Kate and the Kraken by Honey Phillips
Chapter Nineteen
“Are you sure I look all right?” Kate whispered as they approached the Grand Terrace.
“You look beautiful. Now stop fidgeting.”
Despite his instruction, she nervously adjusted the dress again. She had never worn anything so beautiful.
Shortly after she had awoken from her nap, A’tai had returned from having spoken to his mother. He looked oddly thoughtful but assured her there was nothing to worry about. They sat down to a light meal containing many of her favorites, but she was too nervous to eat. He was frowning at her when they were interrupted by a swarm of females who had swept her away with them.
The fact that A’tai ‘s mother had sent them did not reassure her, but they turned out to be surprisingly friendly, if inclined to bouts of giggling. They had arranged her hair in an elaborate updo, studded with jewels, murmuring all the while at the fine texture of her hair. A shimmering gold powder had been applied to her face and the rest of her body. Before she had a chance to object, they’d stripped off her gown, and replaced it with the one she was currently wearing. More giggling had ensued as they tried to figure out how to make the gown lie smoothly over her breasts. In the end, the head female had given the graceful Mafanan shrug.
“It is not perhaps the most elegant line, but I suspect that the Prince will not care.”
Based on his reaction when he saw her, the female was quite correct. The deep green gown matched her eyes, but fine golden threads shimmered in the delicate fabric. In typical Mafanan fashion, the skirt was slit on both sides from her ankles to her hip, the opening accented with intricate gold embroidery. More embroidery framed the open neckline that plunged almost to her waist. On a Mafanan female, it would simply have revealed a swath of smooth skin. On her, it highlighted the inside curves of her breasts.
A’tai ‘s eyes had heated at the sight of her, but then he frowned. “I did not consider the fact that our fashion would be so revealing.”
“Do you think I should change?” she asked nervously.
She suspected he would have liked to say yes, but in the end he shook his head. “No. It is an appropriate outfit, and you look beautiful. But you will remain at my side, understand?”
She had nodded, already deciding to stick to him like glue. But as they stepped out onto the Grand Terrace, she realized she hadn’t anticipated the sheer number of people present. There must have been more than a hundred people milling around on the expanse of marble overlooking the water. Flowering plants formed graceful arbors over small seating areas, while discreet servants passed through the crowd carrying trays of delicacies. Although most of those present were Mafanan, she was not the only alien present. Two leonine males were arguing in a corner while a red skinned male with the disturbing resemblance to a devil entertained a group of females hanging on his every word. There were a few other faces in the crowd that weren’t Mafanan, and she relaxed a little.
A’tai circulated easily, exchanging brief comments with many of those present although he was far more arrogant than he usually was when they were alone. He always introduced her as his mate, and no one ever questioned it, although she caught more than one speculative glance.
And then they ran into a large, rather stocky Mafanan male accompanied by a very pretty young female. The male glowered at A’tai.
“Lord F’tonu, what a pleasant surprise,” A’tai said smoothly. “May I introduce my mate, Lady Kate?”
Lord F’tonu’s mouth opened, but before he could speak, the girl stepped forward. “I’m very pleased to meet you, Lady Kate. I am E’lofi.”
The girl’s smile looked genuine enough, and Kate returned it. “It’s nice to meet you too.”
“Prince A’tai, I really must protest—” the male started.
“I do not believe this is the appropriate location for this conversation,” A’tai said coldly. He cast a quick, apologetic look at Kate. “If you would care to accompany me to my study…”
The male looked over at the girl and she gave him a sunny smile. “Don’t worry about me, Papa. Lady Kate and I will get better acquainted.”
A’tai didn’t look thrilled by her words, but Lord F’tonu was already storming off and he reluctantly followed him. The girl laughed.
“Males. Always puffing up their chests.” She gave a quick look around, then stepped closer to Kate. “You do realize we’re the center of attention, don’t you?”
She could feel the eyes practically burning into her. “Yes, but why?”
“Because your mate was supposed to bond with me.”
The ground rocked beneath Kate’s feet, and E’lofi quickly put her arm through Kate’s.
“I’m sorry. That was stupid of me. Why don’t we go find someplace to talk?”
Kate really didn’t want to go anywhere with the pretty Mafanan girl, but she wanted to get away from all the staring eyes. She managed a nod, and E’lofi somehow managed to move them quickly and gracefully through the crowd and into a small curtained nook with two chairs overlooking the water.
“There, that’s better.” E’lofi giggled. “I always try to find somewhere private at a party. You never know when it will be needed.”
Kate sank down on the nearest chair, her knees feeling oddly weak.
“You really didn’t know, did you?” E’lofi asked.
“No. He never said anything.”
“I’m not sure how much he knew.” The girl gave her a sympathetic look. “I think it was mainly between his mother and my father.”
Kate thought back over some of the things that A’tai had said, or rather had not said. “I think he knew.”
Jealousy roared through her as she looked at E’lofi. She was so young and pretty and graceful. A’tai wouldn’t need to breathe for her if they swam together, and she would be able to give him children. The last thought hurt the most.
“You had an arrangement?” she asked stiffly.
“No, no. Nothing that formal. My father and his mother were simply discussing the possibilities.”
“I’m… sorry.”
“I’m not!” E’lofi grinned. “I know I’ll have to mate with someone one day, but I’m in no hurry. And, no offense, I would never have chosen Prince A’tai.”
The ground rocked again. How could any female in her right mind not want A’tai?
“You didn’t want to marry—I mean, bond with him?” she asked, trying to conceal her shock.
“No. I mean he’s very handsome, of course, but he’s very… intense.”
She wasn’t wrong.
E’lofi’s face turned dreamy. “I would prefer a more casual mate, someone who will let me be me.”
“A’tai wouldn’t try and change you,” Kate said, then wondered why she was arguing.
“Not on purpose perhaps, but I’m not good at asserting myself. I would end up as little more than his shadow. I’m not like you.”
“I suspect I’ve had more practice asserting myself. Although it occurs to me that you’re doing a pretty good job of being independent right now.”
E’lofi giggled. “I usually manage to get what I want, but I don’t want to have to fight for it every time.”
No, Kate decided. A union between the two of them would not have gone well. She wondered if the other female realized that if A’tai had loved her, he would have been putty in her hands. Despite the girl’s sweetness, she suspected that she could be as manipulative as his mother.
“Then all’s well that ends well,” she said aloud. “How will your father react?”
“He’ll growl and carry on,” E’lofi said easily. “But he’ll get over it. He loves me.”
“I’m glad he won’t cause you any problems.”
E’lofi giggled again. “Actually, I think he’ll roar so much tonight that he’ll feel really guilty tomorrow. He’ll probably send me shopping just to ease his guilt.” She tilted her head. “Would you like to come? If you’re staying in the capital for a while, you’ll need more clothes.”
“Really?”
“Oh, yes. It would cause quite a scandal if Prince A’tai’s wife wore the same outfit on more than one occasion.”
She was beginning to understand why A’tai preferred to avoid the city, but she wouldn’t mind a few more dresses and E’lofi was turning out to be surprisingly good company.
“Why not?” she said. “If your father sends you, I’ll be happy to accompany you.”
“He will,” E’lofi assured her. “Now we’d better return to the terrace, arm in arm like the good friends we’ve become.”
Kate laughed and took her arm. She could hardly wait to see U’rsul’s reaction.
They returned to the terrace to find that A’tai and Lord F’tonu had returned. A’tai was scanning the crowd anxiously searching for her. Both he and Lord F’tonu hurried over as soon as they spotted them.
“Is everything all right, my Kate?”
“Yes, I think so. But we need to talk later.”
He winced and nodded, just as a bell chimed.
“What does that mean?”
“Time for the banquet,” he said grimly. “I’m afraid we should stay.”
When they entered the vast dining room, Kate was assigned a seat far from A’tai’s—no doubt his mother’s doing. He looked outraged, and she could tell he was prepared to go to war, but she put her hand on his arm and shook her head.
“It’s fine. It’s just a dinner.”
“Are you sure? I will have the entire room rearranged if necessary.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
He scowled but escorted her to her seat, frowning suspiciously at the males on either side of her. Since even she could tell that both of them were clearly elderly, he relaxed a little, giving her a quick kiss before he went off to take his own seat. Somehow she was not surprised to see E’lofi seated at his side. The girl made some laughing comment, and he smiled reluctantly. The sight made her chest ache, and she resolutely refused to look in that direction again.
Despite the inauspicious beginning, the dinner turned out to be surprisingly pleasant. The male to her left was only interested in his food, but the male to her right turned out to be a scientist acquainted with Warden Pulata. He was familiar with the issue with the algae, and delighted to hear the results of her experiments. The food didn’t suit her so she ignored it and spent the rest of the meal discussing some of the unique properties of the Mafanan oceans with him. They were still deep in discussion when a firm hand closed over her shoulder. She jumped, then looked up to see A’tai glaring at her companion.
“The meal is over, Enetisi. I have come to reclaim my mate.”
“Yes, yes, of course. We’ve had a most fascinating discussion. I have invited Lady Kate to come and visit my laboratory.”
“We were only in the city for a short visit. I’m not sure that she will have time.”
He had her out of her chair and halfway across the dining room before she could do more than wave a goodbye to Enetisi.
“Why are you being so rude?” she demanded.
“I did not like the way he was looking at you.”
“You have got to be kidding. We were simply discussing the biological composition of your oceans. And he’s an old man!”
“A male is never too old to appreciate a beautiful female.”
“The way you were appreciating E’lofi?”
The astonishment on his face did much to ease her lingering jealousy. “E’lofi? She’s a silly child.”
“A very pretty child. And actually, I don’t think she’s silly at all.”
“You know that you are the only female that I am interested in, amali.”
“So you aren’t going to mate with her?”
He stumbled, and she hid a smile.
“No, I wasn’t.” She waited expectantly, and he sighed. “But my mother had proposed such a match.”
“Would you have gone ahead with it?”
“I don’t know. I was not in favor of the idea—which is the main reason that I was headed to Ataian. Since that is how I discovered you, perhaps we should be grateful to my mother for suggesting it.”
She laughed. “I don’t think I’m prepared to go that far.” After a moment’s hesitation, she added, “But you would have done it, wouldn’t you? If I hadn’t come along?”
“I would love to be able to tell you no, but I truly don’t know. I do know that if I had, it would have been a business arrangement, nothing more.”
“She could give you children,” she said softly.
“But she is not you. I belong to you, Kate, remember?”
“And I belong to you.”
Music sounded from the ballroom, and she could see people beginning to move gracefully across the floor.
“Should we attend the ball?”
“I’m afraid so. But we do not need to stay long.”
“I don’t really know how to dance,” she whispered.
“Then it will be my pleasure to teach you.”
