No Words Alone (26 page)

Something in Toosun’s manner must have
triggered Rysing’s annoyance, for she added coolly, “Of the family
Naktoon, rulers of the Mountain District.”

“And will Daddy be suing for peace when he
finds we hold his daughter?” Toosun asked. He’d clearly felt the
snub.

“Hardly, since he sent me to the flesh eaters
in the first place.”

Xera held up her hands. “Children, please!
I’m too young for an ulcer. Play nice, wouldn’t you? It’s been a
long time since Rysing saw the outdoors, and I’d hate to ruin that
for her.” She gestured for the girl to walk deeper into the
gardens.

With a last nasty look at Toosun, the
Leo-Ahni complied.

Xera looked her rebuke at her husband’s
brother.

He shook his head. “Don’t be taken in by her.
We don’t know enough to trust her.”

“Nor enough to condemn her,” she replied
pointedly. “Are you forgetting how you met me?”

“You were not found on a Khun’tat ship.”

“Just a GE one,” she said tartly. “And I’m
alien, too.”

“Humans are occasionally acceptable,” he
remarked, with a reasonableness that bordered on patronizing. “But
that is not who we’re discussing.”

Ryven had been silently during the exchange,
but he raised his hand when it was clear the argument would
continue. “You are both too stubborn to win with words alone, and
you are both right. Besides, we were in the middle of welcoming you
home, brother.”

Toosun looked a little nonplussed. Maybe he
wasn’t used to his brother practicing diplomacy. “Hm. Yes.” He
glanced down at Xera’s middle and smiled. “And I was here to offer
my congratulations.”

Xera frowned at him. “Does everybody
know?”

“Of course.” Toosun studied her face. “You
are happy, aren’t you? Our family is ecstatic.”

She grunted and looked away.

Ryven answered his brother’s sharp glance
with a look that promised more speech later. “She doesn’t like
surprises.”

Toosun had nothing to say to that.

Toosun waited impatiently until they’d “put
away the pet,” and then joined Ryven on a short walk to his private
rooms. Toosun took out his best liquor and joined his brother at
the kitchen table. He seemed surprised to see how quickly Ryven
drained his glass. “This is troubling you?”

“The woman is maddening! I had no idea how
emotional she could be.” He felt harried, drained. He had to be if
he was confiding in his younger brother, but whom else could he
tell? He couldn’t stand it if his brothers-in-law knew he’d joined
their circle. He’d always imagined he’d dominate his wife’s moods,
not suffer them.

Toosun relaxed and served them both drinks.
“This sounds like a familiar complaint. Men agonize because of
women. I’ve often listened to my friends complain. She hasn’t left
your bed, has she?”

Ryven shot him an incredulous look. “Of
course not!”

“Then you’ve got nothing to fear. She’ll come
around.”

Ryven peered at him. Perhaps he was seeing
double, since he was on his third drink. Generally sober, he hadn’t
built up a tolerance for alcohol. He asked Toosun, “How can you
have that many sisters and remain so ignorant of women?”

“Who do you think councils our
brothers-in-law when they have wife trouble?” His brother shrugged.
“Be understanding, I tell them. Charm them out of their hackled
state. The worst is when the wife wants something that is not
possible. Then they have to be charming
and
firm. I pity
them.” He grimaced and took a drink. “Women troubles. They make a
sally against hostile Khun’tat sound appetizing.”

“Charming and firm? How does that work? Why
can’t she just be reasonable like a man?” Ryven snapped. “Then I
could duel with her and work out our differences. Afterward we’d
both go out for a drink.” He noticed his voice was beginning to
slur.

His brother smirked. “There must be something
you can bribe her with. Let her send a message to her family.”

“Offered. Didn’t help.”

“Well, what does she want?”

“A job. She wants to own a tavern like her
sister.” Or she wanted to remain an ambassador. He was so frazzled
at the moment, he wasn’t sure which.

Toosun choked on his drink. “What?”

Ryven grunted. He knew his brother’s
thoughts. Toosun couldn’t imagine any woman in his family doing
such a thing. Scandalous, even for an alien! He was likely
wondering that Ryven had been as patient as he had.

“You told her no, right?”

“I told her she could help manage the
estate.”

Toosun just stared at him. Then,
surprisingly, he changed topics. “What about the alien? Are you
going to let her roam free?”

Ryven sat up and frowned. He pushed his glass
aside. “Today was....” He frowned in concentration. “Today was an
experiment.”

“In what? Need I point out that your wife is
becoming attached to your ‘experiment?’ That’s not good for her. If
the Leo-Ahni is false, Xera could suffer. I know you’re protective,
and I don’t understand why you take the risk.”

“Our world is a lure. The girl claims she
doesn’t want to go home, that they’ll send her back to a Khun’tat
ship. If she wants to stay here bad enough....”

“Ah. But this assumes she tells the
truth.”

“Yes.”

“And if she’s lying?”

Ryven’s eyes hardened. “Then she will regret
it. I’m not required to allow her out of her room. She would
discover it soon enough.” Harsh, his wife would say, but their need
was desperate. He frowned as her imagined opinion popped into his
head. His wife was not the keeper of his conscience. He would
reward the girl for cooperation; that would have to be enough.

Chapter 19

Ryven wasn’t the only one who had plans for the Leo
girl. In a shadowy corner of the palace, others were making
plans.

“They took her out of her cell today.” The
voice was cold, calculating.

“I know, but I still don’t see what use
she’ll be. They don’t trust her. She doesn’t have access to
anything important.”

Tovark smiled. His teeth showed through his
split upper lip. “She knows much about the Khun’tat and her race.
She’s more valuable than platinum to them. If she disappeared,
they’d be very upset. Imagine if he lost an asset like that and a
wife at the same time.”

He studied the guardsman he’d bribed. The man felt it
was distasteful associating with him, but money spoke loudly. The
traitor wanted a smooth path to a better life. What he’d get was a
knife in the back when the job was done…but he needn’t know
that.

“I don’t like it. It’s dangerous,” the guard
said.

“This should boost your courage. Think of the things
it will buy.” Tovark flipped the man a coin, watched him weigh it
in his hand. “Now, this is what I want you to do.”

Three hundred and thirty-one people attended
Tessla’s party . By Xera’s count, three-quarters of them were
women.

Her husband was quick to disagree. “Tessla
always invites even numbers of males and females. You should know.
Didn’t you see guest list?”

“Then why do I count nine women hovering
around your brother? Where are their escorts, their husbands?”

Ryven looked amused. “You’re protective of
his honor? He’d never shame himself by dallying with a married
woman.”

“And it’s okay to ‘shame himself” with a nice
unmarried woman?” she replied tartly.

“No, that presents a problem, too,” he said,
laughter in his eyes. “If he asked me, I would suggest he find some
who are not so nice. Sadly, he has not asked.”

Xera’s eyes narrowed, but good sense kept her
from starting a fight. After all,
he
was behaving himself.
Unlike his brother.

She was crabby and she knew it. That morning
she’d nearly bitten off Ryven’s head over a trivial matter; only
his even stare had brought her back from the brink of a tantrum.
She knew the cause of her moodiness and resented it. One thing
after another would slide out of her control because of this baby.
How long before she could no longer exercise? Would she start
throwing up everything she ate? She’d always been taller than her
sisters, the big strong one. Now one little infant was going to
turn her into an emotional wreck unable even to touch her toes.

Not that she wanted harm to come to the baby
or anything. She just didn’t want...this.

Ryven saw her dark look and gently touched
her arm. “It will pass.”

She exhaled moodily and subtly shook him off.
“I’m going to go talk to your sisters. They’ve been full of advice
lately.” They’d also assured her that the
broodiness
would
pass. One of them had even shared a story where she locked her
husband out of her bedroom one night then tore into him when he
didn’t make a greater effort to break down her door. His protests
that he didn’t want to alarm her and perhaps harm the babe had
earned him another night locked out; or would have, if he hadn’t
kicked down the door the second time. He’d refused to have it
repaired until after the baby was born.

Thinking about that made her smile.

Namae joined her in slowly threading a path
through knots of people. It was a trick to nod and smile politely
to avoid conversations, and Namae made everything easier.

“It’s good to see you smile,” Ryven’s sister
said. “The broodiness has hit you hard.”

“I’m finding it difficult to believe I can be
this moody,” Xera agreed. “I just want to hit someone all the
time.” It didn’t help that she’d been forced to quit her martial
arts exercises. Dancing hadn’t been forbidden yet, but right now
that wasn’t nearly as satisfying as pounding a punching bag.

Namae nodded in sympathy. “Let me take your
mind off it. Aunt Tessla has been spreading it about that you are
her new protégée. You’d be surprised at the number of women who
want to meet you. Some have already expressed interest on your
opinion of their own party plans.”

Surprised, Xera said, “Why? Your aunt really
directed most of the event. I didn’t do much.”

“That’s not what she’s saying, and when our
aunt speaks, others listen. You’ll find yourself in high demand as
a party organizer if you don’t take care.”

Xera stopped in her tracks. “Really?” She let
the idea percolate and then smiled. “This wouldn’t happen to be a
socially acceptable occupation, would it?” It sounded more
appealing than the estate manager option her husband had offered,
if only because it was something she’d found herself. She had a
feeling he’d grumble about it, which only made it more enticing.
The man got his way far too often, and just then she really wanted
to spike his tire. Besides, she’d enjoyed organizing this.

Namae looked at her curiously. “Well, yes. It
would raise your social status immensely. Of course, Aunt Tessla
has never needed such a thing. She’s occasionally given advice to
close friends, but nothing more. You’ll see after you’ve attended a
few gatherings that ours are something special.”

Xera felt like the cat that’d discovered a
vat of cream. “Do tell. Could I be paid for something like this? If
I set up formally, that is.”

Now Namae looked perplexed. “Well, of course.
Why would you want to, though? Surely Ryven is generous.”

Xera patted her hand. “Let me tell you about
a wonderful thing called capitalism, my friend, and the little girl
who teethed on it.”

Ryven had taken a moment to answer an urgent
message and found himself in a quiet corner, away from the crowd.
His business hadn’t taken long, but already he was anxious to
return to his wife. He told himself she couldn’t get into trouble
in this kind of crowd, not with Namae at her side, but he had an
eerie feeling that she was making mischief. Of course, that was a
normal feeling where she was concerned.

He turned to exit the small sitting room and
saw one of the women who’d been circling his brother this evening;
a woman he knew.

“Hello, Commander.” Her blood red eyes were
framed with thick dark lashes, and her lips curved. “It’s been too
long,” she said, and there was obvious flirtation in the glance she
gave him.

“I think not,” he said coldly. Whatever
they’d shared in the past, he was married now. She knew that. If
she had any sense, she wouldn’t be here.

Her lips formed the slightest pout. “I’m
disappointed. I’d thought you might have tired of those hard blue
eyes by now.”

“It shows you haven’t been thinking,” he said
callously. “Do not approach me again.”

Her mouth opened in surprise, but she made no
sound as he brushed past. There was nothing she could say.

He was surprised at his own fury. Women like
her had peppered his past, and he knew no regrets. Had they met
under casual circumstances, he’d have been polite. He was angry
that she would dare approach him now, however, would try to tempt
him away from his wife. He was not a man who swayed with the wind.
Now that he’d chosen his woman, it was forever. If anyone couldn’t
see that, he’d have to make it plain.

The best place to start was with his
wife.

He found Xera speaking with a knot of women.
He smiled just for her and placed a hand at her back. He looked at
the ladies. “Excuse us. I need my wife
alone
for a while.”
His words won a blush from her and smiles from the others.

Xera chastised him when they were out of
earshot. “Isn’t that rather…obvious? You’ve been coaching me in the
art of not showing affection so long that all that seemed rather
risqué.”

He smiled down at her. “Perhaps I’ve been too
conservative. We
are
newly married.” He felt a pang at her
confusion. He’d gathered her culture was far more demonstrative,
and wondered if she doubted his affection. He’d never wanted
that.

He led her to a quiet receiving room and shut
the door. He put his arms around her. “You’re beautiful, do you
know that? I’ve been a fool not to tell you.”