no idea that that meant.
She watched the approaching palace on the viewscreen. There was a shuttle that was meeting them at the local port, and Tydella was a little nervous at the occupants’ reactions to her situation.
Her parents were usually fairly accepting of her little adventures, but this one was not little. This adventure was going to have lasting consequences; there was usually only one reason for a rut to end early. Her body chemistry changed, so his chemistry changed. She wasn’t sure how she felt about the possibility of a child, but she had wanted to have a lover, so this was part of the consequences she was going to have to deal with.
She exited the shuttle at the port, and her guards lined up in honour-guard formation. She walked toward the imperial shuttle and went down on one knee as the door opened, and the passengers began to emerge.
She waited with her head down until two sets of boots were standing in front of her.
“Tydella, what have you gotten yourself into? Get up.” Her father sighed.
She peeped up at him, and he had a wry smile on his lips. “Something impulsive?”
He snorted and caught her in a tight embrace. “Your mother was worried. You know how she gets when she’s worried?”
Tydella blinked. “Stabby?”
He squeezed her. “Something like that. I see that your guards didn’t have enough sense to run you through a sonic shower before you greeted me.”
She winced. She still smelled like Ador. “It has been a helluva day.”
He squeezed her again. “I can tell. Do you want to keep him?”
She was stuck where she was. “Ideally, yes. I don’t know why before you ask.”
“Well, his parents have been trying to get a proper princess here to interview, so I think you might have a shot. Will you fight for him?”
She smiled slowly, and he gave her enough room to look up at him. “No, I won’t fight, but I will win.”
“That’s my girl.”
He ruffled her hair, and her mother reached out and hugged her. This embrace was far more egalitarian. Tydella could at least look her mother in the eye.
“Aw, sweety, you look exhausted.”
Tydella smiled. “I haven’t slept since the beacon came on. Can you turn it off?”
“Of course. Now that we have you, we don’t need to look for you.” Her mother looked toward the court secretary, and Darmon keyed something into a data pad, stopping the burn in her back.
The relief was so extreme, Tydella burst into tears. Her mother stroked her hair, and her father put a hand on her shoulder. She flinched slightly, and he started to growl as he peeled the neckline of her day robes aside.
“He didn’t get you to a medic?”
She blushed. “Um, no. I was going to bother with that when I was on my way out.”
Amerald cleared her throat. “I think your father needs a hug.”
The imperial consort hugged the emperor because he realized that his daughter had just taken a mate without his authorization, consent, or knowledge. It was a sweet moment until Amerald grabbed his butt.
Tydella snickered. Her father glared at her. She bowed. “Apologies. That was just hilarious.”
Her father sighed. “What are we going to do with you?”
Her mother smiled. “Well, you refused to let me send her into combat or on assassination assignments, so we are going to have to deal with her peculiar methods of taking action. I just never imagined that she would leap into the arms of the first Kiidar she took a proper fancy to.”
Tydella crossed her arms. “It wasn’t his arms I was interested in. I am twenty-five! You had already had me by my age, Mom. I was zipping around the palace on a scooter when you turned twenty-five.”
Amerald chuckled. “You are not wrong. Well, where is this suitor that you have decided on?”
Tydella turned her head, and the royal family of Deskor was on their way across the tarmac. “Here they are. He’s the one wearing gold on the left of the king.”
Amerald snorted. “Thanks for that. Form up.”
Tydella straightened her posture and prepared to properly meet the royal family of Deskor. It was finally time for formal introductions.
Chapter Seven
The king, queen, and prince bowed low when introduced to the emperor and his consort. The queen paused when she was introduced to Tydella, but she curtsied to the imperial princess, along with her husband and son.
When Ador stood from his graceful bow, he looked at her parents then at her, and he nodded as if things