"Jessa? Are you awake?" Dhiren knocks softly before entering the room. Jessa appears to be sleeping still so Dhiren takes up position on the other side of the bed. He gently strokes through her hair. The thought of her going through an army of half blooded dragon kin makes him ill. There will be little chance of Jessa surviving that one, if she goes it alone. The humans that will be with her won't be much help, not even Nathan. 

Dhiren hopes that Nathan accepts his offer and that Jessa won't have a problem with it. If he does then he'll start sparring with him or have one of his guards spar with him to help him improve. Not much can be done and Dhiren hopes that Jethro will  be willing to help out Jessa's friend as much as he has helped Jessa.

"What is your trouble, Dhiren?" Zira appears before him, not strongly, her form is weak and barely held together and is ghostly in appearance. Dhiren figures that it is due to her showing herself in the time of her weakness, daylight.

"Jessa, she is planning on taking out the bandits along the pass if the human king doesn't do something about it."

"And is the human king likely to do something?" Zira asks intently.

Dhiren snorts, "He's a very weak king lead about by his corrupt advisors. They'll tell him not to and so Jessa will. I'll be heading to the palace later today to attempt to get an audience, but I'll likely be placed on a waiting list for several days before they let me in to see him. Then I'll get the run around and I'll be forced to threaten him."

Zira smirks at this, "How are you going to threaten him, Dhiren?"

"I'll tell him that the threat is too close to home and if he won't do something about it, that I will. If I have to do something about it then we will claim that territory as part of Silva and no longer under human control."

Zira raises her eyebrow at this. "Do you think that will work on this human weakling?"

"I don't know, but it should. If we take over the pass we have the city. They don't have enough farms for the food they need. Soon we will have them in our hands and under our control without even lifting a finger against the citizen's in the city itself. I'm not sure that the councilor's are bright enough to understand the consequences though."

"I see, but that's not the reason you called to me." Zira states that firmly.

"No," Dhiren shakes his head sadly, "Nathan is like a brother to Jessa. She will not heal properly if she is worried about his life and she is. I cannot give him a writ of passage like I have with Jessa and so he'll be going through the pass. I'm doing what I can to keep him here while she is unable to fight, but once she is better she will take it upon herself to clear out the bandits. She says that way there won't be any political fall out, but we'll still take control just to make sure it doesn't happen again. I believe Jessa might have a chance, but even if he's with her Nathan isn't likely to do well. I can't call upon Lord Jethro, not with out causing problems, but if you would be willing to ask him to speak to me or pass on the info I just gave you and ask him to bless Nathan with better fighting abilities? It would give him a chance, a slim one, to survive the bloodbath I believe that pass will become."

Zira frowns in concentration, "You truly believe that young Nathan is vital to Jessa and her healing?"

"I do, I realize that even with Jethro's blessing and Jessa's astounding abilities that there is slight chance of Jessa making it, let alone both of them, but with the blessing there is a far better chance."

Zira nods thoughtfully, "Very well, I will pass on your message and your fears. You are smart to not try to stop Jessa from fighting them. That is part of her duty as the crown princess and she feels compelled to eradicate the evil chromatic dragons and their kin. It is likely that at least some of them will be dragon kin and she will likely be the only one able to successfully fight them off."

"I know," Dhiren looks down so his goddess doesn't see his tears. "I will have my people just half a day away and we'll ride as fast as the wind to help them as soon as I receive the message that they are going through the pass. I just hope that we'll be there in time to help some of them survive and not just be there to be a burial party."

Zira looks at her child and aches for him, but this is a necessary step for Jessa. "I will pass along the message, Dhiren and I will help you move as fast as possible to the fight once it starts. Make sure that you have healers, you might be able to save a few lives that way as well."

"Thank you, Lady Zira," Dhiren says before hiding his face from her once again.

"You are welcome, Dhiren, you will make an excellent king once it is your time to rule."

Dhiren gives a slightly bitter laugh, "If Jessa dies, then I won't be taking over as king of Silva, my Lady. You will need to bless my parents with another child or find another worthy to take the throne, for I won't outlive my love for very long."

"It is no ones benefit for either of you to die, Dhiren. Jethro, myself and The Ancient One will do our best to make sure you both survive. We will do our best to see to it that young Nathan will have the best chance possible to live as well, but you know as well as I that when fighting there plays the part of Lady Chance. She tosses the dice and it doesn't matter what the odds are, the end is decreed."

"I know, and so does Jessa, I just want to give them both the best chance possible."

Zira smiles softly at her worried prince, "It shall be so, Dhiren. I believe Jethro would give his life for Jessa should she ask for it. Granting her friend a boon will be nothing in comparison. Just to make sure you might want to take him to Jethro's temple here in Castlerock before you leave."

"I will, thank you Lady Zira." Dhiren says humbly. She is doing far more than he had hoped. 

Since he has time he goes over all that has been said by the three deities over the last few days and something just doesn't add up. They are all going out of their way to help Jessa and for her him. Why?

Why are they so important? What's truly going on?

Dhiren's thoughts are interrupted by Jessa stirring as she wakes up.

"Hey, sleepy head, ready to get up now? I believe Nathan has returned with some sweet rolls."

That makes Jessa sit up rather quickly. "Slow down. I'm sure that he'll save one for us both. Before we go down, there's something I would like to discuss with you."

Knowing that Jessa isn't likely to be very happy with him, at least not with the idea of her needing a guard he takes a deep breath and explains his idea.

Jessa listens intently to everything. Although she isn't all that happy with the idea of having a body guard she can see immediately the bonus to his idea. Besides, if she becomes the crown princess of the elves she'll have to have a body guard contingent like Dhiren whenever she leaves, so she'll need to get used to it. Even if she is better than her guards, just like Dhiren is better than his guards.

"Have you talked to him about it? Told him everything?" Jessa demands.

"Everything except the fact that you are half gold dragon and that Alaric, your grandfather, is full gold dragon king making you the crown princess of the gold dragons."

Jessa thinks about the offer Dhiren made Nathan, tapping her finger against her lip as she does so. This draws Dhiren's attention to her lips and how kissable they are.

He shakes his head to bring him back to the here and now as Jessa speaks. "As long as he is aware to actually stay out of my way as I do my job, then I'll accept him as my body guard for as long as he will wish to stay under your employ." Or until his death but neither one wishes to say those words. They don't wish to bring bad luck at this time.

"Thank you, Jessa. I also talked to Lady Zira about it and asked her to ask Lord Jethro to bless Nathan with better fighting abilities. If he accepts this job, and I believe he will, then I'll have him start sparring with my guards. I want him to be in his best fighting shape that he can be in."

Jessa pulls Dhiren into a hug and with tears in her eyes, "Thank you, Dhiren. This is the best gift you've given me yet."

Dhiren pulls back and with confusion evident on his face, "What are you talking about Jessa? Nathan isn't a gift."

"No, but thinking of a way to keep him away from that pass is. Asking Lady Zira to talk to Lord Jethro on his behalf is. Thank you."

"I know how much he means to you, Jessa, and he's a good man. At least from what I know of him from the little time I've spent with him. I would keep him alive for as long as possible just to make you happy.

"Now that you are awake, I'll help you downstairs so that you can spend some time with him before your grandfather starts you on your lessons. I have to go to the palace," Dhiren makes a face as he says this. He'd rather spend his time with Jessa, "and get on the waiting list. By the time I actually see the king you should be healthy enough to work once more."

"Thank you for not trying to stop me, Dhiren. From working for my plans to take out the bandits."

Dhiren smiles sadly, "I couldn't even if I wanted to. You feel too strongly about this for me to try to stop you. You would go crazy stuck inside the elven palace. Only once you are ready would you feel comfortable there. I will await for that day with great hopes. I doubt it will be any time soon, there is still too much to do to prepare the elves for you being by my side. And you wishing to be by my side."

Jessa leans forward and gives him a bear hug unable to speak for fear of the tears that she's holding breaking free at his words. She loves how he already understands her needs like he does. She loves that although he doesn't want her to tackle the bandits at the pass that he's not interfering and actually is doing his best to help her without getting in her way.

"Words can't express what I'm feeling right now, Dhiren, thank you so much for all your understanding."

Jessa determines to make it to the market the next day come hell or high water and finding him a gift to thank him for his generosity to her and his help.