Starlaw (27 page)

“But for my diverted attention earlier this evening, that's where you'd be. The accommodations I can offer you are far better than those on the ship. No one expected you to stay aboard forever.”

“No one
expects
me at all, spaceman. I'm excess baggage.
I
know it and
you
know it. And I don't belong someplace where your family wants you to themselves. You need time with them alone, Darius. I wouldn't feel right imposing.”

“That's the ale talking,” he said as he vehemently shook his head. “Now stop this craziness and come with me.”

“No! I'm not some stray puppy that you, Gemma, and Barst have to feel sorry for.” She shook her head and spoke more genially. “I know I sound ungrateful. I don't mean to. But it's time for me to pull my own weight. At least until this business with Goll is over.”

He softened his tone in order to gain compliance. “Laurel,
please
. There's no other motive for wanting you home except friendship. Gemma and Barst will be staying with me for a few days. Along with my family, I'd like to have my friends near.
All
of them. Besides, everyone wants to meet the woman who saved my life. If you don't come, my family will find you and drag you back to the palace. The women in my household would castrate me for being so inhospitable.”

“Friendship? Since when did our relationship … if you can call it that … evolve?” She snorted and shook her head in a belligerent fashion. “As for the castration, I'm sure that'd prove most unpleasant.”

“Castration usually is. Or so I'm told.” He had to grin at her audacity. In a world many light years from her own, Laurel was still unmanageable. She remained undaunted as ever.

She finally raised one brow and put her drink down. “All right. Since you've gone to all the trouble of finding me, I'll come quietly. But would it be acceptable if I met your family tomorrow? You really should be alone with them tonight, and I'm not in any condition to be presented to polite,
royal
society.

“Ah … you're upset that no one told you about my ancestry.”

“I thought it might have at least come up in some conversation or other. But it didn't,” she said as she stared up at him.

“My crew wouldn't have mentioned it. I've made it quite clear that while we're on duty only my rank matters. Not my ancestry. All the regal trappings in the universe wouldn't help if I weren't able to command my ship. Besides … my family's place in Lusterian society is more honorary. They're more figureheads than anything else.”

“And that's really why I wasn't told?”

The look in her eyes grew even colder. She was angry over the matter, there was no denying it. But once she understood the situation, perhaps her anger would diminish. First, he had to get her home.

“Will you come now?” he asked.

“I'm not only a bit sloshed … but I'm hardly dressed for such an occasion.”

He gazed down at her immaculate, if plain, enforcer clothing. “The garments you wear don't matter. My family won't judge you by such trivialities. As to the rest—”

“Won't your family have been in bed for some time?” she asked.

For some of his family members that was true. But he knew he'd still be expected to introduce her as soon as circumstances allowed. He took a deep breath and finally nodded.

“Alright. You can meet them tomorrow. I'll put you in the room across from mine. Since my parents will have likely celebrated with great zeal, they'll probably rise later than usual and need time to recover. Indeed, I don't expect to see much of them until tomorrow evening.” He sighed and held out one hand in supplication. “You can sleep in and meet my family then.”

She put her drink down and stared up at him for a long moment before nodding. “I just want you to know something.”

“Yes?”

“I don't want or need special attention, Darius. I just want to be treated like anyone else.”

He took her arm and led her from the merriment. They were hardly noticed now by members of his inebriated crew. By the looks of things, there'd be a great many of his underlings rising late the next day.

Once they were some distance from the bar, he glanced down at her and might have spoken except for her rather hard expression. Such a look was easily distinguishable under the city streetlights .

He'd have liked to ask about the sights she'd seen and help her understand them, but silence was the better part of tact for now. As to treating her like anyone else, that would never happen. He couldn't imagine anyone
less
like others of his acquaintance.

• • •

After briefly using his communicator to let Barst and Gemma know Laurel had been found and was with him, Darius took her back to the palace.

The walk out of the city and to his residence was some distance, but he felt she needed the time and exercise to regain composure. Falconian Ale was a strong beverage and he meant to make sure she suffered no ill effects from its consumption.

When they approached the arched entryway into the palace, he acknowledged the ceremonial High Guards who were currently dressed in their best black space armor and battle helmets. But when he would have led his guest inside, he suddenly walked alone. Instantly turning, he found her frozen in place. Her eyes were as wide as any orbiting planetoid.

Laurel was pointedly glancing between the guards, and the massive heights of the structure he called home.

“I thought everyone was using the word
palace
metaphorically. But they meant you really live in an honest-to-God palace! With guards who look like something from a Hollywood space epic.”

“That reference to something called Hollywood escapes me.” He moved closer. “What is your point?”

“How royal
are
you, Darius Starlaw? And don't feed me a line about your family being figureheads, either.”

“That part is quite true. My father is king of Luster, from a long line of ancestors who ruled by popular consent.”

“King?” she croaked. “After the greeting you got at the airfield, I thought that might be the case. I j-just wasn't sure until now.”

He had to smile. The look of incredulity on her face was priceless. In that moment, he'd witnessed her as speechless as he was likely to ever see her again. But she finally swallowed hard and gazed up at him with something akin to respect reflecting in her eyes. The softness of the two moons' glow couldn't diminish what he witnessed. She was either afraid, or inclined in that moment to show less disrespect. Somehow, he felt a little sorry for her but tried to hide it. A shrewd woman, she wouldn't endure such compassion. Nor would she understand it. Indeed, she'd view pity on her behalf with the same disdain as weakness.

“Are you the prince and heir?”

He simply nodded.

“Christ! No wonder you're uppity.”

He actually snickered in response. No one had ever used that adjective when describing his personality.

• • •

Hell…he's probably never known anything but golden goblets and magnificent garments. And I was opening my mouth, dissing the guy as if he was just one more supervisor in a huge fleet of civil servants.

Laurel looked back at the huge structure, trying to guess what it'd been like to grow up in a real castle. Moreover, it was just like all the castles she'd ever seen in movies. Truly, there had to be
some
distant star travelers who'd visited her world and his. Hence the strong resemblance to this place and European holdings of the same size. But the alcohol in her system wouldn't let her consider much more than what she'd already processed. She shook her head and lifted one hand to push strands of hair out of her face. A sudden cool breeze wafted around her, temporarily subduing her resolve to remain so aloof.

“Darius … I'll try to remember my proper place and act appropriate. I'll be the definition of demure.” She curtsied to make her point. The idea of being thrown in a dungeon wasn't attractive. A prudent person would guard their mouth more than she had. Especially now she realized who he really was.

“Laurel … I don't think demure is a word anyone could remotely associate with you. You're neither shy, nor retiring. And frankly … I prefer you just as you are. Assuming my opinion matters,” he countered, clearly trying not to smile too broadly at the sudden show of subservience.

She remained silent. That was the very first time he'd ever said something like that to her. Internally accepting the compliment, if it could be called that, his words actually made him seem more human. What rejoinder could she have given that would have sufficed? In those few words, he was back to the man she'd kissed on the
Titan
.

He gently took her by the arm. “Come on. Let's get you inside before that ale makes you do something for which
I'll
be sorry. You need rest and I need to attend my family.”

“I-I'm sorry you felt it necessary to leave them to look for me. I'd have been perfectly all right,” she assured him.

“Perhaps I was more concerned about the city's population while you were free to walk among them,” he joked. “But don't worry about the absence from my family. I've … I've come to a conclusion.” He hesitated before continuing. “I believe that I've accepted more than my fair share of deep space missions. Perhaps it's time to ask for reassignment. Goll has been captured and my duty in that regard is done. I think my decision will be well met. My family has long hinted they'd rather see me home, after this last task was complete.”

“But
tonight
I've taken you from your responsibilities and your welcome home. If you'll show me to my room, you can rejoin them. I can sleep off the effects of the ale, and meet whomever you please tomorrow. I'll … I'll be ready then,” she confirmed with a nod.

“As you wish.”

Ten minutes later—after walking through white marble hallways draped with tapestries like those in any similar structure on Earth—Laurel was comfortably situated in the most beautiful and luxurious room she had ever seen. Like the
Titan
, all she had to do was make a request of the holographic computer within the bedroom, and the computerized voice from within a wall accessed data, walking her through where toiletries could be found, and how to make use of a shower system that could exfoliate, provide tint for hair highlights, and even offer small manicure and pedicure cubicles within the walk-in, closet-sized shower. Within those small spaces, she could ask the computer for the mechanical application of whatever nail shades she could possibly dream up.

There was even a recessed wardrobe of makeup. When opened, the computer offered to produce images of how she'd look after donning certain shades of eye shadow, blush, foundation, and contour powders. She could actually see how different shades of hair or styles would look before committing to anything.

Then she stopped exploring, sat on the bed, and took a deep breath.

She thought back to her childhood.

Her parents were obscenely wealthy, so she'd had advantages others couldn't imagine. She'd stayed in some of the best hotels in the world, while traveling in foreign countries. But those facilities couldn't compare to the high-ceilinged, crystalline blue bedroom in which she found herself. All the furnishings were draped in silken-looking fabrics of the same deep shade of cobalt blue. Even with her benefits, she'd never been asked to sleep in a castle.

Darius had left with a cursory goodnight. But he'd instructed her to address the computer, and specifically ask for him, if she needed anything. What could she possibly need? Everything was provided.

Exotic, unknown fruit graced a white marble table along with an assortment of wine. While the walls were white, they seemed to glow from within. The carpet was thick and deep blue; matching blue drapes framed an open balcony. Outside, shooting stars fell every few seconds. The shadows of trees and gardens were punctuated by moonlight.

While she could walk into the night air, none of its coolness entered the room. It was as if there was an invisible barrier between the entrance to the balcony and the room itself.

With distant planets retreating now, two gorgeous moons hung from the sky like lanterns. Each was a different shade of green, probably due to some atmospheric property she didn't yet understand.

The air was clean, cool, and fragrant with the scent of unseen flora.

To keep from thinking about how far away from home she was—and dwelling on constant, if stuffed-down, fears—she took off her borrowed uniform, strode into the oversized shower and made good use of the hot water. After taking a very long time figuring out what was actually available for use, a gentle flow of air from various ports left her body dry. It took only a few moments afterward to locate a deep blue robe hanging in an alcove. This, she wrapped tightly around her body.

The massive oval bed located at the end of the huge room was eminently more comfortable than her small bunk aboard the
Titan
. Shimmering sheets enveloped her in softness that defied description.

But after lying there and staring up at the gilt ceiling with its jewel-like ornaments hanging down as if they were stars falling from a midnight sky, she sat up. The bed and her surroundings felt wrong.

She finally grabbed a lush pillow and a thick, mink-soft blanket and stood in the middle of the room gazing around at the sumptuous decor. After so many nights spent within the confines of a crewmember's space aboard the
Titan
, being outside appealed. The night called and she felt less like a prisoner when she gazed outside, beyond the glimmering folds of draperies and toward the balcony. Eventually, she pushed what looked like a large daybed out there, and decided to sleep whilst staring at the stars and moons. More quickly than she believed possible, weariness finally took its toll. Darkness of sleep called.