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  Padana has negotiator training and an imperial bloodline. It makes her valuable to one man in particular... if he can find her.

  Growing up in the shadow of one of Terra’s champions was a comfortable place to be. Padana was the third child of the Empress Amanda Tyrell of the Haldis Imperium, and she was a very requested bride.

  Being a class zero like her mother, Padana has nothing to offer the next generation. Any child she bears will breed true to the father. This attracts a certain type of suitor who has every interest in her position as princess and none as her descendant of a champion. Padana finds this annoying.

  Yomin is the heir to an empire, a guardian, and a descendant of a class zero himself. It is a requirement for his line that the aspects of Hredu breed true. Getting a portrait from the artist Rhoda had given him a woman to find, and locating her in the Haldis Imperium had meant some high-level negotiation. Fortunately, he had just met an excellent negotiator.

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  Class Zero

  Copyright © 2021 Viola Grace

  ISBN: 978-1-4874-3198-3

  Cover art by Martine Jardin

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

  Published by eXtasy Books Inc or

  Devine Destinies, an imprint of eXtasy Books Inc

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  Class Zero

  Stellar Born, Book 3

  By

  Viola Grace

  Chapter One

  Padana’s eyes were welling, and she sniffled as she fought to keep from bawling outright. Her throat swelled, and she coughed slightly.

  The proprietor looked at her. “So, are they hot enough?”

  Padana nodded, and she carefully set the meat-filled pastry down. “Yes, yes, they are.” She nodded. “Just what the consort has been demanding. Box them up, and I will get them down to the household.”

  The proprietor bowed and smiled. “I will wrap them up immediately.”

  Padana nodded to her guard, and he followed the proprietor into the kitchen to supervise the loading of the shipment.

  “Are they really that hot?” Lady Amerthet asked curiously.

  Padana broke a piece of the highly peppered meat pie and handed it to Thet. “Try some.”

  Thet took it and put it in her mouth, grabbed a napkin, and spit the item out. “How can you even swallow that?”

  “Practice.”

  There was a masculine laugh a few tables down. Padana looked over, and a dark green male was looking toward her, amusement in his golden eyes. His crest of hair was a thick, dark wave.

  She blushed and looked toward her companion. “It appears that we have an audience.”

  “Do we, lady?” Thet smiled.

  The man and his companion got up and walked over. “May we join you, ladies?”

  Padana swallowed. “Certainly, but we are leaving in a few minutes.”

  “I shall just have to make the most of it then. Are you from Torgny?” He sat down, and his Azon companion joined them.

  “We are. We are on our way back with a gift for the consort. It is her birthday, and there are always challenges to come up with something unique. This year, I believe I have come across the perfect thing.”

  He looked down at the pastries in front of her. “Are these them?”

  She grinned. “Yes. I think she will enjoy them, and the emperor will be appalled.”

  His dark emerald lips twisted into a smile. “You don’t fear the emperor?”

  “No, the consort keeps him in a fairly good mood, and he doesn’t lash out at the population much.”

  “So, you are ladies of the court?”

  Thet looked away from the Azon’s handsome features and smiled at him. “Um, yes. We are both members of the court.”

  He inclined his head and was about to speak when Thakos came out of the food prep area and froze at what he was seeing. “Mistress, you know that the consort would not approve.”

  Padana sighed. “Right. Well, sir, it was charming meeting you, and I hope that your journey continues smoothly. Bright greetings to your day.” She crossed her arms over her chest and bowed deeply. It was the standard formal greeting to an heir to the throne of Hredu.

  He blinked, and she got up, realizing what she had done. Thet scrambled to her feet, and they left with Thakos carrying the super spicy pastries.

  They were at the port when the dockmaster approached and bowed. “Princess, your vessel was needed to transport another dignitary whose ship had suffered damage. A separate ship can be arranged for you if you need it.”

  “Where is the other dignitary going?”

  “He is landing on Torgny.”

  Padana smiled. “Then where is the ship? I shall simply request the jump seats.”

  “Well, he is looking for a pilot, so if you like, I can ask him if he will accept your services.”

  “Please. We will wait in the lounge.”

  He nodded, and a few minutes later, he came to her with a relieved smile. “He will accept your services as a pilot and transport your companions as well.”

  “Excellent. Where did you put the shuttle?”

  “In the secure area.”

  She nodded. “Of course. Right, well, we are going to head over, and he can join us whenever.”

  “I believe he is on the way.”

  “Even better.” Padana nodded, and she led her companions to the secure area, where they went through complete bio scans that left her skin tingling.

  She returned to her shuttle and settled into the pilot’s seat, running the pre-flight checks. Thakos was guarding the cockpit.

  She saw the increase of life signs and cargo. She sent an announcement into the passenger area. “Sir, if you are ready to depart, we can get underway. The station’s rotation is optimal right now.”

  “We are in, and our cargo is onboard. You may depart at your leisure.”

  She smiled at the familiar voice. She spoke in Hredu. “Please, strap in. We need to do a drop from the station.”

  Amused by transporting the imperial heir of Hredu, she got the clearance from the dockmaster, and she verified the pathway to the drop door. She counted down the drop for her passengers, and their shuttle floated away from the station and the engines engaged.

  She called in for clearance at the imperial spaceport and punched in her authorization code and access password. It took forty minutes to go from station to ground, and when they landed, she sighed in relief and checked her chrono. She had time to make it home and get dressed for the party.

  She unbuckled her harness and got to her feet. Thakos was waiting on the other side of the cockpit door, and the man with the dark green skin was on the other side of him. She met the man’s gaze with her own. “We have arrived at the imperial landing area. You are welcome to share our transport
to the palace.”

  She was as surprised as Thakos at the offer. Thet grinned from behind the imperial representative of Hredu.

  Her guest blinked and smiled. “That would be very welcome, Lady.”

  She inclined her head and tapped Thakos’s shoulder. “Come on. We have to get ready for the party.”

  Thakos muttered, “Your father is not going to be happy.”

  “I left the planet without authorization; he is going to shit a brick.” She murmured it, and her guard winced.

  “Mistress, your language is unfortunate.”

  She pushed past him, and the Hredu royal stepped aside. Thet was waiting with the pastries, and the Azon was behind her.

  She unlatched the hatch door and elbowed it open, heading down the descending steps. They could follow her or stay.

  Her skimmer was waiting. The item was covered with palace seals, and when the two guests arrived and stepped inside, she checked to verify that they were stable, and she lifted off while communicating with both the tower and the palace.

  She informed the palace that she was carrying the Hredu guests, and arrangements were made to have them greeted while Padana and her crew got ready for the party.

  “You seem to know your way around vehicles, Lady.”

  He was next to her, and his vantage point made her want to check her cleavage to make sure he couldn’t see all the way down. A quick glance let her know that she was fine.

  “You are going to be at events this evening?”

  She nodded. “I am if I get changed in time.”

  “I would enjoy a conversation with you.”

  She twisted her lips and swung the ship around as she settled into her landing site. “I am sure you would. I am fascinating, but protocol is what it is. I am quite sure you will be busy, Your Imperial Highness.”

  He paused. “You know who I am?”

  “I know who your parents are. I can only guess at which child you are in the birth order.”

  “You speak High Hredu.”

  “I speak a number of languages. They come in handy at court.” She smiled at him and tried to stand, but he was far too close.

  Thakos stepped toward him. “Step back from the lady.”

  Padana put her hand on the prince’s chest, and she shoved him back. “I am fine, Thakos. We will go. It is going to take forever to get ready. Sir, if you wish to speak with me, you will have to do it in a public venue.”

  He looked at her hand against his shirt in surprise. His grin was genuine. “The court on Hredu is slightly more formal.”

  She patted him and eased past him. “We are not yet at court.”

  Thet and Thakos escorted her past the honour guard that was there for the guests, and she jogged through the palace to her quarters.

  Thet muttered to her while the dressers swarmed her. “I can’t believe you were flirting with him.”

  “Flirting? I don’t flirt. He’s a good-looking male.”

  “Your father is going to be furious. He has kept you under wraps for decades.”

  She chuckled. “I am the only one of his kids that has emerged as a class zero. I have a line of imperial houses longer than my arm who are waiting for me to choose, but none of them will let me see the cages that they want to keep me in. That is important.”

  The gauzy layers of her court gown were being wrapped around her, and when she had the four layers that made her clothing decently opaque, the corset went on, and the outer embroidered robe went over it. Her hair was piled up in a tower, gemstones were embedded in the tower of locks. She was draped in the jewels given to her on her first birthday and was several pounds heavier when the honour guard showed up to lead her to the court. Thet was behind her, carrying the gift box.

  They headed to her mother’s birthday event. Amanda Tyrell was turning sixty, and all of her six children were going to be in attendance.

  The doors were opened at her approach, and she swept forward into the court, going into a deep curtsy in front of the thrones of her parents. The imperial consort grinned brightly as Padana straightened.

  “Mother, Father, it is good to see that age has not touched either of you.”

  “Padana, it seems that you went shopping today.” Her father, Emperor Palden VII, was looking at her with a calculating stare.

  “It is difficult to get a good present when the entire court is seeking one, so I had something made for Mother.” She looked to Thet, and Thet stepped forward with the case, holding it out to Padana.

  She took the case, verified the contents, and stepped up onto the second step of the dais. “Here you are, Mother. Something to remind you of those things you called Jamaican patties.”

  Her mother grinned and applauded. “They smell amazing. Palden, do you mind?”

  He waved at her to enjoy her present.

  Padana watched her mother take the first bite of the flaky pastry, she watched her face turn bright red, and then, she ate and swallowed. “Oh, sweetie. They are perfect.” Her voice was strangled.

  Palden looked over. “Amanda, are you all right?”

  She squeezed his hand and croaked out. “So happy.”

  Padana curtsied deeply. “Happy birthday, Mother.”

  Amy winked through her tears and gestured for Padana to take her position in the third step from the throne. The attendants took most of the small pies away, but the imperial consort took three and kept them next to her throne during the evening.

  Padana’s siblings began to arrive, and when all six children were lined up, the main doors opened, and the party could actually begin.

  Chapter Two

  Padana remained on display with her siblings while the dignitaries filed in. The fact that Yomin was the first of those allowed in showed his rank and the status that he carried.

  Her father greeted him warmly. “Your Highness, how serendipitous that you have arrived in time for the party.”

  Yomin inclined his head. “It is an honour to have been invited. It was mere luck that an imperial shuttle was at the station to ferry us here after our vessel was stuck in repair after a meteor strike.”

  Her father flicked his glance sideways. “An imperial shuttle? How very convenient.”

  Padana wished that she could melt away, but she was stuck staring blankly into space.

  “Palden, my son. Were you up on the station?”

  Her eldest brother chuckled. “No, Your Highness.”

  “Rigon, my next, what about you?”

  Padana wanted to cover her face as she knew she was next in line for questioning.

  “Dearest daughter, you, perchance, were at the station today?”

  She stepped forward and curtsied deeply. “I was, Your Highness. That is where the Terran pastry chef was, so that is where I got the consort’s gift.”

  “Did you have authorization?”

  She kept her face bent downward. “I had authorization from the tower, the station, and customs.”

  Her father, in front of the entire court, muttered, “You did not have my permission to leave.”

  “Your Highness, I did ask if I could go shopping for something special.”

  She flicked her glance at him, and he was staring at her in astonishment.

  “You are equating shopping with getting in a shuttle with only your local guard?” He paused, and he looked dark. “You took more than your palace guard with you, right?”

  Three hundred people were watching her being chastised. She shrugged. “I took my household attendants.”

  “How many out of the dozen?”

  She sighed. “Two.”

  Her mother put a hand on her father’s arm. “Perhaps this is not the right moment, love?”

  The emperor snorted and waved her back to her place in line.

  Her siblings were laughing softly, and she sighed. The only other sister, the youngest, whispered, “Nice one.”

  They quietly reached over and fist-bumped
before there was a growl from the throne as he spoke with the Imperial Prince of Hredu.

  She watched the man who looked like his skin was made of metal, and she wanted to run her fingers over the edge of his jaw. She curled her fingers together in the folds of her sleeves, and then, she waited.

  Two hours later, the party began with her parents dancing together with slow moves and intense looks. Padana smiled, and after a minute, her partner and her siblings’ age-appropriate partners emerged from the crowd, and they slowly joined in the dance before the song ended and their partners returned to the crowd.

  She was supposed to seek out another partner, but green hands turned her toward him, and they started to dance before the song had even started. They were on their third step when the music surged up and around them.

  “Princess, pilot, navigator... what don’t you do?” Yomin was a very good dancer, moving her gracefully in the crowd.

  “I don’t have a good singing voice.”

  The imperial couple swung by, and the emperor mentioned, “She is also not a good example to her younger siblings.”

  Her dance partner grinned. “Not a deal-breaker.”

  Padana got suspicious. “What kind of deal?”

  “Ah, Hredu has some internal conflicts, and we require a negotiator who understands imperial matters. Coming to the royal family here was recommended by several parties in the Alliance.”

  “Well, you are out of luck; all of my brothers have contracts around the empire.”

  “I have been informed I am not out of luck. You are available provided that I am willing to abide by social restrictions.”

  She was stunned. “Like what?”

  “Negotiator armour or something similar to protect you as my folk can be venomous.” He smiled and spun her out before reeling her back in, catching her before she thudded against him.

  She took in the dark green, smooth surface that made up his skin, the golden eyes, and the crest of dark hair.