The Tiger Within 302 The Contract's Mark

"What… When did this happen?" He demanded sadness and remorse clear in his tone. She flinched slightly as his finger touched the burning heat. He pulled away then realization dawned as he pulled the paper from his jacket. Sure enough the seal was the same mark as the one on her waist. "The contract… I was told… I thought…. I didn't know it hurt you." He tried to explain and Kyera smiled gently at him.

"How could you? Your tigress has always been good at hiding her pain as are the many of my kind who are held by these contracts. Even the wild beasts are hurt by the marks but there is little they can say to defend themselves. So many of your sorcerers hide the mark deep in the skin and the anguish never ends. Not till the contract terms are broken." Kyera explained to him, trying to be as soothing as she could. The burn was getting unbearable the more he stared at it. His emotional state at the moment, he was obviously displeased with her for not telling him. Little did he know the mark had its own way of making her aware of his displeasure.

He and the others watched in horror as a thin drop of blood spilt from the center of the mark, slowly slipping down and disappearing beneath the cloth of her dress. She winced as the magic pierced her skin, a warning. "How do I make it stop?" Clovis demanded knowing it couldn't' always hurt her like this.

"You could start by calming down. I didn't tell you because I couldn't. Now stop being angry or it will punish me for you." Kyera added with a deep sigh. He frowned and tried to focus on not being angry as the cloth covered her waist again. "The rest of you, He did not put this on me. You can not hold him accountable for this. Not yet." Kyera added and Clovis looked at her in surprise.

"Yet?" He asked and Kyera nodded.

"The day you become the Emperor I expect this Mark to become illegal." Kyera replied looking at him expectantly. Clovis nodded.

"Consider it my wedding gift." He replied his eyes glinting with determination. She nodded and sat back down, getting comfortable again.

"Now then, That has been addressed. Daxin, you have the strongest complaints here… What say you?" Kyera asked.

"Kyera, your offering to marry him to what exactly? What is the agreement? You marry him and we can hide in plain site?" Daxin asked, honestly realizing there was no way to talk Kyera out of something she had decided to do. No matter how badly perhaps he wanted to. Her wounded heart had not healed enough to love again.

"The wedding has nothing to do with that. You and your people are welcome to live in the city and make your own lives. We are not in any way affecting that. You will have the protection of my crown and my hand. You are my people as well, even if we did not treat you properly before. I wish to repent for that and welcome you back into the fold of the kingdom." Clovis replied earnestly. THey were misunderstanding so much. He wanted to explain this earlier but they haven't given him the chance. Now that he had it, all the words rushed out before he could be stopped.

"I see, then why do you seek to marry Kyera?" A Fox kin asked as he joined them at the table. Everyone had returned by now and were listening intently to the debate of the elders.

"Kyera and I have similar goals. She wants to protect her people and I want to reunite our people. She is kind and considerate, my daughter loves her. Over the last few months that she has been…" He chuckled darkly at himself for a moment "in captivity, though I had no idea that was what it was at the time, She has been a large part of my life and I care for her. In order to get what we both want, I must marry and she agreed to be my bride." Clovis explained carefully. Each point was crucial to his reasoning. It would make more than just a firm foundation for a political marriage but also a decent reason to treat her well.