Chapter 17 – Swords and Slippers #2
We arrived in a large and squat building, dark inside except for a stage set into the far wall that was built to look like a planet's surface.
Massive lights beamed down on dark rocks, lighting up the background that looked like a pink nebula glittering and shifting in the distance.
Standing on set was Araxis – of course they'd timed the filming so we'd run into each other; we weren't the only people orchestrating happenstance – wearing dark, close-fitting clothes and a dramatic black coat.
He stood, listening carefully to a brin who was standing behind a massive camera and explaining something about angles and light, his face a picture of seriousness.
"He doesn't have to wear slippers," I whispered at Silver Sea.
She glanced at me, pulling her attention away from the omnipresent display floating above her forearm.
"His branding is very different. Though…
let me go and speak with my colleague." She passed me my swords and slippers and then bustled across the set to speak with the purple ketaari I'd seen hovering occasionally around Araxis, leaving me to stand off to one side, waiting.
And watching Araxis as he stepped back and ran through a few sword-dancing sequences, his blades – opalescent, nearly luminous – flashing in the bright lights overhead.
Those were new, and they definitely weren't practice blades.
As he spun and lunged, his coat flared wide around him in a dramatic sweep.
He was like a hero in the dramas. My heart stuttered a little, watching him move with fluid grace, deadly, precise, perfect.
"Good, thank you Araxis," said the brin, tilting her head to the side to listen to Araxis's handler who had moved in close. "Oh – we'll do another set with Sashen Solar. Sashen, if you wouldn't mind." She gestured at me.
"Yeah, just give me a second." I toed off my boots, perching on the edge of one of the chairs clustered near a light and tugging on the pink slippers. I heard footsteps edging in, so I glanced up from looping the ties around my ankle.
Araxis looked down at me, black eyes gleaming. "You look nice," he murmured, taking me in.
I scoffed, looping off the tie on one slipper and moving to the next.
"You look nice," I said. "And like you're dressed appropriately for the Tournament.
I look like – I don't know, someone who gets murdered on the first day on the sands.
" I was dressed in layers of pink fabric, with gold chains dangling from various places, an extensive swath of my chest exposed.
"I wouldn't say that." His stare got caught along the line of my throat before it traced down the dangling gold chains that trailed toward my navel.
"Yeah, I'm sure this is how abayan warriors dress, right? Just scandalize each other to death." Araxis trilled, and I stood, reaching for my swords.
"Oh, you won't need those yet," called the brin from behind the camera. "We're going to do a few passbys first. We can have you do some sword-dancing once Araxis leaves. If Sashen's handler could show him to the mark? Araxis, back to your starting point, if you don't mind."
Araxis nodded, casting one more lingering look over me and silvering, just a little.
He cleared his throat and stepped back on to the set, while Silver Sea drew in close to my side.
"If your sights are set on a gold space palace," she murmured, taking my elbow and ushering me toward the raised set, "this role will get you closer to your objective.
Many viewers will find this compelling, perhaps enough to buy out your entrance fee.
" With a nudge, she pushed me toward one of the dark boulders on set, this one with a little X on a flat side. I guessed that was my mark.
Of course, I didn't really need a viewer to buy out my entrance fee, and it wasn't like that was the only debt chasing me. Thankfully, I already had someone who wanted to help out. I just had to pretend I didn't.
I went and stood next to the X, turning toward the main camera where the brin was watching a little projection of the set hovering beside the camera. "Great," she said, "Okay, Sashen, take a seat."
I blinked. "Just – what?"
"Sit on that rock. Yes, good. Alright, Araxis, we'll do a few practice runs before we start filming. You'll start on your mark –" His mark was about ten paces from me. He got to stand. "And walk towards Sashen. Good. And now take a knee – no, let's try the other leg. A bit closer, please."
He knelt in front of me, black stare meeting mine as I looked down at him.
The director kept giving instructions, micro-adjustments – how to angle his shoulders, where to place his hand, how to position his sword – and I could tell he was listening because he was making minute changes.
But my brain fuzzed the words out as I took in the sight of Araxis, kneeling before me, my pulse picking up as his stare warmed.
I didn't mean to look into his eyes so deeply or for so long, but –
His lips twitched in amusement. "Sashen," he murmured, his voice cutting through the delicious haze. "Nay'li is speaking to you."
I jerked, looking to the director. "Sorry, what was that?" Distantly, I thought I heard someone laughing.
"Are you comfortable with touching?" asked the director.
I blinked at her. "I'm a dancer. Touching is a lot more comfortable for me than, you know, killing."
She chortled from behind the camera, and there were some other chuckles across set. "Save that for your intro line," she said, pleased. "Good, reach your right hand out and touch Araxis's jaw. Araxis, could you place your hand on Sashen's elbow – yes, just like that."
My fingers settled gently against his skin, smooth and familiar beneath my touch. His fingertips ghosted my elbow, just a whisper against the fabric of my sleeve. "You know you can actually hold me," I murmured, leaning a little closer. "I don't mind a firm touch."
He stared up at me, fingers tightening on my elbow. "Do you like a gentle touch as well?" he asked, voice low.
I let my hand slide along his jaw, resting my thumb on his chin. "It really depends on who's doing the touching."
"Perfect!" called Nay'li. "Excellent. Both of you, remember exactly where you are and how you're positioned. Araxis, if you would return to your mark."
His hand dropped away from my elbow. He leaned back, and my fingers fell away from his jaw. I swallowed and huffed out a quick, centering breath as he paced back to his mark. "And – we're filming," said Nay'li.
Araxis turned, his coat swirling around him, and he strode across the stage toward me, sinking to one knee and reaching for me as I placed my hand on his jaw, angling my body closer, staring into his eyes.
He smiled, and I couldn't do anything but smile back – soft.
Romantic, even, as the pink galaxy swirled in the background behind us, casting us in warm light.
How was this my life?
They had us repeat the passby three times, before Nay'li said she'd gotten enough footage to work with. "Good work, you two," she said. "Araxis, you're done. Sashen, we'll get you with those blades next."
Araxis stood, offering a hand to me, which I took as I pushed off the boulder.
"Would you like to continue training together tomorrow?
" he asked, still holding my hand. He squeezed once, and while I knew it was all for show, my heart apparently didn't, because it got all fluttery.
"You're an excellent sparring partner. I enjoyed our session this morning. "
"I'd like that," I said, my fingers still resting in the curl of his hand. "I promise I'll wear something more appropriate. I didn't have much of a say today."
He trilled and finally released my hand. "Give my gratitude to your stylist on my behalf," he said, sly. "And have some mercy for me tomorrow. If you dress like that for training, I'll be driven to distraction."
"Not scandalized to death?" I intoned.
He fluted out a breath. "Hm, no. Not even close." And then Araxis allowed himself to be bustled away by his ketaari handler, who was beaming at the two of us.
"What was all that filming about?" I asked Silver Sea as I stood on set warming up a bit, stretching out my muscles and, more importantly, shaking off the silly buzzing I still felt where Araxis had held my hand.
"We are preparing for various contingencies," she said, flicking at the screen above her wrist. "Ah, we'll use this one. I reworked your aside; it had potential." She sent it to the screen hovering above the camera, as if I needed to read a single line. Although –
"Seriously?" I said. "I'd rather kiss someone than kill them – but I'm here to slay either way? Is the objective here to make sure no bookie in the universe believes I'll make it past the first three minutes on the sand?"
Silver Sea made an irritated sound, her nostrils flattening. "When we downplay your abilities in this way, it will further engage the audience who will take pity on you, and many bookkeepers will believe we are deliberately obfuscating your skills in order to better your payout if you win."
That sounded plausible, I guessed, even if I still hated how I was being framed.
"Alright, alright," I groused, stepping to the new mark that had been placed on set for me.
"I can admit I'm out of my depth, and you obviously know what you're talking about.
Thanks for taking care of me even when I'm being a little pissant about slippers.
" I chased that with one of my sunnier smiles so that she knew I meant it – and I did.
I had no fucking idea what I was doing, other than following Vivith's plan. It was nice to have someone in my corner.