"Jessa, we will be in Silva tonight, soon we will part. Will you tell me what's wrong? Is there anything I can do to help you?" Jessa had been unusually quiet since her lessons with Alaric the day she was hired by the caravan master with Nathan.

Jessa pulls Dhiren into a secluded spot and makes sure that their conversation is private, "I think it would be better for you to not continue courting me, Dhiren." Jessa says more than a little sadly.

"What? Why, have I done something to hurt or offend you?" Dhiren demands. He's more than a little sick at her words. He finds the idea of saying goodbye to her less than pleasant for the short term, saying goodbye permanently makes him ill.

"Alaric informed me that if I ever gained my dragon form that I would be expected to fly and mate with a gold dragon. They are too few to not have a young female fly and have baby dragons. As the princess it is my duty," Jessa is more than a little bitter about this duty. "I will not be able to let my people down, even if the only ones I know are the ones there in Castlerock and I don't even know all of them."

"I understand all about duty and doing something unpleasant because of it." Dhiren tells her, he wants to tell her that he knew about her duty, but didn't know how to tell her without her getting upset.

"You knew, didn't you?" Jessa states as she looks at him, unsure if she should be angry or relieved.

"Yes, he had told me earlier that day. I had asked him if he had informed you of it yet and he admitted to me that he hadn't. I told him that wasn't fair to you and that he needs to tell you, prepare you." Dhiren tells her and pulls her into his arms.

"I can't be your wife and still fly gold dragons, Dhiren. That's not fair to you or your people."

Dhiren doesn't like her words and kisses her to stop her from speaking. "I told Alaric that I needed to think about what he told me before I could make a decision about continuing courting you or letting you go. He was pleased that I didn't just make a declaration. The thought of letting you go makes me ill."

"And what does me mating with another make you?" Jessa demands.

"I am less than pleased, Jessa. I don't like sharing, as we both made clear to the other. I just need to make sure that I won't lose it completely if you do shift forms. I want you to have the best, even if that isn't me. I want what will make you happy."

"But what about your happiness, Dhiren? What will make you happy?"

"I don't know yet, have you decided that you will be happier with me not courting you? If so then I will stop now."

"How can I make that decision when you haven't figured out if you can handle me flying another male? I know if it would make you jealous and angry, make you upset and bitter about being with me when I have to be with another even after the banns are read and the marriage performed, I would say let me go. The bitterness, anger and jealousy would turn your feelings towards me to hate and I could not stay with you if you hate me."

"Jessa," Dhiren tries to say but Jessa lowers the spell and returns to her duties of ranging ahead.

Dhiren soon loses sight of her and sullenly returns to the slowly moving caravan. It doesn't take long for the rest of his guard to show up and take defensive positions around him but slightly out from the caravan to give him some privacy.

Nathan looks at the dejected elven prince and makes his way to him. "Are you alright, Your Highness?"

Dhiren shakes himself from his depressing thoughts. "What?"

"I asked if you were alright? Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Not unless you can change the race of a person?" Dhiren says more than a little bitterly.

"I don't understand?" Nathan says softly but with a great deal of sympathy. He thinks he understands a bit. It has to do with Jessa and their courting.

"Jessa is thinking about breaking off the courting, because of her race and her duties."

Nathan shakes his head in sorrow. Jessa brightens when she sees the prince and smiles a truly happy smile that he only ever sees when Dhiren is around. "She cares for you Prince. Give her time and she will accept you."

Dhiren smiles sadly, "Will she? Will she be happier with my people or her own?" Dhiren shakes his head. "That is the true question is it not, Nathan? How can she be truly happy with my people when she was forced out of Silva for her own protection?" Dhiren gives a bitter laugh. "It is little more than a miracle that she even gave me this much time with her.

"I'm sorry, Nathan. You don't deserve me letting out my bitterness on you. Forgive me."

Nathan gives him a sad smile in return. "There is nothing to forgive. We all have problems when it comes to loving another. We all at one time or another find pain when we open our hearts."

This grabs Dhiren's attention, "Do you have someone special waiting for you, Nathan?"

Nathan gives his own bark of bitter laughter, "No, Prince, she chose another while I was away working to earn a living for us. She let another woo her and marry her and raise my child."

"I am sorry to hear that Nathan. My fiancée was unfaithful to me from the beginning. She died with her lover, carrying her lovers child even though she should have been with my parents and not pregnant. It turns out that she had no intention of ever being faithful to me and her parents knew that ahead of time. They didn't care and foisted the bitch on me any way. She never loved me, just wanted the prestige of being the crown princess and some day queen of my people."

"Shit, I might not have known Jessa long, but I can assure you that Jessa wouldn't play you false like that. It's not in her to betray those she cares about."

"I know, but sometimes there are things outside of our control that makes something inevitable." Dhiren slaps his hand on the human males shoulder as he spots his General coming up to meet him.

"Stick around, Nathan." Dhiren motions with his head to the new elven male coming towards them. "That's Jessa's foster father."

Nathan straightens his clothes and armor. Dhiren hears him swallowing rather hard and he's turned a bit pale. "No worries, Nathan, Kallen is thankful that you've watched out for Jessa even more than I am. You are good people and he'll like you just fine."

"Prince, we weren't expecting you for a few more days. If you had sent word I would have come." Kallen censures his prince.

"I came back with Jessa. She's out ranging ahead. I'm safe enough with her so there was no need to have you come as well." Dhiren says irritably at his general's reproof.

"I want you to meet Jessa's friend Nathan. He's the one that helped Jessa on her first caravan."

Nathan finds himself scrutinized by the scariest general known. Kallen nods his head finally and Nathan finds that he can breathe once more.

"Thank you for watching out for my little girl, Nathan is it? My name is Kallen Brightblade, Jessa's father." He holds his hand out for a handshake like the humans do. Nathan, not wanting to insult him quickly takes hold of it and shakes.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. Jessa might not talk much about her family, but when she does it is obvious that she loves them very much."

"Well, I'm sure that you can understand her reticence in talking about us? It wouldn't be safe for her if it became known just how close to the elves she is."

"I understand, sir. I have no intentions of telling others just how close she is to the elves. But I'm afraid that others will guess since she spent so much time with his Highness here."

Kallen smirks, "Perhaps, perhaps not. Let Jessa know that her mother and I are expecting her for dinner tonight. You will be expected as well, young Nathan. Your highness, will you be coming as well?"

"I'm not sure. I will need to talk to my father and Jessa first." Dhiren says hesitantly.

Kallen looks at him sharply, "Is something wrong?"

Dhiren gives him a bitter smile, "Alaric told her something about the duties that are expected of her. She is less than pleased and is thinking that it will be too difficult with those expectations for us to continue the courting."

"Shit, have you accepted her decision?" Kallen says with narrowed eyes.

Dhiren shakes his head, "I told her that we both need to think about what is best and what will make her the happiest. Then she basically left me in the dust and disappeared ranging away from me."

"I see, well send us a message to let us know whether to expect you being there or not."

"Of course, I hope to attend, Sorid's cooking isn't to be missed." Dhiren tells his smirking general.

"Which direction is that child of mine any way?"

"We were just over that hill when she left me. She went left away from the caravan route. Where she is now," Dhiren shrugs.

Kallen sighs and takes off hoping to find some sign of Jessa's whereabouts. She rarely leaves much evidence of her passing unless she's in a fight, even then it's difficult to find.

Nathan takes in the lost look in the princes eyes and leaves his side, letting him have his solitude.