Exit Strategy (Tales Of The Citadel #58)(6)
He shrugged. “It is hard to describe. It is better seen in action.”
Yna chuckled. “I hope that you aren’t going to need them at the wedding.”
“No, but during the party after, who knows?”
They both laughed, and a truce was cemented between them. A good night’s sleep had worn away resentment, and learning about his family had gotten her sympathies. She had remembered when she had thought of her relations with affection. It wasn’t his fault that they had betrayed her in the most basic of ways.
“So, now, how many ceremonies do I have to appear for?”
He counted and mouthed silently as he ticked items off on his fingers. “Seven. Seven ceremonies including our official engagement.”
“So, how is that going to work? I mean, once we register the engagement... how do we undo it?”
“I am willing to let it stand until all of my younger siblings are married.”
“Won’t you be pressed for a wedding?”
“If you are amenable, we could simply register as a married pair, and that would keep my family at bay. When the youngers are all married, we could press for a divorce.”
“Are you comfortable with that?” She stared at him in surprise.
“I am if it helps them live with their true mates, I am willing to be cast aside when you are done with me.” He grinned and winked.
“You are a sport. So, your brother is a Peacekeeper?”
“Yes. He could have gone on to the guard, but he settled for saving lives at home after he finished his contract.”
“That is when he proposed?”
“That is when she proposed. The higher ranking of the two has to make the proposal.”
“So, in our situation... that would be me?”
He chuckled. “It would be.”
“Then, as we are to be engaged before we land, will you do me the honour of becoming my fake husband?” She batted her lashes.
He sighed. “I will. Thank you for asking.”
Ahlgos quirked his lips. “A gift is usually customary.”
She shrugged. “I am all that you get for this magical moment.”
“I will consider it a blessing then. Your family will not object to the situation?”
She snorted before she realized that he honestly didn’t know. “My family are the ones who turned me in to the authorities. They are the reason I was stuck in that suit and sold to every collector and perv in the sector.”
He paused. “I knew that Resicor had some issues with talents...”
“It did. Fortunately, that is no longer the case, but those of us who were trafficked in the suits were stuck until the Sector Guard came for us.”
“How do you know it was your family?”
She twisted her lips. “My sister told me. I was an embarrassment, a freak, and my incarceration was the best thing that had happened to the family. They were getting all kinds of sympathy, and my father had even been able to rise a few degrees in the government.”
Ahlgos’s expression was suitably appalled. “I had no idea. I knew that you had been sold, but...”
“The Resicor moments are my past and have nothing to do with my occupation right now. I don’t want any of my students to be trapped in a situation with no way of fighting.”
“What do you teach?”
She laughed. “The art of escape. I teach my students the practical means by which they can get out of most mechanical and electric locks, as well as practice at jumping and landing from windows and roofs.”
“That is a dangerous subject.”
“It is also why my students are already Specialists or Guardsmen. They are authorized to learn the techniques.”
“So, what is your talent, precisely?”
“Escape analysis and execution. I can get out of nearly anything.”
“But not the suit.”
“No. It was bonded to my skin.” She wrinkled her nose. “It is the only thing that I couldn’t escape from, and based on analysis, it was because of the invasive nature of the suit, even before the final shock that melted it into me.”
His hands clenched and relaxed. She sat back and smiled. “So, what else do I need to know?”
“You will meet my mother first, so bow and wear the semi-formal dress. She will touch your shoulders and call you daughter. If she doesn’t, this is going to be harder than I thought.”
“Right. Do I smile or remain stoic?”
He wrinkled his nose. “Try and look nervous, as if unsure of your welcome.”
“Well, I am, but I will try to project insecurity.”
“Thank you. I will make the introductions with you and the rest of my family, but I think you have the basics.”
“So, it will be introductions, court reception, back to your family home for the night, and then the first ceremony in the morning. Three days of ceremony and then we will be on our way back to Balen.”
“Right. If all goes well.”
“What else could happen?”
“Well, a noble of higher rank than my soon-to-be sister-in-law could challenge the family; in which case, we have to prove our worth in a series of tests. It almost never happens, but I do know of two cases in my lifetime.”
“Let’s hope. I don’t trust my students not to practice at the Citadel, and they aren’t proficient enough to not get caught.” Yna smiled.