I would like to thank all our reviewers for their unwavering support, and Tamora Pierce for picking up her writing skills (AT LAST!!!) and writing Trickster¡¯s Choice and making her characters all so easy to manipulate. Don¡¯t get me wrong Joren I still love you!
*We don¡¯t own the characters. We own the depressing (and also very confronting and disturbing) story we put them in.*
Oh, and sorry about not putting in Kel and Neal¡¯s adventure. They had to postpone their trip.
_______________________________________ Chapter five: three in a bed, and the middle one said¡¡°Gosh Joren, you really are gorgeous,¡± said Alex playing with Joren¡¯s hair.
¡°So?¡± sulked Joren, ¡°You don¡¯t even care about me, I¡¯m just your toy, you little play thing when Roger¡¯s busy.¡±
Alex smiled. Joren was so naïve. ¡°A man needs more than one¡± he said, ¡°You should go find other boys to lay with.¡±
Joren pulled a face. ¡°That¡¯s really... wrong...¡± he said.
¡°Joren, Joren, Joren,¡± Alex shook his head, ¡°you are such a child. Two in a bed is boring, don¡¯t you think?¡±
Joren narrowed his eyes with suspicion. ¡°What are you getting at?¡±
A smile crept up into Alex¡¯s face. ¡°What do you think about¡three?¡±
¡°You mean¡¡±
¡°Yes,¡± replied Alex, ¡°Roger.¡±
Joren felt a jolt in his stomach region, and he remembered the feeling he had felt when Roger had smiled at him earlier.
¡°Well?¡± asked Alex, smiling inwardly. He knew Joren was interested.
Joren swallowed. He wasn¡¯t really sure what he should do.
¡°I¡¡± he looked at Alex. Alex was looking very serious. Alex looked very alluring when he was serious.
¡°What are you planning to do with Roger?¡± asked Joren, stalling.
¡°Can you not guess?¡± Alex¡¯s voice was deep, almost as if he was purring like a cat. Joren remembered that Alex was one of the finest knights and athletes in Tortall when he was alive. Gods, he thought, they weren¡¯t the only things he was good at.
¡°Come one, Joren,¡± Alex prompted. ¡°You¡¯re a man now, not an untrained, naïve little boy.¡± He paused, not really waiting for an answer.
¡°Right then,¡± Alex continued. ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡±
Joren watched as Alex climbed out of bed. What a man! Thought Joren. Alex silently put on his breeches and other articles of clothing.
¡°Well?¡± said Alex, ¡°Are you not getting out of bed?¡±
Joren was just about to get out when there was a knock on the door.
¡°Who is it?¡± called Alex.
¡°It¡¯s me,¡± came Roger¡¯s familiar voice.
Joren felt his insides squirm as Alex glanced his way and smiled.
¡°Come in,¡± he replied.
Roger can in smelling of rose oil. He saw Joren sitting undressed in Alex¡¯s bed and smirked.
¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said, not sounding at all apologetic, ¡°Am I interrupting something?¡± He looked at Alex who was buckling up his boots. ¡°A private session perhaps?¡±
Joren felt himself sink deep into the bed, but realized that he was merely very anxious. He looked helplessly at Alex.
But Alex was looking at Roger. ¡°Your Grace,¡± he started, ¡°Young Joren here and I have been discussing some matters, concerning you, of course. We were wondering if you would like to join us in a particular¡ activity?¡±
Roger¡¯s expression was unreadable. Alex could tell he was thinking hard.
¡°Why don¡¯t we all sit down and have a little chat?¡±
Roger slowly got into a chair.
¡°Now,¡± said Alex, ¡°This is what we¡¯re going to do.¡±
***
Joren swung his sword low, hoping to strike at Roger¡¯s legs, but Roger jumped and thrust his sword in Joren¡¯s face. Joren stumbled back, his face narrowly missing the blade.
Catching his breath, Joren raised his sword once more, only to find it parried by Roger who parried it so tremendously the sword flew out of his hand.
Joren watched it fly, and then he turned back to Roger, who was halfway into a lunge. Instinctively, Joren stepped back but Roger¡¯s swift movements prevailed, and the blade made contact with his chest.
¡°Ahh!¡± s creamed Joren as the blade bent against him. Furious, Roger threw the sword onto the ground.
¡°How the hell are we supposed to fence properly with these rubber swords?¡± he demanded.
Alex, who had been silently pacing, spoke up, ¡°I¡¯ve got it.¡±
¡°What?¡± said Roger, ¡°A solution to these rubber swords?¡±
Alex shook his head and looked at Joren who was on the floor panting, ¡°How we might solve this -¡± he looked between the two of them ¡°- triangle we have created.¡±
¡°And how do you suppose we do that?¡± scoffed Joren.
Alex fixed him with an amused stare. ¡°We bring in one more.¡±
¡°Does this mean we become a square?¡± mocked Roger. He was still at unease about Alex¡¯s taking over.
¡°Who?¡± asked Joren, glaring at Roger. Joren was keen to listen to anything Alex had to say.
Alex knew this and smirked. ¡°I¡¯ve been watching the boys at the palace, and I thought Joren might be able to tell us which one of the boys are particularly good.
Joren felt his face go red. Both pairs of eyes were on him as he groped for an answer. His thoughts had immediately flown to Garvey, but then, Alex had said ¡®boy¡¯. Then, he thought of a certain redhead.
A freckled redhead with a fiery temper¡ Merric of Hollyrose. He sighed, and suddenly realized that he couldn¡¯t daydream about him now, as Alex would get annoyed.
¡°Well?¡± asked Alex.
¡°There¡¯s one boy¡¡±
¡°Who is he?¡± asked Roger, suddenly eager.
¡°Uh, um¡¡± Joren muttered something incomprehensible.
¡°What?¡± asked Alex.
¡°He¡¯s got red hair¡¡±
¡°Ah, red hair, just what we need. Go on.¡±
¡°And he¡¯s got a fiery temper to match his hair.¡±
¡°Ah, fiery temper, just what we need. Go on.¡±
¡°And he¡¯s¡ eighteen¡¡±
¡°Ah, a young man, just what we need -¡±
¡°Quit saying that,¡± interrupted Roger, ¡°let the boy speak. What¡¯s his name?¡±
¡°Merric.¡± Joren whispered.
Alex cocked an eyebrow. ¡°Merric? That¡¯s a - nice name.¡±
Joren walked up to Alex and stared at him menacingly, ¡°Don¡¯t you DARE insult his name!¡±
Alex put his hands on Joren¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Clam down, Joren, I wasn¡¯t insulting his name.¡± He smiled. ¡°Anyway, I think this Merric friend of yours would be a great complement to us.¡±
Roger frowned. ¡°That¡¯s great, but, if we¡¯re dead¡¡±
Alex nodded.
¡°And he¡¯s alive¡¡±
¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said Joren.
¡°HOW THE HELL DO WE GET TO HIM?!¡±
There was a long silence, then everyone started talking at once.
¡°Well, we - ¡°
¡°It¡¯s possible -¡±
¡°But still -¡±
Roger threw up his hands and started pacing.
Alex smiled, catlike. He walked over to Roger and patted him gently in the head. ¡°There, there,¡± he said, ¡°I have a solution.¡±
Roger smiled with relief. ¡°Really?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± said Alex, ¡°I always have a solution.¡±
¡°So what are we going to do?¡± asked Joren.
Alex looked expectantly at Roger.
¡°What?¡± cried Roger after a while.
Alex nodded knowingly.
Roger rolled his eyes, ¡°I can¡¯t just wake up again and kill him!¡±
Alex stayed silent.
¡°Thom¡¯s dead! He can¡¯t just bring me to life again!¡±
¡°Oh but he can, ¡°Alex said finally.
________________________________
Thank you, thank you to all the reviewers. My co-writer is overseas, but I¡¯m sure he shares my sentiments. After chapter seven, though, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to slow down a bit since there¡¯s no more maths, but I hope you¡¯ll all forgive us and read the story anyway.
Next chapter: Joren embarrasses himself in front of Thom and Kel and Neal finally have their moment to tell each other of their feelings.