“Actually, yes. That is the private dock of House Maulimu. This is the edge of our property, and the palace extends down around that curve and onto the next island.”
“Oh.” Her stomach fluttered as she took in the long, elaborate façade. Although most of the building was only three stories high, it seemed to stretch on for miles. Even though she had seen the castle on Ataian, and even though she was becoming familiar with the amount of work he did, most of the time they had been together, it had been just the two of them. Knowing that he was a prince intellectually wasn’t quite the same as seeing the full extent of his position.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have come with you,” she muttered.
Her fingers knotted in the embroidered fabric of her gown, and he put a reassuring hand over them. “Then I would not have come either. I will not be separated from you, my Kate.”
His words made her feel a little better, but as the boat docked and he helped her ashore, she could feel the eyes upon them. Everyone bowed as he passed, but although he nodded his head in acknowledgment, he didn’t stop to speak to anyone.
They walked through a set of wide double doors into an airy, two-story hall. A wall of windows overlooked the sea, while open archways led off to the sides on both levels. People bustled around the space, but it was considerably less crowded than the docks, and she breathed a sigh of relief. A’tai stopped, and looked down at her.
“I think it’s best that I talk to my mother immediately. Would you prefer that I take you to our quarters first or do you want to come with me now?”
She was tempted to take the coward’s way out and avoid the visit, but she would have to face his mother sooner or later. It might as well be sooner.
“I’ll come with you,” she decided.
He pulled her against his side, and even though she was aware of more speculative glances, the familiar position made her feel more comfortable. She took a deep breath. “I’m ready.”
He walked briskly along a wide corridor, then through a series of increasingly elaborate rooms, most of them filled with Mafanan females, all of them richly dressed. The embroidered gown that had seemed so ornate earlier suddenly seemed extraordinarily plain.
“Who are all these people?” she murmured softly.
“My mother’s attendants. She doesn’t like being alone.” He shrugged. “She also sends them out to run errands and gather gossip. There is very little that occurs in Kapenta that she does not know about.”
“Does that mean she knows about us?”
“If she didn’t before, she did as soon as we stepped off the boat. Although she will undoubtedly pretend to be surprised.”
He proved to be correct. A flustered servant attempted to tell him that his mother wasn’t receiving, but A’tai ignored him and led her into a beautiful, spacious room. Every detail was exquisite, from the fragile decorative furniture in shades of pale pink to the beautifully woven tapestries that covered the walls. But all of it was designed to complement the female reclining gracefully on a couch carefully placed in an enormous bay window.
“I’m so sorry to disturb you, Mother,” A’tai said sardonically. “But since you have been demanding my return, I assumed you would want to see me immediately.”
“You really have no consideration for my well-being,” the female said in a faint, plaintive voice.
As they drew closer, Kate decided she would have recognized the female as A’tai’s mother under any circumstances. There was a distinct family resemblance, starting with the golden eyes. But unlike the warmth in A’tai’s eyes, his mother surveyed her disdainfully and immediately dismissed her.
Even her features were a more feminine version of A’tai’s, and Kate had seen enough Mafanan females to realize that she was extremely attractive. A long, shimmering gown accentuated her slender figure, and Kate suddenly felt short, dumpy and all too obviously human.
“Did you resolve the problem?” The female asked A’tai, ignoring Kate completely.
“No, but my mate did. Mother, this is Kate. Kate, this is my mother U’rsul.”
“I’m pleased to meet you,” she lied, sternly resisting the impulse to bob a curtsy.
“Your mate? What kind of foolishness is this? You cannot possibly be telling me that you have bonded with an offworlder.”
Despite U’rsul’s exaggerated shock, Kate decided she wasn’t in the least bit surprised.
“That is exactly what I am telling you.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
A’tai sighed. “Mother, I did not come here to argue with you. Kate and I are bonded, and you will treat her with the respect which she deserves. Now, why was it so urgent that I return?”
“You know it really upsets me when you speak to me so gruffly.”
“Mother, we’ve had a long trip. Is there something we need to discuss or not?”
“We are having guests for dinner tonight.”
“That’s it? Another dinner party?”
“I have made certain… arrangements.” Her voice dropped meaningfully. “As we discussed before you left.”
“To which I did not agree, and which are now no longer relevant,” A’tai said firmly.
U’rsul assumed a martyred expression. “It’s far too late to change the plans without incurring a great deal of ill will.”
“We will just have to take that chance. Now I am going to take Kate to our quarters. When do the… festivities commence?”
“We are gathering for cocktails on the terrace at sunset.”
“Then we will see you there.”
He inclined his head, tightened his hold on Kate, and headed for the door.
“We need to talk before then, A’tai. Privately.” U’rsul called after them. For a female with such a fragile demeanor, she could certainly make her voice heard.
“I will try and find the time,” A’tai said and kept walking.
Chapter Eighteen
As soon as they were outside U’rsul’s room, Kate saw a gaggle of females rush back through the doors. A’tai snorted.
“Her second audience, no doubt ready to be shocked and horrified by her ungrateful son.”
“Do you really think she’s going to—”
“Regale them with a story of how rudely I treated her? Of course.”
He led her through another door and into a corridor lined with windows overlooking the sea. Only a few people were in sight, and her shoulders finally started to relax.
“So what did you think of my mother’s little performance?” he asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Her shock at your presence. The carefully staged scene—she is never alone unless she chooses to be. She started setting that up as soon as we got off the boat.”
“I don’t think she likes me very much,” she said, a little regretfully. She had held out a distant hope that his mother wouldn’t be as bad as she had imagined.
He shrugged. “I don’t think she likes me very much either. I’m not sure she really likes anyone, although she is more inclined to pretend with others.”
“What about your father? Did she like him?”
“I honestly don’t know. He was devoted to her, waiting on her hand and foot. It was one of the reasons why I was determined not to become involved with a female.”
“I think it’s a little too late for that now,” she said dryly. “Do you regret it?”
He immediately halted, pressing her against the wall and looming over her. “You are well aware that I do not. And the fact that I was so cautious meant that I was waiting for you when you came to me.”
The familiar pulse of arousal began low in her stomach, but all he did was drop a brief kiss on her lips, before resuming their walk.
He shook his head, obviously still thinking about his parents’ relationship. “But even though I have my doubts about the two of them, they certainly spent a lot of time together. And she was… different when he was around.”
“Perhaps she loved him just as
much,” Kate said, trying to be fair.
“Perhaps.”
He didn’t sound convinced, but they had reached another set of doors at the end of the corridor and he dropped the subject. He waved his hand over a hidden panel and the doors unlocked, the high-tech lock at odds with the ancient stonework. Once inside, he paused in a circular entry hall with an inlaid marble floor and a delicate metal staircase curving gracefully up one wall. Arches opened from the hall into the surrounding rooms.
“These are our quarters. The living room and dining room are on this level. My study and our bedroom above. Guest rooms on the top floor.” He hesitated. “You are welcome to change anything you do not like, but I was wondering if you would like a laboratory.”
“How long are we going to be here?”
He sighed. “I don’t really know. I need to spread the word about the nutrient issue, and attend some Council meetings. We will probably need to attend some social events as well.”
Her heart sank. She had hoped this was to be a short visit, but she suspected it was going to stretch out. “In that case, probably.”
“I’ll see about having one of the guest rooms converted.” A Mafanan male came gliding into the room as he finished speaking. “Ah, Uauna. I have a project for you.”
“Yes, sire.”
“This is my bond mate, Lady Kate.”
Uauna bowed without batting an eye. “I am very pleased to meet you, Lady Kate.”
“She is a scientist, and she will need a laboratory while we are here. I thought perhaps the front guest room.”
“Of course, sire. Do you have a list of requirements, Lady Kate?”
“Contact Warden Pulata,” A’tai said before she could answer. “He equipped her lab on Ataian so he can tell you what is needed.”
“Yes sire. Is there anything else you require? I have a light meal waiting in the dining room.”
“Thank you, Uauna. That will be all for now.”
“It was nice to meet you,” Kate said.
Uauna bowed and whisked himself out of the room, and she turned to glare at A’tai. “You know I am quite capable of talking for myself.”
“I’m sorry, amali. I just wanted to get rid of him so I could have you to myself.”
Her annoyance vanished as he lifted her in his arms and started kissing her. By the time he raised his head, his skin was glimmering gold and her own body was humming with arousal.
“Are you hungry?” he growled.
Her stomach still felt uneasy, but she wouldn’t have cared if she was starving when he looked at her like that. “Not for food.”
“Good.” He lifted her into his arms and carried her up the elaborate staircase and into the bedroom.
A’tai carefully adjusted the bedroom curtains so that the Sisters’ low afternoon rays would not disturb his sleeping mate. As much as he hated to do it, he had decided that it would be better to confront his mother now and find out exactly what she was scheming this time. He pulled on a formal robe and glided softly out of the room.
Uauna appeared as he reached the bottom of the stairs. “Sire, your mother has—”
“Sent numerous messages?”
Uauna nodded, and A’tai sighed.
“Don’t worry. I’m going to see her now. My mate is sleeping, but if she awakens before I return, please tell her that I will be back shortly.”
“Yes sire. I will also have another meal ready. I noticed that you did not have a chance to partake. No doubt you had other matters to attend to.”
Uauna’s face was as bland as ever, but A’tai thought there was a twinkle in his eye. He laughed.
“You are correct. Please make sure that there is something available for Lady Kate if she is hungry. She likes fruit, and she prefers cooked fish.”
“Yes, sire. I took the liberty of contacting nurse Simea to ascertain her preferences.”
“You are as efficient as ever, Uauna. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, sire. And may I be so forward as to offer my congratulations? You have been alone for a long time.”
“My mate was worth waiting for.”
“Yes, sire. The House will celebrate your happiness.”
A’tai went on his way, encouraged by his valet’s sincere congratulations. His mother was nowhere near as receptive.
“You cannot possibly be serious about this.” U’rsul was so agitated that she was actually pacing back and forth. “A little indulgence with an offworlder female isn’t unexpected. Even your father wasn’t immune to their charms, especially if they were pretty and helpless, but—”
“Wait. What did you just say about Father?”
“You didn’t know that he occasionally indulged himself elsewhere?”
He had the oddest sensation that the room was spinning. His father, the one who had always appeared so completely devoted to his mother, had not been faithful to her?
“You allowed this?”
Pain flashed across her face so quickly that he could almost convince himself he hadn’t seen it. “I did not have a choice. I decided to be grateful that he never indulged with a Mafanan female.”
He had no idea what to say. He couldn’t even imagine the possibility of desiring a female other than his Kate.
“But as I was saying,” his mother continued. “You do not bond with an offworlder. If you absolutely insist on keeping her, you can install her as your concubine, but you must choose a formal mate from another House.”
“Don’t you think this theoretical female from another House would object to that?”
She shrugged. “Not if she was brought up correctly. And as soon as she provides us with an heir, she would be free to do the same.”
“No female of mine will ever stray!” he roared.
“You are really behaving in the most primitive fashion. The sooner you put this female aside, the better.”
“Mother, I’m going to say this one more time. I have chosen Kate and she has chosen me. We are bonded and there is absolutely nothing you can say or do which is going to change that.”
She gave him a speculative look, and he dreaded to think what was going through her mind.
“If you try to interfere between us—in any way—I will have you removed from this palace and banished to the northern territories.”
“You would not!”
Despite her outrage, she actually looked uncertain. Good.
“I assure you that I would.” Although he would vastly prefer not to do so, if she did anything to hurt Kate, he wouldn’t hesitate.
Her martyred expression reappeared. “Then you will need to talk to Lord F’tonu tonight and find some way to convince him that choosing an offworlder female over his daughter is not the greatest of insults.”
She had a point, but…
“You were the one who approached him, not me.”
She lifted a graceful shoulder. “But I was approaching him on behalf of the House.”
“Fine,” he sighed. “I will talk to him.”
“Good. And if there’s any chance of preserving the trade connection to Honara, it would be to our advantage.”
He couldn’t help but admire how quickly she switched from outraged female to ruthless businessperson.
“Agreed. Now, if that is all, I will see you tonight.”
“If you are bringing your female, I assume you have arranged for appropriate clothing?”
When he hesitated, she sighed. “I will send something. We do not want her disgracing the House.”
“She could be clothed in rags and she would still not disgrace the House,” he growled.
For the briefest moment, her face softened and she nodded.
He bowed and turned to leave. He was almost at the door when he decided he had to know.
“Did you do it, mother? Find someone to occupy your time after I was born?”
He half expected her to be outraged by the question, but after a long silence, she simply shook her head. “No. I loved him.”
&
nbsp; Chapter Nineteen
“Are you sure I look all right?” Kate whispered as they approached the Grand Terrace.
“You look beautiful. Now stop fidgeting.”
Despite his instruction, she nervously adjusted the dress again. She had never worn anything so beautiful.
Shortly after she had awoken from her nap, A’tai had returned from having spoken to his mother. He looked oddly thoughtful but assured her there was nothing to worry about. They sat down to a light meal containing many of her favorites, but she was too nervous to eat. He was frowning at her when they were interrupted by a swarm of females who had swept her away with them.
The fact that A’tai ‘s mother had sent them did not reassure her, but they turned out to be surprisingly friendly, if inclined to bouts of giggling. They had arranged her hair in an elaborate updo, studded with jewels, murmuring all the while at the fine texture of her hair. A shimmering gold powder had been applied to her face and the rest of her body. Before she had a chance to object, they’d stripped off her gown, and replaced it with the one she was currently wearing. More giggling had ensued as they tried to figure out how to make the gown lie smoothly over her breasts. In the end, the head female had given the graceful Mafanan shrug.
“It is not perhaps the most elegant line, but I suspect that the Prince will not care.”
Based on his reaction when he saw her, the female was quite correct. The deep green gown matched her eyes, but fine golden threads shimmered in the delicate fabric. In typical Mafanan fashion, the skirt was slit on both sides from her ankles to her hip, the opening accented with intricate gold embroidery. More embroidery framed the open neckline that plunged almost to her waist. On a Mafanan female, it would simply have revealed a swath of smooth skin. On her, it highlighted the inside curves of her breasts.
A’tai ‘s eyes had heated at the sight of her, but then he frowned. “I did not consider the fact that our fashion would be so revealing.”
“Do you think I should change?” she asked nervously.
She suspected he would have liked to say yes, but in the end he shook his head. “No. It is an appropriate outfit, and you look beautiful. But you will remain at my side, understand?”
Kate and the Kraken: A SciFi Alien Romance (Alien Abduction Book 11) Page 12
