I watched as Yarro closed the door to the communications room, shutting Addison inside and giving her the privacy to speak to her friends.

I'd told her if she needed me I would be waiting just outside this door, but as I turned and noticed all of the communications team busy with their own duties I couldn't help but feel a little bored and restless. Yarro returned to his desk and brought a small screen up where he would likely monitor communications on the galaxy-wide feed.

Part of me wished I could commandeer another screen and watch Addison's communications with her Riniere, but I felt that would likely be considered a little too forward on my part, and as much as I wanted to meet her friends I knew she was allowed her privacy and her time to interact with them without me.

I stepped up beside Vailen, who was more than riveted on the screen as flashes upon flashes of images blinked by, showcasing snippets of news broadcasts across the entirety of the human planet. The images flicked by so fast that even if they were written in Vallan I doubted I would have been able to understand them, and yet Vailen's silvered gaze followed along easily. "Anything?"

"Only mild hostilities." His voice rumbled. He was angry, but I could barely feel anything from him.

"Are you taking it upon yourself...to hunt for an opportunity to prove our merit?"

"Yes." The word was short almost staccato. "Wouldn't you?"

I nodded, "And Prince Roan?"

"He agrees. All of our Riniere is in agreement as to the importance of proving ourselves more trustworthy than these human males." Muscles flexed in his arms and his jaw. Just as I thought he would dismiss me and continue his analysis of the human programs his gaze whipped to the doorway just in time for Prince Roan --not only the leader of the Aarond Form but also of Vailen's Riniere-- to enter the communications bay.

"Esayr," he leveled his golden gaze --the sole tell for a Guided Val'Dornn-- and I felt the weight of that look.

"Yes, my Prince?" Something was wrong. I could feel the tension and even the slight anger fanning out from Roan.

"I need your assistance." He motioned for me to follow him out of the communications bay.

I looked toward the doorway where Addison sat speaking to her friends. Where she sat expecting me to be outside of this room should she need me.

"What she will speak of with her friends will happen whether you are here or not. I assure you, you need not be here in this room for her while she has that conversation."

I trusted Roan, as a Guided Val'Dornn he was gifted an entirely Val' ability, which was to see hidden and unknown things. Only Guided Val'Dornn can navigate the unknowable stars just as Volla'Drannen did and only guided Val'Dornn have the ability to know things before they might happen.

"If she calls for me let her know I will be here soon," I whispered to Vailen, who only nodded before he inclined his head to the Prince --not a bow, but as a member of his Riniere it could be forgiven in the wake of their close relationship.

I stepped out into the deserted hallway along with Prince Roan.

"Is there...something wrong?" I matched my Prince's pace as he advanced down the hall. He had always been a stable male, as most any who would shoulder the burden's he shouldered would have to be. So, to feel even a small disturbance in his emotions was cause for alarm for me and likely any other male, not in his immediate circle of relations.

"There is an issue."

"And I can be of assistance?"

"It is within your Riniere."

There was ice water in my veins. What has happened? I had felt a strain earlier, but nothing to any extent that would warrant the Prince's attention.

Roan glanced in my direction and must have read some emotion on my face, "You don't know." It wasn't a question merely a statement of facts he'd gleaned from me or maybe from his guidances.

"I don't know," I echoed.

"I will let him tell you himself." The Prince's words sounded short bordering on annoyed as he stepped into the hall that marked living accommodations for unmated males, specifically sector 23, the sector the rest of my Riniere was housed in.

Kados, Addric, Laene, or Kayle. Which of my Riniere was the problem? Of all of them, Addric and Kayle showed no signs of anything being amiss. We passed by the room Kayle was stationed in he was the farthest from us, housed closer to his brothers who also lived on the Aarond Form. Not Kayle then. I felt a tension between Laene and Kados in the gaming hall, but we've had our tensions before and scuffles within Riniere's don't usually warrant the Prince's interference.

As we took the turn that led to both the twins and Laene's rooms I was nearly choked by sadness, the scent and feel of it in the air was strong enough to have my eyes watering. Kados loitered outside of a door, not his own but Laene's.

"Wh-what," I sucked in a breath barely able to get the word out.

A muscle in Kados' jaw ticked as we approached, "He's secluded himself inside and won't speak to anyone. I can't help him...or change his mind." A flash of anger sliced through the miasma of sadness. Kados turned red-rimmed eyes to the both of us, "Do something, please. Or else it will come to blows and...I can't...not with him over these things. They are both too important to me."

As flippant as Kados was on most occasions he did have his passions; his work and his Riniere.

Prince Roan motioned me forward.

"What has he done?" I whispered to Kados, who for all the world looked ready to retreat.

"He's sinned."

*****A/N*****

I still live. I didn't end up going to the hospital, which is a relief. This new year has not started off as well as I wanted, but I'm trucking through. I've missed all of you and these characters. I had about half of this part written a while back and had intended for it to be longer and include more, but I have a thing for weird notes to end parts on and this kinda fit. The next part will still be Esayr's point of view and will include the rest of what I wanted to have happen in this chapter originally. Hoping to get back into updating more regularly than I have been because I know I've been neglecting y'all and that isn't the way I wanted to start this year.

As always, with love,

Layla