“Tiri warned me you wouldn’t be willing to listen.”
“You should have heeded that warning. You know deep inside this is the role you were born for, even if you are willing to allow your guilt to drown that voice out. If you can accept that you are not infallible, you will feel much better about the situation.”
“You think that’s my problem? I can’t get over my own ego?”
“I suffer from the same problem, Zane. How could I drink it without tasting something different? Why did I guzzle down the entire cup when I was leaving the office not that long after? How did I underestimate Wesley’s antipathy toward me? I have had too much time to wonder about all those things. I had to accept that not everything is in my control. Sometimes no matter how hard you try, you still find yourself in a terrible situation. Fate does not give us the power to know and see everything.”
Zane was forced to admit that Ellery’s words made sense. He wasn’t happy with Ellery’s dismissal of his resignation, but he understood it was futile to continue to debate it. Ellery wasn’t going to listen, and Chrysander would never gainsay his mate to allow Zane to step down. “I suppose sometimes you must also realize that you have no choice but to surrender,” Zane countered sourly.
Ellery smiled at his discomfort. “You are an incredible person, Zane. I feel fortunate to not only know you but love you. We are family and we are in this together. I have said it before, but I believe it is important for me to remind you there is no one else I would have as the Ducblanc. I trust you implicitly and I rely upon your counsel.”
“Don’t say a bunch of nice shit to me. I’m not in the mood.”
His words caused Ellery to laugh. “Was there anything else you wished to tell me?”
“No, you pretty much shot down everything.”
“Happy to be of service.”
Zane blew out a breath. “I’ll go get your damn lunch.”
“Do not forget to give Tiri four dollars.”
“He won’t take my swear money anymore.”
Ellery only chuckled louder. Zane ignored him and rose to get His Majesty’s plate of fruit and vegetables.At least at D’Vaire, the only thing I need to worry about being added to his edibles is protein powder, he thought. One thing was for sure, he couldn’t handle another Wesley incident.
Chapter 33
“Thanks for allowing Vylendri to travel to D’Vaire,” Chrysander said to the court’s leader.
“You’re just in a good mood because Elf is only going to let her trim his hair.”
“Meanwhile, Evlithar and Talfryn are salivating over the chance to put some braids into it.” The D’Vaire elves had worked to provide Ellery with tons of clothing options and asked Madeline D’Vairedraconis to design gold beads they were going to braid into His Majesty’s tresses as soon as Vylendri was done styling it.
“Your other half doesn’t seem too thrilled about it.”
“Ell isn’t good at being fussed over.”
Chrysander choked back his laughter at the look on Ellery’s face when Vylendri pronounced her job finished. The D’Vaire elves pounced on him, and Ellery wore an expression of horror as they chatted, combed, and separated the strands to decorate it.
“The potion is getting stronger. I wish we were able to make his discomfort less though,” Aleksander complained.
“Ten months later and he only has to have it once a week. It won’t be long before it’s safe for him to return to his life. Neither one of us is going to complain that he gets sick. I take that back. I will but he won’t. I get to sleep with him at night, and I get to talk to him during the day. Soon, I’ll have him with me at Council sessions. There were dark moments when I wasn’t sure we’d get this far. We might find a cure in the future but if this is all we have, then it’s not too much of a hardship to make the most of the situation.”
“I don’t think anyone in Sorcery D’Vaire is going to give up until we have that cure.”
“I understand the desire to accomplish that and help Ell, but I’m glad they are no longer ignoring their own personal lives, races, or whatever other responsibilities are on their plates. Soon, we’ll be out of your hair, and you can reopen your sanctuary.”
“Chrys, none of us are ready to shove you out the door yet.”
“Yet?”
“Well, Dra’Kaedan and Renny may bankrupt themselves at some point with their inability to clean up their language.”
Chrysander peered around and found Tiri behind Ellery on the other side of the room. He was happy to give him money, but it bothered him to say swear words in his presence, knowing it annoyed him. “I never knew anyone could work the word ‘asshat’ into so many different conversations until I hung around your big house.”
Aleksander chuckled. “It’s a fun word.”
