“Orthorr and I were just discussing what you told me earlier. I think you could be a great help to him with all the paperwork they keep sending him,” Finn explained.
Cedric looked surprised, glancing at me almost shyly. “Are you sure? I wasn’t very high in the pecking order of things.”
“Well… Let’s see,” I said, beckoning him toward my tent. Finn followed, curious, and looked over Cedric’s shoulder whenI handed him the most recent paperwork I’d received from a messenger that morning. I’d yet to go over it thoroughly. “Can you tell me what this is?”
Cedric nodded slowly. “Yes. It’s a petition of mutual aid in times of hardship. To put it simply, they’re requesting assistance from the clans in protecting smaller towns and villages farther out from the city if needed, and in exchange, the same will be provided to the clans at times of war.” His eyebrows lifted as he continued to read, and he huffed a sound of surprise when he finished. “It’s surprisingly sound. As far as I can tell at a glance, there are no hidden demands or loopholes. It’s a true partnership.” He looked up at me, awed. “I’ve never read such an equal petition before. Someone always tries to get the upperhand.”
“Mm. We certainly got lucky with our alliance with King Zohaib and Queen Raiza. They are kind rulers, and their youngest son spoke in our favor when they came to retrieve him. Our alliance was born of mutual respect, not necessity.”
Cedric blew out a breath, handing the paper back to me. “That’s amazing. I’m curious to see the whole thing. Like I said, things are never that equal in town.”
“You’re welcome to look at it. I have a copy here with me.”
He looked startled by the offer, but pleased, and sat when I gestured for him to join me at my table.
Finn peeked out of my tent, and the smile that lit up his face made me think his family had returned from their hunting lesson. He gave me a little wave when I nodded at him, silently sending him on his way, and slipped out to join his family.
“He’s nice,” Cedric commented as I sat beside him. “And a good teacher. You’re lucky to have him.”
“We are,” I agreed, pulling a box closer to the table that held the paperwork for the alliance inside it. While each clan had their own leader and rules, it was agreed that Uttin would be theambassador for the clans due to his connection to the crown. All paperwork came to us first and was discussed during clan leader meetings at a later time. No decisions would be made without all clan leaders in agreement. “Finn was a gift to us upon his arrival. His bondmate, Rath, was quite lonely. He hadn’t found a match among our people.” Lowering my voice to a more secretive tone, I added, “His clan brothers were too rough for him. He prefers the sweet things in life.”
Cedric snickered, his eyes dancing in a way that made it difficult to look away from him. The thought brought me up short, and I straightened abruptly, giving my attention back to the paperwork and handing Cedric the original alliance agreement.
“I have to say, I’m still not used to how openly people talk about same-sex couples here. It might take me a while to get used to that.”
I nodded, pushing aside the uneasiness that had gathered in my chest. “That’s normal. All the males who arrived as tributes felt the same way. Only Simon was ever unbothered by it. He lived in a town that more freely accepted such things, so it wasn’t as much a surprise to him.”
“Ah. That makes sense. He was all over his barbarian during the journey. I’d wondered if that was normal or if there was something special about him that made him so unbothered by being open about his relationship. It’s…” His cheeks turned a deep shade of red, capturing my full focus again. “Lovely, honestly. Even while working to attain the same kind of freedoms the other towns had, I never expected such openness. At most, I hoped to make it not punishable by death for such attractions. To be able to kiss a lover in public…” He shook his head, letting out a shaky breath, like the idea was too stunning for him to even fully wrap his head around it.
I found myself reaching for him without thought, putting a hand on his shoulder and squeezing lightly. “You’re safe here, Cedric. When you find someone who suits you, you’ll experience it yourself, and it will no longer be such a shock. I promise.”
Shyly, he looked up at me, his bottom lip caught between his teeth for a moment. “Do you… Are you bonded?”
The way he asked, as though there might be more than a casual interest on his part, made my stomach tighten in a way I’d long since forgotten. It unnerved me, and I dropped my hand on his shoulder automatically to put space between us.
“I was. She died many years ago from illness.”
His face fell, and I wondered if I imagined the disappointment on his face when he replied. “Oh. I’m sorry. That’s awful.”
I considered what I wanted to say, whether or not to address the emotion I’d seen flash across his face, but in the end I held my tongue. I didn’t want to embarrass him further.
It wasn’t as if I was against such couplings. Many in my clan loved other men. It wasn’t something I was familiar with, though. And even if I was, I’d found my bondmate. When I laid her to rest, I left my heart with her. I promised myself when she died that I would take no other woman into my bed. I wouldn’t dishonor her by forgetting that promise.
When I looked at Cedric again, his expression was chagrined. “Truly, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up. I’m still getting used to things here. You can just ignore me.”
Putting my hand on his shoulder again, I lifted my eyebrows, waiting for him to look at me. “You are allowed to have all the time in the world to settle. I was not offended by the question. And I have no intention of ignoring you. You’re going to help me with these papers, remember?”
The tease did its job to lighten the mood, and the corners of his mouth quirked up in a small smile. Drawing in abreath, he straightened and nodded once. “Right. I want to read the original alliance first just so I can understand the base agreements, then I’ll look at whatever you need me to explain. I’ve been doing paperwork my whole adult life. I’m sure together we can figure it out.”
CHAPTER FIVE
CEDRIC
I was disappointed when Orthorr mentioned being bonded to a woman. I’d hoped for a different answer, but I didn’t let that disappointment linger. Just because he was the most handsome barbarian I’d met thus far didn't mean I wouldn’t find someone eventually. I’d only been here a week.
It was hard to remember that when I spent most of the next week with him. When I wasn’t learning with Finn and Amina, I was with Orthorr, helping him to understand the paperwork and working together to translate it to something the other clan leaders would understand. It wasn’t as simple as just translating language. There were terms used in government that the barbarians didn’t even have words for. Practices that confused Orthorr because they were convoluted and overly complicated. I knew the feeling. I’d been dealing with government paperwork all my life.
“This makes no sense. We signed this before. Why do they send it twice?”