Thread: The Space Between The Stars (A Corsair/Mim Adventure)

He was well-spoken, she would give him that much. Not that she had met very many, but most of the Hyadeans Yusra had encountered had had a very poor grasp on Stellaran and even, insofar as she was able to tell, their own language. Of course, begging for clemency was bound to make anyone lose their heads a poor turn of phrase but one she found amusing, but still. She flinched, however, when the prince referred to Pleidans as their people. They were not, and never would be his people, regardless of their kings' intentions. When he mentioned the Third Dynamic she flipped through them in her head, imagining the cheat sheet to Scientology that her mother had given her on the way here. Strange that what had on Old Earth gained notoriety as a dangerous cult should be given a venerated status so far from its origin. And how does one attain a clear state? If it was what she was thinking, it sounded an awful lot like what had been described as confession in one of the ancient long-dead religions of Old Earth. It's a shame you find one of your religious rituals to be tedious. Scarification, and other rituals, are meant to bring us closer to God and to the ancestors and to mark our paths through life. I always find it...rejuvenating. Yusra smiled. Her betrothed hadn't smiled a single time since she had first laid eyes on him, though his brother had, and that made him instantly untrustworthy. Who makes it through life without ever smiling? But let me notify someone before I forget that the ritual will need to be prepared ahead of our return. She took a few moments to remove what had appeared to be a large hematite bead from her bracelet. On the underside was a tiny touchscreen with a number of keys with symbols on them. Yusra took her time entering the keys, telling Bomani to have the shaman prepare the ritual and complaining about how tedious this prince seemed. The bead vibrated once, confirming receipt and offering a few words of commiseration, before she replaced it on her wrist. Standing is tedious, the princess announced suddenly, taking his arm. Let's take a few turns about the room, shall we? See who bothered showing up, who looks elated by the news and who looks angered. I find that keeping note of angry people at a happy occasion usually comes in handy at least it won't be a surprise when you find a knife in your back. She chuckled a little and steered him toward the perimeter, her keen eyes flicking back and forth to do just this. Besides, people will be wanting to congratulate us whether they're happy or not I imagine we'll be courted as powerful allies once your father dies and that all begins right here. By the way, if we are to be married you may as well just call me Yusra. She smiled pleasantly, making a point of surveying the crowed and smiling or waving to people she knew personally who had caught her eye. So your brother, she said after a long pause, still steering him about the room. He looks as though he was raised on the wrong end of the galaxy, doesn't he? I didn't think mz--men of your race were very interested in women of mine. Is that why he is 'sir' and not 'prince'? Yusra glanced sideways at John, taking note of the careful way he seemed to always compose his face.