The Dragon Prince's Consort

Twenty-Six

Fang stirred up the coals while Valen took off his boots and changed into his softer charcoal and red robe. Pulling it up over his shoulders he recalled that first night when he'd come to his bedroom and found her wearing it and nothing else. Before that, Valen would have told anyone that his robe was the softest he'd ever felt, that its silky threads felt good on his scales and skin. It kept him comfortably warm even on the coldest nights when the wind screamed up the side of the mountain and blew twenty-foot drifts up against the palace compound's outer walls, and its familiarity could almost replace the touch of a friend. Almost. Then Fang had come into his life, and next to her skin Valen's favored robe felt like coarse stone grit; the robe rubbed him raw now that he knew her gentle touch. She asked him, her back still turned, "So, what else did he say?"

"Um... He said he had a list of surveyors for me – I'm to tell them what you said about any prospective sites' potential to be attractive. I thought you might like to speak to them too." Though his face remained placid, Valen's hearts and guts roiled – the feelings he'd been fighting since he picked her up were only growing stronger.

Fang set the poker aside. "Me? I don't know how useful I'd be. I'd just tell them to look for a place that makes them feel like, I don't know, like 'this is it, we don't have to look anywhere else'."

Oh, so it's like you. Valen cleared his throat to shake the thought away. "I'd at least like to have it on record that you were asked – you're currently the expert on humans here."

That earned him a chuckle, and Fang came to sit next to him, the skirts of her robe gathered in her hands as she arranged herself. "Covering your tail?"

Though he knew he was treading on dangerous ice, Valen moved closer to her as she settled down. He watched Fang's eyes widen and contemplated backing off, but when she angled her body towards him Valen decided to keep going. "Um, something like that. I wouldn't want to give the impression that I don't care about your opinion, I don't think that would look good if it got out that I didn't even consult my Lady on human matters." Growing bolder, Valen set his hand on his knee as near to Fang's as he dared. My Lady... for now.

"Eyah, well aren't you considerate?"

"I'm trying to be."

To his silent delight, Fang moved her knee closer and brushed her smallest finger against the back of his hand. "Wouldn't it be funny if you got all this worked out, and then everyone found out that your 'Lady' was just some girl your brother paid to sleep with you?"

"I don't think 'funny' is the word I'd use." He'd been horrified when Tias's nasty trick had been uncovered. "Also, there's something I want to ask you." The largeness of her eyes changed, not so much surprise as apprehensiveness and Valen quickly added, "It's nothing to be worried about, just a way that might give you a little more freedom and protection until I can either succeed at this thing or find a way to cancel your contract."

Her anxiety eased almost instantly. "Oh, okay – for a second I thought you were going to tell me your dad was changing his mind on the colony."

"Oh, no, he's been very clear on how much he wants it to work. But I've been looking for ways to make this," Valen nudged her hand, "more advantageous for you. If this colony does work out, I may be extremely busy and have to go away at times like Aeden does. If that's the case, I want to make sure Tias can't do anything to you while I'm gone that might hurt or embarrass you. He can do whatever he wants to me, but..."

"But he's already taken away my freedom, and there's no telling what else he might try because he's pissed at both of us." Valen was more than pleased that she could guess accurately what could be at stake. "You don't want him to trick me again, or put me in a position where I can't defend myself."