TICEES (26 page)

“I know you are right. It’s just that there has been so much to process lately. But I shall persevere.”

Korba looked down at her small hand contained within his, his thumb caressing her tenderly. When she calmed to his touch, he spoke softly. “Now, I’m going to explain to you what will be happening over the next little while.”

Chelan steadied herself and nodded in resignation.

“These ships are capable of docking down on the planet as they are equipped with enormous antigravity fields. RIBUS 8 will unload first, and then we will dock next to her just before she resumes a low orbit with a skeleton crew. We will leave by a giant airlock chamber on RIBUS 7’s underbelly, directly into the confines of the Imperial Palace and the surrounding grounds. You will disembark with Fremma and me, to be ushered directly into the receiving area.”

Fremma saw Chelan flinch. He reached for her face, his fingers tracing down her cheek affectionately.

Korba continued. “The receiving area is a massive building, Chelan, under tight security, and capable of holding many hundreds of thousands of people. A large corridor will be created by rows of the Emperor’s personal soldiers, and we will walk that corridor directly to the Emperor himself. We will then be introduced to Ticees, and from there, I’m afraid that our motions will be dictated by his Lordship.”

Chelan began chewing at her lip. “Don’t worry, Chelan. I will not allow our separation,” Korba assured.

Chelan nodded hesitantly as she watched him rise from the bed. “Now, all this will occur in approximately three hours, as we have already begun our descent. I have to oversee some of that process, so I will leave you in Fremma’s capable company.” He reached for her and drew her up next to him. “In the meantime, try to relax. The Emperor will not harm you.” He smiled warmly at her as his fingers traced along her soft cheek, feathering down her neck and shoulders. His voice became low and sensual. “It would be nice if you would wear the pink gown that you made for me. And it would be wise to wear your cloak. The receiving area will be bitterly cold.”

Chelan forced a smile and nodded her understanding. He kissed her lips tenderly once, and then crushed her to him, savoring her passionately. Then he parted from her and turned away quickly, leaving for his duties.

Chelan stood very still and watched him leave. But despite all his assurances, she suddenly felt lost.

Fremma watched her and witnessed a tremor run up her back. He stood and stepped up to her, slipping his strong hands around her small waist. Chelan closed her eyes to his touch and leaned back into him, trying desperately to forget the all-encompassing nervousness that was threatening to break her down. She needed to get herself together, to stay strong, and to rise to the occasion. And above all, she could never embarrass Korba.

Fremma ran his palms along her taut abdomen, caressing her slowly and tenderly. She turned her head to the side, pressing her cheek into his chest. Fremma looked down at her long, slender neck to her breasts, her firm nipples prominent through the soft, white material.

His eyes returned to her lovely face and he held his breath as he moved to take her supple lips, kissing her softly. Chelan responded immediately as she returned his kisses, tasting his tongue with her own. Slowly, Fremma moved his hands up her feminine body to her heavy breasts, fondling her sensual flesh. Chelan released his mouth and swooned as his gloved fingers expertly aroused her.

Then he reached for the straps of her gown, pulling them from her shoulders as his lips found her vulnerable neck. Chelan slid her hands to her gown, removing it quickly and letting it fall to the floor about her ankles.

Fremma looked down over her in renewed awe. He moaned at the sight of her naked beauty displayed before him, and he took her by her shoulders, turning her around to face him. Chelan immediately reached in under his shroud.

Fremma’s eyes glazed, and he pushed her forcefully to Korba’s bed, his need nearly as great as hers. Chelan pulled him sharply to her, not even allowing him time to remove his shroud. She wanted him now, and she needed him desperately. She ached for all the distractions his body could provide. She craved his love and security, his powerful body on top of her, his familiar scent, his familiar touch. But most of all, she needed him to fill the void within her.

Fremma released himself and slid into her velvet folds, embedding himself fully. Her legs entwined about him, urging him deeper still. She grabbed his hair and pulled his mouth down to hers, hard. She wanted him to take her forcefully, banishing all her fears of what was to come, if only for this moment.

With time, their lovemaking became slow and gentle, with Fremma attentive to her every desire, her every need. He left no part of her body untouched, no part of her soul unaffected.

But the time passed quickly, too quickly, and Fremma inevitably slipped from her depths, acutely aware of his Imperial duties. Their time together had come to an end. Picking her limp body up from the bed, he took her to the shower, carefully washing away the scent of their love. Then he helped her to dress.

Only when she was donned in her beautiful pink gown did she finally speak. “Thank you,” she whispered shyly.

Fremma smiled, a sense of true fulfillment overtaking him. He kissed her cheek. “Any time, my Lady. I am yours whenever you desire. You need only to ask.”

Chelan touched his lips tenderly. “I love you, Fremma,” she said with adoration.

“And I love you, Chelan. Now, come on,” he said, grabbing her hand and reaching for her cloak. “If I don’t get you down to Korba pronto, he’ll have my hide, or worse.”

Chelan followed quickly behind him as he led her into the Command Center. Suddenly she stopped, pulling him around to face her. Her eyes searched his deeply. “Does he know?”

Fremma was temporarily confused. Then he smiled. He draped her cloak over her shoulders and held her firmly. “Do you mean, does Korba know that we just made love?”

Chelan nodded.

Fremma touched her soft pink cheek tenderly. “He knows, my Lady. He knew how you would feel before we left, and he knew that he could not be with you.”

Chelan’s eyes suddenly grew wide with bewilderment. “He asked you to make love to me?”

Fremma’s smile broadened. “No, he would never ask me to do that. He merely told me that I should be here for you and to accommodate your wants and needs, whatever they may be. He knows you, Chelan, and he knew the pain and uncertainty that you would be feeling. He also knows our love and what we can do for one another. Yes, he knows that we made love, and he allowed it out of his love, and out of his concern.”

Chelan felt almost weak, but Fremma did not have the time to allow her to sort through her emotions. He quickly whisked her into the corridor where they were immediately surrounded by a large contingency of Fremma’s men.

*****

Their trip was brief and hurried. Chelan watched crewmembers scrambling in all directions, readying themselves for the ship’s final docking. Fremma led her to an enormous set of doors, and after a security check carried out by Lazen, they opened.

Chelan was drawn inside the massive airlock, and her jaw dropped at the magnitude of the cavernous room. At the far end she could see a large group of hooded men, and Fremma urged her forward. As they approached, Chelan felt relieved as one of the shrouds turned toward them and Korba drew back his hood. He smiled at her, and Fremma released her to him.

Korba did not speak. Immediately, he turned toward the end of the airlock, and the throngs of men parted for them as he started toward the wall. Chelan glanced around, smiling at Fremma as he moved up to her side. Then she watched as the guards fell back slightly and fanned out to the sides. Chelan could see that they were all heavily armed, and she guessed they numbered about one thousand in all.

Korba glanced at her, amused by her wide-eyed observations of what was routine to him, and he squeezed her hand.

Chelan finally looked up at him, and then spoke to him in English as they walked along. “You have a large heart, my Lord,” she stated, watching his expression closely.

He nodded once, not looking at her, his eyes ever wary of his surroundings. “I assume you are referring to my allowance of your union with Fremma.”

Chelan looked down at the ground being covered rapidly by her strides, and her skin heated.

Korba glanced at Fremma and then looked at her, squeezing her hand and forcing her to look at him. “I would rather be down here attending to my command, knowing that you are safe and secure making love to a trusted friend in your time of need and anguish, than remain up in my chambers succumbing to your depression and insecurities, only to have you brought to me later in a quivering mass of silent suffering.” Korba paused, glancing around himself briefly. Then he looked back to her. “I love you, Chelan, and it is our way.”

Chelan managed a small smile and then peered up at Fremma. The warrior nodded to her, and a sudden sense of optimism infused her.

Inevitably they reached the massive external doors, and everyone halted as if on cue. Korba turned her to him. “Now, some last-minute instructions, my Lady. You must use Ticees’ formal titles— my Lord, Lordship, Sire, whichever you wish—but never his given name.”

Chelan nodded.

“Next, speak to him only when he speaks to you. You are not familiar to him. Let him feel you out first.”

Chelan nodded again and drew in a deep breath.

Korba smiled at her. “Now, if he asks you anything, answer honestly, Chelan, no matter what the topic. Honesty is your best ally. And besides, since many of our ways and views are different than yours, you’ll only get into trouble by trying to tell him what you feel he wants to hear instead of telling him your honest thoughts. Don’t ever worry about me. Your words do not and will not affect my relationship with him. And most of all …” Korba paused, adoring his demure and timid beauty. He lowered his voice and spoke softly. “Do not be taken aback by his forwardness or his abruptness. He is used to dealing with military personnel, Warlords, and brash, aggressive women. He won’t hurt you, so stay calm, even if he touches you. He’ll be watching for your reactions and no more.”

Chelan exhaled sharply. She was not going to enjoy the day’s events, but she knew she had to do her best not to let her beloved man down, and she nodded again.

Korba smiled reassuringly at her and then reached for her snow-white hood, drawing it over her silky hair and obscuring her sensual beauty. Then, donning his own hood, he nodded to Lazen, who had been monitoring the ship’s progress.

“All is ready, my Lord,” came the gruff announcement.

“Okay,” said Korba, glancing around him. He then looked down at Chelan. “You may take my arm,” he offered, and he smiled as he saw her sigh with relief.

She had no sooner grabbed onto him than she jumped at the large, hollow boom that shattered the air as the vast expanse of doors began to part. Chelan swallowed hard at the spectacle laid out before her, the hundreds of thousands of shrouds lining the way to a group of isolated men far in the distance. Chelan took one more look at the sea of black and decided to keep her eyes to the ground, allowing Korba to lead her through the throngs. She knew that she would become overwhelmed if she tried to assimilate all that was before her; her knees already felt weak.

Korba moved, and Chelan followed beside him, glancing up into the blackness of Fremma’s hood. She felt calmer that he was with her, but the walk through the receiving area still seemed to take an eternity, and the extreme cold assaulted her, further wearing her down. Chelan felt totally drained as they neared the end.

Finally, Chelan dared to glance up, and she sucked in a large breath, realizing that she was about to meet the Lord God Emperor himself. She looked back down to the ground, floundering in feelings of disbelief mixed with excitement. Emperor of the Galaxy, she thought. Just over two short Earth years ago, this whole thing could have only been conjured up in some bizarre dream spawned by an overactive imagination. But now it was real, and Chelan was not quite sure how to deal with it. She was living in a fantasy that she knew could turn nightmarish at the drop of a hat, and a pit formed in her stomach.

Korba halted, and Chelan clenched her fists, wishing for the first time in a long time that she could wake up and find herself back home in her bed on Earth. She kept her head lowered just enough to obscure her features, but tilted to allow her to look at the faces that confronted her. For reasons she was not sure of, she felt it appropriate to release Korba, although she was not at all sure that she was stable enough to remain on her own.

“My Lord,” acknowledged Korba confidently. “It is indeed a pleasure to be home and to be in your company again.”

Ticees acknowledged Korba. “I am glad that you are back, and in one piece, I might add.” The Emperor stepped forward, embracing him warmly.

Chelan looked up as Ticees stepped back, and she suppressed a gasp at what she saw. He was a massively powerful man, even larger than Korba, but his hair was golden-brown, cut in the same manner as Korba’s as it cascaded over his shoulders and down his back. His face was young, about Korba’s age, or slightly younger, and he was ruggedly handsome. His eyes were a deep and compelling brown, his skin light like her own, lacking the sun-tanned bronze tone of the Iceanean people. Chelan guessed he was just over seven feet tall, and judging by his muscle mass, she knew he outweighed Korba.

He was dressed in the familiar black military uniform, heavily armed but unshrouded. Chelan noticed the fine gold stripe that decorated his uniform, the same formal garb that Chelan had seen Korba wear at the Koll.

“You’ve been gone a long time, my friend. In fact, far too long,” Ticees began. “I’m sure that we will spend a lot of time together in the near future, catching up on one another’s lives.”

“I am sure of that, my Lord, and I look forward to it,” came Korba’s pleased reply.

Chelan put their exchange of pleasantries into the recesses of her mind, and she clasped her fingers tightly together in front of her. She was cold, she was nervous, and she wished she could return to the security of the ship. In an attempt to take her mind off her predicament, her eyes coursed over the shrouded figures that attended Ticees. Suddenly, her legs felt like putty, and she faltered as her eyes met Dar’s. She had missed him on her initial scan, and she assumed he had been hooded before. His eyes were intent upon her, and she began to quiver under his scrutiny, strong and unexpected emotions seizing her at this vulnerable moment.