by Neal Jones
"I understand why you called me here tonight, R'Mot. And I agree with everything you've said about the corruption that has infested the monarchy and the senate. You and I must put aside our differences to effect this change, but we must also act within the boundaries of the law. To do otherwise is treason, and I will not be party to it. Eril was executed for treason, and Jolan is probably dead as well. They tried to go outside the law to depose Erengaar, and look what happened to them."
Ossias nodded once more, setting down his empty glass. "Very well. We'll try this your way first. But the tribunal will fail, Saan. I only pray that we will still be alive to discuss other options afterwards."
There was a knock at the door, and the attendant poked his head inside. "Pardon my interruption, sir, but the other guests have begun to arrive."
"Thank you. We'll be there in a few moments."
After the door closed, V'Ruk asked, "Are we going to discuss this over dinner with all the wives present?"
"Of course not. We'll wait until after dessert. D'Vina has been instructed to keep the other ladies busy in the art hall while we come back here."
"And it's just a coincidence that you decided to have this impromptu dinner party while the lord emperor is off homeworld?"
"Of course." R'Mot smiled. "The Tasumlor sector is another topic I'd like to discuss tonight. But first we have freshly toasted phys waiting." He motioned to the door.
V'Ruk followed him, even though he had no appetite.
( 3 )
The handmaid paused outside the entrance to the bedchambers of the Lord and Lady Tannit, nodding to the night watchman. "I am here to summon the Lady Tannit for her majesty," the girl reported.
The guard gave a grunt of acknowledgement and nodded back. The handmaid pressed the chime on the com panel beside the double doors. It was a minute or two before Lord Gyan appeared, bleary-eyed and grumpy.
"Yes? What?"
"M'lord," the servant bowed. "Is the Lady Tannit available? Her majesty requests her presence immediately in her chambers."
"Huh? What time is it?"
Marija appeared behind her husband in time to hear the handmaid's request, and she shooed Gyan away. "Go back to bed!" She closed the door behind her and looked sternly down at the girl. "What's the matter? Is my daughter ill? Has something happened to the baby?"
"I was only told to summon you, m'lady," the handmaid replied meekly.
"Well, lead on then!"
When she arrived at the foyer of Larewyn's chambers, Marija instructed the girl to wait there while she continued past the double doors into the living area. Three handmaids were clustered on the sofa, looking distraught, and they all rose and bowed as the Lady Tannit entered.
"Where is the lady empress?" Marija demanded.
"In her bed, m'lady," one of the girls said, adding quickly, "She is unharmed, only...distressed."
Marija frowned, puzzled, as she marched into the bedchamber, closing the doors behind her. It took a few moments for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. "Larewyn?"
"Mother?" The voice was timid, tearful, and Marija rushed to the bed, reaching for her daughter's outstretched arms.
"Sweetheart, what is it? What's the matter?"
"I think something is wrong with the baby! Do you feel anything?" Larewyn placed her mother's hand on her belly. "Is she kicking? Can you feel her moving?"
"I..." Marija looked uncertainly at her daughter's stomach. "Are you bleeding?"
"No. But...I can't feel her! She woke me up because she was kicking, but now I don't feel anything!" Larewyn began to sob.
"Wait here!" Marija walked across the room to the desk and tapped the comm panel, waking Doctor Grund and ordering him to the lady empress' chambers. She raised the lighting level in the room, just enough to see by, and then returned to her daughter's side. "Lare, you're sweating. Let's get these covers off you."
"I'm sorry, mother. I just...I didn't know who else to call."
"Nonsense. This is what I'm here for." She gathered up the heavy comforter and the sheets and pushed them to the foot of the bed. She then grabbed some pillows and told Larewyn to lie back. "Take slow, deep breaths. Yes, that's it. Close your eyes and relax."
The chime sounded and Marija ushered the doctor into the chamber. She stood by, watching closely, while Grund used his scanner on the lady empress. He checked the readout, frowned, and then rummaged in his case for another instrument.
"Is she all right?" Marija asked.
"Everything appears normal, save for her heart rate and her blood pressure. Both are slightly elevated, which is expected given her anxious state." He turned to Larewyn. "Are you experience any pain, your grace? Any nausea? Headaches?"
"No. I...I feel better now. It must have just been a bad dream, that's all."
The doctor nodded, scanning her once more, and then showed her the readout. "Your baby's heartbeat is strong, and all other readings are within normal states."
Marija exhaled with relief, exchanging a glance with Larewyn. "Thank you, doctor."
"However," he continued as he packed up his kit and closed it, "I think it would be wise for you to finally do as I instructed two weeks ago. You need to relax and remain on bed rest, your majesty, for your health, and the health of your baby." He looked down her sternly. "You're putting yourself under too much stress, and this is what is causing these anxiety attacks."
"Yes, doctor," she replied meekly.
"Thank you, again," Marija added, escorting Grund to the door. She ordered one of the other handmaids to bring them tea, and then went to the bathroom to wet a cloth for Larewyn's forehead.
"I'm sorry, mother," the lady empress said, chagrined. "I didn't mean to cause such a fuss in the middle of the night."
Marija shook her head. "Don't apologize. I had the same anxiety when I was pregnant with Garolek. It's part of the whole process, I think."
"Really? You suffered from nightmares?"
"Not all the time, but every once in awhile. Since he was my firstborn, I fretted about everything. It drove your father crazy."
Larewyn smiled, relieved, as she watched her mother go to the door to accept the tea from the handmaid. "I can't even remember what it was about now."
"That's the way dreams are, sweetheart. We're not supposed to remember them." She handed her daughter a cup, and then poured one for herself. "So does this mean that you're going to start taking Grund's warnings more seriously?"
"I'm not staying in this room for the next six weeks, mother." She sipped her tea. "But...I will start resting more often, and I'll leave the rest of the nursery designs up to you. You did mail the invitations to the naming celebration, didn’t you?"
"Yes. And I will take care of everything else. You just need to rest."
"Yes, mother," Larewyn sighed.
Marija set aside her cup and crawled onto the bed beside her daughter. "I'm nagging again, aren't I?"
Larewyn smiled. "It's all right. I know you mean well." She balanced her teacup on her belly and laid her head on her mother's shoulder. "Look. I have my own side table."
Marija laughed. "I tried that when I was pregnant with Garolek. Spilled hot tea all over myself. Your father just about had a heart attack."
"Really?" Larewyn gasped, giggling. The image of her stern and proud lord father losing his calm and running about only made her laugh harder, and Marija took the cup and saucer before it could spill.
"Thank you, mother," the lady empress said, wiping her eyes. "I needed that."
Marija returned to bed, snuggling against Larewyn and pulling up the covers. "You're welcome." She pressed the panel on the nightstand to douse the lights. "Go to sleep, sweetheart."
Larewyn's eyes were already closed, one hand draped protectively over her belly, as she slipped into dreams of the lake house and the countryside back home.
( 4 )
Erengaar laid aside his fork and reached for his wineglass. He and N'Ro had eaten very little on Treym, and if that had bothered th
eir host any, the D'Yori hadn't shown it. The Qath Q'ordan was on its way back to homeworld, and the lord emperor had invited Ryomekk to a late dinner in his quarters. They had spent most of the last hour discussing their meeting with Vuil'SN. N'Ro had just given a preliminary report to Erengaar, and the lord emperor had nodded absently as he cut a slice of omus. N'Ro sipped his wine, waiting for a response, knowing that there was something else on Erengaar's mind.
Erengaar wiped his mouth and then folded his napkin beside his plate. "I want you to station as many soldiers as you think you'll need near the outer colonies."
"The ones where we're fighting the insurrectionists?"
The lord emperor nodded. "Let's put this new army to the test, but use them sparingly. In your last report on the Drigald, you said that your spies had pinpointed several possible locations for their cells, correct?"
"That's right. We haven't yet confirmed those locations –"
"It doesn't matter. I want you to use the clone soldiers to conduct midnight raids on those probable locations. Kidnap anyone you suspect of being a Drigald terrorist. Hit and run, understand?"
N'Ro nodded.
"Next, start working your way into the core systems, raiding any location that you suspect of harboring terrorists. Conduct the assaults at night, and anyone captured gets taken to the nearest Talik'Jhor base. I want the Drigald to wonder what the naak is being unleashed on them." He pushed away his empty plate and sat back. "In the meantime, I think it's time that I toured homeworld. We'll start with the Resaki districts. I'll tell the people face to face what my plans are for their districts, and maybe hand out some gusitts. I'll apologize for the recent tax hikes and make promises for a better future for all Jha'Drok. What do you think?"
"I think it will catch the Drigald off guard."
"Yes, let's hope so." Erengaar thought some more, and then continued, "I'm also thinking of having my daughter's naming ceremony in the courtyard of the Hexagon. I want her birth to be a cause for celebration. I will set aside that date as an Emperium holiday." He paused, one finger circling the rim of his wineglass as he stared thoughtfully at his plate. After a few moment, he looked up at N'Ro and said, "She is my firstborn, and I will declare her to the people as my rightful heir. Do you think they will love me more for that, or less?"
"It's not something your father or grandfather would have done."
Erengaar smiled. "Exactly. It's time that I changed my image, that I become a true emperor of the people." He rose and paced to the nearby viewport. "Between this gift from the Ko'Mar and my tour of homeworld in the next few weeks, the Drigald will have nothing left with which to fight."
"I'm sure Ain will resort to something."
The lord emperor turned to Ryomekk, smiling coldly. "I'm counting on it. Whatever plan he chooses will be a desperate one, and, hopefully, your new army will be in the right place at the right time to ensure his capture. I plan to execute him publically in the Hexagon for his crimes. If instead, he chooses to go to ground and disappear for awhile, then so much the better. Either way, our problem is solved for the time being."
"And by this time next year, there will be another delivery of soldiers from the Ko'Mar."
"Yes." Erengaar returned to the table to finish his wine. He savored the spicy flavor as it warmed his belly. "What was it Vuil'SN said just before we left? Another ten thousand – or was it five?"
"Five thousand. What about ships? He made no mention of supplying warships along with the soldiers."
Erengaar nodded, pouring another glass of wine. "Get with Ranunt. Find out what vessels we have in the current fleet that we can redeploy for this operation. Make sure that he and his commanders understand that any personnel involved with this must be sworn to upmost secrecy."
"Of course."
The lord emperor stood and pressed a button on the panel at the edge of the table, summoning a pair of servants. "We're done here," he told them.
As the two women set about clearing away the dishes, N'Ro finished his wine and stood. "Is there anything else you require of me tonight, lord?"
"No. Evening star."
"Evening star."
After the servants were finished, Erengaar commanded them to wait. "Come here," he ordered as he settled himself onto a sofa at the other end of the room. "Turn around, both of you. Good. Yes, very good. You – what's your name?"
"Thara," said the girl on the left. She smiled shyly.
"How old are you?"
"I'll be sixteen in two weeks, m'lord."
Erengaar nodded and turned to the other. "You?"
"L'Damia, m'lord. I'm seventeen."
"Good. Very nice. Both of you remove your clothes." While they obeyed, the lord emperor checked the com panel on the wall next to the sofa to ensure that the door's privacy lock had been engaged. N'Ro knew him well.
L'Damia was the first to be naked, and she started for the sofa, but Erengaar put up a hand. "No. I won't be joining you tonight. Pull that chair over here. The two of you have fun. I'm going to just watch."
The girls obeyed, and L'Damia took charge. Thara looked frightened, but L'Damia murmured in her ear, and she smiled again. Erengaar nodded to her, smiling as well, and the two girls were soon kissing and caressing one another like old lovers. The lord emperor laid back, set his wineglass on the nearby end table, and unzipped his pants. He was already hard, and the girls' moans turned him on even more. He closed his eyes, pleasuring himself, listening to the pleasure of the two girls, and imagined his wife, the lady empress, as she had appeared on their union day over a year ago. When he had first seen Larewyn, riding in the amber fields on that summer day in Darshon, he had found himself infatuated, unable to think of anyone else afterwards. She had never appeared as beautiful to him as on their union day, with her auburn hair cascading about her pale shoulders, her wide, full lips, and her vivid, golden eyes. She had seemed so young, so innocent, so pure, and Erengaar had fallen in love with every part of her.
The memory of their union night exploded in full brilliance in his mind's eye, and he rubbed himself harder and faster, just as L'Damia brought Thara to climax. The younger girl screamed and groaned, writhing in the chair, and the lord emperor leaped to his feet, pointing his cock at Thara's face. His seed splattered her pale cheek, her crimson lips, and her full, round breasts.
When he was finished, Erengaar held out his hand and L'Damia licked his fingers clean. She took her time, running her tongue back and forth over each digit, and he rubbed his thumb over her lovely lips. They weren't as full and luscious as his wife's, but they were still soft and supple. When she was finished, he zipped up his pants and returned to the sofa, reaching for his wine. L'Damia stood back and allowed the other girl to catch her breath.
"Will that be all, m'lord?"
"You haven't been pleasured," he observed. "Switch places. Let's see what she's learned."
"Yes, m'lord."
Erengaar laid back, sipped his wine, and relished the show.
( 5 )
It was an unusually sweltering summer day, and Larewyn fanned herself as she reached for her cup of iced milk. She and her maidservants were gathered at a table in the Glass Gardens, having just finished lunch. The girls were playing a game of tromi, giggling at one another, while Larewyn contended herself by trying to read. But her mind kept wandering from the page, and she finally laid aside her compad. Tromi was a game of cards that Larewyn had always found a bit childish, but she enjoyed watching her ladies-in-waiting amuse themselves. It was also refreshing to be rid of her mother for the afternoon, which was why Larewyn had chosen to have lunch out here in the gardens. On a day such as this Marija would have protested, saying that Larewyn's condition was too delicate for her to be sitting outside, even if she was in the shade of the tall, thick cara tree. It was one more reason that the lady empress was grateful for Persys Kepthah's return to homeworld. Persys had insisted on Marija joining her and her mother for lunch at their summer house in the mountains outside Gtheldron.
The sudden hush of her maidservants made Larewyn open her eyes, and she sat up. The girls had risen and were bowing to someone out of Larewyn's line of sight. She turned to look over her shoulder towards the entrance to the gardens.
"It is too hot for my wife to be sitting out here in her condition," Lord Emperor Valayne commented as he drew closer to the tree.
Larewyn smiled and motioned for two of her ladies to help her stand. "My love," she greeted him.
"No, don't get up," Erengaar insisted. He pulled over a chair and sat.
"Leave us," Larewyn commanded her entourage. The maidservants retreated to the other side of the nearby pond to continue their game of cards. "It's good to see you. How was your trip?"
"It was well. I missed you."
The simple words caused a lump in Larewyn's throat, and she nodded, smiling. "I missed you as well."
Erengaar reached for the pitcher of noth tea and poured himself a glass. "I know that I've been distant these past few weeks, and I'm sorry."
"No," Larewyn insisted. "You don't need to apologize. These are difficult times for the Emperium. Your place is in the Hall of State until these matters are settled."
Erengaar gave her a surprised look as he sipped his drink. "You sound as if you know the ills that plague our empire."
Larewyn smiled ruefully. "I watch the news feeds and the propaganda reports. There's not much else to do while I lie in rest every day."