Courting Kel (21 page)

“Why? What would you have done?”

“Nothing to hinder them!” Hearing the asperity in her own
voice, Kel shrugged an apology. “Storr— Your people have done so much, while
Basalia and Amazonia have contributed little if anything.”

“Untrue, Kel. Your women brought their skills as farmers.
This planet was not always so lush, nor its fields so fertile. More than
feeding their families, they gave their mates serenity and a sense of
accomplishment. Of freedom.”

Storr’s bellow preceded Basalia’s shriek.

“And we have brought them chaos,” Kel observed, cringing.

“Pray to heaven that will end tonight.”

Aren tugged on her hand but Kel refused to move. “What if
the people resent us? They have formed their own governments. Established their
own businesses. Built homes and roads without help or interference from our
parents or us.”

A smiling couple, holding hands, approached them. The
white-haired woman bobbed a curtsy, the gray-haired man bowed. Two pairs of
bright blue eyes studied them with delight and welcome.

“We came here years ago,” the man said in a deep basso.

“With the promise of having a new queen and king—”

“King and queen,” the man corrected as if this was a
long-standing albeit good-natured argument.

“To give this world equal standing with Amazonia and
Ondrican,” the woman finished, her expression one of loving exasperation.

“Meaning no disrespect to Ondrican or Amazonia.”

“No apology—” Kel began.

“Is needed,” Aren finished.

The older couple’s grins widened. Apparently finishing a
mate’s sentences was a good thing. “Majesties, we welcome you to your new
home,” the man said.

“On behalf of all your people,” the woman added, winking at
Kel and Aren.

“May we know your names?” Kel asked.

“Merry,” the woman replied.

“Nicolas,” said the man.

Aren laughed and stuck out his hand. “Your names remind me
of Gavigainm. It is my favorite holiday.”

“And mine,” Kel replied, offering her hand to Merry. Amidst
their overlapping laughter, the couples shook hands.

“It is our favorite holiday as well,” the older couple said
as one.

“Allow us to show you your new home.”

“Tak,” Aren and Kel replied, smiling at each other when
their voices blended in a single response.

Merry looped her hand around Aren’s elbow and led the way
down a wide path bordered with shade trees.

“My Amazonian warrior still appreciates a handsome man,”
Nicholas said, shaking his head. “By your leave.” He offered his arm to Kel.

Placing her hand on his, Kel said, “Lead on. And please tell
me about yourself and Merry and…” She laughed. “I feel like a fish on dry
land.”

“Merry and I have lived here thirty years. We came after our
oldest son was born. He is married and has given us three grandchildren—a boy
and two girls. Our daughters—three beauties if I say so myself—remind me of
Merry when we were young. Two are mated in Amazonia fashion. The third—” He
slanted Kel a wry smile. “Wants to see what life is like on Ondrican and
Amazonia before she settles for one man or one planet. I told Merry we should
have chosen her name rather than letting her pick her own.”

“Ondrican fashion, I believe.” From somewhere overhead a
songbird trilled, a lovely welcome to her new home.

“Yes.”

“What name did she choose for herself?”

“None as yet. Next summer she’ll select her name. Just now
she’s vacillating between Sailor and Traveler.”

“She sounds determined to have her own way,” Kel observed,
squelching a laugh at the girl’s stubbornness and silently approving of it.

“That she is. Reminds me of Merry when we were young.
Determined not to let me leave Amazonia with our son—despite the hardships
coming here brought her.”

“She must love you a lot.”

“She loves our son a lot.” He chuckled as if the memory were
bittersweet. “Chose to come here with me rather than go to Ondrican for The
Choosing. She said that was too much like mating rituals on Amazonia and
claimed she’d rather stay with the devil she knew.”

Kel glanced at Aren as he laughed at something Merry said.
Oh
yes.
The devil she knew was a fine devil indeed.

“But she grew to love you?”
What if Aren never says the
words? Can we still build a life together—one like Merry and Nicholas have?

“Admitted it when she birthed our third son. Admitted it
even as she cursed me up, down and sideways for not giving her daughters.”

“But you have—”

“Three girls, yes. Seems as if her saying she loved me…
Well, the gods blessed us with our daughters.”

“Six children.” Kel gulped, looking around for any signs of
technology. “Have you hospitals?”

“Yes. And clinics for care until the hospital’s needed. Our
first five were born at home. Merrythree… Well, we thought we were too old to
have another child.” He shrugged and his smile widened. “A trial at birth, a
trial still.”

“And well loved.” Kel murmured, her free hand on her belly.

“Well loved, yes.”
That goes without saying
echoed in
his voice.

Nicolas cleared his throat and pointed ahead. “We had a fine
series of arguments about your home. The women argued you’d feel more
comfortable in a single-story round house. We men insisted Aren should feel
comfortable as well.”

“You found a way to compromise?”

“See for yourselves,” Merry and Nicholas said together.

Aren took Kel’s hand. Walking together, they rounded a curve
in the wide path, halting as one when they saw their new home.

Built of wood and stone and glass, it reminded Kel of the
Princesses’ Palace and Aren’s country lodge. It rose four stories without a
single angle visible—every corner rounded, which recalled her Amazonian heritage,
its height a tribute to Aren’s.

“It’s—” Aren began.

“Beautiful,” Kel finished.

“Tak. We all recalled features from our visits to Basalia’s
and Storr’s offices.”

“We kept most of those confined to your official quarters in
town,” Nicolas explained.

Merry continued. “But rulers are seldom truly off duty so—”

“We included offices and receiving rooms for each of you
here.”

“And a large receiving room for grand occasions,” Nicholas
finished once again, as if his were the final word on the matter.

“But not so grand as the receiving room for your wedding
feast. Which will be in town.” Merry grinned at her husband who gave an
exasperated sigh as he smiled back.

“It’s—” Kel began.

“Overwhelming,” Aren said, gently squeezing Kel’s trembling
hand. “Excitement over our wedding.”

Kel laughed and swiped away her tears. “Aren blames every
mood swing on…” She blushed.

Merry and Nicolas chuckled. “We know all—”

“About excitement. Six children taught us well.”

With that they went inside. Not through the ornately carved
double-door grand entry but through the back, into a cook room filled with
mouthwatering aromas and polished cabinets.

“I think Aren will be able to store all his pots and lids
together,” Kel observed, running her hands along the countertop. It warmed her
fingers. Fascinated, she touched it in another place and felt her fingers
chill.

“Caton would love this cook room,” Aren said, lifting a pot
lid and inhaling deeply.

“Rolt soup,” Merry told them.

“And yes, the countertop keeps it the perfect warmth.”

Moving to Kel’s side, Mary held up a large piece of pale
pink flesh by its dark red tail. “And maintains the phirma perfectly cold.
Taste.”

They did. Then Aren returned his attention to the
countertop. “We have nothing like this on Ondrican.”

“We know,” Merry and Nicholas chorused.

“Not here a day and already scheming to trade,” Kel
observed.

“I learned the trait from my wife…to-be,” Aren said mildly,
as if heeding Kel’s warning glare. As if sensing she still clung to the notion
they weren’t already married.

“We’ll leave you to explore,” Merry said as she took
Nicholas’ hand.

“Please eat with us,” Kel invited, spying bowls and flatware
farther down the countertop.

“Yes,” Aren agreed. “We would like to hear more about your
planet.”

“Your planet, now, as well,” Nicholas said.

“What do you call it?” Kel asked.

“Home. We call it Home.”

“They’re charming,” Kel said as she and Aren watched the
older couple stroll away, hand in hand.

“You don’t think them odd? Finishing each other’s sentences
like that?”

“I did at first. Now I think it shows how two people from
different worlds can come together. How they can manage to build a life
together and a home. Together.” To her chagrin she sounded wistful.

Hugging her, he murmured, “Then there’s hope for us.”

“I’m beginning to believe that, Aren. That there’s always
hope.”

* * * * *

Early the Next Morning

Lying in the massive canopied bed in their official town
residence, Aren sifted a thick strand of Kel’s silky hair through his fingers,
delighted with the various colors the candlelight exposed in it. A bit of gold
at the tips, myriad shades of red and gold between, ruby near her scalp.

“What are you doing, Aren?”

“Learning more about my lady wife.”

“I am not your wife, m’lord.” Her voice contained a note of
resentment.

“In ten hours you will be.” He refused to let her pick a
fight—not on the eve of their formal wedding ceremony. After which she could no
longer deny their marriage.

“We should not be together now. Basalia says—”

“Since your mother never wed, what does she know about marriage
rituals?”

“Enough to know other worlds prohibit the bride and groom
seeing each other before the ceremony.”

“Ever?” he teased.

Planting her sharp elbow in his belly, she sat up and
frowned at him. “If we don’t get some sleep, everyone on three planets will
know how we spent this night. All they’ll notice are the bags under my eyes.”

“Seeing my sated expression, every man will envy me.” He
pulled her down and soothed her from nape to buttocks. “When we are very, very
old we’ll think about this night.”

“Hmm.”

“Kel? Have you given any thought to what we shall do with
ourselves once everyone goes home?”

“We do seem superfluous, don’t we?”

“Mostly, yes. Certainly on a local level.” It pleased him
that their minds had taken the same path. But then they were accustomed to
being involved with their people. Bred and trained to rule.

Her fingers stilled on his chest. “Then we should think in
broader terms—planetary terms.”

“And interplanetary as well. The stones in our countertops
are a valuable resource. While Merry and Nicolas think of them as natural
accessories to their lives here, unscrupulous rulers elsewhere—”

“Like our parents?” Kel suggested, her tone wry.

He felt her smile against his chest. “Yes and others even
farther away. They may want the stones to develop weapons.”

“If I’m following your thoughts, we need treaties that
clearly define prohibited uses. The danger in that is that those prohibitions
may lead to unscrupulous rulers exploring the illegal possibilities. How can we
prevent misuse?”

“Inspections at unscheduled times.”

“I’ve read about that approach. Even on one planet, it
seldom worked. Perhaps we should wait awhile before trading that commodity.”

“Or build an army to protect it.”

Kel sat up, her eyes swirling with so many colors Aren could
not determine her mood. “A sop to my vanity, m’lord?”

“No! A necessary development to protect our people and our
resources.”

“Guan—”

“You promised, Kel. No more swearing.” The rebuke came out
sharper than he’d intended.

“When you lie it’s difficult to restrain myself. Besides, we
aren’t in public.”

“I didn’t lie.” He sat up as well, rising anger making him
want to pace. But he wanted to show her that they belonged together wherever
they happened to be, so remained on the bed. “Once the rest of the galaxy discovers
Home, we will need to defend ourselves.”

“Then let us refrain from being discovered. Our people have
lived here for decades without our knowledge.”

“Our parents knew. Their parents knew.”

“I have spent my entire life defending Amazonia. I’m ready—past
ready—to put down my weapons.”

Her placating tone made him angrier. “Are you also prepared
to surrender Home to our enemies?”

“What enemies? Ondrican’s enemies? Storr’s and your
enemies?” Asperity laced her response.

“Amazonia has more ill-wishers than Ondrican. Other worlds
have sent invaders to your homeworld. Other men have survived your torment and
returned to their homes. Other rulers desire your women and your limited
resources.” He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her.

“Ondrican is our closest foe. Your homeworld is the greatest
threat to Home and to Amazonia.”

“Our marriage makes us allies, Kel.”

“We. Are. Not. Married.”

“We are!” Aren waved away more reasonable arguments and
seized Kel’s hands. “I’m willing to endure this second ceremony because I know
it’s important to you. But as far as I’m concerned we are—”

“NOT!”

“Married.”

A thousand reasons why she shouldn’t leave rushed through
Kel’s mind. But she was too furious to heed them.
We’ve been through this so
many times I’m sick of it!

Basalia’s voice entered the melee in Kel’s brain.
I think
you are afraid, Keleos. Afraid of these new responsibilities. And frightened to
death Aren will never love you as you love him.

Guanshit!
she thought as she jerked her hands from
his and surged to her feet. Donning her robe, she strode to his hallway door.
“In the morning I shall return to Amazonia. If I am pregnant… When our babe is
born I’ll notify you of its sex. If a boy…” She choked on the tears clogging
her throat. “I’ll send him to you. If a girl, you’ll never hear from me again.”