Chapter 7

It had been almost three days and I was edgy. Why hadn't she come? I was ready to give up hope almost, ready to accept Danica wasn't coming, but Irene wouldn't drop the matter.

"Give her one more day Zane, just one."

"Why should I? If she has lied to me, why should I give one more day to wait for nothing?" Irene's face twisted in the way it did when we were children and I would insist on being unreasonable. She would tap her foot and tilt her head like a little mother to a stubborn child.

"For all we know she could have gotten caught up by her guards, unable to slip out... there's so many positive possibilities Zane. Quit placing your bet on certain doom, and give the hawk a chance—isn't that what you've been screeching about all of these years?" My eyes lowered to the ground, knowing she was right. I just didn't like being lied to; it made me feel hostile towards Danica...

"Sir," Leaux, a young guard of mine entered the room cautiously. "Miss. Adelina has requested you." I nodded and set down my glass of liquor. Walking into the entrance room, Adelina instantly came forward and wrapped her arms around my waist, kissing me, until I pushed away slightly. Walking further into the room, my hand still lingering upon her waist, I asked

"Adelina, what on earth is important enough to—"I turned and saw something that brought complete fury to my mind. Danica was bound, and held by Ailbhe. She flinched as I walked forward and scream "Get your hands off her," I grabbed Ailbhe and the other guard, flinging them to the side roughly and turned to glare at Adelina, who was shouting at me. How dare she pull something like this, while verbally contradicting me? I sent a wave of rage towards her and she hushed immediately. "Did you search her?"

"Yes...my lord." Adeline raised her chin and tried to look brave. I could see right trough it and she knew she was in danger with the next answer. "She had nothing." It took almost all of my self control not to scream right there. Yet, Danica had been shown enough negativity from the people she was trying to make peace with—it would not be wise to scream now. I nodded and most of the guards walked out the room hurriedly.

"Out." I said in fury.

"Zane—"

"Out Adelina!" I scream loudly, ready to strike her. Danica shrunk back and I closed my eyes and bit my upper lip to steady myself. Adelina got her men out before I couldn't hold my temper any longer. I turned to Danica and saw the fear and mistrust in her eyes as I dropped to my knees; showing her I was no threat. I took out my dagger and sliced away the bonds on her wrists, but she jumped all the same at my touch. How could Adelina do this? We had gotten to a point where Danica wasn't afraid of me even touching her, now she once again jumps at my voice. She rubbed at the red rings around her wrists, "Did they hurt you?" God help Adelina if she did.

"A few bruises," she said as she stood on wobbly legs, probably from being hit in the knees. "Nothing I have not—"But she fell before finishing the sentence, and cursed on her way down as I caught her. My anger was mounting again; Adelina would pay for this...

"They did no more than would be expected; I assume they are your personal guards?" I nodded,

"Their leader, Adelinea, and her second in command, Ailbhe, are brother and sister—two of the fiercest fighters among the palace guards," I silently cursed myself for putting them on duty while still waiting for Danica's arrival. "They are also the last possible people I would have chosen to patrol if I had known you were coming."

"You had no way of knowing." She told me with wide eyes, looking worried that I would explode again. "And your guards had no way of knowing I came peacefully." She was trying to avoid my anger.

"You are more generous than I am."

"Ailbhe has the ring you gave to me; I had not chance to explain to them." Ailbhe? Why was he searching her and not Adelina?

"Adelina had him search you?" She nodded, looking confused at my question. 'Keep your anger down,' I reminded myself. It was such a challenge of emotion being around Danica. She wasn't used to really any emotion above soft disapproval; yet it seemed every time she was around she brought with her something to augment my anger. "I'll speak to the two of them later." When I am done with them they will have learned to think. "Now you should come sit and rest. You've been hit more than is good for you." I took her arm and gently led her towards an oak table. She leaned back against the chair, and seemed to calm in thought. About what, I had no clue. "Irene made me wait one more night before I decided you weren't going to come," I admitted as I swung myself down in the nearest chair. Irritation at how Danica hadn't even sent news that she would be late still surfacing under my skin. "Thank the gods she did..."

"As it is, I cannot stay long, my guards do not know where I am, or else they would never have let me be here" I knew the Avain guard was loosely led, but I hadn't thought one's own guard could stop them from doing what they wished. How much more control was she going to grant them before they ruled her?

"I forgot how much power the royal flight has over it's queen." I shook my head slightly in disgust, "Adelina never hesitates to protest when she thinks I'm likely to get myself killed, but the guard doesn't dare try to stop a cobra from doing as he wishes." She was looking more nervous again and I threw out a question to divert her thoughts. "You're being announced as Tuuli Thea tomorrow, correct?"

"Yes," She looked at me questionably, and I realized my stupid error at even mentioning something I, as a Cobra, shouldn't even know.

"I've people loyal to me who have access to the keep. They keep me informed." She knew what it meant, there was no way I was ignorant enough to believe that Danica Shardea couldn't see through my clever words.

"And who are these ears of yours?" I raised my eyebrows and tilted my head a bit in amusement.

"If we manage to succeed in ending this damn war, I will gladly introduce them to you," I said truthfully. She sat quietly for a minute or two as I found myself questioning her thoughts once again. There would be this look upon her face every so often when you could tell there were questions working in her brain. "If I give you my word, Danica, you can be assured I will keep it. I want bloodshed no more than you do, but I will do what is necessary to end this war. If that means accepting the Mistari's suggestion, then I will go down on bended knee this moment and ask you to be my Naga. If that means listening to another suggestion you have...so be it." My determination was rising and I was slipping into politics mode once again. "And if it means taking the hawks keep down stone by stone with my bare hands, then without hesitation I will begin." She stood abruptly and turned to face the back wall.

"I came here to talk about peace, not to receive threats." She sounded frightened and annoyed at the same time, conflicted almost.

"I gave my word you would be safe if you accepted my invitation, if you turned around right now and left, neither my guard nor I would stop you."

"And afterward?" I closed my eyes in weariness of the thought, why does life possess such small questions bearing such huge answers?

"I hope we can end this war with peace, not a bloodbath. I've reached the point where I honestly think I would slit my own wrists if I thought it would end the fighting. Unfortunately, the palace guard would not react well to losing its last prince, and again we would have a slaughter on our hands. You are an attractive woman, Danica, but I do not love you. I do not think I ever can. I look into you golden hawk's eyes, and no matter how stunning the form they accompany, I think only of your warriors murdering my loved ones. Since you recoil every time you accidentally find your own gaze fallen upon Cobriana garnet, I suspect you feel much the same way."

"Are these statements going somewhere?" She questioned looking more uncomfortable by the minute.

"I wanted to make sure there were no misunderstandings between us before I asked my next question," I stood and walked towards her. "I have considered our options, and elected to attempt the least bloody first." I leaned down on my left knee, "With the understanding that there may never be anything between us but a shared desire for peace, and my word that I will never force upon you any duty beyond the political expectations of the position, I implore you, Danica Shardae, to agree to be my Naga." It was the most forced proposal I had ever made. Not in my whole life had I expected to be asking a woman I didn't even love to marry me, to share my life with her. I watched her face for an answer, that little look was there and I started to get worried, yet I masked it with ease.

"I don't know how in the world I could convince my protectors to back my decision,"

"Yes or no is all that matters," I said quickly to keep her leaning towards yes, "We'll work out the details later." The tension was killing me, if she said yes; it would open up a whole world of possibilities and options into ending this wicked war.

"Yes. I agree." I rose to my feet again, and kissed her hand in thanks, this woman may not be my lover, but she would do something that my lover couldn't—she would help me make this nightmare stop. I placed a matching signet ring that had been designed and fitted for Danica three mornings ago into her rosy pink palm.

"I have informed my people that I will announce my future Naga on the new moon—two nights from now. I know it is the evening after your coronation as Tuuli Thea, and if necessary I can push it back, but it seems best to make our move as soon as we can." I said sounding like I was making out battle plans, instead of an engagement announcement.

"There will be protests," She said with a hint of dread in her voice. "But if we go through with the announcement here before I inform the court of my decision, not only will I have the title of Tuuli Thea behind me, but it will be too late for even the royal flight to forbid me. It is a high crime for an Alister's vows to be broken. How are your people likely to take the news?" She asked.

"They won't like it," I said truthfully. "They'll think I'm more than a little crazy. There will be those who will worry that you are going to put a knife in me one night, and some who think a strange Avains magic has twisted my mind. But you're beautiful, and there's no reason for them to think I'm not madly infatuated even if you are a hawk. That being so, they frankly cannot afford to take the announcement badly. One can be skinned for harming the Naga or her personal guards, which for you will include the Royal Flight. They'll be wary of picking fights with Avain soldier, at least for a while." Hesitantly she nodded and said

"I need to get back to the keep before the Royal Flight come looking for me," She stood and started to walk out of the room.

"Can you be here about midday after the ceremony at the keep? That will leave you some time to prepare you for meeting the Serpiente court."

"That should be fine," Her voice squeaked a bit at the reply, and made me a bit nervous that she might skip out again. I walked her to the entrance and made sure she made it out without a fight or resistance.

"What were you thinking?" I demanded. Adelina's eyes remained focused on the wall behind me, not daring to look into mine at that moment. Hot anger was simmering between the both of us.

"I was thinking, sir, Zane, that a hawk was trying to enter to harm my King, the man I love." With the four words at the end of her statement, my whole intention turned from disapproval at her actions to sorrow of my own. I shook my head and ground my short nails into the soft flesh of my palms. How was I going to tell her? How could I explain to Adelina that her name was not the one to be announced in two days? My nails had cut the skin by now and her eyes trailed down to the blood dripping onto the floor. I let my grip go and lifted her chin up gently with my blood stained fingertips. Kissing her temple, then her closed soft blue eyes, and finally I whispered onto her lips "I love you..." In the barest of voice. She wrapped her arms around my waist and leaned into meet my kiss. The first thoughts I had were of if I would ever feel this again, ever have someone equally want me as much as I wanted them, or even more than I wanted them. My mind started too static out when a small image of Danica entered it. Her smaller frame, and tan body. Her almost always vulnerable face and wide honey eyes. Pulling back I could only bear to focus my eyes on the carmine blood that traced across Adelina's jaw line. Her ashy-white pale skin sweet as candy and streaked with apple red blood seemed to be the catalyst of my realization; and tears slipped past my eyelids, salty, down onto my chapped lips.

"What's happened? What did she do to you?" 'She did nothing, yet everything to me at the same,' I thought. I swallowed my dramatic words and prepared myself for Adelina's rage, because she, like so many of us, showed sorrow in a fist full of aggression.

"I'm going to marry Danica Shardea." Adelina's eyes grew wide and she stepped away.

"You can't, you—Zane, YOU CANT! You said you wouldn't resort to tha!" Fury erupted in her voice. Bowing my head I said in my own sadness,

"I am; there's no other way." Her mouth opened as if she were not accustom to breathing air anymore, and shoved me back violently as I tried to hold her. Running her hand through her crisp blonde hair she turned and sat on an indigo couch. Sitting behind her, gulping back my tears, I let them flow out as I saw her own face. Red with lack of air as wet streams of hurt trailed down perfectly angled cheeks. All I could do was to hold her, and whisper through warm tears, gulps for air, and screams of pain; my apologies, that in this situation held the value of an 'if'.