Justina accepted the beads. Her eyes trembled as she said, “Sister, I… I have no words.”
Chapter 25
Helena waited outside Marcella’s door. Though she sensed heightened emotions from the room, Helena decided to probe deeper before bursting into the room. She was fortunate she took the moment, as Marcella was enjoying the company of one of the praetorians. After another fifteen minutes, they stopped their afternoon lovemaking and the praetorian emerged. He was embarrassed under the stare of the Antaran heir.
Marcella wrapped a silk robe around her perfect body and said, “Hello, my sister. Were you waiting long?”
Helena entered Marcella’s suite and said, “Shouldn’t you be studying your material?”
“Sex has a way of clearing my mind,” Marcella said. “I’ve been waist-deep in the stuff all day and I just needed a little break.”
“Waist-deep?” Helena said as she raised her eyebrow. “Well, I’m here to answer questions and brief you on your mission.”
“No you’re not,” Marcella said. “You want to talk about that Human Captain.”
Helena blinked. “What?”
“Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me,” Marcella said. “Try to hide your emotions a little better, though. I think Valeria noticed too.”
“I’m not… I’m playing to the captain’s weaknesses. He’s attracted to me, so I took a chapter from one of your lesson books.”
Marcella sat on her waterbed and eyed her sister. “Don’t lie to me about love. I know how to read a heart. And yours is aglow, my sister.”
Helena joined Marcella, hesitated and said, “Is it really that obvious?”
“Not too obvious,” Marcella said. “I guess it won’t matter though, as you won’t have to deal with questions from Valeria or anyone else. You get him all to yourself once you are on that ship of his.”
“Well, it’s a big ship. I hope-”
Marcella nudged her sister and said, “I hope – for your sake – that it is, indeed, a big ship.”
Helena blushed, surprised at her lack of control. “That’s not what I meant. I just hope I can keep my distance and not lose focus like I did on Caledonia.”
“That’s no fun,” Marcella said. “Enjoy yourself. Enjoy him. He’s not going to throw you off his ship because you make love to him.”
“Marcella!”
“What? He’s not! Unless you are unskilled,” Marcella’s eyes flew open. “You are skilled, aren’t you?”
Helena calmed her sprinting heart and said, “I haven’t exactly had time for… Well, my duties have kept me-”
“You’re a virgin?!” Marcella yelled.
“I don’t think the Humans on the starship above our planet heard you. Be a little louder this time.”
“Oops, sorry,” Marcella said. “I mean, at your age-”
“I’m only thirty-four solars old,” Helena said. “Plenty of people wait.”
Marcella shook her head. “This is no good. You have theory and no practice.”
“Well, I’m not going to just go out and-”
Marcella untied her robe and left it open at the middle, barely covering her naked body underneath
“What are you doing?” Helena asked.
Sighing, Marcella said, “You need a crash course. Let me show you how to please that man of yours.”
“What? No!” Helena sprang from the bed. “This is not proper.”
“You are my sister,” Marcella said. “I would do anything for you, including teaching you how to love.”
“But-”
Helena’s protests went unheard as Marcella wrapped her arms around Helena’s neck and lightly kissed her lips. “You start slow,” Marcella said. “Even before physical contact, you meet with the eyes.”
Marcella was already in her mind soothing her. Was there any harm in learning from her sister? Helena had taught Marcella how to focus her mind, why would this be so different? It was just another lesson to be mastered and Marcella was the most qualified teacher.
Helena wasn’t certain her thoughts were her own. Marcella may have been manipulating her thoughts to calm her racing fear. What was she so afraid of? Marcella was warm and kind. If this helped Helena to win the favor of Captain Nathan Connor, then why shouldn’t she allow Marcella to impart her wisdom upon her?
When did they return to the bed? Helena lost track of time for a few moments as Marcella traced kisses down her neck and rubbed her thigh with her hand. Her skin tingled in response to her sister’s touch.
“Every inch of his body is new terrain open for your discovery,” Marcella said. “And the same goes for you. He will want to explore and you should let him. Think of him now.”
More kisses. The room spun. Before Helena lost control she pushed away and sat at the edge of the bed, panting and lusting for Nathan.
Marcella knelt behind her and rubbed her shoulders. “You are a very sensual woman, my sister. Do not keep your tigress caged. She must be allowed to roam. You will do just fine with your man.”
Still panting, Helena clasped her sister’s hand and said, “Thank you… For this lesson.”
Helena felt Marcella’s smile as her sister said, “My door is always open to you. Return anytime and I can teach you more. We’ve only touched the surface.”
Chapter 26
Helena skipped the rest of her private meetings with her sisters after her lesson from Marcella. Strangely, she felt nothing perverse about her time with her sister. Instead of fearing closeness with Nathan, Helena now counted the seconds until she could be near him again. Marcella was right – why not enjoy his company to the fullest extent possible? Helena planned to be the tigress in more than one way upon her return to the Jupiter.
The next morning, she found Claudia in the royal gardens. Strands of fruits hung over the passageway leading to Claudia’s favorite spot – the rose gazebo.
“I knew I’d find you here,” Helena said.
“Helena!” Claudia pushed aside her datapad to embrace her sister. “I’ve been going over everything you sent us.”
Helena joined her sister in the gazebo. “I have additional information for you this morning. Inside the data packet, you will find my attack strategy against the Proxans.”
“Thank you, sister.”
Helena studied her sister for a few moments. Then she said, “I sense a great deal of fear in your heart, Claudia.”
Presenting a false bravado, Claudia smiled in her sweet way and said, “I’m managing the fear.”
“If you want to talk about your fear, I’m here.”
Tears formed in Claudia’s eyes as her bravado melted. “I’m afraid of failing you,” she said. “And failing father.”
Helena held her sister to her chest and said, “Shhh. Quiet now.”
“You and Valeria and Prisca are so skilled and so perfect,” Claudia said. “I’m just the one who cooks the food and…? What else? I’m not a famous scientist or heir to the throne. I’m just clumsy, foolish Claudia.”
Helena rocked with her sister in her arms for a few minutes.
“I’m sorry,” Claudia said as she wiped the tears from her face. “I just needed a moment. I’ll be fine.”
Helena detected her sister’s lie. “Listen, I do not think of you as a fool. You are my sister and I am very proud of you.”
Slipping back into the familiar blanket of protocol, Claudia said, “Thank you, sister.”
Her sister needed some courage and Helena knew just the remedy.
“Let me tell you of the tigresses in the cold, northern forests of our world,” Helena said. “Mother used to tell this story to Valeria and me when we were little girls. I think it’s time you heard it.”
Claudia beamed. “Okay!”
Helena settled in a comfortable position and smiled. “When we first arrived on this world, it was a cold, harsh place.Our early people, the Gima, were forced to live in domes. But we knew of creatures who braved the wastelands. These beasts were somehow ab
le to survive. One season, in Queen Galeria’s dome, the hydroponics failed. Thousands died from starvation, as not enough relief was sent from the nearby domes. The queen herself led a hunting party out into the northern forests, where animals were rumored to roam free.
“The hunting party discovered vegetables growing in the soil and herd animals fit for taming. The expedition was a success, but the queen pushed onwards. She wanted to reveal more of the forest’s secrets. That’s when she discovered the tigress. White and black, the majestic animal was on her deathbed. She was an old tigress. However, Galeria wanted to bring the creature back with her to the dome, as a pet and companion. Surely, subduing such and ancient beast would be a small task for the queen. Galeria readied her net gun and spear in case the animal got too close. The tigress seemed docile, resigned in her defeat until Galeria fired the net. In an instant, the tigress avoided capture and pounced on the queen. After ripping open Galeria’s shoulder with her claws, the tigress retreated into the deep forest.
“Galeria commanded her guards to remain at the camp and she pursued the tigress alone. The queen held so much respect for the tigress she felt the battle between them must be fought honorably.
“For six days, Galeria hunted the tigress. She sensed the tigress wished not to be tamed. They shared a mental bond as Galeria tracked the beast into the snowcapped pine forest. It was there, amongst the white flakes of winter that Galeria finally cornered the tigress. Fang and claw fought against spear and sword. Though age had slowed the reflexes and weakened the muscles of the tigress, her claws were still razor sharp. The tigress fought with a ferocity that surprised the queen. In the end, however, the queen was victorious and she returned to her camp with the white and black hide of her respected enemy.
“Queen Galeria instilled the same ferocity she found in the tigress into her people. They built sophisticated structures and transport systems to collect, purify, and prepare the roaming herdbeasts of the northern forest. Instead of relying on rationing and aid from the other domes, Queen Galeria’s people found their own solution to the food shortage. She led everyone to help build the most massive cooperative construction endeavor since the early Gima built the domes.
“In many ways, our father is teaching the universe this story. The Humans and Proxans view us as the old tigress, weak and insignificant. They do not have the same respect for the tigress as Queen Galeria had.
“They think us weak, but we have strength hidden in our mental discipline. They think us slow because we have not harnessed the power of space travel, but our cunning has been honed after generations of outsmarting our harsh environment. They think us insignificant because we do not colonize the galaxy, but we are rich in our culture and national identity.
“They believe they can demand what they want from us, because we cannot resist, but our father’s plan shows that our claws and fangs are sharp, ready for the quick strike.
“My sister,” Helena said, “you must embrace the tigress inside of you. The time will come when we must strike, and you will be ready. Remember the story of Galeria and her tigress for it is now time for us to hunt.”
♦
There was little time for rest after her meeting with Claudia. As usual, Helena found Prisca in the astrophysics lab at the palace. Helena recognized Prisca’s expertise in their father’s plan to destroy the tellium stars. Dependable Prisca.
After briefing her sister on all things Proxan, Helena watched and waited as Prisca processed the information.
“Amazing! So the Proxans have embraced technology that melds with their flesh?” Prisca said.
“Yes,” Helena said. “Their minds work differently – signals get interrupted, enhanced, or modified. It’s a tad strange the first time you go in there.”
“Interesting. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“The first thing your Human captain will ask of you is to scan the entire ship for Proxans,” Helena said. “We ran into one that looked Human, so they are quite paranoid right now. It is my guess that the duplicate I encountered was an early prototype, but they still had me scan the Jupiter nonetheless. Have no fear. Detecting the differences in Human and Proxan brain activity should be quite simple, even if you’ve never encountered a Proxan before.”
“Thank you, sister,” Prisca said. “These Proxans interest me, scientifically of course. I would like to get my hands on a sample.”
“The Humans share our belief that we are all from the same planet,” Helena said. “So, Proxans probably have the same basic anatomy.”
“That makes sense,” Prisca said. “I’d still like to cut one open, though.”
“Admiral Stugardt told me that the Proxans have enhanced organs which can resist the aging process far better than natural organs,” Helena said. “So I guess I share your curiosity. I’d like to medically study those organs. Perhaps we can learn something of use.”
“Okay,” Prisca said with a smile, “You get the internal organs below the neck and I get to study the brain. Deal?”
“If we happen to be in the same room with the specimen, then we definitely have an accord,” Helena said similing at her sister’s mental vigor.
After a few moments of uneasy silence, Helena detected Prisca in her mind. Helena knew she would ask about her conflicted emotions. They were so closely connected, Helena often wondered where her own thoughts ended and Prisca’s began.
“I sense a storm in your heart,” Prisca said. “You must share it with me so we can calm it.”
Helena nodded. They sat across from each other and clasped hands. In moments, Helena shared her entire experience – from the time she stepped aboard the Venture to the moment the Jupiter landed on Antares. This was Prisca, so Helena held nothing back. Her feelings for Nathan bared, she hoped her sister understood.
Prisca opened her eyes and exhaled. “Wow,” she said, “we grossly miscalculated the emotional toll this mission would take on us.”
“That’s the conclusion I have come to as well,” Helena said. “We are not impervious to the matters of the heart, as we so thought. These Humans are led by their hearts, and I must tell you, it’s quite liberating.”
Prisca studied her sister again and said, “I know your heart is true. When the time comes, you will not fail our people.”
“Certainly, my duty to Antares is the strongest force in my heart,” Helena said. “However, my feelings for this Human cause my compass to spin in all directions. I fear I may slip at the wrong time and be discovered. Marcella urges me to enjoy my time with him, but I am uncertain if that is the most prudent course of action.”
Prisca exhaled again and said, “If you’re looking for advice of the heart, I’m afraid Marcella is a wiser woman than I. Like you, my romantic life is but an echo in the background.”
Helena suppressed a blush and said, “I’ve already spoken to Marcella. She insists I should follow my heart and indulge myself with Nathan. I guess I’m talking to you about this because I value your opinion above anyone else. Am I being a fool?”
Always the scientist, Prisca said, “I wish I had more data on the emotions you are feeling. Or, at least, a common frame of reference. Then perhaps I could analyze everything and give you a conclusion. As far as endangering the mission, I suspect your goal will be much easier if you have the captain under your complete control.”
Helena frowned, frustration in her heart. “I agree,” she said.
“However,” Prisca said, “if your emotions cloud your judgment, then I suppose it is possible for even you to raise your chance at failure. One slip and the whole charade comes crashing down around all of us.”
“I know,” Helena said, “and I’ll not endanger my sisters like that. I just feel… I don’t know. Alive? I cannot describe the way my heart soars when I am with him. It’s as if nobody on Antares was meant for me and my only chance at personal happiness rests with my enemy. Confounding, to say the least.”
“You are not able to bury these emotions?”
�
�That’s the frustrating part,” Helena said. “This isn’t some small or transient emotional lust flitting by. This is something much larger and more powerful. Like the swelling waves on Caledonia, I feel powerless to stop its advance or momentum. I fear I may be pulled under-”
Prisca smiled. “Do you remember when you first started to train me?”
“Yes. You were more interested in math and science. You didn’t believe in the power that rested in your own mind.”
“I was determined to undermine you,” Prisca said. “I knew that my scientific studies were far more important and useful to our people than the ‘mind games’ I stood to learn from you. I was a silly girl.”
“No,” Helena said, “you were a stubborn girl, just like I was.”
“My point is – though I resisted my duty to my family because my heart was elsewhere, I eventually came to my senses. I melded the two principles together and I believe I am both scientist and royal daughter of Antares. You are both surgeon and royal heir. Valeria is both raging bitch and, well, raging bitch. You see? If we allow our hearts and minds to grow, we have room for all that is in our lives. I know you will find room for this as well.”
“I spoke with Valeria yesterday and our words turned into a swordfight. Raging bitch? Probably.”
After they shared a laugh, Helena hugged her sister and said, “You are wise beyond your young years. My thanks. You have calmed the storm in my heart. I will think upon your words and incorporate my new emotions with my old ones. There must be space for everything until-”
“You cannot fear the future,” Prisca said. “The future is unknown, even to us. It makes no logical sense to fear the unknown.”
Helena’s heart had returned to a more regular beat. “Dependable Prisca,” she said. “I’m honored to go into battle with you.”
“I’ll not fail you like I did with that false ambassador,” Prisca said.
“I was unsuccessful at detecting Bergem’s motives as well, my sister. There is no need for apologies.”
For Duty (Antaran Legacy Book 1) Page 17