Brothers

Disclaimer all these characters belong to LKH. I make no money off them and return them to her only gently used.

Adair walked the halls looking for his brother. Where was he? Oh, they weren't full brothers, but sharing the Dagda as their father made them special as brothers went. Not too many of the Dagda's male heirs still walked the upper earth. Something like joy and relief filled Adair's heart and soul. He was free. Free of the queen, and soon his brother would be as well.

Rounding the passage and coming upon the white marble walls that had been created when Mistal and the princess made love, he saw his beautiful brother. "Aisling, what are you doing?"

Aisling looked around, his glamour making his eyes look strange, a safety mechanism to keep unwanted attention away. Dropping it in his brother's presence, Aisling's eyes glowed a brilliant green gold like a leopard's eyes, only his were very human. Behind the veil he smiled.

"Where's the princess?" he asked curiously.

"Surrounded by her favorites," Adair answered with a big grin. "And they aren't sharing today."

Aisling laughed and looked back up at the wall. "They are beautiful, aren't they?"

Adair folded his hands across his breast and looked up at the fine polished marble. "Reminds yah of home, does it?"

"Aye, it does."

"Maybe one day..."

"No," Aisling gently stopped him. "This is our world now."

"Yah shoulda never left," Adair remarked for the thousanth time. "Yah belonged to that land, and they suffered when yah left."

Aisling looked back at him now, sorrow like an old wound deep in his eyes. "Everyone was leavin'. What was I to do?"

Adair had no answer for him. One thing was certain, no one paid a greater price for the trip over than Aisling. Oh yes, the princess was always quick to point out that Rhys gave up much at the last weirding spell, but Aisling gave up his freedom. Andais had taken him to make sure Taranis did the spell. Only Barinthus, perhaps, had given up more.

"The princess has spoken with her guards about bringing you into her bed before leaving for Taranis' court."

"She'll not do that," Aisling replied with even more sorrow in his voice. "She's afraid of me now."

"But Galen told me she's thinkin' it...."

"I wish you had not told me," Aisling suddenly interrupted him. "I would give what's left of life to be able to see Edain again. I'd fuck one of her men for a chance to go back over there."

Adair smiled. "Faith, brother, faith."