“If he doesn’t suit you when you see him in action, you can come home, Padana. No one is making you wed him.”
She laughed. “No, not making me leave isn’t going to work for me. There are other issues that we are not going to discuss, but it would be best if I indulged them while away from home where you can’t have anyone arrested or tortured.”
“Ah, sweetie, you know me so well. You are going to have to communicate with your mother at least once every fortnight while you are gone, or she is going to take your brothers and come for a visit. You can imagine how impressed that will make me.”
She chuckled as she imagined how enraged her father would be to have his beloved friend, companion, and lover out of his reach. “I will try to observe all protocols, Father. Thanks for letting me go.”
He sighed. “I really didn’t have a choice.”
She kissed his cheek. “You didn’t. Now give this flower to Mum and tell her that it is in honour of the day the flowers first arrived and the day she stopped aging.”
He grinned. “You are very sly.”
She shrugged. “I get it from my father.”
He left to go and seduce his wife for probably the third time that day, and she grinned and slowly returned to the party. She needed to be packing, but her mother had probably ordered it taken care of. She danced with a few members of the Haldis Imperial Council, and when she had exhausted herself, she wandered to the buffet table.
The guards nodded to her as she took a few tidbits and nibbled as she watched the party from the safety of the heavily guarded snacks. She eased to the side so she could get a good look at the dance floor, and in the rainbow of alien dignitaries, she was focused on finding one in particular.
She heard a whisper. “Looking for anyone specifically?”
She yelped and had to calm her guards as she turned to Yomin.
He had managed to appear at her side without making a sound.
“I was watching my parents. They look so happy, but then, they normally look happy.” She grinned. “When they aren’t trying to kill each other.”
He blinked. “What?”
“Well, my mother has more of a tendency to attack my father. She lets him get away with nothing. It is an interesting dynamic.”
He chuckled. “My parents are ridiculously in love with each other as well, but then, she was hired as a scribe and was wedded to my father shortly after that.”
“A scribe?”
“Yes, she prizes handwriting over everything.” He chuckled.
“She is still alive?”
He laughed. “Of course. My father is a guardian as I am. He would not let her feel a whisper of danger.”
“I am sure that it worked out well for him.”
He chuckled. “Not really. There were a dozen attempts on her life before I appeared. For each one, my father was off on a mission and my mother’s guards took care of things.”
“What happened when you were born?”
“Once it was proved that I was pure Hredu, my mother was celebrated as the mother of the future emperor.”
“So, it is a hostile place then?”
He shrugged. “In your circumstances, it certainly will be. You will be assigned your guards, and they will keep you alive while you are with us as negotiator and ambassador.”
“How is that going to work? I have a suit for my negotiator work, but being there as an ambassador is going to involve a little exposure.”
He looked down at her. “What you are wearing now is quite acceptable.”
She chuckled. “Thank you, but I dress a little more casually when I am at other courts unless I am in the imperial presence.”
He grinned. “You plan to run loose in the Hredu court?”
She shook her head, “No, I plan to run loose in the Hredu countryside. If you want to see a world, look at its land, its people, and its weather.”
Yomin murmured, “Please save the excursions until I can accompany you.”
She smiled brightly. “I make no promises. My days off might not coincide with your schedule.”
He muttered something in a hissing tone that she could barely understand. Something about headstrong women carrying all the beauty.
Chapter Three
The trip in the Haldis Imperium transport took four days. They followed the Hredu ship at a safe distance and docked on the station in orbit around the planet.
“Halu, are you excited to be travelling?” Padana asked her the same question she had asked four times already.
“I am. With all of my siblings either married or guardians, I am the odd one out.” Halu grinned. “It’s nice to get out and about.” She chuckled and finished her cake. “Plus, landing on Hredu is not something that most folks are authorized for. Thanks for pushing the paperwork through.”
“No problem. Thanks for using the term paperwork.” Padana grinned.
“My mom mentions it often. My dad just humours her.” Halu smiled.
“Well, I could hope for no one better to be my personal guard. You have experience with peacekeepers, enforcers, and guardians. I think I am covered.”
“So, why are you all the way out here? I mean, Hredu is interesting, but you are going to be in a bio-suit the whole time that you are visiting the world. That isn’t fun and doesn’t leave much chance for you to seduce the heir to the throne.”
“I am used to it. I have been on a few missions for the family over the last eight years. The suit isn’t quite negotiator armour, but it does stop me from getting stabbed in the back, front, or wherever.” Padana smiled.
“What did your guard do?”
“Killed them and then checked my suit for leaks. Six attacks and no damage.”
“Ah. Good, standard procedure.” Halu sat there and said, “So, the first thing I am going to have to do is get authorization to defend you as a member of your household and then another writ that will let me defend you when you leave the palace.”
“You are going to do this nice and legally?”
Halu snorted. “Do you know how annoying it is to be taken into custody while I am a bodyguard? I have been arrested twice, and now, I always register.”
They grabbed their bags, and Padana supervised her bio-suit going through the customs exam, and when it was done, she surrendered her luggage.
Her face went pink as the men drew out a case that was definitely not for public exposure.
The men looked at each other and then at her. “What is this object?”
“It is a medically related device for relieving tension.” Halu spoke from the other station, calmly putting her cuffs back on. “It isn’t appropriate for a lady to seek out contact.”
The men ran it through the scanner again, and then, they nodded. “It is inert, Ambassador. Please, enjoy your stay and use the device in good health.”
Padana nodded and retrieved her bag, repacking the pleasure centre along with the compressed clothing made by her Aunty Krik.