by Grace, Viola
Rish let out a low whistle.
Eltrinia told her the story of the comb, how it denoted a concubine in the royal palace who had born a son to the king. She also mentioned that it was not how the Jianoa wanted it to be displayed.
“Her son became the heir, but he had been born with no soul. She destroyed him and ruled in his stead. It wasn’t well received, but she brought decades of peace and prosperity to her kingdom with that one act of defiance to convention. He disappeared from history at that point, so it is assumed that she completed her act of assassination.”
“Assumed?”
“I know she would have removed him from power, but I don’t think she could cold-bloodedly kill her own child.” Eltrinia stared at the comb. “I have met her, sort of.”
“That sounds like a story.”
“Oh, it is definitely stranger than fiction. Let me show you the broken armour of Bratothal.”
Rish nodded and didn’t press the issue. The tour resumed, and Eltrinia kept her focus on the past, not the memories of her genes. Kthoth, Adular, and Adolla Venatrin Lem were all interesting components that made her who she was. Moments like this, she was reminded that those women had potential to do wonderful or terrible things.
When they had completed the tour, Rish smiled. “I liked that. I especially like the shoes of Lianmori, the mythical fairy queen of the bright isles.”
“That pair was brought out of storage to keep some of the war-related items calm.” She smiled. “It works.”
“You have done remarkably well here. I mean, I know that the curator is your guardian, but as Trin is now my daughter, I consider you part of the family. I am proud of what you have been able to accomplish.” There was genuine maternal pride in her expression.
“Thank you. It is quite the compliment. I wanted a purpose, and I have been given several. The museum does better when I am here, people are listening to my words all over the world, and now, I will have the chance to travel around the continent and perhaps a little bit beyond.”
Rish grinned. “Anywhere but Jianoa.”
“Right.”
They engaged in a few more pleasantries, and then, Rish was heading up to the roof where she could take on her ruby dragon and fly back to the capital. She had to get the finals of the contract details in, and once Eltrinia had them signed and approved by the curator, she would be a consultant for the senate.
Eltrinia stood on the roof and watched Rish transform. One day she was going to change from human to dragon.
Not any time soon, dearling. I am not yet ready to be seen. I don’t even have my makeup on. The dragon’s whisper in her thoughts was amused.
Eltrinia watched as Rish flew away. Can you hide if someone looks for you?
I am the magic of two djinn and a dragon. I can hide behind walls of magic and humanity.
Good. I think that particular skill might be handy. Oh, can we appear to be completely human?
I believe you have forgotten to look in a mirror. The stamp of the djinn is strong on your features.
Ah. You are absolutely correct. I forget sometimes. I just look like me.
It is good that you are at ease with it. It is also good that you are in touch with your power while living among humans.
The power came first.
In the distance, Rish’s red body caught and reflected light from the surface. The beams of crimson made Eltrinia smile. It was a lovely thing to be a dragon, but she could wait for her turn.
Eltrinia headed back downstairs and walked to the curator’s study. “You wanted to see me?”
“Ah, you picked up on my little hint after the negotiations. Good. Please, have a seat.”
Eltrinia arranged her skirt decorously as she sank onto the chair.
“Very pretty. Eltrinia, are you sure you want to do this? It is going to take you into danger, and I cannot help you once you travel to restricted lands.”
Eltrinia cocked her head. “I do not want to sound flippant, but I was made for dangerous situations. I have electricity in my veins. Learning is fine and sometimes exciting, but I want to run, to seek out new situations and collect them like precious gems.”
The curator smiled and waved her hands around at the museum and sundry buildings. “Collecting is very dragon-like behaviour. I am rather surprised that it is the instinct that rose up first.”
“It isn’t. I want to take Inoth as my mate, but he isn’t a dragon, and I am not sure that he understands the protocols.”
The curator looked at her with a slight smile. “Are you sure it is him?”
“I am. I am also two-thirds djinn, and I believe that is the part that is calling to him.”
“Or his being one of your kind is what is summoning you to him. You might want to look up djinn courtship rituals. Maybe he is sending you initial courtship signals.”
Eltrinia thought about that for the rest of the night. It was a very long night.
She took her VIPs through the gallery and answered all questions that the seven-year-old asked. One of the little girls asked right off the bat. “Are you blind?”
Eltrinia smiled and whistled sharply, lifting her right hand up to catch the small metal bottle of water that the concession operator threw at her. She looked at the little girl. “No, miss. I am not blind.”
The girls and boys stared at her, and there were a dozen more questions about her eyes, her hair, her skin, and was she a dragon.
She answered them in turn, and when it came to the dragon question, she smiled and winked. “Not yet.”
The kids giggled, and she strolled through the gallery, leaving out the gore of some of the history but making sure that the children knew that the items were dangerous.
“Can we touch any of them?” One of the boys asked it while staring at a dagger made of gold.
“No, I am afraid that would be dangerous. That dagger was held by the heir to the throne of an empire, but when the invaders came, the current heir was a toddler. His guardians gave him the dagger, and the invaders used it on him. Now, it is a dagger for judgment. If it judges that you are not the right person to be holding it, you die.”
The boy’s hands came away from the glass sharply.
“That is the thing about this gallery. The countries that sent these objects here don’t want them. They are memories of something bad in the past that they want to forget. They are happy that we know history and tell people about them, but they don’t want to deal with them.”
One of the little girls nodded. “Like my baby brother. Mom says she doesn’t know what to do with him.”
The children nodded wisely, and the adults fought to hide their amusement.
“Indeed. They don’t know what to do with them, so we take them in, take care of them, and tell people about the people who used to own them and who made them what they are today.” Eltrinia smiled. “We don’t take in people, though. Not in the gallery.”
The children smiled. Their teacher said, “Thank the docent for the tour, children.”
“Thank you, Miss Lem.” The kids smiled.
“Thank you for coming. You are, by far, the best group I have had in the last two months.” She placed her hands on her thighs and bowed from the waist. When she straightened, the children were staring behind her. Their eyes were huge.
She knew who was there before she turned. “Children, let me introduce you to Ambassador Inoth N’Mir of Jianoa.”
Inoth came forward, and he inclined his head. The children were staring at him with their mouths open.
She leaned forward and whispered, “Any questions?”
Ten little arms shot skyward.
Inoth gave her a dark look. “Yes, miss?”
“What are you, sir?”
Eltrinia put her hand on his arm. “The ambassador is a djinn. His people have dark skin and bright eyes.”
Four little hands went down, and Eltrinia heard the question that made her smile. “Why do y
ou have eyes like him?”
“Do you remember the comb of Adular? The one that gives wisdom?”
The little ones nodded.
“She is a relative of mine. I have another relative that had eyes like mine as well. That is what happens when you are born. You might have hands like your grandmother and eyes like an ancestor born so long ago that no one knows about them, but they are all in you, and when you are born, those marks rise up. When you are born, everything you can become is already inside you, and the people who put it all together are your blood kin.”
The kids were wide-eyed.
One boy asked, “Are you her cousin?”
Inoth took her hand and lifted it to his lips. “I am most definitely not her cousin.”
She smiled. “Definitely not.”
One of the little girls smiled with bright eyes. “Are you going to get married?”
The teacher was mouthing apologies.
Inoth crouched down and spoke to the girl directly. “We have only just met, but I would one day like to marry Eltrinia. It would mean me moving here as my brother doesn’t like her.”
The girls gasped, and the boys frowned. One asked, “Why doesn’t he like her? Everyone should like her. She’s smart and fun and pretty.”
Eltrinia smiled. “I would not let his brother have his way. He did not like that. Kings are cranky people.”
The teacher’s eyes went wide that time. “Right, well, we have to go and see the ancient tomb exhibits. Thank you so much, Miss Lem.”
Eltrinia waved farewell as the little group wandered off.
Inoth moved to stand behind her, and he whispered in her ear, “I think that went well.”
She bent her elbow and shot it back into his ribs. He grunted but didn’t move.
“Why did you just declare your interest in me as a mate? In public? That is binding with a dragon on this continent.”
He moved around her and stood in front of her. “I do mean it. There is nothing about you that I dislike, and I know it all. Even your issue with my brother just means I can spend more time away from the palace and less time with him.”
Eltrinia wanted to splutter, but she took a step back. “I don’t know much about djinn courtship, but I don’t think that it can possibly be that easy for your side. You simply can’t just declare yourself, and that is it.”
He shrugged. “There are usually bride prices and trousseaus to be arranged, but with the N’Mir family, women are just thrown at us.”
Her hands curled into fists, and she shifted her stance. “I do not like that image.”
He looked down, and he blinked. “Apparently, I don’t know it all. You have been combat training.”
She glanced around at the late-morning traffic in the museum. They weren’t attracting a crowd, but they were an exhibit.
“I believe I should be glaring at your somewhere more private. Come with me.” She turned and headed for the privacy of the arboretum.
Inoth followed her at a decorous distance, and when she caught their reflection in a pane of glass, she stifled her grin. He was following her with his head slightly bent, watching her as she walked ahead of him with her head high. It was an image for her favourite memories. She froze it and snugged it away in the depths of her mind.
She was going to bring that image out when she needed to smile, feel powerful, and feel wanted. It wasn’t a bad memory to have.
Chapter Six
With the twist of his wrist, he materialized some documents. “I have the contracts from the senate.”
She smiled. “That quick?”
“They are eager to get you on board. I might even know who your first assigned partner is.” He smiled happily.
“I am guessing that it is you?”
“Yes, there is a very specific mission that only you can carry out. Well, you and myself. No one else is suited for it.”
She took the contracts and bit her lip. “I am going to have to get the curator to go over these, just to make sure they didn’t put in something sneaky.”
“Of course. I am at your disposal.”
She chuckled. “You can either wait here or come with me to the private side of the museum.”
“I would enjoy seeing where you spend your free time.”
She laughed. “That is behind the scenes, and even you can’t go to the back of the displays. It even happens with new hires. First, they adhere to the precise design of a display, and then, they start putting in little jokes. Those folks either straighten out quickly or find other jobs more suited to their whimsy.”
Eltrinia led him through the arboretum, past the teahouse, and into the private space that she had with the curator. She took him straight to the curator’s office and knocked on the door.
“Come in, Eltrinia, Ambassador N’Mir.”
Eltrinia pushed the lever and opened the door. The curator was at her desk, and she looked up with a smile.
“Come in and have a seat.”
There were two large chairs in front of the desk and a tea tray sitting on a small cart near them. Eltrinia put the contract into the curator’s extended hand.
She turned to Inoth. “Tea?”
He smiled. “None for me, thank you.”
She fixed herself a cup and sat back and had a sip while the curator went over the contract. Her guardian looked up. “Rough tour?”
“The littler they are, the more questions they have. My throat is bruised from all the talking.” The warm tea was welcome. Her muscles relaxed, and she wiggled her toes in her boots.
“The little ones love you.”
“They love my eyes.” She smiled.
Inoth chipped in, “They are lovely eyes.”
He settled in the chair.
“Good morning to you, Curator.”
The curator glanced up with a smile. “Good morning, Ambassador.”
“In name only. My brother is still deciding what to do with me. Fortunately, I have spent my career being charming and professional. Too many people know my face. It will be difficult to make me disappear.”
The curator muttered without looking up, “And you are the only ambassador that Jianoa has appointed in seventeen centuries. They can’t make you disappear. It would be bad for all the new businesses they have planned.”
Inoth smirked. “It would be. I think I have a few more years in this position before the king replaces me.”
The curator sighed and looked up. “Would you like me to have a word with him?”
“What?”
“With the king. I can speak to him and make my position very clear.”
Inoth’s eyes got wide. “That will not be necessary. Not yet. But thank you for the offer.”
“It isn’t an offer for you, it is for Eltrinia. If he doesn’t loosen the threat of a life sentence or death for my ward, I am going to have to take steps.” Her tone was casual, considering the overt threat.
The curator took out a pen and began to make changes and circle a few sentences with notes attached.
“All in all, this is a clean consultant contract. I have added in discrete legal assistance if you require it, and a discretionary fund for clothing and weaponry abroad, and of course, they need to expedite your identity and travel documents in whatever name they choose to present you with. No extradition will apply if you can get back to the continent, and if there are any impediments implemented by the senate that interfere with your mission, there will be a bonus on the contract of five thousand dollars.”
“Oh. Okay.” Eltrinia went for more tea.
“So, Eltrinia, you sign this as is, and if they are willing to sign it as well, we will have a deal.”
Eltrinia took the document and used the pen handed to her. She signed it and handed it back to the curator who scrawled across the witness line. The curator folded it up and handed it to Inoth.
“It lacks dignity, but this is why they sent you.”
He sa
luted, stepped to the side, and disappeared.
Eltrinia blinked and smiled. “Oh. I get it now. He’s the courier.”
The curator chuckled. “Yes. I have foreseen you two sitting here, but I thought there would be a romantic twist to the discussion.”
“Ah. That. You missed it. He declared himself to me while I was finishing the tour.”
The curator leaned back. “Really?”
“I think that’s what it was. A child asked if he was going to marry me, and he said that the time wasn’t right, but he did want me as his mate. He also mentioned that his brother does not like me.”
“I believe that has more to do with the throne than anything else.”
Eltrinia wrinkled her nose. “Oh. Right. The one that only the rightful ruler can sit on. Yeah, I only figured that one out after I got researching the Jianoan royal family.”
“When did you do that?”
“Last night, after we spoke. I covered their courtship rituals and moved on to the royal rituals.”
“Excellent choice for study. You also need to look into the methods and habits of the Cabran peninsula. You are going to need it, fairly shortly.” The curator pointed to the second desk in the corner with the machine hooked up and ready.
“I didn’t even notice that?”
“Didn’t you?” She made a tutting noise. “Maybe espionage isn’t your cup of tea, after all.”
The taunting singsong of the curator’s tone told Eltrinia that she wasn’t supposed to see the unit until it was time. Apparently, it was time.
Eltrinia gave her a dark glare and got up, taking her teacup to the terminal. She opened the search and got to work on the history and design of the Cabran peninsula.
It was over an hour before Inoth returned with a grim expression. “They were not happy about those changes... but they signed it.”
Eltrinia grinned, and the curator smiled as she took the copy. “This will be going somewhere safe.”
Inoth pulled an envelope from thin air, and he walked over to hand it to Eltrinia. “This will be our assignment. We are leaving tomorrow at five in the evening. I will pick you up from the arboretum. The requirement list is in the envelope. Please dress accordingly.”
