Her jaw finally released - and a smile took over. "Good!" she said, lunging in to throw her arms around my neck in a surprisingly hard hug. "It sounds like you have it all figured out, and I'm so glad you've finally found someone, Zasen."
"What?" I leaned back, making sure no one had replaced this woman with a happier copy. "I'm so confused."
"Omden pointed out that you and me? We'd kill each other, Zee. Worse, we'd make each other miserable in the process. We're too much alike. Too serious. Fuck, too angry most days. But that girl of yours? She's cute." She rocked her head from side to side. "Which is why I was jealous when you had me make clothes for her."
"She's more than cute," I explained. "Lessa, she's everything. Strong, soft, driven, naive, brilliant, and any description you canthink of, Ayla is exactly that when she needs to be. And yes, she's beautiful, but so are you. But things with her..."
"Work?" she offered.
"Yeah," I breathed, nodding slowly. "That's the best way to explain it."
"And I am happy for you," she assured me. "I just wanted to make sure you three aren't in this for the wrong reasons. You know, like I was."
"We're not," I promised, skipping over her little admission. It was safer that way. "Rymar made sure she knows how to say no. I made sure she knows how to defend herself. Kanik made sure she feels safe enough to talk instead of run. More than all of that, she's started asking."
"Yeah, but all three of you?" She made a face. "Zee, that might be a bit much for her. Down there, those girls were not treated well."
"Trust me, I know." And I huffed out a laugh. "Makes me want to kill them more." Then I changed the subject. "How's your little apprentice doing?"
"Meri?" The softest smile took over Lessa's face. It wasn't an expression I was used to seeing on her. "She's healing. She's confused about the whole concept, too. Omden took some time off to keep an eye on her, because the one time she was home alone, she started cleaning."
"It's what they know," I agreed. "But give her something to do, Less. I know for Ayla, she felt useless and like her debt was growing. Sheneededa purpose to make her feel like there wasn't a catch."
"Oh, Ommy figured that out already," she said. "He has her designing a new wardrobe for Drozel, because the lug has no fashion sense. And in doing so, he's showing her they have a few things in common."
"Does she understand that he's gay?" I asked.
Lessa paused with her mouth open. "I think so, but I don't honestly know."
"Brielle and Jeera have a boyfriend," I pointed out. "You have plenty of -"
"Not anymore," she said, cutting me off. "I happen to have one very nice man who is not at all what I thought I wanted, but ended up surprising me."
"Drozel?"
"Yeah." She glanced away. "And he's encouraging me with Meri, but I don't know if she's attracted to women at all."
"She probably doesn't either," I pointed out. "That wasn't an option. For Ayla, we rewrote the rules. Marriage, as she knew it, was for producing children. Relationships, as Dragons do them, are for emotions. It's taken her a bit to figure it out."
"Yeah, and Meri was raped."
I murmured, showing I understood what she meant. "So go slow. Be a friend first."
Lessa simply flicked a finger at the torc I was still holding. "So when are you giving that to her?"
"Soon."
"When?" she pressed.
"When she understands it's not a proposal." I shrugged. "We want to do it soon, but we're playing it by ear."
"No, makes sense," she said. "I'm also happy for you."
"When are you getting Drozel one?" I teased.
She made a face and rocked her head again. "I don't know if I want that anymore. If I'm honest, I thought claiming a partner would ensure someone missed me when the Moles took me. I thought you'd get revenge for me."
"Makes sense," I agreed, since her entire family had been killed by them. "So what do you want now?"
