Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I own nothing. If I did, I'd have Trickster's Queen in my hands right now and I'd be giggling happily. It all belongs to Tamora Pierce.
Author's Note: Okay, this is obviously an AU. One of those things that's been floating around in my head for weeks, so I finally decided to write it all down. And yes, I know it's most likely one of those cliché stories. Isn't that what makes it fun?
Read and review, please!
"Sleep, child." The Duke slowly smoothed Thom's hair back from his forehead, a distant and thoughtful expression on his face. "You'll need your strength for tomorrow- your sister will be arriving, and we must be ready to meet her."
Thom tried to nod, but paused mid-movement and simply sighed instead. "Yes, my lord," he murmured quietly. After years of separation, he would finally be seeing his sister again- and he had taken sick just yesterday. If that wasn't a sign that the whole visit would be shot to hell, he had no idea what would be. Perhaps blood raining down from the sky.
The Duke- Roger, Thom reminded himself sternly, he had desired to be called Roger- smiled down at him, his lips arching into a disturbing little smile that Thom would have been either panicking at or trying to kiss away if he had been feeling just a bit better. "I'm sure you'll recover soon- you overdid yourself this week. Perhaps from now on you won't attempt a spell meant for men twenty years older than you?" It was an order, thinly veiled as a request.
Thom winced slightly, his head beginning to pound again with the slightest movement he made. "Or maybe I should simply have you help me this time," he whispered slightly, more to himself than his companion. "It would be easier, and I'd hate to stop my studies just because of a few headaches."
Roger's smile faltered for a moment before picking back up again, and Thom smiled slightly to himself. If he felt even a bit worse, he might be convinced the concern on the Duke's face was because of concern for his squire's health. But he knew Roger better than that- he was only worried that perhaps Thom could surpass him in power if he wasn't careful. Caring only about himself was what the Duke of Conte did best, after all, and it would do no good to pretend otherwise.
"Is the Prince intending to meet her as well?" Roger's voice was soft, but there was an edge behind his considerate words- both of the men knew it could only hurt their plans for the royal family if Alanna and Jonathan met. With Alanna's misguided sense of loyalty, she could easily interfere in their careful set-up. And since his twin sister was far too curious for her own good, she would be able to sense if anything was even slightly odd.
He was already looking forward to when Alanna would meet Roger. There would be immediate animosity on her side, Thom was certain- and Roger had disliked his sister for years, even since she had somehow become one of the more powerful mages in the Eastern Lands. Like either called to like or destroyed like, and Thom was eager to see just which one it would be with the two most important people in his life.
It probably said something about him, since the most important people in his life were a sorceress coming to Court to find a husband and a Duke dead-set on murdering the royal family, didn't it?
"I have no idea." His voice was hoarse, and he gestured to the water glass on the nightstand besides him. With a swift move, it tilted towards him and poured a small amount of the liquid in his mouth before situating itself back onto the table. "We aren't very close, you know that. We haven't been since I became your squire and he became his father's." Belatedly he added, "my lord."
"Perhaps we should arrange it so Jonathan is caught up in a few very important meetings, then. No point in taking any unnecessary risks." Roger nodded to himself before smoothing back a bit more of Thom's red hair, his actions a direct contrast to the cool expression centered on his face.
"Maybe the Tusaine army has been rumoured to be moving towards the border of Tortall again," Thom suggested quietly, each word taking more out of him than he really wanted to let go of. His eyes shut. "Your uncle has been worrying about it for weeks now- it wouldn't take much to convince him they're moving in. Especially considering how much he trusts you."
"You're right." Roger arched his head in a small bow, acquiescing to Thom's idea. It was rare that the Duke actually admitted to his face that he was right- but then again, Roger never hesitated to give credit when credit was due. Part of the reason so many of the nobles were beginning to clamor for him to take the throne once Roald died, instead of Jonathan.
"I know." Thom smirked before opening his eyes again. "I've been thinking about every possible outcome of this… situation we've found ourselves in too, my lord." He had been weighing all the consequences each move could potentially have, attempting to figure out which would cause the least harm to both him and Alanna.
"Roger," the other man reminded him, looking down at Thom with eerie blue eyes. "We agreed you would call me Roger." Or actually, Roger had ordered and Thom had agreed, before they had gotten to know each other well enough that the younger male felt he could express his opinions truthfully.
"Roger." Thom sighed as he felt his headache increase, and bit his lip to stop himself from swearing extensively. He would not give into the pain; he refused to make a fool of himself by not being able to suffer the consequences of the spell he had done. He would not.
He felt the ache ease slightly, and looked up to see a pale orange aura surrounding Roger. "Better?" The Duke questioned, before Thom felt the pain dissipate even more. "It should be, by now." The aura slowly lightened, and Thom nodded in agreement.
"Thank you," he muttered, refusing to look into Roger's eyes. "It- it feels much better now." He wouldn't look up and see the concern Roger was displaying; he refused to believe for even a moment that his knight-master gave a damn about him. He was just a chess piece like all the others, another pawn to be played when the time was right.
"Good." Roger reached down and lightly caressed his forehead, another one of his disturbing smiles playing on his lips. Before rising from his perch next to Thom's bed he kissed him slowly, his mouth lingering for a moment. "Sleep well, Thom. We have a lot of work to do tomorrow."
And, Thom told himself quietly after the Duke had finally left, it would be best to keep Alanna out of Roger's way as well. It wouldn't do to have her wondering of there was a relationship there- better if she was distracted by something else.
He'd have to send a courier to the King of Thieves…