Free Bianca D'Arc by King of Cups Page A

of the lavatory, Alex knocked on the
panel.
    “ Is he gone?” came Della’s voice
from inside.
    Alex did his best not to laugh. “No, he’s still
here. You can come out, Del. I don’t think Tren’s going anywhere
until he talks to us.”
    The panel slid open a moment later and Della came
out, her face red. Alex tucked her under his arm and walked her
over to the side of the room where there was a couch and two
chairs. Tren followed them and took a seat on one of the chairs
while Alex and Della settled on the couch.
    “ I apologize for intruding,” Tren
began, speaking directly to Della. “I tried to get your attention,
but...”
    “ But we weren’t aware of much.
We’d been apart too long.” Della smiled shyly at the future
emperor.
    Tren grinned back at her. “They say that’s the way
it is between true mates. If it’s any consolation, it was an honor
to witness the strength of your bond. It gives me something to look
forward to when I find my own mate, though I fear that may not be
for many years yet.”
    Della blushed again, but held her head up high. Alex
liked the way she handled the situation. Other women would have
been too mortified to function. His Della, though disconcerted,
didn’t let it throw her off her game.
    “ I’ve seen your wife,” she said
quietly, shocking both men. “In a vision. She’s going to change
things, to upset the status quo for the better. In time, because of
her, you may be the instrument of peace between our galaxies. She’s
not going to be what you expect. She’s of both worlds, like
Alex.”
    “ I don’t see how. They don’t allow
women to volunteer for Enhancement. Only a handful of us were
created,” Alex put in.
    “ And if Father Theos is to be
believed, you and that handful of soldiers will begin reproducing.”
Della looked like a feline who had just eaten a small bird. “The
future jit’suku empress will be one of their daughters. She could
even be your daughter, Alex. I have no way of knowing her lineage.
I only see her face and she is a beauty. Talented too.” Della
turned to look hard at Tren. “It won’t be easy for you to find her.
There will be many obstacles in your path. I see only
possibilities. Whether or not you find her and make her your own,
depends on you. You have to be proactive in your search for her. Do
not expect her to simply show up on your doorstep. You’ll have to
put in a little more work than that. Take nothing for granted,
Tren. The future is what we make it.”
    “ Yes, my lady.” The young man
looked suitably impressed by Della’s warnings. “Is that how you
knew about the ambush? You saw it in a vision?”
    “ I knew only that Alex and I would
grapple with a man who intended to kill you and that we couldn’t
let him succeed. I didn’t see that there would be so many of them
or that we’d be gassed in the struggle.” She shook her head with a
rueful expression.
    “ I wanted to thank you for saving
my life. You did so at great risk to your own wellbeing and that’s
not something I will ever forget.”
    “ As I said,” Della spoke quietly,
respectfully. “We needed to be there. I believe it is because of
the possibilities for your future. If you can forge peace between
our peoples, we will have been repaid amply.”
    “ Well said,” Tren complimented
her. “I’ll remember what you’ve told me and though I can’t see how
any of this might come to pass right now, I’ll look for the
opportunities you’ve told me about.”
    “ That’s all I ask.”
    They talked for a little longer but eventually Tren
took his leave. While the compartment would remain locked to Della
and Alex, Tren had the run of the ship. The lock disengaged for
him. His uncle waited in the hall, eyeing all three of them
expectantly.
    “ Did you discover what you came to
learn, Tren?” Theos’s express was thunderous.
    “ Yes, uncle.” Tren didn’t buckle
under the pressure of the older man’s disapproval. “Thank you.”
Tren