Free Oryon (Tornians Book 3.5) by M.K. Eidem Page B

He let his fingers caress her cheek.
    The sound of a bell ringing, announcing that the midday meal was ready, had both of them remembering where they were.
    “If you agree, I’ll have Jael and those who helped him with the ladders come to our Wing after midday meal and carry furniture.”
    Oryon looked at Jael as the other three stepped next to him. He recognized these trainees and they were satisfactory. “They will be fine. I’ll have Lajos send up a meal for you and Vali.”
    “What about you?” Isis asked. “You need to eat too.”
    “I will, after I deal with Kaspar.”
    “Alright.” Isis nodded. “I will see you later.” Turning, she nodded to Vali and they left the hall.
     
    ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
     
    Oryon waited until Isis was out of earshot before speaking. His gaze traveled over each male assessing him as his stare kept them in place. “I want you to speak now if you have any knowledge about what occurred here today. If I find out later that you do and did not speak you will be dealt with harshly by me .”
    Absolute silence greeted Oryon’s statement. Every male knew he would force the offending male or males out of his House in disgrace if he discovered they were lying to him.
    “Jael.” Oryon turned hard eyes on the young male when no one spoke.
    A slight tremor swept visibly over him. “Y…Yes my Lord.”
    “You, Fajr, Abir, and Eben will eat first then immediately proceed to my Lady’s chambers where you will do as she commands. Is that understood?”
    “Yes, my Lord,” they said as one.
    “Then what are you doing standing here!” Oryon roared. “Go! Eat! All of you!”
    At his words, they stampeded out as one.

Chapter Five
    At what he was seeing, Vali’s eyes widened in shock. He had heard tales of what a female’s chamber would look like and how they were filled with luxerious treasures from every known universes. It was why males worked so hard, so they could amass the items they would need to fill such rooms, but this, this was something he could never have imagined.
    “You seem surprised Vali,” Isis said quietly.
    “I… well… yes.”
    “Why?” Isis asked, looking around her rooms.
    “Because, it is not how I always imagined it would be.”
    “It isn’t? How did you imagine it?’
    “I don’t know. Fuller… Lusher… Overflowing.” His eyes continued to travel around the room. Yes, the room contained rich fabrics that a male’s rooms would never have, but they weren’t in the abundance he’d been led to expect. Yes, there was furniture, but it wasn’t the dainty pieces he’d been told female’s preferred, but sturdy pieces that would comfortably hold a Tornian warrior. His eyes zeroed in on a specific piece, sitting next to a window.
    Isis walked over to the chair her offspring’s eyes seemed focused on, “Do you like it?” she asked, running her hand lovingly along the smooth wood of its high back.
    “It is an extraordinary piece,” Vali said, knowing he had never seen anything like it. The chair was an unusual size, not quite large enough to fit the form of a Tornian male the size of his manno, but not the size of his mother either. Its material wasn’t the rich ‘female’ fabric either. Instead, it was covered in well-worn liedr, the skin of one of their most feared animals. It was something he never expected to find in her room. Why was it here?
    “Come. Sit.” Isis encouraged him.
    “No! I couldn’t,” he told her.
    “Why not?” Isis asked, seeing the desire in his eyes. “This was my manno’s favorite chair. He designed it specifically for his height and build. Please?” she asked softly. “I would very much like to see you in it.”
    Walking over Vali slowly lowered himself into the chair, then leaned back to find it fit him perfectly. Running his hands along the arms, he found the liedr soft and supple, telling him it was well cared for and often used. Next to the chair was a table that could only have been made specifically for