith,” Daron said, and Raithion turned to find him holding an unconscious Yulin.

    Raithion crossed the distance in three numb strides and gathered the boy from Daron’s arms. He frowned when he saw Yulin had blood on his lips too.

    Yulin’s weight was too light. His small hands were cool. A cold rush went through Raithion’s chest like water, shocking and blinding, filling him with helplessness. He laid Yulin on the couch next to the one with his mother and arranged him carefully. He smoothed his palm over the child’s dark hair, felt the slight dampness of sweat, the too-still breath. Something tore in him, low and unfamiliar, raw as ripped cloth.

    Raithion sighed and turned to see what the healer was doing by Naeri’s side.

    “Raithion,” Naeri’s whisper had him getting up. Raithion moved to the other side of the long couch and found Naeri watching for him with wide, bloodshot eyes.

    “Don’t panic, I’ve called for a healer from the palace. They will have an antidote,” Raithion said.

    Naeri let out a soft chuckle and shook her head, then motioned for him to lean closer. She took in a deep breath when Raithion bent down close to hear what she was saying.

    “I-it’s too late. S-save Yulin. Fi-ind R-Rassa,” Naeri’s voice faded.

    When he straightened, her gaze did not follow. The healer checked her, and Raithion frowned when, after a moment, she shook her head, indicating that his wife had passed. The room went suddenly quiet, except for Yulin’s unsteady breath.

    ****

    The gates of the Maenaer Manor were locked and sealed. No one inside the manor grounds could leave. The imperial healer arrived first and rechecked Naeri, confirming that she was already dead. She had been killed by the poison in the tea she had drunk.

    Silveren ran into Raithion’s house in a panic and stared at Naeri, who was still lying on the long couch. The healers were now focused on Yulin, who lay near his mother, alive but unconscious. The two healers were trying to identify the poison used in order to give the right antidote. Sharian had yet to arrive with Dain.

    “Who could have done this?” Silveren asked in shock. “She was fine when she walked in earlier. How could this happen? Raith?”

    “The manor is locked down. We’ll find out soon,” Raithion said, his voice low. Inside he felt hollowed out, as if something had scooped him clean. “She wanted to tell me something, something about her father. Then she drank the tea and fell to the ground. It was too fast. She asked me to find someone named Rassa. Who is that?”

    “Her closest attendant,” Silveren said.

    “Why did she leave this morning?” Raithion asked.

    Silveren shook her head. “I give her freedom to live her life. She’s free to visit her maternal home as she wills.” Silveren sighed. “She heard you were coming home and probably wanted to get butter. Naeri claims… claimed the butter from her family brought out the mint toffee best.”

    “Did she bring any butter?” Raithion asked.

    Silveren shook her head. “I don’t know. We’ll have to check with the main kitchen.”

    Raithion nodded and turned to face the front door, where there was a commotion. Sharian had returned with Dain, the imperial coroner. Kailu and Haedor followed them in. They all wore the same shocked expressions when they saw Naeri lying on the long couch.

    Dain did not hesitate. Taking the kettle from Daron, he got to work immediately. Aryn and Sira brought him any utensils he asked for, and within minutes he poured the tea into a large bowl and began investigating the dregs.

    “There are seeds here,” Dain said, lifting one with a small pin. “They look like they are from the devil’s trumpet. Use activated charcoal on the boy.”

    The imperial healer mixed a vial of activated charcoal into a bowl, and with Aryn’s help they got Yulin to swallow most of it. The child coughed and swallowed, limp and obedient.

    “The rest will need time,” Dain said. “Whoever made this poison has layered different herbs.”

    “Is Yulin safe?” Silveren asked, moving to perch on the edge of the long couch where Yulin was.

    “We’ll have to watch over him and treat his symptoms as they come, for now,” the imperial healer said.

    Silveren let out a soft cry and reached for Yulin’s hand, holding it tight.

    Raithion stepped to Naeri’s couch and looked down. Her eyes were closed. Blood had dried at the corner of her mouth. The cage of pins held her hair perfectly. He placed her hands over her stomach and touched the orange jade ring on her left hand. He straightened her skirts, then stepped back, helpless, at a loss for what else a man should do for the wife he had not learned how to forgive and now would never see again.

    A knot formed in his chest. He did not know whether it was grief or guilt. Perhaps both. He had stayed away. He told himself he was protecting what remained of his self-respect. Now, what did that self-respect stand for?

    Raithion turned to Yulin. The boy’s lashes trembled against his cheeks. Raithion felt the pain sharpen, clean and unbearable. Suddenly the four-year-old boy was not an heir described on paper, not the consequence of a crime, but a breathing child who carried his blood.

    “Raith,” Silveren said softly. “We should begin to plan a funeral.”

    Raithion nodded and looked to Daron. “Treat her funeral as befits the lady of the manor. Give her all the rights of the Commandery Princess. Report it to the palace.”

    Daron bowed and hurried away.

    Raithion lifted Yulin. The boy’s weight settled against his chest. Too light. Too warm at the forehead, too-cold tiny hands.

    “I will take him to his room,” Raithion said. “Imperial Healer, I hope you can find a cure soon. Aryn and Sira will make sure you have everything you need.”

    “Thank you, Your Highness,” the imperial healer said.

    Raithion glanced at Kailu and Haedor. “Find the assassin. Naeri mentioned Rassa. Find her and discover what’s going on.”

    He held his son closer, feeling the small thud of Yulin’s heart against his own, and carried him upstairs.

    ****

    <<Previous | Blades of Ashes TOC | Next>>

  • A Thousand Years of Hope Ch 21

    Chapter Twenty-One

    Tani frowned at his elder bushes. He was beginning to realize the futility of trying to keep them trimmed, given the numerous ekho creatures that visited his home. With a scoff, he turned around and found Sunu—his father—standing in the middle of the library, staring up at the mural on the ceiling.

    “Cale’s painting skills have improved,” Sunu said. “He has quite the memory; this mural is remarkably accurate.”

    “He restored it a few weeks ago,” Amu said, coming closer to admire the mural. “May I ask what brings the Immortal Lord to our humble home?”

    “Cale called me on an errand,” Sunu answered, clasping his hands behind his back. He offered Amu a polite smile. “When it was finished, I decided to follow Tani home. I’ve never been here, although Anit has visited so often. I thought I should see it, too.”

    Amu glanced at Tani, who still stood by the windows. Nearby, Dante glared at Sunu as though he wanted to challenge him outright. Amu tried to catch Dante’s eye, but Dante was too focused on Sunu.

    “Looks like I’ve attracted someone’s ire,” Sunu noted with a small smile as he met Dante’s hostile stare. “Child, your fire is barely contained. Fortunately, I’m one of the few people on whom you can unleash it without consequence.”

    “Don’t think he can’t burn you,” Tani said, scowling at Sunu. “If you’re feeling energetic, do something about the elder bushes.”

    Sighing, Sunu let out a gentle pulse of power. The unruly elder bushes stopped overgrowing and settled.

    “No one will remember,” Sunu murmured.

    Tani gave a resigned sigh at his father’s effortless display of power. The distance between them felt even more painful now that they were face to face. He watched Sunu and felt a hollow ache in his chest. Even though Dante was angry on his behalf, Tani couldn’t ignore the yearning to have a closer relationship with his father. It pulsed under his skin, accompanied by a thousand questions about his lineage, his powers, and what it meant to be part of the fox clan—and the son of the Immortal Lord.

    “May I have a moment to speak with Tani?” Sunu asked Amu and Dante.

    Tani wanted to protest, but when he looked at Dante, he saw only encouragement. Crossing the room, Tani allowed Dante to pull him into a brief hug.

    “You’ve had a difficult few hours,” Tani murmured, kissing Dante’s cheek. “Go rest.”

    Dante shifted and pressed his lips to Tani’s in a lingering kiss.

    “I’ll be upstairs if you need me,” he said. “Just call, and I’ll come.”

    “Mm,” Tani replied with a nod.

    Amu left first, followed by Dante, who shot Sunu an unfriendly glance on his way out.

    With a soft chuckle, Sunu walked to an armchair and sat down.

    “Your beloved seems to have a low opinion of me,” he remarked. “What have you told him, Sweet Tani?”

    “Nothing,” Tani said, taking a seat opposite his father. “There isn’t much to tell. I barely know you.”

    Sunu’s smile wavered for a moment. “That’s my fault, though it doesn’t mean I don’t care for you. You are my son—my flesh and blood. Everything about you matters to me.”

    Tani thought of how Dante struggled to be present for his children, no matter the secrets or distance between them. He knew Dante felt burdened by the distance he needed to keep between him and his children. After their run-in with Lua Wadi, Tani could understand Dante’s struggles. He suddenly wondered what burdens Sunu faced.

    After all these centuries, Tani still found it unsettling that he knew so little about Sunu.

    “Are you the reason Uncle Cale always answers when I call?” Tani asked. “Is that why you made him my warden—so he could track me because we share your blood?”

    Sunu gave a small nod. “You’re a clever ekho. The Septum exists to balance power in the immortal lands. Without laws and guidelines, Siorai would collapse under the pressure of so many powerful beings. Our traditions have sometimes helped us and sometimes hindered us. History will likely remember my reign as the era when the Septum’s head imprisoned his successor simply for falling in love with a mortal. It’s humiliating.”

    Tani bit his bottom lip. “I feel no attachment to the ekho realm. I left it when I was too young. Maybe that was the grand design all along.”

    “Perhaps,” Sunu allowed. “Before you were born, Cale sensed you would experience a period of calamity. Anit and I tried to protect you, but we never imagined your calamity would revolve around forbidden love. Even with all my resources, I couldn’t stop it. The best I could do was assign Cale as your guardian.”

    Tani’s eyes widened. “Are you saying the God of Calamity predicted a thousand-year misfortune for me?”

    “Exactly,” Sunu said. “When you were born, I clung to hope that he might be mistaken and kept you with me for your first five hundred years. But then the fox clan began a disruptive movement, claiming the clan would collapse without its goddess—your mother—at the helm. Tensions rose so high that the dragon clan threatened to invade Gralia. Anit had no choice but to return home and stabilize her realm. She took you with her.”

    Sunu leaned his head back, gazing at the mural overhead. “The day I watched her leave our citadel, I realized I couldn’t avert your calamity through sheer willpower. I had to let your life unfold and hope that, at the end of all your trials, you’d still grant your parents a chance.”

    Tani stared at his father, his heart pounding with indescribable emotion. He barely understood his parents, and the chasm between them felt impossible to bridge.

    “Our family was broken from the start,” Tani said with a short, bitter laugh. “If you foresaw all this pain, why did you have me at all? Why allow me to exist if you knew I’d suffer so much?”

    Sunu’s amber eyes shone with quiet sincerity. “Because you are a precious gift given to us by fate. I’ll never regret your existence, Tani Ryuzo. You are Anit’s son, and you are my son. We love you—albeit imperfectly. I’m sorry I had to step away when you needed me most. I’m sorry I couldn’t for not being able to take away the pain you have endured. I love you, son. I only hope you can forgive us one day and give us a chance to be your family.”

    Tears filled Tani’s eyes at the regret in Sunu’s voice. He turned away, hastily swiping at his tears with the back of his hand. His throat felt tight, and it took him a moment to speak.

    “What do I have to do to get these cuffs off my wrists?” Tani asked softly. “Dante made his choice, and the cuffs remain in place. They won’t come off, even though my powers are unsealed.”

    Sunu glanced at Tani’s wrists, at the thin gold elder leaf bracelets he wore, and gave a thoughtful nod. “Dante is mortal. The weight of your past affects the weight of his promise.”

    “But—” Tani began.

    “I’m not saying the cuffs will never come off,” Sunu said with a gentle smile. “I’m only saying it may take longer than a few days. Soul matters aren’t like water pouring from a bucket in one rush. You and Dante share a long, perilous fate. You have to survive what’s coming before you can reach the other side.”

    Tani gripped the arms of his chair. “What does that even mean?”

    “You’re bonded to a mortal,” Sunu said. “Your life is long; his is not. Kinon has intervened to give Dante a fighting chance, so I can’t predict how things will turn out for him. But I do know that eventually, he’ll have to face the Palladium Gates to weigh his choice. The cuffs might be waiting for that.”

    Tani’s heart clenched. The Palladium Gates never allowed mortal souls through; only those with partial ekho blood could attempt it, and even then, it required colossal power. It was why Selene remained in the mortal realm—she couldn’t pass the test of the gates, while her brother had made it through.

    “Do you think Dante can make it?” Tani whispered.

    “He has Kinon’s lineage, so his fire is strong,” Sunu said. “In the end, his resolve will decide.”

    Tani exhaled. “Then if he can’t, I’ll stay here.”

    “For how long?” Sunu asked, meeting Tani’s gaze. “Mortals don’t live under the same measure of time we do. Unless Dante passes through those gates, he can’t cross the tides of time with you. You’ll have to face that truth.”

    Tani looked down at his hands, resting on the chair’s arms. Time was indeed the true master of the mortal realm—and a formidable enemy for an immortal being. An enemy as old as all the realms.

    “Tani.”

    He glanced up.

    “Whatever comes,” Sunu said quietly, “I’ll stand by your side, as will Cale, your mother Anit, and your uncle Amu. No matter what trials await, we’ll face them with you.”

    A surge of conflicting emotions brought tears to Tani’s eyes again, and all he could do was nod. He hoped he’d be strong enough to endure whatever lay ahead.

    After a moment, Tani stood. Sunu reached out a hand as though to stop him.

    “May I stay a few days?” Sunu asked. His voice was gentle, as though he feared rejection. “I’d like some time in your world.”

    Tani hesitated, conscious of the awkwardness between them. This was the first time he’d truly spoken to Sunu as a father, not just as the Immortal Lord. At last, he shrugged.

    “Everyone here is equal. You’ll eat the same food we make and treat Tom, Hera, and Deniz with respect. No one will accommodate you just because you’re from the Septum.”

    Sunu offered him a genuine smile. “I understand.”

    “Good,” Tani said. “There’s a free suite next to Uncle Amu’s. You can stay there. I’m going to find Dante.”

    Turning to leave, Tani paused at the door. He caught a glimpse of Sunu’s delighted expression before he shut it behind him. Despite his conflicted heart, Tani couldn’t deny that for the first time in centuries, the distance between them felt just a bit smaller.

    ****

    Anit watched Zal and his minions prepare for the next case, Cale’s warning still lingering in her mind. It left a bitter taste on her tongue. She wanted to follow Cale to discover why Tani had summoned him to the mortal realm, but she could not leave the court until it was formally adjourned. Suddenly, the demands of civility felt stifling.

    Her gaze shifted to the five judges listening to a dispute between two neighbors. One neighbor’s young daughter had activated a vine spell in their backyard, causing the vines to grow wildly and spill into the other yard, nearly suffocating a woman who happened to be there at the time. The girl was eight and contrite. Anit knew the judges would likely order training for the child since she showed a great affinity for magik.

    “Nela,” Anit called to the strongest of the Bao. She used a concealment spell before Nela shimmered into the court and stood by the chair Cale would have occupied.

    “Lady Izuna,” Nela said.

    “Nela, can you tell me what case the Anael branch is presenting?” Anit asked.

    “The Bao Sentinels mentioned Shugo Hosa’s disappearance in our last all-sentinel meeting,” Nela said. “He’s a candidate in the Anael leadership election, and we keep track of all such elections to ensure fairness. His disappearance has everyone on edge. As my grandfather mentioned, the Bao have been concerned about Zal’s continued leadership in Anael. Zal and his assistant, Tara, have held their positions for too long. It’s safe to assume they’re here to present evidence related to Shugo’s absence.”

    “Has Bao searched for Shugo?” Anit asked.

    “We have,” Nela replied. “There’s no trace of him in Gralia. Most of our elite teams have searched, but we haven’t found anything.”

    Anit exhaled and straightened in her chair.

    “Summon all the Sentinel houses,” she said. “I want an audit of the Anael Sentinel Branch. Any cases they’re working on are now on hold, and any plans made with the Anael Sentinel Branch are canceled. By the end of this session, we’ll convene a council.”

    “I’ll arrange it,” Nela said, leaving the court to prepare.

    Anit gripped the arms of her chair as the presiding judge read the decision for the girl who had unleashed the vines.

    “Raven Verda shall report to the Gralia Academy of Acolytes in three days. The court will monitor her attendance. We hope her time at the academy helps her better understand her abilities.”

    Raven’s parents thanked the court and apologized to their neighbors. They left with mixed emotions. Anit hoped the girl would learn to balance her power as she continued her training.

    “Next case,” the court manager announced. “The Anael Sentinel Branch will present evidence to prove one of their members is missing. Shugo Hosa has not been seen for two moon cycles. The Anael Sentinel will provide more information on his whereabouts.”

    “Sentinel business,” Anit said with a smirk, catching Zal’s eye. “I invoke the council.”

    “The Fox Goddess has invoked the council,” the court manager intoned. “The court shall empty of citizens. All Sentinel heads and members shall appear in court within the hour. May I ask, Lady Izuna, what the topic is?”

    “The Anael Sentinel Branch elections and whatever else Nela Bao decides,” Anit declared, smiling when she saw Zal’s supporters grow anxious. “I can’t wait to hear what has been happening.”

    ****

    Dante followed Amu into the living room after leaving Tani, but he couldn’t stop frowning at the thought of Tani facing a father he hadn’t seen in so long.

    “Don’t worry,” Amu said, as though reading his mind. “For all his faults, Sunu loves Tani very much. He won’t do anything to upset him.”

    “How do you know?” Dante asked, moving to the window to stare into the afternoon sunlight. He could hardly believe that he and Tani had just been in Kirtland. At least he’d managed to see Zach and April, however briefly—it was enough to ease some lingering concerns.

    “What happened with your son, Zach?” Amu asked, gently changing the subject.

    Dante turned to face him. Amu was like a father to Tani, so Dante supposed he might think of him now as a father-in-law. That idea brought a flicker of cheer to his expression.

    Amu sank into an armchair, and Dante took the seat across from him.

    “Tani took us to Kirtland,” Dante explained. “It was nighttime there, and when we found the camp where the kids had gone, we found the search-and-rescue team already at work. Tani tracked Zach using a protective spell I’d placed on him. We found Zach asleep in an old gazebo under a green blanket. He was with a man named Lua Wadi, who wanted to use Zach and me to force Tani to call Cale—the god of calamity.”

    Dante shook his head. “Does every ekho know about Tani’s calamity and Cale’s involvement?”

    “It’s hard to hide,” Amu said with a rueful smile. “Tani is Anit and Sunu’s son. Ideally, he’d live in Gralia’s log house in Yesserin Mountain or at the Citadel with his father, completing rites of passage like anyone else. Instead, he’s here in the mortal realm.”

    Dante nodded. “I think his parents miss him,” he said quietly.

    “I’m sure they do,” Amu replied. “That’s why Anit visits and leaves all those strange gifts.”

    Dante’s gaze settled on the fox carving in the middle of the room. When Tani was here, the statue had been upright and alert. Now it lay curled up as if sleeping. He smiled at the peculiarity, then looked back at Amu.

    “Did Lua get what he wanted?” Amu asked.

    “I’m not sure,” Dante said. “Tani summoned Cale. After Cale arrived, I got Zach out of the gazebo. Then Tani teleported me to a path near the administrative buildings. I used my magik to compel one of the rescue workers so she would believe she’d found Zach by the river.”

    “Did anyone see you?” Amu asked, curious.

    “April,” Dante answered with a smile. “She rushed to hug me before I could hide. I hugged her back and told her everything was fine—that Zach was safe—then I sealed her memory of the night.”

    “She’ll remember if it becomes important,” Amu said.

    “Probably,” Dante agreed. “For the first time, I felt a deep concern for my children, a need to protect them. And I knew that feeling came from Tani.”

    “And what do you think of Tani?” Amu asked. “You’ve come back here together. I sense his power is more at ease, no longer so restrained. You’ve made commitments.”

    Dante held Amu’s bright green eyes. They were nothing like Tani’s amber, though they shared the same fiery hair: Tani’s red-brown, Amu’s the color of ripe pomegranate seeds.

    “Tani is my soul,” Dante said without hesitation. “I can’t live without him.”

    Amu studied him, then exhaled a soft sigh. “Finally. It’s good to see you offer him the same devotion he’s always given.”

    Dante almost agreed but hesitated, recalling the records he had read at the library before their trip to Kirtland.

    “Uncle Amu,” Dante said, smiling when Amu blinked at the address. “Tani calls you Uncle, so I should too.”

    Amu nodded in acknowledgment.

    “What makes you think the others didn’t choose him?” Dante asked. “I’ve been dreaming about my past reincarnations. That’s how I recognized Tani when we met. At first, I remembered the awful moments of leaving him. Lately, though, I’ve seen how those past lives tried to return to Tani—but Tani was gone, or they died before reaching him. Don’t you think they tried their best too?”

    Amu let out a weary breath. “So, do you plan to change what happens this time? Do you think it can be changed?”

    “Yes. I’ll make sure no one interferes with my choice,” Dante said. “I’ll fight for him and keep what’s mine. I can be very possessive.”

    Amu chuckled. “A wonderful trait when it comes to loving an ekho fox. We’re quite possessive, and it’s been painful to watch my nephew suffer disappointment.”

    Dante met Amu’s gaze again, his heart racing at the quiet warning in those green eyes.

    “Whatever happens,” Dante said, “I’ll give everything I have. I won’t hold back. I don’t want regrets, and I’ll do everything I can to keep us together.”

    Amu looked toward the living room door. Dante followed his gaze and found Tani standing there, smiling.

    “Are you happy?” Amu asked, getting up to stand beside Dante’s chair. He patted Dante’s shoulder with a small smile.

    “Yes,” Tani said.

    “Good,” Amu answered as Tani walked over to them. “So, your father—are we accommodating him?”

    “Yes,” Tani said with a nod. “I told him to stay in the suite next to yours.”

    “I’ll go check on him,” Amu said, then left the room with brisk steps.

    Dante stood, and Tani launched himself into his arms.

    “I love you,” Tani murmured, pressing his face into Dante’s shoulder.

    “And I love you,” Dante said, kissing Tani’s hair. “With everything I have.”

    Tani clung to him, then lifted his head. “I’ll take you somewhere.”

    “Where?” Dante asked, cradling Tani’s waist.

    “A quick tour, then we’ll visit the first place we ever said ‘I love you’ to each other,” Tani replied. “Close your eyes.”

    Dante did as he was told, trusting Tani’s teleportation. He’d grown used to the sudden shifts in location and had even come to appreciate them.

    Tani took Dante on a tour through the forest surrounding the conservancy. Tani showed Dante the marshlands, a thick forest with ancient endangered trees. They ate oranges in a hidden grove and fought with territorial monkeys over the ripe oranges. Finally, they stopped by a hollow tree, and Dante crouched with a broad smile as Tani petted two small foxes.

    “Why are they living here?” Dante asked.

    “The river flooded,” Tani explained, “and I helped them find this hollow. Aren’t they adorable? Want to try?”

    He picked up one of the foxes and turned to Dante.

    Dante approached cautiously, hand trembling as he reached out. The little fox let him pet it for a moment before shrinking away.

    “What’s wrong?” Tani asked, lifting the fox to eye level.

    ‘He’s too hot,’ said the fox. ‘His fire stings.’

    Tani patted the fox’s head and returned it to the hollow, where it disappeared inside the tree with its companion.

    He glanced at Dante. “They’re wary of the fire in your blood. You’re still running hot from our fight with Lua.”

    “I was triggered when Zach was in danger,” Dante said, inspecting his palms. A faint orange-red glow pulsed beneath the skin. “It’ll take time to cool.”

    Tani took Dante’s hands and pressed them against his cheeks. “I think it’s perfectly nice.”

    “You’re biased,” Dante teased with a helpless grin.

    “I need to tell you something,” Tani said softly, still holding Dante’s hands.

    “Something your father told you?” Dante guessed.

    “No,” Tani answered. “Lua confessed he brought kara ot from the ekho realm—specifically designed to harm a mortal. He helped a villain use it against you. Every time you tried to return to me, they interfered, and you died. I don’t know what to do with this revelation. Thankfully, Cale and Sunu learned the truth, and they’ll make sure Lua and his accomplices are punished.”

    Swift relief swept through Dante. He exhaled and met Tani’s gaze. “I’m glad. They never entirely tore us apart. I’m happy to know the others never let our love down. Let your love down. That although broken and twisted, they still knew to find you again. Even if it took so many tries, I still found you.”

    Tani leaned up and kissed him. “I should have stayed so you could find me more easily,” he murmured. “Maybe none of this would have happened if—”

    “No regrets,” Dante whispered, pulling him close. “Maybe everything led us to where we are now. I’m finally strong enough to face your true existence head-on. And I’m grateful we discovered the truth together.”

    Dante pressed his forehead against Tani’s shoulder.

    “I’m glad it was with me,” Dante repeated, unable to hide the jealousy at the thought of Tani finding his happiness with the others, especially the janissary.

    Tani chuckled. “Stop drinking your vinegar. How can you be jealous of your past self?”

    “Can’t help it,” Dante admitted, hugging Tani tighter. “You and the janissary built a castle that is still standing today. All I’ve done is help with some apple trees at your hidden cottage.”

    Tani laughed. “Then let’s build something too.”

    “What?” Dante asked, voice muffled by Tani’s shoulder.

    “I’m not sure. We’ll figure it out. But first, another special place.” Tani pulled him close, teleporting them away from the fox hole. “We’re here.”

    Dante opened his eyes, arms still wrapped around Tani. He drew in a sharp breath at the sight of a waterfall plunging from a tall cliff into a clear blue lake, evergreen trees towering on either side. A cool mist clung to the air, and the cascading water sparkled in the late afternoon sun.

    “Where are we?” Dante asked, looking at Tani. “I’ve seen this in my dreams. You brought Durante here. There’s a cave behind the falls.”

    “It’s deep within the conservancy,” Tani said, taking his hand. “Want to swim?”

    “I didn’t bring a swimsuit.”

    “Who needs one?” Tani teased, shrugging off his suit jacket and dropping it on a nearby rock. He peeled off his shirt and trousers, beaming when he stood there naked.

    Dante grinned back at his carefree lover, who dashed into the lake with an elated laugh, disappearing beneath the surface. Dante tore off his clothes and dove in after him. The cold water shocked his overheated skin, making him laugh as he swam. The roar of the waterfall echoed around them, and Tani’s playful splashes drew him close.

    They chased each other like spirited children, the afternoon light dancing through the trees. Tani flung water at Dante, and Dante dunked him in return until both were breathless and laughing.

    Tani drifted in close, kissing Dante’s shoulder before darting toward the waterfall. Dante followed, spellbound by the copper glints in Tani’s hair. Sunshine and water mingled in a scene that felt full of promise—like a world where happiness could last.

    Catching up, Dante seized Tani’s arm, pulling him into an embrace. He found Tani’s amber gaze and kissed him, warmth sparking through every nerve. Tani sighed contentedly, winding his arms around Dante’s neck. In that moment, time faded away, leaving only the two of them.

    The waterfall’s thunder mixed with their murmurs. Their kisses and tender touches grew urgent and passionate, stoking desire. Tani broke their kiss, and suddenly Dante was resting against a warm comfortable surface with Tani leaning over him. With a quiet gasp, Dante realized they were no longer out in the open; Tani had whisked them into the cave behind the falls. Blue crystals on the walls cast a soft glow, and a thick wool blanket lay on a natural ledge. It felt intimate and secret—a space belonging only to them.

    “You’re full of surprises,” Dante murmured against Tani’s lips.

    “The good kind?” Tani asked, threading his fingers through Dante’s hair.

    “The best kind,” Dante replied, deepening the kiss. Sparks of magic danced along Tani’s skin, and Dante shivered at the electric thrill when Tani returned his caresses with equal eagerness.

    “Dante,” Tani breathed, voice trembling with want. He held Dante tighter, urging him on.

    A gentle, pulsing glow lit the cave as their magic mingled and twined. Each caress sent a jolt of electricity racing along Dante’s senses. He shivered when Tani’s hands explored him with matching eagerness, their bodies moving in a harmony older than time. Minutes or hours might have passed; it felt endless. Dante marveled at how perfectly they fit together, as though they had been made for this dance since the dawn of creation. Tani’s breath came hot against Dante’s neck, and soon neither could tell whose heart was pounding louder, their mingling voices blended with the waterfall’s steady drum.

    They savored every moment, lovemaking unhurried and comforting as if time itself had paused for them. Finally, they lay entwined on the blanket, enveloped by the glow of the crystals and their shared afterglow.

    Tani nuzzled Dante’s shoulder and sighed. “What if I asked you to stay here forever with me?” he said, half-teasing.

    Dante smiled, tracing slow circles on Tani’s back. “I’d say yes in a heartbeat. Think we can manage that?”

    Tani lifted his head, his grin playful. “You’d make a handsome forest king, but you might miss Artri House.”

    “We can always visit Artri House—but we don’t have to stay,” Dante said, threading his fingers through Tani’s hair. Tani’s eyes slid shut, enjoying the touch.

    “I think it would be lovely to stare in your family home,” Tani said after a while. “It feels like somewhere I can always find you.”

    “Then we’ll live there when we’re ready,” Dante replied warmly. “It’ll be our home.”

    They fell silent, cradled in each other’s embrace, safe in the cave’s secret sanctuary. For that perfect period, nothing else mattered—only Dante, Tani, and the soft hush of the waterfall, promising a future as bright and steadfast as the love they shared.

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  • A Thousand Years of Hope Ch 4-3

    A Thousand Years of Hope Ch 4-3

    Tuesday evening, Tani arrived at the bar and restaurant where Hakan worked. It was named Balkon and was on the second floor of a building with a wonderful view of the city. Tani found an empty table on the balcony terrace and pulled the wooden chair closer to the table as he settled for the evening.

    His phone buzzed in his pocket. Tani unzipped his jacket and reached for it. He found a message from Tom.

    ‘Meeting arranged for the Arturo Vineyard tomorrow. Hera is coming along, hope you will too.’

    Tani placed the phone on the table and turned to stare at the sun setting on the horizon. The religious would say God was busy painting the sky. Tani liked to hang on to this beautiful belief. He smiled and sat back, watching the sky turn a beautiful orange.

    “May I take your order?”

    Tani’s smile disappeared and he glanced at his waiter.

    “Hakan.”

    The man standing by his table froze, staring at Tani.

    “You’re a hard man to get a hold of,” Tani said. “I’m not half as unavailable as you.”

    “Babu,” Hakan said in shock. “What are you doing here?”

    “I eat too,” Tani said, folding his hands against his chest. “Hera insists this is a great place to eat. You don’t get to call me Babu. I’m disappointed. I came home to find Deniz and Hera sad because of you. Deniz waited the whole weekend to see you, but you never showed up. You didn’t call her either. She cried in my arms last night wondering why you don’t like her anymore. I had no answers for her. So, I’m here to ask what you truly want to do about them.”

    “Babu—”

    “Hakan.”

    “I—”

    “Babu is for those under my care,” Tani said. “At the moment, they are three, maybe four. Tom is getting ready to marry his girlfriend. There would have been five had you stuck it out, Hakan. You have chosen to become an outsider. Outsiders are not under my care.”

    “Mr. Ryuzo,” Hakan said.

    “Good man,” Tani said. “Now, tell me, what do you want?”

    Hakan stayed quiet, and Tani took the time to study him. He was of Turkish descent. Handsome enough to resemble a young Tom Cruise, fit and in love with v-neck tee shirts. At the moment, Hakan wore a black one with dark slacks. Tani wondered what Hera saw in Hakan, but then again, he had no power to judge others in terms of love. His own mistakes were many.

    “Why don’t you get me a glass of orange juice? And something sweet,” Tani said. “When you get back, you can tell me what your thoughts are on your daughter and her mother.”

    “Alright, Mr. Ryuzo.”

    Hakan hurried away and Tani sat back in his chair, he returned his attention to the sunset.

    “You’re very quick to solve Hera’s problems,” Cale said, pulling out a chair opposite him.

    “Stalking me can also be considered a hobby,” Tani said in greeting.

    “Your hobbies are more interesting,” Cale said, settling in. He signaled a young woman who was walking by. “Get us a bottle of red wine, please. Cancel his orange juice order.”

    “Coming up,” the woman hurried to fulfill Cale’s order.

    “Tom says there is something wrong with the soil your man dropped off at the conservancy. He is going to visit the vineyard with Hera. Are you going?” Cale asked.

    “Mm. I’ll check it out,” Tani said, still watching the sunset. “You said to meet him. I will, and get it over with.”

    “Don’t sound so enthusiastic about it,” Cale teased, smiling at the server who brought them a bottle of fine red wine. She opened the bottle and poured Cale a glass. He went through the motions of tasting the wine then gave her a nod to leave the bottle on the table.

    Cale poured a glass for Tani and passed it to him, touching their glasses together when Tani took his with a nod.

    “Who is enthusiastic about heartbreak?” Tani asked, sipping his wine. “He’s already gotten children with Viola. I can only imagine what that will be like.”

    Cale scoffed.

    “You’re overthinking the situation,” Cale said.

    “One thing I know for sure,” Tani said. “He always wants to take care of his children. Something about them taking care of his mother later. I do not overthink his intentions.”

    “Hm,” Cale sighed, sipping his wine.

    Hakan arrived at their table carrying a plate with a slice of chocolate cake and a fork. He placed it before Tani, who studied the chocolate cake slice.

    Tani took up the fork and took a small bite of the cake. He sat back, nodding as he swallowed the cake.

    “The cake is good,” Tani said, and then placed the fork on the plate. “Have you thought about what you want to say to me, Hakan?”

    “I think you should not interfere with my relationship with Deniz,” Hakan said. “I’ll solve how to take care of my daughter on my own.”

    Tani pushed the chocolate cake aside. He rested his hands on his lap and leveled his gaze on Hakan.

    “Hera is my ward. I have helped raise her to the age she is now. You’ve walked into my house and given my ward trouble. With your logic, what should I do with you?”

    Hakan bit his bottom lip and clasped his hands in front of him. He looked around the busy restaurant before he returned his gaze to Tani.

    “I—,” Hakan started.

    “Hera is valued in our Ryuzo house,” Tani said. “Her daughter even more so. If you cannot be there for them as you should be, then you had better keep off, Hakan. Don’t make promises you cannot keep. I will not tolerate it.”

    “Mr. Ryuzo,” Hakan started.

    “I came to tell you that Hera and Deniz are under my care,” Tani said, lowering his voice, allowing the amber in his eyes to shine bright, he continued. “I won’t allow you to disrespect my ward. Keep off, if you can’t keep your promises.”

    Hakan stepped back, shock clear in his gaze.

    “Hakan,” Cale placed enough money to cover their wine bottle and the cake. “Listen to what he says. You don’t want him unleashing me into your world. I revel in misfortune.”

    Hakan took the money and hurried away, sparing Tani a wary glance.

    Tani smiled and shook his head, amused. He reached for his wine glass to take a sip and paused in the action when his nostrils filled with the scent of his beloved’s jasmine. The gold mist aura wrapped tight around his beloved lingered in the air, indicating he was close.

    Tani held the glass stem too tight and it cracked, breaking. The broken glass fell on the table, but Cale muted the sound, hiding the resulting mess of red wine on the table. Cale grabbed Tani’s left arm and pulled him up.

    “Are you going to meet him now?” Cale asked, noting Tani’s nails turning black, and his eyes taking on a fox’s attributes. “You’ll frighten him away.”

    “No, it has to be tomorrow with Tom,” Tani hissed, catching a glimpse of his beloved standing by a table on the opposite side of the balcony terrace.

    Dante looked distracted, a frown dancing on his forehead, his gaze searching.

    Tani’s right palm throbbed reminding him that he needed Dante to heal the wound.

    “Let’s go,” Tani hissed, ignoring every instinct begging him to walk to Dante’s side and introduce himself.

    Cale nodded, took Tani’s jacket, and led the way out of the balcony terrace.

    *~*~*~*

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    Babu means grandfather

  • The Man I Like Might Be A Delinquent 3-3

    The Man I Like Might Be A Delinquent 3-3

    “We would have gone to the emergency room if we could,” Ryan said, his voice barely civil as he tried not to growl at Axel. “We are pinned down here and we have to move soon. Doctor, I need your skill, or I would not have gone to the trouble of finding you.”

    “No.” Axel shook his head. “I will not help you.”

    “Wrong answer,” Ryan said and pulled out a gun from a holster inside his black suit jacket. He pointed the gun at Axel’s forehead and fear returned. Ryan’s gaze was different from the man he met earlier. Ryan looked like he might pull the trigger and move on to the next solution.

    “I’m sure my men explained everything earlier. I truly do not want to hurt you, Dr. Graysen. All we need is your skill then you can return to your quiet life. Are you willing to help?” Ryan demanded, blocking Axel’s view of the man on the stretcher.

    A severe frown on Ryan’s forehead grew as Axel hesitated with his answer.

    “I thought doctors are supposed to be empathic to the injured. What kind of bedside manner is this?”

    “You people broke into my apartment, pulled me out of my bed with a gun on my head, and dragged me out here with threats of death. Excuse me if I can’t pull up an ounce of sympathy,” Axel said, hating the fear in his heart.

    Axel turned to see the door behind him closed. The two men standing by the door stared at him, arms folded. The one on the right shifted, and his fingers flexed near his weapon too. He was the one who woke Axel, his voice so calm even as he made deadly threats.

    Axel swallowed hard and tried not to lose his mind from fear. He did not want to die.  His chest tightened, and he took in several breaths, feeling like he wasn’t getting enough to fill his lungs.

    “Dr. Graysen.” A gentle voice came from a distance.

    Axel bend over, sucking in air as he clung to the sound of that voice like a lifeline. Taking in a deep breath, he focused on the familiar voice when it said his name a second time.

    “Axel.”

    Axel looked up, and stared at the man sitting up on the stretcher, his right hand clamped over heavy bandages on his upper left arm. A gasp escaped his lips when he recognized Jeha.

    Jeha, his mysterious knight on the rooftop, the man with a devastating smile and keen blue eyes, was the patient on the stretcher.

    Axel pushed Ryan away and rushed to the foot of the stretcher, stopping to stare in shock at Jeha’s bleeding left upper arm.

    Jeha wore a white shirt, the sleeves stained with blood. The collar was opened, his tie long gone. Streaks of mud covered his dark slacks. His dark hair was a mess, and there was a scratch on his left jaw. The bandages on his left upper arm were soaked with blood. His blue eyes studied Axel with concern.

    “Axel, are you okay?” Jeha asked, his voice strained with clear pain.

    What had happened to him?

    “Am I okay?” Axel asked, hurrying around to Jeha’s left side. He reached out to steady Jeha when he swayed on the stretcher, threatening to fall back too fast. “What about you? How did you end up like this? Why are you bleeding? Were you kidnapped too?

    Axel was surprised by the dark chuckle that followed his questions.

    “I’m sorry Ryan’s men treated you so harshly. I had hoped they would have a gentle conversation with you. Kidnapping was not my intention,” Jeha said, wincing hard as he tried to keep sitting up, but he ended up falling back on the stretcher.

    Axel tried and failed to make the fall back softer on the wound on Jeha’s left arm. He winced when Jeha bit back a painful moan.

    “Axel, I need you to stop the bleeding on my arm.  I—”

    Jeha groaned as he tried to shift so that he could settle his upper left arm. He closed his eyes, clearly in pain, and let out a shaky breath.

    “I don’t think the bullet is in my arm. There is an exit wound. I’m worried about bleeding out,” Jeha said.  “We don’t have much time before we have to move again.”

    “Why don’t we have time?” Axel asked, pressing his fingers to Jeha’s neck to check his pulse. It felt steady, but that could change anytime. He didn’t like the look of the bloody bandages on Jeha’s left arm.

    “The people who shot Jeha are on a mad search for him,” Ryan said, his voice filled with urgency.  “If they find us here, I can’t guarantee your life, Dr. Graysen.”

    “Stop scaring my doctor,” Jeha said, sounding tired, even as he admonished Ryan.  “Axel—”

    “Why didn’t you go to the emergency room?” Axel asked. “Why are you joking around with your life? The emergency room has the equipment and qualified doctors who will know how to deal with a gunshot wound. You have a better chance of fighting off infection in the hospital. What if you bleed out here?”

    “Axel, can’t you fix me up first? And then I promise to answer all your questions,” Jeha said with a soft pained chuckle, directing a pleading gaze at Axel.

    “Don’t give me that look. Your people kidnapped me,” Axel said, his gaze accusing when he glanced at Ryan.  “They woke me up with a gun pressed to my face.”

    He still could not believe these people seemed to belong to Jeha. Was his mysterious knight a gangster? How sad! Just as he met an interesting man, he turned out to be a bad seed, a delinquent.

    Axel started to glare at Jeha, but Jeha closed his eyes, biting his bottom lip hard to endure the pain.

    Axel’s gaze softened and the need to help rose.

    He hated how disheveled Jeha looked. Jeha’s dark hair was slick with sweat, and a deep frown creased his forehead. There were strain lines on the corner of his lips. He was doing his best to hide his pain levels.

    “Who would shoot you?” Axel asked.

    “Work while you talk,” Ryan said, waving his gun at Axel.

    It set Axel’s heart skidding with fear.

    “If he dies, you die too,” Ryan warned.

    Jeha opened his eyes to look at Axel, his gaze was apologetic.

    “I’m sorry.  My best friend is scared I’m going to discover what the underworld looks like. Please help me,” Jeha said. “I promise to answer all your questions.”

    Axel sighed, completely defeated by his knight, and looked around the equipped medical center.  He spotted a sink on the opposite end of the room and started toward it only to have Ryan follow him, pressing his gun into Axel’s back.

    “Stop threatening me with your gun!” Axel said turning to glare at Ryan.  “Or you’ll send me into a panic attack and that won’t help Jeha.”

    Axel met Ryan’s harsh brown gaze.

    “We need to work together to make sure your friend comes out of this with a working arm. I need your help, so if you can put down the gun now. It’s just stressing me out. No one wants a stressed-out surgeon holding a scalpel. Move the stretcher closer.”

    Axel hurried to the sink, hoping Ryan would follow his instruction.  He started the water, and washed his hands with the disinfectant soap he found there.  It looked like someone with experience had stocked up the place.  Once his hands were clean, he reached for a box of surgical gloves sitting on the counter and turned to find Ryan had moved the stretcher closer to the sink counter.

    Axel wore a pair of gloves and got to work undoing the bloody bandages around Jeha’s left upper arm.

    “Who would shoot you?” Axel asked again as he worked.

    “My cousin and his merry band of goons,” Jeha said, biting his bottom lip hard when Axel finally unwrapped his wound and started a thorough inspection of the flesh wound.

    “Your family sounds tough,” Axel said. “Okay, you’re lucky the bullet did not cause critical damage on its way out. That is no reason to celebrate though. Your arm has a deep raw wound, Jeha. It’s going to be painful for a while.  I’m concerned there might be complications from excessive bleeding. Ryan, push the medical cart closer. What is this place? Why do you have all this equipment on hand?”

    Ryan pushed the medical cart closer and Axel thanked him with a nod.

    “This is a small clinic run by a hotel,” Ryan said.

    “Good, it will have the basics.”

    Axel checked the medical cart and found the items he needed to clean Jeha’s wound and bandage it. He made sure there was no danger of excessive bleeding. When he was sure no major damage would lead to trouble, Axel disinfected and cleaned the wound. His actions were fast and practiced. When the wound was treated, Axel gave Jeha a tetanus shot, a pain reliever, and a shot of antibiotics. He bandaged Jeha’s wound, finishing with a pressure bandage.

    Removing his gloves, Axel started opening compartments on the cart.

    “What are you looking for?” Ryan asked, his tone laced with suspicion.

    “A sling,” Axel said, irritated by Ryan’s distrustful attitude. “We need to immobilize his arm. I still think we should take him to a hospital. I would like to make sure the wound is truly clean. He needs X-rays to make sure there was no other damage and…and, we need to worry about an onset of infection. I am sure he will have a hard time later—”

    “Axel,” Jeha said, his voice soft. “Your worries are scaring Ryan. Give him a break.”

    “He needs a break? Don’t you think I need a break?” Axel asked, finally finding a sling in the bottom part of the cart.  “I was sleeping quite well earlier before his men dragged me here to play cops and robbers with you. Now I have to worry about managing your vitals. Wonder how we are going to monitor your infection levels, and I know you’re not planning on moving for the next hour, right?”

    “Wrong,” Ryan said, just as his cell phone started buzzing. He reached into his pocket and got his buzzing cell phone. “We need to move out of this place in the next ten minutes.”

    “Ryan, your friend needs rest,” Axel insisted, pressing his fingers to Jeha’s neck to check his pulse. “We’re not out of the woods yet. I don’t know how long Jeha was sitting in here with only bloody bandages covering his wound. He could have caught an infection when your people came to rudely kidnap me.”

    Ryan gripped Axel’s left arm, making him turn so that they were looking at each other.

    “Just so you have all the information needed to keep Mr. Wook healthy. Mr. Wook was shot fifteen minutes before my men showed up at your apartment to get you. The trip to bring you here took ten minutes. In short, Mr. Wook was shot roughly thirty minutes before you arrived. Is that a clear timeline?”

    “Yes,” Axel said, fighting the shakes as he held Ryan’s fierce brown gaze.

    “Good. Mr. Wook’s life is very important,” Ryan said. “We need to keep him out of danger. Now, we are going back out into the SUV and driving to a safe house. Can he walk?”

    “Will you carry him if I say no?” Axel frowned, glancing at Jeha who looked thoroughly amused. “Will he carry you?”

    “He will if you insist. Don’t encourage him. Ryan will really put me on his back,” Jeha said, shaking his head. “I feel steady enough to walk with help.”

    “Alright. I’ll move everyone around to confuse Moon. He’s looking for our location. Dr. Graysen, please help Boss get up on his feet.”

    Ryan answered his buzzing phone and moved away from them.

    Axel stared at Jeha for a full minute and then turned to the sink to wash his hands.

    “I’m sorry.”

    Axel finished washing and grabbed paper towels to wipe his hands dry. He faced Jeha then, feeling as unsteady as ever, and met Jeha’s piercing gaze.

    “Which part are you sorry for?”

    “Pulling you out of bed,” Jeha said with a wan smile. “Bringing you out here to play cops and robbers.”

    “Ryan’s people pulled me here,” Axel said. “I still need various answers from you.”

    Axel slipped his right arm under Jeha’s back and helped him sit up, keeping him steady.  He helped Jeha wear the black medical sling he had found, making sure Jeha’s arm remained immobilized against his chest.

    Axel adjusted the sling on Jeha’s left arm and then helped Jeha shift his feet to the side of the stretcher.  They paused long enough to give Jeha a moment to catch his breath.

    Jeha used his right hand to grip Axel’s left arm, making Axel look into his eyes. Their faces were so close, Axel could feel Jeha’s breath on his cheek.

    “I got careless today, trusting my cousin in good faith when we met. He shot me when I least expected it. Ryan got you for me out of panic,” Jeha said, sounding apologetic.  “Yesterday, I saw you at the hospital and told him that if I was shot, I would like you to take care of me.”

    “It sounds like excessive loyalty to me,” Axel said, glancing at Ryan who was pacing by the locked doors.  “Why would he kidnap me to help you? All you would need to do is show up at the hospital. I would have treated you without question, Jeha.”

    “You’re off for a week at the hospital from today,” Jeha said.

    “How do you know that?” Axel asked, frowning at Jeha.

    Jeha chose that moment to stand, so Axel had no choice but to help support him until he was steady.

    “I discover everything I need to about the people I like,” Jeha replied.

    “Like a stalker?” Axel asked. “Are you—?”

    “I’m a well-intentioned stalker,” Jeha cut in.

    “How did Ryan’s people enter my apartment?” Axel asked.

    “Axel, if I tell you that, you’ll run away,” Jeha said, with a heavy sigh. “I need you, so I can’t let that happen.”

    “I should run away on principle,” Axel said, noting that Jeha was swaying.

    Jeha needed to lie down and rest.

    The blood loss was probably more severe than he expected. Damn it.

    “We should go now,” Axel said to Ryan when Jeha swayed again. “It will be good to have him pass out in a place you’re comfortable having him stay for at least twenty-four hours.”

    “Let’s go,” Ryan said, opening the doors and his two men hurried ahead as Ryan waited for Jeha and Axel. “Boss, we are making it look as though we’re heading back to the usual penthouse.”

    “I trust you,” Jeha said, sounding tired. “If anything happens, protect Axel, as you would me.”

    “What is that supposed to mean?” Axel asked.

    Jeha glanced at Axel, his gaze conflicted.

    “Ryan will keep you safe,” Jeha said.

    Axel missed the chance for more explanations as they hurried out of the clinic, entered a dim corridor, and into an elevator. They rode downstairs in silence and headed out to a waiting black SUV. Axel had no time to ask more questions because a race to their unknown destination started and he was more occupied with making sure Jeha remained stable.

    ***

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  • The Man I Like Might Be A Delinquent 3-2

    The Man I Like Might Be A Delinquent 3-2

    “Dr. Graysen, are you awake?”

    Fucking yes he was awake.

    Axel sat up and the gun moved with him, never once leaving his forehead. He was unable to look anywhere but at the gun on him not even at the man holding the gun.

    “W-who a-are you? W-why are y-you in my apartment?”

    “I need you to dress up,” the answer came.  “I need you to fix up someone important.”

    “No.” Axel closed his eyes, forcing his brain to engage in thought. He needed to negotiate…if he left his apartment there was no way to know what would happen to him. He might end up dead in a ditch. “I’m not leaving with you—”

    “I know my gentle tone gives you the idea that I’m giving you a choice, Dr. Graysen. This is my fault. I apologize for the oversight. Let me be clear.  I am not giving you a choice. You do not have a choice, Dr. Graysen.  The gun pressed to your forehead is very real.  I will pull the trigger and make you hurt if you do not cooperate. I need you to come with us. You present an immediate solution, so you will not be able to escape us. I would prefer it very much if you cooperated. Time is of the essence.  Nod if you understand what I have said.”

    Axel closed his eyes, his fingers bunching his sheets, and he nodded.

    “Good.  Now, get out of bed. I have pulled out comfortable clothes from your closet.  They are at the foot of the bed.  You will dress, and then we shall leave your apartment.  Don’t try to run.  The five determined men with me will stop you if you try. I hope you choose not to try.  I would like it very much if I didn’t have to hurt you. Do you understand?”

    Axel bunched his sheets tighter. He truly did not want to be shot.

    He needed his phone. If he could just get to it, he could call for help.

    Axel glanced at the bedside table and panicked when he only saw the remote for the blinds.

    Where had he left his phone?

    Shit! His phone was in his book bag.  He remembered walking in and dropping his book bag on the living room floor next to the stupid coffee table.

    Damn it! Why?  Why was he so stupid?

    “Dr. Graysen?”

    Axel opened his eyes and winced when the gun on his forehead pressed harder.

    “I need you to dress. Nod if you understand what we’re doing next.”

    Axel cursed under his breath and nodded.

    “I’ll dress,” Axel said.

    “Good man, shift to the side of the bed.”

    Axel started moving to his left, but the gun pressed into his forehead, irritating him. He swallowed down his anger and glanced at his kidnapper.

    “Right side.  Put your hands up.”

    Axel lifted his hands up as he shifted to the right side of the bed until his feet were planted on the carpet. His assailant held out dark briefs.

    Axel wore them without fuss.  He then pulled on a pair of dark sweatpants, and the black t-shirt he was handed.  Black socks followed, and his newest pair of black sneakers.

    Axel wore each item like armor. It felt better to be covered than naked in a clear home invasion and kidnapping.

    A black zip-up hoodie came last.

    Axel pulled it on with shaky hands.  The man with the gun helped him zip up and helped fold the sleeves to his wrists.

    Axel had no chance to ask more questions as two men entered the bedroom and grabbed him by his arms.  He wanted to scream, but the man with the gun smiled waving his weapon at Axel.

    “Don’t think of shouting. I’ll punch your neck hard and it will hurt.”

    Axel breathed in working to control his anxiety levels.

    “Slow and steady, guys. We don’t want to attract too much attention in the hallway. Now to the next step.”

    Axel was led out of his apartment with no real chance to protest or call for help.  They walked down the hallway of his apartment building. Axel’s panic doubled as they rode the elevator. The elevator doors opened when they arrived at Basement Level 1. A dark hood was pulled over his head.

    Axel was then pushed into the backseat of a huge black SUV waiting for them the moment the doors opened.  Handcuffs were placed on his wrists and fear wrapped around him tightly as they took off.

    ****

    The ride to their destination felt long though it was only five turns around the city.  The SUV came to a stop in the back of a business building. The back doors opened.  Axel was pulled out of the backseat, and the two men holding his arms steadied him as they dragged him into a quiet hallway and into a private elevator.

    Axel bit his lip hard as the elevator started a fast ascend.  The doors did not ping as the elevator stopped; instead, they opened with a fast swish.  He was forced into a fast walk, a series of turns, and doors opened and closed.

    “Did you find him?”

    Axel frowned.

    The voice sounded familiar.  The memory of it was just out of reach.

    “Yes.”

    “Bring him in.”

    Axel’s arms were grabbed and he was forced into a brisk shuffle walk. 

    “Damn it! Why is he cuffed?”

    “Just in case he tried to escape.”

    “You’re ridiculous.”

    “Can’t help it,” the answer came with a soft chuckle. “Ryan said your life is very important.”

    The hands holding Axel’s arms disappeared and the cuffs were unlocked.  Axel rubbed his wrists and started to reach for the hood over his face. Only to have it pulled off.

    Axel blinked at the bright lights in the room and brought his hands up to cover his eyes.

    “Dr. Graysen, I’m Ryan. I’m sorry about the cuffs and the hood. They were not part of the plan.”

    Axel frowned when the man named Ryan stopped before him. He dropped his hands and stared at the taller man.

    “You have a patient who needs your help,” Ryan said.

    “Take him or her to the emergency room,” Axel said, hating the tremble in his voice. “I can’t help you here.”

    “You’ll find every medical tool you need here,” Ryan said.

    He shifted to his right, allowing Axel to have a good look at the room.

    Axel realized he was standing in a fully equipped medical room.  There was a man lying on a stretcher a few feet away behind Ryan. All Axel could see were the red soles of the man’s very expensive shoes.

    <<Previous | Table of Contents | Next>>

  • The Legendary Master’s Wife – Insane Commitment BL stories

    The Legendary Master’s Wife

    by Yin Ya

    Description:

    After an explosion, You XiaoMo finds that he is now a probationary disciple of the TianXin sect. However, he is one with dubious potential, so just when he starts to adapt to his new circumstances, he receives a piece of bad news. If he is unable to produce the required result after half a year to become an official disciple of the TianXin sect, he would be driven out of the sect.

    While You XiaoMo is going all out to make medicines and earn money, he runs into Ling Xiao. To his horror, he later discovers that Ling Xiao is really someone cloaked in human skin.

    Thoughts:

    In a moment of boredom, I started reading this story.  I found it by luck, browsing through recommendations, I just happened to click on the title because it sounded interesting.  That was last year, around May or June 2017.  I tell you that because I read over two hundred chapters in the space of one week and thought I was catching an obsession.  Which I have, I think, I’m still reading it up to now, that should say something.

    The Legendary Master’s Wife is not a quick story.  It is a commitment type of story.  I love it because You Xiao Mo starts out weak and unknowing, and slowly grows into a strong character with each chapter.  I clearly speak like someone who has made a major commitment, but I can’t help it.  Xiao Mo meets Ling Xiao a man with deep secrets and their relationship starts in a strange series of events that leave Ling Xiao constantly nagging Xiao Mo out of his comfort zone, and into a very passionate relationship.  The characters have grown with each saga they meet.  The different worlds they visit, and I think of this story as an everyday kind of story.

    Be Warned, this novel is +700 chapters.  But it is worth it, though once you catch up with translations, you might need to wait daily for your dose of Xiao Mo and Ling Xiao.

    The first chunk of this fascinating story was translated by:

    1. S3ri – Chapters 1 – 185

    The rest is translated by this amazing website run by Exiled Rebels Scanlations

    Read their translation Here: The Legendary Master’s Wife

  • Counterfeit Bride – Fun Gender-bender Boy’s Love stories

    Counterfeit Bride

    Description:

    A young man is being forced to cross-dress as a bride to replace his young lady who refused to marry since she already had her own lover.
    And the groom had prepared a surprise for the supposed bride, yet he was the one who got the surprise for the bride he had imagined was not as his imagined before, —personality wise.
    So, the life of the counterfeit bride and ‘her’ groom began.
    With both party having their own secret, how would their life like?

    Thoughts:

    I love a great gender-bender story.  Most of the ones I’ve read/watched and loved are ladies pretending to be men, and the man later discovers the ‘he’ is actually a she.  They make for great love stories.  So, in Counterfeit Bride, ‘She’ turns out to be a ‘He’ and a great plot twist ensues.  I guarantee this will make you laugh and root for the main character.  It is a fast read with entertaining scenes.

    Read Translation Here:

    Counterfeit Bride

  • 2 Moons the series – Cutest Boy’s Love Series Ever!

    I’m in love with this show! 

    Cute, easy to watch, and the best feels.  If you are having a seriously bad day, check out 2 Moons and P’Pha and Wayo will lift you right up!

    2 Moons The Series (Thai BL Series)

    No. of Episodes: 12 Episodes

    Description:

    Wayo Panitchayasawad (Yo) is a freshman at a university that his long time love, Phana Kongthanin (Pha), is a second-year student at. Pha is extremely popular and the Campus Moon of last year but does not seem like the attention. When Yo gets the opportunity to become the Moon of his facility, he realizes he gets to see Pha more. Although, their relationship starts quite rough since Pha seems to pick on Yo. ~~ Adapted from the BL Novel “Two Moon” by Chiffon_cake.

    Thoughts:

    I started watching this on LineTV, and gosh was it cute.  I mean, the plot is not overreaching.  Carefully crafted to follow Wayo as he enters his first year of college.  You get to know about his long time one-sided love for P’Pha.  The story that unfolds from there is beautiful in its simplicity.  I kept watching every time a new episode came out.  I’m kinda still hoping they will have a second season.  Wayo’s love is so one-track minded that you can’t help but hope he wins P’Pha’s heart.

    One thing I love about these types of stories is how positive the series is potrayed.  Love between two guys is so easily accepted and beautifully rendered that I’m always left so excited watching it.  If you want to constantly have a wide smile (the cute scenes between Pha and Yo are enough to get you grinning) from episode to episode, and meeting the most supportive best friend in history.  Check 2 Moons The Series Out!

    Watch it Here:

    2 Moons The Series (Thai BL that is subbed by fans)

  • Together With Me – Lovely BL stories

    Together With Me

    Series Episodes: 13 Episodes

    Description:

    Thai BL Series that has a strong BL couple.  Together with Me is a story focused on Korn and Knock and how they met and all the obstacles they go through before they officially became a couple.

    Thoughts:

    So, it is always so hard to find a show with two gay main characters meant to be endgame.  Usually, there is a pile of other characters in the story, and the Boy’s Love story is a side story.  With Together with Me, you are placed upfront and center with a story focused on Korn and Knock, two men who fall in love with each other and face a series of challenges before they become a couple.  I love their chemistry.  I love how easy it is to see them together, and wish it for them.  This is a great show to watch.  English Subtitles included.

    Watch it here:

    Together With Me (The subs here are fan made)