"So what?" Theordir asked with nonchalance.
"So, Ruvyn is going to be her heir too!" Ileus scoffed. "And so you better not give this 'royal heir' shit to me!"
"Careful, Ileus!" Theodir said and lunged at him. He grabbed Ileus by his collar, his body trembling in rage. Ileus burst into shadows and smoke.
Haldir jumped on his feet. "Stop it both of you!" he shouted as he pried away Theodir's fingers from Ileus' shirt.
Theodir scowled at Ileus and left him. He walked back to his chair and sat down. He stabbed his hands in his white hair and ran his fingers in them. His gaze went to his younger brother who he knew was restless. But Theodir wasn't concerned about his restlessness. He had a kingdom to look after. With a clenched jaw he measured Ileus and then said, "Inyanga is now the bride of Evindal and so she is bound to the laws of Evindal. She doesn't have a say in this matter nor does Haldir. That child was born to rule the elf kingdom and so I am going to take him from here. He has to grow up in Evindal so that he knows what he would be expected of."
"He is too young, Theodir!" Ileus tried to drill sense in him. And the words that Inyanga was bound to the laws of Evindal—they were like a whip to his conscience. Was Anastasia also bound by the laws of Draoidh? He had never put that kind of a leash on his wife, never thought of it. He couldn't even think of it in the future. The girl was forced to stay like a prisoner in her own home for so long that his heart cracked when he thought that she was bound by the laws.
His thoughts were pierced by Theodir's sharp words. "I have come here to stake my claim on Ruvyn, and that's it! The child belongs to Evindal and I am sure that my younger brother will do at least that much for his kingdom. So many years back he ran away from Evindal and stayed in this realm. So many years I fought alone with our enemies because my younger brother chose to stay hidden."
Haldir grunted. "You know the reason for my decision, Theodir! Let's not go there, or else it would be you who would be embarrassed!"
Enraged as hell, Theodir threw his wine glass on the floor. The glass shattered and the red wine stained the rug. "I was never embarrassed at what I did. And I don't care about your embarrassment. For me Evindal comes foremost, even over relationships. It is not my problem that you couldn't handle your love!"
"Theodir!" Haldir shouted. His hands fisted beside him and his neck muscles corded. "What would a man like you know about love when all you have ever thought of is winning over by force? You have never ever placed your heart in things, and have always used your cold, calculative mind. I have never seen you step to this side of love and so I don't expect that you would understand Inyanga's pain."
Theodir's eyes turned silver for a long moment. Magic swirled around him and it clashed with his brother's magic. In a lethally calm voice he said, "It is good then. At least between the two of us, I think with my brains. And it is the brains that are used to control a kingdom like Evindal."
Haldir stopped an urge to roll his eyes. He clenched his jaw so hard that it ached.
"If you dare to refuse to give up that child to me, then you will be held for treason, Haldir. I will be forced to take you to Evindal with me and throw you into dungeons. Don't think that I will consider your blood oath with Adrianna. Because that can go to hell. In front of Ruvyn, I will not even give it an iota of consideration."
Ileus' chest tightened and his insides quivered. Haldir's blood oath to Adrianna was to protect Ileus and if Haldir was taken by force to Evindal, then he would end up dying. "Don't you have a modicum of decency, Theodir?" Ileus remarked. The king sitting in front of him was not the man he had dealt with earlier. Theodir officiated their wedding. He had been extremely helpful and forthcoming when Ileus was in Evindal for training. But now—now the man in front of him was full of lust for the heir that his brother had produced. It was as if he was the owner of the child. The madness in his eyes was scary. And it was clear that he would go to any extent to take the child back with him.
"No lleus," said Theodir. "I will fight against the entire Lore if it comes to my claim for the boy. He is the first male heir born to my brother. He. Will. Be. Taken."
"What if Ilyana gives birth to your child later?"
Theodir got up from his place and laughed mirthlessly. "Then her child will have to fight against Ruvyn if he or she wants to stake their claim to the crown. And that will be Ilyana's punishment for denying me a child." He looked at his brother. "Don't think even for one moment that I don't know why Ilyana chose not to give birth to my child." Saying that he tunred the knob of the door and left, closing the door quietly behind him.
Ileus was left gaping. He glanced at Haldir who was now red with embarrassment. It was so awkward that the two men didn't speak for a long time. Ileus shook his head at the complicated relationships of the two brothers. He just said, "Doesn't Ilyana understand that you have a mate and that you love her?"
Haldir chose to ignore that question. He was only worried about his child.
—
Siora was dead tired. She couldn't feel her hands or legs. Driven by a mad person in her body, she thought that she would be dead soon. The bloody spirit made her walk for long hours and only when she dropped in the middle of their walk, he would let her rest. She was starving and needed to eat again. Her magic was weakening again. But it was enough to kill and roast a burrowing squirrel or a rabbit.
Two days later when she reached the cave, she just fainted in front of the mouth of the cave. She thought she was imagining when she heard faint murmurs of men. Someone picked her up. Did the spirit leave her? She didn't know where she was being taken. She murmured the name of the man she wanted to meet. "Aed Ruad…" She didn't know what they replied, but then she lost consciousness completely.
When Siora opened her eyes next, her gaze went to the ceiling of the room she was in. The black stone glinted with the red light from the fire hearth. She heard the logs crackling. There were too many furs on her and she wanted to lift herself up, but she couldn't. "How are you feeling?" a voice came from within. Seraph hadn't left her.. She ignored him.
