by Juliet Sem
Béjan looked her over, nodding with sympathy towards her jaw. "Not many take a stun staff to the face and walk away without a broken jaw or missing teeth."
He motioned to Dinus, who stepped up, looking Keestu over with fresh eyes. "Crown Princess Keestu?"
"Yes, Praton Dinus?"
"Welcome back to Phaet. I am greatly relieved to see you alive. After the reports we received," he broke off, shaking his head. Then, he looked behind her at Rue, and his face lit up until he saw her black eye. He motioned towards her. "And is this your handmaiden then?"
"Yes, she's the real Rue Soga."
"Rue Soga," Dinus said slowly, smiling brightly at her in greeting, which she returned a wan smile to him.
Béjan continued, "We still want to be your hosts here on Phaet. We understand your need to feel secure, but our house is still open to you and your entourage, no matter how large," he gestured to include the two squads of guards who stood behind Keestu.
The sound of two flitters landing heralded the arrival of the Autocrat and Autocress. They brought no additional guards, so Kurzon ordered the Sandarians to sling their weapons, and Keestu felt the tension ease considerably.
The Autocress walked up to Keestu, taking her hand in a firm and warm grip. "We are very happy to find you're still alive, Crown Princess Keestu," she said by way of greeting.
"Thank you, Autocress. I'm sorry everyone was so worried, but when we were attacked by armed men wearing Vuloan noble colors, and I found myself alone, and not knowing if any in my entourage were still alive after I saw one man maimed, I felt it best to try and escape the planet rather than seek the assistance of my less than cordial host, as I couldn't be certain he wasn't behind the attack."
The Autocrat was listening with an angry expression on his face. "It's times like these I regret being unable to enact severe sanctions against a member planet. However, I can assure you, Crown Princess, that no one in the Autocracy will dare challenge another visiting dignitary in the manner Fernuin did you. We can't believe the way he treated you and your people."
"Thank you. That's reassuring to hear," Keestu said. "However, I heard the men were acting on their own, and Fernuin had them executed for their actions."
"Yes," The Autocrat frowned. "People die quite often around that Prató. However, if you wish to continue your tour of the Autocracy, we can guarantee that you will not be left to fend for yourself without an adequate guard contingent again. We will provide guards from every member planet to insure that no one can act in what they feel is the interests of their own planet without having to deal with the guards from the other member planets."
"If you don't mind, I'd rather not have anyone from Vulo at my back," Keestu said. "It's not that I suspect all the nobles of Vulo, but I certainly wouldn't trust anyone Fernuin would send."
The Autocrat and Autocress looked at each other, nodding agreement. "Done," the Autocress said.
"You can stay here tonight, and then resume your trip tomorrow. You'll end up a day short on time at your next stop, unless you want to cut short your time on Phaet prior to the tourney."
"No, I find myself more comfortable with the idea of staying my full time at the Purvol estate, as we were invited and planned to return there after our tour of the other Autocracy planets."
"We also extend the hospitality of our palace to you, as well, if you wish to stay here instead."
"Thank you for the offer, but I think I'd rather stay somewhere I've already been for the familiarity. Besides, I know you are busy preparing for the transfer of power to your successors, and I do not wish to take you away from your duties with regards to that."
"Very well. Again, let us extend our deepest apologies to you and your people for what happened on Vulo. We have ordered a yearly stipend given to your maimed man as compensation, and your Admiral Kurzon has accepted on his behalf. We know it doesn't make up for a lost limb, but it should pay all his medical costs and provide for him and his family."
"On behalf of Sandar, our injured citizen, and myself, I thank you," Keestu said formally. "He is a valued member of the palace staff who will be missed during his recuperation."
The Autocress squeezed Keestu's hands in hers again, and the Autocrat briefly took her hand in farewell before they left.
Béjan and Dinus were waiting for her to accompany them back to the Purvol estate. Keestu turned to them and said, "I must first receive the report of my Admiral, and then we will be happy to accept your offer of lodging for the evening. I don't expect this to take long."
She turned to Kurzon and motioned for him to show her the way to the Enforcer.
Once on board, she was taken to the infirmary to visit Vahin, whose injuries were more severe than Gontu had told her. One of his broken ribs had punctured a lung, which had collapsed, and he had nearly died before medical help could be summoned for him. However, he had refused to be transported back to Sandar until Keestu was found.
He had been removed from the respirator by the time she saw him but was still heavily sedated. She touched his shoulder then shook it carefully to rouse him.
"Vahin? Vahin, wake up! It's Princess Keestu."
"Princesh?" His eyes cracked open and focused on her with difficulty. "Ish it really you?"
"It's me, Vahin. I know they told you I'm okay, but I wanted you to see me for yourself and to see you for myself. I'm sorry for what you've been through."
"I knew dangers of the zhob," he slurred, "when I toosh it." He sighed something else she didn't understand and drifted back to sleep.
"Look at that," Gontu murmured. Vahin's heart rate, which had been higher when they entered the room settled to a normal rate as he finally surrendered completely to the sedation.
The medic motioned sternly for them to leave Vahin to his rest, and Keestu was led to Admiral Kurzon's office.
"I must have your official report, Princess Keestu," He said. "We need to conduct a formal inquiry about why you did not seek out any official Vuloan authorities after you were rescued from the river. You nearly started an interstellar war, you know."
"Yes, I understand," Keestu said as she sat in the offered chair. She prefaced her explanation with the details of Rue's rude treatment by Fernuin, recounted the disgusting dinner which they'd attended, and then repeated her story of what had happened to her once she had left the river.
"So," she concluded, "I thought it best to return to my own people as soon as possible in order to prevent further misunderstandings that could lead to war. Otherwise, I would have taken my flight to Phaet without letting anyone know who I was. I didn't expect the treatment you witnessed yourself; my being stunned, then Fernuin ordering the man to attack me with a staff after I complained about being attacked by a thug when my back was turned."
Kurzon was silent a moment, then nodded. "Your story of what happened when you went into the river has been confirmed by Rue, who witnessed the event herself. She was overrun, receiving a black eye in the course of fighting in order to allow you more time in which to make your escape from the attackers. She saw the man attack you from behind, hitting you with his staff in the spots corresponding to your reported and documented wounds, which have been confirmed by our medics."
"You doubted me?"
"Of course not. However, we need all first-hand accounts from everyone involved before our lawyers apply to Vulo for compensation for how you and your group were treated."
"But the Autocrat and Autocress have already given a lifetime of compensation to Tenget, who was the most seriously injured."
"But this insult to our planet by the King of Vulo cannot go unchallenged: Since his planet is an autonomous member of the Autocracy, the ruler of Vulo must make amends for his people's and his own actions at the spaceport, especially for openly ordering an attack on a Sandarian royal who had done nothing more than fear for and run for her life. The assumed theft of noble clothing is not a capital offense in the Autocracy; we already checked that, plus your rank as a royal is superior to m
ost of the class allowed to wear such clothing." Kurzon held up a quelling hand. "I know you were given the clothing by an anonymous Vuloan noble, but we can't produce him as a witness because you said he feared retribution for the 'crime of marrying below his station'. Note that I am not asking you to betray his confidence by telling me his name."
"I see," Keestu said weakly, sitting back in her chair. Politics were much more complicated than she had thought, and her mind churned with possibilities that hadn't occurred to her when she was trying to get back to Phaet.
"So is the official inquiry done, then?"
"I have enough information from all of you to satisfy the initial questions posed by the King's exoplanet advisers," Kurzon informed her. "Though I imagine you will catch hell from your parents when you get home--all of Sandar was in an uproar over your disappearance." Kurzon leaned forward to emphasize his next statement. "If you were dead and it was thought to be a deliberate murder by a member of the Autocracy, Sandar would have gone to war and the entire Union with us. As a peace-loving man, I have to say I am very glad it didn't come to that, seeing as we have an unimpeachable witnesses in Rue who saw the Vuloan noble strike you twice so that you fell into the river and were washed away."
He leaned back and turned off the recording equipment. "The personal message I have for you from your father should I find you alive is that you did exactly right in following your bodyguard's order to run. As the head of the Sandarian military, I personally agree with your not seeking assistance from any Vuloan nobles under Fernuin's control given your shoddy treatment at his palace and the possibility that the men who attacked you were doing so on his orders.
"Now that at least one planet has revealed itself to have hostile residents, Sandar can insist on providing you with the security contingent you deserve," Kurzon said. "You will have two armed Sandarian squads with you at all times for the remainder of your visit, and the Enforcer will serve as a picket ship above every planet you visit. This is not a reflection on you and the decisions you made when escaping Vulo. This was decided before we had found you, as the longer we went without finding a body, the more confident we were that we would find you alive. However, we were expecting to receive ransom demands."
A knock sounded on his door. He hit a button on his desk, and the door opened. A soldier came in, nodding to Keestu as he intently studied her face for a moment before hurrying over to the desk to murmur something in Kurzon's ear. Kurzon listened, and then asked, "Did you record it?" At the man's nod, Kurzon dismissed him, and he left with another nod and smile at Keestu.
"Well, it seems as though your incident on Vulo earlier today will have some repercussions. Whether they are good or bad remain to be seen. Someone at the spaceport on Vulo recorded your altercation with Prató Fernuin as it was broadcast by their security cameras, and it's been brought here, picked up, and rebroadcast by the local infocom along with the story of how you escaped a dozen armed nobles and were preparing to sneak off Vulo right under Fernuin's nose. So be prepared for more questioning regarding this incident. Get your part of the story straight in your mind, and do not deviate from it as you'll likely be asked to retell it time and again." Kurzon's mouth quirked into a reassuring smile. "Given what I've heard from everyone regarding Fernuin's lack of popularity, I think the video will only earn you more accolades from the Autocracy's populace. With what we know about the Autocracy, you have shown your right to rule, as you easily defeated that lower caste noble man, proving in the Autocracy's eyes your right to rule Sandar by sheer force. Be glad it was a very short fight, as it happened right after you were stunned, and no doubt you weren't at your physical best. Oh, and I'm sure a copy of that video will make it's way home to Sandar as well; everyone on the Enforcer and Jewel have seen it as well."
He stood up, and Keestu knew that she was being dismissed. "Thank you, Admiral," she said. "I'm glad you're here to watch over me, though I'm not happy about the necessity."
Chapter twenty-one
Keestu left the Enforcer with two squads accompanying her, watching while Major Anjo ordered the troops into the flitters. Keestu would go with Béjan, Dinus, Gontu and a mix of the best riflemen and the best hand-to-hand combat members from both squads. Rue was to ride in the second flitter with the remainder of their guards, while Béjan told his men to ride in a third flitter that was commandeered from the palace to transport Keestu and her expanded group to and from the Purvol estate while a fourth flitter was dispatched by the palace to carry their luggage.
Keestu was put in the same suite she had stayed in last time, and she greatly enjoyed dinner with Béjan, Norinna, Dinus, and the rest of their family. Hatari's forehead cut was healing, and she winked at Keestu while giving a knowing nod to the bruise on her jaw. Keestu found herself oddly pleased to be considered an equal to a junior Autocracy noble who had been polite at their introduction but had otherwise ignored her before.
Dinus, to his credit, insisted on seating Rue at the table himself, inquiring solicitously about her black eye as he placed a hand on her arm.
Gontu frowned, but since Dinus didn't attempt any such familiarity with Keestu, he kept his mouth shut.
The next morning arrived all too quickly, though Keestu did have time for breakfast with the Purvol family before leaving to continue her tour. Béjan greeted her with a wide smile and then tried to suppress a guffaw, and finally gave up, laughing heartily, which caused the rest of the family to start laughing as well.
"What's the joke?" Keestu was certain she knew the answer, but asked anyway so Béjan would know that she wouldn't mind hearing it.
"I just saw the video of you giving Prató Fernuin lessons on how not to underestimate a woman," Béjan said. "I guarantee you there are billions of Autocracy women applauding you today for what you did on Vulo. None of us can speak out directly against his misogynistic actions, seeing as our planets are autonomous, but we have been putting up with complaints about this egotistical upstart at interplanetary vidcom meetings for too many months now not to appreciate your actions. He refuses to deal with any women regarding even the most minor matters and has caused much ill will between himself and those who have to put up with him. I'm glad you were taught how to use a staff, while that imbecile who attacked you obviously didn't pay attention in ancient weapons class."
"I'm hoping Fernuin learns more than continued hatred of women from that incident," Keestu said. "And for that reason, I hope the video stops playing soon. Rentham only knows what kinds of laws he'll try and pass against Vuloan women if he broods too long on it."
"Yes," Béjan said, getting control of his mirth. "But it's good to see that bully taken down a notch. I've never heard of such an unpopular Prató, but then the rest of us are trying to improve conditions on our planets, not take a giant leap back into the Stone Age."
Getting down to business, Béjan informed Keestu. "Now, since Vulo has failed to provide you with transport to your next destination, and you were so poorly treated there, the Autocrat and Autocress discussed the situation and have released their largest liner to fly you around the Autocracy. Of course, your guards and handmaiden will accompany you on the ship. Phaet's Manashin is large enough to provide berths for them all. In addition, we have agreed to allow Sandar's Enforcer to accompany you and stand as a picket ship in orbit around every other Autocracy planet while you visit, while Sandar's Jewel is returning to her position on Autocracy Station. The Autocrat and Autocress issued the decree last night that visiting dignitaries be assigned no less than two guard squads to accompany them anywhere on the member planets they visit, and if they require additional safety measures, they are to be accommodated by all Autocracy planets without question."
Béjan was walking with them to the flitters, and continued. "This means that your request of having no one from Vulo in your escort cannot be contested by Fernuin, so you need not fear attack from that quarter again, Princess Keestu. The rest of your honor guard will meet you at the palace. I hope you enjoy your tour of the re
st of the Autocracy's planets. Thasin of Umanya is expecting you this evening."
"Oh, and one last thing. After reviewing the video of your confrontation with Fernuin, the Autocrat and Autocress have issued one last decree. Any representative of the Autocracy who directly and deliberately insults a visiting dignitary will be fined ten thousand man-hour products, to be paid to the visiting dignitary. Since Fernuin also used an obscenity, it put you in your rights to throw the stun staff at him to avenge the insult to your honor, so he has no legal right to apply to your planet for compensation for you throwing the staff at him."
"What does 'huda' mean, anyway?"
"Our translator cuffs didn't have the word as part of their lexicons," Gontu explained. "After an explanation of its meaning by Prató Béjan, we have come to the conclusion that he called you a sudi, so it's a good thing for Fernuin that we didn't know what that word meant at that time, or one of our men might have shot him."
Béjan nodded when Keestu looked at him in surprise. "Our people are appalled at his use of the word. If Fernuin had uttered it anywhere but on Vulo, he could have been pummeled by one of our people for insulting you like that."
He assisted Keestu into the flitter and took his leave. Since he and Dinus weren't accompanying them to the palace, Rue rode with her in the flitter. Keestu watched while Dinus kissed Rue's hand before releasing her. Rue was blushing slightly when she sat down and Keestu smiled to herself; Dinus's affection for Rue was apparently genuine.
"Well, they do seem to be making up for what happened on Vulo," Keestu said to her companions as their pilot maneuvered the flitter out of the Purvol estate. "Do we know how many Units the fine equates to?"
"Approximately one hundred and fifty thousand, Your Highness," Gontu said.
"Really? What am I going to do with all that?"
Gontu's mouth quirked into a wry smile. "Knowing your father, I'd imagine he will request that you donate it to a charity that caters specifically to women and find a way to announce your intentions publicly while you are here so that word of it will not fail to reach Fernuin."