by M. K. Eidem
"I didn't want it to influence your decision. The punishment should be the same for any male that attacks any female; Ashe, True Mate, Kaliszian or Tornian. All females deserve such protection. As for my not killing him... I would have if my Jennifer hadn't needed me more. I nearly lost her, Liron." Treyvon's eyes turned bleak as they looked into Liron's. "I had only just found her and I nearly lost her."
"But you didn't. She is strong. A female worthy of being the True Mate of the Supreme Commander of Kaliszian Defenses."
"It is I who needs to be worthy of her, Liron."
Liron was silent for a moment letting that sink in and hoped someday he might have cause to feel that way too. Then bringing his mind back to the tasks at hand, he spoke.
"I have decided more needs to be done than just stripping Spada of his Elite rank."
"More?"
"Yes, he will be completely stripped of all Warrior rankings and beads and be imprisoned for no less than five years on one of our penal planets."
"Is this because of what he did to my True Mate?"
"In part. I was able to see and hear Spada's attack on her, but not because she is your True Mate, because I didn't know that when I made my decision. The records will show that."
"Alright."
"Now tell me what you have learned in Rachana’s and her manno's communications."
Chapter Thirty-Six
Hours later, Treyvon gave his ringing comm an irritated look until he realized he was hearing the special tone he had programmed into it for Jennifer.
He, Liron, and Nikhil were studying the data on Rachana's communications and not liked what they were finding. Not only were there direct communications between her and a Zaludian Captain called Sacar, but they were able to verify that the two actually met several times on Sustus. The last time, being right before Rachana traveled to Crurn where her manno, Minister Klueh, requested she travel home with Liron.
There was now no doubt Rachana was involved, but whether it was intentional or not they still didn't know. But all that faded away as he answered his comm.
"Yes, my Jennifer?"
"Are you planning on coming to the eating area for Last Meal or am I bringing it to you?"
Treyvon looked to Liron to see what his preference was.
"It has been years since I have shared Last Meal with my Elite Warriors that wasn't ceremonial," Liron said, the desire easily heard in his voice.
"We will be coming there, my Jennifer," Treyvon informed her.
"Alright. Will the Emperor's Guard be eating at the same time, or am I setting their meals aside with those for the guards on the wall?"
Treyvon saw Liron's eyebrows rise at the question and realized he hadn't known Jennifer did this.
"Jennifer always makes sure every male gets his share," Treyvon informed him. "There is no reason for your Guard not to enjoy the meal while it is hot."
Liron nodded his agreement.
"I heard," Jen said before Treyvon could. "You have fifteen minutes before I start serving. Don't keep your warriors waiting."
Liron gave Treyvon a questioning look when Jennifer disconnected the comm before he could respond. Treyvon just shrugged. "My Jennifer takes the feeding of my warriors very seriously."
"So it would seem."
"It might be best if we leave now," Nikhil said quietly, "Jen will not tell the warriors you are planning on sharing Last Meal with them. She will encourage them to begin, if you are not there, unaware they would be delivering you the gravest of insults."
"Then I suppose we should go," Liron said moving around the desk. He wondered when the last time was that he was summoned to a meal, instead of him summoning it to him. Things certainly were changing.
"Captain Troy," Liron spoke to the captain of his guard as he exited Treyvon's office. "We will be proceeding to the eating area for Last Meal. Once there, you and the rest of my guard will be free to eat the meal provided."
"Majesty?" Troy questioned.
"The walls are guarded and the base secure. There is no reason for you or the rest of my guard to not eat Last Meal when I do."
"I... yes, Majesty," Troy acknowledged.
"Good. Now I've been informed that General Rayner's True Mate will begin serving his warriors if we are not there within the next... ten minutes. So we should proceed."
"I... yes, Majesty," Troy repeated again, and with a sharp order, the King's guard snapped to attention and surrounded their Emperor as he moved down the corridor.
"Commander Nikhil, do we need to stop and retrieve your True Mate? I have yet to have an actual conversation with her. Our last time together was abruptly ended.”
"My Mackenzie is already in the kitchen, Majesty. She chooses to assist Jen in serving Last Meal whenever she can."
"What would prevent her from doing that?" Liron asked, not understanding why Nikhil's skin darkened.
"I believe, Majesty," Treyvon coughed into his hand fighting a smile, "that when Commander Nikhil is not on duty, he and his True Mate prefer taking Last Meal in their quarters. Alone."
"Ah," Liron nodded his understanding and as they rounded the last corner, he saw the line of warriors waiting just as the most amazing aroma reached him.
Nroa turned and seeing the Emperor approaching, quickly came to attention. "Majesty!"
That one word had all the other warriors turning and quickly coming to attention.
"At ease," Liron told them as he walked by. "I thought I might join you and taste this Last Meal that all the Empire is talking about."
Treyvon continued to walk along with Liron, but frowned at his comment. He didn't want the Empire talking about his True Mate, even if it was just because of what she was preparing. It didn't matter if they didn't know she was his True Mate. She was his and his alone.
Entering the eating area, he saw Jennifer setting a tray of biscuits on the table next to a steaming pan full of what he knew was roast beast and another of the amazing vegetables she made.
"Goddess," Liron whispered, as he looked at the meal laid out before him. Never in all his years had he ever seen or smelled anything so good.
"Emperor, there you are," Jen looked up at him smiling, "I was just about to start serving Last Meal. Would you like me to fix a plate for you?"
"Please," Liron told her.
Going to the end of the table, she picked up a plate and began filling it. "This is roast beast which I cooked with a variety of Earth and Kaliszian vegetables..."
"No!" Liron said harshly and while Jennifer instantly froze, the hands of his guards went to their weapons. Treyvon was immediately moving to stand between them and his True Mate.
"It is fine," Liron told his guard before turning back to her. "Jennifer, I thank you, but while I may be the Emperor, you will not give me more than my allotment of the food supplies."
Jen's gaze went to Treyvon's for a moment then returned to Liron. "But I wasn't. I understand your rationing system and assume you receive at least as much as Treyvon."
"That would be correct," Liron told her.
"Good, because I actually gave you a little less, seeing as there are so many of you, and I didn't know all their ranks. But there are more than enough biscuits to make up for it, and of course, there are brownies for dessert."
Liron was startled by the buzz of excitement that went through the warriors at her words. It seemed Treyvon hadn't exaggerated their fondness for these brownies.
"Help yourself to as many biscuits as you want," she told him, gesturing to the large pan, "as I said, there are plenty and they are made from the common supplies."
With that, she gave Treyvon a smile then turned and went back into the kitchen.
• • • • • •
Liron stared at the plate of food in front of him in amazement, not sure where to start. He'd been joined at his table by Luol and Maysa, Nikhil and his Mackenzie, who he'd gone and gotten from the kitchen, his entire guard, and Treyvon.
"Shouldn't we wait for your True Mate,
Treyvon?" Liron asked.
"Jennifer won't eat until after she's sure everyone else has," Mac told him and picked up her fork to take a bite. "She was the same way in the mine."
"But she is female," Liron began.
"Doesn't matter," Mac interrupted him. "It’s how she feels she can contribute here and you're not going to change her mind. So you might as well eat. The sooner you do, the sooner she will."
"Treyvon?" Liron looked to him.
Treyvon sighed heavily but nodded, "Mackenzie is correct. If I go in there and pull her out, there will be Daco to pay. She takes the serving of Last Meal very seriously."
"There is also the chance that if you do that, she'll refuse to serve the brownies," Mac muttered and while she spoke quietly, Liron noticed how the warriors eating at the next table stilled. "And I for one am not willing to take that chance. Not when I'm craving a brownie."
"Craving?" Liron asked.
"Mackenzie, are you alright?" Nikhil gave his True Mate his full attention. "Do you wish to return to our quarters and rest?"
"No, I'm fine, Nikhil." She reached up to gently cup one of his cheeks. "Truth. It's a common thing for human females to crave things when they are with offspring."
The fork Liron was lifting for his first taste of Jennifer's roast beast dropped, his gaze flying from Nikhil to Mackenzie.
"You are with offspring?" Liron asked carefully.
"Yes," Mac said beaming at him. "We just found out for sure a few days ago."
"Luol?" The Emperor's gaze shot to the Healer's.
"I am keeping a close eye on her, Emperor. Everything is progressing normally."
"Craving food is normal?" Liron had never heard of that before.
"I can assure you it is totally normal, Emperor," Maysa chimed in. "It’s just not something most Kaliszian females are able to indulge."
"Well that will be changing," Mac said and at Nikhil's prompting started to eat again.
Liron found himself lowering his fork again. "What do you mean?"
Mac looked up at him and frowned, "Weren't you informed about the growth we found?"
"Yes, and it will be shielded from Pontus's storms, but even that is no guarantee that it will thrive."
"Seriously?" Mac sat back in her chair then started to laugh, the sound having many heads turning. "Emperor, you are in for a surprise. Now you better eat, because I see Jen making the rounds with more biscuits. If she sees you haven't tried anything, she's not going to be happy."
Looking over his shoulder, Liron could see Mac was right and quickly took a bite, then almost dropped his fork again as flavor exploded in his mouth. Praise the Goddess! Was this what food was supposed to taste like? Not even those in his kitchen, where he often got the best of the best, made food taste like this. He quickly took another bite.
"Well I see you are enjoying it, Emperor," Jen said walking around the table giving everyone extra biscuits, especially Liron's guards whose plates were already clean. "I'm going to head back into the kitchen and start cutting brownies. Sit, Mac!" she immediately ordered.
"But," Mac complained.
"No, you are not helping because you'll be no help. You will just accidently get frosting on your fingers."
"Hey! That's totally unfair! It was an accident!"
"The first time might have been, but not the second or the third."
"Mackenzie..." Nikhil frowned down at her.
"It was an accident, Nikhil, truth!" Then she muttered quietly, "the first time."
"Which is why I'll do this myself. That way everyone will get one for sure, then it can be a free for all. And yes, Mac," Jen saw her friend pout, "I'll bring you two."
Smiling, Jen went back into the kitchen.
• • • • • •
Liron would have vowed that nothing could have tasted more amazing than the Last Meal he'd just consumed, but then Jennifer carried out plates full of her brownies and he was sure the Goddess had called him to the Promised Land. He now understood not only Mackenzie's, but all his Elite Warriors’ attitude toward them.
"I have never tasted anything like this," Liron muttered, as he licked the frosting off his fingers.
"That's because nearly all the ingredients come from Earth," Mac told him, closing her eyes as she bit into her second brownie. Opening her eyes, she saw Liron gazing longingly at it and breaking it in half handed it to him.
"No," Liron instantly waved his hands in denial. "You need it. You are with offspring."
"I don't need it," Mac denied, "I want it, and knowing Jen she has already set some aside for me for a midnight snack. So enjoy."
Liron couldn't believe the generosity of these Earth females. They offer their food stores freely, even after all they had suffered while in his Empire. He watched as Treyvon stood and moved toward Jennifer who was carrying out a third large pan of brownies.
"You have done enough, Jennifer," Treyvon told her, taking the pan and setting it down. "It is time for you to sit down and eat."
"I snacked in the kitchen," she told him, sucking the smear of frosting off her thumb, looking up when she heard him groan.
"Don't do that when we are not in our quarters, my Jennifer," he growled at her causing her to remember what started the first intense Joining the night before.
"You know, next time I'll have to make sure to set some frosting aside." Her eyes sparkled at him and she whispered, "Then I can lick it off you."
The heat that filled his glowing eyes told her he'd enjoy that.
"Ashe Jennifer," Liron walked up to them and Jennifer was sure it was the only thing keeping Treyvon from carrying her to their quarters. "I would like to thank you for a truly amazing Last Meal. I now understand why no Elite Warrior wishes to transfer from Pontus."
"Do they normally?" she asked in surprise.
"No Warrior has ever requested to stay on Pontus and fewer request to come here," Liron told her.
"Well I think that is going to be changing."
"With Last Meal's like this being served, I'm sure it will."
"I wasn't talking about that," she told him. "I was talking about how everything was starting to grow here again."
"While I appreciate your faith, Jennifer, I hardly believe one bud constitutes everything."
"One?" Jen looked at him in disbelief. "Haven't you been in the gairdín yet?"
"No, there were other... things," he refused to mention Spada, "that took precedence."
"Well then, we should go see it. Because you are going to be amazed."
• • • • • •
Amazed didn't come close to describing what Liron was feeling as he walked out into the ancient gairdín. For the first time in his life, outside the records, he saw what Pontus had once been. There was life pushing its way through the soil in every planting bed and the Crann... it was glowing white and covered in buds, some already unfurling into leaves in a multitude of colors.
"Treyvon... you should have reported this immediately," Liron said hoarsely
"I... I didn't know, Liron. It wasn't like this last night."
"No, it wasn't," Mac informed him. "I've never seen plants grow this rapidly before, but maybe they're trying to make up for lost time."
"You are familiar with plants?" Liron asked.
"Yes, I studied ecology back on Earth," Mac told him. "That's the study of the relationship and interactions between organisms and their environment. I specialized in forestry, which is the caring of trees... cranns."
"Mac is the perfect person to document and help you manage all this." Jen swept her arm around the gairdín. "You'd better give her a title that reflects just how important she's going to be to you and your people."
Liron wasn't the only one that looked at Jen in shock. So did Treyvon, Luol, Maysa, Liron's guard, Nikhil, but especially Mac.
"Jen..." Mac hissed.
"What? It's true," Jen told her. "Not only are you going to need access to all the texts they have. You are going to need to stay here on Pontu
s to document the growth not only in the gairdín, but beyond. Because we both know it’s not going to remain behind these walls. And when it spreads to the other planets? Huh? What about then? You know you're going to need to go there. On top of all that you are with offspring."
"I don't need a title to do all that," Mac argued. "It's what I do, just like you cook and you don't have a title."
"You are both correct," Liron spoke with an authority that ceased what he knew was going to become a heated argument between the two. "And it would be remiss of me not to realize that. Ashe Jennifer, you have been playing an important role in my warriors’ lives and have asked nothing in return."
"You don't have anything I need," Jen told him then wrapped her arms around Treyvon's waist, snuggling under the arm he put around her. "And in all due respect, I already have the best thing you could ever offer me. I have Treyvon." She felt his arm around her tighten.
Treyvon couldn't believe how Jennifer's words made him feel. She was declaring her belief in his worth, not just before other warriors but before the Emperor. Looking to Liron, he saw Liron's respect for his True Mate grow.
"Be that as it may, you provide a vital service and deserve to be compensated for it along with a title reflecting that importance."
"Chef is fine," Jen told him, and felt her cheeks heating in embarrassment. Back home she'd always wanted to be recognized for her skill as a chef, but that was just ego. This was something else. What she was doing here was a necessity and she didn't need to be recognized for doing that.
"No, it is not," Liron told her. "I shall have to think on this, but both of you shall have titles befitting the contribution you make to our people and will receive the corresponding amount credits. Now," Liron turned his attention to Mac," Ashe Mackenzie would you show me around what is now your domain?"
Jen watched as Mac blushed with pleasure at Liron's words. She knew it bothered Mac, not that it was true, that she didn't have any skills to contribute here. She'd felt that way in the mine too when Jen was cooking what food they received. But she was wrong. Mac had skills, important skills. She was the one that found the small cave for them to hide in. She was the one that had the first aid skills that saved Jen's life. She was the one that kept everyone’s spirits up. Not that she would think she did. Now that things were growing on Pontus again, the rest of her skills could shine.