by Gillian Zane
“You wouldn’t,” Von said, again that petulant streak playing across his words made Roc’s hackles rise. He wanted to punch something, to let his anger and heartache out in a rage, but knew it would only make things worse.
“Why would I not? You are me—you are a copy of me. I should be able to understand your actions. I should be able to understand why you ran away to your friend’s palace to sulk like a child, but I cannot fathom it. I have never done anything like this in my life.”
“I seemed to have gotten the short end of the emotional stick when it comes to this splitting thing,” Von sighed.
“What do you mean?”
“We all seem to have certain traits that are more prevalent in each of us. Tam inherited your loyalty and obedience, Finn your sense of humor, which I didn’t think you possessed by the way, but he got it, along with a sense of justice and honor. Me, well, I seem to have gotten your sensitive and overly emotional side, along with some of your more taboo sexual proclivities.” He sighed and Roc turned to him and looked at him like he had lost his mind.
“Are you saying that each one of you is manifesting a certain trait of mine, but more pronounced than it came across in me?”
“I don’t know if it’s more pronounced, just maybe because we are relieved of some of the other traits, it’s more pronounced. Or maybe you’ve surpassed them so well over the years, they are running rampant in us.”
“I do not see how I suppressed things like loyalty and obedience.” Roc shook his head.
“You have made it a point to disassociate yourself with your father after his bonding with Tormi,” Von said.
“Well, that’s certainly something unexpected. How did you figure this out?”
“It’s rather obvious if you think about it,” Von sighed again, his shoulders slumped in a way that Roc would never do.
“And this is why you ran off? Why you had to tell Bobbie about the time difference, because you’re what sensitive?”
“I didn’t tell her anything,” Von hissed, trying not to be overheard. “I didn’t know she was right there.”
“You would have told her eventually.”
“Yes, dammit, the guilt has been eating at me,” Von said.
“You didn’t seem to be drowning under a sea of guilt last night.” Roc had no problem dropping judgment on his double. None at all.
“I can’t resist her,” he sighed, looking over his shoulder at the girl in question. She had her back to them and had begun poking around at the controls on a side table. Low music started to play over the hidden speakers. “I’ve been trying to keep my distance. Between the guilt, and the weird desires I have, I could barely look at her, while all of you got to be with her over and over. All I did was feel it through you. I fell in love with her, not because of any time I interacted with her, but because of all of our shared emotions. It made me feel sick, especially when compounded with the fact that I knew you hated me, knew you hated my existence. How is a man supposed to function like that?”
“You just do, and I don’t hate you,” Roc said.
“You aren’t thrilled over our existence.”
“It doesn’t mean I hate you. We’ll make this work. But what you did, how you reacted and—if Bobbie really chooses to go home, I can’t make any promises. I’ll hate you because of your actions, not because of your existence.”
“Nothing will matter if Bobbie leaves, and you forget who was the one that chose to lie.”
“And we’ll all pay for that lie; you saw her face. She blamed you as much as me.”
“You’re right.” Von slumped even further onto the railing.
“We’ll fix this,” Roc nodded. “We have to.”
“How?”
“If I have to live on Earth with her, I’ll do that. I’ll show her I’m willing to do anything to be with her, even if it means giving up my homeworld. I asked as much of her, I can do the same.”
“What about the throne?” Von looked over at Roc in shock. For once, he had surprised him.
“Our father has plenty of time to secure another heir.”
“Would we all live on Earth?”
“We all belong to her, so I don’t see how any of us could stay away.”
“You’re right,” Von nodded.
“Then we have a plan.” Roc slapped the railing and smiled at his double. He liked having a plan. He would fix this. He might not have been that impressed with Earth when he was searching for Bobbie, but he could make it work. He could make anything work where Bobbie was concerned.
“Von, can I ask you something? You mentioned earlier—sexual proclivities?”
“Remember that night with Widow Jestiana, where she used that whip thing—well, yeah, that’s why I had Bobbie tie me up, but I would like it if she did—”
“Yes, got it,” Roc interrupted him, for the first time regretting that bit of fantasizing during his youth. He shot Von a sympathetic look and got a glare in return.
“You think Bobbie would be into that?”
“Got to win her back first, then we’ll talk about getting Bobbie a whip.”
44
Nice Knowing You
Pulling yourself back together after being blasted into pieces wasn’t an easy thing for an in the moment kind of girl like Bobbie. She was used to speaking her mind, throwing a temper tantrum when it was needed, and high-tailing it out of the frying pan when the fire got too hot. The fire was way too hot right now and all she wanted to do was run home. The funny thing was, she was trying to conjure up things she missed about home, and the only things she could drum up was Viv and Chuck. Nothing else. Not a favorite spot to chill, or some object of value, not even a favorite food. Well, okay, she wouldn’t mind some major noshing on a steak and a loaded potato, but it was all kind of muted.
Voices carried in the distance and she stood and looked down to the landing platform. Three figures followed Nasha and Mea back to the palace and she thought she recognized one. There was a female with long white blonde hair that trailed behind her in stiff curls. The curls were new, but the woman was not. It was the Virdan Consort, Tormi.
“What is she doing here?” Roc voiced exactly what Bobbie was thinking.
They waited, not so patiently, as the five figures crossed the monstrous bridge, walking slowly as if to make their dramatic entrance that much more enraging.
“Rochford, my son,” Tormi said with fake excitement, walking to Roc and taking his forearm in the Polaridi customary greeting.
If Bobbie wasn’t just as surprised to see Tormi there as Roc, she would have taken glee in the fact that he looked as disconcerted as she felt.
“Consort, what brings you to the Polari Winter Palace?” He didn’t hold back.
“Matters of state brought me to Polari, you brought me to the Winter palace. But let me make introductions. Where is your lovely Charge Mate?” Tormi looked around, her eyes glancing off Bobbie and looking around her. Bobbie couldn’t hold back the eye roll.
“Right here,” she said with a sarcastic wave of the hand.
“Ah yes, so sorry, darling. Bobbie, let me introduce you to the head of House Transu and the head of House Mauvian of Polari. They kindly escorted me to the palace from the Capital City in the Prince’s transport. I had issues with my own, so I thought I could visit a bit here and then catch a ride back with you, Rochford.”
“What matters of state are you handling in Polari, Consort?” Roc asked.
“None of importance.” She waved her hand. “A charity auction, inspired by of all things, your own Charge Mate.” She smiled a tight-lipped smirk in Bobbie’s direction.
“Well, I hate to inform you, but I took the small peak skipper here, and it only has three seats,” Roc said, glancing at Von for clarification.
“Well, I was thinking of taking Nasha and Mea over to Thames, so now you have a seat open for the Consort,” Bobbie piped up. The two heads of Houses clasped their hands and nodded their heads in excitement like this was the best new
s yet.
“That’s perfect! How gracious of you, Bobbie,” Tormi said.
“I thought we would discuss this.” Roc looked at Bobbie in a panic.
“Nothing to discuss, it’s already been decided. We thought it might be Nasha and Mea’s brother so we would stick around for a bit, but since it’s not, we can head to Thames immediately, right?” Bobbie asked Nasha.
Roc was at her side in an instant, causing the two Polari politicians to glance at him in alarm, and she saw Tormi’s eyes go wide.
“Please don’t do this, Bobbie.” She shook him off when he grabbed her arm, glaring at him for effect.
“I’m doing this, Roc. Your heavy-handed behavior will not help things one iota.”
“I don’t know about you, but I’m famished. Can anyone show me where the kitchen is?” Tormi interrupted.
Bobbie was still seething when they set down in Thames. She saw that Roc’s transport was already here, and she hoped with all of her heart she wouldn’t run into him before she made arrangements to get back to Earth. Tormi had stalled and delayed, even ordering back servants to fix them a meal before they finally got to head back to Thames. Roc had tried to talk to her on numerous occasions, but every time Bobbie managed to brush him off. Her thoughts swirling with the betrayal and his caveman behavior.
During the flight back, she had begged and pleaded with Nasha to secure her a trip back to Earth. He had finally relented and contacted Healer Lagara to see if she could assist them. Bobbie was pretty sure he only relented because he figured the Healer would talk her out of it, but when they raised her on the communications panel on the ship once they crossed into Thames, she was giddy with the idea of helping.
Bobbie wondered what her angle was. Why was she so willing to get Bobbie back to Earth? Was it because she wanted Roc for herself? Bobbie tried to push those thoughts out of her mind. Who cares? She could have him. He was a liar, a kidnapper, and a brute. He had lied to her so she wouldn’t want to go back home, manipulating her so she thought this was the better planet to reside on. Convinced her she would be better off living in a palace with him and his three other—whatever the hell they were. That she would have a more fulfilling life as an Empress, all while pumping out a ton of little princes and princesses for his benefit.
What gave him the right?
When they had the palace in sight, Nasha called up his comm panel and dialed the Healer, or whatever it is they did to get someone on this planet, and Lagara’s face popped up on the screen.
“Prince Nasha, I have managed to procure the Consort’s star class for the trip. She has graciously allowed me to take Bobbie to Earth using her crew.”
“I bet she did,” Mea mumbled from the back seat, and Bobbie turned around to see what that was about. She raised a questioning eye and Mea shook her head and waved Bobbie off.
“Can you take Bobbie to the staff transport area? The Consort’s ship was there for maintenance.”
“Will do.” Nasha brought the transport back into the air and directed it in the opposite direction, flying around the palace to a larger, more elaborate landing pad. There were at least five ships parked on the platform, but Nasha set his down next to the largest ship, which gleamed gold in the suns.
“I thought the Consort’s ship was in Polari broken down,” Mea mumbled.
“Maybe they got it back,” Bobbie suggested.
“And fixed it this quickly?”
“Bobbie, I don’t know about this,” Nasha said.
“It’s going to be fine. I want to get back to Earth. This is the only way. I know Roc wouldn’t bring me back.” Her words were solid but her mind was not. Bobbie got a tingle of apprehension when she saw Tormi and Lagara standing together to the side of the landing platform, both staring at Nasha’s ship.
“I didn’t think she would be here to greet me, but I guess she just landed herself,” Bobbie said, talking her own nerves down.
“She’s elated you’re leaving,” Mea said.
“That makes two of us.”
“And I really did think you were sweet.” Mea kicked her foot out to open the transport door. “Nice knowing you, Bobbie.”
“This is for the better.”
“You’ll be back home.”
“You would never have enjoyed the politics of Polaridis.”
The platitudes and affirmations from Lagara and Tormi were grating on Bobbie’s nerves so she quickly left their side and went directly to the cabin she had been assigned. She threw herself on the bed and covered her head with the comfy blanket. Self-doubt stole in like a thief to attack her from the inside. This was the right thing to do. Earth was where she belonged. Earth was her home planet. He had lied to her to keep her away from where she belonged. She kept telling herself these things to push away the negative.
She wiped at a stray tear on her cheek and told herself it was because of the betrayal, and not because she would miss her men. She explained away the pain in her chest, it was from the hurt over what he had done and not because she was already missing them. Her pain was from him keeping her away from where she belonged, not because she was falling in love with Polaridis and its handsome Prince. She tried not to think about Finn, about how quick he was to smile, how easy he made her laugh, how Tam would do anything for her, no matter what she asked. How Roc had… she couldn’t think about that. She couldn’t think about the devastated look on Von’s face, about how giving him what he craved had satisfied a deep part of her soul she didn’t even know needed to be filled.
By the time the ship launched, she had given in to the tears. She lay on the bed and had a good ugly cry. Right as she felt the ship lift into the air, her wrist buzzed and she looked down at the cuff that was only a pretty accessory up until now. She swiped at it, and a small screen popped up. It was Roc.
“Bobbie!” he exclaimed as if he was worried she wouldn’t have answered.
“I’m going home, Roc, you can’t stop me.” She wiped at her cheeks, trying to hide the evidence of her anguish, even though it was an act of futility.
“I know, I know, pr’ialla, do whatever you want. I swear whatever will make you happy will make me as happy as well. If you want to go to Earth, I will follow you there, we will all follow you there…”
“No, you can’t do that, you belong here.” She wiped at her nose that was leaking like a faucet. She must look horrible
“We belong with you, pr’ialla,” he said, his eyes soft, his unspoken words heavy on Bobbie’s chest.
“What does that even mean?” Bobbie asked suddenly exasperated with his secret keeping.
“It roughly translates to my lovely stolen goods.” He laughed when he saw her face.
“And the other one, that sounds like it?”
“Pr’iveni?”
“Yes, that one,” she said in small voice.
“My love, our heart,” he said and Bobbie felt all her insides begin to crash against each other in a maelstrom of chaotic feelings. The tears poured down her face now, and she wiped at them half-heartedly.
“We’ll be right behind you. We’ll make a life on Earth with you, if that’s where you’re ha—" The screen blinked and then went out, and Bobbie pressed her cuff over and over again trying to activate it. Why did it cut out like that? She couldn’t let him go to Earth. The boys didn’t belong on Earth, they belonged here where they could make a difference. It would be so awkward with them all crowded in her apartment. She would have to get a bigger place, they would have to get jobs. What were they even qualified to do? She tried to imagine Roc working a desk job, wearing business casual, playing golf on the weekends. It didn’t translate.
They couldn’t follow her.
We belong with you, pr’ialla.
She didn’t even bother wiping away the tears now. She was now in inconsolable territory and there might be some snot. This time though, the tears weren’t because she was torn. This time they fell freely because she felt the same way. She belonged with them just as much as they be
longed with her. But she was still so mad, she couldn’t allow them to manipulate her to get their way. Yet, what was she doing now? Interplanetary travel to make a point?
“Dammit.” She rolled off the bed, and went to the door, pressing the icon that said open. Nothing happened. She pressed it again, nothing. She pressed the other icon that she thought meant close, but nothing happened as well. She slapped a hand on the door, but it barely resonated.
“What the hell?” She spoke the words aloud. She held her cuff up to the door, thinking maybe it was locked to her specifications. Nothing. She found the comm panel in the wall and pressed the activate button. The screen flashed on, but a blinking blue icon flashed in the middle. She wasn’t that learned on the language but that definitely looked like a warning notification. She found the door to the bathroom, and pressed the open button. This time it worked. She found the comm panel in that room, again the flashing blue icon.
She was locked in this room and she couldn’t fathom why. Why would Lagara and Tormi lock her in? Maybe they didn’t want to be bothered with her? She paced the room, trying to figure out the motivation. Maybe they didn’t want her changing her mind? She knew why Tormi wouldn’t want her to stay on Polaridis, but why would Lagara help her get to Earth? Did she not like that Roc was about to reveal he was four? She had seemed rather unhappy about it when Roc had ordered her to do it to take the focus away from Bobbie.
That couldn’t be it, she mused.
There must be something else politically motivated that Bobbie couldn’t see. She was new to this world, new to the politics. She could barely figure out Earth politics, much less this crazy system they had in effect on this world.
After what felt like hours of pacing and not getting any closer to a logical reason, Bobbie finally gave in to her fatigue and laid down on the bed. She fleetingly thought she might be back on Earth when she woke up, she was that tired. The moment her eyes closed, she was sleeping.
