The Tourney

by Juliet Sem

  "Because, Countess," the prince said without hesitation, "Your system of a single supreme planetary ruler is one that's familiar to us. We hesitate to extend an offer to other members of the Union, due to the possibility of diplomatic misunderstandings that may end negotiations before they are hardly begun. We do not understand, nor are we interested in dealing with Weegai's democratic system of rule."

  Seated a little further away, Baron Ungwa Falas of the fifth barony of the Western continent spoke up, his deep voice booming as he introduced himself before posing his question. "I'm wondering myself why you are--the Autocracy that is--ending your isolation?"

  "We are close to a change in power, and my father, Prató Béjan of Purvol, is most favored to win, and he thinks it's high time that the Autocracy stopped being isolationists. The Autocrat and Autocress who ruled before the current rulers disliked the idea of contact outside our cluster when they first ascended to their positions and issued decrees against it. However, the current Autocrat and Autocress allowed trade with the nearby planets of Triker and Rillul and realize it has been greatly beneficial to our people and have rescinded most of those restrictions, though they have not actively sought trade with the Union or Mining Consortium. However, others like my father can clearly see we aren't benefiting from having an even more broad trade base, and we have been encouraged to seek a trade agreement with the Union in anticipation of his taking power."

  Baron Boamy, who administered to the third barony of Western, the barony they were located in, stood before speaking from the far end of the dining hall so everyone could see and hopefully hear him. "Tell, me Prince," he called out, "How is it you speak Unity so well?"

  "We have adopted it as a secondary language in the Autocracy because we have much trade with the Triker, who learned it in order to trade first with Weegai and then with the Rillul, who had also learned it to trade with Weegai, and therefore we use it to trade with them and the Rillul as a neutral language we all have access to."

  Keestu looked around the table with interest. She'd read about the Triker and Rillul. The Triker were a reptilian species who traded on occasion in the Union, but they had declined full Union membership benefits and responsibilities. Likewise, the Rillul only visited the Hub on occasion. She knew their ships brought raw goods that they traded for precious metals or other raw goods or finished items, not Union monetary Units.

  The Triker, Keestu knew, never came to Sandar, and it was rumored to be because they thought most of the planet too cold, though she had heard of them visiting Weegai's various continents during their summer fishing season. The Rillul were humanoid in appearance, but no one who'd written a book on alien relations Keestu had read could confirm or deny if the green-skinned Rillul were truly mammalian humanoids or something else entirely.

  She found herself wondering exactly how the Autocracy traded with the Triker and Rillul if none of them used money.

  She slowly raised her hand. Ismer raised his eyebrows, but nodded to her. "Questions are open to all, Rue," he said gravely. Keestu noted her mother leaned forward, showing great interest in any question posed by her daughter.

  An expectant silence fell over the tables as she thought how to phrase her question. "Your Highness, I was wondering if the Autocracy has its own money, or if all Autocracy trade is done through barter?"

  "We prefer barter using goods or something we call barter credit, as the hours to produce any goods we buy or sell can be quickly calculated by our trained barterers, and the Dunnes--our commoner class--tithe in such goods. I understood from the Triker that this was an acceptable practice in the Union, at least for them, since they do not participate in your Union and therefore have no access to or use for official Union Units."

  "Of course barter is acceptable," Queen Mewa interjected smoothly. "But I'm sure all our peoples are quite interested in understanding more about any cultural differences we may have as opposed to our similarities, Dinus."

  The prince smiled and nodded amiably at Keestu and turned his attention to more questions as they ate the main course, baked Shatopa shellfish in a buttery Kielra mushroom sauce, fresh soft bread rolls made from a nutty Sandarian grain, and baked spicy root vegetables from Chtawlikt.

  The dessert course arrived, and Keestu almost groaned out loud. It was sereska pudding, made from a grain that grew on Uriel. The pudding was made with sugar and heavy cream and even a small serving had a lot of calories. She took a tiny bite from Rue's dish and quickly passed it over.

  Finally, the formal dinner was over. Keestu stood up and pulled out Rue's chair for her and then went and stood with the rest of the staff as King Ismer, Queen Mewa, Rue, and her siblings took their leave of Prince Dinus for the night. He was given an honor guard escort to his suite on the palace's second floor and finally vanished from sight. Sighing, Keestu relaxed her tense shoulders. Most of the nobles from out of town had left, since there wasn't enough room to put them all up in the palace, but many were still clustered around her father. He took off his heavy formal crown and mumbled a soft curse as he looked into a nearby mirror. "Ku," she heard him complain as he turned in her direction, "I have crown hair!"

  After several more minutes of conversation, the rest of the nobles left, and Ismer indicated that he wanted Rue and Keestu to accompany him and Queen Mewa back to their suite.

  Once ensconced in the nearly impregnable royal bedroom on the third floor of the palace, Keestu turned to her mother and father. "Okay, we did as you said, father, mother. Why continue letting him think Rue is me?"

  "Several reasons," Ismer said as he let his body servant remove his formal cloak. He looked in the mirror again and gave up trying to adjust his hair. He motioned for them both to sit down before continuing. He started pacing the room.

  "The Autocracy is based on a feudal monarchy system," he began.

  "Like ours," Keestu agreed.

  "Not at all like ours," Ismer said, wagging an admonishing finger at her for interrupting him as he allowed his body servant to remove his jacket. "They choose new leaders from their noble class every fifty years."

  Rue was confused. "They choose their leaders? I thought Prince Dinus said they didn't understand or like the democratic process?"

  "Well, I spoke with him earlier today, and he explained how it's done. Their leaders choose themselves. Every fifty years, they have a tournament to determine the new Autocrat and Autocress, which they simply call the Tourney. Only those of the noble class may enter, and only the top fighters from any of their nine member planets are allowed to participate: They must first be the undisputed winners of their home planet before they can try for the position of Autocrat or Autocress. The winning Autocrat and Autocress jointly make all the decisions for the Autocracy for the next fifty years while keeping their spouses as 'consorts'. They cannot be challenged once they've proven themselves to be the best fighters in their generation. I understand challenges happen quite often at the Prató and Praté level, which are the titles of male and female planetary rulers respectively. All planetary rulers report to the Autocrat and Autocress and are responsible for upholding any and all Autocracy wide policy changes the duo decree. It is a matter of courtesy to call the spouse of a ruling Prató or Praté by the appropriate complimentary title though they have not won their title in battle themselves, similar to a Sandarian Lady of title and marrying, and her husband being addressed as Lord as a result, though on Sandar the title is actually granted to the non-noble spouse upon marriage, and their children are considered to be of noble birth despite one parent being of commoner birth."

  "So what's all that got to do with him mistaking Rue for me?"

  "He's invited us to send a representative to witness the tourney. You're old enough to be sent on diplomatic trips by yourself, and when he mistook Rue for you, I figured it would be all the better if you went undercover to see how sentiment is on the commoners' level before we make any concrete plans regarding a trade sponsorship. Rue can wear a recorder so we can all hear exactly what
went on at any negotiations she may be forced to attend without you. I will have Vahin and the other advisers give her a list of concessions we will be willing to make and recommendations of our own to improve the treaty for our side."

  Ismer sat down next to Mewa, who had taken off her headdress and shaken out her hair before bending to remove her shoes while her body servant put her headdress and cloak away. Keestu thought it strange that she remained silent. She may have been only a Lady before she had married the King, but she had made the position of Queen hers outright with her participation in the government of Sandar.

  "How big an entourage will we be sending?"

  "Hopefully one that's big enough to impress, but not so large as to appear either paranoid or overly aggressive."

  "That's kind of vague, dad," Keestu grumbled softly.

  "We have a week to figure it out. The tourney is seventy-six days from now. You'll tour of all their planets, allowing you to see what each is like. You will also witness at least one local fight on the Autocracy's capital planet Phaet, and then you are to see the tourney itself, which will be held on on Phaet after your tour. You'll be gone for approximately three Union months, including travel time. That should be plenty of time to get a good look around and see if their commoner population favors this trade treaty. That way, if Prince Dinus's father loses, we can either approach the winner to negotiate the agreement or know to leave them isolated for another fifty years before trying again. I'm certain they are bound to have a great store of barterable raw materials all the Union can use, and it sounds like they are particularly interested in benefiting from Uriel's electronics expertise."

  "So why are we waiting a week to send a return delegation?"

  "Several reasons. I want the rest of the Union Senators to attend formal dinners on Sandar to see what they think of Prince Dinus, we have to chose some trade items to send with you, and Rue needs a suitable wardrobe."

  Keestu looked sharply at Rue, who nodded. "Dinus probably didn't notice how your gown was short on me and looser, but anyone on Sandar could have recognized that. I saw some of the nobles staring as they left."

  She stood up, and Keestu took a closer look at her, seeing how her stockinged ankles were bared, and the dress, indeed, was visibly ill fitted.

  "If questions come up while the wardrobe is being made, we will explain it as an unexpected growth spurt," Mewa finally contributed, turning to Keestu. "From what we know of the Autocracy thus far, her wardrobe should be all bold colors."

  "Your Grace," Rue looked at Mewa, "You certainly don't mean I'm to keep this wardrobe when we return?"

  "Why ever not?" Mewa asked. "You're a Crown Princess's chosen handmaiden, and as such, you should have a suitable wardrobe."

  "Oh," Rue said, surprised. "Thank you, Your Grace."

  "Besides," Ismer said with finality, "I also had to send to Uriel for parts to make up a suitable recorder, one Rue can keep with her at all times and no one can question her having it."

  "That," Keestu said, "I have to see!"

  "Tomorrow," Ismer smiled. "Now it's time for bed."

  "It's late enough that I already messaged your father that you'd be staying the night in your room here," Mewa told Rue, who nodded.

  "I told him that I would probably be staying here after I was told I was masquerading as Princess Keestu," Rue said. "I didn't think it be appropriate to be seen leaving the palace after a formal dinner."

  Keestu and Rue left the royal suite and walked to the next, which was Keestu's. It had a smaller adjoining suite with an interior door connecting them, which was where Rue was allowed to sleep when she stayed in the palace. The palace had been built in a time of war, and that room had housed a squad of guards whose only purpose was to protect the life of the heir, but now it had been assigned to Rue, so that she could be instantly available when she stayed in the palace. The King's steward and the Queen's handmaiden never stayed in the palace, since they were nobles and had homes in the block of housing that faced the palace.

  Keestu pulled Rue into her rooms and closed the door.

  "I can't believe it! We're going on a trip by ourselves," she said to her friend as she helped Rue remove the headdress she'd worn to dinner.

  "There's a lot to think about. I guess it's a good thing I study with your tutors, or my absence from school would be noted by the infocom," Rue said as she helped Keestu take down her hair and brush it out.

  "Skomer is going to be so jealous," Keestu smirked. "I get to see a fighting match on another planet! He's got to be trying to think of a way to be included in this trip," she concluded, yawning. It had been a long day.

  "Well, we'll learn more about it tomorrow," Rue said, yawning. "Right now, I just want to get some sleep."

  "Me, too," Keestu said. "'Night, Rue."

  "'Night, Kee," Rue said as she entered her suite and softly closed the door.

  Keestu changed into her pajamas and crawled into bed. As excited as she was about the trip, it still didn't take her long to fall asleep.

  Chapter three

  Keestu woke the next morning to the insistent chiming of her infocom. She turned the volume up and hit the repeat button, jumping up when she heard that Sandar's Star would be landing within the hour. Uncle Korin was home! She dashed into the shower, threw on an informal pantsuit, running a brush through her damp hair before quickly plaiting it, and was out of her suite in a little over a half hour. She ran to the family's private lift and took it down, pelting to the private dining hall, where her parents would be waiting. Hemda was already there, kicking her feet and complaining as a servant dragged a brush through her hair.

  Mewa hushed her and smiled hugely at Keestu. "I think that's a record for you," she commented wryly.

  Keestu grinned back and sat down to wait. She wanted to kick her own feet, but she was Crown Princess and had to set a good example. Her brothers arrived together, their hair showing half-hearted attempts at combing, and Keestu noticed with private glee that Kang's usually prim appearance was marred by the fact that he'd buttoned his shirt up wrong.

  The palace began to shake lightly as the Star made its final approach, and Keestu imagined she could hear the roar of the engines and firing of the VTOL controls through the thick stone walls, but strain as she might, she couldn't.

  The shaking ceased, and she fidgeted in her chair. The worst thing about being Crown Princess was that she shouldn't be seen running out to meet anyone.

  A solemn knock finally sounded on the heavy dining hall doors. "Enter," called Ismer.

  The doors swung open, and Hemda threw herself off her chair and raced at the man who walked in unannounced. "Un' Korin, Un' Korin," she cried as she barreled into his legs, nearly throwing him off balance.

  "Whoa there, young lady," Korin laughed as he scooped her up, "You're getting too big to do that without knocking me down!" He scooped her up and swung her around, making her squeal with delight.

  Ismer began laughing at the sight as he got up to hug his brother hello. Korin then hugged Queen Mewa.

  Finally, it was Keestu's turn. She was being decorous, but tried to give him a bear hug to express her delight that he'd come to visit. He gently squeezed her back, eyes sparkling as he barely bent to kiss her forehead. "How much you've grown this past year, Kee," he said.

  Skomer offered a handshake, which Korin solemnly accepted. Kang, though, was still young enough to accept a hug and a hair tousle.

  "Where's Aunt Nahtua," Skomer asked, looking around after realizing Korin's wife was absent. "She's not here?"

  "No. Ring travel is not allowed in the final weeks of pregnancy, and she's having a tough time dealing with the restriction. Despite carrying a child, she's hardly slowed down. I dare say you'll have a cousin running around here soon enough when Senate is in recess in the years to come."

  "When is she due?" Mewa looked concerned as they all sat back down at the breakfast table.

  "About two weeks, we think. The date of conception wasn't nailed down exac
tly, and you know what they say." Korin smiled as he sat down in the guest chair to Ismer's right.

  Ismer grinned, "The first one can come any time! I am glad you finally found a wife."

  "I'm glad I waited," Korin said, "But not for the reasons you may think, Mewa," he waggled several fingers in her direction. "I need a wife who understands the necessity of all the pomp here at home, who is willing to put up with late Senate meetings, not to mention coordinating impromptu meals with strangers and aliens at all hours of the day or evening."

  Servants immediately started bringing in their food, but Keestu ate with little attention to her meal. Uncle Korin lived and worked on Uriel, since he was serving as Sandar's Senator after the death of the former office holder, and while he visited Sandar often, she often missed his cheerful company at the frequent formal dinners her father held.

  "The entire Senate is buzzing over this Autocracy visit," Korin was saying as he sipped hot javene. "President Dota sends his regards along with his regrets. He feels it's important to show Sandar as being truly autonomous and thinks his presence could be seen as negating our independent bargaining power."

  Ismer nodded. "I'm glad to hear that. It means he won't be surprised when he gets the message capsule I sent out just before the Prince's arrival here asking him to sit this one out. When are the other Senators arriving?"

  "Senators Shatopa and Chtawlikt should be in transit now and will arrive in plenty of time for dinner tonight. I was given priority clearance passage through the Hub's ring system since Sandar is my homeworld, while they will be delayed by the usual midmorning military traffic and so will arrive sometime this afternoon. Kielra will arrive tonight after dinner, as she had business to attend to prior to coming to meet Prince Dinus. Weegai and Uriel are coming tomorrow morning; both have a large amount of paperwork to finish today. President Dota, as I said, is not coming, so tomorrow night we can have a formal dinner with all senators present. I'm glad that we only have Shatopa and Chtawlikt coming for tonight, as I figured having Weegai, Kielra, and Uriel coming tomorrow would give us time to see if the Autocracy are exophobes, since we are having aliens from both Shatopa and Chtawlikt to dinner tonight in a much more intimate setting than will be required when the full Senate contingent is here. I was hoping tonight could be a much smaller affair?"