Chapter 29: The Senators' Speeches

A/N: romulanlover and christine79, thank you very much for your comments, glad you had such fun with the last chapter! I Googled for pictures of Alaskan Malamute puppies, and they're so adorable! Lilou is definitely just as fluffy, but with big ears and a really long tail. She'll be locked out of the Darak bedroom for now…

Vocab info: "Deihu" means "Senator", "ri'hwathech" = "queen" and "di'hwathech" = "king".

Mini-announcement: I'll be posting a chapter after Easter, and then my kid nephew is coming to spend the week with me from the end of April until the beginning of May. Between juggling him and my business, and making the place shipshape after he leaves, I'll be on an enforced fanfic hiatus and will be back again before the middle of May :-) And since I mentioned Easter – wishing you happy holidays!


Asha's hair was a little longer now, and although not much could be done with it as yet, Kihika decorated her head with beautiful green bands which glittered in the light. The two of them had also gone shopping for a new outfit. It consisted of form-fitting trousers, a sleeveless top and a robe worn open. Romulans did not wear high heels, so her shoes consisted of thin boots made of a cooling material to suit the climate. Kihika did her makeup for her, too. Asha gazed raptly at her reflection when she was encouraged to stand in front of the mirror.

"Kihika, you've made me look like an empress!" Asha exclaimed. Kihika beamed.

"Most agreeable," was Thorek's comment when he saw her. He himself was looking very regal in green robes.

"Stylish!" his wife responded, rising on tiptoe to kiss his cheek.

Kihika drove the couple to the Jo'reks to pick them up, then headed with all of for the event.

They arrived early at the arena which had been reserved for the Senators' speeches. People, including children, were already streaming inside, and there was heavy security. Asha caught the gleam of several disruptors. A surly Romulan glanced at Asha's Human face, studied her pass, then waved her through with Thorek, Vekal, Christine and their assistants. A huge wooden platform had been erected to receive the Senators. As was typical for Romulans, the décor was spartan, and two grim-looking statues had been placed on either side of the platform – figures of Romulan Senators from centuries ago. A gigantic banner of the raptor was suspended at the back.


Senator Merken tr'Vreenak strode onto the stage with his aides, who positioned themselves at the back of the arena next to a group of security officers standing in neat formation. He looked at the earnest spellbound faces in the audience. He opened his arms in a regal embrace to welcome the audience, and began his speech.

His deep resonant voice resounded formidably across the arena, and with deep satisfaction, he noted how every head was turned in his direction. Even the children were spellbound. He was a brilliant and captivating speaker. His eyes swept around the seats, travelling across one eager Romulan face after Romulan face...And there she was, together with another Human woman. She arrested his attention just like the very first time he had seen her. And like that first time, their gazes met. He dragged his eyes away from her and used the next pause in his speech to breathe deeply and recover from this surprise, which he was not sure was pleasant or unpleasant.

After half an hour, he concluded his speech and was acknowledged with thundering applause and a standing ovation. He moved towards the back of the platform and sat down, still within sight of the audience.

His speech was followed by Senator Letant's appearance: not as tall as Vreenak, less haughty-looking, and the corners of his mouth were turned upwards in a small smile. Letant's style was very different: witty and peppered with clever word games which made the audience laugh, but just as captivating. He, too, received applause and a standing ovation. Asha noticed that people were more divided about Letant's speech than Vreenak's. She overheard a group disapproving about combining humour with politics, while a woman told her companion that Letant's humour was refreshing after Vreenak's "heavy" talk.

It was time for the Senators and their audience to mix. There was a buffet, a big children's corner, lyre music performed by accomplished Romulans, and Asha also spotted little shops selling textiles and spring produce. She helped herself to some soup, fish and fruit. Vekal and Christine were chatting with other friends of theirs, and Thorek, too, was speaking with other people.

After finishing her food, Asha sipped at the glass of spicy tea she was holding in her hand. From the corner of her eye, she could see some Romulans glancing at her. She became conscious of her non-Romulan features, and it made her feel shy.

"Why, what a rare, er, privilege it is to see Humans among my audience," a smooth silky voice spoke from behind her. She turned with a start and looked into the ice-blue eyes of Senator Vreenak. His lips curved into a sarcastic smile.

"Jolan'tru, Deihu tr'Vreenak," she greeted him in perfect Rihan, inclining her head gracefully.

"I suspect that your presence is due to the…arranged…nature of your marriage?" he almost drawled, lazily reaching for a glass of kali-fal a waiter brought him on a tray. Asha steeled herself inwardly. The Senator was known for his acerbic comments, and she realised that he was trying to provoke her.

"My presence on Romulus or in your audience, Deihu?" she asked calmly.

His smiled widened. "Both."

"It is a complex question, but to answer briefly: yes."

"Did your spouse teach you Rihan?"

"My husband arranged an excellent tutor for me and practised with me as much as he could. Besides, I have always loved to study. I am a xenolinguist."

While he sipped at his kali-fal, Asha decided to ask him questions of her own.

"Does politics flow in the blood of your family?" This was the Romulan way of asking if family and ancestors had passed down their profession to the next generation.

"Obviously," he said in a curt tone. Asha realised that asking small-talk questions he must have heard countless times was a bad idea.

"Have you interacted much with Humans?"

His eyes glinted. "No. I have rarely had reason to, their being unimportant to my senatorial duties."

"Then I feel most honoured that you are interacting again with me, Deihu, as you did a little over a year ago, though you did so without words."

Their eyes locked, and he noticed that boldness in her gaze.

It was a Senator's job to never be at a loss for words. And this time, Senator Merken tr'Vreenak had to pause for two or three seconds to think of a suitable response.

"If you would help me recall this incident which seems to have slipped my memory? Not that any interaction with a Human would be worth remembering, of course," he answered after two or three seconds.

Asha smiled inwardly. She could see that she had surprised him, and he was trying to save face by insulting her.

"I saw you a little over a year ago when I had newly arrived on Romulus. My assistant was showing me the city. She and I were exploring the senate building in a tourist group when you happened to walk past us. We looked at each other. I daresay you are not used to seeing a Human at your workplace?"

"Most definitely not. But I have seen a few in prison."

"Then it must be most refreshing for you to see Humans who are not in prison," Asha countered elegantly.

"Oh, I am most flattered!" a cheerful voice at her elbow distracted her. The second Senator was standing next to her. He took Asha's hand, bowed over it and let go.

"My friend," Delon tr'Letant said to Vreenak, "are we not fortunate to have so delightful a presence gracing our festivities? By which name may I address you, ri'hwathech?"

"Asha Sen t'Darak, Deihu tr'Letant. Your words are those of a di'hwathech," she answered, smiling.

"By the four elements, I am thunderstruck!" Delon tr'Letant stated dramatically.

People were glancing at them with interest. Two Senators speaking to a Human woman at the same time was unheard of.

Vreenak pursed his lips, his face impassive. Inwardly, he was most annoyed with Letant for interrupting them and hijacking their conversation.

"Methinks I heard the word 'prison'? Surely you were not planning to lock up our lovely guest, my friend?" Letant joked.

"Nothing of the sort," Vreenak said tersely. "If you will excuse me?" He gave Asha a cold nod and moved away to talk to some prominent Romulan or the other. Asha found herself conversing easily with Letant, although she remained on her guard, keeping in mind that he was a Senator.

"If you would be so kind as to acquaint me with your husband, Ihhei t'Darak?" he asked her.

"Of course. He's right over there."

Letant gave Asha his arm and they walked towards Thorek, who had just finished speaking to another hobby architect.

"So you are the fortunate deyhhan," he said after exchanging greetings.

"I indeed am," Thorek confirmed.

Asha gave him a warm smile. The three of them spoke for another ten minutes, then Letant parted to speak with a woman in charge of the construction department of the city of Romulus, but not before bowing deeply over her hand again.

"A charming individual," Thorek observed.

"Yes. I was careful, though. Charm makes people lower their guard very easily. Senator Vreenak is quite his opposite."

"He seems unoccupied and he's looking in your direction," Thorek said.

"I prefer staying with you."

"You prefer my humble presence over that of two popular politicians?"

"There's nothing humble about you."

"Oh, Ashaya," Thorek murmured. "But you find him interesting, yes?"

She blushed a little. "He's an interesting study."

"Then maybe you might want to study him further?"

"No."

"It would seem, my wife, that he disagrees with you. Here he comes."

Senator Vreenak was indeed moving towards them.

"May I be so audacious to borrow your wife to resume our interrupted conversation, Ihhei tr'Darak?" he asked Thorek.

"Certainly. I will see you later, Ashaya."

He bowed to the Senator and walked towards Christine, who was watching Senator Vreenkak with a cautious eye.

"Ashaya?" Vreenak commented. He sounded disapproving. He guided her towards to two chairs and gestured to her to sit on one of them. She obeyed, and he took the other chair.

"My name flows well into the Vulcan term of endearment, so it has become a pet name. My husband is fluent in the language."

"That is quite clear to me," he said dryly.

"You disapprove for personal or political reasons, or both, Deihu?"

Her questions were bold, and he appreciated her directness.

"Being a word of Vulcan origin, it is not to my taste, Ihhei. The sound of the Vulcan language is not welcome here for obvious reasons."

"Can you rewrite your history by excluding your Vulcan roots?"

"You impress me, lhhei t'Darak. You ask questions which have caused and still cause us politicians to argue and debate about."

She smiled. "I am a xenolinguist, and it appears to me that language is inevitably a part of politics. Doesn't Rihan, after all, originate from the ancient Vulcan language?"

His ice-blue eyes kindled. "It does. You have studied Romulan history, then?"

"Yes, and it fascinates me." She told him about the books she had read about the topic. He began to warm up to their conversation: his face became more relaxed, his manner more approachable, and finally, he drew his chair a little closer to hers.

After a while, however, one of his aides approached him and murmured something into his ear. Vreenak rose.

"Alas, Ihhei t'Darak, I am forced to leave your company, as my presence is urgently required elsewhere. Thank you for a most stimulating conversation." And instead of offering her the standard brief nod, he copied Senator Letant's gesture, taking her hand and bending over it. Before he left, he looked deeply into her eyes, to the extent that she blushed; then he strode away in his imperial manner.

Later, she saw him speaking briefly with Vekal and Christine before he disappeared from the stage. As soon as he had gone, Christine almost rushed over to her.

"Goodness! He was speaking with you for ages!" she whispered.

"We were talking about Romulan history."

"He liked you!"

Asha blushed again. "He was rather disagreeable at first, but I think that glass of kali-fal improved his manner," she said modestly.

"Yeah, right!" Christine snorted. Asha chuckled, then looked around for Thorek. She found him speaking to a handsome Romulan woman and felt relieved that he had had company while the Senator had been occupying her attention. Finally, the evening came to an end, and people began to leave.

Thorek and Asha were tired after the event as they departed with their gift each participant received as a sign of goodwill from the Senators - in this case, a vase with the shape of a raptor, symbolically representing the political power of Romulus. As the couple took a carriage home, Asha leant her head against Thorek's shoulder and dozed. He kissed her forehead and smiled thoughtfully. Asha didn't seem to realise just how charming her sweet and open manner was, despite her wisdom of remaining on her guard. It was how she was – genuine and honestly interested in people and their stories.

Both Senators had been interested in speaking with her, and not only because of their duty as experienced politicians who knew exactly what to do in order to draw out people. And by the four elements, Senator Vreenak in particular had been eager to seek her company, and that was where Asha was unaware. High-ranking politicians like Vreenak used to counselling the Proconsul and even the Praetor hardly had time for a family; or if they had a family, they spent only a few hours a week with them, and very often, a politician sought pleasure in brothels catering to the Romulan upper crust. Or they took a mistress to keep their bed warm. Thorek stood by their arrangement of an open marriage; but would a senatorial politician make a good candidate for her? He thought it was a poor idea. A politician, especially one so high-ranking, would in fact be a dangerous suitor. Then again, he couldn't think of any Romulan who would ever be worthy of her.