Chapter Twenty #2
The look on Kael’s face when he glanced at me from the archway leading to the dining area said he was amused, but he didn’t make me feel as if he were laughing at me. More like we had an inside joke we shared.
Licking my lips, I followed him to the black stone table that dominated the space. Curved benches circled it, and there was already food laid out waiting.
“Did Daylen leave this for us?”
Kael nodded as he gestured for me to sit, but he walked over to what would have been the kitchen on Earth and pulled two cups from a cabinet and filled them with water before joining me.
“He fetches fresh zorhen, prepares the veythra and sahlak, cleans the meyr’kal and drevarn.”
“Wait, wait, wait. Too fast. Vey-thrah? You’ve said that before. Is that the bread?”
He tipped his head as he placed a bite of each dish on the table onto a plate and then set it in front of me.
“Bread is made from a grain? Ground, then cooked?”
I nodded, taking a drink of the water. Even though he’d been sure I drank while we were on the surface, he’d been teaching me to ration, and I felt dehydrated after sweating and then producing extra secretions.
If I had a way, I’d say something to the doctor about seeing if we could just skip that addition when she altered my DNA. It was certainly something I could do without.
“Then yes. It is a staple that’s made daily. Veythra and sahlak are both common and what are usually offered when you go to someone’s meyr’kal. They are part of veysha, to be shared with those you consider thyrran or karesh.”
I wanted to learn his language, but I was starting to get overwhelmed with the new words.
“You’re losing me. Vey-thra is bread, and you said vey-sha is… hearth, or… the warmth of home? So you welcome someone to your hearth? And offer them bread and… what is sah-lah-k?”
I was good at learning new things, but I really needed a way to take notes so I could keep track of the words that sounded alike. Still, Kael’s smile assured me I wasn’t doing too bad.
“This is sahlak,” he said, tapping the tip of his claw on a bowl of what reminded me of stew, but with spices that made me think of Indian food. I had tried it when we ate lunch, and I realized I’d eaten it on the Zeydrassk too, but it had been blander, with more liquid than chunks.
The discussion brought me back to what I’d started to ask him in the hall, and I set down what looked like a spork that I’d been eating with.
“Kael, if Daylen does all that, what will I do when you’re busy with the council and whatever else you do?
And what happens when you have to leave?
If you’re the commander of the fleet, and the alliance was for you to protect Earth’s colonies, doesn’t that mean you’ll be gone on the Zeydrassk a lot? ”
I stared at the table as I spoke, studying the subtle veins of silver in the stone.
I might have been feeling something growing between us, and while I was certain he was at least attracted to me physically, that didn’t mean he felt the same.
Even though our relationship was due to politics, he seemed to be open to more, but that could have been wishful thinking on my part.
I looked up when his long fingers curled around mine, the texture of his skin reminding me he was a warrior, built for this harsh world and the culture he’d been raised in. Sitting at home and attending meetings wasn’t likely the way he spent most of his time.
“Right now, all you need to do is learn and adjust. If you choose to take on the duties of the meyr’kal after we’re bonded, Daylen will show you what you need to know, and then relinquish them.
Gladly. He assists me with other duties, so there is no need for you to worry that you are taking anything from him. ”
Some of the weight on my shoulders lifted. I hadn’t wanted to think I might be putting him out of his job if I took on the role of homemaker, so it was a relief that Kael would still need him.
“And you are right that I am not always on Morrakan. My responsibilities take me from Korvashan more often than not with the Skarashk incursions, but you will not be left behind. The bond demands korravai remain close, physically. Especially in the beginning when it is forming, but even once it’s complete, it is uncomfortable for tavehn to be separated. ”
Relief almost made me dizzy, and I chided myself for being so dependent, but I hated the thought of being left alone. My ex-fiancé had been an upcoming politician and had to travel frequently, and it was something I’d always hated.
“In the days after your heat, it’s likely we will have to remain within touching distance, so you will have to attend meetings with me. I regret that I cannot spend the bonding period focused on you, but my responsibilities will not allow it.”
The look on his face made me think he was being sincere, and I gave him a small smile.
“I understand. But, will that cause an issue with your council?”
I could only imagine how the United Earth council would react if one of the councilors insisted on bringing their partner with them to a meeting. It wouldn’t go well.
“They all know how the bond works. They are aware you will have to attend, and none will object. Other korravai attend sometimes or remain in a shar nearby.”
I swallowed, trying to push past my turmoil and settle my kethra. If I was going to be with him in important meetings, I really had to get a handle on it.
“If there is something else you want to do, I will do my best to help you.”
And then he went and said things like that, showing the kind of person he was. I had no chance of smothering the glow of my kethra, so I just shook my head.
“I think you’re going to have to teach me the tey-ran?”
He released my hand as he chuckled, standing to take the dishes. He always seemed to look mischievous when he smiled, so I wasn’t too surprised when he traced his eyes over me as he corrected my pronunciation.
“TEYrann. We can try that tomorrow, but why don’t we start with the tradition you’ve neglected to follow.”