Alek frowned down at the plan of the engine he was drawing. It didn't seem quite right somehow. He hadn't been able to concentrate for a while. To be fair, he knew exactly when he'd stopped being able to concentrate - when Dylan had gotten shot and revealed 'he' wasn't quite Dylan after all.
There was a knock on the door. "Come in," he said curtly. It was probably Volger, here for a round of 'I told you so'. Again.
The door opened and, reflexively, he turned around. Dylan - no, Deryn, he reminded himself crossly - was standing there, shamefaced. A feminine face. How had he missed it before?
"You're better," he commented simply, turning back to scratch out yet another line on the engine design.
"Aye. The lady boffin is a dead good doctor, when she's done being a sneaky-boots."
"Right." He drew in silence for a while, until he thought she'd gone away. All the lines were crooked.
"I came to say I was sorry," she finally said.
"For what? Lying to me?"
"I was going to tell you before things went pear shaped..."
"I told you everything, but you couldn't tell me this?"
"Well, you're going barking now," she argued, getting angry. "I saved your stupid life, you know, your princeliness."
"And I saved yours. I got you back to the airship. You're fine. So stay away from me. We're almost back to Austria. Don't talk to me, I won't talk to you. Your secret's safe, and I'm out of here." Alek was surprised at how angry he sounded. He'd told himself he didn't care about this girl. It shouldn't matter if she'd lied to him. She was nobody and he was a prince. But part of him was playing traitor. And there were enough of those.
"Fine," she sighed, as he turned away. She sounded sad - he told himself he didn't care. "But I am sorry."
He didn't say anything as he heard footsteps coming closer. "Your lines are crooked," she said.
"I know they are."
"I know." Before he could stop her, she kissed him on the cheek, and then left - shutting the door behind her.