Maud’s mouth was dry, but she made it move. “Good to meet you, Lady Ymanie.”
“She also had repercussions,” Helen said.
“I did,” Lady Ymanie confirmed.
“They have a place,” Helen said. “There’s a big tree and it’s on a tower and you have to climb to get to the top and then there is a thing and you grab the handle and go whoosh.”
What?
“You go whoosh,” Helen repeated. “Down the rope.”
“Are you talking about a zipline?”
“Yes!” Ymanie and Helen said at the same time.
“They won’t let me go unless I have permission,” Helen added. “Can I please go?”
“Is Lady Ymanie going too?”
Both girls nodded.
Helen had made a friend and wanted to go play. “Um...sure. You have permission.”
“Thank you!”
The two girls scurried away.
Maud pushed from the cushion and sat up slowly. The medic looked up from his post near the console.
“How do you feel?”
“Tired, but the ribs stopped hurting.”
“Good. The ribs should be completely healed by tomorrow morning. The damage to your internal organs was slight, but it required some repair as well, so treat yourself well for the next twelve hours. No strenuous activity today. No fighting, no training, no sex. A nice satisfying meal, early to bed, and a full night’s sleep. You may soak to lessen the body aches, but do not take any stimulants, medications, or supplements. If you do something stupid, and come back to me again before tomorrow, I won’t be as kind. Do we understand each other?”
“Yes.”
“Good. I’ll help you with your armor.”
Five minutes later, Maud walked down the breezeway back to the tower. The transparent shield that had guarded the bridge from the elements yesterday was gone. Sunshine flooded the world and wind stirred her hair. It was late afternoon. She’d slept most of the day. Who knew what happened in the last few hours? Logic said she should be worried about it and taking some steps to find out, but she felt too groggy.
A piercing squeal whipped her around. Hundreds of feet above, a tiny body shot down a nearly invisible rope across the open gap between two towers at breakneck speed. Maud’s heart tried to jump out of her chest. She sagged against the parapet.
The child disappeared from view behind a forest of towers.
It was too late to do anything about it. She tapped her harbinger. Helen’s life signs read normal, except for elevated heartbeat. She would just have to hope her daughter survived the vampire zipline.
It took Maud a full thirty seconds to haul herself off the stone wall and start walking. If they were in the inn, she would’ve sworn her sister stretched the distance between Maud and her quarters, artificially elongating it into a never-ending trek. But they were in House Krahr, so she just had to keep moving. She would get there eventually.
Finally, the door of her suite loomed before Maud. She waved at it and it slid open. She went straight into the bathroom. A square tub big enough to comfortably soak six vampires sat in the middle of the room, a dozen different bottles and canisters waiting on the shelf for her selection.
“Water at 105 degrees Fahrenheit, fill to six inches from the rim”
Jets opened along the tub’s rim, gushing water. She sorted through the bottles. Mint, mint, more mint. There. Soothing blend. The scent reminded her of lavender.
She tossed a couple handfuls of the powder and dried herbs into the tub, stripped off her armor, bodysuit, and underwear, and slid into the water; positioning herself on a shelf, she submerged all the way up to her neck. The hot water swirled around her.
Water. Wonderful hot water. All the water she ever wanted.
She could grow her hair out again and then she could wash it with every shampoo available.
A small sound escaped her mouth, before she could catch it, and Maud wasn’t sure if it was a giggle or a sob.
She was about to close her eyes when she saw it, a small transparent sphere sitting on the edge of the sink. It wasn’t there when she and Helen had left the bathroom this morning.
Maud slipped out of the tub and padded to the sink. The sphere was barely a quarter of an inch across. On Earth it would’ve passed for a tiny glass marble or a stray bead.
A high-storage datacore, likely encrypted to her. Someone left her a present.
She picked it up, leaned forward, and blew on the mirror. Faint words appeared, written in the glyphs of the Merchant clans.
With compliments from the Great Nuan Cee.
The lees. Of course. And so sleek, too. A little message to her—we can slip into your quarters anytime we want.
Father always said dealing with the lees was like juggling fire. You never knew when you would get burned.
Maud returned to the tub and sat back on the shelf, rolling the datacore between her fingers. To look or not to look? She wasn’t sure she could take bad news right this second. But then if it was bad news, the sooner she found out, the better. Maud set the bead on the tub’s rim.
“Access,” she whispered.
A light flared within the bead, the silver glow sweeping her. The light shot out in a new direction. An open window framed by long gauzy curtains. Whoever was filming this had to be hanging just outside of it. Knowing lees, they were probably upside down.
The recording zoomed in through the window. Lady Ilemina reclined on a sofa.
Ha!
Arland’s mother was out of her armor and wearing a long blue tunic. Her arms were bare and covered with swollen patches of red. Maud smiled. She had worked Ilemina over more than she realized. A portable med unit that looked like some nightmarish robotic spider shone green light at the largest bruise. Ilemina grimaced.
Her quarters were beautiful. The furniture was soft, carved from some cream-colored wood, and upholstered in deep blue that verged on turquoise. Two crystal vases dripped flowers. It was an elegant, uncluttered space, simple, peaceful, and surprisingly feminine.
The door in the far wall slid open and Arland marched through, his face battered, his eyes blazing, looking like he couldn’t wait to rip something with his bare hands.
“Hello, Mother,” he growled.
Ilemina sighed. “Took you long enough.”
Arland shrugged his massive shoulders. “I was detained.”
“By whom?”
“Lord Consort.”
Ilemina raised her eyebrows.
“He approached me at Communal,” Arland said. “We had some words.”
“What kind of words?”
“He said, ‘You’re upsetting your mother.’ I asked him if he was planning on doing something about it, and here we are.”
“Is Otubar alive?” Ilemina asked, her voice flat.
“Yes. Although I did dislocate his shoulder. I expect he’ll make a full recovery by evening.”
“I wish you would reach an understanding,” Ilemina said.
“We understand each other perfectly well, Mother. He doesn’t care about anything except making sure you’re safe and happy. I, however, can’t afford such a delightful luxury. I have to worry about the stability of our House, the readiness and commitment of our troops, and our reputation. Normally Otubar and I strive to get along with each other, because it makes things simpler. However, I’m the Marshal and I won’t allow him to take me to task like I am a child. Especially in front of witnesses. He knew this would only end one way when he started it.”
“He knows,” Ilemina said. The medical robot moved on to her leg and she winced. “He holds back.”
“Perhaps the next time he could hold back enough to conduct his inquiries in private and use words so I don’t have to break my stepfather’s arm in front of the entire House!”
“Do not raise your voice at me,” Ilemina snapped.
“Was this planned, Mother?”
“Yes, Arland, I planned for you to break my husband’s arm.”
“Did the two of you conspire to give me and my fiancée a beating?”
“She is not your fiancée. She turned you down.”
They glared at each other.
“I’ll say this,” Ilemina said. “She isn’t a pushover.”
“What were you thinking attacking her, Mother? What was the plan?”
“There was no plan.” Ilemina sighed. “You’re my only son. I want only the best for you. I wanted to see you married to a strong House. To someone worthy of you. With a lineage and a legacy. Someone who would walk with you into Cathedral and the entire House would be in awe.”
“I see.” Arland furrowed his eyebrows. “And was my happiness ever a consideration in this glowing picture?”
“Of course! I want you to be happy! I want that most of all for you. I could have handled you marrying down, but a human, Arland? A human! And she doesn’t even want to marry you! Does she not understand who you are? Did you not properly explain your station in life? Your achievements? How dare she!”
Water touched her nose. Maud realized she was sinking deeper into the water to hide and caught herself.
“She knows exactly who I am, Mother. She wants to marry me. She loves me.”
“Then why did she turn you down?”
He ran his hand through his hair. “It’s complicated.”
“Enlighten me.”
“No. That’s between me and her.”
“I waited years for you to find someone. I should be knee-deep in grandchildren by now. Instead you’re off, running back and forth to Earth, to Karhari, to Hierophant alone knows where. And you come back with this…this…woman. A woman exiled in disgrace! You have the audacity to demand I ready our House for her as if she is worthy of the honor. You don’t talk to me. You don’t talk to your uncle or your cousin. You don’t talk to anyone.”
“I spoke to Uncle Soren at length,” Arland said. “He approves.”
“What?” Ilemina jerked up, and the medical robot screeched in disapproval. “Why?”