by Megan Derr
Chapter Eleven
Kamir was going to throw up. He had hoped nine years ago that he would never have to go to court again—at least for something as upsetting as protecting his children. They were his. This shouldn't be an issue.
Hopefully today's petition to get an order of holding would hasten it toward not being an issue again. He wasn't entirely convinced a judge would grant the order, but Velina was right in that it couldn't hurt to try—at least it would be on record that he didn't feel safe around Theoren and had tried to force him to keep a distance.
He pulled out his pocket watch and stifled a sigh as he saw his scheduled court time was nearly two hours overdue now. Damn it, he had other things to do with his day. The house was nearly ready. He'd really hoped to go into the city to look it over and see if any changes were necessary. And even though everything had significantly quieted since Jader's departure a few weeks ago, he was still going to be stuck in the office doing work all day and still catching up on the morrow, so who knew when he'd have time to inspect the progress on the house. He could not afford to sit in court for hours on end.
But he also didn't have a choice. He tucked his watch away and tried to focus on the book he'd brought along. Pantheon knew he wouldn't be getting another chance to do something as simple and fun as read for a long time.
Try as he might, though, all he did was wind up reading the same page over and over. His mind kept flitting between all the work that needed doing, fretting about the trial, daydreaming about the house and how excited the children would be, and how Jader was doing.
Did Jader miss him? Was he already wishing he didn't have a lover so he could enjoy a lover or three in Benta?
Doubts tried to creep back in about whether he wouldn't enjoy them otherwise, but Velina had always made it clear—and said it again recently, unasked, as though anticipating his worries—that if Jader had any intention of doing so, he would have discussed the matter with Kamir before leaving.
But it was hard to remember that when Kamir could hardly compare to… well, nearly everyone else. And who knew what was happening in Benta.
It didn't matter. He and Jader were a temporary thing. Look at what happened the last time he'd gotten infatuated with someone. He was not doing that again, he wasn't. He'd gotten out of that mess. He had two good children. A house. Money. He was proving to be good at managing a full estate, and the secretaries seemed to enjoy working with him, the staff who'd written to him were always congenial. Whatever happened with Jader, he was fine.
Kamir sighed and tried to go back to reading his book, or at least think of something else—something that wouldnt drive him mad.
Across the enormous hallway, Thereon sat with his solicitor—the same solicitor, oddly enough, that Kamir's parents used. The more time passed, the more Kamir was certain his and Velina's theories were correct: Theoren was doing his parents' bidding in exchange for money.
Unfortunately, that meant they were going to be heartless and ruthless. They were on the verge of having Kamir exactly where they wanted him, right where they needed him to finally see through the plans they'd always had for him, and they would never permit another failure. The Norring family motto was Dreams require action, which he'd always thought beautiful, but his parents seemed to think it meant pursuing dreams by turning everyone else's lives into nightmares.
He did not want to think about what sort of case they were further building against him if their solicitor was involved. Rezzo was considered a good friend by his parents, a rarity given they thought anyone not noble was beneath them.
And there Kamir sat without any support of his own, not even Velina because she had to watch the children while he dealt with this all day.
Just as he was ready to scream from frustration, the doors opened. He looked up hopefully at the clerk who stepped out into the hall, barely breathing.
"Lord Kamir Norring and Master Theoren Masterow. The judge will see you now."
Kamir rose and smoothed down his jacket, picked up his satchel of papers, and walked into the courtroom. It was a beautiful room, if austere and cold, as all courtrooms seemed to be. Thankfully the only other people present were the judge and her various clerks, as well as the transcriber.
Taking his place at the right-hand podium, he set his satchel on it and waited.
The judge was a stern looking woman with gray hair and eyes, light brown skin, and a stocky build. She looked at them over the rim of her green-framed spectacles, then back down at the papers in front of her. Kamir relaxed slightly. She might be stern, but she didn't appear to be mean or dismissive as so many judges could be. He only had real experience with the judges back in Eushan, but he'd dealt with three of them and crossed paths with a handful of others since then. By and large, judges were not pleasant people, at least not when they were working.
She looked at him. "Lord Kamir Norring?"
"Yes, Honored."
She glanced at Theoren. "Master Theoren Masterow?"
"Yes, Honored."
She glanced down at her papers, then back up. "Your request for an Order of Holding has been reviewed by the court, Lord Norring, and after careful consideration we have decided to grant it. Master Theoren—"
"Can't we object?" Theoren sputtered.
The solicitor rested a hand on his shoulder and said, "Apologies, Honored."
The judge ignored him. "What precisely would you like to object to, Master Masterow?" She picked up the papers in front of her. "Lord Norring has pleaded he finds you a threat to his person, and submitted evidence I certainly think is objectionable, though not in a way that favors you. So what are you objecting to? Exhibit one, that you broke the law in marrying a boy of sixteen?"
Theoren's face went red, but his words were strangled by the solicitor's hard grip on his forearm.
Clearing his throat, the solicitor said, "Honored—"
"I'm not finished, and I'm not interested in hearing the technicality he slipped through on, so spare me your tiresome defense. There's also verified accounts of abuse and a long list of financial violations. Finally, I see your signature on papers trading your children for money. Certainly your business, but it does give credence to Lord Norring's pleading. The only objection I have is that nobody hauled you off to the stocks and left you to rot."
"No objections, Honored," the solicitor said. "Our apologies."
Theoren's mouth flattened. "Nobody thinks it's a little suspicious that he wants an order against the man trying to reclaim his children?"
"That was taken into account, Master Masterow, and in the eyes of the court, added credence to Lord Norring's plea. The Order of Holding is hereby granted, effective immediately. Master Masterow, you are banned from speaking to or otherwise engaging with Lord Norring. You are to maintain a distance of at least one hundred paces. The court acknowledges, of course, that this would be a difficult distance to maintain while you both reside in the palace, therefore, you are banned from the public gathering spaces until the Order of Holding expires. Should you enter a room where Lord Norring is already present, you are to leave it immediately. Should he enter a room where you are already present, you are to leave immediately."
She turned to Kamir. "Lord Norring, the Palace Clauses permit you a bodyguard through the length of the Order of Holding. The court strongly suggests you accept one; in addition to the obvious role of protection, bodyguards can serve as trusted witnesses."
"Thank you, Honored, I would gladly accept the offer of bodyguard."
"Very well, a bodyguard will be assigned by end of day."
Kamir bowed his head slightly. "Thank you, Honored."
"Dismissed. Lord Kamir, exit first. Clerk, inform me when he is out of the wing and at that point, Master Masterow, you will be permitted to leave."
Across the way, Theoren said something that his lawyer quickly cut off. Kamir didn't waste time looking at him, but from the jduge's expression, Theoren was close to being in official contempt.
Grabbin
g his satchel, Kamir bowed to the judge and departed, heart beating so fiercely he pressed a hand to his chest once he was in the hallway.
He'd gotten it. The judge had granted the order. He would still have to deal with his parents, and no doubt Theoren would disregard the order at some point, but he had the order and a bodyguard.
Allowing himself a small smile, he returned to his rooms.
Velina came out of the school room as he closed the door. She met his eyes, hands clasped in front of her stomach.
"Granted," Kamir said.
Lifting her hands in a silent cheer, she crossed the room to hug him tightly. "Thank the Mashta Ocean."
"And I did accept the offer of a bodyguard. They'll be assigned by the end of the day."
"Good. I know you're reluctant, but it lessens nothing about you to have additional protection."
Kamir nodded, though he still felt like he was hiding more than fighting.
He would not put his ego before his children, however. Hiding until he could strike once, hard and fast, had worked before. As long as he remembered that and focused, it would work for him again. "I'm going to get some work done on the latest commissions. Let me know if someone important comes by, or the bodyguard arrives earlier than expected. Turn everyone else away."
"Of course." She hugged him again, then fetched the snacks on the table and whisked them off to the schoolroom.
Though he was tempted to look in on the children, Kamir didn't want to disrupt their schooling or risk losing too much time on the commissions he needed to get done.
Settling in at his table, he immediately sank into the methodical work of putting a clock together. When he was finished, it would be an elaborate gold piece with crystal facing, set in a marble statue of Ariana, Goddess of Spring and Children. The statue was by one of his favorite sculptors. If he could purchase an extravagant piece of art for himself, it would be one of Toulo's statues.
A knock came at the door a few hours later, and Kamir packed his work away before stepping out to join his family for lunch.
"Papa!" Chiri cheered, and even Chara turned in his seat to smile in greeting.
Reaching them, Kamir kissed the tops of their heads before taking his seat. "How are your lessons going?"
Chara shrugged, more than happy to let his sister describe their morning in exhausting but enthusiastic detail, which kept them all occupied while they ate. When they were finished, he kissed and hugged them again and sent them off with Bremm to play in the gardens.
Soon, very soon, he could take them to their new home.
For the present, however, he had estate matters to attend. And later that evening, an appointment with a healer to ensure his pregnancy was going well. Only a couple months into it, there really wasn't much to check on, but he intended to avail himself fully of the benefits of healers that had been denied him the first time. He wasn't nineteen, alone, and terrified anymore.
He ghosted his fingers over his stomach and smiled softly.
Voices drew him from his daydreaming, and he let his hand fall, smile slipping away as he turned onto a crowded hall and wended his way through the cluster of nobles and harried servants. Some event or meeting must have recently let out—something important, to judge by the faces he passed by.
As he reached the room everyone was vacating, Sarrica stepped out, Lesto at his side. Kamir gave a brief, passing half-bow, smiling shyly at Lesto. Everyone said he was terrifying, and certainly Kamir had seen why they thought so, but he'd always remember best the Lesto who had come to visit him and speak with him and treated him as a peer.
"Lord Kamir," Lesto greeted.
Kamir's smile widened. "Good day, Your Majesty, Your Grace."
Instead of returning the greeting, Sarrica scowled at him. Well, that was, to Kamir's knowledge, Sarrica's pensive face, but it certainly had more scowl to it than anything else.
Kamir bowed again and made to move on.
"A word, Lord Kamir," Sarrica called out. "Right now." He didn't wait for a reply but simply strode down the hall and threw open the door to a smaller sitting room.
Lesto huffed. "I apologize for his rudeness." He offered his arm, and Kamir took it gratefully, hoping Lesto did not notice his trembling. "Do not worry. I have no idea what thought has suddenly entered his head, but if he was truly angry, he'd settle for dressing you down right here in the crowded hallway." His single eye gleamed with amusement as he smiled faintly at Kamir. "That he bothered to think about the matter first says he is on your side, whatever he says."
"Thank you, Your Grace."
They stepped into the sitting room and Lesto pulled out a ring of keys and locked the door before escorting Kamir to a seat. "Sarrica, what in the world is this all about?"
Sarrica ignored him, eyes focused on Kamir. "How far along are you, my lord? If I had to guess, I'd say two months, give or take a couple of weeks."
Kamir wanted to cry, but drew a breath and calmly said, "Two months and one week, Your Majesty."
Anger, confusion, and more emotions than Kamir could catch flickered across Sarrica's face.
"How—how did Your Majesty…"
"Notice?" Sarrica finished for him, and continued in a dry tone, "I am not as much of a halfwit as the court takes me for. There is much I miss, my consort and friends will attest to that, but I loved my first husband very much, and it was hard not to notice how much he hated carrying our children. I was achingly aware of every little change that increased his misery, right from the very start. You have the puffiness, and some other little details, of someone in the early stages of pregnancy. What puzzles me is that you have never struck me as a schemer, but this smacks of simplistic but effective scheming."
Kamir gave a shaky laugh. "I'm no schemer, Your Majesty. I'm busy enough raising two children and keeping us in a home."
"Yes, and quite the home you recently purchased," Sarrica said. "Especially for a man currently being challenged as unfit to raise his children, as well as disowned. Odd time to be adding a new member to the family. Yet you say you are no schemer."
"It was carelessness, as stupid as that makes me. My children's caretaker suggested getting rid of the baby, but I could never bring myself to do it—I couldn't with the twins, either. I know how it looks, but I swear your Majesty, there is no scheming involved." Kamir said to the carpet, only barely managing to keep his voice audible. "I simply got… carried away and distracted and forgetful. I should have taken my tea the last time the High Commander and I spent the night together, but I forgot. That's all there is too it. I never had any intention of bothering the High Commander with my carelessness."
"Mmm," Sarrica replied. "I am tempted to believe you, but my High Commander has enough to deal with now and in the foreseeable future without coming home and walking right into the trap you, and whoever else could be involved, are tidily laying."
"Sarrica—"
Shooting Lesto a look that made him fall silent, Sarrica turned back to Kamir and said, "I am forbidding marriage between you and Lord Jader. If you're being honest about not scheming, I doubt that will trouble you."
Kamir didn't know whether to laugh or cry. It was exactly what he needed to help stop some of his parents' scheming, but for all it would never have happened anyway, to have the possibility so completely destroyed was devastating. "Yes, Your Majesty. I assume you'll put that in writing?"
Sarrica's brow furrowed, and a moment passed before he said, "Yes."
"Thank you, that would be appreciated. May I be dismissed, Your Majesty?"
Sarrica's frown deepened, and he shared some look with Lesto that Kamir didn't understand, but at last said, "Yes, you may."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Kamir bowed and fled, forcing himself to walk sedately to the office only because he refused to draw more gossip than he could possibly avoid. Once he reached his office, however, he locked the door, sat in his chair, and finally cried.
It was stupid to be upset. He'd entered into an affair with Jader knowin
g full well that it would never be anything but a brief liaison. He'd been content with one night, and beyond ecstatic that Jader had turned it into so much more. But even then, Kamir hadn't been stupid enough to think that marriage would ever be a possibility.
But knowing something was impossible and having the chance ripped away by order of the High King were two different things. This wasn't just impossible, it was legally declared forbidden and sealed with the imperial crest. That was a much colder, harder reality than simply watching quietly from afar and accepting it would never happen.
He pulled out a kerchief and dried his eyes, breath hitching as he tried to get control of himself. Sarrica had made his decision, and Kamir would have to live with it. Best to focus on the good points, like the fact his parents would not be able to try and force him to coerce Jader into marriage—or worse, go straight to Jader and try to force the matter themselves.
It wasn't much so far as victories went, but he would take what he could get.
He curled his hands around his stomach, wishing he were bringing a new child into a happier world, instead of the snarled, thorny mess that grew nastier every day.
Would Jader want anything to do with the child? Would he demand full custody? The thought broke Kamir's heart, but if that was what Jader wanted, Kamir was in no position to argue. The judges would laugh him right out of court for trying to stand against a close friend of the High King.
Speaking of friends, it was probably only a matter of time before his invitation to dine at the high table was rescinded. It was surprising that Sarrica hadn't already said as much, but maybe he hadn't thought of it; he didn't attend public dinners nearly as often as Allen.
Well, it wasn't like he hadn't known that was fleeting, too. However nice it had been to pretend he'd been making real friends with Allen, Tara, and Shemal, it would never have become a reality.
All in all, it was for the best Sarrica was so shrewd and observant. Better to end all of that now before he did something stupid like get too attached to the idea. It was fine. He was fine. He didn't need to be cozy with the High Throne to be successful or keep his children safe.
