Chapter 47: Preparations
A/N: Hi romulanlover, thanks for your comment! Letant's robotic bugs were inspired by a pesky number of stink bugs hereabouts. I actually found one crawling onto my shoulder this morning, and I was rather concerned it might spray on me when I managed to imprison it with a cup. Fortunately, it didn't. And yes, Vreenak and Letant are going to be suspicious about everything with several legs and wings :-)
Christine had a people-pleasing habit before coming to Romulus, which meant that she pleased no one and had people walking all over her and then out on her. As a result, she developed a shield by trying to boss others around. Vekal knows this and loves her no matter what.
Alaya Karangalan, it's always a pleasure to read your comments! One of the few reasons Thorek tolerates Christine is because he knows that Asha cares a lot about her, and also because Christine helped him during the first challenging stages of his marriage. Hiren has a very short scene in Nemesis, but enough to establish him as a haughty, impatient and domineering character. He killed Neral in one of the Star Trek novels. Not someone I would like to have a cup of tea with. At least canon Neral had a nice flower in his office.
Vreenak is definitely having difficulties keeping his emotions under control. He's very much in love with Asha, but respects her wishes and admires her for wanting to gain her citizenship on her own merits.
As for Humans being warriors, we just have to look at the past and current state of our world to assume that the planet will probably come to an end with many people still tearing out each other's hair…unless the Tribbles have taken over by then :-)
Notes: Like Hiren, Tal'aura appears in Star Trek: Nemesis. She wiped out all her fellow Senators (including Hiren), so while I love her hairstyle with the purple highlights, she must have been pretty ruthless to commit mass murder of her colleagues!
I read a bit of the Star Trek novel where Hiren kills Neral with poisonous birds. Neither of them strike me as nice guys in the least. Romulan politicians are a tricky lot.
Asha took out the PADD Senator Cretak had sent her in response to her application for full Romulan citizenship and turned it on with a sweaty hand. She read it silently and handed it to Thorek with a neutral expression. Thorek went through it carefully and announced: "Accepted. But under special conditions."
"What special conditions?" Christine asked while Vekal frowned.
"While they have accepted my book for submission, I am to write an exam on the grounds that my book was prepared and edited in advance. They want my writing to be of a more spontaneous nature in order to test how well I truly know the Romulan language. I will be informed about who will examine me in another letter, which should arrive in three weeks," Asha explained.
Thorek's nostrils flared – always a sign of annoyance. "And this is supposed to be an accelerated process? By throwing an extra obstacle in your way?" He flung the PADD across the hall, where it landed in a potted plant, spraying mud everywhere.
"It does not come as a surprise to me," Vekal remarked. "But-"
"The bottom line is, they have accepted it, and you can go ahead with studying up, Asha!" Christine interrupted him, smiling. Asha looked closely at her, but Christine looked genuinely pleased for her. She in fact got up and hugged Asha. Vekal and Thorek, who had risen at the same time, were forced to wait, exchanging smiles while they waited patiently for Christine to finish.
"My heart is still pounding," Asha laughed, snuggling into her husband's arms. "I was so scared there would be a big glaring 'No!' screaming from that PADD!"
"Sometimes, our fears are our worst enemies," Vekal stated wisely.
"I see that you have exciting news to share with me," Vreenak greeted her when she visited him, gave him a particularly tight hug and began to change her shoes on the spot without bothering to sit down, hopping about on one foot. The Senator watched her with amusement.
"I do," she said, getting into her slippers. She updated him on the status of her citizenship application and thanked him warmly for lending her his PADDs on Romulan politics and law.
He inclined his head modestly. "I will at least contribute to enhancing your knowledge about Romulus. Everything else you will keep learning through observation."
"Speaking of observing: your name means 'to notice', 'perceive' or "be aware of" in German. 'Merken' is the infinitive form, and 'bemerken' means 'to observe'."
He raised his eyebrows. "You know German?"
"Only a little. I used to have a friend from Germany, but she moved to Canada and we lost touch. It was also part of my requirements for becoming a xenolinguist."
He thought for a few moments.
"Can you make up a sentence in German with my name in it?" he asked at last. Her dimples emerged.
"Ich merke, dass du mich magst. That would mean, I perceive that you like me."
"Like you! And in return, you only like me?"
"Yes. A lot."
He pursed his lips, but to hide a smile, not because he was dissatisfied. He knew that she was teasing him a little. "How about being less modest? Maybe substituting 'like' with 'love' might be an option? Of course, as you are the xenolinguist and an accomplished poet, I will leave the choice of words entirely up to you."
"Ich merke, dass du mich liebst."
"Ah! I am far more satisfied with that. And the infinitive is 'lieben'?"
"Yes." She beamed at him. "You learn fast!"
His piercing blue eyes kindled. "I make my living off learning and moving in certain circles. Which reminds me…Now, how do I put this…" He was silent for a minute or two before resuming: "Asha, when people achieve a certain social standing, they…change…in order to reflect their upgraded social status."
"Meaning?" she asked, knowing what he meant, but wanting to hear clear details.
"The manner of dress, transport, staff, social circles…"
"Then it's not much different on Earth, Merken. People are very class conscious, even when they say they're not. Why do you mention this?"
"Romulans are explicit when their social status changes. You, however, are not. Yet you say that Humans are similar."
"It is very individual. I would feel embarrassed if I had to go along with the trappings of higher status. I wasn't brought up that way. It would feel arrogant. Arrogance is easy to obtain and hard to do away with."
"Very wise."
"Thank my parents," she laughed.
"I have you to thank for drawing my and Delon's attention to the identity of the insects infesting his residence. You have done my friend a big favour. We will not forget it."
He explained what they had found, and Asha raised her eyebrows. "Do you know who did it?"
"No," he said. "Speculations and suspicions do not suffice as proof. Now, to return to the topic we were discussing…You do not wish to move around in more exalted circles?"
"Describe 'more exalted circles' to me," Asha said.
"Wealthy, accomplished and popular figures adulated by the Empire."
"I have no wish or intention to join such circles, and I'm the last person the Empire would adulate," she stated.
"Then you will stagnate and your poetry will collect dust."
"We will all collect dust one day," she said factually.
"True, though a macabre train of thought. All the more reason to strive for as much as possible if we are fated to collect dust," Vreenak said.
"We have very individual ways of doing so. No two ways can be the same," she countered. "Do exalted circles matter to you so much?"
"They do, as I was born and raised in such an environment. I have always moved in them and intend to keep doing so," he remarked, a hint of arrogance creeping into his voice.
"What did I just say about arrogance? Then surely you are used to your lovers being from such exclusive circles?" she asked smartly.
He sighed. "The women who were my lovers were from the same circles as mine. I also used to occasionally visit brothels."
She raised an eyebrow. "That is not surprising. What I am surprised at is how class conscious you are, given my lowly status."
"It is different with you."
"Then maybe it's time to become different with others, too," she said sternly, all flashing eyes and not caring in the least that he, like most Romulans, towered above her. "You see, it is not such a clear-cut matter. After all, you are willing to interact with whom you would call members of a lower class if you purchase pleasure."
"True," he said, turning a little green with embarrassment. "It is hard for a Romulan to live without sex."
"I'm not saying it isn't. But double standards are just not my cup of tea. And I don't want to ever be purchased by you, Merken, if we are to be lovers. Is that clear?"
"Yes, it was clear to me from the first time I saw you." Then he smiled and drew her into his arms. "Asha, can anyone be like you?"
"That's a rhetorical question, right?" she said, sounding somewhat muffled as her face was squeezed against his shoulder. He laughed softly into her hair.
"It makes sense that you, as a poet, always wish to have the last word."
"I try to have the first one, too, if possible."
"A'rhea, from the moment I saw you, I knew you were not of lowly status. Not with the way you looked at me, with such dignity and courage in your eyes and posture, like Romulan royalty of times long gone."
He drew back to look at her, took her hand in his and placed it on his cheek.
"Golden," he said, "as if Romulus's sun had embraced you. Golden as many of Romulus's people, but flushed with the tint of your red blood when emotions stir your heart, a'rhea, and you carry the colours of the sea and earth in your eyes. You stood in that group of Romulan tourists, and your hair was braided, bound with a green ribbon to match your dress. Even when you copied the salute from the others, you looked proud."
"You remember our first meeting in such detail?" she asked softly.
"Romulans tend to have a photographic memory, especially about moments they cherish," he said, touching her cheek gently. "Not only do we recollect what we have seen, but also what we felt during what we saw, and that in vivid detail."
"You are known to go from passion to serenity, from rage to tenderness, from high spirits to solemnness within a few seconds," Asha observed.
"There was a rock in the sea, and as the waters lapped around it and the sun shone on it, it changed with time, yet was still the same amidst the shifting elements. The Romulan people are similar, if I have understood your poem correctly. Our emotions shift with the speed of a turbulent sea, yet our core remains steadfast."
"You have interpreted my poem correctly," she agreed, smiling with pleasure about his recalling one of the poems she had included in her publication.
They went to his garden, hand in hand, to sit on his swing. Every Romulan garden had a swing, and even forests had them. Swings were objects which united Romulans with air, one of the four elements, yet stood on the earth, another element. It was also a place where family bonds were nurtured.
"When do your exams take place?" he asked.
She gave him the dates of the written and oral segments.
"In two months, then."
"I'm already nervous."
"Preparation is key," he said.
"I know, but that's more easily said than done," Asha said, laughing. "What with my book appointments and growing interest in my poems." She shook her head. "It's still hard for me to believe that my book is turning out the way it is."
"It isn't hard for me to believe. However, if your schedule is so full, then a study hour would make sense when you visit."
And he actually went about arranging said study hour for her. If the weather was pleasant, she would sit in his garden on a bench, her bare feet pulled up or cross-legged, the sunlight reflecting off her anklets and toe ring – another foot ornament Vreenak had never seen before. He would sit nearby busying himself with work, but more occupied in watching her and enjoying her presence. Even when she was quiet, she sweetened his days.
When she was not studying at Vreenak's, she was busy studying with Christine. When Christine visited her or she visited Christine in the evening, the two women would hole themselves up in the library and rehearse, with their assistants or husbands obligingly bringing in cups of tea or snacks for refreshment, especially the kheshoe nuts Asha loved.
In the meantime, Letant, who had managed to exterminate all the robotic insects at his residence, was so grateful to Asha that he paid her a visit, discreetly driving his own flitter and unaccompanied by aides or staff. Not a sign indicated him as a high-ranking Senator, and it was only when he revealed his name to Kihika that his identity became clear. Kihika, suppressing a wide smile, informed Asha: "My Lady, Deihu tr'Letant asks if you are available."
Asha laughed. "Oh my goodness…Kihika, I really hope he's the last Senator to show up. I'm getting so embarrassed."
"But it's because you are becoming popular. It's a very good thing in our society."
"You know what I'm like, Kihika…I'm not used to being in the spotlight, and no amount of practising can really change that. Well, I'll be going down to receive him. Did he behave politely to you?"
"Yes, he was very charming."
"Good, I'm glad to hear it."
Kihika smiled. Most Romulan employers wouldn't bother to ask or even wonder how well their staff was treated by Romulan guests.
Asha straightened the casual Romulan outfit she was wearing – loose trousers with a more tight-fitting top – and went downstairs to receive the Senator.
"Ah! My rescuer!" Letant greeted her enthusiastically, taking her hand and bowing deeply over it. "Ri'hwathech, I am here to thank you for freeing my residence of those dreadful bugs!"
Asha chuckled. "It was only an idea, Delon, but I'm glad it helped. Do come inside."
He did, and she had him installed in the guest chair with a glass of finest kali-fal and Osol twists piled neatly on a plate.
"I even discovered a bug in my bathroom. Can you imagine? I am not saying that the insect would not have enjoyed a particularly fine view of my person, but it was really carrying things too far," he said with disgust.
"Whoever planted those bugs definitely had no sense of honour or shame," Asha agreed heartily.
"Indeed, it was most indiscreet," Letant said with a shudder, taking a deep sip of kali-fal.
"Do you know who put them there?" Asha asked.
"I have my suspicions, which, alas, I cannot share with you and would not be able to even if you were a fellow politician," Letant sighed. "Ah well, it takes all kinds to make a Senate."
"I hope you can throw the book at whoever did this."
"I would gladly throw a whole library at them," he said. "So. What exactly is going on between you and Merken?"
The mischief had vanished from his eyes, and he was scanning her face closely. She interpreted his question not so much as curiosity about her relationship with Merken, but rather as concern about his closest friend.
"We love each other," she said simply.
"Yes, I can see that when you interact. But as what do you love each other?"
"As friends, and also as lovers. You see," she said thoughtfully, "many Humans believe that when people are friends and happen to fall in love with each other, then they're moving on to the next level. Almost like they are replacing platonic love with romantic love, or whatever you want to call it. But I think it's a mistake to talk about replacement, or moving on to another level as if…" she frowned and chewed her lip for a moment, "…the love of friendship was inferior to love with a physical element in it. As if love were a straightforward continuum."
"Ah, I see," Letant said.
"Merken and I are somewhere in between these…levels." She wrinkled her nose a little. She disliked using statistical elements like levels or labels, as if it was to measure the kind of love she had for Vreenak.
"Language has its limits. I felt that I had to love Thorek more than Merken, but it is not so. I can't compare the way I love my husband with the way I love Merken," she said.
"I understand. You are very frank."
She smiled. "It's like I know you more than I actually do because you are Merken's dearest friend. He speaks very highly of you and refers to you as his brother."
"He does? Ah, that is most gratifying to hear. Do you assume that I am here to rescue him from your Human clutches?"
"From what Merken has told me about you, I don't think so."
"You're absolutely right," Letant confirmed. "You two know what you're doing. You certainly have more of an affinity for us Romulans than for your fellow Human men, though." He raised his glass to her and sipped his ale.
She raised an eyebrow. "Don't get your hopes up."
Letant burst out laughing. "Oh, by the four elements! No wonder why Merken is so captivated by you! I believe you have applied for full Romulan citizenship?"
"Yes. I will soon receive word about who will be questioning me during the oral exam."
"I wish you all the very best, ri'hwathech. I would give you your citizenship at once after what you did for me."
"It just happened to be an idea that turned out to be correct. I could have been completely wrong," she pointed out.
"Pooh, pooh! You are overmodest! If you want to be a citizen, it won't do! You need practice in that area. Romulans swagger around. Look at me!" he puffed out his chest. Asha burst out laughing. "Delon, you are as colourful and flamboyant as a peacock," she said, picking up her PADD and showing him a picture of the Terran bird.
"I must see if my tailor can arrange a similar outfit," he said proudly. "Well, my rescuer, I must take my leave. I hope to welcome you as a full-fledged Romulan citizen soon, ri'hwathech. And if I ever have another insect infestation, I'll come straight to you."
He left with a deep bow.
"Thorek, I have received the list with the names of my examiners," Asha called to her husband. Thorek embraced her, placed a lingering kiss on her mouth and took the PADD she handed to him.
"Senator Cretak, Senator Tal'aura and Vice-Proconsul Hiren. The Vice-Proconsul? I think you have impressed many people, e'lev."
"Is it normal for the Vice-Pronconsul to preside over exams?" she asked.
"I don't think it is. How about asking Letant and Vreenak?" he suggested. Asha had told him about Letant's visit. Thorek was rather proud of all the attention his wife was getting. Some of his colleagues had actually purchased Asha's book after Senator Cretak had mentioned it during her public speech, and one of them had actually asked him, with the tips of his ears turning green, if he could get Asha's stamp.
"It flatters me to know a celebrity so…intimately," he had whispered teasingly to Asha afterwards, shooing Lilou of their bedroom so he could spoil his wife to her heart's content.
"I'll do that," she agreed. "Are you familiar with these politicians' stances on intergalactic relations?"
"Cretak is known to be progressive and agreeable to working with other peoples. Her work during the Dominion War is highly respected. Tal'aura is particularly interested in the state of matters between Romulans and Remans. She wants to abolish Reman slavery. I have no idea about her stance towards the Federation. Hiren is more on the isolationist side, believing that the Empire should stand on its own."
"'No man is an island entire of itself', as John Donne wrote," Asha murmured.
"Ah, the English poet?" Thorek asked.
"Yes," she beamed.
"I have been going over the PADD on finest Terran literature you gave me," he said proudly. "Well, Senator Cretak has put together an interesting panel of examiners, including herself. I also see that Letant and Vreenak have been excluded. Then again, the Senate consists of forty-four senators."
"A motley crew," she agreed. "Merken did say that he would ensure neither he nor Letant would be part of the panel, so he kept his word. The Vice-Pronconsul is quite a surprise, though. I think he's going to be particularly tough."
"How about I help you go over this," Thorek gestured at a stack of PADDs, "and then we have a nice long bath together?" He lowered his voice during the last sentence and gave her a look which made her whole body grow very warm.
"That sounds lovely," she whispered, stroking the back of his hand with her fingers.
