Terra relaxed back in the chaise as she looked up at the clear sky overhead. Millions of stars pricked the dark night sky. A gentle breeze blew through the courtyard. The soft sound of the bubbling hot spa floated on the night air. The pleasant scent of the flowering plants in the courtyard filled her lungs with each breath. She took another long drink of the beer in her hand before setting it on the chaise side table
She had been on Arktos for several days. Every day had been a pleasure and a curse. The weather had been phenomenal. She and Danforth had spent the days exploring the palace grounds, or relaxing by the pool. She had spent some time getting to know her nephews. In the evenings, she and Danforth spent time in Aeolian. Knowing that in less than twenty-four hours they would be meeting with the Empire representatives was the curse.
"I am not going anywhere."
Terra finally broke the peacefulness of the night when she spoke.
Tonight when she and Danforth returned from the city, she found Kindred and Lex curled up in a chaise. She and her brother had yet to talk since she had been there. When Lex saw Terra, she quietly excused herself from her husband and disappeared into their apartment.
Terra had sent Danforth up to the suite before she sat down in the chaise next to her brother and looked up at the night sky for a long time. In deafening silence, she waited for her brother to speak. She waited for her brother to lash out at her. She waited for her brother's suppressed disappointment, anger, and hurt to bubble to the surface and explode. She could handle any of that from him. She deserved it. What was killing her inside, every day, was the silence from him.
"Hadrian is cute."
Terra spoke softly into the night air. Every day, she spent time with Lex and their sons. Every day, she got to know her nephews a little better.
"Leonidas threw that mashed up swill he is being fed at me this afternoon," Terra offered lightly. It was a disgusting medley of vegetables and meat. Terra would have thrown it too if she were a baby.
Terra continued when Kindred failed to speak.
"Aragon, he is quite a snuggler."
Terra had sat for nearly an hour today with the sleeping child cuddled on her lap. It had been a quiet, enjoyable experience.
"You have to speak to me eventually."
Terra tried the words her brother often spoke to her whenever she was pissed at him in the past. The last time he had spoken those words to her was after the fight he and Tamerlane had gotten into when Kindred found her and Tamerlane together in their suite.
"Why are you here Terra?" Kindred finally looked over at his sister. "Mom and I have handled the last few reviews. We are more than capable of doing so this time. Unless there is more to your visit than just renewing the agreement."
"To be perfectly honest … I needed to come here for it this time. I needed to be here to really push for the new route permissions and expansions. I couldn't just wait on Elysium for you to contact me and tell me the Empire said 'no' again. I had to try myself. There is a great deal doing on with the business right now. I need to get this thing done so I can move forward with my plans," Terra replied as her eyes remained looking up at the stars. "I came early to visit. I have never seen my nephews. After being here, spending time with them, I realize it was a mistake to stay away for so long. Despite my reasons for doing so … I should not have stayed away."
"When did you hook up with Danforth?" Kindred asked as he studied his sister's profile. Kindred knew who the Marske family was. They were businessmen and moved in the upper tiers of Commonwealth society on Tarazed. Danforth Marske was probably three decades older than Kindred. Kindred and Terra had been introduced to Danforth Marske's children by Nate Hunt. During his years at university, Kindred had partied with Danforth's son Philip and dated his daughter Juliannah. The idea that his sister was shacking up with the man did not sit well with Kindred.
"He and I met on Elysium about six months ago," Terra shrugged ever so slightly.
"You say he is your partner," Kindred's tone took on an accusing hint. "Obviously he is involved with the business. It would appear that he is involved in your personal life as well. Would you care to elaborate?"
"He has been instrumental in running Hawkins for the last six months," Terra offered nonchalantly as she looked back up at the sky. "The company needed help and he was there to help me see there were other avenues which I could pursue with the future course of the company."
After leaving Arktos two years ago, Terra had withdrawn from the dating scene. She had spent hours thinking about Tamerlane Anasazi. She had spent hours reflecting on the time they shared with one another. She spent time regretting the time they had been at odds or separated while she was on Arktos or away from Arktos. She spent hours pondering his life and his families and what it all meant. She spent time dreaming of what could have been but probably never would have been even if she had stayed on Arktos two years ago.
The morning he had stated they would walk out of the suite together … it had terrified her. The public acknowledgment of their odd relationship scared her. She dreaded everyone's opinion of them being together. She knew her mother would never understand, would vehemently be opposed and would not take it well. Kindred would not agree with her choice. If history was any indication, he and Tamerlane would most likely end up in a verbal and physical altercation. She had no idea how Tyr would react to his son being with a Human. Although Tyr was married to a Human, he was not the leader of the Nietzschean Empire and the epitome of what all Nietzscheans should strive to be. She could see no way his wives would have been accepting of her as anything more than some kludge whore from whom he derived physical pleasure when not with them. The Nietzschean population as a whole would have seen it as aberrant and a weakness if anyone would have ever been allowed to know of their relationship.
Mostly she feared what it meant to her life. She wanted a life of her own. She wanted him. However, she never wanted to become the Emperor's kludge concubine and sit around Arktos waiting for him to grace her with his presence when he was not busy with his wives, his children, his personal life or his Empire.
When Danforth entered the office on Elysium six months ago, Terra had vaguely remembered him from days spent hanging out with his children at their lavish estate of TaraZed. He had been working with a company on Elysium that was relocating to TaraZed. He had asked Terra out to dinner to discuss an arrangement he thought they would find mutually beneficial. Terra had gone because his offer had piqued her curiosity.
In the last few months, he had worked alongside her to strengthen Hawkins Transports. He knew a great deal about the business side of things and so far it was working. Hawkins was doing much better after 'trimming some of the fat'. Danforth was using his various projects to move up in the family business. Hawkins was the next rung up the ladder for him.
"And last time I checked," Terra continued as she looked over at her brother. "You had no interest in who I screw."
"He doesn't seem like your type," Kindred remarked as he glanced over at his sister. He held her gaze for a long minute trying to get some read on what exactly her relationship was with Danforth. "Not that I would ever judge … but for the Divine's sake … I used to date his freaking daughter Ter. And he's older than Dad if I remember correctly."
"He really isn't my type. It just kind of happened," Terra had to agree with Kindred's assessment. She really was not going to explain her relationship to her brother. It was her business, not his. "I am sorry I haven't been here. I should have been here and I wasn't. I don't expect you to forgive me. But I am here now … and I am really … gonna try … this time."
"It really sucks that you haven't been around," Kindred said as he relaxed back into the chaise and looked up at the stars.
"I missed you too," Terra said as she gazed up at the sky and peaceful silence descended of the siblings.