by S. J. Madill
Pari nodded. "Good. Then the Imperial Concubine approves."
Zura rolled her eyes. "Not this again. Consort, Pari. Your title is 'Imperial Consort'."
"Nope. Concubine. It's better."
"Honestly," Zura sighed. "I looked it up. In your ridiculous language, if you're a concubine, I have to be male."
"You aren't. I'm a doctor, and I checked. And I don't care; I prefer 'concubine'."
Zura was about to protest, but saw the impish grin on Pari's face. "You're doing this to irritate me."
"Yes."
"Nsal 'neth," she muttered.
"Language."
Zura rolled her eyes again, and turned toward the sound of boots approaching. Yaella had returned with three steaming mugs on a tray. "Here," she said. "Tea and coffee."
Zura accepted a mug, and sniffed at the steam as Yaella sat down next to her. "When did you start drinking so much coffee?"
Yaella blew across the top of her mug. "It's pretty much mandatory at the naval academy." She took a sip. "Oh! Did I tell you about Tal?"
"You did not."
"So… Bucky and Lanari are back and forth to Union space every few weeks." Yaella gestured with her mug as she spoke. "They're making a fortune with the Blue Guardian: ten times what I ever made. Anyway, they saw Tal. He's been selected to be part of next year's Daal." She laughed; it was a musical sound Zura never tired of hearing. "Can you believe it? Tal, in the government? He's going to be beside himself."
Pari leaned forward, talking across Zura to Yaella. "So how are Bucky and Lanari?"
"You should see them. They're hilarious. He looks like he's caught a tiger by the tail and is hanging on for dear life. And she's doing great: the first time I saw her in normal clothes, I wasn't sure it was her."
Pari smiled, jerking her head toward Zura. "Same with your mother. First time I saw her without a uniform, I didn't know what to do. Next up, I'm going to get her into a dress."
"No, you're not," said Zura. She saw Pari wink at Yaella.
She leaned back against the bench and crossed one knee over the other. The sounds of Pari and Yaella talking faded away as she concentrated on the sound of the surf and the movement of a single cloud against the endless blue sky.
"Mom?"
Zura looked at Yaella sitting next to her. Those blue eyes, so full of energy. The girl had her whole life ahead of her, and everything she needed to face it. "Yes, daughter?"
"You're smiling."
"Yes," said Zura. "Yes, I am."
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