with her these last few days mean to me, Aricin.”

He put a paw on her back. “She’s my mate, Tosca. I’ve… learned recently that I haven’t been the mate or partner to her I should be.”

“Well, you’re succeeding in being that mate and partner now, so keep doing it.”

He smiled. “I intend to.”

When she left to join the pride he returned to the chamber, lying down beside Asya. “Think you’ll be able to eat?” he asked carefully.

She considered that for a moment then looked at him, nodding. “I believe so, but like yesterday I’ll take it slowly.”

“Good idea.”

With that they started eating. Aricin let her go first, a gesture that surprised her, but she didn’t complain. Though she had to wonder how long his newfound behavior would last.

When Asya ate all she could she looked up at Aricin. “I don’t think I can consume anymore,” she said, her ears tipping back.

He nodded in understanding and pushed the meat away with a paw. Clearly, he had too. “That’s okay. I imagine you’re tired as well.”

In response she yawned and shook her head. “You could say that,” she said with a tired smile and shifted on the ground so she was more comfortable.

Aricin rose and for a foolish moment she thought he was going to leave. He’s never left in the last couple days, she thought, why would he now? She watched him walk around and settle himself in the space between her and the wall.

The King and Queen of Jangwa stared at each other, both of them wondering what Asya’s sickness, recovery, and the days after meant. Aricin wanted so much for them to start over but he wasn’t sure how to voice it. I should tell her soon, he thought to himself, but not tonight, maybe not tomorrow night. Aricin looked at her and gave her a gentle, warm smile that she returned without reluctance or hesitation. But in his next action he did hesitate, then moved slowly toward her, watching her eyes, her face for a reaction. He saw none and nuzzled her, his face touching hers.

Fear surrounded her and the air in the chamber seemed to drop, then rise after only a moment. She couldn’t believe it. She’d let him, in her waking moments, nuzzle her! What had – She welcomed it. Perhaps it was another way to let her know that no matter her thoughts about him he was taking this change of his to heart and wanted to let her know that he was being serious.

He didn’t move, neither did she, but after a long moment she heard him whisper. “I think we gave up too quickly Asya… I know we did and somewhere, deep down, you know it too.” He licked her cheek then pulled away, staring at her once more. What she saw in his eyes made her heart stop.

He continued speaking, unaware that he had taken her completely off guard. “Yes, we were joined together by force, by our fathers, and I feel because of that we haven’t allowed ourselves to be the friends and partners to this kingdom we could be. And… we can be, if we put some real effort into it. Not effort based on our pride’s belief, or on what our fathers did to us, but for ourselves.” He paused and looked down and then back at her a split second later.

The look was still in his handsome red hazel eyes. She felt her emotions rise.

“My life has never been simple Asya,” he continued, shaking his head a little. “I was born into a competitive life. It was me, my older sister Nuala and our many male cousins, one of whom is Nuala’s mate if you can believe that. My other siblings… well they’re the quiet ones, so I guess they’ve never really understood.” He paused, expecting her to say something. When she didn’t he spoke again. “I… I’d like to tell you about my family one day, but for now…” He sighed deeply. “I didn’t want this betrothal, you didn’t either. And… we were so angry with our fathers we took it out on the possibility of either of us getting close, and refused to for fear something else would happen, something that would alter our lives more than they already were.”

She still didn’t say anything. Maybe I went too far, he thought, chiding himself. He looked away and was about to put his head down when Asya touched her paw with his.

“Aricin…” she said in a slow voice, “I would like to know more about your family, but only when you want to tell me.”

He nodded, slightly pleased that she said so. He could tell she was sincere. “Okay… maybe when you’re feeling completely better.” He looked to the side. “Maybe when we don’t have too much work for the kingdom…”

“I’d like that.”

He turned back to her and smiled. “Okay… one day then.”

Asya smiled back, realizing she hadn’t moved her paw from his. She then drew her head close to his. What he said had touched something in her. She was afraid… yet curious. Then she did something completely out of her own character, something that was probably going to break their agreement. But hadn’t Aricin broken his side of it… just by taking care of her when he could have gone on and patrolled the borders? She licked his cheek and laid her face on his shoulder covered mane.

“Thank you, Aricin,” she said in a pained, emotionally toned whisper. She closed her eyes, a tear leaking out of the left. “Thank you for taking care of me.” She felt her heart beat.

He purred softly and closed his eyes. She had surrendered a part of herself. Like him she had just opened her own blocked heart. “In sickness and in health,” he whispered.

“What?” She didn’t pull away. She didn’t want to.

He didn’t either and started to explain. “It’s one of the vows in a marriage… A vow we unofficially didn’t make, among the rest…” He felt himself smile. “A vow I have decided to keep, and then some… all of them.”

“You did a lot of thinking over the past couple of days, didn’t you?”

He chuckled but neither of them moved. “Yeah, I did, and another vow, if I am correct, is for better or for worse. It pretty much means we’ll stay together for anything good or bad.” His ears flickered. “We’re together for the better of the pride and the kingdom. The worse would be that we’re not for ourselves. Instead of treading slowly, leading our hearts, we forced our minds to think we couldn’t or wouldn’t be a good pair. Now we have a second chance to make this right, to make it work.” He paused for a moment, gathering himself. “I’m quite serious about this, Asya. I want to try again, for real… nice and slow.” Then he pulled away and shook his head. “When I first came here we were both so wounded by what our fathers had done that we never healed.” He shrugged. “And maybe what happened here –”

She studied him, blinked, and understood. “Me falling sick, your thoughts… will provide healing for us?”

“We need to be healed, Asya. Otherwise, what kind of King and Queen are we?”

He had a point, but could she come to the same conclusion he had? He’d had a whole day of watching her suffer from a fever to think about this… Could she have done the same for him? “I… I need some time, Aricin.” It sounded like a plea. Maybe it was.

They looked at each other again and the depth in the red lion’s eyes was so great, so genuine that she didn’t want to look away.

Aricin smiled warmly and put a paw on hers. “You can have all the time you need.”

“Thank you,” she said genuinely.

He nuzzled her. “You’re welcome.” To his surprise and shock, as he turned away she kissed his cheek. He smiled again and laid his head on his paws. She did the same and lay on her right side, her head touching his left foreleg. When he was sure she was asleep he put his left foreleg on her shoulder. She didn’t move away or object. Her breathing just deepened.

As Aricin closed his eyes his one hope was that this would be a new start for both of them.