Page 14 of A Fragile Heart

"I'll try," Bakhtiar said. "Reza is not—"

"Yes, he is," they said together, and Kurosh added, "I don't know how you can't see it given how much the two of you flirt. I was honestly starting to worry when you never mentioned asking him to join us."

"I didn't notice."

"Mmm, speaking of you and noticing things, I found someone," Farrokh said impishly. "I believe they'll be here any moment. Stay here, I'll bring the tea over."

"No, please let me out of this damned bed.Please."

Kurosh smirked, and damn that pretty mouth, all it did was get Bakhtiar into all kinds of trouble. Though most of that trouble was enjoyable, to be fair. "What will you give me if I let you up?"

"You know damn good and well I'll give you whatever you want like I already do," Bakhtiar said. "I'm not exactly stingy with sexual favors, am I?"

"No, you—"

A knock at the door cut them off.

"Just as well," Farrokh said. "He's in no shape to be our favorite toy right now. Your matching pouts don't make that less true. Kurosh, help him to the table.Youwill not tax yourself even the slightest, do you understand me?"

"I don't have to listen to you," Bakhtiar retorted uselessly.

As Kurosh helped him settle, Farrokh went to answer the door, and a moment later he was escorting two figures. The first was Reza, of course, who looked much improved on the last time Bakhtiar had seen him and smiled shyly as he caught Bakhtiar's eyes before dutifully bowing his head low.

The other person… the book reader. In full light, with no distractions, he was lovelier than ever, before he too, bowed his head low. As they reached him, the dropped to their knees to bow properly. "Stand, please. Reza, you broke your fingers and nearly your arms for me, you don't have to bow."

"Yes, Your Highness," Reza said in a tone he knew damn well meant 'but I'm going to keep doing it anyway'.

Bakhtiar gave him a look that Reza answered with a bare hint of smile and the adorable, crinkled eyes, before he turned his attention to the mysterious reader. "We meet properly at last, stranger. Who are you then?"

Farrokh replied, "This is Master Taher, the nephew of Lord Hesh, his late brother's child, visiting from Lenakta." That was a city in Fenn-Bar, known for its dyes and linen production. "He is here to lend his services to his cousin Vida."

"Ah, I see." Hesh had a son and two daughters. His youngest child, his daughter Vida, had fallen severely ill as a child, and wound up blind from it, or from medicine taken to treat it, nobody was certain, though the fight with the healer had been long and contentious. That must have been who he was sitting with the other night. Which must be four, five days ago now. "Thank you for coming to see me, Master Taher. I am sorry to take you away from your cousin, I will not hold you if you must be with her."

"Not at all, Your Majesty. I was merely a fill-in while her regular attendant was called away on family business. But thefamily business has been settled, and she is expected to return tomorrow, at which point I will be rendered quite useless."

Bakhtiar could not fathom a man so compelling ever being useless. Of course he also couldn't figure out how someone like Taher was related to Hesh of all people, but that was the royal court for you. He didn't know much about Hesh's family beyond the court, only that there was a sister who had married a Rittuen and moved with him there, and a brother who'd married into a merchant family and moved to Lenakta many years ago, but died in a tragic fall from his horse. That would explain why Taher seemed both nobility and not at the same time. "What brings you to see me today, Master Taher?"

"Lord Farrokh said you were confined to your room for the next couple of weeks—"

"Oh, I'm not staying in here that long," he said, shooting a glare at Farrokh.

"Take it up with your mother, my prince."

"—and said you would enjoy a distraction, and would I be willing to come and read for you," Taher finished, looking between them like he wasn't certain if he should be concerned or amused.

Bakhtiar forgot all about bickering with Farrokh. "Read to me?"

"Yes, my prince, read to you, because I know you enjoy it but of course at those breakfasts and such nobody ever lets you listen."

Taher smiled then, a small, sly thing full of mischief that also sparkled in his eyes. "My esteemed uncle had many things to say about your flawless taaki match."

Bakhtiar groaned and poured himself some tea. He'd much rather wine, but that wasn't a good combination with the dream powder he'd undoubtedly be given when he went back tobed. "Yes, I'm certain he did." He motioned for everyone to sit. "Read to me then, Master Taher. Whatever you brought."

He'd intended to sit at the table, but Kurosh dragged him back to sprawl against him and the many cushions piled up behind and around them, and Bakhtiar would never complain about being allowed to use Kurosh as a pillow.

Farrokh moved the table out of the way, and arranged a smaller one between Reza and Taher, setting it with wine, before he moved to sit amidst all of them like he was keeping watch.

Taher's voice was even more beautiful than he remembered as he read a ballad from a book of poetry, and Bakhtiar was helplessly drawn to how at home he and Reza looked there, how seamlessly they seemed to fit. Wishful thinking, probably, but it was a nice thought to let dance around in his head as he listened to Taher read until that lovely voice soothed him back to sleep.

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