Chapter Six – Eyrl

The city flew below them. Eyrl had wanted to show Lily as much of the city as he could on their first official visit to a classroom so she could start her Physical Education project. He had arranged for a vehicle with a clear bottom so that she could see the great monuments while flying over them. He was pleased to learn from her shrieks and excitement that the stress of the past few days hadn't lessened her love of seeing what the planet had to offer.

Part of him wanted to caution her to tamp down her excitement, but he loved to watch her take such enjoyment in their surroundings. If they were going to make it work, he couldn't tell her that her natural reactions to seeing wonders for the first time were wrong.

"Look!" She pointed to a handful of Justice Warriors patrolling the sky in their beast forms. "They're so beautiful! When do I get to see what you look like as a beast? Although I don't like that word – it makes it sound like you become animals, but you don't, do you? I mean, your mind doesn't change."

"No."

Lily plopped onto his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. "So? When do I get to see it?"

Eyrl hesitated a moment. "I'm not sure. The beast is seen as the epitome of primal emotion and aggression. The royal family has to make sure that we are never seen as adhering to misplaced emotion. It's expected that we never shift. I haven't inhabited my beast's skin since I was a child."

"What?" Lily's eyes widened. Her jaw dropped and she stared at him with such horror it was almost comical. "How can you live like that? Repressing who you are . . . That's monstrous! I don't care who says differently. Keeping such a large part of who you are buried so deep inside of yourself . . . that's not healthy. It's like cutting off a limb."

"I agree." He kissed her shoulder. "Sometimes I think that might be why my mother is so cold – because she has gone even longer. Despite all the evidence gathered that shifting helps to regulate hormones and chemicals, and, thereby, emotions, we cling to."

"That’s awful."

It was, and it was one of the things he was hoping to change. He considered his little human as she shifted in his lap to look beneath them again. Some people said there was no stronger connection between mates than to share their beasts, flying through the skies together. He knew he couldn't have that with Lily, but he wanted to share all he was with her.

And that included showing her his beast. What he had said wasn't strictly true. He hadn't shifted on Bronæl for ages, but once in a while, when he took his research vessel away, he found opportunities to let his beast free and enjoy the feeling of flying.

"What do you think about leaving for a little bit?" he asked.

Lily turned to him. "Leave? Where?"

"Another planet."

Her eyes lit up.

"We'd need to set some things in order first, of course," he continued, though he couldn't stop himself from smiling at her obvious joy at his suggestion.

If in some cases he found her childlike, it was moments like this that he realized he didn't care if she was or not. Being with her was like seeing the world through a new set of eyes, gaining insights he hadn't had before. In their comparative ages, she was older than him by a couple of years, but she experienced life with such unbridled passion that it worked things in him he never had known before.

"Right," she agreed, nodding. Her face fell. "What sort of things?"

"For one thing, your project."

Lily wrinkled her nose. "Will that really take a lot?"

"It might. Do you want to develop a program to teach the children how to dance, correct? Well, you are going to need to be able to convince the councils why it's better that they have fun while getting physical exercise rather than mere training."

"I've been thinking about that." She sprang to her feet. "I've started to work out a demonstration. I've bounced some ideas off Zaner and even though she acted pretty scandalized, I think I convinced her."

If it was true, it would be very impressive. In all the years that he had known her, Eyrl couldn't think of one time when the old maid willingly expressed that something new was better then what it replaced. Tradition and stability, that was what she liked.

"The thing to remember about ballet is that it's very mathematical. There are some dances that are more free-flowing, but ballet teaches discipline and a strong control of the body."

Lily pressed her heels together and turned out the balls of her feet. Her legs touched each other down the length of each limb and she held her arms loosely in front of her. Just looking at her, he saw that everything was symmetrical. Then she bent her knees, both at the same angle while raising her arms. It was graceful. It was beautiful.

She was beautiful.

One of her feet slipped out from behind her and she leaned forward until her back was completely level. The muscles of her body showed and Eyrl wanted to run his hands over them, to feel her strength. She showed him a few more moves before, blushing, she returned to sit on his lap. As light as a feather.

"That's a basic idea, at least," she said. "I'm a little out of practice. Did you talk with the healers about my ankle?"

"Yes. I've arranged for an examination tonight." He gripped her hips, wanting to kiss her right where they were. But how embarrassed would the royal family be if people saw their prince giving in to physical urges in a transport with a clear floor?

It would be much easier on the both of them if they could get away for a little while. Escape the pressures of being the prince and the prince's mate. They had been getting closer physically. Lily slept in his bed every night, something that had shocked him at first, but he soon found he liked it. They had kissed, and once Lily had suggested they 'make out,' which was more than kissing but less than sex. An interesting sensation.

"What are you grinning about?" she asked him.

"You." He brushed her hair from her face. "You continually surprise me. I like this ‘getting to know each other’ thing. And I think we might be able to get to know each other better away from Bronæl. I'll arrange for my ship to be prepped to leave. I have a few projects that need developing . . . But, mostly, it will be a chance for us to be free of prying eyes."

Lily scowled briefly. "You mean Efira."

The dragoness was still continuing to cause problems, but Eyrl pushed her from his mind. "Quom and Zaner will accompany us. I think I'll assign Zaner to help you do write-ups for your project. She might be a traditionalist, but she's grown very fond of you. She told Mother that you were a, and I quote, 'lovely person.' Without being asked."

Lily giggled. "That's high praise?"

"She spoke out of turn for you. High praise indeed."

His mate brushed her lips against his. "I'll have to thank her. But will leaving push back my surgery?"

"It might, but with an injury this old, there has to be a certain amount of discussion that needs to be done. They'll probably be debating the best way to ease your problem for a few weeks, at least. Plenty of time to see a new planet before we return."

"And . . . " She lowered her gaze briefly before glancing back up at him with a sweet smile on her face. "Perhaps by then, we'll be well on our way to making a royal baby."

A well of emotion rose up in him. For a moment, the image of her, belly rounded with his child, came to his mind. He thought of her glowing, beaming with happiness as they lay in bed, his arms around her, feeling their child move within her. His hand drifted to her stomach now, probing the toned muscles.

"I would like that very much," he whispered, choking on emotion.

Efira would mock him if she could see him right now, but he didn't care. It wasn't just the sex, although he had been finding himself daydreaming about the day when Lily would give herself to him more and more. No. He loved to see her happy. Loved to see how she gave herself to everything she did.

What would he do if she decided in the end that she didn't want him? If he had to let her go? Or if his mother and the boards decided that he could not mate her and be the heir? If he had to choose between her and all her plans for the future . . . 

He'd choose her.

Without missing a heartbeat, he would choose her.

"We're almost there," he blurted, frightened by the well of emotion in his chest. "I should go talk to the pilot. You stay here."

Her eyes widened, but he ignored the look as he shifted her off his lap and hurried away.