Reward
(Also available in epub and kindle formats.)"Why do I have to go?" demanded sixteen-year-old Avestian bint A'lia bint Al-A'shan. The ninth and youngest daughter of A'lia bint Al-A'shan screeched her anger directed at the one person who dared try to control her and her life, the Queen. Avestian roughly ran her fingers through her hair, pulling at tangles exacerbated during this argument. Her dark eyes shone with tears of frustration.
"Because you are a young woman now, and we will not coddle you any longer," stated Queen A'lia. The Queen sighed heavily, tired. It was plain that she thought her youngest daughter needed to learn some responsibility. "Stop whining and do your duty."
"And if I do not want to?" countered Avestian.
"Then you are no daughter of Al-A'shan," replied the Queen with finality.
"I am not sure I want to be," Avestian screamed, spitting out her last word with disgust "...Mother." She turned and stormed back to her room to slam the door.
A few hours later, Avestian walked out of the Palace Gates, heading toward the Plaza, as she had done many times in the past year. Despite her mother's wishes to keep her safe, Avestian had argued long and hard that she needed to observe firsthand the lives of the people the Al-A'shan were supposed to govern. The reasoning was sound, and the Queen had allowed it, though the ulterior motive had always been to wander about with less security. The princess did have the usual two guards trailing her, but she had a plan to lose them. It was mid-afternoon on a market day, and the Central Plaza was packed. She was small and lithe, and would easily be able to dodge them.
Although Avestian carried no coin, she did wear her usual gold jewelry and was sure that they could be bartered. If she had to, she still wore the earrings that signified the royal family, and any person in the Queendom was bound to her command should she need it. But for now, the princess wore her long black hair down, and the earrings were hidden.
"Exotic birds, from Julan! All the way from Julan! They will sing to the morning and look beautiful for ten years!" a merchant cried. The princess stopped to look at a bright red-feathered bird in a cage, noting that her guards took position at either side of her, six-feet tall, glaring menacingly at the shopkeeper. As the poor man glowered under their stares, Avestian lightly kicked one of the cages near her feet, jostling a bird, which then screeched and kept screeching, causing every other bird to go mad. Feathers fluttered everywhere, and the noise was deafening.
In the ensuing chaos, Princess Avestian rounded a corner into a small alley, free at last. She did not think she would have the privilege very long, but at least she could get out from under her mother's command for a time. With her first breath of freedom, she needed to get as far away from the Plaza as possible.
Having hitchhiked a cart ride - the driver had said a smile was payment enough - down to the harbor, Avestian stood alone on a pier, gazing at the gulls flying overhead and feeling somewhat guilty for kicking the caged birds. She was interrupted rudely with a sack over her head, as her arms were grabbed and tied together with practiced skill. The young woman shrieked, trying to call for help, but something hard hit her in the head, and there was only pain.
Some time later, Avestian woke up with the back of her head throbbing. She had been blindfolded and gagged uncomfortably; both knots were tight around her head. She leant against a stone wall, and her arms were chained on either side of her above her head. They ached, having borne much of her weight while she was unconscious. The prisoner struggled to gain some footing to stand, realizing that her shoes were gone. She still wore her dress, but judging by the dankness of the room, it was probably ruined with the grime and filth of this place. Her jewelry was gone too, but the earrings still jangled. That meant her captors knew who she was. The bastards would pay for this. No one in the Queendom could offend the royal family and live.
There were voices beyond the room. Avestian strained to listen. The men were not Shali; that much was certain. Remembering her education, she struggled to name the bordering countries, deciding on Khorang across the sea. The status between the two domains was neutral at best.
"I told you boys to grab a suitable hostage, and boy did you get one!"
"Why, who is the girl?"
Voices neared, growing louder.
"You moron, look at her dress, her jewelry! At the very least, you should've been able to recognize her earrings!"
"What about 'er earrings, boss?"
Keys jangled, and a door crashed open.
A hand roughly grabbed her head with a fistful of hair. Avestian squealed in pain as the back of her head brushed against the wall. Another hand pulled loose hair away from her face to reveal her right ear and earring.
"The insignia of Al-A'shan."
The hand let her go, Avestian slumped once more.
"What is your name, princess."
"Release me! This is no way to treat a daughter of the Al-A'shan! Shali will go to war!" she tried to spit out through the gag. The words were badly muffled, but the men had to have heard her tone. They laughed, ignoring her.
"Haha! She's got spunk. How much do you think the princess is worth, Badger?"
"Ten mil?"
"You idiot! Try thirty. Send the message tonight." The men were leaving. "They will pay up or risk her death and go to war. Even if they don't care about her, war is always profitable for us." He gave a short cackle.
"How dare you offend the Al-A'shan! You will pay for this!" Avestian shouted into the gag after them, though she knew it was fruitless.
Avestian groaned. So much for having freedom.
Voices again. Avestian had grown weary of shouting and had been daydreaming about happier days in her childhood. Hopefully her parents would pay soon so she could get out of this ordeal.
"Boss said jus' keep 'er alive. We can have some fun with our little princess." The man chuckled.
"I'll get second... and fourth," the second man joked.
Avestian's imagination ran wild as the keys jangled and the door clanged open. Though she was not averse to using female charms to get what she wanted, this was the first time someone wanted to take them from her. As a princess, sexual liasons were risky in politics, particularly intercourse.
"Now, now, princess, don' fight and we don' hafta hurtcha," the voice said in her ear. "Unhand me!" she cried desperately into the gag.
Avestian felt someone grab the front of her dress with both hands and rip the top, exposing her chest, unbound in Shali custom. She was breathing hard. Yanking on the chains, Avestian struggled.
"I be likin' this nice, smooth skin of yours, princess," he said, as he placed one rough palm on her left breast and squeezed, pinching her nipple. Avestian screamed as loud as she could, pitching her forehead at the voice, kicking blindly. She heard the other man groan as her right foot connected, but she knew her fight had proved ineffective.
The groping man, angered, roughly spun the girl against the wall, limbs awkward. He pulled up her skirt and ripped at her underclothes as she sobbed into the gag. With one arm pressed against the back of her neck, and his legs against hers, he fumbled with his own clothes, while the other man snickered.
Avestian felt skin against her buttocks, shuddering, still trying to scream between sobs. Not like this. Not like this, she chanted in her head as the tears poured down her face. Even if the ransom was paid, she would be tainted forever. The man's course fingers groped her roughly, and he said in her ear, "Be still, princess, or this will take longer."
There was a noise: a groan, a body fell. Steel sliced through the air, ending with a grotesque sound of embedding. Some kind of liquid sprayed on Avestian's hair and back as she was released from the pressure of the first man's weight, and she feared it was blood. She fell down against the wall in a pile, still crying, unsure what was happening. She heard a jangling of keys from the floor. Footsteps were coming toward her.
"Shh, dove, I won't hurt you," Devin said gently, pulling out the dagger in the guard's neck and wiping the blade on the clothes before sheathing. He was momentarily stunned by the girl's exposed breasts as she panted heavily, but knew by the screaming what had probably been about to happen. He first reached behind her head to undo her blindfold, then her gag, being careful with her wound. Her scared eyes focused on the two guards who now lay in pools of their own blood. Even in this state, her luminous beauty shone.
"Are you hurt?" he asked, trying to look her over even as she slowly shook her head. Devin was now working on the chains at her wrists. Once an arm was free, she tried to cover herself. Belatedly, Devin cursed under his breath at himself, and began shrugging out of his outer layer. He silently handed the garment to her to use. By the silk of her dress, it was obvious she had been kidnapped and held for ransom. Umar's gang had been known to do so - it was how they had earned most of their fortune.
"My name's Dev," he said, trying not to look at her skin. Instead, he focused on the dangling gold earrings that the guards had for some reason left on the prisoner. Maybe Umar's men didn't know how to take them off.
"Aves," she said quietly, fumbling with the buttons on his shirt over her ripped dress.
Once she was free and somewhat recovered, Devin noticed she had no shoes and realized this would be a hard task. And since he had botched his assignment, he needed to visit the Guild tonight. The girl was clearly not from around here; he reasoned that she wouldn't remember the path to the stronghold. "I'm going to take you to a safe place to get you some clothes, and then we can get you home, Aves. Is that okay?"
She nodded.
Avestian was waking from a nightmare. She knew she could not walk around dressed like this and splattered in blood. Dev was right, she needed to get new clothes and wash up before heading anywhere. She did not know who her rescuer was or who sent him, but he had excellent timing, so she was incredibly grateful. If he did manage to see her home, she would see that he was properly rewarded.
Dev grasped her hand, leading her down the dimly-lit corridor. His leathershod steps were silent, while her bare feet against the stone slapped loudly. Not all of the stone was worn smooth. With each step onto a sharp edge, she gasped and flinched with pain. Her savior muttered under his breath. "Stay here," he ordered, as he silently padded down the rest of the corridor. Avestian peered in the direction they had come from, hoping that the dead guards would not be found and an alarm sounded. Most of all, she hoped that Dev would survive this, for he had killed them in her defense.
"The coast is clear," Dev whispered. Avestian nearly jumped at his voice; she had not heard him return. Once again holding her hand, he led the way. She could feel that Dev wore leather gloves that were reinforced for grip. Eyes on his back, she studied his clothing. Cottons dyed black, including the shirt she was now wearing, though he was wearing a sleeveless leather tunic which had been underneath. From his build, she could see that Dev was lean and muscular, but not a very big man, and barely taller than she. By his clean-shaven face, she judged him to be in his early twenties. At his waist, he wore a pair of daggers, and she could see hilts out of the top of his boots. On his biceps, he wore a leather band that seemed to hold silver needles, perhaps for throwing...
A loud clanging bell echoed among the stone walls. Footsteps seemed to sound overhead and from everywhere. "Here," Dev hissed, hastily picking Avestian up with a practiced swing to shove her into a small opening in the wall. "Service window," he explained tersely and began pulling the rope to a pulley system. "Wait!" Avestian cried, "What about you?" As he dropped out of sight, she heard, "Don't worry about me, dove."
The crate she sat in was small, but she fit pretty easily. When her ride stopped, she saw a wooden panel before her, which she cracked open, but made no attempt to get out. She had no idea where to go, and her feet hurt so she did not want to run any more than she had to.
Minutes and minutes passed. Avestian saw and heard guards run past her hiding place, and cringed, but was still safe in this location. She heard steel clanging against steel in the distance.
Where is it, where is it? Devin ran down yet another corridor, confused by the layout, and his thoughts slowed by the loss of blood due to the wound to his left arm. He was not a bladesman - he didn't do fights like this. But when he had heard the girl screaming, he couldn't ignore it, and once he had chosen that path, he had to continue. Two men, then three were dead, and he couldn't afford to get caught. Umar would not be lenient with him.
Finally! The service window was ahead. In case the girl had found a weapon, he whispered, "It's me. Coast is clear, for now." The panel opened quickly; he had guessed rightly that she would stay inside it. He dropped the sword he had wrested from a guard and helped her climb out of the window, noticing her bleeding feet. The girl was some high-born noble, whose tender feet and hands had never done hard work.
Holding the girl against him, Devin sidled along this last room. The glass doors here opened onto a balcony, where he could swing to the roof. Once on the rooftops, they would be safe. An irony that underworld territory included the rooftops.
Closing the doors behind them, Devin jumped, reaching a handhold and easily swung himself over and onto the roof. Repositioning himself flat on his stomach, he held a hand down to the girl, but even with her jumping, she was unable to reach. Cursing, Devin jumped back down to the balcony, not even bothering to ask her to step onto the railing to try her luck there - it'd be too risky with her bloodied feet, and he wasn't sure how steady she was. They had to move fast, for surely the guards would be following the blood trails.
Kneeling by the wall, he placed his hands on his shoulders, ordering Aves to step onto his knee and hands, so he could lift her. If she could just reach and hold onto the roof, he could climb up and then pull her up. She hesitated, but did as she was told. As he steadied himself, he bit his lip, remembering not to look up.
Avestian reached the roof and managed to get most of her torso onto the plane, lifting her feet from Dev's shoulders. Vaguely, she remembered the guard had ripped her underclothes off, but she could not be worrying about that now. Kicking her legs in the air and fingers straining for purchase, she struggled to get herself further onto the roof, while Dev reached up beside her and gained momentum to swing.
The balcony doors opened, and a crossbow twanged. Dev cried out in pain, but finished the motion, then hastily pulled Avestian off the edge. Once they had taken a few steps away from the edge of the roof, Dev sat down, examining the arrow in his right leg. It did not appear to be barbed, so he gritted his teeth onto his sleeve and yanked. Blood spurted. The guards were attempting to get to the roof, but by the clamor and yelling, were failing.
"Gotta stop the bleeding... we can't leave a trail. Help me." Dev was taking off his cotton pants, revealing as Avestian had expected, leather pants underneath. Once off, he used a blade to cut strips of fabric, and she helped tie tourniquets at his arm and leg. With the remaining fabric, Avestian thought to tie strips around her feet, but in moments they had soaked clean through.
Sighing, Dev muttered, "Why'd you have to be such a pampered rich girl, who never developed calluses?"
Angered, Avestian replied "I am not pampered!" She had been through hell!
Dev knelt, indicating she get on his back. He would carry her through the rooftops. Once Avestian was seated on his hands linked behind his back, he stood, and began the trek.
As he navigated his territory, Devin tried very hard not to think about the girl on his back. He did not regret saving her from her fate, but he was having trouble thinking clearly, and the footing was dangerous in some places. He had lost a lot of blood, so perhaps that was the reason his movements were slowed and his head felt foggy.
"Do you walk the rooftops often?" Aves asked.
"Nightly," he grunted. "Part of the job requirement."
The girl was silent the remainder of the trip. A few of the jumps he had to take carefully with the extra weight and with the loss of his arms for balancing, but he managed alright. Near to one of the Guild's entrances, he told Aves to close her eyes, and hoped she would listen.
Devin jumped down into a haystack, rolling painfully after he realized he should've had Aves jump by herself. Once they had both gotten to their feet, he saw that she still had her eyes closed. Trustworthy, he thought, savoring a rare trait.
"You can open your eyes now, we're safe," Devin announced, brushing some hay off her hair. "You were brave tonight," he said as he swung her into his arms and ran through the stronghold to the healer. "Nulo!" he cried as he charged into the room, dropping Aves on the bed. Standing, Devin turned to face the healer, and his vision careened as he fell into a heap.
Avestian was taken care of at the Thieves' Guild. She explained everything she could, and for now, she was tolerated, as she posed no threat to the Guild in their city and kingdom. The final arrow that Dev had taken had been poisoned, and he was still recovering. She stopped by his bed often, hoping to catch him first when he regained consciousness.
Sitting near his bed, Avestian spent hours studying the shape of his jaw and the color of his hair. She kept the towel over his forehead damp, and pulled the blankets over him when he kicked them off. The chain around his neck intrigued her, and she pulled at it gently to reveal a small pendant. It was clear that this piece of jewelry never left his neck.
"You're so beautiful," Dev had said in one of his deliriums, his blue eyes vacant as he raised his hand weakly, trying to touch her. Avestian blushed, unable to control herself as she reacted to the compliment, even as she knew he was not fully awake. She moved closer, perching on the edge of his bed. Dev ran his fingers through her long hair as she shivered. She was young and perhaps enamored of his gallant rescue, especially since her own parents had not sent anyone. But the man was a thief.
Dev finally stirred two days later.
"Why did you save me?"
"Because you needed help."
"I intend to take you home to reward you. But you need to rest."
"You should go now, before your family worries more."
"No, I already asked the Guild to send a message." It had cost one of her earrings as surety, but she got it back when the Palace paid the messenger. It had been a very risky gamble. "Sleep. Be well."
"I heard you demanding to know why you had to wash the clothes yourself. I couldn't stop laughing." The girl was so spoiled, and though he laughed now, Devin cringed at the thought of a girl who couldn't take care of herself.
Aves frowned, remembering that particular conversation.
"In the Guild, we do our own work," he explained. "Which reminds me, you need to learn how to defend yourself. I won't always be around to save you," Devin said, looking away. He knew he wouldn't be. If the girl was truly a daughter of a noble family, her parents had probably picked out some snot-nosed pig.
Nodding in agreement, Aves said, "I shall take some lessons back home." She continued with a smile, "And perhaps not evade my guards next time." Guards? Devin wondered how crazily protective her parents must be.
"But how can you claim you do your own work? You thieves steal," Aves accused. She wrinkled her nose, clearly disgusted with his career choice.
"Busted. However, we only take from those who can afford the loss." He had heard that guilds in other cities sometimes did not have that criteria. He clung to that rule.
She turned her nose up at him, "And would you steal from the royal palace, if you had the chance?"
"Probably," he answered honestly, shrugging. "But the items have to be melted down or they'll be recognized," Devin mused, but Aves had walked out of the room. She was upset, but he didn't know why.
Four days later, Devin - shaven and sporting a new haircut - shifted uncomfortably in more formal attire than was his wont. Though fully clothed, he felt vulnerable and naked, but Avestian had insisted he couldn't show up in front of her parents in his usual garb and weaponry. Devin nudged his horse behind Aves, who easily navigated the roads of Shali's capital and harbor city of Shanti. He watched as she took Royal Way - in the distance loomed the white-sand towers of the White Palace. She must belong to a family very high up to live so close, Devin thought. When she dismounted before the gate and headed straight for the attending guard, Devin watched, dumfounded. Was she asking for directions? Demanding an escort?
The guard waved them in. Devin discovered he had been holding his breath, and quietly followed Aves, who seemed to know where she was going. Didn't the lowlifes he had killed call her 'princess'? He had thought it was merely a joke on her cosseted behaviors.
In the reception hall, Avestian lost her composure and ran to her mother's lap to cry like a child. The Queen made no move to comfort her sobbing daughter, merely enduring the scene. Her father, the Queen's consort, stood by the throne and looked happy to see his daughter, but made no move to touch her either. Dev stood where he was, fidgeting in awkward silence.
"The Al-A'shan thank you, Devin of Khorang, for bringing one of our daughters home unharmed. We shall pay you and your companions a sum for housing and feeding her for the week as well as the travel costs."
The Queen continued, "However, we do not condone your proposed line of work, and though we are grateful that our daughter is safely home again, we cannot reward you or your people."
Avestian raised her head, ready to argue, but her father gently pulled her away and shook his head. This payment had been decided long before she arrived, and they would not be swayed. Relations with Khorang were tense, and Shali could not be seen dealing with the underground lest it be interpreted incorrectly. Even Avestian had known such would be the case. Dev himself looked like he had not expected any different, merely nodding in acceptance. He was not of Shali and thus owed no respect for the Queendom's rulers.
"But we shall feed our guest for this night, before he departs on the morrow," Avestian announced loudly. Her mother's eyes flickered briefly at the disrespect, but the Queen nodded, agreeing with the code of hospitality. "That we shall."
Dinner was awkward. Devin was not seated anywhere near the royal family, so he took the opportunity to savor the luxurious meals, likely the best he'd have in his entire life. He could see the princess Avestian fuming while her parents talked about trivial matters. Her elder sisters varied between giggling at the guest and ignoring him completely.
Sometime during the dessert, Devin heard the princess's familiar voice pitched differently. "My balcony is the best place to view the stars," she said with certainty. "It faces north and is large enough to lounge on too. Just because you have the best view of the gardens does not make your room the best."
Though the conversation continued, Devin finished eating and politely excused himself from the table to retire for the night.
"You came," Avestian cried happily as she watched Dev swing himself up onto her balcony. He landed lightly on his feet. She was wearing a sheer nightgown, and it was somewhat chilly in the night air. She watched him take note of her dress and eye the contours of her body that were plainly visible through the material.
"Luckily, I have such skills," he said with a tone of sarcasm.
"I agree your career is distasteful to me and my family, but I do intend to reward you," Avestian said, as she headed into her room. Dev followed behind her.
"I can see how coddled you are, with all of this," he waved his hand indicating the room. She ignored his statement. Her room was a veritable gold mine, and she could tell by his eyes that his fingers itched to touch a few things.
The princess took a few steps toward her ornately mirrored vanity set, picking up a small gilded box. After unlocking it with a key on her belt, she handed it to him. He opened it carefully. She explained quietly, "This is my most prized possession. The gem is moonstone."
Seeing the ring and its gem inside, Dev concurred, "A fallen star, tempered by heat and forged in flames for weeks." He shook his head, disbelieving the offer of moonstone. "I can't accept this." He closed the box and tried to push it back into her hands.
Taking the box, Avestian sighed and said, "Will you take a kiss then?"
She watched his face, seeing him slowly deliberate the offer and finally judge it safe enough. He nodded. Avestian reached to touch his face. Her hand moved slowly to the back of his neck, pulling his head down toward her face.
Their lips touched briefly. She felt a wild thrill to finally be touching a male, a man she wanted, but could not have. Thievery was illegal, in Shali and Khorang and everywhere else. Though she often disobeyed her parents, she was a child of the court, and respected the law and what it meant. Why would Dev not do the same?
The clasp was already undone when Dev realized something was wrong. He opened his eyes quickly, though too late. His pendant slid off his neck and landed squarely into the open box in Avestian's waiting hand. She snapped the lid shut, locking it quickly and purposefully.
"Now you have to take it," she directed.
Stunned, Devin choked out, "What have you done?" The pendant was the only thing he valued, a gift from his elder brother. He made a grab for her key belt, but she moved away swiftly, having anticipated his movement. As the keys jangled, he only now noticed just how many similar keys were on it. Even if he managed to steal the belt from her, it might be a while before he found the correct one.
Aves looked at him with narrowed eyes. "I get what I want, and I want you to take the moonstone." She continued, "I will send the key when you arrive in Khorang." Devin blinked at those words, processing.
"No," he replied simply.
In response, Aves placed the box on the floor and began undoing the fastenings on her nightgown.
Turning away quickly, Devin asked, "What are you doing now?"
In a cold tone, the princess said, "Accept my reward peaceably, or I will call for the guards to arrest this thief and rapist."
"I could hurt you instead," he growled in anger, grabbing her arm to stop her from undressing. She dared call him a rapist after what had nearly happened to her at Umar's? The words stung him more than he cared to admit. Devin knew he couldn't harm her, but he hoped the threat was believable. She smiled slyly, and he realized the scene would look even worse this way. He released her arm with a cry of disgust.
"I know you will not. You have a good heart. Turn away from your path before you are caught and punished for it." She turned away, saying quietly, "I would not be able to bear it."
"Not much of a reward," Devin muttered.
He couldn't deny that he had originally been hoping for something more than just the kiss, but he was angry at being played and tricked. Devin bent to pick up the box, fiercely shoving it into a pocket. The moonstone was much too valuable, and he hadn't rescued her for gain, but now he felt deserving. It was deplorable that the princess thought she could do such a thing. When he got home, he was going to have the clasp on his chain fixed to be unlockable. That is, if she really followed through with sending the key. At the very least, the gilded box was worth something even if he had to break it open. The girl reclined on a couch, watching him with a smug look.
As he went to leave via the balcony, Devin took one last look at the princess.
"Spoiled bitch."
He grinned as he heard her shocked gasp at his words. It was a small consolation.
Poised atop the dais of the reception hall, Avestian bint A'lia bint Al-A'shan was in the process of hearing the formal introduction of some lesser noble or rich merchant, then receiving said noble or merchant's gift for her blessed twenty-fourth natality. Avestian peered down at a Lord Trevor - Trevail - whatever, a very fat man who was handing her the seventh coffer of exotic spices and herbs she had received today. She formally accepted his gift from his pudgy fingers and nodded in response to his blessing then waved him away.
It was late-afternoon, and the long line of guests from the morning was only now winding down. Avestian turned to hand the coffer to a servant, shooting a daggered glance at her mother standing nearby who had forced her to have this celebration in the first place. Queen A'lia merely smiled at her daughter who had seemingly grown so much in the past eight years, doing well in her administrative duties in the Southlands and her recent appointment on the Council. She had great pride for her youngest daughter. The success of today's celebration indicated the people felt the same way.
The herald announced the next guest, Radev, a gem merchant from the neighboring kingdom of Khorang. Avestian had bad memories of Khorang. She tried to block out the visions of the young man who saved her from the ordeal. She had been fantasizing too much lately, and the daydreaming interfered with her duties.
"Please accept this humble gift, my lady," the merchant said, bowing with his head low. The man did not rise from his bow, instead looking up at Avestian. She saw stunning blue eyes; eyes she had not seen since she was sixteen, sixteen in Khorang. A pendant hung on a chain around his neck, swaying gently against his chest. The man opened the gilded box in his hands to reveal a familiar moonstone ring amid a pile of loose pearls.
Devin - Radev - grinned slyly. "Is a gem merchant respectable enough, dove?"
"It is, Radev." There was no hiding her smile.
Radev turned to the Queen, bowed and announced formally, "Highness, I wish your permission to court your youngest daughter, the Princess Avestian."
The Queen was confused, but addressed her daughter, "Is it your wish to be courted by this Radev of Khorang?"
"It is," she said. Queen A'lia did not miss the unadulterated joy in her daughter's voice.
"You have my permission, then."
Later, the two of them strolled through the gardens.
"I hear that this youngest daughter of the Al-A'shan used to be such a spoiled little brat," Radev mused, "but one day she woke up, and now she is a respectable member of society."
"Perhaps," she said. "But, Dev, I am no less spoiled. I got what I wanted." Avestian poked a finger at his chest. She smiled broadly.
"At least she admits it now," he grinned. "And I will get back at you for what you did that night..."
Author's Note
Sorry, there's not much plot here. I was just tired of all the romance stories with hot, steamy sex involving alpha males who conform to the girl's wishes.