When Orinakin wakened, he was alone.
He didn’t like that. He wanted Bade, wanted Bade with the unreasonable tenacity of a child with a favorite toy, wanted Bade with him always, constantly available to him. Bade should be here in his bed when he awakened, should be with him from his first conscious moments, so that he could talk and look and touch and share.
Aware that he was only feeling sorry for himself because Bade was about to leave, he told himself to be mature and accept Bade’s departure. He wasn’t a spoiled child; he was a responsible adult who carried a great deal of weight on his shoulders on a daily basis.
He still wanted Bade.
Sighing, he rolled over and noticed a note. Picking it up, he smiled at the sight of Bade’s small, precise script.
The first few lines were in Anorian.
You have work to tend to, and a festival to prepare for, and parents who must be looking forward to seeing plenty of you. If I’m here when you wake up, I’ll try to initiate sex (I owe you thanks for inspiring me to do that), which would prevent you from tending to those other things. Therefore, I shall make myself scarce.
Since I won’t be there with you, you won’t be able to feel this pumping out of me at the inordinate rate it’s flowing from my heart right now, so I’ll put it down on paper:
In Nosupolin, now:
I love you with a deep and abiding passion.
Anorian, again:
Admire your eyes in the mirror for me. I can’t see them properly when they’re closed.
Bade
Sitting up, Orinakin read the note again, smiling and loving Bade and feeling a pleasant ache in his heart.
It was hard to be mature and rational about someone as special and beautiful and perfect for him as this.
Making the sign of the gods over the tiger, Kudorin pulled something from his pocket. Those pants had pockets? It was a collar, with a long chain, all emeralds and diamonds. “You’ve named her?” he asked Desin conversationally, fastening the collar around the tiger’s neck.
Oh! Letting a startled sound escape, Rini clapped his hand over his mouth and stepped behind Manosuta to hide his laughter. It was so obvious! A green collar!
“Norisa,” Desin admitted, as the tiger placed a curious paw on Kudorin’s forearm. “It just came to me, it’s not-”
“It’s a fine name,” Kudorin said, patting her paw. “Anoha Matanori,” he told the tiger. “She’s wonderful,” he said to Desin, as she nosed at Kudorin’s fingers before rubbing her head into his palms.
Probably wanting him to shut up and stop snickering, Talin reached over and slapped Rini on the back of the head. Still finding Desin’s ignorance hilarious, Rini continued to laugh while smacking Talin’s shoulder a few times. Manosuta stepped in between them, effectively ending that battle, but by then they had Desin’s attention. “What are you laughing at?”
“You!” Rini exclaimed, ignoring Anikira’s attempts to shush him. “She’s yours!”
“What?” Desin asked, baffled. “Who’s mine?”
“Unnecessary, you’re such a-”
“I am not!” Rini protested, cutting off Talin’s insult before it could reach his ears. “It’s so obvious! She has a green collar! She’s a tiger! It couldn’t be more obvious if he’d dragged a green rake in here!”
Shocked, wide-eyed, Desin stared at Kudorin, already bringing Norisa protectively closer to his chest; she seemed perfectly happy to be there, butting her head under his chin. “Is she mine?” Desin asked, and Rini could practically hear his heart beating fast. He’d never really seen Desin breathless before.
“Norisa is my gift to you,” Kudorin said, and curled an arm around Desin’s shoulders, guiding him closer and murmuring, “I love you, Inanodat.”
“Mine?” Desin asked, squeezing Kudorin close but managing not to squish the tiger. “Mine? You’re giving her to me? She can stay with me?”
While Norisa tried to crawl over Desin’s shoulder, Kudorin said, “Yes, Anosabim, this gift is yours. Our parents were inspired and generous enough to bring her home for you.”
[...]
“She’ll need some training and reminders of acceptable behavior,” Kudorin said to Desin. “When she leaves the palace, keep her on a leash. Now, Norisa, permit me to make you the gift for my brother I had imagined,” and he ran his hands over her, petting her.
Her fur was changing.
“Nice,” Talin said.
“Oh, how lovely!” Eleita exclaimed.
Desin’s jaw dropped.
The tiger was green. Instead of white with black stripes, now she was a soft, pale green with dark green stripes. Desin had a green dwarf tiger. No one in the world had a green dwarf tiger. This was the coolest thing ever. And she had those dangerous teeth! And that roar! Everyone was going to be talking about this for weeks!
“Can I have a lion?” Rini asked, as she contorted herself to look at her fur, investigating her new color.
“I don’t think so,” Manosuta said. “But we’ll take you to see some again.”
“What about an elephant?” Orinakin suggested. “They’re already gray, so making one silver wouldn’t be too much of a change.”
“Don’t encourage him,” Talin said.
“You’re going to be my good girl,” Desin told her, rubbing her green fur while she tried to climb back into his lap. “You’re going to let me take good care of you, and you’ll come hunting with me. Would you like to hunt with me? You can show me how it’s done.”
