Killian

by T. N. Tarrant

  Shiloh’s first sight of the Council building stunned him. It had to be the most massive structure he’d ever seen. If the architects of the structure had intended that anyone who approached it felt like the most insignificant creature in the universe, they succeeded. The black basalt stone was smooth and well maintained, the huge blocks unbroken at the ground level except for the entrances, which were just oversized doorways. The outside of the structure had few windows. Killian and Celie had told him the structure had been built with sieges in mind, to protect the island’s more at-risk residents, children, and the elderly. Despite several human invasions over the millennia, it had never been breached.

  Once inside, Shiloh followed Killian to the Council chamber, an arena type room, where the entire group met for their quarterly meetings. Moving to the small area reserved for petitioners, Killian ensured Shiloh and Celie were comfortable before going to take his place with the Council on the low dais. Araminta sat by his side; as the future Artris, she needed to be well-informed.

  Shiloh found the Council fascinating. As he watched, he could see who got along well, who hated each other’s guts, and who didn’t really care either way. He also noticed that despite these differences, or maybe because of them, the Artris still managed to be civil towards each other, and they actually listened, for the most part. After the Council finished with all the other business, Kelia brought the matter of Shiloh Zahirris requesting Sanctuary of Killian Larrestes, from Anan Nyirej and Ewan Zahirris.

  When asked why she’d not mediated the situation herself, Kelia briefly explained everything she’d learned, and many nodded, agreeing that it was complicated enough that perhaps more than the Magistrate’s attention should be paid to it.

  The Council proceeded to question Ewan, and then examined the will for themselves, with many expressing surprise that there was no provision in the will to keep Anan from selling Shiloh’s birthright inheritance, a small estate in North Carolina.

  Shiloh sat stunned. He had no idea he was to have inherited anything, let alone that it would have gone to Anan upon the marriage. At least now he understood how marrying him would get her a good bit of the money she needed to recover her own birthright estate.

  One of the Artris, Lady Solentai, spoke up. “Lord Shiloh, were you aware of your inheritance?”

  Shiloh shook his head as he stood to answer. “No, my Lady. Had I known, I would have immediately retreated to it, with none but the Council to gainsay me.”

  Kelia told the Council she believed Ewan and Anan had conspired to keep Shiloh ignorant of his resources in order to pressure him into the marriage. Over Anan’s and Ewan’s protests, Lady Kierstai advised them they should probably stay silent, as anything they said could lead to them being asked to Verify it, and the consequences of lying would be severe. Both quickly shut up, Ewan looking ill and Anan looking angry.

  Shiloh looked at Celie for support; she patted him gently. Then Lady Kierstai asked why, other than her attempted rape conviction in the past, Anan was so unsuited to Shiloh. They were both unattached, young, and healthy. Kelia replied that as Shiloh was gay, marriage to a woman should not have ever been considered for him unless there was a strong need for a peace bond, which did not apply here. Lady Jarvai turned to Ewan.

  “Did you know of your son’s orientation?” she asked.

  Ewan stood. “Yes, my Lady, we did.”

  “Did you, Mistress Anan?” Lady Jarvai stared intently at the woman, almost as if she was seeing right into her.

  Anan stood as well. “Yes, I did, and I told him I didn’t care, that he could have a male lover if he wanted,” she answered insolently.

  Shiloh stood again, angry.

  Lady Solentai looked at him. “You have something to add, young Lord Zahirris?”

  “What she said is true—as far as it goes. What she didn’t tell you is that she said I could have any lover she took, and was bored with. She forbade me to find one I actually wanted,” Shiloh replied as calmly and respectfully as he could manage. He was torn between wanting to run to Killian and hide in the bigger man’s embrace and wanting to take the Guards’ swords and cut Anan’s smug, menacing head off. Somehow, he found the strength to do neither, standing in place, outwardly calm.

  “This does not seem to have been properly arranged on any level. Young Lord Zahirris, why do you fear for your good welfare in Mistress Anan’s care?” Another Artris spoke this time, Matthew, Lady Sorai, Shiloh noted.

  “I am a very strong touch sensitive, my Lady. There have been a few times over the past few years where I have come in skin-to-skin contact with Anan, and the things I felt… sensed…” He looked at Kelia questioningly.

  “Go ahead, tell them everything you told me when I questioned you,” Kelia encouraged.

  “She doesn’t want me, my Ladies. I’m just a thing, a convenience for her plans to recover her birthright. I would catch flashes of hatred toward a young man that I later discovered was Regent Artris Larrestes. Anger that he had cost her so much. I didn’t understand it at the time. She sees me as something she can use and abuse, and as long as we’re married first, no one can tell her differently. I have no Artris to speak for me. The few females that remain in my Clan, do not seem inclined to step up and do their duty, which appeared to feature strongly in her plans.” It was a relief to finally have it all in the open. Even so, he almost took a step backwards when Anan stood again.

  “He’s just a hysterical male, easily swayed by others. He’s been in Lady Larrestes’ charge for weeks. The Regent could have convinced my fiancé of anything by now.”

  Celie stood now. “Do you mean to suggest, Anan Nyirej, that I would allow a patient in my care to be brainwashed?”

  Anan froze.

  “Your patient, Lady Celie?” Lady Kierstai asked, watching everyone carefully.

  Celie looked toward Shiloh for a moment, asking permission to discuss their sessions with the Council.

  He nodded. “Go ahead, Celie, I trust you.”

  “Lord Shiloh became quite distraught over the betrayal of his parents, both in them knowing about Anan’s past and not telling him, arranging the marriage anyway, and in Ewan’s threatening to kill his dogs if he didn’t go through with it. His depression became severe enough that Lady Larrestes called upon me to tend to him.”

  Noticing Celie seemed to be facing the wall just to the side of the Council, Shiloh gently turned her a little more towards them. No one said anything, although there were a few fond smiles.

  “We’ve spoken every day since I arrived. His mind is his own, his beliefs his own, his feelings his own.”

  Gathering his courage, Shiloh dared speak up again. “Ask her if she’s changed. Ask her what her intentions towards Lady Larrestes are. What her intentions are towards me. What her intentions for my estate are.”

  Lady Jarvai and several others, including Kelia spoke quietly for several minutes, then broke off into other groups, speaking some more. Eventually the entire group had discussed his request.

  Lady Jarvai spoke again. “These are valid questions, Mistress Nyirej. We require answers to them. First, your intentions for the estate once it passes into your control?”

  Anan began to look hunted. There were several full-blown Tii-su in the room, one of whom, Kelia, was a Sennrojai on the Council. On top of that, several other Artris were sufficiently sensitive to know when they were being lied to, even if they couldn’t sniff out the truth directly.

  Kelia caught the errant thought from Anan that she shouldn’t have bothered chasing Shiloh; he’d proved too much trouble. Kelia couldn’t help it. She smirked just a little and shared the tidbit with Celie, who psionically chuckled, commenting it was too late now.

  Anan tried anyway. “I withdraw my claim to Shiloh as husband.”

  Anan’s statement shocked Shiloh. Was she able to do that?

  “If that was what you had wanted to do, you should have done so before it was brought before the Council,” Milossa said sternly. “Indeed, t
he way this will is set up, Ewan would then have grounds to bring you before us for denying him his inheritance.”

  “Answer the original question, Anan Nyirej,” Natalya ordered.

  “I wish to sell it.

  “Why?” Lady Solentai asked.

  “Because I was forced to sell my birthright, in order to pay reparations,” Anan answered angrily. She stood with her fists balled, as if she wanted to strike out.

  “So you would deprive your fiancé, and your prospective children, of their rightful inheritance, instead?” Lady Torrai’s eyes showed her disapproval clearly, over her face veil. In a moment of misplaced idle curiosity, Shiloh wondered why she wore it, the custom had never been common for females. Surely it wasn’t because of her nearly space-black skin. Amoung Rimalians, such dark, Ancient-toned skin was a mark of rare beauty.

  “I have the right to do as I wish with my property,” Anan replied defiantly.

  “True,” Lady Jonai agreed. “But you must have more care with the inherited property of another, especially birthright properties that are not truly yours. If you and young Lord Zahirris married, his inherited birthright estate would become the birthright of your eldest daughter, or your only child. Tradition requires that these properties be preserved. “

  “But it becomes mine when I marry Shiloh, and I can do as I wish with it,” Anan replied, still standing with fists clenched, getting angrier.

  “Let’s move on to the next question,” Milossa suggested. “What are your intentions toward young Lord Zahirris?” Milossa also watched the female closely. What were they looking for? Shiloh wondered.

  “What do you mean? I am supposed to marry him, what else could be asked for?” Anan asked.

  “Do you like him?” Natalya asked, with a quiet kind of cheerful malice.

  “Why would that be necessary?”

  “Do you want him?” This question came from Lady Ertrai, an older woman, who had seemed content to watch until now. “I mean sexually. Is he attractive enough to you that you would want to have a sexual relationship with him?”

  Shiloh blushed deeply at the question, and squirmed in his seat. Celie patted him again as some of the Council members smiled benignly at him, apparently pleased with his embarrassed reaction.

  Anan looked at her oddly. “He would be adequate to that purpose, I suppose.”

  Angry on Shiloh’s behalf, Killian struggled not to say anything, but he didn’t want to egg her on. If he was reading his fellow Council members right, she was digging herself a nice hole all by herself. And they seemed pleased by Shiloh’s modesty. Besides, her intentions towards him were next to be questioned and he would have a chance to speak then.

  “Would you treat him with respect?” Lady Sorai asked.

  “He’s a male. Why would I waste respect on him?” Anan’s tone was equally confused and angry. Obviously, men in her worldview just weren’t worthy of respect.

  Every male on the Council, and a majority of the females, all stood up angrily in protest. Saul, Lady Nerris, had his hand on his dagger. “It is a waste to respect a male?” he asked softly, threateningly.

  Anan looked wildly around, aware she’d put her foot in it, but not really understanding why.

  “SIT DOWN!” Milossa ordered. She stood and stared sternly around at the Council members until slowly, reluctantly in many cases, everyone sat down. The four men on the Council—Killian, Richard, Matthew, and Saul—were the last to sit, all still glaring at Anan.

  Milossa gave everyone a few minutes to compose themselves before she spoke again. “Obviously, Mistress Nyirej, we need to speak with you about the lessons you missed as a child. I would have thought, however, after your punishment five years ago, you would have learned that men deserve respect and care from women.”

  “All that showed me was that you were willing to believe the lies of some hysterical little tease, who cried a little and you all felt sorry for him,” Anan replied haughtily. “You left me with permanent scars over what some insignificant little male said one night because he didn’t think I spent enough money on him, or whatever his problem was, and he cried rape. And you idiots believed him.”

  The room was silent for a minute while nearly everyone in the room stared at her in disbelief.

  Kelia stood. “Lady Jarvai?”

  “Yes, Lady K’Arith?” Milossa answered.

  “Tii-su Georges is here on the island, and we can bring Marabel Solentai here if Mistress Nyirej would like to revisit that decision. I know she appealed once, before the flogging was administered, and then she later appealed the reparations. Both times, the decision was upheld. One person in the group who that listened to her appeal on the flogging informed her she should be glad it was such a light sentence. If she truly believes we were ‘fooled’ by a spiteful or hysterical male, both of them are right here, we can Verify it again.”

  “Lady Larrestes, are you willing to endure another Verification of the incident?” Milossa asked.

  “I am,” Killian said, without hesitation. He had nothing to lose by telling the truth again. And maybe this time, something would be done to protect other males from Anan.

  “Anan Nyirej, are you willing to endure another Verification of the incident?” Milossa asked.

  Anan stared at all of them. She was caught, and everyone knew it. The mind doesn’t lie. Perception of memories may change, but the memories themselves do not. Snarling with hatred, she shook her head.

  “You are before Council, you must speak,” Milossa reminded her. “And be careful what you say, because it will be the last time that the incident of five years ago will be addressed in this fashion.”

  Anan remained silent a while longer, glaring at all of them. “It wasn’t right; he didn’t deserve seventy-five percent of my inheritance.”

  “I didn’t deserve to be sexually assaulted, either,” Killian answered coldly. “You had no right to touch me when I told you no. I had to drag my dagger across your face for you to even start to let me go. Some of the wounds you left on my body got infected. They scarred. You deserved your punishment, Anan Nyirej, and there were many times I wished you’d been put to death.”

  “I should have killed you when you tried to refuse me my rights as your fiancée,” Anan spit out angrily.

  “We would not be having this conversation if you had. The time when that was permissible is millennia past,” Milossa commented. “You would not have been flogged. You would have been put to death for murder.”

  Shiloh watched all this, feeling like it wasn’t even about him anymore. Anan’s hatred of Killian was getting the best of her, and he could see many on the Council recognized that. Was his asking for Sanctuary being used to punish Anan further?

  Celie quieted him. She brought this on herself, by not being honest with you, and forcing you to feel the need to ask for Sanctuary. She could have just relinquished her claim to you, before the Council was involved. Ewan could have then petitioned the Council for help to gain his inheritance. Smart, careful, women write their wills to avoid these problems, not cause them. The Council didn’t seek this, but they are going to use it, since they would already be at home with their families, otherwise. Kelia is particularly cranky; because of this fiasco, she’s been separated from Saul for entirely too long.

  “Young Lord Zahirris, how do you feel about marrying Mistress Nyirej? Can you now honor the arrangement of your mother’s choosing?” Lady Ertrai asked kindly. She gave him what he figured was supposed to be a reassuring smile. “Have your doubts about your future with her been eased and laid aside?”

  Shiloh swallowed hard to shift the lump in his throat. He stood again. “No, my Lady. I still see a woman who cares nothing for me or any children I might have had with her. I have no wish to marry her, or, indeed, any woman. My mother, father, and Anan all knew this. I feel that my mother betrayed her duty to see to my future in the best manner for me. My father betrayed his duty to ensure I was aware of my own inheritance.” He spoke as calmly and strongl
y as he could manage, not wanting to have to repeat himself. For a moment, he wished he were curled on the couch with Killian, watching the weather, drinking hot chocolate, and petting his dogs. “My Ladies, if I cannot trust her with my dogs, how could I trust her with my children?”

  Anan glared at him, her dislike of Killian spilling over onto him, but he didn’t care. Killian had shown him more caring in the short time he’d known the man than he’d known in all of his life. The idea of being forced to be with Anan in any way was simply abhorrent. A realization popped full-grown into his mind: He would rather die than marry Anan. He sat down in shock, dropping into the seat. Several heads snapped around to look at him, and Celie put an arm around his shoulders. He stared at Killian, their gazes locked.

  “You would truly rather die than marry Anan?” Lady Ertrai asked, making him realize that every person in the room with sufficient sensitivity had heard his thought, it had been so strong.

  Killian’s face blanched, fear crossing his face before he schooled it again. Araminta didn’t bother hiding her response; she left her chair and ran to him, climbing into his lap. Shiloh closed his arms around her instinctively, appreciating the comfort offered.

  Shiloh somehow managed to look away from Killian, to Lady Ertrai. “Yes, my Lady, if suicide is my only option, I will take it, and I will make sure that Anan does not get my estate. They deserve a Mistress that will do her best for them, and I deserve a spouse who values me as a person worthy of respect. I never expected her to love me or be my soul mate or anything like that. But I will not be sold for a convenience.”

  “Even if the Council commands the marriage?” Lady Jonai asked quietly.

  Shiloh looked at Lady Jonai. “Yes, my Lady, even if the Council commands the marriage. She only inherits if the marriage is consummated. I can prevent that.”

  Shiloh wasn’t sure, but he thought he saw approval in the eyes of many Artris. Some just looked irritated. One of them spoke now. “Let’s just vote on this and get it over with. They’ve both said their piece, and that girl is lying more to herself than to anyone else. The boy is obviously not a very biddable male. I don’t know why she’d want him anyway.”