Page 56 of Volunteer 4711

“You’re coming with me, right?”

“Of course, I wouldn’t leave any new bride to do this alone. They are pirates, after all.”

CHAPTER28

COMMANDER

I lookat my wife and am proud of how she looks in her dress, which is appropriate for her new status. She may not be as physically attractive to others because she is a Water woman, but I find her beautiful in everything she does.

I know she is nervous about this lunch. She has the same look she had when I met her at the farmhouse. I want to tell her that even if she makes a mistake, the stakes are not that high and that she will not be harmed. But at this point, I do not think she would believe me. For changing class, even though my complete society is alien to her, is apparently just as terrifying as being threatened with death.

I give her a reassuring look as we enter the officers’ dining room. All of my officers are lined up, waiting for us. As I have instructed her, my wife greets them; I notice, as I think everyone else does, that she hesitates not to bow. However, I think this minor faux pas will only endear her to them more. Everyone knows she never asked to be my wife nor sought it out, not like the Water woman on the other commander’s ship. My wife was content with being a volunteer as far as the crew was concerned.

“As the wife of the Commander, I would like to offer you all this food and drink as an offering for your ongoing protection of my husband and his family. I will be forever grateful for your service,” she says formally and speaks the words handsomely with her slight Water woman accent.

I watch my males, and most of them are satisfied, if not openly pleased, with her performance and dedication to our culture. However, there are still some who only see her as a volunteer. It’s those who I will have to keep my eye on. I am still not out of danger of a mutiny for this. My wife will continue to have to prove herself, but I will not tell her that because I think she will naturally fall into this role. She has a kind way about her; besides being made a volunteer against her will, she has done nothing against anyone besides attack the other Water woman. And now that the other Water woman has been downgraded, that is hardly an issue anymore.

After lunch, my wife says a formal goodbye, and we leave. As we walk out, I tell her, “You did an excellent job.”

She looks up at me with her big brown eyes. “I was nervous the whole time, but I was glad I could get through it without my voice shaking.”

“It will be easier every time,” I say.

“Every time? What do you mean?”

“Twice a year, you must host a lunch for the officers,” I tell her.

“I’m glad you didn’t tell me that before; the only thing that got me through today was telling myself I would never have to do it again.”

“It was not that bad, was it?” I say, taking her small hand in mine.

“I almost bowed when I walked in; I was so tense. I forgot…” she trails off.

“You forgot you were not a servant. Yes, I noticed, but no one minds. It was only yesterday you were.”

“I don’t think your officers will be as forgiving.”

“They will come around once they know you better,” I assure her. “Now it’s time for a biology lesson.”

It’s my wife’s turn to squeeze my hand now. I look down at her, seeing the lust in her gaze. Hopefully, we will be able to fully get through this before one of us gets hurt. Water people are very fragile.

As we enter my quarters, I ask her to sit on the sofa as I activate the large computer display. I almost wish I had asked the doctor to do this, as I’m no doctor. Most of what I know is from galaxy gossip, the other commander’s experience with the other Water woman, and what I found myself through basic medical information. But I do not want the doctor or any other male near my wife talking about sex. I only feel like that will taint this time.

“Before I start, I wonder if we should have the doctor help us?” I say, gauging her reaction just in case she wants him to be her to reassure her. She looks as innocent as an animal before the slaughter.

“Are you really that dangerous to me? Or me to you?”

“The other commander almost accidentally killed the other Water woman, so yes. I suspect she did not tell you that did she?”

“Ironically, she left that out when she was telling me how good her life was compared to mine,” my wife confirms.

“So, there are some things we both need to know.”

“Why don’t you begin with what you know, and then if we still feel like we need instruction, we can ask the doctor,” she suggests, but then adds quickly, “Although I’m not going to allow him to watch us, give instructions, or turn us into a scientific paper on interspecies mating.”

“No, never,” I say; even though I think she was making a joke, I cannot always be sure. I bring up the diagram of a Silver male on the computer. “This is like me.”

She laughs, and it makes me feel more comfortable. I am somewhat concerned about how she will react when she finds out about my biology or accuses me of keeping information from her. Which I technically did, but it was not a conscious thought. I just blocked her from all information that was not relevant to her position.

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