by Grace, Viola
She looked out a window on the upper floor and watched the chairs and other equipment being set in place for the wedding. The central archway on the ground floor had been opened, so no one would need to set foot in the house.
Shan walked to her armoire and took out the last two pieces of the outfit. Two compressed swords that would sit on her back, near her shoulders. With those in place, she was ready.
The cuff on her wrist fit perfectly. She took the groom’s set and the other witness cuff and brought it to the tent that Prolan was in.
She opened the flap and saw that Prolan was alone. He was cursing and trying to button the left cuff of his shirt.
“Where is your witness?”
Prolan growled. “My brother has decided he does not wish to be part of the ceremony.”
“Damn. Do you have an alternate?”
“No. He is my brother.” He growled.
Shan walked over and pushed his hands aside to finish with the shirt. “Would you like me to find you an alternate?”
Prolan paused. “Could you?”
“I could. Just let me get your grooming done and your jewels on, and I can go find him.”
She silently pulled on the thread that held Zaber to her. She sent him reassurance but added urgency.
While she tried to explain to Zaber what was going on via their connection, she used the wide soft comb to straighten Prolan’s feathers and another comb to smooth his hair.
A quick check of the buttons of his shirt led to a small adjustment, and then, she was able to open the boxes and drape the heavy jeweled collar onto his body.
“What is this, silver?” He touched the pale metal.
“Platinum.”
“What the hell? This must have cost a fortune!”
Shan chuckled. “You and Tya are worth it. Now, hold still so I can put the cuffs on.”
She decked him out, the collar, cuffs, and earpieces were on him, and the final decoration was the headpiece.
Zaber arrived as she was putting the crown on Prolan. “What can I do?”
“He needs a witness.”
Zaber grinned. “I can manage that.”
She took the witness cuff and locked it around his wrist. “There, now we match.”
He kissed her. “Yes, but now, I can’t help if there is trouble.”
“Don’t worry, Zaber. I need the workout. We will be starting in twenty minutes.” She kissed him and left the men to wait for the signal.
The wedding was back on track.
Shan watched the groom and Zaber take their positions at the crystal podium. She turned to look at Tya. “Ready?”
Tya nodded her bejeweled head slightly. “Ready.”
Shan looked to Isomber. “Activate the shield and start the music.”
He grinned and bowed. “My pleasure. Shield is going on.”
Tya murmured, “Shield?”
“There is an aerial shield against incursion over the rear of the property. If they want to come in, they are going to have to walk.”
Tya giggled and put a hand over her mouth. “Okay. Let’s go.”
They walked down to the main level and out onto the patio. Tya walked ahead, and Shan kept her senses on alert. When the attack started, it sounded like bugs hitting an electrical screen.
The three hundred assembled gasped and looked upward. Shan kept her eyes scanning the crowd. That is where the danger was.
Tya was three steps from Prolan when there was a surge in the crowd, and Demoy moved forward.
“I claim Tya as my bride.”
Tya let out an astonished, “What!” before she let out a string of curses that made Prolan raise his brows.
Shan walked forward. “Claim is registered. Witness will defend.”
Demoy stepped forward, and she reached up and pulled the blades out and down. “Combat zone is to your left. No claims may be filed while this one is being dealt with.”
The men behind Demoy nodded.
Shan marched Demoy to the area set aside for this, and she muttered, “This is really not proving that you are honourable.”
He sneered. “Tya’s family is one of the wealthiest in the region. Why shouldn’t I get a part of that?”
Shan nodded. “Sensible. Now, are you ready to fight?”
He snorted.
Tya raised her hand and dropped it.
It really wasn’t close to a fair fight. Demoy overacted during every attack, and the blade she drove through his wings made him scream. The backstroke of the blade cut his hair, and her left blade went through his side and into the air behind it.
He was on the ground, writhing in pain.
“Do you surrender your claim to Tya?”
He continued to moan, so she cleaned her blades on his wings and carefully grabbed him by the hair. She shook his head. “Do you give up claim to Tya?”
“I do, I do, just send me a medic.” He gritted his teeth.
“After the ceremony. Now, crawl away. I have to meet other challengers.”
She looked at the three men who were standing there, and they made a run for it. Smiling brightly, she looked at the relieved Tya and finished walking her to Prolan.
The rest of the ceremony went smoothly, Demoy was hauled off for medical treatment by the one member of his family who was willing to talk to him, and the happy new couple accepted blessings and gifts that would be passed on to their first child.
Shan trusted her staff, and they didn’t let her down. Every hiccup was dealt with, and the guests were having a good time. Hours passed, and images were taken in front of a riot of flowers. Shan did her tour first with the bejeweled couple, and then, it was Zaber’s time to stand with them.
After his images with the happy couple, Zaber came over to her. “So, you practiced?”
“Yes, for nothing, apparently. I guess I will just have to start advertising for a sparring partner.”
He smiled. “I might be able to help you with that.”
He stood with her and linked his arm with hers. “They are a very attractive couple.”
“Yes, and not just because they are wearing a starship’s ransom on their bodies.” She smiled.
“That does help.”
She chuckled, paused, and said, “I feel I must warn you. My parents are coming to Athon.”
“I believe I should warn you of the same. My mother is very keen to meet you.”
Shan looked into his eyes. “So, what if your mother doesn’t like me?”
“She can get back on her vessel. She will be as enthralled with you as I am.”
Shan wrinkled her nose. “My parents may try to kill you, so I am going to tell you something to say to fend them off.”
“What?”
“Just tell them that I am pregnant. They will calm right down and start aggressively hugging.”
He paused. “I would not lie to them.”
She smiled brightly. “I would not ask you to. It is early days and may not remain, but for this moment, I am carrying. Don’t tell anyone here, though. This is Tya’s day.”
“This is possibly the cruelest thing I have ever heard.” He sulked.
“Deal with it. We have several hours to go before the bridal couple is gone. Also, I think you would want to tell your mother before strangers.”
His eyes widened. “I definitely would. Do you have a com?”
“I do. We can both make the call later. Before we go to bed. I have earned a good night’s sleep. Wedding crud is really complicated on Athon.”
He chuckled. “I look forward to finding out.”
She blinked and stared at him. “What? I thought you were just in this for the breeding contract.”
He smiled and tapped her on the nose. “Then, you have not been paying attention.”
She sighed. “It has been an eventful week.”
He wrapped her in his arms, and they stood together while the party continued around t
hem. When his wings came around her, she smiled at the feeling of being surrounded by him. It was a nice feeling.
There were a few scuffles at the party between the bride’s and groom’s sides, but they were fueled by alcohol. The staff took care of them swiftly.
Zaber leaned down to murmur, “Where did your staff come from? They look familiar.”
“The Argus. They are all staff from that warship, retired two decades ago. They have family, friends, and live nearby.”
He paled. “The Argus. That is impossible. There were no survivors of that ship.”
“Oh, yes. There were. Three hundred and twenty-two survivors. The Athon government declared them dead, but they didn’t want to face the shame of not offering them assistance to recover after the last mission. It was considered demoralizing for the next crew lining up to take out the brand new Neera.”
“I can’t believe... I have so many questions.”
“You can ask Isomber anytime; if he wants to answer, he will. He was the second-in-command who got the ship back to Athon with the survivors. He’s also an excellent butler. All the female members of my staff are married to male members of staff, and all members of staff and guardians of the Akura Forest are from the same ship.” She chuckled. “When we opened the ceremony grounds for weddings, the men were in the ideal position to begin courtships with women who had aged past their prime.”
“So, one year over thirty.”
“Correct. They have homes, family, children, and all within the confines of the forest. That is how I can be so positive that the government cannot claim this as a national forest. It has an indigenous population.” She smiled.
“You planned that.”
“My parents did. We were here on business when the Argus came home. We heard the weeping and saw the stunned faces of the survivors. I hated that expression. They were numb and defeated, so I gave them a purpose.”
“You? Not your parents?”
She wrinkled. “This was my property, and my mother said all decisions about staffing were mine alone. So, small communities were built, the entire area was filled with the oldest trees we could find, and then, natural flora and fauna were inserted to kick start the ecosystem. I think it turned out fairly well.”
He whistled. “You are a force.”
“You are figuring that out now? Perhaps you should have run in the restaurant.”
He grinned. “I couldn’t. I was so aroused from the moment I saw you reclining there, I had only enough strength in my limbs to sit down.”
She smiled. “Good thing you were wearing that tunic. Now, when is the council going to haul me up and tell me that I am an unsuitable breeder?”
He shrugged. “I am guessing that it will be after I announce that you are pregnant. Until then, I am just fooling around in their eyes. Wasting time but not harmful.”
“Ah, I do so love the way we waste time together.” She eased away from him and peeped out of the black satin of his wings. “I think that the couple will be ready to make their exit soon. I need to turn off the security screen.”
“Speaking of Tya, why can she touch you?”
“It is simple. My parents had an inoculation made in case there was anyone who wanted to touch me that I wanted contact with in return.” Shan chuckled. “Tya is a hugger, and she will not be denied. After her first two collapses, my mother offered the inoculation.”
“And you have been friends since.”
“We were friends before. Tya just would not stop hugging me.” Shan smiled. “She’s a good woman, she will raise a good family, and have hugging children.”
“Do you want to raise your children with hers?”
“I want my children to have the stars, as I did. Athon is a lovely world with a very choked society. I want my little ones to see how folks live on the edge of society or survival and to learn to survive that way themselves. Once you do that, anything you have is either useful or annoying.”
He nodded slowly. “I think I understand.”
“Good, because if this little one sticks around, it will be going to Kadura for a proper naming ceremony in two years.”
He cocked his head. “I had one of those.”
“Of course, you did, Ibrik.”
He grinned and squeezed her. “You are still on duty, so let’s finish this wedding.”
With a slow unfurling, he tucked his wings to his back, and they went to meet and mingle with the guests.
Shan paused and told Isomber to release the security, and he nodded with a grin, sliding back his cuff and triggering the release on the energy roof.
The breeze from the tops of the trees swept in and ruffled hair. She smiled and looked toward Tya and Prolan. They were standing with their arms around each other.
It had been hours since the ceremony, and Tya’s was looking glowing but worn.
Shan walked up to her, kissed her on the forehead, and smiled. “You two are ready for your flight.”
Prolan smiled grimly, “I believe that after today, we need a little bit of time away from family before I join Tya’s.”
“Right. As my last official duty, I will see you off.”
She walked them to the open portion of the yard that Tya had selected, hugged Tya, and pulled her blades again as she faced the crowd.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the bride and groom!”
She could see those who had gotten gifts, opening them at this moment. The wide eyes and shocked inhalations were a good sign. When the crowd took up the chant, “The bride and groom!” Shan knew that the gifts had finished off the party.
Prolan smiled, lifted his bride in his arms, and they flew up and then out toward Shan’s villa.
Shan really did want a nice night’s sleep without anything looming in her future, but unfortunately, her parents were making incredible time and had caught the shortest possible route to Athon.
Stress had not finished tinkering in her mind.
Chapter Ten
Shan heard a familiar voice, and she sat up. Zaber was on alert, and he held his wing out, ready to raise it.
“If you were in danger of assassination, you would be dead already, pet.” Her mother’s voice came from the open doorway to the balcony.
“Hello, Mom. You really got here quickly.” She sat up and drew her knees up. “General Ibrik Zaber, this is my mother, Honoured Lady, Mediator of Kadura, Kemsah Abur Win. My father is listening at the door. Ambassador of Kadura, Rodan Abur Nesh.”
The door opened, and Zaber sat up next to her. “Greetings to you both.”
Her mother sat on the edge of the bed and patted Shan’s foot. “So, my little death blossom. What have you been up to?”
“Oh, a bit of this and a bit of that.” Shan smiled.
Her father perched on the footboard, his wingless body lithe and dangerous. “Do you want to keep him, or should I make him disappear?”
Shan took Zaber’s hand, “I am keeping him, Dad.”
Her mother pulled out one of her daggers. “Why?”
Shan shrugged. “Because I want the baby to know its father.”
The blade fell to the bedding, bounced, and clattered on the floor.
Her mother’s eyes welled up. “Already?”
“Early days, Mom. Very early days, but as a first catching, it is pretty nice to know that we can start so easily.”
Zaber frowned. “What are we talking about?”
“Pregnancy. My mom always told me to never count on the first catch becoming a baby.”
“Oh. I see. Well, I don’t know if it matters, but my father had twenty-one children with different women. He had remarkably adaptive semen.” Zaber shrugged.
Her father growled. “How many children are left?”
“Just me. He was a shit father. Taking custody of me and enrolling in the military was a pathetic attempt to keep my father’s bloodline going. I do not carry his name.”
Her mother asked, “Your gover
nment intends that your child is going to enroll in the military?”
“That is the idea. I will fight for the child once it is here.”
Her parents’ gazes met. “We have to go to a meeting. We will be back in two hours.”
Her father silently hopped to the ground and lithely left the room, closing the door. His wife simply disappeared.
Shan exhaled in time with Zaber. “So, what do you think of my parents?”
He blinked. “Are they both assassins?”
“One was a kidnapper for hire, but yeah, they both belonged to the guild. It is how they met.”
Zaber grinned. “Same mark, different agendas?”
“Yes, and it also revolved around the wedding. The bride wanted him kidnapped, the bride’s mother wanted them dead.”
“And so, a true love story was spawned.”
Shan chuckled. “Yup. With a witness to the flagrant consorting that went on between the two as they kept him tied up while they discussed the issue.”
“Now, they represent Kadura.”
“They are considered to be the best of us, and both of them are toxic in the grander scheme of things.” She groaned and pushed the bedding aside, “I guess it is time to get up. Who knows who is going to come into the room next?”
He wrapped his arms around her and tumbled her to the bed. “I agree in theory and will comply only knowing that I will be treated to your solitary company at a later time.”
She kissed him softly. “Eventually. I have no idea how long they are planning to stay.”
Shan was working at the table when her parents returned with Zaber grinning after them.
“Shan, your family is... impressive. And quite a bit terrifying.”
It appeared to be the most lovely of compliments as her mother preened, and her father smirked.
She got up to greet her breeding partner and kissed him. “What did they do?”
“Freed our child from enforced service, gotten any child we conceive the full distinction of being a Kaduran citizen, and had them cease and desist trying to make me spawn with any full Athon citizens.” He sighed. “Our society is just not set up to let the women have children out of a marriage, not that I want any part of me running around and growing up without me.”