Claudia sometimes wished she could string up her husband by the toes. She wished, sometimes, that she hadn't saved him from Incarceron, that he had been trapped stealing and fighting and lying all the time. She wished for it, sometimes.
But she knew that those were silly thoughts, terrible thoughts. Without him, the whole world would have still been stuck in the Era. She would've been dead.
Still, Finn -Giles- Finn drove her crazy.
They had married for the sake of the people and appearances, and she had bore one child, who was loved deeply by all of her country. Keiro and Attia protected on him, the servants of the castle doted on him. Claudia tried her best to be better than her father ever was as a parent. Finn was always laughing with him.
But her and Finn were not suited for each other. They snapped and argued whenever a chance presented itself.
Something had changed him, Incarceron had changed him. He wasn't Giles, he was Finn, now. He was moody, though less, now that Keiro was around. His fits had stopped, though he still had headaches and still did not remember all of his life before the Prison. He still got lost in thought, and still twisted hearts around his fingers, like a chain.
Or maybe he wasn't Giles at all. Maybe Giles...
She shook her head firmly. No. That was not the case. Finn had been Giles, even if he had changed. That was that. She would believe.
Deciding that fresh air would be good for her, she set out towards the stables. She prefered to get her horse set up herself; after years of Protocol, it was a refreshing change.
She was half-way when she saw Attia storming around. She didn't hesitate to ask.
"Keiro?" Claudia asked wearily. Finn and her were not the only two having problems.
"He can die." Attia replied fiercely. "His nerve!"
Claudia stayed silent. Personally, she didn't understand how Attia stood Keiro at all, how Finn had so much faith in him. He was rude and arrogant and if it weren't for the fact that he was shrewdly intelligent and Finn needed him, she would have had him banished as soon as possible.
Ah, yes. How Finn needed him. She smiled bitterly. So Finn kept his support, but she had to give hers away.
How usual.
Fresh air really would do her some good. She hurried to the stables, but she stopped when she heard a noise, coming from the small cottage that had been built for Rix. It was full of supplies for tricks and the 'magic' that he showed off so often.
Keiro was the one who had ordered it made, surprisingly. Then again, he had wanted to learn the tricks. Claudia remembered him, one evening, groaning and moaning about how boring the castle was. She and Finn had just had their son, then. Keiro had looked at him and said, "He'll need entertainment, brother."
The next day, construction on that cottage had started.
But Rix was out, back in the Prison, doing his rounds of shows. He wouldn't be back for at least a month.
She peered through the door, it partially open. Finn and Keiro stood inside, Keiro leaning on the table, looking as cocky as ever. Finn leaned against a bookshelf that was there, holding Rix's favorite patchbooks. He looked frustrated.
Claudia was tempted to come in. But Finn began to speak and she listened instead. She felt a little ashamed, spying like this, but curiousity beat honesty.
"Keiro, you shouldn't have done that to Attia." Stern. Finn's voice was stern. Claudia watched on.
"Whatever, brother." Keiro shook his hand -it was gloved, Claudia noticed- in the air. "She's just the dog-slave girl."
"Still, you shouldn't keep spreading that!" Finn hissed. "It's cruel. She's-"
"She's what, Finn? My woman?" Keiro let out a harsh laugh. "Please. She only wants you, brother, I can assure you of that." Claudia tried to avoid her sharp intake of breath. She failed. They didn't seem to hear her though, so she watched on, irritated and fascinated all at once. How dare Attia.
Then again, Finn had saved her life. Claudia smiled ruefully.
Finn, however, glared. Keiro continued.
"But what about you, Finn? With your wife, who was pregnant with your child a year after we arrived in this Outside. It's been what, three years since then? Congrats, brother. Always richer than me. Even though I was the one who saved you from madness." His voice was harsh and it made Claudia wince as she watched. Finn was livid.
"Shut up, Keiro! You don't know-"
"-Anything, brother?" Keiro grinned. Finn colored. "Of course I do. We're oathbrothers, Finn. It's part of the deal. Or have you forgotten now, with your wife and child to keep you busy?" His voice was cold.
"I never forgot you, Keiro. Don't try that now." said Finn quietly. "You know I never forgot."
Keiro laughed, a cold, unhappy sound. It was paradoxical.
"And you know I still don't believe you. Though I don't see why you mentioned that..." Keiro slowly, languidly, leaned a little more on the table. "...Unless there's trouble with your wife, as usual then?"
Finn glared again. Then, coldly, he said, "That's none of your business."
"Yes it is, brother." It was like ice, glittering and dripping with mockery. "It will always be. A loveless marriage. It suits you, Finn."
Claudia wanted to slap Keiro, hard, but she instead she stayed glued to her spot, transfixed by the life on Finn's face.
Finn seemed to twitch. "It's not loveless. I care for Claudia."
"But it isn't love, is it, brother." Keiro's voice was silky. "Surely, there's affection. But the love isn't real, is it. It's playing the commoners, Finn, exactly what you do best."
Finn's hands curled into fists, but his voice was steady.
"Of course you wouldn't know love, brother. Not even affection. Look at your hand and you'll know why-"
Keiro dove with a rage made by shame. Finn fought back, fists flying.
Claudia wanted to stop them, yet she watched instead.
A startling thing happened.
Keiro kissed Finn straight on, roughly. He bit Finn's bottom lip.
"I don't know affection, brother?" Keiro's voice was breathy but hard. "Maybe that's true. But I know this," He nipped at his oathbrother's lip, "And this is lust."
Finn grabbed the front of Keiro's overcoat and pulled him close, and they were on the floor, kissing with a fevor. It wasn't like anything Claudia has seen before, rough and angry and needy. She'd never seen Finn like this. He was a gentle lover, she had always thought.
This rough, angry battle fit him more.
They clashed, fighting for the upper hand, tongues and teeth. Hands wandered over the buttons of overcoats.
Claudia watched in horrified fascination.
Finn freed Keiro's neck, then attached himself to it, licking and biting. Keiro stilled, his whole body shaking, a small, undignified sound coming out of his mouth. A hand caressed his skin, another unbuttoning each button, one by one, and his coat slid off, revealing a white undershirt. Finn laughed darkly.
"Surprised, Keiro?"
Keiro awake from his daze at that, it seemed. He snarled, tearing off Finn's coat and the shirt underneath, his blond hair coming undone as he did so. He slammed Finn down, then bent down and bit hard on a nipple. Finn let out a strangled yell, whimpering as Keiro did wicked things with his tongue. His hands curled into the ground, the floorboards providing nothing but a smooth surface.
Then Keiro went lower.
Claudia really, really felt she should avert her eyes. But she did not.
A zipper, undone. Hands pulling down pants and underclothes, a hot breath, a low groan. Finn balanced himself up with his elbows, looking at Keiro, wide-eyed.
"You aren't..." His voice came out in a whisper.
Keiro planted a little kiss on the very tip. Finn shivered.
Then he licked it, from tip to base, his mouth enclosing over Finn's cock in one fluid motion. Finn's voice cracked, little noises escaping, his eyes bright.
As Keiro moved, Finn moved.
Claudia's mouth fell open.
"Keiro...Keiro, fuck...Stop...for a second..." Finn moaned, but pushed his oathbrother back, sitting up. Keiro wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
"That good, Finn?" He was breathless.
Finn said nothing.
Instead, he pulled Keiro up onto him swiftly, and his hands drifted down, down and underneath. Keiro squirmed for a moment, then let out a shakey breath, his squirm stilling.
Finn's hand stroked slowly.
"Finn." Keiro choked for a second. "Finn, faster."
Finn seemed not to hear him, his hand going at the slow pace of before. Keiro shook.
"Finn." Keiro whined. "Finn, faster, Finn, god Finn, faster, please..."
Finn smiled, his hand still going slow. Keiro lost his mind it seemed, as he rasped, grinding against Finn and Finn's hand. At this, Finn's breathing grew harsh.
They both slackened at once. Finn's hand pulled away, a white substance sticking to his hand. He wiped it off on his discarded coat.
Claudia felt ill.
"...I'm sorry." Finn said quietly, holding Keiro's weight as they leaned against the bookshelf.
"For this?" Keiro looked at him, and Claudia realized, right at that moment in her haze, why Attia and Finn stayed with him. When he looked at you, with his lost eyes, how could you abandon him?
"...No. For the thing I said before."
Finn's voice was earnest, if quiet. Claudia cringed, how could he say that? How could he say an oath he made was more important than his marriage? His wife, his child?
"Don't be." Keiro's face was hard. "It's true."
"No, it's not."
"You don't know me, brother."
"I know you enough," Finn said softly. "And I've seen what you'll do for the people you care about."
Keiro was quiet. Then, he said, "Finn. Do you know yourself?"
"You sound like Rix."
"It happens." Keiro answered dryly. "Now answer. Do you know yourself? Do you know what you really want?"
Finn looked at him, then closed his eyes, a sigh escaping him.
"I know what I want, Keiro. But I know what I need to do, too."
Keiro nodded. "As long as you know, Finn. As long as you know."
They leaned against the bookshelf together, Keiro on top of Finn, his nose brushing the edges of Finn's hair, Finn's clean hand sliding through his blond hair. They were a picture, one that was worth more then money could buy.
Claudia let herself back away slowly, to comprehend what she had seen.
She understood, now, why Finn was so lost without Keiro. But she hated herself for understanding. She hated the both of them for needing the other, and most of all, she wished she could bring herself to feel more spiteful, to reveal them.
But she couldn't.
It was like the old game all over again, she thought. It never changed. She always would keep secrets of the court, and that included her husband's, as awful as that was.
Vowing to herself that this would be her secret, she went back to the castle, fresh air acquired.