Jaenelle sat next to him and pulled the covers down to his bruised knees. Ever so lightly she touched the scares she created on his chest , on his stomach. Traced the scares on his thighs from that first night. Tried not to cry. Looked down to where his ring should be and winced. Lightly touched just above the space, touch the space just below his stomach. Her nail turned razor sharp as it cut into his skin. Blood poured out as his muscles tightened. It wasn't a long cut but it was deep. Then her fingers passed into the cut, as Daemon's breathing because erratic. Even in sleep tears flowed from his eyes as he made painful moans.
Lucivar thought he would be sick. Though he would be able to keep his stomach. Was almost glad he hadn't eaten much of his brother's meal.
Her fingers came out of the fresh cut. Daemon's ring of honor wrapped around her fingers. Pus flowed out a moment later. Followed by the fowl smell of rot. Jaenelle fought to hold her stomach. Lucivar couldn't. was more then glad that there was a basin close by.
She cleaned the wound and place the ring into the water. Packed ice around where the blood was still pulling from. Then waited till the bleeding stopped. Waited till Daemon's tears stopped pouring. Waited till she could bring words to her voice. Trying not to tremble forced her self to say, " Lucivar can you get him in the tub?"
He just nodded. Unsure if he talked if he would be able to keep what was left of his stomach down. As he floated his brother back into the bathroom he watched as Jaenelle meekly stepped out of the room. Next to the bed she had left the ring and a jar of salve. On the bed next to the pillow a small envelope.
Daemon woke as his body touched the nearly hot water. Fought hard not to scream. Not to curl up in a tight ball or put his hands where the pain was at it's worse. Though his tears he could barely make out his bother holding him down in the water. " Lucivar? I thought….." it didn't matter what he thought. He was in pain and his brother wasn't helping matters.
" you have an infection. Your healer had to try something. Just sit back the water will help." he winced when he had said healer, but he didn't know how to tell Daemon that Jaenelle had ordered the bath soak, nor did he know if he should.
The water felt too hot on his skin and his muscles between is stomach and organ were throbbing in blister pain, but his brother was holding him in the water…. He looked in those gold eyes and decided not his brother the queens first escort. Duty to ones queen always superseded the loyalty to ones family. He let out a quiet sigh. He was alone, every person he had known as a friend would now treat him worse than an enemy and all he could do was accept it. Had to because his contract to the queen was a life long contract, and she could request anything from him including his flesh. Including his screams. He sank down in the water. He still had his pride and he would have his brother forcing him to lay in the water. Would force his brother to do more then his queen required.
He looked once more in those eyes. His heart ached. Saw something he didn't like. Saw pitty. No he had his pride and if his queen ordered him beaten every day till he died….. Well he had his pride and he wouldn't ever let his brother know how alone he was. He would never tell the queens first escort anything that would put him on the wrong side of Witch's temper. No he would sit in this water…. This damn scolding hot water and wait for what came next.
Lucivar didn't like how quiet his brother had got. Didn't like how passive he was becoming. And sure as the sun doesn't shine in hell, he did not like that last sigh. Was glad his brother wasn't shielding his thoughts. Though he did want to drag him out into one lakes and dump him there. Knew his brother would never tell him why the change, decided to guess instead. Or at least try to drag it out of him. " after you soak for a while , you can rest till evening meal. Marian and Mrs. Beal have been running the kitchen staff ragged."
" Mrs. Beal is here?" Daemon smiled at the thought of her and her meat cleaver.
" um…. Well both her and her meat cleaver are. As well as most of the staff from the hall."
Daemon looked up wasn't sure what he was seeing in his brother's eyes. Hoped what he was seeing wasn't his brother's way of hinting that the staff had been hurt. " are they …."
" they're all fine . Somewhat shaken but between Helen and Mrs. Beal they'll be fine in a day of so. Don't expect them to be very polite to your wife for a good while…."
He nearly leaped from the water. Would have if his legs would have listened to him, " she's here.. I felt …"
" Daemon calm down, your going to hurt yourself. " then laid him back in the water, or more like slammed a shield around him so he couldn't move. Then tried to sound calming, tried not to sound overly snarly, " there, relax …. I shouldn't have said that . I'm sorry."
They sat in silence till the water went cold. Till Daemon started to shiver because he hadn't said the water had gotten cold. Lucivar didn't know if he should be annoyed that his brother hadn't said something so simple, or pissed with himself for bringing up Jaenelle. Decided neither would help his brother.
He allowed Daemon the pride of walking back into the bedroom. Well helped him walk , helped him because he was using him more as a crutch then anything. Then helped him lower into the bed, and watched as Daemon forced himself not to show any signs of discomfort. Watched as he closed his eyes and curled up into a tight ball. Couldn't watch as his fingers laced behind his head.
Lucivar hissed. Knew anger had no room when a person was healing but stubbornness did. He called in a dressing down lightly tossed it on the ball that was his brother and snapped., " put that on."
" why" Daemon looked miserable and now annoyed.
Annoyed was good, grumpy was better." because I said so."
Daemon didn't make his brother ask twice. His mind was trying to reason with itself. Trying to reason that Lucivar was really helping him but then again he should be loyal to his queen first. It Didn't make since. So for now what could he do but do what his brother asked. He used basic craft to pass through the material , had to so he wouldn't move too much then laid back down.
Climbing into the bed next to his brother Lucivar, Used craft he lifted his body enough to slide his dark membranous wing under him. Then very gently tried to move his brother so that he could fold his wings around him. Tried but Daemon was now shaking and his muscles bunching up. He let out a soft sigh and in a very calming voice said, " relax old son. Just relax."
his skin was numb but his muscles still ached. Add that to his brother trying to get him to lean in to him , he felt helpless. More than that he was showing a weakness that an eyrien warrior would pounce on. One his brother would use if his queen commanded….. In a weak whisper he started to speak, " Lucivar…"
He continued to speak letting his words wrap a calming spell around his mess of a brother, ' there , remember we use to sleep like this…"
Daemon felt the calming spell. Wouldn't fight it. Couldn't right now if he wanted to. " your wings were much smaller then."
He gave a soft laugh, " yes they were. Now lay back and get some rest." he let his hands warm Daemon's arms. Let himself draw in the heat that was slowly coming off his brother's body. Thought about taking him out to one of the lakes. Decided to wait to at lease morning to try it.
It took a few moments for Daemon to sift his weight around enough to get comfortable. Enough where his brothers wings could wrap tightly around him. didn't dare ask why his brother suddenly felt like protecting him , but was curious about his war blade rest so close. He reached his fingers out and touch the could metal. Quietly asked, " whose the blade for?
Feeling Daemon relax, Lucivar smiled. He laid with Daemonar like this sometimes. Laid with him because someone had scared him with stories about monster sneaking up from under his bed . And of course since he couldn't sleep neither would Marian or himself so… he had laid with his son to protect him form the non insistent monsters just as he was now laying with his brother, protecting him from his memories.
kept from grinning because he wanted to see how grumpy he could make his brother. How many times he would ask him about the war blade. Decided not to answer just yet. Mockingly said, " there all nice and safe now, old son."
Daemon felt the warmth from his brothers wings. For the first time understood why if his brother was cold he would wrap his wings around him . Understood because they were warmer then any warming spell. noticed his brother didn't answer his question. Again he asked. This time adding a bit of a growl to his voice " and who is the weapon for?"
And there was the growl he was looking for. Granted it was weak and very pathetic it was a growl. A sign his brother was feeling a little bit more stable. Wanting to make Daemon smile and also wanting to tell him he knew who had scared his son , he answered, " for any monsters that might try to come from under the bed."
Daemon settled in closer to his brother and closed his eyes. For the first time in months he could sleep. And for the first time his brother was his shield. In a sleepy voice right before he let sleep took him he said, " they weren't monsters they were hell hounds."
Feeling his brother slipping into sleep he wouldn't ask just yet, but he would ask much later why Daemon had thought to scare his son with stories of hell hounds. And he hoped they were only stories that Daemon had told." go to sleep old son. Just go to sleep."
Saetan felt the shields go up. Felt something close to a warning web. Not a spell but a web. Rushed up to the room both of his sons were in. knew it was a very light web. To light for a fully trained black widow but maybe….. No Lucivar wouldn't learn Black widow craft would he?
he stepped into the room. Watched as Lucivar's head turned to him. Saw the red haze in those eyes. " something wrong prince?"
" nothing would be wrong if someone wouldn't keep passing through my shields."
" ah," well he was the father so it was his right to rush past the shields if he had a reason too, " and why are your shields up? Not to mention why are you sleeping like you did as a child?"
" Daemon's not shielding." * not even his thoughts* he added on the ebon gray thread.
" no I don't think he can with out wearing his jewels?" I will have to ask about not shielding is thoughts. Maybe Karla…..no go to the source. Talk to Jaenelle
" and that's another thing where are his jewels?" he whispered. He Didn't want to disturb his brother but, hell he wanted to know.
" we'll find out when he wakes. Until then I'll be in the sitting room. While you…"
" protect my brother…. I don't want her in here till he's ready. I may be willing to forgive her but I doubt he'll be able too for a while."
Saetan sighed. Knew his son was speaking the truth. Knew Daemon well enough to know if he had his jewels he would have killed Jaenelle long before now. " I'll see to it."