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Authors: Ken McConnell
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saying what you think I want to hear or do you really mean it?"
Velore moved out from behind Nykostra and looked at her directly.
"You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. Every Votainion male on all the Kastra worlds would kill to be with you."
Nykostra winced slightly as the compliment seemed disingenuous. As if Velore were forcing the words. She looked back at her own reflection. All that she could see was a woman so overcome with grief her face was in danger of becoming permanently fixed in sadness.
"I don't want to wed who they expect me to. I want to escape this prison and get as far away from here as I can."
The revelation seemed to startle Velore but she did not disregard it.
"You are the Empress of Voton. There is nothing that you can't do."
Nykostra smiled condescendingly and lifted her chin a bit.
"Sometimes that can be a curse. I can't even move about my realm without being escorted by an army of attendants."
Velore looked back at the reflection of Nykostra in the mirror. Nykostra noticed for the first time how similar they looked. An idea began to form deep in her dark mind.
"Say the word, my Empress and I can help free you."
Nykostra turned to face her handmaid and stepped closer to her, so close she made the girl's eyes grow wide.
"You would do that?"
She nodded.
Nykostra put her hands on Velore's face and squeezed gently. The handmaid's bone structure was quite similar to her own and they stood eye to eye to each other.
"If you can help free me I will be yours forever."
Nykostra felt the girl tremble and knew her growing plan would succeed.
CHAPTER 6
Verrad looked up from his study and saw the Empress looking down at him. He immediately got to his feet and bowed his head.
"My Empress. How may I be of service?"
Nykostra looked around the room and then back to Verrad.
"Where is Lord Kasaga?"
Verrad raised his head slowly and looked down at the Empress. His dark eyes seemed to drink her in as if she were a fine wine.
"He has returned to the front lines. He left me in charge in his absence, my Empress."
She wrinkled her face for a moment and then recovered her grace.
"You?" she said. The surprise clear in her tone.
Verrad did not respond but he kept his eyes to himself. She moved away from him and circled the Chief Strategist's office. It was spacious and filled with screens of various sizes, all displaying tactical data from around the empire.
"I understand that several Kastra are ignoring my orders to provide warships."
"Yes, my Empress. Sett and Vac One are refusing on account of the Benzotii incursions into their space. They can't defend themselves without warships."
Nykostra stopped before a screen that showed the activity around the planets in question. Benzotii attacks were infrequent at least in the past few months.
"Ready your ship, Captain. I'm going to pay them a visit."
Verrad backpedaled, not anticipating her desire to leave the safety of Voton.
"My Empress, I don't think it's wise for you to leave Voton. My forces can't guarantee your safety so close the enemy."
She turned to him slowly, her eyes meeting his, her mind entering his mind.
"We shall leave tonight. No one must know I have left, until we arrive on Sett."
Verrad nodded. "As you wish, my Empress."
She walked back to Verrad and looked up at his handsome, clean face. He wore his facial hair neatly trimmed in the traditional Votainion goatee. She liked that in a man.
"You must never tell Lord Kasaga what my plans are. He needs to focus on the front, not on me. Understood?"
Verrad bowed at his waist and saluted across his chest.
"Completely, my Empress."
She waited for him to rise again and then changed her volume and tone to a softer, more personal level. "You will address me as Kaleen, and I will assume the identity of a handmaiden until we are safely out of Voton space."
"I understand," Verrad said.
"You shall tell the court that Benzotii activity necessitates your presence. Leave the Castle
Velore moved out from behind Nykostra and looked at her directly.
"You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. Every Votainion male on all the Kastra worlds would kill to be with you."
Nykostra winced slightly as the compliment seemed disingenuous. As if Velore were forcing the words. She looked back at her own reflection. All that she could see was a woman so overcome with grief her face was in danger of becoming permanently fixed in sadness.
"I don't want to wed who they expect me to. I want to escape this prison and get as far away from here as I can."
The revelation seemed to startle Velore but she did not disregard it.
"You are the Empress of Voton. There is nothing that you can't do."
Nykostra smiled condescendingly and lifted her chin a bit.
"Sometimes that can be a curse. I can't even move about my realm without being escorted by an army of attendants."
Velore looked back at the reflection of Nykostra in the mirror. Nykostra noticed for the first time how similar they looked. An idea began to form deep in her dark mind.
"Say the word, my Empress and I can help free you."
Nykostra turned to face her handmaid and stepped closer to her, so close she made the girl's eyes grow wide.
"You would do that?"
She nodded.
Nykostra put her hands on Velore's face and squeezed gently. The handmaid's bone structure was quite similar to her own and they stood eye to eye to each other.
"If you can help free me I will be yours forever."
Nykostra felt the girl tremble and knew her growing plan would succeed.
CHAPTER 6
Verrad looked up from his study and saw the Empress looking down at him. He immediately got to his feet and bowed his head.
"My Empress. How may I be of service?"
Nykostra looked around the room and then back to Verrad.
"Where is Lord Kasaga?"
Verrad raised his head slowly and looked down at the Empress. His dark eyes seemed to drink her in as if she were a fine wine.
"He has returned to the front lines. He left me in charge in his absence, my Empress."
She wrinkled her face for a moment and then recovered her grace.
"You?" she said. The surprise clear in her tone.
Verrad did not respond but he kept his eyes to himself. She moved away from him and circled the Chief Strategist's office. It was spacious and filled with screens of various sizes, all displaying tactical data from around the empire.
"I understand that several Kastra are ignoring my orders to provide warships."
"Yes, my Empress. Sett and Vac One are refusing on account of the Benzotii incursions into their space. They can't defend themselves without warships."
Nykostra stopped before a screen that showed the activity around the planets in question. Benzotii attacks were infrequent at least in the past few months.
"Ready your ship, Captain. I'm going to pay them a visit."
Verrad backpedaled, not anticipating her desire to leave the safety of Voton.
"My Empress, I don't think it's wise for you to leave Voton. My forces can't guarantee your safety so close the enemy."
She turned to him slowly, her eyes meeting his, her mind entering his mind.
"We shall leave tonight. No one must know I have left, until we arrive on Sett."
Verrad nodded. "As you wish, my Empress."
She walked back to Verrad and looked up at his handsome, clean face. He wore his facial hair neatly trimmed in the traditional Votainion goatee. She liked that in a man.
"You must never tell Lord Kasaga what my plans are. He needs to focus on the front, not on me. Understood?"
Verrad bowed at his waist and saluted across his chest.
"Completely, my Empress."
She waited for him to rise again and then changed her volume and tone to a softer, more personal level. "You will address me as Kaleen, and I will assume the identity of a handmaiden until we are safely out of Voton space."
"I understand," Verrad said.
"You shall tell the court that Benzotii activity necessitates your presence. Leave the Castle
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