Virtual Snow Read online

  “Uh, Kyron. What was that?”

  He resumed their dance and moved with the music. “What was what?”

  “Grrr.”

  He chuckled. “Do that again. It’s cute.”

  She made a face. “Seriously, what was that? He acted like you spilled hot water on him.”

  “Ah, well, it was a declaration that you are my chosen companion and I am yours.”

  “That is rather high-handed of you. You have made no formal declaration.” She wrinkled her nose and smiled.

  She squeaked in shock as he picked her up and walked off the dance floor with her. She smacked him in the arm. “I can’t leave my purse and wrap.”

  He paused and spoke to a guard. “My dearest lady has left her wrap at the table. Could you retrieve it for her?”

  The guard grinned and pushed through the crowd while Kyron held her in his arms. He held her there for any passing folk to see until the guard returned with her purse and wrap.

  “Public enough a declaration?” He murmured it in her ear as he walked with her to the archway where vehicles could pick up their charges.

  The guard waved and gave hand signals, and a sleek black government vehicle eased through the closest of openings to stop in front of the walkway. Kyron tucked her inside and went around, entering from the other side.

  Sno watched as he settled in and closed the door. “That was sneaky.”

  He grinned. “I know. It is hard to be stealthy when you are my size, but I manage.”

  He gave the driver directions to take them home. The man nodded and grinned before he put the vehicle in gear and they exited the observatory grounds.

  Sno cuddled up to Kyron. “Well, you have made a public declaration. I suppose it is only proper to make an honest man of you.”

  His eyes lit with delight. “Tonight?”

  She blinked. “So soon?”

  “Why wait? We are bound from the root of our souls. There need be no waiting for us. We have no doubts.”

  Sno looked into his face for a moment, considering the options. “Change of destination. We are heading to the registrar’s office. We will need you as witness. Are you willing?”

  The driver glanced over his shoulder again and grinned. “Absolutely, miss. Congratulations.”

  Kyron put his arms around her and held her while they rode to the automated registrar.

  It was surreal to exit the car on Kyron’s arm and enter the offices with the driver in tow. The standard document was good enough and it combined their finances from that moment onward.

  The driver, Gworin, witnessed that both parties signed their names and gave their blood samples easily and freely. No duress was involved and no offers were hidden inside the union.

  The binding bonus given to her came as a shock. “What the hell is that?”

  Kyron grinned, “Didn’t you know? The Edinar all have huge dowries given to our mates on joining. I didn’t think it would matter to you.”

  She scowled and smacked him on the arm. “It doesn’t but I don’t like surprises.”

  He laughed out loud and hugged her to him. “Come now, bride. We have lost time to make up for.”

  She went up on her toes and pulled him down to her for a celebratory kiss. When his hands tightened on her, she pulled away and skipped a few steps ahead, giving him a smouldering glance between her lashes. “What are you waiting for?”

  Gworin moved ahead of them and opened the door a moment before Sno jumped into the back seat. Kyron was inside a moment later.

  They were on their way in an instant with the copy of the agreement crackling between their bodies.

  The drive became a blur, but when a relieved Gworin stopped, he said, “We have arrived.”

  Laughing, Sno hauled Kyron out of the car and into what she hoped was his home. He closed the door behind them and pressed her against it, kissing her frantically.

  Her lips caught and nipped at his, soft moans came from them both. He lifted her again and carried her through his home, directly to the bedroom.

  Sno shed her dress and shoes quickly and then helped him with his clothing. They came together with a little difficulty. Physical bodies were never as easy to deal with as the dream forms.

  When they completed their initial writhing, they panted and regained their senses.

  Sno was speechless for the first time since infancy.

  Kyron stroked her back slowly, as if measuring her frame for future reference.

  Silence fell between them, but it would be interrupted frequently with the sighs and moans of lovers in the dark.

  Sno was sitting in Kyron’s lap and nibbling at the breakfast from the tray next to them. Kyron’s com unit rang and they both groaned as he moved to answer it.

  He spoke quietly for a moment and then disconnected the call. With lithe movements, he crawled onto the bed and kissed her. “We have a date for brunch. I have something for you to wear if you care to.”

  She snickered. “I thought you were measuring me with your hands.”

  “I have always had an eye for figures and yours holds endless possibilities.” He winked and kissed her again. “Come along. Derin wishes to have reinforcements when he meets with your friend Harka. You are needed as a casual decoy.”

  She groaned and got out of bed, looking wistfully at the toasted rolls still on the tray. If she didn’t know that Harka’s café had wonderful concoctions, she would never have left the food behind.

  The something that he had for her to wear was half a wardrobe worth of fashionable clothing. She picked a dark blue underdress in a thick fabric matched to a gauzy over tunic that would flutter in the breeze. Her shoes were matched to the gown.

  It was a fortunate thing that with her slight frame, underwear had always been an option. Kyron didn’t seem to mind her lack of obvious curves. He was certainly determined to find them if she had any.

  Grinning, she fluffed out her hair and checked on the small gems. They were still firmly fixed. A sonic shower wasn’t enough to dissolve them. They needed plain old water. For now, she would run around with stars on her head.

  With her clothing in decent lines, she walked to the front door where Kyron was waiting.

  “You look lovely.” He bowed and kissed her hand.

  “If you keep doing that, I am going to think you are tasting me.”

  He flicked his tongue across her skin. “Just as entrancing as I remembered.”

  She blushed and he used her speechlessness to bustle her outside and into the car.

  “Good morning, Gworin.”

  He grinned, “Morning, Lady.”

  Kyron kept his hand on hers. “To the café at the corner of Micra and Lekos.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Gworin put the car into motion and they set off.

  “I am guessing that Derin is meeting us there?”

  “He is. He is also bringing Trevnar as a distraction so that Harka will relax a little.”

  Sno snorted. “He isn’t giving her enough credit.”

  “He is nervous. If she says no, then he will live and die without a mate.”

  Sno blinked. “What?”

  “We have one chance at a mate. If the one our instincts guide us to is not available, we stop looking. We also do make a move quite quickly when we find the one.”

  Sno stroked his cheek. “I guess you are very lucky that the Horalthian scientists spent a lot of time matching the monitors to their Edinar. Perhaps they were matchmaking and did not know it.”

  “I believe that is exactly what happened.” He leaned into her touch and closed his eyes.

  “Will it continue do you think?”

  “Well, we have been given control over the monitor program, so I believe it will. The faster we can rebuild a bloodline that will let the Edinar continue and recover from extinction.”

  The idea of continuing the bloodline made her blush. She had not given thought to that consequen
ce, but she should have.

  He continued on that vein. “How many children should we have?”

  She blinked. “As many as is safe, I suppose. If they come, they come.”

  Kyron stroked her cheek. “I know that the idea petrifies you. We have time.”

  She did math in her head and calculated the odds. “Not as much as you would think.”

  He hugged her softly and held her until they arrived at the café.

  She knew that they would discuss it later, but it was closing the coop after the birds had flown. The next generation might already have a foothold.

  Harka was relieved to see her, and they all sat together, talking about the evening before and the crowds of the uninvited that had been held at bay.

  Sno’s mind was fixated on her body and she wasn’t a good conversational partner, but the three men made up for her lapse.

  When the meal was over, Sno hugged Harka goodbye and could tell by the look in Derin’s eyes that he wasn’t leaving alone.

  Silently, Sno wished him luck. Harka might be infamous for her lack of discretion, but she had good sense.

  When they were getting into the car, Kyron asked her. “Why didn’t you tell her that we were bound?”

  “I didn’t want to scare her. She is easily spooked.”

  “Ah. Good plan.” Kyron leaned forward and whispered to Gworin.

  When he sat back, he had a sneaky expression on his face. Sno had never seen anything bad come from that expression, so she sat next to him and waited.

  They pulled up in front of a jeweler’s shop. They left the car and went inside.

  The staff were flustered when they entered. Embarrassingly, it was because of them recognizing Sno as a member of the Ekalin family. Their dark blue eyes were unmistakable. They always bred true.

  Kyron took control of the visit. The jewels that he picked out were expensive but in very good taste.

  “You don’t need to do this. I can pick out my own things.”

  He smiled. “It is Edinar tradition. It is my duty to provide you with creature comforts and yours to keep me apprised of your true opinion of my actions.” “So, my entire job in our union is to tell you off?”

  He shrugged. “It is a very basic way of looking at it, but yes. You are my link to the outer world and all my actions shall be seen through you.”

  Sno sighed and leaned against him as his selections were stacked high in individual boxes. “That is a heavy burden.”

  “You are up for it. Would you care to join me at the medical centre when your suspension is over?”

  She wrinkled her nose and sighed. “I would prefer to go back to the monitor program. Ohra sent me some of her floor plans to work with. She had some great ideas for changing the positions from a wheel-and-spoke pattern and into two ranks of occupied spaces that would double the waking process.”

  “Interesting. I would like to see the plans.”

  “I will have her forward them to you.”

  “Why not just show me yourself?”

  “She has put a great deal of thought into them. I would not steal her ideas or the calculations she has put into them. Everything will go through official channels so that if they are put into action, her name is on them. She deserves it.”

  He paid for the gems and offered her his arm. “Then, she shall have all the recognition her idea deserves.”

  Sno nodded sharply and smiled at him. Maybe this acting as a conscience thing wouldn’t be too bad.

  * * * *

  Sno rose to her feet in front of those assembled. “Ladies and gentlemen, we would like to thank you for your attendance during our celebrations. Twenty-five years ago, I stood in the registrar’s office with Kyron, and Gworin acted as a witness. Today, we are here celebrating the union of our daughter Kya Defani to Arcun Lebra. Kyron should be the one making this speech, but since Kya announced her engagement, he has been beaming too intently to make any conversation possible.”

  The gathering laughed out loud.

  Kya and Arcun sat together, their hands tightly holding each other with devotion. Kya looked at Sno with joy in her expression. Sno stared back into her dark blue eyes surrounded by a wealth of blonde hair and cleared her throat.

  “Anyway, before I lose my own composure, let me welcome Arcun to our family and our hearts. You have matched our daughter and have our love for all that. Kya, you are strong, beautiful and know your own mind. You brightened my days, and I know you will bring that joy wherever you go. To the bride!” She raised her cup and Kyron stood next to her, raising his own glass.

  She turned and they sipped with twined arms. It was a practiced event but everyone applauded for all that. They sat back down and watched the Lebra family make their toast to the bride and groom.

  When the dancing began, Kyron took her hand and led her to the dance floor. “Your speech went well, love.”

  She sighed and pressed closer to him. “I am glad you liked it. I almost burst into tears.”

  “I know. Your mind was quivering, dear heart. You did well for all that.”

  The dance floor filled with couples and quite a few of their nine children were dancing in an attempt to understand that first connection with the opposite sex.

  Kya and Arcun drifted past. “Good speech, Mum.”

  “Thank you, Kya. You look radiant.”

  Arcun grinned, “That is just the blush. I am sure it will wear off in time.”

  Her new son-in-law gave his new mother-in-law a long look. “Or, perhaps not.”

  Sno laughed and Kyron whirled her away. “I wish that I would stop blushing every time you took me into your arms.”

  “It has been twenty-five years, Sno. I don’t think it will stop any time soon. I like it. It lights your skin and makes me feel taller.”

  “Any taller and you will go through the roof. Now, how soon do you think we can sneak out of here?”

  “Escaping from your daughter’s wedding? How scandalous.” He grinned. “I have arranged sitters for the children. The night is ours.”

  Giggling like children, they snuck out under the stars and called a car to take them home. The meadows near their home were very beautiful in the moonlight. Eight of their children got their start in that very meadow.

  Sno leaned against Kyron on their way home and contemplated the benefits of putting herself in Sleeping Beauty’s path. It was a moment that she would never regret. She had the joy of love to remind her.

  Author’s Note

  Virtual Snow concludes the second series of sci-fi fairy tales. If you wish to have more, let me know.

  Writing fairy tales is always fun but interpreting them gets a little hinky as several of them overlap into the same story. I hope you have enjoyed my attempts to stick to a fantastical realm.

  And yes, I named Kya after my car.

  Thanks for reading,

  Viola Grace

  [email protected]

  http://www.violagrace.com

  https://www.facebook.com/viola.grace.10

  About the Author

  Viola Grace was born in Manitoba, Canada where she still resides today. She really likes it there. She has no pets and can barely keep sea monkeys alive for a reasonable amount of time. Her line of day job tends to be analytical which leaves her mind hopping to weave stories. No co-worker is safe from her character analysis. In keeping with busy hands are happy hands, her hobbies have included cross-stitch, needlepoint, quilting, costuming, cake decorating, baking, cooking, metal work, beading, sculpting, painting, doll making, henna tattoos, chain mail, and a few others that have been forgotten. It is quite often that these hobbies make their way into her tales.

  Viola’s fetishes include boots and corsetry, and her greatest weakness is her uncontrollable blush. Her writing actively pursues the Happily Ever After that so rarely occurs in nature. It is an admirable thing and something that we should all strive for. To find one that we truly like, as well as
love.