Chapter 35: Lost and Found
A/N: Alaya Karangalan, welcome on board of this story and thanks a million for your kind words and praise! I'm so glad you enjoyed Asha's poem. It took me ages to come up with an idea for her poem. Regarding your question about other Romulan/Human romance stories: I have listed them under my favourites on my profile page. There are very few of them around, which is one of the reasons why I decided to start my own story. Nice to see that you're open to join Team Tosha or Team Vreesha! :-D
romulanlover, thanks for clarifying the matter about the forgotten "lover" :-D About a Human mate or wife not being beneficial for Vreenak's political career:
-Asha is already married to Thorek. I don't think the Romulans would take kindly to one of their most important public figures carrying on with a married Human (despite Thorek's blessing) who is a nobody from a social-status-point-of-view.
-Canon-Vreenak is not a friend of the Federation and is in fact obnoxiously rude to Benjamin Sisko. I carried his attitude over into my fanfic. It would spoil Vreenak's reputation as a fiercely pro-isolationist-Empire Senator if he befriended or courted a Human openly. Furthermore, I guess that Senators as representatives of the Empire would be expected by their families, colleagues and the public to marry full-blooded Romulans.
-Canon-Vreenak is the Vice-Chairman of the Tal Shiar. In my fic, he left the Tal Shiar. Seeing that the Tal Shiar forced Asha into marriage, the last thing they'd want to see is their former employee getting too cosy with a Human. Vreenak was careful not to burn bridges with the Tal Shiar for his own sake. He'll not want to start anytime soon.
And finally, no, Asha doesn't have any Vulcan ancestors in the family. Her cousin Maya married a Vulcan and her husband Thorek had a Vulcan grandmother, but she herself is 100% human :-D
Christine79, thanks for your kind words! Yes, it is fortunate that Vreenak and Rovuxo were left with every part of their anatomy intact! If I had been in Rovuxo's shoes, I would have considered looking for a new position :-D
Drummer, lovely reading you, and please don't beat yourself up by calling yourself dumb and stupid, even as a joke. "Rihanha" does read and sound a lot like the singer's name – I thought so myself! "Rihannsu" is the plural form of "Rihanha", and since Asha was referring to only Vreenak, I had to go along with the singular form. I'm delighted that you're feeling the chemistry between Asha and Vreenak. Writing their conversations is such fun!
Today's vocab lesson: "nviahr" means "woman". "Kalen": "knife".
Vreenak was sitting outside on the veranda of Letant's villa sipping a glass of kali-fal. Letant was teasing him about Asha.
"She hardly reaches till your chin, but she holds your heart fast in her little Human hand," he commented. "Now, let me hear you deny it and tell me to cease my, ah, vulgar speculations, as you refer to my unsavoury truths."
Vreenak flicked away a non-existent foreign body from the side of his glass.
When Letant told him something he didn't like, he would often turn to silence as an ally. It struck him that it was churlish behaviour, and he sighed.
"I won't deny it, Delon."
"What is it? Love? Lust? Something in between? Both?"
"I don't know." He sipped at his drink. "She has a directness about her and is content if I am similarly direct."
"We Romulans have the habit of beating about the bush, to use a Human expression."
"From where did you pick that up?"
"From the Human Love Slave program on Deep Space Nine, though of course the hologram also meant it quite literally, as she was referring to-"
Vreenak raised his hand. "It is quite clear what she meant and what you were doing."
"Yes, it was a very vigorous program," Letant agreed, smirking, "but I digress. What are your plans with this enchanting Human nviahr?"
"Only my aide Rovuxo and you know that she visits my home near the sea."
"One of your favourite summer residences," Letant remarked. "She must mean a lot to you. Has she made any attempts at sharing your bed?"
Vreenak's eyes flashed. "She has not!"
"A dignified little lady. You are captivated by her, are you not? Come now, my friend, I have seen many a Romulan woman who is more striking in appearance than her. She is of a fairly common height for a Human female, but little for Romulans."
"If height is your main criterion for attractiveness in a mate, then I pity you," Vreenak commented abrasively.
Letant slapped his knee and laughed. "Oh, when you are in love, you take every humorous jab at face value!"
"I am not in love!"
"I cannot blame you. She is an excellent conversationalist, charming and a raptor at heart. I do think a bit of distraction would benefit you. An evening at Kalen, perhaps?"
Kalen, which meant "knife" in English, was a luxurious pleasure house located at the edge of the capital. It catered to the upper crust of Romulan society, offering an endless array of constellations to satisfy the sexual needs of its clients with complete discretion. Its rather martial slogan "We offer pleasure keener than a knife" was known to correspond to the truth.
"Very well," Vreenak agreed.
In the meantime, Asha finished her tenth tour of the house and collapsed onto the bed next to her husband. She had lost her anklet after her trip to Vreenak's villa and had not had the time to look for it as she had been away with her husband, Christine and Vekal over the weekend.
Thorek looked at her, concerned.
"My anklet! I lost it!" She was very upset. "It belonged to my mother, and she gave it to me with the other one. I'd always tell myself to tighten the catches properly, and I'd keep forgetting."
"Maybe it is in the flitter which transported you to the Senator's or it's lying in his house," he comforted her, kissing the back of her neck. "I'm sure you'll find it."
"I'd be so glad. I know it's only for sentimental reasons, but still."
"I can imagine what it is to you," Thorek said.
"I wonder how my parents and friends are doing back on Earth. I miss them every day even though Romulus is my second home and you are my family."
"Ashaya, you were separated from your loved ones and planet without consent. Of course you miss them every day."
"I would have told them all about you and the friends I've made here." She sighed, then squared her shoulders. "The Empire can't live in isolation forever, and I can't imagine why the Federation would attack Romulan outposts."
"It doesn't make sense," Thorek agreed. She snuggled up to him, then frowned.
"E'lev, do you hear that?"
"Yes."
There was a funny snuffling sound in the room. Thorek leant over and peeked underneath the bed.
"Let me guess. It's Lilou," Asha laughed.
Thorek hoisted himself up. "You're right, my ailhun. Lilou! Out!" he commanded, pressing a button on the panel embedded in his bedside table. The bedroom door opened, and the set'leth shot out, much to the couple's amusement.
At the crack of dawn, Letant drove home, tipsy with too much Romulan wine and drained after an orgy with three Romulans. Vreenak himself had been more than satisfied to have only one person cater to his wishes and he had managed to stay sober.
Letant had upbraided him for being stingy, and Vreenak had retorted that he, Letant, was wasteful. And so they had parted with friendly insults.
Before going to bed, Vreenak skimmed through his PADD. There was a brief message from the man in charge of cleaning his summer villa. He had found a silver bracelet in the library and placed it in the alcove decorating the library. He had also attached an image. Vreenak recognised the jewellery at once.
The next day, he had Rovuxo drive him to the villa. Once inside, he checked that the house had been cleaned properly. It was a residence where he employed staff for cleaning and gardening, but not for daily housekeeping.
He was all alone. Upstairs, he opened the window with the press of a button and as the panel slid back, he breathed in the calming sea air. Then he picked up a framed picture which was displayed on the table. It was a photograph of his wife. There was another one showing the two of them during their wedding celebration. It had been one of the happiest times of his life. That, and the day she had told him she was expecting their child. And now they were dead.
He tenderly placed both pictures back on the table and sighed.
He went to the library, his favourite room where he liked to distract himself from brooding over the past, present and future.
In a small alcove in the wall, the jewellery his cleaning man had mentioned caught his eye. It was not a bracelet, though it looked like one to uninitiated eyes. It was one of Asha's anklets.
He cradled it in his palm and examined the malleable s-shaped catch, a system he considered very clumsy. Asha had not pressed the hook back tightly enough after fastening the clasp, and so it had slipped from her foot. And fastened to the hook were those tiny little bells which jingled softly at her every step.
A few days had passed, and she must have noticed that it was missing by now – it was one of a pair. He smiled as he held it up to the sunlight. Made of the Earth metal silver, perfect for a little ankle like Asha's.
He could send off Rovuxo with the anklet and order him to deliver it to its owner.
Or he could wait until she had finished reading the three books he had lent her and she contacted him...when? After the same number of months? On an impulse and against all his military and political training, he decided to give it back to her in person. It was a rash move for someone meticulous like him, but Romulans were passionate and once that passion flared up, it was hard to cool.
Vreenak checked his reflection in the mirror. He tugged at his wig slightly and blinked hard to moisten his brown contact lenses. He checked the surveillance cameras installed in the villa. Now and then he had seen people walking past at almost too casual a pace, and his trained eye, combined with the Romulan penchant for paranoia, suspected they were his old "friends" from the Tal Shiar. They had seemed so very innocuous.
The cameras stated that the coast was clear. His false identity ready, he left, using the exit near the garden.
He was going, disguised as a "commoner", to visit Asha. He knew she would be working at home and that her husband was lecturing at his workplace. Asha's tutor Rhian t'Merek had found a small job for her. It consisted of correcting children's essays written in Federation Standard. As Rhian was in charge and highly respected, Asha could fill in the position despite her limited rights as a citizen. With Thorek's help, as she required her spouse's permission, she had opened a basic account for her small salary. It was very little, but she was deeply grateful to Rhian, and Thorek was proud of her persistence.
Vreenak did not wish to interrupt her working hours with a surprise visit. Romulans set up strict timetables and had little patience or understanding if their routine was disrupted. He calculated his meeting for mid-afternoon, when she would be finished.
He took the public transport, seating himself between a Romulan woman absorbed in her PADD and a desperate-looking father with a fretting baby and a set'leth. From the looks of it, no amount of modern conveniences could ease the trials and tribulations of parenting.
Vreenak, of course, would have had staff and rich relatives with their own staff to pamper his offspring, if it had seen the daylight of Romulus. He made a mental note to write to his parents, uncles and aunts. If they knew that he was currently befriending a Human without a political agenda in mind, they would be furious. It was none of their business, and he always kept his correspondence focused on work anyways.
Once he got off the tube, he took a yall'ianen carriage to Asha's home. She had mentioned to him that she loved this mode of transport. He was fond of it, too.
Finally, the carriage stopped in front of the gate. He descended and paid for his trip.
Making sure not to appear regal and conspicuous in his manner of walking, he sauntered nonchalantly to the door, glancing around from the corner of his eye lest some spying Tal Shiar agent might be nearby and pretending to be as innocuous as him.
He pressed the button next to the door.
It was opened quickly by Asha's assistant. He greeted her politely and asked if the Lady was available for a special delivery.
Yes, she was. If he would like to step inside for a moment? He did, and Kihika closed the door behind him and went to inform her Ihhei.
A minute later, he heard footsteps on the stairs. He used a breathing technique taught during military service to calm down his heart rate.
Asha was wearing a green sleeveless Romulan dress. It brought out the rich golden shade of her skin and complemented her eyes well. She walked towards him, and her faithful set'leth Lilou followed her. He couldn't take his eyes off her.
"Jolan'tru, Ihhei t'Darak. I have a special delivery for you." He made his voice a little higher to conceal it.
Lilou whisked around his legs, looked up at him and butted his hand with her muzzle. He scratched her head lightly with a well-manicured forefinger. Asha switched her gaze from him to Lilou and back again.
"Yes?" she prompted politely, looking closely at his face. Smiling inwardly, he took out a pouch.
"If you could kindly open it now and confirm the delivery, Ihhei?" he murmured. She glanced at Lilou, who was rubbing her muzzle against his knee, and obeyed.
"My anklet!" she exclaimed, removing the jewellery from the pouch.
Then, in a low voice: "Deihu tr'Vreenak, is that you?"
"It is, Asha. Though I am Merken to you."
She burst out laughing. "Lilou recognised you at once. Oh, she's wonderful!" She patted Lilou's head affectionately.
"Thank you for coming all the way to return it. Now you really do have to come inside."
He did. He noticed that she served him herself, just like he had done when she had been his guest, bringing him a bowl with herbal water to wash his hands, confections and spiced tea. The towel she gave him to dry his hands was beautifully embroidered and depicted a Terran animal called an elephant, popular in India.
"It is strange to see you in this disguise, to hear your real voice and know it's you," she remarked.
"Surveillance is a dangerous thing when one might be on the receiving end," he said briefly.
"Yet you visited me in person."
"I have an affinity for risk, and I was optimistic that you would recognise me with input from your set'leth. I am familiar with her habit of following you around everywhere. Did you notice that you had lost your anklet?"
"Yes, I was looking all over the house. Thorek and Kihika tried to help, and even Lilou joined in the fun. I did wonder if I had lost it your villa." She blushed. "I was too shy to ask."
"Shy? You don't strike me as shy."
"Well...to ask a Deihu if he could comb the house for an anklet seemed...outrageous."
"It would have been nothing of the sort. As it happened, my cleaning man found it and notified me."
"I owe you both my thanks."
"You're welcome. He mistook it for a bracelet, by the way. Fortunately, it didn't land in the Firefalls of Gal'Gathong," he explained, referring to the poem she had read out during the poetry event he had hosted, and she blushed again, this time with pleasure.
They conversed for a little, and then he rose.
"I can only stay for a short time. I must leave now. But..." he reached out and took her hands in his, "...tell me when you have finished reading those books. You know how to reach me by PADD. I would enjoy meeting you to discuss them."
"I will." She pressed his hands, and they looked into each other's eyes.
"Jolan'tru, Asha."
"Jolan'tru, Merken. Be safe."
