Chapter 24
Twenty-Four
ZAKAI
Since the alliance was contingent on Uttin becoming clan leader, it was agreed by the whole clan to move up the tournament.
Word was sent to allied clans, and a few from each showed up to participate or observe.
It was more ceremonial than an actual tournament, since very few who went up against Uttin truly wished to take his place.
Most who did it were his friends, and the spar was friendly in nature.
There were a few who tried their hand at beating him.
One from an allied clan who was strong and wished for an opportunity to attain the title of clan leader, but was friendly when he lost. Another was a former tribute who thought the clan would thrive more under a matriarchy, her indulgent bondmate watching with a proud smile on his face.
Uttin didn’t treat her any differently than any other opponent, but he gave her a warrior’s bow when she was forced to forfeit with a blade to her throat.
Only one truly worried me. People side-eyed him when he showed up and kept their distance from him and the two buddies who had come with him.
The tournament was open to anyone, but even I could tell these guys weren’t clan leader material.
“I heard the winner is to marry a prince for an alliance,” the asshole commented with a smug grin. He shot me a lecherous look. “I am not normally interested in males, but I will fuck him properly if it means I can become—”
He had no chance to finish his sentence. Uttin swung his sword, sending him scrambling to block it. The idiot had decided to talk shit after their fight had already begun. And Uttin was out for blood.
He came at the man with fury etched in his face, giving the idiot no chance to get a swing in.
The clang of metal on metal was ferocious, and it was a wonder Uttin hadn’t gutted him already.
Apparently it wasn’t his goal. He kept up his movements until his blade broke through the asshole’s with a resounding clang, shattering it.
His blade stopped less than a hair’s breadth from slashing across the asshole’s face.
The entire clan and everyone in attendance sucked in a collective gasp, waiting for Uttin to make his final move.
Would he remove the man’s head for insulting me? Or would he back away and reset?
He did neither. Instead, he moved his blade to the man’s throat, resting it with just enough weight to draw a drop of blood.
“If you do not wish for me to spill the rest, you will leave here and never return. Your clan is not welcome here. Insult my bondmate again, and I will not hesitate to declare war. Now go!”
Most of the clans who had been invited to the tournament were staying overnight. This guy and his friends weren’t allowed the luxury of rest. They’d arrived that morning and were leaving the same evening. All because they insulted me.
A smug grin overtook my face as the two helped their friend to his feet.
When he looked in my direction, Simon threw his arm around my neck, his blades out and a feral grin on his face.
I wiggled my fingers at them, watching with amusement as they headed for their stallions.
When Einar began following them like a terrifying shadow, they squealed and ran, one nearly toppling over the other side of his stallion in his haste to mount and leave.
A presence in front of me drew my attention, and Simon slipped away just as I turned to look into Uttin’s ocean blue eyes.
He took my chin in a rough grip, tilting my chin in a kiss meant to claim.
It took my breath away, and I almost didn’t hear the cheers and catcalls fill the air. All I could focus on was Uttin.
When he released me, his expression was still borderline violent, but with a fiery heat in his eyes that I adored. Whenever he looked at me with that expression, I got fucked so hard, I saw stars.
“Are there any more challengers?” Orthorr called to the crowd, an amused smile on his face as Uttin came back to his side. After seeing just how much Uttin had been holding back all day, no one else volunteered. “Then our winner is decided. Uttin of the Northern clan will be the next clan leader!”
Cheers exploded throughout the village, followed by a chant by the barbarians that gave me goosebumps. I watched in awe as each barbarian approached Uttin and bowed their head with a fist across their chest, the same greeting they gave to Orthorr.
The line was long and would take a while, so I wandered over to where my parents had watched the tournament while enjoying food and conversation with the clan. My mother looked up at me, raising an eyebrow at my giddy smile.
“Why is my mischievous son looking at me like that?”
“Because… this means we can get married. Right?”
She nodded once, but before I could get too excited, she added, “In Al Nuzem.”
My mouth dropped. “Wha—But—”
She gave me a bland look. “You did not truly expect me to give up the opportunity to throw another wedding, did you? Your father discussed it with Orthorr and Bren, and it was decided that all allied clans would journey to Al Nuzem to witness the alliance and learn of their new opportunities. Your wedding will be a perfect celebration for the occasion.”
I couldn’t say I hated the idea—I’d wanted to bring Uttin to Al Nuzem at least once—but I couldn’t help but whine. “That will take too long. When can we even leave?”
“As soon as the clans can pack up,” she answered blandly.
Startled, I asked, “Wait, what? Uttin said they didn’t move from this place until spring.”
“For prime hunting, I know. It was agreed that food would be provided while in Al Nuzem. They have no reason to linger so long as we provide. And I’m not waiting that long to see you wed. Knowing you, you’d cause some kind of trouble, and the opportunity would slip away from me. It has to be soon.”
I struggled between being offended and pleased to get what I wanted. I scowled at her. “You said you missed me terribly. If that was true, you would be kinder.”
She snickered, unrepentant, and I couldn’t help but grin. She was where I learned all my charm. I couldn’t ask for a better model.
UTTIN
It took six weeks before we finally reached Al Nuzem.
Between packing up the clans and stopping along the way to explain to allies where we were going and why, it took time.
Zakai was practically vibrating from atop his stallion, his eagerness was so great.
Having never traveled so far south before, I looked forward to it as well.
And when we crested a sand dune and the capital city came into view, I nearly choked.
“It’s so large!”
“That’s what he said,” Zakai responded with a snicker. “It is much larger than the towns you’re used to visiting. And it’s on the ocean too, a major trade hub for our country. Have you ever sailed on a ship before?”
I shook my head, gaping at the vast blue ocean beyond the city.
I had been so awestruck by the capital, I had missed the ocean at first. Simon’s town was the closest to the ocean the clans got, but I had never traveled so far.
Nearer clans picked up the tributes from his town before meeting up with us.
A wave of gasps and exclamations filled the air as the clan behind me took in the view.
I looked over my shoulder, staring in awe at the sea of clan brothers and their families behind me.
All but two clans chose to participate in this alliance.
A gathering of this size had never occurred before.
It was astonishing to see just how many of us there truly were.
Given the size of the clans that joined us, not everyone entered the capital proper.
Instead, they set up their tents just outside the walls where necessities and attendants were waiting to assist, as well as a guard to protect the clans while they got settled.
There were creatures we were unfamiliar with in Al Nuzem that Zakai said we would need to learn to avoid, so the guard was less about protecting the capital from us than it was protecting us from the unknown.
We left our stallions in Godr’s care and chose to walk through the city.
Clan leaders from each clan, as well as a few extras like Simon who would act as translator, much to his dismay, followed the king’s battalion into the capital and toward the palace.
The city was like something from a fairytale, with so many bright colors on the buildings and clothing.
I’d never seen such a wide variety of colors before.
And people greeted us without disdain or trepidation.
Shop owners called out to come look at their wares, restaurant owners held plates filled with samples to offer us, and dirty but smiling-faced children raced through our legs, speaking in a rapid chatter too fast for me to comprehend.
Zakai held out his hand to me, his smile indulgent as he explained, “They’re not urchins. There are places where poor children can go to get fed and taken care of. They are just excited. A few are trying to convince you to visit their parents’ shops.”
It made me feel a little better, since the last batch of dirty children that came to us were tossed out by their town for being unwanted. I was glad such things didn’t occur in Al Nuzem.
Zakai laced his fingers in mine, seeming to beam with pride as he pulled me toward his home.
He’d admitted to me that he had been scared of what his parents would say to his preferences, much like the other tributes had been afraid of their own families finding out.
Zakai was lucky that his family not only accepted him but approved of our relationship so much that they used it as a catalyst for an alliance that would benefit all of my clan brothers.
There were many intriguing men and women in the streets of Al Nuzem.
Hopefully some would be interested in meeting a clan brother or two.
At one point as we were walking, I noticed some strays animals being fed by shop owners. I pointed at one, nudging Zakai gently. “Look. Tavi.”
He looked confused, twisting to see what I was pointing at. He didn’t seem to understand at first, and when he shot me a questioning look, I tugged him closer, picking up one of the little fluffy kittens that yowled in indignation and squirmed in my hold. So much like the man beside me.
“What– You–” he spluttered. He seemed to be torn between outrage and disbelief, but when I handed the hitten to him and it gave him a petulant look, his shoulders slumped and he scowled at me. “Yes, well, at least the name is cute. Yours is much more unflattering.”
I’d assumed as much and after he put the kitten down, I pinched his behind in retribution, chuckling to myself when he yelped and darted away to rejoin the group traveling to the palace.
Since the streets were crowded, it took a while to arrive at the palace proper. Waiting out front were a line of staff in the dark blue and gold of the king’s crest. They all bowed when the king and queen stepped out of the carriage that had been waiting for them at the city gate.
The king turned to us, gesturing to the massive double door. “Please, my friends. Enter. Rooms have been set for you to rest after your long journey. And a meal will be served in a few hours’ time. For now, rest and be at ease in my home.”
The clan leaders all gave respectful bows of their heads, and the staff split up to guide each clan leader to their room.
A few had brought their bondmates with them, while the single clan leaders went alone.
Zakai didn’t wait around for a member of staff to greet him.
He used his hold on my hand to tug me toward the doors, leading me through the palace at a quick pace.
He was in such a rush, I couldn’t take a good look around.
All I truly noticed were the rainbow-colored glass windows and the flowers letting off a nice fragrance all throughout the halls.
Another double door, this one gold and teal, was where Zakai was headed. He burst through it, yanking me inside, then slammed the doors behind him, leaning against them with a long sigh of relief.
Chuckling, I raised an eyebrow at him. “Were you so impatient that you could not show me around?”
He waved that away, pushing off the door with a determined expression. “Later. The only thing I want to show you right now is the tub.”
I frowned, not recognizing the word, but he gave me no time to ask, pulling me again to where a steaming pool of water was already waiting for us, sunk into the floor, with flower petals scattered over the surface of the water.
It stunned me—I’d never seen water inside such as this—but Zakai looked ecstatic.
He stripped without a hint of shyness, then, when I didn’t move fast enough, he did the same to me, tugging at my clothes until I got the hint and pulled them off.
Because of the heat of this country, I hadn’t bothered with a tunic, which sped up the process considerably, but his impatience made me laugh.
“I’m curious what has you so wild, my tavi. Does water really thrill you this much?”
“You’ll understand once you get in. Now come on!”
With the steam coming off of it, I wasn’t sure I would. I preferred the river baths that cooled my skin after a long day of riding. But I went along for Zakai’s benefit, letting him draw me into the water and onto a bench sunken beneath the surface.
Soreness in my muscles after such a long ride slowly eased, and a groan escaped me as I relaxed in the heated water.
“See?” Zakai murmured smugly, climbing into my lap. “I knew you’d enjoy it.”
“I’m enjoying it more now that you’re here with me,” I replied, squeezing the rounded cheeks of his behind.
He was no longer shy about my touch, arching into me with a purr.
We shared kisses as we soaked in the tub, neither of us in a hurry.
My need was growing when he finally pulled away, his smile truly content for the first time in weeks.
“I’ve made the decision that our one trip home should be in the winter,” he said firmly. “I need to soak in this warmth before forcing myself back to the clan.”
Chuckling, I drew him closer, fisting the back of his hair. His eyes became heavy with lust, and his hips rocked in a way that teased us both.
I kissed him softly, not to arouse, but to share my love with him before whispering against his lips, “Whatever you wish, kolrav. I doubt there will be many in the clan who would complain.”
His eyebrows shot up. “You think the whole clan will make the journey every year?”
I shrugged. “That remains to be seen. I will discuss it with Orthorr and the other clan leaders at another time. For now, I want to enjoy my time with you.”