Free Checkmate by Katherine Kingston Page A

him for now. No point in not
taking what she could.
    “Okay?” he asked again.
    “A few new bruises. Nothing a few plastrons won’t take care
of in an hour or so. You?”
    “Same.” They clung to each other for a while. Gradually the
cheering and applause worked its way into her awareness. Several Sangari guards
showed up to separate them and take them back to the dressing rooms. They also
supplied plastrons at her request.
    When she arrived on the third day, both lawyers awaited her.
They looked uncomfortable.
    “Well done again yesterday,” Raje’s attorney said. “Your
respect levels are very high.”
    “That’s something, I guess. What’s today’s agenda?”
    “Um…” Color flushed his cheeks. “It’s sex.”
    “Sex?”
    The lawyer sighed. “Sex. You and Raje. On center stage. It
could be worse. I’m told they like variations, too. Group sex. Kinky sex.
Practically every variation of sentient reproductive activity. They do find the
human variations particularly fascinating. They’re partial to chains and
leather and whips, I’m afraid, although that doesn’t seem to be on today’s
program.”
    “Thank the Five Faces of God for small mercies.”

Chapter Six
     
    “Don’t thank her too quickly,” Whetlock advised. “There are
seven more rounds to go. I feel sure some of it will come up.”
    “I’ll worry about today’s problem today. I hate to ask,
but…have they assigned me something to wear?”
    The two men looked at each other. “I fear so.”
    She sighed. “Just hand it over. I’ll do what I have to.”
    He handed her a pile of fluffy, gauzy stuff that would
obviously cover nothing. “You put this over it,” he added, passing something of
a heavier material.
    Devonne shook out the lighter fabric to find harem pants,
tied together with ribbons at hips and ankles, and a tunic top also fastened
with ribbons at shoulders and sides. It was all in shades of pale pink and
green. “Yech. Somebody’s got really terrible taste. And pink is not my color at
all. I hope it doesn’t put Raje off.”
    The lawyers looked at each with a shade of relief lightening
each face. They really had been worried about her reaction. Then his attorney
grinned. “I don’t think you need to worry about that .”
    “Well I hope not. He’s got the tougher job today. I can
hardly wait to see how they’ve outfitted him.”
    “It’s…interesting,” Whetlock said. “I think he may be more
embarrassed about it than you.”
    She shrugged. “I haven’t gotten into this mess yet. I
haven’t exactly got a holovid model figure.”
    Both men looked her up and down. Whetlock said, “You’ll look
fine in those things.”
    The buzzer sounded, warning her to prepare. The men left.
    Devonne had to draw in a deep breath to steady herself. She
wasn’t nearly as complacent about putting on that gauzy stuff and performing
sexually in public as she tried to act.
    Her irritation grew as she struggled to get into the mess of
transparent fluff and tied the prissy ribbons holding it together. There were
no shoes and the material covered nothing. The heavier cloak did provide cover,
but she figured that was just to make her unveiling all the more dramatic.
    They escorted her out to the field to a swelling roar of
approval from the crowd. Instead of the maze from yesterday, the center circle
contained a raised circular dais. In the center of it sat a padded platform
with posts at all four corners but no curtains hanging from them. A sheet of
white material lay on top of it. Halfway there, one of her guards stopped her.
    “Give me the cloak,” he ordered.
    The crowd went wild when she removed it. Her figure wasn’t
even slightly obscured by the gauzy garments.
    “Go,” the guard said, nodding toward the platform bed.
    Devonne squared her shoulders and marched toward the
platform. She froze when she saw Raje approaching from the other side of the
field. Damn, but the man looked good no matter what he wore. Even this.