Destination Alara

by S. Y. Thompson

  If anything, the ovation when she finished was even louder than before. She resisted the urge to clap her hands over her ears and faced toward the monarch. She could have sworn that High Queen Dorma smiled through tears and felt her cheeks burn again that her simple words might inspire such a reaction. Van bowed low before the queen to show her respect but Dorma touched her arm and encouraged her to stand. Then she stepped closer and kissed Van on the cheek.

  When she turned away, Van faced the crowd beside her. Slowly, the applause died and the High Queen addressed the people. "Captain Swann makes a very good point. Without the brave souls willing to fight and die for what they believe, things could be very different. I would like to take the opportunity to express our thanks to all members of the Coalition who are with us as well as our dedicated military liaisons and all the civilians who work to preserve our way of life. Having said that, might I suggest that we all adjourn to the ballroom for the traditional first dance."

  Dorma took Van's elbow, leading her toward the edge of the stage where she clasped Cade's arm on the other side. The trio led the way from the hall. Fortunately, since she was part of the royal procession, no one accosted her. Van needed a few minutes to regroup. If given the choice, she'd rather spend the rest of the night in solitude. It was hard to share how she felt about anything, life having taught her that keeping her heart isolated was the safest bet. Just the little bit she'd shared during her speech was more than she was accustomed to and left her feeling vulnerable.

  "Are you ready?"

  She looked at the queen in confusion. "For what?"

  "The first dance of course. It's traditional that the royal heir initiates the evening's festivities by dancing with the guest of honor."

  "By ourselves?" Van gulped, suddenly more concerned about being so close to the princess in front of a crowd.

  Dorma laughed and squeezed her arm. "I can see why Cade likes you so much."

  She did?

  "You two would make a very cute couple. Have you ever considered marrying into royalty?"

  Van almost swallowed her tongue. "Uhh..."

  "Mother, stop," Cade hissed.

  "What? I'm no different from any other parent. I just want to see my daughter happy. It wouldn't kill you to give me a grandchild either."

  Chapter Eleven

  UPON ENTERING THE cavernous room, Van noticed the size of the dance floor and surrounding area dwarfed even the ceremonial hall. In addition, a large semi-circular staircase led up to a second level. It was hard to believe that soon the chamber would seem crowded. The trio stepped inside the empty room followed by a security contingent of four heavily armed guards. She thought the palace guards more of a traditional function since it wasn't likely anyone would dare attack the royal family amongst a crowd of dignitaries.

  Queen Dorma led them inside and released their arms near the dance floor. "The music will begin whenever you two are ready. Please excuse me, but I think I'm required to mingle now." She flashed another charming smile and disappeared into the throng.

  Van suddenly felt very nervous. "Err, uh..."

  "Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you. If you want, we can wait a few minutes for people to settle in."

  "That would be great, thank you ma'am."

  Cade frowned. "Do you mind if we drop the titles for tonight? I'd like to relax and having you call me admiral or ma'am all night doesn't really fit with that goal."

  "Of course, ma...uh, Cade."

  "See, that didn't hurt. Congratulations on the medal, by the way."

  "Thank you," Van glanced down at the award. "I'm still not sure where it goes on my uniform."

  In keeping with most ceremonies, the Queen placed the device around her neck but for everyday operations, the wearer pinned them in order of importance on their chests. Being a royal award rather than military, Van wasn't sure where it belonged.

  Cade reached out to touch a spot on her chest with one finger. "To the left of the others, the place of honor. You do realize this award makes you an honorary custos. It's a very ancient custom."

  "Royal guard? Does that mean I'm a knight?"

  Cade smiled, easing some of the awkwardness. "Not exactly. Oh, there's Saral. Pardon me for a minute while I speak with my cousin."

  Van nodded, but Cade had already walked away. She watched as they hugged in greeting and struck up an animated conversation. She recognized the cousin from the communication with Headquarters after Cade's kidnapping and from the way Saral kept looking in her direction, Van thought she knew the topic of discussion. A waiter walked past and she took a flute of something golden and sparkly. She swallowed it in a single gulp.

  "You might want to slow down on that," Paul advised.

  "Why?"

  Rather than answer, he started to ask, "So, what's going on with..."

  "Nothing," she interrupted quickly. "Nothing's going on. We're just friends. No, not even friends. Why do you ask?"

  He raised an eyebrow. "I wasn't but remind me to do so later."

  "Let's start again. What were you going to ask?"

  "I was going to ask, what's going on between you and Coalition Command? Are they going to fry you over what happened to the Falcon?"

  The tension ebbed away for the first time since she'd stepped out of her room. "Not at all. You're looking at the new captain of the recently commissioned vessel, Pandora. We ship out first thing in the morning."

  "Oh no, you're kidding. Not even one day off?"

  "No rest for the wicked, but this is an easy one. We just have to escort the princess back to her office at HQ." Van placed special emphasis on Cade's title and wasn't disappointed when Paul picked up on the implications.

  "The princess? Does that mean we're on diplomatic envoy duty?"

  He looked disgruntled and Van started to laugh until the full ramifications of what such a duty entailed hit her. "Oh c...crap."

  "Yeah, guess you didn't think about that one before you agreed."

  "Right, because the military is in the habit of offering me a choice. Just be ready by oh eight hundred."

  Miffed by the situation, Van deposited her empty glass on a convenient serving tray and helped herself to another. One thing about the Meryan Empire, they valued tradition. In this case, tradition dictated that any mission of diplomatic stature required certain observances. One of those was that the captain attended each meal with the dignitary in question with breakfast being the notable exception. Even the royal families agreed that running the ship was of paramount importance. Van had a built in excuse to avoid it and she could probably ditch lunch too if she created enough diversions, but unless they happened upon hostile space, she couldn't get out of evening meals.

  Okay, so they weren't the best of friends. She would even admit that she found it hard to keep her eyes off Cade, but surely Van could act professionally for a few lousy dinners.

  "Would you care to dance?"

  The husky tones sent a shiver down her spine, brought home to her just how much trouble she was in. Her head turned in Cade's direction and someone took the drink from her hand. Paul, she assumed.

  Having no other choice, Van took the proffered hand and allowed the Crown Princess of Alara to lead her onto the dance floor. The music started, a slow waltz requiring Cade to slip an arm around her waist. The first step was a little awkward owing to her nerves but Van quickly recovered, trying to ignore the mirth in her partner's dark eyes. Initially, she noticed only the sound of her heart hammering in her ears and how self-conscious she felt dancing, only the two of them on the monolithic dance floor. Eventually, she felt the softness of Cade's hand and the crowd receded from awareness.

  The skin of Cade's hand reminded her of a flower petal. Soft, smooth and flexible, yet with a hint of strength that belied its seeming fragility. She noticed how long and slender the fingers were, easily encompassing her smaller ones. From there, she made the mistake of looking up into fathomless depths of midnight. She'd never before perceived the narrow band of
navy separating iris from pupil. The waltz swept her around the ballroom, but she couldn't break the hypnotic gaze.

  Cade's pupils dilated unexpectedly, signaling that she wasn't unaware of the sudden chemistry. Her posture relaxed and her arm tightened around Van's waist, eliminating any semblance of distance between their bodies. The dance became intimate despite the crowd slowly joining them on the floor. Her partner's strong thighs caressed hers as they moved. The now familiar scent of her skin flooded Van's senses. The air fairly crackled between them.

  The crowd disappeared altogether when Cade carried them out of the ballroom and onto a balcony. Balmy evening air touched her skin but went largely unnoticed. Moonlight softened the strong features that dipped toward her as Cade closed the distance even more. Van read the intent in dark eyes and slipped a hand around Cade's neck. Lips brushed hers, a promise full of heat. When Cade pulled away slightly, Van started to speak.

  "Cade..." She couldn't deny the magnetism between them, but questioned if the romantic setting caused her to lose so much of her self-control. Was it, instead, the beginning of something that terrified her just to think about? Van instinctively felt it could be more and she wasn't sure she was ready for that.

  "Don't speak. I just want one moment alone with you before I have to think about duty."

  Eyes heavy lidded and full of desire spoke to Van's passion. Her fingers curled around thick locks at the base of Cade's neck, urging her down. Kissing deeply, she felt the roughness of the tongue that stroked her own, stoking the fire in her belly. For endless minutes, she lost herself to the lingual caress, not thinking of anything but the need to merge. Doubts vanished and she kissed Cade with all the pent up emotion she usually held in check.

  Eventually, the kiss ended but Cade didn't release her. They hugged each other tightly and Van's eyes closed. She surprised herself by drawing comfort from the embrace even as she freely offered it in return. The moment was magical, filled with the scent of growing things from the valley below and the spray of Alara's triple waterfalls, the Gederium Falls, such a short distance away.

  The sound of a manservant clearing his throat broke the spell. "My apologies, Your Highness. Queen Dorma seeks your company."

  Cade impressed her by not releasing their embrace. If anything, her arms tightened. She took a deep breath, filled with the sound of regret, and replied huskily. "Tell her I'll join her shortly."

  Van felt frustrated when they were alone again, but smothered her disappointment when Cade withdrew to arm's length. "I'm sorry to leave you here. I'd do almost anything to change that, but I can't."

  "You're a princess. You have appearances to keep up."

  "Thank you for understanding."

  Cade rested a palm against her cheek and smiled before kissing Van's forehead. Then she was gone.

  Van couldn't face the assembled delegates right now. She turned toward the railing and rested her arms across the top, staring out over the darkened valley. Bellaco, Alara's largest moon, painted her light over the view that included the triple waterfall. Van heard the water crashing into its basin. Animals rustled through the brush, but her thoughts replayed the kiss over and over. Priding herself on never getting emotionally involved, Van couldn't understand what was happening.

  Twenty minutes later, she sensed someone step onto the balcony. Paul joined her, adopting a similar pose.

  "Van, you okay?"

  "Fine, Paul." She strove to sound steady, her normal self, but her heartbeat had yet to assume its usual rhythm. Each time she thought of Cade's kiss or the look in her eyes it started pounding again. "I just have a lot on my mind."

  "She's something special. It's obvious she cares about you."

  She couldn't look at him, afraid he might see the tears shimmering in her eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about."

  "Of course you don't." Van heard the disappointment in his voice, perpetuated by her refusal to confide in him. "I'm going to turn in."

  He'd reached the entrance to the ballroom before she spoke softly, taking a chance. "Paul?"

  "Yes?"

  "She really is something, isn't she?"

  "Yes, Van. She is. Goodnight."

  Van took a minute to gather her thoughts before rejoining the celebration. Though confused by her earlier actions, she wasn't in the mood to guess Cade's motives. She wiped her eyes and went inside. Intending to pass through the crowd without speaking, Van sought the sanctuary of her room. Instinct caused her to glance around anyway, but she didn't see Cade. Instead, she spotted a very tall, lean man at the top of the stairs. Something familiar about his movements made her stop.

  Distinguished-looking at a glance, the man's white hair appeared neatly barbered and his immaculate tuxedo hugged his form. The most singular feature was the large, hawkish nose. He sported the grayish skin typical of someone from a cold environment. The joints of his hands and arms were a little too thick and elongated to fit the usual species she encountered, extending past the jacket's cuffs and making it look small on him.

  He turned and unexpectedly met her gaze, as if he'd known she watched him. Van's eyes widened and she started up the stairs at a run, convinced of his identity. This man had taken Cade, held her captive in Tokar's subterranean chambers.

  "Excuse me," she shouted, dodging guests. "Please, let me through."

  The heavy crowd forced her to backtrack nearly as often as she progressed. By the time she reached the upper rail, he was gone. Van leapt into the air, trying to see over taller heads, but she couldn't find him. Finally, she stepped onto the edge of the staircase runner, hoping a few inches would be enough. The handrail pressed against her upper thigh, providing a false sense of security as she cast around. She searched the landing repeatedly, but he was gone. Van went to step down, but the second level was quite crowded and the throng of bodies surged toward her.

  Because her hold was precarious, Van had little leverage. She felt her body lean out farther than she could recover from and knew she was going over.

  Someone screamed.

  Van's arms and legs flailed as she tried to maneuver into a less dangerous position, but the long fall proved too short to accommodate. Guests scattered as she dropped. Van hit the marble floor with a resounding crack and quickly bitten off scream.

  She tried to remember her dignity, tried not to roll on the floor like a mad woman. The pain in her arm was so intense that she clenched her jaws until she thought her teeth would shatter.

  "Back up. Give her some room."

  Then Cade was there, cradling Van's head in her lap. Unaware of her actions, Van half rose and huddled against her.

  "Where do you hurt?"

  "My arm," Van replied from between clenched teeth. She wrapped her good hand around the injured appendage and tried to breathe past the pain. It wasn't as intense now and she thought she might not cry like a schoolgirl.

  A middle-aged woman squatted next to them and started scanning her injury. Van saw she carried a physician's case. After that, she ignored the doctor and tried to focus more on the feel of Cade's arm around her shoulders and the fingers combing the hair back from her forehead.

  "You've done quite a number on yourself, young captain. I'm afraid you've broken your arm in two places and fractured your wrist." The healer sounded positively thrilled.

  "Glad I could give you something to do."

  She chuckled. "I'll have you fixed up in no time." She reached into the bag, and Van couldn't see what she was doing. The next thing she knew, the woman injected her with something. The medication immediately took the edge off her pain and made her vision swim. While she worked knitting bones together with an infuser, Cade further distracted her by speaking quietly.

  "Van, what happened? How did you manage to fall from the top of the stairs?"

  "I thought I saw someone, that Nemo guy."

  "What? Here?" Cade looked around in alarm and Van unreasonably waited for her to continue the list of interrogatives. When she didn't, Van felt the need to c
larify.

  "He's gone now. I couldn't find him when I got up there and I stood on the edge of the stairs to try and see better."

  Dark eyes closed briefly. "And you lost your balance."

  "Felt more like I was pushed."

  Cade hissed and fury dominated her expression. Van quickly sought to reassure her. "It's all right, baby. There were just so many people I'm sure it was an accident."

  The sedative made her groggy and Van didn't realize exactly what she'd said to make Cade look at her so strangely.

  "She's all set," the doctor interrupted, returning her instruments to the bag. "She needs a good night's sleep and should take it easy on that arm for a few days, but I've repaired the breaks."

  "Thank you, Doctor Kolisev. Your skills are greatly appreciated."

  "Yeah, thanks," Van slurred, now seeing two of everything.

  Cade stood, lifting Van into her arms as she did.

  "Hey, how come you're always hauling me around?"

  Van barely registered chuckles from the onlookers, blinded by the brilliance of Cade's smile. "Why are you always getting hurt?"

  "I can walk, you know."

  "I prefer to reach our destination in one piece."

  Van forgot what they were arguing about as Cade carried her from the room. Her weight didn't seem to cause the princess any difficulty as she walked through the ballroom and out into the castle's main entrance hall. From there, she entered the family section of the structure and started up the stairs.

  "You sure are cute in your little crown."

  Unconscious before she finished speaking, Van wasn't aware of the effect her words caused. Cade's eyes filled with tenderness and she brushed her lips across Van's forehead.