Chloë laughed at that; yes, her birth mother would be an excellent choice for help in that regard. Birth mother. Chloë suddenly winced at that. She loved her mother. Loved her dearly but wanted to be with Ivy and her family. This was going to be complicated. Very. Chloë worked to get her head back in the game as the cheers finally started to wind down.
“Support of me may not serve you well if it is I who abdicate, your grace,” Chloë lectured.
“Better to support the honest and fair no matter the situation, your Highness. You have asserted yourself, things will never be the same.”
Heather grinned as she leaned over to Chloë, “So, you ready to deal with this full time, every day, day in, day out? Fancy words, veiled threats, backroom politics…”
“Bite your tongue!” replied Chloë through gritted teeth. Oh, this was all so easy until the politics kicked in. Yep, time for help from mom… whichever one that happened to be…
51
Heather and Raymond stood by Chloë on the bridge of the starship. They were getting ready to open the jump gate, and while it was well assured that no one would be in their way, there was plenty of concern about an unwanted escort of Bervik ships of who knows which Houses waiting for them. From their end they had the desired escort of two heavy cruisers and three dreadnaughts of the Shukurae, but it was a given that the Shukurae were going to be unwelcome. She knew that the Shukurae had a series of ships with the jumpgates all but powered up, ready to spring into action, but honestly, Chloë wanted to do this with as little show of force as possible. The more hotheads that were gathered in one place, the more likely something stupid might happen by accident!
Chloë sighed as she took Heather’s hand, “Okay, Captain, at your leisure.”
The Captain nodded smartly, “Yes, your Highness.” He readied himself; a professional of many years he, too, understood the diplomatic and military risks ahead. “Prime the gate. Check the curvature and then broadcast clearance.”
“Aye, aye sir. Gate-drive stable and showing no immediate curvature. Broadcast on civil and military channels shows a minimum ten minute window.”
“All right then,” the Captain muttured under his breath. “Expand the gate and take us through!”
There was an obvious strain on the ships power system as a wormhole briefly sparkled into existence in front of them. It swelled and everyone briefly felt queasy as they passed through… “Engines back to norm. All systems stable. We have broadcast from Shukurae ships’ gate drives, hold steady for safest course.”
“Bloody well hold steady!” blurted the Captain.
Everyone on the deck winced briefly as the five Shukurae warships popped through their own wormholes a second later. Three wormholes in rapid succession. One for each of the dreadnaughts while the two heavy cruisers exploited the stable wormholes produced by the dreadnaughts and followed in their wake.
Drafting behind the Shukurae dreadnaughts… that brought back memories for Chloë as she recalled her governess Anna doing the same thing to scoot them across the galaxy just weeks earlier.
“We are being hailed.”
They all expected that. The Captain nodded to Chloë before facing the front of the bridge, “On screen.”
“Royal Amsterval Ship Illustrious, we are showing non fleet ships in your proximity. Do you need assistance?”
“Who are they?” asked Chloë under her breath.
“That is the RAS Defiant, heavy cruiser. We are showing one other heavy cruiser and four light cruisers as well. All House Amsterval, your Highness.”
“Well that keeps it tidy… Do answer the hail, dear Captain.”
“This is Captain Gerrard of RAS Illustrious. The other ships are on personal retainer of her Highness, Princess Chloë Stratford-Amsterval. We are in route to Bervik VI; your ships are in our path. Please stand clear for her Highness.”
“Where is Count Alfonso, Captain Gerrard?”
“Count Alfonso is under house arrest for kidnapping and murder having declined to stand in trial by combat. Her Highness speaks for the ship.”
“With all due respects…”
“With all due respects, move your ships!” snapped Chloë. “Armed ships blockading normal trade corridors is generally called piracy. Armed ships refusing direct orders from the House Amsterval is generally called treason!” Chloë was getting much better at snarling, but she didn’t like it. This was bringing out the worst in her…
“Princess Chloë, your father bid us rescue you from your current and most unfortunate situation.”
“If you meant Prince Philip then you do not speak of my father! I stand here on this bridge of my own free will. Those who stand beside me, do so at my request. Those dreadnaughts off our wings that stand ready to do battle, do so at my request. Now who exactly is needing rescuing?”
“Your Highness, Shukurae warships on our frontier are unacceptable!”
“Why? They move under standard trade and custom along the standard trade routes. They do so with transponders broadcasting in plain. There is no subterfuge or impropriety. Unlike your vessels that continue to block our path.” Chloë was running out of ‘snarl.’ It just wasn’t in her nature. She bit her lip as she looked to Heather.
Heather nodded, “Do it.”
Chloë sighed as she nodded to the communication officer, “Page our support.”
There was hardly a pause between the press of the button there on the RAS Illustrious’s bridge and seven wormholes opening all around them. In a swish of ones’ tail, seven more Shukurae dreadnaughts and fourteen more heavy cruisers exploded onto the scene.
“Sensors showing the dreadnaughts’ mass drivers are online!” came a squeak from the bridge.
“Move out of our way!” growled Chloë slowly, articulately and defiantly.
Chloë’s growl was all but superfluous, the opposing ships were already in motion. The Defiant made quick exit via wormhole leaving the other heavy cruiser and four light cruisers on their own.
“Can the small ones gate on their own?” asked Raymond.
“No, Sir Raymond. They rely on the heavy cruisers gate drive or the trade wormholes.”
“Offer them the chance to reorient and all gate out in a safe and controlled fashion,” sighed Chloë, obviously wanting things to quickly be smoothed over.
“The heavy cruiser RAS Swordfish is hailing us.”
Chloë nodded to Captain Gerrard, “Put them on.”
A pair of stately but obviously rattled men appeared on the screen. One Chloë guessed to be the ship’s captain, the other she immediately recognized: Earl Kevin of the Lakes. Chloë tried to not looked shocked, but she had half expected the earl to be rotting in prison someplace for his part in Anna and Chloë’s escape.
“Greeting your Highness. We stand here still quite honestly worried for your safety and security,” began the earl. “The lady we see and hear before us is far different than the one we all know so well. Thus you must understand the concern that you are being manipulated.”
“Or,” chimed Chloë with an honest smile, “the far more shocking concern that I’m not being manipulated by anyone at all! Most notably: Prince Philip!”
The earl laughed, “Your Highness, you cannot deny the fire in your voice that is now present. But then, maybe that is your mother starting to show!” He cleared his throat and continued, “Whatever the case, we still have our concerns for your safety, security and freedom. Thus, if you will permit me to come aboard and meet you in person and verify your situation, we will gladly turn these great ships around and travel with you to Bervik VI.”
“That seems perfectly reasonable, Earl Kevin. I would suggest no more than four retainers with you. Choose them well, the Shukurae will be inspecting them as they board,” replied Chloë with the closest thing to a smile all morning.
“That is perfectly acceptable, your Highness. I will board within the hour.”
The screen blanked out and they all sighed and relaxed. Chloë paid her respects t
o the Captain and the three left the bridge.
“You trust the earl?” asked Raymond somewhat suspiciously.
“Oh. Oh yes. He helped Anna and me escape.”
Raymond was caught flatfooted, “The earl? Why?”
“Maybe because he is a good guy,” offered Heather broadly.
“That and ask Anna!” grinned Chloë mischievously.
“You mean he’s not gay?” asked an honestly surprised Raymond.
“No, just thoroughly in love with someone very much beneath his station. You know, kinda like you and princess Heather,” joked Chloë.
52
Three quarters of an hour later the earl and two retainers boarded the ship. To say they were scrutinized by the Shukurae was an understatement, but all parties involved were professional and soon the earl met them in the Great Hall. The hall had been cleared and swept for bugs, only Watzkel’s Shukurae were to be found as guards.
The earl smiled as he bowed, “It is wonderful to see you, Princess! You have done well for yourself and have chosen your friends wisely!”
Chloë grinned, “Okay, if you trust my friends so much, why the long speech just to come aboard?”
The earl laughed, “Those are the formalities and speeches people expect to hear. If I had stood there on the bridge and blubbered, ‘Is Anna going to be all right?’ people would have asked way too many questions!”
Chloë smiled, “Anna is on a long path to recovery. But she is doing well. She may do better if you had the chance to go visit her. And oh, for heaven’s sake, drop the ‘your highness’…”
“Lady Chloë then?”
“That is fine,” she grinned.
The earl nodded and grinned, “I’d heard that Ivy Strartford had taken you in. The irony is not lost on me: I know who her husband is!”
“Is that known widely?” Chloë asked curiously.
A raspberry, from the earl! He was going to fit right in! “Not hardly! That requires people look and think beyond their own little territories… Any of those others that do know are keeping it quietly to themselves. I wouldn’t be surprised if some are keeping a still tongue hoping that it comes to blows between your father and Prince Philip.”
“So you would call Llewellyn her father?” asked Heather with a broad grin.
“Ivy Stratford brought Chloë into your house. End of story. Whether or not Lady Chloë’s domain spans two houses or just one is the only question. I, for one, am not to argue with your First Mother!”
Chloë smiled, “Okay, I have to ask, why are you free? I figured you would have gotten into horrible trouble over my very exciting exit from the palace.”
The earl smiled, “Ah yes! Your exit. While things were compromised by my security drill, it seems the most fascinating thing occurred: little lady Jasmine, who has a horrible crush on the young Duke of the Estherdale, seems to have dropped the age old portcullis at the gate house as you and Anna went running past. Not only did that prevent the guards from following, it also took out power for half the complex! It seems no one ever expected that old gate to be used, so power coupling had been run through it years ago. Drills are one thing; actually losing power is quite exciting!”
“Is Lady Jasmine in trouble?” asked Heather with honest concern.
The earl just smiled, “She’s eight! She was grounded for a week, but that is about all that came of it for her. The young duke, however was terribly embarrassed by the whole thing.”
“As in embarrassed that he actually likes her? He’s going to have to wait ten years for her!” laughed Chloë.
“He has a long list of interested parties; I doubt he is going to wait ten years.”
“How in the world did I end up on his short list?” asked Chloë flabbergasted. “I didn’t even remotely like him and I don’t think he really even noticed I existed.”
“There you get to blame Prince Philip and Duchess Amanda: the most powerful House on Bervik III and the most powerful House on Bervik IV.”
“It was all about power games!” snarled Chloë.
“Would you like to know the worst of it, my Lady?”
Chloë blinked, “Being married off against my will for power politics wasn’t the worst?”
“Maybe worst was the wrong choice of words… coup de grâce to your fine sensibilities?”
Chloë’s stomach immediately tied in knots, “Okay, just spill it.”
“The duchess is a widow…” Earl grinned broadly.
“That fink Prince Philip was seeing the duchess!” screamed Chloë. “Like I needed another reason to hate him!”
“If Prince Philip were to abdicate, would the Duchess Amanda take him in?” asked Raymond suddenly.
Chloë glared at Raymond but the earl quickly piped up, “It was a reasonable question, Lady Chloë. Sir Raymond was actually being very practical. If Prince Philip does abdicate, he has to go somewhere.”
“Back at the academy they used to say to give your opponent an escape route. If they don’t think they can escape, they will fight like they have nothing to lose.”
“People who think they have lost it all…” murmured Chloë as she thought of Llewellyn in his youth. She paused and hugged Heather before turning to Raymond, “Sorry I snapped. You were trying to be helpful… I don’t like snapping; once you start, it’s hard to stop. I don’t want to be that kind of person.”
Raymond just smiled, “You didn’t snap, Lady Chloë, you only glared. It’s alright, I understand.”
Chloë smiled and gave Raymond a quick hug, “Thanks. Oh I will be so glad when this is all over.”
“So how about this,” offered Heather, “Philip quits to go hang out with this duchess creep and your birth mother takes over as Crown Princess of House Amsterval? If a duchess can run things on her own, why not a princess?”
Earl Kevin grinned broadly, “That sounds like an excellent suggestion. Now, if we could just get all parties to agree to that…”
“Will my uncle be upset if Prince Philip gets divorced?”
“Actually, I think he will break into song and dance,” grinned the earl.
53
Chloë sat tight next to Heather as the great starcruiser started to descend through the atmosphere. It was one of the largest ships around that could do a proper landing; anything larger had to use drop ships to ferry people to the surface. It was only with great expense that a ship that large could land. Expense and decadence! They were landing just outside the minor palace where her mother was staying. The conversation with the traffic control on their descent had been awkward at best, but ultimately it was the wordsmithing of Earl Kevin of the Lakes that was able to smooth things over. The great Shukurae ships held in orbit, watching, waiting. Chloë still had some comfort that Watzkel and her troops were still with her. The complement of minor nobles on board were giddy with anticipation, but none wanted to be at ground zero when the Prince and Princess met! It was unclear from the comm traffic if Prince Philip was en route or already there. Chloë took small satisfaction that none of the ships they passed had Amsterval livery, only Heigen Livery. The livery of her grandmother’s house.
Mother. Birth mother. Chloë cringed and tried to set her mind at peace. It had been ten years since she had met her birth mother. She wanted to believe everything could somehow be made magically perfect. But she still held House Stratford and dear dear Heather so close to her heart. “Um, Heather. Growing up, multiple mothers, how do you not have a favorite?”
Heather grinned, “Still worried about meeting your mother after all these years? Having more mothers just means there is more love to go around. If I need strength, I go to Ivy, comfort—Maria, tenderness—Gwen, humor—April and May, hope—Moria. You can’t run out of love.”
“Do you mind calling Caleigh ‘mother?’”
Heather grinned, “That is the first time I’ve heard you call her by name! You are my sister, that makes Caleigh my mother, too!”
Chloë managed a smile, “Thank you. Thank you for everyth
ing.”
Heather laughed, “I’m your sister, you don’t need to thank me for anything! And quite honestly, you probably shouldn’t, the day is not over yet…”
The cruiser creaked and groaned as it settled and recalibrated its artificial gravity. Chloë stood, still holding Heather’s hand as they marched to the front of the ship and the great loading ramp. Raymond followed close behind as did Earl Kevin. Further behind yet followed half of Watzkel’s troops. The other half of troops had already started to spread out across the palace grounds…
Sunlight and fresh air! Oh, Chloë needed that! Birdsong didn’t hurt either nor did the smell of fresh cut grass. Fresh cut grass… Chloë laughed to herself, that was something the Highlands lacked, although she would happily trade the smell of a meadow full of wildflowers for cut grass any day! They soon found themselves in the outer and well-manicured hedge garden. A playful maze on her few visits so many years ago, it now served only to heighten her nostalgia and giddy anticipation.
As they left the hedge rows and entered the outer flower garden, Chloë could just make out the palace itself and the three flags flying overhead.
“What’s with the flags?” asked Heather with a mischievous grin.
“They are the coats of arms of the residents. The first two are Amsterval and Heigen. I don’t recognize the third. It is of a visitor seeing my mother or grandmother.”
Heather grinned, “I know what the third one is…”
“Please tell me it is not Beyscones!”
“Nope. Green field, one black and one white gryphon chasing each other in a circle… that is ours! House Stratford!”
54
They were announced to the sitting room and soon Chloë found herself looking at her mother. Ten long years. Ten long and lonely years… Chloë broke down crying as she rushed Caleigh and hugged her tight. It was only after several long minutes did she finally realize that not only was her grandmother in the room, but so was Maria Stratford!
Chloë Page 22