Chapter 5: New Aberdeen
Rheyn flashed a brilliant smile and posed with Baron Nathan Kincaid. The brilliant flashes of holocams blinded her as the light sparkled off her jeweled necklace as she showed off her new kimono. Kincaid livery and Household Guard units of attending glenlords lined the force-field-barricades that kept adoring fans, cheering crowds, and more importantly the galactic media at a respectable distance. Rheyn waved at the crowd and soaked in the eruption of cheers and calls. She loved coming to New Aberdeen.
It was her chance to show off and have fun while attending a tournament. Unlike the planet she left a few weeks ago, New Aberdeen was a cosmopolitan world near the heart of the Union, and the New Aberdeen Tourney was prestigious event. Along with Rheyn’s company, there were many high ranking glenlords, merchant princes, and their corresponding companies in attendance. The downside for Rheyn was that New Aberdeen ranked among the most difficult tournaments to win. Rheyn would be lucky to survive, much less come out with a win.
Despite her pending trouble, Rheyn keep a smile on her face and kept moving along. She walked with Baron Kincaid while her cousin Moiré, who served as her personal assistant and general body keeper, walked behind wit Major Higuera. The baron’s entourage provided effective escort as they paved the way towards the entrance of the palatial palace where the Tournament Ball was held. Every few steps, Rheyn would pause to pose before the people and wave, allowing her picture to be taken. The colors of Kincaid, whom were prominent as the host of the tournament, the banners of all the participating great houses and glenlordships ringed the great hall served as a backdrop to Rheyn's pictorial.
"Wow, will you look at that," Moiré whispered to Higuera. She looked up to see a large holographic image of Rheyn in a menacing pose, dressed in full battle armor.
Higuera held back a grin as he took in the sight. Rheyn’s image was accompanied by other participating knights that lined the avenue they walked. Each figure stood twenty meters tall and held a sword in one hand and the banner of their patron glenlord or prince in the other. Each one had their own version of a menacing warrior. No matter how many times he saw it, Higuera had to choke back a tear.
"Like the champion she was born to be," Higuera said, returning his gaze to the crowd. His eyes alert and head on a swivel, scanning the crowd and media for a potential threat.
"Sometimes I wish I can be her, just for a minute," Moiré sighed.
The corners of Higeura's mouth peeked quickly. He put a hand on Moiré's shoulder and squeezed softly. As Rheyn's senior guardsman and personal body guard since her birth, Higuera watched Rheyn and Moiré grow from childhood playmates to the young women they were now. The feelings he had for both girls were more as a father than someone charged with their personal protection. While he was close to Rheyn, the relationship he had with Moiré was more father-daughter than it was with Rheyn. Higuera knew that because of Rheyn's rank and position, there would never be an intimate relationship with Rheyn as he had with Moiré. It was something else they could share, they're devotion to their mistress.
Moiré came to Solheim as an orphan after her parents were lost in a shuttle accident. Countess Ysobel took her in as one of her own and placed her in Rheyn’s nursery. Since that day, Moiré and Rheyn have been inseparable and Higuera had fulfilled the gap in her life as father, mentor, and sometimes friend.
"Mira, don't be envious of others-especially those more popular or powerful than you, for you do not know what burdens they carry," Higuera said.
He gave her a quick look, soft smile, and wink, briefly dropping his alert stance. Moiré returned the soft smile with one of her own and nodded. She understood what he said and knew it to be true. As beautiful and popular her cousin was, Moiré also knew that Rheyn had tons of stuff to deal with that she was glad to not have to deal with. She brushed a hand down her kimono, a similar dress, but less elaborate than Rheyn's and took a deep breath.
"I know, Wayne, but sometimes, just for a moment, I would like to know how it feels."
Rheyn posed one more time for the crowd, this time with a fellow contestant that stood nearby. Her jaws were beginning to hurt from smiling so much, but it was her duty. Waving, smiling, and playing the part of glamorous glenlord and knight. She'd much rather be brushing down her stallion and attending to the dents in her armor than this. But the people loved it, and she did look forward to the party that Tournament Balls always were.
She gave one last wave before turning away relax her mouth and look for her entourage. She spotted her cousin and beckon her on.
"Come on, Mira, let's catch up to the Baron before some glenlord or clansman corners him for a favor."
Hand in hand, the two women hurried forward, rushing up the steps that led to the Grand Ballroom before slowing their pace and join the huddled mass to enter one by one. Just outside the mezzanine, Rheyn saw that Kincaid was indeed engaged in a conversation. Instead of interrupting, she and Moiré moved to the side and want wait their turn to enter. In the meantime, they turned to see who else was coming down walkway and up the stairs.
Rheyn wasn't focused on anyone in particular, half-way keeping an eye on Kincaid and on the mass of people below. She strained to see who had the attention of Kincaid from a distance before she heard an excited gasp and a poked in the ribs.
"There he is!" Moiré said, bouncing and pointing into the crowd below.
"There who is?" Rheyn said, cupping her eyes to focus her attention where Moiré's fingers led.
"Lord Valko!" Moiré said.
The roar of the crowd increased and the flashing lights of multiplied as she saw a massive landrover with emerald-green and black banner of Glen Lopez pull up. The excited crowd hushed as the doors slowly opened and a quartet of armsmen appeared, clad in the green and black livery and polished jackboots of Glen Lopez. All eyes, holocams, and vid-drones were on them. Then suddenly the crowd erupted into a volcanic fountain of noise he appeared.
The first thing Rheyn saw was a muscled knee, draped by a green and black tartan kilt and capped by gleaming black boots, white hose and green flash of ribbon. This was followed by a head of dark shiny hair, and then them most amazing smile she had ever saw. There was no denying that Valko Ochoa glen'Lopez was a handsome man. As he stood up to full height, Rheyn looked on with the rest of the gathered throng to take in the sight of real-life Adonis. Tall, lean, neatly dressed in a formal jacket littered with shiny silver and emerald buttons, and the black-green-silver tartan kilt, Valko waved and smiled to his adoring fans.
As a large holographic image of Valko appeared on screen, Rheyn concentrated on the dimpled cheeks and trimmed goatee. A close-up focused on Valko's grin that widened into a devilish toothy smile. When he winked, Rheyn involuntarily grew hot and blushed. She surprised by her physical reaction grew irritated at herself. Rheyn quickly cooled her gaze darted a look at her cousin. Moiré appeared glassy eyed and looked as if she was about to faint. Good, she thought, Moiré was caught up in her own fantasy to ever notice Rheyn.
"So what," Rheyn finally said, "I don't care about him." She turned her head away from the dimpled cheeks, the toothy grin, and ruckus crowd to seek out Baron Kincaid.
"So what? So what?" Moiré said, tearing her eyes away from Valko to look at her cousin. "Is that all you have to say about the most handsome man in the universe?"
"Yes, Mira," Rheyn said flatly, keeping her emotions in check, "So what about the Lord of the Saberwolves."
"What's wrong with you? Not only is he the most handsome man in the universe, a champion knight, but the most eligible bachelor in the Union," Mira said, "I would be so honored if would serve as my champion."
Moiré paused for a moment, darting a look at cousin before adding one last bit. "You've heard the rumors, haven't you? How he pines for you? I would be so fortunate to have a man want me the way he does you."
Rheyn quick tempered flashed and she grabbed her cousin by the collar and get into her face.
"Who's side are you on, Moiré, his or mine? If you like him so much, why don't you be his lady-in waiting."
A horrific look of fear appeared on Moiré's face forcing Rheyn to cool her temper. She let her cousin go and smoothed Moiré's collar and dress before sighing deeply.
"Look, Mira, I’m sorry. It's just that..."
Rheyn paused, arms folded and turned in a quick circle. She then pointed to Valko as he slowly ascended the steps, pausing to pose for adoring fans.
"His displays of affection are false and I’m not some Novaterra doll to be used for his pleasure and then thrown away when he gets bored."
Childhood memories of a summer of lost loves and broken hearts flashed in her mind. She thought of a lost loved one and shook her head at knight.
"I'm not going to let him throw me away," Rheyn finally said.
"Who wants to throw my precious girl away," Baron Kincaid said as he draped a hand over Rheyn and Moiré.
The women blushed and looked at each other before Rheyn looked at Kincaid and nodded her chin towards Valko whom by this time had reached the top of the steps and stood a few meters away.
"Ah, I see," Kincaid said with a knowing smile and slipped Rheyn's arm over his and moved with her away from Valko and into the mezzanine and ultimately into the ballroom.
“Come my little lambs, let us go before the wolves come and spoil the festivities,” Kincaid said.
As they walked, with Moiré, Higuera, and the rest of the combined contingent walking behind, Rheyn speared a moment to contemplate the man, Baron Gavin Kincaid. He had always treated Rheyn as a favored daughter as he had no children of his own. There were rumors that he was one of her mother's lovers and possibly her father. Rheyn desperately wanted to ask him if it were true, but her fear of the answers kept her silent. His treatment only reinforced the validity of the rumors, but if he was her father, why did he not say so.
As if reading her mind, Kincaid patted her hand and whispered words to console her.
“Rheyn, I love you as if you were my own daughter and I will never let anyone throw you away either. I made a promise to your mother to keep you safe,” Kincaid said, “You will always have a place with me and never forget me in your hour of need.”