Daughter of Ethos: Price of Power Book 3

by L M Lacee

  Melody told them softly. ‘Others are too, but are too scared to find their bonded.’

  Rave shook his head. No, it is not our way.

  Fanharr’s quiet voice that carried so much weight said. This is the problem, is it not, we are not the same. We never were. Our lives have changed, but we have not changed from the old way of thinking. We live in a new culture, are part of a new world, but we still retain the old ways… their beliefs, not ours. This is what you refer to Chef Helen, this is our blame, our fault?

  ‘It is exactly.’

  You would have us change our ways, our natures and our tradition. Rage asked Helen as he looked at the Melody, Hawk and Peyton. I do not understand.

  Peyton said. ‘That brings up a point I have been meaning to make, there has to be change, we have to embrace the changes that are happening for all of us but so far the only ones to embrace our new way of life are the Terrans. See, we even call ourselves another name, and yet the Turqualls still live like they did before they came to Maikonia. Today the bonding between Bacon and Melody shows it is possible at any age. Darby and Honor have been bonded since they first met but you have not acknowledged it and sadly I have allowed you to not confront what is obvious. This will stop from today, bonding is a fact. We all know this, Fanharr knows this and both you males know this. I will not tell you how you should change. I will just ask that you embrace the new life you wanted, but I would like you to think about this, change your name become what you are destined to be what you are evolving into.’

  What would this be? Rage asked her.

  ‘Maikonia Prowlers, a whole new species of Turqualls, unique to yourselves, take a look at your pride and see what I see. They are desperate for their own identity, their own traditions. If as Melody says there are others out there going without their bonded. How can that be better… how is that even natural?’

  Suddenly her voice took on the song of the Stars. Maikonia Prowlers. Your Star Daughter says truth, many yentas ago bonding’s took place at all ages. There were no restrictions. That supposed fact was a Turquall invention. The Tuarillians consisted of many differing prides which have been forgotten except in you. Your unique coloring denotes prides long past. Explore your heritage, ask Klune Solverea for the true histories of the Tuarillians, your ancestors, and read why you exist at all.

  Rage bowed his head. We will do as you say, Star Child.

  Rave said to Melody. I am unsure what to think, we would still like to train him. He is still only a kit.

  Melody smiled as she said. ‘Of course you must train him. While you are looking into your past think about this, the bonding would not have occurred if it was not meant to happen, and I swear he will never be used against his or your will. No one will ever hurt or abuse him, he is mine now.’

  Got it, Isa found it. Bacon bounded back into the room with a huge bag of something held in his teeth. Chef Helen wasa gooder hider, he told Melody who told Helen, she ruffled the young Prowlers head, as she told him. ‘Next time will be better.’

  Bacon almost passed out with excitement and shyly said. There will be next time. I lub Chef Helen.

  Melody told Helen what he said, instantly she hugged him saying. ‘Good, I love you too, Bacon. Get permission to enter my kitchen, and we will get on well.’

  Bacon ducked his head. My Melody, may I gosa share with me frinds?

  ‘You may, you know where I am quartered.’

  I do, yoos, can never hide from me, my Melody.

  ‘I don’t want to, but it is good to know.’

  He bounded off as Rave looked after him. He is happy, more than he has ever been.

  Melody asked. ‘Did he really drop out of a tree on you?’

  Rave laughed. He did. I had forgotten that he told you?

  ‘Yes, when he said his pride banished him.’

  Rage told them. They did more than that, they almost killed him because he is different.

  Rave rumbled. If I remember, he lost his grip on the limb, and fell on my back. I thought he was dead until he looked up at me and said, I fink I fell.

  Rage chuffed a laugh. He told Fanharr she smelled nice.

  They all smiled at the memory, Fanharr said. He has always been a sweet kit but lonely, as though something was missing. I thought it was his pride. Now I see it was you Commander Melody, his bonded.

  ‘Please call me Melody, we are family now and I thank you, he fills a gap in my life I never knew I had.’

  Helen asked Fanharr. ‘When will he be able to speak to everyone?’

  He can now, he is selective, do not be offended, kits take time to overcome their natural shyness, we are not sure why?

  ‘I am not, I think I understand, it probably makes them feel safe.’

  Melody frowned. ‘I think that bonding helps, the security they are missing now will be filled with the bonding to another and then they won’t be so alone, which must be frightening for them.’

  Perhaps that is true. Rage agreed, then he said. Please excuse us, we have much to discuss and we must visit Lord Harm to comm with the spy master. It seems our education is lacking.

  Rave bowed his head to Peyton and Melody. I am sorry for my suspicions he is dearle to me as all the young are, we protect maybe too much, if they are frightened to come to us about bonding?

  Peyton said. ‘Maybe hold a meeting with your Pride and have Fanharr explain what you find out and about Bacon and Melody as well as Darby and Honor, she has a weightier, sweeter nature. You guys probably scare the tuap out of them.’

  They looked at each other, then Fanharr who smiled and flicked her tail. This is true.

  Rave said. Chef Helen, I apologize for my words and behavior.

  ‘Rave I thank you and I do understand your worry.’ As soon as Helen finished speaking, the three Turquall sharply left.

  Hawk, who had remained silent, said now. ‘A shock for them, I think. Peyton, we your Warriors are not doing as you and your people have done.’

  ‘Please Hawk our people, we are all ours, we all have to compromise and change, find our way in our new world.’

  ‘Maybe it is time the warriors did as well.’ He admitted with a sigh, ‘So how do we do this?’

  Helen smiled. ‘Talk to Netta she has been doing a little survey.’ At his baffled look, she explained. ‘Asking questions. I bet she has all the information you will need.’

  Melody said. ‘I wonder why she is doing that.’

  All eyes turned to Peyton who tried to look innocent as she said. ‘Because it is time, and I asked her too.’

  Melody smiled as she asked. ‘Was this a spur-of-the-moment decision?’

  ‘No, something I have been thinking about for a little while now.’

  ‘It is a good idea.’

  Peyton inclined her head, then Melody said to Hawk. ‘I see no concerns about how we go about this. It is a matter of talking with the females that were in Earth’s armee and your Warriors, as well as Harm and Rage, we will talk to Netta?’

  Hawk rubbed his face. ‘And what do I tell my brothers, the Elites when we find them?’

  ‘You tell them that Maikonia is a new world with a new growing society that is based around its military. We need to be cohesive and to do that, we need to be one armee with one society. They will get it and if they don’t, we will get the Star Child to explain it.’ Peyton said with a smile.

  ‘Or Esther.’ Helen said with lifted eyebrows, Melody whistled. ‘Wow, you two are mean.’

  Hawk stood grinning. ‘How do you do that? Take me from the impossible to the possible and make me laugh at the same time. Melody let us go track down Netta and discuss this new armee.’

  After they had left Helen looked at Peyton. ‘That went well.’

  ‘Better than I thought, so fingers crossed for the meeting.’

  ‘Oh, I have no doubt she’s toast.’

  ‘I have no idea what toast has to do with the female but now you mention it.’

  Helen snorted and shook her head. ‘Serious
ly, it is just a saying my mother said on occasion.’

  ‘Oh, so it has nothing to do with actual toast?’

  ‘No, was that a hint?’

  ‘Only if it comes with coffee.’

  ‘Of course it will.’

  Peyton tapped the table as she said. ‘And, an explanation for the saying. I may need to use that at some time in the future to annoy Darby or one of the others.’

  ‘Dearle stars.’

  The second Emissary came three hours later and politely asked to speak to someone in authority. Kerol arrived fifteen mins after Hue comm’d him. He and Iaan had relieved Sarn and Kent.

  Walking from the shuttle, Kerol noted the tall female with pink and brown hair, standing with Hue and Iaan. She was, he noticed, wearing shoes without heels, as well as an expression between disdain and annoyance, which changed to politeness when he approached and asked. ‘How may I help you?’

  ‘You are in authority?’

  ‘I am Commander Naltone.’

  She nodded her head. Cousin Sennha had said Commander was a high rank. ‘Our Matriarch requests a meeting with the Star Daughter at two hours past the second-meal will this be acceptable?’

  ‘Wait please.’ He walked away leaving the Turqualls as well as Hue and Iaan behind. It was easy for them to sense her nervousness, and how hard she was trying not to show it. Even though she held her body still while staring at a single point in the distance.

  Lensa, cousin to the First Sister, had heard and seen her hysterical cousin arrive home earlier that morn and when cousin Sennha had tasked her to arrange this meeting, she had sworn that these interlopers would not have reason to humiliate her.

  Kerol came back and said. ‘The meeting time is acceptable, where is the meeting to be held?’

  ‘In the conference room at the Empirer.’

  ‘The Star Daughter will arrive at the stated time. You may leave now.’

  ‘Thank you Commander.’

  Kerol raised an eyebrow at Hue and Iaan, then with a nod to the female he turned about and walked to the office he was using, knowing the Warriors would make sure the female left the port.

  Hue opened the door and waited for the female to leave. Once she was on the opposite side of the glass and believing she was safe from the animals within, she sneered as she looked at the five Turqualls and hissed.

  ‘When our Matriarch gives permission, I will make sure you and your kind are collared and made to pull the mine carts.’ She sneered toward both Warriors before turning and walking slowly away.

  The Turqualls growled low in their throats as Hue said. ‘They really are as dumb as a brick, like Lady Darby said, whatever that is?’ He looked at the five Turqualls and mimicked Melody’s, ‘Well?’

  Immediately they howled and ran out the door Iaan held opened for them. Kerol coming back asked.

  ‘Are they allowed to do that?’

  As the screams began, both Warriors grinned as Iaan answered. ‘Commander Melody said it was good.’

  ‘I see and was it necessary?’

  ‘We thought so.’ Hue told him. ‘She said she wanted to collar the Turqualls and use them in the mines to pull carts, they took exception to that.’

  Kerol’s eyebrows rose as he shook his head. ‘Obviously they have no idea who or what Turqualls are.’

  They smiled at each other when a particularly loud scream and the sound of ripping material was heard, a short while later as they talked together about the meeting to be held, the Turqualls returned, opening the door for them Iaan asked the two with the material hanging from their mouths. ‘I am impressed, did you leave her with any dress at all?’

  The Turqualls rolled their eyes and carried their trophy’s into a waiting shuttle as Kerol said. ‘That is going to be a problem.’

  ‘Not ours.’ Hue stated with a grin, Kerol shook his head. ‘I am going to the Warbird comm if you need to.’

  He ambled back to the shuttle with several happy young Turqualls accompanying him. A female looked at him as he entered, she was young maybe ten yentas old and was an unusual teal color with brown patches. She had a huge hunk of material in her jaws. He rubbed her head and whispered as he placed her harness on her.

  ‘You did well.’

  Moving on to another Turquall, he could feel her eyes following him and he was sure he saw sorrow in their depths. Once all the Turqualls were harnessed, he and the pilot took their seats and Kerol pondered why he had felt the need to reassure and praise her. Thinking about that kept him busy until they docked within the Warbird.

  TWENTY-SEVEN:

  Sennha stared around at her new conference room as she waited for the people from Maikonia. Smiling at the impression she knew the room would make on this person calling herself the Star daughter. Especially after what Eddea had reported of the room she and her sisters had been taken to. Her conference room was much grander, from the red and pink floor tiles to the heavy gold curtains lining the windows. And then there was her collection of ornaments selected by her from within the Empirer, which were interspaced with large and small pieces of the mineral Salistred. She had decided on each piece to be showcased; it had taken hours with her sisters and cousins running to and fro with pieces for her consideration. The room sparkled with opulence as the sunlight cascaded in from the sky vents, lighting the room with warmth.

  In this one instance, she had to thank the female for the introduction of the concept of a conference room. It was something she had overlooked in the past, having a room such as this was far better to have discussions in, after of course the visitor had been greeted in the throne room, which would happen when it was repaired. Sennha’s outrage simmered again as she thought of the destruction to her precious throne room that this hiesie had wrought.

  ‘They are here.’ Medenna told her as she entered the room to stand behind her sister. Unlike Henna, who had called down from upstairs that they had come in shuttles, she refused to peek from behind the curtains as they landed in front of the Empirer.

  Sennha sniffed indelicately as she asked. ‘Finally, I did say two hours pass second- meal did I not?’

  ‘Yes, they are barbarians, I told you what they are like.’

  ‘Yes you did.’

  Medenna prayed the poho with gray eyes did not attend. She frightened her more than the scary Commander. ‘Do not be concerned Medenna, I will see this is all put right. And these people leave my world.’

  ‘Good, Eddea is as scared as I am of these terrible people.’

  Sennha nodded in sympathy, then told her. ‘Well you are young still. She, my dearle sister, has no excuse.’

  At exactly two hours pass the second-meal, the contingent from Maikonia arrived at the house of Oraintarre and were shown into the newly established conference room by two of the Matriarchs cousins.

  Sennha looked at the small compact female as she entered the room to stand just inside the door, while she looked about her. Sennha’s attention snapped to the Turqualls as they entered; she watched with envious eyes as they all looked toward the female who gave a small regal nod.

  She wanted desperately to know how this female had attracted these beasts to her. Not once had a Turquall graced her world and yet she had heard they were all over the galaxy. And here they were, following this creature like mindless animals. Sennha could not believe what she was witnessing in her home. It seemed the Turqualls had the audacity to start searching her room, and she could only imagine they were doing the same throughout the Empirer.

  Suddenly her ire was drawn to the large Warriors in tailored uniforms who were carrying weapons as they entered. She stood immobile, anger seething in her breast as she watched guest protocols being subverted. How dare these Warrior’s come into her Empirer with weapons, it was unheard of? Convention dictated when entering another’s home for a meeting, one never brought armed guards and yet this female seemed not to care, she had broken the golden rule which proved again that she was not the Star Daughter. Sennha struggled to bring her emotions under c
ontrol as she inhaled deeply to help stabilize her temper without drawing attention to herself.

  Peyton almost laughed out loud as she watched the female who had to be Sennha trying to compose herself at the sight of the Turqualls and her armed Warriors. Harm had told her Sennha would consider having armed Warriors a breach of protocol, to which she had shrugged and said protocol could go to hayda for all she cared. He of course had laughed.

  Peyton surveyed the room, then caught Melody’s eye and shrugged lightly having to agree with her wordless opinion, she also saw a childish attempt to intimidate. Melody’s earlier statement that this was a foolish quest was not far wrong. Peyton really wanted to believe the female could be reasoned with, but as she stared at her and her family, she knew that was a false hope.

  Sennha on the other hand preened as she congratulated herself. By creating this opulent environment, she had established her superiority over this female. Because regardless of what she had told Eddea, Sennha knew that there was indeed a Star Daughter. Her emergence was all that had been talked about at the Capital for the last five luneras. What they had not known was what she looked like, and where she came from. Now as she observed the female, she had to admit she was unimpressed. If Sennha could give this female masquerading as the Star Daughter any advice, it would be to choose another dresser. Even though she would admit the clothes, she wore did flatter her short round figure, and the navy blue long coat was of good quality, it did little to alter the fact she was wearing a lightweight battle uniform. Now her hair that was styled beautifully, her dresser had out done herself in styling the silver tresses with unbelievable knots, braids and cork screw curls, all designed to showcase the Crystal adorning her head.

  Sennha’s hearts stopped for a second. Was it possible this female actually was in possession of a Star Crystal, surely not, the jewel had to be as fake as she was? For a min she wondered if it was true that this pale creature could be the feared Star Daughter. Then she took another look at the green eyes in the pale face and mentally shook her head. No, it was preposterous, this female was the least intimidating and imposing person she had ever met. Although the crystal was beautiful, it was impossible to believe it was real. Sennha was amused at the amount of face coverup the female wore, which was sedate in comparison to hers. Waspishly she thought no amount of face coverup would aid the little female in disguising her plainness. She was amused to see she obviously did not own any jewels, perhaps her people had spent all their credits on the crystal and had none left over for any other items. The small golden ring on her finger was hardly worth mentioning. Maybe that was also why her people wore uniforms, except for the small curly haired female, she wore a plain dark skirt and light blue top, perhaps they had no credits left.