Page 51 of The Prince's Fealty

Denil blew out a breath and then he nodded. “All right.”

Bavil clapped Tor on the shoulder as he grinned at Denil. “He’s my brother-in-law now, you know. Whatever happens, we’re going to make sure that a lot of things change here in Tond and over the mountain.”

Goddess, hear our prayer.

Well, even if Tor didn’t make it through all this, he was confident Bavil would continue to advocate for the exiles, so hopefully the rest of them would be all right no matter what.

Thankfully, although neither he nor Bavil had been on the receiving ends of it, both of them had witnessed renunciations of pledges of Fealty thanks to those permanent moves between realms.

So Beluna and Cavun first removed their Fealty from Bavil and then pledged it to Tor.

It felt extra personal, somehow, that these two had chosen to remove their Fealty from someone else—someone decent—and pledge it specifically to Tor. The responsibility already felt enormous, but that added to it. It was also reassuring, though, because they knew him and were still picking him.

And then Pel stepped in front of him.

“Nope,” Tor said immediately.

Pel raised an eyebrow, looking unimpressed.

Tor looked between the two brothers. “I just… It’s already working the way it is right now, and you don’t owe me anything, Pel.”

Pel’s expression softened. “It’s not that. But I’m committed to you, Tor, one hundred percent. We’re in this together. And we’re certainly living together. Wherever you go, I go, and this is part of that.”

Bavil was eyeing Tor sardonically. “You do realize he’s going to renounce his Fealty to me regardless and be really snarky about the fact that you don’t want it?”

Tor let out a half laugh. Bavil knew his brother well.

Carefully, he asked, “You’re really sure?”

“I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life,” Pel told him, eyes solemn and steady. Then he grinned. “You’ve got to have someone who’ll tell you if you’re doing things wrong, right?”

Tor rolled his eyes, but he was grinning now, in spite of himself. A moment later, Pel had renounced his Fealty to his brother, and now Tor’s hands were settled on Pel’s clasped ones.

Their magic flared together at once, Blending without their conscious thought.

“I’ve already got your magic,” Tor pointed out.

Pel had been looking at their joined hands, but he raised his eyes to meet Tor’s.

“And now you get a little bit more. I, Pel of Tond, pledge my Fealty to you, Torex of Alossa.”

And Tor felt it, that little trickle of magic that was, apparently, separate from their bond. It was more proof that Pel trusted him—and something that he’d explicitly chosen when they’d done everything else ass-backwards and accidentally.

Tor was unable to keep the grin off his face, happiness bubbling up uncontrollably.

“I, Torex of Alossa, accept your Fealty and pledge you my protection. And everything else, of course.”

Pel cracked his own grin. “Yeah, all right, you know how charming you are.”

Tor used their joined hands to tug Pel closer and kiss him.

Nearby onlookers who were still awake—awake again?—cheered and whooped.

Tor laughed with sheer joy and pulled Pel closer still, wrapping his arms around him and kissing him even more soundly.

There was so much more to figure out, but this first giant hurdle had been passed. Right or wrong, Tor had accepted the Fealty of thousands of people, including Pel, Beluna, Cavun, and Istila. He was committed to this endeavor, and all he had to do now was try to make sure his family was safe… and then convince his stubborn brother that this was the best thing that could have happened.

(Was this becoming the refrain of Tor’s life? Should he be worried?)