Chapter 1

“I wish we had more classes together,” Samantha said as we walked to the tram stop by the collegium campus.

The extension campus buildings were just south of Cardino, high on the bluff overlooking the sea. In theory, you could walk to and from the harbor, but you would want plenty of time and not want to do it during the heat of the day, no matter how cool the sea breeze may feel. The tram running down to the station in town was much more convient.

“We’re at different places in our studies right now. I don’t think you’d like the chemistry courses I’m taking.”

“You think I couldn’t do the work?” she asked.

“I don’t know. Have you already taken organic chemistry? How about advanced physiology?”

She shook her head. “I don’t really understand why you are taking those. It’s not like you’re going to pursue a medical career.”

“Family tradition,” I said. It was our code phrase for some of the things she had been warned not to ask too many questions about. “Besides, we should have that Early Empire History together next term, assuming you stay here for school.”

She nudged me with her shoulder and smiled. “Trying to scare me off?” she teased.

I put my arm around her shoulders and gave her a little hug. “Not in the slightest. How were your other classes today?”

“Economic theory of the modern empire was alright. It gives an interesting context to a lot of things my father and brothers have talked about around me, but it’s not like I will be given a chance to apply it. Constitutional law was dry, but I can’t wait to see how it ties into Early Empire history next term. I guess I’ll have to stay around to see.”

“I’ll be taking them both next semester, so you can help me with the Constitution,” I said.

Several classmates were at the tram stop waiting, so we joined them. Samantha was much more outgoing and chatted with them easily while I just listened, as was my habit.

She had returned to Cardino three weeks after the season ended, and settled into her family’s house by the harbor. Her Aunt was living there as well, but seemed to have much less focus on Samantha now that the social perils of the high season were past. I had slipped into a new role in the family business, learning more of the club management from Master Geraldo and the sprawling, sometimes shadowy business empire of my grandmother, but had much more free time and was encouraged to spend some of that time with Samantha.

We had dated, danced, sailed, and generally gotten to know one another. We had both attended the opening session for the Senate, but she did not see the official swearing in ceremony for the new senators. She alluded to my family’s special status, but never asked a direct question. I had smiled and deflected, trying to confirm nothing while enjoying the verbal sparing. We dined at least once a week with either grandmother, her aunt, or both.

“Cosimo, what do you know?” I heard her ask. I was startled out of my reverie.

“Sorry, what?” I asked sheepishly.

“Some foreign royalty,” Hiro Ongaro, the youngest son of Master Ongaro said. “Mother said they are passing through Cardino then back up to Romanifo before sailing home by way of the Free Cities. Her guild is hosting them on their visit.”

I shook my head. “News to me. If your mother is hosting them, I doubt they’re staying at the club.”

“It’s a shame they missed the fun of season,” Hiro said. “Now they’ll just have boring dinners and pretend to be tourists.”

“We should do something to make them have a more enjoyable stay,” Samantha said. “I’ll talk to my aunt. Maybe I’ll throw a small party. Cosimo, can you find out who they really are before I make too much effort?”

It was one of her rare hints that the clubs were more than entertainment for the elite.

“I can ask. I’d be surprised if the Grand Dame didn’t know about visiting royalty.”

Samantha smiled at me.

I sent grandmother a note as soon as I got home, and then began working on my homework. The science courses were not ones to put off, I had learned.

“Master,” Ten said. “Your grandmother asked for you in her office.”

I hurried down.

“Cosimo, how did you hear of this visit?” she asked without preamble.

I explained and she shook her head.

“The gossip of college students moves faster than the Imperial Security Services,” she teased. “Yes, there are a pair of royals coming, hosted by the Architecture and Building Guild. They were in the Capital and asked to visit Cardino before returning home. It’s a Prince and Princess, from the Kingdom in the Clouds, north west of the Free Cities.”

I shrugged. “I’ve not heard of them before. Are they important?”

Grandmother shook her head. “Not really. They have managed to create a small kingdom by controlling the passes through the mountains used by what is generally called the western land route from the Free Cities to other states further away. A couple of hundred years ago, they stopped two armies from overwhelming them in a single summer, and have rebuffed several other smaller attacks since then. They have just enough arable land to feed themselves, and good mining resources, but make quite a bit on taxing the trade that has to go over the two ranges that form their borders.”

“Why are they in the Empire then?”

“The king visited with his betrothed before marrying twenty or so years ago. They wanted some trade terms, or so they said, but I really think it was to see the Empire. ImpSec has said they’ve tried some very low-level industrial espionage over the years, but are not a real threat to anyone. I suspect the trip is largely educational for his children. Many states have asked us for educational assistance, but the Imperial policy is to refuse them. They don’t have enough of a foundation to succeed unless they start at a very young age, and then it’s unlikely they would want to return to the lower technology of their home once they had a taste of Imperial life.”

“What do you think of Samantha’s idea to host a party for them?”

“I would encourage it, Cosimo. Offer to host as well, if she needs assistance or have her contact me. I’ll send a note to Master Ongaro and find out how long they will be visiting. We can offer them hospitality in the club also, but want to make certain they are treated well and properly.”

“Of course, grandmother,” I said.

“Let’s have breakfast on Seventh day, and we can decide on any plans. Invite Samantha.”

It was a command. “Yes, ma’am.”

I glanced at the clock and then decided on a quick stoll before dinner. I knocked on the Dennison House door and Samantha quickly agreed to join me. I told her what I knew.

“Are you taking me out on Sixth Day?” she asked.

“We hadn’t made plans yet,” I replied. “Why?”

“I’m just wondering if I need to bring a bag, if we’re having breakfast with your grandmother. I’m not sure what she would think if I did.”

While we had grown much closer, Samantha had stayed true to her promise not to sleep with me until we had a more formal commitment. We had kissed and petted, but her boundaries remained resolute.

“We have guest rooms,” I said deadpan.

I received an arched eyebrow look for my sense of humor.

“And it’s not that far of a walk,” I added. “But,” I continued before I ended up in too much trouble with her, “I would be honored if we could have dinner on Sixth Day, and you can bring a bag or I can escort you home as you desire.”

“No, I don’t think I want to go out for dinner then,” she said with a slight frown.

I was afraid I had actually hurt her feelings with my teasing, and regretted it.

Then she grinned. “I’ll cook for you, in your own apartment, so we can dine in. I’ve got no classes on Sixth Day, so you can go to school without me and I’ll let Twelve help me prepare a wonderful dinner. I did promise to cook for you at least once, as I recall.”

I laughed and agreed.

My apartment was filled with wonderful aromas when I returned home on Sixth Day and I smiled as Eleven hurried to the hallway to welcome me home.

“Ten and Twelve are helping the mistress, master. She asked that you refrain from the kitchen until called for dinner, sir.”

I nodded and headed to my study to get my assignment finished while the new concepts were fresh in my mind. I had just finished the last problem when Eleven returned with a glass of mulled-mint and lime water.

“Master,” she said as she presented the drink. “Mistress wished me to let you know that dinner would be ready in thirty minutes, if you wanted to freshen up.”

I took the drink and a deep sip of it. “Thank you, Eleven. Did the lady indicate the attire for the evening?”

“It is casual, master, but she has a fashionable outfit that I pressed for her earlier. You may want to be dressed smartly, casual,” she said with a smile.

“In that case, I should take a quick shower,” I said.

Eleven followed me to the shower and made certain I was well cleaned after she set out a blazer, pants and shirt for me.

The last rays of daylight were dappling the balcony as Eleven escorted me to the dining room. Candles lit the table and Samantha stood at one end, smiling confidently in a white summer dress. A beaded pearl choker adorned her throat and was matched by pearl earrings. Her hair was pulled back into an easy ponytail, and she had a touch more makeup than she normally wore. She looked amazing in the soft evening light.

“You look as good as dinner smells,” I said as I crossed the room to give her a light kiss on her lips. “I can’t wait to taste both,” I teased.

She blushed and then guided me to the head of the table. I waited to seat her on my right and then settled myself. Samantha nodded at Eleven, who hurried from the room. Ten entered with a bottle of wine and poured for us both before Eleven returned with bowls of soup. The clear broth was steaming and the aroma was filled with pungent herbs.

Samantha waited on me to start.

The flavor was delicate, with a hit of spice and then a lemony, grassy flavor that faded to a warm peppery finish. It was delicious.

“What is it?” I asked.

“An old family recipe,” she replied before taking her own sip. “I actually started the stock for this last night and brought it over with me. Normally, we would make a huge pot of it during the summer and let it simmer for days, having some as a base for other dishes. I’m glad you like it,” she added.

“I don’t think I’ve ever had something this light, yet full of flavor. I do like it, almost as much as I like the cook.”

She blushed but then encouraged me to keep eating.

“It goes well with the wine, too,” I said.

“Twelve helped me with the pairing,” she admitted. “She’s quite a cook herself. You’re lucky to have her as part of your household.”

“I am,” I agreed.

We chatted about planning the dinner she wanted to host as we moved into the main course. It was a small, stuffed fowl, filled with summer vegetables, mushrooms and a light sauce. It was excellent as well.

“If this is any indication of your hidden culinary skills, you should cook for the prince and princess,” I said. “It tastes amazing.”

“Thank you, kind sir,” she replied with a smile. “I would be a nervous wreck if I tried to make enough for a full dinner party. Besides, I can focus on cooking when you are tied up with study, but I could hardly devote appropriate amounts of time to my guests if I was preparing the dinner myself.”

I finished the last bite on my plate and then sipped my wine.

“What if you had help? Assuming I’m attending, my girls could assist.”

She smiled. “I was going to ask for at least Twelve. We have staff that can serve, but I don’t think our cook is as good as yours, if I’m honest. Or we could host them at the club, if we wanted to keep our own stress level’s low.”

“Let’s see what grandmother knows in the morning. For all we know, they are eating at the club every other meal in the Capital. They may prefer a more intimate dinner party for a change.”

Samantha smiled and nodded. “Let’s see how dessert turned out,” she said with the first hint of nerves I’d seen from her tonight.

Eleven cleared our places and Ten came back in with warm pastries with clotted cream for us. I cut a bite of the flaky crust releasing steaming fruit from within and ate it carefully.

“You have found my weakness,” I said with a soft moan. “If you promise me to make these every night, I’ll propose right now,” I said.

Samantha was beet red at my praise, but smiled broadly.

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Cosimo.”

“I’m not,” I insisted as I took a larger bite. “This is perfect, just like the chef!”

She was all smiles as I ate, and she motioned Ten to pour us some more wine. I glanced outside, seeing dusk had given way to night and that soft lights lit the harbor beyond the balcony.

“That was an amazing meal, Samantha. Thank you, sincerely. You definitely undersold your skills.”

She grasped my hand and I kissed her fingers.

“Shall we sit outside to finish our wine, sir?” she asked with a coy smile.

“Certainly, if that’s what you desire,” I said. I offered my hand after I stood and we adjourned to the soft couch in-front of the windows of my study. Ten followed us with our wine and Eleven brought the bottle and ice bucket before returning to clean the dining room.

Samantha kicked off her heels and tucked her knees up as she curled next to me. I kissed her offered lips gently, tasting a hint of the cream from her desert mixed with the fruit of the wine. She purred when we finally parted.

“That was nice,” she said.

“Almost as nice as that pastry,” I said.

“Almost?” she asked.

I nodded. She smiled in the soft evening light.

“I’m glad you liked it so much. I really enjoyed making it for you. This has been one of my happiest days in Cardino, if I’m honest.”

“Oh? Why?”

“You’ll think I’m silly.”

“Not at all. I know I’ve enjoyed today immensely, especially since getting home. Why has it been a good day for you?”

She tucked herself against me more tightly and I felt her take a deep breath. “Today brought back so many fond memories for me,” she said finally. “My mother used to talk while I helped her in the kitchen. She would be telling me how to make that soup, and then say how much love there could be in cooking even simple dishes for the right person or people, for the right reason. I didn’t really understand until today. Cooking for you, was special and realizing that made me appreciate my mother and feel close to her.”

I heard the seriousness of her tone and quickly thought about how I had felt coming home to the heady aromas she had filled my world with.

“I love you, too,” I said almost on impulse.

“What?”

“I said I love you, too,” I repeated. “Coming home today, for the first time, I knew my apartments were a home. I have servants, but knowing you were making those incredible smells for me to enjoy, made me want to come in and help and share my day with you. Then, you gave me time to focus on my homework, and I appreciated that since you know how I need to keep up on that chemistry course. Finally the meal itself and our easy conversations and gentle teasing. I can’t imagine not having you in my life. I love you.”

She hugged me hard, then kissed me to match.

“I love you, too, Cosimo,” she said when we parted again. “We’ve only known each other for a few months, but I can’t imagine not being with you. It’s like we complete each other.”

I nodded and kissed her again.

Our lips were locked and our tongues were dueling when I sensed movement near the door. I glanced to see Ten, Elven, and Twelve all kneeling by the doorway back inside. Samantha must of noticed them as well. She broke our kiss and snuggled into me and slipped her hand inside my jacket.

“Everything cleaned up, girls?” I asked.

“Yes, master,” they replied in unison.

“You can wait inside,” I said.

“Wait,” Samantha said softly before they moved. “Please move my bag to your master’s rooms.”

All three nodded and rose.

“Are you certain about that?” I asked softly.

I felt her nod against my chest and hugged her.

“We may share a bed, Cosimo, but I’m not having sex with you yet. I just want to fall asleep in your arms and wake knowing you’re with me.”

I kissed her again and held her to me as the moon peaked over the hills above the city and bathed the balcony in soft pale light.

The next morning, I slipped from bed quietly, smiling at the peaceful look on her face and I pulled on casual pants and a shirt before stealing away from my room.

Twelve was sitting in the kitchen when I looked in. “Please let Samantha sleep,” I said. “I’ll be back in fifteen minutes or so. We have breakfast with my grandmother, so you don’t need to make anything for us other than some coffee.”

“Of course, master.” She hesitated, then said, “If this slave may comment, Lady Samantha is a lovely woman, master. We all look forward to seeing more of her here.”

I smiled, nodded and was on my way out.

One of my new duties as grandmother’s gopher and special project manager was to visit the communications center in the basement of the house every morning, whether I was formally working or not. Overnight, every club sent in their daily operations report and I was expected to review them for any anomalies or issues that needed the grand dame’s attention. The staff made certain that copies of relevant sections were forwarded to our internal staff as needed. Accounting, personnel, logistics, and much more were easily tracked, monitored, and managed by a handful of loyal staff.

An unremarkable door in the basement now opened when I placed my hand against the discreet palm-lock. I stepped into the alcove and waited for the door behind me to latch shut. There was no sense rushing the security precautions on this room. Only after the door was locked behind me did the numeric keypad appear on the screen next to an inner door. The digital number buttons were presented in a random order, requiring me to input my numeric user id. The numbers then scrambled to a different arrangement and I entered my personal access code. Only then was a second palm lock presented, which required the opposite hand from the outside lock. I passed inside and smiled at the two staff members manning the computer network inside. Additionally, there were dispatches from outside the formal club structure. I knew mother and father watched these as well, but had found reviewing them started allowing me to form my own view into our broader operations.

Our house communications was as secure as grandmother and our ancestors could make it. The ten people that staffed this particular room on a rotating basis were all well known to the organization and conditioned in a manner similar to the CIs trained by the club. As part of our security precautions, staff never stood their watches with the same team members twice in a row, and two person integrity was required to activate the system at the start of each watch. Every communication was assigned both a unique transmission and receipt code that could be tied to the originator and the staff on watch when it came in.

When I had asked grandmother about our processes, she had cautioned me that the greatest weakness in any security system that connected elsewhere were the people running it. Adherence to the hard learned lessons of our ancestors was required. Some of the information our network transmitted was dealing with the top technical minds in the Empire, so our diligence was required. When I thought about having the power to eliminate the Emperor, I understood why we had to be careful. If the information we based our decisions on was compromised, the Empire itself could be compromised.

I logged into a supervisory terminal and ran through the traffic that we had received since my last review. Most of it was routine. A few items did pique my interest. One was a note on the foreign prince and princess traveling our way. It appeared they had a discrete security team following them, in addition to the imperial security minders assigned. That may mean they were more than they appeared.

I flagged that message for my grandmother, along with the report of inquires the two had made about the clubs in particular. I suspected the trip to Cardino was not a last minute decision. They wanted something from us or the clubs. Interesting.

I finished up my review and double checked the items I had flagged. They were then loaded onto a secure pad for grandmother along with the clubs operating summary for the day. I activated the ID lock on the pad and checked its power charge before logging that I had her pad for delivery.

I wished the staff an uneventful watch, and left, carrying the pad with my finger on the fail-safe button. If I let go of the button before grandmother’s biometrics unlocked it, all its contents would be erased. I’d asked why she did not enable a remote network connection so she could read the messages without the cumbersome hand-delivery process. She had just smiled and said she wanted the chance to hear my opinions on the contents as she read. I had found the discipline of the routine to be helpful, forcing me to consider the content and what she would think of it, even if I felt it wasted time.

“Good morning, Cosimo,” she said as I knocked and entered her sitting room. She was already up and dressed for the day, sipping tea before going down for breakfast.

I handed her the pad, ensuring her right thumb was on the small ident reader before releasing the failsafe button. “Good morning, grandmother. I think the prince and princess want to meet with you, or whoever they think controls the clubs based on some reported conversations. They also seem to have a set of minders other than Imperial Security tailing them.”

I had learned to lead with what I thought was most important information in the traffic.

She nodded, then looked at the pad to read. It only took her a moment.

“Yes, but what would they want from the clubs? The minders have been with them since they arrived in the Empire. I’ve got your father back-tracking them. I suspect they are traders hired for the role by their father, but want to confirm that.”

I nodded.

“And Cosimo,” she said as I turned to leave. “I’m glad to see your relationship with Samantha is progressing, but let’s not mention these details during breakfast.”

She was grinning when I looked back. I should have known that there would be no secrets from her in her own house, or in the city for that matter.

Samantha was just stirring as I got back to my own apartments. She seemed delightfully relaxed as she stretched her hands above her head and looked at me with a mischievous smile. She looked delectable in her royal blue silk camisole that clung to her dancer’s body in interesting and enticing ways.

“Good morning, love,” she said as I stood staring. “What had you up so early?”

I shook my head, crossed the room to lean over and give her a quick kiss.

“Just morning work routine,” I said. “Since getting off the day manager shift, I’m expected to take care of a few business items first thing every morning for grandmother. I didn’t want to disturb you.”

“You didn’t,” she said as she threw back the covers and showed off her well toned legs. Impulsively, I dropped my head and kissed the inside of her knee.

“None of that, now sir,” she said with a smirk. “I’m not that sort of girl!”

I laughed. “You spent the night in my bed, I’m pretty certain you are that sort of girl, but we’ll both abide by the boundaries you’ve set. We’ve got about thirty minutes before breakfast, so we should both get cleaned up. Grandmother knows you spent the night here, by the way.”

“You told her?” There was concern and maybe a little fear in her voice.

“She told me. You should know she is all seeing and all knowing about things that happen in her house and within Cardino. It would be silly to deny or try to hide it.”

“In that case, we should give her something to gossip about then,” Samantha said as she climbed out of bed and headed for the bathroom.

I wasn’t sure what etiquette applied when you declared you loved someone, slept in the same bed as them, but had not really slept with them yet. I decided I needed to have some sense of control in my own home.

“Ten,” I called for the girl I knew was waiting just outside the bedroom. “Can you assist the lady once I finish my shower?”

“Of course, master,” she said as she came into sight. I tossed the casual clothes I had pulled on for my morning chore into the hamper and stepped into the shower. Eleven was close behind me, already lathering a large sponge with soap as I wetted my hair. A blue draped figure stopped outside the glass wall a few minutes later, transformed into a shapely skin-colored outline and then flipped her long hair up and tucked it into a cap before stepping around the glazed partion and into the large shower.

I could not help but stare once again. She was incredibly beautiful and clearly uninhibited in showing me her body, even if she was not planning on having sex. She took a moment to look me up and down. She smiled at the compliment starting to rise below my waist. She stepped in and wrapper her hands around my neck, giving me a full body kiss that curled my toes.

She stepped back, noticed my full erection and grinned. “I guess you do like me at least a little,” she teased. “Eleven,” she said. “Make sure you take care of your master when he gets home today.”

“Of course, Lady,” Eleven replied with her own smirk.

I leaned in and gave Samantha one more kiss, then finished rinsing off and stepped from the shower. Ten was there with a towel to greet me. A few minutes later, as I was pulling on a pair of loafers, Samantha was sitting before the mirror, naked but mostly dried while Ten brushed out her long lustrous locks and Eleven fetched her small makeup bag.

I stepped behind her, pushing Ten aside and leaned down to kiss the nape of her neck and along one collarbone. She sighed and leaned back as she looked into my eyes through the mirror. I delicately traced my finger tips down her arms and then hugged her while teasing her nipples with the lightest touch. She turned her head and kissed me, her eyes now filled with lust.

“We need to head out in five minutes,” I said and gently tweaked her nipples.

“Cosimo!” she shrieked and I backed away.

“Turn about is fair play, m’lady.”

She laughed and then shooed me along. I went to the kitchen for a cup of coffee before we left. I knew we had about three times as long as I had told Samantha.

We made it to the dining room with two minutes to spare. Samantha was in a very fetching blue sundress, the same royal blue as her camisole had been, and low heels. She had the lightest touch of makeup, highlighting her eyes and lips, but not hiding her beauty. Grandmother greeted her warmly, as if she had just arrived.

“It must have been a beautiful day for a stroll over this morning,” grandmother teased.

Samantha was having none of that. “It looked nice from the balcony, but I haven’t yet been outside,” she replied.

Grandmother laughed. “Good for you, girl. Don’t let gossips like me ever get the upper hand. Well played.”

Samantha grinned and then I seated them both. Once coffee or tea was poured and breakfast was ordered, grandmother jumped right into the topic at hand.

“The Prince and Princess of the Kingdom in the Clouds, son and daughter of the King in the Clouds, will be visiting Cardino for four nights, arriving in two days. They are hosted by the Architect’s and Builder’s Guild and are ostensibly visiting to get Master Ongaro’s opinion on the construction of a new royal residence in the kingdom. They have also sent a request to Master Geraldo as the general manager of the club here to meet with someone about possibly purchasing some club trained criminal indentures.”

I quirked an eyebrow at grandmother. That had not been in the morning message traffic.

“Samantha dear, would you like any assistance in hosting a dinner party for them the day after they arrive?” she asked smoothly.

“I’d be happy to assist you, Lady Rhingold,” she replied. “I think it may make more sense for you to host the dinner, given the local business interests.”

“Nonsense,” grandmother countered. “You are much closer to their age, and a member of the aristocracy. They are royalty, even if it is from a relatively small state outside the empire’s direct sphere of influence. You are a more appropriate hostess.”

“But you’re...” she stopped herself.

“I meant to say, you play a much larger role locally than I do. I’m just the third daughter of a Senator.”

“Never apply the title ‘just’ to yourself dear. No other senator or their direct family is in Cardino at the moment. It is your right and your duty to be hostess, and I and Cosimo will support you however we may.”

Samantha beamed at the compliment my grandmother was paying her. “As you wish,” she finally said.