Forty-five minutes later, Sera rolled off Brandt’s body and lay on the mattress, breathing hard.
“Well, that was a lovely wake-up call, I must say.”
He laughed, planting a kiss on her forehead before getting out of bed. She levered to rest on her arm and watch him walk naked to the comm unit on the other side of the room.
“We’re due to arrive at the portal a bit after breakfast. Let’s get ready, shall we?”
Ash was already waiting in the dining room, reading through some files, when they walked in. Seeing her, he whistled low and raised an eyebrow.
They’d decided a barely there gown of gold would be a great entrée into Nondal. There was no back at all, the waist low-slung, and the skirt a series of light panels that moved around her like the tide as she walked. The color highlighted the honeyed tone of her skin and hair. She was every inch the kind of woman who could hold the attention of a rich and powerful man like Brandt Pela.
“My! Well, Sela, the Nondalese aren’t going to know what hit them when you walk down the gangplank at the portal. You look beautiful.”
She inclined her head a bit, hoping she wasn’t blushing. “Thank you, Ash.”
Brandt stepped in neatly. “Have the representatives made any noise this morning?” Brandt sat, thanking Sera for the cup of kava she’d poured for him.
A sour look marred Ash’s face. “I awoke to a message from my father and another from my uncle demanding I remove the travel restrictions at once.”
Sera bet that only served to make him more intractable. “And did you?”
Ash winked. “Hells no. We’ll see them when we all disembark. Before it’s time to dock, they’re confined to quarters.”
She felt the ping and opened her link. They conversed about what the plan would be when they arrived on Nondal. Although Nondal, like every other Federation universe, held to standard time, their daylight hours were longer because the universe was farther from the Core and closer to their system’s sun. Plenty of time for mixing with the other concubines. Stander would undoubtedly bring at least one with him, and if anyone knew any dirt, she would.
Nondal was on the border between Federation and Imperialist territory. It wasn’t a capital universe but fell under the jurisdiction of the Licht Family, who held this part of the Known Universes. As a frontier ’Verse, it was much more heavily inclined toward trade and more apolitical than those ’Verses closer to the Central Core of the Federation.
Sera agreed with those who said the reason was because Nondal was structured far more closely like an Imperial Aligned Universe. There was no democracy at all: strict class structure with all the power at the top and none at the bottom, little freedom of the press, and a lack of basic information for most of the population.
Nondal was ideal for anyone hatching up ways to trade information or sell it to the highest bidder. It was one of the last stops before the Edge and then Imperial territory. It also served as a departure point to catch a portal to Ceres, a resort-themed universe ringing the next Familial quadrant. Nondal was a tourism destination in and of itself for wealthy Federation citizens who came to catch the space light phenomenon: beautiful, colored explosions of gaseous compounds that turned the evening sky brilliant shades of every color imaginable.
Anyone could be there for any reason. And because of that, it was the perfect cover.
They also had an invitation to a dinner party at the home of a prominent Nondalese businessman, a ranking Family member, the following evening. They’d loosely decided that while Sera attempted to flatter her way into the confidence of various powerful men present, Brandt would poke around a bit to see if anyone made him any offers. Meanwhile, Ash would try to hack his way into the Familial computer servers. There was a hub in the home they’d be visiting. Fortunately, they were all three quite handy at a great many things, so the plans could be loose enough to change if need be.
After breakfast, they slid through the portal and docked. Their baggage was sent ahead to the shuttle that would take them to the city, and they moved to disembark.
The representatives stayed well away from Ash as they boarded the shuttle. They’d make their visit to the Nondalese governor and leave for Ceres later that day. Sera couldn’t wait for them to be gone. They both stank of trouble.
The trip to the city was relatively quick, but as they walked onto the concourse and were greeted by several Nondalese, the representatives moved ahead of the three of them and turned. Everyone stopped, waiting for a good-bye.
“I understand your agitation when we questioned your plans for marriage now, Ash.” The troublemaker from the night before had the audacity to leer at Sera who, with iron will, cast her eyes down according to her social place as a concubine.
“Is that so?” Ash’s eyes narrowed as he moved closer to Sera.
“I see she bears your mark. You only had to say you were involved in a triad. But you certainly know you can keep a concubine after marriage.”
Sera’s stomach sank. How could I have been so stupid? The tattoo must be showing because the dress was so low in the back. She was an utter fuckup!
Ash put his arm around Sera’s shoulders. “My relationship status is none of your business, Representative. Yes, I’m in a triad with Sela and Brandt. This was information we wished to share on our own terms.”
Great. Now she’d have to be Ash’s concubine, too. Just when she had absolutely no reserves against him. She kept her eyes lowered.
The Nondalese governor chuckled and reached out to clap Brandt’s shoulder. “She’s a lovely one. Sometimes a little sharing is in order. Nothing to hide. We’re on the frontier, but we’re modern enough the closer you get to the sky, you know.”
“The closer you get to the sky” was a way of denoting class rank on Nondal. The upper classes lived in the topmost levels of the domed cities with more sunlight and where the air circulators were. They literally got first dibs on fresh air and light.
Ash turned his body away from the representatives, and Sera heard a few people gasp softly at the slight. His arm remained around her shoulders and Brandt’s around her waist.
“Shall we go then? I take it we’ll be in the guesthouses on the top deck? Sela has never seen the space lights. I told her about the rooms with glass ceilings so that one might lie in bed and watch the sky that way.” Brandt took the change in plans smoothly. The man was a professional, after all. Sera was grateful they were both so fast on their feet. She wouldn’t have been so quick to gloss over her mistake. She’d make her apologies via the link when they got to their quarters. She couldn’t bear to deal with it just then.
“Yes, of course.” One of the Nondalese spoke to two men waiting off to the side, ordering them to take the bags to their accommodations. “Right this way, Mr. Walker, Mr. Pela.” Like she wasn’t even there. She’d have been offended if their stupidity hadn’t suited her needs.
Sera was finally able to look around and, hopefully, hide her revulsion. The lower concourses were dark and the air close and stale. They loaded into an open elevator to take them to the upper levels of the city. Their liaison entered a code into the panel, and they began the ride up toward their rooms. The higher they went, the nicer the walkways were—wider, cleaner. The storefronts cheerier and better stocked.
“Here we are.” They got out at the very top level.
Sera looked out over the city, Nondal Major. It was an architectural marvel, really, the way it was spread out. The dome was created with a semiporous substance much like glass that let in light and also served as a filter. The radiation levels were deadly to citizens who lived without protection of the domes.
Despite the danger, Sera knew there were some who’d left the cities behind and lived out in the open. They’d taken the risk to be rid of the stench of the lower levels and the lack of freedom. The luckiest ones had special filters in their homes that didn’t cut the risks completely but lowered them.
Knowing what she did about Nondalese culture, Sera didn’t blame those who’d chosen a shorter life span in the open air over the stifling conditions in the lower levels.
By contrast to those lower levels, their accommodations were quite luxurious. Nicer than any hotel she’d ever stayed in before. And true to Ash’s word, the ceilings in the bedroom were glass.
Lush green plants filled the rooms, making the air fresh and cool. The furnishings were plush, the kind of chairs and sofas that called for you to lie on them and dream the afternoon away.
Their guesthouse was built in a circular pattern, and in the center there was a small courtyard with a fountain and a lovely table and chairs.
“Please feel free to move about this level and the two below it at will. Should you desire a tour of the middle strata, please contact the concierge, and he’ll arrange for a Nondalese representative to accompany you.” He bowed, reminding them of the fact that Nondal was a very closed culture and to keep on those levels that were preapproved. “There are several requests for your company at social engagements. Just check the console in the living area. Welcome to Nondal and Nondal Major.”
With a nod from Ash, the man turned and left them alone.
Sera sighed and fell into a chair, trying desperately not to show how upset she was with her major mistake.