ã€ŠEmpire of Nightã€‹


 Ch 1

    Lisril prowled through the dark, sterile, stone halls of the building, long claws scraping softly over tile flooring. The darkness didn¡¯t bother her, slit eyes dilating to admit the dim light and allow her to see clearly. The halls were quiet, and her large, sensitive ears could detect soft scuffing over the still air. Her ears twitched, swiveled this way and that, honing in on the source of the sound.

    She followed the scuffing, coming to an open door on the right of the corridor; there, back to her, was a man, long, sandy brown hair tied back in a ponytail, which hung down past his bottom. He was digging through a drawer; the sound she¡¯d followed the shuffling of paper.

    She crept forward, weight perfectly balanced, the soft pads of her feet, making not a whisper of sound. As she approached, the long claws on her feet flexed, and instinctively she crouched in readiness to pounce.

    ¡°I can hear you breathing, you know.¡± She drew up short and quickly stood as he turned, not wanting him to see her acting a fool.

    He grinned a lopsided grin at her. ¡°Stalking your prey, kitten?¡±

    She crossed her arms over her breast. ¡°It¡¯s not like I was sneaking up on you,¡± she sniffed. ¡°And don¡¯t you kitten me. What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±

    He glanced over his shoulder at the filing cabinet. ¡°I had a dream about tapioca and woke up thinking about the behavior of hypersolids arranged in regular matrices, so came in to compare my thoughts to-¡±

    She had no idea what he was talking about and, at the moment, didn¡¯t care. ¡°You should have woken me.¡± Her left ear twitched in annoyance, the very idea of him out unaccompanied, why, it was a scandal. If her mother ever found out she¡¯d allowed a man to traipse about the city, alone, and in the resting hours when thieves and murderers prowled no less. The tanning she¡¯d get didn¡¯t bear thinking about.

    He frowned. ¡°You work so hard, Lisril; I didn¡¯t want to interrupt your rest.¡±

    Her lips thinned; he could be unexpectedly endearing in his pigheaded disobedience. ¡°Regardless,¡± she said. ¡°If it couldn¡¯t wait-¡± She sighed. ¡°You know how I worry.¡±

    He cupped her cheek in his hand. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± His thumb made small circles on her cheek, and his forefinger came tantalizingly close to that magic spot he¡¯d found at the base of her ear. ¡°And you came to save me anyway.¡±

    She sniffed dismissively. ¡°Only after realizing you weren¡¯t in bed.¡±

    He smiled sweetly at her. ¡°I¡¯m so lucky to have such an attentive Dryantisa lady looking after me.¡±

    She knew his game, the compliments, the tantalizing touches; he thought if he buttered her up, it would cool her temper and convince her to go easy on him¡­ and it was working, drat him.

    She puffed her chest out and enclosed his hand, exotic peach colored skin contrastiong her bright-pink complexion, in her three-fingered grip. ¡°You are,¡± she said. ¡°Which is why you ought to be more obedient.¡±

    His smile turned fond, but he said nothing. ¡°Alex,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t mind you running off on these flights of fancy. I don¡¯t; I just worry for you when you go off on your own like this.¡±

    She took his other hand, gave a little shake. ¡°I¡¯m not angry, but promise me, no more. I¡¯m here to protect you.¡±

    He drew her fingers to his lips, an endearing little Dyrantoro gesture of affection. ¡°Promise you¡¯ll come with me?¡±

    An indulgent smile crinkled her nose. ¡°Anywhere.¡±

    He beamed at her, and it was infectious. ¡°Let¡¯s start with home, hm?¡±

    ¡°Home sounds good,¡± she agreed.

    <hr>

    Lisril stalked through the front doors of the office building, alone, without Alex, because she¡¯d woken to find him gone again. She was going to- to- she didn¡¯t know what she would do, but he wouldn¡¯t like it.

    She marched up to the front desk, glaring at the human girl, girl, for Earth produced no women, behind the counter. ¡°Where is he?¡± she didn¡¯t raise her voice, but her tone left no room for discussion.

    The human, who Lisril towered a full head and a half above even when she stood, was visibly cowed. ¡°Um,¡± she swallowed nervously. ¡°Dr. Hagan?¡±

    Lisril¡¯s lip curled in disgust; she¡¯d never found the human female particularly impressive. Case in point, the specimen currently cowering before her, who she found particularly distasteful. A husband, but no wives, and had only given him two children. While a woman could be forgiven, perhaps commended, for focusing upon supporting her family rather than rearing it, this creature had failed even in that endeavor toiling in a position of low esteem and not even dedicating her full day to her work; forcing her husband to support her.

    Alex had admonished her not to judge too harshly, but it was shameful. A woman abdicating her responsibilities that way. Still, Lisril had her own womanly duties to consider, protecting Alex and his reputation among them, so she pushed her distaste away and forced herself to assume a civil tone.

    ¡°Dr. Hagan,¡± she confirmed, sickly sweet.

    ¡°I-¡± the nervous human glanced around. ¡°I believe he¡¯s in his office right now.¡±

    She regarded the little woman cooly for a moment more before spinning sharply on her heel and marching into the building.

    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Trouble in paradise?¡±

    She looked askance at the man who had joined her. ¡°Mister Declan,¡± she said. ¡°I would appreciate it if you refrained from spreading rumors about my man.¡±

    The man laughed, a bit shorter than her, with dark hair cut close to his scalp and bedecked in the dress of the building¡¯s guards. His laugh and smile were charming, and he gave her a playful shove, which she, of course, didn¡¯t reciprocate, instead taking his hand and giving it a pat. ¡°I hardly need to spread rumors about that man.¡±

    She chuckled. ¡°I am rather fond of ¡®that man,¡¯ Declan.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve noticed,¡± he said. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t make him easy to get along with.¡±

    She stopped, crossing her arms over her chest. ¡°M¡¯lord may well be a free spirit, sir, but that is hardly a fatal character flaw.¡±

    She stamped her foot. ¡°And now you¡¯ve gone and made it hard for me to stay angry with him.¡±

    The guard favored her with a grin. ¡°Good luck; I¡¯ll smooth things over with the receptionist; Lord knows you don¡¯t need another complaint.¡±

    She laughed; Dyrantoro men were good at lifting a lady¡¯s mood. ¡°Thank you, Declan,¡± she said.

    He nodded, and they went their separate ways.

    Lisril looked at the elevator, made a face, and pushed through the door into the stairwell. She would follow Alex into one of those little boxes, but she wouldn¡¯t volunteer, certainly. As she approached his office, she began to hear the sound of shouts.

    She froze, worry blooming cold and hard in the pit of her stomach. Was he being accosted? Was he in danger? Every terrible thing that could have befallen him in her absence assaulted her mind, and it was a struggle not to make a scene. He was, she assured herself, fine. It was his office, perfectly safe; regardless, she quickened her pace as much as decorum allowed.

    She threw the door open and found him screaming into the receiver of a phone. ¡°I won¡¯t do it!¡± he shouted.

    There was a pause, she presumed, as he waited for a reply, then. ¡°Because it¡¯s immoral!¡±

    He slammed the receiver down, hard enough that she heard something break, and turned sullenly to his computer. Seeing he was unharmed was a relief, and with that relief, her anger at his worrying her was free to return.

    She crossed her arms, heaving out an unhappy huff. ¡°Just what is it that¡¯s wrong with you?¡±

    He didn¡¯t answer, and being ignored only stoked her temper higher; she opened her mouth to give him the lashing he was asking for when his head snapped up.

    He locked eyes with her as though he¡¯d only just noticed her entrance. ¡°In general?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯m a genius surrounded by people who think they can take advantage of genius for profit. Specifically, right now? That was Ross.¡±

    He knew that hadn¡¯t been her meaning, but it got his point across. She had only met General Ross once, because of Alex¡¯s work with the military. Dark skinned and with his head shaved very nearly bald, he struck her as a severe man, his brow perpetually pulled into a disapproving scowl.

    Though, she couldn¡¯t guarantee that wasn¡¯t merely because she¡¯d only seen him around Alex, with whom he didn¡¯t seem to get along. While she wished for the harmony of the men around her, she certainly could understand the difficulty. Alex had his moods. Not that that changed to whom she owed her loyalty.

    ¡°What did he want?¡± She set aside her own frustrations, concern for his obvious distress momentarily more important.

    He chewed on his lip, a sure sign he was thinking. ¡°They want to send me to Nyx.¡±

    She frowned; Alex? On Nyx? Surrounded by good, reliable, Dyrantisa women rather than the unimpressive human stock on Earth? Sounded like a capital idea to her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand; you don¡¯t wish to visit Nyx?¡±

    He glared at her. ¡°What, going to an exotic exoplanet, rich with intelligent life, with its own culture and traditions, goodness, why would I, a prominent physicist with a keen interest in space colonization, ever want to go there?¡±

    His sarcasm was evident but hardly desirable. Lisril found herself massaging the bridge of her nose; chivalrous conduct demanded patience and understanding of men¡¯s flighty nature, but Lady if he didn¡¯t test her. ¡°Then what would the problem be,¡± she ground out. ¡°Alex?¡± That was the way, direct, unavoidable.

    He found something on his desk to fiddle with, playing with something she couldn¡¯t see. ¡°They want me to direct the construction of communications infrastructure on Nyx.¡±

    His answer should have been enlightening; instead, it merely confused her further.

    ¡°I¡¯m not-¡± She shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t follow.¡±

    He leaned back in his chair, head thrown back, an unhappy sigh bursting from his breast. ¡°That¡¯s exactly the problem,¡± he said.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand what that means; no Dyrantsia could possibly understand the impact mass media will have on Nyx; you lack the context and experience.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t- that is, I¡¯m not sure what that means; the translator is struggling with mass media," she said, shaking her head.

    ¡°Oh,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s-.¡± He paused, thinking. ¡°It¡¯s a catch-all for technologies that allow wide dissemination of information.¡±

    ¡°Like the town crier.¡±

    He stared blankly for a moment. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s close enough. You¡¯re aware of phones, of course, allowing instant communication between two points anywhere in the world; apply that principle to the town crier; instead of reaching everyone within earshot, they reach everyone in the world interested in listening.¡±

    She nodded, still not sure what he was getting at. Her confusion was evident because he scrubbed his hands through his hair and shook his head. ¡°How to explain it?¡± He strummed his fingers on the desk, then, as though struck by lightning, sat bolt upright and slapped his hand down.

    ¡°The Empire is quite religious,¡± he said.

    That raised an eyebrow, but she nodded along. ¡°Aye.¡±

    ¡°Humans, as a rule, don¡¯t live in theocratic, monarchic empires.¡± He paused. ¡°But we used to.¡±

    Her eyes widened as the implications of his words set in. ¡°That would mean war!¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± He threw his arms into the air, gesticulating widely. ¡°It gets better; what are we going to do as we give you mass communications and plunge your society into chaos by introducing you to liberalism and communism? But hand you rocketry and fusion.¡±

    She felt suddenly ill. ¡°That¡¯s why you don¡¯t want to do it.¡±

    He was silent for a long moment, fuming to himself. ¡°The primary purpose of my visit would be to establish interplanetary communications for military and diplomatic purposes.¡±

    She knew what he was going to say. ¡°You can¡¯t trust someone else with that responsibility.¡± She swallowed the lump in her throat. ¡°What happens next?¡±

    He cocked his head. ¡°Best case, for Nyx? We go to war with the Community; the common enemy holds your people together, gives military doctrine and society a chance to catch up to technology.

    ¡°And the worst?¡±

    He shrugged. ¡°We achieve a quick diplomatic resolution, and Nyx is plunged into a cataclysmic war that would likely wipe civilization from the face of the planet.¡±

    Her stomach twisted, and he turned silently away from her. ¡°Get out of here,¡± he said at last. ¡°I won¡¯t ask you to be part of this.¡±

    ¡°What sort of woman do you take me for?¡± she asked, scowling and crossing her arms over her chest.

    He turned, face pained, ¡°Kitten-¡±

    She marched across the room and slapped her hand down on his desk. ¡°I seem to recall having promised to follow you anywhere. Do you take me for a liar?¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°Of course not.¡±

    She reached out, squeezed his hand. ¡°I¡¯m not the Empress¡¯ woman, not Nyx¡¯s. I¡¯m yours, and I would follow you into the depths of hell if that was where you chose to lead.¡±

    The happiness and gratitude in his smile made her chest swell with pride. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said. ¡°Where would I be without you?¡±

    She chuckled. ¡°In a poor way, surely. Call the general, apologize.¡± She fixed him with a stern glare. ¡°And tell him you¡¯ll do as he asks. I¡¯ll clear your schedule.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Kitten.¡±

    She bobbed her head, smiling fondly at him. ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Angel; now do as you¡¯re told.¡±

 Ch2

    Alex reclined in his midship seat, looking out the window. It wasn¡¯t actually a window, of course, but the image was quite good. They had left their ring-borne shuttle behind and completed their fueling procedures. Now they were on their way, traveling at full warp.

    He had wanted to call it ludicrous speed, but the labcoats at DARPA had objected. As Doctor Sullivan, who had developed the annihilation engine that drove Alex¡¯s warp technology, had been head of the team, he¡¯d gotten the final say. Well, it was Alexandar Hagen written on the Nobel prize for the mathematic proof of warp travel and the one for the design of the warp drive. He didn¡¯t see why he couldn¡¯t give his innovations funny names.

    The joke was ultimately on them, though, because that old design was illegal now, and he¡¯d beaten the government to the punch on the quiet variant, so he was making money hand over fist. Thanks, onerous government limitation of private industry.

    Not that it was a fair race; he had a head start and ran faster, as it were. He¡¯d spent a lot of time sifting through the information provided by their Shalkoth allies. A lot of subjective time, anyway. Two years of living, two hundred of learning, all at the low, low cost of invasive brain surgery. A functioning bio aug hadn¡¯t been created yet.

    For all he¡¯d learned, though, there were worrying gaps. The Community, as they called themselves, were the hegemonic power in the galaxy and had made a hobby of sterilizing planets they deemed incapable of harboring sapience but which had the poor manners to produce it anyway.

    Planets like Earth and his wife¡¯s homeworld, Nyx.

    Humanity had been fortunate enough to gain a ready source of intel in the Shalkoth, a race of alien centaurs who had settled a Deathworld, as the Community called them, and now lived in terror at the prospect of a genocide that could come at any moment. And though he had no reason to doubt the completeness of their information¡­.

    The economy, for instance, some called the Community communist. That was nonsense, of course, because the Community appeared to have class and property, borders, expansive ones, but-. Socialist, maybe, national socialist.

    Honestly, the similarities between the Community and Mussolini¡¯s Italy were a little- did post-industrial totalitarian regimes naturally converge on a single governmental model or- not enough data. Not really the problem either; fascism was comprehensible; what was not was the lack of numbers. The Community produced things, knew what they made but didn¡¯t appear to know the how or how much of what they made. Maybe they were communists.

    But then, even their Shalkoth allies couldn¡¯t give the federation hard numbers; their production had helpful descriptors like ¡°sufficient.¡± What was ¡°sufficient?¡±

    No one knew! It was as though industrial production had been given over to an outside entity, but how could that be? They¡¯d centralized the entire galaxy. Automation? But surely, they would still have metrics if they¡¯d automated all industry. Maybe GDP was just classified internally? But then, why could Sahlkoth governors give him military and technological secrets but not production numbers?

    He had to stop; if he didn¡¯t, he¡¯d twist himself into knots the entire flight and end up meeting the Empress mad. Didn¡¯t want to make a poor first impression there.

    He looked up, and saw Lisril in the seat opposite him, stooped over her book. ¡°How¡¯s the reading, Kitten?¡±

    ¡°Difficult and boring,¡± she scowled.

    He smiled; Lisril had insisted she learn human philosophy after their conversation. ¡°You asked for this,¡± he crossed the cabin, slipping an arm around her, his other hand pulling at the waistband of her pants. ¡°Maybe you need a break¡­.¡±

    She rapped his knuckles with the book. ¡°You¡¯re still in trouble for your disobedience.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± he pressed a kiss to her neck. ¡°Don¡¯t be mad; I told you, my conversations with Ross are classified; I had to accept it on a secure landline; it¡¯s policy.¡±

    ¡°Excuses,¡± she sniffed.

    He grinned at her, ¡°yup.¡± Then, he sobered, ¡°how are you holding up?¡±

    Lisril¡¯s people were funny about space, they had a long history of alien abductions, and as a result, outer space had taken on a role not dissimilar to hell in their religion.

    It drew a smile from her.

    ¡°Your concern is touching,¡± she scoffed. ¡°But I assure you, my mother didn¡¯t raise her daughters to be so fragile as to be unable to handle a mere trip into space.¡±

    He rested his chin on her shoulder. ¡°My brave Dyrantisa lady.¡± In their language, they were the people of the night, and humanity were Dyrantoro, the people of the day.

    ¡°Flatterer,¡± she tousled his hair, puffing out her chest a bit.

    ¡°I am rather courageous, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    Some would call such a proclamation arrogant. But Alex was just glad he could make her smile like that. Besides, ¡°you really are.¡±

    ¡°Always angling to get what you want,¡± she chuckled, one of her hands coming to rest on his chest, her fingers tracing circles over his shirt.

    ¡°Only telling the truth.¡±

    ¡°Wicked,¡± she hummed happily at the praise. ¡°Well, we have an hour or two; what¡¯s the harm¡­.¡±

    She cupped his cheek and pulled him close, her tongue flicking over his lips. The Dyrantisa method of kissing. He smiled and rested his forehead against hers. It was almost frightening how easy and comfortable being with a Dyrantisa lady was.

    She sighed, shaking her head. ¡°Honestly, Alex,¡± she murmured. ¡°Why do you insist upon being so difficult?¡±

    He pulled back, stomach twisting. ¡°You really want to know?¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± she crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°There¡¯s a reason now?¡±

    He scratched his chin, and she huffed a sigh. ¡°Let¡¯s hear it then.¡±

    ¡°You- intimidate me.¡±

    She blinked. ¡°Beg pardon?¡±

    He scrubbed a hand through his hair, hesitant. Opening up was never comfortable for him. ¡°Lisril, I don¡¯t like asking for help at the best of times. It makes me feel-¡± he shook his head. ¡°Well, you¡¯re beautiful, the most beautiful woman I¡¯ve ever known,¡± she favored him with a gratifying blush, and he drew her fingers to his lips. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to think I¡¯m incapable.¡±

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡°Nonsense,¡± she said, hiding neither her scorn nor her hurt.

    ¡°Angel, you must know I¡¯m here for you. I¡¯d pluck the sun and the moon from the sky for you if I could.¡±

    She pulled him to her. ¡°No more, Alex,¡± she said. ¡°Promise me, look me in the eyes, and promise, if ever you need anything, anywhere you need to go, tell me, and I¡¯ll do everything in my power.¡±

    ¡°Kitten-¡±

    ¡°Promise me, Alex!¡±

    He couldn¡¯t refuse her. ¡°I promise,¡± he said. ¡°If ever I need anything, I¡¯ll come to you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d better,¡± she flicked her tongue over his cheek. ¡°I love you, Alex.¡±

    He kissed her. ¡°Will you promise me something?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°If you ever need anything, tell me.¡±

    She laughed and took his hands. ¡°All I need is your happiness.¡±

    He pulled her hands up to his chest and enclosed them with his own. ¡°I mean it, Lisril,¡± he said. ¡°If you want me to be happy, you¡¯ll let me take care of you.¡±

    She smiled indulgently at him. ¡°Such a sweet man,¡± she pulled her hands back, tapped his nose playfully, and nodded. ¡°Very well, upon the honor of my name, you shall always know my needs.¡±

    ¡°Now that you¡¯ve seen sense, I think it¡¯s about time you got ready for our arrival,¡± she said.

    He frowned. ¡°I thought we had time to play.¡±

    ¡°We would,¡± she said, smirking. ¡°If I could trust you to stop once your work was done or not lounge about feeling complacent once satiated.¡±

    She caressed his cheek. ¡°We¡¯ll have time when we lay down this evening, after you¡¯ve made a grand impression upon her Imperial Magnificence.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go shower,¡± he laughed.

    ¡°Good,¡± she stood. ¡°And I shall lay out your suit.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Kitten,¡± he stood himself and started aft; as he passed her, she gave his bottom a swat, and he turned around, glaring. ¡°Tease.¡±

    She gave him a wide grin, which revealed eight razor-sharp canines. ¡°Just getting a sample of what I¡¯ll be having later. She looped her arm around his and pulled him into a kiss.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like waiting either, you know. So hurry up; I don¡¯t want to miss giving you your reward for impressing her Magnificence.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± he laughed, reluctantly slipping from her arms and walking aft.

    The Sparrowhawk was a long-range scout, officially. Unofficially, it was nothing because the design wouldn¡¯t, and wasn¡¯t intended to be, adopted. A variation on an old terrestrial jet fighter craft, the ship was just a stopgap until a real design could be finalized.

    For what it was nominally intended, it did alright, though. Enough room, barely, for three and their food, all the necessary amenities, which was to say, a lavatory and one bunk to share, and had an effective unsupported sortie range of approximately two hundred lightyears.

    The crew compartment was cramped even with two, but comfortable wasn¡¯t on the list of requirements, and besides, he didn¡¯t mind the close quarters, not with Lisril.

    He stepped into the shower, the water heated by the ship¡¯s generator, and washed. He could hear Lisril outside, moving about, getting things ready, and not wanting to be scolded; he finished quickly and stepped out into the cabin.

    He found her nude, ready for her own shower. She stared openly, eyeing him up and down. He didn¡¯t mind; he eyed her right back, slowly running his eyes over the lush curves of her body. First, down her legs, then back up her torso to her face.

    She was flushed, eyes dilated wide, ears pinned forward, mouth cracked just slightly, scenting him. His wife was in heat, one of the few differences between Dyrantisa and human women; their cycle was also a quarter as long, the practical result being that she was in heat about three days out of the week.

    Her willpower never failed to impress him, denying herself out of a touching, if slightly paternalistic, concern for his honor and dignity.

    But he didn¡¯t give a shit about honor and dignity; he cared about seeing her happy and satisfied.

    Alex stepped up to her, took her by the waist, and pulled her into a long kiss.

    ¡°Alex,¡± she might have meant it as a warning, but it came out as a needy groan.

    Satiating her heat was, he knew, a need as real and driving as fulfilling any other biological function, even if the consequences of abstaining were less detrimental.

    He nuzzled against her neck and nibbled on her jaw, a gesture that would have torn flesh had she taken a Dyrantisa lover, but with him, elicited a delicious little shiver that ran down her spine. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just promise to ask me for what you need?¡± he murmured.

    ¡°The Empress-¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t have to know unless you meet her distracted like this,¡± he said.

    She made a sound somewhere between a growl and a whine and pulled him back into the shower.

    There was enough room, barely, for her to twist around and turn on the water and then to spread her legs and push down on his shoulders, allowing him to fold his own legs under himself. He reached up to caress her calves, kissing each perfectly defined muscle group.

    The greatest phenotypic difference between them, her powerful digitigrade legs were a biological marvel, and he¡¯d come to quite enjoy worshiping them.

    Her hand came to rest on his head, fingers twisting in his hair, and he knew she¡¯d run out of patience, so he dove between her legs.

    He¡¯d introduced her to oral pleasure, and she¡¯d decided that all their encounters should start that way; sometimes, she would pleasure him, but today, she clearly wanted him to take the lead.

    He kissed inside each of her thighs before moving to her lower lips. Other than her head, there wasn¡¯t a whisper of hair on her body. He didn¡¯t know if she shaved or if Dyrantisa were simply less hairy than humans, but it gave him free access to nibble gently on her labia before burying his tongue inside her. He lapped at her inner folds, pulled back to trace his tongue over the lip of her slit, and dove forward again.

    She tangled her fingers in his hair, groaned softly, and clenched her thighs. She was close, and he knew what she needed. He pulled away and latched onto the little button at the juncture of her legs, looking up, just able to lock eyes with her past the swell of her breast.

    Her body shook, fingers clenched painfully in his hair. She threw her head back, eyes closed, a long, low, satisfied moan escaping her lips as her hands went slack and she slumped against the wall.

    She heaved a happy sigh, and her eyes flicked open, lids crinkled with the fondness of her smile. She helped Alex up, licked his cheek, and gave the opposite cheek a pat.

    ¡°Thank you, Angel,¡± she smirked. ¡°Now, go get yourself dressed.¡±

    A growl rose from deep in his chest, and he seized her hips, pinning her against the wall; she responded with something halfway between a laugh and a moan.

    This was one of her favorite games; she said she liked the honesty of his pursuit, that it made her feel desired, handsome.

    He could relate; she was the most beautiful woman in the galaxy.

    He kissed her, bit her lower lip, and kicked her legs apart. She, obligingly, didn¡¯t tear him to pieces with her claws. He positioned himself between her legs and felt her arms wrap around his shoulders, dexterous three-fingered hands tracing the lines of the muscle in his back.

    He hilted himself inside her with a swift motion, both of them savoring the connection until her hands left his shoulders and found his hips, pulling him to her as though to urge him deeper, though he could already feel himself pressed firmly against her pelvis.

    He pulled back slowly, drove forward again, and found a steady rhythm answered by the eager thrusts of her hips.

    On another day, he might have taken things slowly, pleasured her gently for hours, but that wasn¡¯t what either of them needed.

    They set a fast, driving rhythm, diving toward their peak together. Lisril rested her head on his shoulder, lapping at his chin.

    ¡°Alex,¡± she said, voice a needy whine. ¡°Give it to me.¡±

    He felt her clench around him, heralding her climax and accelerating his own. She began to milk him, and he buried himself to the hilt, emptying inside her.

    She closed her eyes, heaving a long, contented sigh, relief washing over her face as he extinguished the flame in her core.

    They basked in the moment, wrapped in each other¡¯s arms.

    Her eyes flickered open, and she smiled warmly, her hands leaving his back and coming to rest above the juncture of her legs. ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll have a miracle this time.¡±

    He smiled back; it would have to be a miracle, not because it shouldn¡¯t work, genetically, the similarity between human and Dyrantisa was- well, it was positive evidence of god; no, they would need a miracle because she was an induced ovulator, and he didn¡¯t know how to induce her.

    ¡°I hope so,¡± he said, truthfully. ¡°Nothing would make me happier.¡±

    He wanted children; they both did, desperately.

    He had suggested, once, that modern problems called for modern solutions. But the idea that their child might not be wholly the product of her womb had offended her, and so, as long as there was a chance they could conceive naturally, he decided he wouldn¡¯t bring it up again.

    She framed his cheeks in her hands and licked his forehead.

    ¡°There now, you¡¯ve fulfilled your husbandly duties admirably. Now, you must do as a good man should, and obey your wife, get dressed; I¡¯ll be out soon.¡±

    ¡°yes, kitten,¡± he kissed her and pushed the shower door open.

    ¡°Angel,¡± she caught him just as he squeezed out into the lavatory. He looked over his shoulder and found her eyeing him hungrily.

    ¡°You had better be ready for tonight.¡±

    He grinned. ¡°For you? Always.¡±

 Ch3

    Lisril relaxed under the hot spray of the shower, the greatest Dyrantoro innovation, so far as she was concerned. Outside, she could hear her Angel making himself ready. Unlike a Dyrantisa man, he favored clothes that accentuated his shoulders, wore no makeup, and needed none; he was beautiful.

    Lisril had been taken almost the moment she¡¯d met him, and as dearly as she would have liked to say she¡¯d won him through the vigor of her pursuit, their love affair had been as easy as falling into bed.

    He could be difficult, Lady knew, but also sweet and considerate and always attentive to her needs.

    She finished washing and stepped out of the shower to find him in front of the mirror, shirt open, bowtie around his neck, applying talcum powder to his skin. This, he had taught her, was the best way to prevent the chafing ties caused.

    As she watched, he buttoned up his shirt, tied his bowtie, frowned, untied it, and tried again. Apparently satisfied, he nodded, folded his collar down, and turned, staring openly.

    Her chin came up, and she placed her hands on her hips, shoulders thrown back. If her Angel wanted to look, she saw no reason not to make a display.

    He grinned. ¡°It¡¯ll be a shame to cover up perfection.¡±

    She chuckled and blushed at the flattery.

    ¡°Stop that,¡± she said, the fondness in her voice belying the admonishment in her words.

    It wasn¡¯t a new game; she enjoyed Alex¡¯s compliments, and pretending she didn¡¯t, he enjoyed heaping her with praise and how poorly she hid her pleasure.

    ¡°Let me get ready; it won¡¯t do to make her Magnificence wait.¡±

    He smiled, kissed her, and slipped out of the little restroom, leaving behind longing and the sweet musky scent of his cologne.

    She dried herself and joined him in the crew quarters. She found him straightening his suit for his meeting with the Empress. He would wear a pearl white shirt, cuffs held with golden links, set with emeralds, which she thought rather complimented his eyes, a rich cashmere suit of Burgandy set off by dark green shoes and tie.

    It was, he informed her, terribly informal attire for meeting with an Empress, but he wasn¡¯t meeting her as a dignitary, and in any case, men were at their best when they were on display, and her man displayed very well indeed.

    His fiddling done, he turned to her, arms outstretched. ¡°What do you think?¡±

    She placed a finger on her lips, considering him, and smiled; she knew just the thing.

    Going to his effects, Lisril fetched out a small case, inside, a collection of flowers. Not real flowers, but convincing facsimiles fashioned of silk. She plucked a white cherry blossom from the case, her favorite, and slipped it into his lapel.

    It softened him, she thought, and gave him an appropriately masculine air. She took him by the shoulders then, turning him this way and that, perfect, not a hair out of place.

    ¡°Beautiful,¡± she murmured. ¡°Elliza will love you.¡±

    He smiled. ¡°There¡¯s only one woman I need to impress.¡±

    Fondness crinkled her nose. ¡°Now, why can¡¯t you be that sweet all the time? As much as I¡¯d love to agree, impressing the Empress and her Ladies is quite important.¡±

    So important, in fact, that it would soon make him the most prominent man on two worlds, not that he needed to know that, not yet.

    She went to the closet and withdrew her own suit, a plain, black affair, which would have been nondescript on Earth, but would draw looks on Nyx. She could have worn Nyxian formal wear and allowed Alex to take the attention, but he would object, she lived on Earth now, and her dress reflected that.

    She palmed through his suits, found his heavy coat, and made a face.

    His suits accentuated his exotic, broad-shouldered beauty, but this? It was simply too much; he looked like a woman in it, rather a large one. She passed it over and pulled out a cashmere cloak, lined and trimmed with otter fur. It could have simply been a fur cloak, but this way, he could reverse it if he wanted, and besides. She ran her hand over the soft fabric; she had fallen in love with cashmere faster than she had with him.

    She turned and handed him the cloak; he would need it; if memory served, it would be winter now, and the Empire¡¯s winters were bitter indeed. ¡°She¡¯ll love you in that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to seduce her, Lisril,¡± his laugh was deep and rich.

    She smiled and changed the subject. ¡°How long until we land?¡±

    He glanced at the clock. ¡°Maybe, fifteen, twenty minutes until we make dock, another hour and a half to transfer to the shuttle and make planetfall.¡±

    ¡°Make yourself ready; I¡¯ll dress and gather our baggage,¡± she said, nodding.

    ¡°Yes, Kitten, don¡¯t be long,¡± he said.

    He left her, and she set about dressing, first, an odd onesie of silver. Though thin, supple, and flexible as any cloth, she had it on good authority that if struck, it would harden and become veritably impervious to any blade and most modern small arms. Nothing she was likely to encounter on Nyx would be sufficient to the task.

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    The rest was much as Alex had worn, only appropriately more dour and intimidating. Above her shirt, but beneath her jacket, she wore a harness which positively bristled with blade and gun and all other manner of nastiness, and all of it deftly concealed beneath her jacket, tailored for just that purpose.

    She wore no accessories, with but one exception, a choker set with a black star sapphire, which he had given her to seal their engagement, and she was seldom without.

    By the time she was done arranging herself and joined him, the ship was bringing them, of its own accord, down into the docking station.

    In truth, she found the automation eery, but Alex had shown no concern, and she wasn¡¯t about to raise the hue and cry if he wasn¡¯t.

    The ship attached itself, and they were conveyed through the weightlessness of the landing platform to their shuttle. It was always stomach-turning, being in freefall, but Lisril took solace in knowing it would soon be over.

    <hr>

    Soon wasn¡¯t soon enough, and by the time they landed, she thought she might be sick on the seat next to her. Mercifully, the shaking and feeling of plunging ceased, and soon thereafter, they were ready to disembark.

    She followed two steps behind him, battling her instinct to lead him by the arm, and found herself amid a howling blizzard.

    She was happy she¡¯d bundled him up and that she¡¯d stolen his heavy coat, which suited her far better, though the wind still whipped at her face and blew through the open front of both coat and jacket, a necessity of easy access to her weapons.

    Men rushed about all around them, carrying shovels or pushing carts, doing their best to keep the airfield open. As they reached the bottom of the gangway, another man approached them at a trot. As he drew near, Alex snapped to attention, threw a salute, and shouted over the storm.

    ¡°Sergeant.¡±

    Lisril didn¡¯t know the proper form to salute a Dyrantoro soldier, so she didn¡¯t.

    The man, young-ish, late twenties, maybe as old as thirty or thirty-four by Dyrantoro reckoning, seemed surprised and returned the salute.

    Handsome, in that particular Dyrantoro way, the soldier nonetheless lacked the easy dignity her man possessed.

    The salute ended, and the soldier shouted. ¡°You the engineer?¡±

    Alex nodded beneath his hood, and the soldier waved them forward. ¡°Come on, they¡¯re waiting for you.¡±

    They had to push against the storm to make progress, and as they walked, Alex and their host made conversation over the wind.

    ¡°You read my stripes; you a Marine?¡±

    ¡°Army, special forces.¡±

    ¡°Retired?¡±

    ¡°Medical.¡±

    There was a long pause, then. ¡°I see; what do you rate?¡±

    ¡°Nothing; I¡¯m a civilian.¡±

    ¡°A vet, so far as my boys and me are concerned, that means you rate.¡±

    Another pause. ¡°I was a captain.¡±

    ¡°Sir!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t sir me, I¡¯m not in anymore.¡±

    ¡°Respectfully, sir, fuck that.¡±

    Alex¡¯s laughed. ¡°I like you, Marine.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear, sir.¡± They came to the waiting coach, and the marine opened the door for them. ¡°Travel safe; I¡¯ll radio ahead to the Major.¡±

    Alex nodded. ¡°good man.¡±

    They entered the coach, the door closed behind them, and with a jolt, they began toward the palace.

    They sat hip to hip on the seat, and Lisril wrapped an arm around his shoulder, pulling him close. ¡°You¡¯re not cold?¡±

    He rested his cheek on her shoulder, wide, green eyes gazing up at her. ¡°Not anymore.¡±

    She laid her head against his, squeezing him tight; maybe it was sacrilegious, but she didn¡¯t need heaven; this was paradise.

    They were quiet for a long time, just enjoying the embrace, then she broke the silence.

    ¡°Angel,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯ve never spoken of your time in the military.¡±

    She knew things were different on Earth, but it was still strange thinking of a man, her man particularly, as a soldier.

    Men were, of course, ill-suited to such tasks, but Alex? The idea that he should face any peril bereft of her protection was- well, it didn¡¯t bear consideration.

    Of course, they hadn¡¯t then known each other, but that was irrelevant; he had been born her husband; it was only a matter of the Lady¡¯s design coming to fruition. She, his destiny, and he hers.

    But, despite fate having brought them together some time ago, she still knew precious little about his past. She had no concern of finding any iniquity, yet, her desire to learn more went beyond idle curiosity.

    He hummed softly to himself. ¡°Not much to tell, really.¡±

    She smoothed his hair; clearly, he needed more prompting. ¡°Well, what did you mean by your answer to that young man regarding your retirement?¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± he sighed. ¡°I got hurt, and the military decided I wasn¡¯t fit for duty.¡±

    ¡°You seem hale to me,¡± she said, not disguising her surprise.

    ¡°Now,¡± he said. ¡°I volunteered for an experimental treatment, and it worked, but before that, I could barely walk.¡±

    Her grip on him tightened protectively. ¡°What happened?¡±

    He shrugged. ¡°I was-¡± he stopped, thinking. ¡°I was behind a machine gun someone had bolted to the back of an old pickup, going about seventy, eighty, something like that. When we drive into this ambush, it wasn¡¯t for us, I don¡¯t think, but we got hit anyway. In any case, I start laying down hell with this MG; when I get shot, not bad, flesh wound, shoulder, but it knocks me ass over teakettle off the truck bed, and I break everything in the right side of my body.¡±

    He took a breath, eyes growing distant. ¡°The boys managed to make pickup, and I scraped through, somehow, but I ended up partially paralyzed on the side I hurt. The bones could be fixed, or surgically replaced, if they couldn¡¯t, but I had nerve damage and-. After that, I Didn¡¯t really know what I would do with myself; I spent a long time in the military and didn¡¯t make any plans for early retirement. Didn¡¯t- really make plans for retirement at all.¡±

    ¡°Well, I went back to school, studied physics, and got picked up by DARPA for the FTL project. found out about extraterrestrial life with everyone else, decided I needed an excuse to meet one of our new neighbors.¡± He kissed her. ¡°Met the finest woman in the galaxy,¡± He kissed her again. ¡°Wifed her,¡± kiss. ¡°Never been happier.¡±

    She smiled, a happy flush coloring her cheeks, and took his hand. ¡°She¡¯s a lucky woman.¡±

    ¡°Not as lucky as me,¡± he said, grinning.

    She chuckled and licked his cheek. ¡°charmer. So, requesting a bodyguard from Nyx was just an excuse to meet me, hm?¡±

    ¡°Well, the politicos and military brass wanted to see how we got on, too. But, mostly.¡±

    ¡°I can thank the Lady for your curiosity, then,¡± she said.

    He smiled prettily and seemed about to say something when there came a knock on the front wall of the coach.

    ¡°That¡¯s the driver; we¡¯re arriving,¡± she said.

    The coach slowed, and she helped him down, smoothing his cloak. They stood in the courtyard of the Imperial Palace; the storm had abated as they rode, and the moonlight filtering through the breaks in the clouds shone brightly against the fresh snow and nearly painfully off the magnificent whitewashed palace walls.

    The greatest feat of Nyxian engineering, the palace¡¯s spires towered above them, defiant in the face of the savagery of nature.

    The yard had yet to be cleared, and Lisirl pulled Alex close; it would be a terrible thing indeed if he were to take a spill and ruin his clothes before meeting Eli.

    ¡°Now,¡± she said. ¡°you¡¯re a man, and that means you¡¯re entitled to certain courtesies. The Empress will want to take your cloak; you must allow her to do this, accept her attentions, and for goodness sake, don¡¯t embarrass her.¡±

    He laughed. ¡°No promises,¡± he said, offering his arm. ¡°Now, would you like to escort me in?¡±

    She glared at him, ¡°yes,¡± she growled, ¡°very much.¡±

    She took his left hand, laid it gently atop her right arm, and guided him up the steps to the great palace gate, its arched doors of polished wood standing open in expectation of their arrival.

    Behind them, Lisril heard the coach woman urge her horses back into motion. She took it as an auger; the past behind them and the future in front.

 Ch4

    Elliza lounged in her sitting room, back to the fire that warmed the space, a drink in hand, not the wine, which was now chilling in a bucket of snow. That had been a gift from her guest.

    Delivered with the regular shipment from Earth two days prior and brewed, if his note was to be believed, by him, from cherries he had grown on his property, which she would open and sample with him upon his arrival.

    At each corner of the room stood a silent guard. Silent because her honor guard took a vow of silence. Some particularly fanatical members had their vocal cords severed, primarily holdovers from her grandmother¡¯s time.

    Her mother had discouraged the practice, and she had forbidden it altogether.

    It was all ceremony, really; she had wanted to be rid of the whole silly affair; her guards could protect state secrets and provide conversation, Goddess sake, they were released from their vow when they retired. But those old fools in parliament had balked at ending a time-honored tradition, and it hadn¡¯t been worth expending the political capital.

    Under normal circumstances, she would, in this season, at this time of night, be overseeing a session of parliament. But mercifully, she had more important tasks to attend to. Hosting a foreign dignitary, a male foreign dignitary. Yes, a far better use of her time, that.

    Her drink was empty; she considered another, but at that moment, the door opened, admitting a messenger. The woman entered, offered the necessary supplication, then. ¡°If it pleases her Magnificence, guests from Earth have arrived seeking her gracious hospitality.¡±

    She stood, rolling her shoulders, and gestured for a guard to bring the mantel that completed her regalia.

    ¡°We should be pleased,¡± she said. ¡°To receive them in Our throne room.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Magnificence,¡± the woman said and scurried out of the room.

    This was all formality; Lisril knew where they would be received, and, knowing her temperament, Elliza would have to hurry so as not to be beaten to the throne room and save herself the embarrassment of being late to receive them.

    Besides, she was eager to meet this man, this Alex; he was exceptional. She knew this, despite having never made his acquaintance, because he had, in a matter of mere months, charmed Lisril Dessier away from the just rewards of a lifetime of loyal service, as well as the inheritance of her mother¡¯s sargenty.

    The same who had for sixty-two years been a bachelorette and celibate and made sport of rebuffing with great viciousness those men who shared with her the secret smiles and fluttering of lashes at which men were so adept.

    All the while daring, bold and bright as the sun, any woman to share her outrage and choose the time and means of her conveyance to the throne of saints.

    A mistake Elliza had never made, despite having occasionally shared this outrage. For, by the age of twelve, she had seen twenty-one women lay down the gauntlet and be laid low with terrifying dispatch, as well as a twenty-second, who had made the mistake of dispensing with decorum and attacked Lisril on the spot.

    The guard placed her mantle over Ellizza¡¯s shoulders, and she tossed her dark blue hair over her shoulder, straightening her gown, a flowling orange piece, which left her arms bare and complimented her light blue skin, and the downy fur on her shoulders.

    Elliza made her way, not by the halls held in common by the palace but rather by her private path through the meeting room and out behind the throne.

    She sat and waited but a moment, and the massive arched doors swung silently open, admitting Lisril and her man.

    He was tall and regal and had long hair that shimmered in the low light of her audience chamber.

    They approached the dais, he bowed, shallowly, and she did nothing at all, looking straight ahead as though not having seen her, though, Elliza noted, her eyes and ears flicked this way and that, making quick tally of both the four guards behind her and the two hidden in the throne room¡¯s shadows.

    It suddenly occurred that if any woman could assassinate an Empress and live to tell the tale, it was this one.

    Such a shame to lose her service, but at least it had been lost to an ally.

    She spread her arms in greeting. ¡°We are pleased to welcome you into Our house.¡±

    He lifted his head. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to be received.¡±

    She blinked; he spoke, not in the strange, slightly vertigo-inducing voice of the alien witch ear, which she found distasteful despite their having been sanctified, but in the delicate, lilting tones of the imperial cant, which he spoke with an intriguing accent.

    She realized her slip and, with a practiced mental flourish, reapplied her mask. ¡°You speak our language.¡±

    ¡°From a certain perspective, I¡¯m the only one who does,¡± he said, smiling mysteriously.

    She raised a brow. ¡°how so?¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°Forgive me, just a bit of an irony I¡¯ve discovered; perhaps we can talk more about it if we have an opportunity to sit together.¡±

    She inclined her head. ¡°It will surely be a scintillating conversation.¡±

    She stood, descending the dais and coming to rest before him, offering her hand.

    ¡°On the topic, We would be honored to share Our table with m¡¯lord this evening.¡±

    He smiled, placed his hand in hers, allowed her to draw it up to her lips, then, unexpectedly, closed his fingers around her hand, and mirrored the gesture.

    A fascinating little mockery of feminine chivalry. Yet, Elliza detected neither guile nor malice in his gaze and so took it in stride.

    ¡°Now that you mention it,¡± he said. ¡°I am a little hungry.¡±

    ¡°Then it shall be Our pleasure to provide, come,¡± Elliza said.

    She turned and began back the way she¡¯d come. It was, she could admit, a little disappointing that, despite being his host, she hadn¡¯t the occasion to offer the pleasant nicety of leading him.

    But he was wed, and she had done nothing to warrant requesting the honor. Lisril would likely allow it, but the dignity of her station did not. The drawbacks of sovereignty.

    They approached her sitting room, and at the door, Elliza stopped, glanced at her guards.

    ¡°Leave us,¡± she said. ¡°And inform the kitchens that We should be please to be served in Our sitting room.¡±

    If her guards had any objections, they weren¡¯t expressed; instead, the women saluted, fist over heart, and executed their Empress¡¯ desire.

    She opened the door, allowed her guests to precede her, closed it, and caught Lisril up in a tight hug.

    The older woman returned the gesture. ¡°It¡¯s been too long, hey Eli?¡±

    Elliza could feel the tools of a lady¡¯s trade beneath the heavy coat Lisril wore. ¡°I see you¡¯ve come prepared.¡±

    Lisril stepped back, chest swelling with pride, and took her man¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m a wife now, and a wife must be.¡±

    Elliza grinned; it was good to see Lisril finally wed; she¡¯d never complained but also never seemed completely satisfied as a bachelorette.

    ¡°Well,¡± Elliza said with a clap. ¡°Introduce us, so we can sit down and chat, it really has been too long, and I¡¯ve yet to find another guard willing to break the rules.¡±

    Lisril laughed. ¡°Yes, your Magnificence, this,¡± she nudged her man forward. ¡°Is Alex, the love of my life, chronically disobedient, oh, and something of an artificer, I suppose.¡±

    ¡°Alex, meet Elliza; she¡¯s-¡± she sniffed. ¡°Something of a minor noble; here on Nyx, mostly she¡¯s known for being a somewhat disappointing fencing student.¡±

    ¡°My instructor had unreasonably high expectations,¡± Elliza laughed.

    She took Alex¡¯s hand and offered an appropriately chivalrous bow. ¡°Forgive our previous, somewhat cold introduction, the demands of rank.¡±

    He had a lovely smile. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m happy to be properly introduced.¡±

    Elliza nodded and stepped around behind him. ¡°May I take your cloak?¡±

    He nodded and looked over his shoulder, exotic, bright green eyes delightfully alluring. ¡°Of course.¡±

    She wound her arms around his neck, worked the golden frog that closed the cloak about him. She could have done it from the front, but this was more enjoyable.

    He smelled of leather and the wheat harvest, and the clasp was far too simple to open.

    She stepped away, bringing his cloak with her, hanging it, and her mantle, which was stiff and heavy, by the door, leaving her in her brocade surcoat, richly inlaid with silver and gold, and him.

    She eyed him openly, up and down, Lisril wouldn¡¯t mind, and he seemed, by first impressions, a bold man, comfortable in himself.

    He dressed to a much different effect than a Nyxian man, yet, she couldn¡¯t complain. Dyrantoro men had gained a deserved reputation for a nearly, and, she supposed, literally, otherwordly beauty. As though they didn¡¯t belong to the realm of the profane.

    Some took this quite literally, suggesting that Dyrantoro men belonged to the race of the divine, Angels, sent by the Lady Goddess to prepare the race of women for the coming crusade.

    To cleanse creation of those demons, the servants of the Adversary, that debased the celestial sphere and made sport of tormenting the Lady¡¯s servants on Nyx.

    She was not among these but suspected, from the tone of some of her letters, that Lisril may be and would, therefore, allow Alex the opportunity to change her mind.

    She guided him to the table; Lisril would take care of herself and would expect, justifiably, the appropriate deference owed a man of status be extended to her husband.

    She seated him, took her place opposite his, and waited for Lisril to take her spot, with him on her right hand.

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    Elliza stretched. ¡°Thank you,¡± she gestured to the chilling wine. ¡°For the gift, by the way. I¡¯m looking forward to sampling it with you.¡±

    ¡°I hope you enjoy it,¡± he said, smiling.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure she will,¡± Lisril said. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe the quality of Dyrantoro produce, Eli; they put the imperial gardens to shame.¡±

    She was sure it was true; she had visited Earth once, on a diplomatic trip, just after contact, and had seen impressive gardens of flowering trees and bushes but had only been offered meat for her meals.

    A faux pas, to be sure, but she knew it hadn¡¯t been the product of malice and so had refrained from embarrassing her hosts. Her guests, however, wouldn¡¯t eat like paupers, with a bit of meat set before them and not so much as a crust of bread or slice of fruit to set it off.

    ¡°I suppose,¡± she said. ¡°We should first dispense with matters of business. I gather you¡¯ve been sent to oversee some project to do with a correspondence between our worlds; the details, however, thus far escape me.¡±

    He nodded. ¡°there are engineers from Earth telecom¡¯s here already, working on communications lines for on world communications.¡±

    She nodded; it wasn¡¯t news; she¡¯d granted the warrants after all.

    ¡°But the distance between Nyx and Earth make conventional methods of communication between our planets impractical; we¡¯d be better off sending letters, which is what we¡¯re doing now.¡±

    She held up a hand. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Are we sending letters?¡± he shrugged. ¡°Because our ships are faster than the signals we could send instead, which is where this project comes in. My team and I have discovered a method of encoding information into entangled quantum particles, allowing us to send messages faster than causality should apparently allow.¡±

    Much of this was spoken in Dyrantoro language, Nyxian speech being ill-equipped. She didn¡¯t follow but didn¡¯t want to reveal her ignorance.¡±

    Lisril, clearly sensing her distress, cleared her throat. ¡°Might my husband explain this in plain language?¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± he said. ¡°Well, Nyx and Earth are very far apart; it¡¯s easy to forget, given how quickly we can travel from one to the other. You probably haven¡¯t experienced it yet, but once communications come up, you¡¯ll be able to talk in real-time with anyone on Nyx, but the signals you¡¯ll be using still have to travel; they can¡¯t hear what you¡¯ve said before you say it.¡±

    She nodded; it was all comprehensible so far.

    ¡°On Nyx or Earth for that matter, that time is negligible, too fast for you to notice, in fact. But between them, it would take too long for our purposes, dozens of years to reach you, and dozens again for your reply.¡±

    ¡°And thus this device,¡± she concluded.

    He dipped his head. ¡°Precisely, under traditional models, my device allows signals to be received, essentially, before they¡¯re transmitted.¡±

    ¡°Under traditional models,¡± she noted to his obvious pleasure.

    ¡°Exactly, in reality, it works by creating a distortion in space, much like the warp drives, that reduces the distance between two points. Only instead of constantly pushing and pulling to drive apparent progress toward a point faster than should be conventionally possible, we instead create a location that, despite both terminating points being on different planets, leaves them directly next to one another.¡±

    She nodded, satisfied that her understanding was sufficient. ¡°Fascinating.¡±

    ¡°I think so,¡± he agreed. ¡°Currently, the concept only functions at the subatomic scale; when I discover how to apply it at the macroscopic scale, well, this bother with the Community will be a foregone conclusion.¡±

    She rested her chin on her hand. ¡°You seem convinced it will come to violence.¡±

    ¡°How would you respond if some uncontacted tribe rose out of the jungles and declared themselves an independent nation?¡±

    She nodded slowly. ¡°Point taken.¡±

    There was a knock on the door, and a moment later, it opened to admit a line of servants, each carrying a dish. As they arranged the table, her chef, Yilis, entered, bowed, and went about sampling each item.

    They waited, long enough to know the chef wouldn¡¯t keel over and die, and Elliza nodded. ¡°Your efforts are most appreciated, madam.¡±

    The chef bowed, her ladies waiting behind her. ¡°Her Magnificence is too kind. Please, excuse our interruption.¡±

    Elliza dismissed them with a wave. ¡°Don¡¯t allow Us to delay you, return to your duties.¡±

    The assembled ladies bowed and filed out of the room, leaving them alone once more.

    ¡°Please, help yourself,¡± Elliza said.

    Her guests served themselves, and she poured the wine before assembling her own plate. Roast fish and meat, hatchling birds baked into pastry, and, of course, fruits and greens, a meal sufficiently luxurious for an empress and her guests.

    ¡°Now then,¡± she said. ¡°How may I assist you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll need laborers and some more scholarly assistants to help direct the construction,¡± he said.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have them; anything else?¡±

    He hummed to himself. ¡°Not right now; I need to survey the progress on the other infrastructure projects being completed here on Nyx before I can say more.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± she said. ¡°Don¡¯t hesitate; your every need shall be fulfilled.¡±

    He smiled, and she sipped at her cup. ¡°As always, Lisril, your taste is impeccable.¡± The wine was delicious and slightly effervescent. She said so and was rewarded with a grateful smile.

    ¡°Since matters of business are settled, I¡¯d like to know more about your culture,¡± Elliza said.

    ¡°Oh?¡± he seemed genuinely surprised. ¡°I think that question might be answered better by the diplomatic corps.¡±

    She scoffed. ¡°Those lickspittles are too worried about setting a foot wrong and inflicting some offense to tell me anything noteworthy. Not that they¡¯ve no need for concern, given their obnoxious presence.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ve done something to upset you?¡±

    ¡°Not as such,¡± Elliza said. ¡°Only, your government saw fit to send a gaggle of- well, call them women if you must, but I hardly find them worthy of the distinction.¡±

    Alex seemed not sure how to respond, but Lisril broke out into a laugh. ¡°I know just what you mean; having lived there, and seen the state of their women, it¡¯s a wonder to think that they¡¯ve managed to build such a stunning civilization. A miracle, really.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being a little unfair?¡± Alex asked.

    ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°And you ought to tell your contacts to send men to do the job.¡±

    ¡°They can¡¯t just fire all the women and send men instead.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± Lisril demanded. ¡°It would improve relations and give those poor men a chance to find a proper wife like you have.¡±

    ¡°Well, you can take the lioness off the prairie,¡± he sighed.

    ¡°And what is that supposed to mean?¡±

    ¡°Just that human women don¡¯t stand a chance next to you.¡±

    Elliza, watching this exchange, burst into fits of giggles. ¡°You two are perfect together.¡±

    Lisril took her husband¡¯s hand and gave it a pat. ¡°He certainly makes things interesting.¡±

    ¡°I can see that,¡± Elliza said.

    ¡°you know, she¡¯s probably right, though. I can see your government¡¯s logic sending- women to deal with women. But I can¡¯t help but feel that things might proceed more smoothly if I were dealing with charming lords such as yourself rather than the disappointing gentlewomen I¡¯ve been provided.¡±

    He chuckled. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Elliza said. ¡°See you do, and if you¡¯ll forgive my curiosity¡­.¡±

    ¡°What would you like to know?¡±

    She leaned forward. ¡°Everything.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to start somewhere,¡± he laughed.

    ¡°I¡¯m something of a fan of theater.¡±

    ¡°Literature, then. Well, I¡¯m not exactly an expert myself; what if, instead of just trying to explain it, I added you to Lisril¡¯s English lessons? It¡¯d be easier to talk about if you had some first-hand experience anyway.¡±

    She glanced between them. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to intrude.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous,¡± Lisril said. ¡°You¡¯re welcome, of course. I¡¯ll warn you, though, it¡¯s a dastardly difficult thing.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never shrunk away from a challenge,¡± Elliza said, chin coming up.

    Lisril grinned. ¡°Good; I have my lessons in the morning, just after dawn.¡±

    She frowned but nodded. ¡°Of course,¡± Dyrantoro men kept odd hours, but she would, of course, accommodate him. ¡°Shall we meet here in the morning?¡±

    ¡°Sounds perfect,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯ll have to share with Lisril until I can get some materials for beginners from Earth.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, I appreciate the invitation, and it reminds me, you said something about our language before,¡± Elliza said.

    ¡°Oh,¡± he said. ¡°Yes, I did. Well, your ears are a biological wonder.¡±

    It was a strange compliment, but she took it in good humor. ¡°I shall have to take your word for it.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± he chuckled. ¡°Sometimes, I jump ahead of myself. What I mean, or should say, is you hear things that I can¡¯t. Dyrantisa hearing encompasses most of the human range, excluding some of the higher frequencies, but you also hear frequencies far lower than human hearing allows.¡±

    The intricacies escaped her, but she took his general meaning and so nodded along.

    ¡°The irony is, you speak entirely in the human range of hearing, and in its entirety, there are sounds in your language that I can hear, but you can¡¯t. Not just- incidental nonsense, either, there are clear patterns of meaning and comprehensible grammatical structure present, despite no Dyrantisa having ever heard these sounds.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s what you meant,¡± she said. ¡°Very interesting and also quite perplexing.¡±

    He nodded. ¡°It seems God has a sense of humor.¡±

    ¡°It seems so,¡± she said, pensive. ¡°I should be interested to learn more of this but fail to see any possibility without the capacity to experience it first hand.¡±

    He glanced at Lisril. ¡°Well,¡± he said. ¡°Lisril has had some augmentation work done, so she can hear English; it would be hard to learn to speak it otherwise. So maybe you can.¡±

    ¡°Alex,¡± Lisril said. ¡°I don¡¯t think-¡±

    ¡°Hold on,¡± Elliza interjected. ¡°I should at least like to hear him out.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a small thing, a chip implanted in the scalp with leads protruding into the ear and embedded in the small bones found there. This then acts as a surrogate for the inner ear, translating the vibration into electric signals and conveying that to a trainer, a temporary implant that uses magnetic resonance to help the brain form the necessary connections for interpreting the new sensation. After the training period, the trainer is removed, and the process is redirected to the nervous system.¡±

    ¡°The system was initially used to treat the deaf, but that is, essentially, what Dyrantisa are to this range of sound, so modifying it to this use was relatively simple.¡±

    Elliza nodded; she didn¡¯t honestly understand how this process gave hearing to the deaf but knew miracles were commonplace on Earth, so she didn¡¯t doubt his honesty.

    ¡°I fail to see the problem, Lisril,¡± she said. ¡°That seems perfectly benign.¡±

    Lisril shook her head. ¡°Honestly, many still harbor suspicions about augmentation, even on Earth.¡±

    Elliza slapped her hand on the table. ¡°Then I shall have to set an example.¡±

    Lisril laughed. ¡°honestly.¡±

    ¡°An empress ought to lead her people down the right path.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to invite controversy, Elliza.¡±

    ¡°And you think I argue with her,¡± Alex chortled.

    The women glanced at each other and joined his laughter. ¡°We¡¯re not arguing,¡± Lisril said.

    ¡°We¡¯re having a spirited discussion,¡± Elliza agreed, the two of them snickering under their breath. ¡°It¡¯s been far too long.¡±

    He gave them a bemused look. ¡°I feel I¡¯m missing some context.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Elliza chuckled. ¡°Just that my mother used to say something quite similar.¡±

    He smiled. ¡°thank you?¡±

    Lisril patted his hand. ¡°Which isn¡¯t to say you aren¡¯t lord-like,¡± she assured her husband. ¡°Just that you¡¯ve revived a fond memory.¡±

    ¡°Well, don¡¯t let me interrupt,¡± he said.

    ¡°Not at all,¡± Elliza said. ¡°You¡¯re my guest.¡±

    He nodded. ¡°thank you; actually, I could use the restroom.¡±

    ¡°The-¡±

    ¡°Privvy,¡± Lisril supplied. ¡°I can show him.¡±

    ¡°No, you two should catch up.¡±

    Lisril frowned. ¡°Alex.¡±

    ¡°My guards could take him,¡± Elliza offered. ¡°He¡¯ll be perfectly safe with them.¡±

    She didn¡¯t seem happy but nodded. ¡°You behave,¡± Lisril said.

    ¡°I love you too,¡± he said, kissing her.

    The sight brought a smile to Elliza¡¯s face. ¡°Guard,¡± she called, to immediate response. ¡°Please escort my guest to the toilet.¡±

    The guard escorted Alex out and left them alone.

    ¡°Well,¡± Lisril said. ¡°What do you think?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m happy for you; you seem like a good match,¡± Elliza said.

    ¡°It¡¯s a strange thing; he has different expectations, but most gratifying,¡± Lisril said.

    Elliza leaned back in her chair, sipping her wine. ¡°Good, that¡¯s good.¡±

    ¡°Have you escorted any young lords lately?¡±

    Elliza laughed. ¡°My duties keep me quite busy enough. Besides, I think any interested parties are still worried that a certain infamous guard might make an appearance.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Lisril snorted. ¡°Let the whores squirm; if they were worthy of you, they¡¯d show some spine.¡±

    ¡°And here I was worried,¡± Elliza laughed. ¡°That marriage might have dulled your edge.¡±

    The older woman scowled. ¡°Don¡¯t compare him to those horseflies. His affections are guileless and true as the Heavenly Mother¡¯s.¡±

    Elliza nodded slowly. ¡°That must be nice.¡±

    Lisril smiled, eyes distant. ¡°He has no interest in my status, doesn¡¯t want me for my mother¡¯s title. It¡¯s- hard to put to words. To be wanted, simply for the wanting. They¡¯re special, Dyrantoro men.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t hard to surmise the older woman¡¯s intentions, but, Lisril didn¡¯t lie, not even when she ought to. So her honesty wasn¡¯t in doubt.

    ¡°He must be to have enchanted you.¡±

    Lisril smirked. ¡°Interested?¡±

    ¡°What was that you said about avoiding controversy?¡±

    ¡°What was it you said about leading by example?¡±

    ¡°Shameless,¡± Elliza chuckled.

    Lisril¡¯s chin came up. ¡°What¡¯s to be ashamed of?¡±

    ¡°Nothing,¡± Elliza admitted, abashed. ¡°You¡¯re right; it¡¯s perfectly chivalrous. I shouldn¡¯t have said that.¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have,¡± Lisril agreed. ¡°Your apology is accepted.¡±

    She glanced at the door, ¡°he¡¯s taking a while.¡±

    ¡°Fretting is unlike you; he¡¯ll be back soon.¡±

    ¡°A woman is always justified in fretting over her man.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say it was unbecoming,¡± Elliza said. ¡°Just noting how you¡¯ve changed.¡±

    They were silent for a moment, then. ¡°Lisril, I need-¡± the door opened, and Elliza shook her head. ¡°Meet me later; if you can get away, I¡¯ll provide guards.¡±

    The older woman nodded, and they stood to greet her husband.

    Lisril seated him, and they resumed their meal, lamps slowly burning down. The conversation was pleasant and easy, and she quickly learned to avoid matters of his professional interest and embarrassment at her relative ignorance thereby.

    Finally, Lisril stood, bowing shallowly. ¡°Forgive me,¡± she said. ¡°For cutting this short, but I think my husband should take his rest soon, and I should like to introduce him to my relations before we retire.¡±

    Alex nodded. ¡°Actually, I should have probably reported to the Earth delegation by now too.¡±

    Elliza nodded, crossing the table to help him to his feet. ¡°Of course,¡± she licked his hand. ¡°It has been an honor and pleasure to speak with you; I should be pleased to host you in my quarters tomorrow evening if it would be amenable.¡±

    He smiled. ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡±

    Elliza turned to Lisril. ¡°The Dyrantoro embassy is temporarily based out of the east wing. Do you remember the way?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Lisril said.

    ¡°Good,¡± Elliza nodded. ¡°When you¡¯re finished, ask any guard; they should be able to show you to your quarters; I suspect your effects will be there before you are.¡±

    ¡°Your consideration is most appreciated,¡± Lisril smiled. ¡°Thank you, Eli; we¡¯ll see you in the morning, ready for your English lesson.¡±

 Ch5

    Lisril led Alex through the grand halls of the palace, richly decorated with tapestries and frescos detailing the empire¡¯s great history.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be an early start tomorrow,¡± he said. ¡°Dr. Liang should be expecting us in the morning, then we¡¯ll have to hunt down the team planning the power grid¡¯s build-out.¡±

    She nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t forget our commitment with Eli, and we shouldn¡¯t forget to visit the postmaster before leaving; I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll have an imperial writ ready for us to secure your laborers.¡±

    He gave her a slit-eyed glance, ¡°Eli, huh?¡±

    Lisril smirked at him. ¡°Your wife and the Empress are quite close.¡±

    ¡°I noticed,¡± he chuckled. ¡°Not a bad position to be in.¡±

    She gave him a wide, predatory grin; he had no idea; she told him so and could tell he was trying to make sense of her insinuation.

    It was his favorite game, never come out and say what could be revealed slowly by suggestion and insinuation, piece by piece, until finally, realization dawned. Only- others played with less facility than he, so it was good fun to find a subject he lacked the keys to understanding.

    Besides, he would be amenable when all was said, so she didn¡¯t need to come out with her intentions and resort to persuasion and cajoling. Unless she misread him completely, in which case, well, what was life without risk?

    ¡°Now,¡± she clapped her hands. ¡°The delegation shall have to wait on you a bit longer; we¡¯re going to meet some of my friends, and then I need to introduce you to my parents.¡±

    ¡°You sure? I¡¯d hate to embarrass you in front of your family,¡± he said, grinning.

    ¡°Stop that,¡± she chided, wrapping her arms around his and pulling him close. ¡°I don¡¯t like it when you speak ill of yourself, even in jest.¡±

    He kissed her cheek, and she reciprocated the gesture, smiling fondly at him. ¡°Now come along; there¡¯s someone particular you should meet.¡±

    She led him at a quick pace, eager and a bit intrepid; she had been building toward this for a long time, though most had been a period of inactivity.

    She stopped at the large double doors to the palace archives, opening them for him with a bow he either didn¡¯t notice or didn¡¯t acknowledge, but which made her feel appropriately chivalrous regardless.

    Alex seemed almost in awe of the library, but there would be time for him to gawk later; she strolled up to a counter behind which sat a woman, a southerner, like Lisril, pink-skinned and dark-haired, studiously scratching away with a quill pen.

    She didn¡¯t look up as they approached, dipping her pen and flipping to a new page in a volume she seemed to be referencing. ¡°Have you an appointment?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Lisril said. ¡°Archivist, but I thought you might make an exception for an old friend.¡±

    The woman¡¯s head came up, eyes wide. ¡°Lisril!¡±

    She stood, came around the table, and they embraced. ¡°They didn¡¯t tell me you were coming.¡±

    Typical, Eli must not have thought to mention it.

    Serra looked to Alex. ¡°Is- is that him, your- that is to say-¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Lisril hastened to interrupt her friend lest she give the game away before it even began.

    ¡°This is Alex, my husband. Alex, this is Serra; we served together in the Legions.¡±

    He nodded. ¡°A pleasure, ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°He isn¡¯t quite what I had envisioned,¡± Serra said, casting a skeptical eye over him.

    Lisril didn¡¯t have to feign her anger. ¡°You would say that after I went so far as to cross the void twice!¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Serra raised her hands as though to ward off the accusation. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way.¡±

    ¡°Am I- missing something here?¡± Alex asked, brow furrowed.

    She suppressed her smirk, let the games begin.

    Serra¡¯s brow pinched in confusion. ¡°Does he not know?¡±

    ¡°Know what?¡±

    Lisril coughed, affecting contrition. ¡°I was getting to it.¡±

    ¡°Getting to what?¡± Alex demanded.

    ¡°Lisril!¡± Serra cried. ¡°How could you?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Alex agreed. ¡°How could you?¡±

    Then, in a too-loud whisper. ¡°What are we angry about?¡±

    It was all she could do not to crack; he was enjoying this far too much.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    ¡°Our engagement,¡± Serra said, crossing her arms over her chest.

    It was cute seeing him at a loss for words. ¡°Our what?¡±

    ¡°Alex,¡± she took his hands in her own. ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯ve meant to tell you.¡±

    ¡°Clearly,¡± his lips were drawn thin, but his look was more of concentration than anger.

    ¡°You see,¡± she said slowly. ¡°Men are a rarity on Nyx.¡±

    He opened his mouth, inhaled sharply, but said nothing, which she took as an invitation to continue. ¡°Perhaps one of every twenty births is male, and they survive their infancy somewhat less.¡±

    She watched the realization dawn on his face and suddenly understood the sport of it. ¡°You practice polygamy.¡±

    She nodded. ¡°It¡¯s the only fair system.¡±

    He glanced at Serra. ¡°And her?¡±

    ¡°When we were coming up in the military,¡± Lisril said, taking her friend¡¯s hand. ¡°We made an oath as sworn sisters that whoever should wed first would bring the other into their family.¡±

    He rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°Lisril, I don¡¯t-¡±

    ¡°Alex,¡± she crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°I understand your trepidation, but I gave my word and can¡¯t allow the stain of reneging on it.¡±

    The implicit threat was as evident as it was empty, she wasn¡¯t going to leave him, and he knew it. Not that she couldn¡¯t, such a dispute was sufficient for an annulment on Nyx, presuming she could commit to his support until he found another wife, and in a stroke of sheer insanity, his country required no reason whatsoever.

    No, they both knew she wouldn¡¯t leave him because she could quit him as readily as she could breathing. But Serra likely took it for gospel, which counted quite a lot, and Alex would understand that she wouldn¡¯t even make the bluff if her convictions weren¡¯t genuine.

    He took a deep breath and released it slowly, shaking his head. ¡°You¡¯ve taken me by surprise. Can I have some time to think?¡±

    Lisril nodded. ¡°I think that should be acceptable.¡±

    She turned to Serra. ¡°As to you, I understand your trepidation, also. However, the risk I have taken in keeping my faith with you should be obvious; I expect you to do yourself and your mother honor.¡±

    Serra hesitated, looked to Alex, and nodded. ¡°If m¡¯lord will have me, he shall find no woman more willing or faithful.¡±

    Lisril hugged her. ¡°Thank you, sister,¡± she whispered. ¡°And don¡¯t worry, I know my husband; he¡¯ll come around.¡±

    She nodded and backed away, paying Alex the respect of a courteous bow. ¡°I pray m¡¯lord can forgive the coarseness of our introduction.¡±

    ¡°Uh,¡± Alex said. ¡°Of course, sorry for the consternation.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Serra scoffed. ¡°Nonsense, I¡¯m not so frail as to be injured over a mere misunderstanding. It would be my honor if m¡¯lord would spare a moment to chat.¡±

    He smiled. ¡°I¡¯d like that, but-¡± he looked to Lisril. ¡°I think there are more people Lisril wanted me to meet.¡±

    ¡°We have time,¡± Lisril said. ¡°Of course, we¡¯ll delay introducing you to some of my friends if we must, but Serra, you should retire early today.¡±

    She frowned. ¡°why?¡±

    ¡°Because you¡¯re invited to join her Magnificence and me for our English lesson. We¡¯ll meet you here at dawn and go to meet her Magnificence together. I know it¡¯s quite early, but Alex has a full schedule.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I suppose I can¡¯t refuse an invitation like that, but the Empress-¡±

    ¡°Will, of course, welcome you; you¡¯ve every right to be there, all things considered,¡± Lisril said.

    Serra thought about that a moment before a broad smile broke out over her face. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right.¡±

    Lisril nodded and gave Alex a pat on the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll let the two of you talk privately; I¡¯ve wanted to refresh my memory of one of my mother¡¯s almanacs anyway; call me if you have a need, and I¡¯ll return for Alex when we need to go.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Serra said, before clearing her throat and turning, abashed, to Alex. ¡°That is- if my lord pleases.¡±

    Alex laughed. ¡°You don¡¯t need to stand on so much ceremony, and I¡¯d be happy to; I¡¯d like a chance to get to know you.¡±

    Serra nodded enthusiastically and began to lead Alex to a more secluded spot, but at the last moment, Lisril gripped him and pulled him into a hug. ¡°It will mean the world to her,¡± she whispered. ¡°If you allowed her to extend the traditional Dyrantisa courtesies.¡±

    She felt him nod against her shoulder and gave him a grateful pat on the back. ¡°I love you.¡±

    ¡°I love you too; we¡¯re gonna have a talk later,¡± he murmured.

    She nodded and let him go. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said to Serra. ¡°It¡¯s a hard thing to part with your man. Please, go on.¡±

    Serra dipped her head and took his hand. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Lisril watched them go, then borrowed a candle, and wandered upstairs; she really had been meaning to have another look at that Almanac.

    Lisril read for longer than she probably should have or gave them longer than was perhaps warranted, allowing her candle to burn to nearly a stump; each time, she clipped the wick, promising it would be the last.

    She was apprehensive; it was nonsense, really; they would get on famously. She wouldn¡¯t have chosen Alex had she felt otherwise; after all, Lisril had a responsibility, one she took quite seriously, to select a match she felt fit both herself and her friend. But nothing was guaranteed, and- well, he seemed to warm to women more readily than men, and she knew an introduction would help. But perhaps she should have stayed to mediate, as she had with Eli.

    It was too late now, though, and-

    ¡°Lisril Dessier!¡± No more time; she had needed a new candle anyway.

    She returned her book and descended the stairs to find Serra, surrounded by a crowd of her, somewhat perturbed, subordinates, casting about, only with her back turned. ¡°Where have you squirreled yourself away?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Hagan, now,¡± she said, approaching her friend. ¡°We take our husband¡¯s name on Earth.¡±

    Serra turned, arms crossed over her chest. ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject.¡±

    ¡°And what would the subject be?¡±

    ¡°Artificer, scholar, philosopher, alchemist, apologist! Your missives have done your husband a terrible injustice.¡±

    Lisril swallowed the breath she had been holding; she could breathe in private. Instead, she adopted an amused smirk. ¡°I thought he might enjoy surprising you.¡±

    Serra blushed two shades pinker. ¡°Well, it was a pleasant surprise.¡± She turned to Alex, seizing his hands. ¡°I know you have to go now but do remember me to your friend; I shall be very pleased to read his comparative Earth-Nyx philology.¡±

    Lisril knew the friend she was talking about; it had been he they had gone to, to discover why she seemed to have no trouble with written English but an impossible time with the spoken language. In exchange, she had added him to her tutoring sessions with Alex, teaching him how to read and write, particularly.

    Serra presented their husband to her. ¡°Thank you, it was a lovely evening, and I was privileged to be allowed to borrow him.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me,¡± Lisril chuckled. ¡°He goes where he wills, even when he oughtn¡¯t.¡±

    Serra licked his cheek. ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll see you in the morning?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it,¡± he agreed.

    Serra beamed and released them. As the archive doors closed behind them, Lisril finally allowed her sigh to escape. ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re happy with her.¡±

    He sighed himself. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Lisril¡­.¡±

    ¡°Oh really,¡± she asked. ¡°then tell me you¡¯re not thrilled to have a woman you can share your obsessions with.¡±

    He was silent for a long moment, ¡°I¡¯m not going to do that because it would require me to be wrong.¡±

    She laughed, and he shook his head. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it later; anywhere else?¡±

    ¡°Just my family, I think,¡± she said. ¡°You can meet my other friends later on.¡±

    He nodded. ¡°Finally taking me home to your parents, huh?¡±

    ¡°Finally,¡± she chuckled. ¡°In fairness to me, you live hours away.¡±

    He snorted. ¡°So, where to?¡±

    ¡°Not far,¡± she said. ¡°They quarter in the palace during winter.¡±

 Ch6

    Lisril led him on and up, bringing him to her parent¡¯s doors. She smoothed down his clothes, examining him before knocking.

    They waited, and after a moment, the door opened, revealing her mother¡¯s austere, weathered face. ¡°Mama!¡±

    The older woman opened the door fully. ¡°Lisril,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯ve brought your man home, finally.¡±

    She turned to Alex and offered a gracious bow.

    ¡°Please, forgive the lateness of our introduction; I would have fled my duties and hastened to you the moment I learned of my Daughter¡¯s engagement had it been an option.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s my fault, really; I went and stole your daughter and didn¡¯t even think about how I¡¯d escape to meet her relations.¡±

    ¡°We shall have to find our way to mutual forgiveness then,¡± her mother chuckled. ¡°But where have my manners gone? Please, come in. Wilin, find a chair for our guest.¡±

    Her mother¡¯s chambers bustled with activity, full of wives and daughters, two sons, and her father, of course, was sitting by the fire sewing something or other.

    ¡°Lisril,¡± he said, standing and spreading his arms to her. ¡°Come say hello to your father.¡±

    She hugged him. ¡°Hello, Papa.¡±

    ¡°Let me have a look at you,¡± he said, patting her back.

    He stepped back, rubbing her shoulders and looking her up and down. ¡°Have you been eating enough? You look as though you¡¯ve lost weight.¡±

    ¡°I eat like a queen¡ª¡ªbetter, even; it¡¯s my physical conditioning that¡¯s changed; I¡¯ve rather become enamored with Dyrantoro fitness coaches,¡± Lisril said, taking her father by the shoulders and giving a fond squeeze.

    Her father looked unconvinced but nodded along. ¡°As you say, dear, now, introduce me to this man of yours. I¡¯ve been looking forward to meeting my grandchildren¡¯s father.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Papa,¡± she said, returning to stand behind Alex, laying her hands on his shoulders.

    The family gathered around, dragging in chairs or cushions or simply sitting on the ground.

    ¡°Everyone,¡± she said, ¡°this is Alex, my husband.¡±

    The gathered women crowded forward a bit to get a better look. If he wasn¡¯t the first Dyrantoro they¡¯d seen, then he was the first they were likely to have seen close up, and the women examined him with great interest as they exchanged greetings.

    Then, a voice at the back of the crowd, one of the younger girls rose up over the crowd.

    ¡°Why are his ears so weird?¡±

    ¡°Hess!¡± came the mortified reply of the girl¡¯s mother.

    Lisril fought the laugh that rose in her throat.

    ¡°Alex¡¯s ears,¡± she spoke slowly for fear of losing hold of her mirth. ¡°Are just as the Lady intends them. He is Dyrantoro.¡±

    ¡°Is that why his nose is so big?¡± Hess asked, and her mother seized her by the ear, twisting and dragging the girl away.

    ¡°You come with me, young lady.¡±

    ¡°Ow! Ow! What did I do?¡±

    Lisril took a deep breath. She couldn¡¯t laugh; if she broke, they would descend upon her like animals. ¡°We are blessed to have found each other.¡±

    Her mother nodded, seemingly immune to the children¡¯s antics. ¡°I see you don¡¯t mention your wives in your letters.¡±

    She glanced at Alex, who, to his credit, if he was uncomfortable with the subject, didn¡¯t show it. ¡°Serra is courting him.¡±

    The older woman pursed her lips. ¡°Five years, and that¡¯s all you¡¯ve to show? Well, the archivist is, at least, of good breeding. But no more lollygagging; I didn¡¯t raise you to sloth.¡±

    Lisril swallowed, she was right, of course, but she didn¡¯t know the poor quality of the woman Lisril had been working with. That would just sound like an excuse, though. ¡°Yes, Mama.¡±

    ¡°Mala,¡± her father said, coming to the rescue. ¡°We¡¯re being rude to our guest, sir; our daughter tells us you¡¯re something of a scholar.¡±

    ¡°Well.¡± Alex scratched his chin. ¡°I¡¯m a trained physicist, but I consider myself an engineer.¡±

    ¡°Physicist?¡± her father asked, a frown of concentration creasing his brow.

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    ¡°Um.¡± Alex tilted his head. ¡°A scholar who specializes in the study of the function of creation.¡±

    Her father nodded. ¡°I see.¡±

    ¡°A noble pursuit,¡± her mother said. ¡°Though strange to see a man engaged in such work.¡±

    ¡°Yes, things are done differently on Earth. But what of you? Lisril mentioned you¡¯re some sort of gardener. Are you the groundskeeper?¡± Alex said, apparently eager to move the subject away from an interrogation of his working life.

    Her mother looked almost insulted. ¡°Lisril, have you instructed him so little? Sir, I am the Imperial Gardener; tasked with managing and cultivating her Magnificence¡¯s agricultural lands. Surely you have been provided supper, and this included some produce; I am responsible for the provision of these articles and ensuring this provision lasts the winter.¡±

    ¡°That must be exhausting.¡±

    ¡°Well, I do less of it myself now. My daughter, that is, Lisril, should have inherited my position when she wed, but-¡±

    ¡°But then I went and scalped her.¡± He ducked his head.

    ¡°Well.¡± Her mother took her father¡¯s hand. ¡°You needn¡¯t act abashed; it was her decision to make, and I certainly understand the allure of a man¡¯s affections.¡±

    Alex looked up at Lisril, smiling, and his hand came to rest on hers.

    ¡°I was a bit surprised,¡± he said, turning back to the older woman. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me saying it, how close you were in age, you can¡¯t be more than forty.¡±

    Her mother laughed. ¡°No, sir, I¡¯m no pup.¡±

    He paused, ¡°oh! I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said. ¡°Earth¡¯s calendar is much longer than Nyx¡¯s; I was thinking in our terms. Forty would be¡­.¡± He drummed his fingers in his lap. ¡°Ninety, one-hundred, something like that.¡±

    Her mother nodded. ¡°In that case, I am one-hundred-two; lisril is sixty-seven, some months past.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve piqued my curiosity now, sir, so if you can forgive the discourtesy¡­.¡± Her mother leaned forward a bit in her chair, conveying her question with her posture.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Alex said. ¡°I¡¯m seventy-five, say, one-hundred eighty by your calendar.¡±

    There was a long silence, then, Opalla, her father¡¯s second wife, laughed. ¡°I¡¯ve never known a man to overstate his age.¡±

    ¡°No, no exaggeration, we¡¯ve just cured old age,¡± Alex said, matter-of-fact, as though it were the most normal thing in the world.

    ¡°Aging isn¡¯t a disease,¡± her mother scoffed.

    Alex nodded. ¡°Yes, you''re right, but I meant cure more colloquially, in that we no longer suffer the deleterious effects.¡±

    ¡°It seems unbelievable,¡± her father fairly whispered. ¡°To remain young forever; it sounds like witchery.¡±

    Lisril was around Alex¡¯s chair in an instant; her father sprawled on the ground, cheek red where she¡¯d striped him.

    Then Alex was at her side, a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Lisril-¡±

    ¡°Be silent,¡± she snapped.

    Her mother was standing, glaring at her. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±

    Lisril met the older woman¡¯s wrath with her head held high. ¡°Not more than heaven demands.¡±

    ¡°He is your father,¡± her mother hissed.

    ¡°My father speaks heresy, or have you forgotten, that the very voice of the Lady in this earthly kingdom has granted dispensation to works of human innovation.¡±

    The older woman¡¯s shoulders relaxed. ¡°Be that as it may,¡± she said. ¡°He is mine to censure, not yours.¡±

    ¡°I forgive you, see to it you seek absolution, and I will see to it he does the same,¡± her mother said, sighing and shaking her head.

    Lisril bowed her head. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°Good!¡± Her mother clapped her hands. ¡°Then we are for the Lady to judge. Let us put the whole nasty matter behind us.¡±

    Lisril nodded. ¡°I would like that, Mama.¡±

    Her mother patted her shoulder. ¡°You are young,¡± she said quietly so that no one else would hear. ¡°And newly wed, your eagerness in his defense does you no dishonor, but temperance is also a virtue.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mama.¡±

    ¡°One more thing.¡± The older woman glanced over Lisril¡¯s shoulder at Alex. ¡°You seem to have caused him some consternation; soothe him, when you¡¯ve a quiet moment. I will speak to your father, though I suspect he already understands his folly.¡±

    Lisril nodded, and they separated, returning to their husbands.

    The conversation went more smoothly after that, though her father was quiet and sullen. She felt sorry for him, but honestly, he had gotten off lightly.

    Eventually, Alex nudged her. ¡°Lisril, it¡¯s getting late.¡±

    She frowned. ¡°You¡¯re right; I¡¯m sorry to have to cut this short,¡± she said. ¡°But we¡¯ve another engagement we must attend, and Alex needs be up and about come the dawn.¡±

    Her mother stood, the rest of the family joining her. ¡°Of course, I hope we¡¯ll have time to speak again soon,¡± she said, offering her hand.

    ¡°I¡¯m certain we will.¡± Lisril helped Alex to his feet and shook the hand her mother offered. ¡°It was good to see you all again.¡±

    She led him to the door, but little Hess caught his cloak as they were about to leave.

    He turned and smiled down at the child. ¡°Yes?¡±

    The little girl looked up at him with wide, mottled brown eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry your nose is so big.¡±

    The girl¡¯s mother seized her by the ear once more. ¡°Ow! but I said sorry!¡±

    ¡°Forgive me, sir.¡± the woman bowed her head. ¡°I thought I taught her better.¡±

    He laughed. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡± He extricated the girl from her mother¡¯s grip and tousled her hair. ¡°It was nice meeting you, Hess.¡±

    Hess, rubbing her ear, nodded. ¡°It was nice meeting you, too, sir.¡±

    Lisril smiled and guided him out, ushering him down the hall. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I yelled at you.¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°No, I-¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°You did nothing wrong; I won¡¯t hear an apology out of you. You Dyrantoro make a bad habit of that; it¡¯s not courteous; it¡¯s foolish.¡±

    He sighed. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t ma¡¯am me,¡± she laughed. ¡°And you didn¡¯t let me finish. I¡¯m sorry I yelled at you, and I appreciate your willingness to defer to my experience.¡±

    He kissed her cheek. ¡°I figured you knew the social situation better.¡±

    ¡°Whatever your reason, you did me a good turn; thank you, shall we meet the delegation?¡± she asked, returning his kiss with one of her own

    ¡°We¡¯d better,¡± he said. ¡°They¡¯re probably in a panty-twisting competition over us by now.¡±

    She giggled. ¡°Then we really had better hurry.¡±

    She led him on, clearing her throat. ¡°Alex, what you said earlier, are you really one-hundred eighty?¡±

    He frowned. ¡°Well,¡± he said slowly. ¡°Really, the way your calendar shakes out, I¡¯m closer to one-hundred-ninety.¡±

    ¡°A hundred and ninety!¡± she cried, coming to a stop and turning to face him, eyes widening.

    ¡°Lisril!¡± He stopped and took her hands, drawing them to his chest. ¡°Kitten, look at me; for all necessary purposes, I¡¯m a man in the prime of my youth. So I¡¯m older than I look. Does that make me anyone but the man you know?¡±

    She thought about that; he wasn¡¯t wrong, but she also wasn¡¯t ready to let it go. ¡°Regardless, you should have told me.¡±

    He shrugged. ¡°Probably,¡± he agreed. ¡°But it really never occurred to me. We don¡¯t worry about these sorts of things anymore, so long as everyone¡¯s old enough to know what they¡¯re getting into.¡±

    She sighed and began leading him once more. ¡°I suppose we¡¯ve both surprised each other today.¡±

    He hummed out his agreement, and they walked on.

 Ch7

    Moving into the Dyrantoro wing of the palace was like stepping into another world. Not quite Earth, but not Nyx either.

    Human girls walked from room to room, going about official business matters; Alex asked for directions, and, to her annoyance, the girl insisted upon inflicting her presence upon them.

    She led them in blessed silence and knocked on a door to the right. There was a moment¡¯s pause before the door opened to reveal a rather waspish girl who squinted at them over a pair of ugly, bright yellow spectacles.

    ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± she said.

    Alex shrugged. ¡°I had social obligations I needed to attend to.¡±

    The woman pursed her lips, clearly skeptical. ¡°Social obligations?¡±

    ¡°Meeting the in-laws, not that it¡¯s your business.¡±

    The girl glared. ¡°You should have come to us first.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t, though, let us in,¡± he said.

    The girl scowled and turned her eyes to Lisril. ¡°What about her?¡±

    He glanced her way, shrugged for a second time, and turned away from the girl. ¡°Let¡¯s go find our room.¡±

    ¡°What!¡± the girl cried. ¡°Stop.¡±

    He did but didn¡¯t turn. ¡°You can¡¯t just-¡± Lisril understood the girl¡¯s folly immediately, but it didn¡¯t take Alex long to illuminate the mistake for the human.

    ¡°Watch me.¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡±

    He did turn then, meeting the girl¡¯s glare impassively. ¡°If you want me, she¡¯s part of the deal.¡±

    The human shook her head. ¡°Fine, just come in and stop making a scene.¡±

    Lisril didn¡¯t like her tone and, on any other occasion, might have issued a challenge. But there was his status to think of, so she kept her peace.

    They entered past the girl and found the room furnished with a broad table at which sat a Dyrantoro man in military dress, ruddy skin, dark hair as long as regulation allowed, looking, but probably not being, Lisril supposed, about forty.

    Alex approached the table; Lisril took her post in one of the room¡¯s corners. ¡°Good to see you, Major.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re late.¡±

    ¡°Social engagement.

    ¡°In-laws?¡±

    Alex sat and nodded.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad you made it.¡±

    The girl seemed close to apoplexy, and Lisril was quite glad she¡¯d declined to gut her for her rudeness.

    The Major glanced at the girl. ¡°You can go if you like,¡± he said. ¡°This is a DoD matter anyway.¡±

    The girl¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I¡¯ll stay,¡± she said, voice clipped.

    ¡°Suit yourself.¡± The man turned to Alex. ¡°What do you think?¡±

    ¡°I like her,¡± Alex said.

    The Major shook his head. ¡°I was hoping for a little more than that.¡±

    Alex seemed to think about it and said. ¡°Strong-willed, knows what she wants, not made of stone, doesn¡¯t like our diplomatic corps.¡±

    At that, the girl perked up. ¡°What for?¡±

    Alex looked past the girl more than at her as though she were beneath his notice. ¡°Because you¡¯re women, but you fail to live up to her standards of womanhood.¡±

    The human snorted. ¡°I should have known,¡± she sneered. ¡°Old fashioned, antiquated notions of-¡±

    Alex¡¯s hands slammed down on the table hard enough that the wood splintered beneath the blow, and though he didn¡¯t stand, he suddenly seemed to fill the entire room. ¡°Are you sure you want to be mouthing off about outdated social systems, bureaucrat?¡± He spat the last as though the word tasted foul.

    The girl¡¯s face twisted into a mask of rage. ¡°It¡¯s a free country; I¡¯m allowed to have an opinion.¡±

    ¡°And in my opinion,¡± Alex snarled. ¡°Bureaucrats should be lined up in front of a ditch and shot.¡±

    The human really did turn apoplectic then, and Lisril feared she might launch herself at Alex. Part of her wished she would, as Lisril¡¯s hand was already on the pistol she wore beneath her jacket.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to sit here and be treated like this,¡± the girl screamed, standing, and marched to the door.

    The Major watched her go and showed no reaction when the door slammed behind her. ¡°You¡¯ve certainly got a way with words.¡±

    ¡°And your diplomat is tapdancing right on a line she should know god-damn well to stay a mile away from.¡±

    The Major heaved a heavy sigh. ¡°I heard, and you can bet someone heard her screaming, and she¡¯ll write you up in some form or report, so it¡¯ll have to go in my report. You might have just bought that girl a referral, you know.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t buy her shit,¡± Alex spat.

    ¡°A referral for what?¡± They were the first words Lisril had spoken since entering, and the Major¡¯s eyes snapped up as though he¡¯d forgotten she was there.

    ¡°Oh,¡± he grunted. ¡°Court-martial.¡±

    Lisril frowned. ¡°Would m¡¯lord enlighten me as to what just transpired? I should like to know if my man is in danger of reprisal.¡±

    The Major glanced at Alex. ¡°I don¡¯t think so, but I guess I can explain. There was a coup - an attempted coup, actually. Seventy years ago now.¡±

    ¡°Seventy-six,¡± Alex supplied. ¡°Just a bit before I was born.¡±

    ¡°Seventy-six,¡± the Major agreed. ¡°The nation¡¯s permanent bureaucracy got it in their heads that they could run things better than elected officials.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because,¡± the Major said slowly. ¡°They wanted us in the European civil war, but there wasn¡¯t political support for it.¡±

    Lisril nodded. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Ultimately, there was a constitutional convention, lots of changes; the important ones here are that government officials can only serve for so long, and they give up certain of their civil rights while they do,¡± the Major said.

    ¡°And what happened to the rebels?¡±

    The men shared a look, and the Major shrugged as though to say, you brought it up.

    Alex returned the gesture and said: ¡°They got lined up in front of a ditch and shot.¡±

    A gratifying answer and yet more evidence that Dyrantoro men were her lost brothers. She nodded. ¡°Better than treasonists deserve. Please, forgive my interruption.¡±

    The Major nodded, glanced at the door, and began scribbling something on a scrap of paper. At the same time, he said. ¡°Alright, Hagan, that¡¯s quite enough excitement for one day. You know the technology better than I ever could, and I think you¡¯ll be having a pretty early morning, so I¡¯ll cut to the chase. You report to me weekly; anything you need, I¡¯ll get it; DoD wants this done yesterday.¡±

    The Major slid the note across the table, and Alex took it. ¡°Bad season for it.¡±

    ¡°Nothing we can do about that,¡± the Major said. ¡°Put a request for heavy equipment and self-replicators in writing; the civilian government doesn¡¯t want to spook our new friends, but if I make it a matter of defense¡­.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do that; anything else?¡± Alex asked.

    ¡°Not right now.¡± The Major stood. ¡°You have a good night, sir.¡±

    Alex followed the man¡¯s lead, and Lisril escorted him to the door. ¡°Major,¡± he said and led her out into the hall.

    <hr>

    Something hard jammed into Lisril¡¯s side, and she rolled over, pulling the blanket over her head. It came again, and she groaned.

    ¡°Get up.¡±

    She rolled back over and opened her eyes to find Alex fully dressed and standing over her. ¡°Alex?¡± she asked. ¡°What time-¡±

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°Get up,¡± he repeated.

    She shook her head, sitting up. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m up; what?¡±

    ¡°You said you wanted me to tell you when I have somewhere to be.¡±

    That brought her to wakefulness, and she scrubbed her hand over her face. ¡°Is this about that note?¡± He¡¯d refused to tell her what was written on it, and upon reaching their room, promptly threw it into the fire.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°Now come on.¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°Wait, I need to dress.¡±

    ¡°No point.¡± He turned for the door. ¡°You won¡¯t be seen.¡±

    She scrambled from the bed. ¡°Wait!¡± But he was already gone.

    She snatched his cloak and threw it over her shoulders, determined to maintain some level of decency, and chased him out the door.

    He hadn¡¯t gone far, and she quickly caught up. ¡°What are we doing?¡±

    ¡°Going to a meeting.¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°Do you even know where you¡¯re going?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s on my heads-up. You¡¯re not coming in; stay quiet,¡± Alex said.

    She blinked, bewildered, he had always been obstinate, but this was new. ¡°Have I upset you?¡±

    He stopped, turned, and smiled at her. ¡°No,¡± he said, his voice taking on its familiar cast. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, of course not. But I shouldn¡¯t be bringing you along, so I need you to do as I say, okay?¡±

    She swallowed, realizing suddenly that his obstinance was perhaps not simply a matter of disobedience, and he was taking a risk to accommodate her. ¡°Of course. Of course.¡±

    ¡°Come on,¡± he said, pressing a kiss to her lips.

    He pressed on and entered one of the rooms without so much as a suggestion of a knock.

    She stopped, waiting in the shadows as the door closed, leaning against the wall, listening. A Dyrantoro probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to hear, but to her, the words were crystal clear.

    ¡°Hagan,¡± she recognized the Major¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Callahan.¡±

    The sound of furniture scraping over the floor, then Callahan said, ¡°well?¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Alex said. ¡°I want a drink, a strong one.¡±

    More shifting about, then. ¡°There, what are you thinking?¡±

    A pause. ¡°I¡¯m thinking.¡± Another pause. ¡°I¡¯m thinking,¡± he said. ¡°What the fuck are we doing here, Callahan?¡±

    The tinkling of glass. ¡°I was hoping you¡¯d tell me; that¡¯s why I wanted the privacy.¡±

    Alex sighed. ¡°This is- fucked, Callahan; we¡¯re going to get these women killed.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that bad.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s exactly that bad!¡± Alex growled low in his throat. ¡°You put guns in these peoples¡¯ hands, and their commanders are going to tell them to fix bayonets and charge.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not-¡±

    ¡°Going to believe that machineguns exist until they see Divisions get cut to pieces. And you know it¡¯s true because your ass went to West Point and learned the stupid, sad history of our commanders watching exactly that happen and still not believing it.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Granted, you¡¯re right, so what are you saying?¡± Callahan asked.

    ¡°So,¡± Alex said. ¡°What are we doing here? Why are we bringing the Community to come and burn their world? Why are we importing technology that¡¯s going to tear their society apart? Soldiers? The military employs more truck drivers than this world has people. Resources? We have more than we can use in the home system. So what the fuck?¡±

    A moment of silence then. ¡°I don¡¯t know, the State Department¡¯s got me shut out, and if the brass knows, they¡¯re not saying. But I¡¯d like to know too, and now I happen to know someone discreet and on speaking terms with the Empress. So maybe he can find out.¡±

    Listening to them speak, Lisril realized she knew exactly why the Dyrantoro were on Nyx. It had never seemed important before, secondary, really, silly to keep it a secret at all. But now, hearing Alex lay it all out at once, it all clicked into place.

    She knew, and moreover, she could use her knowledge to her advantage and, more importantly, his.

    ¡°In the meantime,¡± Callahan went on. ¡°You got any bright ideas?¡±

    She heard the drumming of fingers and knew it was Alex. ¡°Their religion,¡± he said at last. ¡°I don¡¯t know the details, but if they¡¯re like us, and they seem to be, that¡¯s where they¡¯re vulnerable. Where things will start to break down, but also where we can get in, shore them up. So here¡¯s what you do, go to the diplomats and suggest a faith exchange; they¡¯ll like that. I¡¯ve got a friend back on Earth, our foremost expert on Nyxian linguistics; I¡¯ll write him and ask him to work up a Nyxian Bible, I¡¯ll find a- whatever the local holy book is, and send it back to him too. Then, you find some chaplains with Special Forces training, and my buddy will coach them on the local theology.¡±

    ¡°I guess that seems sound,¡± Callahan said. ¡°Then what?¡±

    A long silence then. ¡°We¡¯ll start with hearts and minds and go from there.¡±

    ¡°And our military problem?¡±

    Alex sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know; I¡¯ll keep my eyes open and see what I find. Maybe ask Lisril; she might have an idea.¡±

    She smiled, happy he was willing to come to her.

    ¡°Do that,¡± Callahan said. ¡°Just- it won¡¯t be great for my career if it gets out I¡¯m going behind the delegation¡¯s back.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be careful,¡± Alex said. ¡°And we can trust her.¡±

    ¡°Well, no choice but to trust you now. Goodnight, Hagan,¡± Callahan said.

    More shuffling, she ducked into the shadows as Alex exited the room and closed the door behind him.

    She followed, taking his hand. ¡°We need to have that talk,¡± she whispered.

    He nodded. ¡°In the room.¡±

    They walked back hand in hand, and while he took a seat in front of the fireplace, she added more wood and stoked the flames back to life before joining him.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s talk about it,¡± he said.

    ¡°I know I took you by surprise; I¡¯m sorry I kept it from you, but I had a good reason.¡±

    He frowned. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I thought it would be funny.¡±

    It drew a laugh from him, and he shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s- a reason.¡±

    ¡°And I have another,¡± she said. ¡°I was nervous, I know it¡¯s¡­ unorthodox on Earth, and I thought perhaps if you could meet Serra¡­.¡±

    ¡°Then I wouldn¡¯t be able to help falling head over heels.¡±

    She nodded. ¡°Like with us.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Lisril.¡±

    ¡°I do. You will marry her, and I¡¯ll tell you why if you let me,¡± Lisril said.

    He chuckled. ¡°Alright, I might as well hear it.¡±

    ¡°Then I shall give you the reasons in the reverse order of their importance,¡± Lisril said.

    ¡°First, you need her connections.¡±

    ¡°Her connections?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Lisril nodded. ¡°Serra¡¯s family is old and powerful Nyxian nobility; her mother is one of the minor queens who abide below the Empress. She is tasked with defending a vital strategic region in the south and is well respected amongst Nyx¡¯s military minds. Lady Faragal is not- not like you, let¡¯s say- not a visionary. But she isn¡¯t stupid nor small-minded; if you tell her of your military experience and show her the documents you alluded to earlier, she¡¯ll listen, and if you convince her, others will follow, and so on until the new doctrine becomes common sense.¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°And she¡¯ll just be pleased as punch that I¡¯m stealing her daughter away from Nyx.¡±

    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll talk about that, but it wouldn¡¯t matter. Serra is her fifth daughter; she isn¡¯t going to inherit anyway. And as Lady Faragal sees it, Earth is superior in military might to Nyx and so superior in esteem and culture.¡±

    She saw the objection rising in his eyes and held up her hand to forestall him. ¡°I know that doesn¡¯t necessarily follow, but that¡¯s how she sees it, and in this case, she happens to be correct. So, in her eyes, her daughter would be increasing her station by marrying you, which is rare on Nyx.¡±

    He sighed. ¡°Well.¡± He rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°That is compelling, and you said that¡¯s your weakest argument, so let¡¯s hear the rest.¡±

    She nodded. ¡°Secondly, she¡¯s my friend, and your rejecting her at this juncture would humiliate her.¡±

    He rubbed the stubble forming on his chin. ¡°And the third?¡±

    ¡°You love her.¡±

    ¡°Lisril-¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°I saw it in your eyes when I came to collect you. I don¡¯t think you love me any the less, but be honest, there are ways in which you and I simply can¡¯t connect fully. You don¡¯t need to be ashamed; it¡¯s not- no, rather, it¡¯s incredibly rare that a man marries one woman he loves, let alone two. I would be a poor friend and a poorer wife if I denied either of you that happiness.¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°And on the subject of two wives, this nonsense with the Empress.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯ll be marrying her too.¡±

    ¡°I think she might have something to say about that,¡± he laughed.

    ¡°She will,¡± Lisril said. ¡°She¡¯ll have ¡®yes¡¯ to say.¡±

    ¡°You seem pretty confident.¡±

    ¡°Please,¡± she scoffed. ¡°Her mother was chronically absent, even before she passed, the demands of sovereignty, I practically raised her from birth.¡±

    He hmm¡¯d. ¡°I can see why you¡¯re so confident, and I suppose you¡¯ve got a list of reasons I should say yes too.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s much the same, but we do need to talk about some things.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m listening,¡± he said.

    She nodded. ¡°First, how long do you expect the Empire to survive contact with the Federation? Really? I know it¡¯s not long, and I know the chaos the collapse will cause weighs on you.¡±

    He chewed his lip, and she pressed on: ¡°That relates to the second subject I wanted to talk about, and it will be easier to demonstrate after having spoken on the third. You wondered why the Dyrantoro are here.¡±

    ¡°And you practically raised the Empress, so¡­.¡± He said, pensive.

    She bobbed her head sharply. ¡°Just so, there is a plan to,¡± she said slowly. ¡°If it should come to the worst, evacuate the Dyrantoro population to Nyx.¡±

    She saw the outrage bubbling up, saw him rearing back in disgust, intuiting immediately what had taken her years to come to understand.

    An evacuation of Earth was impossible. Even if the Dyratoro could be collected, Nyx couldn¡¯t host that many people; her surrounding planets couldn¡¯t be made habitable in so short a time.

    She seized his hands. ¡°I know,¡± she said. ¡°I know, now. Because I¡¯ve seen your world as you have. But think about it. Think of the average one of your countrymen, living in one of your tower cities, in their little community of a few thousand. Surrounded above and below by the billions of others also living in their little community of a few thousand and nearly never so much as even visiting their direct neighbor in either direction. How many of these would hear this plan and think anything is amiss, even if they really should be able to see it?¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°it¡¯s not their fault; they live amongst the trees and so can¡¯t see the forest for what it is. So too the Dyrantisa, we look around and see a mighty empire, greater than any other, undefeated in living memory, and lose sight of true grandeur.¡±

    ¡°Not least,¡± she said. ¡°Because we weren¡¯t told, I believe now that your leaders intend that some portion of your countrymen be saved.¡±

    He scowled. ¡°And leave how many countless trillions to burn?¡±

    ¡°Exactly. You see what I see, but you don¡¯t see all of it.¡±

    He frowned but nodded for her to continue. ¡°I think we were not told all because your leaders understood we would never accept leaving any of our Dyrantoro brothers to the mercies of the takers.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s impossible, I see it now, but Alex- such a failure, to allow so many men to die¡­ even if the community doesn¡¯t make the connection and come for us, the weight of the guilt would grind us to dust.¡±

    ¡°I need you to save them, save their very souls, Alex; I need you to show the Empress her folly as you have shown me.¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°Lisril, she wouldn¡¯t-¡±

    ¡°But she will,¡± she insisted. ¡°I couldn¡¯t do it, she wouldn¡¯t listen to me, but she will listen to you, not despite your being a man but because of it. Because your words are gentle to her ears. Because I have taught her to desire a man who possesses vision and can whisper in her ear the path to glory.¡±

    ¡°I always knew you were smart,¡± he chuckled. ¡°But I never pegged you for canny.¡±

    She tossed her hair. ¡°The Empress also underestimates me; it¡¯s why she was willing to send me away. Her mother knew better, kept an eye on me.¡±

    He laughed. ¡°There is a problem, though.¡±

    ¡°And what would that be?¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t give me permission to take multiple wives.¡±

    She crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°Why not?¡±

    He scrubbed a hand through his hair. ¡°Because I¡¯ll never stop? Lisril, you¡¯ve seen my relationship with excess.¡±

    ¡°Is that all?¡±

    ¡°Lisril!¡±

    She patted his hand. ¡°You want me to set boundaries, to ensure you don¡¯t overstep and hurt me.¡±

    He nodded, and she put a finger to her chin in feigned thought. ¡°Very well,¡± she said. ¡°I won¡¯t tolerate any of those homunculi in my marriage.¡±

    He coughed, caught between a laugh and a shout. ¡°That¡¯s spicy even for you. Points for creativity.¡±

    ¡°Why thank you,¡± she said, smiling. ¡°And I mean it, the Dyrantoro have found their true partners; you don¡¯t need any Human women.¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± he laughed. ¡°We¡¯re going to need more Dyrantisa then.¡±

    She snorted. ¡°Hilarious, but you¡¯re the only man whose marriage I need to concern myself with; let the others fend for themselves.¡±

    He sighed and laid his chin on her shoulder. ¡°I love you, Lisril.¡±

    ¡°I love you, too.¡±

    ¡°There are laws to be concerned with.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense,¡± she said. ¡°You can be wed before the Divine here on Nyx and then handle any necessaries with a contract on Earth; that¡¯s basically what you do anyway.¡±

    ¡°And the Empress?¡±

    ¡°As I said, how long can the Empire really withstand contact with the Federation? We can ease it in, or it can be torn apart; I know which I prefer.¡±

    ¡°You make a compelling argument.¡±

    She kissed him. ¡°I try; now, let¡¯s get you back to bed.¡±

 Ch8

    Alex sat at the desk in the office he¡¯d been given, writing up request forms, letters, a statement for Callahan regarding the incident with that diplomat, who had, in fact, lodged a complaint.

    Lisril, who had posted herself by the door, shifted from foot to foot. ¡°Do you need to sit?¡± He didn¡¯t look up.

    ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    He rolled his eyes. ¡°Let me rephrase that; take a seat; we¡¯re not stopping once we¡¯re out in the city.¡±

    She sighed but did as he asked, and he smiled. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said. ¡°For your help this morning.¡± Their English lesson had gone pretty well. He had scratched out the alphabet in his, not amazing, handwriting, and she¡¯d helped coach their pupils through them.

    It was strange because they couldn¡¯t learn how to speak the sounds without mechanical assistance but could develop a sense of phonetics by what they could hear. Lisril still spoke her ABCs with an odd accent, even to that day.

    ¡°Of course,¡± she said. ¡°How could I do otherwise? Do you know when you¡¯ll be done with that?¡±

    ¡°Soon,¡± he promised. He could understand her sentiment; this sitting around didn¡¯t really agree with him either. ¡°In fact,¡± he said. ¡°Why don¡¯t you call for someone to come escort us and get these where they¡¯re going, I¡¯ll finish this up, and we can go inspect our building space.¡±

    She nodded, and he finished his letter as she did as he asked. When she returned, he pushed his pile of documents toward her.

    It was a small thing, but she would appreciate the chance to dote a bit. She took the offered pile, and he stood.

    ¡°No.¡± She held up her hand. ¡°It will be a little while; no need to get up yet.¡±

    He resumed his seat, and she took his packet to the MP, and he knew it would be an MP because Lisril wouldn¡¯t have waved a woman down, not a human woman, anyway, she¡¯d asked to deliver their message.

    She returned and took her seat with a sigh, glancing at his candle and the light filtering through the slit window. ¡°We might be late, meeting with Dr. Liang.¡±

    He looked to the window himself. ¡°Should we postpone our inspection?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°Eli will be there, better to snub an electrical engineer than an Empress.¡±

    ¡°Suppose it is. Anyway, I doubt the doctor will mind; I¡¯ve heard he¡¯s pretty mild.¡±

    ¡°Then that settles it.¡±

    There was a knock, and she stood, offering him her hand. ¡°Shall we?¡±

    He took it with a chuckle, rose, and pressed her fingers to his lips. ¡°I shall be very pleased to accompany you.¡±

    She laughed, and they walked to the door, paused while she straightened his jacket, then she opened it and followed him out.

    A guard greeted them, not one of the silent honor-guard sort, just a regular guardswoman. He nodded to her. ¡°We¡¯re to inspect the construction site.¡±

    The guard nodded. ¡°Yes, sir, this way.¡±

    She led them down and out to the periphery of the palace; he would have preferred a dedicated building, but there were political considerations, so the palace it was.

    He¡¯d specified a large room near the edge of the structure and on the ground floor to make running cable to it easier. He hoped what was on offer would be sufficient; it would be awkward to tell his host he needed something better.

    Finally, they arrived at what appeared to Alex to be some kind of ballroom or feasting hall. He stopped in the doorway, surveying the scene. It would be big enough; he looked up at the ceiling, implants automatically providing exact measurements, probably.

    He told Lisril to make a point of getting the room¡¯s exact dimensions, no need to rely on a single data point; then went to join their host.

    Elliza stood before a mess of crates stacked along one wall, which contained components that had been sent ahead of them.

    She noticed them and offered the shallowest of bows. ¡°M¡¯lord,¡± she said. ¡°We are pleased to see you.¡±

    He nodded to her. ¡°Thank you, your Magnificence. I see you¡¯re having a look at the supplies.¡±

    ¡°Yes, We confess to having lacked time to inspect them previously,¡± she said.

    He looked at the boxes. ¡°I hope we haven¡¯t inconvenienced you with this meeting.¡±

    She waved him away. ¡°Nonsense, this is a most agreeable moment, and We are pleased to have the opportunity. Might We inquire as to the function of the arrayed?¡±

    He nodded and joined her before the crates. ¡°It¡¯s all a bit technical, and it might be easier to give more details when it¡¯s all assembled, but the simple version is this will allow us stable, instant communication between our planets.

    She nodded, he¡¯d given a much better explanation last night, but this was all political theater, the Empress showing official interest in her partner''s projects. So the actual details didn¡¯t matter.

    ¡°Is it necessary that the device be so large?¡±

    He cocked his head; that was a relatively interesting question. ¡°Yes and no,¡± he said. ¡°If you only want to send one message, we could make it almost small enough to fit in the palm of one hand, but all this,¡± he waved his hands at the packages. ¡°Is required to get repeatable communications. This isn¡¯t all of it either; the brain, if you will, the part that sends and receives the messages, is quite delicate. It probably wouldn¡¯t survive coming down on a shuttle; once the rest is finished, we¡¯ll construct a space elevator for that, and I¡¯ll install it myself.¡±

    Elliza nodded. ¡°Something to that effect had been mentioned to Us during Our discussions on the matter.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Alex said. ¡°I think this is all I need to see for now; thank you for taking the time to meet me.¡±

    She repeated her little bow. ¡°No, it has been a pleasure to accommodate you. But, on the subject of accommodation, would m¡¯lord be amenable to taking his supper in Our quarters this evening?¡±

    He chewed on his lip, thinking back to the previous night¡¯s conversation with Lisril; honestly, he still had his doubts. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to impose.¡±

    ¡°No, it would be no imposition whatever,¡± Elliza insisted.

    He shrugged, mentally; what the fuck? ¡°Then how could I refuse?¡±

    ¡°Excellent.¡± She really did sound pleased, too. ¡°Then We shall eagerly await the evening, and M¡¯lord should, of course, feel welcome to extend Our invitation to his women. Now, if you will excuse Us, We should be mortified if We delayed you any longer.¡±

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    Alex returned her bow this time. ¡°Thank you, your Magnificence.¡±

    Then, he was alone with a grinning cat. ¡°She likes you,¡± Lisril whispered.

    He rolled his eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s go; we¡¯re late enough as it is.¡±

    She offered no comment but a giggle and followed dutifully in his wake.

    They walked together out though the palace¡¯s tall arched doors, into the the courtyard, enclosed by high whitewashed curtain walls. Between the walls and the snow the morning light was dazzling and his eyes were less sensitive than Lisril¡¯s.

    She didn¡¯t show her discomfort, though, leading him to the waiting coach and helping him inside.

    As soon as the door closed, Alex felt the vehicle jerk into motion, the driver out in front getting the horses moving.

    It was an uncomfortable, but short ride, the coach transfering every bump and jerk to the vehicle¡¯s occupants.

    The coach eased to a stop and Lisril helped him down into the streets, and he led her into the building.

    The power plant was a hideous, brutalist monstrosity growing like a tumor out of the beautiful native architecture, which Alex found reminiscent of the gothic period back on Earth.

    He made a note as they stepped through the door, to chew someone¡¯s ear off about erecting a facade to fix that.

    Immediately, as they entered, a burly Dyrantisa woman stepped forward to greet them. ¡°You must be the engineer,¡± she said. ¡°We were expecting you earlier; did you have some trouble?¡±

    He looked around. ¡°Where¡¯s Liang?¡±

    The woman blinked in surprise. ¡°He- the Doctor¡¯s other duties called while we waited, I-¡±

    ¡°Well, go find him.¡±

    The woman gaped, clearly not used to being dismissed by a man. ¡°The doctor is-¡±

    ¡°Employed,¡± he said. ¡°By the Departments of State and Defense, and will make time for the most important infrastructure project in human history.¡±

    Lisril put a hand on his shoulder and stepped around him. ¡°Please,¡± she said, seamlessly assuming the role of good cop. ¡°Forgive him. M¡¯lord has a hectic schedule, and we still need to keep an engagement with the guilds to deliver an Imperial writ. So if there¡¯s any way we can speed things along here¡­.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t strictly true; they didn''t have a meeting scheduled, but the mention of Imperial business got the woman moving, though she still didn¡¯t look happy.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said, once the other woman was gone.

    Lisril returned to his back and put her hands on his shoulders, rubbing them gently. ¡°I must say,¡± she said. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m seeing a new side of you these past hours.¡±

    He leaned back against her, enjoying her touch. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have to make her happy.¡±

    Her tongue flicked over his earlobe. ¡°Don¡¯t hold back too much,¡± she whispered. ¡°I rather like it.¡±

    ¡°Save it for the bedroom, Kitten,¡± he chuckled. ¡°We¡¯re on the clock.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not hourly.¡±

    He snorted. ¡°I guess I¡¯m not.¡±

    Still, she backed away, and soon their host joined them. A diminutive little man, Alex didn¡¯t know much about Liang, only, he¡¯d come from China as a refugee when the trouble there had kicked off. It had been a big deal for a little while, and then the media had lost interest.

    ¡°Dr. Hagan,¡± Liang¡¯s voice was soft and high, a little nasally. He spread his arms as he approached. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you.¡±

    Alex nodded and offered his hand to shake. ¡°Sorry I was late,¡± he said. ¡°I ended up with more paperwork than I was expecting.¡±

    ¡°Not at all,¡± Dr. Liang said. ¡°I¡¯m just glad you made it, my-¡± The little man glanced at his forewoman. ¡°Employees have told me the streets are somewhat more dangerous during the day, thieves and the like.¡±

    Alex nodded. ¡°I¡¯m happy to tell you we had no trouble.¡±

    Looking at the man. Alex got an idea of why the forewoman had seemed so shocked at his challenging her; he didn¡¯t think this mousey little guy would stand up to an actual kitten, let alone his.

    Liang smiled. ¡°Good, would you care to have a look around?¡±

    Alex glanced at a clock hanging on the wall. ¡°I think I can give you a little time, but we¡¯ll have to make it fast.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re eager to get underway,¡± Liang agreed.

    He, the forewoman, and Lisirl followed the engineer through the building, occasionally stopping as he pointed something or other out. Finally, he stopped in front of a large window overlooking a room where active construction was taking place. ¡°This will be the boiler,¡± he said. ¡°The first new coal plant humanity will build in two generations.¡±

    Alex nodded. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind my asking,¡± he said. ¡°Why not fusion?¡±

    ¡°A fair question, there are two primary reasons; the first is, we aren¡¯t expecting too much demand to begin with; a fusion plant won¡¯t be immediately necessary. Secondly, the concept of lighting a fire to boil water is penetrable to the local population; the diplomats thought it would be an easier sell if we started with somewhat familiar concepts, just until the locals saw the benefits of electricity,¡± Liang paused, looking expectantly to Alex.

    They weren¡¯t giving Dyrantisa enough credit; then again, how would he explain igniting a star in the middle of their city?

    ¡°As long as it¡¯s reliable,¡± he said at last. ¡°I think I¡¯ve seen enough; let¡¯s work out the details.¡±

    Dr. Liang nodded and turned to the forewoman. ¡°Thank you for your assistance,¡± he said. ¡°Ms. Sezechel, would you be good enough to check on the work crews now?¡±

    She glanced at Alex and Lisril, seeming reluctant, but finally nodded. ¡°Of course, but if there¡¯s aught you need¡­.¡±

    ¡°Yours will be the first name to cross my lips,¡± the doctor said. ¡°I promise.¡±

    The woman smiled and went off to do as she was asked.

    ¡°Have you had any trouble?¡± Alex asked.

    ¡°A little,¡± the doctor admitted. ¡°Some of the women were maybe a bit more- eager than they should have been, but I think they mostly worked themselves out.¡±

    Alex nodded. ¡°Good,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re happy together.¡±

    Liang coughed. ¡°We¡¯re not, that is, I¡¯m her superior, it would be totally-¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Alex said. ¡°I won¡¯t tattletale. Come on, let¡¯s sit and hammer things out.¡±

    Liang guided them to his office, sitting and motioning for them to join him. ¡°I understand the energy requirements for this project are rather demanding.¡±

    Alex nodded. ¡°It needs to be constant, and the power needs to be very clean; any interruption in power or significant fluctuation in voltage will destroy the quantum communications array. The first will be solved with a backup generator at the palace, constantly running, so failover won¡¯t result in loss of the array. For the second, I have a schematic with me.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Liang said. ¡°I¡¯ll have a look at it then.¡±

    Alex pulled the document out of an internal pocket and folded it out onto the table for the doctor to examine.

    ¡°I see,¡± Liang said softly. ¡°Yes, a dedicated line, hm.¡± He pointed. ¡°These are power conditioners, active ones. Is it quite necessary to have so many?¡±

    Alex shrugged. ¡°Not really,¡± he said. ¡°But DoD mandated the extra redundancy, you know how it is.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Liang murmured. ¡°Passthrough in case of a failure, it will add to the complexity; how will we manage maintenance?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll have a primary line,¡± Alex said. ¡°And five failover; if everything works, the failover lines should face less wear.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Liang nodded. ¡°So if we need to move off the primary for maintenance, we can just turn it over to one of the backups. Reasonable, or, no, quite extravagant, but I suppose it is an important project.¡±

    ¡°I wish we had known about this requirement at the outset of this project,¡± the little man mumbled, more to himself than anything else. ¡°But- no, it should be fine; we can modify what we¡¯ve done to accommodate your needs.¡±

    ¡°I can have a copy of this sent over to you,¡± Alex said.

    ¡°That sounds like a good idea,¡± Laing agreed. ¡°I suspect you¡¯ll be having a similar talk with our itinerant friends?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Alex said. ¡°Would you happen to know where they are?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve a map,¡± Liang dug through his desk. ¡°Somewhere¡­ ah!¡± He put a bit of parchment down, and Alex took it. It was a map of the city, with the engineering team¡¯s expected route for the day drawn on it different stopping points marked with times.¡±

    ¡°You can have that,¡± Liang said. ¡°If you want.¡±

    Alex shook his head, marking the heading they¡¯d need to take on his heads-up. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± He handed the map back.

    ¡°If you insist.¡± Liang took it and returned it to its place. ¡°And do remember what I said; I¡¯ve no reason to doubt my lady¡¯s warning.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll bear it in mind,¡± Alex said. ¡°But I¡¯ve brought ample protection.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± The little man gasped. ¡°I¡¯ve been terribly rude, haven¡¯t I?¡± He turned to Lisril. ¡°Please, forgive me; I get so caught up in my work.¡±

    ¡°No, Not at all, we¡¯re here for a particular purpose, and I¡¯m worthless in conversations like this one,¡± she said.

    ¡°Regardless,¡± the man insisted. ¡°I should have at least said hello since it appears to be too late now; I hope you¡¯ll accept my apology and assurance that it was quite pleasant to meet you.¡±

    She nodded to him. ¡°You are pardoned; think no more of it.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Liang said and turned back to Alex. ¡°Can you find your own way out? I should check on the women.¡±

    Alex nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll manage.¡± He collected his schematic, and they stepped out of the office along with Dr. Liang.

    ¡°Good day, doctor,¡± the little man said. ¡°And to you too, of course, Mrs. Hagan.¡±

    Lisril nodded, and the man was gone, off to corral his workers. ¡°He was nice,¡± Lisril said.

    ¡°Oh yeah?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± she said, ¡°he reminds me of a Dyrantisa man.¡±

    ¡°Considering a divorce?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t even joke,¡± she said harshly. ¡°Of course not, just- I worry as to how he manages a bunch of unruly women.¡±

    Alex started walking. ¡°Seems to me he doesn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t catch it?¡± he asked. ¡°Why do you think he asked that forewoman to go look after the women? She¡¯s probably the one really in charge, and for good behavior, you get a glimpse of m¡¯lord."

    She hummed to herself. ¡°I suppose it makes sense.¡±

    ¡°Anyway,¡± he said. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m so unmanly.¡±

    ¡°Who says I want you to be?¡± She licked his cheek as they stepped out onto the street. ¡°We, Dyrantisa, have also found our true partners.¡±

    He took her hand and gave a squeeze. ¡°Would you care to lead me, m¡¯lady?¡±

    She batted her lashes at him. ¡°Why I would be honored, sir.¡±

 Ch9

    The roads were difficult to navigate. Not because the city was laid out in a particularly confusing manner, even if it was, he had a map, so that wasn¡¯t the problem.

    The snow, which came to mid-thigh and disguised every uneven cobble and dip, slowed their progress and demanded greater effort.

    Still, Alex found the time to look around. The buildings here topped out at three stories, and he figured most of the construction was probably timber or maybe wattle, but it was impossible to say as the city was universally, as far as he could see, painted white.

    Probably lime, as had been common in Earth¡¯s past, and for the same reasons, protection from the elements and to make oneself look more wealthy than one was.

    Lisril didn¡¯t seem interested in the scenery, and he supposed that made sense; after all, she was a local. It must have been pretty pedestrian for her.

    Instead, she focused her efforts on maintaining the appearance of leading her man through the snowy streets. Of course, he was the one who knew where they were going, but it made her happy, so he gently directed her in the right direction and allowed her to lead.

    Finding the engineers took longer than it should have; the men had been running behind, and he and Lisril had missed the team a couple of times as a result before finally tracking them down.

    Lisril, ever the stoic, covered her fatigue well, but he¡¯d known her long enough to see that she needed to find somewhere to sit.

    He waved the men down as they approached, nodding to each as he walked up.

    ¡°You the guy?¡± one asked.

    He nodded. ¡°I¡¯m the guy.¡± He handed them his schematic. ¡°You¡¯re running six of these cables to the palace.¡± He gave them a letter. ¡°Show them this; they¡¯ll let you in.¡±

    The men conferred over the plans, and the one who¡¯d greeted him peeked over the top. ¡°A power conditioner every fifty meters?¡±

    Alex shrugged. ¡°DoD wanted it.¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± the man said. ¡°And ah, how soon did you say DoD wanted this done?¡±

    ¡°Pretty soon,¡± Alex said.

    The man shook his head. ¡°Ground¡¯s frozen.¡±

    ¡°What do you need?¡± Alex asked.

    The man retreated back behind the paper, whispering with his friends, before popping back up. ¡°Everything.¡±

    Alex shrugged. ¡°Send a list to Alex Hagan at the palace; I have it on good authority; everything is on the table.¡±

    ¡°Well fuck, looks like we¡¯re going to be busy, boys. What¡¯s all this for, anyway?¡±

    Alex thought about it; on the one hand, the feds probably wouldn¡¯t like him talking about their project; on the other, it was his patent. ¡°Quantum communications array.¡±

    The paper came down, and the whole group looked expectantly at him. ¡°Messages encoded in entangled subatomic particles allowing instant communication between planets.¡±

    One of the men whistled, long and low, another said. ¡°And here I thought Universal¡¯s laser communications satellites were impressive.¡±

    Alex shrugged. ¡°Anyway,¡± he said. ¡°My wife and I have somewhere else to be before this evening, so I¡¯ll let you get back to it. Keep the schematic; I don¡¯t need it anymore.¡±

    The men waived, and Alex rejoined Lisril. ¡°You know the way to our guildhall from here?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°And as fortune would have it, it¡¯s not far; come along.¡±

    She guided him by the arm, and true to her word, it really wasn¡¯t far. A big building, impossible to say what it was built of, painted as it was, all white with lime. She opened the door for him, and as they entered, a woman who was in early, or perhaps very late, sweeping looked up from her work.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to come back later; we aren¡¯t open yet.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a shame,¡± he said, stepping into the guildhall and walking up to the woman. ¡°Would it be alright?¡± He pulled the letter from his jacket, sealed with the Empress¡¯ signet. ¡°If we waited inside until you were ready to receive people?"

    The woman looked at the letter, then at the fading light coming through the window. ¡°Oh,¡± she said, taking the letter. ¡°Is it that time already? I must have lost track during my work; we just opened.¡±

    ¡°How fortunate!¡± Alex cried. ¡°May my lady and I use two of your chairs while you have a look at our request? We¡¯ve been standing all morning.

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Lisril said. ¡°Please, a chair for my husband, but you needn¡¯t worry after me; I¡¯m quite alright.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense,¡± Alex took her hands, gave her the I am strong enough to make you rest smile, and said. ¡°Come and sit with me, my love.¡±

    She sighed. ¡°What woman could say no to that?¡± She turned to the sweeping woman. ¡°Presuming we have your leave.¡±

    ¡°Sit anywhere you like,¡± the woman said. ¡°I¡¯ll see to your request.¡±

    They sat, and he put a hand on her thigh, squeezing and rubbing. ¡°I think someone deserves a massage tonight.¡±

    She closed her eyes, sighing. ¡°Well, that does feel nice.¡±

    She opened her eyes to look at him and grabbed his hand. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Alex, fine.¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re not,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re exhausted, and I know you well enough to tell. We¡¯ll be back at the palace soon; I¡¯m sorry I pushed you so hard.¡±

    ¡°Stop,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m fine, and even were I not, I am your wife, and I have a duty to your care and protection to which my health is secondary.¡±

    He shook his head slowly. ¡°Lisril, I don¡¯t-¡±

    He was interrupted by the guild woman. ¡°More laborers,¡± she said to herself. ¡°The palace has been asking for a lot of them recently¡­. Where am I going to find them?¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s too much¡­,¡± Alex called.

    The woman¡¯s head shot up; apparently, she hadn¡¯t realized she¡¯d been speaking aloud. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that,¡± she said. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. You¡¯ll have your women mark me; in fact, I can think of two projects I can pull some womanpower away from. Of course, it will leave them a bit underwomand, but a letter of writ is a letter of writ; our clients will understand.¡±

    ¡°There now,¡± she finished. ¡°Would there be anything else, m¡¯lord?¡±

    He glanced at Lisril. ¡°Could you send a courier to the palace and request they send a coach for us?¡±

    ¡°I can do better,¡± the woman said, looking pleased with herself. ¡°The guild can provide you a coach; wait around the front, and I¡¯ll rouse my driver and have her ready it for you; it shan¡¯t be long at all.¡±

    Alex nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    The woman bowed and hurried out, leaving them alone. ¡°Shall we, m¡¯lady?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Lisril said. ¡°I¡¯ll be happy to have you back in the palace, anyway.¡±

    She led him out onto the narrow walking path at the side of the road, the two of them looking out for the coach when something, no, someone bumped into him.

    He looked and saw a girl, a little shorter than Lisril, running past. ¡°Sorry, suck-¡±

    The carbon fiber cord connecting his wallet to his pants snapped taught, and the girl made a grand arm-waiving display of eating shit.

    ¡°Nice form,¡± he said. ¡°Scuffed the landing, seven and a half.¡±

    ¡°You little bitch,¡± Lisril snarled, jumping on the girl before she could scramble to her feet.

    ¡°Let go of me,¡± the girl struggled beneath Lisril, ¡°I¡¯m gonna-¡±

    ¡°Shut up,¡± Lisril said. ¡°You¡¯ll be lucky if I don¡¯t gut you.¡±

    ¡°Now, now,¡± Alex crouched down next to the squirming girl, collecting his wallet. ¡°Let¡¯s not be too hasty; what¡¯s your story, Sweetheart?¡±

    ¡°Oh, sir!¡± she cried. ¡°It¡¯s my sister, she¡¯s a terrible fever, but my mother drinks up all our money and-¡±

    He stood. ¡°You can have her, Lisril.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± the girl shouted. ¡°Wait!¡±

    He looked down at her. ¡°You gonna keep lying to me?¡±

    The girl glanced from side to side. ¡°Do you think a different lie would work?¡±

    He laughed, slapping his thigh. ¡°Thanks, I needed that laugh; go ahead, Lisril.¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡±

    ¡°You keep saying that, but I¡¯m starting to become impatient,¡± he said.

    ¡°I¡¯m hungry,¡± she grumbled.

    ¡°Hungry?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, like when you haven¡¯t had enough to eat.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t hunt?¡±

    The girl scowled. ¡°You need a license, or a fancy title, neither of which I can afford. ¡®Rather get the post for stealing than the gallows for poaching.¡±

    ¡°Makes sense,¡± he nodded. ¡°Well, I can fix hungry; you¡¯re hired.¡±

    ¡°Hired?¡± the girl asked.

    ¡°Hired!¡± Lisril screamed.

    ¡°Huh,¡± he looked around. ¡°Didn¡¯t know a street like this could echo.¡±

    ¡°Alex,¡± Lisril said. ¡°Stop being ridiculous.¡±

    He looked down at her. ¡°Let her up, Lisril.¡±

    ¡°She tried to rob you!¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said, reflecting on a very different life from a long time ago. ¡°I¡¯ve done worse. So I¡¯m going to give her a chance; let her up.¡±

    Lisril sighed and shook her head. ¡°Alex, you can¡¯t-¡±

    ¡°You gave me permission,¡± he said. ¡°Remember?¡±

    She shook her head again but stood and let the girl go.

    ¡°How you feeling, Sweetheart?¡± He asked.

    The girl stood, looking for the world like she wanted to bolt; he wouldn¡¯t blame her if she did. ¡°What- what are you hiring me for?¡±

    ¡°Tour guide.¡±

    ¡°Tour guide?¡±

    ¡°I want someone who can show me around the city,¡± he said, nodding.

    ¡°I am more than capable of-¡± Lsirl started.

    ¡°Can¡¯t afford the overtime.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not-¡± Lisril growled low in her throat. ¡°Impossible, you¡¯re impossible.¡±

    He grinned at her. ¡°I love you too.¡±

    The girl watched their fight; head tilted just slightly. ¡°Um, is- do you want to go somewhere in particular?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re waiting for a coach right now,¡± Alex said.

    ¡°Well, then, where¡¯s the coach going?¡±

    He smiled. ¡°Surprise.¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not getting on any mystery coach.¡±

    ¡°Spoilsport,¡± he said. ¡°Have it your way; we¡¯re going to the palace.¡±

    ¡°Palace!¡± she backed away, glancing all around. ¡°I didn¡¯t do nothing to deserve no dungeon.¡±

    He frowned. ¡°Why would the Empress lodge me in the dungeon?¡±

    ¡°For me, not you.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re my guest, so¡­,¡± he trailed off; teasing her was fun.

    She eyed him suspiciously, and he threw his arms out to his side. ¡°Sweetheart, if I wanted to lock you up or black bag you, for that matter, why force Lisril to let you go?¡±

    She seemed to struggle, for a moment, to figure out a good reason before hesitantly inching closer to him. ¡°I¡¯ve got a name,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s Rosslln.¡±

    He nodded. ¡°I¡¯m Alex; you¡¯ve been introduced to Lisril; nice to meet you, Sweetheart.¡±

    Rosslln opened her mouth, but Lisril stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. ¡°He¡¯s just hazing you a bit, and lest we forget, you did try to rob him, so let him have his fun. He¡¯ll get bored soon, trust me.¡±

    She grumbled but offered no more objection, and the coach driver chose that moment, looking drowsy and harried, to drive their horses around a corner.

    She came to a stop and looked down at the three of them, frowning. ¡°I was told there would be two.¡±

    Alex made a show of counting them on his fingers. ¡°No, there¡¯s three of us.¡±

    Lisril, shaking her head, opened the door and ushered him and Rosslln into the coach. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said to the driver. ¡°For accommodating us; I¡¯ll see to it the palace compensates you fairly.¡±

    Alex sat as Lisril closed the door and took her place next to him, Rosslln seated on the bench opposite.

    She squirmed in her seat and, as the coach got underway, said. ¡°So, the palace, huh?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Alex nodded. ¡°I think it¡¯ll be a good time, and you¡¯ll like Eli.¡±

    ¡°Eli?¡±

    ¡°The Empress!¡± he chirped.

    The young woman¡¯s cheeks puffed out, and slowly the air leaked through tightly pursed lips; at the bottom of her breath, she squeaked out a strangled. ¡°Who- who in the hell are you?¡±

 Ch 10

    Lisril followed Alex and his new- wife? Servant? She would figure that out later from the coach. She waived to the driver, and the woman was off, doubtless returning to her bed to find what sleep she could before her night began.

    She turned to find Alex and Rosslln waiting, and together, they walked to the palace gates, where they were promptly intercepted. A guard descended upon them from either side, blocking their path, and Lisril stepped around her husband, placing herself between him and the women.

    ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± she demanded. Knowing well enough what the issue was.

    The guards shared a look, and one stepped forward, looking past her at Rosslln. ¡°There were only two when you left; who¡¯s this?¡±

    ¡°Local guide,¡± Alex said. ¡°I hired her just this afternoon.¡±

    ¡°Humph, well, she can¡¯t come in,¡± the guard grunted.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Alex said. ¡°Well, alright, come on, Sweetheart.¡± With that, he turned and commenced to walk away.

    ¡°Wait! where are you going?¡± the guard called.

    Alex stopped, turned. ¡°If you¡¯re not going to let us in, I¡¯ll need to find alternative lodging.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re fine,¡± the guard said. ¡°She¡¯s the only one who can¡¯t pass.¡±

    Alex rolled his eyes and shook his head as though he couldn¡¯t believe he was having the conversation. ¡°Then good day.¡±

    He turned again, and the woman reached out as though to grab him; Lisril would have swatted her hand had he not been too far for her to touch. ¡°Wait!¡±

    He turned again, stamping his foot. ¡°That¡¯s the second time you¡¯ve stopped me, and I¡¯m starting to lose my patience, so clean your ears out; I¡¯ll say this once. He gestured at Rosslln. ¡°She¡¯s with me; if she doesn¡¯t pass, I don¡¯t.¡±

    The guard seemed at a loss for words, doubtless having never encountered so resolute a man. ¡°I-¡± She sighed. ¡°I need to speak to my superior; wait here.¡±

    The guard rushed off, and Lisril joined her husband. ¡°It didn¡¯t have to be this difficult,¡± she whispered.

    ¡°I know; they could have let us in,¡± he said.

    She laughed and shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re impossible.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Rosslln said, squirming, ¡°because of me¡­.¡±

    Lisril eyed her coolly. ¡°It¡¯s unwomanly to apologize when one has done nothing wrong. Moreover, it speaks to a dishonesty of the mind, upon which the Lady frowns.¡±

    Rosslln swallowed and nodded.

    Lisril nodded back. ¡°You¡¯re escorting a man, do him the honor of showing a bit of pride, and don¡¯t fret, Alex is being dramatic, as is his wont, but he¡¯s quite right; he invited you; you¡¯ve every right to remain at his side.¡±

    The young Lady stood a bit taller, and Lisril thought she might be detecting a little regality beneath all that filth; perhaps Alex was onto something with her.

    Presently, the guard returned, bringing with her a third woman, and the argument resumed. She kept a close eye on the women, ensuring they didn¡¯t try to get rough with him, but specifics weren¡¯t important, especially as she spied the end of the conversation striding down the palace steps.

    ¡°What is the meaning of this!¡± Eli demanded, marching up to her guards. ¡°Why are you accosting Our guest?¡±

    The guards came to attention, turning to salute their Empress. ¡°There is a strange person with him, Magnificence.¡±

    Eli looked at Rosslln, impassive. ¡°And who would this be?¡±

    ¡°Local guide,¡± Alex supplied.

    She hummed at that, stepping up to the young woman, Rosslln just a little shorter, looking up to her, and Eli staring down her nose. ¡°And would this local guide have a name?¡±

    ¡°Sweetheart,¡± Alex said.

    A twitch of the lip was the only sign of Eli¡¯s mirth, and she looked expectantly at Rosslln.

    ¡°It¡¯s- Rosslln.¡± Eli raised an eyebrow, eliciting a hasty, ¡°your Magnificence.¡±

    Eli nodded and said. ¡°Our departed mother, rest her soul, would come down from heaven, and tan Us a shade of red heretofore unknown, if We allowed you into Our house.¡±

    Rosslln deflated a bit.

    ¡°Without offering a bath and change of clothes,¡± Eli finished. ¡°Come along.¡±

    ¡°What,¡± Rosslln squeaked, looking desperately to Alex. ¡°But-¡±

    Eli followed the line of her gaze and nodded. ¡°Ah,¡± she said. ¡°Quite right, Miss Sweetheart, m¡¯lord, your lady has reminded Us of a vital lesson in courtesy. Might We borrow her? We shall return her in good time.¡±

    ¡°Your Magnificence!¡± Eli spun upon the guard who had spoken, the back of her hand streaking across the woman¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°You would challenge Our authority in this house?¡±

    The woman¡¯s eyes widened, and she collapsed to the ground, prostrating herself in the muddy slush. ¡°No, Magnificence.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Eli said. ¡°And you have reminded Us of the matter of your conduct.¡±

    ¡°You have been rude to Our guest,¡± she said. ¡°Moreover, just this morning, We extended to M¡¯lord a personal invitation to share Our table and also the courtesy of allowing him to invite such guests as he pleased. Now, this evening, you have attempted to make of Us a liar.¡±

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    ¡°Magnificence I-¡±

    ¡°Silence,¡± she bellowed. ¡°You will, the three of you, be reassigned to the cleaning of the stables, you two.¡± The guards who had first greeted them stood a bit taller, ensuring their attention was noted. ¡°You shall be allowed to complete your shift at the gate; when you are relieved, report to the stables for your new assignment.¡±

    She looked down at the still-prostrate woman. ¡°As for you, corporal, report to the guard captain, tell her of Our decision in this matter, and then report to the stables yourself.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Magnificence,¡± they said in chorus.

    Eli nodded. ¡°Good, now, where were We¡­.¡±

    ¡°Borrowing my lady friend,¡± Alex offered. ¡°Magnificence.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± she said. ¡°Yes, that was it. If We have m¡¯lord¡¯s leave?¡±

    He put a hand to his heart and bowed his head in assent.

    Eli nodded and offered her shallow-but-entirely-acceptable bow, then turned to Rosslln. ¡°Come along.¡±

    ¡°Your Magnificence.¡± Alex caught her attention. ¡°If it isn¡¯t too much, I would appreciate it if a bath could be drawn for my wife and me, also.¡±

    Eli nodded. ¡°A basin shall be sent to your room presently,¡± she said. Then, she led a somewhat reluctant Rosslln into the palace.

    Lisril followed the example and escorted Alex into the courtyard.

    ¡°That was a bit harsh,¡± he murmured, looking over his shoulder at the guards. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have made such a scene if I¡¯d known¡­.¡±

    ¡°No, entirely merciful, really, and they¡¯re not being punished on your account anyway,¡± Lisril said.

    She could tell by his expression he was unconvinced. ¡°They¡¯re not?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°I suppose it didn¡¯t occur to explain it, but by ancient law of hospitality, you are indistinguishable from your host in most respects. So you were right to bring Rosslln, and they were right to challenge you. But the only one with the right to dismiss your guest is your host, the Empress. So by failing to bring the matter directly to her, those guards undercut her authority.¡±

    She paused, but he didn¡¯t seem interested in interjecting, a rare and gratifying occurrence as it meant she¡¯d struck upon a topic of interest. ¡°In a lesser noble¡¯s house, the prescribed punishment would merely be the whipping post. But in the Empress¡¯- well, it could be construed as treason.¡±

    She guided him now through the palace halls and lowered her voice appropriately. ¡°So,¡± she said. ¡°Even if she had decided to send Rosslln away, and I do hope you have at least enough sense to know not to challenge her on such matters, those guards would have still faced censure.¡±

    She sighed and shook her head. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m surprised they didn¡¯t know better.¡±

    She wrapped an arm around his shoulder. ¡°In any case, Angel, don¡¯t let it burden you over much. She¡¯ll make an example of those three for a few days, perhaps a week, and then they¡¯ll be back to their regular duties.¡±

    He nodded absently, huffed out a sharp sigh, and kissed her cheek. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    She gave him a squeeze and ushered him through the halls to their room, where she promptly collapsed face-first onto the bed.

    He had been right; she was exhausted. Her legs burned from the day¡¯s exertion, and it was a happy thing indeed that he didn¡¯t expect to return to town for a little while.

    She rolled over and opened her eyes to find him staring, a small smile playing on his lips. ¡°I recall having promised you a massage.¡±

    She smiled and sat up as he approached, allowing him to strip her out of her shirt and jacket and carefully work her slacks past the four-inch claws on her feet. Dyrantoro clothing was quite flattering but also inconvenient.

    ¡°Thank you, Angel.¡± Her armor was skintight, and she reached around behind herself and worked the zipper, offset to the left side of her back, down, and wriggled out, leaving herself nude before him. She soaked up his admiration, watching through hooded lids as he knelt at the foot of the bed.

    He took hold of her foot, working her sore flesh, and moved to the other as the door opened to admit one of the palace servants.

    ¡°Oh,¡± the woman cried. ¡°Forgive us we-¡±

    Lisril waved her hand dismissively. ¡°I¡¯ve nothing you gentlewomen haven¡¯t seen; go about your business.¡±

    The woman seemed doubtful but apparently couldn¡¯t find an excuse to extricate herself, so she nodded and led her fellows in, placing a large wooden basin in the room, and filling it from buckets, while others put large river stones into the fire burning in the room¡¯s hearth.

    As they worked, Alex¡¯s hands moved up her calves, slowly crawling upward, working the tension out of her muscles. His hands were soothing, and by the time he was done, the lead servant cleared her throat. ¡°If m¡¯lady would like us to stay and heat the water.¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary, don¡¯t let us delay you any longer,¡± Lisril said, lounging on the bed and enjoying her husband¡¯s attentions.

    The women bowed and backed out of the room; the moment the door closed, she heard the faint sound of the women whispering together. There would be rumors about her all over the castle before the night was over. Perhaps Alex, too, which was a shame, but he wouldn¡¯t have stopped on his own account, and she didn¡¯t care if palace servants were whispering about her.

    She opened her arms to him and heaved a happy sigh as he settled into her embrace.

    ¡°I think,¡± she murmured, trailing kisses along his jaw. ¡°That my husband has earned a little reward¡­.¡±

    He smiled, but then it twisted into a little frown of concentration.

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°Just- I must have lost track of your cycle.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not in heat, as you can plainly see.¡± She was touched that he kept track, but as she eyed him, she allowed herself a wide, playful, predatory grin. ¡°But your wife can take care of you too.¡±

    She tugged his jacket off and added it to the pile with her clothes, doing the same with his shoes, and tossing them away. ¡°You Dyrantoro wear so many clothes.¡±

    He laughed, and she undid the buttons of his suspenders, pulling his pants down his legs, leaving him in shirt and underwear.

    She drank him in, his body taught and fit, milky skin stretched tight over hard muscle. She was reminded briefly of the prior night¡¯s conversation, that his youth was deceiving, and cast the thought away.

    He was her destiny, and if it meant they could share their youth and vigor for all time, then she hardly found the harm in it.

    She reached down, gently stroking the manhood straining against the thin fabric. ¡°See now,¡± she said. ¡°My husband is in distress, and foolish man that he is, he failed to tell his wife.¡±

    She leaned down and licked the little scar on his neck, where she¡¯d marked him as hers. ¡°My husband, my Alex.¡± She freed him from the confines of his boxers, hand wrapping around the throbbing flesh of his shaft.

    He sighed softly, eyes closed, head tossed back, the beginnings of the strained expression of his bliss coming into his features.

    She slipped between his legs, blew softly on the sensitive flesh, and laughed as he and his member jerked in unison.

    Smirking, she brushed her jet-black hair out of her face, locking eyes with him as she engulfed him to his base in a smooth, now practiced motion.

    He gasped, hand coming down to cradle her head, fingers stroking the sensitive skin at the base of her ear, sending shivers down her spine.

    She pulled back, mindful of her teeth, keeping only his head between her lips. Her tongue traced around the sensitive skin around his glans and took him again, more shallowly, setting a brisk pace and enjoying the tableau of his face twisting in pleasure.

    He twisted and writhed, fingers clenching in her hair, bunching up the bedding, her name the only word on his lips.

    She took him down to the root once more, humming as she went, and was rewarded with the feeling of him twitching and pulsing as he emptied his essence down her throat.

    He went limp beneath her, heaving a heavy sigh, and she pulled back, working the dregs of his release from his softening shaft as she went.

    She swallowed and joined him at the head of the bed, pulling his head to her breast, where he burrowed into her embrace.

    They lay together, dozing; she running her hand through his hair; he humming a soft, soothing tune.

    Suddenly, there was a loud pop, jolting them both to wakefulness. ¡°What was that,¡± he asked, casting about.

    She didn¡¯t need to ask; standing, she went directly to the hearth. ¡°One of our stones wasn¡¯t sufficiently dry. Well, they should be hot enough now, and.¡± She glanced at the window. ¡°We should hurry if we don¡¯t want to be late to meet Eli.¡±

    He nodded, stripped out of his shirt, and she took a pair of tongs and transferred the stones to the basin. By the time he was ready, the water was steaming, and she stepped in. ¡°It will be a little snug,¡± she said. ¡°But we should have enough room to wash and get each other¡¯s backs. Have you given thought to what you¡¯ll wear?¡±

    He nodded, joined her, and said, ¡°I know what I want; let¡¯s hurry.¡±

    They washed, dressed, and were on their way, hair still damp but otherwise looking fresh and fine.

 Ch 11

    The evening¡¯s chill had set into the palace as they arrived at Eli¡¯s quarters; Lisril pulled Alex close, fingers curling in the soft fur of his cloak.

    The servants, faithful and dedicated, had lit the lamps which illuminated the halls. Her bare feet were kept from the cold stone cobbles of the floor by a rich carpet of purple, which created the necessity that she step carefully, lest she ruin the delicate woolen fibers.

    They were a step behind Serra, who greeted Lisril with a hug and lick on the cheek, and Alex with a demure smile before knocking for the three of them. The door swung silently open, Eli greeted them, and they stepped past her into the cheerful warmth of her quarters.

    Inside, they were treated to a homely atmosphere, as homely as could be managed by an Empress.

    On the far wall was a portrait depicting Elliza¡¯s departed mother; off to the left, a fire burned in the hearth, tended by a palace servant, who Eli dismissed with a wave of her hand.

    As the servant scurried off, Rosslln, who had been seated at the table set along the right wall, joined them, clean and looking like a proper lady.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Serra said. ¡°And who might you be?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m-¡± Rosslln cleared her throat. ¡°Rosslln, Alex¡¯s¡­ tour guide?¡±

    Eli shook her head. ¡°No, no, no, if you¡¯re going to be escorting a man, you have to be more confident, or other women won¡¯t hesitate to accost him; try again.¡±

    The young woman nodded and offered her hand to Serra. ¡°Rosslln, and you are?¡±

    They shook. ¡°Serra Faragal,¡± she said. ¡°How did you come to be acquainted with Alex?¡±

    ¡°She tried to rob me,¡± Alex supplied, taking a seat at the table.

    ¡°She what?¡± Serra squeaked. ¡°Lisril!¡±

    But Lisril just shrugged. ¡°You get used to him; besides.¡± She turned to the young woman. ¡°You cut a sufficient figure when appropriately dressed. I suspect if we fed you, I might be able to make a fencer of you; you¡¯ve a good build for it.¡±

    Rosslln didn¡¯t seem to know what to make of that. ¡°Um¡­.¡±

    Eli put a hand on her shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s high praise coming from Lisril; she trained me in the use of the saber, you know.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Lisril took her spot next to Alex, capturing his hand. ¡°I suppose any student would be satisfying after that bitter disappointment.¡±

    Eli stuck her tongue out at her.

    ¡°Um, thank you,¡± Rosslln said.

    Serra sat across from Alex, setting a bundle of books down. ¡°Last night, you mentioned a flaw in Jistis¡¯ theorem of the concordance of geometric figures.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± he said. ¡°Yes, I can demonstrate the proof if you, ah, pen and parchment, thank you.¡±

    Lisril chose to focus on the conversation she had a prayer of understanding. ¡°We¡¯ll see if you still feel that way,¡± she said. ¡°Once I¡¯ve put some lumps on you.¡±

    She and Eli both joined them at the table. ¡°Lumps?¡± Rosslln asked.

    Lisril chuckled. ¡°Are you strong enough to protect him as you are?¡±

    Rosslln frowned and said nothing.

    ¡°When you are with a man,¡± Lisril said. ¡°You may be called upon to lay down your life.¡±

    Rosslln swallowed. ¡°I see.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Lisril sighed. ¡°Perhaps that came across as more intimidating than I intended.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± the young woman said. ¡°You¡¯re right; I can¡¯t protect him right now; will you teach me?¡±

    ¡°I will,¡± Lisril said. ¡°Of course, but you should consider something else first.¡±

    Rosslln met her eyes. ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Do you want to be here?¡±

    The young woman blinked. ¡°Well, I-¡±

    Lisril nodded. ¡°Rosslln, I love my husband dearly, but he tends to skip over important details and ends up dragging the whole world along with him. So, I will consider these things for him. If you want to take this meal, and perhaps a warm bed for the night, and then be gone, he won¡¯t begrudge you; I assure you, he wouldn¡¯t dream of detaining you. Alex just thinks these things are obvious, even when there¡¯s no reason they should be.¡±

    Rosslln looked at her, then at Eli, then past them, at Alex, still merrily buried in his discussion of maths, lost to the world, and said. ¡°I want to stay, not just because I¡¯m being fed and wearing clean clothes for the first time I can remember. Who else in the world would have given me a second chance after what I did? And, other men, say, even ones I didn¡¯t try to rob, they wouldn¡¯t look twice at a scruffy vagabond like me, and especially not when he¡¯s loved by proper real Ladies, with land and all of it. So, I¡¯d like to get to know him, um.¡± She turned to Eli. ¡°That is if her Magnificence is willing to let me stay.¡±

    Eli crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°Well, certainly not, if you¡¯re going to insist on such ceremony in my own quarters.¡±

    Then, her face softened. ¡°When I¡¯m not in pubic-¡± She stopped, shook her head. ¡°Let me start again; how old are you? You can¡¯t be much younger, or, no, perhaps you¡¯re even a bit older than I.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m forty-nine,¡± Rosslln said. ¡°A year older than your- ah, well, a year older than you.¡±

    Eli nodded, expression growing wistful. ¡°Growing up in my position,¡± she said. ¡°I didn¡¯t have many friends, didn¡¯t even get to interact with my sisters. Still don¡¯t; they have their own queendoms. So, if you would, a friend my own age would be nice.¡± She glared. ¡°And in private, my friends call me Eli.¡±

    ¡°Friends,¡± the young woman said, stunned. ¡°But I¡¯m- well, it¡¯s more what I¡¯m not, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Eli rolled her eyes, shaking her head. ¡°Do you know, I¡¯ve spent my whole life surrounded by the nobility, and if I¡¯ve learned anything, it¡¯s that most of them are boors and pigs, and I¡¯m quite certain more than half delight in the torment of their husbands. You¡¯ve made a better impression already than most any member of parliament to whom I¡¯ve had the misfortune of being introduced.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t get on with parliament?¡±

    Eli shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to burden you; suffice to say, there¡¯s political friction.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Rosslln said. ¡°If I¡¯m to be your friend¡­.¡±

    ¡°You might not remember,¡± Lisril said.

    ¡°Lisril!¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Lisril turned to Eli. ¡°She¡¯s right.¡±

    The Empress sighed but raised no more objection. ¡°You were young at the time, so as I said, you might not recall, but Eli¡¯s parents died quite suddenly. It was right after the unification of the continent. They were sailing down south to inspect the Empire¡¯s newest acquisitions when their ship was seized by a storm and sunk with all hands aboard.¡±

    Rosslln nodded, and Eli picked up the story. ¡°I was too young, then, to ascend the throne, and parliament took it as an opportunity to solidify their power. They were stymied, in large part, by my Aunt, who serves as Matriarch; it was at this time that the inquisition came about. She saw their actions as a threat to the faith and created the institution to strengthen the ties between church and throne.¡±

    ¡°In any case,¡± Eli said, waving the past away. ¡°I did eventually assume the throne, with the station of Empress intact. Parliament never quite forgave me for it, though.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t help,¡± Lisril said. ¡°that they look at her, see a young, unwed woman, and presume that these equate to moral or mental failures, as though they were not once young and unwed.¡±

    Rosslln nodded her understanding, and at that moment, Eli turned. Lisril followed her and found Alex with his hand on the young Empress¡¯ bicep.

    ¡°Seems it¡¯s pretty late,¡± he said. ¡°And it probably doesn¡¯t mean much coming from me. But it¡¯s a terrible thing you¡¯ve been through, my sympathies.¡±

    Eli smiled and placed her hand over his. ¡°It means the world,¡± she said. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    He smiled, squeezed her arm, and gave her a shake.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been rude,¡± she said. ¡°Would you care for some refreshment while we wait for our meal?¡±

    He rested back into his seat, nodding, and Eli went to a cupboard, fetching out cups for each of them and a bottle that was quite familiar.

    ¡°You still have that?¡± Lisril asked.

    Eli smiled, placing down the cups and cradling the bottle in her arms. It was an oaked mead, a fine vintage. Which Lisril had herself given as a gift celebrating Eli¡¯s majority and ascension to the throne.

    ¡°It¡¯s still unopened,¡± Eli said. ¡°I¡¯ve been saving it for a special occasion, and I thought this would be a good opportunity.¡±

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Eli poured the drink and raised her cup. ¡°To new friendships and old.¡±

    They raised their glasses, and as they drank, Eli leaned back in her chair, eyes closed, shaking her head. ¡°Lisril, you robbed the world of an artist when you took up the sword instead of brewing.¡±

    Lisril laughed, and Alex took her hand. ¡°That¡¯s not fair,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve seen my wife in a fight, and she gave the world an Artist when she picked up the sword.¡±

    ¡°I suppose she did,¡± Eli laughed

    ¡°In any case,¡± Serra said. ¡°Had she been a brewer, the Lady¡¯s plan we see before us would never have come to pass.¡±

    ¡°True.¡± Eli nodded over her cup. ¡°And a tragic thing that would be.¡± She raised her glass once more. ¡°To the grace of the Almighty, then.¡±

    They drank, refilled their cups, and presently their meal was set before them. As they ate, the women made small talk, Alex, never much for such things, remained largely silent.

    Finally, Eli set her cup down and looked at him. ¡°Is aught amiss?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± He shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m just enjoying listening to everyone get along.¡±

    She smiled. ¡°Good, so long as you¡¯re enjoying yourself. But actually, there was something I wished to discuss.¡±

    He nodded and leaned forward, and she set her hands on the table. ¡°It is my ardent wish to bring our countries together; I know there¡¯s still hesitancy on Earth, but it¡¯s plain to see. We are one people, made in the image of the divine; we should by no means remain separate.¡±

    Lisril nodded when he glanced to her, encouraging him on. ¡°I can¡¯t say I disagree; we do seem made for each other.¡±

    ¡°Just so!¡± Eli nodded, clearly excited by his receptiveness. ¡°Now, in the Empire, it is traditional to bring two kingdoms closer by way of a grant of title and land to a person of high station.¡±

    ¡°I realize,¡± she hurried on. ¡°That your country doesn¡¯t recognize noble titles, but I feel that in you, I have found a perfect candidate.¡±

    He frowned, looking to Lisril for guidance, and she gave a small but enthusiastic nod, but still, he shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m flattered,¡± he said. ¡°but I¡¯m not sure I can accept.¡±

    Eli¡¯s face fell. ¡°Whyever not?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m not interested,¡± he said. ¡°But I have business arrangements on Earth; I work with the government fairly often; foreign entanglements would cause complications.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Eli said softly. ¡°Yet, I do think it would do well for our relations. Is there nothing I can offer to make the consternation worthwhile?¡±

    He puffed out his cheeks. ¡°I mean, I imagine you could offer a lot.¡±

    Eli smiled. ¡°You¡¯ve something in mind; I can see it.¡±

    He seemed to consider it, then shook his head. ¡°No, it¡¯s not reasonable.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be the judge of that.¡± The Empress crossed her arms over her chest.

    He shrugged. ¡°I want the moon and every planet except Nyx.¡±

    The room was silent for a moment, then the look of shock on Eli¡¯s face broke Lisril, and she filled it with her mirth. ¡°He did warn you.¡±

    ¡°I thought a Lady had to improve her land to keep it,¡± Rosslln said.

    They do,¡± Serra said. ¡°But I don¡¯t imagine Alex would even want these lands if he couldn¡¯t make use of them.¡±

    He nodded. ¡°Oh yes,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯d ask for the star too, but a practical application to get at the metals in it is a ways off.¡±

    Now Eli laughed. ¡°What a wonderfully audacious man you are.¡±

    ¡°Is that a no?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous,¡± she said. ¡°Parliament will hate it, so of course I have to.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m the audacious one,¡± Alex chortled.

    She giggled. ¡°Well,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ve actually been approached regarding extraction rights on other planets by some Dyrantoro companies, so it¡¯s not an entirely foreign idea. On the subject of usage, I must, of course, insist this industrialization of the system benefit Nyx.¡±

    ¡°Maybe,¡± he said. ¡°It would be best if we were partners in the endeavor.¡±

    ¡°Partners?¡± Eli smiled. ¡°Why, I think working closely with you on this matter would be most agreeable.¡±

    ¡°I suppose it¡¯s a deal then,¡± he chuckled.

    She raised her glass. ¡°And to the fortune it will bring.¡±

    They drank, and as he set his cup down, Alex glanced at the candles placed on the table. Lisril had seen it, too; it was getting late.

    Eli must have seen the direction of their gazes, or perhaps the odd hours were catching up to her, for she yawned and stood. ¡°I fear I have detained you all too long, especially after such a long day.¡±

    Alex followed her up, and the rest of the room followed him. Serra caught his hands and pushed a fat volume into his arms. ¡°The debates of Madam Esteles, I should very much like it if you had a look.¡±

    He nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure I do.

    Lisril smiled and took her friend¡¯s hand, giving it a squeeze before turning to Rosslln. ¡°Would you like to come along with us, then?¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± The young woman looked around. ¡°I suppose, uh, what I mean is, I don¡¯t want to intrude.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not an intrusion,¡± Eli said. ¡°If you¡¯re being invited. I¡¯ll provide a room if you¡¯re uncomfortable, but he brought you, so surely he must desire your company.¡±

    Rosslln seemed unconvinced but nodded along. ¡°Then I¡¯ll come along.¡±

    Lisril clapped her on the back and collected her husband. ¡°Serra,¡± she said. ¡°perhaps you¡¯d like some time alone with Alex; I¡¯m sure we can find some time in the next couple of days.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± She nodded. ¡°I would like that.¡±

    Lisril nodded back. ¡°Then we¡¯ll see what we can do. Come on, Rosslln,¡± she said, leading them to the door.

    ¡°It was nice sitting with you all tonight,¡± Alex said.

    ¡°The feeling is mutual.¡± Eli smiled broadly. ¡°It¡¯s so nice to be among friends. I hope you¡¯ll all eat with me tomorrow evening, as well.¡±

    Lisril opened the door and led him into the hall, Rosslln a step behind, Serra and Eli standing in the doorway. She turned to accept the invitation when something caught her ears. A sharp metallic click and the snap of cordage being pulled taught.

    Her body moved even before her consciousness registered the noise, and that was all that saved him. She threw her body against Alex, shoving him back into the room where he fell in a heap with Eli and Serra.

    She heard, rather than saw, the fallout because, in the same motion, she twisted toward the sound and was struck hard in the chest.

    A blinding pain, hot and sharp, raced up her side pounding at her temples; she recognized the feeling. A rib, or maybe two or three, had given under the impact.

    She locked eyes with the assailant, crossbow still in hand, tucked into a shadowy alcove nearby.

    She reacted a moment too slow to draw and fire her sidearm, and in that moment, the assassin threw her bow away, and a knife jumped into her hand.

    The woman charged; instinct and training took over. Lisril stepped into the attack, hand in her jacket, and in the same motion that drew the baton out and flicked it into extension, she struck at the woman¡¯s wrist.

    The assassin cried out, bone giving under the heavy tungsten rod, and Lisril pivoted, pulling the baton down as she did, coming to rest next to the woman and driving the handle into the base of her sternum.

    The assailant doubled over, gasping and coughing, clutching at her chest.

    Lisril hooked her leg, ankle in front of ankle, knee behind knee, and twisted, forcing her to her knees. As the woman went down, Lisril¡¯s bludgeon came up, and she cracked it down across the back of the woman¡¯s skull.

    The assassin slumped forward, unmoving, and Lisril pushed the body over with her heel.

    The assassin¡¯s eyes stared unseeing at the ceiling. Dead? Almost certainly. But this bitch, this fatherless whore¡¯s daughter, had tried to kill Alex, tried to lay her filthy hands on Lisril¡¯s angel.

    Almost wasn¡¯t nearly certain enough. Lisril laid her long claws, capable of tearing through the hide of any animal Nyx had to offer, over the assailant¡¯s neck, and with a sharp backward kick, tore her throat from her neck.

    The whole affair, from start to finish, had lasted perhaps ten seconds, and when she came out of the haze of battle, she found herself surrounded by queen¡¯s guard.

    She signed that they should clean up the trash, and she needed to check upon her husband.

    She returned to Eli¡¯s quarters and was immediately met by Alex, his hands framing her cheeks. ¡°Are you alright?¡± His face was pulled tight with strain. ¡°You¡¯re not hurt?¡±

    She licked his lips. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°You are the furthest thing from fine.¡± Serra inserted herself between them. ¡°Look at yourself.¡±

    Lisril did and saw the bolt still caught in the thick cloth of her shirt and jacket. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± She reached for the bolt, hands shaking as the adrenaline fled her. She seized the bolt shaft and pulled, but the strength left her as pain spiked through her side.

    She grimaced. ¡°Alright, not perfectly fine,¡± she admitted. ¡°But my armor held, I assure you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be the judge of that.¡± Serra led her to a chair, helping her remove her jacket, and, with a small knife, split the seam of her shirt.

    The bolt came free, and Serra examined it. ¡°No blood.¡± She looked at Lisril¡¯s armor, attempted to cut it open, and found she couldn¡¯t.

    A deep frown creased her friend¡¯s brow. ¡°I need this off.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a catch.¡± Lisril reached for it but couldn¡¯t make the extension through the pain. ¡°Pull it down.¡±

    Serra did so and eased the flexible armor down to her hips and began gently poking and massaging Lisril¡¯s injured side, where an ugly purple bruise was already beginning to form.

    ¡°Fifth, sixth, seventh,¡± the surgeon said under her breath. ¡°Three broken,¡± she said at last. ¡°I should think. Perhaps another two cracked, but it¡¯s hard to say.¡±

    Alex, who was crouched nearby, fretting himself into distraction, said. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were a doctor.¡±

    Serra smiled. ¡°I am a member of the Lady¡¯s order of Surgeons,¡± she said. ¡°And I am ordering that your wife must rest.¡±

    Lisril shook her head. ¡°He needs protection.¡±

    ¡°And someone else shall have to provide it,¡± Serra said. ¡°You¡¯re in no condition.¡±

    ¡°Is no one ¡®gonna mention?¡± Rosslln asked. ¡°That that just happened, right outside the Empress¡¯ quarters?¡±

    It was a good point, and with the immediate danger past, Lisril turned to the Empress. ¡°Eli, what¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± she asked.

    The young Empress glanced around at the gathered people, and Lisril fixed her with a withering glare.

    ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°They tried to kill my husband; you¡¯ll tell me and tell me now.¡±

    The young woman sighed. ¡°You¡¯re aware of the problems on the frontier, of course.¡±

    She nodded. ¡°But I thought things had calmed down since we met our brothers.¡±

    ¡°Problems in the frontier?¡± Alex asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Eli sighed. ¡°I told you about the struggles between throne and parliament, the disruption caused by my mother¡¯s sudden death made incorporating the new territories problematic, and the result has been constant and spreading rebellion and subversion. But, our meeting you and the revelation of those demons, the servants of the betrayer, who assail the heavens themselves, calmed things considerably.¡±

    ¡°The pagans never accepted the True Faith¡¯s doctrine concerning the comings and goings of the Takers, so to have the Word proven out so vividly greatly calmed their rebelliousness.¡±

    Alex nodded, and Lisril too. ¡°This is as I understood the situation when I was dispatched.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Eli said. ¡°But, amongst even the faithful exist heathens, who reject the Word; it seems these have come in contact with the separatists and brought subversion and faithlessness to the very capital.¡±

    Lisril sucked her lip. ¡°How did they get into the palace?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Eli said. ¡°But I will find out.¡±

    ¡°But,¡± Rosslln said. ¡°She didn¡¯t seem to be trying to kill you; why Alex?¡±

    ¡°Our Dyrantoro brothers have been canonized as the lost half of our race; it has something to do with that; surely, also, his being attacked presents a complication to diplomatic relations with Earth.¡±

    Lisril¡¯s foot tapped. ¡°Well,¡± she said. ¡°Fortunately, they failed.¡±

    Eli nodded. ¡°Forgive me.¡± She bowed her head to Alex. ¡°For failing in your protection.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense,¡± Lisril said, taking her husband¡¯s hand and squeezing it tight. ¡°He has wives, his safety is our responsibility, and he is quite alright.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m alright, and Lisril will be ok; I¡¯ll take her down to the marine base for an accelerator, that and a couple days rest will have her on her feet.¡±

    ¡°Days?¡± Serra shook her head. ¡°She¡¯ll be in bed for at least a month.¡±

    ¡°Not with modern medicine,¡± Alex said. ¡°A minor break like this is no problem. Two days, three tops, you¡¯ll see.¡±

    Serra clearly had her doubts, but Lisril didn¡¯t; Alex wouldn¡¯t lie about something like that.

    ¡°Elliza,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m going to send to Earth for some of my things.

    ¡°What things?¡± Lisril demanded.

    ¡°Some body armor-¡±

    ¡°Mine shall suffice for both of us, Alex,¡± Lisril said.

    ¡°And weapons,¡± he finished.

    ¡°Alex!¡± Lisril hissed. ¡°You are not to walk about armed!¡±

    He stared blankly at her for a moment, then turned back to Eli. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯d appreciate it if you could smooth the process out, given the circumstances.¡±

    Eli glanced between the two of them, then nodded. ¡°There shall be no delay.¡±

    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s that, then,¡± Lisril sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll have some things to add to your list, I suspect.¡±

    He took her hands and pulled them to his chest. ¡°We¡¯ll get you patched up soon, Kitten; I¡¯ll get permission from Callahan tonight,¡± he murmured.

    She nodded. ¡°Thank you, Angel.¡±

    ¡°Serra,¡± she said. ¡°Perhaps if you can get away from the archives, you¡¯d like to come and see a bit of Dyrantoro medicine.¡±

    She frowned, looked to Eli, who tilted her head in assent. ¡°I think I would like that.¡±

    ¡°For tonight, let¡¯s get you into bed,¡± Alex said

    ¡°I¡¯ll provide an escort and post a guard outside your door. Sleep well; I¡¯m sorry all this happened while you were under my care,¡± Eli said, standing and returning to the door.

    Alex offered Lisril his hand and her dress. ¡°No.¡± He shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, and we¡¯re all still here.¡±

    Eli sighed and bid them farewell, sending one of her personal guards along to ensure their safety.

 Ch 12

    Serra sat in the coach, Lisril across from her, groaning and grimacing with every innumerable bump and jolt. Alex sat close next to her, his presence increasing her physical pain but providing spiritual succor.

    Rosslln filled out that bench, providing him warmth and comfort, comfort he clearly needed.

    He clutched Lisril¡¯s hand in a white-knuckled grip, even as he chatted and smiled and commented upon the debates and methods of Esteles. He was worried, even if only for his wife¡¯s pain.

    It was an oddly stoic display coming from a man, and she didn¡¯t know if she should celebrate his moral conviction or chide him for attempting to hide his distress.

    ¡°Serra,¡± he said, at last, drawing her from her reverie.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ve talked about math and philosophy, cosmology, and religion, but I never did get around to asking you more about yourself. I didn¡¯t even know you were a surgeon.¡±

    Serra chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m no less guilty than you; it seems we both failed to recall the person beneath the intellect.¡±

    ¡°Like a damn Frenchman,¡± he sighed.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s not important. Would you tell me more about growing up as a noblewoman? Lisril says she doesn¡¯t count.¡±

    ¡°Growing up?¡± Serra scratched her head. ¡°Well, I suppose, it¡¯s really rather dull, though. I am my mother¡¯s fifth daughter.¡±

    Alex nodded. ¡°Lisril mentioned that.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Serra glanced at her friend. ¡°I thought she might have, and I imagine she also mentioned that this means I am unlikely to inherit.¡±

    She paused, mulling how much detail would be too much and would bore him. ¡°My mother,¡± she said at last. ¡°Is a martially inclined woman. So far as she was concerned, there was really only one proper career path for a young lady.¡±

    ¡°Truthfully, though, I have no talent for fighting. It was beaten into me. But I have no aptitude.¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°But you don¡¯t want to hear about that. When I was still young, Lisril happened through my mother¡¯s land as part of a manhunt. I ended up following her, and the rest, they say, is history.¡±

    ¡°After I left the military, I joined the convent and became a Surgeon.¡±

    He nodded but frowned. ¡°So,¡± he asked. ¡°Why a librarian, then?¡±

    She pursed her lips. ¡°Archivist, not librarian.¡± Then, she cleared her throat. ¡°As it happens, in this age, with the broad cessation of war, there is little enough demand for surgeons and rather too many to fill the need.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± he said. ¡°But you¡¯re sharp and, more important, connected, so you found employment in the Archives.¡±

    She nodded. ¡°I like to think it had more to do with my merit than my relations, but yes, it¡¯s as you say. Now, I¡¯ve told you the course of my life; what of yours?¡±

    ¡°I guess I can¡¯t say no.¡± He chewed on his lip. ¡°Well, why the fuck not? I was precocious little shit, always getting into trouble.¡± He waved her away. ¡°Don¡¯t ask what for; it doesn¡¯t matter. Anyway, I never knew my father, and I was brilliant and bored, and I just got wilder and wilder until I was nineteen, and in front of a judge and given a choice, state pen or Bootcamp. Now, I¡¯m not an idiot, so I chose Bootcamp.¡±

    ¡°I had heard that you Dyrantoro send men to fight,¡± Serra said. ¡°But I had hardly expected to meet a male soldier, leave alone marry one.¡±

    He chuckled. ¡°You¡¯ll have to forgive me for being so unlordly.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, and go on,¡± she said.

    He nodded. ¡°The military was good for me, the discipline, having something to strive for, some male role models; I was good at it, too, though.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Not to toot my own horn, but I tend to pick up on things pretty quick, so it never really occurred to me to think anything of it.¡±

    He scratched behind his ear. ¡°Then, my drill sergeant pulls me aside and asks me, ¡®what¡¯s your MOS? What are you going in for?¡¯ or similar. I have no recollection of what I said to him; I hadn¡¯t given it any thought, so probably something stupid, tuba player, or something like that. Whatever dumb thing I said, the Sargent says to me, ¡®no, you¡¯re not,¡¯ and pushes some papers into my hand and tells me I¡¯m going in for special forces.¡±

    He stopped then, fretting over Lisril as they passed over a particularly nasty bump; she waved him away. ¡°I¡¯m enjoying this story,¡± she said. ¡°If I¡¯d known you¡¯d be this agreeable, I¡¯d have pressed you long ago.¡±

    He grinned. ¡°Alright, alright, well, he couldn¡¯t choose my MOS, obviously, but, hell, it seemed like a good idea to me. I had the aptitude scores they liked, and my mother¡¯s from Brazil, so I spoke English and Portuguese, bilingual, which I knew they wanted.¡±

    He kissed Lisril¡¯s cheek, smoothing her hair a bit. ¡°I made it through cadre, served a couple of deployments, and got it into my head that I might like to be an officer, only I didn¡¯t have the education. But the military will send you if they think you have a chance; I get my bachelor¡¯s in mechanical engineering, get my commission, and serve for-¡± He waved his hand. ¡°A while more. Get hurt, ask Kitten, get discharged, go for a Ph.D. program in physics, work in that for a bit, and that gets me picked up by DARPA, which gets me involved in the FTL project, which brings me more or less here.¡±

    ¡°You said you never knew your father,¡± Rosslln, who had thus far spent the ride in silence, said. ¡°How come?¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Alex sighed. ¡°Well, I wasn¡¯t there, but my mother says he got caught up in some political bother, and about six months before I was born, he ended up getting shot, and he didn¡¯t make it.¡±

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Oh.¡± Rosslln shrank a bit in her seat. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have-¡±

    Alex took her hand. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it was a long time ago, and hey, I¡¯ve got you now, right?¡±

    The young Lady smiled, revealing a chipped canine on her left. ¡°I guess you do.¡±

    Presently, the coach stopped, and Serra helped her friend down, followed by Alex and Rosslln.

    It was late, or perhaps early, by human standards, after dawn, and already Serra could spot street sweeps at work in the morning twilight. Here, the city¡¯s architecture, the squat workshops, and trade houses of the artisan class were augmented by scaffolds of Dyrantoro make. Cables ran between them, hanging overhead, linking them at their peak where they were capped with a device that filled its surroundings with a dazzling light that washed out the morning sun and lit the streets like midday.

    She saw Alex looking, too, a deep frown creasing his brow, and wondered what could be wrong. Before she could ask, however, they were met on the street by a young man in Earth military dress.

    He trotted up to them, looking at Lisril. ¡°Here you are again; sorry it¡¯s not under better circumstances,¡± he said and turned to Serra. ¡°You¡¯re the Nyxian doctor?¡±

    She nodded. ¡°I would like to observe the procedure.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s get her out of the cold.¡± He turned to Alex then. ¡°You can wait inside, Sir; it shouldn¡¯t take long.¡±

    They followed the young man in, and she and Lisril were taken into a side room; the young soldier helped Lisril onto an exam table and offered Serra a chair. ¡°A nurse will be with you soon; I should get back to my duties.¡±

    With a nod, they were alone.

    ¡°Serra,¡± Lisril said. ¡°I don¡¯t doubt Alex¡¯s claims, but while I¡¯m convalescing¡­.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Serra said. ¡°That young lady isn¡¯t equal to the task, no matter how willing.¡±

    ¡°I know it puts you in an awkward position.¡±

    Serra sighed. ¡°I knew marriage would challenge my vows; I suppose it¡¯s better sooner than later.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Lisril said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Serra said. ¡°You did your duty and saved his life; now I must do mine, as the lady bids. I shall resign my position within the order; that¡¯s all there is for it.¡±

    ¡°It will only be a few days,¡± Lisril said.

    ¡°A few too many. I¡¯ve drafted my resignation and shall be moving into your quarters tonight if I¡¯ve leave.¡±

    Lisril nodded. ¡°I¡¯m going to need a bigger bed.¡±

    The door opened and admitted a Dyrantoro man and woman; the man looked at a bundle of papers. ¡°It says here you believe you have a broken rib?¡±

    ¡°Ribs,¡± Lisril said. ¡°I was struck with considerable force.¡±

    The man nodded and motioned to his partner. ¡°Well, let¡¯s have a look then.¡±

    The woman performed much the same examination Serra had the night before, adding the observation of Lisril¡¯s breathing, and reported much as Serra had.

    The man nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll do an x-ray then, and why don¡¯t we have a wheelchair for this woman? Go get one for her.¡±

    The woman nodded, and soon Lisril was being wheeled to another room, this one dimly lit and filled with a mess of machinery. ¡°What¡¯s the function of all this?¡± Serra asked.

    The man glanced at her, at the machine, and shrugged. ¡°In simple terms, it takes images of bones.¡±

    Serra blinked. ¡°How will you expose the bone?¡±

    ¡°The flesh is largely transparent to x-ray,¡± he said, pointing. ¡°Stand behind this shield; we¡¯ll get her ready.¡±

    She observed the process with some fascination as Lisril was laid down and a technician moved the machine this way and that, and then she was shown the images.

    The doctor placed them before a lightbox and pointed out the trauma, two broken and one fractured rib. It seemed impossible, but she couldn¡¯t deny what she was seeing.

    They returned to the exam room, and the doctor repeated his determination, then produced a strange cylindrical device, capped with a long, sharply pointed tip and filled with an odd white, viscous solution. This, he explained, was a suspension of calcium inoculated multitudes of tiny and, she gathered, artificial organisms which would, as the broken bones were not terribly misaligned, bond with the bone, pull them back into alignment, and ossify, leaving behind the unblemished bone. Thus, healing her faster and better than natural processes could.

    Three injections, one atop each point of trauma, and then they were released, returned to Alex.

    He embraced Lisril, hemming and hawing, and was waved away for his trouble.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she said. ¡°Just a little bit of pain. Now, I want you back in the palace under guard; I shouldn¡¯t have let you come with me in the first palace.¡±

    And that was that they returned to the palace by the same conveyance as they had left it. That would have been the end of her day, except that her mother awaited them in the palace foyer.

    ¡°Mama?¡± She ran up to the older woman. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°Lisril wrote me before coming home,¡± her mother said. ¡°And told me she was bringing your husband; I would be a poor mother if I didn¡¯t make an appearance to meet him.¡±

    ¡°Is papa here?¡±

    Her mother nodded. ¡°Yes, reclining with his other wives, we can introduce your husband to him; later, I wanted to see him privately first.¡±

    Alex joined them then, Lisril and Rosslln at his side. ¡°You¡¯re seeing me, but I¡¯m not sure how private the venue is.¡± He glanced at Lisril. ¡°My wife needs rest, too, so let¡¯s find somewhere to sit down.¡±

    Her mother nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve a place set aside; come along.¡±

    They followed her to a nearby room furnished with a small table and a few chairs. A little bare but ideally suited to her mother¡¯s tastes.

    Her mother offered Alex a bow. ¡°I¡¯m sorry the circumstances of our meeting are so poor.¡± She said and turned back to Serra. ¡°The news is already all over the city and will spread to the countryside within a fortnight.¡±

    They sat, her mother resting her chin on her hands. ¡°Parliament is in an uproar. Some of the more brazen are claiming this attack is proof the Empress is weak, and I¡¯m reliably informed that there¡¯s speculation among the citizenry of a forthcoming declaration of martial law.¡±

    Her mother looked around at them. ¡°I understand you were with her at the time. Has she mentioned anything?¡±

    Serra shook her head. ¡°No, but it seems a likely outcome. What of the inquisition?¡±

    Her mother smirked. ¡°As I understand it, a friend of yours has already been called to the palace.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Serra groaned. ¡°You can¡¯t mean¡­.¡±

    ¡°The very same.¡± Her mother nodded. ¡°It should hardly come as a shock.¡±

    ¡°I supposed not,¡± she said. She shook her head. ¡°Well, let¡¯s not allow it to spoil your visit. Nor me, to monopolize your time.¡± She gestured to Alex. ¡°This is Alex, my fianc¨¦; Alex, lady Taaraiin Faragal, my mother.¡±

    ¡°Good to be formally introduced,¡± her mother said.

    Alex nodded. ¡°Nice to meet you; Lisril told me you¡¯re a general?¡±

    Her mother nodded. ¡°I am charged with command of a modest garrison force.¡±

    ¡°Is it alright for you to be here?¡±

    ¡°The Empire isn¡¯t so frail that it will fall apart if I take a few days away from my post,¡± she laughed. ¡°I left competent lieutenants in command; it will be fine. Lisril expressed that you¡¯re a soldier yourself.¡±

    He nodded. ¡°I¡¯m not serving actively anymore, though.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re married now,¡± her mother said. ¡°No matter how things are arranged on Earth, it only makes sense that a man would retire from such work once disposed of a proper wife.¡±

    That wasn¡¯t how things had gone, as Serra had only that day learned, but he smiled and nodded, and she took that as a cue that she shouldn¡¯t disrupt her mother¡¯s assumptions. ¡°Yes.¡± He cast an adoring look to Lisirl. ¡°No reason whatsoever to make my wife¡¯s heart ache like that.¡±

    ¡°Have you given consideration?¡± Lisril asked. ¡°To the rest of my letter?¡±

    Her mother frowned. ¡°Your claims are hard to believe, but I¡¯ve always known you to be reliable, and you echo our new ally¡¯s boasts.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps.¡± Lisril glanced at Alex. ¡°My husband could provide a demonstration?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps he could.¡± Her mother nodded slowly. ¡°I¡¯ll ask her Magnificence.¡±

    ¡°I think that will be a good idea,¡± Lisril agreed.

    There was a knock on the door, and a moment later, it opened to reveal one of the Empress¡¯ handmaids. The woman bowed. ¡°Pardon my intrusion,¡± she said. ¡°Her Magnificence would be pleased to be attended by his lordship and his wives.¡±

    Her mother stood. ¡°It seems I shall have to release you, Serra, come and visit your father and me in our quarters; we will be pleased to host your husband but, given the circumstances, won¡¯t object if he finds the need to commit to his rest.¡±

    Her mother bowed and left them.

    The handmaid looked at them expectantly, and Alex stood. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t keep her Magnificence waiting.¡±

 Ch 13

    Alex, flanked by his little entourage, followed the woman to what he recognized as the sitting room where he¡¯d been welcomed on his first night.

    The woman stopped them as they came to the door. ¡°I shall announce you.¡±

    She left them, returned a moment later, and motioned for them to enter. Then, she bowed her way out and left them alone with Eli, and four of her stone-faced guards, to whom she waved. ¡°Leave us.¡±

    The guards hesitated, and she rounded on them. ¡°Stand outside the door if you must,¡± she snapped. ¡°But leave us.¡±

    The guards stopped hesitating and started following her orders, leaving them alone. Eli collapsed into a chair, rubbing her eyes, looking sad and tired, and harried.

    He grabbed the seat next to her and took her hand. ¡°You look like shit.¡±

    She chuckled and squeezed his hand. ¡°Then I¡¯m happy to report. I look how I feel.¡± She sighed and shook her head, ¡°I haven¡¯t slept since last night, and this evening I spoke before Parliament and announced that the vicinity of the capital is to be placed under martial law.¡±

    ¡°Which brings me to why I called you here; you should go home,¡± she said.

    Alex looked around at the women in the room, who watched him expectantly. ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m staying.¡±

    Eli sighed. ¡°Alex, you¡¯re not safe here, clearly, and the Palace is closed to strangers; you can¡¯t start your project anyway and-¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not abandoning you,¡± he said. ¡°And taking the support of your family when you need it the most.¡±

    ¡°My family?¡± She seemed legitimately shocked, but he just nodded.

    ¡°That¡¯s how you¡¯ve treated us, my women and me; why were you so adamant you speak to us without your guards?¡± he asked.

    She smiled and shook her head. ¡°Because I wanted a moment alone with my family.¡± I could force you to go; it¡¯s within my power. Perhaps I should, but if you¡¯ll permit me a bit of selfishness, I don¡¯t want to.¡±

    ¡°Then don¡¯t,¡± he said, ¡°I want to be here for you, no matter how little I can do.¡±

    Eli shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s quite a lot, more than enough. Thank you.¡±

    He slung an arm over her shoulder and pulled her close. Thanks for letting me stay.¡±

    She licked his cheek and leaned against him. ¡°You know,¡± she murmured, quite enough he was sure no one else could hear. ¡°I always knew Lisril was smart, but I never figured her for canny.¡±

    He snorted. ¡°Has that woman been telling tales on me?¡±

    She giggled. ¡°No, but I take it you¡¯ve expressed a similar sentiment.¡±

    ¡°The same sentiment, actually,¡± he said.

    ¡°Well, great minds.¡±

    She straightened and stood. ¡°I need a drink, and I¡¯d like to share it with my family. If you¡¯ll stay with me a moment.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Lisril said. ¡°We¡¯re always happy to visit with you.¡±

    Eli went to her cabinet, and Lisril pulled him close. ¡°That was very well said,¡± she whispered.

    ¡°Just doing what¡¯s right.¡±

    She kissed him. ¡°You¡¯ve no idea how endearing that sense of justice is.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing special, but thank you.¡±

    Eli returned and poured the drinks. ¡°So,¡± Rosslln said. ¡°Does this mean I¡¯m marrying the Empress?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll consider it,¡± Eli laughed, sitting; she downed her glass in one go.

    ¡°Lisril,¡± she said. ¡°Iiandere is here, and I think will be pleased to speak with you and- obligated to speak to you, Serra.¡±

    Serra scowled. ¡°I¡¯m sure she will be; did it have to be her?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s the right one for the job, and you know it,¡± Eli said.

    ¡°Who¡¯s Iiandere?¡± he asked. ¡°Why is my fianc¨¦e so upset?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing; we just don¡¯t get along,¡± Serra said.

    He didn¡¯t like that answer, so he pressed further. ¡°Why?¡±

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    She shook her head. ¡°We just don¡¯t.¡±

    It seemed she was going to give him any more, and though he considered pressing harder, but he didn¡¯t want to make her feel backed into a corner, so, for the moment, he let it drop. ¡°Eli, you said you¡¯d declared martial law; is that necessary?¡±

    ¡°If it weren¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t have done it,¡± Eli said. ¡°But this was an act of treason, committed in my own palace; had I done nothing, it would have been interpreted as weakness, and things would only get worse.¡±

    He nodded slowly; it occurred to him that he really had no concept of what it must be like to be in a position of such authority. ¡°Eli?¡±

    She turned to him. ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Do you like being the Empress?¡±

    She seemed taken off guard. ¡°I-¡± She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve never considered that; I am the Empress, so what does it matter if I like it? All I can do is try to do my name honor.¡±

    He nodded, wanting desperately to help bear her burden but afraid he¡¯d never know how. ¡°Are you worried about-¡± He gestured widely. ¡°All this trouble.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± she said. ¡°But you will be protected, and the Empire will survive.¡±

    ¡°Intact?¡±

    She was silent for a moment. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that.¡±

    ¡°But I do,¡± he said.

    ¡°Why?¡± she demanded.

    ¡°Because you¡¯re my friend, because it would hurt your position, and because Nyx needs a unified front for what¡¯s coming.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Lisril spoke up. ¡°And you know it.¡±

    ¡°Then what would you suggest? If you¡¯ve some idea, then let¡¯s hear it,¡± Eli demanded.

    The room was silent, and Eli stood, turning away from them.

    ¡°You know,¡± Alex said. ¡°there¡¯s always confederation.¡±

    Eli turned, frowning. ¡°We¡¯ve already ratified the articles.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Alex shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean; you could join the union, the Federation.¡±

    Her eyes widened. ¡°Subjugate my Empire?¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it subjugation,¡± Alex said. ¡°We¡¯ve learned that localism is the only answer for an interplanetary society to work. You¡¯d have to make certain concessions, but we don¡¯t really care if the executive is an elected official, the CEO of a company, or a hereditary monarch. And if you¡¯re willing, you¡¯ll have the full backing of the Federation.¡±

    ¡°Eli,¡± Lisril said. ¡°Your mother created a single Nyx; you could be remembered as the Empress who reunited us with our other half. A single Dyranti.¡±

    Eli shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s something to consider,¡± she said at last. ¡°I¡¯ll examine the idea in more depth later.¡±

    He nodded and stood, taking her hand. ¡°Whatever you decide,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m behind you.¡±

    She turned and smiled at him. ¡°Are you sure?¡± she asked. ¡°After you insisted Lisril renounce Nyx out of love of your homeland?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a patriot,¡± he said. ¡°But you¡¯re family; besides, a strong Nyx is good for Earth.¡±

    ¡°Family,¡± she said softly, then. ¡°I want you to take me to Earth.¡±

    He looked around, half expecting the camera crew to jump out. ¡°Now?¡±

    Eli stared for a moment. ¡°No, what? No! Not now, obviously, but I want to see Earth as it is, not a curated tour of your capital.¡±

    ¡°Oh, well, I¡¯ll see what I can do,¡± he said.

    She nodded. ¡°Good, good. I need- my Aunt is going to expect me to meet with her, and soon¡­ I¡¯d like you to come with me.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± he asked. ¡°That seems like the sort of thing you¡¯d want-¡±

    ¡°What I want is a little support from my family in this time,¡± she said.

    ¡°Then, of course, I¡¯ll come with you,¡± he said.

    ¡°Serra.¡± Eli turned to her. ¡°I have a task for you; it will be difficult.¡±

    ¡°Whatever you need,¡± she said.

    ¡°Good,¡± Eli nodded. ¡°Someone let that assassin in; you¡¯re the keeper of the palace records; I want you to work with Iiandere to discover who that might be.¡±

    ¡°That will be a challenge,¡± she sighed. ¡°But it¡¯s for my man, as much as my country, so how can I say no?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to help too,¡± Rosslln said, looking around.

    ¡°It sounds like you have something in mind, so let¡¯s hear it,¡± Lisril said.

    ¡°Well,¡± she hesitated. ¡°I know some girls, who¡¯re probably wondering where I¡¯ve gone by now, actually. They¡¯re not- very friendly with the guard, but we hear things, ¡®specially when we listen. Something like this, an assassination in the Empress¡¯ own palace¡­.¡±

    ¡°Speak with Iiandere,¡± Eli said. ¡°If you think these ladies would work with the inquisition.¡±

    Alex sat, smiling at Rosslln. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me about these friends of yours; I¡¯d like to meet them.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s more like-¡± She shook her head. ¡°We just gather together for protection¡­ but if you want to, that is, if Lisril will allow it.¡± She scratched her nose. ¡°They¡¯re gonna be jealous.¡±

    ¡°No, you should stay here,¡± Eli said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to live in Fear, Eli,¡± he said.

    ¡°You could be killed.¡±

    He shrugged. ¡°freedom is risk; besides, you¡¯re not God; you can¡¯t guarantee my safety regardless. It would be insane if I asked you to try.¡±

    ¡°Lisril, talk sense to your husband,¡± Eli scoffed

    The older woman nodded. ¡°I¡¯m going with you, of course.¡±

    ¡°Lisril!¡±

    ¡°He has a legal right,¡± Lisril said. ¡°To go where he pleases and to expect my protection as he goes.¡±

    ¡°It would be easier if he stayed here,¡± Eli said.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Lisril took his hand, pulling it to her lips. ¡°And easier still if I locked him in a cellar and fed him through a slot in the door.¡±

    She looked pointedly at the younger woman. ¡°But he is my husband, not my prisoner; one would expect you, of all people, to understand the distinction.¡±

    Eli sighed. ¡°Then I¡¯m coming too.¡±

    ¡°There now,¡± Lisril said. ¡°Was being a woman so hard?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m learning that it is,¡± Eli grumbled.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to cause any problems,¡± Rosslln said.

    ¡°You¡¯re not,¡± Alex countered. ¡°I am, and I¡¯m a man, so I¡¯m allowed.¡±

    The young woman rewarded him with a laugh. ¡°You seem good at it anyway.¡±

    He grinned. ¡°Thanks, Sweetheart.¡±

    ¡°Alex,¡± Lisril said. ¡°Serra and I should go speak with Iiandere, but you weren¡¯t requested; why don¡¯t you stay here with Eli and Rosslln?¡±

    He frowned. ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°I think it would be for the best,¡± Serra said. ¡°no reason to complicate things; leave the matter to your wives.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like it,¡± he said.

    Lisril drew him into a kiss, smiled. ¡°I know,¡± she said. ¡°But Serra¡¯s quite right. You weren¡¯t called, and so far as the inquisitor is concerned, you aren¡¯t entitled to make a statement. We, your wives, are the responsible parties; we will take care of this for you.¡±

    He hated it, but he also got the impression that that was the end of the conversation. ¡°Alright,¡± he sighed. ¡°Come back to me soon, okay?¡±

    She put a hand on his shoulder, squeezed tight. ¡°Nothing could keep me away.¡±

    She stood and went to Serra. ¡°Are you ready?¡±

    ¡°Not really,¡± the woman said. ¡°But there¡¯s no use putting it off.¡±

    She turned to Eli. ¡°She¡¯ll be in the usual office?¡±

    ¡°Yes, good luck,¡± Eli said.

    ¡°Who knows,¡± Serra said, standing and taking a long moment to stretch. ¡°Maybe age has mellowed her.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t bet on it,¡± Lisril said. ¡°Come on, stop stalling.¡±

    His archivist nodded, subdued. ¡°You¡¯re right; let¡¯s get it over with.¡±

    ¡°Really though,¡± he said as the door closed behind them. ¡°What¡¯s the story there?¡±

 Ch 14

    Serra followed a step behind Lisril, her stomach churning. It had been a long time since she¡¯d had the dubious pleasure of seeing Iiandere. Not since she¡¯d resigned her post in the military, so, she had insisted to herself, she could study with the surgeons.

    They hadn¡¯t started on excellent terms and had parted on terrible ones. The fact was, Iiandere hated her, and the sentiment was neither entirely one-sided nor entirely unfounded.

    But, as an inquisitor, the woman was beyond reproach, and Serra was only a witness, not even really married to Alex. So Iiandere¡¯s fidelity wasn¡¯t at issue.

    Serra sighed.

    ¡°Stop your whining,¡± Lisril said. ¡°You¡¯ve already got Alex twisting himself up in knots.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, Captain,¡± Serra said, guilt compounding anxiety.

    ¡°I¡¯m not your Captain anymore,¡± Lisril snapped. ¡°But since you¡¯re feeling contrite, I expect the next time you see him, you¡¯ll wear a smile, tell him all is well, and mean it.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± wasn¡¯t that always the way of it? Lisril, the Captain, the very image of chivalry, womanly, nearly to a fault, and she and Iiandere, her lieutenants, nipping at her heels. Competing for her attention.

    ¡°Good,¡± Lisril said. ¡°He¡¯s not like other men. Reticent to display his own pain and sorrow but quite sensitive to ours. You must be especially attentive and doubly careful in your stoicism.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll do so,¡± Serra promised, bowing her head. It seemed she¡¯d taken on more responsibility than she¡¯d imagined in agreeing to marry into Lisril¡¯s circle. Though, perhaps she should have known better.

    Lisril stopped in front of the inquisitor¡¯s office and turned to her. Her hand came up, cupped Serra¡¯s cheek as she hadn¡¯t since leaving for Earth and finding a man.

    Her thumb traced small circles over Serra¡¯s cheekbone, and Serra reached up to place her hand over Lisrl¡¯s as the older woman drew her eyes up. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Lisril said. ¡°I¡¯m with you, be strong.¡±

    Serra nodded, and Lisril smiled, licked her cheek, and turned to knock on the door.

    They waited a moment, and a young woman, perhaps forty, and of the dark purple complexion of the deep interior. She wore the Inquisition¡¯s insignia but was too young to be a full inquisitor.

    ¡°You must be the wives,¡± she said, stepping aside. ¡°Please, come in.¡±

    Lisril stepped past the girl, hardly acknowledging her presence as she led Serra into the room. Serra, though, paused, examining the girl. They hadn¡¯t met, she was sure, yet, she seemed somehow familiar. Serra pushed the thought away, a matter for later, and entered the room. There, sitting behind a large table, was Iiandere.

    ¡°Lady Inquisitor,¡± Lisril said.

    ¡°Lisril,¡± Iiandere¡¯s voice was soft and even, respectful, but almost bored; in that regard, at least, she hadn¡¯t changed. She turned to Serra. ¡°Good day.¡±

    ¡°Good day, Lady Inquisitor,¡± perhaps, this would be bearable if she stuck to business.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take your statements,¡± the inquisitor said. ¡°Initiate.¡±

    The young woman snapped to attention. ¡°Yes, Lady Inquisitor?¡±

    ¡°Pay attention; take down their statements.¡±

    The young woman nodded, fetching out a pen and inkpot.

    ¡°Your apprentice?¡± Lisril asked.

    ¡°Something like that, ma¡¯am,¡± Iiandere said. ¡°We¡¯ll mark you down as wife of the victim, is that correct?¡±

    Lisril nodded. ¡°That will be fine.¡±

    ¡°Go ahead then.¡±

    ¡°We, my husband, Serra, Rosslln, a prospective suitor, and myself, had been invited to join the Empress for dinner. Upon exiting her quarters, an assailant I had never seen before fired a crossbow at him.¡±

    ¡°How do you know,¡± Iiandere said. ¡°That he was the target?¡±

    ¡°I interposed myself in his place and was struck in his stead.¡±

    ¡°Then you¡¯re lucky to be alive,¡± Iiandere said.

    ¡°I¡¯m lucky,¡± Lisril said. ¡°To have been wearing Dyrantoro armor. When the assassin saw her attack had been ineffective, she proceeded to charge us with a knife. I dispatched her-¡±

    ¡°Dispatched by what method?¡±

    Lisril reached into her coat and drew out a stubby metal tube, which she extended to perhaps three or four times its size. ¡°This baton, and claw,¡± she said.

    Iiandere nodded. ¡°Continue.¡±

    ¡°I dispatched the assassin and returned to my husband¡¯s side; he was understandably upset and consoled himself with me. Then, an Honor guard escorted us, me, my husband, and Rosslln, having no quarters of her own, to our bedroom.¡±

    Iiandere thought a moment. ¡°Why was I not informed of this third woman?¡±

    ¡°Her status is undecided; she has no standing,¡± Lisril explained

    Iiandere humphed. ¡°I¡¯ll speak with her anyway in a little while; she may have seen something you missed.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± Lisril said. ¡°She mentioned friends who might make ready informants.¡±

    ¡°Informants?¡± the inquisitor asked.

    ¡°Vagrants, I presume,¡± Lisril said.

    Iiandere¡¯s brow winged up. ¡°An odd choice for consideration.¡±

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°My husband is an odd man. You should meet him when you have a moment,¡± Lisril replied, meeting Iiandere¡¯s gaze evenly, head held high as though daring her to object to Alex¡¯s choice of company.

    ¡°I shall have to.¡± Iiandere turned to the acolyte. ¡°Strike those last.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am,¡± the young woman said.

    Iiandere turned to Serra then. ¡°Your relation to the victim?¡±

    ¡°Fianc¨¦e,¡± she said.

    Iiandere sniffed. ¡°Does a man¡¯s family pay half a dowry for half a wife?¡±

    Serra bristled. ¡°Whatever the arrangements between my fianc¨¦e and myself, it¡¯s none of the inquisition¡¯s business.¡±

    Iiandere, apparently unfazed by her outburst turned to her subordinate. ¡°You may strike the witness¡¯ previous statement.¡±

    Then, turning back to Serra. ¡°Where were you when the lord was attacked?¡±

    Serra¡¯s fists bunched in the fabric of her gown. ¡°A step behind him, in the doorway to her Magnificence¡¯s quarters.¡±

    The inquisitor nodded. ¡°What were you doing during the altercation?¡±

    ¡°I engaged myself,¡± she said. ¡°In ensuring Alex was away from danger and unharmed.¡±

    ¡°There were other women present,¡± Iiandere said. ¡°You didn¡¯t find it prudent to assist his wife?¡±

    Serra clenched her fits in the fabric of her gown; the inquisitor¡¯s insinuation was clear and uncalled for; no one could reasonably fault a woman for remaining by her betrothed¡¯s side in a time of peril.

    But making a scene wouldn¡¯t help; no, it would only provide Iiandere the pleasure of getting the rise she was looking for, so Serra practiced the stoicism Lisril had instructed of her.

    ¡°There was neither time nor need; Lisril dispatched the assailant with all due speed and was joined by four members of her Magnificence¡¯s honor guard. The situation being what it was, my fianc¨¦e needed me by his side.¡±

    ¡°Then, I suppose,¡± Iiandere said. ¡°It was good you happened to be available. What happened after you secured the Lord?¡±

    Serra¡¯s jaw tightened; the second barb, less visible and more personal than the first, stung all the more. ¡°Lisril returned to us in short order, and I observed the bolt employed by her attacker embedded in her clothing.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Iiandere turned to her assistant. ¡°Produce the article.¡±

    The young woman left her seat, returning a moment later and setting the very bolt, its broad, multi-sided, head blunted somewhat by impact, on the table.

    ¡°This bolt?¡±

    Serra nodded. ¡°I believe so. Disturbed at the sight, I proceeded in my capacity as a surgeon to examine Lisril and made the determination that she should be placed on bed rest.¡±

    Iiandere glanced at Lisril. ¡°Then I shall have to apologize for interrupting her convalescence.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry yourself over much,¡± Lisril said. ¡°As it happens, we were granted a dispensation to seek Dyrantoro medical assistance. I have it on authority that having received treatment, I shall be hale in a matter of days.¡±

    ¡°An Impressive feat and I¡¯m sure your husband is grateful to have the news that he shall once again be adequately defended in so short a time,¡± Iiandere said.

    ¡°Not so,¡± Lisril said. ¡°Serra stands in his defense while I am incapable.¡±

    ¡°Then I shall pray,¡± Iiandere said. ¡°That he finds her steadfast.¡±

    ¡°He will,¡± Lisril said, in a clipped tone which both of them recognized to mean whatever conversation had been in progress was now ended.

    ¡°As you say, Captain,¡± Iiandere said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not your Captain anymore,¡± Lisril said.

    ¡°Regardless,¡± Iiandere said. ¡°I shall pay you the respect and ensure the blackguards who accosted your husband are brought to justice.¡±

    She turned back to Serra. ¡°Did you recognize the attacker?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t get a look,¡± Serra said.

    ¡°Then I shall arrange a look for you,¡± Iiandere said. ¡°Keep yourself available.¡±

    Serra nodded. ¡°I shall endeavor to,¡± she said. ¡°However, my Fianc¨¦e has an engagement.¡±

    ¡°This hardly seems the opportune moment,¡± Iiandere said.

    ¡°Her Magnificence tends to agree,¡± Serra said. ¡°But our Captain, it seems, is too much woman even for the monarchy.¡±

    Iiandere chuckled. ¡°I can imagine it.¡±

    Serra nodded. ¡°So her Magnificence shall be escorting us.¡±

    The only sign of Iiandere¡¯s shock was a slight widening of her eyes. ¡°Quite interesting; I shall have to make a point to join you if Lisril consents,¡± she said.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Lisril said. ¡°You are welcome. I¡¯m sure my husband will be interested in meeting you.¡±

    ¡°I hope so.¡± She turned back to Serra. ¡°Have you any other details you would like to add?¡±

    ¡°Not at this moment,¡± Serra said, and Iiandere stood, nodding.

    ¡°very well, you may go; I shall be in contact soon,¡± she said.

    She turned to lisril, nodding to the older woman. ¡°Please inform me before your party leaves. I will be happy to make time to join you.¡±

    Lisril nodded, and the inquisitor led them to the door. ¡°It will be an honor to host you,¡± she said. ¡°It will be soon, perhaps in the next day or so.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t waste time,¡± Iiandere said, ¡°I shall be ready at the hour of your choosing.¡±

    They left the inquisitor behind, and Serra cleared her throat. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said.

    ¡°You are also my Fianc¨¦e,¡± Lisril said, finality in her tone, the point of principal being all that mattered.

    ¡°Still,¡± Serra said. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Lisril shook her head. ¡°She blames the wrong person.¡±

    ¡°She blames the only woman available,¡± Serra said.

    ¡°Hog shit,¡± Lisril said. ¡°Justice is justice, and justice can¡¯t be misplaced.¡±

    Sera was silent then, thinking. ¡°It seems the answers come easily to you.¡±

    Lisril snorted. ¡°It¡¯s not as though I¡¯ve achieved some particularly great wisdom. Instead, I¡¯ve simply retained what women have lost.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Lisril stopped, examining one of the fine tapestries adorning the walls. ¡°We have been granted a guide to the right ordering of the world. I have found a man who is righteous and worthy, so I love him unreservedly; I have found a Goddess who guides me to the correct path, and so I worship without hesitation.¡±

    ¡°Where you, and all too many others, especially the great and the powerful, go awry is you look at the solutions offered to us and see that they are simple. You look at the world and assume there must be more.¡± She turned back to Serra. ¡°But there is no more; our needs are met simply; because our needs are not complicated.¡±

    Serra nodded, abashed, Lisril made it sound so easy, and she wondered if it weren¡¯t indicative of some flaw in herself that she didn¡¯t see it.

    Lisril sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve upset you more than Iiandere, quite the accomplishment, I should say.¡±

    ¡°Well.¡± Serra tilted her head. ¡°She was nearly sufferable, so maybe it was just a poor showing on her part. Maybe she¡¯s tired; it¡¯s an odd time of day.¡±

    Lisril laughed. ¡°If you can joke like that, she must really have gone easy on you. Maybe I should have let her lash you a bit longer, toughen you back up a bit. I daresay palace life has removed your edge.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll worry about my edge,¡± Serra said. ¡°I¡¯ve kept myself in shape and my saber too. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡±

    ¡°Then I won¡¯t; I hope you can forgive me, by the way,¡± Lisril said.

    Serra shrugged. ¡°She could have inserted herself in our trip regardless of what you said. She¡¯s a good contact to have.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Lisril said. ¡°I¡¯m still sorry. Let¡¯s go do something more pleasant.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯d like to see him,¡± Serra agreed.

    They returned to the sitting room, past the stony-faced guard. Rosslln and Eli sat at the table, chatting and sharing a drink, Alex reclining in a chair near the fire.

    The women joined them at the door. ¡°I see you haven¡¯t been put to the stake,¡± Elliza said.

    ¡°Just barely.¡± Serra grinned at her Empress. ¡°It was touch and go for a moment.¡±

    ¡°Sounds exciting,¡± Rosslln said. ¡°Come and have a drink; tell us about it.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Serra said. ¡°I¡¯m not thirsty, and I need to take some notes; I¡¯ve been letting myself fall behind in my work.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll have a drink, though I¡¯m afraid my story won¡¯t be quite as interesting,¡± Lisril said.

    Her fellows left, and she looked to Alex, who hadn¡¯t moved from his chair. She wanted to join him, but perhaps he stayed apart because he was angry with her? Lisril had said something to that effect.

    Finally, she decided she would let him brood and actually try to catch up with some of her work. Going to her pack, she gathered a little bundle of books and went to the couch set before the hearth.

    She opened the first and felt the couch shift. Looking up, she saw him there, sitting next to her. ¡°Oh,¡± she said. ¡°Alex, I-¡±

    He scooted closer and laid a hand on her thigh. ¡°Do you want to talk about it?¡±

    Her stomach twisted; she supposed this was the moment she was meant to give him her assurances, soothe his worry. Instead, she said, ¡°not really.¡±

    He closed his eyes and rested his head on her shoulder. ¡°Okay.¡±

    She swallowed, tears suddenly coming to her eyes. She blinked them away and licked the crown of his head, ¡°I,¡± she said, voice rough. ¡°I love you.¡±

    He smiled and wriggled closer to her; she wrapped her arm around him, pulling him tight. Not cold, but needing his warmth

 Ch 15

    Rosslln fretted over Alex, tugging at his clothes, ensuring his face was covered. They would go on foot, dressed in servant¡¯s clothes, and he as a Dyrantisa man.

    It was good it was so cold; it made it easy to justify covering their faces. Elliza tugged and worried at her roughspun clothes, clearly not used to the sensation, but it was still far better than the sackcloth Rosslln was used to.

    They each wore a saber, Alex excepted, and the weapon hung heavily at her side. Rosslln feared she wouldn¡¯t be much use if it came to violence, but she would fight; she would fight for him, one way or the other.

    She stepped back, examining him, a slight frown furrowing her brow.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t suit you at all,¡± she said.

    He looked down at himself in his modest men¡¯s gown. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I make a poor lord.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°You look too much the part, I think. You¡¯re better in your usual clothes.¡±

    ¡°Is that so,¡± Iiandere joined them, tall and imposing; the inquisitor would be accompanying them; honestly, Rosslln had hoped she would have a chance to broach the subject with her friends first and then try to introduce them to the inquisition. But so went the best-laid plans of mice and women.

    ¡°Then I should like to see his usual dress,¡± the inquisitor said.

    ¡°Maybe, we¡¯ll have time later,¡± Alex said.

    He spoke coolly, and to Rosslln, it seemed obvious he was suspicious of the inquisitor. But, if the older woman noticed, she didn¡¯t show it, nodding instead and turning to Eli. ¡°Are we ready, Magnificence?¡±

    Eli nodded; they would travel as their core group, plus Iiandere and Lisril coming along over Alex¡¯s objections. Eli¡¯s guards had been slipping from the palace in ones and twos since the previous night and would be dispersed along their route before they arrived. They wouldn¡¯t show themselves, though, unless called upon. Better Eli remain anonymous, safer.

    The Empress nodded. ¡°I think so,¡± she joined the three of them. ¡°We¡¯ll slip out through the servant¡¯s quarters; once we¡¯re in the city, we¡¯ll rely on you to lead us.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Rosslln swallowed her nervousness; it was a simple task, nothing would go wrong, and she¡¯d be able to introduce her man to her friends.

    Her man, she still wasn¡¯t sure where exactly she stood. He hadn¡¯t gotten rid of her, but on the other hand, she was a poor suitor, and it wasn¡¯t hard to fail to measure up to the other women he had around him.

    She wasn¡¯t heroic, like Lisril, learned, like Serra, not the Empress herself, Goddess¡¯ sake. What could she offer a man who counted such women among his admirers?

    She took his hand; doubtless, he would come to his senses eventually. Until then, she would take as much of his masculine attentions as he was willing to give.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡± she asked.

    He nodded, and she found herself wishing she could see him, could see his smile. ¡°Why don¡¯t you show us the way out?¡± he asked, turning to Eli.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± Eli said, and Alex wrapped both his arms around one of Rosslln¡¯s, pulling her close.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go; I¡¯m excited to meet Rosslln¡¯s friends.¡±

    Rosslln laughed; he would be disappointed; her friends were just vagrants like her. But his exuberance was touching.

    Eli led them down through the servant¡¯s quarters, the women still asleep so early in the evening, and out into the courtyard, then through a side gate in the curtain wall.

    They were delayed only a moment by the guards, and then she was leading, Alex on her arm, through the city.

    It was a long walk from the palace to the docks, and a steady snow fell as they went.

    Alex seemed happy to just walk and walk and walk, and to her shame, she found herself needing to rest long before he did. Pride kept her on her feet until Alex slowed and looked down at her, only his eyes visible beneath the hood of his heavy woolen cloak and the scarf wrapped around his face.

    ¡°If it¡¯s okay,¡± he said. ¡°I think I need to sit down.¡±

    He was lying; she could tell by the vigor and surety of his steps. But he must have noticed her flagging and decided to offer her an out.

    She didn¡¯t want to seem weak, but her legs were beginning to burn and shake. ¡°Alright,¡± she looked around; there was a tavern or sitting room on nearly every street corner; women needed their rest, after all, and she quickly spotted a tavern.

    She led them in, seated Alex, and was about to take a seat herself when Lisril pulled her aside.

    Stolen story; please report.

    She pressed a pouch into Rosslln¡¯s hand. ¡°Go and arrange refreshments,¡± the older woman murmured.

    ¡°Me?¡± Rosslln asked. ¡°But-¡±

    ¡°Are you escorting him or not?¡±

    Rosslln swallowed, nodded, and went to the counter. She counted the silver and said. ¡°No meal; our man just needs rest.¡±

    The tavernkeeper nodded, and Rosslln returned to the table, taking a spot next to Alex. He took her hand and squeezed. He hadn¡¯t removed his heavy clothing, keeping his identity hidden. Few would question how a man decided to take his comfort; if they did, he could pass it off as an act of modesty.

    They were served dried meat, two pitchers of a watered-down wine, and a pitcher of water provided for Alex¡¯s dignity, but Rosslln got the feeling he wouldn¡¯t drink it.

    Their host gone; Alex pulled down his scarf and heaved a sigh. He had situated himself such that it was unlikely he would be seen.

    His women, even Eli, were unlikely to draw attention; not many had ever actually seen their Empress. But Dyrantoro were still a rare enough sight that he would cause a stir in public. As it was, his height was already out of the ordinary.

    They ate, and as she expected, Alex shared their drink, propriety be damned. She liked that about him, though; he didn¡¯t put on airs or act like he was separate from them. He was just- one of the girls, only nicer to look at.

    They ate and rested their legs before moving on and repeated the process several times before reaching their destination. It was an old derelict warehouse. No one owned it, or she was sure someone considered it theirs, but they weren¡¯t maintaining it, so she and her little gang had taken up residence, hung up cloth partitions, and erected makeshift ovens, and now it was theirs. Until someone with money decided to hire someone to run them out so it could be pulled down for something else.

    She pulled the door open, rusty hinges protesting loudly and drawing the attention of the women huddled around the fires inside.

    They stood, gathering around; she counted twenty-five; some of them must have been out, and judging by their posture, they probably assumed her group was there to evict them.

    She stepped forward, pulled her hood down, and smiled as she revealed her face. ¡°I¡¯m back,¡± she said.

    It sent a ripple of confusion through the room; she grinned as one of the older girls, Semma, stepped forward. ¡°Where have you been, and who are they?¡±

    Rosslln pulled Alex forward, ¡°I have someone I want you to meet.¡±

    He revealed himself, and the girls stared; finally, Semma shook herself out of it. ¡°Is that one of them alien fellas?¡±

    The slur, so casually deployed against her man rankled Rosslln, and she stepped forward, put a hand on the other woman¡¯s shoulder, and squeezed hard.

    She was older and bigger than Sem, the oldest of the group, which made her as close to a leader as they had. ¡°You¡¯re gonna take that back,¡± she said.

    The younger woman swallowed, realizing her error, and nodded. ¡°Sorry.¡± She turned to Alex. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean that.¡±

    He laughed and waved her away. ¡°We don¡¯t consider it an insult on Earth.¡±

    Rosslln removed and folded up her cloak, making a cushion for him near one of the fires. ¡°This is Alex,¡± she said. ¡°My man.¡±

    His other women and Iiandere joined them, sitting around Alex, wanting the closeness and to shelter him from a group of strange women.

    Rosslln took her place next to him, and the girls gathered around. ¡°By now, you¡¯ve all heard the imperial order,¡± she said.

    ¡°Yeah, curfew and no groups larger than four,¡± Semma said, giving them a stern look. ¡°You¡¯re all asking for trouble, by the way.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Rosslln gestured to Iiandere. ¡°She¡¯s an inquisitor,¡± she pointed to Eli. ¡°And she¡¯s the Empress.¡±

    Two heartbeats, then chaos, some calling her a liar, others prostrating themselves, still others demanding an explanation.

    ¡°Silence!¡± Eli bellowed and was obeyed. ¡°Sit down and stop all that nonsense. I am not here in any official capacity; I am here because your friend¡¯s man is precious to me, also, and he has been viciously attacked. I am here begging a favor. Will you help us find the perpetrators of this act?¡±

    Her girls looked around, and finally, Sem turned to the Empress. ¡°What woman could hear that and say no?¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Sem,¡± Rosslln said, smiling at her friend.

    The younger woman shrugged. ¡°If you¡¯re moving on, someone¡¯s gotta maintain the public morals.¡±

    Rosslln laughed, ¡°I guess so.¡±

    Moving on? She supposed she was, but- it would feel weird and wrong, living- wherever else and leaving them in an old warehouse.

    She supposed she couldn¡¯t really ask Alex to marry thirty-odd vagrants. But she promised herself she wouldn¡¯t just leave them on the street, either.

    A thought occurred to her, and she nudged him. ¡°You¡¯re gonna need help,¡± she whispered. ¡°With- whatever it is you¡¯re planning with the Empress and the moon.¡±

    ¡°Consider them hired,¡± he said, smiling and pressing a kiss to her cheek.

    ¡°I know that look,¡± Sem said. ¡°What wickedness are you whispering in that man¡¯s ear, Rosslln?¡±

    ¡°Just getting you lot some honest work,¡± Rosslln said, grinning at her friend.

    Sem snorted. ¡°That¡¯s rich, coming from you, Rosslln Lightfinger.¡±

    ¡°Whu-¡± Alex seemed aghast. ¡°That¡¯s way better than my nickname! You¡¯re Lightfinger from now on.¡±

    She scowled at him. ¡°Oh no, I¡¯m not; I like the nickname you gave me.¡±

    He just grinned back, and Iiandere cleared her throat.

    ¡°Whatever you¡¯re on about,¡± she said. ¡°Can surely wait until later. Someone ordered this act, someone organized it, and it¡¯s likely they¡¯re still active. I would like you women to listen for any signs of this conspiracy and look for anything out of place; I will provide a contact for you to bring your findings to me.¡±

    Semma looked to Rosslln, and she nodded. ¡°I¡¯m counting on you to manage it, Sem,¡± she looked to Alex. ¡°I¡¯ve gotta protect him.¡±

    The younger woman shook her head. ¡°What a change a couple of days makes. If you hadn¡¯t brought him along, I don¡¯t think I¡¯d¡¯ve believed it. But you with the Empress? That¡¯s easy to believe after you with a man.¡±

    Rosslln looked around for something to throw and, finding nothing that looked heavy enough, settled for sticking her tongue out instead.

    Sem laughed, stood, and looked around. ¡°Since I¡¯m in charge now, I say business is settled.¡± She walked over to their little family. ¡°And I want to introduce your man to the others if you allow.¡±

    Rosslln looked to Lisril, who nodded and waved Alex away. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Semma can keep those girls in line.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure she can,¡± Alex laughed, standing to join their host and wandering off for introductions.

    She and his wives stood and gathered together. ¡°Despite what you said,¡± Eli said. ¡°That girl has hit upon a problem I was too much a fool to consider. Even if we¡¯re unlikely to run afoul of the law, traveling in a group this size is bound to draw unwanted attention. Especially now that it¡¯s no longer the early evening. We should split into two groups, Lisril; I hate to say it, but with your injury¡­.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Lisril said. ¡°You¡¯re quite right, I will take Serra, and the two of us will travel separately, keep an eye on your group.¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± Rosslln said. ¡°shouldn¡¯t I-¡±

    Lisril laid a heavy hand on her shoulder. ¡°No, this venture was your idea; it only makes sense that you should lead it to the end. I trust you.¡±

    Rosslln nodded; she would have to make sure not to fail, then.

 Ch 16

    Arathel leaned against a wall, picking her teeth with her dagger. Awaiting word on her newest assignment. She was a mercenary or hired thug if one wanted to be rude, ill-advised as that was.

    Her hypothetical detractor might point out she had no warrant and didn¡¯t let matters of morality interfere with business.

    But what did any of that matter? So a few of the zombies got hurt as they shuffled through their meager existence. Did people complain when she laid down in the morning to dream new figments living phantasmal lives? No, perhaps because they couldn¡¯t conceive that she might not wake to dream them once more.

    But whether she went when she closed her eyes or the world did was a matter for the scholars. As she smirked to herself at the idea, her lieutenant ran up to her.

    A southerner, her pink furless skin flushed with the cold.

    She didn¡¯t salute; they didn¡¯t bother with silly niceties or ridiculous pageantry on the basis of rank. Arathel led because she was the toughest and meanest, and it didn¡¯t hurt that she was a northerner; blue skin and a bit of down could get a woman surprisingly far in this region. Her lieutenant kept her position because she knew better than to challenge Aratehel¡¯s authority.

    ¡°They¡¯re on the move,¡± her lieutenant said. ¡°Four people.¡±

    ¡°There were six before,¡± Arathel said. ¡°Where are the other two?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know; the watchers haven¡¯t seen them,¡± the woman said.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know,¡± Arathel sneered. ¡°Well, find out. You confirmed the target?¡±

    ¡°We believe so.¡±

    ¡°Believe so.¡± She considered striking the fool of a woman. ¡°Well, if they¡¯re not, you¡¯ll be the first to know. Tell the watchers to find that other group, and then come on, we¡¯re going after the primary.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Her lieutenant ran off, and she set off in the opposite direction, her bloodhound falling in next to her.

    ¡°You have an idea of their route?¡± Arathel asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡± She was a slight woman, skin the bright red of the eastern folk. Had been a light cavalry scout or something before finding better employment. ¡°Captain, they¡¯re going toward the Palace district, and they were heading from that direction when our shadows caught up to them. This whole thing¡¯s off; we should-¡±

    ¡°We got paid what I asked?¡± Arathel demanded.

    ¡°Well, yes, but-¡±

    ¡°Then who cares?¡± she asked. ¡°We do the job, we don¡¯t ask questions, you know the rule.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± the small woman said. ¡°Yes, Captain.¡±

    They moved on, followed and preceded by six others, taking up spots in the shadows of a relatively lonely part of town. The group couldn¡¯t be too large without giving the game away.

    In a way, though she didn¡¯t like not knowing where those other two were, it was convenient they were missing.

    So she and her seven settled in and waited. Minutes ticked by in the cold, the wind picked up, and it began to snow again.

    A light flurry falling down onto the steepled rooves of the buildings.

    She shifted, drawing her cloak closer about herself and pressing her body into the shelter of the recessed doorway of the building by which she squatted; if the meat didn¡¯t get there soon, she¡¯d freeze to death before she got a shot at some action.

    Finally, four figures began to form in the distance, making steady progress in their direction.

    They held; this wasn¡¯t their first ambush, and her women knew anyone who moved too soon and allowed their target to slip from their grasp would answer to her.

    She waited, watching until the group was almost past before giving her signal and bursting from hiding and falling upon the little group.

    What followed was chaos, a wild tangle of blade and flesh; she and hers came with dagger in hand, but the ladies, well trained and drilled, it seemed, held them at bay with finely curved sabers.

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    She registered a flash of light off metal and ducked back just in time to remove her head from the arc of a sword.

    She came to rest looking at a slip of a woman standing over one of hers, saber in hand, its curved blade painted crimson. She raised her dagger and closed on the woman.

    But before she could bring the weapon down, something struck her hard in the side of the head, and her dagger fell from her hand, clattering dully against the cacophony of the battle.

    Arathel flailed out, grabbing something, someone, and wrestling them to the ground.

    Then, silence, she looked around; three of her¡¯s lay dead or dying. Off to the left, having gained some distance, and turned about to face her group, three of their targets. Each with blood on them, though the product of injury, or a trophy, she couldn¡¯t say. The fourth still struggled beneath her; this one did bleed, all down her arm and staining the snow. She ripped the hood and scarf from their face; unlucky, a woman, young, a bit of a runt, and with the dark, rough skin, a woman of the interior, the corse fur on her arm matted with blood. A prize, to be sure, but she wanted the man.

    She looked at the other three, and sure enough, shielded behind the two not wearing a sword belt and towering two, or perhaps two and a half head heights over them, was her target. Now, why couldn¡¯t she have grabbed him and made things easy?

    But it wasn¡¯t all bad. There were only two defenders now, to her remaining four, and she had a hostage.

    She retrieved her dagger, and the woman stilled the moment it touched her throat.

    Carefully avoiding the woman¡¯s clawed feet, Arathel stood and dragged her prize to her own feet, one arm tightly wrapped around her prisoner¡¯s chest, the other holding the dagger tightly to her throat. Turning to face the other group, she said. ¡°Why don¡¯t you make it easy and hand that little man over?¡±

    ¡°Just take him and go!¡± the little lady shrieked before Arathel could clap a hand over her mouth.

    The women looked between each other and seemed ready to do just that when the man slipped past them, weaving out of reach of their grasping arms.

    ¡°Get back here,¡± one of the women shouted, but he acted like he didn¡¯t hear.

    He reached up, pulling away his hood and scarf. Very tall, with stubby ears, a small sharp nose, and impossible green eyes¡ªcold as the night sky¡ªglittering with starlight. One of those sky folk. The bloodhound, who was at that moment gurgling her last breaths through a slit throat, had been right. They weren¡¯t being paid enough to start a war.

    She made a note to bring that to her employer¡¯s attention once he was dead.

    His long golden-brown hair, which sparkled much like his eyes, and a cloak of red fluttered in the breeze. Had he held a saber, he would have cut a figure not unfamiliar to tales of the ancient heroes who cast down those fell beasts that now lived only as a dark racial memory in the vagaries of women¡¯s minds.

    He looked at her intently, head tilted just slightly, as though confused or attempting to solve a puzzle.

    ¡°You should let her go,¡± his voice was impassive, devoid of emotion, or maybe, very slightly amused, the tone a woman might take with a young girl caught in the act of stealing sweets.

    ¡°And why should I do that?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Because if you don¡¯t,¡± he said matter-of-factly. ¡°I won¡¯t kill you quickly.¡±

    Her lieutenant, standing on her left, and bleeding from a cut on her cheek, laughed. ¡°Hear that, the little man¡¯s gonna-¡±

    There was a crunch followed by a thud. Aranthel looked to find her lieutenant lying on the ground, stone dead, the handle of a dagger sprouting from her left eye socket.

    She turned back to the man, eyeing him carefully; she hadn¡¯t seen the knife; he must have been palming it, but when had he thrown it? She was watching the whole time but-

    He took a step toward them, then another, advancing at a slow, deliberate pace. ¡°Drop her and run,¡± he said. ¡°It might delay me enough to save you.¡±

    She drew the knife tighter to the girl¡¯s throat. ¡°One more step, and I carve her throat.¡±

    ¡°Then go ahead.¡± He didn¡¯t so much as miss a step. ¡°It will only make things worse for you.¡±

    From behind her, there came a sound of retreating footfalls, then another, and another, her women abandoning her. They would get theirs; she¡¯d see to that.

    In the meantime, she looked to her dead lieutenant, down at the woman she held, then back into those cold green eyes, and decided she wasn¡¯t being paid enough.

    ¡°Take the bitch then,¡± she snarled, throwing the woman to the ground and herself taking flight.

    She didn¡¯t look to see if he stopped for the woman, focusing on the road ahead as she pelted down snowy streets and back alleys.

    She ran until her legs and lungs burned and kept on running, ran until sweat poured down her back despite the cold, and kept on pushing.

    She burst through the door to her safe house and collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath.

    She lay there in the chill air of the entryway just a the foot of the stair up to her bed; she knew not how long before mustering the strength to kick the door closed and drag herself to the murky window, crisscrossed with its lead bars, and peek out into the world, searching for signs of pursuit.

    She pressed her face against the window, the chill glass soothing against her burning skin.

    ¡°What are we looking for?¡± She screamed and twisted around to face the source of the voice. There was a flurry of gold-brown hair, and something struck her throat.

    She fell to her knees, clutching her injured throat, gasping for breath that wouldn¡¯t come, tasting the blood that welled up in her mouth.

    She looked up into glittering green eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± He cradled her cheeks in his hands. ¡°You did as I asked, so you won¡¯t suffer.¡±

    A jerk, a wrenching pain, then darkness, floating. The roar of high winds and beating of wings. The angel of death come to conduct her away?

    She felt nothing at first, then as the wind grew louder, she perceived a creeping numbness at the edges of her perception, slowly spreading.

    The wing beats receded, leaving only the roaring silence, oppressive darkness, and a mounting sluggishness of mind. She drifted aimlessly in that infinite moment when even death had gone.

    Slowly, even the drifting faded, and whether the world went or she did, was a matter for the living.

 Ch 17

    Alex elbowed his way through the door to the tavern and made his way up to the counter. The red of his cloak mostly concealed the bloodstains, but he could tell the woman behind the counter could smell it on him.

    ¡°Sir,¡± she said. ¡°Are you well? Have you been injured? I-¡±

    He reached into a pouch concealed beneath his cloak and drew out a coin about the size of a silver dollar, only it wasn¡¯t silver, nor was it plated; this coin was cast of solid gold. The woman gaped at him, and he spoke in a low tone.

    ¡°Three of my wives were set upon by ruffians not far from here,¡± he said. ¡°I think at least one was injured and thought they might come here to rest; have you seen anyone like that?¡±

    The woman looked around, unsure, ¡°I-¡± He added a second coin to the first. ¡°I gave them the Imperial suite,¡± she said.

    He added a third coin. ¡°Show me; bring me something to eat and strong drink.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡± The woman nodded. ¡°yes, sir.¡±

    She brought him up the stairs and to the suite and opened the door for him. Rosslln sitting alone on the bed, arm wrapped up tight in bandages, looked up when they entered.

    ¡°Alex!¡± she cried, standing, but she hesitated and sat back down, looking away from him.

    His stomach twisted; she couldn¡¯t even look at him.

    He went to her, and knelt at her feet. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he murmured, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I said those things, acted that way; I didn¡¯t mean it; I would never let anyone hurt you.¡±

    He reached out for her hand and squeezed it tight. ¡°I can¡¯t expect you to forgive me; I just wanted you to know that.¡±

    She looked down at him with watery eyes. ¡°Why are you apologizing? I¡¯m the one who failed.¡±

    ¡°Failed?¡± he shook his head, ¡°Rosslln, you risked your life for me.¡±

    ¡°I was captured. I let those- those.¡± Her shoulders slumped. ¡°I let them use me against you. Better to have died.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that! I don¡¯t ever want to hear something so terrible from you again.¡±

    He sat down next to her, taking her hands. ¡°Rosslln, Sweetheart, I never want to see you hurt for my sake.¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to protect you.¡±

    He kissed her. ¡°You did, and on Earth, we men are supposed to protect women, so I stepped up.¡±

    She frowned. ¡°What would you have done if those women hadn¡¯t run away?¡±

    He shrugged. ¡°I was about two steps from giving myself up.¡±

    ¡°Alex!¡± she cried, ¡°you can¡¯t do that!¡±

    ¡°I can, and I would,¡± he said.

    She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯d die before I¡¯d let you.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯m glad it didn¡¯t come to that. I¡¯d hate it if you went and left me.¡±

    She curled her hand in the fabric of his cloak as though afraid he¡¯d disappear. ¡°You¡¯re a strange man,¡± she said.

    He wrapped his arms around her. ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way. Lisril¡¯s furious with me,¡± she said.

    ¡°No, she¡¯s not,¡± Alex said. ¡°If she¡¯s angry with anyone, it¡¯s me. But honestly? She just takes too much responsibility upon herself, so she¡¯s sensitive to things going wrong.¡±

    ¡°If you say so.¡± She rested her chin against his chest, and he squeezed her tight against him. ¡°I brought something for you.¡±

    He pulled a little spray can from beneath his cloak. ¡°I saw you were bleeding earlier, so I bummed it off some marines.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± she asked, eyeing the can suspiciously.

    ¡°It¡¯s called staunch, we use it for bleeding. Can I see your arm?¡± he asked.

    She looked down at her bandaged limb. ¡°I guess.¡± She offered the arm, and he gently unwrapped it.

    He grimaced at what he saw; it was long, deep, cut. It looked painful, but more importantly, she must have lost a lot of blood. She was already starting to bleed again without the pressure of the bandage. The staunch would help with all those problems, though, and clean the wound, too.

    ¡°Hold still.¡± He shook the aerosol can and held it six inches from the wound. ¡°This will sting.¡±

    Before she could get second thoughts, he let loose with the spray. She hissed but didn¡¯t jerk too much. Even before he finished applying the spray, the flow of her blood had noticeably diminished. He set the can down and reapplied her bandage. It wasn¡¯t necessary for the bleeding, but compressing the wound would help the staunch accelerate the healing process.

    She rubbed her arm. ¡°It¡¯s kind of numb¡­.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the anesthetic, it¡¯ll pass, and you¡¯re not in pain anymore, right?¡± he said.

    ¡°I guess not,¡± she said.

    The door opened and admitted the inquisitor, Iiandere. ¡°The innkeep said you¡¯d wandered in,¡± she said. ¡°Where were you?¡±

    ¡°I had a promise to keep, and I brought a present for you,¡± he said.

    He drew out a rolled-up parchment, offering it to the inquisitor.

    She took and unrolled it, reading the contents. Finally, she sighed. ¡°Then I take it that woman is dead.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°I can show you her hideout if you like.¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°We could have used her, you know.¡±

    Alex glanced at Rosslln, his jaw clenching. ¡°She threatened my woman.¡±

    Iiandere eyed him, seemingly really looking for the first time. ¡°Too late now, anyway. That was rather canny, convincing those brigands their hostage wasn¡¯t valuable, despite evidence to the contrary.¡±

    He shrugged. ¡°I figured men and women are valued differently here.¡±

    ¡°And if you had been wrong?¡±

    He glanced at Rosslln. ¡°I think there¡¯s an echo in here. Like I told Sweetheart, I would have given myself up in exchange for her life.¡±

    Iiandere stared. ¡°And let them kill you?¡±

    ¡°Better me than her,¡± he said.

    ¡°It very much isn¡¯t, you know,¡± Iiandere said harshly. ¡°Setting aside the fact that it is, of course, a greater tragedy when a young man dies, your death would have placed her Magnificence in a very tenuous position.¡±

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have let that happen,¡± Rosslln insisted. ¡°I would have made her kill me before letting them have him.¡±

    Iiandere examined his Sweetheart and smiled. ¡°It seems I owe you an apology.¡±

    ¡°For what?¡± Rosslln asked.

    ¡°I took you for a fool and incompetent,¡± the inquisitor said. ¡°But I see now, you lack only for temper.¡±

    Rosslln ducked her head. ¡°No, I¡¯m not really¡­.¡±

    Alex pulled her close. ¡°You¡¯re too hard on yourself.¡±

    The door burst open, and Lisril stormed into the room. She locked eyes with him and, ignoring the other women marched up the bed, hands on hips. ¡°What were you thinking?¡±

    He shrugged. ¡°Not much, just sort of went with my instinct.¡±

    She growled and dragged him to his feet, hands on his shoulders, as though afraid he might evaporate. Her hands ran down his arms, moved to his hips, and up; she recoiled and pulled away, looking at the wet stain in her hand. ¡°You¡¯re hurt!¡±

    He bit his tongue; he¡¯d been hoping for a little more time to heal before she found that. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s just-¡±

    ¡°Show me.¡± She sat him back down and removed his cloak, revealing a large wet blob of blood staining the shirt underneath.

    ¡°Alex!¡± she shrieked.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine; it¡¯s not even bleeding anymore,¡± he insisted.

    She pulled her shirt off and crouched down at his side; she used her own shirt as a rag, wiping away the blood so she could see the wound itself.

    She swore, and he put a hand on her shoulder. ¡°It looks worse than it is,¡± he said. It was true; the cut was long and jagged, running over his ribs, but it was only flesh deep. He had an auxiliary chest plate, thin and flexible but very tough, not unlike modern reactive armors, running between the muscle and skin. It had turned the blade and left him with an ugly but, ultimately, superficial wound.

    Given just a little more time, his skin would have closed itself up, and saved her the worry and him a scolding.

    She glared at him. ¡°I¡¯ll decide how badly off you are,¡± she said, one hand gently prodding his sensitive flesh, the other squeezing his calf in a painful white-knuckled grip.

    He laid his hand on hers. ¡°Kitten, I¡¯m okay.¡±

    She rested her forehead on his leg. ¡°Why do you have to worry me like this?¡±

    He ran a hand through her hair. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask to be attacked.¡±

    ¡°But you knew it would happen, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    He paused. ¡°Know is a strong word, but I figured it might.¡±

    She looked up at him reproachfully. ¡°You used yourself as bait.¡±

    ¡°And I landed a fish.¡±

    ¡°You could have gotten yourself killed!¡±

    He scratched his head; he could have. ¡°It was a calculated risk.¡±

    Her eyes flashed, and her lips thinned. She paused, thinking, then said. ¡°Rosslln nearly paid the price for it.¡±

    He flinched, looked away from her, bit his lip, tasted blood. His wife was a vicious one; he¡¯d know that when he¡¯d proposed, hell, he¡¯d proposed because she was vicious. But it still wasn¡¯t fun being on the receiving end.

    ¡°Lisril,¡± Rosslln said. ¡°He¡¯s not-¡±

    ¡°Shut up,¡± he said. He wouldn¡¯t let her fall on his sword twice in one day. He looked up at Lisril, face blank. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask any of you to come with me.¡±

    She blinked, stunned, and he pressed on. ¡°If any of you are here under a mistaken impression I¡¯m some soft Dyrantisa half-man, you¡¯re welcome to go. I won¡¯t stop you.¡±

    Lisril gaped and slowly began to shake her head, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean-¡±

    ¡°Then stop your bitching.¡± He turned to Rosslln, gently cupping her cheek. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the things I said. But not what I did; I wish to heaven things had gone differently, but I¡¯d do it again.¡±

    She shook her head, and his heart sank. ¡°Like I said.¡± He pulled away from her. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to stick around, I-¡±

    She snatched his hand in both of hers and pulled it back to her cheek. ¡°No! I didn¡¯t mean it like that!¡± She hung her head. ¡°If I had been stronger¡­.¡±

    ¡°Sweetheart¡­.¡± The bed shifted, and he turned to find Lisril sitting by his side.

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have said that,¡± she murmured. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I know you¡¯d never want any of us to get hurt. I just- I worry for you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I made you worry; I didn¡¯t mean to,¡± he said.

    ¡°Regardless of any hurt feelings or consternation,¡± Iiandere said. ¡°His gambit was fruitful. He might have denied us a chance at their leader, but the Imperial Guard picked up several of her conspirators. Hopefully, they¡¯ll be able to give us whoever it was that hired them.¡±

    Lisril glared at Iiandere. ¡°Don¡¯t encourage him.¡±

    ¡°More importantly,¡± Alex said. ¡°We know there¡¯s a mole in the servant¡¯s quarters.¡±

    They all turned to him. ¡°Someone had to tip them off, and they didn¡¯t seem to know about the Imperial Guard presence, or else, why even try?¡±

    ¡°The guard didn¡¯t help when we were attacked, though,¡± Rosslln said.

    ¡°We were only fighting for,¡± Alex shrugged. ¡°fifteen seconds, maybe. Thirty tops. Then they happened to have a hostage; once you were safe¡­.¡±

    ¡°They were rounded up like animals,¡± Iiandere finished for him. ¡°In any case, he¡¯s correct. Had they known of the guard presence, they likely wouldn¡¯t have risked the attack.¡±

    ¡°We should talk to El- ah, her Magnificence. Where is she?¡± Alex asked.

    ¡°With Serra and two of her guards,¡± Iiandere said. ¡°Still out searching for you, she was beside herself when you ran off. She should be back soon, though; we agreed to reconvene here if you couldn¡¯t be located.

    He nodded. ¡°Maybe we should-¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Lisril said. ¡°We stay here and wait, it will be quicker, and it will make her happy. Besides, you need to keep yourself still, or your side will never close.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± Rosslln cried. ¡°shouldn¡¯t we use some of that stuff?¡±

    ¡°Stuff? what stuff?¡± Lisril demanded.

    He held up the staunch. ¡°She means this.¡±

    Lisril took it and frowned. ¡°Where did you get this?¡±

    ¡°Off some marines,¡± he said.

    Liril¡¯s brow knit into a scowl. ¡°Where? and how much did you tell them?¡±

    He shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know, around here somewhere, I think they were on leave; they were with some lady friends. And just that my woman had gotten cut.¡±

    Lisril sighed. ¡°Doubtless, this will start rumors¡­ but at least you didn¡¯t give anything away. We should return to the palace as soon as Serra¡¯s party returns.¡±

    ¡°Lisril,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯re not safe in the palace.¡±

    The room was silent for a moment then. ¡°We could still return to Earth,¡± Lisril said.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way.¡±

    ¡°You know what¡¯s weird,¡± Rosslln said. ¡°There are other Dyrantoro in the palace, and ones like those soldiers you mentioned, who would be easier targets. Why not them? In fact, why not Eli if they¡¯re already in the palace?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s quite right.¡± Eli entered at that moment; Serra and, he presumed, a couple guards a step behind. ¡°It is most curious. An attack on my guest is still treason, yet, faced with his death or mine, they consistently choose his. If it were merely a matter of spoiling our relations with our brothers, there are more opportune targets, as Rosslln points out.¡±

    He scratched his head. ¡°Maybe,¡± he said. ¡°They want to humiliate you.¡±

    Eli and Iiandere shared a look. ¡°Parliament?¡± Eli asked.

    ¡°A ploy to weaken the monarchy?¡± the inquisitor spoke more to herself than anyone else. ¡°Well, it¡¯s an angle to look at; I need to renew my investigation; all of you should return to the palace, discretely. And he¡¯s right, Lisril, allow the palace guard to keep watch over your room.¡±

    Lisril sighed but nodded. ¡°I suppose that would be a good idea,¡± she said. ¡°Good night, Iiandere.¡±

    The inquisitor nodded and turned to Eli. ¡°Your Magnificence,¡± she said. ¡°I should like for the palace servants to be made available for interrogation on the morrow.¡±

    ¡°Then they shall be,¡± Eli agreed. ¡°Good night, inquisitor, and good luck.¡±

    Iiandere bowed and left them.

    Eli approached the bed; standing in front of him, she raised her hand as though to slap him.

    He felt Lisril tense in her spot, but then the hand came down and gently cupped his cheek. ¡°You¡¯re hurt. Did that happen when we were attacked?¡±

    ¡°Rosslln got caught.¡± He squeezed the young woman¡¯s hand. ¡°Falling on the woman who did it to me. What about you? Did you or Iiandere get hurt?¡±

    Eli shook her head. ¡°I think Rosslln was worst injured. But she should recover. That was a valorous thing you did.¡± Her hand left his cheek and came to rest on his shoulder. ¡°But such things are best left to women, and you worried us greatly.¡±

    He glanced at Lisril, and she scooted over to make room for the younger woman, who took the spot she¡¯d vacated. He wrapped his arms around hers and leaned against her.

    ¡°I know,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I scared you. I can¡¯t promise I won¡¯t do it again.¡±

    ¡°Alex!¡± Eli cried, and he shook his head.

    ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°Eli, this is just who I am; I can¡¯t help but want to protect all of you.¡±

    It hung in the air between them, then Eli said. ¡°Lisril, you must allow him to go armed.¡±

    ¡°Eli-¡±

    ¡°If you won¡¯t stop him,¡± Eli said. ¡°And he won¡¯t allow himself to be defended, then we shall simply have to fight as comrades.¡±

    Lisril nodded reluctantly, and Eli heaved an unhappy sigh; clearly, she didn¡¯t like the situation. ¡°Alex, you must make an effort to stay with us. It¡¯s clear to me we stand no chance of keeping up with you over any significant distance; that was a magnificent sprint.¡±

    He nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right; I¡¯m sorry; I shouldn¡¯t have run off on my own like that.¡±

    She licked his cheek. ¡°So precious, in so short a time. I want to get you home, in front of the fire, and with ample seating for your women.¡±

    He nodded, frowned. ¡°I paid for food, but they never came.¡±

    ¡°I dismissed them,¡± Eli said. ¡°And what did you pay with?¡±

    He produced the pouch. ¡°Our assassin was carrying a small fortune on her, probably¡­.¡± He shook the bag. ¡°Seven pounds of gold in here. There¡¯s more in that safehouse too, probably enough to buy this place; come to think of it, I had meant to give the location to Iiandere.¡±

    ¡°Safehouse, where?¡± Lisril demanded.

    ¡°I could show you,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s not far; she only ran a mile and a half.¡±

    ¡°Only?¡± Serra sputtered. ¡°You sprinted all that way?¡±

    ¡°Not sprinted,¡± Alex said. ¡°She lasted longer than you guys but slowed down a lot as she went.¡±

    Serra shook her head, went to a cupboard in the corner of the room, and produced a large scroll. ¡°Here.¡± She handed it to him. ¡°A map of the city, show me, and I¡¯ll catch up to Iiandere.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I know my womanly duty,¡± she said, ¡°I will see you back at the palace.¡±

    He nodded, marked the place, and Serra was gone.

    ¡°With that,¡± Lisril said. ¡°Get yourselves dressed; let¡¯s go home.¡±

 Ch 18

    Iiandere leaned back in her chair, stretching the cold out of her limbs. Her office was spacious enough but lacked the niceties of other rooms in the palace.

    Furnished simply, with her desk and a couple of chairs, a space for the initiate to sit and perform her duties.

    She wasn¡¯t going to be finished today and probably wouldn¡¯t be finished tomorrow. No one had seen or heard anything, of course, and if anyone were to see anything at all, of course, Iiandre¡¯s would be the first name on their lips.

    Nonsense, someone had seen something, heard something, and they were protecting their fellows. But as of yet, she hadn¡¯t any cause to hold any of them. Not that she couldn¡¯t hold all of them if she so chose, that was well within her power, but the political situation was somewhat prohibitive.

    She needed a break and probably a drink.

    There was a knock on the door. ¡°Enter,¡± she called.

    The door opened and admitted not the scullery maid she¡¯d expected but a courier. The woman brought a letter to her desk. Iiandere read it, nodded, and said to her. ¡°Bring her in.¡±

    She turned to initiate Henneil. ¡°Tell my next engagement they¡¯ll have to wait, then have some refreshment brought up.¡±

    The young woman set her quill down and nodded. ¡°Yes, inquisitor,¡± she said and went to do as she was bid.

    The courier returned, young Semma in tow; the girl seemed nervous, looking this way and that. The courier bowed and left them alone.

    ¡°Sit,¡± Iiandere said.

    The young woman hesitated, but a glare got her moving, scrambling to the seat opposite Iiandere.

    ¡°Well?¡± Iiandere asked. ¡°What¡¯s this about? And why didn¡¯t you send a message through your contact?¡±

    Semma¡¯s foot tapped. ¡°I don¡¯t know that woman; I didn¡¯t want to talk to her.¡±

    Her anxiety was evident and worrying, she had seemed game only the day before, and now something had spooked her terribly.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Iiandere said. ¡°You¡¯re talking to me; what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    The young woman nodded. ¡°We were doing like you said, keeping our ears to the ground. And I¡¯m at the pub keeping my ears pricked, and I hear about this coach.¡±

    ¡°Coach?¡± Iiandere asked. ¡°Where?¡±

    ¡°Down by the docks,¡± Semma said. ¡°Not too unusual, sometimes people with lots of money and no sense come down to gawk at the sailors and street urchins. But this is different; people were saying they saw a coach bearing heraldry, real proper heraldry.¡±

    That was worrying; heraldry meant old nobility. The heraldric council had no business with commoners, a purchased barony, or even someone so high and mighty as a duchess, should that duchy have been gained in the current generation.

    New money, a wealthy merchant with a purchased title might venture out that way. But the nobility didn¡¯t go to the likes of the docks, not without a very particular purpose in mind. But would anyone be so brazen as to fly their colors whilst plotting treason? Maybe, she could think of one or two of the old bluebloods she¡¯d met personally who might be so foolish.

    ¡°Can you tell me what it looked like?¡± She asked.

    The woman opposite her shook her head. ¡°No, it¡¯s just scuttlebutt now; no one I talked to had seen it themselves.¡±

    Iiandere frowned. ¡°But you seem sure the rumor is reliable.¡±

    ¡°The other girls heard about it too,¡± Semma said. ¡°It¡¯s all over the docks; someone saw something.¡±

    ¡®Someone¡¯ saw ¡®something¡¯ not exactly actionable, yet, though sailors and gamblers could always be relied upon for fascinating and wholly fictional accounts of their exploits and accomplishments. There was amongst those folk a code of honor in the telling of tales, and such a topic would not lightly fall from their tongues.

    ¡°Very well,¡± Iiandere said, ¡°I believe you, and it is more than I had. But I don¡¯t know how I can use this information. Do you know when this sighting occurred?¡±

    ¡°Couple nights ago,¡± Semma said. ¡°A week, near as I can tell, but I think someone might have seen it again last night, maybe even three sightings; it¡¯s hard to tell.¡±

    Iiandere nodded; the timing seemed plausible. ¡°Alright,¡± she said. ¡°If they¡¯ve visited more than once, they might visit again. Stay alert.¡±

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°Yes, Lady Inquisitor,¡± the young woman said.

    ¡°Is there anything else?¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± the young lady frowned. ¡°Me and the girls were talking, and we¡¯d be more comfortable if it was you we were talking to, all things considered.¡±

    ¡°Very well,¡± Iiandere said. ¡°Don¡¯t tell your contact anything, just that you want to talk to me; I¡¯ll make time, but this will be the last time you pay me a surprise visit, not least because you look out of place here. There¡¯s a chance the palace is being watched. You¡¯ll have to stay here for now, and I¡¯ll smuggle you out come morning.¡±

    There was a cursory knock, and her initiate returned. ¡°You have a visitor,¡± she said. ¡°Lady Inquisitor.¡±

    She wasn¡¯t expecting anyone. ¡°Who is it?¡±

    ¡°One of the wives,¡± the younger woman said. ¡°Whom we interviewed the other day.¡±

    She frowned; Lisril wouldn¡¯t leave her husband, not while he was wounded, so it must have been¡­. ¡°Send her in.¡±

    The girl nodded and waved their guest forward. Serra entered and offered a shallow bow. ¡°Iiandere.¡±

    She nodded to the other. ¡°Have you something for me?¡±

    Serra shook her head. ¡°No, not yet,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m here on a personal matter.¡±

    Iiandere¡¯s brow winged up; there were many personal matters she could have referred to; she nodded. ¡°Go on.¡±

    ¡°You were prepared to down your life for my husband. Thank you,¡± Serra said, head bowed.

    It was probably a mark against her that Iiandere¡¯s first instinct was to reproach the other woman. She throttled the impulse and inclined her head. ¡°I only did my duty.¡±

    ¡°Regardless,¡± Serra said. ¡°I¡¯m grateful, and it would be unwomanly to fail to offer thanks.¡±

    Iiandere considered the other woman. ¡°I suppose it would,¡± she said at last. ¡°You are welcome; that man seems a hellion; you should keep a close eye on him.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do so,¡± Serra glanced at Semma. ¡°Am I interrupting? That¡¯s Rosslln¡¯s friend, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Actually, you¡¯ve come at an opportune moment; Semma needs somewhere to stay until I can see to her. Would you take her to the young lady? They should be happy to see one another.¡±

    Serra nodded. ¡°I can,¡± she said. ¡°has something happened already?¡±

    Iiandere was ready to dismiss the question; after all, it was her investigation. But, on the other hand, Serra had easy access to the palace archives. ¡°Does your office still maintain a record of imperial heraldry?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± The archivist nodded.

    ¡°Good,¡± Iiandere turned to Semma. ¡°Did you manage to glean any details?¡±

    The young woman frowned. ¡°Well, maybe, it¡¯s all-¡±

    ¡°Good enough,¡± Iiandere said. ¡°You¡¯ll work with the archivist and attempt at least to narrow our search. Serra, the young lady will explain; please take her back to the Archives with you.¡±

    Serra nodded. ¡°As you say, Lady inquisitor, come along, Semma.¡±

    The two of them left, and Iiandere leaned back in her chair, sighing.

    ¡°Not much progress today,¡± the initiate said, taking her seat.

    ¡°No,¡± Iiandere agreed. ¡°Not much progress initiate Henneil, such is our task.¡±

    The young woman nodded. ¡°Yes, inquisitor. Inquisitor?¡± she asked. ¡°You traveled with her magnificence yesterday.¡±

    ¡°I did. What of it?¡± Iiandere asked.

    ¡°What did you think of her man?¡±

    Iiandere turned to the young woman. ¡°Interested?¡±

    ¡°Not that there would be anything wrong with it,¡± her subordinate said. ¡°But my curiosity is merely academic; it seems he¡¯s likely to be our emperor soon.¡±

    Iiandere gave a noncommittal grunt. ¡°You think so?¡±

    ¡°I think it seems reasonable,¡± the young woman said. ¡°A Lady does not escort a man as her Magnificence did without reason.¡±

    Iiandere couldn¡¯t refute that, and after all, her initiate was probably right. Still. ¡°See to it you keep her confidence.¡±

    ¡°I will,¡± the woman said. ¡°What do you think of him?¡±

    Iiandere thought about it; what did she think of him? He was- Well, he made things interesting. Elliza certainly seemed fond of him, and it was clear they were close.

    As to him personally, they hadn¡¯t spoken much, and she got the sense he didn¡¯t like her; probably, he sensed the friction between Serra and herself, so he was loyal, and that was heartening.

    ¡°He¡¯s interesting,¡± she said at last. ¡°Beautiful.¡± She hesitated. ¡°Heroic. An excellent hand at knife throwing.¡±

    ¡°Knife throwing?¡± the initiate asked.

    ¡°Never mind that. He has charmed several exceptionally discerning women that alone should give you an idea of his character,¡± Iiandere said.

    ¡°Yes, inquisitor,¡± she said. ¡°You seem taken with him, so he must be.¡±

    Iiandere frowned, taken? Perhaps she even was, a bit, but. ¡°My personal life is none of your concern.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± the young woman said. ¡°Sorry, ma¡¯am. May I ask what that girl wanted, ma¡¯am?¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Iiandere said. ¡°Yes, it seems there are rumors circulating in the docks; someone sighted a coach bearing heraldic imagery at around the right time.¡±

    ¡°Worrisome,¡± the young woman said.

    ¡°Come to think of it. Initiate, your family is of the old nobility; might you have some ideas?¡± Iiandere asked.

    She shook her head. ¡°I would need more; there are certainly enough brazen fools amongst the nobility. It could be a grab for power, or it could just be a rumor¡­. I didn¡¯t see anything in our reports about separatist movement.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t see what isn¡¯t there,¡± Iiandere said. ¡°Our agents have been worryingly quiet.¡±

    ¡°But we are still getting reports?¡±

    ¡°We are,¡± Iiandere said, nodding. ¡°But it looks as though we¡¯ve been shut out; if our agents haven¡¯t been discovered, they¡¯re suspected.¡±

    ¡°What shall we do?¡±

    Iiandere sighed and shook her head; the initiate was still young, after all. ¡°We shall do nothing. The inquisition''s agents are the inquisition''s, you don¡¯t know who they are, or you shouldn¡¯t, and their fate isn¡¯t your concern. If the inspector general determines their lives need be expended in the course of the inquisition¡¯s duty, then that is what shall happen, and neither you nor I have any say in the matter.¡±

    ¡°Yes, inquisitor,¡± the young woman said.

    There was, of course, the unspoken suggestion that perhaps it wasn¡¯t the inquisition¡¯s agents who had been shut out, but Iiandere and, by extension, the initiate training beneath her.

    It didn¡¯t seem likely, but she would be a fool to fail to consider it, the possible reasons, and the implications thereof. And while much could, and had been, made of her myriad personality defects and moral failings, Iiandere Seressiver was no fool.

    The food was delivered, a modest meal for a modest pair, housed though they were in the halls of the mighty.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am,¡± the young woman said. ¡°If I may.¡±

    ¡°Go on,¡± Iiandere said.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to meet him,¡± she said.

    Iiandere didn¡¯t look up from her meal. ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s impressed you,¡± the young woman said. ¡°And I¡¯ve seen few enough women capable of such a feat.¡±

    Iiandere sniffed. ¡°Maybe, not today, certainly. Finish your meal quickly; we need to get back to work.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±

 Ch 19

    Lisril lounged on Eli¡¯s couch, her back to the door, watching Alex, who was at that moment bent at the waist digging through the box of his things, which had been delivered that evening, and, more importantly, giving her a fantastic view to admire.

    Beyond him was the hearth, a high fire burning within and warming the space.

    She had enjoyed less time with him since welcoming other women into their fold. They weren¡¯t alone even at that moment. Behind her, she could hear Rosslln sitting around Eli¡¯s table, having a drink, and something to eat.

    Their host was absent, engaged in her duties.

    It was only natural, he would have less time for her, of course, and though it had been nice to have him all to herself, she had missed feminine camaraderie too.

    Alex wasn¡¯t like other men, of course, much closer to a feminine ideal than any ideal of Nyxian masculinity. Though he did his best to please her, Lisril knew, as he had demonstrated only the other night, that he could drop that facade at any moment.

    She didn¡¯t mind; she loved him for it, even when it caused her worry.

    ¡°Alex,¡± Lisril called.

    He looked over his shoulders at her, gazing up at her with wide, bright, green eyes. ¡°Yes,¡± she said, drinking in the tableau. ¡°Stay just like that for a while.¡±

    He laughed and turned back to his digging nonetheless. Then, standing, he joined her, pushing the long, sleek, blue-grey frame of a gauss rifle into her hands.

    Not just any gauss rifle, hers, custom made to fit her hand, the rail and optic, a 1-16x long relief illuminated scope, just slightly higher to accommodate the shape of her face.

    ¡°There,¡± he said. ¡°Tell me you don¡¯t feel better with that in your hands.¡±

    She cradled the weapon¡¯s weight against her body; stroked its shrouded barrel; she did feel better, and not just because a nine hundred round per second care package was the perfect way to see off any ruffian with designs on her Angel.

    It had been a gift, a gift from him. Every aspect planned and calculated to fit her like a glove. It had felt wrong, leaving it, but she hadn¡¯t expected so much trouble. ¡°Thank you, Angel,¡± she said.

    He sat and leaned against her. ¡°Love you, Kitten.¡±

    She heaved a sigh, setting aside her gun and taking his hand. He was shaking. ¡°Are you cold?¡±

    Alex shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡±

    She huffed, stood, and fetched out a blanket, sitting and wrapping it around them. ¡°See now, was it so bad to let your wife take care of you?¡±

    He grinned and wiggled closer to her. ¡°Thank you, Kitten.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± Her smile was indulgent if a little reproachful. ¡°I wish you¡¯d be more open about your needs.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± He offered an apologetic look. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s not easy for me.¡±

    She wrapped an arm around behind him and gently stroked his arm. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± she said. ¡°I know you¡¯re accustomed to a poor crop of women, and it¡¯s not all bad; I find it very endearing at times how you work to solve your problems. But you know I¡¯m always here for you.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± He kissed her and received an appreciative whoop from a very slightly drunk Rosslln.

    Lisril laughed, looking over her shoulder at the younger woman, her dark skin flushed with the cold and alcohol. ¡°Then come here and help me warm him up.¡±

    Rosslln grinned and sauntered over from the table; she glanced at the open spot opposite Lisirl, smirked, and crawled under the blanket, sitting in Alex¡¯s lap.

    ¡°Rosslln,¡± Lisril said, scolding. ¡°Alex is still-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he said, an arm wrapping around the young woman. ¡°Sweetheart here¡¯s just feeling snuggly.¡±

    ¡°Snuggly,¡± Lisril said, observing the young lady¡¯s flushed cheeks and slightly cracked jaw; she was feeling something alright. If he really was feeling well, perhaps it was time she arranged a quiet moment for the two of them. A little fast, but he was very affectionate, as men went, and little concerned for propriety.

    That could wait, though; at that moment, she was enjoying sitting with him.

    Someone knocked, and she sighed, was a quiet day in with her husband so much to ask? She considered simply letting them knock. But it might be important, so she reluctantly stood and greeted their guest.

    A messenger, Lisril took the missive and dismissed her with a nod and a wave. She read the message. ¡°Alex,¡± she said. ¡°Eli needs us.¡±

    The three of them, Lisril, Alex, and Rosslln, had liberty; Serra and Eli did not and had left them to entertain themselves while they worked.

    He looked up from Rosslln, who he had been busy teasing and kissing. ¡°Then we shouldn¡¯t keep her waiting; come on, Sweetheart.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Lisril said. ¡°Just the two of us.¡±

    He frowned. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Lisril looked at the letter in her hand. ¡°She didn¡¯t say, just something to do with the Dyrantoro delegation.¡±

    Rosslln had let him up by then, and he joined her. ¡°I suppose we can¡¯t keep her waiting. Does she say where?¡±

    Lisril nodded; it was a meeting room near the Dyrantoro wing; she fetched her gun; if she had it, she might as well employ it and slung it over her shoulder. ¡°I can lead you, come along; we will return soon, Rosslln.¡±

    The young woman nodded, and Lisril took his hand. He was reluctant, it was easy to see, and Rosslln, smiling, wrapped her arms around his neck, and they kissed.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you,¡± Rosslln said breathlessly. ¡°Hurry back.¡±

    He nodded and pulled away from her. ¡°I will.¡±

    Lisril led him away, and still, he glanced over his shoulder back toward Eli¡¯s chambers.

    Lisril smiled. ¡°You want her.¡±

    He stepped closer, leaned against her. ¡°It¡¯s not fair to leave her out,¡± he said.

    ¡°She, too, is your woman, is it?¡± Lisril asked.

    He kissed her cheek. ¡°Lisril-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s quite alright,¡± she said. ¡°Honestly, I was nervous about her at first. But she¡¯s proven to be valorous and worthy if a little lacking in instruction.¡±

    He chuckled. ¡°I think I could choose any random lady off the street and have better than even odds at valorous and worthy.¡± He sighed. ¡°It¡¯s so easy, Lisril.¡± He shook his head. ¡°We just- fit.¡±

    Lisril smiled; he didn¡¯t have to tell her; she¡¯d felt it, seen it in her friends. They were made for each other. Dyrantisa and Dyrantoro, two parts of a whole, Alex and his women, none complete without their mate, and he still incomplete, the Lady doubtless having further plans for his future.

    She felt for him; she had struggled all her life with just that feeling of incompletion, of something being missing. Its source hadn¡¯t been a mystery; she needed a partner but couldn¡¯t find one worthy of the pursuit.

    Couldn¡¯t find one until the Lady sent her to Earth to meet her destiny. She kissed him, drawing glances from the passing servants. She was used to escorting him during the daylight hours when there were few enough to act as voyeurs.

    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    The display was a bit gauche; maybe, it might start rumors around the castle. But they were wed. Alex belonged to her; only he could raise an objection to how she chose to use him. At least until he took another wife.

    She led him to the meeting room, knocking more as a courtesy than asking for entry. They had been invited, after all.

    Inside, she was surprised to find Major Callahan, but also others all in military dress, and, judging by her rough understanding of the many pins and chevrons they wore, many quite high-ranking.

    The room was wide and dominated by a large, long table, the opposing side completely filled by a collection of Dyaratoro.

    In particular, she could pick out General Ross sitting group¡¯s center, graying hair contrasting with a dark complexion; she didn¡¯t dare even venture a guess at how old he must have been.

    Next to him, sitting on his right hand, was a mountainous woman, who Lisril didn¡¯t know, and who, seated before the window as she was, quite literally overshadowed the rest of the room with her bulk and appeared to Lisril to have been struck rather viciously with some sort of blunt instrument.

    ¡°Hagan,¡± Ross spoke with an accent Lisril had never been able to place, pronouncing Alex¡¯s name something like ey-gon.

    ¡°Ross.¡± Alex glanced around. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    ¡°Sit down.¡± The dark-skinned general said, voice soft but deep and gravelly.

    Alex didn¡¯t sit, and she kept by his side where she belonged. ¡°The whole joint chiefs are on foreign soil,¡± he said. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°Sit, Hagan.¡± Lisril¡¯s ears twitched furiously. It had been the giant who spoke, and if Ross¡¯s voice was rough and pebbly like the sound of loose stones crunching underfoot, her voice could only be adequately compared to rocks being eaten by a blender. Sharp and piercing, if her countenance was offensive, her voice was physically painful to behold.

    ¡°You¡¯ll get your explanation.¡±

    Lisril squeezed his hand, and he glanced at her, giving an almost imperceptible shake of his head. There it was; no matter how uncomfortable the giant¡¯s presence made her, she would have to bear it.

    He sat, finally, looking around. ¡°Where¡¯s Eli? Is she not coming?¡±

    Ross frowned. ¡°Eli?¡±

    ¡°The Empress.¡± Alex seemed to hardly be paying attention. ¡°She sent us the invitation.¡±

    Ross¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Hagan,¡± he said. ¡°What did you do?¡±

    Alex chewed on the question for a moment. ¡°You bring the whole military brass to Nyx and refuse to offer a word of explanation, and then you want me to just come out and tell you I¡¯m going to marry the Empress and industrialize the system?¡±

    The room fell silent; even the clerks stopped shuffling their papers and stared.

    Ross rested his head in his hands. ¡°You know, Hagan,¡± he said. ¡°I never used to get headaches. I never had an ulcer. Strong as an ox, stronger, even. And then I met you. What in the fuck do you mean you¡¯re going to marry the Empress?¡±

    Alex shrugged. ¡°Generally,¡± he said. ¡°When someone gets married-¡±

    Ross banged a fist on the table. ¡°You know what I meant; stop being a prick and explain yourself.¡±

    If Alex was disturbed by the outburst, he didn¡¯t show it. ¡°I like her,¡± he said. ¡°I want her; she¡¯s smart, witty, decisive, and damn good-looking.¡±

    ¡°And I just bet,¡± Ross said. ¡°She¡¯s over the moon with you, too.¡±

    ¡°I think she likes me. We have fun,¡± Alex said.

    Ross shook his head, and the giant filled the room with a laugh that set Lisril¡¯s teeth on edge. ¡°As much as I enjoy seeing Ross here flustered, aren¡¯t you already married?¡±

    He glanced at Lisril. ¡°She started it.¡±

    She smiled at the gathered Dyrantoro. ¡°It seemed unfair to deny my fellow ladies the happiness I had found.¡±

    Ross sighed. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about this later, maybe with the diplomatic corps present.¡±

    Alex nodded. ¡°However you want to do it.¡±

    Ross just shook his head, and Eli chose that moment to arrive, head high and back straight, looking appropriately regal, to diffuse the situation. Lisril detected the scent of fresh soap wafting from her, probably from the fur about her neck, which shone in the dim light, newly clean and with a bit of grease to stiffen it. The blue skin of her face a bit ruddy from a hard scrubbing.

    ¡°Forgive our Lateness,¡± she said, sitting next to Alex. ¡°We were otherwise engaged, and your coming was most sudden.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Ross said. ¡°Thank you for hosting us on such short notice.¡±

    ¡°Not at all, but if you wouldn¡¯t mind,¡± she trailed off, letting the question go unspoken.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Alex agreed. ¡°Gang¡¯s all here now, so what gives?¡±

    Ross massaged the bridge of his nose. ¡°Against my better judgment,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m going to ask you to help explain the situation. You remember the situation between New Persia and the Southeast Coalition.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Alex said. ¡°Things had gotten quiet before we left. But I guess since you¡¯re here something-¡± He drew up short. ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s the situation,¡± Ross grunted.

    Eli looked between them, frowning. ¡°We are, of course, happy that you¡¯ve come to an understanding, but if Our guests might be kind enough to enlighten Us as to the situation?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s been a nuclear exchange in the middle east,¡± Alex said.

    Eli stared; it clearly meant nothing to her, and Alex, sensing this pursed his lips.

    ¡°Let me put it this way,¡± he said. ¡°Imagine a longbow that can strike at the other side of the world and annihilate a city, and that¡¯s an ICBM.¡±

    Eli looked stricken and slowly shook her head. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡±

    ¡°He very much is,¡± Ross said.

    ¡°Then,¡± Eli said. ¡°You came here seeking shelter in case your country was next?¡±

    ¡°Not exactly,¡± the giant¡¯s piercing voice filled the room.

    ¡°I take it,¡± Alex said. ¡°That the governments in question have collapsed.¡±

    Ross nodded. ¡°The first rangers made ring jumps from Bifrost twelve hours ago. By now, they¡¯ll be reinforced by regular troops.¡±

    ¡°You think Moscow will make a play?¡± Alex asked.

    ¡°Possibly,¡± Ross said. ¡°Things aren¡¯t going well for them in China.¡±

    Eli cleared her throat, looking expectantly at the men, and Alex turned to her.

    ¡°Earth isn¡¯t like Nyx; we don¡¯t have a single government. But the Federation encourages her rivals to spend their energy fighting each other and themselves rather than build themselves up.¡±

    ¡°Encourages?¡± Eli asked. ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°We power our ships with Anitmater,¡± Alex explained. ¡°The substance is difficult and energy-intensive to produce. We use ah, a certain device whose operation isn¡¯t essential to this conversation, and power it with a swarm of solar collectors, again, not important. What¡¯s important is that these collectors occlude the sun, and the resulting cooler temperatures and reduced solar flux led to widespread famine and all the problems that entails.¡±

    Eli frowned. ¡°You did this on purpose?¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Alex said. ¡°Not me, personally, but it is a slick bit of work.¡±

    Eli shook her head. ¡°We are most pleased to count your countrymen as allies.¡±

    Alex smiled. ¡°Well, I know I wouldn¡¯t like having to fight you.¡±

    ¡°Then We shall have to make it a point to avoid the possibility,¡± Eli said, taking his hand in hers.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope so,¡± Ross said. ¡°But back to the topic at hand. As Dr. Hagan explained, the Federation didn¡¯t start the wars that have defined the last centuries, but we have encouraged the circumstances contributing to their continuation. The strategic purposes of this should be obvious, but now, with first contact and the looming threat of war with a galactic power, merely assuring our nation¡¯s geopolitical dominance through the weakening of her rivals is no longer sufficient. As we speak, the annexation of much of the globe is underway via various political and military means.

    ¡°With the collapse of the near and remainder of the far east, soon we are likely to control most of Earth; given the situation, we believe our primary rival will either be forced to capitulate or launch a final attack now.¡±

    Eli nodded. ¡°Why don¡¯t you explain in greater detail? Why do you believe that?¡±

    ¡°Dr. Hagan explained nuclear arms,¡± the giant¡¯s piercing timbre filled the room. ¡°As it happens, there¡¯s no effective defense against nuclear attack; the attacker has all the advantages.¡±

    The giant reached into her pocket and withdrew a pack of cigarettes, lighting up right there. ¡°Without a means of meaningful defense, the only solution that can provide protection is to have a large enough nuclear stockpile to ensure an attack will be met with utter destruction.¡±

    ¡°Make attack unappealing,¡± Eli said. ¡°Rather than attempt to prevent it.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± mercifully, Ross picked the conversation back up then. ¡°Only, that equation isn¡¯t working so well anymore. The Federation stopped being the United States because we began to get holdings off-world, on and around other planets, even. We¡¯ve hardened our country against nuclear attack. Population centers are more spread out; power infrastructure is buried underground or sunk underwater where ionizing radiation will fail to harm it; we grow our food indoors, under frequency-tailored light.¡±

    The man paused, glancing at the giant, for what purpose Lisril couldn¡¯t guess, then continued. ¡°Even if all of that weren¡¯t true, and our rivals might underestimate these factors. The usual model of mutually assured destruction only works if it is, in fact, possible to destroy a country by use of the nuclear stockpile available.¡±

    ¡°I take it,¡± Eli said. ¡°That you believe your rivals will see the forthcoming land acquisition as the point at which this strategy will no longer function.¡±

    Ross nodded. ¡°I know it¡¯s sudden, and I¡¯ve been told it¡¯s a bad time, but we determined that it would be best if the military command relocated temporarily.¡±

    ¡°Which brings us to this meeting,¡± Eli concluded. ¡°You are correct; this is a most inopportune moment. But We can hardly refuse such a request from Our brothers. You are, of course, welcome to quarter yourselves in the east wing with your fellows, please, if there is aught you require, you¡¯ve only to ask.¡±

    ¡°We will,¡± he said. ¡°On the subject of the current problems¡­.¡±

    ¡°You needn¡¯t worry yourself, sir,¡± Eli said. ¡°Our people are dealing with the difficulties as we speak. The guard around the east wing has been doubled; you shall be perfectly secure.¡±

    ¡°I have no doubt,¡± the general said. ¡°But, perhaps, given the circumstances, the doctor should return home.¡±

    Eli gave Alex a long, lingering, side-eyed look. ¡°We,¡± she said at last. ¡°Would be amenable to this, but perhaps we should ask m¡¯lord¡¯s thoughts on the matter.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Alex said.

    ¡°Hagan.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Alex said. ¡°I¡¯ve already had this ridiculous conversation once; I¡¯m not repeating myself. I won¡¯t leave Eli twisting, and that¡¯s that.¡±

    Ross sighed. ¡°I could end your contract,¡± he said. ¡°But you¡¯d just do something stupid, so I guess I¡¯ll let it lie for now. Still, be careful, Hagan; as much as it pains me to say it, you¡¯re too valuable to lose.¡±

    ¡°Shucks,¡± Alex said. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you cared.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Ross said. ¡°I officially need a break; you come talk to me later.¡±

    ¡°Will do,¡± Alex said. ¡°And hey, Ross.¡±

    Ross sighed. ¡°I¡¯m going to regret this. Yes, Hagan?¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯ve worked out a way to make Unity work.¡±

    The dark-skinned man blinked. ¡°Wasn¡¯t expecting that.¡± He rubbed the stubble on his chin. ¡°Alright, we can add that to the docket.¡±

    Alex nodded. ¡°Enjoy your break; I¡¯m going to get back to romancing the Nyxian upper class.¡±

    Ross took a deep breath and turned to the giant. ¡°Gimmie one.¡±

 Ch 20

    Elliza rubbed the stiff knot between her shoulders; Alex had made her life considerably busier, an impressive feat, all considered.

    Now, the Dyrantoro military leadership had come suing for refuge and bringing tidings of the true terrible power of human weaponry¡­.

    She sighed, parliament would throw a fit, but she couldn¡¯t deny their request, either. It was inconvenient timing, that was all; with the attempt on Alex¡¯s life and her subsequent declaration of martial law, allowing foreign military leadership to board in the palace would look like suing for their intervention.

    Honestly, maybe she ought, but no, her problems were hers, and they would need to be solved with her strength. Alex¡¯s suggestion weighed on her mind, of course, but she remained skeptical. On the other hand, war with the takers seemed inevitable, and war at home now seemed all too likely.

    Her rule was more tenuous than it ought to have been, more tenuous, apparently, than she had believed. She couldn¡¯t win a civil war and commit forces to a crusade in the heavens.

    Lady Faragal agreed, and though not, herself, a great warrior, she had an undeniable acuity for stratagem and a sense for the tides of public opinion.

    Elliza had no doubt the woman maintained her own network of spies and apparently quite an effective one.

    It was good that she seemed to be loyal. That Alex was poised to marry her daughter was doubtless another of Lisril¡¯s maneuvers.

    It was more than a little surprising; Lisril had always seemed disinterested in politics. But, perhaps, that was part of her genius. The whole of the Empire now turned upon Elliza¡¯s acceptance of an admittedly only implied offer of marriage. And she had done much to make it a tempting proposition at that.

    Alex, though, was still very much an unknown quantity. She liked him; he was attractive, easy to get along with, and possessed an intriguing facility with killing. Yet, she sensed, if not deceit, then certainly that there was much he held back.

    Perhaps if she knew the right questions¡­ but she evidently didn¡¯t. She knew Alex was active, though; the day after he¡¯d arrived, the delegation from Earth had suggested a faith exchange. It couldn¡¯t have been a coincidence, he had something to do with it, but she couldn¡¯t divine his intent.

    In any case, it was a subject for her aunt, whose letters came daily and grew more insistent with each missive. She couldn¡¯t put it off any longer; she had to make the time. Tomorrow, she would go tomorrow and bring Alex with her if she could. Her aunt was exceptionally sensible; she would make a fair assessment of him.

    She pushed into her personal suites, where her family spent most of their time, now that their work was delayed. Her family. There was that, too.

    She had sisters, actual sisters, of course, and her father, as any man of status, had been attended by his many wives. Yet. She had never really known any of them.

    Her sisters, the few her mother had carried before her untimely demise, and her father¡¯s other wives had been kept occupied elsewhere in the Empire. Mainly in the frontiers, to avoid problems with succession.

    Had her mother lived, it might have been otherwise, but she hadn¡¯t, and so Elliza had mostly been raised apart from them. The closest she had to a sister, spiritually, was Lisril.

    Perhaps even the closest thing to a mother, much as it pained her to admit it. Elliza adored her mother, looked up to her, and wanted to be every bit the leader of women and military commander her mother had. Yet, did she know her mother, love her? She had never had the chance; there wasn¡¯t even anyone to blame, no one to take revenge upon. She, and Elliza¡¯s father, had simply been lost at sea, called back home by the Lady.

    Lisril was at the table, playing a game of cards. On the couch, in front of the hearth at the right of the room, Alex was curled up with Rosslln, a positively angelic smile on his face.

    Elliza felt a pang of guilt at doubting him. It was ridiculous; her concerns were entirely justified. Yet, he saw her, and his face lit up. ¡°Eli,¡± he cried.

    Her heart melted; whatever her concerns, she couldn¡¯t doubt the sincerity of his joy at seeing her. After all, Lisril didn¡¯t lie.

    It begged the question; if his love and fidelity were true, did she even need to be concerned about his designs?

    She pushed her worries away, far too easy a task, and joined him on the couch, taking his hand. ¡°Alex,¡± she said. ¡°I must meet with my aunt tomorrow; I¡¯d still like you to come with me.¡±

    He glanced at Rosslln, then over to Lisril. ¡°I have nothing better to do,¡± he said. ¡°Can I bring my women?¡±

    She laughed; it was a strange question, one that no Dyrantisa man would ask. Of course, his women would accompany him. Yet, his concern for her consent was charming. ¡°I don¡¯t think that should be a problem; the more, the merrier; besides, aren¡¯t they my women, too?¡±

    ¡°I guess they are.¡± He smiled, and she reciprocated, reaching out to run a hand through his hair, gently pulling his long ponytail toward her.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a man with such pretty hair,¡± she said.

    Rosslln giggled at that, nuzzling against his neck from the other side. ¡°His eyes are wonderful, too.¡±

    Elliza covered her envy with a smile. It seemed so easy, so natural for Rosslln. So why was she holding herself back? She wished it was a question with a difficult, complicated answer. But it wasn¡¯t; her marriage, when, where, and with whom held political significance. Her life wasn¡¯t hers to do with as she pleased.

    ¡°They are,¡± she agreed. ¡°But I think his hair is the most dazzling thing about him.¡±

    He chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t have brunettes on Nyx?¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°Primarily black hair; some have hair like mine.¡± She tossed her dark-blue mane, which she always thought complimented her powder-blue skin quite well. ¡°Some a dark purple. But you¡­.¡± She ran the ponytail between her fingers. ¡°Your hair is amazing, a beautiful light brown, all shot through with starlight.¡±

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    ¡°What?¡± he asked. ¡°That¡¯s the first I¡¯m hearing.¡± He twisted around to look at Lisril. ¡°Lisril, is my hair weird?¡±

    She looked up, bewildered. ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°Quite the same as any other brunette; your eyes do it too, a little. I think there are flecks of brown in them.¡±

    Elliza frowned. ¡°You mean to tell me you can¡¯t see it?¡±

    Alex shook his head. ¡°No, nothing like that.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a shame,¡± Elliza said. ¡°It was a gorgeous sight, you standing there in the snow, hair shimmering like the sky on a cloudless evening.¡±

    ¡°Well, at least I was able to leave an impression on you,¡± he said.

    She licked his cheek. ¡°You did, in more ways than one.¡±

    She closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder. It was easy and comfortable; he hadn¡¯t asked a thing of her.

    It occurred to her, just then, he hadn¡¯t made any demands upon her time or required the usual wooing or gifts; when she¡¯d twisted his arm, he¡¯d made a request so ridiculous he couldn¡¯t have believed she would consider it.

    Was this how he felt? This easy comfort free from pressure and demands.

    He was in danger, probably, no, certainly for no reason other than being close to her. It wasn¡¯t fair; he was gentle and affectionate, no woman who knew him could ever raise her hand to him.

    It was her fault; she had brought misfortune upon him. Lisril¡¯s words echoed in her mind. Was it so hard? Being a woman? Clearly, it was for her.

    An arm closed around her, strong and comforting, answering her unspoken need for contact; she looked up at him; could Dyrantoro read minds, too?

    ¡°Orange light?¡± he muttered to himself, staring into the fire.

    He couldn¡¯t, it seemed, peer into her thoughts. Rather, comfort and support seemed to come as naturally to him as taking a breath.

    He turned to her suddenly. ¡°Do I glow? I mean, my skin.¡±

    ¡°Not as much as a Dyrantisa lady,¡± she said.

    He frowned, and she put her hand on his chest. ¡°Are you worried? You needn¡¯t be; you¡¯re gorgeous.¡±

    His hand joined hers over his heart, and he smiled at her. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    She looked down at the hand covering hers, her free hand joined his, and she pulled his fingers to her lips, eyes squeezed shut.

    ¡°Eli? What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked, worry entering his voice.

    She shook her head; she couldn¡¯t give it up. Every evening she would go about her business and the time away gave her time to reflect on the madness of it all.

    They had known each other a matter of days, yet- ¡°Nothing,¡± she said. ¡°All is well; you don¡¯t need to worry.¡±

    She needed to make a decision, one way or the other. Heavy as the weight might be, she was a woman, and it was her lot to bear it and do so in a manner that would save him the pain of it.

    By tomorrow, she would tell her aunt her intentions; she wouldn¡¯t get much sleep that night. Sudden? Not at all; she was the Empress; the people looked to her for surety and confidence. Decisiveness. How could she provide that to the Empire if she couldn¡¯t even muster it in herself?

    Besides, if she did want to pursue him, to deserve him, what was it Lisril had said, she¡¯d show some spine? Had that been just her usual venom or a slight bit of motherly advice?

    Either way, if it were contemptible in that most fair and gentle species, weak and frail as they were. How much more so in the race of women?

    So she would decide that night and either rebuff him, despite any difficulty or pursue him with all her vigor.

    She gazed into his starry green eyes, one way or the other.

    ¡°Who was that woman,¡± Elliza asked. ¡°You know the one I¡¯m talking about, and what was wrong with her?¡±

    ¡°Alden,¡± he said. ¡°She¡¯s our number two general and nothing; she¡¯s just an aug, not the bioaugs I¡¯ve got, an old mechanical one. As I understand it, she went cyborg even before we could do humanoid chassis; her brain¡¯s not plastic enough to transfer anymore, so she¡¯s stuck in that old U-frame.¡±

    ¡°Cyborg, plastic?¡± Elliza shook her head. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°She replaced her body with a machine, though; I guess all our bodies are sort of machines. Anyway, now she¡¯s too old to change again, and she¡¯s stuck in an old, obsolete body,¡± Alex said, as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

    ¡°Replaced her-¡± Elliza shook her head. ¡°You mean to say that wasn¡¯t a person?¡±

    ¡°No. If I¡¯d meant that, I would have said it. Alden¡¯s still human, just- in a mechanical body,¡± he said.

    It was a stunning revelation, and Elliza wasn¡¯t sure she could accept it. ¡°To cast off the good Goddess¡¯ gifts so cavalierly.¡±

    ¡°Is it so strange?¡± Alex asked. ¡°Say-¡± He frowned. ¡°Say I have poor vision; almost no one does anymore; we¡¯ve cured that, but say I did. Would wearing spectacles be a perversion of God¡¯s plan?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the same thing!¡± Elliza cried.

    ¡°It very much is,¡± Alex said. ¡°Though- You and I were not born capable of coping with the cold outside, so we wear heavy clothing to protect ourselves.¡±

    ¡°We, humanity,¡± he gestured between them. ¡°Have always augmented our natural gifts and, in so doing, spread our dominion far and wide. The only difference now is we¡¯re better at it. Besides, you were open to the idea just a couple of days ago.¡±

    Elliza fell silent; he was right at that, but that had sounded a much smaller thing.

    Besides, could it be so wonderful if the process had produced that Ogre. She eyed him. ¡°Have you- no, of course, you said as much; what alterations have you undergone?¡±

    He batted his lashes at her. ¡°My pretty green eyes.¡±

    She made no attempt to hide her shock. ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± he said. ¡°My parents did, back before I was born. Back then, it was cutting edge; it started with curing genetic disorders, mostly the fatal ones, but it didn¡¯t stay there. My parents were early adopters and went pretty far out of their way to ensure I¡¯d be healthy, smart, and good-looking. You know, give me the best shot.¡±

    She looked him up and down, but he hadn¡¯t sprouted any auxiliary limbs. ¡°Anything else?¡±

    ¡°Plenty,¡± he said. ¡°My muscles aren¡¯t muscle; my bones aren¡¯t bone. I¡¯ve got armor under my skin. We¡¯ve come a long way since those U-frames; you can do almost as good reprogramming your body to replace your bones with graphene and neurons with fiberoptic. Pretty soon, you¡¯ll be able to do better. And if you don¡¯t like it? One shot, and you¡¯ve got good old calcium and dendrites back.¡±

    Elliza mulled the revelation over, closed her eyes, and when she opened them, he was just as radiant as he¡¯d been when they closed. ¡°Maybe I overreacted.¡±

    He took her hands. ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry; I should have introduced the idea more gently.¡±

    ¡°You did days ago; let¡¯s not forget. The fault is mine. Now let¡¯s leave it alone,¡± Elliza said.

    He nodded. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll leave it alone.¡±

    Lisril joined them then, falling down onto the couch. ¡°Alex,¡± she said. ¡°You said that woman was too old to change bodies. But you¡¯re rather young for how old you are.¡±

    An odd turn of phrase, but it didn¡¯t seem to phase him. ¡°Yes, but that process isn¡¯t approved for general use yet; besides, it doesn¡¯t work without the assistance of the endocrine system.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± Lisril asked.

    He shrugged. ¡°Sorry, I have a real doctorate. You¡¯ll have to ask an MD.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Elliza asked.

    ¡°Our husband,¡± Lisril said. ¡°Is one hundred and ninety years old.¡±

    ¡®Our husband,¡¯ if she had doubts, Lisirl certainly didn¡¯t. Not that she¡¯d been given any reason to. Elliza looked skeptically at Alex, but he nodded. ¡°It¡¯s true; I¡¯m an old man.¡±

    Elliza frowned, but Rosslln, who had busied herself playing with his hair and placing licks on his chin, said. ¡°Who cares? Look at him.¡±

    Elliza laughed. ¡°You should,¡± she said. ¡°He¡¯s found the Fountain of Youth.¡±

    ¡°I see your interest is piqued,¡± Alex said, grinning.

    ¡°Of course,¡± she said. ¡°Eternal youth? Who wouldn¡¯t be interested? You¡¯d have to be a fool.

    Lisril chuckled, taking her husband¡¯s hand. ¡°We have an early evening tomorrow, and an important introduction; our husband should get some rest.¡±

    He frowned. ¡°Serra.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to her,¡± Elliza said. ¡°Explain the situation, she¡¯ll understand; my aunt is a powerful woman and rather more austere than myself. Making a good impression is important. Get some rest.¡±

    He nodded. ¡°Alright, alright. Good night, Eli.¡±

    ¡°Good night, Alex,¡± she stood, helping him to his feet, and pulling his fingers to her lips. She held him a bit longer than was appropriate, but no one complained. Finally, with a last reluctant squeeze of his hand, she let him go, stepping out of his way as Lisril took her place by his side.

    ¡°Rosslln,¡± Lisril said. ¡°Run ahead and get the fire going for Alex.¡±

    The young woman bounded to her feet and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll see you in our room.¡±

    Alex smiled after the young lady¡¯s back as she ran out of the room, waiting a moment after she disappeared before turning back to Elliza.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow,¡± he murmured, and Elliza nodded back.

    ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯ll count the moments.¡±

    With a nod, Lisril led him out, leaving Elliza behind, her suite seeming much emptier than ever it had before.

 Ch 21

    Lisril walked with an arm wrapped around Alex, leading him through the palace halls, and protecting him from the chill night air. She¡¯d meant to get him alone earlier, but it had been predictably tricky and trickier still with the unexpected addition of Rosslln.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re adjusting,¡± she said.

    He kissed her cheek. ¡°I¡¯m trying.¡±

    She sucked her lip, doubt assailing her; had she misread him? It was possible; he laughed when he meant to cry. She didn¡¯t show it; she¡¯d thrown him into a new environment, demanded a lot of him; he needed her to be strong and to see through his veil of strength.

    ¡°You love them,¡± she said.

    ¡°I know!¡± he snapped. ¡°I know; you think I don¡¯t know? You think I¡¯m not in here?¡± He tapped his forehead. ¡°Addicted to their attention?¡±

    He heaved a heavy sigh. ¡°It¡¯s nice,¡± he murmured. ¡°It¡¯s wonderful.¡±

    She pulled him close. ¡°Alex, I know I should have-¡±

    ¡°Shut up,¡± he said. ¡°Listen. I¡¯m not angry with you. But listen.¡±

    She fell silent, nodding. If Alex was willing to share, she certainly wouldn¡¯t stand in his way.

    He took a deep breath and then let it go, shaking his head. She squeezed his hand, waiting. She¡¯d wait for him forever if he asked.

    Finally, he nodded and said. ¡°Until relatively recently, most men, well under half, never got the chance to breed. There are various ways we¡¯ve come to that conclusion, but the point is, forty percent, forty percent of men in humanity¡¯s misty past have managed to leave heirs. And that probably sounds completely foreign to you.¡±

    It did, and her face scrunched up in confusion. How could that be?¡± It seemed- so wasteful; how could they persist?

    ¡°Think about it,¡± he said. ¡°On Nyx, you only have one man for every twenty women, and you get along fine. On Earth, left to our own devices, we have just about as many men as we do women; you just don¡¯t need that many.¡±

    Her brow knit tightly together; she supposed it made sense, but still.

    ¡°But that¡¯s not really the point; the point is, this leads to certain realities. Men do the fighting; men struggle and strive; we¡¯re unnecessary, women valuable. So, our species has developed a certain- a certain indifference to the suffering of men. A calculated coldness.¡±

    She didn¡¯t like the sound of that, didn¡¯t like it all.

    ¡°It¡¯s just easier,¡± he went on. ¡°After all, if we¡¯re going to be marching off to war to die in droves, well, I imagine you¡¯ve probably experienced something similar.¡±

    She thought back on her life, on her dissatisfaction, and the feeling that men were interested in nothing more than her wealth and status. Her heart bled. The very idea of him going through that same isolation and lonesomeness was almost too much to bear. She said nothing, and he continued.

    ¡°But,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s only after we grow up. As children, the situation is different; we need protecting and nurturing. We spend our childhood showered in attention and care, only for it to evaporate when we become men. Then, we spend the rest of our lives looking for a surrogate for that affection, a surrogate that doesn¡¯t exist.¡±

    ¡°And then we met,¡± she said. ¡°And you found peace.¡± It wasn¡¯t a difficult leap; after all, she¡¯d found her peace with him, too.

    He shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re impossible, Lisril, the Dyrantisa. If God came down and said to men, ¡®name your heart¡¯s desire, and I will make it for you.¡¯ We¡¯d want you. You¡¯re the platonic ideal of love and companionship given flesh.¡±

    He rested his head on her shoulder. ¡°Lisril,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re all I need. You don¡¯t have to share; I don¡¯t need you to find me other women.¡±

    She licked his cheek. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s very kind. But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s true. You would miss them terribly if you lost them now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d live with it,¡± he insisted.

    ¡°Perhaps you would, but you shouldn¡¯t have to, and I won¡¯t ask you to,¡± she said.

    They were silent for a long while, then, and when it became too much, she said. ¡°What do you intend for Rosslln?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯d only intended to get her off the street, give her a chance to turn things around, but-¡±

    ¡°But then,¡± she said. ¡°Rosslln was Dyrantisa, and thus heroic and loving, in a manner to which you are unaccustomed.¡±

    He was quiet. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I should be doing, Kitten.¡±

    He wanted her encouragement, comfort, and permission to find his happiness, and she was more than happy to provide it all. ¡°You should let your women love you and give them that same easy happiness you find with us.¡±

    He smiled. ¡°Lisril, are you sure? You don¡¯t have to share me.¡±

    She closed her eyes; he wanted it to be her choice. She could have him all to herself; all she had to do was say the word.

    Between that and seeing him surrounded by the women who loved him, the choice was easy. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m sure, don¡¯t make me repeat myself.¡±

    They came to their room, shouldering in past the guard stationed at their door, a fire already burning in the hearth on the wall to their right; Rosslln sat before it, dutifully tending the flame as she waited for their return.

    She looked up as they entered and smiled, patting the fur rug next to her.

    They joined her, Alex wrapping an arm around each of them. Rosslln immediately burrowed into his side, purple skin flushing even darker.

    Lisirl leaned against him, her tongue flicking over his ear. ¡°She needs you,¡± Lisril whispered.

    He swallowed. ¡°Lisril.¡±

    ¡°Alex,¡± she hissed. ¡°You have to give her what she needs or release her. Leaving it like this is cruel.¡±

    It was true but also an excellent way to help him past his doubts. Hadn¡¯t he just said that Dyrantoro men did the caring for?

    He looked at her, then down at the needy woman enjoying his closeness.

    He hooked his finger under Rosslln¡¯s chin and pulled her into a long kiss. The young woman¡¯s eyes closed, and she pressed closer to him. He framed her face in his hands, easing her down onto the rug.

    Her hands came up to his chest, pressing back against him.

    He stopped and pulled away. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Her hands curled in the fabric of his shirt. Her mouth worked silently for a moment, and she shook her head. ¡°No,¡± she said at last. ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong; I want that, too, just-¡±

    She looked away, and Lisril laid down on her side, flanking the lovers. ¡°You have to tell him what you want, or he¡¯ll never know.¡±

    Rosslln swallowed. ¡°Can I have a little more time?¡±

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    His forehead came down to rest against hers. ¡°Of course,¡± he said. ¡°As much as you need.¡±

    She nodded, looking up at him in wonder. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d have anything like this.

    He kissed her. ¡°Let¡¯s get to bed,¡± he said. ¡°we¡¯ve got a big day tomorrow.¡±

    <hr>

    Rosslln couldn¡¯t sleep.

    Alex wanted her, wanted- well, could she be surprised? She hadn¡¯t been the most reserved, and he hadn¡¯t rebuffed her advances, not a one.

    Her stomach twisted, but she¡¯d panicked and rebuffed him. He hadn¡¯t seemed disappointed. But was that a good thing? Surely she¡¯d want him disappointed?

    On the other hand, what if he was? What if she¡¯d injured him with her rejection? He was a man; he couldn¡¯t be accustomed to it. But he hid things. After all, he hadn¡¯t been a magnificent warrior, a hunter who put women to flight through sheer ferocity, until he had been.

    And then, when the danger had passed, he went straight back to wanting nothing more but a quiet moment in the arms of his women.

    Which was the real Alex? Her man¡¯s true face? The warrior, or her little man? It had troubled her for a time. Then, wrapped up in his arms and absolved of her failures, she found it didn¡¯t matter.

    He could be either, or both, when and as he pleased, and she¡¯d still love him the more with every moment.

    She needed to sleep; he was right; tomorrow, they would meet the Matriarch, the voice of the divine on Nyx. Goddess willing, she wouldn¡¯t be called upon to speak. What a disaster that would be.

    A street rat like her mouthing off in front of the holiest woman alive.

    She closed her eyes and willed sleep to come.

    But sleep didn¡¯t come, and something caught her ears. It sounded like something falling outside their door.

    She slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Alex, who had an arm looped around each of them, and crept around its frame and toward the door to see. She had almost reached the door when it slowly began to crack open.

    She should have cried out, warned Alex and Lisril, but instinct took her, the long training of survival on the streets. She scrambled for the shadows in the leeward side of the door and tucked herself away, breath held, watching.

    A woman, covered head to foot, slipped through the door. She looked around, and Rosslln froze, thankful for her dark skin, which wasn¡¯t so luminous as Liril, or especially Eli¡¯s; still, if the intruder turned her head just a little further¡­.

    The woman turned her attention back to the bed, creeping toward Rosslln¡¯s sleeping family.

    She tensed, legs bunching up beneath her in readiness to pounce. Rosslln shifted from one leg to the other, inching forward as the stranger came to stand over the bed.

    There were perhaps twenty feet between them when she saw the glint of the fire reflected in a knife blade. She launched herself through the air, easily crossing that distance in a single bound.

    Screaming in rage, falling upon the intruder¡¯s back, arms wrapped tight around her neck, kicking first one leg then the other, her long claws tearing fabric and flesh and biting bone.

    Hot blood and the woman¡¯s gastric juices spilled over her legs. The knife bit into her arms; she heard someone yell but couldn¡¯t be sure who it was.

    She was bleeding but clung tightly to the woman and kicked again, tearing the wounds wider.

    The woman fell, but Rosslln kept kicking, shredding the assassin¡¯s legs and torso.

    Someone put a hand on her shoulder, and she rolled onto her back, tucking her legs tight against her chest in readiness to kick out again.

    ¡°Sweetheart!¡± Alex lept away, eyeing her warily.

    Her heart dropped into her stomach, and she collapsed, head back and legs unfurling. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she whimpered. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have hurt you.¡±

    ¡°Hey,¡± he murmured, kneeling down next to her, taking her hand. ¡°Hey, Sweetheart, it¡¯s ok, I know. What happened?¡±

    She swallowed and explained what she had seen and done. When she reached the part where she¡¯d ducked behind the door, Lisril piped in.

    ¡°You hid?¡± she demanded. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stop them then? Or raise the alarm, rouse us then and there?¡±

    Then, Alex was there, hands on hips, staring his wife down. ¡°She saved my life,¡± he said. ¡°And did it without the benefit of years of military training.¡±

    Lisril¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Rosslln. You behaved exceptionally gallantly, and I was not wary enough to protect him myself. Thank you.¡±

    There was a commotion outside the door, and it burst open, two women rushing into the room, saber in hand.

    Rosslln sprung to her feet, unarmed but crouching in readiness to defend her man. Lisril joined her, a strange angular object clutched in both hands, her arms outstretched toward the intruders.

    A tense moment crept by, and Lisril sighed and lowered the- whatever it was. ¡°You should have announced yourselves,¡± she said to the women, who Rosslln now realized wore the uniform of the palace guard. ¡°I nearly killed the both of you.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± one of the guards asked. ¡°Your sentry is dead.¡±

    ¡°This meat,¡± Lisril said, kicking the body at her feet. ¡°Tried to murder my husband in his sleep.¡±

    Alex peered past the guards. ¡°Was there any sign of a struggle?¡±

    The women ignored him and gathered around the corpse, so he ignored them right back, kneeling next to Rosslln and taking her hand. ¡°You ok, Sweetheart? You¡¯re bleeding.¡±

    She sat and looked down at the backs of her arms, covered in deep cuts and stab wounds. Luckily, her big arteries had been protected by the bone. It still hurt, though. ¡°Do you still have that spray?

    He nodded, ¡°I think so.¡±

    He went to his effects and returned with the small metal cylinder from the other day.

    ¡°We¡¯re sort of running low,¡± he said. ¡°But, there should be enough for you; show me your arms.¡±

    He helped her out of her nightgown, and he gave a sympathetic hiss. He looked around and then just stripped off his own shirt, using that to mop up the blood and sprayed her wounds.

    It stung, but only for a moment, and she was ready for the pain this time. Her wound from before was gone, she didn¡¯t know how, but it hadn¡¯t even left a scar.

    Soon, his poultice was gone, and so was her pain; the bleeding stopped. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said.

    He kissed her. ¡°I just wish I could do more.¡±

    She wrapped her arms around his neck, getting a little blood on him. If he cared, he didn¡¯t show it. She didn¡¯t know how long they held each other like that. But eventually, they were roused by the sound of a clearing throat.

    She looked up; the body was gone, dragged away by the guards, and Lisril was standing over them. ¡°I¡¯m going to go speak with Iiandere,¡± she said. ¡°Stay here, and find some way to bar the door, don¡¯t open it for anyone but myself.¡±

    Alex nodded. ¡°Yes, Kitten.¡±

    Lisril nodded and turned to Rosslln. ¡°Take care of him.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Rosslln said solemnly.

    Lisril nodded and turned on her heel, marching out the door.

    Alex pushed an armoire in front of the door and then guided her to the bed, and went about using the remains of his ruined shirt to clean her legs as best he could.

    He threw the ruined garment away and joined her on the bed, wrapping his arm around her. ¡°You¡¯re sure you¡¯re alright?¡±

    ¡°I said I was.¡± She nuzzled against his neck, her heart thundering in her ears.

    She licked his cheek, a hand coming up to his bare chest. Her blood rising. ¡°Alex.¡± She pushed him down and threw her leg over his, straddling his waist.

    ¡°Rosslln!¡± he cried. ¡°You¡¯re-¡±

    She sealed his lips with hers, smothering his objection. ¡°I want you,¡± she growled.

    He peered at her contemplatively for a long time, then his hand tangled itself in her hair, pulling her down into a deep, passionate kiss. ¡°Let me,¡± he whispered. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of you.¡±

    ¡°Alex-¡± He pressed a finger to her lips.

    ¡°You¡¯re hurt,¡± he said. ¡°Let me take care of you.¡±

    She leaned into him, licking his lips. ¡°I love you, Alex.¡±

    His face softened with gratitude, and gently he reversed their positions, holding himself above her. ¡°Sweetheart-¡±

    She shook her head, ¡°hush.¡±

    She reached up, fanning her fingers over the hard muscle of his chest, and craned forward to press her lips to his creamy skin.

    Her hands slipped down, tugging at the waist of his slacks. He helped her strip him of pants and underwear, leaving him crouched over her in all his resplendence.

    He kissed her, his hands slowly exploring her stomach and breasts, sending shivers running down her spine.

    She reached up, tangling her fingers in his glittering hair, as he traced slow, ever-widening circles over the smooth skin on her stomach, slowly making his way to the juncture of her legs.

    He caressed down one thigh, then up the other, before his fingers met her womanhood, slowly tracing her outer lips and sinking the first one, then two fingers into her clenching folds.

    She gasped, bucking her hips as he gently stretched her inner channel.

    She pulled him down to her, licking his lips. He opened his mouth, and their tongues met, kissing as Dyrantoro did.

    He pulled away, smiling, withdrew his fingers, coated in her feminine essence, from her lower lips, and lined himself up at her entrance. ¡°Are you ready? Sweetheart?¡±

    She swallowed her nerves and nodded.

    He eased in at first until she felt him against her maidenhead.

    He paused, then, and with a forward jerk, pushed past the last vestige of her girlhood and inaugurated her into womanhood.

    She clung to him, riding through the pain without complaint.

    He held still, and as the pain slowly receded, she looked up at him through happy tears. ¡°I¡¯m a woman,¡± she whispered. ¡°Your woman.¡±

    He gently caressed her face, trailing soft kisses down the line of her neck and chin.

    His fingers slid down her shoulders, gently stroking the rough fur on the backs of her arms.

    She wiggled her hips, hesitantly at first, accustoming herself to the way she stretched and strained against the intrusion, then more boldly, encouraging him to continue.

    Together they settled into a languid pace, he slowly working half of himself in and out as his hands found her breasts, dexterous fingers toying with their sensitive caps.

    His pace picked up, and the hot breath that tickled her ear grew more ragged. Her hips rose to meet him, a bubbling tension building in her core.

    Her ankles coiled around his legs, clawed toes curling.

    She moaned his name and took a handful of his bottom in each hand, pulling him in, urging him on faster.

    Her core clenched, and the bubble that had built in her stomach rocked her body with a euphoric explosion.

    Alex lost all rhythm, burying himself inside her, his rod twitching and jerking, flooding her with his warmth and prolonging that ecstatic high.

    Finally, he toppled into the bed next to her, a contented sigh bursting from his chest.

    She rolled onto her side, gently tracing circles on his chest. He smiled at her, taking her hands in his. ¡°Love you, Sweetheart.¡±

    She beamed at him, licking his cheek and bringing her cheek to rest on his chest.

 Ch 22

    Alex dozed on the bed, Rosslln cradled in his arms. No turning back now, she was his, and he just couldn¡¯t bring himself to give her up.

    She was sleeping now, snoring in his arms tucked up against his side. A small, blissful smile on her lips.

    He examined her, not for the first time, but more closely than he had before.

    She was cute, not necessarily beautiful, like Lisril with her high regal cheekbones, or Eli, who was, frankly, the most perfect woman he¡¯d ever seen.

    But Rosslln was cute, petite as Dyrantisa went. They tended to be a bit shorter when standing in a relaxed position, but if they extended their digitigrade legs as much as they could, they gained half a foot, a head¡¯s height.

    Alex was reasonably tall; men grew taller in the federation than in previous eras or less advanced parts of the world. Eight-foot was pretty average, below that, short, and nine wasn¡¯t unheard of.

    He was in the middle, between eight and nine, and Rosslln, in her relaxed position, came up just to his chest height and could nestle her head in the crook of his neck at full extension.

    He gently kissed the crown of her head. She had, all over her body, small scars and some big ones. Most were faint, hard to see on her dark-purple skin, but it was clear how tough her life must have been.

    Dyrantisa were overall less muscular. But their muscle was denser, he thought perhaps to make it more resistant to cuts, what with the claws, so it ended up mostly being a wash.

    He ran his fingers through her hair, and someone began pounding on the door.

    Alex tucked his legs against his chest, and Rosslln started awake and scrambled to her feet, leaving long furrows in the bed.

    She bounded from the bed, glaring at the door, ready to defend him from the malefic forces of the armoire that still stood in front of it.

    He stood, putting his hands on the young woman¡¯s shoulders, squeezing gently. ¡°We¡¯re okay,¡± he said.

    Regardless, he grabbed his pistol from his bedside and stepped around her. The pounding hadn''t stopped. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±

    The clamor quieted, and then. ¡°Alex? It¡¯s me.¡±

    ¡°Eli?¡±

    There was a pause. ¡°Yes,¡± she sounded more composed. ¡°We heard what happened and came as quickly as We could. How have you barred the door? Let Us in.¡±

    He glanced at Rosslln, who seemed more relaxed now, then turned back to the door. ¡°Lisril said not to let anyone else in.¡±

    She paused. ¡°Please,¡± she said, voice barely audible. ¡°I want to see you.¡±

    He glanced at Rosslln again, who nodded, and he pushed the armoire away.

    The door opened, and he was tackled by a streak of blue. He caught her up in his arms, squeezing her tight.

    ¡°You¡¯re alright?¡± Eli¡¯s hands framed his face, fingers tracing gentle circles on his cheeks. ¡°You¡¯re not hurt? You¡¯re-¡± her eyes flicked down. ¡°Naked, you are naked.¡± She pushed out of his arms and slammed the door in her guards¡¯ faces.

    She spun to face him once more, pale blue face flushing purple. ¡°Why are you-¡± her eyes flicked to the equally nude Rosslln. ¡°Oh,¡± she said, ¡°oh, I see.¡± She cleared her throat. ¡°Well, ah, see to it you do the honorable thing, Rosslln.¡±

    Rosslln seized his arm, pulling him close. ¡°Maybe my Empress ought to give me an example to follow.¡±

    Eli¡¯s face turned pensive, and he broke away from Rosslln, taking Eli¡¯s hands in his. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Her jaw tightened, and she shook her head. ¡°Nothing, we¡¯ll find out who did this, and when we do-¡±

    ¡°I know who it was,¡± Alex said.

    Eli blinked. ¡°You do?¡±

    He nodded. ¡°Yeah, I recognized her. She helped serve dinner that first night.¡±

    ¡°From the kitchens?¡±

    ¡°On reflection, I don¡¯t think she was after me, either.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Eli exclaimed, and Rosslln echoed her. ¡°What makes you say that?¡±

    He pointed to the bed. ¡°It¡¯s big, I guess, for a big, Dyrantisa family. I was right in the middle; Lisril was on the side facing the door. To get me, she would have had to lean her whole body over Lisril. But Rosslln wasn¡¯t in bed; you¡¯d think she¡¯d go to the other, empty side if she wanted me.¡±

    ¡°You think Lisril was the target?¡±

    He nodded. ¡°You were trying to figure out who let our assassin in. Maybe they were affiliated, closely enough to warrant revenge.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a possibility,¡± Eli said, pensive. ¡°I¡¯ll have Yillis have a look; she¡¯ll be able to confirm your suspicions, and then we can hand it over to Iiandere.

    She took his hand, working assiduously to keep her eyes on his. ¡°You¡¯re sure you¡¯re okay?¡±

    He led her to the bed, sat, and patted the spot next to him. Rosslln took his other side, and after a moment¡¯s hesitation, Eli joined them.

    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he said, ¡°sweetheart here gave her all to protect me.¡±

    Eli smiled at that news, seeming proud of her friend¡¯s heroism. ¡°Then I¡¯m glad she was here,¡± Eli said. ¡°And pleased to hear of her valor.¡±

    He smiled at Rosslln, squeezing his young lover¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m lucky to have her.¡±

    Rosslln¡¯s blush, in contrast to Eli¡¯s, was nearly impossible to see on her darker skin. But was no less charming. He kissed her cheek and cast a grateful look over his shoulder to Eli.

    ¡°And now you¡¯ve come to protect me, too.¡±

    Eli¡¯s flush spread right down her neck, and he sat up to kiss her cheek. Did he need their protection? Not really. But while he worried, he was, of course, grateful for their dedication and knew how important it was to show it.

    She shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re welcome, but would you mind putting some clothes on?¡±

    He chuckled. ¡°Yes, of course; sorry, I wasn¡¯t trying to make you uncomfortable.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she said as he stood, her eyes briefly flicking over his body. ¡°I¡¯m just concerned for your modesty, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about me,¡± he laughed, going to the pile of clothes lying by the bed. ¡°I¡¯m not shy.¡±

    The door banged open, and Lisril stormed in, ¡°Alex, you-¡± she stopped. ¡°Are naked, why-¡± Her eyes caught on Rosslln. ¡°Ah.¡± And then she saw Eli. ¡°Oh! Well, don¡¯t let me interrupt.¡±

    He laughed, shaking his head as he pulled on a pair of boxers. ¡°You¡¯re ruthless.

    She fixed him with a toothy grin, swinging the door shut behind her. ¡°I try.¡±

    She approached him, putting her hands on his shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re okay.¡± She glanced at Eli. ¡°I suppose there are worse acts of disobedience you could have undertaken.¡±

    He kissed her. ¡°Sorry,¡± he said.

    ¡°It¡¯s not his fault,¡± Eli said. ¡°I forced the issue.¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not true, she asked, and I couldn¡¯t say no.¡±

    He pulled on his pants, and Lisril led him back to the bed. She sat at the edge of the group and placed Alex back in the spot he¡¯d vacated between Rosslln and Eli.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Serra?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Examining the body of our sentry,¡± Lisril said. ¡°There weren¡¯t any signs of a struggle.¡±

    Eli nodded. ¡°That would comport to what Alex said.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Lisril craned to look at him around Eli. ¡°What did you say?¡±

    ¡°I recognized the attacker; she delivered our food that first day.¡±

    Lisril frowned and stood, going to the door. For a moment, she conversed urgently with the guards outside, gesturing and twisting her fingers, whistling.

    When she returned, her face was grim. ¡°There¡¯s a spilled dish,¡± she said. ¡°On the floor outside. It looks like you¡¯re onto something.¡±

    She sat again, reaching across Eli to take his hand. ¡°So, she poisons the guard and enters the room to assassinate you.¡±

    ¡°Alex thinks you were the target,¡± Rosslln said.

    ¡°Alex often has flights of fancy,¡± Lisril snorted. ¡°And worries too much for his women.¡± She squeezed his hand. ¡°As is a man¡¯s prerogative. Of course, he was the target.¡±

    ¡°How can you be so sure?¡± Alex asked.

    ¡°Other,¡± Lisril said. ¡°Than the fact that you were the target in both previous attacks? What other designs should a woman have when breaking into a man¡¯s room?¡±

    At that, Eli burst into laughter. ¡°How can two people be so at odds yet complement each other so perfectly?¡±

    He grinned past her, sharing a look with his wife. ¡°It¡¯s easy,¡± he said. ¡°When you love each other.¡±

    Lisril squeezed his hand, and he wrapped his other arm around Rosslln.

    They fell silent then, just sitting with each other. Alex closed his eyes and leaned against Eli¡¯s shoulder, basking in the closeness.

    There was a knock on the door, and after a moment, it opened to admit Serra, looking harried and sad, her dark hair a little disheveled, as though she¡¯d been pulled straight out of bed.

    He stood, crossing the room and throwing his arms around her. ¡°How are you?¡±

    ¡°Tired and sad,¡± she said softly, wrapping her arms around him and shaking her head against his shoulder. ¡°That poor guard was given thistle.¡±

    ¡°Thistle?¡±

    She let him guide her to the bed, sitting, wrapping herself up in his arms. ¡°It¡¯s an awful thing to do,¡± she whispered. ¡°Thistle causes paralysis but kills by working on the lungs. It causes hemorrhaging in the Bronchi; a woman drowns on dry land, unable to move. The toxin works quickly but kills slowly; she must have suffered terribly.¡±

    He squeezed her tight. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I got you caught up in this.¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°This is nothing more than my duty, sad as that duty may sometimes be. Iiandere has taken it upon herself to inform the woman¡¯s family.¡±

    She heaved a heavy sigh. ¡°We haven¡¯t figured out who the killer is, but she must be a palace servant. Probably driven to act by Iiandere¡¯s questioning of the staff.¡±

    Eli nodded. ¡°Alex says he recognizes the assassin as a member of the kitchen staff.¡±

    ¡°Did he?¡± Serra sucked her lip. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go back and tell Iiandere then.¡±

    His grip on her tightened. ¡°Serra.¡±

    She smiled. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± she said. ¡°We can sit together later. I think this will keep me busy tomorrow; once we have a name, I can start looking into possible connections with our other assassins. But we¡¯ll make time to sit together and chat about philosophy again sometime, I promise.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡± He kissed her. ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard, okay?¡±

    Rosslln jumped to her feet, then retrieved her nightgown and covered herself. ¡°I can do it,¡± she offered. ¡°I- should probably talk to her anyway, right?¡±

    Serra scratched her head but finally nodded. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s true.¡±

    Rosslln grinned at them, and he smiled back at her as Lisril stood, joining the young woman. ¡°You know the way?¡±

    Rosslln¡¯s smile died a bit, and Lisril sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll show you, but you should give your promises more consideration.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes,¡± Rosslln said, ducking her head. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Lisril chuckled and turned to Serra, who was eying Rosslln. ¡°Take care of him.¡±

    Serra nodded, seizing his hand and squeezing tight. ¡°I will,¡± she promised.

    Lisril returned her gesture and turned to Eli, smirking. ¡°I appreciate your concern,¡± she said. ¡°But we have an important meeting tomorrow, you especially. We can trust Serra.¡±

    Eli stood reluctantly, reaching out to squeeze his hand one last time. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll leave one of my personal guards at the door. They, at least, can be trusted to control their appetite until they are relieved.¡±

    Lisril nodded. ¡°I think that¡¯s a good idea; goodnight Eli, we¡¯ll see you in the evening.¡±

    Eli nodded, slowly walking out of the room, casting a last glance back at them over her shoulder before she was gone.

    ¡°Right,¡± Lisril said. ¡°you too, Alex, you need to be fresh for the evening. Get some rest; Rosslln and I will be back soon.

    He nodded, standing, and pulled first Lisril and then Rosslln into a tight hug. ¡°Take care of yourselves.¡±

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t think there¡¯s any reason to worry,¡± Lisril said.

    Rosslln looked up at the older woman and set her jaw. ¡°She¡¯s right; we¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    Alex smiled at them, grateful for the comfort. ¡°Hurry back,¡± he said, slipping from their arms and rejoining Serra on the bed, wrapping her up in his arms.

    Lisril was already out the door by the time he was situated, with Rosslln on her heels, leaving him alone with Serra.

    They sat in silence for a little while, the only sound the crackling of the fire. Eventually, she cleared her throat. ¡°You and Rosslln¡­¡±

    She trailed off, but it wasn¡¯t hard to guess what she was talking about. ¡°Jealous?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that!¡± Serra cried. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re getting along, that¡¯s all.¡±

    Her tone didn¡¯t seem all that congratulatory, and despite her protests, it occurred to him that they were supposed to be engaged, but he was closer to Rosslln, despite having known her about the same amount of time.

    ¡°We¡¯ll make time to get to know each other better,¡± he promised.

    She nodded, pensive, and heaved a sharp sigh. ¡°But we¡¯ll do that later; for now, I¡¯m in charge of making sure you¡¯re fresh and ready to meet the Matriarch, so let¡¯s lay down.¡±

    He hummed his agreement, glancing down at the torn mattress. He¡¯d have to apologize to Eli tomorrow. For the moment, he pulled Serra under the covers, squeezing her tight against him, hoping she didn¡¯t feel too left behind.

    ¡°Goodnight, Serra,¡± he murmured.

    ¡°Sleep well, Alex.¡±

 Ch 23

    Serra heaved a heavy sigh; she sat amongst a pile of books; Yilis had immediately recognized last night¡¯s assassin, a woman by the name of Ririel Teneier, but hadn¡¯t been able to identify the first. So, there she was, pouring through genealogies and employment records, census data. Trying to find any information she could on this brigand.

    Iiandere had gone off to interrogate the assailants the Imperial Guard had picked up after the attack the previous night.

    Leaving her to this drudgery. Not that she usually would have minded; this was the sort of thing she found therapeutic. She could just bury herself in a stack of reference materials and slowly make sense of the world.

    But there was no sense to be found here, no promise of a resolution at the end of her research. Just the sad foolish reality that several women had died, Alex had been placed into peril, and for what?

    Whatever this cabal hoped to gain by threatening the peace and prosperity of an empire so many had fought and died for that had brought stability to the lives of the souls living under it, she couldn¡¯t imagine it was worth it.

    She found what she was looking for, Miss Teneier¡¯s birth record. Young, only forty, such a waste of youth. More importantly, the record, which Serra confirmed against the information logged at the time of her employment, listed her parents.

    This, finally, was something concrete she could provide Iiandere.

    She sighed again, setting the volume aside. The tidings Rosslln¡¯s friend had brought back were interesting but not particularly useful. It was simply too vague.

    ¡°Missing your fianc¨¦e?¡±

    She looked up to find a woman of the deep interior, dark-purple skin, almost the same color as her raven hair contrasting a bright smile.

    ¡°I am,¡± Serra chuckled. ¡°Thank you, Viciel.¡±

    The woman shook her head. ¡°You could have gone, you know. I would have taken care of things here.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± Viciel was her second. Assistant to the head archivist and quite a competent hand at it. It was somewhat unusual for a woman of the interior to attain so highly as a scholar. Though they were among the faithful, there was a tendency among that race toward unorthodox thought, and they suffered for it in the university and seminary.

    Militarily, the women of that country were renowned for their outriders, and Deathwatch, the Empire¡¯s premier light cavalry, were often recruited from among their ranks.

    Viciel had never served militarily, except, of course, for militia drills, which were mandatory for all adult women.

    ¡°But,¡± Serra said. ¡°This is my responsibility. You know how it is.¡±

    The other woman nodded. ¡°The things we do for our men.¡±

    Viciel was younger, younger, even, than Elliza, but already wed and with children. Most of the women under her were; she didn¡¯t know what had held her back; she¡¯d certainly had the opportunity, providence, she supposed.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Viciel said. ¡°The things we do for the love of our husbands.¡±

    The dark-skinned paused, thinking. ¡°Is it true that he fights as a woman? I¡¯ve been hearing rumors since your outing the other night.¡±

    Serra considered the question. ¡°When did you start hearing these rumors?¡±

    Viciel thought about that a moment. ¡°Almost as soon as you left,¡± she said. ¡°It didn¡¯t come to me that the empress was personally escorting him until later. But he¡¯s a hard one to miss, being so tall.¡±

    Serra nodded. ¡°But no one suspected his extra guard might be the empress?¡±

    The young woman shrugged. ¡°Not really; we knew she was hosting your nest, of course, but no one could predict how sweet she was on him. Now people are saying it looks like courtship.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d venture they¡¯re right,¡± Serra said. ¡°Though, I couldn¡¯t tell you who¡¯s courting whom.¡±

    To say Viciel looked shocked was perhaps too much, mildly interested. How interested she actually was, Serra could only speculate, more than none.

    ¡°You think so?¡± the young woman asked. ¡°I suppose you¡¯d be in a position to know.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Serra ran a hand through her hair. ¡°It seems Lisril has been working toward this end for some time.¡±

    ¡°An ambitious project,¡± Viciel said.

    ¡°She¡¯s an ambitious woman,¡± Serra agreed. ¡°And perfectly positioned.¡±

    ¡°Aye,¡± Viciel said. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve a younger sister, a petty officer in the legions, in need of a husband.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m in a position to recommend her,¡± Serra laughed. ¡°But I¡¯ll remember her to him, I promise.¡±

    The young woman chuckled. ¡°Thank you, are you making progress?¡±

    ¡°I found the mother; we¡¯ll see where it leads us. In fact, please fetch me out the marriage records for the capital and its surrounding lands from four and five decades ago.¡±

    Viciel nodded. ¡°Of course,¡± she said. ¡°Forgive the interruption.

    ¡°No, I needed the break anyway.¡± Serra pushed away from her desk, stretching. ¡°In fact, forget what I said. I think I¡¯ll find something to eat and get back to it when I return. How are the girls? I¡¯ve been neglecting them these past few days.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re fine.¡± Viciel put her hands on her hips. ¡°And you don¡¯t take enough breaks; I think we¡¯re all grateful you have a husband to look after now.¡±

    Serra snorted. ¡°Well, excuse me for being in the way.¡±

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    ¡°You¡¯re excused,¡± Viciel said, smirking at her. ¡°We¡¯re all glad your husband seems to have convinced you to take care of yourself more and your work less. How many times have I come in in the evening and found you here, having not slept a wink?¡±

    Serra smiled ruefully. ¡°Point taken,¡± she said. ¡°I suppose it has been nice, though I haven¡¯t even been able to take such time with him as I¡¯ve wanted.¡±

    ¡°In fairness,¡± Viciel said. ¡°Circumstance hasn¡¯t proven itself amenable.¡±

    ¡°Still, I¡¯ve neglected him when his other women haven¡¯t, and it shows.¡±

    Viciel patted her shoulder. ¡°I don¡¯t think he begrudges you your work.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Serra said. ¡°It means quite a bit. If you and the rest haven¡¯t taken your meal yet, why don¡¯t we eat together?¡±

    <hr>

    Iiandere sat behind her desk in her temporary office outside the dungeons shuffling through pages of notes and reports.

    A third attack, at least they had a name this time, but it was simply unacceptable. Moreover, it was harming the Empress¡¯ reputation.

    She had suggested more stringent measures in the palace, and it was being taken under review.

    There was a knock, and she stood as Initiate Henniel entered. ¡°We¡¯re ready?¡±

    The young woman bowed. ¡°Yes, Inquisitor.¡±

    Iiandere nodded and swept out of the room, contemplating how she would approach this woman.

    She had broad authority, could go so far as to kill the brigand on the spot if she so chose. Never the solution of first resort, judges didn¡¯t appreciate it, and it was wasteful besides.

    She stopped in front of the cell, two stony-faced guards standing outside the door.

    She looked from one to the other, ¡°where are the others being held?¡±

    The guards shared a look. ¡°Deeper down,¡± one offered.

    ¡°One of you go and get one,¡± Iiandere said. ¡°Bring her to the adjoining room and break a couple of her fingers.¡±

    The women seemed shocked. ¡°Lady Inquisitor?¡±

    ¡°Do as you¡¯re told!¡± Iiandere snapped. ¡°If anyone questions you, tell them it was my order.¡±

    The women nodded, and one ran off to do as she was told.

    Iiandere led Initiate Henniel into the room, dimly lit by a single candle, and sat across the table from a rough, burly-looking woman, a westerner, who was chained hand and foot to the floor.

    The Initiate set a wooden case on the table and withdrew an inkpot placing it on the table, adding a pen and roll of parchment to the ink. Readying herself to take notes.

    As this was going on, Iiandere stared unblinking at the woman, and soon the woman began to squirm in her chair.

    Being stared down by an inquisitor wasn¡¯t an easy thing at the best of times, and this was hardly the best situation the woman could have found herself in.

    ¡°They¡¯re erecting the gallows out in front of the Palace,¡± Iiandere said at last.

    The woman swallowed but, wisely, remained silent. Why offer what wasn¡¯t requested? It couldn¡¯t help and could hurt.

    It wasn¡¯t actually true, either. At the moment, the attack and the Empress¡¯ or any of her guest¡¯s involvement in it was merely a rumor; no one could prove what had happened, and the inquisition was busy muddying the waters, creating different, contradictory rumors.

    So they wouldn¡¯t be hung, not yet. The populace would be given time to forget, and some likely excuse would be concocted when it came time to punish their crimes.

    She leaned forward, briding her fingers, examining the woman. The prisoner was a westerner, her skin light, nearly white, like a northerner, the old Imperial nobility, who had blue skin. Unlike them, this woman¡¯s skin was a pale green and her dirty tangle of hair black.

    ¡°You and your fellows are in deep trouble. You chose the wrong contract, and there can be no doubt of your guilt.¡±

    The woman swallowed but kept her silence.

    ¡°How many are there in your company?¡±

    Silence.

    ¡°Who hired you?¡±

    The woman shook her head.

    Iiandere leaned back in her chair. ¡°Nothing to say?¡±

    The woman held her silence, and there came a scream from the next room.

    The woman jumped, looking wide-eyed at the wall as another scream echoed through the stone.

    ¡°One of your friends,¡± Iiandere said. ¡°She wasn¡¯t feeling talkative either. So we¡¯re grinding her claws down.¡± There was another scream.

    ¡°Maybe she¡¯s feeling more talkative now.¡± Iiandere pushed away from the table and turned for the door. ¡°Maybe you will be, too, once we¡¯ve taken a grindstone to your feet.¡±

    She stepped toward the door and heard the clatter of wood and the sounds of chain pulling taught. ¡°Wait!¡± the prisoner cried.

    She turned; the woman was straining against her bonds, to attack or simply prevent Iiander from leaving, she couldn¡¯t say. ¡°Feeling talkative?¡±

    The woman¡¯s eyes fell, and she nodded.

    ¡°Initiate, reseat the prisoner,¡± Iiandere said.

    She resumed her own seat and waited as her instructions were carried out.

    When all had returned to their places, Iiandere continued. ¡°Name?¡±

    The woman held her silence, and Iiandere pushed her chair away from the table in a show of disgust. ¡°If you¡¯re not going to cooperate-¡±

    ¡°Arretil!¡± the woman cried. ¡°It¡¯s Arretil!¡±

    ¡°¡®It¡¯s Arretil, Lady Inquisitor,¡¯¡± Iiandere growled.

    ¡°Yes.¡± The woman nodded emphatically. ¡°Lady Inquisitor.¡±

    ¡°Very well,¡± Iiander said. ¡°Arretil, it is in my power to pass judgment this very moment. If I so chose, I could cut your throat, and no one would bat an eye.¡±

    The woman began to sweat even in the chill of the stone cell in which they sat.

    ¡°But,¡± Iiandere continued. ¡°It is also in my power to grant clemency, to wipe your slate clean and send you on your way.¡±

    That was true enough; she could do that. She spoke with the Empress¡¯ own voice on matters of justice and the implementation of law. She wouldn¡¯t, but she could.

    ¡°Cooperate,¡± she said. ¡°And we¡¯ll see what can be done for you.¡±

    Arretil nodded, and Iiandere pulled her chair back into the table. ¡°Good,¡± she said. ¡°Now, how many are in your company.¡±

    The woman hesitated, but this time Iiander let her think.

    ¡°Hard to say,¡± Arretil said slowly. ¡°I didn¡¯t do recruiting, didn¡¯t keep the books, and it changed all the time. Attrition and new recruits, you know. Not more than forty or fifty.¡±

    Forty-seven was the exact number. She¡¯d known that from documents pulled from the safehouse Alex had found. This woman seemed ready to be honest.

    ¡°Who hired you?¡± This was a question for which she needed answers. No names, not even details of who this band had been hired to accost. She doubted this woman even knew just how much trouble she was in.

    Admittedly, she hadn¡¯t yet worked her way through all the recovered documents, but she doubted it mattered. For all they were a bandit rabble, their recordkeeping was surprisingly fastidious and discreet.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± the woman said, shaking her head.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t that high up,¡± Arretil insisted. ¡°Most of those died- well, you know.¡±

    ¡°Most?¡±

    ¡°Ah, Captain Hattainal wasn¡¯t part of the attack, some other business, I don¡¯t know, they didn¡¯t tell me.¡±

    ¡°Where can I find her?¡±

    The prisoner shook her head. ¡°They won¡¯t be using any of the usual places, what with us being captured. By now, they¡¯ll be looking for a way to smuggle themselves out of town past the military lockdown.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll provide us locations; regardless, a map will be provided.¡±

    The woman swallowed. ¡°Ah, yes, Lady inquisitor.¡±

    Iiandere nodded. ¡°Good. Is there anything else, anything at all out of the ordinary?¡±

    The woman seemed to wrack her brain for anything she could provide, anything that could save her life. ¡°Uh, there was that man.¡±

    Iiandere¡¯s brow winged up. ¡°Man?¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± The prisoner nodded. ¡°Real dark-skinned, the sort you see out of the interior. Came around a couple times, talked to the boss.¡±

    ¡°Alone?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Arretil shook her head. ¡°Three, four women, always at his heels. Didn¡¯t look married, though.¡±

    ¡°What makes you say that?¡±

    ¡°Just- sorta how they acted, like servants, not wives.¡±

    Iiandere considered that. ¡°Very well,¡± she said. ¡°A man of the desert accompanied by female servants. Anything else? Anything that stood out?¡±

    The prisoner fell silent once more, then. ¡°The women wore a patch.¡±

    ¡°A patch?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Arretil nodded. ¡°A wheel, eight spokes, with a bird perched on it, or clutching it in its talons.¡±

    ¡°What kind of bird?¡±

    ¡°Some sort of hawk, I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not a falconer.¡±

    ¡°I suppose your not,¡± Iiandere agreed. ¡°I think that¡¯s quite enough for now. If your information proves useful, I¡¯ll see what I can do for you.¡±

    She stood, examining the prisoner; she might even keep that promise. ¡°Guards!¡± she called.

    The women entered, and Iiandered turned to them. ¡°Return her to her cell and bring me the next prisoner.¡±

 Ch 24

    Elliza sat opposite Alex, who was tucked between Lisril and Rosslln.

    The women bundled close to him, each with an arm around him, protecting him from the cold. It was a long ride; they had started before sunset and would only arrive at midnight.

    The Ecleziarchal palace was some distance outside the city, situated on the cliffs overlooking the sea. The church and throne worked hand-in-hand, and the parliamentary votes of the clergy had proven invaluable.

    She needed to maintain good relations with the church if she was to rule effectively. Or as effectively as she had been.

    Alex was smiling at her, Lady, but he had a beautiful smile. She wondered if he hadn¡¯t divined her intentions. It was possible, he was canny, or perhaps humanity had conceived some method of mind reading. It wasn¡¯t out of the question; Dyrantoro produced miracles as readily as tradeswomen brought forth pots from clay.

    No point worrying about it. And if he could read her mind, she didn¡¯t want to give him an impression of weakness.

    She shifted in her seat, a little cold; it would have been nice to join their huddle, but she held herself back. She had been getting too comfortable. Perhaps she should have ridden ahorse instead of in the coach. Too late for that now.

    ¡°Alex,¡± she said at last. ¡°I know I¡¯ve encouraged a certain level of familiarity. But my aunt won¡¯t be so welcoming.¡±

    He nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be cognizant of that and try to stay away from anything too out there.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Elliza said, ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it. I¡¯m sure the two of you will get along splendidly.¡±

    The coach slowed, and Elliza led them out into the courtyard. The Ecleziarchal palace was, of course, not so grand as the Imperial Abode. More walled manor than castle it was, regardless, a structure of natural marble, the courtyard kept clear of snow.

    Alex joined her in the biting cold of the night breeze, his women falling in behind him, and took her hand, offering a brief squeeze as a woman dressed in the white and gray of a deaconess approached them.

    The woman fell to her knees on the cold, hard-packed ground, hands splayed out before her, forehead touching the dirt. ¡°It is an honor to welcome her Magnificence and her guests. Her Eminence the Matriarch awaits you in her offices; please, allow me to escort you.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Elliza nodded, ¡°please, lead the way.¡±

    The woman stood, head bowed, ¡°yes, Magnificence.¡±

    The Deaconess turned, leading them in and up; her aunt¡¯s offices were situated on the fourth floor of the building, in a turret jutting out of the right side of the manor house.

    The Deaconess opened the door and ushered them into the richly appointed space. A thick plush rug of red and gold covered the floor, a high fire burned in the hearth around which sat furniture intricately carved with swirling patterns and capped with ivory carved into animal heads.

    Opposite them, her aunt looked out a window of small murky panes set into a crisscrossing pattern of metal bars. In a fairer season, she would have been looking out over her cattle grazing in the church¡¯s pastures.

    In this season, however, the cattle had been driven south to more mild climes.

    Her aunt turned, adorned with rich yellow robes, a smile on her wizened face. She nodded to the Deaconess. ¡°Your effort is appreciated,¡± she said, ¡°leave us.¡±

    The Deaconess bowed and backed out of the room, leaving them alone, and the old woman crossed the room, arms outstretched.

    ¡°Elliza,¡± she said, ¡°wonderful to see you, though I wish the circumstances were better.¡±

    Elliza hugged her. ¡°I¡¯m happy to see you, too, aunt Jezzel, regardless of any troubles we now face.¡±

    The older woman broke from the hug, wrapping an arm around Elliza¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I recognize Lisril,¡± she said, leading them to the seats arranged around the fire. ¡°But why don¡¯t you introduce me to your new companions?¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±

    Alex sat, and Lisril and Rosslln took their places at his flanks.

    ¡°This is Rosslln,¡± Elliza said, gesturing to her friend. ¡°We¡¯ve only known each other for a short while, but she¡¯s proven gallant and brave.¡±

    Her aunt bowed her head. ¡°High praise,¡± she said, ¡°and I know Lisril has high standards of companionship, so it must be true. And speaking of.¡± She turned expectantly to Alex.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Elliza said, ¡°this is Alex; I intend to make him my husband.¡±

    Elliza watched the older woman intently, but she remained frustratingly impassive, reaching for the pitcher on her table, which Elliza knew would contain mulled wine, her aunt¡¯s favorite winter drink.

    She poured a cup, sipped from it, and set it down. ¡°I suspected you would come to me with such news one day soon. But admittedly, I hadn¡¯t expected the news today, nor that the man would be Dyrantoro.¡±

    Elliza took a steadying breath; her aunt¡¯s lack of reaction was worse than any anger she could bring to bear. It was a skill to which all highborn women aspired, but of which few achieved such mastery.

    ¡°He¡¯s a good man,¡± she said, reaching across Lisril to take his hand, ¡°doughty and loyal.¡±

    Lisril reached past her, pouring herself a steaming glass of wine, looking not unjustifiably pleased with herself.

    ¡°And have you discussed your forthcoming engagement with m¡¯lord?¡± Jezzell asked.

    Elliza glanced at Alex. ¡°We¡¯re discussing it now.¡±

    Her aunt chuckled, shaking her head. ¡°Ah, to be young again.¡±

    ¡°You could be,¡± Elliza said, ¡°the Dyrantoro have discovered the fountain of youth.¡±

    Alex laughed. ¡°I thought we were avoiding difficult subjects.¡±

    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°I¡¯m the Empress.¡± Elliza crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°I¡¯m allowed.¡±

    Lisril coughed into her glass, shaking her head, though she said nothing.

    ¡°It¡¯s the truth,¡± Elliza said, ¡°Alex is older than you.¡±

    Jezzel pursed her lips. ¡°Is he now? He certainly looks vibrant for a man in his hundreds.¡±

    Alex patted Elliza¡¯s hand. ¡°I promised Eli no hard subjects.¡±

    Elliza gave him a playful slap on the chest. ¡°Oh, go on,¡± she said, ¡°you have my permission.¡±

    He grinned. ¡°Alright, fine, I¡¯m nearly two centuries old by your calendar.¡±

    Her aunt¡¯s brow rose a fraction. ¡°Quite a claim, are all men of your country so long-lived?¡±

    He tilted his head, one eye shut tight. ¡°In a manner of speaking,¡± he said, ¡°Yes, but no man of my age is quite as vital. The usual methods leave people somewhere in their forties, about a hundred by the Nyxian calendar.¡±

    ¡°But not you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a long story, but I ended up needing more intensive treatment; it¡¯s not actually meant for life extension. They essentially rebuilt my body.¡±

    ¡°Rebuilt?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said slowly, ¡°they used- ah, well, the building blocks of my body and combined them with infinitesimal mechanical devices designed to undertake complex tasks. Then they put me in a medically induced coma and Ship of Thesisd me over the next six months.¡±

    Jezzel¡¯s toe tapped. ¡°You said this wasn¡¯t a means to restore your youth? So why was this necessary?¡±

    ¡°Uh.¡± Alex scratched his head. ¡°The short version is I got hurt and couldn¡¯t walk properly.¡±

    ¡°It sounds like you took quite the risk.¡±

    ¡°I did,¡± he admitted, ¡°but a calculated risk. The technologies weren¡¯t completely new; this is just a new application.¡±

    Her aunt considered him a moment more before turning to Lisril. ¡°You find this to be likely?¡±

    Lisril looked at Alex and laid a hand on his thigh. ¡°My husband has withheld information from me. But I¡¯ve never known him to lie.¡±

    He kissed her cheek, and she raised her hand, tangling her fingers in his hair, and pressed her forehead to his.

    It was a beautiful scene, and as he closed an arm around Rosslln and laid his cheek on the side of her head, Elliza turned expectantly to her aunt.

    The older woman closed her eyes and heaved a quiet sigh. The truth was, though Elliza presented her intent to marry him with bravado, the fact was, she needed the church¡¯s support, especially if her partner was to be Alex, a Dyrantoro.

    It shouldn¡¯t have mattered, and for another woman, it wouldn¡¯t. But she had more considerations to contend with. She was happy with him, but her happiness was secondary to her duty to her Queendom.

    Her aunt drummed her fingers on her knee for a moment. Then waved a dismissive hand. She would consider it for later, and for that moment, the matter was settled.

    ¡°I¡¯ve received inquisitor Iiandere¡¯s reports,¡± Jezzel said, ¡°dark tidings, I don¡¯t like it.¡±

    Lisril nodded. ¡°Aye,¡± she said, ¡°it¡¯s a cowardly thing, to attack a man when you mean to injure a woman.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Jezzel said, a smile pulling her lips, and she turned to Rosslln. ¡°But I was pleased to read I would be in the presence of a hero.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Rosslln mumbled, ducking her head. ¡°No, it was nothing.¡±

    ¡°Young lady,¡± Jezzel said sternly, ¡°false modesty is as much a sin as the worst boastfulness. You have behaved admirably; take it with grace and humility but do not lie.¡±

    Rosslln flinched and nodded. ¡°Yes, forgive me, your Eminence.¡±

    ¡°You are pardoned,¡± Jezzel said, ¡°now, I understand you come from- humble origins.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes, I-¡±

    ¡°Have you sought absolution?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­.¡±

    Jezzel nodded. ¡°As I suspected. There is a confessional on the first floor, use it.¡±

    ¡°Your Eminence?¡±

    ¡°Now! And see to it you live an honest life from this moment.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Rosslln jumped to her feet and scurried out the door.

    Alex watched her go and turned to Jezzel. ¡°She was hungry.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s no excuse.¡± The older woman sucked on her lip and sighed. ¡°If I could end hunger, I would. Yet, it wouldn¡¯t do away with wickedness.¡±

    He was silent for a long moment, staring down at his hands. ¡°I¡¯ve asked Eli to let me develop Nyx¡¯s exoplanets. I can provide food if you can distribute it.¡±

    ¡°Have you? Well, I could hardly say no to such charity.¡±

    He turned to Elliza. ¡°Though, I haven¡¯t worked out any details.¡±

    Elliza smiled, ¡°I¡¯m hardly going to forbid you from doing good works. If that were all we did with that land, it would be a worthy purpose.¡±

    His nose crinkled with happiness. ¡°I¡¯m glad you approve,¡± he said.

    Lisril poured herself a second glass and another for Alex. ¡°A drink, Eli?¡±

    She nodded, and with a cup in her hand, leaned back in her chair. ¡°I take it you¡¯ve been reading Iiandere¡¯s reports.¡±

    Her aunt nodded. ¡°Yes,¡± she said, ¡°with great interest. Though being closer to the investigation, you might have more details than I.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not much in any case,¡± Lisril said, ¡°But I suspect we shall have something more solid before the night ends.¡±

    Jezzel drew her cup to her nose, sampling the bright notes of the spices in the drink. ¡°You can¡¯t maintain martial law in the capital forever.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Elliza sighed. She was preventing parliament from meeting and inconveniencing the burghers, that cost political capital. She could renew her leverage if she could show progress, but even these few days had strained her already complicated relationship with parliament and led to grumbling amongst the populace.

    ¡°I can handle parliament,¡± she said at last, ¡°Aunt Jezzel, I need your help soothing the people.¡±

    Her aunt nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll instruct the parishes. On that subject, I¡¯ve received a letter from the frontier. It seems assassinations are a theme of late. A canoness has been murdered.¡±

    Elliza scratched her eye. ¡°Just what we need, the return of separatist murders in the west. I¡¯ll direct the inquisition to investigate.¡±

    ¡°I think that¡¯s a good idea. Perhaps it¡¯s time we examined our options in the frontier.¡±

    ¡°I suppose we should,¡± Elliza agreed, ¡°but perhaps we can reconvene in the palace in a day or two; I need time to think.¡±

    ¡°Have you considered moving your capital?¡± All eyes in the room turned to Alex.

    ¡°Not a terrible idea,¡± Jezzel said, ¡°You would be able to better react to problems in the region. Perhaps simply spending some portion of your year in that country would be enough.¡±

    She mulled it over; they were good points. ¡°I¡¯ll consider it,¡± she said, ¡°I have other considerations to make before coming to a determination.¡±

    Her aunt nodded. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not a decision to be made in an instant. I have no other urgent news, especially as I¡¯ll be visiting you soon. Perhaps we should pray before you go if your companions would be good enough to step outside and give us a bit of privacy.¡±

    Lisril stood. ¡°of course.¡± She helped Alex to his feet and led him to the door. ¡°We¡¯ll just be outside the door if you need us.¡±

    They slipped out, and her aunt joined her, and for a while, they just sat.

    ¡°What do you think of him,¡± Elliza asked at last.

    ¡°I¡¯m still deciding,¡± her aunt said. ¡°And perhaps I¡¯m not the one you should be asking. Now, let us pray.¡±

    Elliza nodded, slipping from her seat and kneeling, her head bowed in supplication to the almighty as her aunt led her in prayer.

    ¡°Heavenly mother,¡± the older woman murmured. ¡°We come before you in this time of tumult. Please guide us through these troubles, and grant us the wisdom to see the path laid before us. For the glory of this, your earthly kingdom, grant my niece the strength to persist and protect her from her enemies. Amen.¡±

    ¡°Amen,¡± Elliza agree, remaning where she was, sitting in contemplation, hoping the almighty might speak to her, her aunt allowing her to think.

    ¡°Aunt Jezzel,¡± she said softly, at last. ¡°No one has ever made me feel like he does.¡±

    Her aunt sighed, placing a hand on her shoulder. ¡°You know it isn¡¯t that simple.¡±

    She bit her lip, sharp teeth tearing flesh, and tasted blood. ¡°I know, but-¡±

    ¡°Parliament would throw a fit.¡±

    ¡°Parliament will object to anyone I select,¡± Elliza reasoned, truthfully, though it was still an excuse.

    ¡°So why give them an excuse? Why provide them a rod to beat you with and a method to reduce your regard among the commons?¡±

    Elliza clenched her fists, the suggestion enraging her. Had she not done enough for the Commons? Had all her efforts and labor earned her no latitude?

    But she knew her aunt was right. The people still had their doubts about their brothers. ¡°They¡¯ll accept him if the church blesses our union, and our marriage would lend legitimacy to Nyx¡¯s partnership with Earth.¡±

    She looked up at the older woman, who met her gaze evenly, examining her. ¡°He seems to have captivated you,¡± aunt Jezzel said at last.

    Elliza ducked her head but nodded. ¡°I- last night, when I thought he might be hurt- I was terrified. It¡¯s hard to explain; it¡¯s just- easy. He¡¯s so affectionate, nurturing.¡±

    Her words seemed so terribly inadequate, yet- It was all she had. ¡°I love him,¡± she said. ¡°I think. The Almighty brought him to me; I know it.¡±

    Jezzel was silent for a long time; eventually, she patted Elliza¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll give fair consideration and consider your feelings,¡± she promised.

    Elliza nodded; it was the best she could expect. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Of course; why don¡¯t we rejoin your friends.¡±

 Ch 25

    Alex sat on the floor, fingers sunk into the fur of the animal skin laid in front of the fire. The creature wasn¡¯t familiar to him, obviously, but it was fun to try and relate it to something he was.

    Sort of like a bear, but a bit like a wolf, too. It had a long tail that reminded him of a squirrel¡¯s, but it was hard to say how it would have looked if still wrapped around flesh and bone.

    He looked over his shoulder; his women had clustered around Elliza¡¯s table, conferring and conversing on whatever it was that had seized their attention, probably something to do with the assassination attempts. Usually, that sort of thing would have been right up his alley.

    He hated small talk, preferred to skip to more interesting, important topics. It wasn¡¯t fair, he knew, and most people simply weren¡¯t wired that way. But that¡¯s how it was.

    With the excitement, it hadn¡¯t ended up being much of a problem, but on the other hand, he was sort of bored of talking about it.

    Sure, there had been some exciting revelations between the time they¡¯d left to meet Eli¡¯s Aunt, a surprisingly short visit, more of a check-in, really. It was a long way to go at the speed of horse, but they didn¡¯t have phones.

    Part of him found it charming and felt a little bad that he was more likely to pick up the phone when he wanted to talk to his family, even though travel was so quick and inexpensive on Earth. Maybe he¡¯d have to fix that.

    Thinking of neglected relations, his eyes fixed on Serra, lovely and glowing a soft pink in the dim firelight. It had only been a couple of days, so maybe neglected was the wrong word. But he had spent less time with her than any of the others.

    He could fix that, though.

    Standing, he sauntered over to the table where they all sat.

    She was speaking, ¡°and tomorrow I¡¯ll have a look and-¡±

    He took her hand, and she looked up immediately. ¡°Alex? What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    He smiled at her and said brightly to the other women, ¡°I¡¯m stealing her!¡± And dragged her from her chair and to the fireplace.

    ¡°Alex!¡± she laughed as he sat and patted the pelt next to him.

    She glanced back at the table before sitting cross-legged next to him.

    He took her arm, pulling her close, resting his chin on her shoulder. ¡°Hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    She licked his forehead. ¡°Of course not; I¡¯m happy to sit with you. I¡¯m sorry we ignored you.¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°You have important things to talk about.¡±

    She grinned, slipping from his arms and fetched a blanket to wrap around them. ¡°Warming my husband is important too.¡±

    He leaned against her becoming lost in the warmth of her embrace.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t ever finish those debates¡­.¡±

    She smacked his shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that,¡± she chided. ¡°Alex, we have much more important things to concern ourselves with right now.¡±

    He kissed her cheek. ¡°Thanks, Serra.¡±

    They lapsed into silence then, holding each other close. The fire snapped and hissed in the hearth, and behind them, they could still hear the low drone of his remaining women¡¯s chatting.

    She shifted in his arms, turning to face him more fully, and he pulled her into his lap.

    ¡°Alex! what are you doing?¡± she laughed.

    He kissed her. ¡°Holding my woman,¡± he murmured. ¡°Is that a problem?¡±

    ¡°Your woman,¡± Serra said. ¡°You¡¯re sure? You didn¡¯t seem-¡±

    He sealed her lips with his, pulling her into a long, gentle kiss. ¡°I can¡¯t help it.¡± He pressed his forehead against her¡¯s. ¡°I just- can¡¯t give this up.¡±

    Powerful Dyrantisa arms wrapped around him, squeezing him tightly to her. ¡°Why should you? Why shouldn¡¯t you have a proper married life?¡±

    He burrowed into the small of her neck. ¡°Well, I at least want to try. Just- on Earth.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Tell me about growing up on Nyx.¡±

    She looked at him pensively, her fingers playing in his hair, twisting and tugging, rubbing it between large dexterous fingers. She seemed about to press him but, at last, shook her head.

    ¡°I suppose,¡± she finally said. ¡°That it¡¯s a different life than most, given my position and who my mother is.¡±

    She sighed. ¡°She¡¯s a hard woman, not lacking for warmth, but hard, demanding. I think the expectations were higher for my older sisters; by the time she got around to me, there were no more portions to give out, so I had fewer responsibilities to look forward to.¡±

    She shifted, carefully adjusting her legs, wary of her claws, wrapping them around his back.

    ¡°Regardless, we were all expected to take up arms and fight. My training began the moment I could hold a sword and consumed most of my youth. I wasn¡¯t particularly adept, but if a girl¡¯s instruction is sufficiently strenuous, she will eventually attain some level of mastery.¡±

    She cleared her throat. ¡°Well, I thought I was something special back then. Then I met Lisril. She was far from home, a bit older than me, maybe thirty at the time, had come to my mother¡¯s land as part of a posse, pursuing some criminal or other. I think it was a cattle thief. In any case, she had real talent. I can¡¯t describe it. It was like looking into the sun; you can¡¯t see the shape; all you see is a blinding brilliance.¡±

    She laughed. ¡°But why am I telling you about your own wife?¡± She shook her head. ¡°That was a formative moment for me; I began to realize how small my world was.¡±

    ¡°That night, I asked my mother to join the posse; I wanted to follow Lisril. She wasn¡¯t leading at that time, but she was the one I wanted to follow.¡±

    She fell silent then, gently rubbing his arm. ¡°I never stopped following her. We didn¡¯t really do anything of particular note as members of the posse; we were old enough that the expectation was we would participate, but only just. And I was perhaps young.¡±

    ¡°I never returned home,¡± she said. ¡°Lisril had determined she wished to fight on the frontiers, and I wrote to my mother and followed her.¡±

    ¡°We were too young for the legions, but we entered the academy, and by the time we graduated, she was a cavalry commander, and I, her lieutenant.¡±

    She smiled, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯m drifting from the topic now, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°Please, whatever you want to talk about.¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± she said pensively. ¡°Back to growing up. I rarely had time for play; my time was spent studying. Bladework, numbers and letters, the season for cattle driving, or instruction in scripture. I fear it¡¯s not a very interesting story.¡±

    He smiled and kissed her cheek, nuzzling his nose against her cheekbone. ¡°I think it¡¯s interesting.¡±

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    A hand fell upon his shoulder, and he looked up to see Lisril standing over them. ¡°Would it be alright if I joined you?¡±

    He turned to Serra; after all, it was her time.

    She nodded, and Lisril folded her legs beneath herself, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. Rosslln joined them a moment later, taking his other side. Even Eli joined them, sitting back to back with him, her head resting against his.

    He frowned. ¡°Serra-¡± But she shook her head.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just enjoy our family.¡±

    ¡°What were you talking about?¡± Rosslln asked.

    ¡°I wanted to know what it¡¯s like growing up here on Nyx.¡±

    The young girl frowned. ¡°Oh,¡± she said. ¡°Well, that must have been an interesting story.¡±

    He smoothed her hair; her childhood must have been tough.

    Eli shifted, laying her head on his shoulder, looking up at him through twin pools of amethyst. I spent my formative years learning about the Empire and training under Lisril.¡±

    He turned to Lisril, and she shrugged. ¡°I spent my youth in pursuit of the womanly arts, fencing, and bow craft.¡±

    Serra laughed. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s fortunate you found your passion early.¡±

    ¡°Fortunate indeed,¡± she scoffed. ¡°The Lady called me to this purpose; I could only answer.¡±

    He smiled, closing his eyes and listening to his women¡¯s banter. Their happy voices washed over his mind, he wasn¡¯t the cause of their joy, but that didn¡¯t matter. What mattered was their happiness.

    Dyrantisa were easy; of course, he hardly had to do anything. All they wanted was a bit of affection. Hell, he could relate.

    He was sure if he looked hard enough, he¡¯d find some poor neurotic lady who needed more. But it was clear that Lisril, despite being extraordinary, was hardly an outlier in terms of personality.

    ¡°Alex?¡± He opened his eyes to find Serra examining him. ¡°Are you tired?¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just thinking.¡±

    ¡°What about?¡±

    He smiled at her. ¡°Just how lucky I am.¡±

    She licked him. ¡°Charmer.¡±

    He squeezed her tight in his arms, her body warm and soothing. She squeezed back, grip almost painful. But he didn¡¯t mind.

    Another set of arms wrapped around each of his shoulders, and a third closed around his chest.

    He hardly knew where to turn. He kissed each of them, craning his neck to get Eli last.

    The Empress smiled at him. ¡°Well?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Well, what?¡±

    She giggled. ¡°You haven¡¯t given me an answer.¡±

    He laughed. ¡°I like you, Eli, but don¡¯t you think you¡¯re going a bit fast? We only met a couple days ago.¡±

    She gave him a look of utter confusion. ¡°So?¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°We don¡¯t really know each other.¡±

    She frowned. ¡°I knew your traditions were different, but if knowing someone is the bar by which fitness for matrimony is measured, then we¡¯re already infinitely more qualified than my parents. They were betrothed before they were weaned and married the day they met.¡±

    He matched her frown. ¡°Oh,¡± he said. ¡°Of course.¡± It made perfect sense, arranged marriages, marrying for political advantage, why wouldn¡¯t that be the norm here? Just because he¡¯d fallen in love with Lisril?

    She¡¯d even said it herself; marrying for love was rare on Nyx.

    Still, that left the question. ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you married?¡±

    She looked past him at Lisril. ¡°My mother died before she could make arrangements, and Lisril argued that circumstances being what they were, finding a competent husband was more important than a well-positioned husband. I think my Aunt came to regret leaving it until I was emancipated. But it turned out to be prescient. My matrimony will be better spent marrying into the political class of a great empire than solidifying an alliance with a minor queendom.¡±

    He laughed and shook his head. ¡°Eli, is that all you want?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked, ¡°what is marriage if not a partnership between man and woman? It only makes sense to build such a partnership from a commonality of purpose and mutual need.¡±

    He chewed his lip, struggling to find a rebuttal. He didn¡¯t like her reasoning, but that didn¡¯t mean she was wrong. It was just- so contrary to any ideal of romance.

    Then again, maybe romance was just an abstraction. A method of distracting from a cold reality. He twisted around, taking her hand. ¡°Can we court in the Earth way? At least for a little while?¡±

    She pursed her lips. ¡°How do you go about courtship on Earth? Should I send Lisril a letter requesting supervised visits?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± he laughed, ¡°why don¡¯t we go for a ride in the countryside? I could show you the sights on Earth you wanted to visit anyway, right?¡±

    She nodded slowly. ¡°I suppose I did. Very well, I¡¯ll speak to Lisril.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± he demanded, ¡°I¡¯m inviting you; I want to get to know you better. In fact, have someone pile up soil out in the courtyard; I¡¯m going to teach you to shoot.¡±

    She blinked in surprise. ¡°Alex?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need my wife¡¯s permission to have friends,¡± he said, ¡°and I already have her permission to pursue other women.¡±

    Lisril laughed. ¡°He¡¯s an independent one,¡± she said, ¡°and come to think of it, teaching you girls to shoot doesn¡¯t sound like a terrible idea. We will need a berm though, if you give me some women, I¡¯ll direct the construction; it will take a little time, especially in this season.¡±

    Serra shook her head. ¡°Then maybe it¡¯s not the right time, all things considered.¡±

    ¡°I want to learn,¡± Rosslln said.

    ¡°And that reminds me,¡± Lisril said, ¡°I still need to put those lumps on you.¡±

    The young woman made a face. ¡°Guess you do, huh?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t let her scare you too much,¡± Eli chuckled, ¡°she¡¯s more than fair.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Maybe I should go a couple of rounds with you and see if you still feel that way.¡±

    ¡°No, thank you.¡± Eli stuck her tongue out at the older woman. ¡°I¡¯m too old to let my old teacher humiliate me in front of the women.¡±

    Alex closed his eyes once more, dozing as his women resumed their play.

    He leaned back against Eli, laying his head on her shoulder.

    His women, despite his bluster, he did still think of them as his. Could he give that up? Could he break up such a happy family?

    Probably not, but being obstinate made him feel a bit more in control. He felt Eli shift behind him, and her cheek came to rest on his head.

    He sat back up, kissing Serra softly. ¡°Mind if I turn around and give Eli a turn?¡±

    She chuckled and slipped out of his lap, turning her back so he could untangle himself from their blanket and twisted around to face his Empress.

    He opened his arms to her, and she hesitated a moment before slipping into his embrace.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I was harsh,¡± he murmured. ¡°I do want to try; I like you, and you and Serra are important to Lisril. This is all new to me, though.¡±

    She swallowed. ¡°I¡¯ve been terribly inconsiderate.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± he shook his head. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean it that way. I try to- to fit into Dyrantisa expectations. But I¡¯m not very good at it, and sometimes I forget you ladies didn¡¯t grow up on Earth.¡±

    She caressed his cheek, shaking her head. ¡°You don¡¯t need to sound so abashed. I forgot that you were a man of a different country, also.¡±

    He hugged her tightly to him. ¡°Eli, I-¡±

    She shook her head and changed the subject. ¡°You ride? The countryside is beautiful in the winter, though; it seems an inopportune time.¡±

    ¡°Eli,¡± he said. ¡°I can¡¯t hide forever, and you¡¯re not likely to end this threat any time soon.¡±

    She closed her eyes, expression pained. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I failed to protect you.¡±

    ¡°None of that,¡± he said. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that, and I don¡¯t want to hear you bad-mouthing yourself.¡±

    He framed her face in his hands. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault; you can¡¯t protect me from everything; it would be insane for me to expect you to.¡±

    Her lips thinned, and she tightened her grip around him. Finally, she shook her head. ¡°We¡¯ll go early in the morning. Not tomorrow, but soon. I¡¯ll make arrangements.¡±

    He settled into her embrace, kissing her cheek. ¡°Eli?¡±

    ¡°Mm?¡± She rested her chin on his shoulder.

    ¡°Is it-¡± he lapsed into silence, his stomach twisting.

    ¡°Alex?¡± she asked, voice gentle, smoothing his hair. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    He swallowed the painful knot that had formed in his throat. ¡°Is it really just my position?¡±

    She frowned, examining him closely. ¡°I¡¯ve hurt you,¡± she said at last, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know how sensitive a subject it was.¡±

    His eyes fell; he didn¡¯t want to see her unhappy. But she wouldn¡¯t let him get away, delicate blue hands pulling his eyes back up to meet her expressive purple orbs.

    ¡°Of course it isn¡¯t,¡± she said. ¡°I couldn¡¯t consider you if your moral character weren¡¯t exceptional.¡±

    He shook his head, smiling ruefully. ¡°How do you know?¡±

    ¡°Lisril vouches for you.¡±

    He snorted, and Lisril jostled him with her elbow. ¡°I told you your wife¡¯s connections would work for you.¡±

    He chuckled and leaned over to kiss his wife. ¡°Thank you, Lisril.¡± He took and squeezed her hand. He really did owe her thanks.

    Any worries, any cultural friction, aside. Having these women around him, having their love and affection. It was paradise.

    He was afraid he would wake up at any moment and find the past two years had simply been a dream, that there was no Lisril, and his married life had all been a figment of a wishful imagination.

    He shivered as though to shake off the thought and kissed his wife¡¯s cheek. ¡°I¡¯m tired,¡± he said, ¡°I want to lay down with you.¡±

    Lisril smiled. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s time for bed then.¡±

    She stood, and Eli helped him to his feet. He took his young empress¡¯ hands and squeezed. ¡°Eli-¡±

    She shook her head, stepping close to him, placing a dainty lick on the tip of his nose. ¡°I¡¯ve overstepped,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Let¡¯s look forward to our ride.¡±

    He nodded, giving her hand a shake. ¡°I will, just the two of us?¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Eli said, ¡°we¡¯ll have to bring my guards, but they don¡¯t count.¡±

    He grinned. ¡°Good night Eli.¡±

    He pulled away from her, rejoining his burgeoning family and following Lisril out of the room.

    As they came into the hall, Serra caught his sleeve, tugging until he came around to face her. ¡°Alex¡­.¡±

    Her tone was worried; it seemed he¡¯d frightened her a bit about her status when he rebuffed Eli.

    He smiled brightly and seized her hands. ¡°I still need to meet your father! When are you going to introduce me?¡±

    She blinked, off-balance at the sudden shift in topic. ¡°Ah.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Soon, I¡¯ll find a time that¡¯s good for everyone, I promise.¡±

    He nodded and turned to Lisril. ¡°We should plan to visit with your parents again, too. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re worried.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll make arrangements,¡± she said. ¡°But for now, let¡¯s get you to bed.

    He nodded and wrapped an arm around Rosslln, pulling her close. ¡°I want you to think of things we can do together, too.¡±

    The young woman nodded, and Lisril took his other hand. ¡°Come on,¡± she sai. ¡°Enough stalling.¡±

 Ch 26

    Serra sat in silence, Iiandere across from her. She was pouring through records of heraldry.

    A bird of prey clutching a wheel, it didn¡¯t sound familiar, but she also wasn¡¯t an expert, and her records weren¡¯t complete. But one didn¡¯t trouble the heraldic council unless one had exhausted all other avenues.

    Still, the inquisitor didn¡¯t strictly need to be present. And having her watching was irritating. Serra couldn¡¯t tell her to piss off, though. Or she could; it would just cause problems.

    So she put up with it and swallowed the sigh that wanted to rise in her throat.

    It was Iiandere who broke the silence. ¡°Her Immenance has asked me to assess him.¡±

    Hardly surprising, of course, she would want to know more after yesterday¡¯s conversation. It was only sensible to employ Iiandere in that task, too; after all, she already had access.

    ¡°Why not the Captain?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t trust her opinion; she won¡¯t be honest with me.¡±

    Sera paused, dipped her pen into the inkpot, and made a note to follow up on a likely crest.

    ¡°And you expect me to betray my husband?¡± It didn¡¯t surprise her but still stung.

    ¡°I¡¯ve made the determination that given your temperament, you¡¯re more likely to provide a true accounting of his character.¡±

    Serra turned the page, examined the inventory, and changed the subject. ¡°Have you found anything relating to the family records I dug up?¡±

    Iiandere didn¡¯t answer immediately, and in the periphery of her vision, Serra observed the inquisitor examining her. Finally, the other woman spoke.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be interviewing the mother today. Then we¡¯ll know more. She¡¯s seen something, I¡¯m sure. It will just be a matter of securing her cooperation.¡±

    Serra nodded. ¡°Then let¡¯s hope she¡¯s amenable.¡±

    They lapsed back into silence, the still air stretching between them. There was really nothing to discuss.

    Yet Iiandere lingered, watching Serra work. Her presence was uncomfortable, and perhaps that was the point. Or maybe Serra had an overactive imagination.

    Finally, she set her work aside and turned to the inquisitor. ¡°Is there anything else I can help you with?¡±

    ¡°No, carry on.¡±

    She didn¡¯t get up, and Serra heaved a long-suffering sigh. She supposed they¡¯d just have to get into it. ¡°Iiandere-¡±

    ¡°Serra!¡± She looked up and found Alex approaching through the stacks.

    ¡°Alex?¡± She stood as he approached, and he threw his arms around her neck.

    ¡°I wanted to see you,¡± he said, ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°Of course not.¡± She squeezed him tight, his presence warm and comforting. ¡°You¡¯re always welcome.¡±

    She led him back to the table and sat him down. She would have liked a chance to warn him, but too late for that.

    Iiandere smiled faintly at him. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you again, sir.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re that inquisitor, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Iiandere said, ¡°I had intended to introduce myself properly the other day, but things ended up becoming complicated.¡±

    ¡°They did,¡± he said, ¡°didn¡¯t they? I guess I didn¡¯t help with that.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Iiandere agreed, ¡°you didn¡¯t, though it was an impressive display.¡±

    Serra¡¯s eyes widened at the barb, but he just laughed. ¡°You¡¯re a spicy one. I like it.¡±

    Iiandere flicked her ears dismissively. ¡°I see no reason to lie about it. You made an already complicated situation more so. You¡¯re a strange man; I find myself intrigued. Would you mind if I asked some questions?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯d be happy to.¡±

    He turned to Serra. ¡°Though, I had wanted to spend some time with Serra.

    She smiled at him and took his hands. She wanted to tell him to go back to Lisril and get a lesson in the perils of speaking to an inquisitor. Instead, she said, ¡°it¡¯s alright; we¡¯ll have time later.¡±

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    ¡°If you¡¯re sure,¡± he said, turning back to Iiandere, ¡°what would you like to know?¡±

    ¡°Well, as might befit my station, I find myself curious as to Dyrantoro religious practice.¡±

    He pursed his lips. ¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± he said, ¡°it¡¯s not the same everywhere, but most people in the federation are Protestant Christian.¡±

    ¡°Christian?¡±

    He paused. ¡°It¡¯s actually pretty similar to what you call the Word. At least, that¡¯s what I¡¯ve gathered from Lisril.¡±

    ¡°And Protestant would be the dominant denomination?¡±

    He opened his mouth, closed it, and blew a breath out between tightly sealed lips. ¡°Basically?¡±

    Iiandere raised a brow, and he shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s more complicated than that, but yeah, more or less.¡±

    Iiandere pursed her lips, seemingly ready to push him farther, but in the end, she simply gave an irritated twitch of her ears and said, ¡°this would be your denomination, then?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he said, ¡°ah, my mother raised me Catholic, but I guess you could call me a Deist.¡±

    ¡°A Deist?¡±

    ¡°I believe that the Lord is uninvolved in his creation.¡±

    Iiandere blinked and shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re an atheist?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± he seemed genuinely shocked, ¡°no, what? Don¡¯t put words in my mouth; of course, God is real; I¡¯m talking to the proof.¡±

    ¡°Beg pardon?¡±

    He huffed a sigh. ¡°Do you honestly think it could possibly be coincidental that we¡¯re sitting here having a mutually intelligible conversation?¡±

    It was the first time Serra had ever seen Iiandere at a loss for words; she found it more amusing than was perhaps appropriate.

    Alex pressed on. ¡°You Dyrantsia are impossible, you know. Natural processes don¡¯t adequately explain you. If you were the result of alien meddling, we¡¯d expect you to have some record of it.¡±

    ¡°Providence, then,¡± Iiandere said, regaining her composure, ¡°but that would seem to contradict the idea that the Lady is absent.¡±

    He frowned, shook his head. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s beyond the Lord God to set creation in motion as He pleases? That he needs His hand in all things to see His will carried out? No, I don¡¯t think so. The Lord is not like you or I, who need to keep a hand on the rudder to maintain a ship in its course. The currents carry us where He wills, and simply because He wills it.¡±

    It was bizarre watching a layman challenge the piety of an inquisitor and more than a little entertaining. Still, his ideas were more than unorthodox, and while his proximity to the Empress would probably protect him, it seemed prudent to change the subject.

    ¡°Alex,¡± she said, ¡°I¡¯d like to know more about your people. What¡¯s it like living in your country?¡±

    Iiandere shot a glare in her direction, but Alex just smiled. ¡°It depends on where you live,¡± he said, ¡°the canals of Dallas are different from the treehouses of Redwood. And of course, most people live in the Atlas towers, and moving around is cheap and easy, so some people never stop moving.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s an Atlas tower?¡± Iiandere asked, apparently curious despite herself.

    He scratched behind his ear. ¡°It¡¯s a tower supported by a medium inside its super-structure rather than the tensile strength of its materials.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Why build something like that?¡± He asked, and Iiandere nodded. ¡°You can get higher and bigger; we wouldn¡¯t be able to comfortably house our population otherwise. The ring is actively supported, too. Which reminds me, of course, we have the people living off-world, too.¡±

    ¡°But now I¡¯ve sat here telling you all the ways I can¡¯t give you any details. There are commonalities; there¡¯s no wilderness in the federation. All the land is managed and cultivated. There are no wild animals; we¡¯ve engineered them all to our purposes.¡±

    ¡°How have you managed that?¡± Iiandere asked.

    He shrugged. ¡°The same way you domesticate animals, only faster. We use genetic engineering to make a super fox, or spider, or whatever, whose traits benefit us, then release it into the wild, and the new breed takes over the niche in a couple generations.¡±

    ¡°Interesting, and to what practical purpose can a spider be put?¡±

    ¡°Managing flies, for one thing,¡± he said, ¡°but you can also engineer them to excrete substances other than silk. Concrete, for example, we have spiders that maintain our structures in good repair. You can get more exotic materials that way too, and use them for building.¡±

    ¡°Interesting,¡± Iiandere said, ¡°to set such a creature to a practical purpose. It sounds as though Earth teems with wonders.¡±

    ¡°Nyx too,¡± he said, ¡°if I have my way.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    He glanced between them, and his eyes lingered on Serra. ¡°The Lord has given us reason and a universe penetrable to it. Why wouldn¡¯t I want to share the fruits of our labor with my women?¡±

    Iiandere fixed him with a pensive gaze. ¡°You know,¡± she said at last, ¡°I think you might actually mean it.¡±

    ¡°Of course I do; I love my wife, I-¡± he paused, smiled at Serra, ¡°I love all my women.¡±

    She smiled at him, licked his cheek. She felt the same way. It had only been a few days, but already so much had changed. Her priorities had shifted, and she found what had been her whole life had become secondary.

    She squeezed him to her and reminded herself that he was being interrogated. ¡°Would you go and tell Lisril I¡¯m almost done here?¡±

    He nodded. ¡°Alright, but don¡¯t be long, okay?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll fly to your side,¡± she said, ¡°the moment I¡¯m able.¡±

    He smiled and kissed her cheek as he stood. ¡°See you soon.¡±

    He slipped away and left a cold void where he had sat.

    She turned and found Iiandere glaring at her.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± the inquisitor demanded.

    ¡°My womanly duty and nothing more.¡±

    ¡°Are you?¡± Iiandere scoffed, ¡°well, there¡¯s a first time for everything.¡±

    Serra¡¯s jaw clenched. ¡°That must be easy to say,¡± she said, ¡°with a personality so repulsive no man has ever willingly escorted you.¡±

    Iiandere blinked, visibly stunned, before regaining her composure. ¡°Well, at least you¡¯ve half the spine your man has. Maybe one day you¡¯ll manage a bit of valor.¡±

    Serra¡¯s looked away, fist clenched; in other circumstances, she might have issued a challenge. But at that moment, she wasn¡¯t at liberty.

    She searched for a moment for a retort, but when she looked up, the insult died in her throat. There, cold green eyes glittering with starlight was Alex.

    ¡°Hey,¡± he said, voice hard and stony. ¡°What¡¯s your problem?¡±

    Iiandere started, twisting around in her seat to face him.

    Her posture relaxed, and she said, ¡°what indeed?¡± She stood, pushing her chair in. ¡°Unfortunately, I have another engagement; you¡¯ll have to ask your fianc¨¦e.¡±

    The inquisitor strolled past him, and he turned as though to follow, but Serra jumped to her feet, catching him by the hand.

    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± she said, ¡°it¡¯s not worth it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is,¡± he said, tugging his hand out of hers and taking another step after the other woman.

    She caught him again. ¡°No, it isn¡¯t.¡±

    She rounded on her. ¡°Yes, you are.¡±

    She swallowed, looking away from him. ¡°I should explain.¡±

 27 Ch

    Alex walked hand in hand with Searra, following her back to their room. She was warm in the cold halls, and he stayed close as she led him past the guard and into the cozy warmth of the fire.

    She sat him in a soft, plush chair and went to the hearth to stoak the flames higher. She reached for a chain hanging from the fireplace, which worked a bellows built into its structure to feed the flames and bring them higher.

    She heaved a sigh, and after a pause, turned, a brave smile stubbornly stretched over her lips. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it then.¡±

    He nodded, scooting over and patting the chair next to him.

    She shook her head, giggling. ¡°There¡¯s not much room there.¡±

    He looked at the spot next to him, shrugged, and patted the vacated spot once more.

    ¡°Ridiculous!¡± she laughed. But she joined him anyway, squeezing onto the chair, nearly having to sit in his lap.

    Alex wrapped his arm around her shoulder. ¡°Okay,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s hear it.¡±

    Serra took a deep breath, sighing it out in a burst of air. ¡°I told you about meeting Lisril, following her. Well, I followed her all the way to the military academy. Our education isn¡¯t important; what matters is-¡± She shook her head. ¡°Lisril left the academy as a cavalry commander, I, her lieutenant, and we¡¯d picked up Iiandere.¡±

    ¡°The two of us were rivals, competing for glory and Lisril¡¯s attention, but it was an amicable rivalry. We were as much friends as competitors.¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    Serra paused, sucking on her lower lip. ¡°It was around the time Eli was born,¡± Serra said at last. ¡°We were engaged in a flanking maneuver around the side of an enemy force. The plan was that infantry would engage their front, and our cavalry would sweep them from the field. Only, the enemy wasn¡¯t in the field. Instead, we encountered them in the woods where we had meant to lay in wait.¡±

    ¡°It was a catastrophe.¡± She shook her head. ¡°The terrain was against us; the close trees hobbled our ability to maneuver ahorse, and our enemies were at no such disadvantage.¡±

    ¡°Lisril being- well, being Lisril, recognized the situation was intractable and ordered a general withdrawal. If we could get to open ground, we could at minimum escape.¡±

    She closed her eyes. ¡°I had liberty; Iiandere did not. She, and her unit, were surrounded. I-¡± Serra swallowed, ¡°I could have rendered aid, but-¡±

    She shook her head, and he took her hand, squeezed. ¡°I won¡¯t force you to talk about it.¡±

    ¡°No, I asked for this,¡± she said.

    She took another steadying breath and pressed on. ¡°I could have rendered aid. But I didn¡¯t want to risk my women. If I committed them, there was every possibility we would have become mired too.¡±

    She paused, and the sadness and shame on her face made his heart ache. ¡°I left her to die. I could have helped her, should have; we were sworn comrades. But I didn¡¯t; I abandoned her. She never forgave me.¡±

    ¡°So,¡± he said. ¡°How come she¡¯s still around, then?¡±

    ¡°Her unit was wiped out,¡± Serra said. ¡°But she was taken prisoner; a couple of months later, Lisril received a ransom demand. She- Iiandere is of common birth; her family couldn¡¯t pay the ransom, but Lisril could. She bought Iiandere¡¯s freedom, reunited us. But it was never the same.¡±

    ¡°Shortly after that, Iiandere retired in disgust, and I in disgrace. Lisril took a commission with the palace honor guard and eventually helped me find employment in the archives.¡±

    They lapsed into silence then. There it was, the whole shameful affair out in the open. They sat shoulder to shoulder, but the still air stretched between them; he tightened his grip on her, wishing he could somehow bring her closer.

    Finally, his arm tightened around her, pulling her to his breast. ¡°You did the right thing.¡±

    She stared at him, shocked. ¡°Alex?¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault; just a bad situation, and you made the right call.¡±

    She turned away from him, stared into the fire, lost in thought, or maybe memory. He could only guess what she was recalling. The chaos of battle, the smell of death, lost friends. The weapons changed, but violence didn¡¯t.

    ¡°I shamed myself, my commander, and my subordinates.¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s war, people die, sacrifices are made. Real shame would have been disobeying your orders, committing your people to a hopeless fight, maybe doubling your losses, and if you didn¡¯t die then and there, earning yourself a firing squad, or noose, or however you do it on Nyx.¡±

    ¡°She was my friend!¡±

    ¡°She was a soldier,¡± he said coldly. ¡°She knew what she signed up for.¡±

    Serra squeezed her eyes shut, turning her face away from him. ¡°I wish I could be so certain.¡±

    He didn¡¯t really know what to say to that. There probably wasn¡¯t really an answer; he couldn¡¯t make Iiandere forgive her, couldn¡¯t make her forgive herself.

    He kissed her cheek, squeezed her tightly to him. She turned, looking up at him through wet eyes. ¡°You¡¯re so kind,¡± she murmured. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    She buried her face in his shoulder, and he brought his hand up to rest on her head, running his fingers through long, raven hair. ¡°I wish there was more I could do.¡±

    She shifted, shaking her head.

    ¡°Alex?¡± she asked after a moment.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve- you¡¯ve been comforting Rosslln. Would you-¡±

    She buried herself deeper into the crook of his neck, trying to hide from her own words, but he cupped her cheek, drew her from her burrow, and pressed his lips to hers.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go to bed,¡± he murmured.

    He stood, pulling her to his feet and into his arms. One hand wrapped around her back, exploring the defined muscles beneath her gown; the other went to hers, placing them on his hips, encouraging her.

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    She tentatively licked his cheek, and he responded with a deep, passionate kiss. ¡°You should have told me sooner if you needed this.¡±

    He led her to the bed and pulled her gown over her head. He admired her vibrant, smooth, pink skin, and reached up to caress her cheek, his hand wandering down her arm and coming to rest on her hips, pulling her against him. ¡°Beautiful,¡± he whispered.

    Her arms wrapped around his shoulders and crushed him to her breasts, pulling him down into the bed. She pushed his jacket off his shoulders and eagerly unbuttoned his shirt, pressed her fingers to his bare flesh, leaned forward to lap at his jaw.

    She trailed her fingers down, tracing the lines of muscle to his slacks, struggled with his buttons a moment before finally freeing him and leaning back to take in his nudity, eyes sliding up and down his body, and licked her lips.

    He grinned down at her and slipped a hand between her legs, his other sliding over the taut flesh of her stomach. She gasped as his fingers probed her lower lips.

    He ran his fingers up and down her slit, his other hand cupped one heavy breast, thumb circling the stiff nub at its cap. Her hips jerked, and he pushed one finger and then another into her, wiggling his digits, and found no obstruction to his intrusion.

    He smirked and nibbled on her lip, tugging playfully with his teeth. ¡°Has my surgeon been naughty?¡±

    She tangled her hands in his hair, bathing his face. ¡°You¡¯re my first man,¡± she murmured.

    He grinned; it wasn¡¯t impossible, and either way, it didn¡¯t matter. He pressed a quick kiss to her nose and curled his fingers, causing her to jerk beneath him.

    ¡°Ready?¡±

    She nodded, casting her eyes down past the heaving mounds of her breasts to the junction of her legs, where he aligned himself with her entrance.

    She closed her eyes, heaving an involuntary sigh as he eased himself into her clenching channel. He hilted himself without resistance and gave her a moment to adjust to the intrusion before easing himself back and hilting himself again in shallow thrusts.

    Her arms wrapped around him, one hand resting in the small of his back, the other clutching his bottom, pulling him into her, urging him on.

    He increased his pace and deepened his strokes, taking a breast in each hand and closing his fingers around her nipples. She gasped and released the breath as a long ragged moan, her legs coming up to close around his.

    Her hands returned to his head, tangling in his hair, and she pulled him into a slow, passionate kiss as her hips began bucking up to meet his thrusts.

    He felt the building tension in his core. He increased his pace, reaching down to roll the little button at the juncture of her legs between his thumb and forefinger, sending her tumbling over the edge, her climax triggering his own. He buried himself inside her, collapsing atop his lover, nuzzling his cheek against hers.

    They laid together like that for a long moment before a low, husky chuckle broke them from their reverie.

    They looked up and found Lisril standing by the door, smirking at them. ¡°I was wondering where you¡¯d gotten to when I found you weren¡¯t in the archives,¡± she purred, ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you were safe with Serra.¡±

    She sauntered toward the bed, shedding her clothes until she stood before them in her skintight silver armor. She looked down at him through lidded eyes. ¡°Would you like to help me get a bit more comfortable?¡±

    Alex looked up at her lush curves, almost more alluring for being covered, and licked his lips.

    He stood, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her to his chest. ¡°Is my wife in need?¡± he murmured, pulling the zipper on her back down and slipping the tightly fitting garment off her shoulders and down past her waist.

    She kicked it away, took him by the shoulders, and pushed him down into the bed. She stood over him, hands on hips, displaying her tight, perfectly defined musculature; crossing her arms under the heaving shelf of her breasts, she crooked a finger at Serra. ¡°Come here,¡± she said, ¡°I¡¯ll show you how to really get our man ready for some fun.¡±

    Serra slipped out of bed, and Lisril wrapped her arms around her, pulling her into a tight embrace, their breasts crushed together. Lisril leaned forward, whispering in her friend¡¯s ear; they glanced at him in unison, Serra blushing furiously.

    ¡°I don¡¯t-¡±

    ¡°He¡¯ll love it.¡± Lisril pulled her friend down to her knees in front of him; the display and anticipation of Lisril¡¯s clear intent immediately reenergized his flagging shaft, and she grinned up at him. ¡°See now,¡± Lisril said, ¡°he likes what he sees.¡±

    She leaned forward and smoothly swallowed him to the base. She pressed her nose to his pelvis for a moment before pulling back, taking him into her hand, and gently stroked him, offering his rod to Serra.¡±

    She swallowed. ¡°I don¡¯t know, it seems sort of-¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to?¡± Lisril feigned a pout. ¡°But you¡¯ll love it when he returns the favor.¡±

    ¡°When he¡­¡± Serra trailed off, looking up at him, ¡°when he-¡±

    ¡°Go on,¡± Lisril whispered loudly, ¡°he¡¯ll love showing you the benefits.¡±

    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Serra stood and slipped onto the bed. As she did, Lisril wrapped her breasts around his shaft, licking the tip poking from the valley of her cleavage. He admired the view a moment before Serra straddled his chest.

    He grinned up at her, took her by the hips, and guided her to his mouth. He kissed her outer lips, traced them with his tongue, and dove in.

    He buried his tongue inside her, tasting the salty, tangy mix of their sex. Serra bucked against his face, her hands closing around his head; she threw her head back in a long moan, grinding her clit against his nose.

    Beneath them, Liril massaged his shaft between her breasts, swirling her tongue around his glans on every downstroke.

    Serra¡¯s muscular thighs clenched around his head, and his hands came up, fingers sinking into her smooth, pliable flesh. He eased back, teasing her entrance before diving back in.

    He slid his hands up her thighs, caressing her stomach and reaching up to massage her breasts.

    Between his legs, Lisril had begun taking him more deeply, and he could feel his climax stirring in his core.

    He gave Serra a long, deep lick, drawing his tongue out of her and circling it around her clit. She tensed, fingers clenching in his hair, legs squeezing tight around him, and let loose a long ragged moan.

    She went slack and rolled off to the side, eyes glazed, chest heaving a moment later, his hips jerked, and Lisril pulled back, allowing him to release himself across her face and breasts.

    He collapsed back onto the bed, spent, craning his neck; he looked down his body to see Lisril smirking up at him, the image of her flushed and painted with his seed almost enough to inspire one more show of vigor.

    She licked her lips and crawled her way up the bed, pinning a still panting Serra and leaning forward to whisper in her ear.

    Serra, blushing purple, captured his eyes with hers and silently leaned forward to lick her friend clean.

    His cock twitched, and he groaned in frustration or need he didn¡¯t know. ¡°You two are gonna kill me.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± a newly clean Lisril cooed, ¡°is my poor man tired?¡± She threw a leg over him, gently taking hold of his sensitive rod. ¡°Let me take care of you.¡±

    She guided him into her tight, wet, folds and set a slow, gentle pace.¡±

    She leaned down, practically pressing her lips to his ear. ¡°Imagine,¡± she murmured, tongue flicking over his earlobe, ¡°all your women working together. Eli and I sharing your cock, giving Serra pleasure. And Rosslln.¡± She chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ve heard the filthy things that little slip of a woman whispers in your ear before bed, and I know you like it.¡±

    He jerked inside her, eliciting a giggle and a moan, but she kept her pace slow, deliberate.

    ¡°You play dirty,¡± he gasped.

    She grinned at him. ¡°My husband deserves the best, and I aim to provide.¡±

    He wrapped her up in a tight hug, kissing her. ¡°I already have it.¡±

    She smiled and increased her pace. She reared up, pressing her fingers into his chest, and began riding him in earnest, bouncing enthusiastically in his lap. He reached up, hands sliding up her hips, pausing to massage the sensitive flesh of her breasts and then up to her shoulders and down, taking her hands in his.

    Their fingers entwined, and she pulled his hands up to her chest, over her heart.

    She squeezed her eyes shut, her tight channel clenching around him, and ground her hips against his. He gasped, the sudden friction pushing him past his own peak, and collapsed back, eyes closed, panting and gasping for breath.

    Lsiril¡¯s weight settled on top of him, and he opened his eyes to find her smiling down at him. She gently bathed his face in small, light licks. ¡°That was amazing,¡± she murmured.

    Serra¡¯s wound her arms around one of his, pulling herself against his side, breast pressing into his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of such a vigorous man.¡±

    He laughed. ¡°Well, you ladies certainly helped.¡± He gave Serra a side-eyed smile. ¡°Your first man, huh?¡±

    She and Lisril shared a long look, ¡°women don¡¯t count,¡± she said at last.

    Alex laughed, and lisril licked his cheek. ¡°You know, I¡¯m happy to see the two of you making progress, but I am curious, what brought this on?¡±

    He glanced at Serra, bit his lip. He had a feeling she wouldn¡¯t want him airing her troubles.

    Lisril reared up onto her knees. ¡°What?¡± she demanded. She turned her gaze to Serra. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Serra said, ¡°Captain.¡±

    Lisril¡¯s eyes widened, narrowed, her fists clenched, and she leapt from the bed. ¡°Lisril!¡± he cried, scrambling to his feet.

    She snatched Serra¡¯s gown from the floor and threw it over her head. ¡°Stay here.¡± And with the force of a storm swept out of the room.