Work Text:
He didn’t know what he was looking for.
It had been two years since he had seen any of the Cadre. The former Cadre, he reminded himself bitterly. Two years since everything he’d known had fallen apart, and he’d been left on his own, with no idea of his place in the world.
Vaughan had never been overly sentimental. The Cadre had been the closest thing he had to a home in his life, even with the constant looming of Maeve over them. They were friends, brothers, and comrades all rolled into one.
But then the war had ended, and he’d been left on his own.
He knew he could have sought them out – knew that all of the living members now resided in the court of Aelin Galathynius. The female who had waltzed into their lives, supposedly mated with Rowan and ended Maeve and her reign. Rowan, who was now sworn to her. Fenrys too, considering without Connall he was likely lost and desperate for a sense of normalcy. How she’d strongarmed Lorcan into taking a Blood Oath, he’d never know.
He couldn’t he’d been sorry to see Meave dead, but feeling the Blood Oath snap as she died had hit him with a harder realization than he’d ever have realized.
Fenrys had sought him out, and nearly caught him when he’d been sloppy on evening in Doranelle. But Vaughan had evaded him, escaping a confrontation that he waasn’t ready for.
A confrontation he was now walking right into.
The castle at Perranth was mostly rebuilt from the war, and when he’d passed through and heard that Fenrys had taken up residence, he hadn’t been able to resist.
If Fenrys killed him, he would probably deserve it. He wasn’t there enemy, but he hadn’t done anything to let them think otherwise.
So here he was, creeping up the wall towards one of the lower towers. He just needed to find Fenrys. To talk….to fight, maybe. Maybe he would turn out to be as much of a coward now as he had been a year ago in Doranelle.
Scaling the stone wall, he pulled himself onto the ledge of a window. There was no light within, but a figure sleeping within the bed. He ever-so-gently pressed on the window latch, revealing that it was unlocked.
So it wasn’t Fen’s room. He wouldn’t leave the window unlocked while he was sleeping.
Popping the latch, Vaughan lowered his legs through the window, dropping soundlessly to the floor. The figure in the bed – female, from the delicate scent that reached his nose – didn’t stir. He had no quarrel with her, and moving silently wasn’t difficult for him. There was no trace of Fenrys’ scent in this room, not that he’d expected there to be, but there was a familiar scent. He couldn’t place his finger on it, so he made for the doorway.
His hand was on the doorknob when a sleepy voice mumbled, “Are you back already?”
He froze. He didn’t know who she was waiting for, but maybe if he whispered, she would fall back asleep and he could slip through.
His hesitation couldn’t have been more than a second, but it was too long.
The woman pushed herself up on her elbow. “Who are-“
He lunged across the room, drawing his knife in one easy motion and holding it to her throat. It was only the fact that his friend was in the castle that he didn’t slit her throat immediately. He didn’t want to kill her if he didn’t have to – didn’t want something else standing between him and reuniting with his friends.
“If you scream, I will kill you.” He said quietly.
The woman swallowed, wincing as his knife cut into her skin. The room was dark, but he could still make out the long dark hair that surrounded her face like a halo of darkness. Her nightgown had slipped over her shoulder.
“I’m not going to scream.” She whispered, her voice calm. The smell of her fear permeated the air.
Vaughan thought for a moment, the only sound in the room the woman’s shaky breathing. He wouldn’t kill her. He wouldn’t have another innocent’s blood on his hands. Even though it already was staining his blade from a shallow slice in her throat.
But he couldn’t leave her awake.
“For what it’s worth, I am sorry about this.” Quick as lighting, he brought his arm back, preparing to strike her head with the hilt of the knife. She would wake up hours later, with a headache and a story to tell.
He didn’t get the chance.
A growl came from behind him, and before he’d even registered that there was someone else there, a hand had clasped around his forearm and flung him back into the wall.
He rose quickly, baring his teeth.
A feral snarl came from the figure, who now stood between him and the bed. A massive, hulking form with tendrils of darkness swirling around him. And all at once, Vaughan realized who the scent had belonged to.
“Lorcan!” He exclaimed, relaxing his position.
“Vaughan.” Lorcan lunged for him, apparently not reassured that it was his old…he wasn’t sure if him and Lorcan had ever been friends.
The two of them went crashing into a dressing table, wood splintering around them as Lorcan clawed for the knife.
The woman screamed. “Lorcan! Stop it!” She was scrambling out of bed.
Vaughan glanced at her as he struggled to hold back Lorcan’s hands from where they reached for his throat.
Lorcan lifted him up, slamming his head into the floor with renewed vigor.
Head ringing, Vaughan struggled to lift his hands to push away Lorcan’s raised fist.
Someone pulled Lorcan back, pushing him in the direction of the bed.
Vaughan scrambled to his feet, realizing that it was Fenrys who stood between then. He kept his back to Vaughan, trying to keep Lorcan away. As if Lorcan was the intruder in the night.
“Lorcan, it’s okay. You need to calm down.” The woman’s voice was soothing as she ran her hands over Lorcan’s shoulders. He snarled once more in Vaughan’s direction, before turning to the woman.
“Get him out of here.” She ordered. “We’ll meet you in the parlor in just a minute.”
Vaughan didn’t resist as Fenrys grabbed his arm and hauled him out the door.
“What were you thinking?” Fenrys hissed.
“I…I was looking for you.” Vaughan shook his head in an attempt to clear the ringing from his mind. “I wasn’t expecting Lorcan to be there.”
“You weren’t expecting Lorcan to be here, in Perranth?” Fenrys scoffed, further confusing Vaughan.
Fenrys pushed them through a door into what appeared to be the parlor. A selection of cushioned chairs and couches arranged around a roaring fire, with lamps lit on the walls.
Vaughan let himself be dropped into a chair, breathing heavily with something like shock.
“I looked for you, you know.” Fenrys leaned against the wall.
“I know.” Vaughan nodded. “I…I wasn’t sure where we all stood.
“And now?”
“Now…I decided I didn’t really care.” Vaughan looked up at him. Fenrys looked…normal. Not at all like someone who wanted to kill him, and not like the grief-stricken brother he’d pictured. “I’m sorry about Connall.” He said quietly.
“Me too.” Fenrys’ jaw tightened.
They were silent for a few moments, before Vaughan decided to ask. “What was wrong with Lorcan? Is he drunk?”
Fenrys shook his head. “You really don’t know?”
“Know what?”
“Who’s bedroom you just stumbled into?”
Vaughan blinked. “What? The human woman? I have to say, Lorcan has let a lot of women warm his bed but I didn’t think she was his type.”
“She-“ Lorcan’s voice was tight as he stepped through the door, tense all over as he stood next to the door. “is my wife. And the Lady of Perranth.”
Vaughan’s jaw dropped open. “So you just…”
“Walked in on you about to murder my mate, yes.” Lorcan moved forward.
“Lorcan.” The woman stepped through the door. She’d pulled on a light blue dress, but hadn’t brushed her hair. In the firelight, it was easy to see the drops of blood drying on her neck. “There’s no need to be rude.”
Lorcan glared at him again, before looking to the woman – his wife.
Lorcan was married. To a human, no less. A small, delicate, fragile human.
As his eyes drifted lower, to the large bump that pulled against the fabric of her dress, he realized that she was pregnant.
He swallowed.
“I called Finnula.” Lorcan said quietly, his hands impossibly gentle as he helped her into a seat. “She’ll bring up some bandages for your neck.”
“It’s just a scratch.” She reassured him, holding his hand where it had rested on his shoulder, before she turned to Vaughan.
“I assume you’re Vaughan.” Her eyes were dark, focused on him with an uncomfortable intensity.
“Yes,” He remembered Lorcan’s comment early. “Your Ladyship.”
She let out a little laugh and waved her hand dismissively. “Please, you’re Lorcan’s friend. Just call me Elide.”
“He is not my friend.” Lorcan grumbled out. “He just tried to kill you.”
“I wasn’t…trying to kill you.” Vaughan offered.
Lorcan made to move forward, but Elide didn’t release her grip on his hand, and he let himself be held back. “As if that matters!” He hissed. “You had a knife to her throat! I should kill you.”
“I didn’t know she was your mate.” Vaughan tried to explain. “I thought she was some serving girl or –“
“Vaughan, maybe you should stop talking.” Fenrys winced.
“It’s fine. I know you weren’t going to kill me.” Elide offered him a smile, but before he could cut in, Lorcan was trying to reason with her.
“He had a knife to your throat.” He protested. “He hurt you. He hurt you and you’re…you’re…this is why I didn’t want to go out.”
“Why? Because you thought your former friend might be sneaking in through our bedroom window?” Her voice was teasing.
Lorcan let out an exasperated sigh, but he was looking at this woman with something in his eyes that Vaughan had never seen from him. He realized with a start that it was love. Somehow the cold, heartless Lorcan that he’d known for centuries was married to a human, expecting a child, and utterly in love with her.
He understood then why Lorcan had responded with such rage at finding him in the room. He hadn’t cared that it was Vaughan. He had seen a male threatening his pregnant mate, and he’d tried to eliminate the threat.
And somehow, she’d talked him down.
“I’m sorry.” Vaughan offered. “And…congratulations, on the…” He couldn’t bring himself to say baby.
Lorcan was still glaring at him.
“Thank you.” Elide smiled.
“You should go lie down.” Lorcan was smoothing her hair down, though it looked like it might be more to calm himself than his wife.
“And leave you three alone, not a chance.” She laughed. “I love Fen too much to let you guys rip him apart.”
Fenrys laughed at that, moving away from the wall. “Appreciated, El. Do you need anything?”
“I’m fine.” She reassured him. It seemed that this human had two protective fae males around her.
“Why are you even here?” Lorcan asked him. “We looked for you. Fenrys looked for you. We figured you didn’t want to be found and now you show up in the middle of the night and-“
“Lorcan.” Elide warned. “How about you let him answer before you try and kill him again.”
Vaughan wrung his hands as he tried to describe what had happened. How he’d followed word of where Fenrys was after deciding that he was ready to try and make amends. And that he’d had no idea that Lorcan would be here.
“My wife is the Lady of Perranth, of course I’m here.” Lorcan grumbled, but he no longer seemed to be at immediate risk of committing murder.
“If she’s the Lady, then what does that make you?” Vaughan asked.
Lorcan frowned. “Lord of Perranth.”
“Hmm, that’s not the full title.” Fenrys chuckled.
Lorcan mumbled something so quietly that none of them could hear it.
Vaughan was clearly missing out on some kind of a joke.
“I didn’t quite hear that?” Elide looked up at him, teasing. “Did you, Fen?”
“Not at all, El.”
Fen? El? Clearly they were a lot closer than Vaughan had thought.
Lorcan wasn’t going to play into their little joke, so Fenrys decided to help out.
“Vaughan, you are honored by the presence of Lord Lorcan Lochan, Lord of Perranth.”
A laugh forced his way out of his throat before he could contain it.
“I can still kill you.” Lorcan appeared to be blushing.
“No he can’t.” Elide smiled brightly. “I won’t let him.”
“I’m still going to beat him to a pulp.” Lorcan promised. “You can’t stop me from doing that.”
“That’s if he’s here long enough for you to do it.” Fenrys reminded. “So, Vaughan, are you here to stay?”
Vaughan blanched at the question. He hadn’t really considered what he would do beyond locating Fenrys. He hadn’t expected to see Lorcan, and he certainly hadn’t expected them to have established themselves in Perranth.
“I don’t…” He swallowed. “I don’t know how the Queen would feel about it.”
“Aelin?” Elide scoffed. “Don’t worry about her.”
“She is the Queen.” Vaughan tried to explain. “I’ve never…she might think I’m still…”
“But you’re not, are you?” Lorcan asked. “Aelin will accept you, if you ask.”
“And you’re welcome to stay here, until you decide.” Elide added. “I can’t protect you from Lorcan, but if you’re willing to help out, you’ll be welcome here as long as you like.”
He bowed his head then, to this small human who seemed utterly willing to let him into her home. And only a few short minutes after he’d held a knife to her throat.
“I can work.” He nodded. “I can do whatever you need help with.”
“I help with the castle guard.” Fenrys said. “You can join in with me.”
They all looked at Lorcan.
He sighed, before looking down at his wife. “The guard still isn’t what I want it to be. We have pockets of resistance that are still causing trouble and with…well, I wouldn’t actually mind more help.”
“Resistance?” Vaughan asked. “Have there been problems?”
“Three of them got into the castle a few months ago.” Elide exclaimed. “We’ve been building up the guard ever since.”
“But you’re due in two months, and I don’t want to take any risks.” Lorcan closed his eyes, before turning to Vaughan. “You can stay, on two conditions.”
Vaughan waited for him to continue.
“One, you have to swear that you’ll do everything in your power to protect Perranth, and Elide. You’re not blood sworn to the kingdom like we are, and I need your promise that you won’t betray us.”
“I won’t.” He said honestly.
“And second,” Lorcan smiled. “I get to take you out to the training yard tomorrow and make you pay for this.” He traced a finger along the cut on Elide’s neck.
Vaughan bared his teeth. “If you think you can win.”
“Alright then,” Elide struggled to her feet. Vaughan noticed then that she held her weight on one foot. Was she injured? There seemed to be more to the Lady of Perranth than he had originally believed. “I’ll leave you three fools to sort that out. I’ll go to Finnula and then back to bed.”
“I’m coming too.” Lorcan took her arm, leaving no room for argument. “Fenrys, deal with him.”
Elide looked over her shoulder as they walked from the room. “It’s nice to meet you Vaughan. I hope you will feel at home here.”
When the door closed behind them, Vaughan turned to Fenrys. “Do you care to explain what is going on?”