A large pile of what had been Darshan’s carefully-folded clothing now sat in a crumpled heap of silk in the middle of the room. The mound continued to grow as his lover threw more items onto it. He had changed out of the old competitor clothing and back into one of his more fanciful attires.
“You’re nae planning on taking all of this, are you?” There was no way they could carry what had to be five distinct sets of clothing with them. And that didn’t include the jumble of other items he was busily piling on top.
Darshan paused only to glance at Hamish before carrying on. Shaking his head, he rifled through a bundle of parchment. A handful were shoved into his pack, the rest thrown on top of the pile of clothes. Pages fluttered in all directions.
Hamish picked up one that had skittered near his feet. Trade information adorned both sides of the parchment. Useless now. Tirglas would never accept any offer from Udynea whilst his mother still sat on the throne.
He released the sheet, letting it drift back onto the pile. Maybe they could try for an alliance once his brother ruled.
They were just fortunate to not have started the war his mother threatened.
“Stand back,” Darshan warned, waving his hand over the stack of parchment and silk. Smoke curled from beneath the layers of fabric. A shield flickered to life around the pile, but the smoke seeped straight through the barrier.
“What are you doing?” Hamish demanded.
Flames continued to flick out from between the folds of clothing. They caught and swiftly burnt everything to ash.
“Getting rid of surplus baggage.” With little remaining of his clothes, Darshan poked through the debris with a booted foot. “I refuse to leave behind anything of value.”
“Dinnae you think burning everything is a wee bit on the dramatic side?” Hamish understood the desire to be rid of anything that might lead to the temptation of returning here—and the chance of Darshan’s travel chest being smashed was far greater than Hamish’s personal chest. However, setting what he couldn’t bring with him on fire seemed like an extreme way to deal with it.
“Not really.” His lover bent to pick up something small from the ashes, juggling it for a brief moment before pocketing the item.
“But your clothes—”
“I have what I currently wear and my warmer travelling attire is already packed. I can buy more if needed. Of course, such a task shall be easier once we reach Udynean lands, but I can make do with a few less in the meantime.” He plucked several small stones from the ashes. “But I fear funds would be exceptionally tight without something to line our purses until we reach Udynea.” He rubbed a thumb over one of the stones, revealing a ruby hue. “I am hoping your merchant guild will take these gems in exchange for spendable coin.”
Hamish shuffled from one foot to the other. Acquiring more money beyond the small amount in his belt pouch wasn’t something he’d been thinking of. Or even had the means to do without a lot of labour. “Thank you,” he whispered.
“Thank—?” Darshan glanced up from collecting the gems and frowned. “For what? For getting you banished from your homeland? For tearing everything apart and almost starting a civil war? For quite possibly ruining any chance of peace between our people?” He fisted his hair and continued to babble in Udynean, “Gods, what am I even going to tell my father? Or the senate? I shall be fortunate if he doesn’t ship me off to Obuzan after this.”
“I doubt he’d do that to his heir.”
His lover scoffed. “There is my nephew. Or do you think my father would not have the boy nearby in the off chance that something untoward happened to me here?”
If Darshan had asked that question when he had first arrived, Hamish would’ve been adamant that nothing bad could’ve possibly happened to the man. But now that his mother had threatened so much? Attempted assassination seemed just as likely an option as everything else. “What I meant is thank you for standing by me.” Whatever path his mother chose, Hamish doubted he would’ve had the courage to defy her without Darshan to support him.
His lover’s eyes creased in a smile, but sadness lurked in that gaze. “Always, mea lux.”
“I didnae think I would’ve had the strength to leave on me own. But I can now. You helped set me free.” A weight seemed to lift from his soul as the words passed his lips, leaving him giddy. “I can go anywhere I want, do anything I wish.”
“Not anything, surely.” Dusting the soot from his hands, Darshan secured the pouch of gems to his belt. “By your laws, I won the right to your hand. I do believe that, technically, you are mine to take in marriage.”
Hamish stilled, a strangely sick hollowness settling in his gut. He had planned to speak on the subject once they were away from the castle, but if Darshan was willing to bring up the topic now… “I ken what I said down there.” What they had both said whilst tempers had flared. “But you dinnae actually have to marry me. I willnae hold you to that. It’s nae like I’m much of a prize anymore.”
“What if I want to despite all that?” Darshan clasped Hamish’s forearm, his fingers almost hot enough to sear flesh. “You are still my light. Would you refuse me?”
Hamish shook his head. Refusing an offer of marriage would mean leaving Darshan’s side, and he wasn’t about to walk away from the man he loved. “But, seeing I’m considered dead and all, just what does marrying me bring to the table?” The bitterness of reality coated his words. Whilst the contest continued, he could pretend that marrying Darshan was a viable possibility. Normal. Not anymore. They both needed to face the
