Chapter Twenty-Three
Tor
Pel was only a few steps behind them as they burst through the door, frantically scanning the room for threats. It took a long time for Larexa’s words to sink in.
“It was a nightmare. Just a nightmare. It’s all right!”
It seemed to be as much for all the people who had crowded into the room as for Ada, who was red-eyed and wild-haired and crying in the bed.
Before Tor or Var could react, Stronex had pushed past them and climbed in with her.
He swept Ada into his arms, and she buried her face against his chest and sobbed.
Var looked as though he wanted to say something, so Tor took him by the arm and tugged him out of the room.
Pel had Larexa, Tor realized, so at least that was all right, and then they were all in the corridor again, along with all the guards and other people who hadn’t barged into the room. Pel firmly closed the door behind them.
“But—” Var started.
“Not tonight,” Tor said firmly. “The important thing is that she feels safe, and it doesn’t matter how or why she does. Not tonight.”
After a long moment, his brother nodded reluctantly. He looked altogether sleep-rumpled and not entirely awake yet. Definitely better to defer any sort of discussion until they were all better rested.
Cala began to cry, as if on cue, and that was enough to get Var back to his bedroom. They checked each bedroom just to make sure everyone was all right, and then Larexa went to sleep in Bavil’s room. She assured them that arrangement was less awkward than joining the two of them.
She made a face. “I love you two, but I would really rather not get between all of that.” She gestured at them.
It wasn’t as though they would have done anything with her in the room, but Pel had already flushed scarlet, and it would, admittedly, have been a tight fit in the bed.
They all bid one another goodnight, and then Pel and Tor fell back into bed together in a tangle of limbs. Alone. Tor made a face.
“Ugh. I don’t even feel that I can take advantage of being awake.”
Pel had an answering grimace. “Yeah, no, that’s definitely not happening. I hope your sister’s all right.”
Tor sighed, desperately wishing the same thing but confessing, “I think it’s going to take time for any of us to be all right.”
They’d been through a lot, and they’d been hurt by people they cared about, and they weren’t going to recover instantly. It helped a lot to be surrounded by people they trusted now, but it was still going to be an uphill battle.
Pel whispered, “I confess I didn’t see those two coming.”
Tor’s lips tipped up. “I had no idea… but now I’m assuming they wanted it that way. They were a bit standoffish when I’ve seen them interact, and I think I know Ada well enough to assume that was deliberate given who she was bonded to.”
They took a moment to digest that.
Tor frowned. “He’s definitely old enough to be her father, and I’m sure people will have all sorts of opinions given that he’s Thurnil’s father… but honestly, she’s been mothering Par and Hena for years, and I’ve already seen him take better care of her than Thurnil ever did.”
Not that that was necessarily the foundation for a marriage… but it wasn’t not a foundation, either.
Pel nodded slowly. “I can see that. Your stance on bonding actually makes a lot of sense now. You were still an ass.” His lips tipped up, and his expression was fond. “But I understand better why you didn’t think anything would come of the two of us, why you thought it wouldn’t really affect me.”
Tor’s lips tipped up. “Thanks. But Ada’s also wasn’t the only example I had. I mean, look at my brother and Fernila. I picked the one that aligned best with my own goals, which wasn’t fair to anyone.”
Pel nodded and spoke around a yawn. “There are definitely lots of ways to make relationships work. Or not work.”
That was very true.
“We’re going to make ours work, right?” Tor asked.
Pel peered at him through sleepy eyes. “Of course we are.”
“Just double checking. There was kind of a lot of drama recently.”
Pel snorted. “I’m getting quite used to it. Don’t worry.”
Tor grinned and pressed a soft kiss to Pel’s lips. Pel made a happy sound and squirmed closer to him.
“So you’ll keep running interference with your brother?”
“If interference is required,” Tor agreed. “I can tell that he’s trying, which is amazing. There’s a lot to sort through. Ada deserves the very best.”
Pel kissed his nose. “You’re a very good man.”
Tor smiled at him. “I’m trying. It’s more complicated than I realized.”
Pel laughed. “I’m starting to get the feeling that everything worth doing is.”
“Fair point,” Tor acknowledged. Then he grinned. “Not sleep, though. Sleep is simple, right?”
Pel eyed him. “It really should be. But I have the feeling that you can make everything complicated.”
Tor smirked. “That’s definitely true.”
“Would it help if I stroked your hair?”
“Probably more than if you stroked anything else,” Tor said with a leer.
Pel rolled his eyes and reached out to ruffle Tor’s hair. He’d thought Pel’s was getting a bit long, but as Pel’s fingers sifted through his, Tor realized that he could probably do with a haircut soon, too. Mm. The rhythmic caresses were actually quite soothing.
He burrowed closer, and Pel’s fingers caressed his scalp.
Tor slept.
They were up very late the next morning, convening at closer to lunchtime than dawn. Ada apologized to everyone at breakfast for disturbing them, which resulted in a lot of people pulling her into a hug and assuring her that she didn’t have anything to apologize for.
“I had nightmares, too,” Fernila volunteered.
“And me,” Tor admitted.
“Me as well,” Stronex confessed.
Ada looked like she thought they were humoring her, but she let the matter go.
Tor wished they had been humoring her. He’d had enough frantic worry about saving his family before he’d helped accomplish it; he really didn’t need that fear to follow him into his dreams. Each time he’d woken, Pel had roused by his side and pressed a kiss to the closest bit of skin and assured him that he was safe and everyone was well.
Tor felt bad for continually disturbing him, but the comfort had been very welcome.
Whether Var had had the chance to sleep on it or simply decided now was not the time, he didn’t mention Ada or Stronex or anything about what had happened last night. Even with their late start, they made it into Lotar before they stopped for the night.
They spent two more nights at inns along the road, and the only interruptions to their sleep were private ones. (If Var noticed that it was not Larexa and Ada sharing a room, he didn’t mention it.)
Early in the evening on their fourth day, they arrived back in Scala.
For Tor, it felt like a lifetime had passed since he’d last been here.
He hadn’t even known Pel when he’d last visited, and that seemed almost inconceivable.
So much was different now. He wasn’t sure any of them knew quite how to react.
It helped to have small children who came shooting out of the castle to fling themselves at Ada and their father and then Tor and then Var. They’d known that Tor and Var were twins, of course, but they’d never gotten to hug the two of them before and assess if they hugged the same or different.
Since this was children giving cuddles, Tor was all for it, and Var was equally patient as Hena and Para—lots of ribbons in her hair today—went back and forth between them a dozen or more times in order to make a thorough assessment of their hugging capabilities.
They finally decided that Tor had more experience so he might be a little bit better at it, but it was nice to have someone that they didn’t hug as often.
Little Hena cheerfully told Var that if he wanted to come more frequently, she was sure he’d get as good as Tor.
“Thank you for the recommendation,” Var told her gravely, though his lips twitched a little. “I will certainly try to visit more often. And perhaps you can come visit me, too.”
Para pointed out, “Uncle Tor said that we could come visit.”
They turned back to their father, and Hena asked, “We can visit, can’t we, Daddy?”
“Of course you can visit,” he told them. “But just at the moment, we’d like to come inside. Is that all right with you?”
They giggled.
Hena told him, “Of course it’s all right, Daddy. It would be silly to stay outside all day!”
Hena reached out her hands, one for Ada and one for Stronex, and Para took Ada’s other hand. Var’s eyes followed the movement, but he still said nothing.
They split up to get settled. Stronex handed Var, Fernila, Larexa, and Bavil over to his housekeeper and then went to update Solil.
(Tor had almost forgotten about Thurnil being dead.
He might be of the firm belief that the man had been terrible, but he was still family for these people.
Hena and Para would have to be told, too, and Tor was selfishly glad he wasn’t the one who would need to do the telling.)
Ada tried to be host, but they all assured her they were totally fine, so she let the children tug her away, chattering about every single thing they’d done while she was gone. It sounded like a great list of events from the little bit that Tor heard—way better than what they’d been doing.
He smiled at Pel, and Pel grinned back.
“That’s such an ‘I want kids’ look.”
Tor grinned at him. “Is it?”
“Do you deny it?”
Tor shook his head. “No.”
It wasn’t at all what he’d expected or thought he wanted, but it was fast becoming exactly what he desired.
Tor confirmed with the housekeeper that his regular room had been prepared and then led Pel to it.
“Oh, before I forget,” he said. “There’s a fair to middling chance we’ll be woken up by children jumping in the bed.”
Pel grinned. “Got it.”