They stepped into the docking bay.
Ariana let out a little cry. People were standing in front of her aunt’s ship. They’d found them. After everything, it was over.
“Keirth Transman? Ariana Gilit?” called one of the people.
Keirth took out his blaster, leveling it. “You run,” he said. “I’ll take care of them.”
But then Ariana recognized one of the men. It was Prince Gulien. “Keirth, that’s the prince.”
And a voice rang out across the docking bay. “Wait. Keirth, I am your uncle!”
Chapter Twenty-one
The cup of tea in Ariana’s hand had gone cold. She, Keirth, the Duke of Tramet, and Prince Gulian were all sitting in one of the prince’s parlors, and there was a lavish spread of sweets and cakes set out, but not one of them had touched them. Ariana was stunned. She glanced at Keirth, who was sitting next to her, and the prince, who was sitting on an opposite couch. They were both leaning forward, their elbows resting on one knee, their chins propped up by a fist. The expressions on their faces were nearly identical.
It was true. It had to be true. Looking at the two of them together, she couldn’t deny it. She’d been flying around the galaxy with the son of the prince, and all the time, she’d thought of him as a lower class smuggler.
“I guess I don’t really know what this means,” Keirth said. “My mother couldn’t have been...” He gestured around at the elaborate couches and ornate wallpaper. “I don’t see why she’d run away from all this. You have no idea the way we lived. Why would she...?”
“We don’t really know either,” said Tramet.
“I barely remember what she was like right before she left,” said the prince. “Afterwards, after she was gone, I tried to think of any sign she might have given, anything she might have said, but I couldn’t think of any reason she would have left either.” He leaned back against the couch. “I only found she was pregnant this afternoon. If I’d known, maybe I would have looked harder.”
“We did look hard,” said Tramet. “We combed the sector for her. She didn’t want to be found, Gulien. And when I discovered she was pregnant, I had no idea the prince could possibly be responsible.”
“Did she ever give you any indication of who she was?” asked the prince. “Did she ever mention...anything?”
Keirth shook his head. “No. She didn’t like to talk about anything that had to do with the nobility. She hated it.” He sighed. “I guess, though, it makes certain things make sense. I was pretty young when we left the sector for the first time, maybe four or five, and before that, I’m not sure if she was, you know, working as a prostitute. I think that may have started after we got to Scranth. But when we left, I remember the sector was celebrating the prince’s—I mean your—marriage.” He gestured to the prince.
The prince covered his mouth with his hand. “Then it’s my fault. It’s my fault she died.”
“It’s Risciter’s fault.” Keirth’s voice was harsh.
“Indeed,” said Tramet. He was sitting next to the prince, and he turned to him. “Gulian, what’s done is done. Cecily was distraught over the loss of our family. She must have been sure she was ruined when she became pregnant. She ran because she was confused and frightened. She must not have seen any other way out.”
Ariana cleared her throat. “It’s the sector’s fault. The sector made her think she wasn’t worth anything if her virtue was in question. The sector drove her to it.”
No one said anything, but Keirth took Ariana’s hand.
“You told me your mother said that the sector was a pretty cover for something rotten, didn’t you?” Ariana said.
“She said something like that,” said Keirth.
“Well, it’s true,” said Ariana. “This place treats women like property, something to be traded, something that can get ruined or destroyed, not like people. It’s appalling. It’s why I wanted to leave.” Certainly, they couldn’t go anywhere now, not when Keirth had just found his father. But she didn’t know what would happen anymore. She’d never expected anything like this.
“Well, we will leave,” said Keirth. He stood up. “If we could evade gellococcus, escape from Trioth, get away from Risciter, break out of jail, we can do this.” He tugged her to her feet.
The prince got up as well. “Wait.” He ran a hand through his hair. “You must realize that I loved your mother. I was forced to marry, to produce heirs. It’s my duty. But I’ve never cared about anyone the way I cared about Cecily. And I’ve lost her forever, but you’re all there is left of her, and I beg you not to walk away from me, please.”