Torcan felt eyes in his back as he was readying his horse for the hunt. He would ride out with Darius and a selected company today, only this time it would be in his role as guard.
The crowning ceremony had gone by without incident and most lords had already returned home.
Torcan was glad for it. Having so many high lords present at such a turbulent time was not a favorable situation, especially if it involved the nomad tribes. He had been worried there would be an uproar. Zara's father was still a leader of those tribes and no matter what Darius said, an insulted man was unpredictable.
Nonetheless, there had not been any disturbances and the nomad tribes had pledged their loyalty. Torcan just hoped they would keep true to their word.
Prince Cyrus had arrived with Ariane the day before the ceremony and he would be riding out with them today while Ariane stayed in the women's wing with Elora. The thought made him smile. Elora had taken Ariane under her wing the moment she had arrived. It was good to see them getting along.
The burning in his back grew more intense and Torcan shifted nervously but did not look up until a throat was being cleared.
Mikos stood there with his horse on the reign. "I think something is wrong with my saddle. Check it, will you?" He looked away awkwardly.
Torcan nodded in compliance. "Of course, my lord." He reached for the saddle and carefully studied each strap, but found nothing out of the ordinary.
"It is strange to be called that by my own brother," Mikos spoke quietly. He seemed to be uncomfortable in Torcan's presence.
Torcan did not reply. His hands stilled on the saddle, but he kept his eyes on the leather, waiting. He had a feeling Mikos knew very well there was nothing wrong with his gear.
"It must be strange to you too," Mikos continued with averted eyes, "to hear me being named heir when you are the oldest." When Torcan still didn't reply, he sighed. "Say something."
"Your saddle seems fine, my lord," Torcan said.
Mikos narrowed his eyes in frustration. "Don't do that."
Torcan sighed too. "What would you like me to say, my lord?"
"Something other than 'my lord'," Mikos said annoyed. He sighed again. "I did not ask for this. It is not my fault."
"I know," Torcan said quietly.
Mikos looked at him now. "My entire life I knew I had a brother, but no one ever spoke of him to me. And when I asked, my... our father told me to be quiet." There was a frustrated expression on his face. "I've always wanted a brother."
"Lord Izem only has one son," Torcan stated calmly.
The boy looked serious. He suddenly seemed much older than fifteen. "That may be so," he said, "but I am not an only child."
"Mikos," lord Izem called while pulling up his horse next to his son, "in the saddle boy. We are headed out."
Mikos gave a nod and allowed Torcan to hold his horse while he mounted the animal. "We will talk later," he muttered at Torcan.
Torcan inclined his head and mounted his own horse. As soon as he had joined Darius the group headed out.
...
"Prince Cyrus seems like a good man," Elora smiled at Ariane, "have you adjusted well in Zeir? I can imagine it to have been difficult. Tirèze is so different from Lavos. And I miss my sisters."
Ariane answered her smile hesitantly. From what she had seen of her new sister-in-law, the woman was quite outspoken yet kind. It was not the kind of woman she had pictured her brother to marry, but Darius seemed quite pleased with her. The frown he usually held was barely noticeable now. Elora too seemed comfortable in his presence, despite the differences in customs she had pointed out. The two seemed to have found some middle ground.
Things had certainly been different when Zara had still been her brother's wife.
"He is," Ariane answered Elora's comment, "Silas has been nothing but good to me."
Elora studied her a moment. "You speak of contentment more than happiness. Is all well?"
Ariane moved her hand to her stomach. "I know he does not love me, but he treats me well. He is kind. I hope the child I bear him will please him."
Elora sighed. "I'm sorry to hear he has no affection for you. I suppose I have been blessed in that regard. Your brother is a proud and headstrong man, but I've found a way to win him over." There was a gentle smile on her lips.
For a moment Ariane envied her. If even her brother could learn to love, then what was wrong with her for not being able to win over her own husband? Or perhaps it was because Darius had never loved his first wife. His heart was still available, while Cyrus...
Elora's hand pressed hers. "If he does not love you he is a fool."
Ariane forced out a smile. "At least he is a good man."
"Tell me about prince Cyrus' sister," Elora changed the subject, "I heard she is engaged?"
"Yes," Ariane nodded. She bit her lip. "She will marry her guard." She still wasn't sure how she felt about that.
To her surprise Elora laughed. "Oh, I know how that is like. I remember when Eloni announced she was going to marry Byron. She had this stubborn look on her face, ready for father to refuse. And he looked at her and said 'what took so long?' They'd been eyeing each other since the day Byron arrived in Tolais."
Ariane blinked confused. "Byron?"
"Oh! You would not know him," Elora realized, "Byron is my father's fastest rider. He came to our home as a stable boy when he was twelve. When my father discovered his talent with horses, he made Byron one of his messengers." She laughed. "He got along great with me and Eloise. And Elvi adored him, young as she was, but when it came to Eloni he'd turn into a mess. Stuttering and stumbling. It was quite amusing to watch. Was it like that with lady Vara too?"
"I... I would not know," Ariane said, "he had not been her guard for very long."
"Ah," Elora smiled, "love at first sight then?"
"I don't think so," Ariane mused, "she's had suitors." She wasn't really comfortable with talking about Vara's broken engagement with Felix Matís. Elora was nice, but Ariane didn't really know her.
"But they love each other?" Elora asked.
Ariane bit her lip. "They seem happy with each other's company."
"That's good," Elora smiled. She sighed. "I should go now. I need to make sure everything is prepared for tonight's banquet. Will you be alright on your own for a while? If you have need of anything, just ask one of the servants."
Ariane rearranged the pillows behind her back and sighed in relief. "I will be fine."
"Alright," Elora nodded, "I will see you tonight then at the banquet. Take some rest until then." She stood up and pressed Ariane's shoulder. "It is lovely to finally meet you."
"You too," Ariane answered. It was certainly more pleasant here without Zara.
She closed her eyes and made herself comfortable.
...
Vara bit her lip and glanced at the closed door that led to the bedroom. Cyrus' grandfather wasn't feeling well lately and even now, during the day, he had retreated. She knew it was just his age, but it was still difficult to accept.
Lady Eurydice smiled kindly at her. "Don't worry child, he is a strong man. He won't be leaving us for a while. Let's not spoil your visit. I haven't yet had the chance to meet Iason." She looked over at said man and her smile widened.
Iason cleared his throat and sat straighter. "My lady Eurydice."
Eurydice laughed softly and turned to Vara. "What did you tell the poor boy? He looks like he's afraid I might eat him. Don't worry lad," she patted Iason's knee, "I've had breakfast." She winked at him.
Iason swallowed nervously.
Eurydice smiled warmly. "I'm glad to see you with Vara, young man. It is good to see her smile again. She was so worried when you did not come home that day. And then when they brought you back unconscious..."
"Lady Eurydice!" Vara hissed embarrassed.
The old woman laughed softly. "How many times have you teased him, child? It's time to return the favor."
Iason let out a nervous laugh. "Perhaps I should stay on her good side. I'll have to spend the rest of my life with her after all."
Eurydice laughed and Vara crossed her arms. "You two are both horrible," she pouted.
Eurydice shook her head amused. "Tell me about yourself, Iason, I believe you have brothers?"
Iason nodded. He still felt strange talking to the king's mother so casually. "One older brother and one younger. It's been a while since I've seen them." Suddenly he flinched. "I haven't even notified them."
It was Vara's turn to laugh. "Well, I'll be sure to inform them."
Iason glanced at her. "I'm not sure that's a good idea."
"I'll have to meet them at some point," Vara pointed out, "or did you intend to wait until after the wedding?"
"Well," Eurydice said amused, "it seems you two still have a lot to talk about. Has there even been a date set?"
"Winter solstice," Vara answered. She smiled at Iason and linked her fingers with his. Only a few more weeks. Invitations would be going out any day now.
"I look forward to it," Eurydice smiled, "now get going you two. I'm sure there are a lot of things you still need to do. Don't spend the day with an old woman like me."
"I love spending time with you."
Eurydice cupped the girl's cheek and kissed her forehead. "Go now. And don't worry so much about Caius. He will be there to see you dance on your wedding. I can promise you that."
...
The stables were usually a good place to clear your thoughts. The stable boys were used to seeing him here. He liked to take care of his own horse. The animal carried him everywhere after all.
Darius had retreated with Elora, so Torcan had a rare evening off, but he did not mind. His thoughts wandered towards Vara who was now engaged, though not to some nobleman's son.
A faint smile was on Torcan's lips. She was a willful one, that was sure. He hadn't met the man in question, because Vara'd had no guard yet while he was in Zeir, but he would like to know what kind of man she had chosen for herself. He hadn't had the chance to ask Iolaus about it yet. Ariane didn't have much information and he didn't dare ask prince Cyrus.
"Pleasant thoughts?"
Torcan turned at the sound of his younger brother's voice. The boy stood hesitantly in the doorway, his eyes roaming the stables curiously.
"Does your father know you're here?" Torcan asked carefully.
Mikos sighed and walked up to him. "Our father is currently enjoying the bathhouse. It will be a long while before he returns. What are you doing?"
"Taking care of my horse," Torcan answered.
Mikos frowned. "Don't you have servants for..." He stopped abruptly, his cheeks turning a shade of red. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "I mean..."
Torcan smiled kindly. "You don't have to rely on servants for every task. Besides, I enjoy the labor. It is calming."
"You sure drop titles fast in private," Mikos noted.
Torcan flinched and looked down. "Forgiveness, my lord."
"No," Mikos said, "don't. I like it. You shouldn't have to address me so formally. You are my brother after all."
An amused smile appeared on Torcan's lips. He was suddenly reminded of a certain girl across the border, though he had a feeling Mikos didn't extend this courtesy to his servants. "Very well," Torcan nodded. He turned back to brushing his horse.
Mikos carefully leaned against the stable door and watched his brother work. "So, what were you smiling about before?" he asked casually.
"Hm?" Torcan looked up surprised.
"When I came in," Mikos clarified.
"Oh," Torcan answered, "I was thinking about a friend of mine."
"A friend? What's his name? Is he a servant here?"
Torcan chuckled at is younger brother's eager questions. "Her, actually. It is a young woman."
This seemed to surprise him. "A girl?" Mikos blinked confused, "but I thought..." He flinched. "I mean... because you're..." He bit his tongue. "I didn't mean to..."
A sad smile appeared on Torcan's face. "It's alright. What did they tell you?"
"Not much," Mikos muttered. His eyes moved to the ground and his neck turned red with embarrassment, "just... you know... so I ... I wasn't sure... about girls."
It was silent for a while and Mikos shuffled his feet nervously.
Finally Torcan let out a heavy breath. "No," he said.
Mikos nodded awkwardly.
"But she's not that kind of friend," Torcan continued, "she is actually the adopted sister of prince Cyrus of Zeir."
"Adopted?" Mikos scrunched his nose in confusion.
"The process is a bit complicated," Torcan said, "but it means that she is now part of the royal family though her parents are not. She can even inherit now."
"A girl? Inherit?"
Torcan smiled. "Zeir is different from Tirèze."
Mikos leaned away from the door and brushed off the dirt that had gathered on his coat. "But a girl?"
Torcan chuckled. "I was surprised myself."
Mikos shifted from one foot to the other. "So..." He scratched his cheek, unsure of how to keep the conversation going, "is it hard to be a servant?"
"Sometimes," Torcan said, "but overall it's not so bad."
"King Darius doesn't treat you like a servant," Mikos noted, "well... sometimes."
"Neither do you," Torcan pointed out.
"But you're my brother," Mikos said.
Torcan smiled, deciding not to argue that topic anymore. "How long are you staying?"
"We are returning home tomorrow," Mikos answered. He scowled. "I wish I could stay here longer. It is so boring at home."
Torcan sighed sadly. Home. Not his home anymore. He used to venture out in the hills and the valleys, ride his horse across the racetrack behind their home, go falcon hunting. Of course there had been lessons too, but it hadn't been boring.
Of course, by the time he'd had Mikos' age he'd already been sent to court.
"I don't remember Salvire being boring."
Mikos tilted his head and studied his brother. "Then what did you do for fun?"
"Ride. Play with cousins that lived nearby. Venture in the mountains."
"I'm not allowed away from the estate," Mikos said stiffly.
There was a silence between them. Then Torcan sighed. "Sorry for that." He could imagine his father's reasoning. He had already lost one heir. He wasn't going to risk this one...
"I should go back," Mikos stated, "he wouldn't like it if he found out I was here."
Torcan nodded. "Of course."
Mikos gave him an awkward nod. "Goodbye."
Torcan watched him leave and sighed sadly. "Goodbye... little brother."
---
A/N I've been wanting to introduce Mikos for a long time now ^_^
Poor brothers. I'm afraid their relation is bound to be awkward for the rest of their lives :(