Free Intact by Viola Grace Page A

the entire negotiation, his eyes on his blushing bride-to-be. For Nya, it would have been unnerving for that raptor gold gaze to be focussed on her, but Viisha fluffed and preened her feathers for the entire event.
    Nya quickly completed the addendums to the contracts and slid one copy to each party to sign, including a file copy and then switched them before signing herself. "There. You are officially engaged in a mating contract. Congratulations on your nuptials."
    As per her Evian Mediation training, she lanced her finger with a quill and drew a line through all signatures in her own blood.
    "I hereby ratify this contract by the laws of the Evian and the Alliance." Nya pressed her finger subtly to the pad next to the quill, stopping the flow of blood.
    The families stood, shook hands, took their copies of the arrangement and left her office. She breathed deeply and let her breath out on a low sigh.
    Years earlier, she had never guessed that her ability to smooth over family dust ups would land her in the Volunteer program back on earth. Joining the Alliance export program had come as a shock to her, but her family had been all for it.
    The Alliance planets called them Terrans now, a much more graceful term than the Earthers that had been proposed by some of their governments. Nya had done two years of general studies at an Alliance mediator-training centre and five years of rotating station duty.
    When the post on Arcros was offered to her, she had jumped at the chance to be ground bound for a while. The Evian settlers were friendly, the planet's avatar was generous with her stipend and being part of the colony and yet a completely different species was a challenge that she enjoyed.
    With her clothing and shelter being provided by the planet itself, she had no expenses, so her retirement fund was rapidly growing to enormous proportions. Working with the Evian paid very well.
    She grabbed the contract and scanned and filed it. It was her fourth wedding mediation, but fifteenth contract over all. The Evian's kept her fairly busy.
    She checked her calendar for any new appointments and when it came up clear, she giggled. It was time to get some food and have a charming night in.
    The construction mediation was due to start in the morning and she was going to need fortification.
    With her basket full of food ready for her delicate touch in the kitchen, she entered her small home and came up short at the sight of the avatar of Arcros sitting at her kitchen counter with a chilled glass of wine.
    "Hello, Berenghetti. How are you this evening?" Nya walked into her kitchen and started to assemble her meal. "Would you care to share dinner?"
    "That would be lovely, Antonya. You are a thoughtful hostess."
    Nya fished some more vegetables out of the cooler to supplement her shopping and started chopping. "What brings you to my humble home?"
    "I was simply wondering how you were adjusting to life here on Arcros. Not everyone is able to work with the Evian day after day." Berenghetti inclined her head and sipped at the wine.
    Nya spared a quick glance to the avatar and noted the telltale signs of Arcros within his chosen vessel.
    Berenghetti was an attractive female of Nyal extraction, her clothing was elegant and of a similar style to the robes that Nya was required to wear.
    "They aren't too bad. As long as you remember that they are simply interested in gemstones and money, they are a fairly easy people to get along with."
    Berenghetti laughed, a low, rich sound. "The feathered ones were very polite when they asked to start a colony here. Your presence has already had a bit of a calming influence. I thank you for that. It has been a rough two hundred years."
    Nya barked a laugh in response. "I can only imagine. How long have you been avatar for Arcros?"
    "I am going on just over nine hundred years. It was fairly lonely until the Evian and then the frustration took over with a rapid surge."
    Nya smiled again and set up a pan to sauté