Presentable?

There is an old saying amongst the Galactic Mercenary, “All the stars that shine are not gold and the offers made in gold are shadowed with treachery”.

“One million Wion!,” Aurora shouted, shaking her head. “Is she crazy?”

She stood there in the stark hallway of the officer’s quarter staring at Ana with disbelief. Her back pressed against the sliding door of her room as she tried hard to decipher the offer she had been handed.

Ana Wilkinson- thirty, the handmaid of the Princess with short light brown hair and emerald eyes raised her eyebrows, glaring at the young girl.

“Mind your language Captain,” Ana stated, “You are talking about the Princess of the Federacy here.”

Oops. I hit a nerve.

“I mean I am utterly honoured and all but why the sudden change of contract?”

“That’s a question I can’t answer,” Ana replied nonchalantly. Her emerald eyes never blinking once, making Aurora wonder- is she even human? “All your questions will be answered by her Majesty herself.”

Yeah right.

Aurora sighed as she tilted her head up, gazing at the ceiling, it was dotted with a star pattern that ran all over the place, trying to recreate the night sky but it was futile. Why would one prefer an artificial start when they can easily observe them in the observation deck seven-floor up from here.

They do have a lot of money to spare. Giving me some shouldn’t be a problem but...

Kicking her legs on the hard floor, Aurora tried to adjust to the sudden change of returning back to the gravity zone.

Her body still very much used to the comfort of floating around protested at the sensation of being rooted as her feet now touched the ground with all the weight of her body pressing downwards.

All of it felt unnatural but there was nothing she could do about it. Since the Ark was a fully graviticized ship with the only exceptions being the ‘Hangars’ and the ‘Catapult’. Meaning the entire ship except these two areas experienced artificial gravity.

“So when am I supposed to meet her?” Aurora sighed.

“Four hours from now,” Ana replied, her eyes never leaving the datapad as she floated through a sea of tables trying to fit in the impromptu meeting between the Mercenary and Princess on the database.

“I have also arranged a change of clothes for you,” She said, “which will be delivered by Leona. She will also be helping you to look” — She paused to bring out the word with greater significance — “presentable”

Aurora clenched her teeth, staring glassily at Ana. “I understand.”

“Good,” Ana’s lips curved into a triumphant smile. “Leona will also guide you to her Majesty’s chamber. So follow her instructions. And don’t make her Majesty wait.”

“Fine,” Aurora snapped, as she gazed down. Holding herself back from lunging at the person in front of her.

Ana gazed at the White Cat for one last time, before walking away back to her Majesty’s side. There was a lot that she needed to do, so wasting time with Subject 07 was not an option. But she had to say that having the prideful cat under her felt good.

*****

Presentable

Aurora punched the sliding door, fuming in anger. Her fingers were now swollen as waves of pain inhibited them, further adding to her fury.

What do you mean by presentable?

Grunting at the remark of her majesty’s handmaid, she stepped inside her room.

Aurora had a simple philosophy: you only ever have one home, so there’s no need of decorating a temporary quarter into a warm and cosy den. Gazing at the empty white walls of the room Aurora sighed, her hands playing with her hair as a purring sound caught her attention.

Tilting her head downwards she was met with a pair of intelligent golden eyes staring at her with happiness, her paws clutching at her feet as she rubbed her face and purred again as if trying to say ‘Welcome Home'.

“Biscuit!” Aurora squealed, as she crouched down her arms around the ginger-furred cat as she gently picked her up, enveloping Biscuit in her tight embrace. “Did you miss me?”

She only purred in reply.

“Of course you didn’t,” Aurora replied, her eyes darting off towards the brown cat food packet sitting at the corner of the room, with its wrapping ripped off with pieces of fish-shaped food scattered all over the floor. “You were too busy with those weren’t you?”

Biscuit moved her paw as if trying to shrug it off, and then using the other paw to point at the time. Shaking her head she purred again as if trying to say ‘You were late what was I supposed to do? Starve to death?’

“Hey, I was forced to work overtime you know!” Aurora countered. To which Biscuit only shook her head again, and pointed her paws at the bed.

“You want to sleep with me?”

Biscuit purred with happiness rubbing her cheeks.

“Only if I could girl.” Aurora sighed, as she leaned downwards carefully placing the ginger-furred cat on the bed. Her back aching as the muscle injury from the battle hour ago made its way back, using the bed as the support she put her body down finally letting herself experience the soft and cosy bed.