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One of Prince Mikos’s eyebrows rose as he considered it. “Does he have any proof of such a serious charge?”
“I don’t believe so. Just circumstantial evidence and his own beliefs, but he’s thoroughly convinced of it.”
“We can talk about it when you get here.”
“One thing…I actually met the prince a few days early. On Belline.”
“What?”
Ryan interrupted, sitting forward in his chair. “Why in the world was he in Belline? Why were you, for that matter?”
Mikol smiled. “Just a little rest and recreation before the betrothal. Seems like Kalen had the same idea.”
Ryan looked taken aback at the news. “Oh, Mikol,” he said softly. “Tell me nothing happened.”
“Nothing happened. Don’t worry so much.”
“What if the uncle on Loros thinks he’s been compromised? He could ask for more favorable terms.”
“Then we’ll give him more. I’m marrying Kalen, no matter what.”
Mikos had been ominously quiet all through this, it seemed to Mikol, so he looked over at him. He seemed to be lost in thought.
“You’ve fallen in love with this boy?”
“I think I’m on the way there.”
“I don’t understand all this, Mikol. How could the Lorian prince just coincidentally meet you on Belline? Sounds odd to me.”
Mikol hesitated for a moment, since he tried not to lie to his parents, even by omission, he shrugged. “It’s a long story that I can’t share with you. It’s my personal business and Kalen’s.”
Mikos bristled. “And if I changed my mind about this betrothal?”
“I’d marry him anyway. With or without your consent.”
Ryan’s eyes widened and he clutched Mikos’s hand. “I-I guess there’s nothing else for us to say then. I hope you’ll be happy, and I can’t wait to meet him.”
Mikol grinned, “Thank you, omak.”
“Bring your prince home, darling,” Ryan said, “and we’ll make him welcome.”
“Wait,” Mikos said, “I have more to say about this.”
“No, sweetheart,” Ryan said, looking over at his husband. “You really don’t.”
Mikol sat in front of the porthole for a few more minutes after they signed off and before going into the guest quarters and going to bed. Kalen needed his sleep and between now and the wedding, it seemed better to Mikol that he observed the proprieties and they both slept alone. They had started this thing out on the wrong foot, perhaps, but it wasn’t too late to change course.
It was the final destination that determined the way ahead, after all, and the stars all changed accordingly as soon as you set your course. It followed, then, that if they were brave enough and if they could stay their course, it wasn’t too late to change his own stars and make the whole universe fall into alignment around them.
Besides, as an ancient human poet that his omak liked once said, “it’s not in the stars to hold a man’s destiny. It’s in the man, himself.”
****
The next morning, Dartan arrived early after taking his and the prince’s belongings to Florin’s ship. He came back into Prince Mikol’s rooms, just as Kalen was getting up.
“I came to help, if you need it,” he said, nodding at the small pile of clothing he put down on the bed.
“Thanks,” Kalen said, looking through the things he brought. “I feel much better this morning, so I guess those pills the Tygerian doctor gave me are working. I got some rest too. Did you see Prince Mikol when you came in?”
