As Alek steadily worked on his engine, he let his mind wander, and found his thoughts on Deryn.
She's been his confidant and best friend for the last months, keeping all his secrets, and most recently, his girlfriend. She's the fiercest, bravest, most stubborn, infuriating person he's ever met, regardless of gender, and yet when she's not beside him he's crazy with a whole tide of emotions.
Love. Want. Happiness…Guilt.
Choosing Deryn would mean choosing his own happiness over his people, his duty, everything he was meant to do in his life. Alek suddenly wished his dad was still alive, and not just so he could swoop in and save the day, but to give Alek advice. When he married his mom he had to face ridicule, but was able to keep his title as king and rule his country as a respected and good leader. Why wasn't Alek able to do the same?
If only he could get the rest of the world to see Deryn as he does, to look past her gender, and to really see who she was. She's saved his life countless times, saved thousands of innocent people's lives, what more must she do to prove herself?
If Deryn were to become queen tomorrow she would no doubt be great at it. AND without wearing a skirt!
He suddenly ripped his arms from the engine he was working on and raced to the other side of the Leviathan toward the middies' rooms. He received a few curious glances from his comrades but wasn't interrupted.
When he arrived at her door, he agonized over if he should knock or just walk in. He bounced on his heels for a minute, raised his hand to bang on the door, then decided walking in would save him a lot of awkward silence. He's been down here plenty of times over the last 2 weeks-didn't he earn some rights?
He opened the door, and peeked his head in, looking to see if Deryn was alone. She was seated at her desk, and at the sound of the door turned around to see who was intruding. She smiled at Alek's half exposed face and he took that as an invitation. He walked the rest of the way in and closed the door behind him, then walked to where Deryn was and enveloped her in his arms.
Even two weeks after coming to terms with his feelings, and telling her, he still couldn't believe she was his. Someone as great as Deryn deserved a man 10 times better then Alek, braver, stronger, maybe taller. His women being taller then him was a blow to his manhood.
He withdrew enough to give her space but kept her hands captured in his.
Deryn sighed, wiping her eyes with their conjoined hands.
"That was exactly what I needed."
She said while glancing at the work on her desk.
Alek looked at the paperwork wearily, unsure of it's subject, but asked
"What are you working on?"
She frowned distastefully.
"Routes to London, various works for , and something the Captain asked me to work on."
"And what is that?" he asked with sincere curiosity.
She snorted, "Blazes, I don't know. I took one look at it and ran for a mile. It's a cluster of diagrams, equations, and statistics. As if I'm the barking Clanker!"
He smiled encouragingly at her. "Perhaps he thought I've rubbed off on you?"
She looked at him as if he'd just said the stupidest thing she's ever heard.
"Or he thought I'd recruit you to do it for me."
He thought about that for a second. It was good for her to get used to Clanker talk and machines if her wanted to make her his queen.
"It might be good practice for you. Now that your part Darwinist and part Clanker."
At that she smiled. "Aye. Somehow your Clanker thoughts have interfered with mine. Now I can't call myself a proper Darwinist!"
He feigned offense. "And that would be just horrific if you had a wee bit Clanker in you."
She laughed, "No, I suppose not. With you it worked out!"
As she said these last few words she got up from the chair and linked her arms around his head. "Thank you-"-she pecked him on the lips-"for the diversion."
"Mmmmhhmmmm." He murmured against her lips. "Anytime."
She tried to pull back, but he didn't quite what to let her go yet. He kept his arms tight around her and gave her a wicked glance.
"Oh-this is what you came for, ya?" she asked with a grin of her own.
As an answer he brought her mouth to his again, this time a longer, nicer kiss.
Deryn broke away looking a bit dazed. "Barking spiders, you've gotten better at that."
He chuckled. "Practice makes perfect." Then placed light, feathery kisses along her jaw and throat, and felt her quick pulse against his lips.
He backed off, looking down. "I decided something today."
"Oh, ya?" she teased at his sudden shyness.
"Ya-something important." He said in all seriousness, looking at her from under his lashes.
She stopped smiling. "Well, don't leave me in suspense. I can take it."
He smiled faintly. "And it involves you."
He saw her swallow, and noticed she had gone a bit pale.
"Alek-by the way you sound it makes me think it's not good."
His mind reeled. It should be the opposite!
"No! No! Actually its very good news, for you. I've decided I don't care what other people think. If I'm going to become King-or Emperor-or whatever, I'm going to do it with you at my side."
When he finished he finally looked at her full on, and she looked a bit green. Silence followed this for a while, and he finally broke it after a good 30 seconds.
"What are you thinking?" he put his hands under her chin, making her look at him.
"I think you're a being a daft prince." She answered, but smiled while she said so.
A weight lifted off his shoulders that he hadn't even realized he'd been holding. He smiled widely and engulfed her in his arms, spinning her around and around.
"Okay! Okay! Stop, your going to make me ruff!" He smiled. She despised the word 'vomit' or 'barf' so she came up with her own slang term, 'ruff'.
He laughed, but put her down.
"You'll make a great queen." He said, breaking away from her to sprawl out on her bunk.
"Even if I refuse to wear skirts? Or make-up? Or pretty much everything a girls supposed to love?"
He smiled. "Even then. I couldn't imagine a Deryn in skirts."
She sat down by him with a fuff.
"Barking spiders-think of what my aunts with think back home. Seeing me in the papers, 'Prince chosen one.'
He answered with complete honesty. "They should be barking proud. You go off to war, help save Europe, and come back with a man. What more would they want?"
She laughed at that. "You'd think that'd make them happy-but, really, they'd be over the moon if I'd just be "normal"."
"Normal's overrated." He said, simply.
She looked down at him, then leaned over to kiss him. Her lips met his parted, and forced his to do the same. He leaned into her, enjoying the feel of her tongue on his, and the heat coming from her breathes in his. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close, and rolled over so she was underneath him. He kissed her jaw and ear to give her air, and moved his mouth back to hers making a low sound in the back of his throat.
He felt her hands on his chest, slipping under his shirt to feel the skin and muscle underneath. Not to be outdone, he let his hands drift to the buttons of her uniform, and slowly undo them, leaving her chest and midriff open to be viewed. She pulled back, embarrassed, but put his hands up to her face, bringing her lips close, and whispered "Beautiful" against them. She shivered and huddled closer to him. He explored the uncharted territory, while her hands continued to search him.
Suddenly, he heard a sharp knock at the door.
"Middy Sharp?" a low voice called.
"Just a minute!" she called using her boy voice.
The person wasn't in the mood to wait, apparently, because the door began opening.
Deryn bolted up, clinging the two sides of her shirt to cover herself, and Alek called out "Wait!-" reaching out as if he could push the door closed.
Count Volger looked at the two of them, Alek's shirt still open, and Deryn trying to button hers up. Alek just silently slid over to her, putting him in Volger's line of vision. She pushed up against his back, and began covering herself, less frantic now.
At least Volger had the good grace to look down, a little red in the face, and stuttered "I was ah-looking for his Majesty….and since he wasn't in his room…I assumed…"
Alek got up, quickly regaining his composure and making sure Deryn was fine, turned to Volger.
"What do you need?" he asked, a bit sharper then intended.
"Just come up to the Gondola-the Captain requests your help."
"Very well, I'll be there in a moment." Alek answered.
Volger turned and walked away.
As soon as he was out of earshot, Deryn burst out laughing, and Alek couldn't help joining in.
"Dear God, that was embarrassing." She giggled.
He turned to her, gathering her in a hug, and briefly pressed his mouth to hers. "I'm glad it was him who found us. Anyone else, and your secret could've gotten out. And, it's good for him to except you. You're not going anywhere."
She smiled. "Not for a long time, your princeliness." Then kissed him again.
Sighing, he broke away after a moment, "Sadly, we should go see what the Captain wants."
"Of course." She answered, smoothing his hair, then turned and strode out of the room. He answered silently, except for grabbing her hand once and squeezing it.
If it was important enough to send a person instead of a message lizard it must be important.