Allison had been physically exhausted from her swim and walk so she slept better than she usually did that night. She didn’t need an alarm clock to wake up. Oozie’s tongue took care of it with a long wet scratchy slobbery lick across her face. Allison gently pushed the nargle away.
“Ugg, I’m awake. I’m awake!”
Oozie leapt off the bed and rushed outside. Allison pulled herself up. Her muscles were sore. She kept physically active as part of her military training and ongoing physical requirements for active duty pilots. What she rarely did was swim. So, she had worked muscles she rarely did the night before. She stretched out the kinks before going out to the main room of the suite. Aryna was in a one-piece bathing suit, a sun hat and brightly patterned sarong. Apiyo was dressed similarly. Allison noticed the time was just before noon. Apiyo looked Allison up and down.
“This is what happens when you stay out to all hours! You miss most of the day. Are you coming with us to the beach?”
Allison shook her head and rubbed her eyes.
“No, you two go have fun.”
Apiyo frowned and pulled on a pair of sunglasses. She looked at Oozie.
“Are you coming? We’re going to have fish.”
Oozie yipped before rushing towards the door. Allison narrowed her eyes at the nargle.
“Traitor.”
Oozie purred as she rubbed Aryna’s legs. The trio left Allison alone in the room. Eventually Allison decided to brush out her hair and get herself ready for public consumption before heading for breakfast. She was unimpressed by her breakfast. The restaurants on the VIP side of the dome catered to a wealthier clientele. They were gourmet and while the food was excellent. Allison was a fan of more common faire. She decided she’d avoid the public side of the resort during the day. There was less chance she’d run into Edward and his friends. She felt a bit odd though. People were paying a little more attention to her than she would have liked. It wasn’t strange that people would recognize her, but today it seemed worse somehow. She narrowed her eyes then decided she was being paranoid, just like Tyler had said she was behaving. She let the feeling go.
Eventually she managed to track down her mother and Aryna on one of the many beaches. She cursed her lack of sunglasses or a hat. They kept everything very bright during the day in the Pleasure Dome. She saw someone talking to her mother. When she got closer her eyes narrowed. That long black hair was a dead giveaway, androgenous face. She had half a mind to turn around, send a comm to wake Bit and get the hell off of Titan. Then she remembered Edward’s smile and his accent. She remembered how much fun it had been to be Allie. She stopped and turned back towards the group. She was still pissed though so when she arrived Vaedrick didn’t get a chance to greet her before she spoke.
“What the f-”
Her mother looked up at Allison.
“Allison Maliaka Wanjala don’t you dare finish that sentence!”
Aryna appeared to be quite charmed by Vaedrick. He smiled at Allison; He hadn’t seemed to notice she was about to curse him out. He bowed his head.
“Princess, I am humbled to be graced by your radiant beauty once again.”
Allison was about to rebuff him then she realized he had called her princess so instead of her well-crafted burn all she could manage was.
“Say what now?”
He looked to Aryna and Apiyo.
“Did my translation fail?”
Allison nodded.
“Yea, you called me Princess.”
He smiled.
“That is your official title is it not. It is all over your media. The lost crown princess of Eternal Night has been found. Daughter of the Dark Mother, Empress of Eternal Night. Sister to the current Empress…”
Allison opened her mouth to say something, but she could not form words. It was a rare occasion where she received a mental shock so severe that she could not form coherent thoughts. She just turned around and walked away. Vaedrick rushed to keep up.
“I am sorry, have I offended you in some way? Please let me find a way to make amends. I am unsure of what I did on my parent’s ship…”
Allison held up her hand.
“I just need to process that something that was supposed to be a closely guarded secret is all over the news feeds. Then we can deal with… this.”
She waved her hand indicating Vaedrick. Allison closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she accessed the Alliance-Net and looked herself up. She felt like throwing up. There it was all over the place. Allison Wanjala is the heir apparent to the Aurelius family. Allison Aurelius is the richest teenager in the System’s Alliance. Allison Aurelius-Wanjala, chosen daughter of the Dark Mother. Allison Aurelius, Princess of Eternal Night. Heir apparent to Eyre Aurelius. It was all over the place. Different headlines, all screaming the same thing. Her secret was no longer secret. She wanted to scream. No, she wanted to bury herself in the sand. She felt the universe closing in on her.
Vaedrick touched her arm. She almost snapped at him. She realized it wasn’t his fault. None of this was. Nor was he the reason she got the ick. That was her guilty conscience. He looked at her.
“Princess?”
Allison looked at him.
“Just call me Allison, please.”
He motioned to a nearby ice cream parlor.
“I was rather upset when I arrived, my assistant suggested I visit that eatery. I found the cold dessert to be rather comforting. Would you allow me to take you for some?”
Allison sighed. Her mother seemed… calm. She realized her mother must have known this was coming. She glared in Apiyo’s direction before sighing.
“Sure. I need as much chocolate as we can fit in one.”
He bowed his head before motioning towards the ice cream parlor. Once they arrived, he ordered a raspberry shortcake mix. Allison ordered triple chocolate fudge with chocolate sauce. She did not typically indulge in such things but with the mood she was in she felt it was warranted. Allison savored every mouthful. The pair ate their ice cream in silence. He motioned to her empty bowl when they finished.
“I did not find I liked that flavor. I see why they have so many varieties. I noticed the females of your species tended towards it, is it made for you? Are males allowed to consume it?”
Allison blinked a few times then she remembered the Ratoan were ruled by their women. She shook her head.
“Uh, no. It’s complicated. There are chemicals in it that make humans feel better. Women crave it more, sometimes. It’s not something I’m comfortable discussing with you, but anyone can eat chocolate. I don’t eat much of it but when I’ve had a bad day, I eat it to make myself feel better. And this is a very bad day. Not my worst, but it’s up there.”
Vaedrick leaned forward.
“Why are you upset? Everyone in the empire knows who I am.”
Allison sighed.
“I’m not like you. I like my normal life. I like being Allison Wanjala, no Battlelord. No Princess. No Duchess. No Dark Mother. No Destroyer, No Swarmslayer, just plain Allison. It is like the universe is conspiring against me. Every time people start to forget who I am this… stuff comes up and, then there I am front and center.”
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There were several flashes. Before Allison could react, several people who had appeared to be beachgoers swarmed the area. She had no idea what that was, so she just shrugged it off. Vaedrick looked at the commotion then back at Allison.
“It is too bad the empire is in such disarray; You could enjoy a vacation there unbothered were we in normal times.”
Allison looked at Vaedrick.
“What are you doing here? You’re very far from home.”
“My mother asked the System’s Alliance if they could bring me somewhere safe. They gave her many options, she chose here. It is quite pleasant. The service is as good as I get at home, and I am incognito it is all very exciting. That I had the pleasure of meeting you here is an added bonus.”
Allison blushed. Whatever Edward and Tyler had going for them, Vaedrick had both beat in the use of Alliance Standard. She bit her lower lip and tugged on a piece of her hair.
“Tell me more about how beautiful I am?”
He smiled. It was dazzling.
“Trying to describe your beauty in mere words is beyond mortal kin. For whatever I could say, I would still not be able to capture the absolute radiance that your existence brings into the universe. You give me an impossible task for your very presence makes me speechless.”
Allison felt her ears burning. Yep. Vaedrick made her feel like she was the most attractive woman alive. She was giving him the dreamy eyes. He smiled and touched his bare chest.
“If it were only your beauty, my heart would still be hollow in your absence. Yet, more still, your skill as a warrior and your brilliant mind make your beauty pale in comparison. It is a lucky man that could win your heart. For he would have the honor of serving your every need. No man is good enough for your glory, yet I yearn to be of service to you.”
Allison had her hand on her chin and she was staring at Vaedrick. He smiled at her. Allison spoke.
“You can keep going. I could listen to you talk forever.”
He blushed and got flustered. She realized Vaedrick was like Tyler, only, he knew how to make her feel like the prettiest girl in the world. She sighed.
“So, you guys really just do what women say?”
He nodded.
“Women are the wisest and the strongest. It is natural. We rely on women to protect us, provide for us, while we care for the children. Ratoan men live to serve our partners. I feel safe near you. Even if I had never seen you, just knowing that your presence makes me feel protected would be enough. Yet, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on.”
Allison sighed.
“You’re only saying that because you haven’t seen my half-sister…”
He shook his head.
“Surely she is no match for your beauty.”
Allison flipped her holo-tablet to display mode and brought up a picture of Hazel. He raised an eyebrow, then shook his head.
“Some men might be attracted to her, I prefer you.”
Allison raised an eyebrow.
“Really? I was sure you guys would go for her. She’s strong.”
“Some would. She is too tall, too big. I am afraid she would scare me away.”
Allison flipped off the display. Her mother and Aryna walked in with Oozie in tow. Allison frowned at her mother. Apiyo tried to speak to Allison who was far too angry with her to be intimidated today. Allison held up one finger.
“No, we are not talking.”
Apiyo put her hands on her hips.
“I am your mother.”
Allison shook her head.
“Please mom. I do not want to say something we’ll both regret.”
Aryna wandered off. When she returned she put a sundae down for Apiyo, and a new chocolate delight for Allison. She had a vanilla milkshake. The four sat in silence.
*****
Maria excused herself using a fake call as an excuse to let the Vampire Council and Board scream it out. She stood behind the one-way mirror with her arms crossed as the two ruling bodies argued with one another. Eyre joined her. Eyre looked down at her Aunt.
“You devious… old woman. How did you know?”
Maria pulled Enid’s tablet out of her pack.
“I suspected… I was not sure until I got confirmation.”
Eyre shook her head.
“Allison is going to be upset.”
Maria shrugged.
“It is better she be annoyed in the short term then she get married off to some empire.”
Eyre put her hand on Maria’s shoulder.
“I am sorry Aunt Maria. I should have trusted you. They’ll be debating this for years. You have deadlocked them for the foreseeable future. Leaving Allison to choose her own future.”
Maria nodded.
“Now we just need to calm Isis down and deal with Allison.”
Eyre looked down at a display and tapped an image of Allison looking at Vaedrick with googly eyes.
“And you got the Empress her holos. I am still an amateur compared to you.”
Maria sighed and swept the image away.
“I feel bad manipulating her like this, hopefully Olga can assess her mood and determine how best to navigate this with her.”
Eyre motioned to the boardroom.
“Well, shall we go pretend we care?”
Maria nodded.
“So, are you for, or against?”
Eyre crossed her arms.
“There is no way on this Earth I will allow my sister to be married off so you can profit you heartless walking corpse.”
Maria raised an eyebrow.
“Empress, base insults are not becoming of a vampire of your station. Get past your emotional response and see the bigger picture. Think for a moment about how much this alliance and marriage would mean to our society. Surely one arranged marriage for so much benefit is a sacrifice we can make. If you’re so concerned about the continuation of your royal line, then maybe you should go stick something up between your legs besides a cactus.”
Eyre shook her head. Maria nodded.
“Last bit was too much. I will leave that off.”
The pair moved to reenter the debate.
*****
Empress Velde smiled when she saw the holos provided by Amani. She lifted the disk that was projecting it.
“Perfect. This will keep the pretenders at bay.”
She switched the holo off and folded her hands behind her back. They were floating above Utan’s capital in Amani’s dreadnought carrier. She smiled.
“Less than a standard week and you have decimated their fleet and sent them scurrying back to their holes. Has your government come to a decision on the actual marriage?”
Amani shook his head.
“I am sorry Empress. At this point they are still debating it.”
The empress frowned.
“That seems odd. What else can I offer?”
Amani swept a collage of images to the viewscreen. They were the various headlines and news stories about Allison’s true origins.
“My granddaughter is even more special than anyone realized. Even myself and my family. There is a religion amongst my people, the Church of the Dark Mother. It is surrounding a woman named Enid Aurelius. She was an Empress and several thousand years old before she vanished. It appears that Allison is her daughter. Thus, your request was more sensitive than anyone realized. This makes her the niece of our President, sister of the current Empress and owner of the most powerful corporation in the System’s Alliance. The president wants the marriage to happen, the Empress does not. Our two ruling bodies are at odds. So, unless Allison agrees at the moment it is in limbo. The good news is Allison has agreed freely to come to the ball and she seems quite taken by your son.”
The empress nodded. She smiled at Amani.
“Admiral, I am glad you convinced me to send him to that Pleasure Dome. Your insight into your granddaughter’s heart has given our plan a sliver of hope. These images will stabilize my family’s position. The ball will cement it. Truly, you are the savior of my empire.”
Amani bowed his head. His conscience pricked him, but duty was duty.
“It has been a pleasure to serve you, Empress.”
She looked up at him with a glint in her eye.
“Tell me Admiral, do you have a wife at home?”
He shook his head.
“Sadly, no, she was killed in an act of terrorism.”
The empress patted his upper arm then she squeezed it gently.
“Come, let me help you forget about such awful things.”
Amani shifted a bit. He had not expected the empress to attempt to seduce him. Not that she was an unattractive woman. He closed his eyes. He wondered if the president’s orders to do anything required to keep the empress happy had included this. It didn’t matter. She was quite attractive, and his wife was long dead. He smiled.
“I would like that empress. Lead the way.”
*****
Olga looked at her new body. Her Hope body was unimpressive looking. Maria had outdone herself with the latest design. It was faster, stronger and more durable than her last body. Maria had kept the body compact. Major Ghai cleared his throat.
“Ma’am, the news has gone live. You are go for mission start.”
Olga nodded. When she spoke, it was still slightly disconcerting. She sounded British and her voice was higher pitched then her other body.
“Thank you, Major. You and your wife can enjoy your vacation. I will not need back up or a handler.”
He turned to leave but paused.
“I have a moral objection to this, as I have previously stated. She is not… she doesn’t deserve any of this.”
Olga, now, blue eyed and innocent looking looked up at the Major.
“And she deserves you breathing down her neck every moment of everyday?”
Major Ghai frowned.
“I am doing that to make her stronger, prepare her for her military career.”
Olga shook her head.
“You are pressing her too hard. Her silwrath doctor approached me and demanded I pass along his recommendation she be given medical leave. Do you want me to tell her Aunt and Sister about that?”
Major Ghai went pale. She straightened her bathing suit straps.
“Stay in your lane, I will stay in mine. Her life as she knew was in shambles the minute the truth of her biological mothers was released. Once she realizes how bad it’s going to get it is going to break her. When that happens, I need to be there to put her back together again because everyone in her life she trusted was in on this and she has no one to turn to besides her AI fighter. That includes you. I’ll do my job, but you need to do yours better.”
Major Ghai glanced at her before leaving.
“And if she finds out who you really are?”
Olga laughed.
“That will never happen, because I am Hope. Now go enjoy yourself. If I need you to play the dictatorial adoptive father, I’ll let you know.”
Major Ghai left the room. Olga adjusted the bodies blonde hair. She spoke several sentences.
“I am Hope, I am from UK dome.”
“Allison? What are you doing here?”
“Allie?”
“We should go get Winter Wolf pizza.”
She smiled and practiced making facial expressions with the body until she felt comfortable in Hope’s skin once again.