Authors: Tracy St. John
Then there were those who believed the nearly extinct Kalquorians should not be breeding with Earthers at all, even to preserve their culture. A shadowy figure who called himself the Basma had been the loudest voice insisting Kalquorians not hand over their world to the ‘abominations’ – Earther-Kalquorian hybrid children. In his effort to strike fear into the heart of the Empire, nearly two dozen Earther women had been abducted by the Basma’s forces thus far.
There were indications his men had infiltrated the military as well. No one could be sure how high in the power structure the Basma’s operatives were. Spies and traitors had been found among the Royal Guards themselves, a force that had always been regarded as unassailable.
Between the issues – Earth’s accidental demise, far more men than women, and the call for a pure Kalquor – the situation within the Empire was a powder keg waiting to explode. A large number of the Royal Council, the arm of government that kept the Imperial Clan from ruling against the good of the Empire, had walked out in protest. That had led to many decrying a puppet government run exclusively by the Imperial Clan, a claim Tasha knew to be untrue. Clan Clajak had always put the good of their people ahead of all considerations, even allowing Clajak’s Nobek father to stand trial for the Earther abductions.
In recent weeks, the situation had settled enough to seem almost calm to outsiders. Outside periodic protests, life was returning to normal for most people. Yet those inside the highest reaches of the government knew hostility simmered beneath that facade. Jessica had not exaggerated when she claimed they were on the verge of civil war, with those loyal to the Imperial Clan on one side and the disaffected joining the Basma’s admirers on the other.
Jessica turned her back on the mirror and addressed her assistants. “Thank you for making me presentable. As always, you’ve done a wonderful job considering what you had to work with. You can tidy up in a few minutes, but I need some alone time with my cousin before I leave. Thank you.”
The men bowed to her, a few muttering she was too modest about her natural appearance. They turned to bow also to Noelle and even included Tasha in their respect. She was amused to get quite a few come-hither smiles and long looks. They were an attractive lot, though none of the men had that rough-and-tumble appearance that melted her butter. She still watched their taut butts with appreciation as they filed out of the room.
The room’s door slid closed with a politely quiet hiss, cutting off the fine view. With a happy sigh, Tasha turned to face Jessica. Her royal cousin waited to be noticed, her expression grumpy.
Tasha couldn’t imagine why Jessica would look at her as if she’d done something wrong. The empress was an admirer of nice buttocks herself. Tasha cocked an eyebrow. “What?”
Jessica’s scowl deepened. “I never thought I’d say this, not in a trillion years. But when are you going to start acting like your sister?”
Tasha blinked. “Like Cissy?”
Tasha’s twin Cecilia was cheerfully acknowledged as the family’s wild child. Daring in manner and words, brash to the point of rudeness, Cissy was unapologetically loud and never stinted in offering her honest opinion. Even being recently clanned to men known for their outstanding credentials and impeccable manners hadn’t calmed the cruder Salter twin. The more demure, ladylike Tasha had often felt bad that Cissy was compared unfavorably to her. Fortunately, the comparison never seemed to bother Cissy.
To be told Tasha needed to be more like Cissy was a rare occurrence. Tasha couldn’t wait to tell her twin about it.
Jessica darted a cautious look at Noelle. The little girl had slid to the floor and was absorbed in making her doll hug a plush ronka toy. She seemed to take no notice of the conversation as she made quiet conversation with her playthings, her low voice punctuated with giggles.
Even with Noelle distracted, Jessica kept her voice hushed as she chastised Tasha. “You are getting a reputation, Ms. Casanova. A different man every week. Not bothering to entertain the clans you’ve been matched to.”
Tasha sat up straight. She tried not to sound defensive. “Not true. I just came from spending an afternoon with a potential clan. It was our second encounter.”
“And?”
“They were nice.”
Jessica’s expression told Tasha she already knew the score. “Uh huh. When will you see them again?”
Under Jessica’s gaze, Tasha shifted uncomfortably before she could stop herself. She made herself sit still and smoothed her skirt. She stopped when she realized that was yet another nervous gesture. She was giving herself away too easily to her shrewd cousin and she knew it. What she didn’t know was how to make herself stop.
Knowing the excuse was lame, she started to say, “Well, I’m not sure they’re right for me—”
“Just as the gossip says,” Jessica interrupted. “When you do spend time with an available clan, you see them a couple of times and never again. You’ve never had a third date with any of your lottery clans.” She gave Noelle another quick glance to make sure the little girl wasn’t trying to follow along.
Tasha also checked before defending herself in a low tone. “This isn’t Earth. I’m allowed to have all the fun I want. Who says I have to settle down anyway?”
Jessica shrugged. “You don’t. As my family, you can stay single for the rest of your life and continue to live on Kalquor. Not that you need it, but you have my blessing to enjoy all the men you want.” Her eyes narrowed and brightened with a hint of her notorious temper as she leaned in close to speak even quieter. “But at least take your name off the list of Earther women searching for a clan. Get out of the lottery if you have no intention of finding clanmates.”
Tasha’s protest was feeble. “But I am looking for the right men.”
“Are you sure?”
Tasha tried to come up with an answer to that. She sat silent, floundering. Was she sure? No. Not one bit.
Jessica’s tone gentled. “Look, your life is your business. I don’t blame you for enjoying yourself, not for one second. But those clans see it as a dream come true when they get selected for the lottery. When they waste one of their five opportunities on a woman who has no intention of clanning—”
She threw her hands up in the air to finish her statement.
Tasha’s shame of the afternoon returned. Jessica was right. Her behavior had not been fair to Clan Deg. It hadn’t been fair to the few dozen clans she’d met with since she’d gotten to Kalquor several months earlier.
She clutched her hands together on her lap, knotting her fingers together. “I do want to find love. I just – I guess maybe I should take myself out of the lottery until I figure out what it is I’m looking for.”
Jessica’s shoulders sagged, illustrating how little pleasure she’d had in bringing up the subject. She deflated, much the way she did when her children’s actions forced her to be the disciplinarian. “If it was simply a matter of you breaking hearts, I’d leave it alone. But Tash, anything to do with the Imperial Clan is under close scrutiny these days. It’s not fair that you’re lumped in with us, but you are. Everything you do reflects on the throne.”
Tasha nodded, feeling guiltier than ever. “I know the strain you’re under, and I’m not helping with my wild ways. I’ll pull out of the lottery first thing tomorrow.”
Jessica dropped onto the lounger and on top of several gowns next to Tasha to fling her arms around her cousin. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude about it. It’s just I’m hearing such unflattering things about you. It makes me want to slap the snot out of the people saying stuff because I know you’re wonderful.”
Her words made Tasha laugh even as they stung. She’d always been the low-profile twin, the one who didn’t make waves. It didn’t hurt so much that she was being talked about as it did that Jessica and her family suffered for it.
She hugged Jessica back, hard. “Thanks for being my knight in shining armor and saving me from myself. I will do better.”
Jessica sat back and caught a tear with a finger to her lower lashes before it could smear her carefully applied makeup. “Ugh, now I feel terrible. Why do you have to be sweet? I never feel guilty when I yell at your sister.”
Tasha laughed again. She had to agree it was ironic that her unabashed, mouthy twin was the respectable one at the moment.
She gazed at Jessica’s troubled face with affection. “Don’t feel guilty on top of everything else you’re dealing with. I needed the wakeup call.”
The door slid open, interrupting them. Emperor Egilka poked his head in. He smiled at Tasha, softening the sharp planes of his intelligent face. “Hello, cousin. How are you?”
“Good, thanks. Don’t you look handsome?”
Egilka waved off the compliment and started to say something else, but Noelle jumped up and ran to him. “Daddeee!” she cried at the top of her lungs, holding her arms out to the tall, lean Kalquorian.
He swung her up, his sometimes aloof face lit with adoration for his youngest child. Noelle placed a noisy smack on his cheek and announced, “Best daddy.”
“Oh, am I?” The usually reserved man beamed with uninhibited delight at Noelle.
Jessica leaned close to whisper in Tasha’s ear. “She says that to Clajak and Bevau too. Tell me how a three-year-old figures out how to play men like that?”
Tasha muffled a snicker. She thought Noelle’s behavior had more to do with Wayne going to training camp than an attempt to wrap her fathers around her little finger. Noelle needed constant reassurance that she wasn’t going to be packed off to parts unknown as well. Tasha resolved to have a talk with the little girl that night, even though she knew Clan Clajak had done their utmost to set Noelle’s mind at rest.
Egilka finally stopped cooing over his daughter to speak to Jessica. “If you’re ready, my empress, the shuttle is waiting.”
“I’m ready, though not altogether willing,” Jessica groused. She gave Tasha another hug before standing and joining her clanmate.
Before Egilka set Noelle down, Jessica gave her little girl a goodnight kiss. She wrinkled her nose and rubbed off the light sheen of lipstick she’d left on the child’s cheek. “Be a good girl for Tasha, okay?”
“I will.” The princess gave Tasha one of her brightest smiles.
“She always is.” Tasha came forward to claim Noelle from her father. Egilka handed her over with obvious reluctance, though Noelle went to her cousin happily enough. The little girl loved everyone.
Egilka held out his arm to Jessica, his smile for his mate soft. “My empress?”
His expression of overt love for Jessica tugged at Tasha’s heart. Jessica’s look was equally devoted as she tucked her hand in the crook of his elbow. She didn’t glance away from Egilka’s face even as she waved goodbye to Tasha.
“See you later. Thanks again for keeping Noelle,” Jessica said.
Tasha swallowed a sudden lump in her throat. She shoved aside the fleeting worry no one would ever look at her the way Egilka looked at Jessica. “Try not to have too much fun,” she managed.
Jessica stopped gazing at her Imdiko long enough to make a face. The door closed behind them when they stepped out of the room.
Tasha smiled down at the precious little girl in her arms. “Okay, my fine young lady. What shall we do tonight?”
Tasha and Noelle laughed uproariously as they flew small remote-controlled shuttles around the nursery. The toys were pricey for a three-year-old in Tasha’s opinion, but they were sturdy. They easily withstood the princess’ still-developing motor skills as she crashed her vehicle into walls, the lounger, toy bins, her sleeping mat, and the floor. Sometimes she smashed into Tasha’s shuttle. Knocking the rival shuttle out of the air seemed to be Noelle’s one true passion. She loved to make mayhem on a small scale.
The pair were having a blast when one of Jessica’s Imdiko stylists came into the room with a pitcher of topaz liquid and glass in hand. He was a pleasant-faced man, though not remarkable. Certainly not Nobek rough and delicious. Tasha paused, landing her toy craft as he bowed to them.
“Excuse me for disturbing you, my princess and Matara Tasha. We are finished with cleaning up the empress’ dressing room and are ready to leave.”
Tasha nodded. “Okay. Have a good night.”
He dipped his head in acknowledgment. “Thank you. Empress Jessica didn’t touch her shel. Dramok Cral thought perhaps you would like it?”
Tasha considered for a moment. She didn’t like the idea of drinking while babysitting Noelle. However, shel was not high in alcohol and she had developed a rather high tolerance for liquor.
She thought one drink would be all right. “Sure, I’ll take it off your hands.”
The Imdiko was polite enough to pour the glass for her. He handed it to her, chuckling indulgently when Noelle’s still-flying shuttle nearly collided with his skull. Tasha winced an apology.
“There’s thanks for your service, getting a shuttle in your ear.”
“It looks like my princess is having a good time.” He didn’t look offended, thank goodness. Imdikos were always more interested in the welfare of others than their own.
Tasha remonstrated her small charge anyway. “Noelle, watch where you’re flying that thing.” She raised her glass to the smiling Imdiko. “Thank you. I think this one glass is all I’ll have, if you don’t mind taking care of the rest of it?”