Many Roads Home (26 page)

Paole groaned in his sleep. Yveni kissed his forehead and let Paole’s solid warmth comfort him. The plan had to work. The safety of too many good people was at stake. It had to work or he’d die in the attempt. He’d really rather
not
die, though.

Paole and Gil accompanied Yveni to the fort in the morning, where he formally handed himself into the custody of the governors. All that meant in practice was that he’d eat breakfast and lunch with them, and be their guest until they needed him that afternoon. Paole said he’d return before noon, since his role was done—he had no skill in throwing anything, bombs or lances, because of his blind eye, and even if he had, he said, he’d still be at Yveni’s side to the last moment. Yveni had no heart to argue with him, and Gil seemed relieved that Paole would be there.

The governors left him in the library most of the morning, since the governors had much to do and he could play no active role in preparations. Ferdi and Manel walked Luna and her colt over to the fort’s stables, and he spent some time with them, talking about the horses, and admiring Mathias’s pretty form. Manel had the gift of mind control and had pleaded with Gil to be allowed to join Yveni’s escort, but Gil had refused.

“Stay with Ferdi and defend the house,” Gil had told him, much to Manel’s chagrin. The lad’s bravery only increased Yveni’s guilt, but Manel wouldn’t be the only innocent youth to die if their plan went wrong.

Paole turned up in time for lunch, and Ferdi and Manel dined with them. A curious calm had descended on the fort and its officers. All the citizens preparing to defend their city were now in position, or so Yveni understood. The seers had narrowed down the arrival time to midafternoon. Gil and others with the Vision would keep watch from the top of the fort’s towers, and direct the action with flags and other signals. They’d see the ships long before they came into cannon-shot range.

The others ate with a heartier appetite than Yveni could manage. His stomach was a knot, and even tea made him nauseous. His mouth was dry and his armpits soaked. A sorry excuse for a commander he was. He said nothing of his fears to anyone, but Gil had never needed to be told anything explicitly. At least he and Paole did him the courtesy of not asking how he felt. Ferdi was the only one apparently immune to nerves, talking cheerfully about his early days in the city as a simple cloth trader, and how he’d met his wife when she forced him to accept a sharp deal with her family’s firm. He even coaxed a few laughs out of the assembly, and Yveni prayed to every god he knew that the old man and his household would be safe that day.

The governors sent Ferdi and Manel home after lunch and Governor Leandro himself told them to stay out of harm’s way. Gil went down on one knee to kiss Yveni’s hand, then stood and hugged him. “I’m proud of you, Yveni. Whatever happens this day, you’re your father’s son, and there’s no higher praise.”

“Do your best for your country, Gil.”

“Your Grace,” Governor Leandro said, “I’ve allocated a dressing room upstairs where you can prepare yourself and wash. I’ll have word sent there when you’re needed.”

“Thank you.”

Paole got to his feet and bowed. “With Your Grace’s permission, I’ll be your valet.”

Yveni gave a little start in surprise. “Uh…thank you.”

Gil patted Paole’s shoulder. “Don’t make him too pretty or the soldiers will kidnap him instead of obeying him.”

Yveni felt his face heat as the governors hid smiles behind polite hands. Paole just grinned. “Leave it to me. You do your job, I’ll do mine. Your Grace?”

The “dressing room” was one of the governor’s offices, with a small washroom to the side. Yveni only wanted to wipe his face and dress in the new clothes that had been quickly and expertly prepared, but Paole insisted on delaying. He took Yveni into his arms. “You have two hours to kill, and I can help you with the nerves.”

“I can’t dally with you now. It’s not seemly.”

“Mind out of the gutter, boy. I want to give you a massage, that’s all.”

“Oh.”

“Take your shirt off, lie down on that chair and be quiet, if you can.”

Yveni stuck his tongue out. “You should be more respectful.”

“You’re no heir to any throne I owe allegiance to. You’re just my rebellious ex-slave. Lie down.”

Amused rather than annoyed by Paole’s bossiness, Yveni obeyed. If someone was this determined to look after him, far be it from him to argue.

Paole’s big, strong fingers dug into painful knots in his shoulders, but in their wake, his skin felt warm and his muscles limp. He hadn’t known Paole had this skill. “I wish you hadn’t sent me away,” he murmured.

Paole kissed him between his shoulder blades. “I thought it for the best, sweetness.”

“Well, next time we have to ask Gil before we make any decisions about our relationship because we’re too stupid to do it right.”

Paole’s laugh rumbled deep. “Aye, we are. But it did us no real harm, and you’ve grown up in the last year.”

“I’ve grown over seven centimetres.”

“Not what I meant and you know it, brat. You still don’t know how you feel about me.”

Yveni rolled over and looked up into Paole’s face. “I know if you send me away again, I might just die.”

Paole cupped his chin. “Don’t exaggerate.”

“I mean it. I’ve lost so much. Don’t make me lose you again.”

“You never lost me, Yveni. It was the way you had me that we had to decide.”

“Paole…” Yveni pulled him down and kissed him. Paole’s warm hands slid over his chest, and down his stomach. “Someone might come…”

“I locked the door. I want you.” He kissed Yveni again, groping and kneading his wanton skin.

“Do you see me arguing?”

Paole grinned against his mouth, then undid Yveni’s belt and slid his trousers down, and off. He bent and kissed Yveni’s stomach while Yveni knotted his fingers in Paole’s thick hair and arched up against the feel of lips against hot flesh. Paole’s mouth eased lower and Yveni shivered, hardly daring to breathe.

Paole cupped his backside, squeezing and massaging, lifting Yveni’s hips and bringing his eager cock to his mouth. Yveni gasped as Paole took him in, tongue and lips working him while his fingers dug into Yveni’s buttocks, spreading and exposing him. Would…surely not today, not here…

But then he stopped thinking about anything but the pleasure swamping him in waves, the tightening of his belly as Paole’s clever mouth and hands played him, bringing him to the very brink of climax, and easing off just as Yveni was sure he’d come. Yveni gripped his shoulders, fingers digging hard and mercilessly in a futile attempt to force Paole to bring him off, but the man would not be hurried and he would not be bullied.

Yveni came precisely when it pleased Paole to allow it, Paole swallowing it all and refusing to let him wriggle out of his grip. He could only cry out quietly to relieve his feelings, and lay his hands on Paole’s hair as he rested his face on Yveni’s stomach. Yveni knew Paole was grinning even without being able to see him.

“That…probably wasn’t seemly,” he managed to say.

“Not in the slightest.” Paole twisted and looked up at him. “Are you angry?”

“You can be very stupid sometimes.”

Paole kissed his stomach and grinned even more widely. He looked insufferably smug, but then Yveni felt rather smug too. Certainly limp. Very relaxed.

Ah…but Paole…

“What would you like me to do for you?” He felt rather proud his voice hadn’t quavered at all, even though the way Paole had played with his buttocks had raised all kinds of alarming ideas.

“What would you like to do?”

“D-do you want to f-fuck me?”

Paole lifted his head, startled. “Uh…not here, sweetness. We haven’t…I mean, we need oil.”

“Oh. I thought you wanted…”

“I do. But not today.” He winked. “You have to ride a horse later.”

Yveni’s face became red hot. “Oh. Oh!”

“Yes. Sit up, and let me sit next to you.”

Yveni obeyed. Paole loosened his trousers and his large and slightly terrifying erection sprang free. Yveni couldn’t really imagine…actually he could, that was the problem. “You’re, um, big.”

“Thank you.” He sat down next to him. “Put your hand on me, sweetness. Won’t take long.”

Yveni did as he asked, though the angle was awkward and his nervousness made him clumsy. But then Paole tilted his head towards him and kissed him deep and longingly, and Yveni forgot to be nervous because he loved being with Paole, touching his warm skin and being kissed. He concentrated on the soft skin of Paole’s cock, using the same movements that gave him pleasure, listening for the little gasps and jumps to tell him what worked better, the way he’d learned to listen to a horse to guide, not to force. But Paole was no horse, and touching him, pleasuring him, was infinitely more precious. His friend thrust eagerly up into his hand and in no time at all, Yveni’s hand was covered in hot come, Paole gasping quietly into his mouth as he climaxed.

“Thank you.” He rested his cheek against Yveni’s, whispering into his ear. “Thank you, Yveni.”

“You’re welcome.”

Paole looked down at Yveni’s sticky fingers. “Right. Now I really had better clean you up and get you dressed, or I’ll be a poor excuse for a valet.”

“You’re the best valet I ever had.”

“You had one at the castle?”

“No.” Paole gave Yveni a look for that disingenuousness. “So you’re definitely the best.”

Paole mock smacked him, then picked him up in his arms, which irritated him greatly. Yveni couldn’t help grinning as Paole staggered under his weight.

“Told you I’d grown taller,” he said sweetly. “Now put me down. I told you I don’t like it.”

“Sorry, Your Grace. Your bath awaits.”

His “bath” was just a ewer and basin and cloth, but Paole carefully cleaned his hand and face, combed his hair and helped him dress, straightening his new shirt and jerkin, adjusting his trousers and eyeing him critically at such length that Yveni was forced to complain.

“You’re no valet. You should be a ladies’ maid.”

“So long as you play the maiden…”

Yveni made a face. “Well? Do I look the part?”

Paole stepped back to check once more. “Aye. Every centimetre.”

“I wish you could be with me, but I’m glad you won’t be. If it comes to a fight…”

“We’ll all do our best. You, me, Gil and the others. Do your job as well as you can, and that’s all anyone asks.”

Now all he could do was wait. He sat quietly with Paole’s arm around him, not talking, but being held, and occasionally tenderly kissed. When the knock came, he only jumped a little, then stood. “I need to go.”

“I’ll walk you down to the stables.”

He squeezed Paole’s hand and they walked outside together. Governors Leandro and Raul waited for them in the courtyard. The two horses were splendidly fitted out, with every buckle and catch shined to mirror perfection, and their manes braided with ribbons in the Uemerien colours of red and gold.

Luna whinnied as Yveni stroked her muzzle. “Thank you for this,” he said quietly. Her foal lay in the stall, dozing on a thick bed of straw. With any luck, his mother would be back before he was ready for his next feed.

Paole boosted him into the saddle and handed him the flag. Yveni planted the flagstaff firmly in the leather cup at his belt. “Good luck, Your Grace.”

“Thank you, Paole. Thank you all. Governor?”

Their escort waited for them at the bottom of the fort’s causeway that led onto the beach. Yveni paused to salute them and thank them for being there. The men looked very professional with their new tabards and their polished weapons, but there were so many young, worried faces. For the very first time, Yveni had a true inkling what it meant to lead an army, and what failure would cost. He let none of his emotion show in his face.

“Right. Forward, if Your Excellency pleases.”

Governor Raul nodded, and they started the slow march along the beach, to await the invaders.

As soon as Yveni disappeared through the tunnel that ran through the fort and out to the beach, Paole ran up the steps to the watchtower, where Gil kept his lookout. “There he goes.” Gil pointed towards the beach. The two riders and the squad of men behind made an inspiring show, but Paole couldn’t help thinking how vulnerable they were out in the open.