Page 37 of Indentured Companion
“Well?” I lift her hand and press a kiss through my veil to her knuckles. “To battle then, my Queen.”
“Ay, fucking ay.”
Chapter 27
Dinner and a show
Valerie.
My stomach is swarming with wasps, buzzing angrily, as we walk up a fancy set of marble steps. The security guards, a human and a Sacron male, wave a metal detector wand over us both. It pings at the golden leaf belt under my bust, and the crown on Vrajan’s head. We aren’t asked to take them off though, and are waved through. As soon as we round the corner at the top of the stairs, it’s like walking into another world. Like the ancient Olympian Gods are gathered around a solid gold table to look down from the balcony over the mortals below. Instead of Zeus, Hera, and the rest of the Gods, I see the same Council members from the screens in Vrajan’s office. I see many more dignitaries and rich people, bejewelled around their necks, fingers, frills and eyes. Ninthor is sat at the far side of the long golden table and watches us intently through his red lenses. He isn’t scowling, per se, but appears uncomfortable.
Not as uncomfortable as I feel when everyone, and I meaneveryone,stops laughing and talking, to turn and stare at me and Vrajan. I hold his hand a little tighter and my heart races. I’m no shrinking violet, but fuck me, this is unnerving.
“Greetings.” Vrajan speaks in that softly-softly way he does when he’s trying to come across as less intimidating. He bows low with respect, and I rather stiffly copy him a moment later. “Thank you for inviting us to join you.”
“Of course you had to join us!” I snap my eyes to the left and see a brightly smiling woman. Her long blonde hair is in a hair grip to resemble an updo, and she’s dressed in a shimmering pink dress with a low plunge neckline. Diamonds catch the light from a collar around her neck, her bracelets and earrings. “It’s nice to meet you in person. I’m Councillor Justina Adams.” She starts to point to two seats to her left, like she’s going to invite us over to sit with her, but very quickly they are occupied by a Prelka who takes up two place settings. He’s huge, and he leans with his muscly grey arms on the table to mark his territory. “Oh, erm…” She looks down the rest of the table to look for another place for us to sit.
“Might we sit here?” Vrajan waves his free hand to the seat at the very end of the table. The chairs on either side are vacant, so I would be the only person sat next to Vrajan.
“I see no other place for you to sit.” The Prelka’s left face sneers.
“Other than back where you came from, of course.” His right face chuckles. I bite my tongue and don’t resist the tug of my hand to follow Vrajan. He pulls out a chair for me first, on his right, and like a gentleman pushes me in to sit at the table. He lowers gracefully into his seat as well, crosses one leg over the other, and cups his hands together on his lap. There is a drawn out moment where everyone just keeps staring at Vrajan. Like they don’t want to take their eyes off him, or just don’t know how to break the ice. It’s so awkward it’s suffocating. Even Justina seems unsure what to say, with her lips opening and closing as she tries to put something together.
“Nice party.” I blurt out. “The, er, music is great.” Good Lord, this is so socially awkward.
“It is, isn’t it?” Justina latches onto that and catches my eye. “Ninthor has excellent taste when it comes to the entertainment. He regularly hosts such charity events.” Justina turns to include Ninthor in the conversation, and bug boy doesn’t catch what she’s throwing. Instead he averts his gaze to whisper something to a human man beside him. “…well, in any regard, it’s certainly lively.” Justina comes back to me with a smile.
“Not lively enough for the Korvis Dynast to dance though?” The Prelka I recognise as Getrata closer down our side of the table directs to Vrajan with an accusatory tone. “We saw you do nearly a full turn around the hall before finding the most antisocial place to huddle away from the party? What’s the matter? Was it tootemptingdown there?” Mother fucker! He’s trying to paint Vrajan as some sort of blood thirsty predator!
“Getrata?!” Justina tries to chide him, but both his heads set Vrajan with a ‘your move’ grin. Once again all eyes are on Vrajan.
“Like a buffet on a carousel?” He continued, and I gripped my hands into fists on the table.
“I’m not sure what you’re trying to imply, Councillor.” Vrajan chuckled like Getrata had said something innocently inaccurate. “But I’m not one for dancing. Two left feet, and with all this chiffon, I feared I would rather spectacularly tumble if I tried.”
“What of your companion?” I gulped at the sharp address three seats up on my side of the table. It’s the burly looking blue Sacron Councillor. He is wearing a tailored dark matt silver suit with four arm sleeves, and a hat that sits perfectly on top of his head without being jostled by his frills. “Do you not enjoy dancing and conversation? Or do you not get a say?” I open my mouth to answer, when a human man speaks up from the other side of Getrata.
“Of course she doesn’t. Meals in heels on a leash just do as they’re told.”
The deepest growling hiss I have ever heard booms out from Vrajan, and the whole table flinch in their seats. Some out of their seats. I turn my head and see Vrajan’s diamond pupils are like stars, they are so narrowed on the idiot who spoke, and he’s lifted up in his seat like he’s about to launch across the table at him. His veil even draws into his open mouth to show the impression of his fangs. Security guards flood into the balcony area and I am genuinely worried Vrajan’s about to get shot. Fuck.
“Hey asshole!” I stand up and point angrily at the man. His blue eyes are wide and his skin is pale around his thick ginger beard. His black tux looks crumpled from the way he’s staggered out of his chair and pressed himself to the wall. “Mynameis Miss Stone. I amnotcalled ‘meals in heels’, and what you just did was highly insulting in at leasttwodifferent cultures. Ours, and the Korvis.” I put my hand on Vrajan’s shoulder and strain to push him to sit back in his chair. “I am his feeding companion, which is a precious relationship. I’m his best friend, and you just talked about me like I’m a slab of meat.” He starts to hiss again, so I shove him to sit back, and drop myself to sit across his lap. Namely, to keep him in the fucking chair, but also to show the table how comfortable I am with Vrajan. It’s starting to work as people return to their seats, and the guards lower their weapons. It seems I’m less threatening than a snarling Korvis, so I’ll keep yapping on to keep their attention on me. “Talking about me like you just did washighlyinsulting. I expect an apology.”
“Youexpect an apology?” Both Getrata’s heads shrieked.
“Yes.” I bark, adrenaline and anger masking a healthy dose of anxiety as I worry that this is about to go tits up, keeps me on a roll. “Because regardless of me being an indentured servant, or Merchant Caste, I’m a mother fucking lady, and if he doesn’t apologise right now, I’m putting my fist in his face.”
“Miss Stone.” Vrajan tries to caution me, but I hear the smile in his tone. His arms are also around my waist holding me in place like he’s trying to holdmeback.
“I am not apologising toyou.” The guy looks around and sees he’s now the only one not sat down, and gingerly returns to his seat. All the while, my eyes are like daggers on him.
“Why? Don’t I deserve an apology? What’s your issue? Is it because I’m an indentured servant?”
“No, of course not.”
“My Caste?”
“N-no.” He’s getting flustered as more eyes turn away from me to look at him. Namely to see how he answers, I bet. Good. Let’s roast asshole number one instead of us, thank you very much.
