Page 23 of Breaking Ties

“No sign of your mate?”

“Vress? He should be here today. I am in my best elf princess costume.”

“Are you excited?”

“Nervous. The worst thing that happens is I pretend to be blind. I don’t have a bond, so this is just a snag-and-go. They are going to be glad to see the back of me.”

Harwin grinned. “Why is that?”

“I have been telling any curious Terrans what their matches look like or what occupations to go for. It is taking a lot of the assessment time away, and they can’t bill for it.”

Harwin laughed. “Your sister?”

“She’s been gone for three days. She’s off with Eliana and going to have a very tiring time until her DNA activates after their fourth child. Then, she will be a little bit stronger and a worthy consort.”

Laughter came through the com. “That’s actually a pretty good revenge. She gets what she wants, but she has to wait to get the credit.”

“Sadly, a little insecurity will make her a better person. Well, it will occupy her for a while.” Aubrey didn’t fool herself. If she weren’t around, Avery was actually a responsible person, but their parents had forced proximity, and that had forced comparison, and that had forced hostility. The rest was history.

Knowing what had happened, if Aubrey didn’t enact some kind of justice, she would be considered weak, and that wasn’t good for the oracle.

They chatted a bit, and Harwin smiled. “Are you ready to travel?”

“My pretty-pretty stuff is packed and ready to go. Why?”

“Vress is on final approach. The station called Ra. They are shitting themselves. Vress hasn’t been seen out of his system for a very, very long time.”

“So Ra was the responsible eldest, Kethen was the jock, and Vress was the brooding brother?”

Harwin grinned. “Aren’t you lucky? Anyway, he’s going to arrive today.”

“Hooray. The station is fun, but a lot of the humans are treating me like a carnival attraction. At least the older races seem to know what they are looking at. They ask with manners.”

“Ra really wants to meet you.”

“Delightful. Tell my pilot, even though I don’t have one.”

“Ra will send him a message.”

“Good. I am not excellent at playing telephone.”

Harwin chuckled. “Well, you seem to have settled into your body. You look pretty good.”

“Thanks. I mean, I want to go full Rivendell, but I am not going into hock with the station beyond what I already have.”

Harwin chuckled. “You aren’t. The Hmrain and other bondholders have paid you for every suggestion and direction you have given them.”

“Wait, they pay the oracle?”

Harwin grinned. “Yes.”

She picked up her tablet and brought up her accounts. “Wow. I can afford some shiny things, ‘scuse me. I have to head to the jewellers and see what they can sell me that makes me look more sparkly. I have to compete with a shiny sister-in-law.”

Harwin laughed, and they ended the call.

Humming happily, Aubrey got to her feet, shook out the skirts, and walked over to the door, checking for her guards before opening it. She smiled. “So does anyone want to come with me to the jewellers? I have money to spend. And then we can get some fancy tea and those fluffy pastries.”

Her detachment grinned, and off they went.