Page 9 of Right on Time
The hesitant tone made Nitiel snap out of his thoughts. Only to realize he was still holding her hand.
“Forgive me, my lady.” He quickly let go of her and offered her the back of his hand, forearm parallel to the ground. He gestured at the rocket-shaped building before them. “Shall we?”
She stared at his hand for a moment. Then a tiny smile touched her lips. “Well, when in Rome...” She placed her hand on top of his with a flourish and lifted her chin way up. “Lead the way, my lord.”
Nitiel nearly choked, and the soldiers standing in front of them shook their wings awkwardly.
“I am no lord, Lady Hloe. That title is reserved for the head of a clan.” Not a bastard who didn’t even have a clan.
“Oh. Sorry.”
He was surprised to hear her genuine apology. He must have looked truly distressed to her. “No need to apologize. You are new to our culture, my lady.” Nitiel nodded to the soldiers to get going and began walking toward the spaceport in small strides, to allow the female to keep up. “During the flight to the space station, I will provide you with the necessary reads so that you will be well-informed of the basics for the first meeting with your fated mate.”
She huffed. “I’m familiar with all the basics I need for my one and only meeting with the Commander. I’ll curtsy, act all shy and innocent like a fine lady from 18th-century Europe, then ask politely to be sent back home. Because this is a mistake.”
“Lady Hloe–”
“I won’t be calling you lord, Subcommander, so can you do me the honors of addressing me by my name only?”
His wings tensed. “The protocol…”
“It will be just the two of us on the ship, right?”
“Yes?”
“Then the protocol is what the two of us say it is, no? We’ll be parting ways afterward, so what’s the harm?”
Nitiel scratched the pointed tip of his ear, his nerves getting the best of him. “It’s improper, my lady.”
“More improper than the two of us alone on a ship for an entire day?”
“That is not improper, my lady! I am a male of impeccable honor!... See, you are not as familiar with our culture as you claim.”
She huffed again. “Fine. You’re Lord Nitiel to me, then.”
Goddess, help him.
“So, Lord Nitiel, your kind built this space port?”
He ground his teeth. “Yes. Though the design was adapted to fit Terran architecture and the rocket shape was chosen to honor your space flight history. It’s the third biggest passenger port on this continent. The fated mates from the entire southern part of your country depart for space from here. Their visiting relatives and the humans who work for the Intergalactic Alliance off the planet also use the port.”
“It’s so massive and futuristic.” The awe was back in her voice and in her gaze, which was taking in the thirty-storey building of silvery metal and dark-blue glass. “It’s much more imposing than it looks on TV.”
“It’s a regular port to us. If not a bit small for our standards.”
“No surprises there, given you’re big all over–I mean, bigger than humans.” She cleared her throat. “This must be like a train station to you: just a regular stop on your way to work.”
“It is yet to become a regular stop. I’ve just been assigned as Commander Siriniel’s representative on Terra.”
Her step faltered. “Whoa, am I your first assignment?”
He nodded.
“Sheesh, and I’m making your first day at planet-side work hard, aren’t I?”
She had no idea. Or at least, Nitiel hoped she had no idea how he had hardened upon her landing in his lap back in the limo.
Before he could think of a polite answer, they reached the port’s entrance. The double doors of reinforced tinted glass slid open to let the four of them in.