were angry at Seanev for bringing her, and you’re rightfully angry at Leria for sending her, but how did you feel the moment you saw her? Alchan, I’m not stupid.” Rain wanted his lover to listen—needed it. This was going to come for them eventually, and Rain had always known Alchan could never be only his. No male could ever expect that. “You love submissive lovers, and she’s pretty. Leria is a bitch, but she’s a smart one. She wouldn’t have sent Lilliana if she was going to be in danger or was a terrible fit.”
“Leria sent her like a sacrificial lamb!” Alchan roared. “Without any thought to what she might want!” He pointed at his door. “I could have bred centuries ago, Rain. I could have had children before you were even born. You know why I didn’t. I am not going to use my title to force a female to spread her legs and give me that. I refuse! I won’t do that to her! She’s an ahren who needs someone to protect her interests, not abuse her nature!”
Rain backed up a step, his mind screaming for him to be submissive and unobtrusive.
The movement made Alchan bow his head in shame.
I shouldn’t have said anything. He’s right. Lilliana is obviously against this.
“Okay,” Rain said softly. “Okay, forget I said anything.”
“I want to have children with someone who loves me,” Alchan whispered.
“Sadly, I’m not built that way, or I would. I would love to have children with you, Alchan.” Rain leaned in to kiss his king’s shoulder, finding his courage again. They had never talked about it before, but the words came easy. Rain had never considered having children because of his own nature, but if he ever had a chance with Alchan, he would take it. Alchan turned back to him and pulled him into an embrace.
“Would you like to go meet her, or do you need time to calm down?”
“I’ll meet her,” Alchan said in defeat. “Thank you for keeping me out here. I needed a moment to put the anger aside.”
Rain nodded, kissing his king’s cheek, then reached back to open the door. Alchan walked in first, and he followed, locking them in with the ahren.
Lilliana was sitting quietly where Rain had left her, her eyes going wide as he and Alchan entered her view.
“I hope you can forgive the numerous failings of your leaders that led to this point,” Alchan said softly, sitting across the table from her. Lilliana’s head dropped, her hair blocking her face. “Maybe if we could have met under different circumstances, there wouldn’t be so much…wrong with this.”
“You can talk to him,” Rain said, finding a seat at the end of the table. It gave him a good position to throw himself between them, a standard safety precaution on most days, although he didn’t really think anything would happen to them. “He’s really not all that scary.”
“I know this puts everyone here in an uncomfortable position. If you want to send me back, I’ll go,” Lilliana rambled, talking quickly, looking between them, her anxiety rising with each word. “I’ll live where you want me to live and do what you want me to do—”
“I’m not sending you back to Leria. I’m not going to put you in the position of answering to any dominant female. It’s not good for either of you, and you know why. I highly doubt a visit from Leria was ever a pleasant experience.” Alchan put his hands on the table. “What do you want?” he asked gently.
“I…I wanted to leave the temple I’ve lived in for nine hundred years. I only ever got to leave when someone needed a hand, and that was monitored.” She explained her life in a timid way, telling Rain she felt like she didn’t have the right to complain. “When Leria told everyone about you, I asked how I could help the rebellion, and she said I couldn’t. Until now. She sent me here and…”
“You don’t want to be here,” Alchan finished, his voice echoing Rain’s own sadness for her.
“That’s not it!” she said quickly. “I want to help the rebellion, but I don’t want…” She swallowed, looking up for a moment, pleading and desperation in her eyes. “I grew up in a temple of Amonora. Those…things never…”
“I understand,” Alchan said before she could continue. “I will allow you free movement around this valley. You can go to the market, you can see the warriors trained, I don’t care. You can