Warrehn didn’t say anything for a long time.
At last, he said, “You should forget about him. On Calluvia, marriage is for life. You know that.”
Of course he knew that. Things weren’t all that different on Tai’Lehr, either. Although divorce was possible on Tai’Lehr, it rarely happened, because people usually married only when they found a decent Fit. Natural compatibility only got better with time, so divorce was practically unheard of.
On Calluvia, divorce wasn’t possible legally, since childhood bonds were never meant to be broken. Of course, that might change with the recent amendment to the Bonding Law, which allowed people to petition for dissolution of their childhood bond. But last Rohan heard, only three petitions out of thousands had been approved by the Council and the High Hronthar. He didn’t have much hope that things would really change anytime soon.
“It wouldn’t matter,” Rohan said with a bitter smile. “Jamil would hardly want to ditch his throne and his fairy-tale romance to run away with me.”
“I don’t know him well, but a man happy with his fairy-tale romance wouldn’t look at you the way he did.”
Rohan told himself not to ask. That way led only to madness.
But of course he did.
“And how did he look at me?” he said, his back still to Warrehn. He had noticed Jamil’s gaze, of course, but he didn’t trust his own judgment when it came to this. He was afraid he was just seeing what he wanted to see.
“The way a married man has no business looking at a man who isn’t his husband,” Warrehn said gruffly. “You two couldn’t have been more obvious.”
“You have the advantage of being a Class 6 telepath. If we really were that obvious, other people would have noticed, too.”
“Maybe they did, but they could hardly come forward and accuse their married Crown Prince of staring hungrily at his lord-vassal.”
Rohan let out a laugh. “Don’t be ridiculous. He barely looked at me.”
Warrehn snorted. “Sure. But when he did, he looked like he’d drop to his knees and suck your cock right there if you told him to.”
The cock in question twitched from the image. Rohan couldn’t help but imagine Jamil’s plump, red lips wrapped around his cock right there in the throne room, those green eyes looking up at him dazedly as Jamil sucked him off in front of his own court. Jamil would absolutely get off on it, too, on being watched by his own subjects as he pleasured Rohan.
Warrehn cleared his throat. “Whatever you’re thinking about, please do it when I’m not in the room,” he grunted. “Because ugh. Gross.”
“That’s rich, coming from you,” Rohan said.
“At least I never fucked a married crown prince of my own grand clan. Aren’t you two related?”
“Fuck you. All nobles are related if you want to be pedantic about it. Our ancestors being brothers a few thousand years ago is hardly a close relation.”
“Point. But a daughter, really? Have you lost your mind?”
Rohan pulled a face, suppressing the urge to tell him how beautiful and precious Tmynne was. He knew what Warrehn meant, of course. He had no right to give away his firstborn. It could lead to a succession dispute if anyone found out.
“He asked,” Rohan said shortly.
Warrehn’s silence spoke louder than any words.
At last, Warrehn said, “You know you’re like a brother to me.”
Rohan braced himself. It was never a good sign when Warrehn voluntarily talked about feelings. But of course Rohan knew that he was the closest thing to family Warrehn had had for the past nineteen years. Warrehn had been a ten-year-old kid when he’d come to live with them at Lehr Manor. No one quite knew how to treat him, as Warrehn was something between a prisoner and guest, until a seventeen-year-old Rohan had taken him under his wing. Gradually, he became genuinely fond of that unsmiling, grim-eyed boy, and they built something of a friendship that grew only stronger as Warrehn became older.
“I used to look up to you when I was a kid,” Warrehn said, his voice gruff. “I used to think that you had an answer for everything, always so confident and in control. I’ve never seen you like this: doing stupid, reckless things that can get you in a shitload of trouble if people find out. To be honest, it’s a bit of a relief, to know that you’re only a man. But I wish you’d chosen some other way to fuck up. Because this? Is beyond a fuck-up. You’re fucked, and you’re going to drag all of us down with you when this blows up in your face.”
Rohan’s shoulders hunched.
“I know, okay?” he bit out.
“Are you going to stay away from him, then?”
Rohan gritted his teeth.
He tried to say yes.
He wanted to say yes.
But nothing came out.
Chapter 30
Jamil couldn’t sleep.
He felt too restless and warm, for reasons he tried not to think about, tried being the key word.