Princess

Yet more annoying minor nobles were lined ahead of Dustin. Okay, technically, these ones were kings, queens and princes - although they mostly ruled estates and big businesses now - but they were still annoying. Not as annoying as the fact that the emperor had refused to clarify his vague statement during their chat earlier, leaving Dustin speculating as to what ‘a new challenge’ could mean.

Shaking hands with the prince of a small island he barely remembered from Emely’s briefings - who also happened to be the head of the main broadcasting company for the capital, Dustin glanced at the double-doors that filled one entire wall up ahead. Just a few more handshakes and he’d be through this gauntlet of boring meet-and-greets.

The last handshake wasn’t, in fact, a handshake. Instead, a woman held out her hand for him to kiss before smiling. “My husband tells me he thinks highly of you,” she said in a voice soft enough he doubted anyone else could hear. “I do hope you are able to solve this little problem for us.”

Without giving Dustin time to react to those words, the woman turned and walked towards the double doors. Before she could reach them, the guards had pulled them back to allow her passage on - and into the throne room.

Given the city was gaudy and the palace extravagant in the ****, Dustin had been expecting the throne room to be material excess given form. Instead, he followed the woman - who ascended a dais at the far end to sit beside the emperor on a slightly smaller throne - into a room that while clearly wealthy, was wealthy in the understated way that indicated truly old money. Rich wood lined walls and floors, while the ceiling was decorated with delicate buttresses that supported a stained glass roof, it’s massive panes casting a rainbow of colour down on the room below.

“Approach our throne, son of Earth.” The emperor’s tone was bored, far less attentive than when Dustin had spoken with him earlier, and far more unimpressed with anything other than his own reflection in a hand-mirror. It was hard for Dustin to reconcile the astute politician he’d joined for tea with the narcissistic man on the throne - but there was no doubt it was the same person, despite the different attire.

Guessing that the personality on the throne was part of some disguise - part of his people’s way of making the rest of the galaxy underestimate them, Dustin stepped forward. In accordance to the training Emely had given him, he stopped two paces before the dais and dropped into a low bow. “Earth sends it’s regards to the emperor of the stars,” Dustin intoned, the formal greeting earning him a few approving murmurs from the crowd of nobles who had filled the chamber while he was busy crossing it at an appropriately respectful pace.

Theodisus gestured the crowd to silence. “We have observed your deeds on our behalf, son of Earth. In accordance with the ancient accords, we recognise you as ambassador. To that end, and in accordance with our right as ruler of all creation, we hereby declare you wed from this day forth to her imperial highness, Princess Jaisyl Reh’unn. May your guidance, along with the council of your existing consorts aid our daughter in seeking wisdom.”

Dustin blinked. Had the emperor just said… before he could reply, a petulant voice broke through the decorum of the court, a foot stamping hard on the wooden floor. “Father! I said I wanted a mighty warrior for a husband, not some kind of… of… clerk!”

The princess’s outburst had not ended there. Dustin had been the subject of a wide range of insults before the emperor had finally called for quiet and had the woman escorted from the room. A short time later, the imperial spymaster had materialised out of thin air at Dustin’s elbow and politely asked to be followed to an antechamber. And then shortly after that, the princess was led in, scowling, followed by the empress.

“You are just being stupid, darling…” the empress was saying, before pausing and turning her attention to Dustin. “Ah, there you are my dear son-in-law. I’m sorry that little Jaisie is making such a bad first impression. And of course, your existing consorts - what must they think of our family. Theo is busy being all imperial - he has to keep up appearances, and he’s better at it than I am, but even so… Jaisie, will you be quiet!”

The maternal snap had the desired effect, the young woman (Dustin guessed that she was, despite her behaviour, about his own age or perhaps slightly older given the length of her horns) falling into a sullen silence as she flopped onto one of the nearby chairs. “It’s not fair, mommy…” Jaisyl muttered, before pursing her lips at a glance from the empress.

Dustin managed to find his tongue. “Marriage… umm, I wasn’t expecting…” he began, seeking the words to get across how stunned he was by the entire situation. Emely rested a hand lightly on his arm, before turning to eyeball the two Tho’unn, Meli moving to flank him on his other side as the redhead pursed her lips.

“What my patriarch is trying to say is that while we were prepared for a standard ambassadorial arrangement, the presumption of marriage without forewarning us is excessive. Indeed, on his homeworld such an act could be considered criminal, even for one such as the emperor. While we do not wish to cause a diplomatic incident… we do need to discuss this matter before things go any further.” Emely’s tone was curt and to the point despite her diplomatic language, and her tails bristled in a manner that indicated she wasn’t faking her irritation.

Pausing to glance at Meli, the Feliax woman continued her work. “Furthermore, while the emperor may have decreed a marriage, under Tho’unn law I believe marriage is not considered valid until it is consummated, and that consummation may not be **** by anyone - even him. If Dustin and the princess do not become intimate, your husband will have just announced an invalid marriage to your entire court! Certainly, my patriarch is not currently your ‘son-in-law’ at present.”

The empress took a breath and looked about to reply, before Jaisyl rose and stomped forward angrily. “What do you mean if Dustin and I don’t become intimate? Are you suggesting this clerk would refuse? I could understand if you’d said if I didn’t become intimate with him, I’m clearly suited to a far higher-stationed match, but to suggest he’d turn me down…”

At that point, two things happened. The first, was that Dustin finally got to take in the appearance of his newest bride… or whatever the princess would end up being. The second was that the empress turned and slapped her daughter hard enough to make all three of Sola’s crew wince. “You will not insult the Earth ambassador and your father any further by behaving like a spoiled calf! Act your age at ONCE, Jaisyl Reh’unn, or I will see you delivered to his ship in a halter! You are a grown woman and a princess, and it is high time you acted like one!”

Jaisyl was, to Dustin’s eyes at least, not an unattractive woman. Despite her spoiled mannerisms, she apparently did at least know how to carry herself with an air of nobility, bouncing back from the slap into an icy calm. “Forgive me, ambassador, I meant no disrespect,” she said, the red mark from her mother’s hand glowing on the black and white patched skin beneath her golden eyes.

Like her parents, Jaisyl’s horns were exceedingly well maintained - a sleek look that suggested hours of careful attention. Her dress was cut in a style that put Dustin in mind of renaissance costumes back home - wide flaring out from her waist and a tightly done chest-piece that gave him little to no idea of the exact shape of the body within, but made her look rather like a somewhat squashed cupcake like all such dresses. The most interesting thing about her however was her hair - unlike the mixed colours of her skin, her hair was neatly split down the middle - one half black, the other pure white.

Dustin must have been staring a little too long at the slap-mark, because the empress appeared somewhat embarrassed as she replied to Emely’s complaints. “I understand your concerns,” she said softly, eyes flickering between Emely and Meli. “Rest assured that my husband is well aware of the situation. But, for us to commit our forces to your war with the Durathisians more than just a regular ambassadorial relationship would be needed - parliament would not accept him acting over anything less. Of course, if you do not wish to consummate the marriage that will be fine - the law allows a year for such an event to take place, and after that it would be easy to annul his decision. By that time of course, we would already be engaged in your war, but we both were really hoping…”

Frowning, Meli looked about to interrupt when the door opened and the emperor stepped in. Theodisus waved his guards away before shrugging off the heavy state robe he was wearing onto the nearest table, stepping over and wrapping his arm around the empress’s waist. “I trust my darling has apologised to you for that little song and dance, ambassador. There really is no other way. But, more to the matter, I told you I had a challenge for you - and here she is.” To Dustin’s consternation, the emperor gestured to his daughter.