The Space Merchants of Arachne

by Wendie Nordgren

  “Are you going to let her have the cake or should I send it back for another glass of water?” Kane asked with a touch of hostility.

  “I guess one piece of cake won’t hurt,” Phillip said. Yukihyo blotted at my tears with a brown and yellow polka-dot silk square. I frowned at it.

  “You mean it? You won’t be mad at me?” I cried some more.

  “I won’t be mad at you, Cupcake. You can have extra vegetables at dinner.”

  Yukihyo put the milkshake straw to my lips. I sucked down half of it. Then, it made my head hurt so I switched to the cake. “Can I have olives, too?” Papa’s chef brought me an assortment of olives. I dragged them through the icing on the cake and ate them. “Papa, do we have anymore steak?” The chef brought me steak. I washed it down with the rest of the milkshake. Then, I yawned. Papa insisted on tucking me in for a nap. Yukihyo and Phillip stayed at the table with Kane.

  “I did not intend to upset my daughter. I see that I have. Most women would be pleased with the land and wealth a prominent husband would bring. There is no need for your relationship with my son-in-law to change, Daughter.”

  “I can’t be unfaithful to Yukihyo. I love him. I have chosen to spend my life with him.”

  “And that is what you will do. I would never want you to be unfaithful to your husband. I merely hope you will be faithful to additional husbands who can provide a viable male heir. And, at dinner I will help you eat all of the vegetables you do not like as long as you have a few.” He kissed my forehead and returned to the others. I stared at the ceiling.

  When we landed I noticed Thalassa shared the same pink and orange sky as Parvac but otherwise appeared to be either jungle or ocean. Kane drove with us down a long coastal road to a remote area away from the large families enjoying the beach. Phillip grinned happily out of the windows. “Oh!” I said when I saw what he saw. I covered his eyes. “They aren’t wearing swim dresses! Papa, aren’t you going to call the enforcers? They should get in trouble for that! Oh!” I took my hands away from Phillip’s eyes and put them over Yukihyo’s instead. Kane laughed and held his sides. Papa joined him. Kaoti saw me getting angry.

  “Princess, dresses are not worn at the beaches.”

  “I’m not talking about long dresses. I’m talking about swim dresses.” Kane laughed harder. Papa tried to stop but couldn’t.

  “Princess, most people wear nothing to swim. It would become wet.”

  My face turned a deep shade of red. “Anyone going to a beach or pool of any kind with me will be wearing either swim shorts or dark undies. Is that perfectly clear?”

  “Chirp!”

  “Good boy, baby.” Yukihyo handed Kane a silk square.

  “Oh, tiny little cousin, you are the most uptight little thing I’ve ever met.”

  “Kane, I will not be seeing you, Papa, or Phillip naked. However, Yukihyo may run around naked if he wishes.”

  “Daughter, we have arrived at our home. Of course, you may stay here whenever you like. It was your mother’s favorite place to be.” The driver parked in an attached garage. The solid white house had three floors with wide verandas around each one. My room was on the first floor at the center of the house. Since the house didn’t have a lift, Papa didn’t want me going up and down the stairs. “Teagan, have you ever swam in an ocean?”

  “No, I can swim a little though. Sydney and Auria taught me how in the pool at home.”

  “Well, go put on your swim dress, and I will take you to play in the ocean in your backyard.”

  Yukihyo put on a pair of swim shorts and a pair of dark glasses Papa had given him out of concern that so much light might hurt his eyes. “We spend much of our time in space or your forested home.”

  “I wonder what our spiders are doing today.” I saw a picture in my mind of a large rat. I looked at Thunderdrop who blinked at me. “They are hunting today?”

  “Chirp!”

  I pulled on a new swim dress. It fit, but I thought I looked fat. I braided my hair. I looked through my things. “May I help you find something?”

  “I’m looking for a big shirt to put on over my swim dress. I look gross.”

  “No, you do not. You are my beautiful pregnant wife. This is the only part of you that has grown. Phillip won’t let you eat,” Yukihyo said with his hands on my stomach. “Well, and these,” he said with a wicked grin and his hands on my breasts.

  “Are they showing too much?” I said with an embarrassed frown.

  “Considering most of the people we saw on the drive here were unclothed, I would say no. They may be shocked that you have on so much.”

  Shocked, I said, “My arms are showing and this only reaches the middle of my thighs.” I took Yukihyo’s arm and tried to hide behind it. Thankfully, Phillip and Papa had on swim shorts. Thunderdrop wanted to stay and explore the house. We walked down to the water. As we walked through the warm soft sand, we made our way to a large square pavilion that was between the house and the water. Chairs and low flat beds were under its shade. We continued on toward the water. It made a rush of sound as it ran up onto the sand and retreated back again. It rolled over our feet.

  “It’s not still and calm like the Lake of Mist, is it?” I thought back to the flower petals floating on the water and kissed Yukihyo. Kane and Kaoti were having a swim race far out in the water. “We aren’t going way out there, are we?”

  “No, we will only go as far out as you wish,” Papa said.

  “You won’t let go?” I asked Yukihyo.

  “Only if I toss you, lady wife. It is rather funny when your butt hits the water.” He chuckled.

  Phillip said, “Don’t worry. He won’t. You are in no condition to be tossed.”

  “Thanks, Phillip,” I said as I gave him a nod. We were up to our knees in the water. By the time I was chest deep, I gave an audible sigh.

  “Do you like the ocean?” Papa asked.

  “My back feels better.” I kept a hold of Yukihyo’s hand but lifted off of my feet to float easily in the salty water. “Yep, much better.” I looked up from the blue water to the pink sky. I heard splashing and put my feet back down. Kane and Kaoti had returned. Phillip made eye contact with Kaoti who nodded to him. Then, Phillip and Papa swam away. Yukihyo lifted me up into his arms. “Phillip said you can’t toss me.”

  “I will not toss you. Your back is tired, and I know this feels better, so relax. I have you.” He walked deep enough for the water to be even with his chest. Kaoti stayed nearby.

  “Tiny cousin, you could wear that dress to dinner.”

  “Kane, that would be scandalous. It doesn’t even reach my knees.”

  “We must get you some proper beach wear, tiny cousin.”

  “I refuse to be naked in public, Kane.”

  “Mother and grandmother swim in less than you.”

  “I need more fabric. I’m rounder than they are.”

  “Give my cousin to me, and you can swim with Kaoti parallel to the shore.”

  “Is that okay with you, lady wife?”

  “Where are Papa and Phillip?” He pointed. They would be back in a few moments. “Okay, but be careful.” Yukihyo placed me in Kane’s arms and swam off with Kaoti.

  “Are you less upset now than you were?”

  “Honestly, no. I don’t want to lose Yukihyo. When I was alone and had no one, Yukihyo saved me. Without him, I’m a different person.”

  “In what way?” Kane adjusted his arm under my knees as a wave hit me under my chin.

  “Without him, I’ve been told I don’t laugh or even smile. Gram says I close off and become distant. It wasn’t easy growing up with Nathan Green as a father.”

  “He can’t hurt you ever again. You’re safe.” I looked into Kane’s green and gold eyes that were identical to my own.

  “Losing Yukihyo would be more traumatic than anything Nathan Green ever did to me.”

  “He isn’t going anywhere. He adores you and your child.”

  “What about men like General Cassian
? What if someone takes him from me? I couldn’t survive his loss, Kane. It would be more than I could bear.”

  “Everyone knows that Yukihyo and the others are under Emperor Probus’ personal protection and are to be treated as members of the Imperial family. I can assure you that the last thing General Cassian wished to do is put fear in your heart. He would never hurt you in any way. What did you think of him?”

  “Um, he’s really tall. The steaks are fabulous. I’ve had two of them. When I understood the reason for his visit, I was so shocked that I stopped thinking. At first, I thought he was just flirting with me to be polite, like Dade back home.”

  “Dade?”

  “Yes, he tried to convince me to leave Yukihyo and marry him.”

  “What happened?”

  “I lost my temper with him, and he started sending me flowers.”

  “Does he continue to send you flowers?”

  “No, Yukihyo finally got jealous and put a stop to it.” I laughed and smiled.

  “It would not have been wise for Dade to test his strength against Yukihyo.”

  “No, poor Dade wouldn’t stand a chance. He wouldn’t stand a chance with me even if he could win a match with Yukihyo.” Phillip and Papa returned with minimal splashing.

  “Give my child to me, nephew.” I put my arms around his neck. “Your nose is turning pink. It is time for you to sit under the shade and drink some juice.” Papa tried to put me down, but when the water reached my ears and I couldn’t feel the bottom with my toes, he picked me up again. He laughed and carried me until the water was even with his waist. Yukihyo and Kaoti swam to us. “Please, continue to enjoy the water. Teagan will rest for a while.”

  I wrapped up in a towel, reclined on one of the pavilion’s low beds, and watched the boys play in the water. Butlers brought us chilled juice and fruit. I closed my eyes and listened to the waves. When I woke, I was covered with a blanket, and Yukihyo had unbraided my hair. He ran his fingers through it. I heard a faint conversation. I smiled up at Yukihyo and pulled him down for a kiss. He helped me sit up. “Would you care to walk along the shore?” I nodded. I held Yukihyo’s hand. Kaoti followed us. He had a damp towel around his hips. I could tell that nothing was under it. Yukihyo chuckled. “When you named everyone who had to wear swim shorts, you did not say his name.” I groaned. The wind caught my hair and blew it everywhere. I grabbed it and braided it but couldn’t secure the end without my missing tie. The water ran over our feet.

  “Look!” I pointed, and Yukihyo bent over to pick up my find. It was a white and brown shell that twisted all around. “Are Simon and Hiroshi okay?”

  “Yes, I checked in with them not long ago. They are making a fortune. Also, they are staying in our rooms at the palace and are being well-treated.”

  “That’s a relief. What’s that?” I pointed. I bent down to look and pulled a long white bone from the sand.

  “It looks like a tooth of some sort.”

  “Kaoti, what’s this?” I handed it to him.

  “This is part of a tusk from a narwhal. It is good luck to find one.”

  “It didn’t die. Did it?”

  “It is more likely that it broke off during a fight. They grow back.” Kaoti returned it to me. We turned back toward the pavilion.

  “Who are those people with Papa?”

  “The older of the two is the praetor of Thalassa, Finn Jiri. The other is his eldest son, Fitz Jiri. Praetor Jiri rules Thalassa for Emperor Probus,” Kaoti told us.

  “Oh, no. Another eldest son, like General Cassian?” I asked. Kaoti nodded.

  “Perhaps they brought more steaks, lady wife.” Yukihyo grinned at me, kissed my hand, and continued walking with me toward the pavilion.

  “There is my princess. Come sit with your Papa. What have you found?” I sat beside him and gave him the shell and the tusk. “This will bring you luck. I will have it made into a necklace for you.”

  “Please allow me the honor, Emperor Probus,” Praetor Jiri said as he held out his hand.

  “Thank you for your generosity,” Papa said giving it to him. “Allow me to present my daughter, the Princess Teagan.” I shook hands with the two men. “Teagan, this is Finn Jiri and his son Fitz.”

  “It’s nice to meet you both.” They each had brown hair lightened by the sun and dark eyes.

  “It is a pleasure to meet you, Princess.”

  Shortly afterwards, they left. I was relieved it had only been a short visit and nothing more. Papa showed me a spot a few feet away from the pavilion where the picture of my mother and him had been taken. “We’re in the same spot where she was. I wish we could go back in time to that moment and be with her.” I felt my throat closing. Papa held me against his chest. We listened to the surf and the wind. I decided to be grateful for my father’s arms around me.

  We went to the house and enjoyed a feast of shrimp, fish, and fruit at a table on the veranda. “Now, it is time to change. Go clean up and put on a pretty new dress for me,” Papa said. Thunderdrop had built a new web in the corner and blinked at us when we entered the house. He showed me his food bowls in my mind, so I rushed to fill them. Yukihyo and I showered off all of the salt and sand. While I dried my hair, he pulled a gauzy white dress with spaghetti straps from the closet and winked at me. I put it on along with my sapphire and opal necklace, opal necklace, and spider bracelet. I brushed my hair up into a ponytail. Yukihyo took a picture of me by the windows in a sitting room overlooking the veranda.

  “You and our baby are lovely,” he said and then kissed me passionately. He gazed down at me with clear white eyes and in his deep voice said, “Your father waits for us.” We went to the main room and found the others. We all followed Papa to the transport. The driver took us farther along the coastal road to another estate.

  “This is the home of my friend Finn, whom you met earlier.” The home’s construction was very similar to the one in which we stayed. Finn greeted us at the driveway and brought us inside. He and Papa talked as he led us through the house, out through wide doors, and down a long dock. They stepped onto a large boat. Finn held his hand out to help me on board while Yukihyo kept his hand braced against my back. Finn led me to a reclining center seat. Yukihyo sat beside me. I tucked my sandaled feet under the long hem of my dress. Noticing, Papa covered me with a blanket. We were offered drinks. Mine was a mixture of fizzy water and fruit juice.

  “This is perfect. What is this?” I asked as I drank all of it and asked for more.

  “That is water and pineapple juice,” Fitz said as he gave me a refill.

  “Thank you.”

  “It has been a long time since we did this,” Kane said.

  “Too long. You should visit more often,” Fitz said.

  “I have been busy serving the empire, my friend.”

  “Well, I’m glad you are here now.” The captain of the yacht pulled away from the dock and out into the open ocean. Soon, I couldn’t see land, only blue water and pink and orange sky. I touched the dangling baby rattle charm with its peach diamond at my wrist. Yukihyo wore the dark glasses again. His nose and cheeks were pink from the sun. Under the shade of the roof and out on the water, it was much cooler. Yukihyo pulled the blanket back up over my stomach.

  “Look! Did you see that?” I pointed as a large fish jumped out of the water. Several of them jumped and dove.

  Finn said, “Those are narwhal. Those are the females. The one with the tusk is a male. You found part of a broken tusk today. They prefer the cooler waters and do not usually come near the shore.”

  The captain stopped the boat. The men were going to fish. Once Phillip was thoroughly occupied, Kane brought me a massive piece of pineapple cake and a hot cup of coffee. I rewarded him with a kiss on the cheek. Then, he made sure Phillip’s view of me was obscured until I had finished. Papa laughed delightedly when he caught a fish as long as my arm. Kaoti took it and placed it in a large chest in the back deck of the boat. Yukihyo took a picture of Phillip when he caught one. I m
issed Thunderdrop. He had decided to stay at the house and play on the verandas.

  “He is fine, lady wife. At the moment he is stalking a lizard.”

  “What if it’s poisonous?”

  “It is not. He is enjoying himself. Relax.”

  “Pardon me, but what saddens the Princess?” Fitz asked.

  “My lady wife misses Thunderdrop, her Arachnean Silk spider.”

  “I can have someone bring him to our home, so that he may greet you upon our return.” I smiled but shook my head.

  “He won’t go anywhere with a stranger. It would frighten my sweet baby spider. I’ll see him when I get back to the house.”

  “As you wish, Princess Teagan.” Fitz spent the next hour catching a massive fish that he presented to me as a gift. It was larger than me. I was careful to thank him and smile. I checked with Papa to make sure I was gracious enough. I couldn’t help but think of both Nico and Fitz presenting me with their catches just as my spiders did. Yukihyo laughed and put his hands over my stomach.

  “I adore you. All will be well. Don’t worry.”

  Yukihyo put his arms around me, and I leaned into his shoulder. I felt a little flutter and moved his hand back to my stomach. The water lapped against the side of the boat and rocked from side to side. The men cheered when they caught another fish. The sky began to turn from pink to a darker orange, and they decided to sail back to the Jiri house. Yukihyo asked Fitz how he passed the time on Thalassa. Fitz told him about his pineapple plantation. I dozed as they began making a deal. Yukihyo purchased a shipment of pineapples to sell on Arachne.

  We had a dinner of fried fish, pineapple, and rice. Afterwards, as Yukihyo, Phillip, and Kane talked on the veranda, Fitz approached me. I braced myself. He kneeled in front of me, smiled, and handed me a gift. “Here is your good luck charm, Princess Teagan.”

  I remembered to smile as I opened it. The tusk was attached horizontally to a platinum chain with peach stones threaded through it on a thinner platinum strand. “This is pretty. Thank you. What are the peach colored stones?”

  “Those are pieces of coral and also from the ocean. I hope it reminds you of the morning sky. May I?” Fitz indicated the necklace. I moved my ponytail out of the way. Fitz stepped behind me and fastened the necklace around my neck. It rested just above my sapphire and opal necklace. “Yukihyo is a lucky man to have your love. If your heart should ever grow enough to spare any love for me, I should spend my days giving you all of mine.” I blushed, and he kissed my hand. I expected Yukihyo to pick him up and hurl him from the veranda at any second.