Far From Home One: The Warlord's Chosen-- A M/M Fantasy Romance

26- Sriny'ete

AMER—

Geir led me, Jacob, and Sriny'ete through the groups of families, past many that called out to us to bid us goodnight, and back into his home. Geir pulled my hand into a small room off the main hall, where there were a half dozen piles of furs, surrounded by warm rugs and tapestries, circling a merrily crackling hearth fire.

"My mate is exhausted— it's been a very long day, for him and for me," Geir began as he sat on one of the furs closest to the fire. He easily settled me into his lap, his fingers rubbing against my hips soothingly. "I would appreciate if you kept whatever you need to say short. I can imagine, with what I know of your past, what you have to say. And I won't keep you from saying it, for that is your right. But my mate is not here in Akar to atone for the sins of his people, and he is my Warprize and mate. So be sure to keep those things in mind as you speak."

"Yes, Warlord," Sriny'ete mumbled as he and his mate copied my and Geir's stances. I could see Sriny'ete's hands trembling so violently Jacob gripped his fingers between his own and pulled them to his lips.

"Say what you need to say, arayna," Jacob mumbled against the younger man's fingers. I didn't recognize the word he used as an endearment for Sriny'ete, but it seemed to calm him immensely to feel that his mate was behind him, holding him.

Sriny'ete met my eyes, his own filled with a slight fear, and hesitation.

"I fear the Warlord has misinterpreted what I mean to say today. I don't know... I don't know where to start."

"The beginning is usually good place," I said, as gently as I could. The man seemed at a loss for a moment before a smile broke out over his face and he chuckled and shook his head.

"You have changed not at all, Your Highness," he said, in perfect El'kahrian, drawing a gasp from me. But neither his mate nor Geir seemed surprised in the least. "But I must have changed much," he finished in Akari, "for you to not recognize me at all."

"You do seem... familiar to me," I whispered in Akari. "But I... I'm sorry."

The man shrugged and leaned more easily back into his mate's chest. "I understand. It has been many years. Almost six, I believe, since you set me free."

At those words, even his mate gasped. Geir sat up a bit straighter, and his hands, stroking me gently before, stilled.

In that moment, everything came rushing back and I wanted to cry out and yank Sriny'ete into my arms. He had been much younger, a bit shorter, so skinny I could count each rib that poked through his skin, and he had been naked but for a loincloth. So I knew now what scars his robes hid.

What horrors he had endured before he came into my employ.

"Oh dear gods," I hissed in my mother tongue. "... Sirin?"

Sriny'ete smiled and nodded, his fingers looping with his mate's as he seemed to be calming by the moment.

"I had been afraid... you were young then— barely 15 summers. Time can change men, but it seems not you, and I'm glad."

"Arayna, explain. Now please," Jacob said stiffly from behind Sriny'ete. The younger man patted his mate's hand before taking a deep breath.

"When I was six summers, my family was traveling to visit a sister tribe and we were attacked by an El'kahrian slave caravan. My family— my mothers and fathers— were killed, for they fought to protect me. I almost got away, but I was caught and sold to... Lord Butcger Maxier, adviser to King Groban."

My flinch was heavy, and I could feel Geir's body stiffen against mine. I would have pulled myself from his arms, but he seemed to expect the move and pulled me tighter against his chest.

"The sins of your people are not yours to carry," he whispered in my ear.

"The Warlord is right," Sriny'ete said gently. "I'm not telling you this to upset you. I want to... let me finish, alright? There are things even my mate knows not, and I want... I need to finish."

I nodded, and Sriny'ete nodded before continuing.

"From the look on your face, I can tell you know of Butcger's reputation, so I will explain for Warlord Geir, who is the only one who doesn't understand the significance of that name. Butcger kept many children as sex slaves, and his favorites were boys. Very young boys. That's all I'll say for my years with him, but I'm sure you understand the kinds of things I and the others endured.

"He kept me much longer than he kept any others, and he only sold me when I was 17– most of the others he sold by 13. I was brought to Veil, the capital of El'kahr, to be processed by a man they call Denbar the Cruel. He would take slaves in, train them if need be, and perform any... alterations they may need. I was to be pierced and gelded for a new master."

While I could see Jacob tense a bit, I could tell none of this was new information to him. But Geir's heaving breaths against my back shook me.

"This Denbar, he is the same as the one who almost cut you, mate?" Geir hissed against my skin. I nodded, and tried to ignore the pitying look in Sriny'ete's eyes.

"He did not succeed with me, either," Sriny'ete finished. "I'm unsure how you were able to escape from that terrible fate, but my angel was you, Prince Amer."

Geir's grip on my body lessened just a bit as he breathed out heavily, and Jacob's eyes flashed to mine.

"I knew only that my mate was freed by a noble of El'kahr. I didn't know it was you, Warprize."

"I'm only ashamed I didn't ban the practice years before. You were the last Denbar touched in that way... or, almost touched, I suppose."

"Until you?" Jacob clarified.

"... Until me," I answered. "But I protected by Briggs— he didn't understand what was happen, but I call to him and he stop them."

"Why would—" Sriny'ete began, but he cut himself off. "It matters not. I need to finish."

He took a deep breath, his mate's presence at his back giving him strength as he continued.

"You stepped in just in time to save me, for I know with surety that I would not have survived being gelded. If I had not died from the blood loss, I would have ended my life. After everything... I would not have continued to fight, to live, anymore. But not only did you keep me from that horrible fate, you then freed me and gave me provisions to get home. I only learned later the punishments inflicted on you when Denbar informed your father of what you had done."

"You were be sold for big price. I lost Butcger much of money. But I knew what I did. I regret not."

"Yes. You saved my life, and I was able to return to my home and find my mate. I owe you my life, and my current happiness. And I wanted to be sure you knew that, because I know I can't be the only one you helped while you were under your father's cruel thumb, and I want you to know: we saw you. All you saved, all you fed in their hunger, all those you gave a warm hand up to. You did not suffer in vain."

I didn't even realize I was crying until Geir was covering my body with his, tucking my face back against his neck.

"There was so much cruelty," I sobbed in El'kahrian, unable to form the words of my heart in Akari. "It was all I could do... it wasn't enough. It was never enough."

"Your Highness, it was enough," Sriny'ete answered in Akari. "You were enough. Your people loved you. I'm sure they still do. The things you did, to alleviate the cruelty of your father and the men he surrounded himself with. They felt small to you, maybe. But to a boy who had all but given up, you were everything. So thank you, from the bottom of my heart."

***** Note: I think I'll write Jacob & Sriny'ete's story if ya'll wanna read it :) let me know!!*****