by Gillian Zane
“What in the galaxies are you doing to my Charge Mate?” Roc bellowed, and Bobbie swatted at him again when Nasha straightened.
“I have taken to study all the information on Earth that we have in the Polari libraries. That was a gesture of greeting on her world,” Nasha said, his voice musical and pleasing.
“I was on Earth for a year and never once saw a greeting like that,” Roc growled.
“It’s an old gesture, a few centuries. When was the last time your people studied Earth?” Bobbie asked.
“A few centuries,” Nasha replied sheepishly.
“It was still a very grand gesture. It is wonderful to meet you, Nasha,” Bobbie grinned.
“Next time, hands to yourself,” Roc said.
“Oh, come on, Roc, I was only being a gentleman. Congratulations, by the way, I am truly happy you have found her. You’ll have to tell me all about it.”
“You mean I haven’t already?” Roc fished. Bobbie figured he was trying to figure out what Nasha knew before he laid it all out on the table.
“You’ve been rather close-lipped since you got here, it’s not like you,” Nasha said, his smile a little strained.
“Let’s take this inside.” Roc stepped onto the bridge and Bobbie went to follow him and realized the bridge was as transparent as the landing platform had been.
“You have got to be kidding me. Who thought up this nonsense!” Bobbie shook her head.
“Excuse me,” Roc said to Nasha, then walked up next to his Charge Mate and scooped her up without a word.
“Put me down!”
“So, you’ll be stuck out on this little portion of an outcropping, stuck between two spots you can’t cross, I think not.” Roc began to walk toward the palace.
“Are the floors in the palace like this?” Bobbie whined.
“Carpeted,” Nasha answered.
“Thank God,” Bobbie sighed and pressed her head into Roc’s chest for the trip. When they finally reached the balcony that wrapped around the palace, he set her down and she sighed with gratitude as she saw the iridescent flooring that swirled white and light blue.
“Roc!” A bundle of brown hair careened through the doors and embedded itself into Roc’s side. He looked down surprised, but a smile crossed his face when he realized who it was.
“Mea,” Roc greeted and slipped an arm around what appeared to be a young woman, giving her an awkward side hug and patting her lightly on the shoulder. He looked over at Nasha and Bobbie in a plea for help.
“Meavi,” Nasha chided and the female stepped back, red circles appearing on her cheeks.
The girl, Meavi, could not deny she was Nasha’s sister. She was a female version of him, but with softer features that she wore well. She was tall, but there weren’t many curves around the girl, from what Bobbie could tell. She wore a jumper-like outfit, with flowing material in the pants area that ballooned out and swished around her legs when she walked. The outfit was gold, and it matched her hair, which was a burnished brown with millions of strands of gold and bronze in it to make it look like it was alive.
She was stunning, but still had the immature look of a child.
“How long has it been, Mea?” Roc asked the girl.
“Two decades, Roc, I’m of age now, fifty as of last rotation, and you have a Charge Mate. I’m Meavi, by the way.” She turned to Bobbie and made a small bowing motion with her head, which Bobbie tried to return but failed on the execution.
“Bobbie,” she offered with a shy smile.
“Well, Bobbie, I see you’ve met my brother Nasha. He and Roc have boring things to talk about, all political and stuff, but I’m dying to know about Earth. You have to tell me all about it. Let me show you around the place and leave them to their yawn-worthy jalinda.” Mea grabbed Bobbie’s hand and tugged on her.
“Jalinda?”
“A party, for certain kinds of people that do normal kind of things,” Roc answered for her.
“Oh okay.” Mea dragged her off. Bobbie glanced over her shoulder when she got to the entryway and gave a small wave to Roc as her new friend dragged her away.
38
He’s his own person
“We have a lot to discuss, old friend.” Nasha gripped Roc’s shoulder in a friendly squeeze as the females walked out of earshot.
“Where is he?”
“So, it’s true?”
“I don’t know what he told you, so I can’t answer that.”
“That your splits have become autonomous—he’s his own person. Are all of them that way?”
“Yes.” Nasha was the first person out of their unit that knew about what happened. Roc didn’t know how he would take it.
“I have to say, until you showed up here, I thought you were playing some kind of practical joke on me, like we used to back in school.”
“I don’t think I have the imagination to make a scenario like this up.”
“Do you know how it happened?”
“I can only guess, but it has to do with Bobbie. When the charges came together, they changed, became new. I haven’t done a charge print since I’ve been back, since I would need the Healer to run the scan for me, but I’m pretty sure it won’t match the charge I left Polaridis with.”
“That’s insane. So all five of you are fundamentally changed?”
“Other than the autonomy, nothing else has changed.”
“What about with the female? Has she shown any signs or symptoms of an excessive charge?”
Roc shook his head and wandered into the living area Nasha and Mea used when they were at the winter palace.
“What are you going to do?” Nasha asked.
“I don’t think there is anything that can be done. This is how we are from now on. All four of us are also Charge Mates to Bobbie—that has to mean something. And we’re all connected, everything about me has been irregular, might as well add a few more issues on top of it,” Roc sighed and slumped into an overstuffed reclining chair.
“You always did think you were special,” Nasha laughed.
“There is no thinking involved; it is the truth.” A pillow was flung at Roc’s head and he knocked it away and shot Nasha a glare. “Jealousy does not suit you. You’ve always been the better looking one.”
“Truth,” Nasha laughed, sitting down in a high-backed chair across from Roc.
“Does Mea know?”
“She was here when he told us. There was no kicking her out of the room; she’s very persistent.”
“And what does she think?”
“She’s fantasizing about four autonomous Rocs as we speak.” Nasha shook his head in exasperation.
“What?”
“You’re the only male she’s been allowed to be around besides me and Krav. She was a bit obsessed. I think she might be over it now.”
“Good, she’ll make a good life-mate. Have there been talks?”
“I believe our parents were negotiating a deal before you came back with your Charge Mate.”
“Really? How could they possibly consider that with the age difference? I’m glad that didn’t happen.” Roc sighed, thinking about how many political maneuvers he circumvented by finding his Charge Mate.
“The only other possible beneficial move for our realm would be Lividiania’s heir.”
“Anything would be better than that match. There has to be someone in the Houses; anything is better than that flower.”
“Kravatz thinks anything else would be trading down,” Nasha grimaced.
“Trading down? What is she, cattle? You can’t let that happen, Nash, that would be a horrible move.”
“There is nothing I can do, Roc. What is there to be done? It will be the same with me. If my parents choose to give me in marriage to the daughter of Balavanta, I will have no other choice unless I find my Charge Mate. The creators blessed you with finding Bobbie.”
“That they did.”
“And we’re going to lose her.” Von finally made his presence known, walking i
nto the room dressed like a tourist in walking trousers and a thin shirt without any buttons or clasps.
“Von, care to explain yourself?” Roc said by way of greeting.
“You should have let me be. I was fine here on my own.”
“You gave no reason for why you left and pushed us out via our connection. How were we supposed to let you be?”
“What does it even matter? Do you have to keep your manifestations in check that much, you still need to control us, Roc?” Von was an exact copy of Roc, but out of all his others, he looked the most varied. His hair was cut shorter so he didn’t have to wipe it off his face like the others. He also seemed smaller, paler, but that was because he tended to slouch when other people looked at him. It was probably because of the current emotional turmoil that he seemed to be in. Roc could tell he wasn’t in a good headspace, and had no idea how to even begin helping him out.
“This is all new for me as well, Von.” Roc stood, walking up to his twin. Nasha was looking at the two of them as if they were a science experiment. He had always been curious.
“Yeah, you have these pesky copies of you running around here thinking for themselves, I can see how that would be a new experience,” Von said bitterly.
“This is a new thing for everyone,” Nasha said getting out of his seat and joining the two men. “Sorry to interrupt.”
“No, that’s a good point, Nash. Von, I don’t know what you are battling in your head, but Nasha is right, this is new for everyone. There is no record of this ever happening. I don’t know how to put this in context, much less prepare for it if it were to come out to the general public. We are forging new ground here. I need you to be patient with me—and the others.”
“So, are you trying to get rid of us, and doing things that might jeopardize our Charge Mate?” Von let those words hang in the air, his eyes accusing his original.
“I am not trying to get rid of you, I am trying to find a way to work together. Have you not been paying attention? Have you not been opened up to what is going on with the others?”
“I’ve learned how to block it out,” Von said. “It’s helping me cope.”
“Cope? What do you have to cope with?” Roc threw up his hands in frustration. “We’ll go on as before, but now you make the decisions for yourself, as opposed to me. We’ll all work together—it’s what we have to do.”
“Work together for what goal?” Von said petulantly. Roc hoped to the creators that he didn’t come off this way when he argued with the House. It looked childish and was frankly exasperating.
“Our goal, us, what betters us, and the people we love,” Roc said in exasperation.
“Us?” Von said.
“Yes, us.”
39
Winter games
The female was a whirlwind of color and words as she led Bobbie through the palace. She was a beautiful thing, with long brown hair, much lighter than her brother’s, that fell almost to her waist. She was taller than other women Bobbie had encountered, coming up to Bobbie’s nose, and her cute, heart-shaped face was expressive and excited, which was different than the other more reserved females she had been introduced to.
“I just turned fifty, so Nasha still treats me like a child, but my schooling is done, and I’ve been stuck in the palace bored for the last year. This has been the most exciting thing to happen in a while. I can’t believe Roc has a Charge Mate, and from Earth. That is insane. This is the game room,” Mea said and flitted her hand.
“You’re Nasha’s little sister?” Bobbie asked, her head spinning.
“Oh yes, sorry, I didn’t mention that? Look, we have Sprilut. Do you play that on Earth?” Mea gestured to a large table in the shape of a shell.
“I don’t believe we do.” Bobbie was dragged along.
“Well, I’ll have to teach you. During the winter, you should come back. The mountain is covered in snow, and we can go jalloning. Have you done that?”
“I don’t believe so. What’s involved?”
“There are these magnetic cuffs you place on your feet and hands and you sort of fling yourself off the mountain and the snow just flies and flies,” Mea laughed like it was the best thing in the world.
“Um, that doesn’t sound safe.”
“Only a few people get hurt each season, nothing big. This is the kitchens, we just added this and hired a full-time chef. Nasha did that after eating a few dinners at Roc’s.”
“Next thing you know, people will be getting chubby,” Bobbie laughed.
“Cha-bee?” Mea asked.
“Fat?” Bobbie tried.
“Oh, really? That would be awesome! I hate being a stick.” She ran her hands down her hips and Bobbie tried not to be too jealous. Mea looked over at Bobbie and her eyes widened, “I’m upsetting you, aren’t I?”
“No,” Bobbie protested.
“This has to be too much. I’m so sorry, I just get so excited. We never have visitors since Nasha made the winter palace our permanent residence. They all go to the summer palace to visit with Kravitz, who is expected to ascend to the throne soon. My father is near the end, we can all tell.”
“I’m so sorry,” Bobbie said with sincerity.
“It’s okay, he’s lived a long and fruitful life. I think he is ready. My mother faded away about a decade ago, and I think he’s been waiting to follow her ever since.”
“But, still, you’re so young, you should have your parents for a little bit longer.”
“They had me too late, most people think. Both of them over three hundred, totally unheard of, but when they found out I was a girl, they told me it was fate,” she laughed. “You’re so sweet, Bobbie, we should be great friends.”
“I would like that.” Bobbie meant what she said. Mea seemed a little enthusiastic, but she also struck Bobbie as sincere.
“Oh fantastic! And if things go sideways, it will make it so much fun if we have to seek asylum in Thames Virdan.”
“Wait? Why would things go sideways? Why would you have to seek asylum?”
“My brother, Kravitz, he’s not—I don’t even know how to describe it, I want to stay positive. But, Nasha said if Kravitz does what he promised, we’ll have to escape to Thames.”
“What has he promised?”
“To eradicate his competition, in the House and his own family.” Mea looked at Bobbie and made that head bowing gesture, which Bobbie had figured out was similar to a shrug on this world.
“That’s horrendous!”
“It’s not surprising. Kravitz has been paranoid for a long time. But enough of that, I guess we should go back and find the boys. I’m going to try and talk Roc into bringing me back to the Thames palace. I need to do a bit of shopping, and they have the best little market down near the Virdan palace.” Mea smiled and pulled Bobbie in the opposite direction.
“Ladies,” Nasha said as Mea and Bobbie walked into the main atrium. Bobbie looked around the room, unable to spot Von, then noticed him on the balcony outside, smoking something that looked like a cigarette. His head was bowed and he had his arms resting on the railing overlooking the mountains. Out of all the men, she had very little interaction with Von—he was the mystery.
She felt eyes on her and turned to find Roc and Nasha both staring at her. She gave them a questioning glance and Roc tilted his head to convey he was unsure about the situation.
“Roc, I’m so glad you finally showed up. It was getting so boring stuffed up in this winter palace without anything fun and wintery to do,” Mea huffed and threw her body on the sofa.
“Why are you two living at the winter palace anyway?” Bobbie asked, figuring the winter palace was meant for wintering, much like the rich people of Manhattan left the island for the summer.
“My stupid brother,” Mea sighed. “Nash says he’s become unbearable. When I graduated, he didn’t want me back in Capital City, so he brought me here. But there is no local village, nothing to do but wander these halls. It’s unbearable.”
“
What about Opil on the other side of the peak?” Roc asked and Bobbie took a seat on the sofa, not knowing what they were talking about so her eyes strayed back to Von. He glanced inside and she recognized pain in his gaze.
“We only have one transport here and it doesn’t have the power to get over the peak,” Nash said. “I left in kind of a hurry.”
“What is your brother up to?”
“The usual, but now he’s so quick to temper, he goes into a rage at the slightest provocation and it usually involves me or even mentioning Mea’s name. He believes we are plotting against him. I thought it best to get out from underfoot.”
“Can your transport make it over the peak, Roc?” Mea changed the subject even though Bobbie wanted to know more about this unstable brother of theirs. It sounded like he was going to be a lot of trouble in the future if he ever did get crowned Emperor. When they began to discuss the mechanics of their ships, Bobbie got up, drawn to Von, who had separated himself.
“So, you’re proving to be the broody one?” Bobbie said to break the tension with a joke.
“It would seem.” Von turned to her, and she studied his face, noticing how he watched her with the same hungry eyes as all of her men. He wanted her the same as the others, but something was holding him back. Had she done something? Or had he?
She walked up next to him using all the courage she could muster and leaned on the railing by his side. The view was breathtaking. The mountains around them soared into the air so high, they were covered in the purple and pink clouds.
“I prefer to be outside than with a roof over my head, especially when small talk is being made.” He crushed out what he had been smoking.
“Is that a cigarette, like we have on Earth?”
“No, it’s an herb grown here. It doesn’t have addictive properties and the smoke when ingested helps with the altitude. Plus, the taste is nice. I enjoy them.”
“Much better than nicotine,” Bobbie agreed, breathing in the woodsy aroma of what he exhaled.
