The Space Merchants of Arachne

by Wendie Nordgren

  “Teagan, you might enjoy taking a class about Parvacian history. You could learn about any period of time that interests you.”

  “Like school?” Nico nodded. “I guess I do have enough credits to be able to splurge on something like that.”

  “I can show you how to navigate the selections whenever you want.”

  “Thank you. Maybe after dinner. Nico, what should I do about Bosh?”

  “Take your time to think about him. You don’t have to rush.”

  We were closer to groups of Galaxic and Parvac citizens who were enjoying the sun, sand, and ocean. I saw a group of swim short clad soldiers who were lounging on towels and ogling the bouncing naked breasts of women who failed to notice them. “Hey, if you can tear yourselves away from the views, you can come have lunch with us.”

  “Princess! I didn’t expect to see you. Why don’t you have guards?” Gary asked.

  “I have a general and no idea how many of the men on this beach are under his command.” Nico smiled and brought my hand to his lips. “Well, are you guys interested in authentic Thalassan culinary delights or would you rather stay here and enjoy the scenery?”

  Gary and his three buddies got up. “I think I’m curious to see where you live, what they feed people here, and if Commander Bosh is capable of having fun,” Gary said. The others laughed.

  By the time we had walked back, Yukihyo had Neema out of her suit and wrapped in a towel. Everyone enjoyed chilled drinks. Neema saw me and made a distressed noise. I took her inside, fed her, and changed us both into soft white dresses. We returned to the pavilion and the sounds of rambunctious male laughter. After a day of playing at the beach, Eric’s group of elite soldiers could put the food away. Before they returned to the rest of their crew, Gary said aside to me, “I hear you got Mary to put in a good word for me. Thanks, Princess.”

  “I meant every word.” He winked at me.

  We spent another night and did some shopping. I bought several paintings and a new ball for Thunderdrop.

  The Hadrian followed Kane’s ship to Daphoene, a planet I had never visited. It was where Neema’s diamond mine was located. It was also the location of one of the bloodiest battles in Parvac’s history. It was a planet of extremes. Rocky, volcanic areas gave way to lush jungles and pristine beaches. The oceans were expansive. The sky was more orange than pink, but looked magnificent behind the lush vegetation. Eric’s crew were going on guided cave tours and diamond hunting expeditions.

  Nico drove our party to the Imperial compound located in the center of an enormous military base. We drove along a road lined with uniformed soldiers to either side. “Wave to them, Princess,” Nico said.

  I smiled and waved. “They can’t even see me. They’re staring off somewhere.”

  “They are paying attention.”

  I felt Eric stiffen at the prospect of being surrounded by Parvac soldiers. I patted his knee. “I understand, Eric. I’m sure Captain Espanoza told you how terrified I was to meet Uncle Kagan and Kane.”

  “Simon realized your terror was more focused on our uniforms. Without our jackets, your trembling stopped,” Kane said.

  Thunderdrop clung to my shoulder and nuzzled my neck. “Don’t feel bad. I was terrified of Thunderdrop when we met, too.” Silence descended. Everyone knew about that day.

  “Well, you weren’t afraid of me when I dazzled you with my sweet words,” Nico said. I laughed and laughed which had the others joining me. “Seriously, I thought I was very romantic.” I laughed harder.

  “Oh, Nico. You didn’t win me with your sweet words. However, all of your meat impressed me.” Phillip and Eric snickered. “Those were excellent steaks.” I pretended to listen to Neema. “What? You think the new baby should get steaks and pheasant, too?”

  “Neema, tell your mommy that she can have all of the meat she wants,” Bosh said. Nico gave Bosh a look that said if Neema and I were not in the transport, he would pummel him. Neema grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked it down to her mouth.

  The first floor of the Imperial compound had a large foyer with a guarded lift, weapons lockers, seating, and strategically placed mounted blaster cannons with on duty cannoneers. They saluted when we appeared. I shot an alarmed look at Nico.

  “The first floor serves as a guard house. The Guard of Honor, who welcomed you, compete for the privilege of serving the Imperial family. A year can pass at times without a royal visit.”

  “They must be disappointed that it’s me instead of Papa.” Nico and Kane both grinned.

  “No, getting to see you is a treat,” Kane said.

  The second floor held meeting rooms and war rooms. The third contained luxurious apartments, a kitchen with an on duty chef, an infirmary, and a large long sunroom across the front of the building that overlooked the military base. Nico said, “The commander would like to give you a tour of the base. Do you wish to accept?”

  “Sure, that’s very nice of him.”

  “Tiny cousin, please wear a poufy dress and lots of diamonds.” I looked at him questioningly. “They look forward to Imperial visits.”

  “I’ll dress up if you all do, too.” Phillip groaned at me. We proceeded to change our attire. Yukihyo and Phillip wore suits. Nico, Kane, Eric, and Quaid wore their uniforms, medals, and ribbons. Neema and I dressed in princess white. I wore my diamonds and placed a delicate white bonnet over Neema’s hair. Gently, I wrapped her in a silk blanket and carried her to the main room. Thunderdrop jumped to my shoulder.

  “Our escort waits for us,” Nico said.

  The commander of the base bowed over my hand, and we exchanged pleasantries. He arranged for us to tour the base in a large open transport. It had a canopy to shield us from the sun. Nico inspected the troops. Soldiers demonstrated their proficiency with weapons and hand-to-hand combat. It made me nervous. Yukihyo took Neema. Next, the commander showed us to a squad of soldiers who specialized in technological warfare. When we stepped from the transport, I felt light-headed. Nico put his arm around my back to steady me. “Do you need to eat something?” Phillip asked.

  I shook my head. “I’m fine. What do these soldiers have to show us?”

  They demonstrated their ability to erect a defensive shield in thirty seconds. Eric and Kane looked impressed. Bosh was speaking to Yukihyo. Having overheard Phillip’s question to me, the commander took us to the main cafeteria for the base. As soon as we entered, the smell hit me, and I felt bile rising in my throat. I squeezed Nico’s arm. He picked me up and ran for the restroom. I couldn’t make it. He skidded to a halt by a potted plant. He held my hair as I heaved and heaved. I made the only sounds in the large cafeteria. I was mortified. Phillip handed me a wet silk square for my face. Indicating the restroom, Phillip said, “Let’s get her in there.”

  Nico ordered it cleared. The sink was better than the plant. “Please, get me out of here. It’s the smell.” I heaved again. Nico began to pick me up. I held up a shaking hand. “Give Phillip your jacket. I’ll feel terrible if I get sick on your medals.” Nico folded it, and Phillip took it.

  “Put your face against my neck and hold this over your nose.” He gave me a fresh silk square. Thunderdrop had leapt from me to Phillip. I threw up for a new audience outside.

  The commander hovered near us. Weakly, I said to Nico, “Do they still think I’m pretty?” and managed a tiny laugh.

  The commander said, “We should transfer the Princess to the infirmary at once.”

  With my head against Nico’s chest and my eyes closed, I said, “I just need a clean bathroom and some fizzy water.”

  “I think the secret is out,” Kane said as Nico grinned at the commander. The infirmary doctor suggested allowing me to stay quiet and still as long as I needed. Everyone helped with Neema. After a few days when all I could manage was to feed her and sip fizzy water, Phillip along with the infirmary doctor decided to feed me intravenously. Word had spread all over the Daphoene base that I carried General Cassian’s child, and I was constantly super
vised.

  “I bet your crew wishes I had gotten sick on Thalassa.”

  “No, it’s fine you got sick here. There are plenty of beaches and sights to see. Feeling any better?” Eric asked as he brushed my hair.

  “No, as soon as I think I can manage the ride to the ship, I want to go to Nico’s mother on Apellan. It’s like Arachne there.”

  The boys visited Neema’s diamond mine and saw the sights. The only sights that I saw were my bedroom and bathroom. When Phillip wasn’t with me, another doctor would relieve him. After a couple of more days, I thought I could manage the drive to Kane’s ship. In a gown, robe, and no shoes, Phillip wrapped me in a blanket, and Nico carried me to the transport. I didn’t throw up until we were about to enter the lift on Kane’s ship. I whispered my apologies.

  Two agonizing days later and we were driving through the portcullis at Nico’s castle. I wept tears of relief when I saw Nico’s mother. She hugged me and took charge. With five sons of her own, she was an expert. She ran me a bath. I soaked while enjoying the warm blazing fire. After Nico had helped me out of the tub, into a clean gown, and his bed, Phillip placed another needle and tube into my arm, so I wouldn’t starve to death while continuing to nurse Neema. Even though I felt much weaker with this pregnancy, I talked Phillip into convincing the men to leave me with him and mother Cassian and go hunting. They said they would go in a few days. I didn’t bother leaving Nico’s room. Feeling guilty for my suffering, he curled around me at night. When he got up, Yukihyo climbed in bed beside me. I rested my head on his chest and let his beating heart sooth me. He simply stroked my hair until I slept again.

  Mrs. Cassian treated me with as much love and kindness as did Gram, Sydney, and Gina. It didn’t hurt that I carried her first grandchild. After two nights at the castle, I was able to eat fruit. My improvement encouraged the men to leave. The afternoon after they left, Phillip helped me down to the living room. Neema was there in her new favorite place to be, her grandmother’s arms. I reclined on a couch, and we watched a news program with mother Cassian. Apparently, my condition was big news. We listened as Papa confirmed my pregnancy. “It is too soon for us to know if the Princess carries another princess or a prince. Our focus is to keep her safe and healthy.” I did my best impersonation of one of Hiroshi’s grunts.

  Phillip and I used my vid-screen to look through history classes. I decided to start at the beginning with ancient Parvac.

  A few days later, Eric said, “Did you miss us?”

  “Yes, of course. Did you enjoy yourselves?”

  “Very much. You were right. It is a lot like home here. It’s just missing spiders.”

  “Chirp!”

  Yukihyo had Neema in his arms and my feet in his lap. His eyes showed me how much he had enjoyed their hunting trip. “Kane, you manly men should go to Naxa and have fun. I’ll stay here with Neema, Phillip, and my lovely mother-in-law.”

  Nico stared at me. “I can’t go off world and leave you like this. You’re weak and sick. It’s all my fault.” I nodded in agreement. However, I remembered how much fun making the baby had been and shrugged. Eric’s dimples were showing.

  “You don’t want to go to Naxa anyway. Do you?” Yukihyo asked. Neema had a fistful of his hair close to his scalp and drooled as she smiled.

  “Maybe if the lodge got redecorated, but that place gives me the creeps. It makes me nauseous just thinking about all of those poor dead animals.” I closed my eyes.

  Someone had caught and cooked pheasant for me. When I managed to keep it and some bread down, Phillip was relieved.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Nico’s mother and I grew closer. Knowing it felt awkward for me to call anyone mother, she had allowed me to begin calling her by her first name, Abbie. Soon, I discovered how little my comfort and happiness actually meant to the men in my life when they informed me that we would all be going to Naxa anyway. Thankfully, Abbie had decided to come with us.

  Kane’s chef sympathetically prepared bland foods for me. On the bright side, they agreed with Neema’s system, too. She began sleeping more soundly. I dreaded going to the scary old lodge. I decided to ask if I could stay on the ship. Kane said no. When we landed, Yukihyo presented Neema and me with matching long white fur coats and soft white boots. “I can’t have my girls getting cold.”

  “It’s so soft. I think I’ll sleep in it.”

  Yukihyo gave me a seductive smile, pulled me close, and kissed me. I buried my face against his chest and breathed him in. Thunderdrop climbed into his fur satchel, and I placed the strap over my head. Yukihyo asked Kane to stop the transport once we had driven past the land port workers who wore thick coats, gloves, and hats. A white blanket of snow covered the un-trafficked areas. Stray snowflakes floated down. Yukihyo stepped out into the cold with Neema. I shivered. She gazed around in wonder. “Here it is easier for my little princess to see. Can you see the flakes of ice?” He showed her the flakes of snow as they fell. Absolute wonder was on her tiny face. Yukihyo’s face was full of love and pride. I had begun taking an insane amount of pictures of them. Eric took my vid-screen and took better ones for me.

  “Okay, I guess that moment made this trip worth it.” Abbie agreed with me.

  They got back inside, and the transport warmed back up again. We drove down a road lined with tall trees that had begun to drip with melting snow. Watching them made me dizzy, so I rested my head in my hands. Nico rubbed my back. “How much longer?”

  “It won’t be much longer,” Nico assured me.

  “Kane, please pull over.” He had to pull over twice for me to be sick in the snow. I was close to tears when Kane finally parked. We weren’t at the creepy lodge. We were at a cheerful chalet. However, I really just wanted a clean waste unit to hug. A butler showed us to a large suite complete with a baby bed. After cleaning up and having a nap, I felt better. The carsickness was a lovely new development. Phillip assured a nervous Nico that we were fine. For dinner, I sat near the roaring fire and enjoyed a small bowl of oatmeal. The chalet belonged to the Valens, and after dinner Kane showed me around. Fireplaces, soft seating, and spectacular views were in every room. On the chalet’s back deck was a large shallow pool of steaming warm water. The large windows surrounding the area showed us slopes, trees, and snow.

  Kane put his arm around me. “Is this better, tiny cousin?”

  “Much, thank you.”

  They planned to leave early the next morning, and I wondered if I could get away with spending the day in bed. After a breakfast of a banana milkshake, Abbie convinced me to get up and join her for a soak in the warm soothing pool and to enjoy the scenery. Off in the distance, we saw a bear digging in the snow near a tree. One of the butlers assured us that the chalet was protected by a defense grid and several hidden soldiers.

  Later, we watched a bit of news. They showed pictures of Nico and me and speculated about our baby. They questioned if I planned to leave the empire and discussed the political ramifications if I were to do so. I thought of what Ethan had said to me at home. Phillip got a wicked grin on his face. “Let’s call them.”

  “We can’t do that. What if Papa were to get mad? I might say something wrong.” They had begun discussing the dangers of off world travel for expectant mothers. Abbie rolled her eyes at them. Next, they would talk about war.

  “Please!” Phillip begged. Neema gurgled at Thunderdrop who blinked at her from my shoulder and stayed out of reach. We were on a deep couch near the fire, cocooned in blankets.

  “Whatever, they probably won’t even take our call.”

  After a few minutes, Phillip spoke to someone. Then, he brought the vid-screen over and sat by us. When I saw the surprised faces of the reporters, I giggled. “Good afternoon, we have been watching your program.” I lifted Neema’s hand. “Wave hello, Neema and Thunderdrop.” I felt Thunderdrop lift a front leg from my shoulder.

  “Princess, what a wonderful surprise! Congratulations on your amazing news. Do you and General Cassian know
if you will be welcoming a prince or a princess?”

  “No, not yet. Our goal is to have a healthy baby.”

  “With Princess Neema you journeyed to Arachne for your last trimester. Do you plan to do that again?” The reporter asked with an intense expression.

  “No, I think it would break my mother-in-law’s heart if I were to do so.” Phillip turned the vid-screen toward Abbie, who smiled and gave a polite wave. “Besides, it’s too difficult to ride in a transport at the moment.”

  “There is a measure of concern about the Galaxic Militia ship and any danger it might pose to you. Would you care to comment?”

  I lifted my eyebrows in surprise. “What danger could my cousin’s ship pose to me?”

  “There are those who fear your abduction.”

  “Do they realize that Captain Alaric is my dear cousin and that he and his first officer are visiting the empire as a personal favor to me? The empire is beautiful, and her people are kind and generous. However, many of my loved ones call Arachne home, and I miss them terribly. My cousin’s presence eases my sadness. The crew of the Hadrian are like an extended family to me. My hope is that they will enjoy their stay and spread word of the good people of the Parvac Empire whose spirits are as breathtaking as her planets. Perhaps then, one day, I can enjoy the pink and orange sky of Parvac with my other family members. Thank you for your concern. Perhaps when Nico and I have news, we will let you know.” I had Neema wave bye. Phillip ended the call. They promptly began airing their breaking news.

  They picked everything apart. My relationship with Abbie pleased them, as did my plan to remain in the empire. My comments about Parvac’s citizens delighted them, and they thought I was sweet and kind. Thankfully, the topic turned to tourism. Our vid-screens began to beep. Abbie received calls from her friends. Papa called me. He wore a pleased expression. “I have seen the news. I will have a new surprise waiting for you when you arrive on Ephors.” He winked at me, blew Neema a kiss, and ended the call.