You. Are. My. Mate.

'Oh thank goodness you're awake!'

Am I? Sera thought muzzily. She'd had the strangest dream. She'd died and then--

The canopy over Six's bed came into focus, and with it Sera's thoughts. She had not been dreaming. She was dead--twice over now, really--and inhabiting the body of a pastel-colored fairy with a broken arm and a monumental crush on a complete a$$hole.

'Sera?' Six thought tentatively, and there was the sensation like the lightest touch of a fingertip on Sera's soul. Six's uncertainty, on the other hand, was like a bitter cloud that surrounded Sera.

'Good morning, Six,' Sera thought back, as reassuringly as she could. And it was a good morning, she realized. A cool, green-scented breeze flowed in through the open windows, along with the smell of breakfast. Even better, breakfast smelled like cinnamon, bacon, and coffee. Hopefully it would taste similar. Sera stretched, reveling in the pull of Six's muscles, and sat up.

'Sera, I don't remember coming back to the room. And who are all these people on the floor?' Six asked nervously. Sera glanced around the room and saw that there were, indeed, four women stretched out sleeping on the floor. Well, on mats and pillows on the floor, anyhow.

'Those are the women Lady Snowpearl assigned as your guards, after Three told her you're his mate,' Sera replied. Too late, she realized she probably should have kept that last bit to herself. She braced herself mentally for Six's delight and for the disappointment that would inevitably follow once Six realized the extent of Three's feelings. Or rather, the lack thereof.

But to her surprise, Six's response wasn't delight, but outrage. "He did WHAT?!"

The four women on the floor started awake, springing to their feet and drawing weapons as they peered around the room. A fifth hurried in from the bathroom, two more piled through the door from the hall, and the last three rushed in from the balcony.

If Six noticed, she paid the women no mind as she launched herself out of the bed to the door, crossed the hall, and threw open Three's bedroom door. "BROTHER FORTY-THREE, I WANT A WORD WITH YOU!"

Three was completely naked, his dark green skin slicked with a sheen of sweat as he moved through some form of martial kata. Every muscle of his body was perfectly defined, and if he had so much as an inch of extra fat, Sera would be astonished. He'd taken the braids out of his hair, and now it hung a little past his shoulders in a bushy peacock-colored mass.

At the sound of Six's voice he started and whirled around. His eyes dilated as his gaze fixed on Six and his manhood leapt to attention. Six's anger was momentarily derailed by an answering wave of lust and she took a few steps forward, licking her lips in anticipation, fingers twitching with the desire to run along the planes of Three's body. Three took his own step forward, his gold eyes flicked momentarily to the bed, and then locked back onto Six as he breathed out her name in a soft groan.

The sound was all it took to remind Six that she was angry and she took an abrupt step back and snarled, "Put your pants on, I'm not here for sex."

"Aren't you?" Three asked with a smirk, closing the last bit of distance and reaching for Six. He staggered as she shoved him backward.

"I am not here for sex," Six repeated with a snarl. She started to cross her arms over her chest, but thought better of it. From the way she clenched her fists, Sera presumed the young woman was anticipating needing throw a punch.

Irritation flashed across Three's features as he asked, "Then why are you here?"

"Sera says you told your mother we're mated," Six accused.

"And did she tell you why I did it?" asked Three. His tone was condescending, but a hint of worry lurked in the back of his eyes.

"Oh, I know why. You wanted to be sure she wouldn't throw me out," Six said. This time it was surprise on the young man's face. He drew in a breath to speak, but Six plowed on, "And since my room is full of guards, it clearly worked. You had no right to do that!"

"Six--"

"I am not an animal!" Six shrieked. "You can't just present me to your mother like I'm a sheryn you mean to breed!"

"Six, it's not like that--"

"It's exactly like that!" Six yelled. "You brought us here because you felt guilty. If I wasn't injured, you would never have admitted that we're mated because everyone will laugh at the handsome, rich son of the noble house matched up with the stupid, ugly, little peasant girl. Why didn't you just leave us at the hospital?"

"Because you. Are. My. Mate!" Three roared back. "My brothers are married, but none of them are mated. I'm the only one! The burden of continuing the line is mine, and it doesn't matter whether I like you or not, or if you're completely unsuitable to be the next Lady Llinn! You don't have to be pretty, or smart, or from a good family! All that matters is that we produce a successor for the House!"

Three's eyes filled with tears, half anger and half pain. Because she did have feelings for Three, even if had none for her.

"No," she said.

"You don't get to say 'no'," Three snapped. His shoulders slumped as he said wearily, "That's the price of safety."

Six gave him a long look, then slowly shook her head. "There are worse things than being dead, Three."

And with that she turned around and walked back to her own room, filing between the guardswomen who'd poured into the hall on her heels.

Six made her way to the wardrobe and pulled it open, staring blankly at the clothing for several long minutes. Her emotions were a confused tangle that Sera couldn't unravel, her thoughts too unformed to be interpreted. Finally the young woman selected the plainest dress in the wardrobe and put it on, then her sandals. As she tied the laces, Sera was finally able to tease out one idea from the confusion.

'We're going to see Lady Snowpearl?' she asked.

"I have to tell her that . . . " Six trailed off for a moment, then said firmly, "That I will not be bred to Three. I won't be joining the House of Llinn."

The regret she felt at those words was crystal clear. Sera wished she could hug the other woman. Apparently that impulse conveyed itself, because for a moment she had the impression that Six had leaned into her embrace. Then Six straightened her spine, and her resolve, and turned towards the door.

"If you're going to face down Lady Snowpearl, I strongly advise fortifying yourself with breakfast first," one of the women near the door said, nodding in the direction of the breakfast smells. Sera recognized her as the woman who'd been drilling warriors when they'd arrived yesterday, but didn't know her name.

"No, I need to go now," Six said. Sera could feel her fear that if she delayed, her resolve would fail.

"You need to eat," the warrior woman said. "Lady Snowpearl will have heard about the argument by the time we find her. She will use every tactic she can think of to make you reconsider. If you pass out from hunger while arguing with her, you'll just have to start all over again."

'Also, we'll have a lot better chance at avoiding would-be attackers if they can't hear our stomach growling,' Sera contributed lightly. Their shared stomach rumbled helpfully at that moment. 'I will be here to help you face Lady Snowpearl. And if necessary we can shove Three off another branch.'

"I don't want to hurt him!" Six exclaimed, eyes wide. The guardswomen traded glances with each other.

Apparently Sera's presence with Six was not common knowledge yet. She filed that bit of information away, before responding to Six. 'So, a branch that's not far up from a platform, then. Or I could punch him for you.'

"I don't want to hurt him," Six said again, her tone warning now. The guardswomen traded more uneasy glances.

'I can't imagine why not. I want to tan his worthless green hide,' Sera said. And then, because Six was rapidly becoming irritated with her, Sera added, 'But I know you care for him, and you don't want him hurt, so I'll refrain. If we can eat breakfast before we go face down Lady Snowpearl.'

"Fine," Six said with a huff. "We'll eat breakfast."

She turned around and flounced towards the balcony, following the smell of the food and finding it on a table just outside. Several of the guardswomen moved out onto the balcony as well. After Six had filled a plate and carried it to the railing, they filled plates of their own, while the woman in charge came to stand next to Six.

A first Six ate in silence, looking down at the garden several stories below. Eventually the guardswoman said, "We were never introduced. I'm Captain Nightfire. I'm in charge of the house guard."

"I'm . . . " and Six floundered, unsure of how to identify herself.

"Miss Six," Captain Nightfire said, continuing with a slightly sour smile, "Who has the misfortune to be the mate of the most spoiled son of a noble house with no daughters."

Six picked at a roll. "Yes."

"I'm sorry. I won't say no good ever comes of mixing with the noble houses, but . . . things do get more complicated," said Captain Nightfire.

"We peasant farmers have spoiled sons too," Six said. After shredding more of the roll she added, "Daughters aren't quite such an all-important thing, though."

"Like I said. Things get more complicated," Captain Nightfire said. After a long moment she continued, "I was the sixth daughter in my family. My House wasn't as prominent as Llinn, but my parents were VERY ambitious. They sold two of my elder sisters to houses with no daughters for the sake of the power it brought them, and meant to do the same with me. I told them to f**k off and renounced my family."

Six hissed in surprise and her head whipped toward the captain to stare at her in shock. The Captain gave a grim smile.

"Lady Snowpearl will do everything in she can to bring you into the house," she said. "And in the interest of full disclosure--I hope she can convince you to stay, because this House is worth preserving. But you have my word that I will help you leave if that is what you decide is right for you."

"I--" Six began. But words failed her. Finally she settled on, "Thank you."

The captain smiled slightly. "Finish your breakfast. Lady Snowpearl will--"

She broke off at the sound of voices from the bedroom and turned, eyes narrowing. A moment later one of the other guardswomen appeared, looking very uncomfortable as she reported, "Lady Snowpearl is here. And a doctor, to look at your wing, Miss Six."

Six and Sera both stiffened warily, but a moment later a familiar figure strode out onto the balcony. Sera relaxed immediately as she said, "Doctor Roseleaf. Good morning."