Chapter 72

She saw Staefyn sporadically in the next several days and she wondered where he spent his time when he was not annoying her or servicing Xuxa. Quynn was not sure if she preferred his presence or his absence although her baby was active when Staefyn was nearby. He assured her that the child was healthy and that the baby would be a headstrong female which did not surprise her. Nor was she surprised that her daughter had given Staefyn signs that she would be born with her powers as Shamara had been. She suspected that they communicated and it bothered Quynn that her unborn child had a rapport with her unbalanced uncle.

This morning she decided to do something about the garden. It had become overgrown because the woman that had taken care of it had not been around in many days so Quynn suspected she had either attracted Kai's attention or had the good sense to flee the palace. Kai's anger over losing control of Dijana had not abated, not with the females he abused, not with the raids he led in the wastelands. Without the Varoonyan thralls that Princess Cydeara had failed to bring him, Kai could not challenge the might of the empire.

After working in the garden, Quynn relaxed in her bath, and then she dressed in an elegant tunic and silky pants, noting to herself that she would soon need new clothing. Her belly had thickened and since she could feel the faint movements of the child now, she knew that Staefyn was nearby and Quynn had a sense of anticipation, as if something was going to happen to put an end to the stalemate between the emperor and his rebellious son. So when Vaedra reported that a messenger had arrived to announce the imminent arrival of important visitors from court, Quynn hurried to the antechamber to see them.

Quynn arrived before Staefyn and she did not see Kai which relieved her. Since her last encounter with him, she avoided him as often as possible. Xuxa entered the hall, dressed and coiffed like a queen, glittering with jewels, and as the visitors, several men and a woman, bowed in obeisance, Quynn studied them. She did not recognize the men, but she had seen the woman before when Staefyn had allowed her to see Amyr and Yori through Jeshed's eyes. Keilana of house Caron stood among the men, her gaze downcast, her hands clasped before her. Had Taeron married her? If so, what was she doing here? Had she been captured by these men and brought to Staefyn?

"You are welcome to Guerani Palace," Xuxa said, and she gestured for them to rise as she sat on one of the two chairs placed as if she reigned at Staefyn's side. "I knew your grandfather, Caron."

Given her behavior at Guerani Palace, Quynn suspected that Xuxa had known him very intimately.

"Lord Renaeld was our father. I am Aevan, and this is my brother Caerl, and my sister Keilana." He indicated another portly man standing nearby, his gaze shifting nervously around the room. "We are accompanied by Wyrad of house Chasek."

"I remember Renaeld well. He was a friend of my son, Dilan." Xuxa was smiling at some memory and Quynn saw the members of house Caron shift with the same disgust that Quynn felt.

The doors swung open and Staefyn strode in, his brows together as he viewed the visitors. "What are they doing here?" he asked tersely, sparing a contemptuous look at the house Chasek male.

Aevan of house Caron bowed deeply to him. "My lord prince, we have come to Guerani Palace to offer you our support."

Staefyn did not react although Xuxa's delighted cry told Quynn that this development did not bode well for the emperor.

"Why should you offer your support to me?" demanded Staefyn suspiciously. "Your warriors make up the bulk of my father's forces."

Aevan smiled. "You are well informed, my lord prince."

"I have known that since I was a child," scoffed Staefyn. "I trained alongside many of those warriors, even you, Aevan, if you can call what you did training."

Affronted by his insinuation, Aevon stiffened. "I came to offer you my support, but if you do not want it, I can turn my warriors against yours and drive them out of the plains before I turn them against the emperor."

Staefyn narrowed his gaze on the man, and Quynn could see that he was not intimidated by the threat although Xuxa moved anxiously and stared intently at Staefyn. "You have not told me why you have broken the oath of your house to serve the emperor," Staefyn reminded him. "I am not inclined to trust a house of lazy oath breakers."

The males glanced at each other as if they were unsure how to respond to his insulting question. Xuxa looked dismayed that Staefyn would offend the men who were offering him a mighty army.

Curling his lip in scorn, Staefyn turned to leave, but he seemed to notice the female for the first time. If she thought he could desire a female other than Xuxa, Quynn would conclude that he looked interested in Keilana.

Her brothers exchanged glances and then Caerl seized her elbow and drew her forward. "I present to you the female of our house, Keilana."

Staefyn did not take the hand she held out to him and she seemed disconcerted by his rudeness. "You are the female that was to wed Crown Prince Taeron. What brings you here, Lady Keilana?" Aevan took a breath to speak, but Staefyn made a swiping motion with his hand that silenced him. "She can tell me why Crown Prince Taeron rejected her."

Pink crept up to her pale cheeks and Quynn thought she would not speak, but then she said, "I am the only female of house Caron. My father offered me to the crown prince, and he negotiated the nuptial agreement with the emperor himself. But when the Teralonian whore arrived at our oath ceremony, that bastard ignored the agreement and exchanged vows with her."

Quynn pressed her lips together to keep from crying out with joy for her brother. She knew that Taeron loved Dijana! Dijana surely returned his love and that was why she came to Calabria, not to be with Kai.

Staefyn smirked at the female whose cheeks grew even brighter, from shame or anger or both. "Perhaps you should have tried harder to make him forget Princess Dijana."

She gasped, but her brother did not give her a chance to respond when he moved forward, shouldering her aside so that he could face Staefyn. "Crown Prince Taeron has shamed our house."

"So you have come to me with your army because Taeron rejected your female?" Staefyn stared at them silently and she wondered if he was trying to read their minds, and his gaze rested on Keilana again as if he could not look away.

They shifted nervously under his gaze and then Caerl blurted, "When my lord father protested, the emperor attacked him and killed him with his hands."

"Your father was no warlord," said Staefyn contemptuously. "I doubt my lord father would kill your sire for no reason other than your father's demand for justice, especially when your father was within his rights to protest."

The males did not answer, but Keilana suddenly raised her head and Quynn sensed a change in her as she scowled at Staefyn. "Does it matter, my lord prince? My father is dead, and the bastard, Taeron, rejected the warriors of house Caron when he rejected me." Keilana came closer to Staefyn and raised her chin to look him in the eye. "Do you want the warriors of house Caron or not?"

The female was beautiful in an ethereal way, and Quynn supposed that a male might be attracted to her. Even bonded as he was, Staefyn seemed to be intrigued by Keilana, and Xuxa did not seem to mind. Why would she when an army came with the house Caron female.

Staefyn suddenly pursed his lips, the first sign that his bond was affecting him, and when Xuxa signaled for him to attend her, he crossed to her and leaned close so that she could murmur something in his ear that initially seemed to annoy him. But when he had stepped away to return to Keilana, his face had become an unreadable mask as he looked down at the pale, dark haired female.

"Have you come here seeking another prince, Lady Keilana?"

She parted her lips to speak, and by the rebellious flare in her eyes, she had a scathing response ready that Quynn would have enjoyed hearing, but her brother seized her arm and she pressed her lips together although her nostrils quivered as she glared at Staefyn.

Staefyn watched her for a moment before looking at her brothers. "I presume that you will demand that I take your female. But I cannot bond with her."

His announcement caused a discussion among them before Keilana spoke up despite a warning look from Aevan. "Why would I accept a male who refuses to bond? What reason do you have to refuse?"

"I am Guerani," he told her, which was not a lie, but not the answer to their question.

Keilana responded before her brothers could make any demands. "If you must join with me without the bonding, I will agree. I will have to trust your oath."

Quynn wondered if Staefyn's oath could be trusted.

Without any further consultation with her brothers, Staefyn reached out to take the delicate hand of female. "I take you as my mate, Keilana of house Caron."

"I take you as my mate, Staefyn of house Trey." She came close to him, raising her face for a kiss, but Staefyn released her and stepped back. "Make yourself ready to receive me."

Staefyn glanced around the hall, probably looking for a servant and his eyes fell briefly on Quynn who was standing beside Vaedra. She saw the sardonic look in his eyes and she almost laughed, wondering what he was going to do with his new bride. Xuxa did not seem bothered by the arrival of another female, especially when it included males that she looked over as if she were deciding upon a mount in the marketplace.

"Vaedra, show my bride to a chamber."

"There will be no feast to celebrate?" she asked, the wavering of her voice now betraying her uneasiness at being rushed to the bed that she thought she would be sharing soon with a man she had just met. If she knew the truth, she wouldn't be so worried, but Quynn doubted anyone would enlighten her.

Staefyn slowly turned to look at her. "You have been dismissed, female. Do as I said."

Aevan reached out to seize her, but Staefyn's voice stopped him.

"If you touch my mate, I will cut off your hand." Quynn was surprised by his vehemence and Aevan fell back a step.

"Forgive me, my lord prince. I only meant to …"

"I don't give a gods' damn what you meant to do. She is my female now." He looked back at Keilana who was staring at him in surprise. "Go to your chamber now or you will wish it was the males of your house punishing you instead of your mate."

She met his gaze and Quynn waited in breathless anticipation for what she would say to him when it appeared that Keilana was ready to explode in fury, but after a moment of silent staring between her and Staefyn, she walked stiffly past him and Quynn was surprised to see Staefyn turn his head to watch her. She wasn't so surprised to see that he was perspiring and looked as if he had eaten something that had gone bad many days ago. Keilana should could herself lucky that she didn't have to witness him heaving because Staefyn seemed to have gotten that revolting symptom of his bond under control.

Xuxa moved forward, brushing against him as she approached the house Caron males, and her touch eased his discomfort. "Come with me, my lords. We have much to celebrate." She hooked her arms around those of Aevan and Caerl to lead them out, but she paused by Staefyn. "Be gentle with the female, my lord prince."

Staefyn did not respond and watched her leave with the other men before turning around to look at the other man who had arrived. "Wyrad, I am surprised to find you among the house Caron traitors. Our fathers are friends. Chasek fought for my father for many years."

"You are no less a traitor than Caron's grandsons," pointed out the red-faced man who mopped at his sweaty face with the sleeve of his tunic.

"I have the right to challenge my father," Staefyn pointed out. "Did your father finally cast your worthless backside out of his house? What did you do to earn his repudiation?"

"I did nothing! That bastard Taeron attacked me without provocation and I was blamed! Crown prince?" He spat on the floor and Quynn could see that Staefyn was irritated by the arrogant swine. "The emperor has made a grave mistake in giving Larya's mongrel whelp such honors. Somebody should have put that filthy whore in the Wastelands long before she spread her legs for that human miscreant."

"Hey," spoke of Quynn furiously. "That human miscreant is my father!" She took a step towards him, her fists clenched and ready to pound the pig senseless if she could land a blow on his slippery hide.

Staefyn seized her arm and drew her back, and he pursed his lips in annoyance at the faint scent of burning flesh. Quynn had not realized she had gotten so carried away, but now she felt calm from Staefyn's touch and when he leaned in to blow his cool breath over her neck, she relaxed in his grasp.

Wyrad harrumphed. "So it is true that you have taken your brother's mate as your concubine."

Staefyn did not allow Quynn to be outraged by his remark. He kept her temper in check with his power. "Why have you come here, Wyrad? Surely it was not just so you could insult my guest."

"I will give you my oath, Prince Staefyn, if you will vow to end that cur's life."

Staefyn stared at him blankly for a moment and then he said, "Your oath is no incentive to challenge Taeron. If you want him dead so badly, do it yourself."

The other man sputtered indignantly. "How am I to do that?"

"How indeed?" Quynn laughed outright at the amused look on Staefyn's face and Wyrad's complexion became an unhealthy dark purple.

Wyrad shook his fist at them although he was several safe paces away. "You dare to laugh at me?! I will have the last laugh!"

"I very much doubt it," snorted Staefyn derisively.

Spouting vile curses and threats of vengeance, Wyrad, formerly of house Chasek, stomped out. When the last words had died away with his departure, Quynn looked at Staefyn. "Was that wise? Could he be a threat?"

"To my pantry, perhaps."

Quynn did not laugh. "You should take him more seriously."

"I have known Wyrad for a long time, Quynn. He is a lazy fool whose resentment of his brother gave him a sharp tongue. He was in training with Taeron and me, and he hated Taeron for outshining him when he was trying to please his father. Eventually he stopped trying."

"I am surprised that my brother has not earned the enmity of more men for his accomplishments," remarked Quynn. "In the colonies he would have had scores of challengers trying to take him down a peg."

Staefyn looked surprised. "Why would they do such a thing? Do your people not value their strongest warriors? Wyrad's resentment is dishonorable. No one is more deserving of the honors that my father has given him than Taeron."

Quynn reached out to lay her hand on Staefyn's arm. "How can you do this, Staefyn? You don't want to challenge your father and you don't want to cross swords with Taeron."

He shook off her hand. "I have a bride that I must attend to."

Quynn watched Staefyn leave and then returned to her own chamber where she sat alone worrying about the future after the events of this day. Not only was the emperor going to be signifiantly weakened by the lose of the house Caron warriors, but Kai was going to be furious when he returned from his incursions on the plains to learn that Dijana had married Taeron. She had no way of knowing when that would be, but Quynn knew that Kai would pay her a visit.

That night when a sound in her room startled her awake, she almost screamed, fearing it was Kai, but a hand covered her mouth and she was relieved to recognize Staefyn's woodsy scent. When he took his hand away, she asked, "Shouldn't you be with your wife?"

"She believes that I am with her," he told her with a self-deprecating laugh. "I drugged her with one of Lady Trynity's potions and put her in a trance." He snorted. "Just like I did Taeron on Teralon."

"You are a prick!"

"I don't know what you mean by that, but I will take it as a compliment. I thought it quite clever."

"Don't you have to be with her for her to believe you are there?"

"I had but to give her a fantasy for her to believe she is experiencing it, and since it is her fantasy, I shall be a very good lover."

"More proof that you are a prick, Staefyn." Quynn frowned. "Should I be glad that you did not do that to me?"

He leaned close and breathed in her ear. "How do you know that I have not?"

She knew he was joking and she was annoyed to realized she was amused. How had she allowed herself to become friendly with this monster? "What will happen when she realizes that you are not touching her? How will she feel when she stumbles across you acting on your disgustingly base impulses for Xuxa? How do you think the males of her house will react?"

"Does it matter? They are liars and schemers, and they came to join their house with other liars and schemers. Do you think my father would beat the head of house Caron without good reason?"

"Did Keilana tell you the reason?"

"I pulled it out of Aevan and Caerl's thoughts when they were lying to my face." He fell silent for several moments and she was not surprised that her baby moved restlessly when Quynn sensed that he was troubled by what he had learned. "On the night that Amyr was born, house Caron attacked the palace after your father left to escort my father back so that he could be with my mother."

"I know," she told him. "I have heard the story of your mother's bravery."

"The story of my mother's bravery is only partially true. Renaeld was the only survivor of the force that had stormed the palace and he has never repudiated the account reported by your father."

"Did my father lie?"asked Quynn, finding it hard to believe given his many stern lectures about honor. "And if it was not true, why did Renaeld not challenge his telling of the event?" Quynn understood that Lady Arora's holding of the palace spelled the end of the rebellion. "Did Renaeld renounce your mother? Is that why your father killed him?"

Staefyn looked away towards the window and she could see his profile in the moonlight and she could feel him trembling with emotion. "Lord Renaeld boasted of what really happened that night before the imperial court. His father's warriors vanquished the palace guard and captured my mother. That bastard Renaeld raped my mother in front of his father so that Caron could completely shame her before taking her head."

Quynn gasped in shock and she reached out to touch Staefyn, but he shook off her comforting hand and she made a sound of disgust. "You said your mother should have died a whore's death in the Wastelands. Is this revelation vindication for you."

"Why should I feel vindicated by his heinous violence upon my mother?" Staefyn sounded furious and his body became rigid. "I wish I could have been there to see my father beat him to death." His fists were clenched at his side as he wrestled with his fury, and after a few moments he admitted, "I wish I could be there now to offer comfort to my mother."

"Staefyn." Tears sprang to Quynn's eyes. "If you love your mother so much, how could you shoot down her ship?"

"I was not at the palace that day." He told her. "I had to force my father's hand against Amyr, so I played my parents against each other and I was surprised by how easy it had been."

He sighed deeply. "Losing Amyr after there had been such rancor between them affected my father more than I realized. He blamed himself, and he blamed Quynn, and it was easy to transfer that blame onto Duo. I only wanted to plant the seed of doubt against my mother, but in my father's fertile mind it grew into a conspiracy."

"Xuxa's spies at the imperial palace reported of their arguments, that my mother was leaving for Dagmaeus, and Xuxa suggested destroying her shuttle, but I refused to give the order. I was so disgusted by what I had done to my parents, what I believed my father guilty of, that I left the palace. I needed the counsel of the ancestors. I was at the hot spring when I saw the explosion in the sky, I was stunned that Xuxa acted on her own and horrified to believe that my mother was dead. The ancestors calmed me with the knowledge that Xuxa had failed to her."

Staefyn turned to look at her. "I was angry when I saw Taeron at my father's side, believing that he was his bastard, and I spoke cruel words about my mother to hurt him, words I have regretted since uttering them. My mother has always been kind and gentle, and I do not deserve to call her mother after what I have done, what I have said."

Quynn wiped away her own tears. "What will you do now that you know the truth about house Caron?" she asked, fearing the answer.

"I have tied my house to theirs," he said with a sigh. "I have made an oath to Keilana. I may be a rotten bastard, but I am not an oath breaker."

"You would destroy your father?"

He laid back against the pillows, drawing her gently with him. "I don't have to destroy my father. In taking vengeance on house Caron, he has destroyed himself."

Quynn raised her head to look in his direction in the dark. "You have the power to stop this." She should push him away, but he gave her a strange sort of comfort so she put her head on his shoulder and sighed deeply. "I wish I had stayed on Colony L12 and married Chaz when he asked. I knew he didn't want to ask, that his mother forced him to do it, but I think we could have gotten along. At least the worst I would have had to deal with is his leaving clothing lying on the floor." Staefyn did not respond and then she raised her head to look at him in the dark, "Please, Staefyn, do not kill Amyr. I love him."

He made a sound of annoyance. "I cannot kill Amyr. The ancestors would never forgive me and I could not bear my life without hearing them. But I won't protect him either. If he insists on going into battle beside Taeron, he will get himself killed."

Quynn smiled as she thought of the swath of dead and dying that Taeron would leave in his wake. "He will be just fine beside Taeron."

"You believe your brother is protected with holy magics?" He had been reading her mind and she wondered if he made any effort or whether her thoughts were loud and clear to him.

"I don't believe it," said Quynn as she remembered him fighting on Teralon. "I know it."