The Bonding

by Hansen, Victoria

  “Oh baby,” he murmured against her temple, “that was amazing. I'm so glad you're better.”

  “I do feel better, thanks to you.” she said, a little shyness lingering around her eyes. “It still amazes me that I'm alive. I never thought I would survive my captivity, let alone that deadly battle, and now, soon, I will be well again and make a new life as a free woman. Thank you.”

  “It's no more than you deserve, love.”

  They cuddled in silence for several minutes as Davin stroked her hair and face. Kiri's hand lay flat on his belly as they savored each other's closeness in silence.

  “Davin,” Kiri said at last, “why do you think someone shielded my magic and lied to me about it?”

  “Hard to say,” he replied. He'd contemplated that very thing more than once, and had some theories, though little proof. “I can make a deduction that fits the facts, but we may never know for sure. Most likely, since you've been tested over and over, someone had a vested interest in keeping you from knowledge of your magic. It would have to be someone fairly high up in the government to coerce the magical testers to hide your abilities from you. My guess would be that each time you were “tested” a new level of shielding was place around your magic, trying to prevent it from bursting free. Were you tested by the same mage each time?”

  “No, it was always someone different.”

  Interesting. “Well then it must have been your government itself, a systematic attempt to prevent you from gaining in strength.”

  She lifted up onto her elbows and stared, her face a mask of consternation. “Why would they care? I'm only a level four, right? Intermediate. Not powerful enough to be a candidate for leadership.”

  He laid his palm against the soft skin of her bare back. “Ah, but don't forget your family connections. You are the granddaughter of the heroes who originally defeated the creatures, a trained warrior with years of leadership experience in battle, and a mage, not to mention your natural charisma and beauty. You would have attracted followers easily. You could have insisted on a seat in the elder council, or even attempted a coup. In short, Kiri, they were afraid of you.”

  Her confusion tightened down into disbelief. “But I never cared about being an elder. All I wanted was a peaceful life, friends, something meaningful to do, and maybe a special man to share it with. These are common ambitions. Why did my magic have to be stolen?”

  And how could you be so naive after living the life you did? “Many leaders are corrupt. They can't see innocence in others because they have none of their own. Eliada is an excellent example. This may be difficult for you, but I don't think they stopped at damming up your magic. Most likely every painful event in your life was created deliberately to prevent you from seeking political power.”

  “What do you mean?” She's worried… and she should be. I have nothing but bad news for her.

  “Why military service, for the child of a farmer? Other men have accepted their wives' children. Your stepfather could have done the same. I think they put you in the military hoping you would die. But instead, you distinguished yourself with excellent service and soon began leading battalions and teaching. You were gaining the power no one wanted you to have. That's when I think – and remember, Kiri, this is conjecture – that they decided to act directly against you.” He kissed her forehead in apology for what he was about to say. “You told me Cariano had a reputation for seducing young girls? Well, maybe it went something like this. An official, for instance that Corin character who tried to abduct you, decided to destroy your reputation, so you would no longer be in a position of authority. He pointed Cariano in your direction, maybe with the promise of helping him escape a scandal. Corin must have hoped you would have an affair with a married man, and thus no longer be worthy of having influence over others.”

  “I can see Corin doing that,” Kiri conceded, and Davin could see the cogs turning in her head. “He's vindictive enough. He's had it in for me ever since I refused to bed him when I was fifteen. Slimy little underling. It would be just like him to take it upon himself to do something like that, hoping to win favor with his superiors. His position in the government skyrocketed after my trial.”

  “Or he might have still hoped to win you, by comforting you after your 'downfall,' ” Davin suggested.

  “That could be. Ugh.” Kiri shuddered.

  “At any rate, the plan went wrong. You confronted Cariano instead of sleeping with him. I don't know whether he was told at that point to force himself on you, or whether it was his own idea, but when you killed him, you ended up bringing about the outcome everyone wanted. They had an excuse to treat you like a pariah, someone who should not be respected. You spent the next nine years practicing subservience, just trying to stay alive.”

  Kiri shook her head. “All that to prevent me from doing something I never would have done anyway. Some people are awfully stupid.”

  “You're not upset?” he asked, startled by her matter of fact response.

  “It doesn't matter much. Besides, things are certainly looking better for me now. I have the chance of achieving the goals I always wanted. I can have a peaceful life and a special man to share it with. Now, if I could just find something useful to do, and a few friends, well, then I think that would be just about perfect.”

  “I'm glad to be part of your dream.” He kissed her, long and lingeringly, before reality intruded with an unwelcome thought. “We should talk, though, about your living arrangements. I was serious when I said you could stay with me. You can, but I don't know if that's really what you want. Certainly it would raise a few eyebrows, since we've known each other such a short time.”

  “What do I care about that?” Kiri protested. “I've been an object of scorn and derision for years for a crime someone else committed against me. Now I want to make my own decisions.” And it was clear what that decision would be. Tempting though it was, Davin couldn't let her make the choice without consideration.

  “Of course, Kiri, but all decisions have consequences.”

  Though he said it gently, her face fell, turning her scars white. “Are you saying you don't really want me to live with you?”

  Damn it. “No, not at all. I would like nothing better than to sleep beside you every night, just like we have been here. The thought of giving that up…well I don't even want to consider it, except it might be best for our relationship if we…slowed things down a bit.”

  “Is that how it's done here?”

  Oh good, she's trying to understand. “Yes. It's considered proper for a couple to be friends, with no commitment or intimacy, for a period of six months to a year before becoming lovers.”

  Kiri rolled her eyes. “Well that's out the window. Making love is too amazing. I have no intention of giving it up.”

  Davin grinned. “No, of course not. Next they're supposed to spend another six months as a couple before moving in together, and at least a year after that before marriage.” The lengthy explanation clearly surprised her. “How is it done in Laiconia?”

  * * *

  Kiri's heart thrilled a little at the mention of marriage. It was what she wanted more than anything. She answered his question. “I don't really know. All I have known is the life of soldiers. We're free to couple at will, and no one objects, because our lives are likely to be short. It's rare for swordmasters, male or female, to marry at all, unless someone becomes pregnant. Then the couple has a choice of marrying, with the woman retiring from military duty, or not marrying, and the child will be taken at six for his own military training. As for civilians, the only marriage I knew anything about was Eliada's. I would not want anything like what she and her husband had. You know what a beast Cariano was. As for Eliada, after his death, she was quite free with her favors. I think while he lived she was a little more circumspect, but certainly not faithful.”

  “Interesting. And yet, despite all that freedom, you still came to me more virgin than not.”

  “Well, I told you, I'm a romant
ic. I was waiting for someone…very special.”

  “And did you find him?” he asked, shamelessly asking for compliments.

  “Oh yes,” she replied, just as eager as he.

  He hugged her tight and the words she'd coveted seemed to burst from him. “Kiri, what I want is never to let you go. I want to go to sleep every night with you in my arms, and wake up every morning the same way.”

  “That sounds perfect.”

  “But a lot of people, from the council of elders to my own sister, will disapprove. They'll say we're rushing, putting our relationship in jeopardy, if we commit before taking the time to know each other better.”

  “How does living in separate apartments help us get to know each other better?” she mused.

  “I'm not sure,” he replied, “but that's considered the wisest approach. I think it's supposed to prevent broken hearts.”

  “That may be in some cases,” she said, striving for fairness. Then the realization of what life would be like without Davin beside her struck home like a hammer blow. “But I think there's also something to be said for committing yourself to an honorable person and just deciding to make it work, no matter what.”

  “I like your thinking. No one else will, though.”

  “No one else lives our lives for us.”

  “Are you sure you want to begin your life as a Koralian by breaking all the rules?”

  “Davin, let me make something perfectly clear to you. When we fought the creature, I was fighting for you, not for Koral, not for Laiconia. Only for you. When that monster knocked you to the ground, I knew no matter the cost, I had to protect you. It is you, not this country, who matters to me.”

  “Sweet Kiri,” Davin said, kissing her softly, “I think no matter where you live, we are going to be just fine.”

  * * *

  “Well,” Kyla said insistently to the other members of the council, “what are you all waiting for. A serious breach of magical law has been committed. We must begin an investigation. It will not do for that poor girl to be rescued from certain death and magical manipulation at the hands of her own people and be subjected to more violations here. Action must be taken against Davin Colorian.”

  “And I say no crime has been committed here.” Dalwyn replied, belligerently. “I have known Davin since he was a child. There is no evil in him, no desire to harm and manipulate women.”

  “Humph.” Kyla snorted, “Where were you for the last several years when he was cutting a swath through the female population?”

  “Have you ever heard that even one of those girls was unwilling? They were all mages, damn it, and not easily manipulated.”

  “Well, he certainly did not do them any good.”

  “Well, even if that were true, it ended five years ago. Besides, he loves this girl. I can see it. He would sooner cut off his hand than harm her.”

  “Is that why he tied himself to her with a bond the likes of which no one has ever seen before? It is doubtful she would survive if it were severed. And that's not to mention his own admission that he rendered her unconscious in order to use her magic without permission. That's rape, Dalwyn, and you know it. He assaulted that girl and is using some kind of spell to plunder her magic against her will.”

  “I saw no sign she was uncomfortable at all with their relationship.”

  “Please, mages,” Miranda broke in, “Dalwyn is correct that both Davin and Kiri seem quite taken with each other. However, Kyla is also correct that his unsanctioned penetration of her magic constitutes a crime. I will not move to arrest him at this time, but I do believe we should investigate this situation more thoroughly. Davin is going to have to answer some serious questions about what he has been up to.”

  Chapter 10

  The next morning, Davin walked Kiri from the apartment of healers to a small building a few blocks away. Kiri was delighted to feel the sun on her face again, after so many days in the hospital, but she had to lean heavily on Davin in order to remain upright. She was becoming concerned that so many days without training would take as much of a toll on her strength as her illness had, and she vowed to push herself a little harder, begin honing her muscles again. Her legs were wobbly as she struggled to put one in front of the other, but she managed in the end.

  As they walked down the streets of the capital, people turned and stared at Kiri, not with animosity or disgust, but with curiosity. She supposed their story, or some version of it, was being discussed all around. Many people waved at Davin as he passed, demonstrating what a public figure he was. Maybe she should try to do this the Koralian way, Kiri thought. It was not appealing, but she would hate for Davin's reputation to suffer due to their relationship. She might never be beautiful again, but she could keep her dignity, and try to conduct their relationship in a way that seemed normal in the eyes of his people. The thought of a cold empty bed made her eyes sting.

  As they approached the school of magic, a woman wearing a wild blue dress called to Davin from an upper window. He ignored the summons, though his arm around Kiri's waist tightened a bit.

  “Who is that?” she asked softly.

  “No one of consequence.” His tone was brusque, his face rigid with anger which startled Kiri a bit. However, when they entered the little room, at the magic school with its ring of comfortable looking armchairs, he was looking much more like himself. He settled her into one, pressed a lingering, heart melting kiss to her lips and murmured “I love you. See you after class,” before walking out the door.

  Kiri slumped in her chair, exhausted by the brief two block stroll. Yes, she would definitely have to start exercising again. Other students were coming into the class. There was a tall blond with a conceited expression on her face, a short brunette with a ready smile and plump pink cheeks, and a second brunette, this one short and thin, who looked nervous. Not one appeared to be a day over sixteen. They all took seats on the chairs and waited. Moments later Dori came in, looking more like a dumpling than ever.

  “Hello, ladies,” she began. Her tone was quite different here than it had been in the presence of the council of elders. Perhaps she felt more at ease in front of a class than in front of her peers.

  “All of you are here today because you have been discovered at an advanced age to have a significant magical ability. In this class, you will learn to wield and control your magic, and will explore the ways in which it can be used in your future work. I am Dori, head of magical education in the capital. In this class, we have a few rules. First, never attempt to do something new with your magic unless we have discussed it. There are many things that are dangerous to you, and some that could be dangerous to others. Next, class meets every day for three hours. It is your responsibility to be her or to send me word, if you must miss a class, of what you will be doing and why. Finally, you four are a team, and you need to help each other. There is to be no bickering, cattiness, or infighting among you. Is that understood?”

  “Yes ma'am,” They chorused, and Kiri was glad to see that discipline was going to be established from the beginning.

  “Well then, to begin with, you all need to introduce yourselves. Tell us your name, your age, how you discovered your magical ability, and what you hope to do with it some day.”

  She gestured to the chair at her left, where the shy brunette was sitting.

  “My name is Ilandra,” she whispered, “I'm fifteen. I didn't know I could do magic until my brother fell in the lake. My father jumped in to save him, but I held him up from where I was standing on the bridge until he could get there. When I learn to use this magic better, I want to help people.”

  “Thank you Ilandra.” Dori said, and then pointed to the next chair, where the snooty looking blond was sitting.

  “I'm Juleena,” she said, her expression regal. “I'm seventeen. I discovered my magic at a singing competition. I nearly fell off the stage, but was able to stop myself. I don't think magic is going to be very important to my career, but since I have it, I might as well try t
o use it.”

  “Thank you. Next?”

  The bubbly brunette smiled hugely at her classmates and blurted, “My name is Krissy. I'm sixteen. I discovered my magic by accident. It was silly actually. I dropped a paper in class and managed to float it back up to my desk.”

  “Thank you Krissy. Kiri?”

  The three girls turned to her. She felt ancient. “My name is Kiri. I'm twenty-seven years old. I've been a swordmaster since I was sixteen, a soldier since I was a child, but I never knew I had magic until the other day.”

  The two younger girls looked impressed, but Juleena sneered, “What happened the other day, did you cut yourself on your sword?”

  “No, but it's a long story. I don't know if Dori wants to take class time for it.”

  “Actually, Kiri, I would like you to tell your story. These girls need to hear it.”

  Kiri didn't really understand why they would, but she could hardly refuse the request.

  “Well, as I said, I'm a swordmaster. I worked for Eliada Dulek, one of the councilwomen of Laiconia. We came to Koral to fight a magical creature that had escaped and needed to be destroyed. Eliada did not survive the fight. I did. Afterwards I decided to stay here.”

  “Laiconia? No wonder you talk funny.” Krissy giggled. Kiri took no offense at the comment, knowing none was intended.

  “That still doesn't answer the question, does it? How did you discover your magic?” Kiri felt quite sure she was not going to get along well with Juleena.

  “Well, if you must know, I had a stasis leaf to neutralize the creature, but I dropped it in the struggle. I don't know where it fell, but I've been told it was quite a distance. So, there I was with a magical monster chewing on my arm. Next thing I know, the leaf was back in my hand, and I was able to stop the creature. I paid a heavy price though. The creature was poisonous. I'm only just beginning to recover from the injury.”