No Words Alone (21 page)

It was surprising what a low-tech, cheerful
place the food market was, with open stalls of vegetables lining
the main road. Many eating establishments were just a short walk
away, and all took full advantage of the abundant supply of fresh
fruits and vegetables available in the market. She chose one at
random and ended up having a lovely meal. The waiter, who
introduced himself as Apal, listened carefully to her list of
allergies and recommended a dish. It turned out to be a lovely
braised meat in some kind of savory purple sauce. She’d been so
pleased she’d let him choose dessert, too, and was rewarded with an
incredibly light yet crispy cookie filled with a delectable cream
that oozed out with every bite.

She grinned at him and licked her fingers; a
compliment in the Scorpio culinary world. “I can’t wait to tell my
family about this place! Your chef is a magician.”

He bowed slightly. “You honor our humble
establishment, dear lady.” There was a twinkle in his eye. She
wondered how often newsworthy guests came in and whether she’d
start a trend.

Afterward she went shopping; Ryven had set
her up an impressively stocked bank account, though she was shy
about spending anything. She didn’t make a purchase from the
hopeful vendors. Children were not given gifts on their birthdays
here. Instead, a child was expected to give his mother a flower and
to prepare a special tea or drink for their father. If their
parents were deceased, that honor was transferred to another near
relative, such as an aunt or uncle, grandmother or grandfather.
Adult children might prepare a special meal. Spouses and friends
did not give each other gifts to mark the day.It was a rather nice
custom, but she still planned to celebrate Ryven’s birthday in her
own way, with a gift; whenever it was. She’d have to find out the
date. He could adapt to her customs, too.

She wasn’t sure what he would like: a hazard of
knowing him for such a short time. She had seen his collection of
weapons (of course he had one) but she didn’t know much about
Scorpio blades or the like. Toosun might be helpful there, might
have further suggestions. She wasn’t opposed to going with a simple
gift, either. There might be a favorite dish she could learn to
prepare, or she could give him a massage. She smiled, considering
what fun that might be. If only he would return!

She’d been thinking and walking, and her feet
had taken her to the front of an elaborate building made of
polished black tiles. Silver-tiled steps led up to an impressively
carved crystal door. “What is this?” she asked her escort.

“An art museum. Some of the Lady Tessla’s
paintings are displayed here.”

“Really?” she asked with interest. Of course
she had to check it out. There was nothing like being related to a
famous artist, after all.

She paid the admission for herself and her
escort, and entered the museum. The place was huge, and set up as a
box within a box, so there was plenty to see. She’d gotten about a
third of the way through and was admiring a sculpture of a creature
so alien, she wasn’t sure if it was real or a fantasy of the
artist’s mind, when a harsh laugh caught her attention.

Her bodyguards closed rank before she could
even identify the origin of the mockery. “Leave and you will not be
hurt,” said Xtal, her chief of security.

“This is a public place,” a broken, harsh
voice insisted. “And I have something to say to the woman.”

Curious, Xera tried to see around her
bodyguards, but was stymied by their tall frames. Where did Ryven
find these guys? She’d swear half of them were a hand over six
feet. Sighing, she gently touched the biceps of the two in front
and pushed slightly. “Two inches, please, guys.”

She was reluctantly accorded six. Xtal
explained tersely, “This is Lady Namae’s ex-husband, my lady. Your
husband would not approve of your speaking to him.”

And no wonder. The man before her was a
wreck. His face appeared battered, one cheekbone sunken deeper than
the other. His nose had been badly broken and healed with a twist
that suggested sinus problems. It had been slit between the
nostrils, too, and the upper lip bore a wide scar in the middle. He
had a collar-like device on his neck that allowed him to speak and
breathe, judging from the grill in front. When he spoke, his lips
didn’t move. He opened his mouth and showed her his forked tongue.
“Your husband’s brand of justice, lady.”

She blinked.
Ryven
had done this? When
he’d spoken of breaking Tovark, it had sounded political. Now she
saw it had been physical, too. She wondered if he’d been trying to
spare her the gruesome details. She knew he wasn’t a man to boast
about things like this. She also knew he was ruthless enough to
exact this kind of revenge, but she couldn’t imagine the kind of
beating it would have taken to cause such lasting damage.

Her stomach clenched as she tried, and
failed, to visualize herself delivering such punishment. The knife
work alone…she suppressed a shiver What Tovark had done was bad,
but did he deserve this kind of punishment? She had no good
answer.

She spoke coolly to Tovark, knowing this was
no time for pity. “Then you are unwise to speak to me. He may wish
to finish the job.”

The man blinked. Perhaps he hadn’t expected
such a reply. “I wish to speak to you alone,” he suggested.

“Absolutely not,” she said without
hesitation. Even if she’d been inclined (and she was decidedly not)
her bodyguards would never permit such foolishness. They weren’t
the kind of pansies to be talked into whims that compromised
security. One look at Tovark would remind them of the follies of
displeasing their lord. Not that Ryven would do such a thing to his
own men….

“A pity,” Tovark said. “I had heard you were
forced to become his bride. That cannot sit well with you.”

She raised her brows at his strategy. He
really thought he could create fellow feeling in her? “You believed
I would become your ally?” She shook her head at his folly. “You
overreach yourself. I don’t approve of what happened to Namae,
either.”

His face twisted. “She was a whoring
little….” His speech was ended abruptly; Xtal had stepped forward
and flattened him with one strike.

The security man now stared down at his
unconscious victim and grunted in disgust. “Come, lady. Doubtless
you wish to retire now.” It was an accurate statement, and
something of a command.

Blinking at the speed with which he’d
defended Namae, and with which he would have defended her as well,
Xera let him escort her away. Scorpio bodyguards didn’t put up with
much, apparently.

She asked him about it.

Xtal glanced briefly at her. “I’m charged
with defending all that my lord holds dear. That includes you and
his family. This is what he would have done if anyone spoke in such
a manner in his presence.”

She thought about that and decided she liked
the sentiment, even if it had been a bit rough and ready. “That’s
heartwarming, Xtal. Thank you.” She thought he colored a little,
though he stoically avoided her gaze. To tease him, she added,
“I’ll have to tell your boss he chose well.” Now the man was
definitely blushing.

She sobered, thinking of Ryven. He’d sent her
nightly communiqués, and sometimes over the past few days he’d had
the time to establish a real-time link and exchange a few words.
The situation didn’t permit much more, but at least she knew he was
thinking of her. She’d send him an electronic message, tell him
about her day, commend Xtal and ask him about Tovark. He’d be bound
to have something to say about all that. The odds were good he’d
call in person.

Smiling, she started composing the message in
her head.

Namae was horrified when she heard that Xera had
eaten at a public place without her husband or family. Apparently
it was considered extremely bold, though common women did it all
the time.

“Why?” Xera asked mildly. “My family owned a
tavern, remember? And several inns.”

Namae scowled. “You’re not on your world.
People will think you’re too daring to be ladylike if you do that
here.”

Xera shrugged. “Then I’ll have to be on my
best behavior the rest of the time. Maybe they’ll come to think of
me as merely eccentric. Alien, you know?”

Namae actually rolled her eyes heavenward and
mouthed a prayer.

Xera smiled, picturing Ryven’s face when he
saw this recording. She had been in the middle of her message when
Namae entered, and had left the recorder going. Namae didn’t know.
Though she was taking the girl’s words into consideration, she
couldn’t help provoking her husband’s sister. “My bodyguards didn’t
say anything.”

“Of course not! It’s not their place to
correct their lady.”

“Hm. Well, no harm done. I’ll try to have you
along in the future; if you have time to spare. Shiza seems
determined to have you to himself.”

Namae blushed. “He asked my opinion on
choosing a gift for my brother, if you must know. Toosun’s first
successful voyage as a commander of a starship must be celebrated.
We are very proud of him.”

Xera smiled to herself. “So he took you and
Lady Tessla shopping? How strange. Most men would rather cut off
their right hand than subject themselves to that.”

Namae gave her a droll look that would have
been out of character before last week. “Maybe his foster mother is
pestering him to marry again. If he appears to be courting an
eligible woman, she relents for a time.”

Xera clapped in delight. “You just called
yourself an eligible woman! I’m impressed. My work here is
done.”

Namae merely sniffed. “Since you’re settled,
I have some things to do. Good evening to you.”

“And to you,” Xera called fondly at Namae’s
retreating back. She let herself smile for a moment and then
returned to reporting on her day. Namae didn’t have to hear the
serious parts.

Less than an hour later, Ryven called. He
glowered at her. “You shouldn’t have spoken to him.”

Xera sighed. She’d been sampling a glass of
excellent spirits and felt relaxed. “My love. Have I told you how
handsome you are?”

“I will not be distracted,” he said, though
he visibly mellowed. “At least Xtal kept the interview short.”

“I’d hardly call it an interview. Heaven only
knows what Namae saw in the man.” There was a short silence. “You
certainly left your mark on him.”

Ryven studied her. “The slit nose and forked
tongue is a mark of disgrace. The rest was retribution.”

“I see. I’ll have to avoid making you angry,
then.”

His frown darkened. “You could do nothing,
nothing,
to earn that kind of punishment. Consider what the
man did.”

She did, and sighed. Maybe there was more to
the story she didn’t know. Asking Namae was out of the question,
and she knew her husband didn’t have time for a long discussion.
There were other people she could ask. For now, she said, “I
understand. I suppose I’m more squeamish than you are.”

He relaxed a fraction. “You are a woman.
That’s to be expected.”

She choked slightly. “Those are fighting
words, buddy!”

That made him smirk. “Then I’m lucky you are
squeamish, aren’t I?”

She opened her mouth then shut it. Sometimes
a hasty reply was the wrong approach. Instead she said mildly, “So,
tell me about the Leo girl. Did she tell you anything today?”

Ryven looked frustrated. “She stares at us
vacantly, as if she’s mind-damaged. If she is faking, it is an
excellent ploy. I can’t stomach it for long.”

Xera looked at him sideways. “Is she
pretty?”

His mouth dropped open a fraction. “Are you
jealous at a time like this? She is pale and...
limp
. I could
never desire such a; are you laughing?”

She smirked, amused and pleased that they’d
developed such a comfortable rapport so easily. “Sorry. I’m just
missing you. I’ll try to tease you about something else.”

“Please.” He paused and seemed to reorder his
thoughts. “The repairs are going well. We should return in the next
hand of days.”

She perked up. “Really? That’s great! I can’t
wait to see you, and all joking aside, I’d really like to meet that
alien girl.”

“We’ll see. I have to go. Keep yourself well.
I’m looking forward to seeing you, too.” The heated look in his
eyes told her how much. He closed the connection.

She blinked at his abruptness. Well, what had
she expected? He wasn’t going to get sentimental over a
communication line, as it were. She’d just have to coax his
feelings out of him in person…though she did feel a dash inpatient
with him. Was it really so hard to tell a woman that he cared?

That night she had a nightmare about the Khun’tat.
She woke in a sweat and couldn’t get back to sleep, so she settled
for watching entertainment programs and thinking about the day.
Knowing someone would be awake, she called her security team. After
assuring them she was fine, just having bad dreams, she requested a
report on Tovark, starting with the time just before his marriage
dissolved. If they were surprised, the men showed no sign. They
said it was possible and would look into it. She thanked them and
went back to watching movies until she fell asleep on the
couch.

She staggered blearily through dance class
the next morning and spent some time in the flight simulators,
grateful that Ryven had forwarded permission. She was making a tiny
bit of progress on the navigation and weapons systems. Sometimes
she wondered if engineers made ships systems complicated on
purpose, but learning kept her busy. She was steadily making her
way through the flight manuals.

She’d told Namae about her studies, but the
young woman was uninterested. She’d taken one look at the amount of
information there was to learn and winced. “There are pilots for
that sort of thing,” she’d said.