by J. A. Comley
Larkel laughed with the Prince. His friend's laugh reminded him slightly of Starla's, that free, uninhibited sound.
The King was watching them seriously. The High Lord sobered quickly. “Larkel, you know that I have always trusted your judgement. But I worry that you are thinking only with your heart. Even if she is not a threat, she is still not one of us. Do not let your mind be clouded by emotion. We need you focused. Be careful of what you share with her.”
Larkel lowered his eyes to the floor and bowed his consent, despite the fact that Starla already knew more about Galatian inner workings than most Galatians.
“One last thing.” The King seemed to consider his words before continuing. “Have you discovered the secret you said she was keeping? Or anything about her family, the reason she came here in the first place?”
Larkel thought of her baby bracelet in his pocket. Best to wait until he had some real answers before showing the King the bracelet.
“No, majesty. I am following a lead about her family. As to her secret, I believe that she will speak when she is ready. And again I assure you that she is no danger to us.”
“You know as well as I that anything important could tip the scales in this war. Secrets in times like these are not good companions. We need to know, Larkel. Find out. Tonight. I expect a report after the Festival Bells,” the King replied, gravely, a note of authority ringing in his voice.
Larkel opened his mouth to protest at the deadline.
“That is my command, High Lord,” the King said, eyes hard. “If she is a friend to Galatia as you believe, then she will not withhold the information any longer.”
“Yes, my King.” Larkel bowed deeply. The King was right. They needed whatever information the Guardians had risked exile over. He only hoped Starla was willing to break her promise to Gaby.
“See you at the festival,” Prince Niden called as Larkel backed out of the room, trying to infuse the suddenly tense atmosphere with a little cheer.
The High Lord looked up and managed a smile and a nod before he turned and left the throne room. He had to get the baby bracelet to the jeweller's before tonight.
***
The day had flown by. Starla remembered Naleiya breaking off mid-sentence as they were discussing proper protocol for tonight, her eyes losing focus.
“Larkel's not going to make lunch. He's been delayed in the palace. He will meet you at the Festival tonight,” she had said. Starla's heart sank at the words.
The rest of the day had been spent getting her hair pulled up into an intricate design and laughing and chatting with her new friends.
When they got back to Shaneulia's home, Starla had asked for some thread moments before they were meant to get dressed.
Thankfully, no one had asked why and simply located and handed over the gold thread and needle. Carefully, Starla had stitched the Star's chain into the halter neck of her dress. The Star itself still hung safely between her breasts, hidden from view but the chain was now concealed, too.
***
“Are you ready?” Shaneulia asked at her elbow as they entered the palace.
For most people, the Festival was being held in the park, but all the nobles and officials would be at the Palace. Starla took a deep breath and followed her friends through the ornate door of jewel flowers caught in glass-carved vines.
The hallway was made of mirrors, some stencilled with pictures of very colourful-looking birds, called halodins, that had reminded her a little of peacocks when she had seen them in the aviary the other day. Their fan-like tails opened in a bright, colourful display. The most obvious difference between peacocks and these was that these had three heads.
Now she stood admiring her dress in an unadorned mirror. The midnight-blue complemented her skin tone perfectly, the halter neck design emphasising her bust, although it wasn't low cut. Her red-gold curls seemed to shine with their own light against the blue fabric. Her hair was mostly up in an intricate design of braids, with only a few curls hanging loose. A dozen midnight-blue, jewelled flowers held it all in place.
This dress had no pockets, sheathing her slim figure like a second skin. Starla ran her fingers along the halter, deftly checking that the star was secure and hidden. Tonight, she would tell Larkel of its existence. She didn't know who Gaby would have trusted next but she knew whom she trusted.
“And here I thought we would have a quiet night, just celebrating with friends,” Naleiya sighed, her sheer-white robe flaring around her turquoise dress.
Starla had learned, during her day of lessons, that Makhi had to wear their robes at all times and that they were the only members of Galatian society allowed to wear them.
“What is going on?” Queen Zerina asked, catching the acidic undertone to Naleiya's words. She adjusted her elaborate golden crown and smoothed her gown, shifting her belt slightly, as Naleiya sighed again.
“It's the Baron and his followers. They're working the floor, trying to turn the court against Starla and my brother.”
“I knew that snake would be up to no good,” hissed Lia, shaking her head in disgust. Then she started laughing as she had to explain to the two non-humans what a snake was.
Starla looked up and down the hallway at all the glittering patrons, each cast back again and again in the mirrors' reflections. Men and woman entered the banquet via separate hallways, so she didn't expect to find the Baron himself. Instead, she looked for the faces of the group of people Larkel had seen in the garden of the Shanebury Inn. She recognised two women from the garden talking urgently with another two women.
As she watched, the four women exchanged a final nod then spread out along the corridor, engaging other nobles and guests in conversation. Starla felt her eyes narrow.
“Don't worry, Starla. We won't let them spoil our night,” Lia said, linking arms with Starla as they neared the top of the Grand Stair.
“Yes. The King is a good, wise man. He will not be swayed by this,” Zerina said, her husky voice making the last word sound like a curse.
Perhaps not the King, Starla hoped, but the other guests seemed to be falling for it. She sighed as an elderly noblewoman turned to look at her suspiciously.
Naleiya linked arms with Starla and stared at the Baron's gloating minions defiantly. Starla looked up at Zerina as the Queen placed a hand on Starla's shoulder. The smile on her face looked dangerously like a snarl.
Starla smiled brightly as the show of solidarity caused some to change their minds and smile politely, soft greetings reaching them.
“See?” Naleiya said, winking.
Starla left the hallway of mirrors for the impossibly large plateau above the stairs where everyone waited until they were announced, by order of importance, men and woman still separated by an ornate golden fence.
Failing to spot the High Lord on the men's side, Starla turned to look at banquet hall. She gasped in surprise. The entire courtyard was open to the air. The stars had come out and were shining fitfully overhead. The enormous outdoor courtyard was a perfect hexagon, made of a softly glowing, gold stone. At each point of the hexagon stood a column taller than the walls of the surrounding palace. The columns were made of black glass and soared up in gravity-defying sweeps and spirals. Men of the Imperial Guard stood at intervals around the courtyard, their eyes alert.
The only furniture in the courtyard were four enormous solid gold thrones, sitting on a slightly raised platform. Starla knew from Naleiya's instructions that everyone ate and drank from platters that were carried around by servants, except for the most important members. For them, a table and chairs would be brought onto the raised platform for the elite of Galatia to sit down and eat. The elite. A group that she was now part of, however tenuously. Starla swallowed a lump in her throat. Fighting the sudden nerves, Starla moved her eyes away from the dais to the stairs.
The Grand Stair swept up from the golden floor, splitting in two halfway up, one side to connect with the women's plateau, the other, to the men's. At the top of
each stairway, a scribe stood ready with a guest list to send the guests down in the right order to the page waiting where the stairs met ready to announce them. Starla blinked in surprise.
“It's the same boy. The page I mean,” she said, wondering if the court only had one. It seemed ridiculous.
“Might not be,” Shaneulia said, pointing discretely at the page moving between the women to see who was here, trying to get their order correct. Then she turned again and pointed at another identical boy racing across the courtyard.
“Triplets.” Starla watched as the boy disappear through a side door into the palace. They were exact copies of one another.
“Quintuplets,” the Duchess grinned. “There'll be another two with the men.”
Starla laughed, looking over at the men's section. She spotted the page boy at the same time she saw Larkel. He seemed to be placating a rather angry looking Makhi, with wiry black hair and a bushy moustache.
A firm shove sent Starla sprawling into the other guests.
“Out of my way, human.” commanded a shrill voice, just as a pair of silver-sandalled feet stepped over Starla.
Lia and Naleiya were at her side a second later, helping Starla to her feet.
“Don't mind Vinaria,” Shaneulia whispered, her tone harsh as she watched the stick thin woman walk to the gold fence, “she's the Baron's fiancée.”
Starla looked past the lady's wine-red dress and mud-brown stare into the cold, grey eyes of the Baron.
Behind him, Larkel was watching her, the commotion having drawn his attention. Starla looked away quickly, not wanting him to see the tears burning her eyes.
“Come, it is nearly our turn. The King will be here soon,” Naleiya said, throwing Vinaria and the Baron a dirty look
Zerina was in conversation with the scribe as they joined her. The Queen's sharp, amber eyes took in the unshed tears in Starla's eyes and the angry looks on the others' faces.
Suddenly, she smiled mischievously. “Not to worry, Starla. You will get your own back in a minute.”
Starla looked up, bewildered. When had she ever got her own back on those who humiliated her? Besides, she was a better person than that.
Seeing Starla's expression, the Queen laughed. “Not anything so petty. It is simple. As the High Lord's companion, you rank higher than she does. It'll rankle her worse than anything else.” She winked.
Starla felt her own smile spreading across her face. Zerina was right. She wasn't a lowly orphan girl here.
“Here we go,” Naleiya said in Starla's ear as a fanfare cut through the chattering.
Starla watched as the King swept into the room from one of the side doors. The Imperial Guards around the courtyard all dropped to one knee, hands to hearts, heads bowed, their other hands holding their swords in the air.
The monarch stepped up to the dais, his cloak of spun gold glittering as it swirled out behind him. His own clothes were of pristine white, further embroidered with gold. He faced the plateaus, nodded to his guests as they bowed, then sat. A servant rushed forward with a golden goblet bedecked in jewels, deftly making sure the black wine it contained didn't spill in his hurry.
“See you down there,” Zerina said, drawing herself up regally.
Starla could now see the servants waiting in the wings with the chairs for the higher nobility to sit upon the King's dais. Each guest would be announced, then they would descend the stairs and bow before their King, where he would welcome them formally to join in his feast.
As Zerina moved down the stairs with feline grace, Starla spotted movement on the men's stair. The Prince.
She had only seen him twice. Now, his light brown hair was smoothed back and he wore a copy of his grandfather's clothes, only his were less elaborately embroidered and his crown held only three blue gems. Even though she knew she hadn't seen him before coming to Galatia, Starla still felt like there was a faint familiarity in his features, like she would be able to remember where she knew him from if she were given enough time.
As the royal pair reached the flat where the two staircases became one, the page there cleared his throat.
“Prince Niden, Hypaeon-Paleon of Galatia and his fiancée, Queen Zerina Katvira Lutimo of Cosmaltia,” the page announced in a voice that somehow carried loudly across the entire courtyard.
Starla felt her surprise show and heard Lia chuckle.
“It is unlikely that Cosmaltia will ever be restored,” Naleiya said, answering Starla's confusion. “They will rule Galatia. Perhaps, one day, their descendants shall have Cosmaltia to rule once more. A marriage alliance between the planets is always favourable, even with the Silver Alliance in effect,” she added, not quite managing to hide the sadness she felt on behalf of her friend's loss.
“The good news is that they love each other. This wasn't arranged,” Lia said, smiling and giving Starla a small nudge towards the stairs.
Taking a deep breath, Starla began her descent.
Starla looked down to the courtyard and saw that Prince Niden and Queen Zerina had already taken their places on the thrones to the King's right. The one on his left remained empty. The Queen of Galatia's throne. Starla felt her heart sink as she remembered why. She felt a pang of deep sympathy for the old ruler. How hard must it be to continue normally when the person you loved was missing, perhaps even dead? She knew the story for tonight was that the Queen had used much of her energy in training and needed rest.
Halfway to the page, Starla looked over to the men's stair and felt her pulse quicken. Larkel descended the stairs at a measured pace, taking her in even as she did the same.
He wore a white robe, as the law decreed, but this one was made of a richer fabric that allowed tantalizing hints at the sculpted body beneath. Starla felt her body respond, a rush of heat flooding through her veins. The blue embroidery along his robe now held hints of gold, here and there. Upon his head sat his silver circlet of office, and his black boots shone. Flaring out behind him was a midnight-blue cloak, an exact match for Starla's dress. His cloak was an indication of his royal status. Should the Royal Family all die, the High Lord would rule Galatia until a new, blood-related heir could come forward. If none were ever found, his line would become the new royal family.
Starla stepped up to the powerful man that was hers. He wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her up to kiss her longingly, ignoring the page boy's wide eyes.
“You look beautiful,” he whispered in her ear, before turning and nodding to the now red-cheeked page boy.
Starla was also blushing but she felt no shame. As the mental bond opened, she knew his longing matched hers.
“The Honoured High Lord, Larkel Dios of the Makhi Order of Trianon and his companion Miss Starla of Earth,” the page announced in his magnified voice.
The crystal on his lapel, the High Lord sent, answering Starla's curiosity about how his voice was amplified. It is Makhi made and will amplify the voice of its wearer.
They descended the final sweep of stairs arm-in-arm. The high-heeled shoes that Starla had spent hours practising to walk in this afternoon clipped out a soft rhythm on the gold, stone floor.
They reached the dais and Starla felt her nerves reappear. Larkel squeezed her hand reassuringly then bowed deeply from the waist. Starla gave a slightly lower bow and waited, as she had been taught.
“Rise, friends,” the King's kind voice intoned. He smiled politely. “Welcome. Please enjoy the Trimoon Festival.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” they said in unison. Then they ascended the dais to the seats that had been placed beside the thrones to the right.
“Renowned alchemist, Duke Markis Rother. and his wife, Duchess Shaneulia Rother,” the page announced, his voice rising in pitch, twice.
Starla watched her friends descend. Halfway down, the page's voice announced the next set.
“Baron Braxton Malion of Galatia and his fiancée, the Lady Vinaria Yueld,” the page announced.
Starla stiffened in her chair as Larkel
stroked her hand, then kissed her cheek, trailing his lips along her jawbone to her ear.
“Good evening,” came a man's amused voice. “If I'm not interrupting—”
Starla's emerald eyes snapped up to the Prince. “Good evening, Your Grace,” she mumbled, inclining her head, her cheeks heating.
The Prince nodded back solemnly, although he appeared to be containing a fit of laughter.
“Good evening, Prince Niden,” Larkel said, with note of warning for his friend to contain his mischievous side.
Niden's smile broadened, his stunning blue eyes glinting with mischief. “I wanted to welcome you, personally, Miss Starla. I also wished to express my happiness for you and my old friend here.”
Starla shot a sideways glance at Larkel. He was leaning towards the Prince, almost as if he were prepared to silence the young monarch physically.
“I mean, it has been a long time since he has been any fun,” Niden continued, ignoring the hard look Larkel was giving him. “I do wonder, how … ow!” He rubbed his side, looked at Zerina, who had just poked him in the ribs.
Zerina looked at him meaningfully as Markis and Shaneulia reached the dais. All mischief left the Prince's face and manner as he nodded politely to the Duke and Duchess, recalling himself to his duties. They settled into their chairs next to Starla.
“Earl Deled Fosten and his wife the Lady Yilia Fosten,” the page announced.
Starla risked a glance up and recognised the tall woman, with hair the colour of pitch, as one of the Baron's friends.
“This is going to be a long meal, my friends,” Markis whispered to Starla and Larkel, as another couple was announced. “But don't worry, young Starla, we will keep them occupied until the dance begins.”
“Thank you, my King,” the Baron's gravelly voice said to the King's welcome, setting Starla's nerves on edge.
He led his fiancée over to the chairs on the opposite side of the dais. Starla felt his cold gaze on her as she chatted softly to Shaneulia.