by P. S. Power
"Oh, my... Is there an issue there?" Real concern, and fake, both tinged her voice.
That had to be a sign of a complex life. He got the idea. Having a problem with Tiera could lead to war, or hard feelings, which would be bad, too. On the other hand, Connie was the kind of woman that had hinted rather honestly that she'd sleep with her fourteen year old half brother, if not for the mental stress it might cause Tor.
So she wasn't going to care if he and Taman, who could even legally have kids together, were doing things like that. To her that wasn't a real issue, as long as it wasn't one for Tiera. The whole matter was a combination of politics and not really caring about what young people got up to, at a guess. To her mind anyway.
"Nooo. I don't think so. Really, there seems to be something else going on there. It could just be that she's lobbying for Karina, and doesn't want me stolen away? Speaking of which, I should take her around with me today. It's boring stuff though. Do you think a picnic would go over well?" Then, not being a total idiot, he grinned. "Because the way to a girl's heart is to listen to her mother. So if you say yes, then I'll have to pack a lunch and take her to the Bawdy House for the afternoon. As a client, of course." Otherwise it would be saying she was a whore.
That got a laugh, which was covered by her left hand and a scolding tone after that was done.
"You aren't wrong on that thought. I've barely spent any time with her in ten years, and now you want to whisk her away to exotic places. How can a mere mother compete?"
"How can anyone compete with a mother?" The idea left him feeling sad for a second, but she smiled at him, happy at the words, which he really did mean.
The one constant in his life was that. Every day, even if he didn't think about her, he always felt her with him. An empty spot in his soul. It was what he had to carry with him. Everyone that lost someone probably had to.
Still, he made a little small talk, and was told that if he could come to the palace, in three hours, he might be able to collect a Prime Minister and a few cabinet members. Not the Ambassador however, who had been invited to stay with Tim and Patricia until they went back in a week. They were friends, it seemed.
How that worked, he didn't know, but also didn't care. It was one less person to have to be responsible for that day. Connie didn't seem to want to let him go, but also clearly needed to go to the restroom. It was easy to tell by the subtle fidgeting she was trying to hide from him. Dare nodded at her, and said goodbye, as politely as he could. After all, just hanging up was rude, apparently.
It took nearly two hours to get around the entire port, and as he walked back to his ship, to let people get settled for the trip, he found himself being followed. By an attractive blonde woman, and an adorable redhead. The second one was Karina, the first was Sara Debri.
She just wanted to make certain she was going to get the special jump lessons, which Karina had been talking up.
He nodded.
"In a few days? We have that party tonight?" He just hoped that she hadn't forgotten it. As it turned out she was pretty pleased with the new staff. She even knew that two of them were biomechanical in nature. They'd mentioned it openly to everyone that cared to listen, so it wasn't a secret.
While it was interesting to some, most didn't really care. As it turned out they were decently good workers, and had pleasant demeanors. What wasn't to like?
"Don't worry about that part. It's going to be different though, so I'm blaming you for it if my clever plan doesn't work. Remember that, just in case. If it works, I get full credit."
He nodded, and she smiled, then walked back toward Sam's palace. A place that actually had a potential Ancient in it. Several, but the one it was named after now.
Karina looked at him, her face a bit blank.
"So, I was thinking we could spend the day together?" There was tension to her, even though she was pretty enough and fun seeming.
"Yep. That's what I was thinking, too. I was just going to come look for you. Do you want to take a fun trip to the port in Austra? We can have luncheon and talk after, or go see some sights?" It occurred to him that his idea of a fun day for a Princess might not actually count as one.
At least he hadn't suggested they find some fishing line and try the King's River. It might have fish, but he was nearly certain most women didn't like that kind of thing. What did you do with them though, for fun? Dareg understood the adult parts, or at least enough to muddle through, he thought.
The rest was a lot harder to understand. His upbringing had been in a big city, it was true, so he knew that there were things like plays and that people went to listen to music. That hadn't been a big part of his life however, not having money for a lot of luxury things like that. What he'd made running errands and doing odd jobs had pretty much gone to food, and a few new pieces of clothing over the two years he was on his own.
Fine parties came to mind, and he was having one later, so that might count, even if the first part was a bit boring for Karina.
She smiled at him her face lighting up.
"That sounds like fun! I should probably go anyway, so that our Austran friends know we really care, and aren't trying to get rid of them. We could go look at Saturn? I hear that it has these lovely rings around it. I've never been to it though. Seeing Jupiter last night was impressive however, wasn't it? Who knew all of that was just out there, waiting?" She seemed happy, really.
Not even like she was faking it for his amusement, or so he wouldn't feel bad.
"I like it. We might have to hurry, or go after the party later. That... I hope everyone likes it. It's a festival theme, with that kind of food, and some entertainments that Sara got for us. I'm not sure it's grand enough for the people we have here. If it doesn't go over then I won't insult just the King and Queen of my own land, but the Ancients of most of the others. I have to admit, I'm a little bit nervous about it all." He was, but saying so just got him a one armed hug as they walked. Then she let go, and took his hand.
"I wouldn't get too worked up. Half of the people there will be shocked that they get fed at all, and the others will talk about it being tacky behind your back... Then copy it next year, thinking it's the new thing and that they need to try to outdo you. All you have to do is set up the parameters for everyone to follow. If they hate it, well, then we act like everyone else thinks it's brilliant until no one dares says otherwise." She gave him a wry smile and looked at him from the side of her eye. "Say, will you have caramel apples? I love those, but never get to have them. Not the ones with the hard candy. Those are evil, and cut your mouth up, but the good ones?"
He didn't know. Honestly, while Dareg did know what she meant, he hadn't seen any there so far. Then, he hadn't even been to the other side of the city yet. There was a lot more revelry to be had on that side, or so he'd heard. The port side was done as far as the really big events, though he needed to get with Alice and make certain she was willing to have space fleet come and give people some rides. He could do that too, now, he realized.
Which was incredible, now that it hit him. He'd seen aliens. Real ones, out in space. They'd even waved and bowed politely, though they were frightening to behold at the same time. That got him to wonder if they had thought the same of him and the others. Probably not, since they were used to seeing human shaped people, most likely.
There was a line already, one that wrapped around and away from his ship. All of them standing there were slightly untidy Austrans, most of whom hadn't shaved and who looked like sleep might not have happened the night before. That just meant he wasn't alone in that. Karina held him to a stately saunter, pulling him back when he started to hurry a bit. It was done very gently, but on purpose. She also stood very straight, with her head held high, so he copied that without giving it much thought.
As he opened the door, and people filed in, several of the black orbs, some with legends and glyphs on the side, to mark their allegiance, pointed right at him and the Princess. More than that, she was the Ancient
of Mars. Still, they mainly seemed to be focusing on him for some reason.
A man, one that he'd seen the day before, but didn't know, walked up to him, his day old suit looking a bit dusty in places. Like he'd sat on the ground at least once.
"Say, we heard that you're a Prince. Of Harmony isn't it? The Tor's son?"
Those words got a lot more cameras trained on him. He got that the man just meant Tor, the wizard.
He was also crowding him, which no one had bothered with the day before when he was just the man piloting their nifty ship to get them into Noram on time.
He didn't really know how to reply however, other than to nod, and give a pleasant smile.
"That's right. My mother died a few years back. Don't let the whole Prince thing fool you though. All my titles are at a remove, which basically means that they only count when I'm trying to impress girls. So far that hasn't worked at all." He glanced at Karina and held her gaze for a moment. "Or... has it?"
She didn't break her regal bearing, but did lean in and kiss him on the cheek.
"Not so much. I do love what you did with the port here, so that part worked. We should see about getting everyone on board? Then we can go on our date."
It seemed that everyone there got who she was, being a Princess, so that got her pestered for the next ten minutes. It wasn't him, so he took it as a rescue, and got them all into seats, then moved over to the palace, the long way.
It was, he feared, going to be a very long day.
Chapter fifteen
The Austrans didn't all pester or harass him the entire time. For instance Prime Minister Foley, who looked like he'd gotten some sleep and had managed to shave, probably having been given a kit for that at the palace, was very nice to him. The man made polite conversation, even as people came and kept insisting that he couldn't be The Tor's son. That just didn't make any sense to them.
It took a while for him to get why that was, but after a while he understood their meaning. He wasn't good looking enough.
"Oh. I see. Um... Here?"
Tapping his front he turned the disguise amulet off, getting gasps from the people there. Not Tomas and his people, who'd seen the trick before. Just the others, even though they should have gotten the idea the day before. At the very least they should have understood that he'd had a disguise on then. All they did was suddenly act like they believed the claim that he was possibly related to The Tor. Probably not. After all, how could he be related to someone so wonderful?
It was really insulting, but the only one that seemed to understand why that was turned out to be Karina. She sat there, turning red, even while he tried to not be bothered by it. Being a bastard wasn't a great thing, and it was part of his life and always had been. Being thought a liar wasn't fun either, but he kind of understood that these people didn't seem to care about that. They were more interested in his alleged relationship. They kept saying it that way too.
Alleged relationship to the Baker family.
Finally, growing visibly upset, the Princess glared at people and kind of yelled at them as they got into the port at Austra.
Her voice was low and in control, but held steel inside it.
"Dareg has been tested. Even by DNA analysis, as you'd understand it. Many times. By magical means as well. More, Tor has already legitimized him. By the laws of Noram he has stated in the most public way possible that Dareg has always been his child, and that any oversight in his care or upbringing was his fault and responsibility. I know that you don't understand it that way, but what you're doing right now is very insulting. Please stop."
They didn't get it at all, though they did seem to want to move on to the idea of how he might have faked the genetic components, and fooled poor Tor. Not all of them did it, but no one spoke out in his defense other than Princess Karina. At the dock he opened the door, and waved at it, forcing a smile to his lips. For some reason several of the people didn't seem to understand what was going on. It was just that their cultures were too different. Still, anger was pretty universal, so they should have understood what he meant by his expression of rage.
Karina backed up and went wide eyed, staring at him in fear.
"Dareg?" Then, in a low tone she muttered two words. "Combat rage." The Austrans looked a bit ill, and stumbled a bit, but were all suddenly trying to get him on their cameras. More little devices came out in fact, being held in their hands, and even new ones that floated in the air, making little whirling sounds.
He closed his eyes and nodded, working to control himself. It took a while, and he could hear his new friend trying to get the people to get off the ship. Fast. They didn't, wanting to keep after him.
Thanks to Kolb and the others having beaten him and making him control himself every time he started to slip, he managed to leave them alive, though they didn't get off his ship. Finally, he got himself under control, and when he opened his eyes, faking a smile, he noticed that the Prime Minister had left. Being wise like he was.
It took a lot of work not to yell at people. Finally he tried to speak, making himself stay calm.
"Okay. If you want to know about this, then you'll have to speak to Torrance Baker. Right now I need you all to get off my ship. At least if you aren't planning to go out into space? I don't have any extra shields for you, so that could work out for me." It was a death threat, but only Karina went wide eyed.
Jan, still in her cute and frilly pink skirt, waved at everyone.
"You're all on private property. Get off now or the police will be called. Go! Everyone. Out. Out!" That worked, with only a little pushing and shoving, most of it from Jan and Nimbus, as Tomas gave a running commentary for his cams, and Cyra ran things. The man had a floating chest with him, which was a bit odd, but made sense when he spoke.
"Now, we're set to meet up with the volunteers helping out at the spaceport, and give out these new handhelds. We're looking for... Clarence Memes?" He touched his ear, and then nodded. "Let's go to that live. I'll be right over." Then he moved over to Dare and smiled. It was a big, and professional thing.
Strained, and filled with a slight amount of annoyance. Not with him either, from the way he kept glaring at the people leaving.
"Sorry about that, Mr. Canton. These... It's a tradition here. If a dark thing can be possibly shown, it will be. We don't really take it all that seriously as a group. No one at home thinks you tricked your way into things. Here... You can read what they're saying. It isn't that bad... No one is even calling for you to be arrested yet." He had his purple handheld out and showed it to Dare, turning it around, to show a rapid flow of words, with names under them.
Contrary to what the man said, a lot of the things weren't polite or complimentary toward him. Those got ignored by the man, for some reason.
"See? It's just the jerks here. Half of them even seem to be on your side, so that's not bad at all!"
Only it was clear that it wasn't. There were people openly calling him a bastard, for instance. Even the people that had been trying to make him fight them a few minutes before hadn't done that. He had to battle against the anger inside of himself then, as Karina looked at the words, and went white.
Finally she shook her head. Her voice was soft, and slightly scared.
"I know that there are different ways in different lands, but Austra pretty much just declared war on Dareg here. You might want to fix that. Now."
Tomas looked at her, confused, and then shook his head.
"I really don't understand? Why would he be that upset? Not all of it is good, but it's only words. Really, I'd be hit at least that hard for my reporting over the last days, and frankly, the team and I nailed that right down. People just say things. It doesn't mean that much."
That was true, so he didn't take his feelings out on the people that were just standing there, who had helped him.
"I understand. You might want to leave now?" He was shaking, but he didn't think he was in a rage anymore. Not the true state that was so very dangerous. He w
as just pissed. Normal anger, like anyone else might feel. The thing there was that he really thought it might be a misunderstanding on his part. Not that it left him feeling great. By Noram standards Karina was kind of correct. These people had thrown insult after accusation his way, almost as if trying to cause violence from him. That didn't make any sense however, since fighting with him couldn't leave them looking good.
Everyone would see it, too. That was their way. All of Austra seemed to show everything anyone ever did, all the time. That couldn't be true, since most would have found that far too boring. No one really wanted to know what others ate for their morning meal, after all.
That reminded him that he hadn't had anything himself.
Tomas left, having an errand to run, a magical chest floating behind him as he did it, looking over his shoulder. He seemed troubled at least, as if he understood that something had gone wrong.
As soon as he could, he closed the door, and then changed the shape of his jump ship, making it smaller and dumping most of the water being kept in the back wall. The outside no longer looked like glass. Now it was kind of a stone like gray, to fit his mood. The upper stories were gone, suddenly, and the vehicle looked more like it had originally. Like a rectangle instead of a tower.
He left the front windows, and a seat for his friend. The rest of the space was left open, and was about twenty feet long and ten wide behind him. The inside was reshaped to look like polished wood. It was empty however, so he looked at it then made a table and two chairs in the middle. So they could eat in a bit.
Then he set out, with the Princess next to him, glancing over at him every few seconds.
When he was far enough away he took a deep breath, and resisted making any proclamations. Part of him wanted to find those people, the ones that had been there, and those that had maligned him from a distance, and beat them until they begged for death. Not that they'd be able too, if he did it right. A tiny, no doubt insane, portion of his mind really wanted to go and collect things, and bring a real war upon their entire land. To remove all of them, down to the last man, woman and child, from the face of reality forever.