“I don’t care. I don’t want to learn to ride it. I’d rather walk!”There was only one cure for her defeatist attitude. “I never thought you were weak.”She gasped and rounded on him. “How dare you! It wasn’t my idea to come to your stupid planet in the first place.” She swatted a bug unwise enough to land on her cheek. “Look at this place! It’s barely civilized. I should have run back while I had the chance.”In a low, ominous tone, he told her, “We all have regrets.” He turned and walked away.She watched him go. Had he meant what s

“Is there a lot of protocol and stuff I ought to know? I mean, I’m not exactly princess material.”He laughed and nuzzled her throat. “You’ll do fine, my love. Don’t worry so.”Andrea shrugged her shoulder, dislodging him. “I’m serious! What’s expected of a...what am I now, anyway?”“Lady wife. And as for what’s expected...you can have charge of running the household affairs of the citadel, if you like.”“You want me to be a housewife?” she inquired dryly. It didn’t sound like much of a challenge. She felt him smile again

“What did you do?” Startled by her own voice, she looked down, confirming the damage. Hands trembling, she lifted them. The age spots and fragile look of raised veins had completely disappeared. One hand flew to her mouth, the back pressed against her lips.Scared at Matilda’s drastic reaction, Andrea quickly fetched a mirror, hoping to reassure her. “It’s okay, Grandma. The symbiont just made you young again.”Matilda took the glass and stared at it, stone still. Then she threw it, shattering it against the side of the wagon, narrowly missing Raziel’s thigh. “How could you?” Tears of fury welling in her eyes, she rushed past Andrea and into the woods.

“Your father’s brothers and your cousins have argued for some time over who should succeed you should you die without issue.” Tomlin looked at Andrea as he picked and raised his brows.“Not yet.” Mathin said quietly. He wouldn’t have Andrea pressured into an attempt to conceive.A grunt expressed Tomlin’s thoughts on that. “Pity. One of your more hotheaded cousins has stepped forward to assume the roll. Although no one’s officially endorsed his claim, none have refuted it. He’s made much noise about assuming your duties in your absence. We expect him to make a show here before the storms hit.”“Do you?” Mathin asked, v

By the time she sat down to a simple dinner of stew and flatbread with Matilda and Raziel, she was almost too tired to eat. Matilda wasn’t much better. They’d put in a hard day cleaning up the worst of the citadel, making it livable if not cozy. New bedding covered the two mattresses they’d been able to scrounge up, with more promised for delivery over the next several days. Jell candles lit the table, since the lighting system still wasn’t repaired. Even the table was only a makeshift affair, nothing more than a couple of wide planks propped on boxes. More crates served as seats.Mathin still hadn’t come home.It wasn’t very good, but Andrea finished her stew anyway, too hungry to worry about it. With luck, she could find someone wi