by K. Aten
After another cleansing swallow of her scotch, Castellan finally found the voice to speak. “What do you mean by ‘together’?”
The Connate shot her a strange look. “I’m sure she wasn’t talking about that!”
“Oh, I absolutely was talking about that.”
“What?” Two voices spoke at the same time then Castellan and Olivienne looked at each other in consternation.
A heavy silence fell over the room and the Queen sat back to watch the interaction between her daughter and the good commander. She smiled to herself. Sometimes two stubborn heads required knocking together. “Is there a problem?”
Olivienne narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “Maman...you have never encouraged my dalliances before. Why now? Why would my interactions with Castellan in any way affect our future?”
“I don’t know.” The Queen shrugged. “But I saw it and the vision was strong.”
The Connate pressed. “And despite tradition, rules, or good sense, our continued dalliance is the safest course of action?”
Olivara nodded. “Yes.”
Castellan set her glass down on the slate table and the action caused an inordinately loud crack, which startled both mother and daughter. “Do I not have a say in any of this?”
The Queen looked at her seriously and opened her empathic channel. She sensed a roiling mix of emotions just below the surface of Castellan’s calm façade. Fear, irritation, and tenderness sat above all the rest. “Of course you do, dear.”
Tosh turned to the Queen with a glint in her eye and Olivara’s empathic sense abruptly ran into a smooth wall of...nothing. “Neither my thoughts, nor my emotions, are available for casual purveyance. If you please. I would think you of all people should know the law there!”
Olivara nodded her head. “My apologies, Commander Tosh. Please, continue with your argument.”
Castellan sighed and looked down, away from two sets of intense violet eyes. “I fear that further...entanglements, be they romantic or sexual, with Olivienne would only compromise my ability to keep her safe. It is against the rules for a good reason, because judgement becomes compromised when the officer is distracted.”
“Are you saying I’m a distraction? Should I be worried or flattered?” Olivienne smirked at the commander.
Tosh gave her a wry look in return. “Yes.”
The Queen snorted in mirth and quickly hid it behind a sip of her scotch. While Commander Tosh had made a good point, valid given the history of the Shield Corp, she was missing something even more essential. “You forget one important facet of this discussion.”
Tosh looked at her warily. “Which is?”
“Which is the fact that you’ve already saved my daughter while in the midst of your dalliance and distraction as you put it. Your judgement didn’t appear to be compromised at all. If anything, I’d say it would be sharper now that you are acting in an official capacity.”
Castellan held up a single finger and opened her mouth to disagree, then abruptly shut it again. The Queen made a valid point that Tosh had not considered. Despite the fact that she wanted nothing more than to take Olivienne back to the railer and have her way, Castellan was never distracted when they were wandering about in Penterole. Simply being near the Connate made her more aware of security than she ever had been before. The commander sighed in defeat, but refused to go down without a fight. “Perhaps you are correct in that it is possible to perform one’s duty by separating the personal from the professional side of things—” Her words were interrupted by a thought from Olivienne.
“I remember exactly how good those personal things were.”
Tosh scowled and put a mental wall up to block the other Dracore in the room as well. She looked from one to the other and couldn’t help thinking how curiously alike the two dark-eyed sovereigns were. She cast one more annoyed glance at Olivienne before continuing. “As I was saying...regardless of my abilities to perform my job, I have to be a willing party to such dalliances. I will not be forced into something I’m not comfortable with.” She turned back toward Olivienne and watched the Connate’s face darken with some unread emotion. “I prefer my relations to happen a little more...organically. I will not have a prophecy dictate my choice in bedmates!”
Castellan’s words had only served to raise Olivienne’s ire. “Oh? And what pray tell does dictate your choice in a bedmate? It does not appear to be passion or even preference. You espouse duty but when that obstacle is removed you find a million others to take its place.” She stood and glared at the calm-seeming officer. “As far as I can see, the only thing that is making your decisions is your stubborn pride!” Before anyone could react to her raised voice and words, Olivienne stalked off to her private rooms upstairs.
“Well that could have gone better.”
Tosh looked at the Queen in shock and irritation. “Speaking frankly, what did you think would happen? We mix like oil and water and I will not have my life dictated to me when that action would take me outside my honor.” She finished her scotch and studied the Queen for a moment longer. “Vision or no vision, I’m quite offended that you would even try to push us together in such a way.”
“Watch your tone, Commander. While I admit that I can be a bit manipulative sometimes, I am still your Queen.” Seeing that they both had empty glasses, Olivara stood and apported the scotch decanter right into her hand. She diligently refilled both their glasses before sending the bottle back to whence it came. Castellan watched as the Queen sipped from her freshened glass, waiting for the woman to respond. Finally Olivara met Tosh’s gaze steadfastly. “I’m going to lay my tiles on the table here. I love my daughter, Commander. That is certainly no secret. But I will be the first to admit that I have not always cared for her dalliances. To be honest, she tends to choose more for sport and spite than any actual potential. She lives to torment me with women who are beneath her in either intelligence or in honor. I see acceptable, nay, excellent consorage potential in you, Commander Castellan Tosh. Can you blame me for encouraging a closer attachment?”
Tosh sat back in her chair and swirled the amber liquid in her glass. “I hate to speak crudely, but since we are letting honesty mouth our words, the Connate and I have merely engaged in that sport you so disagree with. It was a simple tupping between two willing adults and nothing more. Your daughter and I are practically strangers and contentious at best. I do not share in your surety of this consorage you speak of. Nor am I looking for any such relationship. Perhaps that is why we initially connected, because neither of us has time nor room in our lives for such deep emotional connections.” She paused to take a sip before continuing. “And I’d like to add that this is an incredibly awkward conversation to have with not just my Queen, but the mother of a former lover. I would prefer if you did not bring the subject up again.”
Olivara stared at her for a meen longer then smiled and nodded. “Very well. I give my word that I will not bring up your dalliance with my daughter again. And for the record, you have handled this entire visit with admirable aplomb. Cheers!” She raised her glass and downed the rest of the scotch.
Castellan raised her eyebrow at the Queen’s capacity for the strong liquor and mirrored her actions. “Cheers.”
“Now, I should perhaps head upstairs and mend the rift between me and my daughter.”
Castellan watched her climb the main stairs but remained seated herself, deep in thought.
BOTH THE COMMANDER and the Connate kept to themselves until later. It was just going on early supper when Olivienne went in search of Castellan. She paused briefly before knocking on Tosh’s door to her private suite. “Commander, are you in?”
Before she could second-guess her request, the door abruptly opened beneath her knuckles. “What can I do for you, Connate Dracore?”
Olivienne sighed and closed her eyes. It was exactly as she expected, the conversation with her mother earlier only served to push Castellan further into formality. “I’ve come to inform you that I received
a last meen dinner invitation from a close friend. The upscale eatery is called Pax Ammond.”
Commander Tosh frowned, already thinking on the arrangements that would have to be made for the Connate’s safety. “What time is your dinner engagement?”
“Two oors from now. My dinner date will be Benicia Demeer.”
A pale eyebrow raised at the Connate’s famous date. “The pipeball player?”
Olivienne watched Castellan’s face for a reaction but the officer’s features were well guarded, as usual. “The very same, why do you ask?”
As the head of the sovereign’s Shield unit, Cmdr. Tosh had been briefed on all Olivienne’s favorite places to visit, as well as her history of relationships and dalliances. That meant Tosh was well aware of Benicia Demeer’s status as one of the Connate’s regular lovers. The resulting burn that information left within Tosh’s gut was less than ideal. She struggled to maintain her calm even as jealousy growled within. “I am only asking because I would imagine that Psera Demeer would have some security of her own with her.”
“That makes sense.” Olivienne was puzzled by the commander’s nonchalance about it all and a little hurt that she didn’t get a reaction from the woman with too much self-control.
Cmdr. Tosh continued after mulling the situation over in her head for a few secs. “Okay, I will teleo ahead to let the establishment know of our requirements for your safety. I also want six guardians with you all night.” Olivienne started to protest but Tosh held up a hand. “This is official protocol, I will not budge. However—” Castellan paused to swallow down her upset. “Should you decide to go someplace more private, two guardians must inspect the place before you go in but afterward they will all remain outside for the entirety of your stay. Is that acceptable?”
Olivienne looked at the neat and emotionless officer and wished that Castellan had put up more of a fight, or any fight at all really. “That is acceptable. Thank you, Commander.” She paused for a sec then asked the question that she had been worrying over. “Will you be one of the six?”
Castellan stared at her with an undecipherable look and Olivienne was too much of a lady to pry into the officer’s thoughts. Not to mention that the offense of violating someone’s mind privacy carried severe punishments in the Psiere Legibus. “Under the circumstances, Connate Dracore, I much prefer to stay at the residence for the evening. I will see you on the morrow.”
The remote woman was clearly finished speaking so Olivienne took a step back and nodded. After that she turned to go back to her own suite of rooms.
Dinner was pleasant enough that evening, though most of the conversation was of Benicia speaking of the tournament her team had just won. It wasn’t until they were nearly through with the meal that the pipeball player seemed to run out of words. The Connate watched as her friend fell into the old seductive routine that had worked so many times before. “So what have you been busy with lately, calla? I’m assuming your adventures have taken you far afield as you haven’t been in the city until recently.” Benicia gave Olivienne a heart-stopping smile and reached over to cover her hand. The fact that she had just called Olivienne by her pet name did not go unnoticed. Calla was a night blooming flower that had deep purple petals with a black center. Benicia said the flower reminded her of Olivienne’s eyes. “Though you are still as beautiful as ever.”
Olivienne allowed the caress for a few secs before pulling her hand away. “As always, you are much too good for my ego, and no drab attraction yourself, Benne. I’m afraid I have been exceedingly busy, and remain so even now that I’m back in Tesseron. I have made a huge discovery concerning the Divine Mystery—” Benicia began to speak but Olivienne held up a finger to stall her. “But, not a discovery I can speak of just yet, I’m afraid. You will have to wait for the official announcements like everyone else.” She smiled to take the sting out of her words. She expected the Benicia to continue her attempts to get information from her, or at least begin her seduction game again but Olivienne was surprised when neither of those things happened.
“You’ve changed, ’Vienne.”
The Connate looked back at her in surprise. While Benicia was beautiful and full of copious amounts of energy, she was also reliably self-centered. The sovereign liked that the other woman never fawned over her like some. Olivienne never expected a declaration such as what just fell from her mouth. “How do you mean? I’m the same as always, just busy as I said.”
Benicia’s face became one of puzzlement. “No, it isn’t that. You have never once failed to flirt with me, never once not responded to my cues. Are you involved with someone, Olivienne?”
Olivienne made a face. “I am definitely not involved with anyone else. Perhaps it’s because I’ve been tired of late.”
The attractive woman across the table wagged a finger at her. “Bollux! I’ve seen you come off three straight daes of adventure and still have the stamina for an all-night tupping. No, there is something more...”
“My mother spoke with you, didn’t she?”
Benicia’s eyes widened. “The Queen?”
Olivienne sighed in exasperation. “No, my other mother! Yes, of course the Queen!”
The pipeball player’s appalled look morphed to that of addled confusion. “Of course I haven’t spoken to your mother, she loathes me! Why do you ask? Has she been hassling you to settle down again, to give up your dalliances?” The Connate and Benicia had spoken often of the Queen’s pressure on her only daughter to become consoral. While Benicia would have loved to be her par, she knew it wouldn’t happen. For one, Queen Olivara never seemed to like or approve of her. Beyond that, Benicia knew that she had never held Olivienne’s heart and that the Connate had too much adventure in her to settle down. She peered into those purple eyes that had gone dark in thought and waited for Olivienne to answer.
The sovereign sighed and rubbed a finger over the grain of the wood table. “No...well yes. Kind of.”
Benicia stilled her hand. “You’re being murky.”
Olivienne slowly lifted her eyes to meet the other woman’s gaze. “My apologies. She is actually encouraging dalliance with someone, and hoping for a consorage to come of it, I’m certain.”
“I sense a ‘but’ coming.”
Olivienne nodded. “Yes, but, the person is not amenable to such things.”
Benicia sat back in her chair and her exclamation of surprise was enough to garner the attention of the other people eating. “What? Who would be foolish enough to turn you down?”
“No, it’s not like...she didn’t. I mean we have but—” She sighed again. “I’m making a mess of this and I shouldn’t be talking about it with you. I am sorry.” Olivienne looked back down to the table, unsure of anything in the moment.
“Calla...from the beginning, we knew that there would be no consorage between us. But I’d always hoped we could remain friends when the time came to end our dalliance. I think that time is now. I sense a change in you and I think this person you are referring to has gotten in deeper than you anticipated.”
“What good does that do me when I am but a raindrop upon her leaf? She simply doesn’t care!” Before Benicia could speak again, Olivienne rescinded her statement. “No, that is not true. She feels the passion between us just the same. But this woman is as stubborn as the dae is long and thinks that it is beneath her honor to give in to that passion. She keeps rigid control over herself, refusing to give in to temptation when we both know how sweet it is. I have tried everything but throw myself at her. I will not beg!”
Benicia tittered with laughter. “Oh calla! I know you, my dear. You could make any woman beg with just a whisper and a caress. I would say that if she is feeling half the passion you speak of, you should be fully capable of breaking through that control.” She looked down at the small timepiece strapped to her wrist. “It’s just past twenty-one hundred oors now. I think you should find this woman and put those gorgeous lips to use. Show her that control is nothing without knowing your limits.�
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“But what of you?”
Benicia smirked. “Oh you know me, I’m only alone when I wish to be. Go on, find your lover.” She leaned forward to whisper as if in conspiracy. “But don’t tell the Queen. Let her think all her machinations and coercing were a failure.”
Sensing dinner was over, both women stood and embraced. Olivienne was glad that her past lover understood, and even happier that she gave advice on the topic of a certain commander. “Thank you again. And let us not stop with our dinners as we drift off to new pursuits. All right?”
“Oh perish the thought! Good night ’Vienne, and good luck!”
A credit chit had been delivered by Lt. Savon when they arrived so there was nothing the Connate needed to do but return home. As soon as she walked into the residence, she informed the guardians on duty that she was in for the night and not to let her be disturbed the next dae either. Olivienne told them that she felt like lying in. She didn’t let herself stop to think when she got home. Instead she immediately made her way to the back of the house where Tosh’s suite was located. There she knocked on the door once and when it wasn’t answered she impatiently knocked again.
“Who is it—Olivienne?” In her surprise, she failed to use the Connate’s title. Instead, Castellan stood slack-jawed as she stared into the eyes of the woman she didn’t expect to see for the rest of the night.
Olivienne took in the sight that greeted her from the open doorway. Castellan looked deliciously rumpled. Her black shirt was untucked from her black trousers, and the collar was unfastened to nearly mid chest. Her blonde hair was also in disarray and Olivienne craved to run her fingers through the remembered thick blonde locks. She stilled her impulsive hands and stepped closer to the officer. “Yes, Olivienne. I’m so glad you remembered that I am a flesh and blood woman here.”
