“We are. I have a busy schedule. I will make arrangements to return you to your home whenever you wish, though it’s probably not safe for you there right now.”
“I no longer have a home, My Lady. There’s nothing to return to. I’ll find someplace else.”
“Will you let me help with that?”
“You would do that for me?”
“If you will permit me.”
Val shook his head, then just stared at her in confusion. The hint of a knowing smile brightened her face. “Say what’s on your mind, Val.”
“Uh . . . I don’t want to offend, My Lady.”
“We’re in my private chambers. I’m Daughter, but I depend on others for council, and that council sometimes offends. In here, it’s important that you say what needs to be said. Understood?”
“Yes, My Lady. Uh . . . in that case, I’m pretty new to all this, but I’m surprised that words like ‘Will you let me,’ and ‘If you will permit me,’ are even in your vocabulary. Sorry,” he said, lowering his head.
“Look at me, Val.” His head instantly jerked up. “It’s simple, really. For much of my life, I’m on display and certain formalities are observed without fail. But I cannot live my life like that all the time, or even most of the time. In private, I demand to be treated like a real person, not an institution. It might take you a while to learn when those times are, but you will learn if you pay attention. To begin with, pay attention to my voice. When I become formal, you follow. Got it?”
Val nodded. “Yes, My Lady.”
Their meals arrived, and Val looked at his in dismay. “I can’t eat all this,” he stammered.
“Doctor’s orders, I’m afraid,” she smiled. “Don’t forget, you have a Rider; you’re eating for two. You can work your way up to it. Just do your best.”
He was hungry, and he dove in. When he next looked up, she hadn’t touched her food. She was just staring at him.
“My Lady?” he asked around the food in his mouth.
“Val,” she asked kindly, “do you sense that you’re entering a new phase of your life?”
“Otis mentioned something like that. I haven’t really had time to think about it very much.”
“No, you have not,” she responded looking away. When she focused back on him, she had a set look. “You would have failed the entrance exam, most likely.”
Val’s hand stopped half way to his mouth. “I’m doing a lot of failing all of a sudden. First, I fail at saving you, and now I’m failing the entrance exam? I’ve done all the right things. I just have a few hurdles to clear yet.”
“The hurdles to which you refer are no longer an issue, Val. You’ll have all the necessary credentials, and I don’t doubt that you will succeed in your studies. I’m not talking about math and physics, I’m talking about deportment. Did you know that, too, is part of the testing process?”
“It’s listed in the requirements. I’m not sure exactly what it means. Doesn’t it just mean you stay clean and sharp?”
“No, it does not. Officers are expected to have perfect command of Galactic High Standard, which you do not, and they are expected to have certain . . . manners about them. There is a proper way to eat. The knife goes in your hand like this,” she demonstrated, “and the fork is held like this . . .”
Val’s breakfast turned into an obstacle course. “We’ll have soup with dinner,” she said with a twinkle in her eyes when he finally set the utensils down. “You won’t like that process, I assure you. By the way, you ate most of your breakfast. Did you notice?”
“Maybe because it took so long,” he grumbled.
“You’ll get used to it. Tell me, why aren’t you wearing a shoe?”
Val looked down at his foot, then back at Daughter. “Is that part of deportment, too?” he asked.
“It is. It’s part of the uniform.”
“I’ll see about getting one, My Lady.”
“I’m certain you have at least two in your room.”
“Yes, My Lady.”
“Would you like to rest for a bit?”
He looked at her in surprise. “I just woke up!”
“Doctor Storvo advised me to go slowly, to give you time before we dive into serious issues. He’s an exceptional doctor, and I listen carefully when he speaks, but one particular item should be dealt with as soon as you’re ready.”
His stomach hardened, but he squared his shoulders. “If he’s just recommending, then he’s not certain. I’m ready, My Lady.”
“You’ve been through a lot in the past few days.”
“All of us have.”
“But the rest of us are still surrounded by our routines. Our lives have not been turned upside down. You have to be feeling lost right now.”
“I’ve never not had a plan, but you’re right: the future is blurry.” He looked hard into her eyes. “My dream is not. I still want to be a star pilot.”
She smiled. “And you shall, Val, if you pass muster. I won’t use my position to sway the examiners. You have to do that on your own. There are certain things I can help with to prepare you for entrance, but once you go for the exam, you’re on your own.”
Val considered her words, then smiled. “Thank you, My Lady. I’m not stupid. I know my presence here has probably opened doors that would otherwise have been closed to me. You could say a few words to the right people, and I’d be in. Please don’t do that.”
“I won’t, and that’s a promise.”
Val stared at her. “This is important to me, My Lady.”
“I Tested you. I know. You will be on your own from the moment you step into that examination process. And that includes your time at the Academy and some years after. You will make it on your own, or you will fail, Val.”
“Some years after?”
She squirmed a little in her seat as she considered her response. She could not lie, and this was probably one of those times when it was appropriate to withhold the full truth, but as she looked at this tall, scrawny young man before her, she knew that wasn’t the way.
“You chose to die for me, Val. I live today because of that choice. I will never forget. Please don’t ask me to forget.”
Val nodded solemnly.
“You have a bright future before you, with or without my help,” she continued. “In choosing Fleet Academy, you choose a life of duty to the Empire. I reserve the right to call you to my side some day in the future. I don’t know when it will be, or even if it will be, but if the need arises, I will not hesitate.”
“I will always answer your call, My Lady.”
“You are far too grown up for a sixteen-year-old. Is that Artmis speaking?”
“No, My Lady. He’s been quiet for the last day or so. He tells me he’s recovering.”
Startled, she demanded, “Is he all right?”
“He’s fine, My Lady. Dealing with the poison was not easy. In fact, it was a long, difficult ordeal for him. He’s resting.”
She considered, then asked, “Tell me, how do you know you’ll like being a star pilot?”
“My Lady?” he asked, confused. What a dumb question.
“Captain Jzazbe informs me that many who want to be star pilots discover they cannot function in space. It takes a certain kind of mind to feel comfortable out here among all this emptiness, and it takes being in space to know.”
Val heard her words and considered them. Suddenly, her meaning became clear. “You mean I might not measure up even if I want to?”
“That’s exactly what I mean. Most find space intimidating. You can want more than anything, but that doesn’t mean you can, and there’s no way of knowing until you experience the vast depths of space. Would you like to know?” she asked with a smile.
Val’s pulse quickened, though a spot of fear shot through him. “How?”
“Captain Jzazbe knows everything that goes on within his ship, he knows much of my purpose and agenda, and he definitely knows your story.”
She leaned forward t
o emphasize her words. “Val, he has asked to make an exception concerning you. It’s against regulations, but we sometimes make exceptions around here. Should you agree, he offers you the opportunity to find out if you are cut out to be a spaceman. I’ll let him explain it to you. You have seven weeks before we reach our next destination. You may choose to disembark at our next stop, or you may choose to continue with us. It’s your choice. Think about it, and if you’re ready, talk to him.”
“Yes, My Lady! Would now be appropriate?”
“No. If you’re ready for that, you’re ready for something else first.” She studied him for a time and reached a decision, then simply said, “Tell me what you know about your parents.”
Val stared at her. “You Tested me. Surely you know that I know nothing about them at all.”
“When I Test, I do not pry any further than necessary,” she said dryly. “The orphanage had no information on your parents at all. I was just wondering if you did.”
“No. Nothing, My Lady.” He paused, then asked, “Do you?”
She considered, then nodded her head, her gaze locked on his. “I might, though it is only speculation.” She stared hard into his eyes. “And Sir Jarl?”
“Mr. Wyzcha. It might sound strange since he was so much older than me, but he was my best friend. I would go so far as to call him my mentor. We spent long hours together, and I admire him more than I can put into words.”
“If I understand correctly, he found you hungry and destitute not long after you left the orphanage. He gave you opportunity and let you take it where you could.”
“He did, but it was so much more, My Lady. He loved the Empire, would do anything for it and the Royal Family and all the various peoples he visited. He told me that though he traveled widely, he never encountered a race he didn’t admire, and among them only rarely did he meet individuals he could not call friend. Everyone I knew looked up to him and listened when he spoke. I’m certain no one knew he was a Knight.”
“He was Knighted by the Queen herself, Val. I was there. He was truly a Great One.”
“What was he doing here? Was he undercover or something?”
“This is where the speculation comes in, Val. Mother received a message from him about sixteen years ago, a vague message informing her that he would be out of touch for a while.”
She focused intently on Val as she talked, wondering if he would piece things together. When she mentioned the sixteen year time period, he sat up taller and really focused.
“Sixteen years ago?”
“Yes. Such messages are not expected from our Knights, but they are given complete freedom to act as they see fit in any circumstances. Their actions and decisions are only questioned in private, never in public, and some of those decisions affect multiple worlds and billions of Empire citizens.”
“One man has so much power?”
“He does. A Knight’s word is the Queen’s command on every world of the Empire. He is held accountable only to the Queen. In some cases, that accountability extends to the Chosen, as well, but the Queen is the final authority.”
“Surely they make mistakes. They’re human.”
“We all make mistakes, Val. When a Knight errs, he or she is expected to admit and correct the mistake, almost always before the Queen even knows about it.”
Val’s gaze slid from hers. He looked around the room, found nothing to focus on, then closed his eyes for a time. When he opened them again, his focus was her. “You’re telling me that the man I knew as Mr. Wyzcha was one of the most powerful men in the galaxy. He disappeared sixteen years ago and ended up living in a shack in an abandoned railway tunnel.”
She nodded but said nothing.
“Why?” he demanded.
“So far as I know, there has been no communication between Sir Jarl and the Queen since his disappearance. I can only offer conjecture.”
Val spoke softly. “I was born sixteen years ago. Am I somehow tied to Sir Jarl’s disappearance?”
She nodded but said nothing.
“Was he my father?” Val whispered.
She shook her head, tears coming to her eyes. “I wish I could say he was, but he was not, Val. He was your uncle.”
“Uncle!”
She nodded, wiping tears from her eyes. “Proven beyond a doubt by Doctor Storvo. The rest is where the conjecture comes in. My staff has worked hard on this, but facts are difficult to confirm across light years. So far as we can determine, Sir Jarl’s brother married a priestess on a world far across the galaxy, a woman who had been promised to her god, not to a man. Her marrying and leaving the order broke some very fundamental rules. They escaped the world, but they were hunted and eventually found. How Sir Jarl entered the picture is not known, but I suspect his brother, knowing time was short, asked for help.”
“You know who my parents were?” Val gulped.
She nodded. “I’m fairly certain, but I know them in name only, I’m afraid. You can research them later, but I can tell you this: your parents were found and killed. I’m sorry to say that if my conjecture is right, they both died not long after your birth.”
Val’s lips quivered, and he got up to pace the room. She gave him his freedom for a time, then spoke.
“I’m guessing that Sir Jarl accepted a personal call from his brother. He accepted responsibility for you and has kept an eye on you all these years.”
“But I was in an orphanage. He might have been the one who put me there.”
“Your mother’s world is known for several things, Val, not least of which is its devotion to it priestesses. For one to marry and leave is not acceptable to them. Had they known of your existence, I’m certain you would not have been permitted to live. No doubt, Sir Jarl knew that, as well, and he chose to hide you in the orphanage.”
She looked hard into his eyes, then said, “Am I right, Artmis?”
Val gasped. Artmis! Of course! He carried his father’s memories, or most of them. He didn’t need to voice the question to his Rider. Artmis had heard.
>She’s mostly right, Val. Sir Jarl was there when your parents died. He saved you, but in the process you lost your leg to a blaster. It was a very near thing.<
Thoughts tumbled over themselves in Val’s mind, so many demanding answers that he didn’t know where to begin. Artmis sensed his confusion and focused his thoughts on what mattered.
>They knew who he was, Val. To hide you, Sir Jarl had to hide himself. He succeeded for all these years, but he started sniffing around when he learned of Daughter’s visit. Someone must have noticed. I can’t imagine how else the Corvolds would have found him.<
Val’s lips trembled. >He wasted the rest of his life just for me?<
>Not wasted, Val. I happen to think you’re worth it, and clearly, so did he. But he didn’t do it just for you. There’s more. Ask her.<
Val lifted his eyes to Daughter and nodded, not certain of his voice. He managed to say, “Artmis tells me he didn’t do it just for me. What does he mean?”
She stared at him with eyes that brimmed, then raised her head and called, “Otis.”
Otis padded into the room and sat at attention, but not in front of Daughter. He faced Val and got right to the point. “Your official designation is 5397867A. Did you know there is another with the designation 5397867B?”
Val’s eyebrows rose, first in surprise, then in confusion. What was Otis getting at? “No, sir,” he said.
“We’ve researched your records at the orphanage. Your parents had another child.”
Val could not speak. Another?
“You have a sister, Val. A twin sister.”
Chapter Forty-four: Twins
Val sat back heavily in his chair, his thoughts whirling. A sister? Then Otis’ words registered. “You said ‘have?’”
“She’s here,” Otis growled softly.
Val stared at him, stunned. After a time, he reached for his crutch and stood up. “Where?”
“Just outside the door.”
/>
“How much does she know about what’s happened?”
“Very little. She knows we’re in space, she knows you’re here, and she’s here by her own choice. That’s all. I will tell you that she didn’t hesitate for a moment when she heard she had a brother. She brought nothing with her from the orphanage.”
Val turned to Daughter. “Has she met you?”
“No, Val. She’s seen me, but she does not know who I am. I want her to meet you first. You are her focus, no one else at the moment. Would you like some privacy?”
“No! I don’t know what to do. What do I say to her? What’s her name?”
“Like you, officially she only has a number, but she goes by the name of Krys.”
Val stared at her, then just turned and crutched over to the door. The AI must have been listening, because the door opened without a command.
She stood against the far wall of the corridor, a carbon copy of him. Tall and thin, with dark hair and eyes, she stood tensely with her hands hanging at her sides, her back very straight. They stared at each other, but they had no words. Val extended a hand, and she stepped slowly toward him, reaching for that hand.
“You’re me!” she exclaimed looking into his eyes, her own eyes shining.
“Hello, Krys. I’m Val,” he said.
Her lips trembled. “Hello, Brother. Can I give you a hug?” She reached for his other hand. He shoved the crutch hard into his shoulder and released his grip. She took the hand, then closed the gap, her arms going around him, lightly at first, then strongly. Val’s head swam as he tried to grasp what this all meant, then he returned the embrace. This person holding to him was his family.
His family. He suddenly had family, something orphans only dreamed of.
She stepped back, her eyes glistening, then took a full step back. “You’re a spacer!” she exclaimed, her eyes shining as she took in the uniform.
“Uh, not exactly. It’s kind of a long story. Will you come in? I’d like to introduce you to my friends.”
She didn’t just follow. She took his hand and led him into the room, not caring about anything or anyone except the brother at her side. She wore a threadbare shift that once might have been white. Val recognized the outfit from his own time in the orphanage. She must have come directly from there. She led him to Otis and curtsied. “Thank you, Otis. I will never forget this day.”
Last of the Chosen (Spirit of Empire, Book One) Page 42