The Consort (Tellaran Series) (14 page)

“I thought you must know I kept hoping, just
hoping
, your hand would slide up just a little more and . . . Gods,” he said, his voice taking on a note of astonishment. “I’m getting hard again just thinking about it.”

She glanced down and his shaft was at half-stand again.

“Besides
wanting
you was embarrassingly obvious,” he said with a meaningful glance downward. “But I was trying to give you time to want me back, to do things right.” His gaze was rueful. “I really was doing my best to court you like an Az-kye would.  At least like I
thought
an Az-kye would. I don’t know, maybe I missed a lot by skipping the beginning of
The Thousand Nights
.”

“I would not know. I never read the beginning,” she confided with a playful smirk “I, too, was more interested in getting to the ‘good stuff.’”

His face flushed a bit, his eyes alight with interest. “Really? What was your favorite part?” he asked, his voice husky.

“Hmm . . .” His eyes widened when Alari wet her palm with her tongue and slid her hand over him. With two strokes she had him groaning and at full stand. “Perhaps, Kyndan, it is best I show you . . .”

Smiling and looking a little sleepy the next morning, Kyndan helped her step down from the litter onto the tile of the palace’s inner courtyard. “I just can’t get over the size of this place.”

Alari looked at the familiar grounds and smoothed her black court dress. As a girl she had walked here beside her father, she holding one of his hands and Saria the other. She and her sister had run as children across these very stones, giggling, long before they grew to the age when they were expected to walk with sedate decorum.

“It seems small to me,” Alari said softly.

“You’re kidding, right?” Kyndan asked with a glance around the palace grounds, at the empress’ residence, the house of the Imperial children, the theaters and ballrooms, the parks and banquet halls.

Alari gave a quick smile. “There is a city beyond these walls, a world, many worlds that I have never seen. You have been to worlds light years away.”

“Yeah, but when I got there my room was the size of a snouse nest,” he said. “And sometimes about as well furnished.”

“Imperial Daughter . . .” Alari recognized Urenna; the woman had been one of her attendants a spare few days ago. “The First Daughter has consented to see you.”

Alari nodded but Kyndan looked annoyed on their walk to the House of the Imperial Children. They garnered wide-eyed looks, and most did not bow to Alari until the very last moment, skirting the very edge of offense. Whispers followed in their wake.

“Nothing like being gawked at,” Kyndan muttered. “You know, I could set this blaster to a wide beam. Stun them in big groups. That’d teach ’em to stare.”

In a burst of daring she threaded her arm through his, a posture completely inappropriate for an Imperial Daughter, and grinned up at him. “Let them stare.”

He gave her a surprised smile but his smile faded as he recognized where the attendant had brought them. “These are your quarters.”

“These are the quarters of the First Daughter,” Alari corrected. “I do not mind,” she assured when she saw his frown. “Truly, my mate.”

Saria, her clothing and jewels now more elaborate and fitting for the Imperial heiress, rose from her seat when they were shown into the sitting room. Alari was pleased to see that Sechon was present as well.

Alari bent her head to her sister and Kyndan bowed.

“First Daughter,” Alari said.

“You are welcome here, Imperial Daughter,” Saria said, and in her tone Alari could hear her discomfiture at welcoming her to what had recently been her home.

“Imperial Daughter,” Sechon said, inclining her head.

“Elder,” Alari said. “I am pleased to look on you.”

“As I am to look on you,” the elder returned. She turned her attention to Kyndan. “And you as well, Imperial mate.” She tilted her head. “Or should I call you ‘Commander’?”

Kyndan cleared his throat. “I’m actually on Az-kye as the Tellaran representative so ‘Commander’ is really more appropriate, I think.”

“As you like,” she said warmly. “But my age has gotten the better of me, I’m afraid. I have sat too long and I must walk for a bit or I will grow too stiff to move. I was just going to enjoy a walk in the gallery. Perhaps you will join me, Commander?”

Kyndan glanced at Alari. “Maybe another time.”

“Certainly,” the elder said. She looked at Saria. “If you will excuse me.”

Saria nodded and when the elder had gone she addressed her attendants. “Leave us.” They hesitated and she threw them a cold look. “Obey me or I will find others to serve who
will
.”

They hurried from the room and as soon as the last had left Saria embraced her.

“You should not have gone without telling me,” Saria scolded, hugging her tightly. “I was so worried for you, Alari.”

“There was no need to be,” Alari assured, drawing back and throwing a fond glance at Kyndan. “Truly he is an exquisite lover.” Alari smiled at how his cheeks flushed then turned back to Saria. “But you must tell me—did Naret of the Az’larna visit you?”

Her sister’s cheeks pinkened, her face alight. “It was wonderful, Sister, to be opened so.”

“Opened?” Kyndan wondered.

“Opened,” Alari repeated. “The first time a man enters a woman—”

“
Okay!
” Kyndan said taking a step back. “I think this ship just arrived in the area of space where the men are advised to disembark.”

Alari met Saria’s puzzled look. “Tellarans are shy about such things.”

“How curious.” Saria looked at Kyndan. “But not when he mounts you, Alari?”

“
Urgently
advised to
disembark.” Kyndan took another step back, reddened to the hairline. “I think I’ll see if I can catch the elder and take her up on the offer of that tour after all.”

The moment the door was shut behind him the sisters’ eyes met and both laughed.

“You are fond of him,” Saria said. “Tell me quickly—what is it like to be bound?”

“We are not yet so.” Saria looked surprised and Alari drew her to sit down.  “But tell me more of Naret. Will you keep him as your lover?”

Saria laughed. “Of course! But I have even better news,” her sister enthused. “It has been decided that I am to represent the empress at the dedication of Lashima’s new temple on Az-litha!”

Alari felt a shock of envy.  She had never been permitted to go offworld, to travel anywhere, as First; only after taking Jazan as mate would she have been allowed to go. “You are?”

“I leave tomorrow.” Saria’s smile widened. “And Naret will go with me.”

“How exciting for you.”

“Sometimes I did not think I should
ever
leave the homeworld. And to do something so important and—” Saria’s face colored. “I am sorry.”

“Were you envious of me?” Alari asked softly. She often wondered before but it had always been a silent agreement between them not to speak of the succession. “Because I was First?”

Saria looked away. “It is not easy to be Second,” she said finally. “To know that I do not truly matter, that my mate will forever be disappointed that I will never be First, never be empress. And now—” She shook her head. “Forgive me, Alari. I would never have wished this for you.”

“No, “Alari said softly, covering her sister’s hand with her own. “I would have it this way, Saria. I would have you First and have freedom for myself.”

Saria blinked. “Freedom?”

Alari shook her head, smiling. “I envied
you
, Saria. You would be free to do as your heart wished once I was mated and bore a child. You would be able to travel, to go as you wished. You would be an Imperial Daughter and far freer than I ever would be.”

“So—” Saria searched her eyes. “You do not hate me now that I am First? You are not angry that you are not even Second?”

Alari laughed. “No. I would have you First and happy Saria. I have my freedom and Kyndan as mate. I am happy not to be an heiress at all.”

“Alari says this place seems small to her,” Kyndan said. Lined with windows made of actual astuk crystal not plexisteel, the galley alone was the length of four boloball fields. “But I’d need a geo-locator just to find my way out of the ‘fresher.”

The elder gave a startled, delightedly scandalized laugh. “You are unlike any Imperial mate this palace has ever seen.”

Kyndan gave her a grin. “I’m going to take that as a compliment.”

Sechon inclined her head. “As well you should, Commander.”

He knew he was likely the only Tellaran—since Kinara and Tedah counted as Az-kye—ever to be allowed within these halls. The palace was a marvel of soaring ceilings and stone floors so highly polished they shone like mirrors.  Carved and painted arches linked one gallery to the next and through the windows of crystal the fountains and gardens of the Imperial parks were bursts of color below. Seeing all this was an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity but the stares were annoying.

“Looks like you aren’t the only one who thinks so.”

“You are Tellaran,” Sechon said. “And yet a member of the Imperial family. Such has never been done, never been
imagined
.  They are curious and,” she said heavily, “the Princess Alari was much loved.”

Kyndan’s mouth tightened. “But she isn’t now.”

Sechon waved her hand.  “No, no, you misunderstand. I meant, loved as First. Loved as she who would be empress. Now the Princess Saria will rule and the Az-kye do not like change.” She shook her head. “It has been a difficult transition for everyone.”

“Yeah,” he said a little sharply. “Sure looks like little sister lost no time moving into Alari’s spot.”

“Princess Saria is now First; she must assume that role, no matter how much she loves her sister. Do not judge Princess Saria too harshly. She has had little joy in being Second. To be an Imperial Daughter but not to have hope of inheriting is not an easy fate, Commander. I was one such.”

“You’re an Imperial Daughter?” Kyndan asked, though why he should be surprised he didn’t know. He knew hardly anything at all about the royal family.

The elder nodded. “I, too, was once Second. High Priestess Celara and I were both sisters of Empress Teshir, our present empress’ mother. Though my sister Celara’s calling was never to rule.”             

Kyndan frowned. “You and Celara are the empress’ aunts?”

“Of course. In fact, Empress Azara and my daughter, Helia of the Az’shu, were born the same year.”

“So, doesn’t that make you an Imperial heiress too?”

Sechon raised white eyebrows and Kyndan had the feeling he’d just asked a really stupid question.

“No, I gave up my right to inherit upon being named an elder, Commander,” she said, gracious despite his ignorance. “In order that I may advise Her Majesty with an unfettered heart. As the gods may grant that I shall serve Princess Saria, when she is crowned.”

Kyndan sighed. “And if it weren’t for me, Alari would have been empress. Of course,” he added, “she’d also be married to Jazan now.”

The elder flinched.

Kyndan frowned. “Did I say something to, uh, offend, Elder?”

She closed her eyes briefly. “Jazan was son of my son.”

Kyndan blinked. “Jazan was your grandson?”

“No,” the Elder corrected. “Only my daughter, Helia, bears grandsons.”

Uh, okay. Wait, Jazan was Alari’s second cousin?
Then he pushed aside the bewildering machinations of Az-kye Imperial familial relationships as the horrified realization snapped into place.

“Oh. Elder,” he stammered. “I’m sorry—”

She shook her head and touched his arm lightly. “Jazan died as a warrior. But while his father joined another clan he was still my child’s child.” She sighed. “I hoped he would make Princess Alari a pleasing mate.”

He glanced away. “I’m not sure that was going to happen anyway.”

“What do you mean?”

He had pitched his voice low enough when goading Jazan in the Circle that only the warrior had heard his words and he already wasn’t feeling good about this conversation now. Revealing to this elderly lady, who seemed as fond of Alari as Alari was of her, that her grandson was guilty of criminal acts when it wasn’t even his secret to tell was out of the question. But he wasn’t very happy about having to lie about it either.