“I have it on good authority that Jade of House Human is going to open a restaurant here in Alba.”
Ellie’s face lit up, “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” said Jei pleased he could brighten her day. “And humans will be moving to our planet to work at the second human restaurant. You’ll no longer hold the title of being the only human to reside on Alliance Planet Two.”
“And what a relief that’ll be,” she said without thinking and then backtracked, “I mean, it’ll be nice to have some other humans around. How’s that possibly though? I thought only slave and middling class people could work in restaurants?” Before Jei could answer she also asked, “Are human men coming here too?”
“No human men,” Jei said quickly to dispel that thought from her mind. “Jade is clever and has found a few loopholes to get around the ordinary laws of the Empire. If no Alliance people do it, I think the High Council is content to look the other way to make humans feel more comfortable here.”
“Do you know when Human Food on Alba is supposed to open?” Ellie asked enthusiastically dismissing his obvious racism, especially towards human men.
“Maybe as soon as next week.”
“Will House Rega be taking in any of the humans?” Ellie asked her heart pounding wildly at the thought of another human woman in the House.
“Yes. I thought it prudent to allow a young human woman by the name of Tamsin to join our House. Her brother is one of the three husbands to Jade, and Tamsin is almost the same age as you are. I even think your native Earth language is the same.”
“Yes! She is Australian. They speak English. No hum of delay on the translator. When does she arrive?”
“In a few days,” Admiral Jei replied.
“Will she live here in the Main House?”
“I had arranged for her to live elsewhere in the compound,” Jei said pensively. He worried that throwing this unsuspecting human woman to Ellie might be too much to ask in addition to moving to an alien world and having to conform to a new culture. He didn’t want Ellie to be another burden for Tamsin and he didn’t want to have two depressed human women instead of one.
“I think she would be more comfortable with me here,” Ellie insisted.
“Her role will be to the restaurant and not solely as your companion,” Jei reminded Ellie. “And remember it will be tough for her to conform as you well know. Even the most settled humans, like Doctor James, still finds life in the Empire trying at times.”
“I know, but it might make her feel more at home to live with me. I can explain some things that took me months to figure out. If she wants to live elsewhere afterward then that’ll be her choice,” Ellie insisted.
“I’ll leave it to you to sort out between you two,” he said making a mental note to inform his slaves of the situation and instruct them accordingly. “Now, how are your studies?” Jei had had a disturbing report from the High Priestess in Alba, Alliance Planet Two’s capital city, that Ellie had become so despondent the other day at the temple that she had to leave her prayers without finishing them.
Ellie lied, “Fine.”
“Ellie,” Jei said a whole paragraph by the way he said her name.
“When I see my mother’s statue in the shrine, I miss her so much,” Ellie admitted softly. “I remember everything,” she began to cry. “These memories won’t leave me. I carry the guilt, Jei” she clasped her hands before her as if begging him to take it away from her.
“Zzzz,” Jei instinctively made a comforting sound and let her cry for a few minutes. It was uncomfortable to watch but she needed to have these breakdowns to move forward. He knew how she felt. He felt the same way and every night he flagellated himself to deal with his grief. “It’s difficult. But rest assured, she is only waiting for us in the Afterlife.”
Ellie looked at Jei and wanted to believe him, “You promise?” She had still to find her true belief in the gods. The whole thing was very confusing. To her, her mother was gone, but the statue and the prayers made if feel like her mother wasn’t gone at all, but always still there in spirit. None of it sat well with Ellie and when Jei promised her this, she was so desperate for some reprieve from her sorrows, she wanted to have faith in his religion and words despite the feelings of hollowness with them.
“How many times have I promised you this?” he asked softly. “I know,” he touched one finger over his heart, “Jane cared for her children above all else in this galaxy. I promise you Ellie, she is waiting for you in the Afterlife.”
Ellie nodded her head and wiped away the tears.
“We can never go backwards in life. We must always move forward with our wounds until we don’t notice the pain of them anymore.” Jei gave her a minute to collect herself and then asked, “How’s Magnolia?” He didn’t care at all for the name Ellie had given his daughter, but he wanted to create a heavy anchor for Ellie to House Rega and to her half-sister, so he gave her the honor of naming her.
Ellie smiled at the thought of her beloved little half-sister, “She’s so adorable. You know she has started trying to talk more and more. I think it must be mixture between Alliance and English. I wonder if she will even need a translator when she’s older? I imagine that she’ll just understand both.”
“Possibly,” Jei said. Everyone received a universal translator after puberty. “It’ll be a comfort to her that her translator will be silent for both languages,” he said and then reflected. “She really will be the first generation of the Lost People who have returned.”
“May we walk in the gods’ light,” Ellie said automatically to acknowledge the Lost People.
“By their will,” Jei replied. “There’s one more thing I need to discuss with you.”
Ellie stiffened at Jei’ suddenly more serious tone, “Yes?”
“Your father would like to RVM with you.”
“You spoke to him again?”
“Ellie, despite your feelings for your father, I am obliged as your guardian to update him on your health and well-being.”
“And what do you say about my health and well-being?” she snapped.
Jei sighed and thought, To be so young. Then he replied trying not to smile at her childishness, “I gave him the same report that I receive from your tutors. Nothing more.”
“It’s all professional then?” Ellie confirmed.
“Yes,” Jei reassured her. “But I told him I would pass along his message to you and now I have done so.”
“Do I have to speak to him?” Ellie asked. She wanted Jei to tell her whether she was making the right decision. Sometimes it broke her heart that she hadn’t spoken to her father since she left Earth.
“No one in House Rega will make you speak to anyone you do not want to. It’s up to you whether you want to have a relationship with your father. After you marry and leave House Rega, it will be up to you whether you want your father to be updated on your health and well-being,” Jei replied.
“You make me feel like a terrible person by telling me he wants to know how I am,” she knew it was wrong to try and make Jei feel guilty, but she felt better lashing out at the one person she was talking to.