The Aftermath

"Kylara, say something." Kane said hoarsely as I began to walk from the stables.

Despite my fury, I paused at the pain in his voice.

"What would you like me to say?" I asked without turning around. I pulled his jacket tighter around me.

He made a choked noise in his throat, "Say you understand why I did it, that you forgive." His voice was thick with desperation. I imagined his hand raking through his dark, glossy hair. "Say you love me." He added softly.

His tone sent a stab of pain lancing through my heart and I flinched. It was true that I cared for him deeply. I couldn't deny that anymore, not after how lost I'd felt hearing that female say he'd claim her. I knew I had loved him once. Those feelings had been as clear as starlight to me, but now? To say I was confused was an understatement.

"I don't know." I replied with a lifeless sigh. Turning to face him, I said, "I need time to think."

Kane's face was so pale and stricken, tears welled up in my eyes unbidden.

"I came here to become free." I explained slowly. "I would have been disowned and free at the end of the season. You have robbed me of that, like you robbed me of the chance to save her." Kane's hands fisted at his sides. I shook my head. My throat was too tight to speak.

Kane took a deep breath, "I'll talk to your uncle in the morning. I'll try to- I won't tell him I compromised you. I'll just accept your offer."

"Will you have to claim that female, if you don't tell him what happened?" I asked.

Kane's face became grave, "I won't do it. They can disown me, if they want. I don't need them." The implications of his last statement struck me. My hand clenched involuntarily in his jacket as I lowered my gaze to the ground.

"I can't promise that I will forgive you soon, but I can promise it will never happen if you claim her." I said firmly.

I took a deep breath and lifted my eyes to Kane. He met my gaze evenly and nodded.

"I'll go ask Prince Pharon to keep quiet about this." I replied with a tight smile.

"Kylara-" Kane began. His arm reached out to me. I stepped back and turned away. Then I left.

***

Kane lowered his clenched fist.

"You were lying, right?" Ishmael said in his mind.

Kane stiffened as Ishmael pulled his consciousness inward, into their mind.

Kane still hadn't gotten used to conversing this way. They were in a black empty room. The floor was black and their surroundings were black. In the room there was just Kane and Ishmael, whose form now looked like a mirror of himself, except for his eyes. Ishmael's eyes were a bright burning blue.

"Tell me you were lying about not telling him we compromised her." Ishmael demanded clenching his fists.

Kane grimaced. He wanted to tell Mr. Goldleaf that he'd compromised Kylara but that would be another betrayal. She had enough to forgive him for already.

"This is what we wanted!" Ishmael said angrily. "We did it. If we tell him, she is ours."

Kane raked a hand through his hair, "There is a difference between her being with us out of obligation, because we forced her and because she wants us."

Ishmael frowned, "What's ours is ours. What does that matter as long as we can have her?"

In the stables, Kane slammed his fist into the wooden gate of the stall. Wood splintered as his knuckles cracked open.

"I want her to want me. I want her to be with me because she returns my feelings and doesn't want to be without me. Why don't you understand that?" He shouted at Ishmael.

Ishmael crossed his arms over his chest, "We can make that happen. I know how females are and what they like-"

"There is a difference between lust and love." Kane snapped.

Kane forced himself to remember Kylara as she'd been ten years ago. The image of her radiantly smiling face filled the blackness surrounding them. Kane showed Ishmael the way she used to look at him. He showed him her shining blue eyes, the softness of her features, the welcoming warmth of her laugh as they played together.

Kane felt his heart clench. Would she ever look at him like that again?

Ishmael fell silent staring at Kane's memory of Kylara.

Then abruptly the image shrank and beside it appeared Kylara as she'd looked in the clearing. Her wide eyed, slightly fearful expression made a sharp contrast to the softness and warmth in Kane's memory.

Kane watched Ishmael grimaced. Ishmael waved his hand and these two images disappeared.

Suddenly, Kane's mind was inundated with thousands of images of females, smiling, pouting, in the throes of passion. However, the images were fleeting and replaced by the next, before Kane could get more than a vague impression of the female.

As more and more images filled his mind, Ishmael's expression became more disgruntled, until he glowered.

At last Kane's memory of Kylara filled his mind once more. Ishmael stared at it wordlessly.

"Don't you want her to look at you like that too?" Kane asked pleadingly. He and Ishmael had crossed a line. He needed Ishmael to understand that so he wouldn't do it again and ruin their chances with Kylara for good.

Ishmael turned to face him, "What do you mean crossed a line?" Kane gaped at his clouded face.

"We- We were wrong to force her into that situation. She was scared. I shouldn't have been so weak." Kane stuttered.

"If we hadn't done that, we may have lost her." Ishmael replied coldly.

Kane's jaw worked, "Even if we may lose her, we can't do that again. If we use force, we will definitely lose her."

Ishmael stared at him for a long moment. A partition appeared out of the blackness. Kane was familiar with this. That partition marked Ishmael's private area. Kane was not allowed to see or hear anything that went on behind it.

Slowly, Ishmael walked to the door in the partition wall. As Ishmael's hand grasped the door handle, Kane saw him turn and look back at his memory of Kylara. Then Ishmael entered the partition, slamming the door behind him.

Kane's attention returned to the stables and the present. Slowly, he made his way to his rooms.

***

Pharon knocked on the door to his father's office. He couldn't conceal the smile on his face at what had just occurred.

The Cow had been compromised by someone else. He was free! Even his father couldn't make him claim her now.

Pharon's smile fell as he remembered her question from the archery contest. 'How would you define a female of worth?'

Pharon's fist clenched. Well, his definition certainly wouldn't include an improper Cow.

Impatiently, he knocked again.

"Enter." His father calmly replied through the door. Pharon nodded to himself and went in.

Swallowing most of his smile, he said, "Father, I have news. The Cow- Kylara- Miss Adamare has been compromised." The corners of his mouth bowed upward ever so slightly.

His father smiled at him and Pharon froze. Several years had passed since his father had last looked at him like that. "Well done, my son." The King said, "I hadn't expected you to succeed so soon."

Pharon's face fell. His father had entirely misunderstood. Now his disappointment would be that much worse.

Pharon swallowed hard, "I- I didn't do it, Father. I didn't compromise her." He admitted.

His father froze, then blinked. His fingers started drumming on the desk.

"Who did it?" He asked coldly.

"K-Kane Essenvir." Pharon mumbled at the deadly expression on his father's face. His father's fingers began moving faster.

"Marquis Essenvir, heir to Duke Essenvir?" The King asked.

Pharon shook his head, "He is the son of the Duke's brother."

His father's eyes lost all expression, "How many people know of this? I would have assumed your mother would be the one to trumpet this about."

Pharon paled and clenched his fists, "I haven't told anyone but you, Father." He answered with a sinking feeling in his stomach.

The King smiled coldly, "Then it appears that you must have a talk with this Kane Essenvir. Explain to him how he saw you compromising Miss Adamare. If he insists on lying tell him that I have several promising wards and his father can pick his new heir." Pharon wiped the sweat from his forehead at the sight of his father's vicious smile.

"As I said before, Pharon, you have done very well exceeding my expectations in this matter." The King finished.

Pharon nodded, and forced a "thank you" from his mouth before fleeing.

Once outside of the room, he headed for the training courts. He'd take out his frustrations there. Then he'd go do as his father instructed.