Terra watched from a distance as Maximillian made the rounds through the dinner guests. Terra had been surprised when he had invited her to a reception/dinner at the palace. His father had been issued an invitation for four so he had invited his son and a guest to attend so their table was full. Terra had accepted the invitation and agreed to meet Maximillian at the front of the palace. He still had no idea that she actually lived in the palace.
Terra looked back to the table where she had been seated for dinner. It was one of the tables in the middle of the room. Over the years of her visiting the palace and attending these events, Terra had come to recognize a hierarchy of sorts based on where people were seated. Bartolomew's family was usually seat near the 'back' of the room. Nathaniel Hunt was usually seated with other Commonwealth representatives and visitors a little closer to the center of the room but still not VIP up front.
Terra had come to recognize several of the faces and families that regularly attended a number of 'state dinners'. Many of those families shared the same last names of Tamerlane's six wives. However, tonight there were few Nietzscheans in the ballroon. Except for Tamerlane, Tyr and Tamerlane's wives who were attending, Terra guessed nearly ninety percent of those in attendance were Human. She could only guess the Nietzscheans there tonight were from low ranking families, less important worlds or systems or came from places with mostly Human constituents.
Maximillian's father was talking with several people at the table where Terra had been seated with Maximillian. Someone had temporarily taken her seat while visiting with Mr Arnault. Terra's eyes moved toward the front of the room, closer to Tamerlane's table, where her family was seated. Terra had given them all a quick heads up that Maximillian didn't know that she lived in the palace and she wanted to keep it that way. Kindred and Lex were talking with someone they knew from university. Beka and Tyr were also engaged in conversation with Nathaniel Hunt. He had recently returned from a quick trip home to TaraZed. When he had approached Beka, he had greeted Terra stiffly. She was certain it was because she had declined his invitation to the party since she had already been invited by Maximillian. Ever since then, Nathaniel had been talking to Beka and relaying stories from Dylan, his family and Harper.
Terra stiffened when the tingle of someone's fingertip running down her bare spine ran through her body. She pulled away as she turned her head to see who it was. If she did not know exactly where Maximillian, Bart and Nate were at the moment, she would have thought it was one of them. Then again, she had seen one other guy from Kodiak University she was casually dating there with his family.
"Tamerlane?" Terra's eyes widened in surprise when he stepped next to her. It had been weeks since the night he appeared at Tyr's door. Since then, she had not made any effort to speak with him and he had not contacted her. She had been attending courses, studying and spending time with several men who actually wanted her company and were willing to make an effort to have it.
When she had first seen Tamerlane that evening, the same flutter moved through her as it did every time she saw him. He needed to do nothing more than walk into a room and she felt it … the anticipation and perhaps hope that something would happen to move forward their relationship. It had yet to happen.
During the dinner and the social mingling that followed, she had lost track of him from time to time. Katarina and Isabella were by his side for dinner. There was also a blonde female at the head table who Terra did not recognize. Immediately afterward, Katarina and Isabella had disappeared from the scene. Terra had long since assumed his wives had little interest in the social and political aspects of Tamerlane's life.
Occasionally, he and small groups of men would disappear out the door in the direction of his office. She could only assume business and pleasure were often mixed when people traveled from all over the Empire to Arktos.
"Good evening Terra," Tamerlane replied as his eyes ran slowly over her. "You are stunning this evening."
"I … ummm … thanks," Terra was at a loss for words at the moment. Other than during the reception line or if he were talking to someone at her table, Tamerlane did not interact usually with Terra at official palace functions. "You look … nice."
"Thank you," Tamerlane replied as his attention remained on her. A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He was wearing clothes similar to those he wore most of the time when he saw her – black leather pants and boots with a vest of some sort. At what he considered a less formal dinner like this evening, he did not feel it necessary to wear his more formal clothing. Humans were used to a certain aesthetic from the Nietzschean Emperor.
"Katarina and Isabella did not stay long," Terra observed as her eyes left Tamerlane and she looked around the room. She found herself suddenly very aware of where they were. Having him near her for more than a few moments was rare. Actually having him with her was unheard of at social functions. Having him standing beside her, talking to her while his fingertips trailed lightly up and down her lower spine had her head spinning at the moment.
"These days I am fortunate if any of them will make an appearance, let alone remain for dinner," Tamerlane chuckled softly. "They all have children who need to be seen to. My wives are all excellent mothers who have no interest in the politics of the Empire."
"I am certain they are all excellent mother. However, you cannot tell me that someone in their immediate family is not interested in the politics of the Empire. Or you would not be married to them," Terra reminded him as she glanced up at him. His gaze was still on her, making her a little uncomfortable. She looked around the room to see if anyone noticed him standing by her side, talking to her, pretty much a nobody in the hierarchical scheme on the Empire. She also had no desire for Maximillian to see her with the Nietzschean Emperor. Unlike Bart and Nate and the others who knew who she was and where she lived, Maximillian was ignorant to those facts. Terra believed he liked her for her and not for the access many thought she might provide for them. Terra took a deep breath and let it out slowly as the tingle from his light touch moved through her body. "There was a blonde female at the end of the head table with Olma."
"Her name is Lilith," Tamerlane offered as his eyes moved over Terra's profile.
"Let me guess," Terra felt a wave of disappointment moving through her. "Wife number seven?"
"Lilith and her father would like for her to be my seventh wife. Olma believes we would be an excellent match. My father finds the possibilities intriguing," Tamerlane replied as he looked back around the room. Normally, he would not have made any effort to speak with Terra this evening. However, seeing her standing off to the side, alone, while her escort for the evening was mingling in the crowd, offered him an opportunity he normally would not have. "I find her to be too forward in her desires. More interested in politics than I like and less interested in family."
"Too forward in her desires?" Terra glanced up at Tamerlane questioningly. Tamerlane looked down at her for a long moment. "Direct and forthcoming communication, remember?"
"Olma and Lilith's pride's matriarch introduced us yesterday evening when the family arrived," Tamerlane replied as his gaze held Terra's. Although these were topics he would normally rarely discuss with anyone in more blunt terms, throughout his relationship with Terra Hawkins, he found himself revealing more than he probably should. "A late dinner was arranged so she and I could talk. After dinner, without the requirement of marriage or a helix, Lilith proposed she and I …"
Tamerlane's voice trailed away as he looked away from Terra.
"She tried to seduce you," Terra nodded as she looked back in the direction of Maximillian. "Immediately causing you to become suspicious of her intentions."
"Exactly," Tamerlane glanced back down at Terra.
"How far did you let her go before you … made your concerns known?" Terra glanced up at Tamerlane again. "Or did you bonk her then send her to your personal physician? Since you obviously did not have her executed for crimes against the Empire?"
"I am not a naive fifteen year old boy," Tamerlane shook his head slowly. "Nor a male unable to control his baser desires."
"But you did consider it … if even for a nanosecond … before you declined her advance. I would guess, since she was here tonight, you did not utterly reject her," Terra took a deep breath as his fingertips dipped low on her spine left bare by the backless dress.
"She is young and impetuous. The formal dining room of the palace between dinner and dessert is not an appropriate time or place to attempt such seduction," Tamerlane replied softly.
"You are looking for females to be mothers to your children … not playmates for yourself," Terra nodded slowly as she thought back to the past and things he said. She glanced up at him before a smile played over her lips. "You never know … the formal dining room between dinner and dessert … might be kinda hot."
"Not too long ago, you wanted to talk. If you would like to talk, make yourself available to me," Tamerlane replied as his eyes moved slowly around the room. He had been standing with her far too long. Earlier, he had seen her seated with a male near the middle of the room. He knew he had seen the Human man from time to time but he was unimportant or Tamerlane would have remembered his name or something about him.
"What? When?" Terra asked as her eyes moved back to the room before her. She glanced over at her mother and brother who were currently occupied with other people.
"Now," Tamerlane replied with a faint smile when Terra's eyes flew up to him.
"Now?" Terra asked as her eyes moved back to the room. She looked around and found Maximillian once more. He was talking to another group of men closer to their age. Terra assumed they were sons of some of the invited guests. She was fairly certain she had gone for dinner with at least one of them. She recognized him from university.
"Make your excuses to your escort if you must," Tamerlane replied as he started to move away from her. "I will meet you in my office."
"Your office?" Terra's question was left unanswered when Tamerlane slipped from beside her and headed back into the crowd.