Terra sighed to herself as she looked at the sea of people surrounding her. At the moment, she was alone, waiting for her date to return with something for them to drink.
She wasn't quite sure what she expected when she was invited to a party in the newest annex of housing on the palace grounds. From what Terra had been able to ascertain, the visitors' wing of the palace was now restricted to true visitors to the palace. People staying in those suites of room were only there for less than a week on business. Over the years, more and more worlds were sending more permanent representatives to Arktos to do their bidding with the Nietzschean Emperor. A housing compound, of sorts, to accommodate those people, some who had their families accompany them, had been constructed some distance from the palace yet still on palatial grounds. This was where Nathaniel Hunt was now living while representing Commonwealth interests to the Empire. A number of students Terra had recently met at Kodiak University also lived there with their parents. The accommodations were nice. From what little Terra had heard, the pricing for the units was exorbitant. But Terra guessed Tamerlane and the Empire needed to recoup their credit in some fashion for providing the house units. If a world wanted easier access to the Nietzschean Emperor and live near the epicenter of all things Empire related, one had to be willing to pay a hefty price.
Three weeks ago, while attending a more casual dinner with Bart, Terra had been introduced to Maximillian Arnault. Terra had found him incredibly attractive the first moment she laid eyes on him. He was tall with an athletic appearing physique. He had well kept dark hair and eyes the color of Muzoan emeralds. He had a cool aloofness about him that reminded her a great deal of Tamerlane Anasazi. His family was a well to do family from Atugob. The family had a long history of being upper echelon on his world, in the system and even the sector. His grandfather was a top official in the Obmoloc sector within the Nietzschean Empire. The Obmoloc sector consisted mostly of all non-Nietzschean worlds, Maximillian's father represented the Obmoloc sector on Arktos. Maximillian was his aide de camp.
Three days later after that meeting, Terra had received a rather impressive looking invitation to a dinner in the representatives' annex. Much to her surprise, she was to be the guest of Maximillian Arnault. After dressing up in her most impressive evening formal, Terra had been taken by ground transport to the annex. There, Maximillian had wined and dined her at a lavish dinner being put on by the Melevani sector representatives to Arktos. Maximillian had been attentive to her all evening. He had introduced her to nearly everyone at the more intimate dinner party. Terra had been surprised to learn that the representatives often met and did business with one another and not just the Empire while on Arktos. Bartolomew and Nathaniel had both been at the party as well. Both seemed rather miffed when Terra left the party with Maximillian.
Since that evening, Terra had been invited to any number of dinners at the annex. She thought both Bart and Nate were trying to one up one another and Maximillian with their invitations. Terra enjoyed the attention and actually enjoyed meeting all of the people who resided in the annex portion of the palace. She was beginning to gain a deeper understanding of just what all went on on Arktos. It was not just the home of the Nietzschean Emperor and the seat of Empire leadership as she had always believed.
At the moment, she was at Maximillian's side as he spoke with some representative from a system in his sector of space. Tonight, the party was more of a party instead of just a dinner. Maximillian had told her it was a time of celebration for systems in the Mandelbrot sector of the Empire. The systems had been under the thumb of the Drago-Kazov for generations before being absorbed into the Nietzschean Empire, led by Tyr then Tamerlane Anasazi. To the peoples of Mandelbrot, like many other mostly Humanoid worlds within the Empire, Tamerlane Anasazi was revered almost as much as he was by Nietzscheans throughout the Empire. He was their savior.
Terra had been surprised, a short time ago, when a wave of excitement filled the air around them. An instant later, murmuring through the crowd finally reached them. Terra had difficulty not rolling her eyes when they were informed that the Nietzschean Emperor himself had graced them with his mere presence. Terra thought nearly everyone there would die of anticipation and excitement as they all formed a loose line to greet the Emperor.
Maximillian had encouraged Terra to not be nervous. He, himself, had accompanied his father to numerous meetings with the Emperor. He instructed Terra on how to greet and be greet by the Emperor. Terra had yet to inform Maximillian that she actually knew the Emperor intimately and lived in the actual palace, not some annex property.
When Tamerlane had approached them, Terra had picked up on the quick expression of surprise in Tamerlane's eyes at seeing her there. Maximillian had greeted Tamerlane as everyone did. There was bowing and proper address and complete deference to the Nietzschean Emperor. Tamerlane was his usual detached, aloof Emperor self that rubbed Terra the wrong way whenever she encountered that personae of Tamerlane Anasazi. When Maximillian introduced Terra to the Emperor, Terra had bowed and done a little curtsey and did her best to be respectful to Tamerlane as she had seen others. Tamerlane's greeting to her had been even less than that of his greeting to Maximillian before he moved on to the next person. Terra noticed that Tamerlane's greeting to nearly everyone was short and concise. It had only been at the beginning when greeting those that Terra identified as the actual representatives that Tamerlane appeared to engage in conversation.
Terra's eyes moved to the front of the room when there was a ringing of a bell. At the top of a platform, she found Tamerlane standing with several people she had not been introduced to during the evening. The man began to give a speech about the reason for the evening.
She glanced over when she felt the warm hand on her bare lower back. She glanced up at Maximillian as he came to stand beside her while offering her a long stemmed champagne flute. It was then that Terra noticed that Tamerlane and the other people standing together were being served similar flutes by the staff. Tamerlane took the offered glass. Terra watched and listened as Tamerlane added his comments to what had already been said. He thanked his host for the invitation to their celebration. Terra found herself a little mesmerized by Tamerlane's performance. When he was finished speaking, another man raised his glass for a toast.
"He doesn't like champagne," Terra found herself whispering to herself when the men clinked glasses with Tamerlane before taking a drink. Tamerlane brought the glass to his lips as if to take a drink. Terra knew in her heart that he had done it just for show.
"What?" Maximillian leaned down to Terra.
"Nothing," Terra said with a smile as she looked up at Maximillian. She touched glasses with him before taking a long drink of the champagne. It was good but not necessarily the best she had ever had. Terra was a little surprise when Maximillian leaned down to kiss her lightly.
"It is pretty much over now," Maximillian gestured toward the platform. It was obvious that Tamerlane was on his way out of the room. "Why don't we get out of here."
"Sounds great," Terra replied as she allowed Maximillian to guide her to the nearest entrance. Along the way, they put their glasses on trays held by the staff. Just as they were exiting through one door, she looked over as Tamerlane exited out another. For just an instant their gazes met and Terra was not certain what the expression on his face meant.
"You know what," Terra paused a few steps later as they were headed in the direction of Maximillian's suite where she would normally spend the rest of the night. She turned to looked up at Maximillian. "I should probably go. I have some things to do …"
Maximillian looked at her for a long moment.
"Things?" he raised his eyebrows questioningly. Terra's overnight bag was already in his suite so she would not have to return home in the morning in her evening gown from tonight.
"Yeah … I just thought about it … I have this thing … I have to do," Terra replied hesitantly. After seeing and actually speaking, however briefly, to Tamerlane, she felt awkward about spending the night with Maximillian.
"I am certain it can wait until morning," Maximillian replied as his hand slipped to her hip and he pulled her gently to him. He leaned and brushed his lips lightly over her before deepening the kiss. Terra eyes fluttered open a few seconds later when his lips left hers.
"I guess it can," Terra nodded before linking her arm through his and starting down the corridor once again.