Epilogue
4 weeks later
Bahran entered the Imperial suite, and headed straight for the formal water bather.A luxury he'd learned about upon arriving on the Terran homeworld was the pleasure of the water-based cleansing shower.Much more exhilarating than just a sonic shower, and it got all the same grooves, but with water.
It was also a pleasant place to have sex with his wife, Caoimhe.
Wife.
It still boggled him that he was married to the Empress of the Terran Empire.It had been a formal ceremony, a double one, because Jedriek married Eleanor as well.Something about making sure that none of the previous Emperor's arrangements were not enforced?Bahran didn't ask the details, because Eleanor did not seem to like discussing it, but he gathered it had something to do with marriage, because she kept calling Jedriek her guarantee.
It amazed him how much went into unifying two governments.
Just running one was an undertaking he'd not imagined.Terrans did things so strangely.There were layers to everything.nothing was just straight up and finished.
He sometimes wondered what Master System would do to this, would she--and he could call Master System 'she' now--allow such silly protocols?He doubted it.
He stepped out of the shower and started to dry off in the bathroom.
He was still dripping a little when Caoimhe burst in, and ran straight for the toilet.
"Caoimhe?"
She threw up.
Immediately, he leaped into protective mode.
He tapped a button on the wall."I need medical to the Empress's chambers.Now."
Caoimhe came out."Bahran, what are you doing?"
Her face was pale, her skin clammy, and her hair was wild and all about her face.
"Come."He led her to the bed.
"I'm sure I'm not even remotely attractive right now, Bahran," she said.Though she sounded terrible when she said it.
He handed her water to drink."Drink," he said."You need to be well, the Empress needs to be able to do her duties without being sick."
She shook her head."I'm fine.Really.I know it's a little stomach cold.Veta has the same thing," she said."We were joking about it yesterday, even."
He shook his head."Then you both need to be seen by medical."
"I really don't feel that bad, I'm just tired," she said.
The medical attendant came in.
"Empress Bron, what is the emergency?"he asked.
She waved her hand."I believe my husband over-reacted.I just seem to have a stomach bug.I am throwing up a bit every day with it."
"How long have you been throwing up?"the doctor asked.
"About a week, I think."
"Any heart burn?"
She nodded."I assumed from the stomach bug."She glanced at Bahran."Would you mind?I can speak to the doctor."
