Bird of a Flock (Bow 2)

Chapter 53

"Cai'ress," Ryraso stated neutrally as the two left the room. Yerir'o carrying Fetmar bridal style much to the embarrassment of his oldest son. "Cai'ress has been the one looking after Aw'endo while you have been fighting against the Namya?" he demanded.

"It would seem so," Tai'ray murmured, sitting down and looking at the ground. "I have to get rid of him."

"Do you now?" Ryraso said with an equally unreadable tone. "Would you care to share why that information has led to that conclusion?" he asked calmly, taking a seat himself. "Sounds like Cai'ress stepped up where you let the ball drop. I now owe him a great deal. As do you." Ryraso had left Aw'endo in the care of the Royal triad. They had failed to take care of him emotionally and led to Aw'endo doing something incredibly dangerous. Cai'ress had tried to help the youngling, or at least it sounded like it.

"Cai'ress can't be trusted. He's a noble who wants to be a part of the royal nest," Tai'ray said darkly, furrowing his eyebrows.

"As Aw'endo pointed out, every person you brought here wants to be connected to the royal nest," Ryraso said coolly, "It rather comes with the territory." He paused and sighed, sitting down. "You three have really messed up with Cai'ress," he said softly. "You should never have allowed ..." he trailed off. "Wasn't your choice," he said out loud as he realised it. Tai'ray wasn't the head of the family. Dyn'ad was. Dyn'ad who was hoping desperately that Tai'ray would see Cai'ress as more once his obsession with Ryraso was sated. 

"No, it wasn't," Tai'ray hummed. "But maybe I should have pressed harder. I don't trust him Ryraso. I know he's no worse than the other nobles. He's never even really done anything wrong but something inside of me is screaming he can't be trusted. I don't want him around my younglings. I can just about stand him being with Nel'os and Dyn'ad but Aw'endo is another matter."

"So you're going to get rid of your son's only friend," Ryraso said lightly, wondering how he felt about that. Cai'ress was nice. He didn't seem mean or malicious. It was possible that Cai'ress was just a great actor but if Cai'ress was really just someone who understood, sending him away over this was cruel. Both to Cai'ress and Aw'endo. 

"You're here now. So is Eyeri and Fetmar. It's not like Aw'endo will lack companionship," Tai'ray argued softly. "I..." he trailed off and sat down, hanging his head in his hands. 

"Dyn'ad and Nel'os won't like this either," Ryraso mused. "They accepted me. You don't accept Cai'ress. Have they ever asked you to accept someone before? I know Nel'os sleeps around and Dyn'ad occasionally fucks with the warriors, but I can't remember you ever telling me about people who overlap."

"No. Cai'ress was the first that they decided to risk it with. Others who had their attention lasted months. Cai'ress lasted a year before they introduced us," Tai'ray admitted. "And they love you too. It's not the same thing. You had a spark in all of our eyes from the moment we lay them on you," he said softly, looking up at Ryraso with a gentle smile. "You can not be compared or traded. This was never a deal. I get you, they get him. They hoped I would see him once you were here. Not accept him."

Ryraso flushed slightly and nodded his head. "So, when are you going to do it?" he asked.

"Today, I think. You're right. This has lasted far too long," Tai'ray murmured with a slightly lost expression on his face. Ryraso rested a hand on his back and grimaced as he felt Dyn'ad and Nel'os in the link. Nel'os' link felt ripped apart and he could hear the whispers of begging Tai'ray not to do this. But Tai'ray was firm. He didn't trust Cai'ress and without trust, the man would never be able to become apart of the royal nest. Without trust, he didn't want Cai'ress near his younglings and consorts were allowed that.  It was time to remove Cai'ress from the court.