Chapter 152: Champion, Chapter 81: A Long Walk Stills Our Hearts

Aidan

The Realms

Fifthday, 2nd week of the 11th month, Age of the Chosen 1

Mid-Evening

Ceallach Macht, Mistvale Highlands

Although the first part of the Summit meeting went as well as Aidan could hope, it still took the rest of the afternoon to iron out the details. The existing treaty documents were preliminary and lacked even Aidan's signature. It wasn't until the late afternoon shadows lengthened to twilight that the assembled dignitaries signed a final version of the treaty.

What irritated Aidan the most was that no one made any major changes. To be fair, the treaty's wording had been left vague in places—such as restricted trade goods—to allow room for discussions like this. Still, the process drained him. He wasn't cut out for extended political maneuvering. Too much effort for meaningless gains.

So, when he walked into his home to find Brighid, Sunnild, and Aoife waiting for him without a stitch of clothing between them, he was torn between competing impulses. His first response was to admire the view and anticipate the evening. Coming quick on that instinct's heels, however, was a thought. They're trying to butter me up for something. Aoife and Sunnild aren't as casual about nudity as Brighid is.

When he sat down, the three of them descended on him. Sunnild straddled his lap, wasting no time before drawing him into a series of kisses. Aoife knelt behind him. Her bare breasts pressed against his back while she dug her fingers into his shoulders and neck. Brighid sat facing him, taking his hand and placing it on her chest, then reaching out with her own to caress his chest and thigh.

For a while, Aidan let go of his concerns and luxuriated in the pampering. Whatever else was coming, he couldn't deny that being the center of such pleasant attention was gratifying and relaxing. Maybe his lovers anticipated his mood? Unfortunately, after ten minutes or so of blatant hedonism, Aoife spoke.

"So, should we expect a ring upon Eldrid's finger soon?" Her words held a brittle edge.

And just like that, Aidan felt his weariness return with twice the strength. Frustration welled up within him, bubbling like magma waiting to erupt. "It was you three who threw me at her last night," he said, not answering the question. He was of two minds about the matter himself, but being confronted like this wasn't helping.

"We didn't think you'd spend all night with 'er," Sunnild said, abandoning her kisses to rest her head on Aidan's shoulder.

"Or hide what you did from us," Aoife added to the accusations.

A groan boiled out of Aidan's throat before he clamped down on it. "If you three had expectations for what happened, you should have brought them up beforehand." He turned his head to look into Brighid's emerald eyes. "I know we talked about this before." She blushed and looked away. "All three of you told me to give her a good time, so I did. If that's not what you wanted," Aidan felt his voice turning harsh but couldn't muster enough caring to tone it down, "why the Hell did you tell me it was OK?"

"It was," Brighid said in what was probably intended to be a soothing tone. "None of us are upset about you bedding her."

"Could have fooled me." The sarcasm was out of Aidan's mouth before he knew he was talking. All of a sudden, it was too much for him. He'd spent all afternoon wrangling with doublespeak, now he came home to find himself accosted by those he loved for actions they encouraged? Something he wouldn't even have done if not for them asking him to?

Enough of this. Aidan seized Sunnild by the hips, moved her off his lap, and then stood and strode back into Caer Macht's halls. Voices—fiancees, guards, even his own thoughts—called out to him, but he ignored them all. Long striding steps lengthened and quickened until Aidan broke into a sprint.

As soon as he reached the main thoroughfare, Aidan Invoked Summon Mount and leaped onto the horse's back. A quick jab of his heels set his steed galloping, racing down the cobblestones leading out of his city. He heard the sound of hooves on stone behind him, no doubt his bodyguards trying to catch up to him, but Aidan wanted to be alone. He knew it was stupid, but he was all out of fucks to give. He guided his mount into the ruined section of the city, beyond reckless as they twisted and turned through crumbling alleys and leaped over dilapidated walls.

Once the sound of pursuit faded into silence, Aidan finally slowed down and turned his steed toward the wilderness. He didn't know where he was headed except away. Away from the stress, the grinding bureaucracy, the expectations bearing down on his every action. In a concession to his rational mind's demands for safety, he pulled a squadron of eagle-shaped elementals from their other duties and set them to spiraling above the clouds where they wouldn't give away his position.

With the manic rush of adrenaline fading from Aidan's system, he remembered that winter was fast approaching. The night was cold, not quite frigid, but not at all comfortable in his formal clothes. Stubbornness prevented him from turning around and going home. Instead, he started looking for a sheltered valley or cave to set up camp in.

It took Aidan longer than he liked. The moon was almost full, but the same cloud cover that hid his elemental guards from sight also diffused the moonlight. Moreover, the terrain was treacherous, with rocks, roots, and crevices concealed by the thick Highlands mist. All told, it took him a couple of hours to find a suitable location.

Grateful that he'd thought to snag his haversack on his way out the door, Aidan pulled out one of his heavy traveling blankets. He wrapped himself up and nestled against one wall of the shallow cave he found. A quick rummage later, he had a pair of sandwiches to eat. Not the most filling after all the unexpected exercise, but it would do.

After finishing off his meal and dusting the crumbs away, Aidan unsummoned one of the circling elementals, then summoned it in place to watch over him while he slept. It was a bit extravagant, he knew. It was unlikely that anyone would see one of the eagles diving down from above and be able to follow it to him. Still, he didn't want to be interrupted until morning.

Under Aidan's guidance, the elemental shaped itself into a seven-headed hydra, then curled its immense form around him. The passion elementals did not give off as much heat as their fiery forms implied they should. The dream-stuff incorporated in their bodies made everything about them unpredictable. A standard fire elemental would have cooked him alive with such close, continuous proximity instead of staving off the late autumn chill.

Preparations complete and exhausted in both body and mind, Aidan made himself comfortable, then closed his eyes and waited for sleep to claim him.

Aidan

Sixthday, 2nd week of the 11th month, Age of the Chosen 1

Dawn

Near Ceallach Macht, Mistvale Highlands

Aidan drifted back to wakefulness wrapped in warmth. He shifted, seeking, nuzzling his face between his bedmate's bare breasts. Big, soft, pillowy. Not Sunnild, then. The arms around him tightened, fingers stroking along his back. The prick of her claw tips against his skin revealed their owner's identity.

"Mornin', Aoife," Aidan mumbled into her bosom.

"Good morning, Aidan. I'm sorry," Aoife's voice crooned in his ear.

That didn't make sense. "Sorry? What—" Aidan stiffened as his mind shook off the aftereffects of slumber. He pulled back, Aoife's arms falling away, and opened his eyes. Sure enough, there she was, naked as she'd been the previous night, wrapped up within the furs with him. Looking around, he saw Sunnild asleep in Ailis's arms against the opposite wall and Brighid and Riama at the cave mouth, their eyes on him. His guardian hydra paid them no attention, of course, as its base instructions told it to.

"How?" Aidan asked.

"Riama led us to you," Brighid said.

A flash of irritation went through him. To have his familiar betray him, even in such a small way, hurt. "Your small mate was in pain," she told him.

In pain? Aidan's eyes widened. He sat up, pulling Aoife into his lap and hugging her tight. "Shit, shit, shit, I'm so sorry, Aoife. I wasn't thinking." He hadn't removed the control bracelet. When the distance between them grew too great, Aoife's collar punished her as if it was her trying to escape rather than the reverse.

Aoife trembled and buried her head in the crook of Aidan's neck. "I'm sorry," she said again, her voice hoarse. Hot tears dripped onto his skin. "I didn't mean to chase you away. Please don't leave me ever again."

"I won't," he told her. "I'll take the damned bracelet off and never wear it again."

Aoife's fist thudded against his shoulder. "No, idiot. I don't, it's not," She sucked in a shuddering breath. "It wasn't the collar that hurt me. Seeing you turn around and leave because of me..." Aoife's words trailed off into a strangled sob.

"Shh." Aidan stroked her raven-black hair. "I love you," he told her. Then, looking around, seeing Sunnild and Ailis awake now, he added, "all of you."

"And we love you," Brighid said as she joined him and Aoife. Sunnild was only a second behind her, tears flowing down her cheeks as well as she enclosed them all in a winged cocoon.

"I already gave them a talking to," Ailis said from outside Sunnild's envelopment.

"We knew you were stressed but did not realize it was so bad." Brighid kissed the top of his head.

"We didn't mean ta add ta everythin' else," added Sunnild.

"It's..." Aidan stopped himself from saying, 'it's OK,' because it wasn't. "I'm sorry for reacting like that. I knew it was wrong last night, but once I was moving, I couldn't stop."

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Ailis snorted. "You and Brighid are a match in that respect. Her impetuous nature has always caused her problems."

"I don't know," Aidan said, "she hasn't been that bad since—" He cut himself off, eyes widening. "Wait. You say I'm acting like Brighid used to?"

Ailis's voice was puzzled. "I was exaggerating a little, but yes, I am used to cleaning up this kind of mess by now."

"I am such an idiot. The answer's been staring me in the face this whole time."

"What answer, to what question?" Brighid sounded even more confused than her mother.

Aidan wrapped his arms around all three of his clinging lovers. "I noticed that I've grown more emotional over the last few months, quicker to anger, more aggressive, more lustful. I thought it was the Brighaid's influence on me, but no. I did this to myself."

"I don't understand," Aoife complained.

"It's all about the soul. Ailis, when we talked about the subject, you told me that a person's soul defines who they are. When I used Phoenix Pyre to kill the Taig and its army, I burned a chunk of my soul to do it." Sunnild and Aoife stirred in his arms. This was new information for them. "The first time I died, my soul was intact. The second time, not so much. Whatever magic lets me revive repaired it, but I'd already muddied the waters a bit."

Brighid gasped. Yes, she'd figured it out, too. "Brighid, we're Soulmates," he said, confirming her insight. "When that happened, the notification warned us that our souls were bound together. It seems like there's more to that than we considered."

"You are becoming more like me, and me like you," Brighid said in the barest of whispers. "Oh, that makes me feel even worse!" Her arms tightened around him.

"I'm just happy to have an explanation," Aidan said with a little laugh. "It's been driving me crazy. To wheel things back to the root of all this mayhem, I have difficulty controlling myself around Eldrid. I've been in lust with her from the start. I tried to resist falling to temptation, with varying degrees of failure."

Aoife groaned. "So when we gave you permission to pursue her, then confronted you about it the next night..."

"Yup. Made all the worse because I didn't actually get to indulge that primal voice urging me to conquer her."

"Wait," Sunnild asked, "you didn't sleep with 'er?"

"I shouldn't kiss and tell like this," Aidan said with a sigh. "We slept together, yes, but it wasn't what any of us expected. Less lust, more taking comfort in each others' arms. It turns out we have similar traumas."

"Similar? Is she—"

Aidan cut Brighid off. "Sorry, love, but anything else has to come from her. She told me secrets that aren't mine to tell. I won't betray her confidence without a compelling reason." Interrupting her would confirm Eldrid's status as a Chosen to Brighid, but it was all he could do. He trusted his Soulmate to follow his will in this and keep it to herself.

"So yer fallin' in love with her?" Sunnild's question didn't have the same edge to it Aoife's had the previous night, but there was a shadow of something darker to it.

"Maybe," Aidan admitted. "It's a bit early to tell, but I seem to have a hard time keeping my heart where it belongs. I already have more love than I could ever need between the four of you—"

"Five!" <pure love> Riama's mental interjection made Aidan laugh. He sent <pure love> back to her.

"OK, Riama, the five of you. I shouldn't need anyone else," Aidan finished.

"The heart wants what it wants," Brighid replied. Her statement had the air of a quotation.

"I, you," Aoife stumbled over her words. "I'm not used to this," she said at last. "I'm still getting used to sharing you three other ways. And you know I don't trust Eldrid."

"That's why it surprised me that you pushed me into her arms," Aidan told her.

"It's—" She stopped, then started over. "I don't dislike her. I don't believe she's out to hurt you or the rest of us. There's just something about her that's got me on edge. I tried to shove that aside, but I guess I didn't do a very good job."

"And you, Sunnild? You've been quiet."

"Umm." Sunnild squirmed at the sudden attention. "It's kinda the opposite fer me. I'm not a very good harpy. I'm supposed to be gathering a harem of men fer myself, not throwin' myself at other ladies."

Aidan smiled. Even in the middle of a discussion about having multiple sexual partners, Sunnild still managed to be adorable. "You are who you are, dove. There's nothing wrong with being attracted to women. And, speaking for my own sake, and if you'll permit my momentary hypocrisy, I appreciate that you don't have any interest in other men."

The harpy giggled. "Nope, just you, and Brighid, and Aoife, and Eldrid..."

"I notice a common theme," Ailis's voice broke in, "considering you left my name out."

Aidan could feel his lover's blush hot against his skin. "She does seem at least as fond of big boobs as I am," he said to tease her.

"I like you too, Ailis!" Sunnild protested. "Just not the same way. You're kinda like my mum."

A slim hand came from behind Sunnild's back to ruffle her crest feathers. "I know, sweetheart. I was teasing."

Thinking back to Eldrid mentioning being Catholic, Aidan said, "I'd be a little more cautious approaching Eldrid than you were with Brighid or Aoife. I'm not sure how she feels about other women in bed. It's one of the reasons no ring is forthcoming for her at the moment. I can't bring someone into this relationship who isn't at least comfortable with the idea."

"Mm," Sunnild hummed in agreement. "I'll let ya lead. But, if she wasn't opposed ta feminine companionship, and she proves trustworthy, you'd propose to her?"

Aidan hesitated. How much of his feelings for Eldrid were genuine? How much was him still coming down from the emotional high of their shared night? How much was Brighid's emotions changing the way he acted? "Yes, if none of you objected. You all get absolute, no-questions-asked vetos. Just please don't jerk me again around like you did the last two nights."

"Yes, sir. We will be more aware of your emotional needs, too," Brighid said, voice serious. "I think the three of us thought everything was fine because the sex was still good. Mother reminded us that there's more to it than that."

"I knew that, but I got jealous," Aoife mumbled.

The knot of Aoife's emotions in the back of Aidan's head gave him a flash of insight. "Of her, or of me?" Her indignant squawk and hot, furious blush was all the answer he needed. Seemed like Eldrid was a strike for three of the people in his little pod. At least Brighid didn't seem to be lusting after her the way the rest of them were.

"So, Are we all good now?" Aidan asked.

"Do ya forgive us?"

"Of course," he assured Sunnild. "I can't imagine any of you doing something unforgivable. Do you forgive me for storming out the way I did?" The three of them talked over each other in their haste to confirm. "Good. Then we should head back home, if for no other reason than so we can have a hot breakfast. I'm starving."

"Mm! Me too!"

Zurai

Pronunciation Guide (infinitesimal spoiler warning, names only without any details)

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