Princess Rescue Inc (73 page)

He
ran into a courtier in the hall on his way to his quarters. The woman was
dressed in a Victorian outfit, flaring multi-layered petticoat and layers of
lacy dress despite the early summer heat. Her face was painted white, with
bright red circles for her cheeks, and her lips were purple. He had a hard time
not laughing at her. She was wearing a white wig, all coiffed and done up into
a bun. He could see a few errant brown hairs peeking out from under the edges
near her ears.

He
begged off dancing, telling her he was too fatigued to learn the steps. She
tried to follow him but he managed to extricate himself with the aid of a page
coming with a message. He took the message, made his apologies and then hastily
retreated. He shook his head. Even the pages were decked out in red or purple
with white wigs and face paint. The kids probably enjoyed it a little, a bit
like Halloween. There were enough frightening creatures in that ball to freak
him out at least.

He
checked the message when he entered his room. It was a royal summons to the
ball. He snarled, balled it up and tossed it aside. “Fat chance of that,” he
said then locked the door.

“Five
this is six, sitrep, how's it going?” he said touching his bluetooth.

Perry
came over the link after a moment, “fair to middling. They're doing better than
last night. Sergeant Waters is going to run them ragged till midnight then let
them pass out. Finals for this class are tomorrow.”

Ryans
smiled. He was now certain as to why the night exercise had been scheduled for
this night. Perry and Galloway hated balls about as much as he did. Well, he
could join them. “I've got a complication. How are things on your end?”

Perry
described a few bottlenecks. “I'll handle it,” he said when he was finished.

Ryans
snorted. “The hell you will, It gives me the excuse to get out of this damn
monkey suit and get my hands dirty, and as far away from that damn ball room as
I can get,” he growled after a moment and grim smile. He was already busy
shucking the hated outfit.

Perry
chuckled. “Whatever floats your boat boss. You want to get your hands dirty;
I've got to check the warehouses. Seems we're losing some things again. More
five fingered discounts. This time it's new stuff we're making here though,” he
grumbled.

“On
it,” Ryans said. He pulled off his outfit and then dressed in his black
coverall. He strapped his body armor on and then his shoulder harness. “Meet
you there,” he said grabbing a set of NVGs as he exited the room. “Problem with
the warehouse, send the Queen my regrets,” he tossed off airily to a waiting
page. The page paled, eyes wide and then turned and left.

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

Deidra
sniffled, eyes red as she sat back. Wanda checked on her and her father and
then smiled softly. Deidra sighed. “I'm sorry,” Wanda said, patting her shoulder
and then rubbing it a little. “I lost my dad to cancer when I was your age. It
sucks,” she sighed crouching down. Deidra nodded. “Heard you had an interesting
evening?” she asked smiling.

Deidra
shook her head. “You could say that,” she sighed. “He hates me.” She bit her
lip. She needed him now, now more than ever. She'd come to accept it grudgingly
but now... now she had finally come to terms with his being in her life and
accepted it.

Wanda
gave her a startled look. “What makes you... oh,” she chuckled softly. “It's
not that. I know the big lummox. He's stubborn. Pig headed, obstinate,” she
smiled. “He's more pissed at being forced into this... both for himself and for
your
sake,” Wanda explained. Deidra looked surprised. “What you think he
wants
to force you to marry him? Or vice versa? He's not sure what he
wants, he just doesn't want to be
forced
into it.” She smiled. “It's not
like we give the men a choice anyway, we just work them into thinking it's
their idea,” Wanda smiled wickedly. Deidra chuckled. “He's used to the whole
wine and dine thing I think. Dating, going out to dinner and a movie, that sort
of thing. Taking their sweet time.”

Deidra
smiled shyly. “Courting,” she said longingly. Oh she wished they could have
gone that route as mother had. Alas it was not to be.

“Something
like that. But not quite what you folks do. I don't think he's into romantic
notes and poetry and such. Not really into dropped hankies and whispered
promises and such. Men are saps, easily led if you are careful. Your mother's
been a bit heavy handed and he knows it, resents it and he's frustrated and
digging in his heels. You just have to learn how to push their buttons. A
little less stick, a little more carrot is in order. Just remember he's a hands
on sort of man. He hates going to balls and parties, he's not into playing
dress up and he seriously doesn't like to be told  what to do,” she smiled
patting Deidra’s hand. Deidra chuckled. The Queen did to.

They
looked up to see her smile tiredly at the edge of the bed. “I heard,” she held
up a hand. “I could see in his eyes he was angry. I decided it was better to
let the matter pass rather than push him into rebellion we would both later
regret,” the Queen said.

Wanda
chuckled. “He's never been an outgoing sort since I started working for him. He
always ditched the company parties anyway for the lab first chance he could,”
she smirked. “I think he's not big on groups, dressing up or dancing, or all
three. Some men truly hate it.”

The
Queen nodded chuckling. “Andreas did. He still does,” she said smiling fondly
in memory. Wanda looked to her. Wanda got up and murmured politely and then
left. She came back with a chair for her majesty a moment later. The Queen
smiled her thanks and lowered herself onto it. “These old bones cannot handle
that as easily as they used to," she sighed, rubbing at her thighs and
calves.

“And
Troy! If he trod on my toes one more time!” she gushed as she bent over, taking
off her footwear then stretching her toes. She rubbed at them, groaning softly.
Wanda noted it and came over. She looked at the black and blue swollen toes and
then ordered a nurse to bring hot water and a foot bath for the Queen. Hastily
the nurse rushed off.

Deidra
chuckled as her mother groaned in sheer relief when the water bath arrived. “My
Imperium for a foot bath,” she said softly as the nurse retreated. “Many
thanks,” she said almost naturally.

Her
daughter giggled, patting her mother's hand. “I'm sorry I couldn't be there
mother,” she said. Her mother noted the bandaged wrist. Her eyes cut to her
daughters and then she nodded. “Your place is here, as is mine. It took me some
time to realize we were torn.”

“Will
Zara be okay on her own?” Deidra asked concerned.

“Oh
she'll be okay. Most of the bachelor men are on her like flies. The distraction
will do her good,” the Queen said with a knowing sigh. She rolled her
shoulders. “Your man isn't too happy with me. He'll get over it,” she sighed
again. “Needs of the people and the court must take precedence over your own
heart's desires,” she said. “He will have to learn that as you and I have if he
is to survive the coming time and prosper.”

“I
don't think it is as much that as being
forced
into it mother,” Deidra
said slowly. “Wanda's right; he has a temper and is protective of his rights
and of me.” She wriggled a little as she realized that. A soft smile touched
her lips. “Protective of me and what I think up to a point. We've been friends
but taking it slow, I haven't pushed it. I suppose I should have but we've both
been busy and too tired to do anything,” she sighed shaking her head. “I wanted
to get the measure of the man and I've liked what I have seen. He'll do. I also
wasn't sure what was going to happen. Whether he will stay and if it'll be
necessary to do this... to go this route. I'm not sure
I
am ready,” she
grimaced.

 Her
mother took her turn to pat her daughter’s hand. “I know dear. I know. Dear me,
when I was first told I was to marry your father...” She shook her head.
Deidra’s eyes were wide. “Oh I was fascinated with him, and had flirted in
court functions but to be
wed
to him? The strength he seemed to exude,
the rage, the charisma... he seemed to release them all and it was truly breath
taking, but so were the risks!” She waved to indicate the castle.

“I'm
not sure it's that at all,” Wanda said coming over to them. She checked the
King's vitals and then turned. “Ryans is used to power. He's a multi
billionaire on our world. That's I guess you could say a super merchant or
merchant prince or lord here. Able to buy entire countries like yours if he
wanted. Tens of thousands of people look to him for leadership. Women were
falling at his feet. But he didn't like it, I think,” she said with a frown and
then shrugged.

“I
was hired by him a long time ago and I've got to know him over the years. Since
I was on the team I trained with him day in and day out. You get to know a guy
a little, he's like a brother to me,” she said, answering the Queens
questioning look. “I remember when a super model tried to seduce him,” she
snorted. “Oh, she was beautiful, one hot mama as the guys say, and most guys
would be all over her drooling and pure putty in her hands. They would have
showered her with gifts and she would have just smiled and left them wanting
more. But he's not like that. At first I thought it was because he was gay,”
she said. She shook her head. “He's not, I can say that for certain now. He
driven, focused. And he doesn't like suck ups or people chasing him for power.
It pisses him off  no end he said. He's also used to getting his own way,
one way or another.”

The
Queen looked thoughtful. “And now he's in the reverse. And being forced into
it.”

“Yeah,
it's not a good idea to force him. Push too hard and he'll do something we'll
all
seriously regret,” Wanda sighed. “He has a temper. Normally it's slow to get to
a boil but right now it is about to boil over. He's not known for rash acts but
his rage is damn scary.”

The
Queen's eyes narrowed. “A word of warning I will try to take in mind. But time
is short,” she sighed, head back, eyes closed for a moment. After a minute she
opened her eyes and directed her glance to her daughter. “Go to him. Feel out
his heart and see if he's the one,” she said looking to Deidra. Deidra
straightened.

“He's
not in actually,” Wanda said looking from one to the other. They looked to her
in surprise. She shrugged. “I overheard him talking with Perry on the radio,”
she said. She tapped her bluetooth. “He's going to check on some thefts they've
had,” she explained. The Queen nodded.

“Are
you ready yourself?” Wanda asked, looking to Deidra. The young woman blinked
then blushed. “I mean ready to get back in the saddle,” Wanda sighed. “I know
Doc's been counseling you and Zara but it may be too soon for you. Some people
become inhibited for years after the trauma...” She waved her hands helplessly.
“You know.”

Deidra
nodded.

“Some
end up in a relationship after the... event... but end up frigid or cold if
their partner does or says something that triggers a flashback,” Wanda said
grimacing. “A flashback can be even more damaging than the actual event; it
lingers and builds in your mind for ages. And some men here may think you’re
tainted. You’re not you know,” she said. “I know Eugene doesn't think of you or
Zara in that way,” she said softly. She put her hand on Deidra's arm. Deidra
nodded.

“I
was raped as well,” Wanda said softly. The Queen and Deidra stared at her then
looked away. “It was in college....ah advanced school,” she shrugged at their
expressions. The Queen's face was wooden, Deidra looked taken aback. “It was a
date rape actually, I went to a party and a guy slipped me a drug in a drink,”
she grimaced.

“I
don't remember much of it. That's one of the side effects. The drug turned you
into a doll. Sick really,” she grimaced. “It took me years to get over it,” she
shivered. She sighed then patted her lap and looked away for a moment then
back. “The first few times were... not good.” She grimaced, looking away. “The
nightmares were bad. My partners didn't know and I had a lot of break ups for a
while. One night stands. And yeah, I don't like to talk about it, but part of
learning to overcome it is to talk about it. To keep it from festering,” she
sighed, eyes closed, hands clenched.

Finally
she opened her eyes. “Has he cooked for you?” Wanda asked deciding a change in
subject was in order. Deidra’s eyes were wide. She smiled tentatively as Wanda
smiled. “Most men from our countries can and do cook to some degree. Most just
cook outdoors on barbeque grills, harkening back to when men played with fire,”
she smirked and rolled her eyes. Deidra blinked, uncertain about what she
meant. “Some can even clean and sew. It's different where we are from, we women
teach our men to be sensitive and independent,” she smiled. “Eugene's actually
pretty good when he's not in a hurry. A thing to keep in mind,” she said. She
eyed the young woman, then her mother.

The
Queen cocked her head then motioned her daughter to go. Deidra nodded firmly.
“He's in the warehouse. Something about more theft,” Wanda said again letting
Deidra know. “I'll tell him you're...” Deidra shot her a look, “or not. Okay.
Deidra you can't be out and about on that ankle. Every moment you're on it
makes it worse and will cause it to take weeks or even months to heal
properly.”