Princess Rescue Inc (32 page)

Scarface
led the way but when it came time to go to the Queen's chamber he turned left
instead of right. Ryans however didn't follow; he kept going to the Queen's
chamber. He could hear the guard’s boots scrape on the stone as he turned and
then cursed. Ryans smiled slightly but kept going.

When
he arrived at the door he walked in, glad it was open. “You wanted a chat your
majesty?” he asked, eyes glittering.

The
Queen looked up from her conversation with a count and blinked at him. “I did
not send for you,” she said and waved.

“No,
but someone sent a pack of your guards after me. I'm not happy about that,” he
said indicating scarface as he came into the threshold of the doorway. The
guard caught sight of his monarch and bowed deeply to her.

The
count looked from the Queen to the gaijin and the guard. Ryans frowned, one
hand on his hip. After a moment when no one said anything he crossed his arms.

“There
must be a mistake,” the Queen finally said.

“Yes,
I believe someone made a mistake. I made it clear I am not going to change my
clothes or my way of doing things for anyone at anytime. I am not a clothes
horse and I have better things to do with my time than stand around while a
bunch of women cluck about my appearance,” he snarled coldly. “There is a war
to be fought here and a duchy to save,” he growled.

The
count gulped slightly, looking at Ryans in sheer shock. “Madness,” he muttered
under his breath.

“No,
I have diplomatic immunity,” Ryans replied. “Which means I don't answer to the
Queen or anyone. I and my people are immune from control and the law. That
includes your Vita Sodalis law.”

He
watched as that news struck home. The count turned to the Queen who was sitting
back, eyes cool but glittering. “Is that so?” she asked softly.

“I
know what you're doing. I know the levels of what is going on here. I know you
let the chambermaid pull this for plausible denial-ability if it fell apart, but
also to make me more presentable to your daughter and the court. Won’t wash. I
like my life and the way I live it. I am an outsider to your people, a gaijin
as you say and I'm damn proud of it. I plan on staying that way. Deal with it
or get the hell out of my way,” he snarled. “I, and your people do not have
time for this petty posturing crap,” he growled.

“I
will excuse your behavior since you are overwrought with this situation. As I
said it is a mistake,” the Queen replied after a long moment. She seemed
thoughtful but also slightly shaken. Ryans was blunt and strong willed,
something she hadn't known. She smiled slightly but the smile didn't reach her
eyes. “I regret this misunderstanding and I will correct it.”

“Right.
We need to focus your majesty. Duluth. Now, do you want to play petty political
games with me? Try to force your will on me, and me and mine are gone and you
can deal with the consequences.”

“As
I said it is a regrettable misunderstanding,” the Queen said through gritted
teeth.

He
eyed her for a second and then looked at the count. He was making the Queen eat
crow in front of an audience and that wasn't very bright but he wanted to make
it clear to her. Perhaps he was getting a little carried away. He'd ground the
point into her face enough, he realized. “Fine then. I apologize for the
intrusion. Now, can you...” he turned and indicated the guards behind him.

“Yes,
yes, you and your people are free to go about your business,” the Queen said.
“Decadus see to it that this situation doesn't happen again,” she said looking
directly at scarface.

“Um,
yes your majesty,” Decadus said, sounding confused. He nodded to Ryans. Ryans
nodded back and left without a backwards glance.

<==={}------------>

“This
is Ryans, all clear. I say again all clear. But all Terrans report to the quad
for a debrief,” he said into his bluetooth. He waited for a response. When he
got an okay from the major players he nodded. “Right. See you there in ten,” he
said moving off.

<==={}------------>

Zara
looked up as Sue and Wanda looked at each other. “Something amiss?” she asked.
She'd noticed the gaijin packing their gear and was confused.

“Not
anymore apparently. A little showdown between your mother and Eugene,” Sue said
putting the gear back on the improvised shelves.

“What
happened?”

“I'm
really not sure. I think your mother tried to throw her weight around with
Eugene and he called her on it. He sounds pretty pissed.”

“He
was calling for a general pull out. I'd say pissed doesn't quite describe it,”
Wanda said shaking her head. “We’ve got to report to him in the quad.  Can
you mind your father while we check in?”

“Pull
out?” Zara asked.

“Leave.”

Zara's
eyes went wide. “But that would mean my father could die? That the Duluth...”
She turned to Sue and then to Wanda. “Please!”

“Sorry
kid, it's not our call. Maybe someone should talk to your mother about holding
her end of the bargain up and playing nice,” Wanda said.

“I
will,” Zara replied and then bit her lip. To agree to counsel her mother the
Queen on matters of state? She felt a little light headed and off balance with
that. Madness she thought to herself.

<==={}------------>

Ryans
met the other Terrans in the quad. He had them shut off their ear pieces and
then quietly explained the situation and his conclusions. The military
component of their team were wary of the guards and scowled at the news of his
escort. Apparently it wasn't news to some; Max had gotten the word out to a
couple of people. Either that or they had been listening in.

“So
all this is over clothes?” Sue finally demanded when he finished.

He
sighed. “Not just clothes. Apparently the Queen is trying the opening moves in
controlling me and therefore you. In exercising her control over me and forcing
me to marry the princess. She's hinted about our giving up wanting to return
home a lot.”

“I
caught that at dinner,” Wanda replied with a nod. Ryans nodded.

“Right.
Well, today it escalated over a stupid and admittedly petty thing. I said no,
and she sent her bully boys to force the issue.”

“Ouch,”
Corporal Patterson said with a wince.

“Yeah,
apparently I'm not dressed properly for the court.”

“Tough
shit,” Waters growled.

“Right.
I'm fairly certain I was just the tip of the iceberg here, they'd be after you
lot next. So we're going to cool our heels for the day and work on contingency
plans and minor things and get everyone on the same page. Let them stew for a
bit.”

<==={}------------>

When
the Queen heard about the gaijin meeting she was not amused. She was further annoyed
that they had blown off working on the various projects they had undertaken and
seemed in no hurry to take them up once more. She knew that the confrontation
between Ryans and herself would be all over the court by now, undermining her
authority. She shook her head wearily. She'd have to saddle Druzilla with
responsibility for the entire encounter. Deflecting it wouldn't help totally
but it would shift some of the blame elsewhere. “Where is the gaijin healer?”
Deidra asked, coming in to her mother's improvised quarters.

“Apparently
still talking with the other gaijin,” Zara answered, coming in behind her
sister, arms crossed. She was scowling, something that was abnormal on the
normally sweet and sunny Zara. Both princesses had been dark and brooding since
their return come to think of it, the Queen thought looking to the window. Zara
scowl blackened. “Mother how could you!”

Deidra
turned in surprise to her little sister. Zara's eyes were flashing. Her mother
turned to stare at Zara.
Et tu
was clearly written all over her face.
Zara frowned and then slammed the door behind her. “All right, we can talk now.
You know what I mean! To throw it all away over posturing!” She brushed at her
skirts angrily, glaring.

Deidra
turned to her mother. “Apparently this went worse than I thought?” she asked.
“I did warn you mother,” she said giving her mother a knowing look.

“I
know,” the Queen ground out. “He is strong willed,” she said. She wasn't sure if
she liked that or not. Pliable she could work with. She'd anticipated his
eagerness to become a ruler, and the need for her support. He however was
clinging to his idea of returning to Patria, the fabled homeland.

“Strong
willed and stubborn. Also used to getting his own way and he has a great deal
of experience and an education we can only dream of,” Zara replied. The Queen
and Deidra turned to stare at her.

“I
spoke with the others. The soldier Paterson told me of Ryans and the others and
how they lived their lives and the schools they went to. Ryans trained to be a
soldier in ways our pages only dream of before he got into tinkering and became
a merchant of machines. A great merchant with thousands of people under him. He
built it all with little to start with.”

“Thousands?”
the Queen murmured. Their greatest merchant houses had a few dozen ships with
crews of forty souls and a handful of caravans that crisscrossed the Imperium.
Thousands though? She thought.

Zara
nodded. “And he's dealt with other governments. Governments of different forms
with all sorts of different cultures. They are taught about governments in
class and their government's actions are broadcast and debated hourly on their
machines. They had a lively blunt discussion. You remember,” she said turning
to Deidra. “The one known as Waters talked of something to the crafter Max.”

Deidra
nodded. “Just before the
basilisk
attack?” she asked. Zara nodded. “But
they spoke in their own tongue, how did you know what they talked about?” she
herself was still having trouble understanding this English.

Zara
smiled. “I asked Lisa. She told me it was politics. Apparently the one known as
Max made a comment or joke about gun control and the one known as Waters
reacted.”

“Ah,”
Deidra said nodding. She remembered, the master of sergeants had not been
amused and had clearly said so. She turned to her mother and snorted softly.
Her mother was thoroughly confused by the exchange and looked vexed. She was
drumming her fingers on her arm rest, a sure sign of frustration. “I know you
wanted to make him more presentable to me and to the court but it backfired
mother.”

“He
did point that out,” the Queen admitted irritably.

Deidra
blinked in surprise. “I told you,” Zara said. She took a seat. “He's smarter
than he looks. He saw right through your ploy.”

“Also
proud. Men and their pride,” the Queen ground out.

“Which
we can use in time,” Deidra admitted.

“Is
it true what he said?” Zara asked, turning from her mother to her sister. “That
he is not holding you or I to the Vita Sodalis?”

“Apparently,”
Deidra said turning to her mother. She searched her face and wasn't sure she
liked what she found there.

“We
need him,” the Queen admitted. “Though he is currently more troublesome than
his worth now. You will need his strength more than ever if you are to rule.
This technology of theirs must become ours and not fall into the hands of
others. And it is past time for you to start a family,” she said looking first
to Deidra and then to Zara. “Both of you should have been wed years ago.”

“Events
tended to prevent that mother,” Deidra replied. She was actually proud of her
freedom. She resented being told she had to marry. She knew it was petty, she
knew her duty, but she had to admit to herself that she secretly cherished and
treasured her freedom.

“You
are getting to the stage of being considered an old maid daughter, one
unmarriageable. A shrew best left in a tower and forgotten as unworthy,” the
Queen reminded her daughter. It was rare for that to happen but the threat was
there. “There should have been grandchildren for your father and I by now.”

“Mother,”
Deidra sighed. She knew her duty to the continuation of their line. It had been
drummed into her from birth.

Her
mother waved a dismissive kerchief. “Yes, yes, I know, the death of Dominus
Luthor has put a crimp in that plan. But you must marry soon.”

“I'm
not sure if he is the one,” Deidra admitted.

Her
mother eyed her. “If not him then who?” She brushed at the kerchief in her lap
and then sighed and rubbed her temples. “Go. I am excessively wearied by this
entire day.”

“Yes
mother,” both sisters said in unison and then bowed their heads briefly before
retreating.

<==={}------------>

“So,
why don't we see anyone here from more modern times?” Perry asked looking
around. “I mean, if the bridge was around Bermuda, wouldn't it have hit a few
colony ships? Slave ships?” Since they had pulled in their horns, Perry and Max
had set the others on routine maintenance for their vehicles and equipment.

Ryans
looked thoughtful. He'd been wondering that very thing. “It may well have...
but there is no telling where they may have ended up. In the middle of the
ocean, or another continent, or who knows...” Ryans shrugged.