WARNINGS: This contains Slash, and abuse, as well as mpreg. It is dark and treats themes for mature audience. Do not read if you don't like it.
*Disclaimer: I don't own Thundercats, or any character or event associated to it, and I'm not making any money from this fiction.
CHAPTER 09. CEREMONY.
Jareid lied in bed with Tygra's unmoving form in his arms. He had the unwelcome feeling that he was holding an unresponsive doll. He knew that Tygra was awake, but had not made any attempt to change his position. There was no more sobbing, and no more tears. The jaguar prince was confused. What could have triggered Tygra's outburst? Was his brother really that important to him?
Jareid felt jealousy rise in him all of a sudden. Tygra was his! He should not have such strong feelings for anyone else! He was his family now!
He grabbed the back of Tygra's head and forced the teen to look at him. He wanted to make it clear that Tygra didn't need anyone else but him. However, the brown eyes that stared back at him with no emotion at all stopped him on his tracks. They were dull, and dead. Jareid had the impression that those eyes were staring right through him and not seeing anything. He didn't like them. He wanted Tygra to react, and so he said the first thing that came to mind.
"So much grief over a troublesome kit. You don't need him. I should be good enough for you!"
A mirthless phantom of a smile, and then Tygra spoke, his voice monotonous and as dead as his eyes.
"Funny you say that. When it's I the one not good enough. Never good enough."
Jareid scowled at Tygra.
"What does that mean?"
The tiger shrugged and continued staring at him. He made no move to try to free himself from the painful grasp that Jareid had on his mane.
"It doesn't really matter. It's just a matter of time before you too decide that you want something better. Someone better."
"What are you talking about? How many times have I told you that you're mine Tygra? You belong to me! You're my gift."
"So you say. So they said too."
Jareid blinked in confusion. His free hand grabbed the tiger's jaw a bit roughly.
"Who?"
"They. My parents. Mother used to tell me that I was their gift. Her little prince."
Jareid softened his grip on Tygra. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know how to deal with Tygra's strange mood.
"Your birth mother?"
Tygra shook his head in denial. He gave a soft sigh, but his voice continued in its dead tone.
"Never met her. I don't remember anything before Thundera. They said that I fell from the sky in a floating basket. The king and queen had wished so long for a cub, so they took me. Mother said that I was a gods' send. Something precious."
Jareid looked as Tygra's eyes filled slowly with sadness. He wanted to growl. He didn't consider that as an improvement. Tygra continued after a short pause and a soft sigh.
"But I wasn't what she needed. They didn't want a tiger. She tried again to get pregnant. To give Claudus the heir he wanted. I couldn't be the future king. Mother wanted a lion cub, even if it killed her… and it did… She died because I was not a lion."
Tygra's eyes focused and Jareid knew that he'd never forget the hurt reflected in them.
"So, you see? In the end, not even a gods' gift was good enough."
Jareid growled and held Tygra close. He didn't know what to do. How could he ever hope to comfort Tygra? The root of the problem was deep within the tiger's past. Jareid understood that Tygra felt abandoned. Not wanted.
"I'll never leave you." He said because he honestly couldn't think of anything else. Tygra answered softly.
"You say that now."
A deep growl escaped Jareid's throat. He was going to hurt someone. He didn't know who, but someone surely was to blame for his mate's sadness.
The ring of a bell distracted him. It was the alarm that told him that someone was at the door of his set of rooms, asking for entrance. He left Tygra on the bed and hurried to answer. He hoped it was Bengali, because he needed help.
Thankfully he was still dressed. He had never gotten to rid himself, or Tygra, off their clothes last night. So, he was able to go open the door without delay.
Bengali was at the other side, a cheerful expression on his face, and a teen lion beside him. Jareid stopped and blinked at them.
"Look who was hiding in the storage compartments! I brought him here because Tygra was so upset yesterday, I thought he'd like to see his brother."
Jareid stared stupidly at the young lion, barely noticing the snarf on the teen's arms, or the dark cloak over his shoulder. He stood there gaping for the few moments it took for his brain to catch up on the fact that Tygra's brother was really in front of him. Then he grabbed the teen's shoulder and dragged him through the sitting room. He hastily opened the door to the study and unceremoniously shoved Lion-O inside, ordering him to go talk to his brother. He closed the door immediately and turned around to confront the confused white tiger.
Lion-O almost fell on his face when Jareid pushed him into the study. He glared indignantly at the closed door and cursed under his breath, damning selfish, egotistical, princes to hell and back. Then he looked around him in confusion. Why was he in Jareid's study?
Soon however, he spotted the arch that opened to the last of the rooms, and Lion-O let Snarf jump to the floor and guide the way.
Tygra didn't move from his position. What was the point? Jareid's only interest in him was in bed, so he should stay there. He wanted to scratch his arms badly, and he started to bit his inner lip strong enough to draw blood. He focused on the pain and closed his eyes while he bit again, and again. He welcomed the pain. Anything that distracted him from the deep, overwhelming ache in his heart was welcomed. His claws started to scratch his left upper arm vigorously. He wanted to stop thinking. He wanted to forget.
Something landed on the bed. Tygra could feel the light disturbance on the mattress. However, he didn't react until he sensed a presence in front of his face, and a wet tongue licked his nose. Tygra's eyes widened in alarm. For some seconds he couldn't do anything but stare at the furry face before him.
"Snarf?"
"Wow. This place is huge!"
Tygra bolted upright and gaped at his brother, who was looking around the room in awe.
"I don't think that even father's bedroom is this big! You could fit a small army on the bed!"
Snarf mewled in agreement. Tygra was absolutely stunned. Lion-O looked out the window, still in awe of the room.
"The view is astounding! You can see the entire yard, and the east garden. And the jungle!"
Tygra closed his mouth and gave a deep breath. After a few more seconds he felt like he could talk.
"Lion-O. What are you doing here?" He inquired softly. The young lion climbed on the bed.
"Come on Tygra! You seriously didn't think that I'd leave you here, with all the cool things to do to yourself, did you? You know I love this place!"
Tygra crossed his legs to be more comfortable, and considered his brother.
"Does father know that you're here?"
Lion-O shrugged while he petted Snarf. The pet had found a cosy spot to curl into.
"I left a note." He said nonchalantly.
"You…? Lion-O!"
Before his brother could lecture him, the young lion launched himself towards Tygra, and put his arms around the surprised tiger's neck, hugging him tight for all he was worth. After only a few seconds, Tygra was returning the hug, just as tightly.
No one talked for long minutes. Tygra was doing a supreme effort to drown the sobs that stubbornly wanted to get out. When had his little brother become so important for his sanity? Surely it was not normal to feel so lost, just because he had thought that his sibling had gone away. He barely heard Lion-O speaking.
"You're my brother. I need you. I could never leave you alone. I promised."
Tygra clenched his eyes shut to deny the tears that were threatening to fall. He breathed deeply twice, and rubbed his cheek against his brother's mane.
"Lion-O… Thank you."
Baal couldn't help it when the servants informed him of the little lion they had found in the cargo. He laughed.
To tell the truth, he had been counting on Lion-O not being happy with Claudus' decision. He had expected the rascal to get in touch with Xiao or Bengali, and to press his father to let him return to his brother's side. Baal had been prepared to send someone to pick up the brat. He had been sure that Lion-O would eventually manage to convince Claudus to let him go. It seemed that the lion cub had surpassed his expectations and had saved them the need for another travel. Claudus must be seething.
Jareid was annoyed as hell, and for a moment Baal feared that his son would do something stupid. Thankfully, Tygra's improved mood seemed to mollify his stubborn – and jealous – mate. Jareid ended up grudgingly approving of Lion-O's actions. After all, who'd want to be stuck in such a boring place like Thundera? It was evident that Jareid thought very little of the city, and Baal knew that his son would consider any place that lacked tech boring.
Thundera's cleric had been fuming. He demanded that Lion-O was returned home without delay. He pointed out that there was a signed pact that prevented the prince from ever returning to Ix-Maal. The High Shaman had to inform the cleric, with great pleasure, that while the pact stated that no one could force Lion-O to visit Ix-Maal, it didn't say anything that stopped the lion prince from going to the jaguars' city by his own volition.
Since Lion-O had travelled to the jungle without anyone noticing, Baal didn't have the obligation to return him. After all, if Claudus couldn't keep track of his own offspring it was not Baal's fault. Furthermore, his engineers talked wonders about the little lion's abilities. It was clear that the teen had a talent that could not be appreciated in his own home. Why let it go to waste?
Besides, they couldn't have Tygra in a depressive crisis this close to the ceremony. Bengali had reported Tygra's reaction to his brother's apparent absence and Baal hadn't liked it one bit. The tiger prince evidently had too many issues concerning family that had not been allowed to express themselves, therefore have not healed. Baal knew that Jareid was hardly the most ideal person to put whatever were Tygra's fears to rest, but he'd have to do. And he better do it quickly, because after the ceremony there still was another little bomb that they'd have to drop on Tygra.
For the moment it was enough that the young tiger was in as good a disposition as he could be for the mating ceremony. They'd sort other problems when they presented themselves.
Tygra stared at his mirror reflexion, trying to make sense of the fact that his ceremony was taking place in only a few more minutes. He was in a changing room, specially prepared for that day. Bengali had helped him to get ready, though it really wasn't much to be done. The attire he was wearing was very simple, but elegant in its own right. Formal white trousers, and feet wear that was comfortable enough. A white, loose robe, sleeveless, and knee length, with a golden pattern of glyphs all along the edge. No buttons, so his chest was fairly on the open. The fabric was soft and really light, and Tygra had the fleeting sensation that he was wearing nothing at all. His neck was exposed, and Jareid's mark was all too evident to whoever wanted to look for it.
He absently thought that white was not really his colour.
He sighed in resignation. He was nervous, and he really shouldn't be. He was just fulfilling a requirement for the alliance between Thundera and Ix-Maal to be official. What was to be nervous about? It was just a ceremony! It wasn't as if he had not been sleeping in Jareid's bed for months!
He growled in frustration. He couldn't help it, he was bloody nervous!
He started nibbling his lower lip absently, wishing that the shamans hurried up so they could start already.
"You really should find another way to show your anxiety. You're gonna give Ben a coronary."
Tygra turned his head towards the voice. Jareid was approaching him in very much the same attire as him. The tiger blushed. He still was embarrassed about his actions the previous day. He had conducted himself like a little kit! He clenched his fists and pressed his lips in a thin line.
"… Sorry… Should you be here?"
"I don't really care. We are already mated."
Tygra huffed and turned back to see his reflexion.
"Besides, you still need something."
He produced a jade pendant and hung it around Tygra's neck. The tiger analyzed it curiously in the mirror. It fell right at the middle of his chest. In it was engraved a moon and a dagger. The clan's symbol. There were runes marking the periphery of the circle. Tygra couldn't distinguish them very well. Jareid leaned over him from behind and kissed his neck. His hands roamed over Tygra's arms and stopped to lightly trace the claw marks that the tiger had inflicted on himself during his break down.
Tygra blushed again. The marks were barely visible, but Bengali had noticed them, and had thrown a fit about them. Jareid straightened and looked at their joined reflexion.
"You look precious."
Tygra gulped. There were a myriad of feelings in his hearth at the time. Strangely, the one he acknowledged was relief that he had grown quite a bit on the last year. The top of his head now reached Jareid's lips. The difference between their heights and body built was still glaringly noticeable, but at least he no longer looked like a bloody child at Jareid's side. They could do the part of a young, "happy" couple quite well.
Jareid pressed his chest against Tygra's back. His hands took advantage of the design of the open robe and one of them roamed over the youth's belly, while another playfully pinched a tender nipple. Tygra groaned, but made no effort to stop Jareid. He had had an entire year to get used to the jaguar's hands touching every part of his body. He knew he couldn't deny Jareid anything. His pride had capitulated a long time ago. The older prince had conditioned him too well. However, when a hand tried to insert itself under his trousers, both of his hands latched on to Jareid's arm in a panic.
"No! Please Jareid, not now."
The jaguar nibbled Tygra's ear, causing him shivers.
"Why? We still have plenty of time."
Tygra groaned. He didn't understand Jareid's apparent need to be all over him the moment he was within arms reach.
"Do you ever think of something that doesn't imply sex?"
Jareid smirked, and continued toying with his mate's nipples.
"Now, what would be the fun in that?"
"Jareid, please…"
"Jareid!"
The couple turned to the door where a flustered Bengali in full ceremonial regalia, was glaring disapprovingly at the prince. Tygra sighed in relief.
"What do you think you're doing? Leave Tygra alone!"
Jareid rolled his eyes, but complied with Ben's wishes and unhandled the orange tiger.
"Come on Ben! It's hardly inappropriate to touch my own mate!"
"It is if you're doing it when you should be already down for the ceremony! Get out of here! Honestly!"
Jareid gave a last kiss to Tygra's head and marched out of the room with a big smirk on his face.
Bengali huffed and hurried to Tygra's side to make sure that his attire had not been ruined.
"Really! I can't believe that cat! I should put a collar on him!"
Tygra chuckled. It was funny that Bengali held such power over Jareid. He knew that the jaguar only obeyed the shaman when it fit him, but it was still evident to him that Jareid preferred to keep peace with his stripped friend. It was a testament of how much the prince really appreciated that particular friendship.
Ben was satisfied that Jareid hadn't done much damage, and eyed the pendant on Tygra's neck.
"Ah, he had it. I was looking for that. Here, you should wear this too."
He took out a simple tiara. Tygra gasped in surprise. It was his tiara. The one he wore in Thundera for official events. His eyes looked to Ben's questioningly.
"The cleric brought it. He wanted to give it to you himself, but Baal has decided to be paranoid and ordered to not leave him alone with you. At least until the ceremony has ended. But if you want to speak with him I can stay here with you. I think he wanted to tell you something."
Tygra pressed his lips and thought about it. The cleric surely had a message from Claudus. Tygra's right hand automatically went to his left arm and his fingers brushed over the scars he had inflicted. He felt Bengali tense, ready to stop him if needed. Tygra sighed, suddenly grateful that Claudus was not there after all. He knew that the king would be able to see that he was not the same tiger that had once lived in Thundera. He didn't want his father to know how much he had changed. The lion would be disappointed, and Tygra didn't want to deal with that on top of everything else. He didn't worry too much about the cleric. It was improbable that the cat noticed anything wrong with him. He took the tiara from Bengali's hands and shook his head.
"No. Not now at least. Maybe later. That is, if Jareid would leave me alone long enough."
He gingerly put the thin golden circlet on top of his head and sighed at his reflexion. Ben smiled encouragingly at him.
"You look really handsome."
The white tiger chuckled at the embarrassed groan of the young one, and patted his shoulder blades.
"Come on, let's get this over with."
Tygra nodded and went without protest.
The ceremony was being held inside the Sanctuary. A pyramid like structure, big enough to house about a hundred people. Only the High council and close family were allowed to witness the ceremony. Thundera's Cleric was permitted to attend due to be Claudus' representation.
There was to be a celebration after the ceremony was over, and that was open to whoever wanted to be there. One of the gardens had been already prepared. Most of the city was going to be in attendance. It was a rare occasion that the palace's gardens were open to the public.
Tygra stood in front of a small altar in the middle of the Sanctuary. He eyed the items laid down there a bit suspiciously. He had memorized the ritual that was going to take place and knew what was expected of him. It was an alliance bonding ritual. One of the most simple, but powerful in its own right. Anything that used blood to seal a pact was. Anxiousness ran through Tygra's spine again and he looked around to cover his nerves.
The Sanctuary didn't look so big from the inside. The white walls were covered in wines that at the time were entirely full of blooming flowers, white and purple. They ran along the space given to them forming arches and triskels. There was a ritual circle on the floor made of salt and earth, with runes surrounding the centre where the altar stood. Floating above the periphery were bouquets of blood red flowers with a single white one in every one. The place was inundated in light. The top of the pyramid was constructed with a translucent stone that looked like crystal, allowing the sun to illuminate and warm the inside of the Sanctuary. Tygra thought that everything looked very pretty. Now if only he would stop feeling anxious.
Jareid was at his side, looking amusedly at him. Bastard.
Tygra was somewhat relieved that there were relatively few cats inside the Sanctuary with them. Besides the high council and their respective families, only five shamans were present. Four of them were taking their places outside the ritual circle and the High Shaman would be guiding the little ceremony. Tygra shuddered, thinking about the amount of people he had seen on their way to the Sanctuary. It was not far from the palace, but they had had to cross a long street full of curious citizens to get there. He berated himself mentally. He had never been shy. What the hell was wrong with him?
The High Shaman stood up to the altar signalling that everything was ready to begin. Tygra sighed deeply and turned slightly to face Jareid. The jaguar's hands took his and Tygra made an effort to keep his eyes open and not bit his lips. Jareid was dressed in the same clothes he was. The only difference between their attires was the tiaras. Tygra's circlet was made of gold and had a single small ruby at the forefront. Jareid's was made of jade, like the pendant, with white and purple quartz forming a rune at the front. The High Shaman began the rite, and the candles on the altar lighted. The smell of copal filled the air as the Shaman called on the Spirits to bear witness to the bonding taking place. Tygra inhaled the strong aroma and surprisingly felt more relaxed. He barely took notice of the other four shamans chanting quietly in the background or the tenuous luminescence that the circle on the floor took. He was only focused on Jareid's words.
"I, Jareid of the jaguar clan, crown prince of Ix-Maal, am here to seal the alliance between our people, by taking you, Tygra, as my life partner. May this bonding honour the pact our clans have agreed upon."
Tygra gulped and said his part, almost the same as Jareid's, only changing a few words.
"I, Tygra of the lion's clan by adoption, prince of Thundera, am here to seal the alliance between our people by accepting you, Jareid, as my life partner. May this bonding honour the pact our clans have agreed upon."
They both were handed a ritual obsidian dagger, and Tygra almost flinched. This part of the ritual had not been to Bengali's liking due to Tygra's emotional issues, but it was necessary to seal their bonding. Both princes held the sharp edge of the daggers at their right palms and sliced at the same time. Then they joined their injured hands and pressed. The mixed blood fell onto a quartz calyx that the high shaman held under their hands. It had been previously filled with a ritual beverage. The transparent liquid turned crimson and both cats recited together the last part of their dialog.
"We join our lives, to make new blood together."
There was something about this particular ritual at the back of Tygra's mind that was starting to try to get the tiger's attention. Some information that he had deemed unnecessary. Alas, this was not the time to be wondering about it. Jareid had taken the calyx and drank half of its contents, and was now presenting it to Tygra. The tiger took it and drank what was left, making a face at the strong taste of alcohol and blood. The drink burned his throat, and he had to do a supreme effort to swallow all of it 'till the last drop. He felt a bit dizzy when the Shaman took the calyx away from him and handed him a cloth to bandage his still bleeding hand. Damn! He should have asked what exactly he was going to drink. The ritual liquid of the clerics was made of seeds, but this was far stronger. Tygra breathed and put his hands on Jareid's again, thankful to have something to ground himself. The shaman was reciting the last part of the ritual.
"May this bonding bring peace and prosperity to our clans, and the spirits' blessings guide you in your future together."
Tygra was barely aware of the bouquets of flowers exploding and showering them with red and a few white petals. The shamans were chanting the last words to close the ritual and Jareid kissed him. Tygra was afraid to move too much, he was still feeling disoriented.
"Are you all right? You look a bit off."
Tygra gulped and leaned on Jareid's side to walk out of the Sanctuary.
"I'm fine, just…"
The first steps were awkward and he had to grab Jareid's arm. He scowled at the chuckle that he could hear form the jaguar.
"It's not funny! And what the hell was in that drink anyway?"
"Oh, not used to strong liquors my tiger? Sorry, I thought that Bengali had told you."
"I didn't think to ask."
"Well, it's really just a spirit from lychee. A bit strong, but you should be fine in no time."
Tygra growled, but he didn't have the opportunity to complaint more. They stopped at the Sanctuary's entrance and his eyes grew wide when he looked at the amount of people present. It seemed like the entire city was waiting for them In the Sanctuary's front yard.
"People of Ix-Maal. Here you have your future royal couple!"
There was a general ovation and Tygra felt a bit overwhelmed. He knew that Ix-Maal was smaller than Thundera, but at the moment he could have sworn that it had twice the population. Jareid smiled widely and greeted the masses. Tygra did his best to follow his example. After a few moments he had sobered up entirely and had fell into the comfortable role of prince. He had survived the ceremony. He could survive the party just as well.
The palace gardens were big, but Tygra was still astounded that so many people had fit in there. And it didn't look so crowded that you couldn't move around. Everyone had wanted to be present for the toast. Tygra looked around as everybody mingled and admired the gardens.
Some servants were distributing snacks and drinks and some couples were dancing. He and Jareid had already danced the first piece, as was tradition, and then they had took their seats at their table. There was going to be a feast later, and Tygra was honestly waiting for it. Now that he was considerably calmer, he was starting to get hungry.
He glanced at his side, where a noble female was blatantly flirting with Jareid. The jaguar looked very amused by her efforts, and Tygra rolled his eyes in contempt. He knew that Jareid would eventually want a consort. Who was going to provide him an heir? And the females of the court were preying on the one thing they knew they could give to the crown prince. Still, did they have to be so shameless?
He wanted to stand up and go in search of Lion-O, who surely was up to some mischief somewhere, but Jareid's hand grabbing his was preventing him from doing so. The jaguar had not released his hand since they had left the Sanctuary, and his grip tightened every time Tygra moved to get away. It was very annoying.
The girl in front of them practically lay down on the table to try and kiss Jareid, and Tygra growled. He finally managed to free his hand, only to have Jareid's arm around his waist pulling him against his mate's side. He had to grab Jareid's thigh to prevent himself from falling off the chair. Jareid kissed his mouth soundly and Tygra could hear the scoff of scorn that the girl gave. He pushed Jareid away and glared at him. The jaguar prince chuckled.
"Don't be so upset my tiger. You know I prefer to have you in my arms than any of them."
"I'm not upset!" Tygra said, but he felt satisfied that the woman had gone away. "If they want to throw themselves at your feet, they could at least show some decency and do it in private."
Jareid smirked, amused.
"Tygra, you know decency is not a trait many of the court exhibit."
"Well, they should!"
Jareid kissed him again, and both of them returned to look at the party and made small talk with whatever cat that approached them.
After some time, Tygra finally managed to get away from Jareid to have a walk around with his Hunter friends. The jaguar had not been happy to let him go, but Bengali had distracted him while Tygra had made his escape. He just needed a bit of space, he felt crowded enough as it was.
He spent some moments chatting with his teammates, and then he walked around the garden, looking for Lion-O. He spotted him near a fountain with other kits around his age, and walked towards them, just to make sure that his brother was not causing troubles. He was intercepted however, by the Thunderian cleric, who had not had the opportunity to talk with him until then.
"My prince, a word if you please."
"Of course. Yabin is it?"
"Yes. It's been quite difficult to get to you."
Tygra shrugged noncommittally.
"Well, it's been pretty busy."
"I understand."
Yabin looked significantly towards the main table, where Jareid was apparently discussing something with his father. Tygra shrugged again and felt little hands grabbing his right arm. He glanced downwards to realize that Yeana had attached herself to him. He let her be, and focused his attention on the cleric. The puma scanned their immediate surroundings quickly and nodded. He guided Tygra to a spot where a trellis hid them from direct view of the main table and they were more or less isolated. He didn't notice the little girl on Tygra's arm.
"My prince, I know this situation is hard on you, but your father is confident that you're going to perform your duty to the best of your abilities. He knows that he has placed a heavy burden on you, but he also knows that it won't break you. You only have to remember that it's your people you saved. When you're in prince Jareid's bed tonight you'd just have to focus on doing your part, have in mind that it's only your duty, nothing more."
Tygra was blushing fiercely. He nodded at the cleric, but prayed that the cat would just wish him luck and be done with it. Fortunately he didn't think that Yeana understood what they were talking about, or he might just die of embarrassment. The cleric continued.
"The prince is honour bound to treat you respectfully. He has the obligation to be sure that you're as comfortable as possible giving the circumstances. If you feel anything amiss, or if he hurts you, you are to stop him immediately."
Tygra wanted to scoff in derision. He only stopped himself because he didn't want the cleric to know that it was already too late for any piece of advice he'd want to give. And how exactly was he supposed to stop Jareid anyway? There was no stopping the jaguar once he had set his mind! And there was no fighting him either! Tygra had already tried and had gotten himself raped for his efforts. He shuddered at the memory and tried to cover it by nodding.
"I understand. You don't have to worry."
The cleric returned the nod, satisfied.
"You also must remember that your obligation with the prince is only for tonight to seal the pact, but after this you don't have to share his bed anymore. You can put as much distance between you as possible. If he wants to satisfy his needs, he can do it elsewhere. You don't have to stop him. You can even encourage him to find a consort, that way he wouldn't have an excuse to touch you again. Given what I'd heard about him, he won't need much encouragement. He'd leave you alone."
Tygra scoffed this time. As if. Jareid was obsessed with him, and Tygra had already resigned himself to the fact that he couldn't do anything to make the jaguar leave him alone. The cleric then put a hand on the tiger's shoulder.
"I know that live away from home is hard, much more in your situation my prince. But you're strong enough to take care of yourself. Besides, with your brother in Thundera again, you won't have to worry about him."
Tygra scowled.
"Lion-O is here. I thought…"
"He's here because he has never been good at following orders. He's supposed to stay in Thundera, where he belongs. I'm taking him back with me, so don't worry, he's not going be bothering you any more."
Tygra almost growled. He didn't like the undertone of despise that he noticed in the cleric's voice when talking about Lion-O. He felt Yeana pressing herself at his back and he resisted the urge to punch the puma.
"My brother is not causing me any trouble. Quite the contrary, in fact, he has been a great help. And I really doubt that Baal would waste time sending him to Thundera, when he obviously would only find a way to turn back."
"He has the duty to be in his own city, you know that my prince. Your brother has obligations there, and he shouldn't be allowed to ignore them! He has been allowed laziness for far too long! I know that you'd prefer him within range, so you can make sure he's not causing problems with his… recklessness. He has been like your charge since he was born. But leave the burden to your father my prince. He's going to take care of it."
Tygra clenched his teeth. A bit late, after thirteen years of just ignoring Lion-O's needs. He didn't want his brother taken away from him, and the reason was very different from the one the cleric had expressed. He was about to make that clear to the puma, but the cleric had not finished yet.
"Besides, you only have to endure one more year in this hellish place, and then you'd return home too."
Tygra felt like a bucket of ice cold water had been poured on him. He stared at the cleric in complete shock.
"What? B-but, the treaty…"
"It's the reason why your father realized that there was no need to worry. If the treaty remains as it is, you'd have no more reason to stay here in a years' time. You'd be able to return home and to your family then."
Tygra knew he was gaping. That just couldn't be true.
"What does it say exactly?"
The puma smiled, and patted Tygra's arm.
"Nothing that stands on plain view of course. But have in mind that every bonding has certain conditions that must be fulfilled."
Tygra was trying to make sense of the cleric's words, and about to demand further explanation when a servant interrupted them to tell them that the feast was ready to begin. Tygra had to return to Jareid's side for the toast, and the cleric gave him a final encouraging gesture before disappearing among the people to go to his place. Tygra felt Yeana pulling at his arm insistently.
"It's not true Tygra. I know it's not true! Both you and Lion-O are living here with us. Father said so!"
The tiger looked down. He had momentarily forgotten about Jareid's sister's presence. He tried to smile reassuringly at her.
"You're right Yeana. He must be confused. Come, let's go to our seats."
They picked Lion-O on their way, and walked together to the main table. When they were closer, both Yeana and Lion-O ran to their seats. Well, Lion-O sat at his place, and Yeana climbed on her father's lap. Tygra watched the small girl hurriedly telling something to Baal, and the king's brows frowning in annoyance. Tygra clenched his fists. Of course Baal had no qualms in sending his daughter to spy on Tygra. She was perfect for the job. The cleric had never realized that their little chat had had a witness.
The tiger prince was terribly confused. He looked around him and back at the main table. The cleric was mistaken. He had to be. Why would Baal go through the trouble to prepare all of this if the mating was only going to last a year? It made no sense!
Yabin had mentioned the ritual, but Tygra couldn't, for the life of him, remember anything that could possibly be wrong with the ritual. It had been carefully planned and performed flawlessly. There hadn't been anything out of place, and no error in the process. It was a life-time bonding for the spirits' sake! Last time Tygra checked a year was not the definition of life-time!
A hand rested on his lower back and he turned to find Jareid practically over him.
"Are you all right? Father said I'd better come for you."
Tygra sighed. He needed to think, and it was evident that he was in the wrong place to do it.
"It's nothing. The cleric just gave me a message from my father, but it doesn't really make sense, so…"
"Forget it."
Tygra stared at Jareid in surprise. The jaguar had a hard expression on his face.
"Uh?"
"Forget it Tygra. Whatever he said, it doesn't concern you anymore." A hand was suddenly grabbing Tygra's neck from behind, and Jareid pulled the teen towards himself. Tygra gasped and put his hands against Jareid's chest. "I've told you, you're mine. This is your home now. Forget about Thundera, whatever happens there is not your problem. You're never going back there."
Tygra looked at Jareid's eyes, to the spark of obsession that was there. He understood in that moment that even if the cleric was right, and there really was a way for him to return home, it didn't matter. Jareid was not letting him go away. He'd never let Tygra go.
"I know. I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying here with you."
Jareid nodded, satisfied with Tygra's answer. Then his hand released the tiger's neck and grabbed the slender hip. He guided his mate to the table for the toast, and the words that would preside the feast.
Some hours later, both princes retired to their room to spend what was to be their first night as an "official" couple.