Page 29 of The Thief’s Lord (Catkin Trilogy #3)

Dorset

“ U nca Dorset! Unca Dorrrr-seeet?”

I groaned and rolled over, burying my head under my pillow.

No matter how often it happened, the sound of young voices calling my name on a bright Saturday morning was still jarring.

I hoped that I would somehow turn invisible or sink into the mattress.

Rumbling beside me, Gareth drew me into his protective embrace instinctively even as he too slowly woke up.

“Unca Gareth! Unca Dorset!”

Little Harold , I guessed. After a stern talking to from Gareth, most of the Wright progeny had come to understand that bursting into Uncle Gareth’s bed chambers from now on, particularly unannounced, was strictly prohibited.

Bella and Rhenn, attempting to look wiser beyond their years, had nodded gravely.

The rules made sense now that, in their head, Gareth and I were ‘married’.

The younger ones, however, forgot the new rules on occasion. I sighed and huffed under the pillow, struggling to breathe but refusing to emerge in vain hope that I’d be left alone.

“Un-ca… Dorset…?” The voice was now sadder and more tentative as the young kit realized that he was far from welcome.

Gareth groaned. Even I had to emerge with a sigh, force myself to sit up, and stare down at the foot of the bed where Little Harry drooped. His ears had sunk down, and his tail was adorably tucked between his legs. Rubbing my face, I tried to wake up and somehow managed to offer him a groggy smile.

“What is it, Harry?” I finally asked.

“I caught a toad, but-but it’s sick! I need help!”

“What did your mother say?” Gareth asked.

“She won’t touch it. And Papa is away.”

“I can take a look at it,” I said. “Have it ready downstairs. I will come down when I’m dressed.”

As Little Harry scurried out of the room, I slumped sideways against Gareth and rested my head on his broad shoulder.

I wished I could just close my eyes and drift off to sleep, enjoying his now familiar scent.

That was not to be, however. I was up now, and it was clear that some of the Wrights had once again invited themselves over for breakfast.

A month after my sentencing and the fallout of the revelations of that trial, I was now residing at the Wright estates.

Baywaters was ever filled with the bustling of servants and soldiers and other toms and mollies in service to the Wright household.

There were also the King’s Blades who came and went with various reports so that Gareth could keep abreast of the latest news in the kingdom.

On top of that, the Wright family visited as they pleased.

Some mornings, we’d descend to find a family breakfast in full swing.

How Mrs. Malmsey, the housekeeper, kept her sanity was beyond my ken.

And if we didn’t see any of the Wrights for a couple days on end, there was sure to be some kind of gala or party or night dinner being prepared with us at the top of the invitation list.

Nevertheless, despite all the chaos, I easily fell into the rhythm of life I now enjoyed at Gareth’s side.

Every morning, I woke up warm and protected in his arms. The winter cold and spring chill were now chased away with him there.

In many ways, my mind and soul felt as though it were a tender bud, struggling up toward the sunshine and growing under his tender looks and words.

Every day and night spent at Baywaters deepened those feelings I bore for the tom who had transformed my world.

Since the day he had found me, my life had been turned upside down. I had been so afraid of being abandoned, of being betrayed, of dying alone. Now, I strode boldly into a future that we would shape together. It was a lot of work, but I was more than ready.

After breakfast, I spent most mornings studying under various tutors who taught me my letters properly so that I’d be able to read and write just as well as any of the others.

Lunch was often spent at Gareth’s side, but in the afternoons, we parted way.

He had his own duties to attend to in terms of the King’s Blades and the estate, while I had my other training set up.

With skilled swords masters, I trained in the art of the blade as well as the dagger.

Under Mourn and Shade, I had studied enough to defend myself, but now I would be given true power to work alongside Gareth and the King’s Blades.

There was also arts of war to learn, apparently.

Strategy and other knowledge I could only guess at.

Once training was over, I’d be rather sore, and after long talks about strategies and ancient battle plans, my mind would feel battered.

That was when Gareth would seek me out. Usually it was under his favorite apple tree beside the stables.

Pulling me to my feet, he would drag me home to a delicious dinner.

The rest of the evening would be spent together—bathing, lounging, smoking pipes, drinking beer, reading books aloud, or hosting company.

And then to bed for another day to start all over again.

It was almost… dream-like . I could scarce believe that this was my life, but thanks to Gareth and his friends—to Landis and Ser Corrin, Hugh and Alan—this was my future.

Sometimes I would pinch myself. It felt like an illusion.

How happy could a tom be? I pinched myself. No. This is happening. This is real.

When I told Gareth how I felt, he smiled and admitted that he too felt much the same.

In this way, time ticked away, until the spring ended, and warm summer days arrived.

The bustle at Baywaters increased even more, if possible, as the entire country prepared for the historic signing of the treaty between King Norran of Estellia and King Landis of Sumarene.

After long years of tension and uncertainty, peace would be established.

“If Lord Morne was still alive and up to no good, only the gods know what would have happened,” Gareth noted one night as we cuddled on his balcony’s divan.

I shifted back, snuggling against his shoulder and staring up at the stars. Closing my eyes, I reached for Meryn, the Goddess of Love. How bad would it have been? I asked her with curiosity.

Sumarene would have never been the same , her voice softly answered. The world would never have been the same. A vision of a burning city filled my mind. Rimefrost in flames. And then, somehow, the world consumed in the fires of war. I shivered.

“Hm?” Gareth’s voice rumbled in his chest. “What did she say?”

“It wouldn’t have been good,” I finally said.

“Well, it didn’t happen.”

“No. Thank the gods.”

“And you.”

“Hm?” I perked up at that. “What? Me?”

“If you hadn’t listened to them and trusted us, where would we be?”

“But you were the one who caught me and treated me so well…” I muttered, poking him gently in the side and causing him to laugh. Gareth was, I had discovered, surprisingly ticklish.

“Did I treat you so well?” Gareth asked aloud. “I thought I was pretty intimidating.”

“You were, but…” I hesitated and then confessed, “I just felt like you looked at me differently. Like I was a person and not just… a tool, a thing. It made me… want things to be different. If you weren’t the way you are, I wouldn’t have said anything.”

“So we were the heroes of the story?”

“Together,” I said. “And now Sumarene will sign the treaty, and our peace will be assured.”

“In two weeks,” he said.

“Two weeks,” I echoed.

The day could not come fast enough. Over the next two weeks, King Landis and his household moved to a fortified castle in the north prepared by Lord Elthorne over the past year.

According to Gareth, both Lord Elthorne and he had been making the border secure before finalizing the treaty.

Landis’s safety was paramount. However, very soon, everyone’s efforts would finally pay off.

On the day of, the sun rose in a clear blue sky filled with puffy clouds.

No hint of rain, but the clouds blew in from the north-east, brought in by a cool breeze.

Here, in the north of Sumarene on the border of Estellia, the air was filled with the scents of orchards and fresh soil.

The farmland in the north reminded me a lot of Baywaters, but I was already missing the eternal roar of the ocean waves on the shore.

Easing away from the window, I eyed Gareth in his full ducal regalia.

Gareth’s hair was neatly brushed. His tail had been trimmed and combed as was the court fashion.

After days spent under the sun on his estate, his skin burnished bronze.

It was set off nicely by the blue and silvers he wore, representing the Wright standard and colors.

All of the buckles and medals on his garments twinkled across his broad chest and arms. Below, his tight breeches hugged his muscled thighs, showing off his ass quite nicely.

Realizing I was staring at his legs a bit too much, I raised my eyes.

As our gazes met, his brown-eyed gaze darkened a little. I blushed and bit my lip.

“How do I look?” he asked. “A trussed up turkey?”

“You look… handsome,” I finally said, voice a little garbled. “Much better than me.”

“Bosh,” Gareth said. “You look… absolutely ravishing.”

I squeaked a little as he crossed the room practically in a single bound.

He considered my outfit thoughtfully. My skin tingled at the touch of his gaze.

I hunched a little, tugging at the suit vest that Mrs. Malmsey and Granny Bren had presented to me the week previous.

As a representative of the Wrights, I would wear blue, but a deeper color that suited my blazing red hair.

And there was silver too—on my shoe buckles and belt.

It felt rather heady, really, to wear such expensive clothes.

“If anyone’s a turkey, it’s me,” I mumbled.

“More like a delectable swan,” Gareth whispered before claiming my lips with a comforting kiss. “Now, let’s go awe the crowds.”

The treaty took place on a wide stretch of road between the two countries.

The dais for the treaty signing was erected precisely on the borderline.

To the north and south of the dais, seating had been built.

Further down, both on Sumarene and Estellian land, stalls and other peddlers had set up to capitalize on the crowds.

The nobles had their own boxes arranged, while various other traders and merchants sat in raised tiers of wooden seating.

The rest of the common folk gathered round.

On the Estellian side, there was a special box for the Estellian royal family. A very sprightly molly, holding the hand of quiet young tom at her side, leaned out to throw a rose at Landis and yelled something about a horse, which had a few folk chuckling. I glanced at Gareth curiously.

“Was that…?”

Gareth nodded and grinned. “The Princess, yes. The lad with her was her true love.”

“The one she eloped with.”

“Indeed.”

“Her family got over the disappointment fairly quickly then?” I mused aloud.

“I suppose so. Besides, Landis made certain to smooth things over. He didn’t wish her to get into trouble on his account.”

“Yes,” I said. “After all, he has Ser Corrin.”

“It’s just Corrin, you know,” Ser Corrin said, half-turning to address me.

My tail stiffened, and I nodded. Ser Corrin stared at me and raised a dark eyebrow.

“O-of course, C-corrin.” I gulped.

“Am I that scary?” asked Corrin.

“Sometimes,” Landis said in a low tone, greeting me with the barest tilt of his head. “But I happen to like it.”

“He’s not the type to hold a grudge,” Gareth said. “Even if you were involved in that one beating Corrin got—“

“I-I was n-not!” I protested instantly. “Not directly.” I paused and then admitted. “It’s just that he’s a-a Stonewarden. The most powerful Munni clan… They could eat rogues like Shade and Mourn for breakfast!”

Corrin smiled briefly and turned back to his place, resuming his more solemn and formal look.

It took everything within me to not grab Gareth’s hand.

I looked to my right as two more catkin arrived.

Alan and Hugh. They were, I realized, openly holding hands although Alan initially tried to struggle free.

Then the silver-haired mage gave up, and his tail curved around to rub against Hugh’s. I stifled a giggle.

More people were arriving. Trumpets blared.

Several drums rumbled, and various pipes struck up a jaunty tune.

King Norran and his retinue had officially arrived.

They mounted the dais as well, arranged themselves on the other side of the large table that had been set up with all of the papers, the seals, the wax, the ink, and quills one would want for an official signing.

Scribes rushed around to position the chairs and ensure everything was ready.

Two heralds finished the titles for both kings, and a crier announced the various speeches that commenced.

Lord Elthorne’s speech. An Estellian lord’s speech.

King Norran’s speech. King Landis’s speech.

Eventually the talking was done, and the signing began.

When the last wax seal was set, trumpets resounded, and the crowds cheered as both kings formally greeted each other with a traditional half-embrace.

“It’s done,” Gareth said, heaving a great sigh of relief.

“It’s done,” I echoed. “But…”

It is only the beginning… Meryn promised.

“But it’s only the beginning,” I said.

Gareth glanced over at me. I smiled back at him and stealing his hand, intertwined our fingers. Gareth’s smile lit up. He impulsively leaned forward to give me a kiss on the forehead.

“Is that so?”

“It is so,” I told him. “I know it.”

…only the beginning of great things.