Naveen

She smiled and stood up. She reached out and took both his hands in hers. For a moment he would feel light headed. “Humans aren’t the ones who need to change. There needs to be a shift in power. Do you know why Humans rein in nearly every land? Because there are so many of them. Because their sense of time is shorter than other races. In the time it takes for your child to become an adult, three generations have passed for them. There are simply too many of them.” She squeezed his hands and let them go. He would sit now.

Talon:

I sat on the bench feeling very tired all of a sudden. "Humans breed like rabbits, and when they aren't in power they cry at the slightest provocation. But when they are every other race is as dirt before them. I've fought in enough wars for and against them to know this is true. But to cull them is no answer. That would make us no better than them." My eyes raised up to look at her. "I and my people will be better."

“I am not asking your people to kill them. They do that well enough on their own.” She paused and went to stand before him. “I’m here to set things right, for everyone. I have no hate for any race. I have children of every kind.” She sat down beside him. “Talon I do need something from you, nothing that will harm you or your people. I simply wish an introduction to your little friend.”

I frowned as I looked at her. "How do you plan on doing that? How can you work things so its right for everyone?" I shook my head and looked away. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't demand answers from you. This is just getting harder to handle."

When she mentioned my 'little friend' I looked up at her again. "My little friend? Rina? She isn't that little."

She put her hand over his. “I understand that this isn’t easy for you. If you do this for me, I will do my best to take the focus off you,” She said. “I don’t mean the princess. She can’t do anything for me. I mean the one you visited yesterday. Their energy still lingers around you. It is not of this world.”

I froze at that. I knew immediately who she wanted to meet. Wren. "I made a promise that I'd keep them safe. That no one would come for them." I looked up at the goddess. "I swore to her. And as a lord I have to hold to my word."

“You swore to me as well,” she said and moved her hand to lift his chin so he looked at her. “She will be perfectly safe. I’m not asking for you to take me to her hiding place, nor for you to drag her here against her will. All I want is an introduction. I just want to meet her. To talk with her. I promise you, she would be in no danger.”

"Write a letter and I'll pass it along. From there....from there I'll see about introductions in person." I caved as I gazed into her eyes. "She is special, more than you know. I hope you mean your promise to keep her safe."

Her lips curved and she released him. “I always keep my promises. You’re taking a step in the right direction with this. A step toward a better world.” She stood and her dress rustled. “I’ll send a letter to you this evening. And as I said, I’ll take the focus of the humans off of you. No more will they stalk you in the servant hall.”

"Thank you my lady." I stood with her and offered her a low bow. It was only after she walked away that I relaxed a bit. Talon was a useful wall when it boiled down to it. As it was I really didn't feel comfortable letting Lady Alia near Wren. No one should have access to her if they desired to use her.

Rina:

For the first time I met a suitor who didn’t try to put on an act or lavish me with compliments. He was the grand duke of the eastern lands. He wasn’t considered at first because he was old enough to be my father’s father, but after I had shot down my first several suitors, I was introduced to him. He told me to call him by his first name, William.

If I were to consider marriage, he would have been the one I considered. Not because I wanted to marry him, but because he had a great deal of power. He treated me well. We had inelegant conversations, and I actually felt comfortable in his company.

I returned to my room that night without feeling grimy for the company I shared.

I waited in her room for her, having spent a few hours pacing after the ordeal. Feeling much calmer now I greeted her with a hesitant smile that grew a bit after seeing her come back in good spirits. She might not have been happy but if I compared her mood now with the mood she'd come back home with every other night then this was an incredible improvement.

Rina:

I went to Talon when I saw him and wound my arms around his middle. “I’m glad I’m back,” I said but what I meant was I was glad to be back with him. I looked up at him. “Have you been waiting in my room this whole time?” I asked.

"I stopped by my room for a moment, then I had a summons. Lady Alia wanted to talk. She wanted to make an exchange, to make an introduction to Wren. I put it off by saying to write a letter first and that we'd see where it went from there." I set my arms carefully around her, not wanting to damage her dress as I told her about my day.

Rina:

I froze at what he said. I put my hands on his shoulders and leaned back so there was some space between us. “You told her about Wren?” I asked, my tone icy. Maleen, Dorian, Talon and I were supposed to be the only people who knew what she was.

I raised both brows at her, her tone not something I was willing to accept right now. I waited before answering her concern. I never gave Wren's name, never spoke anything about her, and the plan I had in mind to make sure it all ended with out the two ever meeting.

Rina:

I let go of him and paced the room. “How did she even find out about her, then?” I was worried. I didn’t want to risk any chance that she could be in trouble. Perhaps it was time that the girls moved again, somewhere farther from the castle. It was nice to have Maleen close in case something happened, but we couldn’t risk Wren.

I shrugged at that, folding my arms as I watched her pace. "She said I had some aura around me. From simply touching me." That she was able to tell that much had me worried. Just by touching Wren she could tell that I'd been around someone. What would happen if she tried just searching around?

Rina:

I couldn’t help but feel some of the frustration return from when he had sworn fealty to her, even if it had been in Talon’s name. I sighed and sunk sown in a chair. “That’s not good,” I said rather obviously. What if other people could do that? Just how secret was Wren after all? We would have to warn the girls about this.

I remained standing where I was. I decided against tell her the offer the woman had made if I delivered the letter for her. To stop the abuse I was receiving around the castle. As to what that entailed or how she'd do it I didn't know. It didn't really matter. I wasn't planning on delivering the letter for a while if ever.

Rina:

I fret for some time more before I finally stood up. “Will you help me with my dress?” I asked. My dress was shimmery brown with cream designs. I could manage the laces on my back on my own, but he did it so easily now. He was more skilled with the laces of a dress than any chamber maid.

Unfolding my arms I walked over to her. Gently moving her hair over her shoulder to be out of my way, I worked my way down the laces. First undoing the ties at the top than easing the lace free until if she wanted to she could simply shrug out of the dress and leave it on the floor in a pool. I took the chance then to gently brush my fingers of the skin of her neck as I brought her hair back into place.

Rina:

I closed my eyes and resisted the urge to shiver at his fingers. “Thank you,” I murmured and turned around. I held the dress up to my breasts. “I didn’t like going without you tonight,” I said, side tracked from the previous issue.

"I know. I didn't enjoy sending you out alone either." My gaze didn't dip down to the dress she held to herself, instead it focused on her gaze as we shared our mutual dissatisfaction with the situation.

Rina:

I looked him in the eyes for a moment then sighed. I asked him to come to bed. At this point I didn’t need to, he rarely spent the night in his own room after he had been attacked. Still I felt like he might leave if I didn’t ask him to stay. I let the dress fall of once I was in my room and waited in my bed while he took off his armor.

“Talon?” I asked when he took off the last of it. “If… If I did have to follow through and get married… would you stay?” I asked