WINDKEEPER (50 page)

Galen smiled and the frost in his words was telling. "What happened to the lady you were hiding for Conar, A’Lex? Is she still at Ivor?"

"I don’t know what you’re talking about," Legion growled. "There’s no woman at Ivor."

"Maybe not now, but she was there, wasn’t she? Conar thought no one knew he had a mistress at the keep." He swung his gaze to his twin. "You are being watched whether you are aware of it or not. Do one wrong thing, and the Tribunal will flay the hide from your back, Conar."

"Why don’t you leave Conar alone, Galen," Coron asked, trying to bring peace as he usually did. "This isn’t any time to mention his past affairs. Those are over and done with."

Galen threw back his head and chuckled. "You don’t know about her, do you, Cory?" He spread his hands. "This was a woman Conar worshipped. I have a feeling big brother intends to keep on with the beauteous Liza despite his marriage vows. If he does, she will suffer alongside him when the whip descends."

"Shut up!" Conar snarled. "Liza’s done nothing wrong here. Accuse her and it will be the last thing you say this side of hell!"

"See?" Galen asked his two younger brothers. "See how he protests? The woman he had A’Lex hide for him at Ivor has caused him to lose what little sense he had."

"If you don’t shut up, I swear to the gods I’ll—" Conar started forward, but Legion grabbed his arm.

"I say whatever I feel like saying. You don’t scare me, Conar." Galen glanced at Legion. "Let him go, A’Lex. Let him start something. The Tribunal will drag him to the Joining in chains."

"Are you tired of living, Galen?" Conar asked in a pleasant voice. "If you are, I can easily accommodate your death wish. Say one more word and, wedding or not, I will call your ass out."

Galen’s smile faded. If there was one thing he was certain of, it was Conar’s ability with a sword. Even though Galen had been taught swordplay and hand-to-hand combat, he was nowhere near Conar in ability and he knew it. While Galen had sat in the schoolrooms of the Wind Temple, Conar had been on the battlefield learning his warrior ways at the hands of Hern Arbra.

If there was anything else Galen was sure of in this world, it was Conar McGregor’s willingness to kill. It galled him to back down from the challenge in Conar’s eye, but he did, for he knew that look well.

Conar waited patiently for Galen to make a move. When he didn’t, he turned his back on his twin, ignoring him. "Will you two join me and Legion in the steaming chamber?" he asked his younger brothers.

Galen had not wanted to enter the steaming chamber, but his failure to be invited stung badly. He was as much a part of this family as Dyllon and Coron were, even more of a part than Legion. He wanted to hurt Conar, to humiliate him, and the only way he knew how was to strike directly once more at the exposed nerve that was Conar’s heart.

"I have my men out looking for Liza, by the way." Galen smirked. "I have told them to be very careful of her, for I fully intend to make the lady my mistress." He started to get up off the bench, but instead, he found himself plastered tightly to the wall behind him, his throat caught in a deadly grip as Conar bent over him, his nose only a fraction of an inch from Galen’s.

"I’d slit her throat before I’d ever let you put your filthy hands on her!" Conar shouted, spittle flying into Galen’s white face. "If I thought you could find her where I haven’t been able to, I’d hunt you down and make sure you never touched her, or anyone else, ever again!" He shoved Galen away, wiping his hand down his robe as though the contact with Galen’s flesh had soiled him, shaking off the restraining hand Legion had on his arm. "Get out of my sight before I kill you, Galen!"

Galen put a hand to his throat and rubbed the ache caused by Conar’s sword hand. His heart was pounding, fury having risen in his throat like bitter acid. All caution had fled and his ego blinded him to normal restraint. He opened his mouth to speak, but he was so furious, words wouldn’t come out.

"You want to say something, Galen?" Conar taunted. "Go ahead, you little bastard. I just might let you live long enough to regret it."

Standing slowly and facing his brother, Galen spoke so low only Conar could hear him. "There will come a day, Conar, and I promise you it will, when you will be forced to go to your knees before me. You will beg me to let you die and I will not. You will beg for mercy and I will see you get none. You will have to live with the punishment that has been reserved for you."

"You’re a bigger fool than I thought if you really believe that shit, Galen," Conar said and turned his back, motioning his brothers to precede him into the steaming chamber. Before he closed the door, he locked his gaze with Galen’s and smiled. "You are a fool."

Closing the door behind him, Conar bolted the inside lock, shutting out his twin.

* * *

"Never let your enemy know how you truly feel about him, Galen," a voice chided.

Turning around, Galen shook his head. "I can’t help it, Master. The bastard infuriates me."

"Hate him all you will, dear boy," Kaileel Tohre said. "Your brother will pay dearly for his disregard of your feelings." He put his hand on Galen’s cheek. "Very soon now, your brother will know the full extent of the Domination’s wrath and rue the day he ever defied us!"

"Are you ready?" Legion’s voice was quiet as he spoke to his brother.

Conar stood beside the arched window in the Temple’s Registry where he had just signed the final papers linking him to Princess Anya. He had already dressed for the wedding ritual, had sat perfectly still and silent through the lectures and warnings, disciplines and information bestowed upon him by the Brothers of the Wind, and now all that was left was his appearance in the Temple’s Chancel. He leaned his head against the cool panes of glass and closed his eyes.

"It’s nearly time, Conar. They’ll be coming for you," Legion warned as he laid a hand on his brother’s shoulder.

Conar inhaled deep and long and let out a nervous, wavering breath. He felt sick to his stomach again and his head ached with a throbbing, blinding pain behind his right eye. He was sweating and shivering at the same time and his palms were itching, his fingers trembling.

He had been watching the snow outside as his father and father-in-law-to-be had signed their names, witnessing the papers he had already signed in their presence. His mind had been on the gently falling crystals as they covered the Garden of Solace outside the Registry window and he had totally detached himself from what was going on about him. Legion’s voice had broken the spell under which he had placed himself.

"Conar?" Legion gently prodded.

He shook his head. "I don’t want to do this, Legion," he said quietly, his voice filled with emotion. "I truly don’t want to do this."

Legion had nothing to offer his brother. He could speak no words of encouragement that wouldn’t sound false and hollow. All he had was his great love for his brother and that was something Legion A’Lex gave unconditionally.

"I know, little brother, but Papa isn’t going to allow you out of the contract."

It deeply hurt Legion to see the flinch that broke his brother’s icy calm when the Wedding Gong sounded for Conar’s father to enter the Chancel.

The gong sounded again, signaling King Shaz’s entrance into the Temple.

Conar looked at Legion, hesitating only a second as Legion held out his arms. He went into those strong arms much as a child would have and gripped his brother to him, laying his cheek on Legion’s broad shoulder. "I am so afraid," he whispered.

Legion’s grip tightened. "I know you are, brat."

"Don’t let me shame myself before them, Legion. Please don’t let me do that."

Legion’s throat closed against the raw pain in Conar’s trembling voice. "I have no fear of that happening."

"I do," was the shaky reply.

Conar withdrew from his brother’s arms and took Legion’s head in his hands, staring intently into his brother’s eyes. "Promise me something."

"Anything." There was no hesitation on Legion’s part.

"Promise me you won’t stop looking for Liza." He saw his brother wince. "Find her and bring her to me, Legion."

Legion felt a knife go through his soul. He shook his head. "Conar, I can’t—"

"Find her for me. When you do…" Tears began to form. "…I will betroth her to you."

Legion’s face went perfectly still. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. "You don’t mean that!"

Conar turned, his breath hitching in his throat. What he was about to say would be the hardest thing he had ever said in his life. "I will see her wed to no other man, but you, Legion." He felt a part of him dying, shriveling away. "I will have no other man touch her but you." He turned and found Legion staring at him. "With you as her husband, I will not be tempted to stray from that bitch I am being forced to wed. I would not dishonor you in that way."

"Conar…" Legion’s face was filled with concern.

"If she is still available, if she married another, someone I didn’t hold in high regard, I would go after her, Legion. I would move heaven and hell to have her again. But if she belonged to you, I would keep my distance. I would never try to take her from you and I would never make her break her wedding vows."

Legion shook his head in denial. "Conar, I care for her. You are not being fair to ask this of me." He shook his head again. "I think I may well be in love with her myself."

A sad smile settled on Conar’s lips. "I’ve known that all along, Legion."

For a long time, Legion held his brother’s gaze. There was no guile in Conar’s blue stare. There was only love and a terrible, terrible pain. A pain Legion could not soothe.

Twice more the gongs called out, calling for the mother of the bride and the surrogate mother who would stand beside Conar. Conar broke the silence between Legion and himself.

"Say something, brother. Give me an answer."

"Are you sure this is what you want?"

"I am sure."

Legion put out his hand and the two men grasped each other’s wrists. One heart was breaking; the other’s heart already broken. Legion’s words were soft and spoken with tired resolve. "Then I will gladly accept her to wife if she will have me."

Conar smiled, sadly. "If we can find her."

"Aye, if we can find her. But if we do, I’ll damn sure never let her leave us again."

For one brief moment, Conar hesitated. He wanted to take back what he had said. Wanted to deny any claim Legion might make to the woman they both loved, but he knew in his heart that if Liza ever should return, unattached, to Boreas or to Ivor, he would, himself, never let her go.

He loved this brother more than all the others and his promises to Legion were inviolate. With Legion as Liza’s husband, he knew he would not be tempted to stray. He also knew Legion would probably kill him if he should try. "Liza will be yours one day," he said, knowing in his heart it was true. "I feel it, Legion."

The gong broke over them like a death knell and Conar blanched white. "It’s time."

A’Lex couldn’t speak as his brother turned, squared his shoulders and began the walk that would end his happiness forever. Following Conar to the Chancel, Legion couldn’t help but admire the graceful male animal that was Conar McGregor.

His long legs were encased in russet breeches of soft leather. They molded his legs and rump as though he had been poured into them. Soft boots of dark brown kid made only a whisper of sound as Conar walked across the highly polished marble floor. His tunic was a pale yellow silk, opened to his waist and belted with a cincture of intricately twined gold links. Around the hem of the tunic, stitched in bright copper thread, was the runic lettering symbolizing the Four Ways To Happiness.

The writings spelled out the four things Conar would need to be a good husband to his wife: Fidelity, Prosperity, Good Health and Wisdom. Circling each of the long, billowing sleeves was the writing of the Two Ways of Immortality: Fertility and Fecundity. The silken, crystal bead-tipped laces of his shirt had been left untied and hung down, their ends swaying gently against his chest as he moved.

Around each of his wrists were heavy gold bands that kept his cuffs in place. One hammered band was engraved with the name of his father, the other with his mother’s maiden name. A single thin loop of finely-wrought gold rested in his left earlobe and, around his neck, partly hidden by the tunic, was the medal of the Wind Warrior Society. His golden hair was banded with the crystal circlet of the Prince Regent.

The gong sounded again, a warning, signaling Conar enter the Chancel or have guards come get him. Legion squeezed his brother’s shoulder. "The Wind be at your back, little brother," he said, a catch in his voice.

Conar didn’t answer. He nodded and reached up his right hand to cover Legion’s. His attention was on his father as King Gerren began his walk from the Chancel to the Altar where High Priest Kaileel Tohre waited.

Conar took a deep breath, let it out slowly. "The gods help me," he whispered and then he walked into the Temple.

* * *

Legion had to make himself stand still. He wanted desperately to run, to hide. He didn’t want to be a witness to his brother’s unhappiness. His heart ached and tears threatened to come. He braced his feet wide apart and clutched his hands behind his back. He bit his lip to keep from shouting at Conar to come back, to leave, and to forsake this travesty.

He knew he wouldn’t.

He knew he couldn’t.

Teal was in the fourth section of wedding guests and he felt his face twisting with emotion as he caught sight of Conar’s. There was such blatant misery on that handsome young face, such agony; it was a wonder the man could even walk. Teal had never seen Conar looking so unsure of himself, so terribly defeated, so vulnerable.

The gods protect you, my friend, Teal thought. The gods protect you.

Gezelle stood just inside the Sacristy doorway. Behind her, the servant girl, Liza, was attending to the Princess Anya’s wedding train. She could hear the soft words of encouragement from the Princess’ mother, the stern advice from her father. She winced as the Princess laughed nervously.