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A Tale of Jaguars	By : Aline Category: +S through Z > Thundercats Views: 13095 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I don't own Thundercats, or any character or event associated to it, and I'm not making any money from this fiction.

Chapter List
- 9
- 10
- 11
WARNINGS: This contains Slash, and abuse, as well as mpreg. It is dark and treats themes only for mature audience, such as rape and sex with a minor. Do not read if you don’t like it.
*Disclaimer: I don’t own Thundercats, or any character or event associated to it, and I’m not making any money from this fiction.
Author note: Thanks to all who have reviewed. I’m glad someone likes this.

CHAPTER 10. A bombshell.

“I don’t care what the pact says, and I don’t care how much my father had to give up! I’m not going back to Thundera!”
Lion-O said with determination. The cleric was seething in anger. Stupid, little good for nothing, cub. Why the fates had punished them with such an irresponsible heir? Why couldn’t prince Tygra have been a lion? He would have made an excellent king, instead of being stuck at his brother’s side.
“Prince Lion-O, this is not open to discussion! You’d be returning home with me, as your father wish you to!”
“No! I’m staying here with Tygra!”
Lion-O cursed his own stupidity. He shouldn’t have opened the door to the cleric. He should have hid in his bed until the puma had abandoned the palace! They had been discussing for half an hour, and the cleric didn’t want to understand that Lion-O was not going anywhere with him.
The puma growled in frustration and disgust.
“Prince Tygra would be better without you, don’t you see it? He’d be glad to be rid of a nuisance that only causes him troubles!”
“That’s a lie! Tygra needs me!”
“What would he need you for? Don’t you realise that you’re only a burden for him? He can’t take his rightful place in Thundera because of you, and it’s also for your cause that he has to endure this exile and the indignity to submit to the jaguar prince! To spare you!”
Lion-O froze. He gaped at the cleric and clenched his fists anxiously.
“No. That’s not true. This is all because of a stupid war. Because we lost…”
“Your father was given a choice that wasn’t real. He had to leave Tygra to the beasts because he’s not allowed to renounce to his heir. Tygra’s duty is to protect you, and I’m sure that he had had to tolerate many things here just to ensure your safety! You’re too young to take care of yourself, and you’re too young to be considered a proper mate. Your father and brother did their best to protect you, and you have the obligation to return to Thundera to do your duty, so your brother’s sacrifice would not be in vain.”
Lion-O clenched his teeth. Old insecurities were waking up again. His brother was the better son. He was only a burden for him. Grune’s words resonated in his ears.
‘Tygra is the best choice for the crown; he just lacks the right lineage. Unfortunately, we’re stuck with you.’
“Pick up your pet, and let’s go. I’m sure prince Tygra would be relieved to find out that you took your obligations seriously for once.”
Lion-O sniffed. He actually gave a step to follow the cleric, and he scratched mechanically his left arm. And then he stopped, remembering his brother doing the exact same movement. He remembered Bengali asking him if Tygra had used to scratch his arms constantly. He recalled his brother’s arms, bandaged from wrist to shoulder, and his dull eyes from the first month in Ix-Maal. Finally, he remembered the morning, just two days ago, when Bengali had been only too happy to see his disgruntled self after spending the night in a storage compartment. Jareid, all but shoving him inside his room, and Tygra on the bed. Tygra hugging him, thanking him for being there. And Bengali freaking out when he had discovered what Tygra had done to his arm, while Jareid swore that he hadn’t noticed the moment the tiger had done it.
“No.” He said quietly. Yabin, who had already turned his back on him, turned around again.
“What are you saying?”
“I’m not going.”
“You selfish brat…”
“I don’t care what you think! Tygra needs me! I promised I’d stay with him, and I’m doing that!”
The puma growled, and with a quick movement closed the space between him and the teen and grabbed Lion-O’s arm painfully.
“I’m tired of you! You’re coming with me now!”
“Release me!”
“What’s happening here?”
Lion-O struggled and freed his arm from the cleric’s grasp while the cat had turned to see who was interrupting them. Lion-O immediately ran to the door, where Xiao was looking unpleasantly at the puma. Yabin straightened and growled menacingly at the teen. Lion-O rubbed his arm and stood firm beside the jaguar’s stoic form.
“Nothing to concern you. Prince Lion-O and I are leaving now. I’m taking him with me back to Thundera, and the transport is already waiting for us.”
“Really? Because from what I heard yesterday, prince Lion-O is staying if he wants to.”
“This has nothing to do with what he wants. It’s an order! Lion-O, pick up your things. We’re leaving now!”
A year ago, Lion-O would have obeyed. He had been used to follow Jaga’s and other cleric’s commands, because they had been his tutors. He had been used to people being exasperated with him and ordering him around. Now however, he stubbornly stayed at Xiao’s side. This cat was not Jaga, and his present tutors talked to him in a very different way. He shook his head and took a step closer to Xiao. The cleric growled again.
“Listen Lion-O, if you don’t obey me, there’d be hell to pay! You are going back to Thundera!”
Lion-O flinched, and Xiao had had just enough.
“Curious that you think you can give orders to a prince. As I was told, the clerics are in Thundera the same as the Shamans here. And the Shamans are loyal and the most trusted servants of the crown.”
He looked down at Lion-O, who didn’t miss the stress in the word ‘servants’. Yabin caught on it too and hissed in displeasure.
“The royal family never takes orders from servants.”
Lion-O did his best to correct his posture and stood apart from Xiao’s protective frame. He looked at the cleric in the eye, and remembered the times he had seen king Baal or Jareid issuing orders.
“I want you to leave and return to Thundera. Tell my father that I’m staying at my brother’s side.”
“You little…”
“I don’t take orders from you! Now leave before I have the guards taking you away!”
If Lion-O had been alone, Yabin would have ignored the threat. Thundera’s court was used to treat Lion-O as a cub who didn’t know how to take on his responsibilities. But with Xiao there backing Lion-O, the cleric thought better about it.
“Your father would be disappointed. If it had been Tygra…”
“Leave. I don’t need you comparing me with my brother.”
Yabin left in a huff, and Lion-O let go of the breath he had been holding. Xiao put a comforting hand on his shoulder.
“You did well prince Lion-O. You have to remember, you are the royalty, not the other way around.”
“Father always said that one should never abuse his power.”
“There’s a difference between commanding respect and abusing power. You can be whatever type of king you want, but if you don’t have your people’s respect, you’re signing in for a lot of trouble. You’re young, but even if you were a small cub, your servants should know their place, and treat you with the deference and respect that is due to your position.”
Lion-O bit his lip thoughtfully.
“But… how would I know if I’m being reasonable? I’ve seen Jareid, and I think that he trespasses his limits sometimes.”
Xiao laughed and shook his head.
“I think there’s no danger of you falling into that. Our prince is a handful. King Baal has spoiled him too much. It’s true that he tends to abuse his power, and many of us have been dreading the day he’d become king. The council had been making up plans for a good advisor. Bengali is already saddled with the job, but it may not be enough. Prince Jareid needs someone that’d prevent him from putting his personal needs before the needs of the people. He’s just too volatile.”
Xiao sighed and then smiled confidently at Lion-O.
“Fortunately, he has your brother now. Prince Tygra has been a blessing. I don’t know what he’s doing, but prince Jareid is changing in a positive way. Maybe it’s the fact that now he has someone to share his life with.”
Lion-O shrugged, but smiled all the same. He hoped that his brother would find happiness and wouldn’t end up resenting the life that had been forced on him.
&&&&&&&
Tygra stared at his hand resting on the pillows in front of him. He had been awake for quite sometime, but hadn’t yet gathered enough willpower to move. His entire body ached, in and out, and he just knew that movement of any kind would bring pain with it. Jareid had been very rough with him. He had been very close to a panic attack at least twice during the night. He had slept very little, and still felt exhausted.
A bitter smile graced his lips, recalling some of the cleric’s advice.
‘Just do your part, stop him if there’s something you don’t like.’
Yeah, sure. Tygra would have scoffed if it hadn’t been a waste of breath.
At least there had been a fair amount of pleasure for him. Damn Jareid. The cat was a complete asshole, but he had the most wonderful hands Tygra had ever felt. Not that he had any experience at all beyond his mate, but still. He was convinced that no one else could be that skilled.
The amount of light filling the room told him that it was late in the morning, but he didn’t want to leave the bed and rejoin the living. He didn’t think he’d be able to walk properly. Besides, Jareid still had him trapped. The jaguar was behind his back, one arm had snaked down the tiger’s armpit and around his torso, and the other hand was languidly caressing the teen’s flat stomach. One of Jareid’s legs was over both of Tygra’s.
The tiger sighed. Jareid was purring in contentment and was nuzzling the top of Tygra’s head. The teen started purring too in reflex. He was not adverse to just lie on the bed, encroached in his mate’s arms, and let the morning pass by. He was very comfortable in fact. He didn’t even mind Jareid’s small show of possessiveness at the moment. The jaguar’s purr was a soothing sound and was keeping Tygra into some sort of slumber that the tiger was in fact enjoying.
Eventually, Jareid tightened his embrace just a little bit and mumbled, still groggy in his half-awake state.
“Mine… all mine…”
Tygra groaned in half-hearted protest. They’d be moving soon and he was not looking forward to face training with sore muscles. Jareid’s hand squeezed his stomach lightly and possessively.
“… can’t wait to see you all round with our cubs…”
That…
Tygra’s ears twitched and his eyes opened in slight alarm. He couldn’t have just heard what he thought.
“What?”
“I’m sure you’d look just as beautiful… even pregnant…”
Ok. Now he was fully awake and alert. He rolled around, ignoring his protesting muscles, and stared at his mate, who by the way was still in the process of regaining consciousness.
“What are you talking about?”
Jareid opened one sleepy eye to regard his mate with confusion.
“Cubs. We are going to have cubs.” He smiled lecherously at the slowly panicking tiger. “And they’re going to look gorgeous with both our looks. Stripes and spots. I wonder if they’d mix.”
Surely Jareid was still dreaming. Or someone had slipped something in his drink while no one had noticed.
“Jareid… you are aware that both of us are males, right?”
Jareid scoffed and closed his eye again.
“Of course I am. What about it?”
“Wha…? You do know that two males can’t have cubs together, do you? You need a consort to have your heir!”
That forced Jareid to wake up enough to scowl at Tygra. A low growl of annoyance rumbled between them.
“I’ve told you repeatedly Tygra. There is not going to be any consort. I don’t need any bloody consort! You are carrying our cubs. Understand?”
Tygra was getting scared. He pushed himself away from his mate’s body, trying to get some space to breath. Jareid grabbed him by the elbows and growled louder.
“Tygra…”
“I’m a male! Males can’t procreate with other males, and they certainly can’t get pregnant! I don’t have the necessary anatomy parts to carry cubs!”
Jareid looked stunned for a moment. He gave Tygra the strangest face ever. Then he chuckled and shook his head. The tiger was feeling anger quickly replacing his fear.
“What’s so funny?!”
“… Sorry… I just forgot that you grew up in a place where technology is a fairy tale for kittens.”
Tygra looked at Jareid in utter confusion.
“Tech? What does that have to do with cubs?”
“Well, there’s something called biotech, that the shamans are very fond of. There are certain procedures that enable two males, or two females, to procreate with each other.”
Tygra was speechless. He had not expected to hear that in a million years. Sure, he had always know that Jareid would eventually need an heir, and had at the time lamented that he would be denied any cubs of his own, seeing how jealous his mate was. Now…
He was still trying to get his mind to work again after the havoc that Jareid’s little speech had just caused.
“Tygra? I didn’t mean to break you.” Jareid said sheepishly, and a bit worried. Tygra blinked at him.
“You’re telling me… that we are having cubs…”
“Of course.”
“B-bu… I… two females I understand, but I… how can a male…?”
He was not very coherent at the moment. Fortunately Jareid seemed to understand what he wanted to ask.
“Conception is really no big deal, from what I’ve been told. Of course, when two males are the parents one of them has to undergo surgery to be able to be the carrier. It’s not so bad, just a minor surgery.”
“Just a minor surgery?! Jareid, I’m not turning into a female!”
“Of course you’re not! I’m not saying that! You’re not loosing anything, you’re only going to have something extra so you can carry our cubs, that’s all.”
That’s all. Sure. Easy for him to say! Tygra was not undergoing any surgery!
“Surely there is another way…”
“Tygra…”
“I’m not biologically made to carry cubs Jareid! What if something goes wrong? I’m not anyone’s experiment!”
He was freaking out and Jareid grabbed the nape of his neck and pressed a point at the base that made him go limp. The jaguar started massaging the back of his head to calm him down.
“Ow…”
“Relax. No one is going to be experimenting with you. Look, some male couples ask to a female to be the carrier. But I very much prefer that we don’t have anyone else mixed in this. Females instinctually bond with cubs they carry, even if they’re not their own. I’m not having anyone demanding any kind of rights over our cubs!”
Tygra was still shaken. He needed time to process this new development. Cubs had not been something he had given much thought to, much less after being given to a male partner. It had been implied that it was Jareid the one who needed to have at least one cub, not him. Apparently he had been wrong.
He breathed deeply and licked his lips. Jareid continued massaging his scalp, soothing him.
“Just imagine it Tygra. Our cubs. Our own family. You see that I have no need for a consort? Only you my tiger. You are all that I need.”
It didn’t sound bad. Tygra liked the idea to have his own family. He just protested the method to obtain it.
He sighed and decided to dwell on it another day. He hoped that Jareid would give him time to actually process the idea before demanding cubs. Hopefully, enough time for Tygra to get Bengali to convince the jaguar that a female carrier sounded like a very good idea.
“I do want cubs… I suppose. I just… well, actually I’ve never really thought about that. I just assumed there’d be no cubs. Not ours at least.”
Jareid caressed his cheek and kissed his temple tenderly.
“Wouldn’t that have been a shame?”
Tygra sighed. His mind was still having problems with the whole ‘male pregnancy’ concept.
Suddenly, his brows furrowed. Jaga had mentioned the lack of offspring, back when Baal had first announced his intentions of having Tygra mated to his son. The jaguar king had not been worried in the least. Well, now Tygra knew why.
The tiger bit his lower lip, feeling anxious all of a sudden. Jareid prodded his chin to make him look at the blue eyes.
“Are you getting this Tygra? We are having cubs. I’m not procreating offspring with anyone but you.”
Tygra gulped and nodded slowly. Jareid’s eyebrows were forming a scowl that sent shivers down the tiger’s spine. It was not an angry scowl, but it was still fearsome.
“Y-yes. I’d give you cubs, just… You are giving me time, don’t you? To get my mind around this? I mean… we don’t need to start having cubs just yet. Maybe a couple of years? Please?”
He really, really didn’t need Jareid deciding that he wanted an heir as soon as possible. The jaguar prince was old enough to start thinking about cubs, but Tygra was sixteen! He wasn’t remotely prepared to raise kits.
Jareid sighed and looked at Tygra with an apologetic expression that made the tiger worry.
“Maybe we’d wait for the second cub. For this… Tygra, we have a year to have an heir.”
The tiger froze. He felt his mouth go dry and he tried to push Jareid away again. The jaguar held firm.
“We… why? J-Jareid I can’t…!”
“Our bonding requires it. The alliance between the clans require an heir from both bloods for it to be true.”
Tygra stared at Jareid incredulously. The ritual… The cleric had said that every ritual had requirements. He remembered then.
The rite they had chosen was for a blood alliance. Every blood alliance required an heir within the year, to truly seal a pact between two clans. The majority of the rituals made certain concessions to same gender couples, but the one they had performed happened to be very strict. If there was no heir, it was a signal that the spirits had not blessed the pact, rendering the mating null. If one of them had a first descendant from a cat other than his mate, it was declared treason, and the alliance obliterated. Tygra had forgotten it. He had studied the rites long ago, and over the past few months he had only focussed on learning the basics and memorizing the words he would have had to say. He hadn’t given a second thought to the requirements that surrounded the rite but were not part of the ceremony.
Tygra’s hands trembled. He understood his father’s reasoning then. Both Jareid and Tygra were males. Claudus never expected them to produce cubs. Once the year had gone by, and the alliance was broken, there’d be no more reason for Tygra to stay in Ix-Maal. The pact would be null, and there’d be no need for retaliation because it wouldn’t have been anyone’s fault. Claudus was counting on Baal to know this and return Tygra unharmed.
The tiger clenched his fists and groaned painfully. He now knew what his father had been thinking. Claudus had seen how useless and stupid had been to provoke the jaguars. The war, if it could have been called that, had been nothing but retaliation for a stupid mistake. Claudus believed that Baal had been satisfied showing off and making his position clear, and that the treaty had just been something to hold over Claudus’ head for a while, so the lions would not forget again who they were dealing with. The lion king had focused on retrieving his heir, because he had been convinced that Tygra would be returned eventually. How was he to know that cubs between two males were a possibility?
But Baal knew. Baal had known all along what he had been doing. He had been the one to write the treaty. He had been the one to push Claudus to send his sons away and fight to have just his heir back, believing that he didn’t need to worry about his oldest son.
Tygra was so going to kill Baal.
Suddenly, realization broke through his brain, and he widened his eyes. He could go home.
No sooner had the thought appeared in his mind, than he heard Jareid growl. He tried to escape the bed, only to have the bigger and heavier body of the jaguar over him in an instant, pinning him to the mattress. Tygra wriggled. He wanted to throw Jareid off him, as futile as he knew his efforts were. The jaguar bit his neck and he cried in outrage, but had no choice but to calm down.
“Don’t even think about it.” The prince hissed in his ear. “You know I’m not letting you go Tygra. You know you’re mine! Even if we don’t have that cub, you’re staying here. I don’t care if that means another fucking war, I’m not giving you up!”
Tygra closed his eyes, and tried to summon the loathing he had once held for Jareid. Instead he felt lost and sad. He didn’t know what he should do, so many things had happened. He wasn’t the same. But he missed his home so much.
He could refuse to have a cub. Jareid could try to force him, but he still remembered how difficult it had been for his mother to maintain a pregnancy. It was not something you could simply demand of someone and get it. If they had no cubs within the year Tygra’d be free from the bonding, and Baal wouldn’t start a new conflict just for him. He wouldn’t. Right?
He shook his head. Jareid growled at him again and he ignored it. He just went limp under his mate’s weight and refused to acknowledge the other. He didn’t open his eyes, not even when he was bitten again, and it was evident that the jaguar was angry.
Eventually, Jareid left him on the bed, threatening to drag him into the shamans’ wing if he needed to. Tygra didn’t get up until he was sure that he was alone in the room. He took a quick shower and dressed up, covering the ghastly bruise on his neck as best as he could. Then he got out of the rooms, looking for reassurance of some sort.
&&&&&&&&
Lion-O was diligently solving the equations that his tutor had assigned him. He had not seen Tygra at breakfast, but he wasn’t too worried about that. He had been told that his brother and Jareid would probably want to spend the morning in bed. Apparently that was expected of every couple that was just mated.
He was just finished with his exercise when the door of the room that he was using as “classroom” opened, and Tygra’s voice interrupted his calculations.
“Lion-O, are you alone?”
The lion turned and smiled at his big brother. Then frowned at the look on the tiger’s face.
“Tygra, are you all right? You look… tired.”
“I’m fine, I just didn’t sleep much. Listen, has the cleric talked to you? I wanted to tell him a couple of things.”
“Oh, too late brother. Baal sent him home early in the morning.”
“Really?” Tygra huffed. “Figures.” Then he looked at his brother seriously. “He wanted to take you back with him. Didn’t he tell you anything?”
Lion-O shrugged, and his hand went to pet Snarf, who had climbed on the teen’s desk.
“He mentioned something, but I told him that I was staying here with you.”
Tygra walked some steps to be at his brother’s side and started raking his fingers through the thick red mane. Lion-O sighed.
“Tygra, am I a burden for you?”
The tiger’s fingers stopped in mid-motion, and the orange teen scowled.
“Who told you that?”
Lion-O pressed his lips together and then answered.
“It’s just… back at Thundera, it was sort of implied that you’d fare better without me.” The lion looked up at his brother uneasily. “I am not causing you problems, am I?”
“Of course not. You’ve been great this entire year Lion-O.”
The lion smiled again, one significant burden lifted from his shoulders. Tygra resumed playing with the red mane.
“Tell me Lion-O, wouldn’t you have preferred to stay home, instead of being stuck here because of me?”
Lion-O scowled and crossed his arms.
“I thought you just said that I’m not causing you problems.”
“I didn’t mean it like that. I’m just saying that maybe you miss home, and maybe you’d regret not having taken your chance to return because of me.”
Lion-O was appeased, and gave his brother a small smile.
“I do miss home. But I also like it here Tygra, a lot. It’s really not a problem for me to stay; besides, no one at home wanted me back anyway. I could tell.”
“You know that’s not true Lion-O. The people of Thundera want their heir back. You know that father loves you, and I’m sure that Jaga wants his favourite back.”
Lion-O shrugged.
“Well, yes and maybe, but I’m sure I can convince Baal to let me communicate with them. And the rest of Thundera may want a heir to the throne, but they don’t want me.”
He pouted. Tygra gave an exasperated sigh.
“You’re the heir Lion-O. Everyone knows that you’re the future king, of course they want you in Thundera.”
“No Tygra, they want you.”
“Lion-O…”
“That’s the truth, and you know it! The entire palace sees me as a burden. They wish you were a lion, so they could put you in the throne instead of me. Every single one of them! Even father!”
Lion-O was on his feet and yelling when he finished the last sentence. Snarf jumped down the desk, a bit scared, and Tygra gave a step back, baffled at his brother’s outburst. The lion sighed and looked down resentfully.
“I don’t doubt that dad loves me. He just loves you more.”
Tygra embraced his little brother, not quite knowing what to say.
“It’s not true Lion-O. He loves you more. He has loved you from the moment Jaga told him that mom was pregnant.”
Lion-O sighed, but decided not to answer. Tygra patted his head and looked towards the notebook, trying to change the conversation.
“That looks pretty difficult. Do you even know what is it for?”
Lion-O’s eyes brightened and he launched into an explanation about algebra and how you could apply different formulas to find missing data. They got interrupted by the return of Lion-O’s tutor, who was surprised to find the tiger there.
“Are you finished prince Lion-O? Ah, prince Tygra! I didn’t know you were here.”
“Sorry. I just wanted to tell my brother something. I didn’t want to interrupt his classes.”
“Not a problem my prince. I’m sure your brother did an excellent job as always.”
Lion-O beamed at his tutor’s praise and presented his recently finished equations to him. Tygra smiled at his brother’s excitement. An entire year, and Lion-O was still getting used to his tutors praising him, instead of belittling him and comparing him to Tygra every opportunity they had. The tiger sighed. Lion-O was really happy with the jaguars. More than he had ever been in Thundera. He squeezed the young lion’s shoulder and messed his mane. Lion-O made a face at him.
“Well, I’d leave you to it then.” He half turned, but then he paused to stare at Snarf. The small creature had climbed to Lion-O’s shoulder and was looking at the tutor, apparently interested in how the cat was marking Lion-O’s work. Tygra cooked his head to one side.
“I should probable take Snarf with me, so Lion-O can concentrate.”
Snarf lifted his head and mewled at him. Lion-O pressed his lips, wanting to protest, but his tutor spoke first.
“Oh, it’s no problem. The pet can stay. Your brother is not easily distracted when he’s working.”
“Really?”
Tygra lifted his eyebrows in wonder. It was the first time he had heard one of Lion-O’s tutors saying that the teen was not easily distracted. The majority of their Thunderian tutors hated Snarf’s presence and had forbidden Lion-O from having his pet close by when he was supposed to be studying. Tygra considered Lion-O’s form, now positively preening with pride, and smiled.
“Ok then. I’d see you later tyke.”
“Later bro!”
Tygra still heard Lion-O’s tutor declaring that the lion had done an excellent job and that it was time to move to more difficult problems. He shook his head and smiled in wonder. Maybe he could convince Baal to send a report of Lion-O’s advance in his studies to Thundera. He was sure it’d cause a few heart attacks.
&&&&&&&&
Training was in a way liberating for Tygra. It allowed him to focus entirely on a physical activity and forget everything else. That day though, Tygra found it very hard to forget his problems. Everyone of his teammates kept asking him questions about Jareid, and whether or not certain pieces of gossip that they had heard were true or not. It was as if he suddenly had been named the one authority in all things concerning Jareid. And who the hell had told the rest of his team that now they were allowed to ask him whatever they could think of? It was annoying!
Also, the exercise seemed to make his muscles remember how sore they had been in the morning, and the subsequent debacle that had ensued. He left the training court barely walking. It didn’t help either that quite a few of the high-ranking trainees thought that personal congratulations were in order. They organized a small get-together in the barracks, and tried to engage Tygra on intimate conversation. Someone actually mentioned the possibility of cubs due to the tiger’s extraordinary position.
That seemed to refresh Tygra’s trainer’s, Kab, memory. The cat assured the young prince that his current rank among the hunter’s trainees will not suffer should Jareid demand cubs immediately. Tygra was one of the best in his team, and could afford a few months out of training.
The tiger was deeply embarrassed. It seemed that everyone had assumed that he would be carrying cubs very soon. Tygra was still freaked out and getting disturbed by the fact that everyone thought it natural for him to carry cubs. He was in a daze when he finally escaped to the relative safety of the palace.
What was worse was that he sensed that everyone was expecting him to be happy about the idea. What was to be happy about? He was renouncing to his home dammit! Couldn’t they see that? He wanted to return home!
But the thing was that Jareid was not going to allow him to leave his side. Tygra knew him enough to know that he had been serious when he had said that he didn’t care if he provoked another war. He wasn’t going to give the tiger back.
Tygra sighed. It was diner time, but he didn’t want to confront Jareid. He was a mess, and he didn’t know what to feel. He needed time.
Unfortunately, time was a luxury he didn’t have. Jareid was not going to tolerate his mate avoiding him forever. The jaguar could easily force Tygra to stay in the bedroom at his disposal. Just the same he could force him into the Shamans’ wing, to have whatever procedure was needed started. Tygra knew that Bengali would try to soften the blow for him, but in the end the white tiger would have to do as Jareid commanded.
As if that wasn’t enough, there was another thing that was making havoc in Tygra’s mind: He really didn’t want to anger Jareid.
Most of the year, Tygra had been doing a conscious effort to get used to the other prince. He had forced himself to submit to the jaguar’s wishes. He had fought the terror and loathing he had felt for the older male, and tried to coexist with him. It had been hard, but he had accepted the fact that Jareid was his dominant mate, and that he would have to spend his entire life at his side. He had striven to resign himself to his role and keep Jareid happy. A happy jaguar prince was a lot easier to get along with, and Tygra had finally been feeling content at his mate’s side. Not exactly at home, but very close to.
He was totally, and completely mental. Claudus would be so disappointed on him.
The image of his father shoved Tygra’s thoughts in a slightly different direction. What would he be returning home to? He couldn’t just resume his life at the point he had left it. It didn’t feel like his life anymore, even if it had been only a year. He had fought so hard to adapt in Ix-Maal that now getting back to what used to be would be like starting over again.
There was also the part of his mate. Tygra had not completely overcome the trauma of his first encounters with Jareid, especially the first time the jaguar had claimed him. It was forever burned in his mind, and would be a permanent shadow between them. But the thing was that he didn’t feel capable to have any mate other than Jareid, male or female. He just knew that he wouldn’t be able to cope with any one else. Jareid had ruined him for the rest of the world.
And what about Lion-O? His brother was so happy in Ix-Maal, and Thundera had always been cruel to him. Tygra didn’t want to see Lion-O miserable again, and he was sure that Claudus would not allow his heir any further contact with the jaguars if they returned home. Tygra felt really lost.
Bengali found him on one of the balconies, and approached him quietly.
“Here you are. Jareid is freaking out, and insisting that I talk to you and make you see reason. What did he do this time?”
Tygra, who was supporting himself on the railing, turned his head to glance at the white tiger and gave him a half-smile.
“Is it always Jareid the one to blame for my bad moods?”
“Of course he is! You can deal pretty well with everyone else. It’s only our esteemed prince the one who can upset you so much.”
Tygra chuckled bitterly. He felt such a failure for not knowing how to deal with his own mate.
“So, what did he do?”
The orange tiger sighed and looked up in front of him, biting his lip. He could feel Bengali’s displeasure at the small act, but thankfully the shaman didn’t comment on it.
“Cubs.” He said simply, hoping that Ben knew what he was talking about. The white tiger frowned for a moment and then comprehension downed on him.
“Ah. As in the last requirement to seal the pact.”
The young tiger nodded. Bengali understood.
“I see. Damn Jareid and his big mouth.”
“I was going to know sooner of later anyway.”
“Yes, but it could have been from someone who actually knows what tactfulness means.”
Tygra chuckled sincerely at that.
“I doubt it had made a difference in the long run.”
“Maybe, but it could have saved you some stress.”
Tygra sighed. He wanted to talk to Bengali, but he still was very confused himself. The shaman put a hand on his shoulder in a comforting gesture.
“He’s not giving you a choice, is he?”
The young tiger shook his head sadly. This was no way to decide whether or not to form a family.
“I can stay here quietly, or I can make a fuss about it. Either way I’m not going anywhere.” He turned to look at Bengali again, wanting some kind of guidance. “Unless Baal decides I’m too much trouble. I’m really not worth another conflict with Thundera, Jareid would just have to accept it.”
Bengali sighed.
“He would if Baal actually decides to go against his wishes. The problem is that our king rarely puts a stop to his heir.”
Tygra crossed his arms and leaned on the railing. Ben stood at his side.
“I know that this is going to sound like a stupid question but, do you really want to leave?”
The young prince stared ahead, and considered the question.
“There shouldn’t be any reason for me to want to stay.”
“What should be and what is are sometimes very different things.”
Tygra licked his lips nervously.
“I miss home. But I like it here too. I love the training. The jungle is so different from what I was used to. And Lion-O is so happy here.”
Bengali looked with sadness at the young tiger, but remained silent and let him work his way through what he was feeling. Tygra gave a deep breath after a while.
“This is just stupid. I mean, I’m here because we managed to anger Baal. The war, the treaty, all of it was retaliation for ill spoken words! He made his point! He proved that he could destroy Thundera if he wanted! There’s no real reason for him to want me here! Nothing but Jareid’s stubbornness and his whim to have me at his side! I don’t even understand why he wants me!”
Bengali grasped his shoulder to calm him down and Tygra sighed.
“If the pact is not sealed, would Baal send me home Ben? Even if Jareid doesn’t want me to go? I’m not worth the conflict that would arise, it’d be too much trouble just for a passing fancy.”
“You’re not seeing the big picture Tygra. You weren’t here before the war, and have no point of comparison. It’s true that Baal initially concocted the treaty just to spite Claudus and humiliate the Thunderians. If Jareid hadn’t shown any interest in you, Baal would probably have let you go back home and happily forget Thundera’s existence. But now, things are different.”
Tygra scoffed and turned around, so he was facing the palace instead of the jungle.
“Why? Because Jareid developed a liking for me?”
“Yes.”
Tygra shook his head in incomprehension.”
“He should be assessing the damage he could do to his and other’s cities, not the way to grant his son’s wishes!”
“You don’t understand. As I said before, you’re only been around for a year. You have no idea of how Jareid was. He acted like a kit. He had no sense of responsibility, and even when he had to be present at council meetings, he didn’t really care about the decisions taken there. He only caused troubles, and it was not always for bedding whoever wanted to take turn with him. His sexual scandals are only the part that everybody knows about.”
Tygra frowned, trying to picture what Bengali was telling him. The white tiger continued.
“To tell you the truth, everyone was starting to be afraid of him. He can be very violent, as you have seen, and the council had been pressured to deal with him now, they were getting aghast thinking about what they’d do when he’d be the king.”
“A treason in the making?”
“Oh, no. The jaguar clan is very loyal. They’d follow the king to the abyss without protest. We were just getting worried that it might actually happen.”
“So, what changed?”
“Well, you.”
Tygra looked at his friend with incredulity. Ben smiled.
“You don’t realize how much Jareid has changed since you arrived. I don’t know what happened. No one knows what you did. Suffice to say that the majority of the court considers you some kind of miracle.”
Tygra huffed again and shook his head, this time in wonder.
“Really? Many of them had made it clear that their prince deserves better.”
“Oh, well. There’s always someone stupid enough to let prejudices and pride obstruct the view of reality. And those spreading that kind of gossip are merely the ones that want to be in your place. No matter how bad Jareid conducts himself, he’s still the future king. And now that he’s actually acting like he’s supposed to, many had convinced themselves that they could have been the one to make the change happen, if only they had tried long enough.”
“It’s still crazy. No one changes overnight.”
“True. Which means that Jareid had always known what was expected of him and known how to take on his responsibilities. He just didn’t want to do it.”
Tygra closed his eyes and groaned.
“He’s a bastard.”
“Baal would not agree with you.”
Tygra glared at the white tiger, who chuckled unrepentantly.
“I know what you mean, and yes, he is. But at least he is on his way to be a decent enough king. Everyone is convinced that you made that happen, and Baal is certainly not letting you go anytime soon.”
“Oh, that’s rich! He can’t control his own heir so he needs some sort of leash for him? I’m not doing anything! I’m just… well, I’m just here! He’s really going to risk a war just to keep me here? I still say that I’m not worth the trouble.”
“Tygra, don’t you see? You are a gods’ sent for us, not only for the council, or the court. Not even for Baal, but for the people. An entire clan that is escaping been ruled by a very cruel and tyrannical king, because that’s what Jareid was leading to. Only because of you. It’s you the reason why he has changed. Somehow, you’re the one who’s keeping him stable. This kingdom has now a responsible heir to the crown thanks to you. So yes, for Baal, you’re very much worth the trouble.”
Tygra was baffled. He closed his eyes and sighed. He couldn’t believe what Ben was saying.
“This is not fair. I’m not a miracle, I’m… there’s never a choice for me, is it?”
“I’m sorry. Listen, Baal is not unreasonable. He can find a way to negotiate this with you and Claudus. I think that both parts would want to find a resolution that wouldn’t imply war.”
The young tiger stared at the floor in dejection and Bengali felt guilty. Tygra was just a boy; he shouldn’t have to face this kind of burden.
“You always have a choice Tygra, even if it doesn’t look like it. I wish I could make things easier for you.”
The teen shook his head and rubbed his face.
“It’s not really a choice… Even if I go back home, it won’t be the same. I’d always feel like something is missing and I won’t be able to have my own family if I go back.”
Bengali frowned and his hand rested on Tygra’s shoulder blades.
“That’s not true Tygra. You’re young and handsome. Even if the mating is broken, you’d be able to start your own family.”
A self-deprecating parody of a smile appeared on Tygra’s lips and he shook his head in denial.
“No. If there’s one thing I’m certain of, it’s that I’m not going to be capable to be with anyone other than Jareid. I share his bed because I have to, but I still have panic attacks once in a while. He knows what triggers them, and is careful to slow down at the right moment to calm me, but others…”
“Tygra…”
“He forced me Ben! That will forever be in my mind. If he ever lets me go, no one is touching me again!”
He gave a deep breath and calmed down.
“Which only means that he’s my one chance to have a family of my own. If I go back home, I’d be renouncing to that.”
Bengali’s hand moved to his arm and squeezed comfortingly.
“You’re seeing things too black right now. Give yourself time Tygra. You’d see that whatever choice you make, you’d not be alone to confront whatever comes with it. You have friends and family. Claudus is not here physically, but your brother is. Whatever you choose, I’m sure your family will back you up.”
Tygra bit his lip. He wanted to believe that. Believe that Claudus wouldn’t see him as a failure because he had submitted to Jareid’s wishes. That Lion-O would not resent him if he got both of them out of Ix-Maal. There was just so much in his head that he couldn’t make sense of what he actually wanted. Bengali made him look at his eyes.
“It’s your decision to make Tygra. Once you do it, you’d find the way to follow it, and you’d realize that there’d be friends to help you. But it’s you who have to make the choice, because the consequences would be yours to deal and live with.”
Tygra licked his lips and nodded. He understood that, but he was still confused. He just needed to think, to process the situation, to get to terms with it. And at the moment he needed to rest.
He felt wary to go to the bedroom, knowing that Jareid would be there and would demand something. He wanted to ask Bengali if there was somewhere else for him to spend the night. He was just about to open his mouth to do so when he heard the door to the balcony opening.
Both tigers turned to see Jareid calmly approaching them. Tygra immediately tried to look the other way. His hands grabbed the edge of the railing, and a shiver of fear went through his spine. Jareid stopped a few steps in front of them and scowled at his mate.
“Let’s go Tygra. It’s getting late.”
The orange tiger closed his eyes, but he nodded resignedly and straightened. He gave a cursory glance to Bengali and tried to sidestep Jareid, who caught his arm with a firm hand. The jaguar was about to say something, but Bengali beat him to it.
“Your Excellency, may I have a word with you?”
Jareid glared daggers at the shaman. He despised the title of “Excellency” when Bengali said it. It felt too formal, and it meant that the white tiger wanted to put distance between them. The shaman was unfazed.
“Let Tygra go, I’m sure he’s capable to find the way to your rooms alone. I need to speak with you.”
The jaguar prince growled, but he let go of Tygra and ordered him to go ahead. The youth nodded in gratitude at his friend and walked away.
As soon as Tygra was out of sight, Jareid turned his full attention on Bengali.
“What do you want?”
“Calm down would you? I just want you to see reason, that’s all.”
“Me? See reason? I’m being very reasonable! I’m letting him think things over!”
“And what would happen if he decides he doesn’t want to seal the pact?”
Jareid immediately growled and showed his teeth.
“He is sealing it! One way or the other! I’m not giving him back Ben, not ever! He’s staying with me!”
“Even against his will? Would you really hurt him that much Jareid?”
The jaguar gave a low roar and turned around, apparently to leave.
“Jareid!”
The prince hit the wall that framed the glass door of the balcony with his clenched fist. He roared again, but he stopped. Bengali approached him.
“Calm the fuck down! You have to realize that Tygra is his own person, and you have to accept his choice…”
“He’s not leaving Bengali! I’m not letting him! I’d fucking destroy Thundera if I have to!”
“So, you’d force him to stay and be miserable, without a thought for what he wants?”
“He’s mine! He’s my mate, and he’s staying!”
“Your mate? Really? Well, let me inform you that you’re not treating him as a mate. You’re acting like a spoiled kid who’s been threatened to give up his favourite toy! Tygra’s not a thing!”
“I know he’s not! You repeat it enough!”
“Oh, you know it, but you certainly don’t believe it, do you? You treat him as property of your own.”
“Well, he is my property!” Jareid advanced on Bengali, who growled and held his ground. They both stood eye to eye. “He was mine from the moment our parents signed that treaty. Mine to keep!”
“Or throw away if you want to? To kill him even if it pleases you?”
Jareid throw a punch at him. Bengali stopped it and put a hand to the jaguar’s chest. He applied a bit of energy and pushed to get the other cat away from him. Jareid roared. He hated when Bengali used his magic against him. He knew that the white tiger wouldn’t hurt him, but would use enough force to stop him, and Jareid hated to not be able to move. So, he kept his distance from Ben’s person, who was now blocking the door to the inside of the palace.
“You’re going to loose him, even if he stays, if you insist on treating him this way. You can’t make him feel what you want at command. If he decides to detach himself from the world he could very well do it, and there’d be nothing you can do to make him responsive again.”
“We’d see about that!”
Bengali growled and tried to modulate his voice.
“You forced him once. You saw what happened then. Is that really what you want?”
Jareid clenched and unclenched his fists several times. His incessant growl lowered and finally he turned his head to the side.
“No.” He buffed and turned to look at Bengali again. The white tiger almost sighed in relief. At least there was reason sparkling in the clear blue eyes of his prince.
“What I want is for him to be with me. For him to understand that he’s home! Why would he want to leave?”
Now Bengali sighed. Not for the first time he wished that someone had taken the time to teach Jareid to feel empathy for others.
“He doesn’t want to leave. He just believes that he shouldn’t have any reason to want to stay.”
Jareid’s eyes narrowed and he hissed.
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“You have to understand that he was expected to meet certain standards, and to follow a determined set of values and rules. Claudus expected the best from him, and the lion king has his own idea of what applies as the best! Those expectations are weighing heavily on him, and he just found out that he can fulfil one of his father’s wishes, so he’s rather desperate at the moment.”
“One of Claudus’ wishes? How?”
Ben raised an eyebrow. He refrained from teasing Jareid on his lack of comprehension because he didn’t want the jaguar angry at him again.
“Claudus is expecting Tygra to do whatever he could to survive Ix-Maal and to take the opportunity to return to Thundera with open arms. Claudus is expecting his two sons back. Tygra believes that he’d be betraying his father if he actually decides to stay.”
The growl was back, but this time Jareid didn’t throw any punches.
“He doesn’t have to be worrying about Claudus. What the lion wants doesn’t matter anymore!”
“It matters Jareid. Because Claudus is Tygra’s father, and he won’t suddenly stop being so, just because Tygra is miles away and mated! Even if the lion were dead, his expectations would still be very much alive in Tygra’s head. You can’t erase Claudus from Tygra’s life Jareid. It doesn’t work that way.”
The jaguar prince wasn’t liking this speech. He didn’t like the fact that he had to acknowledge Tygra’s family. He wanted the tiger only for him.
“Why can’t I make him forget? Why can’t he just whip all of Thundera away from his mind?!”
“Because it’s his home. It’s part of what he is, and he’d be incomplete if he gives that up.”
Jareid grumped, not happy at all.
“I don’t want to give him back Ben.”
Bengali gave a slight not and finally relaxed his posture.
“Then you better give him a good enough reason to want to stay Jareid. And I think that he’d appreciate some solitude for tonight.”
Jareid put his fists on his hips on petulance, and nodded. He too needed some time to think anyway. Bengali seemed satisfied, but he still approached the prince and touched his arm.
“It’s not so hard Jareid. But you have to keep in mind that there’s a difference between a mate and a slave, and Tygra is not feeling very much like the former at the moment.”
He left, leaving Jareid rather stunned.
&&&&&&&&
Tygra lied on the bed, staring at the ceiling and the part of the sky that the tall window let him see. He loved the view. On full moon nights, it was beautiful the way it inundated the room in silver light.
He was only wearing black shorts, since it was not cold. The thin sheet was enough for him to be comfortable. Bengali had called him with the communicator and had told him that Jareid was likely to leave him the room for himself that night. The tiger was grateful for not having to deal with his obnoxious mate for the moment, but he was finding it difficult to sleep.
After what had felt like hours, he sighed and got up. The bed was just too big for him, and it had Jareid’s smell impregnated on it. He stood up and glared at the room in general. Every single part of it reminded him of Jareid and Tygra wanted to deny the fact that he actually missed the bastard’s body close to him.
He growled in annoyance. How could he go about pretending that the jaguar didn’t exist if all the bloody room smelt of him? He wanted his own room, so he could throw a tantrum in peace!
He debated whether or not go to the sitting room and lay down on one of the couches, but he wanted to stay close to the window and see the starlight sky. Finally his eyes landed on his puff. He loved the thing. It was soft and cosy, and didn’t keep heat. Besides, only Tygra used it, so it didn’t have Jareid’s smell yet. It was perfect.
He grabbed a sheet from the bed and walked over to the puff, climbing eagerly on it. He curled up and covered himself, sighing happily at the feeling of cool softness from the puff’s fabric. He was finally asleep within minutes.
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A Tale of Jaguars