Dan felt Morgan's hand on his shoulder. "Shall we head over to the receiving line?"

Dan shook his head. "No, Colonel, you and Scott go ahead." He glanced at other people passing through the doorway. "My parents have just arrived and I should speak with them. Besides," Dan said as he saw the Baroness de Gambier waiting to ambush him where the line was forming, "I hate standing in line."

While picking his way through the crowd toward his parents, Dan was amused to note several gatherings of retired MechWarriors holding court as well as more than one clutch of matchmaking dowager noblewomen. Though half-tempted to join a Kurita officer's discussion about the superiority of regular troops over mercenaries, Dan continued on through clouds of noxious cigar smoke and competing perfumes until he reached the elder Allards.

Quintus Allard took his son's hand, then drew him into a firm, back-slapping hug. "Dammit, Dan, you look good."

Dan laughed. "So do you, father." Stepping back, he appraised his father's double-breasted gray suit with approval. "New suit?"

Quintus nodded, smiling broadly. "Got it for the wedding."

"Looks very good, very chic. Mother must have picked it out for you," Dan said teasingly, as he turned to gather up his mother in a hug. "Good to see you, mother." He released her with a smile and found just as much to admire in his mother's appearance. Though fifty years old, her trim figure and bright green eyes be lied her age, as did her thick, straw-blond hair. The green, sleeveless gown she wore was anything but matronly, but the matching short jacket added just the right touch of respectability.

Tamara Kearny Allard smoothed out the black wolf’s-head design on Dan's jacket, letting her fingers linger on the Dragon-slayers ribbon at his left shoulder. Then she snatched back her hand and covered her mouth. "I'm sorry, Dan, your shoulder..."

The MechWarrior shook his head. "No blood, no report." He winked at his mother, summoning the smile back to her face. "I'm fine, mother. Really. It healed ages ago." He had turned now to his sister. "Hello, Riva. How's my baby sister?"

Riva wrinkled her pert nose and hugged her brother. "You're baby sister just got accepted into the NAIS Ph.D. program."

Dan laughed and hugged her even tighter. "That's great, Rat."

Riva pulled back and thrust a finger at Dan. "You promised never to call me that again, Daniel." The anger flashing in her cerulean eyes glinted like the lights off her blue silk gown. Dan stepped back slightly and forced himself to see the woman his sister had become. Though she still wore her black hair in a short gamin cut and her eyes had never lost their combative fire, her tomboy days were surely gone forever.

He bowed his head with great dignity. "I apologize, Riva." Her face brightened again, and the two smiled at one another with much affection. "So, what will you study for your doctorate?"

Riva hesitated, flicking a worried glance at her father, then looked down. "Neural-cybernetic interfaces with an emphasis on cybernetically aided regeneration."

Dan forced a smile. For Justin. Right, Riva?He nodded and tried to put more life into his smile. "I'm sure such work will help many people."

Quintus looked at his son. "We were pleased to get the communication from the Macthat you were aboard and would be attending the wedding, but the Prince thought Colonel Kell would have Major Ward with him."

Dan nodded. "Salome caught a virus a couple of days before we left, and used it as an excuse to stay on Arc-Royal. I had the feeling she didn't want to attend the wedding because she's working hard to get the First 'Mech battalion into shape. She and Conn O'Bannon have a fierce competition going between them. It won't really matter which battalion—First or Second—is best because they'll both be hell on wheels."

Scattered applause turned Dan once more toward the door. It was for Duke Michael Hasek-Davion and his wife Marie, a most unlikely looking pair. Michael stood straight and slender, yet so full of energy that he seemed taller and his deep green eyes even more penetrating. A silver circlet held his long black hair away from his face, and he looked impressive in his decoration-festooned dress uniform.

Beside her husband was Marie, whose petiteness added to the illusion of Michael's height. Her gown was a shade darker than the one worn by Countess Allard, and she wore her blond hair swept back from the left side of her face with a malachite and silver clasp. She looked lovingly at the Duke, then let him guide her down the stairs into the antechamber.

Dan turned back toward his parents just in time to see the hooded expression on his father's face. What is it, I wonder? I know there is no love lost between Duke Michael and my father, but my father has never been one to bear a grudge.The MechWarrior smiled. "Michael and his wife look as though they survived their trip insystem well. The Mac's Captain said they came in at 1.75 Gs. Must have taken its toll on the Duchess."

Riva shot cautious glances to either side, then spoke in a low voice. "The Duchess traveled to Terra aboard the Prince's ship."

Dan pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Interesting."

Janos Marik, Captain-General of the Free Worlds League, was next to appear in the doorway to polite applause. Though he had once been a tall man, age had stooped his shoulders somewhat and had entirely leeched his shoulder-length hair of color. Deep wrinkles gathered the flesh at the corners of his eyes and lined his brow. Everything about him, including the House Marik crest tattooed on his forehead in black and purple, seemed tired. His uniform bore the medals and campaign ribbons befitting the long career of the eldest Successor State ruler, yet the man seemed weighed down by the responsibilities they represented.

His consort, a strikingly beautiful woman with long chestnut hair and almost hypnotic eyes, seemed filled with enough energy to power them both. As she laced her long fingers with Marik's, ihe older man seemed rejuvenated. He smiled at her, and she returned it with a look that seemed to operate on a legion of different levels. Seeing how her red gown clung to her shapely body and the way she continually brushed close to the Captain-General, Dan found himself envying the older man.

Riva leaned toward her brother. "Janos Marik looks so old."

Dan nodded. "The Civil War against his brother Anton really took it out of him, though they say he's gotten better since he look Brownwen Rafsani as his mistress." The Kell Hound nodded at the other members of the Marik family trailing Janos into the room. "Unless someone gets an upper hand soon, it would appear there will be another civil war when he goes." He smiled to himself. Half Janos's heirs will be fighting for the Captain-General's baton, and the other half will be fighting over her.

The appearance of the Lords of the Draconis Combine cut off any of Dan's further speculation concerning the Free Worlds

League. Standing with head held high, Takashi Kurita paused before entering the room. A handsome, wiry man, he exuded strength. Though his closely-cropped hair had gone to white along the sides and forelock, the rest of it was as black as in the days of his youth.

Dressed in a suit of antiquarian cut, with a jacket short in front and with long tails in back and a gray striped cravat, Takashi claimed dignity from some older tradition. He bowed his head slightly to the crowd, then proceeded down the steps.

Following behind him was his wife, Jasmine Kurita, her eyes cast down respectfully. Small and delicate, she wore her black hair gathered at the nape of her neck in traditional Japanese style. Hand painted jasmine blossoms decorated her green silken gown.