My Brother's Keeper (3)

Writers: Heather, Suzee
Date Posted: 31st July 2018

Characters: Zathris, Benani, Benamil, Nazli
Description: Zathris details the new plan of action for Benamil and Nazli.
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 5, day 18 of Turn 9

Zathris

Benani

Benamil

Nazli

Zathris let that sink in. How could he not have noticed? Was it
obvious to everyone but him? Had he been so caught up in the vandalism
and other odd occurrences around Amber Hills that he had missed the
fact that his brother-in-law was gay? He felt a headache settling over
his brow.

"Nazli," he addressed the timid woman for the first time, "did you
know that Benamil was doing this?"

She took a deep breath and though she was terrified by the questioning
she nodded. "I did sir."

Benani closed her eyes and rose to her feet. "I told her Zathris. It
was my idea they get married, and I hoped they could be happy
together"

"Yes m'Lady," Nazli said softly. "I am very happy with Lord Benamil,
he is everything kind to me."

The Lord Holder's eyebrows shot up, "You knew? That's why this
marriage was arranged so quickly." He pinched the bridge of his nose
between thumb and forefinger.

"It's my fault. I'm the one who went to Benani for help." Benamil knew
if it hadn't been for his carelessness with Arion that day outside the
Hold that none of this would even be happening.

"Well, the three of you forgot a vital thing while you were plotting
together, Saedriel. She knows about you and she's here asking for
money in turn for not making it public knowledge that the Lady
Holder's brother is gay and hiding behind his new marriage."
Underneath his tightly controlled features, Zathris was seething. Not
because he'd found out Benamil was gay, but because his wife, and
brother-in-law, had lied to his face on multiple occasions.

Benani wasn't happy in the least with the situation but especially the
way he'd characterized it. "We weren't 'plotting' Zathris." She used
her fingers to make emphasis on the word plotting. "I made a match for
my brother which is my _job_ afterall." She looked at her brother and
sister-in-law. "I know you're angry with me but it's not their fault.
The marriage was _my_ idea. To be fair, I had to talk them into it."

Nazli began to cry silently and turned into Benamil's chest to hide
her face from the anger coming off of the Lord Holder in waves. What
if he were to make her leave Amber Hills. She couldn't bear that. She
couldn't bear the thought of anything hurting Benamil.

Zathris' teeth clinched together so tightly that a little tic could be
seen on the side of his jaw. "Is it also your job to lie to your
husband and Lord, milady?" His blue eyes were livid, and before he
lost what little control he had left he held up his hand. "I will
speak with you later."

The Amber Hills Lord turned his attention back to Benamil and Nazli,
"If you wish for this not to spin more out of control than it has
already, then you are going to leave this office and continue acting
like the newlywed couple that you are supposed to be. No one else is
told, not a single person, if you wish to continue living here. As as
a sign that you are going to continue keeping this secret, and to
avoid this sort of thing from happening again, I'm going to have to
insist that you produce a child from this marriage. The sooner, the
better." He let that sink in. "And your visits to the Vintner Hall
stop, today."

"I... I can't do that. Stop seeing him." Benamil found himself saying
before he'd even had a chance to think it over. He wouldn't agree to
not seeing Arion.

Zathris breathed a heavy sigh through his nose, "That serious, is it?"

"Yes, I love him."

The Lord Holder held up both hands, "Enough, enough. You don't have to
quit seeing him. Quite frankly, I don't care who you sleep with, as
long as it's not causing problems for the family. You've lived here
your entire life, I don't have to tell you how quickly out of hand
things would get if the entire Hold knew. But you can't keep slinking
off to the Vintner Hall each night."

"I'll figure something out." Benamil felt a little bit of relief that
Zathris' wasn't looking at him as if he were some sort of abnormal
freak.

"I will go and take care of Saedriel. I will let her know that she's
mistaken, the marriage is completely legitimate, and should she decide
to spread false rumors about my family I will have her removed from
the Amber Hills territory." Zathris looked between Nazli and Benamil,
"Any questions?"

Benani turned her eyes to the floor with every semblance of meekness
though she was anything but. He'd never ever taken that tone with her
in public before. She didn't exactly blame him either. To have someone
come to him like this was unexpected to say the least.

Nazli simply shook her head and didn't try to speak or meet the Lord
Holder's eyes. But her stomach had dropped at his words about a baby.
Her brain and emotions overloaded and she continued to sob.

Zathris hated to see the distress that was caused Nazli by the
proceedings of their meeting, but at this point, he could see no way
around it. Perhaps if he had been involved in the entire charade from
the beginning, they all could have been spared this moment.

"Good, you're all free to go."

Benamil linked hands with Nazli and led her from the room, his mind
spinning over the meeting they'd just had. It felt as if they'd been
in Zathris' office an eternity, when in reality it hadn't actually
been long at all.

"Well isn't that special," Benani said dryly knowing she was still on
thin ice. But she just couldn't help herself. "He's gay and she's
been repeatedly raped and your great plan is to make them have sex.
You can yell at me after the children go to bed," she said and
flounced out of the room.

Last updated on the August 21st 2018

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My Brother's Keeper (3)