The lot of them were jockeying for position—each trying to get as close to Ellina as possible in order to appear like they were the chosen consort—while at the same time keeping a careful distance so they didn’t actually have to touch her.
No wonder she’s felt like a freak all these years, Ty thought angrily as he watched one blue-skinned nobleman brush accidentally against Ellina’s arm. The male jerked away and shivered with disgust before wiping his hand surreptitiously on the side of his fancy golden brocade trousers, as though he might get some mysterious germ or illness from touching her.
Ellina appeared not to notice this, though Ty saw her jaw clench and her spine stiffen and knew she had seen every detail of the small exchange.
No wonder she felt so ugly—they made her feel that way, he thought, getting even angrier. What was wrong with these males, anyway? Ellina was beautiful. Any one of them would be lucky to have her and yet they were treating her as though she had a rare but extremely communicable disease—like she was disgusting to even look at.
And all because she isn’t their exact idea of perfection—because she’s a little different from them, Ty thought, glaring at the one who had wiped his hand after touching her. The nobleman glared haughtily back and then checked his image in a small, hand-held viewer, making certain his make-up didn’t need touching up.
And of course her differences weren’t Ellina’s fault. If you bred for a certain trait over and over for generations, as the Chorkay had, there were bound to be repercussions.
Ty felt for her deeply—perhaps because his own DNA had been tampered with as well. In a way, both of them were the product of genetic experiments—both of them had been altered against their wills, before they were even born.
At that moment, there was a short scuffle and two of the nobles’ chewchies jumped at each other and began scratching and yowling. Voices were raised and names were called, reminding Ty of nothing so much as a schoolyard fight among petty, stupid little boys.
He shook his head as the chewchies were pried apart and the angry nobles separated and put some distance between themselves. What was Ellina going to do when her Heat Cycle came on her and she had to choose one of these idiots as her consort?
The very thought of her picking one of the shallow, idiotic nobles—of her picking any male as her consort, really—caused a low growl to rise in the back of Ty’s throat. Not a single one of the assembled males was worthy of her. Not a single one would risk his life to protect and shield her. And they were all so selfish and self-centered, he was certain not a one of them would work to support her reign and help her rule Helios Beta.
How strong she would have to be in order to hold an entire planet together in peace and prosperity! Whoever was lucky enough to be chosen as her consort would need to be a bulwark of strength for her to lean on—he would have to let her be weak when she needed to be in private sometimes and then support her and pay homage to her authority in public.
None of the noblemen would do that for her, Ty thought. They would probably just want to do as that bastard Hennessy Tolland had suggested—live out their shallow little lives being supported by the royal treasury while they gambled and whored and played and only pretended to support Ellina at the occasional State Banquet.
In fact, he could see Tolland now—nose lifted in the air and a look on his face as though he smelled something bad. The nobleman had been placed in the front row of candidates where he could be shown-off to the commoners to best advantage. Despite the fact that Ellina so obviously disliked him, it was clear that the High Priest still hoped she would pick his favorite.
At that moment, a shrill whistle interrupted his thoughts and the high golden gates of the palace swung open. Ty frowned and made certain that the soldiers situated on the perimeters of Ellina’s coterie were still in place and looking alertly around. He had a feeling of misgiving but there was no going back now.
The Grand Promenade had started and they were on the move.
Chapter Twenty-three
Ellina waved and smiled brightly, automatically, as she walked out among the crowds of common people who had come to see their new Potentate. The dress she was wearing was horribly heavy and the elaborate golden shoes her stylist had persuaded her into were already pinching her feet.
But this is part of the job, she reminded herself as she nodded and waved first to the right and then to the left at the crowds of people lining the road. This is what Grandmamma did for years and years.
She could almost hear the older woman’s voice in her ear now, telling her that she must always put on a bright face before the people, that she must reassure them and let them know their ruler cared for them. She had tried to contact her earlier by Lor, wanting a few words of wisdom, but Grandmamma had been asleep. It didn’t matter though—Ellina could still hear her as clearly as though she was standing right there at her side.
You must project calm and confidence at all times, no matter what you are feeling yourself. If you feel calm, the people will be calm as well.
She’d said it so often that Ellina knew it by heart. It was the way Grandmamma had ruled for years and it was the way Ellina intended to rule now.
In fact, her grandmother had been Potentate much longer than many in their line. That was because
