Spearing the Dragon

TWENTY-NINE

        Alvaen nursed a drink in a booth while Loridian played cards with a small group at one of the tables in the center of the drinking area of the bar area of Navariel's when the conversation quieted. He looked up out of obligation when their host sauntered into the open space between the bar and the tables. He noticed Loridian lost interest in his cards, watching Navariel take center stage like he'd been born there. He raised his hands and all conversation ceased.
Alvaen took in the white fur-lined coat he wore, covering his tight, purple embroidered pants and tunic of the same color, the collar open.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I have an announcement. As of now, I will no longer be accepting private clients." A few groans from the audience made Alvaen smile. "I'm a lot older than I look and it's time to hang up the pleasuring hat. And, I would also like to announce that I have taken a mate, one of my enforcers who would be embarrassed if I put the spotlight on him. I will still be around, in a strictly professional capacity. That is all, enjoy yourselves."
He turned and sauntered from the bar, Alvaen's eyes following him fondly. Loridian slid into the booth beside him.
"There goes my plans for evening," he said, Alvaen smiling at him.
"You'll have to settle for me instead."
"Should we go try to steal a few minutes?"
Alvaen shook his head. "Not tonight."
Loridian looked at him questioningly.
"You want to stay another night?"
Alvaen gave him a mysterious look.
"He's going to be busy tonight. Trust me."
He finished his drink, Loridian smiling at him.

Navileth walked with a swagger down the corridor to his rooms, the corridor dark and quiet during drinking hours.
"Look at those hips."
He stopped at the entrance to his receiving room, leaning against the threshold, looking at the regular across the hall with a measuring gaze.
"Jolinar," he greeted him.
The ranger pushed off the wall and walked toward him, his boots finding the floor with confidence that had gained him entrance to his bed on several occasions.
"Care for a last tumble?"
Navileth gave him a calculating look.
"You heard me say I have a mate now."
"Lucky chap that he is." He leaned against the threshold a mere few inches from him, those dark eyes smoldering in the darkness of the hall. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind. Enforcers are good like that."
"I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline."
The ranger straightened, taking a single step to him.
"You remember our arrangement."
"The second fortnight, on the dot, yes. Unfortunately that arrangement is no longer in effect."
"Funny thing about agreements. They rest on the presupposition that they can't be broken."
"They can be, and I'm doing it." Navileth gave him a challenging look. "This is my place, and I give you access to me only by my good graces."
"That wasn't the understanding."
"Things change. My mate isn't like other enforcers. He doesn't like me having clients."
"Clients or lovers? As far as I can see, I'm a lover."
Navileth raised an eyebrow, strangely flattered at his insistence.
"You paid up front. If it's the money you're worried about—"
"I don't care about the money, it's gone, liquidated into the house the first week. It's the agreement I care about."
"Agreements are for clients. Which are you, a client or a lover?"
The elf pressed his lips together.
"Which will get me where I want to be?"
Navileth grunted a laugh.
"I have plenty of attendants—"
"I didn't make an agreement with them. The agreement was you, every fortnight. I can understand you breaking it for love and all that, but I don't think it's unreasonable to ask for one last admittance. I travel a long way to get here, I'm sure you recall. You didn't inform me before I made the trip that you were no longer taking clients. I'll like my last roll, if you don't mind."
He walked past him into his receiving room, Navileth looking after him with approval. He walked inside after him as the regular poured himself a drink from his liquor cabinet, just like he did every time he came.
"It isn't unreasonable, but I still must decline."
Before he took a first sip, he set the glass down quietly. He turned, his dark eyes he used to find sexy giving him a disapproving look.
"You're not being fair," he said in an even tone.
"I realize that. I'm afraid you'll have to get your rocks off with someone else tonight."
He walked toward him with a powerful stride, not hastily, as would suggest anger, Navileth watching him. He stopped in front of him.
"My rocks are kind of partial."
A smile filled Navi's eyes. "I appreciate the compliment, but that doesn't change my decision."
The ranger reached out and grabbed his hip, squeezing. His hand reached underneath the robe and grabbed a butt cheek, pulling him closer. Navileth gave him a tolerant gaze. The ranger took some of his honey brown hair but didn't yank, those dark eyes giving him an intense look.
"I've been looking forward to it."
"Jolinar—" He placed a finger over his lips and pressed down. His other hand took his hip, bringing him roughly against him, Navileth frustrated when his body reacted to the rough handling.
"Does he do it for you?" he whispered.
"In every possible way."
"He must be something for you to go monogamous for him. It is monogamous, isn't it?"
Navileth gave him a struggling look because he actually didn't know. Osric hadn't made a demand as of yet. His regular reached down and grabbed him between the legs and he sucked in air.
"I think Navariel would like one last client." Navileth groaned as Jolinar leaned closer to his ear. "Your body tells me what your mouth doesn't."
Navileth took his hand but didn't push it away. His mind raced with panic, uncertain how to get out of this. He wasn't used to being good.
"It's my mouth that's telling you to leave."
The ranger pushed him up against the wall and he wished he didn't like it so much.
"Your cock wants me to stay."
"Just never mind about my cock—"
Jolinar grabbed it again and Navileth groaned.
"It's my favorite part about you."
"That's touching, but—"
His hand began working him through his clothing and he gave a frustrated moan in his throat. The ranger leaned close to his ear.
"Tell me that you like it."
"Jolinar—"
"I kind of like you playing hard to get."
"I'm not playing." Navileth grabbed his wrist, twisting it, the ranger grunting in momentary pain before the smile filled his eyes.
"That all you got for me? I know you're tougher than that. I've tested it."
"Jolinar—"
He cut him off by leaning forward and taking his bottom lip between his teeth, Navileth shutting his eyes in easy pleasure. The ranger leaned back, victory in his eyes.
"I know you want it. Drop those pants and show me how much."
Navileth gave him a mixed look.
"I'm telling you—"
"Tell me," the ranger said in a low growl that went straight to his groin, as though it needed any help. He went to walk past him with difficulty, ready for a cold shower when the ranger pushed him face first against the wall. He pressed himself against him and Navileth groaned with his cheek pressed to the wall. He would have greatly enjoyed this, before Osric had agreed to be his mate. He brought his foot back and struck his ankle hard, harder than he intended. The ranger stumbled back, Navileth turning to give him an apologetic look when he realized his regular was smiling.
"You might have broken it."
Navileth gave him a chiding look.
"Jolinar, please leave before this gets much worse."
Jolinar straightened, testing his foot, the smile still in his eyes.
"I'm hoping it does."
Navileth shook his head. "I have already declined. See yourself out. I'm serious. I will hurt you."
He walked toward his office, relieved when he didn't speak again. He wasn't expecting to face-plant again, against the wall beside the threshold to his office, the ranger squeezing a butt cheek, Navileth huffing in annoyance now.
"I am going to get my money's worth, Navariel. I despise wasted investments. Give me what I want and I'll go. It's as simple as that."
"I don't like demands, fucker," Navileth snapped at him.
"We both know that's not true. First time a whore has given me this much trouble."
"Jolinar—"
Navileth only saw a streak of movement beside him before a loud crack resounded in his ears. He turned around, staring as Osric held his regular, a full three inches shorter, by the throat, lifting him from the floor before his other hand jerked his arm out of place. The ranger gave a brief cry of pain as Osric took his head in one of his large hands and rammed his skull against his raised knee. The ranger bounced off, slamming into the floor like a sack of potatoes.
Navileth stared in shock, unable to make his mouth work as his regular tried to crawl away from him. Osric leaned over and took him by the neck, lifting him like an errant cat.
"Leave off!" Jolinar shouted, Navileth wondering how he could still speak. "I paid good money—"
Osric turned him around, looking into his eyes, the ranger falling silent.
"He said no and you pushed the issue. Your disrespect has a price, and now it's time to pay."
"Wait—"
Navileth opened his mouth to try to dissuade him before his mate took the ranger like a bag of supplies, one hand on his thigh, the other still on his neck, bringing his back down on his knee. The snap hurt Navileth's ears as the ranger dropped lifelessly to the floor. He stared down at him for a moment, his body landing in an awkward manner. Osric strode to the entrance of his receiving room.
"Guard!" he shouted in the tone Dokkalfar used for Midgardians and lower elves, Navileth flinching because he hadn't heard him use it since they served together. Two guards came running inside, Osric following them, waving a hand. "Take this trash to the dump." They began carrying him through the receiving room to the side door. "No. Take him out the front. I want everyone to see what happens when a patron abuses their privileges."
The guards took him out and Osric strode up to Navileth, who still stood stunned, looking him over.
"Did he hurt you?" Navileth gave him a mixed look and his mate gave him a hard look that he loved him for. "Don't look at me like that. You know it had to be done. These oversexed, privileged fuckers come in here and think they can do whatever they want. He was an example to anyone else thinking they can take whatever isn't freely given." Navileth's gaze softened. Osric's features gentled, touching his jaw. "Are you sure he didn't hurt you?"
"No, he just grabbed me and rammed me against the wall. It didn't hurt me..."
Osric gave him a warm look. "It would take a lot to hurt you. That's not the point. You shouldn't have encouraged him."
Navileth looked down at the carpet.
"I know, I didn't mean to, I just..."
"I never asked you to stop taking clients, sweetheart. Why did you make that announcement? You can't just become monogamous overnight. Even if you stopped taking clients, I know you enjoy your lovers..."
Navileth gave him a struggling look.
"I know you wouldn't like it, Osric. As it is, you had to listen to me in this room all these years..."
Osric's eyes softened. "It made me smile."
Navileth grunted a laugh. "Sicko. Did you watch us too?"
Osric smiled. "Of course not. I just enjoyed hearing how you always made your clients moan."
Navileth smiled. "You weren't jealous?"
"Insanely." Osric winked at him and Navileth laughed. Osric walked up to him, one of his large hands taking his cheek and Navileth gave him a softened gaze. "I didn't think it would affect you so deeply."
"Well, he was one of my favorites. And I was just surprised. It's been a long time since I've seen you kill."
"I know you like dominance, but here, that kind of behavior could place others in danger. Not every pleasure attendant can defend themselves like you."
Navileth touched his hand. "You didn't like what he called me, did you? That's what made you strike."
"I would have had to take care of him anyway." He paused. "I might have dislocated his arm because of that, though."
Navileth gave him a warm look.
       "Was it entirely necessary to kill him, though? Couldn't you have just roughed him up?"
"The men who come in here need to know there's a price for disrespect. If they think they're going to get their spine snapped in half by an enforcer, they won't pull any of their shit. Yes, it was necessary, Navileth. I'm not playing. I'm trained to kill, not to maim or injure. Some enforcers enjoy causing pain, but that is not our true function. We're killers. Killers for a cause, but killers just the same. When I swing my arm, it's a death blow. Best all those perverts out there know it."
Navileth gave him a hesitant look.
"You know I'm one of them."
Osric chuckled. "Don't I know it." Navileth smiled and Osric brought him closer. He gave him a gentle kiss that warmed him. Osric leaned back, giving him a warm look. "I don't expect you to change for me, sweetheart. You like sex. I get you might need more than me. But I want you to make smarter decisions about who you let into your rooms."
Navileth embraced him, Osric's ready arm coming around his back. Navileth rested his head on his broad shoulder. Osric kissed his head.
"I am humbled and flattered you'd close your bed off to everyone but me. Don't think I'm not. But I think that would be too much for you."
Navileth's arm tightened around him.
"Thank you for understanding me."
Osric rested his mouth on his hair. They stood just like that for how long, Navileth didn't know, minutes after his mate had killed an elf for him, the knowledge sinking into his heart. He'd warred against Osric's protective nature a few days ago, but now he realized he would have to accept it as part of him, as Osric accepted all his parts, even those that shamed him.