Ba'an stared. Lukios stared back, grinning.

"See?" he said. He seemed to be preening. "I came up with something clever, just like I promised. Didn't I?"

He had. Except...

"It is a good plan, Lukios." Ba'an paused. "But...there are many risks. What will you do if the bandits do not take the wagons? Or if there is something wrong with the mechanism? Then the false bottom will not open, and you will be stuck."

"Testing, sweetheart. The key is always testing, testing, and even more testing, and then girding your balls in case someone kicks 'em in."

Ba'an frowned at him. Was that manner of description strictly necessary?

Lukios' grin only widened. "And they're bandits, sweetheart. They're going to want the wagons and every damn thing in it, including the horses that hauled it." He seemed truly excited now, taking her hands in his. "See? This way, Eirene gets escorted from the fort and she'll be safely away by nightfall, at which point we come out into the courtyard and..." He made a gesture across his throat.

It was ruthless. And brilliant. And yet...

"The day will be long and hot, Lukios. The heat can be deadly. How will you...?"

"We'll have some water. We can stick a reed into the waterskin and seal around it with beeswax. As for other urges, well...we'll have to hold it. Won't be too bad, though—by the time we get up there, it'll be late afternoon, anyway. The sun goes down fast this time of year."

She could not quite argue with that. "But...surely I can...fly about the fort in case something goes wrong, and—"

"Ba'an." He arched a single eyebrow. "It's fine. You know it's fine. It'll work. They might check the barrels, but they'll never suspect the wagons." He rubbed his fingers over her knuckles. "Wanna see 'em? The schematics. I sketched 'em myself, y'know?" He was nearly vibrating, expression eager as he spoke, eyes shining.

He had? Ba'an had not known Lukios had a talent for such things, though she suddenly remembered how he had sized up her walls and promised her new shelves.

Perhaps he was talented at such things. Moreso than she had guessed.

"If...it is convenient."

"Anything you want, sweetheart!" His expression grew even sunnier. "We can swing by the barracks later. Anyway, while we're waiting on those wagons, we're going to ride out and talk to the farmers. See what they say about the raids, just in case. You know, for the numbers. But I think I have a good idea already." He pulled her closer, and Ba'an leaned into his heat. Yes, it was very cold now that the water was drying from her skin. He kissed her temple and murmured, "It's clever, right? Go ahead and say so, Ba'an. I'll wait."

Well, it was true. "It is very clever, Lukios." He pressed his lips against her cheek, smiling. "But it sounds too perfect. Plans always fall apart; surely you must have some men hiding elsewhere?"

"Uh...well, I would, except then your people might decide we're declaring war again and swoop in to kill the lot of us. That'd be...bad. Ha." He reached for a towel and began wrapping her in it, taking note of her growing shivers. "So, anyway. You don't have to fret, Ba'an. In fact, I think I have an even better idea, which is for you to take a look at Eirene if you don't want to leave for your not-vuti instead. I mean, you don't have to—I'm going to have a doctor with me when we go up there to make the trade—but you can come if you want, just in case. I think she might like having a woman-doctor instead of a man-doctor, you know? On account of...well. The bandits."

Ah. A peace-offering. Ba'an sighed. "I will not return to my not-vuti, Lukios. I would prefer to go with you in a wagon—"

"No. Absolutely not—"

"—but I understand you have chosen men you have fought alongside already." She glared at him. "Do not interrupt me. That is rude."

He held up his hands. "Got it, got it. Heh." They stood, and Lukios wrapped a towel around himself as well, then reached over and squeezed the water from her hair. "I mean, I appreciate the thought, sweetheart. But this is...well, like I keep saying. It's outlander business, and I don't think it's a good idea for you to go up as...you know? But I think Eirene would be lucky to have you there, just in case."

"If you wish for me to care for Eirene, I will do so." And he was correct besides; Ba'an did not think a girl who had been abused for five months would wish to be cared for by a man, doctor or not. It was wise for him to think of this.

He leaned over to kiss her again, gently. "Thanks, Ba'an." His smile was beatific now that he had gotten his way—again.

Yes, Lukios did also have a talent for getting his way. It was maddening, though she could not bring herself to be angry; why would she be? He was clever and kind and strong, and he wished to marry her, and...she...

...had to tell him.

Ba'an had thought of it all day in his absence. Had thought of Arete. Lukios could choose another woman—many other women—if he so wished. Ba'an knew that she would never feel quite as happy as she should if she won him through deceit; she would always wonder if he would have married her over Arete or some other Dolkoi'ri woman of rank for as long as she held her secret, and with each passing month, each passing year, her happiness would dwindle as her lies grew.

She could not marry him with this lie between them. She had to tell him, even if...

Even if it led to him leaving her. It was his choice; she could not take it from him.

But not now. After. After this task was finished—when he could afford the distraction. Not now.

Ah. Excuses, excuses. You are very good at those, it seems.

Ba'an grimaced. I did not ask for your opinion. Be silent.

Or else what, abomination? You'll kill me? Again? Ha. Do a proper job of it this time, so I do not have to sit through your pathetic mewling.

"Something wrong?" Lukios put his arm around her as they picked up their things and made their way to the changing room.

"It is nothing," she said. "It is good that Eirene will be rescued soon."

"Oh boy," said Lukios. "You can say that again. Still have to convince 'Kles and Pitie to come along. I think Pitie'll do it, but he works better when 'Kles is around, you know? Not saying there's anything wrong with him. Just...I don't know, 'Kles is good at explaining it so he gets it quick." Lukios shrugged. "Must be experience, or something like that."

"Who else will you take with you? Have you decided?"

"Yeah. I'm still waiting on Aristos to get here. If we're lucky Altus'll come along, but I'm not holding my breath. It's a long ways from Heliopolis up to Kyros, and I'm not even sure if my messenger made it. But Aristos'll come for sure, and he'll bring whoever he can muster."

"Aristos? Altus?"

Lukios only smiled. "Yeah. Altus is my third. I heard he went back down to Heliopolis when I, uh, 'died', so he's a bit out of ways. Aristos is my—well, he's my second. He's also my brother, so you don't have to wo—"

"He is?" Ba'an stared up at him, curious now. "You have not mentioned him before."

"Well, he's not a Helios." Lukios shrugged. "We're pretty much the same, 'cept he was never adopted by anyone." He paused, then added, "Half-brother, if you're counting, I guess."

"Oh." Ba'an felt her brows knit. What did that mean, exactly? That they were 'the same'? "On your mother's side or—" But Lukios was already shaking his head.

"No, no. He's...um. As far as we know, he's from...the same man." Ba'an tried to catch his eye, but he was staring straight ahead—deliberately. 'The same man.' Not 'father.'

Ba'an suspected Lukios was not fond of the man who had sired him. It was time to tread lightly. "Oh. So your mother...she only had you?"

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

The answer came fast. "Yes." Lukios looked at her and smiled again, but disturbingly, it did not seem to reach his eyes.

Sometimes, discretion was the better part of valour. It was time to change the subject.

"I am glad you have blood-relations coming to your aid, Lukios."

"Oh," Lukios' eyes warmed. "Not sure you'd say that if you met him. I half-think his face would crack if he smiled, ha." He put his arm around her. "But he's a softy once he likes you. Just, uh...takes time." He chuckled. "And pretty thick skin. But I think the two of you'd get along once you bust his balls a bit."

"I do not...'bust balls', Lukios." Ba'an did not bother to keep the exasperation from her tone. "Why are outlanders so violent?"

"Huh? Vio—oh." Lukios began to shake with laughter. "No, no, that's not what that means. It just means, uh..." He glanced at her face and his laughter ceased being so silent. "You just have to be yourself, sweetheart. Just let him have it 'til he gets it. Ha."

"Dolkoi'ri humor is not funny, Lukios."

"Awww. Ba'an. I'm just teasing. He'll behave if he knows what's good for him, and if he didn't you really would bust his balls. You know it."

"I would not strike him in his..." She wrinkled her nose. "Manhood."

He covered his mouth. "Really not what that means." He kissed her temple, pulling her closer and putting his arms around her. "And he'll come around. You are adorable. A blind man would find you adorable. A deaf man would find you adorable. A—"

"I understand, Lukios."

"Yeah?" He tucked her hair behind her ears, looking down at her with that soft, sweet expression that made her heart rebel in her chest. "Do you?" He pulled her against him so she was pressed against him, skin to skin, pressed so she could feel his pulse in his thigh and belly, his heart in his chest. Ba'an made an effort to keep her expression calm, only raising an eyebrow. "'Cause I don't think you do." Then he grinned and leaned back. "But I can wait."

And then he stepped away and began to dress.

Ba'an scowled. "Very funny."

"I'm not joking." She could tell he was still grinning even as his voice was muffled by the tunic going over his head. "I'm just being patient. Like I said." His head popped out from beneath his tunic and he finished, "And do you want our wedding in the spring or summer? We can push for winter, but then it'd have to be indoors." Well, at this rate, it was Lukios whose face would crack in half, not his brother.

She snorted and began to dress. "Ah, yes. Your legendary modesty and complete lack of nonsense. Why would any woman say no?"

Snickering, he came behind her and helped her, wrapping her in the Dolkoi'ri dress and closing the clasps. "That's right," he cooed. "I'm humble and modest and completely at your command. Just say the word, sweetheart. Just say the word." And his hands were still on her, stroking her through the fabric slowly, warm and gentle. He made a very fetching picture in flickering torchlight; the light struck his hair just right so the strands glinted like threads of gold. Her mouth was already curving upward of its own volition.

Ba'an stepped away and cleared her throat, flustered.

He noticed, of course. As usual, he moved in like a hawk. "Here, sweetheart. Why don't you sit and I'll get your sandals on you?" Now there was an invitation she did not need twice. Dolkoi'ri sandals had very odd straps. They were sturdy, but odd. She watched his blond head as he crisscrossed the straps and tied them in half the time it would have taken her—or would have, if he had not occasionally paused to wriggle her toes with his fingers. Ha. No nonsense, indeed.

The talk of weddings brought to mind the lonely young woman she had met in the gardens.

"Lukios?"

"Hm?"

"Do Dolkoi'ri men keep their mistresses a secret from their wives?"

“What? Do—?" Lukios' head snapped up so quickly that she thought it might snap off. "I don't have a mistress. I'm never getting one. Ba'an."

She blinked at him. "I was not speaking of you."

And now he was doing a very good imitation of a cave fish out of water. A beat, then his expression cleared. "Oh. I guess you’ve met Kallisto then. Young, green eyes, hair to put a torch to shame?”

“I did not say I met anyone.”

“Ha. Promised not to say anything, huh? Don’t worry, my lips are sealed. And we don’t, though a man ought to be discreet, I guess.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, it’s rude to introduce your mistress to a guest before your wife, right? I mean, I guess some men do but it’s considered indecent. And Gaios is a stickler, so…poor Kallisto got shut up in her rooms.”

Ba’an frowned. Oh, of course he did. Why not just shut a woman up inside her rooms, like an errant strifa or a pet crocha? She bit her tongue. This was not Lukios’ fault; it would not be fair to get angry with him.

“’Kallisto’ is a very Dolkoi’ri name.” She did not look Dolkoi’ri at all. Ba'an had never seen anyone so pale; even Epitus was darker.

“Yeah. I don’t think that’s the name she had before.”

“She was given a new name?”

“It’s pretty common with slaves.”

“She is a bedslave?”

“Well, I think she’s a concubine now, but she used to be? Something like that. My mother didn’t name me Lukios either. She used to call me Farhad when we were alone.”

“Oh." She opened her mouth then reconsidered before speaking. "Do you…like being called Lukios? Or…?”

“Ha! Don’t fret, Ba’an. I’ve been Lukios for years now. It’s more comfortable. I’m not sure I’d turn my head if someone called me ‘Farhad’.”

“Oh.” How sad. Ba’an could not imagine not being Ba’an.

As usual, he sensed her melancholy. He stood, putting his arm around her waist and picking up the basket of their things with his other hand. “You can call me whatever you want.” He kissed the top of her head through her shawl then continued cheerfully, “You can do whatever you want to me, too. I’m game.”

She tilted her head to the side. "You said I cannot order you around."

"Awww. Ba'an. Fine. You caught me. I lied. I was bluffing. You can order me to do anything and I'll do it. Anything at all." She snorted, and he chuckled. "Really! Really!" His voice dropped and went husky. "In fact, I'll prove it. How 'bout we go and find a nice, quiet little—"

“Taverna. I am hungry."

He laughed. "Okay. How about after that we—"

"What happens when a concubine has a child?"

"—What?"

"Because she is pregnant. But Gaios already has a wife and children. So what will he do with his new children?" Ba'an frowned. There were many orphaned children in Kyros, hungry and desperate. This did not happen in a saa-vuti vur. "Does he raise them in the home? Or...no, his wife will not like it. So perhaps she will stay here. But what of their other children? Do they not squabble often about inheritance?" This was another thing that did not happen in a saa-vuti vur; their wealth was not in things. It was in honour, which could be gained in many ways through hardship, and lost in as many ways as well—as she had lost hers.

But Illos was different. They traded their children for coin. Ba'an could not imagine a concubine's child living in peace and contentment.

...Was Nikias not the child of a concubine? Did he blame his mother for his childhood? But why? Why not blame his father, who had not bothered to divorce his wife for his Sander woman? Did he not deserve some blame also?

She felt her nose wrinkle. The more she thought about it, the more she disliked the man; despite what he claimed, she suspected he was even more emotional and unreasonable than Lukios. Ba'an was of the opinion that someone ought to disabuse him of his delusions, and—

Lukios was still silent. Odd.

Ba'an turned her face to look up at him. "Lukios?"

He blinked, and turned to her with his usual smile. "Oh, right. Uh...well, that depends on the man, doesn't it? But...Ba'an." His voice had gone very quiet. "Did you tell anyone? That she's pregnant?"

"No. It is very early. She may lose it without ever knowing, at this stage." Sometimes it happened that way.

"Good. Ba'an, don't say a word. And you're right, they do squabble over inheritance, and sometimes that involves lots of dead bodies."

"Ah." But of course it did. This was Illos.

He shook his head. "Damn. Okay, let's finish up quick and get out of Kyros. Gods. That's...that's gonna be messy. And if it's a boy?" He shook his head again. "We do not want to be here when his wife finds out. We want to be really, really gone."

Lukios greeted the attendant with good cheer as he returned the basket of bath things, though the man pointedly ignored them. He seemed to be taking money from what Ba'an surmised was the morning crowd.

"Mhm. I think we should buy you that goat. And get the rest of your shopping done and pack it so it's ready to go. And I have to go up to the temple anyway, so we may as well do it all today." He sighed, then perked up. "But we'll have time to ourselves tonight!" He grinned and wriggled his eyebrows. "Right? Right?"

"Perhaps."

"Aw, Ba'an. Come on. That's just mean. You missed me. You want me to yourself allll night. Admit it."

"I said perhaps." She sniffed at him. "It will not happen if I die of hunger, Lukios."

He laughed at that. "Whatever you want, sweetheart. Whatever you want. Meat buns again? Or...oh! I know. There's this little place just up the street a ways. I think it's still here. They make this really great compote..."

They stepped out of the side street and onto the main thoroughfare. "...And then let's go get you that goat!"