11. Koarthandris
KOARTHANDRIS
“What. The. Hell!” Izzy hissed, pacing. She looked like she needed to hit something. “Marry me,” she muttered in a bad interpretation of Bayn’s rather extreme bass voice. “Make me your king. Give me your armies. I’m a big, bad titan with serious control issues. Ugh!”
She reached one end of the small room and turned back to face me.
“Can you believe that?”
When I didn’t answer right away, she stopped her pacing as she drew near.
“Koar… he was way out of line… right?”
I sighed.
“You agree with him?” she accused me.
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t say anything.” She playfully slapped my arm and gave a heavy “harrumph.” “Which makes me think you think Bayn’s right. Do you really want me marrying him?”
“No,” I said instantly. Then I winced a little even before I added, “But…”
“But? There’s a but?”
I sighed. “Izzy, please.” I grabbed her as she passed me again, pulling her against me. Skies Above! She felt so amazing, the warmth of her body hot against mine. “The thought of you and him together makes me want to level mountains and boil the ocean.”
“Right answer,” she mumbled against my chest.
“But…” and to minimize the word I gave her ass a playful slap.
Her body stiffened… in a good way and had my body responding in turn, but I continued saying what I needed to say before we got distracted.
“He’s not wrong when he says we need the titans.
If the dwarves and undines stay out of this, we won’t have much of a chance without the titans. ”
Izzy deflated in my arms.
“Yeah… I know.” She nuzzled into my chest, her arms encircling me, not quite reaching around me, but still giving me a tight squeeze. “I’d hoped to avoid the politics of being queen until after this whole war I’ve started. But… an arranged marriage!”
Her arms tightened around me.
I grunted as my ribs compressed. Izzy wasn’t always aware of her elven strength.
“Oh… sorry,” she mumbled. I barely heard her as she pressed her face harder into my chest. She sounded so… lost.
I held her tighter.
Sometimes we all forgot that — not so long ago — Izzy had been a normal person, and still probably wasn’t used to being a super-strong, magic-wielding elf-nymph hybrid with all the pressure of an expectant throne weighing on her.
“Don’t forget,” I whispered. “You have people to help you. People you can lean on. People you trust. Bayn… sounds like he doesn’t have anyone.
And as much as I don’t trust titans, he did help us against Saldrea’s minions.
I’m not saying you should marry him, just that…
maybe we all need to rethink some of our preconceptions. ”
She turned her head to the side, still snuggled up against me. “When did you become the levelheaded one?”
“I’ve always been levelheaded,” I said. “I just go a little nuts when you’re in trouble and I can’t help.”
“You’re helping now, thank you, Koar.”
I smiled.
While Bayn had been talking, an idea had germinated in the back of my mind.
“Perhaps… there is a way to have Bayn prove himself, prove he’s worthy of the position he so desperately wants.”
“I’m listening,” Izzy muttered. She didn’t sound happy about it.
“Tell him you’ll consider his proposal, if and only if he brings the titans to our side first. He can tell them whatever he wants, that you’re married and he’s king and general, whatever he has to. But you’ll only entertain his request after the titans are on our side.”
“So… he lies his ass off?” She sighed. “And… if he pulls it off, then… I marry him? Give him our armies?”
I gave a deep rumbling growl-sigh. I didn’t like either of those propositions coming to fruition. But I also couldn’t deny the truth that without the titans we’d most likely lose this war.
“We’d have to come up with some… controls.
Perhaps some sort of ruling council which can overrule the king?
It’s not a bad idea, even for the future, to prevent tyrants.
” I’d just come up with that, but I liked the idea.
“And that council could have a say over how our armies are utilized as well. Bayn would be king and commander, but he’d not have complete control. ”
Because an army of titans… a part of me was terrified they’d turn on us once this fight was over. But then… if they were following Bayn as their true leader, then it all came down to him, what he’d do.
And I had a sneaking suspicion he’d not turn on us.
Something in how he’d looked at Izzy — and how he’d tensed when she’d gotten close — made me think…
he wanted Izzy for more than just political reasons.
Perhaps Izzy had affected him the same way she’d imprinted herself onto my life… and Vyns’… and the others.
Wouldn’t that be wild?
But if anyone could sway a titan, it was Izzy. She was… Perfection.
“You’re probably right,” Izzy sighed and released me, looking up, an edge of darkness still dimming her brilliant sea-green eyes. “So logical and intelligent. Thank you, Koar.”
My pride swelled.
I could be more than a protector and lover. I would be an adviser and confidante as well.
“We should probably get back,” she said, blowing out a breath.
I put my arm around her, and she leaned on my shoulder as we left the auditorium.
Rook found us and joined us as we made our way back to Izzy’s new residence. He caught us up on the discussion which had happened in the auditorium after we’d left. Mostly it had been Lhorine bringing people around to what needed to be done.
After a while I tuned the incubus out to focus on my own thoughts.
Izzy had praised me for my logic and level-headedness, maybe I could use some of that to figure out my dilemma around how to protect her while being with her?
The fact that we’d been together and the world hadn’t fallen apart around us — other than the declaration of a war we’d known was coming — gave me hope.
Izzy had joked about the curse being lifted…
and maybe she was right? I’d given her my full attention, and no one had died.
And… in the future, with all of the guys in Izzy’s orbit…
it wasn’t like there wouldn’t be others to keep watch when Izzy and I were together.
And if they did, and something happened…
it wasn’t like I wouldn’t be battle-ready at a moment’s notice.
I needed no weapon, no armor. I was as powerful naked as any other time.
So…
What was the problem?
The problem was… despite all of that, Talmarion and his family had still died on my watch. I hadn’t been with Talmarion when the assassins came. Though… I had been with Mynrial… and perhaps she’d only died because I’d left her side to help her parents?
Huh.
Did that mean the problem wasn’t me being distracted, but… distance? I wasn’t close enough to Talmarion to save him, and Mynrial had died because I’d left? If that was the case, the answer was simple: never leave Izzy’s side. As long as I was with her, near her, then I could protect her.
That felt too simple to be the answer, but… maybe…?
Either way, I vowed to stay by Izzy’s side through whatever may come.