Consort (Beyond Ontariese 6) (11 page)

“
The problem with
holoconferencing is you aren’t able to see the entire room. The
person with whom you’re speaking might seem fully engaged and
sincere when in fact someone is just off camera rolling their
eyes.”

“
I understand that, Sire,
but the ambassador refuses to take time out of his ‘impossible
schedule’ and meet me in person.”

“
He’s testing you, Bakar.
Ambassador Huko has been at this a very long time. He’s toying with
you.”

“
He insists that the
exchange will be mutually beneficial, but in truth they need palani
a lot more than we need their money.”

“
Which is why he will come
running if you refuse to continue via holocom.” Indric pushed back
from his desk and stood. “I happen to believe that strengthening
trade agreements with Rodymia is the best way to maintain the
relative peace. I can’t speak for the other regional kings, but I’m
damn tired of war. The Rodytes might need palani more than we need
their money, but Huko is correct as well. This contract is mutually
beneficial.”

Bakar stood and straightened his
jacket. “I will contact him immediately and set up a
face-to-face.”

“
Let me know when you’ve
locked in a time and I’ll see if I can stop by. But this is your
baby. Huko has to realize you won’t be pushed around just because
you’re fresh out of university.”

“
Yes, Sire. And thank
you.”

Indric didn’t smile until Bakar had
gone. Ambassador Huko was a wily old goat. Still, he was generally
reasonable. If Bakar could solidify this contract, it would justify
Indric’s decision to promote him. Indric’s instincts said Bakar had
the balls to pull it off, but time would tell.

He grabbed his holotab and moved to
the casual cluster of high-backed chairs at the other end of his
office. The elaborately carved desk was fine when he needed to be
assertive, but he was more comfortable in his favorite
chair.

A ridiculously long list of messages
waited for his attention, and this was after his assistants had
prescreened them. He’d been hopelessly distracted ever since he
declared his feelings for Cinarra, and his inability to concentrate
was only going to worsen now that she resided beneath his
roof.

Several hours passed as he sorted
through, and responded to, the messages. Then someone knocked on
the door, drawing his attention away from the holotab. “Come
in.”

Mores pushed open the door and said,
“Lady dar Aune has arrived.”

“
Wonderful. Show her in.”
He powered down his holotab and set it on the table beside his
chair. Mores pushed the door wider, revealing Indric’s
visitor.

Indric stood and motioned to Krysta.
“Join me, Lady dar Aune. I’m glad you could make it.”

Krysta moved into the room and Mores
departed, leaving the door ajar. Though Indric had attended the
same social events as Krysta in the past, he’d never paid much
attention to her. Now her not-yet-defined connection to Cinarra had
him curious about the woman. She appeared approximately the same
age as Cinarra, but appearances could be deceiving. Krysta was tall
and statuesque, but her features were delicately balanced. High
cheek bones and arching brows drew attention to her extraordinary
eyes. A unique combination of turquoise and purple, the colors
within her eyes gently rotated, revealing her Ontarian heritage.
Her golden-blonde hair swept away from her face in a twisting coil
of tiny braids.

She was dressed in an elegant suit
dress that brought out the purple in her eyes. She bowed
respectfully then offered him her hand. “It’s been several cycles,
Your Majesty.”

“
Three, if I’m not
mistaken.” He kissed her hand then indicated the group of chairs
where he’d been sitting moments before. “Would you like something
to drink before we begin?”

“
No thank you.” Her voice
was a bit clipped though the subtle tone was the only evidence of
irritation.

“
How was your flight, or
did one of the Mystics open a portal for you?”

She sat in the nearest chair and
smoothed her purple skirt down over her knees. “The only Mystic my
life mate trusts enough to Summon the Storm for me is his brother,
and Head Master Tal wasn’t available this morning.” She looked
around the office then asked, “Are Cinarra and Betaul here at the
palace? Your massage was woefully lacking in details.”

“
I apologize for my
reticence. I want to keep this private as long as possible.” He
returned to his favorite chair and angled it toward her. “There was
an incident yesterday that required their relocation. Everyone is
fine, but I’m not willing to take any chances with their
safety.”

“
I’m glad to hear it.” She
scooted to the edge of her chair as she asked, “What sort of
incident?”

She seemed unusually concerned if her
acquaintance with Cinarra were casual. How curious. “Are you
familiar with Prince Dravon of Hautell?”

“
Hautell is the province
ruled by Lord Drakkin’s family.”

He nodded. “Correct. Dravon is the
king’s second son, which makes him Lord Drakkin’s
grandson.”

“
It’s hard to picture Lord
Drakkin as anyone’s grandfather, but I’m aware that he’s older than
he looks.” She relaxed enough to smile. “If you Bilarrians insist
on living forever, you can at least have the decency to
age.”

“
I’d apologize, but the
phenomenon is entirely beyond my control.”

“’
Beyond
your
control’? Are you as
old as Lord Drakkin?” She sounded almost playful now. What an
interesting female.

“
Not quite, though I am
considerably older than I look.”

Her smile turned secretive as she
said, “It seems to be a common theme on Bilarri.”

The comment confused him. He’d only
mentioned Drakkin and himself. “Actually, regeneration is a rare
ability even on Bilarri.”

She scooted back in the chair,
appearing more at ease. “Sorry. I’ve taken us off course. What does
Prince Dravon have to do with Cinarra and Betaul’s
relocation?”

“
It’s Bilarrian custom for
princes to spend time in all four regions as well as visit the
planets with which Bilarri has regular trade relations. So Dravon
has been my guest for the past few weeks. The boys are roughly the
same age and each has been isolated by their circumstances, so I
introduced them yesterday. They appear to be getting along
well.”

“
Cinarra is visiting the
palace so Betaul can spend time with Prince Dravon? That’s not much
of an incident. You mentioned their safety? Surely there’s more to
the story.”

Krysta was quick-witted and
perceptive, much like High Queen Charlotte and Cinarra. Krysta and
Charlotte were married to brothers but could there be a familial
connection between the three women as well? “Actually I took Dravon
out to Cinarra’s house yesterday and that’s where the incident
happened.”

“
Please stop being coy. I
have no sense of humor when it comes to my nephew.”

Nephew? If Betaul was her nephew, then
Cinarra was her…aunt? But Charlotte was not her mother. At least no
one of his acquaintance had indicated that it was so. He shook away
the speculation before he drove himself mad. He’d simply ask
Cinarra to explain the connection the next time they were alone
together.

“
Someone shot at the boys
while they were playing in the yard. Cinarra was able to repair the
damage, but not even Drakkin could explain why the alarm didn’t go
off so we—”

“
What damage? You said no
one was hurt.”

“
No, I said everyone was
fine, and they are. But Betaul was wounded during the
attack.”

She stood up, shoulders back, chin
raised. “I would see him now.”

Trey dar Aune had his hands full with
this one. Indric barely suppressed his smile. “I would be glad to
take you to him, but I’m not sure if they’re at the pool or riding
horses.” The list of activities deflated her indignation as he’d
intended. “Betaul is fine. You are here for Cinarra.”

“
Was Cinarra wounded as
well?” Now she looked angry.

“
As you can imagine,
Cinarra was upset by the attack. I thought she’d be comforted by a
familiar face. Drakkin suggested I contact you as High Queen
Charlotte is far less available for spur-of-the-moment
visits.”

Krysta finally sat back down, though
her cheeks remained flushed. She crossed her legs and placed her
hands on the arms of the chair. “Did Cinarra witness the attack or
just deal the aftermath?”

“
We all saw it happen.
Cinarra, myself and five guards were watching the boys, and none of
us could do anything to prevent it. I have no intention of allowing
him to try again.”

“
Him? Was the shooter
caught? Do you at least have some idea who might have done
this?”

“
I have several ideas, but
no evidence. I have an army of investigators working to change
that.”

She accepted his assurance with a nod
and asked, “May I see my—Cinarra now?”

He narrowed his gaze at the slip. Why
didn’t she want him to know who Cinarra was to her? Drakkin had
refused to explain it either. These sorts of evasions only made him
more determined to learn the truth.

But before Indric could question
Krysta directly, Mores knocked on the partially open
door.

“
Madam Mazodie to see you,
Sire.”

He quickly pushed to his feet, anxious
to watch the women react to each other.

Cinarra entered the room. A tentative
smile curved her lips then she spotted Krysta and let out a happy
cry. The women flew into each other’s arms, their voices
overlapping in an excited chorus of questions and comments. They
spoke in rapid-fire Ontarian, so he was only able to catch bits and
pieces. After several moments of joyful reunion, Cinarra turned her
head and looked at him. Her eyes were tear-bright, her face flushed
with emotion.

“
Did you arrange this?”
Before he could answer, she turned back to Krysta and asked, “Or
did Charlotte give in and com you?”

“
Charlotte knew about
this?” Krysta stepped out of Cinarra’s arms and the rotation of her
gaze sped. “And you convinced her not to tell me? Anything that
involves Betaul involves me,” her voice snapped with anger and
frustration.

“
Of course I was going to
tell you. I just wanted to have something to tell. We don’t know
anything yet. We’re not even certain Betaul was the target of the
attack. Did Indric explain that Prince Dravon was there as
well?”

“
Indric?” Krysta glanced at
him before she returned her hostile gaze to Cinarra. “That’s rather
informal don’t you think? Are the rumors true? Are you two
lovers?”

“
That’s none of your business,”
Indric cut in. A bit of spirit in a woman was fine, but Krysta’s
attitude at the moment was bordering on disrespect. “While we’re
throwing around questions, how can Betaul be your nephew if High
Queen Charlotte is not your mother?” He figured Krysta would just
ignore him, so he turned to Cinarra. “Do you have another sister
back on Earth? What is your relation to Krysta?”

What a mess! Cinarra looked from
Indric to Krysta and back. She’d planned on telling him about the
Mystic tonight when they were alone and in each other’s arms. But
she’d been so excited to see Krysta that she hadn’t stopped to
wonder what they’d talked about before her arrival.

“
You’d better have a seat
if we’re going to get into all this,” she said with a sigh. “It’s a
long story.”

Rather than do as she suggested, he
took her hand and led her to one of the chairs, pausing to kiss her
knuckles. “Good afternoon,” he whispered with unexpected
tenderness. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for breakfast. It simply
wasn’t possible to make time this morning.”

She blushed and looked at Krysta in
time to see her eyebrows arch. Had that been Indric’s intention?
Was he publicly staking his claim on her? A shiver raced down her
spine, but she wasn’t sure how she felt about his
gesture.

The chairs were arranged more or less
in a circle, so they could all see each other. Indric sat on her
right and Krysta on her left as she eased herself into one of the
chairs. She searched for the words, wanting to fully explain
without reliving every horrendous detail.

“
Would you like me to
start?” Krysta asked.

Cinarra’s mouth was so dry she could
only nod. Everything had happened more than a decade ago, so how
could the memories still be so vivid?

“
How much does he
know?”

“
I know Cinarra was held
captive on Earth for the better part of her life,” Indric told her.
“I know Betaul’s physiology was changed by the scientist who ran
the project and that fanatics on Ontariese believe he is an
abomination that should have been terminated in the
womb.”

“
As you can imagine, there
are a lifetime of stories, so I’ll try and hit the highlights.”
Krysta paused and looked at Cinarra, compassion suddenly softening
her gaze. “Are you sure you’re all right with this? I can just tell
him if you’d rather not be here.”