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They returned to Myare as soon as the new ambassador to Teraz departed for the principality
The staff welcomed them with pride in their success, but also relief that they’d finally come back. As Valin reported almost as soon as Jareth and Yandro emerged from the translocation portal, it had been difficult to hold down the fort, so to speak, with a certain inexperienced staffer getting underfoot and testing the limits of the veterans’ patience. Gawyn still tended to disregard the rules if he thought them a hindrance, never mind that the rules were there to keep disastrous decisions to a minimum.
Valin’s readiness to complain about Gawyn’s ineptitude to Jareth surprised Yandro. Even more unexpected was Jareth’s failure to defend the Deir so many had begun to believe to be his latest protégé. He wondered what had precipitated the change and when it had occurred. But he set his curiosity aside when they entered Rovena and focused on matters that would need his immediate attention.
When they reached the embassy, Jareth asked Valin to come into his office for new instructions. But Yandro headed for his desk first to sift through the documents that had accumulated in his absence, promising he would join them as soon as he was finished.
He raised his eyebrows in surprise when he started to read the sheet of parchment on top of the small pile. It was a memorandum detailing a recent change in the Ministry’s hierarchy. As he read on, his surprise turned into relief and satisfaction and he silently thanked Valin for ensuring he saw the memorandum first and thus lightened his mood immeasurably.
Whistling a merry tune under his breath, he went through the remaining documents swiftly. Once done, he stood up and stepped toward the door of Jareth’s office.
Gawyn nearly collided with him as the latter blindly barreled around the corner. Yandro rolled his eyes in exasperation. They had just arrived and already he had to deal with the impetuous Deir.
“What do you want?” he curtly asked.
“I wish to see Jareth,” Gawyn replied.
His use of Jareth’s first name piqued Yandro anew. He abruptly turned around, barring the way. “What business do you have with His Excellency?” he asked, stressing his use of the proper form of address.
“To ascertain for myself that he is indeed safe,” Gawyn said.
When Yandro did not budge, Gawyn huffed a bit, but did not try to force his way into the office. “Look, Yandro, I just want to make sure he’s well. Veres knows we were all so fearful for his safety what with all the rumors about your rescue of Ambassador Leyhar!”
Yandro was about to retort it was highly unlikely any rumors would have got out until after their return to Ylandre safe and sound and therefore would have preempted any fears for their welfare when Valin suddenly opened the door and laid a reproving glare on Gawyn.
“It’s Vaidon-tyar,” he tartly said. “Saints above, when will you learn to address your superiors correctly?”
While Yandro could not help gawking at his increasingly bold colleague, Gawyn flushed a rather ugly red. But it was obviously in indignation at being scolded rather than abashment. His mulish pout did not promise much in the way of enlightened behavior.
“Who is it, Val?” Jareth called from within.
At the sound of Jareth’s voice, Gawyn squealed in elation and before either Yandro or Valin could stop him, he pushed past them and all but flew across the room to Jareth.
It was obvious that had there been no others around, Gawyn would have flung his arms around the ambassador and babbled his relief upon his shoulder. It was apparent in his stance, the way he clutched at Jareth’s arm with both hands and gazed up at him raptly as if they were the only Deira in the room.
Yandro barely managed to suppress a scowl at Gawyn’s proprietary display. But Valin did not bother to hide his nor did he inhibit himself from clearing his throat ostentatiously to catch Gawyn’s attention. Irritatingly enough, Gawyn merely looked at him in wide-eyed confusion. Yandro did not know if it was feigned or not, but saints above! It was inexcusable for Gawyn to still be this ignorant of protocol.
To his surprise and Gawyn’s even more so, Jareth pulled his arm out of the latter’s grasp, his expression reproving enough to make Gawyn flush and fall back a step. Yandro realized the ambassador had not smiled when he was accosted nor had he extended a greeting. He heard Valin snort with what sounded like amusement.
“Finally,” Valin muttered. “And what a relief it will be.”
“What will be a relief?” Yandro softly asked.
Valin briefly grinned. “Reprieve from yon gadfly.”
Yandro stared at him. “What do you—”
Jareth interrupted then, saying, “Carry out my order forthwith, Val.”
“With great pleasure, my lord,” Valin all but purred, his smile the brightest Yandro had ever seen on him. Yandro stared at him wonderingly.
But before he could question his friend, Gawyn said with a simper, “I’m sorry if I forgot my place, Jareth. I was only so relieved to have you back and safe.”
“You will address His Excellency with propriety,” Valin snapped.
Gawyn started, then glared at him. “Jareth gave me permission to address him by name, I’ll have you know!” he smugly retorted.
The confirmation stung. Stifling a sigh, Yandro made to leave the chamber. But Jareth stepped forward and caught his hand, staying him. To his amazement, the ambassador regarded Gawyn with distaste.
“Valin is correct. It isn’t meet of you to address your superiors so familiarly.”
Gawyn gaped in shock. “B-but you said I could—” he stuttered.
“An error in judgment, which I hereby rescind, effective immediately,” Jareth coolly said. “Now leave. Yandro and I have important matters to discuss.”
Gawyn stared at Jareth with such disbelief, Yandro wanted to slap him. Valin saved him from acting on the impulse when he grabbed the Deir by the elbow and practically hauled him across the room to the door.
“Really, you have the manners of a swylboar,” Yandro heard Valin say as he shoved Gawyn out the door. “It will be the utmost delight to carry out Lord Jareth’s order. So listen well for I’m of no mind to repeat myself...”
The door closed on the rest of Valin’s sentence leaving Yandro to wonder what it was Jareth had ordered him to do. So intent was he on trying to hear what his friend was saying even as the latter’s voice faded away that he jumped a little when Jareth laid a hand on his shoulder. He swung around a bit gracelessly to face the ambassador.
Jareth’s smile was rueful. “Go ahead,” he softly said. “Tell me what a fool I was to let him take such liberties with me.”
Yandro stared at him in astonishment. “That was your prerogative, Dyhar. Who am I to chide you for exercising it?”
“Only my ever proper and efficient aide to whom I should listen at all times,” Jareth unexpectedly replied. “I let personal sentiment get in the way of good judgment. I should never have given him leave to be familiar with me. A mistake I hope I rectified to your satisfaction.”
“My satisfaction?” Yandro shook his head. “I won’t deny I’m pleased you saw fit to correct him. Valin is too. Gawyn’s behavior would have reflected on the rest of us eventually and in the worst way possible. But why would you take my opinion into consideration when what you did was the privilege of your position?”
“Because your opinion matters,” Jareth said rather matter-of-factly. “It always has. You’d think after having reaped the benefit of your wisdom and unerring instincts time and again, I’d have learned by now to heed your counsel or at least be guided by it.” Before Yandro could respond, he added, “But that isn’t what I want to talk to you about.”
Yandro caught his breath. Much as he too wanted to resolve their problem soonest, its imminence discomfited him nonetheless.
“Very well,” he murmured, clasping his hands in front of him nervously.
He tensed further when Jareth regarded him with a furrowed brow.
“What we discussed while we were in that trysting hole?” Jareth haltingly said. “I’ve never had to speak of it before. It doesn’t come easily to me.” He let out a humorless chuckle and looked at Yandro rather entreatingly. “Strange how easy it was to say certain things when we were struggling to survive,” he remarked.
Yandro swallowed past the sudden lump lodged in his throat. It appeared Jareth was regretting his recent openness. Perhaps he wished to withdraw his previous declarations. Yandro chided himself. He should have known better than to let his hopes overtake his common sense.
“Extreme circumstances can spur people to talk,” he replied as equably as he could. “Obviously, you can’t unsay what you told me.” His voice caught a little, but he forged on. “Rest assured though, I’ll do my best to forget your words.”
Jareth’s eyes widened. “But I don’t want you to forget them!” he exclaimed almost vehemently. “I meant every single one.” While Yandro stared at him in shock, Jareth drew a deep breath before continuing. “I claimed you love me still. And you implied you do.” He hesitated, his mouth tightening in visible apprehension. “Was that just wishful thinking on my part?” he softly asked, his voice rough and unsteady. “Or... pity on yours?”
A wave of emotions inundated Yandro then. Fear, desire, confusion, hope. Jareth had lowered his shields completely, giving Yandro not merely a fleeting sense of his feelings, but the full range and force of them.
Yandro gazed at him, moved by the vulnerability he’d exposed. And suddenly he was elated as well at the realization that Jareth did not want to take back his any of his declarations. He’d uttered them with all sincerity and that therefore meant...
For once he did not bother to school his expression, which he knew probably appeared as besotted as his next utterance sounded. “Neither,” he half whispered. “You’re an addiction I can’t break. Nor do I want to.”
Jareth stared at him with narrowed eyes as if he was trying to ascertain Yandro’s veracity. Yandro inhaled deeply and relaxed his own shields, as well as projected all the love and passion for Jareth he’d hidden so well. The ambassador’s stare changed from uncertain to disbelieving to victorious in the space of a few heartbeats. Yandro took a step backward, startled by the sudden predatory gleam in Jareth’s eyes. He did not have the chance to take another step however for Jareth suddenly covered the space between them with a few swift strides.
Before Yandro could do more than utter a startled squeak, Jareth pulled him flush against him and sealed their mouths in a breath-stealing kiss. He swept over Yandro’s lowered shields, thrusting his thoughts about him into his mind, showing him the heights of his affection and the depths of his desire. Yandro shuddered at the onslaught of scarlet images underlined by tenderest emotion. He was on the verge of swooning when Jareth finally ended the torrid union of their lips.
“I want a nice long bath with you,” Jareth murmured, his lips trailing along Yandro’s jaw. “And a nice long night in you.”
“Oh Veres,” Yandro almost whimpered.
Stunned into docility, he followed Jareth out of the chamber without a word of protest or agreement. They mounted the stairs to the third floor and ambled down the hallway leading to the residential section of the embassy. Yandro was deeply conscious all the while of the appreciative glances Jareth laid on him as they walked.
When they got to end of the hallway, Yandro turned left toward the staff’s corridor. Jareth caught him by the elbow and gestured to the opposite corridor. Yandro frowned in some confusion.
“But my quarters are this way,” he said.
“And mine are here,” Jareth replied.
Yandro stared at him incredulously. “Dyhar—”
“Jath. Call me by name, Yan.”
Yandro glanced about cautiously. “Others may hear—”
“Let them.”
Yandro shook his head. Close kith and kin were permitted to address each other so familiarly as to drop the honorifics in public. But he was neither relation nor intimate friend to Jareth. For all intents and purposes, though he had shared the ambassador’s bed frequently enough, in the eyes of everyone else, he was only his adjutant. A professional colleague a number of steps below his station. And a Half Blood commoner to boot. Only were they to mate could he possibly gain the right to address Jareth thusly in the presence of others.
“We aren’t wed,” he pointed out.
Jareth shrugged. “As yet,” he shot back.
Yandro gazed at him, not certain whether to take him seriously. “Are you suggesting...
Jareth pulled him close and kissed him hard. “Yes,” he huskily replied. “Now, are we going to my apartment, or do I fuck you against the wall right here?”
Yandro prudently kept his mouth shut as they made their way to Jareth’s rooms.