Once Upon a Time

第40章 Chapter (1)

Rohan wasn’t ashamed to admit that holding his daughter for the first time had been the scariest thing he’d ever done. She was just so tiny—Jamil had laughed at him at that; apparently Tmynne was a lot bigger now than she used to be. Rohan still felt like he might snap her delicate bones if he held her too tight or drop her if he didn’t hold her tight enough.

That fear had abated a little since then; he was prettyfortable holding the baby now. At least she didn’t seem to mind, watching him with her beautiful green eyes and smiling at him whenever he made funny faces at her. She was the cutest thing he’d ever seen.

Yeah, the not-getting-attached plan was going so well.

Grimacing, Rohan shook his head to himself, rocking his daughter against his chest. She’d been fussy that day, probably picking up on Jamil’s stress through their bond.

He frowned, thinking about the scandal that had shaken the entire Calluvian society last evening. An amendment to the Bonding Law had been passed, allowing not yet married bondmates to petition for dissolution of their childhood bond as long as the petitioner had reached the age of majority. The fact that such a bill had actually passed came as a shock: the Sixth Grand Clan had been trying to pass it for years, without sess. But now not only the bill had passed, but the Lord Chancellor himself had petitioned to break his childhood bond to Jamil’s little brother, causing an enormous scandal Jamil had been trying to manage all day.

Rohan focused on Jamil and his frown deepened when he felt Jamil’s distress. No, not distress; panic.

What the hell?

Rohan put Tmynne into her crib and walked out of her room, in the direction he could feel Jamil.

Turning the corner, he nearly collided with him. Jamil looked wide-eyed and flushed.

“What’s wrong?” Rohan said, pulling him into the nearest room.

Instead of answering, Jamil buried his face in the folds of Rohan’s cravat and let out a shuddering breath. “I messed up. I’m sorry.”

Frowning, Rohan stroked his back soothingly and kissed his ear, making Jamil shiver and cling to him, seekingfort.

Hugging him back, Rohan ignored a twinge ofpletely inappropriate arousal. He’d recently discovered that he had a… thing for Jamil needing him. It was a fucking strange kink he hadn’t even known that he had until Jamil. Maybe it had something to do with Jamil normally being so reserved and poised; the fact that Jamil allowed himself to be so vulnerable with him went straight to his cock—and his heart.

“What happened, love?” Rohan said.

“Prince Ksar,” Jamil said shakily. “He read my mind. I’m not sure what exactly he saw—I think I managed to make my shields seem low-level like you taught me—but he was so strong, Rohan—it was—I think he saw you—us—”

“Breathe,” Rohan said, kissing him on the forehead. “Just breathe, okay?”

It took Jamil a while to even out his breathing. At last, his muscles relaxed a little, his body going pliant in Rohan’s arms.

“Now tell me what happened,” Rohan said, his voice gentle enough but with underlying firmness and control. He had found that Jamil responded beautifully to that tone. Jamil liked it, liked being told what to do. It seemed to clear his head. Usually Rohan used that knowledge only during sex, but now it relaxed Jamil further. He knew Rohan was there for him. He knew he would take care of everything. Jamil didn’t have to shoulder all the responsibility.

“I came across Seyn and Prince Ksar kissing. Obviously I demanded to know what the hell was going on—that bastard had publicly humiliated Seyn just yesterday. But Ksar ordered me to leave. In my own home! Can you believe the gall?” Jamil sounded affronted and confused in equal measure. “And when I refused, he… he got through my shields.”

Rohan tried not to tense up. Jamil was stressed out as it was. He didn’t need to feel his anger. “How?” he said with a frown. The Crown Prince of the Second Grand Clan was artificially bonded to Jamil’s younger brother, which meant that his telepathy was limited. It shouldn’t have been possible for Prince Ksar to get through Jamil’s shields. Jamil was a Class 4 telepath now, as far as Rohan could tell. “You’re exceptionally gifted with shielding. A Class 2 shouldn’t have been able to get through your shields.” Rohan couldn’t get through Jamil’s shields when Jamil tried to hide his thoughts, and they were bonded.

Jamil shook his head. “There’s no way he’s Class 2. I felt him, Rohan. His sheer power was…” He shuddered, tightening his arms around Rohan’s back. “I never felt anything like that. I barely managed to hide my telepathic strength and the information about the rebels. He could have seen anything else. I’m not sure what memories he saw—it was brief—but from what he said, he definitely saw us.”

“Us?”

He felt Jamil’s embarrassment through their bond. “I think he saw the memory of the first time I sucked you off,” he said, his voice very prim despite his words’ vulgarity. “He basically told me to mind my own business or everyone would find out that I’m a whore who likes being used by a lowly servant. I think he got the impression that you were my servant from what you said to me while you fucked my mouth. Remember?”

Rohan’s body definitely remembered. “I do,” he said, clearing his throat a little. He could see how Prince Ksar might have gotten the wrong impression from that.

That was the thing about looking into an unfamiliar, ipatible mind: no matter how strong a telepath was, it was easy to get the wrong impression from flashes of different memories, especially if the telepath didn’t receive extensive training in the mind arts. Prince Ksar had likely seen Jamil’s memories of Rohan in a servants’ uniform and then saw him spouting that filth while they had sex— and had drawn the wrong conclusion. Although it was a relief that Ksar hadn’t bothered to delve deeper into Jamil’s mind, he shouldn’t have been able to get behind Jamil’s shields at all.

Interesting.

The Lord Chancellor wasn’t who he appeared to be.

Rohan closed his eyes and stretched out his awareness. He nearly flinched, sensing an immensely strong telepath in the palace. Prince Ksar’ngh’chaali. That must be him. His presence was muted, as if he was hiding his true strength behind shields, but those shields were flickering off and on at the moment, while Ksar seemed… distracted. Rohan had never met a telepath so strong. Ksar seemed stronger than even Warrehn. Fucking hell, could Ksar actually be a Seven?

Rohan opened his eyes. “Are you sure he and Seyn have a childhood bond?”

He could feel Jamil’s confusion. “Of course they do. I was at their bonding ceremony. Seyn was bonded to him as a newborn.” He paused. “Though they probably won’t remain bonded for long now if the Council approves Ksar’s petition to dissolve their bond.”

Rohan ran a hand through Jamil’s hair absentmindedly. “I still can’t believe that bill passed.”

“The timing is definitely strange,” Jamil agreed. “But it’s a good sign, isn’t it? It means the Council might react more favorably to Tai’Lehrians than we thought.”

“Maybe. But not necessarily. There’s something off about the whole thing. Knowing the Council and High Hronthar, that bill should have never passed. Someone powerful must have pushed hard for it.”

“Yes, Lady Zeyneb, the mother of your friend Warrehn’s betrothed. She wants the bond broken so that her son can marry some other pl’s King. By the way, I thought you said Prince Warrehn doesn’t have a bond anymore. Howe his betrothed still does?”

“We couldn’tpletely remove Warrehn’s bond, because we didn’t want him declared dead. As long as he is considered missing, Dalatteya has a legal battle to fight. So we left a thin thread tying Warrehn to his former bondmate. It’s barely there and it doesn’t hamper his telepathy at all. That surgery is still considered the mostplicated mental surgery performed by our mind healers to date.”

Jamil hummed absentmindedly, tugging Rohan’s cravat off. He buried his nose against Rohan’s throat. “I missed you,” he whispered, nibbling on the sensitive spot there.

Rohan licked his dry lips, his mind fogging with desire so fast he felt nearly dizzy. “Me, too, love.”

Jamil laughed against his neck. “It’s been what, three hours? This is ridiculous. We’re ridiculous.”

‘Ridiculous’ wouldn’t be the word Rohan would choose, but yeah.

What are you doing, Rohan? a voice that sounded a lot like his father’s said at the back of his mind.

Closing his eyes, Rohan pulled Jamil tighter against him and kissed him hungrily.

I have no fucking idea.

It was his last coherent thought for a long while.

He knew he was being selfish and reckless, but Rohan couldn’t bring himself to care as he went down on Jamil right there, sucking his cock lazily. He’de to love the thickness and weight of it in his mouth. He hollowed his cheeks out and sucked gently while his tongue swirled around the leaking head. He loved this, loved how wet Jamil got for him—but not as much as he loved eating him out. So Rohan turned him around and pulled his pants down, exposing Jamil’s eous ass to his hungry eyes, marveling at the soft, supple flesh, unable to resist the urge to kiss it.

“No,” Jamil managed. “Rohan, not now. I told Seyn to meet me in my office—” He whimpered as Rohan pushed his tongue between his cheeks.

“Then hurry up, sweetheart,” Rohan told him, licking his hole and kneading his cheeks greedily. “We can’t have your little brother finding out how naughty you really are, can we?”

“I can’t, Rohan,” Jamil moaned, his voice shaking. “Not enough time.”

“You can,” Rohan told him firmly, pushing his tongue against his hole. “You will. Reach back and spread your cheeks for me, love. You know you want to.”

“Anyone cane here.”

“So what?”

Rohan almost smiled as Jamil’s arousal spiked. His prim, proper prince was actually delightfully naughty, deep down.

So he wasn’t surprised when Jamil grabbed his own buttocks, spreading them for Rohan shamelessly. “Please.”

Fuck, noth