by Rachel Ford
Kaya cut large slices for all of us, and Mags poured out steaming cups of coffee. I was determined, at so much hospitality, to love this cake no matter how it tasted. It was an endeavor that required no effort, though.
The cake itself was rich and golden, flavorful but not heavy. Slices of some kind of Kudarian plum were scattered throughout, injecting little bursts of sweet and tart into every bite. The icing was made with plum juice, and it was a tangy blend that capitalized on the fruit’s natural flavor and the confectioner sugar’s sweetness.
“Oh my god,” I said. Somehow, I’d made my way through an entire slice. “That was heavenly.”
“Try it with coffee,” Kaya urged.
My cup sat untouched. I groaned. “I can’t eat another bite, Kaya.”
She ignored my protestations, loading another giant slice onto my plate. “Just try a little, this time with coffee.”
I did not try a little. I worked my way through the entire piece, and downed not one but two cups of coffee. “I’m not going to be able to move,” I moaned.
Maggie laughed at me. She had shown more restraint, with the cake anyway. She was on her third cup of coffee.
“Don’t laugh too hard,” I warned. “You’re going to be running to the first bathroom we find.”
Kaya got a box for us for the rest of the cake, and positively refused to take any, despite our protestations that she should. “This was for you,” she said. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Katherine and Magdalene. Perhaps I’ll see you here sometime. I come here for tea on Saturdays – me and a group of my friends. We get here around ten or so. I’d love to introduce you – if you’re free, that is.”
Promising that we would do our best to make it, though our schedules were not yet fixed, we took our leave.
“I have literally never eaten so much at one time in my life,” I said as we left Mother Ikyel’s, cake in tow, “as these last two days.”
Maggie laughed again, wrapping an arm around me. “Me either, babe. But, I have to say, that was one hell of a cake.”
“Yeah,” I nodded. “Hopefully the Inkayas like it.”
“Why?”
“So I won’t be tempted to have another piece.”
“Sound plan: fatten our friends instead of ourselves.”
“Exactly,” I grinned.
“Speaking of,” she said. “Let’s go see if we can find said friends. They’re supposed to be getting back to the car soon.”
Frank, F’riya and Ger were waiting for us when we arrived. F’rok arrived a few minutes later at a quick walk, a little flushed with the exercise. “Sorry,” he said, “we kind of lost track of time. J’kar had an idea for the paper we’re writing next semester.”
“We were just eating plum cake anyway,” F’riya shrugged. The Inkayas’ eyes had lit up at the sight of the cake, and they’d dug in with little urging.
“Oh.” He nodded. “Any left?”
“Not much,” Frank grinned. “But we saved some for you and the Brityas.”
F’rok took his piece, and then we stashed the box out of sight. “So,” F’riya explained, “it survives the trip home.”
“So,” Frank asked, “other than discovering plum cake, what’d you two do?”
“A little shopping,” I said. “I found a new perfume.”
I showed off my acquisition, and F’riya nodded appreciatively. “I love that one.”
“And I,” Maggie said, briefly displaying a collection of Kudarian good luck charms before tucking them back into her bag, “got these for the crew.”
“Ah, magla’kar,” Frank nodded. “Did you get me one?”
“Maybe,” she shrugged. “You’ll have to wait and see.”
“Or I can just bribe Kay to tell me.”
“You could,” I said, “if I hadn’t been distracted by the water dragon vendor. I don’t even know what she got me.”
Frank sighed. “Well played, Magdalene. Well played.”
She grinned, and I shrugged, producing a giftwrapped box. “It’s alright. Because I haven’t decided when I’m giving her this.”
Mags’ grin broadened. “Bribery, eh? I’m disappointed you think that would work on me, Katherine.”
F’rok was watching us with a curious expression. “So,” he said in a moment, “did you do anything else?”
“Just shopping,” I said. “And going to the cake place.”
“Ah. Hey, about the trip to South Kudar…”
“Yeah,” Frank nodded. “Let’s talk about that. We need to keep it hush-hush.”
“What?”
“If we talk about it around the cousins…”
“Oh.” F’riya’s nose wrinkled and Ger grimaced. “Then F’vir will want to go.”
“Exactly. I’ll tell mother,” Frank said. “So she won’t be surprised. But I’ll tell her to keep it quiet.”
“We can leave after temple services,” Ger suggested. “We can all get into one car. Even if F’vir notices, it’ll be too late to do anything about it.”
“Good idea. We can even ask mom to have him ride with them.”
There was something deeply amusing about the seriousness of their tones and expressions, and I had to fight the urge to laugh. It was like sitting in Maggie’s ready room, planning one of our dicier missions. Only the problem those furrowed foreheads and considered tones were in aid of was nothing more serious than distracting a creepy second cousin.
“You think she’ll do it?” Frank wondered.
“I think so. She knows I won’t want to spend a week with him,” F’riya nodded. “She knows Magdalene and Kay won’t either. Especially not after how handsy he got with cousin B’tir’s wife last feast day.”
“I’m surprised no one’s broken this guy’s jaw yet,” Maggie mused. “Or his hands, at least.”
“Hey,” F’rok said, “you guys wouldn’t mind if I brought a friend, right?”
“What?”
“Well, uh, J’kar and I have a lot of work to do on that project. It’d give us time to focus.”
Frank laughed. “That’s your idea of a vacation, eh?”
F’rok’s cheeks pinked. “Never mind. It’s not a big deal.”
“Bring him,” Frank said. “By all means. The more the merrier. Just – you got to pull your nose out of the books a little bit, okay?”
The younger Inkaya brother grinned. “Fair enough.”
Chapter Twenty-One
We dropped Ger and the remaining cake off at the Britya estate. I’d been wrapped up in the excitement of the morning, and had only caught fleeting glimpses of the place the first time we arrived. Now, though, the day had caught up to me – the day, and way too much cake – and I was a bit more subdued. I studied the grounds and house as we approached.
It was a good farm, I saw, with solid acreage. Compared to the endless rolling hills of the Inkaya estate, it was not much. But they had a good hundred acres, and a pretty house too. On Earth, where land came at a premium, such a piece of property would have been worth a fortune.
Of course, on Kudar the plain, rough-stone, single story dwelling with its whitewashed shutters and small courtyard was held in a different light. It was quaint and tidy, but seemed a peasant’s cottage next to the palatial Inkaya home.
It was, I supposed, just well-maintained enough to earn the Brityas a place at the table as respected neighbors, and just humble enough to ensure that the respect didn’t extend too far.
Ger invited us in for tea, and his mother practically force-fed us tea cakes. I remembered Frank’s warning that every offered food must be tried and praised, but despite it being very good cake, I was unable to do more than sample and speak.
It sufficed, though, and after having an account of our day, eliciting a vow that we’d visit again soon, and loading us with a basket full of cakes for Frank’s parents, we were allowed on our way.
This was only the setup for our next ordeal, though. We arrived shortly before dinnertime, and R’ia sent us upstairs to cha
nge. “It’ll be served soon,” she said. “Go, you can’t be late. We have company.”
“I’m not going to survive another meal,” I groaned to Frank as we ascended the stairs. “Your mother’s going to kill me.”
“I have full faith in you, Katherine,” he smirked. He turned to Maggie. “We both do. Don’t we, sweetest?”
She rolled her eyes. “Keep that up,” she teased, “and you’ll be in the car with F’vir.”
He laughed and bid us farewell on the landing. “See you in five.”
“Hey,” I said to Maggie as we headed back to our own rooms.
She flashed me a smile. “Hey.”
“Here.” I fished through my bag until I found her gift. “This is for you, babe.”
“I thought you were going to try to bribe me with that.”
“I was.” I smiled back. “But I wanted you to have it now more than I wanted to torture you. So…” I shrugged. “You can see the dilemma.”
She took the box, letting her fingers linger on mine. “I can. Thank you, Kay.”
“Of course.” I turned to my room. “See you, Mags.”
As predicted, dinner was a painful affair precisely because everything was so incredibly good. That, and creepy cousin F’vir got to choose his own seat – and chose one right next to me.
“So I guess you got that tour of Kriar after all,” he said, hints of reproach just scratching the surface of an otherwise jovial tone.
“Oh, yeah,” I acknowledged. “Frank took us to see some of his favorite spots.”
“Hm. Well, he hasn’t been on planet in years now. Kriar’s changed a lot.”
“Really?” I asked. “Because we visited homes that had been there for thousands of years. I got the impression Kriar valued permanence and tradition, not change.”
For half a moment, the comment flummoxed him. Then, he shrugged. “Sure. But that’s a different kind of change. I’m talking about mood, the flavor of the city.”
It didn’t get better from there. More than once, I had to plead ignorance, and punt on his questions. I didn’t know what my schedule was; Maggie and Frank were figuring that out; I was just along for the ride.
I hated to put her in the hotseat, but for the time being, it was the best option I had. F’vir didn’t have access to her, but he did me. Changing his focus meant a reprieve for me, and hopefully I’d have a chance to warn her before he pounced.
There was a silver lining among all the rest though. And that was Maggie. She’d come down wearing a pair of chandelier earrings hung with green gems that matched her eyes exactly: the pair I’d picked out earlier today, and given to her before we changed. Her hair was wrapped up in a stylish updo, little clusters of curls peeking out here and there. She was breathtaking.
And every once in a while, I’d feel her eyes on me; and I’d glance up, our eyes would meet, and for a perfect moment in time, there’d be no one else in the world but us. Not even Frank, with his good-natured jokes; or F’riya and F’rok, staring pensively into their plates; not R’ia and Vre, feigning joy they didn’t feel; and certainly not creepy F’vir, earnestly refusing every hint I dropped. It was just me and her, just the love in her eyes and the fluttering of my heart.
I couldn’t imagine being happier than I was with those brief, stolen glances. I’d probably never understand how someone like Maggie – my extraordinary, incredible Maggie – could have fallen for someone like me. But the tenderness in her gaze, the soft smile that would tug at the corners of her lips when our eyes met, left no doubt that she had.
This, in turn, gave rise to a whole new set of complications. The more I thought of Mags, the less interested I was in maintaining a façade of politeness with F’vir. The less interested I was with chit-chat in general.
All I wanted was for the meal to end so I could get her to myself, so I could spend the rest of the night letting my touch, my kiss, my body take over from where the words and glances of the day had led us.
It was slow going, but, at last, the meal ended. Our after dinner conversation ended. And, mercifully, we headed off to our rooms. Maggie whispered, “I’ll see you soon,” as we parted ways. I knew she’d wait a few minutes – just long enough to ensure that no one was out and about – before coming to my room.
She did, and I took the time to brush my teeth and freshen up. Finally, her gentle knock sounded. I practically flew to the door, drawing her inside and wrapping her in a breathless kiss. “Finally,” I said, pulling away long enough to lock the door after us. I drew her toward me again, and this time felt her arms circle me too. “God, I hate this pretense, this sneaking around.” I kissed at her neck, below her ear. “I want you…”
“Kay,” she said, “wait.”
I stopped, my eyes raising to meet hers. Waiting was the last thing on my mind right now. I wanted her so badly. I ached to make her mine. But there was a serious look in her eyes, stronger than the amorous one. “What is it, babe?”
“I need to…” She straightened up, releasing me from her embrace. “That is, I want to talk.”
“Oh.” I felt a sudden thudding in my chest, like an alarm ringing. “What’s wrong, Mags?”
“Wrong?” Her expression morphed to one of contrition. “No, love, it’s not – I didn’t mean it to sound like that. It’s not bad. It’s good. I hope it’s good, anyway.” She was confused, flustered; nervous.
Maggie was never nervous. That, more than anything, surprised me. I reached out a hand to her arm. “What is it, Mags? Whatever it is, you can tell me.”
She searched my face for a moment. “I love you, Kay.”
I smiled, confused by her anxiety but moved by the words and the warmth behind them. “I love you too, Mags. You know that.”
She nodded. “I do. And I know my timing’s shit. I was going to wait until we were back on the Black Flag. But…” She shook her head. “I can’t wait.”
“Wait for what?” The warning bells were back. What was she was talking about? What was this that couldn’t wait?
Maggie dropped to one knee, taking my hand in hers. “Kay Ellis, will you marry me?”
I stood, stunned into silence for several seconds. It wasn’t until she spoke my name again that I stirred.
“Kay?”
“Mags,” I said, “are you…serious?”
She nodded. “I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Katherine.”
I felt my eyes well, and I knelt beside her. “Oh Maggie,” I said. “I love you so much. Of course I’ll marry you.”
The apprehension melted out of her features, and she wrapped me in her arms, drawing me toward her. Her eyes were dark in the evening light, and full of affection. Then, very suddenly, her cheeks flushed, and she exclaimed, “Oh!” She drew one hand from me, reaching back into a pocket. “I forgot the ring.”
She was crimson to the roots of her hair as she fumbled with the little band, and despite myself I laughed, pulling her toward me and covering her face in kisses. Her cheeks burned against my lips, and she began to laugh too.
“I’m not very good at this, I guess.”
“You’re perfect, baby,” I told her, pausing to look her in the eyes. “Absolutely perfect.”
She flushed a little deeper, and took my hand in hers. “You’re the only person alive who could love me enough to believe something so utterly, beautifully untrue,” she told me with a grin.
I smiled too and watched as she slipped a diamond onto my ring finger. “Are you sure about this, though, Mags?” I couldn’t help but remember that it had only been a few weeks ago that my declaration of love had stunned her. “This isn’t moving too fast for you?”
She shook her head. “I love you, Katherine. And when I realized that…I realized I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you.” Her brow creased. “But, if it’s too fast for you-”
“No,” I shook my head adamantly. “I just…want you to be sure you’re ready.” I ran my fingers along her cheek, brushing away an errant curl.
It sprang back as soon as I’d removed it, determined and unchangeable. Like her. I smiled. “Because I love you, so, so much.”
“I’m sure, Kay. I’ve been sure since that day on the Black Flag, when you told me you loved me.”
“You have?”
She nodded, caressing my cheek. “Now,” she said in a moment, smiling impishly, “I think I interrupted you, right after I came in.”
I grinned, pushing to my feet. “As a matter of fact,” I said, pulling her up with me, “you did. Now, where were we?”
“You were telling me you hated the pretense.” Her voice was low and husky and hot against my skin, and I shivered with desire at the sound and feel of it. “Tired of sneaking around.”
“That’s right,” I said, boldly slipping my hands under her shirt and lifting it over her head. She moved her arms with the shirt, watching me with eyes that were at once patient and yearning. I traced my fingers up the small of her back until I reached her bra clasp, and she shivered at my touch. “I was going to say, tonight, Magdalene Landon, you’re all mine.”
“Alright,” she said, lifting her fingers to my chin. “On one condition.”
“Oh?” I moved closer to her, unfastening the bra. “And what’s that?”
She leaned in to kiss me, parting my lips with her tongue and running a hand down my back. My skin danced at her touch, and I melted into her kiss. “That you’re all mine too.”
“Deal.”
“Alright then.” She trailed a line of kisses from my ear to my clavicle. “We’ve got a deal.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Maggie didn’t set her alarm early like she’d done the night before. We woke about half an hour before we were expected downstairs for breakfast. She kissed me on the forehead, holding me close. “Good morning, my beautiful wife-to-be.”
I nestled into her embrace. The truth was, I could have stayed there all day, wrapped in those arms, listening to the steady beat of her heart.
