Writer's Note: Occurs post-series and contains spoilers. Lol, Pelvus.

Pelvus wasn't so bad. Zera learned this early, and - past insubordination and Mantel-loving aside - he was still a means of sympathy when she needed it.

Take, for example, the time that Zera found herself on Planet Bone, initially showing up on a diplomatic errand for Cryos. She had landed the Borealis, gotten out just fine...and found herself staring at Pyrus's own ship.

And suddenly months of irritation built up within her breast and she just snapped. She stormed over, glared at the ship, and then just kicked it, as hard as she could. It hurt a lot, and she cursed several words that would have made her father scold her, but she succeeded in denting it a little, so she was automatically satisfied.

"Um," a voice, sounding politely confused called out. "Did the ship do something to you, Lady Zera?"

Zera sighed, turning around and smiling ruefully. "The owner did."

Which was somehow enough to be invited into Pelvus's own quarters for a much-needed rant.

And rant she did. She didn't touch her ever-crawling cannolli, instead describing in clipped tones how Pyrus had been acting stuck up and rude to her ever since she told him off for putting off his coronation since it was only a stupid formality anyways. Pelvus listened quite intently, to her surprise, and when she finally managed to get every word out of her system - including curses and name-calling and bitching in general - she realised that she instantly felt loads better.

Pelvus was quiet for a long time after she finished. She didn't take it to mean anything, since she already assumed that he was merely there to listen.

But then he ruined it. "Lady Zera, I think you're taking this too personally, perhaps?"

Zera's head shot up in surprise, her eyes jerking away from the cannolli she had been staring at. "What?"

"This thing with Prince Pyrus - what does it matter if he waits longer to be called King?"

Zera spluttered, her anger sparking back to life. "It matters completely!" she snarled. "Everything is still fragile. If Pyrus would just wake up and do it and see that his people need him to do it, everything would be easier! He's wasting his life and being an idiot out of sentiment and really, he can do better!"

"Hmm..." Pelvus answered, not at all fazed by her burst of anger. "So you want him to be...more than he is?"

Worded like that, it sounded like she was being judgmental. "No!" she protested. "He's fine the way he is, but I just think he could be so much more if he just did the ceremony and got it over with. His people would be so happy, don't you think?"

Pelvus paused again. "Lady Zera, you seem concerned about how the people of Fire see Prince Pyrus."

Zera tilted her head to one side, instantly confused by this. "Well, of course," she said, "because he's my friend. I want him to succeed."

"Or," Pelvus held up a hand. "You want him to be happy, perhaps?"

"Of course," she shrugged. "He's my friend."

"You and Prince Pyrus are very close, yes?"

Zera frowned. She didn't like the way he looked when he said that. "Yes," she said slowly. "We are friends."

And here Pelvus smiled, eyes narrowed. "Oh?"

Zera felt the blood rush to her face and she looked away. "Yes. And how I feel is because I am his friend and want him to be happy and to succeed, so stop looking at me like you know more than me, okay?"

Pelvus didn't stop, so Zera threw a cannolli at him. She didn't miss.