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“Thank you for your help, Ensign Brieto.”

“It was my pleasure, Mistress. Here you are.”

“Thank you. Uh, as you were.”

There was a hiss of laughter, and Brieto bowed and left her alone. She looked to see if there was anything ready-made, and when there wasn’t, she walked over to the chef again. “Hello, I was wondering if I could get something cooked. I am one of the live eaters.”

The chef was so striped that Aya got a bit dizzy looking at them, and he blinked two sets of lenses. “You are his lordship’s woman?”

“Devran? I suppose he is taking care of me. Yes.”

The chef blinked. “What is your category?”

She told him, and he nodded. “Just a moment. We have something ready.”

She smiled. “I will just get some greens and be right back.”

He nodded, and she left to get a salad of tremendous proportions. When she finished it, she returned to the chef, and he handed her a large plate divided into three segments. It looked like some kind of beef, some fish, and some fowl.

“His lordship wished you to experience all the options the ship has available.”

She smiled with no teeth. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure, Mistress.”

She looked at the fancy seat where she had sat with Devran, veered away to a small table, and looked at her meal with a smile. She started eating and paused when someone stood next to her table.

“Mistress, this isn’t where you sit. You sit at his lordship’s table,” a person with a lot of little marks on their chest told her.

She sighed and got up, returning to the fancy seat. The person said, “Do you require a beverage?”

“I can get them when I am done.”

The person paused. “Mistress, did I offend you?”

“I just got away from four years of being told where to be. You nearly wore this plate. Now, please, let me eat.”

The person paused. “I apologize. You deserve the best.”

“I just wanted normal.” She shrugged and tried the meats one at a time. They tasted bland, but that could just be the upset. There would be other meals.

She ate slowly and was a little frustrated that enjoyment was gone. She was being watched, but it was a cautious watching. It was respectful. No one was mad she was there, but this was her place, and they wanted her in it.

She finished her meal and stood, taking the tray and walking it to the cleaning station. The folks in the room looked appalled, and she turned and left. She tried to remember where the green space was, and there was signage on the wall with a picture of a tree. She followed the direction and hoped she was right.

Half an hour later, the clear windows showed her that she had found the green space, and it was beautiful from this view. Finding a lift to get her down to the entry level took some doing, but with some trial and error, she walked into the main entry, and the staff caring for the space smiled and nodded at her.

Aya walked into the depths of the green space, found a heavy tree, and sat down against it, letting herself cry. The tree could take it.

* * * *

Devran looked at the documents that he was supposed to approve. “So, Maythuan, who did you assign to my lady?”

“What?”

“I asked you to assign a guide to my lady. You said you knew just the person.”

The captain froze. “Oh, damn. I did say that. I forgot.”