An Indecent Proposal

by Jaleta Clegg

  "How was the luncheon?" Olin asked politely.

  "Almost enjoyable, Olin. It's a good thing they don't know how to play comets, though."

  He coughed, covering a laugh. "I'm sure you would have skinned them all."

  "Fleeced, Olin, and don't pretend you don't know the term."

  "Yes, miss," he said, correct and proper.

  I glanced up and saw the ever present, ever circling, vid bots with their camera eyes watching hungrily.

  "I hate them," I muttered as I walked into the mansion.

  Olin stayed outside with the flitter.

  I went to my room and took off the confining dress. I sat at the vanity table, staring at myself in the mirror. I still had hours left of pretending before I could retreat into sleep again. I dropped my head into my hands.

  "You're doing this because no one else can," I muttered to myself. "Don't lose sight of what you're here to do." Don't forget Tayvis, I added silently. As if I could.

  I dug through my closet until I found something more comfortable. I ended up with a deep green tunic and black leggings swirled with gold. Not exactly conventional, but I was there to make a statement. I was there to keep attention focused on me. I was there to dig up secrets and expose treason.

  I painted my face carefully and spent time pulling my hair into place. I wondered briefly where Hester was as I twisted curls into place. I did it five times before it looked right. By then, Olin was tapping at the door.

  "What?" I called in exasperation as the curls slipped out of place again.

  "Do you need assistance?" he asked.

  "I need to cut it all off again." I ran a brush through it and decided it was good enough.

  "You are going to be late."

  "Fashionably or unfashionably?"

  "Considering you are the guest of honor—" He opened the door.

  "I know, I know. I'm ready."

  "As you say, miss."

  "Don't give me that, Olin. I'm making a new fashion statement."

  "Very good, miss." He was trying to suppress a smile. "Perhaps the gold clip?"

  I pulled my hair back and snagged most of it in the clip. "Does that meet your approval?"

  He wisely didn't comment.

  He programmed the flitter for me. I went by myself.

  The party was in an apartment suite at the top of one of the tall towers nearby. It was full of women in expensive clothes. There were ribbons and flowers everywhere. I smiled and pretended I liked it.

  The hostess, Siuri Nadomi, was one of the more pleasant women I'd met. She was a relative of Iniuri Shiropi. She did her best to make me feel welcome, despite the rude remarks of the other women on my choice of clothing. I just smiled blandly and pictured them in the most hideous underwear I could imagine. It did help.

  The bridal shower was supposed to be a party for me to celebrate my upcoming wedding. It involved dainty cakes and tiny sandwiches.

  I had no idea what to expect, I'd never even heard of bridal showers before. Jasyn's wedding, and then Jerimon's, were the only weddings I'd ever had much to do with and neither of them involved showers.

  I was put in a chair at the center of the room and the women handed me expensively wrapped presents to open. I made appropriate noises as I opened box after box of useless, pricey junk. Who could possibly use a set of sixteen crystal plates that were barely big enough for one of the dainty little pastries? Or a gold plated set of weird utensils I had no name for? Or a set of delicately embroidered little towels? Or any of the other dozens of presents. None of them were of any practical use.

  One of the younger women handed me a pink box with a huge blue bow on top. I knew her vaguely, she was one of the meaner gossips. "For the baby," she said with a meaningful look at my belly. There were a few titters.

  "What baby?"

  "Yours," she answered. "I can't think of any other reason Vance would possibly marry you."

  I wanted to kick her.

  "That was just mean, Charise," Siuri said.

  "But true," Charise said. "Tell me, Dace, how much are you paying him to marry you? Didn't he offer enough for you to just disappear?"

  I put the box carefully on the floor next to my chair. She stood over me, a sly amusement in her eyes as she taunted me. I matched her look for look though she stood half a foot taller than me.

  "Are you implying—"

  "That you're a two bit tart from a backwards frontier world, yes, that's what I'm implying." There was a malicious set to her face now. "Someone needed to tell you to your face. This farce has gone on long enough."

  There were gasps of outrage. Most of them were fake. The other women felt the same about me, they were just too polite to say it out loud.

  "And you're an overdressed, spoiled, useless decoration," I said with a polite smile. I stared her down until she backed away.

  I turned to Siuri. She twisted her hands worriedly.

  "Thank you for the party," I told her. "It was enjoyable, even if some of the guests were rude. But if you'll excuse me, I'm not feeling well." I was itching to slap the stupid smirk off Charise's face. Violence wouldn't solve anything, satisfying as it might be.

  I left without taking any presents with me. I walked out with my dignity still intact. I ignored the whispers and shocked comments behind me. I got in the flitter and sent it back to the mansion.

  The whole ride there, I sat back in the seat and fumed. They hated me, most of them anyway. The polite veneer was wearing thin. I didn't know how long I could keep it up.

  My hands itched to take the controls and actually fly the flitter. It would give me something to do to keep my mind off the scene. But there were no controls to take. I sat and folded my arms around myself and stared out at the hateful city around me. Linas-Drias was supposed to be the planet of dreams fulfilled. Any dreams I may have had were more than a little tarnished.

  The flitter landed in front of the mansion. I got out and let myself in. Olin came out of a back room when he heard the door shut. He looked at me, one eyebrow raised.

  "You're back early," he said.

  "Something at the party made me sick."

  "Does this something have a name?"

  "Charise Montgomery," I said as I headed up the wide stairs.

  "She's jealous."

  I stopped halfway up the stairs and turned back to look at him. "She called me a two bit tart from a frontier world. She thinks I blackmailed Vance into marrying me."

  "The pregnancy rumor again?" His voice was sympathetic. "She believed she was destined to marry him. Until you interfered."

  "I left because I was tempted to beat her senseless." I sat down on the stairs and rubbed my hands over my face. "It's a very good thing you don't keep any blasters here."

  The front door slammed open. Vance stalked in. He clutched a news sheet in his fist. He saw me sitting on the stairs and stamped up to me.

  "Who is this?" he demanded, shoving the paper under my nose.

  "I'm not in the mood, Vance."

  "Do you know what rumors they're spreading about me?"

  "Do you have any idea what rumors they're spreading about me? Do you think I don't notice the comments and the looks I get everywhere we go?"

  "Who is he, Dace?"

  I glanced at the paper. "My cousin, Henry. He dropped by this morning and took me to the Duchess' lunch."

  "You don't have a cousin Henry." He said it low, leaning close.

  "He's my cousin, Vance," I said more forcefully.

  "Who is he really?"

  "Who is Charise Montgomery to you?"

  He paled and backed away.

  "She called me a two bit tart to my face this afternoon. And she gave me a present for our baby." I stood, too furious to stay civil any longer. "I'm going to change." I stalked up the stairs away from Vance.

  "You owe her an apology," I heard Olin say behind me.

  Vance answered something too quiet for me to hear. Not that I cared. I almost wanted Vance to be involved in the c
onspiracy. But he had nothing to gain and everything to lose, especially now. No matter how much I wanted it to fit right then, it wouldn't.

  I locked myself in my room. I couldn't face the party tonight, obligation or not. I never asked for this. I never wanted this. Some girls dreamed of becoming princesses and wearing fancy dresses and dancing with elegant, wealthy young men. I only dreamed of the stars.

  I changed into a loose outfit then slipped away to Iniuri's garden. I found a shady spot, hidden from sight, and sat down. I watched the fish swim and concentrated on letting go of the anger and the pain. I had to stay focused, I had to let it roll off me. I had to find the traitors so I could be free. And then I'd never come within a thousand light years of Linas-Drias ever again.

  I looked up, at the projected clouds and sunshine, with no hint of buildings touching the sky on every side. I lay back, staring through lacy branches of leaves and let my mind drift.

  A soft footstep drew me from my aching thoughts. Iniuri stood over me, watching me with a bland look on his face.

  "Why do you torture yourself, Dace? You may pretend, but you don't love my son. Why are you really here?"

  "Because there are traitors destroying the Empire and I'm the only one positioned to bring them down."

  He looked away from me, at the pond full of fish. "You could die for making such comments."

  "I know," I said, sitting up. "But that's why I'm here."

  A fish jumped, splashing ripples across the pond. Iniuri rested his hand on my shoulder. "I heard your cousin stopped by to visit."

  "Henry is a great friend."

  "What of the rest of your family?" He glanced down.

  "I don't know where they are. I haven't seen them in over a year. What about the rest of your family?"

  "I'm sure you'll meet Vance's mother soon enough."

  I read the warning in his voice.

  "That bad?"

  "Hester is waiting for you in your room." He turned away, walking out to the island in the pond. The fish followed him, splashing and waiting for the food they knew was coming.

  I sighed. If I stayed here, hiding, then Charise and her vicious friends would win. I got up and went to my room.

  Hester was inspecting a silver dress uniform. The black trim on it was deep, perfectly pressed.

  "I believe this is appropriate for tonight," she said. "Madame Yosefie is coming to do your hair. She insisted."

  I took the uniform without comment and changed. Hester polished a pair of knee high boots. They were already so glossy I could have used them for a mirror. I paused with my uniform only half fastened.

  "What's going on tonight?" I asked suspiciously.

  "You wanted formal wear, I thought your idea of a uniform was perfect. A full dress uniform, though, not the usual one. I found an admiral's stars for you." She nodded towards the vanity.

  I picked them up and rolled them in my hand. They were gold, gleaming softly in the light of the room. There was a black border for the Enforcers and a red line inside that, subtle reminder that I was officially out of the Patrol.

  And unofficially in more trouble than I'd ever been in before. I put them back on the vanity and finished fastening the uniform. It was tailored, and fit perfectly. Hester had definitely been busy.

  "Where is my princess?" Madame Yosefie said as she threw my door open. She entered the room as if it were an audience with the Emperor. She had one hand pressed to her massive bosom. Her perfume preceded her in an almost palpable wave.

  She enveloped me a big hug. Somehow her overblown accent and outrageous persona were exactly what I needed to bolster my resolve. She pushed me out to arm's length and inspected my face. She beamed.

  "Ah, you have been using the creams and ointments and lotions. Already your skin, it is glowing." She glanced down at my uniform. "Silver is not the color for you. But since the Patrol, it does not make gold uniforms, we must compensate and use the silver."

  She pushed me into the vanity chair. She turned me away from the mirror. I sat back and closed my eyes and let her work her magic. She may have been a complete and total fake, but she was sincere about it.

  An hour later, my nails were soft pink. My hair was pulled back into a smooth knot at the nape of my neck. The makeup on my face was barely there, a subtle shading of peach and grays with just a touch of violet.

  "Now for the finishes," Madame Yosefie said. She plucked the rank pins off the vanity and carefully pinned them to my collar. They were perfectly straight. Hester handed me my boots. I pulled them on. They were incredibly comfortable, spacers boots, though they looked like parade dress boots.

  "Ah, my princess, she looks like an officer of the Patrol," Yosefie exclaimed and wiped a fake tear from one eye.

  "Have fun tonight," Hester told me. "Olin told me about this afternoon. Show them you have more dignity than they do."

  "Thank you both," I said. And meant it.

  Hester took my hand and pushed a note into it, a tiny slip of paper. "Just a reminder of proper forms of address for the Emperor's court." She paused. I must have gone too pale. "Didn't Vance tell you? You're going to the palace tonight for a formal reception with the Emperor."

  "You said it was an inauguration," I said.

  "And the Emperor hosts it," she said with a smile. "But you've already met him and his son." She pushed me towards the door. "Vance is waiting for you."

  I went without arguing. It wouldn't have done any good.

  Chapter 22

  Vance didn't comment on my choice of formal wear. He didn't apologize, either. I took his arm when he offered. Neither of us smiled. There wasn't anyone at the mansion to fool, they all knew the truth.

  He waited until the flitter was high in the air before he spoke.

  "If you aren't happy here, Dace, why haven't you left?"

  "Because we're engaged, Vance. I can't desert you." I smiled sweetly at him. "For the sake of our child."

  He made a face. "All right, I apologize. I'm sorry. Was it really that bad this afternoon?"

  "The luncheon was nice enough. Henry kept the women busy. They didn't have time to make vicious remarks about me."

  "Henry. Who is he really?"

  "You asked me earlier. He's my cousin. And there was nothing inappropriate between us, despite what the news sheets may have said. Who's Charise?"

  He flinched. I waited, staring at his profile as he stared outside, away from me.

  "My mother and her mother came up with the idea that we should get married," he said finally. "I've never liked her. Much."

  "I don't like her, either, so that makes two of us."

  He turned back to look at me, his face highlighted by the lights outside. He studied me a long moment. "She always saw me as the son of the Speaker, a necessary step to her ambitions."

  "Then why didn't she go for Max?"

  "Because he's been betrothed since he was two years old. He's marrying Olinette DeShrya, for the sake of political alliances."

  "Who's she?"

  He gave me a long explanation involving politics and centuries of history. My eyes glazed over after the first sentence.

  "You've met her," he finished. "She was the one in the pink fluffy outfit last night." She had seemed nice enough, if a bit vague.

  "How can he be engaged to her since he was two? She can't be more than fourteen."

  "She isn't. Weren't you paying attention?"

  "No."

  "Are you still upset with me?"

  "I'm frustrated at the whole situation right now," I answered truthfully. "And I don't know how much more socializing I can stand."

  He laughed and reached for my hand. I pulled away from him.

  "Give me space, Vance. Don't push me."

  He sat back, turning away from me again. I could like him, I thought. Maybe if life had been different.

  The flitter banked, dropping altitude as it circled. I caught a glimpse of golden lights beyond a low roll of hills. The flitter rose over the hills, joining a
line of other flitters. I didn't think anything else on Linas-Drias could possibly awe me. I was wrong.

  The palace of the Emperor filled the valley hidden behind the hills. It was a fairyland structure of delicate arches and towers and soaring fingers of stone. And all of it was bathed in golden light. I pressed my nose against the window and watched, fascinated by the glimpses I saw of gardens and domed roofs.

  "I used to play there," Vance said, pointing past me at a walled courtyard full of grass and flowers. "Max's mother decided it would be good for him to have friends. I was one of the chosen few invited to play with him. Poor kid."

  I turned to stare at him in surprise. He was close, but his mind was far away.

  "Poor kid?" I asked.

  "He wasn't allowed off the grounds of the palace until he was ten. Everything he did was bound by rules and traditions. We used to fight, because he knew he wasn't supposed to." He smiled as he remembered. I almost loved him in that moment, when I saw the unguarded look in his face. Then his mask snapped back into place. He smiled at me and moved back to his own seat.

  I watched him as the flitter landed. Was everything he did and said an act? Who was the real man? I thought I knew him on Serrimonia, and maybe I did, then. He was someone else now.

  He opened the door for me and helped me out of the flitter. I tugged my uniform straight before we walked to the wide doors waiting open for those invited to the inauguration. He offered me his arm. I took it without comment.

  I studied the other people heading for the doors. Most of the men wore formal tunics in various shades of green. Vance wore a dark blue one, trimmed with silver. The women wore gowns in every color of the rainbow. A handful wore dress uniforms, like me.

  There was music inside, and golden light, and more people. I kept hold of Vance's arm. He patted my hand, squeezing it, as he introduced me to yet more people. The names were a blur. I smiled and nodded and didn't say much.

  "It will be a while before the Emperor makes his appearance," he told me some time later. "Excuse me a moment." He left me standing by a pillar.

  I watched people walk past.

  "You have the nerve to show your face here, after this afternoon?" Charise stopped in front of me. She wore a low-cut dress of deep red. It was tight and left little to the imagination. She had two friends with her. They both wore dresses of similar cut and color.