by Brenda Hiatt
The circle—the planet—shrank and shrank, one thin edge brightly lit, like a crescent moon.
I was really, truly in space, on my way to Mars!
CHAPTER 16
probleid (pruh-BLAYD): privilege; status
Sean
I can’t help grinning at the awe on M’s face during her first launch. Watching her experience her first plane flight was great, but I’m loving this even more. I plan to be there for all her firsts from now on. “Way cooler than an airplane, huh?”
“Definitely.” She looks away from the screen for a second to grin back and I get that belly flip her smiles always give me. “How long till we see Mars up there?”
“I haven’t done the flight this direction, but maybe a couple of days? We were only a day or so out of Mars when they put Earth up there, but it’s bigger.”
She’s looking back at the screen now, so I watch her profile for a while—until I notice Rigel staring at her, too. Jerk. No matter what Mum and everyone said, I still think he screwed up letting those possibly murderous Duchas get away. Maybe once we get to Mars they’ll put someone else in as Bodyguard and he’ll have to—
A notice flashes on the screen that we’re free to get up, so I break off that thought. “You want that tour of the ship now?”
Before she can answer, Captain Liam comes up. “May I escort you to your suite, Excellency? Your effects are already there.”
“Um, sure. Tour later, Sean, okay? After we’ve all had some sleep and I can pay better attention?”
“Yeah, probably a good idea.” I stifle a yawn—and my disappointment that I can’t spend more time with her tonight.
The Captain steps back while M unsnaps her harness. “If you’ll come with me, Excellency? And your Handmaid and Bodyguard, of course.”
I nearly gag. “What?” I swing around to look at Rigel, who I swear looks smug, though I can tell he’s surprised, too. “He’s going to be staying in her suite?”
Dad and Captain Liam both frown at me and I back off—a little. “I mean…nobody has a problem with that?”
“It’s protocol, sir, as well as practical. He can’t well protect her from a different level of the ship.”
Dad gives me a warning look so I refrain from pointing out the obvious flaw in this setup. “Mind if I come up, too, just to check out the, uh, sleeping arrangements?” Rigel won’t meet my eye now, which only proves he knows I’m right.
“Very well. You may accompany us now, sir, but you must leave the Executive Level when I do, and you’re never to visit it without the Sovereign’s express permission and the presence of her Handmaid. I run a tight ship and won’t have it said I’ve played fast and loose with protocol at such a sensitive time.”
Having the Captain call me “sir” helps a little. But only a little. Because this whole protocol thing sucks. “Okay, fine.” I sound like a sulky kid, totally not how I want M to see me, so I force a smile. “Let’s go, so the Princess can get her sleep.”
My dad makes arrangements to meet with M over breakfast tomorrow, tells me which cabin we’re in, then heads toward the main lifts, where everyone’s lining up to go to their quarters. The Captain leads us to the opposite corner of the Commons, to a set of fancy bronze doors with the words “restricted access” etched across the top in Martian.
“This is the executive lift, Excellency, which only you and senior crew can access. If you’ll please place your palm here, to be recognized?”
She does. The Captain punches in a code, the doors open and we all step inside. “One,” he says, and a moment later we step out into the plushly carpeted VIP level, which I never got to see last time. Nice.
“This will be your suite, Excellency.” The Captain points to another fancy bronze door, this one etched “private.” “My quarters are across the hall, as are the senior officer quarters, should you need anything. Now, if you’ll place your palm here?”
The door slides sideways into the wall and I see a room nearly half the size of the Commons downstairs. There’s a huge sectional sofa, a vid screen taking up one entire wall, a big conference table with a dozen comfy-looking chairs, and crystal and gold everywhere. The kind of place M deserves.
“Wow,” she breathes, stepping inside and looking around. “All this, just for me?”
“And us,” Molly reminds her, grinning.
Rigel stifles a grin of his own, making me want to punch him, but then he manages to act serious again. “I’ll do a recon, Excellency, shall I?” M nods and Rigel goes to look through the open doorway across from us. “This must be your private sitting room, with your bedroom beyond it.” I see another open door on the far side of her parlor or whatever.
Captain Liam nods. “Those doors are also keyed to your touch, Excellency. Once you close them, they will only open for you.”
M goes past Rigel into the rooms, calling back, “This looks like it belongs in a palace, not a spaceship.”
“It’s gorgeous!” Molly revolves in a circle in the main living room. “Are those our rooms?”
There are two open doors to our left. The first is a tiny bedroom, way smaller than the quarters Dad and I will share one floor down. It’s pretty Spartan, too—a barely-twin bed, a chest and a chair. That helps make up for Rigel’s duffel sitting on the chest. A little. Molly’s room looks just like Rigel’s except for the green roller bag next to the narrow bed. There’s a little bathroom in between that they apparently have to share.
M rejoins us and suddenly Molly’s back on the job. “Excellency, would you like me to unpack your things and show you how the ionic shower works?”
“Ionic shower?”
“Water is far too precious in space—and on Mars, for that matter—to waste in bathing,” the Captain explains.
Molly gives a little sigh. “That’s one thing I’ll definitely miss. Real, hot-water showers.”
Because M looks skeptical, I feel compelled to reassure her. “Ionics get you way cleaner than water can. And they’re a lot faster. Once you get used to it, you’ll love it. Go show her, Molly.”
But M stifles a yawn and shakes her head. “I’d rather sleep first. Aren’t the rest of you tired?”
I am, since none of us have slept since last night. But I shake my head. “I’m good. Sure you don’t want that tour of the ship now?” It’s dumb, since we have to sleep sometime and Rigel’s room will still be here, but I want to put off leaving as long as possible.
“She needs to rest.” Rigel shoots me this grownup, know-it-all look, even though I’m a year older than he is. “We all do.”
“Quite right,” Captain Liam agrees. “Mr. O’Gara, if you’ll come with me?”
I start slightly at the name, then nod—reluctantly. With a last smile at M that I hope isn’t too sappy and a warning frown at Rigel, I leave with the Captain. The door to M’s suite shuts behind us with a click that sounds way too final.
“Shall I escort you to your quarters as well?” The Captain looks a little impatient now. I guess he’s got stuff he should be doing, since we’ve only just launched.
“No, thanks. I can find it.”
He palms open the lift for me, then disappears into his quarters across the hall, which I know has access to the Bridge, at the very top of the ship. With one last, longing glance at M’s door, I step into the lift and say, “Two.”
The doors open to the polished faux-wood floors and paneling I remember from my trip to Earth. This is the passenger level with the biggest rooms, reserved for Royals and anyone else important or rich enough to stay here. As I head toward the quarters I’m sharing with Dad, I see someone loitering in the doorway of the posh, deserted Level Two lounge across from the main lift. It’s Brenna.
“What are you doing here?” I know her family is staying down in steerage.
“Can we talk?” She slants a look up at me through her dark lashes.
Shaking off my lingering irritation at the sleeping arrangements upstairs, I focus on her. She’s just as pretty as
when I first met her, maybe prettier, but I can’t say I still have any real feelings for her, not since M. But I don’t want to hurt her feelings, so I follow her into the lounge. “Sure. What’s up?”
Brenna puts a hand on my arm. “Ever since you came back to Bailerealta, I’ve been able to tell you’re not happy and now I get why.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
She bites her lip and looks up at me again, with that look that used to really get to me. Even now, I feel a tiny echo of those old feelings. “My mum told me about the rumors. About that Bodyguard, Rigel, and the Princess.”
My gut clenches. “What rumors? What did she hear? From who?” I knew they weren’t putting on a good enough act!
“Well, everyone knows how he helped rescue her last October. A friend of my mum’s whose cousin visited Jewel a few weeks later says she saw them together right after, that it was more or less common knowledge they were together.”
“Yeah, well, that was then. Before she met me. Before she knew anything about—”
She shakes her head, making her dark hair sway around her shoulders. “Like I said, I’ve been watching you these past few days—and watching them, too. Sure, they act all official around each other, but I see how he looks at her and how she sometimes looks at him. She, um, doesn’t look at you that way, Sean.”
“That doesn’t mean—”
“Did I hear right, he’s actually sleeping in her quarters?” she interrupts.
I flinch but try to hide it. “Yeah, the Captain says that’s standard. Completely separate bedrooms. Molly’s there, too, as her Handmaid. And chaperone.”
“Think Molly’s up to it? I mean, if they really want to…” She trails off, moving her hand up and down my arm. “I’ve…really missed you, Sean. I know you don’t have any choice about this whole Consort thing and I want you to know I’m still here for you if you need to talk or…anything.”
“I’ll, uh, keep that in mind.” But I remember how Brenna likes to gossip. Telling her the truth is not a good idea.
“Do. I’d like to stay…friends, Sean. Make you happy, any way I can.”
Her meaning penetrates and I lean away from her. Frustrating as my not-quite-relationship with M is, there’s no way I’d cheat on her. Not unless I had real proof she and Rigel were—I cut off that thought. Nope, not even then. No way.
“Um, thanks, Brenna. I, uh, do consider you a friend but…not that kind of friend. Not anymore. I can’t. Sorry.”
She snatches her hand off my arm. “Yeah, okay. I get it. You want to play by the rules. And it’s not like I’m Royal, which I guess matters more now than it used to. I just thought maybe, considering it’s so obvious…” She takes a step back, shaking her head and looking away. “Never mind. Better get myself down to steerage where I belong.” Without another glance my way, she heads across to the lift.
I stare after her, wondering what she almost said there at the end. What’s so obvious? M and Rigel? Does she really have more to go on than that rumor from last fall and a couple of looks she probably imagined? Will that rumor have reached Mars by now? Do enough people believe it to screw up M getting Acclaimed as Sovereign?
Finally, I shrug. I’ll get more details out of Brenna tomorrow and tell her not to say anything to anyone else. And let M and Rigel know what a crappy job they’re doing. That they have to do better.
With a yawn that almost cracks my jaw, I go to our quarters, where Dad is already asleep. Tired as I am, it’s a long time before I finally drop off.
CHAPTER 17
Chomseireach (kom-SAY-rik): Handmaid; lady’s maid, chaperone and companion to Princess or (female) Sovereign
As soon as the door closed behind Sean and the Captain, Molly yawned. “Guess we should all head to bed, huh? Do you need anything, M—er, Excellency?”
I grimaced. “Just M, okay? You may have to do the Handmaid thing in public, but not here.”
“Okay,” she agreed with a grin. “But I should at least give you first turn in the bathroom.”
“I have my own in there.” I nodded toward my enormous bedroom suite. “You and Rigel can duke it out for this one.”
Rigel shrugged. “Ladies first. Go ahead, Molly.”
“Thanks!” She grabbed her toiletry bag out of her room and disappeared into the little bathroom off the main area.
I waited about two heartbeats after hearing the door lock, then launched myself into Rigel’s arms. I’ve been starving for this!
Caught off-guard, he stiffened for a second. Me, too, but—
How many more chances like this do you think we’ll get? I demanded.
Good point. His arms came around me and he fastened his mouth on mine. I immediately felt strength and health flowing into me through his touch and knew he felt the same.
Always, he thought to me, deepening the kiss. For several blissful minutes it was like we’d never been apart, like none of the political crap or awkwardness had ever interfered with our love. I wished I had the nerve to just drag Rigel into my bedroom and lock the door. Instead, I concentrated on soaking up all the Rigel-ness I could, feeling better than I had in days. Weeks.
“Um, guys?” Rigel and I broke apart to see Molly standing there, toiletry case in hand, looking acutely uncomfortable. “I had to take an oath for this job, you know.”
I shrugged apologetically and he said, “Sorry, Molly,” though I could tell he wasn’t any sorrier than I was for that heavenly interlude.
“Yeah, me, too,” Molly mumbled. I could practically feel her embarrassment—or maybe it was just mine, now that my euphoria from Rigel’s kisses was starting to fade.
I cleared my throat. “Um, Molly, just how strict a chaperone do you have to be? You won’t, like, tell anyone if Rigel and I act more…informally here in our quarters, right? Can’t I order you to keep it secret or something?”
She looked away from my intentionally pleading expression, struggling between duties. I felt bad for her, but not bad enough to make any promises Rigel and I would both regret. Once we got to Mars, we might not get any privacy.
Suddenly Molly gasped, startling both of us.
“What?”
Instead of answering, she pointed, first to one upper corner of the big living area, then to another. In every corner, a tiny glass globe glinted. Cameras. Definitely cameras. Rigel took a step backward, away from me, as we exchanged a worried look.
Damn it! I should have noticed those before. That’s exactly the kind of detail I’ve been trained to observe.
You were as tired and stressed as I was. Besides, I’m the one who attacked you, not the other way around!
“Do…do you think they’re actually on?” Worry tightened my throat. What if we’d already screwed everything up?
“I don’t know. Probably?” Molly sounded as worried as I was—or maybe not quite, since she didn’t know the full extent of what was at stake. “We’d better assume they are, don’t you think?”
Rigel nodded but I could feel his frustration. My own matched it, nearly crowding out my fear. I’d been counting on taking advantage of these few days of relative privacy.
“Fine.” I glared up at the nearest camera. “Guess we’d better all go to bed, huh? See you guys in the morning.”
Grumpy at being cheated out of one last good-night kiss, I hurried into my sumptuous bedroom and shut the door, wishing it was the kind I could slam. Carefully checking all the corners of my parlor and bedroom, I was relieved not to see any cameras—at least, no obvious ones. Maybe they did have a little respect for the Sovereign’s privacy? Not that I could bring Rigel in here without the cameras in the living room recording it.
“Crap,” I said aloud, fuming again at the unfairness of the whole Sovereign/Consort idiocy as I finally got ready for bed.
Not until I was under the covers did it occur to me to reach out mentally to Rigel, I’d gotten so into the habit lately of having to block him. Now that we were finally on the ship, though…Rigel? I thought as hard
as I could in his direction. Can you hear me?
No response. Either he was already asleep, or the three or four walls between us were enough to keep him from hearing me…or he was afraid to answer, after the scare we’d just had.
With no windows in my room, I had no clue what time it was when I woke. Not that windows would have helped, I realized, smiling at myself—until I remembered what had happened right before bed. Surely someone would have woken me if Rigel had been hauled off or arrested?
My sense of well-being from a good night’s sleep shattered by sudden worry, I got up to face the day—or whatever they called it in space.
Delicious smells greeted me when I stepped into the living room a few minutes later, along with the welcome sight of Rigel, still here and un-arrested, and Molly, sitting awkwardly at opposite ends of the long couch. Relieved, I smiled at them both.
“Mmm! Breakfast. You guys didn’t have to wait for me.”
“Of course we did.” Molly darted an almost-glance up at one of the cameras. “If I’d known you were awake, I’d have helped you dress, too. It’s supposed to be one of my jobs.”
I wrinkled my nose at her. “Let’s wait for Mars for that, okay?”
“Okay, though I’d like some practice before we get there. Shall I buzz Dad and Sean to come up? I think there’s enough food.”
“No kidding.” The table was half covered with dishes of scrambled eggs, ham, toast, and all kinds of other mouth-watering stuff. “Yeah, tell them to come on up.” Then, to Rigel, Guess we might as well find out if we’re already in trouble.
