Nanny For The Alien General by Athena Storm
Keilon
Itug at the rope around my waist, then glance back at Trune, to whom I’m tied. He’s also got rope around his waist, which is in turn tied to Malori behind him, and so on in a long chain of villagers.
We’re roped together as a safety measure before heading out onto the lake. This way, if one of us falls in, the others can quickly yank that person out.
Assured that the ropes are secure, I lead the party in single file out onto the ice. We’ve been doing this every afternoon for the last several days, each time adding more people to our chain as I explore further out on the ice.
“Well?” Trune asks as I reach the farther point we’ve tested so far.
“Color is good,” I say. The ice as far as I can see has developed a blueish-white color, indicating its thick, frozen state. My polarized vision can penetrate several layers of the ice, as well, confirming further down what the surface is indicating.
I kneel and stab at the ice with the pick I’ve brought along. The ice barely chips. I look at the entire length of the lake. No sign of running water, or slushy surface ice.
Yes. It’s finally frozen over enough to support me and the kids.
“Looks pretty well done,” Trune calls out from behind me.
“Agreed,” I say back, my voice flat.
An hour later, I’m back in the cabin, where I continue to plan my leave-taking from Tilleni. I find it hard to focus, however.
I do not want to leave Serafina.
Though the actual feeling I experience when I consider heading home is something more than simple not wanting. Picturing leaving Serafina behind actually hurts. Like an ice pick stabbing at my heart, doing more than chipping away at it.
Perhaps there is something to this mate thing. I think of the way I felt while we were imprisoned. The strange intimacy of that night, while I held her close, the two of us unsure of what was to come. It meant something to me.
And since then, the little life we’ve established in this cabin, the experience of coming home to her and the kids every night… It’s… well, it’s incredible.
There is no realistic scenario where I can stay, of course. But maybe – just maybe – if I could convince Serafina to leave Tilleli and get her back to Cytheira… maybe then I could court her properly. See how she takes to palace life.
Perhaps we could simply transfer what we’ve got here back to my world there.
After the children are asleep this night, Serafina and I have our mugs of lyzic tea. I used the last of our stash to make this pot, which is fitting, I suppose, given the circumstances. Nothing lasts forever.
Serafina brings up the topic I’m hoping to broach, first.
“I hear the lake is frozen solid,” she says, blowing at her steaming tea. “Some villagers were discussing it.”
“Yes. I must leave soon.” No sense in coming at the subject sideways, I figure. “I wish there was a world in which I could stay, but…”
“But you’re a king,” she says. There’s something in her voice that I can’t quite make out. Bitterness? Sadness? “You have duties.”
“I do.”
“And a prince and a princess should be brought up in a palace.”
“Yes. Well, speaking of them…” I shift uncomfortably in my seat. I wish I knew what she was thinking. “I expect the transition back to palace life will be quite difficult for them. They’ve grown fond of it here.”
“Kids adapt quickly. Besides, they’ve got a closer relationship with their father now. That will make things easier.”
“Yes. It will, I suppose.” I stare into my tea for a moment, then look up and lock eyes with Serafina. “The transition would go better if you were there with them.”
Her face betrays nothing. I note her knuckles going white, however, as she suddenly grips her mug tightly.
“I’d pay you, of course,” I go on. “Handsomely. And obviously I would give you any supplies you might need or want. And I would make sure you could return to Tilleli whenever you wanted. With the kids.”
“That’s… quite an offer,” Serafina says softly, after several moments. She’s still holding tightly to her tea.
“Plus,” I say, staring at my feet, now, “I would enjoy having you around. To help me, that is,” I quickly add. “Advise me. On human-related affairs. On how to help humans more.”
“Wow. OK.” Serafina considers her tea, then opts to set the mug down. She takes a deep breath. “This is my home,” she says softly.
“And can continue to be. You would… just be on assignment.”
“In a Kiphian palace.”
“Yes.”
“Advising a Kiphian King?”
“Advising me.”
“I don’t know, Keilon.”
“Why hesitate?” I press.
“Because it would be an enormous change.”
“For the better.”
“I don't know that.”
I fall silent at that statement. I know I probably shouldn’t take it personally, but it still stings a little.
“What I mean,” she adds, “is that I have no idea what to expect. You’ll be busy running a damn kingdom. What becomes of me.”
“Whatever you wish,” I say vehemently. “Serafina, I know this is your home, but I also know how much you care about Belanna and Emex. I know how much you care about the plight of humans in the Lakes. I’m offering you a chance to make a real difference.”
“Well, geeze,” she says with a half-smile. “When you put it like that…”
“Does that mean you’ll join us?” I ask hopefully.
She considers another moment, though I suspect some of the hesitation now is for show. I can tell she’s already made up her mind. I know her decision before she says it, as though I can see through her façade as surely as my polarized vision can help me see through the glare of the sun on ice.
“Yes,” she says, “I’ll join you.”
The next day, we all four head out for Cytheira.
