by Tasha Black
The droid flitted over her shoulder.
Zane stepped on, pulling one of the two carts after him.
Once he was on, he realized that the platform was not large enough for both.
“I will keep watch over the other,” BFF-67 said. “You can come back for it when the princess has been delivered safely to her rooms.”
“My thanks,” Zane said.
The droid made a pleased buzzing sound.
“Are you ready?” Zane asked, turning to the princess.
She nodded, but didn’t offer the destination. He decided to risk impropriety and speak for her.
“Cloud Suite,” he said.
The platform rose with customary swiftness.
The princess cried out and grabbed Zane’s arm.
A shock of need shot through him so suddenly he nearly pulled her into an embrace.
She gazed up at him, as if she had felt it, too.
“Your eyes,” she murmured.
The pull had been so strong.
His eyes, much more sensitive than humans’, typically had a quicksilver iris. But when the prime state engaged, his eyes shifted first, going liquid silver all the way through the whites.
He felt her hand fall away from his arm.
He closed his eyes and locked down the prime state with all his will, until he felt the silver recede.
The platform eased to a stop.
“Oh,” the princess said.
He opened his eyes.
She was looking around with that expression of wonder again.
He helped her off the platform and then followed with the cart.
“This is my room?” she breathed.
“This is the anteroom,” he told her.
Though he could understand the mistake. It was certainly large enough to be living quarters. The walls were covered in rich Alsamian wainscoting with outcropping shelves at random intervals for the mossy plants that overflowed their holders. Crown molding disguised the ultraviolet lights and misters that kept the living decor alive.
Two daybeds with lavish cushions overlooked the chamber and flanked the brocade curtain obfuscating the door to the apartment itself.
“I’ll leave you to explore while I fetch your other cart,” he told her.
“I’d rather come with you,” she said quickly.
“As you wish,” he conceded, feeling his heartbeat speed up at the thought of more forced closeness with her.
He willed it to slow and gathered himself before leading her back onto the platform.
This time, he waited for her to activate the transport.
“Lobby,” she said tentatively, almost like she was posing a question.
The platform dropped, and the princess cried out again, but this time she didn’t touch him.
He knew that it was better that way, but he couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed.
4
Juno
Juno held her breath as the chute dropped them back down to the lobby.
It was bad enough that she had shown what a backwater bumpkin she was by not knowing how a chute worked, but clutching onto her valet was definitely not a dignified thing to do.
The fact that it shot her through with frank desire was more than a little embarrassing.
And then his eyes had gone all silver.
She had never seen anything like that before.
He must have been furious with her for laying hands on him. Working for a pretend princess had to be bad enough without her grabbing him like a frightened schoolgirl.
The platform settled and the BFF droid buzzed around happily.
Zane was already grabbing the second cart when a group of people headed down the hall toward another chute.
Juno’s eye was immediately drawn to the tall, horned man in the back. She recognized him as a Maltaffian guard. They were the best, and they didn’t come cheap. Which meant whoever he was guarding had to be worth it. She wondered if she might get to see him shift. Maltaffians were known for their ability to shape shift, though they seldom did so, proud as they were of their horns.
“Good afternoon, your majesty,” the man in front called out, slowing to greet her.
He was older than Juno, with golden hair and blue eyes and he wore a very wide smile.
And he was wearing an actual crown.
“King Cassius of Frigalia,” the smaller of his attendants said in a nasally voice.
The Maltaffian guard didn’t speak.
“Your majesty,” Juno said, bowing low to the golden-haired king.
“Princess Juno of Adair,” BFF-67 chirped.
“Your majesty,” he replied, bowing back and raising an eyebrow.
He was actual royalty, but he was playing along. At least, he didn’t seem to be openly mocking her in any way.
Juno grinned at the king stupidly, unsure of how to proceed.
“I see we are neighbors,” he said, indicating her private chute.
“I’m staying in the Cloud Suite,” she said.
“A beautiful suite for an exquisite princess,” King Cassius said, with another wide grin.
Wow, he was really getting into the act.
She gave a small curtsy and he bowed again.
“I hope our paths will cross again soon,” King Cassius said, rising with a flourish.
He and his attendants swept off down the hallway.
Juno turned to see Zane yanking the cart onto the platform. His expression was stern, lips pressed together. She started onto the platform quickly, feeling terrible. He was probably impatient to finish his task and get on to another client.
“Cloud Suite,” she murmured as BFF-67 buzzed around her shoulder in a comforting way.
This time when the chute sucked them heavenward, she managed to keep her cool.
Beside her, Zane’s jaw was clenched.
Well, when you worked in a service industry moving quickly was essential if you wanted enough tips to live on.
Tips…
In a panic, Juno thought about her bundle of filthy clothing. She had a few credits in it, not enough to feed herself for long, and certainly not enough to properly tip a valet on top of it, but that wasn’t his fault.
She didn’t even know where Vaxyn had placed the bundle though. It was in one of the two carts, wrapped in paper and cellophane just like the beautiful outfits. It could take her an hour to find it.
The platform came to a stop.
They had arrived in the lavish anteroom again. It looked exactly as intimidating and elegant as it had the last time.
She scanned the wooden walls, wondering what the value of the materials was - how long her whole neighborhood back home could survive on the salvage value of this décor.
Zane cleared his throat and she stepped off the platform.
“I, um, I need to go through the carts to find my belongings so I can give you a tip,” she said miserably. “Do you want to come back for it later? I don’t want to keep you waiting.”
His stern expression softened. “My services are a gift to you from the owner of this vessel. I am forbidden from accepting gratuities of any kind.”
Her mouth fell open and she stared at him.
“My own quarters are behind this door for as long as you stay in the Cloud Suite,” he told her, pointing to a blue door on the other side of the chute. “If you need anything, send the BFF droid. I’ll attend you to dinner tonight, and to any other place you wish to visit on the ship.”
“Thank you,” she managed.
“My pleasure, your majesty,” he said, bowing low.
She smiled and inclined her head slightly, like a queen on a sensi-gram, hoping this was the right way for a pretend princess to address her valet.
“Your rooms are very beautiful,” BFF-67 chirped. “Would you like to see them?”
“Yes, please,” she agreed, hurrying after the origami drone and trying not to listen to Zane’s footsteps disappearing toward the blue door.
He would be st
aying here with her, in the room right behind hers.
“Place your hand on the sensor,” BFF-67 advised her.
She lifted her hand to the door sensor and placed it gingerly against the glass.
Huge doors swung open to reveal an enormous room.
The flooring appeared to be made of a swirling wood material that looked impossible, like it had been grown right in the room. Plush carpets loosely defined four different sitting areas and a sort of lounge with what looked like a real Earth-style piano.
But she could hardly drag her eyes from the wall of glass that spanned the whole room from floor to ceiling, revealing the misty treetops of the forest, dewy leaves sparkling as if it had just rained.
“Th-this is my room?” she asked.
“One of them,” BFF-67 said crisply.
Juno looked around, torn between admiration and despair.
So this was how the other half lived - alone in spacious rooms with hauntingly lovely views - oblivious to the masses below who scraped by in squalor, crowding the dusty corners of the universe.
I am not Cinderella, she told herself. I will not be distracted by the dresses and the ballroom and the handsome men. I will remember my people.
I will fight for them.
5
Cassius
King Cassius of Frigalia smiled at his attendants.
It was his first genuine smile since they had boarded the ship.
Not that anyone here could tell the difference.
“Your Majesty, what shall we do about dinner?” Daynomus Crex asked in his nasally voice.
By all the coin of the cosmos, Cassius was tempted to drop-kick the idiot for this endless question.
Cassius was exhausted of the tedium on the ship. What and where to eat seemed to be the only spot of variety.
Hence, it had become a constant question from his attendants, who must have also been bored, but weren’t supposed to indicate it.
However, Cassius was feeling magnanimous tonight.
“Crex, Ozmarck,” he called to them softly. “Do you know what I know?”
Crex sauntered over eagerly, ever the ass-kisser.
Ozmarck lumbered over only after a beat, as if he felt it wasn’t in his job description to listen to plans.
Ozmarck was Cassius’s bodyguard, and like most Maltaffian guards, he was top notch. But sometimes he tried to assert some sort of misplaced dominance by not obeying commands fast enough.
Cassius was inclined to cut some slack for the second time tonight.
“What is it, your majesty?” Crex asked after a moment.
Cassius sighed.
What had he ever done to deserve such uncreative dreck as his companions?
He might as well have brought a fleet of hover-bed hags from his aging planet for all the fun they were.
“The girl,” he said slowly. “Did you see the girl?”
“Princess Lulu of Mayfair?” Crex asked.
“Princess Juno of Adair…” Cassius corrected, his thoughts drifting to her beautiful penthouse and the loveliness of her two extra-large wardrobe carts.
A woman in a dress with that much rare fabric had to be richer than anyone on this infernal cruiser.
“Never heard of Adair,” Ozmarck said dismissively.
Cassius hadn’t heard of it either, but he wasn’t about to let the big dumb guard spoil his mood.
“I’m not surprised,” Cassius sniffed. “Maltaffians aren’t the most cosmopolitan race.”
He watched out of the corner of his eye as the horned warrior clenched his fists.
A single punch from one of those enormous boulders would knock a king like Cassius out for the count.
But Ozmarck would never lay a hand on his client. It was the mark of a true Maltaffian guard. The horned giants were loyal to a fault.
“Would you like to hear my plan?” Cassius asked, wishing he had someone more interesting to share it with.
“Of course, your majesty,” Crex said immediately.
“I’m going to woo the girl,” Cassius said dreamily. “She’s ripe for the plucking. I should be able to shake her down for a couple million credits.”
“A wedding,” Crex said. “How romantic, your majesty.”
“A wedding?” Cassius laughed. “No, no. I’ll get my money and we’ll lose her at the next port. There’s no need to have another idiot around here taking up space and asking what we’re having for dinner.”
“Speaking of which,” Crex said, looking down at his own feet. “Will you ask her to dinner this evening?”
“That’s a damned good idea,” Cassius said. “Go ask her.”
“Me, sire?” Crex choked.
“Yes, yes,” Cassius said. “Ask her valet. It will seem fancier. New royalty from the outer rings always gets a kick out of stuff like that.”
“As you wish,” Crex agreed, bowing as he backed out the door.
It was pretty funny to watch him bowing and trying not to mess up his heavily slicked back hair.
But sadly, their room was small, and Crex was gone before the top of his hair flopped down over his eyes.
They needed a cash infusion for bigger accommodations and a longer journey away from his depressing planet. Maybe he could even buy better company.
The princess was just the thing.
Cassius smiled and spun all five of the golden rings adorning his fingers for good luck.
6
Zane
Zane paced the length of his room and back.
This space wasn’t as luxurious as the rest of the Cloud Suite, but it was far more than sufficient for live-in help.
A vast view of the stars greeted him from a huge, transparent wall that spanned the room. If he was being honest, the reminder of their ever-present closeness to the void of space was as unnerving as it was majestic.
When he came onboard the Stargazer II, he had been determined that he would live as much like a common person as possible. And here he was, back in the lap of luxury, as if his status were nipping at his heels.
But the room was the least of it.
Juno.
Princess Juno.
His blood mate was royalty, a spoiled human princess.
He shook his head and leaned back against the wall.
At first, he had thought she might be different than other princesses, but then he’d seen her flirt with that silly king of Frigalia.
King Cassius must be the heartless tyrant people made hm out to be if he was traveling in luxury while his people suffered. It was a known fact that Frigalia’s population was aging and had a workforce unequal to their need. The situation had been building to political unrest for some time.
Cassius should have been negotiating labor trades with the leaders of overpopulated systems - not sipping champagne and making small talk with wealthy princesses aboard a luxury cruiser.
But none of it mattered.
The girl was Zane’s mate. He had to figure out what to do.
He glanced at the shadow clock on the wall.
He should have time to bathe and dress before she called him to accompany her to dinner.
He headed to the washroom, grateful that Anna had sent his meager possessions up here ahead of time.
Zane showered, dressed, studied the ship’s dining options in detail, organized his possessions and even connected with the head arborist in the forest to debrief about his work there before he had been “pulled off-duty” to work with the princess.
And still the princess had not sent her BFF drone to fetch him.
He wondered if she had fallen asleep. Maybe her body hadn’t yet adjusted to the daily cycle enforced by the ship’s systems.
A tone at his door signaled a guest at the lift below.
“May I help you?” he asked politely over the feed.
“This is Daynomus Crex, personal valet to King Cassius,” a nasally voice replied. “His majesty has requested Princess Juno of Adair accompany him to dinner.”
Zane
sighed.
“Can you hear me?” Crex asked. “Hello?”
“I will alert the princess and let you know her response,” Zane said.
At least it was an excuse to check on her.
He ended the feed and headed out to the antechamber.
When he reached the princess’s double doors, he pressed the bell and stood in front of the screen so that he could be identified.
“Enter,” BFF-67 cried out.
The doors opened and he stepped inside.
The princess was sitting at the least opulent table, reading a small and tattered book that looked like it had been plucked from a garbage bin.
She set it aside, her face lighting up when she saw him. Or maybe it was just wishful thinking on Zane’s part.
“Your majesty,” he said, bowing to her, experiencing the wave of need from the blood bond all over again.
“Hello, Zane,” she replied with a smile.
He almost forgot why he had come.
“King Cassius’s man just rang,” he told her. “His majesty is inviting you to dine with him.”
A series of expressions crossed her lovely face so quickly it was hard for him to understand what was happening.
First, she winced.
Then her face went blank and she placed a hand against her belly.
“How nice,” she said. “I would be glad to dine with the king.”
But she was no longer smiling.
Zane gazed at her, trying to understand.
Though he was bonded indelibly to her, she had not yet accepted him and there was no connection across their bond.
“Please tell him yes, before he changes his mind,” she said quickly, hopping up from the table.
“Of course,” Zane replied, bowing again and jogging back to his quarters.
He called up the link to the other valet.
“The princess would be glad to dine with the king,” he said, half hoping the nasally servant had given up and moved on to the next princess.
“Excellent,” Crex cried. “We shall await her arrival at the platform.”
Zane gritted his teeth and killed the feed.