Terrans were predictably the same. They were carbon-based life forms with iron-based blood. Their bodies were composed of up to 60% of the polar inorganic compound H2O. Besides the obvious traits that Terrans shared, the one emotional commonality was hate and xenophobia.
It should not have surprised Sarek that Amanda expressed her utter dislike of him, it was in her nature as a Terran. Something in Sarek felt this twist in his chest when he thought back to what she said to him. Now in the sanctuary of his own room, he could put the peculiar day behind him. As governor to Vulcan he had to remain in control at all cost. A Terran, even his own bondmate, would not change that. His mental facilities needed to be present and his adherence to the Teachings of Surak absolute. Sarek briefly thought back to the ancient copy of that sat in his office in the capital. He pushed the feelings away about the missing text. That was for another day for him to analyze. He took an even breath and continued to his closet.
As an astrophysicist by profession, his knowledge on quantum mechanics and his understanding of the molecular make up of dark matter were easier to understand than emotions. In the end numbers and equations had intended outcomes. Emotions did not. It was the random variable he could not account for. It was the thing that made Terrans erratic and even he knew it was the thing that could drive a Vulcan to insanity. The emotions of the last month were proof of that. It was only recently that he found some solace in mediation over his minor betrayal and distain for the Terran Empire.
Sarek started to take off his wedding attire. The Terran Empire pin he grabbed gently with his hands and placed it on the table. His hand reached into the pocket of his pants and he took out a small black drive. He curiously looked at it and wondered what information it contained and why it was left in Governor Grax's possession. He set the drive down on the shelf in his closet, and quickly donned his meditation robes. The emotional equilibrium he sought could only be found through meditation. Emotions that were not his own of guilt and anger hit him and he squelched the feeling. He was sure that Amanda's emotional instability was effecting him. When he had a completed bond with T-Rea he never felt this emotionally unstable. They worked well in their bond and had proper mental barriers. Sarek felt a strange sad emotion of betrayal and even longing thinking back on his time with T-Rea. It had been years since he felt that particular way. After her death, he mediated for months to come to terms with her fate and treason. He quickly pushed the lingering emotions away. Now with Amanda they had the most basic of bonds and the amount of emotion rolling off her was something he had never experienced. He would have to talk to her to help better maneuver this bond. He had to, especially, if they were to solidify their bond when his Time came. He could not account for Amanda's behavior she was erratic and all words that he seemed to speak would cause an emotional reaction in her regardless of the context.
He went to sit on the mat in his meditation room and took a deep breath through his nose and out through his mouth to calm the raging hurricane of emotion waiting to take him away. It was then that he heard a thud, and the storm of emotions were partially silenced. Sarek's eyelids fluttered open and he turned his head to the sound. It was from Amanda's room. Part of him knew he should just ignore it because she vehemently stated that she found him capable of assaulting her. It was logical to respect her wishes and not to exasperate her unstable emotional state.
The minutes passed as Sarek went into his medication. The thought that the sound he heard from Amanda's room distracted him from fully committing himself to his mediation. His instinct to go check on her persisted and he could no longer ignore it. If he checked he could get back to his meditation sooner. He could approach her door and state his presence. He was sure Amanda would immediately make it known if she did not want his presence there. If she did not state she was there then he could confirm one of two hypothesizes. The first would be she was obtaining rest. The second was she could have lost conciseness.
Sarek stood and walked to exit his room and across the hall to Amanda's room.
He stood near the door to listen, and did not detect any movement. He could hear her light breathing and the wind blowing against the windows. He determined that she might be sleeping.
Sarek spoke, "Amanda."
There was only silence.
"Amanda, are you present?"
Again there were no words. Sarek felt a small sense of panic but remained calm. She would not do anything drastic. The thought that maybe he would not have to deal with her if she were dead ran through his mind, but he felt guilt the moment he thought of it. He pushed the unusual thought away and spoke once more,
"Amanda, are you obtaining rest?"
Again, no response.
Sarek pushed the door slightly, gauging if she was awake or not. He scanned the room and did not see Amanda in the bed. He pushed the door open some more and took a step hesitantly into the room. He saw the door to the sonic was open and then he saw her.
Amanda's body was slumped on the ground. Her dress and robes rode up so he could see part of her legs. Sarek stared at her small feet and his eyes trailed up her calf up to her mid-thigh where her bare skin stopped. He averted his eyes. He was reminded that this woman accused him of being a sexual predator. Voyeuristic was not a word he wanted Amanda to associate him with. Instead, he looked at her face, it held no expression. There were beads of sweat on her face and her cheeks were flushed. He saw on her right temple a small amount of blood. Sarek quickly walked over to her and knelt down.
He didn't want to touch her in case he would wake her. Yet, it was logical to check her pulse and then contact a healer.
Sarek carefully grabbed her right hand. It felt small and bony compared to his. He accidentally brushed fingers with her and felt that euphoric spark again. Part of him wanted to reach out for her fingers again and relish in the feeling, but he maintained control and used his index finger and middle finger to check her pulse. Sarek noted that her pulse was 81 beats per minute. He could hear that her breathing was coming out in short labored pants.
Sarek stood up and looked at her from a standing position. He knew that their bodyguards Saya or Tevik would be near by and would be able to retrieve a healer.
Sarek picked up his communicator, "Saya, this is Governor Sarek."
"T'nar pak sorat y'rani, Governor Sarek."
"T'nar jaral."
"What is it that you require, Governor?"
"I have discovered my bondmate unconscious in her room. She requires medical assistance."
"How long has she been unconscious?"
Sarek made the calculation quickly in his mind, "Approximately 12.4 minutes."
"Where is she located in her sleeping quarters?"
"She is on the floor 50 centimeters from her sonic."
"I suggest you move her carefully to a bed and make sure her tongue is not blocking her airway. I will come with Healer Leis in 5.2 minutes."
"Your service honors the Terran Empire, Saya."
"I only wish to serve the Empire, Governor Sarek."
The called ended, and Sarek set down the communicator and looked at Amanda on the ground. He almost felt nervous about touching her.
It was logical of him to follow through with Saya suggested. He walked back towards her and knelt down to pick her up. He slide his arms under her back and legs. He stood up with her in his arms. Amanda's head rolled back and Sarek adjusted her so her head was resting on his chest. He noted that she was soft and there was a pleasant smell about her. He did not know the word for her scent, it was a Terran smell, but it was feminine. Her hair fell in front of her face as he set her down on the bed and adjusted her head carefully to make sure she could breath.
He took a step back and stared at her. There was something perplexing about her. Sarek was hit with the thought that this was his bondmate and he had no knowledge of who this person was. She was nearly a stranger, he briefly interacted with her at the Terran Empire Delegation when she explained the reason for why gambling was popular in society. He knew she was a daughter of a traitor, Admiral Grayson, and that she was in prison for approximately 3 weeks. The words Amanda spoke about her time in prison sounded barbaric. She mentioned she was blind and Sarek wondered if he would be able to breach the topic with her. He only had a small percentage of information about Amanda Grayson. His few interactions with her gave him nothing. When he decided to follow through with tying himself to her, he was more concerned with following the Empress' wishes than his own. A part of him felt curious, but another part of him knew that he should not completely trust her either. He did not know her true character and so far her actions and emotional outburst showed that he could not trust her in the slightest. T'Pau even said that she had the potential to be a spy, why else would the Empress align him with the daughter of a traitor?
He was taken from his reserve when Saya buzzed for clearance in his home. Sarek gave them clearance and he heard them walk up the stairs. He heard the set of footsteps approach him.
Saya spoke, "Governor, I have brought Healer Leis. May she enter?"
"She may."
"I will wait in the foyer. Notify me if you are in need of any assistance."
Saya gave the Terran salute and left the room. Healer Leis walked towards Sarek gave the salute and looked at the unconscious Terran woman. Leis took her medical kit and set it on the bed and spoke at the same time.
"I believe there are 2 possibilities for why your bondmate was rendered unconscious."
Sarek nodded waiting for her to go on.
"She is the first Terran to ever undergo a bond. Do you feel anything amiss with the structure of your bond?"
"No."
"I will check the bond on her side before we continue."
The healer walked over to Amanda and touched her hand to her face. She assessed the bethoral bond and found the connection strong and study like any other bond she had analyzed.
"The betrothal bond meets normal standards. I will take out the medical scanner to determine what has occurred with your bondmate."
The healer took out a medical scanner and looked at the readings. "Governor Sarek, it would seem that your bondmate has not taken the right dosage of tri-ox compound. The gravity is putting a significant amount of stress on her heart. "
Sarek knew that Terrans could not deal with the gravity on Vulcan easily, "That can be easily remedied."
"Correct. I brought tri-ox compound with me since I assumed that was the case. I also have a supply of eye drops for her. Terran eyes are weak to light."
"What about her head injury?"
"The small cut on her head will heal properly and there is no inflammation in her brain."
Healer Leis took out a hypospray and injected it into Amanda. Leis looked back at her scanner and saw Amanda's temperature go down and her heart rate calm down.
Leis turned to Sarek, "This is sufficient. I will leave you with the medication. She is to take 25 mg of tri-ox compound twice a day, one in the morning and one in the evening. Her dosage may decrease in time as she begins to acclimate to the gravity. If she skips a dose she will experience fatigue and potentially have a repeat of this incident. She is to also use the eye drops once everyday in the mornings. Here is another hypo to help with any physical discomfort from her head injury. "
Leis took out the hyposprays and eyes drops and put them on the bed.
"I will make sure that she is given the medication when she requires it."
"She should not be unconscious for much longer. If she happens to be unconscious by tomorrow morning contact me."
"I will. Your service honors the Terran Empire, Healer Leis."
Sarek gave the Terran salute and the healer gave it in return. Leis walked out of the room and Sarek heard her leave the home. He gathered the medication and placed the medication on her nightstand. Briefly, his eyes analyze her form which is still aesthetically appealing even if she is not a sufficient weight. He looks at her ears more closely, they were rounded. He had an irrational desire to touch them. He put his hands behind his back and stood taller and looked at her as she rested. Her cheeks were no longer red and her breathes were long and deep.
Amanda opened her eyes and the room was slightly darker now that the sun was starting to go down on Vulcan. Her vision was split and she felt very dizzy. It took her a moment for her vision to focus but when it did she did not expect Sarek to be looming over her. Amanda let out a scream that came out as more as a yelp.
Sarek jumped a little not anticipating that type of reaction. He had the realization that this situation could only have one possible outcome.
Amanda noticed that her head felt a little tender but she did not feel heavy. Instead her body felt sore. She looked at Sarek whose face was emotionless. Fear overcame her as she thought of all the possibilities. Why was he in her bedroom staring at her? She looked down at her body and her clothing wasn't perfectly wrapped over her like it was earlier. The emotions of the day came back to her in full force. Tears almost came to her eyes, but then an anger filled her. She would no longer be silent. She had to protect herself. Amanda furrowed her brow and croaked when she spoke again,
"What have you done?"
Sarek replied, "I have-"
Amanda interjected, "Stop! You have taken advantage of me!" Her breathing became short as she came close to having a panic attack.
"I did not. I came here to-"
She cut him off again, "You don't need to explain anything to me! You came in here and drugged me."
"You are-"
"Don't say illogical!"
Sarek pushed the feeling of frustration in him when she did not let him defend himself.
He retorted immediately, "Amanda, I did not harm you. I only entered your quarters when I heard a sound from your room. I hypothesized that you may have been rendered unconscious. I was correct and I found your body on the floor of this room. The healer came to give you the proper medication. I was-"
Amanda raised her voice, "You have nothing more to say to me! Leave! Now!"
Sarek straightened and almost felt anger. He wondered why Terrans had customs that involved speaking at high decibels, "You have not allowed me to finish my statements. Before I leave I must tell you that you will find tri-ox compound and eye drops on the table next to this bed. I am taking my leave so I do not add more to your stress levels, and potential injuries. You are emotionally compromised."
Amanda felt tears leave her eyes and she was about to say more when another voice came from the door, "Governor Sarek and Lady Amanda, I heard a loud yelp that alerted me. Are there any disturbances that I should alert Tevik of?"
Amanda looked at the tall beautiful Vulcan woman and reality hit her and her anxiety started to calm down as her rationality stared to come back.
Sarek turned to her, "Saya, there is not a situation that need your attention. My bondmate has had a difficult day with her health on Vulcan. She needs to obtain sufficient rest. You may leave."
"I will take my leave at once, Governor Sarek." Saya turned to Amanda, "Lady Amanda of you need my presence you may comm me. You can find my communicator code on the desk by the window."
Saya gave the Terran salute and left them alone in the room. Amanda had calmed down. She looked over at the table and there were hyposprays and eye drops. He was telling the truth. Guilt hit Amanda and she realized she accused him of something he did not do. His face held no emotion. Surly he felt emotions, Amanda thought.
She was about to speak again when Sarek turned to her with his cold gaze, "I see that you require your distance from me in order to maintain a rational and emotionally stable life. I am not capable of sexual assault and your accusations have been unfounded. I suggest you do not bring it up again for your own health.
'I will not purposefully seek you out or burden you with my presence. I simple ask you to appear with me at official Terran Empire events and when we share meals with other members of the clan. There are many bondmates that live relatively separate lives. You are my bondmate and you owe the Terran Empire and Vulcan these services. It is logical for you to follow through with this request for the purpose of your own life."
Amanda felt guilt from accusing him again weigh on her. She was being erratic. Amanda immediately beat herself up for being so mentally off the rails. This was not who she was! The torture of the last couple weeks and new culture put her on edge. Amanda hadn't felt emotionally or mentally stable for weeks and it felt like her real self was trapped somewhere deep inside of her. She was typically so rational.
Even though she no longer thought of him as a sexual predator. He still had some sort of bizarre mental connection with her. He explained it to her and she still could barely grasp the idea of two minds somehow being bound and linked forever. Amanda stared at her hands and her eyes had a glazed over look. Sarek noticed this but did not understand it.
There was this tension in the air as Amanda stared at him with tears in her eyes and the weight of guilt searing in her chest. Sarek stared at her wondering how he was bonded to a Terran with the most volatile behavior he had witnessed. Amanda wanted to apologize. The words were at the tip of her tongue but she could not get the words out. The words were stuck in her throat along with her tears. Sarek noticed that she had nothing to leave and needed to escape the situation.
Sarek gave Amanda a formal salute and left the room before Amanda could voice her apology. Regret filled her and she wished she could take back the words that had left her mouth hastily. She was by herself on this planet. The only other Terrans on this place were Imperial Starfleet Officers, and they did not see her more than a whore for the Vulcan Governor.
Amanda laid down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. A part of her should feel grateful. She was not stuck in that prison any longer. This room with a bed, a sonic and an office nook was more than she could ask for. There was even a closet. She looked out the window as the sun set over the horizon. She didn't know how long she stared at the ceiling as her room got darker but she saw a PADD on the nightstand light up. She looked at it and saw a notification. It was from Sarek.
She opened it.
Amanda,
I did not mention the particular instructions of your medication before I left. Per Healer Leis' instructions you are to take 25 mg of tri-ox compound twice a day. You will take one dose in the morning and the other in the evening. Be sure to use the eyes drops in the morning. The sun here can cause pain in Terran eyes.
I will make arrangements with a servant to make sure your prescription is refilled. I ask that you take the prescription as the healer outlined so we may not experience another mental and physical health crisis.
Sarek
Amanda sighed when she read the message. She needed to apologize to him. Part of her wanted to take the easy way out and just send a message with an apology but she knew she needed to do it in person soon. If she wanted to survive here she needed to play the game right. At least until she could find a way to get off the planet to her freedom and away from the Vulcans and weird forced marriages. Determination filled her as she held onto the hope that one day she would be free. Now it would be best for her to lay low and not draw so much attention to herself. Being Terran and married to the Vulcan governor already put a huge target on her back. The Vulcans hated her and Terrans thought she was disgusting for being in a interspecies marriage. To be honest she felt weird about being married to Vulcan. She had so many things to worry about besides figuring out how to take care of her mental health.
Amanda noticed that this PADD was logged into her Terran Empire ID. She looked at her identification file. There was a picture of her before her life took a turn for the worst. Her name was changed it had this really long last name, S'chn T'gai. She couldn't pronounce it for the life of her. Her behavioral credit was back to normal. Probably for the sake of being married to a governor. Her eyes looked at the species title. Her species was changed to Vulcan. Amanda felt weird when she saw that. She was genetically Terran, even though she was now a resident of Vulcan. Amanda left her ID page and looked for the newest Official Imperial Holonews broadcast to try and shake the feeling that the Terran Empire took a part of her identity away.
A voice came from the closed door, "Lady Amanda, Governor Sarek instructed me to deliver your end meal to your quarters."
Amanda was surprised that there were servants around. It felt strange to have that type of service after being in prison for so long. She grew up with Kelpien slaves at her foot and call but she had forgotten that in the last month.
"You may enter."
It was the bodyguard Saya. She was surprised to see her.
"Lady Amanda, I brought you saffir, shav-rot, and water. The servant who is suppose be at your service was unable to come because of her requirements for other duties involving her bondmate. Tonight I will make sure you are feed, I also came to discuss emergency plans with you. Tevik and I are assigned to be bodyguards of you and Governor Sarek, but Sarek specifically hired me to be the bodyguard of his current bondmate."
Amanda was confused by the phrase 'current bondmate.' Was she not his first wife? Amanda was distracted from thinking further when she smelt the food, she had not eaten all day. The food was strange it was like nothing she had before. One of them looked kind of like bread but the soup was a swirl of fuchsia and blue. The smell from it was spicy but not anything she was entirely familiar with. She was curious how it would taste and hoped it was not bitter like those berries T'Rama gave her before the ceremony.
"Thank you."
Saya set the meal on the table and spoke evenly, "It is important that you partake of this meal. After the medical attention you required today you are in need of a balanced diet."
Amanda nodded. It was strange Saya was not as cold as the other Vulcans she encountered. Amanda looked at her and she was stoic. Could she trust her?
"I wish to continue to tell you about the contingency plans if any life threatening situations were to occur."
"Cool, what are the plans?"
"Cool? Are you referring to the temperature?"
How Vulcan, Amanda thought. She continued,"No, Terrans just use it as a word to respond to things they agree with or even use it to describe people."
"It is strange to use a word that is for describing temperature in that context."
"It is when you say it like that."
"Lady Amanda, I messaged you the contingency plans. They are thorough and cover various types of situations if they were to occur. There is not sufficient time for me to discuss them with you, but I ask you read all 40,000 words."
Amanda almost wanted to laugh and she let out a small chuckle. There was no way she would read that many words. Vulcans were so strange. Saya tilted her head slightly when she heard Amanda chuckle.
"Is there something you feel I did not add to the plans?"
"No, Saya, I'm sure you have enough. I'll make sure to read the plans. Thank you."
"Please contact me if you need clarification on any of the sections. You can see my qualifications on the first section of the document. I only wish to serve the Empire."
"You serve the Empire greatly. I will make sure I reach out to you for further questions."
Saya gave the Terran salute, and Amanda returned it. Saya walked out the door and Amanda was left by herself with the food. Her PADD was still right next to her and she grabbed it and walked to the table towards the foreign food.
The grumbling of her stomach reminded her that she hadn't eaten all day. She hoped this food was palpable. She first went for the bread thing that she couldn't remember the name of and took a bite from it. It was the texture of a flatbread but the flavor was that of sweet potatoes with a slight tart after taste. Amanda didn't mind the flavor, she went for the soup and took a sip. It was very spicy and salty and it reminded her of Sichuan peppers that made her mouth numb when she ate them. She wasn't sure if she should keep eating it or not. Her body needed the energy so she ate the soup as fast as she could.
She opened the Official Imperial Holonews on her PADD. It started with showing the current changes in Starfleet captains and first officers. Immediately, the first news highlight was the wedding. Amanda felt nervous when the segment began.
"Welcome my subjects. This is a joyous day for the Terran Empire. This couple before me has accepted my match and have come here to kneel before me in devotion to one another. This marriage will be the only one of its kind that I will allow because of my grace and mercy."
An applause erupted from the room and the Empress smiled as she soaked in all the glory. The camera turned to Sarek as he looked at Amanda and her smile faltered.
"I will now marry you according to Terran customs first and then there will be a Vulcan ceremony."
The Empress pulled out an intricate hologram, "Sarek, I ask you to sign this marriage certificate that you will honor the union that is being put in place this day by your Empress."
"I will," Sarek replied. He placed his hand up on the hologram and a swirl of blue traced over his hand and confirmed that he willingly signed the document.
"Amanda, I ask you to sign this marriage certificate that you will honor this union that is being put in place this day by your Empress."
"I will," Amanda replied. She placed her right hand up and she signed the hologram with her handprint and DNA signature.
"Now that you are married according to Terran law, I will now let Healer Leis perform the bonding according to Vulcan tradition."
The older Vulcan lady stood in front of Amanda and Sarek and placed her hands on both of their faces. The woman spoke and there were subtitles to what was being said.
Leis continued in Vulcan ,"Parted from each other and never parted, never and always touching and touched."
Sarek repeated the phrase in standard, "Amanda, parted from me and never parted, never and always touching and touched."
The room hushed and Amanda and Sarek had their eyes closed in deep mediation.
Amanda repeated those words, "Sarek, parted from me and never parted, never and always touching and touched."
The healer let go of both there faces and both of them opened their eyes. They didn't really look at each other.
The healer spoke, "It is done. Complete the ritual by performing the ozh'esta."
Sarek and Amanda's hands connected.
Amanda gasped when she saw her and Sarek do that weird thing. It was a strange shocking sensation and then there was a euphoric feeling from it. It made her face feel a little warm recalling the sensation. She could feel her fingers tingle just by remembering. It was strange seeing him raise his eyebrow and stare at her intensely. Looking at it from an outside view the Empire made their relationship look almost romantic. It was bizarre. They didn't show a cut of her face it went straight to a shot of the whole room filled with people Amanda did not know. When the camera set to her face Amanda was smiling, but it was faltering. They walked down the aisle as people applauded them and saw them exit the room.
Amanda remembered this moment vividly and she was curious how it was portrayed on the holonews. They were swept into a room with an announcer, Lewis Reynolds. Amanda was only familiar with him because they had to watch the news everyday.
The announcer spoke, "Amanda Grayson, before you were married to Governor Sarek of Vulcan, you were a school teacher at the Terran Empire Youth Academy, and daughter of an admiral. With this marriage on Vulcan it has closed the tension between Terra and Vulcan. What are your thoughts on this?"
Amanda had a wide smile and replied, "Peace between the two worlds is vital and we need to have a united front as the Terran Empire to help put an end to any terrorists."
"This is true. This marriage symbolizes the end of an old era and the beginning of a new one. Empress Sato was wise in her choice. Wouldn't you agree?"
Amanda faltered for a moment but she knew what she needed to say not how she felt, "I couldn't have said it better myself. Governor Sarek is a great leader and he will work closely with the Empress to insure that balance will be maintained."
The announcer looked at Sarek and the camera went to him. He looked phlegmatic as Amanda spoke but didn't skip a beat when the announcer started to speak to him.
"Your bride is really supportive of you as a governor. You are lucky to have her. Today she looks marvelous in traditional Vulcan clothes. Don't you agree that she is beautiful?"
Sarek was silent for a moment, but continued, "Amanda's aesthetic and attire is satisfactory. I am honored to serve the Terran Empire and my Empress in this endeavor."
The announcer chuckled, and turned back to the camera, "Thank you Governor Sarek, and Amanda. This was the marriage of the century. There will be more updates about this beautiful marriage in the coming months. That is all for the coverage. Long live the Terran Empire."
The announcer gave the Terran Empire salute, and Sarek and Amanda left from the camera to a different room filled with cameras and people. The OIH transitioned to a different segment.
Amanda's jaw dropped and she zoned out for the rest of the news. It was ridiculous how the Terran Empire would edit something so much to make it seem like Sarek and her had this romantic relationship when in reality they barely even knew each other and Amanda knew she didn't trust him in the slightest.
She finished the last remaining amount of food in front of her, and walked to the sonic. She hopped the sonic had a water setting so she could take a shower she needed one. Amanda analyzed the day and her behavior. Today she got married to a man she didn't know, was subjected to racism, and accused someone of having the ability to rape her twice. She sighed.
Amanda looked at the herself in a mirror. She was underweight and the make up on her face was halfway off from the sweat and tears of the day. Her wedding clothes was loose and out of place. A sigh came out of her mouth and she stripped down and stepped into the sonic. She was pleased to see that there was a water setting. She turned it on she closed her eyes and for a moment she imagined she was in her apartment at home on Terra, and that she had just gotten back from a long day and post-work drinks with Jean Price. She smiled at the thought, but it was immediately followed by the melancholy as she recalled the past weeks. Her lips twitched into a frown. She could never go back to those times before her father's death. It was in the past.
She had to be present. Amanda needed to be able to survive and escape the Terran Empire. A plan was needed for her to do so. In order to do this she needed to be on Sarek's good side. She couldn't accuse him of being able to assault her anymore. He was a governor and there had to be benefits to being his wife even though it terrified her to think of becoming close to him. She could play the diplomate and wife if she needed to. First order of business for her was to ask forgiveness from Sarek because she did feel guilty about how she treated him and she needed to clear the air. Then she could research what was at her disposal so she could plan an escape. Maybe someone would be willing to help her escape? Amanda would not be bound to the fate the Empress set for her. The Empire thought that they took everything from her when they killed her father, but they could never take her perseverance, and spirit. There was a lot of work to do and Amanda was ready to get started.
Author's Note:
Dear readers, I wrote the bulk of this chapter over 2 weeks ago and last Saturday I made some great edits to this instillation. Before I knew it this weekend appeared and I had to fly back to my hometown for some family matters. I'm about to board a red eye flight back home and a wave of inspiration to finish this chapter has hit me. I truly hope you enjoyed this one and as always leave a review!