Chapter Fifteen
Catherina
I was working in my office. It had been two days since I’d almost returned to Earth. I’d delayed my instruction on portal use because I had other things to worry about and I no longer felt like I was being held against my will. I’d learn to use a portal eventually, to give myself some personal freedom, but I was no longer in such a hurry to return to Earth.
While Stevan had been off-planet, I had been putting into place what I needed to help the rest of the Peoples of the galaxy. It had been slow going… until Stevan had ordered that I be given any resources I needed. With hours, I had an entire building dedicated to my use, and Fires were arriving to help. It was total chaos, but I had put the bulk of the men and women to work spreading out through the galaxy to perform basic interviews so that we could begin to compile some rudimentary facts on each of the Peoples mating habits and rituals. It was amazing to me that there was so little information readily available.
The recording cubes were beginning to come back in and I would use the information they contained to begin working out who might like to mate with who, and what difficulties that might present. I smiled and shook my head. It was beginning to appear that Humans were the most sex obsessed race in the known galaxy. Maybe that’s what we would contribute to the galactic good… the desire to mate like Gorts, Snaths, Burghs, and the half a dozen other things I’d heard us compared to.
It was going to take some time to get the agency up and running, but requests were already pouring in for my help. HeartMatch, with its twenty-five employees and couple hundred clients… eat your heart out. I had a thousand people helping me and my client list numbered in the trillions. I wasn’t sure how I was going to manage it all, and it was going to be slow going at first, but every mighty river began with a trickle.
“Catherina? Everything to your satisfaction?” Kergah ask as he gave a quick bow of his head in respect.
“I’m overwhelmed, Kergah,” I said with a grimace. “I don’t know how to begin.”
“Don’t worry yourself, Catherina. As I told you before, this problem has been thousands of years in the making, and it will thousands more to solve. The people of the galaxy are behind you. You only need direct, not perform every task yourself.”
“I know. I’ve asked that the Aquallian and Firaspatciti pairs be assigned to me to help, but…” I waved my hand over the cubits of recording cubes. “So many asking for help, and so much I have to learn.”
He nodded. “You have an innate ability. I have every confidence you will prevail once again.”
I gave him a sideways grin. “Well, that makes one of us. Maybe if we brought a few more from Earth, that—”
“No. You need to put that out of your mind. That is forbidden.”
“But you brought me here.”
“Against our most scared law. So much so, there is a movement underway among the People to have you returned to Earth and Stevan removed from his position. The movement is small, but growing.”
“Then why did he do it?”
“I offered to go in his stead, so that I could take the dishonor and blame, and be killed for my act, but Stevan is a good man. He wouldn’t allow me to do what he would not.”
“So, again, why did he do it? If the law is that important?”
“There is a saying, ‘Great battles are only won with great risk.’ This is the greatest battle of them all, the fight for the very survival of all the Peoples of the galaxy. Stevan was willing to risk everything, his Lordship, his life, perhaps the lives of everyone on Firaspatciti, to save the Peoples of the galaxy.”
I looked at him, trying to understand his meaning. “What do you mean, ‘the lives of everyone on Fire?’”
“We could banished from the Peoples, our planet blocked from interacting with others. We would face the long darkness alone.”
I felt a chill of fear run down by back. “Would they do that?”
“It has never been done before, but it is the ultimate punishment.” He smiled. “Fear not. The Peoples are rallying around you. But to bring more Humans…” He shook his head and his smile faded. “No, that wouldn’t be wise.”
I shook my head, a leaden feeling in the pit of my stomach. I could understand their non-interference position. It seemed like a wise precaution, but the thought of billions being condemned to isolation because of me made me feel sick.
“Fear not, Catherina. Stevan, with you at his side, are seen as the savior of the galaxy. Nothing will come of these malcontents. But now, we must go.”
I nodded. Kergah had explained to me what was going to happen to Sereni, and I was to be there. He and I had spoken at length, and without Stevan’s knowledge, we’d worked out plan. The fix was in. I couldn’t stand by and allow Sereni be killed for something as simple as a lie. I would gladly kick her ass for what she tried to do, except I knew she’d mop the floor with me, but her death would haunt me.
He opened a portal and we stepped into my room. A spectacular gown as lying on my bed, left under order of Kergah. Sentencing would take place in the Grand Hall, and I had to look the part.
When I was ready, he transported me directly to the Grand Hall, using his override code. Stevan was already there and I took my place beside him as was my right as the aggrieved.
He was dressed in a dazzling cloak of red and gold, with a high neck. Both our right arms were covered along with our lefts, in a show of power. By covering his sword arm, Stevan was demonstrating that he was confident no one would dare rise against him. I smiled. Seeing new customs for the first time was always interesting and made me wonder how they’d come to be.
“You look lovely, as always,” Stevan said quietly as I took my place to his left.
“And you, my Lord, are even more devastatingly handsome than normal.”
He leaned in close and whispered into my ear. “Have you considered my request?”
I flushed. I couldn’t believe he was asking me this, here, and now. But he was the Lord of the Fires and he deserved an answer.
“Yes, my Lord. My belongings will be moved to your quarters on your order.”
Stevan grinned. “Then there shall be no delay. Kergah!”
“Yes, my Lord.”
“Catherina has agreed to my request.”
Kergah bowed and smiled. “She is a wise and noble woman. It shall be done immediately.”
I felt completely squirmy inside. Stevan had asked me to share his bed the moment we were alone after I’d nearly left for Earth. He’d jokingly said it was to prevent any future misunderstandings, but his kiss had said something else.
“Have you heard the news?” he asked, not looking at me as the palace guard filed in and sat up in ranks their spears and swords drawn and held at attention. Sereni would be arriving soon.
“No. What news.”
“Your friend, Quathaul, is with child.”
I didn’t know whether to cry or smiled, so I did both. “That’s wonderful news!”
He nodded. “She and Hulg are to be merged, according to her traditions, on the seventh-day, third week, of next month. We have been asked to attend.”
“Can we go?”
“I have already sent our confirmations.” He smiled at me then stiffened. “Attention,” he said softly as he held himself very stiffly on his throne. “Bring the accused before me,” he said, his voice full of command.
Sereni was brought in and walked between the two rows of guard, their spears across her path, rising and lowering as she passed, creating a small bubble of space around her and her two escorts. She was wearing her parade dress uniform and looked resplendent.
“Sereni Vaguthuarrithary, do you have anything to say before I pass sentence?”
“I do my Lord.”
“Speak.”
“I do not repudiate the actions I took. Catherina Hume is beneath you, my Lord. She is not even of the Peoples, and yet you follow her blindly! I took my actions, thinking only of the best for my Lord and the Firaspatciti people.”
I could sense Stevan going hard. “You dare presume to speak for me?”
“You broke our most scared law, my Lord. I presume to speak for those that believe our Lord should not be above the law.”
“I am not above the law, Sereni Vaguthuarrithary, and the Peoples will decide what will be done with me, not you. Have you anything else to say?”
“No, my Lord.”
“Very well. You, Sereni Vaguthuarrithary, have been found guilty of—”he made a sound that was cross between growl and rumble. “You will be stripped of your rank and discharged from the palace guard with no possibility of reinstatement.”
I said nothing. I held no sway on this matter, her dishonoring herself and her position by lying to me. It was the next matter that I could influence. There were only two possible punishments for the charge, death and banishment. I didn’t know what sentence Stevan would hand down, but I couldn’t bear the thought of her being killed because of me.
“On the charge of”—he made another sound, this one between a cough and clearing of his throat, words that English had no equivalent so I heard them in their true Fire pronunciation—“you have been sentenced—”
“My Lord!” I said, standing at his side. “I request Aggrievance!”
He looked at me, surprised by my actions. As the one aggrieved, I had a right by law and tradition to have my wishes considered in punishment. Sereni was being charged with what amounted to treason against her Lord for scheming to have me returned home to the detriment of the Fires, for personal gain.
“Very well. Continue.”
“My Lord, while I acknowledge Sereni acted in a dishonorable way, I also believe she was doing what she thought was best for her people.”
That was a total load of shit. I knew it, Sereni knew it, and Stevan knew it. She’d tried to shove me out of the way so she could have Stevan for herself, but I could be merciful in my victory… and I wouldn’t have her death weighing heavily on my conscious. I had been counting on her to use the defense she had, the only one available to her, and she hadn’t disappointed me. That had given me the crack I could use to, perhaps, stay her execution. Being banished was no picnic, but it was better than death.
“I ask that her punishment be banishment.” I bowed my head low and stood there.
“Be seated,” Stevan said, and I took my seat. He leaned forward and glared at Sereni. “It seems you convinced one of your honorable intentions. That does not, however, excuse your actions.” He held her gaze for a long moment. “As the aggrieved as asked that your punishment be banishment, I will grant the request. Sereni Vaguthuarrithary, on the charge of”—he made the coughing, throat clearing sound again—“you have been sentenced to banishment from Firaspatciti with no possibility of return. Sentence to be carried out immediately. Guards! Her presence offends me. Remove her.”
Sereni pivoted with military precision and marched out, the spears rising and falling to mark her passage. As the assembled guard filed out, Stevan looked at me.
“You’ve been studying. It was Kergah, wasn’t it?”
I started to say no, to cover him, but realized what that would mean, especially considering what I’d just seen. “Yes, my Lord, at my request.”
He smiled and shook his head in mock disappointment. “Do you always get what you want?”
I smiled, relieved Kergah wasn’t going to be punished. “I got you, didn’t I?”
He chuckled. “You know, Sereni would have rather been put to death than banished? Now her dishonor will follow her wherever she goes.”
“I’m sorry for her, then. I couldn’t bear the thought of her being killed because of me.”
“It wasn’t because of you, Catherina. It was because she was putting herself above my wishes, which had been made clear to her, and the good of the people. You were simply the catalyst that put it in motion.”
I nodded and looked down, unable to meet his gaze. It was basically the same thing Kergah had said, but I still felt responsible. If only I’d had faith in Stevan, if only I hadn’t bitten when she dangled the bait, if only I had acted any way but the way I had, none of this would have happened.
He took my hand. “Come. Let’s return to our quarters and speak of this unpleasantness no more. I want to get out of these clothes. The cape, it drags on my neck.” He smiled at me and took my chin. “Perhaps we can find something else to occupy our minds once we are more comfortable.”
I smiled. “Perhaps so.”