you…”
Ave flushed, trying to cover her annoyance. How like mother to come prepared with a list of potential suitors! After a moment spent bringing her temper under control, she replied, “Yes, Mother, I am seeing someone.”
“Really? What’s his name?” Ravi was sitting up a little straighter, her eyes bright and interested.
Ave wasn’t at all sure that she wanted to tell her mother, but Ravinia was relentless, and she’d ferret out the information one way or another. “Yes, really,” she said, with an artificial sniff. “And you should be pleased, he’s dragon-bonded. His name is Rak.”
But Ravinia didn’t look pleased. She looked horrified. “ Rak? Ave, have you lost your mind? Don’t you know what he was? What he is?”
“Mother, Rak and I have met several times already. He is a pleasant, charming and kind man. Unlike most of the dragon-bonded, he has both personality and a sense of humor.”
“Ave,” said her mother, “he was a slave.”
“So? Slavery is illegal here. And good for him for escaping.” Ave covered her confusion with anger. This conversation would have been a lot less awkward if Rak had told her this himself. Did he think she wouldn’t find out?
“Not just any slave,” Ravi pressed, “but a Royal Dancer of Zoth and the King’s Champion, the one the minstrels were always singing about. The one who flayed his victims alive.”
Ave could feel the blood draining from her face. Although she had never been outside of the badlands, she was familiar with the eastern kingdoms and all their customs. Of the Riverlands kingdoms, Zoth was the most ancient, the most cruel and the Royal Dancers were known of even here. And yes, the tales of the King’s Champion were gruesome, meant to serve as a warning for those who’d dare defy the King of Zoth. But was Rak to blame for any of that? It wasn’t as if he’d have had a choice in the matter. She took a deep breath. “Mother, that changes nothing except my sympathy for him. I don’t care about his past, I know the man as he is now, and I like what I see very much.”
“Actually, my dear daughter, it’s Rak I must be concerned for, because I am his wingleader. His youth was a horror you couldn’t begin to imagine, and even now, he is…fragile. If this doesn’t work out between the two of you, I fear the effect your break up will have on him.”
Ave stood up abruptly. “Mother, thank you for the tea.” She walked swiftly from the room, angered by her mother’s words. She respected her mother too much to sit there and argue with her, even though she felt her mother was wrong. She didn’t want to admit that she felt more than a little attraction for Rak.
She walked, head bowed, lost in her own thoughts. That Rak had been a Royal Dancer surprised her in that she hadn’t known that there were male dancers. She found herself wondering what sort of dance a male slave would perform, and she felt her cheeks reddening at what she imagined.
* * * *
Rak was waiting for her at the evening service, standing casually just on the Thezi side of the invisible line that separated the Thezi section from the Arrai. Ave wondered what he’d have done if the Arrai glyph wasn’t next to the Thezi, or if she had been in another sect entirely. But the Arrai glyph was always next to the Thezi, so she took her place beside him with a faint smile, but on her side of the line.
He glanced at her. “M’lady, did you sleep well?”
She nodded. “Yes, siflion , thank you.” She glanced at Ravinia pointedly, for the Thezine had just arrived in her section. Ravi could see them, of course, but she gave no indication of this as she turned to face the altar.
Rak followed her gaze then looked at her in inquiry.
She made a face, an exaggerated grimace, and signaled that they’d discuss it later.
Rak nodded once, and he didn’t press her for answers, his patience being yet another thing she appreciated about him.
His hand found Ave’s as
Ave flushed, trying to cover her annoyance. How like mother to come prepared with a list of potential suitors! After a moment spent bringing her temper under control, she replied, “Yes, Mother, I am seeing someone.”
“Really? What’s his name?” Ravi was sitting up a little straighter, her eyes bright and interested.
Ave wasn’t at all sure that she wanted to tell her mother, but Ravinia was relentless, and she’d ferret out the information one way or another. “Yes, really,” she said, with an artificial sniff. “And you should be pleased, he’s dragon-bonded. His name is Rak.”
But Ravinia didn’t look pleased. She looked horrified. “ Rak? Ave, have you lost your mind? Don’t you know what he was? What he is?”
“Mother, Rak and I have met several times already. He is a pleasant, charming and kind man. Unlike most of the dragon-bonded, he has both personality and a sense of humor.”
“Ave,” said her mother, “he was a slave.”
“So? Slavery is illegal here. And good for him for escaping.” Ave covered her confusion with anger. This conversation would have been a lot less awkward if Rak had told her this himself. Did he think she wouldn’t find out?
“Not just any slave,” Ravi pressed, “but a Royal Dancer of Zoth and the King’s Champion, the one the minstrels were always singing about. The one who flayed his victims alive.”
Ave could feel the blood draining from her face. Although she had never been outside of the badlands, she was familiar with the eastern kingdoms and all their customs. Of the Riverlands kingdoms, Zoth was the most ancient, the most cruel and the Royal Dancers were known of even here. And yes, the tales of the King’s Champion were gruesome, meant to serve as a warning for those who’d dare defy the King of Zoth. But was Rak to blame for any of that? It wasn’t as if he’d have had a choice in the matter. She took a deep breath. “Mother, that changes nothing except my sympathy for him. I don’t care about his past, I know the man as he is now, and I like what I see very much.”
“Actually, my dear daughter, it’s Rak I must be concerned for, because I am his wingleader. His youth was a horror you couldn’t begin to imagine, and even now, he is…fragile. If this doesn’t work out between the two of you, I fear the effect your break up will have on him.”
Ave stood up abruptly. “Mother, thank you for the tea.” She walked swiftly from the room, angered by her mother’s words. She respected her mother too much to sit there and argue with her, even though she felt her mother was wrong. She didn’t want to admit that she felt more than a little attraction for Rak.
She walked, head bowed, lost in her own thoughts. That Rak had been a Royal Dancer surprised her in that she hadn’t known that there were male dancers. She found herself wondering what sort of dance a male slave would perform, and she felt her cheeks reddening at what she imagined.
* * * *
Rak was waiting for her at the evening service, standing casually just on the Thezi side of the invisible line that separated the Thezi section from the Arrai. Ave wondered what he’d have done if the Arrai glyph wasn’t next to the Thezi, or if she had been in another sect entirely. But the Arrai glyph was always next to the Thezi, so she took her place beside him with a faint smile, but on her side of the line.
He glanced at her. “M’lady, did you sleep well?”
She nodded. “Yes, siflion , thank you.” She glanced at Ravinia pointedly, for the Thezine had just arrived in her section. Ravi could see them, of course, but she gave no indication of this as she turned to face the altar.
Rak followed her gaze then looked at her in inquiry.
She made a face, an exaggerated grimace, and signaled that they’d discuss it later.
Rak nodded once, and he didn’t press her for answers, his patience being yet another thing she appreciated about him.
His hand found Ave’s as
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