Princess Rescue Inc (98 page)

“Your
daughter may not be a warrior like Deidra or Zara, but she has chosen a
battlefield just as hard, just as cruel, and just as devastating as any she
could come across with a sword in her hand,” Ryans said ever so softly, looking
into the stubborn father's eyes. “I understand if you don't want her to face
such adversity. No parent wants their child to face such trauma. But facing it
and overcoming it is what makes us a better person.”

“My
lord from my understanding she has lost her husband and children to disease
correct?” Ryans asked when the lord didn't say anything. The lord stared
mutely. After a moment he slowly nodded.

“She
has exchanged her sword for one smaller, a scalpel. This tool, the knowledge
she is learning, and other tools will aid her in being a better person and
making a lasting impression on those around her. She wants to
save
lives, to prevent another unnecessary child's death.” He smiled at the lord.

“Your
daughter wants to build the first hospital in County Farnsworth. With the
training you gave her, the training she is receiving from the doctor, and her
drive and determination, she will most likely succeed. Tell me, if your
daughter rises to become the greatest doctor of Farnsworth County or in the
entire Imperium would you be proud of her?”

The
lord nodded slowly. Ryans nodded back. “As is Doctor Carter's family. She's an
incredible doctor. One dedicated to saving lives. Let her teach your daughter
and others like her so they may go out and do the same and help their fellow
countrymen. Together they will change the world.” He smiled as that last shot
went home.

“Your
daughter will be both, a great healer as well as a good lady in her own time.
Right now you have many more years ahead of you. Why should she get all moldy
waiting? Here she's being productive, keeping her mind fresh while learning new
skills to aide those around her.”

“What
of you?” a voice asked. Ryans turned as a lord rose.

“What
of me?” Ryans asked, with mixed emotions of amusement and annoyance.

“Have
you proven yourself worthy?” Malfoy asked.

Ryans
snorted. “Where? In business? Sure,” he said and shrugged. “In mechanics,
electronics, or other things? Of course.” He shrugged again.

“In
battle. I don't recall you as a shield partner in the last... unpleasantness,”
Malfoy said letting that last come out as an almost sneer. “Were you ill?”

“No,
I was there with the general actually.”

“Not
one for bloodletting?”

“Not
particularly,” Ryans smiled. A few of the lords and ladies in the room
remembered things a little differently he knew. “I can rise to the occasion as
warranted. After all, just ask... oh what's his name...” He waved airily toward
the spot where the baron had lost his life. Malfoy and a few others paled.

“I'm
not the warrior of the partnership. Although I have some basic training in that
regard. I never pretended I was a soldier, however. That's Deidra to a T. Her
sister too for that matter,” he chuckled. He looked over to the door as it
opened and Deidra came in, toweling her armor clean. She looked thoroughly
vexed.

“Mother
this dratted weather... Oh!” She blinked and then blushed as she straightened.
Clearly she hadn't anticipated court would be in session.

“Right
on cue,” Ryans murmured smiling softly.

“So
does that mean you're to marry both of the princesses?” someone asked in the
back.

Ryans
rolled his eyes. “What are you kidding me? One's enough thank you, I've got
enough trouble keeping up with her,” he smiled as Deidra reached him. He
wrapped his arm around her, bent down and kissed her... and then caressed her
bare midriff.

“Stop
that!” she said batting his hand away. His smile turned into a mischievous
grin.

A
sparkle of laughter met that. She looked around and her wine complexion
darkened even further. “Save your strength for later,” she said to him as they
parted. She gave him a smile as she walked...no strutted away. “You'll need
it,” she said wickedly over her shoulder. Fresh laughter from the crowd met his
now deep blush.

“I'll
say you've got your hands full!” someone jeered from the back with mirth. He
waved.

“Yup,
wouldn't have it any other way,” he chuckled. He turned to the Queen who was
both amused and proud. “I believe we were discussing provisions for education.
We're starting small projects here in the capital, pilot projects. This is to
allow those who can to learn new the technologies we are releasing as they are
developed.”

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

“That
went well,” Serena said as the court ended and they exited into the halls.
Rojer held her to his side. He looked down at her.

“Not
as well as I had hoped,” he said quietly, aware of the people around them.

“But
every barb helps the cause,” she murmured. “I dare say Malfoy may make an
interesting... ally.”

“He
may,” the Duke said, not committed or convinced. After the baron's fiasco he
was a lot more cautious about drawing in another hot head who acted so
impulsively. Obviously directly confronting the gaijin was out.

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

“Still
having commitment issues?” Wanda asked, eyes glittering as she passed the
bucket of ice cream over. She licked her golden spoon, smiling to Deidra.

“Something...
I don't know.” She shrugged. The Queen gave her a look. She took a bite of the
ice cream, her eyes went wide. “Oh, cold but so much flavor!” she said smiling.
Her mother gave her a gracious nod. Smiling she passed the bucket over.

“Thank
you my dear,” the Queen said graciously. She took the bucket and looked it
over. “My it is cold, I can feel it.” She put her spoon in and took a small
sample. “MY!” Her eyes went round. She smiled. “Indeed, I could get used to
this.”

Doc
came in, tossing off her night coat. She plopped down in the circle of pillows
wearing her pajama bottoms and top. The royal slumber parties were becoming a
bit of a tradition. So far the other ladies hadn't twigged about it, but it was
only a matter of time. When that happened things would change. “What'd I miss?”
she asked picking up a spoon.

“Oh,
we're introducing the ladies to ice cream,” Charlie said smiling to the Queen.
“I think it's a hit.”

“You
don't say?” Sue asked smiling as the Queen reluctantly passed the bucket on.
“They got the formula right?” she asked. She took a bite.

“It's
close. The sucrose and milk are a problem. Sugar cane didn't cross over so
we've had to make some adjustments. Still works in my opinion,” Wanda said
defensively.

“Oh
it does! It does!” Charlie chuckled. She gave Sue a look. “Heard you had an
interesting case this morning? The guard was called...”

The
Queen looked over to her. “Indeed, I heard something about a werewolf?” she
asked.

Sue
shook her head. She had her hands full with all the battlefield casualties and
now this. Fortunately only the worst of the battlefield casualties were still
in the hospice, most of the lightly wounded had been either sent home on leave
to fully recover or had returned to their barracks to recover there. “It's not
a werewolf, though most people think of it that way,” Sue sighed and wrinkled
her nose. “Really, the rabies virus is more like a werewolf than this.” She
waved.

“That
hair thing?” Charlie asked catching on. Sue nodded.

“The
sick thing is it's just a genetic issue, not something that's because of
disease or because the person is in league with evil,” she replied and then
grimaced. “Try telling that to some uneducated idiots though.” She shook her
head.

“Bad?”
Zara asked, eyes round.

“Well,
let me put it this way, I had to call the guard to keep the mob away. They
wanted to burn the poor kid at the stake.”

“I'll
say bad,” Charlie said after Wanda whistled. “Crap. That sucks. All that over a
lot of hair, nonsense,” she sighed. “When will people learn?”

The
Queen froze and then cocked her head. “So there are no such things as
werewolves?”

Sue
snorted. “No, not in real life, only in make believe. Most cases were either
this, a genetic deformity, or a virus that was transmitted to the person after
they were bitten by a rabid animal. That animal more often than not was a fox,
or bat, or other creature.” She shook her head. “Wolves always got a bad rap
over that.”

“Ah,”
the Queen nodded.

“Could
you ah... get your people to realize this your majesty? Stop the murders and
lynch mobs? Most of the hairy people can lead normal productive lives with the
right treatments. All some need is constant hair care or a laser treatment. The
rabies... we do have a cure for it, but it has to be injected into the person
in stages...” She waved. “In other words it's a case of ignorance and fear
overwhelming people and their common sense.”

“Ah.
This is more of that knowledge that you said we needed to get out,” Deidra
nodded thoughtfully. She glanced at her mother. “We shall see what we can do,
right mother?” Her mother glanced at her and then gave a regal nod.

“So,
what were you talking about then? I mean when I first came in,” Sue said
getting more comfortable.

Wanda
smiled. “Oh, just men in general, and one in particular. The usual,” she
answered playfully.

“Oh,
them. Yeah, the famous line, can't live with them, can't shoot them is what we
say,” Charlie said. She offed a laugh as Wanda smacked her in the face with a
pillow. Even the Queen laughed at that.

“Is
he still having commitment issues?” Sue asked. Deidra shrugged. Sue looked
thoughtful. “Hmmm well, if it's not because you're pressuring him...” she
looked at the mother and daughter with a warning eye. “Then perhaps it is
something else. We do marry much later in our culture so it may be a cultural
riff...”

“How
much later?” Zara asked.

“Well,
in western societies... that is the most advanced nations I mean...” She
shrugged as the royals waved to indicate they got the idea. “We have no need to
marry young. Most marriages happen when both are adults. See, we know from
extensive medical studies that the brains of people are still forming with
their bodies. Their personalities are... flexible.” She bent her fingers back
and forth.

“But
if a person is exposed to trauma, or is forced to grow up too fast... they tend
to break or freeze at that level. They become brittle or child like. So in
modern societies the cultural thing is to let both parties grow and mature. Let
them experience life, have some adventures, educate themselves, and start their
career paths. Once they have their wild oats sown, then they have a desire to
settle down and raise a family,” Sue explained.

“It
varies though,” Charlie said from her side as she took a scoop of ice cream.
“Some can marry when they are teenagers, or due to unintended pregnancies. Many
lose out though and resent that over time. When you’re young you're quicker to
grasp new things, to learn and let your mind stretch to new concepts. If you
put off an education until after you've raised a family... well it's much
harder to learn.”

“Indeed,”
the Queen nodded. “I found it much easier to learn a language when I was
younger. Now it's... difficult. Your English is...”

“A
lot harder than it looks and sounds?” Wanda asked amused.

“Yes,”
the Queen nodded.

“That's
because we're speaking a general dialect of American English. But we've got
regional differences, and we also have a tendency to introduce metaphors and
colloquialisms... it gets horridly complicated sometimes even for us,” she said
and rolled her eyes.

“Indeed,”
the Queen snorted.

“And
Sue here is part Canadian; they have their own version of English.”

Sue
waved. “Anyway, back to what we were talking about... It may be that he's not
sure what he wants...  or is sure you will change your mind when you get
older and wiser. Have you told him what
you
want?” She eyed the
princess. “You, you the woman,
not
princess Deidra. Take the title away
and think about it.”

The
others turned to look at her. Diedra frowned and looked down, trying hard to
control her emotions and think rationally.

“Not
what is expected of you. Not what others want. You, Deidra, the young woman.
His lover, his friend,” Sue said softly. Deidra’s eyes looked up. They were
troubled. She sighed and then shook her head. “You don't really know do you? Is
that because you don't know yourself? Or that you don't want to face it?”

Deidra
gave her a wan smile.

“Thought
so. Guess you've got some thinking to do,” Sue said with a firm nod.

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

“Can't
sleep?” Ryans murmured to her later that evening. Her eyelids flickered and she
purred slightly, snuggling against his side.

“No.
I want to talk,” she said quietly. “And no, it can't wait,” she mock growled.
He chuckled softly at that rejoinder then his eyes widened. He had taken the
blue tooth out to charge it before going to bed, that entire answer had been in
English.