get involved in politics, she isn’t interested in combat, and if you talk to her for five minutes, your eyes will glaze over, but she is a pretty woman and he loves her, Hierophant bless him.”
Maud hid a smile.
“Then Arland starts disappearing. ‘Where is Arland?’ ‘He is off on some adventure at some inn on Earth.’ Everything is Earth. Broker a peace treaty? Earth. Go shopping for a unique present for his favorite cousin? Earth.”
“What did he get you?” Maud asked.
“Coffee. It’s of an excellent quality, but when would I ever need ten pounds of it? It’s enough to get the entire regiment roaring drunk. The next thing we know, he skips out on the wedding preparations, because someone on Earth needs his help. Because the needs of his House are clearly fisur’s kidneys. He goes to Karhari and then there is this footage of him tearing out of some armored hovel with vampires in shabby armor clinging to him and him roaring like he is some hero in a period drama.”
Maud lost it and laughed.
“You don’t understand.” Karat waved her hands. “The damn thing was everywhere. He brained seven vampires singlehandedly. So the Karhari Houses are screaming bloody murder, our relatives twelve generations removed are forwarding the recording to us, our allies are asking why our Marshal is involved in a brawl on some backwater planet and if we sent him there as a plan for some sort of secret offensive and if so, why haven’t we told them about it, and we keep getting marriage proposals because half the galaxy decided he is good breeding stock. I saw my father’s and aunt’s faces when they watched it. They turned a color not found in nature. It’s not funny!”
Maud tried to stop laughing, but it was like trying to hold back a flood. It’s nerves, she told herself.
“Go ahead.” Karat rolled her eyes. “Get it all out. Not only did he make us the focal point of the entire Anocracy for two solid weeks, he then refused to return because he needed a sojourn. He threw this bomb into our House and went on vacation! Then he sent a message: I’m coming home with a human bride. Oh wait, she said no, but I’m bringing her anyway. Prepare the castle!”
Maud made a heroic effort to stop laughing.
“I thought my aunt’s head would explode. I honestly did. So no, you won’t get a warm reception.”
“That’s okay,” Maud managed. “I didn’t expect one.”
“I realize it’s through no fault of your own, but my aunt will test you at every turn. She made it bloody obvious she is displeased, and we are pack animals.”
“When the leader snarls, everyone will jump in to help.”
“In essence, yes.” Karat gave her a sour smile. “I was going to jump in too, but my father convinced me to keep an open mind. I actually like you now, so my position is complicated. It will be an uphill battle.” The vampire woman leaned forward. “Do you want to do this? I mean, do you really?”
“Yes. I’m here. I showed up.”
Karat sighed. “That’s what I was afraid of. Well, the first step is dinner. It will be held tonight, in about three hours.”
“Armor on?”
“Armor on,” Karat confirmed. “You have a little time to make yourself presentable, although in your case there’s not really enough hair to do anything with. Why short hair?”
Explaining that it was a period at the end of her old life and her bribe to the universe to keep Helen alive would be too complicated, so she said the same thing she’d told her sister. “Very little water on Karhari. It was too hard to keep clean.”
“Too bad,” Karat said. “Do you need anything?”
“What happens to the children?” Maud asked.
“Helen can stay with the other children or she can remain here in your quarters.”
“Helen?” Maud called. “I have to go to a grown-up dinner, and you can’t come, my flower. Do you want to play with other children or stay here by yourself?”
“I want to play,” Helen said.
Maud swallowed a sigh. Helen would have to integrate into vampire society sooner or later. Maud had hoped to be there. She wanted with every ounce of her being to smooth the way, to make sure nothing bad happened, to help, but she couldn’t. She had to let her daughter go. Some lessons Helen had to learn on her own.
“Very well,” she said.
“I’ll either come myself or send someone by half an hour before the dinner,” Karat said.