Okay. So, hi! Here's my first post as a fanfic writer. I wrote this a couple of months ago, after a reread of Hawksong and I realized, for the first time, how much emotional pain Rei was going through as Danica made her decision to become Naga. So I wrote this, which is in Rei's POV, and takes place as he and Zane are making their way back to the Keep, immediately after he follows Danica to the Serpiente Palace and realizes she's already Naga. Enjoy!
Becka 3

My heart was breaking, of that I was sure. I had known something was wrong when Danica had not named an alistair at the coronation. I had known something was troubling her, but hadn't wanted to press her. When Eleanor had finally informed me of Danica's crazy scheme, it took all of my reserve not to call for a grand attack on the serpiente palace.

When I saw Danica, whole and unharmed, walking toward me through the serpiente palace, relief flooded my body. That relief was short-lived, however, when she told me she was already their Naga. I knew she was scheming, but hadn't realized how far in she already was. I also knew that nothing I could have said would cause her to abandon what I believed to be a suicidal mission. But that's just the way she is. . .

And so I went along with it. I agreed to help her with the ludicrous scheme, while inside I wanted to scream at her to reconsider and choose me over. . .him.

As the captain of the Royal Flight, it fell on me to escort Danica's "alistair" back to the Keep, which meant Danica would fly ahead while we traveled on horseback.

It is a ride that I will never forget. I begrudgingly set out with Zane Cobriana shortly after we saw Danica off. It usually made me anxious to be away from her, and now that she would be flying through serpiente lands, that feeling doubled. True, she would be tailed the entire way back by Karl, but I still felt uneasy. Karl was good at his job and I trusted him implicitly, but I was convinced that no one else could protect my Tuuli Thea as well as I could.

We rode in silence, Zane's horse right beside mine. Occasionally Zane would attempt to start talking to me, but my answers were short, putting an end to any further conversation. I could tell that he was getting frustrated by my laconic responses, a fact that I secretly delighted in. I was in a foul mood, though he would never be able to tell, and the last person I could possibly want to talk to was Zane Cobriana.

I had just made up my mind to not even bother answering him anymore when he asked the one question from which I could not hold back an answer.

"You love her, don't you?" Zane asked me and it took all of my years training not to flinch as he stared me straight in the eye. All the emotions, the unspoken words that Danica would never hear, burst from me before I could restrain myself.

"You have no idea," I replied. "Not only is she my queen, she is also the best friend I have ever had. I made a vow, years ago, after Vasili died, that I would always be there to protect her. How can I honor that vow now? I have to bear the fact that the woman I love is going to announce a serpent as her alistair to the entire avian court. And I think she is making the worst mistake of her life."

I turned my head away disgustedly and, for a few minutes, the silence resumed. Finally, Zane said, "I truly am sorry. I realize that not only is Danica giving up everything to end this war, but that you are as well."

"But, that's Danica for you," I continued, not wanting to acknowledge even the slightest bit of compassion from a cobra. "She always puts her people before herself, not matter what the personal cost. She never even stops to think about herself." I turned back to him and it was my turn to initiate the eye contact. "That is why, Zane Cobriana, I will always be watching you. Danica is the most important person to me in the world, and any injury done to her I will take very personally. I will protect you because Danica orders it, but the moment I even suspect any intended harm toward her, that protection will be relinquished immediately, and trust me, snake, when I say you do not want me as an enemy."

Zane looked shocked as though he had never seen such an overt display of emotion from an avian before (which, admittedly, he probably hadn't). For the first time Zane, who was normally so verbose, answered my tirade with only a single word.

"Understood."