He said, “Phillip, I have something to show you at Bosh Technologies. If you approve, it will be one less thing about which Teagan must worry.”
Phillip winked at me and whispered, “With the way women throw themselves at him, I might trip and fall into one or two of them.” More loudly, he said, “Yes, sir. I’m intrigued.”
Having no intentions of leaving the Bosh Estate until it was time to return to my starship, I remained glued to Quaid’s side. A few hours later, Quinn and Phillip found us cuddled together on Quaid’s couch.
“We have been working on a little something for you,” Quinn said as he sat beside me. He held an injector in his hand. I cringed. “It will be worth the minor discomfort. These nanites will deflect interference to your heart.”
“Thank you, father,” Quaid said in an emotional tone. I frowned at him and looked at his eyes. I hadn’t realized that he had been so worried. “Teagan, the forceful magnetic storm that caused your heart to stop functioning was not the result of naturally occurring phenomena,” Quaid said.
“Well, then what did cause it?” I asked.
“I am not permitted to discuss it,” Quaid replied.
“Oh, you have to follow orders,” I said as I nodded in understanding.
“There are other races in the Talpa System,” Quinn said. As one of the joint rulers of the Laconian Sector, he didn’t take orders from anyone. “With these nanites, we will not need to fear any such repeated occurrences while they flounder to advance themselves scientifically. They are child races, and like any child will hurt themselves if not properly supervised. Now, we will need for you to remain still and under our observation.”
I was sent to bed wearing shorts and a T-shirt. Phillip cleaned an area over my heart and injected the nanites between my ribs. As the hours went by, they became more confident that I would no longer be in danger of heart failure.
During the week on Epopeus, I had plenty of time to observe Quaid in his natural habitat. He and Fitz had a lot in common. Even though Quaid was a blonde and Fitz was a brunette, both were the sons of powerful planetary rulers and had grown up in tropical paradises. The two of them taught me how to windsurf, and I loved it. When it was time for Quaid to return to his duties onboard the Hadrian, I cried bitterly in front of the Bosh family and everyone else.
Eric flicked a silk square at me. “Mop it up. The Hadrian has to make her rounds. I’ll bring Quaid to you on Parvac in a few months.”
I scowled at Eric, but he had Neema in his arms so that was all that I could do. Quaid linked our fingers together and kissed me once more. When his lips left mine, he looked over my left shoulder.
“Yukihyo?” Quaid asked.
I felt Yukihyo’s hands on my waist as he soothed away my sadness through our bond. Eric gave Neema to me, and then he and Quaid saluted us before disappearing into their starship. I wasn’t the only one in tears. Eri and Galina didn’t want to say goodbye to each other when it was time for us to board the Empress. Captain Ricimer offered a tour of my ship to the Bosh family which put a temporary halt on the tears. It didn’t last for long.
“Galina, your mother misses you very much, and we will return here to visit our family,” I said as I hugged both girls to me.
“Promise?” Eri asked.
“I promise,” I said as I gave Eri a gentle squeeze.
After saying our goodbyes, we reentered space and set a course for Aurilius. I dreaded going there, but Yukihyo assured me that we would only be there long enough to refuel. With the load of tribrillion we now carried, it would take us four days to arrive. Yukihyo had sold our diamonds, bought all of the tribrillion he could find, and had still made a considerable profit. He was quite pleased with himself.
I was proud of myself for being in better physical shape than ever before. Also, I had a nice tan. The wardrobe that Gina, Sydney, and Gram had bought for me before I had Neema fit me again. However, they had added a few things to my wardrobe including the most beautiful white gowns of Arachnean silk that I had ever seen.
“You’re in a good mood,” Nico said.
I twirled for him in a blue Arachnean silk dress. “Yes, I am. My clothes fit, and I’m not pregnant. I love our children. It’s just really nice to have my body to myself. My hormones have even calmed down.”
“You do not have to fear another pregnancy. When you are ready for another child, let us know, and we will be happy to oblige,” Nico said.
“How is that possible? Contraceptive use didn’t work for me.”
Nico’s brown eyes met and held mine. “No, but they are not a problem for us. You need time to heal and grow.”
“Yes, your uterus could use a year off,” Phillip said as he scratched his belly and yawned on the way to the beverage dispenser in the kitchen.
“So, you’ve all been….”
“Protecting you as we should,” Fitz said. “It might be best if we kept this quiet. My father would be furious with me if he knew.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Seriously?” Fitz laughed. “He is so jealous of Niklos and Neema. He wants his very own grandchild with whom to strut around. You produce beautiful children, Lady Jiri.”
I blushed. He was correct though. My children were adorable. With the worry of becoming impregnated removed from me, I joyously began having pancakes, sausages, and coffee every morning for breakfast. However, each day during naptime, I went to the gym and walked and tried to jog a little on a treadmill.
Hoping that my ship would go unnoticed on Aurilius did not make it so. Consul Dano waited for us at the land port along with a host of musicians, smiling citizens, and flowers.
“You really must correct your expression, my love. It would never do for the Princess Teagan of House Probus of Parvac to be seen greeting a foreign dignitary with such a countenance,” Fitz said.
“Yes, it appears we each handed a child with a full diaper to you and then ran,” Yukihyo agreed.
“Fine. How’s this?” I asked as I smiled.
“It doesn’t reach your eyes,” Zared said.
Frowning, I fluffed out the skirt of my aquamarine dress and tried again.
“Much better,” Fitz said. Sighing, I took the arms offered to me by Nico and Yukihyo, and we left our ship. The dim, depressing perpetual twilight of Aurilius also greeted us.
“Princess Teagan, welcome to Aurilius,” Consul Dano said with a bow. He took my hand in his and kissed my knuckles. “During your absence, you have grown even more enchanting.” He seemed to give me an appreciative perusal.
Secretly, I hoped Zared would notice and punch him in the nose, but I smiled. “Thank you, Consul Dano. It was so kind of you to prepare such a lovely welcome for us.”
“I am aware that you will remain here for only a few short hours, but allow me the honor of distracting you while your crew refuels your ship.”
“Thank you. We accept,” I said.
I introduced Fitz Jiri and Zared Ponidi. My Imperial guard made Cleto Dano break out into a cold sweat. It made my smile become genuine. I didn’t care if I was being petty. Arlo Dano, his brother, had put me through hell. However, for Jazon to be feet from Cleto having been the one who had killed Arlo, it was uncomfortable. Regardless, Jazon’s closeness under the circumstances was a comfort that I didn’t want to be without.
My thoughts had reached Jazon, and a fleeting tenderness from him touched me through our bond. However, had I relied strictly upon my sense of sight, I never would have believed my grumpy and angry looking guard capable of such sweetness. Cleto took us to lunch and then showered me with gifts before I left. Violet laid in her bed and ate the figs, walnuts, and pears from one of the many baskets he had given me.
“At least the fashions have improved on that drab planet,” I said as I wiggled out of my shoes.
“Yes, they have. While you may not enjoy spending time with Consul Dano, Hiroshi and Simon will appreciate it. Aurilius is a prime distribution point for Arachnean silks,” Yukihyo said as he kissed my
forehead.
Captain Ricimer set our course for Ephors. Vice Admiral Galerius flew his ship at our side. Returning to the Empire worried me. Would the Warrior Caste back off? I had a few weeks to think about it. Yukihyo became consumed with his new project. Nico spent hours each day overseeing his military base operations. Fitz busied himself with distantly directing work on his pineapple plantation. Zared trained rigorously with Kaoti and the others, and Quaid carried out his duties on the Hadrian which was on its way to Scipio. I helped Galina with her studies, played with the children, and during naptime studied my own course work for the impact of the Warrior Caste on society.
Finally, an idea came to me for how I could get my suitors to leave me alone. I called Papa for his approval. Happy that I had found a solution to my problem, I began returning at night to the gym on Deck Three. After avoiding the taps of the training devices for about five minutes, a noise surprised me. Someone reached out and quickly snagged the balls from the air. Yukihyo deactivated them and returned them to their compartment. Opening another drawer, he pulled out a pair of gloves and tossed them to me.
“My lady wife has learned to dodge. Now, she can learn to strike.” His eyes glittered with amusement.
Suddenly, I felt shy and uncertain. “Yukihyo, I can’t try to hit you. I love you. What if I actually were to hit you? I’d cry.”
Yukihyo threw his head back and laughed. “Teagan, you couldn’t hurt me with your bare hands even if you tried. With gloves, there is even less concern. Come. I have been wanting to teach you to defend yourself for years.”
“Fine. Laughing at me made me less worried about punching you.”
I spent the next thirty minutes or so trying to punch Yukihyo. I was sweaty and tired when he took me down to the mat and rewarded my efforts. We returned to the gym each night. By the time we reached Ephors to refuel, I still hadn’t managed to hit him. I had become more agile and had learned a few defensive strategies from watching Yukihyo.
When we greeted Papa at the land port on Parvac, I was happier and more confident than I had ever been. Adini was overjoyed at Galina’s return. My niece had pictures, gifts, and news to share with her mother, aunts, and grandmother.
A few days later, I held a press conference. “Thank you all for coming today. Recent events have brought to my attention an unsettling social trend. Historically, only the strongest and most intelligent warriors have been deemed acceptable paramours for Imperial princesses. It is time for us to embrace the best each of our castes has to offer. On this date each year, one person of the Scholar, Warrior, Materfamilias, Artisan, Merchant, or Proletariat Castes may gain my notice. To do so, the person must have made a contribution for the betterment of Parvacian society. Emperor Probus has helped me to devise criteria with which to judge entrants as well as an application form both of which may be found in your directories under my name. I will award the winner either one hundred thousand credits or a week spent as a guest in my household. Are there any questions?”
The onslaught of questions confused me. Director Sapor came to my rescue and pointed at a reporter.
“Princess Probus, does this mean that the winner each year could spend an entire week sharing in your daily activities?”
“Yes, or take all of those credits and enjoy them elsewhere.”
The Warrior Caste was outraged. The other castes seemed optimistically encouraged, and my rise in popular opinion spared me from censure. Mostly recovered, both Inquisitor Drex Licinius and Lieutenant Pax Cyprian, who had regained his rank since he hadn’t been responsible for his actions, returned to their respective homes.
We settled back into our lives at the Palace. Unfortunately, my cadre of military advisors returned to the guest wing. They spied on me and learned my schedule. When I took the children on our morning walks, Dario and Luca would casually jog past us. Anytime Yukihyo and I took Neema to the pool, they were there. When I took the children to the Valen Estate to visit Grandmother, Dr. Avitus would drop by to say hello to Kane, his captain. It would just so happen that he would have his brother, Colonel Dorian Avitus, along with him. Kane thought it was hilarious. I thought it was annoying.
One night as I laid in bed with Yukihyo and Nico, I remembered the ring Ambassador Jiri, my new uncle, had given to me. I found it in my jewelry box and brought it and my vid-screen back to bed with me.
“What’s that?” Nico asked.
“Information that I forgot I had.”
Yukihyo helped me with it. My screen filled with reports of the Talpa Sector, videos of the reptilian-like humanoids, and distant surveillance of a bipedal humanoid race who lived on massive life ships.
“Teagan, if we could get a few of those star panels for our scientists, they could reverse engineer them and improve upon our design,” Yukihyo said as he studied the images.
“Better yet, we could take them to Ephors and allow them to study the ones Kane procured while he was there,” Nico said.
“That would work,” Yukihyo agreed.
“Did he know what Yukihyo had planned?” I asked as I turned to Nico.
“No, it is standard procedure to obtain alien technology and study it. Parvac will not be taken by surprise. It was easy for Kane and the captains with him to salvage derelict ships that had been abandoned to space,” Nico said.
Yukihyo’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “Once our star panels are created and successfully integrated into our propulsions systems….”
I put my finger to his lips and grinned. “We’ll try them out!” I said.
With a playful growl, Yukihyo rolled me beneath him.
The End
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Omnes Videntes (The Space Merchants Book 4) Page 38