"President Solano, I am very sorry if I offended you or your companions," I said.
My hand still felt warm from his touch. It occurred to me, that unlike most of the males I knew in Utania, his hand felt rough and calloused. Hands of a man who had fought or labored to get where he was now.
Below us, the city shone with the different colored lights. In the distance, Ryla ocean gave off a faint turquoise glow and I wished I could fly over it.
President Solano leaned against the balustrade and flicked a flower off his left shoulder.
"No, no. You didn't offend us. We're just… not accustomed to Utania yet. We arrived today and we're having a hard time understanding some of your customs," he said and smiled. "We haven't had the chance to communicate properly with you throughout the years, so we came here somewhat blindfolded. The air is also thinner than in Pagua, and the ballroom was somewhat stuffy."
"The Empress insists on having balls to receive foreign guests, regardless of their origins. If you want to retire early she won't mind," I said, even if I didn't really want him to go. I liked listening to him, and I still felt like I needed to make up for the confusion my introduction had caused.
"Oh, no. No. The ball is perfect. I am surprised by all the details they put into the decoration. We're just more… conservative? I don't really know how to say this. We are more subtle when it comes to matters about intercourse," he said. He crossed his arms and glanced at me.
"Intercourse? You mean kissing hands?"
"Hand kissing is fine. I meant your offer to entertain us tonight. We go about these kinds of things more discreetly," he said, smirking. His gaze made him look more like a rogue prince from one of the stories I used to read at school than a foreign president.
"President Solano, I don't follow."
I sometimes pretended not to understand what people were saying just so they would talk more and I wouldn't have to keep asking questions. That, however, was one of the times I was truly clueless.
"You said you were a courtesan," he said, examining me.
"Yeah... And what exactly do you think a courtesan is?"
"Well, to be frank, a noble prostitute," he blurted out and covered his mouth with his hand. He started to speak but I interrupted him.
"I don't even know if your anatomy is apt for that kind of intercourse," I said and regretted it. Always so tactless. "I-I am so sorry. We're not supposed to ask foreigners about their body parts or their functions. I meant that I would not offer anyone sexual services. We are not prostitutes. Maybe in Pagua you would call us ambassadors. We are like secretaries for the Emperor and the Empress," I said.
This wasn't going well. I had had other mishaps like this one before, like the time I stroked a duke's fur because he had asked me if I wanted to feel its softness. Little had I known that I was basically accepting a marriage proposal. Thankfully, the Empress had soothed things over with him when I almost slapped him after he tried to carry me out of the ballroom.
Solano reclined against the balustrade again, relaxing his shoulders.
"I apologize for the confusion and I'm sorry if I offended you. Now everything makes more sense," he said. "The Empress asked me if I preferred female companions and I had no idea what she meant."
"No offense taken. If you would like to meet female companions for other kinds of intercourse, there are places you could go to. Not in the city though, you'd have to travel to Tartua, the nearest island. They specialize in pleasures, whereas here, we're more of the talking type," I said.
"Thank you, but I am here to hire specialists. Not on a pleasure trip," he said. "When you rule over a planet, you find pleasure when you're in the service of others. That's what I've been trying to do all my life. What I do I do for my people."
His gaze darkened, as if he was thinking about something that bothered him. He was no longer there with me but in a far-off place.
"What kind of specialists are you looking for?" I asked.
"Engineers. Scientists. Architects. We need specialized and educated people to reform Pagua and I thought Utania would be a good place to find them. You are, after all, the cradle of civilization in this cluster of star systems. I want to evaluate the people I hire, though. That's why I'm here."
"Why does Pagua need reforming?"
"We've been somewhat isolated from the other planets in our star system, thanks to my father who closed our borders when he came to power. Pagua is rich in natural resources, probably the richest in the star system. But most of our population is uneducated. What's the purpose of living in such a planet if we can't use what it provides?"
I wanted to know so much more. What color was their atmosphere? Did they have animals? Was the planet covered in water or land?
I was about to ask more questions when he spoke first.
"I asked to speak with you in private just to clear up that misunderstanding. We can go back to the table if you'd like," said Solano.
"I think I'll stay here for a while," I said. I had the feeling that President Solano preferred to be alone with his compatriots, and I didn't want to overwhelm them.
"I think I'll stay here with you, then," he said, glancing at the ballroom. The music had changed to a more upbeat tune and the chatter was louder than it was before.
A droid walked by and offered us drinks. I took one and President Solano politely declined it, observing the droid with what seemed to be awe.
"Now that I'm done making a fool of myself, I do have some questions," he said. "I thought the Empress was married to the Emperor, or at least I think that's the logical thing. What did the Empress mean by the Emperor's husband?"
"The Emperor is old and does not enjoy parties. They divide their duties according to what they do best. She's good at diplomacy and he's good at… I don't even know," I said, and we both laughed.
"We don't see him around as much. He usually spends his time in his chambers, reading, I suppose. His husband does come down to balls and meetings, occasionally."
"But why does he have a husband?"
"Because he married him," I said. "Are we speaking of different definitions of the word husband as well?"
"I think this time we mean the same thing. Why did he marry a male Utanian?" said President Solano.
"Why do people get married? Love? Companionship? I honestly wouldn't know."
"But isn't that wrong here? They can't have children. Can they?"
"What's wrong about it? He has heirs, with Lady Kirna, I believe. Marriage in Utania is just a way of saying that a person is legally bound to represent you, or care for you when you're old," I said. I had never discussed the Utanian's marriage traditions with foreigners. They were usually more interested in the planet's economy or its geography.
"If people had to marry to reproduce, I think Utanians would have gone extinct by now," I continued. Strange as it was to be discussing these matters, I felt something resembling pride. I had read that long ago when Utania was ruled by the first beings, civilizations had risen and fallen because of marriages and silly disputes like those.
"Again, I am misinformed. In Pagua, same-sex unions aren't common, or rather, they're nonexistent," he said.
"What's Pagua's population? Surely there must be people there who love someone of the same gender," I said.
"There must be, but it's not legal. Our law specifies that marriage is between females and males."
"That sounds so… prohibitive," I said. I knew I was being blatant and possibly rude, but President Solano didn't seem like a man who would be offended by an opinion. "What if you fall in love with a male? You're not even allowed to live with them?"
President Solano straightened up and gave me a cold look.
"Once again, I apologize for the confusion. I will go back to the table. Thank you," he said and walked inside. I had definitely messed up again, and the Empress wouldn't be happy if she found out. I drained the blue drink as I watched the white flowers fall from the Emperor's cape.