Jacinda's Challenge (Imperial 3)

by M. K. Eidem

"You also, Majesty."

  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  Pajari quickly moved away from where he'd been eavesdropping near Jotham's office door, pretending to look at a painting as Chesney entered the outer office closing the connecting doors.

  "If you'd follow me, Assemblyman Pajari, I'll escort you to the Public Wing so you can get to your transport." Chesney turned off the light on his desk and moved to the door.

  "Thank you, Mister… Chesney."

  Chesney heard the slightest of pauses and knew Pajari had to search for his name. Even though Chesney had been Jotham's assistant for over twenty cycles and Pajari had been an Assemblyman for all of them.

  "No thanks necessary, Assemblyman Pajari." He waited for the Assemblyman to proceed him then closed the door.

  "King Jotham is meeting with someone else tonight?" Pajari waited until they were outside the King's Wing before asking.

  "Pardon me?" Chesney looked to the Assemblyman.

  "He seemed distracted during our meeting. As if something else was on his mind."

  "I'm sure you’re mistaken, Assemblyman Pajari. The King takes every meeting he has seriously, especially one with an Assemblyman."

  "Is that who he's meeting with now?"

  "I wouldn't know, Assemblyman."

  "But you schedule all his meetings!"

  "Yes, I do."

  "So you would know."

  "I am not at liberty to discuss the King's itinerary with you, Assemblyman Pajari. Ahh, here we are." Chesney opened the door that separated the Public Wing from the hallway that led to the inner Wings and nodded to the guards. "Have a nice evening, Assemblyman Pajari."

  With a huff, Pajari walked through and Chesney rolled his eyes as he shut the door. This wasn't the first time Pajari had tried to pump him for information on the King. Nearly every Assemblyman did to a point but they were at least subtle. Pajari was always obvious, sometimes painfully so. Some things never changed.

  Thinking about how Pajari would react if he discovered just who Jotham was meeting with Chesney smiled. He couldn't wait to get back to work tomorrow to see how the night went. Whistling, he walked to the secure area where his transport was parked.

  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  Jotham found himself eagerly striding toward his private chambers, something he hadn't done in cycles. Jacinda should be arriving soon and he wanted to make sure everything was perfect. Entering, he came to an abrupt halt finding Jacinda already there, studying the label on the bottle of wine.

  "You’re early," he said letting the door close behind him and stepping deeper into the room.

  "I am." Jacinda put the bottle back on the table and smiled at him. "I hope you don't mind."

  "No. Never. I was just hoping to be here to greet you."

  "I asked Nicholas not to say anything. He said you were in a meeting and I know how those can go. I didn't want you to feel like you needed to rush."

  "It was with Pajari," Jotham found himself sharing something he never shared.

  "Oh." Jacinda grimaced slightly. "You have my sympathies. I don't know how you put up with that man."

  "He isn't that bad." When Jacinda raised an eyebrow, he laughed. "Okay, yes he is, but over the cycles I've learned to zone him out."

  "You would have to."

  "Would you like something to drink? Chesney said he sent up a variety, but I only see the wine."

  "That's because I sent the rest back and yes, I'd love a glass. I always looked forward to having your House wine when there was a dinner at the Palace."

  "You did?" Jotham expertly opened the bottle.

  "Yes, it’s very good."

  "It is, but I was referring to you sending the other beverages back."

  "Oh, well, for some reason they sent up caffeinated coffee and energized tea. If you were to drink that this late at night, you would never get to sleep. I told... I'm afraid I didn't catch his name, to replace both with decaffeinated."

  "That would be Morven. I... thank you. I never gave that a thought."

  "Chesney should have. It's one thing to drink it when you’re up early and have a busy day, but after a certain time you need to switch so you can shut down and get the rest you need."

  He poured a generous amount of wine into a crystal glass. "In his defense, Chesney knows I usually work late into the night."

  Jacinda took the glass he extended before turning to sit on the couch. "That's no excuse."

  Jotham liked her sitting there, so comfortable and at ease on his couch. She tucked a leg under her and rested one arm along its low back. Did she know how beautiful she looked sitting there? But it was more than her looks, it was her concern for him. She sat there as if she were always meant to be there. Maybe she was.

  "So are you going to instruct him in how to properly handle his duties?" Jotham asked as he poured himself a glass of wine.

  "Of course not," she immediately replied. "I would never presume like that."

  Jotham gave her a sharp look, but her amazing blue-green eyes sparkled and her lips hinted at a smile as they touched the rim of her glass to take a sip of wine.

  Moving to the couch, he imitated her pose laying his hand over hers. "What if I want you to presume?"

  "Jotham...."

  "Do you know how long it's been since someone has done what you just did for me?" While he looked her in the eye, his fingers ran over the top of her hand, gently caressing the soft skin.

  "What did I do?" Jacinda was surprised to find herself slightly breathless.

  "You took care of me. You saw something you felt could adversely affect me and corrected it. You didn't ask. You just did it."

  "I believe your staff does that too."

  "Not like this. They know I like my coffee strong and sweet. When I ask for it, that's what I get, day or night. I am the King after all."

  "You're also a man."

  "I honestly think you are the only one that sees me that way."

  Jacinda's eyes searched his face and saw he was serious. "As a woman, I find that hard to believe, but I do understand how you might. Stephan was always being approached by people, no matter where we were and no matter if it was appropriate. He was their Assemblyman and they felt that gave them the right to interrupt, to intrude, and to ask things they'd never ask someone else. Your position is much more powerful, more important. It's... more comforting for some to see you as a figurehead rather than a man. Men make mistakes, have bad days. Figureheads don't, they're just there to serve us."

  "It seems that way sometimes."

  "But you are a man, Jotham." She turned her hand over to squeeze his hand. "A powerful, important man, yes, but still you have the right to just be a man too. You have the right to have a life beyond your position."

  "I'm not sure I know how to any longer."

  "Well, let’s start with this. Tell me about your day."

  "What?" Jotham frowned at her.

  "Tell me about your day. It's a normal conversation to have at the end of the day and you've obviously had a long one."

  "Are you subtly trying to tell me I look tired?" He enjoyed the darkening of her cheeks as he teased her.

  "Maybe a little." She instinctively reached out with the hand holding her wine, only to stop just shy of touching him.

  "Please. Do." The words were out before he could stop them and he was rewarded by the light brush of a finger against his temple.

  "I watched the ceremony on the Bering today. You didn't speak until ten, even though the ceremony started an hour before. That means you were there, at the latest, by eight. Which means you were on your way to the Bering by six."

  "Half past six," Jotham corrected. "I've recently acquired a new ship designed by the House of Knowledge. It's shortened my travel time immensely."

  "I'm glad, but you've still been going all day, without a break from what I can tell, and now you’re sitting here with me."

  "It's the best thing that's happened to me today. The only thing I've had to look forward to since our
lunch together if you want to know the truth."

  "I always want the truth." A knock on the door stopped her from saying more.

  "Enter," Jotham ordered and tightened his hand around hers when she tried to pull away.

  Jacinda watched as the man she'd ordered about earlier, wheeled in a new cart.

  "Morven, this is Jacinda Michelakakis. Jacinda, Morven Blac."

  "It's nice to meet you, Madame," he nodded to her slightly.

  "You also, Morven. I apologize for not introducing myself before. It was very rude of me."

  "Think nothing of it, Madame." He looked to Jotham. "Would there be anything else, Majesty?"

  "No, Morven. Thank you and thank you for seeing to Jacinda's request so quickly."

  "I..." Morven's eyes went from the clasped hands on the couch to Jacinda, then back to Jotham. "It was no problem, Majesty. Goodnight."

  "Goodnight, Morven."

  Jacinda finished her wine, then leaned forward to set the glass on the table. "I should be going."

  "What? Why?"

  "It's getting late and you need to rest." She went to rise.

  "Please. Stay a little longer. Tell me about your day."

  "Jotham..."

  "Please?" Leaning over, he refilled her glass and handed it back to her and waited.

  "You are incorrigible sometimes, Jotham Tibullus." Jacinda took a sip of her wine. "Let’s see, what did I do today?" She tapped a finger from her freed hand against her lip. "I started out by having coffee in the garden and catching up on some correspondence until the Christening Ceremony started. After that, I ran a few errands then spent the rest of the afternoon weeding the garden."

  "You don't have someone to take care of that?"

  "I have a gardener. He comes in every couple weeks to do the majority of the work, but I like to putter in it too." She smiled at him. "After that I got a call to have drinks and here I am."

  "And I'm glad you're here." Jotham captured her hand again, this time lacing their fingers together.

  She tipped her head to the side slightly. "Why am I here, Jotham?" Her eyes sharpened. "Tell me it has nothing to do with Amina and Barek because I'm not going to help you with that."

  Jotham looked at her and found himself chuckling. "No, it doesn't. You know, Will was right about you. You don't play games. You say what you think."

  "Will? You talked to William Zafar about me? Why would you do that?" Jacinda jerked her hand from his, hurt by the thought that he would do that.

  "Jacinda," Jotham quickly set his glass down as she did and grabbed her arm to stop her from rising. "It's not what you think. Well, it might be because I don't know what you are thinking. All I know is that I needed to talk to someone about what I was feeling, about you. Will is the only person I could do that with."

  Jacinda stopped trying to pull away and looked at him. "I don't understand."

  "Will is my oldest friend. I've known him all my life. We've been through life and death together."

  "I know all that. What I don't understand is why you felt you needed to talk to him about me."

  "Because I screwed up. With you. More than once." He shook his head disgusted with himself. "And I don't understand why!" Now it was Jotham who tried to rise and Jacinda who stopped him.

  "Talk to me, Jotham."

  Jotham looked down at the hand on his arm. It was so soft, he'd felt how soft and so delicate looking. But it was also strong.

  But it wasn't her actual strength that was holding him. It was the strength of her feelings... for him... that held him.

  "I don't know what to say. You..." He closed his eyes and covered her hand with his.

  "I?"

  "I look at you, talk to you and the rest of the world goes away. All its demands. All its pressures. Maybe for only a minute but for that minute I can breathe, I can relax, for the first time in cycles." He reached up to cup one of her cheeks. "Then I say or do something stupid and you’re gone. It all comes crashing back down on me, worse than before."

  "Jotham..." Jacinda felt her eyes start to fill.

  "Will saw it. Saw me struggling. He's probably the only one who would. So he cornered me, demanding to know what was wrong. I found it all pouring out of me. I didn't do it to hurt you."

  Jacinda looked up at him silently for several moments, then nuzzled her cheek against his hand. "Alright."

  Jotham's eyes widened slightly. "That's it? Alright?"

  "Do you want it not to be?"

  "No! But still..." he took a deep breath. "You are too understanding, Jacinda."

  "Oh I don't know about that, just ask my children, but I understand your needing someone to talk to in confidence."

  "Thank you."

  "Oh don't thank me yet, you still haven't told me what he said."

  "What he said?"

  "Yes. The High Admiral hardly knows me. It's been cycles since I last spoke to him and that was when he was still an Admiral and Stephan was alive. At a Royal dinner, if I remember correctly. In honor of some new mining treaty. We were seated next to one another."

  "Well, he remembers you, from the Academy actually."

  "Really?"

  "Yes. It seems you made quite an impression on him."

  "How could I have possibly done that?"

  "Well," reaching out he picked up their glasses, handed her one, then settled back on the couch. Once she did the same, he laced his fingers back through hers and continued. "It seems that my best friend had a crush on you back in the Academy."

  "What!" Jacinda nearly choked on the amazing wine she'd just taken a sip of.

  "Yes, and he couldn't understand why you weren't just as enamored with him as he was with you." Jotham knew he was embellishing the story slightly, but liked how Jacinda blushed the way he told it.

  "I... I never knew."

  "You don't remember your 'date' with him?"

  "Date? I never 'dated' Will Zafar!"

  "He claims it changed his life. That it made him the man he is today."

  Jacinda opened her mouth, then snapped it shut taking in the teasing glimmer in his violet eyes. Praise the ancestors, he was irresistible. "Jotham Tibullus, you are lying to me."

  "I am not. Maybe stretching the truth slightly, but I couldn't resist." He gave her his most disarming smile, one he hadn't used in cycles. "You are just so cute when you are all riled up."

  "Cute? Are you seriously calling me cute? I haven't been called that since I was a child."

  "That's because everyone else only sees how seriously beautiful you are. They overlook the 'cuteness.’"

  Jacinda found she didn't know how to respond to that. To Jotham actual seeing her as more than just a pretty face. So few did.

  "Tell me more about this 'life-changing' date I supposedly had with William Zafar."

  "Well... it wasn't really a date. He was trying to get you to go on one with him."

  Jacinda frowned as she searched her memory but couldn’t remember anything. Yes, she'd had classes with Will, as he went by back then. She remembered how he always seemed to breeze through the classes, barely applying himself while she would study every night and admitted she struggled with the physical training required. She had never been a weak woman but then again she never wanted to be one that was ever mistaken for a man either. Jacinda liked being a woman. The only time she remembered ever talking to Will one-on-one was...

  "Are you talking about the cafeteria?"

  "That would be it."

  "How in the name of the ancestors could those, what had they been fifteen minutes, have changed his life?" She turned a sharp eye on him. "You made that up just to get a reaction out of me."

  "Well, while I'll admit I like teasing you, and that I have embellished the story slightly, Will's exact words were, 'that it was the first truly serious conversation he ever had with a woman and that after it he thought about his future differently.’"

  Jacinda's eyes searched his. "You're serious."

  "Absolutely."

&n
bsp; "What could I have possibly said...."

  "You told him you had no desire to be the wife of the High Admiral."

  "I did?" Jacinda frowned. "I don't remember that. I remember that I always thought he never fully applied himself. He had so much potential but seemed more interested in girls. But then again he was a seventeen-cycle boy."

  "Yes, but you made him think, made him see himself differently. And I for one have to thank you. Can you imagine what our world would have been like if Will had been a different man?"

  "No. He is the hero of the Battle of Fayal. He brought the lost Princess home and discovered that Prince Audric was a traitor. Thanks to that, I still have my daughter."

  "What are you talking about?" Jotham stiffened.

  "Ten cycles ago, when the Regulians were making those speed attacks against the Fleet. Do you remember them?"

  "Yes," Jotham said through tense lips.

  " My daughter, my youngest, Stephanie, was assigned to the Talon."

  "I..." Jotham didn't know what to say.

  "The Retribution was returning to Carina with Cassandra. No one but Will knew she was the lost Princess, the true Queen. He let everyone believe he had been taken in by a much younger woman."

  "Yes," Jotham remembered, he'd thought so too.

  "But he still made sure she was protected. He pulled extra security from other ships to guarantee it. He pulled Stephanie from the Talon. If he hadn't..."

  "She would have died with the rest of the Talon's crew when the ship experienced rapid decompression."

  "Yes. It took days before she was able to contact me and tell me she was alive."

  "I'm sorry, Jacinda."

  "It wasn't your fault." Reaching up she touched his cheek. "It's something that's always in the back of every parent’s mind when their child is serving in the Fleet. The thought that they might not come home. I'm just thankful she's on planet right now. Not that I'm going to get to see her much."

  "Why not? If she's on leave, isn't she here?"

  "She’s not on leave. Well, she was." She raised an eyebrow at him. "Didn't Nicholas tell you we bumped into him several weeks ago?"

  "No. He never said a word."

  "Oh well, we did. Anyway, Stephie was only here for a week. Now she's in Kisurri training with Captain Chamberlain."