something, the pride in the tilt of his ears when Jherik praised him, the calm understanding as he tried to make Jherik see that his brother really did care for him. Then he remembered the look in Benton’s eyes after he’d kissed him and how quickly he’d run. He could be in town by now, or on his way to anywhere. If only Jherik had been quicker to respond. Or to notice.
“I’m an idiot,” he said aloud.
“That is a self-defeating statement.” He looked up from the chair and saw Viana standing in front of him. “An idiot would not have the perspicacity to observe his idiocy. Mind if I join you?”
He shook his head and waved her to an adjacent chair. She swept her dress under her and took the seat, sitting gracefully. “May I ask why you think you are an idiot?”
“It’s a long story.” He looked her up and down. “I’m sorry I didn’t greet you properly earlier.”
“Marhik said you were a tormented soul. I didn’t quite grasp the extent of what he meant until I saw you.” She rested a paw on his knee. “Are you really jealous of his marriage to me?”
“No,” he said automatically.
“Well, there it is.” She laughed softly. “I suppose a lady can’t always catch a compliment when she fishes.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I wasn’t really fishing,” she said, and patted his knee. “Just trying to understand you better. Marhik is quite upset at the moment, and if we’re going to be married, I should probably figure out if I can make that better or if I should just leave it alone.”
Jherik shrugged. “You love him. What’s to figure out?”
Viana coughed delicately, and looked around. “My dear boy, you really don’t understand politics, do you?”
“I thought we were talking about you and Marhik.”
“We are.” She sat back and sighed patiently. “You think we’re in love? This marriage is a political alliance. We get along well, but we’re not in love. That may come in time, I suppose, but we don’t expect it to. Love is not the purpose of our marriage, or rather, I should say, our marriage is not the result of love. It is the result of a negotiation between your father and mine, with the desired end of obtaining heirs to both baronies with ties to each other.”
“You’re not in love?” Jherik tilted his head. “But he’s perfect, and you’re so beautiful.”
Viana laughed, a sparkling sound in the warm room. “There’s my compliment, and unsolicited to boot. Well, we may be perfect--though we’re not--but that doesn’t dictate love. Hopefully we can get along and be wise and just rulers, and have healthy cubs. That is all that is required of us.”
“I’m sure you’ll be able to do that.”
“Thank you, Jherik. Now please, tell me why you are so upset.”
Jherik sighed. “I can’t. It would take too long.”
“All right. Will you take the position in Caril?”
He noticed that she didn’t say “that Marhik arranged for you” when she asked. “I don’t know if I can. I should apologize to Marhik. But there may be...considerations...keeping me here.” On the other paw, if Benton were gone, truly gone, then maybe it didn’t matter where Jherik went. Caril might be a good place to meet new people.
She eyed him shrewdly. “You should talk to Marhik, then. Would you feel better if I were present? He’s in your father’s office now.”
Jherik rubbed his whiskers. At the moment, he felt more despair that he would never see Benton again than anything else. He didn’t think Viana’s presence would affect his mood one way or another. “Sure.” He levered himself up from his chair. “Let’s go.”
Marhik looked up from their father’s large desk as Jherik and Viana walked in, and Jherik thought that it wasn’t fair how natural Marhik looked there already. Then he remembered what Benton had said about his brother, and the bitterness faded into sadness and self-recrimination.
“Hi, Jherik,” Marhik said. He put down the pen and looked
“I’m an idiot,” he said aloud.
“That is a self-defeating statement.” He looked up from the chair and saw Viana standing in front of him. “An idiot would not have the perspicacity to observe his idiocy. Mind if I join you?”
He shook his head and waved her to an adjacent chair. She swept her dress under her and took the seat, sitting gracefully. “May I ask why you think you are an idiot?”
“It’s a long story.” He looked her up and down. “I’m sorry I didn’t greet you properly earlier.”
“Marhik said you were a tormented soul. I didn’t quite grasp the extent of what he meant until I saw you.” She rested a paw on his knee. “Are you really jealous of his marriage to me?”
“No,” he said automatically.
“Well, there it is.” She laughed softly. “I suppose a lady can’t always catch a compliment when she fishes.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I wasn’t really fishing,” she said, and patted his knee. “Just trying to understand you better. Marhik is quite upset at the moment, and if we’re going to be married, I should probably figure out if I can make that better or if I should just leave it alone.”
Jherik shrugged. “You love him. What’s to figure out?”
Viana coughed delicately, and looked around. “My dear boy, you really don’t understand politics, do you?”
“I thought we were talking about you and Marhik.”
“We are.” She sat back and sighed patiently. “You think we’re in love? This marriage is a political alliance. We get along well, but we’re not in love. That may come in time, I suppose, but we don’t expect it to. Love is not the purpose of our marriage, or rather, I should say, our marriage is not the result of love. It is the result of a negotiation between your father and mine, with the desired end of obtaining heirs to both baronies with ties to each other.”
“You’re not in love?” Jherik tilted his head. “But he’s perfect, and you’re so beautiful.”
Viana laughed, a sparkling sound in the warm room. “There’s my compliment, and unsolicited to boot. Well, we may be perfect--though we’re not--but that doesn’t dictate love. Hopefully we can get along and be wise and just rulers, and have healthy cubs. That is all that is required of us.”
“I’m sure you’ll be able to do that.”
“Thank you, Jherik. Now please, tell me why you are so upset.”
Jherik sighed. “I can’t. It would take too long.”
“All right. Will you take the position in Caril?”
He noticed that she didn’t say “that Marhik arranged for you” when she asked. “I don’t know if I can. I should apologize to Marhik. But there may be...considerations...keeping me here.” On the other paw, if Benton were gone, truly gone, then maybe it didn’t matter where Jherik went. Caril might be a good place to meet new people.
She eyed him shrewdly. “You should talk to Marhik, then. Would you feel better if I were present? He’s in your father’s office now.”
Jherik rubbed his whiskers. At the moment, he felt more despair that he would never see Benton again than anything else. He didn’t think Viana’s presence would affect his mood one way or another. “Sure.” He levered himself up from his chair. “Let’s go.”
Marhik looked up from their father’s large desk as Jherik and Viana walked in, and Jherik thought that it wasn’t fair how natural Marhik looked there already. Then he remembered what Benton had said about his brother, and the bitterness faded into sadness and self-recrimination.
“Hi, Jherik,” Marhik said. He put down the pen and looked
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