Page 33 of Dark Voyage Matters of the Mind

Ani's only real friend was Sofri, and she cherished that friendship dearly.

Ani had no siblings and no cousins, and many thousands of years ago her parents had chosen the long slumber to escape the ennui of their never-ending life.

One day, she would awaken them, but not before the resistance triumphed and her husband was king no more. Perhaps they would find the new world order interesting enough to stay awake for a while.

In the background, tucked into a corner of the room, a quartet of string instruments filled the space with a pleasant melody by a new composer who had won many accolades.

There was really nothing that could compare to live music, no matter how advanced the recording and reproduction technologies were. Naturally, not everyone could afford live entertainment during a nothing-special midday meal, but being queen had its perks.

The first course was served with the practiced dance performed with perfect precision and choreography born of countless meals just like this one, and Ani smiled at her attendants to show her approval.

The delicate consommé was served in fine crystal bowls that were as much a work of art as the soup itself, and the rich aroma was appetizing enough.

The chef was a true master of the craft, coming up with new flavor combinations she would have never expected, and given how many meals she had consumed throughout her long life, that was impressive.

As Ani savored the chef's latest masterpiece, her ladies-in-waiting kept chattering about new gowns for the upcoming ball and casting her occasional glances to see if they could pull her into their conversation.

Ani couldn't care less.

Dressing her was a job for her designers, and they did it well. She had no reason to waste her time on picking out fabrics, going over styles, or getting fitted by seamstresses.

A perfect replica of her had been made for them to work with.

If only she could animate the copy and use it to attend the various functions for her, that would have been such a relief, but actual cloning was prohibited, and for good reason.

Ani shivered at the thought.

It was an abomination.

"I've commissioned a gown with layers of silk and gossamer," Avinshti said between one spoonful and the next. "Silver is the color of the season." She glanced at Ani. "It is your favorite color, Your Majesty."

"It is favored by my designers." Ani's tone communicated her lack of interest in the subject, and her ladies were intelligent enough to pick up on it.

Having lunch in her quarters with just the four of them was a rare occurrence. Most days, Ani's lunches were political or industrial meetings with the movers and shakers of Anumati. Thankfully, there had been nothing scheduled for today, so she had time to come up with a plan for communicating with her granddaughter, but it was not easy to think and plot against the backdrop of chatter and the servers milling around.

The second course was a selection of fresh salads garnished with edible flowers and an array of dressings that were as much a feast for the eye as for the palate. It was a parade of vibrant colors and exquisite flavors, another masterpiece of the talented chef.

Hopefully, he would never plot to poison her, or she would have to send him away to one of the more violent colonies to meet a certain death.

"The new university will be an architectural marvel," Vanashaia said. "I have seen the holographic model, and it is so exquisite that I am tempted to go back to school."

"I just hope we raise the necessary funds during the ball." Avinshti put her fork down and reached for the wine. "The project is ambitious even for Anumati's building mastery. It is going to cost a fortune."

"The guest list is impressive," Yashanoda said. "When they auction the university's name, the bidding will be rabid. All the major families want it to be named after their houses."

As the main course arrived, the attendants unveiled platters of roasted pivoats from the Palmoara colony and vegetables from Santica. The rare delicacies were served only in the royal palace and perhaps a couple of the richest houses. The cost of transportation was prohibitive.

If only Earth was not a forbidden planet, Ani could have found a way to smuggle records of Anumati's history to Annani. She could potentially smuggle them on the next patrol ship that left for the sector, but that would take too long, and Ani was impatient, which was a novel sensation for her.

She was the queen of long-term plans, never in a rush, and always looking for the safest way to go about them. But discovering that she had a granddaughter was a game changer. She wanted to talk to Annani, to get to know her, and that would not happen if she used the method that she had devised the day before.

Ani wanted to communicate with Annani in real time, which meant that Aria needed to be there when she visited Sofri. It also meant that Aru would have to be with Annani at the same time she was with his sister. That way, she could have a direct conversation with her granddaughter, or as direct as it could be when communicated through the twins.

The problem would be to come up with a convincing reason for Aria to be present during Ani's visits to the Supreme Oracle, and that was a major obstacle.

The rulers of Anumati always met with the Supreme in private to safeguard her prophecies regarding them. Her predictions about matters of state were not made public unless the queen or king made them so, and no one had ever questioned the need for secrecy during those meetings.

But no one had expected the queen and the Oracle to become best friends and co-conspirators.