by Lace, Lisa
"I see that the head of the council once again presumes to step into the Emperor's place," said Tev sourly.
"My lord—" protested Kregan.
"We have much to discuss," said Rev. "In what shape is the palace?"
"It is badly damaged. I've taken the liberty of securing the mountain lodge as temporary quarters."
"No," said Tev. "It is too remote."
"I agree," said Rev. "We'll take the palace as is."
The counselor looked like he had swallowed a lemon. "There are a number of security concerns."
"I'm sure the security staff can deal with them," said Tev. "Let's start for the palace now."
The counselor bowed. "As you wish."
Rev, Tev, and Tracy were led to a ground transport that reminded Tracy of the cars back home except for one thing, it floated freely over the ground. Other ground transports lined the road ahead of and behind their vehicle.
"Your transport," said Pa-Kregan. He tried to keep his face neutral, but Tracy sensed tension in him. He did not like having them on Kerdos. She wondered just how much.
"Counselor Pa-Kregan, please do us the honor of riding with us to the palace," said Tracy. "I have much to learn about Kerdos, and I'd appreciate it if you were my guide."
Pa-Kregan recoiled. "My lords,” he sputtered, “explain to her that this not done."
"You know what, Kregan," said Rev, "if she wishes it, then it is so. It is done on this day; you will accompany us to the palace."
"Yes, my lord," said Kregan uncomfortably.
"Please join us," said Tev.
Kregan had no choice but to obey the command, veiled as a request though it had been. Tev looked back at Rev and Tracy and nodded his head.
"Well," said Tracy to Rev under her breath, "you did not tell me there was intrigue in your palace."
ONE WEEK LATER
Tracy lay on her bed with a big smile on her face, enjoying the elegant sheets that were softer than silk. She was in the palace on Kerdos, absorbed in a task she had given herself. In her hand was a computer. She was reading the history of the Aligned Worlds. Spending her time studying was an act of self-preservation. She had never felt so completely lost as she had in the short time on Kerdos.
On her second day, she had attended the funerals of the royal family. She had discovered that funerals were the same no matter what planet you were on. Lamentations and cries of despair had filled the air. Tracy had worn a borrowed robe in funeral colors of black, gray, and white. She’d stood with Rev on a platform, where council members gave their eulogies and praised the remaining princes, Ar-Teven and Ar-Reven, who were both home from their duties in the Enforcement Wing.
No one mentioned Rev's dishonorable defection from his former employers, stealing a spacecraft, or showing up at home with a woman he’d mated with against the laws of the Aligned Worlds. Not a single person spoke of this tragedy having been brought on by the criminal Quargan's revenge against Rev for destroying part of his illegal enterprise.
Rev was praised as the hero who saved his brother from imprisonment at the hands of pirates, and Tev was praised for his bravery in infiltrating such a dangerous den of bandits. No one mentioned that as a result of Rev’s and Tev's actions, the pirates had let loose a rain of airborne destruction on Kerdos, killing thousands, including the entire royal family. No one mentioned Tracy.
In all of this, Tracy was nearly ignored by everyone except Rev, her attendant, As-Sali, and the doctors who’d examined her. I’ve got to stop dwelling on this. Her search results appeared on the screen, bringing her back to the present.
Aligned Worlds Government (AWG) — The Aligned Worlds Government is comprised of three branches. The Legislative Branch consists of the Council of Nine and the Aligned Worlds Congress. The Judicial Branch includes the AW Court System, the Enforcement Wing, and the last remnants of the former royal rulers, colloquially called the Vacant Throne.
This last bit sounded interesting. Click.
The Vacant Throne is a symbol of the defunct royal line, the Moc-Noton. This hereditary line failed to produce a royal heir three hundred standard years ago, leaving the throne of the Aligned Worlds empty. The charter of the AWG was written one thousand standard years previously and is the foundation of Aligned Worlds rule and law. Rather than dissolve the charter and the Aligned Worlds Government, the throne is allowed to remain vacant.
The passage sparked Tracy's curiosity. They let a throne stay vacant? On Earth, there were still kings and queens even though royalty had lost its prominence. Even if the rulers were deposed, their children in exile would still have claims to the throne.
She spoke into the tablet to perform her next search. Though her language implants allowed her to read Galactic Standard, she couldn't write it. The palace doctors explained that the ability to write words was different than speaking them. They were amazed she could read as well as speak through the translators. It seemed human brains were organized differently from most other sentient species.
Though she was called "my lady" and treated like royalty by some, one thing she did not appreciate was being treated like a lab rat by the Kerdim doctors. They marveled over everything from her red blood to how Rev's mating bite hadn’t addicted her. They poked and prodded her so much that even Rev was losing his patience with them. One thing she continued to appreciate about Rev was his protective instinct. His screaming after a particularly long session with the doctors kept them away for days. The memory of Rev's fit of temper directed at the well-meaning medical staff put a smile on Tracy's lips.
She glanced up at the timepiece, a natural one made of sand and rocks. She didn't know how it worked, but it was beautiful and awed her whenever she looked at it. Kerdos was full of rocks and plants artistically arranged inside and outside the palace. Even the stone veranda that lined the left-hand wall of Rev and Tracy's room had many plants arranged in pleasing patterns and colors. It was too bad that half of the palace was destroyed in the pirates' attack. The dichotomy of beauty and destruction illustrated the current tension in the palace.
Rev was late. This was another sign his meetings weren't going well. Again. Tracy was trying hard to understand the politics of the people of Kerdos, but the information net was full of holes since there was so many things people thought were common knowledge. But Tracy wasn't from Kerdos, so she didn't know, and she was getting frustrated. She ran endless searches during the day trying to understand Rev's people and her new society.
Tracy ran another search on the Vacant Throne, speaking her questions to the computer. The search results were in different categories: conspiracies, prophecies, and the line of succession.
"Conspiracies," she said.
Though unproven, certain groups have proposed that the failure of the Moc-Noton to produce an heir in the final days of the monarchy was due to sabotage, specifically through the administration of poison. Evidence of such a conspiracy? The last three Moc-Noton queens produced only one child each, when twins were normal for the Moc-Noton line.
On Earth there were all kinds of conspiracy theories too, and this Kerdos one seemed particularly unimpressive. Some couples naturally seemed to produce twins, but that didn't mean every birth would have them. Tracy's own family tree showed an impressive number of twins. Even if you did have a set of twins, you would only have a one in two chance of having another set. The odds of three Moc-Noton queens having only one child were not outrageous. It seemed that even aliens wore tinfoil hats.
"Prophecies," she said. She wasn't particularly interested in prophecies but hoped she would find something interesting. Shouting from the hall interrupted her studies.
"And I'm telling you, Tev..." Rev entered their room. He was breathing heavily and looked particularly grim. He stopped speaking when he saw Tracy and whirled around to face his brother, who had followed him inside. "Later," he said tersely.
Tev glanced at Tracy quickly, lips pursed, and nodded. "Later," he agreed. "Goodbye, Tracy." He spun on his heel and left
the room.
Chapter Forty-One
"What was that all about?" Tracy asked.
Rev landed hard on the bed, stretched out next to her, and gave her a kiss. "Nothing important."
"Didn't we agree to be honest with each other?"
He looked away. "I don't remember a conversation like that."
Stubborn. He was so stubborn.
Tracy slyly moved her hand to his belly. He wore an embroidered sleeveless tunic that was skimpily cut. An ornate button at his chest held it together, but the rest of the garment easily shifted to show off his ripped abs as he moved. She began to tickle him with her nails, inspired by her easy access. With a full week to explore each other, she had found out some interesting things about Rev. One thing she’d discovered was that he was ticklish when she used the tips of her fingernails, especially when she caught him off guard.
"Stop!" he chuffed before he dissolved into laughter.
"What did we say?" teased Tracy.
"Okay, okay." He choked then laughed some more. "Stop, woman!"
Tracy withdrew her hand.
"We were having a discussion about when you and I would visit the Priestesses of Endra. He thinks with the political instability we should wait and sort things out."
"And you?"
"I want our mating confirmed by the priestesses as soon as possible."
"This doesn't have anything to do with the succession, does it?"
Rev took her hand and kissed. "It doesn't to me. I'd do it anyway."
"But to Tev?"
"Not just to Tev. Tracy, our mating is unusual in so many ways. That it was done by the old methods raises many problems. The traditionalists are thrilled, but the moderates and progressives are appalled. Those factions see our mating as a threat to our membership in the Aligned Worlds, especially if the council names me as Emperor. On the council, the traditionalists hold a majority over the progressives and moderates."
"I don't understand why Tev isn't named as Emperor. He's the older brother."
"It doesn't work that way here. Because birth rates have dropped in the past few centuries, the most fertile couple in the royal family is appointed to the throne."
"I know, I know," said Tracy. "To give the monarchy a better chance of a clear line of succession by producing children. But, Rev, I never said I was ready to have children. The doctors haven't even figured out if we can conceive yet."
"Actually, they delivered their report today to the council, and they see no reason why we can't. They are surprised you aren't pregnant already."
Tracy blushed. She was a private person by nature, and all the public discussion of her personal life was unsettling. Inadvertently, she had heard a conversation between some attendants about her bedroom activities with Rev. Apparently, they were quite robust compared to typical Kerdim couples.
"It's not unusual for several months to pass before the contraceptive is cleared from my system. Human women can take up to a year to conceive even when they’re trying to. Your brother should take this opportunity to find a nice Kerdim woman and knock her up if he wants the throne so badly."
"Knock her up?" said Rev perplexed. "You can't mean that he should hit her? You'll have to translate that phrase because the automatic translators are failing."
Oops. They had hit another limitation of the artificial translators implanted in their heads. The devices did a poor job of translating idioms and colloquialisms.
"Get her pregnant."
"My brother is being stubborn. He doesn't have anyone he's interested in, and he hasn't looked too hard either."
"So he harasses you about me."
Rev drew her closer and kissed her hair. "He's just trying to do the best thing for the empire. He won't have just any woman by his side. The position of queen is too important. His advisors have drawn up lists of suitable women, but you should know by now that a Kerdim man has to feel the mating urge towards a woman to take her as his mate. The pressure of having the right woman is piled on top of that."
"Sounds like performance anxiety to me." Tracy's hand slid down to Rev's crotch to feel his cock hard under her hand. "Definitely not your issue."
"You do that to me. All day I wait to get to you. Is it any wonder when I do get home I want you?"
"Yeah," said Tracy wryly. "But it doesn't hurt your reputation to have it known that you are trying your hardest to fulfill your duty to your people."
"Oh, woman," protested Rev. "I assure you, princedom or not, I'd have you every night."
"I know, "she said huskily. "It's one of the things I like so very much about you."
"Good," he said. With that, he undid her robe, exposing her body to him.
"You know," she said, "I really need other clothes."
"No, you don't." He sucked on her nipple, sending a sharp burst of pleasure through her.
"Yes," she gasped, "I do. I can't go anywhere in this robe."
"I like that. I always know where I'll find you."
Rev put his fingers between her legs, rubbing her clit in slow swirling motions.
Tracy gasped. "You don't have to worry. I'll always find you."
He chuckled. "No doubt." His fingers delved into her entrance, sparking the warmth from her pooling wetness into a hot flame. She arched her back. He withdrew his fingers, but before she could protest, he replaced them with his tongue, lapping the lips of her entrance with gusto, humming noises of satisfaction. His broad, strong hands cupped her ass, bringing her closer to his mouth as his nails dug into her skin. His face was buried in her now. His tongue commanded her total attention. He was everywhere, darting in and out of her entrance, and lavishing her folds and clit with sweeps of his tongue.
Every stroke sent tingles of pleasure through her. Her body felt electrically charged. Her nerve endings hummed with desire for more of him. She bucked her hips, and he responded by taking her clit in his mouth, teasing it with gentle flicks of his tongue. It was too much. She came, the orgasm rushing over her with the intensity of a large ocean wave, demanding her release whether she wished it or not.
But she did.
She always did with Rev.
Rev's teasing about not getting her clothes was just that: teasing. The next morning after Rev left for his meeting with the council, her personal attendant, As-Sali, rang the entrance bell.
"Permission to enter, my lady," she said.
"Sali, how many times have I told you to call me Tracy?"
"Yes, my lady," said Sali and entered, her arms laden with cloth.
"Are all Kerdim so stubborn?"
"If you say so."
Tracy frowned. She certainly wasn't going to make any friends this way.
"I have some garments for your inspection. They were made for you by the palace seamstresses. They apologize that they took so long to prepare, but that area of the palace was completely destroyed."
Tracy looked at her new robes with awe. Every inch was hand stitched with gold, blue, and red threads worked in starburst patterns through the cloth. The yoke running the length of the robe and the high collar were deep royal blue.
"The seamstresses hope this design meets with your approval. Since you have no Kerdos crest for your family, they thought the star motif would be appropriate."
Tracy didn't know if Sali's words were a backhanded compliment or not. Sali was polite and deferential, but she showed Tracy no hint of warmth. Still, it looked like a lot of effort had gone into making the clothes. Tracy decided to be as gracious as possible.
"Sali, please convey to the seamstresses my gratitude for their dedication and hard work. It is beautiful, and I'll treasure it."
"I will tell them. Here are additional day robes and undergarments for you. We were not sure how they should look, but the prince described them to us."
Really? This she'd like to see. Sali offered the undergarments with a bow. Again, they were beautiful. The bra and panties were worked with black threads to imitate the pattern of lace. Apparently, her lost under
wear had left quite an impression on Rev.
"There are sets of other colors as well to match your robes. They are creating additional clothing for you, and it will be delivered by the end of the week. Your dress for tonight's dinner at the palace will arrive later."
What dinner at the palace? Tracy kept her expression neutral, but she was surprised. Rev didn't say anything about a palace dinner. She'd have to talk to him, again, about keeping her in the loop.
"Sali, thank you so much, and please don't forget to thank the seamstresses." She had a thought. "Is there something special I can do for them?"
"Your gratitude is more than enough."
Tracy thought this unlikely. She knew there wasn't a person in the universe who didn't appreciate recognition.
"After my bath and breakfast, please take me to the seamstresses so I can express my gratitude personally."
Thoroughly fed, groomed, and coiffed, Tracy stepped outside her suite for the first time in a week. Sali had worked her hair into a high waterfall bun with Kerdos-style braids coming from the sides. The braids met in the middle of her head and looped in spirals on both sides. It was a ridiculously ornate hairdo for Tracy, who was used to washing her hair, brushing it, and dashing out the door.
"Your hair is quite thick," said Sali as she brushed Tracy's locks. "Do all women on your planet have such thick hair?"
"No! Not many women have hair like this. Hairdressers often wanted to charge me double for cutting my hair."
"That won't be a problem here. Women do not cut their hair."
Tracy held her tongue. This was the first time Sali had said anything to her outside of an official capacity, and she didn't want to stop communication before it began. Still, Sali's tone of disapproval unsettled her.
Another thing that made her uncomfortable was how the new robe fit her body. The Kerdim loved showing what was underneath their clothing. It was done through gaps in loosely fitting robes and tunics, which allowed flashes of undergarments and skin. In Tracy's case, her new bra and panties peeked out of the loosely closed front of the robe, which gaped open as she walked. Following Sali became a nightmare of walking slowly enough to keep her robe from flying open and walking fast enough to keep up with the retainer.