Voices - M J Marlow (i can read with my eyes shut txt) 📗

the refreshment area. David took the
other seat between Tal and I and I hid my joy at this. He might be
able to molest me at night, but here in the daytime my family and
friends would do everything they could to keep him from bothering
me.
“So, Prince Tal,” David said as he looked at the other man
coldly. “Tell us how you have the nerve to do this to prince Aden
and princess Melaura.”
“Easy son,” Natan shook his head. “Prince Tal is an
emissary from a neighboring government. Show him some
respect.”
“Respect?” David hissed. “Maybe if he ever does
something to earn it!” He saw his grandfather approaching and got
to his feet. “Admiral. We’re saving a seat for you over here.” He
turned to me. “I have to return to my duties.” He turned to
Wainwright. “Good morning, sir.”
“Lieutenant,” Wainwright nodded. He turned to me.
“Princess. Governor. Your Highness.” He sat down before Tal
could claim the seat next to me. “I hear you had a hard night, child.
Nightmares?”
“Yes,” I nodded and did not quite meet his gaze. “Nothing
to worry about.” I looked at Tal briefly and saw him watching me
closely. I turned back to the Admiral. “I apologize for making you
postpone your wedding, Admiral.”
“It can wait another few days,” Wainwright replied. “Elaine
and I are sorry that you can not be there.”
“How does Romulan mating ritual differ from human?” I
asked Tal. “Please give us the benefit of your vast experience,
prince Tal.”
Tal schooled his anger quickly and launched into a study of
Romulan customs regarding the betrothal, joining, and marriage of
male and female as we ate our meal. I was astounded by the
richness of his heritage. They were not all militant domineering
bastards as I had always been taught to believe. It would seem that
bias and ignorance could color a person’s judgments of another
race quite negatively. The Romulans were a people worthy of
admiration in their own right. It still did not lessen my anger at
being forced to become one, but it made the fact a little easier to
take. I listened to the two older men discussing the relationship
between the Federation and the Romulan Empire with prince Tal
for a few moments, and then I turned my eyes to the stars and let
my thoughts fly.
‘He is manipulating you, child,’ Aitli’s mind soared into
mine. ‘Don’t start feeling admiration for a culture that allowed him
to force you into this situation.’
‘Will it not make it easier for me to accept imprisonment,’ I
shot back at him; ‘if I begin to find something about his people I
can accept?’
‘Don’t give up, child,’ Aitli warned me. ‘You dishonor
those who are still fighting for you.’
“I’m tired,” I said as I got to my feet; the three men rising
with me. “If you will excuse me, gentlemen; I will go to my
quarters now.”
Two days passed before I got a chance to see Maya
perform with the crystals. I had accompanied Maya to an exam
with Doctor Martha Crow and we were all feeling very pleased
with how well our pregnancies were going. Her son was very
healthy, and Maya was already thinking of him as Osric. My
triplets were still too small to see anything definite as to sex but
they were healthy and developing as they should be. We were
discussing supplements and vitamins and other maternal subjects
when Aden came in with the man who had been assigned as his
Federation liaison. He shot me a look and I turned my back on
him.
“This is the station Infirmary, prince Aden,” the man said
as they came in. I looked up in shock and saw the tall, arrogant
man smiling at me. I knew the attaché, Major Wilton; so I nodded
to him briefly and turned back to talk to Martha and Maya.
“I look forward to seeing you perform today, Mrs. Sutton.”
Tal was standing directly behind me as he spoke.
“Perform?” I looked at Maya in confusion. Then I
remembered; she had been given approval from the doctor for a
return to the crystals. “We were just going now.”
“Then please allow us to accompany you,” Aden smiled
and held his arm out to me.
I really didn’t want him anywhere near me, but there was
no valid reason to be rude. So I let him escort me to the
Observation Lounge. Maya took a seat with the harp Andira had
gifted to her once she had remembered how to use it and began to
play. She linked mind with me and I saw her thoughts of Betazed
as she sang the old folk song, letting the images of that world guide
her. She let the harp continue as she set it aside and raised a hand
towards the crystal. All the emotions those images and that song
brought to her mind flowed into the crystal and it began to alter
shape. Flight, her mind sang out and the crystal became three birds
soaring over a cloud lit with shadings of color from a sunrise. She
stopped and sat back down as the applause thundered around her.
“A gift to you, Your Highness,” Maya said as I picked the
crystal statue up and held it out to Aden. “In honor of your visit
here.”
“I believe the sight of you creating it,” Prince Aden smiled
as he met her eyes; “was the true gift. That was the most incredible
thing I have ever seen in my life.” He handed it to his aide and
caught Maya as she started to collapse. “But the rendering has left
you weakened,” he said with sincere concern. “You push
yourself.”
“I forget when I create,” Maya said to him honestly; “that I
am pregnant and should be resting.” Maya looked for a friend and
saw Marcus Crow on the periphery of the people crowding around
to congratulate me. “Marcus,” she called to him. “I need to go to
my rooms.”
“Of course, Maya,” Marcus nodded. He pushed through the
crowd; bowed his head to Aden and I, and took her away.
“That lovely young woman is going to make some man an
incredible wife,” Aden smiled as we watched them go. He looked
at me then. “It pales in comparison to what we shared, Melaura.”
“Maya is an artist,” I said to him as I shook my head. “I just
play.”
“I loved seeing you ‘play’, Melaura,” Aden said softly as
he leaned closer to me. His breath stirred the hair near my ear and I
shivered. He raised my lips to his and the shivering increased. “My
princess,” he sighed once he pulled away. “You are going to be the
death of all my best intentions.”
I said nothing. I had let him kiss me, and I had liked what I
had felt when he did so. How could I let myself respond to a man
who had forced me? What was wrong with me? I looked up into
his warm brown eyes and I wanted nothing more than to have him
kiss me again. As he leaned down again, I heard a man clear his
throat behind us.
“Your Highness?” I turned to see two Security men coming
my way. “Your Grandfather would like to speak with you and your
husband, Princess.”
I nodded and we followed the men to the Admiral’s Office.
They stayed outside as Aden and I entered. Counselor Aitli was
standing in the corner and he smiled at me briefly. I had the instant
feeling that something very bad was about to happen to me. Aitli
nodded slightly and confirmed my sense. I sat down at the
Admiral’s indication and looked from him to my grandfather;
where he was standing by the windows.
“We have spoken to your Hazri grandfather, Prince Aden,”
Wainwright told us. He looked over at Natan who was struggling
not to scream. I could see his fists clenched in his rage and did not
like the indicator. “He informs us that this union was of his
arranging and he is quite happy that it remain in force.”
“I don’t believe it, Admiral Wainwright,” Aden told the
man bluntly. “Someone is making him say these things.”
“There is nothing,” Natan informed the stunned prince;
“short of threatening your life, that would make Leonid say
something that was not the truth.” He thought about the reasons
this might have happened, but could not understand any of them.
“As far as he is concerned, you and my granddaughter are now
married and will join him on Hazri Prime for a confirmation
ceremony.”
“Even is that is not what we want?” I asked as I looked at
the three of them. “I don’t believe that anyone who cared about us
would agree to this forced…” I saw their expressions. “He’s
serious, isn’t he?” Natan bit his lip and looked away, but it was
enough. “Why?”
“Emperor Zed has considered the options,” Wainwright
told me. “He sees this as his only way to insure the peace and
welfare of the Hazri.” I was on my feet, shaking my head in
refusal. Wainwright frowned. “Is there something wrong,
Princess?”
“I won’t do it,” I said to them coldly. “I – I’ll run away
before I’ll let that bastard have us!”
“Is she serious, Counselor?” Wainwright hissed. Aitli
nodded. “That complicates matters, doesn’t it?” He looked at me
sadly. “Unfortunately, the Federation has no voice in this matter.
There is nothing I can do for you, children.” I looked at him in
shock. “I will, of course, forward a copy of your testimony to the
proper authorities, Your Highnesses; but I’m afraid they will not
respond soon enough to keep you from this union.”
“Grandfather, please…”
“His Excellency is sending his flagship for you. You will
remain here until it arrives,” Wainwright broke in over our
protests. “Counselor Aitli has volunteered to accompany you and
your grandfather to Hazri for the ceremony. They will see to it that
prince Aden observes all the proprieties.” He was on his feet, his
eyes showing his regret. “I am so sorry, Your Highness. I had
hoped this would go otherwise.”
“But the Federation can not risk a war with the Romulans,”
I finished for the man. “And refusing to turn us over to the prince,
now that this declaration makes me and Aden his hostages would
be considered grounds for hostilities.” I turned to Aitli. “Must we
go this minute? I would like some time to pray.”
“Prince Aden will take you to the Chapel and remain with
you as you pray.”
I looked at Aden and frowned. He reminded me of my
father in a way. He bowed his head to me and indicated that I
should come with him. We left the office and the three older men
looked at each other.
“It is little enough,” Wainwright nodded; “but hopefully it
will work.” He looked over at Natan. “You have no problem with
the Hazri taking over her protection?”
“I trust Tirzad,” Natan said. “He will do what he must to
make certain the meeting with the Hazri and the Romulans is
secure.” He saw Wainwright’s frown. “Do not count Leonid out,
Ben. He will promise the Romulans all they could wish, but only if
they relinquish their claim to Aden and Melaura.” He smiled at the
look on Wainwright’s face. “I took the liberty of speaking to them
both before I left to come here.”
“I had forgotten who we were dealing with,” Wainwright
laughed. “Very well. We leave this in the Hazri Emperor’s hands. I
am certain they will call if they have need of our assistance.” He
frowned as he remembered the look on my face. “I hated lying to
her like that. I felt like I was ripping her heart out.”
“You are not the one who