“This is nice,” Mave commented, looking over their private spot. “When did you find it?”
“After the snow melted,” Senri answered, refilling Mave’s wine glass. “I was starting to lose my temper with everyone, so Alchan ordered me to find a place where females could get away from everyone.”
Mave chuckled. “Alchan had to step in?”
“She threatened to castrate Gentrin and Willem,” Allaina said with a small smile over her glass. “Which might have made her happy for a moment but wouldn’t make her happy once she has this baby.”
“It would have made me happy for at least a decade,” Senri countered. “When I had my first boy, I didn’t have sex for five years afterward. Childbirth is traumatic.”
Mave shivered at that. Yenni elbowed her, and when Mave looked at her, she nodded in agreement. Neither of them was looking for children any time soon.
“Well, if you need anything, you tell me. I have the entire community making sure everything goes perfectly for you.”
“I have until next spring to really worry,” Senri reminded their mativa, running a hand over her belly. “I wish we were like humans. Nine months. Can you believe that? We get two whole years of this pregnancy thing.”
“You wanted this. You’re the one who asked for your fertility cycle to be quickened, then you let…” Mave lifted her hands, deciding not to finish the sentence.
“You are a heartless child,” Senri accused. “Your mother is pregnant, and you have to remind me that it was my idea.”
Every female at the table laughed. Once it settled down, Senri leaned onto Mave’s shoulder.
“I’ve heard you haven’t picked up a sword since you got back. Anything wrong, Mave?”
“No, I just don’t see the need. I’ve been fighting and training all spring. Alchan wants me to take time off, and I don’t see the need to drag my swords around when I have no reason to use them. Who’s going to attack me that I can’t disarm and handle without drawing my own weapon?” Mave snorted. “Who’s stupid enough to try?”
“Ah, so the Champion grows confident with her position,” Yenni teased. “It’s good to see. You deserve to puff your chest and be lazy.”
“You weren’t on the campaign, so don’t call me lazy.” Mave narrowed her eyes on the large female. “I’ll take you right now.”
“You didn’t bring your swords!” Yenni laughed, throwing her head back.
“Don’t need them.” Mave jumped, tackling her friend out of the chair, sending at least two glasses of wine flying.
“Hey, now!” Allaina called. “Be gentle with her!”
Mave and Yenni rolled in the dirt, taking potshots at each other. Senri laughed, but Allaina’s calls for them to break it up were what Mave heard the most.
Mave was able to pin Yenni and looked up.
“We’ve done this before. You know we aren’t going to hurt each other.” Confused, Mave met with Allaina’s ruby gaze.
“Well…” Allaina huffed.
“She’s invested in me now,” Yenni explained with a laugh. “I’ve convinced our pretty mativa to try new things. Or I should say, her curiosity got the better of her.”
Mave moved off of the female, frowning.
“We’re sleeping together,” Allaina clarified as Mave just stared at her. “We started sleeping together at the spring festival. Alcohol was involved.”
It felt like a rock was thrown at her, finally breaking through her dense skull. Mave nodded slowly as she looked between them, then shrugged.
“Well, I never thought you would fall for a female, but okay.” Mave shrugged a second time. She could see it from Yenni because that was Yenni. She was an ahin, a female who found pleasure with other females and had little to no interest in males. Allaina, however, always struck Mave as a female who loved males to the point of no return. It was what had made their relationship so contentious when they met. Mave had Mat, and Allaina had always wanted to keep him to herself.
“I have not fallen for her,” Allaina said, blustering.
“Oh, she’s fallen pretty hard,” Yenni teased. “Her males have been damn okay with it too. They enjoy having me around. Another pair of hands to keep her in line when her head gets a little too big. I stay in their spare room now.” Yenni wiggled her eyebrows.
Senri snorted. Mave tried her best to keep a straight face as Allaina’s blush began to match her eyes.
“You’re not in my mayara,” Allaina reminded her female lover, the big warrior too flirtatious for her own good.
“Yet,” Yenni fired back.
“Well, I’m really happy for both of you,” Mave said politely, standing. She brushed the dirt off her pants, then held out a hand to help up Yenni. “And I’ll be more careful with you now that someone expects you to come home unbroken.”
“Ah, damn. I guess I can’t have it both ways, can I?” Yenni laughed as Mave pulled her up. “I can’t have the jaw-dropping mativa and flirt with the Champion.”
“No, you cannot,” Allaina said, a tense note coming through. “You should ask about Matesh one day. Mave and I have competed before, and I lost before I could even reenter the race. I’m not going to make that mistake again. So, no, please do not flirt with the Champion.”
“Ahhh.” Yenni’s eyes went big as she looked between Mave and Allaina.
“Let’s not,” Mave said, shaking her head. “Let’s not go there. Let’s just enjoy that we’re friends now, and you have three amazing husbands and Yenni.”
“I do,” Allaina agreed, smiling. “I…Sorry. I shouldn’t have inferred that you would try to take Yenni.”
“Or that I would pick the Champion over you,” Yenni said softly, walking closer to the mativa.
“You’re right,” Allaina said softly, tilting up so Yenni could kiss her. It was a sweet, romantic thing.
“Save me from the lovebirds,” Senri said blandly behind them.
“Are they always like this?” Mave pointed as she walked past them.
“Hmm.” Senri only smiled indulgently. “They don’t display their affection in front of the village because ahins are more frowned upon than bedins. This is a safe place for them, and it’s away from Allaina’s husbands, who have no problem, but do sometimes compete for time.”
“Well, if you two ever need a place to stay, I still have a spare room,” Mave offered, looking back at the lovers as she righted her chair and sat back down.
“It’s a breeding thing, and it’s not common that anyone has a problem,” Yenni said with a snort, fixing her own chair once Allaina let her go. “They’re not going to be mad at Allaina because she has husbands and could have children with them. They’ll be mad at me for not letting them breed me.” Yenni’s growl at the end was soul-wrenching. “In my lifetime, I’ve probably met ten Andinna who were vocal. Others just give me strange looks. It goes against Andinna instincts, and I get it. It gets frustrating to deal with, so we prefer to keep our new relationship quiet.”
“But no one cares about Alchan and Rain,” Mave pointed out.
“No one cares about Rain’s side of the relationship and being a bedin,” Senri corrected. “A good many people care about Alchan.”
Mave sighed. “Because he carries the royal bloodline.” She should have known. “Has anyone given him problems yet?”
“Leria sent a particularly pointed letter I read,” Allaina said softly. “I got pissed, then showed Alchan. She’s fine with him having a male lover but believes he needs to focus on finding a female and having a child, especially with a new war. We had a healthy and strong royal family before the last war. A queen, three female heirs, and two male heirs. We ended that war with only one remaining member, and he’s leading an army and has been risking his life for a thousand years. He’s also already nearly nineteen hundred years old. He should have a child by now.” Allaina picked up the thrown glasses and refilled them. Mave took hers as Allaina sighed.
“Even though the situation is pressing, I don’t believe
anyone has the right to meddle in Alchan’s affairs. He’s the king. If anyone truly understands his burden, it’s him. On top of that, I am his mativa, the leader of the community around him. I don’t need or want Leria deciding she can enforce her opinions on my people,” Allaina growled.
The conversation turned, no one wanting to continue discussing Alchan’s sex life. Mave watched Yenni and Allaina closely, seeing how Yenni fell into a more male position and did things Mave’s husbands often did for her, like refilling her glass while she wasn’t watching.
Oh, Allaina, she’s already in your mayara.
Mave caught Senri’s eye, and her mother winked. Senri must have been thinking the same thing.
“So, I saw you hanging out with Emerian the other day,” Allaina said, smiling.
Why are we talking about that pretty boy?
“The day after I got back?” Mave raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, I found him sparring with Trevan, and Dave was hanging around. I hung out with them until Rain came by, and he and I went for a hike.”
“Trevan and Dave are…” Allaina waved a hand. “Not the point of the discussion. You were hanging out with Emerian.”
“Has something happened I need to know about?” Mave was trying to get Allaina’s meaning, but it was clearly flying over her head.
“He has a fan club now,” Senri told her, rolling her eyes. “His half-Elvasi bloodline isn’t detracting from his uniqueness among the Andinna. A lot of females are eyeing him like a piece of meat.”
“Gods,” Mave groaned, rolling her eyes as well, then remembered her own errant thoughts every time she saw him or even began to think of him. “He is a good-looking male, isn’t he?”
“He’s bulkier since you’ve left,” Allaina practically purred.
“I noticed that. He’s been working a lot, practicing. He’s going to be an exceptional warrior.” Mave chuckled. “So, if he’s so attractive, why has no one grabbed him up?”
The three women looked around, and it was Senri who answered.
“From the perspective of a female who isn’t interested in him, I would hazard to guess he’s unapproachable. He spends all of his time with Trevan, a pure Elvasi, and Dave, the resident human. Trevan will keep them wary. What really holds off all the young females who have taken interest is you.”
“Me?” Mave huffed. “I haven’t been here for a season.”
“Well, not so much you but what you’ve done. You have them being trained by your males, and they talk to Alchan on a first name basis. In your efforts to protect them from others, you’ve put them high in the ranks.”
“Good. I’m glad they’re being respected. And honestly, if Emerian is interested in any female, in particular, he’ll learn to approach her. She shouldn’t feed him an easy fuck.” Mave shrugged. Mave had never really considered Emerian’s sex life her business.
Now that she considered it, she had no problem with other females steering clear of him. She had laid eyes on him when he came off the ship, and her attraction had been immediate. Since then, she lived with the attraction, as she did with dozens of males, without ever acting on it. Males were nice to look at, but that didn’t mean she wanted to keep all of them. If she was accidentally keeping him from being happy with a female more appropriate for him, then there was an issue.
“That’s…problematic,” she mumbled to herself.
That made all of them turn on her, eyebrows going up.
“Please explain,” Senri said, leaning in.
“If I don’t want him, but I’m inadvertently chasing other females away, I need to correct that,” Mave said, sipping on her wine as she pondered the problem.
“You might need to give him a guiding hand or have someone in the Company do it,” Allaina said pointedly. “He’s a lot like you. He doesn’t really know what to do with Andinna culture, not yet. Lessons from a book are different from really living it, and he’s not really living it, not when he’s hanging out with Trevan and Dave all the time.”
“I’ll do it,” Mave promised, taking another sip. “If I can’t, I’ll send Matesh or Luykas after him. Are you interested in him, Allaina?”
“No, I have my hands full.” Allaina side-eyed Yenni, who growled in that satisfied way everyone knew the implication of. Allaina was going to be the handful once no one was looking.
The conversation could go no further. Drums began in the village, sounding off to tell everyone in the valley something was happening.
“I bet I know who that is,” Senri said softly. “Mave?”
“I need to get to Alchan. If one of his generals is here, I need to be at his side. Politics.”
“You use whatever excuse you want. I’ll follow, slowly. I’m probably going to walk.” Senri stood slowly, stretching her back.
“I need to leave with Mave. Yenni, could you walk Senri back to the village?” Allaina fixed her long black hair, running her fingers through it to make it look tamed.
“I will.” Yenni shifted to warrior in a heartbeat, from friend and lover to protector and guard.
Mave jumped first, Allaina following.
As they approached the village, Mave saw Alchan flying in and followed him to where he landed. He nodded to her, the only acknowledgment. Allaina landed beside her, clasping her hands and squaring her shoulders.
“I have to make a stronger impression than the last time Seanev rode into the village with Leria and a bunch of warriors,” she whispered to Mave. “So he can report to Leria, I’m strong and don’t need any of her damn advice anymore.”
“Females,” Alchan muttered under his breath. Mave reached out and slapped his arm with a soft growl, getting a chuckle in response. He looked back at her, revealing a smile. “I didn’t expect you to come. He’s passed over the ridge. They’re moving fast. He’ll be here any minute.”
“Where’s Rain?”
“He’ll be here any moment.” Alchan looked up, and Rain was hovering to talk to someone, pointing out directions and different areas of the valley. When he landed, he gave a wounded sigh.
“We went over placement of Seanev’s warriors weeks ago, and they’re still going to fuck it up,” the mutt said, rolling his eyes.
Nevyn and Varon arrived next, Varon looking in a particularly bad mood, not a common sight. Luykas followed them, then Matesh, who came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. Zayden was last. Bryn wasn’t going to make it. They all knew he was still asleep from being out too late the night before and would be running more night training once the sun fell below the horizon. Mave knew Leshaun wouldn’t arrive either, since he was avoiding crowds now.
Seanev rode in like he was meant to be a general. His head held high, he rode slowly once he made his way into the village on the main road, dust kicked up by the horses. The Andinna living in the village were quiet, waiting to see how Alchan would welcome the general. It wasn’t a secret Alchan had favorites, and Seanev wasn’t one of them.
Seanev stopped ten feet away and dismounted, walking the rest of the way when one of his warriors took his horse’s reins.
“My king,” he greeted, bowing in front of Alchan. “I’ve brought four hundred warriors and one hundred others. Crafters, priests, and…hopeful nobles.”
“Welcome. It’s good to see you again.” Alchan hugged Seanev when he straightened.
“Before we get to the big stuff, I want to introduce you to someone,” Seanev said, apparently cautious.
“In front of everyone?” Alchan raised an eyebrow.
“Yes.” Seanev seemed downright scared, and Mave couldn’t really begin to guess why.
Mave looked between them, then moved closer to Alchan’s side. She didn’t have her swords, but she was willing to put her body between the two of them if she needed. She had no idea what was happening, but if Seanev was already worried, then she needed to be as well. Alchan only shrugged when she looked at him for an explanation.
“Lilliana, will you come forward?” Seanev called behind him.
Mav
e watched as warriors parted. The female revealed made Mave even more confused. The female was short and curvy, without a single toned area on her body. Her hips were wide, and her eyes were large as she looked at Seanev, then Alchan. Her face turned pink, and her eyes dropped. She bowed to the king, lower than any female was required to.
Mave felt the need to growl, but she wasn’t sure why. Something deep and instinctual didn’t like this female, which meant Mave needed to watch herself. She wasn’t going to judge this female without knowing what caused it. Beside her, Allaina growled softly, even more surprising.
“You fucking bastard,” Alchan growled so quietly, only Mave and Seanev would have heard.
“She’s been hiding with the priests in our region,” Seanev explained quickly. “And Leria decided it was time for you to meet her. She agreed to come here to help the rebellion.”
Alchan’s growl was louder this time. Mave didn’t understand, but she took a step forward. She didn’t make it to the female. Neither did Seanev, who was turning to put himself in front of her.
Rain was suddenly by her side, his face pale, and a smile plastered on his face.
“I’m Rainev. Why don’t you come with me, and we’ll figure out where you’re going to stay?”
“That would be nice,” Lilliana whispered. “I’m sorry for any trouble I may have caused.”
“You haven’t caused any trouble,” Rain said kindly, taking her hand. “Others are responsible for that.” The look Rain sent Alchan seemed as if it should send the bedru king to his knees, then Rain led the little female away, their footsteps practically echoing in the dead silence of the city.
Allaina leaned to Mave’s ear and whispered, “She’s an ahren. Leria has gone too far this time.”
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The Champion's Ruin Page 5