When he came down, Orin was there with Nikoly behind him, both of them stern.
The fire was warm and Nikoly’s hand was gentle at the back of Tiiran’s neck. Tiiran was scarcely aware of either sensation, then sometimes wonderfully aware, his eyes closed as his thoughts stayed high in the air above him.
The rug beneath him had a faint dust scent, likely from the abandoned office not being used in so long. But the scent also didn’t bother Tiiran’s senses much, and if it had, he could always inch forward to breathe in the leather of Orin’s boots.
Moving was a distant concept, however. Tiiran’s limbs were heavy yet light, his bare skin shockingly warm, his head cushioned on Nikoly’s lap. When he breathed slowly in and out, a soft rope moved against his skin, like Orin’s arms around him but all over.
Orin and Nikoly murmured back and forth; Tiiran didn’t pay their conversation much attention. Orin had said Tiiran had been payingtoo muchattention and needed to calm for a while. Nikoly had shut and locked the door and closed the curtains while Orin lit a fire in the fireplace. After that, Tiiran had fallen slowly into warmth with every careful loop of rope around his chest or arms.
He was naked, which was somehow not a concern. Nothing was, though Tiiran had at first had some objections to the idea of being bare as a babe and trussed up like a turkey. He could not remember his objections beyond that.
His cock grew hard, then softened, then stiffened again when he moved and rope tingled someplace new, or Nikoly’s fingertips brushed his ear, or the scent of Orin’s boots made him whine until Orin would bend down to pet his pretty braid. The braid had ribbons in it. Tiiran’s hair was as tied up as he was. This was pleasing, though Tiiran wasn’t sure why.
There were other uses for rope in a bedroom, Orin had informed Tiiran while gently but firmly binding him like he was putting string around a posy. He hadn’t meant being constrained as Tiiran was, but instead holding someone down by their wrists or ankles to better torment them. Tiiran suspected Orin thought that such bindings would suit Nikoly, and grew hard again whenever the possibility passed through his mind.
Nikoly had ducked his head, as clear apleaseas he would give unless Orin forced him to beg. Which Orin would have to be convinced to do, since he thought doing so would upset Tiiran. Tiiran could certainly tie up Nikoly to tease him, but he thought he’d rather see a demonstration from Orin first and Nikoly deserved the treat.
He was getting more lessons instead. Nikoly liked lessons. But he already got Tiiran to do whatever he wanted, so Tiiran didn’t think he needed to learn how to tie Tiiran up in case Orin wasn’t there to do it.
Then the idea of Orin leaving cast a shadow over Tiiran’s mind, and he whined, small and soft, until Orin petted him again.
“Shush. I don’t want to leave you.” Orin spoke as if he knew Tiiran’s thoughts. “Only you could fuss even when tied up well. Next time, we’ll have to bind you completely. Perhaps a blindfold?” He rubbed his thumb between Tiiran’s eyebrows. “That sort of talk gets your pup excited. He’ll need one too, in the future.”
“Truly?” Nikoly exhaled, then twitched beneath Tiiran. “If Tiiran says so.”
“Good boy,” Orin cooed at him, still petting Tiiran. “I wasn’t certain when he first mentioned you, pup. I confess that freely. Not only because of how I felt about it, but because I didn’t want him hurt by some handsome young thing.”
“A sunflower,” Nikoly said with obvious pleasure.
“By a sunflower,” Orin amended. “But I’m glad for you now. If tensions erupt into violence, no matter who is doing the fighting, you’ll handle him if I’m not here? He won’t want to leave. But the palace won’t be fit for anyone not ready to fight. Most will flee.”
The library mousers would be fine if everyone left. But Tiiran thought they must get scared when every person they knew vanished. They had plenty of mice to eat, and access to the palace water fountains, and their little shelter beds for when they were caught outside at night or didn’t want to return to the library for whatever reason, but they must still get frightened to suddenly be alone. If he had to stay, at least they would have him.
“If fighting breaks out and the palace empties, the river will be full with traffic heading out or forces heading in.” Nikoly put a hand to the center of Tiiran’s back between the crisscrossed rope. “But I would try the river first anyway. Over land will be slower. Bee.” He patted Tiiran to rouse him. “Bee, have you ever ridden a horse?”
Tiiran had to think about his mouth and tongue to speak. “Horse?”
“That means no.” Orin sighed a little.
“He’s also not used that much walking,” Nikoly continued. “And you’re right, he won’t want to leave. If there was some place closer that I trusted, I would take him there. More likely, I’ll bring him home with me—but it will be hard travel even if we cut through the lands of the Tialttyrin. Perhaps we could stop there for a time. They’re unlikely to be involved in palace chaos and might welcome him once they get a good look at him. But it will still take time to get even that far and he won’t make it easy.”
“Where?” Tiiran wondered thickly, eyes nearly fluttering open. “Where lands of Ti’ttyrin? Why?”
“My family are closer, but though they will offer shelter, they can’t offer protection should it be necessary. Nor would I ask them to. They’re smiths, not warriors.” Orin shushed Tiiran again, smoothing down his hair. “I’m not saying the palace is headed for more bloodshed, kitten. Not for certain. But Piya has forgotten that one of the purposes of having a ruler is either to listen to or control the nobles, and right now, he’s not doing either. Sooner or later, some of the nobles are going to remind him. If he were the kind to listen to his Outguard, I would tell him that. But he isn’t.”
Orin bent down farther, brushing Tiiran’s downturned lips. “You will demand to know why you should run away to some beat-of-four’s territory, or wonder with frightened fury where I will be? And that much, I can’t tell you, kitten, because I don’t know. But the Tialttyrin are favored by the fae. Dislike the fae as you will, but their valley will offer you some protection. And protected is how we want you. So that’s why you must go.”
Tiiran sank back against his Nikoly-pillow. “Don’t worry me—‘bout me.” Speaking was hard and must have made him frown because his forehead got more pets from Orin. “Don’t ‘xpect you to take me. Be fine here.Youshould leave if danger.”
Nikoly inhaled deeply, then muttered something to himself before saying louder. “I might have to drug him—only at first. To make him see reason.”
Tiiran always saw reason. Well, not atthismoment. But reason was close if he wanted it. Once the ropes were gone. How strange that being tied up should be soothing. He could ignore his thoughts as long as he was still, and good, and Orin’s rope did not grow lax.
“Don’t need to….” He stopped, argument falling to nothing. Then his eyes were open and the fire was warm, the room was dim, and Orin and Nikoly were peering down at him. “You’re taking me with you?”
“You make plans for the library. We make plans for you,” said the bear who had not shared all of his worries with Tiiran. “Most of the other assistants left last time, didn’t they? Many didn’t come back. You stayed.”
Tiiran hadn’t had anywhere to go and hadn’t been about to tell anyone that while they’d been fleeing for their lives.
