by Megan Derr
He didn't dare get his hopes up about the answer to that question, and abandoned it instead.
Footsteps drew his attention, and he watched as the door swung open to admit a young, handsome woman who broke into a smile as she saw him. "Good morning, my lord. It's good to see you awake."
"How long was I asleep? Surely I was not that badly wounded."
The woman pursed her lips. "On the contrary, my lord, you were severely wounded. People so often seem to think that only a single massive wound can hurt, but enough small wounds can amount to the same, and those you had in alarming number, never mind the beating you'd already endured. You've been drifting in and out of consciousness for the better part of two days. It's a wonder you didn't collapse sooner than you did."
Penli made a face. "I see. Well, thank you for saving me from my fool self, darling."
Laughing, the woman replied, "It was an honor to help you. We've heard all about how fiercely you are fighting for a claim on Lord Teia. It's quite romantic; nobody has called a challenge in decades! I wish you the best, my lord."
"Thank you." Penli mustered a genuine smile, because his woes were not her problem, and why ruin her good mood and insult her well wishes with the hard reality that Teia and Sendaar likely no longer wanted him—if they had at all, past the bedroom delights he could offer. "I do not suppose I am well enough to return to my own rooms and get out of your way? I am certain you have more important things to do than fuss over an old fool like me."
That set her to giggling, but after a moment she recovered and bustled off to arrange his return.
Surprising him not in the slightest, Shanna appeared to escort him personally. Penli heaved a sigh but went along complacently until they were alone. "Your doting husband and lover didn't insist on accompanying you?"
"They wanted to come, if only to protect you from Tishasanti's wrath, but I did not think you would appreciate feeling so crowded. They comprised by issuing guards to stand watch."
"I see." Penli sighed. "How are Teia and Sendaar?"
"Worried sick about you. They left those flowers you know—and I arranged to have them moved to your bedroom."
Penli nodded in thanks, stomach churning, chest aching, at the thought they had been worried about him. "I hope you assured them I'm quite well and have done this before—many a time before, in fact." He sighed again. "I had hoped I would not be doing it again. Please tell me Tishasanti is worse off. I am afraid I do not remember the whole fight clearly, only that it was as nasty as I feared it would be."
Shanna shuddered, and for a moment it looks as though she might cry. "It was terrifying to watch."
Penli flinched.
"Not because of you!" Shanna added hastily. "That is, not because you were fighting the way you've been trained to. I meant, it was so obvious you and Tishasanti hate each other, that he would have killed you if he could have. I know how much you wanted to leave all the violence behind, so I hate you've been forced to take it up again." She picked up his hand and kissed the palm. "I'm so sorry, Penli. You didn't deserve all this, and I hate to see you so battered and sad."
"Cinnamon cake, there's no 'deserving' involved. I asked, I volunteered, I agreed. I knew the risks. Knew them better than anyone else, really, given this is hardly the first time Tishasanti and I have attempted to kill one another. I doubt it will be the last." He grimaced. "But I did not mean to cause so much upheaval, or make a nuisance of myself in your new home—as your guest, and a guest seeking asylum at that." He scrubbed at his face. "Honestly, I've no idea what came over me. This sort of behavior is not remotely typical of me."
"Oh, I think romance has always been typical of you, my darling champion," Shanna said, and giggled at his scathing look. "Do not try to deny it."
Penli sighed again, and they lapsed into a comfortable silence the rest of the way through the palace. Once in his room, Shanna chatted about the minor goings on he had missed, how eager Adnan and queen were to see him win the challenge. How very worried and miserable Teia and Sendaar had been. "They desperately wanted to see you, but are abiding by the rules. I think they're afraid a single misstep and they will lose you."
"I see," Penli said, recalling how eager they'd been to flout the rules before. If he'd needed any confirmation that they were as eager to see the back of him as they were Tishasanti…
"Whatever doubts are spinning through your head, abandon them," Shanna said sharply as she ushered him into bed. "When are you going to listen to me and talk to them before you decide to dramatically throw yourself off the cliff of self-sacrifice?"
"I'm sorry, which of us ran away to a monastery and wore those dreadful wool monstrosities they call robes for months?"
Shanna sniffed. "Precisely. You may be older, but in this I am wiser. Talk to them before doing something stupid, like sulking yourself to death. They left you flowers, dear heart, doesn't that tell you anything?" Sure enough, the bouquet from the healers' hall was already in his bedroom. Shanna drew out a small spray of jasmine and brushed his cheek with it before pushing it into his hand. "Get some rest. I'll come by tonight with dinner and we'll talk more. Do you know what you're doing for the final challenge?"
"Yes, but there are papers I still need to sign. They should have arrived by now."
"I'll take care of it." She kissed his cheek and fussed with the blankets. "I hope this all ends the way you want it to, Penli. You deserve happiness more than anyone I know."
"Thank you, sunshine, but I have always been content with you and my quiet life."
She said nothing, only kissed his cheek again before bidding him sweet dreams and sweeping off.
Penli held the spray of night blooming jasmine to his nose, savoring the sweet scent of it and thinking wistfully of things that would never happen, and was soon swept into equally impossible dreams.
Chapter Seven
He stood in the crowded throne room the next day, battered, sore, and nearly as anxious as he had been before his first fight—a fight that had ended with the blood of four dead men on his hands, and his closest comrade at the time short half his right arm.
The only thing really making him feel remotely positive right then was his clothing: dark jewel teal with white and silver accents, and a black sash embroidered with silver fish.
"Welcome to your final challenge, my lords," Adnan said, and the last dregs of chatter in the room faded. "I know we are all eager to come to the end of the matter, so I will not delay. Normally the victor of the previous challenge would go first, but I feel in this case Lord Teia's fiancé should have the right to go first. Lord Tishasanti, how do you prove your devotion to Lord Teia?"
"I think the challenge itself proves my devotion quite clearly," Tishasanti said. "Not many a person, I should think, would tolerate hearing that their fiancé not only has had a lover all this time, but took as lover a man it is well-known I despise. A man with a reputation for being a skilled murderer, who is a traitor to his home… I am well within my rights to call this entire affair the insulting debacle that it is, but still I fight, still I am willing to marry a man who has not shown me any devotion, or even any respect."
Adnan bowed his head slightly. "Nothing further, my lord?"
"No, Your Majesty."
"Very well. Lord Penli, how do you prove devotion?"
From his sash, Penli pulled the packet of papers secured in a soft leather fold. A servant came to take them as he held them out, and at his quietly murmured words delivered them to Teia. Looking at him and Sendaar was hard. They were beautiful, an alluring flame that was slowly and steadily consuming him. Or possibly already had.
Teia made a rough, surprised noise, hands shaking enough to rattle the papers slightly. Sendaar took them from him, eyes widening as he read.
Everyone else on the dais looked to Penli for explanation—save for Shanna, who just looked amused and entirely too smug for reasons Penli could not discern.
"What is your gift, my lord?" Adnan asked quietly.
&nb
sp; "Lord Teia is not a prize to be won, an item to be bartered away without his consent. It is the way of nobles and royals to marry for power and wealth and prominence, but it should not be our way to force a marriage where it is not wanted by both parties. I know personally what it is like to be traded away without my consent, treated as little better than a horse. It's a fate I narrowly escaped and only at high cost. Lord Teia—and Master Sendaar—matter greatly to me. I did not enter this challenge to win them like a prize. I entered this challenge to gain their freedom, and now I make it complete: an estate at the northeast edge of the kingdom and fortune enough to be independent of family and societal demands, to give them the luxury of choice."
Adnan smiled, Hajar beamed with approval, and Shanna was sniffling, which was ridiculous because he had needed her help to expedite everything so all would be ready in time. "Well, Lord Penli, I think—"
Whatever Adnan thought was lost as Lord Teia burst from the dais and ran down the stairs to throw himself at Penli, wrapping arms tightly around his neck before kissing him hard enough Penli tasted blood.
He could faintly hear laughter and sighs and cries of delighted offense, but didn't give a single damn as he kissed Teia and then Sendaar, though when he'd joined them Penli could not say.
A stern throat-clearing finally drew them apart, but Adnan looked more amused than put out as he said, "Lord Teia, you are damned fortunate you kissed the winner because otherwise this would have been quite awkward." He sobered as he turned to a too still, too quiet Tishasanti. "Lord Tishasanti, you were a fierce, worthy competitor, and I truly am sorry you lost so much in this—but the law is the law, and I formally declare Lord Penli champion of the challenge."
"Majesty." Tishasanti gave a stilted bow, cast Penli a look full of hatred and a promise of retribution, then turned without another word and strode from the throne room.
Adnan shook his head when the guards made to go after him for so flagrantly and rudely breaking protocol. "He has every right. This is a hard blow for any person. Lord Penli, congratulations. I think I know the real reason your parents wanted you safely married off to someone of their choosing. I can certainly see why Princess Shanna intends to have your for her champion."
"That won't be happening," Penli said, casting her a look.
"A discussion for another time," Hajar cut in before the argument could begin. "Lord Penli, Lord Teia, you are free to go. There will be a celebration banquet for you tomorrow night. I hope after this, Lord Penli, you will try to cause less excitement in our court?"
"I promise to be on my best behavior, Your Majesties." Penli swept them an elegant bow, then left the hall with Teia clinging to one of his arms, Sendaar walking on his other side, a hand resting lightly on the hilt of his sword.
Thankfully, they reached Penli's chambers without incident. If Tishasanti intended to exact revenge, he wasn't in a rush about it. That would be easier to deal with, but Tishasanti had never been accused of being easy.
But worried as he was, all thoughts of Tishasanti fled as the door closed and the three of them were alone in his chambers.
"I'm so sorry!" Teia burst out, throwing himself into Penli's arms again, hard enough they nearly toppled.
"What in the world do you have to be sorry about?" Penli asked.
Teia looked up at him with wet eyes. "That you've gotten so hurt. That you had to kill those men. That you went through so much and you barely know us. And all we could do was stand there."
"I see," Penli said softly. "No need to fret, poppet. I've done far worse for far less. At least this time the battle was of my choosing—and I knew all along what I was in for, nothing that's happened was all that much of a surprise." He brushed a strand of hair from Teia's face and kissed him softly, then reached out to draw Sendaar in and kiss him as well. "I thought you both hated me after that day in the hallway. Most people do not remain after they see the brutality I can mete out."
Sendaar's fingers flexed restlessly where they gripped Penli's jacket and sash. "We felt horrible. It was all our fault—you just wanted to help—and all those bodies and you were hurt—we were ashamed that—" He looked down, swallowed, voice still rough as he finished, "Ashamed that we still hoped you'd continue—and win. Scared that you would realize we weren't worth the trouble."
Penli could think of nothing to say that would equal such an admission. Instead he settled on action, cupping the backs of their heads and kissing them in turns, until all three of them were mussed and panting. "Beauties, you are worth any amount of trouble." He rubbed a thumb over Teia's well-used lips, stroked the soft skin just behind Sendaar's ear that made his breath catch, made him lean harder into Penli's touch. "The real matter of the moment is: what are you planning to do with your newfound freedom?"
Teia smiled shyly. "That depends on whether or not you want to marry a man you barely know."
"I've already fought and bled for him," Penli said, swallowing the lump in his throat. "It seems a pity not to finish the matter with the ending everyone is expecting. We could always separate later if it turns out we three are not suited after all."
Teia kissed him hard, clinging so tightly Penli half-feared asphyxiating. When he finally tore away, Sendaar kissed him far more calmly, but no less heatedly.
"Well, then," Teia said eventually, "we were rather hoping my—our—new husband might be willing to show us around our new property and business."
Penli pushed back stray strands of Teia's hair. "It would be my pleasure, dear fiancé."
"We have a gift for you." Sendaar reached into his sash and pushed a small object into Penli's hand.
A ring—precisely like the rings he'd noticed they wore, gold set with amber and yellow tourmaline in the shape of a sunburst. "It's an old tradition for bloodgivers and those they protect to wear matching rings. Not everyone does it these days, since few bloodgivers are for life anymore, but Sendaar has been with me, and only me, for a long time. Now that I am marrying you, and you understand and respect my bond with Sendaar, you should have a ring as well. We're part of you, and you're part of us."
Penli didn't embarrass himself by crying, but it was a very near thing. He was more than happy to let them take the ring and slide it on the appropriate finger, then pull him close and ravish him senseless for several minutes more.
Eventually, however, clothes on and in the middle of his sitting room simply wasn't good enough. "I think it is time we moved this to the bedroom, poppets." He drew back and walked off, leaving them to follow. Once there, he stripped off his clothes and climbed into bed, pausing only to fetch the oil he'd be needing later.
They stood waiting, all but vibrating in place, eyes bright and hot and eager as they looked to him for orders.
"Undress each other," Penli said. "Make certain there is plenty of touching. I want to see what you look like when it's just the two of you."
Teia whimpered and Sendaar chuckled. He was the first to move, deftly undoing the knots and broaches holding Teia's sash in place, setting everything neatly aside before pulling his long tunic-style robe over his head and setting it less neatly on top of the sash.
By that point Teia had caught up, though he was far less graceful in stripping Sendaar of his armor and weapons. When they were both bare-chested, cocks tenting their loose pants, they paused the undressing to start the touching, murmuring softly and sweetly to each other as Sendaar caressed and licked Teia's nipples and Teia scored Sendaar's back and shoulder and sides with his nails.
Penli groaned and gripped his cock, stroking it as he watched them continued to kiss and touch and rub. "Lose the rest of the clothes."
It took them a moment to obey, more interested in tongue-fucking each other's mouths, but finally they drew apart enough to follow orders, stripping off pants and smallclothes before pushing back together to rub and rut, filling the room with their soft moans and gasps and panting breaths.
"On the bed now," Penli said, more than a little breathless himself. "Come and show me how
happy you are, sweethearts."
That order they followed immediately and eagerly, and it was reminiscent of their first time together but a thousand times better for the knowledge they now had of him, of how the three of them fit together. Penli had never been so happy to be overwhelmed, lost completely to the mouths exploring every last bit of his body, the teeth at his nipples, the tongue dragging down his stomach until it reached his aching cock. The fingers scraping and pinching and teasing.
He moaned, fingers fumbling to grasp a mop of curls and slide over a much smoother, shorn head as two mouths kissed and sucked and licked at his cock. Finally, finally, Sendaar's mouth took him deep while Teia climbed back up his body to kiss him, all their flavors mingled in his mouth, making Penli groan. He gripped Teia's pretty curls tightly and sucked on his tongue, pulling back only to nip and suck on those luscious lips before kissing him hard and deep again.
Deft fingers cupped and teased his balls, Sendaar taking his cock all the way into his throat, sucking hard, tongue rubbing, and gods have mercy, Penli might not survive this night but he had no complaints. Because this beautiful pair was his, wanted to be his, and he had the ring to prove it.
A ring infinitely more precious than all the wealth and power that would have come with marrying a prince. No one would ever be able to convince him otherwise.
"Enough, my decadent darlings," he said, panting. He laughed faintly when they pouted at him. Kissing the sulking away, he said, "The important question now might be a familiar one: who am I fucking, and who is fucking me?"
As he'd expected and hoped, they moaned in unison, rubbing against him and kissing whatever bits of skin they could easily reach. "Can't you fuck both of us?"
Penli laughed, low and rough. "A delightful idea, but I definitely do not have the fortitude for that tonight. But I promise to do so another night. For now, decide."
