Viola Grace - - Return of the Nine 03 - Hiding (3 page)

Daphne sighed, “Yes, please. We are expecting you. You will be welcomed.”

There was a pause on the other end as the other party was reading her words in the language of the Nine. “Thank you. We look forward to the meeting.”

“Where will you be landing?”

“Designated spaceport.”

“I will have someone pick you up.”

“That will be most welcome.”

The call disconnected, and Daphne looked up to see Apolan leaning against the side of her desk with a small box in his hand. “I forgot to give you a portable translator. It will help you until you learn Nine common and Forest select. While most of those travelling here have learned Gaian, not all of them have. I do not want you at a disadvantage.”

She nodded. “Thank you. Am I allowed to send some of your guard to escort the seamstress to this office?”

He blinked. “Of course. Did they call?”

“They did. The computer translated for me. The earpiece will be faster, I think.” She extended her hand, and he gave her the box with great formality.

As Daphne opened the box, she gasped in surprise. It wasn’t just an earpiece, it was a finely crafted piece of jewellery that had a piercing for the lobe as well as a cuff for the curve of her ear, all draped with tiny jewels and chains.

A little nervous, she placed the item on her ear and settled it until it was comfortable. She looked up at Apolan, “Is this right?”

He smiled. “Lovely. You look as if you were born to it.”

She blushed, and then, her eyes widened when she realized that he was not speaking Gaian. “Oh, that is strange.”

“It combines audible with mental impulses. If you are thinking about speaking to me, I will hear the words you intend, even if they are not the ones you speak. I also have a subliminal learning unit that you can link to at night. You should have a grasp of the common language of the Nine in a week or less.”

He grinned, patted her hand and returned to his new office.

Shaking her head in amazement and the strange feeling of the ear unit, she got to her feet and walked out of the embassy to speak to the guards. Her first day already held so much more than she had ever anticipated, and she had the feeling that the new experiences were not nearly over.

“Hold still, Ms. Hallow. The formal clothing of the Forest folk is delicate. You don’t want it hanging improperly.” Xeero, a charming man of the Stone folk, had the lightest touch with a needle that she had ever seen.

Daphne held her breath as he carefully adjusted the fabric until the drawn tangle flowed gracefully to her ankles. She had already been measured for daywear, office wear, footwear and underwear. The formal gown was an issue, because the embassy gala was scheduled for the day that the building was completed and outfitted.

They had taken over the conference room for the fittings, and Xeero and his assistant spoke in low tones while they fussed, fitted and pinned her into each item.

While Xeero did the final fitting on the formal gown, his assistant, Xalik, was working with blurring fingers to finish some office clothing for her. The speed with which he assembled each article of clothing was astonishing.

He had already completed a set of flowing trousers for her. Now, he was working on the matching tunic.

Xeero stepped back, and a smile crossed over his grey features. “Lovely. I do good work, and it doesn’t hurt that the framework was such a pleasure to dress.”

She blushed and looked down at the leaf green silk of the simple gown. It hugged curves that she didn’t know she had.

Xalik looked up from his work and smiled. “Perfect. The colour suits you, Ms. Hallow.”

She waited while Xeero made minute adjustments.

Xalik held up the tunic with a grin. “Done.”

Daphne was amazed. In less than two hours, she had put on twenty changes of clothing with matching undies and had been analyzed by two complete strangers in every detail of her physicality. Against all logic, her day had gotten stranger.

Apolan was answering his own calls while she had her fitting. It was a peculiar turn of events when her boss was doing her job while she shopped, but it sort of fit the day.

Xeero smiled, “Time for a change of clothing.”

He selected the proper undergarments, which should have made her nervous, but the fifth time she had been standing naked in the middle of the boardroom, her mind had simply shut down embarrassment and mimicked a doll.

With the ease of repetition, she slipped off the panties she was currently wearing and exchanged them for the pair that Xeero was holding. The swift shimmy put the delicate things exactly where they should go.

“Hold still now, Ms. Hallow. We don’t want you bleeding on the gown.”

With Xeero on one side and Xalik on the other, she held still and moved with them as the wisp of gown was pulled over her head and the matching slip followed. Xalik folded the items away while Xeero brought her the new clothing.

In five minutes, she was dressed, had a bodice wrapping her from breast to waist and a sash around her hips. Every bit of clothing was in a variety of shades of gold and green.

The sleeves of the tunic made her smile. They were wide and had a graceful sweep that made every move seem like a dance. Soft calf-high boots were far more practical than the hard-soled shoes she had worn for her first day.

Her flowing trousers covered her boots to the ankle, and she had to admit, as she ran her hands down the new silhouette that she sported, she looked good. With absent hands, Daphne moved her hair to one side, framing the earpiece that was her only jewellery.

“Perfect. Just lovely.” Xeero smiled and clapped his hands. “You can return to your duties now. We will finish our day here and send a courier with the rest of your clothing when we have completed them.”

She nodded and smiled. “Welcome to the Embassy. May I get you a beverage or something to eat?”

They looked at each other and burst out laughing. “You may indeed. Thank you, Ms. Hallow.”

She inclined her head and stepped out of the conference room in her new finery. She walked silently down the hall to the small kitchenette and sought the icon for the Stone folk. Apolan’s morning briefing had explained how to select foods for the variety of the Nine. Each pack and item had a small icon on the bottom of it as well as a code that would be read by the preparer.

With her mind sorting through everything she needed for afternoon tea, she set the kettle on, prepared the tea set and slid sandwiches for the Stone folk into the preparer.

It was her first act as hostess to the ambassador, and she wanted to get it right.

Daphne grinned as she walked away from the conference room where the dressmakers were having tea. In an hour, she would return and retrieve the tray, but in the meantime, they had fallen on it with good appetite.

It was the right food for the right species in the correct quantity. Her first act as assistant to the ambassador was complete.

He seemed so surprised to see her when she stood in his doorway that she fought a smile.

“The clothing suits you, Daphne.” His gaze, however, strayed to her earpiece.

“May I get you anything, Ambassador? Tea or food?”

He smiled. “Water please and a light snack.”

“I will return in a moment.” She gave him the serving bow that she had been taught for the reception and backed out of his doorway.

Mentally, she was whistling happily when she retrieved his requests and brought him a tray. It was nice to be efficient at something.

She checked on the dressmakers and refreshed their tea. Xeero and Xalik were only too happy to show her their progress. She had a change of clothing for every day that week, an afternoon dress that was both graceful and sturdy, and enough underwear to see her through.

“Xalik enjoys making undergarments. It is his personal fetish.” Xeero smiled grimly.

She chuckled. “Everyone has their hobbies. Mine is learning. Any day I can learn something new is a good one.”

“It’s a good goal. We have been enjoying seeing the two Gaian ladies who are living on the ship. They each have peculiar talents. Is this true for the rest of your species?”

She looked at him in surprise. “It isn’t something that any of us discuss. I heard something about one of ours being declared someone of import to the Nine, but I never got the details.”

They looked to each other and then inclined their heads. Xeero spoke, “It is good to see you, Ambassador Leoraki.”

She got to her feet and turned to her employer. She blushed. “I apologize for my dereliction of duty. I will return to my desk.”

She tried to pass him, but he caught her arm. He whispered in Gaian. “You have done nothing wrong. You are hostess here, and that is what comes first at all times.”

Daphne paused and nodded with a slight smile. “Then, I will return to work and leave you to greet these hard-working contractors.”

He released her arm with a slow slide of his fingers. “They are quite the artists. I will indeed compliment their work.”

A knock at the front hall got her attention. With a small nod, she said, “Time to earn my keep.”

“Mayor Tetra, while I appreciate the horrible imposition of you coming up two floors, the ambassador is otherwise occupied this afternoon.” It was day three of Daphne’s odyssey as the assistant to the ambassador and this was, by far, the most satisfying moment to date.

The mayor scowled at her. “I wish to speak with him.”

“I can schedule an appointment for tomorrow afternoon, but today is out of the question.” It was the truth. Ambassador Leoraki was in meetings with some of the Shadow folk who were asking him about the likelihood of finding matches with some of the Gaian women from the reception.

As she was about to get verbally blasted by the mayor, the ambassador in question poked his head around the corner. “Daphne, come in here please.”

The mayor fluffed himself up. “Ambassador Leoraki, I am happy to see you are adjusting to your surroundings. I was wondering if you would have time—”

Leoraki cut him off. “Not today, Mayor Tetra. I will be happy to meet with you tomorrow afternoon. Today, I am involved in a matter of urgency. Daphne, now please.”

The guards on the interior of the door stepped inward, blocking the mayor from following and herding him out.

Daphne got to her feet and followed the ambassador into his office. As he had instructed her, she stood at his right hand and looked from one Shadow to the next.

“Gentlemen, please explain to my assistant what you require.”

The Shadows shifted in their seats. One spoke, “I saw a woman at the reception, and I wish to court her, but I am unsure where to start.”

Smiling, Daphne ran through all of the protocols that Gaian’s enjoyed clinging to. She started with the first meeting, then getting the name and address of the lady or gentlemen of their choice and arranging the second meeting. After that, it was a series of progressively intimate meetings the culminated in one of two ways. Proposing a permanent connection or physical intimacy. Either one was acceptable.

The Shadows shifted violently while she explained the methods standard to Gaians. “That said, there is nothing wrong with carrying out the rituals of the Nine and seeing if the woman is willing. If she is, proceed as you would with a woman of your own kind.”

Apolan reached out and took her hand, rubbing his thumb along her knuckles. It was an intimate gesture in front of the strangers, but the Shadow folk seemed pleased by her acceptance of the touch.

“Daphne.”

Something in his voice made her turn her head to look down at him, and his deep green eyes held a wealth of emotion. The motion exposed her earpiece to the Shadow folk, and she heard a small gasp.

“Thank you for your help, Ms. Harrow. You may resume your duties.” He stroked her hand again and smiled.

Dismissed, she returned to her desk and continued her research on the eating habits of the Nine. The earpiece was so comfortable, she didn’t even need to remove it in the shower. It held to her ear as if designed to be there.

She wouldn’t need it in a few days. Her subliminal lessons in the common language of the Nine were coming along. Each night, she put the unit in her ears, and she was slowly taught how to speak the words that her earpiece simply translated for her.

It would be handy if she was every caught without her jewellery, but she couldn’t imagine a day when she didn’t want to wear it. Aside from the curious glances she got when she went into town, she truly enjoyed the piece and the workmanship on it.

Her account was full. She had been paid for her first quarter of service up front, and it enabled her to get her pantry back to standard levels. The shopkeepers eyed her speculatively when she was able to pay without checking her balance first, but she was able to get what she needed.

It felt so strange to finally have the funds when she needed them that she wasn’t sure what to do first.

She spent her time as his assistant answering the com, checking his schedule and making sure that requests for specialty items were filed with the warship. It wasn’t a hard job, but she wasn’t sure how long she was going to be able to do it.

Her attraction for Apolan grew with every passing day. He picked her up in the morning and brought her home every evening. Each day, he made excuses to touch her hand or arm, and she felt an ache for him when more than three hours passed and she hadn’t seen him.

Falling head over heels for the alien ambassador wasn’t precisely a good career move.

Her com unit chirped, and she smiled as images of the new embassy came in. The Nine were sending the building down in complete chunks. The sole delay of the opening of the embassy was the landscaping necessary to create suitable environments for the members of the Nine who decided to visit.

She got to her feet and knocked on the doorframe of Ambassador Leoraki’s office. “Ambassador, the construction update is in.”

He inclined his head and smiled. “Thank you, Ms. Harrow.”