A Strange And Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows

 

Velasin vin Aaro grows up in Ralia where he has to hide his real self.  He has known since he was a child that he was attracted to men rather than women and that is a scandal in his country.  He deals with it by moving away from his family, as far away as he can get to a place where he can live as he needs to.  But when Velasin is called home, it is to find that his father has created an alliance with a neighboring kingdom's influential family with a marriageable daughter.  Velasin is to go there and marry the woman.  

He is willing, he guesses but that night his lover follows him to his father's house.  The two are caught having relations by the other family's envoy.  Velasin's father is furious and disowns him but the envoy says he has a solution.  Tithenai is not judgmental and the influential family also has a son that Velasin can marry.

Velasin agrees and goes the next morning to start his journey to Tithenai.  Along the way, the caravan is attacked and Velasin's best friend is injured by an arrow.  When he arrives in Tithenai, Velasin meets Caethari Aeduria who is to be his husband.  Caethari is a soldier and interested in serving his country however he can.  The marriage happens immediately and the two husbands are left to work out a relationship.

But someone isn't happy with the marriage.  Attacks continue and Caethari's father is attacked.  Velasin's horse is killed as is a groom in another incident.  Are the attacks targeting Velasin or is the Aeduria family the target?  Can the two men discover who is behind the attacks?

Foz Meadows is an Australian author who writes in the science fiction and fantasy genre and who started in the fan fiction world.  The story is about a gay relationship that starts with the participants as strangers who then start to like and finally love each other.  There is magic involved and lots of politics and individuals hiding their true motives.  Velasin's best friend is mute which also plays a part in the story.  I listened to this novel and the narrator did an excellent job.  This book is recommended for fantasy readers and those looking for stories about gay relationships.