PROLOGUE

Date: 21.1.3987
1st Quarter
Planet: Baylor

The room was almost dark, the only light coming from the view window. A nighttime starscape spread across the wall on the view window. A lone figure stood by the wall staring at but not focused on the view. She was a beautiful young woman appearing not much older than twenty. Her pale skin contrasted sharply with the harsh black of her mourning dress. A door opened behind her letting in a large block of light. It was quickly blocked by someone standing in the doorway.

"My Lady, Regent Geraint is here to see you."

She bowed her head wiping away the tears on her cheeks. Taking a deep breath she turned to face the elderly gentleman. "Thank you, Stuart, please show Sean in. Computer, lights to 50 percent."

The lights came up showing that the room had been draped with swathes of black gauze over the usually warm and cheerful colors. Sean replaced Stuart in the doorway. He crossed to her and hugged her. Stepping back he held onto her hands, "How are you doing today, love? Have you given anymore thought to what we talked about yesterday?"
She stared down at the engagement ring on her left hand, then frowned seeing his hands tremble. "You're trembling, Sean, and your hands feel like ice. Are you all right? Should I have Stuart get a medic?"

"I'm fine, Alex, it's nothing. Don't change the subject. Have you given anymore thought to our getting married right away?"

She shook her head, taking her hands from his, "You've asked me that everyday for the last two weeks since my father died. I can't. It's still too soon. I haven't even had a chance to take his body back to Sciendia for internment."

"I don't understand why you want to wait. I would think the support of a husband would make things easier."

"The support of a husband? What difference does our being married make to your supporting when I need you most?"

"If you need me most now then why put off getting married?"

"My father just died, Sean! I don't understand why you're pushing so hard. Why can't you wait a couple of months?"

"No, it has to be now. We should be married now."

Alex stared at him a long moment, seeing the rigid set of his jaw, the angry glint in his eyes. Slowly she removed to ring from her finger and held it out to him.

"Since you can't seem to understand that I need time to mourn for my father then maybe we shouldn't be married."

"Be reasonable, Alex. You can mourn for your father after we're married. Why are you being like this? People get married after family deaths all the time. Rosalind Dei Miro got married the day after her sister died."

"Do not compare me to Rosalind Dei Miro. First of all, she hated her sister and it's rumored she poisoned her. Secondly, hers was an arranged marriage. She had no choice. Either way that has no bearing on our situation. If you cannot accept my to delay the wedding then there won't be one at all."

"That is unacceptable. I've waited too long for this as it is. We'll be married tomorrow."

"Unacceptable? Waited too long? Too long for what? We've been sleeping together for almost three years. So it's not that. What is going on with you? If I didn't know better I'd think that you didn't care what I think. That you don't love me."

"I don't."

She opened her mouth then closed it moving a few steps away. Her voice trembled when she spoke. "You said you loved me."

"I lied. I've never loved you, but you're an idealistic little girl who believes in the almighty power of Love. You never would have accepted my proposal if I hadn't lied to you."

Alex sank down onto the nearest chair half-whispering; "You don't love me?"

"No, I don't. Get it through that stupid brain. I DON'T LOVE YOU!" He shouted, trembling violently now. "I never even wanted to date you. An inexperienced country bumpkin is all you are. Hell, the only thing that made the sex enjoyable was the dose of Dream I always took just before."

Sean froze realizing what he'd said as Alex rose from her chair.

"You're a Dream addict?" she asked softly reaching to touch his cheek. He knocked her hand away.

"I don't want your sympathy and I don't want you," he snarled. There was no point in holding back the truth now. Once she told the Councils he'd lose his position as Regent. "I never wanted you. All I wanted was your money and your father's position, but the bastard made sure I wouldn't get it. Daddy didn't approve of me. Did you know that? He even offered me money to break off our engagement, but I wouldn't take it. I showed him he couldn't run me off."

He was raving now. He didn't care what he said anymore. Alex stared at him a sick feeling filling her stomach. "How...how did you show him?"

"It was so easy. Change the ratio from one part traxin, three parts anapexin to one and a half parts traxin, 2 and a half anapexin and trapexin becomes lethal. Instead of helping blood flow to the heart it cuts it off causing massive heart failure. The best part is it's virtually undetectable. He never knew what hit him."

"You killed my father."

Sean smiled leaning down towards her forcing her to lean back in the chair. "Yes, I killed him. I'd kill you too, but...." He paused grimacing in pain. Straightening up he quickly walked from the room mumbling it being time to dream. In the other room Stuart watched as he passed by and out into the corridor.

"Stuart?"

"Yes, my Lady," he said standing in the doorway.

"Get Fleet Command on the vidcomm. My father was poisoned."

"Right away, my Lady."

Sean stumbled into his apartment as another wave of pain cramped his stomach. It had been too long since his last dose. Once the door closed behind him he leaned against it, "Computer, lights."

The lights came up illuminating the scar-faced woman sitting on his couch methodically sharpening a dagger. She looked at him a moment before slipping the dagger into its sheath and putting away the sharpening stone. Rising from the couch she pulled a small vial of blue liquid from a vest pocket.

"Did she agree to moving up the wedding?"

He stared at the vial, licking his lips in anticipation as his forehead beaded with sweat. "No, she didn't. Actually she called off the engagement."

The vial went back into the pocket it had come from. "What else happened?"

"Please, I need that dose. The cramps are becoming unbearable."

"What else happened?"

He swallowed hard wishing he could go back in time and stop himself from taking that first dose of Dream. He was dead and he knew it.

"I told her about poisoning her father."

"Did you mention the Baron?"

"No."

She cocked her head to the side raising an eyebrow.

"I didn't. I swear it."

"It doesn't matter," she said moving as she spoke. Before he could move to defend himself the dagger flashed through the air. Clutching his throat all he could do was gurgle as the blood flowed between his fingers. It wasn't long before he collapsed to the floor. Stepping over him she crossed to the desk and vidcomm on the far side of the room. Activating the vidcomm she typed in a secured line number. A few seconds later the screen flashed bright for a moment before settling into shadowy darkness. She could barely see the figure on the other end of the line. "I've taken care of Regent Geraint. He told her about her father, but he claimed not to have said anything else."

"Did you believe him?"

"Yes, he was desperate for a dose. He was telling the truth."

"Good. As ever your efficiency is appreciated, Mairta. Head to the Terus system next."

"Yes, Baron."