16 A Place Where Two People Can Fall in Love
A Place Where Two People Can Fall in Love
T emmi stepped from her Cavaller and onto a circular, paved drive, familiar from having binged entire seasons of Love Galaxy on the imperial starship.
The air tasted of salt. A warm, humid pressure filled her lungs.
She smelled dirt and the color green. Something she’d never, prior to this moment, considered as possessing a scent.
A high-pitched warble drew her attention; the quick flutter of something with wings darted across the sky.
A flash of red and black. A bird. Temmi gaped in wonderment.
The manor swept away in all directions. The structure itself towered massively over her, like a castle from a storybook.
Four turrets, endless balconies draped in hanging black vines, windows the size of walls.
Manicured fields of green foliage flanked the building, backed by thick, tangled woods.
Trails cut through the fields, into the woods, around the building.
Drones buzzed overhead, no doubt carrying cameras and filming her wide-eyed facial expression.
But she couldn’t suppress her reactions if she tried—she’d been, quite literally, transported to another world.
The landing pad had felt oppressive, overwhelming, with the blare of the sun and the persistence of the reporters.
But this place was different. The air was warm but not overbearing, the greenery majestic and mysterious.
Where in Expan were they? How far had they flown from Elsidor City?
“Welcome to the Diplomacy Manor,” Arbora said, exiting the Cavaller to stand beside Temmi. “A place where two people can fall in love.”
Temmi turned to her fellow contestant. One of the drones dropped to hover right in front of their faces, capturing Arbora’s words and awaiting Temmi’s response.
Her instinct was to laugh. This wasn’t a place where two people could fall in love.
Love wasn’t real. Or was it? Temmi glanced at the beauty surrounding her and experienced a sudden out-of-body dissonance.
Had she been raised there, would she have believed in the possibility of happily ever after?
Of Prince Charmings and first kisses and love at first sight?
That was the real genius of Love Galaxy , she realized.
Give all citizens of the empire a taste of this magic, this idyllic setting, and let them believe, however delusionally, however briefly, that they were a part of it.
Or, better yet, that they could be a part of it.
Show viewers the beauty of falling in love.
Elicit in them the accompanying rush of endorphins and connect those endorphins to Expan.
Add in enough drama to keep viewers guessing, keep them invested.
What no one realized when they fell in love with the show was that they were really falling in love with the empire.
Ollie wouldn’t have cared, though. Illusion or not, he’d have adored this place. Perhaps, when filming was over, Temmi could take her earnings and move them somewhere like this, buy a home in the woods. Maybe then, she’d be willing to believe in love.
Thinking about Ollie, about a future where she could show him this beauty, gave her the strength to face the camera drone still hovering. “And I can’t wait to fall in love,” she said. Apparently satisfied, the drone took flight.
“Not half-bad.” Arbora offered Temmi a sly grin. “You’re learning.”
Two Expanese men in matching white uniforms bustled by, pushing trolleys stacked high with luggage. Farther up the paved drive, Kalvin stepped out of his own sleek Cavaller . Temmi waved to him.
“Ambassadors,” he said as Temmi and Arbora approached.
“Glad to see you both arrived safely. As our last arrivals, you’ll be rooming together and sharing a handler”—he consulted his CB—“Justine Ames. She’s inside.
You’ll find her with the rest of the cast and crew in the main atrium’s upper mezzanine.
Blessing Stone’s about to do her kickoff speech.
We’re on a tight filming schedule. Manny and his team are inside as well, touching up contestants’ hair and makeup if you need it.
” He stepped away to answer a call on his CB.
Temmi followed Arbora inside the Diplomacy Manor.
In the main atrium, twin stairwells curled around either side of a massive, fire-less hearth, sweeping up to a mezzanine.
Heads bobbed on the other side of the second-story banister, and the general din of crowded voices drifted down.
A sweet, fragrant smell carried on the air.
At the top of the stairs, the mezzanine was packed with bodies: elegantly adorned contestants, white-uniformed attendants, casually dressed producers and assistants. Temmi had never seen so much diversity in one place before. It was overwhelming.
Temmi immediately spotted Manny flitting through the crowd, directing his team in a flurry of makeup brushes and hair extensions. She slunk slightly behind Arbora, not wanting to draw his attention.
“Justine’s over there,” Arbora whisper-shouted in Temmi’s ear, pointing toward the banister where a tall, willowy woman wearing a billed cap and cargo shorts leaned casually.
As they approached, the woman glanced up from her CB.
A wide grin broke out across her narrow face; she had three simple rings pierced through her left eyebrow.
“Arbora!” She leaned forward and kissed the Moons’ contestant on both cheeks before withdrawing to a more-respectable distance. “I worried you weren’t going to make it, what with your sister holding you back for the loyalist rally. How was it, by the way? Awful, I’d imagine.”
“I’m used to all those old-timers. Lots of smiling and nodding and shoving down how you really feel.” Arbora placed a firm hand on Temmi’s lower back and pushed her forward. “Allow me to introduce you to Artemis Ialan, the first-ever contestant from the X System.”
“Ah, yes, my second charge. The wildcard. Saw the rundown on you in the producer’s room.
One of Nix’s six—good news for me, having one girl for each suitor raises my chances of winning a bonus.
I’m Justine. From Irma Moon, same as Arbora.
” She pointed at her three eyebrow rings.
“All pronouns, though I’m most comfortable with she/her.
That clip of you going off on Spie was one of my favorite things this year.
Inspiring stuff. Here, I’ll need your bridge frequency.
” She tapped her CB, then raised her left wrist and angled the device toward Temmi. “Let me know when my contact drops.”
“This everyone?” A familiar voice boomed over a mic, causing Temmi to jump halfway out of her skin while accepting Justine’s contact. Blessing Stone. After two weeks of diplomacy training, that voice would trigger Temmi for the rest of her existence.
Blessing Stone appeared at the mouth of a corridor bisecting the mezzanine. Conversations died off as everyone turned to face the showrunner.
“The prince and princess are beginning their pregame interview, which means we’re on a tight three-hour countdown until Love Galaxy goes live.
” Blessing Stone paused to motion at an attendant, who hurried to place a low stepstool in front of her.
She climbed atop it, elevating herself above the crowd.
“By this point, you all should have been introduced to your producers, who will also be serving as your handlers, and signed disclosures.
If you have not, please come see me. I need everyone to remain here until filming begins—your producers will be taking turns pulling you aside for opening confessionals as you wait.
“A quick note on the schedule. Intros are live. When your name is called, you’ll walk down the stairs here, have a quick chat with our host, Graham Grey, then proceed to greet the princess, followed by the prince, and finally, head straight into the ballroom.
If you have questions about how to answer Mr. Grey’s questions or what to say to the heirs, ask your producer in advance of your intro.
They’re each prepped on your best story angle.
Once everyone’s in the ballroom, the live broadcast will be cut, and the rest of the night’s filming will be asynchronous.
We won’t go live again until the finale eight weeks from today.
The show will be regularly airing within a day or two of filming, so audiences will be able to react as we proceed.
Those reactions are important in how the heirs judge you. ”
Blessing Stone tapped her CB, and a holo shot into the air, depicting a three-dimensional map of the Diplomacy Manor and surrounding grounds.
“You all are, under no circumstances, permitted to exit the property.” With two fingers, she zoomed in on a giant gate that bordered the woods beyond the manor.
“This is the boundary. Cross it and you’ll be kicked from the show.
” She zoomed back out, flicking another part of the map.
“Goldsand Beach is a quarter-mile behind the manor. You’re free to visit the beach, but be aware of the tides.
There was a drowning in Vice-Treasurer Hebert’s season twelve years ago, and we would hate to see that repeated.
Safety is always our number one priority. ”
She tapped her CB, and the map vanished.
“You’ve all been issued limited CBs. These will tell your producers your location at all times.
Under no circumstances are you permitted to remove your CB.
And yes, that includes in the shower. You’re welcome to bridge one another and your producers, but you’re not permitted to bridge or communicate in any way with anyone outside the manor, or to access the internet in any capacity.
Your ability to do the latter has been disabled.
Being caught contacting outside parties will see you expelled from the show. ”
Temmi flicked a curious glance at Arbora. Hadn’t she accessed the internet on the drive to the manor?
“On that same note,” Blessing Stone continued, “romance between contestants is not permitted. If any of you are caught in a romantic tryst with another contestant, manor attendant, imperial guard, or crew member, you’ll also be expelled.
What else? Let’s think...” Her eyes appeared to focus on something only she could see.
“Ah, yes. You’ve all signed nondisclosure agreements that prevent you from sharing anything about the process of filming.
Trust me when I say you don’t want to be found guilty of breach of contract.
So, once you’ve been sent home, keep quiet.
Which brings up eliminations. In past seasons, we’ve done official ceremonies dramatizing who stays and who goes.
However, the heirs have requested privacy surrounding their elimination process this season.
“This means that eliminations will happen off-camera. If you’re eliminated, you’ll be informed later that night, you’ll be asked to film an exit confessional, and then you’ll be discreetly escorted to a waiting transport.
If you’re lucky enough to stay, you’ll find out who was eliminated each morning at breakfast. There will be one elimination tonight and approximately two, sometimes three per week until the finale.
Only four of you will be around for the final choosing ceremony, which means that between now and then, twenty of you must go.
“Group breakfasts are mandatory. It’s where dates and filming schedules are announced every day.
When you’re not on a date, you’ll stay behind here at the manor and engage in whatever diplomatic bonding activities have been planned for that day.
You each have an assigned roommate; you’ll share a producer with that roommate.
Washrooms are communal. There will be no cameras in your bedrooms or washrooms, but the rest of the manor will be under surveillance day and night. Any questions?”
A moment of strained silence impregnated the packed mezzanine.
Carried within it were a few heavy breaths, a sniffle or two, the shuffle of someone’s gown, the loud vibration of someone else’s unsilenced commbridge.
Temmi considered if she had any questions, but her mind had gone blank.
A buzzy feeling had taken up residence in her chest, and she was finding it hard to catch her breath.
An exceptionally pretty woman standing by the wide, arched window cleared her throat. She wore a ruffled crimson gown and had fair skin, and her golden hair was tied up in intricate knots. In a thickly accented voice, she asked, “Will we be getting time alone with the heirs tonight?”
Blessing Stone nodded. “The kickoff ball will go most of the night. How much time you get with the heirs is up to you. Your producers can help you with strategy.”
A thin woman in an emerald sheath of an evening gown, with chin-length reddish hair and a sharp, switchblade face, said, “You can’t really expect me to share a room like some dorm freshman on a needs grant.
Where are my attendants supposed to sleep?
And a shared washroom?” The woman full-body shuddered.
Her accent was faint, her tone haughty. “What about the amendments added to my contract? I expect to see them fulfilled. You’re the showrunner, aren’t you? ”
Blessing Stone frowned. “Ambassador Frederik—”
“That would be Your Highness to you.”
“Right, Your Highness. Your father signed off on your housing situation. And, due to security reasons, I’m unable to grant permission for your attendants to enter the property. If you have further complaints, please issue them to your producer.”
“My—” The woman blanched. Her voice lowered. “I need my CB back. This is degrading treatment.”
Arbora nudged Temmi, stooping to whisper in her ear, “Cailin Frederik, in the flesh. Your direct competition. Careful; she does bite.”