After Chevalier Alva Ahayrre and his barbarian lover Kintaro went to explore a new world and save Alva's father, Ithildin had to stay behind and look after Alva's son. He never thought he would be separated with his loved ones for 12 years. Then Alv...
Leitis Lysander was still the Commander of the Selkhir garrison. She rarely came to the capital, being too busy with the matters of guarding the borders of Creede. She had her hands full: since the open-air museum of ancient Galadon was founded in the steppe two days' journey from Selkhir, the stream of tourists never stopped, and the Selkhir cavalry was tasked with round-the-clock guard duty. Immediately, a small town arose near the museum, complete with a bustling bazaar for the steppe dwellers, and Niyar, which had previously performed this role, became almost completely deserted.
It was the cavalrymen and cavalrywomen's custom to marry and raise children practically without dismounting their horses. But Colonel Lysander still surprised everyone by choosing a young man from the Wild Steppe as her husband. However, the official marriage had never been concluded, even when the Lady Colonel gave birth to a son. It took her a long time to make up her mind about having children; her motherly instinct was pouring out on the cavalry regiment of Selkhir entrusted to her, on Chevalier Ahayrre, who was spending months in a row in Selkhir, on the charming baby Taessa, who practically grew up in her home... And then she gave up and gave birth to a smaller copy of the Steppe Customs Adviser, the barbarian of the Essanti tribe, the blond blue-eyed Renhiro — he who mocked with his whole appearance all the current notions of racial characteristics of the Wild Steppe dwellers.
Renhiro and Kintaro had a strange relationship: former lovers, former tribesmen, and former soldier/commander. So, Leitis received Kintaro in Selkhir without much enthusiasm, and no surprise at that. Even Ithildin, in whose heart jealousy was a rare and unwanted guest, couldn't always look calmly at the young warrior's unquenchable passion for his leader, his idol, his first and only male lover.
But when the tattered messenger bird fell on the porch of Alva's mansion in Trianess, six months after the Leopard sailed, Leitis Lysander immediately rode to the capital. Renhiro accompanied her as always. It was she who wiped Ithildin's tears and made him drink first-class Tetuan brandy in huge doses. It was she who got up and locked the door when Ithildin and Renhiro suddenly found themselves half-naked on the couch. It was in his strong arms, in his rough, shameless barbarian caresses that Ithildin found consolation. The elf blushed at the memory of that night — although it was not the last, far from it! He shared a bed with Leitis and Renhiro a few times more, every time he visited Selkhir. Maybe because they used to share a bed with his lovers too. Maybe because they still loved Alva and Kintaro and would love them all their lives, like Ithildin himself.
But Selkhir was far away, two weeks on horseback. The Transporter Guild could cut that time down to two minutes for the modest sum of a hundred gold pieces, but merry boisterous Selkhir wasn't what he needed right now. Another place attracted Ithildin much more: the distant island of Cistra, where all those who yearned for silence and solitude found shelter. The dwelling place of monks and saints, philosophers and scientists, the place of exile for the Creedan kings (sometimes voluntary, sometimes not). The former High King of Creede Daronghi Dancennou had lived as a hermit on the island of Cistra for more than ten years, ever since he abdicated in favor of Crown Princess Ingueldin, Princess of Irises, as she was affectionately called by her family, for her love of these noble flowers.
Iris Ingueldin was a picture of an ideal queen, the idea of "strong Creede" personified, for which the double-dyed patriots had campaigned for centuries. She was tall, stately, sober-minded, full of calm dignity and self-confidence; a happy wife and mother of three sons, who followed their father in the military. The Queen's Consort was Brano Boressa, the longstanding Commander-in-Chief of Creede, a strategist and a politician, a loving husband and a gentle father. Many generations of Creedans were born and died avid monarchists, but in the days of the reign of High Queen Ingueldin the love for the royal family blossomed unprecedentedly high and wide. Portraits of the royal couple and princes hung in almost every house, not to mention the official places; each time the Queen rode through the streets of Trianess she gathered crowds of spectators; each Royal Decree was met with universal approval; and the anniversaries of her enthronement and other significant dates associated with the royal dynasty caused national jubilation.
The former sovereign of Creede had completely abandoned the court and politics. During the past ten years he had never left the island and received almost no one. Ithildin became one of the few whom Daronghi Dancennu was glad to see at any time, day or night. The elf had been a frequent visitor of Cistra during those ten years, and the Transporters Guild had given their honored regular customer a considerable discount. The usual way, by ship, there was about three days' journey to the island from Trianess, and that's with a fair wind.
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The map of Creede (it was done before even Ekleipsis was translated, so the spelling is different)
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