by Gail Gernat
Lord Tavi languidly waved his hand at her. “Ah yes. You are one of those working aristocrats who give the rest of us a bad name. Well please, don’t bore us with tales of your wonderful occupation.”
“Why milord, I would not dream of it. I do have some plans for further adventure/recreations you might enjoy.”
All the Lords and Ladies dropped their languid poses.
“Something new?” inquired Lady Koom.
“Not entirely new, actually very ancient” replied Lady Kirbyson. “You see in my historical reading I came across descriptions of an endurance race. A race of often two or three hundred klicks. One rider, one horse on a prescribed course against maybe twenty or thirty competitors. A real test of skill and hardiness. I thought to see this week if I could interest anyone in such a competition.”
“Will there be betting on the outcome?” asked Lady Felina.
“Undoubtedly, there will be wagering as to the mettle of the man and beast,” interrupted Lord Sutherland.
“Ah, something to get the juices flowing” replied Lord Tavi, rubbing his hands together.
“A race lasting a couple of days perhaps?” asked Lady Amelia. “That would be perfect. These races tomorrow are over so quickly one has hardly time to enjoy them.”
“I’m sure it would be more thrilling than show jumping. That is such a total yawn,” Lord Tavi put in.
“I will be surveying the crowd tonight to check on the interest. I take it all of you at the table would be favorable?” questioned Radhya.
Murmurs of assent greeted her last statement. She relaxed back into her chair, smiling.
Finishing the last bite of her dessert she looked at Lady Felina, saying, “If you will excuse me now, I will fetch Kung for you to see.”
Radhya rose and glided across the banquet room trailed by her three guards. Returning to her room, she put a new golden collar on Kung and attached a braided gold lead, studded with emeralds. Then they returned to the crowd of aristocrats.
Oh’s and Ah’s followed their progress across the floor, interrupting the musicians who were just tuning up their instruments in the ballroom. Extra slaves crowded around the tables as they cleared away the remains of the banquet. Radhya led Kung straight to Lady Felina.
“Milady, this is Kung,” she introduced, “and I would warn you against trying to pet him. He is not the cuddly type.”
She heard a snicker from one of the bodyguards behind her.
“Oh, pooh,” said the Princess. She bent over to pet Kung. The lynxcat backed and fluffed his fur, hissing at her. Lady Felina snapped her hand back.
“Well, I never! You were not joking,” she said frostily.
“No, milady. You see these have been carefully tailored and bred as bodyguards. Kung guards me....”
“And I wouldn’t put his reflexes to the test. I did and paid for the consequences,” came the voice of Lord Barone from behind her.
Radhya’s men circled her and kept Barone from approaching any closer.
“Oh Noel, what happened?” inquired Felina.
“I was testing the reflexes of her bodyguards, who after all trained at my facility, and this little beast sank his claws and teeth into my leg. Fortunately, the medical facilities here are excellent,” said Barone craftily.
“But still, how perfectly dreadful,” cooed the Princess. “Is it safe to have him in such a crowd?”
“As long as no one tries to harm me or to pet him I think he will be absolutely safe,” answered Radhya glaring at Barone from behind Max.
“Now the first dance is about to start, Radhya,” broke in Noel. “I think I should partner you in it.”
“Do you now?” snorted Radhya. “I am sorry Lord Barone, but Lord Tavi was to be my partner.”
Handing Kung’s leash to Max, she held out her hand to the vapid young Lord dressed in pale green. His golden curls bobbed uneasily in response.
“Ah yes, of course, Lady Kirbyson, that is quite the honor. I shall be delighted to lead the dance with you. Ah, with your permission, of course, Noel,” he replied glancing uneasily into Lord Barone’s raging face.
“You don’t need his permission, only mine,” stated Radhya emphatically.
She led Lord Tavi to the middle of the gigantic dance floor and nodded to the musicians. They struck up an ancient tune called a waltz. Many aristocrats and their spouses soon joined them on the floor.
“What a perfect foil,” exclaimed Princess Felina, clapping her hands together. “He is so fair and light against her darkness. An absolute picture. Maybe you will have some competition, Noel.”
The princess whispered to one of her bodyguards. The woman aimed a holomera at the waltzing pair.
“Princess, since the love of my life has abandoned me, would you console my grieving spirit in the dance?” Lord Barone asked her.
The princess gave him her hand and giggled as he led her into the melee.
Chapter 7
As the orchestra swung into a more modern tune, Lady Kirbyson returned to her guards waiting by the door. Lord Tavi vanished quickly in search of less stressful partners.
“I think trouble is brewing,” Radhya told her men. “Felina and Noel are whispering together in a way I don’t like.”
“Maybe you are a bit jealous of his paying her some attention,” murmured Padr.
Radhya gave him a withering look. The conspiring couple soon joined them.
“Oh my dear, oh my dear,” began Lady Felina excitedly, “Noel and I have the most perfect plan. You two are to be contracted after the big race tomorrow.” She clapped her hands.
“What!” yelled Radhya, “I don’t think so!”
“But my dear, he is ever so perfect a match for you. He would advance your status two hundred points. And he loves you dearly.”
“Princess for one, Noel Barone loves only a profit. He wants what he can make from me. For two, I can take care of my status myself. For three I am far too busy to take a spouse at this time,” spoke Radhya in a tightly controlled voice.
Lord Barone stood smirking behind the Princess.
“Oh pooh,” she replied, “I am single digit status and if I decide to order you I can, and I shall, or you will lose all status and go down to freedman rank on every world in the Commonwealth. Noel will have your property in compensation. I cannot believe you would be so foolish.”
“You would remove my status because I don’t wish to contract on your command?” questioned Radhya aghast.
“Why yes. It is our royal wish.”
“I could fight this in the courts, with the proctors,” argued Radhya. “I will simply ask my father to make it a royal command from the king. No court will deny him. You will lose.”
Radhya turned her back and thought furiously for a few minutes. She breathed deeply. Will and Padr were looking at her in alarm. Max, holding Kung’s leash, looked almost ready to panic. Radhya touched each man on the arm in turn. She stood looking into Padr’s blue eyes.
“Well what is your answer?” demanded Princess Felina.
Radhya answered coolly, “Milady, it is in no way I want to go against your will, but doesn’t every woman dream of her contract day as being very special. Even the freedmen make a special celebration for their weddings. You know what we woman want, a fancy gown, cakes, parties, family, flowers, the ceremony itself. Doesn’t every little girl dream of that?”
Felina clapped her pudgy hands together. “Yes, yes of course.”
“But milady,” continued Radhya, “if I contract tomorrow, my family isn’t here; there would be no special gown, flowers, cakes, parties or any such wonderful things. I do not want to share my special day with a major horse race either. I would need a decent interval to prepare. Isn’t the preparation at least half the fun?”
“Oh yes, yes,” cooed Lady Felina. “Noel, you wicked boy, you told me she wouldn’t be sentimental about such things and yet look how dismayed she looks at the thought of not having them.”
Barone replied, “Forg
ive me, Princess, perhaps I don’t know Radhya as well as I thought. How romantic to think about getting to know her better. Would a month from now be acceptable?”
Both Radhya and Felina looked at him in horror.
“Oh no. These things take many months to get just right; sometimes even more than a year,” said the Princess.
“I know,” exclaimed Radhya,” I have absolutely the most perfect idea!”
“Do tell!” begged Felina.
“I was planning to apply to host the status review. I am sure your highness could get the status review committee to choose Pleasant as the review site, and if so, I could have a contract day after the review. The entire aristocracy would be there. Why your royal father could escort me to the podium. A fantasy for any girl. And I would be so grateful too if you could help me plan the entire thing, your taste and style is known far and wide.”
Princess Felina glowed with pleasure, giving Radhya a suffocating hug.
“How perfect, how absolutely perfect!” she sighed. “Two years is just enough time to plan such a contracting. Moreover, your status can be all settled the day before. Yes, it’s perfect.”
Radhya interrupted, “that is of course if my status does not exceed Noel’s, on my own merits. Then the joining would be of no benefit to me at all.”
Everyone laughed. “Of course, my dear. We couldn’t have you contracting beneath you, could we? But tomorrow, you must commit and exchange betrothal presents. Yes?” questioned Felina.
“If Lord Barone wishes an unwilling fiancé and if it is your wish milady,” answered Radhya.
“I cannot thank you enough Princess,” interrupted Lord Barone. “By myself, I could never get her to agree.”
Radhya gave him a sour look. “I can’t guess what you want for a betrothal present. Perhaps something to make something larger?”
“Delicately put, my Lady. You could give me no greater pleasure, and your pleasure too, no doubt,” said Noel.
Bowing to the royals present, Radhya headed for the door. She muttered under her breath as she went up to Dave, who was at the entrance to the foyer.
“Dave, see that everyone is comfortable. They can drink and dance as late as they want. See them all to bed and close things down for me. I have to go home. Don’t let anyone follow me, especially that odious Barone.”
“Yes, milady.”
She strode across the foyer and out into the night. The air was cooling compared to the funk inside. The Milky Way spread a chequered carpet overhead, making it bright enough to walk without a light. Around the track, moonflowers glowed with a cool white radiance adding their offering of light to the night. The Lady went very quickly, and the men had to hurry to keep up. Max slipped the leash from Kung who bounded ahead.
On the trail to the house, it was darker, much darker. The woven branches intercepted the light from the sky overhead. A fair piece down the trail, Kung let out a warbling yowl. A violent snort exploded just ahead as the people halted. A huge shadowy body bounded off the trail.
“Milady,” Padr caught her arm.
She touched his hand. “It’s okay. Kung scared it away. Giant red deer, very cranky. They don’t usually come onto the trail. We are safe from it with Kung, but watch out for dire wolves. They hunt the deer, and I don’t control most of them. They would eat Kung in one bite.”
They hurried along more quickly, as close to running as Radhya could get in the long gown. The gates loomed darkly in front of them, sparkling faintly with electricity.
“Padr, I want you to plant moonflowers along the path when this race is over.”
Padr nodded at her as she pressed the touchpad and spoke to the gate. Reading her genetic code and voiceprint, it silently glided open. On the other side, she shut and sealed the gate again. They sped on.
At the house, Radhya flew up the stairs, straight to lab two. The bodyguards followed while Kung greeted his mother and sisters.
“Will, assist by going to the archive file and getting Barone’s DNA code. Padr mix my unzipping cocktail and reduce it to a tablet. Max, I need the rezipping cocktail, 300 ml. Make it taste very bad.”
Geo came in as Radhya got to work. In a hard, tight voice, Radhya outlined the disaster at the ball. Shaking his head, he shuffled off.
Radhya, Padr, Max, and Will worked all night. Just before the sun rose, they examined their efforts, a small white tablet, a very large purple capsule, and a bottle of thick, blue liquid. Radhya packaged them carefully in a colorful box with a red ribbon.
“The first race is at noon. Get some sleep. I’ll see you downstairs at 11:00,” Radhya told the men.
As the men all stumbled off to sleep, Radhya used her wrist comp to talk to Geo. She arranged for him to handle the preparation for the race and told him to get Aninya to oversee breakfast at the visitor’s center, the light buffet lunch at the track and the final banquet for the evening gala. Then Radhya stumbled off to her own bed for a couple hours of sleep.
Chapter 8
All too shortly, Radhya’s time sense awakened her. Laid out on her dressing table were beautiful sea green pants, tunic, and hooded robe. The robe had waves embroidered around its hem in shades of green that shimmered and ran like water. Combs for her hair were set on top. They were a solid material resembling water. Under the clothes was a note from Aninya saying she had sent a gown and accessories for tonight’s banquet to Radhya’s room at the visitor’s center. Radhya blessed her as she stumbled into the shower to begin preparations for the day.
She met her bodyguards downstairs, and they retraced their route of the night before. She was soothed on the walk by the songbirds and lizards. Radhya gave the present to Will to carry in Max’s new invention, a special stasis pouch on his belt.
At the track, people were milling everywhere. Many more than the participants had obviously arrived this morning. Additional people were thronging through the gate. Radhya checked the boards for the odds on her horses. The distaff mile was the third race, and Secretary was 100 to 1. The fifth race was a mile and a half. Tango Dancer was 87 to 1 in it. The Helix Cup, which was to be a major annual race, was sixth. Son-O-War was 237 to 1.
Radhya smiled and headed for the betting comps. After wagering a small fortune on her horses, she retired to her owner’s box. A light buffet was laid out, as per her instructions. She tucked in ravenously.
“Each of you grab something here. Just don’t let anyone see you,” she told them.
Padr watched as Max and Will gobbled down the sandwiches. As slaves showed up to replenish the trays, they glanced from the corners of their eyes at the slaves eating at the royal’s buffet.
“Radhya, my dearest,” Noel slid into the box trailed by Princess Felina. “I have a little-written contract for you. Just so our deal is binding.”
Princess Felina was wringing her hands.
“I don’t think much of you treating your fiancé this way,” she scolded.
“But my dear Princess, how could I bear it if after you left, Radhya decided to renege on our verbal agreement?” Noel said condescendingly.
“Oh dear, I suppose you must love her a lot, but it is just not romantic to make her sign a contract to contract with you,” Felina whined.
Radhya said, “Oh I don’t mind.”
Noel looked from under lowered brows.
“As long as my conditions are met I am agreeable to sign this thing. However, if it does not say that if my status, on my own merits, exceeds his, then everything is off,” Radhya commented.
“But my dear,” replied Felina, “You know the odds of that are astronomical.”
“Yes, I know, but I want it in hard copy anyway. After all, the penalty is here in writing. ‘If the contractee,’ that is me, ‘fails to perform by signing the merger contract no later than the day after the status review, she shall be stripped of all status and lands and estates and patents and be relegated to the ranks of freedmen, with no possibility of review.’ So I think my clause should be included as well.”
“Oh dear, I didn’t want Noel to put that in there. It is one thing to say such a thing to persuade a reluctant bride, but another to threaten it in writing. I am so sorry my dear,” explained Princess Felina.
“What hold does Barone have on you to make you do this?” inquired Radhya.
Felina’s eyes grew wide, and she blushed, shaking her head.
“At least Princess, make my contract day beautiful will you?”
Felina perked up and began to sparkle. “Oh Radhya, I give you my word that your contract day will be the most beautiful one since my mother and father joined. I’ll see to it. And this place is so beautiful. Until, yesterday, I never realized how truly unusual and gorgeous this place is. With this, I can do miracles. It is even more spectacular than Junction.”
“Thank you milady,” said Radhya bowing her head at the compliment.
More high-status aristocrats came by as the time for the first race approached. Without exception, the visitors expressed appreciation for the track and surroundings.
Lord Desmoinnis stayed to watch the first race with them. He was dressed in conservative dove grey, his florid jowls an intrusion in the color pattern for his hair was the same grey as his robe. His colt, Socail, was in the first race. It was 2 to 1 to win. Noel Barone’s Killer was at 30 to 1, and Barone sputtered about ignorant idiots.
Lord Barone put his arm possessively around Radhya’s shoulders. She shook her head as Max and Padr moved to shift him. As the trumpets sounded for the parade to post, Noel led her to the front of the box. She extracted herself politely. Noel pointed out a big, bony, solid bay. The jockey was dressed in Noel’s scarlet red livery.
Socail was a grey with a white star and a white sock. His livery was dove grey and beet red.
“That’s my Killer. He should wipe the track with these lesser horses,” Noel bragged.
“Socail is no slouch. He’ll give your colt a run for his money,” Lord Desmoinnis stated.
“My colt running in the fifth, is half-brother to Socail,” Radhya said, “and the stud I bought for my breeding farm is a full older brother to Killer. So I will watch this race with great interest.”