A Scholar's Purpose: A Story of Elska (ch. 6) by Acton Bell

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Now that he was in front of Lyrel, D'quin did not know if he could find the words he needed. He was almost drunk on her presence after the draught of the past few days. He had had no idea that the Elska bond would make her so essential to his existence.
The days and nights since she had left his apartment had been torture. He had had to force all thoughts of her aside merely to function. Fortunately, he had much to focus on to distract him.
After Lyrel left M'ket had seemed to feel the matter was over and that he had won some victory over his elder brother.
"The ófreskja shows some intelligence," he said, his inflection that of a Master speaking of a lesser being.
D'quin thought the dull crunching of M'ket's nose beneath his fist was the most satisfying sound he had ever heard. The pain in his hand was nothing compared to the pleasure it gave him to see M'ket stumbling backward into the furniture. "You will not speak of my Ladye in that tone or with words of that kind," he said, using Head of House Command.
M'ket wiped the blood away with his hand. His eyes were wide in a face that had gone pasty and they held more than a glint of fear. "The Head of L'ars will hear of this D'quin. You will be UnHoused and free to follow your--." He stopped speaking as D'quin made a quick motion toward him.
D'quin nodded slowly. "Yes, L'ars-C'ap'ol E'jhwa will hear of this."
When morning came D'quin was waiting in the office of Head of House L'ars before the breakfast cycle was over.
The Head of all House L'ars was thin man with a stern visage. Even garbed in morning robes as he was C'ap'ol E'jhwa carried himself with a regal air. D'quin knew him to be a man of integrity with little patience for evasion or elaboration.
His piercing eyes fixed themselves on D'quin as soon as he entered the office. "Always is L'ars- K'a'lil welcome in this house," he said wryly, "but what matter of urgency brings K'a'lil D'quin here before the fast has been completely broken?"
D'quin drew a breath of preparation then said carefully in the inflection of a lesser asking a boon of a greater, "L'ars-K'a'lil D'quin asks leave of Head of House L'ars to resign his position as Head of House L'ars-K'a'lil."
Head of House L'ars showed no surprise at D'quin's request. His face remained a craggy mask as he said in House Formal, "Why does K'a'lil D'quin place this request before the Head of House?"
D'quin met C'ap'ol E'jhwa's gaze. "A bond of Elska has been formed between myself and another."
A slight canting of his eyebrow was the only change in the Head of House's expression. "A bond of Elska," he said, "does not necessitate the resignation of position."
"The reciprocal of the Elska bond is Scholar Lyrel Medigren of the First Scholar Crèche Lyrel of Elysium."
C'ap'ol E'jhwa released a sharp breath. "Well," he said in House Informal, "that is unexpected. Sit down boy," he said, waving to the chair in front of the desk. "I expect this will take some time to sort out."
The Head's next question was shot at him before D'quin had even settled in the chair.