The Murdered Sun - Christie Golden [94]
Nata stood, shifting her weight from foot to foot. She was painted, after the manner of her people in a highly formal situation, with bright colors and symbols, though her body bore only a few token scraps of colorful cloth. Bright blue encircled her large, wise eyes, and jagged yellow and red symbols turned her mottled coat into an array of decoration. The Viha held her head high and proud, but tension was in the normally fluid lines of her body.
For his part, Garai stood solid and almost unmoving. He was a formidable sight in his head-to-toe armor. He had offered to remove his helmet for the peace negotiation--a gesture, Janeway knew, of great goodwill--but she had asked him to keep the helmet on until the empress herself arrived.
The three stood in anticipatory silence. There was at present too much blood and anger between the Verunan and Akerian representatives for small talk, but Janeway hoped that, once Empress Riva arrived and the presentation had concluded, the empty room would echo with questions.
The door hissed open. Janeway tensed. Chakotay stood there, a half smile on his lips, his eyes glowing with suppressed...
could it be mirth?
"Captain Janeway, Viha Nata, First Warrior Garai, I present to you Her Excellency, the empress Riva, ruler of Akeras and the Akerian Empire, queen of the Valley of Suns, mistress of the Tikkari Isles, lady of the Faith and keeper of the Word."
He stepped aside, and the empress entered. Viha Nata gasped, shocked.
Even Janeway raised an eyebrow.
The empress had large, lambent yellow eyes, which were cool and yet betrayed a hint of apprehension in their depths. Her pale fur was fawn-colored, her long snout with its strong, white teeth a darker hue.
Long white hair--almost a mane--was braided with jewels and bright strands of metal. More metal, gleaming brightly, encircled her long, sinuous, draconian throat. Her slight body was modestly draped with an ornate, carefully tatted lace overtunic and shawl. Even her white tail, which belied her outward composure with its restless swishing, was decorated with the same care as her mane.
So much, Janeway had known to expect. What the captain of the Voyager had not expected was the empress's youth. The great lady of the Akerian Empire stood only a little over a meter and half high. She was a mere child--the equivalent of a human ten-year-old.
Empress Riva caught sight of Viha Nata, and her eyes widened with the same shock that clearly galvanized the Verunan. When she spoke, forcing words past a throat closed with amazement, her voice was soft and dulcet.
"You... but you are no monsters!"
Viha Nata found her own voice. "Neither are you."
It was a profound revelation for both of them. Garai lifted an instrument to his throat, activated it, and removed his helmet.
He shook his own sweat-dampened white mane, dropped to one knee, and his face was somber when he spoke to his empress.
"Great Empress, forgive your humble servant. You ought to have been told a long time ago the truth of what happened on Blessing.
The Verunans are no mindless monsters. I knew this. I had resolved to tell you when I returned after defeating Janeway and her crew."
Utterly confused, Riva looked from Garai to Janeway and then let her gaze linger on Nata "We were told... that you were monsters.
Good only for labor. We have never seen you before."
"That was the reason for the ceremonial masks," continued Garai.
"The Verunans would not know that they were being enslaved by a people similar to themselves."
"You... First Warrior, do you mean to tell us that our kinsman has been lying? To his empress, indeed to all of Akeras?" Shock was beginning to give way to a righteous anger on the small Akerian's face.
Garai nodded miserably. "I