Chapter 40
Somehow, finally, it was time for the Challenge.
Matty still did not know what to feel, though at least he was reassured that other people had sorted out the key decisions.
There had been a great deal of debate over where Claudio might get ready for the evening. He’d had half a dozen options on offer.
His own home, of course, though that would involve dealing with his mother. Matty’s flat, but that both had limited space and the issue of people seeing them on the way to Portal Square. Orion had offered rooms at Fairlight, and Gabe at Veritas.
In the end, though, Claudio had accepted an offer from Thesan and Isembard to use the guest rooms at what everyone apparently called the Essex House.
House was entirely the wrong word. It was a sprawling Tudor manor with several additions.
Several of those were now turned over to being a quiet care home.
But the central house with four bedrooms was still used by the family when they needed somewhere to be that wasn’t Schola.
Claudio had chosen it in part because Matty could spend the night.
They could take their time with that set of plans, confident no one would overhear or bother them.
Matty had, in fact, been a trifle nervous about the sort of wildly energetic sex that Claudio had wanted.
Especially as a guest in the home of people he was still getting to know as an adult.
He was clear that they wanted nothing but the best for Claudio, and that neither of them was going to pry.
As a balm to his nerves, they’d actually been out the previous evening when Claudio had shown Matty up to the guest suite.
That was a large bedroom decorated in shades of outdoor greens and browns with an attached bathing room.
Just down the hallway, a beautifully appointed ritual room with a large bay window looked out on fields and trees.
It was well away from the main bedrooms, and once the door to the hallway was closed, Matty found he could focus on what was in front of him.
Then, before Matty could become too nervous, Claudio had thoroughly locked and further warded the doors and windows, layering charms until the sound faded away.
Then he’d pulled Matty to join him on the bed.
The first round that night had taken the edge off Matty’s nerves, but had only worked Claudio up more.
He’d been quivering with it, something needy, though he’d never quite crossed the line into being a brat about it.
More like a dog who knew he was about to be rewarded with the best bone and petting.
The second round, Matty had needed every bit of his willpower to keep going and to do what he was doing right.
It was like facing a tiny Challenge of his own, bounded by four walls of a bedroom, to be steadfast when part of him wanted to yield.
First, he had to get Claudio to beg for what he wanted, to get that clear, precise voice to shake with pleading, to name what he was asking for.
Then it had taken every bit of breath and muscle and fierce desire to give Claudio all of that, as hard as he wanted.
Magic had been a help— magic, a potion, two charms— and he’d been able to take Claudio beyond the edge of having any sort of words.
He’d been right when he’d first hinted at it, that Claudio could take far more than most, making it a physical challenge as well as all the other ways.
Matty had been worried in the aftermath that it had been too much.
Claudio had collapsed in a trembling heap.
Though the shivering had subsided quickly enough that Matty hadn’t seriously considered finding someone for help once the various cleanup charms had been handled.
But then Claudio had tugged at his hand, curled against him, and Matty had pulled the blankets over them.
The round they’d had in the morning had been gentle and slow, all about touch and skin, before Matty had found the tray of food outside the door.
By the time he’d left Claudio to his more personal preparations after lunch, Claudio had been quiet but entirely content.
If still sitting a bit cautiously, as if all of him had been thoroughly rearranged. Matty hoped that wouldn’t be a problem.
The hours between lunch and leaving for Dinas Emrys at six had dragged.
Matty had been left to spend the afternoon in the library.
He hadn’t been sure how to make conversation, but it turned out not to be necessary.
Thesan had presented him with a selection of books and several options of choices of drink.
She’d settled into her own reading in a way that made it clear that nothing was expected of him.
Isembard had turned up a couple of hours later, handling it the same way.
Matty thought they must also both be nervous themselves, but they were refusing to make that anyone else’s problem to deal with, even Matty.
It wasn’t until Claudio appeared at the door of the library that Matty realised just how much time had passed.
There had been tea, the meal and the drink both, at half-four, enough to hold them over until later that evening.
Thesan and Isembard had been through this, the schedule of it, with Orion.
They clearly had already sorted out that nerves and a heavy meal were a terrible combination for everyone watching, as well as the person Challenging.
Matty was glad to lean on their experience.
Claudio, though, was shining. It wasn’t actually a literal glow.
But there was something gleaming about the way he stood in the world, a shimmer on dragon scales or the sheen of intensely coloured silk weaving.
As if whatever he was, whoever he was, was like that all the way through, with no seeming or illusion or inconsistency.
He was wearing one of his working suits, made of elegant woollen silk.
It had a subtle deep green thread through it, impeccably tailored but designed for field work in all but the roughest conditions.
Thesan had stood immediately, coming to kiss him on the cheek and say something quietly before picking up her bag and going through into the hall. Isembard did the same, offering a sentence or two, then it was just Claudio and Matty alone for a minute.
Matty had no idea what to say. Claudio just took two more steps toward him and kissed him, thoroughly and at length, every bit of it deliberate. Matty could feel the spread of Claudio’s hand, strong and certain against his back. Then Claudio stepped back. “Shall we?”
Outside, well, they’d talked about this. Matty went through first, then Thesan, then Isembard. On the other side, in a courtyard he’d heard about but never seen, he offered his arm to Thesan to escort her in. Isembard waited for Claudio to come through, then fell in beside him.
Thesan at least knew exactly where they were going.
Matty just had to pretend he knew as well.
Up three steps, into a great hall hung with heraldic banners and charmlights, six groupings of comfortable chairs set in circles nearer the front.
One for each of the Challengers, and one for a small group of people not associated with any of them in particular.
The one they were going to was the third back on the right, and the largest of the groupings.
It was full of people, even though several of the relevant ones wouldn’t be sitting there that evening.
Matty saw Cammie bobbing up as soon as she saw them enter, then Hypatia next to her along with Orion’s mother, Eleanor.
The Edgartons were represented in the group by Rathna, Gabe’s wife, along with Gil Oxley and Magni Torham and two of the senior Penelopes.
Not Lucy Doyle, these were the women who’d trained her: Mason and Witt.
Matty had only met them once so far, and mostly been baffled by them.
But he knew they liked Claudio and wanted to make the support of his professional peers visible to anyone who needed a reminder.
And there was Tiberius, Claudio’s son. Matty had found meeting him nerve-wracking, but the conversation a few weeks ago had gone well enough with Claudio there to suggest topics, so at least this wouldn’t be entirely awkward.
They nodded to each other, and both let the conversation flow around them.
As they came up to the chairs, Matty nodded at everyone, and then turned to watch Claudio walk in.
Isembard let him come forward, and Claudio went around the grouping, hugging or shaking hands or whatever seemed suitable.
By the time he came around to Matty again, his eyes were gleaming.
“Not going to be obvious here, not now. But I’m glad you’re here, and I’ll prove it to you again later. ”
Before there could be much conversation, one more person came in with a small group, and everyone got settled.
There was the sound of a bell ringing from the front.
Claudio squared his shoulders, waiting by the opening to their circle of chairs until the other four Challengers had gone up.
Then he strolled to the front, and Matty finally got a good look at how he was moving.
It would be obvious to anyone— he glanced at Gil and Magni, who were both visibly amused— exactly what Claudio had been up to recently. There was a sway to him, the way he was walking, pushing from his heels, leaning back a bit more. Not a swagger, not a stroll, but utter comfort in his body.
Isembard watched— Matty could see out of the corner of his eye— and then turned toward Thesan.
She whispered something, and Isembard said, loud enough for their little circle to hear, “There is a man who knows himself and is comfortable with who he is. I’m tremendously proud of him.
Told him so before we came through the portal.
” Then he added, just as firmly, “Thank you, Matty.”
Matty flushed, ducked his chin, and kept watching.
Fortunately, everyone else was focused on the front of the room now.
Claudio greeted his mother formally, a slight kiss over the top of her hand when she presented it.
That contrasted thoroughly with the fierce hug Orion gave him, and the slightly less aggressive one he got from Gabe a moment later.
At about that point, Matty saw Alexander slip out of a side hallway and come across to join them.
He was obviously the person meant for the last open chair in their set.
As the Challengers greeted each other, there were the usual little gestures of people feeling each other out. Claudio and Boethius Watts seemed quite amiable— that was forearm clasps, manly but friendly. He exchanged handshakes with the others.
As Matty finally sat down, Alexander said, apparently for the information of at least one or two other people, “Prosper Harelton over there. And that is Ellen Hazel, and that is Roger Helms.” Schola, Dunwich, and apprenticeship, by background.
Ellen apparently did things with logistics, which Matty obviously respected.
Roger did something in the grocery business, the sort of work that meant managing multiple stores and chains of produce.
The others were all wearing less ordinary clothes.
Boethius and Prosper were both in variations of duelling outfits, showy and flashy.
Boethius wore black and silver, and Prosper had on shades of red and gold.
Ellen had on a cloak, despite it being August, and Roger had on a tweed suit where the fit suggested he didn’t wear it that often.
The five of them waited until the Council Members had themselves in proper order.
Matty cleared his throat and asked, “Tiberius, if there’s a moment, Claudio mentioned that you’d helped with an idea for the talisman he has?”
The young man blinked, as if startled to be addressed, and then relaxed a little.
Rathna leaned over to say something quietly, and then Tiberius began to lay out the basics.
He’d had the idea of something to be a container for what his father wanted to do.
The end result had been a piece of amethyst. It wasn’t faceted or set the way most talismans were, meant to be worn as a pendant or ring.
Instead, it was something for the pocket, a rounded indentation for the finger.
That conversation took up the couple of minutes needed before the formal beginning.
Silvia Warren spoke clearly as things got started, her words projected with a charm so they were easy to hear with no apparent strain in her voice.
She explained they would draw lots for the order, then they would go upstairs, and what would be would be.
There were refreshments in the hall, plenty of space if someone needed a moment alone.
They expected things would take at least an hour, more likely several, possibly more than that.
By preference, everyone would wait until a successful Challenger emerged, but if it took a longer time than expected, they might adjust that. There would be announcements as needed.
On the one hand, it seemed entirely ordinary, like any gathering with a specific goal. But of course, this was anything but ordinary. Now, though, the only way to find out what happened was to wait.
The five Challengers drew lots— Claudio was third— and within five minutes, they had disappeared through the double doors at the front of the great hall.
Matty watched them go, Claudio still moving with that easy sway.
Then he folded his hands, took a breath, and did his best to keep track of what other people were saying.