by P. S. Power
That got Count Ward, Marvin, to move over and clap him on the shoulder, like they were old friends, and Peterson to do the same on the other side.
Then the man looked around.
"We're all cleared here. Should we be underway?"
It was still too early, so he decided to cleverly ply people with food and drink first. After admitting to the truth.
"The ground crew needs about twenty-five more minutes? They'll work better without people looking over their shoulders. I always do anyway. We have food and drink inside however? Comfortable chairs, and by the time everyone has a small snack, we can be there?" He looked at the large Counts, and signaled for the King and Prime Minister Foley to come over. That they did it was very kind of them. He also got most of the Royal Guards there. "As soon as we land, we need to get off of this and head directly to the boxes. I'll try to set down right next to them, not in the blue section, but the crowd will be building soon. We'll have the people on the ground there make a path and guard it for you all. If anything happens, you all need to get right back on the ship. Prime Minister Foley, King Richard, Queen Constance and the Ambassadors need to get off last. Guards first, unless that's a bad way to do it?" He looked at one of the women, who had dark black hair and a nice nose that was powerfully large. She was still good looking, in a hard and lean way.
She also seemed to be in charge, from the way she was standing.
"A good plan there. We go out first as a test. You stand by at the controls. When I give you the all clear, you lift off to your standby position. As soon as we have things secured, I'll be in touch with you. Smoke signals?" Her face was playful, under the hardness and serious nature of her words.
He nodded.
"Use a handheld first? A Terry Handheld? You have one?"
She nodded, pulling it for confirmation.
"From the man himself. Royal Guard Kara. You're under Dareg Canton?"
"Right." Then they went over the plan again. Twice. Then they got everyone on the craft, slowly. They really did take their time, walking sedately. It was an almost pretty thing, given their nice costumes and the green grass of the lawn. Part of the craft was on a focus stone pad, which was tan, even for the King. Even made tall and slender the ship was too big to rest on that alone. Dareg had tried, but it simply wasn't physically possible.
Kolb and Jan from the news crew helped with the food and drinks, followed around by the rest of the crew, who were busily talking excitedly to the "folks back home". It was a good trick really, since Jan was able to openly approach everyone, and she was the one being focused on, since she nearly fit in there. She was a bit too short, being about five-six, like he was, but other than some mild groping, mainly from men, but a few women too, she seemed to do fine.
Cyra seemed offended by it, but Tomas pointed out that Baron Kolbrin was being touched at least as often. Mainly on the behind.
"Perhaps it's a cultural thing?" There was real diplomacy in the words, but Dareg shook his head, which got their attention, and a black handheld camera unit pointed at him by Nimbus.
"Or, and I mean this with love, they're both just cute, and people want to get them into bed?" Then being pushy, he cleared his throat and spoke loudly. "By the way, the people from Austra here are all off limits as far as bedding, unless you clear it with me first. They do seem interested in putting together an orgy? Baron Kolbrin is on his own."
It was probably rude, but Queen Constance smiled at him then.
"Very well, Prince Dareg. I'm sure that many will be interested in that? Until people ask, I'm sure no one will take any advantage of your people." She said it with a happy voice that also had a bored hint to it.
Very cultured and also phony.
Count Ward and his wife, Maria, both came over directly.
It was the lady that spoke, her face pleased. She even clapped her hands a little.
"That sounds wonderful! Tonight? I think we can get away. Will you be there too, Prince Dareg?"
It was funny, since half the Austran people blushed, but Dare shook his head.
"I have a meeting later, then I need to sleep. We should get together though? All of us? I don't want to..." He blanked then, trying to recall what Commander Derring had said. Finally he just shook his head. "Honestly, I'm stuck here. I'm not into men for sex, and you're very pretty, but your husband is right here. I'm not sure how to address all of that?"
The black, floating, camera orb swiveled, it's single glass eye watching first him, then the blonde woman. She could have said anything, or made fun of him, which would be fair enough, but instead she nodded, and smiled.
"Oh, well there's lots to do then. We can have sex alone, or you could both take turns with me? Though if we have a group we'll have to pace ourselves. A person can only do so much, and you all look like wonderful fun! It is a King's Week tradition, though we've never had any Austrans with us before. That's a treat, isn't it, Marvin?"
He was making eyes at Nimbus, who smiled back. Whatever else was happening, she got the flirting portions well enough.
They all kept speaking, so he waved Kara over.
"It's about time. I'm going to lift in a minute. We'll go around the Capital, and land from the east."
The woman patted his shoulder as he sat, and gestured to her cohorts, who moved toward the door.
"Remember the order. You're waiting for my signal on the ground, Canton."
That got him to take out his handheld and set it on the armrest of his big and commanding gray chair, on the left hand side, away from the controls.
Then he lifted off, remembering that he hadn't actually called in that the line to the boxes needed to be secured. It was, he saw from the air, done anyway. They even had the right section, right next to the boxes for the people with him, cleared for landing. He settled slowly and gently, after coming around fast. Then he faced the door in the right direction, and waited for Kara who was in the right place to call out.
"Door to open in three, two, one... Guards, into defensive positions!"
Looking over his shoulder at the people standing there, Dareg understood what had happened. Nearly a hundred men and women, most of them very small, meaning common, stood lining the pathway for everyone. Which was brilliant. The common people might be intimidated by giants, which showed a bit as the first of them moved out, weapons drawn.
They'd also give their own lives to protect the King and his wife. Maybe even for Prime Minister Foley, knowing that failing that day would mean a war to the death with another land. He also had a feeling that a lot of his coin had been passed out to buy their loyalty. Over half of them had their hands held in fists at their side. Only one for each, meaning they held something. At a copper per person that was only about two gold, and worth the hire, as long as his new family didn't chuck him out after that day. If they did, he'd probably miss the coin, eventually.
The procession was slow, and there was cheering, as people came out. Even for the camera crew, who all managed to wave at the people that were there. It wasn't just the ones lined up, but the hundred thousand or so behind them. There were banners to welcome the Ancients back, as well as flags in the Noram colors. It was clear that most of the people couldn't possibly recognize who was there at all, but as soon as the last person was seated, that being King Richard, and the guards had them all surrounded, Kara got in touch with him.
"Lift off and re-land at the designated position, in fifteen seconds."
This part was why George had been right, he realized. Was he supposed to lift off in fifteen seconds, or be landing then? It didn't really matter, and he decided to go with the first one. He made the door seal firmly, and waited, then lifted and resettled very slowly. It took a few minutes, but he really didn't want to risk crushing anyone if they were a little drunk, or clumsy, and got in the way. As it was he saw a tiny form very near his craft, dressed in green and brown, as soon as he landed.
Bill Humboldt waited at the door, looking youthful and earnest. Clean too, whic
h was better than he felt at the moment. He'd showered that morning, but would have loved to do it again, if he had a chance. There were people coming. Important ones.
"Ser! Ser! I came to guard your craft? Prince Gerent said you should go to the Royal box? He's there with his wife, the lovely Lady Petra?" There was even a bow for him, which he returned.
"Right. We need to stay here for the time being. Or... Well, if you'll stand by the door here? Don't take the ship up without me. If anything happens you'll need to hold it open, since this is how the King, Queen and Prime Minister of Austra will be getting out. Yeah, that will work. Um..." He took a breath, and passed his shield over to the man. That would leave him naked that way, but if he was attacked it was less important than the ship being protected. "If I die, you're in charge of the spaceports. Understood?" He sounded very somber, but the little man nodded, and put the shield around his neck, then turned it on.
"I will make it happen, ser. You can trust that it will be done. No matter what." He seemed proud of that. It was nice to see.
Then, without feeling all that fearful, since there wasn't likely to be an attack, he walked toward the box where everyone else was, and found himself escorted into place, rather than being told to get back and stand with the crowd like the commoner he was.
Instead he got an escort, that being George and Kara, who flanked him on either side. It made him wonder if he was under arrest for a second, which was silly. If that were going to happen they'd wait until after the event. He had work to do still.
The King raised his right hand, waving toward him personally.
"Prince Dareg, over here? We saved you a seat." They had, that being in the second row, nearly behind the Queen. Given that there were full counts and countesses behind that, it was a good position. He was right next to Tamerlane Thomson, her husband directly beside her. As he passed she touched his arm gently.
"Are you well? I should have kept you with me..."
He smiled at her and nodded.
"I am, thank you. If anything happens here, we're all falling back to my ship. Bill Humboldt is guarding it. He's holding my shield for me, so the door won't fall, no matter what." That was particular language, since the man couldn't own a shield legally. Dareg could. He was a noble, and had been given it by the maker of it directly. Well, through Gerent, but it was the same thing. In a way he was claiming that Bill was his sworn man, which wasn't really true, but sort of was, at the same time.
Rather than have an issue with it, she simply patted him again.
"I understand. Hopefully all goes well? I'm so nervous." She really looked it, as in feeling uneasy about it all.
Pulling his handheld from its little pocket, he got in touch with Tiera, who answered after no more than a moment.
"Tiera here."
"Hello! We're ready on the ground. Remember, land in the blue section. Come down on the east side, about ten miles out, and move over the port at two thousand feet. Then settle slowly. There's a band here. We need to get them to play when that happens."
There was a rustling, as Connie shifted, and whispered without turning her head.
"As soon as the door opens. Then we have a projection system set up, to announce you all? If you could come out last dear?"
Surprisingly he didn't have to repeat it.
Not only did Queen Tiera hear the woman, she understood the idea they were using for the day.
"Right. Like a ball?"
He didn't know what that meant, but the Queen did. It didn't take a long time to figure it out however, since the giant craft came into sight falling from the sky. It was vast, and a gleaming white that glistened like a pearl.
It moved slowly, and fast at the same time, the great craft settled like a leaf. When the door opened a single man, wearing a bright purple jacket and black trousers, approached it, as music started. Then he spoke to someone inside the open thing.
After that, he turned and moved two steps to the right, his old face still. When he spoke his voice was like thunder, rolling across the port.
Dareg felt it in his chest, it was so powerful.
The words stirred not only him, but everyone. Even in the box with him everyone stood when he spoke.
"The Ancients... Have returned!"
Chapter thirteen
"It is going to be a longer evening than I thought." The words were muttered low, and didn't really matter, since the screaming, yelling and stomping going on hadn't slowed much yet. It was nearly five minutes after the first line had been spoken, and the vast crowd had been doing that the whole time.
Even the King and Queen had gotten a bit loud. That might not do much for dignity, but certainly did keep the crowd going. Finally, not able to see anyway, Dareg stood on his chair and leaned over, touching King Richard on the arm and leaning in.
The man actually spun in place, his face slightly frantic. Pleased, but concerned. Probably because there was no way for him to really get the crowd to go silent.
"Raise your arms, then sit? I don't know if it will work..." He really didn't. Normally everyone would have taken that as a clue as to how to behave in a situation like that. At the moment there were too many, too far away from him.
"Perhaps. Let's see if anyone notices?" The surprising thing there was that they really did. It took about a full minute, but as soon as he stood, his arms majestically above his head, all of the commoners that lined the road turned to him, and bowed.
Then they held it, as the move spread. Like a wave moving on the surface of the ocean.
When it was silent, or at least the world held no more than the muttering and rustling of a hundred thousand bodies, which was still loud enough, the old man at the door bowed back at the world, then turned, speaking to someone. Who it was couldn't be seen at first, but when the man turned a tall, well tanned and light headed man walked out. He was in purple and gold, but a fine suit of it.
As soon as his name was called he started to glow, brightly, like a jewel. The purple and gold light swirled around him, as he rose about ten feet into the air and started to float down the focus stone pathway.
"Sam Builder, the Ancient of Noram!" The words were like thunder again, and he moved quickly as the world cheered for him.
From the back of the box, which was fairly empty, the camera orbs stirred and floated outward, as if to meet the man. It only took about ten seconds for him to get in front of the box, where he was supposed to stop and sit. Rather than going right in, the man bowed to the King, getting one back. It was returned, very properly, going only halfway down, to show they were equals.
Then something surprising happened.
The tall man, who was easily seven and a half feet high, turned to the crowd, and laid on the ground. With his hands out front, in supplication. Like he was begging, though that wasn't really it. Dareg thought he understood the message, and more to the point, so did everyone else.
He respected the King, but served Noram.
Rather than act like it was a sign of disrespect to his own power, the King stood and bowed toward him, going so low that the crowd went silent. Dareg stood and did it too, since, like he'd told Commander Derring, he backed the King. If they were bowing humbly that day, then so be it. He noticed that they weren't alone, since everyone else in the box got the idea at almost the same time.
Then no one moved.
Finally, probably to show what a pain in the behind he was, Dareg called out.
"Ancient? Maybe you should stand up before everyone gets cramps?"
The smiling giant scrambled a bit to his feet, and laughed, waving to everyone. There was cheering then. Really, that was going to be the big event, Dare figured. After all, this was their Ancient. Everyone had bowed and cheered, so the rest of the day could go a bit faster, if they worked it right.
Which of course didn't happen. Not even a little bit. If anything it just seemed to have gotten the crowd worked up.
The next person at the door was actually two, since doubling up seemed
to make sense, given everything. Dareg took it to be that anyway. It was, he realized, kind of a personal thing for him, being who was coming.
"Douglas and Lorelei Baker!" There were no titles given, and they didn't float into the air grandly, though they did a bit, and were dressed to go to a ball, it looked like. The man, who looked to be a few years older than Dare did himself, was in a fine outfit that shone in the sun. The blue sky overhead matching the trim of his outfit. The woman was nearly as lovely a person as he'd ever seen. Both were tiny, compared to Sam, who had, for some reason, managed to get a seat right behind the King, meaning next to him. He probably should have been in the first row, but it seemed purposeful, since he touched Dare on the arm and leaned in.
"Your grandparents. You're supposed to usher them to their seats when they get here. I have a bet with Trice. She says that you won't talk to anyone, and I said that you'll act like you know them all. So, since I have to try and bake a cake for her if I lose, you understand how much is riding on this? From scratch, too. I don't know how to bake, so it's a bigger deal than it sounds like." His tone was playful, with mock serious undertones.
Dareg nodded anyway. The man was the immortal in charge of his entire land. That pretty much meant that, like with King Richard, he should do as he said. Unless it was really stupid, but that one, being kind to his new family, that was clearly the man trying to help him.
On the day of their great return, after a ten year exile, the first thing he did was make sure that some kid he'd talked to once or twice didn't mess up getting a new family. That kind of thing was probably why he got to be the Ancient of an entire land. Standing, Dareg bowed to him, then moved to the front of the box, not going out into the road. It wasn't about him after all.
When the couple stopped, he didn't really know what to do, so he bowed, going low. Oddly that got everyone else to do it too. Including the King and Queen. They didn't go as low, but when the married couple stood up, they both settled to the ground and walked toward him.