The Airship Aurelia (The Aurelian Archives) (34 page)

“
Looks like a doily, don’t it?” Gideon glanced at Po as she came up on his side, her toffee-colored eyes glitterin’ in the lights’a the city.

“
I don’t know what that is,” he admitted.

“
It’s like lace—people use it for fancy table settin’s, and stuff.”

“
That explains the not-knowin’.” Lookin’ out the window again, Gideon could see it, how all the city was weaved together like some ornate bit’a frippery. “How do
you
know about them?”

Po tittered.
“Doilies? I kinda thought everyone knew about them.” When Gideon scowled, she outright laughed and hooked his elbow with hers. “You don’t gotta be so grumpy. After all, it’s still Sterlin’ Eve.” He blinked at her, but her eyes were on Reece’s back, the stripe’a freckles across her nose glowin’ pink. “Sterlin’ Eve was the first time my da kissed my mum, you know. He was workin’ in the shop while everyone else was out celebratin’, and she left the festival and walked ten blocks to bring him her famous biscuits. He always said she looked as pretty as a present, all dressed up with a ribbon in her hair. He said if he hadn’t been in love with her before, that night did it. And her cookin’.”

Not particularly comfortable with the topic’a conversation, Gideon pried his arm outta hers and cleared his throat.
“Those the same biscuits you made today?” She nodded distractedly as up ahead, Reece laughed at somethin’ Talfryn had said. Stupid and clumsy and likely outta his right mind, Gideon blurted, “They
were
pretty good.”

Po looked at him, plainly surprised and a little uncertain, and he took the chance to duck away with his shoulders hunched and his head down.

“I’m studying to be an alien anthropologist and culturist,” Talfryn was explainin’ to Reece. “But I’ve never been to another planet, and there is only so much books can teach.” Aitch, who Gideon would’ve assumed would be the first to contest that, nodded thoughtfully, drawin’ a quick glance from Talfryn. “Come, this way. Oh, and watch your step, the stairs here can be damp.”

They followed her down a wide set’a steps into an elegant antechamber with a huge tiered fountain jumpin’ in its middle. Rather than spillin’ out into a basin, the fountain’s water splashed right against the gold marble floor with loud smacks and softer ticks. It misted the air’a the antechamber and just like Talfryn said, made the marble tiles as slick as ice, so when she jerked to a sudden stop, it was almost enough to send the whole crew minus Mordecai, Gideon, and the Vee tumblin’ like a set’a pins.

“
Oi sa,
” Talfryn muttered. She looked to Hayden not a half second after he managed to stop flailin’ like a newborn antlered horse. “The king is here. I don’t suppose you could greet him in Northern? It is considered…proper.” She grimaced around the word again.

Though Aitch looked briefly stunned, he glanced at Reece, who gave him a shrug, and then swallowed and nodded.
“I…suppose I could—”

“
Talfryn,” a gnarled, gravelly voice called. Gideon looked around and attached it to the man leadin’ an entourage’a club-carryin’ guards and garishly-dressed Oceanuns their way. He didn’t think he’d ever seen so many buttons and badges before; the fellow’s gold overcoat had to weigh at least twenty extra pounds in baubles. It looked like he could handle the extra weight, though. He was shaped like an upside down pear, broad and barrel-chested, and if Gideon thought someone was big, well, then they were pretty bleedin’ big. His red and white streaked hair was long enough for him to wear it pulled into a tight knot on the back’a his head.

Talfryn dropped a strange curtsy, one’a her legs bent, the other locked straight before her, toes pointed.
“King Pryor. May I introduce Captain Sheppard and his crew, from Honora?”

Pryor peered at them one at a time over a badly-scarred nose and chin. Gideon wondered if that’s what all the buttons were for—to distract everyone from his battle-damage.

When Pryor looked Hayden over, Aitch nervously ducked forward and wringin’ his hands, said, “Ah,
journo, Pryor estat. Nous d'Honora venes danen lamité. Jes ne navana Honora et frol. Esp…esp…
” He snapped his fingers together wildly, tryin’ to call the word to mind. The king’s eyebrows lifted with every snap until Scarlet swept forward, imitatin’ Talfryn’s curtsy as she said grandly, “
Espirna ne Oceanun, telnar quis quet.
”

At last lookin’ pleased—or at least a lil’ less irritated—King Pryor folded his hands behind his back and nodded.
“Captain Sheppard,” he addressed Hayden, his accent rollin’ but gruff, “you would not per chance be related to the Sheppards of Emathia?”

“
You mean the Grand Duke?” Pryor’s eyes shot to Reece, who gave a sloppy two-fingered salute and patted Hayden on the shoulder as he melted back into the crew with a sigh’a relief. “That would be my father.”

“
Captain,” Pryor began again, impatient now as well as stern. He shot Talfryn a look as if she’d been the one to botch the introductions, and she folded her hands and looked at her feet meekly. Gideon noticed, though, that when Pryor’s eye left her, she straightened and looked unflustered when he would’ve expected the opposite from her. Pryor went on, “Or shall I address you as Palatine First?” 

The face Reece made would’a been funny if Gideon didn’t know the heart behind it. It was one thing for Reece to call himself Palatine First to make an impression, and another thing to have to take the title that should’a been Liem’s from someone like Pryor, who didn’t care one whit what might’a happened to shove Reece further up the succession. Liem’s death and the events surroundin’ it had been the biggest thing to ever happen to any’a them at the time, but on this side’a the galaxy, they were a million miles away from anyone who understood what all that meant.

Impressively, Reece managed to pull out a passable smile. “Just Captain. Thank you for taking us in on short notice. I promise, we’ll be out of your hair before you can—”

“
Oh no. Talfryn, I can’t believe you let him get to them. You
know
he scares visitors away.” A gangly redhead whose hair nearly brushed his shoulders squeezed between the king’s guards, drew even with Pryor, and put a chummy hand on Pryor’s bulky shoulder. The king shut his eyes with a sigh. It didn’t make his face any softer.

Gideon hadn’t ever claimed to be a good judge’a character, and Aitch had once said his common sense leaned more towards the
un
common, but as soon as he got a good look at the newcomer, he was filled with every kind’a misgivin’. Somethin’ about the kid just put his hackles up. Maybe it was the way he looked right over Aitch, Gideon, Mordecai and even Owon (who warranted at least some kind’a disgusted look in Gideon’s book) before lettin’ his eyes hover just a second too long on each’a the girls in turn, or maybe it was the way he disregarded Pryor altogether. Nobility was take it or leave it in Gideon’s eyes, but even
he
felt like he ought’a stand straighter in front’a the seasoned king.

“
Captain,” Pryor opened his eyes, seemin’ suddenly weary, “may I introduce my son, the Prince Proper, Hannick Pryor?”

Hannick gave an ostentatious bow and straightened with a smirk before stickin’ his hand out at Reece.
“This is how they do it on your world, isn’t it?”

Snortin’, Reece took his hand and shook it.
“Some of us.”

Before he could get a word more in edgewise, one’a the snobbish-lookin’ Oceanuns in long teal robes leaned over to find the king’s ear and whispered somethin’ low and urgent. The king grunted and waved the man back before returnin’ his attention to Reece.

“Normally I would offer to escort you from here myself, as would be considered—”

“
Proper?” Reece guessed, eyes twinklin’.

Gideon expected Pryor to bristle, but he nodded solemnly, as if they were on sacred ground. Slick as a sliptooth fish, Hannick slid his shoulder between Talfryn and the king, cuttin’ her outta the conversation as he suggested innocently,
“Why don’t I take them from here? I’m sure you and Tallie have someplace infinitely
more, eh, interesting to be.”

“They haven’t even been to see their rooms yet,” Talfryn complained, and Gideon was surprised someone who seemed as bright as her would take that sorta tone with the king until she went on, “Father, Hannick is simply trying to get out of attending the debate with you.”

No wonder the girl hadn’t been off world. Princesses didn’t get out much, that Gideon remembered from the stories.

“And you aren’t?” Hannick shot back over his shoulder.

Talfryn lapsed into Northern, growlin’ somethin’ that made the king clap his hands together just once. That was all it took. The brother and sister straightened to attention and looked at him expectantly as he stroked his scarred chin and sighed.

“Come, Talfryn. Let our guests be cultured by the unruly prince proper. If they still wish to stay the night after he’s through with them, they have my blessing to stay as long as they like.” Gideon could hear Talfryn grindin’ her teeth as her prince brother spread his hands helplessly and smiled. The king ignored them both in favor’a givin’
The Aurelia’s
crew a half nod that Reece returned and startin’ his procession forward again. After a moment more’a mutterin’ threats at her impervious brother, Talfryn turned to Reece, cringin’ with embarrassment.

“
I…I have to go,” she mumbled. With a rushed curtsy, she turned and scurried after her father.

“
She didn’t mention she was the princess,” Hayden said in awe, and Hannick leveled him with a look.

“
That’s because she isn’t. There are no princesses on Oceanus—just princes and under delegates. I’m the face of the throne,” he clarified when he saw their blank looks, “she’s the brain. Supposedly. But come, let’s not talk politics when there’s a city to be seen and…” He looked the girls over again, smile widenin’. “…friends to be made.”

Gideon’s bad feelin’ gnawed on his gut like a rodent as they started on the new leg’a their tour. It was strange, but none’a the others seemed to notice the bad vibes rollin’ off’a Hannick like a stench…except for Scarlet. Her green eyes were narrowed on the prince’s back like she was tryin’ to glare her way to the heart’a him without holdin’ out much hope for her destination.

True to his word, the prince picked up the tour where his sister had left off, only he narrated their walk with zing, told them who they should talk to about trades, where they could go to take the ferry to Oceanus’s other cities, what piers to avoid unless they were lookin’ to gamble. He laughed when Scarlet asked him about his father and said, “Honestly, I barely know him, Love. He’s too busy having everyone else train me to take his place someday to so much as learn my middle name.” Gideon noted Reece’s sideways glance with unease. The last thing he wanted was the cap’n feelin’ akin to someone who was rotten at first glance.

Hannick led them up a set’a crystal stairs and into a lavish corridor sittin’ on the ledge’a a great ocean gully. The golden archways to their left faced a rounded wall’a glass so clean, Gideon mightn’t have even seen it if not for the flamin’ torch mounted between the archways bouncin’ shapes off it. He supposed the illusion was supposed to be fancy, but he kind’a just felt like he was in an oblong fishbowl.

“The best view city wide,” Hannick boasted with a regal sweep’a his arm. He watched as Po stepped right up to the glass, looked at the sheer drop into the dark gully practically between her feet, and gasped. “That’s the Fossel Ravine, where hunters go for the best seamie pelts around.”

“
What’s a seamie?” Po wondered, her breath foggin’ the glass.

Mordecai stepped up next to her with his moustache quiverin’, and after a moment, pointed.
“There. Watch that little alcove.” Everyone, not just Po, obeyed in silence. Hannick sneaked a searchin’ look at Mordecai, then turned the same one on Gideon, who glared in challenge. All he got for his effort was another one’a those sly smiles that could’a meant anythin’ so long as it wasn’t pleasant.

He knew when the seamie had shown his face by Po’s overjoyed squeal. Despite not wantin’ to take his eyes off’a Hannick for a second, he glanced out the window. The seamie turned out to be a seahorse. A
genuine
seahorse, not one’a those fishhook-shaped ones, but a four-legged critter about the size of a small dog with a white mane and tail that flowed like liquid. The gills down either side’a its archin’ neck undulated as it galloped underwater, its saucer-like hooves made fuzzy by green algae.

“
People
kill
those?” Po exclaimed, horrified. Gideon half expected her to press her face up against the glass, and he wouldn’t blame her if she did. The thing was cute as a button. Well…that’s what she prolly thought, at least.

“
Not always. Sometimes they simply catch them, train them up as pets.” Hannick shrugged with a bored glance at the seamie gallopin’ off into the dark. “Technically, killing them is illegal, but there are always poachers. Do you not have poachers on Honora?” He asked that last with a smirk, not quite mockin’, but certainly not serious.

“
‘Course we got poachers,” Gideon snapped. Po looked more surprised by his interference than Hannick’s dig, and that only made him tetchier still. “They just don’t waste their time on the pretty things when there are nightcats and the like to deal in.”