“Plants are easier,” she moaned as she sat up, heartily glad that they’d repaired to the terrace overlooking the gardens for lunch. Learning always made her ravenous.
Jess, settled on the plush chair next to her with her sleeping daughter in her lap, chuckled. “Hey. Think yourself lucky. When we all arrived, there were no lessons. No integration period. We just had to muddle through.”
That shut Lizzie up. Compared to her twin, she did have it easy. Jess and the other women on the Sentinel Five base had been kidnapped and kept prisoner, not woken up after a months’ long nap in a comfortable private hospital room.
She sighed and turned her attention to the lunch that had been set out for them. Like with the plants, everything was sort of familiar, if you looked sideways and squinted a bit. There were small sandwiches, with what looked like cheese and tomato on them, but the bread looked more like pita bread than a baker’s loaf. It was crumbly though, more like a biscuit. Very odd. Tasty, though, she decided as she nibbled on one.
The sandwiches were accompanied by some kind of sparkling drink that her nose wanted to tell her was floral but her taste buds swore was more berry-based. Sliced fruit that looked like a cross between a watermelon and an orange was set on a plate in the center of the table.
But the food didn’t hold her attention for long. As always when there were plants nearby, her gaze slid to the garden and she sighed in happiness, feeling a calm settle over her. She’d always liked to be close to nature, and it seemed even nature on an alien planet would do the trick.
That was until Saal wandered into view and all sense of calm fled the scene like a bank robber with a bag full of swag. She hadn’t seen him since Laarn had run him off yesterday. Trying to conceal her interest from her sister, she kept a calm expression on her face and swept her gaze over the gardens. But her eyes kept wandering back to the tall, broad-shouldered alien as he began to trim one of the hedges that bordered the many paths.
He knew what he was doing, she realized, wielding a large pair of shears like a pro. She wondered idly why he wasn’t using a chainsaw or the like, instead of the more labor-intensive manual tool. But she couldn’t argue he made for an appealing sight, the heavy muscles of his shoulders and arms bunching to cut the thick foliage.
“Close your mouth, sister dear,” Jess commented. “You’re drooling.”
“Am not!” Lizzie shot back, but she couldn’t resist the automatic swipe under her lips to check.
“Gotcha!” Jess chuckled, rocking Miisan gently. The baby snuffled and cooed, her hand wrapped around a lock of her mama’s hair.
“Bitch,” Lizzie snorted. She’d given herself away so she only had herself to blame.
“He is quite appealing though. Isn’t he?” Jess winked. “Never tell Laarn I said that.”
“Oh, don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me. And, yes, he is.”
Saal was more than “quite appealing.” The guy was drop-dead gorgeous. Lizzie sighed and looked away.
“Laarn already warned me off him though. Said he was dangerous.”
“Oh, he did. Did he?” The light of battle entered Jess’s eyes as she sat up a little.
“Hey! Saal!” she called out. “Come up here. I’d like you to meet my sister.”
The tall warrior turned gardener looked over his shoulder but then put down his shears and made his way toward them. His booted feet crunched the small stones of the path underfoot. Lizzie tried not to notice he was shirtless, but it was impossible. All that satin skin over hard muscle demanded attention and every feminine instinct she had sat up and took notice.
“Lady Jessica.” He bowed as he spoke, his deep voice sending shivers up Lizzie’s spine. “Lady Lizzie.”
He straightened and flashed a small smile at Lizzie. “I have already had the pleasure of meeting Lady Lizzie.”
Lizzie smiled back but Jess answered. “As far as I understand it, my husband got involved. Said you were dangerous. Isn’t that right, Lizzie?”
Lizzie almost spat her drink out but managed to choke it down rather than spray the delicate tablecloth in front of her. Tears in her eyes, she nodded. “Words to that effect, yes. Said I should be careful around him. Not be on my own with him.”
“Utter bullshit! Saal’s not dangerous at all. Are you, Saal?” Jess demanded, soothing the fretting Miisan as she woke up.
Saal’s expression twisted a little, but almost instantly smoothed out again. “Begging your pardon, my lady, but he was right. I am dangerous.” He looked directly at Lizzie. “Your sister’s mate gave you good advice. Be careful around any warrior whose intentions you don’t know.”
“Huh,” Jess commented, standing to rock her daughter. “Well… I guess he’s right. All Lathar are dangerous. But Saal won’t hurt you. I trust him with my life. Have trusted him with my life. Isn’t that right?”
Lizzie’s eyes widened. “Really?”
She tried not to edge closer as Saal, invited by Jess’s motion toward a free chair, sat down. She’d been dying to ask about Jess’s time with the Lathar and how she’d ended up married to an honest-to-god alien prince, but so far she’d only gotten the bare bones from her twin. Her time was eaten up with her roles as an imperial princess and a mother. It would be nice to ask someone who’d known her during that time. The fact that he was also as handsome as hell and made her stomach do flip-flops was purely a happy coincidence.
“Really.” Saal shot Jess a look but relaxed a little. “It was more the other way around,” he admitted to Lizzie. “She covered for me when the emperor and his forces were prepared to execute me for purist leanings. Mind you, she had just blown up the main labs, so I don’t think anyone fancied arguing with her.”
“Blew the labs up?” Lizzie turned to look at her sister in surprise. As far as she knew, Jess had been in operations, not combat.
“Oh for fuck’s sake,” Jess sighed. “You blow up one little lab and everyone loses their damn minds.” She clucked at Miisan as she started to cry and then looked at the two of them. “She didn’t sleep well last night, so I’m going to go and put her down for a nap.”
Lizzie folded her napkin and put it on the table. “I’ll come with you.”
“No, no!” Jess waved her to sit back down. “Being honest, I could do with one as well. You stay with Saal and talk. He can explain more about the Latharian culture. Help with your lessons. If that would be okay?” She directed the question at Saal. “If we wouldn’t be taking you away from your duties.”
“No, my lady. It wouldn’t be. I finished my listed duties a few hours ago. I just…” he shrugged. “I work in the gardens in my free time for something to do.”
Be still her beating heart. Lizzie hid the smile that wanted to spread over her lips. “Do you like plants?” she asked eagerly, leaning forward. “I’m a xenobiologist… well, training,” she added quickly. “So plants are kind of my thing.”
She hadn’t finished her course. Maybe one day she would get back to it. But now… she was right in the thick of it, surrounded by plants she doubted any other Terran xenobiologist had ever seen.