It had been three weeks since Kincaid found out Reid was a part of the Rebellion, and yet no interrogation ensued.
Reid should have felt relieved, but it only put him on edge. There was no way such a large transgression would be forgotten or forgiven. Were they trying to make him lower his guard?
Aside from that one night where Kincaid had shifted, the Naerian kept his distance from his pair. Reid would occasionally pick up on particularly strong emotions that were not his own, but that was the only form of "communication" the two shared.
Lord Pelryn and Gabriel had not visited again, likely due to Reid being under room arrest. However, he did note with curiosity, that the amount of Guards posted outside the room had decreased significantly. According to Nayavu, there was only one stationed at the entrance. His chains had still not been lengthened, leaving him at the mercy of sponge baths from the servants and as efficient as they were, they had nothing on an actual shower.
The only comfort he had was the visits from the hatchling. Talking to someone prevented him from going completely insane. He'd probably lose his ability to move if it weren't for his training with him or...the daily visits to the bathroom under the supervision of the guard.
Still, he was getting antsy.
Reid lay on the soft nest of pillows and blankets, trying to ignore the confines of his shackles, cradling Nayavu, in his arms. The room was dimly lit by the few sconces lining the walls, and a soft, comforting hum filled the air. It was the only lullaby Reid could remember from his childhood. Before the Change and before his mother...well.
He hoped she was doing alright, that Gabe was able to get to Dania, let her know to take care of his mother in his place. She would do it. She was the only one he could trust with that.
Nayavu, with his big amber eyes and youthful face, rested his head against Reid's chest, seeking solace and answers. "Reid, why doesn't Kincaid like you?" he whispered, his voice tinged with the innocence of youth.
What a loaded question.
Reid sighed, his heart heavy with the weight of the truth he couldn't fully share with the hatchling. Not when he was still trying to win him over. The groundwork was shaky, and now that he knew the young hatchling had some sort of familial bond with the Dragon bastard, he had to be careful about how he presented their situation. Even though the sentiment totally went both ways. "Oh, Nayavu, it's not that Kincaid-emkii doesn't like me. It's just that... well, sometimes adults have disagreements, just like you might have with your friends."
This was a stretch. One, for the fact that Kincaid definitely didn't like me. Two, because of Nayavu's sheltered life, he wasn't even sure he had friends. From the snippets Reid had managed to gleam from the boy, he was just as much a prisoner here as Reid was. Waiting to be shipped off somewhere. Where was a bigger question that was pressing in the back of Reid's mind, but he wouldn't push it and risk offending the hatchling. After all, he was Reid's only hope at learning how to control his powers.
Nayavu blinked his large, curious eyes, "But why? You're supposed to be bonded."
Reid brushed his fingers gently over Nayavu's arm where there were small traces of blue and gold scales, following the patterns. "Yes, we are...bonded, but sometimes even mates have different ideas about what's best. It's like when you and I might want different things for dinner. It doesn't mean we don't care about each other; it's just that we see things a little differently."
God, that last sentence made Reid want to hurl.
Nayavu considered this, his brow furrowing slightly in thought. "But can't you and Kincaid talk it out and be friends again?"
Again? No. Because they were never friends to begin with. He'd much rather watch the male die a horrible death. But he didn't say that.
Reid's heart ached at the hatchling's innocence. "We're trying, little one," He lied. "But sometimes it takes time to mend things. We both want what's best for our people, and we're working on finding a way to agree on how to do that."
That wasn't entirely a lie. Right?
Nayavu nodded slowly, his eyelids drooping as sleep began to claim him. "Okay, Reid. I hope you and Kincaid can be friends again."
Reid pressed a tender kiss to Nayavu's scaled forehead. "I hope so too, Nayavu. Now, let's get some rest, my little hatchling. Tomorrow is a new day and you still have much to teach me."
As Nayavu settled into a peaceful slumber, Reid's heart was heavy with the burden of his secret. He knew that one day, he would have to reveal the truth to the young hatchling. But for now, he held him close, providing comfort and love in a world filled with complexities and uncertainties.
The two lay in silence, the rhythm of their heartbeats syncing, as the world outside continued its eternal dance, oblivious to the stories and scars of those within.
Nayavu slept for an hour before groggily waking and disappearing in a puff of Gemma dust. It was risky for him to let his guard down here, anyone could come barging in and catch them, but Reid didn't have the heart to turn him away.
It was dangerous for him to grow attached. Some might even hate Nayavu for what he was, what he was mixed with. But how could Reid hate such an innocent creature? It wasn't his fault that half of him came from alien oppressors. He had little say in what he got to do anyway, treated like an experiment.
He was an experiment. Forced to live a lonely existence. Reid could relate to that. Honestly, it might be the thing that these hybrid hatchlings and humans had in common. They were both prisoners.
Reid glanced over at the shackle on his wrist again, longing for a bath. He could have asked Nayavu to use his manipulation to free him from his chains, but...then what? He'd only be free to roam the room and when the servants came in they would alert the guards and who knew what kind of punishment he would endure?
No, he had to be smart about it. He had to learn how to do it himself so he could put them on and take them off on his own. Freeing himself when it was advantageous was the goal.
He sighed, falling back into the pillows.
Soon...soon he would get out of this damn room.
***
Kincaid's head hurt, but his pride hurt more.
He stood on the balcony of his chambers, separate from where the human was kept, the night air chilling his scales. The silver moonlight bathed the Naerian fortress in an ethereal glow, reacting to the iridescence of the Gemma Crystals, but there was no comfort to be found in the beauty of the night. He felt exposed, vulnerable, and that was something he had never experienced before.
The bond with Reid, had changed everything. It was nothing like they said would happen, after all the tests and other pairings. Why was he the only one to face this mysterious obstacle? Emotions he had never felt before coursed through him, and it left him shaken to his very core.
Shame and humiliation were the worst of them. Those emotions were alien to him, something he had always associated with weakness. Yet, they had crept into his heart like insidious shadows. Reid's humanity, it seemed, was seeping into him, altering him in ways he had never expected, could not even fathom.
He closed his eyes and tried to push the feelings away, to retreat into the stoic façade that had served him well as a General of the Naerian army. But they persisted, a constant reminder of his own vulnerability.
The bond with Reid was meant to strengthen him and only him, to make him stronger and to give him a vessel to sire his clutch, but instead, it was changing him in ways he didn't fully understand. He had always prided himself on his unwavering resolve, his unyielding determination. But now, he found himself second-guessing his decisions, questioning his own judgment.
Reid had brought the uncomfortable awareness of his own shortcomings, his own flaws to the forefront of his mind after spending years shoving it in a box sealed in the back of his subconscious.
Kincaid clenched his fists into the stone railing of the balcony, his heart heavy with the weight of these new emotions. He couldn't escape them, but he also couldn't deny their existence.
It was a path he had never anticipated, one that left him feeling exposed and uncertain. But as he gazed out at the silver moonlight, he knew that he couldn't turn back. The bond with Reid had opened a door to a new world of emotions, and he had no choice but to walk through it, wherever it might lead.
Alone in his chamber, Kincaid grappled with the unfamiliarity, torn between a potent cocktail of resentment and affection that he did not want to have. It was a conflicting whirlwind he had never anticipated, one that left him feeling both trapped and liberated in his solitude.
Reid's absence seemed to magnify his inner turmoil, speaking to deeper instincts he wished would remain dormant. He couldn't help but reflect on the moments of humiliation he had experienced with his brother. The way he presented himself to his warriors, all that control tossed out the window.
"Reid," Kincaid muttered, his voice a bitter whisper, even though there was no one to hear. "This was never supposed to happen. You were never supposed to happen."
His own words seemed to mock him in the silent chamber, emphasizing the thoughts that were a chaotic storm within.
Kincaid regarded the empty space around him with a mixture of bitterness and sadness.
As the night deepened around him, Kincaid found himself feeling more torn than ever. He resented Reid for exposing him to these emotions, for making him feel this way. The conflict within him, the simultaneous hatred and...something else he felt for Reid, weighed heavily on his heart. It was a turbulent storm that showed no signs of abating.
Yet, as Kincaid stared out into the night, his thoughts took a different turn. Perhaps, he mused, there was a way to harness these bewildering emotions, to turn them to his advantage. He couldn't deny that Reid was a valuable source of information about the rebellion that had plagued his kingdom. And, if he was honest with himself, Reid's cooperation might be the key to putting an end to Bodric's relentless pressure regarding the clutch.
Kincaid's jaw clenched as he contemplated the path ahead. He had to play nice with Reid, to better understand these alien feelings that had taken root within him. He had to bury his resentment and learn to embrace vulnerability, not as a weakness but as a means to an end. If he could master these emotions, perhaps he could extract the information he needed, and finally, silence his brother's constant demands.
It was a daunting prospect, but Kincaid knew that the stakes were too high to ignore. As much as he loathed the idea of exposing his vulnerabilities to Reid, he couldn't afford to let his kingdom suffer any longer. The rebellion had to be quelled, and a clutch had to be sired.
With a determined resolve, Kincaid realized that he had to find a way to reconcile the conflicting emotions within him. If he could do that, perhaps he could find a path forward that would benefit not only himself but also the Naerian future he had sworn to protect.
Kincaid could play nice, but...would Reid fall for it?
A/N: I don't think Reid's gonna fall for it...