by Vi Voxley
“You fought for us when our chosen turned traitor to our will,” the Elder said. His voice wasn’t very loud, but somehow it carried through the room easily. It made Isolde think of volcanoes again, the way they rumbled before they burst. “The outcome is secondary to that. We wished Rhea to be shared. It would have been better if the Galactic Union had never known, but we did not have much hope we could keep it from them. We merely thought someone there would expose our secret.”
He seemed to think for a moment. “In fact, the traitor Eren did us a favor. We always prepared for it to come out one day. He has given us a scapegoat. Now we must find the speaker.”
Isolde was confused, and she didn’t seem to be the only one. Then the Elder looked straight at her.
“Come here, human,” he said.
Isolde’s legs started walking of her own volition, merely on the command alone. She met Diego’s eyes. Her general gave her a slight, encouraging nod, though as much as Isolde could tell, he didn’t understand either.
“Your ambassador tells us you were ready to keep our secret,” the Elder said. He was so tall Isolde’s neck hurt to look him in the eye even when she stood a few feet away from him.
“Yes.”
“Why? We are Brion, you are human.”
“I didn’t want there to be a war.”
The Elder nodded. “So he said. The Brions do not fear war, but we do not hold meaningless ones. This would be one of them. We have no dispute with the Galactic Union. Will you fight for us?”
Isolde’s mouth dropped open. “I can’t fight.”
“With spear, no. With words.”
The matter started to slowly dawn on her. “What do you need me to do?” Isolde asked. Somehow the question itself made her hold herself straighter. She was Diego Grothan’s gesha. She was not irrelevant. She could fight.
“Speak for us. Talk to the Council. Tell them – tell them the truth.”
“I will,” Isolde said, hesitantly. “But I don’t know if it’ll help. If they’ll listen.”
“It does not matter,” the Elder said. “If they listen to you, there will be no war but our own. If they do not, there will be. You are fit to speak for us. Senator Eleya will instruct you.”
Isolde’s legs were shaking, but she nodded. She was so tired of being useless, of Diego and her guards, and Eleya and Urenya, and all of them fighting her fights for her. Gods, she really was becoming a Brion, wasn’t she.
My fights, gods.
“You and Faren follow the traitor,” the Elder said, turning to Diego. “Show him and all that went with him the Brion way.”
Diego nodded and so did Faren.
Just like that, Isolde was the center of attention again. For a while, Diego and Rhea had overshadowed her and honestly she’d preferred it like that. Now all eyes were on her again, wondering if she was up to the task. The Elder left, having said all he came to say. That was very in character. Isolde had heard the Elders, like all the other Brions, didn’t think it necessary to say anything twice.
Eleya and Faren stayed behind.
“I have to admit getting to speak the truth is a welcome change,” she said, a half-hearted attempt at a joke. Eleya graced her with a smirk. “Please tell me he meant it, that it wasn’t some veiled hint I didn’t get?”
“He did,” Eleya confirmed. “We should speak of this in private. Angus will join us too.”
The thought of her ambassador made things better, somehow. It was good to know that at least one other Terran was rooting for the war not to happen.
When they were alone with only the generals, Eleya and Angus, Isolde finally dared to show a bit of her anxiety.
“I will do my best,” she said. “But why did they choose me? I don’t know if I’m the best to convince them of anything. I’m not a politician or…”
“Exactly for what you are,” Eleya said. “You are not a Brion, speaking for the Brions. You are showing there are still some who do not wish to see us all dead.”
“You’re also Diego’s gesha,” Angus added. “Meaning you’re not just some Terran girl they found. You have the authority to speak for their sake.”
“Finally,” Eleya said, sighing. “Brion politicians are still, in the end, Brions. The Elder did not say it and would of course not condone me saying this either, but you are human. It might help in this matter to let someone speak who can use any variation of the word ‘sorry’ or anything even close to regretful.”
Isolde thought she saw the ghost of a smile on Faren’s lips. True, then.
“Besides,” Angus added. “You have credibility. As I hear, there have been two attempts to end your life?”
His tone clearly implied what he thought of the security around her, but in a room with two current and one former Brion general, Isolde thought it wise of him not to say it out loud.
“Yes,” she said. “How does that help me? Other than still being alive.”
“I would emphasize,” Angus said, “that while some of them have literally tried to kill you, you don’t believe they’re all bad, or lying about their willingness to share Rhea. It would mean more coming from someone who has reason to hate them, but doesn’t.”
“How kind of you,” Eleya remarked.
“Just thinking of how it would sound better to the Council,” Angus said, shrugging. Isolde wondered if his key to remaining the Terran ambassador for so long was that he dared to speak to the Brions like they spoke to each other.
“Do you need us to give you some pointers?” Eleya asked.
“I – I think it’s better if I speak from the heart,” Isolde said, nodding towards Angus. “I think it’s a good idea to play to the fact that I am not a Brion. I mean, you have enemies on the Council, and they won’t listen to me no matter how pretty my words are. Your allies, in turn, won’t care because they support you already.
But I have to convince the ones who fear you and those who think this is just another ruse to keep Rhea. I have to make them understand that an all-out war isn’t in their interest either and that you can handle Eren and his like.”
“Exactly,” Angus said. Eleya nodded.
The room fell into silence again. “How many of you think it will work?” Isolde asked, another half-joke.
“Depends on you,” Angus said cheerfully. Isolde didn’t know if he was trying to make her feel better or if he truly believed in her that much. “You were preparing to lie, but you get to tell the truth. Spare no details, pour out all your indignation, but conclude with that even you don’t want there to be a war and that you believe them. Then I will speak, supporting you. Senator Eleya will speak for the Brions.”
“Yes,” Eleya said. “The Elders put me in charge of the senators in Eren’s place. They thought it would be good to have a former general leading them, one not in the habit of questioning orders, until they can learn manners.” To Isolde’s eyes, she looked both proud and sad. Proud for the trust the Elders put in her and sad for the fact she was once again denied the chance to do what she really wanted.
“When will I have to talk to the council? You have to give me some time to prepare at least,” Isolde asked.
“As soon as we’re able to arrange it,” Angus said, exchanging a look with Eleya. “The sooner you get them thinking that there doesn’t have to be revenge for this, the better.”
Isolde nodded.
“We do all of this in transit,” Eleya added. “The Triumphant has to make for Rhea at once. If Diego believes that is where Eren went, I have faith in him. It would be nicely symbolic to execute the traitor there.”
Rhea, Isolde thought. I’ll see it at last.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Diego
Diego couldn’t tear his eyes from Isolde as she was presented to him the way they wanted her to address the Galactic Union’s high council. He’d never doubted that a gesha always looked gorgeous to her fated, but there was something to be said about the way she was dressed in a traditional Brion gown that hugged her body in all the right pl
aces.
Her hair was left simple and unadorned, they weren’t parading a bride before the council, but the simple jewels she wore made her look stunning nonetheless. Whoever had been in charge of that – probably Eleya – had done an amazing job of striking a balance between making her look like the gesha of an honored general and a simple human woman. After all, she had to be both to make it all work.
Eleya and Angus were prepared as well, and the great holoplatform waited for them. As much as Diego gathered, the Elders themselves had turned to the council to arrange this projection. A simple explanation had been given, so Isolde didn’t have to start from ancient history, which she probably knew, but as a human, couldn’t entirely comprehend. It was her job to ask the council to consider what it all meant for the galaxy, and only then decide if a war was called for.
In a way, it was weird. Diego didn’t let Eren’s taunts get to him, but it still felt odd to fight to prevent war when it came so naturally to him. But he supposed Isolde had been right when she’d said they all fought for their own reasons. The Elders looked out for all Brions and he obeyed them. The GU wanted justice, and Isolde wanted peace. It still all came down to one.
Eleya had told him and Faren fairly bluntly that it was better if the feared and bloody Brion generals didn’t make an appearance in front of the council, other than getting mentioned as hunting down the traitors. The image they needed now didn’t involve Diego, so he was unexpectedly left in a bystander’s position. He wondered if that’s how Isolde had felt when she watched him fight Gawen and Crane.
They had discussed what she would say to the council and he believed in her. In his heart, he of course prepared to fight, that was simply the Brion way – but he also truly thought that Isolde could convince the council. It felt nice to really be proud of his gesha. Diego longed for all of it to be over so he could resume his hunt and while the Triumphant sailed towards Rhea – where sightings already confirmed Eren’s presence – rip that dress from Isolde’s body and claim her like he knew she wanted.
Seeing her standing there, beautiful in her nervousness, reminded him so vividly of their binding that his cock throbbed merely at the memory. When Isolde’s appearance was over, they could hopefully enjoy some time together.
He saw her step to the platform, saw the shimmering double-image of her and the holoprojections of the nearest council members before Isolde. Her voice didn’t shake, and after a few sentences, she even seemed to forget there was an audience. She spoke clearly and fairly, though Diego nearly winced when she mentioned the danger her life had been in. That should never have happened. The traitor Ensha and then Aneya… Diego had considered her a traitor to him as well until Urenya explained that she hadn’t probably thought she acted against him.
Broken geshas thought everything they did was to set things right, which meant she had considered him as much a traitor to her as Diego did in turn. In response to Diego’s question, Urenya didn’t believe any of them could have seen it coming or prevented it. They had all thought she was jealous, perhaps petty, but not that desperate. As for Urenya herself, when Diego had apologized for hurting her – something a Brion general did once in a decade and to only his closest – she had, as always, understood. She was bound as well, knew of the terrible, heart-wrenching pain even thinking of losing it brought.
Isolde was speaking about him now. Diego had to fight down a smile at the way Isolde’s lips curved into an involuntary smile of her own whenever she mentioned his name. She spoke of Gawen and then Crane, emphasizing that he was fighting those who had not wanted to part with Rhea.
Not much filtered through the holoimages, but it seemed the council was listening at least. There were angry murmurs, but also supportive ones. At least no one interrupted her.
“No one wants a war to happen,” Isolde was saying. “The Brion Elders did what they thought was best to protect their people, but they’re now trying to amend the mistakes they made. They’re willing to work with the Galactic Union if you give them a chance, but I don’t doubt they’ll protect themselves if you decide for war. You all know as well as I it would be devastating for all. We are on our way to make the traitors pay for their mistakes. I hope you do not make another by condemning the whole galaxy to war even the Brions are trying to stop.”
She stepped off, taking a deep breath as Angus, the Terran ambassador, stepped up and started speaking in support of her. He urged the Terrans and all the rest of the galaxy to take this opportunity to mend relations with the Brions instead of making them only worse. Diego stopped listening after that, his focus already on Isolde, smiling and relieved.
“At least it’s over now,” she said, beaming. “Out of our hands. But I tried. I got to do something.”
His eyes must have lingered for too long, because Isolde smiled and said, “I don’t think they need us here any longer.”
As soon as they were back in his rooms, Isolde climbed into his lap, kissing him. He felt the joy of life coursing through her heart, the true feeling of being alive that only came from being on the brink of death.
“The world’s ending,” Isolde said, joyful. “We might as well enjoy it while we can.”
“It will not end,” Diego argued proudly. “We will set it right.”
“Yes,” Isolde agreed, rubbing herself shamelessly against him, making him groan in response. “What did I say then? The Brions will set everything right. The world must be ending.”
He laughed, but turned serious. “The world can go where it wants. I have you. I have you for anything life may throw at us.”
Isolde looked at him with amazingly gentle eyes, a soft smile on her lips. “I want there to be a world,” she said. “I’m not yet done seeing it. And I want to have you with me when I do.”
He smiled too. “Then I will give it to you. The world has to stay.”
“Mm, yes,” Isolde agreed, putting her hands around his neck. “I believe you. I absolutely believe that you would fight the entire galaxy to have what you wanted.”
“Not what I meant,” Diego protested, but Isolde was giggling.
“I know,” she said, her voice suddenly slow and sensual. “But I like that you would. I like that you could do that, if you wanted to. You are grothan, nothing has escaped you. Not even me.”
“Do you want to escape me?” he asked, a final bit of concern in his voice despite his will.
Isolde looked at him, pure love in her eyes. “No,” she said and kissed him.
It was hard to focus on other things besides Isolde’s deliciously warm body, and he saw little reason in it. To his further delight, he found her to already be naked beneath a long flowing gown, which he pushed aside at once. The hunger for battle quickly turned to hunger for her, his hands tracing her body’s curves, pausing to caress the ones he found particularly enticing.
Her tits fit into his palms perfectly, warm and soft, while her nipples hardened at the first contact with Diego’s mouth. He pressed his head against her chest, holding her on his lap, kissing her tits wherever he could reach. Once again he swore she was made for him.
“Diego…” she moaned. “I want…”
He knew what she wanted, yes. After the binding was made complete, the fated were often almost inseparable in their lust for each other. He couldn’t deny it scorched him as well. Burned all the hotter for the maddening sounds Isolde made whenever he gently bit at the tip of her nipple or kissed up her soft neck. He could feel her grinding down on his thighs, desperate for contact. Her hands traced his arms, clearly relishing the muscle there.
Diego smiled to himself, quiet and secret. He knew Isolde liked his strength, liked the way he could lift her up just like that – Isolde whimpered so sweetly he nearly lost the control he had sworn to have at least this once – and pin her down in the next second. His gesha moaned and smiled for him.
“I love it when you do that,” she said breathlessly. “I want you on top of me all the time.”
Diego was very, very fine with th
at. His blood boiled at the sight of her beneath him, her gown pushed aside, baring her to his hungry gaze. She truly was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes upon. Her long hair curled against the pillows, her skin flushed from her arousal, the arch of her back signaling her desire for him. His cock stirred at the sight of her, his senses alight with the signs of pleasure she probably didn’t even know she was broadcasting.
He chose to undress slowly, although he could have gone much faster. Diego had simply found he adored the way Isolde’s eyes lit up, following his every movement. The way her eyes widened just a bit, her breath catching as he finally pulled away his shirt. Her gaze followed his hands as he was forced to stand to remove his pants.
His cock, half-hard already from the sight of his gesha clearly needing him, jumped almost painfully against his pants when Isolde touched herself. Diego stopped to stare as the fingers of one of her hands traced a pattern around her nipple, while the fingers of another rubbed her clit while she looked straight up into his eyes. A mischievous smile played on her lips, slightly parted, her tongue darting out to wet them.
She was teasing him. Diego smirked. He supposed he had done the same, but she was much better. He all but tore his pants away, rushing to press his body against her naked skin, making her sob in pleasure. Her hands went straight around him, using his body to pull her own against him.
“Eager,” he whispered in her ear, his cock pressed against the softness of her belly.
Isolde’s answer was a breathless laugh that tickled against his skin. “For you… always,” she moaned. “You are so hot, I can’t… ah! I can’t stand to be in the same room with you before I get so –”
Her speech was cut short by the fact Diego had replaced her fingers with his own, pushing, caressing, teasing for entrance. Isolde’s legs spread for him eagerly, her pussy as wet and warm as she’d said. The scent of her arousal was sweet enough to make Diego growl, making Isolde shiver beneath him. His cock reacted to every whimper that escaped her lips, the mere thought of giving pleasure to her already an aphrodisiac to him. He kissed her, biting, feeling her hands grope for leverage on his shoulders, making her arch off the bed to catch his lips.
