“She’ll die,” Joe questioned flatly.

Kilniara nodded firmly, “Yes.”

Joe grimaced, “I can’t let her die. I … but Kilniara, I … I don’t think it’s right to give up on you because I promised but for Gwenvair…”

“Who said I was willing to give up on you. We already decided we were yours together. I refuse to allow you to reject me.”

Joe clenched his teeth, struggling with his decision while also fighting against the deeper thoughts that gleefully thought on the idea of enjoying two young beautiful woman in his life, both accepting one another in his life.

Joe sighed, replying to Kilnara, “What can I do?”

“Accept her. Wait, can you take more than one wife?”

Joe blinked at that, “Not legally, no.”

“Legally?”

“My clan sees it as … unlawful.”

Kilniara’s eyebrows knit, “But… you are capable of doing so?”

Joe cocked his head with a slight frown, “I’m not sure I’m capable of handling even a single wife, let alone two.”

Kilniara’s eye’s widened, “You cannot? You will be harmed? Or die?”

“What? No! My … there are other clans on my plane who accept multiple wives.”

“Base humans like you?”

“Yes.”

Kilniara nodded, “Then it is simple. Do you wish to save her?”

“Yes?”

“Then all you must do is accept her.”

“And that would… keep her from dying?”

Kilniara smiled at that, “Rejected bonded do not die immediately. Some races take even months or years to die, while others take days and weeks. There is time. Accept her and she will be safe.”

Joe stared at her before frowning and turning back to his bed, beginning to dress, ‘Let’s go get her then. I don’t want…”

“No, Joe. Let me go.”

“What? Why? Why shou…”

Kilniara shook her head, “She needs sincerity, and I can give that to her. Do you accept her?”

Joe listened but shook his head, “I should be the…”

“Joe. Please. No.”

Joe stared at Kilniara for a few moments before finally nodding his head, accepting Kilniara’s insistence with a grimace, “OK. You go. But please, she… don’t let her die.”

“That is not my choice, Joe. Do you accept her!”

Joe frowned, “I don’t want her to die.”

“No. Do you accept her. It’s meaningless unless you do. Do you accept her.”

That gave Joe pause as his thoughts whirled. This… this is about life. It’s going to be a bigger issue later if she finds out I didn’t mean it… it’s… gotta… I have to mean it… so… His thoughts firmed and he focused on his decision. Must be a deliberate choice. With that realization, he looked up at Kilniara and nodded firmly, changing the course of his life in a way he’d never considered before.

“Yes. I accept her. And all that comes with that.” For now… until we can fix this… just… as friends… I’ll find her someone else…

Kilniara stared at him for a few moments then smiled brilliantly. She turned to the two boys and pushed them back into their room.

“Shoo! Shoo! I need to change!”

The boys scrambled back into their room, grumbling, before having the door slammed behind them. She turned and quickly began changing clothing, unconcerned that Joe was in the room. Joe twisted away with surprise, giving Kilniara her privacy, but she didn’t notice or care, already dressed and sprinting out the door in a whirlwind of activity grabbing a variety of things. In only moments, Joe was alone in the room, sitting on his bed, and a bit shell-shocked. He wasn’t sure what to think, if anything, at all.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

* * *

Gwenvair struggled through the chairs in the common room, her mind blank of any thought even as she wound her way through. Suddenly, her movement was arrested, her neck jerked back by something around it and she turned, yanking on what was holding her back. She pulled her blanket free from the offending chair and continued on only to be brought up short once again when her blanket snagged again. She growled in hurt anger, yanking hard at the blanket before dropping it from her body to more easily pull at it. She shivered from the cold then froze, her eyes drifting slowly down to her body before she hurriedly wrapped herself back up while throwing glances around the empty room.

Finding it empty of people relieved her fears but left her now fearful, her worry and agitation spiraling out of control now that she found herself undressed in a public area and quite a long trip through crowded streets to return home. The closest place for clothing was to return to the room and she had no desire to see Joe once again. The thought of returning brought Joe back to her mind and tears welled up and she collapsed on a chair in the common area, sobbing softly but wildly. She allowed her weeping to run rampant for a good bell or so before finally calming herself and preparing to leave, standing and wrapping the blanket tighter around her. She pulled it up to cover her head as well while struggling to withhold her hiccupping cries.

She walked up to the door, breathing deeply, then pressed the door open to step out into the dark streets, early morning night still darkening the streets. If I hurry… I could make it back before … before anyone wakes… but… the… the city gates. Gwenvair’s emotions welled again, a soft hiccup escaping her as she tried to hold back her cries. She fled down the streets, staying in the middle of the larger streets. As she fled down the streets, she found herself becoming lost in her thoughts, overwhelmed by hurt, and shivering with fear. Her thoughts were scattered and she moved on autopilot.

* * *

Kilniara sped from the room, skipping down the stairs and winding through the chairs with the natural dexterity common to the Acokzau. She pushed herself to move as rapidly as possible, not wishing to leave Gwenvair in her pain any longer than necessary. While she was certain Gwenvair would not die quickly, she couldn’t leave her sister in such pain for any length of time.

She came out to the streets and searched up and down it before cursing, seeing them empty. Where… Her thoughts ping ponged across possible locations where Gwenvair might be going and finally decided that there really was only one destination. Kilniara turned and sped directly towards the inner gate as fast as she could, sprinting down the street and leaping obstacles without concern.

She arrived quickly but found the guards bored and sleepy. Is that … a good sign? Maybe? She ran up to the guards and spoke quickly.

“Gwenvair, First in Line for Matriarch, should be coming soon. Has she passed these gates?”

One of the guards stood up with narrowed eyes, growing tense but the other older one slapped him on the arm, “Can’t recognize her? She’s the eccentric’s… and new sister to the First in Line for Matriarch.”

The older guard then turned to Kilniara and shook his head, “She has not come here this evening, eccentric’s wife.”

Kilniara nodded, relief flooding through her, “I will wait here. Please inform me as soon as she comes!”

The older guard quickly bowed, “Please, find a seat inside. We will call you when she arrives.”

Kilniara bowed her head shallowly and followed the man into the guard’s shack attached to the outside of the wall adjacent to the gate. It was a small room barely big enough to be called such, but Kilniara still found it holding a small table with some chairs. She pulled a chair up to the door to look out into the dark morning, her eyes searching the streets passionately.

Kilniara paradoxically grew more bored and agitated as time went on. Both emotions grew as time passed and she found herself growing more nervous as time went on even as her careful searching grew lax. A good bell or two passed until finally she noticed something odd at the entrance of a small alleyway entering into one of the main entrances. Kilniara’s eyes narrowed when she noticed a small figure crouching near the entrance covered in a blanket. The dim light of the morning was now brightening the streets and it was difficult for her to notice anything, but she soon caught the small twitch of an ulvan ear hidden under a blanket. Kilniara leapt to her feet and stepped forward.

“Gwenvair? Gwenvair!”

Kilniara began sprinting across the open area when she heard a soft whimpering cry which sounded exactly like her. Gwenvair turned and fled back down the alleyway but Kilniara slipped in immediately after her, sprinting down the alleyway. Gwenvair proved faster and was pulling away from her but her blanket continually snagged on debris, slowing her down.

“Gwenvair! Gwenvair! Stop! Things are…” Kilniara trailed off with a growl as Gwenvair increased her speed.

What followed was a strange silent race through the alleys of Coushar with Kilniara slowly gaining only because of Gwenvair’s struggle to keep her blanket away from snagging buckets, barrels, and the odd jagged brick on the walls. After another few moments of running, Kilniara finally was close enough to grasp the blanket but did not attempt to do so, certain that Gwenvair would drop the blanket to flee. Instead, she yanked on it as if it had snagged another barrel just enough to cause Gwenvair to stumble before leaping and wrapping her arms around Gwenvair from behind, holding her tight.

“Gwenvair! Gwenvair! Stop! I need to… heurgh!” Kilniara cut off as Gwenvair’s elbow snapped around and slammed into her shoulder. Gwenvair’s strength was much greater and Kilniara moaned in pain. Her cry of pain froze Gwenvair and Kilniara took the chance to speak to her quietly.

“Do you wish to harm your own sister?”

Gwenvair’s breath froze at that before she began shaking wildly, attempting to flee but Kilniara held on and continued speaking.

“Stop. Hear. Am I still your sister? Hear me!”

Gwenvair continued to flail her whole body as she continued her efforts to escape and Kilniara knew she wouldn’t be able to hold on much longer. She struggled, uncertain of what to do before she finally grasped desperately at the only stratagem she found available.

“Gwenvair! Stop! I’ll let you go. I’ll never seek you out again or chase after you, only if you just Hear. Stop and Hear! Listen to me!”

Gwenvair calmed at that, although she remained stiff in her arms and Kilniara paused a moment before speaking, “Speak so I can be released!”

Gwenvair breathed deeply, “Are you Hearing!”

“I told you to speak!”

“Are. You. Hearing!”

Gwenvair shuddered in her arms, turning with anger on her face, “There is nothing to Hear!”

“Then you have no need to fear what you might Hear!”

Gwenvair clenched her teeth even as she stared at Kilniara before finally nodding, “Speak. I will Hear.”

Kilniara stared at her for a bit before nodding softly, releasing her and stepping back, “He accepts you. He accepts both of us.”

Gwenvair’s breath rushed from her while her eyes widened in shock. She took a step backwards and shook her head, “No. No! You lie! This is false hope! This is…”