Your Princess Is In Another Castle!

Chapter 5: Pearl and Platinum

Ajax prepared for a long and tedious talk. In fact, Skarff proved quite charming, if quicker than he needed to be in deflecting any suspicion. "The worrlds that have not attained interstellar civilization always imagine invaderrs trying to take their planets for the resources they value, or just for space to live," he said. He gave what Ajax hoped was a smile. "But what they see as fundamental drives are things we of the Star Union solved or outgrew long beforre we came to the stars. Without the demands of necessity, we have developed moore refined tastes and the most exacting standards of morality. By our own highest laws, we neverr disturb the natural course of the worrlds we make contact with, whether to their benefit or ours, because doing so woould destroy the most valuable commodities of all: Science, art, culturre, unique oorganisms and biospheres. We only trrade in kind for what only free and prosperous indigenous civilizations can proovide, at more than fairr price."

"I can speak only for my own Realm, and it is a small one," Ajax said guardedly. "We ourselves have the means to conquer lands and peoples beyond our World Island. By common agreement, we do not. The Empire of the Lindorms, the largest and most powerful of our Realms, has been the most consistent in favor of isolation. I do not believe I could change their Emperor's mind even if I attempted it."

"All as it shoould be," Skarff said. "Nothing is healthierr than a civilization that knows its own interests. Given time, we have always shown otherr worlds how much we and they benefit from contact. We of the Eaterrs have time in abundance, for we arre among the most long-lived of the sentient species of the Union. Oour investments arre always long-term."

By then, guests were filing in. There was dining, music, and soon dancing. Ajax danced with Persephone and Nopalina in turns. He gave them leave to dance with others, including Xaja and even Skarff, who twirled and bobbed on the floor. At one point, he handed off Nopalina to Xaja in exchange for Cerasa's hand. Suddenly, Xaja snarled, "No! She is mine! You cannot touch her! You shall not look upon her!!!"

Cerasa went back to her Lord's side and held his hand while he breathed in and out. "I am sorry, I am better," Xaja said. "I am calm. I am among my friends. My Lady loves me. I can show my love best by giving her liberty..." Ajax patted his arm and smiled reassuringly. Just over his former enemy's shoulder, he saw the strange woman walk past on the far side of the room.

"Xaja," Ajax whispered, "who is...?" The woman was nowhere in sight. "Never mind."

As the evening went on, Ajax went down to the pool, which doubled as a sauna, accompanied by the Maidens. He separated to change, leaving his bag in a locker. Entering the pool required a key card Xaja had provided. When he opened the door, he was met by a blast of steam and warm air. Before his vision cleared, an already familiar voice said, "Hello, stranger."

Sure enough, the woman with the pearl and platinum hair was at the far end of the pool. Several discrete glances could neither confirm if she wore a swimsuit nor entirely rule it out. Her only reaction to his gaze was a shrug that the King tried not to follow too closely. "Sorry," she said, "I should have put out the 'private' sign. Don't mind me."

That was when Persephone and Nopalina came up behind him in what looked like one-piece swimsuits the same color as their dresses. "Do we have our Lord's favor to join?" Persephone asked.

"Yes," Ajax rasped.

Ajax settled into the pool. The Maidens followed. Persephone stayed at his side. Nopalina went more enigmatically to the middle. "I am Ajax of Papadopoulos, King of the Red Realm," he said. "These are Nopalina of the Coral Desert and Persephone of Punica, my Attendants."

"I've heard of you," the other woman said. "Are you Greek or something?"

"Ah, yes," Ajax said. "I lived in a place called America, before." He cleared his throat. "Might I ask your name?"

She clearly considered a range of options. "If it's among Greeks," she said, "they call me Meliboia." She let a moment of silence pass. "I answer to Mel."

"I believe I have heard of you, also," Ajax said. "I know the name, as well."

"Yeah, it's pretty," Persephone said. "Do you have a House name?"

"Let's say," Meliboia said, "Niobides."

"That's nice too," Persephone said. "Isn't that one of the stories in the book?"

"You're right," Nopalina said. "You should read it some time."

Persephone had already turned back to Mel. "So, are you, like, a Princess? From a noble Family, anyway? Or did you have to learn a trade like Nopalina?"

The other woman seemed amused enough to answer. "My family are the Hoplites of Myrmidon," she said. "They are warriors who wander the stars. Others call them Misthioi, mercenaries and bounty hunters, but they fight according to their Oaths. They found me, raised me as their own and trained me in their arts. At the Age of Choosing, I set out on my own. I do a lot of things. Most of them involve finding objects or people of special interest, or guarding them."

"That sounds like what King Ajax does," Persephone said brightly. "Well, he used to. He went all over our World Island looking for treasure and magic Relics. He also rescued our old Princess. A lot, really. Eventually, he got to be King. Did you ever try to be a Queen?"

"No," Meliboia said, clearly losing interest, patience or both. "I do have a ship plus a permanent berth and a penthouse suite I bought from Xaja. Out here, that's pretty close to being royalty." Ajax nodded. In fact, by his hasty calculations, the cost of her assets would convert to the wealth of his entire Realm. She smiled at him then. "You can come closer."

Ajax moved to her side, with no more than a bemused smile from Persephone. He finally judged then that she was 3 Cubits tall or just short of it, taller than himself but comparable to Hector. They continued to talk. Ajax told Mel of his kingdom and his quests. She spoke guardedly of her own activities, focusing on peaceful excursions in port. After a time, the King said, "Attendants, would you go see if Xaja and Lady Cerasa wish to join us?"

Persephone quickly and happily moved to comply. Nopalina delayed. "Perhaps, my Lord," she said, "we should discuss your plans for the evening?" She pointed discretely, then indiscreetly, in the direction of the changing rooms.

Ajax followed. The steam and the bubbling pool made enough noise that he felt free to speak in a normal voice. "What is it, Nopalina?" he said.

She spoke in a tone he had heard rarely, never with him. "Normally, the last thing I would do is get involved in your love life," she said. Her face was growing red. "But I'm not letting you do something that stupid."

"What do you mean?" he said. He looked her in the eye, trying to look authoritative.

The Maiden crossed her arms. "You were trying to get rid of us," she said. "Me. Then you were going to ask that woman to marry you."

"I... I... It is not like that..."

Nopalina's face was now purple. "If I'm wrong, say yes or no," she said. "Oh, and were you going to tell Persephone if she said yes?"

"Of course," he said. "I mean, if I did choose to, to pursue a union with another, I would tell her, and you. Privately, at the right time..."

"Like when you didn't have to share a room the whole way home?" Nopalina snapped. "I know you, Papadopoulos. And then what? I've heard you discuss the Realm's finances. You need her House's credit for a lot more than a Royal Wedding. How long would you string them along?"

"Lady Nopalina," Ajax said. "These are Royal affairs, which it is my office to conduct at my own discretion. I always value your insight, but it is not your place to-"

He cut himself off as Persephone burst back in, smiling wider than before. "My Lord!" she said. "Lord Xaja is coming!"

"Good," Ajax said. "Let's go back in. Shall we?"

As he reopened the door, steam once again flooded in. This time, however, the air behind it was only lukewarm. By the time the vapor dissipated, Ajax was able to see quite clearly inside.

The pool was empty.