Had members of her house survived the pirate raid all those years ago? She’d been told most had perished or been taken.
A familiar visage came into focus, though now framed by dark hair more streaked by gray than she remembered.
“Captain Fenrus?” Could it really be?
The man went down on one knee, bowing his head to the red sands. “Princess Christina. Beyond hope.”
Carter rose from his lounger. “Princess?”
Oh gods. She’d never told him.
Well, she’d never told anyone.
Chapter 21
“Captain Fenrus. It is so good to see you again.” Tina couldn’t believe he was here. “How did you find me?”
And why was he looking?
They’d come inside and sat around the dining table. She offered up bluntus fruit juice, a local refreshment. Captain Fenrus nodded his approval as he took a sip.
Pavel Fenrus had been the guard captain and head of security for House la Cross. Her father’s right-hand man.
“The defeat of the pirates in the Dark Nebulan sector allowed us to retake Quendor. Citizens are coming out of hiding and back to the planet to reestablish their roots. But the royal houses have been decimated. We search daily for those that survived the massacre. Blessed was the day a messenger came before the House la Cross council to inform us that Princess Christina yet lived. We have not had someone of the blood on the throne since your father’s death.”
Carter’s eyes narrowed. “Tina?”
She’d never told him about her past, happy to leave it alone. But now . . .
Captain Fenrus cocked his head. “Why you have shortened your first name. Are you still in hiding from something? If you are in any danger, rest assured, the House guard is at your service.”
Tina shook her head. “I haven’t been called Christina since I was six. Slaves don’t get such fancy names.”
Pavel shifted in his chair. Casting his eyes downward, he refused to meet her gaze. “It must have been terrible for you.”
Was he ashamed? Yes, he’d been in charge of the family’s security back then, but no one could have prepared for the pirate raid. Everyone was caught by surprise planet-wide.
“My father held you in high regard. I’m sure you did everything in your power to save us.” Though her memories of that day were more emotion than image, she did recall her father’s last words Fenrus. Where is Captain Fenrus? Then he’d been shot by a pirate’s blaster and fallen to the ground.
“Most of the House guard was caught below, by the escape ships. We held as long as we could, but no one came.” Moisture rimmed the old guard’s eyes.
“Did any of my family escape?” She wasn’t sure she wanted to know.
Pavel bowed his head. The slight shake sent a chill coursing through Tina’s gut. Her cousins, uncles, and aunts? All of them?
“We have searched. You are the only one we have found.”
Carter reached out to take her hand. His quiet support helped bolster her resolve.
“What do you want of me?”
Pavel’s shoulders straightened. His head rose, and his gaze captured hers. “I have held the House together all these years, but we need a royal on the throne. You must return to Quendor. Take your rightful place as our queen.”
~ ~ ~
Tina sunk into Carter’s warm embrace. She hated the decision she had to make.
“You have to go, don’t you? This is your legacy.” His support meant everything. But she hated to leave him. Especially now. Their romance had recently hit a new level of intimacy. Was gaining a throne on Quendor worth putting that at risk?
Quendor and the life she’d known as a child had been dead and gone for so long. What kind of duty did she have to her people? To her family? Would it matter if House la Cross was never reestablished?
Deep inside, all she wanted to do was stay here with Carter.
She held on to him, refusing to let him go yet. “What about you? What about us?”
He squeezed her tighter, rocking gently side to side. “Oh, love. It would be so easy to be selfish. Play on your sympathy and beg you to stay here with me. It’s what I’d prefer, I won’t lie. But truly, I’ll be fine. A couple more weeks here and I’ll be able to come to you.”
Would he? The Quendor she knew wasn’t welcoming to outsiders.
But those closed, isolationist policies had led to the planet’s downfall. They didn’t dare go back to the way things had been. Certainly this new planetary government would realize that. It really depended on who was making those decisions. And as head of House la Cross, she’d be helping to make those choices.
She’d never been drawn to politics, but someone needed to make sure Quendor moved forward and joined the greater galaxy. Why not her?
She could go, pave the way for him to join her. If it didn’t work out, she’d leave and come back to him. Just a couple of weeks.
A whole couple of weeks without Carter.
Tina’s gut fisted.
~ ~ ~
Dark clouds rolled in the sky, as a rare tropical storm closed in on the area, but it wasn’t the storm that had Tina’s spirits plummeting.
She was leaving.
The sleek Palmarian ZP-47 star cruiser hummed on the Solstus Bay landing pad. Gunmetal blue with wide tail fins and a golden housing over its warp core. An expensive ship, garish by most galactic standards, but humble as compared to the over-the-top starcraft favored by royal families on Quendor.
Quendorians didn’t leave the planet often, and they had few spacecraft, but the ones they had reflected opulence and luxury. A superior race demanded a superior craft.
Stupid and sad.
The heavy scent of gandasol hung in the air as ground crews finished refueling the vessel.
Carter squeezed her hand as they approached the open hatch. She only had a few more minutes to share with him before she boarded and left him behind.
Pulling him in, she savored his touch, his presence, and the wonderful scent of Tranzian Cedar. One last hug to hold her over. One last kiss. “Please?”
His mouth closed on hers, tongue tangling passionately. Warm, wonderful, all encompassing. She could never get enough of this.
Carter broke the kiss long before she was ready to give him up. “You’d better get going. Captain Fenrus is giving us the evil eye.”
Pavel was of the old guard. He probably found Tina’s relationship with Carter distasteful. An attitude that needed changing on Quendor. One of the things she was hoping to accomplish. With so many of their peoples coming back from living in the galaxy at large, maybe it already had.
If not, she’d leave. She refused to give up Carter for a throne she wasn’t even sure she wanted. She’d made that quite clear to Pavel before she’d agreed to accompany him back to her home world.
She ran her hand down the side of Carter’s face, drinking in this last contact. “Take care of yourself.”
He was moving better, wincing less, though with Carter, he could just be trying to put on a good front for her.
“I’ll be fine. You be careful.” Love and concern laced his tone.
She really didn’t know what she would be heading into. “I will.”
He gave her a gentle shove toward the boarding ramp. “Now go, before I start begging you to stay.”
She pulled back with a deep sigh. “I love you.”
A soft smile creased his lips. “I know.”
The rat was only trying to make it easier for her. He’d said it dozens of times.
She smiled and shook her head, then turned and strode up the ramp.
As the hatch closed behind her, she plunked herself into the copilot’s seat beside Pavel.
The old captain grunted, nodding to
ward Carter, who remained standing on the tarmac waving. “Are you sure that is what you want?”
His tone was inquiry, but disapproval smoldered in his eyes. It would take time and perseverance to change old prejudices.
“Carter is everything I want. Do you have a problem with that?” She’d put down this little insurrection right away.
He shook his head, as he continued the takeoff preparations. “No, Princess. In the House le Cross, your word is law. I only worry for what others will think.”
She adjusted one of the exterior cameras to focus on Carter. He wouldn’t be able to see her now, but still he stood, awaiting her departure.
Thrusters fired and the ship shot upward. His image diminished as blue-green skies faded to star-filled space. Stars that somehow didn’t seem quite as bright.
Chapter 22
Tina walked hallways haunted with old memories. She hadn’t recognized any of the immediate household staff, though many of their family names were familiar. At six years old, the last time she’d been here, she’d been a cloistered princess. Her family members, nanny, the cooks, maids, and teachers had been her whole world. Had any of the people she’d known back then survived except for Pavel Fenrus?
None of the household guard under Captain Fenrus were familiar either, though she’d only known a few.
Han Bildon, who’d watched her when she played in the gardens. He’d been a nice, soft spoken man.
Tanis ban Orman, the young guard who’d snuck in to the family’s inner sanctum to flirt with her older cousin, Kathryn. Tina had thought the man silly at the time, but Kathryn had been swept off her feet by his brashness.
And old Lipton, the door guard, who always had Pentus honey-pops in his pocket. At five years old, Tina had learned she could buy one from him for a smile. “Princess, your smile has sweetened my day. Let me sweeten yours.” He could usually be found standing right here, at the door to the family quarters in the palace.
Sprawling and grand, the palace of House la Cross stood nestled in the Cliffs of Everdine. A secure fortress with high walls and a force dome when needed. The la Cross family had built and held it for over a century from all invaders until that fateful night the pirates attacked. How had they gotten through the palace security?
The family living quarters were empty and stripped of so many of the wonderful heirlooms that had made it her home. Nobody had lived here for sixteen years, yet someone had cleaned and taken care of what remained. Dozens of rooms. Enough for her family, uncles, aunts, and cousins included. House le Cross presided over one of the largest kingdoms on Quendor. The ruling family was responsible for the feeding and care of a vast population. Every royal adult had their job. Every royal child had a position to learn.
Now, it all fell on her shoulders.
Granted, there weren’t many left to serve. The invasion had been devastating. Still, the care of her people was now in her hands. And as citizens found their way back and the population grew, she’d need to keep pace.
She did have Pavel and his hand-picked council to help her, and they’d suggested alliances with other Houses that would benefit. Still there was so much to be done and she worried if she was up to the job.
It would have been easier if I’d stayed lost.
Suddenly being a slave of the pirates, or a captive of the Kratzen seemed so much easier than the ordeal ahead.
~ ~ ~
The knot in Tina’s stomach tightened. “I agree that an alliance between our Houses would benefit both of us. Why can’t we just sign an agreement?”
Pavel let out a long, hissing sigh. “Princess Christina. His marriage proposal is an honor. You should at least consider it. The benefit to our kingdom would be enormous.”
“I am not marrying anyone right now. I’m in love with Carter. Have you forgotten that?” What was Pavel thinking? She’d only been here a week, and he’d done nothing but parade young, eligible bachelors in front of her.
“The marriage is of convenience only, I assure you. There is no need to actually even consummate the marriage unless you want to. And you can keep your alien plaything on the side. It was often done in times of old.”
Under his breath he added, “Though never with an alien.”
He wasn’t getting it.
“I am going to marry Carter, if he’ll have me, and no one else.” They hadn’t talked marriage, but wasn’t that the logical next step in their relationship. In any case, it should be a good enough reason for Pavel to stop throwing men at her.
It should be.
She shook her head, then sent her gaze around the table nodding to each of her ten new advisors. “I’ve had enough of this right now. You are all dismissed.”
That much, at least, she’d learned how to do on her own. In this palace, her word was law. She was the recognized ruler of this kingdom.
For all the good it does me.
Libby Tipton, the house maid, proceeded to clear the conference table of cups and dishes as Tina’s advisors shuffled from the conference room. The heavy-set maid waited until the men had all left before uttering a sound, but her glare followed each of the old men out the door.
Her eyes softened as she looked back, nodding toward Tina. “Is there anything else I can get for you, Princess?”
Tina sighed, laying her head on the table. “Some good advice?”
Had she said that out loud?
She didn’t mean to share her concerns with the house staff. Libby had come across as intelligent, hardworking, and friendly.
Libby huffed. “Can I speak plainly, Princess?”
Tina raised her head from the table, catching the woman’s gaze. “Please, do.”
Libby crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. “Your council is a pack of old fools. They’ll never get it. You stick to your blasters. Don’t back down. There are other ways to get wealth, prestige, or alliances in this world. You’ll never regret marrying for love.”
“Even an alien?” The term stuck in her throat. Carter wasn’t an alien. He was human. He was wonderful. He was everything.
“Pfft. I doesn’t matter if he’s a Blarmling. If you love him, marry him. Don’t let anyone or anything stand in your way.”
Tina’s heart warmed. “You sound like a woman who’s found her love.”
A soft smile spread across Libby’s face as her eyes glazed. “Furgus never gave me a reason to regret marrying him, and there’s not a day that goes by now that I don’t miss him.”
“You lost him?” A chill twinge rippled through Tina’s chest.
The woman nodded. “During the pirate invasion, sixteen long years ago. Fergus stayed behind with a group of men to cover the escape of me, my kids, and a number of other families. We got off world safely, but I never saw him again.”
So many lost so much that day.
“So that’s why I say,” Libby continued, “if you find that one to love, hold on as long as you can. And certainly don’t let a council of old fools use you to up their prestige and wealth at your expense. You know that’s what they’re doing, right? You don’t need to marry. You just being here makes this house better established than most on Quendor.”
“Really?”
Wasn’t the council giving her the full picture?
“Ha, a full blood princess? Most Houses are trying to come together under a lesser blood distant relative, half-blood born on the wrong side of the sheets, or a cobbled together alliance. You’ve the full allegiance of your peoples. Many remember you and your family from before. You’ll probably attract other suitors as conflicts break out among the lesser houses. They’re the ones who’d benefit. Not you.”
So why was Pavel trying so hard to get her to marry?
Perhaps she was placing too much trust in him.
“Libby, would you consi
der a position on my advisory council?” Tina planned on using the woman’s advice in any case. She might as well make it official. A friendly voice on her council would certainly be a comfort.
Libby’s eyes widened. “My lady, I would be honored.”
“Good. The men won’t intimidate you?” She didn’t want her to be uncomfortable.
Libby harrumphed. “Them? Not likely. I’ve known most of ‘em all my life. They’re an arrogant lot, but their bite has no teeth most days. They’re just Pavel Fenrus’s yes men. You’ll see.”
With a new measure of optimism, Tina expelled a sigh. “We will need to start looking for a new House maid. I do hate to lose you there.”
She offered the woman a smile. This was what she needed, a true ally.
“It’s a shame my granddaughter, Antigua, can’t be considered. She’d be wonderful in the position. A real hard worker that one.”
“Why can’t she be considered? Is she too young?”
“She’s a half-blood. While we were in hiding, my daughter fell in with an off-worlder. He left her with Antigua. A beautiful child for all that and a good person. But half-bloods can’t hold positions of responsibility in this House.”
Another old rule that needed changing. Thankfully, Tina was in a position to change it. At least for now, her word was law.
“Bring the girl around. She is certainly eligible for employment in my House.”
~ ~ ~
Tina found Pavel in his office. His message had only said the matter was urgent. Probably another fight over her placing Libby on the council.
The woman had been as good as her word, many times cowing the other council members into siding with Tina on certain matters. Many of Pavel’s suggestions had been talked down in favor of new, more inclusive rules and regulations.
Old laws and standards had been slowly relaxed or reversed.
To be sure there was a certain segment of her people in agreement with the old guard’s determination to return Quendor to its former glory.
Captives of the Kratzen (Hearts in Orbit) Page 14