Chapter 1

"This is an outrage!" Udina slammed his hands on the round table, making the other councilors jump in their cushy chairs. The military leadership stayed calm however, Hackett's one raised eyebrow the only evidence that they heard him. Shepard didn't even extend him that courtesy, her eyes cold as she looked right through him – like he didn't deserve her attention, and Udina fumed even more.

"Your arrogance is as well-known as it is infuriating, Commander," he hissed at Shepard directly this time, spitting the title as if trying to mock it. Shepard didn't react. She honestly couldn't care less. Donnel Udina's feelings were the last thing on her mind these days. "But this Council humored you so far because of your unique talents during the Civil War, not to mention the rabid support of your superiors." He glared at Hackett and Anderson before fixing his eyes on Shepard again. "But now, you've gone too far! Just when our nation has started coming together again, just when we've begun to heal, you want to hand it over to…to…those aliens!"

"Donnel, please sit down." Hackett started, his voice calm and commanding. Udina just clenched his hands and continued staring at him. Hackett sighed. "Like I said before, this peace won't last. The country is ravaged by war – food is already getting scarce, the mines haven't been opened in years and trade is nonexistent. The peace between the noble houses is tenuous at best. It won't survive the first disagreement, and battle lines will be drawn again." He leaned back in his chair, the expression on his face patient, like he was talking to a small child, and Shepard saw Udina tensing even more. She fought off a smirk.

"We need an ally. Powerful and rich. And we're lucky enough that the asari feel the same way. This marriage will unite us, tie the asari to us, and hopefully save both of our kingdoms from destruction." He swept his eyes around the table, making sure to connect with every councilor before returning to Udina. "This wedding is happening, Donnel, no matter how you feel about it. Shepard has already agreed to marry the T'Soni heir."

"Oh, I bet she has." Udina grinned, an ugly sneer splitting his face.

Shepard slid her eyes to him, but refused to be pulled down to his level. Anderson wasn't that restrained."What the hell is that supposed to mean?" He ground out.

He always was protective of me, Shepard thought. A second father after she lost her first so early. A comforting feeling warmed her chest even as she wished he didn't say anything. Because now, Udina was sure to enjoy explaining.

"You'll forgive me if I speak plainly, I trust." Udina said then continued without waiting for an answer. "I think we all know that Shepard will be hardly tortured by having to share a bed with an asari, so don't try to act like she's doing us all a favor by doing what she probably does every chance she gets." Anderson leaned forward, his mouth opening to answer, but Udina wasn't done yet. "But I'm even more disgusted by your shamelessness, Shepard. We've all heard of the T'Sonis and how long they can prolong life if they so choose. And I happen to know that your mother was exchanging letters with Lady Benezia months before any of us heard about this union. To think that you'd sell all our souls to the devil, merely to live longer - "

"Stop right there." Hackett said. "Shepard had nothing to do with that. She didn't even know until after the fact. I was the one that sent Hannah to negotiate, and she did as I asked." There was an apology in his eyes when he glanced in Shepard's direction before he continued. "And I chose Shepard to bear this burden. She's a perfect candidate – a commoner without connections to the noble houses, which eliminates favoritism and jealousy. She is also almost universally loved by the people, and respected for her role in uniting us after so long."

Shepard squirmed in her seat, suddenly uncomfortable. She almost wished Udina would butt in and interrupt.

"But most of all, she has my complete trust to do what's right."

"But she doesn't have mine!" Udina slammed his hands again. "This Council will never accept this! We won't bend over just so the precious Commander can rule over us all for God knows how long. There is nothing behind this besides the disgusting selfishness of one woman and her mommy's desire to set her daughter up for life and I won't…"

Shepard had enough. Dealing with this mess of a situation had been emotionally draining and now that she had finally come to terms with it, she had no patience to listen to Udina's ridiculous conspiracy theories. Especially not when he insisted on bringing her mother into it.

"Selfish?" She said quietly, a tight grip on the volume of her voice, but her words still came out deadly enough to make Udina shut up. "I've been fighting for this kingdom for years, risking my life every day while you hid behind pretty words and an illusion of importance and power. And now you're clinging to them desperately." She stood up, her hand resting on the pommel of her sword. "You have no power here. No importance. Because I will marry the T'Soni woman no matter what you say. I will save my kingdom." She leaned forward, her fingers splayed on the table as she fixed Udina with a stare. "And I'll even be kind enough to take your stupid, blind ass with me,even if I have to drag you kicking and screaming."

Not waiting for a response, she turned to the door, smiling a little when she heard Anderson's poorly disguised chuckle in the silence that followed her exit. Her smile widened when she caught Garrus waiting for her outside the Council chamber. He pushed off the wall and fell in step with her effortlessly.

"So how did it go?"

Shepard sighed.

"Not bad, I guess. Udina threw a temper tantrum, of course, but there's nothing he can do. I'm riding for Armali tomorrow. To meet my future wife." She said quietly, carefully forming the words like they felt strange in her mouth. She still could barely believe what was happening.

"So when are we leaving?" He said, making a big show of looking nonchalant when she looked at him, not able to stop his mandibles from flaring when he saw her grin. "What? You'd probably get yourself killed without me to watch your back and then I'd have to explain that to your mother."

"Yeah, yeah." She drawled and threw his hands around his waist, her face pressing awkwardly against his jutting breastplate. "God, turians aren't made for hugging, are they?"

"Wow, don't get all emotional on me, Shepard." He said, even as he placed a reassuring talon on her shoulder before they stepped apart. "Better keep all that for your new mate."

"You know what? I think I will." She said, grinning again before winking at him. "She's an asari after all. Much more suitable for all kinds of affection. She won't know what hit her."

.o0o.

Liara T'Soni looked down to her hands, clasped firmly in her lap, then frowned when she noticed a dark green stain on her finger. She'd been working in her tower when her mother called for her and even though she'd tried to make herself as presentable as possible, some of the chemicals were too stubborn to be cleaned off quickly. She hoped her mother didn't notice – she had little patience for Liara's interests even when they didn't influence her appearance. Liara rubbed her hand more forcefully, before she allowed herself to speak.

"So it is done, then?" Her voice was light, as if they were discussing the weather, and not the rest of her life.

"Yes." Benezia answered, pausing for a tense moment before continuing. "I received a letter from her mother this morning. She is already on her way. Among others." Another pause, this time a bit longer. "And when she arrives, you'll have plenty of time to get to know one another."

Liara nodded. "Yes. I know. You've mentioned that we would have a few weeks before…we are bonded. Or was it a month?" A month to get to know a person with whom I'll spend the rest of my life . Liara took in a deep breath, trying to find something else to say and coming up with nothing. Shouldn't she be more upset about the situation? Shouldn't she rebel? But as she examined her emotions, all she felt was calm. Ready.

She closed her eyes for a long moment and then lifted them to her mother's, surprised when she caught the expression on Benezia's face. It almost looked…guilty.

"Or even longer if you so wish, Little Wing." She said and Liara's eyes widened. She hasn't called me that in almost 40 years. A curious gentleness filled her chest, but Liara didn't allow herself to bask in it.

"Mother? Are you …well?" She asked, confused, but Benezia continued, earnest as she spoke.

"Or if you don't like her you can always refuse to bond with her. If she is some horrible brute of a human, we can send her home. There will be consequences, of course, but I could handle it, find allies elsewhere…" Her words quickened near the end, almost tumbling over each other and Liara decided to interrupt.

"That will not be necessary, mother." Liara said, taken aback for a moment. Seeing Benezia like this was highly unusual, to say the least. She wanted to offer some comfort, but she was unsure what the problem was. They'd talked about this matter before and Benezia never reacted like this.

"We all know that this is a political union." Liara started again, deciding that speaking rationally would appeal to her mother the most. "We don't have to like each other. We don't even have to see each other if we don't wish to. All I have to do is map her essence once to ensure an heir. And I can wait a few years for that. I'm sure no one expects a child so quickly." She smoothed out her dress and when her eyes caught that stain again she closed her hand in a fist and clasped it with the other. "But I still have every intention of trying to forge a partnership between us. Friendship, if I am lucky." Lucky enough not to embarrass myself every time we speak, that is. "But I don't want you to worry, mother. I will do my duty."

"But that is exactly what I'm worried about, Liara!" Her mother's voice rose, making Liara's eyes widen at the overt display of emotion. "Ever since I first talked to you about this, you've been…resigned. You haven't been happy, or angry, or even excited about the possibility. You merely…accepted it. I don't want to force this on you, child. Is this what you want to try, or are you humoring me?"

Liara lowered her head, trying to avoid her mother's eyes as she thought. This situation was definitely not what she pictured her life to be when she allowed herself to fantasize. In her mind, her perfect bondmate would be kind and smart and strong, and definitely wouldn't care about her title or the fact that she was a pur…wouldn't care about her parentage. It was certainly never a stranger who had a reputation for being such a destructive force on the battlefield that her enemies joined her rather than to stand against her.

But none of that mattered. Her dream was childish, she knew now. There was no true love in her future. Her mother never found it, Shiala didn't either, and why would Liara be any different? And she wasn't built for it anyway, so none of this was of any consequence. As long as she had her laboratory, she'd be happy enough.

"I'm not a child anymore, Mother." She said carefully. "I can take care of myself. If I had any objection I would have fought you just like I did with my research."

She rose from her chair, smiling slightly when her mother relaxed a little, then walked around the table and pressed a light kiss onto Benezia's temple."There's no need to protect me, I'm perfectly content."

.o0o.

Benezia was still in her study, feeling conflicted and powerless as she cradled her head in her hands, when she heard two loud crashes outside the door. She straightened in her chair and forced her face into a neutral expression, just as her heavy wooden door almost burst from the hinges and she saw a figure in the wreckage. She wasn't startled. She was expecting her.

"Is it true?" A familiar deep voice washed over her as the figure stepped forward, strong and alluring both, and she had to fight off a familiar tingle of desire, annoyed that she even felt it. Would she never be rid of it?

"I trust my guards are only unconscious and not worse?" She said to buy herself more time, but Aethyta would have none of it.

"Is. It. Fucking. True?" She ground out again, and when Benezia only nodded, she clenched her jaw and brought her hands to her crest. She chewed her lower lip for a moment, but it was obvious that she was about to burst, and Benezia steeled herself for the attack.

"I can't fucking believe you." Aethyta started, sounding like she was forcing herself to stay as quiet as possible, but was losing the battle horribly. "I mean, I knew that you liked your precious titles and power more than anything," 'More than me' wasn't spoken but it still managed to hit a particularly sore spot deep in Benezia's chest. "But to think that you would sell your own daughter to the humans as some kind of breeding -" Benezia twitched as if slapped, and Aethyta's voice died down suddenly.

"You think this is about me?" Benezia whispered, angry that Aethyta's words cut deeper than they should. "I'm trying to save her. Our baby."

Aethyta blinked a few times rapidly, then looked away, mollified for a moment but still furious."How?" She croaked.

Benezia rose then weaved around the table to come closer, offer some comfort, then stopping suddenly and steeling herself when Aethyta recoiled, as if stung by the mere prospect of touching her. And can you blame her?

"Her position in court has…deteriorated in the last few decades, ever since I stopped making her accompany me anywhere I went."

She paused, trying to decide how to phrase her next sentence, then opted for being blunt. "There are whispers about her being a pureblood shut-in, experimenting on Goddess knows what in her tower; that she is a weakness and that the kingdom would be better off with someone more suitable."

Aethyta tensed, a growl escaping her, but Benezia continued. "Only whispers for now, but I won't have her be in danger. This human - this Shepard, she is both feared and loved and would be a powerful ally if they are joined." She hesitated, then continued briskly. She couldn't stand Aethyta despising her for this. "Liara can still refuse. If she doesn't want this, we can find another solution."

Aethyta finally looked at her, her eyes uncharacteristically raw in their emotion, before she spoke. "The kid won't refuse, because she's like you."

Benezia straightened, defensive. "She is a T'Soni. We have a responsibility to the people. We have to do our duty."

"And that's where we disagree, Nezzie. You don't have to do shit. You choose it." She licked her lips, fixing Benezia with one last look before turning away.

"Our little agreement is now over. I'm not staying away anymore. Either you tell me everything that's going on once the humans arrive, or I'm tearing my way in again."

.o0o.

Aria T'Loak was frustrated.

Eyes closed firmly, she bit her lip in concentration as she tried to focus on the head between her thighs, the skillful tongue that seemed relentless in its attack, but the pleasure seemed to escape her no matter what she did. It was infuriating.

"Harder." She ground out. "Suck it into your mouth." The human obeyed immediately, but after an all too brief sting of sensation, the pleasure lowered to that same ridiculous plateau she was unable to break free of. Her eyes snapped open, and she spread her legs wider, her knees touching the bed.

Reaching out with her free hand she grabbed a pillow and positioned it beneath her shoulders, then hooked the riding crop in her other hand around the girl's blonde head, pulling her closer.

"Hold still." She ordered then started weaving her hips roughly, without a care for the girl's comfort as she rubbed herself all over her face. It was still fucking useless. Even when she turned her eyes down, hoping that the image would push her a bit higher, she felt absolutely cold. What the fuck was wrong with her?

She stared down, those big blue eyes looking up at her, perfectly eager and submissive, and she couldn't even muster up a hint of excitement. It wasn't that the girl was bad - after all Aria trained her herself - but…

Maybe that was the problem, she thought as she pushed the girl away and fell back on the bed, the sheets feeling cool against her crest. Maybe Aria herself was too good, and now that she had her slave broken, without even a glint of pride or spirit left, she was bored. Aria groaned and threw her forearm over her eyes. There was no challenge left for her, not in her bed and definitely not in her business and she was fucking bored out of her skull.

She'd just planned to dismiss her bedmate when Sheerk knocked on the door and entered, his mandibles drawing together uncomfortably at the sight that greeted him. Aria grinned, lounging even more provocatively just to see him squirm. Shouldn't he be used to this by now?

"What is it?" She drawled, beckoning him further inside.

"A letter for you. Urgent." He only said, handing it to her then turning on his heel to disappear as quickly as he could.

She ripped into it and started reading, a few choice phrases catching her eye before she returned to the beginning to reread the whole thing. An alliance…a wedding to seal the union…Council reacting poorly to the announcement…Tevos might be the best chance of success...

Aria leaned back again, a smile spreading lazily across her face as the opportunities flitted through her mind. She could just picture the panic and the flailing that must be happening in the every noble house already. The Council was bound to get turned on its head, too. And Aria, the benevolent philanthropist that she was, was more than ready to help them. If that spread her influence just a bit further, so be it. Leave it to Shepard to cause such a mess.

She grinned wolfishly as a plan began forming in her head, barely noticing as her hand drifted down and the riding crop sneaked between her legs, the leather square at the tip already soaked and glistening.

"Um, do you want me to leave, Mistress?" Her little slave asked, sensing she was forgotten, but Aria shook her head. In a flash of movement,she surged forward and pulled the girl on the bed next to her, face first into the pillows before she rolled on top of her, straddling her thighs and reaching over to rummage through her nightstand.

When she found what she was looking for, she equipped herself with practiced ease, then leaned forward and grabbed a fistful of blonde hair before forcing her riding crop between the girl's teeth. It was a rare show of generosity, but Aria was in an extremely good mood.

"Bite down, honey, you're going to need it." She whispered as the girl squirmed beneath her, so eager it was almost off-putting. "I'm not going to be as gentle as I usually am."