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Kara was fully aware she was flirting outrageously with her husband but she couldn’t seem to help herself. She would touch his arm to draw his attention to some amazing display or take his hand to pull him towards another attraction. When they stopped to watch, her hip would inadvertently press against him.

It was only an act, she told herself. People would find it odd if she seemed distant from her new husband. The fact that she was enjoying it was beside the point.

Not that Vahn minded. For the first time since he’d woken with his memory damaged, he actually felt at ease. And he didn’t mind admitting that he was beginning to find the small human strangely beguiling.

There was a Vraxian band playing in one section of the Eternal Hall and people were dancing. He didn’t demur when Kara turned to him and raised a brow. She moved into his arms, the extra height from her ludicrously high heels putting her just a head shorter than him.

“Don’t go too fast,”

she warned. “I’m not used to dancing in these.”

“Surely we have danced together before?”

“Yes, but last time you lifted me off the floor with your serpetri. I didn’t think you’d want… um, I thought heels would be better.”

She flushed. The last time they’d danced together had been at their wedding. He’d held her close and promised to spend the rest of his life making her happy.

He didn’t notice her sudden embarrassment.

“Yes, I see how that would be logistically easier,”

he said thoughtfully, and without further ado he wrapped his sinuous limbs around her and raised her to face-level. “Like this?”

Kara felt the hard planes of his muscular body press against her soft curves and suddenly found it difficult to speak.

“Um, yes. Thanks.”

He gazed into her eyes.

“Do you like this? Do you find it arouses your emotions?”

“Er…”

Sweet Jesus, was he asking if she was turned on? Because the answer was a big fat yes. “I’m not sure what you mean?”

“The music. Vraxian music. It’s very different to human music.”

“Oh, the music. Yes, actually. I found it weird in the beginning but I quite like it now.”

She smiled into his eyes. “Proof that you can get used to anything when you understand it a bit.”

Vahn privately agreed. He was getting used to the human. He almost understood why the old Vahn had fallen in love with her.

Almost.

Her scent drifted to his nostrils and he reflected that declaring their union denerra would be harder than he thought.

A gong sounded through the Eternal Hall and all activity drew to a halt. The music ended and Vahn set Kara down on her feet.

“Time for the banquet,”

he told her. “I sincerely hope you are hungry.”

Mechbots appeared on all sides, piloting what looked to Kara like flying golf-buggies. They zipped back and forth, ferrying guests to the adjoining Banqueting Chamber which otherwise would have been a tiresome walk.

Vahn and Kara were the last to enter. Everyone stood in silence as they made their way to the two empty seats at the center of what was obviously the VIP table. Kara concentrated on trying to walk gracefully in her heels.

Don’t trip. For fuck’s sake don’t trip.

She and Vahn took their places and she was pleased to see Rhyn was on her other side. He nodded reassuringly as she lowered herself into the oversized chair.

Protocol satisfied, the other guests also sat and the room filled with animated conversation. Kara threw a smile at her mother, relieved she’d made it back from the tour. The President was on Rhyn’s other side, placed between him and Governor Salavar, who wore a vaguely shell-shocked expression. Kara knew it well. The face of someone who’d been subjected to a serious grilling from her mother.

Checking to see who was sitting next to Vahn, Kara was dismayed to find it was Layahn. Her uncle had obviously pulled some strings to get her on the top table. The bitch had the temerity to smirk as Vahn took his seat and Kara fought the urge to pick up her knife.

Next to her was Baelon, and on his other side was a stern-looking Vraxian who Kara assumed was a Summer Palace official.

The final seats at either end of the long table were taken by the two Earth delegates who had traveled to Vraxos with the President. Kara had been introduced to them dozens of times but frankly, they were so dull she’d never been able to remember their names.

She looked around the room, noting the beautiful pillars and carvings that decorated the space. It was much smaller than the Eternal Hall but no less beautiful.

The ceiling had been painted with a fresco she recognized from the stories Vahn had told her on Minerva-6. Ayanlesh the Vraxian warlord surrendering his sword to the goddess Vannla as a declaration of his love.

And directly above them was the biggest chandelier she’d ever seen. It was several meters wide, rectangular in shape, easily spanning the length of the table beneath it. A complicated construction of gleaming metal and crystal, the lighting array was made up of tiers which threw out shards of dazzling rainbow-tinted iridescence.

Governor Salavar noticed her gaping.

“It is impressive, isn’t it? It was built by our mechbots using materials obtained from our mining sectors in the east.”

“Those are energy crystals?”

asked her mother, looking up.

“Straight from the ground. As you know, we mostly use synthetic crystals to power our homes and machinery. But the natural ones have a singular beauty that’s hard to replicate.”

“And your bots built it?”

asked Kara. “It looks like an art installation.”

“Several of our mechanoids are designed to be creative. Lord Yighaz, my predecessor, was a master engineer and he programmed them to do some quite ingenious things.”

Salavar held out his hands apologetically. “I, alas, am more of a farmer than a technical expert.”

“I wouldn’t be disappointed by that,”

said Rhyn. “By all accounts the latest harvest was a record-breaker.”

“We do our best,”

said Salavar modestly. “I hope you’ll find our offerings to your liking.”

Dozens of bots started gliding around the room carrying trays groaning with food. Succulent meats, vegetables of all colors, soups and pies, breads and cheeses, and endless other things to nibble on.

Kara had never seen so much food in her life. She leaned over to Vahn.

“This isn’t all just for us, is it?”

she asked quietly. “I’d hate to think anyone’s going hungry because rich folk are stuffing their faces.”

He regarded her seriously.

“You are accusing me of allowing my people to starve?”

“What? No! I didn’t mean…”

She watched a smile break over his face. “Are you making fun of me?”

“You make it too easy, small human. But to allay your fears, on the occasion of Garana Sana, food is distributed to every family on Vraxos. All are invited to feast. And rest assured, no-one goes hungry at any other time of year either.”

“Okay. That’s cool.”

Kara felt like an idiot. “I just thought that since Vraxos has a clan system, the ones lower down the pecking order might be a bit disadvantaged.”

“Maybe that’s how it works on Earth. But here, our shintu and saji clans are required to ensure the welfare of lesser clans. We may not have democracy in the Empire but we also do not tolerate suffering.”

He turned away before she could apologize for her assumptions and resumed his conversation with Layahn. Which he seemed to be enjoying a little too much for her liking. Kara viciously speared a root vegetable.

Her mother tapped her on the shoulder.

“Rhyn has been telling me about the population discrepancy on Vraxos,”

she said conversationally. “Did you know the males outnumber the females six to one?”

“Um, no, I didn’t.”

“Apparently in times of conflict or hardship, females produce more males when they give birth. An interesting little genetic quirk, isn’t it? And perhaps fortuitous.”

Kara had the feeling her mother was leading up to something.

“Why fortuitous?”

“Well, because on Earth our male population has dwindled. Far more men joined the military than women, and as a result more of them died in the war.”

Her mother dug into a concoction that smelled deliciously like cheese soufflé. “So we have a disproportionately high number of women and not enough men to go around.”

Kara was incredulous.

“You’re not suggesting some kind of interstellar breeding program?”

“Breeding? That sounds a bit anthropological. But perhaps a dating initiative?”

Her mother pursed her lips. “Of course, we’d have to wait and see if humans and Vraxians can produce viable offspring. You did say you and Talvahnax were going to attempt to have children, didn’t you?”

Kara swallowed the wrong way and went red in the face as she coughed and spluttered. Vahn turned to her in concern.

“Kara? Are you all right?”

“I was just asking her about babies,”

said President Cameron helpfully. “When might you give me a grandchild?”

Vahn’s face was a picture. If Kara hadn’t been so stricken she might have laughed.

“Mother! We’ve only just got married.”

“You told me before the wedding you were both thinking about it,”

said the President. Her sharp eyes took in Vahn’s glacial expression. “I presume you’ve discussed it?”

Rhyn leaned over, his voice bubbling with laughter.

“Madame President, as entertaining as this is, in Vraxian society the subject of procreation is seldom discussed in public. Now tell me, how was the tour with Governor Salavar?”

He skillfully drew the President into safer waters and Kara glanced apprehensively at Vahn. He looked pole-axed.

“I’m sorry,”

she offered. “My mother shouldn’t have said anything.”

“We discussed hatchlings?”

he asked softly.

“Briefly. You wanted them, I wasn’t so sure.”

She would have added more but Layahn leaned over.

“The Zhaal has been telling me how much he respects Earth culture,”

she said. “How sad that you haven’t been able to take a honeymoon. That’s what you call it on Earth, isn’t it? A honeymoon?”

Her expression of deference was so fake Kara wanted to slap it off her.

“Honeymoons aren’t a thing on Vraxos,”

she said tightly.

“But surely the Emperor would give you whatever you asked for. Isn’t that right, my Zhaal?”

“We are too close to the signing of the accords to leave Taa’riz for any length of time,”

he answered easily. “But perhaps in future.”

“I think it’s one Earth tradition I wouldn’t mind adopting,”

said Layahn. “Having a husband lavish all his attention on me sounds blissful. How sad that your husband’s been too busy with the accords, Kara.”

Kara’s jaw tightened with the effort of remaining civil.

“And how sad that you haven’t found a husband of your own to worry about.”

“Actually, I have two candidates vying for my attention right now. Lord Gantril and Baron Feneric. Both are equally rich.”

“And equally old. Still, I’m sure what they lack in teeth they make up for in experience.”

Kara knew she’d hit a nerve when the Vraxian’s eyes narrowed, but before Layahn could reply her uncle took her arm.

“I can see Lord Qu’laar at the other end of the room,”

he said. “If you’ll excuse us, your Majesties, I would like to introduce my niece to him.”

Layan shot Kara a triumphant look.

“Lord Qu’laar is one of the most eligible nobles on Vraxos,”

she said smugly. “And very young.”

The pair walked off. Vahn put his mouth close to Kara’s ear.

“I feel very sorry for Lord Qu’laar,”

he murmured.

Kara suppressed a giggle. She badly wanted to spend more time talking to him but Governor Salavar chose that moment to begin an earnest discussion about the provincial economy. She tried to look fascinated as he reeled off facts and figures but most of them went straight over her head.

Luckily her mother was interested enough for the both of them and she hurled a barrage of questions at the Governor, leaving Kara’s attention free to wander.

She noticed Rhyn was also distracted and turned to see what he was looking at.

“Oh. Hello, Ela. I didn’t see you there.”

“Your Majesty.”

The general nodded, her sharp gaze constantly scanning the room for possible security issues.

Interesting. Rhyn couldn’t keep his eyes off the general. Seriously, if those two didn’t get together soon she’d have to do some matchmaking.

She turned back to Vahn but he was deep in conversation with one of the nameless diplomats. She shifted restlessly and found herself looking up at the huge tiered chandelier again.

The speckles of rainbow light thrown off by the crystals were almost hypnotizing. It really was an amazing combination of art and engineering. She wondered if Vahn would commission a similar one for the Imperial Palace.

Something moved among the tiers.

She watched curiously as a small mechbot emerged from the metal structure and balanced on top of it. It was almost entirely hidden by the decorative spokes and spirals. If she hadn’t been looking, she never would have seen it.

It was carrying equipment in its mechanical phalanges and she assumed it was up there fixing something. As she watched, it placed a tool on the hanging bolts and began to twist.

“Wow, those things really are a jack of all trades,”

she said thoughtfully. Rhyn glanced over.

“I’m sorry, my Zhaalini?”

“The bots. They do everything. Fly shuttles, grow crops, serve drinks – now they’re adjusting the lights.”

Rhyn glanced to where she was pointing and saw what the bot was doing. The whole structure began to shake.

In a moment of clarity, two thoughts went through his head.

The chandelier was about to come down.

And he didn’t have time to save everyone.

With a speed that belied his usual air of insouciance, he threw himself towards the President. At the same he bellowed at the top of his voice.

“Vahn!”

In the next moment, a mountain of crystal and metal came screaming down on their heads.