by K. B. Wagers
“I am going to pretend I didn’t hear that.” Inana looked at the ceiling with a sigh, and I chuckled.
“There’s been some unrest along the border between Hyperion and Ganymede,” Caspel continued, his real eye unfocusing only slightly as he consulted his smati. “Honestly, I don’t think it will come to anything. You know how the Hyperions like to poke at their neighbor, but it would be suicide for the current leaders of the oligarchy to attempt anything. They’ve only just solidified their own power base.”
“Not to mention the Hyperion Royal Marines would wipe the fucking floor with whatever ragged group they’ve got for a military right now.” I snorted into my chai.
Ganymede was an oppressive nation in a constant state of revolt. No sooner did one group take power before the infighting started and then the revolution happened all over again. There were times when I wished the more powerful, not to mention more egalitarian, nation of Hyperion would just step on their rambunctious neighbors.
To this date no ruler of Ganymede had been dumb enough to take on one of the Milky Way’s most powerful fighting forces.
“Sign me up to front-row seats for that shit-show,” Inana said with a laugh that I echoed.
“It would be one for the ages. Okay, business as usual for that sector. If the Solarians aren’t too fussed about it, I’m not worried. They’re closer to the action than we are anyway.”
There was a wealth of space—mostly starless, planetless space—between Indrana and the Solarian Conglomerate. Indrana was located in the Perseus arm of the Milky Way near the Orion-Cygnus arm that was home to the Sol system and the vast number of systems and planets making up the SC.
“They’re not,” Caspel replied. “Though it could be because they’ve got more pressing things to worry about. All of these recent engagements between the Farians and the Shen have happened either in or near their territory.”
“Why aren’t they pressuring the Farians about it?”
“I think they have been, Majesty, but you know their influence has never been as strong with the Farians as ours has. Without any success. I’ve sent some feelers of my own out and haven’t gotten any response.” He shook his head. “The lack of response from the Shen doesn’t surprise me; we’ve been Faria’s ally for a very long time. However, I’m not hearing a thing from the Farians, either, and frankly that worries me a little.”
I finished off my chai and set the mug on the side table, then crossed my arms over my chest. “You think they might be losing the fight?”
“I don’t know, Majesty. We know next to nothing about this conflict except that it’s been ongoing somewhere in the Scutum-Centaurus arm of the galaxy for a very long time. And believe me, I have tried to find out more.”
“I could ask the Farians directly if you think it’ll help,” I said. “It’s a big galaxy, but if things get bad in the Solarian sector it will impact us even if the fighting doesn’t spill our way.”
“I think it would, Majesty,” Caspel said after a moment’s thought. “The Solarians haven’t asked us to intervene yet, but as I said, we have more pull. Maybe the Farians will listen to you.”
“I agree,” Inana said. “Let’s take the offensive diplomatically on this and see if we can’t have an impact. We’re barely back on our feet. The last thing Indrana needs is a war between two alien races throwing everything into chaos.”
“Just when we thought things were going to get quiet around here,” Caspel replied with a grin.
“True enough.” I got to my feet and the pair followed. “Keep an eye on it. I’ll send a message to the Farian ambassador. I don’t mind saying to you that I don’t like this feeling in my gut, but in the meantime I should go get ready to make this hard-won peace a reality.”
6
There was no fanfare, no big gathering later that morning; just me and Caterina in the downstairs conference room sitting across the table from the three Saxons.
Lunch was planned for after. I hoped it would be less somber than this situation and that we truly could start to build that friendship Samuel and Thora both seemed interested in.
Samuel cleared his throat, straightened his spine, and met the news cameras with a look that reminded me of his older brother. “Ladies and gentlemen. Citizens of Indrana and of Saxony. People of the Milky Way. I am King Samuel Gerison, duly confirmed and sworn leader of the Saxon Kingdom. Hear my words.
“In the Indranan year 2984, my father, going against the words of his advisors, and despite the best efforts of Empress Mercedes Bristol, threw away hundreds of years of friendship in favor of war. My own brother, drowning in his addiction and his grief over the death of our father, furthered that war in 3001 after a peace treaty was duly negotiated and followed by the Indranan Empire.”
I kept the smile on my face and my hands folded at my waist as Samuel cleared his throat again and continued.
“The Saxon Kingdom accepts and admits our fault in starting this war. We are at fault for the deaths of millions. We are at fault for breaking a friendship through greed and blindness. The first step to forgiveness is admitting this, and I pray that Her Majesty and the people of Indrana will find it in their hearts to accept our apology and allow us to work to make things right between us.”
“The Empire of Indrana gladly accepts your apology, Your Majesty,” I replied. “We look forward to a new friendship, one that will be stronger with the lessons learned from our past conflict and one that will endure throughout the years.”
The signing itself was formulaic. All the details had been hashed out in advance, and both Samuel and I had read through the treaty a dozen times at least.
I pressed my hand to the screen and passed the tablet to Samuel with a smile. He did the same, with a firm nod in my direction.
I extended my hand, and Samuel took it, his grip cool in mine. “Thank you for this, Samuel. Thank you for saving lives.”
“To peace,” he said. “And a new day.”
I turned to Toropov and took the hand he offered as Samuel turned to Caterina.
“Peace benefits us all, Your Majesty,” Toropov said with a smile. “Thank you for being wise enough to realize it.”
“We dishonor the dead if we don’t seek peace at every opportunity. There’s lunch in the room next door, if you’d like to follow me?”
“Now that business is attended to,” Toropov said as we passed through the doorway into the neighboring room. “I feel it’s a good idea to inform you that the Farians approached us about an alliance.”
“Did they now?” The Farians were notoriously selective about their alliances with humans, and I had often wondered why they’d never approached the Saxons—though Trace’s unpredictability and the constant war with Indrana was probably a huge obstacle to securing any kind of relationship.
But now they were reaching out to the Saxons when Caspel couldn’t get anyone to tell him what was going on with the Shen. My gut rolled. I faked an easy smile.
“Why do I feel like you give Director Ganej sleepless nights, Jaden?”
The other man’s smile made him look fifteen years younger, and he patted my arm with a scarred hand. “He knows he does the same to me. Though we had a most enjoyable time, given the circumstances, while I was here during the coup.”
“What are you going to tell the Farians?”
Toropov considered me for a long moment and then pulled out my chair for me. “We are still considering the offer, Your Majesty. I won’t lie, it is beneficial for Saxony. The money alone would prevent us from a complete financial collapse. I don’t need to mention that the Saxon kingdom staying financially solvent is also to Indrana’s benefit.”
“I feel like there’s a but hanging around that needs to be said.” I sat down and waited for Toropov to take his own seat before he answered me.
“We are not in a position to go to war again—not for ourselves, and certainly not for the benefit of another. This increase in the conflict with the Shen is extremely worrisome.” He fr
owned and lowered his voice, though Samuel and Thora were deep in discussion with Caterina and the news cameras had been blocked at the door. “I don’t understand what it is about the Shen that scares the Farians so, and that, quite frankly, concerns me.”
“You’re not alone on that front,” I murmured. “You have to do what’s best for Saxony, Jaden.”
“I know. I will.” He paused, collected his thoughts, and then continued. “It will not impact our relationship with Indrana if we say yes?”
“I cannot see how it would,” I replied with a smile. “We are allies with the Farians and will continue to be so even if we can’t assist them in this war with the Shen. It is Indrana’s official position that the fight between the Farians and the Shen is their affair alone. We have no desire to involve ourselves in a war that does not concern us and will only do so if the conditions of our treaty with Faria are met—namely if the situation escalates beyond what has been these consistent conflicts involving both the Farians and the Shen, or if this conflict directly impacts Indrana.”
Jaden relaxed and returned my smile. “That is good to hear, Majesty. Now, before I ruin lunch completely with this talk, let’s find a better topic. I hear you recently cashed in on some good odds concerning how long you’d be staying with the empire.”
My laughter bounced up to the ceiling. “You are an awful man, Jaden Toropov; I knew there was a reason I liked you.”
Lifting a slender shoulder, he smiled at the server as they laid a plate in front of him. “I made a decent amount myself, I confess, and put most of it down for this time next year.”
“I’m not going to tell you if I’m staying that long or not,” I said with another laugh. “You’ll get us in trouble with the gambling commission.”
“You and I both know you’re in this for the long-term.” He winked at me. “However, don’t get so settled, Your Majesty, that you forget how much fun trouble can be.” Toropov lifted his wineglass. “Ladies and gentlemen, a toast, to a new era of peace and prosperity for both our peoples.”
I lifted my own glass, a smile on my lips. “To peace and prosperity.”
I said our good-byes to the Saxons late the next morning at the Saxon embassy before Emmory and Caspel escorted them back to the landing pad and their ship. I headed out for a visit with the soldiers being treated at the Alix Kavi Hospital with Zin and Gita. They’d renamed the Royal Indranan Hospital after my father’s assassination. His death had been the opening shot of Wilson’s private war against my family and the Empire of Indrana, though at the time no one had realized just how twisted the conspiracy was.
On the way back to the hotel I’d sent the message to the Farian ambassador requesting that she make an appointment with Alba to see me. If things were escalating with the Shen, I wanted to be prepared for whatever the Farians might request. They had to know we weren’t in any position to run headlong into another fight, but I was certain Indrana could offer some kind of assistance to one of our oldest allies. Even if it was simply on the diplomatic front, as Inana had suggested.
“I was promised lunch now that you are done being empress,” Hao said with a smile when we met him and Dailun in the lobby of the hotel.
“I am never done being empress,” I replied with a laugh. Slipping my arm through his, I leaned against him, his solid presence chasing back the panic of being in the lift and the sadness that always clung to me after my visits to the hospital. “Do you remember when we crashed that highbrow party on New France?”
Hao chuckled and Dailun raised a curious eyebrow.
“I danced with a bona fide prince,” I said with an exaggerated wink, and Zin burst into laughter along with Dailun. “He was also a thief and a liar and we stole several million credits from him shortly after.”
The lift doors opened and Hao started forward without urging, smiling at me when I released my grip on his arm. But I noticed the way his eyes strayed to my Dve and the way Gita had somehow managed to end up on the opposite side of the lift from Hao and swallowed a sigh. My Dve had been briefly involved with Hao during our time out in the black, but the return to somewhat normal life had driven a wedge between them not long after. I’d asked Hao once and he’d snarled at me to mind my own business. I could have ordered Gita to tell me, but that seemed an awful abuse of power. So I let them sulk and awkwardly avoid each other in public and pretended I didn’t see the wounded glances when the other had their back turned.
If Portis were still alive he’d have wondered at my self-control. “Majesty.” Alba dipped her head in greeting and fell into step with us down the hallway. “Stasia has lunch waiting for you, and Caspel will come over after seeing the Saxons off for the daily briefing.”
“Good.” I headed into my rooms after the sweep, exchanging greetings with Stasia and the other servers still fussing over the table.
“After lunch your schedule is empty except for the visit to the palace construction site.”
I swallowed down the lump in my throat. I wasn’t looking forward to going to the palace. The place where Wilson had executed the matriarchs, where Cas had sacrificed himself. “What about the evening?” I asked, shaking away the ghosts clamoring for attention in my head.
“Ekam Tresk asked me to keep your evening cleared, ma’am.”
“Did he now?” I glanced in Zin’s direction.
He shook his head and lifted his hands. His grin, however, belied his ignorance, as did the fact that I knew Emmory wouldn’t have planned anything without his husband’s input.
Or his second-in-command’s. “Gita, what’s this about?”
“I couldn’t say, Majesty.”
“Uff, is there a point to being empress if you’re all going to lie to me? If I’d wanted that I could have stayed out in the black.”
Chuckles met my protest and I grinned as I dropped into my seat.
Dailun laid a hand on my shoulder on his way by. I reached up, my fingers on his for a moment before he moved on to his seat. “The islands were very beautiful, jiejie,” he said. “I have not seen water that clear for a long time.”
“Johar seemed very enamored of the area,” Hao added, taking a seat. “We looked at several properties down by the beach.”
I laughed. “I can’t believe she’s actually thinking of buying property here.”
“Santa Pirata isn’t exactly a resort planet.” Hao smiled up at the server who put his plate in front of him, and the young man blushed.
“True. Thank you, Zin.”
“Of course, Majesty.” He winked at me. “Emmory said to let you know the Saxons are off-planet and headed home. He’ll be back here in twenty minutes.”
I inhaled and then exhaled, feeling some of the tension leaving me. “That’s one thing accomplished.”
That pessimistic voice in the back of my brain whispered that there wasn’t any guarantee that peace would hold for the day, let alone for years. I shook it off as best as I could. It was done for now and my people were safe.
“To the Indranan Empire,” Hao said, raising his cup. “And Her Majesty, Empress Hailimi Bristol.”
Clearing my throat of the unexpected tears clogging it, I raised my own cup. “To the Indranan Empire and an age of peace. Not too bad for a former gunrunner, eh?”
Hao winked at me and we settled into friendly chatter as Dailun pushed for more details of the Paris heist, which I gladly provided while Hao interjected his own version of events along the way.
We were just wrapping up when Emmory and Caspel arrived.
“There you are. I thought for sure you were going to hide from me all day.”
“I had some things to take care of.” Emmory waved a gloved hand, his dark eyes scanning the windows behind me out of habit.
“Yes, your mysterious surprise for this evening.” Waving my own hands in the air, I got up from the table. “Have I mentioned I don’t like surprises?”
“I promise no one will be shooting at you, Majesty.”
Hao chuckled as he got to h
is feet.
“Jiejie, do you mind if I wait around and join you this afternoon?” Dailun asked.
“Not at all,” I replied, and hugged him. “I’d love your company. Hao, you want to join us?”
“Thank you,” he said with a shake of his head. “I have some business to deal with. I’ll see you this evening.”
“He has plans.” I waved a hand in my Ekam’s direction.
“Yes, I know,” Hao said, his laughter following him as he sauntered out of the room with Dailun on his heels.
“He knows?” I shot Emmory my best betrayed look, and Caspel laughed.
Emmory shrugged. “It’s Hao. Keeping a secret from him is challenging.”
“Tell me about it,” I muttered, but then I grinned. “I managed it for twenty years, though.”
My Ekam shook his head with a sigh.
“Majesty? I just received a message from Ambassador Ussin.” Alba frowning was never a good sign, and my amusement slid away as quickly as Emmory’s did. “She regrets that things are so hectic at the moment she won’t be able to come see you any time soon.”
I blinked once in shock. “That’s cowshit.”
“She’s not a citizen, Majesty,” Emmory said. “She doesn’t have to come when you order her to.”
“I didn’t order,” I replied. “And the cowshit is less about her being extremely unprofessional by refusing. It’s about claiming she’s too busy to see me. She’s blowing me off just like Caspel’s contacts blew him off.” I muttered a second curse, this one in Cheng, and Emmory raised an eyebrow at me. “He’s been trying to get information from sources familiar with the Farians about what exactly is going down with the Shen, but so far it’s just been silence in response.”
“Silence may mean they just don’t have an answer for you, Majesty.”
“You know as well as I do, Emmory, that’s not how this works. Silence means they’re scrambling for answers, or planning something they don’t want to share with us. Silence means whatever is going on is nothing good.”