by Shae Mills
“Oh... I don’t know about that. I mean, I do know the language well, but he is signing slowly to me.” She laughed. “And I feel like I am going to get a headache by watching both ears at once.”
Terig chuckled and Shabby’s eyes sparkled. But Zar retained a hard look that caused a shiver to crawl up Chelan’s spine. She had long since become very adept at reading human body language through the Imperial shrouds, and as a result, she found reading the Centurions almost easy; she was not sure if it came from her familiarity with horses or if it was her sixth sense. But something radiating from Zar was making her very uncomfortable. However, she was not going to let it spoil her afternoon, and so she buried her thoughts and continued on.
AS THE HOURS PASSED and evening approached, Chelan and Terig finally took their leave. Once back inside the keep, Chelan immediately returned to the tower window that overlooked the cliffs to the ocean. She knew that somewhere out there beyond the swirling sand lay the water, but for now all was still obscured.
Terig came up behind her and gently touched her shoulder. “A penny for your thoughts.”
Chelan smiled. “You’ve picked up all the old Earth phrases, I see.”
Terig chuckled. “A few. So tell me—what’s on your mind?”
Chelan sighed. “Right at this moment, Zar, actually.”
“Hmm... What about him?”
“I don’t know. I sense a coldness of some sort. I don’t know at whom or what it’s directed.”
“He’s always been very rugged and physical. He was extremely aggressive in the war games. But I haven’t noticed anything out of the ordinary since. Although I could be missing something, since I see him all the time.” He paused. “Can you pinpoint anything specific?”
“No, actually. It’s probably of no concern.”
Terig straightened and pondered her observation. Then he grinned. “You know, I suspect it’s simple testosterone flowing through his bones. He knows his father is one of the best fighters ever to come through Centurion ranks. I suspect Zar has been and will always be a handful. But to be in the presence of the Empress, I’m sure he just wanted to make an impression on you.”
Chelan’s brows rose. “Well, sheer size notwithstanding, he certainly did that.”
Terig laughed. “Shall we make dinner?” And he offered her his arm.
“An excellent idea, my dear man.” And off they went.
Chapter 24
AS THEY WOUND THEIR way through the castle, Chelan suddenly stopped and inhaled deeply. “Oh, what is that heavenly smell?!”
Terig cocked his head and sniffed, catching a whiff of the aromatic scent at the same time she did. “Dinner, maybe?”
Chelan looked at him in disbelief. “Dinner?!”
Terig shrugged. “It would appear so.”
Chelan hesitated. “Were you expecting company?”
“Not entirely.”
“Should we be wary?”
“Hardly, my Lady. The castle is completely secure, and I doubt any warriors hell-bent on causing trouble here would take the time to cook a meal.”
Chelan frowned. “Well, if I ever decide to take you out unawares, I know how to do it.”
Terig chuckled as he continued onward. “Come. Let’s investigate further.”
Just then, a low, sensual female voice called out in Iceanean. “My Lord, you are home?” And a tall Cleosan woman stepped out into the light of the great hall at the same moment Terig and Chelan entered it.
“I am,” announced Terig, happily. “And I have the Lady Chelan with me.”
The Cleosan woman came closer and then bowed her head. “My Lady,” she greeted. “I have heard so much about you.”
Chelan had to consciously close her mouth, the woman’s almost ethereal appearance taking her completely by surprise. “I hope all the news has been good.”
Terig laughed as he ushered Chelan up to the woman for an introduction. “My Lady, as I mentioned to you earlier, Leeman is one of my coworkers, and a very dear friend.”
Chelan nodded to the woman. “Oh, yes, I certainly do remember. I have heard a lot about you also. This is one of the advantages to having been marooned here by the storm—I get to meet many of Terig’s friends.”
Leeman smiled. “Then you have met our resident Centurions?”
“I have, and I am impressed.”
“They are a proud race, my Lady, with a fascinating history.” Leeman’s soft pale eyes then focused back on Terig. “Sir, your dinner, and the Lady’s, is now served.”
“Thank you. If I had known you would be here, we would have come back from our visit with Shabizar much earlier. I apologize for the late hour, and I trust that you have already eaten?”
“Yes, my Lord. I have.”
Chelan continued to smile at Leeman, but then suppressed a flinch as the woman’s eyes raked coolly over her.
Terig spoke. “Well, it would be wonderful if you could stay and join us as we eat?”
Leeman seemed to mull over his suggestion, her long, stark white fingers fidgeting with her floor-length robes. “Yes, I suppose I could. At least for a bit.”
“Great, then! Shall we go to the kitchen?”
The three of them moved to a small table where Leeman had the meal set out for the two of them. Leeman sat gracefully and then looked at Chelan. “My Lady. Are you enjoying your stay here?”
Chelan nodded as Terig passed her what appeared to be a pasta dish. “Oh yes. Everything my Lord here has amassed is fascinating. It is even more appealing to me because of our shared ancestry.” Instantly, Chelan could see Leeman’s gaze harden, so she continued quickly. “I had intended to stay but a day, but as you probably know, I was detained by unforeseen circumstances.”
Leeman nodded. “The storms are an inconvenience, especially if one is trapped topside. I am surprised the Emperor is tolerating your sequestration. Surely, he is working toward your extraction?”
Terig stopped serving the food, recognizing the uncharacteristic cut in Leeman’s tone. He was well aware that insulting or challenging the Galactic Empress was far from prudent, and he sought to defuse the situation. “The logistics behind extracting the Lady Chelan are complex, especially with such a far-reaching, unpredictable storm. His Lordship has weighed the options, and for now, he has decided to let her ride out the storm here.”
Chelan appreciated Terig’s subtle intervention, and she sought to further quell the woman’s disquietude. She looked down at her food and began twirling the pasta onto her fork. “This looks wonderful, Leeman. Terig must count his lucky stars every time you come to cook for him.” She took her first taste and then nodded to Leeman. “Oh my god, this is marvelous! You could cook for me any day.” And Chelan watched as the wariness in Leeman’s eyes faded ever so slightly.
The woman toyed with her gown again as she looked to Terig lovingly, a faint smile gracing her thin lips. “He has always been a wonderful teacher—so kind and so patient.”
Chelan smiled to herself as she watched the tension in Terig’s shoulders diminish. Then she peered back at Leeman. “Well, for the duration of my stay, however long that may be, in my opinion, you are welcome here as much as you wish. And when you desire to cook, I would love to sit in on some of his Lordship’s lessons, if he permits.”
Leeman beamed as she looked between the two of them. “I would love that.”
Terig finally smiled and started into his food. “My Lady here has been starved for Earthly cuisine. Apparently, twenty-some Earth years of Iceanean food have left her somewhat wanting.”
Chelan wiped her lips with a napkin. “I am not saying Iceanean food is tasteless, by any means, but they do lack a degree of variety in their everyday fare. The whole diet is geared to efficiently feeding warriors. The race eats to live and perform. They do not spend the time creating diversity in flavor or presentation because to do so serves no purpose for the most part. They have hit on nutritional formulas that are optimal for the demands of high metabolic output while fe
eding the needs of their tremendous muscle mass.”
Chelan sat back and looked deep into Leeman’s wide eyes. “That is not to say they do not have an appreciation for food such as what you have created, Leeman. Over the years, I have attended many banquets put on for foreign delegations, and been to enough ceremonies to know that they can indeed be creative when necessary. And the kitchens, when called upon to feed dignitaries from around the galaxy, research the tastes of the visiting peoples and have shipments of their native foods brought in, if feasible, so that specialty dishes can be made. It is all quite complex and fascinating. You would love to be involved sometime.”
Terig smiled again, recognizing that Leeman was ready to attach herself to Chelan permanently just to get a chance to participate in such a venture. He looked to Chelan. “My Lady, you really do have quit instilling Leeman with such dreams. If you continue to do so, she will leave my company indefinitely, and for that I would truly be sorry.”
Both of them watched as Leeman nearly liquefied on the spot. The Cleosan woman spoke. “I... well... I would never leave you, my Lord, but...” Her eyes snapped to Chelan. “My Lady, the ships here, maybe one day I could visit... uh... the kitchens, I mean?”
Chelan set her fork down. “Actually, that is a wonderful idea. You would not believe the vastness of the RIBUSes’ facilities, or their efficiency!” Then she laughed, catching both Terig and Leeman by surprise. “Look, at some point I will smuggle you on board. If I tell anyone that I am bringing you, someone in the kitchen will be cranking out Cleosan food for the duration of your stay, and from what Terig has told me about you, that would indeed be unfortunate.”
Leeman laughed. “Oh, my Lady, it would be. No more Cleosan food! After all that his Lordship has allowed me to sample over the years, my own culture’s fare, well, it is lacking... severely.”
Chelan sat back. “Well then, after a few more things have been ironed out pertaining to our mission here, you will simply have to be my guest.”
Leeman nodded enthusiastically and then slipped out of her chair. “It is getting late, my Lady. I should take my leave if you permit, and be on my way to my home. It has been a pleasure to meet you.”
Chelan stood and reached for Leeman’s hand. “It has been a pleasure meeting you also. Like I said, and if it is okay with his Lordship, come here as often as you wish during my stay.”
Terig rose and nodded. “My Lady is right. Any time, my dear woman, is fine with me.”
Leeman unexpectedly went to one knee before Chelan, holding Chelan’s hand tightly. Then she rose, and as Chelan released her, Leeman turned and floated away into the darkness of the keep.
Chelan waited for a moment and then turned to Terig. “There, well, that went quite well.”
Terig exhaled and slumped back down into his chair. “Thank you, my Lady. I could tell she saw you as a major threat, and she was going to let you know it.”
“I felt it the moment you announced I was with you. She would have heard, no doubt, that I was here, but encountering me in person put her completely on edge.”
“Regardless, I shall have to speak to her as to her conduct in your presence. Whether you were a threat to her or not, where she was headed was unacceptable.”
Chelan sat. “But I am a potential threat to her. She knows enough about Iceanean values and mores, having been with you and the warriors during Korba’s time here, to know that is a possibility. She knows that if I followed their values unconditionally, I could have you in a heartbeat, and no one would be wronged, save her.”
Terig raised his brows. “I had not thought about that, my Lady. She knows I harbor a loneliness for my kind, and she is well aware that though she wants all, I see her more as a sister than a lover. To have you here, and available if you wished, would indeed cloud her senses.”
“Exactly. Well, I hope that by possibly sticking my foot in my mouth by going over your head and inviting her here for as much as she wishes, her heart and mind have been set at ease. Plus, it saves me from sleeping with one eye open, wondering when and if she will plunge a steak knife into my heart.”
Terig laughed. “I think all is well, my Lady. And as for that knife, I will have you know that this place is well secured, and I have had this whole area alarmed for intruders and constantly monitored. As Korba knows, you are safe under my watch.”
Chelan smiled. “Well, then, threat defused. But if your security is so tight, Leeman must be cleared to come and go as she wishes?”
“She is, but if that is a worry to you I can set things up so she has to request permission to enter the castle at any time.”
“I suspect all is being tended to. And you know the women best. Besides, I doubt she would do anything that displeased you, and now that she knows I am but a temporary and benign guest, she will be more amenable to my presence.”
Terig nodded. “The Cleosans as a whole are a passive race, and Leeman exemplifies their cultural values... although she did become a little rankled by the thought of you as a potential suitor.”
“Maybe not so passive after all?
Terig laughed. “I suspect that that one small show of force will cost her many nights of lost sleep. She spends a great deal of time here, sweeping up errant honeybees that accidently find their way into the castle, and tenderly deposits each and every one of them outside. One time one of them died before she could rescue it, and I had to dry her tears for what seemed an eternity.
“Awww... That is so sweet! Well, maybe we had better eat this marvelous dinner of hers so that we do not hurt her feelings. I can tell that she went to a lot of work for us.”
“She did! And it looks like we have a dessert to tackle also.”
THE DAYS TICKED ALONG, Chelan’s time spent with Terig for the most part, both of them making the odd visit to Shabby and his family. Whenever possible, Terig involved Chelan in his work with the Cleosans as they fulfilled their obligations regarding RIBUS 7. Incoming data from RIBUS 1 was sometimes sporadic due to transmission problems, but the delays were only temporary.
Work activities were punctuated by frequent visits from Leeman, the two women spending some of their time in the greenhouses. The gardens were all connected by tunnels, the plants tended by automated systems. But seed collection and plant propagation were hands-on activities that Leeman took great delight in. And every evening they got together with his Lordship to conjure up the latest culinary delight, Chelan’s fresh input being greeted with great fanfare.
Then very early one morning, Chelan awoke with a start. She bolted upright and looked about the room, wide-eyed. The silence was deafening. The storm had ended.
Chelan threw back the blankets, raced for her uniform, and dressed in record speed. Dashing to a window, she squinted at the bright Cleosan suns shining in all their splendor. Then her eyes widened as Iceanean fighters seared through the airway above the castle, and her heart leapt.
She ran out of her room and skidded to a halt at the top of the stairs. “Terig!” she called, but it was silent. Traversing the stairs as fast as she could, she wound her way down to the great hall and then sprinted outside. She peered up at the battlements, and there she found Terig. In mere moments, she reached him, breathless by the time she was by his side.
“My Lady!” he greeted. “A very good morn to you!”
Chelan smiled and then looked up as more fighters blasted past. “Oh my god, when did it clear?”
“I was alerted that the tail end was washing through maybe half an hour ago. The largest sunspot on Sipris was simply absorbed, and we knew the end was in sight.”
Chelan shielded her eyes and looked up at the huge globe, its sister sun below, bluish in color on the horizon. “You know, the bloody sandstorms aside, the dual star system is an amazing sight. It makes Earth and her lone sun boring by celestial standards.”
“Aye, that is true, but in a moment I will be allowing the shielding to come down so that Korba’s men can get to you. When that shielding retracts, you won�
��t be so impressed with the binary star system. As you know, normally this part of the world is tolerable. But with the breezes heating up from all the heat radiating off that sand, things are about to get uncomfortable... especially with both suns so close at the moment.”
“I bet. It would be oppressive to say the least.”
Terig nodded. “You won’t expire, but depending on Korba’s plans for you, I would keep myself covered, maybe even get your shroud. The rays on your bonny light skin will toast you to a crisp in no time.”
Chelan nodded. “Warning heeded.”
Then they both looked up as a contingent of Secondary fighters came to a halt directly above the castle. Terig spoke. “The shielding should come down right about now.”
And no sooner had he spoken than there appeared to be a distortion in the atmosphere around them, like a pebble breaking the surface of an absolutely still pond. Then, in a whoosh, Chelan was buffeted by a wall of heat, the blast causing her eyes to water as her hair blew back. “Holy cow!” And she reached for her face.
“Aye, I warned you. Now the countdown begins. You should either head into the keep or step back into some shade.”
Chelan went to retreat just as one of the ships began descending into the bailey, feathering to within a meter of the ground. The cockpit slipped back and the man inside the massive ship stood, stripping off his flight helmet.
Chelan leaned over the battlement and smiled ear to ear. “Yanis!”
“My Lady! His Majesty has requested that I retrieve you for him—at your convenience, of course.”
Chelan turned to Terig. “Kind sir, if you permit, I know this is not the way I wanted to say good-bye for now, but I need to get to my children in the worst way.”
Terig took her by the hands. “My Lady, I understand completely, and this is not good-bye for long as—”
Terig was interrupted as Yanis shouted up at them. “And you, my Lord! Korba wants you on RIBUS 1, to meet with him as soon as possible.”
