Chương 27: A man with no titles

Ch 27: A man with no titles Isa gripped Felix's arm (then chest, after she couldn't find a decent patch of unbloody skin) the whole way to the palace. More guards and servants wearing the Amadi colors came and went. Most asked Isa what happened and if she needed help. One or two guards even tried to pull Felix off and replace him. He refused to budge, staring at the smaller men with enough intensity they soon just followed. Isa kept tight to his arm like an oar in a storm.

Under normal circumstances, he couldn't have been happier.

To get the water princess so close he'd have let ten cat men rip off some skin. But he could see the pain and fear in her brown eyes, and it drove him wild with some helpless feeling of revenge. He was going to find the people who put those things in Isa's eyes. And they weren't going to like it when he did. Islanders were running and shouting everywhere. The guards around Isa grew and grew. Pretty soon it was clear they were being escorted somewhere in particular.

After leaving a small trail of blood down several royal corridors, Felix expected a meeting with the king, or something, but he soon recognized the family quarters. Isa gestured them straight to her room, where Felix expected to be left and maybe put in some infirmary. But the guards opened the door and she took him straight inside, sitting him down and helping Cara to the bed. She turned to the guards.

"Get two healers. The family's apothecary, if you can. But any powerful water wizard will do. Go."

"Yes, my lady." Cara brought a pitcher of water and helped Felix drink.

"I've been hurt a lot worse," he said with a grin.

"In fact, you met me hurt worse."

"Stop talking and drink." Isa, Cara, and a female servant stripped his shirt and pants, then washed his wounds and started pulling out needles and thread. It was oddly comforting to see items in a healer's kit he recognized, and not some magic potion.

"Do you think you can heal yourself?" Isa hesitated, then stepped forward and held out her arm.

"You can use my pool." Something in Felix's blood-starved brain was blaring like a bell, but he couldn't figure out what. He shrugged and shook his head, still no idea how to use water spells except for party tricks. Isa and the servants got to sewing, obviously surprised when he didn't flinch.

"You've been hurt many times," Isa said, looking at him with a hard to read expression. He just nodded, trying not to think of all the blood and battles with desperate men. They sewed the worst cut and washed him a little before the guards came back with mages. Isa frowned and looked at the young men.

"It'll have to do. He's a powerful fire wizard. Be careful." She looked at him, and he tried not to stare.

"You have to relax, let them in. They might get close to your soul but they're only there to help you. You have to relax."

"No problem." Felix blinked with nearing unconsciousness and grinned at the mages, pretty sure he'd seen them around the school.

"I'll try not to burn you." The young men exchanged a look, then touched his leg. Ten icy fingers gripped his hot skin. He felt his inferno snap at them like an angry dog. Their eyes went wide. They leapt back and shook steaming hands. Felix couldn't help but chuckle.

"This is serious." Isa met his eyes.

"You've lost a lot of blood. Some of those cuts are deep." He sighed and shrugged again, no idea what to say. It wasn't like he was doing it on purpose. He walked to the churning cyclone of fire and held out a hand, trying to hold it back like the first time he channeled in the temple. The mages touched his leg again. This time the swirling fire just bobbed back and forth like it was deciding when to strike.

"Good enough," Isa said sharply. The mages let go like they were releasing a snake. Felix's fire thrust forward, pulling back with obvious disappointment as the men and their delicious water mana stepped away. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. When he paid attention to his body he realized he felt wonderfully cool. And not quite so half dead. His arms were somewhere between sewed and magicked up, covered now in clean white bandages.

It had only felt like a moment, but he wondered how long he'd been fighting the fire. Had he slept?

"Leave us." The servants and guards all looked concerned, but after losing a staring contest they fled Isa's room and closed the door. The water princess finally sagged, checking on a now sleeping (and much more easily healed) Cara before standing awkwardly in front of him. He still couldn't read her expression very well. But he saw the hurt, the exhaustion, the vulnerability. The way she was looking at him he knew she wanted to say something, to ask for his help, or maybe just comfort.

He reached out and pulled her towards his lap. After looking away and fighting him a moment, she turned and sat across his knees. She shook with a sob, then her legs came up and she buried her face in his chest.

"We're alright, princess," he said, holding her and closing his eyes.

"Everything will be fine." They might have slept awhile. Or at least Isa did. Felix just breathed in the scent of her hair, the slight weight of her in his lap, the press of her body against his. He kissed her forehead and hair, stroking her back and sighing as she shifted in her sleep. As if the girls were linked by some magic spell, when Cara groaned and stretched Isa blinked awake in his arms.

"Did I sleep?" she said, meeting his eyes as if embarrassed before just laying her head back on his chest.

"Not long. Shouldn't your father be here? Shouldn't we see him?"

"We will. But he'll need time to think. To talk to his advisers." The girls exchanged a look. Felix felt like he was missing something.

"Well. I had a pretty good look at the attack," he said.

"I imagine he'll have some questions."

"It's not important," Isa said, still looking at Cara, who seemed to be giving her a cautious stare.

"Well it is. But it's not the main thing. The main thing…"

"Isa…"

"What, Cara? You don't think we can trust him? He's nearly died protecting me twice. I don't trust anyone else except you. And you know the thing is over as well as I do." Felix mostly tried to enjoy Isa's saying she trusted him. And still touching him. But he was confused.

"What thing?" Cara deflated. Isa sat up to meet his eyes.

"I was supposed to marry a fire lord. The fire lord. And if the attack was supposed to end that marriage, then it succeeded." Felix shook his head and waited, still not sure he understood. That the princess was betrothed to some powerful man didn't shock him, but still shot a wave of jealousy through him. Isa fought a little water from her eyes.

"My father's…male heirs are dead, Felix. My brothers, they were all…" She trailed off and fought a sob.

"Daughters can inherit in my family if there's no sons. Which means…" she paused, as if she could hardly believe she was saying it.

"I am now heir to my father's house." Felix wasn't sure what to say. That was pretty heavy. But he still didn't really understand why that would prevent her from marrying some fancy lord. Wouldn't it make it even more important? He obviously looked confused enough she felt the need to explain.

"Royal marriages are complex. If I marry a lord now, in a patrilineal union, I take his name. That means any children take his family name. And because I am heir now and not just some daughter with a minor claim—that means in a generation a foreign house will rule my family's lands, and my father's house will be out of power." Felix finally understood, reminded how ridiculous the games of kings were. In either case it was the same blood, the same people. Yet for nothing but a word they'd go from kin to rivals.

"What does it mean?" he asked.

"Don't female heirs still need to marry?"

"Yes," she said, glancing at Cara again.

"But only in a matrilineal marriage. Which means any children will belong to my house. And… a powerful lord would never accept such a marriage. It will have to be to a minor house. Or someone with no lands or titles." Felix wasn't oblivious to the looks flashing between the women. Could Isa marry who she wanted now, or were there other problems? Also was marrying the lady of some mystery island really what he was planning? Because he felt like maybe yes. And when in the hells had that exactly happened?

He was trying to think of something meaningful to say when Isa looked at her bodyguard.

"Leave us alone, please."

"Isa…"

"He's missing half his blood and my brothers just died, what do you think is going to happen?" Cara gave them both a glare that seemed to say 'maybe plenty'. But she got up and opened the door, muttering something about being just outside before she closed it. Felix was searching for some witticism, some way to take away the awkwardness and the hurt, to put this beautiful girl at ease and make things better. She kissed him. Her lips were almost cool.

At her touch he felt the fire inside him writhe, as if it couldn't decide whether to burn or hug her. She moaned and closed her eyes, their lips and tongues exploring as Felix sat perfectly still, like if he moved he might scare her off. Finally, she pulled away and licked her lips.

"That's to thank you," she said, smiling a little as she opened her eyes.

"For protecting me. For…helping my family. And for fighting those awful things. Were you afraid?"

"I was too ignorant to be scared." He smiled, but it faded.

"You…didn't come see me. Before I mean. At the school." Isa nodded and looked down.

"I…thought it would be easier. I knew we couldn't…that I'd have to marry. I thought it would just make it worse. Harder." Yeah, he thought, it definitely would have made something harder.

"And now?" Her eyes moved to his lips, and seemed to pull her forward like she couldn't stop herself. Her mouth opened against his, tongue searching for his as she moaned again. He was undressed except for the thin island underwear, and despite the blood loss his body found enough to show Isa how he felt.

"Does that door lock?" he whispered. The look Isa gave him could have melted iron. She walked to the door, turned the lock like she was opening a safe, then crept right back to his lap with a grin.