Chapter One #2
It didn’t surprise me that my uncle had sent a dress since he was going to be seen with me. The Councilors were high profile, and if I had chosen something he didn’t deem appropriate, it would have been bad for his image.
Still, I was a bit shocked at the shimmery purple fabric inside, and I refused to try it on until I was getting ready for the gala.
I’d been released from duty at lunch so I’d have time to prepare before the speeder arrived to take me to my uncle’s shuttle.
It was all a little overwhelming, so I tried to pretend I was only going to one of his house parties like I had as a child.
I couldn’t pretend once I slipped the silky fabric over my head, goosebumps breaking out along my flesh at the feel of it sliding over me.
The low-cut neckline might have been fairly modest on a less endowed woman, but my curves filled out the bodice to an almost obscene degree, and I had to wriggle and tuck to get everything covered well enough that the thought of my uncle seeing me in it didn’t make me want to vomit.
My cheeks burned as I looked in the mirror. I’d never seen my curves as anything more than an inconvenience, but the way the dress hugged my frame had me suddenly realizing that men might not view them that way. Sexy was the last word I’d have used to describe myself, except in that dress.
“Focus, Elaina.”
The fancy dress had come with a pair of flashy silver heels, but I already felt like the slit and neckline would draw too much attention. And while I could walk in heels, they were rarely comfortable, and I was already outside my comfort zone with so much skin exposed.
Instead, I opted for black flats. They made the train of the dress drag a little, but I wasn’t worried about it since I had no plans to dance.
I’d looked up a few hairstyles for my thick curls, but after applying more than my usual minimal makeup on top of the dress, I didn’t think I could handle anything else.
I gave my hair a spritz and finger-combed it, trying to tame the frizz, but grew frustrated at the unfamiliar way the curls bunched around my neck and brushed my back.
By the time I received the message that the speeder was arriving, my hair was back in its usual braid over my shoulder.
I spent the trip to my uncle’s shuttle reviewing the Morraki words I’d learned.
Once I’d given in to the idea of having to attend the gala, I had decided it would be a good opportunity to test my knowledge and see if I had the pronunciation correct, and if I might be able to pick up a few new words.
Without anyone who spoke Morraki, and very few recordings of the language, most of what I’d taught myself had been guesses based on the little I had to study.
The speeder touched town beside a shiny shuttle that looked brand new. The door was open, and a quick glance around revealed another speeder that likely belonged to my uncle, meaning he was already there and waiting.
Taking a calming breath, I climbed from the vehicle and walked towards the shuttle, an unfamiliar figure filling the opening before I could reach it.
“Ms. Voss, welcome. We will be launching as soon as you take your seat.”
The pleasant tone and calm smile didn’t reveal any hint of blame, but I still felt a stir of guilt despite the fact that I’d been waiting outside when the speeder arrived to collect me.
Any delays couldn’t have been my fault, but telling myself that and convincing my fluttering heart of it, where two different things.
“Follow me.”
The man had backed from the doorway for me to enter and turned to stride through another as the airlock closed behind me. The interior of the shuttle was nothing like the public ones I’d been on, and once again I was reminded that my uncle was somebody, while I enjoyed being a nobody.
Trying to swallow the nerves, I straightened my shoulders and kept my chin level. I might have preferred to disappear into a corner, but I knew how to carry myself as if I belonged. My mother had made sure of that.
“Your niece has arrived.”
The man who still hadn’t introduced himself stepped to the side, revealing a desk at the back of the space usually filled with seats. There were two couches along the walls with low tables in front of them, but it was the man behind the desk who held my focus.
“Uncle Hans. It’s good to see you.”
Blue eyes similar to my mother’s lifted to rake over me. My mother had always said she envied my greenish-hazel, but I had wanted blue like hers.
“Elaina. You look more like your mother than the little girl I remember. I’m glad my assistant was able to find a dress for the evening that flatters your skin tone.”
I hadn’t expected an exuberant greeting, but the practiced smile and questionable compliment quelled the budding warmth in my chest.
“Well, Renata’s wedding was the first time we had seen each other in over a decade. I’m sure it’s easy to forget I’ve been on my own for so long and am no longer a child.”
His smile remained in place, but his eyes seemed to go flat. Any secret, tiny hope of rekindling family relations died, but I hid the disappointment behind the mask I donned each day for work.
“Indeed. I’m glad you’ve been able to live your own life after your loss.”
Offering a polite smile, I settled onto the end of the couch farthest from him, carefully shifting the skirt so it covered both legs instead of the way it wanted to spill open and expose one clear up to my underwear.
My heart was fluttering again, my chest tight around each inhale, so I started reciting the Morraki language once more.
This was just an assignment. One I didn’t want, but orders were orders.
One reassuring fact was that there were going to be far more important people than me at the gala. Women with closer ties to the UEC and politicians on par with my uncle.
I could make it through a few hours of pretending to be polite while I listened in on those around me.
If I was lucky, I’d hone my accent, and maybe learn a few new words, and by morning I would be back at my desk with a terrible cup of coffee, decoding pointless messages meant to waste time, and forgetting this whole absurd experience had ever happened.
I would survive, the way I always had.