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Uhura shifted her weight from one foot to the other. It wasn't her first diplomatic mission, so she wasn't surprised that the princess she was supposed to be escorting to Babel was nearly an hour late. Vulcans might praise logic, and tardiness might be illogical, but royals had a way of thinking their time was more valuable than anyone else's.
Finally, she heard a loud bell, and strengthened her back, not wanting to be called out for lack of decorum.
The large doors to the inner castle opened, and the most beautiful woman she had ever seen stepped out. She had slight feline features, highlighted by a soft and elegant makeup, her ears in predominant display as her hair was neatly braided upwards and adorned with shiny gemstones. Her dress was full of floating silks, giving her an ethereal appearance, like a princess of the good folk, from old Earth stories.
"Your Royal Highness, Princess T'Pring of Vulcan," one of the guards flanking her announced.
"Federation representative lieutenant commander Nyota Uhura," she said, then bowed low, with her arms stretched to the sides, as was instructed in the diplomatic brief, and was surprised when the princess nodded her head in return.
"I won't require an additional entourage," the princess said, turning to her guards. "As I am entirely confident in the Federation's ability to take me to my destination safely."
"Your Highness…" one of the guards started.
She raised a hand to silence him. "It would be illogical to offend our allies by implying they are unable to provide adequate escort."
He nodded in agreement and took a step back.
Uhura was amazed by her calm authority, she was obviously respected at least by her guards. "If you could step closer, Your Highness." She could have swore she saw almost a hint of a smile when the princess complied. "Two to beam up."
As soon as they were onboard, she noticed the princess's curious eyes darting around the room, poorly hidden through an air of indifference. It wasn't a surprise, the mission brief listed that she had never left the planet before.
"Allow me to take you to your quarters, Your Highness," she said, guiding her out of the transporter room.
"Call me T'Pring, I hardly hear my name anymore and it grows tiresome," she said, losing some of that authoritative air and replacing it with just a hint of… longing?
It was against the rules, against every diplomatic protocol. Her instructions were clear, appease the princess at any cost, but follow protocol above all.
"It wouldn't be appropriate.”
"I understand," she said, in a tone that anyone but a Vulcan would call disappointed.
“This is your room,” Uhura said, opening the doors to the guest quarters of the ship.
Although they were three times larger than even the captain’s, she expected complaints, as it was often the case. If there was one thing that world leaders had in common, it was a sense of entitlement.
Instead, she walked to the window, grabbing a hold of the wall as she stared at the stars. “I have never seen so many stars. I hear the sky is clearer in the desert, but I was never allowed to go.”
Uhura stepped closer to her. Like this she seemed so vulnerable, so lost. “We’ll pass by a nebula on our way, I’ll make sure to warn you,” and then, just because she was never one for caution and following pointless rules, “T’Pring.”
This time, she could see a smile, barely there, just raising one corner of the mouth. “Thank you, commander,” she said, turning to Uhura and grabbing her hands between hers.
She blushed slightly under that intense gaze. “Call me Nyota.”
“I am…” she paused, as if searching for a very distant word, “glad, that you are the one escorting me.”
The rules also said, keep a respectful distance. They didn’t seem to matter much now. “Me too. We have two weeks until we reach Babel, I hope I can make your stay a pleasant one.”
“I am confident that you will,” she said, and although it was hard to tell with Vulcans, it sounded almost flirtatious.
She liked this mission already.