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King Stefan looked displeased, but then again, he always did “I don’t want to stay here longer than necessary Let’s take our leave now that this farce is finally over I have already told the pilot to prepare our plane for departure”
Haydn nodded and looked at his horn’s o—”
“Where are you going?”
The familiar deep voice horn—at his husband The beta was eyeing the from Stefan to Haydn and back
Before Haydn could say anything, his father answered coldly, “We’re taking our leave”
Cleghorn’s frown deepened He looked at Stefan for a longht, but my husband will stay here”
A vein twitched at Stefan’s teround out “I and ” His tone was final “Come, Haydn”
Cleghorn laid a hand on Haydn’s shoulder “My husband will stay here,” he repeated, his voice like steel
A hysterical laugh bubbled up Haydn’s throat His father’s face was priceless Haydn honestly couldn’t remember the last time so it Not that betas couldn’t be self-assured, but it was biologically difficult for betas to stand up to alphas: alpha phero Even now his father’s alpha pherohorn’s will, but, to Haydn’s astonishhorn didn’t seem affected at all, his expression firm and unimpressed
“Your husband?” Stefan said, sneering “The Galactic Council official has left, and there are no reporters here anymore; there’s no need to keep up the act We all know this so-calledbut a farce”
Cleghorn looked at the king steadily “You’re being either naive or short-sighted if you think we can sione There is no act For the peace to last, our people need to believe that we’re serious about the peace—and about this union Your son is married to me He is my husband, and he can’t leave Kadar so soon It certainly wouldbut a farce and render everything we’ve done today pointless”
Haydn frowned thoughtfully Cleghorn was right He did need to stay for a while But his father had never allowed anyone’s opinion to change his own, and Haydn doubted he was going to start now
Stefan’s reddening face confirmed it “You—”
“Father,” Haydn cut in, keeping his voice firm but respectful—the tone he’d perfected over the decades He needed to help his father save face, or Stefan would never give in “I agree with you: Senator Cleghorn’s point is valid I will stay in Kadar for a short while and then coo ahead”
For a ht his father would explode But then Stefan took a deep breath and then let it out “Fine,” he bit off “We expect you ho his wife, he strode out of the roooodbye to Haydn
Haydn sighed, watching his parents leave with s On one hand, he was relieved to be away fro, but he was also very conscious that he was now alone in a foreign country, a people who had no love for him; quite the opposite