Royal Rebel

by Gail Gernat

  “This part’s over. Good luck,” he whispered.

  Radhya twisted her stiff neck and made her way to the front of the platform. She looked over the silent crowd of pampered people. Without exception, every face showed signs of shock. Some of them seemed barely able to stand upright.

  “The proctors will pass and take a second vote,” Radhya croaked.

  Radhya returned to her seat. This vote was even swifter than the last. Radhya looked at the strip of paper. Her brows rose.

  “We have among us, one dissenter. The rest, who now know, however briefly, what it is like to be a slave, feel the bill of rights should pass. I invite our dissenter, as per our constitution, to come forward and present his case.”

  Lord Barone rose to his feet and strode to the platform.

  “I don’t care for trickery,” he exclaimed. Radhya gagged at his effrontery. “This is trickery; this meddling in our minds can’t be real. It’s a trick this evil woman, whom we all call Lady Death, set up so she can have her slaves in her bed. She’s a slut, and you are all fools to listen to her. If we give rights to our slaves, think what it will cost. Do you really want all that extra expense? Think of your comfort, think of yourself. She has kidnapped us. Can you trust someone like that?”

  Barone turned and sneered at Radhya, then walked to her chair and sat down.

  “I assure you what you felt was not a trick. Ask yourself if thoughts like that ever existed anywhere within your mind? If the answer is no, then they must come from outside yourself. As for trickery, I would think a man planning to assassinate the woman he claims to love, and arranges to contract with, would be the epitome of trickery. As for comfort, better fed, clothed, healthier slaves give you a better return for you money than sick, weak ones.”

  “Don’t trust that bitch!”

  Four proctors closed in on Barone.

  “We wanted to see where this whole kidnapping was headed,” they told Radhya. “If violence were used, you would be liable. The vote was fairly conducted. The education was not illegal. However, we judge for your complaint against Lord Noel Barone, status 688, in that he did attempt to defraud you of property, patents, and wealth, in that he attempted to force you to uphold an illegal contract to contract, in that he used coercive force and threat to get the original contract to contract, in that he did attempt murder, in that he defrauded Lady Petra Kirbyson, deceased, of her holdings, and had her reduced illegally to a slave, who met her death as a result of said slavery. Barone, you are guilty and are henceforth reduced to the rank of a slave yourself. All remaining property and patents including the ones stolen from the late Lady Kirbyson are awarded to her sister Lady Radhya Kirbyson. As you are no longer a member of the aristocracy, the vote is unanimous. The bill of rights for slaves is hereby law. Break it at your peril.”

  The proctors led a screaming and ranting Barone away. The crowds were silent for a moment, then broke into loud cheering, backslapping, and congratulations. Lady Felina ascended the platform, and the crowd quieted.

  “I am so proud,” began the princess, “to call my friend this day, Lady Radhya Kirbyson, whose incredible rise in status is exceeded only by her determination to improve our society. She is an inspiration to us all. This lovely woman once asked me for a favor. Today I give that favor. Daddy...”

  Princess Felina stepped aside, and her father took her place on the platform.

  “My people, I have a great responsibility for governing the Commonwealth. Sometimes one becomes so involved in mundane affairs that the greater issues are overlooked. I originally was doing this to please my daughter; now, however, I feel it is only appropriate to give a reward to the Lady who has opened our eyes to a terrible injustice. To thank you for your work in this area, Lady Radhya Kirbyson I grant full royal pardon to your slaves named Geo, Rory, Padr, Max and Will.”

  Radhya’s jaw dropped, and she gaped like a fish, at a total loss for words. The King produced a key, removing the collars from Max, Will, and Padr. Rory rushed from his hidden room and had his collar removed as well.

  “Must I go to your home for this Geo then?” King Smon asked.

  “I thank you for such generosity, your highness, but Geo was murdered and therefore is not available to be freed.”

  “Very well then, since former Lord Barone will not need his status, I confer it upon Padr Kent. You are once again Lord Padr Kent status 688.”

  The crowd burst into applause, cheering and stamping their feet for Padr, who was grinning fit to split his face. Radhya burst into tears, fell into Padr’s arms and buried her face in his tunic.

  The Chandrans slipped quietly away to their warm, dim caverns. Radhya had the aristocrats’ bodyguards released, and the shield lowered, returning to her rooms laughing and crying at the same time.

  Epilogue

  Will woke Radhya from sleep. The festive celebrations had run long, and she was still tired. Stumbling to the window, she looked longingly at the dark sea. The chime shivered in the air. Turning, she beheld Stephan.

  “Well done, little sister. Well done indeed.”

  “Thank you Steph, but why are you in my room before dawn? I would have loved a few more hours of sleep.”

  “Since you received all the assets that Petra owned...”

  “Now Steph, the proctors did that. I had nothing to do with it.”

  “No, no you misunderstand. I don’t want Petra’s stuff. I want what you have.”

  “Steph, you’re not making any sense. I don’t have anything you could want.”

  “I want your bonding thing. You see, I have a friend, actually three friends, and we want what you have with your bodyguards, never to be alone. Please Radhya, I have never asked anything from you. I always threaten and bribe, but I never ask. Now I am asking.”

  “Why not? We had always hoped that others would wish to join in a bonding, I just never expected you to be one of them. You do realize that you feel each bond mate’s emotions, and it’s best to stay at least on the same planet.”

  “Radhya, I want this, and so do the others.”

  “Very well, meet us downstairs in half an hour. Bring your friends.”

  Radhya pried herself from the windows dressed. Descending with Padr, Will, and Max, she met Stephan and his seliflacn; Lady Felina, her bodyguard Sen, and Lady Simms were waiting with her brother. All were dressed in plain white robes. Startled, Radhya paused.

  “Felina and I have been having an affair for a number of years now,” Stephan explained. “That is why I tried so hard to make money, so I could become closer to her in status and maybe become an acceptable contract spouse. It will never happen, so we want to be bonded and with our best friends.”

  Radhya nodded and led the way in the darkness. It was a long walk down the beach, the waves making a soft susurration beside them. The sun was sending pink and gold feelers into the sky, reflecting off the water in tartan patterns when Radhya slipped through a crack in the rock.

  She slid to one side and conversed with one of the fathers a moment, moving with her companions to line the walls of the cave. Four fathers approached the seliflacn. They escorted them to the mother floating in the waist deep water. She enfolded the four of them in her arms and lifted the quartet to her bulky belly. The soft whispering music of the fathers filled the cavern, song of the lameeno, the bonding, then a new song, the lameeno-ka, the bonding of humans. The instruments were strange and totally nonhuman, but beautiful nevertheless.

  Time ceased for an interval. Rainbow shadows danced on the walls. Slipping from the mother’s embrace, Sen helped Felina, and Stephan helped Simms, and they waded back through the shimmering mini waves to Radhya, Padr, Will, and Max. Felina hugged Radhya with all her might. Her eyes were shining like blue diamonds. Stephan tried to speak but failed, expressing his emotion with tears in his eyes.

  Eight bonded humans returned to the visitor’s center, and Radhya retired to her room for a few more hours of sleep. Again, Will woke her far too early.

  “Thi
s is a habit you are going to have to break,” she yawned at him.

  Aninya entered crying, “Milady you must prepare.”

  “No Aninya, I must sleep. The job is done; the slaves have started on the road to freedom.”

  Aninya smiled at her. Pulling on Radhya’s arm, she hauled her mistress out of bed and into the bathroom. When her hair and makeup were done, Aninya brought an elegant white dress to Radhya.

  “This is Jemelina’s latest creation,” she smiled.

  “Oh no!” exclaimed Radhya heading out the door.

  Aninya seized her by the arm and brought her back. The dress was a perfect fit, clinging softly at the high-necked top and flowing gently to the floor.

  “White just isn’t my color,” commented the Lady, “but at least this time she did the measurements correctly.”

  Aninya clapped her hands. “Milady you look wonderful.”

  Together they descended in the lift.

  “Where are the guys?” asked Radhya peering around.

  “Milady, they will meet you in the foyer,” explained Aninya.

  Max and Will waited for her and Max handed her a large arrangement of white lilies, moonglows, and orchids.

  “You look spectacular,” whispered Will, a gigantic grin on his face.

  “Milady?” said Max holding out his arm.

  As she put her hand on his arm, he led her to the ballroom. The decorations had changed, the red replaced with sky blue. The king waited by the dividing doors in solemn, royal splendor. Max handed Radhya to him. They entered the ballroom, filled with aristocracy from wall to wall, together. On the platform at the front, a lone royal waited, sporting a sky blue uniform. As Radhya paced slowly with the king, a tune from antiquity filled the air. King Smon walked her up the stairs, and handed her to the aristocrat waiting there, Padr. They turned and faced the crowd. Radhya could see the newly bonded four grinning as though their faces would split, Princess Felina clapping her pudgy hands.

  King Smon spoke, “My people, I have the great honor today to present for contracting Lady Kirbyson and Lord Kent. May they have as much happiness as they bring to others.”

  The crowd went wild with applause as a servant in royal livery brought the document. Together, Radhya and Padr pressed their thumbs to the designated spots.

  Radhya gazed up at him. The most incredible feelings of pleasure were coming to her down the bond. His deep blue eyes looked longingly into hers as his mouth descended ever so slowly for their first kiss.

  Message to the reader

  Sincere thank you to all my readers. I hope you enjoyed this book, my first baby as it were. I love to write, but that is all useless without out you. Please search out and enjoy my other creations. It is so much more fun to travel the roads together.

  About the Author

  Gail Gernat lives in Northern Ontario, in the country with her beloved husband, Norman, a crazy dog and two aging tom cats. While being involved in many projects, this award-winning author enjoys being very close to nature. Gail is also living with lymphoma and these factors inform much of her writing.

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