by Vicky Savage
He brushes his fingers tenderly along my jaw. “I have something I must do tonight, love. I’m so sorry, but it’s been planned for days. I would be letting others down.”
“What is it? What are you doing that’s so important?” I’m seriously on the verge of pouting.
“I really should not say.”
Glaring at him, I ask, “Is Alexander coming again?”
“No. Actually, I plan to escort Meli and the baby to Old Unicoi to visit with him for a few days.”
This is unwelcome news. “Ryder, no. I wish you wouldn’t. It’s too dangerous.”
“Would that I could honor your wishes, love, but I’ve made commitments to Alexander and to Meli. They have very little time together. The baby is growing up without his father. It’s the least I can do.”
Chewing on my lower lip, I resist the urge to argue with him. “All right. You’re a loyal friend. But when will you be back? The wedding’s in ten days. There’s still a lot to do.”
Smiling, he takes my hands in his. “Only three days. I will come straight to you once I’ve returned Meli and the baby to Catherine’s care. And I’ll bring extra clothes to keep here. I promise. In the meantime, I’m certain whatever wedding decisions you make will be acceptable to me. I’m afraid I wasn’t of much help to you today.”
I snort. “You certainly made the tailor’s day.”
“Can you stand to kiss me goodbye while I’m redolent of her scent?”
“I’ll hold my breath,” I say, pulling him close.
FIFTY-THREE
Lunching alone in my room, I’m lonely and sulky. My big plans for spending the day (and night) with Ryder have been dashed, but moping around doesn’t seem like a good use of my time, so I decide to find something constructive to do.
I fill up a box with some things from my room that might look nice in Mother’s office. It’s my office now, and I need to find ways to make it my own. Carrying the box upstairs, I plunk it on the desk and begin to rearrange things, setting out trinkets and books from my room, and repacking the box with Mother’s mementoes.
Once things look cozier and more like me, I settle down at the desk to do some work. I pull a stack of thick files from one of the bottom drawers and flip through the tabs. They are titled with things like “Semi-Annual Agricultural Report,” “Coalition of Dome Nations Report,” “Dome Operations Procedures,” “Fiscal Responsibility Act.” Ugh. Just shoot me now, please. I’ll never get through all this.
Pushing away from the desk and the odious stack of files, I wander to the window. A cadre of Royal Guardsmen on horseback is conducting drills on the grounds; others duel with practice swords; while still others flirt with the housemaids on their break in the courtyard. I watch them and wonder idly what I’d be doing if I were in Connecticut right now. Probably hanging out with my friends and having fun—getting yogurt, shopping for shoes, listening to each other’s playlists, and other normal things like that. Truthfully, I miss it. I miss my friends.
Everything was going to change anyway. Everyone would be heading off to college soon, and really, could those files on my desk be any more daunting than the homework I’d be inundated with at Yale? I don’t think so. At least here I have Ryder, and I’m about to be the bride in an amazing fairytale-like wedding. Plus, I can be a positive force in Domerica. So many important things need to be accomplished here—the completion of Unicoi Village, and the restoring of trade with Dome Noir, for two. Maybe the Council and I can come up with some ideas for Dome Noir that will help improve conditions for that country also.
Filled with purpose and hope, I plant my butt back in the desk chair. I tuck the thick files back inside the drawer and pull out all the information Mother amassed on Dome Noir. The proposal for resumption of trade is the most important issue at the moment. The rest of it can wait. Prince Gilbert will be here in a week or so, and I need to have something that will bowl him over. It may be impossible to promise him Damien’s murderer on a silver platter, but we have other incentives to offer. Attractive incentives. I take a fresh writing pad from the desk and begin making notes.
Completely absorbed in my project, I lose all track of the time. When Ralston pokes his head inside the door, I realize the afternoon light has faded to dusk. “Are you coming down for dinner, my dear, or should I have something sent up?” he asks.
“Actually, I was thinking of taking a break.” I stretch my arms and rotate the stiffness from my neck. “Dinner sounds good. Are you headed down now?”
“Yes. Would you care to accompany me?”
“Love to. I need to talk to you about something anyway. Do you think we could have dinner alone tonight?”
He tilts his head at me. “Far be it from me to tell you how to run your palace, but you haven’t dined with the guests at court since your mother’s death. You may at least wish to put in an appearance.”
“Oh man. That means I’d have to get dressed up and wear a crown. I’m too tired tonight.” I give him my best pretty please look. “Besides, you and I have things to discuss, and maybe a game of chess after?”
“All right,” he relents. “I’ll send word that you have pressing business tonight, but that you will dine in the main hall tomorrow night.”
I beam at him. “Thanks, Rals. I’ll have something sent to my rooms for us. See you soon.”
Gathering my things, I flip off the lamp and follow him out the door.
Over dinner I share with Ralston the finer points of my outlined proposal to Dome Noir. Cook has prepared roasted salmon tonight, harvested from the Unicoi fish farms. It’s mouthwatering, and I make a little note in the margin of my writing pad to add “fish exportation” to the list of reasons Dome Noir should resume trade with us. Ralston has some great ideas which I incorporate into what I’ve already got. I’m sure the Council members will have some thoughts of their own, but I think we have a good start.
“You’ve done a fine job with this, Jaden.” Ralston smiles fondly at me. “Undoubtedly the Council will be impressed. When is your next meeting?”
“Day after tomorrow, I hope. I haven’t set it up yet, but it’s important to finalize this soon. I want all these loose ends tied up well before the wedding.”
“Yes, that’s wise. Shall we have our desert at the chess table?”
“Sure. Let me guess, you want to be black.” Ralston’s always black and I’m always white when we play chess.
He surprises me by taking the seat behind the white chess pieces.
“Well, well, you’ve decided there is a first move advantage after all,” I say. But when I sit behind the black pieces, he rotates the board a hundred and eighty degrees so I’m playing white, as usual.
“Ladies first,” he says.
Cute. Ralston usually wins even though I always have the opening move. Then something occurs to me. “Hey wait a minute. This isn’t really fair, is it? It’s like I’m playing a computer each time we play.”
“No it isn’t. I do not have a chess program in my data banks. And, even if I did, I would disable it. It would not be sporting, and besides, it would take all the fun out of it.”
“Do you really have fun, Rals?” I ask moving my king’s pawn two spaces forward.
“Yes, I do. Every time I trounce you at chess, my dear.” He grins, mirroring my move.
It takes him only about twenty minutes to put me in checkmate, and he really does look pretty proud of himself afterward. I’m still a little suspicious about that chess program thing. Anyway, he makes us mugs of tea as kind of a consolation for whipping my ass. We sit in front of the fake fireplace and watch the twinkling logs.
“How are preparations for the wedding coming along?” he asks.
“Fairly well. Mother had everything pretty well organized, and Jennifer seems to be on top of it all. There’s still a lot to do, though. That’s one thing I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Yes? May I help in some way?”
“Well, I still need to sign the papers for IUGA
, you know, electing to stay in Domerica. I thought I should go ahead and do that before the wedding guests begin arriving and I get distracted.”
He sips his tea thoughtfully. “I’ll need to go to headquarters to have the documents prepared. That may take two or three days, but I suppose you’re right. If you’re absolutely certain of your decision, there is no sense in waiting. I understand you’ve already conveyed your decision to Narowyn and the Transcenders, but you must decide how you wish to handle the situation in Connecticut.”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you wish to simply disappear, or do you care to leave a note of some nature? Not to be morbid, my dear, but IUGA still has the princess’s body in cryostasis. We could stage your death as a suicide or an accident of some sort.”
“She’s frozen? Oh god, that’s horrible. No. No. I don’t want them to find my body, or her body or whatever. I think I should just vanish. That seems the most humane thing to do.”
“As you wish. I shall depart for headquarters in the morning to have the final papers drawn up.”
* * *
The palace is even lonelier with both Ryder and Ralston away. I extend an invitation to Drew and Adelais to spend a couple of days with me, but Drew responds that Adelais is suffering from regular bouts of morning sickness, and not just in the morning, so they’d better stay close to home. It wasn’t only Drew’s company I was looking for; I was hoping to use him as a kind of buffer between me and the people currently at court. I’m worried and nervous about committing some huge faux pas like forgetting the name of my great aunt Suzie or something. Drew would most likely bail me out without extracting too much humiliation. I guess I’ll have to wing it without him.
Most of the first day is taken up with the burgeoning list of people who’ve requested an audience with the queen. Chauncey, the clerk who attended Mother during these audiences is a tiny man with a clump of coarse gray hair, a pointed nose, and talon-like fingers. I discover that despite his goblin-like appearance, he’s perfectly pleasant and enormously efficient. Whispering to me throughout the proceedings, he advises me on the appropriate response to whatever request or grievance has been laid out before me. It quickly becomes clear that I’m wholly unnecessary to the proceedings, except as a figurehead. I make a mental note to see if I can appoint Chauncey as a judge or something and take myself out of the process altogether.
On the second day, the Council of Advisors meeting goes fairly well. At first, several members float their own ideas of how the situation in Dome Noir should be approached—with the hardliners and the doves jockeying for position. When it comes time to get something on paper, though, everyone agrees it’s imperative to resolve the trade issue as soon as possible. We end up with a solid proposal that I believe will persuade Prince Gilbert.
Jennifer and I meet after lunch to go over seating charts and other details of the wedding. She also takes me on a tour of the renovations underway to the queen’s suite. When it’s completed, it won’t resemble Mother’s former suite at all. It’ll be brighter and more open, with oversized furniture, in deference to Ryder’s wishes, and soft soothing colors, in deference to mine.
Everything’s coming together beautifully and, despite missing Mother every time I turn a corner in the palace, I’m in great spirits. Ralston’s due home this afternoon and Ryder tomorrow. The palace is being painted, polished, scrubbed, refurbished, and refreshed in anticipation of the arrival of the many foreign wedding guests. The whole place sparkles and shines, reflecting my own mood back to me.
With my writing pad on my lap, I sit in a cheerful little parlor downstairs to compose my vows to Ryder. I’m told the COC has a rather lengthy wedding ceremony, and no one writes their own vows, but I requested that Ryder and I be allowed to include some sentiments of our own. Apparently nobody says no to the queen—not even the COC.
Gazing out onto the freshly-manicured grounds, I try to put my feelings into words. How do I tell Ryder that I’ve given up everything to be with him, when he can’t possibly understand that “everything” actually includes my home, my family, my friends, and an amazing gift I’ve barely had time to understand.
My thoughts are interrupted by the clatter of a carriage rolling up the drive. It’s Ralston! I abandon my musings and my writing pad to greet him on the front veranda.
He clambers out of the carriage and mounts the front steps slowly, looking almost tired. Do automatons ever run out of juice?
I meet him at the top of the stairway. “Hey, Rals. How was your trip?” No one else is around so we address each other informally.
“Everything went well, my dear. How are things here?”
“They’ve been kind of quiet. The calm before the storm, I guess. Wedding gifts are still pouring in, and a new gazebo is being built for Ryder and me to stand in while exchanging our vows. You ought to see it. It looks like a Greek pavilion. Not much else going on.”
“I suppose that’s a good thing.”
“So, do you have the papers for me?” I ask excitedly.
“Yes, but we should discuss a few matters prior to your signing. Would you mind if I freshen up a bit before we meet? The road was quite dusty today. I’d like to change my clothes.”
“Sure. Take your time. Are you all right, Rals?”
“Yes. Just rather jostled from the trip. Perhaps we could have tea?”
“Tea? You know you don’t have to pretend with me.”
“I find the ritual relaxing,” he says, “if you don’t mind the indulgence.”
“Tea sounds great. Meet me up in Mother’s, er, my office whenever you’re ready. No rush.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.” He bows as two servants hurry by.
FIFTY-FOUR
The afternoon light lends a golden-silvery glow to Mother’s office. I’m more comfortable here now that I’ve rearranged the furniture and shelves. I wish I had my music to work by. Last year Ryder showed me a music box, as he called it, invented by the Unicoi. It actually played tunes. I make a mental note to ask if he can get one for me.
The tea tray arrives, and the maids place it on the small conference table. I peek under the napkins covering the baskets to see what baked delights Cook has put together for us. Spongy lemon-poppy seed cakes, raspberry tarts, and sausage-stuffed puffed pastry balls.
I bite into one of the savory balls. Yum.
“Thank you for having tea sent up,” Ralston says as he comes inside and closes the door. “Would you like me to pour?”
“Sure. You always do a better job than I do.”
He carefully decants the tea into delicate cups, adding two sugar cubes and a touch of cream to mine. “Thanks,” I say. “Shall we sit in the arm chairs?”
“Yes. That would be nice.”
We take the two leather chairs in front of the desk. “What did you want to discuss with me?” I ask nibbling the crust of a raspberry tart.
He sips his tea thoughtfully. “This is a momentous decision, Jaden. I simply wish to make certain that you have thoroughly thought things through.”
“Come on, Rals. We’ve been over this a few times already. My decision is to stay here with Ryder. Geeze, I’m getting married in a little over a week. I’ll miss my life in Connecticut, and I hate it that Dad and Drew will never know what happened to me, but Dad’s getting pretty serious with his girlfriend, and Drew’s away at college, so I don’t get to see them much anyway. As far as the Transcenders go, I like Narowyn and the others, but that option’s not even in my top two. What else is there to talk about?”
“You understand that this decision is permanent. You pledge that you will never return to Connecticut, even if things do not work out for you here. You further pledge that you will never join the Transcender community.”
“Yes, I know that’s what I’m agreeing to. What’s this all about, Rals?”
“Have you really considered what you are giving up, Jaden? As a Transcender, you would retain the ability to travel back to Connecticut to visi
t your family. You could travel anywhere you wished.”
“Except here.”
“That is true. You would be relinquishing that right.”
“But this is the only place I want to be—here with Ryder, as Queen of the Domerican people.” I stretch out an impatient hand. “Just give me the papers. I’m ready to sign.”
“You still have another eight days before you are required to make your final decision. Perhaps you should wait.”
He’s stalling and I’m getting irritated. Ralston’s been acting weird ever since he got back. “I don’t want to wait. I want this out of the way before the wedding. Give me the papers now.”
Pulling a sheaf from his inside jacket pocket, he spreads the pages on the desk. “You must initial these paragraphs regarding your commitments never to return to Connecticut and never to join the Transcender community. Also initial this one that says this decision is made of your own free will and that IUGA did not attempt to influence you in any way. Then sign the final page, just here.” He points to a signature line.