The Fifth Son Read online

  "I've been doing this since I was six, Llyskel. It was a harmless colouring spell that only lasts a couple of hours."

  It didn't matter what spell he had thrown at me. No one was allowed to fight with me. My brothers had barely been allowed to play with me, because I was powerless, because I couldn't defend myself. No one had ever dared use magic against me, and now Lerran carelessly threw a spell at me to prove a point? My whole body shook. I tried to push down the anger welling up inside me, tried not to scream, but all I wanted was to punch him, and, fists balled, I advanced on him.

  I only realised I had actually hit him when he went down, and I ran.

  THE LAST THING I needed was Ariv sitting in front of my door, even if the mere sight of him drained my anger. Not that I was going to let him know that. Instead, I crossed my shaking arms in front of my chest and glared at him.

  No reaction. I nudged him with my foot, and he shot up, banging his head against my door.

  Rubbing his head, Ariv climbed to his feet, and leaned against the door, hefting a heavy looking bag onto his shoulder. "I'm sorry."

  I blinked, wondering whether he was apologising for falling asleep or for telling Lerran about the spell. "He threw magic at me!"

  Ariv flinched, and I nearly caved. I wanted to let him know I understood why he told Lerran, even if I didn't like it, but I had no intention of telling him I wasn't angry at him. He wasn't getting away that easily.

  He pushed away from the door, pulled me to him by my shoulders and wrapped his arms around me. "You're shaking. If he hurt you…"

  "His stunning spell did nothing to me," I told Ariv. Just like his hadn't done anything, no matter how I tried to tell myself he had misfired. "The other one…" I shuddered.

  "What?"

  "It was as if it went right through me. Like I wasn't even standing there. A zei fruit in the bush behind me changed colour, but it didn't work on me."

  Ariv froze for a moment, but then he started shaking. I thought it was from anger, at first, until he snorted and burst out laughing. I tried to step away from him, but he wouldn't let me go. He kept holding me, and kept laughing.

  "Sorry," he said, in between the laughter. "He used a colouring spell?"

  I didn't understand what was so funny about that, but Ariv was still laughing. When he finally stopped, he took a couple of breaths and changed his hold on me so he could look me in the eye. "That is probably the first spell every six–year–old learns, not to mention the least harmful."

  "That's what he…" Oh. "Lerran was trying to be careful."

  Ariv grinned at me, almost touching his forehead to mine. "He was, but I'm glad you didn't change colour."

  I swallowed, guilt about striking my brother welling up inside me. I shouldn't have, even if his actions had made me angry. One account of a botched spell and he thought he could do what he liked. He should have explained, should have… I sighed.

  "Tell me."

  "I struck Lerran."

  Ariv's grin never wavered. "Good for you."

  "What?"

  "It was about time he found out how strong you really are. I hope you floored him."

  I remembered seeing Lerran lying on the ground and nodded, not sure I should be happy about it.

  "Good. Now, invite me in, so I can show you what I brought you. I think you're going to like this."

  He let me go and I opened my door, but I didn't let him in right away. I turned towards him. "Five days, Ariv."

  "I had to get my head around some things."

  "About telling Lerran."

  "About you and me. About getting you what you want. But, yes, about telling Commander Lerran as well."

  I doubted he could get me what I wanted if spells didn't work on me, but I couldn't punish him for making an effort, could I? I stepped aside and let him in.

  He yawned and stretched, until he caught me looking. "Harvesting season is more strenuous than practice, and I haven't been sleeping well. After our conversation this morning, Commander Lerran granted me the rest of the day off."

  "And you came here for a nap?"

  Ariv raised an eyebrow, before shaking his head and beaming at me. "Believe me, the last thing I want to do when I'm around you is nap."

  I couldn't help but shiver at that. "You mentioned presents?"

  "Upstairs."

  STANDING NAKED IN front of my bed, my calves flush against the edge, I pulled on my hands, which were held tightly against my body by ropes tied in an intricate pattern of knots. I looked down at Ariv binding my legs, my ankles.

  "Stop squirming or you'll fall."

  I straightened, took a deep breath, and forced myself to be still, which was impossible with the way I was trembling. When Ariv had started binding my upper arms, I thought it would be easy enough. It was only a bit of rope, right?

  Wrong. With every tremble the rope tightened and moved. It made me feel…unsettled. Unsettled, and light–headed, and a little out of breath. I had no idea what Ariv would do next, even while I was still able to watch him wrap and twist and knot the rope. But he wasn't merely paying attention to the rope. He touched my skin with every pass, traced his fingers over my body next to the rope, teasing me, torturing me. He kept telling me how gorgeous I looked, but I couldn't believe him. It was just me wrapped in rope. Nothing special. Not until I found myself aroused, as much by his touch as by the way the rope rubbed my skin, could I believe him. I wished I had a mirror, wished he had left one of my hands free so I could paint myself through his eyes.

  Ariv rose to his feet, as naked and hard as I was, with an expression in his eyes that told me how much he enjoyed putting me in this situation. He said he had done this before, said his partners had always been thoroughly satisfied, and I had no choice but to believe him now.

  But no matter how confident Ariv seemed that this would help me get what I wanted, I couldn't imagine this coming even close. I liked the feeling, I wouldn't deny that, not to myself and not to him, but I couldn't see it working.

  Tracing the patterns on my chest, Ariv stepped closer, put a hand behind my neck and bent down. The kiss was soft, warm, and far too short. I opened my mouth to protest when he stepped back again, but froze as he pushed me.

  My breath hitched and my heart pounded as I fell, my instincts telling me to move my arms, to catch my fall, but, bound as I was, I couldn't. I cursed Ariv's lineage, even as I landed on my bed, softer than I expected. I hiccupped and lay there, catching my breath.

  Ariv rested his hand on my chest and grinned.

  I glared at him and thought how fortunate it was for him that I couldn't wipe that stupid grin off his face.

  "You were perfectly safe."

  I sighed, hating that he was right. I knew the bed was behind me. It wasn't his fault I forgot as I was falling. He didn't have to look so smug about it, though.

  "All right, now?"

  I nodded and kept my mouth shut. Being bound the way I was, it probably wasn't wise to keep cursing him.

  "Good. Now, stay here while I prepare the next part."

  He moved out of view before I could react. What did he mean, the next part? This wasn't enough?

  Waiting for Ariv to return was hard, as hard as lying still would be if I hadn't been bound. My muscles twitched, and I couldn't stop myself from trying to move my fingers, my hands, causing the ropes to scratch across my chest, my wrists. I gasped at the unexpectedly pleasant sensations and stared at the ceiling, hoping he wouldn't leave me like this for too long. I wanted him to touch me.

  Still, as tight as he had bound me, it didn't feel uncomfortable, even though I could clearly feel the rope, the knots. I couldn't help but wonder what he was doing in my gallery, couldn't help thinking about how often he had done this and to whom. But before I could even think of becoming jealous, my gallery door opened with a bang.

  I looked up, only to find myself staring at a shooter. My breath hitched, and I spread my arms, tried to spread my arms, but, of course, they wouldn't budge. Beyond th
e shooter, Ariv stood dressed in his trousers, his expression serious and focussed as he raised his shooter. His shooter. The sunlight coming through the window lit up the copper hue, not as much as it did outside, but it was bright nonetheless. I swallowed and tried to take deep breaths as I waited. I watched Ariv's fingers clench around the handle on the trigger, the muscles of his hand twitching, tensing up. I couldn't look away as he aimed the shooter at me, couldn't look away as the familiar scent of magic reached my nose.

  My whole body tensed up, and I clenched my hands as the ropes dug into my flesh and restricted my movements even more. Ariv lowered his shooter, tracing it up my leg, slowly, and still I watched him, my heart pounding, my breath coming in short gasps. I wiggled my hands, itching to touch my cock, itching for him to touch it, and still I couldn't look away from the way he traced his shooter across my stomach and up my chest.

  "You feel it now, don't you?" He trailed the shooter past my shoulder and down my right arm.

  "Please." There was nothing else I could say. I so wanted him to keep touching me, to fuck me.

  He moved the shooter close to my cock, and I moaned. If he did that again, I would come. I closed my eyes and clenched my fists even tighter.

  The next moment, the shooter lay on my chest, and when I opened my eyes, Ariv knelt across my hips, naked. "What?" How had he managed to get his trousers off this fast?

  "Shh." He looked into my eyes, grabbing my cock in his hand, guiding it.

  I cried out as he lowered himself onto me, felt my cock sink into the warmth of his body. Overcome with sensation, I couldn't think, couldn't process. I could only feel, and it felt so good. My muscles screamed as I tried to push my hips up. Even as little as that caused the ropes to dig into my flesh, to rub, scratch, and set my body on fire. I couldn't look away as Ariv fucked himself on my cock, up and down and up and down, biting his lip, moaning and gasping. I soared higher and higher until something deep inside of me exploded, and I came with a shout. Ariv grunted as my head sank back onto the bed, and his come splattered my chest.

  I lay there, panting, trembling, body weak as jelly, with Ariv leaning heavily on top of me, breathing puffs of air into my face. Despite begging him not leave me, Ariv rose and loosened the ropes faster than I thought possible, before rubbing my chest with a damp cloth and climbing in next to me.

  More satisfied and relaxed than I had ever been, I snuggled closer into Ariv's embrace. "You were right." I grinned at how scratchy and hoarse my voice sounded.

  "I was." It wasn't a question.

  "You promised me and it was…" I raised my head to look at him. "It was everything I imagined."

  "Even if I didn't fuck you like you asked?"

  "Yes." I played with the curls on his chest. As tempted as I was to ask him about it, I didn't want him to think I hadn't enjoyed myself. "I was surprised."

  "You were gorgeous. All tied up in my knots, wide–eyed, and writhing and sweating as I rode you."

  He had the same look in his eyes as when he had been tying me up, and that was all the explanation I needed. He liked it that way. I liked it that way. What more was left to say? I kissed him, felt him open up for me, and shivered in his arms as I deepened the kiss.

  Chapter Five

  BREAKFAST WAS ALREADY served when I entered the private dining room. I was late, but as I greeted my family, I noticed that Lerran's chair was still empty as well. I gave Mother a quick hug before sitting down next to Endyrr.

  "Late night, little brother?"

  I nodded as I traced my right thumb across my left wrist, only barely suppressing a shudder.

  "Do—"

  The door slammed open and Lerran stumbled in, sweating as if he had been running, and sporting a rather ugly looking black eye. I winced as he paused next to my seat, grinning.

  "Good morning, little brother. The flowers in the garden are particularly vibrant today, are they not?"

  I had no clue what to say to that. I hadn't even looked out of my window this morning. I had been too busy gazing at Ariv as he dressed. Lerran moved on and greeted our parents as jovially as always, while I was still waiting for a comment, a jibe at yesterday's altercation. None came. Instead it seemed business as usual. Lerran sat next to Danen and immediately started chatting about training schedules for the morning, though I did notice he and Father exchanging glances.

  Aside from the work discussions and the occasional question from Mother—to me about what I planned to paint, and to Danen about Inau's increasing tiredness and Sirr's volatile moods—breakfast was rather quiet. I found myself touching my wrists every chance I got, though I didn't dare look at them. I couldn't stop myself. Knowing the rope marks were still visible—faint, but visible—touching them, just rubbing my thumb across them, made me shudder and remember. At times I had to fight not to close my eyes and forget where I was. It was as if I'd never had sex before. I smiled at myself. Not like this, I hadn't. Not this satisfying.

  Being so wrapped up in my own little world, I almost missed someone entering the room. Had not my entire family fallen quiet, I wouldn't have noticed. I turned my head towards the door and froze. Ariv stood in the doorway, dressed in full captain's garb, carrying a small wicker basket.

  "Good morning, Your Majesty," Ariv said as he bowed towards Father, before turning to Mother. "Your Majesty, Highnesses. I hope I'm not disturbing your meal."

  "Not at all, Captain," Father answered him. "Enter and state your business."

  Ariv bowed again and walked towards me, slowly, looking straight at me with a serious expression on his face. I didn't know whether to shiver or swallow, and I ended up gripping the sides of my seat as I tried to keep breathing.

  "Your Highness," Ariv said as he reached out with one hand.

  I grabbed it, and Ariv pulled me up so we stood face to face.

  He held out the basket as he spoke the traditional request to court me. "Llyskel. Our paths have crossed and twined. You complete mine. I hope you will let me complete yours."

  In the basket lay a single kozal bud on a leafless stem. It was rather backwards for Ariv to ask permission to court me after we had sex, but, from what I'd seen of him over the years, it didn't surprise me that he was a traditional man, sexual appetite aside.

  I took the basket without a word. Taking the basket was to show my consent, my willingness to consider his offer. My answer to Ariv would have to be returned in the same traditional way: a return gift of a flower to express my own intentions. After what he'd done for me, I had no desire to let him go, and I couldn't wait to see what he would come up with for our first public outing as a couple.

  As Ariv disappeared through the door, I sat, holding the basket in my lap, and looked at the beautiful bud. I tried not to wonder whether he would have asked if his rope trick hadn't worked. Hidden by the basket, I lifted my sleeve and smiled at the faint rope marks around my wrists.

  Jeon whistled. "Quite the catch, brother. However did you manage to snag him?

  I shook my head as the others joined in and silently suffered their teasing. Lerran, though, did not say a word. He merely winked at me.

  "Boys, leave Llyskel be and finish your meals," Mother admonished my brothers as she passed the raisin bread to Father.

  She smiled and reached around Endyrr to squeeze my shoulder as I set the basket next to my plate and grabbed my spoon to finish my forgotten bowl of soup.

  "Llyskel."

  I turned to face Father.

  "See me in my chambers after breakfast."

  FATHER'S COMMAND STILL echoed through my head as I walked the corridor leading to his chambers. I wasn't surprised by his summons. I had no doubt Lerran had talked to him about the results of his little test. Not to mention me hitting him. I reached Father's chambers and knocked on the door. No point in postponing the inevitable.

  "Come in."

  Taking a deep breath, I opened the door and entered. I waited until he motioned me to sit before taking the rigid high–backed chair in front of his
desk, folding my hands in my lap.

  Father sat back, his blue eyes inscrutable as he studied me. I never knew what he thought. I used to think it was because he was the king. Now I knew he had always been this difficult to read.

  "It's been brought to my attention that we underestimated you."

  Finally.

  "Lerran said your aim was good, but your follow–through left something to be desired. I think it's time you started training with a proper partner, instead of fooling around with those dummies."

  I gaped at him, but he had not finished yet.

  "Even though Lerran suggested Captain Ariv, I was more than surprised when the captain came to see me early this morning to inform me of his relationship with you and ask my permission to court you. I thought I was meeting him to discuss your training."

  Ariv had gone to Father? But surely he knew I reached maturity months ago. I thought of the kozal bud and smiled. Ariv didn't do things halfway, did he?

  "Llyskel. Pay attention when I talk to you."

  I looked at Father. "I'm sorry. It's… I expected to be scolded for attacking Lerran."

  "Should you attack any of your brothers in future, there certainly will be punishment," Father said. "However, seeing as Lerran provoked you by using spells on you, I'll let it go. That leaves the matter of your training. Do you feel comfortable with Captain Ariv training you, considering your relationship?"

  "Yes. Yes, of course." I could barely suppress a shiver as I imagined him standing behind me, holding my wrists to adjust my stance. The wrists still bearing faint rope marks.

  "Good. Which brings me to my next point." He studied me again. "I hear spells don't seem to work on you."

  I blinked, clearing my thoughts. "The stunning spell didn't work on me, no, nor did Lerran's colouring spell."

  Father nodded, mouth drawn in a straight line as he rubbed his beard. "Inau says that Sirr loves painting with you."

  What did that have to do with spells not working on me? "She does. She often joins me when I'm painting outside."