The Impatient Lord (3 page)

Riona thought it best not to mention
the details to her sister until it became an unavoidable conversation. There was no reason to get Aeron all worked up about the trip. She would never admit it, but the moment Aeron had mentioned the possible destruction of a planet, a knot had formed inside her, constructed partly of memory, partly of fear and partly of an overwhelming sense of helpless need.

Riona ha
d witnessed the end of her home world, and since Aeron had showed up, the nightmares of it had come back. She looked at her sister, wishing more than anything the woman had kept her distance. But now that Aeron was here, Riona couldn’t turn her away. If there was a planet in trouble, she couldn’t ignore it. Aeron wouldn’t approve of Riona’s methods, but it was the only way she could think of to help. And maybe, just maybe, if she helped stop this disaster the nightmares of her past would never come back.

* * *

Galaxy Brides spaceship, six weeks later.

“
Oh, come on! Seriously, why else would the Qurilixian men call their wedding ceremony a
Breeding Festival
? It is so laughably obvious. It has nothing to do with love and everything to do with a planet full of horny males, with no females of their own, who need to find release,” Olena announced, continuing her ongoing monologue about their future
husbands
. The more Olena drank, the funnier she became. Riona liked her. A lot.

The w
oman had the most brilliant flaming-red hair—much brighter than Riona’s auburn locks, the sides of which were pulled up into a center knot to cascade down her back in curls. Riona had admired the hairpin sticking out of it, only to be told that Olena used it to handle her business—code for the hairpin was tipped in poison. It was then Riona knew they were of the same mold.

Unlike her stuffy sister
, who hid out in her luxury room for most of the trip through the stars, Riona had found a small group of potential brides that were a little more her speed. If she didn’t know better, she’d say this Olena Leyton was much more than she let on. Riona didn’t care. The woman was allowed her secrets, even if they were of a piratical sort.

They were
lounging on the floor of her luxury suite on the Galaxy Brides spaceship. The rest of the prospective brides were getting ready for the official docking the next evening. The women were quarantined from the crew to ensure nothing unseemly happened, which caused some of the women to jokingly refer to their quarters as the harem.

Olena began to hum. Riona laughed, recognizing
the old pirate drinking song.

“
And we sail the high skies looking for gold,” Olena sang softly.

“
Looking for treasures that never grow old,” Riona added, louder.

Olena laughed
to discover her new friend knew the words and they both instantly burst into drunken concert, “The wind in our sails, lads, the stars at our feet, as we plunder for women, thick brown and good mead!”

They fell over laughing, barely able to get the last part out.

Riona had spent the last month being pampered and primped. Personal droids were assigned to each room. There were cooking units in each of their quarters that could materialize almost any culinary delight. She readily admitted she loved everything about the ride. Who wouldn’t? Massages and manicures, pedicures and servants… Plus, the ship had a medic unit. Free health maintenance.

Happiness and bliss. Happiness and bliss
.

Riona
’s stomach hurt from laughing. She fell to the side, dropping her arm before tossing her disc at the game board. It slid off course and was electrocuted into dust. She laughed harder.

Smirking, Olena continued, “
These dopey brides actually think they’re going to marry royalty. I mean, the whole rumor about there being four princes going to attend is just an advertising technique to get women to sign up. They’ll probably end up with farmers and servants. There has to be a reason the Draig don’t let the people talk to each other before the ceremony. My guess, the men are stupid. The best we can hope for is they shut up and look pretty. Yeah, like anyone ever found true love at the end of a glowing crystal.”

“
Glowing crystal?” Riona interrupted.

“
Yeah, you know about the crystals, right?”

Riona shook her head in denial. “
I didn’t get around to the whole wedding ceremony uploads, just the planetary survival facts.” Mainly because she had no intention of going through with an archaic ceremony. Once they told the right person why they were there, surely Riona and her sister would be excused from the whole contracted marriage thing.

Out of boredom, Riona had taken
advantage of some of the basic Qurilixen uploads. The process worked using the ship’s computer to load information directly into the brain. It made universal understanding a lot easier and more efficient. Riona had researched practical things—the planet, the people, a general sense of where they were going in the universe on the off chance she had to steal a ship and escape.

Olena motioned to her neck, absently waving her finger back and forth. “
They wear the crystals around their necks and, when they look at their future woman, the rock starts to glow. Apparently, it reacts to their level of horniness of something.”

“
You’re joking,” Riona drawled skeptically.

“
Maybe about the horniness levels part,” Olena admitted, chuckling as she lifted her glass of Old Earth whiskey to her lips. Taking a drink, she sputtered a little and said, “This stuff is surprisingly good…after you’re drunk of course and really can’t taste it anymore.”

“
What are medic units for if not to cure a hangover,” Riona answered. She too lifted a glass of whiskey to her lips and coughed lightly at the initial sip before swallowing a mouthful of the hard liquor. “These food simulators really do make anything.”

“
Too bad they can’t materialize space credits. Wouldn’t that be something? I’d buy this ship and kick everyone off, you and the pilots not included.”

“
Thanks.” Riona lifted her glass.

Olena studied her liquor thoughtfully and mused,
“I suppose it’s easy for the Draig to say I love you to one of the only women on the entire planet.”

Riona followed
the changing conversation with ease. “How else are the poor bastards going to get a little happy-happy for their little happies?”

Qurilix
en was inhabited by primitive males similar to Viking clans of Medieval Old Earth—not that Riona knew too much about Old Earth. Some scientist theorized that many of the humanoids had started on Old Earth long, long ago because of some genetic similarities, but Riona wasn’t much for science. Ancient history was just that—history. Today is what mattered.

The
Draig race worshipped many gods, favored natural comforts to modern technical conveniences and preferred to cook their own food without the aid of a simulator. They were classified as warriors, though they had been peaceful for nearly a century—aside from petty territorial skirmishes that broke out every fifteen or so years between a few of the rival houses. All in all, it sounded rather dull.

“
If you’re so against this marriage,” Riona said, “why are you here?”

“
I wanted breast enlargements,” Olena answered, her face serious. She puffed out her chest against the cotton robe. “But Gena’s been in the machine for the last week growing her two-ton rocket blasters and I can’t get an appointment.”

Riona instantly burst into another
fit of laughter. She gasped for breath, reaching for her whiskey glass on the floor next to her. Gena wasn’t well liked on the ship and was often avoided. The woman was annoying, thinking and talking only of herself and her new breast enhancements.

The so
und of the door sliding open caught her attention and both women turned to see who’d interrupted. Aeron stood staring at them, arms crossed.

“
Speaking of two-ton rocket blasters,” Olena mumbled, pushing to her feet. She wobbled but didn’t fall. “I should go before you two explode and take out half the ship.”

Riona saw her sister
’s tight expression and felt the laughter draining out of her. Aeron wasn’t exactly pleased with Riona’s method of getting her to Qurilixen and she had made her displeasure known every time they crossed paths. Okay, admittedly, Riona should have perhaps told her sister what was going on
before
she had her on the bridal ship and in deep space. Honestly, she kind of thought Aeron would have noticed the giant wedding banner as they boarded the ship.

“
Are you drunk?” Aeron demanded.

“
Apparently not enough,” Riona mumbled as Olena left them alone. She ambled to her feet, bumping the playing board. Some of her unused discs skidded along the floor. Instantly, a cleaning droid activated and began attending to the mess. She stepped around the machine to get to the bed. All around them was every starship convenience known to humanoids—beauty droids, cosmetic enhancements, food simulators that could materialize almost anything they desired and an oversized bed to pass out on.

“
I can’t believe you’re drinking. I thought we’d made plans to get together to discuss our plans once we land.”

“
Plans for making plans,” Riona mumbled, adding sarcastically, “Yep, that sounds like me, Federation. I’m a planner.”

“
Gah!” Aeron threw up her arms. “Why are you always like this? I can’t even have a simple conversation with you. And I told you, don’t call me Federation.”

“
Listen,
Federation
.” Riona sat, wanting nothing more than to fall against the mattress and into oblivion. She saw no point in worrying about tomorrow when today was to be lived. “I have a plan. We arrive tomorrow with the other brides. We blend in so we can be assured of getting off this ship without any incident. From what I gathered, we get off the ship, are presented before the potential husbands, attend a party, eat, drink, be merry, and maybe get a little happy-happy with the locals if they’re cute.”

“
I am
not
getting a little happy-happy or anything else with the locals,” Aeron swore.

“
Suit yourself. I hear they’re sexy.” Riona shrugged. “If you change your mind, I’ve got an extra set of transmitters.”

“
You actually think the primitive people are going to want to use transmitters to exchange pleasure essences?” Aeron laughed, the sound mocking and a little bitter. Riona stiffened. “Seriously, Ri? I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but universal men tend to want the real thing. You might get someone to try it out of mere curiosity, but do you really think when they find out what our heritage is they’re going to want spend the night with either of us? We don’t react like normal women. The only men in the galaxies who understood that little fact exploded.”

“
So you haven’t…” Riona asked.

“
And start the clock ticking? I think not. I haven’t met anyone worth dying for.”

“
Well—” Riona swallowed, uncomfortable with the course of the conversation, “—I haven’t either and I’m not going to. Not until I collect on those fifty-thousand space credits I figure you owe me.”

“
What?
”

“
It’s your fault I lost that match. Now I can’t go back to Torgan, or half the other haunts I enjoy, for a very long time. Range will be sure to tell everyone I reneged on our bet.”

“
Would you stop blaming me for your gambling?” Aeron snorted in disgust.

“
I didn’t ask you to come to Torgan. You did that on your own. You came to me.” Riona glared at her sister. This is why they didn’t talk. Every conversation seemed to detonate a full-blown fight.

“
I told you I’m trying to save a planet,” Aeron said. “I’m sorry if I think that’s slightly more important than your game.”

Unable to stay upright,
Riona lay back on the bed and stared at the metal ceiling. The weld lines blurred in a drunken haze. “You know, I don’t even think you’ve thanked me for getting you on this ship. All you’ve done is complain the whole ride.”

“
I will not let what happened to our home world happen to the people of Qurilixen.” Aeron must have realized Riona’s irritation over the mention of their home world, because she instantly lightened her tone. “This isn’t just about our childhood home. This is about a planet that needs saving. If the Tyoe succeed in their plans, they will kill everyone over mining rights. I can’t let the Draig race become exterminated when I can try to stop it.”

“
We,” Riona stated, still studying the ceiling grates. “
We
will not let it happen. Listen, we go, we smile, we pretend to consider our options, we drink, we dance or whatever it is these Draigs do for fun, and then you do what you have to and we leave. If something unexpected happens, we deal with it. There is the plan. Simple and easy to remember. I’m sure if you ask around, you’ll find whoever is in charge of the mines. Just don’t be late getting back to the ship in the morning. All the unchosen brides are guaranteed a ride back and we don’t have the money to pay for another way offworld. I’ll meet you here and we’ll slip away as soon as the boat docks somewhere inhabitable and I’ll get to work deleting our contracts out of the Galaxy Brides system. It will be as if this never happened.”