Chapter 30
"Zarabeth Hawkins, you're fidgeting again. Stop that. You look beautiful."
She could only obey as Jim gently took one of her hands into his, the gesture keeping her from habitually trying to smooth out the front of her dress as she walked beside him through the emptiness of the massive hallway. The well-lit passageway was leading them toward a grandly fashioned pair of double doors that opened up into what Zara knew had to be the ballroom, the sounds of lively conversation and the rhythmic clatter of feet in the midst of dancing already meeting her ears as she clung tighter to her husband's hand.
"Jim, aren't you nervous? This is the palace. The royal palace. On Rhitan. This is serious."
"But we're invited guests, honored ones even. Come on, hon, you're fine."
"Quite honestly, I feel ridiculous. I mean, look at me! This dress is huge! You'll be lucky if you can even get close enough to hold me while we dance."
Taking a step back to hold her at arm's length, the half-smile making its way across Jim's face was clearly pleased as he admired his wife in the glow of the solar-lights hanging about the hallway. "Ridiculous? No. You look like you're one of the royals. Princess Gatima has good taste. I don't know if I've ever really seen you in red."
Zarabeth felt her cheeks grow hot with her blush in embarrassment as she looked away from Jim's confident stare, concentrating instead on once again adjusting the ruffled sleeves of the ballgown trimmed in black lace.
"Good taste yes, but goodness is this thing heavy. I could hardly believe how large the box was when she'd sent it over to us. Or maybe I'm just overtired. Do I look fat?"
"Zara."
Looking up at Jim's short reply, the girl watched with her own soft smile as he closed the distance between them to tenderly kiss her, his hand still left caressing her cheek as he gave a small chuckle.
"It's too early for you to be saying those kinds of things. We've got the next nine months for all that. So please, pace yourself accordingly?"
"Ok, ok, I'm sorry. I'll try to not be the crazy pregnant lady. And technically, we only have thirty-four weeks left. Give or take a day or two."
Zara closed her eyes in contentment as she felt him leave another small kiss against her nose, enjoying the feeling of his hand as it gently ran along the lining of the waist on her dress. Nothing else needed to be said. They both understood.
She couldn't help but think about how happy she was in that moment. No one was out to kill them. No work was left to distract Jim. It was just their little family of two, soon to be three, standing in the empty hall of the royal palace, everything at peace. There was only one more thing left to do.
Once they'd actually made their way into the ballroom, Zarabeth found herself unable to do anything but let Jim lead her through the throngs of elegantly dressed men and women. All she could do was look around in dumbfounded wonder. Everything was so beautiful.
The walls shimmered with the dim lights shining from the crystal chandeliers hanging almost idly from the layers of the high ceiling, the combinations of each small ray of light easily filling the room in a warm glow. Everywhere Zara turned, there was something new to see. Tapestries, tables, chairs, flower arrangements even, everything seemed flawless. The guests not engaged in dancing were drifting contentedly about the perimeter of the room, making the middle open for the lively, yet elegant dances taking place there.
But it was to the far side of the room which Zarabeth found her eyes straying the most, over toward the platform on which the members of the royal family were seated, six in all. The King looked as he did in the few portraits she'd ever seen, his wife, the Queen, just the same. Two of the three princesses were seated alongside their parents, the younger no older than eleven, yet managing none the less to present herself with just as much grace and elegance as her older sisters.
It only took a moment of glancing about to find the prince and his elder sister, the two surrounded by a throng of laughter as they recounted some event or tale with just enough animation to appear engaging but with as much refinement as one would expect of a royal.
"Jim?"
Her attention turned back to her husband, Zarabeth did her best to hear his words over the clamor of the room as he spoke close to her ear, quickly shaking her head in response as she understood.
"Jim, no I'm alright."
"I'm serious. Zara, you look nervous enough to hurl."
She let a hint of a smirk peek through her smile as she held his hand a little tighter. "You don't need to worry about that. I was already sick this morning."
"You stay right here, young lady, while I get you something to eat, or maybe just drink. You need to calm down."
"Then I'll just come with you."
"It'll be faster if I can quick get it for you."
"You'll do it even if I say no?"
"Yes."
"Then I'd better just say 'please' and 'thank you'."
"That's better. Stay right here? I'll be back as quick as I can."
Letting go of her, Jim leaned in to quickly kiss the girl's cheek before stepping in to become another face in the crowd around them.
Feeling suddenly more lost than ever at the absence of Jim's presence, Zarabeth's first mission was to find someplace to sit down, strongly questioning in that moment why she had insisted upon wearing those shoes.
Inspecting the wall closest to her, Zara determinedly slipped through the maze of people separating her from an empty armchair she caught sight of, hoping no one would take it before she could even reach it. Her feet, pinched and angry before, were becoming more aggravated the more she thought about them, not worrying so much about looking overly ladylike at first as she plopped down in relief against the chair's cushioned form. She was sitting. Done. Now for her shoes. Relief instantly found her as she slipped them off, hiding them beneath the skirt of the armchair to retrieve later. She'd rather be barefoot than deal with sore feet the entire stretch of the night.
"Zarabeth?"
The girl had just barely managed to relax before the slight touch of a hand on her shoulder brought her back into full awareness. If she'd been smiling before, it was nothing compared to how she reacted in that short moment of recognition as she instantly stood to embrace her friend.
"Nomie, I-I thought you'd all left already. I didn't get a chance to say goodbye, to thank you."
"My presence is here now. And you and your husband are back safe. All of it is good again."
The girls held each other at arm's length, each looking the other over with undeniable happiness at being together again.
"Nomie, you look beautiful. I hardly recognized you without all that paint and everything."
"It is not the way here to be seen like that. My cousin was very certain when it came to making me ready for now."
"Your cousin? Who's your cousin? Or maybe I've already met them."
"You have made yourself known to her but not face in front of face. That is her dress she said?"
All curiosity suddenly left her as Zara's eyes went wide in realization, her blank stare lasting longer than she had meant as she smiled to mask over her own momentary shock.
"Gatima. Princess Gatima? She's your cousin?"
Amused by her reaction, Nomie smiled bright with the small ring of her laughter. "Be at ease, Zarabeth. I call her cousin because our races are. That is why the high seats here protect our clans."
Looking between her friend and the prince a little ways off, Zara smiled with a strange sense of relief, somehow feeling safer with that knowledge. "Nomie, did...was it you who spoke to the prince...about Silver?"
The alien girl's smile softened with the look in her amber eyes as she gave only a small nod.
Releasing a shaking breath with the emotions suddenly flooding her mind, Zara's hands held a little tighter to her friend's arms to steady herself, her words quiet when she did finally manage them.
"Thank you, Nomie. Thank you. I-I hope you know just how much this means to both of us, me and Jim. Silver he...he's more than a friend."
"A father, Zarabeth, blood or no should not be taken like that. He is a good man. I said words with him before you and your husband. I wished him to know that I was in debt to him of what he stopped for the high seats and the system of stars under them. He is very worth of saving."
"So, what does this mean for your people? I can't imagine your father will be pleased when you return home."
Nomie's look stayed as calm and cheerful as before, though it was her eyes which betrayed only the smallest hint of uncertainty as she spoke. "What has done is done. We are not in clear sight tonight. Only I am here. The others of our clans who came wait for me to go with them back tomorrow first light. I can do fine with my father. Thank you for the same, Zarabeth. Ah, but I see the face of your husband coming, so I shall leave you for right now. I will say goodbye before the end here."
The alien girl was ready to take her leave when Zara reached for her arm to stop her, releasing her gentle hold once Nomie's attentions were back to her as she held her outstretched hand to her friend like they'd done before they last fought together.
"You have been a true friend, Nomie. And I owe you everything. My life, and the lives of those dearest to me. I'm afraid all I can do is say 'thank you'."
The girl accepted the gesture by meeting it with her own before stepping away from her. "A friend, I know, we will always be, Zarabeth."