He is what we like to callruh’duar, or "cave-bred." A term used for those completely oblivious to the decorum our old culture called for.
"They say that one of the humans is mated to you."
The words hit me like a slap in the face. The air is thin down here.
"Is that true?" Tirin asks, his voice laced with curiosity.
I swallow thickly, weighing my options. I could deny it, of course, until I am ready to speak publicly with my people about what the humans mean to us. It would be easy to claim it is merely a rumor.
Tirin is young, but he is sharp, and I don't want to lie to my people. Even if it means admitting to something that we still don’t understand. “Yes," I say, my voice low. "It's true."
Tirin grins. "I saw the one with ruby-colored hair. Human women look nice. I bet they will look even prettier when they have been bathed." There’s a smack, and Tirin groans as I catch Dyrn's tail retreating.
My chest is tight. I know where the humans come from—how their masters regard them as pitiful animals and kill them without a second thought. I do not know how to fix them—especially my mate—but I know that their life here would be better than what they have known.
A fire in the middle of the space lights the cave where my people spend the night. I pass by row after row of makeshift cots and bedding filled with sleeping Enduares, and I cannot help but feel a wave of guilt wash over me. These people are my responsibility, my court. Do they know what I’ve done?
Dyrn clears his throat, pulling me out of my thoughts.
“King Teo,” someone else calls out, and the bustling pauses to greet me. Iryth approaches with her babe tucked against her breast, near the many moonstones hanging off her clothes.
"We bring herbs for the sick," I say, pretending all is well, and several more look up with grateful expressions.
She nods her head, swaying from side to side. "Very wise, Your Majesty. We are well taken care of."
Lies.
"Where shall we put them?" I ask.
Iryth gestures to the other side of the cavern, and I see Svanna, Ulla, and Eylin adjust long rows of tables for people to serve themselves throughout the night.Their tight expressions shift as they stare at the small crates.
We cross the distance and place the precious medicine on the corner of the table. Ulla comes over with now-shy smiles and gives her thanks while Eylin hangs a pot of water over the fire to prepare a curative tea.
"It is kind of you to bring this yourself. We felt the shakes and feared the worst,” Ulla says.
Panic tears at my chest. “Was anyone hurt?”
She shakes her head. “We are made of sturdier stuff. I am pleased to see you well with such monsters under our own roof," she says while my gaze sweeps over a group of children. Then her gaze lands on my jaw and she gasps. “Teo, what happened?”
“The giants have already left,” I say. “There was an accident. I was hoping you had bruise paste from the last herbs we bought.”
Tirin leans over the table, intruding on our conversation. "Humans can be mated to Enduares!" he calls. Some look up, confused, but Ulla looks like she has seen a ghost.
When she meets my eye, I look away, and she stiffens. “I suppose that is good news about our guest. And yes, let me grab something.” Her words are rushed, and I see the way she blinks too fast.
I hum a quick agreement as she tucks into a small basket of her things. An earthy scent wafts in the air around us as the tea is prepared. I do not wish to worry her without reason. The others must be briefed before we let the words spread through the court.
When she rubs the paste over my jaw, her fingers tremble slightly. Her touch lingers a second too long, and a pit forms in my stomach. Ulla should not still care for me.
She had been there when I had returned to the Enduares after the war. Tried to care for me when I was covered in wounds and listened while I poured out my heart.
“Thank you. Should we take the others up now?” I ask, pulling away.
Ulla shakes her head, hiding the disappointment in her eyes. “Let them rest tonight. We will see you again in the morning.”
A small group of younglings laugh from around the fire while they play the pebble game. Their tails stick out and swish back and forth against the rocky ground as the fire lights up their joyful faces despite the somber adults. Tirin goes to play with them, chasing them in circles while Syri and Yret screech bloody murder. The tenderness of the moment slices right through to my heart and takes me by surprise.
If I can make my mate see me for who I am, help her love me, we could inspire others. We could free more slaves. Enduares mating with humans... could mean a full cavern.