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Weeks passed and suddenly it was her twenty-seventh birthday. Vahn threw a ball in her honor. It wasn’t what she wanted – she would have preferred something a little more intimate – but Vahn had explained it was expected of them.

Her heart sank a little when she walked into the vast ballroom and saw it full of Vraxian nobles whose names she barely remembered. She allowed Vahn to steer her towards various high-ranking dignitaries and resigned herself to an evening of shaking hands and making small-talk.

Never mind, she thought. Maybe tomorrow she and Vahn could do something fun.

But after twenty minutes, her husband surprised her.

“That’s enough of that,”

he said firmly. “I think we’ve satisfied protocol. Come with me.”

“Where are we going?”

“To the real party.”

“What do you mean? I thought this was my party?”

“You think I’d celebrate your birthday with a formal gathering?”

He raised a brow. “Do you not know me by now, kalehsha?”

Mystified, she followed him into a second, smaller room.

Everyone Kara knew on Vraxos was there, including her old friends Hespia and Vysh. They squealed in unison.

“Vannla’s Sword, you look fantastic,”

gushed Vysh, her formerly pale pink hair now a vibrant shade of magenta.

“It’s so good to see you both.”

Kara hugged them, the anti-grav boots she wore enabling her to actually put her arms round their necks. “How have you been?”

“I was engaged to a crystal baron from the western province,”

Hespia said, yellow eyes twinkling. “But I broke it off.”

“What? Why?”

“I realized I preferred his sister.”

Vysh and Kara both squealed again, much to the bemusement of Vahn.

“Ladies, it’s a genuine pleasure to see you again. I will let you catch-up.”

He turned to go and Kara caught his arm.

“Thank you,”

she murmured. “This is perfect.”

He dropped a kiss onto her brow.

“Happy birthday, Kara.”

She turned back to find her friends deep in conversation about Hespia’s love-life.

“Good job you didn’t win shaa’baara,”

Vysh was pointing out. “The Zhaal clearly isn’t your type.”

“I didn’t know for sure then. We only got together last week. It’s still very new, that’s why she’s not here. But I hope you’ll both meet her soon.”

Kara squeezed her hand warmly.

“Count on it. And what about you, Vysh? All going well with your kalehshun?”

“Dalthar and I have an estate out near my sister in the south. We’re engaged but there’s no rush. Father has given his blessing.”

She leaned forward and lowered her voice. “Ever since the Zhaal made us saji he’s been a lot nicer.”

“Is Dalthar here? I’d love to meet him.”

Vysh gestured to a young Vraxian male and he came forward shyly.

“My Zhaalini,”

he said, bending from the waist.

“Oh, please don’t bow. Vysh is like a sister to me, so that makes you my brother-in-law.”

“Did you hear about Layahn?”

said Hespia. “Married Lord Qu’laar recently.”

“I know. Vahn and I were forced to go to the wedding. He seems nice enough.”

“Maybe some of his niceness will rub off on her. Now that her uncle’s gone, she’ll need people to actually like her.”

“It was awful what happened to Lord Vantrax though,”

said Vysh. “He never got to see the peace deal signed.”

“No, he didn’t,”

said Kara. “But I promise you his contributions won’t be forgotten. Not by me or Vahn.”

She changed the subject and the evening went on. Ela and Rhyn were the subject of much gossip. Vysh speculated there were distraught females all over Vraxos mourning the loss of the talented Lord Davorrian.

But when Kara saw the pair of them a short while later, she reflected that neither had ever looked so happy.

Rhyn had managed to get Ela to wear a dress. Not an evening dress, true, more of a functional outfit with pockets and belts. In fact Kara wouldn’t have been surprised if the general had a blaster strapped to her thigh underneath it.

But it was such a change from her usual military uniform that she did a double-take.

“I can’t believe it,”

she said to Vahn. “If my squad could see her now. General Elaryx Solarun in a dress.”

He shrugged.

“Love makes you do things you thought you never would,”

he said. “And on that note, may I steal you away? I have a present for you.”

“A present? I thought this party was my present?”

“It is, but I have something else for you. Something I had made specially.”

The party was winding down anyway and people were starting to leave. Kara said her goodbyes and followed Vahn back to their quarters, intrigued.

He opened the doors to their bedroom and her jaw dropped.

Every square inch of space was covered in flowers. And not just any flowers, but the pink rose-scented flowers from Mineva-6. She gathered a bunch from a nearby vase and buried her nose in them.

“How…? Where did you get these? Did you send someone back to the planet?”

“No. I brought some specimens back with me and our scientists recreated them in the laboratory.”

He looked at her worriedly. “Did we get them right?”

Kara couldn’t speak. She went to Vahn and hugged him.

“Kara?”

“They’re perfect. Thank you, snake-boy.”

She lifted her face and he saw there were tears in her eyes.

“I did not mean to make you cry, kalehsha.”

“I’m crying because I’m happy. It’s a thing humans do.”

I love him, she thought. This huge blue alien who tried to kill me the first day we met. Who saved my life over and over. Who forgot me and remembered me and worships me. I love him.

She kissed him, and in that moment a decision was made. A decision that settled in her heart and felt right.

“Vahn,”

she said, her voice hoarse. “Are the moons out?”

She already knew what his answer would be.

“Yes. In fact, they are at the highest point of their annual cycle,” he said.

“Then I have a gift for you, too.”