“Explain yourselves.”
“There is nothing to explain, Sire,” Commander Ajexk mumbled, unable to meet his gaze.
“I refuse to accept that answer,” Idris hissed, eyeing the males who had greatly disappointed him. “You both know better. You know how much these talks mean to our people and yet acted disgracefully. Do I need to find replacements capable of doing your jobs?”
“No, Sire.” Ajexk shot a glance at Raizxl. “It won’t happen again.”
“It better not,” Idris growled, whipping his dagger out and tossing it onto the table. “Next time, I won’t hesitate to cut your hair in front of a room of witnesses. If you threaten harm to Diplomat Lian, or any other guest of ours, ever again, I will give them the honor of taking away your own.”
“That won’t be necessary.” Raizxl lowered his head in shame. “But may I ask one thing?”
Idris flicked his hand toward him. “Go on.”
Raizxl raised his gaze from the ground to Idris, his face devoid of emotion. “Why me?”
“The truth?”
“Please.”
“I chose you because you are one of our best guards. Your intimidatingly large stature, paired with your broody nature, will deter anyone from trying to harm the diplomat.” He sighed, hoping the broken male didn’t ruin their chances at peace before they even started negotiating. Idris was glad Erlyn took the initiative to escort the human diplomat, so he could rest and change in private before the welcome dinner. “I hoped the loss of your mate—may her star shine upon you—wouldn’t affect your ability to tend to your duties and responsibilities. If we are to succeed in ending this war, we will need as many allies as possible.”
“But Sire—”
“No, Raizxl,” Idris snarled. “I have seen your bloodshed in battle. First, you were resistant to the command to disable rather than destroy their fighter ships, and now you dare pull a weapon on a diplomat? Adiplomat? They—like our overseers—were trained for battles with their tongues, not their hands. That is what warriors are for; guarding those who support us.”
“But why was I pulled from Princess Ushyaz’s fleet?”
“Because I asked my sister to allow me to keep you behind, to place you in charge of protecting our future.” He leaned over and picked up his dagger, twirling it in his hands as he studied the male. “I hoped giving you such a vital responsibility would force you to empathize with the species we may work alongside with in the future. I don’t dare try to imagine what you must feel every day since the loss of your starmate, but you must learn to put your anger aside in order to move forward.” Idris stood and sheathed his dagger, feeling the need to move. The fractured look in Raizxl’s silver eyes sent an unnerving shiver through him. He never wanted to go through what his soldier felt to this day. “I know this is harsh, but you both joined the military and rose up in the fleet’s ranks as pilots, knowing that one or both of you may not return from battle. Or, Stars, that the war may never end in your lifetimes.”
He began to pace before them as he tried to piece together a tactical way to explain himself. While he had learned the basics of overseeing an army, his dream had always been to be the one to end the war. It was this drive that helped him excel as a pilot.
He was glad that he had gotten away from all of the distractions at home. The fact that he didn’t need to bind himself to a female in order to preserve the royal bloodline gave him the freedom to work unimpeded. Love and war did not mix.
Raizxl was proof of that. One of the many victims left to grieve alone as they tried to pick up the pieces of their lives. For Raizxl, his duty was to the crown, serving the very war that took his starmate.
“The Stars must be shining on us by sending only Diplomat Lian. I have a feeling if there were more humans on board, your appalling behavior would have caused larger problems.”
He stopped before the commander’s bowed form and peered down at the male. “Commander Ajexk, you are dismissed. Please update me with any news of my sister’s status on the front line. I am hoping to hear from Dzenshju soon, too.” He stepped aside, his tail swaying restlessly. “You may go and resume your duties. I will check in with you between my meetings when possible.”
The dark-scaled male stood up and bowed. “Understood, Sire.”
Idris watched him leave before turning his attention back to Raizxl.
“I asked you to be Diplomat Lian’s guard because I know your distrust of the humans will keep you focused on his every action. Your reputation will prevent others from giving him trouble, yet your belief in fulfilling your duty will make sure no harm will come to our honored guest.”
He growled as he ran his hand through his hair, annoyed by his own lack of tact. Witnessing Raizxl pull a blaster pistol upon the lone human male had nearly stopped his heart. Idris refused to think about what could have happened if he had shot the diplomat right then. There would have been no other chance of peace between their races—not after another round of diplomatic talks ended in bloodshed.
“It won’t happen again, Sire—”
The sounds of the war room’s door opening drew both males’ attention.
Erlyn paused in the threshold. Standing beside him was the male who had been the root of all the day’s dilemma.
Erlyn looked suddenly alert as he took in the seriousness of the display before him. It was rare for Idris to discipline anyone, and whenever he did, Erlyn was always by his side, observant, and taking notes.
“Did we arrive at a bad time?” Erlyn asked, his gaze flicking between Idris’s sheathed dagger and Raizxl’s knelt form. “Should I give Diplomat Lian a guided tour until you’re ready?”
“No. There is no need.” Idris raised his hand to the dining table before them, welcoming them inside. “I was almost finished.”
