Bird of a Nest - Chapter 41: Chapter 41

"Where is he?" Ryraso demanded, sitting up and shifting away from Cai'ress. He was going to strangle someone today. He could tell. One of his boys had hurt himself. Either he y at was going to strangle Aw'endo for being foolish or he was going to strangle whoever had been responsible for looking after him. His anger dimmed as he realised he was in that number and this time he couldn't blame anyone else.
Dyn'ad moved to stop him, a hand on his shoulder. Ryraso glared, but Dyn'ad just shook his head. "He escaped to the rooms. Tai'ray has gone after him. Now is not the time to be scolding him, " Dyn'ad murmured.
"I want to see him," Ryraso argued, but as he tried to stand, pain shot through his torso. He clutched at it as Dyn'ad held him close, strong arms keeping him up as he rocked through the searing pain.
"You are in no state to be screaming at our son," Dyn'ad added, voice still gentle but there was a touch of something else in his voice. Not quite impatience but Ryraso was yanking on Dyn'ad protective instincts fiercely. "You're not healed completely yet. You and I both know that."
"I wasn't going to scream at him," Ryraso grumbled but curled into Dyn'ad's shoulder as Dyn'ad sat next to him. Dyn'ad kissed his forehead and rocking him gently. "How is Iss'vine?"
"She was distressed. The attendants healed her injuries easily enough. We gave her the rest of the day off with the option to take a few days leave if she needs it," Cai'ress shifted, wings twitching. A moan of pain escaped him. Dyn'ad's wing spread over him, as he looked at the injured man tiredly. Cai'ress shuddered but settled. For someone who usually slept alone, Cai'ress subconscious was not happy with the arrangement. Dyn'ad doubted they would be able to leave Cai'ress alone even once he was awake without risking him putting a similar action.
"Is someone with her?"
Dyn'ad nodded. "That was an interesting standoff. Ambassador Est'as and her girls tried to steal her away only for Ril'shy and then Tai'hon to appear. Ril'shy was the most dominant I've ever seen him. Didn't realise he could be," Dyn'ad chuckled. "He'll have to apologise for being rude but watching him square up to Est'as was something to be remembered."
"Ril'shy... The tailor?" Ryraso frowned, racking his brains to remember just who that was. Ril'shy was one of the more popular tailors in the court. Now he thought about it, some of Eyeri's clothes had come from the man. The image Ryraso was getting was a softly spoken, head in the clouds man who was scatter-minded at the best of times. If it was the same man, seeing him stand up against a warrior would have been very out of character. Then again, even flowers had thorns when pressed. "I'm sure Ambassador Est'as has faced worse in her time. How did Tai'hon get involved?"
Ambassador Est'as who had asked him to do something. Something which he kept forgetting to do with everything that kept happening. Inwardly he groaned. The Winglady was a calm woman, but with the latest developments, her patience would be starting to run thin with them all.
"She blocked them from stopping Ril'shy. Apparently, before the Winglord demanded tribute and her family offered her up, Tai was courting with one of Est'as' bonded. It looked like there was some unresolved tension there. Tai'hon commented on them not being brave enough to face her so they would have let Aw'endo hurt himself worse. Est'as wasn't happy. She demanded an apology. Tai'hon reminded her that Tai'hon didn't need to make such a thing as a former consort and former courter of the woman. She never rescinded her intend to bond, it was taken from her so," Dyn'ad shrugged helplessly. "I think she may have opened a can of worms there."
"Sounds like it," Ryraso murmured. "Let me guess, Nel'os escorted her back to the concubine wing?"
"Yes,"
"Speaking of cowards," Ryraso hummed disapprovingly.
Dyn'ad tightened his grip. Nel'os was still angry at Cai'ress within a mix of other complicated emotions. Along with several other facts... It was easier to be mad with Cai'ress than anything else. With the block between Ryraso and the royals, Dyn'ad couldn't even explain it to Ryraso. "Don't say that, please," he settled on, reaching forward to comb his fingers through Ryraso's hair. "He's our mate."
"It's the truth and you know it,"
"It's not the whole story and you know that," Dyn'ad scolded.
"Even if he cannot stand to be near Cai'ress, he should be with his son at the very least,"
"Ah," Dyn'ad made a weird noise. "He tried? Fetmar scared him off. Practically about to go get a sword and challenge him to a duel to my understanding."
"Good for him."
"He's not happy with how we did nothing when he warned us Aw'endo needed some extra help,"
"We deserve that," Ryraso leaned away from Dyn'ad and clenched his fists in the sheets. He didn't want comfort right now. He wanted to punch something and scream. Fetmar was entirely right. He should have done something instead of trusting the others too. Even if he couldn't protect everyone, his sons were his responsibilities. They were supposed to come first. "Has Pol'ar offered any suggestions?" he asked, unable to keep the tiredness from his voice. He had only been up a short time and yet everything was beginning to crumble in on himself again.
"Pull him out of the education system for one. He designed a study programme for Eyeri before this happened. He suggested keeping Aw'endo with Eyeri in the afternoon and slowly putting him back into the training regiment as his mental state improves. In the meantime, get him gardening. Healthy movement and exercise with people who will be kind to him as he gets his feet back under him. And well, therapy sessions."
"Sounds reasonable."
"I should hope so," Pol'ar voice coughed as he came into the room. Dyn'ad stood and went over to helped the man. Pol'ar batted his offered arm away with a grumble as he hobbled over to the bed. "That heal has taken a decade or two off me, I'm afraid," he grumbled. "How are you feeling today?"
"Not great," Ryraso allowed, wishing he could use the word 'fine' but knowing that would get a few jabs from both Pol'ar and Dyn'ad. "My torso is not happy with me using any muscles."
"You were stabbed barely three days ago," Pol'ar reminded, a hand gliding over Ryraso's chest and stomach as he checked him over. "And then did a big heal. Some discomfort is expected." Pol'ar frowned but nodded. "There is some inflammation, but if you stay here and stay calm, you should heal up. I'll increase your meds for the next few days just in case,"
"And you?"
"Acceptable. I'm doing half work. No healing, just paperwork and overlooking the more delicate cases," Pol'ar said calmly, poking Ryraso in the ribs and grinning as Ryraso doubled over in pain. "The others are already conspiring to keep me away, I'm fine. It's not like I haven't done this half a dozen times by now, brat."
"How long do you think he will need to stay here?" Dyn'ad asked, fingers twitching.
"I'd like him to stay here another three days. Long enough to ensure he'd healing well. After that, we can move him to the consort rooms."
"And Cai'ress?"
Pol'ar faulted. "He's more complicated I realise you decided his future, but from a medical point of view, he's going to need a lot of help over the coming months. His mind is in tatters, and his wings are worse. Just putting him in the concubine wing is not going to cut it if that's all you're hoping to do."
"I feared as much," Dyn'ad rubbed the back of his head.
"I've had to ask Ves'ash to gather some poppies up,"
Ryraso hissed and looked over at Cai'ress broken wings. There was only one substance that would keep a k'nairi under with operating on their wings. They didn't keep it in high supply. Ryraso could smell the injection every time the windows opened to give the room a burst of clean air. Cai'ress' wings were going to have to come off sooner than later if they didn't want to risk the infection spreading and developing into something worse.
"Why not Gar'kin?"
"He was arguing with Kol'bur about the events of yesterday. Ves'ash was keeping Kit'z busy and distracted from them,"
Dyn'ad winced and looked at Cai'ress' wings. Gar'kin ate dinner with the other formers and Nel'os the previous day. He had gone home to his nest in the evening, but he could guess Kol'bur was feeling threatened. "Tough spot to be in. His first priority is as a former consort, second to his nest, " he murmured. "Arguably yesterday, his nest should have come first. Ang'as was safe with the others." He was silent for a moment, thinking of his conflicts before looking at Pol'ar again. "When will you be able to operate?"
"If the winds blow right? Tomorrow morning."
"Get it done," Dyn'ad bowed his head. "I'll talk to Nel'os about where he wants to stand."
"Why would Nel'os matter in this equation?" Ryraso sniffed "The concubine rooms are not his home. They will be Cai'ress'. If he wants to keep Cai'ress out of the consort rooms, he has to go there. It's that simple."
"Ryraso," Dyn'ad warned.
"Dyn'ad. You decided to make him a concubine. You knew this was going to cause problems. Deal with them. Preferably before he has to wake up to all of this mess,"
--x--
It was pitch black when Ryraso heard it; the distinct sound of Nel'os transporting in the room. He kept his eyes shut, and his breathing even. Just listening to what was about to happen. After a moment, Nel'os moved, a hand brushing across Ryraso's arm before disappearing. Ryraso cracked an eye open. In the dim glow of the outside light, Nel'os was standing over Cai'ress. It was too dark to read his face, but his wings were low. A hand reached forward and tucked a strand of loose hair behind Cai'ress' ear. A loving gesture that was likely only done because no one was there to see.
A sob escaped Nel'os' lips, and suddenly he was on the ground. Ryraso couldn't see, but he could hear the cries. Ryraso's chest tightened uncomfortably at the sounds, even as his mind muttered dark things. Nel'os didn't have the right to... Ryraso exhaled. Nel'os was going to be his bonded. Listening to him crying was not pleasant.
Ryraso sat and looked over, not afraid of Nel'os realising he was awake. Nel'os head was pressed against the bedside, his wings trembling as he fought to control himself.
"Nel'os, come here please," Ryraso said as neutrally as he could force.
Nel'os snapped his head to look at him, eyes wide and disappeared. For a brief moment, Ryraso felt anger surge. Before he could lie down against to fume, there was another shift of magic and Nel'os appeared next to him, sitting on the bed and not looking at him. Wings trembling, fingers digging into the bed to keep him there if anything Nel'os looked almost afraid right now.
Ryraso patted the bed next to him and reclined. Nel'os looked confused but slowly took the hint and lay next to him Ryraso kept his leg against Cai'ress but pulled Nel'os close. The man curled under his chin, a heavy weight of trembling feathers and bones. Talon's clutched at him and Ryraso just stroked Nel'os back in circles as he silently cried. Dyn'ad was right. This situation was more complicated than Nel'os being angry.
"I don't want him dead." Nel'os whispered. "I'm still so angry, but I don't want him hurt or dead."
"Not now," Ryraso shook his head, kissing the top of Nel'os head. "Not unless you want an argument in the early hours of the night?"
Nel'os buried more into Ryraso, not wanting that at all. "I thought he'd killed you." There was something broken in that utterance. The thing Nel'os was going to struggle with for the rest of his life. The sight of someone he loved bleeding out in front of him. If Ryraso had died there, at the hands of Cai'ress, Cai'ress wouldn't have had to suffer at the hands of Oh'mat. He would have been dead already.
Ryraso exhaled and pulled Nel'os face up. He kissed Nel'os firmly, grabbing Nel'os hand and putting it over his heart. "He didn't," Ryraso said with enough steel in his voice to slice through Nel'os sadness. "I am here and breathing."
Nel'os kissed back and nodded, shifting his head was over Ryraso's chest. Ryraso sighed again and tried to get comfortable. There was nothing else to say that night.