Caelum wanders the halls of the palace, humming softly to himself with his hand on his belly and feeling the baby kick against his palm.

He stops at a giant window, the scenery different from the view in their room.

Outside he can see people walking about the palace, some seeming like they're paying respects while others search for guidance.

He sighs.

He woke up alone in a cold and empty bed, Aerglo gone and in xyr place a little note of apology.

He only managed to wander the palace after throwing up, after eating breakfast by himself, with his only company being their baby sleeping inside of him.

At least he managed to eat something like oatmeal, more earthy but sweeter, and to his surprise, he managed to stomach it.

"Kcab thguorb sah Aerglo namuh eht era uoy, os."

Caelum looks up at the alien startled.

The alien is old, xyr age showing through few laugh lines and smiles and more through crinkles of stress and worry.

Xe scrutinizes him and he feels small, smaller than before. He immediately tries to cover his belly with the cloak he stole from Aerglo, his mate's scent still woven into the soft fabric. But he's not slick and the alien notices.

Xe's eyes widen in surprise, lips drawn down in displeasure.

Caelum stops breathing.

"A child," the regal alien finally speaks, "You carry a child... xyr child."

Caelum doesn't know how to answer. He can see the displeasure on the alien's face and he's struck by fear. Hadn't Aerglo mention their baby?

"Citehtap, sselthrow, namuh," xe spits.

Caelum doesn't need to know what xe says in order to understand that it isn't anything good. He almost wants to cower from xyr angry eyes.

"Caelum?"

Caelum looks behind the Royal, breath hitching when he finds Aerglo slightly breathless.

Aerglo is fast to approach them, to step between them and protect xyr love and child.

"Diputs os eb uoy dluoc woh?" The royal demands angrily.

Aerglo frowns.

"Namuh a etam ot sa diputs os!"

Caelum flinches, hiding behind Aerglo and gripping xyr shirt tightly in fear.

"Who I chose to mate and love is none of your concern," Aerglo states firmly.

There's no need to hide what's being said, Caelum isn't stupid and Aerglo values him and respects him too much to speak about him as if he's not there.

"You took me in and I will always be grateful for that, but your opinion on who I mate is none of your concern."

"It is when a child is involved!"

"My child," Aerglo grits, hands turning into fists, "my child is not a ploy and I'll be damned if you ever lay your hands on them. They will live free without your scrutiny and harshness."

"A child so weak will never survive here. You've made a grave mistake mating a human and thinking you could conceive a child with it."

"Him," Aerglo stresses, "he is a person and his name is Caelum."

Caelum peeks over Aerglo, wide teary eyes glistening in the sunlight streaming from the windows.

The royal growls and finally settles on, "this is your mess, you fix it."

Xe turns with a flourish of a long rich red and gold cape trailing behind xem. One of the guards that had accompanied xem, following right behind, lips sealed, mute but hand on xyr hilt.

And when it's just them, Caelum feels like he can breathe again.

"Are you alright?" Aerglo asks.

"Hates me," Caelum whispers in shock, "they all do."

"Hate no, perhaps they feel confusion and displeasure. I'm not trying to provide xem excuses, but you must remember, my little one, that relationships other than the ones within our own kind are taboo. And the conception of our child was unexpected and rare. You must also understand that xe... that there's misconceptions about humans, about their weakness. Xe believes you make me weak, you are a liabity and in this time it's not something we need. But you are not that. You are not my weakness, but my strength. I love you, I always will and I've vowed and will continue to do so again and again, to protect you. Always."

Aerglo bends down on xyr knees and presses a kiss to Caelum's round belly before hugging him tight.

"I'm not as strong as you," Caelum admits softly.

Aerglo smiles, "no, you are far stronger."

Caelum blushes and rolls his eyes, but cups Aerglo's cheeks tenderly, "I'll protect you too, Aerglo."

And when they kiss, it's like kissing for the first time again.