Blooms of the Empyreal

Chapter 8: The Unexpected Connection

Mariana’s coach pulled her up to the front entrance of the palace. Although she’d been absolutely awed by the grandeur of the Duke’s home, it was nothing to the opulence of the palace. The home was decorated in what might have been called Greco-Roman style on Earth, but with different gods craved in decadent marbles and beautiful stone. The massive building was airy and held up by massive pillars that allowed the light of a thousand lanterns in warm yellows and oranges to bounce around the spaces. It flooded the whole street in a warm glow that made even the chilly evening feel cozier. Mariana was greeting by a servant wearing this world’s equivalent of the men’s three-pieces suit; a heavily embroidered thing with color flowers on ever inch of the coat. The matching tunic and pants made for splendidly, colorfully dressed men, and Mariana felt a little underwhelming standing next to them. Her sundress had looked spectacular in her room, but it wilted in the splendor of the palace.

She took the servant’s hand, moving slowly down onto the glittering stones of the paved causeway. Her ankle protested a little at the movement, but it seemed that the regular ice wraps and careful tending had done it a lot of good.

Mariana was therefore able to walk into the palace on her own two feet, which gave her waning confidence a little bit of a boost.

The interior breezeway of the palace was decorated in a style that would have made even the sultans of Dubai blush; everything was encrusted with glittering bits and gold leaf; it was a spectacle of glittering, golden things that made even Mariana gasp, though she wasn’t usually a fan of over-the-top finery.

It was hard not to wonder what kind of money went into something like this, and Mariana began to wonder just what sort of planet she had been transported to. There may have been some pay inequality problems on Earth, but it seemed like so many, too many, resources had gone into this massive building.

“Are you alright?” a small voice asked from Mariana’s right elbow, shaking her out of her own morbid thoughts. She turned and saw a very pretty young woman with eyes like melted milk chocolate and long lashes. “You seem to be limping just a little.”

“Oh, I just twisted my ankle; I’m okay. Doctor says I should be fine in a few days,” Mariana smiled down at the pretty little thing; she looked to be in her teens or early twenties, beautiful and soft, her hair shaved down to the skin. Mariana was sure she wouldn’t be able to pull off that look, but there was something ethereal about her and her lack of hair just made her even more beautiful. “I’m Mariana.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Mariana. I’m Grae. Allow me to offer you my arm to lean on if you need.”

Mariana grinned widely. “Thank you very much. I could use a little help,” it grated against her already hurt pride, but there was something so warm and welcoming about this stranger that Mariana didn’t want to offend her.

There was gold dust outlining those beautiful coffee-colored eyes, as the woman blinked very slowly, then held out her arm.

“How are you finding Valera?” The woman said, her accent thick like cream in Mariana’s ears. “This place is very different from where I come from.”

"In a good way?”

She smiled, her wide lips parting to display perfect white teeth. “Yes. My home planet is war-torn and violent. Children go to war and very few live to be old men and women. This place is very peaceful; it is nice to be able to sleep through the night without fear.”

Mariana winced a little; she couldn’t imagine such a place. “There are places on Earth, my home planet, that are like that, but my homeland is very peaceful. But a lot less formal than this place.”

“It is nice, though, to feel so welcomed; my patron has been very kind in so many ways.” There was a twist of her mouth for a split second, a widening of her eyes that made Mariana blush.

“I’m glad you’re finding this place well. I have not quite decided how to feel about it,” Mariana swallowed hard.

Grae’s kind smile only widened. “Well, since we have no choice but to remain here, we may as well find as much enjoyment in it as possible.” As they walked through the main hall together, more and more women slid past them through the doors and into the reception hall. Mariana and her companion reached the doors, and the two women gasped at the scene before them.

Women of all ages, colors, and dress-styles stood before them, mingling in hushed whispers. Table after table was lined with delicacies, wines, and other delightful edibles. Massive chandeliers were hung with hundreds of paper flowers and cranes, and the dangled just above all the women’s heads.

If Mariana had to guess, there were just about a hundred women here, all milling around the food tables, chatting, and smiling. The air was calm but with a hint of excitement in the air.

As far as Mariana could see, there was not a single man in the crowd. Her shoulders relaxed from tension she didn’t even know had been there; she hadn’t realized how stressed she’d been always being surrounded by men.

“I’ve never been to a party before,” Grae said to her companion, patting her hand with gentle fingers. “I very much look forward to seeing what they are like.”

Mariana looked around the room. “I think I would like to sit down; I’m going to head over to one of those tables.” They parted in good spirits, Grae heading over to one of the tables that were lined with cooked meats. Mariana took a deep breath and took a seat, carefully studying the wrapping around her ankle. It had swollen a little, but it seemed to be doing alright. She just had to remind herself to be careful with it.

“Are you alright, sugar?” a sweet Southern-American accented voice asked from over her shoulder, accompanied by a brush of fingers on her shoulder. “That looks awful swollen."

Marianna turned and gasped, her eyes welling as she caught a glimpse of the woman who had approached her. “Philis, is that you?”