"Beka, I insist on taking a shower, now." His tone of voice told Beka he
had made up his mind.
When the en suite door closed behind him, Tamerlane said, "Has Father always taken your advice? That was a wily move, not showering before the meeting."
Beka smiled. "There was nothing wily about it. Tyr taught me along time ago to use what I knew about the enemy against him. Nietzschean's are creatures of habit and conditioning. Habit and routine are anti-survival. Unpredictability, now that will keep you alive."
"Lower your voice an octave and you would sound just like Dad." Tamerlane chuckled. "How long have we known each other?"
"Ten years." Beka stroked his forehead. "I will never forget the day that we met. It was a day of many firsts. It was the first day of my first vacation in five years. It was the first time Tyr had invited me to spend social time, here, in his new home. It was the first time I knew I was capable of maternal feelings."
Tamerlane rolled over. "Father had prepared me for your visit. He told me that a beautiful slipstream pilot was coming to stay with us for a short while. He said that I was to call you Beka, because you were our friend. He said that you would teach me to fly, but most of all you would show me how to trust. I didn't understand a word he said except slipstream pilot and learn to fly." He smiled. "I understood beautiful the minute I saw you. Golden hair shining in the sun. And a smile that made me feel safe and welcome."
"And your smile," Beka sighed and closed her eyes. "Your smile was shy and reluctant. You wanted to hide behind your father, but you fought your fear and stood tall. Tyr was so proud of you for that. Did you know? You put your hand out to shake mine. I couldn't resist. I reeled you in like a fish on line. You stole my heart and I just had to hug you."
"I was the envy of every boy in the hand-to-hand combat class." Tamerlane sat up. "You came to watch me later that day. It was the first time a female cheered me on. Calling my name. Applauding. Letting the whole world know you were proud of me. I was like the other boys. Dad and I had a female of our own."
"I was human." Beka touched his shoulder. "Didn't the other boys tease you about my DNA?"
"Who would dare tease Tyr Anasazi's son about his relationship with his flying instructor?" Tamerlane chuckled - the sound identical to that of his father. "She was the best slipstream pilot in the galaxy. No, they wanted to be my friend so that they could meet you."
"And you brought them all home." Beka hugged her knees. "Boys are noisy! You were all so eager to learn. Boasting and pushing each other about. I had had no experience with a gaggle of five-year old boys. I was rude to your father for days for throwing me in the parental deep end."
"Did you know that he wanted you to be my surrogate mother?" The answer to that question had haunted the boy for years.
"I knew that the Kodiak had entrusted me with his most precious possession. We had a tacit understanding that if I accepted the assignment, as your instructor that I would be part of your life for as long as you needed me. Did I think he wanted me to be your surrogate mother? No. The Pride was not ready to accept a human, even if she was the best slipstream pilot in the galaxy."
"Is that why you never chose, Father?" He had to know.
"I asked her much the same question earlier today, son."
Neither of them had noticed that Tyr had returned, wrapped in a terry robe, relaxed and refreshed.
Her men turned at the same time to watch her face as they waited for her answer.
"I told Tyr that the reason we did not act upon our feelings toward each other was Pride. His and mine. So you are half right, Tam. The Kodiak Pride would not welcome the match and my pride would not let me accept an inferior status."
"Inferior status?" The boy looked from his father to his mother.
"When it became clear," began Tyr, "that I would not mate again, the matriarch asked me for an explanation, as is her right. I explained that Beka was my only desire, she said that the council had discussed the situation and had agreed to offer her a generous stipend, make her the head flying instructor at the academy if she would accept the role of my mistress."
"What Tyr did not know was that they had already made the offer to me. They wanted me to choose him, but only if I would present the offer, making it clear that I wanted nothing more from the relationship than sexual gratification." Beka slid over to give Tyr room to sit beside her. "I didn't know that your father had refused the council's suggestion. I did not know that he wanted me as a mate."
Tamerlane hit his father on the shoulder. "You didn't tell her." The scathing tone said more than his words.
"Pride, son. A Nietzschean flaw. Do not make the same mistake that I did when it is your turn to make decisions. Set aside your pride, Tamerlane, if in your heart you know the decision is right."
"So Dad, it is ten years later. You are mated, making a baby. What is different about the situation now?"
"Time, darling." Beka sighed. "Your father and I are running out of time. And time has softened the council's attitude toward me."
"Another lesson of state." Tyr made eye contact with his heir. "Sometimes a good idea occurs at the wrong time. Hold on to the idea son, until the time is right."
"Is the time right to learn why you had my DNA erased from the Nietzschean database?"
When the en suite door closed behind him, Tamerlane said, "Has Father always taken your advice? That was a wily move, not showering before the meeting."
Beka smiled. "There was nothing wily about it. Tyr taught me along time ago to use what I knew about the enemy against him. Nietzschean's are creatures of habit and conditioning. Habit and routine are anti-survival. Unpredictability, now that will keep you alive."
"Lower your voice an octave and you would sound just like Dad." Tamerlane chuckled. "How long have we known each other?"
"Ten years." Beka stroked his forehead. "I will never forget the day that we met. It was a day of many firsts. It was the first day of my first vacation in five years. It was the first time Tyr had invited me to spend social time, here, in his new home. It was the first time I knew I was capable of maternal feelings."
Tamerlane rolled over. "Father had prepared me for your visit. He told me that a beautiful slipstream pilot was coming to stay with us for a short while. He said that I was to call you Beka, because you were our friend. He said that you would teach me to fly, but most of all you would show me how to trust. I didn't understand a word he said except slipstream pilot and learn to fly." He smiled. "I understood beautiful the minute I saw you. Golden hair shining in the sun. And a smile that made me feel safe and welcome."
"And your smile," Beka sighed and closed her eyes. "Your smile was shy and reluctant. You wanted to hide behind your father, but you fought your fear and stood tall. Tyr was so proud of you for that. Did you know? You put your hand out to shake mine. I couldn't resist. I reeled you in like a fish on line. You stole my heart and I just had to hug you."
"I was the envy of every boy in the hand-to-hand combat class." Tamerlane sat up. "You came to watch me later that day. It was the first time a female cheered me on. Calling my name. Applauding. Letting the whole world know you were proud of me. I was like the other boys. Dad and I had a female of our own."
"I was human." Beka touched his shoulder. "Didn't the other boys tease you about my DNA?"
"Who would dare tease Tyr Anasazi's son about his relationship with his flying instructor?" Tamerlane chuckled - the sound identical to that of his father. "She was the best slipstream pilot in the galaxy. No, they wanted to be my friend so that they could meet you."
"And you brought them all home." Beka hugged her knees. "Boys are noisy! You were all so eager to learn. Boasting and pushing each other about. I had had no experience with a gaggle of five-year old boys. I was rude to your father for days for throwing me in the parental deep end."
"Did you know that he wanted you to be my surrogate mother?" The answer to that question had haunted the boy for years.
"I knew that the Kodiak had entrusted me with his most precious possession. We had a tacit understanding that if I accepted the assignment, as your instructor that I would be part of your life for as long as you needed me. Did I think he wanted me to be your surrogate mother? No. The Pride was not ready to accept a human, even if she was the best slipstream pilot in the galaxy."
"Is that why you never chose, Father?" He had to know.
"I asked her much the same question earlier today, son."
Neither of them had noticed that Tyr had returned, wrapped in a terry robe, relaxed and refreshed.
Her men turned at the same time to watch her face as they waited for her answer.
"I told Tyr that the reason we did not act upon our feelings toward each other was Pride. His and mine. So you are half right, Tam. The Kodiak Pride would not welcome the match and my pride would not let me accept an inferior status."
"Inferior status?" The boy looked from his father to his mother.
"When it became clear," began Tyr, "that I would not mate again, the matriarch asked me for an explanation, as is her right. I explained that Beka was my only desire, she said that the council had discussed the situation and had agreed to offer her a generous stipend, make her the head flying instructor at the academy if she would accept the role of my mistress."
"What Tyr did not know was that they had already made the offer to me. They wanted me to choose him, but only if I would present the offer, making it clear that I wanted nothing more from the relationship than sexual gratification." Beka slid over to give Tyr room to sit beside her. "I didn't know that your father had refused the council's suggestion. I did not know that he wanted me as a mate."
Tamerlane hit his father on the shoulder. "You didn't tell her." The scathing tone said more than his words.
"Pride, son. A Nietzschean flaw. Do not make the same mistake that I did when it is your turn to make decisions. Set aside your pride, Tamerlane, if in your heart you know the decision is right."
"So Dad, it is ten years later. You are mated, making a baby. What is different about the situation now?"
"Time, darling." Beka sighed. "Your father and I are running out of time. And time has softened the council's attitude toward me."
"Another lesson of state." Tyr made eye contact with his heir. "Sometimes a good idea occurs at the wrong time. Hold on to the idea son, until the time is right."
"Is the time right to learn why you had my DNA erased from the Nietzschean database?"