Excerpt

1. A BIRTHDAY

Shan-leo woke to the sounds of the many birds that graced Mansion Shermac's park and garden. He stretched his left arm, covering his yawn with his bionic right hand.

Today I'm twenty-two. He stared at his prosthetic. The transparent silicone with its MEMS bone looked exactly the same as the day he'd peeled off the synthetic skin. It's been almost five years since I got you. He opened and closed the artificial hand. And you're a blessing.

A blessing that never tired, so he could write longhand as much as he wanted, and his handwriting was always very neat and clear. He had begun to enjoy calligraphy when he'd seen his Earthling friends teach their children how to write, and now he was hooked. Foreign alphabets were funnier, but even writing like his ancestors in the old cursive Sire alphabet felt like going back in time, when technology was less invasive in the galaxy.

Instead of dictating or using keyboards, he went hunting for old-fashioned paper notebooks, fountain pens and bottles of ink, and his prosthetic allowed him more precision than a flesh-and-blood hand. He also downloaded samples of scripts from the meganet to practice and had filled two notebooks at the Sire Library, in the public wing of the former Imperial palace. He'd tried to write on tablets, but it wasn't the same feeling as holding a pen to paper.

I hope they don't suggest I cover you with synthetic skin this year, he told his bionic arm, frowning at the memory of his well-meaning father who looked worried he'd never find a steady girlfriend if he showed off his maimed limb like that. Not that he ever had problems in taking women to his bed. But he hadn't found the one he could spend his life with yet.

Shan-leo sighed. He had finished his studies and was supposed to do something with his life – either join the high society he was born into or find something else. He was considering joining the Sire Library staff, but at the same time he felt the need to explore the Star Nations and study their history. Thus he'd taken a short break in the quiet of the family home – the country estate away from the bustle of the capital and life at the palace – to figure out what he really wanted. He could go hunting for old manuscripts or visit planets where they still had the actual things – illuminated manuscripts from centuries ago – before settling for the librarian job.

He didn't have many friends on the planet, so he might do some traveling around and learn more about the Star Nations – especially if eventually he'd have to join the Council of Five and help run his home planet. Seeing how things were done on other worlds might help him to be a better ruler, albeit not an emperor like his grandfather had been. He had a half idea of what to do next, but he knew it wouldn't sit well with his father, although Uncle Kol-ian would probably support him.

Which reminded him his father and uncle were already at Mansion Shermac. They'd arrived the night before, ahead of the guests that were supposed to show up today. In spite of the fact that Uncle Kol-ian was now a member of the Council of Five that governed Marc'harid and the Sire, he'd left the palace as soon as he could to come to Mansion Shermac for a break.

Shan-leo got out of bed, showered and dressed, grabbing his bandanna. He went downstairs and found his father and uncle in the living room, seated at the breakfast table side by side as usual.

Uncle Kol-ian saw him first and greeted him. "Good morning, birthday boy!"

"Good morning," he answered as his father rose to give him a bear hug.

"Already twenty-two… where did time go?" he whispered in Shan-leo's ear.

"You mean the past twelve years went even faster than the previous ten?" Shan-leo teased, giving the bandanna to uncle Kol-ian who wrapped it around his nephew's arm with a smile. Shan-leo knew his father disapproved of his showing off the bionic arm – especially when he had on a tank top like today – but Uncle Kol-ian was very supportive, having had prosthetics himself.

"Shan-leo…" his father chided.

Shan-leo smiled at him. It wasn't his fault if he'd been mind-controlled for all the time he'd been married to Shan-leo's late mother and had missed most of his son's childhood.

"I love you anyway, Father." He sat with them to eat breakfast. "Even if you want to hide my beautiful prosthetic! Why don't you ever suggest Uncle Kol-ian cover the scars on his back with synthetic skin?"

"Your uncle doesn't go around bare-chested to show off his scars!" his father protested while Kol-ian guffawed.

"It's because you want the exclusive on the treasure map, Ker-ris. When I had my wings, I was often bare-chested – ask Chantal if you don't believe me," Kol-ian said.

Ker-ris glared at him.

"You're not a good example for Shan-leo!"

"If I hadn't followed him, Father, you'd still be brainwashed by Mother," Shan-leo reminded him. "Besides, I also have his blood, haven't I?"

"So? Will you run off looking for love away from Marc'harid like he did at your age?" Ker-ris asked, frowning.

"Actually, I was younger," Kol-ian said cheerfully. "I had my wings implanted at nineteen and ran away at twenty."

Shan-leo chuckled. "And you managed to stay away from here for a whole seven years! I think I should travel too before I get stuck on Marc'harid with the next Council of Five!"

"That's many years away," Ker-ris replied. "Besides, you're a Shermac. I was twenty-two when you were born."

"Yes, you fell in love at twenty, married at twenty-one, and look where it took you!" Shan-leo retorted. "Eleven years of mind control, barely able to recognize your own son!"

"There's no more mind control on Marc'harid, we got rid of that!" Ker-ris protested. "Which doesn't mean we will get rid of all the traditions! Some things we Sire do are good…"

"Like mind linking." Shan-leo nodded at both with a smile. "And since I couldn't find anyone on this planet, I will have to look somewhere else."

"Avoid Caroids," Kol-ian suggested with a chuckle. "And if you find a natural telepath on some other planet, you might dodge some Sire haughtiness."

"Kol-ian, don't encourage him!"

"You can't keep him here if he doesn't want to, Ker-ris! You might as well help him – not that you have any experience in space travel…"

"Of course, I'm the head of the House of Shermac, not a wicked Vaurabi rebel!" Ker-ris snorted.

Shan-leo smiled. He knew how much they loved each other and their mind link had gotten stronger through the years. Their example had set high standards for him – he wanted a mind link like his father had – but he hadn't found anyone on Marc'harid.

"I've been thinking I could take the Falstelo out for a ride," he said. "It's been sitting in its hangar for years now…"

"It's not going anywhere," Ker-ris warned. "That starship is old. It won't take you far and it might break in outer space, leaving you stranded!"

"I can have Dadina and Markandeya work on it," Shan-leo insisted. "We can upgrade it and…"

"No," Ker-ris said, determined.

Shan-leo wanted to continue arguing, but saw Kol-ian wink. His uncle would help, so he gave up.

"Fine," he said. "So what did you get me, if it's not synthetic skin for my arm or an arranged marriage?"