(no subject)

[maderr]

Argh. All I want to do is write, but I'm seriously losing to a need for a nap (and eyes really sore from fsking allergies -__-)

I think this calls for artificial energy, cause damn it, I want to write.

Mwahahaha. Energy obtained. My heart is going to just explode one day. Oh, well.

More Duke?


"It's fairly simple in appearance and explanation, but rather tricky in execution," Taniel replied, and explained the process to him as they made their way quickly back to the castle.

Bedros shook his head in wonder. "I am amazed. You make it sound so simple, yet I know precious few mages would be capable of it. Even your brother, I think, would have trouble with something like scrying?"

Taniel shrugged. "I'm sure he could learn it if he wanted – Kohar never wanted to go quite that far." He sighed as they reached the castle, passing through the gates. "There, within the castle walls no scrying spell can reach us. I made certain of that when I helped Kohar rebuild the wards."

"I am grateful for your help," Bedros replied.

"I am the reason you had to rebuild them," Taniel said.

They both paused as the main door to the barracks flew open. "Duke," Nerek bellowed. "What in the Regions are you doing walking about like that? Do not make me beat you the way I have to beat my soldiers."

"Peace, Captain," Bedros said, holding up his hands in defeat. "I was quite safe, and I'm never really in danger here anyway."

Much to the disappointment of the King, whom he knew had hoped that Bedros would get himself killed defending the border.

Bedros was more than happy to keep defying the bastard, even if he seemed to be suffering more than the King over it.

Nerek glared, unappeased.

Bedros yawned. "Go back to your mage, Captain, and I will cart myself obediently to my bed."

Taniel chuckled. "I will see his grace gets to his room, Captain. Its my fault entirely, for inviting him to walk with me."

Nerek nodded, glaring after them, and Bedros thought he caught a bit of muttering about mages and causing trouble.

Beside him, Taniel snickered, shooting Bedros a sideways glance of victory in shared mischief.

Bedros smiled, and could not remember a night when he had smile so genuinely, so often. "I hope I do not get you in trouble with your brother in the morning, my good monk. I thank you for the company, it made the long night an enjoyable one."

"You returned the favor, your grace, I assure you," Taniel replied, and swept him a graceful bow, hair tumbling free where it had been trapped in his hood, brilliant gold.

His finger twitched with an urge to touch, to drag Taniel close and see what else Taniel could do to make the night pleasant…and he really could not blame Nerek one bit for constantly stealing and hiding Kohar's combs. For all they did not actually share blood, the two mages were definitely brothers.

He backed away, murmuring his good nights, and closed the door to his solar before he did something stupid. The very last thing he needed to do was antagonize the closest thing he had to friends, now, and bedding the monk brother of his mage definitely counted as antagonizing.

Stifling a sigh, he stripped off his clothes and tossed them aside, then pushed back his bed curtains enough to slip inside. The huge bed was one of the few things he had insisted upon dismantling and taking with him on the laborious trek across country and up the mountains.

The men he'd hired to do it had hated him the entire journey, but they'd been plenty mollified with their payment. And he had his bed, wide and long and roomy, soft and so very easy to sink into – and hard to climb out of every morning.

Well, it had been hard to leave, once. These days, the empty bed more than anything else reinforced his loneliness.

Yawning, he tugged up the soft, warm blankets, settling into the ticking and thinking pleasant thoughts about gold-haired monks until he finally fell asleep.

When he woke again, it was to the clattering and fussing of one of the maids setting out his breakfast – or possibly lunch, to judge by the bits of sunlight peeking through the bed curtains.

He waited until the noise had quieted before finally pushing back the curtains and sliding out. The one and only time he'd unthinkingly stepped out naked while she was still the room, he'd gotten looks and whispers and giggles for two weeks.

Except the maid hadn't departed, and it wasn't actually the maid who had brought his food. Staring a moment, horribly confused as to why Taniel was standing in his room.

Then he remembered he was naked.

Turning hastily away, he fumbled for the morning robe flung over a nearby chair.

"Good morning, your grace," Taniel said, coughing, and when Bedros finally turned back he saw Taniel's cheeks were flushed a becoming shade of pink.

But while he was definitely embarrassed, that wasn't the only thing in his eyes.

Interesting. The monk was not perhaps as innocent as he'd always seemed.

He was also Kohar's brother, Bedros reminded himself.

"Good morning, monk," he said congenially. "Did you take over the duty of delivering the spoiled Duke's breakfast?"

Taniel laughed. "Only for today, your grace." His levity faded. "I went to the kitchens to find breakfast, and they were missing a few maids to illness. I investigated briefly, and it seems to be just a case of them eating bad food…" He shrugged. "I will investigate further to assure myself I am only being paranoid, but I thought you should know." His lips twitched. "Next time, I will knock more loudly."

"Yes, please," Bedros said, grinning. "The last thing I need is Kohar cursing me for taking liberties with his little brother."

"It's none of his business who takes liberties with me," Taniel said, rolling his eyes.

Bedros fought not to show his surprise. Had Taniel just indicated…

"Not that I would dare suggest your grace would take liberties with a lowly monk," Taniel added. "That would be highly inappropriate in many ways." He sketched another of his elegant bows, hair brilliant in the sunlight pouring through the windows, then turned and let himself out.

He continued to stare after Taniel had gone, breakfast forgotten.

Surely not. Eventually, Taniel would go back to his temple. Studying esoteric magic was far more interesting than staying holed up in a corner of the world even the gods had forgotten. There was no way in all the Regions that Taniel had just hinted he would not mind a few liberties being taken.

Grimacing, for he was obviously thinking with the wrong portion of his anatomy, Bedros called for a bath and then set to decimating his breakfast.

"What's this about my maids getting sick?" he asked when a couple of men appeared to set up his bath and begin hauling in the water.

One of them paused. "Ate some bad berries, your grace. Master Kohar and his brother are looking into it, and Nerek went off to find the berries and destroy whatever remains."

Bedros smiled briefly. As efficient as his Captain and mage were, his own presence often seemed entirely superfluous. "Well, when the berries are found, bring a few to me. I'd like to see if I can match them to some of my fauna books."

"Yes, your grace. I'll pass the instructions on." Bowing, the men vanished to begin fetching the water.

Two hours later Bedros ventured downstairs to find his grand hall in a state of mild chaos. Everything paused for a moment as they realized who now stood in the doorway, but a moment later Kohar's voice cracked out, and everyone scrambled back to work.

"What in the world is going on?" Bedros demanded. "If something is wrong, why was it not brought to my attention sooner?" Was he really that unnecessary? He shoved the depressing thought aside.

"Your grace, at the moment we're not even certain what to tell you," Kohar said, frowning in annoyance. "We have seven servants and nine soldiers all severely sick. As near as we can tell, they all ate the same berries – but none of them stayed conscious long enough to tell us where they got the berries. It is the wrong time of years for them to have been picked."

Bedros frowned. "What did inquiries at the village turn up?"

"We haven't heard back yet," Nerek replied, then turned away sharply to bark at a couple of soldier loitering in the main doorway.

"Where is Taniel?" Bedros asked.

Kohar motioned toward the back of the castle. "Tending the sick, hoping to discover something we might have so far missed. I think he is not being paranoid in saying this is what his fellow is trying in lieu of succubi." He rubbed his forehead. "I really wish this bastard would just go the old fashioned route of challenging Tal to a duel or something."

"I'd win a duel," Taniel said, coming up behind them, wiping his hands on a rag, looking angry. "He never could stand that I was always one step ahead of him – in everything. It's why…" He shook his head. "It's why he's using these underhanded methods. I wish my apologies were sufficient to express my shame and dismay that you are all being harmed because he hates me."

Bedros reached out without thinking, cupping Taniel's cheek briefly, before drawing slowly away and tugging briefly at one gold strand. "It's not your fault. You're not responsible for his actions."

Taniel nodded, but did not look convinced. "We have to figure out what is up with these berries. It makes no sense that we cannot locate them, and examining the sick has not lent me further clues. If there is magic here, it is solely within the berries…" He sighed and pressed the tips of his fingers to his temples. "I need my supplies, but they were at least two weeks behind me. Assuming nothing went wrong, they may still not be here for days."

"Supplies?" Kohar asked.

"Yes," Taniel replied. "When I left the monastery, I took my equipment and personal copies of manuscripts with me."

Kohar frowned.

Bedros agreed. "That is permitted?"

"Ordinarily, no," Taniel said quietly. "However, I was never an ordinary monk, and the circumstances of my leaving were…" He shrugged. "Unlike the other monks, I purchased everything I own. The money I donated upon joining the monastery was extremely generous.

At this, Kohar snorted with laughter. "Your donation could have built a house or two."

"I guess I'd let you keep what you wanted, as well," Bedros said, shaking his head in wonder at such a ridiculous handling of money. What did a bunch of monks need with such great sums? There were wiser ways to spend it, surely.

"That does not explain the manuscripts," Kohar said, frown deepening when his brother only shook his head and refuse to answer.

Taniel ignored the look. "I am going into the village myself. Someone must know something, whether he is aware of it or not."

"I do not see why the berry itself matters so much," Bedros replied. "Isn't it more important to treat the illness, rather than focus exclusively on the source?"

"Hidden dangers," Taniel said, speaking before his brother could. "We need the berries to learn the exact nature of the spell being laid down – or if it’s a spell at all, since we have no proof of that save our own suppositions."

Kohar nodded. "If it is a spell, and we don't understand it's intended purpose exactly, we risk killing the victims with a cure."

Taniel bit his lip. "I really wish I had my supplies, then it would be a simple matter to figure this out."

"I guess I do not have what you would need," Kohar said with a sigh.

"No," Taniel said. "In such high level magic, the equipment is unique to the mage. If I am to cast the proper spells – and I need the books for those, anyway, for I don't have every last spell memorized – then it must be my equipment."

Kohar made a face. "I knew there was a reason I stopped at the levels I did. Too much trouble past that."

Taniel smiled briefly, but there was very little humor in it.

"So where are these supplies?" Nerek asked, coming up to join them.

"As I said, they were a couple of weeks behind me, since I was forced to leave the wagon when the weather grew worse, and it did not let up enough for about two weeks. They could come this very day, they may not come for several days yet. It's impossible to say."

"What would we be looking for?" Nerek asked.

"A wagon with chipped and faded blue paint," Taniel said, frowning in confusion. "Carrying three crates, all of them sealed shut with my own personal runes. Led by a team of two horses, guided by three men we hired in the village a couple of days out from the monastery."

Nerek put fingers to his mouth and whistled sharply, the sound painfully sharp in the confines of the hall.

Immediately three men appeared, one officer and two foot soldiers. They stood sharply at attention as Nerek gave them orders, then vanished as quickly as they had come.

"They will find your wagon," Nerek said, "and either bring the contents back here with all due haste, or tell us how much longer we must wait."

Taniel nodded. "Thank you. I am going into the village."

"I'll go with you," Kohar said.

"No," Taniel said. "It would be better to have mages in two places, and you obviously know the castle far better than I." Another faint smile. "I'll be fine, big brother, so stop fretting."

Kohar glowered. "I'm not fretting."

Taniel snickered, then with a wave left the hall.

"He's keeping something back," Kohar said, glaring after his brother. "There is something about all this he is not telling me, and if he doesn't hurry up and confess it, I'm going to beat him."

Bedros quirked a brow. "What could he possibly be hiding? The matter seems fairly straight forward."

Kohar shook his head. "I don't know…except…would you go to this much trouble over an angry coworker who had reported you?"

"An interesting questions," Bedros said quietly, sighing softly. "I think power changes men, and men drunk on power will go to any length when annihilating a threat, no matter if that threat is friend, enemy, or complete stranger."

"If it were just this illness, I would agree," Kohar said. "But the berries did not come first."

Both of Bedros' brows went up as comprehension dawned. "The succubi and incubi were the first attack. You think…this is a lot more personal than simply one monk turning in another as breaking laws."

"I think my brother is a healthy young man, who never really took seriously that monks should abstain from certain pleasures in life." Kohar said wryly. "I think if it was as simple as turning in a bad monk, he would not be this miserable. If you will excuse me, I am going to hunt him down and beat the truth out of him."

"No," Bedros said, shaking his head. "He was correct, in that it's better to have a mage here at all times. Let me speak with him – and the villagers all love me anyway, right?" He winked, because the villagers were fascinated by him, the odd, outspoken noble stuck in their midst.

Kohar gave him a withering look. "You lack subtlety, your grace. All this time in the country is ruining your abilities in that respect."

Bedros frowned, confused. "What?"

Nerek snickered and pulled Kohar away from Bedros. "He means, your intentions had better be honorable, your grace, or else."

"Intentions…I was not thinking about seducing your brother!" Bedros said, because hadn't. At this moment.

Some of his guilt must have shown on his face, for Kohar rolled his eyes. "See that you both return in one piece, because if you manage to injure yourself, I will let Nerek lock you up as he wishes." With that, he turned and stalked from the hall, glaring at anyone who seemed even remotely close to getting in his way.

"I'll send guards with you," Nerek said, tearing his eyes away from the retreating Kohar. "You should not venture about without protection, your grace."

Bedros waved the notion away. "Please, I think the entire point of this was that I be left unguarded."

"Your grace?" Nerek asked, frowning in confusion.

"Nothing," Bedros said, sighing. "Forget I spoke. Make certain no one eats anything which does not first pass Kohar's approval. Destroy all berries on the premises, if you have not already done so. We'll be back in a few hours. If we're not back by nightfall, send some soldiers to locate us."

Nerek made a face, but relented. "As you wish, your grace. But we had better not find you in the tavern, or in a room above it."

"I am not going to have my wicked way with the brother of a friend," Bedros snapped, angry and annoyed – and guilt ridden, which just annoyed him more. Not waiting for a response, ignoring Nerek's taken aback look, he stomped out of the hall and crossed the courtyard to the stables, where his horse was ready and waiting.

Comments

[niravive.livejournal.com]

I think I love you.

[maderr.livejournal.com]

*giggle* <3

[aetheraestus.livejournal.com]

:) So much love for this.

PS: Taniel's name changed to Talien half way through and then back again?

[maderr.livejournal.com]

Ahaha, that's what I get for using names I cannot keep straight to save my life. You can also tell where I was falling asleep ^^;;; Thanks, I'll fix it.

[spurious-sanity.livejournal.com]

*squeal* more duke!!!! oh, please do have your wicked way with the brother of a friend, Bedros!! <3 a particular, golden-haired adopted monk brother of a mage friend. <3 <3 ^_________^

waiting impatiently for more~~! <3 ^____^

but sleep is important, yus. it may not seem it, but it's good for you! ^______^

[bleedtoblue.livejournal.com]

Delightful!

[(Anonymous)]

This is wonderful.

Uh, about half way through, you started writing Talien Taniel. YOu switched back after a couple paragraphs, though.

[maderr.livejournal.com]

Mm, someone mentioned that. I reuploaded it with the fixes made (assuming word found them all).

[silrini.livejournal.com]

Yay those two! I thought Nerek and Kohar were awesome in the other fic, but these two are absolutely adorable. And the ex-monk will hopefully die a painful death? *hopes*

Violence? Me? I'm incapable of such thing. ...But that doesn't mean I can ACT violent.

Very excellent. I want more! But, sleep is important. It also helps those muses to think up beautiful ideas! So sleep!

[reviewspider.livejournal.com]

Oh, yay! *latches onto story*

Really, my friend, I'm so excited! I love these guys already! Taniel is so PRETTY and Bedros is adorably lovesick. I can't wait to see more!

[scary-sushi.livejournal.com]

bedding the monk brother of his mage definitely counted as antagonizing.

Well, when you put it that way... I can't wait to see if we're going to witness actual magic! This is making my day (and night.) Can't wait to come back after my exam to see if we'll have more of this xD

[dameange.livejournal.com]

bwahaha, bedros, you have been caught! {eg} love these characters! love the plotty intrigue! can't wait to see what other mischief they get into!

[mechante-fille.livejournal.com]

Uh-oh! Danger, Duke Bedros!

Ahaha, Kohar is starting to have some of the same suspicions I was having. Except now I'm having even more suspicions. ^____^ Such fun!

Congrats on winning against the nap. Though, I suspect Kyo was disappointed that his telepathic commands did not work. This time. ;p

Also, flora, not fauna. I only noticed because I screw those up all the time.

[maderr.livejournal.com]

*laugh* You know, I stared at that forever, wondering why it looked wrong. Flora, yes. Silly Megans ^^;;; I knew that, I've never screwed them up before. Maybe I'm not as awake as I like to think.

[adlanna.livejournal.com]

"Intentions…I was not thinking about seducing your brother!" Bedros said, because hadn't. At this moment.


I loved this line, but I believe it should be 'he hadn't' istead of just 'hadn't'? However, the 'at this moment' made me giggle to myself.