Marina finally came to the decision she would have to sort things out with her sister. Plavina had been absent for the third time that week. Marina had taken time off and had gone to the hospital. Vellina asked her to assist in an operation on a patient. Marina agreed, but halfway through the operation Jazina called her to complain about Plavina’s non-attendance of a Hemithean town event.
“No,” said Marina “I can’t deputise I’m helping Vellina operate. I can’t leave now. Remind the queen that she’s expected.”
Jazina was worried. Lahoda had told her she was with a new slave and had said she was too busy to attend. Marina’s orders were correct, but she wished she was not involved. She returned to the Royal Apartments and told Lahoda to remind the queen she was late for her appointment. Lahoda was diffident about disturbing her but entered and coughed.
“Your majesty, you’re late for your appointment at the Town-Hall. Everyone is waiting for you.”
“I told you I didn’t want to be disturbed.”
“But the Town Council are waiting for you, Ma’am.”
“Let them wait.”
“They’ll be very disappointed. Jazina is waiting to accompany you, your majesty.”
“Then get Marina to go, she usually does these things.”
“Marina is not available, your majesty. You will have to attend.”
“A queen does not have to do anything.”
Jazina moved inside the apartment and remarked to no one in particular.
“Then a queen will not be queen for long.”
She walked out of the apartments but her message had got home. Twenty minutes later, Plavina emerged from the apartment, dressed correctly, arriving only an hour late. That evening Plavina nagged Marina.
“Who do you think you are, to not be available? If I decide I don’t want to do something, you should be there to deputise.”
“Why?” said Marina, but Plavina could not think of a good answer.
So she turned on her sister and told her she was doing a lousy job and she, Plavina could do everything Marina did better with the opportunity. Marina resisted the impulse to hand everything over to her. Suppressing the desire to slap her sister’s stupid supercilious face, she apologised and withdrew.
Arriving home, Marina was in a filthy temper. She called Mikkal but did not take her anger out on him. She took him to her especially sound and mind-proofed room, ordering him to beat her. At first he was frightened she would be upset if he hurt her, but he enjoyed beating her and when she said “enough” would have continued, but she took the whip from his hand. It was only a short-term solution, Marina realised. The next morning she resolved, she would speak with Plavina.
Morning came and Marina went to see Plavina. Marina had been working for five hours but Plavina was not up. Marina walked into her rooms, past her servants and guards without bothering to be announced. She dismissed the women, who seeing Marina’s grim face fled like a flock of hens. Marina knocked, entering Plavina’s bedchamber; she had been drinking the night before from the stale odour of the room.
Marina walked to the windows, raised the blinds, opening the windows wide, letting the strong sun light stream in. Plavina stirred within the bed, Marina could now see Baraneev and another slave lay beside her.
Baraneev started to speak to Marina but she silenced him.
“Boys, return to your quarters.”
They did as she ordered, even though Plavina hearing Marina’s orders tried to revoke them.
“You’re to stay; I haven’t given you permission to leave.”
They paused for a second but Marina’s raised eyebrow propelled them on their way.
“How dare you come in here and dismiss my slaves.I am queen, I will be obeyed.”
Marina shut the door and turned to her irate sister.
“If you behaved more like a queen, you might be obeyed. As it is you will not be queen, for long.”
“Are you threatening me, Marina? You are talking treason, you swore to obey me.”
“I’m not threatening, just telling you the unpleasant truth. If you don’t fulfil some of the functions of a queen, nothing I do will keep you on the throne. At the moment you’ve been taking your responsibilities too lightly. I can delegate some work to others, but if I have to do all the official appearances as well as the administration, it will be said I am queen in all but name. You wanted to be queen; you can’t expect anyone to treat you as queen, if you take on none of the duties.”
“Are you refusing to do my orders?”
“No Plavina. I will support you as long as you wish to remain queen, but don’t expect me to remain silent when you behave as you’re doing. If you want me to challenge you, I won’t. Nor will I stop doing what is best for Zenina. You must stop fooling around Plavina, or one day you’ll be challenged and I won’t be around to protect you.”
“And who is there to challenge me? Zadina’s hair doesn’t want to re-grow so she can’t challenge me. That coward Dalzina only fights those weaker than herself? Even I could tackle her. Both Calzina and Klivina can be bought off, who should I fear?”
“The greatest risk to my reign comes from you, Marina. Everyone’s frightened of you, aren’t they? Well I’m not frightened of my little sister. You can’t boss me about. I’ll rule my own way, hand over the seal you kept of my mother’s and all the papers. From now on, no one takes orders from you. I’ll make the decisions.”
Marina protested but Plavina would not see sense. Marina did not return the seal, carrying on with the work-load as before, the sisters avoided each other. They did not call each other but sent messages via Vlama or Lahoda who became very worried about the situation. Marina no longer deputised, if Plavina did not appear, Marina ignored the matter. When complaints about Plavina’s behaviour came to her, Marina told them it was not for her to deal with and referred them back to the queen.
As Plavina’s behaviour worsened, even the palace staff checked with Marina before following her ever more peculiar instructions. Marina discouraged their requests for confirmation but understood their concern. Plavina had always been lazy but instead of spending ten hours of each day in her bed, she spent fifteen or twenty. Zeninans only require three hours sleep a night in a twenty seven hour day. Even with exercising a few men, fifteen hours a day in bed was excessive.
Plavina brooded, Marina was now her enemy. “How can I rid myself of my annoying little sister? Being Queen could be such fun, if there wasn’t Marina in the background to spoil it all. Even now when I don’t see Marina, Vlama and Lahoda bring her directives from on high. She is a pain!”
The next day Plavina got up. She went to her office and considered how to get Marina out of her hair. The Royal Mail was still delivered to Plavina’s office; Marina had come into the palace to do the work, so everything had a semblance of normality. That morning Marina was at the Internal Security Department. Fenzela had reminded her Barzad had been residing in their cells since the day before the explosion and wondered what to do with him. Barzad had been the huge obese Kurgian who started the bar room fight with Zeninan slaves forcing Marina, Klivina and Riyal’s intervention. Marina had asked Fenzela to put him on the Zeninan diet, which involved bandaging him in special catalytic bandages which would reducehis weight.
Barzad had been so grossly overweight it had taken several applications of the bandages with insertion into a muscle toning machine vibrating every muscle in his body for several hours in between and forcible exercise which Barzad had resisted seriously. Hours on a treadmill had toned up his legs with an occasional lash mark to encourage him if he stopped. The removal of decayed teeth and his regeneration also removed a few disfiguring scars and a broken nose. Marina had decided to see the man and had therefore not planned to come into the palace office until later than usual.
Plavina sat down and read her own mail, most of it dismally boring, but she finally found a letter that appealed to her. There had been an outbreak of a new strain of the Markaban Influenza virus
on Bellatrix. There was no immunity within the community, the young and old were dying in numbers. Over one hundred and forty were already dead in Bellatrix with hundreds more ill. Plavina sat and felt sorry for the bunnies.
“Who would I send to deal with it? If it was my job to decide who would I send? Marina always liked being sent on medical emergencies.She used to say it made her feel worthwhile. She always wanted to be just a doctor.”
“If it were up to me to decide who to send, I’d send Marina, but then Marina always makes all the decisions. The queen is supposed to decide these things and this letter is addressed to me, Queen Plavina, not to Princess Marina. If I decide to send Marina, then I can send her. What if she won’t go? She’ll have to go. I shall order her to go in front of the whole court, she can’t refuse. She swore fealty to me.”
So Plavina sat down and wrote a note to the President of the Bellatrese City States Committee informing them that Princess Marina would be arriving with a medical team as soon as possible.She then sent a message to Marina ordering her to attend dinner at the Palace that evening. She had all the important ladies of Zenina invited to the banquet and even remembered to notify the kitchens that two hundred would lie down for dinner that evening. Marina received the order hoping it meant Plavina had come to her senses and wanted to make peace between them.
She attended intending to make it up with her. Half-way through the meal, Plavina gave Jazina a paper which she said was an announcement she wanted her to make. Jazina announced Princess Marina would be going on a mission of mercy to Bellatrix, Dalzina was careful to hide her glee. Kapalina was concerned, what was she to do? Marina was distraught. After the banquet Marina tried to see Plavina privately but her guards had been given specific orders not to admit her. Marina was to leave for Bellatrix the next morning.
Marina admitted defeat and organised what she needed to go with her to Bellatrix. Chilka begged to come and Marina agreed. Kapalina risked coming openly to see Marina. What should she do? Dalzina was bound to challenge Plavina.
“You must do nothing to make Dalzina suspect your loyalty, for the time being, my hands are tied. I cannot challenge my own sister,” said Marina.
***
The Zeninan Imperial battleship that entered the orbit of Ziga caused some consternation amongst space traffic control, who notified the Zigan Military before attempting to contact the battleship and enquire whether they required docking facilities. The captain of the battleship was amused by the obvious panic of the space controller and she tried to reassure him the ship would not be docking at Ziga City space-station and had peaceable intent. The space-controller contacted the Zigan Army, who contacted Zigan Security and they contacted Prevela at the Zeninan Embassy who was called back just as she was leaving the building to deal with the flap.
“Yes I’m aware of the battleship; I was just going to take the Embassy launch up to meet it.”
“What is the reason for it being in Zigan Air space?”
“To drop off a Zeninan of Zigan birth who intends holidaying on Ziga.”
“Could you tell us the name of the Zeninan citizen concerned?”
“Zigeneev Zablonsky, though we call him Charles,” she replied.
The ladies on board the battleship were very sorry to let Charles go and there were plenty of kisses goodbye exchanged and hopes that he would look them up when they were back home on shore leave. Charles who had worn only Zeninan dress at most during the voyage was now clad in Zigan style clothing. He wore a well-tailored beige silk suit which fitted his broad shoulders to a nicety. His normal Silver skin tones were now coloured to a deep tan and his jet black hair transformed back to the light brown colour he’d had before changing colour but now he added blond high lights which accentuated the deep tan and his bright green eyes.
Charles was an extremely handsome man and well over six feet tall. He had the build of a professional body builder and appeared to be in his late twenties but was in fact 44 years old. Dressed in expensive designer clothing he looked the epitome of the wealthy traveller. The launch docked with the battleship and Prevela exchanged diplomatic mail for Karanollo where the battleship was due to dock next. Charles thought of his Princess Marina wondering where she was and wishing she was with him.
Chapter Twenty-nine - The Hardest Thing
Mikkal’s idyll of Marina without Charles had come to an end. The time had been for him far too short. Yet despite his love for Marina he had never informed her of what he had planned with the Purple Daggers. He had almost forgotten about them but not quite. He had feared she would repudiate him. Whilst he’d been with her he hadn’t even missed his former status as prince, being her slave had been enough for him. Marina drove him that night to the Temple of Demina.
At the door she ordered him to strip and he followed her naked into the Temple. Protesting would do no good. Marina would not take him with her, she did not trust him enough and her distrust was justified. He would be safer with Zadina than Dalzina as Marina pointed out to him. Zadina might be mad but Dalzina was allied to Ga’Mishrin. Ga’Mikkal would be a nice present to him, indicating her good faith. Mikkal did not want to risk that, even Zadina was better than Ga’Mishrin. Marina was shown into Zadina’s private quarters. Zadina sat at a table, reading the Temple accounts. She stood up as Marina entered. She was curious to see Mikkal with Marina as she had not yet heard of Marina’s banishment. Zadina looked a question at her.
“I’m returning this property. I’m banished to Bellatrix. He’s safer with you than Dalzina.”
“I’ll look after him, thank you. When do you leave?”
“Early in the morning.”
“Will you stay for a while?”
“No, there isn’t time.”
“I’ve been lonely since you left.”
“That’s not my problem. I’d best go now.”
“Stay for an hour.”
“I can’t.”
“Do I have to beg?”
“It would make no difference, I have to go.”
Marina turned to go but Zadina caught her arm and began to shimmer.
“Stop it Zadina, you’re just making it harder for me.”
“I intend to make it hard,” she said as she kissed Marina. Marina kissed her back, Mikkal watched astounded as the two women held each other close.
“I can resist you, ‘Dina.”
“I know, but you don’t want to. Please stay, I beg you not to refuse me.”
“Very well, undress but I can’t stay long.”
“What about Mikkal?”
“Let him watch, he may learn something.”
It was just as well that Marina had completed all her arrangements before going to the Temple because it was after dawn before she left. Fenzela had been instructed to offer her support to Dalzina as soon as Marina had left Zenina. Marina had decided to take the other new yacht. Plavina’s birthday was over a month off and she would not live to see it. So Marina left Zenina and only Vlama and Father O’Flaherty thought it politic to see her off.
Chapter Thirty - The Hour of Separation
Fenzela sought Dalzina out as soon as Marina had taken off from the space-port. Dalzina accepted her offer of allegiance as the logical behaviour of a kindred spirit. The allusion of long-tailed rodents leaving a sinking ship was pushed from her mind. Fenzela’s support would be useful to Dalzina. When Dalzina heard Marina would leave Zenina, she left a message for Ondiella to come and visit her. Ondiella told Divak she was going to see Chilka before she left Zenina that morning. He did not offer to accompany her, for she might realise he was Marina’s brother. Ondiella did not see Chilka, she went to Dalzina. Dalzina said Ondiella must leave that evening and follow Marina. There were only two problems, Opak and Divak.
Ondiella thought Divak would disapprove of what she intended to do. She decided to leave her son behind in Zenina with Divak. He would not accept the responsibility willingly. If she told him anything, he would ask questions and Zeninans asking questions tend to find
out the answers they wanted to know. So Ondiella purchased a sleeping drug. That night she cooked him a very special supper, adding some of the drug to the spicy soup he was fond of, it would disguise any flavour.
Dalzina resolved to challenge Plavina that same day. It was not easy however to challenge a queen who kept to her rooms and admitted no one. Plavina realising too late the danger she had put herself in, stayed in her rooms sick with fear. She had Vlama summoned and asked her to act as Champion, but Vlama refused.
“You got into this mess with your eyes open; you can fight your own battles.”
Vlama turned her back and without waiting to be dismissed walked away.
The sleeping drug was not instantaneous but Divak fell asleep without finishing his second course. She managed to drag him into bed. They were in an apartment in a hotel on the outskirts of Hemithea. Ondiella had already prepared a note about Opak and why she was leaving him behind. Then she finished her packing and took the transporter to Hemithea space-port. Ondiella was booked as a passenger on a cargo-ship bound for Karanolla. She would change there for Bellatrix. How she would kill Marina she didn’t know but she was determined to find a way.
Divak woke to the sound of Opak howling. “Why doesn’t Ondiella get up and deal with him? I want to sleep.” He felt in the bed to shake Ondiella awake but he was its only occupant. He called her name but his voice echoed back unanswered. Thinking that she couldn’t have gone far, he sent his thoughts searching for her. “She isn’t in the hotel, or the grounds.” He could find no trace of her thoughts around. She’d been gone from the hotel for many hours. Divak got up ignoring the baby’s screams, looked around the apartment. Ondiella’s belongings were gone and on a table lay a note.
Dear Divak
Champion of Zenina Page 11