Brianna (12 page)

Disappearing into the closet, Meri returned shortly with a pair of soft, white boots. “I’ve never worn these. See if they fit.”

Brianna slid her feet into the boots and stood up. “They seem to fit,” she said as she walked around.

“Good, now sit down in this chair and let me do something with your hair.”

Sitting in front of the vanity mirror, Brianna watched as Meri deftly gathered her hair and arranged the red mass in a coronet of braids on top of her head.

“It’s a bit thicker than mine,” Meri said as she struggled with a braid, “but this should work.”

Guiding Brianna’s hand to the back of her head, Meri said, “Just pull out this pin, and the braids will come down. Now, do you want any cosmetics?”

“Those I can manage myself. Why don’t you get dressed?”

Meri nodded and disappeared back into the closet, emerging some minutes later with an armful of blue-green material.

Tossing her robe onto the bed, she slid into the turquoise gown, not bothering with any undergarments. Before Brianna could comment, the door slid open and Beti entered the room.

“Your husband said he was tired of waiting and went to keep Alalakan company. Call when you are ready and he will come escort you to dinner. Celene is napping.”

Before Meri could answer, Beti stepped back and the door closed once more.

“Is she always so abrupt?” Brianna asked as she rose from the vanity chair and wandered over to a chest where some animal carvings were displayed.

“Afraid so,” Meri answered as she stood in front of the mirror and adjusted her gown. It hugged her body like a second skin to just below her hips, where it flared in graceful folds to the floor.

The low-cut neckline displayed a great deal of cleavage.

Following Brianna’s gaze, Meri looked down at her chest and said, “Medirians are fairly broad-minded about how much bosom women display. Most of us swim topless anyway.”

Brianna shrugged and lifted one of the carvings. “These are very beautiful. What’s this?”

Meri looked in her vanity mirror and said, “It’s a klanac. They are used to pull objects underwater where we’d rather not use machines.”

“A seal with a seahorse’s head,” said Brianna setting it down carefully. “And this?”

“A mahir, it’s the only large land animal native to our planet.

The Aradab use it as a draft and riding animal.”

“It looks like a cross between a deer and a horse, even if it is red. Do all of them have antlers?”

“Yes,” answered Meri, brushing her hair back behind her ears. “I think I’ll let it hang free tonight.”

“This dolphin is beautiful, though,” Brianna continued.

“Whoever carved it did an excellent job.”

Meri’s head jerked around. “Dol…phin?” she gasped, half rising to her feet.

“Hmmm, and the killer whale is lovely, too, although on my planet they’re black and white instead of blue and white.”

Meri settled weakly back into her chair.

Brianna set the carving down and hurried to her. “Beti!” she yelled. “There’s something wrong with Meri!”

Brianna was chafing Meri’s hands as the door slid open, and Beti charged into the room.

“No, no, I’m all right!” Meri said as she struggled against their supporting hands. “Brianna!” she continued breathlessly as she hurried to the chest where her carvings were displayed, lifting the dolphin and killer whale, “are you saying that there are animals like these on your planet?”

“Of course. Millions of them, probably,” Brianna answered slowly.

“The dols and the orcs,” Beti whispered in a reverent tone as both women stared at Brianna.

“What did I do?”

Meri set the carving down, threw her arms around Brianna in an exuberant hug, and burst into joyful tears. “What have you done! You’ve brought news of what was lost to my people centuries ago, the dols and the orcs. You need not fear Bakom now. On my planet you will be almost deified. Come on,” she said wiping the joyful tears from her eyes. “We must tell the others.”

Beti had already left the room when Meri tugged Brianna’s wrist and dragged her to the outer door. Beti stood talking with Kahn, and when they saw Brianna, both of them bowed deeply.

Straightening quickly, Kahn palmed open the door and checked the corridor. Ignoring Meri’s impatience, he motioned them out and allowed them to precede him to Chardadon’s quarters where Meri pounded on the door.

Hauling Brianna into the room behind her when the door opened, Meri ignored the surprised looks on the faces of the two men and flung herself into her husband’s arms babbling about a long-lost legacy, an ancient prophecy, and dols and orcs.

Brianna fisted her hands on her hips. “Will someone please tell me what is going on here? I finally get to where I think I understand things and now this!”

Char stared at the vision before him. Meri had been correct about his reaction; he was enchanted. The gown molded itself to her breasts and hips and its silver hue complimented Brianna’s vivid coloring perfectly. Her braided hair crowned her head and the slight trace of cosmetics deepened the passion in her green eyes and the temptation of her lips.

“Well?”

Snapped out of his reverie by her sharp tone, Char said, “The dols and orcs, which were removed from Mediria hundreds upon hundreds of years ago, apparently swim in the waters of your world.”

Meri calmed herself enough to continue. “Almost three thousand years ago, our planet was torn by racial strife.

Mediria’s three races did not live in harmony, and we had reached the point where our extermination of each other was close to being complete. That’s when the matriarchs of the dols and the orcs sent representatives to the warring factions saying that they had had enough. Since we couldn’t live in peace, they were leaving.”

“You could talk to them?”

Meri nodded and continued. “You must understand; the dols and the orcs were an integral part of our lives. We revered and respected them as we did not even respect ourselves. When they left, part of us went with them.”

“How did they leave?”

“That’s the greatest mystery of our planet. One day the sky was darkened by the arrival of a huge spaceship. We don’t know from where or from whom it came. Every single dol and orc on our planet was transported onto that ship. Then it disappeared. We’ve been looking for them ever since we conquered space.”

“As has every other human species,” Ademis added as he poured his wife a glass of wine. “Now that we know where they are, dear wife, what do you intend to do?”

“I want immediate transportation to Mediria for myself and Brianna. Finding the dols and the orcs is an agreed number one priority by all members of the Federation. Even your Academy of Science has agreed that the location of the dols and orcs is of prime scientific importance.”

Chardadon poured a glass of wine and took it to Brianna.

Swallowing, Brianna accepted it. She hadn’t been this close to him since he’d held her naked in his arms earlier that day, and his presence made her anxious. Forcing herself to meet his steady gaze, she was immediately lost in the velvety brown depths of his eyes. The pressure he exerted on her fingers as he handed her the wineglass brought her back to herself, and she struggled to concentrate on Meri. Char did not move away, however, but moved slightly behind and to her side.

The door slid open and Lorilana entered as Meri was saying, “I don’t care what Bakom wants, this takes precedence over any argument he could possibly produce.”

“And what argument is that, Meri? I seem to have missed an interesting conversation.”

“The dols and the orcs are on Brianna’s planet.”

Lorilana stumbled.

Brianna would have hurried to her side if she hadn’t felt the gentle caress of Char’s fingers on her elbow.

“Wait,” he murmured.

Meri helped Lorilana to the couch, and Ademis handed her a glass of wine.

“Are you sure?” she asked after a fortifying gulp.

“Brianna identified the carvings in my room without any prompting from me.”

Gathering the shreds of her composure about her, Lorilana said, “Meri, I’m very happy for you and your people. As far as Bakom is concerned, though, this will only slow, not stop him.

He may not be able to hurt Brianna now, but there is an entire planet of ‘specimens’ for him to choose from.”

Brianna surprised them all when she spoke. “Which is why this marriage must take place. As the wife of a prominent Drakian, and a worldwide heroine on Mediria, I’ll have a much easier time of gaining ambassadorial status. The people from a world with an ambassador to your Federation of Planets will certainly have more rights than one without,” she finished quietly.

The others stared at her, Ademis and Lorilana in surprise, Meri with a conspiratorial smile on her face, and Char with an unreadable expression on his.

“You’re right Brianna,” said Lorilana. “The honors granted to you by Mediria’s people should be enough to give Bakom pause. Being married to Char will put you out of his reach completely. It’s all the other people on your planet who are at risk. Bakom will certainly send an Academy ship for more specimens unless we can find a way for the Ruling Council to censure the action. Having both the Medirian royal family and the Alalakan clan on your side will give any intelligent being pause.”

Brianna nodded. She could sense Chardadon’s presence behind her with every nerve in her body.

“I have to send a message to my father immediately,” Meri said impatiently. “He must make preparations for our arrival and inform the Federation.”

Chardadon remained silent. His plans were being changed as they spoke, but Brianna herself had removed the one obstacle he feared. Lorilana was correct about the honors Mediria would bestow upon her; one of them would be Medirian citizenship. That would put her effectively out of Bakom’s reach.

Luckily for him, she had reasoned out Bakom’s probable actions towards her planet. The only question he hadn’t been able to answer in his mind was whether or not she’d be willing to sacrifice herself into marriage to save her people.

I have to take her home with me. I can’t leave her on
Mediria. Meri’s father will have his assassins guard her too
closely for Bakom to capture her if she remains there. If she’s
on Drakan, Bakom will think he can get to her. Then he’ll start
making mistakes. Without Brianna, Bakom’s downfall would
take longer.

Lorilana’s next comment brought Char out of his musings.

“Then I may as well perform the ceremony now, Char, Brianna,” Lorilana said in a no-nonsense tone. “We no longer need to hash out the problems associated with our old plan.”

Brianna nodded nervously, and the next fifteen minutes passed in a blur. She remembered a cool kiss on her cheek, and then her senses returned when she felt herself lifted high off the floor and twirled around. However, it wasn’t Char’s arms in which she found herself. When she looked down, Ademis grinned up at her.

“Are you back with us now?” he whispered in her ear as he kissed her cheek. “You looked ready to faint. Marrying Char is not a bad thing.”

“I’m not your daughter!” Brianna gasped as Ademis lifted her higher.

Ademis laughed as he set her back on her feet.

“I don’t know how Meri tolerates you,” she grumbled as she regained her equilibrium.

“I tolerate him because I love him,” Meri whispered in Brianna’s ear as she hugged her tightly. “I hope you find the same joy. Char’s a good man.”

Brianna sighed. “Maybe, but I’d have liked to get to know him better.”

“Those two seem to have fallen into friendship rather quickly,” Lorilana said quietly to Char as she watched Brianna and Meri whispering together. “Who would have thought it possible?”

“They’re very much alike or hadn’t you noticed?” was all Char answered, well aware of Lorilana’s dissatisfaction with the marriage kiss he gave Brianna. The passionate kisses he wanted to give her would wait until she was ready for them. Who knows how she would react to his passion in front of witnesses.

“Until you pointed it out, no,” Lorilana answered. “But you’re right. Anyway, I’m looking forward to Sheala’s birthday celebration at Solstice. Your sister-in-law doesn’t particularly care for Meri. I can’t wait to see her reaction to Brianna.”

Char had poured two glasses of wine while Lorilana was talking. Handing one to her, he raised his glass and said, “I give you my new wife, Alalakan dem al’ Brianna.”

The others followed his lead and toasted Brianna silently as she stood, uncomfortable, the center of attention.

Meri set her glass down as soon as the toast was finished. “I want to send that message now, Char,” she demanded.

Ademis sighed loudly. “I’ll take her to Communications. You will soon discover, my friend, you’ll have no peace if your wife is not happy.”

Char smiled. “I’ll have your dinner sent to your quarters.”

“That’s why I love you so much, Char. You understand what truly matters in life.” With those words, Ademis guided his wife to the door and disappeared into the corridor.

“I must go also, though I will find my own dinner. This matter of dols and orcs requires thought and study. It will cause an uproar in the Federation and the Academy,” said Lorilana as she too exited the room.

Brianna found herself alone with her husband. Why did everybody leave! “Is finding those animals really such an earth-shattering event?” she blurted into the rapidly expanding silence.