The Tigrens' Glory (40 page)

Kyerion’s eyes bored into her, his displeasure plain, but she returned his gaze calmly and remained silent.  Finally, he bowed slightly from the waist, Cade and Kirk following his lead though they made no attempt to hide their disappointment.  “In that case, we will impose on you no longer,” Kyerion said.  She watched as he opened the door and stepped out, followed closely by Kirk, then Cade.

“Goodnight Glory,” Cade said, glancing back at her before stepping out into the corridor.

“Goodnight,” she whispered, the door closing before the word was fully out of her mouth.  She remained where she was for several moments, half expecting the door to fly open again.  When it remained closed she let out a long sigh, then walked to the bed where she all but fell onto it, her legs trembling from the effort required to keep her from running to the door and calling them back.  When the trembling stopped, she began combing her hair out, her mind calming with the familiar task.  When she was finished she set the comb aside and placed an order with the cafeteria.  While waiting for her food to be delivered, she dressed in a pair of lounging pants and sleeveless top, her hungry growing by the minute.

She answered the knock on her door a few minutes later, her stomach grumbling uncomfortably.  The last thing she expected to see when she opened the door was all three Tigren standing in the corridor, leaning against the wall across from her.  She accepted the tray from the steward, who seemed very nervous.  He didn’t even offer to bring it in for her as he’d done several times in the past.  She watched him hurry down the hall then frowned at Kyerion.  “Why are you guys standing out here?”

“We’re watching over you, as is our right and duty,” he replied.

“Your
duty
?” she asked coolly, deliberately choosing to allow anger to overcome the hurt his words caused.  “I hereby relieve you of any and all duty toward me.”

“That’s easier said than done,” Kirk said.

“That’s your problem,” she replied.  “Not mine.”  She stepped back and slammed the door, truly shocked at herself, but at the same time, pleased that she’d successfully hidden her pain.  She placed the tray on the table, then went back to the door and locked it.  By the time she’d taken the cover off her dinner tray and sat down to eat, her temper had cooled and her appetite had vanished.  She picked at her food, not actually putting any of it in her mouth.

Apparently the Tigren felt more obligated than she’d imagined.  If they intended to watch over her like this all the way back to Jasan, she’d never be able to leave her room.  Each time she saw them she risked the utter humiliation of them discovering how she really felt.  At the same time, she’d go crazy cooped up in one room for three days.  That left only one solution.

She went to the vid-terminal and switched it on.  After a few moments of thought, she typed out a brief message and sent it before she could change her mind.  Then she turned off the light and crawled into bed, falling asleep while the tears still fell down her cheek to her pillow.

Chapter Thirty Two

Princess Nahoa-Arima Lariah Dracon,

I would very much appreciate it if you and your Rami would consent to do me a favor.  I ask that you find a place for me on another ship.  It needn’t be a room such as you’ve so generously provided me with here on the
Ugaztun
.  A bunk in the crew’s quarters would suffice, so long as it is on a ship headed for Jasan.  I am quite prepared to pay my own way, so there will be no hardship for whoever consents to allow my passage.  If you will grant me this favor, I’ll be forever in your debt.

Thank you

Glory

“What’s going on?” Lariah asked after reading Glory’s message for the second time that morning.  “Why is Glory so desperate to leave the
Ugaztun
?  She just got out of a healing tank.”

“We don’t know, little love,” Trey said as he finished putting his shoes on and joined her at the vid-terminal.  “We can ask her at breakfast.”

Lariah frowned.  “This has something to do with the Tigren,” she said.  “I know it does.  She wants to get away from them.”

“If that’s the case, it would be unwise to interfere,” Garen said.  “It might be best to ignore her message,
Sharali
.”

“You won’t grant her request?” Lariah asked in surprise. 

Garen and Trey glanced at each other, then at her.  “It wouldn’t be a good idea,” Garen said carefully. 

“We owe her, Garen,” Lariah said.  “We can’t turn our backs on her because what she wants differs from what you want, or what the Tigren want.”

“What we can’t do is break our own laws,” Garen argued.

“This isn’t about
laws
,” Lariah said, suddenly more furious with her men than she’d ever been before.  “This is about the Tigren, and what
they
want.  She risked her life, and her sanity, to save the Tigren.  Now that she’s succeeded, you’re willing to sacrifice her for your own purposes.”

“
Our
purposes,” Garen corrected.  “You know as well as any that without the Tigren the Jasani will cease to be, and without Glory, there will be no more Tigren.”

“Yes, I do know that,” Lariah said.  “But this is wrong, Garen.  This isn’t staying out of it.  I won’t be a part of
forcing
Glory, or anyone else, to sacrifice themselves for any reason.”  She walked toward the door, paused and turned back, her emerald eyes bright with unshed tears.  “It breaks my heart to learn that the three of you are willing to do this.  I never would have believed it of any of you.”

“What would you have us do?” Garen asked.

“I would have you do exactly what the law says, and stay out of it,” Lariah said.

“That’s what we planned on doing,” Garen said in surprise.

“No, it’s not.  You plan to refuse Glory’s request to leave the
Ugaztun
because it isn’t what the Tigren want.  That’s not staying out of it, that’s choosing a side.  It’s also using your power against a woman you promised to honor.”

Garen’s shoulders slumped.  “You’re correct,
Sharali
.  I did not think of it that way.”

“Does that mean you’ll grant her request?” Lariah asked warily.

“Yes, that’s what it means,” Garen said with obvious reluctance.

“Thank you,” Lariah said, going back into the room and wrapping her arms around Garen’s waist.  “If it helps, I have a feeling Glory won’t be leaving the
Ugaztun,
anyway.”

“No?” Trey asked. 

“No,” Lariah said, smiling.  “The Tigren will find a way to fix whatever they did wrong, and Glory will forgive them.  She’s their Arima.  They belong together.”

“Then why insist that we grant her request?” Garen asked.

“Because it’s the right thing to do, and because she needs to know that she still matters even though we no longer need her to rescue the Tigren,” Lariah said. 

“Agreed,” Garen said, leaning down to kiss her on the nose.  “Let’s go get breakfast.”

A few minutes later the Dracons were surprised to find the Tigren pacing back and forth across their private dining room.  Lariah hid her smile as they forced themselves to go through the usual morning pleasantries before pouncing. 

“Princess Lariah, we seek your advice,” Kyerion said as soon as she was seated and had one sip of coffee. 

“My advice?” Lariah asked innocently.  “On what matter?”

“On the matter of females,” Kirk said, his entire body vibrating with tension.

“On the matter of Glory, specifically,” Cade added, his expression sad, in sharp contrast to his brothers’ anxiety.

“I’ll help if I can,” Lariah said.  “What’s the problem?”

“She refuses to see us, will not allow us into her room, and will not speak with us,” Kyerion said.  “She seemed fine yesterday after she first awoke.  Then, for absolutely no logical reason whatsoever, she began acting as though she’s angry with us and will not explain why.”

“I seriously doubt that there’s
absolutely no logical reason whatsoever
for her actions,” Lariah said, arching a brow at each of them in turn.  “Glory is an intelligent woman, not given to irrationality.”

The Tigren froze for a long moment at Lariah’s response.  Even if their ears hadn’t caught the edge in her voice, her scent was clearly annoyed.

“We apologize, Highness,” Kyerion said.  “We meant no insult to Glory, or to yourself.”

Lariah took another sip of her coffee and decided to let them off the hook.  A little.  “Women and men don’t always think the same way,” she said.  “Just because you don’t understand something a woman does or says, doesn’t mean that there’s not a good reason for it.  You might want to keep that in mind if you plan to have a relationship with a woman that lasts more than a day or two.”

Kyerion’s gaze grew thoughtful.  “You’re right, of course,” he said finally.  “In fact, that sounds like advice our mother would have given us.” 

“The real problem is that while Glory obviously has experience dealing with men, we have no experience dealing with women,” Kirk put in irritably.  “This puts us at a distinct disadvantage.”

Lariah stilled, her eyes flashing angrily at Kirk as her temper rose.  “I assume you have a
very
good reason for slandering a woman who is both my friend, and our honored guest.”

“It isn’t slander to speak fact, Highness,” Kirk said, “though I do apologize if I offended you.  We’ve watched her dreams.  If we knew where to find the men she’s been dreaming of, and spending time with, we would be more than happy to confront them.  Then we would teach Glory a lesson in who she belongs to.”

Garen, Trey and Val all shot to their feet, their eyes glowing with the beginnings of a blood rage at Kirk’s implied threat to Glory.  Lariah, who looked no less angry than her men, stood and placed one hand on Garen’s arm.  “Please, allow me,” she said.  Her Rami turned their gazes on her, then nodded before retaking their seats.  The Tigren weren’t fooled, however.  They stood on the balls of their feet, their eyes fixed warily on the Dracons.

“I warn you now, Kyerion Tigren,” Garen said with a distinct growl, “take care in how you and your brothers speak to your Princess.”

“Of course, Highness,” Kyerion said carefully.  “My idiot brother has lost control of his tongue due to the stress of our situation.  He will not lose it again.”

Garen nodded, then gestured to Lariah.  She stared at Kyerion, then Kirk, and finally Cade, waiting for them to drop their eyes one at a time, something she had never done before.  Had never even considered doing.  But, they had this coming after what Kirk had said about Glory.  Just thinking about it stoked her temper.

“I am the Soul of the Jasani,” she said.  “Among other things, it is my chosen duty to see to it that no woman, be she Klanaren, Jasani, Ramourian, human, or any other race or species, is claimed against her will.  This includes Princess Gloriani, whom I consider to be a close personal friend. 

“Understand me clearly.  Glory will not be
forced
into
anything
by
anyone,
nor will she be
taught a lesson
unless she willingly consents to it
.
 I don’t give a good hot damn whether she’s your Arima or not.  The fact that you’re the only three Clan Tigren left doesn’t mean squat to me, either.  Not when it comes to Glory’s happiness and well being.  If you want her, then you damn well better find a way to woo her.  Not teach her.  Not force her. 
Woo
her.  Otherwise, stay the hell away from her.  Am I perfectly clear?”

“Yes, Highness,” Kyerion said, bowing carefully.  He would not normally take kindly to being spoken to as Lariah was now doing, but he knew that she had ample reason, and every right.  They’d acted like thoughtless asses, and Kirk’s words
had
sounded like a threat against Glory, though he knew that wasn’t how Kirk had meant it.  High Druids or not, they deserved every bit of the tongue lashing they were now getting.  “We are not only clear, Highness, we are in full agreement with you.  I promise you, our words, spoken in worry and frustration, in no way reflect our true feelings for Glory.  We would never harm her, nor did we intend to insult her.”

Lariah studied them for a long moment.  It wasn’t Kyerion’s words that convinced her of their true feelings for Glory.  It was the emotion she felt pouring from them.  They were not only confused by Glory’s withdrawal.  They were deeply hurt by it.  They also loved her, and respected her.   She nodded to herself, satisfied.

“There are no men in Glory’s life now, nor have there ever been,” Lariah said, gentling her tone.  She pulled her reader from the pocket of her sweater, placed it on the table, pressed a few buttons, then spun it around and slid it across the table.  Kirk reached out and caught the unfamiliar object before it slid off to the floor.  He looked down and read the text on the screen.  At first he frowned in confusion, but it didn’t take him long to begin to figure it out.  His gut tightened and, after a moment, he found the correct button and turned the page.  He scrolled through the document quickly, heat racing over his skin.  Not the heat of arousal.  The heat of true, bone-deep embarrassment.  Something he hadn’t felt since he was a child.  He handed the reader to Kyerion, then looked up, meeting Princess Lariah’s gaze.

“You are more than correct to reprimand us so harshly, Highness,” he said.  “Me, especially.  My emotions have been unsettled these past days, but that’s no excuse.”

“You have our most sincere apologies, Highness,” Kyerion added.  “In many ways we’ve allowed our beasts to rule us in regards to Glory.  However, as badly as we’ve behaved I promise you that we would never force Glory, or any other woman, to do anything against their will.  Nor would we ever treat her with anything but the utmost respect.”

 “Kyerion,” Lariah said, her eyes softening as she sat back down and reached for her coffee.  All three Tigren looked at her expectantly and she gestured for them to take a seat.  While they did that, she took a moment to decide the best way to say what she wanted to say.