“Ahem.” Ellina cleared her throat. “I, uh, think maybe I’m glad that Lor mostly communicates with me in images,” she said, her blush getting even deeper.
“I’m beginning to wish Tisa would too,” Ty growled. “She’s very…verbal. But tell me,” he added quickly, trying to change the subject. “What exactly is a Lan’Glaver? I mean, what’s the story behind that particular term?”
“Oh, it was an old legend my nurse used to tell me when I was little,” Ellina said eagerly. She also seemed glad to change the subject. “About a Potentate in olden times who couldn’t find a male she wanted to call as her consort.”
A picture of Ellina looking forlorn formed in Ty’s mind and Ellina herself looked at her chewchie.
“Yes, just like me, my dear,” she said to Lor and Ty understood that in the same way Lor was relaying Tisa’s words to Ellina, Tisa was also relaying Lor’s thought pictures to him. It was a bit complicated and confusing but what it meant was that he was going to have to be very careful or he wouldn’t have any secrets left.
“What secrets?” Tisa demanded.
Ty shook his head.
“None of your business, little girl,” he sent gently. “Don’t worry about it—you don’t need to know every thought that goes through my head.”
“Why not?” she demanded. Her imperious tone reminded Ty of a precocious child.
He saw Ellina trying to smother a laugh.
“Tisa is still very young,” she pointed out when he frowned at her. “She will learn to be more circumspect after she’s been out of the shell for a while.”
“Tell me more about the Lan’Glaver,” Ty said, trying to get back on subject. “What did the Potentate who couldn’t find a consort do? Wasn’t she obliged to just marry the male with the skin closest to Sacred Blue?”
“Oh, no.” Ellina shook her head. “Back then, many people had the Sacred Blue skin tones—even some commoners—so it wasn’t as terribly rare as it is today.” She scratched Lor behind the ears and then Tisa as well, since the other chewchie nudged her hand. “It’s only been the last few generations, since we’ve been trying to breed for it, that the color has become so uncommon. Some say that the reason we are losing the Sacred Blue is that we’re trying too hard to get it, through careful and selective breeding. They say Thufar doesn’t like such practices—that he will be the one to bestow the Sacred Blue and he doesn’t care for our interference in the matter.”
“I’m guessing Lord Kikbax doesn’t feel that way,” Ty said dryly. “Since he seems so insistent on finding you a consort with skin as close to Sacred Blue as possible.”
“To the High Priest, it’s all about how things look,” Ellina said. “He wants it to seem to the common people that I’m doing my best to breed an heir for them, so the planet won’t be left destitute if I should…” She swallowed hard. “If I should die.”
“You won’t.” Ty took her slim hand in his and squeezed gently. “I’ll keep you safe, little one.”
“I know you will.” She looked up at him gratefully. “Anyway, it’s ridiculous to say that I should have to marry a noble. If the old legends are true, I should be able to breed with anyone and have a little girl with the Sacred Blue coloring.”
“Anyone meaning any other Chorkay, right?” Ty said, lifting an eyebrow.
“Well…yes.” She looked down at her hands. “Any other Chorkay. I don’t know about…anyone else.”
“Don’t be silly,” Tisa interjected. “Ty is going to breed with you, of course, and give you lots of lovely Sacred Blue babies. Just the same way that Lor is going to breed me so I’ll lay lots of eggs. That’s how things have to be.”
“Tisa, enough talk of breeding,” Ty said, frowning. Things were getting sticky here—they were diving into territory they shouldn’t be exploring. “Tell me what the Potentate who couldn’t find a consort she wanted did,” he said, trying again to get back to the legend of the Lan’Glaver.
“Well, she held a tournament.” Ellina gazed into the fire. “A series of tests—of strength, speed, and intelligence—to see which male was most worthy of her hand. And many, many noble males passed at least one of the tests. Some passed two. But only one man passed all three. And he was a commoner.”
Ty snorted. “Bet the ruling class didn’t like that.”
“No, they didn’t at all.” Ellina shook her head. “In fact, a lot of them got together privately and came to the conclusion that the Potentate had been foolish to set the tests in the first place. They decided to get rid of the commoner and to take her as a prisoner. Then they would draw lots to see which of them got to sit by her side as consort.”
“A coup!” Ty frowned. “Did they really dare to do that?”
“Oh, yes—at least according to the legend.” Ellina nodded. “So they captured the Potentate and told her if she didn’t agree with their demands and accede to their requests, they would…would kill her.” Her soft voice faltered a moment but then she resumed. “But her death was not the will of Thufar. He who guides and guards us all has mandated that only a female Potentate with Sacred Blue skin may rule over Helios Beta.”
“Yes, I know.” Ty nodded. “So what happened?”
“The commoner—the one who had defeated all the tests the Potentate set up, rescued her,” Ellina said. “He killed those who had plotted against her and put her back upon the throne where she belonged. Whereupon, she bestowed upon him the title of ‘Lan’Glaver’—Guard or Protector of the Goddess—and promptly made him her consort.” She shrugged. “And apparently, they lived happily all their days.”
