Paneau: capital city of Dalon
Banarecc Estate
2.5 APC

Anxious for most of the trip, Elena could hardly keep herself from sprinting down the hall, her senses on edge for anything that felt out of the ordinary. The mood of the temporary palace seemed calm enough, so why had King Verojec requested to see them so urgently?

The Banarecc Royal Family's home was just as ornate and as stately as the Rys'tihn Manor, and Elena hadn't been surprised. She had spent a great deal of her time in the home, helping the sixteen-year-old establish himself and manage his planet's affairs, so she knew it well. She just hadn't expected to be back in it so soon after her return.

A pair of Elite Royal Guards flanked them and Arcetri Thia as they made their way through the Estate, taking a turbolift down into the lower levels where the King awaited them. Dozens of officials were busy talking amongst themselves in groups near meeting rooms, unaware of their company, but Koril didn't seem to notice them, either, intently focused on the door ahead of them. At the end of the hall, they entered into a room that swept out on both sides but came to a point at the opposite end where the young king was calmly conversing with a pair of officials Elena recognized as Governors. He turned to her, Koril, and Thia briefly and nodded, concluding his discussion with the Governors who left after bowing deeply. The guards who had brought the three escorted the Governors away as Jec's Scepter Guard remained at attention just behind him, but it was standard operation - Elena couldn't see any extra guards or any posts that weren't routinely placed.

Jec smiled broadly as he approached them, and as they bowed to him, he dismissed Thia with a gracious nod, looking to Koril and Elena with his full attention.

"You know you two don't have to bow to me," he told them as his cheeks lightly flushed.

Elena suppressed a sigh. "Just like your father." Jec laughed.

"He does that, too?"

"Constantly," Koril answered with a small hint of a grin. "He'd get rid of that guard detail I assigned to him a while ago if he could."

"I come by it honestly, then," Jec mused. Without much pause, he changed topics, still smiling. "How was your trip? I'm told Bespin is beautiful this time of year, when the gas clouds warm and expand into the sunset."

Again, Koril and Elena exchanged uneasy glances before they responded.

"Yes, it was nice," Elena said carefully, unwilling to go into detail until she found out the reason for his invitation. "Sire...is there something going on?"

Looking between their concerned expressions, Jec's own neutralized as he seemed to hesitate to speak.

"I assume you're still intent on attending the concert with me tonight?"

Koril spoke up first, his voice curious. "Yes, unless there's a reason we shouldn't?"

Jec's posture sagged as he sighed lightly, again carefully contemplating his words.

"Well...I hope this doesn't change your plans. Koril," he began as he shifted his gaze to him, "the Orphans of Dalon are sending Brylie Herrell as their representative to sit with me tonight. They only just informed me this morning, and I had no say in it."

Jec paused to gauge Koril's reaction, and Elena looked at him, too. The name was familiar to her, but what did it mean to Koril? He hadn't moved or even blinked since, prompting Jec to continue.

"She's done a lot for the organization recently; she's one of their best advocates: fundraising events, awareness lectures...she even adopted a brother and sister whose parents had both been stationed as Royal Guards in the Palace." Another brief pause... "If it'll be a problem, I --"

"It won't be," Koril finally answered, shaking his head. She could tell he was fighting his emotions; substantial pain had suddenly surfaced in his feelings, but she didn't know why.

Jec still looked hesitant. "...Are you sure?"

Koril nodded once more. "Positive. We'll be fine."

As Jec looked to Elena, he seemed as though he were about to inquire about her confusion, but he stopped and nodded himself. "Alright, I'll see you later tonight, then."

He tried to smile as they bowed and turned to leave, but Elena's darkening expression kept him from a successful one. She leveled her irritation at Koril instead, watching him closely as they walked away in silence.

Koril's gaze didn't wander from the floor in front of him, but a vaguely pained look spread across his face. She was aggravated but was beginning to become concerned, and since he chose to remain quiet, she took the initiative.

"I know that name," she told him plainly after they sat down in the same transport that had brought them to the Banarecc Estate. Koril met her gaze with obvious fear in his eyes.

"...you do?"

"She came to the Manor to visit you after you had been hurt in the Dalon Council Hall confrontation with the High Council of Governors. She said she was a friend of yours."

He still looked horrified. "You never told me that."

Even more confused at his reaction, she watched his face carefully. "She left before you got settled upstairs, and I didn't want to bother you with it. You had enough on your mind at the time."

Returning his gaze to the floor, he looked vaguely haunted. "The Royals must have made her leave...but my guards shouldn't have let her inside in the first place."

"Koril," Elena demanded, "who is she?"

Though still noticeably hesitant, he glanced at her briefly before looking away again, his voice distant.

"I...almost married her," he confessed reluctantly. "But the day before I was going to propose to her, she cheated on me...with another pilot." His eyes glazed over as he lost himself in the memory, and she sensed his feelings he was struggling to combat. "It nearly killed my father, the disappointment... You would have thought that I had been unfaithful, as much as it upset him.

"The pilot was later dismissed from duty," he continued, "and I thought that Brylie had left Paneau. That's why I never told you about her. It was so...humiliating, and I thought I wouldn't have to deal with her anymore." Raising his eyes to meet her gaze once more, he sighed lightly with visible regret weighing down his features. "I'm sorry."

Somewhat unsure how she truly felt about his decision to omit that part of his past, she at least felt her anger being curbed by his sincere apology and genuine pain she could feel from him.

"She hurt you," she began softly, earning a small nod from him. "I understand why you'd want to forget it." She took in a deep breath and released it slowly, controlling her own emotions. "Are you sure you'll be okay tonight, then?"

Taking hold of her hand that rested in her lap, he nodded again. "As long as you're at my side."

Despite harboring reservations, she nodded, too, squeezing his hand as their transport roared to life and began the trip back to the Rys'tihn Manor.

Paneau: capital city of Dalon
Dalon Concert Hall

Looking around at the officials and honored guests who were milling about the Orphans of Dalon Benefit Concert reception before the performance began, Koril could hardly tell the difference between the atmosphere as it had been before the Dalon Palace collapse more than two years ago. Almost every face he saw was alight with excitement, a stark contrast to the sullen expressions he encountered mere months ago at Salastryn's Chief Vizier Brandalton's funeral in Amavelle, the capital of Paneau's neighbor and closest ally. The concert, though, was more lighthearted, raising credits for the ongoing mission of the busy group that cared for the children who had lost parents in the Palace disaster. One of the older kids was even performing in the concert, making the evening that much more special.

A quick scan of the room saw his guards in their proper positions, leaving him a little more at ease. As the Head of Security, he was charged with coordinating all the arrangements for the king's travel and security once he arrived. But he and Elena had gotten to the concert hall early to be sure everything was in order, and until King Verojec arrived, they were free to mingle with the other patrons.

Planting a gentle kiss on Elena's temple after a Governor left their company, Koril held tightly to her arm locked in the crook of his elbow.

"Have I told you how gorgeous you look tonight?"

Her expression didn't change as she scanned the crowd anxiously. "Only five or six times now," she answered with an exasperated sigh. "Are you trying to soften me up or something? Is she prettier than I am?"

"Of course not," he countered quickly, hoping to quell her agitation. "She doesn't even come close."

Hardly pacified, though, she gave him an annoyed look before she returned her gaze to the others around her. Though she was obviously irritated, he wasn't lying; she was stunning. She wore a form-fitting, shimmering deep purple gown and brilliant golden gloves that covered her arms to her elbows, with nothing but her Rys'tihn Family Crest sitting atop her pale, bare shoulders. Her soft, black hair was swept up into an elegantly braided bun, matching the detailing across her back where a sheer, glimmering train draped down the length of her dress to the floor. Under its gently billowing folds hid her lightsaber where it had been strapped to her belt at the small of her back, a trick she had learned from the late Queen and Jedi Tascit Arosc who had also done the same. He knew Elena had never felt comfortable in formal attire, but at least keeping her lightsaber with her relaxed her a little.

But she wasn't the only Jedi present for the concert. Vianne Banarecc's husband Joshua Redgrave, a pilot for the New Republic, had returned to duty after a brief stay, and Rech Natiyr offered to take his place as her companion for the evening. Rech was without his wife, conversely, and having become good friends after the Palace collapse, he was glad to accompany Vianne to the benefit. Numerous other Royals were present, as well, dispersed among the Governors, Royal Board members, and Royal Forces officers. Though the concert itself wasn't a major production, the notable attendees made it seem especially extravagant.

A soft but noticeable beep from the comlink in his pocket signaled that the king had arrived, and he watched as a few of his guards simultaneously left to escort him inside. They returned within minutes, announcing King Verojec's entrance with a recognizable chime, and everyone turned to the door to see him. A welcoming applause ushered him further into the room with his Scepter Guard behind him, but neither Koril nor Elena joined in, too worried about seeing Brylie Herrell at his side.

The sixteen-year-old king smiled pleasantly as he nodded to acknowledge his greeting, waving his hand to halt it after a few moments. Once the room quieted, he held his hand out to Brylie, having her step up to his side. Of course Jec was dressed in his finest, a deep indigo suit delicately embellished with precious amber gems patterned down to his waist where a gold sash was tied, but Brylie easily stole the spotlight as she approached him in a vibrant white and orange complicated gown, nevermind the fact that she already stood even with him. Her golden hair and ice blue eyes were hard to miss, even among the crowd, and as Jec spoke, she smiled brilliantly at his side.

"Thank you all so much for coming," Jec began, addressing the group. "Your support for the Orphans, your willingness to help them, gives them profound hope every day, hope that they have been struggling to find since their lives were forever changed. I am honored to be in the presence of so many generous people, and I know you represent the generosity of Paneau as a whole. On behalf of myself and the Orphans, represented tonight by their most loyal benefactor, Ms. Brylie Herrell, we thank you for your patronage, and we hope you enjoy tonight's concert."

Another round of applause sounded through the hall, and Jec raised Brylie's hand to accept the crowd's appreciation with her. After a few moments, the clapping lulled and people turned to converse in small groups once more as some approached Jec and Brylie to talk to them. Koril momentarily lost them among the crowd, but confident that his Scepter Guard was still at his side, he didn't worry.

Seeing Brylie again hadn't been as he had expected it to be. She looked radiant, happier than she had ever been with him, and it was an odd feeling. She had nearly destroyed his life, yet she seemed completely unchanged, maybe even better for it, which was unfair. She was reveling in the spotlight, but Paneau's High Commander was trying to avoid it.

Though Admiral Sokol and his wife had stepped up to them and begun a friendly conversation with Elena, another familiar voice behind him caught his attention.

"Hello, Koril."

He felt his veins fill with ice as he turned to her, somehow keeping his expression neutral.

"Brylie."

Her smile hadn't faded from earlier, but closer to her this time, he could tell how genuine it wasn't.

"I've taken your place at King Verojec's side, haven't I?" she mused, and he couldn't ignore her slightly mocking tone that matched the condescending look in her eyes. "He's so sweet. He bought me this dress for tonight so I could blend in with this crowd. Do you like it?"

Surprised by her thinly disguised malice, he remained silent, and she seemed to expect it. As Elena turned from the Sokols to face Brylie, as well, she tightened her hold around Koril's elbow.

"Elena, nice to see you so...clean," Brylie continued snidely, but Koril wasn't sure what she meant by it. Beside him, he felt Elena's arm tense, and she, too remained silent. Again, Brylie seemed to be expecting her reaction as she looked Elena up and down, studying her dress.

"It's too bad," she said with another insincere smile as she turned to leave, "...you looked better in red."

Unsure what Brylie meant by her statement, he looked to Elena and saw her shaking with uncharacteristic anger, though her face was frozen in disgusted disbelief. He had begun to gently turn her face to him with his hand under her chin, but she moved on her own, turning to bury her face in his chest. Concerned about her reaction, he gathered her into his arms tightly, beginning to regret his decision to attend the concert with Brylie present. His former flame's vengeance had caught him off guard - what right did she have to belittle him and his wife, completely unprovoked?

"Don't let her get to you," he soothed softly. "Come on, let's go sit down."

Though still trembling and keeping her gaze cast down to the floor, Elena nodded and firmly gripped his arm as they left the reception hall for the auditorium. A Royal Guard escorted them up to their private suite where they'd be sitting behind Jec and Brylie, and as the guard left them alone, Elena again turned to Koril and embraced him, releasing a shaky breath. Afraid that their evening was ruined, he sat down with her on the wide, plush couch that comfortably accommodated them both, still holding tightly to her.

"I'm sorry... I didn't think she'd be like this."

With his arm wrapped around her shoulders, she sat closely against him with her head tucked just under his, her arms crossed over her chest in an effort to quell her own shaking. Her voice was quiet, but he could tell she was holding her anger back. "It's like she thinks she's...entitled to something... Who does she think she is?"

He kissed the top of her head, wishing he could do more to calm her. "We've already given our donation, so we could go home --"

"No," she interrupted strongly, looking up at him with a rigid gaze. "I'm not going to leave Jec alone with her. We're not going anywhere."

Despite her determination, he still didn't want to stay if Brylie was going to be so obnoxious, but he had to agree with Elena's concern. He could endure Brylie's offensiveness in order to be sure Jec remained safe, and he hoped she wouldn't bother Elena anymore. Brylie's statement to Elena as she walked away left him with an unsettled feeling, even though he didn't know her intent. Unsure if he wanted to make Elena explain, he gently took her hand, folding her fingers with his as he kept his voice as soft as possible.

"Elena...what was she talking about, you in red? You never wear red."

Her eyes flashed with brief but detectable pain as she looked up at him again, but after she let go of a long, controlled breath she clenched her jaw and corrected her expression, having to turn her gaze away from him to answer. "The day she came to the Manor..."

"After the Dalon Council Hall confrontation, I remember," he added, recalling the day's result - Jec had been accepted as Paneau's new king, and Koril had taken a bounty hunter's spear to the chest for it. Elena nodded, though she struggled to continue her explanation as she became more angered and more saddened by it.

"...I hadn't...changed," she managed, "I hadn't had the chance to yet, and she saw--my shirt was still...stained--covered...with your blood..." Again she shook with fury, her volume rising. "Oh, that iceworm!! How could she say that--"

"Elena," he stopped her as he cupped her jaw with his palm and turned her face to him, looking deeply into her eyes. "She was trying to upset you," he reasoned. "She tried to make me mad, too."

His gaze seemed to be easing her anger, but it was quickly replaced with anguish. "That day..." she breathed as she shook her head. "I hurt...I physically hurt every time I think about it. I...I almost lost you."

"But you didn't," he answered with a lighter tone, smiling a little to raise her spirits. "I'm right here."

Though she still looked saddened, she closed her eyes as she leaned against his shoulder again, doing her best to calm herself with slow breaths. She was still tense beside him, but at least she had stopped shaking.

"I'm sorry, you're right," she continued, "I don't know why I'm so...on edge. I haven't been able to wind down for a few days."

Gently massaging her shoulders, he nodded. "I've noticed. What else is bothering you?"

"If I knew, I'd be able to stop it, but...it's just a subconscious thing. I can't explain it."

Concerned, he looked at her more closely, watching her expression. "You've had 'subconscious things' before, and they weren't good. Is something going to happen?"

She sighed, suddenly looking tired. "I don't know. I wish I could tell you."

Though wary of what was worrying her, he hugged her to himself again, lightly kissing her at her temple. He was about to suggest they walk around the still empty concert hall before it began to fill in preparation for the performance, but he stopped, gently placing his cheek against her forehead again. Her skin was abnormally...warm. After growing up on Hoth, her core body temperature was well below the average human's, and though he was used to her cold-nature, he knew something was wrong when she was as warm as he.

"She must have really gotten you worked up," he said as he brushed the back of his fingers against her flushed cheeks, but she looked up at him, confused.

"I'm letting go of it now, though. Why?"

"You're burning up," he observed as he sat back from her and looked at her properly. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine," she countered confidently, attempting to dismiss his concern. "I would've gotten colder if it had been because of her antics, so it's probably just noth--"

As she stopped suddenly, a wave of realization passed over her face, and she looked off into the distance in dumbfounded thought.

"Oh," she breathed in faint surprise, putting him on edge for whatever had just hit her.

"What is it?" he asked anxiously, watching her expression as it lightened and morphed into an excited smile. She looked at him with obvious happiness in her eyes, which confused him more.

"Well, you had better get used to it, because I'm going to be warm for a while."

It took him a few moments to understand what she meant, and instead of making him happy, too, a sense of dread filled him and stole his breath, forcing him to look away from her as her expression fell at his reaction.

"You're...not happy about this?"

His mouth went dry as he struggled to respond. "You know I wanted to wait."

She tightened her hold of his hand, pulling it closer to her to regain his attention. When he finally looked back up at her, she spoke slowly and softly to emphasize her confidence. "And we did. Koril, it's been a year and a half. They have done every test imaginable... That virus is gone."

Looking away again, he didn't agree. "It's still in my eyes."

The Huxnel's horrific virus had tortured him for four agonizing months, and in its wake, he was left without the ability to feel pain, and his brown irises had been stained black. He had been self-conscious about it ever since, and he had even been afraid to meet Elena's gaze for weeks. She had eventually coaxed him out of his fear after constantly reminding him that she was just thankful to have him back, but the threat of the vicious virus returning still haunted him. And how could the tests be completely sure it wasn't hiding elsewhere within his tissues? Or that it hadn't done even more damage that couldn't be measured by tests?

"The pigment is there, yes, but they don't think it's active virus," she reassured him, but he interrupted her before she could continue.

"It destroyed my nerve cells. Who knows what it did to the rest of me."

Releasing a long, tired breath, she squeezed his hand again, and after a few silent moments, she spoke up again. "Remember how I told you that everyone has a unique presence in the Force?"

It had been some time, but he nodded as he remembered her explanation, that she could teach him how to recognize individuals before he saw them by sensing their 'signature.' He had learned that he was Force-sensitive more than two years ago, but other priorities had kept him busy and unable to learn techniques she wanted to show him.

She smiled a little as she went on. "That means you, too," she said as she moved his hand and placed it low atop her stomach. "And," she whispered excitedly, "I can feel you here now." Her smile broadened infectiously, but again he had to look away.

"It's too soon."

"...Rech and Mand will only be happy for us, Koril."

She had once again picked up on his train of thought, and he knew it was a hard topic for her to discuss, as well. A year prior, Rech and Mand had been preparing to have another child, as well, but Mand had tragically miscarried, and Koril still felt immensely guilty for it. She had been wounded in an attack on Demmar that she and Koril, along with Salastryni, Demmar, and other Paneau officers had unknowingly walked into, and though they later learned that her injuries hadn't caused the loss, they couldn't have helped. The terrible heartache had been hard for all of them to recover from, Mand most especially, and he was afraid their news might reopen her scars and make her relive the pain he didn't want to bring back. He released a weary breath, shaking his head.

"I don't want to tell them...not yet."

Thankfully, Elena understood his hesitation, and she nodded after a moment with a solemn expression. "Okay... We have some time. But look at me," she commanded softly as she caressed his cheek, turning his face to her once more as she smiled broadly again. "It'll be alright. Stop worrying, okay? Be happy."

No longer able to avoid her contagious smile, he finally smiled, too, even laughing lightly as he nodded to accept her demand. She leaned into him and kissed him sweetly just as one of the king's Scepter Guards walked past, followed closely by another Royal Guard, and both took up their posts just inside the private suite, indicating that Jec would soon be taking his seat in front of them for the performance. Koril and Elena shared another quick kiss before they stood to welcome the king into the concert hall, and even though he knew they'd see Brylie once more as she sat beside Jec, Koril tightly took Elena's hand again at his side, unafraid of Brylie's futile aggression.