SWNOVELS Chapter 6
I giggle because he's right. On my own planet, I wore beautiful dresses that flowed with every step. It may seem silly, but I absolutely love being dressed up. My father tried to give me some play clothes to wear in the garden once, but I wouldn't have it. It was a dress or nothing at all. I sat on my bed and didn't move until he gave my dress back.
"That would be nice, but you can just bring material and a sewing machine."
He squints at me.
"I can make my own clothes. One of my maids showed me how." There's disbelief directed at me. I guess he doesn't believe someone of my standing would understand anything about sewing or even be interested in learning.
"I'll see what I can find for you. Here we are. This way." We step off the elevator and head left. We walk a little way and turn to the third door on the right. He swipes a small badge through a machine, and then the door slides open.
None of the other doors required such a thing. "What is that?" I ask.
"It's a lock to keep others out. It allows for privacy."
I have an inkling that the grin on his face is because I'm like a child when it comes to their technology.
"Lights on," he says. The room lights up with only the sound of his voice—no switches or anything. It's neat considering the doors and lights in my palace were operated by hand.
"Wow! This is a large room." I walk in as he extends his hand for me to do so. I take in the room, which is divided into three sections. The main one looks like a sitting room—with a small couch, two end tables with small lamps lit on them, and a long table in front of the couch. To either side of the tables are two bookshelves. A window is directly above the couch. A desk with a huge wall screen sits to the right, as well as a door that leads to a washroom, with a large tub, a shower, and all the necessities. I notice a door to the left. Inside are a bed, dresser, and nightstands with lamps. I look closer at the bookshelves as I step farther into the room. There are some frames with achievements in them.
"This is your room, Lieutenant." I did it again.
"Please, call me Patrick." He stands with his hands tucked behind his back.
"Patrick, why would you give me your room?" I'm happy to be out of the medical bay, but it doesn't mean I want to take someone else's place.
"Well, in truth, we don't have any spare rooms. Some of them were rearranged to make room for the bodies to be brought over as well as anything we could salvage from the wrecked ship."
"No, I can't take your room."
"It's okay, really. I told the captain you could use my room." He says.
I turn around, trying to avoid getting close to him. Being alone with him this way makes me terribly nervous. "Where will you sleep?"
He stares at me through a reflection on a silver trophy and notices the confusion on my face. "You'll have the bedroom. The door locks. To do my part in protecting you, I'll sleep out here. The couch actually folds out into a small bed. Just push the button there." He points to a small button on one of the side tables.
I push it and watch a bed magically fold out—fully made and ready for sleep.
"It's more than sufficient, and this door is the only way in and out. I'll be ready and able to attack anyone who gets the notion to harm you," he says slowly, stepping closer. I'm somewhat trapped by the right side of the bed as he steps forward and reaches around me to push the button again. My heart races as he comes in, brushing up against me.
"I, um, thank you. I think." I'm a bit shocked. I've never had to share quarters with anyone before. I had an entire floor to myself at the palace, and aboard the other ship, my room sat adjacent to my father's. My guard, of course, stayed right to the outside of the door, but not with me.
"I realize you're not accustomed to such things. Especially with me being a man and you a woman and... um, well." He doesn't move away, but he stops his sentence. Does he sense my unease?
"No, I'm not use to any of this," I respond in a whisper.
"I'll see to it you get what you need for dresses. Guards are outside the door if you need anything. I do have to get back to my duties. I'll have lunch brought to you, and hopefully, if you want to, I mean..." He stammers again.
I gaze up at his green eyes that seem to be magnetic. He stares deeply into mine, and for a second, there's absolutely nothing else around us.
"If I want to what?" I ask, not moving away from his gaze or his body.
"We could have dinner together."
This makes me smile. I should be more cautious, yet I can't control this emotion, having never felt it before.
"I'd love to have dinner with you." He brushes the side of my face, and he backs out the door, exiting between the two guards.
The door closes, and I sit on the couch. I sigh because I can't seem to let go of his face. What is with me? I feel so weird inside every time we're together. I've read books of such things. Love, it's called. Falling in love. I can't be falling for him. Not now, not with everything that's happened. I need to focus on why I came to the Commerce. I need to put this silliness aside and figure out a way to get the council to agree to send me to an isolated planet—away from him—where I can do no more harm. I can't and won't allow myself to get involved, to become a slave.
My thoughts turn to my father and what he'd think of this. My father wouldn't approve, I tell myself, trying to force myself out of this state. After all, my father always said, There isn't anyone worth my love. Giving in to another to gain control would mean I would no longer be allowed to be myself. I shouldn't be so tempted with nonsense such as the love of a man. Why did they call it 'falling in love'? I gaze out the window at the stars, which seem to whiz by. I wait patiently for anything to happen. It's quieter here than in the medical bay.
There's a sudden knock at the door.
"Who is it?" I ask cautiously.
"It's the stuff you asked for," someone says.
I step over to the door. It takes me a second to figure out how to open it. The guards come into the room, with two other men carrying supplies in their arms.
"Where do you want this stuff ma'am?" They carry material and an old-fashioned sewing machine like the ones from my planet. I'm excited to get out of this suit thing.
"Just set the machine here and the material on the floor. That was fast. Where did all this come from?" I'm sure that with the advanced technology on this ship that these things weren't just sitting around.
"It was actually found inside a box in the cargo hold of the other ship. It's amazing that it wasn't damaged. The boxes we found the cloth in were damaged a little, but the material was relatively untouched."
A few charred spots are on the material, but there's quite a bit of the cloth, and judging from it, I could make more than a few dresses. I won't make them as long and flowing as the ones I'm accustom to. I don't want the ends being sucked into the baseboards. "They're fine, thank you."
The men whisper to each other as they leave the room.
"He's right. She is hot," one says.
"Yeah, no wonder he wants her to stay with him," the other responds as they and the guards step out and the door closes behind them.
I'm not sure what they mean. I'm not hot in the least; it's just the right temperature in here. I shrug it off and go to work, making clothes for myself. It'll be so nice to have clothing that is better suited to my form and status.
I pull an aquamarine wavy material out of the stack and begin a skirt that will slightly swing outward as I turn from one direction to another. It'll reach my calves, and the top will be a tight fitting, thick strapped, V-neck, with a low-cut back. I wore this style, instead of pants, to garden in, and they are quite comfortable, allowing myself not to overheat in the Booravia summers. I'm pleasantly preoccupied and my mind has left behind its thoughts of Patrick. Except for those green eyes—those seem to stay with me, despite my efforts to clear out my head. What is it about him that captivates me so?
I keep myself busy most of the morning, working on the blue dress. It's my favorite color and is turning out beautifully. When I'm finally finished with it, I throw it over the back of the couch to get a good look at it. Remembering my first dress, I laugh at how awful it came out.