The Dragon Prince's Consort

Fifty-Nine

He found her in the hearthroom of their quarters, standing before one of the large windows that looked over the extensive grounds of the large house built for them. Fang's arms were crossed over her chest, and though her face pointed to the new farmland rolling out towards the colony town her eyes took in nothing outside of her thoughts. 

Valen stood in the doorway, silent as he watched her. She'd taken to winding her long, dark hair into a thick braid like a noble Drass's queue and then wrapping it into a large knot at the back of her head, securing it with one of the gold pins he'd bought for her. Without the curtain of hair blocking his view, Valen followed the soft line of her nose down to her lips, chin and throat. Even without scales or deep red skin, Valen believed no other woman would compare to her; no Drass could boast of such smooth skin, fair with a golden undertone or the faintest pink in her cheeks. Even their difference in age made her all the more special – Fang had taught him from her own experiences how to be brave, how to stand his ground and face his fears even when his brother had attempted to kill him. I wouldn't be who I am without her, I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for her. He owed the Empire to Fang, and he had given it up to set her free.

She finally noticed him, a quietly surprised oh disturbing the silent room as she turned to him. She wore one of the simpler robes she favored when they weren't entertaining guests or holding countless meetings. They'd held court once since his ascension, and that time she'd brought out a gown and some of her best jewelry; now her clothes were subtler, somber blues and grays as if reflecting her mood and she wore only plain gold bands and ear-studs. "How was the call?"

Valen reminded himself to breathe. He had to tell her what he'd just done, how he'd just taken everything from her to save his people. She would still be safe, she would never go hungry or be without a home – she could live on the worth of her wardrobe alone for the rest of her life – but he wouldn't be able to give her the things she was used to by now. You deserve so much more than this. "Fang, come sit with me."

Fang's eyes widened, the light from the window emphasizing the deeper brown-gold tones and highlighting her lashes. Her throat moved as she swallowed. "That bad?"

Valen moved towards the couch, indicating the spot beside him. "Please."

Fang shut her eyes and took a long, slow breath. "Okay." She sat next to him and Valen folded his arms around her, eyes stinging as hers followed the example. "Just say it," she told him, her voice breaking. "Just say how bad it is, don't try to make it sound better."

"It's... not great," Valen admitted, taking one hand from around her body and using it to hold her face to his. Pressing their cheeks together Valen was sure this would be the last time he ever held her. "I thought it would just be Remitha, but... The whole council was there, everyone was listening to us. They gave me a choice – either I could dissolve the Empire or they would withdraw their support."

Fang's hands gripped the back of his robes and her body stiffened. "What?"

"The Federation doesn't give assistance to monarchies, they said the risk of not going where it's needed is too great, so they gave me an ultimatum – I could abdicate and accept a position on the council in exchange for their support in rebuilding Kitsara." Valen hugged her ever tighter, feeling every second of time pass through his hands like water. He couldn't just clench his fingers and hold it, and he couldn't stop its forward motion. "My only other choice was to let the Federation withdraw the help they're sending. They would've pulled everything back and left us to fend for ourselves. I can't just pull Drass away from their lives and make them do it, they have families and their own work to do. We need all the help from the Federation we can get. I didn't see any other way, I had to do it. I did it to save them, Fang. I did it to save my people." I did it for you.