Zayd and Lilyan exchanged a look. The smile fell from Lilyan's face. Xara raised an eyebrow, crossed her arms over her chest, and tapped her bare foot impatiently. She was still dressed in her leotard. Zayd knew that look of disapproval. He had faced it several times as a child. Suddenly, Zayd no longer felt like a grown man who was a soldier of the elite, first unit. Zayd felt like a child again, about to be reprimanded.
Lilyan was not used to the look and, luckily, was not deterred by it. She turned to face Xara with her shoulders squared and a determined look on her face.
“Zayd and I are together,” Lilyan told Xara, “Zayd has explained to me that our relationship cannot continue once the Elders claim me.” Xara's stern expression faded into a look of concern. She sighed.
“Of course,”
