Free No Words Alone by Autumn Dawn Page A

as
gracefully as she could through a foyer and into an inviting living
room. Three of the four men inside rose to their feet as she
entered. She couldn’t tell from Ryven’s eyes what he thought of her
transformation, but he moved forward and took her hand in a
proprietary manner. “Dangerous woman,” he murmured. “Come, meet my
father.”
     
     

Chapter 7
     
    The rough timbre of his voice made Xera shiver. His
slow, deliberate movements, as if he were savoring the moment,
didn’t help. Ryven led her before the older man sitting on the
throne. Frankly, the man looked old enough to be his grandfather
and must have sired him at a late age. He had a surprising amount
of white hair neatly tamed on his head, and a thin, delicately
groomed Fu Manchu that trailed down past his chin. He looked
somewhat like a tanned catfish with fiery eyes.
    His robes were simple brown, with a
black-belted waist and a cream-colored undertunic. The room was
decorated with similar, Zen-like simplicity. The floors were tiled
in tan stone with a black mosaic, and pillows for sitting lined the
room. The chamber featured light filtering through the rough-hewn
beams, giving it a tranquil look.
    Those keen old eyes, so like Ryven’s, studied
Xera. “If this is a sample of the women that serve on human
battleships, I think we will be more careful about taking our
prizes. You are a beautiful woman, Lieutenant Xera
Harrisdaughter.”
    She lowered her face as heat fired her
cheeks, unable to help herself. She wasn’t used to compliments or
such frank appreciation. “Thank you, Lord Governor.”
    “Hm. Sit. Refresh yourself.” The Lord
Governor Atarus looked at Ryven. “I think you have not told me the
half of your adventures, my son. You mentioned her spirit, but not
those magnificent blue eyes.” He looked back at Xera. “I am told
that your captain attacked you, that you broke his knee. Why did
you allow him to live?”
    Caught off guard, she had to think about
that. “Our laws...if we had been rescued by a ship of our own and I
had killed him, I might have been found guilty of murder. It would
have been my word against the rest of the crew’s.”
    Those eyes bored into her. “But you were not
found by a ship of yours.”
    “No...Lord Governor.” She was beginning to
see this man for the canny old warrior he was. She’d have to be
careful and guard her tongue or he’d trip her.
    “You hesitate when using my title.”
    She frowned thoughtfully. “I have to remind
myself to not simply call you ‘sir.’ We do not have lord governors
where I am from. Also, I feel I am pronouncing the words badly and
am trying to do a better job.” There were some awkward
syllables in there.
    “Is that how you would address the ruler of
your country? As ‘sir’?”
    “Yes...Lord Governor.”
    He relaxed into his chair. “You may call me
‘sir.’”
    She also relaxed, relieved to have gotten so
far without mortally offending him.
    “Drink,” Ryven said, and handed her a chilled
glass. “He has not eaten you yet, and I suspect he will not.”
    “Thank you, my lord,” she said rather
gratefully. She couldn’t detect any spirits in the drink, but
decided to go slowly, just in case. She didn’t need to make a
drunken fool of herself, especially now.
    The talk turned to lighter things. She let
the men speak and merely observed, trying to learn more about them.
That worked for perhaps five minutes.
    “I have never known a woman to be silent
unless she is frightened or angry,” Lord Atarus observed. “Which
are you, Lieutenant?”
    She blinked. “I am observing, sir. There is
more to being a translator than speaking the language.”
    “Is this your passion, then, or your
job?”
    She hadn’t thought about it in a long time.
How did she feel about it? “Flying was my first love. I joined the
Galactic Explorers to be a pilot, but was assigned to language
services instead. I hated it at first, but now...I like knowing
what those around me are