Rise of A Queen: Aster's Story

Chapter 8

Aster stood at her little kitchen counter stirring a cup of coffee. It had been three days since the king's funeral, and she hadn't left her room or seen Lyra. She had spent her days pouring over files and waiting for Rigel to call her. She was living in a fantasy, pretending that she was just busy with work and would be home to see him any day. The reality was that there was a whole space station depending on her to keep it running smoothly, a merchant company depending on her, a wife in the next room, and who knew when she would have Rigel with her. She didn't even want to think about the fact that her "normal" was never going back to the way it was. Although Rigel may be supportive and by her side, their life would never be the same. She had promised him that her self-doubting was over, but she was still in a mental funk. Knowing she needed to push herself into a change, she headed to the closet. She picked out an outfit and headed to the shower. She didn't take long and was putting on her mascara when Jase walked into her suite. She was surprised that he would burst in without being announced, but only paused waiting to hear him. "Forgive me your highness, but I...oh...well you're dressed?" Jase gave her outfit a long look. She was wearing a heather gray sheath dress with a wide red belt and matching heels. She had her usual smoky eye and red lips. She felt sexy in the dress, which was unusual since she preferred her simple merchant's suit. She simply c****d an eyebrow at Jase as he looked over her choice. He continued, "Well, that is an amazing outfit for you, if you don't mind me saying so, but you forget that the Canis People are in mourning. It simply isn't acceptable at this time. If you exchange the red accents for black, you will be fine. Now, you will have to add a short black veil that is traditional in mourning. You will see many Canis people, particularly women wearing the veil." Aster tilted her head in acceptance and went to the closet to make the suggested change. She didn't want to offend the people before she was even officially announced to them. From the closet, she asked, "what do Canis men in mourning wear?" Jase was quick to answer, " Well, traditionally they wear a single dark-colored flower on their lapel. However, our culture has always been very gender-fluid, if you will. You will see a variety of ways our people express themselves, just like they do with their gender identity or s****l orientation. It is just typical for the King and Queen to wear the more traditional items." Aster came from the closet with a smile, "Well, as the new Queen, I am the perfect example of how open-minded the Canis people are. I don't see any reason to wear the veil. If you don't mind, have someone bring me a dark purple flower to pin on my outfit for the rest of the week. I plan on having a full workday today, so bring the most important files to my suite. We can discuss them over lunch in my office. Then I have a video conference for Morax and once that is finished we can go over the less urgent files. However, before you go, I want to know what my wife has been doing these past few days?"

Jase nodded in understanding as she gave him instructions. "Yes your highness, I will have a variety of flowers brought to you daily. As for Queen Lyra, she has thrown herself into party planning and working at the orphanage. She looks quite tired, but once the parties begin, they will be lovely. Perhaps she is using it as a distraction to not think about the loss of her father. Forgive me if I say too much, but we are a little worried about the two of you. The first few days seemed promising, but the last few days it seems like you two are not well connected." Aster let him share his thoughts. She needed someone who could speak freely to her. "You are right, of course. We are both caught up in our feelings and haven't drawn together. I will make an effort to spend time with her this evening. Maybe I can distract her for a few days so she will get some rest and we can get back on track. We have a lot going on but we also have a great responsibility, and the well-being of our people will always come first. Now, let's get started on the files. The sooner I can get through some of this work, the sooner I can focus on my wife." Jase used his communicator to call for flowers to be brought to her office as they walked through the halls. He pulled out a stack of files and placed them on her desk. Then he ordered lunch to be brought in a couple of hours. He took notes as she dictated, and helped keep things organized. They made it through one very large stack of papers when lunch finally arrived. "I think we have made good progress today. Of course, every day brings new issues to address, but utilizing the district representatives and the Elders makes a big difference. They can take on many tasks without you having to be bothered. Right now, I understand you are trying to familiarize yourself with the types of things you will need to deal with, and you need to get to know your people and how they work. I think in time you will learn to trust their discretion." Jase grabbed a bowl and opened it to find a spicy noodle dish inside. Aster nodded in agreement as she scooped the noodles into her mouth. "I am sure you are right. I am very lucky to have found you so quickly. Otherwise, I would be struggling." Jase smiled at her and they ate as they worked on more files. "Okay, so this one is not urgent, but I thought you would want to look at it right away. This is the plan to expand one district of the center. As we grow in population, we need more room and the people who work in the medical district are complaining that there are not enough hospital rooms for patients." Astor read through the report. "Right now, I am not ready to give the okay on this project. Take it to the Elders for them to consider and schedule me for a meeting to discuss it with them next week. I also want a report on my desk detailing how we can make home visits work instead, as well as any other alternatives that could be viable. If we can treat more patients at home, then we will have more beds open for those who need it the most urgently. Now, what's next?" They worked through another stack of files before she had to meet with Morax. "You don't have to stay for this meeting. I can take my own notes. If there isn't anything else that needs your attention, I would like you to find a Taylor so I can get started on a wardrobe. Honestly, I hate half of my closet. It's too feminine." Jase gave her a small bow at the waist as he left her.