The Dragon Prince's Consort

Twenty-Five

Valen's hearts stopped thudding and a cold emptiness washed over and through him. Of course she's happy to see me, she's been stuck with Aisana for the afternoon. That couldn't have been easy, what with 'Sana being furious with Tias. There's no other reason for her to be happy, right? Unless... No, no that wasn't possible. Fang was just happy to be away from the enormously pregnant and peevish Aisana, she wasn't happy to see him.

"How was it?" she asked him as soon as she was within reach. Fang touched his arm, "What did he say? Did he like it?"

My proposal... Valen ignored the crush of his hearts. Even the buoy of his father's approval didn't quite soothe the sting of her asking about it, but his feelings didn't matter as much as hers. I can't go back on my promise to her, her freedom is more important than my wants. "He... he said it was good, he said I can present it to the Federation committee as early as next week." Valen plastered on a smile, "I want to go back and polish it up a bit, but I think I have something to work with."

Fang's eyes widened and shone brighter. She gripped his wrist, "You did it! You worked so hard on it, of course he liked it! Valen, that's wonderful..." Something caught her eye and she trailed off; Valen watched her expression darken as she saw Tias looming ominously nearby. "Oh," she stiffened, "Your Highness, I didn't see you." As quickly as it came, the darkness in her eyes took on a sharper gleam. "Did you hear Valen's news? Did you hear that His Majesty has accepted his proposal? Aren't you proud of your brother?"

"What's to be proud of?" Tias snarled, "He's nothing but a short, ugly little failure, hardly a man. Watch, the Federation will laugh in his face when they see whatever ridiculous drivel he's come up with." In spite of his hateful words, though, Tias inched backwards and Morden shuffled with him. Valen wanted to laugh at how scared his brothers looked, and of Fang! Dainty, shrewd, dauntless Fang!

Fang turned away from Tias with a haughty sniff. "I'm sure you think you could do better." She tossed an airy final shot over her shoulder, "But we'll never find out, will we?" Taking Valen's hand, Fang threaded her fingers into his and squeezed. "I'm proud of you, Valen. Let's go back to the suite and you can tell me about it."

I'm proud of you... Her words hit Valen like a glaive to the chest, knocking the wind out of him and temporarily throwing off his heartbeats. She's proud of me? First the smile, now this? No one's ever told me they were proud of me... Valen stared at this woman, this tiny fawn-colored creature who held his hand and leaned against his arm, her long hair smelling of teaflower and incense, who was proud of him. He glanced at his brothers, Morden receiving Shisa with tolerant formality and Tias offering his arm to Aisana only to be rebuffed with a cold "Hngh." 'Sana retained her hold on the Wardens and wobbled off, leaving Tias to trudge behind looking furiously helpless. Looking back down to Fang's hand in his, the realization that he might soon lose her hit him in the gut and he squeezed her fingers. I'll just enjoy this while I can.

Walking back to the apartment they shared, Valen kept stealing glances at Fang and taking mental notes of the things he wanted to remember most: the wisps of dark hair in front of her small, round ears, the soft arch of her brows and the corresponding tilt of her eyes, the way her lashes curved in a graceful sweep when they brushed her cheeks. How the bridge of her nose curved inward as opposed to a Drass's high arch, and the pink-sand shade of her lips that she'd enhanced that morning with a dab of red powder mixed with teaflower oil. She's so pretty, much prettier than any woman I should expect to have. He'd never find another woman like her, Drass or otherwise, and that thought made his hearts shrink.

"So, tell me what he said!" Fang urged, grinning. "You said he liked your proposal, did he say anything specific?"

"Hngh," Valen pulled himself out of the pit of despair he was busy digging for himself. "He said... He said I was right to use your insights, that I had touched on some ideas that showed I'm not ignorant to a human's needs. He said my proposal showed compassion for species other than my own, and how that would make the Empire seem more sympathetic."

"Was there anything he didn't like?"

"Nothing big, just a suggestion to clear up some of the details on how I expect to keep the colony fed and warm until it can support itself. I told him of an old charter that requested this many tons of grain and so much preserved meat, and I'd done the calculations for several thousand humans. I worked on that chart for days..." The math involved in providing adequate supplies for humans had opened his eyes to the challenges of feeding a smaller species that nonetheless could eat their way through a Drass's share of food in short order. That reminded him to see how Fang's meals had changed in the last few weeks – he knew she was eating well, but someone her size could easily burn through many calories just trying to stay warm. He peeked sidelong at her, but layers upon layers of silk and the insulating materials he'd requested Arban add to her robes made it difficult to determine if she was gaining weight as she should. Valen couldn't remember if he'd felt evidence of it recently, and a new whisper in the back of his mind suggested he find out: It's been a few days since you last touched her, she might not mind.

"Valen?"

"Hngh?"

"Is something wrong?"

"Eh, no..." Valen ran his claws through his hair and shook his head, letting it fall in its accustomed haphazard way; he wondered if he'd feel better after running his hands through Fang's hair. "I think... I think I've just been working so hard on this I forgot to ask how you're holding up."

"Holding up?" She gave him an odd look. "Valen, we live together. I think you know what I've been up to, where I've been..." Fang paused, and her brows drew together. "Is this about Tias? What did Prince Dickhead have to say this time?"

"Prince What?" Valen's breath left him in a rush and he glanced around to make sure no one else had heard. "Fang! You can't–" He lost the rest in a stunned giggle. My brother, His Royal Highness, Prince Dickhead! Valen covered his mouth lest his laughter echo down the hall and reach Tias's ears or those of the staff. "Ashes, Fang, you can't just say things like that, not in the halls!"

Fang shrugged. "Well, he is a dickhead, isn't he?"

Valen rubbed his face. "That's beside the point. Anyway, yes, he did have something to say – he always does – but it doesn't matter." Valen bristled inwardly. Or at least he thought he did, because Fang frowned.

"What did he say?"

If the bitch didn't die... "He... called you a bitch."

Fang tched. "Is that all?"

"Ah... no. He also called you a whore." Valen dropped his head, ashamed for saying it. I hate you so much, Tias.

Shrugging again, Fang spread her hands and made an unconcerned face. "I've taken money for sex, he's not wrong."

"But you're not," Valen protested, hearts hurting. "He shouldn't call you that, it's not right for your station–"

Fang sighed, but she smiled at him. "Valen, I don't care. I'm not going to let Prince Piss-for-Brains get under my skin. So he called me a bitch, he's not wrong about that either – I was being pretty bitchy to him back there."

"Well I don't like it," Valen tossed his head, the chains in his horns and ears ringing. "If he thinks he can get away with it in front of me, who's to say he won't say something worse to someone from the Federation?"

"That'll make him look bad, not me." With a short sigh, she added, "Look, I appreciate you standing up for me, it's very sweet. But I haven't always been helpless, I've dealt with assholes like him before." Then, to his absolute shock, Fang rose up on her toes and kissed his cheek. "Thanks, though." Valen's hand rose to his face, touching the spot as he stared at her. "What?"

The realization hit like a punch in the gut: I'm falling for her. No, I've already fallen for her – I've wanted her to stay for a while. Valen knew he owed her what he'd promised, knew her freedom was more important than his gratification, but this was the ultimate betrayal. He had every legal right to keep her, the contract said as much and only his father had the power to break it, but doing so would hurt her and damage this... whatever it was forever.

"Valen, Valen," Fang took his arm and gave him a little shake. "Hello, anyone home?" That snapped him out his head.

"Eyah, sorry. I was..." Contemplating keeping you here forever, but you'd hate me for it. "Never mind. You wanted to hear more of what my father said, let's go back to the suite and I'll tell you."