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I stared at the golden cup, encrusted with gems as he turned it. "Applying normal standards I would say somebody important, of noble blood. It looks expensive."
"You always speak in riddles, what do you mean by applying normal standards?" He inquired, turning his eyes from the cup to me.
"Well I mean considering how your people and mine live, where only a very few, very wealthy people would be able to afford and use a cup like that. Sadly, we lack a lot of information regarding this species. Maybe they were all rich, maybe these kind of cup was given to any child born, maybe the last owner stole it," I shrugged.
"Interesting theories," Myles grin deepened. "Maybe this cup was given to a bride on her wedding day as part of the ceremony."
I couldn't help but feel a chill at his words, they resonated with me, causing goosebumps to form on my arm.
"I like that," I whispered.
He finished polishing the cup to a glorious shine before he handed it back to me. Our fingers touched when I took it and the contact was electrifying. Combined with the symbolism of him handing me the cup after what he had just said, my mind seemed to disintegrate as a picture of him and me formed. We were wearing formal clothing. He was handing me a cup as a deep voice intoned, from now on, you will drink from one cup.
I shuddered and the physical move brought me back to the present, a present where Myles looked at me questioning. I tried a weak smile and pretended to study the cup, but my shaking hand betrayed me.
I was grateful when someone called Myles aside, before he could remark on my strange behavior.
A surprise awaited us when we returned to Aecor. A space transporter was hovering just above the waterline at one of the piers. The outer walls were decorated with the Vissigroth of the Iceland's colors and symbols.
"Darryck!" I shouted as the boat drew nearer and I made out his form on the pier. Next to him stood Vissy Thalia, his wife.
I remembered a time when all of us vissigroths had been more or less at odds with one another. A time before Myccael became our susserayn. The rebellion that took place right before the dragon Grandyr chose Myccael as our new susserayn had brought us vissigroths closer together.
Never in my life would I have called one of my fellow vissigroths a friend, but that's what we had become over the past several years.
"Myles," Darryck waved when he caught sight of us.
I didn't wait until the boat was properly docked, but jumped from it to the pier to embrace my new brother and his wife. "It's good to see you."
"You still look like a rogue." Thalia chided, knowing me and my ways well enough.
Her eyes moved to Niara and a flicker of hope sparked, "And who is that?"
"My hostage, Niara, the sister of the Baron of Horn," I explained, watching amused as Thalia's spark of hope that another human seffy had been added to the group of vissies died and turned into something more like outrage, "Hostage?"
Darryck put an arm around her. "Easy. I'm sure Myles has his reasons." He soothed.
"Niara, may I present the Vissigroth of the Icelands, Darryck and his wife, Vissy Thalia," I formerly introduced before I gave in to the temptation to poke Thalia's temper any further.
By all accounts Thalia had been a meek seffy when she met Darryck, but since I had never witnessed a meek moment with her, I doubted the validity of this claim and I didn't want to provoke her. I liked us being friends much better.
"Please come, be my guests," I invited.
I heard Thalia asking Niara, "Is he treating you right?" before I tuned her and Niara out to talk to Darryck.
"Did Myccael sent you?"
"Zyn, my fleet is orbiting one of your moons, they won't be detected by any Chrymphten scouts. The humans gave us a new form of cloaking technology that should keep us hidden from sight." Darryck explained. "Myccael said you have intel that the Chrymphten will attack Oceanus?"
I led my guests to one of the elevators that would take us up this time. I would have liked to show my other quarters off to Niara in a more intimate setting, but the underwater dome was meant for my private affairs, whereas the penthouse on top of the largest tower was the official seat of my power, my official living quarters, where I received high born guests to impress them with all of Oceanus's splendor.
Niara had changed back into her pants and blouse on the ship, but her bathing suit underneath was still wet and I was glad that I had at least made some arrangements beforehand to have one of the spare closets stocked. A surprise for her. I sighed, a surprise too that wouldn't quite go the way I had planned, but I surrendered myself to the fact that there were more important things at play here right now than to impress a seffy who had so far not shown much interest in me as a male.
Since this was Thalia's first visit here, she and Niara looked equally impressed as the glass elevator took us up higher and higher and the ocean below us together with the boats and piers became smaller and smaller.
"This is amazing," Thalia stated. "Much taller even than your tower," she turned to Darryck.
Darryck cleared his throat and I suppressed a chuckle. Neither of which didn't escape Thalia who rolled her eyes. "Incorrigible males."
