Chapter 11 #2
What she left unsaid was that he would be confined like a prisoner, something which not even the lavishness of a prince’s life could erase.
He would not be an honored mate of a queen-mother of the heir where he could exercise some manner of leverage.
He was going to be erased completely but kept on hand in case they needed fresh semen.
Therxian shuddered with distaste as he withdrew from his mother’s side.
“Do not look like that,” his mother ordered with another heavy sigh.
“This too was demanded by the council, by your own fault. None of them trust their daughters to be under the direct influence of a male corrupted by the Vehal. I had to argue on your behalf to convince them not to exile you to dwell among the hunters in the upper caverns. You will serve your purpose, and then you will return to simply being my son. It will be for the best.”
His jaw clenched. “They intend that I never mate at all. That I live the rest of my life without the tender touch of a mate or rear my own young.”
Zathexa hesitated, but only for a moment before she slowly inclined her head in reply. “There are sacrifices that our royal nest must make for the good of the shinara. The blessings of Shangla must continue to flow through our line.”
“I see,” he rumbled. He saw that the council determined that he could not mate. He could not dismantle things from the inside. May Shangla forgive him for what he would do.
“Do not overthink this,” his mother crooned. Giving him one last encouraging smile, she lifted her head and hummed a vibrant, trembling sound that brought Jathella in moments later, her velkat clutched tightly in her hand.
Jathella inclined her head respectfully, but then her eyes fell on Therxian and the faintest look of shock crossed her face, almost distracting her from her salute before she caught herself. Redirecting her gaze at the queen, she smiled politely and lowered her head respectfully.
“My queen, you summoned me?” she inquired softly.
Zathexa hesitated again, her gaze trailing back to him with obvious reluctance before snapping back to the captain of the guard.
“Take Therxian to the throne chamber and see to it that he remains there. The noble families will be arriving soon, and I will not have anything happen to him this close to this evening’s selection,” she bit out.
He glanced curiously over at the captain, but Jathella grimly shook her and motioned for him to follow her. It was not until they were outside the nest that he rounded on the guard, capturing her wrist with his hand.
“You knew!”
She jerked her head, her mouth tightening angrily as she shook his hand off. “I just found out today. The queen called us to her nest to give us her orders. This was not expected.”
He lowered his head so that his words remained between them. “It is insanity. Alex cannot remain with me,” he hissed.
“Indeed.” Her jaw worked, betraying her uncertainly.
“I am glad to see that you agree. When are you going to return her to her people? I nursed her back to health, as you asked. Now it is time for you to remove her from the shinara before she is discovered.”
“We are still trying to work out a workable solution,” Jathella reluctantly admitted.
Therxian stared at her, caught off-guard and yet not entirely surprised. “Do you wish to repeat that?”
“I am not sure what—”
He groaned. What was he thinking to even believe that the guards would be able to carry it off?
The females were useful allies, but their actions were under even more scrutiny than his.
It is why they hid her with him to begin with.
They might have connections within the palace that he did not, but it seems that even that did not help them in terms of smuggling out one small human under the council’s nose.
“I will handle it,” he interrupted. “Just be prepared to cooperate as needed. There is not enough adequate time to get Alex ready to move, but it will have to be soon. Perhaps I can attempt to move her when the female paired with me leaves. I will just need to get through this night first.”
Jathella frowned. “A departing noble does not attract that much attention, Therxian. If you fail, it will be Alex’s death sentence. The council will not permit another human distraction, especially not now.”
He gave the female a small smile. “Then I will have to be certain not to get caught. I will just slip her out at the first opportunity. I just need a female who will make a very big scene when she leaves without what she wants.”
The captain’s eyes widened. “You will not comply? But the queen—"
His gaze hardened. “The queen commanded me to be there and to endure. She said nothing forbidding me from ‘persuading’ them to depart early.”
Jathella groaned aloud. “The queen will not like this.”
Therxian’s mouth thinned with a hard smile. “Perhaps, but then she, too, will endure this trial.”
The female scowled back at him, her gavo flattened to her head. “And I thought Slengral was going to be the end of me. You are putting me in a very difficult position, Therxian.”
The corner of his mouth hitched. “All you are required to do at this moment is to escort me to the holding room like mother told you. Just follow your orders as usual. You will know when you must look away.”
A pinched look pulled at the captain’s face, but at last she gave her silent agreement with the snap of her gavo. “This way then,” she muttered.
Therxian inclined his head and offered no more protest as he silently followed her through the palace corridors and into the small, grim space that served as the holding room.
It was far too small, but that was the purpose of its design.
A male or female kept in there would have little space to attack as they would not even have adequate room for the coiled length of their tail.
Therxian settled on the bench, the sole furnishing in the room, and looped his tail within the tight confines as Jathella watched with a sympathetic grimace.
He snorted silently to himself. He did not need her sympathy. Being sent to the holding room was a small matter. He was more concerned about Alex being alone when he failed to return. He prayed to Higthar that she remained safely hidden away in his rooms.
“I will be just outside to keep any of the ‘guests’ away, so you will not have to worry about having any unexpected ‘visitors’ trying to get their turn outside of the selection,” she said as she slipped out the door.
On the other side, however, she paused. A look of worry passed briefly across her face as she glanced back at him.
“I do hope that the human has the sense not to get caught when the servants set up the banquet in your nest,” Jathella muttered, and she closed the door firmly between them.
Therxian froze, his blood running cold as a single human word popped into his head, one that he had heard numerous times from the females living among the Vehal. Fuck.