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The next few days passed in a blur. Kara barely had time to draw breath. Their arrival back on Vraxos went undetected – Vahn switched the hopper’s stellar transponder off during their approach and Ela made sure no military sites were scanning for space traffic. As far as the public was concerned, the Zhaal and his new bride had never left the planet.

The following day was the official signing of the Chennai Accords. Joint ceremonies took place on both Vraxos and Earth, with Zhaal Talvahax Castellian and President Dana Cameron simultaneously ratifying the peace treaty.

The formal adoption of the agreement passed without incident, bar one or two small demonstrations on each planet which both world leaders had anticipated and permitted.

“After all, we aren’t despots,”

President Cameron had told Kara. “There’s no democracy without freedom of opinion.”

In any case, the vast majority of Vraxians and humans were in favor of the accords. Pictures broadcast from both worlds showed global celebrations taking place across the planets. When Vahn and the President delivered a joint speech declaring the war over, Kara had to excuse herself so she could cry in private.

We did it. The tears spilled down her cheeks, both joyful and sad. The war’s over. If only dad were here to see this.

When Vahn found her, he didn’t need an explanation. He hugged her and stroked her hair, and she knew he was thinking of his brother.

Two days after that, the crashed planet-hopper was found. It had come down in a barren stretch in the far north of the planet. Rumors started to spread that it had been carrying the missing shintu clan leader Lord Vantrax. Vahn appointed his other key advisor Lord Davorrian to head up the inquiry and in due course it was confirmed that yes, the body in the wreckage did belong to Baelon Vantrax.

Former Governor of the agricultural province Lord Yighaz, now in custody for the murder of Lord Paalin and the attempted murder of the Zhaal, the Zhaalini, and the entire Earth delegation, tried to implicate Lord Vantrax in the plot but his wild accusations were discredited.

Reputation intact, Lord Vantrax was buried with full honors in the family mausoleum on his vast estate. The funeral was attended by the Zhaal who solemnly declared Baelon to be a good friend, a staunch supporter of the peace treaty, and an immense loss to the Empire.

A distant cousin, Lord Hexar Vantrax, ascended to the position of clan leader and Imperial Advisor. He was just as supercilious and arrogant as his relative but as far as Kara could tell, he treated everyone that way no matter who they were, so at least he was even-handed.

With everything going on, it was a while before she and Vahn had any time to themselves.

“Sweet Jesus, can you believe this?”

They were sitting in the snug, the small sitting room they’d taken to using because it was cozier than the salon. Kara waved a letter at him. “Layahn’s engaged to Lord Qu’laar. She’s sent us a wedding invitation. Smug bitch.”

“Perhaps they are in love.”

“Right. I bet she stalked him like a hyena.”

“I’m sure Lord Qu’laar knows what he’s doing.”

Kara eyed him.

“Are you all right? You seem distracted.”

“I am fine.”

“Are you sure? I mean, it’s hard to tell because you tend to brood at the best of times but…”

He raised a brow.

“I brood?”

“Does a bear shit in the woods?”

“Er…”

“What I mean is, you should be happy how everything’s worked out, but instead you seem preoccupied. What’s up, snake-boy?”

He sighed.

“You are right. Something has been playing on my mind. Something Baelon said when we were on Minerva-6.”

“Nothing that piece of shit said is worth a damn,”

Kara replied. “It nearly killed me to have to say nice things about him at the funeral. Whatever it was, forget it.”

“I cannot, kalehsha. Because he spoke the truth. He said I have no heir and my line will end with me.”

“Yet. You have no heir yet. But we’ve talked about this. When the time’s right, we’ll start a family.”

“I know what we agreed. But I have spent a long time thinking about this. And despite the success of the peace treaty there will always be those that hold the same views as Baelon and Yighaz. Vraxians who abhor humans and who mean you harm, Kara.”

“So what? I’m a soldier. I’m used to people not liking me.”

“Listen to me. Having an heir would not only protect my line. It would elevate your position from Zhaalini to Imirizeinba. It would guarantee your safety even if something happened to me.”

“Vahn, this is ridiculous.”

Kara was exasperated. “Why the hell do you think something’s going to happen to you?”

“We have narrowly escaped death three times now, beloved. I…”

his voice faltered and he took a breath. “I cannot bear to think of something happening to you. Nor can I contemplate the end of the Castellian line. I simply ask that you consider it, kalehsha.”

Kara didn’t know what to say.

The first time Vahn had floated the idea of babies, long before they were married, she’d been unnerved. Could she even get pregnant by an alien species? And what kind of offspring would a human and Vraxian create?

She’d told him she’d think about it. And she’d meant it. But she hadn’t really given it much consideration because she didn’t think it was a priority.

Now though, looking at Vahn’s expression, she realized it was very much a priority for him.

Okay. Let’s think about this. You owe him that much.

She was twenty six years old. She was married to someone she adored body and soul. The idea of creating a life with Vahn, holding their child in her arms, was not as unimaginable as it had once been.

“What if I can’t get pregnant?”

she asked quietly. “What if a Vraxian and a human can’t have children? Or what if we can and it’s… it’s too different? I don’t want to bring a child into the world that everyone pities.”

He knelt at her feet and looked into her eyes.

“Our child is destined to be the leader of an Empire, graced with my strength and your intelligence. He will inherit the best traits from each of us and he will be invincible. Of that I have no doubt.”

“It might be a ‘she’,”

Kara reminded him.

“Then she will be invincible. Like her mother.”

She looked into his eyes and thought she’d never loved him more.

“Let me think about it.”