This is the first chapter of my Space Romantasy that I'm also publishing over on Substack. I'm a few chapters (like 20) ahead over there but I'm going to see how it does here on tumblr. Here goes! Art also by me.
Rain started the operating system on her holodesk.
The computer whirred to life. The image of trees outside the Kortis manor sprung up, softly swaying in the breeze off the Enethian sea on Salera. Waves lapped soundlessly on the rocky shore where the house stood.
She hadn’t been home in two years. She hadn’t been planet-side at all in six months. She missed the house where she grew up but she missed the sun more. And the plants. There were so few plants on a starship.
“Good Morning, Rain.” The words displayed themselves between the trees and an almost human voice greeted her. “The Galactic Standard date is the 20th day of the seventh cycle. The time is four minutes past diurnal seven.”
“Morning Hattie.” Rain moved her tablet into easier reach. “What’s happening this morning?”
The Aurorea’s operation system, H2-TE or Hattie, clicked as it loaded. “The queen is holding court. The time has not been entered for this recurring event.”
Rain nodded. Hattie’s visual sensors blinked dimly to catch the movement.
If she didn’t know better she’d think the computer was annoyed at the lack of precise scheduling. Autumn’s court was held precisely whenever Autumn wanted. “What else?”
Hattie moved on to the next item. “The only other event on today’s calendar is the arrival of His Highness, Crown Prince Justinian of the Perrin System and Heir of Emperor Astrophel of Metarin. Also with no timestamp.”
The swaying trees were replaced by an image of the dark-skinned prince. With a strong jaw and braided hair pulled away from his cheekbones, he was probably handsome when he wasn’t tinged blue by the holographic projection. His official holo-portrait had him posed in full regalia, with the image of Perrin’s primary planet in the background. Prince Justinian’s expression was neutral. The fuzzy static made it hard to read his eyes.
Rain flipped through messages on the portable pad. Too many came in to find anything from her brother. “Hattie, has Andrew sent anything since last night?”
“Andrew Kortis sent one message at three minutes past diurnal one.”
Rain looked up. Why was he messaging her in the middle of the night? “What is it?”
Hattie read the message. “Prince Justinian arrived about four minutes ago. I showed everyone to quarters and I’m going back to bed.”
So, the prince was already here. “Thank you, Hattie. “
Rain pulled up her to-do list on her tablet. As usual it was far too long to complete on any given day, but she’d get to all of it eventually. “Is there anything on my list with a pressing deadline?”
Hattie pulled up three items. “Edit Atarin Treaty documents, again. Deadline: 3rd day of the eighth cycle.”
Rain groaned. “Of course, version 6.”
“Review droid maintenance schedule. Deadline: 8th day of the eighth cycle.”
Andrew already did that. “Delete entry.”
Not that she’d asked him to do it. He was captain of the Queen’s Guard, but somehow he still found time to do her job, too.
“Entry deleted.” Hattie buzzed. “Inspect Throne Room solar windows after auto cleaning recalibration. Deadline: Before Autumn complains about them being dirty again.”
She needed to get on that soon, then. “Where is the Queen now?”
“Latest Report is that Her Majesty is still in her quarters.”
“Thank you, Hattie, please convert to portable mode.”
The tablet pinged and Rain stood. She swept the wrinkles out of her slim white skirt.
Before leaving her office, she checked her mirror to see that everything was in place. Her hair was up in a bun out of the way, as usual, a few curls already escaped. At least her court dress hadn’t collected any spots, and the large train behind her skirt hung nicely.
Between inspecting the windows and dragging Autumn out of bed, there would be no time to change later.
Rain opened her door and stepped into the long castle corridor. The false marble walls looked just like the palace on Gialia Prime. Through small windows, the vast starry darkness glimmered on one side and the massive Gialian sun shone on the other. The planet they currently orbited would be visible on lower decks.
One of the higher functioning security droids gave her a small bow as she set her shoulders and walked past on her way to the lift. Her quarters were farther from the throne room than Autumn’s, and most of the courtiers didn’t even venture to this level.
Rain didn’t mind the walk, and technically she was staff.
The ship’s captain stepped out of her quarters and fell in step beside her. “Good morning, Rain.”
“Good morning. How was the docking last night?”
The older woman shrugged. “No one woke me, so I’m sure it went fine.”
“So, my brother probably didn’t need to be there.”
“Your brother needs to sleep.” Captain Maristela put her hand on the lift pad. “I know that the docking was at an absurd hour, but I don’t think he slept before or after. His security signature had him in the main computer room all night.”
Rain shook her head. “Andrew’s never been good at resting.”
The lift swooshed open. Captain Maristela gestured for Rain to enter. “The updated droid maintenance schedule had his signature.”
Rain stepped inside. “He even steals my work.”
“I’m headed to the bridge level, are you headed to Her Majesty’s room?”
As the Captain spoke, a screen on the wall read Bridge.
The screen added Throne. The door shut and the lift carried them away.
The throne room was in the center module of the Castleship Aurorea. The officers' living quarters were in one of the pillar modules connected to the center by long walk ways.
“You wouldn’t have to go so far if you lived with the other nobles.” Maristela smoothed back a piece of her gray and black hair.
“I prefer the officers. They’re better neighbors.”
“Well, we’re happy to share with you.” She gave a smile that reminded Rain of her adopted mother. “And I know you don’t want to move your garden.”
The lift hissed to a stop at the Bridge. “That would be so much work.”
Maristela left with a lazy salute. “Duty calls. I’ll stop in for my weekly brief with the queen tomorrow.”
After the lift door shut again, Rain rubbed her temples.
Please let the solar windows be clean.
