B00CH3ARG0 EBOK (23 page)

“You understand our shock?” the Sural asked. “It nearly
killed the oldest of my close advisors to see you. Thinking the Parania to be
in good health, we could only speculate that her motives were less than
friendly. She has had, after all, 130 years to inform me that she conceived a
child of my father ... and failed to do so.”

“I cannot see how Kazryn could have fathered me,” Kazryth
said, shaking his head. “The Paran my grandfather killed him and was killed by
you in turn. Then my mother assumed the leadership of our province and was
summoned to the Jorann. They cannot have met.”

“Ah. She did not tell you she came to Suralia as ambassador
for Parania the day prior to your grandfather’s attack. That night, she shared her
blanket with my father.”

“Before the attack?”

“Indeed. After I defeated the Paran, she offered me her life,
though I could not know she was increasing. She risked her life – and yours –
that I would spare her. But with her father dead on the dais in the audience
room, she threw herself on
Kazryn’s
body and wept. I could not bear to
execute her and end Parania’s bloodline, after witnessing that.” He fell
silent, his fingers steepled in front of him, studying Kazryth.

The Paranian was silent. After a time, he said, “My mother
has been dying from my earliest memory. I now understand why. You have honored
me, Suralia.” He stood and moved in front of the Sural’s desk. “Mother has
little time left, and I will soon rule Parania in my own right. I intend to
strengthen our ties to Suralia, if you will have it.” He slowly opened both
palms and extended his right arm.

The Sural stood and clasped Kazryth’s forearm with a warm
smile. “I look forward to negotiating with your heir,” he said. “I have heard
she is quite astute.”

Marianne’s eyes filled. Brothers. A lump grew in her throat
as the Sural nodded a dismissal, and Kazryth left – seeking out Laura, no doubt.

“Does something trouble you, beloved?” the Sural asked,
moving around his desk toward her.

“No,” she said, embarrassed by the upwelling of emotion. “That
was just so beautiful. You’re brothers.” She said the word, slowly, in a dozen
languages of Earth.

He grunted a little. “A human concept.”

“It’s a biological concept.”

He stifled another grunt and offered her his arm. “Do you
have your library tablet with you? I have in mind to copy it.”

* * *

Kazryth searched the top floor of the stronghold after
finding the refectory empty. Laura was nowhere to be seen among those wandering
through the art. He lingered over a few of the more beautiful of the modern
Suralian paintings, then shook himself and headed for her quarters.

He slowed his pace as he approached the door to her suite,
an idea forming in his mind. He had read that humans, sense-blind as they were,
announced themselves to each other by tapping on doors. Would Laura be pleased
if he declared his presence in that manner?

He wouldn’t know unless he tried.

With a gesture, he stopped the camouflaged guard from
opening the door for him and gave the smooth wood an experimental rap with his
knuckles. A surge of surprise burst from within the room, bringing a smile to
his lips unbidden. It had been a good idea. The door flew open to reveal an astonished
Laura, eyes as wide as moons, brows lifted high, lips parted.

“Kazryth!” she blurted.

He bowed.

“No one knocks on this planet,” she said, moving aside to
let him enter. “Everyone just barges in.”

“I am pleased to be first,” he replied, as he went past into
her sitting room. When she had closed the door, he caught her up in his arms and
spun her around.

She shrieked and giggled, throwing her arms around his neck.

“Do you truly wish to come with me?” he asked. He ran his
hands through her hair and leaned his forehead against hers. “You said nothing
before you told the Sural and the Marann. Are you certain?”

She buried her face in his shoulder, nodding. “You knew I
was lying when I said I forgot about the workshop, didn’t you?”

“I did wonder.”

“I thought Marianne was getting ready to tease me, and I
didn’t want to be teased about you. But then I realized if I don’t go with you,
I was going to miss you, and was going to be even harder to face each day here
alone. Waking up alone. Eating every meal with the Sural. Sometimes it’s hard
to see the man who killed my husband, every day.”

“My heart—” He searched his memory for the human expression.
“I am very sorry for your loss.”

She pulled away to sit on a divan.

“I know why he had to do it,” she said, as he took a seat and
put an arm around her. “He was just protecting Tolar. Marianne told me his side
of it – I was there with John, but they were speaking Tolari, and I couldn’t
understand them. She told me the Sural ordered John to leave Tolari space, and
he wouldn’t go. I know Addie was egging him on – I could see that much. When I
think about how Addie
used
my husband and got him killed ...” She
clamped her mouth shut, anger making the muscles in her jaw ripple.

He wasn’t sure of the exact meaning of all the words she’d used,
but made a guess from the rest of what she said. She blamed a human named Addie
for John’s death more than she blamed the Sural. Even if she realized he’d had
no choice, Kazryth could understand how it could be difficult for Laura to live
in the Suralian stronghold.

“At least the Sural didn’t kill the whole ship, or I’d be
dead too,” she finished.

“I am glad he did not,” he murmured.

She half-laughed, her tone bitter. “For weeks, I wished he
had
killed the ship,” she said. “Since then, I’ve wished every day that I could be
with John just one more time. I—” Her eyes went to his. “I shouldn’t say these
things to you.”

He gave her a squeeze. “You will always miss him.”

“I feel disloyal,” she said, looking away and biting her
lip.

“No.” He shook his head. “Your John is part of you, always,
but he is your past, not your ... he is not your now. He is not your tomorrow.”
He made a frustrated noise. “I must learn more English.”

“I’m trying to learn Tolari,” she offered. “But I’m not very
smart, and it’s hard.”

“You try to learn Suralian,” he corrected, lifting her chin
so he could look into her eyes. “Suralian is very difficult. Paranian is
easier.”

“Oh?”

“Very much easier.”

As she nodded again, she closed her eyes and took a deep
breath, as if she were stifling a sudden yawn.

“You are fatigued?”

 “Excuse me,” she said. She heaved a sigh, apparently trying
to stifle another yawn. “Yes. Very tired. I just don’t want you to go.”

A smile danced onto his lips. “I can stay.”

“Can you?” Her smile was a little uncertain. “I don’t think
I’m up for ... more ... not after ...”

He chuckled. “We will sleep,” he said.

Waking up next to someone again was wonderful.

Laura opened her eyes to find Kazryth gazing at her with his
head propped on one elbow and a smile in his deep brown eyes. It warmed and aroused
her, even at her age and in spite of all the ... activity ... the evening
before.

Really, Laura,
she thought.
You’re acting like a
wanton.

But it was the best way to wake up.

“Good morning, my love,” Kazryth said, and leaned over with
the obvious intent of giving her a kiss. She reached to put a hand behind his
neck and pulled, and he toppled onto her, landing nose to nose. “I can like
this,” he said, grinning.

Coherent thought fled in a tangle of bodies.

The brilliant colors of dawn had faded into a turquoise
summer sky before she gave him one last lingering kiss and dragged him off her
sleeping mat to the bathing area. When they emerged, clean and playfully swatting
at each other with the smooth, absorbent cloths that Tolari used for toweling,
they found the servants had taken the opportunity to clean the room and leave
them fresh robes.

Laura donned the robe and trousers left for her and spun
around. “Look at this,” she exclaimed. “Purple! I’ve been wearing light blue
for
so
long
. It’s been something over two months, I think.”

Kazryth donned his pale green. “I have always worn the color
of my province,” he said, a bemused smile on his lips. “But you are in the
artisan caste now. You can go anywhere, wearing their color.”

She wrapped her arms around his waist. “I’m looking forward
to seeing your province. Is it very different?”

“It is much warmer than Suralia. We are near the—” He
frowned. Then he brought his hands up and made a fist with one hand while running
a circle around it with the other index finger. “Middle of planet?”

She knew that one. “Equator.”

He mouthed the word before saying it aloud. “Equator.” He
looked around him and gave a slight shiver. “Suralia is cold. The people are
cold. Parania is warm. My people are friendly.”

“I think you’re wrong. The people here only seem cold. They’re
really very warm. Even the Sural.”

“Tell me again, after you meet my people,” he said with a smug
grin, and dropped into the lonely chair sitting against one wall.

She laughed at his pride, starting a little as a servant
appeared out of nowhere to deal with his hair.
So that’s what that chair is
for.
When the servant was done and he was on his … peds … again, she tucked
a hand under his arm. “Come on. Let’s get something to eat.”

* * *

Marianne had to look twice when Laura strolled into the
refectory wearing a deep purple robe. “You look wonderful in that color,” she
said.

Laura beamed. “Thank you!”

The Sural indicated that Kazryth and Laura should take
Kyza’s and Thela’s customary places and murmured a welcome. Then the two girls pelted
into the room, chasing each other. Since their seats were taken, they piled
their food next to the Sural’s and crowded onto his lap, each girl perched on one
knee. A gleam of parental satisfaction glinted in his eyes.

He loved being surrounded by friends and family so much,
Marianne thought. It was hard for her to picture how long he’d been alone – more
than 260 years.
Alone so long!
It challenged her ability to imagine it.

Kazryth interrupted her musing by switching to Suralian and
addressing Thela. “I am honored to greet you,” he said. “I have heard much of
your ability since I arrived. When you are of age, will you give a concert in
Parania?”

“You honor me, high one,” Thela replied, very formally, with
a shy smile. “I would be pleased to perform for Parania.”

“I will direct your tutors to add the music of Paranian
composers to your lessons,” the Sural said.

Kyza, whom Marianne had taught English as well as five other
human languages, jumped in with more suggestions for Thela’s education. “You
should also learn human languages,” she said. “At least English. Then you could
understand Laura.”

Thela glanced from Kyza to Laura and back. “You will be
Father’s ambassador to the humans, so you need to know their languages. I have
no time for it.”

“You could if you wanted. You are too lazy.”

“I am not.”

“You are.”

Thela huffed. “Not!”

“Are!”

“Daughters,” the Sural growled.

“Forgive me, Father,” they said, almost in unison, wincing
at the force of his disapproval.

Marianne strangled a laugh. The Sural shot her a reproving
look as well, and she pasted a contrite expression on her face, her lips twitching.
Across the table, Laura coughed in an apparent effort to cover mirth. Marianne
didn’t think she could have understood much of the exchange, but experienced
mother and grandmother that she was, she didn’t have to understand the words. Then,
for no apparent reason, Laura dissolved into peals of laughter, leaning
helplessly against Kazryth.

The girls looked over at Laura. Kyza shrugged a shoulder at
Thela, at which point Marianne lost her battle to control her amusement and laughed.

“Perhaps,” the Sural said to Marianne, in a carefully
neutral voice, “your daughter will give you reason to exercise
your
patience.”

Marianne only burst into fresh giggles, Laura joining her. Kazryth,
who seemed more inclined to sympathize with the Sural, gave him a knowing look
and a slight smile. The Sural raised an eyebrow. For a moment he looked as if
he was going to say something, but instead he shook his head and went back to
eating.

“My daughter was very trying,” Kazryth told the Sural, in
Paranian. “I do not envy you two strong-willed daughters.”

The Sural’s mouth twitched. “My father had a great deal of
difficulty with me,” he replied. “As I fathered the Marann’s child, it would
not be implausible to suppose she will have some difficulty with her own
daughter.”

Marianne wiped tears of mirth from her eyes. “I do
understand Paranian, you know,” she pointed out, stifling a chuckle. “And there
is no way to know how difficult Kyza might become as an adolescent.” She
reached out to touch the Sural’s wrist. “Forgive me, beloved. I really did not
mean to undermine your authority. That was just ... too amusing.”

The Sural’s reply was interrupted by a chime and an
insistent buzzing coming from under the table. Kazryth frowned and pulled his
tablet out of a pocket. His face drained of expression and his presence faded
as he read.

He can close his barriers completely,
Marianne
thought. It was a rare ability. A sense of foreboding came over her. What had
happened that would provoke him to exercise it?

The room went silent. She wasn’t the only one wondering why
Kazryth had shut his barriers.

After a few moments, he pocketed his tablet. “I am the Paran,”
he said, in a quiet voice that carried across the room. Paranians in the
refectory gasped and began to weep.