“Pierce and Lorca are having dinner in the staff kitchen. I told them that I could handle my grandchildren,” Abbie said.
We watched as Thunderdrop rolled a ball across the thick carpet to Neema, who in turn rolled it to Orson. When Neema sensed my presence, she abandoned the game and quickly crawled to me.
“What are you doing?” I asked her with a big smile as I moved to her and picked her up. “Gosh, it’s so nice to be able to bend down and pick you up!”
I couldn’t remember the last time that I had been able to move so quickly without being dizzy. Giggling, I spun around in a circle much to Neema’s delight. Niklos had fallen asleep in Abbie’s arms. I sat in my favorite white, comfortable chair and sang the song about the monkeys that the Chorgh children of Carmanor had performed for us. As I cuddled Neema, she touched my lips with her fingers and gazed into my eyes while I sang. Eventually, her eyes drifted shut. Slowly, I rose and carried her down the long white hall to my room. Leaning over, I carefully placed her in her swan bed and covered her. I felt Nico beside me. He held Niklos in his arms. I kissed our baby’s forehead before Nico placed him in the elaborate crib that Papa had purchased for him. Nico wrapped me in his arms.
“You have given me a fine son, woman.”
Thunderdrop crawled up the wall to his web above the cribs, and I rested my face against Nico’s chest. Yukihyo pinched my rear making me jump as he walked past us and into the bathroom. I tilted my face up to Nico, and he kissed me.
“I’m tired. I think I’ll mimic the babies and go to bed.”
Nico reached up and smoothed my hair while gazing into my eyes with his brown ones. “The rest is doing you good. I’ve never before heard you sing.”
“I hope I didn’t hurt your ears.”
Soft laughter rumbled through Nico’s chest. I moved away and into the bathroom. I walked past my sink and mirror, the curved white wall that hid the waste unit, and into my dressing room where I changed into a soft gown.
“What is this?” Yukihyo asked.
I covered one of my nanite patches with my right hand and smiled. The stretch marks that had covered my abdomen and sides were barely visible.
“They are gifts from Quaid. Phillip is removing the patches tomorrow, but he said the nanites would continue to work.” I moved my hand along my side. “Isn’t it great? I’m not hideous anymore. I hope these other scars fade quickly.” I hated the vertical scar between my breasts.
“You have never been hideous,” Yukihyo said in his deep monotone. “I mean this.” He rubbed his thumb over the blue-green dot underneath my skin. Yukihyo’s emotions were shielded from me. Worried, I glanced up at his eyes. Their color was calm, but a small frown was upon his lips.
Quietly, I said, “I need some time. I’m tired. Please, don’t be angry.” Before I could become upset, he soothed my emotions.
“I agree. You do need some time. You have a new heart and a new son.” Yukihyo kissed my forehead, hugged me, and helped me into my gown.
Nico had witnessed our exchange from where he sat on a white and gold bench removing his shoes. He asked, “Why didn’t you tell us?”
I spread my toes out against the thick white carpet. “I was worried you wouldn’t approve. I just can’t have another baby for a while.” I felt my cheeks turning red. Yukihyo desperately wanted a large family, and I didn’t want to disappoint him.
“Lady wife, we have many years ahead of us. Come. Let us sleep.” Yukihyo held his hand out to me. His large hand warmed mine.
I anticipated putting my cold feet on Nico’s shins. Once I was in the warm nest my husbands provided, I snuggled against Yukihyo’s chest. Between us was a long thin pillow which I continued to sleep with to protect my chest. The pain continued to diminish, but I was still tender. I wrapped my feet around one of Nico’s legs to pull him closer. When he complied, I put my feet against his warm hairy legs and contentedly fell asleep.
Niklos’ crying woke me up. Sleepily, I sat up in bed. Nico had gone to our son. He whispered to Niklos as he changed his diaper. “What? You want mommy? Yes, I think the entire Palace knows that.”
Yukihyo took my long pillow and put it behind his head. Nico placed my baby in my arms. He continued to scream until my breast was in his mouth. I held his tiny hand in mine. Nico returned to bed and started snoring again before Niklos had finished. I put Niklos on my shoulder, burped him, and took a few moments to enjoy his sweet baby smell and the feel of him. I sent my feelings of love to him. I cherished Niklos and Neema. My son became heavier with sleep, so I carefully carried him from the foot of the bed to his crib. Unfortunately, I was wide awake.
Chapter Five
I decided to sneak into my sitting room and have a cup of tea. I felt the gentle tugging on the skirt of my gown that alerted me of Thunderdrop’s decision to come with me. I crept past the room Kaoti and Violet shared. If he knew I was up, he would insist on guarding me. Unobserved, Thunderdrop and I made it to the beverage dispenser against the wall by Thunderdrop’s tree sculpture from Arachne and to the patio doors. I made a cup of the calming tea that Mrs. Tereas had added to our beverage menu. I really wanted to sit out on my patio and look out over the lake. I decided to risk it even though I feared waking Kaoti, who monitored every door and window.
Grabbing a blanket, Thunderdrop and I snuck out. He jumped from my skirt and skittered across the patio and out into the grass to hunt bugs. Wrapped in the blanket, I sat on a chair, took a sip of tea, and set my cup down on the table. A cool breeze made the ends of my hair stir. Around the lake, bugs and frogs filled the early morning with their sounds. I reached for my cup and had another sip.
In my mind, Zared said, “Fitz approaches, my lady.”
“Did I wake you,” I silently asked Zared.
“No, Niklos did,” he answered.
“You heard him in the barracks?” I knew Niklos was loud for a tiny baby, but I didn’t realize he was that loud.
Zared’s laughter brushed across my thoughts. “No, his need for you stirred my consciousness and woke me.”
I sipped my tea as our silent communication ended. Soundlessly, the door opened and Fitz stepped out onto my patio. In the dim light, I could just make out Thunderdrop as he pounced on some poor creature on the lawn. Fitz wore the knee-length pajama bottoms popular among Parvac males and nothing else.
“Princess, are you out here all alone?”
“No, Thunderdrop is with me. I wasn’t able to go back to sleep. Did Niklos wake you?” The sky had grown light enough for me to see Fitz’s white teeth when he smiled.
“I heard him. However, I had already awoken. I’ve grown accustomed to working in the early morning hours before it grows too hot.”
“Please, have a seat. May I get you something to drink?”
“Yes, thank you. What are you having?” Fitz asked as he looked into my cup.
Shaking my head, I said, “No more of this. There’s no point. I’m not going back to sleep. I’m getting some coffee.” I went inside and returned with coffee for each of us.
“How long until sunrise?” Fitz asked. He examined the horizon where it met the forest-lined lake.
“An hour.”
“I had thought you at your most stunning on Thalassa on my yacht with the wind in your hair and the sunlight turning your skin pink. I was mistaken. You are lovelier in the pre-dawn light tousled by sleep.” Fitz moved from his chair to kneel in front of me.
He had the well-defined muscles of a distance swimmer. Fitz had removed the hair from his arms and chest. I smiled. He didn’t realize that was a turn off for me. I adored a hairy chest. I wondered if the rest of him was also entirely smooth. I hoped not. Fitz held his hand out for mine. Desperate hope appeared in his eyes. Rather than destroy it, I placed my hand in his. Fitz’s hand was calloused and rough, which I liked. It almost made up for his smooth chest. Fitz bent his head over my hand and kissed my knuckles.
“I will treasure this moment alone with you for the remainder of my days,�
�� he said as he closed his eyes and held my hand to his cheek.
Following my experiences on Arachne a few months ago, I knew keeping Ambassador Jiri’s regard was important to me. House Jiri was throwing Fitz at me as the most eligible of their male family members. While Fitz got along well with my male family members, I just didn’t feel an attraction to him. I wondered if it even mattered with traditional Parvac marriages. I loved Yukihyo, Nico, and Quaid. Was it even realistic to expect to love each of the husbands that I was expected to marry? Abbie had told me that for me to have fewer than five husbands would be considered taboo in Parvacian society and that having only five would be considered chaste.
“Fitz, you are too kind.”
With brown eyes full of sincerity, he said, “Each time that I am near you, I try to commit your every nuance to memory.” Fitz slowly stood, pulled his chair closer with his foot, and sat all without releasing my hand. “I know you do not return the feelings to me that I have for you, but in time, you might one day come to care for me.” Fitz twined our fingers together. I had to say something to dispel the crushed look he had begun to adopt.
“Of all of the marriageable men on Parvac, I find you to be the most suitable.” Fitz smiled and kissed my hand. “I don’t know much about you,” I said as I looked to my cup, and Fitz released my hand. I took my cup and sipped from its cooling contents.
“You know that I have a pineapple plantation on Thalassa, and my father serves the Emperor as Praetor of Thalassa which will one day fall to me. I attended military school and paid homage to the Empire with ten years of service. At my discharge, I held the rank of lieutenant. Like most of House Jiri, I am a member of the Warrior Caste.” He gave me a playful grin flashing his white teeth at me. “In my free time, I enjoy fishing, swimming, and long walks on the beach.” I laughed at him for teasing me. “Also, I have a pet lizard named Pane.”
I scrunched my brow at Fitz. “Pane?”
“Thalassa has her share of severe tropical storms. The rain slams down. Winds gather up to incredible speeds, and waves crash upon the land. During such a storm, we shutter our windows and activate shields that protect our homes from large debris. After one such storm ended, I discovered a small injured lizard on my window sill. It was too badly injured from being hurled by the storm against the window to escape. It tried to change its color to match the glass panes of my window. I captured the little thing and got it some medical attention, but his two legs on his left side had been crushed. The veterinarian did what she could for him, but he would not have been able to survive any longer on his own. He isn’t fast enough to escape predators. Therefore, Pane lives in a terrarium in my room.”
“Well, Pane and Sue seem to have being rescued and living in tanks in common.”
Yukihyo joined us on the patio with a sleepy Neema in his arms.
“Does Pane bite?” I asked.
“Sometimes, but it doesn’t hurt.”
“May I see him the next time we visit Thalassa?”
Fitz smiled. “I’m sure he would like that very much.”
In my mind, I heard laughter. Izaac said into my thoughts, “You just asked if you could see his lizard.” Snickering and humor also reached me through my bonds with Zared and Zeth.
When Zeth explained the joke to me, I rolled my eyes. Neema’s mouth formed a little “o” when she yawned. She rested her head against Yukihyo’s shoulder. Her soft dove-grey hair was sticking out in every direction.
“Good morning, my love,” I said to my tiny little princess.
“Hi, Mommy.”
“Hi,” I said as my stomach fluttered with love for her. “You’re even cuter than usual today. Did Daddy tell you that we are going on an adventure after breakfast?”
Neema shook her head. As the sun began to rise, Rolf set the table for breakfast. Nico, Abbie, Orson, Kaoti, and Violet joined the rest of us.
“Lorca watches over Niklos,” Nico said as he took a cup from Otto.
Violet winked at Kaoti. I had convinced my bodyguard to eat meals with us, and he had agreed to do so only when just family was present. However, he remained stiff and uncomfortable. Happily, I tore into the pancakes that Rolf placed in front of me. I cut my sausage into pieces and put them on a plate for Thunderdrop, who had jumped into a nearby seat.
“I can’t wait to get out on the lake. I picked a clear-bottomed fishing boat for us,” Phillip told Fitz. Phillip scratched his belly which made me smile around my mouthful of pancakes. Then, he started shoveling bacon into his mouth.
Neema ate spoonsful of scrambled eggs and blueberries that Yukihyo had cut in half. “Good,” she said with a serious face.
“Do you want some more?” Yukihyo asked. Neema opened her mouth. The two of them were adorable.
“Lord Yukihyo, Neema’s bath is ready,” Pierce said. Yukihyo lifted Neema from his lap so Pierce could take her, and bits of eggs and blueberries rained down at his feet when he did.
“Phillip, go whenever you like. We will be on my barge with plenty of food and drinks. Stop by whenever you like. Violet, do you want to go float around with us?”
Violet stopped pushing her food around her plate and took a sip from her cup. “Yes, thank you. I should go get dressed.” Violet still wore her robe and slippers.
I had been trying not to get syrup on my blanket. “Me, too.” I got up and followed Violet inside.
“Oh, no,” Violet said as she began to run for her room.
She didn’t make it. I dropped my blanket and went to her. Violet was heaving up everything she had managed to eat all over the thick white carpet. I held her hair and rubbed circles on her back. I moved out of Kaoti’s way as he scooped her up. Dr. Fotri, who had just entered my sitting room, followed the couple to the infirmary. I slowly followed with Yukihyo and Phillip to each side of me. In the infirmary, Violet assured me she was fine and insisted that my plans for the day not change. Kaoti looked more protectively attuned to Violet than usual.
Back in the hall, Nico started laughing. Yukihyo grinned. Their eyes met over the top of my head.
“I’m on it,” Yukihyo said as he began tapping into his vid-screen.
“What?” I asked.
“I’m ordering potted plants that are safe for children. We can place them around your wing,” Yukihyo stated.
I remembered what I had done to the potted plant on Daphoene. “Ha-ha. Very funny.”
Otto had a cleaning bot working on my white carpet. I rolled my eyes at Yukihyo and Nico and went to shower. Pierce was letting Neema play in the tub, so I got undressed while in the shower with the door closed opening it a tiny bit to drop my gown through a small crack. Yukihyo thwarted my attempt at modesty when he threw the door open and joined me.
“I am pleased for Violet and Kaoti. He has desperately wanted a child,” Yukihyo said.
I nodded in agreement. “I can picture a little brown-haired kid running around the Palace with Neema, Niklos, and Thunderdrop.” We laughed. I couldn’t help but picture a five-year-old with a stoic expression in uniform.
After we were clean and dry, I dressed in a pair of loose white shorts and a pale green top with spaghetti straps. I slipped on a pair of gold sandals. I smiled in the mirror as I ran my hands down my torso. I had a stomach. I could walk rather than waddle. Yukihyo gently grabbed me and leaned me back in his arms. As I gasped in surprise, he kissed me passionately. Helplessly, I clung to him. Then, Yukihyo righted me, gave my butt a pinch, winked an eye laced with passionate traces of pink and gold at me, and said, “I’ll see you in a bit,” as he sauntered out. He knew I was watching his backside appreciatively.
Nico was entering the shower as I was preparing to leave the dressing room. His backside also got an appreciative perusal before the shower door hid it from view. Niklos was fussing in Lorca’s arms, so I sat and held out my arms for him. Pierce had dressed Neema and was letting her play with her stuffed spiders and rainy season web on the floor.
“Will the barge be safe for Neema and Nik
los?” I asked suddenly worried.
“Yes, Princess. Lorca and I checked over it last night. We erected a secure play area near the circular couch and installed a defense grid so that there will be no fear of falling into the lake,” Pierce said.
“We also have these,” Lorca said as he held up thin silver strips. Pierce took four of the strips, pulled off their backings, and then stuck them under each of Neema’s arms and down her back. I held Niklos up so that Lorca could place the strips diagonally across his back and stomach. “If the boat were to sink, these strips activate with water and will keep the children afloat. They also serve as beacons.”
“Wow! That’s great. Do we have a supply of these?”
“Yes, Princess,” Lorca said with a pleased nod.
“I don’t know what I would do without the two of you.” Nico, freshly showered and dressed in loose beige pants and a white form fitting T-shirt, held his hands out for his son. “Well, Lorca, we may not get another turn.” We grinned at each other. Nico was a baby hog.
Phillip, Yukihyo, Orson, and Fitz had gone out on the lake. Abbie and Zared waited for us. I snickered at Nico when Abbie took Niklos from him.
“There’s grandmama’s baby!” Abbie said.
Niklos blinked and gurgled at her. Thunderdrop leapt to my shoulder and wrapped his black legs around my arm.
“How is Violet?” I asked Abbie.
“Kaoti insists that Dr. Fotri keep her in the infirmary under observation. He won’t let anyone else near her,” Abbie said.
“Aside from you, Violet is the most well-protected woman in the Empire,” Nico said.
I smiled but then became worried. “Shit, Nico. What if Kaoti gets all wound up like you did? What if he gets mad at a doctor?”
Nico returned to me a concerned look of his own. “If Kaoti were to lose his temper, he could take out an entire squadron. It is why your father assigned him to protect you. A male of the Scholar Caste would have no hope of survival.”
I wasn’t sure if the next thought that occurred to me was mine or someone else’s. “Izaac can keep him from becoming dangerously over-protective.” I heard Izaac’s silent acceptance of his assignment in my mind. “Let’s go. I’m eager for new scenery.”
Omnes Videntes (The Space Merchants Book 4) Page 7
