Planet Utania of the Viandis Star System
"Alysia! You'll be late again," yelled Hapsia.
The noises she made while moving around penetrated my dream. I was no longer flying over turquoise waters. The landscape had turned into a yellowish sea of debris and the water below me gurgled like a boiling broth. Broken ships and floating pieces of metal clanged against each other. In the back of my head, I knew it was Hapsia who was making a mess trying to find something.
I forced myself to wake up, and squinted to see Hapsia rummaging through a drawer.
"What are you looking for?" I said, in a thin and squeaky voice. I cleared my throat and opened the curtains by my bed. A soft blue light permeated the room.
It was nearly moonrise and the lights were coming on in the city below us. I heard the swishes of people flying by the window and wished I could have continued dreaming. All I wanted at the time was for my wings to finish growing so I could use them to fly. Up until then, they were mere accessories which made sleeping on a bed quite difficult, and served only to decorate my back.
"I can't find my flower-shaped hairpin. The brief said Pagua had many exotic and peculiar plants. The ball will be garden themed I want to dress for the occasion. Do you think the Paguans will like it?" said Hapsia, stepping out of the dressing room. Her bronze wings reflected the green from her dress, skin and hair.
I had forgotten we were on entertainment duty at the ball tonight.
"You're going to look like a flying vegetable if you accessorize too much," I said. Hapsia rolled her eyes and resumed her search in the dressing room.
"At what time does it start?" I asked.
"Well, if you had read the brief, you'd know" said Hapsia. She tripped on some shoes, cursed, and then turned the lights off in the dressing room. "I give up. I must have lost it. Oh, and we were supposed to be there by moonrise. So I'd get ready if I were you."
Hapsia had put a lot of effort into her look. The emerald hair didn't quite suit her, but I couldn't be bothered to tell her. She stepped out into the balcony and glided down to the street as I watched from the window.
I'd be inexcusably late again if I tried to pull Hapsia's look for the ball. I knew I was being lazy, and that I wasn't doing my job the way I should. I didn't care anymore. After so many parties and petty socializing, every event was a drag that I had to endure. The only reason I had accepted the position was because courtesans got unlimited access to the palace, where the best flight trainers were. Most of my classmates at the institute had gone on to pursue their careers, but unless they joined the military, they weren't going to be flying until they were much older than me.
And It was a simple job, really. Know your facts, converse, entertain, be graceful. It proved to be a challenge when it came to tact, because according to the Empress and the other courtesans, I was lacking in that department. But I survived because the Empress liked me, and I did know how to dance. Following her around during the afternoon wasn't too bad, either. I got unrestricted access to the palace, which was like a second home.
I leaped from the bed and grabbed an amethyst colored dress from the floor. It was wrinkled at the bottom, but I assumed it would straighten out when I was outside. There was no time to change my hair or skin color. I'd have to go natural tonight, and I hoped no one would say anything. More people swished by the window and I grabbed the first shoes I found.
I perched on the window and was about to jump off when the lights went on outside the palace. Its crystal spikes refracted the light, and they glowed against the darkening sky.
That meant the ball was already starting. There was no way I'd make it in time by walking there, and my wings weren't strong enough to fly there. I could glide, but that meant I'd risk falling or crashing into someone's roof and scaring anyone underneath. It was bad etiquette to land on someone's house without permission.
I jumped from the window and made it to the other side of the street, landing softly on the ivy that covered a cone shaped roof. Roof after roof I glided on, trying to plan my landings so they weren't too rough. I missed one and landed on a window. Someone yelled something unintelligible from inside, but I was off again.
A man stopped mid-flight and hovered to look at me. I waved before jumping again. The last part of the trek was the tricky one. The ballroom's landing terrace was three times higher than the houses and I might not make it that high. If I went through the pedestrian entrance, I'd take twice as long to get to the ballroom.
I glided to the closest flat roof and sprinted, propelling myself higher than I'd ever flown. Two more wing flaps and I'd reach the balcony. I made it to the stucco balustrade and held onto a baluster. Around me, other Utanians landed gracefully, giving me confused looks.
Yes, I shouldn't be flying yet. Carry on, carry on.
I climbed over the balustrade and tried to fix my hair which was all over my shoulders and wings.
Inside, the guests were mingling and drinking. Thankfully, the Empress hadn't arrived yet. Most of the guests wore different shades of green, and the scene was more like a garden partying than a garden themed party. Lianas hung from the ceiling, and they had even brought live trees to decorate the walls. Tiny white flowers fell from above, covering the floor and people's heads. Most people ignored the flowers, but some seemed annoyed and kept brushing them off their hair. Even the droids had changed their appearance for the occasion; they had crowns of red velvety flowers on their heads.
Hapsia stood near a group of Utanians who were laughing at some dancing Prismans. The Prismans were sliding across the hall, immersed in the music and unaware of the spectacle they were causing. They swung their spiky tails at each other and ducked and swerved to avoid getting hit. Their moves were like a choreographed fight. I made a mental note to visit Prisma someday. When they had arrived, the males had been on duty and I didn't get a chance to meet them. But they seemed like fun individuals.
I strolled around the ballroom, looking for someone to sit with. The other courtesans were supposed to attend the ball as well, even if they weren't on entertaining duty. A droid offered me a blue drink and I took it. It was sweet and strong and tasted like fruit. They wouldn't be serving food until the Paguans arrived, so I might as well drink.
The music and the buzzing ceased as Empress Mara walked in. She had colored her hair red and styled it like a big rose. Her pink dress matched her rosy skin. Even her golden wings had small crimson flowers on them. The green crowd opened up and made a circle around the ballroom's entrance. Behind her, the Paguan visitors gazed around the room nervously. They were all dressed alike, in dark blue jumpsuits with silver spiky epaulets. Some had long black capes that hung from their shoulders. No tails, horns or wings. How dull. But at least they spoke Utanian, or they'd have a translator with them.
"I'd like to welcome Emperor Solano to Utania," said the Empress. "May your visit to our planet be long and pleasurable."
I watched them from the edge of the ballroom as I sipped my drink. The Paguan Emperor stepped forward and joined the Empress. He bowed to the crowd, who clapped for him. He whispered something near the Empress' ear.
"I'm sorry. President Solano," said the Empress to the crowd.
"I thank you for your hospitality. I send my deepest regards for your husband. I had hoped to meet him tonight," said President Solano. He spoke with a booming voice, and some people giggled.
"He's here somewhere," said Empress Mara, confused. She scanned the ballroom. Her husband walked up to her and kissed her hand, and then he took President Solano's hand. He kissed it too.
"I'm Jano, pleased to meet you," said the Empress' husband.
Solano seemed bewildered by the interaction but he smiled and retrieved his hand.
"I.. thought Emperor Bonart was your husband," he said, and looked at them back and forth.
Everyone exploded in laughter, except for the Prismans. They huddled next to the DJ in charge of the music and pointed at his screen, immersed in a discussion. The Empress hadn't laughed but looked like she was holding it in.
"No, Bonart is my brother. His husband is here though, if you want to meet him," she said. Solano's eyes widened and he tried to catch his compatriots' eyes. They appeared to be just as unsettled as he was.
I felt sorry for President Solano. Most foreign dignitaries had trouble understanding the Utanian way of receiving guests, and the noblemen and women always enjoyed pestering the confused visitors. The nobility had a tendency to look down upon strangers when they came from less civilized planets,or if they were too physically different.
A droid walked by, holding a tray of food. I grabbed a fruitcake and devoured it. I hoped Hapsia would take charge tonight. I was getting bored, and these Paguans didn't seem like a lively crowd. They fidgeted and pulled at their clothes, unsure of what to do. I loved it when visitors were diverse, but the Paguans seemed just like standard humanoid Utanians, sans the wings and their blueish skin.
I tried to remember if I had ever read about the planet's history, but all I recalled was that Utania had colonized Pagua's star system ages ago.
The other guests lost interest in the President and resumed their own conversations. A Prisman ran back to the dance floor, and as the music began to play, the other Prismans joined him. The Empress spoke with Solano, whose uneasiness seemed to increase with the Empress' words. He pursed his lips as he listened and nodded. The Empress gestured for him to sit at a table and the Paguans followed them. She accommodated the Paguans and she scanned the room, searching for someone.
I was about to turn around, ready to leave when she saw me and sauntered towards me.