“Is there another position that can be taken, Your Majesty?”
“I'm a little unclear about something,” Jendrish said. “What exactly are their crimes?”
“The boy is facing very serious charges of sedition and terrorism,” I said. “And he needs to answer for those crimes.”
The King looked at me thoughtfully for a moment. “Of course,” he said. “As you know, we have our own troubles with seditionists, and I take those allegations very seriously indeed. I assume you have evidence that supports his ties to these crimes?”
I took a sip of wine and set the glass back down. “It's not my place to adjudicate his particular case, Your Majesty,” I said. “Personally, I have no stake in that game. I'm here merely to oversee the transfer of the prisoner so that he may stand trial.”
“You're here to negotiate for his release,” Jendrish said. “At least, I believe that's what you meant, since it's not a given that I will allow him to be taken yet.”
“Of course,” I replied.
Jendrish was testing my patience. He knew that under terms of the planetary alliance, he was obligated to send a wanted fugitive back to stand trial. And he had to know that I'd been properly briefed on terms of the alliance before setting foot on Optorio. Which meant that he was angling for something.
“We're both soldiers, Your Majesty,” I said. “I'm not particularly well-versed in the language of politics and diplomacy. May we speak freely?”
Jendrish nodded. “It would be preferred.”
“Very well,” I replied. “The terms of your alliance obligate you to send the boy back. You know this of course,” I said. “It's not a matter of you allowing me to take them back. It is your obligation to do so.”
Jendrish looked at me but said nothing. He merely sipped from his glass of wine and waited for me to continue.
“So, what is it you're hoping to gain by playing this game?”
He set his glass down and smiled at me. “It's not what I'm hoping to gain, General,” he said. “It's what I'm hoping to secure for both Hatare and Byr.”
“And what might that be?”
“Freedom for the girl,” he said bluntly. “She should not be forced into a marriage she does not want.”
“It is not my place to say otherwise,” I said. “Nor is it yours.”
“True,” he replied. “But I wasn't finished. I also want to ensure fair treatment for the boy. I happen to be convinced of his innocence and I will not send him back to Unduth only to see him executed because his guilt was predetermined.”
I sighed. “With all due respect,” I said, “You have no leg to stand on here. You have no standing to demand these things of the Unduthian Ministry.”
He shrugged. “Actually, I do have standing.”
“And what might that be?”
“Under terms of our planetary alliance,” he said, “Unduthian soldiers are not permitted upon my soil without my prior knowledge and consent.”
“I don't unders – ”
“See, I know for a fact that the Unduthian Ministry has had soldiers on Optorio searching for Hatare and Byr,” he said. “Furthermore, I know for a fact that some Unduthian soldiers – attached to your outfit, coincidentally enough – took part in the battle in the plaza that brought those two to me.”
I felt my face growing warm knowing that he was right. I'd taken measures to hide the identities of my men, but he'd obviously been able to discover it anyway.
I cleared my throat. “I don't know what – ”
“General,” Jendrish interrupted me, “as you noted, we're soldiers. Lying to me is far from honorable, so please do not insult my intelligence. I know it was your men in the plaza that night. They were there to pay the rebels a tremendous amount of money in exchange for Hatare and Byr. So, not only were Unduthian soldiers on Optorion soil – in clear violation of our treaty – but they were helping fund terrorism on my planet. I'd say that gives me plenty of standing to make some demands of my own.”
Jendrish was a shrewd and clever man. He'd grown into his role on the throne far more capably than I thought he would when I'd first learned of his coronation. He had me – and the Unduthian Ministry – dead to rights and he knew it.
“Here is what is going to happen,” Jendrish pressed. “If the Ministry accepts my proposals, I can overlook the very clear and very serious violations of our treaty. Call it a good faith gesture. The last thing I want is to have what has been a very good relationship between our two worlds for a very long time to be – damaged.”
“I believe the Ministry will feel the same way about maintaining solid relations with Optorio,” I said.
I took a sip of my wine, feeling utterly humiliated and angry. My reputation was going to take a big hit because of this fiasco. I knew the message I was going to have to deliver to the Ministry wasn't going to be received well. It was my fault we were in this predicament – even though I was operating under their orders. But they wouldn't see it as anything but my failing.
Jendrish nodded. “I am happy to hear that.”
“I will, of course, need to speak with the Ministry about your – proposals.”
“Of course,” he replied. “Also, please let them know that to see that my – proposals – are kept, I intend to send a delegation headed by my wife to oversee the transfer.”
I rubbed my jawline, feeling my irritation with the man growing. He was really pushing it – but knew he had the advantage. It was a smart play – press while you have the high ground. It's what I would have done – which earned him a measure of respect in my eyes. But, it was still irritating.
“I will inform the Ministry,” I said. “Is there anything else?”
He shook his head. “No, I believe that will be all.”
I inclined my head. “Very good. I will go back to my ship and place the call to the Ministry to discuss your proposals. We can meet again tomorrow?”
“I'll be waiting.”
Chapter Eight
Hatare
“I don't want to go back,” I said, a feeling of dread shooting through my heart.
Riley looked at me with sympathy in her eyes. “And I don't want to have to take you back,” she said. “But Jendrish has to look out for the well-being of his people. And there was a very real possibility that had he not agreed to this, it could have led to war.”
I sat next to Byr who sat hunched over with his head down. I could see the fear and uncertainty in his face. Reaching out, I took his hand and tried to give him a reassuring squeeze. He didn't respond. Not that I could blame him, really. We were being sent back to a planet where he was going to be tried and very likely executed as a terrorist.
My stomach was in knots and my heart pounded inside of me just thinking about it. But Riley said she did have some good news to share with us. We'd gotten settled into a comfortable cabin on the transport that was taking us back to Unduth and she'd plied us with food and drink – neither of which, Byr had touched. He'd barely spoken since Jendrish had broken the news to us.
While I was hurt and angry, I also couldn't blame him. Optorio was bigger than Byr and me. And while it would have been nice to see him grant us sanctuary, Riley was right – the welfare of his people came first and foremost. I didn't have to like it, but it was something I could understand.
Not only that, but the idea of innocent people dying in a war – because of us – didn't particularly sit well with me either.
The transport had broken the Optorion atmosphere and we were well on our way to Unduth by the time Riley had joined us in the cabin. I could see that she felt miserable about what was happening – but like her husband, she was in a no-win situation.
She took a seat at the table and I poured a glass of wine for her. As I watched the thick liquid filling the glass, I idly wondered if that was the last time I was ever going to taste the wine I'd grown rather fond of. She took a sip as she settled back in her seat and looked at the two of us.
“So, Jendrish was a
ble to secure certain considerations for your return,” she said. “And as much as I hate that you have to go back at all, at least it will be on favorable terms.”
“What terms?” Byr asked, his voice full of bitterness and anger.
“Well, first of all, the Unduthian Ministry has insisted that you stand trial for the charges levied against you,” she said. “But, you will get a fair trial – and I have every confidence that your innocence will be proven.”
“A fair trial,” Byr scoffed. “Right.”
“I know you're skeptical,” she said. “But you will be properly represented. I'm here to make sure that the terms of this agreement are met to my satisfaction. If there is even the slightest whiff of impropriety, you will be coming back to Optorio with me.”
“Which is all fine and good,” Byr countered. “But you're going to have to leave sometime. And then what?”
“I will have certain – safeguards – in place to make sure the terms of this agreement are upheld,” she said.
“What sort of safeguards?” I asked.
She gave me a small smile. “The kind I can't really talk about. But rest assured that I will be monitoring everything that happens here. There's no way in hell I'm throwing you to the wolves and abandoning you.”
I gave her a soft smile I hoped looked more genuine than it felt. “I will feel better knowing you will be keeping an eye on us.”
Byr said nothing, his eyes still focused on the floor beneath his feet. I couldn't imagine what was going through his mind as he sat there, knowing he was going to be standing trial for crimes I knew he didn't commit. Couldn't have committed.
She reached across the table and took my hand, squeezing it firmly. “I like you, Hatare. I like you a lot. And I'm going to do everything in my power to see that you live the life you want to live.”
“What is going to happen to me?” I asked softly. “Once we get back. I can't imagine that my father is going to be in a very forgiving mood.”
She sighed and looked down at our hands. “I don't know what's going to happen with your father,” she said. “But I do know that Jendrish was able to secure an agreement on your behalf. You are not going to be forced into the Academy, and you will not be forced to marry somebody you do not want to marry.”
My smile was weak, but I felt a genuine blossom of hope in my chest. “Really?”
Riley nodded. “Yes, really.”
“How are they going to enforce that,” Byr said, looking up at me. “Once Riley leaves Unduth, how can they guarantee your father isn't going to pack you up and ship you off to the Academy anyway?”
I could see the hurt and fear in his eyes – fear of losing me. I knew he thought that once we returned to Unduth, that things would go back to being the way they were on our world and that we would be kept apart by our class differences.
But I wasn't about to let that happen. I squeezed his hand and looked deeply into his eyes. “Do you trust me?” I asked.
He cocked his head, clearly confused by my question. “Of course I trust you.”
“Then trust in me when I say that they are not going to keep us apart,” I said. “If my father breaks his word and sends me off to the Academy, trust me when I say that I will find my way out and find my way back to you. We will be together no matter what world we're on and nobody is going to prevent that from happening.”
I looked at Riley – tears shimmered in her eyes and she smiled at me. She'd obviously seen what was building between Byr and I long before either of us had. She'd fostered and encouraged it to grow. And because of her, we'd found our way to one another – and had overcome our fears – together.
He gave me a small smile in return, but I didn't see a whole lot of hope in his eyes. Of course, though I talked a good game, I had no idea what was going to happen once we got back to Unduth – and I was forced to go back home to my mother and father. About the only thing I did know was that they weren't going to pack me up and ship me off without a fight. If they thought they could force me into the life they wanted me to live despite giving his word that they wouldn't, they were going to have a real big fight on their hands.
“Anyway, I wanted to let you two know what was going on,” she said. “We'll probably be getting to Unduth soon, so I want to give you both some time alone together.”
I looked up at her and felt a genuine gratitude in my heart for her. “Thank you, Riley. For everything.”
She looked at us and gave me a warm smile. “Don't say that like this is the last time we're going to see each other, Hatare,” she said. “Because it's not. I meant it when I said I really like you. And I will see you again soon.”
With one last smile, she turned and walked out of the cabin, leaving the two of us alone. I turned to Byr and squeezed his hand, trying to get him to look up at me. Reluctantly, he did and the look in his eyes broke my heart. There was little more than hopelessness and despair. He seemed resigned to a fate that ended with his death.
“Look into my eyes,” I said. “Look deeply. Tell me what you see.”
He looked for a long moment and then shook his head. “What am I supposed to be seeing?”
“You're supposed to be seeing how much I care for you, Byr,” I said. “I – I love you.”
A look of absolute surprise crossed his face. He looked at me like I'd sprouted another arm out of the top of my head or something. I couldn't believe those words came out of my mouth – but I couldn't deny how I felt, either. And what I had said was truly how I felt. I loved him. I loved Byr.
But I was scared putting that out there like that, not knowing how he felt about me. I had an idea that he felt much the same way, but until he said it, I couldn't know for sure. And it made me nervous. I stared at him, waiting for him to say something. Hoping it would be what I wanted to hear.
“I love you too, Hatare,” Byr said, his eyes wide, as if he couldn't believe he was saying it either. “But the way we feel about each other isn't going to save my life and it's not going to prevent your father from sending you to the Academy, either.”
“Maybe not, but I have faith in Riley,” I said. “I have faith that she's going to be able to make the Ministry as well as my father hold to their word.”
His smile was wry. “I wish I had the same faith you did.”
“They're not going to keep you and I apart, Byr,” I said. “If you believe in nothing else, believe in that. And who knows, once you are cleared of the charges and set free, you and I can go anywhere. We can build a new life. Maybe we can even settle on Optorio. It doesn't matter to me as long as we're together.”
He gave me a smile, but I could see the hollowness in his eyes. He didn't believe he was going to be cleared of the charges. He didn't believe that we were going to be together. He believed that his fate was already sealed.
I gripped his hand tighter and looked at him earnestly. Leaning forward, I kissed him with all of the love and passion I felt in my body and soul for him. When I finally pulled back, looked him in the eye.
“Never give up hope, Byr,” I said. “We are going to get through this together. We are going to be okay.”
His expression was sad, as if all hope had already been lost for him. “I hope you're right. I'd like nothing more than if you were right.”
“I am right,” I said. “You'll see.”
Chapter Nine
Byr
I wish I'd felt even half as confident that things would turn out right as Hatare did. But even as she'd spoken to me, I could see that she didn't entirely believe what she was saying either. I could see the shadowed, guarded look in her eyes. Yeah, she had hope, but I didn't think she truly believed that once Riley left Unduth, that her father or the Ministry would hold true to their word.
But knowing that she felt about me the way I felt about her lifted my spirits. Even if I was going to my death, I knew that I could at least hold on to that. Riley loved me. And I loved her. We'd somehow found our way through the winding paths of Unduthian society an
d class-based culture to each other. We'd found love for each other when the world told us that we shouldn't. That we couldn't.
That had to count for something, didn't it?
Well, if nothing else, it eased my heart and my soul. If it wouldn't protect me from what I was sure would be a swift execution once we got back to Unduth.
Riley, with her contingent of guards flanking us, marched us through the halls of the Ministry, with Unduthian soldiers leading the procession. My stomach was in knots that were constricting painfully and my heart thundered in my chest. Hatare gripped my hand and looked up at me with love – clouded by fear – in her eyes. She was as nervous as I was about what was happening.
“We'll be okay,” she said softly to me. “Don't lose hope, Byr. I love you.”
“I love you too,” I whispered back.
It amazed me how easily those words now came to us. Though, it almost felt like we were trying to say it as often as we could in anticipation of never being able to say it to one another again. But then, I was admittedly, in a very fatalistic frame of mind. Not that I could really be blamed. I just didn't have a lot of faith in the idea that a government who would seek to execute me for a crime I didn't commit – a crime they never truly investigated – would be faithful to their word to give me a “fair trial.”
A pair of large doors was opened and we were escorted into the middle of a massive chamber. Made of polished white and black stone, it was as beautiful as it was intimidating. I was standing in the seat of power in Unduth – the Ministry.
The government soldiers took up positions along the walls, leaving us facing the real power in Unduth – the Ministers themselves. They sat behind imposing looking desks on raised platforms. They looked down upon us with hostility and open disdain. I glanced over at Hatare and saw her raise her chin as she stared defiantly at one man in particular – Minister of Defense Borask. The man I knew to be her father. He stared back at her with barely controlled fury. I half-feared that he was jump down from his podium and try to throttle her then and there.
Hatare reached out and took my hand, squeezing it gently as she gave her father a very pointed look. His eye markings glowed brightly and the look in his eyes was unadulterated contempt. Riley, flanked by two of her guards, stepped in front of us, putting the eyes of the Ministers squarely on her. She'd effectively cut off my line of sight to the men seated before us.
Fawks (Dragons of Kratak Book 4) Page 88