Torgan Wine Ch. 32

He made a soothing noise in his throat pulling her closer. "If your sisters travel more easily I will invite my brothers often. If they are anything like you, my brothers can seduce them into staying."

"Is that what happened? You seduced me?" Isonei arched her eyebrows trying not to laugh at the viciously pleased look on his upturned face.

"Go to our rooms, woman, before I decide to join you, ill or not." Draeseth smacked her bottom before releasing her.

Lifting her gaze to the amused Princes she inclined her head warmly, "Soxst tsvult, your Highnesses."

Burgath smiled warmly, "Has he not taught you to say Prince yet?"

"He tried, but it's so close to another word I'm afraid to attempt it in front of anyone else yet." Isonei made a face and Draeseth gave her another playful smack, grinning and blushing as his brothers laughed.

"Saying good night to our cocks would be too informal." Ougath grinned wickedly. "I hope the morning will find you feeling better, Duchess."

"Thank you, Prince Ougath."

Following Krouth out she heard Burgath speaking to his brothers, "She really is delightful, brother. I want one of my own."

Once in her rooms she let Krouth check her head for a fever and changed into a nightdress, eager to climb into bed. She felt exhausted and her head was swimming with thoughts of her sisters being confined to Torga and of more Sons of Mun being kept from their homes. It had taken effort to push the thoughts from her mind and be cheerful and charming as she'd said good night. Sleep was all she wanted now.

Krouth, however, very insistently gave her a small glass of Kurebra and a slice of soft bread slathered in honey, maintaining that finishing both was required before she could climb into bed. As she nibbled on the bread trying to force it down, the slim Torgan looked at her pensively.

"You began looking ill when they spoke of the cook from Mun?"

"The thought of another Son of Mun being kept against his will here made me feel ill. How Torgans can do that to other people... Being taken from home and family is one of the worst fates." Isonei looked at the bread miserably unable to eat any more of it.

"You feel that was done to you?" He asked softly.

"I made choices that put me here. If I'd known he would break his word I would have chosen differently, but all of this wasn't only Draeseth's doing. What Xago endured wasn't his fault. What you endured wasn't your fault." She gave him a sad smile.

"Xago chose to travel to the place he was captured. If you are to blame, so was he." Krouth gave her a bitter smile. "But you are hardly enslaved, your Grace."

"I'm not. I agreed to the Arrangement knowing my life here would be better than Xago's, but I'm kept from family and home."

"You may be pleased to know he left in the days after your trip to the village. He had needed to gather funds for travel."

She smiled ruefully at the honey covered bread on her plate. "He'll be home to see the Mun's Crown blooming. Have you seen it? They grow wild along the coast on the Sea of Glass. These purple flowers that bloom in this peculiar cone shape, it looks like a crown as it blooms."

"Do they smell sweet?" Krouth asked with a faint smile.

"No." Isonei began to laugh. "They stink. They're beautiful but you don't want to bring them into your home, and I've never seen them in someone's garden."

His amusement showed briefly on his face and then he glanced to the door and it faded. "You should go to bed, your Grace. You need your rest."

"I think you're right. I feel absolutely exhausted." She took a deep breath and rubbed her face.

Krouth was at her elbow gently helping her to her feet before she realized he'd moved. He pulled back the covers of the bed for her and tucked her in much the same way her father had done when she was a child. With her eyes closed she could hear him moving around the rooms dimming and covering the lamps. Sleep pulled her down quickly.