Page 48 of Captured By The Alien (Starbound #2)

Ela tried to outpace Rhyn but he was one of the few males who was taller than her. He easily kept up and he wasn’t even hurrying. He was sauntering. It annoyed her.

“Don’t you have somewhere else to be?” she said acidly.

“Actually, general, no. I’ve checked all the last minute details you gave me. Everything and everyone is where they should be. I think we make a good team.”

He wasn’t wrong, Ela reflected. For someone who affected such a casual devil-may-care facade, he was surprisingly efficient at his job.

Inexplicably, that also annoyed her.

“The guards have been tripled around the Imperial Palace?” she pressed. “We can’t take any chances with the hard-core xenophobes out there, however small their number.”

“Ela, I know. You’ve drilled it into me every day for the past month.”

“And you’ve checked the guest list?”

“Everyone’s accounted for.”

“Lord Vantrax?”

“He and his family have stayed away. No big surprise. He’s made it abundantly clear he opposes a human Zhaalini.”

“And have you…”

“I’ve done everything. Twice. Like you asked me.”

“So why are you still following me?”

“To see if you’ll dance with me at the wedding.”

Ela stopped so suddenly that Rhyn was a few paces on before he realized.

“What? Why?” she narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Has someone put you up to this for a joke?”

“Vannla’s Sword, why in the name of Ayanlesh would it be a joke?”

“Because everything’s a joke to you.”

“That’s a little unfair,” he protested. “I thought we worked well together organizing President Cameron’s visit. And again with the wedding arrangements.”

“That doesn’t explain why you want to dance with me.”

“I like to live dangerously.”

“You see?” Ela shouldered past him and carried on. “A joke.”

“Ela, come on,” he said, walking after her. “Just one dance. It’ll be great. Me in my ceremonial robes, you in a dress…”

“I’m wearing this.”

“…you in your military uniform, it’ll be fun. And after all the effort you’ve put in, you deserve some fun.”

Ela gave him a sidelong glance, wondering why he was being so nice to her. Not that it wasn’t appreciated. The past few weeks had been difficult for her. Making arrangements for Vahn’s wedding had brought home the truth that he would never be hers. She was happy for him, of course, but desperately sorry for herself.

Maybe fun was what she needed.

“Won’t you have a date?” she asked a little brusquely. “There’s usually some deluded female draped around you.”

“Nope. Footloose and fancy free.” He spread his arms and serpetri wide, trying to affect a picture of innocence. “It’s a tragedy. No-one to dance with, unless you take pity on me oh wise and brave warrior.”

She snorted.

“You’re an idiot. Now go away, you can’t see the bride before the wedding.”

Rhyn realized they’d arrived at the entrance to the Zhaal’s quarters.

“So is that a yes?” he asked hopefully as he backed away.

“It’s a maybe. Now go before I have you arrested.”

He snapped a salute.

“Yes, General Solarun.”

She had to bite the inside of her mouth to keep from smiling.

When she entered the royal bedroom, the first thing she saw was Kara throwing a shoe across the room.

“There’s no way I’m wearing these. They’re a meter high.”

Daa’sten threw his hands up in exasperation.

“But my dear, think how good they will look. You won’t be so tiny compared to your groom.”

“I don’t care. I need to walk, don’t I? I’ll break my neck in these things.”

“Talk some sense to her, General Solarun. The heels are perfectly manageable and they set off the dress beautifully.”

He held out the offending footwear and Ela saw the sole and heel had been built up considerably to raise Kara off the ground. She shrugged dismissively.

“The Zhaal has never been concerned about Kara’s lack of height,” she said. “There is nothing to be gained by pretending she is taller than she is. Find other shoes.”

Daa’sten gave up.

“Fine. I have more here somewhere.”

He marched off to search in the next room and Kara smiled gratefully.

“Thank you. If I’d worn those I would have gotten a nose-bleed. Now, what do you think of the dress?”

Ela took a moment to answer. The dress was, of course, astonishing.

Daa’sten had heard Kara’s descriptions of Earth wedding dresses and completely ignored them. Instead he’d put her in a glittering silver gown which fell from a strapless bodice into a rippling train that spread across the ground like a lustrous pond.

When Ela looked closely, she saw the bodice was made up of hundreds of thousands of iridescent crystals that must have been hand-sewn. Even the slightest movement made her shimmer. Yes, Daa’sten had outdone himself. It was quite possibly the most beautiful dress he’d ever created.

But it was Kara that made it shine.

Ela wasn’t a fan of human physiology. She thought them too smooth, too small, too fragile. No scales, no claws – how they survived was a mystery. But looking at Kara now, she almost understood why Vahn loved her.

She glowed.

Her face was joyful, her eyes sparkled, and her mouth was curved into an infectious smile. It was hard not to smile back. Ela just about managed.

“You look fine. Vahn will approve.”

“Oh, Vahn will approve, will he? What about you?” Kara nudged her. “What do you think?”

“My thoughts are not important.”

“Actually, they are. You’re his oldest friend. He cares what you think. That means I care what you think.”

His friend. Ela’s heart twisted. That was all she’d ever be now.

“What I think is that you should finish getting ready. Time is short.”

“Ela.” Kara surprised the Vraxian by taking her hand. “Vahn trusts you more than anyone else on the planet and I hope that after we’re married, you’ll still be his friend even if… well, even if it’s hard for you.”

She knows. The realization pierced Ela like an arrow. Somehow the human had gleaned her true feelings for Vahn.

She looked down at the hand clasping her own, mortified that she’d been so transparent.

“Don’t tell him,” she said stiffly.

“I won’t. And I’m sorry he wasn’t smart enough to realize.”

“It would not matter if he did. He would never have chosen me. I’m just a soldier.”

“So am I.”

“That’s different. Kalehsh overcomes all barriers.”

“Look, even if he doesn’t love you in that way, you’re still important to him. You have to stay in his life.”

“How can I?” Ela blurted. “It’s like a knife to my chest.”

“Only because you haven’t found your kalehshun yet. He’s still out there somewhere and when you find him, you’ll wonder why you wasted so much time pining for Vahn.”

Ela smiled ruefully and shook her head.

“I wish it were that easy. Kalehsh is what we all hope to discover but some of us never do. Perhaps I am one of those.”

“I don’t believe that.” Kara let go of her hand as Daa’sten came back carrying a box of accessories. “You’re just not looking in the right place.”

“What do you mean?”

“Sometimes love is right in front of you, but you need to open your eyes.”

Ela wanted to probe further but Kara had turned her attention to Daa’sten. Thankfully he’d found shoes that weren’t so eye-wateringly high. He was also carrying a jewelry box.

“I almost forgot. This was delivered to my offices this morning. It’s from the royal vaults. The Zhaal would like you to wear it.”

“Ooh, let’s see.”

Kara opened the box to find it contained a necklace. It was a thick gold rope chain hung with a large central grey pendant. The design was chunky and heavy, and she was oddly disappointed.

“It’s certainly different,” she ventured.

“It’s the necklace fashioned for the first Castellian Zhaalini three centuries ago,” commented Ela, looking over her shoulder. “It’s worth a fortune.”

“But it’s gold and my dress is silver,” said Kara doubtfully. “Do you think Vahn would mind if I didn’t wear it?”

“The messenger who delivered it was very specific,” said Daa’sten. “He said the Zhaal expects you to follow his request.”

“Fine. Though it’s not something I’d normally wear. Help me put it on, Daa’sten.”

When he was finally satisfied with the way she looked, Daa’sten stepped back to admire his handiwork.

“You look wonderful. The most beautiful human Zhaalini ever.”

“The only human Zhaalini ever,” muttered Ela.

“Are my bridesmaids here?” asked Kara. She’d asked Vysh and Hespia for moral support, since they were the closest thing to female friends she had on Vraxos.

“They’re waiting in the chamber by the Grand State Room,” said Ela. “Are you ready to go there now?”

“Do we have a few minutes? My mother said she’d be here.”

“Of course. I will wait outside the door and let her in when she arrives. Daa’sten?”

“Coming, coming.” He gave Kara one last check, adjusting a tendril of hair and removing a non-existent speck of dust from the dress. “Perfect.”

They both left and for the first time in days, Kara was alone. Vahn was waiting for her in the State Room, where they’d become husband and wife.

She looked at herself in the mirror and wished once again that her father was still alive.

There was a knock at the door and her mother came in. She stopped short at the sight of Kara.

It was a pivotal moment for both of them. The President hadn’t opposed her marriage to Vahn but she hadn’t exactly been effusive about it either. Now, seeing her daughter about to take this momentous step, she softened just the tiniest bit.

“That’s quite a dress.”

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

“The necklace is hideous.”

“I know, you’re right. But I have to wear it. It’s some kind of royal heirloom.”

“Ah. That’s a shame. I was hoping you might want to wear this.”

Her mother drew a slim velvet box from her bag. Inside was a simple silver choker set with dark blue sapphires. She lifted it out to show Kara.

“Your father gave this to me the day you were born. Sapphires were his favorite. Mine too. And it matches the ring Talvahnax gave you.”

“It’s… wow, it’s gorgeous.”

“But you already have a necklace so…”

“Screw that. Hang on a minute.”

She fumbled with the chain, releasing its weight from her throat with a sigh of relief. Looking round, she saw the box it had come in was gone. Daa’sten had probably taken it.

She opened a drawer on the dresser and dropped it in.

“It’ll be safe there. I’ll make sure they get it back after the wedding.”

“Won’t Talvahnax mind if you’re not wearing it?”

“He’ll understand. Can you fasten the choker for me?”

She turned so her mother could fix the choker. It lay against her skin with a blue glow and she touched it happily.

“It looks so much better than that other thing. Thanks.”

“My pleasure. So, are you ready to make history?”

“I think you’re already doing that with the accords.”

Her mother looked down.

“You were right about the E.S.V. Chennai. I learned about it early on in my first term. I didn’t condone it then and I don’t now. But it was done. We were already at war. I had to deal with the problem in front of me. I hope you can understand.”

Kara chose her words carefully.

“We can’t change history mother. We can only make a new future. And that’s what we’re all trying to do now. Vahn too.”

“Your Vraxian has certainly impressed me with his eye for detail and his willingness to listen.” She paused for a heartbeat. “I think your father would have liked him.”

Kara didn’t know what to say. To hell with it. She took her mother’s hand and squeezed it tight.

“Well then. Let’s get me married to an alien.”