Now I could understand the benefit of the industrial revolution.
Who wanted to work themselves like an old draft horse their entire life?
I know I didn’t.
Kayal toiled harder than I had ever seen anyone work.
He joked and laughed with his father and there was an obvious camaraderie between them.
It was a shame his father didn’t know who he really was.
Then, I heard the most beautiful words in any language:
“That’s all folks!” Yoath said. “We’re done!”
I heaved a huge sigh of relief.
I only had one load left to take back to the barn and the merrymaking of little Kayal’s birthday could begin.
“Let me take that for you,” Kayal said, motioning to the wheelbarrow.
I shrugged him off.
“I did the rest of it! I’m not letting you take the glory in the final stretch!”
I shoved the wheelbarrow and marched across the field.
Boy, did it feel good to win an argument.
I glanced over my shoulder in his direction, a superior smile on my face.
I was taken aback by the look on Kayal’s face.
His eyes hastily snapped up to mine having been staring hungrily at my ass.
So, he was interested in me…
I hustled toward the barn and handed the wheelbarrow over to Pana.
“That’s the last of it,” I said.
She scooped up the bundles of gloon and tossed them on the huge heap behind her.
She clapped off her hands and a spark flashed in her eyes.
She looked as spritely and alert as if she hadn’t been hauling these huge mounds all morning.
“Better go put on your birthday suit,” she said. “It’s party time!”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at the translation.
The devices inserted in their arms were very good but not perfect.
“Birthday suit” had a very different meaning compared to the one Pana had in mind…
But with the devilish glint in her eye, I began to wonder if it wasn’t what she meant to say after all.
Maybe it was exactly what she wanted to convey.
And who was I to say she was wrong?
I spent the next two hours getting ready.
I spied out the window.
From my room, I could make out Kayal and his father discussing the ship and the damage they needed to take care of.
They still had time, I told myself—today and tomorrow—and comforted myself with the knowledge there was no chance I could do a better job.
Sometimes being unable to lift a finger gave you a good reason not to worry because it was completely out of your hands.
I checked myself out in the mirror.
Not bad.
My shape was good if a little lumpy in places I’d prefer for there not to be.
I was a little curvy and liked not being stick-thin like some girls.
Still, there was always something to improve, and who was totally happy with the way their body looked?
Certainly nobody I knew.
I flicked through the dresses in the wardrobe but none were right.
I selected a handful and tossed them on the bed.
I’d have to get creative if I wanted to achieve the look I was aiming for.
I scanned each of the dresses in turn—all but one was black and of varying lengths.
I wanted something sexy, so I dropped the formal dress as it didn’t have the “wow” factor.
I ejected another because it was too thick and the last thing I wanted was to sweat all night long while dancing.
The choice came down to two dresses.
They were virtually identical, each with too much frilly lace on the neck, hem, and sleeves, but the colors were different—one a racy red, the other pitch black.
I wanted sexy, not slutty.
I ejected the red and opted for the black.
But I still wasn’t finished.
The dress was too poufy and needed more work.
I tore the lace off and tossed it aside.
I did the same with the other clutches of lace and held the dress up.
Not bad.
It still needed work.
I put it on and turned up the hem so it rose a little higher than my knees.
I cut the sleeves off and stitched them up as I had the hem.
The neck was pretty good and didn’t plunge too low and wouldn’t choke me if there was any occasion to move.
I looked at myself in the mirror and smiled.
Yes, I thought. Not bad at all.
I pressed a hand to my throat.
It would have been good if I had a little gold or glittering jewels at my neck but there were none.
It was pointless crying over what you didn’t have.
I selected a pair of heels that matched the dress and changed my mind at the last moment.
I needed height.
Kayal towered over me and I didn’t want to look like a munchkin next to him.
The heels were ludicrously tall but well-designed.
I took a deep breath and reached for the door handle at the same time I heard a knock.
I’d opened the door before I could gather myself.
I knew who would be standing on the other side.
It could only be one person.
Kayal’s eyes ran over me appreciatively and a smile spread across his face.
His eyes moved slowly over every inch of my body and seemed completely unperturbed by the fact we stood there in silence, him gawping at me.
He intended on taking his time admiring me.
His biggest smile came when he reached my eyes.
“Wow,” he said.
He blinked in surprise that he said the quiet part out loud.
“You don’t look so bad yourself,” I said.
He was dressed in some kind of traditional dress, with baggy pants and warpaint drawn across his muscular body in forms that meant nothing to me.
“I have something for you,” he said.
He reached into his pocket and withdrew a sparkling necklace made of so many glittering orbs it blinded me.
“I found it in the mines of mankraxior. When we conquer a new planet, the soldiers are allowed to take one-tenth of the riches to keep for themselves. The rest goes to the empire. I saw this and knew one day I would have a use for it. May I?”
I could hardly breathe.
I
