Don't Read in the Closet: Volume Four (38 page)

Long black hair. The beautiful young face reminded him of…his

lover’s. Was this Gustav’s son?

“Prince Edvin?”

Suspicion challenged Tahir’s stare. “Yes, I am Prince Edvin. Who

are you? A trainee? You own no right to walk the inner palace. Who

are you?”

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Tahir struggled to remain calm. “My name is Tahir. I am a palace

guard trainee. I… I…” How could he tell the prince he came here to

occupy his royal father’s bed? Madness! “I come to visit… King

Gustav for…” His clever tongue failed Tahir.

The foreign accent intensified Edvin’s glare. A Curamian in a

trainee uniform? This creature must be up to no good. Edvin raised his

voice in sharp command. “Guards! Heed me, an intruder is in the

palace.” How did this trainee travel this far?

What ill-luck! Tahir frantically shook his head. “Prince, please, I

am not…”

“Shut up.” Edvin’s palm prodded the intruder’s shoulder.

Two guards, Tahir recognized them as Brilla and Tosca, appeared

within seconds. Both had acted kind to him. “Yes, Prince Edvin… oh…

erm…” They stared at Tahir in open dismay before bowing to their

prince.

Edvin observed their actions and frowned in displeasure. “Do you

know this man?” The prince angrily shook Tahir’s shoulder.

After bowing again, Tosca gazed respectfully at Edvin. “Yes,

Prince. Small Brother Tahir is a trainee. He visits your Father for

private fencing lessons. The king thinks he shows unique potential

and…” An abrupt gesture from the prince’s right hand silenced Tosca.

He bowed in defeat.

Edvin’s frown deepened into bitterness. He studied the man’s

swarthy face until the truth hammered him. The full lips, black eyes

and long beaded hair told Edvin this sun-burnished dog somehow

managed to become his father’s pretty new toy. How foul; a

Curamian? Trust his father to find this lowly sandworm while Edvin

was away. Visiting Tovania proved a mistake. He had been caught off

guard.

Furious Edvin despised his father’s male toys. Father’s weakness

made him sick, especially when the old one chose such young men.

Recently Edvin made sure the male mistakes faded away. After being

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tempted with money or jewels, the greedy curs broke off the affair and

slipped away to whatever dismal village they hailed from and never

returned. When would Father learn? When would he cease mocking

his sacred marriage?

A wonderful plan entered Edvin’s mind. His false smile comforted

none watching. “If he comes to visit Father, I’d best make sure he

arrives safely, eh? Come along, trainee.” Edvin insultingly shoved

Tahir forward and almost sent him to his knees.

Enough. No one shoved him without reason. Instead of

complying, Tahir regained his footing. He bowed in mocking respect.

“My prince, I can walk on my own. I do not need a royal escort. Pray

please do not go out of your way for me. I am sure escorting a mere

trainee around court falls low upon your vital business list.”

Edvin’s annoyance rose. How odd, this smelly toy possessed spirit

and perhaps even intelligence. The sandworm sounded educated. How

unusual. How difficult. His voice shaded into raw threat encased in

black velvet. “Perhaps I want to show Father what a good son I am.

Please, trainee, accompany me into the palace.”

This situation turned wretched. Tahir angrily inclined his head and

followed Edvin’s tall form. He darted a quick glance back at the two

guards. Tosca frowned and shook his head in mute warning. Brilla

looked extremely concerned.

The sight offered no comfort.

Edvin’s determined strides took him to the main palace doors. He

ascended the grand marble staircase. As he followed like a wilting

shadow, Tahir sensed noble glances examine his unfamiliar face. How

wrong. He prayed they did not encounter Queen Aglaia. That would

be the crowning nadir; what would he do then? Turn, run and keep

running until Stormhelm and his beloved Gustav became but a

longing memory?

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A black velvet-clad young noble intercepted Edvin’s swift

advance. “Prince! How delightful to see you; I didn’t know you

returned from your travels. Will you grace tonight’s card tourney?”

“Of course, Daeron, I am eager to resume the game. For now

forgive me; I hasten to deliver a visitor to my Father.”

Tahir swallowed and hung his head. Why did Edvin upset the

unspoken, unseen balance? Tahir wanted to exist in the shadows.

Stepping into full view sickened him.

“Do not let me interfere, Prince.”

Tahir heard the mocking sneer infect the noble’s cultured voice.

He flicked his furious black glare up and felt satisfied to see simpering

Daeron blink in surprise. The noble made no further comment. Tahir’s

burning soul nearly overwhelmed his reason. His powerful arms

longed to reach out and toss the apprehensive noble over the railing.

In the silence, Edvin mockingly flourished his fingers toward the

right.

By luck no other royal family members saw them enter the elegant

black corridor leading to the king’s suite. Aldor and Eorler, two burly

guards who enjoyed sparring with Tahir, bowed to Edvin and blinked

in confusion at seeing Tahir.

Edvin slowed his walk. He halted and glared at Tahir. Sometimes

a stern admonishment worked to dismiss these dismal annoyances. He

grabbed Tahir’s muscular left arm and leaned close. “Listen well, you

craven thing. You are a mere spec in a long line of royal lovers. Do

not think my father feels anything for you. He merely enjoys a

pleasing body in his bed and his foul need disgusts me. Enjoy your

temporary triumph, sandworm, but do not be surprised when he casts

you aside for another. You are nothing but a passing weakness, a sick

lapse in his judgment. You mean nothing to him because you are

nothing. Do you understand? Nothing. You are nothing!”

Nothing. The word burned into Tahir’s mind and touched

emotional fuel. How dare this cruel prince speak to Tahir in casual

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insult? The rage Tahir kept under control burst into his mind. A sharp

sneer twisted his lips. “You are wrong, utterly wrong. If I mean

nothing to your Father, why did he present me his royal token?”

Tahir’s fingers slid under his black and silver trainee vest and thrust

the royal medallion toward Edvin. “What say you to this?”

Edvin stared in shocked amazement. His father gave this dark

creature his royal symbol? No. He went too far this time! Never had

Father performed such a rash stunt. Never!

Snarling under his breath Edvin smacked Tahir’s hand. He

whirled away and walked the last few feet to the royal suite. One

capable fist, this feature inherited from his rugged father, rudely

hammered upon the carved wood.

Tahir’s released rage refused to halt. Howling bitterness force-fed

on his memories. More words burst free. “Why do you treat me like

dirt?”

“Because I loathe you.”

A sharp, edgy laugh escaped Tahir’s lips. “Prince, you own no

right to loathe me. You don’t know me. Aside from Gustav, the habit

of loathing and mistrust flourish naturally in this city.”

Edvin coldly stared down at the shorter Tahir. “If I hear another

word from your defiant foreign mouth, I shall have you whipped.” He

banged again.

Inside his bedroom Gustav frowned in annoyance. He enjoyed a

glass of wine and watched the late summer sunset paint the sky in

bold rosy hues. Who knocked so rudely? He set his goblet down. The

King stood from his settee, wrapped his robe around his naked torso

and paced into his outer sitting room.

Another impertinent knock rattled the carved wood. Gods, even

Ainar didn’t dare knock in rude disrespect. Gustav yanked open the

door. The sight of his enraged son and discomforted Tahir shook his

mind. What was this? “Son?”

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Edvin’s harsh tone offered no solace. “Father, I found this

wretched trainee hovering about the palace grounds. He skulked at the

Ciryaher Tower’s base. This smelly, slovenly thing claims he comes

to visit you. Is this true, Father?”

Damn, his willful son knew exactly how to anger him. Tonight

Gustav refused to encourage Edvin’s theatrics. “Yes, Edvin, Tahir has

permission to visit me. I gain comfort from his visits. Now if you

don’t mind…” Gustav held his right hand out to welcome Tahir.

A shaken Tahir ignored the loving gesture and slipped past his

lover. The distasteful situation undermined his comfort. This

discovery could mean the end of his succor. If the Prince held such

loathing for him… would Gustav grant his son’s demands?

Gustav locked stares with his angry son. “Thank you for…”

“This time you go too far, Father. The blatant insult to your family

is unbelievable. You need to assess your true priorities.” After

offering his shocked father a cutting smile, Edvin whirled on his heel

and strode away.

What prompted Edvin’s verbal attack? Gustav’s fists curled in

fury. He almost hastened after his rude son and demanded an apology.

An unwise move; arguing in the corridor over Tahir solved nothing.

Poor Tahir. What had happened? Gustav padded to his bedroom

and found Tahir nursing a goblet of wine. His lovely body looked stiff

yet oddly dejected. What had Edvin said to him? Gustav stood behind

his lover and wrapped his arms around his waist. He rested his face

against the familiar wavy mane. Mmm, his lover smelled of clean

battle sweat. If not for the tension coursing through Tahir’s muscles,

Gustav would strip him naked and worship his delicious body.

Not now. Tonight… why did his son transform into an intolerant

pest? Gustav calmed himself down and rubbed his cheek against

Tahir’s hair. Edvin was not to blame. His son loved his mother. Years

ago Edvin had loved Gustav to the point of worship until he walked in

on Gustav sharing an embrace with a young guard. Once Edvin

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decided his Father possessed what Edvin regarded as unnatural

desires, Edvin withdrew his affections.

Gustav hadn’t the nerve to admit such heartbreak. He let everyone

imagine the maturing Prince made less time for his Father. Better

fantasy then the truth.

There was no way Gustav could tell Edvin about Aglaia’s beloved

understanding. Edvin would never comprehend their loving pact.

Someday his son might understand but… not now, not when his

attitude embraced intolerance.

Gustav needed to solve his lover’s upset. Lengthy silence from

Tahir signaled something serious. Gustav knew tonight he’d discover

another ugly facet in his lover’s life. He had already heard of the

beatings, the punishments, and the father’s hatred to the point of

selling his own son into sexual slavery. He knew Tahir came from a

noble Curamian family yet Tahir never slipped and revealed the name.

The man who gave Tahir his sword was his great uncle, not his

grandfather. Tahir called him Grandfather because he protected Tahir

from his cruel father as best he could.

What did tonight bring? Whatever Edvin said sparked a memory.

Tahir appreciated Gustav’s loving respect for his bleak mood. He

finished his wine and poured out more. Nothing. The word unlocked a

horrific memory back to the first day his father called him nothing.

Yes, the first day Tahir understood he had no father except in a basic

physical sense. Tahir realized dirt formed a better father.

His father had called him nothing on the day he…Tahir’s aching

mind choked on the abysmal memory. The pain hovered. This, unlike

the pebbles and rocks, was a large memory boulder. More wine dulled

the broke glass edge twisting in his heart. Tahir set the goblet down