Alutia Rising, Anniversary Edition (Alutia Rising Series, Book 1) Read Online Free PDF

Highness. I thought the same thing
and had a special outfit prepared for this occasion.” Tiana showed
the slight distant expression that was common when using ones BC
node, being “node locked”. Sasha stared at her lady-in-waiting,
raising a confused eyebrow, but Tiana ignored her, wandering around
the bed, then seating herself on its edge. A few minutes passed in
silence before one of the castle’s many servants arrived with a
sealed bundle. As the servant laid it upon the bed, Sasha couldn’t
help but gasp in surprise.
    The outfit that appeared within was not a
dress, but noble clothing of a similar make to those commonly worn
by male nobles, ornately decorated, of course, but a coat and
trousers nonetheless. Sasha stared at Tiana with a raised
eyebrow.
    “I asked around and found that it is quite
common, and even expected in some circles, for the highest ranking
noble, no matter lady or sir, to adorn a noble doublet and trousers
during escorted travel. You do not need to wear it when we lounge,
of course, but when moving about the starship it is considered
proper manners, Princess.” Tiana wiped nonexistent dust from the
doublet as she explained her reasoning.
    Sasha, once again, stared at her lady, 10
years her junior at 16, but with the intelligence and worldliness
of someone well beyond her tender age. Suddenly, one of the words
that Tiana had spoken caught her interest,
    “Us?” questioned Sasha with a slight tremble.
“Since when did I decide that you would accompany me,” unable to
hide her surprise and unexpected annoyance. Tiana smirked once
more, but with less of her usual mirth.
    “My mother is very good friends with Queen
Vahna, as you know, and they both decided it would be good for me
to continue being your lady-in-waiting, and allow you to assign me
an earldom or mark in your duchy when I reach the appropriate
age...of course,” Tiana's said matter-of-factly, which as she
probably planned, caused Sasha an immense amount of irritation.
    “What right do our parents have to decide who
I assign posts within my duchy? Do they think me incompetent before
I have even started? First, they do not give me a choice in the
matter, then they start telling me how I am supposed to rule!”
Sasha knew she was acting childish, but everything had been welling
up inside, finally bursting forth.
    Just yesterday she was a pampered
third-princess living on one of the most beautiful planets in the
entire NHA. But now, she was preparing for journey to be crowned
Grand Duchess of a new duchy called Alutia, situated on the other
side of the galaxy.
    Of course I know the noble title is very
prestigious! She wanted to scream. But when her father's
decision had reached her ears, she had been ill prepared and still
found herself shaken, unable to fully accept the sudden change in
her peaceful lifestyle.
    From what information she could glean, it
seemed her father was irritated at her lack of appropriate suitors.
There were a few, of course, and she did enjoy a couple
relationships she thought would last forever during her teenage
years. Except, all of the men turned out to be pompous
traditionalist asses, including the last man who courted her, who
had left a scar so deep, it still hadn’t fully healed.
    Most of her more recent suitors were little
different, being arrogant traditionalists whose interest would wane
after realizing a third-princess would not inherit the throne of
galaxy 189 and had no land claims; she being, for all intents and
purposes, the same as an unlanded noble. She wished they would
conduct the proper research before wasting her time, instead of
assuming that since the royal family was the highest sovereignty in
the galaxy, she would inherit at least part of that claim. But only
the crowned prince or princess had that privilege, and her elder
brother, Crown Prince Kohan, currently held that honor.
    But her issue, along with that of her elder
sister, was unique. Normally, children of royal families