Author's Notes: Oh God, this is so late in coming. Please don't kill me. See, I compete at Speech Tournaments and I don't have much time anymore. Hell, I'm only doing this now because otherwise some people would hurt me… For the people that read this in addition to my other fics, I'll be doing a massive update on Reyning very soon. Love you all. And you better love me because my hand now hurts real badly.

whatevergirl: You want 'Poor Rude'? Read this chapter!

Chapter 3: Black, Silver, Violet and Crimson

"Rudelynth?" Tseng, ever my faithful servant, hook the shoulder of my guard gently.

"Oh, let him sleep, I have no duties until later, and it must be stressful for him to adjust. By Ferula, Lord of Fire, from how he reacted to having a bed I think he'd never had a real one before… … When did Reevesyn leave?"

"He returned to his quarters two hours ago," Tseng spoke with a disapproving tone.

"Always an early riser, that one," I chuckled while I poured myself a goblet of fruit juice.

"One day you'll find yourself or him with child."

"We always take precautions," I protested, knowing that neither I not Reeve wanted to deal with the controversy of a child of our blood. As much as we cared for each other, we knew that we did not love each other enough for a child.

"Good, I'd hate for him to be hurt in such a ways, or you my lord," Tseng said.

"Don't worry," I assured the valet as he left the rooms. When I was alone with my sleeping guard I sighed, and sank deep into thought.

While more often than not females gave birth to Buterfluas children, men were capable of it. Still, finding a male couple willing to do so was rare. Other than the fact that it was dangerous without a doctor observing almost constantly, there was a risk of child and bearer dying. And there shouldn't be such a risk taken in a loveless couple.

"Rude, come on, get up," I sighed, standing to move to his bed. When he seemed to ignore my words I shook his shoulder much as Tseng had done not long before.

The man hissed in pain and moved away from my touch. Bothered by his reaction and his refusal to obey me, I threw back his blankets. The sight shocked me, and I could not speak. There was blood everywhere; soaked into the blankets, the sheets, and his pants. Yet more noticeable than the crimson were the large black wings that were soaked in it. They really were lovely things, those dark wings, but I did not stop to worship their beauty. The silver and violet mixed in with the black of his wings held my tongue a moment.

"Oh Gods…"

"Don't call Hhojyodeymga," Rude croaked.

"I have to. You're marked!"

"No… If you must call someone, make it Tailye."

Tailye, that name was familiar. Yes, the woman that tended to my wings. While I did not know why he asked it, I obeyed his request. My feet carried me to the door and I opened it. Luckily I was met by the smiling Rufus, whose fist was poised to knock. I grabbed the man by the wrist and pulled him into the room. The healer was flustered, but more so when I slammed the door closed.

"What is going on?" he asked.

"Stay here and do what you can for him. Let none by myself pass into this room. Protect him as you would protect me, brother. I have to fetch a priestess. And do not, under any circumstances, tell anyone what is going on or send a summons for the High Priest. Got it?"

Rufus merely nodded when he laid his eyes upon the sight in the dark bed, "Yes Reno. I'll do what I can for him while you are gone. Be quick my friend, he seems to have lost a lot of blood, and soon they'll come to cut him…"

I nodded, understanding just what he meant. If those were his wings he had lied to me previously. The wings of the High Priests grew back in less than a year. So those men he trained with and under knew of him and had been the ones to cut him savagely. The body probably didn't even have time to heal fully before they regenerated, and were again taken. So I ran, without answering to anyone that saw me, to the Temple of Cytledorma that was housed in the castle. I barely paused even when I stripped myself and threw on a purified robe so I might enter the sacred place. In the middle of the black marble pillars that suspended the alter twenty feet from the ground, was Tailye, her black gown pulled tight around her dark skin. The female seemed tired, but waiting, a bag in one hand and a large black book hovering before her.

"Tailye," I said with a bow.

"It is Rudelynth, is it not? He needs me."

"How did you know?"

"You chose him as your guardian, and his wings were due soon. Knowing him, he'd refuse to see my lord Hhojyodeymga, and would ask for me… For many years they have done this to him, as Hhojyo demands. But the man is wiser now, stronger too. Now Rude knows he is safe as your guardian, and one day he will be the High Priest… But he is ever yours. And did I not tell you to be careful with him?"

"What!?"

"Silence. Please take me to my brother."

0

"Tailye," Rudelynth groaned as he laid eyes on her.

"Does he still bleed?" the female asked Rufus softly.

"I successfully stopped it. Took all my magical knowledge to heal the skin," Rufus replied.

"Hold this my Prince," she commanded me, handing over the black book and opening it once I had a good grip on the weighty obsidian cover. "Lord Rufus, you will assist me. Open my bag and take out the black dove's feather, the vial of blue liquid and the small black bottle. And be quick about it!"

"Tailye," Rude groaned again, reaching out for her.

"Lay on your stomach little brother. Do not worry; I won't let them cut you. Relax my little Rune… I'm here now."

"Tale," Rude sighed as the woman ran a hand over his bald head.

"Lord Rufus, mix the liquid and powder from the bottle in a small bowl. Then give me the bowl and the feather…"

Neither Rufus nor I had ever seen the sealing ritual that supposedly kept the wings of the priests safe, so we watched Tailye in silent awe. She painted the paste Rufus had made around the scared skin and the bases of the four wings. Then she carefully cleaned, anointed, and painted Rude's wings with silver, onyx and amethyst. Then she put the man to sleep with a simple spell and turned to us.

"You must take his wings."

"What? Why?" Rufus demanded.

"For his safety. Hhojyo will have him poisoned if we do not do this. I have seen, by the will of Cytledorma, the future. In a year it will be his time to act. Now come, you must carefully take his wings. He will not hate you for it if you are gentle and heal his back. Please do this for me."

After some hesitation we agreed, both receiving thin silver blades with gold handles. It was a very slow process, for causing harm to the wings of such a holy being was punishable by death. So carefully Rufus and I cut the delicate appendages off, as to not harm them, or Rude, any more than needed. While it took us two hours to do what, to humans, might seem simple, we finished rather quickly. Tailye took the great wings and wrapped hem in silk. These, she said, would be preserved with the others of the High Priests (and the others of Rude's). Before she fled she begged us to take good care of her little brother, and promised to return soon to tell us the whole story of the man who she called Rune…