Nesia 014

“A wyvera,” Nesia said calmly.  “From an egg.  I’m not going to be picky about gender or color.”

She knew she was requesting the near impossible.  Wyveras were named after their larger, mythological cousins, the wyverns.  They were extremely intelligent, and reports indicated that they never got bigger than a ferret.  They had been discovered on the jungle world Degarra and were near impossible to catch.  They were even smart enough to hide their eggs and guard them viciously.

“Very well,” Donavan said, turning to the bodyguard with the kitten.  “See to it that a wyvera is obtained for Katherine.”

“Sir,” the bodyguard started a protest.

“I did not tell you to still be standing here,” the Asuraeson heir said sharply.  “You will leave now and personally ensure the obtaining of a wyvera egg before the engagement party at the end of this month.”

“Our master…”

“Would be most displeased if you jeopardized this relationship with your ineptitude,” Donavan snapped.  “Now go.”

“I will alert Ferren to come and replace my position,” the guard said stiffly before he bowed and left.

Good job, Nesia found herself silently thinking.  The guard that was leaving was loyal to the father first and foremost.  The air around Donavan relaxed a little as the elevator door closed, taking the bodyguard with it.

“How are you feeling, Katherine?” Donavan asked.  His voice was a little friendlier, but still laced with a business attitude.  “Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“Yes there is,” Nesia said as she walked past him and opened the door to her suite.  “We need to talk.”

Donavan nodded and stepped in after her.  The remaining bodyguard tried to follow and Nesia quickly got in the way.  He blocked the door as she tried to close it.

“Last I checked I wasn’t engaged to you,” Nesia said sweetly.  “So I suggest you back off and let us have our time.  Or are you trying to imply that I’m not good enough?”

The guard peeked past her, no doubt looking for approval from his boss.  Receiving it, he bowed politely to Nesia and backed up, letting her close the door.  They would not have been able to pull this off with the other bodyguard.  Donavan looked visibly relieved as he let the business mode drop off, though he looked troubled as well.

“Take a seat,” Nesia told her fiancé.  “Can I get you anything to drink?”

Nesia quickly glanced at her suite and was pleased to see that the redecorating had been completed.  She honestly had no idea if she even had anything to offer, but was pretty sure the hotel staff would gladly find whatever she wanted.  Not only was Kate Algernon here, but so was the future owner of Leisure.

“If I didn’t have meetings this evening I would ask for the strongest thing you have,” Donavan sighed.  “I’ll just stick with some water for now.”

Nesia nodded and headed off to the kitchen, her mind quickly pulling up information she did not realize she had.  It was not the meetings that bothered Donavan, but the fact that his father would be at them.  Donavan never went against his father, no matter what, and that is what made him difficult to manipulate.

She almost dropped the glass bottle of fresh Talline glacier water as that thought struck her.  Manipulation had a bad connotation to it, but her aim had been to help him separate from his father’s identity.  Her mind started to muddle up information and Nesia shook it clear and joined Donavan at the couch.  She noticed a small note had been taped to the bottle and pulled it off before handing it to the man beside her.

“You know,” Donavan said, as he opened the bottle, “His Excellency hates this stuff and has it banned from the planet.  Yet here it is.  I will agree that it tastes different.”

He poured a class and quickly drank it in imaginary defiance that he would never show his father.  He grimaced, but still poured another one for him and one for her.  Nesia quickly glanced over the note.

Took the fastest spaceship I could to get here when I heard the news.  Good thing I got here in time to save your place from that designer.  I fixed it up and can promise you it’s clean as a whistle.  Was going to wait for you, but decided to check on the good ol’ doc.  I’ll stop by later this evening.  – Your amazing stylist and party-planner, Cammie.

“So what did you want to talk about?” Donavan asked.

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What is the first thing Nesia should want to know?

1 – “Tell me about our engagement.”

2 – “Tell me about the accident.”

3 – “Tell me about who I am.”

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