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Noe hustled them both out of the foyer and into the privacy of his room in the blink of an eye. Truly, Luca had never seen him move so fast. Then the door quickly shut behind them and Noe stood there, breathing hard, eyeing the stranger like a fight would break out any second. To say Noe’s body language alarmed Luca would be understating things. The last time he’d seen Noe wound this tight, they’d had an ice storm bearing down on them on all sides.

Was this on the same level, then?

One look at the other man with them had him thinking it seemed worse.

Now, Luca didn’t have a name for this face, but it looked very similar to Noe’s in the mouth, the nose, and even the same whipcord build and fair blond hair. Relative? Oh, not good, that. Most of Noe’s relatives couldn’t accept a gay man as family. This man seemed fit to explode, his face nearly purple with rage, fists clenched tight as if he were a second from throwing a punch. It threw Luca into a state of combat readiness as well, as someone who looked like him never backed down on their own accord.

Noe seemed both heartbroken and taut, his entire body rigid, eyes on his kin as if he didn’t trust him. Which told Luca everything he needed to know.

The air was tense, and was it wrong to want to boot the younger man out until he could get the story from his fiancé? Just so he knew what to do next.

The younger man glared at Noe as if trying to fillet him with emotional daggers, gritting out between clenched teeth, “ Vem ?r det , Noe?”

Noe hunched in on himself, eyes on the floor, jaw working as if he were trying to speak but had a hard time getting the words together.

Ah. Shit. Luca knew precisely what this was. He’d never seen Noe do it, but he’d seen other young men and women who’d faced an abusive relative, the ingrained habit of hiding and avoiding silencing them.

Like hell he’d leave Noe in that mental space.

Sliding an arm around his waist, he subtly pulled his lover back up again, all while he murmured against his ear, “None of that. The time for hiding and pleasing another is well over.”

Noe straightened fully, his eyes coming up to Luca’s, searching them as if to find some truth. Or borrowing strength. Then he saw those hazel eyes harden with resolve, and Noe found his own feet again as he turned to face the other man. Luca smiled, proud and pleased. Old habits had ambushed Noe, but he was made of sterner stuff.

“Petar,” Noe said in a too calm tone, “this is General Luca O’ Broín, one of the three generals stationed here to defend Mizuno Harbor while we build the fortress. Speak only in Trader from now on.”

Petar looked taken aback for a moment, eyes snapping to Luca as if finally taking his full measure.

“Luca, this is Petar, my younger brother. I did not know he was coming, but he’s part of the internship.”

Ah-ha, so this was Petar, the outspoken sibling who constantly fought with Noe. The one who had “never gotten physical” but had apparently pushed that line severely. Was it wrong of Luca to want to punch the young lout on sight?

Petar’s scowl turned ugly. “And why is a general kissing my brother—”

“Because I’m his fiancé.” Luca quirked a brow in challenge at this brazen young man who thought he could dictate what his brother did. The audacity. Was audacity on sale somewhere? Petar seemed to have bought a lifetime supply.

Petar actually staggered sideways, eyes blown wide open at this revelation.

Ha! Did he think they were some dirty little secret? Why would he when he saw Luca openly kissing Noe hello. Or were his beliefs so entrenched that the idea of them marrying was incomprehensible?

Noe’s voice was soft, almost pleading, but his eyes held no hope. “The world is changing, Petar. My need for a male romantic partner isn’t strange anymore, except to those who live in the past. I can legally marry this man, raise children with him, build a life together, all of it. Nothing is denied me anymore.”

“Just because you’re allowed doesn’t mean you should, Noe!” Petar thumped a fist against his chest. “What are we supposed to do? HUH? Just swallow the embarrassement?”

“How is this embarrassing?” Noe got right into his brother’s face, voice finally rising out of that unnatural calm. “Huh?! Look at him! He’s gorgeous. Anyone looking at him would want him. He’s trusted by multiple monarchs, including ours, and there’s not many who can match him in either valor or reputation. Plus, he’s the best husband material anyone on the continent can find, and there’s not a single person who would refute me saying so!”

Well. Luca was rather flattered by how easily Noe rattled that off. It proved he genuinely thought so of him. Granted, some of it was exaggerated, but it meant Noe really did highly regard him.

Luca would have to reward him later, but now was not the moment.

“Future brother-in-law,” Luca drawled.

Petar whirled on him. “Don’t call me that!”

“Why not? It’s the truth. Like it or not, I’ll marry him. Like it or not, he’ll immigrate to Bhodhsa with me.”

Petar’s head snapped around to stare at Noe as if horrified. “Why?!”

“Because he’s the lord of a fortress.” Noe stared him down, daring an argument on this point too.

Noe was confident on the surface, but he also searched out Luca’s hand and then seized it with a death grip. This wasn’t comfortable for him, this confrontation, and Luca was sure that, on some level, Noe wanted to cry. Arguing with a sibling had to be the worst. Luca couldn’t empathize much, not having a sibling of his own, but he tried imagining being at odds with his brothers-in-arms and internally winced. He could at least sympathize with Noe’s position.

“When we’re done here with this fortress, we’ll leave for my home,” Luca explained slowly, a weather eye on Petar, as he could see his temper building once again. “To put it bluntly, whether or not you see your brother after this entirely depends on how you react to our engagement now. Choose your words wisely.”

Petar gripped his hair with both hands, a scream caged in the back of his throat. Volatile as an entitled brat, this one.

“I don’t have to accept a damn thing!”

Noe didn’t let go of Luca’s hand. “He is my fiancé. I won’t apologize for it. If you don’t like it, there’s the door.”

That’s the spirit! Luca was ever so proud of him for standing his ground. He knew Noe had often catered to a younger Petar when they were kids, so his brother likely thought he’d continue with that behavioral pattern. Petar’s head snapped back with such force, Luca heard vertebrae protest, eyes wide on his brother’s. Petar clearly had not anticipated such firm pushback and wasn’t sure what to do now.

There was a deferential tap on the door and Okami-san called, “Keller-san, forgive the intrusion, but I’m having a hard time explaining dinner options to the students.”

Noe blew out a noisy breath. “I’ll be there shortly.”

“Thank you so much.” A beat, and then she retreated from the door.

“I’ll be back in a minute.” Noe pointed an authoratative finger at Petar. “Do not harass him while I’m gone.”

The very second the door shut behind Noe, Petar turned on Luca, his dander well and truly up.

This was not, needless to say, how Luca had envisioned meeting the family would go. He now understood better why Sho had confessed he’d been half terrified of seeing Brahms’s family once they were married. The pressure was different, somehow. Luca didn’t particularly care if this wet-behind-the-ears puppy liked him or not—Petar could go hang for all he cared—but he knew it would upset Noe tremendously if they got into a fight here. He’d rather spare his fiancé if he could.

If Petar gave him any choice on the matter.

Petar glared up at him. (The Kellers apparently didn’t believe in tall genes.) “He’s my brother.”

“He’s my fiancé,” Luca said, mimicking his petulant tone in a mocking way. “Hear how juvenile you sound? He’s his own person. If you can’t love him like he is, then at least stop being an ass.”

Petar was back to tugging his hair with both hands. Man would go bald at this rate. “You don’t understand what you’re doing to him! How much this will alienate him from his family!”

“I’ve actually a good idea on that, as he’s explained his position in the family. But here’s the thing—Noe knows it precisely. He understands exactly what will happen, what he’ll gain and lose, and he chose me anyway .”

Petar opened his mouth on a hot retort that Luca had no desire to listen to.

Leaning in, he dropped his voice to a tone known to scare young soldiers into wetting themselves. He felt petty satisfaction when he saw it impact Petar.

“He’ll choose me even over you. Why? I make him happy. You make him miserable. It’s as simple as that.”

“It’s not that simple,” Petar gritted out, but softer now, strangled by his own emotions.

“It is. You know it is because you’ve already seen the first step of this play out. You were horrid to him, Petar. Your entire family was. He didn’t change though, did he? No, he didn’t change—he left. He got as far from all of you as he could in one giant step. The second he was free of your influence, he sought the future he wants. A husband, a home, a family. You’re the one stupidly repeating the same mistake.”

Petar’s jaw dangled in outrage.

“Well, what else can you call it, man? You’re standing here arguing with him, again, not caring how he feels about matters so long as he falls in line. You’re making the same mistake again . Did ye not learn from the first time? Do ye have to lose him completely before ye’ll realize?”

Luca had gotten wound up in his speech. He had to pause for a second, rein himself in, before he broke Petar’s jaw and let it be the end of the matter.

In that moment, Noe returned, and he winced as the atmosphere slapped him in the face. “You two didn’t hit each other, at least. Petar—”

Petar blew out an explosive breath before turning and shouldering past his brother, ignoring him entirely as he escaped the room.

Luca felt it was for the best. If they’d kept arguing, it likely would have come to blows. His own temper was riled enough for it. He clearly did not take it well when something upset Noe.

For his lover, though, he tried a smile. “I’m afraid I didn’t make much headway with him.”

“I’m not surprised. He won’t hear anything but his own opinion. He’s very selfish that way.” Noe slid the door closed and then came in for a hug. Muffled against Luca’s shirt, he murmured, “Thank you. For before. I was backsliding into old habits, but I shouldn’t.”

“Habits are hard to break, I know. I’ll jostle you out of them if I see it happening again. Just stand firm, Noe. Petar has no right to dictate what your life should be.”

“I know.” Noe hugged him a bit tighter. “Thank you.”

Luca hugged him back and let him take some comfort, find his equilibrium. He deserved a few minutes. He tried to find his own equilibrium but instead felt his anger simmer. All the while he hugged Noe close, he couldn’t help but prophesize: Odds were, before Petar left, Luca would be forced to thrash the young idiot.

For Noe’s sake, Luca hoped he was wrong.