Adventures of Jessa

68

"Jessa, you are aware that you are Nathan's heir, aren't you?" Frosnak decides that it's time to change the subject.

"What?" Jessa can only stare at Frosnak.

"He has designated you as his heir. I have his things in a safe at the counting house. He doesn't have much, but what he did have is yours. I have also taken the liberty of getting the money owed to him from Culeb. I got the death money as well. Didn't he just about choke on paying that out." Frosnak is gloating at the memory of Culeb when she confronted him with what is owed to both Jessa and Nathan.

"But, Sorsha is having his children." Jessa says more than a little bewildered.

"Yes, but he didn't know and so made no provisions. If you chose you can take his money and invest on behalf of his unborn children."

Kristoff shakes his head, "Children? I thought Sorsha was just having one, or did he have other kids?"

"No, he thought he did, but the child he thought was his was not his, nor the child of the man that his lover married. He actually had a close escape not being with her. She doesn't have any concept of loyalty to her man." Alaric says with a sneer.

"I am having twins," Sorsha says quietly. All of the elves except Kallen and Dhiren staring at her in awe.

"She was given twins as a reward to her and as a gift from Lady Zira to Jessa. She will be under our protection as well as Jessa's." Kallen tells the elves that are staring at Sorsha.

"And mine and my parents protection as well." Dhiren says with a hard voice.

"Speaking of money," Jessa turns her attention to her dinner companion and narrows her eyes at him. "Just what the hell was that about giving me the authority to sign for you when investing?"

Dhiren smirks a bit but loses it when he sees just how upset Jessa is at his decision. "I know that Frosnak has taught you well on investments. I knew that if there was an investment worth while that you would invest. I thought that I would make some money at the same time. Especially if you were going to be one of the guards. I knew that you would make sure that the investment would show decent yields." Dhiren shrugs his shoulder. He's not particularly happy talking about things like that and would just as soon let Jessa deal with it all. "If you are already signing for you then it would save time and money to have you sign for me as well."

Jessa slaps him, "Yes, but did you think, maybe, just maybe, that would be something you should tell me? Not something that I find out by having one of Frosnak's people tell me as I'm making a contract with a merchant?"

"I didn't think it was all that big of a deal. I'm sorry, Jessa. I'll do my best to inform you ahead of time about things like that in the future. Just to let you know, I'm not changing those arrangements. So if you make more investments you'll be doing them for us both."

Jessa rolls her eyes, "You are impossible sometimes, Dhiren."

Dhiren gives her a full blown smile at her words. "Yeah, but you love me any way."

"Yeah, but I'm not sure why." Jessa mutters to herself but it's loud enough for every one to hear. The two dragons are able to hold back the laughter but not the smiles her words bring and the elves are just too shocked at how normal Jessa acts with Dhiren.

Dhiren has always been one to be firm on propriety and formality. No one has ever been so carefree with him, it's doubtful that he even laughed and played as a child.

Kallen watches his daughter bring the prideful prince to heel and keeps his thoughts well hidden behind his mask. He is very pleased by what he sees though, and can't wait to tell Sorid when he gets home to Silva in a couple of days. He never thought to see the human hating prince so playful and relaxed with a human, let alone the very human he didn't want to grow up in Silva.

Jessa turns serious, "What else do you have going with Frosnak that has to do with me?"

Dhiren freezes. He can't tell her yet, it's not ready, but he can't lie to her either. She already told him how she can detect liars and hates them.

He sighs, "It's something I'm working on with Frosnak and have been since you agreed to let me court you. You remember the first trip I came with you?" Dhiren waits for Jessa to respond and she nods. "I talked to her about this project. It's been in the works for months and we just found the perfect launch for it. I will tell you all about it if it works. I did this because I wanted to show you how my feelings towards humans have changed. How much you have helped me change.

"Please let me tell you about it once I know if it works or not. It's still unknown if it will work." Dhiren pleads with her taking her hands in his own.

"You will tell me about it once you have the results of the launching of the program?" Jessa demands.

"Yes, of course. I want to give you the program as a gift, a courting gift, but only if it is successful. I will also tell you if it fails, but it will be my failure not yours."

Jessa searches his face intently before nodding, "Very well, I will hold back my impatience for when you have your results. Just don't hold back on things that have to do with me. I don't like secrecy. I'm not big on surprises either." Jessa says that last rather dryly.

Kallen snorts, unable to hold back his laughter at her words. He remembers several times he and Sorid had tried to give Jessa surprises and how she didn't react favorably to them.

"Father? You have something to add?"

"Nope, she really doesn't like surprises, Prince. Be very careful if you plan on giving her one." With that things turned to less important topics and they relaxed much more.