The Alliance - 2. Sparks Igniting

Aaron escorted Mateio back, the two silent in their walk. As they stopped outside the room, Mateio turned to the elf.

“I know you’re probably busy ruling your planet, but do you think we can talk for a bit?”

“About your people? There was a little information in there you didn’t share with me last night,” Aaron replied.

“Well, more about you,” Mateio said, scratching his arm through the sweatshirt. “I have a question.”

It was really too warm to be wearing the clothing. He couldn’t wait to take it off. Aaron shrugged, opening the door. He gestured for Mateio to lead the way.

The Faro sat at the desk against the far wall, turning the chair he was in so he could face Aaron. The elf towered over him even more but Mateio didn’t let that affect him. Nearly every species in the galaxy was taller than a Faro. After a while, he learned to ignore the size difference.

Aaron talked to a guard for a moment before closing the door.

“So what’s your question?” he asked.

He seemed so calm, so at ease with the whole situation. It was Mateio who was a jittery ball of nerves. But he tried to hide it, matching the calmness the elf exuded.

“You seem so driven to protect people. The decision to send those people to terraform your neighbouring planet, why did you do it?”

A sigh escaped Aaron, and a crack appeared in the mask of diplomatic neutrality he had composed.

“I didn’t want to. But I was assured sending them would benefit the entire planet. And now, when everyone sees you, they will take it as a sign that they were right, in a roundabout way.”

“Would it help if I promised to send them what aid I could after they land?”

Aaron nodded.

“Understand, that means we would take them off the planet, stopping the attempts at terraforming. There is life on that planet and your people will destroy that life if your attempts prove successful.”

“I understand,” Aaron agreed. “I don’t want anyone to be harmed.”

Mateio stood up and cautiously touched the elf’s hand.

“That makes you one of the better people in the galaxy,” he said, his chest fluttering.

Mateio hadn’t put much thought into his own feelings in the past year, trusting his god to know what was best for him. He assumed as an explorer he wouldn’t find a bondmate. Who would want to spend their life flying through the darkness of space with only one other person to talk with?

But maybe Aaron was the one for him.

“Forgive me if I don’t believe that.”

For a second Mateio wondered if the elf was reading his mind. But that was ridiculous.

“Well, if it’s not true, it’s at least true for me,” he said. “I have never met anyone in the galaxy with a more beautiful heart.”

Aaron pulled his hand away from the Faro.

“You don’t know me. You don’t know the things I’ve done to keep my people safe.”

“You’re right, I don’t know. I have no idea of the responsibilities of ruling a planet. But I know what a happy population looks like.”

Aaron sighed again.

“You know, I’ve never been good at the whole diplomacy thing,” he admitted. “I’m just bumbling my way through all of this.”

“So am I. I’m no diplomat, I’m just a stupid Faro who was distracted by a handsome person.”

“From what I’ve seen, you are not- Did you just call me handsome?”

The two stared at each other awkwardly, Mateio’s mind racing. What was he doing? He was already in trouble, the last thing he needed was to fall for the ruler of the damned planet.

“I… um, I’m going to… I need to go talk to the chef, make sure the food will be… be prepared right.”

The elf hurried from the room, leaving Mateio alone to wallow in his thoughts.

Make sure the food would be prepared right? Could he have come up with a more obvious excuse?

Aaron growled quietly, stalking through the halls. Servants stepped aside for him respectfully as he passed but the werewolf barely noticed them.

He pushed his way outside, hurrying to the guardhouse. There was only one person he trusted to talk to right now.

“Your Majesty,” Darren bowed slightly as he entered.

“Itumak. Where is he?”

“Patrolling the forest for intruders. We caught a young wolf in there early this morning. New to her change.”

“How is she?”

“Confused, scared. We really need to do something about the wolves. They’re taking advantage of younger people.”

“Don’t I know it. Do you know when Itumak will be back?”

“I can have him relieved if you wish,” Darren said.

“Please do.”

“Corporal Dayl, go relieve Itumak.”

“Sir.”

An elf grabbed a gun and holstered it, walking toward the door.

“I will walk with you,” Aaron decided.

“As you wish your Majesty,” the elf said, her voice betraying awe at the prospect.

“Your Majesty, I would feel better if you remained here. Or if you give me a moment, I will go with you,” Darren said.

“I believe Corporal Dayl can keep me safe enough,” Aaron said. “I really wish to speak with Itumak on his own.”

Darren bowed to the wishes of his king, and the two elves left the guardhouse. Dayl kept shooting glances at Aaron as they walked toward the forest, fingers twitching nervously. Aaron found he was relieved she kept her gun holstered.

“I’m not going to bite your head off,” he said finally as they entered the forest.

“I’m sorry sir… Your Majesty…” Dayl squeaked.

“Halt!”

They froze, Dayl pulling her gun out.

Itumak stepped into view, holstering his own weapon.

“Your Majesty. What are you doing here?”

“I need to talk with you,” Aaron explained. “Corporal Dayl will continue your patrol.”

“As you wish,” Itumak said.

They began walking together, Dayl moving in the opposite direction.

“You found another wolf?” Aaron asked.

“Yes, but she’s been taken care of. I suppose you want to talk about your new friend?”

Aaron sighed.

“Damn, you know me too well.”

Still, he remained silent, unsure of how to start. He was talking about his possible mate to the neko who made him into a werewolf, his oldest friend.

“So, how did your meeting go this morning?” Itumak questioned.

“It went well enough I suppose. There’s another one tomorrow.”

“No one had a heart attack?”

“No, but Sarin left rather rudely.”

Itumak snorted.

“He’s always been an ass. What did you do to piss him off today?”

“He started mouthing off about how Mateio must be insane to believe in a mystical being,” Aaron snapped. “I mean, we have never once attacked anyone over their faith. Why start now? Besides, this person must have been real. He gave Mateio’s people the technology they possess today.”

“I’m assuming you didn’t handle that too well.”

Aaron huffed, kicking a pebble against a tree.

“What was I supposed to do? He insulted my mate and my wolf. Then he had the gall to accuse me of listening to my wolf over my head.”

“Mateio isn’t your mate. Not yet, at least. And you don’t have to listen to your wolf. What are you going to do when he leaves?”

The elf blanched. He hadn’t even thought about that. Of course Mateio was going to leave. He had satisfied his curiosity and as soon as the council decided, the Faro would leave the planet.

“I don’t think this is a good idea,” Itumak said gently.

“What am I going to do Itumak? I’m falling for an alien that I don’t even know. Is it just my wolf talking? Do I just need to get laid?”

Itumak bit back a laugh.

“Aaron, the first and last time you had sex was with me. I’d say you’re a decade overdue. And from what I saw and heard, he isn’t that bad of a person. Just a little lost, but who wouldn’t be lost in his position?”

He placed a hand on Aaron’s shoulder.

“This isn’t just your wolf, but all the same, it is a bad idea.”

“He called me handsome,” Aaron blurted.

“So? He’s using a translator. Maybe that was the closest word the translator had. No offence, but calling someone handsome doesn’t mean you want to fuck them,” Itumak said.

“And he’s so small. I don’t even know how old he is. What if he’s just a kid? And the fox thing… I don’t know if I can handle all of this. Not all at once.”

“Maybe you should get Adara more involved in this. She needs to learn how to rule effectively, and this could be good practice for her.”

“This is important though. I don’t think she’s ready for something of this magnitude.”

“She’s more ready than you might think. That girl is a diplomat at heart and a real people person. You taught her well.”

“She’s just a kid still.”

“Aaron, do you remember when your mom had you stand in judgement the first time? You were sixteen and she offered you advice, but the decision was yours alone. It is the same with Adara. This is a part of teaching the next ruler of our planet,” Itumak said.

“This is a little different than setting one person free Itumak. We’re literally talking about the future of the world.”

“And you’ll be there to ensure she doesn’t make a mistake. Give her the experience without the risk, to see how she handles it and to allow yourself a bit of a break.”

“And what about Mateio? I can’t just distance myself from a foreign dignitary. Especially one from an alien planet. If I offend him, we could all be dead. I am not ready for this,” Aaron despaired.

“He does not seem like the type to destroy a planet just because he got upset.”

“How do you know? How do any of us know? We don’t really know him at all!”

“Aaron, relax. Calm down,” Itumak soothed. “You can’t help anyone in this state. Look, there’s the guardhouse. Why don’t we go into the wolf room and take a break, okay?”

Aaron nodded and the two made their way to the building, slipping in through the back door.

“Take a deep breath.”

Itumak sat on the floor, patting the ground next to him. Hesitating only for a second, Aaron joined his friend.

“I’m sorry. I really shouldn’t be breaking down like this,” he sighed.

“You break down because you push yourself too hard. Rulers have gone insane with the amount of pressure put on them.”

“Oh thanks, that is a very comforting thought,” Aaron grumbled, crossing his legs. “I just feel like a fraud sometimes. Maybe Sarin was right. Maybe Mother should have chosen someone else. I’m not dealing with this well enough.”

“Your Majesty, as your friend, shut the fuck up. Look at what you have done so far with your rule. Werewolves are free from registering, diseases are being eradicated thanks to extra funding, even the roads are being repaired finally. Your people are happy with you. You are no fraud.”

Itumak grinned at the elf, nudging him lightly.

“Hey, for the record, I expected the break down at midnight. You’re dealing with this better than I thought.”

“And what about you?” Aaron demanded.

“Me? Oh, I freaked out when I saw a naked fox standing on two legs in front of you. I’m still freaking out. I’m just good at hiding things.”

“Yeah, you always have been. What am I supposed to do? I can’t exactly tell him my wolf all but claimed him.”

“He might find that a little strange. But the council knows, right? I mean, you claimed protection in front of them, didn’t you?”

Aaron sighed.

“Yes, I did. He doesn’t know that yet though.”

“Still, you have a hand up on the council. They can’t touch him now.”

“Maybe not, but I wouldn’t put it past some of them to try. Could you ask Darren to assign you to Mateio’s room tonight? I’d feel a little better knowing he was guarded.”

“Consider it done. Now, I believe you have some diplomatic things to attend to Your Majesty,” Itumak smiled.

He helped Aaron off the floor, the two of them brushing each other off.

“Thanks Itumak. I owe you one.”

The neko brushed it off.

“I get to take an early cat nap. Consider us even,” he smirked.

Mateio lay on the bed, curled up in his fox form. His stomach was growling, his eyes wouldn’t stay open, and to make everything worse, he figured he had just ruined everything with Aaron. Was this how Artemis had felt when he met Elias? The two had been his heroes since he was young, but now that he had put himself in the same situation, Mateio realised their history had left out much of the emotions they must have felt.

He could just hear his segal now.

“Why did you go to the planet? You know no one is supposed to disturb them until they arrive on the galactic stage. It’s your own fault you had your hopes and dreams crushed. That planet was bad luck for us before and you can’t change that.”

A sudden knock came at the door and Mateio looked up in shock. He leapt out of bed, body blurring into his bipedal form as he grabbed his robe.

“Come in,” he called, wrapping the robe around himself.

Aaron entered the room, smiling almost nervously at the Faro.

“Lunch is ready if you are hungry,” he said. “I apologise for my actions earlier.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to alarm you with my comment. I’m not trying to steal you away from your people,” Mateio said. “And I would greatly appreciate some lunch.”

He pulled the sweatshirt over his body, hiding his ears under the hood.

“It’s funny, you almost look like a young neko.”

Mateio chuckled.

“I guess I am still rather young by Faro standards. Many of us live to be nearly two hundred years old by our count. I’m only thirty.”

“You look a lot younger,” Aaron said, a relieved smile on his face.

He led Mateio from the room, directing him into a large dining hall.

“Um, how many people are eating with us?” Mateio squeaked, taking in the huge table.

“Adara is joining us. I have a group of nekos joining us for dinner. But we aren’t eating in here,” Aaron replied, pointing through a side door.

They entered the second room, about as large as Mateio’s dining room back home. A table sat in the middle of the room, one that could easily seat six people. Aaron took a seat at the head of the table, motioning for Mateio to sit beside him.

Once again, the table was too tall for him to sit comfortably. Aaron beckoned a waiting servant over, pressing a silver in his hand.

“See if you can find a way to raise my guest’s seat,” he said quietly.

“Right away Your Majesty,” the woman bowed, hurrying from the room.

She returned quickly, a pair of pillows in her arms. Sliding them under Mateio, she asked, “How’s that?”

Mateio sat, his head above the table, and smiled.

“Perfect. Thank you,” he said.

The woman bowed again, returning to her place at the wall.

Adara strode into the room, glancing at Mateio.

“I’m sorry I’m late. I was-”

“With Arisa,” Aaron smiled.

A neko entered the room, a platter of meat in his hands. Aaron frowned at the cat as the tray was set on the table.

“Excuse me, who are you?” he asked, stopping Adara from reaching for the food.

“Forgive me, Your Majesty. I’m Reyloth, Methara’s son. He is sick, but we can’t lose the money from today,” the neko bowed.

“I am sorry for your troubles, but you understand the trouble that could result from an unknown server?”

“Your Majesty, I can vouch for Reyloth,” the woman who brought the pillows said. “I’ve known him since I was a child.”

Mateio could smell the food and his stomach gurgled loudly. There was something wrong, a scent that he had smelled once before, in the Egara system.

“Wait,” he said quietly. “Lord Aaron, can you smell the meat?”

Aaron frowned as he inhaled.

“It’s strongly seasoned. Why does it need so much spice?”

He stood up, handing the food back to Reyloth.

“Dispose of this, please. I don’t trust it.”

“Your Majesty, why would anyone want to poison you?” the woman asked.

“Not me. Him,” Aaron said, motioning toward Mateio.

“If one meal could be poisoned, couldn’t the rest?” Adara mentioned.

Aaron groaned quietly.

“Lord Aaron, I may have a solution to the immediate problem of lunch,” Mateio offered. “My ship is in the forest behind your home. If you wish, you could join me for lunch there. It would give you a chance to see some of our technology and sample the food of my people.”

“I think that would be a great idea,” Adara said.

“Reyloth, remain here. Adara, can you get Captain Darren for me?” Aaron growled.

His daughter nodded, hurrying from the room.

“Lord Aaron, are you alright?” Mateio asked.

“Someone probably tried to poison you. No, I am not alright,” Aaron snapped.

Mateio frowned at the change in the elf. They were safe, no harm done. Why was Aaron so upset?

“Mateio, why did you ask me to check the food?” the elf asked suddenly.

“I thought I smelled arithal in it. That’s a poison from Egara, though I have no idea what it would be doing here.”

“You’re certain you didn’t bring any with you?”

“Of course not! I don’t trade in poisons. Besides, no one can get into the ship without me.”

Aaron sighed, holding his head.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered.

“Don’t be. Your concern is… nice,” Mateio said.

Captain Darren rushed into the room, heading directly for Aaron.

“Your Majesty, are you okay?” he asked, scanning the room.

“I am okay, thanks to Mateio. Someone poisoned our lunch. I trust you know what to do?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Unfortunately, this is not a new situation for me,” Darren said. “The neko served you?”

“Yes, Captain. If you don’t mind, Mateio was going to take Adara and myself, and show us the wonders of his cuisine.”

“Given that you were almost poisoned, I would advise against that, Your Majesty.”

Aaron frowned, his eyes meeting Mateio’s under the hood.

“I trust him, Captain. Did Adara not return with you?”

“No Your Majesty. She said she needed to meet her friend.”

Mateio held back a grin at the news. Apparently, youth was the same across the galaxy.

“Well, shall we head to lunch then?” Aaron said, standing.

He seemed a lot calmer now. Mateio was sure the poison was as much a shock for the elf as it was for him. The Faro stood, sliding off the pillow, and followed the elf out of the room.