“We are,” he whispered, sounding apprehensive under his normal strength and surety.
Rain knew much of Alchan’s story. They spent late nights talking about everything his husband had gone through, but there was one thing he never had confirmed.
“Have you seen it at all since the end of the War?” Rain asked, hopping into the seat next to Alchan as they moved.
“No…no, I haven’t. I’ve never seen the city empty like this and never saw what sort of damage the Elvasi probably did.”
“How…how did you know your family was gone, then?” There was a hole in the story. He felt terrible asking, but he also wanted to know what he was walking into. He could ask Alchan anything and hoped this wasn’t finally the thing that crossed the line.
“The assassins who killed them came after me. When they were defeated…we searched their bodies and found all of these…trophies,” Alchan explained, reaching out with one hand to tap the emblem Rain wore, a silver pin with a sword and wings, the symbol of the royal family. “I was able to claim them. Lost some over the years, and they break from wear and tear, but…that’s how I knew, how I know my father was dead, even though I’ve never seen him on Al Moro Nat.”
“Fuck your father,” Rain said, shrugging. “Who cares about seeing that fucker? I hope that it hasn’t bothered you all these years.”
“No, it hasn’t,” Alchan promised, giving Rain a smile.
As they moved down the road and neared the edges of the valley, Lily began to sing softly. Rain looked back to see her patching some breeches for him. She had a soft but beautiful singing voice, he rarely heard. He knew better than to say anything, or she would stop for at least a day. He turned back to the front and laid his head on Alchan’s shoulder, looking down to see something unsurprising.
His husband was rock hard, but he had not been only a moment before. Rain and Alchan stole moments on the road, but it wasn’t enough for a male like Alchan—especially a male like Alchan, who had two people he wanted to fuck into oblivion right next to him, all the time and couldn’t do much about it. Rain had watched for those signs during the trip and found them. Rain had seen how his husband sometimes watched Lily. She had a bounce to her that probably drove his husband mad. A few times, Rain felt so bad for Alchan’s need, he handled it himself. Rain was surprisingly okay with Alchan wanting Lily. It would give Rain a much-needed break if he ever needed it and would give Alchan even more enjoyment in his life, something Rain felt his husband never had enough.
I bet fucking a female is a completely different feeling from a male, so it’s not like she and I really compare. And that’s how all Andinna families are. If a male is tired, another male can meet the female’s need. In a strange twist, Alchan is the female in this dynamic. If it works out, I’ll need to tell Mave. She would laugh.
Even better, it wasn’t only Alchan who was a fool. Rain hadn’t been able to ask her, but he was certain Lily had no idea how Alchan reacted to her. It would be downright comical if it wasn’t so pathetic. Lily could finally have the family she craved if she spoke up, and Alchan could finally have the heir he needed if he said something, yet neither of them spoke to the other more than necessary.
Rain just watched and waited, hoping his moment to strike came soon. It had to because they were entering the Capital, and Alchan could die soon. Leaving this open, without resolution, wasn’t something Rain was willing to allow. If Alchan became the Avatar of Lariana, there was no way Rain would be able to convince Lily to go through with her feelings. He could potentially be terrifying. Rain was still unsure of this whole thing, but he thought Alchan would survive whatever was going to happen. He believed in his husband and king.
He couldn’t believe otherwise because it was too painful to consider for longer than a moment.
“Do you think Mave is…doing her thing now?”
“Yes,” Alchan answered softly. “I’m positive. She would have made it to her destination two weeks ago, and the moment she told any of those priests or priestesses what she wanted, her timer would have started. There are