Slave Line (The Young Ancients) by P.S. Power

further, revealing his sister Terlee, who was adjusting her clothing. Normally in the palace that would have meant the women had been doing something that involved sex, but he really doubted that was the case here. Not that Abby wasn't cute enough, but Terlee was normally fairly shy, and worse, related to the woman. Abby was kind of shy that way too. No, this was something else.
    A professional visit.
    "Sorry to interrupt. I need to see if it's possible to get a full genetic work-up that Lyn Red, the Ancient of Vagus, can read? I don't know if that's possible, but it might be important. She thinks that my genetic profile might be different than Green's in some way." He spoke in Afrak, taking the chance to practice. Plus he'd learned about genetics and biology in that tongue, so it made sense to use it now.
    Abby smiled at him and nodded.
    "I have the needed gear for that here now. It just came the other day in fact, which is good fortune. Along with the first part of your payment for the magical sky rivers. It's mainly seeds to rehabilitate the land you own. Some marvelous and unusual plants. Trees with a dozen kinds of fruit that will grow year round and others that take water from deep in the ground and brings it to the surface to provide for other plants. Plus some wonderful fungal spores that can work miracles in the right places." She waved them both in, which got Terlee to give him a hug, then as an afterthought a much warmer one for the Prince. It went on long enough that Tor cleared his throat.
    "A little discretion in front of his fiancé?" He meant it as a joke, but it came out sounding wrong, mean and spiteful. For one of the first times in her life Terlee spun on him, eyes going wide, pushing Alphonse away as if scared.
    "I meant no harm. We're just friends and..." She was acting like she'd actually done something wrong , like Tor was really correcting her. He shook his head as Abby covered a smile with her hand.
    "Sorry Terlee, I was trying to be playful and it just came out garbled. If it had been a real problem Abby would have corrected you herself. I just sound like a complete ass today. Again, sorry... it isn't you or anything you've done at all. It really isn't anyone."
    For some reason that got him another hug from her, as if she knew the real reason. Then, given how extensive her spy network was, which had at least one person in it, so was huge compared to his, maybe she did know? Possibly by simply asking their mother. Or being told unasked. It wasn't a secret after all.
    Abby clapped her hands together and smiled, but didn't say anything for a bit, waiting to see who said what. Finally Terlee did, gesturing at her stomach, which was flat again. She'd had her first child already, a girl named Veronica. After the Princess of the same name. It was a good name. His sister looked directly at Abby again though and spoke in very well accented Noram standard.
    "So, am I pregnant again yet? I wasn't planning on it, but we haven't been..." She hesitated and blushed, but finished the sentence, which kind of shocked Tor. His sister was normally pretty shy about everything.
    "Using birth control. I don't want another child yet. Besides, Toverland suggested that I make some "friends" and I don't want to have the wrong child."
    Tor figured he should blush, but honestly he didn't care enough to at the moment. His sister was going to sleep with people, probably men, other than her husband, at his urging? It fit the social model at least. Most of the nobles had scores of lovers and friends that they did things with that would have gotten them killed in Two Bends, where they both originally came from. Terlee was Countess Thomson now though, and very good looking, so a lot of people would expect her to have relationships like that and would probably be insulted if she turned them all down. That could lead to war, or at the very least not being allowed into the best parties.
    "Good thinking. Don't take ma as an example of how