by Gillian Zane
“Yes, of course, Nasha,” Tam said with a big smile. Bobbie directed her glare at him now.
“It’s got to be Nasha,” Roc said with a nod.
“Who the hell is Nasha?” Bobbie said in a not very friendly voice. Roc wondered why all the jealousy. Was it because she believed Nasha was a female? All three men looked at her, identical creases between their eyebrows.
“It’s Nasha,” Finn responded ignorantly, like he had no clue what Bobbie spoke of, and Roc knew he had to intercede before things got out of control. The thing was, he was actually enjoying Bobbie’s reaction. Jealousy looked good on her.
“Yeah, who is this Nasha? Some old fling? Ex-girlfriend, or maybe a current girlfriend? Why would Von run away and go to her?” Bobbie threw up her hands in frustration. Roc started to laugh, he couldn’t help himself. He was followed by Tam. Finn was the only one who restrained himself, but if the look of pain on his face was any indication, it was getting hard to keep the laughter in. Roc felt that sense of cohesion again, enjoying this interplay with his female and his he still didn’t know what to call the others. Clones? Brothers? Twins?
“Stop laughing at me.” Bobbie did the most remarkably bratty thing and stomped her foot. She glanced down at her foot like the move surprised her.
“This is Nasha.” Roc pulled up the newsfeed on his comm band, the screen hovered over his hand in a glowing suspended box. He swiped with his palm and made the screen display on the wall, much bigger and easier for everyone to read.
Nasha’s image appeared on the screen. He was a handsome man, and when Roc and Nasha had attended school together, they turned heads when they went to events together. Where Roc was bronzed and dark-haired, Nasha was darker with more browns in his skin tone. He had gotten into the habit of dying his hair a lighter color, and Roc was surprised in this recent article that his hair was dyed the color of the sea. A blue green that stood in stark contrast to his brown skin. It made a statement.
Roc had contacted him a few times while he was on Earth and had sent him a few pictures of the sights and sounds, including the strange hair colors people dyed their hair on Earth. He guessed it had made an impact on his friend. In the news article, he wore a circlet of gold around his head and was dressed like some kind of sea creature, complete with a huge, fluffy collar around his neck. There was a headline in the language of Polari that stated Nasha was tearing it up at a masquerade party last night.
“What does that say?” Bobbie asked, calmer now that she realized Nasha was not a romantic threat.
“Polari’s second-in-line causes a ruckus at the Junia masquerade party,” Finn said.
“He’s a prince as well?”
“Yes, but not the heir, he has an older brother,” Roc answered.
“And I’m assuming this is a friend of yours?”
“This is Nasha. As good as any friend I have, he is our soul brother,” Roc answered Bobbie’s question. “We met in what you would consider a boarding school ages ago, and we’ve kept in touch ever since. He actually wanted to come with me to Earth, but his father forbade it.”
“And you think this is where Von went, to hook-up with this Nasha?”
“We spent many a holiday in the Polari winter palace, it holds a lot of memories,” Finn said with a bit of nostalgia that was confusing since he never experienced them—they were Roc’s memories. “Even though that was way before my time,” he added.
“Neither did Von,” Tam said.
“But we still have all the memories.” Finn frowned at his identical counterparts. “They are very good memories.”
“Ready the transport, looks like we’re going to Polari,” Roc said.
The transport was available for takeoff quicker than expected, which led to Bobbie and Roc running around like chickens with their heads cut off to get things packed and ready. Finn and Tam agreed to stay behind, in case they were needed in the palace. Bobbie and Roc would go and round up Von and bring him back into the fold. None of them knew why he would run off like this, so they didn’t know what they were getting into.
Both men walked Roc and Bobbie out to the landing strip, which was behind Roc’s wing, and she slipped her hands into theirs because she could sense some anxiety in the men she was leaving behind. Would they miss her?
When they stepped out onto the platform, the unique red grass soft on Bobbie’s slippered feet, she marveled at the sleek looking ship. It was a smaller version of the ship they had used to travel from Earth to Polaridi, the same shape and clean lines.
“Polari has been informed of your visit,” one of the butlers, Bobbie couldn’t remember his name, said and he walked with them onto the platform. He was keeping up a continuing dialogue of everything they would need to know about their trip, including the schedule for the next few days, and the current news environment.
“Mistress Bobbie does not have entry papers or identification as of yet, but the Polari have been informed about her status, and she will not need her identification to enter the realm.”
“Thank you, Smarn,” Roc said as if he was slurring the word yarn. It was quite a bizarre name, and Bobbie had to look away from the little man or else she would break out in a fit of giggles. He looked rather smarmy if she had to label him anything.
The butler looked at his comm band and tapped something on the screen that materialized over his hand.
“Excuse me, sir, but Healer Lagara is here to see you.”
“We do not have time for this,” Roc said under his breath.
“She says it’s important,” Smarn added. “An urgent interruption, to use her own words.”
“Fine, let her in and direct her to the landing platform.”
The group waited patiently on the raised platform, all lost in their own thoughts. Bobbie didn’t know what Von fleeing to Polari meant, or what it meant for the group’s dynamic and she kept running through scenarios in her mind. Was it because he was overwhelmed with being autonomous? Maybe he didn’t want to be part of this group, maybe he didn’t want her? Bobbie had no idea what Roc’s life was like before they had met. Maybe he was a player, and Von wanted to continue as a bachelor. Or maybe she was just being insecure again. Bobbie tapped her foot in impatience, hoping the healer would hurry her ass up. She wanted to get in the air and over to Polari so she could find out what the hell was up with Von.
After only a few moments, the doors were flung open that lead onto the portico and the small female raced over the slick steps and down to the landing platform in the blink of an eye. She was out of breath and a little rough around the edges when she made it to them. There was a tightness around her eyes, which shined with what Bobbie suspected was the stain of a recent cry. If Bobbie wasn’t mistaken, the Healer was in a bit of a panic. Was that why she rushed down here?
“Your Highness,” she said and bowed her head to Roc, then shot Bobbie a look. Bobbie must have given away something in her look because the Healer swiped at her face self-consciously. She had been crying.
“Healer,” Roc said in response. Tam and Finn had gone ramrod still, playing the mindless appendages.
“Have you read the newsfeeds this morning? They are claiming you’ll be looking to take rulership soon because of this show of power. I thought I should advise you about your decision for more transparency,” she said in a breathless flurry of words. She shot the butler a look, but went on. “If you reveal more, they’ll think for sure you’ll be making a play for your father’s throne.”
“I have not read the news this morning. We are in the middle of something, Healer, but if you would like we can delay the second reveal, and discuss the benefits of it when I return,” Roc said.
“Oh, yes of course, I didn’t realize you were going anywhere.” Bobbie narrowed her eyes at the Healer’s statement. How could she have missed the huge ass transport sitting here on the landing platform? Something wasn’t right. Bobbie placed her hand on Roc’s arm and gave him a look that she hoped he could interpret as a warning for caut
ion.
“Yes, Bobbie and I are going on a small trip,” Roc supplied.
“That sounds wonderful. Where will you be going?” Bobbie placed a hand again on Roc’s arm, but he answered out of habit. His past with this woman went a lot further than his past with Bobbie, she might be reading too much into it.
“We will be visiting Nasha at the Polari winter palace,” Roc said.
“Sounds fun and relaxing. Well then, have a wonderful trip, I will meet with you again on your return.” The Healer bowed her head, and left quickly. The only way Bobbie could describe it—she was fleeing.
“The woman thinks she’s my new media spokesperson,” Roc sighed.
“You didn’t think something was strange about her?” Bobbie asked.
“She’s always been one to get bovarion about things.”
“That word didn’t translate, bovarion.” Roc looked down at Bobbie and cocked his head trying to find the right word to define it with.
“Drama Queen, is that what was said on Earth.” The words were said in the thick accent she remembered from before, so he had spoken the English words.
“That sounds about right, but it seemed like more, though.” Roc only shook his head, cocking it to the side in his Polaridi shrug. He said a few quick words to Smarn, then the two watched the butler hurry back to the palace. When the coast was clear, she went to the men who would be staying behind and threw her arms around both.
“I’ll miss you two.” She kissed Finn while Tam nuzzled her neck. The kiss was short, but she could already feel the charge building inside of her. When she broke away from Finn, Tam tugged on her chin, finding her lips with his own. His kiss was hungrier, rougher, and she sighed as he pulled away. She couldn’t get enough of these men.
“Bring Von’s dinkin butt back here as soon as you can.” Finn swatted at Bobbie’s ass. “Maybe knock some sense into him along the way.”
“Dinkin?”
“Dumb,” Roc said. “Come on, let’s take care of this.” He took her hand and led her toward the ship.
“Don’t worry, I will, and you guys behave while we’re gone!” Bobbie called over her shoulder and the men nodded their heads and placed hands over their hearts making her giggle.
Roc waved his hand with his comm band in front of the transport entrance and the door opened and three steps descended from the glass looking structure. Like a gentleman, he helped her board the ship. She was going on an adventure!
35
Mister Destined for Greatness
“I haven’t been to the Polari winter palace since I was an adolescent,” Roc shared as they took seats in the small ship. The cockpit was small, but much bigger than a large SUV on Earth. It had four seats that faced a large front panel made out of the same glass-like material everything seemed to be constructed from on this world.
The large panel was lit up like a Christmas tree with lights of red, blue and green. When Roc waved his hand across the glass, the viewing port went opaque and Bobbie could see the palace in the distance.
“You say that like you’re expecting things to be weird,” Bobbie said, leaning over and checking out the many controls swirling around. Finn had tried to explain to her that the silica was like one big living computer. You could touch anywhere on the surface, and depending on what it was initially coded to do would be what could be done with it. In the dashboard of the ship it was highly sophisticated coding, and the instruments, measurements, and controls were literally embedded into the material of the ship. The silica of the transport would interact with Roc’s comm band, giving him permission to control the ship. When he moved his hand in a certain way, the ship knew to follow certain orders. It was a fascinating technology.
“Nasha’s older brother thinks of me as a threat, and no amount of diplomatic interactions have swayed him. His father is another story. He gets along very well with my father and has always treated me like a family member,” Roc shrugged.
“Is the brother jealous?”
“I think it might be part of the situation. Kravitz is a complicated man.”
“Is he expected to take the throne soon?”
“Yes, Nasha’s father is very old. He’s almost on his fourth century, and for a male that’s near the end. Kravitz has also made a few strategic moves to put himself in place before his father dies.”
“What kind of moves?”
“Nothing official, but he has made a few inquiries about his father’s health and ability to run the realm. It has others questioning whether he will have his father declared unfit. With old age, minds tend to go first before the body.”
“That doesn’t sound good. What kind of son would do that?”
“If he was looking out for the well-being of his people, it would be a good move. No one wants someone who’s not using their full faculties in charge of a realm.”
“You don’t think so, though.” Bobbie said it as more of a statement than a question.
“I do not. Nasha has told me that his father is in perfect mind.”
“But he’s eventually going to be the Emperor, right? When he takes over, do you think relations might be strained with Thames and Polari?” Bobbie asked.
“I honestly don’t know. Once Kravitz takes the reign, things could settle down, he’ll have gotten what he wanted. There should be no reason for continued aggression.” Roc continued to fool with the controls and Bobbie watched in fascination as his fingers moved across the glass. “A few years ago, Nasha told me in confidence that his brother drank too much one night and went into a rage, accusing Nasha of trying to become the heir with my help. He thought we were planning some kind of coup.”
“Was there any reason behind his crazy talk?”
“None. I might not like him, I might not think he will be a good Emperor, but in no way would I ever get involved in doing something like that. If it got out that I was actively trying to take down the future heir of Polari, things could get very messy with the other realms. And I would never dream of actively trying to take Kravitz out of the running.”
“You mean kill him?” Bobbie asked, wondering if that was a thing they did on this planet, like they might do on Earth.
“That would be one way. If he is proved incompetent could be another. Same as he is trying to do to his father.”
“That happens? To heirs I mean?”
“Rarely, but it has been done. About five hundred rotations ago, the heir of Balavanta was proven incompetent by the younger brother and was not allowed to assume the throne on his father’s death. The reason behind the incompetency was kept out of the media, but most suspected it was because of his tendency to enjoy beno.” When Bobbie gave him a questioning look, he explained. “It’s a drink that can become addictive. It’s from a cactus-like plant on our world and it gives whoever drinks it a very euphoric feeling and causes a male’s erection to not go down.”
“Sounds like a fun night,” Bobbie said with a laugh.
“It can be,” Roc said.
“You’ve done it?” Bobbie was shocked.
“I had a rebellious youth, like most people.” He smiled at her.
“Okay, let’s not talk about that. I really don’t want to know why you would take a drug that would keep your dick up for an extended amount of time.” She sighed, that jealousy thing was back and biting her in the ass.
“I did not take beno for that reason. As you know, I have never had a problem with staying erect.” He motioned to his own dick and Bobbie slapped his arm.
“You’re intolerable,” she grumbled.
“I am right,” he nodded. “Get ready, we are about to launch.” Roc guided the transport into the air, making Bobbie grip the armrests as the small ship shuddered and shot into the air.
“Could things go wrong with Von going there?” Bobbie asked, gulping as they moved at a ridiculous speed.
“Things can always go wrong, Bobbie.” He turned to look at her. “My world is a peaceful planet. There hasn’t been a war in over three ce
nturies, and there has not been a hint of instability within this current rein of royals. But the royals who instituted this reign of peace have been in power a long time, and they are reaching their apex of life. My father is one of them and has expressed weariness and a wish to be able to pass down the throne. An average lifes-pan on our planet is about three-hundred and fifty years of age. Our medical advancements have greatly improved in the last century and a lot of the older generations are now living to be over four hundred, but he is still reaching his dusk.”
“He’s three-hundred, but he looks barely thirty?” Bobbie said.
“He has had many procedures done in vanity, and I’m not sure his exact age, but I think he might be nearer to four than three,” Roc laughed.
“I would want to retire as well,” Bobbie said. “A tropical isle for retired royals in their fourth century perhaps?”
“And he’s not the only one. The rulers of Polari, Lividiania and Namei are all over three-hundred, and they were the original signers of the War of the Realms Treaty. Only Namei has a strong heir that is taking the reign.”
“And Thames.” Bobbie smiled at Roc and took his hand. He nodded in thanks.
“I cannot help it, I was born for greatness.” He squeezed Bobbie’s hand and she rolled her eyes.
“Aren’t we full of ourselves today?”
“I am not full of myself, I only speak the truth.” Bobbie couldn’t tell from his tone if he was being serious or playing coy. Of all the men, Roc was the hardest to read. She understood it was because of how he was brought up. If you were going to rule a planet, you couldn’t let everything show on your face. He had been taught at an early age to school his reactions, so he always seemed stoic and reserved. The other men could do the same when it was called for, but when they were alone, they let more of their emotions seep out than Roc did.