The Chalice (28 page)

“Tim e for a break.” Dread’s voice broke into her concentration. “Been at that

for hours and you’re gonna get crabby.”

“I’m  already crabby,” she grumped, ruffling a hand through her hair and grimacing. “I hate giving speeches. I’m  no good at it and I’ll probably freeze and say something stupid or forget what I’m  supposed to say.”

Dread laughed. “W rite it down, dingbutt. That way you won’t forget.”

“For your information, moron, I already wrote it down.” She flipped open a

reader, pointing to the outline. “See? Right here. But what happens if I faint or

something?” She fanned her armpits. “Just thinking about it makes me nervous.

W hat am  I gonna do if I throw up or…or trip?”

Dread’s shoulders lifted in a shrug. “Get up and keep talking. Or you could just

lay there and play dead. Personally, I’d play dead.”

“I don’t suppose you’d like to trade places?”

“You supposed right. I ain’t the Queen and the Queen has to do the joining— at

least according to Hanna.”

“Sheesh! This Queen shit really bites the big one.”

Grabbing her arm, Dread hauled her up. “We need some exercise. I can feel

my thighs jiggling when I walk.”

“Well, my thighs aren’t jiggling,” she protested, pulling her arm  free.

“No, but your butt is.”

“Is it?” She arched back, trying to see. The silky material flowed down her back, hugging every curve but as far as she could tell, her posterior wasn’t sagging.

“Nope,” Dread chuckled. “But we could use som e fresh air. We can jog down to

the exercise room  and hang out for awhile. Pum p som e iron.”

The more she thought about it, the better it sounded. She needed a change,both mentally as well as physically. The wedding ceremony wasn’t until the nextrising and there was still tim e to practice later on. Besides, there was the slightchance they’d run into Tegan somewhere along the way!

She took a quick perusal of the com m unal chamber. “So where’s Ume? Maybe

she’d like to come with us.”

“Stalking that big bitch again.”

“Siri?”

Dread nodded, looking thoughtful. “That’s the one. Ume doesn’t trust her. Idon’t either for that m atter. Something really shifty about her. Always sneakingaround and poking into things. Like she’s looking for something.”

“Maybe she’s just bored. We should make a better effort to have her included

in group activities.”

“I don’t think bitch girl cares one way or the other. Only tim e she says anything is when she’s giving orders or pushing people around. Can’t understand her anyway so what’s the use?”

“You’re right. W ho really gives a rat’s ass?” She waved her hand in front of the entryway panel, watching as the door slid open. “Maybe we should be stalking her as well.”

Shrugging her shoulders, Dread strode down the long hallway. “If Ume seesanything, she’ll tell us and then we can either do something about it, or report itto your boyfriend.”

Kara hurried to catch up. “He isn’t m y boyfriend.”

“Tell him  that.”

Chapter Sixteen [Seventeen]

Kara adjusted her drape, sm oothing the silky fabric of the long tunic—the aqua

one picked out by Tegan. Her favorite of the few she called her own.

Her hands fisted the material. In a very few m inutes she’d enter the comm unalchamber and officiate at Hanna’s wedding. Tegan as the breeders’ Monarch andshe as the humans’ Queen would give their official approval to the joining. Officialapproval? She wasn’t an official anything—certainly not a Queen. She was anim poster. A sham . A fake invented for the purpose of solidarity.

Her stom ach knotted. Flutters of anxiety caused her knees to quake. She could

feel her lips trem bling. If I’m  this bad now, what’s it going to be like later?

She needed a distraction—som ething to focus on. She glanced around thecleansing room  seeking help, noting again the m any differences existing evenhere in this small space. Foreign objects of unidentified textures and qualityrimmed the sides, em phasizing the differences in culture. Divergence lent itself tothe extraordinary construction of even the m ost basic necessities. Curious andcompelling.

How strange to be here at this moment, m illions of m iles from  Earth, preparingto perform  a cerem ony joining a human female with an alien. Not som ethingshe’d ever imagined doing in her earlier existence. Even now, she found it hard tobelieve. I keep thinking I’ll wake up and this will all be a dream !

She pinched her cheeks, adding a blush of color to her otherwise ashencomplexion. Haunted eyes peered back at her in the m irror. She drew a raggedbreath. Were they doing the right thing? What if this joining turned out wrongand Hanna suffered as a result? Could she forgive her role in the ensuing fiasco?

Arrggghhh! I’m  going crazy worrying about it!

“You about ready?” Dread’s dark head poked through the door, the circlet of bloom s bobbing precariously atop the cottony locks. “Everyone’s waiting for you to get started.”

“Are we doing the right thing?”

“About what?”

“Letting Hanna marry Mordaq.”

“We ain’t letting Hanna and Mordaq do anything. They’re old enough to make up their own minds.” Her head tilted to the side. “Is that why your butt’s in an uproar?”

She plunked down on a low bench, wringing her hands. “I’m  not in an uproar.

Just worried.”

W hat did they really know about the Chiagan-Se other than what they beentold by the Kormak hologram  or their own im perfect interactions? Just becausethey’d been treated well by a bunch of gorgeous hunks didn’t m ake the Chiagan-

Se decent or morally upright. In term s of actual contact, it had only been a shortwhile since they’d emerged from  stasis.

“Worry later,” Dread said. “We got a crowd out there waiting for you to show

your cute little tush. Don’t want them  to get ugly.”

“W hy do I have to do this?” she com plained, overburdened by her fears. “W hy

can’t I just watch like everyone else? Tegan can do the cerem ony.”

Dread’s jaw grew tight. Her brows drew together in a fierce scowl. “Do I haveto drag you out there and throw you on the altar?” She stomped into the room . “Iwill you know. I didn’t get dressed in this fluffy getup for nothing.”

Some of Kara’s nervousness drained away. “You do look terrific,” she adm itted,

chuckling.

W hirling in a graceful pirouette, Dread grinned, her white teeth gleam ing. Theshim mering burgundy contrasted in perfect union with the dark tones of Dread’smocha-colored skin and chocolate brown hair. The headpiece needs som e workthough!

“I ain’t giving up my chance to be Hanna’s bridesmaid so get your butt up.”

Time to go! She forced one foot in front of the other, gritting her teeth to still

the trem bling of her lips. It was just a wedding and she knew her part.

The panel to the communal cham ber opened. She inhaled a deep breath andstepped forward, catching a whiff of exotic spices on the sim ulated breeze. Delighted, she surveyed the surroundings. The austerity of the room  had beentransformed into a fantasy world of color and light. Sparkling lengths of cloth inshades of gold, green and blue swathed the bare walls. A shim mering bridal pathof azure blue shot with threads of copper and gold ran from  the entryway of thefemales’ resting chamber to the m akeshift altar on the opposite side. Alieninstrum ents lent their weird and wonderful melodies to the extraordinaryfestivities.

Positioned on a small raised platform  at the far end of the runner, a solem n

Tegan   awaited.   She   gazed   in   awe,   captivated   by   his   utter   nobility   and

commanding authority. He exuded power and control. A true leader of this realm .

Her eyes skim med his regal form . For the first time since they met, he wasclothed in something other than the brief loincloth of the Warrior caste. Sim plisticin design, the thigh-length ebony tunic accentuated the broad shoulders andnarrow hips, leaving the long legs bare except for the Roman style sandals. Intricate, m any colored strands of embroidery adorned the square neckline andhem  areas of the tunic, while around his neck was a heavy cobalt blue chain withwhat she could only imagine was a family crest or emblem  of his royal heritage. Instead of a crown, he wore a circlet of woven strands of copper-colored m etalresting atop the mass of braided white locks. From  her lopsided perspective, he

was the epitome of male perfection.

His hand lifted and the long fingers beckoned.

“You’re on,” Dread m uttered. “By the way, some of the Warriors locked Siri up

in the m en’s quarters so she can’t stir up trouble.”

“Good idea,” Kara whispered. She straightened her back and lifted her chin,

assum ing her role. She could I can do this. It was a just a role after all.

A blending of Warriors, artisans and the women lined the walkway, eachdressed in their finest. Weapons of every size and shape embellished the hips ofthe Warriors—throwing knives, short swords and the ever present Tar. Theartisans were identified by their toga-like short drapes, many holding im plementsof their craft. Arrayed in every hue of the rainbow, the wom en were a dazzlingbevy of feminine glamour. Each and every one bowed from  the waist as she glidedby. She felt like a time traveler stepping into the past instead of the future. Allthey needed now was a jester to com plete the scene.

As she neared the dais, Tegan stepped down, took her hand and pressed hislips to her fingertips. Her breath caught in her throat. W ith that small gesture, allthoughts flew from  her mind.

A slight sm ile creased his full lips. “You are beautiful, my Kara,” he murmured

in English.

His Kara! Okay then.

She moistened her lips, praying for mental clarity. “As are you,” she replied in

Chiagan-Se.

He   stepped   up,   drawing   her   along.   Together  they   turned,   facing   the

assem blage.

The tem po of the m usic changed, grew more fam iliar. Sounds like the Love Theme from  Romeo and Juliet! It is the Love Theme from  Romeo and Juliet! Howappropriate was that? Music for star-crossed lovers. But Romeo and Juliet died!

W as it a bad omen of things to come?

Tegan raised his arms, m otioning for quiet. The room  stilled, the atmosphere

rife with expectation.

The rhythmic cadence of his voice filled the air. He spoke too quickly for her tounderstand every word, but the meaning was clear. He was giving his approval forthe union and asking for their blessings. The short speech ended and it was herturn.

She gulped, swallowing hard. “My friends,” she began in English. “I, Queen Kara Nichols of the planet Earth, give my approval to the joining of Hannalore Svenson and Mordaq of the Chiagan-Se. I ask that you share in my approval and

good wishes to the happy couple,” adding a sm ile to signify the end of her speech.

The room  erupted with good-natured cheering and clapping.

Tegan signaled for silence again. From  the hidden stereo units, the first bars to

Here Com es the Bride rang through the hall.

W here is all this com ing from ?

Dread started down the aisle, followed by Ume and then Anne, each dressed inburgundy drapes and carrying the much coveted bouquets. When they reachedthe altar, they paused, turning to watch as Hanna and Mordaq entered. A hushfell over the assemblage.

Tears of happiness stung Kara’s eyes. Oh great! I’m  gonna bawl. Good thing

mascara wasn’t available in this reality.

Beside the huge Warrior, Hanna looked alm ost delicate. Her shining faceglowed with happiness. Mordaq’s som ber visage caused her some concern, butthen he sm iled, beaming with pride. Okay, they look happy!

The music faded as they neared the altar and then stopped. The mom ent had

come.

She cleared her throat. “This couple stands before m e seeking approval for the

bonds of wedlock. Is there anyone here who would dispute their joining?”

Heads bent, whispers flew interpreting her speech. After a few m oments of

silence, she resumed.

“Hannalore Svenson, do you take this man, Mordaq of the Chiagan-Se, as your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from  this day forward until death do you part?”

Hanna’s full lips trembled, tawny eyes alight with love. “I do,” she stated.

Okay, now the Chiagan-Se. Lord, give me strength!

“Mordaq of the Chiagan-Se,” she began in the alien dialect. “Do you accept this

joining with the human Chalice Hannalore Svenson as your life mate from  this

mom ent forward?”

Mordaq kissed Hanna’s palm . “I accept this joining,” he stated, his husky voice

strong with conviction.