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But the king’s shoulders slumped. In a soft voice, he said, “Nor to me, either. I’m sorry for what happened that night, Blake. I have regrets about what I did, even though I was trying to save you. We were enemies. I noticed you right away, because of the way you looked. But I made myself turn my back on you. I heard the things you were saying to my soldier. At the time, I hoped he’d kill you quickly and not prolong it, but at the same time I hated the idea. I thought that saving you would be enough and was the only way to appease the crowd. But I didn’t want you to die. I had to do those things to you to calm the crowd.” He turned and looked back down at the fire. “I’m not sorry I did them. It was the only way. And all of the prisoners had been scheduled for execution that night, with no exceptions. A prisoner exchange to save your life was the best I could manage at the time.”
“I see.”
“I realized soon enough that we had bonded. I thought that as soon as the war was over, if I survived, then I might search for you. I’d try to explain and find a way to convince you to come to Tygeria.”
“In what capacity?”
“As my…what is a word you might understand? As my concubine.” He turned and looked at Blake. “I knew even then it was a lost cause. We had bonded and you were my nobyo. Do you know that word?”
Blake flushed and reached for the back of a chair to help keep him on his feet. “Yes. But I don’t think I can do that, Your Majesty. I made myself a promise that I’d never go back to Tygeria again.”
Chapter Five
Davos gave him a rueful smile. “I thought that was what you’d say.”
“I won’t force you. I suppose I could try and do everything in my power to gently persuade you to agree, but it’s too late, isn’t it?”
Blake sat down before his knees went out from under him. His heart felt like it was being torn from his chest. “I-I’m afraid it is.”
Davos smiled at him, a smile of such brilliance that Blake blinked and his heart, already beating way too hard, was in sudden danger of melting. This man’s charm or charisma or whatever you wanted to call it, when he chose to employ it, was downright lethal.
“I understand,” the king was saying. “I’ve seen the way men look at you and I know you must have many offers. I could give you gifts, but I don’t think you’d respond well to that. So instead, I thought I might give you exclusive rights to me as my official biographer. Recounting my experiences during the war. And my life with my children. It would take a while, and that will give you a chance to get to know me. My aides have been after me for years to have someone write my life’s history, and I’d like it to be you. You can stay here, interview me, follow me around, do whatever you need to do. At least long enough to get all the material you’ll need.” He sat down beside Blake and took his hand. “And for me to try to convince you to come with me to Tygeria. Will you at least think about it?”
Blake found himself nodding as he gazed deeply into Davos’s eyes. He smiled ruefully and nodded. “Yes, I’ll think about it. I don’t believe I’ll be able to think about much of anything else.”
“Good. Thank you, Blake.”
He brought the back of Blake’s hand up to his lips, and he bent to brush them over Blake’s skin. “In the meantime, I don’t think you’ve dined. Have dinner with me tonight—I’ve ordered things I think you’ll like, with my son-in-law Ryan’s help. And while we eat, you can ask me anything you like. About any subject.”
“I-I’d like that, but I need to go back to my hotel first and shower. Change my clothes.”
“I’ve taken the liberty of checking you out of that room and into one here. I believe I know who set off the explosion. But it will take me some time to deal with it. In the meantime, I’d like to keep you close for your own safety.”
“My safety? Or is this because of Mikos’s suspicions?”
“No. I told you I don’t believe in his theories. I’m concerned about your safety, and I’d like you to stay near me.”
“That’s all well and good, but I can’t afford even one night in this hotel.”
“That’s all been taken care of.”
“I can’t let you do that.” At the king’s raised eyebrow, Blake amended that statement. “I mean, it’s terribly nice of you, Your Majesty, but I’ll…”
“I insist. It’s my idea, after all. My aides have already packed everything in your room and brought it here. Your room is down one floor, so you’ll have your privacy. Go and do what you need to do, and I’ll see you back here in say…two hours? Will that be enough time?”
Blake nodded, feeling a little stunned by how fast things were going. Davos smiled again and the door opened behind him. Apparently, he’d activated some hidden signal to the guards, because they’d come to escort Blake to his new room. He got to his feet and Davos stepped closer to take his hand in his. He didn’t shake it, at least not in the human way, but simply held onto it, looking down at Blake.
“Try to get some rest,” he said. “And I’ll see you soon.” Blake nodded, feeling a little dazed by everything that had been said so far, and he left to go along with the guards.
When he got inside the new hotel room, which was far more luxurious than any place he’d ever stayed before, he saw his suitcase beside the bed. He opened it, making sure everything was intact. Taking his things and checking him out of his hotel had been highhanded, even for a Tygerian, and he felt resentful of it, but he was still so completely stunned by what King Davos had said to him that he was almost in a daze.
He immediately sat down on the bed and pulled out his large, work communicator from his bags to begin searching the words “Tygerian bonding.” He half believed what Davos had described was some kind of trick or at the very least some misconception or crazy notion of the king’s, although why Davos would have any interest in telling him such things made no sense at all. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how he looked at it, he found an explanation for it within just a few minutes of searching, and it was totally real. According to what he could find out, bonding wasn’t even all that rare or unusual, as Davos had seemed to imply. Many studies on the subject had found that bonding often went both ways.
When he read that last little tidbit, he felt stunned. Was that why Blake had never had any particular interest in anyone over the years? He’d told himself that it was because he was too busy building his career, but it was a fact that he just hadn’t really been all that interested in anyone. Not ever. He thought for a while that he might be asexual, or aromantic. Since the war, he’d never felt the need for a romantic relationship in order to feel complete or fulfilled and rarely found anyone he even wanted to be with for longer than a few hours.
But for maybe the first time since the war—since that excruciating encounter with Davos on Tygeria—he’d felt a strong romantic attraction to the king. Powerful and like he never wanted to be parted from him. How crazy was that? Could it be that he’d bonded with Davos all those years ago in that horrible arena too? Like Davos said he had? The idea seemed far-fetched and even a bit surreal, but he couldn’t quite get the possibility out of his mind.
After taking a new suit from his bag and hanging it in the bathroom to help steam out the wrinkles, he took a hot shower, standing under sprays that hit him from several angles. He used the expensive bath products to wash his body and hair, which still felt gritty and grimy even though he’d showered in the hospital. Feeling much improved, he wrapped himself in a large, soft towel and lay down on the bed to rest in the remaining time before dinner. Dinner with the king—how mind boggling was that?
