by DuBoff, Amy
“And it sounds like a reception has already been arranged, thank you,” Cris added.
Reinen’s eyes widened with surprise. “What are you talking about? She could never be accepted under the Taran Social Advancement Act.”
Cris and Wil exchanged glances. “What do you mean?” Cris asked his father. “It exists for this very purpose of elevating the standing of someone with superior genetics to Dynastic status.”
“It only applies to Taran citizens,” Reinen stated. “Earth is not a recognized Taran colony. Our relationship with the planet is in the distant past.”
It doesn’t count?
“There has to be an exception. She’s a far better candidate than most who are accepted,” Wil insisted.
“I can attest to it.” Did I lead Wil astray? I told him there would be no issues for him to be with her.
“That doesn’t matter,” Reinen said. “Candidates must be at least half Taran. It’s a requirement.”
“But the reception—” Wil began.
“The reception is for you,” Reinen replied. “We need to find you a suitable wife. That’s become even more important knowing we’ll need to make arrangements to buy out the shareholders in the shipyard.”
“What!” Wil exclaimed
Stars, no! “I think there’s been some miscommunication here,” Cris said, trying to stay calm. “Wil and Saera are together. They’re bonded.”
“You never should have let that teenage romance persist,” Reinen said with a flick of his hand. “I know the culture in the TSS is different, but in Dynasties on Tararia such as ours, we must think about bloodlines.”
Wil shot Cris a look of desperation. “She’s a perfect genetic match for me. It doesn’t get any better!”
“But she’s not Taran,” Reinen stated. “You didn’t honestly think you would be permitted to marry her, did you?”
“How can you be so dismissive? You haven’t even met her.” He can’t be doing this…
“I don’t need to meet her to make a decision. We have extended the courtesy of a dinner and will grant her attendance at the reception tomorrow because we want to be gracious hosts, but it is nothing more. I don’t know why you bothered to bring her here, because that little fling of yours is far past its expiration.”
“No, I’m never giving her up.” Wil jumped to his feet.
This can’t be happening. “Father, there’s more at stake here than you know. Wil’s relationship with Saera is much more than anything concerning this Dynasty. I know she might not offer the same sort of strategic alliance as my partnership with Kate, but it’s something you’ll have to accept.”
“You’re in no position to make such a declaration. As long as I’m Head of this Dynasty, I will never permit a marriage of any heir to someone that isn’t of pure Taran blood.”
Wil glared down at his grandfather. “Don’t try to forbid this. There’s nothing you can do to stop it.”
Reinen stared back, resolute. “Regardless of my personal feelings on the matter, a marriage license wouldn’t be valid. Any child between you would be viewed as a bastard and could never be a rightful heir. If you won’t find someone suitable for yourself, we will. We’ll turn to the Archive if it comes to it.”
“You wouldn’t!” I’ve never heard of using the Genetic Archive for such a perverse purpose.
“If you don’t want it to come to that, then I suggest you find someone at the reception tomorrow. There are plenty of suitable daughters that would help expedite procurement of the Prisaris shipyard you’re so keen to acquire.” Reinen folded his hands on his desk. “It’s up to you.”
“You have no idea who you’re messing with.” Wil stormed out.
Cris rose. “Wil will be with Saera whether you approve or not. He needs her for reasons that are far beyond your comprehension.”
“The affairs of the TSS don’t concern me.”
“Well, I must straddle both worlds. If you stand in between Wil and Saera, you’ll have to answer to me.”
Reinen narrowed his eyes. “Are you threatening me?”
“Just advising.”
CHAPTER 4
Shite! I can’t tell Saera about any of that. She’s nervous enough already. Wil let out an unsteady breath. I have to figure something out.
He went to meet Saera in their suite and managed to change into his TSS dress uniform without giving her any indication that something was wrong. Normally she’d see right through his mask, but she was too distracted by nerves.
Saera set about fixing her hair into a braided bun and applying some minimal makeup around her eyes. When she finished, she turned her attention to the two evening gowns. “Which one should I wear tonight?”
Wil looked them over. “The green one,” he suggested, opting for the more modest design.
Saera took down the dress from its hanger and slipped it on.
Wil’s breath caught as she began to secure the clasps on the side of the dress. The sequined strapless bodice flowed into a straight skirt with a slit to her left thigh, accentuating every curve. A sheer dark green scarf draped from the front of the bodice over her left shoulder and hung to the back of her knee like a single ethereal wing.
“Saera, you look incredible!” he breathed. It’s so rare I see her dressed up I forget she can be even more stunning than how she is every day.
“Thanks.” She blushed. “This fabric is unreal. I thought that dress for the TSS party was nice, but this…”
Wil took her hand. “It’s beautiful, but no one else could wear it as well as you.”
She smiled, momentarily forgetting her nerves. “You’re quite the charmer.”
“You make it easy.”
Saera rolled her eyes, but her cheeks flushed deeper and the corners of her mouth turned up. She glanced toward the door. “Are we heading out now?”
“My dad said he’d come by to get us,” Wil replied.
With a faint nod of acknowledgement, Saera wandered toward the window, wringing her hands with anxious anticipation.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be with you the whole time.” Wil wished he could offer Saera more assurance. She’s everything to me. I need to know she’ll be safe if I can’t be there for her.
Saera’s brow knit as she placed her hand on her stomach. “What if they don’t like me?”
“Then that’s their problem.” I already chose you as my life partner. I don’t need their approval.
The queasy look didn’t entirely leave Saera’s face, but some of the tension in her stance diminished. She smoothed the green gown hugging her hourglass figure. “This feels way too formal.”
Wil smiled. “All part of blending in.” He adjusted his TSS formal uniform, which displayed ribbons for his numerous commendations—already more than most retiring Agents. The entire affair did feel too formal, but he was in no position to argue about dinner attire when there were bigger issues to address.
A buzz sounded at the door. “Come in,” Wil assented.
Cris popped his head through the doorway from the hall. He was also wearing his TSS formal uniform, decorated with a multitude of his own professional accomplishments. “Ready?”
Wil looked to Saera. She nodded. “Let’s go,” Wil replied. I have no idea how we’re going to get through this dinner.
Cris and Kate—dressed in a modest midnight blue evening gown—led Wil and Saera out of the guest hall toward the formal dining room. The entire wing was designed for entertaining, and many of the decorations were a particularly ostentatious presentation of wealth. Wil found himself trying to calculate how many small planets could be acquired for the value of the materials; he felt pretty confident that the answer was three.
Eventually, they came to a grand set of double doors off of a giant foyer.
“Our Lord and Lady will receive you now,” a servant stated.
Two servants swung open the doors. Inside, a long table was adorned with flowers, candles, and silver serving dishes. At the far head of the table,
Reinen Sietinen stood behind his chair, and his wife, Alana, stood behind her chair to his right.
“Welcome.” Reinen smiled pleasantly at Saera, but he shot a contentious glare toward Cris.
Unphased, Cris led the way into the room with the others following close behind. “Father, Mother, I’d like to present Saera Alexander to you.” He beckoned for Saera to come forward.
Reinen and Alana rounded the table to greet them. Alana gracefully maneuvered the full skirt of her long-sleeve, ocean-colored dress to avoid the chairs. Her hair was grayed from its former blonde, but her face was still surprisingly youthful. Only her wise, sky-blue eyes betrayed her years.
Saera dropped into a polite curtsy next to Cris. “It is my honor,” she said, keeping her luminescent green eyes downcast.
“It is you who do us honor,” Reinen replied, though Wil knew the statement wasn’t genuine.
Saera rose from her curtsy and met Reinen’s gaze. “Thank you for welcoming me into your home.” She looked to Alana. “I feel privileged to be among you.”
“Please, dine with us,” Alana responded, gesturing toward the table.
At least they have the decency to feign politeness.
Reinen and Alana returned to their seats, and Cris sat down to his father’s left with Kate to his other side. Wil and Saera were about to sit next to his parents when Alana stopped them.
“Come sit next to me,” Alana said to Saera.
“Yes, my lady,” Saera affirmed with a bow of her head.
Oh, no. What is she up to? Wil followed Saera to the far side of the table and helped her into her chair before sitting down next to her. As they were getting situated, several of the Sietinen senior staff members entered and took their seats around the table, but one empty chair remained in the middle.
“Now,” Alana began, “how did you two meet?” She included Wil in the question.
“Well, we sort of met on my first day with the TSS during orientation,” Saera replied. “But, we weren’t officially introduced until a few months later when Wil barged into my study room.”
“I wouldn’t say I barged in,” Wil clarified. “You did forget to lock the door, after all.”
“I see,” said Alana. “It would seem that random hallway encounters at TSS Headquarters have replaced our more traditional matchmaking practices.”
I can’t tell if that was an insult or a joke. Wil glanced at Saera. “Space is quite romantic. Past generations were missing out.”
His grandmother gave a subtle smile in response.
They’re judging Saera without even giving her a chance. This isn’t fair. “I was her mentor for most of our early time together. Though I was already a Junior Agent, everyone close to my age was just entering the training program.”
Alana nodded thoughtfully. “That must have been difficult for you.”
“It was at times, but I made it through with Saera’s help,” Wil responded.
“And, in time, you forgot the boundaries that were set for you,” Alana said.
Can this get any worse? Wil glanced at Saera, but she was putting on a brave face. How can I change their mind about her?
A servant glided over and hovered at Alana’s shoulder. She beckoned him, and he bent down to speak to her. “Shall we wait for your final guest?” he whispered, glancing at the empty chair in the middle of the table.
“No, proceed,” Alana instructed.
“Yes, my lady.” The servant bowed and left through the back door.
“Where was I?” Alana mused. “Oh yes, I’ve heard so much about your work with the independent jump drive.”
Great, they’re working me from both sides. But business… this could be a safer topic. “Yes. Is there something you wanted to know?”
“I’m curious about the technology’s use of the existing SiNavTech infrastructure,” Alana said. “What would it take to roll out the drives on a large scale?”
“The drive can operate on its own, but a level of integration is possible.” As Wil began explaining the details to her, a bowl of vegetable soup was brought out to each of the guests. Wil and Saera sipped it as they continued their conversation with Alana about the potential commercialization of independent jump drive navigation technology. When the soup was finished, a main course of fish and risotto was served.
The dinner plates were nearly empty when the missing attendee appeared. Wil came to attention when he heard the back door open. Across the table, Cris visibly tensed as they simultaneously caught sight of Marina Alexri entering the room. As one of Reinen’s Court Advisors, she had been a longtime adversary of Cris despite her brief stint as his telepathy instructor before he left Tararia.
Marina gave a slight curtsy to Reinen. “I apologize for my tardiness.” She was about to take the open chair when she was stopped in her tracks.
“Mom?”
Wil gaped at Saera, who was transfixed by Marina. Wait…
The two women stared at each other as the other dinner guests looked on with bewilderment. Wil waited for Marina to denounce Saera’s comment, say that she must be mistaken and that she had no daughter. But, Marina stood calm and poised, meeting Saera’s piercing gaze. Then, she turned and fled the room through the back door where she’d entered.
Saera leaped from her chair, nearly tripped on her long gown as she ran after Marina.
If Marina is Saera’s mother, that means… Wil dashed after Saera. He found her frozen just outside the door, and sounds of running footfall in the distance echoed through the corridor.
A shudder wracked Saera and she fell to her knees on the marble floor, sobbing. “She—she was here all along?”
Wil knelt down next to Saera, putting an arm around her hunched shoulders. I didn’t see that coming.
* * *
“Everyone out!” Cris bellowed. The advisors darted out of the room through the main door at the front of the room, but Kate and his parents lingered. As soon as the room was cleared and the doors were closed, Cris rounded on his father. “You were intentionally keeping Wil and Saera apart! No wonder you didn’t want her to come here, you knew we’d find out about her true lineage. How could you do this?”
Kate tried to reach out to calm Cris, but he would have none of it.
Reinen was completely taken by surprise. He took a step back. “Cris, I had no idea.”
The rage mounted, the hum of a telekinetic echo filling the air. “Oh, right! She’s on your senior staff—of course you would have known. She was gone for five years!” Of course! That’s why she left Saera when she was four.
Reinen shook his head. “She was on personal leave. I didn’t know where. I swear it.”
Cris lashed out to his father’s mind, searching. Anger and confusion swirled on the surface above cold calculations for the ramifications of the discovery. Beneath it was a deep hurt—something Cris had never sensed in his father’s stoic demeanor before. Reinen was vulnerable and open. No deceit, no lies. Cris recoiled, feeling ashamed for the violation. He took a deep breath. “Well, if Marina really is her mother, then you can’t stop a wedding between Wil and Saera. She’ll qualify under the Advancement Act.”
Reinen hung his head. “That’s true, she would, but—”
But nothing. “I won’t let you stand in the way of this. I won’t allow you do to him what you did to me.”
Reinen’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“All you ever do is try to force people into your vision for who they should be, no matter the personal cost. You wanted me to pretend I didn’t have my abilities—wouldn’t even allow talking about the TSS even though it was the one organization that could bring me into my full self. And now you would forbid Wil from a partnership with Saera, even though he needs her to help him fulfill a purpose far greater than anything you can see from your narrow vantage.”
“Cris, don’t mistake my concern over this family’s future for trying to suppress either of your desires.”
Desires? You would have us deny part
of our very beings. “The ‘family’ is all you think about.”
“It’s all I have.”
Cris shook his head. “I was always just a pawn to you. Just like you’re trying to use Wil now.”
Reinen looked pained. “Is that what you think?”
“When did you ever make me feel any differently?” When you weren’t ignoring me, you were trying to control me.
Reinen cast his eyes down. “Son, I realize now just how much I must have failed you if you truly feel that way.”
Cris’ anger receded, replaced by a hollow sadness. “I know you’re ashamed of me.”
Alana came around the table and looked Cris in the eye. “Never! You’re our son.”
Hah! “Don’t even try to say otherwise now. As a kid, I never saw you. You never took an interest in me.”
“It wasn’t because of you—” Reinen tried to explain.
“Shite!” Cris exclaimed, cutting him off. “If you hadn’t turned down that meeting with the Priesthood right before I left, I would have thought you were behind their attempt on my life a year later.”
Reinen and Alana looked appalled. “Wait… the Priesthood attacked you?” The blood drained from Reinen’s face, making him look his age.
Alana shrank back, not wanting to believe. “Why would—” Her face twisted in anguish. “If they came after you, does that mean…?”
“Tristen’s death wasn’t an accident,” Cris confirmed.
Reinen staggered backwards to steady himself against one of the chairs.
“But why?” Alana cried.
“He was too focused on the Dynasty to suit their militaristic needs. The Priesthood was dissatisfied with me, too, but by then they were out of time and were stuck with me. They were desperate to have their tools to end the war.” Cris caught himself a moment too late. Fok, I shouldn’t have said that.
Reinen tensed, digging his fingers into the back of the chair. “A war? And the Priesthood is involved?”
“I mean, there’s always one fight or another in society,” Cris hastily replied, hoping his statement would be forgotten. It was not the time or place to divulge the war, even though he was eager to expose the Priesthood’s covert manipulations.