They cleaned up together, then got dressed because Perian wasn’t allowed to hide all of Brannal’s clothes and make him stay here in his sleep trousers for the foreseeable future. Perian decided to mark his gender today with the round green glass beads that he had been wearing when he’d been rescued. They would always make him think of Brannal, and he needed that boost today. Brannal let him braid dark clay beads into his own hair, a standard cluster of three that almost blended into the dark strands.
Perian patted them as he pulled Brannal’s hair back, carefully tying it at the nape of his neck. They both looked into the vanity mirror.
“How’s that?”
“Perfect,” Brannal said, reflection smiling at him. “Thank you.”
Perian knew Brannal could have done it himself, and he appreciated the intimate moment.
They had breakfast, just like they normally did, and Perian really did try not to seem depressed.
“Only seven days,” Brannal reminded him.
Apparently, Perian wasn’t succeeding very well. He offered a rueful smile.
“Do you know how much my life changed in the first seven days I was mobile here in the castle?”
Brannal’s lips pressed together. “Now that you say that, I’m a little wary of all the things that could happen while I’m gone.”
Perian laughed. “Oh, good, so now we’re both worried about what’s going to happen while we’re separated?”
“We were never not both worried,” Brannal said, before squinting a little. “Too many negatives there. I’m not delighted by this either, I promise.”
“But it’s your job,” Perian said before Brannal had to. “A very important job that I’m very proud of you for doing. I don’t mean to be like this. I’m not, usually.”
Brannal reached for his hand and twined their fingers together.
“It’s all right to be worried. Concern is perfectly normal.”
Perian nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat. Just because something had gone disastrously wrong once in his life didn’t mean it was going to do so again. And even if it did, there wasn’t anything he could do about it. Well, he could beg Brannal not to go, but if he did that, he might as well acknowledge right now that he couldn’t be in a relationship with the leader of the Mage Warriors.
Not to mention, six years ago, Cormal’s father the then-Summus and the Prince and multiple other people had died—right here in the castle. That could have been Brannal. Even the castle wasn’t impenetrable. And it was Brannal who had been able to throw up shields and protect everyone. That was something he could do anywhere he went.
Perian blew out a breath, squeezed Brannal’s hand, and made himself let it go.
“I know it’s going to be fine. I truly am proud of you, and I know you’ll do everything you can to come back in one piece.”
“I certainly will,” Brannal said. His eyes flashed. “I seem to remember a promise to ‘have so much sex with me’ when I got back.”
Perian snorted, lip curling up. “I did say that, didn’t I?”
“You sure did.”
Perian grinned at him. “Just think about how pent up I’ll be when you get back. Why, I imagine you could get three or four orgasms out of me if you tried hard enough.”
Brannal’s eyes went hot and dark, and he made a hungry sound.
“Over the table,” he ordered.
“Hmm?” Perian asked with mock innocence.
“Bend over the table right now.”
Perian made a mental note to tease Brannal at the breakfast tablewaymore often, and happily did as instructed.
Afterwards, as Brannal set all his clothing to rights, he observed, “You are such a bad influence on me.”
He didn’t sound upset at all.
