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“By my Grandmother's horns, I've never been so scared, Ami'an!" Ilen Saa'an exclaimed, still shaking from her recent experience. “I thought I was ended!"

“He came to your side, did he not?" Tsel-Ami'an asked gently.

“I…I suppose."

“And did he not plead your case?"

“I had no understanding of much of what he said, though…I suppose."

“It is as I told you, Saa'an. The All Mother did not allow either of you to come to harm—your vine still grows, as does his."

“But what am I to do, Ami'an? Half the district knows by now what has happened! The Royal Court is involved! I will be lucky if my Honored Mother will allow me in our lodging!"

“We shall see, Saa'an."

“What is that to mean?"

Tsel-Ami'an smiled coyly.

“Ami'an, do not do this to me!"

“Calmly, my friend. We shall see in what direction the vines are growing—the next few nights will tell."

Ilen-Saa'an sat on her Tal'esna Je-mah for awhile after parking in in the family's modest compound.

“What am I to say, Ami'an?"

“Speak truly, Saa'an. I will back you," Tsel-Ami'an replied, placing a reassuring hand on her friend's shoulder.

“If this does not go well…"

“Then you may stay with me."

Ilen-Saa'an put her hand on her friend's shoulder and said, “Sometimes I do not know what I would do without you."

“Oh, I am certain you would find all manners of interesting predicaments to get yourself into," Tsel-Ami'an sent with a chuckle.

“Saa'an. Attend."

Ilen-Saa'an flinched at her mother's command. Tsel-Ami'an followed her friend into the House Office. Ilen-Jaa'an, Saa'an's mother, did not look happy. Shooting a quick glance at Tsel-Ami'an, Ilen-Jaa'an laid into her Fourth Daughter.

“Imagine my shock when I learned that my Lowest was involved in an altercation with an off-worlder diplomat, guarded by none other than one of the Che'maht'Sahn'rah! Explain this to me, Fourth Daughter—how could one of my own possibly do such a thing?! I also learned that a member of the Royal Court became involved—and then this came!" Ilen-Jaa'an waved a scroll bearing an Imperial Diplomatic Circle seal. “An Imperial Courier came, in full view of our neighbors, and instructed me to give this only to you_, Saa'an. Is this House to be humiliated for your foolishness?!_"

Ilen-Jaa'an held the official scroll out for Saa'an to take. Before releasing it, she asked sharply, “And what part did you play in the debacle, Tsel-Ami'an?"

“I was merely a witness from a short distance, Madam Ilen," Tsel-Ami'an replied evenly.

“And did you see my Lowest make a fool of herself?"Ilen-Jaa'an asked, looking sharply at her daughter.

“Saa'an did nothing that others would have done in the same circumstances. She was surprised when the off-worlder came from behind and put his hand on her arm. The off-worlder unwittingly committed offense, but then tried to set things right. He even attempted to protect Saa'an."

Ilen-Jaa'an leaned back in her chair, and looked at her daughter with narrowed eyes.

“Well, what of it, Saa'an? How much trouble did you bring upon this House?" her mother demanded, indicating the scroll.

Ilen-Saa'an carefully lifted the seal and unrolled the scroll. Her eyes grew wider as she read. By the time Ilen-Saa'an finished reading the document, she was nearly shaking.

“Saa'an, what does it say?" Tsel-Ami'an asked gently.

Ilen-Saa'an wordlessly handed the scroll to her friend. Unlike Ilen-Saa'an, Tsel-Ami'an smiled as she read, and then handed the scroll to Ilen-Jaa'an.

“It seems, Madam Ilen, that Saa'an has an invitation to dine at the new Terran embassy."

“WHAT?!"

The dinner invitation caused quite a stir among the members of House Ilen, several other Houses, and Ilen-Saa'an's place of employment. It was unheard of for anyone from the Third Circle Houses to receive such a lofty invitation. This was not a quiet, discrete rendezvous between members of rival houses—a formal invitation bearing a diplomatic seal, openly delivered by an Imperial Courier, sent by an unpaired son of off-worlder diplomats to the unpaired lowly Fourth Daughter of a Lower House of the Third Circle. Rumors and speculations began quietly circulating.

“Well, Saa'an, it seems that your new friend has made you quite the conversation piece," Tsel-Ami'an sent with an amused look.

“That is not humorous, Ami'an," Ilen-Saa'an shot back sarcastically.

“One should always endeavor to find humor where possible, my friend."

“Well enough for you to say, Ami'an—_you _do not have a fool of an off-worlder turning your life upside down!"

“I do not believe he is as bad as you try to make him out to be, Saa'an. True enough, he may not know our ways as well as perhaps he should, but consider: he did attempt to dissuade his guard from ending you."

“Stepping in front of a Che'maht Sahn'rah as he did proves nothing—except that he is unhinged_!_"

“Perhaps he thought more of your life than his own?"

“He does not know me…"

“He will," Tsel-Ami'an interjected.

“…nor I, him!"

“You will."

“Ami'an…"

“Yes, Saa'an?"

“What are you implying?"

Tsel-Ami'an smiled coyly, tilting her head forward slightly, her white hair appearing to shimmer softly in the light of Mûr Zhæn's twin moons.

“Out with it, Ami'an!"

Tsel-Ami'an grinned.

“Only that you should be open to opportunities that you might not otherwise consider."

“Such as?"

Tsel-Ami'an laughed softly.

“Ami'an…are you suggesting…?"

“We shall see what happens during this sun-circle," Tsel-Ami'an sent with a smirk.

“AH! Now I know you have eaten too many jhi'ani fruit*[1]*!"

The luxurious Diplomatic Circle transport arrived in front of Ilen-Saa'an's home, three nights after the incident in the Merchant District. Ilen-Saa'an noticed as she was boarding the craft that no few of her neighbors were watching, and it did not sit well with her.

“They will be yapping about this for the next hundred sun-circles!" she groaned inwardly.

Ilen-Saa'an would much rather have taken her Tal'esna Je-mah to the Terran embassy, though personal craft such as hers would never be allowed to land at the embassy's transport pad. Being in the Diplomatic Circle's personnel transport made her nervous, being dressed up made her nervous, having dinner with high-level strangers made her nervous. The thought of having dinner with off-worlders, in their embassy, definitely made her nervous.

“Ami'an is right, I do prefer things that are predictable," Ilen-Saa'an thought to herself.

To make matters worse, her ankles were beginning to itch.

All Mûr Tua'ansa have scent glands located in their wrists and in their ankles, hidden under the fur-like hair that grows on their forearms and lower legs. While the scent glands in their wrists produced a powerful calming pheromone, the scent glands in the ankles had two uses—marking one's territory, and sexually stimulating a potential mate.

“Be steady, you will get through this, and all will be well," Ilen-Saa'an thought, remembering what Tsel-Ami'an had told her when the Diplomatic Circle's transport came to pick her up.

* * * * *

“So, where do we start, Khy'an?"

Bren-Khy'an, having changed back into her working uniform upon their return to the embassy, thought carefully.

“Keep in mind that I am not an appropriate person to teach you these things."

“So you say, Khy'an. Look, I'd rather have you show me what to do than, um, Suos-Fre'an."

“Why?"

“Well, okay, you're scary because you have to be, and I guess you must be good at what you do to be what you are. Suos-Fre'an just gives me the eebie-jeebies—the way she looks at me is creepy!" Craig explained with a shudder.

“And you would rather face me than her?" Bren-Khy'an asked with an amused look.

“Yeah. At least you would only kill me if I did something insanely stupid."

Bren-Khy'an laughed a little—the first time Craig had ever heard her do so.

“And that is a comforting thought to you, yes?"

“Yeah, that and…you're, um, nicer looking."

“Yet you are frightened of me."

“Well, let's just say that I have a healthy respect for what you do."

Bren-Khy'an smiled slightly and sent, “Remember that the next time you step in front of me."

“I'll try to," Craig said, looking a little sheepish.

After a long moment, Bren-Khy'an took a slow breath, and said, “Let us begin, then. We shall start with how the incident in the Merchant District could have been avoided."

“Fair enough," Craig agreed.

Bren-Khy'an spent the rest of the night hours explaining, as best she could, how Mûr Tua'ansa females and males interact. She covered basic greeting, what gestures to watch for, how to avoid certain things that would guaranty hostility. Craig explained how—at least human—Terrans would behave in similar situations.

“I understand now, I believe, why you did what you did. While it was commendable, perhaps you understand now how it would be lethal in our culture."

“I guess so. Why is it like that, Khy'an?"

“That is beyond my ability to explain—I am not a historian," Bren-Khy'an replied.

“Okay. Oh, um, what happens if…geez, don't get mad at me for asking this! What happens if, say, a guy gets, you know, interested in a gal on your world?"

“Do you mean if a male is attracted to a female?"

“Yeah."

“There is likely little that he could do. Our pairings are arranged by the Head of Houses, according to what would benefit the Houses involved. There are many things a Head of House must consider before pairing a First Daughter with a male from another House," Bren-Khy'an tried to explain.

“Er, so a guy with not much of a chance, just couldn't date a young woman, even if she doesn't have much of a chance to be, um, paired or whatever?"

“Not likely."

“That sucks."

“What do you mean?" Bren-Khy'an asked, tilting her head a little to the side.

“Um, that seems kinda depressing."

“It is the way of things here, Craig."

“But, can't people have friends, like, can males have friends that are female?"

“Certainly."

“Okay, well, what if, say, a guy and a gal who are friends, what if they want to be more than just friends? Like, if they're both single…," Craig tried to ask as carefully as he could.

Bren-Khy'an noticed that Craig had been, little by little, getting closer to her on the couch. By this time, Craig's knee was nearly touching her leg, and his hand was next to hers.

“Craig, your thoughts are unguarded…"

Craig got a confused look on his face for a moment, and then Bren-Khy'an noticed that his face became redder and warmer.

“*Cough!* Geez, Khy'an, you…"

“Your thoughts are unguarded, Craig—any of our people could, without trying to, hear what you are thinking. That is something you should remember."

Craig became rather embarrassed and turned his face away.

“So…so you…" he stammered.

“Know that, despite everything, you feel a certain attraction towards me, yes?"

“Um…*cough*…yeah."

While Bren-Khy'an studied Craig for several seconds, the end of her tail was twitching slightly.

“Look at me."

“Uh?"

“Look at me."

Craig lifted his face so that he could meet Bren-Khy'an's eyes.

“Understand this, na'suan Craig—I am Che'maht Sahn'rah_, and will always be until my path is ended_," Bren-Khy'an sent gently. “Whatever you may feel for me, what I am and what my duty is, will not change. My own family is terrified of what I am, and because they know that there are no more bonds between us. You saw how the people reacted to my presence; you saw how the one of House Ilen reacted to me. All of this that you have seen and hear should tell you something. Whatever similarities there may be between our respective species, na'suan Craig, because I am Che'maht Sahn'rah_, I can never share what you feel. You must understand this. You love your family—I cannot mine, nor anyone else_."

Craig sat there on the couch, in shock at what Bren-Khy'an just told him.

“Geezers, Khy'an," he whispered.

They continued to sit together on the couch for a period of time, not speaking or doing much of anything else. Eventually, Craig looked at Bren-Khy'an's hand resting on her leg, and then he placed his hand on hers.

“That must be tough," Craig spoke softly at last.

“It is the way of things, do not concern yourself so with me."

“But Khy'an, I…I do care!" Craig exclaimed, grasping her hand.

“You should not. I cannot."

“All the more reason why I should!"

“Craig, what are you doing?"

“Giving you a hug, that's what."

“What? Why?"

“Because you need one."

“Craig, this is not…proper."

“Maybe, maybe not. Look, just humor me, okay? I know that you could fling me across the room, but…"

Craig had to get up on his knees on the couch in order to give Bren-Khy'an a hug, due to her height. Bren-Khy'an had never experienced such a thing before, and was unsure what it meant. Craig held Bren-Khy'an several seconds—he closed his eyes and took a long, slow, deep breath. The scent of her thick black hair reminded him of a mix of cinnamon, honeysuckle, and something like expensive brandy. When Bren-Khy'an relaxed a little, Craig pulled back so that they were almost nose-to-nose.

Lightly touching her cheek with his fingertips, Craig whispered, “Khy'an…," but the last thing her heard was, “Craig—sleep."

* * * * *

Ilen-Saa'an was greeted at the residence's door by the House Cha-nwea, Suos-Fre'an.

After showing the invitation, Suos-Fre'an nodded once and sent, “Ah, yes, they are expecting you, Ilen-Saa'an, of House Ilen. Your coat, if you will."

Another servant appeared by Ilen-Saa'an's side, and took the long, lightweight coat she had been wearing. Suos-Fre'an instructed Ilen-Saa'an to follow her. Before entering the dining room, Suos-Fre'an stopped and addressed Ilen-Saa'an.

“The Terrans will undoubtedly seem quite strange to you. While you are within this embassy, consider yourself as if you are on their world. Their ways are legally in force here, though the family does try to follow ours as much as possible. Still, some things will be…different. As you are unfamiliar with their ways, understand that na'suan Craig is attempting his people's version of making the Penance Offer for the unfortunate…misunderstanding. Accept it as gracefully as you can. His guard will be near him the whole time—take care to not react strongly."

Ilen-Saa'an bowed appropriately to the older Suos-Fre'an.

“I thank you for your wisdom, Mistress."

Suos-Fre'an returned the bow, and then opened the door to the dining room.

“Shu'suan*[2]* Ilen-Saa'an, of House Ilen, Madam," Suos-Fre'an sent openly, announcing the arrival of Craig's guest.

“Ah, excellent! Please show her in, Suos-Fre'an," Cassandra instructed the House Cha-nwea.

As Suos-Fre'an escorted her into the residence's dining room, Ilen-Saa'an quickly looked about, noticing everything she could—the décor, the scents, the strange off-worlders, and especially the Che'maht Sahn'Rah standing next to the diplomats' son. The guard, Ilen-Saa'an quickly noted, stood with feet shoulder width apart, eyes narrowed, arms folded across her chest—and her hand discretely on the grip of her weapon. Ilen-Saa'an did her best to remain as calm as possible.

“William and Cassandra Nicolini, of House Nicolini, Terran Diplomatic Circle," Suos-Fre'an said aloud in Tuan to Ilen-Saa'an.

Ilen-Saa'an went down on her knees and deeply bowed her head, exposing her neck, as was the Mûr Tua'ansa custom for meeting another of much higher status.

“A'asa tu'len suoi, m'oi nenswë," Ilen-Saa'an responded aloud in Tuan.

When Cassandra and William looked at Suos-Fre'an, she interpreted, “The shu'suan is deeply honored to be in your presence Madam." With a bow of the head to William she added, “It is likely the only response she knows, according to our ways. Please take no offense ta'nuan*[3]* William, she does not understand your ways."

“None taken, Suos-Fre'an. It's something I have to get used to here," William said with a little chuckle.

“You are most generous, ta'nuan William," Suos-Fre'an sent with a slight bow.

After Suos-Fre'an instructed Ilen-Saa'an to rise, she formally introduced Craig aloud in Tuan.

“Shu'suan Ilen-Saa'an, Fourth Daughter of House Illen, Third Circle, before you is na'suan Craig Nicolini, First Son of House Nicolini, Terran Diplomatic Circle. Although you met improperly due to misfortune, which lead to a matter of honor, the Penance Offer has been made according to the customs of this House. DO you accept?"

Casting a quick, nervous glance towards Bren-Khy'an, Ilen-Saa'an looked down to meet Craig's eyes.

Holding out her hands with palms up, Ilen-Saa'an nodded her head once and replied, “Accepted. Let there be peace between us."

Following Bren-Khy'an's instructions, Craig gently placed his hands palms down on Ilen-Saa'an's, and said in passible Tuan with a bow, “Although I have been shamed, your grace and acceptance of my Offer restores that which was broken."

When Craig saw the wide-eyed look on Ilen-Saa'an's face, he privately sent to Bren-Khy'an, “Did I say that right?"

“Well enough, na'suan Craig," she replied with satisfaction that Craig had been learning Tuan quicker than she thought initially.

There was a soft chime and Suos-Fre'an announced, “The meal is ready."

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(On to Chapter 5 https://www.sofurry.com/view/1056910)

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[1] Jhi'ani fruit – a purplish, kiwi-like fruit that, when consumed by Mûr Tua'ansa, is mildly intoxicating.

[2] Shu'suan – the Mûr Tua'ansa equivalent of “Young Miss".

[3] Ta'nuan – the Mûr Tua'ansa equivalent of “Honored Sir".