“Marsius, calm down,” Father chided. He stood from his seat and strode forward. Marsius quieted. Son or not, when Thelarus Dracorte gave an order, you obeyed.
I tried to see him the way Qole might. Tall, with a straight back that carried the dark suit he wore with absolute comfort. His trimmed beard hid the angles of his jaw that I knew were so similar to mine. Age had set his silver-gray eyes slightly deeper than mine, however, and his body was thicker, if still enormously muscular. His voice made one think of warmth and foundation. It was evident in every detail that the man was born to rule, and I was always certain that if my father had not inherited a crown, the universe would have spontaneously created one for him to wear.
I bowed my head. “Father.”
“Son, welcome back. We are overjoyed to see you returned safely.”
My head still inclined, I felt my brow furrow. I knew when Father was overjoyed, and if this was it, then Eton was overjoyed to see me every day. Had I so overstepped my bounds in redirecting our arrival, undermining his authority? Nothing worse than embarrassment could result from that, but then, Father hated being embarrassed almost more than anything.
So be it. Even if I could have reversed time, I wouldn’t have done anything differently.
I straightened. “And I am overjoyed to return to you, with my auspicious guests. Father, this is Captain Qole Uvgamut, of the Kaitan Heritage. She and her brother, Arjan Uvgamut, are the best Shadow harvesters on Alaxak, and have agreed to help us understand its binding effect on organic matter.”
Father favored them with a smile. “Indeed, this is most fortunate news. You are both welcome in Dracorva.”
“Qole and Arjan,” I continued, as was proper, “may I present you to Thelarus Axandar Rubion Marsius Dracorte, King and Steward of the Dracorte Family Empire.”
“It’s an honor to meet you, sir…sire.” Qole extended her hand to him, and I winced. She couldn’t have known that the only proper way to greet a king was with a bow or curtsy. I should have thought to warn her.
But Father was nothing if not decorous. He hesitated only a moment before taking her hand and shaking it in return.
“My dear, it’s not customary to shake hands with the king.” My mother, Ysandrei, descended upon us, indulgent concern creasing her beautiful face. She was arrayed more opulently than Father, in a deep blue gown that hugged her just enough to show a figure more youthful than she had any right having. Mother would never show too much skin, but as she never tired of telling us, she believed one should take pride in one’s appearance.
She didn’t fail to notice the look on Qole’s face after I introduced her as the queen. “Don’t be distressed, of course,” she said. “I know navigating these social straits is difficult. Nevertheless, Thelarus, is it safe for you to be touching her? I hear Shadow poisoning is very common on Alaxak.” She smiled in apology at Qole. “No offense intended, my dear. My life’s purpose is to think of every detail.”
A mixture of emotions warred across Qole’s face—confusion, embarrassment, anger—before she swallowed them. “It’s…I’m not catching, if that’s what you mean.”
“Isn’t catching Shadow exactly what you do?” Inviting and musical, the voice treated the words with bored amusement. The owner hadn’t bothered getting up, but I didn’t find that surprising. My sister, Solara, reclined on a couch with an infopad, finger slowly moving through whatever she was reading. She had few passions outside the latest palace gossip and interpersonal news. Politics, science, and history were not her calling, and I rarely found that our interests aligned. Her golden gown perfectly matched the sunlight that glinted in her blond hair as she glanced up—no coincidence, I was sure.
“Qole and Arjan, meet Solara Dracorte, my sister,” I said, trying to keep the irritation out of my voice.
If Marsius couldn’t help but listen to Father’s order, he also couldn’t help but forget it as curiosity seized him again. “Oh yes, Shadow! You fish for it! How do you do that? Do you have a rod? Or nets? Is it true you do it on the edge of a molecular cloud? Do you have your own ship?”
Neither Qole nor Arjan could repress a smile, and some of the tension went out of their shoulders. I could have given Marsius all the presents in the world.
Arjan knelt in front of him. “We are on the edge of the molecular cloud. You start with a mag-field net, see, because…”
I left the two of them to discuss the particulars of Shadow fishing, moving deeper into the room with Qole to find a seat. The king and queen followed almost warily. I touched Qole on the arm to indicate a chair that she could take, and she started, betraying a nervousness I hadn’t known was so acute.
I couldn’t blame her; as eager as I had been, I now saw that I couldn’t have thrust her into a more foreign experience.
I turned to the king before I took a seat. “Father, do you know why the Air Guard tried to escort the Kaitan to a containment block?” I asked as if it were no great concern. “They said it was on your order.”
I knew why, of course, but I wanted to hear him justify it. I wanted Qole to hear it.
He narrowed his eyes slightly. “It was. I was advised that following rigorous safety protocol in light of the attacks on you was advisable, and I gave the go-ahead.”
Qole considered this, then gave a brief nod, even though Father wasn’t directly addressing her. Good. At least she saw the logic behind the decision too, even if it was nonetheless ill-mannered.
I considered my next words carefully. Now I had to put both my family and Qole at ease, and it dawned on me that my strategies for each might be at odds with one another. These were two different worlds I was trying to bridge. In one, you could simply walk up to someone’s door, knock, and talk. In the other, there were protocols—often good ones, for good reasons like security, efficiency, and order—but sometimes they hindered direct communication.
While these worlds might be different, I didn’t believe they were mutually exclusive. I couldn’t. I needed each to see the other the way I did.
“Father, I hope you understand why we didn’t land at the containment block. It wasn’t a fitting welcome for Captain Qole”—I was careful to emphasize her rank—“particularly after she saved my life. Probably more than once.”
Mother looked at Qole with sudden, newfound amazement that was almost indecent, as far as her usual standards…and with appreciation, I was pleased to see.
The king raised his eyebrows, then inclined his head in gracious acknowledgment. “Then our gratitude is unending.”
The queen collected herself enough to incline her head as well, holding it as long as decorum allowed for a great gift. “All of Luvos is grateful to you. And I, as a mother, am in your debt.”