Ashes of the Realm - Juliette's Dream (34 page)

She turned and saw the blond hair warrior standing behind her. Maranda shook her head, “You didn’t trust me to wait?”

“When you picked up that knife, you caused me to worry. Why didn’t you strike?”

Maranda slowly shook her head, “I wondered how many little girls would die if I did. I couldn’t do it.”

Scotty raised his com, “Anglo, send them.”

Suddenly, Ashley and her family were there. Maranda ran up to Ashley and hugged her tightly. “I’m so sorry I had to deceive you.”

“Jess told us.”

Scotty said, “Now is the time, Your Majesty.”

Maranda jerked at the title, then walked to the throne. She hit a switch and began, “I am sorry to announce that King Talben has been killed in an attack against King Varner’s capital. He planned a sneak attack against our ally and was killed during the battle. I am the next in succession to the throne. I am calling off our attack and will see if we can make amends for my Father’s actions. I request you to pray for our Kingdom, and know that we are protecting you.” Maranda hit a button and said, “Dillem, please report to the throne room.” She hit another switch and said, “Admiral Chandze, please report to the throne room.” She hit the button again, “General Nejick, please report to the throne room.”

Ashley recognized those officers as Maranda’s closest friends. She looked at Glenn and began to worry. Maranda picked up Jenna and tickled her again.

After twenty minutes, the three had arrived and Maranda said, “Everyone sit down.”

The three officers looked at each other and sat. Maranda shook her head, “You’re worried about why I’ve called you here.”

The officer’s looked at each other and Dillem said, “Maranda, you aren’t the same person we grew up with. You’ve become very much like your father.”

Maranda took a shallow breath and nodded, “You’re right. However, I have just notified our armed forces that Dillem will be responsible for the safety of the Royal Family. My Admiral and General friends here will assume the overall command of our armies and navies.”

The three looked at each other in confusion. Maranda continued, “I am going to announce that I am abdicating the throne and that Ashley will be the new Queen of our Kingdom.”

Ashley shook her head, “What are you doing, Maranda?”

“I am charging you to follow her commands and protect her at all costs. Her heart is good, and you can trust her to be honest with you. Will you pledge to do that for me?”

The three nodded, and bowed to Ashley.

Ashley ran to Maranda, “You are not going to go back to that planet!”

Maranda looked in her sister’s eyes and said, “I must. It is what I deserve for being twisted and poisoned by our father.” She looked at Dillem and said, “I would appreciate it if you would round up Richard and ship him out to Highler. I think farming would suit him well. You’ll probably find him out somewhere killing small animals. Do not ever allow him to leave that world. His soul is black. He’ll attempt a coup when he gets older. I expect you to prevent that.”

Dillem nodded, “You may depend on me to handle him.”

Maranda looked hard at Dillem and he nodded. Good. Knowing Dillem, Richard would arrive as fertilizer. Ashley would never make that kind of decision, yet. Once she begins protecting her citizens, she will do what’s necessary. All good mothers protect their family.

Ashley held on to Maranda, “You can’t go. I won’t let you go.”

Maranda felt her tears, and pushed Ashley back to arms length, “Oh, Ashley. You are so much like I once was. But I am accountable for my crimes. I had Wesley’s wife killed. I built lodges that killed thousands of a gentle species of flying creatures. Our father killed Lem to make me into someone just like him. He succeeded and I feel the pain of those I’ve harmed. The only way to find my way back to honor is to accept my punishment. Just promise me you will rule the Kingdom with your heart.”

Ashley was crying. She looked at Maranda and nodded. Glenn came and took Ashley in his arms. “Glenn, I expect you to help her stay true to herself.”

Glenn looked at Maranda and said, “I will, Your Majesty.”

Maranda shook her head, “I am no longer Royalty; Ashley is now Queen.”

Glenn said, “You will always be Royalty in my mind.”

Maranda handed Jenna to Ashley and hugged Glenn, “Take care of my sister.”

Glenn nodded as Ashley wailed in his arms.

Maranda stepped back and looked at the back of the room, where she knew the archer was hiding. Scotty hit his com and Maranda disappeared from the room.

“Anglo, what’s happening at Criston?”

“It’s all over.”

“What?!?”

“I told you BC could handle it.”

“Tell me what happened.”

“The ten Ultras jumped in next to the planet and started to aim their primary beams. BC fired a beam into the Admiral’s ship and cut it from stem to stern. Sorta like opening one of those shell creatures.”

“Go on.”

“He then told them if any of them so much as turned on a screen he would do the same thing to them. One ship didn’t heed his warning, then there were two Ultras on the half shell. BC then split the two ships into twenty pieces for me to teleport to Bristone for the use of their metals.”

“What about the ships that came in from the jump limit?”

“He didn’t waste any time with them. He hit all thirty six from a hundred thousand miles out and burned them into dust. The remaining Ultras are still there.”

“What’s his plan?”

“He’s waiting for me to come and teleport the crews to the garrisons on the planet. Varner’s troops are awaiting their arrival.”

“Well, let’s go.”

Jingo sat on the throne watching the display. He stared at the screen and jumped up, “Carrie, come sit on this throne. The ships at the jump limit are moving in-system. They’ll arrive in thirty minutes. I suspect that the Ultras will be arriving with them. If there is going to be trouble, that’s when it’ll happen.”

Carrie left Michael and moved to the throne. She stared at the display. Fifteen minutes later she said, “The Ultra Ships are here.”

A blaster beam burned the lock off the main door and it flew open. Ten guards rushed in and made it ten feet before all of them lay dead on the floor.

Jingo yelled, “Go to sparks. We don’t want to give them cover to fire from.”

Three guards burst through the back door, and all three were burned into ash in less than three seconds. Grang pulled a long arrow out of his quiver. Stuffing it down the bowgun’s barrel, he fired it up the passageway leading into the throne room. It went completely through six guards moving down the hallway. Every guard in the passageway retreated back around the corner. One stuck his head out and received an arrow for his curiosity.

Carrie punched the com and notified Castle Security that the Throne was being attacked.

Jingo fired and hit two guards coming through the back and side door. Michael saw a guard leap into the room and point his blaster at the throne. He cut the guard’s head off with a well thrown short sword, then fired a spark into another guard coming out of the back door.

Suddenly there were screams outside the doors, and the smell of burnt flesh and ozone filled the room. Colonel Mefran yelled, “We’ve killed the traitors! Are you safe, Your Majesty?”

“Yes. Please place guards at the approaches and get some engineers to come and repair the doors.”

“By your command, Your Highness.

The three archers lowered their bowguns and Carrie ran and jumped on Michael, wrapping her legs around him, “I told you everything would be fine as long as you were here.”

Michael looked around the room, “You should have told those guards.”

Carrie looked at him smiling, “And spoil all your fun?”

Even Grang laughed.

Michael dropped his bowgun and kissed her.

Talben appeared in a clearing and found he was surrounded by fifty huge creatures staring down at him. Bleath didn’t see anyone come with the King and knew that White Hair had left this one for him to handle. Talben was scared stiff. He couldn’t do anything but tremble. Like Jimmy, he soiled himself. Bleath started to show him the deaths he had caused to his flocks, but after seeing his mind for a few moments he withdrew. This Human was so vile that he didn’t deserve any consideration. Bleath called one of the warriors that had lost their mate to the lodges. “Make sure this one has time to consider what he’s done.”

Thousands of warriors arrived to witness the sentence of the one truly responsible for their misery. They followed the warrior to the chosen route. The warrior finally rose to more than twelve thousand feet and released Talben. He screamed for a long time.

Maranda arrived two hours after the King and bowed to Bleath. “I am here to accept my punishment, Great Flyer. I thank you from my heart for being allowed to save my sister and her family.”

Bleath looked at her memories and saw all that had taken place. The ten Elders looked with him, and one of them flew away. Bleath said, “I am sorry, little one. Before we can carry out your sentence, Brengu will have to return. All elders must be present for us to carry out a sentence.”

Maranda looked up at Bleath, “Great Flyer, I honor your traditions and laws, but my sentence has already been made. It is time for me to take my flight with your warriors.”

“If you honor our laws, you will wait patiently, little one, and reflect on your actions.”

Maranda nodded, and continued to kneel.

Bleath lifted and flew to the Human community to await Scotty’s return.

King Varner arrived with his fleet and found the eight Ultra Ships in orbit above his capital. The thirty six ships he had left behind were nowhere to be found. He hit his board and Carrie appeared, “Welcome back, Father.”

“Are you all right?”

“Yes. Fifty seven guards attacked the throne room, but they’re all gone now. The crews of the Ultras are being held prisoner at the Garrisons, and King Talben has been sent to the Zord.”

Wesley stared at his daughter, “And Maranda?”

“She abdicated the throne to Ashley and went back to the Zord for her sentence to be carried out.”

Wesley lowered his head, “I’m not feeling good about that, Carrie.”

“I know; she was much more than I thought.”

“What about our friends?”

“They’re here waiting for you.”

“I’ll be down momentarily. I’m having the fleet sent back to their planets.”

“We’ll be here.”

Wesley arrived an hour later and found the four archers in the throne room. “I thank you for defending my world.”

Scotty looked at him and smiled, “We keep our promises. Now we have fulfilled our commitment, and the issue has been resolved.”

Wesley looked at Scotty and said, “You are no longer bound to protect us.”

“No, we aren’t.”

“What are you going to do with the Ultras?”

Scotty didn’t answer.

Wesley looked at Carrie and Michael and said, “I see that my daughter and the one she has chosen are going to be married. Does that marriage link our worlds?”

Scotty shook his head.

“Then I hereby abdicate the throne and name my daughter as the ruler of this kingdom. Does that link our worlds?”

“Father, what are you doing?”

“Be quiet. Does it?”

Scotty looked at Michael and Carrie, “Yes, it does.”

Carrie looked at Wesley with panic and asked, “Why wouldn’t you accept us with my Father as the ruler?”

Scotty looked at Wesley. Wesley said, “Because the Zord were killed on my watch. Our citizens were brutalized by Talben’s minions on my watch. Maranda and Talben manipulated me on my watch. I am responsible for my actions, and I no longer deserve my title.”

“Father, you’re wrong.”

Wesley took Carrie in his arms, “No, I’m not. Maranda just went to her death sentence with her head held high, accepting the punishment for her crimes. My punishment is also clear. I am not worthy of ruling our subjects. I have lost my honor.”

“But you can recover it.”

“I’m sorry my beautiful little girl. Honor is not something that can be taken; it can only be given away.” Wesley looked at Carrie and smiled, “But you, my wonderful child, would never have lost your honor. These warriors know you can be trusted to keep your promises and uphold their beliefs.”

Scotty looked at Wesley and smiled, “You do understand. Your kingdom will come under our protection. You will keep the Ultras for your defense. We will send a Zord to assist you in examining the crews for those that can be trusted. They will train other crews.” Scotty looked at Carrie, “We will only accept your Kingdom into our assembly when all your worlds demonstrate their acceptance of our principles. The Zord will make that determination when the time comes.” Carrie nodded.