Match Made in HeVan Read online

  Of course, she wanted to read the rest of the stories Grace had sent her before she tried to engage in sex with Ben KowLer. According to what she read, he would appreciate the fact she had never been with another. Part of her was glad and part of her easily saw the hypocrisy in such a belief. She wouldn’t allow her daughters to be treated in this way. If the Seer was correct, she would have many daughters before she gave her husband a son. She wanted them to have the freedom to choose their own futures. Ben would have to agree to that before they married.

  After cleansing her body and hair, she started to dress. She didn’t have very much with her, as most of her things were packed on the Nephilim shuttle. The lack of vibration meant they had landed, perhaps some time ago. The fact no one had awakened her meant Ben was being careful of her health, which was a good thing. She was letting her thoughts wander because she didn’t like any of her clothing choices. She had taken a few items meant for interacting with Queen Addie and her Ankida, not for seducing her future husband. Seducing, to seduce, she liked the words and what they meant. She very much wanted to seduce Ben and be seduced in return.

  Hmmm… she needed to turn her mind back to the matter at hand. Knowing she needed to wear something, she pulled out what Grace said were called Palazzo pants. Hers were red, tight from her waist to the tops of her hips and then they flared out into such wide legs, they resembled a skirt. The legs of the pants started at her hips in a sheer see-thru fabric, ending in a wide solid stripe around the hems. The solid color at her waist went down and past her hips to the tops of her thighs. It appeared she was wearing shorts under a sheer skirt. At the same time, she had complete freedom of movement. She was six feet in height with a slender but strong body. Grace had told her that back on Earth, she would have been in demand as a high fashion model, whatever that was. It didn’t sound like a very rewarding job.

  On top, she wore a white halter shirt of Caspian silk. The central plunging neckline dropped below her breasts by a few inches and her strong shoulders were left bare as well as most of her back. She didn’t want to take time to arrange her hair in an elaborate style; she would need help with that anyway. She left it in a dark waterfall down her back to her knees. Walking over to the mirror, she quickly gathered the first inch of hair bordering her face. She braided the left over to the right and the right over to the left. She was left with interlocking braids that framed her face and hung down in front of her ears in the current fashion.

  There, she was ready. Addie had told her all she needed were pointed ears and she would resemble one of the elves of ancient Earth myth. She had been insulted until Addie had explained how they were believed to be beautiful. Glynnis had said she looked like an Earth female called Audrey Hepburn, only with longer hair. Malpha didn’t consider herself to be beautiful with her slashing brows, high cheekbones, hollow cheeks and too-fat lips. Turning away, she clasped her bracelet holding her DRD around her left wrist. She added her ear jewelry, which protected the soft lobes of her ears. What most didn’t know was that her jewelry subtly enhanced her hearing.

  She no longer wore her ring of office. Missing the weight, she put on other rings. The ring on her right middle finger covered the entire finger. It had woven metals in a knot-work design over the back of her hand and around her wrist. This connected to three chains that traveled up to a band around her arm below her elbow before proceeding up to a second, wider band around her bicep. It was the only piece of jewelry her grandmother had passed directly to her and had come down through the women in her family for more than fifteen thousand years. Finished, she left her temporary quarters to begin the next phase of her life.

  She was accustomed to having guards, so she paid no mind to the two warriors outside her door. Her eyes went straight to the young girl standing on the other side of the corridor as she bowed low.

  “Your Majesty, my name is GemMa. MinoLa, the palace housekeeper, has assigned me to be your personal attendant, if you will accept,” she said to the floor, holding her bow.

  “Please stand straight and look me in the eyes, GemMa,” Malpha said.

  She could see she had already blundered at the look of shock on the girl’s face and the stiffening of the two guards.

  “How am I to judge your sincerity if I cannot read your expressions?” she asked as an excuse for her request. When the three relaxed, she knew she had said the right thing.

  “I will accept you as my attendant for today. We will see how it goes in order for me to make a permanent decision. Would you show me where I can find the king?”

  “Would you not like to see your rooms in the palace and have a meal, Majesty?” GemMa asked in a soft voice.

  “The Nephilim shuttle was unloaded?” at GemMa’s nod, she continued, “I would like to oversee the distribution of my things, but not at this time. While I would like to eat, I would prefer to dine with King Ben. Please take me to him and have the kitchens prepare a meal for the two of us,” she said in a strong but not a harsh voice.

  She didn’t want to seem like a tyrant to the KowLer, but she wouldn’t be shunted off to the side until Ben had time for her. He would make time now.

  She could tell by the renewed stiffening of her guards that she had made another mistake. Well that was too bad. She wasn’t a KowLer and she didn’t plan on changing. She’d been Nephilim for too long to become something different. As GemMa led the way off the ship and to a ground vehicle that would take her to the palace, she shortened her stride to match the smaller woman’s. GemMa barely reached her shoulder in height. The long tight skirt she wore didn’t allow her to take large steps, either. Malpha didn’t know how GemMa stood the restriction; it would drive her mad. Glancing at her guards, she saw she was even a little taller than they were. She was probably more lethal, too.

  When she finally arrived at the palace, it was to discover a beehive of activity. Women were walking quickly with their small mincing steps. Men were carrying things as they walked behind the women. She turned to GemMa.

  “What is going on?” she asked.

  “The palace is preparing for your wedding. The king decreed it was going to take place this eve,” GemMa said.

  Malpha was surprised. She knew she had told Ben they might as well start their lives. It was why she had agreed to leave the ship and come down to the planet’s surface so soon after they met. But she thought she’d have some time to get to know Ben before she was faced with this finality. Then she decided it was just nerves. Ben was correct. This was better.

  “Am I required for any of these preparations?” she asked.

  “The dressmakers are here. After you’ve had a meal, they are ready to make your wedding dress and start on the rest of your wardrobe,” explained GemMa.

  “I can understand the need for a special wedding dress, there is no doubt a traditional style. However, I already own clothing. I brought my entire wardrobe with me from HeVan,” she said.

  GemMa didn’t try to explain to the female who would be her queen why the clothing she now wore was not acceptable. It showed her legs! Instead, she led Malpha to her rooms where the seamstresses were waiting. After introducing Malpha to NorMa, the royal seamstress, she left to see about Malpha’s meal.

  Malpha was not pleased she had been maneuvered into seeing this seamstress instead of Ben. They had things to discuss. As Malpha turned to speak to NorMa, she saw an expression of disgust cross the woman’s face before she blanked it. It seemed she already had an enemy. It didn’t bother her; dealing with the seamstress would be easy compared with the hundreds of years she’d spent in battle with the council members of HeVan. She would hear the woman out first, and then decide how to deal with her. Gesturing to the couches, she took a chair and sat down, crossing one leg over the other.

  GemMa came back in the room with a tray holding a plate of food, as well as a cup of some hot beverage, going by the steam, and a tall glass of some kind of juice. Malpha had her place it on the table beside her chair.

  “NorMa, explai
n the traditions of marriage clothing amongst the KowLer,” she said with the wave of one hand. She didn’t look at the woman. Instead, she picked up the cup and, sipping at the hot beverage, found that she liked it. Bringing the cup around, she gave NorMa her attention.

  Only a tightening at the corners of NorMa’s mouth betrayed her anger. Malpha easily concealed her smile, giving NorMa a bland look.

  “My Lady, I understand you are Nephilim. You are of an age greater than you look?” at Malpha’s nod, she continued, “This shade of color you’re wearing,” gesturing to Malpha’s pants, “Is the color of innocence and purity. It is only worn by young and untouched…virginal women. While it is the most common color for wedding clothes, it is not worn otherwise and never by women who have given their bodies. You should remove this garment immediately, it is unseemly.”

  Malpha took another sip from her cup. She really did like this beverage. She would remember to thank GemMa later for introducing her to it. Placing the cup down on the tray, she let the silence stretch; she chose a piece of fruit to eat while she decided how she wished to answer. She remembered Glynnis’s words about starting as she meant to go on.

  “You have gravely insulted me. I will not accept you as my royal seamstress. I command you remain seated. I further command you not to speak again until I give you leave. GemMa, take this tray away, I am no longer hungry.”

  When GemMa picked up the tray and carried it to the door, Malpha uncrossed her legs and reaching over, picked up the table and placed it in front of her chair.

  She removed her thick gold bracelet and set up her DRD screen and keyboard. By the sharp intakes of breath from the women in the room, she could tell they were surprised by this level of technology. She filed the thought away for future reference. The previous evening while she waited for the transmission from Grace, she noticed the ship’s computer was fully interfaced with the planetary systems. She downloaded five hundred years of KowLer history to study when she had the time. For now, she brought up historical fashion files. Narrowing her search to wedding clothes, she projected her results as a three dimensional hologram standing on the table in front of her. She took time to scroll through the images provided. She was pleased to see the predominantly red dresses changed to other colors when she went back more than one hundred and forty years. The one thing the garments had in common was the way they covered the body. Almost no skin was visible.

  She persevered and went back further and further in time. The garments began to change radically in style. Since her DRD had connected with the KowLer database once before, she had the access route in memory. Even as she watched the clothing of bygone eras float in front of her, she was pulling in even older images. Refining her search, she limited the results to dresses worn in royal marriages beginning three hundred years in the past and going backwards in time.

  All of her attention was on the clothing in front of her so she only heard the exclamations made by GemMa and NorMa’s assistants as the various gowns flashed by. As she perused the queens’ gowns from four generations back and beyond, she noticed that all of the women wore a specific piece of jewelry, which none of the more recent brides wore. By the time she’d gone back more than a thousand years, she’d made up her mind. Unfortunately, she would require the services of a superb needlewoman and she didn’t trust NorMa. Shutting down the DRD, she replaced the table and looked over at the women clustered together on the couch. NorMa, she could see, was no longer bothering to hide her anger.

  “GemMa, how did NorMa become the royal seamstress?”

  “Majesty, she was chosen by the king’s mother when she became queen,” GemMa answered.

  “And what does it mean to be the royal seamstress?”

  “She has apartments here at the palace. She oversees all the manufacture of fabrics, both in type and pattern. She decides all the fashion for the palace females. Clothing is made available for those who have need four times a year,” she recited.

  “Why is clothing only made available four times per year?” Malpha wanted to know.

  “The changing of the weather means different garments are required. Worn and threadbare garments may be exchanged for newer ones in the correct size at that time.”

  “Well that explains much. Is it the same outside of the palace?”

  “Very much so, as women are not allowed professions. Seamstresses are women with no husband but still they are not supposed to be seen to be in business.”

  It was a small thing, but Malpha had found her first battle. She wouldn’t start the battle as yet; she still needed to collect information. Cassandra had said she and her daughters would change the KowLer for all time.

  “Which of you is the best with a needle?” she asked. All of the women looked to the one sitting at the end of the sofa.

  “What is your name?”

  “QuenBy, Majesty,” she said in a soft voice looking at her lap.

  “GemMa, when was the last clothing distribution?”

  “We had it just before your arrival, Majesty.”

  “NorMa, you may speak. You are relieved of all duties as the royal seamstress. Do you wish to marry?” she asked the woman.

  “I am past the age of marriage, the same as you. Without my work, I have no purpose. I am too old to bear young, like you,” she said. The other women in the room gasped at her audacity.

  “If you wish to marry and have young, I can arrange it. There are ten million men and only some fifty thousand women on HeVan. Any who are willing to mate with more than one male are encouraged to come. You would be happy there on HeVan; the females make all governing decisions. Employment and education are not restricted. I can tell you care little for clothing. If you had a different dream, you would be allowed to pursue it. Do you wish to go?” asked Malpha again.

  NorMa didn’t speak for several moments. Then she answered, “Yes, I would.”

  “I will make the arrangements. You may all leave. QuenBy, you will stay.”

  After the seamstress had left, Malpha took GemMa and QuenBy into the next room where all her wardrobe containers stood. They had a lot of work to do if she were going to be marrying Ben this evening.

  Chapter Three

  It had taken some time to find the necklace. Then it was finally located with the aid of a detector locator. When Malpha saw the extent of the piece, she nearly balked. At the same time, she had grown wet again at the sight. Luckily, she had a complete medical kit with her so she was fully healed when the ceremony began. The fact the gold matched the jewelry she’d received from her own ancestress was lucky. She was able to wear them both.

  She swore GemMa and QuenBy to secrecy about her gown as they finished the last of the needed alterations. Both women helped her dress in the overskirt and tight-fitting top. It wasn’t until she tried to walk that sensations invoked by the jewelry made themselves felt. She faltered and then started with small steps. By the time she had gotten to the doors of the assembly hall, she was taking long strides and her body was pleasantly flushed.

  She hadn’t wanted her skin to be greasy but she wanted it to be soft and smooth. While QuenBy toiled, she had her body prepared with baths, special oils and creams. All the hair on her body, except for her head, was removed.

  Nodding to the guards, they opened the tall double doors.

  The assembly hall was shaped like a wedge. As she walked up the aisle on the right, she looked to the left and saw Ben walking up another aisle. Facing forward again, she approached the dais where the KowLer Holy Man stood waiting for them to approach.

  As she and Ben neared each other, she could see he also was covered in a fine layer of perspiration; it made her wonder. Her outer garment was tight in the top, almost military in the cut and design with a double row of gold buttons until it flared into a wide skirt. The material was of a red and gold brocade pattern. Ben wore his black leather pants with his tunic of white and gold, heavily embroidered.

  The Grand High Priest of the KowLer turned to the King. “Wh
at promises do you make?” he asked Ben.

  “You will be my one and only queen from now until my breath. You will have my protection and my loyalty. All that I have is yours,” he spoke in a quiet but firm voice.

  The Holy Man then turned to Malpha, “Do you accept his promises in good faith?”

  “Yes,” she answered.

  He began to pronounce them as wed. As Malpha heard his words, she interrupted.

  “I also have promises to make,” she said in a clear voice.

  The priest was shocked. Many of those in attendance gasped in outrage. Ben only laughed and nodded to the priest. After the priest recovered, he asked Malpha what promises she wished to make.

  “I promise that you are the only one to touch and take this body from birth unto death. I promise to bear your children as the Goddess provides. I promise to always tell you the truth in all things. I promise you my protection and my loyalty. All that I have is yours,” she finished. Lifting her hand, she handed him a small gold key.

  As the priest concluded the ceremony, Ben didn’t listen; all of his attention was centered on the key he held in his hand. His body began to shake with his arousal and he hardened painfully in his pants. Looking up, he saw that Malpha was unbuttoning the front of her gown. When she had all of the buttons undone, she parted the front and let the garment fall to the floor.

  She was left wearing a shimmering column. Parts were so sheer it was as if she were unclothed. Only a slight shimmer as she moved showed the fabric was there. A band of red trimmed in gold ran horizontally in front of her breasts with another wider band around her hips and a final thinner band around the hem. A choker of gold encircled her neck studded with red gems. Three gem-studded chains dropped from the choker. The left and right disappeared over her nipples, which he could see were tightly beaded and then fell down, pulled behind her back just above her hips. The middle chain ran down the center of her body where he could see it was threaded through a gold hoop in her navel and then fell again into the second band of color around her hips.