Sheala (31 page)

The queen again raised her hand for silence. “Sosha?”

Taking a deep breath, Sosha blinked, looked into the queen’s eyes, and said, “I didn’t see my kidnapper, but I did hear his voice, one that I will never forget. He was Gattan.”

Shouts of denial and outrage raced through the crowd. Both the queen’s and king’s guards stepped forward. The queen signaled her chamberlain, who pounded his staff on the floor. Loud accusations and denials still rolled around the hall.

Marljas eased his chair back. His claws were fully extended.

Rising, Krondal flattened his palms on the table, leaned forward, and roared, “Silence!”

Slowly, the hall quieted.

No sooner had order been restored, though, than the door through which the queen and king had entered burst open, and a Gattan rushed into and through the crowd.

The guards on the dais drew their weapons.

The man ran straight for Sosha. Ban grabbed her and thrust her behind him. Pushing Ban out of the way, Sosha stepped towards the intruder. “Talon?”

His yell echoed from the ceiling. “Sosha!” When he reached her, he pulled her into his arms.

Sheala looked up at Marljas. “Who’s that?”

Grinning, he sheathed his claws and relaxed. “Talon, her brother.”

“Sosha has a brother?”

“Two, as a matter of fact,” her husband answered.

Talon was shorter than many Gattan, a few inches short of six feet. Like the other members of the
Lynex
tribe, he didn’t have a tail. His hair was brown like Sosha’s, cut short. And he wore the uniform of the Gattan space fleet.

Sosha didn’t bother to hide the tears rolling down her cheeks as she clung to him.

His arm around her waist, his brother turned to face the queen. His voice cracked like a whip. “Why wasn’t my family informed Sosha was found?”

His tone shocked many in the crowd. Irate mutters about his lack of manners reached Sheala.

The queen’s eyes widened for a moment then narrowed. She turned to her sister. “Jadis, you were instructed to inform Sosha’s parents of her rescue and return.”

A haughty expression on her face, the queen’s sister shrugged. “They’re unimportant servants. Her brother now knows she’s back. It’s enough.”

“What a bitch,” Brianna said loud enough for Sheala to hear.

Talon growled. Ban and Sosha each grabbed one of his arms. He wrenched free from Ban but tolerated his sister’s grasp.

Rising, the queen paced to the edge of the dais and stared down at her sister. Anger colored her tone.

“Enough?” She turned her attention to her subjects.

Wrapping herself in the royal authority of her office, she continued. “Enough? Everyone heard Sosha.

She was kidnapped by a
Gattan
, sold to pirate slave-traders, then resold into slavery.” She looked straight at Sosha and her brother. “Sosha, for the pain and degradation you suffered because of another Gattan’s greed, all blooddebts owed by your family are acknowledged complete. Furthermore, because of Gattan laxness, I myself am partly responsible for your suffering. I owe blooddebt to you. In payment, I deed to you and your family the royal residence of Cloudhaven.”

Gasps of surprise echoed around the room.

Jadis’ voice drowned them out. Her chair rocked and clattered as she surged to her feet. “Cloudhaven is mine!”

Ire obvious on her face, Mattis turned to her sister. “Yours? A royal residence? I think not! Cloudhaven belonged to the royal family. You were permitted to use it and its tenants’ rents. Now, however, I am giving it to one who truly deserves it. A message will be sent instructing its servants to pack whatever personal items you have there and send them to our family estate.”

Her voice became strident. “
I
am the queen’s sister!”

Mattis’ voice drowned out Jadis’. “And
I
am the queen. Do you challenge
my
authority?”

Fists clenched, body tense, Jadis glared at her sister.

“And I thought Findal had problems with his relatives,” Brianna murmured to anyone listening.

Sheala shushed her. The queen’s public rebuke of her sister was too entertaining to miss.

Finally, Jadis swallowed. Nostrils flaring, she bowed her head. “Forgive me, Sister, but an entire estate?

For only a year working perhaps a little harder than she would have here on Gattan?”

Her tone was terse, dismissive.

Sheala gasped.

Everyone else with her stiffened or muttered under their breaths.

Fists clenched, Ban stepped towards Jadis.

Sosha let go of her brother’s arm, grabbed Ban’s, and jerked him back. Stepping in front of him, she raised her chin and glared at the queen’s sister. Her entire body shook as she lifted her hands to the neck of her dress. “Working a little harder than I would have worked here on Gattan? Working? Let me show you how hard I worked!”

Ripping her dress open, she let it fall to her waist. Sliding a knife from her wrist sheath, she sliced the silk chemise she wore in two. Standing half-naked before Jadis, she snarled. “Look, you arrogant, condescending woman, at what I endured.” Using her knife, she ripped a gash in the dress’s waistband.

The dress pooled at her feet.

For long seconds silence reigned as everyone else in the room gaped at Sosha’s body, at the white scars that crisscrossed her back, hips, thighs, breasts, and arms.

Gasps and moans filled the air. Women shrieked in anger and agony. Blood ran from more than one masculine arm.

Disgust obvious on her face, Jadis flopped back down into her chair.

Burying his face in his hands, Talon sank to his knees.

Holding herself erect, Sosha spat, “Tell me, Sister of the Queen, does normal work here on Gattan give a woman scars such as these? Does it rip her claws from her hands as she screams in agony? Does it mean constant rape by so many I stopped counting?” Tears began to stream down her face. “You have not answered me, Jadis Franasdotir. Do you think every servant should wear scars such as these for
work
?”

“That fucking bitch!” Dragging his shirt over his head, Ban leaped forward, dropped it over Sosha’s, and hugged her to his side.

Blinking back her tears, she leaned against him.

Even without Medirian translators, many of the Gattans in the room understood Ban’s tone perfectly. It quieted the crowd more quickly than anything else would have. Everyone wanted to see Jadis’ reaction to the slur.

Anger replacing the disgust on her face, Jadis grabbed her son’s arm and pushed him to his feet. “I have been insulted by this mewling Medirian fop, Cadan. Challenge him.”

Stepping to Ban’s side, Talon crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Cadan.

The blue-green dragon on Ban’s shoulder glittered incandescently in the hall’s bright light. The white scar on his shoulder also gleamed.

“You wear a Gattan scar, Bandalardrac,” interjected the queen. “How did you come by it?”

Never taking his lazy gaze from the queen’s nephew, he said, “Marljas and I had a—disagreement.”

“Bloodfeud?”

Ban nodded.

Comments and exclamations ran like wildfire around the tables. Marljas was a very skilled warrior. If the Medirian fought him and was still alive…

“The outcome?” she asked.

“A draw.”

The queen glanced at Marljas. “Is this true?”

Sheala winked at him.

Grinning, Marljas nodded. “The Medirian half-blood fought me to a draw—and cracked three of my ribs.”

Mattis smiled at her nephew. “Interesting. Why didn’t you finish the duel?”

“Both Denieen and my new bloodsister declared the feud satisfied.”

As whispers about “new bloodsister” swirled around the tables, sweat began to bead on Cadan’s brow.

He stared at Ban.

“You little…” His mother raised her hand to slap her son.

“There will be no challenge to Bandalardrac Hardan, nephew to the King of Mediria,” Queen Mattis stated. “Too many Gattan cuts on a Medirian prince would raise too many questions. I do not wish my hall overrun with assassins. What say you, Cadan?”

He bowed his head. “So be it, Aunt.” His relief evident on his face at the way his aunt allowed him to save face, he sank back into his chair.

“She should’ve let Ban kick the shit out of him,” Brianna muttered.

Sheala nodded in agreement. Better yet, Jadis was the one who needed “the shit kicked” out of her.

Mattis stared at her sister until the other woman dropped her eyes. Then the queen turned to face the assembly. “Bandalardrac Hardan, I absolve you from all blame for Sosha Kanicsdotir’s disappearance and recognize your bloodbond to her. Talon,” she continued, “go fetch your parents. You have my permission to use your battle cruiser.”

After a final snarl in Jadis’ direction Talon bowed then took a step forward. “A boon, Your Majesty.

When the Gattan who caused Sosha’s suffering is found, he’s mine.”

Mattis nodded. “Your boon is granted.”

After a quick bow, Talon gently grasped Sosha’s hand and led her from the room.

After they were gone, the queen turned to her subjects. “I have learned that other girls have gone missing from their families. A full investigation has been launched. We will discover how many are responsible.

And when they are found, their blood will run red.”

Silence reverberated around the large room—except for Brianna’s murmur, “Gattans are almost as bad as Klingons.”

“Who?” Sheala whispered, her eyes on Ban.

He still stood before the queen, chest bare, arms crossed.

Settling herself back into her chair, the queen cocked an eyebrow at him. “Something else?”

For a moment he stared at her. Then his normal cocky grin appeared on his face. “Not yet.” Bowing, he stepped back.

Sheala closed her eyes and shook her head.
One of these days, Ban will go too far.

“Well,” Mattis said as she leaned back in her chair. “This is becoming an interesting evening. What other surprises do you have for us, Teena?”

Gowns rustled as the women in the crowd shifted. Whispers danced from one to another. Rumors of Marljas’ refusal of Kadis had been circulating as had his subsequent marriage to a Drakian since they’d arrived at the palace earlier that day.

Both the king’s and queen’s guards stepped back, still tense, more alert than they had been before.

Teena bowed her head and smiled. “Just a few, Your Majesty. As you know, with your permission, my sons and daughter-by-marriage have recently visited Drakan.”

More whispers and rumbles rolled through the crowd. The queen had granted permission for a family to visit Drakan!

The queen nodded. “Your trading negotiations with the Alalakans went well?”

The whispers became louder. “Trading negotiations!” leaped from one mouth to another.

Glancing at the crowd, Teena smiled. “Far better than we had hoped, in a strange roundabout way.”

“Oh?” The queen chuckled. “Then you do have more surprises?”

Again, Teena glanced about the room, making eye contact with as many people as she could. “Most of you know my son Marljas and his…impetuousness…”

More than a few of the men and women chuckled.

Sheala snorted. Marljas was
not
impetuous.

Teena continued. “As he mentioned, he’s returned with a new bloodsister, Alalakan dem al’ Brianna, wife to the Alalakan Dragon and mother of the Alalakan heir, adopted daughter of King Findalalardrac of Mediria.” Holding out her hand, she motioned Brianna forward.

Ignoring the mutters, whispers, and exclamations that surged around the room, Brianna accepted Char’s hand and allowed him to lead her to the dais. She stood with head held high, wearing the white-gold gown that bared her right shoulder, displaying the leaping, fire-breathing dragon tattoo. Red diamonds glittered in her hair and on her body—Gattan red diamonds. Necklace, rings, earrings, bracelets, a wrist sheath on her left wrist and, of course, her Medirian bridal net. She wore more red diamonds than any other woman in the room.

Queen Mattis inclined her head slightly. “Welcome, Alalakan dem al’ Brianna. For a woman who’s never been on our planet before, you display a great wealth of our red diamonds.”

Brianna curtsied, her white gown billowing around her as she sank to the floor. Rising, she threw her long, auburn hair over her shoulder. The diamonds of her bridal net glittered with red fire. “Gifts from my husband, who has visited your planet before.”

“Yes, earlier trade negotiations with the
Leonine
.” The queen ignored the outraged hisses from some in the crowd and smiled a challenge. “Alalakan don al’ Chardadon found our planet quite interesting.”

Smiling in return, Char stepped forward and bowed his head. “Gattan is a fair planet with even fairer flowers.”

Brianna placed her hand on his arm. “Fair flowers indeed. Wendjas Drefeson tried to gut him.”

Mattis’ smile never left her face. “Because he courted Denieen, I believe.”

A wider smile appeared on Brianna’s. “But he married me.”

Krondal stopped trying to hold back his laughter. “We’ll be here all night while you two trade quips,” he finally said.

Brianna crossed her arms over her chest. The diamonds on her wrist sheath sparkled.

The queen stroked the sleeve of her dress. “I thank you for your gift.”

Brianna dipped another slight curtsy. “You’re most welcome, Your Majesty.”

Mattis leaned back. “Tell me, Alalakan dem al’ Brianna, is your knife sharp?”

Brianna’s smile widened. “Sharp enough to gut a man or woman.”

Krondal chuckled again.

Mutters of approval about Brianna’s conduct drifted from the crowd.

Mattis finally looked at Marljas. “You chose your bloodsister well, Marljas Drefeson.”

Marljas bowed his head. Rising, he tightened his grip on Sheala’s hand, pulled her up behind him, and led her forward to stand next to Brianna. “Not just a bloodsister, Your Majesty.”

Teena raised an eyebrow at him then shook her head. “Your Majesty, my impetuous son also returned from Drakan with a wife, Alalakan dem al Sheala, sister of the Alalakan Dragon.”

The whispers among the crowd were louder.