Match Made in HeVan (2 page)

Both Malpha and the king were asleep when the royal shuttle arrived at the palace. The pilot of the Nephilim shuttle who had followed with all of Malpha’s possessions explained that he’d been recalled and the ship needed to be unloaded. GrumIo, Ben’s personal servant, took responsibility for seeing to the unloading and movement of the things belonging to the future queen of KowLer. By the time Ben awoke and prepared to exit the shuttle, all of KowLer knew he had found his queen.

“Majesty, your betrothed has not yet arisen. Should we waken her?” asked his servant.

“No, GrumIo. She must be tired from her journeys and needs the rest. Have warriors guard her chamber and a servant standing by to assist her when she does awaken,” he ordered.

“Yes, Majesty, the pilot of the other shuttle had to leave. The Nephilim wished to break orbit and resume their trip. I took it upon myself to oversee the removal of her things from the shuttle. I’ve had them stored in the palace. Here is the key, Majesty; it is the only one,” he said, handing Ben an ornate key.

“Thank you, GrumIo, I know you were careful. Please let MinoLa and the rest of the staff know that a wedding needs to be planned and prepared to take place as soon as possible. Have the royal seamstress sent to the palace to be at my Queen’s disposal. I will contact BianCa. Please have invitations sent out to all the Clan Proctors and their households,” he commanded.

“All the proctors, Sire?” asked GrumIo.

“Yes, GrumIo, this is more than a political marriage. I have entered the frenzy. All of KowLer needs to bow to their new queen.”

“It is a great day for our people. I will carry out your wishes immediately.”

Ben watched as his faithful and longtime servant left the room. He knew he could count on GrumIo. Now he needed to contact his sister. Their father had brokered her into a marriage for political reasons and her husband had tried to kill her. Now she was married to a strong Nephilim warrior and they were very much in love. He hadn’t agreed with his father’s decision and was pleased with BianCa’s new husband. She deserved her happiness. She and her husband had also discovered it was her first husband who had poisoned the water supply on the planet, preventing any pregnancies for the past five years. Since the visit of the Nephilim Queen, nearly every married woman on the planet was now pregnant and the antidote to the poison had been discovered.

MinoLa, the palace housekeeper, was very curious to meet her new mistress. There hadn’t been a queen in the palace since King Ben’s mother had died nearly twenty years ago. It would be good to once again have a soft female influence around. Everyone missed Princess BianCa after she had married and left.

It was late in the afternoon when Malpha woke. After she left Ben in the corridor, she had stayed awake and read two of the stories given to her by Lady Grace. They had caused her face to grow warm several times but she continued to read them. Several parts she read over and over again. More than once, she felt her body reacting to the things she read about and realized that just the suggestion of different things, caused her body to prepare itself. She began to get an idea of what type of lover she would need and she wondered if she would be the lover Ben would need.

Of course, she wanted to read the rest of the stories Grace had sent her before she tried to engage in sex with Ben KowLer. According to what she read, he would appreciate the fact she had never been with another. Part of her was glad and part of her easily saw the hypocrisy in such a belief. She wouldn’t allow her daughters to be treated in this way. If the Seer was correct, she would have many daughters before she gave her husband a son. She wanted them to have the freedom to choose their own futures. Ben would have to agree to that before they married.

After cleansing her body and hair, she started to dress. She didn’t have very much with her, as most of her things were packed on the Nephilim shuttle. The lack of vibration meant they had landed, perhaps some time ago. The fact no one had awakened her meant Ben was being careful of her health, which was a good thing. She was letting her thoughts wander because she didn’t like any of her clothing choices. She had taken a few items meant for interacting with Queen Addie and her
Ankida
, not for seducing her future husband. Seducing, to seduce, she liked the words and what they meant. She very much wanted to seduce Ben and be seduced in return.

Hmmm… she needed to turn her mind back to the matter at hand. Knowing she needed to wear something, she pulled out what Grace said were called Palazzo pants. Hers were red, tight from her waist to the tops of her hips and then they flared out into such wide legs, they resembled a skirt. The legs of the pants started at her hips in a sheer see-thru fabric, ending in a wide solid stripe around the hems. The solid color at her waist went down and past her hips to the tops of her thighs. It appeared she was wearing shorts under a sheer skirt. At the same time, she had complete freedom of movement. She was six feet in height with a slender but strong body. Grace had told her that back on Earth, she would have been in demand as a high fashion model, whatever that was. It didn’t sound like a very rewarding job.

On top, she wore a white halter shirt of Caspian silk. The central plunging neckline dropped below her breasts by a few inches and her strong shoulders were left bare as well as most of her back. She didn’t want to take time to arrange her hair in an elaborate style; she would need help with that anyway. She left it in a dark waterfall down her back to her knees. Walking over to the mirror, she quickly gathered the first inch of hair bordering her face. She braided the left over to the right and the right over to the left. She was left with interlocking braids that framed her face and hung down in front of her ears in the current fashion.

There, she was ready. Addie had told her all she needed were pointed ears and she would resemble one of the elves of ancient Earth myth. She had been insulted until Addie had explained how they were believed to be beautiful. Glynnis had said she looked like an Earth female called Audrey Hepburn, only with longer hair. Malpha didn’t consider herself to be beautiful with her slashing brows, high cheekbones, hollow cheeks and too-fat lips. Turning away, she clasped her bracelet holding her DRD around her left wrist. She added her ear jewelry, which protected the soft lobes of her ears. What most didn’t know was that her jewelry subtly enhanced her hearing.

She no longer wore her ring of office. Missing the weight, she put on other rings. The ring on her right middle finger covered the entire finger. It had woven metals in a knot-work design over the back of her hand and around her wrist. This connected to three chains that traveled up to a band around her arm below her elbow before proceeding up to a second, wider band around her bicep. It was the only piece of jewelry her grandmother had passed directly to her and had come down through the women in her family for more than fifteen thousand years. Finished, she left her temporary quarters to begin the next phase of her life.

She was accustomed to having guards, so she paid no mind to the two warriors outside her door. Her eyes went straight to the young girl standing on the other side of the corridor as she bowed low.

“Your Majesty, my name is GemMa. MinoLa, the palace housekeeper, has assigned me to be your personal attendant, if you will accept,” she said to the floor, holding her bow.

“Please stand straight and look me in the eyes, GemMa,” Malpha said.

She could see she had already blundered at the look of shock on the girl’s face and the stiffening of the two guards.

“How am I to judge your sincerity if I cannot read your expressions?” she asked as an excuse for her request. When the three relaxed, she knew she had said the right thing.

“I will accept you as my attendant for today. We will see how it goes in order for me to make a permanent decision. Would you show me where I can find the king?”

“Would you not like to see your rooms in the palace and have a meal, Majesty?” GemMa asked in a soft voice.

“The Nephilim shuttle was unloaded?” at GemMa’s nod, she continued, “I would like to oversee the distribution of my things, but not at this time. While I would like to eat, I would prefer to dine with King Ben. Please take me to him and have the kitchens prepare a meal for the two of us,” she said in a strong but not a harsh voice.

She didn’t want to seem like a tyrant to the KowLer, but she wouldn’t be shunted off to the side until Ben had time for her. He would make time now.

She could tell by the renewed stiffening of her guards that she had made another mistake. Well that was too bad. She wasn’t a KowLer and she didn’t plan on changing. She’d been Nephilim for too long to become something different. As GemMa led the way off the ship and to a ground vehicle that would take her to the palace, she shortened her stride to match the smaller woman’s. GemMa barely reached her shoulder in height. The long tight skirt she wore didn’t allow her to take large steps, either. Malpha didn’t know how GemMa stood the restriction; it would drive her mad. Glancing at her guards, she saw she was even a little taller than they were. She was probably more lethal, too.

When she finally arrived at the palace, it was to discover a beehive of activity. Women were walking quickly with their small mincing steps. Men were carrying things as they walked behind the women. She turned to GemMa.

“What is going on?” she asked.

“The palace is preparing for your wedding. The king decreed it was going to take place this eve,” GemMa said.

Malpha was surprised. She knew she had told Ben they might as well start their lives. It was why she had agreed to leave the ship and come down to the planet’s surface so soon after they met. But she thought she’d have some time to get to know Ben before she was faced with this finality. Then she decided it was just nerves. Ben was correct. This was better.

“Am I required for any of these preparations?” she asked.

“The dressmakers are here. After you’ve had a meal, they are ready to make your wedding dress and start on the rest of your wardrobe,” explained GemMa.

“I can understand the need for a special wedding dress, there is no doubt a traditional style. However, I already own clothing. I brought my entire wardrobe with me from HeVan,” she said.

GemMa didn’t try to explain to the female who would be her queen why the clothing she now wore was not acceptable.
It showed her legs!
Instead, she led Malpha to her rooms where the seamstresses were waiting. After introducing Malpha to NorMa, the royal seamstress, she left to see about Malpha’s meal.

Malpha was not pleased she had been maneuvered into seeing this seamstress instead of Ben. They had things to discuss. As Malpha turned to speak to NorMa, she saw an expression of disgust cross the woman’s face before she blanked it. It seemed she already had an enemy. It didn’t bother her; dealing with the seamstress would be easy compared with the hundreds of years she’d spent in battle with the council members of HeVan. She would hear the woman out first, and then decide how to deal with her. Gesturing to the couches, she took a chair and sat down, crossing one leg over the other.

GemMa came back in the room with a tray holding a plate of food, as well as a cup of some hot beverage, going by the steam, and a tall glass of some kind of juice. Malpha had her place it on the table beside her chair.

“NorMa, explain the traditions of marriage clothing amongst the KowLer,” she said with the wave of one hand. She didn’t look at the woman. Instead, she picked up the cup and, sipping at the hot beverage, found that she liked it. Bringing the cup around, she gave NorMa her attention.

Only a tightening at the corners of NorMa’s mouth betrayed her anger. Malpha easily concealed her smile, giving NorMa a bland look.

“My Lady, I understand you are Nephilim. You are of an age greater than you look?” at Malpha’s nod, she continued, “This shade of color you’re wearing,” gesturing to Malpha’s pants, “Is the color of innocence and purity. It is only worn by young and untouched…virginal women. While it is the most common color for wedding clothes, it is not worn otherwise and never by women who have given their bodies. You should remove this garment immediately, it is unseemly.”

Malpha took another sip from her cup. She really did like this beverage. She would remember to thank GemMa later for introducing her to it. Placing the cup down on the tray, she let the silence stretch; she chose a piece of fruit to eat while she decided how she wished to answer. She remembered Glynnis’s words about starting as she meant to go on.

“You have gravely insulted me. I will not accept you as my royal seamstress. I command you remain seated. I further command you not to speak again until I give you leave. GemMa, take this tray away, I am no longer hungry.”

When GemMa picked up the tray and carried it to the door, Malpha uncrossed her legs and reaching over, picked up the table and placed it in front of her chair.

She removed her thick gold bracelet and set up her DRD screen and keyboard. By the sharp intakes of breath from the women in the room, she could tell they were surprised by this level of technology. She filed the thought away for future reference. The previous evening while she waited for the transmission from Grace, she noticed the ship’s computer was fully interfaced with the planetary systems. She downloaded five hundred years of KowLer history to study when she had the time. For now, she brought up historical fashion files. Narrowing her search to wedding clothes, she projected her results as a three dimensional hologram standing on the table in front of her. She took time to scroll through the images provided. She was pleased to see the predominantly red dresses changed to other colors when she went back more than one hundred and forty years. The one thing the garments had in common was the way they covered the body. Almost no skin was visible.

She persevered and went back further and further in time. The garments began to change radically in style. Since her DRD had connected with the KowLer database once before, she had the access route in memory. Even as she watched the clothing of bygone eras float in front of her, she was pulling in even older images. Refining her search, she limited the results to dresses worn in royal marriages beginning three hundred years in the past and going backwards in time.