Shadow of Her Sins, Epilogue
“Like I told you before, everything will be fine,” Lady Melanie told Ali and Salli, as their luggage was carried aboard the freighter. “Rolas and I will keep an eye on things here for you, while you travel back to Foxen Prime to get your eye replaced. After everything you've both been through I'd hope you would want to take time to relax.”
Ali shouldered her carryall, watching with a smile on her face as Lady Melanie talked to them A week after her trial had concluded, they were finally ready to head back to the homeworld, Salli to get her cybernetic eye replaced, and Ali to meet the rest of her family, which to her surprise she found herself looking forward to. Aunt Razi and the rest of the family horde hadn't seemed to care about her crimes when they had been revealed, being more concerned with her avoiding prison, when they weren't berating poor Lu for getting her arrested in the first place.
Salli, now wearing a sporty eye patch over her empty socket, shook her head. “I fully intend to relax, once I've got binocular vision again. I just don't want you changing anything. The colony's development plan was very carefully thought out, thank you, by the best consultants I could hire.”
“You know perfectly well that if I tried, Rolas would start glowering at me. I'll respect your planning,” Lady Melanie said with a laugh. “Where do you think you'll go once you get your eye fixed?” a few days at my parent's home. As our domain's countess, I'm going ask her to marry Ali and I.”
Lady Melanie beamed, and she hugged them both. “Oh, that's wonderful! I'll get started planning the wedding for you when you return with the Countess.”
“That won't be necessary. We're going to do it right at home, in a little civil ceremony.”
Lady Melanie's jaw dropped open. “You can't do that!”
Salli's eyebrow arched. “Oh, why not?”
“It's a wedding. You should do it properly! With a dress, and a party, and a ceremony... and... and... you can't do while I'm, I mean Rolas, is stuck here!”
“I already had one fancy wedding, that was enough,” Salli said firmly. “I'll send you a vid.”
“What about you, Ali?” she demanded.
“I'm fine with it,” Ali said, her smile widening into a grin. “I'm not big on frills.”
“But!”
“Goodbye, Melanie,” Salli said. They both gave Lady Melanie a wave as the freighter's cargo doors shut, cutting off further protests.
Ali shook her head, as they turned and headed up the gangway to the passenger quarters. “That was cruel, Salli.”
“She'll get over it. Besides, I actually do want to have a bit of ceremony when we return, it'll help to mark the opening of Greenholme to permanent colonists.”
“Oh, good idea!” Ali paused, thinking. “Um, when were you planning to tell her that?”
“After we arrive at Foxen Prime. Until then, she can just stew.”
They reached their quarters, and Ali pulled out her hand scanner, going over the walls, bunks and dresser to ascertain there were no bugs or bombs.
“You don't have to do that. I might have tweaked Melanie's tail a bit, but I doubt she'll sabotage our quarters,” Salli told her.
Ali snapped her scanner shut. “My job.” She rose on her tip toes to kiss Salli's nose. “I'll always watch over you.”
“I know.” Salli's expression darkened slightly. “You're all right with marrying me, aren't you?”
Ali cocked her head, wondering where this was going. “Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?”
Salli rubbed her nose nervously. “I don't want you to feel like I'm tying you down. It's bad enough that you're joined to the hip with me anyway with that damnable sentence.”
“I'm all right with it,” Ali reassured her.
“I'm not. Perhaps in a year or two when things have had a chance to calm down, we can bring the matter to court again, and see if we can have it rescinded due on good behavior.”
“Maybe.” Ali took her gently by the shoulders and sat her on the bed. “Look, I love you. I want to marry you, okay?”
“All right, I'm sorry.” Salli lay back on her bunk, looking up at the ceiling. “So what do you do on a freighter with no real passenger amenities for a week anyway?”
Ali unbuckled her gun belt and set it on the table, and then began undoing the buttons of her waistcoat, her smile returning. “Oh, I'm sure we'll think of something.”
Ali shouldered her carryall, watching with a smile on her face as Lady Melanie talked to them A week after her trial had concluded, they were finally ready to head back to the homeworld, Salli to get her cybernetic eye replaced, and Ali to meet the rest of her family, which to her surprise she found herself looking forward to. Aunt Razi and the rest of the family horde hadn't seemed to care about her crimes when they had been revealed, being more concerned with her avoiding prison, when they weren't berating poor Lu for getting her arrested in the first place.
Salli, now wearing a sporty eye patch over her empty socket, shook her head. “I fully intend to relax, once I've got binocular vision again. I just don't want you changing anything. The colony's development plan was very carefully thought out, thank you, by the best consultants I could hire.”
“You know perfectly well that if I tried, Rolas would start glowering at me. I'll respect your planning,” Lady Melanie said with a laugh. “Where do you think you'll go once you get your eye fixed?” a few days at my parent's home. As our domain's countess, I'm going ask her to marry Ali and I.”
Lady Melanie beamed, and she hugged them both. “Oh, that's wonderful! I'll get started planning the wedding for you when you return with the Countess.”
“That won't be necessary. We're going to do it right at home, in a little civil ceremony.”
Lady Melanie's jaw dropped open. “You can't do that!”
Salli's eyebrow arched. “Oh, why not?”
“It's a wedding. You should do it properly! With a dress, and a party, and a ceremony... and... and... you can't do while I'm, I mean Rolas, is stuck here!”
“I already had one fancy wedding, that was enough,” Salli said firmly. “I'll send you a vid.”
“What about you, Ali?” she demanded.
“I'm fine with it,” Ali said, her smile widening into a grin. “I'm not big on frills.”
“But!”
“Goodbye, Melanie,” Salli said. They both gave Lady Melanie a wave as the freighter's cargo doors shut, cutting off further protests.
Ali shook her head, as they turned and headed up the gangway to the passenger quarters. “That was cruel, Salli.”
“She'll get over it. Besides, I actually do want to have a bit of ceremony when we return, it'll help to mark the opening of Greenholme to permanent colonists.”
“Oh, good idea!” Ali paused, thinking. “Um, when were you planning to tell her that?”
“After we arrive at Foxen Prime. Until then, she can just stew.”
They reached their quarters, and Ali pulled out her hand scanner, going over the walls, bunks and dresser to ascertain there were no bugs or bombs.
“You don't have to do that. I might have tweaked Melanie's tail a bit, but I doubt she'll sabotage our quarters,” Salli told her.
Ali snapped her scanner shut. “My job.” She rose on her tip toes to kiss Salli's nose. “I'll always watch over you.”
“I know.” Salli's expression darkened slightly. “You're all right with marrying me, aren't you?”
Ali cocked her head, wondering where this was going. “Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?”
Salli rubbed her nose nervously. “I don't want you to feel like I'm tying you down. It's bad enough that you're joined to the hip with me anyway with that damnable sentence.”
“I'm all right with it,” Ali reassured her.
“I'm not. Perhaps in a year or two when things have had a chance to calm down, we can bring the matter to court again, and see if we can have it rescinded due on good behavior.”
“Maybe.” Ali took her gently by the shoulders and sat her on the bed. “Look, I love you. I want to marry you, okay?”
“All right, I'm sorry.” Salli lay back on her bunk, looking up at the ceiling. “So what do you do on a freighter with no real passenger amenities for a week anyway?”
Ali unbuckled her gun belt and set it on the table, and then began undoing the buttons of her waistcoat, her smile returning. “Oh, I'm sure we'll think of something.”