It was a wise decision for the blind girl not to divulge the intimate nature of her relationship with Heath. Jacquez was single-minded in his prejudice; no one was good enough for his Ruri, and the fact that she was entertaining a suitor was something he could not compute. To him, Heath was little more than a stalker, and Ruri apparently too innocent to fend him off. It was lucky Firefly was more understanding and willing to help out behind the scenes, although unfortunately she would get the short end of that bargain. The king was quite unsympathetic when it came to womanly issues.
Jacquez let himself relax, his arm draped over her thin shoulders as she sang. Her voice was high and clear, loud in the confines of the cabin, unadulterated by outdoor noises or interference. She had always loved her singing, but was it possible that she sounded more confident now? Her soprano tones rang with surety and honesty, dynamics swelling and ebbing as she poured her heart out to him. It was peace that she brought him, a moment in which he could quiet the clamoring desires and conflicting messages that plagued his mind. With Ruri, he was the closest thing to a normal being, and she had always had that calming effect on him.
He knew his packmates wondered sometimes why he had compassion for Ruri and none other, even his own children. The answer was something he could not articulate; it was simply that he was not a whole being, but she could make him so. Heath was threatening his very existence, that fragile mental state gently tended to by Ruri and then eroded again by alcohol. His pensive mood lifted as the final notes of Ruri's serenade hung tremulously in the air, fading into silence. Her warm arms wrapped around him, and his dark eyes fluttered open to glance at his former ward, pleased by her simple affectionate nature. "That was almost as beautiful as you, petite," he rumbled, ruffling her ears lightly. "Your songs only get better and better. We will have to chase away all the birds that roost here, you put them all to shame!"