Materfamilias

by Wendie Nordgren

  “Are perfect, my sweet. You have nothing about which to worry. Now, let’s get you dressed.” She had Ulf, my personal grooming assistant, come to help.

  “Why bother?” I asked as Ulf fastened Fitz’s diamond necklace around my throat. “Aren’t we riding in the spacious transport that Dario bought? No one will see us.”

  Momma said, “Certain members of society have been invited to attend festivities at the Jiri Estate in our honor. It will be fun. Don’t be grumpy. Terre doesn’t feel up to it, so Phillip is on his way with her to our beach house.”

  Nico came into the bedroom with Niklos on his hip. “Almost ready?”

  “I hope so,” I grumbled. “Dr. Savelli is coming with us, right?”

  Nico’s expression turned serious. “Are you feeling alright?”

  I shrugged.

  “Teagan?” Momma asked. There was fear in her voice.

  “I don’t feel badly, just strangely. I want him near.”

  Nico took Niklos and left the room. I assumed it was to see to my wishes. When I stood, I thought I must have been five pounds heavier in diamonds. Momma held my arm as we entered the sitting room.

  “Teagan, you look beautiful, absolutely radiant. Fitz told me you were hungry for my cooking. I’ve been hard at work to please you and the little one.” Finn’s words took my mind off of my worries.

  “Oh? What do you have? I haven’t had breakfast.”

  He winked at me.

  I noticed my friends, and they were dressed as I was, as though for a morning ball. Our dresses were long and billowy and of airy fabrics in pastel shades. Each of us wore diamonds, and our hair was up. Poppy was in Eli’s arms. Kaoti was nowhere to be seen. Dario had Peter. Thunderdrop crawled up my dress to cling to my hip. Fitz took me from Momma and gave me his arm.

  Neema was in a pink and white dress with a poufy skirt. She looked at me, Momma, Violet, Sparrow, and Tracy. Her brow furrowed, and I sensed anger and jealously from my little daughter. She plopped down on her butt in the middle of the sitting room and threw a fit.

  “Neema! What’s the matter? Are you hurt?” I knelt beside her and drew her into my arms.

  “Neema wants sparkles!” Fat tears rolled down her face as she pointed at my necklace.

  I felt some annoyance with her. “Okay. Why didn’t you ask nicely?”

  She pouted at me. “I don’t know.”

  “When you want something, ask. Screaming and crying isn’t nice. Okay?”

  She nodded. “I’m sorry, Mommy.”

  I put my arms around her and kissed her wet cheek. Then, as I stood, I held my hand down to her. “Go ahead. We’ll meet you in the transport bay,” I said to everyone.

  Thunderdrop left me for Zared. He sent me an image of tears shooting out of Neema’s eyes like rain. He didn’t like getting wet. I managed to keep a straight face.

  Neema and I went to my room. Opening my jewelry box, I found the diamond solitaire necklace that I had made on Daphoene at Neema’s diamond mine. “I found this diamond and got to help make the necklace. If you promise to be careful, you can wear it today. If you are a good girl, we’ll go shopping, and I’ll let you pick out some bracelets. These were yours when you were a baby.” I showed her the tiny gold jewelry that had once adorned her ankles and wrists. She was quiet as I fastened the necklace around her neck. “You look beautiful, Neema.” She admired her reflection in the mirror. “Are we ready?”

  She nodded and hugged my neck. “I love you, Mommy.”

  “I love you, too. Let’s go.”

  Not everyone had gone. Yukihyo, Dario, Fitz, and Peter waited for us.

  “Did I hear correctly? Does Daddy’s Princess want sparkles like Mommy?” Yukihyo asked.

  Neema ran to him. “Look what Mommy let me wear.”

  “I see.” Looking up at me from where he had bent down to be at Neema’s level, he said, “Don’t make any plans for tomorrow. I must take my ladies shopping.” Yukihyo winked a solid white eye at me.

  Zared sent me telepathic images of toy shops and dress-up play jewelry.

  I grinned at him and said, “Perfect.” I didn’t have much hope that I’d see my necklace again. Knowing Neema, it would be lost in a few hours.

  We all entered the lift. When the doors opened onto the transport bay, Fitz stepped out, waited for us, and gave me an apologetic smile. “Teagan, do you feel well enough to make a brief appearance here at the land port? A few members of Thalassa’s Warrior Caste await the sight of you.”

  I could tell it was important to him. “I’ll do my best….”

  “Let me know the moment you feel ill.” Carefully, Fitz carried me to an open-roofed transport and placed me on one of the back seats before joining me. He held my hand.

  Praetor Jiri, Momma, and Eli joined us.

  “Where is Kaoti?” I asked.

  Eli said, “I sent him to get some answers. I believe there is some merit to your concerns in regards to Quaid.”

  My stomach sank as we were driven from my ship and out into the land port. Zared whisked my worries away before I could stop him. The thoughts remained, but the agitation had vanished. I sighed. At least he was attempting to compromise. Fitz had underestimated it when he had said a few members of the planet’s Warrior Caste were here. It looked to me as though all of them were in attendance. Warships were docked for as far as I could see, and before each of them were admirals, captains, and crews.

  “There are so many of them,” I said as I smiled and waved the way Fitz had taught me.

  Finn replied, “Before you is a portion of Thalassa’s fleet.”

  “A portion?”

  He turned his head and smiled at me. “Yes, it wouldn’t be wise to keep all of our forces in one place.”

  “Of course,” I said. It hit me that this was my father-in-law. He ruled an entire planet and had millions of soldiers and thousands of warships. One day, Fitz, my husband, would take over. However, my Papa was far more powerful than either of them. My children and I were truly safe. I felt myself relaxing.

  The driver had taken us to the end of the land port where fighter pilots had taken to the air to display their skills. The driver stopped so we could watch their maneuvers. Momma started clapping. The fighters roared through the air high above, spinning around at blinding speeds. I lowered my face, and Fitz’s lap got closer and closer.

  “Teagan! Are you alright? She’s collapsed!” Fitz held me on his lap.

  Momma and Eli had us surrounded.

  “What happened?” Momma asked frantically. Her voice had gone all high-pitched and breathy.

  “I’m fine. I’m fine.” I lifted my hand up. “I was expecting the ride to make me dizzy, but it was the fighter ships.”

  Eli said, “The same thing happened at the Galerius Estate. It’s motion sickness.”

  I rested my head on Fitz’s shoulder and closed my eyes. His hand rested on my stomach, and he kissed my forehead. I tried to breathe through the dizziness. Officers who had been standing nearby and who had seen my nosedive into Fitz’s crotch approached the transport. I heard Finn explaining to them that everything was fine.

  “Whew. Okay. I feel better. Do me a favor. The next time you see shit spinning around, would you warn me?”

  “I kind of enjoyed having your face in my lap,” Fitz said.

  “Children! Language!” Momma scolded.

  We laughed at her. The eyes of the officers around us were filled with scrupulous intelligence, and I knew by the day’s end, the Empire would know of my pregnancy. Praetor Jiri’s thrilled smile and assurances that I was perfect further clarified their suspicions.

  “Fitz, Eli, I swear. One of you had better get me something to eat. It’s going to be forever before we get home, and all I’ve had were a few sips of coffee.”

  Laughing, Fitz pointed at vendors who were busily selling food to the crowds of people who had come to watch the ships and to catch glimpses of us.

  Praetor Jiri pointed to a few captains and motioned f
or them to come closer. They ran to us. I blushed. “Would any of you fine gentlemen mind procuring a snack for the Princess?”

  Rather than being insulted, the men looked at the request as a game. They darted away in their dress uniforms to the sounds of musical bands and cheering crowds. Meanwhile, Eli spoke into an earpiece, making certain that shielding was being maintained around us and that the recording drones were at an acceptable distance. Soon, the officers were returning and were presenting me with various types of skewered seafood and baked treats. Luckily, we had water in the transport with which to wash it all down.

  “My heroes,” I said as I stood from within the transport and rewarded each of them with a kiss on the cheek. Once I returned to my seat, Fitz fed me bites as he removed them from the skewers. I ate greedily, knowing that I couldn’t eat such things around a few of my ladies, or I might make them sick. However, when we finally returned to the transport bay of the Empress, I realized that the large bus Dario had bought for us was gone. “They left without us?”

  “It will take more time to drive because of the crowds, so they got a head start,” Fitz explained.

  Eli took my hand. I sensed Zared and my Omnes Videntes nearby and relaxed. Again, I felt as though I had forgotten something. Projecting my thoughts to them, I asked, “Are you all playing a trick on me? Are you making my mind feel fuzzy?”

  Laughter echoed back to me. Zared said, “No, Teagan. We haven’t done anything of the sort. From what I have learned from your doctors, your high hormone levels are causing you to feel this way.”

  “I don’t like it. How do I fix it?”

  “You don’t. Sleeping more might help.”

  I mumbled, “All I’ve been doing is sleeping.”

  “And eating,” Zared said playfully.

  I smirked at him.

  Rozz boasted, “We will take down game for you.”

  Thoughts of the delicious pheasant Hiroshi had once gotten entered my mind unbidden and made my mouth water.

  Zared said, “Challenge accepted.”

  “What challenge?”

  “I will provide you with pheasant, female.”

  “Oh, you don’t have to. I didn’t think about it on purpose.”

  Telepathic laughter filled my mind from all of them.

  Eli asked, “Where have you gone?”

  I finished chewing some unknown bite of seafood and took a sip of water before telling Eli and Fitz about our telepathic conversation.

  “It’s fascinating that you can speak to them in your mind. You are truly an amazing female,” Eli said. His eyes were filled with love, loyalty, and danger.

  Leaning closer, I kissed the corner of his mouth.

  The driver was taking us toward a great deal of fanfare and commotion and not to the coastal road that would take us to the Jiri Estate. Wondering what it was all about, I took notice of a red carpet and several prominent political figures. The smile left my face. All of it was centered around Farowyn’s ship. He and Ember, the Talpan dignitary who had come to join my entourage, stood and waited for us. Eli helped me from the transport, and I ran to Farowyn.

  Resting my hands on his muscular, bare arms I asked, “Are you leaving? Now? Right now?”

  “The sooner I leave, the sooner I can return to you, my Queen.”

  Taking control of my breathing, I managed to prevent myself from throwing a fit to rival the one Neema had thrown earlier. However, rather than for diamonds, it would be for a male who would soon appear to be nothing more than a glittering star in the night sky. His ship would take him farther and farther away from me until too many parsecs separated us, and he vanished completely from sight. I tried to keep my face serene but felt my nose getting red.

  Farowyn huffed and trilled at me. “I will return. Dr. Savelli wants soil and plants for the giant slug he keeps as a pet. What does my wife want?”

  “I want you to be careful and return to me.” Turning to Ember, I hugged the reptilian humanoid. “I’ll miss you, too.”

  Through her translator, Ember said, “My health demands a return to my home world. A younger and hardier emissary will return with Farowyn and his crew to serve our queen. However, it is my hope that the two of us will remain in contact with one another. I look forward to our communications.”

  “So, do I, Ember.” We bowed to each other.

  Farowyn narrowed his eyes at Eli.

  My Inquisitor said, “I will protect her.”

  Farowyn said, “That is what worries me.” He kissed me, inclined his head to Fitz, gave his arm to Ember, and boarded his ship.

  I could feel Eli’s rage. Thunderdrop distracted him. “Chitter chitter clack chitter!” he directed at Eli.

  Shock filled me at the image I had seen. In it, Eli had been hanging upside down by a silk strand with his head in a waste unit. “Thunderdrop, that wasn’t nice!”

  “Chitter chitter!”

  Momma said, “Someone hasn’t forgiven you for your subterfuge in capturing our enemy.”

  Thinking of Felix Jiri sobered the mood. I said, “Let’s put the past behind us. Upsetting thoughts aren’t good for my baby.”

  Eli, stoic and deadly, scanned for dangers as we returned to the transport.

  Finn said, “Teagan, we will be taking a shuttle home. If you feel any discomfort, tell us immediately.”

  I suppressed a groan as we were driven to the aforementioned shuttle. I could imagine all of the seafood I had just eaten spilling out of me and onto the flooring. Momma sat several seats away from me.

  “Aren’t you sitting by me?”

  She gave me an apologetic glance, gazed down at her dress, and shook her head. Thunderdrop blinked at me with his eight eyes, nuzzled my cheek, and then scurried away from me to the safety of Momma’s lap.

  “Wow. Thanks a lot.”

  Fitz removed his jacket and sat beside me. He didn’t seem eager to do so. I rolled my eyes at him. Eli sat directly across from me, but he had closed himself off emotionally which made it seem as though miles separated us.

  “Eli, don’t let them upset you. I have forgiven you, and I will try to protect you from Thunderdrop.” I gave him the sincerest expression that I could manage. His eyes were dark and stared back at me with the tragic and unavoidable pain of someone who had been forced to sacrifice part of himself for his government. “Eli, I love you. I’m not afraid anymore. You did that.”

  Momma said, “I’m no longer afraid either. However, Tavere had much to do with that.”

  I felt a chill race along my arms. My Papa had wrapped his hands around Felix’s throat and killed him before my eyes. It wasn’t my idea of a sensitive or appropriate topic of discussion considering the bastard had been Finn’s brother and Fitz’s uncle.

  “If only I had suspected….” Finn said regretfully.

  Momma interrupted him. “If only any of us had suspected him. Teagan is right. We should put it behind us and move forward.”

  “Speaking of moving,” Fitz said.

  Thankfully, it wasn’t far, and shuttles were fast. Closing my eyes, I laid my head on Fitz’s lap. He rested his hand on my hip but kept it still.

  “We’re almost there,” Fitz assured me.

  There was a collective sigh of relief when the shuttle landed.

  “Here, let me take her,” Eli said. He picked me up and carried me from the shuttle to where Yukihyo and Zared waited.

  I kept my eyes squeezed shut. “Is anything spinning around? Is it safe?”

  Yukihyo said, “All is still but the wind and waves.” His deep monotone came closer.

  I relaxed and opened my eyes when I felt his touch. I loved the way Yukihyo’s hands felt on my skin. “Where are the children?” Part of me had been terrified since saying goodbye to Farowyn that Peter was with him on his ship.

  “They are naked and in the pool. Pierce and Lorca are with them.”

  “Thank the stars.” I met Yukihyo’s eyes, and his were puzzled by my exclamation.

  From nearby, Rozz
said, “I win the bet. She couldn’t go an hour without worrying about something.”

  I said, “Fuck you, Rozz.”

  Brightly, he said, “Okay!”

  Izaac drilled him in the arm with his fist. The two of them looked as though they were about to get into it. However, Eli was carrying me off to the house where a lively party was in full swing. Yukihyo matched his pace and kissed my forehead. “I will go and help watch over the children.”

  Delicious smells came to me on the breeze. Eli placed me on my feet once we were inside of the house. Between the greetings and hugs, I caught sight of my friends. Xavier and Jazon, two of my fierce Laconian hybrid warriors, panicked over every single little thing in regard to their wives. I watched as Xavier blew on a spoon before feeding whatever was on it to Sparrow. Whatever it had been, she appeared to enjoy it. I turned wide eyes to Finn.

  With a laugh, he led me to the food.

  Chapter Five

  The next morning, I was on the beach reclining on a lounge chair. With a roar, waves rolled onto the shore and then rolled back out again. Violet was beside me. Tracy was next to her. Sparrow and Terre, not wanting to be away from the ground, were on a blanket a few feet away. Guards were everywhere.

  “Do you think we could disguise them as trees?” Terre asked. “I feel like they are waiting to charge us with a crime.” She waggled her fingers at Eli, Drex, and Rovek.

  Violet asked, “What is the point of the excessive security? We are on the Praetor’s private estate.”

  The sand between us began to move, rising up. Spilling away from a form, I realized it was Kaoti. He scared me so badly that I peed a little.

  “Damn it, Kaoti! What the hell?”

  Violet chuckled at my bikini bottoms and pointed. Kaoti’s expression didn’t change.

  I wrapped a towel around my waist and trotted off to a cabana to pee and shower off. Then, with a fresh towel, I returned, glaring at Kaoti the entire walk back to my lounge chair.

  “My apologies, Princess. I did not intend to frighten you.”

  “You didn’t frighten her. You scared the piss out of her. Shame on you. Answer the question,” Sparrow grumbled.