CHAPTER 22
Andie
Three weeks after my lessons began, I attended the King’s ball.
A trade delegation from a planet called Sapari was being hosted, and the Ptexari were hopeful for a favorable exchange of goods.
Finetta had briefed me that the Sapari were known for their technology exports.
Many of the vehicles and spaceships the Ptexari used were of Sapari origin.
In exchange, the Sapari needed Ptexari raw materials. The mines on the southern continent produced several minerals that were used in the production process for many of these machines. Quartz and silica were the main products they sought.
I didn’t know anything about exports or tariffs or the production cycles for six-wheeled vehicles, so fortunately, no one expected me to say much.
My job, as best I could tell, was to be a pleasant novelty.
Since I already had plenty of experience with that over the past few months, I expected to do my part swimmingly.
Finetta warned me, though, that the Sapari were able to tell when someone was lying to them.
They were obsessed with the truth. It made negotiating with them a bit tricky.
The Ptexari may not want to reveal what they were willing to give up in exchange for Sapari technology.
Obscuring the truth without actually lying to them was an art.
If they thought the other party was lying to them, negotiations would end immediately.
I didn’t have any state secrets to hide, so I wasn’t worried. I was there to eat food off of tiny plates and adorn the wall like a decorative vase. Or so I thought.
“Is it true that you are a human?” a Sapari delegate asked me. She was the eighth person who had asked me this exact question. Pasting my best customer service smile on my face, I said, “Why yes, I am! I am a human from Earth. My name is Andie. Greetings, honored visitor.”
“I’ve never met a human before,” she went on. “But my uncle has. There was a human living on Corommon the last time he went there.”
“Really?” I didn’t know where that was, but news of another human was still fascinating to me. “I don’t believe there are many humans in this sector. I would love to be connected to them, if your uncle believes such a thing is possible.”
“I do not know,” she replied. “But I will ask. I imagine it must be difficult being separated so thoroughly from your kind.”
I tried to keep my voice steady. “It is, at times,” I admitted. “But the Ptexari have been very kind. I know I could have ended up in much worse places.”
“Wise words,” she said. “I am curious how you ended up as a member of the royal family.”
I wasn’t sure what to say to that. Everyone on Ptexari knew what the Prince had done to me, and that I was technically, if not consentingly, his mate, and thus the King’s daughter by law.
I didn’t know if the King would want that fact revealed, however, so I sidestepped.
“The King was unsure about my legal status since I had been kidnapped and didn’t have proper immigration papers.
He was kind enough to adopt me into his household as a ward to settle the question. ”
The Sapari focused all four of her eyes on me. “There is truth in this statement. It is not the entire truth, but it still rings true. I will think on this.”
I was worried that the Sapari would be offended by my partial truth, but she was more interested in M’Pak at the moment. “Is that a pet?” She asked.
Almost full-grown, M’Pak nearly came up to my shoulder.
His body was shaped like a tiger, but he was the size of a pony.
He was a fearsome predator, and the only reason anyone at the party was willing to approach me was because I convinced him to let me put a collar and leash on him.
It was a flimsy thing that he could snap easily, but it gave partygoers the illusion that he was a domesticated pet and not a wild, savage beast that should definitely be living in a forest and not in a palace (or my tiny cottage).
“I don’t really think of M’Pak as a pet,” I chose my words carefully. “He is a Granthor who I’ve raised since he was a cub. He could have returned to the wild weeks ago, but he is content to stay at my side for now.”
“Is he dangerous?’ the Sapari asked.
“Well, he doesn’t eat people as a general rule,” I joked.
“But he is a fierce protector. If I were threatened, I have no doubt he would seriously injure the attacker. But he won’t attack unprovoked.
” I had seen the bones and discarded heads of animals that prowled the boundaries of my property, drawn to the ovina coop.
M’Pak was a skilled hunter who could eviscerate another animal with ease.
“Would you be willing to sell him?” she asked.
“Oh no!” I said. “M’Pak is not for sale.”
“Surely you could raise another cub,” the Sapari pressed. “A trained guard animal like that would fetch a lovely price. You could start a whole new industry, I’d bet.”
Honestly, I was at a loss for words. No one, not even the Ptexari, knew the Granthors to be anything other than wild animals. They didn’t understand how intelligent they were, or that they were telepathic. I didn’t plan to reveal this information to them, and certainly not to any offworlders.
“The Ptexari view the Granthors to be an important part of their ecosystem. I raised M’Pak because his mother died. I fully intended to release him back to the wild, but he chose not to go. I don’t think the Ptexari would allow them to be captured and raised like that. He was an exception.” I said.
“You are wise to see this is not your decision alone to make,” the Sapari said. “I will speak to the King about it. It is a small matter, but we are always interested in new trade items.”
I tried not to bristle at the delegate referring to M’Pak as a “trade item.” M’Pak didn’t follow the conversation, but he sensed the direction of my thoughts.
He started to growl. “No growling,” I thought at him.
“I don’t want the delegate to think you can understand the conversation.
I’ll explain later.” He cough/huffed and settled back down.
I could tell he was feeling sulky. I would need to slip him some treats when we left the party.
A male Sapari joined our conversation. “I have heard many of the Ptexari refer to you as one of their fabled Lumanela,” he said. “Is that what you are?”
“I’m a human from Earth,” I replied. “I’d never heard of the Lumanela before I got here. The way they’re described makes me wonder if their stories of the Lumanela might be based on some contact with humans or a human-like race in their past, but I honestly have no idea.” I shrugged.
“Well, you are certainly beautiful enough,” he leered at me.
Eww. “Your hair shines in the light, and your eyes are a gorgeous color. I wish we could see what was under your garment. Why don’t you come to my room later and let me show you why the Sapari are such legendary lovers.
” He reached out to touch my arm, and I stepped back instinctively.
M’Pak growled and lunged, pinning the Sapari delegate to the ground, fangs around his neck. It happened so fast that it took a moment to register what happened.
“Get this beast off me!” the male yelled.
“M’Pak, Off,” I said, then repeated the words in my mind, with an added, “Thank you.”
The King and Sapari ambassador quickly crossed the room. “What is the meaning of this?” the ambassador exclaimed. “How dare you attack our delegation!”
“That beast should be put down!” the Sapari on the floor cried. “He tried to kill me!”
“If he wanted you dead, you would be dead,” I said flatly.
“This cannot stand,” the ambassador told the King. “This beast must be euthanized if our talks are to proceed. There must be punishment for the commission of this crime against us.”
“Now wait just a minute,” I said. “M’Pak was defending me from your delegate. That man made a pass at me and tried to touch me.”
“What do you mean by ‘made a pass,’ Andie?” the King asked.
“It’s um, an unwanted sexual advance. Like, he asked me what I looked like without my clothes on and asked me to come to his room.
When he tried to touch me, and I recoiled, M’Pak lunged at him.
He held him down, but notice he didn’t press his fangs in.
He just held him on the ground until we told him to let him up.
M’Pak didn’t do anything wrong!” I was close to tears.
They couldn’t take M’Pak from me, they just couldn’t!
Surprisingly, the female Sapari stepped up.
“The human’s account is true. The beast remained calmly at her side throughout our earlier conversation.
Jalek did make inappropriate comments to her, but it wasn’t until he tried to physically touch the human that the animal reacted in her defense.
Ironically, I was just speaking to her a few moments ago about training more of these Granthor to serve as guard animals for export.
I still think they could be a valuable commodity,” she said, eyeing M’Pak thoughtfully.
“I don’t know that we are ready to consider that,” the King said, taking in the scene. “So, Ambassador, it appears that it was one of your party who attacked mine. Andie, do you wish to pursue charges against this male?”
“Ah, no. I’d be satisfied with him being kicked out of the party.” I said. Ok, I admit it, I was pretty smug when I said it.
“Agreed, Ambassador?” the King asked.
The ambassador, who until that moment believed he was going to have the advantage in their trade talks, was visibly irritated. “Of course. Most generous. Jalek, return to your rooms. We will discuss our own internal disciplinary measures later.”
“Still, there must be some concessions in our trade talks,” the King said. “As you yourself stated, we cannot allow this attack on one of our delegation to pass without consequences.”
The Ambassador sighed, gruffly. “Indeed.” Once again, I had to admire the way the King took advantage of a bad situation. Truly, he was a master manipulator. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that, when it seemed like I was always the one paying the price.