Jaiya stepped outside her quarters’ door, unsurprised to see Raizxl stoically standing guard.
Last night’s dinner had been anti-climactic. She was pretty sure the prince didn’t want the conversation to dive too deeply into the events of the day. They mainly ate as they discussed their favorite dishes and drinks.
It was nice to take a breather from acting as a diplomat and be treated as a person, even though she could tell they were trying their damnedest to get in her good graces.
“What’s today’s plan, Raizxl?”
His eyes roamed her uniform and cape. She knew he was searching for any signs of hidden weapons, but didn’t voice her train of thought, not wanting to start off another day on a bad foot.
He nodded as if he approved of her attire, which confirmed her suspicions.
“Your itinerary for this visit states there will be four more days of meetings, in which you will discuss peace between our people. On the morning of the seventh day, the senior representative of the Cosmic Trinity Alliance will arrive here to sign the peace treaty in place of your federation’s governor,” he explained as they made their way to the floor’s lift.
“And once it’s official, I will travel back with them.”
They nodded to the two guards standing watch and entered the lift.
When the doors closed, Raizxl turned to her, appearing as if he was about to tell her a secret.
“I want to thank you for not asking for my hair to be cut.”
She glanced at the long golden hair that lay elegantly upon his shoulders. It moved like liquid gold, flowing over a body of emeralds.
It would be a crime to ruin his appearance.
“To be honest, I still don’t understand the importance of the length of a Daextru’s hair,” she admitted.
The lift doors opened, and they exited. Raizxl led her down crowded hallways, hovering close to her side, ready to defend—or perhaps even attack—her at a moment’s notice. The passersby watched them advance to the war room, studying every inch of her.
Placing his hand on the wall display, he opened the door.
Prince Idris and his assistant Erlyn were already sitting inside when they entered. They both paused their conversation and stood, bowing their heads. Jaiya watched as Raizxl replied with his own bow, and she quickly followed suit.
“I hope you slept well, Diplomat Aydin. I have asked for snacks to be delivered throughout our meeting so we can focus on the task at hand.” He gestured to the variety of refreshments spread out along the center of the table. Tablets sat in front of both males and the empty spot prepared for her. “Do you have any questions?”
“I have been wondering since I returned to my quarters last night,” she replied as she sat down between both males “why the length of your hair is indicative of honor in your species.”
Idris shot her a gentle smile. “It is an ancient custom; the length of someone’s hair determines their status within the society. The royal family has the longest hair—down to our tails. How we take care of our hair shows our people how we will care for them. If we fail them, we are disgraced and will have our hair trimmed short, depending on the severity of our offense. The tradition states that by the time our hair touches the base of our tails once more, we will have gained our people’s forgiveness.”
“Anyone outside the royal family can only have their hair reach to mid-back, and it can never touch their tail’s base,” Erlyn interjected. “Most of our society keeps its hair at the standard length, but those who do not have recently done something disgraceful. The shorter their hair, the less honorable they are.”
“So that is how anyone can determine the trustworthiness of someone they just met,” Jaiya muttered as realization dawned on her.
“Exactly—which is why cutting someone’s hair is a serious punishment.” Idris leaned forward and shot a glance at the war room’s closed door. “I want to personally thank you for letting Raizxl keep his length last night. I was pleasantly surprised that you gave him a second chance.”
“If I allowed you to punish him, it would lead to more harm than good.”
Jaiya grabbed the drink in front of her, taking a sip to quench her sudden thirst. Something about her reaction to the proximity of this male, who had tried to kill her on the battlefield, confused her. He was easily the prettiest male aboard the starbase—and yes, she used the term ‘pretty,’ for there was no other way to describe how the Daextru shone in the light.
Their scaled skin shimmered like living gems, and the contrast of their larger scales which protected their most sensitive parts only added to that beauty. Every Daextru had a unique set of horns and metallic coloration. She hadn’t seen two who matched yet, even though she assumed family members had to share similar characteristics.
Perhaps in another lifetime, when she wasn’t disguised as her twin brother and trying to end a war, she could have toyed with the idea of pursuing a relationship with him.
But she couldn’t waste time wondering about such silly things, like whether he was as skilled in the bedroom as he was a pilot.
No, she had to keep the gorgeous male at arm’s length; she could not risk ruining her plan to return a hero.
Bringing honor back to her family’s name was her goal, not daydreaming about an alien prince.
