Author's Note

I do not own the Dragonriders of Pern, or anything else you have recognised in this fic.

It wasn't the first time Yariel had landed up in the infirmary.

The way their lives were, it wouldn't be the last.

But still.

"Of all the people to lose to!" she complained half-heartedly,

Yariel shrugged. By the look on his face he immediately regretted it. "He's good."

She had seen that, admittedly. He fought almost like one of the bad guys they would see popping up throughout a quest to challenge and slash or beat them and would usually be beaten just before the final showdown.

Some of them were good friends of theirs now. They had mostly just been misguided, or had conflicting goals.

Kingsley, on the other hand…

His goal appeared to be her.

Which was never going to happen, for fairly obvious reasons.

"You sure you're not even tempted?" Kuyaran asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Not at all."

"But why not?" she whined in what was actually a pretty accurate impression of Kingsley.

"I believe you know why not," Dorasa sniped back. Kuyaran grinned.

"Aye aye."

Dorasa smacked her round the back of the head.

Kingsley Orius Keiren Lunarlight wasn't the first suitor she had had.

She was pretty sure he wouldn't be the last either.

He was the most persistent though.

Most boys (and men) backed down after she hit them the first time. Most of the rest backed down after Yariel warned them off.

Then there were the persistent ones.

Then there was Kingsley.

He hadn't just ignored their warnings, he had challenged them and then beaten them.

Now what?

For a start, he wouldn't leave her alone. Whenever she turned around, he was there! When she walked down the corridor, he was there trying to siddle up beside her. When she sat down in class he was there trying to take the seat beside her until Mia very firmly shouldered him out the way. When she went to the necessary he was there! For some reason! He was so annoying!

"He did win the honour duel," her cousin Dudlen reminded her rather unhelpfully. "He has first rights of refusal."

"I have first rights of refusal! It's my body!"

Dudlen shrugged. "But he did beat Yariel. Surely that's got to stand for something?"

"No! It stands for nothing!"

"Only because we're here in the Weyr. Back home he would so be your husband right now."

Dorasa flushed scarlet. "If you don't have anything intelligent to say, keep your mouth shut!"

Dudlen shrugged again and then sighed. "For what it's worth, if you ever need hiding from him, let me know."

Dorasa sighed. "Thanks Dudlen."

For all that she could remember having to hide in allies and alcoves to avoid being beaten up by him when she was a child, she had noticed a change in him since they arrived at the Weyr. Perhaps being away from his screeching wher of a mother and Deep One of a father was good for him.

Yariel spent the rest of the day in the infirmary.

Again.

It felt like they had got more injured in the few weeks of being here than they had when they were on their quests.

Dorasa wondered if there was something more to that.

They had spoken before about the fact that they were really getting too old, too tired for this. Chosen Ones did tend to have short lifespans.

She endeavoured to never be in a group of less than three people while he was in the infirmary that day, sticking close to Mia and Kuyaran. When Mia went to fetch a broom for Jurdree, Dorasa dragged Kuyaran across the room to Lily, Luna and Demek as Kingsley made a beeline for them.

"I've never known such an annoying demon!" Dorasa grumbled as Kuyaran deflected his efforts to get close to her for the millionth time that day. Most of them just wanted people to love them, or show off how great they were. This one seemed to be obsessed with sleeping with people, namely, girls over about fifteen, since Lily and Annaliessa were fifteen, and they were the oldest girls he wasn't interested in (although in Annaliessa's case, that could just be because of absolute obliviousness on her behalf). Lily sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"He's a million times worse than just reading about characters like him."

"You don't have to share a room with him!" Demek said. "Everyone fawns over him and gives him the best stuff like he's some kind of hero! They don't even treat Yariel like that!"

"We have got to get rid of him."

"No stabbing," Lily said quickly.

"You ruin all my fun."

"Literal murder Dorasa."

"But-"

"Literal, actual murder."

"You're just no fun."

With that said, Dorasa didn't suppose she even could stab Kingsley. He had beaten Yariel, and that meant even though he was some kind of perfection demon, he was one that could fight, and she wasn't better than Yariel.

They needed another plan.

R'ton listened to their complaints, but insisted that as Candidate master he couldn't be seen to show favouritism.

Next they went to see Jurdree, since she had helped them before with Desiree. Unfortunately, the Headwoman seemed quite struck by Kingsley.

"He's just very… dominating."

"Dominating?" Lily echoed.

"Don't you see it? He's just like Desiree!" Mia exclaimed.

"I know you've had a rough time of it, but now you're just being paranoid! He's nothing like Desiree. For one, he's male."

"But-" Lily tried. Demek caught the back of her collar and dragged her out.

Yariel was released from the infirmary the day after. His injuries were already healing, his black and purple bruises fading to blue and green. Kingsley charged over to him the moment he saw him. "You!"

"What do you want?

"I want you to give me Dorasa's hand. I won it!"

"My sister is her own person, not a belonging I can hand to you."

"But I won her!"

"He did," Princess Lilyen Adalicia Midnight said sweetly in her musical voice. "You owe him."

Yariel's eyes flashed dangerous gold. "I don't own my sister, and even if I did, I wouldn't give her to a demon like you."

Kingsley took a step forward. "Have you forgotten what happened last time you fought with me?"

"I underestimated you. I won't make the same mistake twice."

"I won that fight fair and square!"

"Demons never fight fair!"

Dorasa grabbed at Yariel's arm. "Yariel."

"You just don't know when to quit."

"Oh, says you," drawled Kuyaran.

"Not helping!" Dorasa snapped at her. Princess Lilyen Adalicia Midnight gazed at her.

"Dorasa, Kingsley did win the duel. By rights, he has first rights and refusal."

"You can't force her to sleep with him!" Lily exclaimed, looking furiously perplexed. "That's literally rape."

Kingsley scoffed. "It is not! Besides, I know my fair maiden wishes to come to me truly; it's this monster that's still holding her ensnared!"

"It's the definition of rape!" Lily protested. Kingsley hesitated and then turned his attention back to Yariel.

"And now you've corrupted this poor younger girl!"

"Corrupted?" Lily snapped. "I'm the only one talking sense!"

"Your foul reign can go on no longer!" Kingsley roared, hurling himself forwards and slamming hard into Yariel. The two of them flew backwards, crashing into the floor. There was a pull in Dorasa's chest she hadn't felt in a long time. She fed into it, lending Yariel her power as he fought with Kingsley.

"Don't help him cheat!" shrieked Princess Lilyen Adalicia Midnight, leaping forwards to slap at her. Dorasa fended her off with ease. Yariel and Kingsley rolled across the floor, drawing the attention of everyone nearby. Princess Lilyen Adalicia Midnight yanked at Dorasa's scarlet hair and then shrieked when Dorasa retaliated and punched her in the face, reeling back clutching her nose and wailing. Dorasa drew her blade, spinning round to join Yariel. Kingsley had him pinned to the floor, raising his sword above his head. Dorasa rushed towards them as the blade came down.

At the last moment Yariel's aura shone brilliant gold around him, brighter than Dorasa had seen it glow in a while now, a shade that only really occurred when he was actually in danger. Kingsley was hurled backwards, flying fifteen foot down the corridor, his head slamming into the corner with a sickeningly wet sounding crunch.

Screaming filled the enclosed space, both from Lily and from Princess Lilyen Adalicia Midnight.

The latter rushed towards a dazed looking Yariel, who was still trying to push himself off the floor, with a small, wicked looking knife. "You killed him!"

Dorasa leapt in front of her prone brother, but Princess Lilyen Adalicia Midnight kept moving.

Straight into the sword still in Dorasa's hand.

Princess Lilyen Adalicia Midnight screamed and burst into flames.

Dorasa was pretty sure Lily screamed louder than Princess Lilyen Adalicia Midnight.

The fire burnt hot and orange, engulfing her pale, willowy figure. Dorasa wrenched her now white hot sword from her chest and glanced around, checking for any more threats. She could see nothing, immediate or otherwise.

"What do you know?" remarked Mia. "They do burn."

"Didn't you believe us before?" Dorasa quipped.

"Not really, no."

Yariel scrambled to his feet, rocking and swaying unsteadily. His eyes looked unfocused, but his sword was in his hand. "Never realised she was one. Guess she was biding her time."

Princess Lilyen Adalicia Midnight's body collapsed to the floor and began to slowly dissolve into ash, as demons did when stabbed through the heart.

Lily continued screaming.

They were quickly ushered down to the infirmary (again). Yariel had taken (another) rough beating, Dorasa's hand was burnt and skin stripped from it by her sword, and Lily had gone into shock.

"This place is madness," she kept saying over and over and over again. "Madness. I want to go home."

"You made your choice: a life of fulfilment or a life of peace and boredom," said Luna drolly.

"I want to go home," Lily sobbed louder. Dorasa had to admit she wasn't even sure where Lily came from. Every time she talked about home she spoke like it wasn't even Pern and of things Dorasa had never even imagined or heard of.

They were kept in isolation until the Weyrwoman came to see them. She looked strict, stern, and vaguely furious. The door slammed behind her.

"What happened this time?"

Lily, Mia, and Kuyaran immediately began spewing out a jumble of confusion. Weyrwoman Jalenna held up a hand. "Don't everyone talk at once! One at a time."

They fell silent, glancing at each other. She pointed at Mia. "You first."

Slower this time, Mia explained what had happened, with input and help from the others, as the fight in the corridor had been very jumbled and confusing. Even Dorasa, who was accustomed to fighting and keeping things straight, was struggling to remember how everything had gone down.

When they were done, the Weyrwoman only sighed. "Why is it always you two?"