After the Crown

by K. B. Wagers

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Caspel, tell my people I’m alive. Tell them to hold on. We will not abandon them.”

  He nodded once and disconnected.

  Hao was waiting with Dailun by the door when Cas pushed it open. “Let’s get you settled.” Hao gave me a cheerful grin. “Henna has good news. Your Ekam survived the surgery. She had to knock out his partner. Thinks he was feeling the surgery. Said it’s the wildest thing she’s ever seen.

  “Dailun, drop us out of warp in ten. Then plot a course for home. If we’re lucky, we’ll get there before those Shock troops find us.”

  “Lucky?” I snorted. “I don’t need to remind you that luck hasn’t been in my pocket lately.”

  “You’re still alive, sha zhu.” Hao barked a laugh, ignoring Cas’s growled warning and putting his hand on the back of my neck as we headed into the ship.

  A warm comfort bloomed in my chest at the contact. Maybe I was a fool, but Hao’s presence and heading back onto familiar territory made me feel better than I had since this whole nightmare had started.

  The feeling faded as we passed by medical and I spotted Emmory and Zin lying side by side. I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from crying.

  “Your rooms are through here.” Hao stopped at the hatch and bowed. “I give you my word you are safe aboard my vessel, and if it will ease your Dve’s mind, I grant him full autonomy within your rooms. He has the authority to deal with anyone who breaches this entryway without express permission.”

  I managed a smile. “That will make him feel better, Hao. Thank you.”

  “Thank me when we get home in one piece. Dailun is an excellent pilot—”

  “What happened to Gy?”

  “Houken disease.”

  I winced. “That’s genetic. I had no idea.”

  “Neither did I. He developed it far later than he should have and hid it for too long after. Henna did what she could to make him comfortable at the end. That was really all we could do.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  Hao moved out of reach before I could put my hand on his arm. “It is the nature of things. We lose what we love. Get yourself settled, sha zhu. I’ll speak to you later if we make it out of this alive.”

  “I’m hearing that entirely too much lately,” I muttered as I stepped over the threshold into our rooms. The others were already spread about the spacious quarters. Matriarch Saito and Iza were going through a pile of clothing and gear. Indula was next to them, weapons scattered around him.

  Stasia was still in medical helping Henna set Alba’s arm. I sent her a message to stay there for the night in case any of our people needed anything.

  Now that some of the adrenaline had worn off, my injuries made themselves known. I dropped down into a chair in the common area with an undignified grunt.

  “Majesty?” Kisah was on a knee by my side before I could inhale again.

  “I’m all right. Just tired. How is everyone else?” I looked around the room. Seven BodyGuards—if Emmory and Zin survived the night; five if they didn’t—plus my maid, my chamberlain, a matriarch, and Fasé. That was twelve strong, counting me, against Phanin’s army and the Saxons.

  I could only hope that the seven ships that had accompanied Admiral Hassan to Red Cliff were loyal and had escaped with her. Otherwise I was going to have to build my army from scratch, and I already knew from experience how damned difficult that could be.

  “We’re fine, Majesty.” Kisah smiled, but I could see Willimet’s death reflected in her eyes, and I pulled her into a hug.

  “You are not fine. We are safe for the moment,” I said. “Grieve for her.” The young Guard’s shoulders shook with sobs as I held her, and tears of my own for the loss of a friend slid down my face.

  I released Kisah, and we both mustered smiles we weren’t really feeling. “Is anyone else hurt?”

  “We’ll be all right, Majesty,” Gita said. She’d stripped down to her tank top and pants and was busy trying to wash Tanish’s blood from her uniform jacket. “A whole lot of bruises and the like, but they’ll heal.”

  “I spoke with Caspel. Things are not going well back home.” I relayed what little information I had to them from the conversation with the GIS director. “For those who didn’t see it, we’ve likely got a Shock Corps team on our asses. We can outrun them for a while, but we’ll have to deal with them eventually or the plan won’t work.”

  “What plan is that, Majesty?” Cas asked.

  “Getting back my throne.”

  “With all due respect, ma’am,” Indula said from the floor. “That’s an endgame, not a plan.”

  “Technicality,” I replied, and he grinned. “And I’m working on it.”

  The first step had been to dispute Phanin’s claims that I was dead. Doing that would hopefully light a spark in my people and at least provide Phanin with enough of a distraction to give me some time to make my move.

  Only, Indula was right. Beyond getting my throne back I had no clue yet what that move might be.

  “Hopefully it involves getting us more guns, because we’re not knocking over a refuel port with this stash.”

  “It does.” His words sparked a memory and I muttered a curse as I realized what had been nagging at the back of my brain since I talked to Caspel.

  His operative and Governor Ashwari were supposed to meet us on Red Cliff. Now I needed those ships at Canafey more than ever. And I needed to know if the three back at home had also fallen to Phanin’s forces. I made a note to ask Caspel about it the next time we talked.

  “Majesty?”

  I shook my head. “Sorry—just thought of something. Everyone get settled in. We may as well get some rest while we can.”

  My second-in-command BodyGuard had been taking lessons from Emmory on how to ignore my orders. Instead of crashing on a bunk, my Dve turned around and issued a few quick orders of his own to my BodyGuards.

  I pushed out of the chair and headed for a bunk.

  “Majesty.” Cas cleared his throat.

  “What?”

  He gave a pointed look at a bunk on the other side of the room, far from the one near the door I’d been headed toward. I didn’t have the energy to hassle him and changed course across the room. Stretching out on the bunk farthest from the door, I raised my head slightly. “Happy?”

  “No, ma’am, but that’s better.”

  21

  I woke up in the dark, every muscle in my body screaming in furious dissent over the slightest movement. Someone had put a blanket over me and I pushed it aside as I rolled from the bunk. The even breathing of the others filled the room, not breaking rhythm as I made my way step by careful step to the door.

  It slid open silently and I breathed a thank-you to Hao for keeping his ship in better than working order. The dim red light in the hallway washed nostalgia over me. In a world without sun, Hao’s tactic of lighting the hallways with red at night was an easy fix to the problem of spaceborne insomnia. Red time was nighttime. The lighting had worked so well I instituted the use on my ship.

  I spotted Zin, sitting near Emmory’s bed in the dim light of the med bay. His hands were clasped together and pressed against his forehead as he whispered a fevered and relentless prayer over and over.

  Closing my hand on his shoulder, I joined him in the old, familiar litany, and this time when we reached the end he stopped.

  “Majesty, forgive me.”

  “What?”

  Zin turned his tear-streaked face toward me. “I should have stayed with you. Not let my concern for Emmory take me from my duty.”

  “Shut your mouth.” It came out louder than I’d intended, and I winced when Emmory shifted in his sleep. “Starzin Hafin, how can you even think I’d be angry at you?” I hissed, smacking him on the shoulder. “You were right where you needed to be. We had everything under control. I ordered you to stay with him.”

  “Emmory would have—”

  “Been at your side or I’d have kicked his ass
like I’m about to kick yours.” I grabbed his face and jerked it close. “You listen to me and listen good. Don’t you dare think I’d make either of you choose me. I know it’s the way things might go down because of the truly messy situation we’re in, but I would never demand it of you. I can take care of myself, Zin. Right now you take care of your husband, that’s an order. Am I understood?”

  He nodded. I kissed his forehead and then released him.

  “Majesty?” Emmory’s voice was heavy with whatever painkillers Henna had shot him up with. He shifted, trying to open his eyes.

  I leaned past Zin, wrapping my hand around Emmory’s fingers and squeezing. “We’re safe for the moment, Emmy. Go back to sleep.”

  “Hard to do with all the noise,” he slurred, but he turned his head and his breathing evened back out.

  “Where’s Fasé and the others?”

  “Next door,” Zin said. “Henna didn’t want her waking up and trying to heal Emmory again.”

  “Good thinking. I’m going to go check on them. Make sure you get some rest,” I said to Zin.

  “Back at you, Majesty. And go back to your rooms.”

  I grinned at him and headed for the door to the other room. It was easy to make out the silhouettes on the beds.

  “Majesty?” Stasia’s voice was thick with sleep.

  I pressed her back down onto the bed she shared with Fasé. “Everything’s fine. Go back to sleep.”

  My maid nodded and curled back around the Farian. Their breathing synced almost immediately and I watched with interest as the readings on Fasé’s chart climbed.

  Alba was out cold. Most likely because of the pain medication. She didn’t have any of the accelerated healing my BodyGuards had, but the splint Henna had applied looked to be high-end Solarian-made and would do the job.

  I turned and muffled a shriek at the sight of Hao standing in the doorway. His gold eyes glittered in the light. Flashing me a smile, he jerked his head toward the hallway and turned away.

  “Come have a drink with me before your Dve wakes up and we both get in trouble.”

  I followed him down the hallway, hesitating at the doorway to his room. He rolled his eyes at me.

  “I swear on the graves of my ancestors I will be the very soul of propriety.” He shook a bottle at me, the clear alcohol sloshing against the sides.

  I unlaced my boots and pulled them off, then crossed over the threshold and settled onto the blue cushions that surrounded the low wooden table.

  Hao poured the liquor with a flourish, passed me a cup, and raised his. “To the Empire of Indrana and her empress, long may she reign.”

  Coming from anyone else it would have been pompous sarcasm, but with Hao, he meant every word even if he still hadn’t used my title. I saluted him back with my glass and downed the shot, sliding it back to him for the expected refill.

  “And to Portis,” Hao said, his voice solemn. “If we must go, there is no nobler way than to die for those we love.”

  I froze with the drink halfway to my mouth. “How do you know that?”

  Hao smiled. It was surprisingly gentle and tinged with sadness. “He loved you, Hail, even before he got the courage to do something about it. I may not know exactly what happened, but I know he would have died to save you rather than let you come to harm.”

  I drank, letting the alcohol burn away my tears. Hao gave me the time I needed to compose myself but didn’t fill the glasses again, and I gave him a curious look.

  “I lied before. We are not going home. I must take you to my uncle, little sister.” He looked at the tabletop. “I confess I do not want to, even though it would mean my dishonor and death. Were it just me, I would still consider it and likely be foolish enough to disobey because my debt to you is stronger than anything I owe Po-Sin.”

  “But your crew,” I said.

  “Yes, my crew. I cannot leave them to such a fate.”

  I reached across the table and threaded my fingers through his. “I was kind of counting on you taking me to Po-Sin, gege. Pour a third drink before you bring all the evil spirits down on our heads.”

  “You are a brat and I don’t know why I ever allowed you on board my ship.” Hao glared, pouring. “You could have told me that earlier.”

  “But then I wouldn’t have gotten you to spill your guts to me.” I took the glass. “To vengeance.”

  Hao raised his glass. “I have seen that look before. I would have pity for those you seek, but for the fact that they deserve whatever you have planned. May you find your revenge and may it taste sweet.”

  I tossed back my drink. Hao poured us another, but with the toasts done I could cradle it. We fell into a companionable silence, broken only by the occasional question or story as we filled each other in on the last few years apart.

  “I had a cargo hold full of rugs for the SC.” I tossed back the rest of my drink. “Would have made a fortune on it.”

  “What happened?”

  “Emmory blew Sophie up.”

  Hao winced in sympathy and poured me another glass. “Let me tell you about the job we pulled on Primoria V a month ago. I’d gotten word that…”

  Exhaustion and the alcohol took its toll and Hao’s chuckle shook me out of my doze. He leaned down and plucked the half-finished glass from my hand. “Come on, little sister, let’s put you back to bed.”

  “Majesty?”

  I blinked at Cas and then at Hao, who’d backed up a step with his hands raised. “Hey, Cas. We were just catching up.” I got to my feet without too much trouble and patted his cheek.

  “You were drinking without someone to check it?”

  I gave him a look. It was spoiled by the fact that I had to lean against the doorjamb to do it. “You sound like Emmory. Hao wouldn’t hurt me.”

  “Take her to bed, Caspian. She is fine, you have my word.”

  Cas didn’t reply to Hao. He just grabbed my boots and gave the gunrunner a sharp nod. I waved to him and headed back down the hallway.

  “You can’t wander off, ma’am. Not right now. If anything happened to you—”

  “I’m perfectly safe here. Hao gave his word. And you weren’t that worried, you didn’t wake anyone else up,” I said as I sank back down on my bunk.

  “Go to sleep, Majesty.”

  “Yes, sir.” I threw him a salute, rolled over, and let the liquor drag me down into a dreamless sleep.

  I woke to the sounds of quiet conversation and the smell of food, at which point my stomach pointedly reminded me how long it had been since I’d eaten last.

  “Morning, Majesty.” Kisah handed me a plate as I rolled from the bed.

  “Bless you.”

  She laughed. “Thank Captain Hao. I would have been happy with S-Rations.”

  “Me, too, but luckily for us he hates them.” I grinned at her and took my plate over to a chair. “Where is everyone else?”

  “Matriarch Saito is in the bathroom, cleaning up. We have some fresh clothes for you, ma’am. You can take a turn when she’s finished. The others are in the medical bay for a briefing.”

  “Is Emmory awake?”

  “He is, ma’am.” Kisah held out a hand and I sat back down. “He asked me to make sure you ate first. They’re just filling him in on everything that’s happened.”

  “How is he?” I asked, shoveling food into my mouth.

  “He’s awake.” Kisah grinned at my glare. “I’m sorry, Majesty. That’s all I know. You’ll have to talk to Zin and Henna about it after you’ve gotten cleaned up and she’s looked at your leg.”

  “My leg is fine.” I waved the spork in the air for emphasis, but my BodyGuard didn’t even blink, so I went back to my food with a sigh.

  “Good morning, Your Majesty.” Caterina came into the room, dressed in a pair of dark brown pants and a lighter brown shirt a size too big for her.

  “Matriarch Saito.” I nodded, then snorted. “Caterina, let’s drop the titles for the moment, shall we? Given the unusual situation, they fee
l very cumbersome.”

  “If you insist, ma’am. Kisah, I think you were right and we’re going to want to take a few inches off these sleeves.”

  My BodyGuard laughed. “Yes, ma’am.”

  I finished off my food and headed for the bathroom, grabbing the stack of clothing Kisah pointed out by the doorway as I passed.

  Unwrapping the bloodstained bandage from my leg, I studied the shallow furrow in my calf. It was already healing. Besides putting a new dressing on it, I doubted there was much more Henna could do for me that my own augmented systems weren’t already doing.

  I splashed water on my face, drying it off with the coarse towel, and bent over to run my fingers through the tangles of my curls. Cutting it would be the best option, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it, even now when it was most practical. So instead I wove it into a loose braid.

  Portis had loved my hair in all its ridiculous glory.

  Stripping out of my blood-dappled clothing, I pulled on the clothes my Guards had gathered earlier. The pants were a little short, so I tucked them into my boots. Thankfully my new shirt fit. It was probably from Henna, judging by the strange, brightly colored characters cavorting across the front of it.

  Kisha and Caterina were gone when I came back out into our quarters, but Indula waited in the hallway and he gave me a short bow.

  “Ma’am.”

  “The shirt suits you,” I said of his sleeveless green top, and he grinned in reply.

  “Matriarch Saito said the same thing. She said it brightened my eyes. Whatever that means.” He rolled his eyes. “It’s clean and nonreflective. That’s about all I need.”

  “How’s Emmory?”

  “He’s better, ma’am. Awake and out of danger.”

  “None of us are out of danger.”

  “True.” He shrugged and waved me through the door of the medical bay.

  The conversation stopped as we came in the room, followed by a wave of “Your Majesty” and genuflections.

  I rolled my eyes. “Can we table the pomp until later?”