by Viola Grace
She stepped back when he raised his head, and there was a red and gold glow from inside his hood. She touched her cheek, and her mask was in place, so she breathed a little easier. “Um, I think I am going to head back to my quarters now.” She nodded and was on her way out when she had to turn, stomp past him, and swap her mask for the veil.
“If you need help with your gown, I can assist you before departure.” He was very close to her as she fixed her veil.
She muttered, “Well, you have already seen me naked, so I will keep that in mind.”
He chuckled, and she turned without looking at him and left the gym. It felt like she was running for her life.
She had managed to get dressed without assistance. The gown had a long skirt, wide sleeves, and an appropriate amount of neckline. The stomacher had a gold owl embossed on it, and she smiled. She loved the pattern. Owls were one of her favourite motifs. She was sure she would get sick of it eventually but not until after she was done with her contract.
She settled her veil on her head, pinned it, and checked the time. The shuttle was being prepped, and she had to get used to walking around in the gown. Her mask had appeared at her bedside while she slept, but it and her bodysuits were packed in her small bag, and she had it at her side.
Amber waited for the knock at her door, and when it came, she turned, and her hands were up in a boxer’s pose. She breathed deeply, picked up her bag, and walked to the door.
She blinked at the honour guard that was waiting, their deep blue and gold trimmed with the same dark rose she was wearing. So, this was the Lady Emera’s guard. The commander was with them, but he was wearing the standard midnight and gold.
“Governess, your charge awaits.”
She curtsied, and Hynin nodded his approval. She entered the block of guards, and they made their way down the hall and to the shuttle. The commander was with them, and to her surprise, he entered the shuttle and took a seat.
Hynin and Krazz were in her row, and once everyone else was situated, the shuttle shuddered, and Amber gripped the arms of the seat. When the shuttle eased from the larger ship, she relaxed, but she tensed up again when the process of entry into the atmosphere of Possitt Prime began. Amber tried to remain calm, but there was a crunch that she recognized as the sound of collapsing metal. She remained in her stressed condition until they straightened and the shuttle’s path smoothed into standard flight.
Krazz muttered. “Well, it seems you do not do space travel well.”
She kept her expression serene. “I did just fine. There are no extra holes in the shuttle.”
Hynin chuckled. “She has you there.”
She breathed slowly as they slowly landed, and to her shock, they were not at a spaceport. They were in the gardens outside the imperial palace that she had been researching.
The group around her got up, and she settled herself in the centre of them again. Hynin handed her bag off to one of the guards, and he fluffed her veil out. He murmured, “You pinned it?”
She gave him a slight nod.
“Good, it is windy.”
They walked to the rear hatch of the shuttle, and the commander sauntered out in the lead. There was a cheer and a fanfare as he led their grouping out of the shuttle, up the steps, and to a party waiting for them at the top of the steps.
The adolescent girl laughed and hugged the commander. “Uncle Antoth, did you find her?”
Amber had one hand lightly holding the skirt above her feet, and she paused with her escort to meet her charge. Hynin and Krazz smiled at the young woman.
The girl moved from one of them to the other, calling them uncle as well. When she turned to look at Amber, she frowned. “Remove your veil.”
Amber curtsied deeply with a straight back and then rose again. “No.”
Lady Emera stared at her. “Remove your veil.”
“No.”
The young lady grabbed a fistful of veil, and Amber grabbed her wrist. She pulled the girl to her and murmured in her ear. “Lady Emera, I will show you my features later, but if you try and assault me in public, I will turn you over my knee and take the death sentence that it will create. I am not a toy. I am a tool to help you stabilize for the next phase of your life. Are you ready to start growing up?”
The young woman stared at her, and her hand released the veil. “Pardon, governess, I am over-excited to see all of my uncles here today. I am overstimulated.”
Amber released her and straightened. “It is understandable, Lady Emera. My name is Amber Huffner of the Alliance Protectorate of Terra, and I am your governess until you dismiss me.”
The girl, who was sixteen but looked about eleven, grinned. “I, Imperial Heir, Lady Emera Hauthuna, accept your appointment to my household, and I hope that you will help me make progress.”
The commander, Hynin, and Krazz all breathed a little better.
The lady grabbed her hand and pulled her into the palace, hauling her along until they reached an area guarded by liveried guards. Emera paused and said, “This is my new governess. Don’t stab her by accident.”
The men nodded, and Amber inclined her head before she was hauled along. They ended up in the lady’s quarters, and Emera looked at her. “Please, may I see your face now?”
“You may, but I cannot meet your gaze. It’s the rules, and I have been given some good reasons to avoid it.”
The lady huffed, but she said, “Fine.”
Amber lowered her gaze and lifted the veil, folding it back.
Emera stepped forward and touched her cheek. “You are so soft.” She pulled a lock of Amber’s hair forward. “Your hair is blue! Is that normal for Terrans?”
“No, that is a cosmetic change that I requested when they worked me over.”
She could see Emera peering at her, and she flicked her a quick look.
“Your eyes are blue and green! Is that a cosmetic change, too?”
“No, it is natural, but I used to have to wear lenses over them, so few people ever saw it.”
“Like the veil.”
Amber nodded. “Correct. Are you done now?”
Emera grinned. “I am. Thank you. You are pretty. Short but pretty. Will you grow taller?”
“No. I also had to be boosted about six inches just to get here. I was small, even for one of my kind.”
“Huh. Well, you will certainly save on the fabric bill for your wardrobe. Do you prefer the veil or the mask?”
She smiled. “That will be up to you. I find both of them annoying, but they are part and parcel of the job. I will wear them.”
Emera chuckled. “Masks it is. I think we can have fun with the designs if you don’t mind.”
“Lady, I am not holding to any dignity. You could make a mask with fantastical creatures having a wrestling contest, I would not mind.”
Emera grinned. “Really?”
“Really. I might have to be with you, but there is no reason for me to look boring. My clothing has to appeal to normal standards, but the accessories can do whatever you like as long as they don’t interfere with my ability to do my job.”
The young woman grinned. “Excellent. What is that creature on your stomacher?”
“Oh. You don’t have these here?”
“No. What is it?”
Amber put her hand on the embossing. “It is a Terran symbol for wisdom, a representation of a nocturnal predator.”
“That is excellent. Are there images of it available?”
Amber had an idea of what she was thinking. “There are.”
“Good. Now, Miss Amber, come with me, and I will show you your quarters and your wardrobe.”
“Yes, Lady Emera. When that has been done, we shall discuss your lesson plan.”
Emera sighed, but there was a sparkle in her eyes. She was having fun with Amber, and that was half the battle.
Chapter Five
Amber was a little taken aback when she saw the commander s
itting at her desk with Hynin and Krazz.
The commander asked, “So, Emera, what do you think?”
“I like her a lot. She’s wonderful and very pretty, even though she is short. She even said I could design her masks.”
The commander frowned. “Did she?”
Amber nodded. “As long as they are still functional, I do not see the issue. I am not here for the way I look.”
The three men looked at her, and Hynin and Krazz looked back to the commander.
She chuckled. “Though that may have been the reason I was selected, that is like taking on a warship for a sleek hull without checking the armament.”
Hynin pushed his cowl back, and he was chuckling. Krazz did the same. The commander pushed his back, and he was smiling ruefully.
Hynin grinned. “I believe proper introductions are in order. I am Duke Hynin, uncle to the imperial heir on her mother’s side. This is Duke Krazz, uncle to the imperial heir on her father’s side. You have met the imperial regent, Antoth. He was king of Possitt II until he was summoned here to act as imperial regent.”
She nodded and looked at the vivid colouration that they all had, but on Antoth, the colours were all grey, crimson, and gold. His dark uniform made the colours of his skin stand out, and the dark grey and crimson fall of his hair.
Krazz was purple, silver, and startling streaks of electric blue. He grinned. “I am an imperial bastard, but after our father died, I took up a position in the imperial house after our brother passed in an accidental assassination.”
Emera nodded. “My father was not a very good emperor. He was a worse father.”
Antoth tsked, “You are not to say things like that when out in public.”
“I am not in public; I am with family. Family must remain honest, or everything else is futile.”
Amber nodded. “Excellent point, but I am not family. Therefore, your point, while well made, is faulty.”
Emera scowled. “Uncle Antoth chose you; that means you are trusted. He couldn’t find anyone here, so you have to be suitable.”
“That is true, but I am still not family. I am functionally a stranger.”
Krazz cleared his throat. “Just to change the subject, Emera, you should see what Miss Amber did to the arms of the seat she was in on the shuttle. She crumpled them like parchment.”
Emera was fascinated, and Krazz explained their training and how strong Amber was.
Emera looked back at her. “So, you could have stopped me while we were running through the hall?”
“Certainly, but you wanted to take me somewhere, and I had no objection, so there was no damage in my going with you.” She inclined her head.
Hynin chuckled. “Miss Amber, put your mask on; we are having a family meal.”
Amber spotted her luggage and opened the bag. There was a hiss from inside, and something snapped at her. She grabbed the snake, walked it to the balcony, and she threw it as far as she could. She walked to the lav and washed the blood from her hands. She returned to her bag in the silence that filled her room, and she found her mask in the bag. It smelled a bit like snake, so she was going to clean it in the solar shower when Emera struck her and hugged her.
Antoth murmured, “She has lost four attendants in the last five years to assassinations. You are an opportunity for her to have someone who has the ability to survive.”
Amber stroked Emera’s hair and murmured. “Hey, it’s okay. I will have plenty of time with you until you are so annoyed you have me banished to a distant world.”
Emera looked at her, and there were tears in her eyes. “Do you promise?”
“As much as it is in my power, I promise.”
Antoth sighed, and his shoulders slumped in relief.
They walked together out of her chambers, and the maids stared at their gathering in shock. Two dukes, an imperial regent, one imperial heir, and a governess walked out of a bedroom. Amber was still trying to formulate a joke out of that.
She folded her hands against her abdomen and walked with what apparently was the royal family out of her rooms and down through the halls to the dining room. Emera held onto Antoth’s arm, and the other two were talking and laughing as they walked. Amber walked along behind them, and when they entered the dining room, she stepped inside and remained next to the wall.
She folded her hands together and followed instructions, settling into the shadows.
The servants held the chairs out for her companions, and when they were seated, Emera looked around, and she stared around the room three times before she called out, “Amber?”
Amber sighed and stepped forward. “Yes, my lady?”
Hynin smacked his forehead. “I am sorry, Lady Emera. I gave her the high court etiquette. I did not think that you would take to her.”
Antoth said, “Governess, please, join us at the table. Hynin gave you direction based on the guess that you would be less accepted by Lady Emera. Given the previous nannies and tutors we have put forward, it was to be expected that she would not warm to you.”
Amber looked at the table, and she smiled. “There is no place set for me. I will be fine.”
Antoth looked at her and snapped. “Sit. Now.”
She pokered up. “I am not an animal to be ordered around. I do not do tricks.”
He sighed and got to his feet. She stared at him as he stalked toward her. He wrapped an arm around her, lifted her up, and carried her to Emera’s side. The startled staff pulled a chair out for her, and he dropped her into it, shoving the chair toward the table.
Emera was looking between them, and she suddenly grinned. “That was exciting.”
Amber frowned, and a place setting was assembled around her. The servants were efficient, and she was soon seated with the same accoutrements as the nobles around her. She looked at Hynin. “Duke Hynin, we are going to have words.”
He grinned. “That was funny.”
Antoth growled. “It really wasn’t. Hynin, I trusted you to let Amber know that she is to be at Emera’s side unless they are sleeping. You are not instilling trust with the rest of your tutelage.”
Hynin winced. “I am sorry. I mean, I thought it would be amusing to see what she would do. Her reactions are so very entertaining.”
She reached out to the rolls on the table, picked up the soup spoon, and launched the roll to strike Hynin in the centre of his forehead. He leaned back, and his hand hit the mark she had made with the small crusty roll.
She precisely placed the soup spoon back where it should be while Emera laughed out loud.
Antoth smiled before he nodded to the staff. “You may begin service now.”
Emera reached out and took her hand, squeezing it. “The mask suits you much better than the veil.”
“And it defends against rogue bakery products.” She smiled brightly.
Krazz laughed, and Antoth snickered before he straightened his features as the first course came out.
Emera smiled and asked, “So, Amber, why did you agree to cross star systems to come here?”
The soup course arrived, and she watched what Emera used before she trusted Hynin’s tutelage. The spoon was the same one Hynin had taught her to use, so she picked it up and made eye contact with him.
He winced. “The accompaniment issue was the only one I obfuscated. The rest of the training was accurate.”
“I will verify things with Emera. I am sure that she doesn’t want it known that her governess can’t identify her cutlery.” She smiled, and Emera sat up and grinned.
“I can show you how things work around here, and you can tell me about alien worlds.”
“How about we do comparative history? Your world versus the Nyal Imperium when it comes to title inheritance.” She smiled as she sipped at her soup.
Emera grinned. “We are going to start studying?”
“You teach me. I will teach you. When you do something exceptional, you are allowed to ask a single p
ersonal question.” She took a second sip of the soup. “Does that sound fair?”
Emera laughed. “It sounds like a far more interesting life than the one I have been living. I will take the deal.”
Amber glanced toward Antoth, and she winked. She didn’t know if it translated through the mask, but he inclined his head slightly in her direction. The pigmented mask on his face had a scarlet edge that moved to dark gold around the eyes where a line of charcoal traced under his lashes. She realized that she was staring, and she trailed her gaze over the other two, only to find them both grinning knowingly at her.
She sighed and returned her attention to her soup. This was possibly going to be the longest three years of her life, but at least she wasn’t behind a desk. As long as she could stay with Emera and away from Antoth, it might actually be a pleasant assignment.
Chapter Six
Amber was fast asleep after an evening of conversation and good company when she was jerked out of her rest by a scream.
She flipped out of bed and listened. The scream sounded again, and it sounded like Emera.
Amber pulled on a robe, sashed it, and sprinted down the hall, moving into a full run when she heard the scream again. Two guards were outside the room, and they tried to bar her from the interior, but they were going to have to think about their actions from down the hall. She was inside before they had finished their arc after she tossed them.
Inside, there was a chamber where the maid looked up in surprise when Amber charged through. Amber opened the inner chamber and found Emera sweating, her eyes wide without seeing, and another scream rang through the chamber.
Amber lifted her into her arms and held her close. “Easy, little one. Easy. Keep breathing.”
The maid poked her head in. “Lady Emera has these dreams several times a month. You are not allowed in her chambers while she sleeps.”
Amber ignored her and kept holding Emera, rocking her and stroking her head. “Easy, Emera. Things will be fine.”
