“He’s here for you,” Iloya exclaimed at once. “Leiya, I’m not even joking anymore. I think this is happening.”
Leiya could never tell with Iloya, for whom jokes always came very easily. It seemed she was confused too, caught between looking at the huge battle ship drifting countless miles above their heads and at Leiya.
Miren didn’t appear concerned, at least. He had been sitting quite close to Leiya for the whole time, but now he slipped a hand over her shoulders.
“I’m not a general, of course,” he said. “But I can try my best to make you forget him. What do you say, Leiya?”
She shook his hand off, smiling, shaking her head. Honestly she didn’t know if it was the fact she didn’t really feel any desire for Miren or that she didn’t believe him. On that day, Leiya thought it would have been quite a trick to get Faren out of her mind.
“Oh well,” Miren said, sighing. “I had to try.”
He scuttled over a bit not to intrude in Leiya’s space. In other species they knew, relations between men and women were different to theirs, and most of the galaxy thought the Brions were barbaric in their dealings. But the concept of not taking no for an answer didn’t have a place in Brion culture, at least when it came to things like that. Even the traditional fighting geshas acted out – some more seriously than others, but still – wasn’t really that. When someone said no, that was how it was.
Miren chuckled, while Leiya saw the sort of amused looks on their friends’ faces.
“Everyone knows I wanted it to be you anyway. Just wanted you to know that, before I leave for the War Spear tomorrow.”
“I know,” Leiya said, trying to be comforting.
She really did feel bad for him. She couldn’t imagine what it might have been like to desire someone who was meant to be with someone else. Hopefully Miren would find a good gesha, and neither of them would have to experience that again.
“I swear,” Miren said, shaking his head sadly. “Today I would fight Faren for you.”
“Challenge accepted,” a deep, cold voice said from behind them.
Oh gods, Leiya thought. Now this really can’t be happening.
The most terrifying of the Brion generals was there, standing on the pristine grass in front of her house. He was there. At her house. There was something so off with the picture she had to blink her eyes several times to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.#p#分页标题#e#
She wanted to say something, but no words at all came to her mind. Her instincts were all saying different things, which was very confusing. One of them told her to flee, very quickly. The other was trying to deny what most of her already had realized – that there was pretty much only one reason Faren would seek her out like this. A third was telling her to open her mouth and say something in the next few seconds or Faren might really kill one of her friends.
The most prevailing one, however, was relief. Or gratitude. Or whatever it was that made her feel completely, utterly warm under the piercing gaze of those stormy eyes.
Stupid long songs. They’re going to get me killed. Or Miren. More likely Miren. Oh gods this is why I don’t like warriors…
Leiya had to force the third instinct forward just as Faren turned to Miren and said,
“Stand.”
The look on Miren’s face was unmistakable for anything other than fear, but he was still a Brion warrior. They didn’t back down from fights, even if he knew there was no chance he’d survive it. Leiya’s desire to avoid seeing her friend walk into certain death kicked in immediately, overshadowing the plethora of emotions she was already experiencing.
“No, please,” she said, jumping to her feet, finding herself comically out of words that usually came so naturally to her. “He was joking, General. He didn’t really mean to challenge you.”
“How can you know that?” Faren asked calmly.
How could I possibly explain that to you without making Miren sound like a complete coward? Leiya thought. I don’t think I remember you being challenged, ever. Why would he want to die? Another part of her added, Well that’s pretty eyes for you, dumb girl.
“He was just expressing himself in a way that would make me understand he was being serious,” she tried, but realized about halfway through it only made things worse.
“Yes,” the general said. “I heard.”
He moved so fast none of them besides Miren managed to react, but of course it didn’t help him one bit. His warrior reflexes were faster than theirs, Leiya knew, but that didn’t protect him from someone who was born to be a general. Faren slammed him against the tree he’d climbed, fist around his throat, pushing him up the trunk until his legs were dangling against the bark.
Leiya couldn’t believe he was able to do that. Miren was big, even if he wasn’t as huge as Faren, but he definitely didn’t weigh nothing like Faren made it look like. He was holding him up with one hand, not even appearing to make an effort to do so. Pressing down, slowly, choking him…
“No,” she yelled. “Let him go!”
Cold, stormy eyes turned to observe her with a look she didn’t know how to decipher. He let up just a little, if Leiya judged correctly from the way they could suddenly hear Miren’s rasping, coughing breathing. She saw Iloya shake, knowing the healers didn’t interfere with warrior’s duels, which it technically was.
It was her job to simply fix what was left, if she could. Leiya wondered if she was thinking of when the breaking point would come when she’d no longer be able to do anything. She most certainly was, but Faren could fight them all off with one hand if he wished. The battle ax on his back remained holstered, at least.
“Why?” the general asked.
It was such an odd question Leiya didn’t immediately know what to say.
What do you mean!? Gods, warriors… You’re trying to kill one of my friends! I don’t want him to die! How is that a question? He didn’t mean to challenge you. You weren’t supposed to hear that. He’s no match for you.
That last thought she definitely couldn’t phrase out loud. Miren would hate her forever even if she somehow managed to spare his life.
Her thoughts were falling over each other as she fought to find words to calm down a man they said felt nothing. Usually she could talk to people to calm them down, and sometimes she sang.
Yes, her helpful mind provided. Singing will definitely help here. Try that. Sing to Faren.
She forced herself to be calm. If her judgment of the situation was correct, it sort of made sense for Faren to react like that. If she truly was his gesha, naturally he couldn’t forgive what he’d heard Miren suggest. And her fighting for him looked bad, because it gave the impression she was too fond of someone who wasn’t her gerion.
“He’s my friend,” she said, hoping it conveyed he was nothing more. “Please don’t kill him for bad phrasing. No one here thinks he really wanted to challenge you.”#p#分页标题#e#
There was no reaction in his eyes, though Faren didn’t look away from her once. Miren’s face had gone very pale and Iloya’s as well.
“Why would he have challenged you, really?” she pressed on.
She was doing her best to ignore the choking sounds Miren made, trying to helplessly pry the hand from his throat. There had to be a subtle enough way to phrase what she needed to say.
“He’s a young warrior, why would he want to die before he’s even had a chance to prove himself?”
Faren’s eyes still held hers.
“I believe you,” the general said, making her heart skip a beat for some reason. “But a challenge was uttered nonetheless. I can’t back down.”
The sound Miren made was nothing Leiya had ever heard from a Brion throat. It was the sound dying animals made and she looked in horror as her friend’s legs started to grow limp. If she wasn’t a pacifist before, she definitely was one now.
“But I’m asking you,” was all she could think of to say, desperate to buy herself – and Miren – more time.
Then something else impossible happened. Faren let go of Miren, stepping away. The young warrior crashed to the ground. His hands went to his sore throat but Iloya peered them away at once, telling him to be patient until she could heal him. Between her and Kalen, they had him stumble into Leiya’s house to find a med kit Iloya could use.
Everyone else made themselves very scarce very quickly, leaving only Leiya and Faren on the grass, with her still speechless. She couldn’t believe it. First of all, that Faren would ever, ever actually back down from a fight, even if it hadn’t really been one. And second of all, much more importantly, that it meant it was true.
Oh. No. No, please no.
If there was one thing the newest, brightest starlet of Briolina hadn’t expected, it was that her chosen would be the bloodthirstiest monster known to the Brions. It made her stomach turn, but looking at him, a whole other emotion took hold of her.
Faren stepped closer to her, until she was as close to him as she’d been during the reception and her fall.
“You guessed already,” the general said, the storm in his gray eyes flashing in the same way Leiya had seen them do before. “But it is right that I tell you. You are my gesha.”