Bird of a Nest - Chapter 36: Chapter 36

"I want him gone. I want him as far north as possible and away from us all," Nel'os declared, eyes dark and glaring at Tai'ray. Tai'ray kept his expression neutral. They were in his courtroom. A limited collection of people were in the room. His advisors, those who needed to know what was going on and his mates were in there alone. He did not need the entire court to see the divide in his nest more than they needed too.
"We aren't sending him away," Tai'ray repeated, firmer, meeting Nel'os eyes and letting his wings fan out. "Ryraso is right. This was our fault. We need to be the ones to fix it."
"He tried to kill Ryraso,"
"We don't know that for certain. What we do know is that the two of them were in a bad situation," Tai'ray tried to keep his voice patient as Nel'os stalked around the room. That was beginning to sound almost childish despite the severe nature of the accusation. "We know Cai'ress' family put him there. We know the slavers destroyed him. We know he fought against them, but their grip on him was too strong. We know far more in his favour. I have no intention of suggesting he go without punishment, Nel'os. But he will remain with us."
Nel'os snarled, and Tai'ray gave him a look of warning. They were in court, not in their chambers. The snarl reduced. He looked away. "I don't want him near Ryraso or the boys. I want him far away."
"I think that decision is not ours to make. Ryraso has very much placed Cai'ress in his circle now," Tai'ray snorted. Ryraso had slid into bed with Cai'ress as they left, taking Dyn'ad'd place as another body to keep Cai'ress feeling safe. Cai'ress had settled peacefully, and Ryraso had been dozing himself still exhausted from the amount of power he had been forced to use.
"Ryraso is not one for abandoning those in needs," Fetmar commented as Herymi translated for him. The oldest adoptive son sitting with his arms crossed with a few other warriors around him, seemingly well integrated into their confidence. Herymi's mate was guarding the healer's wing, but Herymi was trusted. As eyes turned to him, Fetmar didn't look flustered in the slightest at having spoken out of turn. He shrugged. "Asking him to give up on someone who has been hurt in front of him is not going to be easy. In fact, I would rather say it was impossible."
Tai'ray's lips twitched as Nel'os glared at him for the comment. "He is a healer, it is his nature," he agreed, looking around the room. The stricter of the nobles were looking distinctly disapproving at someone speaking without being asked to. "Cai'ress' family will face judgement. As will those who inflicted pain, including any of his clients who are found. My concerns are for Cai'ress's punishment."
"He deserves everything."
"His wings were ruined, and they had to regrow his legs and some of his hands," Tai'ray countered, his voice cold, daring Nel'os to repeat that statement. There were inhales, most of the room unaware of the exact nature of Cai'ress' injuries. If Ryraso was still tried, Pol'ar was flat out dead to the world. The older man being monitored but otherwise left to sleep away and recover himself.
Nel'os froze, his wings puffed out and lowered. "He didn't deserve all of that," he acknowledged a weird expression on his face. The tug of caring about someone while being intensely angry at them. He ran his hands through his hair and sat down. "No one does."
The chatter in the room increased for a moment. High Priest Ton'eath was speaking with some of the noble advisors. Gar'kin stood close to Ang'as, the other two formers next to them. Cai'ress had been a lover of Nel'os, which meant his fate would reflect them too. Ang'as looked paler than usual now. This had not happened in a long time. The idea of inflicting the same injuries as Cai'ress onto another person was beyond nightmarish for most. They needed to dispose of the bastards quickly and without mercy to ensure any others who had inclinations did not act of them. It made Tai'ray feel ill just thinking about it, and unlike Dyn'ad or Ryraso, he hadn't seen the damage. Only the results of Cai'ress' wings and the scars that would not heal so quickly.
"Can his wings be fixed?" Fetmar asked, uncrossing his arms and standing up, leaning on the wooden railing in front of him. Tai'ray could understand the feelings running through him.
"No," Ton'eath shook his head, speaking still in k'nairi despite answering someone who could not understand it. "By the time Cai'ress' body will accept more healing, he will be aware of the damage. The trauma won't let them heal," he explained as eyes landed on him. While priests were not healers, the skill set was similar in weird ways. Ton'eath was the only one in the room who could answer those kinds of questions.
"Then the traditional punishment cannot be given," Regent Un'tat noted, his pen pausing on his paper. "What are the alternatives?"
"Well," At'ves offered, the elderly Lord waving his fingers loaded with far too many rings to gain attention. At'ves was one of the court heralds, a House Sparrowwing at birth he had bonded to form a new and lesser powered house. Of the former Winglord's court, he was one of the few advisors that Tai'ray could stand and therefore kept. At'ves worked as an ambassador between the past and present. Not a historian but someone who knew the old laws and rules and how that affected the nobles still in power.
"No," Ang'as snapped, surprising Tai'ray with the force that he declared the word.
"I realise you have misgiving about the idea, but it existed for a reason, former concubine," At'ves intoned. The word sent shivers down Tai'ray's back. Any other time, Tai'ray would have demanded an apology from At'vas. He had abolished that practice. Ang'as' title was former consort, not former concubine. Today, however, it was a message, not an insult.
"We got rid of concubines," Nel'os scolded.
"Tai'ray and I discussed that we could not make Cai'ress a consort. Not without endangering Eyeri and Fetmar's positions. Anything we apply to one has to be applied to the rest," Dyn'ad pointed out.
"Not to mention anyone else Ryraso drags home from that conflict," several people commented as one. Tai'ray felt his cheeks burn and looked away to the small shrine in the throne room maintained for the Goddess. Even as Nel'os and Dyn'ad protested, the warriors and friends of the Royals shouted out several names. Fetmar kept his mouth shut but Herymi shouted out his other brothers' names. People had done their homework in regards to who Ryraso cared about. The only name Fetmar offered up was one that Tai'ray pushed to the back of his mind to worry about another day; Wiljam.
"Is the concubine position similar to the consort? Would we be able to redefine it to suit our purposes?" Tai'ray asked, looking over at At'vas. At'vas had helped him redefine consort to mean more than merely a lover of the Royals. It had never been just that, but Tai'ray had felt uncomfortable with the wrong definition. A person under his protection, most likely his or his bonded's lover or bloodkin. Eyeri and Fetmar got away with it by a tight margin because Eyeri was as good as adopted by Ryraso.
The old man shrugged. "If it wasn't, I'm sure we can make it so. You have changed so much already, and adjusting those rules and terms would not do much. You haven't been an amorous Winglord, so I doubt it will affect you."
"Winglord," Ang'as exclaimed before covering his mouth and looking down. They were still technically in public at the moment. He was not meant to question Tai'ray. Gar'kin held him close, the former consorts all looking at Tai'ray with a look of uncertainty. None of them wanted that position to return, not after all the suffering Ang'as had and continued to endure.
"Ang'as," Tai'ray offered not unkindly. "Unless you have another idea, this may be the best one. We cannot send him away, nor can we allow him to go unpunished."
"There must be another position?"
"Why make another position when there already is one that suits the purpose?" At'ves argued. "Tai'ray is not like his predecessor. He won't abuse it. I can't think of many ignoring Cai'ress who would fall into a situation where it is warranted."
"A concubine is a prisoner to the Royals," Nel'os said slowly, his voice neutral but everything about his posture showed his displeasure. Not just at the situation but at the fact they had to consider something they had all sworn not to use without good cause. "He may not leave the Royal wing without being accompanied. He may not leave the palace without permission or guards. He is not to receive coin, nor jewellery of any worth. He has no rights unless given expressly by the Royals."
"Nel'os," Ang'as looked at his friend, his eyes wide and desperate. Gar'kin was visibly holding him back now.
"No rights beyond the basic ones afforded to prisoners. The right to safe food, water and shelter. The right to be safe from torture, bodily harm and rape," Nel'os corrected. "Forgive me, Ang. I have no desire to try to reap onto Cai'ress what was done to you. Nor repeat what was done to him."
Ang'as' wings fell and he nodded, turning away and hiding his face into Gar'kin's feathers. Gar'kin exhaled as a few other amendments were made. Mos'it called out to fight for the right of education. Another right given to prisoners and therefore, any concubines must also be. The library was not in the Royal wing but close enough that if Cai'ress wished to visit, he would be able to do so. Ton'eath ensured the right of the sermon, the right for concubines to continued to worship the Goddess. He also pointed out the right of care, though the room acknowledged Ryraso was unlikely to let that slip, it needed to be in the wording; the right for ailments and injuries to be tended to.
"And the right to bond?" Gar'kin asked softly, but his words carried and the room stilled. That right was a complicated thing. Bonds forming were not always willings things. They formed between people with intense connections with each other. Ceremonies could speed up the link, but bonds could appear in their own time.
"Sex is also something that should be considered," At'ves nodded. "Bonded Nel'os has already put in the right to not be raped, and none of you wishes to do what the former Winglord did in regards to making concubines his personal... brothel for lack of a more polite term. That does not change the fact that sometime in the future when wounds have healed, he may fall for someone and wish to take that further. Your consorts need your permission to have sex with others."
"And bonds are more likely to form between people having sex," Dyn'ad nodded slowly, following the noble's thought process. Both Tai'ray and Nel'os had strange expressions on. Like the idea that Cai'ress might fall for other people and wish to live his own life in the future when this was all a bad memory too far beyond their imagination. "No sex unless the concubine is being courted. To be courted, the suitor or courting nest must get permission from the Winglord and each of his bonded mates. Willing sex with gain the concubine a flogging. Raping a concubine will incur a grounding. The concubines are not to be harmed. They are prisoners of the royals, and therefor under our protection."
Ang'as looked out from Gar'kin's wings at Dyn'ad. Gar'kin couldn't read his expression. It was unnerving. He had never been unable to read Ang'as before.
"Written and sealed," Regent Un'tat nodded, stamping the document with a loud bang. "To be amended, should the situation require."
"Then, it is settled. Cai'ress is to remain here as a concubine. Those who tortured him shall be executed once they have answered for their crimes. And his family," Tai'ray paused, a look of tiredness crossed his features. "We will decide another day. For the glory of the link."
"For the glory of the link."