A/N: Welcome back, everyone, to chapter 22.
Nothing really to say here this time, except that this is the first time I've done back to back Indigo chapters. Nothing too profound there, but I think its an interesting tidbit worth mentioning.
Anyway, remember to favorite/follow and leave a review if you like the story. Enjoy!
Ch. 22: Payout
"You planned this from the start, didn't you?" Indigo asked with a shake of her tail, casting a not-so-frustrated glare at Darkstalker, who grinned in amusement, "You could have chosen three normal, slow, nothing-happening days to have me be your bodyguard, but no…you had to have me do it on the night Queen Vigilance is throwing an extravagant party."
"What can I say?" he asked her in turn, flashing his teeth in a smile, "I guess you're just unlucky."
Today was the third and final day that Indigo had to fulfill her duty of protecting Darkstalker from any and all threats that could have come his way. It was the last day of constantly staying by his side, of watching him, of being with him, and of relaxing around him and laughing and messing with him when he allowed it. The thing about Darkstalker was that unlike Fathom, he didn't treat her like a bodyguard. He treated her like…like a friend, instead. Or maybe something more…
If she was honest with herself, she wasn't looking forward to going back to idly guarding Fathom all day. She was rather enjoying herself in this other role.
But despite that, she wasn't exactly ready for Darkstalker to insist on having her last night as his bodyguard be accompanying him to a large and (she gathered) rather exclusive celebration in the palace. Not that she particularly minded the idea of the party so much—she'd been at more than her fair share of such royal balls—it was just that she was worried that dragons would see the two of them and get the wrong idea. She was worried that they'd think that she and him were…were…
She lashed her tail and glanced at where he sat in his room, her being far less of an intruder to his personal place than she'd first felt when she'd started coming. What exactly are the two of us, she thought to herself. Darkstalker certainly was acting like he was interested in taking their relationship a step farther, and she knew that if he did, she would go along with him. Or at least she knew that she wanted to. But there almost seemed to be some hesitation on his part, like there was some little thing keeping him back.
All the same, she didn't have to be a mind reader like he was to know that there was something there. The way they'd gone on flights before and the way he'd begun joking and playing with her…she was positive that he felt much of the same attraction that she felt towards him. And, not to mention, he had kissed her.
The thought of the kiss still made her smile when it crossed her mind. However, neither of them had brought it up during her time as his bodyguard. Not that she didn't want to, but it just never felt right. And what if he only did it to win their wager? She almost didn't want to know if there was any deeper meaning; she was content to just have it be how it was. Darkstalker appeared the same way, too. Although he of course, had the advantage of hearing her thoughts on the matter while all she had to go off of were his words and body language.
"What is up with you Nightwings and these parties," she asked him, getting her mind away from such matters, "Didn't you just have a massive tribe-wide festival? Why are you suddenly having another big event?"
Darkstalker chuckled. "Yes, Vigilance does like her parties," he said, "Any excuse will do. But this one, I believe, is for the hatching day of one her daughters. Shadowhider, I'm pretty sure. Her or Vigilkeeper. Actually, probably Vigilkeeper now that I think of it; she is the queen's favorite heir, or at least that's the impression I get. Vigilance isn't exactly the most affectionate towards her daughters."
Indigo shook her head. "Still, you could have given me a little bit of warning. I hadn't heard about this at all, and now you're suddenly saying that I need to get prepared for a formal celebration."
Darkstalker cocked his head. "Really?" he asked, "You didn't know?"
"No," she said bluntly, "Fathom never received an invitation. Or if he did, he didn't tell me. And you certainly didn't tell me."
He snorted and gave her an amused look, "You're supposed to be the bodyguard," he told her, "Isn't it your job to review my schedule ahead of time?"
She rolled her eyes. "Well, yes…if you gave me one to plan with."
"Well, you can hardly blame me if being spontaneous and living in the moment is far more fun," he teased her, "Knowing every little detail of everything in advance is hardly the same."
"I can blame you, and I do," she huffed, unable to keep a grin off her face at his words before she made herself grow more straight-faced, "But seriously, Darkstalker, are you sure this is a good idea? Having me accompany you to such an event."
"I don't see why it wouldn't be," he seemed unconcerned.
"But…you said it was exclusive, right?" Indigo asked, a bit tentatively, "I mean, not even Fathom was invited…" She wasn't exactly against the idea of going to a party with Darkstalker, it was just that she was worried that she'd be a bit…out of place.
That's an understatement, she thought to herself. Probably only the highest echelons of the Night Kingdom would be there, and there she'd be: a random Seawing—not even royalty! All the same, that wasn't what worried her. After all, she knew how to handle herself at such high-profile engagements. No, what worried her was how that would look on Darkstalker. She wouldn't want any of the dragons to get the wrong idea that she was there with him as anything but his guard.
Even though she wished she could be.
"It won't be a problem," he assured her, and she wasn't completely sure whether he was reading her thoughts and responding to those or just her words, "I'm an animus and one of the most influential dragons in the kingdom. No one will bat an eye if I bring a guest, especially a guard. I wouldn't be the only one there with protection, I'm sure." He paused and sighed. "It's about time I get to bring a guest, too."
She gave him a confused look at that and gestured for him to continue.
"It's just that Clearsight never came with me to any," he told her, a little reluctantly, it seemed. "She's never liked them. Actually, she's never given them a chance to even see if she'd like them. 'I'll have a poor time" she says, or 'I'll just be bored.' Every one I invited her to she found a way out of, even the one where you and Fathom came."
Indigo shrugged her wings. "I can't imagine why," she said, "I mean, they're not always the most fun, but even just standing there watching the interaction and having a go at the food can be worthwhile entertainment."
"Exactly," Darkstalker's eyes smiled in agreement, "It's more than worth it. And, well…I'm looking forward to finally having someone come with me to one and share that with."
She smiled. It looked and sounded like he truly meant that, too. And while her purpose there would be to guard him and not to otherwise interact or mess with him, maybe it would end up being fun for both of them. If he wanted her to go with him, then she would go.
"Fine," she said with a twitch of her tail, "I won't complain or anything. You have my word," she smirked, "After all, historically speaking, you probably need more protection at parties. We wouldn't want to have a repeat of the Starlight Jubilee."
Darkstalker huffed. "A momentary lapse in concentration. No assassin will get the jump on me again, I assure you."
"Oh?" she teased, the smirk still on her face, "Because I thought that was why you wanted me as your bodyguard so badly. Because a strong animus like you still can't do everything. You need a Seawing to keep you safe where your magic can't."
He rolled his eyes and looked away, but he couldn't hide the grin on his face. "Fine," he said, "Maybe you're right. Maybe there are certain…advantages to having a captivating Seawing at my side."
"Oh, so I'm captivating?" she questioned, raising an eye ridge, "I was going for intimidating, you know."
He poked her with his tail. "You aren't to me. Not anymore at least. Or do you want to make another little wager so I can prove just how easy it is for me to beat you?"
"Ha!" she laughed, "You won, but that was hardly a fight. You've yet to see me really go at it. We train hard in the honor guard."
"Uh-huh," Darkstalker said in mock skepticism, "Well, I suppose even the strongest and the fastest have their little vulnerabilities too. It's just too bad for you I know what yours are."
Indigo shook her head. "A momentary lapse in concentration," she said, repeating his own words back to him, "I doubt you would be so successful again."
He fixed her with a mischievous look, a twinkle in his eye and a grin on his mouth. "Would you like me to try?" he asked, seemingly implying that he would be willing to kiss her again, if not just to prove his point.
Indigo looked away, feeling heat rise to her cheeks and hoping her scales there weren't turning noticeable lighter. "No." she said.
Yes, she thought.
Darkstalker laughed as she tried to refocus and recompose her thoughts into ones that weren't memories of him winning their bet. It was rather difficult in that moment, but she managed to pull out of them. Instead, she made herself think of something else, her thoughts going to their previous topic.
"Soo…the party," she said, trying to ignore the way her heart was still fluttering a bit and Darkstalker still seemed to be laughing within himself, "When is it, then?"
"An hour, give or take," was his answer, his face still amused, "I was actually planning on getting there a bit early."
"An hour?" she tried not to yelp, "Darkstalker, you really couldn't have given me more warning? I need a bit more time to prepare for something like that! I can't just walk into a royal ball looking the same as I always do."
"And why not?" he challenged, "After all, you don't need your scales polished or diamonds on your neck to beat out most—or all, really—of the Nightwing nobility in a beauty contest. Besides, if you're only going as a bodyguard…"
She tried not to let the scales on her cheeks start to change color again at his compliment. "Still," she told him, "I should at least try to look nice."
He shook his wings and frowned slightly. "Well, I suppose we could stop by yours or Fathom's room when we reach the palace…or…" his face lit up a little.
"Or…?" Indigo wasn't completely sure she knew where this was going.
"Well…" he hesitated, "You could try some of mother's jewelry on. I'd offer my own but it might not be quite to your tastes, for obvious reasons."
He gave a kind of gesture with a talon to himself and then to her, and it took her a moment to realize what he was saying. Although if she was honest, she really didn't know if there was much difference between masculine and feminine jewelry in the Night Kingdom. For the most part, it all looked the same to her.
"Thank you, but I wouldn't want to presume—"
"Nonsense," he cut her off, "Mother would rather it get used, I'm sure. It's better than just sitting in her jewelry chest while she's away at war. Come on, I'm certain she has some earrings that would fit you nicely."
Indigo tried to protest again, but allowed herself to be dragged away by Darkstalker out of his room and into the main living room. "Stay here," he instructed her, then disappeared for a minute before reappearing with a small chest. He opened it to reveal a store of various silver and gold necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. He took out a pair of the latter and gave them to her to try.
"Are you sure?" she asked him, hesitating, "What if something happened…"
"It won't, I'm sure," Darkstalker flashed her a certain smile, "And besides, mother never even wears it at all. Especially the earrings; none really match the one Arctic gave her. And after all, you're the one who wants to look all nice for the party. Perhaps you should try a Nightwing style if you want to fit in."
She still didn't feel completely right with it, but Darkstalker looked and sounded so…eager, almost, that she gave in. Soon she was rooting through the chest, going over piece after piece and admiring them, trying on a few that caught her fancy a bit. The collection wasn't massive, but neither was it small, and it took some time for her to figure out what would work best.
Eventually, and at Darkstalker's insistence once he saw them, she opted to go with a rather simple matching set that she'd found consisting of two earrings, a necklace, and a single bracelet. Each piece was made out of silver, and each made use of a dark blueish purple gemstone—amethyst, Darkstalker said it was. The earrings had it simply inlaid in the silver, while the necklace had them designed to resemble three moons hanging from her neck. The bracelet, too, had several dozen small ones running along the length of the band. They complemented her scales, and she had to admit that she rather liked the set.
"There," Darkstalker said once she'd confirmed the decision, "Now anyone would mistake you for being a prominent guest and not a bodyguard."
She shook her head and rolled her eyes, trying to look serious but failing. "That's not the point, you know."
"Oh, I know," he teased her, although she couldn't be sure exactly what he was teasing her about.
She tapped her tail and glanced down at the bracelet. "Are you sure it will look okay there, though?" she asked, "I'm not sure about how Nightwings are supposed to look for these things…"
"You look fine, or even more than that," he said, adding the second part slyly, "And you can't go wrong with a moon design. That never goes out of style. Add that to your already dark purple scales, and at a glance you could almost be mistaken for a Nightwing yourself."
"I doubt that," she huffed.
"Well, maybe not," he admitted, "But look at this way: in a pinch, it might confuse a would-be assassin. So in the end, it could almost be considered a necessary part of the job to dress up tonight."
She laughed, then reached up and touched the necklace. "I…thank you, Darkstalker."
He smiled a sincere smile. "Thank Foeslayer," he told her, "After all, she's the one who gave me leave to use her jewelry, if a situation like this arose."
"She anticipated you needing to dress up a Seawing?" Indigo asked.
He shrugged his wings and gave a mischievous look. "Something like that."
She rolled her eyes again at that and put the last few pieces of jewelry back in the chest. Finished with it, Darkstalker took it and disappeared again, presumably to return it to its normal place. But before he returned, she heard the opening and closing of the main door to the house. She glance back to the entrance, expecting to see Whiteout (who'd left to do something a bit earlier), and was surprised to see Arctic walking in. He noticed her and approached, and his eyes landed on the pieces she was wearing.
Indigo suddenly became very nervous. She knew how this might look, her standing in his house wearing his mate's jewelry. Would he think her a thief? Or some sort of ingrate trying to get free treasure? Indigo had heard from Darkstalker how his father had been acting nicer and overall better since Foeslayer had been saved from almost getting captured, but that didn't keep other stories of how awful the Icewing could be from jumping up in her mind.
But Arctic didn't snarl, bite, or growl at her. He just observed her for a moment or two, his face stoic and emotionless, his mouth turned only slightly down in what wasn't quite a frown. His eyes focused on the necklace she wore, and he tilted his head slightly in what looked like a little confusion, then he gave a soft snort and made no comment.
"Darkstalker said I could borrow these," she found herself saying in explanation, if not just to break the silence.
Arctic twitched his tail. "I thought as much."
"I can put them back," she said uncertainly, internally wishing she'd refused Darkstalker so she wasn't in this situation, "I don't want to overstep any bounds…"
The Icewing shook his head. "I don't think that will be necessary," he said, still more or less expressionless.
Indigo swallowed, not sure what to say, and was saved by the arrival of Darkstalker. What took you so long? she demanded in her thoughts, knowing he'd hear them, but a glance at him revealed the answer. He'd put on a silver earring, tailband, and bracelet of his own, no doubt to prepare for the party like she just had. As she looked closer, it actually looked a bit similar to what she was wearing, and she wondered if he'd planned it that way.
"You're going to the queen's party, then," she heard Arctic asked. He was looking at his son with only a very small amount of tension between them, part of that likely because she was there. Darkstalker looked only a little uncomfortable as he looked at her and then back to his father.
"Yes," he answered the Icewing, "Are you?"
Arctic shook his head, "No, I don't think I will. You know how it feels when Foeslayer isn't there."
Darkstalker nodded. "Yeah, I thought as much. Anyway, we were just about to go…" he trailed off and stepped towards the exit.
"Darkstalker," Arctic said, stopping him.
"Yes."
The Icewing gave a very small smile. "Have a good time."
Darkstalker nodded, giving a tiny smile in turn. "We will," he said.
They left, then, her following Darkstalker out and into the air after casting one last glance back towards at the Icewing. Falling a bit behind at first, she beat her wings and caught up to Darkstalker, flying near wingtip to wingtip over the city.
"So, I take things really are going well with Arctic, then," she asked as they made their way to the palace, "He seemed much more…personable, I guess." Although she'd been spending more and more time with Darkstalker, she'd only had a few run-ins with his father like the one she'd just had. Most of the time he paid her little to no mind, but she could definitely see a difference between the Icewing now and the Icewing she first met at the dinner party so long ago.
Darkstalker nodded. "We're both trying," he said, "It hasn't been easy with all that happened before, but if he's willing to try to rectify things, then so am I."
"That's good," she told him, "Really, it is. And it's very mature of the two of you, for lack of a better word. I'm glad to see it."
A sad kind of smile came on his face. "Yeah. It is, isn't it? Since that day that we almost lost mother, the two of us have talked more than almost all the years before, it seems. Especially with this upcoming meeting."
"I have to say, I'm a little surprised he agreed to that," Indigo observed, "I mean, it couldn't be easy for him."
"It wasn't," Darkstalker answered, "But in the end I swore to guarantee his safety and he agreed. His greatest fear, after all, is losing Foeslayer, and ending this war is the best way to ensure that never happens. Arctic can see that, and so he's willing to take the chance."
"Just like you are?" Indigo asked.
"Yeah," he nodded and looked away, "I am."
Indigo wasn't sure why he suddenly looked a little somber (or perhaps that was a bit of frustration), but she promptly tilted over and bumped her wingtip against his.
"Well, whatever happens at the meeting can wait," she said, "Tonight, we have a party to go to, and I have a feeling tonight is going to be a good one!"
The party was as extravagant as Indigo would have expected it to be. Large tables full of food, swaths of colorful banners stretching the length of the grand ballroom, and several large decorative displays of artworks were but a few of the things that could catch the imagination. It was, as Darkstalker had recalled, a hatching day celebration for Vigilance's daughter Vigilkeeper, who was adorned in a splendorous cape of diamonds and rubies and wore a golden crown that was almost as big as her mother's.
Of course, save for Darkstalker, Vigilance was really the only dragon there that Indigo could actually say that she knew she recognized. A few others looked vaguely familiar, probably ones she'd observed in passing during her time in the palace or at other, larger palace parties she and Fathom had attended. Darkstalker ended up spending much of the first half-hour or so pointing out several of the more important ones too her, namely a few dukes and duchesses as well as some barons. Most names she more or less forgot as soon as he gave them; it wasn't like she was royalty and would ever have need to interact with them.
In the end, though, she still felt like a fish out of water, a single Seawing in a crowd of Nightwings. She could feel some of them giving her curious (and in many cases, snobby) glares when they first noticed her, but the longer the night went on the more she felt altogether ignored by them. Which was fine, considering her only real job here was to guard Fath—to guard Darkstalker.
That job was also made easier by Darkstalker's own behavior. She'd been worried that he'd spend the night going about talking and socializing with every dragon there, but for the most part he kept to one side of the room, eating a little but mainly just watching the other dragons go by. Occasionally he'd engage in a bit of conversation with a few dragons around his age, but he actually seemed a little bit…out of it. Indigo couldn't decide if it was just this night that had him be a bit of an outcast, or it was normally like this due to his being part Icewing, even if he didn't look it.
But that also meant that so far most of her night had been just sitting by his side, resisting the urge to try to twine her tail around his. Occasionally she made a bit of small talk with anyone who approached her, a few questioning who she was and why she was here before walking off in confusion when she answered that she was the bodyguard of an animus and here with Darkstalker. It was actually kind of amusing to see the different reactions.
For now, however, she was content just to listen to Darkstalker converse with one of the Nightwing princes—Batcatcher, she thought she remembered his name to be—as she consumed a cup of some sort of fruit flavored drink from a large bowl at the refreshment table. The somewhat chubby royal had been enthusiastically discussing some political issues for the past several minutes, and Darkstalker seemed to only feigning interest, if she was reading him right.
"…But yes," she heard Batcatcher saying, "The Rainwings have been instrumental in feeding the soldiers at the front, even if they're getting tired of bananas. So naturally I supported the idea that we should give them benefits for trading, lest they take away that support. I can't imagine why my mother decided to delay the decision for renewing the agreement with them."
"Perhaps because there's a chance this war might end and we won't need those supplies," Darkstalker proposed, looking like he wanted to roll his eyes. The Nightwing prince hadn't exactly struck her as being the most intelligent dragon in the little time she'd observed him.
"Well, I suppose that could be a reason," Batcatcher admitted, "But that's still a lot of food that will disappear from our system. I'd hate for our soldiers to get home just to starve."
"If I recall correctly," Darkstalker told him, "The reason we deal so much with them is because of the ease of transport of fruit without it spoiling. We have plenty of food here in the Night Kingdom, it's just more difficult to get it up into the desert."
"Well, that may be the case, but…" Batcatcher began reiterating several different points he'd already covered on the issue, and Darkstalker shot her an almost pleading glance. Unsure how she could help him out of the conversation, she nonetheless stepped forward to aide him in some way.
…And almost ran right into Princess Vigilkeeper. She hadn't even seen the Nightwing royal approach, and now the dragon of honor for the whole party was giving her a rather judgmental look as she hesitated and took a step back. The dragon who shared her namesake with the queen shook her wings a little, all the jewelry covering her flashing around in a rather intimidating display as she loomed herself over Indigo.
"Odd," Vigilkeeper said, looking her over, "I do not recall inviting any Seawings to my party. And you aren't even the prince."
Indigo swallowed, uncertain of what to say or do in this situation. She nervously twitched her tail as the royal's eyes stared into her. But she would stand her ground for this…whatever it would be.
"I'm—"
"She's with me," Darkstalker said, stepping beside her and using her as the excuse to get out of the conversation. Indigo guessed she succeeded in helping him after all.
"Is that so?" Vigilkeeper asked.
"She's my…" he hesitated a fraction of a second, "…bodyguard. And my guest. She can be here, unless safety is no longer a concern in the palace."
Vigilkeeper rolled her eyes. "Of course it is," she said, "I'm just unsure why you'd bring a Seawing of all dragons. I thought a handsome and powerful Nightwing such as yourself could find a bit more…normal company to keep."
Indigo suddenly bristled at that. Not from the insult to herself, but rather at the little compliments the princess paid Darkstalker. Handsome and powerful, hmm, Indigo thought, and she suddenly didn't like the way Vigilkeeper was looking at him. Is she interested in him, Indigo thought, eyeing her up. Is she…? Indigo suddenly paused and caught herself in her thoughts. Was she really getting jealous over something so small? She supposed she was, but she couldn't imagine why.
Scratch that, actually she could.
Darkstalker frowned. "The company I keep is my own," he told Vigilkeeper, before giving her a small nod, "But that is not important. I wish you a happy hatching day."
"Why thank you," Vigilkeeper said, then glanced to her.
"Have a happy hatching day, your majesty," Indigo said, giving a small bow.
"Respectful, I like that," she said, then turned back to Darkstalker. "Only a bodyguard, you say?"
"That's what I said," he told her.
Vigilkeeper tapped a talon on the ground. "Very well, then," she said with a hint of amusement, "I hope you enjoy the party. And do make sure your 'bodyguard' stays out of trouble."
She walked away with a snicker, and Indigo looked at him with a little confusion.
"I think she likes you well enough," he said, watching the princess move on the say hello to her brother, Batcatcher, now that he was no longer in a conversation.
"But what was she talking about," Indigo asked, even if she was pretty sure she knew.
"That…well," Darkstalker lashed his tail, nearly hitting another unsuspecting dragon walking behind him, "It's possible that spending so much time together recently has not been subtle."
"Subtle?"
"What I mean is that that dragons see me and you and they think…you know…" he shifted on his claws.
"Yes, I do," she said. The question is, are they right to assume so?
He looked at her, then grinned. "Perhaps they are."
Darkstalker offered her a claw and she took it, her heart suddenly fluttering a little. Then he hesitated, just a moment. "Indigo…I…"
"Darkstalker," a new voice suddenly cut in, and both he and she turned to see a third member of the royal family approaching them. But this dragon was the only one in the room more recognizable and more splendorous than Princess Vigilkeeper: Queen Vigilance. Indigo immediately let go of his claw and gave a small bow of her head in respect. Darkstalker made no such move.
"I'm pleased you came tonight," Queen Vigilance told him, ignoring her, "I was hoping to get a chance to talk with you a moment."
Darkstalker twitched his tail. "I am always at your disposal, your majesty." It sounded like he had to struggle to get those last words out, which was not quite lost on Vigilance, who gave a small frown.
"Yes, well, I thought I would let you know ahead of time that we received word from your grandmother, Queen Diamond, at dusk in one of our planning meetings," Vigilance spoke nonchalantly and paused there, letting a silence fall.
But if she was testing him, Darkstalker did rise to the bait. "And…?" he asked simply, expressionlessly. Indigo sensed more than a little bit of tension between the two, although she wasn't completely sure why. Maybe it had something to do with what Darkstalker had told her before about Vigilance seemingly not wanting to have the meeting.
"And she decided to agree to your peace meeting," Vigilance said after another moment's pause. "Although she insisted the timetable be moved up by a week. We will be having another meeting tomorrow to determine how best to go about this. In order to meet the timeline, we'll have to leave by the end of this week to make it to Redstone in time."
Darkstalker nodded. "That should be doable," he said.
Vigilance narrowed her eyes. "I do not like being rushed, Darkstalker. You had better make sure this plan of yours runs smoothly."
"And what about Queen Scorpion?" Darkstalker asked, ignoring her comment, "She agreed to host it, I assume."
"She did," Vigilance growled, "Not surprisingly, once you offered her a bit of gold."
"Good," Darkstalker said, "Then I would suggest that you send General Warbringer ahead to begin making preparations in the town itself. For security reasons, of course."
"Of course," Vigilance said, tapping her tail very lightly, "But specifics can be worked out tomorrow. For now, enjoy the party."
"Thank you," Darkstalker said simply. Vigilance's eyes flickered to Indigo for seemingly the first time, and Indigo bowed her head a gain and echoed Darstalker's thanks. But the Queen didn't move on like Indigo would have expected. Instead, she gave a small scowl and turned back to Darkstalker.
"I thought I instructed you not to spend so time and effort with these Seawings," she told him, "They're hardly worth it."
Indigo's eyes widened a little at the boldness of her to talk like about her with her standing right in front of her. She resisted the urge to growl, being more so surprised than offended in the moment.
"Who I wish to spend my time with is no concern of yours," Darkstalker spoke back to his queen, who scoffed.
"Really, Darkstalker," Vigilance said, a bit of edge to her voice, "There are better dragonesses to give your time and…" her eyes shifted to Indigo, "…attentions to. We wouldn't want to sully your animus bloodline with more taint than just the Icewings, would we."
Darkstalker frowned gave her a glare, choosing not to respond to that. Indigo, however, could tell that it was taking some restraint. She touched her tail against his. Stay calm, she thought, hoping he was listening. The last thing she wanted was for there to be a scene at the party because of her.
"What about Clearsight," Vigilance asked after a moment of silence had passed, "You and she seemed to be getting along nicely. There's a strong power in both of you, which I'm sure could serve the kingdom well. Perhaps you should refocus on an actual Nightwing instead of a—"
"Who I wish to spend my time with is no concern of yours," Darkstalker repeated, his voice just short of a growl as his tail wrapped around hers in a tight embrace, "And do not presume to think that Seawings have no worth. You may find yourself as surprised as I was, or more so."
Despite the tension, Indigo couldn't help but feel touched by his words. And also by the way he was sticking up to his own queen for her. She knew full well by now what they were talking about, and while she and Darkstalker weren't quite like that yet it…well…it gave her hope. After all, what kind of drake would stare down his queen for a dragoness. It definitely wasn't a move Fathom had ever done for her.
And as she looked at him, his tail around hers, defending her from whatever insults the queen would use, she realized one thing for certain.
I love him, she thought, and she squeezed his tail tighter in turn.
The corners of his mouth turned up just a little at that, and Queen Vigilance snorted and stepped back. She gave a hmm, her eyes shifting between them, "Perhaps I should not be surprised," the queen said, then tapped a claw on the ground, "Very well, but do not give me reason to doubt you, Darkstalker. Make sure you know what tribe you belong to."
"I do," he responded, his voice still cold.
"Good," she said, then cast Indigo one more look, "Perhaps once your little project has been completed, we should send Prince Fathom and his guards home. They've been away from the Sea Kingsom for a bit too long, now, wouldn't you agree?"
Darkstalker's only response was a snort as Queen Vigilance turned away and made her way across the room. The Nightwing animus's gaze remained on her for several seconds, his tail still wrapped almost passively around Indigo's. Finally, she bumped her wing against his and gave him a smile.
"Thanks," she told him, "But you really shouldn't have irritated her on my account."
"If not yours, then who's?" Darkstalker asked, his voice still hard but that bite not directed at her. A moment passed and he took a breath and shook his head and began to relax again. He gave her a small smile. "Besides, every now and then even queens deserve to be talked back to."
Indigo cuckled and opened her mouth to thank him again, but was interrupted by Batcatcher who, seeing his queen gone, decided to approach once more.
"I was at that dusk meeting I overheard my mother telling you about," the prince said, causing Darkstalker to wince a little and look away from her, "I must say that she seemed a bit surprised at Queen Diamond's response. You know how stoic she tries to be, but when the messenger arrived with news of her agreement, her eyes actually widened. It was hilarious! You should have seen it."
Darkstalker tilted his head curiously. "Is that so…?"
"Indeed," Batcatcher said, "But anyway, going to back to what I was saying before my sister and then mother interrupted us, I think that it would really be beneficial if you'd help speak to my mother about the food issue. After all, we wouldn't want the Rainwings to—"
Indigo had to bite back a chuckle at the pained expression Darkstalker gave at being drawon back into the conversation, but this time the animus wasn't going to take it.
"I'm sorry," Darkstalker cut him off, "But can this wait? I feel like I need to get some fresh air for a moment."
"Oh…yes, certainly!" Batcatcher said, stepping aside, "My mother does have that affect on some dragons. But think about what I said…"
"I will," Darkstalker said half-heartedly before motioning with his head to Indigo and stepping away, his tail still around hers. "Come on, Indigo," he told her, "I don't quite feel like being at a party right now."
"Perhaps a flight, then," she suggested, "We can see if Clearsight and Fathom want to come, and have a party of our own."
He grinned. "Yeah, I think that would be nice."
The two of them paused for a moment, grabbing just a few bites to eat from the massive refreshment table, before making their way out of the grand ballroom. And if any of the Nightwings there noticed that their tails stayed twined the whole time, Indigo didn't care one bit. And neither, it seemed, did Darkstalker.