Darkness' Gift 2/2

[eternalscribe]

Title: Darkness' Gift Part 2/2
Author: not_from_stars
Fanart: ebon_gray
Fanmix: enochiansigils
Beta: enochiansigils
Rating: PG-13
Fandom: Black Jewels
Characters: SaDiablo family, The Coven, Kaetien SaDiablo (OC), Daemonar Yaslana, The Dark Court
Word Count: 16,1546
Challenge: bjt_bigbang
Summary: It started out as a simple desire to do something for the Queen they all loved. What transpired was a gift from the Darkness unlike anything that had been done before. Kaetien SaDiablo was a dream for the Dream. Growing up, Kaetien has the love of her family, and the beginnings of a Court as a new coven and group of boyos start forming around her. She also has the heart and leash of an Eyrien Warlord Prince from the time she is brought home. For as Jaenelle has informed all of them, Kaetien is the future Queen of Ebon Askavi...and this Queen is the Heart of Ebon Rih.
A/N: I just want to make sure I thank queenmidalah for running this, klmeri for writing along with me and reminding me that this was a world we loved and that's why we had to write the stories in our head. BUt most of all, I have to thank enochiansigils, who, when she found out I had deleted my original sat with me and poked and prodded and encouraged as I struggled to rewrite everything that I had created before because she kept telling me it was a beautiful story and had to be shared. She was there with me every step of the way and for that I owe her so much.

Book Cover done by ebon_gray

Fan Mix by enochiansigils



Kaetien was fifteen when she gave Daemonar his first real scare over her.

He had been in Riada taking care of some personal business and hadn't come to see Kaetien at the usual time as he had promised. We he couldn't find her in the Hall and the family hadn't gone to the Keep, he had begun to get frantic. He could sense her, but he couldn't sense exactly where she was.

Once outside, he sank to the depth of the Red for a moment and then shot skyward. He had gotten the faintest sense of her and it worried him because it seemed like she was trying to hide from him. It didn't take him long to reach the cabin in the woods. It had been Kaetien's private place for as long as he could remember.

Dropping down to the ground, he shielded himself, even though he couldn't sense a threat. He had been taught well enough to know that just because he couldn't sense the threat it didn't mean that there wasn't one there.

*Kaetien?* Red to Red. If there was someone else around, it would be unlikely that they would be able to catch a hint of the communication thread.

She didn't answer, but he knew that she was in the cabin. There was another presence in there with her. He could feel the evidence of someone wearing a Sapphire jewel. He tasted the air and smiled slightly. The Sapphire was Jaera, of course. Those two were rarely apart if they didn't have to be. His smile turned grim. The two of them were in there, so they had to have heard him calling for Kaetien. Instead of responding, they had ignored him and added to his worry.

He was going to thrash them both soundly.

Daemonar slammed through the door with a roar, intending to express his displeasure, only to pull up short at the scene in front of him.

Kaetien and Jaera were sprawled out on the floor in front of the fireplace. There was a table overturned, but as far as he could see, nothing else had been disturbed. Frowning, he stepped further into the cabin. *Kaetien?* There was no response. *Jaera?*

The two witches didn't answer him and that only sharpened his worry. There was no one else in the cabin -- not even an Arcerian or a Sceltie. That was peculiar since there was always one of the Kindred around. He knelt down next to the girls and was relieved they were still breathing. However, there was a strange scent coming from both of them that he couldn't identify. Not sure how to help the girls, Daemonar did what he had been trained to do.

*Father!*

He called in someone more powerful than him to assist.

*Daemonar?* Lucivar's mental voice was sharp and alert.

*I need your help at the cabin. Something is wrong with Kaetien and Jaera!*

*Are they hurt?*

*Not by any wound that I can see. But they both smell strange. I've never smelled anything like this before.*

*I'm on my way. Stay shielded and alert.*

Daemonar frowned, shaking his head. He hadn't needed to be told to do any of that.

Lucivar made good time and he was holding his war blade when he stepped in the cabin. Seeing Daemonar with the two girls, he started towards them and then stopped his eyes widening as he sniffed the air.

"Oh, no." He vanished his blade and shook his head. "Mother Night, where did they find that? I know Khary has gotten better at hiding it from the Coven."

Daemonar gave his father a confused look as Lucivar knelt down to check the girls. "Father?"

"Gravediggers. A special brew that your Aunt Jaenelle and Khardeen created a long time ago." He laughed, shaking his head. "You lady will be fine, boyo. It appears that she has gotten very drunk, though."

"Kaetien is drunk?!" The shock in Daemonar's voice was enough to make Lucivar laugh out loud again. "But she's only fifteen! She shouldn't be drinking alcohol. She's too young!" His voice became a growl. "I'm going to kill whomever gave it to her."

"Boyo, I think you'll find when they sober up that no one gave the stuff to them. Since I know Kaetien is just like Jaenelle, I'm willing to bet a new pair of bladed sticks that she and Jaera gave themselves the drinks."

"Why would they do such a thing?" By this time, Daemonar had started gathering Kaetien up in his arms, looking down into her face with concern.

Lucivar gave his son a sympathetic smile as he lifted Jaera into his arms. "Boyo, I wish I had an easy answer for you. But what I can say is that people do silly things when their heart is hurting. The only time I have ever seen someone get so drunk that they passed out is because they didn't know how else to deal with the hurt." He looked at the two girls and shook his head. "It's doubtful that they even realized how drunk they were getting. Gravediggers sneak up on you and knock you down when you aren't expecting it."

"Khardeen made something like that?"

"No. Jaenelle created it. Khardeen just showed her how to keep it fresh in the flasks."

"Why would Aunt Jaenelle create something like that?"

"The same reason that Eyriens beat things into mulch when we're heartsore."

"We can't take them back to the Hall like this," Daemonar said worriedly. "Aunt Jae and Aunt Karla will skin me alive for this."

Lucivar shook his head. "Not those two, especially when it was Jaenelle that created it. However, we can take them to Tersa first. She'll take care of them until they come around." He smiled at his son. "And you know that she won't yell at them. Not Tersa and not at Jaera and Kaetien."

Daemonar nodded. "We'll take them to Tersa and I'll stay with them. I need to know why they did this."

"Son, trust me when I say that there are some things that you just don't want to know when you're tied to a witch."

Daemonar gave his father a stubborn look. "She's my heart and my Queen. I need to know what possessed them to drink something that would cause them to be in this condition."

"Well, if someone is going to get hit for fussing, better you than me."

"She will tell me why she was drinking at her age."

Lucivar laughed. "Just don't expect her answer to make logical sense. She is female."

"My head hurts," Kaetien moaned as she sat up carefully. The bright light of the sun hurt her eyes and she immediately closed them. "What happened?"

"You were drinking something that you never should have been," Daemonar's voice came from the side of the bed.

"Says you," she murmured, looking for Jaera.

"The witchling is in the other room being looked after by Tersa."

Kaetien made an unhappy sound as she laid back on the bed. "I don't remember drinking very much."

"My father said you probably didn't have to drink much before it kicked you in the ass."

"How did we get to Tersa's cottage?"

"When I found you and Jaera unconscious, I called my father to help me figure out what had attacked you."

"No one attacked us," Kaetien sighed. "We were drinking and then everything kind of ended."

"You are fifteen and have no business drinking any kind of alcohol," Daemonar said in a firm tone that was carefully controlled.

"You don't get to tell me what to do," Kaetien growled, her eyes flashing at him.

"Someone has to keep you from doing stupid things."

"As you can see, I'm just fine, so you can run along back to your girlfriend."

Daemonar sputtered. "My what?"

"That Eyrien witch you were with yesterday," Kaetien said, turning her head so she wasn't looking at him.

Daemonar just stared at her. "You were endangering yourself with alcohol because you thought I was with another girl?!" His father was right. Her reason for what she and Jaera had done made no sense.

"I wasn't endangering myself."

"Kaetien, you passed out! Anything could have happened to you in that condition!" He fought with his temper. "Kaetien, look at me."

"Go away." Her voice cracked.

Daemonar winced. She was crying. "Kae, listen to me. I wasn't with any other girl last night. I was with mother, talking to her about something important." He reached out and took her hand in his. "Look at me."

She turned her head to look at him and he reached out to wipe her tears away.

"Kae, you have nothing to worry about. You're the one I love and you're the one I want to be with."

"You must be getting tired of waiting for me to be old enough," she whispered. "I've heard the way the other warriors tease you about me."

Daemonar was going to have some very strong words with some of the other Eyrien warriors when he next went to train. If she had overheard some of their remarks and was this hurt by it then there was going to be bloodshed.

"I'm not tired of anything having to do with you, Kaetien. You're mine and I'm yours. I would wait forever for you if I needed to."

"NO!"

The shout that echoed throughout the study wasn't entirely unexpected. However, to the three women in the room, the shout hurt more than just their ears.

"Kaetien," Jaenelle said gently. "You have to start thinking about this. It's too important for you not to."

"I have thought about it and I've decided and I'm not going to change my mind."

"Kaetien." It was Karla's voice that spoke up now. "You have to have someone stronger than you who has a lot of experience to see you through it and who can make sure that you don't end up broken on the other side of it."

"Damonar. Daemonar is who I want and he's the one that should be my first."

"Sweetheart," Gabrielle shook her head. "Daemonar doesn't have the experience. He has the darker jewel for now, but it takes so much more than that to make sure you don't shatter your own web."

"He'd never hurt me!"

"No, not intentionally, no," Jaenelle agreed, pained because this was upsetting her daughter so much. "But, little witch, he doesn't have the experience to protect you from you."

"A witch's Virgin Night is one of those things that have to be handled oh so very carefully," Gabrielle said quietly. "Chaosti wasn't able to be my first, no matter how much we wanted that to be. But a Virgin Night isn't about love, it's about protecting the witch from harm. If the wrong male gets you before you've had your Virgin Night..."

"He could break you," Jaenelle whispered, her eyes haunted. "I've seen it happen to too many witches and I will not have it happen to my daughter."

Kaetien shook her head and her eyes darkened. "No. I won't do this. I know I don't have to have a Virgin Night to make my offering and if I can't have Daemonar, then I won't have anyone. I will not hurt him like that. A Queen takes care of her males just as much as they take care of her!" She gave them all one last hurt glare and strode from the room.

There was a long moment of silence and then Karla sat down. "That went well," she said dryly.

"We never expected it to be simple." Jaenelle sat down, rubbing her temples. "I hate that this is hurting her so much."

"I know, but Jaenelle, we've all seen it. The three of us, the Weaver... Tersa. If she doesn't have her Virgin Night in the next two years then she will die." Gabrielle's voice shook.

"If it was just one of us, there would be the chance of mistakes. But all three of us and the Weavers of Dreams?" Karla shook her head. "And you know as well as I do that if she dies..."

"She won't even be a whisper in the Darkness," Jaenelle murmured. "I know. It doesn't make it any easier."

"We need to talk to Lorn, and Uncle Saetan. Maybe one of them can get her to understand how important and necessary this is -- without telling her anything that will scare her." Gabrielle sighed. "Or maybe we should get someone to talk to Daemonar and Jaera."

"Yeah, because telling Jaera that her sister could die on her Virgin Night is going to keep her from telling their coven and keep them from trying to figure out their own way to change all of this?" Karla's voice was tight, because she knew her daughter.

"What is interesting is that Kaetien and Jaera are very strong Black Widows, but that they haven't seen any of the danger to Kaetien that the rest of us do."

"Because they don't know that they're supposed to be looking for danger from that direction," Jaenelle said as she moved her hands through her hair. "It shows up in our webs because we have been expecting trouble like this since before her Birthright Ceremony."

Karla and Gabrielle both reached to take one of her hands.

"It will be all right, Jaenelle." Karla's voice was firm. "Nothing will happen to harm Kaetien like this. We won't let it."

The knock on the study door was timid and Saetan frowned. He already knew who was on the other side, of course, but the hesitancy confused him. He used Craft to open the door and allowed the three women into his study. The looks on their faces as well as the worry in their psychic scents had him wondering if he should start gathering his power.

"Uncle Saetan," Gabrielle said gently. "We have a problem and we're hoping that you're able to help us with it."

He nodded. "You know that I'll do what I can," he assured them. He didn't like how worn out they all looked -- especially Karla.

"Karla? Are you --"

She waved off his concern. "I'll be all right, Uncle Saetan. I've just overdone it a little with the workouts and other things as of late."

"Witch-child?"

"We need your help with Kaetien."

Saetan raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with my granddaughter?"

"She wants Daemonar to see her through her Virgin Night."

That took the air out of him. "He doesn't have that kind of experience. She knows this."

"She seems to believe that she can wait for a long time before she has her Virgin Night. I don't know if she consciously realizes that he has to be with other females in order to get that kind of experience." Karla shook her head. "We don't have that kind of time -- even if she could handle knowing he's with other women."

"Why doesn't she have that kind of time?" Saetan's voice was a croon. A witch's Virgin Night was something he was sensitive about -- especially when the witch in question was his family.

"Because if she doesn't do this before she turns twenty we will lose her." It was Witch who answered him.

"Hell fire." He didn't need to ask them how they knew this. Three natural Black Widows and he could tell from their faces that each one of them had seen the same thing. "How long have you known this was coming?"

"A few years," Gabrielle was the one who responded. "We first saw the idea of it before we requested training from you for the children."

Mother Night! No wonder all three of them looked so exhausted.

"Do their fathers know?" When all three of the women shook their heads, Saetan forced himself not to grit his teeth. "Why not?"

"Because we thought that we could prevent what we saw by talking to Kaetien and getting her to agree to have her Virgin Night with a stronger male." That was Jaenelle's voice and he really didn't like how tired she sounded.

"Oh, witch-child." He shook his head. "Oh, may the Darkness have mercy, girls. She is your daughter, Jaenelle, and she is as stubborn as all of you when she doesn't like something."

"What do we do, Papa?"

He sighed. "The three of you are going to talk to your males. I'll talk to Lorn."

The talk with Lorn had gone well, but it hadn't told him anything that he already didn't know. Just like her mother, Kaetien would be the Queen of Ebon Askavi -- if she had her successful Virgin Night in time. Now, sitting back in his study, he felt every one of his years. There was only one person that he knew could convince Kaetien to do what she needed to do, but Mother Night, how he hated to use that weapon.

Saetan warmed up a glass of yarbarah, wishing once again that Andulvar was still around. How many times had they worked out strategy and talked about the best way to take care of the Coven and get them and their Queen to do what needed to be done? How much easier would something like this had been if he had the brother of his heart to discuss it with?

He sighed and sat back down behind his desk. As much as he hated it, there was only one way that they were going to get his granddaughter to do what she needed to do in order to stay whole and alive.

He sent the summons on a Red spear thread. *Daemonar.*

A second's pause, before the response. *Yes?*

*I need to speak with you, Prince.*

*I'll be right there.*

Saetan nodded and then settled himself in the chair behind his desk. He was not looking forward to this conversation, but Daemonar was the one person who would be able to make Kaetien do what was best for her. He just hated the fact that he was going to hurt two hearts in the process of telling him why this had to be done this way.

It wasn't even another five minutes before Daemonar arrived, hovering nervously in the doorway.

"Come in and take a seat, Prince," Saetan said formally.

Those words caused a shift in Daemonar; the nerves vanished -- on the surface, at least -- as he moved into the room, taking a seat.

"We need to discuss your Queen." Saetan decided to keep it simple and honest. He had established that this was Protocol and an important discussion that was needed to have. There was no reason to waste time getting to the point.

"Yes?" Just one word, said calmly, not quite coolly. The Warlord Prince instinct hadn't been triggered yet.

"Kaetien needs to have her Virgin Night and she is refusing to do so." Saetan's voice was just as calm.

"She doesn't have to have her Virgin Night before she becomes Queen," Daemonar said. "It's traditional but not a constant. Unless..." His eyes widened slightly. "Something important is going to happen, isn't it?"

If Daemonar hadn't come right out and asked, Saetan would have been able to keep this conversation firmly steeped in Protocol and left the personal aspects of it out. However, when his grandson made that connection, Saetan sighed and nodded. He folded his hands on the desk and looked at Daemonar for a long moment.

"Boyo, if she doesn't have her Virgin Night soon, we will lose her."

There was no mistaking the fear in Daemonar's eyes, fear that he did his best to dampen. "Then we'll make arrangements and I'll make sure it happens," he said.

Saetan sighed quietly. "Boyo... it can't be with you."

"Why not? You know I would never hurt her."

May the Darkness have mercy, he hated this part of the conversation.

"I know you would never hurt her, Daemonar. I know the two of you love each other very much. The simple fact of the matter is that it can't be you because you don't have the experience yet to see a dark-jeweled witch through her Virgin Night." He gave his grandson an understanding look. "Too many things could go wrong that you're not experienced to deal with yet."

"But it's supposed to be me!" They were the words of a stubborn young man, not a proud Warlord Prince; he checked himself, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. When he'd pulled himself back together, he opened his eyes.

"So if I'd had the experience, it could've been me seeing her through instead of some stranger?"

"Perhaps, but I don't know. You wear a darker Jewel than she does right now, so if you had had the experience, then it might have been able to be you." He raised an eyebrow. "But do you think she would handle it well if she had to watch you going off with others again and again to gain such experience?"

"No, but..." The need to adhere to Protocol warred with his need to say what he was feeling. "I would have been able to see her through the most important night of her life."

Saetan looked down at his hands and then looked at Daemonar. "Prince, a witch's Virgin Night isn't about love or passion or even want. It's about duty and need. It's about the need of the witch to keep her Jewels and her web intact and it's about the duty of the male in question to make sure that she comes through it whole. The man who sees her through that night is never usually a lover or a Consort, but will instead be a friend and a companion."

"It still should've been me," Daemonar said, unable to keep the anguish completely out of his voice. "I'm going to think about being with her and I'm going to know that I'm not the only man to have ever touched her. And I know the Virgin Night isn't about love or anything like that, but..."

"But you're the only man she has ever loved and the only man she has had eyes for her entire life."

"Logically, I know the Virgin Night is about her safety, but..." He smiled sadly. "Reconciling that with how I"m feeling right now is a lot more difficult."

"I wish I could say that I didn't understand that, but I do too much. I wish that I wasn't the one having to have this conversation with you, boyo, but I have to be." He shook his head. "Because of you, Kaetien is refusing to have her Virgin Night. I have it on good authority that if she doesn't do this within the next year, she will be hurt and we will lose her." He met Daemonar's eyes. "Dreams don't become demon dead, boyo. They just become a whisper in the Darkness."

"No!" The word tore itself from his lips. "She has to have it, then. I'll just... conveniently not be anywhere near home when it happens. Think I'd be allowed to get blind stinking drunk as long as I keep the property destruction to a minimum?"

"I don't think that anyone in the Court or the family would argue with your right to get drunk at that time." Saetan's voice was even. "In fact, I'm sure that in any other circumstance, her father and uncles would like to join you."

But they wouldn't. Saetan knew this Court. His sons and the rest of the males in the Court would be sober and inches away from the Killing Edge until they knew that their family member had come out of her Virgin Night intact.

Daemonar hesitated slightly. "Grandfather, does it... does it make me less of a man or a Warlord Prince for loathing the man she'll be with even though I know full well that it's the right thing for her to do?"

Saetan shook his head, a tired smile crossing his face. "Not at all, Daemonar. I don't believe that any man in your position would feel differently."

"I'll do whatever I have to do to convince her," Daemonar said quietly. "Even if she ends up hating me because of it."

"She's not going to hate you, boyo. I don't think she's capable of such an emotion when it comes to you. She will, however, probably feel very hurt and think that you're handing her off to someone else."

"If it keeps her intact and alive... that's a risk I'm willing to take."

"I'm sorry, Daemonar. I really wish it could be different, but when the three strongest Black Widows the realms have ever seen all weave the same web..."

"Then what I want can't afford to matter any."

Saetan let out a breath. "A Warlord Prince takes care of his Queen -- even when it's not the easiest thing for him to do."

"I apologize for my reactions," Daemonar said, retreating into Protocol.

His grandfather shook his head. "Grandson, you don't owe me or any one else an apology. It's not an easy thing, being told what I had to tell you. You didn't blow up my study, so I'm thinking that it was a better reaction than what you could have had."

"Why would I do that?" Daemonar smiled sadly. "Now, if you'll excuse me... I have a Queen's heart to go break."

Saetan watched Daemonar leave and then black-locked his study behind him. He didn't want to be disturbed for awhile. He had just broke two hearts and those were two hearts that were very dear to him.

"It will be all right, Daemonar," he whispered into the empty study. "The two of you will be stronger than this. I just wish this didn't have to be what tests your dedication to each other."

Kaetien was spending more and more time in the cabin in the woods. It wasn't just because she needed to be in contact with the land. While the excuse for needing to be alone with the land had been a good one, she knew that it would only be allowed as an excuse for so long. She knew that her mother was already aware of what she was doing and why, and she was sure her aunts did as well. It was only a matter of time before the men in the family and her own boyos would realize the truth.

She was running.

She was eighteen and the subject of her Virgin Night kept coming up. It was a subject that she wanted nothing to do with. Normally, she knew that her family would be patient enough to wait until she was ready for it, but the more time that passed, the more her mother and the other Black Widows became concerned. They had seen something in their webs years ago that had worried them, and the things they had seen in their webs since then only made their concern grow.

She had no desire to have her Virgin Night. Ever. She knew that she didn't have to have it before she made her Offering to the Darkness. Aunt Karla was proof of that. She didn't have her Virgin Night until a few years after she had become Queen of Glacia.

However, Aunt Karla hadn't been in love. She hadn't had her heart set on a Warlord Prince that would never be allowed to see her through something so dangerous.

That was the problem. Kaetien was in love with a male and she wasn't about to do anything that would cause him pain -- and having her Virgin Night with another male would most certainly cause him pain.

So anytime the subject came up, she ran.

Currently, she was sitting on a rock outcropping over her favorite cliff. She could sense that the wolves were near, and her Arcerian companion, Kaevidar, was laying in the late afternoon sun a short distance away. She made sure that everything was well, before she pulled her knees up beneath her chin and lost herself in her thoughts again.

She was a Queen and a Black Widow. She would be the next Queen of Ebon Askavi. She loved her Coven and the boyos and she would do anything she had to in order to make sure that all of them stayed safe and well.

And for all of that, she couldn't have the one thing that she wanted right now.

For all of her running, she understood the rules of how these things were supposed to work, but she didn't like and she wasn't going to accept it.

A witch was at her most vulnerable during her Virgin Night and the male that saw her through it usually needed to have a darker jewel than she did. His darker strength and power would help to keep her safe.

The man she loved had made his Offering to the Darkness and until she made hers, he wore a darker jewel than she did. However, according to the family and everyone else that was involved in what happened to her, he didn't have the experience that was necessary to see her through something so dangerous for her. While part of her was overjoyed that he didn't have that kind of experience -- because she was a jealous witch sometimes, no matter how hard she tried not to be -- part of her sorrowed that it was that same inexperience which meant he couldn't be her first.

Or her only.

This was the one time in her life that she had ever wished she wore one of the lighter jewels.

Kaetien might have run every time the subject came up, but she'd forgotten the fact that Daemonar always seemed to know how to find her.

He'd been standing behind her for a while, just watching her. Kaevidar had looked at him warily when he first arrived but had quickly gone back to lazing in the sun.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, his hands in his pockets. "I don't like this any more than you do."

Because he'd have given -- or given up -- anything to be able to see Kaetien through her Virgin Night. But what they wanted meant nothing in this case, because what they wanted was what they couldn't have, and that hurt him inside, hurt him even more than he'd expected it to when he'd first been told that it wouldn't be him.

He'd always secretly thought it would be, so to hear that had nearly killed something in him.

"You don't have to be sorry because it's not going to happen," she finally said quietly. "I don't want it."

"We're not going to get what we want in this situation," he said, moving to sit beside her. "Neither of us is. All we can do is you do it and then we ignore it from here on out."

"I don't have to have my Virgin Night to make the Offering or be Queen of Ebon Askavi," she pointed out. "I looked it up and I talked to Lorn." She frowned. "He said I didn't have to." He had said a great deal more than that, but she wasn't planning on telling Daemonar. "I don't know why Mama and her Coven are getting hysterical about it. Aunt Karla only had her Virgin Night after she became Queen of Glacia because she saw something in her web that warned her of danger."

"If you don't, we'll never be able to be together that way." Oh yes, he was so going there. He would rather try convincing her that way than by telling her that if she didn't have her Virgin Night, she would be lost to all of them. Manipulative, yes, but far less painful for both of them.

"But I don't want anyone else to ever be together with me that way!" Kaetien all but wailed. "I can't imagine being with anyone else and we had always said that it would be you and only you for me!"

Kaetien was being far more resistant of the idea than anyone had expected her to be. But then again, she was Jaenelle's daughter.

"Mama would have wanted it to be Daddy for her if she had gotten the choice."

Her Daddy had also had a great many years of experience -- which was something that Kaetien was very determined not to think about.

"But if this doesn't happen, it puts a wall up between us," Daemonar said, reaching over to take her hand in his and twine their fingers together. "I... I want you to do it, Kae. Because I want to be able to touch you the way I've dreamed of."

"But if I do end up doing this, then you're the one who ends up hurt and I refuse to be used as a weapon to hurt you." Her chin was shaking a little bit as she tried not to cry. "I don't like the idea of it not being you who helps me through that, Daemonar. I don't think I could do it."

Oh, Mother Night, not tears.

He pulled his hand away, only to wrap an arm around her and pull her against him. "You have to, little one," he said quietly. "Forget about it hurting me. You have to do it."

"Why?" She whispered, leaning against him. "Why do I have to do this if I don't want to? It won't keep me from making my offering and becoming Queen of Ebon Askavi. It won't affect how I rule and how I take care of my people."

He hadn't wanted to tell her this, had been praying he'd be able to convince her to do it some other way, but apparently that wasn't to be.

"No, it won't," he agreed. "But if you don't, we're going to lose you. And I can't have that. I'd rather know that I wasn't your first but that you were still alive than know you died because you couldn't have me take care of you."

She jerked in his arms. "What do you mean, you'll lose me?" She turned her face up to look into his. "Tell me, Daemonar. Tell me what you're trying to keep from me." Because she knew that he had been told something that upset him and she needed to know what it was so that she could fix it for him.

"They've seen it in their webs. If you don't have your Virgin Night, you'll be vulnerable to... being hurt. And you will be. And you'll die. And then I'll lose you." His voice shook despite his best efforts. "I can't have that. I won't have that. I loathe the fact that I can't see you through your Virgin Night, but I can live with that fact far easier than I can the idea of losing you forever."

Kaetien had gone completely still as she listened to what he was saying. "They saw this? Why didn't they tell me?" Not that it would have changed her mind, necessarily, but having that information would have explained why they were so adamant about her having her Virgin Night before she turned twenty. She looked up at him. "How long have you known this?"

"Not long," he assured her. "I think they were trying to avoid telling me unless they absolutely had to. They knew how I would react."

He hadn't reacted well by any stretch of the imagination.

"That's why they've been so fixated on my Virgin Night happening soon -- because they've seen that I'll die if I don't do this." She swallowed, closing her eyes. "It had to have gutted Mama when she saw that. And Aunt Karla and Aunt Gabrielle saw it too?"

He nodded, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "They did. They all did. And they don't want to lose you. None of us wants to lose you. So you have to go through with your Virgin Night, my love."

It was the first time he had ever called her that.

"Promise me, Daemonar," she whispered, her voice shaking a little. "Promise me that if --" She felt him tense. "--when I do this, promise me that it won't make things hard between us. I don't want something like my Virgin Night to be what pulls us apart."

"I'm not going to promise that, because nothing is going to pull us apart," he said, touching her face gently. "Would it make you feel better if I... if I told them I want to help select who's going to see you through it?"

Because if it was someone he liked and approved of, he thought maybe it wouldn't bother him quite as much.

She didn't even pause before she was nodding. "It would. Mama and her coven say that they have been looking at the Shalador males that belong to Cassidy. Ranon and Gray wouldn't allow any of them to come forth if they thought I would be in danger." At least she could admit that. "They wanted to choose someone I wouldn't have to see every day afterward because it might be too awkward."

"It very well might be." He hesitated slightly. "We'll make this work, Kaetien. We'll find you someone decent and you'll come through it okay and then the next night I'll come to your bed, if you'll have me, and make love to you until the sun comes up."

"I've always only wanted you, Daemonar -- ever since I was a baby on Scelt and you told Aunt Jae that I was yours."

"Then may I come to your bed when it is safe, my love?" He knew what the answer would be, but there were some things you had to be formal about. Not quite Protocol, but close.

She nodded. "Yes." She didn't have to say more than that, but she brushed lightly against his inner barriers making sure he knew without a doubt how she felt.

She was also not about to ruin the moment by telling him that he had to be the one to tell the Steward -- who was also their Grandfather.

He moaned softly at that, tipping her head up and kissing her lightly but firmly, not at all a polite kiss. It was the kind of kiss that said she was his and he was damn well going to make that claim.

Saetan stared at the young man who was standing on the other side of his desk. Mother Night and may the Darkness be merciful. He was getting too old for this.

"You have decided what?"

"That I am going to help decide who sees her through her Virgin Night."

Saetan rubbed his hand over his face and then looked up at his grandson. "And exactly how did you come to this decision, Daemonar?"

"When I talked to Kaetien and convinced her to go through with it, I asked her if it would make her feel better if I had a say in it. She said yes."

His grandchildren were far too like their parents in some ways, but Saetan was pretty sure that they never would have come up with an idea like this. He would love to be drinking a large bottle of brandy right now, but that would have to wait until this matter was taken care of.

"I see." No, he really didn't see, because he was positive that this had never been done before.

"It's not such a change to things, really," Daemonar reasoned. "I mean, there's already several candidates from the Shalador area. Where's the harm in one more person helping decide?"

If he wasn't already a Guardian, he was sure that his hair would be turning more gray with every word of this conversation. He hated it when his children started using their logic against him -- especially when it might make a little bit of sense.

"And you don't think that it might make any of the candidates feel a little bit strange or pressured that the Queen's Consort was helping to decided who was going to be with his Queen for the night?"

Had Jaenelle and Lucivar ever come up with ideas like this? Did he really want to know the answer to that question? No, he really didn't want to know if his own children had tried to make plans and decisions like this. The less he knew about secrets they shared at times was probably for the best.

"I'm not her Consort," Daemonar replied. "And if they can't deal with it, then they don't deserve to be considered."

"But you're going to be her Consort one day." He raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you?" Secretly, he was pleased with the balls and sass Daemonar was showing by telling him this. However, it still didn't mean it was any less strange for him to deal with the fact that his grandson was wanting to help decide on the male that helped his granddaughter through her Virgin Night.

"I am if I have anything to say about it," Daemonar replied. "But I'm not yet. So if any of the males under consideration tries to play that card... it's not going to work."

Now they were playing cards, wonderful. He made a mental note to strangle Lucivar for teaching his son how to play verbal chess so well. Why was he the first one that always got to deal with what the children were taught? Why couldn't he have the amusement of watching someone else have to deal with the leaps and bounds the children made?

"You're not allowed to threaten anyone that you would deem unsuitable," Saetan said dryly. Mother Night. He was actually considering this. "No flashing your blades at them just because you don't like them."

"Do I get to at least glare at them if they're particularly unsuitable?"

It would not do for him to bang his head on the desk where his grandson could see. Once more he cursed his son. "I don't think that it would be very Eyrien of you to do otherwise." Because if he didn't glare, then there was something wrong.

"And glaring from an Eyrien would be damn near restrained behavior," Daemonar pointed out cheerfully. "I know you don't want to say yes, but... you kinda don't have a choice. Because if you say no and Kaetien finds out... well, do you really want to go there?"

He raised an eyebrow at Daemonar. "You sound too damn much like your father when he points out something he knows Jaenelle wouldn't like me doing."

"Yes, well..." Daemonar shrugged. After a moment, he sobered. "You don't have a choice. I don't mean that as a threat, honestly. It's just the truth. If I don't get to have a say, Kaetien probably won't go through with it after all."

"She's as stubborn as every other female in this family."

"And I wouldn't have her any other way."

"And now you sound like your father and your uncle and every other boyo in the family." He sighed. "She really wants you to help choose?"

"She does," Daemonar said with a nod. "I think she figures that if it can't be me, it can at least be somebody I approve of."

Yes. A great deal of brandy would be very good right about now. He had forgotten how one's family or Court could make you want to drink. Of course, he was pretty sure that no other Steward or Father had ever had to deal with this particular brand of insanity.

"Do you think you can make a non-biased choice for her?"

"I don't know," he said honestly. "But I know I'll do my damnedest."

"At least you can be honest when answering that question." He sighed. "I don't suppose you've discussed this with Lucivar or Daemon?" Why should he be the only one being given gray hairs by the children?

"Not yet, no." Daemonar shook his head. "You're the Steward, after all."

"Of course." He had the feeling that even if he wasn't the Steward he would be the one having this conversation -- either with Daemonar or with Kaetien. It was probably better that it was Daemonar, come to think of it. At least with another male he could follow the leaps of logic. With Kaetien he would have been trying to follow her threads of conversation even as she took something he said for agreement.

"Besides, I couldn't explain it to either of them without some kind of argument. You... you at least give it consideration."

"And because I know what has been seen, I would be a good one to have at your back when you do tell them of this decision." Oh yes, he knew how these things worked with the Court -- both officially and unofficially.

"That, too."

"Plant your feet, boyo." Saetan said with a smile as he leaned back. "We're going to have a conversation with your father."

*Lucivar.*

*Yes?*

*Your son and I would like to see you in my study.*

*I'm on my way.*

Saetan smiled at Daemonar again. "You're father is on his way."

Daemonar was pretty sure this wasn't going to be pretty, but... it had to be done. He wasn't going to back down, not on something this important.

Lucivar rapped once on the door and then let himself in, closing the door behind him. He looked from his son to his father and then raised an eyebrow.

"Your son has something that he would like you to know." Saetan said calmly.

Daemonar took a breath before speaking. "I want to see Kaetien through her Virgin Night." He held up a hand to forestall protest. "I know, it can't be me. I understand that now. And so does Kaetien. But I want to be a part of it somehow, and she wants that too. I want to help decide who's going to see her through."

Lucivar stared at him. "You want to what?"

"I want to help choose who sees her through," Daemonar said. "You can't be that surprised."

"Not surprised, exactly," Lucivar admitted. "Just wondering if you've thought this completely through."

Daemonar tilted his head. "Enlighten me. Just in case."

Saetan bit the inside of his cheek because laughing right now would not be diplomatic. However, he couldn't deny that Daemonar looked exactly like Lucivar in this moment.

"You want to help select the man that is going to go to your lady's bed for a night."

"Well, I don't know if want is the right word for it, exactly," Daemonar said dryly.

"Then explain to me why you're trying to do this."

"Because it'd make her feel better about it."

"Well. That changes things." Lucivar sighed, looking from his son to his father. "Why are you pushing at Kaetien to have her Virgin Night, anyway? If she's not ready to do it, then shouldn't we respect her wishes and quit trying to arrange things for her?"

"I see your sister hasn't talked to you about this yet," Saetan said dryly.

"Talked to me about what?"

"If Kae doesn't have her Virgin Night soon, we lose her," Daemonar said simply.

Tact? From an Eyrien? That was tact from an Eyrien, actually.

Lucivar was quiet as he stared at his son for a long moment. Then he turned to Saetan. "Explain."

Saetan sighed. "Your sister, Karla and Gabrielle have all seen in their webs that if your niece doesn't have her Virgin Night before her next birthday, she'll be broken and die."

"They've all seen that? How long have they known?"

That was a question he didn't want to answer in front of Daemonar, but he had no choice. "Since before her Birthright ceremony."

And that? Would be Daemonar trying very, very hard not to lose it. And not entirely managing.

Lucivar stared at Saetan. "Why didn't they tell any of us?"

"They were hoping that it wouldn't go down that path if they didn't interfere. However, now it's become critical." Saetan felt old. "Jaenelle was trying her hardest to believe that she wouldn't have to pressure Kaetien into anything -- and you know how the Coven gets about pressure from anyone. But the entire Coven came to me the day after her Birthright ceremony to talk to me and make a request."

"A request?"

Saetan nodded. "A request. They wanted training for the children."

Lucivar rubbed a hand over his face. "Mother Night."

"And may the Darkness be merciful," Saetan nodded. "Daemonar has gotten Kaetien to agree to go through with her Virgin Night with someone we select, with the condition that he gets to help select someone worthy." He raised an eyebrow at Daemonar. "I am also assuming that I will be getting a formal request from him after this to be allowed to seek the lady's bed if that is what she wishes. Since that is the reason she's been refusing to have her Virgin Night, I know that Daemonar is who Kaetien wishes to share her bed."

"Yes, sir," Daemonar said with a slight nod of his head. "And it's what she wants. I've already asked her."

He hadn't been trying to do an end run around the rules, honestly he hadn't. But the question had seemed to make Kaetien realize how serious he was about all of it. So any punishment he might get for it? Well worth it.

Both Saetan and Lucivar gave him a long look, but it was Saetan that finally spoke.

"While that is not usually the way things are done, I think we will fore go the lecture about correct Protocol and procedure about becoming a lover of a lady of the court. These are different circumstances than usual and if speaking to your Queen about your intentions helped to ease her mind about what is to come, then we can allow it this once."

Lucivar nodded and then tilted his head. "Does Daemon know?"

"I believe that Jaenelle was going to tell him -- as the rest of the original Coven were going to tell their boyos. Apparently, we weren't the only ones that the ladies had held their own counsel with."

"It bothers me that they have been dealing with this knowledge on their own for all of this time."

"You can take that up with your sister... or your Queen." Saetan's voice was tired. "However, since Daemonar is here and has expressed the desire to help choose the male that will be seeing his Queen through her Virgin Night, I can tell you that Jaenelle has been speaking with Cassidy and it will be a Shaladoran male that is chosen." He looked at Daemonar. "It was thought that it would be easier on you and Kaetien if it was a stranger that you wouldn't have to see again after that night."

Lucivar was nodding. "Cassidy's males wouldn't put forth someone that wasn't strong and wasn't trustworthy."

"The Shaladoran males are... acceptable," Daemonar said, struggling to find the proper words while still expressing what he was feeling. "Tough enough to know when to push Kaetien, but the right one will know when not to, as well."

And, Darkness willing, the right male would make it enjoyable for her. Because as much as he loathed the idea of her being with someone else for any reason, it didn't mean he wanted her Virgin Night to be something that the memory of made her miserable later in life.

"The male that pushes her when he doesn't need to will be a male that doesn't leave her rooms alive," Lucivar said evenly. He should know. He had trained her mother and then her in sticks. If the wrong male was with Kaetien, she would kill him deader than dead before any one could get in to stop her.

The thought of that had Daemonar reconsidering for a moment his decision to be elsewhere getting drunk on that particular night, and he knew it showed on his face.

"You don't have to be anywhere near her rooms on that night, boyo. There will be plenty of Court males in the family wing." Lucivar's smile was tight. "No one will think any less of you for being somewhere getting very drunk."

"I will," Daemonar replied simply. "But knowing how hurt she would be that I tortured myself just to be able to say I was there means it's not worth it. I won't hurt her like that. There's already the potential for so much hurt and I won't add to it."

He took a breath.

"I'll be nearby, though. Because I want to know as soon as it's done. I want to be able to be there when she comes out of that room."

Both Lucivar and Saetan nodded.

"Chaosti and Khardheen will probably keep you company," Saetan said calmly. "Both of them had to go through this with Gabrielle and Morghann. I believe Aaron went through the same thing with Kalush, but as he plans to be part of the family presence in the Hall that night, he will not be able to provide you much company."

Because if one of the males from Shalador betrayed Cassidy and the family, then Aaron would be the first at his throat. But Saetan didn't think he needed to tell his grandson that bit of information.

No, he didn't. Because if Daemonar were there, he would be the second at the man's throat. So really, he already knew.

"This is possibly the first and only time in my life I'm tempted to see if Khary will mix up a batch of gravediggers."

And if that didn't tell the other two how Daemonar was feeling, nothing would.

Lucivar nodded. "I'm sure that Khary won't have a problem with that. I know that Jaenelle makes up more potent ones, but I believe the Coven's mind will be focused completely on Kaetien until this is over."

"And really, hers are so potent... well, I want drunk, not dead." Because that was possibly the most embarrassing way ever to potentially become demon dead.

"Kaetien has had Jaenelle's Gravediggers," Lucivar thought to point out. "It didn't kill her."

"Aunt Jae would make them even more potent to punish me for being stupid enough to want a Gravedigger in the first place."

Saetan leaned back in his chair. "I don't think that's entirely true, boyo. Your Aunt Jaenelle has more of an insight than most people about when alcohol is needed to soothe a heart and when it's being used because someone is being foolish."

"But I think this... is a little bit of both," he admitted.

Well, at least he could admit that he was being a tad bit foolish about something in all this.

"Boyo, if you can say both of those statements as truth without flinching, then you have no reason to worry about what Jaenelle might do about you wanting to drink." Lucivar was feeling proud of the restraint his son was showing because he knew how much this was hurting him. He gave Daemonar a measuring look. "I'll be outside of Kaetien's room that night, Daemonar. You have my word on that."

Because while it would normally be strange for him to be outside his niece's room while she was with a male, he knew that it would make his son -- and truthfully, Kaetien, too -- feel more at ease to know that he was so close in case anything went wrong. Even if it wasn't Daemonar's heart that was being bruised with this, he would still be there, because this was Kaetien and he wouldn't lose his niece.

"I have to drink," Daemonar said quietly. "I'm not proud of it, but that's not a night to try getting through sober. Because if I'm sober, I'll be thinking, and that won't be any help."

"There's a time for stubborn pride and there's a time for dulling the senses," Saetan said evenly. "This would be one of those times that your Uncle Andulvar would have said required a great deal of drinking."

That got a faint laugh out of Daemonar. "And if he would've said it... well, then clearly it's true."

"But of course," Saetan said dryly. "Anything he said was automatically true if he had his way."

"I... need to thank the both of you," Daemonar said after a second. "For allowing me to have a say in who will be with Kaetien. For not trying to challenge me on it. Because I do know it isn't traditional."

"And there are so many things about these two Courts and this family that is so traditional," Saetan said with the warmth of humor in his voice. "Daemonar, it may not be traditional, but it is service. You're looking out for your Queen first... and your heart second."

"Both at the same time, I think," Daemonar said thoughtfully. "In a roundabout way. Because serving is what lets me look out for my heart. Because if I didn't have a say in this --- even if it isn't the final say -- I would be hurting so much more than I will be."

"Did Kaetien ask you to do this, or did you volunteer for it?"

"To talk to you about it or the actual helping choose?" Daemonar shrugged. "Either way, it was my suggestion."

"Is that why she finally agreed to have her Virgin Night?" Daemon asked as he came into the room. He looked at his father and brother before turning his eyes to his nephew. "She just told Jaenelle and Karla."

"It is," Daemonar said with a nod. "Well, that and... something else."

Daemon leaned against the wall, waiting patiently as he kept his gaze on Daemonar.

"I've also requested permission to come to my Lady's bed the following night." And he had, too -- he'd just asked Kaetien instead of Saetan.

Daemon's expression was pained for a moment and then he sighed. "They're not little children any longer, are they?" he asked as he looked at Lucivar. When Lucivar shook his head, Daemon looked back at Daemonar. "I didn't ask the Steward first, either." Because that was oh so helpful.

"It seemed more important to ask Kaetien first," Daemonar said, smiling slightly. "I think it... it showed her that I would still want her even after she had been with another man."

"She would think to be concerned about that," Daemon nodded. "She's a great deal like her mother in that she worries more for others around her than she worries about herself. She also loves just as fiercely."

"I promise you, Uncle. I will never do a thing to make her regret loving me."

"I have no doubts on that, boyo," Daemon said with a smile. "As Witch has finished explaining to me, she's been yours since the day we were given her -- and you have been hers."

"That's why it's never felt right being with anybody else," Daemonar said. "Why even though the times I've been with other women have been pleasurable enough, there's always been something missing."

Daemon and Lucivar both nodded.

"There's always something that's empty or missing until you're with the one that holds your heart -- or whom you've been waiting for." Lucivar said as he looked at his brother.

"And when it's for the one you've been waiting for, sometimes you don't even mind the waiting." Because he had never once had a problem with waiting for Kaetien to be old enough. Oh, sure there'd been times where he'd thought that it would've been nice if "old enough" were a different age, but he'd never actually minded the waiting.

"Exactly," Daemon said quietly. He knew how his nephew felt waiting for Kaetien to come of age, because before the worst had happened, he had agonized over Jaenelle coming of age. "And she has always known what she wants when it comes to her heart."

"I'm honored to be the one she wants."

Saetan gave the three of them a long look. "Is there anything else any of you want to say that could turn the Hall upside down any time in the near future?"

Daemonar tilted his head thoughtfully. "No... I don't think so. Maybe next week."

Lucivar shrugged and looked at Daemon and Daemonar. "I don't have anything else. Do either of you?"

Daemon shook his head. "I just came to let the Steward know that Lady Kaetien had agreed to have her Virgin Night as soon as a suitable male was chosen." He looked at his nephew. "Daemonar?"

Daemonar looked to his uncle. "Yes?"

"When was the last time you got a full night's sleep?"

"It's been..." He stopped to give it due consideration. "A while."

"Go get some sleep, boyo," Saetan ordered. "You can't help make decisions if you're addled from lack of sleep."

"I'm not addled," Daemonar protested, but there was no complaint as he stood, just a token comment that signified his heeding the politely worded order.

"No, but you will be and I don't want to get yelled at by your mother and the Coven."

"Or my sister." Daemonar just grinned cheerfully, because as much of a little beast as he'd been, Tirian had been even worse.

"Go," Saetan ordered. "Before your sister and the rest of your Queen's Coven decides to come speak to me about you."

"Fine, fine, I'm going," Daemonar grumbled... but there was a cheerful enough tone to it, one that wouldn't have been there just a short while earlier.

After Daemonar had left the study, Saetan looked at his two sons. "Mother Night." He shook his head. "When he and Kaetien are set on something, they don't let anything stand in their way."

"Of course not," Daemon said dryly. "They're our family, after all."

"If I weren't already dead, this Court would kill me." Saetan muttered as he called in a large decanter of brandy.

A few weeks later, the Coven gathered at the Hall. The males of the Dark Court were close to the Killing Edge as they took turns walking the halls of the family wing. After several hours, Jaenelle left her own rooms and went into the family library. She sat down on one of the sofas and smiled tiredly at the men sitting in the room.

"She is whole and still wears her Jewels."

"Thank the Darkness," someone murmured.

Jaenelle nodded, then looked at her nephew. "She wanted me to tell you that she was all right, Daemonar. She asked about you."

"She did?" Really, if his brain wasn't more than a little fuzzed by the alcohol he'd consumed, that wouldn't have surprised him.

"She did. She wanted to make sure that you were all right, and that you knew she was safe now."

"If she's fine, then I'll be fine." A pause. "Can I go see her, or does she want to be alone right now?"

"Go to her. She needs rest, but I know my daughter. She won't rest until she knows for herself that you are all right."

Daemonar nodded once and stood, heading for Kaetien's rooms as quickly as he could reasonably manage, given the alcohol's affect on his system.

Jaenelle watched him leave and turned back to her husband and father. "They will be good together."

Kaetien was alone in her rooms, now. Jaera had left so that she could rest like she was supposed to be doing. However, she couldn't rest until she saw one person.

Daemonar stood outside Kaetien's door, taking one last moment to make sure he was presentable before reaching out to knock.

When she sensed him outside, Kaetien lifted her hand to use Craft to open the door. It took a lot less effort than getting up out of the bed.

"Daemonar."

He moved to her bedside quickly, managing not to trip over his feet as he went. "How do you feel, love?"

"Sore. Tired. But relieved it's over." She reached for his hand. "How are you?"

"Still more than a little drunk," he said, taking her hand and perching on the edge of the bed. "But otherwise I'm fine now that I know you're all right."

There was sorrow in her eyes. "Gravediggers or something else?"

"Gravediggers," he replied. "But Uncle Khary wouldn't let me have more than two before he switched me over to something else. He said I'd need to be able to function if I wanted the family to let me see you now."

Of course, Jaera would've smuggled him in somehow otherwise.

She smiled and tugged him closer. "Uncle Khary would know," she agreed. "You look tired, love."

"I am," he admitted. "But I wasn't going to go to bed until I'd made sure you were all right."

"I am and I will be." She gave him a tired smile. "Do you think the family would let you stay here with me for the night?"

"I don't really care," he said, growling slightly. "I'm supposed to take care of my Queen. And right now, that includes watching her while she sleeps."

She laughed lightly as she moved over on the bed to make room for him.

He crawled under the covers with her, snuggling up against her immediately, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her close. "It's okay," he said softly. "Just go to sleep. I'll still be here when you wake up. Might not be awake or even remotely conscious, but I'll be here."

Kaetien nodded, curling close to him and laying her head on his shoulder. She couldn't do much Craft right now because she was tired and sore, but she did manage to place a simple warming spell on the blankets.

"I know you will be," she whispered. "You always have been."