Page 54 of Ahelno
A chime sounded at the door, and I went to answer. I was surprised to see Dakleth towering in the doorway. “Hello again,” I said.
“I have a gift for you,” Dakleth said.
“For me?” I was surprised. “Oh, well, please come in.”
He looked around my room. It was nothing special. I didn’t stay here frequently, so it didn’t have any of the personaltouches of my cottage. It was a nicely appointed Palace guest room that looked like all the other guest rooms. I gestured to the low cushions near the door.
“Would you like some Oonag?” I asked.
“No, thank you, I will not stay long,” he said. “I just wished to give you these.” He gave me a bag that contained two glass jars. Both appeared to contain a thick, white cream inside. I opened them both. One had a faintly floral scent. The other smelled slightly medicinal.
“Both are lotions made from the loabu bean, as Leo has suggested,” he began. “The medics’ lab was able to synthesize them based on their known molecular structure. The one with the blue top,” he gestured to the medicinal one, “contains a mild anaesthetic to help with the pain of your burn.” I was amazed that he had gone to the trouble of talking to Leo about me and then going to the medical wing to have an ointment specially created for me. That was just… beyond any expectations I had. I rubbed a bit on my arm and felt instant relief.
“It’s wonderful!” I said, “Thank you so much, I really appreciate it.”
“The other contains ground-up zinc oxide for you to use as a sunscreen the next time you are outdoors,” he said.
I hadn’t seen or heard of any type of sunblock during my time on Ptexari. “How did you know about this? The Ptexari don’t burn.”
“Again, Leo informed me, and I had the lab create it for you. I’ve uploaded the recipes to your account so you can have your own replicator make it as needed.”
“Dakleth…” I said. I was momentarily speechless. How kind, how thoughtful this man was. I felt seen and taken care of. He saw that I had a problem and just… fixed it. And more importantly, gave me the means to care for myself in the future. “I don’t know how to thank you enough for this. This was really thoughtful,” I said, feeling unexpectedly emotional.
“You do not need to thank me. You are my mate. It is my job to care for you,” he replied.
For once, I didn’t correct him. I might not think of him as my mate, but it was clear he still thought of me that way. Why else would he go to such lengths to see to my comfort and happiness? I didn’t know if I was ready to see him in the same way, but I was touched nonetheless.
“I would give you a hug, but my skin is a little tender, right now,” I said.
“I will take one when you are feeling better,” he said.
“Deal!” I said, and I was smiling at him as I walked him to the door.
CHAPTER 46
Andie
Over the next week, I settled into a comfortable routine, dividing my time between the village and the Palace. Camavel still came over in the early mornings for Oonag and a bit of gossip after I’d fed the animals. She had been delighted with the skeins of yarn I had gotten her at the market and was talking about weaving a baby blanket soon for Miravel and Canticor.
“Are they expecting?” I asked.
“Yes, she laid an egg a few days ago,” Camavel happily chirped.
I did my best to contain my surprise. I had seen Ptexari children in the village, of course. They were everywhere, and they loved petting M’Pak. We were quite popular with them. I didn’t recall ever seeing a pregnant woman, but I hadn’t really been paying attention. “So, Ptexari females lay eggs?” I asked.
“Of course. Do you not?” Camavel asked.
“No, we get pregnant and give birth about nine months later,” I said. “How long for the eggs to, uh, hatch?”
“About 200 days,” Camavel said. “So humans are live-bearers?” she asked.
“Yep!” I awkwardly stirred my Oonag.
“Have you ever given birth?” she asked.
“Oh no! I’ve never been pregnant. It looks pretty uncomfortable,” I said.
“I have no doubt. Laying eggs is better.”
