Neutral by Viola Grace Page A

face. “There is a dress code, but you can pull it off.”
    She cocked her head. “What kind of dress code?”
    “The Hredu is an imperial court, and as such, you will need to dress as an imperial representative. That involves some ornate makeup and a particularly fetching dress. You will need to learn not to get ink on your breasts; it is cute in practice, but I believe you will be wearing a white blouse with the dress. Also, a headpiece will be involved. The previous scribe was dismissed due to tampering with the documents. You will be under intense scrutiny.”
    Aria asked, “Was she Alliance trained?”
    “No, she was actually a he, and he was Imperium trained by the previous Imperial Scribe of Hredu.”
    She nodded. “Ah. Have they had a female scribe before?”
    “Not in the last two hundred years. There will be a learning curve.”
    “And a culture shock.” Ari sighed. “When do I leave?”
    “The shuttle is waiting to take you. This was a formality. Now, fix your seal and get going.” He raised his hand and waved her off.
    A trickle of hurt ran through her, but it had no basis in reasonable thought. She was here for training so that she could do a job. The training was over, the job was about to begin.
    She set the apprentice seal with her name on it on the document and turned to put the seal in her kit. When she opened it, a gleaming gold seal with a carved phoenix was on it. She lifted it and read it backward. Scribe Ariadne Longway.
    She fought her tears and put both seals into her kit. “Thank you, Den.”
    He blinked back his own tears. “You are welcome, Ari. Now, go and pack. I am honoured to have taught you what I know.”
    “You didn’t teach me half of what you know.” She kissed his cheek.
    “You need to learn your own styles and details on your own. Now get going. Let me know how you do once a month in a public messaging system. Everything you do must be public and above suspicion. You have to remain completely neutral in all you do. Your life depends on it.”
    She swallowed as she realised that the previous scribe had not simply been arrested. “Everything in public. Got it.”
    “They will take care of you when you arrive, and there will be two weeks of training in your responsibility to the throne, psychological evaluations and regular interrogations by a Minder. You are up for it, now go.”
    She picked up her kit and bowed lower than she ever had before. “Thank you for the honour of your instruction. I will take it with me when I go.”
    His sad smile was her last view of him as she turned and headed for her quarters to pack the meagre possessions she had brought with, and the first illuminated page she had gilded.
    The shuttle wasn’t an Alliance vehicle; it was an Imperium vehicle with an honour guard waiting to greet her. A man in an elegantly draped tunic, boots and a richly coloured and embroidered sash stepped out to greet her.
    “Scribe Longway?”
    She inclined her head. “I am.”
    “Please offer confirmation of identity.”
    She set down her bags and peeled off her gloves, displaying the inked fingers to the second knuckle. It appeared they were simply stained blue, but if one looked closely, the details of her planet of origin and training were written in a minute design of elaborate images tattooed into her skin.
    She tucked her gloves into the belt she wore with the tools of her trade in pouches around it and extended her hands to the representative of Hredu.
    He took her right hand and flipped it, reading what he could before dropping it. “Good enough. Come on board.”
    She smiled tightly and pulled her gloves back on. She lifted her bag and full kit, following the dismissive man up the ramp to the ship. The honour guard in black and gold followed her and sealed the ship behind her. One of the men spoke quietly, “Scribe, your quarters are this way.”
    She nodded and followed him into the ship, through a series of halls, and finally, he opened a door and