The gentle touch of his muzzle on my skin is a welcome benediction and I close my eyes to enjoy the gentle motion. I wander far less than my husband or brothers, content to keep watch over our small family from the relative comfort of our eastern dunes and as such, find myself far less beset by uncleanliness. On days such as this, when my heart feels fit to burst over love and fear for the unborn within my body and sends me scaling from one emotion to the next, I stay here in the oasis that my beloved gifted me, so that my sharp tongue does not wound those around me. I nap on the smattering of plant life nearest the water, and take shelter beneath the arcing leaves of the scattered palm trees. I have found my peace here, and I will not let it go lightly.

I remain pressed against him even as I speak, our opposite directions all but begging me to lean my head over the lean curve of his haunch. He stutters in his washing of me and I grin momentarily, glad that it is I who have made him speechless for once. He brings up the negotiations that had occurred for our original wedding and I smile faintly, although I'd had precious little to do with any of the contracts. I had learned of most of what had occurred through court gossip, as the marriage of Mira and Mahgrib had earned much comment and speculation among our people.

Many had objected to my marriage, if only because I was the fairest and beloved by most of our people. They considered Mira to be a land of barbarians and they fretted that I would not be treated well there. I, too, had shared some of these same fears so long ago. Meeting Rigel for lessons had quelled some of it, but my mind had been on so many other things at the time that I had hardly taken in anything that he'd said.

My vanity had stood in the way of my good sense for far too long.

He mentions the madness of Tekes and I laugh, for this concept was well shared between our tribes. The Tekes were a proud people, and while there were a few that selected mates outside of their own races, such a thing was rare, and was largely why the majority of our commoners and lesser herds were made of Tekes. They kept to themselves, and we to ourselves, which made partnership easy.

But it also made going to war difficult. A Teke did not answer a call to war without good reason, and convincing them had proven to be more and more costly as time went on. As the threats mounted, so had my father's desperation, which I secretly believed was why he had sought out a connection with Mira to begin with. Mira's peoples were varied, each allowed to choose the profession that called most strongly to them which resulted in a fighting force that far exceeded my family's own after skirmishes with other tribes had weakened us.

I laugh as Antares switches to self-deprecation, calling himself the mimic of Rigel and I shake my head. This explanation pales in comparison to that which my galaxy coated brother would offer. He would have likely given me the background as to why, and which breeds were allowed, and the circumstances where exclusions may apply, and so on. Antares' explanation had been relatively brief, although it was informative. I had no immediate plans, obviously, for my beloved to take on an unpure wife... save perhaps Indira if I could find her someday.

For a few moments, I let the quiet develop between us, taking comfort and pleasure in the relaxation that being together offered. Absently I toy with the ruby strands of his mane, laying them flat against the strong expanse of his neck. "I know it's early," I say around a smile. "But what would you like to name him, if its a boy?"