Take Me to Seoul

[Marzena Vaas]

Office of Minister Petyr Calinda
Avalonia, Dosuun

“Minister Calinda will see you now,” Petyr’s secretary motioned towards the door to his office.

Marzena Choi nodded politely and offered a smile to the other woman. She approached the Minister’s office; her hand hovered over the door knob for a moment, hesitant to pull it open. She was nervous. It had been some time since Minister Calinda had actually requested her presence. Maybe he had finally worked up the nerve to fire her. Of course, that was the first thought that had crossed her mind... But, it was not the only reason to be anxious, for she had not had the chance to bring him the news of her pregnancy. However, Marzena figured that he had already heard; words did have a way of traveling fast.

She drew in a deep breath and pushed the door open.

“Good day, Ms. Choi.” Petyr forced a smile, “Please, have a seat.”

With a small nod, Marzena pulled out one of the chairs and took a seat on the edge. She could feel Petyr’s gaze on her midsection, and crossed her arms in front of her stomach, clearing her throat to draw his attention back up. Marzena watched as Petyr sat back in his chair, his hands pressed flat against the surface of his desk. It looked like he was torn between remaining seated and standing up. He sighed, his shoulders relaxed.

“In two days, there will be a luncheon hosted by the Cultural Heritage Administration on Seoul.” Petyr decided to get right to the point, “I will be in attendance, as will you.”

Marzena tilted her head to the side, blinking a few times.

“Wait – you want me to attend?” She asked, thunderstruck.

Petyr stood up and strolled over to the window, his eyes focused out on the skyline of Avalonia. His brow creased slightly, as it usually did in the presence of Marzena Choi. The words on the tip of his tongue seemed to leave a bitter taste in his mouth. And so, he got rid of them quickly.

“You have been invited,” He said, not turning to face her. “Let me be clear, I am still hesitant to allow you to attend functions as a representative of the Ministry of Culture. But it seems unavoidable this time.”

Marzena narrowed her eyes and glanced to the side for a moment or two. When she willed herself to look back up, Petyr met her gaze. A few steps brought him back behind his desk. The pop star met the Minister’s troubled expression with a smile, but this only made the lines of his frown deepen.

“I would be honored to attend.” She spoke up, ignoring the fact that he did not truly want her there. “You know, I do speak Seoulian, I know my way around, and I am familiar with their customs. This sounds like the perfect opportunity for me to be useful.” There was also the fact that her name was well known there and her music very popular. But she didn’t want to push her luck.

“Yes, well...” He started, “We will depart tomorrow, please meet me here in the morning. I will send you all of the details.”

Petyr nodded, unable to admit aloud that Marzena’s presence may actually be helpful on this trip.

 

[Marzena Vaas]

Aboard Minister Calinda’s Deliberate Class Corvette – a very stylish ride
The next day...

Marzena and Petyr strode towards the conference room, side by side in awkward silence. It was clear by the slightly sour look on the Minister’s face that he was still not thrilled by the idea of traveling with the pop star. Petyr stepped aside so Marzena could enter first, and he motioned for her to make herself comfortable.

“Caf?” He asked, holding up an empty mug.

“No thanks,” Marzena answered, offering a small smile.

With a steaming cup in hand, Petyr took a seat across from Marzena. He took a long sip and then let his eyes match hers. They both blinked at each other and promptly looked away. Despite having spoken to each other many times before, they had never engaged in much small talk. What was there to say?

A gap fell between them, filled with the kind of quiet that was uncomfortable.

Petyr was not all that interested in knowing the details of Marzena’s life, but there were some things that he could not ignore – the pregnancy, and her recent engagement to the Supreme Commander. Of course, he had heard the rumors swirling around about them. It all made sense. He would keep a close eye on her during their trip to Seoul; it was up to him to make sure that she did not embarrass the First Order. He shifted in his seat.

“So, Petyr...” Marzena broke the silence, “I won’t be returning to Dosuun with you tomorrow, I hope that is all right.” She figured that he wouldn’t mind, “I thought I would take the chance to stay a few days and visit with family and friends.” It had been far too long since she had been back.

“You have family on Seoul?” He perked a brow.

“Yes, my grandmother lives near the capital. She still lives in the home where my father grew up. My brother and I would go to stay with her during the summer. We would visit the market, eat street food, and sing at Auntie’s karaoke night. That’s how I was discovered, actually. When I was in my teens, I was part of a popular girl group... we were called Diva Machine.” She laughed softly.

The memory of her fellow Divas made her nostalgic and a bit sad.

Petyr offered a small nod and a mumbled “I see.” He took his glasses out of a sleek case, and polished the lenses meticulously before setting them on his face. “Well then. Why don’t we go over some of the cultural greetings and customs that I will need to know?”