“He means to go for another Earl,” Fen guessed carefully. “He must have one in mind. Oh,” Fen went on the moment the words were out, realizing his previous ideas had been correct, “The Acana.”
Lan shifted. Fen slipped his hand out from under his and returned to ensuring Lan didn’t look silly. He undid the knot and then arranged it again securely, perhaps too tight, but it would stay.
“You said you were there gathering information, even that you had someone inside the holding already.” Probably more than one someone. Fen shook his head and tugged one of Lan’s braids into a better position and made sure it lay flat. “You should still make him come for you first, Lan. Even if all you do is provoke him into declaring his intent to do so. It will make you appear less ‘wild’ and more like someone the others believe can be reasoned with. It will also make his allies hesitate to help him, especially if they feel he is wrong for doing it. Before, I would have said that nothing would convince other nobles of that. But they do not like him and will welcome a way to justify his loss.”
“You’re…. You’re just…” Whatever Race meant to say was lost when Heni elbowed him.
“I suggested Lan use the song about me against The Acana.” Fen’s mouth twisted. “The Flower is known. But not that the Wild Dog rescued him. That is all you need to say. People already call The… they already call my father the Old Horror. They will easily imagine him guilty of many crimes. He’ll hear of it and he will know I am here and blame Lan for ruining his plans. His anger will be… public.”
Lan twisted around to look up at him.
Fen met Lan’s dark gaze. “You shouldn’t hesitate for me. You should use me as I said.” He felt a blush begin at the memory of how he had said Lan should also use him but did his best to ignore it. “Speak of how I was denied the chance to do things as the Bal do them, to even say I was of the Bal. That will anger the Bal and perhaps some of the Lylanth as well, and weaken their commitments to The Acana and even the entire family. The more nobles who abandon him the more others will consider it.”
“And your siblings?” Tai asked it, which was unexpected.
Fen tore his attention from Lan. “Half-siblings by blood or claim, and any of them who pleased our father did so because they are like him. The rest fled if they could or arranged alliances elsewhere.” Had them arranged for them, but hopefully none like Fen’s. “There might be a cousin who could take over as head of the family if The Acana were killed. There might not. That’s not my concern. Only my mother was mentioned in my alliance agreement with Lan.”
“Some flower,” Heni said faintly. “Not one will do? Not one family member reasonable enough to rule as a new Acana if it comes to that?”
Fen shrugged. “Arcot is not The Acana’s favorite, but he’s good with a sword. He would take the role, at least, though I don’t know if he’d be able to exert the influence our father does.”
“You really don’t object?”
Fen didn’t look for who asked.
“People will thank Lan for doing it,” he replied after a beat. “If not out loud, then in their hearts. And how he acts afterward will tell the other Earls exactly what their fates will be if they fight, or resist, or behave as The Acana did. The Bal might come to him. The first noble family to do so, unless…” Fen stopped himself there, looking to Lan again. “This is a suggestion only.”
“A suggestion that we go after your father,” Race clarified, although he had a hand on the hilt on the knife in his belt and a glint in his eyes.
“Lan did,” Fen returned, honeyed.
“Flower,” Lan said hoarsely and reached up for Fen’s hand again. He pulled on it until Fen came around in front of him. Then he tugged Fen into his lap.
A stinging blush spread through Fen’s face to his neck and chest, where at least no one else could see it. They were free with such displays here and meant no ill with them, but he hadn’t expected this. He kept himself turned away from the others and avoided Lan’s eyes, choosing instead to examine the jewelry in Lan’s ear.
“It is something worth thinking about,” Race declared, suspiciously loud and distracting. “The song aspect, I mean. We’ll have to send more people out. And speak with my bear, who will know exactly the sort of tale people will want to hear. Where is my darling bear anyway?”
“Last I saw, asking Ati about istin,” Heni said dryly.
Race squawked. “We aren’t new lovers!”
Everyone must have been informed about the meaning of the blue stains all over the both of them. That was good and meant Fen wouldn’t have to. He did wonder if the Bal had a ritual for the newly married that Race and Dol might do, but there was no one for him to ask, and he didn’t think the Bal would mind too much if Race enjoyed himself by turning Dol different colors.
“Fen,” Lan began quietly, though any of the others might have heard him if they cared to listen, “our alliance terms were that you would not argue for the Acana. That doesn’t mean you have to agree or pretend to agree with my plans about this one Earl. I wouldn’t ask that of you, even if I don’t think there is a single person in all the lands who will miss your father, and even if I’m not the only one who has noticed that the Flower flinches when anyone raises a hand too quickly.”
Fen looked down.
“You don’t have to be with us if it’s too much,” Lan continued stiffly, one arm at Fen’s back. The hand he had curved over Fen’s hip tightened. “I could…. Others could escort you to the holding of The Maben. My mother is there. You could stay with her and see to running of the lands and the keep, which you would likely enjoy as she does not.”
That was a position of trust. Fen should feel happier about it being offered to him. He moved one hand to cover his wrist and glanced up. “You want me to go?”
Lan released a long breath. “Asking that after I’ve fucked you makes me seem heartless.”
After a moment’s reflection, Fen supposed it would, at least to others.
When Fen didn’t speak, Lan said, “Cub,” shortly, as though bothered. Fen looked at him. Lan frowned. “And now I cannot say I want you with me without implying it’s only for what is done in bed.”
Fen considered that too. “Does that matter?” he asked at last, making Lan’s eyes go wide. “I think of you warmly and with an ache in my chest, but that doesn’t mean I expected you to do the same, no matter if we share a bed or not. I knew that when I asked it of you. Heni told me not to be reckless, but this is sensible. You haven’t made me promises or acted falsely to gain anything.” Fen reached up to trace the one troublesome braid, which remained in place though probably not for long. “Others can say what I already knew. There’s nothing wrong in it.”
