She tried hard not to stare at the men. They were magnificent, wearing nothing but snug, dark pants. Their upper bodies were tanned from exposure to the sun, their dark hair and eyes pinned on her. It was not the polite, curious glances of Romas's people but direct looks that made her skin crawl with awareness.

Talal appeared oblivious and approached Ne'Rin, whose body glowed with sweat. He'd been fighting, but tucked the sword behind his body, as if to protect Talal from it. She spoke to him for several moments before his eyes rose and lingered on Kiera. A brisk nod, and Talal stepped away, waiting. Ne'Rin returned his sword to a rack containing half a dozen similar swords in plain grey and approached Kiera.

Talal followed. Kiera stood aside, not as much out of deference but out of sudden realization that if she didn't, the man was likely to run her over. She didn't know why, but Ne'Rin hadn't seemed to like her. A'Ran's behavior was just as distant, but there was something bordering on resentment in the way Ne'Rin looked at her that made her uncomfortable.

They walked a short distance to an open atrium in the center of the house, complete with a small oasis rising up from white stone and curved benches. Trickling water circled the oasis, its source a small spring in the center. Talal handed a translator to Ne'Rin, who accepted it and motioned for them to sit. Kiera sat beside Talal.

"Nishani, your lifemate was called away suddenly. Talal says you have no knowledge of our war."

She nodded.

"We have been in war for fifteen sun-cycles, since the death of the previous dhjan of Anshan. He was overthrown and killed when A'Ran was off-planet. On his death, one of his advisors, who betrayed him and allied with the Yirkin invaders, seized the title of dhjan. He struck when dhjan A'Ran was away at battle along with most of the Anshan men, thus leaving the throne of Anshan unguarded. Dhjan A'Ran's family was forced to flee with his few trusted advisors. We have hidden on this moon in an unoccupied galaxy since."

"How is dhjan A'Ran going to retake his throne?" she asked, surprised at the information.

"Until now, the Council has obstructed his efforts, but that is no longer true. He has gone to them with word of his breaking allegiance to pursue his title without their mediation or interference."

It then dawned that the tale's hero was one of the men she was angry at: the man who claimed to be her lifemate.




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