29. Abbey

29

ABBEY

"Pretty Abbey takes a right in three more steps. There is a ramp that leads down," Spex chirruped in her ear.

Abbey did as her new Eye-pet said, marveling again at his accuracy. Having Spex on her shoulder was like having a living GPS that was excellent at small details. She was already walking with more confidence as she learned that she could trust him to be right about directions. She had even asked Solon to let her walk on her own, though the big Monstrum stayed at her side just in case.

She knew this because Spex didn't just tell her where to go, the little Eye-pet also told her about everything and everyone around her as well.

"The big fur man is giving Pretty Abbey love-looks," he reported. "He has one hand out to catch Pretty Abbey in case she trips or falls. But he doesn't need to worry—Spex won't tell her wrong ways."

Abbey bit back a laugh.

"I know you won't, Spex. I trust you," she told him.

The little Eye-pet nuzzled against her neck briefly in a show of affection but he was still on the job.

"Stop in three more steps. Pretty Abbey has reached the Royal Perfumer," he informed her.

"How do you know where everything in the Royal Palace is, Spex?" Abbey asked, stopping where he told her to.

"Oh, the Royal Breeder would take Spex around sometimes—he felt sorry for Spex because nobody wanted him." The little Eye-pet sounded sad. Then his squeaky voice brightened. "But now Spex has Pretty Abbey and Pretty Abbey has Spex!"

"Yes, we have each other." Abbey reached up to stroke the little fluffy ball once more. She could see why the Royal Breeder had said it was easy to give Eye-pets the affection they needed—they really were absolutely adorable.

"Now the Royal Perfumer can be a bit…particular," Chancellor Maprist said. "So let me do the talking at first, if you don't mind."

"By all means," Solon rumbled and Abbey agreed as well. She reached out to touch the engraved door in front of her—she thought that maybe the engravings might be some kind of alien Braille, but she couldn't be sure. Though the Translation Bacteria she'd taken helped her to understand alien languages when she heard them, it didn't seem to help her with any kind of raised writing.

At any rate, it wasn't necessary to read anything because a soft, asexual voice said, "Welcome to the Royal Perfumer," and then the door opened for them, letting out a waft of all kinds of exotic fragrances.

"Hello, hello!" a high, nasal voice greeted them at once. "You must be the visitors from another planet that the Empress was so taken with!" The Royal Perfumer was a flamboyant blur of orange and blue as he came forward to greet them.

"Hello, Borigard, yes—these are Commander Solon and Lady Abbey," Chancellor Maprist said.

"Yes, I have only just finished consulting with her Majesty as to the best way to incorporate the fragrance of the flowers you brought her into her new Royal Scent. So deliciously exotic!" the Perfumer exclaimed. "I'm told I must make you both the best scents possible. As if I would do any less!" he added with a sniff.

"Thank you so much, Royal Perfumer," Chancellor Maprist said diplomatically. "We all know what a true artist you are and that you always strive for perfection."

"Naturally I do," the Perfumer said snippily. "I not only strive for perfection—I achieve it on a daily basis. Now then, let's have you step forward one at a time so that I can sniff you and see what fragrances will work best with your natural scents."

"Ladies first, my dear," Abbey heard Chancellor Maprist say. Feeling shy, she took exactly three steps forward, because that was what Spex whispered in her ear.

The orange and blue blur leaned towards her and she heard the sound of sniffing. But this was no perfunctory greeting—the Royal Perfumer inhaled deeply, several times, before drawing back again.

"Very well—her Majesty was right about you, Lady Abbey—you have an excellent base scent that simply needs to be emphasized, not changed. Give me just a few moments."

He stepped back and Abbey wished she could see what he was doing. Then she realized that she could—in a way.

"Spex, describe what the Royal Perfumer is doing," she whispered to her new little pet.

"Gladly, Pretty Abbey! The Perfumer is tall and skinny with orange and blue skin and he wears clothes that are also orange and blue," Spex reported. "He is standing in front of a counter with hundreds of glass bottles lined up in rows. He takes first one and then another…he sniffs them and if he likes them, he adds a little drippy drop of the scent to a glass tube he holds in his hand."

Abbey could practically see the scene in her head and she thought again how useful it was to have a guide who could see and talk to her right on her shoulder. As much as she'd loved Major, he never could have described what was going on the way Spex could.

"I hope he doesn't change your natural scent," Solon growled from beside her. "You already smell perfect to me, lelka." He took Abbey's hand in his much larger one and squeezed gently.

"I feel the same way about your scent," Abbey told him. "It's amazing."

"Well, thank you, lelka but it's likely you're smelling my Bonding Scent," he rumbled. "My body makes it just for you, to bring you to me."

"Wait…it does?" Abbey frowned. "You never told me that before! All this time I've been wanting to be close to you because you smell so good and now you tell me you're doing it on purpose?"

She wasn't sure how to feel about that—it seemed somehow disingenuous.

"I don't make my Bonding Scent on purpose," Solon protested. "My body does it naturally when I'm in the presence of the female I want to mate and Bond with. I can't help it—all Kindred and Monstrum make Bonding Scents for their females."

"They do?" Abbey asked. "Why haven't I heard of this before?"

"I don't know." The golden blur beside her moved and she pictured Solon shrugging his broad shoulders. "Maybe because it isn't spoken of much. The humans might think we had an unfair advantage if we advertised the fact that our bodies make a special scent just for the female we wish to Bond with."

Abbey wasn't sure what to say to that, but just then the Royal Perfumer spoke to her.

"Lady Abbey, I do believe I have just the right scent for you. Please come forward and try it."

"Go six steps forward and the Perfumer's counter will be right in front of Pretty Abbey," Spex squeaked in her ear.

Abbey did as he said and then held out her arm, wrist up so the Perfumer could place a drop of the new scent on her pulse point. She felt a droplet of moisture on the underside of her wrist and then the Perfumer said.

"Good. Now rub your wrists together lightly and inhale your new fragrance."

Abbey did as he said and then lifted her wrist to her nose…only to smell nothing.

"Oh, er…" She sniffed again, but there was nothing but the normal scent of her skin. "I'm sorry—I don't smell anything," she said apologetically.

"Of course you don't! None of us can smell our own scent," the Royal Perfumer snapped. "The fact that you smell nothing proves I have done my job to perfection. Now let your spouse smell your wrist and see what he thinks."

Abbey didn't bother to correct him. She only held out her wrist for Solon, who came forward and sniffed it.

"Mmm, delicious!" he growled and Abbey could hear the sudden lust in his voice. "I didn't think it was possible for you to smell more appealing, lelka but somehow you do."

"I'm glad you approve, Commander Solon," the Perfumer sniffed. "Now come forward yourself so that I may make you a scent as well."

Solon stepped forward and the Perfumer smelled him for quite some time.

"Hmm…fur and leather and some kind of fragrant wood," he mused. "Some wilder notes too—almost beastly!"

"Well, I am a Monstrum Kindred," Solon rumbled. "Which means I am covered in fur—that might be what you're smelling."

"Oh, are you? May I touch your hand?" the Perfumer asked, sounding interested.

"Certainly," Solon said.

"Spex, tell me what's happening," Abbey murmured.

"The fur-man is holding out his hand and the Perfumer is feeling his hand and arm all over," the little Eye-pet whispered in her ear. "He's rubbing the fur-man's fur—he seems to like it."

"Well—I can tell this scent is going to be a challenge to make!" the Perfumer said at last. He spent quite some time mixing and matching—Abbey could hear the faint tinkle of his hundreds of glass bottles. Finally, however, he finished and told Solon to come forward again.

"Now then, as you're covered in fur almost everywhere, I'm going to be a droplet on your palm, which isn't furry," he told the big Monstrum. "Then you can rub your palms together and rub them over your neck and arms as well to spread the scent."

"All right," Solon rumbled agreeably.

A moment later, Abbey started to smell something amazing. Warm fur and masculine spice tickled her nose, making her feel instantly aroused. It was his Bonding Scent, she realized, only magnified a hundred-fold!

"Oh my God, that's amazing!" she nearly moaned, as she leaned towards the big Monstrum. "You smell so good!"

"The scent does smell, a-hem, extremely attractive." Chancellor Maprist's voice sounded strained. "My goodness—it's positively magnetic!"

"It really is," Abbey agreed, rubbing her cheek against Solon's chest as he put an arm around her. She had a sudden urge to tackle the big Monstrum and rub her naked body against his. Only remembering that they were in public with other people kept her from jumping his bones then and there!

"Borigard, I hate to say it, but I think you may have created a dangerous scent," Chancellor Maprist remarked, sounding distinctly uncomfortable. "I have no wish to have sexual relations with a male but this scent you've made for Commander Solon is making me rethink my whole sexual identity!"

"Yes, he smells divine, does he not?" The Royal Perfumer said dreamily. "I never knew I wanted to be with a man who was covered in fur until now!"

"You cannot let him wear that scent to the banquet tonight!" Chancellor Maprist exclaimed. "He'll be mobbed by women everywhere he goes. And men too, I wouldn't doubt," he added.

"You're right, I suppose—but what a shame! This scent is a crowning achievement. Natural aphrodisiacs are so rare," the Perfumer remarked.

He sounded closer than before, Abbey thought through the lust-fogged haze that had clouded her brain. In fact, the orange and blue blur that was the Royal Perfumer was right beside her now.

"Spex, tell me what's going on," she whispered to her Eye-pet.

"The Royal Perfumer is rubbing against the big fur-man," Spex reported. "But Spex doesn't think the fur-man likes it. He is making a no-face. The Chancellor is making a want-face at the fur-man but keeping away from him."

"I think you've captured the essence of my Bonding Scent—which is meant only for my mate, Abbey to smell," Solon rumbled, sounding a bit unnerved at the reaction everyone was having to his new scent. "Er…should I wash it off?"

"Yes, I think you'd better," Chancellor Maprist said stiffly. "We'll just have to tell everyone that your natural scent is also your Official Scent. You can't be let loose in the Royal Palace wearing an aphrodisiac!" He cleared his throat. "Borigard, can you please stop rubbing yourself against Commander Solon and give Lady Abbey her Scent so we can be on our way?"

The Perfumer detached himself from Solon with obvious reluctance. A moment later, he handed Abbey a tiny glass bottle that fit into the palm of her hand. She slipped it carefully into a pocket on the side of her dress and thanked him.

"Just one drop on your wrist and then rub it on your neck," the Perfumer told her, sounding breathless. "Listen, I know the two of you are going to your rooms for some private time. Have you ever considered adding a third to your relationship?"

"Er…" Abbey wasn't sure what to say to that, but Solon clearly had no such problem.

"I'm afraid not," he said firmly. "Though we thank you for the invitation, Monstrum and their mates are exclusively monogamous."

"Ah, well…" The Perfumer sighed. "You can't blame a boy for trying! Very well, go on then. Enjoy yourselves and I'm sure I'll smell you at the banquet tonight."

"Thank you, Borigard," Chancellor Maprist said stiffly. "Come, Commander—we must get you washed off before the banquet!" he added. "You certainly can't go into the banqueting hall smelling like you do now or you won't come out again alive!"

Abbey stayed close to the big Monstrum on the walk from the Perfumer's to their guest quarters. Not because she was afraid of tripping—Spex told her where to go every step of the way. But because she couldn't bear not to be touching Solon for an instant. His Bonding Scent, which had always drawn her, was so magnified now that it was almost like a drug. All she wanted to do was be near him and touch him…and have him touch her.

At last they came to another engraved door which said, "Welcome Commander Solon and Lady Abbey to your rooms." When she touched its wooden surface, it swung open invitingly.

"I'll leave you here," Chancellor Maprist said, his voice still strained. "You have a few hours before the banquet begins—I'll come back for you and bring you to the banquet hall."

"Er, thank you, Chancellor," Solon sounded preoccupied—possibly because Abbey was rubbing against his side—she couldn't help it! She wanted him so much.

"Be certain you take a shower and scrub off that scent!" the Chancellor directed. "It would be dangerous to wear that in a public place. I'll have to have a talk with the Empress about the Royal Perfumer!"

And he left them alone, still muttering disapprovingly to himself.