Chapter 2

An accumulated work load kept Kira late in Ops so that she was irritated as she hurried toward her quarters that evening. But upon stepping through the doorway, she abruptly stopped, staggered by the scene that greeted her. In one short day, Rathaus had utterly transformed her home. Her tasteful, yet sparse furnishings had disappeared, replaced by wall-to-wall opulence. She stood, transfixed by the velvet sofa and delicate, carved chairs. End tables of rich, exotic woods were scattered around and ancient tapestries clothed the walls. Most striking, perhaps, were the clusters of Bajoran lilacs that covered every available surface.

Rathaus, who had obviously been awaiting her return stepped from behind her where he'd been waiting by the door. "Welcome home," he whispered.

Her ingrained terrorist's instincts took over and she rounded on him,

her arms ready to strike, before recognition set in and she backed down. "How did you," she paused and glanced over the room once more, "do all this?

He smiled indulgently, "Your friend Quark can arrange some amazing things for the right compensation. Of course, I sent for most of the furnishings before we left Bajor. I hope you approve."

"It's. . . beautiful. Just a little overwhelming."

"Well, go ahead and get dressed or we'll be late. I took the liberty of ordering a few things for you as a sort of wedding present." He stepped over to the counter and started to pour himself a drink. "I think the ivory dress will do nicely for tonight."

Kira said nothing more. She merely stepped into her newly opulent bedroom and changed into her newivory dress.

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The party was already in full swing when the bridal couple arrived. A waiter, Kira recognized him as one of Quark's best, stopped them as they stepped through the door of Kassidy's quarters and offered them a drink from his tray. They both accepted and then wandered over to the group gathered in the living area where Kira was welcomed with hugs and kisses from her friends. Rathaus had already made known his opinions on familiarity and so was greeted by mere smiles instead. Kira took a seat beside the heavily pregnant Kassidy and murmured "I thought this was going to be a simple dinner." Kassidy looked at her in surprise and replied, "Rathaus called me this afternoon. He said the two of you had agreed upon a formal, catered affair, instead."

Rathaus, in a conversation with Dr Bashir, said soothingly, "I wanted to surprise you, my dear. This is, for all purposes, our wedding celebration."

"Yes, of course," his bride stumbled. "I was just confused."

Thinking it an odd response from the unflappable Kira, Bashir turned sharply and studied her for a few moments before Rathaus returned his attention towards him. "Is anything wrong, Doctor?"

"Nothing at all. Now where were we..."

"That's a beautiful dress," Ezri, sitting on the other side of Kassidy, ventured. Kira was indeed stunning. Rathaus, with his highly developed sense of taste, had known exactly what would suit his new bride. It was a simply cut sheath of fine Terran silk. The mellow ivory fabric blended with her skin tone into a near-perfect match. "Thank you," the Colonel acknowledged. It was a gift from Rathaus."

Her attentive husband spoke up once more, coming to stand in front of her. "And I have one, final, gift for the evening." He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a flat box which he then handed to a startled Kira, announcing, "My official wedding gift to my lovely bride." She opened it and was immediately awed. It was an unusual choker boosting a string of enormous, rounded, deep red Cardassian rubies and flanked by two, relatively thin rows of Terran diamonds. A large, central ruby teardrop was designed to hang just at the hollow of her throat. Her husband took it from her paralyzed fingers and fastened it around her neck. "I sent for it the day you accepted me. It is my favourite among my family heirlooms. Legend has it that the diamonds were acquired when Betazed joined the Federation."

Her fingers gently caressed the stones around her neck, "I don't know what to say."

"There's nothing to say. You now own a fortune in jewels. This is just a trifle." He turned to the rest of his awed companions. "And now, it's time for us to eat."

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When they returned to their quarters after the party, Rathaus had again transformed their quarters. Candlelight flickered throughout the rooms giving them a soft, golden glow. Soft, romantic music played in the background. Kira was once more, taken aback in awe. Rathaus used her hesitation to kiss her, then lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bedroom. He set her gently on the bed and swiftly removed their clothing. Then, pinioning her arms above her, and using no words, he made love to her with fierce abandon. Only after he was finished did he release her arms and embrace her before drifting off into a deep sleep. Something in the wine that evening, Rathaus had described it as an exceedingly rare vintage, must have calmed her, because, for the first time since their physical relationship began, she did not feel like crying.