A HENRY STORY 3: Covenants Of The Fallen Prince

XXXIII. Unions

"It will always be up to you whether you take my offer. I wish to force nothing, yet if you agree that the Bane must be dealt with—together is better than alone."

Henry sat with Thanatos, watching Luxa in the center of the expansive cave, which served as the primary place of residence for the pinchers. The majority of the space was occupied by water, but there was a surrounding beach to keep their feet dry.

"She did remarkably well," observed his flier, and Henry nodded, feeling a rush of pride at her rise. Luxa had never been a skilled diplomat, and it was only then that he first entertained the idea that she could one day grow to become one.

"Heed her request, the king most likely will," the pincher on his other side said, and Henry nodded. He had saved them—and Henry for the second time, no less.

"Oh, I think I never expressed my gratitude for your and your friend's rescue from the lake all that time ago," said Henry, turning to him with a smile and thinking it was their luck that the pinchers seemed entirely unconcerned with Ripred's past lie and the episode with the Fount; none of them had even brought it up as far as Henry had heard.

"We do not mind. We help when we can." The pincher awkwardly scratched the floor with his claw.

"You should learn to accept credit," teased Henry. "Without your recognition of me, we might have been killed today."

The bright red lobster clacked his pincer. "I will go talk to king now. Excuse me you must." Without another word, he slid into the water, swimming deftly to the other side.

Henry grinned. "Are they all so awkward? What do you think?"

"That they're not used to outside company, is what I think," replied Thanatos.

"Likely." Henry stared after the pincher, contemplating how dire their situation had been mere hours ago when they had so expertly sniped them out of the air. Hadn't this pincher claimed he knew Henry, they would have been fighting, not establishing diplomatic relations. Some of them might have even died.

However the pinchers' hierarchy exactly functioned—this specimen had revealed himself as a high-ranking advisor to the king, so his comrades had listened to him and heard Luxa out. Upon learning that she was the queen of Regalia and seeking their aid, they had taken them to their main settlement to speak to their king.

Kismet's presence had sparked initial suspicion, but to everyone's surprise, Luxa had explained after only a moment's hesitation that their enemy was the Bane and that they should welcome gnawers like her who wished to oppose him on behalf of their own species. Some pinchers still regarded her with suspicion, but as she remained in the background, she was largely ignored.

After their entourage had reached the pinchers' settlement, they had been greeted hospitably and even offered food, but only Kismet, the bats, and Howard had appreciated the peculiar shells all of the pinchers seemed to be eating. Henry had not been picky about food in a long time, but even he could barely stomach a few.

"And now . . . will they return to Regalia or seek out more allies?" asked Thanatos.

Henry merely shrugged, unable to meet his gaze.

"You have not even spoken to her." Even without her name, Henry understood he meant Luxa. She, along with Gregor, Ares, and Aurora, lingered on the far side of the cave among a group of pincher babies, conversing with one of the adults.

"I must, and yet . . ." Earlier, he had filled his bond in on the things Gregor had told him before they had been interrupted by the need to engage in diplomacy.

"And yet you cannot help but feel as though you are forcing yourself onto her if you force her to recall."

Henry made a face, shoving Thanatos in the side. "You have become far too good at putting my innermost insecurities into words."