Bird of a Flock (Bow 2) - Chapter 44: Chapter 44

"I didn't break my promise," Cai'ress blushed, as Nel'os hummed on the back of his neck, teeth scraping along the skin teasingly. Cai'ress' knees were shivering at the sensation. It had been far too long since the royal had claimed him physically and was likely to be a while longer. It was almost unfair how Nel'os was making Cai'ress feel at that moment. "Ryraso hunted me out," he defended softly, thinking of that glorious moment when Ryraso had entered the room.
"I know," Nel'os hummed, planting a kiss before hugging Cai'ress tighter from behind. "I'm not angry with you, I promise," he commented, closing his eyes. It was to be expected that Ryraso would hunt Cai'ress out. Nel'os was desperate to find out how the meeting had gone. First impressions were important and he wanted Ryraso to like Cai'ress. He wanted Cai'ress to like Ryraso. He wanted both men in his nest happy, content and knowing that everyone in the nest loved them both dearly. Even if, Tai'ray had far to go before Cai'ress was in his heart but Nel'os could dream.
"I wonder," Cai'ress chuckled, rocking them gently.
"What did you think about him?" Nel'os asked softly, his heart falling as Cai'ress tensed. That wasn't a good sign. It was just as important that Cai'ress was happy with the arrangement as everyone else.
"He's... intense," Cai'ress said slowly, thoughtfully. "I wasn't expecting that."
Nel'os let out a burst of laughter and let go of Cai'ress, turning him so they were facing. Nel'os beamed at him. "I'm afraid if you want more you are going to have to learn to roll with that. Ryraso is human and a commoner. He's not been trained to act a certain way. Well," Nel'os paused, tilting his head. "The healer circle taught him not to be meek and too scared of stubborn dominants to take their medicine," he corrected. "He uses this in everyday life too. And the bedroom," Nel'os trailed off, winking.
Cai'ress flushed and smiled at Nel'os. "Healers have to have more backbone than noble second borns destined to be bonded to other nobles," he acknowledged. "I don't think I impressed him," he admitted nervously. "He seemed unhappy that he had to intervene in the situation."
"We'll see," Nel'os said in a reassuring tone, not letting Cai'ress see his concern about that. Ryraso didn't like submissive nobles, as a rule, he didn't trust them. If Cai'ress couldn't show Ryraso that he was different... Nel'os pushed the thought away. He didn't know yet how Ryraso felt about the encounter. "I'd better go. I don't want to leave the boys alone for too long," he smiled, leaning over to kiss Cai'ress on the lips deeply. "I love you," he murmured.
"You have my heart," Cai'ress said poetically, kissing back. "Go tend to your nest. I'll go try not get jumped by the nobles again," he smiled sadly.
"Soon, I promise," Nel'os murmured, knowing Cai'ress was feeling a little out in the cold at the moment. He was not part of the nest as much as Dyn'ad and Nel'os wanted him to be. Cai'ress kissed his cheek before disappearing in a flutter of wings, Nel'os watching him go his heart aching. He didn't want Cai'ress to feel unwelcome. He wanted Cai'ress there but that couldn't happen until Tai'ray said yes, until Ryraso said yes. Five years was a long time to court someone and none of them had known that it would be five years. None of them had expected Ryraso to reappear in their lives.
"It is interesting," Ryraso's voice came from behind him. Nel'os turned apprehensively to face his chosen. "How much people will put up with," he mused.
"Put up with?" Nel'os asked slightly confused, but he walked over and wrapped an arm around Ryraso's waist to pull him closer. Ryraso pulled out of the grip and Nel'os forced himself not to look too disappointed by this. It had only been a few weeks. Things were by no means fixed yet and while they were improving, Ryraso still had plenty of reason to be cautious of them. Especially when it came to Cai'ress.
"I listened for a while, before saving your ..." Ryraso paused, not sure what to call Cai'ress. Certainly, there were plenty of harsh and cruel names to refer to another lover but they did not suit. Ryraso was not going to be the human in a polygamous relationship who got hurt when a new person entered his partners' eyes and hearts. He refused to be. "Hopeful," he settled on. It seemed the best term which didn't have a negative or set connotation. "Five years without a named position? Nel'os, that's bordering on cruel. Even if Tai'ray was reluctant to look at him, you should have named him a lover at the very least."
"There has been a war," Nel'os said weakly, but he knew what Ryraso was getting at.  "I didn't want to do that to him." Being named a lover, while not necessarily a bad thing, would have published the fact Tai'ray had no interest in Cai'ress. Ryraso just gave Nel'os a look and his wings fluttered uncertainly. "Still, how did it go?" he asked.
"About as well as expected given the circumstances. Wouldn't have guessed you'd fall for someone like him," Ryraso thought out loud. "He's very... nice."
"You didn't like him," Nel'os said sadly.
"I wouldn't say that but there's not much to him," Ryraso shrugged. "Maybe that will improve. Time will tell. Still, I have other things to talk to you about that are not related to your pretty piece of arm candy." The words were blunt and Nel'os suddenly felt very nervous and not because of Cai'ress and how Ryraso may feel towards him.
"Why do I feel like I'm in trouble?" Nel'os asked thoughtfully, looking at Ryraso warily.
"Because you know me," Ryraso commented sounding vaguely amused. "But no, you're not in trouble, not yet."
"Then what's up?" Nel'os tried to grin, tried to look like his normal fun loving self, but it was hard after the day he had just endured. Ryraso didn't like Cai'ress. Ryraso's relationship with them was on thin ice. Some reasons being more obvious than others, but still. Nel'os didn't want to be the one to doom it all together.
"I want to know how you and Dyn'ad became Tai'ray's mates," Ryraso asked firmly. "I'm aware of the rumours but I want to hear it from you."
Nel'os blinked surprised slowly before gulping slightly. His nerves were now on edge as he realised Ryraso was beginning to suspect there was more to their story than just, Tai'ray saving Nel'os and gaining Dyn'ad the Winglords respect. The public story was romanced slightly but the general story they told people closer was pretty much the same but with more realism. If Ryraso was doubting it, something must have happened to reveal a crack in the image.  They had always known eventually they would have to tell any future mates but they had always assumed it would be after bonding.
"What do you know?" Nel'os asked, deciding the best thing to do was not reveal things that were not already known. He could feel Dyn'ad and Tai'ray on the edges of his mind, both anxious too.
"He saved you from the former Winglord and that's how he came to power. You were expected to mate him instead. Dyn'ad came later and everyone was very surprised by it because of Dyn'ad's nature," Ryraso said dryly, giving Nel'os a look of 'I don't care what the stories say, tell me yourself.' Ryraso had his stubborn look on, the look which said he was going to get to the bottom of this eventually and it would be a lot less painful for the person if they stopped trying to hide the truth. It was a look that was very much born from being a healer and one which he used in many other areas of his life.
"That is pretty much it," Nel'os tried but Ryraso shot him a dark look. One that made Nel'os falter. "As far as everyone else is concerned," he added hesitantly.
"And me?" Ryraso questioned.
"I'd rather not say until you are truly ours," Nel'os bit his lip, "It's a little..." 'I don't want you to hate us,' Nel'os thought mournfully. Tai'ray sent a burst of love and reassurance. He might understand.
"Nel'os, I offered myself today, in exchange for Eyeri's safety. Tai'ray said no. He said he wanted me willingly. No k'nairi dominant says that! Maybe saying no to actually having sex, but not to be able to place courting rights and claim someone for their nest. I would have played the role he had accepted. But he didn't. He had a look in his eye, Nel'os," Ryraso gave the k'nairi another warning look not to lie, he wanted to know the truth. "What happened?"
Nel'os shivered under the human's glare and Tai'ray sent the sensation of embarrassment for revealing the crack in the image. He hadn't meant to but things had been so hectic at that moment. Nel'os and Dyn'ad could only send love back. It was their fault what had happened. Not his.
"Please. If I am to tell you this, understand. It was a long time along now and regardless of our actions, we all love each other very much. But we were young and... "Nel'os broke off. He closed his eyes and took Ryraso's hand. Ryraso reluctantly let Nel'os led him to a more secure area and casting a silencing spell. Ryraso waited with an expectant look on his face and his arms crossed. "Tai'ray did save me. That much is very true. But... I am from a noble family, you know that?" Nel'os tried to find the words to explain. Ryraso nodded his head his expression slightly puzzled. "Dyn'ad isn't. He... He was a servant at my family's estate. Dyn'ad and I... We have always had a thing between us but my family forbade it. They wanted someone better for me and then... Then former Winglord took interest in me."
The look Nel'os gave Ryraso was one the human could understand. Something which happened in all cultures. A young man being asked to mate someone far older than him instead of the one he loved. In the name of honour, duty and whatever else justified asking someone to give up their hopes and dreams for. But for Nel'os it was more than that.
"You don't say no to the Winglord," Ryraso said softly, very much in that circumstance now even if the situation was completely different. For one, he actually was attracted to the man who was trying to pull Ryraso into his nest.
"I did," Nel'os said solemnly. Those words told Ryraso everything he needed to know about Nel'os when he had been younger. Impulsive, spoilt and foolish but very brave. "I refused. Publicly. So he attacked me, determined to put me in my place. Dyn'ad tried to help but he was defeated almost instantly," Nel'os recounted, a haunted look filling his eyes as he remembered those moments. As he had watched the one he loved being thrown aside like he was nothing and the looming figure of the Winglord about to pounce on him and 'claim' him publicly to humiliate him. The Winglord didn't have to bond him after all, just keep him as a consort. What happened next, no one in the world could have guessed.
"Tai wasn't even supposed to be there. He was dropping something off for a friend. He didn't even realize it was the Winglord he was attacking! He just jumped into the fray and refused to stop until the man who had attacked a sub for saying no was dead. He has never liked abuse," there was a grim smile on Nel'os face. "He saved me," he finished.
"But he wasn't your knight in shining armour," concluded Ryraso, a dark feeling sinking in the bottom of his stomach.
Nel'os shook his head, "Now he had won the rights to not only me but the kingdom as well. He was crowned as Winglord and the bond was forced upon us by just about everyone. I was... bitter," Nel'os admitted, studying his hands, suddenly unable to look Ryraso in the eye." I was selfish. I only wanted Dyn'ad and Tai tried, bless him. He tried so hard to get my love. To make things the best of a bad situation. He hadn't wanted this anymore than me. But I didn't care. I started to hate him. Then I learned how to block the bond."
"You had an affair," Ryraso breathed, seeing it almost too clearly now. The scorned spoilt little noble trying to continue being in a relationship with the man he truly loved instead of the man he had been forced to bond with.
The man nodded, leaning back on a wall. Affairs in k'nairi society were not looked upon well. The punishment for homewreckers and people who had actively sought to betray their nests were harsh. Ranging from whippings and being effectively forced into being a prostitute to full out exile from the community you were from. The only real exceptions being if the person was going through Nadvia. If anyone found out that Nel'os had conducted an affair, even if that person had then entered the royal nest, there would be outrage in the link. The Royals were supposed to be perfect and that was not the behaviour of a royal.
"It lasted about two years and then Dyn'ad came up with a plan to get rid of him. We wanted to bond and we couldn't do that with Tai in the picture. So I pretended to start liking Tai back. The plan was that when the time was right, we would kill him and disappear into the night. Problem was, I started liking him too," Nel'os paused and looked up at Ryraso with a sad expression. "Tai'ray cared for me, more than I took credit for at the time. He was more alone than I was. None of his friends were noble and none were permitted to see him. He only had me."
"So you decided to stop the plan," Ryaso said, his voice weak. He was desperately hoping what he had feared was not real but it was feeling more and more like it was a possibility. At this point, it could even be something worse.
"Not quite," Nel'os murmured.