"Yes, you need to drink it."

Coulta sighed and took his third cup of tea from Myri. It was dusk and she had just forced a rather terrible broth into him, as well, and changed the dressing on his shoulder. Taking one deep breath, he lifted the cup and tried to drink the tea without tasting it. He ended up coughing and gagging, but didn't spill any before handing the empty cup back to the healer.

"Good," she said with a nod. "Hopefully you won't need as much tomorrow. Not if you rest well tonight."

"I'll try," he assured her, still grimacing at the taste the tea had left in his mouth.

She gave him another nod. "Then I'll be back at dawn. Do you need anything else?"

"Can you get the hearth going again?" he asked. The room had grown steadily cooler as the sun had set, mainly because Myri wanted him to have fresh air through the open window, claiming it wasn't so cold at night anymore that he could take sick from it.

"Certainly."

Coulta watched her as she placed another two logs on the fire and coaxed it to life once more. He was glad she was kind enough to do that for him, considering how demanding she had been all day.

"Thank you," he told her when she was done.

She smiled. "Goodnight."

Alone again a few moments later, Coulta pulled the blankets over his shoulders and tried to make himself sleep. Part of him wondered if Myri had someone made it impossible for Wildas to visit him, or if maybe Wildas regretted what had happened earlier. Trying impossibly hard to keep all hope out of his life so he couldn't be disappointed, Coulta decided that of course Wildas regretted it.

He sighed and closed his eyes, planning to let sleep come over him eventually.

It was only a short time later when he was brought out of a doze by someone quietly speaking his name. He opened his eyes and saw Wildas standing next to him.

"I thought you'd want to know that we heard from Rohan," the prince said, sitting down on the edge of the bed instead of on the chair nearby. "They found the bodies from yesterday. Three men, not wearing any uniforms, so there is no way to know for certain if they worked for Varin. They also found a camp in the trees, much bigger than what three men would need. Rohan and a small force are going to wait out the night to see if anyone returns."

"So, we don't know any more than we did this morning," Coulta commented.

"Unfortunately," Wildas agreed, looking at Coulta with concern. "How are you feeling?"

"Not so bad as before," Coulta answered honestly. "I don't know if it's the damned teas Myri keeps forcing down my throat or the curse healing me."

The prince smiled. "Probably both."

Coulta struggled to pull his arms from under the blanket, uncomfortable with the idea of talking to Wildas while cocooned in his blankets. Wildas helped by pulling the covers down just slightly when he realized Coulta couldn't lift his injured arm as well as he had thought he could.

"Myri seems to think I'm healing faster than I should be," he grumbled, "but I wish the curse would heal me even faster."

Wildas gently touched Coulta's arm below the bandaged shoulder. "Shelton said it was poisoned and that it would slow the healing process."

"I thought he stopped the poison?"

"He did, but he couldn't heal what damage it had already caused to the wound. He's not a healer."

Coulta nodded. "I know. I'm grateful he helped."

"He would have come to see you, but he was preoccupied with Rohan's mission," Wildas explained. "And I would have come back to keep you company if Myri had let me."

"I suppose that's why you waited until she left for the night?" Coulta asked.

The prince smiled. "Yes. Now I can wish you a good night without her chasing me away."

Coulta happily welcomed the kiss that followed and made it last as long as he could. Far too soon, however, Wildas pulled away to look him in the eyes.

"I'm quite tempted to stay here with you, though," the prince admitted quietly.

Coulta didn't even think before he whispered, "Then stay."

"Myri would kill us both."

"It doesn't matter."

"She'd make it slow and painful. I'm sure she knows how."

"I don't care."

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Coulta knew Myri was the least of his concerns. The greatest one was that he knew being the Crown Prince's lover was one of the worst choices he could make. It couldn't possibly last very long and he'd only end up disappointed. At that moment, though, it didn't matter.

Wildas leaned in again and kissed his neck. "I don't care, either."

***

Wildas woke sometime in the night and didn't enjoy his search for the chamber pot; the fire had died to embers and Myri had left the damned window open, of course. It was annoying that only the royal chambers and best guest rooms had privies – at least he wouldn't have needed to search for it. He cautiously tossed another log on the fire and let it slowly catch, and finally found the chamber pot close to the bed next to where Coulta was sleeping. That was logical, he realized. Coulta wasn't supposed to be getting out of bed, after all.

He was grateful for the thick blankets when he slid back into bed. Coulta was laying on his side facing Wildas, and he was glad to see no blood seeping through the pale bandage over Coulta's shoulder. He was saddened to see the frown on Coulta's face though, as if he was having a terrible dream. It was unpleasant to see after the way Coulta had smiled so much just a few hours ago. He'd even laughed at one point, which had practically been Wildas's undoing.

Reaching out one hand, he gently caressed Coulta's slightly rough cheek, unsure what else to do.

Coulta's eyes opened after a moment, and he looked confused. "You're still here?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Wildas asked, drawing his hand back.

"I just... assumed you'd want to sleep in your own bed."

The guarded look on Coulta's face was painful. "But you're here," he replied. "Maybe you could come sleep in my bed soon, if Myri lets us survive the morning."

The confused look was back. "This wasn't just for tonight?"

That hurt even worse, like he'd been stabbed in the chest. Apparently he'd been taking this for granted. "Did you want it to be?"

"No," Coulta replied quietly. "I just know it won't last for long."

"Why do you say that?"

"I know you need to get married," Coulta answered, looking resigned. "Wouldn't it be unwise for you to have a lover outside of your spouses?"

"Of course it would be," Wildas replied, confused. He searched Coulta's face for a long time before realization hit. "You don't think I'd marry you?"

"You can't."

"Why can't I?"

There was such a look of pain on Coulta's face that Wildas didn't know what he could possibly say or do. Just looking at Coulta was tearing him apart.

"You know what I am," Coulta told him, looking away.

Wildas found Coulta's hand between them and gripped it tightly. "Yes. You're my friend. There is no other man I would rather have next to me on the throne when the time comes than you."

Coulta was quiet for so long that Wildas wondered if he'd even heard. Finally, he murmured, "You could take advantage of the curse now, you know."

"I know, and I won't," Wildas stated, more sure of his sudden decision than any other decision he'd ever made. "I need you to choose. It has to be your choice." He took a deep breath and added, even though it was painful, "If you can't do it, I won't hold it against you. I'll still keep you as my protector."

"There's something I need to explain, first," Coulta replied. "It might change your mind."

Wildas shook his head. He was terrified of being turned down now, but he did his best to hide it. "Go on."

"There was a letter my father left me, and I've let Shelton and his friend Asema read it. Anil and Myri, too. Apparently, my mother was extremely powerful. Asema called her an Asir. She knew I was cursed, and she died trying to find a way to break it. She was able to link my soul to that of another person who could help me weaken the curse and at least live relatively peacefully with it. It's unlikely that I could completely break the curse, but Asema says this 'soul-partner' is someone who will help me, and that I already met this person. Supposedly this person will have more power over me than anyone else, and our souls are constantly looking for each other."

Coulta took a deep breath. "Asema knows who it is, but didn't tell me. I'm sure Shelton knows. What's wrong?"

Wildas didn't realize his shock was obvious, but everything suddenly made sense. "Shelton told me today that there would never be anyone with more influence over you than me."

Coulta just stared at him, looking stunned.

"Listen," Wildas went on, squeezing Coulta's hand again, suddenly excited. "The whole way to Arren Uncle Decus told me repeatedly how dangerous the city was, but I looked forward to getting there. And... you were watching when we got there, weren't you? Above the city gate?"

Coulta nodded. "I made sure no one could see me, but you looked directly at me."

"And tell me how you were hanging on the wall outside my window at the inn?"

"I put climbing spikes in the wall when I knew you'd be staying there. You looked right at me then, too." A look of utter, complete relief came to Coulta's face, followed closely by such a joyous expression that it nearly brought Wildas to tears. "It is you. I was too afraid to even hope."

Wildas moved closer to hold him tightly. "I wondered why I trusted you so much from the start. I didn't know you, but I knew, even before you told me about the curse, that you wouldn't harm me."

Coulta was shaking, and Wildas realized he was crying. Wildas didn't blame him; for the first time, Coulta actually had something real, not just the slightly easier life that Wildas had given him.

It was a long time before either of them spoke again or even released each other. Finally, Coulta wiped his eyes with one hand and leaned back slightly to look at Wildas. "This may seem like a strange question, but have you ever had dreams of a shadowy figure?"

"One that would ease my nightmares? Ever since I was a child, but since meeting you, it has started to look very much like you."

Coulta laughed that beautiful, magical laugh. "Then Teeya was right. My dream figure always was my soul-partner, I simply hadn't met you for it to have a real form."

Wildas pulled him closer until Coulta rested his head on Wildas's chest. "Now I won't feel guilty seeing you in my dreams. To think it was always you who comforted me. Sometimes the dreams were so real. For three nights after my mother died I couldn't sleep until you were there. You held me, and it truly felt as though I were in the arms of someone who cared very much for me. You were even there after Ashnil took such advantage of me that I felt worthless and filthy. You made me feel safe again."

"I know what you mean," Coulta said quietly. "After some of my worst jobs you held me, too, and I felt something only Teeya has made me feel. I felt wanted, like I did matter to the world. That I wasn't a monster."

"You were never a monster, Coulta," Wildas whispered. "And you aren't now, either. You were a slave and I wish I could truly free you."

"You have," Coulta murmured.

Wildas tightened his hold on him. "Thank you."

They were quiet for a long time, each enjoying the closeness with each other, before Coulta lifted his head and asked, "Who will our wives be?"

Wildas laughed with relief and kissed Coulta's forehead before he answered, "What do you think of Anil and Myri? I dragged them away from home and they now have nothing to go back to. There have also been rumors since we got here about the four of us. Might as well make them true, I suppose."

Coulta smiled. "I think that's a good idea. Maybe that will stop Myri from killing us in the morning."

"We can only hope," Wildas said with a grin as he kissed him.