Rooftop

AN: HOLY SHIT, SHE UPDATES. *sweatdrop* Sorry guys, as always, it's been really busy. I'm in my final semester of school. Well, to get my associate's degree, that is. And I have SEVEN classes. It's ridiculous.

*vomits from tiredness*

Anyway, here's the long awaited next chapter. I will TRY to get the next one up quicker.




Ethan held his breath, eyes growing wide. The King...he sounded so weak. And...kind. There was affection in his voice, even. And Ethan had not expected that. A glance up to Fen's face showed hardness and anger. Not proportionate to that voice at all. He turned back to the bed. A frail-looking hand rose up into the air, gesturing blindly.

In an instant, two young women, each dressed in cropped efficient dresses, stepped forward from the far wall, where they'd been standing unseen. They flanked the bed, each taking the pillows and stuffing them carefully behind the King's back, slowly propping him up into a sitting position.

Ethan shivered, taking a small step behind Fen's back and squeezing his hand. Everyone in the room had their heads bowed, no one looking to the bed. Not even the women, who must be nurses or chamber-maids or something, were looking at the King. They had their faces averted.

But Fen's face glared. Straight to those billowy sheets and seeming to see right through to the man beneath. Anger was practically rolling off of Fen. Ethan could feel it as if such a thing were tangible. Hatred too. Such intense raw emotion, thick enough to flood Ethan's senses.

It made his legs unsteady, just to feel it, and he knew this was normal. The Bond must be transmitting Fen's unfiltered emotions to him, and he didn't approve. Ethan shook his head, trying to get rid of them, and he pictured a wall in his head, some sort of barrier, then he pushed it up against all that anger and hate, trying to block it out.

Surprisingly, it worked. Ethan must be a genius.

But as he glanced up to the bed again, his brain snapped in half.

It was Fen, sitting up now in that bed.

Okay, not Fen, his mate, but...Definitely Fen's father. Long black hair, completely gray at the roots, though still thick. Dark skin, almost the same color as Fen's, though seeming to be slightly grayed as well. And silver eyes, framed by many wrinkles. But, they were warm.

Ethan was nearly staggered by how kind those eyes were, as they gazed at Fen. Just like how his own father used to look at him when he was younger.

All at once, Ethan trusted the King. No one looking like that, with such love at their son, could be a bad man. Whatever Fen was mad about, whatever had happened or whatever the King had done to Fen in the past, it didn't matter. Because he obviously loved his son, he obviously cared a great deal. And to Ethan, that's all that mattered. He was prepared to say that, with determination, but Fen finally spoke.

“This isn't my home.” He said softly, his face downcast.

Wise-eyed at his mate, Ethan turned his eyes back towards the bed, gaging the King's reaction. But that elderly Luftleutian only blinked rheumy eyes at Fen, more wrinkles appearing in that lined forehead from his upright position.

“...What...do you mean, Urure? I don't-”

“Don't call me that!” Fen roared, releasing Ethan's hand and stepping towards the bed.

The guards on either side visibly tensed at that, but Fen stopped just inches away from the bed.

“This is not my home, my name is not Urure, and you,” Fen rose one shaking hand and pointed towards the older male. “Are not my father.” His muscles were still all trembling as he turned away and faced the doorway. “I'm done here.”

It was...quite the show from Ethan's standpoint. The whole room, following this vehement outburst, was silent. Though there were mirrored faces of surprise on everyone, including Asterac, who looked about to have a heart attack. The King's expression though, was more sad than anything else.

He rumbled low in his chest, coughing thickly and his silver orbs imploring as they focused again on Fen. “So I see that you still have preconceived notions of me. I would have hoped that you'd forgotten that nonsense by now.”

Fen laughed then, turning back towards his father and glaring at him. “Forgotten? How could I ever forget?”

Once more, the King rumbled sadly, and began in a soft voice. “Urure-”

“That's not my name!” Fen shouted, face twisted in a snarl.

A questing hand snatched at Ethan's arm, and he yelped as he was dragged forward by Fen, presented towards the King. He felt those silver orbs swivel down to him, creases of confusion appearing on that lined face.

“Who...?”

Fen growled, his voice venomous and proud. “This is Ethan. He is my Bonded.” The king's eyes widened. “My life is with him, on the other side. We have a life together. We have a home together. A home that we built with our own two hands.”

And that was true, Ethan thought, or mostly true. They'd paid people to help them, but Fen had done most of the building.

Fen continued, pulling Ethan backwards in his arms, his words softer now. “And my name is not 'Urure'. It never was. I won't bear a name that ties me to you. Ever.” A sound much like a sob shook Fen's frame, and Ethan looked up to see him fighting to keep his composure. “My name is Erifen, and that is the only name you will address me by.”

Names weren't the current issue, as it turned out, because the silence in the room was deafening. All eyes on Ethan now, and he squirmed uncomfortably under such scrutiny. A quick glance to Asterac showed the spectacled male avoiding his eyes, and Ethan turned away at the sound of a snicker. Gevi was on the other side of the room, his lips a sneer of amusement.

Finally, the king sighed, the sound hollow and whistling. “Uru...Erifen, I understand given the circumstances, you thought yourself free from the constraints of royal protocol, but this is...most disappointing.”

“Excuse me, your highness?” Piped Gevi from the sidelines, stepping forward.

“Yes, General?” Asked the king, eyes sweeping over to the white-haired male.

“I think it needs to be known that your son's Bonded may be dangerous.” Gevi informed briskly, his face serious.

Ethan's eyebrows jumped into his hair line. What?

“Dangerous?” The king asked, turning back to Ethan with a new look. “How so?”

“While my men and I were retrieving your son to bring back home, this human attacked and killed one of my men.”

What?! Ethan whipped his head over to Gevi, seeing the General looking at the king blankly. Then, ever so slightly, those cold black eyes rolled towards him, and Ethan gasped at the smug satisfaction in them. That asshole!

Fen stepped forward. “Now, wait just a minute-” But his protestations abruptly cut off. Looking up to his face, Ethan saw him seemingly frozen in place, eyes looking increasingly frantic.

“He...” The king asked softly, sounding confused and staring at Ethan incredulously. “This little human killed one of your men? How on earth did he manage that?”

Yeah! Take that, Gevi! Ethan mentally cheered for the king, baring a triumphant grin towards that white-haired male. There was no way anyone would believe such a bold-faced lie. Ethan was the smallest person in the room! Though not everyone was as tall as Fen was, he was still the shortest by at least half a foot.

...Though...it hadn't really been a lie. Ethan had killed that guard. But...

“He must have used their Bond to give him more strength, your highness. All I know is, I saw him viciously snap a guard's neck without provocation, and I'm willing to allow my memories to be reviewed to prove it.”

At that, Ethan couldn't contain himself. “That's not true!” He shouted, gesturing angrily to Gevi. “He's lying! I didn't use any of Fen's power! I bit him after! Not before! And he was the one who had me do it, but he was only trying to protect me! Your so called 'guards' tried to hurt us!” He gestured wildly back to Fen. “They broke his wing! They attacked us!”

{Ethan.} Came Fen in his head, and he turned around to see Fen still motionless. {The king has a hold on me. He is not letting me move or talk, so I cannot tell them what you are saying. They cannot understand you and your behavior looks quite abnormal right now.}

“He can do that?!” He exclaimed, mouth dropping open. “But, you're not Bonded!”

{But he is my father, despite my protests otherwise, and he gave me his blood.}

The king had been silent since Gevi's announcement, but now he looked at Ethan with a new shrewdness in his eyes. “Guards,” He ordered. “Take the human down to the holding cells.”

Ethan did a double-take, stumbling back in shock.“What?” They couldn't do that! They were going to what? Take him to jail?

Two men, dressed in the plain garb Ethan had come to associate with the guards, stepped away from the wall in unison, coming over to flank his sides. He glanced nervously between them. While he was looking to the one on his left though, the one on his right jumped him, grabbing his arm in an iron-tight grip. When he flipped to look at that guard, the one his eyes just left also grabbed him, both effectively pinning his arms.

“Hey!” Ethan cried out as the guards began to pull him towards the doorway, planting his heels to the floor, but his sneakers doing nothing to stop him. Wildly, he turned back to his mate, seeing that Fen hadn't even turned around. The King must still be holding him. “No, Fen, please! I don't want to go!”

{Calm down, Ethan, I will come find you as soon as I can. Please, relax.}

“No!” He struggled harder, even as the men tightened their holds on him and dragged him out into the long hallway. His chest ached. He didn't want to be apart from Fen. He didn't want these men to take him away. And he didn't want Fen to be alone, not with his father and all those guards, when anything could happen to him. They said they'd never be apart again! They had sworn it! The pain in his chest began to spread out, surprising him with it's intensity.

From his frozen stance in the center of the bedroom, Fen couldn't turn to look at him, but his voice rang out harsh in Ethan's head. {Ethan! Stop fighting!}

“No! I won't go!” He refused, whimpering as fire raced along his body. The ache began to burn more than he expected, and the edges of his vision went dark. “I won't!” Fen grew smaller as the guards led him further away, and Ethan choked on a sob.

Something was wrong. The guards were hurting him somehow. They were using their minds to hurt him, to subdue him, make him submit. But he wouldn't! Kicking harder, he tried to bite one of them, tried to force his arm closer to his mouth, where one guard was holding his forearm. They were incredibly strong though. Way to strong for him to even be able to move, but he wouldn't give up!

His heart started pounding painfully fast, thudding in his ears like a freight train going over a bridge, and he gasped, nearly going limp as cold fingers coiled around his heart, squeezing and tugging. “Let me go!” He wheezed, his legs going numb and useless. The guards didn't stop leading him down the hallway though.

{Ethan, listen to me!}

He tried, he really did, but everything on his body seemed to suddenly start failing. His limp legs dragging uselessly over the floor, and his arms going slack too, even his chest, it all started feeling awful. Though, 'feeling' was an objective word. The feeling part was starting to fade to nothingness. Except for his heart which felt more and more constricted. His lungs weren't working either, and the pain of suffocation exploded in his head.

{Please, Ethan, focus! You are going to kill us both if you keep fighting! The pain you feel is the Bond being forced apart! You need to relax, and stop fighting, or you will die, and I will follow!}

So...it wasn't the guards...it was Ethan. He was causing this pain. But he didn't want to be apart from Fen. Was he hurting Fen? Was Fen feeling the same pain?

{Yes, Ethan. Yes. It is not as bad as yours is yet, but it soon will be. Please, stop fighting.}

Ethan did, making himself go limp in the guards' grip. But, the pain didn't fade, even as he stopped resisting. He needed Fen. He didn't want to leave Fen, but he would.

{No, Ethan, not just physically! I need you to stop protesting our separation!}

...How could he do that? Fen's voice was faint and far away, and Ethan was on his own, and Fen was gone, and now he...

{No! I will be okay! You will be okay! I promise you, Ethan, I will come to you when I am done here!}

...A...promise? “You...promise...me?” His voice a weak whisper, not even registering Fen could no longer hear him.

{Yes, I promise!} The words were quick and frenzied. {Please Ethan, please, I promise on everything we share!}

“O...kay...” Ethan believed him. He believed his mate, who loved him, and wouldn't lie to him. He believed that he was only being taken down to a place where he would wait for Fen to come and get him. Of course Fen would come get him. There was nothing to worry about, nothing to fear, because everything was going to be fine. So, it didn't matter that he was going to be apart from Fen for a little while.

Something released in Ethan's head, something opening into the void and fresh air rushing in. All at once, it faded. The pain, the numbness, the blankness lining his vision. Just like that. Fen's words and then, poof! It all magically went away. Ethan went limp with relief, breathing raggedly, filling his empty lungs with delicious air and panting at how good it felt. With one last look, he could see Fen way down at the end of the hall, his body falling to the floor.

“Hey!” He shouted, craning his neck to see what was happening. Just as they went around a corner, he saw with relief that Fen was getting back up to his feet.

{Do not worry, the king has released me. I was surprised, but I am fine. Relax, they are only taking you to a holding cell in the lower levels. I will explain the situation and follow as quick as I can.}

He could live with that. As long as Fen was okay, and coming after him, he would follow his mate's orders.

The guards led him through passages and then down a couple flights of stairs, coming out in a darkened area, where there was just one massive doorway. It didn't open for them, as all the other doors had. It just stayed shut. Though, the king's door hadn't opened automatically, it had required a key. Using the dim light of the waiting room, Ethan searched the door, looking for a hole or notch or something. Sure enough, smack dab in the middle, there was a dark divot signaling a place for a key to fit. But who had the key?

He was handed off to one guard as the second guard said something to him and then walked away. The wait was silent and nerve-wracking. Maybe the other guard left so this one could kill him or something. But then he shook that thought away, remembering that they couldn't kill him. They couldn't because they knew it would kill Fen, and they needed Fen. Though, for what, he still didn't know.

The guard returned eventually, with a brown female Luftleutian in tow. She looked very sleepy and agitated, like she'd just been woken up, and she paused upon seeing Ethan. Something was said, in a very perplexed voice, but Ethan didn't understand it, then something was said in return to her.

Ethan felt her scrutinizing him, dark eyes checking him out. Whatever she saw must have quenched her curiosity, because she was pulling a key out of her pocket, fitting it into the keyhole and twisting it, then stepping back for the door to slide open.

Inside, it was pitch-black, but the female said something and tapped on the wall. Light flooded the room, soft and pale, illuminating a wide room divided with two adjacent alcoves on each side. In front of the alcoves were long, wooden...bars. It looked like a jail cell, except there was no metal. And no doors on the cells, just openings large enough for a large man to walk through. How would it keep him captive then?

Ethan was quickly pushed into one of the open rooms, stumbling forward to land on a cot that was shoved up against the far wall. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw the woman pressing her hand on the wall next to the opening he'd just been pushed through, and before his eyes, smooth round branches sprouted from the floor and down from the ceiling, meeting in the middle in makeshift bars over where the doorway had just been.

Holy. Shit.

The bars had just grown. Right before his eyes. He rushed up to them and ran his fingers over the wood, his eyes not believing what his hands confirmed. It was firm and strong, showing no sign of retreating. How had she done that? That woman? Was she magic?

The woman was muttering something to the guards and then stomping out of the room, yelping softly as she crashed into someone out by the stairs. It was Fen, and he apologized softly, which Ethan could understand now, cause it was quiet enough for him to hear through Fen.

“Ethan!” Fen came rushing into the room, out of breath. He must have sprinted the entire way down here, to be so winded. Being so athletic, Fen hardly ever got winded.

“Here, Fen!” He called, sticking a scrawny arm out to wave at his mate from between the bars. “Over here!”

“Oh, thank goodness.” Fen breathed, jogging over to him and grasping his hand. “You're okay, right? Not hurt or anything?”

“No, I'm fine.” He reassured. “But, Fen! You should have seen it! That lady that just left, she made these branches grow out of the floor! And the ceiling! It was amazing!” He gripped the wood, smoothing his hands up and down, feeling for any bumps. It was perfectly smooth, like polished wood. No bark or anything.

Chuckling softly, relief in his voice, Fen gave him a smile. “She was a wood-spinner, that lady you saw. She's also one of the jailers, and she has the ability to grow out wood.”

“A 'wood-spinner'? What does that mean?”

Fen's response was a yawn, and a slow shake of his head. “I'll tell you later, okay. Can we just sit for a moment?”

“Yeah, that's fine.” Ethan acquiesced, though he was dying to know what Fen meant. He'd be sure to ask him later.

Fen sat sideways on the floor, shifting close and beckoning to Ethan to come sit by him, which he did, sliding down. The spaces between the bars were too small for Fen to reach his arms through, but he could just fit his hand and Ethan felt his shirt snagged by clawed fingers. One giant wing, the one not in the brace, unfolded and slid through the space, just barely fitting, and then it came down, folding over Ethan's shoulders. It was warm and comforting, and Ethan leaned into it, letting out a soft sigh.

The ground was cold, but Fen's warmth kept him from shivering, and the softness of those feathers helped lull him. Absently, he reached through the bars and grabbed Fen's hand, twining their fingers. They rested against each other, the wooden pillars between them.

Ethan would sleep here, if he needed to. The cot would remain empty, because Ethan was sick of being without Fen. Absolutely sick. All of the nonsense today. All the drama. Now, at least, in the quiet of the empty jail room, they were alone, and it was peaceful.

The other male's breathing deepened, not deep enough to signal sleep, but most likely a light rest. That made him glad. He knew Fen needed to rest. It didn't matter how much Ethan aided him, or what that doctor had done, because in the end, the body would demand sleep. And the brain would crave it.

Ethan's brain was yelling at him to sleep right now, though he doubted he'd actually be able to here on the floor. Still adamant about not leaving Fen's side, he shifted his legs to his side, crossing them. It was a little more comfortable. His head he leaned against the patch of the other's skin touchable through the bars.

Damn this cell keeping them apart. Damn Gevi for twisting the story to make it seem as if Ethan were some murderous brute. The king had believed him too, which was just awful. Why did he, anyway? Couldn't he see how evil the male was?

But then again, Fen's father didn't seem entirely...perfect either. For all his kindness, he still was enforcing that stupid rule about 'having heirs'. Jesus, what was so important about heirs anyway. Haven't these people ever heard of adoption?

And that made Ethan sad for another reason.

“Why is it so...bad?” He began quietly, his thumb stroking over Fen's knuckles.

His mate grunted in question. “Hmm?” His voice was rough with fatigue.

Ethan frowned to himself, an unhappy sigh leaving his downturned lips. “The whole...” He shook his head, leaning his forehead forward onto the bars. “The thing about royalty and same-sex relationships...I mean, Bondings. Why is it such a big deal? What does it matter if a royal couple can't have kids? Like...” None of it made any sense to him. “Haven't they ever heard of adoption? What about...” This part was especially rough for him to speak, and he swallowed thickly. “What about all those kids who don't have parents...for whatever reason. Why can't...” Why can't those kids find new homes where they'll be loved? Why couldn't Ethan have found something like that? If anyone understood what it was to want a loving home, it was him. And to think of so many children...

When Ethan was in foster care, when he was 17, right in the middle of all that badness, a woman had come to the shelter, looking to adopt. She'd come to find a young child, but on accident had come across Ethan, noting how much he looked like 'a friend of hers'. Ethan, though very shy and withdrawn, had felt a brief moment's respite in her presence, a sense of safety with her. After spending a couple hours just talking with her, she'd smiled at Ethan and asked him if he'd like to come and live with her. If he'd like to be adopted by her.

At that time, he'd thought it would all get better. He'd thought maybe he'd be able to get the help, the escape he needed. With the help of someone caring about him, Ethan might have turned out differently.

But, the thing about that woman, about the 'friend' that she said Ethan looked similar to, was in fact, her female life partner. And the shelter Ethan had been placed in had strict religious policies. Though her home had been happy and safe, with appropriate supplies needed for raising a son, or any children, she'd been denied approval once her background check revealed her sexual orientation.

So, Ethan held more than a little contempt in his heart for people who denied children homes due to who they slept with.

And to think that these people, these Luftleutians, were the same as the people from Ethan's past, made him terribly unhappy.

Fen's grip on his fingers tightened, shifting to entwine them, clasping at Ethan's hand with fingers interlaced. “That's not why, love.” He soothed, reaching his free hand through the bars to stroke gently at Ethan's cheek.

He leaned into the touch gratefully, shivering from the memories of his past. Fen's fingers were warm on his skin, and he nuzzled into them, whispering. “...No? Then why?”

Fen sighed, moving his body against the bars to find a better seating position. With his hip pressed against those wooden barriers, he brought his legs upright, keeping hold of Ethan's hand, but withdrawing the other one to rest over his knee. They were both pushed right up close, with only those narrow pipes of wood between them.

“Because my people rely heavily on bloodlines. The reason royalty is not allowed to have same-sex Bonds is merely because they need to have children of their blood. They must.” Another sigh. “It wasn't always like that. But...a few hundred years ago, the royal bloodline was a different line. Not the line that's in control now. Not my father's line, and not mine. It was much stronger than ours. Had more power than we do. But, it was lost.”

Ethan blinked in awe, tilting his head to peer up at Fen's impassive face. His heart pounded in his chest as Fen talked, his throat dry from the realization that he was getting a personal history lesson of Fen's people. Of Fen's life. Finally, he was learning something new about his mate. Of his mate's family.

“How was it lost?” He asked quietly when Fen didn't immediately continue, trying not to break the spell.

“The current King and Queen for that time had two children, a boy and a girl. The eldest was the girl and she Bonded with another female. The family wasn't worried, because the son had already been betrothed to a girl. And they would bear children who would inherit the blood of the dominant gene pool, which is royalty.”

“Wait, wait, wait.” Ethan interrupted, shaking his head. “What if someone's barren or something, or they have their dicks ripped off in a horrible accident?! How do they have kids then?”

“Uhhh...” Fen gave him a look of mild disgust, blinking quickly. “Well, I do not know about the...'dick-ripping', but uhh...There is no sterility among my people.”

“What?! That's not possible!”

“Actually, for us, it is. There are no recorded cases of sterility in our entire recorded history.”

Ethan's head spun. “That's amazing! What about-”

“Ethan, my love, please, let me finish the story.”

“...Sorry.” Ethan bit his lip, forgetting how difficult it was for Fen to speak of his past and his people. “I'll be good.” Because this was just too interesting to miss.

“Now, where was I? Oh, right. So, the son was poised to inherit the throne with his sister and-”

“They both are the rulers?” Ethan gasped.

Fen gave him a look, lifting one brow.

“Sorry.” Ethan blushed. This was hard! There was so many questions bubbling just below the surface, and he was having difficulty keeping them quiet.

“Yes, they both would have inherited the throne. All children share the position together. It makes for a better system, because more people can work together to rule this land. It's a better system, that until then, had worked perfectly. But for some reason, the son disappeared. Just up and left or was kidnapped, or murdered, or something. To this day, no one knows what happened to him.” Fingers stroked along the sensitive webbing in between Ethan's fingers, and gripped his hand harder. “The parents put all their energy into finding him, for years they searched, until the mother died of grief, her stricken heart failing.”

He couldn't help it. “So, the King died too, right?”

But Fen didn't seem to mind the question, and shook his head. “No, if a Bonded dies of natural causes, like old age or system failure, then the living mate does not die.”

“But you said if I died, you'd die too!”

“No, I did not.”

“Yes, you did!” Ethan insisted, thinking back to when he'd first asked his mate about this. He was pretty sure that Fen had said if he were to die for any reason, then he'd die too. The same as if they were separated. It was a long time ago, though...So maybe he had forgotten something. “I mean...I'm pretty sure you did...”

“I remember telling you that if you killed yourself, I would die too, yes. But, the reason I would die, is because you would forcibly break our Bond. Just like a forced separation. Forcing the mind-link to stretch and snap, killing me. Now, because we are full-Bonded, we will both die. Just like earlier. The pain you felt. It was our bodies and our minds protesting the separation. It went away when you relaxed, right?”

“Yeah...like, immediately.” Ethan admitted, thinking back to how his vision had gone black as they tried to drag him away from Fen. As soon as Ethan had stopped fighting, it went away.

“But if one of a pair of Bonded dies of natural causes, then their body knows that death isn't forced. The body doesn't fight it, and there's no resistance in their mind either, and if there's no resistance in the Bonded's mind. Without the opposition, then the Bond is not broken, it merely fades. Death only happens when the Bond is broken.”

That made sense. In a way. But Ethan still didn't really understand it. “But, what does-?”

“Ethan.” Fen huffed, silencing his train of thought. “I am not a healer, nor am I a scholar. I do not know all the intricacies of my people's genetics nor the reasons for everything being the way it is. The best I can offer you is common knowledge, folklore, and answers given to me long ago by my mother. Please,” The other male gave him a long, suffering look. “May I continue?”

Blushing lightly, Ethan nodded. “I'm sorry...” He bit his lip. “It's just...You've been secretive for so long, and now you're just springing this on me and I can't help but be amazed! And-”

“Ethan...”

“Sorry. Yeah, go. I'm listening.”

Fen waited a moment, looking to see if Ethan was going to interrupt again. Which he totally wasn't. “I mentioned before that my people are free from sterility, so I should clarify they are also free of many other numerous diseases and ailments. So, most only die from old age, which does not kill the Bonded, though it plagues them with the painful ache of separation.”

Though he'd never said anything, Ethan had been wondering about that. It was sort of a comfort to know if he or Fen died first, when they were old and wrinkled, that the other wouldn't be dragged along. Then again, it made something inside of him quake unhappily, the thought of ever not being with him. With his mate. He tightened his hold on Fen's hand, bringing forth the other one to hold to it as well. At the touch, Fen's wing twined further around him, like a blanket, and it warmed him.

“With the Queen perished, the King couldn't father any more children and neither could his daughter, so...Without the son, the family ended, taking the most powerful bloodline along with it.” There was a moment of silence. “My ancestors were a mutation of the original bloodline, somehow splitting off hundreds of years before the last son went missing. It was most likely an affair, one noble spawning a child with another. But something about the line was different. No one really knows why, but that child's genetics were different than the original line. Not nearly as powerful. After the discovery of this line, the young child and his mother were pushed into royalty and-”

“That child was you!” Ethan crowed, gripping Fen's hand tightly in excitement.

But Fen blinked at him, lifting one brow and shaking his head. “No, it wasn't. This was hundreds of years ago, Ethan. I'm not that old.”

Deflated, Ethan sagged, relaxing back to the floor. “Oh.” It had sounded like that though. The way Fen had been speaking. Listening to all this was like a great big puzzle, and trying to slowly put it together without knowing what the pieces looked like beforehand.

“Anyway, this family was forced, basically. Forced into royalty. Though, it's doubtful they protested that much. Because who wouldn't want to be king or queen?” Fen laughed, his voice spiteful as he shook his head. His eyes were full of something almost undefinable. A sadness, but also an anger. “The whole ordeal took decades, and the lands were frantic, with the aging king, and his daughter unable to procure heirs to pass the bloodline along. Once the new line was placed into power, the new law passed. 'No royalty shall Bond with another of the same gender'.”

Ethan waited a minute, but Fen didn't continue. All of that was pretty intense. Sounded like a period of extreme measures. And he didn't doubt it was all true, but he still had some questions. “Can your people have other mates after their Bondeds die?”

Fen nodded. “Yes. Once the Bonded has passed away, the mind-link is gone.”

“Then...” He furrowed his brow, thinking hard. “Why didn't the king way back then just...like, find a new wife or something? To have more kids after the first one passed away?”

Ethan was given a level stare, Fen's eyes very grave. “If I die tomorrow of some unknown natural cause, if my heart just stopped, would you just find someone new? Would you be able to give a part of your mind to someone else, and share yourself with them?”

Jeez...When he put it that way...Ethan averted his eyes. “...No.”

“Now imagine you are old and quite possibly dying. Or at least, you'll not last many more years. You need a new mate. Someone young, who can bear children easily. But also someone who's willing to Bond with a male who will not live as long as them. And if you enter that Bond willingly without love, then you are forsaking many years of real love just to further a line. Not many will do that. Though, I'm sure there were takers. I'm actually pretty sure the real reason the king never reBonded, was because he refused to force someone to Bond with him. He also refused to become Bonded with someone who wouldn't love him, and only wanted the title. Because then what kind of parent would that be to heirs?”

“...That makes sense.” Ethan admitted, shoulders slumping. He hissed and tried to stretch them out, rolling his neck. “My back is killing me...” He whimpered, shifting slightly and glancing down with a thoughtful expression. “I wish we could make this floor more comfortable.”

“Alright.” Fen gruffed suddenly, raising Ethan's hand to kiss his knuckles, then letting it go as he shifted to stand. “I'll be back, okay? Don't be worried.” Brushing the floor-dust off his pants, he began to walk to the door.

“Wait!” Ethan shouted, scrambling up to his feet and grabbing onto the wooded bars, sticking his face through them. “Where are you going?” He suddenly felt sick, thinking it would hurt again, the separation, but there was no pain this time. Though, he wasn't nearly as frightened.

Fen paused to give him a reassuring smile. “I'm going to find a way to get you out of here.” He blew a kiss, turning again. “Trust me, don't worry.” Then he was gone, and the door was sliding closed behind him.

Anxious and alone now, Ethan's breathing picked up. He let go the bars and backed away, looking from side to side and trying to...relax. Take a deep breath. With Fen gone, he suddenly felt colder. Unsteady on his feet, he wobbled over to that thin cot, sitting down upon it and waiting.

That's all he had to do, right? Wait?

Shivering, he lay on his side, curling his knees up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. He didn't like being alone. Hadn't Fen said they'd never be apart again? It seemed like all they ever were now was apart from each other. No that Fen had any control over it. Not before, anyways. Just now though...He'd chosen to leave him.

But Fen said don't worry, so Ethan should follow that advice. And he waited.

At some point he must have dozed off, because the next thing he knew, there were voices whispering fiercely in the dark, and one of those voices was Fen. He bolted up in his bed, his heart hammering excitedly, and sat up as Fen walked in front of his cell, face tense as he gestured to the door, and another person appeared. It was the woman from earlier, and she looked like she'd been woken very abruptly again. Her and Fen were arguing quietly, too soft for Ethan to make out, and Fen was brandishing a sheaf of paper and gesturing to his neck quickly.

Rubbing at his eyes, Ethan could see a slight shimmer of something metal around Fen's neck. Other than the keys, the first metal he'd seen since he'd arrived in this world. A necklace? But, it looked awfully tight, and Fen certainly hadn't been wearing it when he'd left.

“Fen?” He called, drawing the other's attention to him. “What's that around your neck?”

Blinking over at him, like the other had just noticed him, Fen furrowed his brow, hesitating. “It's uh...It's nothing, don't worry about it.”

Don't worry, don't worry, Ethan grumped, crossing his arms. That's all he ever heard lately, wasn't it. But he didn't have time to grouch, cause the woman had taken the paper and was placing her hand on the wall to the side of his cell. The same branches that had grown down before, now shriveled up into brittle husks and then fell to the floor as dust.

Though the vision was breathtaking, Ethan didn't even hesitate before rushing forward to yank Fen close in a hug, letting out the tension he'd been holding since Fen walked away. “You did it.” He murmured gratefully, pressing his cheeks against Fen's arm like a cat. “Thank you. Are we free to go home now?”

The look he got was only of sadness. Fen shook his head. “No, I'm afraid we're stuck here for the long run. But we can be together, at least. We've got a royal suite to sleep in from now on, and that's where we're headed.”

The woman beside them sighed, tapping her foot on the ground impatiently. “May I please go now, your highness? I still have to work in the morning.”

Fen gave her a curt bow. “Yes, I'm sorry. Thank you for helping me.”

She looked surprised at that, but bowed in return. “Thank you, your highness. Um...Goodnight.” She even turned to Ethan and bowed slightly to him, then she left, disappearing into the dimly lit hall.

“You let her call you 'your highness'...” Ethan remarked, scratching at his cheek.

“Because I needed her to do something, and it was best that she think of me that way.” He gave Ethan a tired smile. “Are you tired?”

“God, yes.” He exclaimed, sighing and rubbing at his eyes.

Ethan's hand was pulled, leading him out of the holding room, turning down a different hall than the woman had gone.

Yawning, Ethan quickened his steps, trying to keep pace. “How long were you gone for, anyway? I think I fell asleep in there.”

“About three hours.”

“Really?!” Ethan gasped, shocked. It had been that long? Wow, he hadn't expected that. Maybe half an hour, or an hour tops, but three? “Man, I must have been more tired than I thought.”

“And you still are, I'm sure. You haven't slept in quite a long time. Though I'm glad you caught a few hours. I tried my best to be quick, but it took...longer than I thought to convince them to let you out.”

“How did you?”

“Hmm?”

Lifting a brow in agitation, Ethan huffed. “Don't be evasive. How did you convince them?”

Fen's answer was a shrug. “It doesn't matter. Let's just get some sleep.” He paused and glanced around. “I think this is it.” There was a door in front of them, and Fen was pointing at it.

“How the hell do you know that?!” Ethan demanded, seeing nothing but the same door as every other door he'd encountered in this place. They all looked the same! And those endless hallways! Nothing but wooden walls and wooden doors with no differentiating features anywhere. If he had to guess, Ethan would probably bet they were just at Asterac's room again. This was his door, or at least, the same door as the one gracing the secretary's room.

With a wry smile, Fen tapped on the door twice. “The tree tells me where I am.” He said absently, stepping back as the door slid open, moving into that notch between the wall's sides. “Yup, this is our room.”

Knowing what he did, Ethan didn't question that the tree was helping Fen out with directions, and he scanned forward as his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room. Stumbling over his words, Fen muttered something in broken language that Ethan couldn't understand. Which didn't make sense.

“Why couldn't I understand that?”

Fen shook his head, looking back to him with reassurance. “It's just that there is no translation in your language for this word to become. But,” He pointed up towards the pods in the hallway, the ones hanging every few feet on the walls where the light was coming from. “I was basically telling those things, the ones in our room anyway, to wake up.” He turned back to the doorway, clapping his hands and repeating the words. Several pods inside ignited, lighting up corners of the spacious suite, though one remained unlit.

Half-amazed, and the other half confused, by the abrupt illumination, Ethan found himself approaching the one pod that hadn't lit up. Fen clapped his hands louder, repeating that word again, and it flickered to life.

With a sigh, Fen snorted. “Thing must be surprised there's someone in the room. Looks like it's been a while.” He ran a finger over the table by the bed, then held it up to examine. “Dusty.”

Ethan walked over to where that little pod was protruding from the wall, reaching up towards it. “Well, didn't you say this was your room? Maybe they just...kept it empty for you.” The pod was small and stuck out of the wall like a mushroom. It even looked like a mushroom. Long cylindrical stalk and a rounded downward cap with spots, with light shining out from underneath it.

“No, I've never been in the castle before.”

“Oh?” Ethan tapped the top of the mushroom, not really paying attention, and he squeaked in surprise when it recoiled away, the stalk shivering and the part attached to the wall actually lifting away and walking higher up the wall. It shivered once more then grew still, head tilted away from Ethan and more light spilling out. “Whoa...” He mused, trying to reach up again and touch it, but unable to.

“Leave that alone. You'll make it angry.”

Ethan turned towards Fen, his mouth wide in surprise. “So, it is an animal?!” The source of light for this tree-manor came from animals? Little one-legged mushroom...things? And they were cute! Ethan wished he could touch it again. It had been spongy. Like...a little pet sponge.

“Ethan,” Fen reprimanded, giving a little sigh. “I said leave it. You'll make it go back to sleep, and then it will make the others angry too.”

Ethan eyes felt impossibly wide. “Are they like...your pets or something? Or...slaves?”

Fen twitched. “No, they're not slaves. They're just animals. And they provide light for the castle in return for food and shelter. That's all. But they're pack animals, and if you make that one angry, the others will rebel too.” A sigh. “And then we'll be stuck in the dark.”

“Oh...” That was too bad then, and Ethan backed away, turning towards his mate. “Fine. So...” He glanced around. “This is our room.”

“Yeah. Apparently.”

Fen sounded sad. And Ethan didn't like that. Not one bit. Crossing to where the larger male was slouching in the middle of the room, Ethan pulled him into a hug. “You okay?”

“Yeah...” He shivered, large hands coming to rest on Ethan's back, then sliding around and pulling him close. “No. I don't want to be here. Too many bad memories.”

“Of this room?”

Fen exhaled shortly. “No, I already told you I've never been in the castle before.”

Ethan drew his head back to look up, surprised. “What? When?”

Another sigh. “When you were playing with the pihlens.”

“Oh, sorry...” Ethan blushed, lowering his eyes. “I was distracted.”

“I know.” Then, without any preamble, Fen leaned down to kiss Ethan, breaking away to nuzzle into Ethan's cheek.

Ethan was the one who moved in for another, when Fen showed no sign of continuing. The kiss was soft and sweet, Fen not resisting but just barely opening his lips for Ethan to taste. The day had been rough, with too many questions and not enough answers, but all Ethan wanted right now, was to forget all that, and retire in Fen's arms. Or better yet, have Fen pick him up and carry him to the bed, then follow down.

There was an oddly worried sound from the larger male, and Fen pulled away with a yawn. “I think it would be better if we just get to sleep, Ethan. It has been a very long day, and it's very late.”

Hmm, Fen didn't want to have sex? That was a little strange, since usually the other was constantly insatiable. Ethan figured he was probably just beginning to crash, after such an eventful day, wasn't feeling the mood. Of course, that could be easily fixed, Ethan thought with a smirk to himself. Walking out to the center of the room, Ethan did a little spin, reaching back to the ties at the nape of his neck, and undoing the knot. Once that was free, he also pulled at the ones around his waist. The fabric fell unceremoniously to the floor, and Ethan made a mock-surprised face, raising his hand to his mouth and widening his eyes. “Oops! I seem to have lost my shirt.”

Fen gave him a half-hearted glare, chuckling softly against his will as he crossed to the bed. “Ethan, don't...” He admonished, sitting down and stretching his legs out.

The pants followed next, and Ethan bit his lip, shrugging innocently as he kicked them away. “Uh-oh, there goes my pants too.”

Fen's voice was strained, and he wasn't looking at him anymore, his eyes facing the ceiling as he lay back on the bed. “Ethaaan...” He whispered warningly.

But Ethan ignored it. Fen never denied him, and as long as he tried to be sexy, he knew Fen would give in. Though he never really felt sexy to begin with, his mate's reactions would give him the courage to try. So, he giggled as he climbed atop that massive bed, fighting to keep from sinking into the soft feathery feel below. “How will I keep warm now?” Climbing up over his mate, he straddled Fen's stomach. “It's awfully cold here, and I'm already starting to shiver.” True, he was shivering, though not from the cold. But from the heat. Fen's body was hot, and Ethan felt his blood boiling just being so close, like always. His breath was quickening, and his stomach was tense. After the emotional day they'd had, all Ethan really wanted in the whole world, was to feel Fen making love to him.

“...Stop, Ethan.” Fen murmured sadly, his palms meeting Ethan's shoulders and stopping his upward climb. “We can't. I can't.”

Fen looked sincere. He wasn't teasing or playing, no. His eyes were dark and melancholy and his mouth wilted down in an unhappy pout. So he stopped, sliding off of Fen's chest and laying at his side, propping himself up to study his mate's face. “What's wrong? Are you just that tired? That's okay. I can do all the work.” He gave the other a small smile, leaning down to nuzzle his shoulder. “I can get on top, and you can just lie back.”

But Fen shook his head, closing his eyes as his mouth grew sadder. “No...You don't understand. I...can't. Not anymore.”

Not really understanding what Fen was alluding to, Ethan quirked one eyebrow, shaking his head. “Uh...I don't...What can't you do anymore?”

Swallowing thickly, Fen turned regretful eyes to him. “Have sex. With you. That's...” He gulped again, his face crumbling, and fingers lifting to lightly touch the band around his neck. “That's what this is...A...It's a chastity belt, in a sense.”

Ethan was floored. Absolutely floored. He sat up quickly, searching for any sign of jest in his mate's eyes. Any sign of teasing or that this was just some not funny joke. But...Fen was staring back at him, looking so dejected and remorseful, that Ethan knew this wasn't a joke. “What...I don't understand.” There had to some mistake, something Ethan was misunderstanding. “What do you mean it's a...What does it do, exactly?”

With a whimper, one side of Fen's mouth arched down further. “It prevents me from...doing anything sexual. Well, that's not right...” He muttered. “More like, if I do have sex, then it...hurts me.”

Ethan's vision went red. “It...hurts you? It hurts you?! That's bullshit!”

Fen nodded sadly. “I know. But it was the only way...to get you out of that jail cell.”

“Huh?” Ethan whipped his head towards Fen, eyes widening. “You mean, you agreed to this?!”

There was a soft, shaky breath, and Fen nodded again. “Yes. I went to my father, and I told him I would do anything to get you out. To set you free. I wasn't going to let them persecute you, I wasn't going to let you suffer here.” He sat up and slid down to the end of the bed, putting his feet heavily on the floor. “So...My father told me that the only way he'd consider dropping the murder charge, was if I agreed to this until he could find a way 'to deal' with our Bond...”

“And how long is that?!” Ethan wailed, completely offended by this in so many ways.

Fen hung his head, his voice soft and apologetic. “I don't know. Until, and if, I figure out how to get them to take it off. For a while...”

Ethan was fuming. How dare they do this? How dare they?! Who were they to come into his and Fen's lives and tear it apart?! They were mates! They were Bonded! That was nobody's business but their own. Angrily, and moved off the bed, pacing around the room. God, he shook with his rage, clenching his hands into fists and quelling the powerful urge to scream. The nerve of it. The goddamn nerve of those bastards for doing this to them. For taking away their rights. Their rights! He needed to punch something. Quickly. But, Fen's quiet voice broke through the rage he was feeling.

“I'm sorry, Ethan...” The larger male half-sobbed. “I'm so...so sorry...” He lifted his hands to rub at his eyes, burying his face in them after and breathing raggedly. “I'm so sorry...”

Oh. Oh, no. Ethan tsked, taking a short breath to calm himself, then he crossed to Fen, taking his mate's head in his hands and lifting the other's face up to meet his eyes. “Hey, don't be upset.” He pleaded, further quieted by the anguish on Fen's silver orbs. Soothingly, he ran his pinky over the other's bottom lip. “You have nothing to be sorry for. You did what you could to get me out of that jail. To allow us to be together. I don't think that anything to be sorry for.”

“But I made you...that guard...” The other's lips trembled. “If I hadn't done that...then you wouldn't have...and I wouldn't have this...”

True, Fen had forced Ethan to...do that. But...As much as Ethan regretted killing that guard, as much as he was angry at Fen for making him do it, he knew that his mate was only trying to help him escape. Trying to get him to safety, so he wouldn't be hurt or accidentally killed. Yes, it had been done wrong, but Fen had only done what he'd thought best at the time. Ethan couldn't fault him that. He really couldn't. Who knows how differently Ethan would have been in that situation if he'd been in Fen's position? There wasn't any way to know. So, he was able to forgive his mate, and he was able to caress Fen's cheek, trying to console. “I don't blame you. Everything you've done so far, I know you were just doing what you thought best. I know you always had me in your mind. I'm not mad or that upset. Alright?”

Fen looked as if he were greatly relieved, and his smile returned ever so slightly. “You're not?”

“No.” Ethan kissed him once, a brief peck, and forced a laugh. “And hey, so this isn't so bad. It just means...what? We can't have sex? Well, there are other things we can do, and still enjoy each other.”

Fen sighed, looking down and shaking his head slowly. “No, Ethan, there isn't. The band will hurt me, even if we're not having sex. It's designed to be triggered by arousal, so...if I feel any sort of desire, or...” Cloudy silver pierced Ethan's blue, intensely staring. “If I want you...It hurts. Anytime I feel aroused, it hurts, and it get worse the more I'm aroused.” His voice ended in a crackle.

So, they couldn't have sex. They couldn't do anything. Christ, that was horrible. Ethan was still angry that Fen had been asked to do this, and a little peeved that he'd agreed to do this. He hadn't had to do it. He shouldn't of. What had been so bad about that cell anyway? Sure, the bed had been hard and uncomfortable, and it was cold, and-

Ethan cut off his thoughts, realizing that Fen had sacrificed for him. “Thank you.” He gave him a soft kiss. As he drew back, he noticed Fen's sudden wincing, in obvious pain. Smiling slightly and shaking his head, he threaded his fingers through Fen's long hair, chuckling in a half-sigh. “It hurts right now, doesn't it? The band?”

One sly eye peered up, embarrassed. “Well...You are very close, and in very little clothing...”

Snorting, Ethan kissed Fen again, then backed away to where his clothes had been discarded. He picked them up and put them back on, conscious of silver watching him forlornly. And he smiled to himself, a little forlorn too. It wasn't all that bleak though. Yeah, it would be a little difficult in the next few days, since their bodies were used to having sex quite frequently, but they weren't animals. They could handle this. “Come on,” He motioned to the bed. “Let's just go to sleep. Both of us are about to pass out.”

Fen followed him obediently, scooting back to lay down as Ethan crawled up beside him, laying his head down on the other's shoulder as an arm came down to wrap around him, pulling him close. Giving a happy sigh, Ethan curled into him, nuzzling his nose into soft skin. It felt nice to be able to lay close to Fen like this again.

But there was a soft groan, and he glanced up to see Fen wincing again.

“What?” He asked, brow furrowing.

Fen looked sheepish. “You...smell really good...”

Oh christ, not that again. Ethan rolled his eyes, shifting his hips away from Fen's side and laying on his back “Jesus.” He snorted, smacking Fen's chest. “Just go to sleep, hornball. We can deal with all this in the morning. Goodnight.”

Fen sounded immediately sleepy. “...Night.” His arm tightened minutely around Ethan's shoulders.

The larger male's breathing evened out almost as soon as Ethan let himself fully lay back, and a quick look showed Fen's slack face and steadily rising and falling chest. Figured, Ethan thought ruefully, letting his head flop back to Fen's arm. He was tired enough to just collapse into sleep, but his mind was working overtime now that he was left alone in quiet comfort.

Nonsense. It was all nonsense. And very nearly unbelievable. Here he was, laying in this big bed with his mate, in another world, or another side, whatever that meant, and he was wearing these clothes with such foreign fabric and odd designs, in this castle in the trees, trees that lived and thought and grew as the Luftleutians desired them to.

It dizzied him.

“M'Ethan...g'ta sleep...” Came Fen's half-conscious plea in the dark. Then he rolled over onto his side, his chest pressed to Ethan as he crushed him close in strong arms. “Thoughts...too loud...”

“Fen! Jeez, get off! I can't breath this close!” He wheezed, futilely shoving at the larger male's chest and laughing. “Seriously, come on!”

“No...sleeeeeep...” He grunted again, raising his hand to the back of Ethan's scalp and gently tracing circles with his claws.

There was sudden heat flowing through Ethan's forehead, and his eyes grew dizzy, closing against his will. Goddammit, Fen was putting him to sleep. That bastard. Manipulative...sneaky...bastard...

Ethan yawned, his muscles all going limp and that dark edge of sleep coming over him fast. With his last ounce of conscious will, he pinched Fen's nipple, smiling as the disgruntled meep it elicited, then he was gone.

TO BE CONTINUED


AN: Meaningful comments keep me going!