New Beginning, Bound And Chained 2
By: V. L. Marquette
Lightly edited by: Ravyn
(Authors Note) This is a work of fiction, nothing more. Any resemblance
to anyone, alive or dead is purely coincidental. But, honestly folks, this
takes place on another planet. So this little warning is kind of silly don't ya
think?
*****WARNING***** (NO ONE, AND I DO MEAN NO ONE.) Under the age of 18,
or who lives in an area that this sort of material is illegal, should not read
any farther.
CHAPTER 14
Gabe tried his best to ignore Kerri, but it was not easy. Ever since he
had come here, with Miri and Tallin, this brute had given him no peace. The
only time he was left alone, was when he was in the same room with one of his
consorts. There he had learned that this dog kept his mouth shut. It had taken
only one time for Tallin to beat him bloody for the fool to learn that as long
as Gabe was in the same room as Tallin was he didn't dare make any snide
comments.
All in all, other than Kerri and his mouth, it was a nice enough life
here. Miri had put her foot down. And told all the people who were stressing
over her choice in taking two husbands, to kindly mind their own business. Then
he smiled. It had actually been a whole lot, less, than kindly. The shy, timid
mouse that had accepted his master as her consort was gone. In her place was a
woman that no one in Mercian ever thought they would ever see. Upon matching
souls with his master, she came away from the tie stronger and braver than any
could believe. Her old suitor had protested the change, just once, and after
his master and mistress finished with him he suddenly decided that he didn't
want to be King after all. But then, he was counting on the war to rid him of
Dannis, but with his master's mother stepping in to end the war that just was
not going to happen. So Edward stomped off licking his wounds.
"Gabe?" Dannis came around the corner. "Do you have a clue where my
sister is?"
Gabe nodded. "She and Tallin decided to take some time off and go
riding, why?"
"I was going to discuss some of the rules of this insane idea of my
fathers with Tal. He did remember that she isn't Dane didn't he?"
Gabe nodded. "He's on Lady, but she is in a carriage. He is worried
enough about her for four men. He won't risk her or his children. But, why
don't you give it a shot with me? I grew up all my life in a world where men
were slaves."
"Sure, maybe you can give me an idea how to in force the laws in a
society where one sex is slave to the other." The older man sounded
exasperated. "I agree with my father, we have to do something to make sure that
all the widows and children left here are protected. But making them slaves?
Don't tell him, but I think the old man is fastly losing it. We are not Danes,
and don't think like they do. I'm a bit worried that after all the abuse that
we have suffered from the Taberon's we might just stumble down that same said
path." He had actually, not, been surprised when it came out during the
crushing of their old enemy that it wasn't the Catimine's at all but their
father race who had done it all in their name. He had actually found it to be
somewhat comforting. He had lived through the last twelve cycles always
wondering what had caused their once peaceful neighbors to suddenly turn on them
as they had.
"All it is going to take is for one or two to ignore the laws, and end
up slaves as well, for that problem to be dealt with. Same thing for
lawbreakers, if they know that if they are found guilty they will serve their
sentence as slaves. It might sound like the King has lost his reason, but
actually, he is closer to understanding how it should be than he has ever been."
Dannis thought about it for a few moments. "You know what Gabe? I am
afraid I'm getting as crazy as my father. This is actually beginning to sound
like a good idea. Particularly if a man knows that if he is caught abusing his
women, he will end up a slave in one of the houses, where the maser happens to
be like Mer was with Fain."
Gabe shrugged his shoulders. "That depends if the man is intolerant of
those that are fey. Then yes, I do see you point. But if he is as easy to bend
as Jerrick, Steff or even Ern was, then he might just prefer to stay in chains."
Dannis thought about that for a moment. "Could be. With as many out
there who are as fey as Mer, but not strong enough emotionally to just be openly
so. I hate to think that a man would abuse a woman just to be sentenced to be a
slave for however long it will be. But, at the same time, it might actually
give the men in our lands a chance, if they chose to be slaves of their own free
will, a chance to be what they want without the risk of breaking the laws of our
Kingdom."
Gabe nodded. "But you would have to make it clear from the start, that
if any man wants this, he is more than welcome to step into the ranks of slaves,
without any risk of anyone mocking him. That is how it is done where I came
from. But most of the women who choose to willing to lead a life of a slave, is
usually one who already has a mate of her own already. And she chooses it as a
love gift. You know, a sign of undying love that two women share between
themselves."
"Okay, do me a favor hu? I thought that two of the same sex could not
wed without a member of the opposite there too, how does it work for the women
that have only women for lovers?"
Gabe shook his head. "That is only for the men. A man loves another
man, who ever is the oldest, or has the most seniority takes, the other as a
Lover. Much like Caytin did with Jerrick, and Jerrick did with Steff. But two
women who choose to mate, be consorts together, all it takes is a quick trip to
the Temple and a swearing of vows and they cuff each other and they are wed to
each other."
Dannis ran a hand through his hair. "Those Danes really do have it so
refined that it seems almost an art."
Gabe shrugged. "Well we have been living this way for over five hundred
and fifty thousand cycles. I hope we got it down to an art."
Dannis laughed, patting Gabe on the shoulder. "I don't care what Kerri
says. I just can't see Miri and that boy she's now married to ever being able
to function without you."
Gabe chuckled. "You do realize that if we were still at my old
mistresses home, I would take that as almost an invitation."
"Not yet. Mind you, I am trying to get Miri alone for a bit so I can
get her past this misunderstanding she has about father's and son's. I am old
enough to have been an adult back before the war. I remember a time when
fathers felt it was their duty to instruct their son's in the art of love."
Gabe let out a sigh of relief. "You have no idea how much that talk
will mean to Tallin. He loves his father dearly and it had bothered him that
his lady and soul wasn't going to be able to face that part of a father's duty
with his son's. She was sure that it was wrong, and sordid. Even after he had
made it clear to her that no man would ever touch his daughters."
"Well she grew up for the most part in a land strife with war. And
after Mer had rescued Fain, and he had seen what that boy had looked like after
being held in their keep for over six cycles, it changed him. Poor Kerri, in
case you or that husband of yours haven't figured it out yet. He's about as fey
as they come. But he made the mistake of trying to see if he could get some
help with what he was feeling from my father. I say mistake because, it was
just bad timing. My father was in the middle of trying to work out how he was
going to demand all of his children to behave, then up comes Kerri with a
problem. My father made a horrible mistake with Kerri. My younger brother
wasn't always like he is now. There was a time when Kerri was almost as meek as
Miri used to be. But, after having his father whip him bloody. It changed
him."
"So that is why he is bound and determined to make my life as difficult
as he can." Gabe had never understood why Miri's older brother hated anyone who
was even a touch fey. But now it all maid sense. Yes he could understand why a
man, who had been beat so badly as a youth for daring to be something that was
so close to what had caused all the pain. He had never understood why Kerri
hated him and his master so. But now that he knew this, it all fell into place.
"Just so you know, I'm also working with Kerri's little friend on seeing
about him actually leaving the two of you alone." Dannis squeezed Gabe's
shoulder. "I'm hoping that Ferrin can reason with him."
This Gabe didn't understand. "Wait, that makes less sense than his
hatred of Tallin and me."
Dannis held up his hands in a helpless gesture. "I agree with you. But
no one said that the man had to make sense. The only reason I know about Ferrin
is because the boy came to me worried about Kerri. He is as worried about the
changes that have been slowly transforming Kerri. Ferrin has only been with
Kerri for just over a cycle. His behavior drove off the other little friend
that he had. And if Kerri doesn't finally calm down, it's going to drive off
Ferrin as well."
Gabe thought about it hard for a moment. Could he try to make peace
with Kerri? See if he could, in some way, help him to find a bit of peace in
himself? 'I think I can see if it is possible, if only to 0help my mistresses
peace of mind.' "Thank you Dannis, you've answered a lot of my questions about
Kerri. Now I understand what his problem is, and maybe I can help him with it."
Dannis looked a bit worried. "Now don't go do anything, stupid, Gabe.
I only told you about it to help you understand why he is like he is. You go
and get yourself hurt, and Miri is never going to forgive me."
Gabe snorted. "Get myself hurt? You really should worry more about
your brother getting hurt than me. Remember I'm like Tallin, and a Danite. I
never would attack him, but if he goes to try to attack me. Then obviously he
has forgotten the lesson Tallin taught him. I can and will remind him."
Dannis chuckled shaking his head. "Do him a world of good. It is
obvious to any and all, that Tallin might be free, but you aren't. I wonder how
Kerri will handle knowing that a mere slave beat the shit out of him?"
"If he tries to do anything to me. I will show him what a 'mere' slave
is capable of doing. Caytin made sure that even though I was only a bedwarmer,
because I was responsible for helping so many maids in giving their virginity to
the Mother. He saw to it that I was trained well in the defense of them and
myself."
"Well, hopefully, he hasn't forgotten the lesson that your
master/husband gave him."
Gabe chuckled softly. "You can hope all you want, but I think I am
going to have to pin him to a wall, at least, once to remind him,"
Dannis shook his head, stepping a little closer to Gabe. "I wonder, if
me coming by to ask her and Tal if they would mind if I borrowed you for the
evening. You know, make it a family thing. Do you think I would be able to
work the conversation into one of a father's duty?"
Gabe smiled a look of mischief in his eyes. "Probably, but don't you
think you should ask me first? After all, Tallin isn't just my master, he's my
Lover and consort as well."
Dannis threw his head back laughing. "Damn, boy, you might come off as
a sweet little kitten, but for one so sweet and harmless looking, you have
claws. I pity my younger brother if you sink those claws into his hide."
"I'll try not to hurt him, too much. But if I have to show him that I
can take care of myself, I will." Understanding the situation better, he could
do his best to defuse the problem. Hopefully without coming to blows. He
didn't hate the man, he actually felt sorry for him. But if he could not defuse
the situation, without having to hurt him, well then, he understood when
punishment was called for raising a hand against one of the slaves in his
mistresses' house. True, he understood that the lady Kaj, was no longer his
mistress, but Miri, who was also his consort, was. "And just so you know, if
you come to ask, I will agree." His fingers touched the older man's cheek.
Dannis caught Gabe's hand. "I'll hold you to that promise. I know Tal
wasn't Miri's first. So I am dying to know what magic wooed my little sister
into being brave enough to take a man she didn't even know as her husband."
* * *
Tallin helped his lady and soul out of the carriage. "I know you think
you can still do all that you could before you came away from me with child.
But beloved, you are a little woman. You have three of my children within you.
Let me take care of you."
Miri made a frustrated noise. "Tallin, I am fine. I let you fuss me
into taking a carriage. Don't you think that I know my own body? I am fine.
Good God, I'm not even, four moons along, yet. You are acting like I am about
to drop at any time."
Tallin gritted his teeth. He knew arguing with her right now, was a
waste of time. She had been like this for the last few weeks. His father by
marriage, Thalin just patted him on the shoulder and welcomed him to the
wonderful would of fatherhood.
He had been assured that her emotional mood swings were quite normal.
But he still wished his aunt were close. The Healer from his old home had
assured him that it was normal for a young woman, to go through this stage of
emotional imbalance. He would come to be accustomed to it soon enough.
He wasn't sure about the getting accustomed to it. His soul-match and
consort had become a warpish woman in the last few weeks. He missed her old
self. "Miri, beloved, listen to me. I know you think I am going out of my way
to drive you crazy. But I'm not. You are carrying three. You can't tell me
that you think I shouldn't worry."
She came up to him, locking eyes with him. "No, I can't ask you not to
worry, but I can ask you to back off and not to fuss at me all the time. I'm
not going to put my babies in danger. But I won't let you try to tie me to a
bed either."
"My, my, do I see trouble in paradise?" Kerri leaned against the
carriage house wall.
"That does it." Tallin came up to him. "I thought one beating would be
enough for you. Answer me this Kerri, do you like pain? If you do why don't
you just tell me, and I will be more than happy to give you what you need." The
other man might be taller than he was, but that didn't slow Tallin down one bit.
Kerri laughed. "Calm down boy, I just made a comment that the two of
you, were not as happy as you would think two who are soul-matched would be."
"Go away Kerri. This has nothing to do with if Tallin or I love each
other. I'm pregnant and he is being over protective."
Gabe came around the corner. "Tal, why don't you take Miri to her room.
I think Kerri and I need to talk."
Miri looked up at Gabe. "Promise me you won't hurt him."
Kerri choked back a bark of laughter. "That little play toy hurt me?"
Miri ignored him. "Promise me Gabe."
"My word. I might have to pin him to something to prove a point, but I
won't hurt him any more than he hurts me." Then to Tallin, "take my lady to her
room and see if you can get her to rest, Master." He nodded at Tallin look of
surprise. "I'll be there soon."
Miri almost resisted letting Tallin take her out of the carriage house.
She didn't know which to worry about more. Kerri was her brother, but he had
proved himself to be a problem one too many times. Gabe, he just publicly
announced himself a slave.
Tallin stopped just short of leaving the room. "Kerri, take this as a
promise. If you hurt Gabe, I will break ever bone in your body. And you know I
can do it too."
'"So boy, what do you think I would want to hear for you? That you are
that boy's and my little sisters slave? Don't waste your time. I already knew
that."
Gabe nodded. "I know. But there are a few questions I have for you
that I didn't think Miri needed to be in the room when I asked them. If you are
as fey as any bedwarmer in my old house why is it that you have gone out of your
way to make our time here as close to a living hell, as you can?"
Kerri looked at Gabe, honest surprise written on his face. "And where
did you get this little tidbit of information?"
"It doesn't matter how I came to know it. The question still stands,
why?"
"If you know that I'm fey, then you should also know why. How would you
feel? If you went to your father, and instead of helping you to work your way
through it. He strung you up and whipped you so badly that you were bed ridden
for the next near moon." Kerri was bitter about many things, the way life had
turned most of all. "Then to see your younger brother. With a face that was so
perfect. And to watch him grow into a young man who stirred you loins every
time you saw him but you didn't dare express this feeling to him. All because
you knew that if your feelings were ever to be known that the risk of getting
another whipping like the last I had gotten was so great."
Gabe nodded. "So, your love turned to hate?"
Kerri looked at him, rage and loss in his eyes. "No, or at least no
right away. It was when my father who had whipped me so badly seemed to
overlook what his son was. I knew Rook was as fey as I am. But he was never
whipped for it."
"Had he been, do you think you would have treated him any different? If
your father had come to whip Rook for being the same as you, would you have let
him?"
"Of course not." Kerri snapped without thinking.
Gabe looked at him, calmly. "Then don't you think your war is with your
father and not Rook, or my master or me?"
"Thank you." A young man entered the carriage house. "I have been
trying to find the words to say what you just did."
"Ferrin!" Kerri snapped. "You shouldn't be near me right now. What
happens if my father sees you?"
"Then he sees me. I don't care. I've never been ashamed of my feelings
for you. Let him cone. My parents know I'm fey, they won't let him beat me
like he did you. He might be King, but your mother had warned him after he beat
you, that if he eve beat another of her children, Dannis is old enough to rule.
She would take the crown from him. And I know that Dannis isn't going to hurt
us."
"Listen to your boy there Kerri. Father is never going to hurt you or
anyone you love ever again." Dannis had been looking for Kerri, to see if his
could try talking his younger brother into letting the past go." He looked to
Gabe. "I knew you were going to take the time to talk with him. I just didn't
realize it was going to be quite this soon. You didn't have to make your point
with him did you?"
Gabe shook his head. "No, he still remembers the lesson that my master
taught him."
Kerri looked from Gabe to his older brother. "Excuse me. Just when did
you take it upon yourself to start talking about me behind my back?"
"Ferrin came to me, worried about you. I am not quite sure how you were
brought up in my talk with Gabe when he was helping me to understand this crazy
idea of our father's. But it is obvious that you did." Dannis took it upon
himself to take all the blame. What could his brother do to him? "But now that
it is all out, I'm glad I did.'
Kerri felt trapped between two different paths. He had no choice but
regret what he had done to his youngest brother. But to let go of all the hate
and pain, that had held him up for so long. That was going to be the hardest
thing for him. "Okay, I can't promise that everything will change over night.
But dammit, I giver. I hate to admit it, but you are right."
Gabe pushed his luck just a bit more. "Well when you finally get it all
sorted out in your head, why don't you bring Ferrin and visit us. I am sure
that my master and lady would much rather have you as a brother than an enemy."
After Kerri and Ferrin finally left, Gabe sighed. "Goddess bless. I
was worried there for a moment."
Dannis lay a hand on his shoulders. "I didn't think it was going to be
that easy. If I had, I would have pinned him down weeks ago, and had gone and
fetched you."
Gabe turned his head and pressed it against Dannis's chest. "All it
took was to know what questions to ask." Then he looked up. "But thank you."
Dannis only shook his head, smiling. "No, it should be me thanking you.
You did in only a matter of minutes what no one else could do in moons and
cycles." He leaned down and kissed him. "I am going to have to come by and
talk to your master and my sister soon. The more I see of what you are capable
of doing, the more I want to know how it is, you do this."
Gabe leaned up and kissed him one more time. "I don't know where I get
my knack from. My mother wasn't a Healer, nor is they're any in my family."
"Well, where ever you got it from, I do appreciate the fact that you are
here now, and are willing to use it for my family."
"Thank you. Well, I need to go and let my master and mistress know that
I think that we shouldn't be having anymore problems out of Kerri."
Dannis nodded. "Tell you what, what say I come with you, so that after
you let Tal and my sister know that the problem is well on the way to being
over. I can take a few minutes to correct Miri's misunderstanding. And then,
who knows, if she is finally calm with things, I can ask to borrow you for the
night."
Gabe laughed. "Warning. Don't put it quite like that to her. Now my
master, he would probably find the wording funny, but not her."
* * *
Tallin looked up as Gabe and Dannis entered the suite that he and Miri
now shared with Gabe. "So, how did things go?"
"Best keep this boy chained to you, or I might be inclined to snatch him
out of under your nose. He can do the impossible.
Tallin chuckled. "Why do you think I brought him with me. Other than I
love him, of course?" He held out a hand for Gabe. "So, honey, how did it go?
He didn't try to be stupid, again, did he?" He and Gabe had agreed back when
they first came here, that they would keep his bondage private. But today, Gabe
had chosen to out himself. And Tallin would never question his choice or at
least not when they were, not, alone.
"No, I think your promise to break every bone in his body was enough for
him. You've already beaten him bloody once. I guess he wasn't up to a repeat."
He pressed his face into Tallin's hand. "It's going to be fine now, Master. I
think I finally got through to him. Hopefully, once he comes to terms with what
we discussed. He is going to visit us with his lover. Believe it or not,
Master, but for such a pompous, overbearing, abusive jerk, Kerri has real good
taste in lovers. Ferrin is so sweet, that if I had not seen it with my own two
eyes, I would never have believed that Kerri could have ever attracted him."
"Well like I was trying to tell Gabe. Before he had his unfortunate run
in with our father. Kerri was at one time, almost as meek as your wife used to
be." Dannis moved a bit farther into the room.
"So, Dannis, what has you coming here with Gabe? I would think that
with Kerri put aside for the moment. You would be working with Thalin to finish
getting the new laws in place."
Dannis nodded. "Yes, and thanks to your husband here, I no longer
worried that my father might be losing his reason. But that's not why I decided
to swing by this evening. Is Miri still resting?"
*Beloved, your brother is out here I think he needs to talk to us, or
with you. * "She is just lying down, it was the only thing she could do to get
me to shut up. I wasn't aware that she knew as many colorful words as she
apparently does."
"Don't blame me. You were the one that got her pregnant."
"I'm not complaining, just making an observation. I didn't realize that
any woman her age knew that many descriptive words, much less what they meant."
"Well you were never here when my mother was pregnant. There were times
that she said things that, shocked, my father. And that takes some doing. All
I can say is wait, you haven't even been through the real test of your manhood.
Just wait until she goes into labor. That is the real test that separates the
men from the boys."
Tallin shook his head. "No, when she goes to give birth. I will have
her back at my mother's house and my aunt with deliver all three. No offence to
the doctors here, but I will insist on it. Even if I have to kidnap my lady and
escape by the cover of night. I also know that Zerifenia is not going to have
her son, anywhere but back home. "
"Dannis?" Miri stood just outside her bedroom door. "What has you
coming by?"
Dannis looked from Gabe to Tallin. "Miri, I need to have a few words
with you. Is there anywhere I can take you and talk in private?"
Tallin pulled himself up, and reached for Gabe. "I take it that this is
a conversation that we don't need to hear." He kissed her lightly on the cheek.
"Let me know, if at anytime you need me. Come on Gabe, let's go see if we can
find something to do." And the two of them excused themselves from the room.
Tallin turned to Gabe after he had closed the door.
"Do you have any idea, what this is about?" The whisper was soft. But
Tallin didn't want to run the risk of his wife hearing them before they got out
of earshot.
Gave nodded, smiling. "He is here to see if he can talk to Miri about a
fathers duty to his son's. Also, he would like to spend some time with me
tonight. I had been sure that once we got here, that other than Kerri, and the
problems we have had with him. That there would be others who gave us much
greater headache than they has so far. Edward doesn't count. And other than
Kerri, and I really think I got through to him this time. But, other than him,
so far no one else has really given us a hard time.
Tallin nodded. "So that is why you suddenly decided to end the
masquerade. That is good, but do me a favor next time you decide to make any
major changes like that. Warn me first. I was almost as shocked as Miri was
when you up and started calling me master out side our rooms."
Gabe pressed his head against Tallin's chest. "I'm sorry, Master. I
didn't mean to shock you ot my mistress. I chose to acknowledge you as what you
both really were when I was going to have words with Kerri. Like Dannis had
said. Everyone already knows what I am to both of you.
Tallin stroked Gabe's hair as his friend and Lover explained why he had
done what he did. "It's okay honey. I understand, just next time you decide to
do, anything major, like that. Warn us first."
"I promise."
Tallin laughed. "I thing Dannis has just shocked Miri."
Gabe looked up, pulling back to stand on his own. "How do you know?"
"The same way I knew when she was uncomfortable about me sharing my
fathers love when we left Dane. She and I share a soul, remember?" *Beloved,
is there a problem? * Tallin waited patiently for Miri to respond, but as the
seconds stretched into moments, he began to worry. *Miri? *
*Dannis just told me that I was wrong. That our father had, before the
war. Had taken him aside when he was sixteen and began his lesson's in how to
love a woman, or man. I can't believe what he is saying. That my, 'father',
had done this with him. *
Tallin smiled trying hard not to laugh. *You might not want to believe
him, but your father had assured me back when I was still at my mother's home
that he would either take the time to correct your misunderstanding or have
Dannis do it. It looks like he talked Dannis into doing it. * Tallin cleared
his throat before looking back to Gabe. "I do believe you would be better off
staying with Dannis tonight. Don't worry about the problem of not being
faithful to me. Trust me, Miri is going to be upset enough that she won't even
notice you not being there. As for me, she is going to be all that I can think
about."
Gabe smiled, "So, Master do you think I should take a bottle of our
special oil with me?"
"That would depend on how Dannis feels about it. If he doesn't have a
problem with it, sure. I mean, you are going to need some kind of oil anyway,
so if he doesn't frown on a little help in the relaxing department, who knows,
if he likes it as much are we do. Donnel just might have a new business
supporting a Kingdom with his handy drugged oils."
"Could be, Master. I'm pretty sure that he would be happy to have his
knack for oils be appreciated by so many more people."
"Well, come on then. Let's get home and send you and Dannis off to his
room, or where ever he is going to go next. I have to see if I can do something
to calm Miri down."
