In her room, the Lady looked dubiously at the outfit Aninya had left.

“I don’t think this exactly fits my image as Lady Death, do you?” she asked her bodyguards, holding up a small gown, shoulderless, very low cut, skin tight to the knees where it flared like a goldfish tail. It was black with red tiger stripes running downward. There were spike-heeled black shoes and red elbow high gloves striped in black.

“Where did she find a monstrosity like that? I can’t remember anything of this sort in my clothing room,” Radhya puzzled.

“I believe that Dave said Jemelina made it,” replied Will. “At least try it on. She probably worked very hard on it to please you.”

“No!” stated Radhya emphatically. “I’ll go to the banquet in what I am wearing.”

“If you do you’ll offend every aristocrat there, especially Lady Felina,” said Padr.

“Everyone will think it’s for Lord Barone,” spoke Max in a tight voice. “And think how hurt Jemelina will be if you don’t wear it.”

Radhya frowned and wrinkled her nose. “Is there anyone at home who could bring me something else?”

Max tried his wrist comp. “The only one around is Geo. He says wear what you have; he is too old to run over here and be a ladies maid.”

“I don’t want to look like Lady Sex.”

“Unless you want to go naked I don’t think you have a lot of choice here,” counselled Padr.

Radhya dragged off to prepare herself. Will called her as soon as she had slithered and stuffed herself into the dress.

“Radhya, Aninya sent these up,” he told her displaying a necklace and hair band of fire gems and black pearls. “Aninya apologized. She is too busy to see to you herself. The final food preparations are not going well in the kitchen, Dave found something, and they had to redo a lot of dishes.”

“I can’t breathe in this thing. It is excessively tight. I can’t draw any air in,” Radhya complained. “How am I supposed to put that stuff on with these?”

She thrust her arms encased in long gloves in the air.

“Let me,” chimed in Max.

Max slipped the string of gems around Radhya’s throat. Unfortunately, the clasp snarled in her hair. After much tugging and ripping of strands, he got it free and fastened properly.

“I am sorry milady,” he apologized.

She brushed her hair smooth again and tried to put the hair band in. Every attempt it went crooked. She approached Max. He couldn’t straighten it either. Nor was Will able to get the recalcitrant piece of metal to sit evenly on her hair.

“I paid a fortune for the pack of you, and there is not a decent serving wench among you. Padr give it a try.”

From a drawer, Padr extracted his measuring tools. It was to no avail; the hair band would not sit straight. Radhya gave it a tweak.

“If you can’t get perfection, then go for randomness,” she instructed, the gems glowing lopsidedly in her hair.

“Well,” interrupted Padr sarcastically, “You might as well look the part all the way. Lord Barone is going to think you are hot for him. They probably will call you Lady Sex after you parade around in that all night.”

“You’re the one who said I had to wear it,” Radhya snarled back.

“I’m sorry milady. I didn’t realize that it was so revealing. It just looks totally out of character for you, more like something you would find in a pleasure house.”

“Well, it is certainly no pleasure for me. I can’t even breathe. Jemelina had better appreciate my wearing this for her. By the way, don’t let her design anything for me ever again.”

Radhya and the bodyguards left the safety of the room. As Dave met her at the door of the banquet room, her face was like thunder.

“I am sorry, milady. I told Jemelina to check with you first. She fancies herself an extraordinary fashion designer. I apologize for her. Please, don’t punish her, she was only trying to make tonight special.”

“Especially embarrassing,” snorted Radhya. “Dave, I appreciate her efforts. But the measurement is wrong. I can’t walk and can barely breathe and don’t, just don’t ever let her make me anything again.”

Dave bowed his head as every eye in the place fastened itself on Lady Kirbyson. The sound of shock rippled through the room. Noel fairly flew to take her arm.

“My dear,” he murmured down at her, “I am horrified. I never suspected you of wanting to be a nightclub singer.”

“Why my dear almost fiancé I thought you would be wanting to make all the other men and some of the women jealous of your excellent taste,” she snapped. “Maybe you could take a holo for Krin.”

Barone stopped dead on the journey across the floor, flushing a bright scarlet. Radhya tugged him forward, very aware of every eye upon them.

“Shall we get this farce over?”

“I think I prefer you in your basic black,” he replied recovering his composure.

“Then I chose well,” she smiled thinly.

Radhya and Noel ascended the musician’s stage. The attention of everyone in the room remained riveted on the couple.

“At the request of Princess Felina,” began Radhya nodding at the Lady, “Lord Noel Barone and I are entering into an agreement to contract together, in two years time, right after our status review, provided my status, on my own merits does not exceed his. If this criterion is met, we will contract on the day after the review. However, if my status is higher, then the whole contracting is off. Therefore, as we sign the agreement, I welcome you to our final banquet. I want to congratulate all who had winners. I want to console all who had losers. I hope you will bring your horses frequently, and race often and well. Please stay as long as you like. Now that the invitational is over, there is still regular race season. Please enjoy yourselves. Noel and I will sign our agreement and exchange tokens. Then everyone can eat.”

Polite applause hailed her speech. A slave placed a document on the lectern. Radhya reread it to make sure it was suitably amended. Then she affixed her thumbprint after a struggle with the glove. Noel did the same with less effort.

“Now for your gift,” said Radhya coldly.

She nodded to Will who removed the package from its container. He handed it to Lady Kirbyson. She, with great ceremony, bestowed it on Lord Barone.

“A planet’s ransom,” she stated with a smile, “and a man’s whole ego, made large.”

Lord Barone accepted eagerly but with equal reverence. Those in the crowd shook their heads in puzzlement. A buzz of confusion rose from the floor. Noel clapped his hands. A bodyguard in Barone’s scarlet livery escorted three naked females, with slave collars, across the floor to the podium.

The first was as tall as Padr, slender as a whip. She had short blonde hair and large brown eyes with lacy rings around the pupil. Radhya saw Padr stiffen from the corner of her eye. The second slave was her height. She had blunt-cut black hair to her collarbones. With her large breasts and small waist, Radhya was sure it was as close to her appearance as Noel dared to get, yet her eyes made her look very different from Radhya. The third was a willowy girl with lacy ringed blue eyes and fine, curly brown hair. She didn’t resemble anyone Radhya knew, but she heard Will gasp behind her at the sight of the last slave.

“Three slaves for love,” Lord Barone was speaking, “one for faithfulness, one for truth, and one for beauty. A gift for my betrothed. All have been trained as guards and body servants as well, to protect and take care of you. Now you can get rid of those inappropriate men.”

Lord Barone smiled broadly. A spattering of applause greeted his gift; all the men nodding knowingly. This was a gift they could understand. Radhya’s blood ran cold. This was the purpose of the whole betrothal thing, saddling her with spies she could not decently get rid of; who were no doubt going to disrupt her plans, using their sex as a weapon against her closest co-conspirators. She looked coldly at Noel; the noise of the crowd roared in her ears. She felt like vomiting, and was afraid she would mortally embarrass herself. The noise receded, and the world went away.

The Lady crumpled to the floor of the stage. Noel jumped back and quick as thought her three guards surrounded her. Dave came plowing through the crowd like a battleship, shoving servants and royals alike from his prow. Rory appeared like magic from nowhere.

“Get her to her room,” the pilot commanded.

Padr cradled her head and gathered her in his arms. They made their way to the lift the other men made a wall around her with their bodies. At the room, Padr laid her on the bed and gently straightened her limbs. Will checked her thoroughly with his equipment.

“No poison, no devices,” he diagnosed. “I don’t know what is wrong with her.”

“Perhaps that ugly dress is too tight?” said Rory.

The men looked at each other perplexed.

“We should call Aninya for help then,” ventured Will.

“Oh for pity sakes,” said Rory.

The bodyguards turned their backs as Rory stripped off the offending dress and hurled it to the floor. He threw a blanket over her. Radhya drew a deep shuddering breath, then another. A few minutes later, she opened her eyes.

Rory whispered into his wrist unit. He went into the bathroom and disappeared. Padr, Max, Will, and Dave exchanged puzzled looks.

“What happened?” Radhya asked softly.

“I think you fainted,” said Will.

“I what?”

“You fainted. I think your dress was too tight and you weren’t getting enough oxygen or something like that,” he ventured.

“I don’t faint,” she snorted sitting up. “Are you sure there wasn’t some poison on that paper I touched?”

She snatched at the blanket when she noticed she was no longer clothed.

“I’ll run the tests again, but they were clean the first time,” Will told her.

“Dave, tell them to go ahead for the banquet. I’ll return for the dance if I am able. Ask Princess Felina to serve as hostess in my absence.”

Dave nodded and disappeared into the lift.

“Somebody get me some clothes I can wear,” she demanded.

Rory reappeared from the bathroom. He carried a midnight blue sequined ball gown, high necked and long sleeved. Radhya looked at him sharply.

“I had to make sure you were all right,” he explained. “I thought you had been shot when you collapsed like that in the middle of his betrothal speech. They eliminated Lady Reena just like that in the middle of her betrothal speech.”

“Rory, I thought the secret...”

“Yes milady, I’m sorry.”

“Why couldn’t somebody have given me this dress before I went downstairs the first time?”

The lift chimed, and Aninya dashed into the room.

“Milady, milady, I am so sorry. I thought Jemelina’s creation too daring, I am so sorry. The child was so excited about her design. She stayed up at night for weeks to have it ready for you. I am so sorry, but you were very beautiful.”

“It’s enough. I’m not going to punish the girl for a total lack of taste when it comes to clothing. I don’t have any myself. But I won’t go anywhere again in that sort of outfit,” replied Radhya sourly.

Will gave her the all clear and the Lady rose holding the blanket.

“Come and let me help you with this,” coaxed Aninya as she shooed the men into the slave’s room.

As she fingered the material, Radhya told the older woman, “My grandfather gave me this the year before he died. I’ve never worn it.”

Quickly she was dressed. Aninya fussed with her hair, piling it in curls on her head.

“It’s good enough,” said Radhya as the guards peeked out of their little room.

“That’s much more in keeping with who you are,” stated Padr approvingly.

“I feel more myself for sure, not totally, but as close as I can dressed up fancy. I almost feel my Grandfather with me when I wear this.”

Padr looked at her strangely.

“It was his gift to me, before he died.”

“Oh,” Padr nodded. “Who was your grandfather?”

“Lord Kerry, my mother’s father,” Radhya replied.

Padr looked startled, “I remember him when I was young. He was at our house a lot. I always wanted him to notice me and talk to me. He was so kind. He was even kind to the horses and dogs.”

“Grandpa loved every living thing. I’ve never met another human with as much love as he had. He taught me to treat everyone as well as I could, no matter what his or her status. He believed that a human was a special entity whether slave or aristocrat; any sentient is.” Shaking herself and bringing herself back to business she commanded, “ I don’t want any of you telling what happened.”

The slaves bowed their agreement.

“We ignore it,” continued Radhya, “except that I dance with the three of you exclusively. I might need to dance with Barone once, but only once. You three after that. It’s reasonable if one has had an attempt made on one’s life and the royals can wonder about that can’t they.”

The banquet was over when they returned. Lady Felina rushed over immediately, fussing like a broody hen.

“Oh my poor little girl, are you okay? I’ve been so worried. Tell me you are all right,” she babbled.

“I am fine now. Fortunately, my physician is well trained and very well supplied.”

“What happened, was it an assassination attempt?” Felina asked breathlessly.

“I am fine,” reiterated Radhya. “Shall we get the dance started? Please accept my most sincere gratitude for taking care of the banquet for me.”

“Oh pooh, it was nothing,” the princess answered, smiling widely.

“Well, what is the verdict?” Barone asked sidling up. “Was my gift such a shock as all that?”

“Yes, it certainly was. Imagine, Lord Barone, giving training for free. Absolutely unbelievable. But why not just admit what was on the paper I pressed my thumb to?” Radhya insinuated. “If we have an agreement, and you get rid of me, then perhaps you are hoping to inherit all my holdings, and patents ahead of my family. Anywhere close?”

Lady Felina’s mouth opened in a round O of surprise. Others, nearby, were stretching their ears closer to listen to the exchange.

“Why my dear Radhya, you know I love you,” protested Noel.

“Why such trickery and force getting me to contract with you if you really love me? Is it me you want or just my possessions? Are you financially troubled Noel?”

“I, I, but who....” sputtered Lord Barone.

Barone’s eyes shifted from side to side, and his face blazed crimson. His mouth opened and closed several times. Radhya knew she was on to something. Princess Felina had a hand to her mouth, shock written across her normally vapid features.

“What’s done is done. No chance of review remember,” Radhya said to her.

Barone regained his composure. “Come; let me finish introducing you to your presents.”

He led Radhya to the corner where the three naked women were waiting.

“This is D’Bara,” he indicated the blonde-haired woman. “This is Rada,” he touched the Radhya look alike, “and this is Amlina,” he said of the brown haired girl. “I am sure they will all serve you with great loyalty and care. I know how fond you are of names, so I took the liberty.”

Barone was almost laughing as he said it. Dave approached at Lady Kirbyson’s summoning wave.

“Have them wait outside,” she instructed him.

“Yes milady,” Dave said as he escorted the three new slaves outside.

Without a word, she took Padr’s hand and strode onto the dance floor. The waiting musicians began to play immediately. As they danced, the other royals joined them, many, like Radhya partnered by guards.

“You dance well bodyguard,” she told Padr.

“Thank you milady. I only had the finest teachers in the Commonwealth,” Padr replied, his eyes following D’Bara as she left. “My mother put great importance on proper dining and dancing for her boys. We had lessons every day for eighteen years.”

“What was your concubine’s name?” she inquired.

“Debra,” he replied.

“Padr, listen to me. This D’Bara is altered. She probably has an implant and communicators in there somewhere.”

Padr was not listening. She trod hard on his foot. He glared at her.

“Listen to me,” she continued.

“But she has those beautiful brown eyes with the white lace around the iris. You know I thought I could never feel an interest in a woman again. I thought I was crippled, but you taught me to trust, to feel like I could connect with a woman. You can’t know how very grateful I am to you.”

“Padr don’t be so stubborn, listen. The white lace you find so attractive is a marker only found in someone whose genetic structure has been altered after their birth. Once Noel uses his pills his eyes will go like that too.”

“Debra had eyes like that,” said Padr looking down at her.

“I told you before I thought Debra was an altered. She was made to fit your image of a perfect woman, just as D’Bara has been altered to look like Debra.”

“Then why do your eyes have dark grey rings around the light grey? You must be altered. Women don’t normally look as beautiful as you do, even if you are not my type.”

“Padr both my father and my maternal grandfather were geneticists. They bred for looks. You should see my brother Stephan and my sister Petra. She is so beautiful planets stop spinning in their orbits to stare at her. That’s what one royal wrote in a poem to her. It’s a pity there is no brain between her ears, to speak of anyway. She’s built just like your perfect woman image too. Steph wears a disguise when he goes out. Too many women were walking into walls when he was around and hurting themselves. Believe me when I say I’m the ugly duckling in the family. I was the despair of my mother, and my father wouldn’t even look at me.”

“You haven’t been altered then?” he asked staring at her.

“I have been ‘helped’ exactly the same way you have.”

“What do you mean?” he asked as the music came to a sliding halt.

A new tune started up, and Radhya stayed with Padr on the dance floor. She moved in closer to whisper to him.

“My grandfather conducted experiments. You were one and so was I. Will and Max are both versions of his work as well.”

Padr almost stopped dancing. Radhya pulled him ahead. “Don’t tell me I’m not human.”

“You and I and all the others are totally human. Human DNA. No mutations, no alterations that make us more or less than human. He was simply trying to access the full potential of humanness.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I don’t either entirely. I told you that he had picked you for me. That’s not completely correct. I was made for you; we were supposed to go together.”

“No that’s impossible. You are just trying to distract me from D’Bara. We are both slaves now. Before we were master and slave and that’s why it didn’t work. Just like you and me now. But this D’Bara and I are both slaves. It could really work this time.”

“Padr, a plant is a plant, is a plant, is a spy, is a plant. These were sent to bring me down. They knew a male wouldn’t work, so they made females for me, to destroy me through you, and Will and Max. Noel has to get his filthy hands on my wealth. Please, Padr, don’t jeopardize the plan like this with thoughts of that spy. Think of what this means to every slave in the Commonwealth. Promise me?”

Padr just looked at her. As the song ended, Radhya switched him for Will. Will started to talk before Radhya could ask him anything.

“Amy-Lynn and I shared an apartment together at the university on Prime. We were both going to be the best doctors in the Commonwealth. We never slept together or had sex. We studied, and we shared expenses, and we were very good friends, platonic friends. In fact, I’ve never had sex with anyone yet. I never had the time to have that kind of a relationship. I always had too much to do. Now it’s too late. Her scholarship never fell through, so I imagine she is an excellent freedman doctor by now.”

“Thanks, Will. My life is much the same in that respect. Do you realize that those three are plants, spies sent to bring me down?”

“Yes milady, I know. I plan to stay as far away as I can. I think when we were in Barone’s training facility that he had some method of reading our memories. That must be where he got the image of Amy-Lynn. I’ve never talked about her to anyone.”

“What can I do about Padr? He will not listen to me.”

“I don’t know. He was raised very differently from me. I can try talking to him. Maybe he will listen.”

“Thanks, Will.”

Radhya was laughing when they finished the dance. The next one was very fast, and there was no breath left for talking. When finished, she sat down and had Will bring her a drink. Max was looking outside. Radhya went to talk to him.

“Max, did someone miscalculate in giving me Rada?”

“I’m not sure what you mean;” he replied turning to her.

“You know these three have been given to me to bring me down to the slave level so I can be easily killed.”

“Yes milady, I know that.”

“It is the same pattern they used for Padr and the other aristocrats who spoke against slavery. One girl resembles Padr’s concubine, one girl resembles Will’s friend, and one girl resembles me. Is she for you perhaps?”

“That girl is not you, milady, her eyes are blue and have these ugly white rings in them. Her eyes have no soul at all; it is almost like she is already dead. Don’t fear my loyalty, I am yours, body and soul. You rescued me from the slave market. I was scared, starving, hurt, and ashamed. The first thing you did was feed me, and you have treated me like a friend ever since. I finished my education, actually better than my education. I have every tool and toy I could ever want. All this is due to you; so yes I appreciate you. If I were a freedman, I still would not be in as good a position as I am now. I actually get to invent things, and that is all I ever wanted to do. No artificial slut is going to get me to betray you. If I betray you, I betray myself.”

“Thanks, Max. I appreciate that, but Padr is being a problem. Geo traced his first girl back to Noel. He was set up. Now I am set up. Padr won’t believe that.”

“Will and I will help him believe. We’ll convince him.”

“I hope so, or you will be sold, and I will be dead. I couldn’t help anyone then. What will happen to all my slaves? Without rights for slaves our society is doomed,” she sighed.

The night dragged on and on. Radhya danced with one of three bodyguards often, mostly to keep the nosy aristocracy away. Finally, the night limped to its finish.

Most of the guests were gone, and the musicians were putting their instruments away. The clink and rattle of slaves cleaning up the room was loud. Princess Felina approached Radhya.

“May I speak with you please?” she inquired. “By ourselves without the slaves?”

Telling her guards to wait for her by the door, Radhya led Felina behind a tree in the foyer.

“I feel very ashamed of myself. I had no right to force you into a contract with Barone. You are right. He offered to reveal an indiscretion of mine. However, I had no right to trade my reputation for your happiness. I am so sorry.”

“I’m glad that you are sorry princess, but it doesn’t make things any better for me. I am still stuck with contracting with that sleaze, if I survive that long.”

“What do you mean Radhya, if you survive that long?”

“Princess,” Radhya sighed, “I don’t know if you are aware that recently six of the aristocracy has been made into slaves. Five of them have died in Jabin’s arena. All of them were given presents of slaves just before something was found about them that required they lose their status.”

“But one of them didn’t die.”

“Princess, I bullied the slave dealer who had him into selling him to me before Jabin could buy him at auction. I almost didn’t get away with it. Now it is happening to me.” The princess went very pale, and her hands started shaking. She clasped them tightly together in front of her.

“Radhya I’m so sorry. If I hadn’t forced this on you none of this would be happening. Is there anything, anything at all I can do?”

“No princess, there is nothing anyone can do now. No, wait. You can do something for me. If I am made a slave, it is the same as if I had died. If I create a living will and give certain of my slaves to you, will you get your father to grant them a royal pardon and set them free?”

“I don’t know. How many? You know a pardon is rare, and I couldn’t do it for a large number.”

“Five. The five who are most at risk of being put to death with me, especially Geo.”

“Who is Geo?”

“Geo is the bodyguard who raised me. He’s the one who bandaged my scraped knees and found my dolls when I lost them. He is my father in deed if not in body.”

Tears leaked from Felina’s eyes. “Tell me who else must be freed.”

“Rory has been with me for many years. He is a spaceship pilot. Padr who was once an aristocrat and they want to kill him as well. Will and Max are too good to be lion food.”

Radhya grabbed hold of her hand, “Please princess, if any can be free, see to these five.”

“I give you my word as Princess Royal; on my father’s name I will take these five slaves and have them set free should anything happen to you.”

Radhya hung her head wiping at the tears tracking down her cheeks. “Thank you milady.”

They went their separate ways. The Lady composing herself as she joined the waiting guards at the entrance. She had Dave lock the doors, and they left the visitor’s center. The three females were waiting outside. With them were Lord Barone and seven of his servants with baggage.

“Well, my betrothed are you not inviting me to stay with you at your home? After all, I understand guest status ends tonight, and any all who stay after have to pay. You wouldn’t expect that of me now would you?”

Wearily Radhya just stared at him.

“Have it your own way. You will anyway,” she muttered.

She turned and headed for home.