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Avin

Kit’s eyes widened. “You married a princess? That sounds like something straight out of a fairy tale!” His whole face grinned. “Wait so does that make you a prince now?”

Avin smiled in spite of himself. “No: I’m only a duke, now. In Vegada the wife’s title is aligned with the husband’s, so now she’s only a duchess.”

…When she could have had so much more.

Kit’s smile faded slowly into a thoughtful look, and he started uncertainly, “So…that part about speaking a different language…” He hesitated, then went on in a determined rush,“Well, I mean that’s exactly what it feels like. But how exactly do you learn her language?”

Avin didn’t answer for a moment.

“When she nettles you, you have to act smooth, and don’t prick back.” He remembered the countless times when something Elsa had said stung him and he had just walked on, helping her find her brother and his king.

“Some day, she’ll notice…” he trailed off, searching for the words. How could he tell this young man about the cave on the mountain, where he and Elsa had finally understood each other? That day she had first started to see him as a man instead of a criminal; that day he had opened all the secrets of his past to her, that he never even looked into himself.

He looked at Kit’s face that eagerly searched his own for advice.  He looked away again, seeing a snowstorm and and the woman he loved lying unconscious on a cold mountain, the ice in her words still un-melted in his ears. “One day, something will happen. One of  you will see the other for what they are; not for what you want to be, or what you pretend to be, but who you are.” He looked straight at Kit. “It’ll be the worst and best day of your life. After that, you’ll still have to learn her language, but this time you’ll be working in it together. When you get a word wrong she’ll correct you, and when she loses her temper you’ll help her find it, instead of losing yours, too.”

He felt that open feeling again, the one he’d never wanted to feel once, and had promised himself he’d never let happen again. But he looked into Kit’s face, and saw the new way he glanced at Valencia, and figured it had been worth it.

He studied Valencia for a few minutes, then turned back to Kit.”She’s worth it–and she likes you. You just need to give it time.” He smirked at the expression on Kit’s face.”The last thing you want to do.”

He pulled himself out of his own thoughts. Now it was Kit’s turn.

“Where were you on the social ladder? Do you have titles in…your world?”

He’d never imagined those words leaving his mouth.