Materfamilias

by Wendie Nordgren

Yukihyo asked, “Bathroom?”

  I nodded.

  Cleaned up and dressed in a soft gown, I had been tucked in by the time Clark returned. My head was on Yukihyo’s chest.

  Nico moved to the edge and patted the bed between us. “Come on, Gravy. There’s room.”

  Yukihyo’s soft laughter put me back to sleep.

  Hours later, I partially woke and tried to puzzle out our sleeping arrangement. I was curled up against Yukihyo in my customary position, but a warm body was against my back, and a hand was between my thighs, pressing against my folds. The owner of the hand was sound asleep, but the intimate touch was making me wet.

  Yukihyo kissed the top of my head and moved my hand down to his suddenly hard shaft. Opening my thighs to release the hand, I quietly straddled Yukihyo and lowered myself onto his length. I rode him until we had both found our releases and then went back to sleep.

  Later, I woke up in the center of a pile of male heat. Arms, legs, chests, and tangled blankets had me giggling. Sitting up in the midst of it all, I pushed my tangled hair back from my face.

  Yukihyo whispered, “I’m glad your new pup has diminished your anxiety.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You were panicking about becoming a mother of twins. The pup has eased those feelings.”

  “Don’t call him that.”

  “But, he’s still growing into his feet.”

  I sighed, knowing I wouldn’t win. “Where is Nico?”

  “He needed to meet with other land force commanders this morning.” Yukihyo gave me a kiss before getting up and walking to the bathroom while I enjoyed the view his backside provided.

  I snuggled back down against Clark. It woke him, and he said, “You’re not a dream.” We shared a sweet kiss just as my vid-screen signaled. Reaching for it, he handed it to me and sat back against the pillows, out of sight. Not wanting him to feel it was necessary for him to hide, I moved close and got comfortable against his chest before answering.

  Quaid’s black eyes went from me to Clark. I felt a moment of fear. Recently, I had been out of control, accepting husbands and practically doubling my family. If Clark was any indication, I was still out of control. I tried to prepare myself for Quaid’s anger for finding me in bed with yet another male. What was wrong with me? I looked away from the screen as Zared entered the bedroom.

  Walking toward me, he handed me a cup of coffee. “Nothing is wrong with you. You are a pregnant Parvac female, who needs to stop judging herself by the standards of alien civilizations.” Looking at the screen, he said, “Good morning, Quaid.” He got into bed beside me.

  “Zared, from your words, I assume our wife worries about something.”

  “Yes, she doesn’t know that we called you and had a good laugh at her expense for sniffing out this new husband of hers. It was the most fortuitous mishap in Parvacian history. Males will be spilling food on themselves for centuries while attempting to attract the notice of expectant mothers. But, isn’t he pretty?”

  Quaid laughed.

  However, I looked away from him. Did he know about my expulsion, too? Would Quaid think I was a failure? I felt like a failure. I picked at the blanket.

  Zared said, “She is also troubled by what happened at the Academy.”

  Not looking up, I said, “They kicked me out over something I couldn’t help. I’ve appealed, but I don’t think it will matter.”

  Gently, Quaid said, “It’s alright, Lady Bosh. It might be for the best. Such activities might prove hazardous. All that should require your attention at this time are your needs.”

  His words caused me to worry. Was there some new impending crisis of which I had no knowledge? Was there another reason behind my expulsion? Was the threat of war renewed? “What do you mean by at this time?”

  Confused by the suddenly fearful and slightly hysterical tone of my voice, Quaid’s eyes darted to Zared’s. I looked at him, too. Trying to sense if he was hiding something from me.

  Zared rested his palm over my stomach as he soothed my emotions. “Do you see what I mean? She has been forgetful, anxious, and easily agitated. The threat of war and your treatment of Flavian have compounded these issues.”

  “Teagan, I only meant that I know how very much you needed a child. Now, you carry two. I want you to enjoy your pregnancy and relax. As for the other issue, they needed to know that should they hurt you, they will answer to me. I may not always be with you, but my reach is long.”

  “Not long enough. I can’t feel your mind from wherever it is you are.” Tears fell down my cheeks. Clark put his arm around me, and I hid my face against his shoulder.

  “Yukihyo tells me you are going to visit your clan home. Meet me on Epopeus. You need a vacation, and so do I. Furthermore, it would send a reassuring political message for my wife and family to accept the hospitality of my parents. It is winter on our estate this time of year, so it will feel like summer to you.”

  Puzzled, I scrunched my forehead up at him. “Aren’t you angry with me about Gravy? Oh, stars! I’m so sorry! I mean Clark!” My face burned with embarrassment.

  Chuckling along with them, Clark tilted my face up to his. “Teagan, I’ll answer to anything you call me.”

  Turning back to Quaid, I imagined Cory’s screams as he pleaded with Quaid to stop. I tried and failed to hold in a sob. “Oh, Clark, I’m so sorry.” Bile rose up in my throat. I thrust the vid-scream to Zared, crawled off the bed, and ran to the bathroom.

  After the sickness had passed, I turned on the shower, sat under the spray, and cried. I was distracted from the water hitting the tiles by a large pair of male feet with brown hairs on the toes. I followed them up a pair of hairy ankles.

  “Teagan, I think it’s cute. I’ll think of a nickname to call you.” A naked Clark sat beside me. He took my hand in his and smiled at me.

  Confused, I looked into his eyes.

  “Gravy doesn’t upset me, but I’m not fond of Pup.”

  “Oh, I’m crying because of what Quaid did to your father. It’s just so horrible. How could he know he was hurting him and keep doing it?”

  “How could they all know that their plan was hurting you and keep doing it? I was with you in the stealth ship while we pursued Jiri. I saw the fear they placed in your eyes, fear my own father had put there. I’d never before felt shame for my House as I felt in those moments. Now, you are my wife. I know what it is to share our bodies, to hold you while you sleep trustingly in my arms, and I now understand Bosh’s rage. Had my father been an Earth Loyalist and not working undercover, what would Captain Aegisthus, Inquisitor Beck, or Inquisitor Licinius have done to him?”

  I gagged simply from thinking of it.

  Clark said, “I was correct to trick you in our marriage contract. You don’t have the stomach for the duties of an Inquisitor. You have the stomach for nurturing and giving life to both your young and to males whose souls have bleed out of them. You can find some other way to prove to yourself your intellectual worth. Stand up. Let me help you wash.” He gave my inner thigh a gentle swat.

  Chapter Twelve

  During breakfast, all of the conversations were about our impending journey to the Laconian Sector. Instead of participating, I fed Peter his breakfast. I smiled as he opened his little mouth for his spoon. Neema and Niklos were gobbling up pancakes and eggs like we never fed them. Their morning would be full of activities, so I was glad their appetites were healthy.

  Yukihyo said, “While we are there, we might as well visit each planet in the system. I’m sure Farowyn would be grateful for additional merchandise to take on his next trip to Talpa.”

  “Yes, and Mother will want a few things from that sector as well,” Momma said. Grandmother had been complaining that she was out of ceshoosh.

  Yukihyo’s mother and sisters would have long lists of things that they would want us to purchase for them. Rather than getting to help, I’d probably get stuck meeting with politicians. At least, I could count on Fitz to help me. Quaid w
as probably less concerned with seeing me and more interested in using me to make a show of continued peaceful relations with the Empire. Finishing up my breakfast, I gave each of my babies their kisses and handed Peter to Momma.

  “Who is getting so big?” she cooed to Peter.

  She might annoy me at times, but she was an excellent grandmother, and she doted on my children as I imagined she had wanted to do with me when I was little.

  Clark kept pace with me as I entered my dressing room. Eli and Drex followed after us on silent feet. Then, I stared at my uniforms and realized I wouldn’t be going to school. My team wouldn’t be picking me up. I no longer had a team. I sat on a stool and stared at the uniforms Momma had neatly arranged on a rack.

  Eli said, “You were quiet at breakfast. Is something wrong?”

  I lifted a shoulder and then let it fall. Getting up, I pulled a new pink dress from a hanger, pushed my arms under the skirt, and slid them into the sleeves, letting the hem glide down my body and to my ankles. “I was thinking that it might be nicer to visit Thalassa than Epopeus. We haven’t been to Coronis in quite some time. Do you remember the flowering bushes you gave me? I wonder if they are still doing well.”

  Moving to stand close to me, Eli said, “I remember. I also recall sitting at an outdoor café and watching you. Seeing you in the flesh was intoxicating. To this day, it is something at which I continue to marvel.”

  Drex said, “Dearest one, tell us what troubles you, and we will fix it.”

  I covered my stomach with my hands. “Oh, Drex. What isn’t troubling me? I’m terrified of miscarrying. I can’t lose my babies.” The ache in my throat made speaking an impossibility. After accepting the comfort of Eli’s arms, I said, “I’m afraid of leaving the Empire and of doing anything to jeopardize the babies. What if someone tries to kidnap and ransom me, again? What if the war being averted is a trick by the Militia or something? Can we trust Quaid? Can I trust him? We’re safe here. Do I need to mention being expelled? All of my hard work was for nothing. I’m a failure.”

  Lifting my chin, Eli stared into my eyes. “You were not at fault in losing Luca’s child. Nothing could be done. These two little warriors are snug within you where they will remain for many months. I will not allow any kidnappings of your person or any of your loved ones. You are completely safe wherever you chose to go. You have the freedom of the stars. As far as Bosh goes, the male loves you more than life. He has worked tirelessly on more than one occasion to right the wrongs of the universes to make existence more pleasing for you. The moment you are near him, all of these worries will vanish. The leaders of the Galaxic Government and Laconian Sectors have every intention of pandering to your every whim in attempts to placate Emperor Probus. You might get some nice gifts out of it.”

  Quietly, I said, “I’ve got plenty of nice stuff.”

  Drex said, “You are quite adorable when you pout.”

  Thunderdrop crawled along the ceiling and then dropped down to my shoulder. He touched the tip of one claw to Eli’s shoulder. “Chirp. Chirp clack chitter chirp.”

  He showed me an image of Eli suspended with silk, upside down above a waste unit with his head in it. Then, he showed me an image of Eli out of the waste unit and on his feet. My jaw dropped.

  Eli asked, “What did he say?”

  “Um…. He’s not angry with you anymore?”

  “Chirp!” Thunderdrop said in agreement.

  Eli said, “Thank you for your forgiveness. We can work more effectively together than we can at cross-purposes.”

  “Chirp!”

  Seemingly uncertain as to how he should proceed, Clark kissed my cheek, and said, “I have to go, or I’ll be late.”

  Trying my best to smile, I kissed his cheek in return. “Say hello to them for me.”

  He gave me a nod of his head and left.

  I took my first cadet’s uniform out of my closet, the one Cormac had given to me, and laid it out on my bed, neatly folding it. Carefully, I attached my rank insignia to the collar and put it away in a drawer.

  “Rolf?”

  “Yes, Princess?”

  “Will you please remove my uniforms from my closet and have them sent to Galina? If she likes any of them, Adini can alter them to fit her.”

  “Yes, Princess.”

  Thunderdrop crawled to my shoulder and clung to my arm. I moped my way into my sitting room and plopped down on the couch to look through the windows and out over the lake.

  Drex said, “Dearest one, allow me to take you shopping.”

  “I don’t need anything. You go on ahead.”

  Sparrow said, “Come see my lab.” Thinking she might let me blow something up, I agreed. When Fitz and Dario followed us, Sparrow asked, “What are you doing?”

  Dario gave her a charming smile, and Fitz smiled at her like the politician he had been bred to become.

  Sparrow said, “No.” Taking my arm, she led me out to the Palace garage. I tried not to laugh at my husbands’ expressions. She stopped beside a bright-red transport. It was brand new and looked fast. “Get in.” She sat in the driver’s seat.

  “When did you learn to drive?”

  “Recently, but I’m good at it.”

  “Did Xavier buy this for you?” I felt the seats and admired the console.

  “No, I bought it for myself. The Empire pays me nicely.” Pulling out of the garage, she drove to her lab. Sparrow didn’t take her eyes from the road, but I scanned our surroundings to see if I could spot any guards. Mine were staying out of sight.

  There were lots of guards at her facility, and they made their presences known. She rolled down the windows when we arrived for the guards who approached and scanned us before allowing us to pass.

  “What are you working on today?”

  “Something secret. You can’t tell.” She parked in her reserved spot and watched my face, waiting for an affirmation of my compliance.

  “I promise not to tell.”

  Additional guards were on duty at Sparrow’s lab to either side of the doors.

  “Security here is even tighter than it is at the Palace,” I said as I memorized their duty stations.

  “There are more inside. For what I do, it’s necessary.”

  “Are you sure it’s safe for me to be here? If Quaid touches me….”

  “I know. You have clearance for what I’m showing you.” She took my hand and dragged me along. We passed through a security scanner. “It won’t hurt our babies. Don’t worry.” Next, we passed through a sterilizer.

  “How did you know I was worrying?”

  “Xavier told me.”

  Sparrow’s lab was filled with the most futuristic equipment I had ever seen. We walked along a plasti-glass hall. To either side, robotic arms made precise movements as they completed tasks. One of her assistants helped us into hair nets, goggles, lab coats, and booties. Then, we entered one of her work areas.

  “This is what I wanted to show you,” she said. She walked over to a long work surface upon which a few large, clear spheres rested. Encased within each sphere were complex sensors and recording equipment. “Not being able to speak to my daddy got me angry. I created my own probes and intend to discover who was responsible for keeping us apart. After I discover who did it, Xavier promises to punish the individual for me.”

  “Sparrow, you’re brilliant.”

  “Yes. I am. Are you going to help me, or not?”

  “Yes, I’m helping! What do you want me to do?” I looked around at the odd tools and machines, wondering how I could help.

  “You can’t change your mind about going to the Laconian Sector. I need to launch these probes and collect data. It’s the only way to learn the truth, and we don’t know who to trust.”

  “I can get you there. They won’t suspect me of spying. They probably think I’m too stupid to pull it off. After all, I got kicked out of the Academy. Anyway, forming a hypothesis about the responsible party was the last assignment I was given. Shouldn’t I fin
ish what I started?”

  “No one can know about this. It’s unsanctioned. Xavier and his brothers can hide what we are doing from everyone, even Quaid.” Sparrow waited and tried to judge my reaction.

  “I don’t have a problem keeping this a secret. Most of them have kept secrets from me. Also, I have the perfect cover. When we need to investigate a new location, I’ll get a sudden whim to go there. I can serve as a distraction while you launch the probes. It should be simple to stall and come up with excuses to get you closer if you find something.”

  “Good. When can we leave? My probes are ready.” Her face froze in shock, and her eyes tracked the progress of someone behind me. Her mouth didn’t move, but she was communicating, “Oh, shit,” all too clearly.

  Three men, adorned in the same protective attire which we wore, were almost upon us. There was nothing we could do to hide the probes. When I recognized one of the approaching males, I understood Sparrow’s panic.

  “Daughter,” Papa said. Rovek and Cormac were with him. Anger consumed me at the sight of Rovek. Papa said, “Expelling you from the Academy was a ruse.”

  “What?”

  “You and your entourage will be under scrutiny once you leave Parvac space, especially your Inquisitors. You need to appear harmless, a princess taking a relaxing vacation. Your Omnes Videntes will shield your thoughts for the duration of this mission. You will tell Quaid the truth which is that they are under orders from me to guard your mind until I am assured there are no threats to our security. No one must know of your mission except for those of us here, not even your husbands. Understood?” His eyes were deadly serious. He turned his attention to Sparrow. “Oh, I knew the moment you began this project. I allowed it to continue because your goals align with my own. I’m impressed enough with their virtually undetectable nature to refrain from admonishing you for trying to keep secrets from your Emperor.”

  “Papa, don’t fuss at Sparrow,” I said angrily. “She can create whatever she wants in her lab. She can keep whatever she wants a secret. In fact, maybe I should start keeping secrets, like father like daughter.”