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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
- 5
- 6
- 7
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.

CHAPTER 06. SETTLING, AND REFLEXIONS.

As predicted, Lion-O was not happy with the news that his brother was to share a room with Jareid. Xilara explained to him that in this way his brother would be more protected from people that wished him harm. The lion understood the reasoning, but was still unsatisfied, especially because Jareid would not let him see his brother. The jaguar prince was adamant that no one but Bengali was allowed inside his private sanctuary. Tygra’s leg needed time to heal, so he wasn’t going anywhere outside the room anytime soon. Both brothers were getting desperate.
Finally, after three days of tension and general unhappiness, Tygra had to beg Jareid to let Lion-O visit. He also got to continue his lessons. Jareid’s study was connected to an ample sitting room, where Tygra’s tutor and his brother were allowed to visit. The Thunderian princes were miffed at the restrictions, but there was nothing they could do about them. Tygra didn’t know why the king was humouring his son’s paranoia, but he kept his mouth shut, though he grew concerned about Lion-O’s safety. He talked about it with Jareid, and Baal had the lion moved to the Royal apartments, so he could be closer to his brother.
It was a tough week for Tygra, but he survived Jareid’s bout of over-protectiveness and moved on.
By the time his birthday arrived, his leg was practically recovered and he could get out to the gardens to walk and exercise the muscles a bit. Lion-O went with him, and they had a quiet lunch under a lemon tree.
Tygra had a hard time sitting and standing. His right leg had taken a great amount of damage and was still very tender. He disliked that he still needed the crutches to help support himself, especially at the end of the day.
Bengali had instructed him to not overtax his leg, but he was desperate to heal and restart his regular routine. So, he suffered from cramps from time to time. Like the one Lion-O was helping him with, just as they were sitting for lunch.
“Agh! Whiskers! This is never going to heal properly!”
“It’s your own fault! Bengali said to not overdo the exercise, you dummy! You’re lucky it’s healing at all, your muscles were completely shredded, even the bone took some damage.”
“I know! I’m lucky they could do the reconstructive surgery almost immediately. And I’m even more lucky that Jareid didn’t manage to ruin it, taking me out of the clinic as he did.”
Lion-O chuckled. Though at the moment he had been very scared, in retrospective it seemed funny the way the jaguar prince had carried his anguished brother, bride style, to his rooms. Tygra huffed in annoyance, and Lion-O turned serious.
“Is he treating you well Tygra?”
The tiger almost spluttered, and he scowled at his brother.
“Wha…? Lion-O, that’s a question you ask to a sister!”
“It’s not! It’s a question you ask when you’re concerned!”
Lion-O crossed his arms, clearly affronted. Tygra rolled his eyes in exasperation.
“Well?”
“What?”
“Is he treating you well or not?”
Tygra went several shades of pink and grumbled under his breath.
“He’s been nice enough.”
Lion-O considered the answer, and nodded.
“Good. I’d have to talk to him if he wasn’t.”
Tygra chuckled and punched his brother playfully on the arm.
“Auch!”
“You, brat, aren’t supposed to be worrying about me. I’m the big brother. I’ll do the worrying.”
“Smartass.”
“Yeah, well, why don’t you tell me what exactly is the model you gave me this morning?”
Lion-O’s eyes brightened. He had gifted Tygra a scale model of a battle tank that he had put together himself. It was metallic and opened to show the inside. The lion was pretty exited, explaining how the engine was supposed to work, and all the power it could manage.
Tygra was amused at the passion his brother showed when talking about technology, and teased him a little on the matter. It was Lion-O’s turn to punch his arm and look a bit indignant, but his gesture softened soon enough, and a sincere smile graced his lips. Tygra lifted an eyebrow at him.
“You’re better. You’re more like yourself again.”
Tygra sighed and gave a half smile.
“I suppose I’m feeling more like myself too. Now, if only I could restart training already, I’d be much happier.”
Lion-O chuckled and pushed his brother lightly.
“You are always thinking about training.”
“Well, not all of us are utterly marvelled with technology.”
Lion-O stuck out his tongue at him.
“You’re just sore I was right.”
Tygra rolled his eyes, but grew serious and considered his brother. He had been avoiding the theme, but maybe Lion-O needed to talk.
“Do you miss home Lion-O?”
The lion shrugged and looked down.
“Sometimes. I miss father more. And Jaga. But I like it here. I actually like my lessons. And here you don’t hate me anymore.”
Tygra was taken aback by his brother’s answer. He reached out to pull on the lion’s wrist and made him look up.
“Wha… Lion-O, I’d never hated you. What gave you that idea?”
The lion shrugged again, and bit his lip.
“It’s just… you never played with me anymore, and Grune was always saying that you could be king if I’d never existed. You’re better than me, everyone could see that.”
“Lion-O…”
“But it’s ok. We’re here now. I’m not the heir anymore, so you don’t have to be angry at me.”
Tygra sighed and pulled his brother against himself to hug him. It was true that in Thundera he had been starting to ignore the young lion. He had been resentful and bitter because his tutors, and pretty much everyone, Claudus included, were always comparing the two of them. He had always come on top, but all it did was to make him remember the painful fact that Claudus was not his blood father. He was the adopted prince. He had never truly belonged in the royal family. It just hurt that his brother had something he couldn’t, no matter how much he tried. But none of it was his baby brother’s fault.
He felt Lion-O returning the hug, clinging to him like a lifeline, and he caressed the messy red mane that was on his shoulder.
“You’re a silly cub. I could never hate my little brother. You’re just annoying sometimes.”
Lion-O grunted and muttered something that sounded vaguely as “I’m not a cub.”
Tygra chuckled, and with a last hug he released Lion-O, and declared that they had to eat lunch before Bengali went looking for them.
&&&&&&&&
Baal was contemplating murder in the near future.
Why had he had any offspring again? Oh, yes. He had had to produce an heir.
The king growled in annoyance. He didn’t have anything personal against his offspring. In fact, his Yeana was a precious cub that behaved adoringly. But he swore that Jareid was meant to be a litter of five! It had been quite the pain to raise him from the moment he had discovered what crying was for!
Presently, the king was trying to repair the last of the damage that his son’s violent revenge on Bali had done. It hadn’t been easy to put the guard and council at rest, nor had it been to control the information that had actually made it to the rest of the court. But it had been done. Now, there was still the little problem of letting Tygra rejoin the training, without fear of bloody retribution if the tiger got hurt for whatever reason.
The king, his First Counsellor, the High Shaman, the Chief Commander, the Head of the Hunters, and Lieutenant Kab were discussing the possibilities and trying to reach an agreement.
“Oh, for the spirits’ sake! Bali deliberately tried to kill Tygra! He got what was coming to him anyway. You surely don’t think that someone is going to be foolish enough to repeat the feat?”
There was uncomfortable fidgeting around. A murder attempt was indeed very rare among the jaguars. The only reason why Bali had been so close to succeed was that no one had really considered that Tygra could become a target. The tiger was technically a prisoner of war, one that clearly belonged to the prince. Everyone could see that Jareid had already claimed the teen as some kind of personal possession, and it was common knowledge that the prince had no tolerance at all with cats that tried to take anything from him. No one had believed that there could be someone stupid enough, or suicidal enough, to incur Jareid’s wrath.
But it had happened, and now the war council was trying to go through every scenario to prevent it from happening again. Baal was getting tired. The ridiculous ideas some of them could concoct!
“There is not going to be any sudden rampage through the jungle to exterminate every single fire ant colony there is! Honestly! Are you mad?!”
The Chief Commander had the decency to look properly chastised. Eékatl, the Head of the Hunters, coughed nervously.
“Well, perhaps we are starting to go over the board. But Baal, you have to admit that Jareid’s reaction is something to worry about.”
“Now that he’s an adult? He has always been like this!”
The Shaman was the one to talk this time.
“In a way yes. We all know that Jareid has always been unstable, and very prone to violence. That he has a very hard time controlling his emotions. But he had never done something like this. He was feral Baal. No one could do anything to stop him. At the moment we have no idea of how he’d react if Tygra gets hurt in any other way.”
“A shame, really.” Said Kaleb, the First Counsellor. “I was really liking the way Jareid had been conducting himself lately.”
They all agreed with that. It had been quite nice to be able to discuss important government issues with the rest of the council without getting interrupted every time by complaints about Jareid’s trampling. The jaguar had been acting differently, more responsible, and actually listening at counsel meetings. No one had missed the obsession he had developed with Tygra, but everyone had happily ignored it. They had all been convinced that having the tiger had been good for their prince. Now though, they weren’t so sure.
“So what do we do then? Put him into a sterile sphere? Life happens! Tygra is bound to be hurt someday! We can’t isolate him from the entire world! It’d be the same as killing him.”
“Maybe it’s a mot point.” Said Kab. “As insanely possessive as Jareid is behaving, maybe he wouldn’t hear about Tygra rejoining training. He can very well just forbid it.”
“He won’t.” Baal said offhandedly. His closest counsellors looked at him expectantly.
“Are you sure about that? It was a fight to have his tutor continuing his lessons. If he could he would have kept the boy in the bedroom forever!”
Baal shrugged derisively.
“Just yesterday, the lion asked at dinner if Bengali had cleared Tygra for training. The boy informed him that he’d have to wait one more week. Jareid said nothing. He only nodded when I asked if he agreed. I can tell he’s not happy with it, but apparently he is not going to prevent Tygra from doing it.”
That gave everyone something to think. The Shamans had been very concerned when Jareid had taken Tygra out of the clinic. Many had been sure that no one was going to see the tiger out of Jareid’s rooms ever again. Baal had actually been relieved when Tygra’s tutor had reported that the boy looked well enough, and was applying to his studies as always. Not that he had ever doubted Bengali when the younger Shaman had said that Tygra was fine, his relief had been more because the tiger had been allowed to see someone else, besides his assigned healer and brother.
Baal would never accept it out loud, but he knew that his son had the tendency to consider people as things. Tygra had been like a gift, and Baal had fully expected Jareid to treat the young tiger accordingly. His son had troubles getting around the idea that other cats had rights too. He had hoped that Jareid would be curious enough about an outsider to try a different approach with him, the way it had seemed to work with Bengali. Baal couldn’t complain. If one blatantly ignored the first month, and how anguished and depressed the tiger had been then, one could say that things had gone even better than expected. And then someone had to go and ruin it.
Finally Kab spoke again.
“Look, I have nothing against Tygra returning to train. The lad is very good. One of the best really. I’m only concerned about the safety of the rest of my unit. There are bound to be disagreements, and envy. It’s always the same. There’d be jokes, and pranks, maybe even a bit of bullying. I’d feel better if I had the certainty that the prince would know the difference between an ill thought prank and a murder attempt.”
“Why don’t we ask him directly?” Said Kaleb. “We all had been happy that he has finally been acting more like the prince he is. This discussion is very much about his recently poor judgment at one specific situation. He shall be here and compromise himself with what he did. He must be the one to decide if he’d be able to control himself if Tygra gets roughed up during training.”
“I agree.” Said Myron. “He has taken training himself. He’s no stranger to the kind of things that can happen.”
Everyone agreed to the idea. Baal called a servant and sent for his son, truly happy that he didn’t have to make excuses for him to be excluded from a discussion.
&&&&&&&&
There was cake at dinner, and the Royal Family wished Tygra a happy birthday. They gifted him a set of battle knifes, specially crafted for the jungle. Little Yeana gave him a hug, and declared that Jareid better take good care of him, or she might have to hit him. Tygra groaned and blushed in embarrassment. He tried to cover it behind Yeana’s abundant mane, but he could feel amused eyes on him.
The little party was very simple, but Tygra was in fact thankful for that. He was still coming to terms with his new status in life, and still missed his home very much. He was not ready for big congregations. When they had celebrated Jareid’s birthday, Tygra had practically hid behind Bengali the entire time.
Once dinner was finished, and the king declared that everyone was free to go rest, Jareid took Tygra in arms and carried him away. The tiger gave an indignant yelp and tried to get the jaguar to put him down. Jareid ignored his protests and just continued their way to their rooms. Tygra groaned and put his head down in defeat. He hated to be convalescent. It only gave Jareid an excuse to carry him everywhere he could, and embarrass him.
They entered the bedroom, and Jareid put him on the bed. The jaguar gave him a passionate kiss and smiled.
“Wait here. I’m going to check that everything is ready.”
Tygra looked as Jareid disappeared through the changing room. Then he sighed, and looked around him. It was still very much Jareid’s room. There were only small indications of Tygra’s presence. His whip was on a shelf, a picture of himself and Lion-O had joined the many that Jareid treasured on top of the chest, he knew that his books were scattered around the study, and his clothes now occupied a relatively small space in the walk-in closet. But it still felt and smelt like Jareid’s bedroom and Tygra still felt just one more of the jaguar’s possessions in it.
He wished he could have his own room back, but he knew that Jareid would never allow that. They were mates. Mates lived and slept together. Tygra didn’t have a need for a separate bedroom anymore.
The tiger sighed and closed his eyes. His teeth nibbled furiously the inside of his mouth, as he mentally repeated the mantra he had used every night to reaffirm his resolve.
‘He’s my mate, not my owner. I must see him as my mate. He can hurt me, but he’s not gonna do it because he promised. He’s my mate. I must obey him and not make him angry. He’s my mate. I’m going to be fine. I’m going to be happy. Like Bengali said. I just have to get used to him. I have no other choice. For my people’s sake. For my sake. He’s my mate.’
Jareid returned with a satisfied smile on his face, and lifted Tygra in his arms. The tiger gave a surprised yelp and glared at the jaguar.
“Come. We’re having a bath, and then I’m going to pamper you.”
“I can walk, you know?”
Jareid chuckled and kissed his temple. Tygra protested with a growl.
“Of course you can. But I love carrying you, and Bengali clearly said that you’re not to force your leg. I’m sure that you ignored the crutches as much as you could, so now you have to let the muscles rest and relax.”
Perfect. Now he was listening to what Bengali had to say! Tygra gave a resigned grumble and pouted.
The bathroom was huge. It was divided in two sections. The first one was a common, but ample, bathroom, with toilet, sink and shower. Luxurious and big. The other section was like a private spa. Instead of a bathtub, there was what Tygra called a mini-pool. He swore a six years old cub could happily learn to swim in it. It was only a meter and a half deep, and it had a bench along the perimeter and one in the middle, wide enough for a cat to sit down with the water up to chest, recline, and relax. The water’s temperature could be modified at will, and there were little whirlpools that sent jets of water.
There was also a small clay chamber, with benches inside, and something that reminded Tygra of a campfire. It was a hole in the centre of the chamber, where you could light a small fire and put stones in it. Once the stones were hot red, you poured a previously prepared infusion of herbs over them. The chamber then filled with aromatic vapour. Jareid said it was called a “Temazcal” and it was supposed to be relaxing and to purify your mind and soul. There was one in the King’s private garden, as it was meant to be in the open. The one in Jareid’s bath had been constructed with the necessary adjustments for it to be well aired and safe.
The last element of the bathroom was a massage bed. It was behind a curtain in a secluded space, which also contained a cabinet with the necessary oils and other implements for various types of massage. Jareid also used the oils for other activities, and Tygra was distrustful of them.
The three things looked ready to use, and the tiger was instantly nervous. Jareid, he had learned, had plenty of stamina, and it was tiring and very difficult for Tygra to keep up with the jaguar’s demands. Jareid liked rough play, and lately he had been treating the tiger none too gently. Apparently his patience and propose to go slow with the teen could only last so long. Tygra shivered in a mixture of fear and anticipation thinking about the things that aroused Jareid. Having the tiger tied down to the bed was one of them, and the teen could not get comfortable with the feeling of utter helplessness that such a position implied. Strangely enough, the times they played with bondage, and when the jaguar was rougher, were the ones his body seemed to enjoy the most. It was making Tygra start to question his sanity.
He made an effort to squelch his fears. Even though Jareid had been increasingly rough with him, and had already introduced Tygra to the use of toys, he had also been careful, and hadn’t hurt the tiger to the point of incapacitating him in months. Besides, even Jareid couldn’t have prepared the vapour with sex in mind. Right?
Tygra trembled, realizing that he was not so sure of that. Jareid could think of sex in any kind of situation, or so he had heard.
He shook his head and berated himself for having ever listened to gossip.
Jareid put him on a soft bench close to the pool, and instructed him to get out of his clothes. Tygra sighed, and complied. He had finally gotten used to be naked in front of Jareid, and only blushed when the jaguar was blatantly leering over him. The older prince got naked too and carried Tygra to the pool.
The water was pleasantly warm, and Tygra let go a sigh of contentment when he was entirely submerged in it. Both cats languished about and took their time bathing. Tygra was actually enjoying it. He shared small talk with Jareid and was surprised to see that he was no longer utterly terrorized of being in the jaguar’s company. There was uneasiness, the ever-present undercurrent of fear and shame of what Jareid would want of him, and that uncomfortable knowledge that he had been forced into this relationship. But the abject terror had sensibly diminished. Tygra acknowledged that he had resigned himself to live the life the way Jareid preferred. He lowered his eyes and sniffed in self-pity. What was he turning into?
Jareid sensed his sudden change of mood, and got closer to him, lifting his head by the chin.
“What’s the matter?”
Tygra shrugged and tried to find an answer.
“Nothing. I just… I’m…”
“Oh, I know that face. You’re thinking too much again, aren’t you?”
The tiger blushed and tried to turn his head away.
“I’m just wondering…”
Jareid grabbed his chin again and kissed his mouth, softly, slowly. Tygra opened his lips automatically. It felt so wrong, but so comforting at the same time. He wanted to cry. He sighed into the kiss and forced himself to stop thinking. Jareid soon ended the moment with a teasing lick.
“Don’t. Just turn off that overactive brain of yours for now. We’re having a peaceful time together, you’re supposed to be enjoying it.”
“I am.” Tygra assured.
He started to talk again about his recent discoveries in Jareid’s personal library, and the jaguar smiled and let go of his chin.
They finished their bath some time later, and Jareid handed him a towel to put around his waist. The jaguar pressed some buttons on the little control panel of the pool, and then herded Tygra into the clay chamber.
They spent ten minutes in there. Tygra was grateful when they finished. Spirits above, it had been HOT! The smell had been divine, and all his muscles had relaxed, but after the first five minutes, he had been suffocating. He couldn’t believe that someone would be able to meditate in there!
Jareid submerged him momentarily in the pool again. The water had already been changed, and it was clean and cool. It felt blissful.
Before he noticed he was sitting on the massage bed, naked again, while Jareid put on a bathrobe and looked at the oils and scents available. Tygra was about to protest his own lack of any clothing, when his right leg complained. He gave a small cry of pain and kicked out in reflex. Jareid was in front of him in an instant.
“Are you ok? What’s the matter?”
“N-Nothing. My leg just chooses bad times to cramp. It’d pass in a second.”
“Lie down on your stomach.”
Tygra obeyed, and Jareid’s hands were immediately on his right calf. The tiger grunted and whimpered as Jareid’s fingers treated the cramped muscles and released the tension. He gave a loud sigh of relief when he felt the muscles relaxing again.
Jareid smiled. He took a small amount of oil and started to rub it along his mate’s legs. He continued up the thighs and the buttocks, teasing the teen’s entrance when he brushed past it. Tygra’s breath was slow and controlled. He was trying to not lose himself into the sensation, but Jareid was already an expert in his body. He knew exactly where to touch and how long to get Tygra aroused and purring in pleasure.
The tiger was biting his lips when Jareid reached the back of his neck, fighting to not make any more sounds. The jaguar’s thumbs pressed against the sore muscles and made circles on the middle of his neck. Tygra gave a strangled groan. He felt Jareid leaning on him and breathing in his ear.
“Let go my little tiger. You’re feeling good. There’s no reason to fight it.”
‘Dear Thunder, please…’
For a moment he wished he could go back to simply loath Jareid, and his life, and be unhappy. Then he reprimanded himself for being stupid.
‘Just feel. Stop thinking. Just feel.’
He gave a deep breath and moaned in bliss as Jareid’s expert hands moved over sore muscles and soothed him. The jaguar continued his ministrations, until Tygra was nothing but mush in his hands.
When he finished he wrapped the slumbering teen in a towel and carried him to their bed. The poor thing was really exhausted and was asleep before they got out of the changing room.
&&&&&&&&
Jareid woke up and reflexively hugged the body next to him. The sun was just coming out, but he had always been an early riser. Besides, he loved to wake up to the sight of his mate sleeping in his arms.
The tiger looked so peaceful and relaxed. His face and body had been changing slightly in that year. He could no longer pass for a kit, but he wasn’t an adult either. He had grown up a bit. Soon he’d be about Jareid’s height. Though he still was rather thin, the jaguar was sure that he was going to develop more muscle in no time.
Jareid nuzzled the very short mane on his mate’s head, and purred in contentment.
How could he be so taken with this young cat? It was unprecedented. No other feline had been able to retain his attention for more than a month. He had pursued several cats, but generally lost interest after he bedded them.
It had become some kind of sport for him. He really wasn’t looking for anything more than just sex. There were a few that he looked for, more or less regularly, with the sole intention of having a bit of fun, or to release stress. Those were the cats that were willing to tolerate his most aggressive demands, and have become “regulars” because of that, and not because he thought they were particularly beautiful or interesting. He was well aware that they were expecting him to choose one of them as his mate eventually, or at the very least to have some kind of preference, or favour, from him. He was not going to give them anything, why would he? He had never seen anyone as anything other than sex-relief providers, almost as toys.
But it wasn’t the same with Tygra. He truly enjoyed the time he spent with the young tiger. He enjoyed the idea of being the only cat allowed to touch that delightful body in ways that made Tygra shiver. The only one ever. He was practically teaching the tiger how to have sex. It was almost as if he was training the teen to do and enjoy the things he liked. The power that he held over the tiger was an additional bonus too.
Jareid had always been one to abuse the power he knew he had over the rest of the clan. As he was the heir, he was untouchable, and he had known it since an early age. His parents had always tried to make him see what was acceptable and what wasn’t, and had always said that every cat reserved respect and no one should tramp on the rights of others.
Jareid had learned politics and knew everything the law, written and spoken, had to say about rights and the proper way to treat people. But the reality of the situation was that he believed it didn’t apply to him, at least not in its entirety. Even when his father talked to him about the repercussions of hurting those around him, whenever someone complained about something that Jareid did, Baal only huffed in annoyance and somehow the problem disappeared. And Jareid knew that there were plenty of complaints about him, he had never managed to hold on his temper, and every now and then he lashed out in extreme anger for some innocuous thing.
The prince had always been told how he was supposed to behave, but in practice he had always been allowed to just do what he wanted. His status, and the power it gave him, was enough to most cats to just accept that he had the right to do as he wished. Some of his most frequent sex-partners were under the delusion that he actually cared, only he didn’t like to show it. In reality, Jareid accepted that he couldn’t care less about them. He continued to bed them, simply because they were willing to put up with the pain and humiliation that his games often implied. Few cats agreed to that. The majority of his conquests were one-time laids, and then either he wasn’t interested in the feline anymore, or the cat in question wasn’t willing to repeat the experience without some kind of commitment on his part.
Jareid huffed. Commitment. Sure. Why would he? He could have whatever cat he wanted. He had never implied that he’d some day be faithful to someone. Even now, that he was technically mated, he could go and have any number of consorts he wanted. He knew that. Everyone knew that. Even Tygra. So, why some cats in the court still believed that he would someday stick with them, and no one else, mystified him.
He nuzzled the soft head beside him once more. Tygra was different in every aspect. The power he had over the tiger was something he didn’t have over anyone else. The cats of the clan could continue looking for him all they wanted, and in the same way they could walk away. No one was going to miss them. That was the one thing Jareid could not control. If someone didn’t want to be with him, he or she didn’t have to. No one was forced to stay with him. Even if he mated with someone of the clan, that cat would have no more obligation than to give him an heir. After that, or before if the reason was good enough, they could live ignoring each other, or ask for an annulment. Tygra didn’t have that option. There wasn’t a way out of the mating for him. The official contract was binding, and was to be written in a way that stipulated that Jareid had the right to have the last word in every decision that concerned his mate. For all intents and purposes, the tiger was Jareid’s property.
Tygra was the one without any real options. He was both the youngest and the one forced to leave his home. There had never been any doubt that he was to be the submissive partner. And he still had to get used to Jareid’s personality.
The jaguar could just ignore him, that was true. There was no law that say that they had to have sex, or even live together. Their mating was the result of a peace treaty, and as such was for life, there was no annulling it. Even so, Jareid could put Tygra aside and pretend that the mating didn’t exist. He could happily go and continue having any number of partners he wanted to. In theory, Tygra could do the same, but Ix-Maal wasn’t the tiger’s home. He would never return to Thundera, and it would be very difficult for him to find someone that would be willing to oversee the fact that he was mated to Jareid, especially after the little mishap with Bali. Besides, the tiger wasn’t the type to sleep around, Jareid could tell.
Tygra made a soft sound, and Jareid started to caress the back of his head to soothe him. Yes, he could ignore the teen and find a consort, or many, but he didn’t want to. He had no need to go after some greedy, cheating cat, that only wanted position. He already had a companion that wasn’t going to leave. One that depended on him. Someone who also was his social equal, seeing that both were princes.
Jareid smirked. His social equal, yes, but not in their intimate relationship. Tygra was his sub, and Jareid had final word on everything that the tiger did or wanted. It was a kind of power that implied a different responsibility. Jareid enjoyed it, but had learned that he could do a lot of damage to Tygra if he abused it. Normally he didn’t care. He wasn’t used to think about the possible consequences that his actions could bring on others. But this particular other was his life-mate. And Jareid had already found out that he didn’t like to hurt his tiger.
He sighed and buried his nose in the stripped head for a moment. It had taken time, but the look of terror had finally started to die out from Tygra’s eyes when Jareid was over him. The jaguar vowed that he’d made it disappear entirely. Tygra still smelt of fear whenever they were alone, but it was less intense, and was now mixed with expectation. Jareid knew that the fear would not go completely, but he was striving every night to get Tygra’s arousal to smell the strongest.
Jareid considered the tiger’s sleeping form. This handsome young cat had been a lot of work. He had never before put such an effort to make sex enjoyable for a partner. Normally he just looked for his own pleasure and didn’t care if his bed companion was actually enjoying what he was doing or not. Even in that, Tygra was different.
Maybe it was a tiger thing. That innate ability to keep him interested had to come from somewhere. Jareid smiled, thinking about his other tiger. His in a different way, but still his, as Bengali had been accepted into the palace to be Jareid’s playmate. Both of them had been closer to adolescence than cubhood then, but Jareid had never shown interest in mingling with other cubs, until Bengali had arrived.
Jareid smirked fondly at the memory. The white tiger had been a novelty for him. Not only in the looks, but also the way he had acted towards him. Their first encounter hadn’t gone well at all, and still the white tiger remained his one true friend.
The jaguar kissed Tygra’s temple. Yeah, it had to be a tiger’s thing. No one else had managed to get him so exasperated and still wanting to come back for more.
Tygra stirred in his sleep, and Jareid scowled, already waiting for the tiger’s morning reaction to not find himself alone in bed. The teen’s body tensed and his hands pressed against Jareid’s chest, trying to push him away. It was a weak push, which meant that Tygra was not entirely awake yet. He did that every morning, and every morning Jareid strengthened his embrace, not allowing the teen to put any space between them. He was used to weak struggle while Tygra regained consciousness, only to finally remain quiet and tense in Jareid’s arms for the time it took for him to decide to get up.
This morning though, was different. Tygra stopped pushing as soon as Jareid’s arms tightened around him. The jaguar couldn’t see the teen’s face very well, so he couldn’t verify if he was fully awake, but he could see the nose moving. Tygra was sniffing his surroundings. After some seconds, the young body started to relax and Tygra mumbled, still half-asleep.
“…’s m’ate…”
Then his forehead brushed Jareid’s neck and a soft purr was heard. The jaguar couldn’t believe it. Tygra was cuddling! He welcomed the change with a purr of his own and held the teen closer to him. He was happy. It seemed that Tygra’s instincts were finally accepting him as mate.
He groomed the tiger’s head languidly, waiting for the young cat to fully regain his senses. He hoped that Tygra was not going to panic then. After all, it was still early, and they had several more minutes to cuddle before they had to rejoin the real world.
&&&&&&&&&
A couple of months later, Baal was in his office with the High Shaman, considering options. It had been a year since the end of the very short war with Thundera, and the treaty stipulated that now Claudus could have his chance to renegotiate some of the terms.
Baal didn’t care much about the treaty, but there was one clause that at the moment was annoying him. They had agreed that Claudus could be present at the official ceremony of the mating between Tygra and Jareid. Normally that would be a given. The mating was a pact between the clans. It was almost a requirement that both royal families were present to witness the ceremony, as a gesture of good will between them. At the ceremony, Claudus could see their sons, and after that they could put themselves to do politics and renegotiate the treaty. Simple enough.
Except, that Baal didn’t want the lion to see Tygra. He had no problems with Lion-O. Claudus could have re-established communication with his heir at any moment, and the jaguar king wouldn’t have minded. Tygra’s case however, was different. The tiger’s impeding bonding with the jaguar prince was the only point of the treaty that was not open to negotiation. Even if in the letter there seemed to exist a way for Claudus to recover his older son, Baal was not going to let that happen. After all, the tiger had been the only real prize he had taken out of that particular conflict.
They had gone to war for a real stupidity actually. Baal was laying the entire fault at Claudus’ feet. It had been the lion’s side that had started the mess. After centuries of both kingdoms going about their own business, someone just had had to stick their noses where no one had wanted them.
A long time ago, the jaguar clan had had the reputation of being mercenaries and skilled assassins. The clan had practically exiled themselves since the early days of Third Earth, same as the tigers, as far as Baal knew, but for different reasons. While the tigers had been seen as traitorous and non-trustworthy, the jaguars simply had never agreed with the way the lions ruled. So, the head of the clan had taken his people away from the recently established Thundera, and had proclaimed himself king of the jaguars. Both kingdoms had lived ignoring each other for ages. Thundera would occasionally hear rumours of war between the jaguars and some other evolved species, but never interceded one way or the other. No lion king had ever inquired about the jaguar clan’s whereabouts, and the jaguars that did live in Thundera had done so unmolested, as any other Thunderian citizen. Many didn’t even know about Ix-Maal existence.
Then, one day, a few of the Thunderian counsellors thought that it’d be a good idea to betray their king. Baal had never known, nor cared, what had been the reason of their displeasure. He only knew that they had thought that the jaguars were the perfect instrument to get away with their plan.
By mere chance they had found one of Ix-Maal warriors, who had been visiting the city for a few weeks. Baal liked to be informed about the world outside the jungle, and often sent scouts to go around and bring him news. This one was astonished to be approached by three council members, two lions and a panther, with such a… proposition for his leader.
They had wanted war. A staged war, but it still would mean an attack on the city. They had wanted an excuse to show of Claudus, saying that he couldn’t get his own people in line. Also, a battle would be the perfect distraction for an assassination. No one would ask questions about the king’s death. They had offered the jaguars a substantial sum of money, as well as reinstate the entire clan as citizens of Thundera, allowing the head of the clan in the council. They had also offered a big portion of land if the heir to the throne ended up dead too.
The jaguar had almost laughed in their faces. When he had told Baal the incident, the jaguar king had scoffed in despise. He had never held any respect for his lion counterpart. He had always thought that Thundera’s kings had been too self-complacent for a long time. Having, not one traitor but three, in one’s own council, ones that certainly knew no history by the way, hadn’t improved Baal’s estimation of Claudus. How blind or soft could the lion be?
He had decided to ignore the situation. Other rulers’ problems didn’t interest him. Besides, as much as he despised the lions, he had had no real reason to enter in conflict with them. It’d be useless and a waste of time.
Unfortunately, the reason had presented itself a few months later in the form of a very disgruntled Thunderian jaguar, who had been through hell trying to find where in the forsaken enormity of Third Earth was Ix-Maal located.
He had told the king that the traitors had taken matters on their own hands, and there had been disturbs and menaces to the lion heir, all of which had been linked to the jaguars. Jaga, Thundera’s High Cleric and Claudus’ personal counsellor, had ordered all jaguars to cut ties with Ix-Maal. Frankly, the majority of the Thunderians had thought he had been joking. For them, Ix-Maal had been not less than a myth. But then, there had been attacks. The jaguar told the king that he had been caught in the middle of a rampage, caused by an explosion in the market. An explosion that had been blamed on him! Someone had planted evidence on him, and he had been banished from the city with orders to return to his leader and take him two letters. The poor fellow had looked for Ix-Maal because he had not known what else he could have done.
Baal had been annoyed. But he still could have ignored the situation. It had still been not his problem if the Thunderians killed themselves. Oh, but he had been curious and had opened the blasted letters. The first one had done nothing to improve his mood. It had been from Claudus. He had ordered Baal to present himself before Thundera’s council, informing him that failing to do so will be considered high treason, and deserving of retaliation.
Well! The gal of the cat!
But the cherry on the cake had been Jaga’s letter. The cleric had used the title of Head of the Clan, and as such he had ordered Baal to state his loyalty to their only king and move the village under his care to the plains of Thundera. He was to present himself to their king to clear their intentions.
Baal had been furious. It was preposterous! Who had told that old cat that he was head of anything?!
Fine, they had wanted war so badly, they had gotten one, and they were not going to like the outcome! If the lion king couldn’t control his own council, maybe Baal would show him how it was done!
Before launching the attack, Baal had also considered what he could get out of the entire mess. He could just destroy Thundera as his grandfather had done with Avista when he had stolen the Tech stone. But that would not grant him anything, and it’d have no sense. They could use some Thundrillium from the mines that were technically Thundera’s land. That’d be something, but not really that much. Ix-Maal had no real need for resources. Then, Baal had thought about Claudus’ sons, more particularly the tiger.
The history annals considered the tigers a strong, proud, and belligerent clan. Too proud for their own good, if Bengali’s personal history was to be considered. They had also been portrayed as exceptional pilots, excellent at stealth and dexterity, and extremely loyal. But they were also very rare. Baal had been looking for them since Bengali had arrived to Ix-Maal and hadn’t had any luck. Either the clan was already extinct, or the survivors were hiding very well.
However, the point with Claudus’ adopted son that had attracted Baal’s curiosity was the rumours about him. The people of Thundera saw the tiger as the best fit for heir. Much better than Claudus’ blood son. There was apparently a general discontent in the palace about the crown heir. Many saw the lion cub as inept to bear the crown, and lamented the fact that Tygra was not a lion himself.
Baal had heard the stories before. He couldn’t help but scoff derisively at Claudus’ stupidity. One never lets the crown heir to be slandered and disrespected in such a way by the ones that one day would be following his orders. Baal’s son may have been spoiled and barely able to control himself, but no one would even think about replacing him.
His son had made Baal see the possible outcome of a war in a different light. The High Shaman had recommended mating Jareid a couple of years ago. He had said that maybe having an established couple would make the prince calm down. At the very least it’d force him to be more discreet.
At the moment Baal had scoffed at the suggestion. As much as he wished that Jareid showed a bit of more interest in his royal responsibilities, and less in fucking the entire court, he just couldn’t picture his son mated. The idea however had had its appeal. Jareid, whatever his shortcomings, was very loyal to the ones he considered deserving of such loyalty. Too bad that very few cats fell in that category. The problem was to find a cat, any cat, that Jareid would consider worthy of his company. Baal could not in good consciousness betroth someone to Jareid out of the blue. His son would follow his orders, but it’d be a hell of a life for whoever his mate happened to be. It was doomed to end in disaster. Jareid needed someone who could see him as a real cat, not the heir, the future king. Someone who could be considered an equal.
There had been a time when Baal had entertained thoughts of betrothing Bengali to Jareid. The white tiger had been the only one that the prince didn’t look at with contempt. But Bengali wasn’t a noble, and while a mating between the two could have worked in a personal level, the court was going to be a problem. Besides, even if he didn’t act like it, Bengali was too dominant for Jareid’s liking.
With his son in mind, Baal had looked at the information he had had about Claudus’ adopted son. The tiger was too young, he had just turned fifteen, but maybe that would be an advantage. He won’t be comparing Jareid with anyone. He could be moulded, trained, to make a proper companion for the jaguar prince. Maybe his very youth would call to Jareid’s caring instinct. Baal had always suspected that Jareid would love to have someone to care about, someone that would depend on him in someway. The jaguar prince had been ecstatic when his baby sister had been born. He had even helped to care for her. The gods protect anyone that’d dare to hurt, or court, Yeana.
Baal had decided then that he wanted the tiger prince for his son. Jareid had looked intrigued when he had mentioned that Claudus’ oldest was a tiger. It’d be interesting to see how his prince reacted to an arrangement like the one he had in mind.
He had debated whether it was best to kill the lions or not. He wanted Tygra with no other place to go, and he wasn’t so fool as to believe that the tiger wouldn’t eventually learn to move about the jungle. At least enough for it to cease to be an obstacle if he wanted to escape the city. If he had no family, and no Thundera left, he’d have nowhere to escape to. But then it’d be too much like take him as a slave. He’d never see the jaguars as any other than his captors, and Jareid would become a master, an owner, not a mate.
He had decided to take the tiger as hostage. An offering of peace. That’d give Tygra a purpose, some reason to remain away from home. If Claudus himself sent his son away, the tiger would simply obey, the choice would be taken from him.
The idea of taking the lion heir as well had been the Shamans’. The reasoning had been to provide some kind of reminder to the tiger, as well as some consolation. The tiger was young, and it’d be difficult for him to adapt to a new home all of a sudden. Besides, it’d prevent the lion from giving troubles when he’d get older.
Baal had been dubious. He hadn’t thought that the lion was necessary, and knowing Jareid, the kit could become something to hold over Tygra’s head. At the time Baal had wanted the tiger to forget his previous home, not to be reminded of it. Besides, based on what he had heard, he doubted that the relation between the brothers was very close. There surely was much resentment between them, maybe they’d even hated each other, being together would be no good.
But when he had seen them, he had changed his mind. The warriors had already informed him that the princes had been together in the lion’s bedroom, and that the tiger had actually fought them, trying to protect his brother. Baal had liked the attitude, but also had truly caught on the fact that Tygra was indeed too young. Teens in general were prone to act rashly, perhaps having the lion with them would prevent unnecessary troubles.
He had observed the royal family interact in front of others, and later on, how the old lion conducted himself alone. He had realizing some things. One of them was that Claudus was patently proud of his oldest son. He showed that in the way he spoke of him, in the posture he took when the tiger was around, or was the point of the conversation, while he was a lot less enthusiastic when discussing the young lion. The way Claudus spoke about his blood heir gave the impression that the lion knew that his younger son would one day be the king, but didn’t really believe it. Claudus would have preferred that Tygra were the lion. A message that was broadcasted subtly, but continuously.
It was obvious that the effect should be that Tygra acted more like the heir he wasn’t while Lion-O looked for other things to entertain himself. The lion cub was the crown heir, but he wasn’t expected to rule. And still, Tygra was being trained like some kind of bodyguard for his brother. A menial task for one that promised so much. A counsellor would be better suited for him, even Chief Commander. Oh, but then Tygra’d end up ruling eventually, behind the throne, but everyone would know who was really the one with the crown. The lion king was trying to dismiss the tiger’s abilities, while at the same time expecting him to do better than his brother. Claudus was just preparing the way for a horrible betrayal, or at the very least a deep rift between the brothers. Either way, things were not looking good for the next Thunderian king.
As he had finished the analysis of the situation, Baal had known that if he only took the tiger away, Claudus was going to try everything he could to have him back. It’d be an endless war. But if both princes were in Ix-Maal, Claudus would be forced to try and retrieve his heir first. The king must have a successor, and it had to be a lion. Baal wondered for a moment what would have happened had Lion-O had never been born.
He dismissed the thought as useless. The important thing was that his plan had worked better than expected. His Jareid was calmer and better centred. He still acted as if he was too good for the world, but his entire sexual focus was now on Tygra, private, like it was meant to be. Somehow Tygra had signified security. Someone that wasn’t with him because it was necessary to gain access to the throne. The tiger was there because he had been ordered to, but he was doing a conscious effort to get the most of the deal, to at least be content with it. He was learning to cope with Jareid’s outbursts and getting used to his roughness.
It hadn’t been easy. Baal had seen how horrid the first month had been for Tygra. He had feared that Jareid had managed to blow it and destroy any chance he could have had for a real mate. Tygra had been terrified of Jareid’s mere presence. You could see it in his eyes. Thankfully, the jaguar prince had seen reason. Baal didn’t know how his son had managed to correct his mistake. He suspected that Bengali had something to do with that, but it wasn’t really important. What mattered was that Jareid had found the way to salvage the situation, and Tygra was, not happy with him, but at least accepting.
Leaving Jareid aside, both princes were handling the changes to their lives pretty well. Tygra was quickly becoming one of the best trainees in the hunters, and his tutors and trainers spoke highly of him. Lion-O wasn’t doing bad either. He had earned the respect of the kingdom’s best engineers. He was curious and ingenious, and also very charismatic. The palace servants were fond of the young lion, and Yeana liked to play with him from time to time. He worried for his brother, but at the same time was happy to tease him whenever he could. The relationship between the brothers seemed closer than Baal had believed. Who knew? He may have done them both a favour getting them out of Thundera.
And that brought the jaguar king back to his present problem. He didn’t want Claudus close to Tygra, who was still struggling with his new mate, and trying to adapt. Of the two brothers it was the tiger the one who most missed their home, and Baal didn’t want him to have any reminders of it. If possible, he’d prefer to cut any ties the tiger still had to his previous life. Except the lion cub. Even Baal could see that loosing his brother would be detrimental in some way for Tygra.
But he couldn’t just forbid Claudus to see his offspring. The treaty clearly specified that he could check on his sons’ well-being at the year, and Baal knew that the lion king would demand to see them in person. The delegation that would bring Claudus to Ix-Maal for the ceremony was due to part the next day. Baal could still decide to go with them, and that way there’d be no need for his lion counterpart to put a foot in the city. But he still would have to take the two princes with him. The last thing Tygra needed was to see Thundera again.
Likewise, he didn’t need to be reminded of the expectations his father had on him. Claudus surely was counting on the tiger to perform his duty as a Thunderian prince, but he wasn’t expecting Tygra to ever be happy with it. No. Seeing Claudus would only remind Tygra that he was supposed to hate the arrangement they had been forced to do, and that his father expected that he was fighting the jaguar prince’s advances in any way he could. Baal couldn’t have that, not when things between Jareid and Tygra were going so well, and so close to the official ceremony.
Not to mention that Claudus didn’t need to know that Jareid had blatantly ignored his petition, and Tygra was already as good as mated to the jaguar.
“Why don’t we leave the choice to him?” The High Shaman suggested. Baal lifted an eyebrow to him.
“Choice? I don’t want Tygra to see him in any way!”
“Then, let him be the one to decide not to. The treaty does not stipulate that he absolutely has to see both kits. And there is no clause that says that they are allowed to visit Thundera either. This is when Lion-O can come in handy.”
“What do you have in mind?”
“King Claudus has had a year to find a way to renegotiate the treaty. There are several points he could have focused on, but his priority would be his heir. Let’s make things easier for him. Tell him directly that you’d prefer to not have him visiting Ix-Maal, and that you’re willing to take one of the princes to Thundera, let him be the one to decide which one he wants to see.”
“What if he chooses to see Tygra, or to force his way to be in the ceremony? He loves the tiger. He may as well decide that he wants to check on him personally.”
“He may, but I don’t really think so. If you’re willing to go to Thundera and take the lion with you, it’d be implying that you’re also willing to let him return if Claudus can come up with a good enough trade. Besides, he still has hope that he would be able to recover Tygra in one more year. Think about it. If it was you, what would you do?”
Baal gave it little thought. If given a choice, he’d jump at the chance to have his heir back. Claudus would do the same. No matter his personal preferences, he’d be forced to choose Lion-O to go back to him. But it’d be a shame to loose Lion-O, the kit showed so much promise. However, it was important that Tygra bonded entirely with Jareid without any sort of interference. The tiger had to be convinced that there was no way back for him. Thundera had to cease to be home, one way or the other.
“Won’t it cause problems with Tygra? Both of them are pretty close, and the tiger is barely out of his depressive state. Besides, sometimes I have the impression that he’s only going on because his brother is here.”
“He has been better lately, and it’s not like he’s going to die if the lion is not close. We can propose for Lion-O to spend some time here, perhaps one or two months a year. He can check on his brother instead of Claudus. That way the lion king would have no reason to visit.”
“Nice. Sounds good. Let’s go see Kaleb and send the message to Thundera.”
Both jaguars went in search of the High Counsellor. If all were according to plan, everything should have to be ready for their trip the next morning.
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A Tale of Jaguars