Oryon (Tornians Book 3.5) (10 page)

“All I know is that if that is what you have, then that is what Master Bard was requested to build.”

“You have that much faith in the male?”

“Yes, my Lord.” Jago simply said.

“Then you will accompany me while I confront him with this, and we’ll see if your faith is well placed.”

“Gladly, my Lord.”

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Master Bard’s shop was several maili from House Rigel in a small valley surrounded by a heavily forested area. Bard would sometimes work late into the night and the landscape kept the noise from traveling, as it was doing now.

Oryon knew Bard was well liked by his people, not only because he was an outgoing male, but also because he was very talented. His furniture was highly sought after. It was why Oryon had made him his Master Cabinetmaker, securing that House Rigel would always have the best. Or so he had thought. Now he wondered if he had been made a fool of.

“Master Bard!” Oryon roared over the noise of the saw, as he entered Bard’s workshop.

After several moments, Bard shut off his saw. “Who in the name of the Goddess would
dare
roar at a male when he is using the saw?!!!” Bard spun around, little pieces of adhmad clinging to his gray hair, revealing his advanced age. He didn’t appear fazed at seeing Oryon. “Did you
want
me to cut off an arm! My Lord,” he tacked on at the end.

Oryon held back a smirk at the older male barely remembered show of respect. It was something he had always liked about the male. He saw Oryon as just another young male, one that
he
had something to teach. The thought that he had fooled him for all these years had Oryon frowning.

“I am here to speak to you about the furnishings in the entrance hall of House Rigel.”

“What about them?” Bard snorted, turning back to inspect the piece of adhmad he’d been working on before he’d been interrupted. “Still can’t believe you ordered it. If having a Lady has put that much of a strain on your Household, then you need to get rid of her. House Rigel’s entrance hall, hell the whole House should only have the best Betelgeuse has to offer, not pieces that only
look
it.”

“What?” Oryon asked in a deadly quiet voice.

“Have you gone deaf, my Lord? Or is it that you just don’t like to hear truth anymore?” It seemed Bard was years past caring if his Lord ended him.

“I am not deaf and I will always listen to truth, old male, and you better start giving me some. I want to know why the furniture in my hall is not what was ordered!”

“It was
exactly
what was ordered, although it pained me to make it!”

“I have the invoices right
here
!” Oryon shouted, pulling them out of his inner pocket. “Furnishings made of
solid dair
were ordered!”

“It was not!” Bard shouted back.

Moving forward, Bard grabbed the papers from Oryon’s hand faster than Oryon thought he could, for the male had a limp, an injury Bard sustained in a battle that had nearly cost him his life. It was why he no longer carried ‘Warrior’ status.

“What is this?” Bard scanned the pages.

“It’s the invoices for the entrance hall furniture you made.”

“That’s an untruth!” Spinning around on his good leg, Bard limped toward his office, muttering the entire way.

Oryon raised an eyebrow at Jago, who just shrugged, and they both followed the older male. When they reached the little room that seemed to be Bard’s office, they found him still muttering about incompetent young males as he opened and closed file drawers.

Looking around the room, Oryon found it surprisingly clean and organized. Walking over to a tall, design desk, he found what would be an amazing piece of furniture still being designed. It was large and solid, yet had the beautiful carving and detail work Oryon knew Isis so loved.

“Here!” Bard exclaimed triumphantly.

The slamming of a file down on anther desk had Oryon turning around to find Bard flipping through papers. Pulling one out, Bard shoved it into his Lord’s hands. Looking down, Oryon saw that it appeared to be an identical invoice to what Oryon had given him, only this one stated peine covered with dair and an entirely different price. One that was a great deal lower then what Kaspar stated he paid.

Sliding Bard’s invoice on top of the one Kaspar gave him, Oryon discovered the signatures lined up perfectly as did the invoice numbers. It was only the descriptions and amounts, which were different. Oryon felt his rage begin to grow, but knew he had to suppress it.

Bard felt no such inclination. “That son of Daco! I knew I should have come to Rigel and spoken of my disgust straight to you!” Spinning on his bad leg, Bard, had to catch himself as his knee gave out. He flushed as if embarrassed by his show of weakness.

“Why didn’t you?” Oryon demanded, but not as vehemently as he would have seeing Bard’s stumble.

“Because that Daco dung House Master of yours, Kaspar, informed me that he had also tried to get you to change the order, and you informed him that
you
were Lord of House Rigel and if anyone else questioned his decisions they would find them off Betelgeuse.” Bard’s flush darkened and he whispered so quietly that Oryon barley heard him. “I have nowhere else to go.”

Oryon felt his stomach clench at this proud male’s words. That one so proud could believe he was valued so little by his Lord should never have happened.

“I would never have done that Master Bard.” Oryon walked over and squeezed Bard’s shoulder reassuringly. “You have served not only my manno but myself loyally and well. We don’t toss aside those that do that. You will always have a place in House Rigel.”

“Thank you, my Lord.” This time Bard’s voice held only honest respect for his Lord.

Nodding, knowing Bard was uncomfortable, Oryon got back to the subject at hand. “When did Kaspar tell you this?”

“It’s been over five years now, my Lord. Starting with the tables for the eating hall.”

Oryon frowned at this, remembering how the legs of several tables had broken, injuring several trainees. Kaspar had told him the trainees had been rough housing, causing the tables to break. Now he wondered.

“You have an invoice for every piece made?”

“Yes, my Lord. I will get them for you.”

“No need, Master Bard.” Oryon stopped him. “Your word is good enough for me. I want you to remake each piece as it
should
have been made. I will only have
quality
in my House.”

“Yes, my Lord.” Bard bowed to him. “My Lord…”

The hesitation in Bard’s voice had Oryon giving him a hard look.

“What Master Bard?”

“The other furnishings?”

“Will be destroyed.”

“I…”

“What Master Bard?”

“My Lord, there are those that could use those pieces, those that are unable to purchase solid dair.”

“You will remove the House Rigel emblem from them?” Oryon wanted no one thinking it was something that his House claimed.

“Of course, my Lord.”

“Then I will have them sent to you…
after
I see to Master Kaspar.”

“Deal with him harshly my Lord,” Bard said, “and check all the invoices. If he has done this to me, then he will have done it to others.”

“I will. Have no doubt of that. Kaspar has sealed his fate with his dishonor.”

Kaspar stood frozen, looking around his office, trying to decide what to do. There was no way he could get to Bard’s invoices and change them. That unfit male kept immaculate records. When Lord Oryon discovered his deception… even if Kaspar was able to shift the blame to someone else, Oryon would still blame him for not inspecting the furniture, and then there was the difference in costs.
That
only Kaspar could have done.

Realizing this was all going to come back on him, Kaspar began to sweat. He needed to destroy the evidence of his crimes, needed time to get away before they were discovered. He frantically looked around the room. He needed a distraction.

Moving toward a hidden compartment in the wall, he quickly opened it, pulling out the heavy bag of credits he had been able to acquire over the last five years. Shoving them into another bag, he dropped it near the door, then turned back and began emptying his files, piling everything in the center of his desk. Grabbing a glowing stick from the fire, he threw it onto the pile. At the door, he snatched up the bag of credits and waited long enough to make sure the papers caught, then left the room, closing the door to his crimes behind him.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

“Right there, Jael.” Isis pointed to the spot in front of the fireplace where she wanted the couch. They had finally emptied nearly her entire first room, so she and Vali were now in the entrance hall, seeing to the placement of the pieces. Her father’s couch was going to take pride and center in Oryon’s entrance hall. Seeing it there, Isis felt her eyes fill, she couldn’t believe it had taken her this long to realize that
this
was where it was always meant to be, just as she was meant to be in Oryon’s chamber.

“It looks like it was specifically made for that spot mother.” Vali came up behind her, putting a gentle hand on her back.

“It does,” she whispered. “He would be so honored to have it here, knowing it was going to be used not only by the warriors of House Rigel, but by
my
males.”

“We will treat it with the respect it deserves.”

Isis smiled at that. “You will use it as it was meant to be used, as a comfortable place to relax and, when its usefulness is done, another will replace it.”

“There are certain things that can never be replaced, mother,” Vali told her softly.

“Things can always be replaced. People can not, Vali.”

“My Lady,” Jael stepped up to her. “Where would you like the remaining pieces?”

The remainder of the afternoon seemed to fly by as House Rigel’s entrance hall was transformed into a place where every warrior was going to want to relax. Looking around the room, Vali couldn’t believe the difference. Just yesterday, when he had passed through this hall he hadn’t wanted to stop, preferring his own chambers. Now, he knew he would want to spend time here. There were thick rugs covering the cool stone floors, light was streaming in through sparkling windows, and the room had a warmth that had nothing to do with the roaring fire. It came from the care and thought his mother had put into the placement of every piece, seeming to know what a male would want after a hard day of training. He had never thought a ‘female’s’ touch could make such a difference.

“Jael, I know it is getting late, but there are two more pieces from my room that I would like moved. A chair and a table.”

“Of course, my Lady
,
” Jael replied. “Where would you like them placed?”

“Mother...” Vali knew that she was referring to the pieces in front of the window, her father’s custom pieces. “Those need to stay with you.”

Ignoring him, Isis continued to talk to Jael. “You will need to ask Vali that question, as you will be taking them to his chambers.”

“What?” Vali gave his mother a shocked look. Why would she give
him
pieces that were so dear to
her
?

“Of all my offspring, Vali," Isis gave him a soft look, "
you
are the most like my manno. You have the heart of a warrior and the sensitive soul of the Goddess. That is a gift, not a weakness, as some would think, for it allows you to see what others miss. You, above all others, will appreciate what my manno created and the skill it took to do so, and when
you
have offspring, you will be able to sit there and tell them about your mother’s manno.”

“You truly honor me Mother.” Vali’s voice strained with emotion as he crossed his hand across his chest, giving her a deep bow, showing her the greatest respect a Tornian male could to a female he wasn’t Joined with.

“It has always been
my
honor to have you and your brothers for offspring. It was one of the reasons the Goddess created me.”

“And the other?” Vali found himself asking as he rose, and his mother smiled at him.

“To love your manno, of course.
He
is my destiny.”

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

“Jago, when we get back to Rigel I want you to gather a dozen warriors, your most trusted.”

Oryon’s words caught Jago by surprise as they strode back to House Rigel. “My Lord?” he asked.

“You have more than proven yourself to me, and I trust your sense of honor.” Oryon’s eyes shot to him. “Your inner strength is impressive. We all have things we are ashamed of. It is how we deal with those things that makes us the males we are.” In that moment, Oryon realized he had to confess to Isis what he had done. If he didn’t, their entire future together would be based on an untruth that could destroy them.

“My Lord?” Jago asked, not knowing where his Lord’s thoughts had gone.

“Things are going to be changing in House Rigel, Jago. My Isis is going to be involved in how our House is run from now on. She is going to be allowed to move freely in our House and on its grounds, but she is still going to need to be protected and that is where you come in.”

“Me, my Lord?” Jago questioned.

“Yes. You are going to be the Captain of my Lady’s Guard,” Oryon told him.

“Me!” Jago skidded to a stunned halt beside his Lord.

"You,” Oryon repeated, turning to look at the male. “It is not going to be an easy task I am assigning you. There are going to be many who are going to criticize your actions. You are going to be doing something no male on Betelgeuse ever has and that includes me. You are going to interact daily with a female that you are not Joined with. You will need to contact Warrior Agee, Captain of Queen Lisa’s Guard, and ask his advice. He will have invaluable insight in what it takes to guard a demanding female, and have no doubt, Jago, my Isis is going to be demanding.”

“I… my Lord… I am honored.”

“We’ll see how
honored
you feel when your actions are not only questioned by me, but by my male offspring, who, believe me, are going to be watching you closely.”

“Will they have the right to overrule me?” Jago asked.

“No. When it comes to my Isis’ safety, the only one that can overrule you is me.”

“Including Ull?” Jago pressed, knowing as the future Lord, Ull would feel he had the right to.

“Including Ull,” Oryon vowed.

“Then I will have no problem in dealing with them, my Lord.”

Oryon smiled at Jago’s confidence. The male had come a long way from the lost warrior that had presented himself to Oryon for training. He was now a warrior who Oryon was proud to say was from his House.”

“My Lord…”

The suddenly concerned look on Jago’s face had Oryon frowning. “What?”

“Smoke.” Jago pointed behind Oryon. “Coming from House Rigel!”

Spinning on his heel, Oryon scanned the area where Jago had pointed. There, just the thinnest trail of smoke came from a place it never should have been.

“Isis…” Oryon whispered, then took off running toward his House.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Kaspar moved quickly through the halls of House Rigel, nodding to those who passed as though nothing were wrong. Those that saw him would believe he was heading to his chamber. As Master of House Rigel, he had his own chamber on the upper level of the Warrior’s Wing. He already knew he would not be going there. He had nothing there his credits couldn’t replace. He was actually heading to the door that gave males access to the old training fields. From there he would make his way through the forest until he reached Parmelee, the closest village to House Rigel. There he would be able to secure passage off Betelgeuse.

Hearing voices, Kaspar was about to ignore them. Then he suddenly recognized one as Vali's.

Daco
’ He didn’t have time to deal with Oryon’s second male.  Vali would question what he was doing and he didn’t have
that
much time. Soon the blaze he started would be discovered.

Ducking into a dark corner, Kaspar watched as Vali directed four of Kaspar’s own males who were carrying furniture. Furniture!

Furniture was what had caused this problem! That and the fact that a
female
had discovered what he was doing with that furniture. If he had the time, he would make her pay for that.

Waiting until he was sure he wouldn’t be seen, Kaspar headed back the other way, toward the Common Wing of House Rigel, deciding he would use the door in the kitchen to make his escape. It would take him a little longer to disappear, but there was still time.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

“What are you doing in my kitchen?!!” Lajos demanded, seeing Kaspar enter during the busiest time of Lajos’ day. Lajos didn’t like Kaspar. He might run House Rigel but he didn’t run the kitchen. Lajos ran the kitchen and he allowed
no one
to disrupt it right before a meal was served.

“I am here because I wish to be!” Kaspar fired back, refusing to back down, even now. As far as Lagos knew, Kaspar was still the Master of House Rigel.

“No one interferes in my kitchen before a meal!
Now get out!
” Lagos pointed toward the door.

Since Lagos was pointing to where Kaspar wanted to go, he said nothing, just glared at the male. Moving toward the door, a bag over his shoulder, heavy with his ill-gotten credits, he bumped into one of the kitchen trainees, knocking the bowl he carried to the floor.

“Galal!” Lajos screamed at the young male.

“I’m sorry Warrior Lajos. I did not see him,” Galal stuttered, dropping to his knees to clean up the mess.

“You unfit male!” Kaspar spat at Galal. “You will never become a warrior fit enough to serve this House if you can’t even control a bowl!” Flinging those hate-filled words at Galal, Kaspar headed out the door and to freedom.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Isis made a slow, tight circle in the room that had once held so many memories for her. Now it was empty. Smiling, she hugged herself. She had done it! She had actually done it! She had been able to move beyond the restraints that had once been placed on her, and in doing so, discovered the female she was truly meant to be.

She couldn’t wait to empty the rest of this floor and spread it throughout Rigel. Vali had been amazed by what he had seen in just this one room, what would he think when he saw the rest?

Walking into what was once her ‘private’ chamber, she looked at the things there. Most were items Oryon had given her, some she liked… others… not so much, but she had always treasured that
he
had thought to give them to her. Grabbing the ones she most cherished, she headed back down taking them to their new home.

She took her time selecting the perfect spot for each item. A beautiful piece of glass would sit on the windowsill, capturing the light and sending shards of color throughout the room. Oryon had given it to her after she had presented Ull.

She placed a stone sculpture of a warrior, his sword raised, ready to strike on the mantle. This was a piece Isis had never really liked. The warrior’s expression was too stark, too unemotional. It was as if it didn’t bother him that his strike was about to kill. Oryon had given it to her during their first year of Joining, shortly after the death of his manno, making him Lord.

Her first instinct had been to refuse it, letting him know it wasn’t something she liked. Then Oryon had told her about it how it always went to the Lord’s first male, the future Lord. It was meant to remind the male that if he were to be a successful Lord, he needed to remain strong and vigilant. Oryon’s manno had only given it to him moments before his death, even though his brother had been dead for years.

Isis found she couldn’t refuse the gift after that. She was ashamed to admit she had been relieved Oryon’s manno had died. She had never liked the male. He had always seen Oryon as a lesser male than his brother. It was something Isis never understood because to her Oryon was
everything
a Lord should be and he wasn’t anything like this cold, stone warrior. Turning it ever so slightly, Isis turned away, knowing exactly where she wanted to place the last piece she’d brought down.