by Cheryl Oblon
A deep breath, and I was back at that painting image, frozen. How could I clear it out? Since I couldn’t seem to shake it, I went in. Diving back into that area. Was he still staying there?
I didn’t feel him there at the moment. He was determined and on a mission he believed in.
This was insane. I wasn’t reading his mind but somehow tapping into it. I tried to go deeper, but the details of his plan didn’t seem to flow. Nosing around, I felt him putting up blocks. Could he sense this? I had no idea, but I pulled myself from the connection.
He was a strong telepath. I’d be better off practicing my other abilities to defeat him.
Looking at the tablet, I’d typed out something else this time.
Bouncing around locations.
No help. If the trance opened me up for him to tap into my mind, I had to be careful about that. I couldn’t risk unwillingly giving him info that might help him avoid capture.
Chapter 13
The next morning, I avoided Nemal by going to the great hall for breakfast. By now, Nemal would know about my father, and I didn’t want to talk about it. I sat with Tantil and tried to figure out how to accomplish my goals here. There wasn’t much of anything I could or not do about my father at the moment.
“You look lost in thought,” Tantil said.
“I am. I want to see the real Bachal life. A tour beyond the castle.”
“It’s not a pleasant or easy tour. Nothing like your world,” he warned.
“That’s fine. I want to see it.” I wanted a break from the castle and routine.
He looked at my clothes. “You’ll need to change. Pants and sturdy shoes. Leaving the castle’s safety, your princes won’t like it.”
“I don’t answer to them. I’ll bring droids for security. Why don’t you meet me at my bedchamber when you’re ready? I need to dig out the proper outfit.” I headed for my room.
“I’ll have some clothes and boots sent for you. You’ll blend in better,” he said.
I smiled. “Thank you.”
Once there, Anela helped me on with the rugged boots that the prince had sent. Even in the garden, I’d never worn shoes like this. Only in winter did I wear boots, and they were fur-lined for warmth.
“Where does your mother live?” I asked.
“Why?”
“I’m going among the people. Maybe I can visit her.”
She shook her head. “You should be very careful. It’s not a safe area.”
I pointed to the two droids. “I’m also be escorted by the prince and his guards. I doubt I’ll have trouble.”
She crossed her arms. “My mother is in 245 on west 175th. It’s all numbers and directions.”
“Thank you.” I dug into my drawer and pulled out a container of hard candy. Stuffing the candies, a bit of money, and the dagger I’d acquired into a bag. I also took my tablet, just in case I needed to get in touch with Johey.
The knock on the door made Anela jump. She admitted the prince and bowed low.
“You look ready for a rough ride,” Tantil said.
“One last thing.” I twisted my hair up and slid a clip through it so it’d stay out of my face. “I’m ready.”
The droids followed dutifully. I felt like I imagined a soldier did headed into battle. Not knowing what to expect and weighed down with a bag. I stopped and handed the bag to the droid. No reason for me to carry something when the droids could carry ten men.
“You are fit to be a princess or a queen,” Tantil said.
I almost stopped, but kept moving so I didn’t overreact. It sounded like something my father would say.
“I’m the ruler of my family. It’s a high-ranking title, but not princess or queen. That’s far beyond my position. Droids are part of our daily life and useful tools,” I said calmly.
“If you married Nemal, you’d be a princess. Right? At least, by title.” Tantil led the way down halls I’d never seen.
One of his guards paused. “Sir, we’re heading to the armory.”
“I know. We need a small ship. Lady Kimess isn’t likely to steal a sword. She couldn’t lift it.”
“She could lift a laser rifle,” he replied.
I grinned and lied. “I wouldn’t know how to shoot it.”
“See.” The prince waved off his guard’s concern.
We walked farther and farther. The castle was big, and the boots were heavy. Finally, we headed through a set of iron doors. There were many smaller ships, motorcycle type vehicles and large ships all with antigravity discs on the bottom. They had the ability to move in mass.
We continued toward the end of the huge room, and I saw the weapons. Some old, like swords and knives, others modern and laser-based. Racks and racks of weapons said they were ready for a war. Maybe the prince wanted me to see this? The guards had weapons on them, so these were extra.
“You are well supplied,” I said.
A small ship waited for us. I stood there until Tantil offered me a hand. He helped me into the passenger seat. I didn’t want to presume where I’d sit. The guards were nervous enough. The prince took the controls, and I watched.
After a few minutes, we were hovering above the castle grounds. It was pretty beneath some of the pollution. The air here was so thick, and the castle sat so high that the air was gray just looking out the window of my bedchamber. Being so near the ground, the air felt fresher. But when the drawbridge went down and we were outside the castle, I felt like I was in one of my grandmother’s movies. It was desolate and gray. Grass and plants were rare and looked mangled.
“I thought we’d all recovered from the horrid war’s effects.” I couldn’t hide my shock.
“Our lands aren’t as fertile. Agriculture is on the fringes further from industry.” He pointed to the buildings in the distance.
As we closed in on them, I saw lots of smoke and barely standing buildings. “Are these businesses?”
“Yes. Would you like to tour one?” he asked.
“I think I’d rather see people. Housing. Someone suggested west 175th would be an average area.”
“Then, we’ll go there,” he said.
The guards behind us grumbled.
When the ship stopped, I exited, following the prince. My droids joined us. When the guards tried to come along, I looked at the prince. “I think the droids are enough. Maybe your guards should watch the ship?”
“I’m sorry if they’ve made you feel uneasy.”
We headed inside. “I feel safer with droids. They don’t deal in gossip. Are you okay?”
He smiled. “I’m fine. Why are you worried?”
“I always feel conflict and unease when I’m around you. I don’t want to push into your thoughts. But I want you to know you can trust me. You can tell me anything. Faldar trusts me.” I noticed the out of order lift and sighed.
“We don’t have to go up much,” he said.
“I want to see people.” I reached for the bag my droid carried.
“Tell me where you’d like to go. I’ll head up first,” he said.
We began the climb. 245 ended up meaning second floor. There were forty-five units on each floor.
Children ran around half-clothed, and Tantil frowned.
“Do you get around here often?” I asked.
“My father doesn’t encourage it. He wants people to make their community better. Men serve in the army so women have time to improve things. Most don’t work,” he replied.
I saw an open door with a mother holding two small children.
“Hello, may I speak to you?” I asked.
She studied us, but didn’t object. “He looks like the prince. Are you two some sort of acting troop?”
“No, he is the prince. I’m a visitor from Lazrel on a tour. My name is Kimess. Who are you?” I kneeled down and felt out of place.
“Helvon. These are my two youngest, Yetma and Lotem.” She didn’t look proud.
“How sweet. How many children do you have?” I pulled a couple pieces of candy from my bag. I offered them to the kids, and they grabbed without hesitation.
She looked down. “Five. One more on the way.”
“You’re a fine example of motherhood,” Tantil said.
I wanted to smack him. Instead, I handed out more candy. “So many children. That’s a lot of mouths to feed. Lots of clothes.”
“They just keep growing. Things wear out so fast.”
“Your husband is alive?” I asked.
“Sure. He’s always on patrol somewhere. Sends some money back. He likes being a soldier more than being here,” she said. “Most men do.”
“I’m sure he wants to bring home as much as he can for his children.” I pulled a few coins in the local currency from my bag. “But this might help.”
Tantil looked offended, but the tears in Helvon’s eyes told me she needed some assistance.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“You’re welcome.” Royal protocol felt a bit stiff, but when I didn’t know what else to say, I seemed to fall back on those habits as safe. “Goodbye. I have to go visit others now.”
The kids waved. The mother clutched the coins.
We headed down the hall a bit, and Tantil took my hand. “What was that?”
“Charity. Something your country has clearly forgotten ever existed. Maybe Faldar wants to stay in a place where he doesn’t need to see squalor. I’ve traveled all over my country, and we don’t have places like this. Even when people lose jobs or lose their homes, there are temporary homes that help them regroup.” I was shocked. “I mean, that woman’s husband works.”
“Yes, and how they manage their wages is their affair. You have charities caring for people in your country, so you must not be perfect,” he said.
“No, not perfect. People make mistakes. They get sick. There are accidents and addictions. People grow old. There are buildings with the facilities to help all of them live and improve their situation, if possible. They are clean. They are safe. They are fed and clothed. There is medical care. But we don’t have overcrowding either. I’m sorry, I didn’t imagine it would be like this.” I walked on and visited three more families.
Anela’s mother was in the last dingy unit. It was half the size of the others.
“We don’t let our elderly go homeless,” he said.
The old woman bowed as much as she could from her bed. “No, Your Highness. They gave my spinster daughter a job at the castle. My husband is dead. No sons. But my daughter sees that I have a place. She works hard for the king.”
I folded a few coins into her hand. “I’m sure she does.”
“You’re the pretty lady she mentioned. The kind one who saved the princess?” She clutched my hand.
“I’m gifted with certain things. It’s my duty to use my gifts to help people. Can I do anything for you?”
She shook her head and slipped the coins under the covers. “I’m just fine. Well cared for.”
I smiled. “Thank you for letting me visit with you.”
“Thank you for coming. And my prince.” She bowed her head.
He waved and left.
I followed him and closed the door behind me. “You’re not comfortable doing this.”
“I need fresh air,” he said.
“Is there such a thing here?” I followed him outside. We walked a bit, and he ordered off the guards who had waited outside but were guarding our ship.
“You hate it here,” he said.
“No. I want to understand what it’s like. You’ve shown me the castle. I appreciate it. I wanted to see the real way people live.”
“We never asked that when we were your guests,” he replied.
“No, but we would’ve shown it to you. There are some fringes of people who prefer not to live in cities. They prefer little huts or cabins in the woods. It’s their choice, and we have a patrol that goes and checks on them. Anyone found homeless is brought back to a temporary housing facility until they can be helped. We’re not perfect, but we didn’t hide things from you.”
“You think we’re hiding things?”
“No, you showed me. You don’t like it.” I liked him for being embarrassed. “You care about your people.”
He ran his fingers through his hair. “More children mean more workers. More helpers for the mothers.”
“And that works very well on a farm. But in close quarters, it’s not the same. Males become soldiers, but women aren’t encouraged to work. Couldn’t they be industry workers?”
“Plenty of disabled soldiers and older men take those jobs in the factories. So, your farm families can have more children than your city workers? That’s not fair.” He walked.
I kept up with him. “No, our farms are staffed with droids for the physical labor. They don’t need to be fed. They don’t need rest. If we don’t have as much work, they can be put on another job. There is some maintenance, but it’s minimal. We love our children, but we want them to have enough.”
“Your queen has four children,” he said.
“She does. She had a girl first. Then, two boys who couldn’t inherit. She needed a spare. The queen is different. The rest of us can have no more than two pregnancies with a live birth for that woman.”
He pointed at me. “And if someone has triplets?”
“That is rare and only one pregnancy. Honestly, most women would stop. Most families stop at one child. Unless they are a ruling family where they need a female heir, one is plenty to educate and love. To carry on the family legacy and traditions. If you can feed, house, and care for many children—I’m not opposed.” I looked down the dead-end street. A small group of tents was set up there. “Who are they?”
“Squatters. Homeless. Sometimes, men are injured and can’t serve any longer.” He took my arm and turned me. “It’s not safe.”
I headed back toward our little ship, but stopped. “Has Faldar seen this?”
Tantil shook his head. “My father will be furious that you did.”
“Faldar doesn’t know many of his future subjects live like this?”
“He knows. He’ll be mad I went and looked.” Tantil looked at the guards. “I’ll handle them. But, no, I don’t think Faldar ever saw this. He would rally to fix this if he ever comes back.”
“You don’t think he will? Your father won’t let him stay in Lazrel forever.”
“He’s happy and safe. I see that every time I talk to him. It’s not LeFawn, though. He loves someone else.” Tantil paced.
“He does. I wouldn’t envy him if I were you. It’s not an easy match. You’ll find someone.” I didn’t elaborate on who Faldar loved. No names. We both knew it was a man.
“That’s not my problem now. I’m not fit for anyone.” He hung his head. “Let’s get back. We’ll be late for lunch.”
Chapter 14
That evening, things were tense. Tantil barely looked at me during dinner.
“Where did you disappear to?” Nemal asked.
“A little tour of the normal people. I had droids, guards, and the prince with me. I was quite safe.”
He wanted to talk about my father. No doubt Johey had informed him of the update. But we were in public, and I wanted to talk about something useful. Things I couldn’t control, like my father, were frustrating.
When Tantil left, I excused myself. Marel, Zoma, and Nemal were all annoyed with me, but I had to apologize to the prince. It wasn’t my specialty. Saying sorry always felt a little hollow because you couldn’t undo what you’d done. But I wouldn’t undo this, anyway. I did feel bad I’d made Tantil defend things.
He turned in the hall and caught me following him.
“You have something more to say?” he asked.
“In private.”
He led me to his chamber and ordered out all the servants. I predicted gossip tomorrow, but I wouldn’t stay too long.
I
sat in a soft chair. His rooms were functional and gleamed with metal.
“What do you want to say?” he asked as he poured wine.
“I’m sorry about today. I didn’t mean to put you on the defensive about how your father runs his kingdom. I wanted to see average citizens because I felt useless and cooped up in the castle. I had no right to turn that into a session of blame or criticism.” I took the cup of wine when he offered it.
“I appreciate you saying that. Most royals never apologize.” He smiled. “I don’t like what I saw today, either.”
“And I assumed you’d seen it before and had somehow condoned it. Again, I am sorry I overreacted. Maybe now you can help in some way,” I offered.
“I would like to, but my father doesn’t listen to those things. Men should provide for their families. Every many can join the military, though there are some wounded or medical exceptions. Even then, they can serve elsewhere. There are technological-based positions that don’t require fighting or mobility. Then, there are the factories.” He frowned.
“And those without husbands or men?” I asked.
“You heard that older woman. Her daughter works here for us. We do offer work. Some very skilled positions are in our medical and birthing facilities. Women can train and work there if they have the brains and ambition.”
“But motherhood is more prized. It’s also easier to get pregnant than it is to study for years. Some people want the path of least work, and they find it harder in the long run.” I shook my head. “School was not optional for me, but I’m glad.”
“Your world is nothing like ours. Faldar is so lucky he found a way to stay. Even if it’s only for a little while,” Tantil said.
I felt his misery. For some reason, I’d resisted pushing too deeply into his thoughts. Two gay sons might be too much for the king to possibly handle. Maybe I didn’t want to know that?
“Whatever is bothering you, you can tell me. I won’t tell Nemal or anyone. I think we’ve become better friends than that.”
“I was a bit of an aloof jerk when I visited your world,” he said.