Kiera's Home

"Yeah, I will eventually," she agreed softly. "You can have that one."

Talal smiled at the gift. She rolled the pencil carefully in the drawing she'd made and pocketed them.

"I must go prepare for the midday meal," Talal said, anxiousness returning in her voice.

Kiera smiled at her, not at all certain A'Ran was going to speak to the teen's love interest let alone let him in the house. She expected their family lunch was going to be a tense event.

Talal left her in the corridor. Kiera's gaze returned to her project and settled on a small circle meant to become Earth she'd drawn in the sky above the finished portrait of A'Ran.

While she hadn't yet completed the planet, she experienced a familiar sense of homesickness. She'd sketched Earth as a warm memory of what she'd left behind to stay with A'Ran and her new family. She picked up a pencil and drew in the continents of North and South America.

"I want to go there."

Kiera turned, not hearing Gage's silent approach until the teen girl spoke.

"It's your home, isn't it?" Gage asked.

"My home is here, but it's where I'm from," Kiera answered.

The troubled woman's gaze was on the planet.

"I don't think you'd like it there as much," Kiera added.

"I could start over. A new life, like yours here."

"True, but life there would be much harder for you."

"Harder than knowing my brother hates me for the child I carry?"

"He doesn't hate you, Gage." Kiera frowned at the amount of anger and sorry in the girl's voice. "He loves you as he always has. If anything, he doesn't know what to do to help you be happy."

"My brother does not wish for happiness. He wishes to mate me off to the son of some Council member and banish me from my home."

"Where did you hear that?"

"This morning, before you left to Anshan," Gage said. "I overheard him talking to Mansr near the atrium."

After a quick breakfast, Kiera had gone to change and meet him in the grass in front of the shuttle that took them to the planet. He had the time to speak with Mansr, but wouldn't he have told her, his nishani of something involving their family? Especially something of this magnitude? Exiling his own sister?

"You could take me to your planet," Gage said again. "You could show me the villages and how to find food, and I'd stay there forever with my son."

"Or you could stay here and your sisters will help you raise your son."

"My brother is too stubborn. He cares more for his duty than us. I brought shame upon the whole -"