by Juliet Sem
They hustled back to the staircase, and Keestu, hurrying along next to Rue, nudged her, nodding towards the fence.
Bobbing her head in understanding, Rue asked, "Excuse me, Praton, what is the fence for?"
At the sound of her voice, growling issued from behind the fence, and four massive canines, their short brown hair bristling, came dashing into view. They raced up to the fence, snarling at the strangers, one trying to shove its muzzle through so it could get at them.
"Oh!" Flinching, Rue hurried down the stairs after Pulon.
He answered, "The fence is to contain my father's personal guard animals. Those shiuns will only allow the Prató and my mother, Bott, to pass into the wing reserved for the Prató. No one else goes in there. Other shiuns roam the palace, but they are harmless unless one of their handlers activates them. However, if confronted by one if you are alone, it's best to freeze in place until one of the palace staff comes along. You must also remember to not look them in the eyes or smile; eye contact and baring your teeth are canine dominance challenges that may provoke them."
"Okay," Rue said, her voice shaky after the encounter. "I'm certain we'll all remember those instructions."
Nodding, Pulon led them down a narrow hall to an unmarked door. He knocked again, this time waiting until the gravelly voice called, "Come!"
The Prató of Vulo was a disappointment to Keestu. He was standing in front of a large wooden desk, waiting to greet them. After the warning she had received about the man's temperament and after seeing the massive palace building, she expected him to be much taller. However, he was of less than average height of a Union person, making him shorter than Keestu. His hair was short, coarse, and black, his skin olive toned, and his clean-shaven face had a long thin nose and slanted black almond-shaped eyes that made his narrow face look more pinched than it already appeared given his sour expression. When he moved towards them, she saw that unlike his narrow head, his body was stocky, his arms visibly corded with muscles. His legs were thick as well, the width of his body and legs making him appear even shorter than he was. He stumped heavily towards them, face grim.
Keestu saw movement out of the corner of her eye. Their escort had spread out along the sides of their guests and turned to face them, tensing. Seeing this, she instinctively moved a step closer to Tenget, who had also tensed. Gontu's fists were already clenched, and even Vahin looked uncomfortable under the unwelcoming glower the Prató had turned on them.
"I am the Prató of Vulo," he said, stopping a full meter away. His fists clenched as he faced them, unsmiling.
Rue, realizing he was awaiting a response, moved forward one step and curtsied to him. "I am Crown Princess Keestu Ranell of Sandar, Prató."
"Ungh," Fernuin grunted, looking her up and down. "You're taller than I expected. It's not natural for a female to be so oversized."
Frowning, Rue explained, "Sandarians as a general rule are taller than the average Union humanoid, Prató; and I myself am considered to be of average height on my homeworld," she informed him, carefully keeping her voice neutral.
"Very well. As per the Autocrat's orders, you're here to see what Vulo has to offer in trade. You will return to your suite while I finish the day's business and our dinner is prepared. Your noble handmaiden may dine with us, but your servants are to sample the local fare on their own. Dinner is in approximately two Union hours. That will give your entourage more than ample time to dress in more appropriate clothing."
Waving a hand at Rue in dismissal, Fernuin turned and stamped heavily back to his desk.
Shocked at his lack of courtesy, Keestu stared at his back until Tenget nudged her into action.
As she left the office, she felt her temper rising. Even if Rue wasn't the actual Crown Princess, Fernuin's lack of courtesy was an insult to Sandar. She clenched her hands and teeth as the now silent Pulon and his guards herded them back to their suite.
He opened the door, waving them in with only slightly more courtesy than Fernuin had shown before leaving.
As the door closed behind them, Rue turned to Keestu. "He had us brought to him for that 'meeting'?" Her eyes were narrowed to slits with anger, and her voice low, which she was controlling with effort. "He must be very busy managing his planet if that is all the time he can spare a visiting Crown Princess, one he insisted visit his planet first."
"I wonder why there aren't other nobles available who can help him with all the tasks he must manage?" Keestu asked, despite knowing none of them had an answer.
"I know it must be horrible for him to have lost so many relatives so soon after taking control of the planet," Rue continued, "but surely things aren't still that much in turmoil? Couldn't the Autocrat send help?"
Vahin spoke up, trying to calm them, " No. If you recall, Praton Dinus said all the Autocracy's planets are autonomous in regards to local matters. The Autocrat and Autocress only issue decrees that affect the interactions of the planets with each other and must stay out of any local governing issues."
Rue finally sat down, her eyes still reflecting her anger. "Yes," she said through clenched teeth, "I remember that now. I just can't imagine a planet being in that much disarray and being unable to ask for outside help."
"Perhaps with all the preparations required for the upcoming tourney, there is no one to spare?" Gontu was speculating, though he, too, looked angry at how Rue had been ordered around and summarily dismissed by the ruler of this planet.
"I suppose we should spend our time looking for likely places from which to get our victuals this evening," Vahin recommended, trying to change the subject, "as the Prató made it plain that the formal dinner has no room for your servants."
Keestu's temper finally subsided. They had been warned by Dinus's stepmother that the Prató thought all women were inferior to men, though she wondered how he would have acted if Rue was presented as a ruling queen and therefore his equal?
Vahin motioned them to the console abutting the bar. There was a comfortable rolling chair in front of it, which he sat in at Rue's gesture. Scanning it with his cuff, he read the instructions aloud before activating the console. Once it was on, it was a simple matter of speaking what was required into the cuff and letting it translate for the console. Its voice-activated programming took control, showing several taverns that weren't too far from the palace that sounded promising.
"I wonder how we are to make arrangements to go there?" Vahin was disappointed that the console didn't offer this option.
"I can't imagine a pilot not being put at your disposal," Keestu said. "I certainly hope you aren't expected to walk ten kilometers or more to dinner and back."
"I would not go if that were the case," Gontu said. "It would keep me too far from the Crown Princess for too long, so we should be certain one will be made available to us, or make arrangements to have food sent up from the palace's kitchen so we may dine in our rooms."
"Yes, it's odd that the Prató didn't mention that as an option for us," Vahin realized. "I wonder what the reason is behind that?'
"We are expected to explore what Vulo has to offer," Tenget put in. "And with our limited time here, I'm sure the Prató is only giving us leave to start doing so immediately."
"It makes perfect sense when you put it that way," Rue said, finally regaining control of her temper, "I guess I'm more tired from traveling than I realized and am overreacting. It's probably just nerves now I know my first foreign formal dinner on Vulo as the sole representative of Sandar is tonight. How silly of me to think anything is amiss in our host's plans for the evening!"
They spent the remainder of their time dressing for the event. Keestu groomed Rue's hair, pulling half her hair into the high bun required to hold her headdress, inserting a carved wooden headdress made of black wood with white tassels to accent her pantsuit, before making two long braids from the rest of Rue's hair that she pinned into loops underneath the bun. When it was her turn to dress, she chose a black shirt and pants so her outfit matched Rue's. Rue arra
nged her hair into a high bun with a single braid hanging down the middle, inserting a Lady's headdress when she was done.
A female noble, the first Keestu had seen since arriving on Vulo, came to fetch them for dinner with two male guards as escort. She wondered if they had somehow earned Prató Fernuin approval since he didn't surround them with guards this time, or if the guards were occupied inspecting the other guests that were no doubt arriving for this diplomatic dinner. The woman was courteous and fluent in Unity, saying that she hoped they would enjoy seeing her homeworld as she led them to the drawing room that adjoined the dining room.
She knocked, waiting a breath after receiving permission to enter before opening the doors for her guests and motioned for them to enter, saying as she turned to leave, "I'm to escort your servants into town for their dinner."
Keestu was astonished to see not the receiving line she expected, but only Prató Fernuin and a small thin woman beside him. She had dyed black hair that was too flat a shade to be flattering to her olive complexion and dark brown eyes. She wore not the royal blue and gold of an immediate family member, but the gold with royal blue stripe of a lesser Vuloan noble.
Keestu was further shocked when Fernuin introduced the woman. "Crown Princess Keestu of Sandar, my wife, Bott of Vulo."
Rue, at somewhat of a loss, stepped forward two steps towards the shy-looking woman and extended her hand. "I'm very pleased to meet you, Praté Bott."
Fernuin frowned, snapping, "I said she's my wife, not a Praté. Did no one teach you how to tell rank in the Autocracy?"
"I apologize if I've made an offensive comment," Rue apologized with poise. "I was informed that courtesy titles were acceptable and expected in the Autocracy, and as she is your wife, and you are Prató, I assumed it was proper to call her Praté."
"She hasn't earned it," he snapped, "And here on Vulo, we do not allow one to display honors they have not earned as they apparently do on other planets."
Ignoring Keestu, he turned to throw open double doors to reveal a large dining room that held only a single small table, one empty of other guests.
"Prató," Bott said in a small voice. "I have finished cooking dinner, but I must dish it up."
Fernuin waved dismissal at Bott, and she scurried away through a single door to their left.
Fernuin pointed Rue to a seat. Keestu was directed to sit on her left, leaving two empty chairs sat between her and Fernuin. Given Fernuin's behavior since their arrival, Keestu wryly thought that he had put the foreign royal visitor as far from himself as possible and still have her at the same table out of sheer paranoia. Across the table from her sat three empty chairs, and Fernuin took the largest seat at the head of the table.
Keestu and Rue waited politely at the table while the rest of their table companions were called to dinner. To Keestu's consternation, it consisted only of his two children, Fernuin's son and daughter.
Pulon arrived shortly, nodding silently to them as he seated himself in the middle chair on the empty side.
A short time later Fernuin's daughter Shariel waddled in. She was hugely obese, a sharp contrast to the other Autocracy people Keestu had seen thus far who were amazingly fit. Keestu estimated this young woman's weight to be at least one hundred and fifty kilos. Her skintight satin outfit only heightened the negative impression one got of her obese figure. She had cut the legs of her pants off, making them into very tight shorts, and where her thighs bulged out from under the fabric they rolled up and encased the bottoms of the shorts in folds of flesh. Keestu tried averting her eyes, but incredulity at the foreign Princess's appearance riveted her attention to the sad figure.
Finally dropping her eyes, she noted that Shariel's too small sandals had twisted out from under her heels, so that they bumped along on the stone floor. Furthermore, her feet and ankles were swollen and mottled a dusky reddish color where the flow of blood was inhibited. Tearing her eyes back to Shariel's face, Keestu noted her hair was cut just below shoulder length, straight and jet black like her father's, but it was stringy and shiny with oil, hanging loosely halfway across her face, making it difficult to see her dark brown eyes. Keestu thought it was rather a pity, because a nice haircut could frame her still delicate features, which weren't entirely obliterated by the roundness of her face and bobbling triple chin.
Looking her over again, Keestu thought that with the right clothing accenting her more slender upper body and with care to her grooming, Shariel would not appear half as unappealing as she did. Shariel shuffled silently up to the table, wedging herself into the chair opposite Keestu with difficulty, totally ignoring her father's guests.
Fernuin sighed with irritation. "What have I told you about manners, Shariel?"
Keestu was startled by the fire in Shariel's eyes as she shot back at her father, "Who cares? No one cares what I think or do. Not since you killed the only man who ever showed any interest in me."
Fernuin shot to his feet, rushing around the table, delivering a slap to Shariel's face, his hand catching in her greasy hair. Making a sound of disgust and disentangling himself with difficulty, Fernuin went back to his chair, wiping his hands with a napkin, which he threw to the floor.
Keestu noted that the abuse had no effect on Shariel whatsoever; she continued glaring silently around room.
Rue exchanged a look with Keestu. Keestu shrugged, conveying that she had no idea how to react. She nodded towards Fernuin who now ignored his daughter as she ignored the rest of the table. Rue apparently took that as a signal to follow Fernuin's lead and ignored the outburst and the presence of his daughter, trying to act as though nothing happened, which was difficult since Fernuin didn't even attempt to start a conversation.
Glancing across the table, Keestu saw Pulon trying to hide his mirth at how uncomfortable his father looked. She found herself wondering how the family functioned at all if this was how they acted with visitors in their home.
Finally, the awkward tableau was broken by the arrival of Bott, who deposited two large pitchers of water on the table. She was nearly running as she left, returning a few moments later staggering under the weight of a large two-tiered silver platter. Keestu glanced around, amazed that there were no servants to help the Praté carry the load in, but she made no complaint or offer of help. Bott deftly slid the platter onto the table and began passing out plates. She served Fernuin first, but he sat unmoving. So did Pulon, who was served second. Fernuin scowled menacingly as Shariel grabbed food off her plate with her fingers and began stuffing it into her mouth as fast as she could as soon as her plate hit the table. She chewed loudly, gulping the food as quickly as she could before cramming another fistful into her mouth. Bott made her way silently around the table, depositing plates in front of Rue and finally Keestu. She took the last plate for herself and sat down on the opposite side of the table in the chair closest to her husband.
Fernuin curtly gestured to his daughter, and Shariel stopped eating, swallowing before she prayed in a faltering voice, "Great Rentham, we thank you for this day. Great Rentham, we thank you for this food. Great Rentham, continue to bless us. In your name we pray."
Everyone around the table said, "In your name," so Rue repeated it, followed by Keestu.
Fernuin motioned to Bott, who poured glasses of water for him Pulon, Shariel, and finally herself. Realizing the other pitcher was for their guests, Keestu stood up to pour drinks for Rue and herself.
Sitting back down, Keestu inspected the food on her plate. There was a thin slab of unidentifiable meat, which had been fried until it was shriveled, dried, and partially burned on the outside. There was no sign of seasoning or sauce near or on it. Next to it was a large serving of legumes, which had been boiled, drained, and heaped on the plate. Accompanying those two items was a sizeable chunk of thick bread that appeared to be mostly hard dried crust. Keestu picked it up and bit into it, and while it was freshly made, it was flavorless and the crust shattered into sharp bits that stabbed into her mouth. She winced, wondering if th
e bits of crust had cut the roof of her mouth as she struggled to chew it. Now she could see what Korin was talking about when he said he missed Sandarian bread. She continued chewing, finally managing to choke it down with a sip of water. She looked at Rue, who was trying not to make faces as she sawed a off a piece of meat with difficulty and put it into her mouth. Keestu watched as Rue chewed and chewed and chewed, finally swallowing the lump with difficulty. Keestu was grateful that her mother had thought to include ration cubes in their luggage. If this was the kind of fare the average person on Vulo ate on a regular basis, she thought it a wonder that Shariel managed to eat enough of it to get so heavy.
Keestu sampled the legumes next. The skins were hard and the insides dry, mealy, and tasteless.
Looking around the table, Keestu saw no bowls of sauces or gravies and no shakers of spices with which to flavor or moisten her meal.
Glancing up the table, she saw both Bott and Fernuin were eating with relish. Pulon looked indifferent as he silently ate.
After chewing a few bites of meat, Keestu found her jaw tired and sore from the effort. She finally managed to finish the bread and half of the legumes, but finally gave up on her tough overcooked piece of meat. She noted that Fernuin, Bott, Pulon, and Shariel were already finished eating. Rue was eating another bite of meat, but pushed her plate away after choking it down.
Seeing this, Fernuin gave a loud whistle. Two shiuns came running in through an open door, shocking Keestu. She received a further shock when Fernuin got up, took his fork and came to her, spearing the uneaten meat off her plate and throwing it to one of the waiting canines. Seeing the look on Keestu's face, he snarled at her. "What, servant? I paid for the meat, put it on your plate, and I'll do what I want with it!" He stomped down to Rue, repeating his actions. Rue sat back, stunned, and as she did, Shariel reached over, snatching the half-eaten bread from Rue's plate and frantically stuffing it into her mouth. Trying not to let her face screw up in disgust, Rue shoved her plate towards Shariel, who picked it up, pushing the remaining legumes into her mouth as Fernuin shouted, "No! She's had her dinner ration!"