Jacinda's Challenge (Imperial 3) (44 page)

"Madame, I'm sorry, but I can't allow you any further," he told her firmly.

"
Allow
me!" Madame Nitzschke shrieked. "Allow
me
? This is
my
neighborhood, young man! Do you know who I am?"

Kort wasn't about to admit that he didn't. The last few days had been a whirlwind of assessing and choosing the correct guards as King Jotham had ordered for Madame Michelakakis. They were still compiling information on her family, friends, and neighbors.

"Madame Nitzschke," Jacinda called out having just stepped out her front door when she'd heard her neighbor start in on Lieutenant Green. "How are you today?"

"I'm upset that's what I am! How dare you, Jacinda! This is a respectable neighborhood and you have men lining up outside your house!"

Green looked at the woman in shock. Did she really think they were here to
see
Jacinda? He saw Jacinda wasn't shocked.

"Madame Nitzschke," Jacinda clenched her teeth. "I would like to introduce you to Lieutenant Kort Green. If you notice his uniform, you will see he is a member of King Jotham's Royal Guard."

"You think that makes it okay that he and all these other men," she waved her hand around wildly, "are loitering around out here!"

"We are not
loitering
," Kort stepped between the two women. He had enough of this old biddy. "We are Madame Michelakakis' security."

"Security! What have you done now, Jacinda?" Madame Nitzschke demanded trying to step around Green, who was blocking her. "Move, young man."

"No." Green gave the woman a hard look and several other guards moved in to back up their Lieutenant.

"Lieutenant," Jacinda put a careful hand on his arm. "Let me by. I have known Madame Nitzschke for cycles. She's no threat... except to someone with fashion sense." She said the last part quietly and while she heard the other guards snort, her eyes remained focused on Green. When he finally nodded, she stepped around him.

"Madame Nitzschke, I'm sorry I wasn't able to give you advance notice of the added security around my home. I've always appreciated your concern for your neighbors safety and welfare."

Madame Nitzschke sniffed at her, but she did stand a little taller. "Someone has to do it."

"I know and you've been doing a wonderful job. Lieutenant Green here," she gestured behind her, "and several of his men are now going to be patrolling around my home."

"Why?"

"There's no reason for you to know that. What you need to know is that you don't have to worry about them being here." Jacinda smiled at her. "Now if you'll excuse me, I was just on my way out. Have a wonderful evening, Madame Nitzschke." Turning, Jacinda walked away.

Kort watched as Madame Nitzschke gave him and his men one last go over before she spun on her heel and clicked away. Turning, he found Jacinda moving toward her transport.

"Madame Michelakakis!" He ran to catch up with her. "What are you doing? Where do you think you're going?"

"I have some errands to run, Lieutenant."

"I wasn't informed you were going anywhere."

"Well, I'm informing you now."

"That's not how it works, Madame Michelakakis. You must
inform me
first
and
then
I will decide if it advisable."

"Look, Lieutenant." Jacinda rounded on him, causing him to take a quick step back. "I know you have a job to do, but I have a life to live and I am
not
going to let
you
decide if I can. Right now, I'm going to Comorin to have last meal with my second son, Ethan, and his family at his home. Now, you can either get in my transport with me, get into yours and follow behind me, or stay here. I really don't care, but I'm going." Sliding behind the wheel she slammed her door.

Kort found himself racing around the transport getting in the passenger side, as he yelled for the men he wanted to follow and the ones he wanted to stay behind.

"Now, Lieutenant," Jacinda spoke as she backed out of her drive. "We need to set some ground rules."

"Ground rules?"

"Yes. First, my name is Jacinda. I understand there will be times you will need to address me as Madame Michelakakis, but I prefer Jacinda. Second, I will try and I stress the word
try
, to give you advance notice of where I am going and when. I'm new to this level of security so you're going to have to be patient with me."

"Madame Michelakakis..." When she gave him a hard look before returning her gaze back to the road, he quickly corrected himself. "Jacinda, my job is to keep you safe, no matter what."

"I understand that, Kort. May I call you Kort?"

"I... yes, of course," Kort stuttered.

"Good. Now back to the matter at hand. I understand your job, but what you have to understand is that there isn't anyone out there that wants to hurt me."

"You can't be sure of that, especially now that you are with the King. There are bound to be some that are not happy about that."

That had Jacinda quietly thinking. There
were
going to be some that would be upset that she and Jotham were together. To the purists, she would always be from the House of Healing and that meant she should never be with someone from the House of Protection.

"Point taken, Kort."

Chapter Twenty-Seven

"Oh, Jacinda, it's so good to see you. Come in." Kasmira hugged her mother-in-law pulling her into the house.

Kasmira absolutely adored Jacinda, although it hadn't started out that way. Jacinda had intimidated her at first, after all she was the wife of a powerful Assemblyman, she was beautiful, and she was the mother of the man she loved. It hadn't taken her long to realize that while Jacinda
was
all those things, she was also just a woman that loved her children and wanted them to be happy. After that, they became great friends.

"Ethan is running late, you know how that is." She was about to shut the door when she saw the man standing there... a man wearing a Royal Guard uniform. "Ah... Jacinda."

"Hmm?" Jacinda looked behind her. "Oh. Kort, this is my daughter-in-law Kasmira Michelakakis. Kasmira, this is Lieutenant Kort Green of the King's Royal Guard."

"Ma'am," Kort nodded to Kasmira.

"Lieutenant," Kasmira replied. "Please, won't you come in?"

"No thank you. Madame Michelakakis, we will be outside." With a slight bow, he turned and walked down the path.

Kasmira slowly closed the door then turned to give Jacinda a questioning look.

"Yes, I know I need to explain, that's why I'm here. But first, where are my grandsons?"

"They're at a sleepover. I'm sorry. They were already gone when you said were coming. Do I need to go get them?"

"No." Jacinda was disappointed but realized it was probably for the best. "Let them stay. This is going to be difficult enough without upsetting them too."

"Jacinda?" Kasmira put a concerned hand on her arm. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Jacinda squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Honestly, I just have some news I need to tell you and Ethan."

"Okay." But Kasmira didn't sound convinced. "Let’s go into the living room and sit down. Ethan shouldn't be much longer."

"Could we go into your workshop instead?"

"My workshop?"

"Yes, I have something I'd like you to frame for me." She lifted her hand to show her the large folder she carried.

"Alright."

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Kasmira stared in astonishment at the drawing before her. She didn't know what to say. What to feel. Intellectually, she could look at it, and know she should be seeing a simple, pencil-colored drawing because that is what it was. But emotionally, it was so much more. Every line was perfectly placed, capturing the motion and emotion of the couple on the paper.

It was a masterpiece.

It was shocking.

It was Jacinda and King Jotham.

Personally, she didn't know how to react to that. How would Ethan?

"The artist is Brett Chamberlain."

"Chamberlain?" Kasmira forced her gaze from the content of the drawing to the signature in the lower corner, no not a signature but a carefully printed name by what seemed to be a childish hand.

"Yes, Queen Cassandra's nephew. He's nine."

"Nine!" Kasmira's eyes flew from the signature to Jacinda then back to the drawing, forgetting about the subject matter, she concentrated on the massive skill she knew it had taken to convey so much with the simple lines.

"Nine. He has had no formal training, but that's going to change. He gave this to me and I would like it treated and framed as the masterpiece it is."

"I can understand why," Kasmira said nodding then looked up. "But Jacinda...."

"Hello! Where is everyone?" Ethan's voice echoed through the house.

"Come on," Jacinda took Kasmira's arm. "Let's go find Ethan and I'll tell you what's going on."

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

The meal was a somewhat a stilted affair with Ethan's gaze going from his wife to his mother, frowning.

"Alright what's going on?" he finally demanded. "What's wrong?"

"There's nothing
wrong
," Jacinda pushed her plate away, "and as I've already reassured Kasmira I'm fine, but something
has
occurred that I need to tell you about. First I have a question."

"Alright," Ethan leaned back in his chair.

"What do you know about the Sokol Corporation?"

"The Sokol Corporation?" Ethan tossed down his napkin in disgust. "You mean besides the fact they have Assemblyman Pajari in their pocket and, therefore, win every government contract?!!"

"That," Jacinda agreed, "but what else? Have you heard anything about substandard practices causing accidents?"

"A few." Ethan frowned at her. "Mother, why are you asking?"

"Because of Nuga," Jacinda told him.

"Nuga? You mean the explosion there?" Ethan looked to Kasmira. "I thought it was caused by the Regulians."

"It wasn't, but that isn't public knowledge yet, Ethan."

Ethan watched as his mother gave him that look she had given him so many times in the past, telling him this was important.

"Alright," he nodded that the information would go no further.

"The explosion was caused because the manager of the mine lied about making the required repairs and upgrades."

"What?" Ethan couldn't hide his shock. "Why would he do such a thing?"

"So he could keep the credits."

"But Sokol is in charge of Nuga," Ethan told her.

"I know that."

"How would you know that?"

"Because at the time of his death, your father was chairing a committee that was looking into Sokol's practices."

"Really? Why didn't I ever hear anything about that?"

"I don't know. Just as I don't know what happened to the committee after Stephan's death. I forgot about it until the explosion."

"Mom... you don't think it had something to do with Dad's death. Do you?"

"What? No!" Jacinda instantly denied, never had she even considered that. "Your father died from a massive heart attack, Ethan. It had nothing to do with Sokol!"

"Alright, then why are you taking an interest in this
now
?"

Jacinda took a deep breath knowing her next words would change her son's life forever. "Because I was in Kisurri when it was discovered what caused the explosion."

"I don't understand," Ethan frowned at her.

"I was invited to Kisurri to attend Princess Sabah's Second Father Ceremony."

"
You
were?" Ethan didn't try to hide his shock. "Why? By whom?"

"Jotham," Jacinda told him simply.

"Jotham? As in King Jotham?"

"Yes."

"
King
Jotham invited
you
to attend Princess Sabah's Second Father Ceremony... who is her second father?"

"Jotham is."

"Why do you keep referring to the King by only his first name?"

"Because I went there
with
Jotham, Ethan." Jacinda watched as understanding suddenly filled her son’s eyes, along with shock and disbelief.

"No!" Ethan's chair clattered to the floor as he surged to his feet. "No, that's not possible."

"Ethan, calm down." Kasmira rose putting a hand on his arm.

"You knew about this?" he demanded of his wife.

"I only just found out before you got home," she told him softly.

"I... I don't understand this. How could this be? How did it happen?"

"Sit down, Ethan." Jacinda, who had remained seated, looked up at him. "Please. I know this is coming as a complete surprise to you and honestly it surprised me, but I'd like to explain."

"Explain? What's there to explain?"

"Come on, honey, this is your mother. Let’s sit down and listen."

Jacinda sent Kasmira a grateful look as Ethan finally sat.

"I've known Jotham for cycles, from back in my Academy days. You know that Lata and your Aunt Palma were roommates."

"Yes, but I never knew you two were involved."

"We weren't," Jacinda instantly denied. "Never. From the moment, Jotham saw Lata she was the only one for him. Just as your father was it for me."

"Then how..."

"Things change, Ethan. Loved ones die, but life goes on." Jacinda took a deep breath. "Several months ago, Jotham contacted me. Why doesn't matter, but because of it we started to... communicate and see each other occasionally. We have a lot in common: history, mutual friends, and interests. Our feelings for each other naturally grew from there."

Ethan silently stared at his mother, calmly sitting there as she spoke. Everything she said made sense, but she was his mother and he'd never considered...."

"It was unexpected, Ethan. Neither of us was looking for a new relationship, but sometimes life gives you a gift and I'm going to accept this gift."

"No matter what your children think?"

Jacinda opened her mouth then shut it, not sure how to answer him.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

"Ethan, I think there's something you should see." Rising, Kasmira held out her hand to the man she loved. "I think it will help you understand."