The Dragon Princess (Crystalosias - Saga - Book One)
Chapter Twelve: Tumbling Hearts

The next week went by at a smooth pace. The Crystal was growing nicely, as was Sahrah’s stomach. Just over four months left until she’s due.

“Tashia. Shall we have our lunch outside again?” Trey asked as she picked up a parasol and looked at Sahrah.

Sahrah nodded. She loved the gardens of the Palace.

They made their way to the gardens and sat in their normal spot, under a large tree.

“You look peekish.” Trey said as she held a platter of food out to Sahrah.

Sahrah laughed. “That’s peckish, and actually, I’m starving.” She said as she took the plate and started eating.

“It is a lovely day, today.” Trey said.

“Trey. You’re trying too hard to be human.”

Trey snorted and Sahrah burst into laughter. The robot had started copying her, several days ago.

“Someone is coming.” Trey whispered.

“Sahrah!”

“Hey Austen, hey Lesteren.” Sahrah said with a smile. “Hello Hanley, you want to join your Aunt, for lunch?” She asked as she offered the toddler the tray.

Austen let go of his daughter’s hand and the girl toddled over to Sahrah.

Sahrah took the girl into her lap and shared her lunch with her.

“I see you’re eating outside again.” Austen said with a smile as he and Lesteren joined her.

Sahrah looked up at him with a smile. “Figured that out, did you?”

Austen chuckled.

“It’s a beautiful day today...” Trey started to say.

“Can it, Trey, you’re creeping me out.” Sahrah complained.

“My apologies Tashia.”

Sahrah had a nice conversation with her best friend and his family, as she shared her lunch with the little girl. When it was time to go, they all stood and Sahrah kissed her niece’s cheek as they said their goodbyes and went their separate ways.

“Let’s go for a walk.” Sahrah said as she headed down a path.

Trey nodded as she walked beside her and held the parasol over her Tashia, to block her from the sun.

**

Derk walked into his chamber and heard a noise in the bedroom and smiled. He can add his mate to his busy schedule, his father will understand. He opened the bedroom door and froze when he saw it was not his mate, in their bed-chamber.

“What the flick do you think you are doing?”

“Oh, Tasheen, you scared me.” The woman said as she turned to him, all smiles. “How does that woman wear these clothes?”

“Get out of my mate’s bags, Brinstone.”

“What are these for? To kill you in your sleep?” Lady Brinstone asked as she held up one of Sahrah’s, many weapons.

“My mate is a Warrior; she has special weapons and special clothes.”

Lady Brinstone snorted. “Women are not Warriors.”

Derk grinned. ”Mine is.”

“Is that what it took, being a strong woman? Or pretending to be. Okay Tasheen, I can be that woman. I’m not as fragile as other women...”

“Brinstone, I told you before I left our planet, to be out of here, why are you still here?”

“Because, lover, I knew you didn’t mean it. You just didn’t want me to have to wait for your return. But I did. And now we can be together.” She said as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I can bear you a son, stronger than that woman can.”

“She is carrying my child, Brinstone. I will not just walk away from that.”

“Is that the reason you’re with her?” She asked with a grin. “That can be fixed.”

“Don’t you dare...” Derk’s words were cut off as she kissed him. He yanked her off him and held her away from him. If she wasn’t so fragile, he would toss her out of his chambers. “You need to go.” He said with a growl.

“Yes, of course. I have so much to do to prepare for. I will see you tonight, lover. And you won’t have to worry about that pesky alien again.” She said as she blew him a kiss, then left his chambers.

Derk was so relieved the woman was gone. Then her words hit him. She wouldn’t dare... But isn’t that how his own mother had died?

“Spitfire!” He hollered as he ran from the chambers, in search of his mate.

**

“Tashia, are you happy?”

Sahrah looked at her companion. “Very much. What brought that on, Trey?”

“I am here to make sure you stay happy.”

Sahrah laughed. “Have you ever thought of getting a skin applied?”

“Oh, yes. But I can’t decide on a look.”

“Want some help?”

“I would be most honored, if you would help me, Tashia.”

Sahrah laughed. “Then we will do it tomorrow.”

“That is acceptable.”

“Now you’re sounding more like you.” Sahrah said with a smile.

“He will never love you.”

They both turned to the voice and Sahrah grumbled. “What do you want, Lady Brinstone? I already know that you are not my mate’s lover.”

“For how could he love you, when he loves me? And soon I will be the one to give him his heir.”

“Can she even hear me?” Sahrah asked as she looked at Trey.

The woman moved so fast that neither Sahrah nor Trey saw it coming.

Sahrah screamed as she tumbled down the steep slope. Her only thought was to protect her son. She wrapped her arms around her stomach and took most of the blows, as she tumbled further and further down.

“I have won!” Lady Brinstone screamed.

“What have you done!” Trey hollered.

“Shut up robot. You are mine now!”

“The flick you say.” Trey said as she started to move down the slope. She must get to her Tashia. She must still be alive...

“What did you do!?” Derk demanded as he stopped beside Lady Brinstone at the top of the slope.

“It is done. You are now free to take me as your mate, and I will give you many sons.” The crazy woman said as she flung her arms around Derk’s neck.

“Hold her and don’t let her go!” Derk bellowed to the guards as he ripped the woman off his neck.

“Do you think she survived it?” Bentin asked as he looked over the slope.

“She better have, or I’m going to rip that woman’s head off her boney neck.” Derk growled.

Bentin nodded. “No one will stop you.”

“Tasheen!”

“Trey is down there with her.” Derk said as he started down the slope.

“Be careful, Tasheen!” Bentin hollered.

“She’s dead.” Lady Brinstone said. “He is mine now.”

Bentin looked at the crazy brigidan. “I should have sent you to another planet, years ago.”

**

Derk carefully made his way down the slope, till he spotted Trey standing over his mate.

“I don’t want to touch her.” Trey said as she looked at her Tasheen.

“Is she alive?” He asked as he made his way to them.

“She is.”

“Our son?”

“I can feel his heart, but I can’t tell if there is any damage.” Trey said as she stared down at her Tashia, who was so cut up, there was blood everywhere.

A moan came from Sahrah as Derk knelt beside her.

“Sahrah.” He whispered as tears slid down his cheeks. “Please be all right.”

“Derk?”

“Don’t move.” He whispered. “I have her.” He said into the com on his watch.

A flash of light surrounded them, then they were in the Palace’s sickbay.

“She seems to be okay.” The Meditec said as he examined Sahrah. “Mostly cuts and bruises. She had protected your son with her arms, and took a lot more damage to her body.”

“My son?” Derk asked.

“He is well, Tasheen. A small detachment, but we already fixed it. Your mate will be fully recovered, in less than an hour.”

Derk fell onto one of the seats. “I thought I had lost them.”

“Tasheen.” Trey whispered.

“Yes, Trey?”

“Have you told her yet, that you love her?”

Derk looked at the robot. What a silly question. But has he? He thought about it.

“Lady Brinstone had said to Sahrah; before she had attacked her, that you will never love her. And from the look on Tashia’s face, she has never heard you say the words.”

Derk grunted. She was right, he has not.

“Maybe you should assure your Tashia.” Trey whispered.

**

Sahrah opened her eyes and blinked. Where was she? The last thing she remembered was tumbling down the hill...

“Sahrah.”

She turned to Derk and smiled, then frowned. “Is the baby?”

“You and our son are both fine.” He said with a smile.

She sighed with relief. “Why do I not hurt?”

He chuckled. “That is the miracle of our medic bays.”

“Where’s Lady Brinstone?”

“In the dungeon, until you decide her punishment.”

“Me?!” She squealed.

He chuckled. “She tried to kill you and our son. She must be punished.”

She took a deep breath. After what had happened in the market, she has come to realize, that the victim chose the punishment, for the accused. The accused better just hope the victim isn’t lying.

“I will think about it.” She whispered.

“Of course.” He said as he kissed her cheek.

“She really thought you belonged to her.” She said with a sigh.

He groaned. “I should have made her leave after she came to you a week ago.”

“Don’t blame yourself.” She said as she moved a hair off his forehead.

He hid his face in the mattress beside her arm. “Trey told me what she had said to you; before she attacked you.”

“Oh.” Sahrah whispered.

“I thought I had lost you and our son.” He said, his voice vibrating with emotions.

“Would you have hated me if I had lost our son?” She whispered.

He looked up at her and she sucked in a breath. He was crying... She has never seen her Warrior cry like that.

“I could never hate you, Sahrah. I love you.”

She burst into tears and he pulled her into his arms.

“I love you too, Derk.” She cried against him.

He smiled as he held her close. “You and Conner, mean more to me than anything in the universe. But if you had lost him, we would have just tried again.”

She hiccupped as she backed away. “Conner?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “I was reading a book on the history of your planet and saw the name.”

“And you like it?” She asked.

He nodded.

“Me too. It’s an old name, we haven’t used it in centuries. But from what I remember, it’s a name that was brought to us, from a planet many galaxies from us.”

He nodded. “I had Trey look it up. The planet is so far away, that your people never saw anyone from that planet again.”

She nodded. “We have a name.” She said with a smile.

He grinned. “I guess we do. My beautiful Tashia, and my Potato Warrior.”

She laughed. “He’s going to hate us for that.”

He chuckled. “Blame it on Trey, she started it.”

She smiled. “I love you so much.”

He kissed her lips. “I love you so much that my heart has grown double its size; since I met you.”

She laughed so hard she had to hold her side, then he kissed her.

**

“Careful.” Derk said as he helped Sarah into their chamber.

“The Meditec gave me a clean bill of health, Derk, stop babying me.”

Derk laughed. “I’m sorry love, but I can’t help it. I almost lost the both of you.”

She smiled. “We’re not going anywhere.”

He chuckled. “So, I’ve noticed.”

“Go easy on Tasheen, Tashia.” Trey said as she followed them into the chamber. “He lost his mother from a tumble.”

Derk froze his movements, as he looked at Trey, then at Sahrah.

“Oh, I had forgotten about that. I am sorry Derk.”

Derk shrugged as he continued to move them into the room.

“Must be less frightening to trip then to be pushed.”

“Oh, but she didn’t trip.” Trey said.

“Trey.” Derk warned.

Sahrah looked between the two. “No.” She breathed as her hand went to her chest. “Your mother was pushed?”

Derk took a deep breath, then nodded. “Same slope.” He grumbled.

“Ohmigod.” She cried. “I am so sorry, Derk. The fear you must have felt.”

He took hold of her arms and looked into her eyes. “My fear was nothing compared to yours, as you tumbled down that hill.”

She smiled up at him. “Good thing I’m not a Dextonian woman.”

He growled. “If you were and had died, that woman would have no head, to speak of.”

She sucked in a breath.

“Let’s sit.” He said as he led her to the couch and sat with her.

“Why did someone push your mother down that slope?”

“Same reason you were.” He said as he pulled her against him and kissed the top of her head.

“The woman wanted your father.” She said with a gasp.

He nodded.

“What happened to her?”

“My father chose her punishment.”

“What did he choose?”

“Death. She was pushed down the same slope, she had shoved my mother down.”

Sahrah gasped. But wasn’t that justice?

**

“Father?” Sahrah said as she knocked on the opened door of Tentah’s office.

“Daughter.” Tentah said with a smile as he looked up at her. “How are you feeling, today?”

“Well, physically I’m fine.” She said as she entered the room. “But mentally, I feel as though I was pushed down a hill.”

Tentah nodded with a frown. “I wish my first mate had been strong, like you.”

Sahrah nodded. “I’m sure Derk feels the same. But that is why I have come to you.”

He placed the papers onto his desk and stood. “Of course.” He said as he walked around the desk, then sat in one of the chairs and motioned for her to sit in one of the others.

Sahrah took a seat and studied her mate’s father. “Derk told me that you chose your mate’s killer’s, punishment.”

“I did.” He said with a nod.

“And it is up to me to choose what happens to Lady Brinstone.”

“It is.”

“But won’t her people come after us?”

“She may be a Lady, but she tried to kill our Tashia and Banshon. No one will question what we decide her punishment will be.”

“What are my options?”

“Death, or Exile.”

“Only those? What about prison?”

“We only have the dungeon, Tashia. And it is not for long time holds.”

She sighed. “Will you help me decide?”

“The decision must be yours alone, but I can give you advice.”

She nodded.

“My son almost lost his mate and child in the same instant. What would you do, if it was Derk, who had been pushed down that hill?”

“I’d kill the bastard who did it.” She said with a growl.

“There’s your answer.”

**

“As Kentrei of Leboriah, I sentence you, Lady Brinstone of Sliverstone, to death, by fall.” Tentah said as he stood in front of the woman who had almost killed his new daughter and grandson.

“Derk!” Lady Brinstone shrieked. “Don’t let them do this to me, Derk!”

“You do not call the Tasheen, in such manner.” A guard said as he glowered down at the woman.

“Please, Tasheen.” Brinstone begged.

Derk ignored the woman as he held onto his mate.

“I don’t know if I can do this.” Sahrah cried against him.

“It will be okay.” Derk said as he kissed the top of her head.

“Tashia.” Tentah said as he turned to his daughter.

Derk let go of her as she moved to stand with the Kentrei.

The guards tied Lady Brinstone’s hands behind her back, then stepped away from her.

“You almost killed my son.” Sahrah said with so much anger, that the air sizzled.

Derk could swear he saw her hair move, but there was no breeze.

“He will never love you!” Lady Brinstone screamed.

“You are a pathetic woman.” Sahrah grumbled.

Sahrah moved to push the woman down the hill and found that she could not do it. No matter what the woman had done to her, she could not take her life like this. Maybe in battle, but like this???

“I can’t do it.” She whispered as she took a step back.

Lady Brinstone’s head fell back as she laughed, and it sounded more like a cackle.

“I can.” Derk said as he passed Sahrah and shoved the woman down the hill.

Lady Brinstone stopped laughing long enough to give Derk a shocked look, as she fell backward down the hill, to her death.