Halu joined her, and Padana murmured, “Thanks for the save.”
“No problem. My mom keeps one packed for me as well. A medical device is the best and most truthful description.” Halu chuckled, and they made their way to the shuttle dock.
The station was modestly busy, so when folks stopped in their tracks, it got Padana’s attention. She paused, “Please, tell me that we aren’t being escorted to the surface by guardians.”
A team of four men in the armoured suits of the guardians was walking toward Padana and Halu with an even stride.
Halu chuckled. “It seems you have earned an honour guard, Princess Padana.”
She sighed and continued forward with one hand guiding her negotiator suit. The wall of men was suddenly in front of them, and Padana paused. “Guardians, greetings of the day to you.”
Yomin inclined his head to her. “Ambassador Tyrell, it is an honour to have you within our territory.”
He extended his hand to hers, and when she extended her hand to him, he pulled her against the body armour and kissed her.
The texture of his armour was smooth, and she stood with wide eyes as his lips moved over hers with lazy exploration. The hard green surface of his mouth had the texture of slippery satin against her mouth. It came to her that they were in the middle of a concourse with plenty of vid cameras as well as witnesses. She pushed away from him, and he let her go. His eyes had a very smug expression.
“Why did you do that? It is definitely not a standard Hredu greeting.”
He slid his hand under her hair and stroked her cheek with his thumb. “It should be.”
She gave him a businesslike nod. “Well, am I going to spend the next six months here, or is there somewhere else I can be?”
He chuckled. “This is Spring, Winter, and Summer.”
“So, you are Fall.”
He inclined his head. “Correct.”
The other men were grinning, and Halu was looking them over. She looked at Padana, “Your call.”
Padana smiled. “Guardian, I would like to be delivered to my station in the imperial palace if it is not inconvenient.”
He sighed. “Of course. This way, Ambassador.”
She chuckled and put her hand on the case with her suit. The men formed a block around them and escorted them through the station and to the shuttle. Their cargo was stowed, and they were soon underway, descending with Winter at the helm.
Halu kept herself between Padana and the imperial heir of the Hredu system. It took a lot of nerve to ignore the glare that she was getting, but Halu Douglas was made of stern stuff. Halu’s origin in the Nyal Imperium made her excellent for this kind of mission as she really didn’t give a fuck for other rulers.
Padana smiled and kept her focus on her communication with the imperial house. They were preparing the temporary embassy and needed a few details for the guard placements and meal arrangements.
Halu looked over and said, “You have to arrange your own meals?”
“Sort of. I am in a strange position. I am half in the household and half outside it, so I am an independent situation.” She sighed. “This is going to be an expensive visit.”
Yomin muttered, “It isn’t a visit; it is a trial.”
She waved her hand. “Yes, Guardian Fall, I know, but I have to set everything up as if I am actually doing my job. You know, so I can do the job.”
He mumbled something about his father having it easy.
They landed, and Halu helped her to her feet.
Padana got her stuff together and put her bag over her shoulder, steering her armour out of the storage area with one hand with the ease of practice. The guardians were surprisingly quiet on the trip, and as soon as they landed, Padana found out why.
Half of the imperial court of Hredu was at the entry to the palace. The emperor and his empress were standing side by side and awaiting their arrival.
Padana stepped forward, and at fifteen feet away, she went down on one knee with her travel cloak flared wide around her and her head down. She was wearing trousers, so a curtsy had been out of the question.
The empress murmured, “That is impressive fabric control, Princess Padana.”
The emperor muttered, “Rise, Ambassador Tyrell.”
Padana got gracefully to her feet. “Thank you, Your Highness. My father sends his greetings.”
“You are welcome, and we are in dire need of a negotiator. Your presence is appreciated. We have arranged your guards, and I see that you have a bodyguard with you?”
“Halu Douglas of Jennila. She has all the training that anyone could wish for.” She inclined her head. “We apologize for our lack of mask. We were not anticipating running into the court.”
“It seems that Fall has neglected to keep you informed during your transport.” The emperor looked at his son with narrowed eyes.
“I was not anticipating the court to be here, Father. There was a bit of distraction on the station, and my wits scattered.”
The emperor grinned. “I saw the footage from the station. Half the planet has seen the footage. Did you want to paint a target on her before she had even touched soil?”
Yomin shrugged. “It will soon be immaterial.”
She looked at him with surprise. “Says you, Your Imperial Highness.”
He grinned. “Indeed. The kiss was proof enough for me.”
She narrowed her eyes at him and walked up to him, prodding him in the chest with two fingers. “It. Was. Just. A. Kiss.”
He leaned back in surprise. “You didn’t enjoy it?”
She grabbed the edge of his neckline and pulled him down so she could whisper in his ear. “That has absolutely nothing to do with it. If they come after me because you wanted to stake a claim the moment I landed, I am going to kick your ass.”
He chuckled in her ear. “I look forward to you trying.”
She paused. “They are all staring at us again, aren’t they?”
He pressed his lips against her ear. “Yes. This time, it is your doing, Your Imperial Highness.”
She winced and relaxed her grip on his neckline, easing him to standing with a sigh and a pat at the front of his armour.
She turned back to his parents and bowed. “Please, pardon my breach of protocol.”
The emperor grinned. “No, I don’t think I will. I will be holding onto that image for a while. Now, Ambassador, come with me. We will get you sorted and out of our son’s eye line. It seems to do nothing but distract him.”
A set of guards surrounded her, and one grabbed her armour. Halu brought up the rear, and they headed into the imperial grounds of Hredu. The emperor explained on their way that her skills as a negotiator were in dire need. A new jump corridor was planned, and the rights were hotly contested. They needed her to get to work immediately. So her six-month contract had begun.
Chapter Four
It took her ten minutes to get into her negotiator armour, and the Hredu cloak was waiting for her to represent their empire.