A Royal Christmas in Space

Book 2: Chapter 6

Chapter 6 - party people say, party people say Aye,
                        it's a new day, it's a new day

Pluckie yawned and stretched her legs out under the dining room table. "I can't seem to wake up this morning. Something feels off." She wiggled her toes. "I think it's these shoes. They're a size too big."

"Have a cup of coffee," Wheldon said. "That'll wake you up and make your feet swell." Since the rest of the family had yet to join them, he'd taken his helmet off and rested it on the table.

When she could see his face like this, see his black hair and bowtie, bask in the warmth of his dazzling eyes and quirky smile; she thought of him not as Prince Drak Revin, but as Wheldon Beyette. From the moment she'd met Wheldon, she'd felt drawn to his kindness and generous heart. With Drak, there had been a barely controlled animal magnetism that hinted at a burning passion. It was the makings of a tragic love triangle. What luck that the two men she couldn't choose between turned out to be the same man. It made the choice so much easier.

Wheldon lifted his mug to his lips. Pluckie had given him that mug as a belated Christmas present the year before. It read in big blue letters, 'World's Greatest Despot.'

"This is the best coffee I've ever had. Your dad sure knows what he's doing."

"He traveled the Himalayas to learn the ancient, mystical coffee traditions." She touched the necklace hanging over her heart. "It's how he and my mother met."

"That's a romantic story." Wheldon took her other hand in his and gave it a loving squeeze.

"This was my mother's necklace." Pluckie's eyes drifted off to gaze at her memories of the past. "She always said the stone was the key to unlocking my birthright, but she died before she could tell us what that meant and now we'll never know."

"Right." Wheldon took another sip of coffee. "Why do you bring that up?"

She blinked a few times to bring herself back to the present. "No reason, but it's been a year since I've thought about it."

There was a loud creak as the door to the dining room started to open. Wheldon dropped Pluckie's hand, grabbed his helmet mask and shoved it back on his head. By the time Nova and Bubby entered the room, he was once again Prince Drak.

"Good morning, you two." Pluckie stood up to give her future stepchildren quick hugs. "How did you sleep?"

"Awful." Bubby slumped down in the chair across the table from Pluckie.

"I didn't." Nova said, taking the seat next to her brother.

"What's wrong?" Drak asked. "Do we need to execute someone?"

"I can't stop thinking about the Galactic Council of Ruling Families." Nova picked up a table knife and tapped it against her palm. "If they don't approve your marriage, Daddy, they'll throw Pluckie to the Firegators."

"And then no one will see the wedding dress I've been working so hard on." Bubby ran his fingers through his already messy hair. "The wedding dress I still haven't finished."

"Coffee will fix that," Patrick Smythe said. He held the dining room door open so that Gasha, Diego and Cookbot could bring in breakfast. "A couple pots will give you the focus and energy to finish anything."

"Coffee won't fix the Firegator problem, Grandpa," Nova moaned.

Pluckie gave her father a kiss on the cheek before he sat down. "I'm not going to get thrown to the Firegators," she said.