Gift

A'lestrel sat cross-legged and disconsolate on the moss beside the large pool in the beautiful secluded garden that was exclusively his and his bondmate's. Lutra had had to return to Maurilla for eleven days on family business: she'd been gone five days and he missed her… He sighed. It didn't help that he actually had four whole days' downtime before the next round of talks began, and nothing planned to do with it.
      Absently he watched the sparkwings shimmer across the surface of the water. Lutra loved this pool, and they made a point of spending a few minutes every day here, alone, in loving *communion*. And that sparked the idea.
      Vahanah. A patch of vahanah for the pool… A'lestrel nodded to himself. The perfect gift for my zk'aida…
      He'd heard about the fabulous plants. They required a stable environment, and the water had to be prepared for some time before they could be planted, filled with micro-organisms from their homeworld and left undisturbed in the sun for the subtle biochemical changes to take effect. And afterwards… well, they were a fragile lifeform. Artificial chemicals, acid, oils or salts would kill them. They sprang from small and extremely delicate tubers that rooted in the soil at the bottom of ponds, eventually sending up long stems covered with lacy floating leaves (which - it was rumoured - had some sort of narcotic effect if dried and powdered onto food) and large flowerheads that sat on the surface of the water, finally opening into hand-sized blooms, their multiple petals fine and feathery and shimmering silver and pink, making a fragrant haze across the water. And their scent…! He'd smelt it, just once, distilled down into a fabulously expensive perfume. It changed from moment to moment, depending on the ambient temperature and that of the skin of the being wearing it, and smelt of all the rarest flowers across the galaxy - transcendently beautiful…
      There was just one problem. Vahanah were rare, very rare, and only flowered once every fifty Vejiitasei years or so, and if by the remotest chance there were any of the tubers left to buy, you could bet they'd be very expensive indeed - and not necessarily in hard currency. But there would, surely, be some left, somewhere, A'lestrel was certain… The prince frowned, pondering for a moment or two, then smirked. If anyone could find him some, it would be 'leesaan.
      He flew to the library.
      His machii was in his usual place - in the private research rooms at the rear of the massive edifice. A'lestrel peered in, his eyes drawn immediately to the zn'hre's slate blue skin and deep green hair in its usual disarray: 'leesaan had a habit of shoving his hands through his mane, tugging and twisting as he concentrated, and no matter how tidily it started out, by mid-morning it looked as though it hadn't seen a comb for days… The Zasshu loped to the zn'hre and perched a hip on the corner of his desk. 'leesaan was chewing on the end of a thick lock of hair, frowning at the silicate-preserved document in his hands - then realised his young sibling was grinning down at him. He smiled warily.
      "Greetings, zk'viss… What do you want this time?"
      A'lestrel pouted.
      "Who says I want anything?"
      'leesaan leaned back in his seat, hands cupped at the nape of his neck, and regarded his machii from bright golden eyes.
      "You've come to see me, something you only do when you want something."
      A'lestrel blinked. And winced.
      "Is that true, zk'vissin? If so, I humbly apologise."
      He meant it too. A'lestrel was very fond of 'leesaan: not only was he a priceless fount of knowledge and information, and very beautiful in a soft, understated way, but he'd been the young hybrid's mentor while 'lestrel was learning how to use his pathic abilities. 'leesaan was patient, kind, had been extraordinarily tolerant of his charge's tantrums, and a solid, loving warmth on the far too frequent occasions when A'lestrel had been hurt by some temporary bedmate or other, back before he learned to discriminate between those who cared for him and those who cared only for who he was. 'lestrel had lost count of the number of times his machii had held him close, gently wiping away his tears as he sobbed, confused and bewildered, in 'leesaan's arms…
      'leesaan smiled and took his hand.
      "I was joking. Mostly. Though it would be nice to see you sometimes when it doesn't involve business."
      'lestrel kissed him, tail wrapping around his wrist.
      "I'm sorry, zk'vissin. I've been so wrapped up in everything recently…"
      "I know. It's been unavoidable."
      "Well, yes, but all the same…" A'lestrel inclined his head, chewing at his lip. "Perhaps… How would it be if we arranged an evening's entertainment, just the two of us?"
      'leesaan inclined his head.
      "What did you have in mind?"
      A'lestrel shrugged.
      "I don't really know. A hunt, perhaps? Or would you prefer a meal in the Alien Quarter, and perhaps a performance of some kind?"
      'leesaan nodded slowly.
      "There are some interesting new eateries in the Quarter. And Bri-sama usually has visiting artistes at the Academy. Let me see what I can find, and perhaps we can arrange something for a few days' time?" He gestured at his desk. "Right now I'm in the middle of a project for the Ssii'iin and it has to take priority."
      A'lestrel grinned.
      "Heh, know all about that! Of course. I'll look forward to it!"
      'leesaan nodded.
      "I, also… Now, what was it you came to ask me…?"

There was a merchant on Jalangl, 'leesaan discovered in his trawl through the library database, who dealt in rare plants - and he had vahanah tubers listed as part of his stock. A'lestrel grinned, cuddled his machii tightly, kissing the startled zn'hre thoroughly then loping off, reminding him with a cheeky grin about their evening out…
      Zyelenyi had frowned when 'lestrel asked him to contact Jalangl. It was nominally a member of the Empire, but not the most salubrious of worlds; the sort of place you could acquire anything you wanted - at a price.
      "We really cannot risk you, my Ssii'irin. I'll have someone else arrange the trade for you."
      The prince glowered.
      "Taishi, I want this to be a personal gift."
      Zyelenyi frowned.
      "I appreciate that, your highness, but your personal safety is paramount."
      "Then allocate me an honour guard!" A'lestrel began to pace. "For fuck's sake, 'lenyi, I'm not likely to run into anything more powerful than me! All I'm asking is clearance for a quick trip to Jalangl to pick up a handful of plants for my bondmate! Why is that such a problem?"
      The head of the diplomatic corps sighed and laid a hand on the prince's shoulder, halting his steps.
      "'lestrel, I'm sorry, but you know how important you are - both to us and to Lutra. How would she feel if you were hurt - or worse - through my negligence."
      A'lestrel flung himself down into a chair, hissing frustratedly. Zyelenyi had a point. Not a particularly good one, but a point all the same. He rubbed his hand over his eyes, suddenly rebellious. He wasn't on duty. His downtime was precious. He didn't need this aggravation…
      "And if I were just to take off without your 'permission'?"
      Zyelenyi blinked, then frowned. A'lestrel had done exactly that, more than once…
      "Would you do such a thing?"
      The prince thought about it for a moment, then nodded.
      "Even if the Ssii'iin forbade it?"
      And since when, precisely, had that ever stopped him? He nodded again, smirking, and Zyelenyi closed his eyes. Yes, they could try to physically restrain the prince, but people would be hurt, and it certainly wouldn't make anyone's job any easier the next time they needed A'lestrel's assistance… And he really didn't want to get the Ssii'iin involved… Giving in gracefully and minimising any potential damage was the best option.
      "Very well. But you will take a full team with you, and you will do nothing more than collect the plants, make payment, and return."
      "Agreed."
      "Then go and prepare. Be back here in two hours and I'll have everything organised for you."

Maazi had objected, papa had grinned and said it wouldn't do him any harm to let loose for a little while… Accordingly, within two hours he was spaceborne, Uzum at the controls of the heavily armed cruiser and six Elite warriors for his 'protection'…
      It was a short trip - Jalangl was only five thousand lightyears away - and A'lestrel anticipated the planetside time to be equally brief.
      He'd reckoned without the merchant…
      Flobgrdl was a bipedal Pralan-jin. He was also, to put it politely, ugly. A vaguely tear-drop shaped body, half again as tall as 'lestrel with rough leathery skin in a thoroughly nasty shade of bile-yellow. Short squat legs and longer, quadruply-jointed arms. Sharp barbs on his elbows, across the top of his head and down his neck and upper back. A lipless mouth, small eyes half-hidden in folds of fat, a small blob of a nose.
      And A'lestrel walked blithely into Flobgrdl's office, his eagerness to give his bondmate something rare and precious as a gift making him careless.
      The Pralan-jin had stared at the Zasshu, long black tongue protruding slightly, eyes as wide as they would open. He'd never seen anything quite as gorgeous. He'd planned on asking for a large quantity of gold and precious stones for the tubers: he now added six local hours (roughly a night) with the prince as part of the price…
      A'lestrel stared, horrified, and shook his head. Flobgrdl shrugged (at least, they assumed that rippling through the layers of fat swathing his body was the equivalent of a shrug) and carefully put the tubers, one by one, back into their pouch.
      A'lestrel bit his lip. He wanted those plants for his zk'aida! Would it be so hard to submit? After all, he had done much the same before, in the line of duty…
      Flobgrdl smirked as the prince lowered his head, nodding, ignoring the enraged objections of his Guard.

The Pralan-jin liked to lick and bite and gnaw. They liked to fuck, enthusiastically and violently. They were permanently erect, and eager. And their claws were capable of breaking Zasshu skin.
      And their semen - well, whatever passed for it in their biology, at any rate - was slimy, sticky, copious and smelt of decaying vegetation.
      A'lestrel - exhausted, hurting, his control now hanging by a thread - on his hands and knees with the Pralan-jin grunting as he pounded yet again into the cool body below him, was thankful, gritting his teeth, that Flobgrdl apparently wasn't familiar with the notion of oral sex. Bad enough that his chitsu was raw and bleeding sluggishly where the barbs on Flobgrdl's inkei had caught on his own and torn, and his back, buttocks, thighs and even his tail were streaked with clawmarks: at least he didn't have to have that vile, slimy, seeping thing in his mouth…
      At precisely six local hours after the agreement had been struck Sasa marched into the merchant's bedroom, grabbed him by several folds of flab at the nape of his neck and yanked him from the prince's body. A'lestrel whimpered as the abrupt withdrawal of the merchant's inkei slashed a couple of new tears in his flesh, then collapsed forwards onto the bed, thighs trembling, tail limply squirming on the bed beside him. Sasa knelt at his side, warm gentle fingers checking the damage, then leaned down to kiss the centre of his back.
      "You'll live, your highness. Though it'll hurt for a while."
      But at least nowhere it'll cause Lutra any alarm or frustration… And I will have healed by the time she gets back ... 'lestrel peered up at the Guardsman over his shoulder and tried to smirk.
      "Check he's kept his side of the bargain…"
      Sasa stood over the scowling Flobgrdl as he counted thirteen tubers into a protective pack and added a generous supply of native water to the consignment - then oversaw the payment of a substantial amount of R'ren'nkh'ian gold and beautiful precious gems to the merchant, her expression cold and fixed.
      "We do this only because his highness asks it of us." She sneered at the Pralan-jin. "We should take the goods by force as part-recompense for what you have - " she glanced over her shoulder at the prince, who was gritting his teeth against the pain as he eased a bodysuit over bruised, torn, aching flesh "- taken with more force than could ever be considered appropriate…"
      Flobgrdl sketched a bow then glowered.
      "I trade in very, very rare items. It's only just that I get very rare items in exchange."
      Sasa glowered at him, her clenched hand glowing as she gathered ki.
      "Don't push your luck…"

"You all right?"
      A'lestrel cracked open one eye and peered up as best he could from his prone position on the bed. Ry knelt at the bedside, frowning at the prince.
      "You do realise that was an incredibly stupid fucking thing to do, don't you?"
      A'lestrel sighed, grimacing as another brief, intense spasm of pain shot through his lower body.
      "It was my choice."
      "I know that. And I don't blame you - she's worth the sacrifice." The Saiyan stroked the prince's cool green mane. "But you won't be allowed such indulgences in future."
      The Zasshu rested his forehead on his crossed forearms.
      "I know."
      Stubborn brat… "Sure you do…"
      A'lestrel growled and glared up at his aijin.
      "Strange as it may seem to you, I do have some awareness of my position in the family." He closed his eyes. I should have. I've been told what it is over and over again since before I was old enough to understand what it meant…
      His eyes opened at the sensation of Ry's calloused palm stroking gently down his back.
      *I wish I could make things easier for you, aijin…*
      A'lestrel rolled gingerly onto his back and caught the broad warm hand in his cool slender one, kissing the fingers.
      *You already do, zk'vissin. Just by understanding, if nothing else.*
      Ry ran his fingers gently through 'lestrel's mane.
      *Does it bother you so much?*
      The hybrid considered the question for a moment, then sighed and shook his head.
      *If I'm completely honest, no, it doesn't really. Well, not much anyway. All of us give of what we have. I just happen to have something particularly useful to the Empire.* He managed a grin. *And let's face it, I'm given so much more leeway than anyone has any right to expect… I shouldn't complain.*
      Ry humphed.
      *Is it enough for you?*
      And actually, thinking about it, A'lestrel realised that it was. He nodded, smiling: Ry slid onto the bed behind the Zasshu and pulled the cool abused body carefully to him, moulding himself against the prince comfortingly.
      *You need to rest. Want me to stay here?*
      The Zasshu sighed and relaxed back into the Saiyan's embrace.
      *… please… I'm tired.*
      Biting back a not fucking surprised, Ry nuzzled the cool neck and dragged a sleeping fur over them both. And A'lestrel slept undisturbed, safe in Ry's arms and content that he had something rare and precious for his bondmate. Something he'd keep a secret until it was close to the time for the flowers to bloom…
      He couldn't wait to scent her, see her face…