Durin entered Yuki's room and she let out a small scream when she saw him and quickly approached.
"You're hurt!" She said worriedly and raised her hand to touch Durin's face.
A blue glow emerged from her fingertip as it touched Durin's skin and when it stopped glowing, Durin's face was intact. She felt a sharp pain in her face and went to the mirror. The cut, identical to the one on Durin's face, was now on her own face, but beginning to heal.
"This will be very useful." Durin said, running his hand over his own face, nonchalantly and without surprise.
Yuki turned to him.
"What was that?"
"Tykar showing that he's a better warrior than me, for now."
"I'm not talking about the cut, Durin. You saw that blue thing coming out of my finger and transferred your cut to me!"
"I have a more urgent matter to discuss with you now." Durin said and taking her hands, made her sit down in front of him. "Yuki, I need your help once again."
Yuki forgot what had happened and looked amused at Durin.
"Didn't the old Farida agree to take over that position?"
"Don't joke." He said, but his reprimand was mild because of the amused expression in his eyes. "I don't know how to tell you that." He said and let go of her hands.
"If you don't tell me, I won't know how I can help you."
Durin stood up and began to walk around the room, avoiding looking at Yuki.
"I need you to agree to stay with my wife for longer than we originally planned. I hadn't thought about the legal complications, such as the existential minimum time limit for annulment or divorce. I can't separate from you and remarry in time to fulfill my father's demand. And if you don't accept a new agreement, I will lose this kingdom. And it's important to me."
"I can stay married to you for as long as I need to, Durin. Don't worry about it."
"You'll need to live here and... You won't be able to... have any other relationships while we're married."
"That's unfortunate." She said, trying to sound annoyed.
"You seem to enjoy Tykar's company and... You'll need to refrain from any contact with another man."
"I understand."
"Do you accept that?"
"Yes."
"You're not going to ask me for an exorbitant amount of dollars for that?" He stopped and looked at her steadily.
Yuki felt her face burn.
"Durin, I didn't... I needed that money to..."
"No, Yuki. You deserve much more than you asked for and I promise that when this marriage is over, I will reward you with many riches. You'll be able to live anywhere in the world, like a queen."
"That's not necessary."
"I'll feel better if we sign an agreement stipulating a value for our separation when I file for divorce."
"I'd feel bought off, Durin, and I'm not one of the women you paid off with expensive gifts."
"Of course you're not. But living in luxury won't hurt you, will it?"
Yuki thought of her daughter. It would be nice for Selytha to live like a princess after having spent most of her life in a hospital.
"All right, if it's important to you..."
Durin approached her and made her stand up, holding her by the shoulders.
"That's not all."
"What else?"
He hesitated for a few seconds.
"We'll need to consummate our marriage."
Yuki disentangled herself and pulled away from Durin.
"I... no!"
"Don't look at me with such disgust." He asked hurt.
"We don't have to be together. I'll tell them that we... That the marriage has been consummated."
"I wanted it to be that easy, Yuki. But there are some details that can be ascertained to prove the consummation of the marriage and they're going to demand it, because they've discovered that we're not... We're real husband and wife."
"What? I'm not a virgin anymore, so they don't have to look for signs of my innocence." She said, blushing.
"They'll be looking for traces of a... consummation, inside you, Yuki."
"What do you mean?"
"When a man lies with a woman... Yuki, I don't know how to talk about this with you, but after we spend our wedding night together, the Gumis will probably mark your uterus for a few days with the symbol of the Duhin house."
"I'm not going to ask how that works, Durin, because I can't accept it."
"It doesn't look like it was difficult for you to do it the first time." He said angrily.
Yuki moved further away from him.
"You don't know anything about me! And I'm not going to let you brand me as just another one of your cows in your huge herd!"
"That's not what I said. The mark just stays... For a while. Then the body regenerates and..."
"No!"
Durin took a deep breath to calm himself down. He was saying stupid things.
"I'm sorry, Yuki. I didn't mean to sound..."
"An ogre?" She asked angrily, still keeping her distance. "I know you don't know how to be a decent man with a woman, since you've never had to. That's why I forgive you, but I'm not going to lie with you."
"You're too stubborn!"
Yuki turned away from him.
"Leave me alone, Your Highness." She said angrily.
"Yuki... You've always helped me through the most difficult times and you've always served me..."
"Say no more, Durin. I won't forgive any other offense you say from now on!"
Durin thought it best to leave before he said something he would regret forever and left Yuki's room, went to the library and Mycon was sitting there with Tykar, brandy in hand.
"I told you to bring flowers, chocolate and diamonds." Mycon said, guessing the outcome of Durin's conversation with Yuki.
"You should learn to listen to the advice of a Gumi, 'cousin'. They've been on Earth a lot longer than we have. They know how to give good advice. We can't look down on them." Tykar said, enjoying the moment.