Bird of a Nest - Chapter 53: Chapter 53

Covered in scars, Cai'ress was no longer the flawless submissive that Nobles enjoyed having flit around. His eyes still begging for safety, the promise was nowhere near enough to reassure the man he was safe. That was fine, it would take a little while. It would take a little while for Tai'ray to get used to the man regardless. There was still a tint of something there, resentment, but the flow of guilt was too strong to resist. Tai'ray had caused this and he had never run away from something that was his responsibly.
"I can handle it. My legs are weak but I can..." Cai'ress tugged, trying to shift closer to Tai'ray, eyes pleading.
"No," Tai'ray repeated, ignoring the bile rising in the back of his throat as Cai'ress continued to offer to show his training. He let go of Cai'ress, half-ruined fingers reaching out but pulling back at the last moment as Cai'ress pulled in on himself. "Not today. No one is to touch you like that for a long time," Tai'ray pressed, standing up of the bed. "You are far too damaged now. You need rest and heal from what happened to you."
Cai'ress clicked distressed, his hands covering his mouth to muffle the sound, his head down. The man trembled and Tai'ray watched a moment, trying to work out what to do. He ran a hand through his own hair and sat back down, this time taking a leaf out of Dyn'ad's book and sitting against the headboard and gathering Cai'ress up in his lap. Cai'ress let him, those vulnerable eyes looking at him confused and open and Tai'ray kissed his forehead and held the noble close, rocking him gently.
"This was not your fault," Tai'ray murmured, "When you asked to stay," When you begged to stay, "I thought you were scared your family would send you up north or put you in an arranged marriage. If I had any idea they would do this to you, I would not have sent you away." Would not have banished. Tai'ray was not blind to what he had done but saying the words would mean nothing right now. Cai'ress was pleading and desperate, not angry and demanding.
There was a swallow and the body in his arms relaxed slightly, Cai'ress rested against Tai'ray. There was a stiffness to it, this was the first time he had touched Cai'ress, forget holding him in an intimate manner. The clicking didn't stop but faded slightly. "I knew they would hurt me. I didn't expect being sold." His words were barely audible.
"They are the ones who removed your talons."
Cai'ress nodded.
"I freed those who were innocent of this. The others are being judged. Your hatchling nest in particular. How anyone would do that to someone they raised is beyond me," Tai'ray growled, teeth gritted. The idea of someone pinning Aw'endo down and removed his talons made him thirst for flesh underneath his teeth and blood down his throat. They were as much a part of that made someone k'nairi as the wings on their backs. "They won't fly for a while."
"They were in their right too." Cai'ress tensed at the growl but stayed pressed against him. The clicking almost stopped now.
"I outlawed it for a reason."
"There is nothing stopping people from doing it," Cai'ress froze.
Tai'ray tightened his grip and kissed the man's hair again, rubbing his back until he relaxed again. It was a fair statement. There was a punishment, of course, but it had done little to stop nobles from doing to their children. "I will fix that," Tai'ray's voice turned dark, adding it to the ever-growing list of things he needed to fix and sharpen.
"Why did you banish me?"
It was Tai'ray's turn to freeze. The words were said slowly. Almost soft enough that he could not answer them and pretend ignorance. Except it was a valid question. One that would need an answer eventually. He shifted, turning Cai'ress's face to look at him, rubbing his thumb down a scar on his neck, not sure how to answer.
"I'm sorry," Cai'ress said, tears rolling down his puffy cheeks. "I shouldn't have asked, I'm sorry," he curled in on himself but didn't try to break the hold.
"You're in your rights to know why," Tai'ray pulled Cai'ress close again, rolling as the man wept. "I wish I had an answer that would justified it. There are things you aren't allowed to know yet Cai'ress. In the future, possibly but not straight now. Certainly nothing worth your wings. You're noble. A noble who had the heart of two of my mates and the trust of my youngling. Your existence threatened Ryraso being mine. You were dangerous and I could not have you near mine anymore. So I removed you. A lot of fear, a bit of jealous and mixed in with secrets from events you had no part in."
"But, why? I followed the rules! I did everything I supposed to. I made friends with the formers and followed their examples. I helped Ang'as with the submissive nobles despite their dislike of me. I didn't sleep with anyone. I didn't dance or go on outings with anyone on their own. I looked out for Aw'endo when he was struggling. What else was I supposed to do?"
"Nothing," Tai'ray shook his head against Cai'ress's hair. "You were everything you were supposed to be and more."
"If there is nothing, how can I stop it happening again?" Cai'ress's voice broke and the clicks were back.
"A concubine is a prisoner of the Royals who has sought great pain or suffering from either the Royals themselves or the k'nairi nations. They are under the protection of the Royals and will not be harmed or touched. You are confined to the Royal Wing, with the exception of the library or the gardens with guards. You are not allowed to have sex with anyone ignoring the Royal Bonded. If someone wishes to court you, they must have permission from each of us. There is more, but that is the gist."
Cai'ress was silent. "I see. That's what you meant by no one touching me for a long time." The verb touching was the one directly relating to sex. Hugs and hands-on his shoulders would not count but anyone being intimate with him was out of the question now.
"We can extend the restrictions to the consorts and formers if you'd like but not for a while," Tai'ray offered. "Ryraso didn't want to have you punished for this. Nel'os..."
"Saw me stab Ryraso," Cai'ress voice lost emotion. There wasn't sadness, or defeat just the icy coldness of someone knowing their statement to be true with no way to fix the situation. "The punishment for trying to kill a potential bonded is grounding. The punishment for trying to kill a potential Royal bonded is grounding and exile."
Little noble knew the laws well. He had to. "Nel'os is rather furious at you. The logic that what you did save Ry had not helped much," Tai'ray acknowledged, leaning back on the headboard again. "Dyn'ad knows your claim you had no plan to kill Ryraso is true. You were judged and tried without your knowledge and with you being honest, I have no desire to change to verdict. We will protect you until you are healed."
"And after?"
"It rather depends on what you want," Tai'ray smiled sadly at Cai'ress. "It is a rather long way in the future. Know Ryraso will fight for whatever you wish. If it is to remain in the court, you will remain here. If it is to go to the north and bond with someone who has not caused you great harm, that will be so."
Cai'ress nodded.
Tai'ray held him for a few more moments, before putting him aside and climbing out of the bed. "Nel'os will not be happy with what is about to happen," Tai'ray warned, as he wrapped Cai'ress up in the blankets and scooped him up. "But Ryraso wishes it and between the two of them, Ryraso has your best interests at heart."
"My Lord?"
"Hold on," Tai'ray murmured, before jumping out of the window and letting his wings take flight. Cai'ress's arms found there way tightly around his neck as Tai'ray flew upwards, spiralling around the tower. He landed on the ledge outside Eyeri's room and climbed in, Eyeri long gone and about somewhere. Eyeri's room was rather neat but his blanket was slightly crooked as if he had forgotten to straight it again after sitting on it.
Tai'ray calmly moved through the room and into the consort den, everyone else was out. Cai'ress was quiet as Tai'ray took him into Ryraso's room, placing him on the bed before tucking him in.
"This is Ryraso's room," Tai'ray explained, smoothing the blankets and perching on the end of the bed. "You have a room in the old concubine wing. For now, Ryraso wishes to have you closer. So you're going to be good and stay put. Not getting up," he reminded, hand rubbing his legs. "There's a bedpan under the bed. Pol'ar will be here soon to check you over." Pol'ar who was going to be very annoyed that Tai'ray had moved Cai'ress without a check-up first. Tai'ray wasn't worried about Pol'ar.
"Oh," Cai'ress swallowed, looking around the room. "But, if this is Ryraso's room..."
"He'll either share the bed with you, or sleep in the Royal nest, or possibly one of the spare rooms. There are a couple after all. We can't give you a room, people would say you live here and not the concubine wing. So, you'll stay here until we can trust no harm will befall you. Either from not being able to walk or people with malicious intent."
"And Nel'os doesn't want me here."
"Nel'os is not the head of the nest," Tai'ray's eyes met Cai'ress's. "I am the Winglord. If I wish for you to be here, you will be here. I will deal with Nel'os." Dyn'ad would deal with Nel'os. "We caused this. None of us could have known but it does not change if I had listened to you beg, if I had told them to give up on you before this dragged to five years, it would have been different. We will protect you. We will do what it takes to heal and fix the damage we cause and we will support you in whatever direction you decide to take next. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Winglord," Cai'ress swallowed and nodded. The air in the room was heavy and Tai'ray kept his glaze until he was certain Cai'ress was being truthful.
"The scroll has what you need to know about being a concubine," Tai'ray nodded at the thing on the side. He had prepared it ahead of time. There was too much to simple list off to Cai'ress heartless and Cai'ress needed time for this to sink in before they bombaded him with all the details. "Do you have any questions?"
"Too many to count. Um. Am I allowed to talk to Aw'endo? You said the friendship we had was one of the reasons why you sent me away."
Tai'ray nodded, and looked over at the door. "You can talk to Aw'endo. We are not restricting you from visitors though other nobles will need a guard. The younglings, and for that matter Fetmar, are welcome to visit and talk to you. In fact," Tai'ray stood up, a whisper of knowledge moving through him. "I think Aw'endo is rather eager to see you awake."
He opened the door as Aw'endo fell into the consort den door. Aw'endo looked directly up at him, eyes desperate and wings trembling. A yell sounding like the Matron followed him and Tai'ray smiled warmly at him, offering a hand. Aw'endo moved over, hugging Tai'ray lightly before moving into the room. Tai'ray shut the door behind him and spoke to the Matron. This reunion didn't need to be watched.