Storm Called

by Susan Copperfield

  “I’m just going to focus on using that as an excuse to keep him around the palace. Thank you for bringing him over, Geoff.”

  “Of course, Your Highness.”

  Jessica herded me to the table, directing me to the chair beside my father. “I kidnapped your parents for the day, and I’m not sorry at all.”

  I wasn’t terribly sorry about the situation, either. “I was wanting to introduce them to Morning Glory and Baby, so that’s all right. I’m sorry for springing this on you two.”

  I braced for parental disapproval, and my mother huffed and tossed her cards on the table while my father chuckled. The reaction startled me enough I stared at them in turn and waited for them to elaborate.

  My mother might hold out, but my father wouldn’t, so I focused on him.

  “We’re not surprised. She’d made it rather clear she has you in her sights. Now, that said, you’ve some talking to do, boy.”

  “What’d I do now?”

  My parents pointed at my shoulder.

  “I may have broken it riding Baby, and then I may have finished it off with my adventures yesterday.” I blinked. “That was yesterday, right?”

  Geoff chuckled. “Yes, sir.”

  “I don’t plan on having another yesterday again if I can avoid it.”

  My father looked me over, and then he directed his attention to Jessica.

  “Don’t look at me. I’m planning on leashing him for the rest of eternity so he stays out of trouble. If I had my way, he’d never leave the safety of the palace grounds. Unfortunately, I’ve learned he’s even more stubborn than I am.”

  “I am?”

  “Yes, you are.”

  I had no idea where she’d gotten that idea, but I’d let her claim victory. “Geoff told me I have to do something with a German today.”

  “His Royal Majesty of Germany, yes. He wishes to speak with you directly. Geoff will translate as necessary—or prevent them from holding conversations without your awareness of the subject matter. He does things like that to annoy us. If I were in charge of this fiasco, I’d send the entire delegation back to Germany while they nursed electric burns, but I’ve been told I’m not allowed to do that. I was allowed to register an attempted regicide charge against the German RPS. He’s probably going to try to ask you to have the charges lifted.”

  “Perhaps if he gives us the complete background of the responsible agent, who he may have conspired with, and any other relevant information proving, through a truth seer, that he was not involved. Then I’ll have to ask him about his son’s involvement.”

  Jessica straightened and lifted her chin. “That little bastard would to win himself Texas.”

  “A lifetime ban on entering Texas is sufficient if he’s involved, with a very public reporting of his actions. He can serve as an example,” I replied. “Germany will lose its reputation, the prince will likely face bans from entering other kingdoms and lose prospects among other royal families for his treachery, and nobody is needlessly executed. I figure the shame is a far worse punishment than death.”

  Jessica smiled a grim smile. “A little shame seems appropriate to me, along with a healthy dose of rejection.”

  “And the negotiations?”

  “View it as your chance to convince the congress we should be married sooner than later, although even sooner would be a year delay because heaven forbid royalty marry without the bells, whistles, and ceremony of our station.”

  “Odds of that passing?”

  “I expect they’ll hold out for six months at most. I’ll just wave my birth control around for them to see as a reminder my uterus is unavailable for heirs until I get my way. While reminding them it takes a minimum of nine months for an heir to arrive—and a month following the usage of birth control for the possibility of an heir to be on the way. In this instance, math works in our favor.”

  “Is a year and a half even remotely sufficient time for me to learn everything I need?”

  “Fortunately for you, on-job training is offered, free of charge,” she replied.

  I laughed. “How about boarding and feed for my horses? They’re spoiled gluttons.”

  “Shockingly, board, vetting, and general care of your horses is included in your package.”

  “I bet the rent on this place isn’t cheap.”

  “I’m fairly confident you’ll be able to afford it, but I’m entertaining offers of alternative payment. We can discuss that in private tonight.”

  “Do I get paid for telling a king that you’re unavailable and that Texas won’t be pushed over in regards to this matter?”

  “I’m sure I can come up with something suitable. We can discuss that tonight in private.”

  I didn’t need any help translating her message. “I look forward to it.”

  She smirked. “I’m sure you do, Mr. Laycal.”

  “What time does tonight start, and how long do I have to entertain this king without completely insulting him?”

  “By all means, completely insult him. He’s yours to do with as you please. Handle the situation however you see fit.”

  I had a feeling by the time the day was over, I’d prefer a trial by fire that involved actual fire rather than politics and diplomacy, but I’d do my best to make the most of a bad situation.

  As always.

  His Royal Majesty of Germany stood with all the arrogance I expected of royalty, examining me with beady dark eyes and finding me lacking. With an extra foot in height, he might’ve intimidated me. As it was, I had to look down my nose at him out of necessity.

  After my crash course leading to my first swimming lesson and an unexpected operation, it’d take a lot more than an arrogant king to deter me from getting to the part of my day where I got to spend private time with Jessica.

  As I had zero intention of bowing my head to a man at least partially responsible for my broken shoulder, I waited through the silence. After weeks of silently working with Baby, the wait didn’t bother me. I used the time to review everything Geoff and Jessica had coached me on involving the delicate dance of politics and dealing with a king who likely disliked me as much as I disliked him.

  My job was to secure the advantage and keep it. Making it clear I was in control of the situation wasn’t, according to Geoff, much different from wrangling the executive floor at work. Instead of bribing him with his favorite foods, I’d need to treat the king like an unruly child.

  It would bother him, and that would give me a better chance of winning the fledgling war between us without having to resort to threats of drawing and quartering him, although Baby would be game to help rip apart idiots for their involvement in the car accident.

  My silence bothered Germany’s monarch; his expression gradually soured as the realization sank in that I had no intention of playing the political game following the established rules of kings, queens, and their courts. When he finally accepted he’d have to take a hike off the comfortable trail of expectations and protocol, he grunted, sighed, and muttered something in German.

  “He doesn’t appreciate being challenged by an ill-bred mule,” Geoff reported.

  The two members of the German RPS team and His Royal Majesty of Germany stiffened.

  “Did you really expect me to attend an audience with you without having someone who could translate available?” I snorted, picked the nearest arm chair in the sitting room, and sat, relaxing in the seat to make it clear I didn’t care what he thought of me. I left off his title, too, to send the message he hadn’t earned my respect. “Here’s the one and only deal I’m willing to offer you. You will provide all information you have on the airweaver RPS agent responsible for yesterday’s incident, complete with any information on accomplices and potential alliances with anyone in Texas who might’ve been involved, how he was hired into the German RPS, and whether or not your son was involved with the incident. In exchange, should you have all information verified by a truth seer of Texas’s choosing, you will have your name and your nam
e alone cleared. Should your son be found guilty of involvement, he will be banned from entering Texas ever again. Violation of this ban will be decided in a Texas court following the harshest punishment legal for attempted regicide. Frankly spoken, this is the best offer you’re going to get, as I’ve been led to believe the Texas royal family would rather resolve this issue in a more permanent fashion.”

  “Are you threatening me?”

  “At current, the entirety of your delegation stands accused of regicide. I’m offering you a way out of a lengthy court affair in which you, as Germany’s monarch, may bear responsibility in the situation in an effort to win the kingdom of Texas for your son. News of this treachery would spread worse than any wildfire through international news. Even the hint of an accusation would ruin Germany’s reputation. Germany, while a prosperous kingdom, may not remain prosperous should an accusation be taken to the international courts. Texas’s penalties for attempted regicide are severe. From my understanding of the situation, the same applies to your kingdom, does it not? Geoff?”

  “In both Texas and Germany, attempted regicide carries a potential death penalty, sir.”

  “Thank you, Geoff.”

  I waited.

  “I’ll verify under oath before a truth seer that I had nothing to do with this so-called attempted regicide, nor did I authorize or request such a thing to be done.”

  As I’d been coached by Geoff, I phrased the next phase of my verbal warfare carefully. “I’m an empath bonded with Her Royal Highness of Texas, Your Majesty. Under Texas law, this means any deliberate attack leveled against me for any purpose, including making Her Royal Highness of Texas available for another man, is classified as an act of attempted regicide. There are also laws on the international level stating similar. As such, it is an attempted regicide, and there’s nothing ‘so-called’ about it. I recommend you reevaluate your stance on the matter before you find that Texas is willing to execute everyone involved, including your son. Texas is not a kingdom available for you to win. Unless you view your child as expendable, I would accept Texas’s offer for resolution. This will have minimal damage to your personal reputation, although if your child was involved in the attempt, he will find his future prospects poor at best.”

  “I see you’re not nearly as ignorant as I was led to believe, Mr. Laycal.”

  “While I have a lot left to learn, I refuse to disappoint my future wife. It’s as simple as that. One day, we will sit across each other on the international stage, and it would be a pity if Texas and Germany couldn’t do so amicably. I will not judge a man for the actions of others, but I will judge you for the choices you make here and now. Germany is in a strong period of growth and enjoys a good reputation. An attempted regicide charge would bring all that crashing down. It would begin with your stock values as kingdoms around the world begin withdrawing trade agreements.” That little gem had come from Jessica, who had presented me with a list of kingdoms with strong relations with Texas. “To my understanding, China is one such partner.”

  China held a very comfortable lead ahead on most kingdoms in exports, and Germany would take a substantial loss if it needed to make trade agreements with other kingdoms.

  “It is,” Germany’s king conceded. “And has Texas’s parliament—”

  “Congress,” I corrected.

  “Congress approved of your claim that you will be a king?”

  I allowed myself a smile. “I expect they will sooner than later.”

  “Why would you say that?”

  “As I’m certain you’ve already endured with your parliament, the issue of an heir is one taken seriously. Her Royal Highness has made it clear she has chosen me. As I told you before, I refuse to disappoint my future wife. Right now, you are an obstacle, and I will not leave this room without coming to an agreement with you. If you cooperate, it will be one that benefits both kingdoms. His Royal Majesty of Texas has granted me full powers to handle the negotiations with Germany on the issue of the tentative trade agreement between our kingdoms.” I held out my right hand, and as we’d discussed, one of His Royal Majesty’s RPS agents brought the signed and verified document granting me the legal authority to make a mess of the negotiations. “This was passed through the congress this morning. Take your time reviewing it.”

  I held out the document to Germany’s monarch.

  I expected the man to leave, but he bit on the bait, took the paper, and sat in the chair beside me. “It seems my briefing on you was severely flawed, Mr. Laycal. You were described as a quiet albeit determined individual with a minor horse empathy talent.”

  “For Her Royal Highness’s sake, I will become whatever she needs me to be. Right now, she needs me to be a negotiator. I will do what is best for my kingdom, too. Everyone in my kingdom.”

  Even—and especially—people like me, who often lived by the whim and will of the higher castes of society. I wouldn’t be able to change much. Too much stood in my way, but I would change what I could.

  “It is easy to forget a rank earned by birth may very well fall under the determination of someone who has made a slow climb through the ranks. Or, in your case, a rather brisk climb through the ranks. You’re correct on the ramifications of an attempted regicide accusation. By default, such an accusation would end our negotiations now.”

  “Under normal circumstances, it would. I’m a practical man, Your Majesty. As such, I see no reason to delay or eliminate the negotiations should it be made clear before a truth seer who was behind the attempt. While Her Royal Highness disagrees with me on this matter, I do not feel Germany as a whole should pay the price for the misguided whims of a spoiled prince who believes himself deserving of a kingdom he hasn’t earned.”

  I waited for him to step into my trap, one where the German monarch could attack my character if he chose. If he did, I would score another advantage.

  “I should be asking you what you have done to deserve a princess and her kingdom. However, I believe I can understand how she might be swayed.”

  He hadn’t quite fallen into my trap, but he’d skirted the line close enough I could take the next step forward. “I did nothing to sway her, Your Majesty. I merely treated her as a man ought to treat any woman, with caring and respect. I treated her like the intelligent woman she is. I did not pick or sway her.”

  “Really.”

  I smiled. “Don’t ask me why she chose me, Your Majesty. I can’t justify it even to myself. But I will do everything I can to keep from disappointing her and the kingdom she’s trusting in my hands.” I pointed at the piece of paper Germany’s monarch held. “It is in the best interests of both our kingdoms to come to a balanced trade agreement, one that benefits both without costing either much. How Her Royal Highness came to choose me has no bearing on the trade agreement. It’s easy to fall prey to pettiness, but I think we can both work together to create something mutually beneficial. I’ve been assured if we work on this seriously, we could be finished before dinner and have a vote passing through your parliament and Texas’s congress within two days at most.”

  “You’ve been briefed well on the situation, I see.”

  I wished that was the case. “Shall we begin with the import and export tax situation? With the dissolution of the United States and the official formation of the Royal States, this is going to be one of the more important matters up for discussion.”

  “If we’re both charging the same tariffs for import and export, there’s no point in having a tariff at all,” His Royal Majesty of Germany announced.

  “And there will be more reason for our kingdoms to trade with each other over countries with tariff rules in place. Of course, there will need to be some rules in place for exotic goods and restricted goods. Dangerous goods need a tariff to help pay for the additional costs of importing and exporting them. But standard staples, especially food, should be without tariff to ensure both kingdoms are able to get necessary goods for all castes of individuals at affordable prices.”

&nbs
p; When I’d proposed the solution to Jessica, she’d thrown her hands up in the air and declared me too practical for my own good.

  I had assumed that was a good thing.

  “We already have goods classifications in place, including hazard ratings. Modifying or expanding these classes and linking them to required tariffs might work.”

  “It would minimize work required to make the agreement happen, something that benefits both our kingdoms. In the case of consumable items, especially food, both kingdoms would be required to inspect the goods as they exit and enter the kingdom. This would make these expenses the responsibility of each kingdom. Exporters would be required to provide inspection forms to the importer, and the importer would be required to provide similar documentation on each inspection. Inspection rules wouldn’t even need to change all that much to account for this, and it would add an extra layer of protection for people.”

  “Contaminated foods are not a joking matter, in that I see we’re in agreement. If we’re both checking, the lack of tariffs makes sense; both kingdoms will want to invest in cost-effective inspection methods.”

  Germany’s king lifted his hand and snapped his fingers. “Bring our proposal.”

  Texas also had a proposal, and one of His Royal Majesty’s RPS agents brought it to me without me having to ask for it.

  As running away or throwing up wasn’t an option, I focused on my latest job while wondering how I’d gone from a dish cleaner to whatever I had become. I doubted I’d ever figure it out, but it filled the quiet moments while His Royal Majesty of Germany reviewed the German proposal, made notes, and asked for my opinion.

  I’d never dreamed a tight budget and barely getting by would come in so useful on the political front. It did, and I could only hope my efforts bore some fruit and didn’t make the mess of Texas and German relations even worse.