by Nicole René
That night, she taught him a lesson, and she learned one of her own.
She owned him.
And it was getting harder for her to deny her feelings.
Namoriee didn’t see much of Tyronian during the visit, as he seemed to always be spending time with Kisias, or in meeting with other warriors. He’s been tight-lipped about the reason for their impromptu visit, but she could tell by the way his eyes seemed to always be troubled, or the way that his lips always were turned down into a brooding frown that it wasn’t because of pleasant circumstances. She asked him a few times what was troubling him, but each time he would snap out of his musings to put forth a false smile and expression of happiness to deny that anything was wrong. She stopped asking after the third time, and just convinced herself that he would tell her when the time was right.
While she didn’t get to spend time with her husband, she was able to instead hang out with Torrick, who she missed desperately. After their fight, Tyronian had seemed to be accepting of their friendship, though he still showed bouts of jealousy. She asked Torrick why they hadn’t gotten along, but he remained diplomatic in his response. It was their last night here at the Sicares, and Namoriee was looking forward to going home, though she would miss Torrick and Byne.
It was Torrick’s night to be on patrol, so they had said their goodbyes earlier with promises to visit each other soon. That night, Namoriee was left to dine alone, as Tyronian was once again in another meeting with the Sicares advisors. Not feeling particularly hungry, she decided to just go back to their room and double check her packing, since Tyronian told her they would leave upon first light.
* * *
She didn’t hear Tyronian come in until he slid into the bed and gathered her up in his arms, holding her close. She didn’t fight him when he positioned her so that he held one of her legs up and pushing the skirts of her dress up high on her thighs, or when he pulled his pants down enough to release his length so that he could press inside her.
She said nothing even as he took her like a man chasing a demon, and then clung to her like she was his lifeline once he followed after her when she cried her release with a choked cry.
She stayed silent, even he buried himself in her neck, his chest caving with each ragged breath he took as he tried to keep his sorrow from escape him eyes.
All she did was let him use her however he needed, because in that moment, she understood what Xavier message to Garnette is meant.
In the morning, he told her that Kisias had died, but she didn’t know what it meant for them until after the funeral when they left and went back home.
“You knew this day would eventually happen,” Xavier said to him. Tyronian sighed, rubbing the back of his neck to the knot that has been bothering him for weeks.
“I knew, but nothing could have prepared me for it. No one expected him to pass, Xavier.”
They were inside of the dining hut, Leawyn sitting next to her husband on the raised platform that held their thrones. Tyronian and Namoriee have been back at the village for a little over three days, which meant that he only two more days to make his decision.
“Your father and Kisias knew that you were always the one that would take over the tribe, Tyronian,” Xavier exhaled, heavy with regret. “You probably would have already been chief had it not for my parents being killed.”
Xavier’s father and mother were killed during a surprise raid on their village, and it was when he was only seven winters that Xavier had killed his first man and became the youngest warrior in their history. Tyronian’s father took over the Izayges tribe until Xavier was fourteen, when he had died from infection. Although Tyronian’s father was Izayges, his mother was Sicares, and the daughter of the chief. When Tyronian’s grandfather died, it was agreed by his mother, father, and Kisias who was his general at the time, that he would take over the Sicares until Tyronian was ready to take over as chief.
The problem was that Tyronian had never wanted to be chief, and he had hoped that Kisias would have children of his own so that he wouldn’t have to take up the burden. But that never happened, and now he’s dead, and the Sicares expect him to take over as chief.
The problem is…he wasn’t sure that he wanted to.
“I’m happy here,” Tyronian admitted, turning back to look at his cousins. “I know that Namoriee is too. She will hate me if I take her away from here.”
Xavier scowled, clearly displeased, but before he could start to speak, Leawyn laid her hand on top of hers, silently encouraging him to rein in his temper. When he stayed quiet, Leawyn turned her attention to him.
“Xavier told me the truth about Namoriee. If you truly wish to renounce your title, you know how. But I know you don’t want to do that—” she said, interrupting him when he went to speak out against her. “So, I think you need to ask yourself what you truly want. Do no base your decision on anyone else but you and your feelings. I know you’ll come to the right decision.”
“And if I decide to refuse?” Tyronian asked, looking between her and Xavier. “The Sicares won’t be pleased. It might start a fight between us.”
Leawyn looked over to her husband, who was already staring at her. She smiled when their eyes met, and her head dipped, silently acknowledging the unspoken question between them. Xavier met his eyes.
“Then we’ll fight. Our loyalty is with you, and you alone.”
He didn’t know how much he needed to hear that until that moment, and it took him a bit to speak from around the emotion that suddenly clogged his throat.
“Thank you,” he croaked, before his throat cleared. “I’ll let you know in the morrow.”
“Talk to her, Tyronian,” Leawyn called out to him as he walked away. “She might surprise you.”
It was still a bit hard to be in Aggod’s hut, which is now hers as she is the official head healer of the Izayges. She’s been avoiding it, not ready to go through all of her stuff and decide what she will keep and what she will discard. There was a time when Namoriee would have been punished if she touched anything without Aggod’s permission, and old habits die hard. But today, she knew she couldn’t hold off any longer so once Tyronian and her got out of bed, she went straight here and has been hard at work ever since.
She was distracted, so she didn’t hear someone walk in until the unfriendly voice spoke from behind her.
“You don’t belong here.”
All the carefully piled clay cups she was stacking tumbled off the table when she jerked, her hand that was poised to place the last on the top of the pile missed and knocked the stack off balanced. She inhaled a frustrated breath, staring down at some of the pieces that broke. She turned to address Samanthia, who smirked.
“From where I’m s-s-standing, you’re the one who doesn’t belong.” She began to pick the pieces up. “What do you want Samanthia? I’m busy.”
“Have you ever wondered why Tyronian left the village so much?”
“I wonder about a lot of things Samanthia—you’re just not one of them.” Namoriee deadpanned.
With a snarl, Samanthia knocked the bowl out of her hands. “Listen to me you little bitch,” she said crowding her space.
“I worked too damn hard to get what I want, and I’m not gonna let some little stuttering half-breed get in my way and ruin everything.”
Namoriee backed up half a step when Samanthia pushed into her more, her eyes glittering viciously when she continued. “I cleared the way for Tyronian to be chief of the Sicares, and he can’t do that if he’s with you. Now, I’m being nice. I’m giving you a chance to leave, but if you don’t? You can make sure that I’ll get rid of you, just as easily as I got rid of him.”
There were a lot of things wrong with that tirade, and if Namoriee wasn’t so shocked about her first comment, she might have registered and paid attention just to what Samanthia was admitting to, but that didn’t happen, and she couldn’t get pass one particular thing.
“What do you mean Tyronian’s going to be chief o
f the Sicares? What are you talking about?”
Samanthia stopped, leaning back to gage her expression. Her absolute confusion must have showed because a slow, smug smile spread her ruby lips apart.
“He didn’t tell you?”
Namoriee didn’t know what she was talking about, but she refused to feed into her. It didn’t matter, because Samanthia threw back her head, a cackling laugh escaping.
“Oh, this is great,” Samanthia chuckled, wiping an imaginary tear of mirth from her eye. “Perhaps I’ve been wasting my time with you. He clearly doesn’t care enough about you to know.”
She couldn’t take it anymore. “What are you talking about?” she gritted out.
“Tyronian’s grandfather was the chief of the Sicares. Kisias only became the chief because his parents allowed it, but now that Kisias is dead…”
Comprehension dawned. “Then Tyronian can be chief.”
“So she is smart,” Samanthia smirked. Her expression turned nasty again. “Except, he can’t. Not if he stays with you.”
“What does that mean?”
“Have you ever wondered why you were an orphan? Or why the tribe despises you so much?” Samanthia gave her a disgusted once over. “You’re not a part of any tribe. You’re not one of us, and no one claimed you from any of the tribes. You’re just a loss little stray that Tyronian had to beg to keep. Like a pet.”
Namoriee felt cold, her ears ringing from what she was saying. She shook her head weakly. “You don’t know that. That’s not true.”
“Oh, dear,” Samanthia sighed in mocked remorse. “Did he not tell you that either?” Samanthia’s eyes glittered with sick glee. “Who do you think Tyronian was with that day?”
“I don’t expect you to remember, you were only three. I was fourteen, and I was in the woods. I just finished bedding a woman for the first time.”
“It was you,” Namoriee whispered, stunned.
He had told her that, when they were camping out in the wilderness, he had told her he had found her, and that he was with another woman. She just didn’t think to ask who with, or why he found her in the middle of the forest in the first place.
“You were his first.” She felt sick.
Samanthia’s smile was triumphant, and without remorse of the fact that she was tearing her world apart.
“I plan to be his last, too. You still don’t get it little girl, I’ve always been Tyronian’s choice. I knew about his little obsession with you, but even then, it was my mouth he came in every night.”
She couldn’t breathe, each word she spoke was like a heated knife in her heart. She stumbled away from her, uncaring of all the mess on the floor. The shattered pieces were starting to resemble her heart.
“It was always going to be me, Namoriee!” Samanthia called out behind her. “You’re nothing!”
Namoriee couldn’t respond, too proud to show her how she managed to completely obliterate her entire world in just one conversation.
Leawyn was right. He couldn’t make a decision without talking to Namoriee. It wasn’t just his choice, it was hers too. Being chief of a tribe was a big responsibility, and it would be one that his wife would have to carry as well. It wouldn’t be fair to make this decision himself; he had done enough to take Namoriee’s choices away, he wasn’t about to add to that list with this one. He knew that she was planning on going through Aggod’s hut today, so that was the first place he stopped at but when he peaked his head and didn’t see her, he went directly to their hut instead.
It was dusk, and dinner would be ready soon, so he wanted to try and talk to her before she left. He didn’t want to lose his nerve. Opening the door, he saw her sitting on their bed.
“Just the person I wanted to see!” he beamed, closing the door before he turned back toward her, taking a step in her direction.
“There’s something I wanted to…” he trailed off, noticing the look on her face. “Namoriee?” he questioned, appearing at her side in a flash at the dead look in her eyes.
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
She didn’t respond, just continued to stare in front of her blankly.
“My sweet?” he whispered, genuine concern in his voice.
“Am I Izayges?” she asked, monotone. His neck pulled back, caught off guard at the question.
“What?”
“Am I Sicares?” she continued. “Asori?”
“Namoriee…” he was starting to get a bad feeling on which direction this conversation was going. She looked up at him then, tears making her hallow eyes glitter.
“Am I nothing?” she choked.
“You are not nothing,” he told her fiercely, a muscle in his jaw clenching. “Don’t ever say that.”
“Then what am I?” she asked, sounding desperate. “Tell me.
“You’re Namoriee,” he told her, struggling to keep the lie out of his voice. “You’re my Namoriee.”
It wasn’t enough for her.
“Where did I come from?” she asked him. “Why did you find me in the woods? What happened to my parents?” her questions came one after another, like she couldn’t contain them, and they just tumbled out.
He couldn’t answer, because he didn’t know the answer.
“You don’t know,” she whispered, closing her eyes in pain. Her shoulders dropped, wearing defeat like it was her skin. He instantly hated the sight of it.
“Namoriee.”
He couldn’t handle that devastated look on her face. He went down on his knees, cradling her face like it was something exceptionally fragile. “It doesn’t matter why, or where, all that matters is now. You’re an Izayges, you always have been. You are the woman I love, my wife, and that’s all that matters.”
“You love me?” she whispered, her face contorting in an expression that he didn’t understand. But he ignored it, because he knew this was the first time he ever said his feelings out loud. He smiled at her, hoping that it expressed how much he meant those words physically.
“Yes,” he answered. “I love you.”
She nodded as if she figured something out. “And Samanthia?” She met his eyes, and his breath stilled at what reflected within them. “Do you love her too?”
“What?” he breathed, and she could almost believe the confusion in his tone. She knew her smile was bitter, but she didn’t care.
“Do you love her?” she asked again. “You must, right? I mean, she’s the one you entrusted your secrets to, right? The one you gave yourself to all those years ago, who you keep giving yourself to apparently” she laughed, shaking off his hands and stepping away from him.
She needed to distance herself from him. She was too vulnerable, and she needed to protect herself from anymore hurt.
“Where you going to tell me you were going to be chief? Or were you just going to keep another secret?”
“I haven’t been keeping any secrets from you,” he said to her, frowning as he stood.
She barked out a laugh. It sounded brittle, even to her.
“You just lied to me.”
“I’m not—”
“You are!” she yelled, taking two angry steps toward him, before she stopped herself. She jabbed an angry finger at him. “Don’t you dare lie to me,” she said quietly, throwing his words back at him.
He swallowed, and part of her should feel proud that she managed to stun him, but all she could feel was betrayal and something that felt suspiciously like heartbreak.
He didn’t say anything, and Namoriee looked away, blinking rapidly against the tears that wanted to fall.
“Namoriee,” he started quietly, his voice wavering. “What is this about? What happened?”
She coughed out a little laugh, that was anything but amused. “What’s this about?” she echoed sniffing.
“I had a visit today, it seems someone isn’t too happy about our marriage,” she turned to look at him, a sardonic smirk tilting her lips. “Particularly at the fact that you married me, which means you can’t be chief b
ecause I’m a…what did she call it?” she pretended to think. “Oh, that’s right,” she snapped her fingers, grinning. “A half-breed.”
“Don’t say that!” he growled, his fingers clenched in a tight fist. “You’re not a half-breed, and I’m going to kill her for even thinking that about you!”
“Why shouldn’t I?” she demanded. “She’s right! I am a half-breed.”
“You’re not. Stop it Namoriee!”
“I must!” she screamed over him, bullish. “I’m not Izayges, nor Sicares, nor Asori, nor Rhoxolani—no one knows what I am because I don’t belong anywhere!”
He was in front of her in three anger-fueled steps, gripping her around the arms so tight she knew she would have bruises.
“You’re being childish,” he hissed down at her, his eyes flashing like blue lava. “So, you don’t know where you come from—so what!” She flinched when he shook her, jerking her so that their chest pressed together. “That doesn’t defy who you are as a person. You’re an Izayges! You’ve always been an Izayges! So, start to act like one!”
“Did you sleep with her?”
Her abrupt change of question caught him off guard, so much so that his grip loosened on her. “Not back then, I know you did. But when you knew you were going to claim me; did you still sleep with her?”
He stayed silent, so she repeated herself, heart pounding.
“Did you?”
Tyronian didn’t respond, his mouth locked in a straight line with an expression that broke her heart as he dropped his hold and backed away from her.
“Tell me the truth,” Namoriee said around trembling lips as her first tear slid down her cheek. At his continued silence, she snapped.