Chapter 22
“I suppose this means I’ll have to officially quit my job,” Lu sighed a week later while she looked down into the amber eyes of Re’Len, the color so much like her own. Her tiny diamond pupils did a little jig while Angus cooed at her. Lucia’s family balked, tsk’ing her that she’d even consider going back now.
I guess that settles it.
You were getting tired of being shot at anyway.
Too true.
“You will have a new job,” Val’Zun said, reminding her of her task to help convince his people humans weren’t ‘dirty, lesser creatures’. He was anxiously pacing the back of the den, waiting for his turn to hold Re’Len again. Lu bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling. Just as Lu predicted, Re’Len had Val’Zun and Gi’Ren wrapped around her tiny fingers in just a few days. Between the brothers and everyone else, Re’Len barely left a set of arms. They still bristled when she referred to them as ‘unca Zunny’ and ‘unca GiGi’, but that didn’t bother her in the least.
Soren was besotted with the babe and all her mixed features of both their species. Re’Len’s color had darkened, but she was still a lighter shade of dawn blue. Her eyes were Melier, with the exception of sharing Lu’s color. She had flimsy, little human fingernails and toenails, and a light dusting of pearly scales that fanned the sides of her neck, her shoulders and in a small path down her arms. A few scales swept along her temples as well. They were a darker blue, matching the Melier’s tone and the rest of her skin was smooth like a human instead of textured. The thick, dark hair on her head was full of silky, wispy curls and it was coal black like Nova’s. Soren said all females on his planet had black hair, so it was probably from his side of the gene pool. Re’Len’s tail was hairless, but Soren assured her it would grow fur in time. All younglings had naked tails, apparently. That appendage certainly made diaper changing tricky.
“So when can I start planning the partnership ceremony?” Nova asked eagerly and the entire room groaned. She blustered, “What?”
****
“We must leave, Val’Ja,” Val’Zun scrubbed his head, frustrated. “It is no longer safe to linger.”
“Val’Zun is right,” Gi’Ren joined in as they all spoke in hushed tones on the terrace, evening darkness closing around them. “The Trepnils are out for blood. The king and queen want us back on Melierun. They know you are alive now. Trepnils showed them the vid. They are furious.” Gi’Ren sighed like a heavy weight was on his shoulders.
“The longer we stay, the more risk we take of Trepnils getting closer to Loo-Sha and Re’Len,” Val’Zun growled.
Soren nodded, scrubbing his jaw and pacing. That could not happen. Not again. The Treps wanted Soren, but they would take what they could get. If they could not have him, they would take what was his, just as Ta’Ra’Enn did.
Trepnil emperor Vu’Mal’Su was prideful and blood thirsty. When Soren and his brothers invaded Commander Ta’Ra’Enn’s ship, killing all but a few, he had taken it as a personal offense. It obliterated the treaty his people and Trepnils had agreed to at the end of the Melier and Trepnil war he’d been captured in. The treaty would’ve been void if his parents had found out about his enslavement, even if Soren hadn’t killed Ta’Ra’Enn.
Soren exhaled roughly. He was tired of war, of fighting. Peace was all he wanted. Peace to be happy with Lucia and his family. Too many had died in that war before he was taken. How many more would die in this second one?
“After the induction ceremony, we leave,” Soren decided. He needed to be part of Dor Nye’s Assembly in order to help bridge his world and Lucia’s.
Val’Zun and Gi’Ren nodded once in agreement.
****
Lucia stood with the rest of the hall as they and the world watched another generation of the Herana residence pass along its seat. Gramps stood with Soren as the seated officials presided over the ceremony. The first part began as Gramps spoke the words of abdication.
“I, Dougal Herana of Curra of Dor Nye, of sound mind and decision pass my seat of Assembly to Prince Val’Ja of Melierun, Soren Herana of Curra of Dor Nye and bestow upon him my blessing that he may serve with an unbiased reasoning and uphold justice of this planet.”
The seated officials nodded their heads in acknowledgement. “We of the Assembly accept this,” Mr. Topla said and turned his gaze to Soren. “Do you, Soren Herana, accept?”
Lucia nibbled her bottom lip as she began beaming while watching Soren. She lightly bounced the pleasant weight of Re’Len in her arms as her nerves bunched with the anticipation of it all. Val’Zun and Gi’Ren were on either side of her, their chests puffed with pride, which caused Lu’s grin to hurt her cheeks. A few months ago, the both of them would’ve been horrified that Soren would want to be any part of the human trade planet.
“I, Prince Val’Ja of Melierun, Soren Herana of Curra of Dor Nye, accept the responsibility and honor of the seat of Assembly being passed to me. I will serve with an unbiased reasoning and uphold justice of Dor Nye to the best of my ability, until such a time that I choose to abdicate my seat.”
Once again, the seated officials all gave their nod of agreement, one by one. “We accept this. Prince Val’Ja of Melierun, Soren Herana of Curra of Dor Nye, you are now the second seat holder of the Herana residence from this moment forth.”
The crowd erupted and cheered their approval, the noise deafening and Lucia joined right along with them. She laughed and wiped her happy tears from the corners of her eyes and tried to calm an upset Re’Len who had no idea why everyone was hooting and hollering. Lu watched as her Gramps and Soren embraced, smiling and looking all around them at the cheering audience. When his golden gaze landed on Lucia, they shared that smile that made the world around them silence and melt away.
****
Soren watched as Lucia said her goodbyes to her teary eyed family; family that had become his in the last few months. They kissed and fussed over Lenny, what everyone had started calling Re’Len, not wanting to see her leave so soon. It had been three days since the ceremony and Soren and his brothers had been teetering on the thin line of agitation, unbeknownst to anyone else.
Lucia had been nervous about traveling with Lenny so soon after giving birth, being a first time mother and needing the women of her family near. Soren didn’t think that’s what was really bothering her though. She was nervous about his world, his people and most of all, his parents. Soren couldn’t find fault in that, since he was nervous and he’d been raised on Melierun.
As Gi’Ren helped Lucia and Lenny climb the ramp into the ship, Val’Zun and Soren lingered a ways back and slowly followed.
“Val’Ja,” Val’Zun began, taking a breath. His brow was wrinkled like something was disturbing him. “When you and Loo-Sha come back to Dor Nye, I-” he scrubbed his forehead. “…you know our customs. I would like to join you. Will you allow this?”
Soren eyed his elder brother critically, noticing how nervous and distressed he looked. Soren began to understand what exactly Val’Zun was asking. He’d started to admire Lucia, even though he’d be sore to admit it aloud. Humans were beneath Melier, that’s what they had been raised to believe. He could see Val’Zun struggled with his warring feelings of prejudice and budding fondness for the Herana’s and was glad he never had that struggle. By the time he remembered to dislike humans, he already loved Lucia and respected her family.
“I do not mind, but you will have to ask Loo-Sha,” Soren grinned and laughed when Val’Zun paled and gulped. His hand squeezed his brother’s shoulder with encouragement as they entered the ship and the door slid shut behind them.