by Vicky Savage
He addresses Ryder. “You are free to go, with our apologies.”
“Wait,” Mother cries, rising from her chair again. “I am not finished here. Jaden, what were you and Andrew doing in Unicoi?” She wheels on Drew. “Did you convince her to make this foolhardy trip?”
Drew’s eyebrows fly up. “It wasn’t me.”
She cuts her eyes to Ryder. “It must have been you. What have you done to my children to cause them to deceive me in this way? What are you doing to my family? You have put them and all of Domerica in harm’s way by your recklessness.”
This new accusation against Ryder is more than I can bear. “Oh Mother, shut up!”
She stares at me as though she doesn’t know me. “You would tell the queen to shut up?”
“I’m sorry, but you’ve got to calm down and listen, instead of hurling wild accusations at innocent people.”
“If he is innocent, what are you? What were you doing with this man, Jaden? He abducted you once, for pity sake, why would you allow him into your room? And why were you in Unicoi?”
“I’m not afraid of him, Mother. We’ve become… friends.”
“Friends? You mean that night was not the first time you had seen him since your abduction?”
I shake my head. “No.”
She gazes at me with eyes that hold both anger and fear. “Oh Daughter, what have you done?”
“I haven’t done anything Mother, except what you should have done long ago. Drew and I went to Unicoi to see with our own eyes the truth of the situation. We need to talk about that. You can’t avoid it any longer.”
“Oh, we shall discuss that,” she says. “Your deceitful behavior will be thoroughly addressed. But first I must know what is between you and young Blackthorn.”
I glance at Ryder. He comes to my side and takes my hand in his. The comforting electrical current flows through us, uniting us. We stand facing the furious queen.
“If you’ll allow me, Your Highness,” Ryder says. “I went to Jaden’s room that night because I had heard she was engaged to be married.”
“Of what significance is that to you?”
“I love your daughter,” he says. “I came to her because I had to know if it was true.”
“Surely you are not serious,” Mother says. “She is heir to the throne of Domerica.”
Ryder turns to Father. “I am sorry, John. I know I should have spoken with you before, but an opportune time did not present itself. I have asked Jaden to marry me.”
Mother’s sharp intake of breath is the only sound in the room.
Father studies Ryder soberly. “Well, that is momentous. Such a union would have significant implications for both Unicoi and Domerica. I assume you have thought this through?”
“To be honest with you sir, while I have certainly considered the implications, I cannot pretend to know what it will all mean. What I know with certainty is that I love Jaden. I will do whatever must be done to persuade her to marry me.”
“I take it that means Jaden has not yet accepted your proposal?” Father asks.
Ryder glances sideways at me. “I do not wish to speak for Jade, but she told me she is not yet ready to wed.”
“Oh, thank goodness,” Mother says clutching her throat. “And you two have not…Well, there is nothing that… Jaden,” she says to me. “Would you still be considered marriageable to someone else?”
“I’m still a virgin, if that’s what you mean, Mother,” I reply, prickling at the question. Her relieved smile is infuriating. Ryder squeezes my hand, and I lower my eyes, gazing at his long golden fingers intertwined with mine. In that moment I realize that regardless of what tomorrow brings, I must speak my heart.
“Hold on a minute. I have something to say to you both.” The back of my throat aches with emotion as I speak. “It’s true that I told Ryder I’m not ready to get married right now. But don’t be misled by that. You need to understand that when I am ready to marry, I will marry Ryder. There will be no one else.”
Ryder raises my hand to his mouth and presses his lips into my palm.
“Oh, Jaden.” Mother groans softly, crumpling into her chair.
Father comes to me. “You’re certain of this Jaden? It is an enormous decision.”
“I am absolutely certain. I’ll announce publicly that he is my betrothed. I’ll sign whatever papers you like to make it all legal. And we will marry before my twentieth birthday, as the law requires.”
“Jaden, wait,” Mother says. “Please do not be so hasty. Think about what you are saying.”
“I know what I am saying, Mother. I love Ryder. I’ll always love Ryder.” I gaze at his amazing face, an exquisite pain piercing my heart. I know I’ll never be his wife, but at least I can make this gesture of love for him, so he will forever know how much I cared.
“I can’t imagine life without him,” I say quietly, knowing that the truth of those words will cost me dearly.
Mother slumps as though defeated, hiding her face in her hands. She seems more human and less queen than I’ve seen her since my arrival in Domerica. It doesn’t make me happy to hurt her this way, but for my own peace of mind there are certain things I must say to my mother before I leave this realm. And not only how much I love her.
Father puts an arm around my shoulders. “Jade, it’s hard to believe you have found your husband. I think you’ve made an outstanding choice. I’m happy for both of you.” He hugs me and kisses my forehead.
“Congratulations,” he says, shaking Ryder’s hand. “Have you spoken with your father about this, Ryder?”
“Yes sir, he has given us his blessing.”
“Excellent!” He looks to my mother for her response. “Ellie?”
Her face is still buried in her hands. LeGare crouches beside her chair, whispering softly to her. I know she’s angry, but I pray she won’t cause an ugly scene by disowning me or something.
When she finally removes her hands her expression is sphinx-like. Collecting her skirts, she rises regally, the queen once more. “Please come here Jaden,” she says, and I walk to her on wobbly legs. She presents an imposing figure.
“What if I forbid you to marry this man?”
“I’ll do it anyway,” I say defiantly.
She scrutinizes my face as if trying to gage my resolve. I raise my chin and return her stare.
“This is not the way you were raised to conduct yourself,” she says. “You are royalty—a future queen, no less, not some scullery maid. This sneaking around behind my back is enormously disappointing.” Her voice is sharp and cold.
“How long have you been seeing this boy? Was that whole kidnapping escapade just a stunt so the two of you could be together?”
“No Mother! I swear. That was the first time we’d met, other than when we were children.”
She places her hand under my chin, her eyes probing mine. “And I suppose you had nothing to do with his escape from the palace?”
My face burns scarlet, and I lower my eyes. “I was responsible for the escape,” I say quietly.
“Jaden! How could you?”
“How could I? How could you?” I throw back at her. “I’d do it again if I had to. It’s beyond barbaric to wipe out a person’s mind—their past and all their memories. It’s cruel and unusual punishment,” I say borrowing a few words from the United States Constitution. “It should be outlawed.”
She twists her mouth into a taut smile. “Well, fortunately for us all, you do not get to make those decisions until you are sitting in my chair. And in light of your recent lapses in judgment we can only hope that is a very long time from now.”
Her words hurt me, but I continue. “Mother, I’m not trying to take over your throne. I never asked for any of this. All I can do is follow my conscience and try to do the right thing, not the easy thing. That’s the way I was raised. Lately I’ve wondered about your motivations, though. Do you really care about doing what’s right? Or do you care only about doing what’s in your best p
olitical interest? Thousands of people in Unicoi are dying because you have refused to help them. You should look into their faces Mother, because I know that if you do, you could not continue to be so cruel.”
She collapses into her chair, sobbing, and my heart falls into my shoes. I’ve made my mother cry. My dearest mother, whom I have missed every minute of every hour of every day for the past year. I drop to my knees and hug her.
“Oh Mother, I’m sorry. Please don’t cry. I love you. I didn’t mean it. I’m sorry I hurt you. Don’t cry. Please.”
She wraps her arms around me, and we hold each other tightly. “I love you too, darling,” she sniffs. “You will find when you are queen that it is not always easy to know what constitutes the right thing. Many others besides oneself must be taken into consideration.”
“I know, Mother. I know it’s hard. I know you’re doing the best you can. I’m sorry I’ve caused so much trouble. Please forgive me.”
She looks at me with a melancholy smile. “I think we must try to forgive each other, Daughter. I am not without fault, I know. You must think me cold sometimes, but I do love you dearly. I want only what is best for you.”
“This is what’s best for me, Mother. Truly. Ryder is what’s best for me. He makes me happy.”
She smoothes back my hair with delicate fingers. “Beautiful Jaden, you have always been the headstrong one. Let us hope your Ryder knows what he is getting into.”
She rises and puts an arm around my shoulder. Together we walk to Ryder. He looks uncomfortable at having witnessed such an intimate family scene, or maybe for being the cause of it.
Mother peers up into his face. Her brow wrinkles, and she laughs unexpectedly. “Oh, for heaven’s sake man, kneel down so I can see your eyes.” He kneels before her, raising his eyes to hers.
“Do you love my daughter?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Do you promise to care for her and protect her?”
“Yes. With my life.”
“Then you have my permission to marry, when Jaden is ready, of course. Things will not be easy for the two of you. You are from different cultures and many will object to your marriage, but you are part of our family now and we will do our best to smooth the way for you.” She holds her hand out to Ryder and he kisses it.
“Thank you, Queen Eleanor.” He gets back to his feet, and gathers me up in a bone-crushing embrace.
“Ryder,” I wheeze. “Can’t breathe.”
“Sorry,” he sets me down gently. “I’m just so happy.”
His enthusiasm is infectious, and I have to laugh. But my head is reeling with the awareness that I’ve just become engaged to be married. I don’t dare to even glance Ralston’s way. I doubt he considers my behavior appropriate considering my imminent departure, but I don’t give a crap anymore.
“I believe this calls for a celebration,” Father says. “Ryder, can you stay on?”
“Yes. I’ll need to send word to my father that I cannot attend the Council meeting tonight. He will understand, under the circumstances.”
“What about you, Ellie?” Father asks. “Celebration dinner for the newly engaged couple? Will you stay the night?”
“Oh no,” she shakes her head vigorously. “I couldn’t possibly. The theft of the Xtron has global implications. I must get to the bottom of it without further delay. We are woefully behind in our investigation due to Captain Carver’s irresponsible actions, and we no longer have a prime suspect.” She smiles nervously at Ryder.
“We were in the middle of preparing our response to the demands for a new dome when the theft occurred. Now I am certain Philippe and Rafael will call for my resignation as Designated Guardian.”
“Ellie, these are pressing issues, all of which will keep until tomorrow,” Father says. “I have some thoughts on the theft I would like to share with you, but in the morning. Send LeGare back to Warrington to get started on the investigation. Our daughter has just become engaged. Surely you can take an evening off.”
She frowns like she’s going to argue, but soon her face relaxes. “Oh, I suppose you are right. It will keep until morning. Our daughter becomes engaged only once. Do you have room for me here?”
“Of course, we have plenty of room for everyone. We’ll get you comfortably settled, and then I have a party to plan.”
FORTY-THREE
My Domerican father continues to impress me with his talents, this time as a party planner. When Ryder and I join the others downstairs for our celebration dinner, we find the dining room completely transformed for the occasion. The table is covered with an Irish lace cloth and set with fine bone china, gleaming silverware, and sparkling cut-crystal stemware. Electric candles glitter like starlight from every available space. Vases overflow with white roses, hydrangeas, and fragrant gardenias. Pine boughs laced with white ribbons hang above each door. Tinkling music wafts from the living room, where Father has hired a string quartet for our evening’s entertainment.
In addition to Erica and Captain Hornsby, Father has invited a few additional residents of the Enclave who have known Princess Jaden since childhood. I actually recognize one guest from my life back in Connecticut, my mother’s cousin Henry Balfour. In Domerica he is “Lord Balfour,” and he’s much more formal and distinguished in this role. I’m happy to see him, and I hug him warmly. As far as the others go, I just pretend to remember them all.
Father gets the festivities underway with a champagne toast and well wishes for the betrothed couple. Mother seems relaxed and lighthearted in spite of all the heavy problems weighing on her shoulders. I’m surprised at how graciously she has accepted my engagement to Ryder. But I should have known that she only wants me to be happy. That’s my mom—unconditionally loving.
The evening is filled with happy laughter, pleasant conversation, and a superlative meal. As dinner is winding down, Father mentions to the others that Drew, Ralston and I have just returned from a visit to Unicoi. Mother’s back stiffens slightly at this shift in the conversation.
“Oooh, you must tell us all about it. It must have been fascinating,” a sweet-faced, plump older woman, named Miss Charlotte, says. Miss Charlotte served as Jaden’s nanny during her childhood visits to the Enclave.
“It was all so amazing, I don’t know where to begin,” I say.
“Well, I do,” Drew chimes in.” They have a huge, highly trained army of warriors. Most men and many women belong to the armed forces, at least part-time. Ryder says it is the Cherokee tradition that all young men, and even most of the girls, become warriors when they reach their mid-teens. They receive training in many forms of combat, and they conduct realistic war games.”
“Goodness, are they expecting a war?” Miss Charlotte asks.
“No. They just wish to be prepared,” Drew says.
Ralston speaks up. “Yes, well, the army is rather impressive, but the strides in agricultural production are what impress me the most. Crops enough to feed the entire country are grown within the confines of a few hundred warehouses. The hydroponic methods of farming, along with the shortened growing cycle, are astounding, to say the least.”
He turns to Father. “John, I understand you are utilizing some of the Unicoi methods here at the Enclave.”
“That’s true,” Father says, “and so far the results have been remarkable. We hope to learn more of them.”
“I guess I was most impressed by the technology,” I say. “They have these things called transceivers you can use to speak to people miles away.” A collective gasp goes up from the table.
“You mean you can actually hear one another’s voices?” Miss Charlotte asks.
“Yes, mind-boggling, huh? And, they have motorized trolley cars that take people up and down the main street, so you don’t need a horse, and there are conveyances for public transportation in the city. In fact, horses aren’t even allowed on the main roads. Isn’t that so, Ryder?”
He chuckles, “Yes it is. It seems they have no manners when
it comes to being in town. We couldn’t keep up with the mess and the smell, no matter how many street cleaners we employed. It’s much better this way.”
“How do the vehicles run?” Lord Balfour asks.
“On elohi power, like the rest of Unicoi,” Ryder says.
“Oh yes, I’ve heard of that,” Lord Balfour says. “Remarkable stuff. Uses the earth’s own energy. It seems Domerica has a way to go to catch up with the Unicoi in several respects.”
“It does appear so from what we saw,” Drew agrees.
“But what did you find out about this insidious disease?” Captain Hornsby asks. “Weren’t you at all concerned for your own safety?”